Psychosomatic Interrelations in Cardiovascular Diseases and Their Consequences on Patient’s Quality of Life

At present, the cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the major concerns of World Health Organization (WHO), assurance health systems and researchers in the specific field, because they are the number one cause of deaths globally, and according to several perspective studies, they will become the pathology that generates the greatest economic burden worldwide, through morbidity, disability, poor quality of life, and cause of death. Nowadays, the psychic field and the vulnerability of individual mental level to stress are an important link in the development of mental illness, CVD (included in the group of psychosomatic disorders), and also of interrelationship between them. The combined effects of these factors are reflected in the behavioral and cardiovascular (CV) system’s pathophysiological changes, which determine the impairment of health-related quality of life for the CV patients, on both short-term and long-term. This chapter aims to address both the interrelationship of psychosocial factors with CVD in terms of its multifactorial etiology and the mark of this bidirectional link on the quality of life of the patients. In several sections, the following issues will be described: general aspects regarding the relationship between homeostasis-stress-pathology; the role of stress as a psychosocial factor in the multifactorial etiology of CVD; the implications of mental disorders in the pathogenesis of CVD; behavioral aspects of CV patient during his illness, and strategies for improving therapeutic adherence and the quality of life of these patients

Integrated Administration of the Organizations Informational Resources

Organizations grow and develop continuosly and information volume grows in the same rythm, which makes from improvement or changing the old counting systems an imperative. More and more companies, instead of continuing to invest in small applications choose integrated informational solutions, which are adapted to the user’s daily needsfrom, all decisional levels. Although apparently profitable from the costs point of view, small applications assure only the simple economical solutions between clients, partners, furnisors, and employees. For high business volume companies, this kind of applications become useless in a short time, fact that involves extra sustained investitionsorganization management, informatic solution, data volume, information system, benefit and economic performances.

THE IMPACT OF HYPERTENSION AND ASSOCIATED COMORBIDITIES ON QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE SF-36 V2

Abstract Hypertension is a common cardiovascular disease insufficiently treated and monitored due to nonspecific symptomatology. Untreated hypertension causes cardiovascular complications: coronary artery disease, heart failure or stroke which, alongside other comorbidities affect the patients' family, social and professional life Using SF-36 v2 quality of life assessment questionnaire, the present study aimed to analyze the influence the pathologies associated with hypertensive disease have on areas that make up its physical and psychosocial functions and its impact on patients' daily activities. This could help to improve the quality of health services in optimizing the adherence of the patients to the treatment. The study compared the quality of life indicators between the group of patients and a control group comprising healthy individuals. Comparing the scores obtained by the two groups, lower values in all subdomains were found for the study group compared with control group. The regression analysis showed that strong negative impact pathologies in all areas were heart failure, coronary heart disease, diabetes and anemia. The other pathologies differently influenced the physical and psychosocial functions. Rezumat Hipertensiunea arterială reprezintă patologia cardiovasculară cu incidenţa cea mai mare în populaţie datorită faptului că este insuficient tratată şi monitorizată. Netratată FARMACIA, 2013, Vol. 61, 3 504 cauzează complicaţii cardio-vasculare: boala coronariană, insuficienţă cardiacă, accidente vasculare ischemice care afectează pacientul din punct de vedere familial, social şi professional. Studiul de faţă a avut ca scop compararea şi interpretarea indicilor de calitate a vieţii între lotul de pacienţi şi un lot martor care cuprinde indivizi sănătoşi. S-a observat că, la lotul de pacienţi valorile tuturor scorurilor sunt inferioare celor de la lotul martor, iar analiza de regresie a demonstrat impactul negativ puternic pe care îl prezintă insuficienţa cardiacă, boala coronariană, diabetul şi anemia asupra indicilor de evaluare a calităţii vieţii. Scopul unei astfel de analize este acela de a ameliora calitatea vieţii pacienţilor prin optimizarea schemelor terapeutice şi îmbunătăţirea complianţei

Bonding veneers using only heat and pressure : focus on bending and shear strength

A compact laminated board can be obtained by pressing layers of veneers with no other material or substance placed between them. The process does not require the use of steam pretreatment, surface activation methods, a gastight press, friction or adhesives. It strictly involves the heat and the pressure induced by the press in the veneers. The levels of temperature, pressure and time leading to the highest bending-strength values when material factors are held constant are investigated. The objective of optimizing the process is reached using response surface methodology for modelling and analysis. The parameter interactions are found to be significant.Photography, scanning, X-ray densitometry, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are the methods used to visually analyse the final product. Densification and darkening are two of the effects observed.Godkänd; 2008; 20081113 (ysko)</p

