Evaluation of an electro-pneumatic device for artificial capillary pulse generation used in a prospective study in animals for surgical neck wound healing

The paper examines the development and testing of an electro-pneumatic device for wound healing therapy after surgery in the neck area. The device generates air pressure values in a miniaturized cuff using electronic circuitry to drive an electro-valve and air compressor. The device works in two distinct modes: continuous pressure mode and pulsating pressure mode. The pressure value setting can vary from 3 to 11 mmHg, and the pulsating pressure mode's operating frequency range is approximately 0.1 to 0.3 Hz. Laboratory measurements were conducted to evaluate the device's correct functioning in both continuous and pulsating pressure modes. A four-day prospective study with animals (n = 10) was also conducted to evaluate neck wound healing therapy using the electro-pneumatic device. Out of the twelve histological parameters analysed to reveal the differences between the experimental and control wounds, only one demonstrated a significant difference. Out of the ten animals treated with the device, three showed a significant difference in terms of benefit after therapy. We can therefore conclude that the device potentially improves the wound healing process in the neck area if the pre-set air pressure value does not exceed 8 mmHg.Web of Science9art. no. 983

همبستگی عزت نفس با پیشرفت تحصیلی در دانشجویان دانشکده‌ی پرستاری و مامایی زنجان 1388

زمینه و هدف: یکی از بزرگترین معضلات آموزشی، افت تحصیلی دانشجویان است. بنابراین توجه به بهداشت روانی و پیشرفت تحصیلی این گروه اهمیت به‌سزایی دارد. پاره‌ای از مطالعات بیانگر ارتباط مستقیم بین عزت نفس و پیشرفت تحصیلی است، لیکن بعضی از صاحب نظران رابطه‌ی مستقیم این دو را مورد تردید قرار داده‌اند. این پژوهش با هدف تعیین همبستگی عزت نفس با پیشرفت تحصیلی دانشجویان دانشکده‌ی پرستاری و مامایی زنجان انجام شده است. روش بررسی: این پژوهش یک مطالعه‌ی همبستگی بود، کلیه‌ی دانشجویان دانشکده‌ی پرستاری و مامایی زنجان که حداقل دو نیم‌سال سابقه‌ی تحصیلی داشتند، (182 نفر) در مطالعه شرکت کردند. ابزار جمع‌آوری اطلاعات پرسش‌نامه بود. پرسش‌نامه از دو بخش شامل: ویژگی‌های فردی و تحصیلی واحدهای پژوهش و آزمون 58 سوالی عزت نفس کوپراسمیت تشکیل شده بود. یافته‌ها: ضریب همبستگی پیرسون رابطه‌ی معنی‌داری بین عزت نفس و پیشرفت تحصیلی دانشجویان نشان داد (31/0= r ). ولی عزت نفس با سن و جنسیت ارتباط آماری معنی‌داری نداشت (05/0 P ). نتیجه‌گیری: با توجه به وجود همبستگی مثبت بین عزت نفس و پیشرفت تحصیلی دانشجویان، به نظر می‌رسد استفاده از روش‌های تقویت عزت نفس می‌تواند در جلوگیری از افت تحصیلی دانشجویان نقش داشته باشد

One-Year Risk of Stroke after Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke

