The EPCW structure enhances the interaction between the light and the sensing medium.Basketball is a game of repeated jumps and sprints. The objective of this study was to examine whether repeated jump assessments the day prior to competition (MD-1) could discriminate between fast and slow in-game performances the following day. Seven NCAA Division I Basketball athletes (4 guards and 3 forwards; 20 ± 1.2 years, 1.95 ± 0.09 m, and 94 ± 15 kg) performed a repeated-hop test on a force platform before and after each practice MD-1 to assess Reactive Strength Index (RSI) and Jump Height (JH). Peak speed was recorded during games via spatial tracking cameras. A median split analysis classified performance into FAST and SLOW relative to individual in-game peak speed. Paired T-tests were performed to assess post- to pre-practices differences. An independent sample T-test was used to assess the differences between FAST and SLOW performances. Cohen’s d effect sizes (ES) were calculated to determine the magnitude of the differences. Statistical significance was set for p ≤ 0.05. Post-practice RSI and JH were significantly higher than pre-training values prior to the FAST but not the SLOW in-game performances. A significant difference was found for MD-1 RSI when comparing FAST and SLOW conditions (p = 0.01; ES = 0.62). No significant between-group differences were obtained in JH (p = 0.07; ES = 0.45). These findings could have implications on the facilitation of reactive strength qualities in conjunction with match-play. Practitioners should evaluate the placement of stimuli to potentiate athlete readiness for competition.The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of early pregnancy and exposure to tobacco smoke on antioxidant status and copper, zinc, and cadmium concentrations in the blood of non-smoking and smoking, as well as non-pregnant or pregnant women. The study included 213 women. More specifically, 150 women in first trimester of pregnancy and 63 non-pregnant women. Women were divided into subgroups according to exposure to tobacco smoke. Pregnancy significant influences higher copper and lower zinc concentration in the serum, whereas exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy is mainly associated with an elevation in cadmium and zinc concentration. It seems that metallothionein, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase are the important antioxidants during early pregnancy, when exposure to tobacco smoke occurs, whereas the pregnancy itself is associated with a higher concentration of metallothionein and activity of catalase. Both pregnancy in the first trimester and exposure to tobacco smoke decrease glutathione concentration. In addition, active and passive maternal smoking have a similarly negative effect on antioxidant status in the first trimester. Disodium Cromoglycate in vivo Early pregnancy as well as exposure to tobacco smoke is associated with significant alteration in antioxidant status and copper, zinc, and cadmium concentration. Due to a small number of smoking subjects (11 cases of non-pregnant, active smokers and 14 pregnant active smokers), the obtained results should be treated as a pilot, and this should be considered for future studies.Acute necrotizing encephalopathy is a devastating clinico-radiological syndrome characterized by fulminant neurological deterioration after an antecedent febrile illness, as well as the imaging hallmark of bilateral thalamic involvement. Herein, we describe a 4-year-old boy with typical clinical and neuroimaging features of acute necrotizing encephalopathy. The bithalamic swelling led to a block of cerebrospinal fluid circulation at the foramen of Monro, thereby causing the mild dilatation of lateral ventricles. The periventricular areas could, therefore, have been potentially affected by the acute necrotizing encephalopathy per se and/or transependymal edema secondary to obstructive hydrocephalus. The information from diffusion imaging allows for differentiation between these two pathophysiological processes.

To determine the incidence of unplanned hospitalization (UH) and to identify risk factors for UH in elderly patients with cancer who start chemotherapy.

In all, 493 patients over 70 years starting new chemotherapy regimens were prospectively included. A pre-chemotherapy geriatric assessment was performed, and tumor and treatment variables were collected. The association between these factors and UH was examined by using multivariable logistic regression. Score points were assigned to each risk factor.

During the first 6 months of treatment, 37% of patients had at least one episode of UH. Risk factors were the use of combination chemotherapy at standard doses, a MAX2 index ≥1, a Charlson comorbidity score ≥2, albumin level <3.5 g/dL, falls in the past 6 months ≥1, and weight loss >5%. Three risk groups for UH were established according to the score in all patients 0-1 17.5%; 2 34%; and 3-7 57% (

< 0.001). The area under receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.72 (95% CI 0.67-0.77).

This simple tool can help to reduce the incidence of UH in elderly patients with cancer who are scheduled to initiate chemotherapy treatment.

This simple tool can help to reduce the incidence of UH in elderly patients with cancer who are scheduled to initiate chemotherapy treatment.The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an unprecedented threat to the international community and raised major concerns in terms of public health safety. Although our current understanding of the complexity of COVID-19 pathogenesis remains limited, the infection is largely mediated by the interaction of viral spike protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The functional importance of ACE2 in different demographic and comorbid conditions may explain the significant variation in incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in vulnerable groups, and highlights its candidacy as a potential therapeutic target. We provide evidence supporting the idea that differences in incidence and severity of COVID-19 infection may be related to ACE2. Emerging data based on the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 among those with established high levels of ACE2 expression strongly support our hypothesis. Considering the burden of COVID-19 infection in these vulnerable groups and the impact of the potential therapeutic and preventive measures that would result from adopting ACE2-driven anti-viral strategies, our hypothesis may expedite global efforts to control the current COVID-19 pandemic.