71 research outputs found
A elaboração e avaliação de um sistema de ensino a distância em oftalmologia
INTRODUCTION: Web-based e-learning is a teaching tool increasingly used in many medical schools and specialist fields, including ophthalmology. AIMS: this pilot study aimed to develop internet-based course-based clinical cases and to evaluate the effectiveness of this method within a graduate medical education group. METHODS: this was an interventional randomized study. First, a website was built using a distance learning platform. Sixteen first-year ophthalmology residents were then divided into two randomized groups: one experimental group, which was submitted to the intervention (use of the e-learning site) and another control group, which was not submitted to the intervention. The students answered a printed clinical case and their scores were compared. RESULTS: there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: We were able to successfully develop the e-learning site and the respective clinical cases. Despite the fact that there was no statistically significant difference between the access and the non access group, the study was a pioneer in our department, since a clinical case online program had never previously been developed.INTRODUÇÃO: O ensino a distância pela Internet é uma ferramenta de educação cada vez mais utilizada em muitas faculdades de medicina e áreas de medicina especializadas, inclusive a oftalmologia. OBJETIVOS: Este estudo piloto teve como objetivo elaborar casos clÃnicos baseados no curso online e avaliar a eficácia deste método num grupo de estudantes de pós-graduação de medicina. MÉTODOS: foi um estudo de intervenção randomizado. Em primeiro lugar, um website foi construÃdo usando uma plataforma de ensino à distância. Dezesseis residentes de oftalmologia do primeiro ano então foram divididos em dois grupos aleatórios: um grupo experimental, o qual foi submetido à intervenção (uso do site de ensino a distância) e outro grupo de controle, que não foi submetido à intervenção. Os alunos responderam a um caso clÃnico impresso e seus resultados foram comparados. RESULTADOS: não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: Conseguimos desenvolver com sucesso o website de ensino a distância e os respectivos casos clÃnicos. Apesar do fato de que não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre o grupo com acesso e o grupo sem acesso, o estudo foi pioneiro no nosso departamento, uma vez que nunca havia sido desenvolvido anteriormente um programa online de casos clÃnicos.9610
Conceptual design of electron beam diagnostics for high brightness plasma accelerator
A design study of the diagnostics of a high brightness linac, based on X-band
structures, and a plasma accelerator stage, has been delivered in the framework
of the EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB project. In this paper, we present a conceptual
design of the proposed diagnostics, using state of the art systems and new and
under development devices. Single shot measurements are preferable for plasma
accelerated beams, including emittance, while m level and fs scale beam
size and bunch length respectively are requested. The needed to separate the
driver pulse (both laser or beam) from the witness accelerated bunch imposes
additional constrains for the diagnostics. We plan to use betatron radiation
for the emittance measurement just at the end of the plasma booster, while
other single-shot methods must be proven before to be implemented. Longitudinal
measurements, being in any case not trivial for the fs level bunch length, seem
to have already a wider range of possibilities
Linear Accelerator Test Facility at LNF Conceptual Design Report
Test beam and irradiation facilities are the key enabling infrastructures for
research in high energy physics (HEP) and astro-particles. In the last 11 years
the Beam-Test Facility (BTF) of the DA{\Phi}NE accelerator complex in the
Frascati laboratory has gained an important role in the European
infrastructures devoted to the development and testing of particle detectors.
At the same time the BTF operation has been largely shadowed, in terms of
resources, by the running of the DA{\Phi}NE electron-positron collider. The
present proposal is aimed at improving the present performance of the facility
from two different points of view: extending the range of application for the
LINAC beam extracted to the BTF lines, in particular in the (in some sense
opposite) directions of hosting fundamental physics and providing electron
irradiation also for industrial users; extending the life of the LINAC beyond
or independently from its use as injector of the DA{\Phi}NE collider, as it is
also a key element of the electron/positron beam facility. The main lines of
these two developments can be identified as: consolidation of the LINAC
infrastructure, in order to guarantee a stable operation in the longer term;
upgrade of the LINAC energy, in order to increase the facility capability
(especially for the almost unique extracted positron beam); doubling of the BTF
beam-lines, in order to cope with the signicant increase of users due to the
much wider range of applications.Comment: 71 page
Erratum to nodal management and upstaging of disease. Initial results from the Italian VATS Lobectomy Registry
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.06.12.]
Erratum to: EuPRAXIA Conceptual Design Report – Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 229, 3675-4284 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2020-000127-8
International audienceThe online version of the original article can be found at http://https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2020-000127-8</A
Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study
Summary
Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally.
Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies
have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of
the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income
countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality.
Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to
hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis,
exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a
minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical
status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary
intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause,
in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status.
We did a complete case analysis.
Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital
diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal
malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome
countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male.
Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3).
Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income
countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups).
Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome
countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries;
p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients
combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11],
p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20
[1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention
(ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety
checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed
(ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of
parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65
[0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality.
Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome,
middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will
be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger
than 5 years by 2030
Effect of in vitro mechanical compression on epylisin (matrix metalloproteinase-28) expression in hypertrophic scars
Epilysin, designated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-28, is the newest member of this family of proteases expressed by keratinocytes in response to an injury. MMP-28's physiological role and specific substrates are unknown, but its expression pattern suggests that it may serve a role in both tissue homeostasis and wound healing. The aim of this preliminary study was to observe the presence of MMP-28 protein in normotrophic and hypertrophic scars and to evaluate the effect of in vitro mechanical compression on its expression. Biopsies from normotrophic and hypertrophic scars resulting from burns were divided into two samples, one to be used as control (uncompressed) and the other to be compressed in an oxygenated organ chamber for 24 hours in the presence of a serum-free medium, using an electromechanical load transducer (stable pressure = 35 mmHg). Analysis of MMP-28 protein secretion, assessed by Western blot and beta-casein zymography in scar conditioned media, revealed that normotrophic scar did not release MMP-28 in any condition while hypertrophic scar released active MMP-28 both in control conditions and after compression. MMP-28 immunohistochemistry revealed a light protein presence in normotrophic scar keratinocytes and a strong MMP-28 positivity in hypertrophic scar keratinocytes in control conditions, while compression increased MMP-28 staining in normotrophic scar and induced a significant reduction of the protein presence in hypertrophic scar keratinocytes. As it has been suggested that MMP-28 may restructure the skin basal membrane (Saarialho-Kere et al., 2002), our data indicate that mechanical compression directly acts to modulate the remodeling phase of wound healing, altering release and activity of MMP-28 in hypertrophic scars
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