The association between patient's and partner's fatigue in couples coping with colorectal cancer:A longitudinal study

Background:  Couples coping with colorectal cancer were monitored during the first year after diagnosis to evaluate the following: (i) levels of patients' and partners' fatigue-hereby comparing their scores to each other and a normative population, (ii) association between patients' and partners' fatigue, (iii) the course of partners' fatigue, and (iv) biopsychosocial predictors of the partners' fatigue, including the patients' level of fatigue. Method:  Couples (n = 171) preoperatively completed questions regarding age and sex as well as questionnaires assessing neuroticism and trait anxiety. Questionnaires assessing fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were measured preoperative (time-0) and 3 (time-1), 6 (time-2), and 12 months (time-3) postoperative. Patients' clinical characteristics were retrieved from the Eindhoven Cancer Registry. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and linear mixed effect models were used. Results:  Compared with a normative population, partners' fatigue was similar (p > .05), while patients' fatigue was higher at Time-2 and Time-3 (p values <.001). At each time point, correlations between patients' and partners' fatigue were small (r < .30). Partner's course of fatigue was as follows: 18.2 at time-0, 19.0 at time-1, 19.4 at time-2, and 19.2 at time-3 (p = 0.64). Scoring higher on neuroticism (β = .12) and trait anxiety (β = .23), and more depressive symptoms (β = .30) significantly contributed to higher partners' fatigue. Conclusion:  Trait anxiety, neuroticism, and depressive symptoms predicted higher levels of partners' fatigue, while demographic factors, patients' fatigue, and clinical factors did not. Health professionals are advised to be alert for partners with a vulnerable personality and depressive symptoms. If needed, they can for instance refer to a psychologist for treatment

Investigating the long-term kinetics of Pd nanoparticles prepared from microemulsions and the Lindlar catalyst for selective hydrogenation of 3-hexyn-1-ol

The effect of non-saturated corner and edge sites of Pd particles on the long-term selectivity of cis-3-hexen-1-ol in the hydrogenation of 3-hexyn-1-ol was studied in this work. Non-supported Pd agglomerates were synthesized through the microemulsion synthesis route and used at  nalkynol/APdratios between 0.08 and 21 mol/m2for the catalytic conversion of 3-hexyn-1-ol for 20 h. The selectivity of the cis-hexenol product increased by reducing the quantity of Pd catalytic sites (increasing the nalkynol/APdratio) without introducing any modifier or doping agent to poison the nonselective sites. Then, Pd aggregates with fused primary particles and, thus, fewer corner and edge sites were produced through thermal sintering of the agglomerates at 473-723 K. By comparing the catalytic performance of the agglomerates and aggregates, it was observed that at a rather similar kinetic behavior (99.99% conversion and 85-89% selectivity to cis-hexenol), the sintered aggregates could stay selective despite a catalytic surface area about seven times larger. This emphasizes the role of low-coordinated edge and corner sites on the final selectivity of the cis product and demonstrates that thermal sintering allows the number of non-selective sites to be reduced without any need for toxic or organic doping agents or modifiers.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. 823717-ESTEEM3.European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation progra

A Multi-Center Randomized Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Gatifloxacin versus Ciprofloxacin for the Treatment of Shigellosis in Vietnamese Children

The bacterial genus Shigella is the most common cause of dysentery (diarrhea containing blood and/or mucus) and the disease is common in developing countries with limitations in sanitation. Children are most at risk of infection and frequently require hospitalization and antimicrobial therapy. The WHO currently recommends the fluoroquinolone, ciprofloxacin, for the treatment of childhood Shigella infections. In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of organisms that exhibit resistance to nalidixic acid (an antimicrobial related to ciprofloxacin), corresponding with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. We hypothesized that infections with Shigella strains that demonstrate resistance to nalidixic acid may prevent effective treatment with ciprofloxacin. We performed a randomized controlled trial to compare 3 day ciprofloxacin therapy with 3 days of gatifloxacin, a newer generation fluoroquinolone with greater activity than ciprofloxacin. We measured treatment failure and time to the cessation of individual disease symptoms in 249 children with dysentery treated with gatifloxacin and 245 treated with ciprofloxacin. We could identify no significant differences in treatment failure between the two groups or in time to the cessation of individual symptoms. We conclude that, in Vietnam, ciprofloxacin and gatifloxacin are similarly effective for the treatment of acute dysentery

