BACKGROUND Households play a major role in community spread of influenza and are potential targets for mitigation strategies. METHODS We enrolled and followed 328 households with children during the 2010-2011 influenza season; this season was characterized by circulation of influenza A (H3N2), A (H1N1)pdm09 and type B viruses. Specimens were collected from subjects with acute respiratory illn...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Inhaled gas humidification and heating are necessary in patients under tracheal intubation or tracheostomy to prevent damage to respiratory system resulting from the contact of cold and dry gas with the airways. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of respiratory circle systems with carbon dioxide absorbers from Dräger's Cicero anesthesia machine (Germany) as to i...

OBJECTIVE To show changes in the management of subglottic laryngitis over the last twenty years in Croatia. METHODS We sent questionnaires to paediatricians and otolaryngologists (ENT) in 9 Croatian hospitals in 1993, 2003 and 2013. In the questionnaire we presented a case of a child with moderately difficult subglottic laryngitis, after which they had to answer questions about the management...

BACKGROUND Because noninvasive ventilation (NIV) delivers medical gas at high flow, inadequate humidification may cause oral dryness and patient discomfort. Heated humidification can be used during NIV, but little has been reported about the effects on the hygrometric conditions inside an oronasal mask and oral dryness during 24 hours on NIV. METHODS We measured absolute humidity (AH) inside ...

In this paper, we introduce a modified interpretation of the water activity presented in Springer et al. [T.E. Springer, T.A. Zawodzinski, S. ottesfeld, Polymer electrolyte fuel cell model, J. Electrochem. Soc. 138 (8) (1991) 2334–2342]. The modification directly affects the membrane ater transport between the anode and the cathode (two electrodes) of the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel...

The impact of hydration on the transport properties of microcrystalline Sm(0.15)Ce(0.85)O(1.925) has been examined. Dense, polycrystalline samples were obtained by conventional ceramic processing and the grain boundary regions were found, by high resolution transmission electron microscopy, to be free of impurity phases. Impedance spectroscopy measurements were performed over the temperature ra...

BACKGROUND This study was performed to determine the effects of a humidifier with heated wire circuits on the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat (POST) and cough after thyroidectomy. METHODS A total of 61 patients scheduled for elective thyroid surgery under general anesthesia were included in this prospective study. We randomized the patients in to two groups, "without activ...

BACKGROUND The upper airway humidifies and warms inspired gases before they reach the trachea, a process bypassed by the insertion of a tracheostomy, necessitating humidification of inspired gases. The optimal method of humidification is not known. METHODS We conducted a short-term 20-hour study and a long-term 10-week randomized crossover study comparing a heated humidifier (HH) to a heat an...

Coloration of mefenamic acid (MFA) was investigated in the presence of mesoporous silica FSM-16 with 16.0 A (Oc) and 45.0 A (Doc) pore diameter. The color change of MFA/FSM-16 physical mixture from white to deep blue was observed by sealed-heating (SH) and the subsequent humidification (HU). The coloration and the color difference were caused by the changes of chroma and lightness. In the case ...