L'infection a cytomegalovirus humaine et le risque de maladies cardiovasculaires

Cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. Despite complex public health program policies, the modification of the lifestyle of the population, and the increasingly aggressive therapeutic correction of classic cardiovascular risk factors, the number of deaths associated with cardiovascular diseases remains high. In recent decades, cytomegalovirus has been increasingly associated with the initiation and development of atherosclerotic lesions, a substrate of cardiovascular disease. In this study, we assessed the seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus in the Romanian population and investigated the impact of viral infection on the severity of cardiovascular disease in the general population and vascular remodeling in preeclampsia. Recent studies show that the latter is associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events compared to the general population in time, both in mother and child. To achieve the objectives of this study, serological analyses, genetic tests, and transcriptomic analyzes were carried out. The transcriptomic analysis is still being interpreted, but preliminary results suggest rather a cofactor role of cytomegalovirus in vascular remodeling as well as in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease.Les maladies cardiovasculaires sont la principale cause de mortalité et de morbidité dans le monde. Malgré les programmes de santé publique développés, la modification du mode de vie de la population et la correction de plus en plus agressive des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaires classiques, le nombre de décès associés aux maladies cardiovasculaires reste élevé. Au cours des dernières décennies, le cytomégalovirus a été de plus en plus associé à l'initiation et au développement de lésions athéroscléreuses, le substrat des maladies cardiovasculaires. Dans cette étude, nous avons évalué la séroprévalence du cytomégalovirus dans la population roumaine et étudié l'impact de l'infection virale sur la gravité des maladies cardiovasculaires dans la population generale et le remodelage vasculaire dans la prééclampsie. Des études récentes montrent que ce dernier est associé à long terme à un risque significativement plus élevé d'événements cardiovasculaires par rapport à la population générale, tant chez la mère que chez l'enfant. Pour atteindre les objectifs de cet étude, des analyses sérologiques, des tests génétiques et des analyses transcriptomiques ont été réalisées. L'analyse transcriptomique est toujours en cours d’interpretation, mais les résultats préliminaires suggèrent plutôt un rôle de cofacteur pour le cytomégalovirus dans le remodelage vasculaire ainsi que dans le développement et l'évolution des maladies cardiovasculaires

Bonding of laminated veneers with heat and pressure only

A new engineered wood product was obtained by pressing several layers of veneers at high temperatures. Experiments with different pressing parameters were performed in a laboratory hot plate press on Fagus Sylvatica. Shear strengths test were run according to EN 314-1 and EN 314-2 “Plywood – Bonding qualities”. Samples were analysed with a digital camera to observe the change in colour and with a X-ray microdensitometry scanner to determine the density variation and profiles. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to study the modification of wood cell structure close to and inside the bonding zones. The results showed that the bonding properties of the laminates are good, better when veneers have the same grain direction. Beech veneer with red heartwood can improve its appearance if bonded with the technology presented.Godkänd; 2006; 20070501 (ysko)</p