Assessment of the Role of Renal Organic Anion Transporters in Drug-Induced Nephrotoxicity

In the present review we have attempted to assess the involvement of the organic anion transporters OAT1, OAT2, OAT3, and OAT4, belonging to the SLC22 family of polyspecific carriers, in drug-induced renal damage in humans. We have focused on drugs with widely recognized nephrotoxic potential, which have previously been reported to interact with OAT family members, and whose underlying pathogenic mechanism suggests the participation of tubular transport. Thus, only compounds generally believed to cause kidney injury either by means of direct tubular toxicity or crystal nephropathy have been considered. For each drug, or class of agents, the evidence for actual transport mediated by individual OATs under in vivo conditions is discussed. We have then examined their role in the context of other carriers present in the renal proximal tubule sharing certain substrates with OATs, as these are critical determinants of the overall contribution of OAT-dependent transport to intracellular accumulation and transepithelial drug secretion, and thus the impact it may have in drug-induced nephrotoxicity

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Traffic noise, honking, and urban planning in Amsterdam in 1930

Traffic noise was seen as a serious problem around 1930. Cars and trucks were noisier than today, and the horn was used more frequently. This led to loud protests and anti-noise campaigns, which have been discussed by historians in studies of the evolution of traffic noise in the twentieth century. In this article we first describe the situation around 1930 from a historical point of view, and next we present an approximate quantitative assessment of traffic noise around 1930, including horn noise, focusing on the city of Amsterdam. Noise maps of Amsterdam are presented for cars, trucks, and horns in 1930, and for comparison also for cars and trucks in 2012. The noise maps for 1930 are based on detailed traffic data for Amsterdam in 1930, which were derived from two reports published in 1934 and 1940 about an extensive traffic count in Amsterdam in 1930. The traffic count was carried out in the framework of the Amsterdam Expansion Plan of 1934. The results of the traffic noise analysis presented here are discussed in the light of expectations around 1930 about future developments of Amsterdam, as well as in the wider context of sprawling cities after World War II. The results also put today's approach of traffic noise mapping and annoyance assessment in perspective

Treatment of transverse patellar fractures: a comparison between metallic and non-metallic implants.

INTRODUCTION:Several methods of transverse patellar fixation have been described. This study compares the clinical outcome and the occurrence of complications of various fixation methods. SOURCES OF DATA: The databases PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar and Google were searched. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: A direct comparison between fixation techniques using mixed or non-metallic implants and metallic K-wire and tension band fixation shows no significant difference in clinical outcome between both groups. Additionally, studies reporting novel operation techniques show good clinical results. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: Studies describing the treatment of patients using non-metallic or mixed implants are fewer compared with those using metallic fixation. GROWING POINTS: A large variety of clinical scoring systems were used for assessing the results of treatment, which makes direct comparison difficult. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: More data of fracture treatment using non-metallic or mixed implants is needed to achieve a more balanced comparison

Myoglobin and troponin concentrations are increased in early stage deep tissue injury

Pressure-induced deep tissue injury is a form of pressure ulcer which is difficult to detect and diagnose at an early stage, before the wound has severely progressed and becomes visible at the skin surface. At the present time, no such detection technique is available. To test the hypothesis that muscle damage biomarkers can be indicative of the development of deep tissue injury after sustained mechanical loading, an indentation test was performed for 2 h on the tibialis anterior muscle of rats. Myoglobin and troponin were analysed in blood plasma and urine over a period of 5 days. The damage as detected by the biomarkers was compared to damage as observed with T2 MRI to validate the response. We found that myoglobin and troponin levels in blood increased due to the damage. Myoglobin was also increased in urine. The amount of damage observed with MRI immediately after loading had a strong correlation with the maximal biomarker levels: troponin in blood rs = 0.94; myoglobin in blood rs = 0.75; and myoglobin in urine rs = 0.57. This study suggests that muscle damage markers measured in blood and urine could serve as early diagnosis for pressure induced deep tissue injury.</p