306 research outputs found
Laparoscopy in liver transplantation: The future has arrived
In the last two decades, laparoscopy has revolutionized the field of surgery. Many procedures previously performed with an open
access are now routinely carried out with the laparoscopic approach. Several advantages are associated with laparoscopic surgery
compared to open procedures: reduced pain due to smaller incisions and hemorrhaging, shorter hospital length of stay, and a lower
incidence of wound infections. Liver transplantation (LT) brought a radical change in life expectancy of patients with hepatic endstage
disease. Today, LT represents the standard of care for more than fifty hepatic pathologies, with excellent results in terms
of survival. Surely, with laparoscopy and LT being one of the most continuously evolving challenges in medicine, their recent
combination has represented an astonishing scientific progress. The intent of the present paper is to underline the current role of diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy in patients waiting for LT, in the living donor LT and in LT recipients
Synthetic approaches to a challenging and unusual structureâan amino-pyrrolidine guanine core
Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LAQV, which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020).
Grant number SFRH/BD/136692/2018 from FCT/MCTES.The synthesis of an unreported 2-aminopyrrolidine-1-carboxamidine unit is here described for the first time. This unusual and promising structure was attained through the oxidative decarboxylation of amino acids using the pair of reagents, silver(I)/peroxydisulfate (Ag(I)/S2O82â) followed by intermolecular (in the case of L-proline derivative) and intramolecular trapping (in the case of acyl L-arginine) by N-nucleophiles. The L-proline approach has a broader scope for the synthesis of 2-aminopyrrolidine-1-carboxamidine derivatives, whereas the intramolecular cyclization afforded by the L-acylarginines, when applied, results in higher yields. The former allowed the first synthesis of cernumidine, a natural alkaloid isolated in 2011 from Solanum cernuum Vell, as its racemic form.publishersversionpublishe
PrevalĂȘncia de risco elevado de doença coronariana segundo diferentes indicadores antropomĂ©tricos em militares do ExĂ©rcito Brasileiro: um estudo populacional
Introdução: A obesidade pode ser considerada como um fator limitador do desempenho profissional, com destaque para a carreira militar, a qual tem na higidez e na manutenção da aptidĂŁo fĂsica requisitos essenciais para o desempenho em suas tarefas.
Objetivo: Comparar a prevalĂȘncia de risco elevado de doença coronariana (REDC), estimada por pontos de corte especĂficos a partir dos indicadores antropomĂ©tricos: Ăndice de Massa Corporal (IMC), Ăndice de Conicidade (Ăndice C), circunferĂȘncia de cintura (CC), Ăndice Indicativo da Gordura Corporal (IGC) e razĂŁo cintura-estatura (RCEst) em militares do ExĂ©rcito Brasileiro (EB).
MĂ©todos: Estudo transversal, com amostra aleatĂłria populacional, composta por 49.414 militares do sexo masculino, categorizados por faixa etĂĄria. A prevalĂȘncia de REDC foi estimada por cada indicador antropomĂ©trico. As diferenças entre as mĂ©dias foram examinadas pela anĂĄlise de variĂąncia de Kruskal-Wallis (H) com anĂĄlise post hoc do teste de Mann-Whitney (U). Para todas as anĂĄlises o nĂvel de confiança adotado foi de 95%.
Resultados: Houve prevalĂȘncia elevada de REDC segundo todos os indicadores antropomĂ©tricos examinados, em todas as faixas etĂĄrias, exceto na de atĂ© 20 anos de idade, sendo que se observou aumento na prevalĂȘncia conforme aumentava a faixa etĂĄria, sendo que todas as faixas acima de 30 anos exibiam prevalĂȘncia igual ou superior a 50%.
