Helium Neon laser therapy for post mastectomy lymphedema and shoulder mobility

The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of Helium Neon (He–Ne) laser therapy on post mastectomy lymphedema and shoulder mobility. Thirty female patients with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), with or without radiotherapy had been participated in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of equal numbers. Group A received He–Ne laser therapy and decongestive lymphatic therapy. Group B received placebo laser therapy in addition to decongestive lymphatic therapy. Measurements of limb volume and shoulder mobility (by tape measurement and standard goniometer) were collected before treatment and after six months of treatment. The mean values of limb volume and Shoulder mobility after 6 months of treatment showed a significant improvement (p< 0.05) for the two groups of the study with a greater improvement for patients in group A. Conclusion: Helium Neon laser therapy has a positive effect in reducing post mastectomy lymphedema and increasing range of motion of shoulder joint.Keywords: Helium Neon laser; Lymphedema; Mastectomy; Shoulder mobilityThe Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics (2013) 14, 195–19

Solute channels of the outer membrane: from bacteria to chloroplasts

Chloroplasts, unique organelles of plants, originated from endosymbiosis of an ancestor of today's cyanobacteria with a mitochondria-containing host cell. It is assumed that the outer envelope membrane, which delimits the chloroplast from the surrounding cytosol, was thus inherited from its Gram-negative bacterial ancestor. This plastid-specific membrane is thus equipped with elements of prokaryotic and eukaryotic origin. In particular, the membrane-intrinsic outer envelope proteins (OEPs) form solute channels with properties reminiscent of porins and channels in the bacterial outer membrane. OEP channels are characterised by distinct specificities for metabolites and a quite peculiar expression pattern in specialised plant organs and plastids, thus disproving the assumption that the outer envelope is a non-specific molecular sieve. The same is true for the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, which functions as a permeability barrier in addition to the cytoplasmic membrane, and embeds different classes of channel pores. The channels of these prokaryotic prototype proteins, ranging from unspecific porins to specific channels to ligand-gated receptors, are exclusively built of P-barrels. Although most of the OEP channels are formed by P-strands as well, phylogeny based on sequence homology alone is not feasible. Thus, the comparison of structural and functional properties of chloroplast outer envelope and bacterial outer membrane channels is required to pinpoint the ancestral OEP `portrait gallery'

Synthesis and Characterization of Some Conducting Polymers and Their Complexed Compounds

The chemical co-polymerization of aniline with o-anthranilic acid (AA) to form copolymer films has been made in aqueous hydrochloric acid medium. Poly vinylcarbazole (PVK) was prepared by free radical mechanism. The copolymer (AA) and polymer (PVK) were reacted with KI respectively, to produce a complex compounds. Also, the complex of copolymer (AA) with NaOEt was prepared. The conductivity, IR spectra and the thermal gravimetric analysis of these polymers and their complexes were measured and discussed. It was found that, the specific electrical conductivity (σ) of the copolymer (AA) in presence of NaOEt increases with increase in temperature, whereas decreases with complex of copolymer (AA) +KI. The electrical properties of the PVK were enhanced upon reacting it with KI

Simplified Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Medieval Masonry Churches

The meaningful seismic events occurred in Italy in the last decades showed the high vulnerability of monumental buildings and in particular of churches. In order to preserve such a precious heritage, operations aimed at the seismic risk mitigation based on the definition of suitable vulnerability assessment procedure are necessary. The high hazard of the Italian Peninsula and the huge amount of ecclesiastic buildings located in the exposed territories, stress the need to face the problem with innovative large-scale approaches. In this study, an architectural-engineering integrated procedure for the seismic assessment of existing masonry churches at a regional scale is proposed. Based on accurate historical investigation of typical Abruzzi churches, a typological characterization has been established, aimed at recognizing the common geometrical and constructive features of two types of medieval churches widespread in this area. Then, a numerical analysis has been carried out. In particular, by assuming simplified modelling hypotheses, two FE models representative of significant real cases have been implemented in Abaqus. By the elastic analyses, the main collapse mechanisms and the corresponding activation seismic accelerations have been determined. The obtained outcomes show an acceptable correspondence with the actual seismic damage revealed on similar churches in the aftermath of last seismic events, corroborating the reliability of the adopted integrated approach

Resistant Hypertension and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Primary-Care Setting

