The evaluation revealed four key themes. COVID-19 patients 1) had greatly increased C-reactive protein levels, 2) needed a significant inspiratory O2fraction, 3) were highly positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) dependent on ventilatory support and 4) suffered highly fluctuating respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support for a significantly longer period of time than non-COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 patients have characteristic reproducible laboratory findings and present a major challenge due to their illness severity and required treatment length. FUNDING none. TRIAL REGISTRATION not relevant. Articles published in the DMJ are “open access”. This means that the articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.Mass attenuation coefficients (MACs) of Th, U, Np, and Pu for oxygen X-rays have been experimentally determined using an electron microprobe. The MACs were obtained by measuring relative X-ray intensities emitted from ThO2, UO2, NpO2, and PuO2 targets, for incident electron energies from 5 to 30 keV, and processing them with the help of the computer program XMAC. The accuracy of the measured MACs is estimated to be better than 5%. Results are compared with MAC tabulations commonly used in electron probe microanalysis as well as with theoretical photoionization calculations. It is concluded that the MACs implemented in the Monte Carlo simulation program PENELOPE which are based on the photoionization cross-section calculations of Sabbatucci & Salvat [(2016). Theory and calculation of the atomic photoeffect. Rad Phys Chem121, 122-140], provide the best agreement with our measurements. The use of different MAC schemes for the analysis of mixed actinide oxide materials is discussed.For Tomasello's proposed ontology of the human sense of moral obligation, observations of early moral language may provide useful evidence complementary to that afforded by experimental research. Extant reports of children's everyday moral talk reveal patterns of participation and content that accord with the proposal and hint at extensions addressing individual differences.Backgorund Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have been extensively used for targeted drug delivery systems due to their unique magnetic properties. OBJECTIVE In this study, it's aimed to develop a novel targeted 99mTc radiolabeled polymeric drug delivery system for Gemcitabine (GEM). METHODS Gemcitabine, an anticancer agent, was encapsulated into polymer nanoparticles (PLGA) together with iron oxide nanoparticles via double emulsion technique and then labeled with 99mTc. SPIONs were synthesized by reduction-coprecipitation method and encapsulated with oleic acid for surface modification.  https://www.selleckchem.com/pharmacological_epigenetics.html  Size distribution and the morphology of the synthesized nanoparticles were caharacterized by dynamic light scattering(DLS)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM), respectively. Radiolabeling yield of SPION-PLGAGEM nanoparticles were determined via Thin Layer Radio Chromatography (TLRC). Cytotoxicity of GEM loaded SPION-PLGA were investigated on MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 breast cancer cells in vitro. RESULTS SEM imagb@benthamscience.net.BACKGROUND Decreases in female hormones not only affect bone metabolism and decrease bone mass, but also affect the central nervous system, causing brain disorders such as depression and dementia. Administration of estradiol by hormone replacement therapy can improve dementia, while reduced estradiol in ovariectomized (OVX) model rats can reduce both bone density and locomotor activity. The antidepressant fluvoxamine, which is widely used in clinical practice, can improve this effect on locomotor reduction. Similarly, lactoferrin (LF) can reportedly improve inhibitory locomotion due to stress. OBJECTIVE In this study, we examined the effect of LF on neurite outgrowth in vitro and in vivo using PC12 cells and rats, respectively. METHODS We performed an in vivo study in which 8-week-old female OVX rats were administered LF five days a week for 6 weeks from the day after surgery. After administration was completed, spontaneous locomotor activity in the dark period, immobility time in a forced swim test, and release amount of dopamine and serotonin in the brain were measured. RESULTS LF was found to have a neurite outgrowth function in PC12 cells. Moreover, LF was found to improve OVX-induced decreases in locomotor activity and increases in immobility time in the forced swim test. Furthermore, administration of LF elicited significant recovery of decreased dopamine and serotonin release in the brains of OVX group rats. CONCLUSION These results strongly suggest that LF improved OVX-induced decreases in momentum during the dark period and, moreover, that release of dopamine and serotonin in the brain was involved in this effect. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.BACKGROUND Identifying predictive factors that contribute to changes in body weight may well be an interesting approach to the management of obesity. OBJECTIVE This study was firstly aimed at examining the effect of a one-year lifestyle program based on improvements of the habitual diet and increased levels of physical activity on weight loss. Secondly, it was focused on identifying anthropometric, and serum hormonal, metabolic and haematochemical factors which can be associated with the degree of weight loss in Kg. METHODS 488 overweight or obese subjects, 383 women and 105 men, aged 18-67 years, were enrolled in the study. Body mass index, waist circumference, serum blood glucose, lipids, uric acid, creatinine, insulin, TSH, FT3, FT4, and 24-h urine catecholamines were measured. RESULTS Weight loss was positively associated with BMI (P less then 0.01), waist circumference (P less then 0.01), uric acid (P less then 0.01), creatinine (P less then 0.05), smoking (P less then 0.01), and negatively correlated with age (P less then 0.01), total cholesterol (P less then 0.05), LDL-cholesterol (P less then 0.01), HDL cholesterol (P less then 0.05). In a multiple regression model considering weight loss as a dependent variable, and smoking, age, BMI, uric acid, creatinine, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL cholesterol as independent variables, weight loss maintained a direct independent relationship with BMI (P less then 0.001), uric acid (P less then 0.05), LDL-cholesterol (P less then 0.05), and HDL-cholesterol (P less then 0.05), and an inverse independent association with cholesterol (P less then 0.01). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that higher BMI and uric acid levels, and lower total cholesterol concentrations are associated with a greater potential to lose weight. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.