950 research outputs found
Sound technologies and cultural practices: how analogies make us listen to transformations in art and culture
Platelet Rich STROMA, the Combination of PRP and tSVF and Its Potential Effect on Osteoarthritis of the Knee
(1) Background: osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a degenerative disease accompanied by pain, reduced mobility and subsequent decrease in quality of life. Many studies on OA of the knee have reported that using an intercellular acting-derivate like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) results in a limited effect or none at all. Authors hypothesized that adding tissue-Stromal Vascular Fraction (tSVF) to PRP (Platelet Rich Stroma (PRS)) would reduce pain and improve functionality in osteoarthritis of the knee. (2) Methods: a consecutive case series of fifteen patients (aged 43-75 years) suffering from OA of the knee (Kellgren-Lawrence stage two to three) were treated with a single injection of autologous PRS. tSVF was mechanically isolated by means of the fractionation of adipose tissue (FAT) procedure. Clinical evaluation was done using a visual analogue score (VAS) score, an adapted Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and Lysholm score at fixed time points: pre-injection as well as three, six and twelve months post injection. (3) Results: VAS and WOMAC scores improved significantly after twelve months (p 0.05) in comparison to pre-injection measurements. No complications were seen in any of the patients. One patient was excluded due to a total knee arthroplasty. (4) Conclusions: a single injection with PRS for OA of the knee seems to lead to an improvement of function and simultaneous reduction of pain and joint stiffness for a period of twelve months. Further controlled trials are required to determine the optimal treatment regimen and evaluate long-term results
A High-Throughput Candida albicans Two-Hybrid System
We thank Nico Vangoethem for help with preparation of the figures and Ilse Palmans, Tom Adriany, and Selien Schots for technical assistance. Financial support was obtained from the Interuniversity Attraction Poles Programme initiated by the Belgian Science Policy Office (IAP P7/28) and by the KU Leuven Research Council (C14/17/063). C.D. acknowledges support from the French Governmentâs Investissement dâAvenir program (Laboratoire dâExcellence Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases, ANR-10-LABX-62-IBEID). C.A.M. and C.D. acknowledge support from the Wellcome Trust (088858/Z/09/Z). C.A.M. acknowledges support from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology (MR/N006364/1) and the University of Aberdeen.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma Types and the Coexistence of Ovarian Tumor Conditions
Objective. Ovarian
carcinomas are presumed to arise within ovarian
inclusion cysts or from a coexisting epithelial
lesion in the ovary. Insight may be gained by
relating different subtypes of ovarian cancer
with the presence of coexisting tumor-like
conditions. Methods. The Dutch
nation-wide pathology database PALGA
(Pathologisch Anatomisch Landelijk
Geautomatiseerd Archief) identified the various
histopathological subtypes of ovarian cancer in
824 patients diagnosed in 1996â2003, and
recorded the presence of epithelial tumor
conditions around the ovarian tumors. In
addition, a PALGA database of all 153 consecutive
patients referred to the Nijmegen University
Medical Centre in 2007 for histopathological
work-up was analyzed. Results.
The prevalence of coexisting ovarian tumor
conditions was 16.4% (135 out of 824
patients,
(95%âCI:â8.4%â24.4%)). The coexistence was highest for
endometrioid, mucinous, clear cell, and
borderline malignancies. The referral group
revealed 35% (54 out of 153 patients,
(95%âCI:â28%â42%))
of coexisting epithelial ovarian tumor
conditions. Conclusion. One in
six patients with a malignant ovarian tumor has
a coexisting epithelial tumor condition in the
ovary, which is also rather frequently observed
in the diagnostic work-up
practice
Treatment-limiting decisions in patients with severe traumatic brain injury in the Netherlands
Introduction: Treatment-limiting decisions (TLDs) can be inevitable severe traumatic brain injury (s-TBI) patients, but data on their use remain scarce. Research question: To investigate the prevalence, timing and considerations of TLDs in s-TBI patients. Material and methods: s-TBI patients between 2008 and 2017 were analysed retrospecively. Patient data, timing, location, involvement of proxies, and reasons for TLDs were collected. Baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared between s-TBI patients with and without TLDs. Results: TLDs were reported in 117 of 270 s-TBI patients (43.3%) and 95.9% of deaths after s-TBI were preceded by a TLD. The majority of TLDs (68.4%) were categorized as withdrawal of therapy, of which withdrawal of organ-support in 64.1%. Neurosurgical intervention was withheld in 29.9%. The median time from admission to TLD was 2 days [IQR, 0â8] and 50.4% of TLDs were made within 3 days of admission. The main reason for a TLD was that the patients were perceived as unsalvageable (66.7%). Nearly all decisions were made multidisciplinary (99.1%) with proxies involvement (75.2%). The predicted mortality (CRASH-score) between patients with and without TLDs were 72.6 vs. 70.6%. The percentage of TLDs in s-TBI patients increased from 20.0% in 2008 to 42.9% in 2012 and 64.3% in 2017. Discussion and conclusion: TLDs occurred in almost half of s-TBI patients and were instituted more frequently over time. Half of TLDs were made within 3 days of admission in spite of baseline prognosis between groups being similar. Future research should address whether prognostic nihilism contributes to self-fulfilling prophecies.</p
The popular music heritage of the Dutch pirates: illegal radio and cultural identity
This article explores how cultural identities are negotiated in relation to the heritage of illegal radio in the Netherlands. The term âpirate radioâ commonly refers to the offshore radio stations that were broadcasting during the 1960s. These stations introduced commercial radio and popular music genres like beat music, which were not played by public broadcasters at the time. In their wake, land-based pirates began broadcasting for local audiences. This study examines the identities that are constituted by the narrative of pirate radio. Drawing on in-depth interviews with archivists, fans and broadcasters, this article explores the connection between pirate radio, popular music heritage and cultural identity. Moreover, it considers how new technologies such as internet radio provide platforms to engage with this heritage and thus to maintain these local identities. To examine how the memories of pirate radio live on in the present a narrative approach to identity will be used
Adapting to survive: how Candida spp. respond to environmental physiological constraints
Candida species are important human pathogens and have emerged as a leading cause of nosocomial fungal infections. In order to survive and proliferate within the human host, these species have to adapt to the different niches and assimilate the available nutrients. For instance, during infection, they can encounter glucose-poor microenvironments and some studies have suggested that the ability to use non-fermentable carbon sources affects the virulence of these pathogens. Our studies have demonstrated that the presence of alternative carbon sources such as lactate and acetate influence Candida biofilm formation, antifungal drug resistance and immune recognition. Additionally, there is evidence that carboxylate transporters have a role on these processes. An overview of the most significant results will be presented.Our data support the view that the different carbon sources present in the host niches affect directly the physiology of Candida cells, with implications on how these pathogens respond to antifungal treatment
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