Fusion of Interferometric SAR and Photogrammetric Elevation Data

Neurology & clinical neurophysiolog

Renal papillary carcinoma developed in a kidney transplant recipient with late IgA-nephropathy

With improvements in immunosuppressive therapy, patient and graft survival in renal transplant recipients have been prolonged. Increasing donor age and patient survival rates have been related to an increase in the number of de novo tumors. Posttransplant malignancy in these patients is an important cause of graft loss and death in these patients. Among cancers occurring after a kidney transplant, renal cell carcinoma is the fifth most common malignancy after lymphoproliferative disorders, and skin, gastrointestinal, and lung cancers. When nonmelanoma skin cancers and in situ carcinoma of the cervix are excluded from malignancies, renal cell carcinoma accounts for 2% of all cancers in the general population, which increases to 5% in solid-organ recipients. The majority of renal cell carcinomas found in transplant recipients develop in the recipient 's native kidneys, but only 9% of tumors develop in the allograft itself. Tumors transmitted by donors represent only 0.02% to 0.2% of cases. Most de novo allograft renal cell carcinomas are single tumors. The mechanisms of development of renal cell carcinoma in renal grafts are not completely understood

Učinak primjene melatonina prije teljenja na izlučivanje mlijeka tijekom laktacije u mliječnih krava

This study evaluated the effects of melatonin administration 60 days prior to expect calving (drying-off period) on milk yield during the next lactation. Sixty dairy cows were treated with subcutaneous melatonin implants during summer (n=30) or winter (n=30) period. Another 60 animals were not treated and served as the control. There were no differences in the average milk yield between treated and untreated animals (44.5±3.7 and 44.8±5.0 kg/day for melatonin and control cows, respectively). There was an effect of season with a higher winter milk yield than in summer (43.8±5.0 and 47.1±3.0 kg/day for melatonin and control groups, respectively). The interaction between melatonin and season showed no significant effect; however, during winter, milk yield tended to be higher (P=0.06) in control cows than in melatonin treated cows (45.3±3.7 and 49.2±3.0, respectively). This study indicates that treatment with melatonin prior to calving did not modify milk yield during the following lactation. Only a tendency for a reduction in milk yield during winter was observed in melatonin treated cows.U ovom istraživanju procjenjivan je učinak primjene melatonina 60 dana prije očekivanog teljenja (razdoblje isušivanja) na proizvodnju mlijeka tijekom kasnije laktacije. Šezdeset mliječnih krava tretirano je potkožnim implantatima melatonina tijekom ljetnog (n=30), odnosno zimskog (n=30) razdoblja. Drugih 60 životinja nije tretirano i one su poslužile kao kontrola. Nije bilo razlika u prosječnoj proizvodnji mlijeka između tretiranih i netretiranih životinja (44,5±3,7 kg/ dan u krava tretiranih melatoninom, odnosno 44,8±5,0 kg/dan u kontrolnih krava). Postojao je učinak sezone, pri čemu je proizvodnja mlijeka bila veća zimi u odnosu na ljeto (43,8±5,0 kg/ dan u krava tretiranih melatoninom, odnosno 47,1±3,0 kg/dan u kontrolnoj skupini). Interakcija između melatonina i sezone nije pokazala značajniji učinak, ali tijekom zimske sezone proizvodnja mlijeka u kontrolnih krava bila je veća (P=0,06) u odnosu na krave tretirane melatoninom (45,3±3,7 u kontrolnoj skupini, odnosno 49,2±3,0 u krava tretiranih melatoninom). Ova studija ukazuje da tretman melatoninom prije teljenja ne mijenja proizvodnju mlijeka tijekom kasnije laktacije. Primijećena je samo tendencija smanjenja proizvodnje mlijeka u zimskoj sezoni u krava tretiranih melatoninom

Effect of melatonin administration prior to calving on milk secretion in the next lactation in dairy cows

This study evaluated the effects of melatonin administration 60 days prior to expect calving (drying-off period) on milk yield during the next lactation. Sixty dairy cows were treated with subcutaneous melatonin implants during summer (n=30) or winter (n=30) period. Another 60 animals were not treated and served as the control. There were no differences in the average milk yield between treated and untreated animals (44.5±3.7 and 44.8±5.0 kg/day for melatonin and control cows, respectively). There was an effect of season with a higher winter milk yield than in summer (43.8±5.0 and 47.1±3.0 kg/day for melatonin and control groups, respectively). The interaction between melatonin and season showed no significant effect; however, during winter, milk yield tended to be higher (P=0.06) in control cows than in melatonin treated cows (45.3±3.7 and 49.2±3.0, respectively). This study indicates that treatment with melatonin prior to calving did not modify milk yield during the following lactation. Only a tendency for a reduction in milk yield during winter was observed in melatonin treated cows

