159 research outputs found
Herzfrequenz-VariabilitÀt unter postoperativer thorakaler Periduralanalgesie : Vergleich mit i.v. PCA
HerzfrequenzvariabilitÀt ist der Betrag der Abweichung um die mittlere Herzfrequenz, die
sogenannte Varianz der RR-AbstÀnde. Sie wird als kardio-respiratorisches Kontrollsystem
gesehen.97 Die Berechnung der HerzfrequenzvariabilitÀt erlaubt es, die AktivitÀt des
autonomen Nervensystems im Rahmen von physiologischen und patho-physiologischen
Geschehnissen zu untersuchen und zu ĂŒberwachen. Sie lĂ€sst sich mit nicht invasiver
Untersuchungstechnik ableiten und kann das Gleichgewicht zwischen sympathischem und
parasympathischem Einfluss auf das Herz beurteilen. Ein wichtiger Anwendungsbereich ist
die Ăberwachung von Patienten nach Myokard-infarkt. Diese Patienten sind in der frĂŒhen
Krankheitsphase stark gefÀhrdet, einen plötzlichen Herztod zu erleiden. Ein sympathovagales
Ungleichgewicht kann aber auch in der HerzfrequenzvariabilitÀtsanalyse von
Patienten beobachtet werden, die an koronarer Herzkrankheit und arterieller Hypertonie
leiden. Zu weiteren beein-flussenden Faktoren zÀhlen Diabetes mellitus, neurologische
Krankheiten, insbe-sondere Verletzungen des zentralen Nervensystems. Verschiedene
Medikamente haben einen interagierenden Einfluss. Dieser Einfluss kann auch eine
protektive Wirkung auf die HerzfrequenzvariabilitÀt entfalten. Die PeriduralanÀsthesie
zeichnet sich durch die Ausschaltung von sympathisch afferenten und efferenten neuralen
Ăbertragungsmechanismen aus. Damit integriert sie sich ins Konzept der balancierten
Analgesie bei der Behandlung postoperativer Schmerzen. Entsprechend angewendet,
werden thorakale Anteile des Sympathikus blockiert, die eine Efferenz zum Herz leiten.
Das Ziel der Studie ist es, den Einfluss der postoperativen thorakalen Peridural-anÀsthesie
(PDA) auf die HerzfrequenzvariabilitÀt eingehender zu untersuchen und dem postoperativen
Verlauf mit i.v. Patient controlled Analgesia (i.v. PCA) gegenĂŒber zu stellen. Dazu werden
drei Patientengruppen gebildet, die diese postoperativen Analgesiemethoden in Anspruch
nehmen. Patienten nach elektiver HĂŒftprothesen-operation mit i.v. PCA, Patienten nach
Nephrektomie mit thorakaler PDA oder i.v. PCA. Mit Hilfe der Regressionsanalyse werden
die VerlÀufe der Herzfrequenz-variabilitÀt im Vergleich prÀ- und postoperativ und innerhalb
der Gruppen evaluiert. Die Risikosituation eines postoperativen O2-SĂ€ttigungsabfalls und die
Zeit nach den Demands, den selbstausgelösten Bolusgaben im i.v. PCA System werden
speziell herausgearbeitet.
Die VerlÀufe der Powerspektren innerhalb der Patientengruppen und der Patienten-gruppen
zu einander zeigen Unterschiede. Die Powerspektren der Patientengruppen HĂŒft-PCA und
Neph-PDA mit systemischen und locoregionalen Analgesieverfahren zeigen in beiden
postoperativen NÀchten eine signifikante Abnahme im Low und High Bereich. Dabei fÀllt die
Unterscheidung zwischen hĂŒftoperierten und nephrektomierten Patienten nicht signifikant
aus, wobei sich tendenzmÀssig nicht so sehr die postoperativen Analgesieverfahren,
sondern die intraoperative Anwendung eines neuroaxialen Verfahrens als determinierender
Faktor zeigt. Ein Grund dafĂŒr mögen die niedrig konzentrierten LokalanĂ€sthetikalösungen
sein. Das höhere Alter spielt einen wesentlichen Einfluss.
WÀhrend postoperativer O2-EntsÀttigungsevents zeigen die VerÀnderungen in den
Powerspektren im Vergleich zur ganzen Nacht sich ausgleichende Abweichungen im
positiven und negativen Bereich. Das mÀnnliche Geschlecht hat einen dominanten Effekt.
Die Zeitperiode nach den Demands bei i.v. PCA zeigt trotz signifikanten Ănderungen der
Powerspektren keine Unterschiede im Bereich Low/High Frequency. PCA-Boli reduzieren die
Powerspektren und zeigen damit indirekt die gĂŒnstige Wirkung einer postoperativen
Analgesie.
