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Luminescence type gas sensors based on organic luminophores are characterized by an excellent signal stability over the luminophores’ lifetime. Even though the sensing material is prone to degradation due to photobleaching, evaluation of the dynamic optical response allows to minimize aging induced drift effects of the luminophore and the optoelectronic components. The gas dependent luminophore decay time is mostly independent of the excitation intensity, which is attributed to the monomolecular recombination in many organic luminophores. To improve the overall sensor lifetime and to utilize this luminescence based sensor concept for long-term sensing applications, new luminophores are needed. Potential candidates are inorganic, semiconducting materials, which, however, show more complex recombination behaviour than the organic luminophores mentioned before, involving also bimolecular recombination. In the scope of this work, the differences of mono- and bimolecular recombination are discussed by the use of a simple statistical model. The theoretical aspects are furthermore confirmed by dynamic luminescence measurements on manganese doped zinc sulfide (ZnS). The semiconducting ZnS is an oxygen sensitive luminophore, which shows both, mono- and bimolecular recombination, depending on the excitation energy.BACKGROUND The guidelines recommend oral carbohydrates up to 2 hr before elective surgery. The objective of this study was to explore the safety and feasibility of preoperative carbohydrate drink in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients undergoing ambulatory surgery under general anesthesia were enrolled. They were fasted from midnight and randomly assigned to a study group (200 mL of a carbohydrate beverage) or the control group (pure water) and received the assigned drink 2 hr before surgery. Bedside ultrasonography was performed to monitor gastric emptying at T₀ (before liquid intake), T₁ (5 min after intake), T₂ (1 hr after intake), and T₃ (2 hr after intake). Subjective feelings of thirst, hunger, anxiety, and fatigue were assessed 1 hr after liquid intake using the visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS In both groups, gastric antrum cross-sectional area, gastric content volume, and weight-corrected gastric content volume increased at T₁ and returned to baseline at T₃. These parameters were significantly higher in the study group at T₂ (6.28±1.38 vs. 4.98±0.78, 67.22±29.49 vs. CP 43 49.04±15.4, 1.10±0.51 vs. 0.85±0.37, P less then 0.05). Thirst and hunger VAS scores were reduced in both groups. The study group suffered significantly less hunger (28.44±10.41 vs. 36.03±14.42, P less then 0.05). Blood electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium) and glucose concentration levels were similar in both groups at T₂. No gastric regurgitation or pulmonary aspiration was recorded. CONCLUSIONS Administration of 200 mL of oral carbohydrate beverage 2 hr before ambulatory surgery is safe, effective, and can be used for preoperative management of fasting patients.

Pigmented lesions are uncommon in the oral mucosa, and studies investigating the incidence and types of these lesions are desired to improve the diagnostic knowledge of clinicians. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of oral pigmented lesions in a Brazilian population.

A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was performed. Oral pigmented lesions were retrieved from the files of two oral and maxillofacial pathology services from Brazil over a 45-year period (1974-2019). The clinical data and the diagnoses of each case were retrieved and included in a Microsoft Excel® database.

From 77.074 lesions diagnosed in this period, 761 (0.99%) represented pigmented lesions of the oral mucosa, including 351 (46.1%) melanocytic and 410 (53.9%) non-melanocytic lesions, with a higher incidence in females (73.2%) between the fourth and seventh decades of life. Amalgam tattoo (53.6%) represented the most common lesion, followed by melanotic macule (18.3%) and racial pigmentation (10.8%). Other pigmented lesions included nevus (9.9%), post-inflammatory pigmentation (3%), melanoma (2.1%), melanoacanthoma (1.4%), smoker’s melanosis (0.4%), drug-induced pigmentation (0.3%), and melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (0.1%). The buccal mucosa was the most commonly affected site (25.2%), followed by the alveolar ridge (14.5%), and gingiva (11.8%).

The current findings were similar to previous studies with minor differences due methodology and characteristics of the services from where lesions were retrieved. The knowledge of these data may contribute to a better understanding of oral pigmented lesions and assist clinicians to better recognize and manage them.

The current findings were similar to previous studies with minor differences due methodology and characteristics of the services from where lesions were retrieved. The knowledge of these data may contribute to a better understanding of oral pigmented lesions and assist clinicians to better recognize and manage them.G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) has been considered as a potential target for the treatment of heart failure as it has been reported to be an important regulator of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. To discover novel scaffolds that selectively inhibit GRK5, we have identified a novel small molecule inhibitor of GRK5, KR-39038 [7-((3-((4-((3-aminopropyl)amino)butyl)amino)propyl) amino)-2-(2-chlorophenyl)-6-fluoroquinazolin-4(3H)-one]. KR-39038 exhibited potent inhibitory activity (IC50 value=0.02 μM) against GRK5 and significantly inhibited angiotensin II-induced cellular hypertrophy and HDAC5 phosphorylation in neonatal cardiomyocytes. In the pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy mouse model, the daily oral administration of KR-39038 (30 mg/kg) for 14 days showed a 43% reduction in the left ventricular weight. Besides, KR-39038 treatment (10 and 30 mg/kg/ day, p.o.) showed significant preservation of cardiac function and attenuation of myocardial remodeling in a rat model of chronic heart failure following coronary artery ligation. These results suggest that potent GRK5 inhibitor could effectively attenuate both cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction in experimental heart failure, and KR-39038 may be useful as an effective GRK5 inhibitor for pharmaceutical applications.