Visual field loss and vision-related quality of life in the Italian Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Study.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between visual field (VF) loss, vision-related quality of life (QoL) and glaucoma-related symptoms in a large cohort of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients. POAG patients with or without VF defects or "glaucoma suspect" patients were considered eligible. QoL was assessed using the validated versions of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) and glaucoma-related symptoms were assessed using the Glaucoma Symptom Scale (GSS). Patients were classified as having VF damage in one eye (VFD-1), both eyes (VFD-2), or neither eye (VFD-0). 3227 patients were enrolled and 2940 were eligible for the analysis. 13.4% of patients were classified in the VFD-0, 23.7% in the VFD-1, and 62.9% in the VFD-2 group. GSS visual symptoms domain (Func-4) and GSS non-visual symptoms domain (Symp-6) scores were similar for the VFD-0 and VFD-1 groups (p = 0.133 and p = 0.834 for Func-4 and Symp-6, respectively). VFD-0 group had higher scores than VFD-2 both in Func-4 (p < 0.001) and Symp-6 domains (p = 0.035). Regarding the NEI-VFQ-25, our data demonstrated that bilateral VF defects are associated with vision-related QoL deterioration, irrespective of visual acuity

Aspectos neuroendócrinos na síndrome dos ovários policísticos

Att vårda patienterna på plats innebär att sjuksköterskan som träffar patienten gör en bedömning av dennes tillstånd, och avgör därefter en lämplig vårdnivå i samråd med patienten. Denna vårdnivå kan bland annat vara primärvård eller egenvård som patienten utför i hemmet. Att göra en korrekt bedömning har visats sig vara svårt på grund av de komplexa former vården kan anta, samtidigt som man måste ta hänsyn till hela patientens situation. En situation som ofta innebär att man som patient känner sig sårbar och utlämnad. En ökad kunskap om denna patientgruppen är viktig för att förbättra utfallet av dessa bedömningar. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka karaktäristika av de patienter som lämnas hemma av ambulanspersonalen samt vilka råd de erhåller. I studien används en mixad metod med kvalitativ och kvantitativ ansats. Resultatet inkluderar 231 patienter som lämnats hemma, med ålder från 0–96 år. Resultatet visar en tendens till att något fler kvinnor än män lämnas hemma. Det fanns ingen signifikant skillnad mellan ålder och kön. Patienterna i vårt studie som blev lämnade hemma var äldre (Md. 63 år). De vanligaste symtomen patienter uppvisade var enligt sjuksköterskornas bedömning “Buksmärta” samt “Ospecifika symtom”. Flest patienter lämnades hemma kvällstid (klockan 18:00-23:59) samt under våren (mars, april och maj månad). Totalt 16,9 % av de inkluderade valde att avstå vård trots sjuksköterskans rekommendation, där “Andningsbesvär” och “Medvetandeförlust” var de patientgrupper som var mest framträdande. Råd patienten erhöll av sjuksköterskan berör Skapa möjlighet för egenvård, Återetablera kontakt med ambulanssjukvården vid försämring, Kontakt med annan vårdinstans, Avvakta hemma och se om symtomen går över och Uppsök akuten vid försämring. Ambulanser stationerade längre från sjukhus tenderar att lämna fler patienter hemma. Sjuksköterskor i ambulansen får vägleda och rådge patienter som tillkallat ambulans där ett akut sjukvårdsbehov ej föreligger. Dessa patienter är oftast äldre och råden de erhåller handlar främst om egenvård och hänvisningar till lämpliga vårdinstanser. En ökad kunskap kring denna patientgrupp kan vara till stöd för sjuksköterskornas bedömningar

Fluctuations of estimated glomerular filtration rate outside kidney disease improving global outcomes diagnostic criteria for acute kidney injury in end-stage liver disease outpatients and outcome postliver transplantation

Background. Renal dysfunction in end-stage liver disease (ESLD) results fromsystemic conditions that affect both liver and kidney with activation of vasoconstrictor systems. In this setting, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) may undergo variations often outside Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria for acute kidney injury (AKI) diagnosis, whose meaning is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate eGFR variations in ESLD outpatients listed for liver transplant (liver Tx) and the association with post-Tx outcome. Methods. Fifty-one patients with ESLD were retrospectively evaluated from listing to transplant (L-Tx time), intraoperatively (Tx time), and up to 5 years post-Tx time. Variations between the highest and the lowest eGFR occurring in more than 48 hours, not satisfying Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes guideline, were considered as fluctuations (eGFR-F). Fluctuations of eGFR greater than 50%were defined as eGFR drops (DeGFR). Early graft dysfunction, AKI within 7 days, chronic kidney disease, and short- and long-term patient survivals were considered as outcomes. Results. All patients presented eGFR-F, whereas DeGFR were observed in 18 (35.3%) of 51 (DeGFR+ group). These patients presented higher levels of Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, pre-Tx bilirubin and significantly greater incidence of post-Tx AKI stages 2 to 3 compared with patients without drops (DeGFR−). DeGFR was the only independent predictive factor of the occurrence of post-Tx AKI. The occurrence of AKI post-Tx was associated with the development of chronic kidney disease at 3 months and 5 years post-Tx. Conclusions. Drops of eGFR are more frequently observed in patients with a worse degree of ESLD and are associated with a worse post-Tx kidney outcome