ConclusĂŁo: A prevalĂȘncia elevada na população de estudo indica que hĂĄ necessidade de intervenção em saĂșde no Ăąmbito do EB incentivar mudanças em hĂĄbitos saudĂĄveis como nutrição e nĂvel de atividade fĂsica promovendo a saĂșde e a medicina preventiva. Os resultados foram discutidos
Liver transplant after SARS-CoV-2 infection: A systematic review
Background: The Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically impacted liver organ transplantation. The American Society of Transplantation recommends a minimum of 28 days after symptom resolution for organ donation. However, the exact time for transplantation for recipients is unknown. Considering that mortality on the waiting list for patients with MELD >25 or fulminant hepatitis is higher than that of COVID-19, the best time for surgery after SARS-CoV-2 infection remains undetermined. This study aims to expand the current knowledge regarding the Liver Transplantation (LT) time for patients after COVID-19 and to provide transplant physicians with essential decision-making tools to manage these critically ill patients during the pandemic.
Methods: Systematic review of patients who underwent liver transplantation after diagnosis of COVID-19. The MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane, Lilacs, Embase, and Scielo databases were searched until June 20, 2021. The MESH terms used were âCOVID-19â and âLiver transplantationâ.
Results: 558 articles were found; of these 13 articles and a total of 18 cases of COVID-19 prior to liver transplantation were reported. The mean age was 38.7±14.6, with male prevalence. Most had mild symptoms of COVID. Five patients have specific treatment for COVID-19 with convalescent plasm or remdesivir/oseltamivir, just one patient received hydroxychloroquine, and 12 patients received only symptomatic treatment. The median time between COVID-19 to LT was 19 days (13.5â44.5). Deceased donor liver transplantation accounted for 61% of cases, while living donor transplantation was 39%.
Conclusion: Despite the concerns regarding the postoperative evolution, the mortality of patients with high MELD or fulminant hepatitis transplanted shortly after COVID-19 diagnosis does not seem to be higher.
(PROSPERO, registration number = CRD42021261790
COVID-19 in solid organ transplantation patients: A systematic review
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rapidly progresses to severe acute respiratory syndrome. This review aimed at collating available data on COVID-19 infection in solid organ transplantation (SOT) patients. We performed a systematic review of SOT patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The MEDLINE and PubMed databases were electronically searched and updated until April 20, 2020. The MeSH terms used were ââCOVID-19ââ AND ââTransplant.ââ Thirty-nine COVID-19 cases were reported among SOT patients. The median interval for developing SARS-CoV-2 infection was 4 years since transplantation, and the fatality rate was 25.64% (10/39). Sixteen cases were described in liver transplant (LT) patients, and the median interval since transplantation was 5 years. The fatality rate among LT patients was 37.5% (6/16), with death occurring more than 3 years after LT. The youngest patient who died was 59 years old; there were no deaths among children. Twenty-three cases were described in kidney transplant (KT) patients. The median interval since transplantation was 4 years, and the fatality rate was 17.4% (4/23). The youngest patient who died was 71 years old. Among all transplant patients, COVID-19 had the highest fatality rate in patients older than 60 years : LT, 62.5% vs 12.5% (p=0.006); KT 44.44% vs 0 (p=0.039); and SOT, 52.94% vs 4.54% (p=0.001). This study presents a novel description of COVID-19 in abdominal SOT recipients. Furthermore, we alert medical professionals to the higher fatality risk in patients older than 60 years. (PROSPERO, registration number= CRD42020181299
Novel Virtual Environment for Alternative Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a severe condition usually caused by decreased brain oxygenation during pregnancy, at birth or soon after birth. Conventional treatments for cerebral palsy are often tiresome and expensive, leading patients to quit treatment. In this paper, we describe a virtual environment for patients to engage in a playful therapeutic game for neuropsychomotor rehabilitation, based on the experience of the occupational therapy program of the Nucleus for Integrated Medical Assistance (NAMI) at the University
