extensor mechanism ruptures

Native patellar tendon injuries are seen in younger patients compared to quadriceps tendon ruptures. Up to a third of the patients may have local (antecedent tendinopathy and cortisone injections) or systemic risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, chronic renal failure, fluoroquinolone or statin use) of injury, these are more frequent in bilateral disruptions. Complete extensor mechanism disruptions should be repaired surgically. Although isolated primary repair has been reported to have good outcomes in younger patients with acute tears and good tendon quality, augmentation of the repair with autograft, allograft or synthetic material should be considered in patients with poor tendon quality, chronic tears or tendon defects. High rates of return to work/sports have been reported in native patellar and quadriceps tendon tears, with re-rupture rates <5%. Extensor mechanism disruptions in patients with a total knee arthroplasty are challenging due to older age, systemic co-morbidities and poor local conditions, resulting in inferior outcomes compared to native extensor mechanism injuries. Some form of augmentation with autograft, allograft or synthetics is advisable in all cases. Salvage procedures such as whole extensor mechanism allografts provide acceptable outcomes in multiply operated knees with extensive bone and soft tissue deficit

Organizational, regulatory and legal aspects оf european integration of higher medical education in Ukraine: a critical review

The aim: The main purpose of this research is to conduct the theoretical and applied study of the legal profile enforcement for state attestation of medical graduates, the relevant legislative system, and its effectiveness; to identify the issues of special legislative requirements, as well as the search for ways to resolve it. Materials and methods: Basic methods: analysis, synthesis and comparison. Object of research: system of state certification of graduates of medical sciences. Investigation of this topic in the paper is carried out in the following logical sequence: firstly, the basic principles of the state integrated qualification exam were determined and analyzed; then the legal enforcement for integrated state qualification exam of master’s degree in discipline “22 Health Care” was considered. Also, a critical review of Ukrainian normative base for holding the state attestation of medical graduates was conducted. Conclusions: In view of foregoing, we can make a conclusion that in the modern globalization world, competition of national educational services should be ensured by a range of different activities: legal, organizational, financial, etc. The legal direction, domestic rules should correspond to similar, uniform rules and practices of the most effective state (regional, international) systems

Water-soluble full-length single-wall carbon nanotube polyelectrolytes: Preparation and characterization

HiPco single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been noncovalently modified with ionic pyrene and naphthalene derivatives to prepare water-soluble SWNT polyelectrolytes (SWNT-PEs), which are analogous to polyanions and polycations. The modified nanotubes have been characterized with UV-vis-NIR, fluorescence, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanotube-adsorbate interactions consist of π-π stacking interactions between the aromatic core of the adsorbate and the nanotube surface and specific contributions because of the substituents. The interaction between nanotubes and adsorbates also involves charge transfer from adsorbates to SWNTs, and with naphthalene sulfonates the role of a free amino group was important. The ionic surface charge density of the modified SWNTs is constant and probably controlled by electrostatic repulsion between like charges. The linear ionic charge density of the modified SWNTs is similar to that of common highly charged polyelectrolytes

Assessment of Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (supAR) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease characterized by a progressive airflow limitation. Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is released from the membrane-bound plasminogen activator, and is positively correlated with the activation of immune system.Aims: Release of inflammatory mediators is increased in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly during exacerbations. The objective of this study was to compare plasma levels of suPAR and serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) during exacerbation and stable periods in patients with COPD.Study Design: Prospective clinical study. Methods: The patients with COPD were divided into 3 groups for evaluations: those with stable COPD [SCOPD] (n= 54), pre-treatment acute exacerbation COPD [AECOPD] (n= 53), and post-treatment AECOPD (n= 52). Plasma suPARand serum CRP levels were assessed for each patient.Results: Whereas the increased serum CRP levels of the participants were 54.82±56.63 mg/l during acute exacerbation period, during the stable period it was 5.02±6.31 mg/l and statistically significant (p= 0.0001). The suPAR level was 1.28±0.52ng/ml during the acute exacerbation period vs.1.21±0.59ng/ml during the stable period, without a difference (p= 0.49). There was a statistically significant decrease in the CRP serum levels; yet, although not statistically significant  a remarkable decrease was seen in the suPAR levels obtained before and after the management of exacerbations (p= 0.001 and p= 0.06 respectively).Conclusion: These results support the idea that suPAR, a novel biomarker, might be an important indicator if verified with further prospective studies in evaluating COPD exacerbations and treatment response like CRP used for decades