Massive non-natural proteins structure prediction using grid technologies

Background The number of natural proteins represents a small fraction of all the possible protein sequences and there is an enormous number of pr oteins never sampled by nature, the so called "never born proteins" (NBPs). A fundamental question in this regard is if the ensemble of natural proteins possesses peculiar chemical and physical properties or if it is just the product of contingency coupled to functional selection. A key feature of natural proteins is thei r ability to form a well defined three-dimensional structure. T hus, the structural study of NBPs can help to understand if natural protein sequences were selecte d for their peculiar properties or if they are just one of the possible stable and functional ensembles. Methods The structural characterization of a huge number of random proteins cannot be approached experimentally, thus the problem has been tackled using a computational approach. A large random protein sequences library (2 × 10 ^4 sequences) was generated, discarding amino acid sequences with significant simi larity to natural proteins, and the corresponding structures were predicted using Rosetta. Given th e highly computational demanding problem, Rosetta was ported in grid and a user friendly job submission environment was developed within the GENIUS Grid Portal. Protein structures generated were analysed in terms of net charge, secondary structure content, surface/volume ratio, hydrophobic core composition, etc. Results The vast majority of NBPs, according to the Rosetta mode l, are characterized by a compact three-dimensional structure with a high secondary structure content. Structure compactness and surface polarity are comparable to those of natural proteins, suggesting similar stability and solubility. Deviations are observed in α helix- β strands relative content and inydrophobic core composition, as NBPs appear to be richer in helical structure and aromatic amino acids with respect to natural proteins. Conclusion The results obtained suggest that the abil ity to form a compact, ordered and water-soluble structure is an intrinsic property of polypeptides. The tendency of random sequences to adopt α helical folds indicate that all-α proteins may have emerged ea rly in pre-biotic evolution. Further, the lower percentage of aromatic residu es observed in natural proteins has important evolutionary implications as far as tolerance to mutati ons is concerned

Učinak primjene melatonina prije teljenja na izlučivanje mlijeka tijekom laktacije u mliječnih krava

This study evaluated the effects of melatonin administration 60 days prior to expect calving (drying-off period) on milk yield during the next lactation. Sixty dairy cows were treated with subcutaneous melatonin implants during summer (n=30) or winter (n=30) period. Another 60 animals were not treated and served as the control. There were no differences in the average milk yield between treated and untreated animals (44.5±3.7 and 44.8±5.0 kg/day for melatonin and control cows, respectively). There was an effect of season with a higher winter milk yield than in summer (43.8±5.0 and 47.1±3.0 kg/day for melatonin and control groups, respectively). The interaction between melatonin and season showed no significant effect; however, during winter, milk yield tended to be higher (P=0.06) in control cows than in melatonin treated cows (45.3±3.7 and 49.2±3.0, respectively). This study indicates that treatment with melatonin prior to calving did not modify milk yield during the following lactation. Only a tendency for a reduction in milk yield during winter was observed in melatonin treated cows.U ovom istraživanju procjenjivan je učinak primjene melatonina 60 dana prije očekivanog teljenja (razdoblje isušivanja) na proizvodnju mlijeka tijekom kasnije laktacije. Šezdeset mliječnih krava tretirano je potkožnim implantatima melatonina tijekom ljetnog (n=30), odnosno zimskog (n=30) razdoblja. Drugih 60 životinja nije tretirano i one su poslužile kao kontrola. Nije bilo razlika u prosječnoj proizvodnji mlijeka između tretiranih i netretiranih životinja (44,5±3,7 kg/ dan u krava tretiranih melatoninom, odnosno 44,8±5,0 kg/dan u kontrolnih krava). Postojao je učinak sezone, pri čemu je proizvodnja mlijeka bila veća zimi u odnosu na ljeto (43,8±5,0 kg/ dan u krava tretiranih melatoninom, odnosno 47,1±3,0 kg/dan u kontrolnoj skupini). Interakcija između melatonina i sezone nije pokazala značajniji učinak, ali tijekom zimske sezone proizvodnja mlijeka u kontrolnih krava bila je veća (P=0,06) u odnosu na krave tretirane melatoninom (45,3±3,7 u kontrolnoj skupini, odnosno 49,2±3,0 u krava tretiranih melatoninom). Ova studija ukazuje da tretman melatoninom prije teljenja ne mijenja proizvodnju mlijeka tijekom kasnije laktacije. Primijećena je samo tendencija smanjenja proizvodnje mlijeka u zimskoj sezoni u krava tretiranih melatoninom