Use of Near Infrared Spectroscopy to Asses Remote Ischemic Preconditioning in Skeletal Muscle

Remote ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a procedure during which brief periods of ischemia protect distant organ from ischemia-reperfusion injury. Appling IPC on an upper arm, this phenomenon has been demonstrated in several studies. Skeletal muscle tissue oxygenation at rest (StO2) and StO2 deoxygenation rate during vascular occlusion can be measured using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We aimed to investigate the effects of remote upper arm IPC on StO2 and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in healthy male volunteers. In a randomized controlled crossover trial, resting StO2, StO2 deoxygenation rate, and FMD were measured on testing arm at baseline and after 60 minutes. After basal measurements IPC protocol on a contralateral arm was performed. StO2 deoxygenation rate was significantly lower after remote, the IPC cycles in comparison to deoxygenation rate at baseline (9.7±2.6 versus 7.5±2.5%, P=0.002). Comparison of deoxygenation rates showed a significant difference between the IPC and the control protocol (F=5.512, P=0.003). No differences were observed in FMD before and after remote IPC and in the control protocol. In healthy young adults, remote IPC reduces StO2 deoxygenation rate but has no significant impact on FMD. NIRS technique offers a novel approach to asses skeletal muscle adaptation in response to remote ischemic stimuli

Knowledge about and acceptance of genetically modified organisms among pre-service teachers: a comparative study of Turkey and Slovenia

Genetically modified organisms cannot be regarded as merely a topic for academic debate, since these have serious implications as a research field and for production based on genetic engineering. Public debates rarely base their arguments on elements rooted in scientific arguments and knowledge but are heavily loaded with emotions, opinions and informal reasoning. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and acceptance of genetically modified organisms among prospective teachers in Slovenia and Turkey. Knowledge of genetic modification was measured with a two-tier instrument. The level of acceptance of genetic modification was measured with a 17-item instrument. Findings revealed that knowledge of genetics and biotechnology barely influenced the acceptability of genetic modification, and correlations are low. The relationship between knowledge and acceptance was not significant among Slovenian students and while significant for the Turkish or combined groups, the r values were only 0.179 and 0.244. It was found that differences in the acceptability of clusters of different kinds of genetically modified organisms do exist between the two countries. In both countries, participants recognized microorganisms and plants that produce something useful as the most acceptable organisms, while at the other end were animals used for consumption or as donors of organs. Practical implications for teaching are discussed and implications for further studies are drawn

Uporabnost novejših metod deformacije miokarda pri vsakdanji ultrazvočni preiskavi srca

Slikovna preiskava deformacije miokarda s sledenjem ultrazvočnega vzorca (ang. speckle tracking imaging-STI) je novejša metoda v ehokardiografiji, ki omogoča vpogled v mehaniko delovanja srčne mišice in se vse pogosteje uporablja pri vsakdanjem kliničnem delu. S to metodo se je uveljavil tudi nov globalni kazalec deformacije levega prekata v longitudinalni smeri (angl. global longitudinal strain-GLS), ki se je izkazal kot bolj občutljiv kazalec za odkrivanje zgodnje okvare miokarda kot klasični ehokardiografski kazalci sistolične funkcije. Kazalci deformacije imajo tako diagnostično kot prognostično vrednost pri številnih bolezenskih stanjih. Značilne spremembe, ki jih lahko zaznamo s STI pri ishemični bolezni srca so znižanje deformacije v sistoli, raztezanje miokarda v zgodnji sistoli in skrajšanje miokarda po koncu sistole. Metoda STI nam je v pomoč pri odkrivanju zgodnje okvare sistolične funkcije pri bolnikih s hipertrofijo miokarda in pri razlikovanju vzrokov hipertrofij. S STI lahko prepoznamo subklinično okvaro miokarda po kemoterapiji, zato ji dajejo evropska priporočila prednost pred klasičnimi ehokardiografskimi kazalci pri nadaljnjem kliničnem odločanju. Pri asimptomatičnih bolnikih z zmerno do hudo boleznijo srčnih zaklopk znižane vrednosti GLS kažejo na prikrito okvaro miokarda in napovedujejo večje tveganje za po-operativne zaplete. Pri bolnikih z miokarditisom s STI zaznamo znižane vrednosti segmentne deformacije in odražajo fokalno prizadetost levega prekata. Prav tako pa kazalniki deformacije miokarda tudi dobro napovedujejo uspešnost zdravljenja pri bolnikih z resinhronizacijskim spodbujevalnikom. V prispevku želimo predstaviti osnove analizo GLS po posameznih korakih, ki veljajo ne glede na vrsto ultrazvočnega aparata ali programske opreme, ter predstaviti primere uporabe STI pri posameznih bolezenskih stanjih, za katere obstaja največ dokazov klinične uporabnosti

Correlation between cerebral biomarkers and optic nerve sheath diameter in patients with severe preeclampsia

Objective: To examine the correlation between plasma cerebral biomarkers (S100B and neuron-specific enolase (NSE)) and ultrasonographic optic-nerve-sheath-diameter (ONSD) in preeclampsia. Methods: Thirty preeclampsia patients and 27 controls were included. Mann-Whitney-U test was used for comparison of S100B, NSE, and ONSD in preeclampsia vs. controls. Kendall’s tau was used to assess the correlation between biomarkers and ONSD (p < 0.05 significant). Results: ONSD, S100B and NSE were significantly higher in preeclampsia (p < 0.001, p = 0.004, and p < 0.001, respectively). There was significant correlation between NSE levels and ONSD: Kendall’s tau = 0.26; p = 0.01. Conclusions: S100B and NSE are elevated in severe preeclampsia. NSE correlates with increased ONSD suggesting cerebral edema

Optic nerve ultrasound for fluid status assessment in patients with severe preeclampsia

There are no data on usefulness of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) as a marker of patient’s fluid status in preeclampsia. The objective was to examine potential correlation between ONSD and lung ultrasound estimates of extravascular lung water in severe preeclampsia

12th WINFOCUS world congress on ultrasound in emergency and critical care.

10.1186/s13089-016-0046-8Crit Ultrasound J8Suppl 112-complete