Comfort and pressure profiles of two auto-adjustable positive airway pressure devices: a technical report

AbstractStudy objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare comfort parameters and pressure profiles of the AutoSetTM (Resmed) and the SOMNOsmartTM (Weinmann), two auto-adjustable positive airway pressure (APAP) devices. Setting: The sleep disorders center of a university hospital. Design: A single-blind randomized trial protocol was applied. A split night procedure allowed each patient to be treated in a crossover fashion with both APAP devices during one overnight study. Patients and methods: Fifty consecutive obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients were recruited. Each patient filled out an evaluation form for both devices after the study night. Visual analogue scales were used to score four comfort measures. Three CPAP outcomes generated by the devices (P50, P95 and Pmax) were assessed, compared with each other and correlated with the individually predicted CPAP (Ppred). Results: Forty-five males and 5 females, mean age 53.0 years, body mass index 31.0, were included. The mean apnea-hypopnea index was 58.7, the mean arousal index was 54.3. Mean CPAP-compliance before the titration study was 4.9h per night. Comparison of the two devices regarding the effect on the subjective sleep quality parameters showed no differences. The AutoSetTM pressure outcomes correlated significantly better with Ppred in comparison with the SOMNOsmartTM. The P50 and P95 but not the Pmax values were significantly lower in the SOMNOsmart™ as compared with the AutoSetTM (P50: 5.1±1.3 vs 7.1±1.9mbar, P<0.0001; P95: 7.8±3.0 vs 9.6±1.9mbar, P<0.0005; Pmax: 10.0±3.4 vs 10.8±1.8mbar, NS). Conclusion: While the subjective tolerance of the two APAP machines was comparable, these devices were characterized by different pressure profiles. The pressure parameters of the AutoSetTM correlated better with Ppred than those of the SOMNOsmartTM

Synthesis of C-5" and C-6"-modified α-GalCer analogues as iNKT-cell agonists

Alpha-Galactosyl Ceramide (α-GalCer) is a prototypical synthetic ligand of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. Upon presentation by the MHC class I-like molecule CD1d, this glycolipid stimulates iNKT cells to secrete a vast amount of both pro-inflammatory Th1 and anti-inflammatory Th2 cytokines. Recently, we discovered that selected 6″-modified α-GalCer analogues may produce markedly Th1-biased responses due to the formation of either an additional anchor with CD1d or by establishing extra interactions with the T-cell receptor of iNKT cells. Here, we report a practical synthesis towards 6″-O-carbamate and galacturonamide analogues of α-GalCer and their evaluation as iNKT cell agonists in mice

Een Romeinse landelijke nederzetting te Smeermaas (Lanaken, prov. Limburg)

In de jaren 1949-1950 werd te Smeermaas (gem. Lanaken), nabij de Ducatonweg op de plaats Kerkveld, op muurresten met een nis gestoten. Een jaar later voerden leden van de geschiedkundige kring St.-Ursula een eerste onderzoek uit. Zij schreven de resten toe aan een oostwaarts georiënteerde Gallo-Romeinse villa. Aangezien er een asselaag werd vastgesteld, ging men ervan uit dat de villa door brand werd verwoest. Een verslag van E.H. Remans (gedeponeerd in het museum te Tongeren in 1959) suggereert dat de muren deel uitmaakten van de kelder van de mogelijke villa, die via een diverticulum, nl. de Ducatonweg, op de heerbaan Tongeren-Nijmegen aansloot. In 1964 zou er in Smeermaas een ondergrondse kelder zijn gevonden, misschien iets later gebouwd dan de in 1955 in Neerharen ontdekte Romeinse pottenbakkersoven. In 1965 wordt de vondst van een Romeins graf op de hoek van de Brugstraat en de Oude Heerbaan gemeld, waarvoor een datering tussen het laatste kwart van de 2de en de eerste helft van de 3de eeuw werd voorgesteld

Incidental radiological finding of a renal tumour leading to the diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome

Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant condition characterised by benign tumours of the hair follicle, renal cancer, pulmonary cysts and spontaneous pneumothorax. We report the diagnosis of a BHD syndrome achieved after incidental radiological finding of a renal tumour in a 24-year old man. The patient also displayed recurrent pneumothoraces and showed to have cysts in the basis of both lungs. The association of recurrent pneumothoraces and renal neoplastic disease should alert for the possible presence of this syndrome