86 research outputs found
Quality of life before and after septoplasty and rhinoplasty
Subjective assessment of quality of life (QOL) as an important aspect of outcomes research has received increasing importance during the past decades. QOL is measured with standardized questionnaires which had been tested with regard to reliability, validity, and sensitivity
Satellite Earth Observation and National Data Regulation
National space law in general aims to implement a State's obligations under the UN Space Treaties to authorize and supervise public and private sector space activities and to limit the liability risk exposure of a State. However, Earth observation data regulation is becoming of increasing importance as the Earth observation sector becomes more mature, although until recently only a few States have enacted legislation for private Earth observation activities. The purpose of this article is to review the situations in five countries that have so far created Earth observation data regulations, namely Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States. The relevant laws and regulations for each country are reviewed and assessed, followed by the identification of common trends in Earth observation data regulation and legislation. The conclusions of the article point to a growing need by nations to focus on Earth observation data regulation as the result of technology developments, national security considerations, and increased international competition
General and disease-specific quality of life in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media - a prospective study
Background: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is frequently associated with symptoms of inflammation like discharge from the ear or pain. In many cases, patients suffer from hearing loss causing communication problems and social withdrawal. The objective of this work was to collect prospective audiological data and data on general and disease-specific quality of life with validated quality of life measurement instruments to assess the impact of the disease on health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Methods: 121 patients were included in the study. Patients were clinically examined in the hospital before and 6 months after surgery including audiological testing. They filled in the quality of life questionnaires SF-36 and Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test 15 (COMOT-15) pre-operatively and 6 and 12 months post-operatively, respectively. Results: Complete data records from 90 patients were available for statistical analysis. Disease-specific HR-QOL in patients with CSOM improved after tympanoplasty in all the scales of the COMOT-15. There was no difference in HR-QOL assessment between patients with mesotympanic respectively epitympanic CSOM. However, we did find the outcome to be worse in patients who received revision surgery compared with those receiving primary surgery. Audiometric findings correlated very well with the subscale hearing function from the COMOT-15 questionnaire. General HR-QOL measured with the SF-36 was not significantly changed by tympanoplasty. Conclusions: Tympanoplasty did lead to a significant improvement of disease-specific HR-QOL in patients with CSOM while general HR-QOL did not change. Very well correlations were found between the subscale hearing function from the COMOT-15 questionnaire and audiological findings. Revision surgery seems to be a predictor for a worse outcome
Numerical Simulation of the Dispersion and Deposition of a Spray Carried by a Pulsating Airflow in a Patient-Specific Human Nasal Cavity
[EN] The present numerical study concerns the dispersion and deposition of a nasal spray in a patient-specific human
nose. The realistic three-dimensional geometry of the nasal cavity is reconstructed from computer tomography
(CT) scans. Identification of the region of interest, removal of artifacts, segmentation, generation of the .STL file
and the triangulated surface grid are performed using the software packages ImageJ, meshLab, and NeuRA2. An
unstructured computational volume grid with approximately 15 million tetrahedral grid cells is generated using the
software Ansys ICEM-CFD 11.0. An unsteady Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation is used to describe the airflow and
the spray dispersion and deposition in the realistic human nasal airway using two-way coupling. A new solver called
pimpleParcelFoam is developed, which combines the lagrangianParcel libraries with the pimpleFoam solver within
the software package OpenFOAM 3.0.0. A large eddy simulation (LES) with the dynamic sub-grid scale (SGS)
model is performed to study the spray in both a steady and a pulsating airflow with an inflow rate of 7.5 L/min
(or maximum value in case of the pulsating spray) and a frequency of 45 Hz for pulsation as used in commercial
inhalation devices. 10,000 mono-disperse particles with the diameters of 2.4 ”m and 10 ”m are uniformly injected
at the nostrils. In order to fulfil the stability conditions for the numerical solution, a constant time-step of 10â5
s
is implemented. The simulations are performed for a real process time of 1 s, since after the first second of the
process, all particles have escaped through the pharynx or they are deposited at the surface of the nasal cavity. The
numerical computations are performed on the high-performance computer bwForCluster MLS&WISO Production
using 256 processors, which take around 32 and 75 hours for steady and pulsating flow simulation, respectively.
The study shows that the airflow velocity reaches its maximum values in the nasal valve, in parts of the septum
and in the nasopharynx. A complex airflow is observed in the vestibule and in the nasopharynx region, which may
directly affect the dispersion and deposition pattern of the spray. The results reveal that the spray tends to deposit in
the nasal valve, the septum and in the nasopharynx due to the change in the direction of the airflow in these regions.
