Surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurisms

Secția Chirurgie Vasculară IMSP SCR, Al XI-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” din Republica Moldova și cea de-a XXXIII-a Reuniune a Chirurgilor din Moldova „Iacomi-Răzeșu” 27-30 septembrie 2011În secția chirurgie vasculară a IMSP SCR, pe parcursul anilor 1988-2010 au fost operați 224 pacienți cu anevrisme ale aortei abdominale. SCa criteriu diagnostic pentru anevrism s-a considerat dilatarea aortei abdominale cu două diametre şi mai mult. Vârsta pacienților a fost cuprinsă între 15 şi 89 ani. Din totalul de pacienți 79,5%(178) au fost bărbați şi 20,5%(46) femei. La 18,75%(42) pacienți anevrismele au fost complicate prin ruptură completă sau incompletă, fiind operați în regim de urgență imediată. Etiologia a fost: ateroscleroza - 94,65% (212), aortoarteriita nespecifică - 3,57% (8), sindromul Marfan - 1,78% (4). Diagnosticul a fost stabilit clinic, ultrasonografic, prin Duplex vascular, angio-CT, aortografie, RMN. În 3 cazuri (1,34%) anevrismul implica şi arterele renale. Doi pacienți, neincluşi în studiu, au decedat preoperator prin hemoragie masivă cauzată de ruptura spontană a anevrismului în duoden şi cavitatea abdominală liberă. Toți pacienții au fost supuşi rezecției anevrismului aortal cu protezare aorto-distală (aortală, biiliacă, ilio-femurală, bifemurală), iar în 3 cazuri cu replantarea arterelor renale şi viscerale. Mortalitatea în anevrismele rupte a fost 57% (24), iar în cele complicate - 8% (18). Concluzii: pe parcursul ultimilor 5 ani a crescut ponderea pacienților cu anevrisme simptomatice sau deja complicate prin ruptură, astfel că toți pacienții cu factori de risc trecuți de 50 ani trebuie supuşi screening-ului prin USG sau Dopplerografie. Mortalitatea postoperatorie în anevrismele rupte s-a micşorat cu 13 %, iar în cele operate programat cu 7,55%. Implimentarea metodei endovasculare ar permite reducerea substanțială a acestui indice, mai ales în cazul anevrismelor complicate prin ruptură.During the period of 1988 - 2010, 224 patients underwent surgery for abdominal aortic aneurisms. The main diagnostic criteria was dilatation of the abdominal aorta by two diameters and more. All patients were aged between 15 and 89. Of all patients 79,5% (178) were males and 20,5% (46) were female. In 18,75% (42) cases, a complete or incomplete rupture of the aneurisms occurred. These patients underwent urgent surgery. Etiology: atherosclerosis – 94,65% (212), nonspecific aortoarteritis – 3,57% (8), Marfan syndrome – 1,78% (4). The diagnosis was made by clinical findings, vascular Duplex scanning, angio-CT and MRI. In 3(1,34%) cases the aneurism involved the renal arteries. There were two lethal outcomes, one caused by spontaneous rupture of the aneurism in the duodenum and the second caused by rupture into the peritoneal cavity. These cases were not included in the study. All patients underwent aneurism resection with aortal –distal (aortic, biiliac, ilio-femural, bifemural) allografting, while in three cases reimplantation of the renal arteries was necessary. The mortality in cases of ruptured aneurisms consisted 57% (24), and in cases of uncomplicated aneurisms – 8% (18).Conclusions: During the last 5 years we observed a raise in the rate of symptomatic aneurisms, including those complicated with rupture. Aortic ultrasonography or dopplerography should be used as screening methods in all patients, with risk factors, that are aged 50 and more. Postoperative mortality in cases of ruptured aneurisms has decreased by 13%, while in cases of planned aneurism surgery by 7,55%. Implementation of endovascular techniques would reduce substantially these indices

Review of experience of family medicine in Europe and Central Asia : Executive summary

This report summarizes the findings of four case studies that review the experience of family medicine in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region. It is part of a study comprising five volumes that review the experience of family medicine in four countries in ECA--Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kyrgyz Republic and Moldova. The report reviews the experience, draws lessons, and establishes an evidence base for detailed analysis. The study presents best practices for policy dialogue and future investments by the World Bank and other financial institutions. The detailed case studies compare these countries and draw common themes and issues. Comparisons are made with best-developed or existing models in the OECD and other countries in the Europe and Central Asia Region that have already undertaken family medicine reform

Quantum information processes in protein microtubules of brain neurons

We study biologically ‘orchestrated’ coherent quantum processes in collections of protein microtubules of brain neurons, which correlate with, and regulate, neuronal synaptic and membrane activity. In this situation the continuous Schrodinger evolution of each such process terminates in accordance with the specific Diosi-Penrose (DP) scheme of ‘objective reduction’ (‘OR’) of the quantum state. This orchestrated OR activity (‘Orch OR’) is taken to result in moments of conscious awareness and/or choice. We analyze Orch OR in light of advances and developments in quantum physics, computational neuroscience and quantum biology. Much attention is also devoted to the ‘beat frequencies’ of faster microtubule vibrations as a possible source of the observed electroencephalographic (‘EEG’) correlates of consciousness