Die Patienten sind kardial akut nicht vorbelastet. Besondere klinische Risiko-situationen
treten nicht auf. Durch die Powerspektrumanalyse kann eine zusÀtzliche klinisch unerkannte
Risikosituation in unserem Kollektiv nicht beobachtet werden. Ob durch das postoperativ
verminderte Powerspektrum eine verstÀrkte GefÀhrdung von Risikopatienten vorhergesagt
werden kann, lÀsst sich anhand der hier erhobenen Daten nicht belegen. Die
AnĂ€sthesiefĂŒhrung intraoperativ hat in dieser Studie keinen direkten Einfluss gezeigt.63 Die
Wahl der postoperativen Analgesie richtet sich nach dem fĂŒr den Operationsort und der
Operationsart sowie der Lokalisation am Körper besten Verfahren
Feasibility of transesophageal phrenic nerve stimulation
Background
Every year, more than 2.5 million critically ill patients in the ICU are dependent on mechanical ventilation. The positive pressure in the lungs generated by the ventilator keeps the diaphragm passive, which can lead to a loss of myofibers within a short time. To prevent ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction (VIDD), phrenic nerve stimulation may be used.
Objective
The goal of this study is to show the feasibility of transesophageal phrenic nerve stimulation (TEPNS). We hypothesize that selective phrenic nerve stimulation can efficiently activate the diaphragm with reduced co-stimulations.
Methods
An in vitro study in saline solution combined with anatomical findings was performed to investigate relevant stimulation parameters such as inter-electrode spacing, range to target site, or omnidirectional vs. sectioned electrodes. Subsequently, dedicated esophageal electrodes were inserted into a pig and single stimulation pulses were delivered simultaneously with mechanical ventilation. Various stimulation sites and response parameters such as transdiaphragmatic pressure or airway flow were analyzed to establish an appropriate stimulation setting.
Results
Phrenic nerve stimulation with esophageal electrodes has been demonstrated. With a current amplitude of 40 mA, similar response figures of the diaphragm activation as compared to conventional stimulation with needle electrodes at 10mA were observed. Directed electrodes best aligned with the phrenic nerve resulted in up to 16.9 % higher amplitude at the target site in vitro and up to 6 cmH20 higher transdiaphragmatic pressure in vivo as compared to omnidirectional electrodes. The activation efficiency was more sensitive to the stimulation level inside the esophagus than to the inter-electrode spacing. Most effective and selective stimulation was achieved at the level of rib 1 using sectioned electrodes 40 mm apart.
Conclusion
Directed transesophageal phrenic nerve stimulation with single stimuli enabled diaphragm activation. In the future, this method might keep the diaphragm active during, and even support, artificial ventilation. Meanwhile, dedicated sectioned electrodes could be integrated into gastric feeding tubes
Intravascular stenting for stenosis of aortocoronary venous bypass grafts
AbstractTo test the ability of endoluminal stents to prevent saphenous vein graft restenosis after balloon angioplasty, 13 patients with angina and previous coronary bypass surgery underwent implantation of one or more stents into 14 stenosed grafts. Implantation was technically successful in all cases and there were no major in-hospital complications. During a median follow-up interval of 7 months (range 2 to 26), 10 patients (77%) underwent follow-up angiography. Seven patients remained asymptomatic or in improved condition without further intervention; three patients had further angioplasty with stent implantation for a new stenosis in the same graft. Two patients (20%) developed within-stent restenosis. There was one death from progressive congestive heart failure 7 months after implantation. No patient had a myocardial infarction or needed surgical revascularization during the follow-up period.In selected cases, stent implantation appears to be a promising new technique that may decrease the incidence of restenosis after balloon angioplasty in venous bypass grafts. The rate of complications is low. Further experience and longer follow-up will be needed before definite recommendations can be made about its use
Recommended from our members
Ice nucleation efficiency of natural dust samples in the immersion mode