L'infection a cytomegalovirus humaine et le risque de maladies cardiovasculaires

Les maladies cardiovasculaires sont la principale cause de mortalité et de morbidité dans le monde. Malgré les programmes de santé publique développés, la modification du mode de vie de la population et la correction de plus en plus agressive des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaires classiques, le nombre de décès associés aux maladies cardiovasculaires reste élevé. Au cours des dernières décennies, le cytomégalovirus a été de plus en plus associé à l'initiation et au développement de lésions athéroscléreuses, le substrat des maladies cardiovasculaires. Dans cette étude, nous avons évalué la séroprévalence du cytomégalovirus dans la population roumaine et étudié l'impact de l'infection virale sur la gravité des maladies cardiovasculaires dans la population generale et le remodelage vasculaire dans la prééclampsie. Des études récentes montrent que ce dernier est associé à long terme à un risque significativement plus élevé d'événements cardiovasculaires par rapport à la population générale, tant chez la mère que chez l'enfant. Pour atteindre les objectifs de cet étude, des analyses sérologiques, des tests génétiques et des analyses transcriptomiques ont été réalisées. L'analyse transcriptomique est toujours en cours d’interpretation, mais les résultats préliminaires suggèrent plutôt un rôle de cofacteur pour le cytomégalovirus dans le remodelage vasculaire ainsi que dans le développement et l'évolution des maladies cardiovasculaires.Cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. Despite complex public health program policies, the modification of the lifestyle of the population, and the increasingly aggressive therapeutic correction of classic cardiovascular risk factors, the number of deaths associated with cardiovascular diseases remains high. In recent decades, cytomegalovirus has been increasingly associated with the initiation and development of atherosclerotic lesions, a substrate of cardiovascular disease. In this study, we assessed the seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus in the Romanian population and investigated the impact of viral infection on the severity of cardiovascular disease in the general population and vascular remodeling in preeclampsia. Recent studies show that the latter is associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events compared to the general population in time, both in mother and child. To achieve the objectives of this study, serological analyses, genetic tests, and transcriptomic analyzes were carried out. The transcriptomic analysis is still being interpreted, but preliminary results suggest rather a cofactor role of cytomegalovirus in vascular remodeling as well as in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease

Self-bonding of beech veneers

This thesis presents studies on the self-bonding of veneers, and investigations into the properties of boards obtained by hot-pressing beech veneers without adhesives. The raw material is pressed at temperatures from 200 to 250ºC, at pressures from 4 to 6 MPa and pressing times from 240 to 360 s. The hot-pressing of five layers of veneers results in a self-bonded, compressed, densified board, darker than the raw material. The manufacturing process was optimised using a statistical analysis, the response surface experimental design method. The input factors were the pressing parameters and the output factors were characteristics of the product, the raw material properties being kept constant. The results showed correlations between the pressing parameters, especially temperature, as input data and the physical and mechanical properties as responses. Resistance to water absorption and swelling as well as shear strength, bending strength, and hardness were all enhanced by more severe pressing conditions. All the samples pressed at 250ºC became water-resistant while samples pressed at 200ºC delaminated rapidly in water. It was found that the colour of the edges can be used as an indication of the hardness. Chemical investigations were performed on samples taken from veneers (raw material), bond-lines and inner parts of pressed veneer. A High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis was used to detect and compare the levels of water-soluble monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) in the veneer before pressing and the levels of 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF) and furfural in boards. From the results obtained in this thesis it is suggested, that besides other degraded compounds of hemicelluloses, the monosaccharides were transformed into hydroxymethyl-furfural during hot-pressing that could further participate in forming new browning compounds that are related to the bonding phenomenon. The UV spectroscopic analysis to evaluate the content of water-soluble phenols showed that the bond-line had a higher amount of conjugated phenols than the inner veneer suggesting a migration of degraded lignin towards the veneer surfaces during pressing. A CP/MAS 13C NMR study on the solid material showed that the presence of β-ether structures and methoxyl groups in lignin was higher in the bond-line, supporting the hypothesis of a migration of lignin and possibly a condensation reaction occurring at higher temperatures, explaining the water-resistance property acquired by the boards.In a comparative study, oxidative activation with hydrogen peroxide and ferrous sulfate as a catalyst was performed before pressing. Boards made from beech veneer subjected to the pre-treatment step showed a greater mass loss, a lower thickness swelling but also a somewhat lower shear strength. For beech veneers such an oxidative pre-treatment step could be used to gain water-resistant boards pressed at lower pressing temperatures or shorter times than those needed to bond untreated veneers. Scots pine veneers were found to be less suitable for self-bonding than beech veneers. Boards of Scots pine hot-pressed without the oxidative pre-treatment delaminated in water, whereas, under the same pressing conditions, boards made from pre-treated veneers showed a water-resistant bond-line.Godkänd; 2015; 20150825 (carmen); Nedanstående person kommer att disputera för avläggande av teknologie doktorsexamen. Namn: Carmen Cristescu Ämne: Träteknik/Wood Technology Avhandling: Self-Bonding of Beech Veneer Opponent: Professor Mark Hughes, Department of Forest Products Technology, Aalto School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, Helsingfors, Finland Ordförande: Professor Dick Sandberg, Avd för träteknologi, Institutionen för teknikvetenskap och matematik, Luleå tekniska universitet, Skellefteå Tid: Onsdag 23 september 2015, kl 10.00 Plats: Luleå tekniska universitet, Hörsal A i Skellefteå</p