A compendium and functional characterization of mammalian genes involved in adaptation to Arctic or Antarctic environments

Many mammals are well adapted to surviving in extremely cold environments. These species have likely accumulated genetic changes that help them efficiently cope with low temperatures. It is not known whether the same genes related to cold adaptation in one species would be under selection in another species. The aims of this study therefore were: to create a compendium of mammalian genes related to adaptations to a low temperature environment; to identify genes related to cold tolerance that have been subjected to independent positive selection in several species; to determine promising candidate genes/pathways/organs for further empirical research on cold adaptation in mammals

Calibration and Characterization of the IceCube Photomultiplier Tube

Over 5,000 PMTs are being deployed at the South Pole to compose the IceCube neutrino observatory. Many are placed deep in the ice to detect Cherenkov light emitted by the products of high-energy neutrino interactions, and others are frozen into tanks on the surface to detect particles from atmospheric cosmic ray showers. IceCube is using the 10-inch diameter R7081-02 made by Hamamatsu Photonics. This paper describes the laboratory characterization and calibration of these PMTs before deployment. PMTs were illuminated with pulses ranging from single photons to saturation level. Parameterizations are given for the single photoelectron charge spectrum and the saturation behavior. Time resolution, late pulses and afterpulses are characterized. Because the PMTs are relatively large, the cathode sensitivity uniformity was measured. The absolute photon detection efficiency was calibrated using Rayleigh-scattered photons from a nitrogen laser. Measured characteristics are discussed in the context of their relevance to IceCube event reconstruction and simulation efforts.Comment: 40 pages, 12 figure

Constraints on Neutrino Oscillations Using 1258 Days of Super-Kamiokande Solar Neutrino Data

We report the result of a search for neutrino oscillations using precise measurements of the recoil electron energy spectrum and zenith angle variations of the solar neutrino flux from 1258 days of neutrino-electron scattering data in Super-Kamiokande. The absence of significant zenith angle variation and spectrum distortion places strong constraints on neutrino mixing and mass difference in a flux-independent way. Using the Super-Kamiokande flux measurement in addition, two allowed regions at large mixing are found.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR

Limits on the high-energy gamma and neutrino fluxes from the SGR 1806-20 giant flare of December 27th, 2004 with the AMANDA-II detector

On December 27th 2004, a giant gamma flare from the Soft Gamma-ray Repeater 1806-20 saturated many satellite gamma-ray detectors. This event was by more than two orders of magnitude the brightest cosmic transient ever observed. If the gamma emission extends up to TeV energies with a hard power law energy spectrum, photo-produced muons could be observed in surface and underground arrays. Moreover, high-energy neutrinos could have been produced during the SGR giant flare if there were substantial baryonic outflow from the magnetar. These high-energy neutrinos would have also produced muons in an underground array. AMANDA-II was used to search for downgoing muons indicative of high-energy gammas and/or neutrinos. The data revealed no significant signal. The upper limit on the gamma flux at 90% CL is dN/dE < 0.05 (0.5) TeV^-1 m^-2 s^-1 for gamma=-1.47 (-2). Similarly, we set limits on the normalization constant of the high-energy neutrino emission of 0.4 (6.1) TeV^-1 m^-2 s^-1 for gamma=-1.47 (-2).Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure

Environmental factors in a population-based inception cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients in Europe--an ECCO-EpiCom study.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the pageThe incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in Eastern Europe possibly due to changes in environmental factors towards a more "westernised" standard of living. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in exposure to environmental factors prior to diagnosis in Eastern and Western European IBD patients.The EpiCom cohort is a population-based, prospective inception cohort of 1560 unselected IBD patients from 31 European countries covering a background population of 10.1 million. At the time of diagnosis patients were asked to complete an 87-item questionnaire concerning environmental factors.A total of 1182 patients (76%) answered the questionnaire, 444 (38%) had Crohn's disease (CD), 627 (53%) ulcerative colitis (UC), and 111 (9%) IBD unclassified. No geographic differences regarding smoking status, caffeine intake, use of oral contraceptives, or number of first-degree relatives with IBD were found. Sugar intake was higher in CD and UC patients from Eastern Europe than in Western Europe while fibre intake was lower (p<0.01). Daily consumption of fast food as well as appendectomy before the age of 20 was more frequent in Eastern European than in Western European UC patients (p<0.01). Eastern European CD and UC patients had received more vaccinations and experienced fewer childhood infections than Western European patients (p<0.01).In this European population-based inception cohort of unselected IBD patients, Eastern and Western European patients differed in environmental factors prior to diagnosis. Eastern European patients exhibited higher occurrences of suspected risk factors for IBD included in the Western lifestyle.Danish Colitis Crohn Patients Organisation (CCF) Vibeke Binder and Povl Riis Foundation Scientific Council at Herlev Hospital Sigrid Rignnor Moran Foundation, Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansens Foundation Munkholm Foundation C.C. Klestrup and Henriette Klestrup Foundation Knud and Dagny Gad Andresens Foundation Else and Mogens Wedell-Wedellsborgs Foundation Direktor Jacob Madsen and Olga Madsen's Foundation, Scan Ve