of Fortaleza, Brazil. Integration between patient and virtual environment occurs through the hand motion sensor âLeap Motion,â plus the electroencephalographic sensor âMindWave,â responsible for measuring attention levels during task execution. To evaluate the virtual environment, eight clinical experts on cerebral palsy were subjected to a questionnaire regarding the potential of the experimental virtual environment to promote cognitive and motor rehabilitation, as well as the potential of the treatment to enhance risks and/or negatively influence the patientâs development. Based on the very positive appraisal of the experts, we propose that the experimental virtual environment is a promising alternative tool for the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy.Cerebral palsy is a severe condition usually caused by decreased brain oxygenation during pregnancy, at birth or soon after birth. Conventional treatments for cerebral palsy are often tiresome and expensive, leading patients to quit treatment. In this paper, we describe a virtual environment for patients to engage in a playful therapeutic game for neuropsychomotor rehabilitation, based on the experience of the occupational therapy program of the Nucleus for Integrated Medical Assistance (NAMI) at the University
of Fortaleza, Brazil. Integration between patient and virtual environment occurs through the hand motion sensor âLeap Motion,â plus the electroencephalographic sensor âMindWave,â responsible for measuring attention levels during task execution. To evaluate the virtual environment, eight clinical experts on cerebral palsy were subjected to a questionnaire regarding the potential of the experimental virtual environment to promote cognitive and motor rehabilitation, as well as the potential of the treatment to enhance risks and/or negatively influence the patientâs development. Based on the very positive appraisal of the experts, we propose that the experimental virtual environment is a promising alternative tool for the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy
Liver biopsy may facilitate pancreatic graft evaluation: Positive association between liver steatosis and pancreatic graft adipose infiltration
OBJECTIVES: The number of pancreatic transplants has decreased in recent years. Pancreatic grafts have been underutilized compared to other solid grafts. One cause of discard is the macroscopic appearance of the pancreas, especially the presence of fatty infiltration. The current research is aimed at understanding any graft-related association between fatty tissue infiltration of the pancreas and liver steatosis. METHODS: From August 2013 to August 2014, a prospective cross-sectional clinical study using data from 54 multiple deceased donor organs was performed. RESULTS: Micro- and macroscopic liver steatosis were significantly correlated with the donor body mass index ([BMI]; p=0.029 and p=0.006, respectively). Positive gamma associations between pancreatic and liver macroscopic and microscopic findings (0.98; confidence interval [CI]: 0.95-1 and 0.52; CI 0.04-1, respectively) were observed. Furthermore, comparisons of liver microscopy findings showed significant differences between severe versus absent (
LaMMos - Latching Mechanism based on Motorized-screw for Reconfigurable Robots and Exoskeleton Suits
Reconfigurable robots refer to a category of robots that their components
(individual joints and links) can be assembled in multiple configurations and
geometries. Most of existing latching mechanisms are based on physical tools
such as hooks, cages or magnets, which limit the payload capacity. Therefore,
robots re- quire a latching mechanism which can help to reconfigure itself
without sacrificing the payload capability. This paper presents a latching
mechanism based on the flexible screw attaching principle. In which, actuators
are used to move the robot links and joints while connecting them with a
motorized-screw and dis- connecting them by unfastening the screw. The brackets
used in our mechanism configuration helps to hold maximum force up to 5000N.
The LaMMos - Latching Mechanism based on Motorized- screw has been applied to
the DeWaLoP - Developing Water Loss Prevention in-pipe robot. It helps the
robot to shrink its body to crawl into the pipe with minimum diameter, by
recon- figuring the leg positions. And it helps to recover the legs positions
to original status once the robot is inside the pipe. Also, LaMMos add
stiffness to the robot legs by dynamically integrate them to the structure.
Additionally, we present an application of the LaMMos mechanism to exoskeleton
suits, for easing the mo- tors from the joints when carrying heavy weights for
long periods of time. This mechanism offers many interesting opportunities for
robotics research in terms of functionality, pay- load and size.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figure
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