Moreover, it is found that due to the pulsating airflow, the aerosols are more dispersed and penetrate deeper into
the posterior regions and the meatuses where the connections to the sinuses reside.The authors thank Dr. H. Mentzel from PARI Respiratory Equipment, Inc. for intense discussions about the pulsating spray initial conditions. The current study is part of a project supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) through a research fellowship of the HGS MathComp. Furthermore, high-performance computing time at the bwForCluster MLS&WISO Production which is funded by the state of Baden-WĂŒrttemberg through bwHPC and DFG through grant INST 35/1134-1 FUGG.Farnoud, A.; Cui, X.; Baumann, I.; Gutheil, E. (2017). Numerical Simulation of the Dispersion and Deposition of a Spray Carried by a Pulsating Airflow in a Patient-Specific Human Nasal Cavity. En Ilass Europe. 28th european conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems. Editorial Universitat PolitĂšcnica de ValĂšncia. 529-536. https://doi.org/10.4995/ILASS2017.2017.4628OCS52953
Long-term outcomes and quality of life following parotidectomy for benign disease
Objective: Parotidectomy worsens quality of life (QoL) in the short-term, but the long-term impact is unknown. In this study, we analysed the long-term effects of parotidectomy on QoL. Methods: In this prospective long-term follow-up study, participants were divided into three groups: short-term (ST) follow-up of six weeks, long-term (LT) follow-up of 13 years and short- and long-term (SLT) follow-up. QoL was assessed using the Parotidectomy Outcome Inventory (POI-8). Parotidectomies were classified based on whether the great auricular nerve (GAN) had been preserved or sacrificed. Results: In total, 164 observations were analysed, 74 in the LT group, 57 in the ST group and 33 in the SLT group. Hypoaesthesia was a major problem and facial palsy was a minor problem. Pain (p < 0.01) and hypoaesthesia (p < 0.001) were significantly lower after 13 years compared with after six weeks, and QoL was higher after 13 years compared with after six weeks (p = 0.04). The disease-specific impairment rate decreased from 70% at short-term follow-up to 30% at long-term follow-up. Removal of the GAN was associated with hypoaesthesia in the ST group (p = 0.028). Conclusions: Hypoaesthesia has a long-term impact on the QoL, and this should be emphasised during preoperative discussions
Aqueous extracts from peppermint, sage and lemon balm leaves display potent anti-HIV-1 activity by increasing the virion density
Interventional Pneumology in Pulmonary Bleeding; A Review: From the Bronchus to the Vessel
Interventional pneumology includes both bronchological and vascular methods of diagnosis
and therapy, especially in emergency situations such as pulmonary hemorrhage. In
massive pulmonary hemorrhage bronchological diagnosis is required to determine the site
and extent of bleeding, as well as angiography of bronchial arteries, and of pulmonary
arteries. Bronchus occlusion by aid of balloon catheter or double lumen tube are holding
measures until definitive surgery or embolization of bronchial or pulmonary arteries can
be performed. The paper suggests a close relationship between bronchoscopic and angiographic
diagnosis and therapy in case of severe pulmonary bleeding
Energy transition and (critical) raw materials - is the supply of critical raw materials a barrier for the energy transition?
Validierung und ReliabilitĂ€tsprĂŒfung des Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire in deutscher Sprache
Hintergrund: Der Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) ist ein krankheitsspezifischer Fragebogen zur Erhebung der gesundheitsbezogenen LebensqualitĂ€t von Patienten vor und nach Cochleaimplantation. Ziel der Arbeit: Validierung und ReliabilitĂ€tsprĂŒfung der deutschen Ăbersetzung des NCIQ. Material und Methoden: Es wurde eine prospektive Studie an 100 postlingual ertaubten oder hochgradig schwerhörigen Patienten durchgefĂŒhrt, welche prĂ€operativ sowie 3 und 6 Monate nach einer Cochleaimplantation mittels NCIQ, Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) und Hearing Participation Scale (HPS) untersucht wurden. Als Kontrolle fungierte ein postlingual ertaubtes oder hochgradig schwerhöriges, unbehandeltes Patientenkollektiv (nâŻ=â54). Cronbachâα und Test-Retest-ReliabilitĂ€t dienten der ReliabilitĂ€tsĂŒberprĂŒfung. Es wurde auf Inhaltsâ, Ăbereinstimmungs- und auf diskriminative ValiditĂ€t getestet. Die KonstruktvaliditĂ€tsprĂŒfung basiert auf kĂŒrzlich veröffentlichen Daten. Als GĂŒtekriterien wurden die SensitivitĂ€t und eine ROC("Receiver Operating Characteristic")-Analyse, inklusive AUC("Area Under the ROC Curve")-Betrachtung, eingesetzt. Ergebnisse: Das Test-Retesting ergab nach 3 und 6 Monaten postoperativ stabile NCIQ-Werte. Die Cronbach-α-Werte wiesen auf eine gute interne Konsistenz hin. Der NCIQ diskriminierte valide zwischen behandelten und unbehandelten Patientengruppen. Es ergaben sich statistisch signifikante, wenn auch schwache, Korrelationen zwischen dem NCIQ und dem APHAB (râŻ=â-0,22; pâŻ=â0,04) und dem HPS (râŻ=â0,30; pâŻ=â0,01). SensitivitĂ€ts- und ROC-Analysen zeigten eine gute MessqualitĂ€t des deutschsprachigen NCIQ. Schlussfolgerung: Die deutsche Ăbersetzung des NCIQ misst zuverlĂ€ssig und valide die LebensqualitĂ€t vor und nach Cochleaimplantation und kann zur klinischen Erfolgskontrolle nach Cochleaimplantationen verwendet werden.Background: The Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) is a disease-speciïŹc
