High temperature sintering kinetics of a-Al2o3 powder

The sintering kinetics of a-Al2O3 powder is investigated in this paper Commercial a-Al2O3 powdered compacts were sintered close to 95 % of the theoretical density. The characteristic parameters of sintering kinetics were also determined

Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations as a Possible Cause of Endocranial Bone Lesions and Associated Neurological Disorder

Endocranial bone lesions have attracted intensive scientific debate on their aetiology. In recent literature, the lesions were almost exclusively interpreted as of infectious origin. In this paper, we give new insight into the aetiology of endocranial lesions, distinguishing the lesions of vascular origin from those caused by tuberculosis or other conditions. The analysis is based on a rare case of a young female individual who displayed multiple endocranial lesions with serpens endocrania symmetrica' morphology. The lesions were associated with an uncommon branching pattern of the middle meningeal artery and marked side differences in teeth pathology. Postcranial skeleton showed signs of the left upper limb weakness. The macroscopic finding of the endocranial lesions along with the skeletal evidence of neurological damage, together with characteristic radiological and histological features, can lead to diagnosis of arteriovenous malformations. This study aims to improve understanding of the aetiology of endocranial bone lesions

Effect of Vitamin D on proteinuria, lipid status, glycoregulation and C-reactive protein in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus

© 2020 Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All rights reserved. Background/Aim: Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency is often present in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and could present a risk factor for rapid progression of diabetic nephropathy and for higher incidence of cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of vitamin D supplementation on proteinuria, cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein (CRP) and hemoglobin A1c in patients with type-2 DM and vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency. Methods: This prospective, cohort study included 90 patients with type-2 DM and vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency divided into 3 equal groups: with normal proteinura, with microproteinuria and with macroproteinuria. Therapy included six months of supplementation with cholecalciferol drops: first two months with 20,000 IU twice weekly, than if level of vitamin D was below normal the same dose was given next four months. If the level of vitamin D was normal 5,000 IU was given twice weekly. At the begining and at the end of the study the levels of urea, creatinine, fasting blood glucose, calcium, phosphorus, cholesterol, triglycerides, CRP, hemoglobin A1c, intact parathyroid hormone, 24-hour urine protein and creatinine clearance were determined. Levels of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D were also checked 2 months after beginning of therapy due to possible correction of cholecalciferol dose. Results: The lowest level of vitamin D before therapy was found in patients with macroproteinuria, while at the end of the study the significantly higher level of vitamin D was found in all three groups. After 6 months of therapy a significant decrease of 24-hour urine protein, cholesterol, triglycerides, hemoglobin A1c in all three groups, and CRP in patients with normal proteinuria and microproteinuria were found. Significantly negative correlation between vitamin D and 24-hour urine protein, cholesterol and CRP was found in patients with macroproteinuria. Also, significantly negative correlation was found between vitamin D and hemoglobin A1c, in patients with normal proteinuria, vitamin D and CRP in patients with microproteinuria. Conclusion: A preventive use of high-dose cholecalciferol supplementation in patients with type-2 DM (with or without proteinuria) decreases cholesterol, triglycerides, proteinuria, CRP and hemoglobin A1c

Mentalizing, Resilience, and Mental Health Status among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented stress on healthcare professionals worldwide. Since resilience and mentalizing capacity play very important preventive roles when it comes to mental health, the main goal of this study was to determine whether the capacity for mentalizing and resilience could explain the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted in Serbia on a sample of 406 healthcare workers (141 doctors and 265 nurses) aged 19 to 65 (M = 40.11, SD = 9.41). The participants’ mental health status was evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—DASS-42. The Reflective Functioning Questionnaire was used to evaluate the capacity for mentalizing. Resilience was assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale. The results of the correlation analysis showed that there were negative correlations between resilience and all three dimensions of mental health status: depression, anxiety, and stress. Hypermentalizing was negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress, while hypomentalizing was positively correlated. Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that both resilience and hypermentalizing were significant negative predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress, and that hypomentalizing was a significant positive predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress. Furthermore, socioeconomic status was a significant negative predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress. Marital status, number of children, and work environment were not statistically significant predictors of any of the three dimensions of mental health status among the healthcare workers in this study. There is an urgent need to establish and implement strategies to foster resilience and enhance the capacity for mentalizing among healthcare workers in order to minimize the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health

Carotid Restenosis Rate After Stenting for Primary Lesions Versus Restenosis After Endarterectomy With Creation of Risk Index

Purpose: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is an option for carotid restenosis (CR) treatment with favorable outcomes. However, CAS has also emerged as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for the management of patients with primary carotid stenosis. This study aimed to report CR rates after CAS was performed in patients with primary lesions versus restenosis after CEA, to identify predictors of CR, and to report both neurological and overall outcomes.Materials and methods:From January 2000 to September 2018, a total of 782 patients were divided into 2 groups: The CAS (prim) group consisted of 440 patients in whom CAS was performed for primary lesions, and the CAS (res) group consisted of 342 patients with CAS due to restenosis after CEA. Indications for CAS were symptomatic stenosis/restenosis >70% and asymptomatic stenosis/restenosis >85%. A color duplex scan (CDS) of carotid arteries was performed 6 months after CAS, after 1 year, and annually afterward. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 88 months, with a mean follow-up of 34.6±18.0 months.Results:There were no differences in terms of CR rate between the patients in the CAS (prim) and CAS (res) groups (8.7% vs 7.2%, ?2=0.691, p=0.406). The overall CR rate was 7.9%, whereas significant CR (>70%) rate needing re-intervention was 5.6%, but there was no difference between patients in the CAS (prim) and CAS (res) groups (6.4% vs 4.7%, p=0.351). Six independent predictors for CR were smoking, associated previous myocardial infarction and angina pectoris, plaque morphology, spasm after CAS, the use of FilterWire or Spider Fx cerebral protection devices, and time after stenting. A carotid restenosis risk index (CRRI) was created based on these predictors and ranged from ?7 (minimal risk) to +10 (maximum risk); patients with a score >?4 were at increased risk for CR. There were no differences in terms of neurological and overall morbidity and mortality between the 2 groups.Conclusions:There was no difference in CR rate after CAS between the patients with primary stenosis and restenosis after CEA. A CRRI score >?4 is a criterion for identifying high-risk patients for post-CAS CR that should be tested in future randomized trials