We ascertained the prevalence of resistant hypertension (RH) among blacks and determined whether RH patients are at greater risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) than hypertensives. Method. Data emanated from Metabolic Syndrome Outcome Study (MetSO), a study investigating metabolic syndrome among blacks in the primary-care setting. Sample of 200 patients (mean age = 63 ± 13 years; female = 61%) with a diagnosis of hypertension provided subjective and clinical data. RH was defined using the JNC 7and European Society guidelines. We assessed OSA risk using the Apnea Risk Evaluation System ARES), defining high risk as a total ARES score ≥6. Results. Overall, 26% met criteria for RH and 40% were at high OSA risk. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for effects of age, gender, and medical co morbidities, showed that patients with RH were nearly 2.5 times more likely to be at high OSA risk, relative to those with hypertension (OR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.03–5.88, P < .05). Conclusion. Our findings show that the prevalence of RH among blacks fell within the range of RH for the general hypertensive population (3–29%). However, patients with RH were at significantly greater risk of OSA compared to patients with hypertension

Seismic vulnerability assessment of existing Italian hospitals: The case study of the national cancer institute “G. Pascale foundation” of Naples

Introduction: A large portion of the Italian built heritage is characterized by a significant seismic vulnerability since many structures were designed with outdated criteria, i.e., without accounting for seismic actions. This aspect is particularly relevant for strategic structures and infrastructures, whose functionalities are crucial in case of seismic events. Objective: The main aim of the present paper is to share the key findings related to the seismic vulnerability assessment of the National Institute for the Study and Treatment of Cancer (IRCCS) “Giovanni Pascale Foundation” in Naples. In particular, the main evidences could be easily extended to existing hospitals realized in the last century, with the main reference to: construction techniques, quality of constructional material, overt and convert seismic vulnerabilities and possible intervention strategies for risk mitigation. Methods: In the present paper, the assessment methodologies adopted for such a strategic hospital complex are provided, focusing in particular on: i. preliminary research of original design documents and on-site investigation for determining constructional details; ii. material tests on structural elements; iii. vulnerability seismic assessment by means of non-linear FE analyses (push-over and capacity spectrum method); iv. recommendations on retrofitting measures and cost estimations. Results: The conducted study puts into clear evidence the inadequacy of the investigated buildings to face the design seismic actions provided by the current Italian code and thus showed the significant seismic vulnerabilities affecting the Institute “G. Pascale Foundation” of Naples. Among these, particular attention has also been focused on the so-called intrinsic vulnerabilities, namely the ones not measurable explicitly and interesting non-structural elements (e.g., connection of shelves, stained glass windows, facilities, etc.). Conclusion: The presented case study highlights the strong seismic vulnerability affecting structures realized in the past century, despite their strategic functions. On the whole, the examined structures can be considered as representative of this building typology, and the adopted calculation criteria, as well as the assumptions of the assessment process, could be easily extended to similar case studies

Preventing dispensing errors by alerting for drug confusions in the pharmacy information system—A survey of users

Introduction Drug confusion is thought to be the most common type of dispensing error. Several strategies can be implemented to reduce the risk of medication errors. One of these are alerts in the pharmacy information system. Objective To evaluate the experiences of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with alerts for drug name and strength confusion. Methods In May 2017, a cross-sectional survey of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians was performed in community pharmacies in the Netherlands using an online questionnaire. Results Of the 269 respondents, 86% (n = 230) had noticed the alert for drug name confusion, and 26% (n = 67) for drug strength confusion. Of those 230, 9% (n = 20) had experienced that the alert had prevented dispensing the wrong drug. For drug strength confusion, this proportion was 12% (n = 8). Respondents preferred to have an alert for drug name and strength confusion in the pharmacy information system. ‘Alert fatigue’ was an important issue, so alerts should only be introduced for frequent confusions or confusions with serious consequences. Conclusion Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were positive about having alerts for drug confusions in their pharmacy information system and experienced that alerts contributed to the prevention of dispensing errors. To prevent alert fatigue, it was considered important not to include all possible confusions as a new alert: the potential contribution to the prevention of drug confusion should be weighed against the risk of alert fatigue

Effects of hyperlinks on navigation in virtual environments

Hyperlinks introduce discontinuities of movement to 3-D virtual environments (VEs). Nine independent attributes of hyperlinks are defined and their likely effects on navigation in VEs are discussed. Four experiments are described in which participants repeatedly navigated VEs that were either conventional (i.e. obeyed the laws of Euclidean space), or contained hyperlinks. Participants learned spatial knowledge slowly in both types of environment, echoing the findings of previous studies that used conventional VEs. The detrimental effects on participants' spatial knowledge of using hyperlinks for movement were reduced when a time-delay was introduced, but participants still developed less accurate knowledge than they did in the conventional VEs. Visual continuity had a greater influence on participants' rate of learning than continuity of movement, and participants were able to exploit hyperlinks that connected together disparate regions of a VE to reduce travel time