Starting from differently substituted boronic acids as versatile building block, new "ortho-aryl" alpha-diimine ligands a-h were synthesized in an easy, high-yielding route. Reaction of the complex precursor diacetylacetonato-nickel(II) with a trityl salt, like [CPh3] [B(C6F5)4] or [CPh3] [SbCl6], in the presence of the diimine ligands afford the monocationic, square planar complexes 2a-g in almost quantitative yields. Suitable crystals (2d',e,f,g) were submitted for X-ray diffraction analysis. A geometry model was developed to describe the orientation of ligand fragments around the nickel(II) center that influence the polymer microstructure. At elevated reaction temperature and pressure, and in the presence of hydrogen, 2a-e catalyze the homopolymerization of ethylene to give branched PE products ranging from HD- to LLD-PE grades. The polymerization results indicate the possibility of precise microstructure control depending on the particular complex substitution. Preliminary investigations on material density and mechanical behavior by uniaxial stretching until failure point toward new material properties that can result from the simple ethylene monomer by catalyst design.

The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) in a university-aged population, whether young adults (aged 18–25 years) with GJH are prone to sustain more musculoskeletal injuries, and are more likely to suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain. The study used an interactive survey to gather data; GJH was assessed using a cut-off Beighton score of ≥5 in accordance with the 2017 International Classification of EDS criteria. The analyzed sample consisted of 482 female and 172 male participants from Florida Gulf Coast University (USA). The prevalence of GJH in a university-aged population can be estimated at 12.5%. Women did not have higher rates of GJH than men. However, female participants showed significantly higher rates of hypermobility of the spine as well as the right knee and elbow joints. The Beighton scores did not differ by ethnicity/race. Female participants had a lower rate of self-reported injuries than male participants, although this difference was not significant. There was no difference in the proportion of all participants classified within different categories (0; 1–4; 5–9) of Beighton scores and whether or not they reported having been injured. Male and female participants reported chronic pain of joints and neck or back at the same rates across the Beighton score categories. Female participants, however, reported higher pain intensity for chronic neck and back pain. This study increases knowledge about a correlation between GJH, musculoskeletal injuries, and chronic pain of joints, neck, and back in a university-aged population.

We conclude from the increased release of toxic, allergic, and potentially carcinogenic ions adjacent to stainless steel that commercially pure Ti should be treated as the preferred material for osteosyntheses if a removal of the implant is not intended. However, neither material provoked a foreign-body reaction in the local tissues, thus cpTi cannot be recommend as the 'golden standard' for osteosynthesis material in general.

In monitoring of recanalization and in sonothrombolysis, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is applied in extended time protocols. As extended use may increase the probability of unwanted effects, careful safety evaluation is required. We investigated the safety profile and beneficial effects of CEUS in a reperfusion model. Wistar rats were subjected to filament occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA). Reperfusion was established after 90 minutes, followed by recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) treatment and randomization to additional CEUS (contrast agent: SonoVue; 60 minutes). Blinded outcome evaluation consisted of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neurologic assessment, and histology and, in separate experiments, quantitative 3D nano-computed tomography (CT) angiography (900 nm 3 voxel size). Nano-CT revealed severely compromised microcirculation in untreated animals after MCA reperfusion. The rt-PA partially improved hemispheric perfusion. Impairment was completely reversed in animals receiving rt-PA and CEUS. This combination was more effective than treatment with either CEUS without rt-PA or rt-PA and ultrasound or ultrasound alone. In MRI experiments, CEUS and rt-PA treatment resulted in a significantly reduced ischemic lesion volume and edema formation. No unwanted effects were detected on MRI, histology, and intracranial temperature assessment. This study shows that CEUS and rt-PA is safe in the situation of reperfusion and displays beneficial effects on the level of the microvasculature.

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Young adults have a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than other age groups. This risk may be mediated by their social and cultural setting which can impact young adults’ awareness of, beliefs in, and risk of contracting STIs (including HIV/AIDS). In order to understand how these factors vary among young adults of different cultures, it is important to study these issues on a cross-cultural scale. This study aimed to increase understanding of the relationship between the culture of a place of study and: (1) STI awareness; (2) belief in STIs; and (3) self-reported STI prevalence in the study population. Survey data were collected from university students in Madagascar (n = 242 surveys in 2013) and the United States of America (n = 199 surveys in 2015). Compared to students at the American university, students at the Malagasy university: (1) did not appear to have a conclusively lower awareness of STIs; (2) did not differ in rates of belief in the existence of gonorrhea and syphilis, but had higher rates of disbelief in HIV/AIDS; and (3) were more likely to report having been infected with syphilis and gonorrhea, but not with HIV/AIDS. Students at the Malagasy university also listed different reasons than the students at the American university for why they believed in the existence of STIs. These findings highlight the need for further cross-cultural research to better adapt intervention strategies to different cultural settings.

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PAE is highly effective in the treatment of embolic occlusions of the lower leg arteries and should be considered as an alternative to Fogarty balloon embolectomy.