BACKGROUND Previous studies conducted between 1997 and 2003 estimated that the risk of stroke or an acute coronary syndrome was 12 to 20% during the first 3 months after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke. The TIAregistry.org project was designed to describe the contemporary profile, etiologic factors, and outcomes in patients with a TIA or minor ischemic stroke who receive care in health systems that now offer urgent evaluation by stroke specialists. METHODS We recruited patients who had had a TIA or minor stroke within the previous 7 days. Sites were selected if they had systems dedicated to urgent evaluation of patients with TIA. We estimated the 1-year risk of stroke and of the composite outcome of stroke, an acute coronary syndrome, or death from cardiovascular causes. We also examined the association of the ABCD2 score for the risk of stroke (range, 0 [lowest risk] to 7 [highest risk]), findings on brain imaging, and cause of TIA or minor stroke with the risk of recurrent stroke over a period of 1 year. RESULTS From 2009 through 2011, we enrolled 4789 patients at 61 sites in 21 countries. A total of 78.4% of the patients were evaluated by stroke specialists within 24 hours after symptom onset. A total of 33.4% of the patients had an acute brain infarction, 23.2% had at least one extracranial or intracranial stenosis of 50% or more, and 10.4% had atrial fibrillation. The Kaplan–Meier estimate of the 1-year event rate of the composite cardiovascular outcome was 6.2% (95% confidence interval, 5.5 to 7.0). Kaplan–Meier estimates of the stroke rate at days 2, 7, 30, 90, and 365 were 1.5%, 2.1%, 2.8%, 3.7%, and 5.1%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, multiple infarctions on brain imaging, large-artery atherosclerosis, and an ABCD2 score of 6 or 7 were each associated with more than a doubling of the risk of stroke. CONCLUSIONS We observed a lower risk of cardiovascular events after TIA than previously reported. The ABCD2 score, findings on brain imaging, and status with respect to large-artery atherosclerosis helped stratify the risk of recurrent stroke within 1 year after a TIA or minor stroke. (Funded by Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb.)Supported by an unrestricted grant from Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb

Peak systolic velocity ratio for evaluation of internal carotid artery stenosis correlated with plaque morphology: substudy results of the ANTIQUE study

BackgroundAccurate assessment of carotid stenosis severity is important for proper patient management. The present study aimed to compare the evaluation of carotid stenosis severity using four duplex sonography (DUS) measurements, including peak systolic velocity (PSV), PSV ratio in stenosis and distal to stenosis (PSVICA/ICA ratio), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and B-mode, with computed tomography angiography (CTA), and to evaluate the impact of plaque morphology on correlation between DUS and CTA.MethodsConsecutive patients with carotid stenosis of ≥40% examined using DUS and CTA were included. Plaque morphology was also determined using magnetic resonance imaging. Spearman’s correlation and Kendall’s rank correlation were used to evaluate the results.ResultsA total of 143 cases of internal carotid artery stenosis of ≥40% based on DUS were analyzed. The PSVICA/ICA ratio showed the highest correlation [Spearman’s correlation r = 0.576) with CTA, followed by PSV (r = 0.526), B-mode measurement (r = 0.482), and EDV (r = 0.441; p < 0.001 in all cases]. The worst correlation was found for PSV when the plaque was calcified (r = 0.238), whereas EDV showed a higher correlation (r = 0.523). Correlations of B-mode measurement were superior for plaques with smooth surface (r = 0.677), while the PSVICA/ICA ratio showed the highest correlation in stenoses with irregular (r = 0.373) or ulcerated (r = 0.382) surfaces, as well as lipid (r = 0.406), fibrous (r = 0.461), and mixed (r = 0.403; p < 0.01 in all cases) plaques. Nevertheless, differences between the mentioned correlations were not statistically significant (p > 0.05 in all cases).ConclusionPSV, PSVICA/ICA ratio, EDV, and B-mode measurements showed comparable correlations with CTA in evaluation of carotid artery stenosis based on their correlation with CTA results. Heavy calcifications and plaque surface irregularity or ulceration negatively influenced the measurement accuracy

Management komplexního projektu na vytvoření zařízení pro 3-D modelování a měření aterosklerotického plátu

Článek prezentuje systém řízení komplexního projektu zaměřeného na vývoj zařízení pro 3-D zobrazení artérií. Prezentovaných výsledků bylo dosaženo díky podpore Grantové agentury České republiky, při řešení projektu GA 101/06/0491.This contribution presents management system of a complex grant project focused to the development of the equipment for 3-D picturing of carotid artery. The presented results have been obtained during the soling of research project GA 101/06/0491 supported by the Czech Science Foundation

Histological Changes of the Middle Ear Ossicles Harvested During Cholesteatoma Surgery