A total of 12 natural surface dust samples, which were surface-collected on four continents, most of them in dust source regions, were investigated with respect to their ice nucleation activity. Dust collection sites were distributed across Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Antarctica. Mineralogical composition has been determined by means of X-ray diffraction. All samples proved to be mixtures of minerals, with major contributions from quartz, calcite, clay minerals, K-feldspars, and (Na, Ca)-feldspars. Reference samples of these minerals were investigated with the same methods as the natural dust samples. Furthermore, Arizona test dust (ATD) was re-evaluated as a benchmark. Immersion freezing of emulsion and bulk samples was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. For emulsion measurements, water droplets with a size distribution peaking at about 2âŻÂ”m, containing different amounts of dust between 0.5 and 50âŻwtâŻ% were cooled until all droplets were frozen. These measurements characterize the average freezing behaviour of particles, as they are sensitive to the average active sites present in a dust sample. In addition, bulk measurements were conducted with one single 2âŻmg droplet consisting of a 5âŻwtâŻ% aqueous suspension of the dusts/minerals. These measurements allow the investigation of the best ice-nucleating particles/sites available in a dust sample. All natural dusts, except for the Antarctica and ATD samples, froze in a remarkably narrow temperature range with the heterogeneously frozen fraction reaching 10âŻ% between 244 and 250âŻK, 25âŻ% between 242 and 246âŻK, and 50âŻ% between 239 and 244âŻK. Bulk freezing occurred between 255 and 265âŻK. In contrast to the natural dusts, the reference minerals revealed ice nucleation temperatures with 2â3 times larger scatter. Calcite, dolomite, dolostone, and muscovite can be considered ice nucleation inactive. For microcline samples, a 50âŻ% heterogeneously frozen fraction occurred above 245âŻK for all tested suspension concentrations, and a microcline mineral showed bulk freezing temperatures even above 270âŻK. This makes microcline (KAlSi3O8) an exceptionally good ice-nucleating mineral, superior to all other analysed K-feldspars, (Na, Ca)-feldspars, and the clay minerals. In summary, the mineralogical composition can explain the observed freezing behaviour of 5 of the investigated 12 natural dust samples, and partly for 6 samples, leaving the freezing efficiency of only 1 sample not easily explained in terms of its mineral reference components. While this suggests that mineralogical composition is a major determinant of ice-nucleating ability, in practice, most natural samples consist of a mixture of minerals, and this mixture seems to lead to remarkably similar ice nucleation abilities, regardless of their exact composition, so that global models, in a first approximation, may represent mineral dust as a single species with respect to ice nucleation activity. However, more sophisticated representations of ice nucleation by mineral dusts should rely on the mineralogical composition based on a source scheme of dust emissions
Feasibility of transesophageal phrenic nerve stimulation.
BACKGROUND
Every year, more than 2.5 million critically ill patients in the ICU are dependent on mechanical ventilation. The positive pressure in the lungs generated by the ventilator keeps the diaphragm passive, which can lead to a loss of myofibers within a short time. To prevent ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction (VIDD), phrenic nerve stimulation may be used.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study is to show the feasibility of transesophageal phrenic nerve stimulation (TEPNS). We hypothesize that selective phrenic nerve stimulation can efficiently activate the diaphragm with reduced co-stimulations.
METHODS
An in vitro study in saline solution combined with anatomical findings was performed to investigate relevant stimulation parameters such as inter-electrode spacing, range to target site, or omnidirectional vs. sectioned electrodes. Subsequently, dedicated esophageal electrodes were inserted into a pig and single stimulation pulses were delivered simultaneously with mechanical ventilation. Various stimulation sites and response parameters such as transdiaphragmatic pressure or airway flow were analyzed to establish an appropriate stimulation setting.
RESULTS
Phrenic nerve stimulation with esophageal electrodes has been demonstrated. With a current amplitude of 40 mA, similar response figures of the diaphragm activation as compared to conventional stimulation with needle electrodes at 10mA were observed. Directed electrodes best aligned with the phrenic nerve resulted in up to 16.9 % higher amplitude at the target site in vitro and up to 6 cmH20 higher transdiaphragmatic pressure in vivo as compared to omnidirectional electrodes. The activation efficiency was more sensitive to the stimulation level inside the esophagus than to the inter-electrode spacing. Most effective and selective stimulation was achieved at the level of rib 1 using sectioned electrodes 40Â mm apart.
CONCLUSION
Directed transesophageal phrenic nerve stimulation with single stimuli enabled diaphragm activation. In the future, this method might keep the diaphragm active during, and even support, artificial ventilation. Meanwhile, dedicated sectioned electrodes could be integrated into gastric feeding tubes
The Reversal Curse: LLMs trained on "A is B" fail to learn "B is A"
We expose a surprising failure of generalization in auto-regressive large
language models (LLMs). If a model is trained on a sentence of the form "A is
B", it will not automatically generalize to the reverse direction "B is A".