questionnaire to determine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients before
and after cochlear implantation. Objective: This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the German translation of the NCIQ. Materials and methods: A prospective study was performed in 100 postlingually deaf or severely hearing-impaired patients. HRQoL was assessed using the NCIQ, the Abbreviated ProïŹle of Hearing Aid BeneïŹt (APHAB), and the Hearing Participation Scale (HPS) before as well as 3 and 6 months after cochlear implantation. An untreated group of postlingually deaf or severely hearing-impaired patients (n = 54) served as a control. Cronbach's α and testâretest reliability were measured. The content, discrimination, and agreement validity were tested. The evaluation of construct validity was based on recently published data. Sensitivity and receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis,
including consideration of the area under the curve (AUC), were used as quality criteria. Results: The test-retest analysis showed stable NCIQ values 3 and 6 months postoperatively. The Cronbachâs α values indicated good internal consistency. The NCIQ validly discriminated between treated and untreated patient groups. There were statistically signiïŹcant albeit weak correlations between the NCIQ and the APHAB (r = -0.22; p = 0.04) and the HPS (r = 0.30; p = 0.01). Sensitivity and ROC analyses showed good measurement quality of the German-speaking NCIQ. Conclusion: The German translation of the NCIQ reliably and validly measures HRQoL before and after cochlear implantation and can be used for clinical monitoring after treatment with cochlear implants
Metastable Se6 as a ligand for Ag+: from isolated molecular to polymeric 1D and 2D structures
Attempts to prepare the hitherto unknown Se6 2+ cation by the reaction of elemental selenium and Ag[A] ([A]- = [Sb(OTeF5)6]-, [Al(OC(CF3)3)4]-) in SO2 led to the formation of [(OSO)Ag(Se6)Ag(OSO)][Sb(OTeF5)6]2 1 and [(OSO)2Ag(Se6)Ag(OSO)2][Al(OC(CF3)3)4]2 2a. 1 could only be prepared by using bromine as co-oxidant, however, bulk 2b (2a with loss of SO2) was accessible from Ag[Al(OC(CF3)3)4] and grey Se in SO2 (chem. analysis). The reactions of Ag[MF6] (M= As, Sb) and elemental selenium led to crystals of 1/â{[Ag(Se6)]â[Ag2(SbF6)3]â} 3 and {1/â[Ag(Se6)Ag]â}[AsF6]2 4. Pure bulk 4 was best prepared by the reaction of Se4[AsF6]2, silver metal and elemental selenium. Attempts to prepare bulk 1 and 3 were unsuccessful. 1â4 were characterized by single-crystal X-ray structure determinations, 2b and 4 additionally by chemical analysis and 4 also by X-ray powder diffraction, FT-Raman and FT-IR pectroscopy. Application of the PRESTO III sequence allowed for the first time 109Ag MAS NMR investigations of 4 as well as AgF, AgF2, AgMF6 and {1/â[Ag(I2)]â}[MF6] (M= As, Sb). Compounds 1 and 2a/b, with the very large counter ions, contain isolated [Ag(Se6)Ag]2+ heterocubane units consisting of a Se6 molecule bicapped by two silver cations (local D3d sym). 3 and 4, with the smaller anions, contain close packed stacked arrays of Se6 rings with Ag+ residing in octahedral holes. Each Ag+ ion coordinates to three selenium atoms of each adjacent Se6 ring. 4 contains [Ag(Se6)+]â stacks additionally linked by Ag(2)+ into a two dimensional network. 3 features a remarkable 3-dimensional [Ag2(SbF6)3]- anion held together by strong SbâF ⊠Ag contacts between the component Ag+ and [SbF6]- ions. The hexagonal channels formed by the [Ag2(SbF6)3]- anions are filled by stacks of [Ag(Se6)+]â cations. Overall 1â4 are new members of the rare class of metal complexes of neutral main group elemental clusters, in which the main group element is positively polarized due to coordination to a metal ion. Notably, 1 to 4 include the commonly metastable Se6 molecule as a ligand. The structure, bonding and thermodynamics of 1 to 4 were investigated with the help of quantum chemical calculations (PBE0/TZVPP and (RI-)MP2/TZVPP, in part including COSMO solvation) and BornâFajansâHaber-cycle calculations. From an analysis of all the available data it appears that the formation of the usually metastable Se6 molecule from grey selenium is thermodynamically driven by the coordination to the Ag+ ions
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