Background: In the cholesteatoma surgery ossicles can be replaced to reconstruct middle ear function. It is important that these ossicles are free of squamous epithelium, to prevent residual disease. This study focuses on the histological findings of the malleus and incus harvested during cholesteatoma surgery. Materials and Methods: Eighty middle ears ossicles were examined in vivo and histologically to consider the relationship of cholesteatoma to ossicles, grade of bone destruction and invasion of cholesteatoma to deeper layers of bone. Results: Serious ossicular destruction was observed more frequently in incus compared to malleus (p = 0.0065). Difference of ossicles destruction between children and adults was not significant (p = 0.3032). Deep invasion of cholesteatoma into the vascular spaces or inner core of the bone was not observed. Conclusions: Autograft ossicles from cholesteatomatous ears should not necessarily be rejected for reconstruction of the ossicular chain. Regarding the histological finding, the authors suggest mechanical cleaning of the ossicle surface to eliminate residual disease

Potenciál projektivní Metody asociace barev odrážet fyziologické reakce na podněty s jiným emočním nábojem (studie PARC) – protokol studie

Measurement of many important psychological concepts, such as health-related quality of life, satisfaction with different types of public and private services, personality, or attitudes, is most often based on various questionnaires. Nevertheless, this method is based on the subjective testimony of an individual about his/ her features, feelings, attitudes, etc. It provides relevant responses only when respondents have well developed introspection, a reason to open up, express themselves, and provide adequate and relevant answers. Projective methods represent an alternative option to measure psychological concepts with the potential reduction of conscious or unconscious bias. The Colour Association Method (CA method) is an advanced projective technique, based on principles of the Luscher colour test and word associations, which uses an objective computer data evaluation and thus overcomes one of the main weaknesses of projective methods. The study aims to investigate the ability of standard questionnaire and CA method to capture the responses of humans to different stimuli with emotional charge. A sample of 101 individuals will be used for this purpose, where each of them will be exposed to 145 different predefined stimuli. Comparison of physiological responses (cerebral blood fl ow, electrical activity of the brain, heart rate variability, and skin conductance response) to these stimuli and the perception of the stimuli measured by the questionnaire and CA method will be performed to determine which method provides a more accurate information on the real perception of the stimuli. These findings may have important consequences for the use of the questionnaire and the CA method to measure different psychological concepts.Měření mnoha důležitých psychologických konceptů jako jsou kvalita života související se zdravím, spokojenost s různými typy veřejných a soukromých služeb, osobnost nebo postoje, se nejčastěji opírá o různé dotazníky. Tyto dotazníkové metody jsou však založeny na subjektivním svědectví jednotlivce o jeho vlastnostech, pocitech, postojích atd. Relevantní odpovědi poskytují pouze tehdy, mají-li respondenti dobře vyvinutou introspekci, důvod otevřít se, vyjádřit se a poskytnout adekvátní a relevantní odpovědi. Projektivní metody představují alternativní možnost měření psychologických konceptů s potenciálním snížením vědomé či nevědomé zaujatosti. Metoda asociace barev (The Colour Association Method; CA) je pokročilá projektivní technika, inspirovaná Lüscherovým testem barev a slovních asociací, která využívá objektivního vyhodnocení počítačových dat a překonává tak jednu z hlavních slabin projektivních metod. Cílem studie je prozkoumat schopnost standardního dotazníku a metody CA v zachycení reakce lidí na různé podněty s emočním nábojem. K tomuto účelu bude do studie zařazen vzorek 101 jedinců, kdy každý z nich bude vystaven 145 různým předem defi novaným podnětům. Bude provedeno srovnání fyziologických odpovědí (průtok krve mozkem, elektrická aktivita mozku, variabilita srdeční frekvence a kožní impedance) na tyto podněty a vnímání podnětů měřených dotazníkem a metodou CA s cílem zjistit, která metoda poskytuje přesnější informace o skutečném emočním vnímání podnětů. Tato zjištění mohou mít důležité důsledky pro použití dotazníku a metody CA k měření různých psychologických konceptů.Web of Science85648848