This is the Reversal Curse. For instance, if a model is trained on "Olaf Scholz
was the ninth Chancellor of Germany", it will not automatically be able to
answer the question, "Who was the ninth Chancellor of Germany?". Moreover, the
likelihood of the correct answer ("Olaf Scholz") will not be higher than for a
random name. Thus, models exhibit a basic failure of logical deduction and do
not generalize a prevalent pattern in their training set (i.e. if "A is B''
occurs, "B is A" is more likely to occur). We provide evidence for the Reversal
Curse by finetuning GPT-3 and Llama-1 on fictitious statements such as "Uriah
Hawthorne is the composer of 'Abyssal Melodies'" and showing that they fail to
correctly answer "Who composed 'Abyssal Melodies?'". The Reversal Curse is
robust across model sizes and model families and is not alleviated by data
augmentation. We also evaluate ChatGPT (GPT-3.5 and GPT-4) on questions about
real-world celebrities, such as "Who is Tom Cruise's mother? [A: Mary Lee
Pfeiffer]" and the reverse "Who is Mary Lee Pfeiffer's son?". GPT-4 correctly
answers questions like the former 79% of the time, compared to 33% for the
latter. This shows a failure of logical deduction that we hypothesize is caused
by the Reversal Curse. Code is available at
https://github.com/lukasberglund/reversal_curse.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figure
Taken out of context: On measuring situational awareness in LLMs
We aim to better understand the emergence of `situational awareness' in large
language models (LLMs). A model is situationally aware if it's aware that it's
a model and can recognize whether it's currently in testing or deployment.
Today's LLMs are tested for safety and alignment before they are deployed. An
LLM could exploit situational awareness to achieve a high score on safety
tests, while taking harmful actions after deployment. Situational awareness may
emerge unexpectedly as a byproduct of model scaling. One way to better foresee
this emergence is to run scaling experiments on abilities necessary for
situational awareness. As such an ability, we propose `out-of-context
reasoning' (in contrast to in-context learning). We study out-of-context
reasoning experimentally. First, we finetune an LLM on a description of a test
while providing no examples or demonstrations. At test time, we assess whether
the model can pass the test. To our surprise, we find that LLMs succeed on this
out-of-context reasoning task. Their success is sensitive to the training setup
and only works when we apply data augmentation. For both GPT-3 and LLaMA-1,
performance improves with model size. These findings offer a foundation for
further empirical study, towards predicting and potentially controlling the
emergence of situational awareness in LLMs. Code is available at:
https://github.com/AsaCooperStickland/situational-awareness-evals
Post-hoc motion correction for coronary computed tomography angiography without additional radiation dose - Improved image quality and interpretability for âfreeâ
Objective
To evaluate the impact of a motion-correction (MC) algorithm, applicable post-hoc and not dependent on extended padding, on the image quality and interpretability of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).
Methods
Ninety consecutive patients undergoing CCTA on a latest-generation 256-slice CT device were prospectively included. CCTA was performed with prospective electrocardiogram-triggering and the shortest possible acquisition window (without padding) at 75% of the R-R-interval. All datasets were reconstructed without and with MC of the coronaries. The latter exploits the minimal padding inherent in cardiac CT scans with this device due to data acquisition also during the short time interval needed for the tube to reach target currents and voltage (âfreeâ multiphase). Two blinded readers independently assessed image quality on a 4-point Likert scale for all segments.
Results
A total of 1,030 coronary segments were evaluated. Application of MC both with automatic and manual coronary centerline tracking resulted in a significant improvement in image quality as compared to the standard reconstruction without MC (mean Likert score 3.67 [3.50;3.81] vs 3.58 [3.40;3.73], P = 0.005, and 3.7 [3.55;3.82] vs 3.58 [3.40;3.73], P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, MC significantly reduced the proportion of non-evaluable segments and patients with at least one non-evaluable coronary segment from 2% to as low as 0.3%, and from 14% to as low as 3%. Reduction of motion artifacts was predominantly observed in the right coronary artery.
Conclusions
A post-hoc device-specific MC algorithm improves image quality and interpretability of prospectively electrocardiogram-triggered CCTA and reduces the proportion of non-evaluable scans without any additional radiation dose exposure
European Expert Opinion on ANT-DBS therapy for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (a Delphi consensus)
Introduction: Although deep brain stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT-DBS) represents an established third-line therapy for patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy, guiding reports on practical treatment principles remain scarce. Methods: An Expert Panel (EP) of 10 European neurologists and 4 neurosurgeons was assembled to share their experience with ANT-DBS therapy. The process included a review of the current literature, which served as a basis for an online survey completed by the EP prior to and following a face-to-face meeting (Delphi method). An agreement level of >= 71 % was considered as consensus. Results: Out of 86 reviewed studies, 46 (53 %) were selected to extract information on the most reported criteria for patient selection, management, and outcome. The Delphi process yielded EP consensus on 4 parameters for selection of good candidates and patient management as well as 7 reasons of concern for this therapy. Since it was not possible to give strict device programming advice due to low levels of evidence, the experts shared their clinical practice: all of them start with monopolar stimulation, 79 % using the cycling mode. Most (93 %) EP members set the initial stimulation frequency and pulse width according to the SANTE parameters, while there is more variability in the amplitudes used. Further agreement was achieved on a list of 7 patient outcome parameters to be monitored during the follow-up. Conclusions: Although current evidence is too low for definite practical guidelines, this EP report could support the selection and management of patients with ANT-DBS
- âŠ