Current Issue : April - June Volume : 2018 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 5 Articles
Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, in which obvious curves are visible in\nradiographic images, is also seen in combination with lumps in the back. These lumps\ncontribute to inclination, which can be measured by a scoliometer. To the authorsââ?¬â?¢\nknowledge, there are no previous formulas combining thoracic and lumbar scoliometer\nvalues simultaneously to predict thoracic and lumbar Cobb angles, respectively.\nThis study aimed to create more accurate two-parameter mathematical formulas for\npredicting thoracic and lumbar Cobb angles.\nMethods: Between Dec. 2012 and Jan. 2013, patients diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis\nin an outpatient clinic were enrolled. The maximal trunk rotations at the thoracic\nand lumbar regions were recorded with a scoliometer. Right asymmetry hump was\ndeemed positive (+), and left asymmetry hump was deemed negative (âË?â??). The Cobb\nangles were measured with a Picture Archiving and Communication System. Statistical\nanalysis included Pearsonââ?¬â?¢s correlation coefficient, multivariate regression and Blandââ?¬â??\nAtman analysis.\nResults: One-hundred and one patients were enrolled in our study. The average thoracic\ncurve (TC) was 23.3 Ã?± 1.8Ã?°, while the average lumbar curve (LC) was âË?â?? 23.3 Ã?± 1.4Ã?°.\nThe thoracic inclination (TI) and lumbar inclination (LI) were 4.5 Ã?± 0.7 and âË?â?? 5.9 Ã?± 0.6,\nrespectively. The one-parameter formula for the thoracic curve was TC = 2.0 TI + 14.3\n(r = 0.813); for the lumbar curve, it was LC = 0.9 LI âË?â?? 16.9 (r = 0.409). By multivariate\nregression, the two-parameter formulas for the thoracic and lumbar curves were\nTC = 2.6 TI âË?â?? 1.4 LI (r = 0.931) and LC = âË?â?? 1.5 TI + 2.0 LI (r = 0.874), respectively. The\ntwo-parameter formulas were more accurate than the one-parameter formulas.\nConclusions: Based on the results of these two-parameter formulas for thoracic and\nlumbar curves, the Cobb angles can be predicted more accurately by the readings\nof the scoliometer. Physicians and other healthcare practitioners can thus evaluate\npatients with scoliosis more precisely than before with a scoliometer...
Background: Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) are capable of differentiating\ninto many cells such as cardiac cells. Different types of inducers are used for cardiac\ncell differentiation, but this question still remains to be investigated, which one is the\nbest. The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of combination of fibrin scaffold\nand trichostatin A (TSA), for differentiation of hADSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells.\nMethods: After approval of characteristics of hADSCs and fibrin scaffold, hADSCs were\ncultured in fibrin scaffold with 10 �¼M TSA for 72 h and kept in standard conditions\nfor 4 weeks. QRT-PCR and immunostaining assay were performed for evaluating the\nexpression pattern of special cardiac genes and proteins.\nResults: In particular, our study showed that fibrin scaffold alongside TSA enhanced\nexpression of the selected genes and proteins.\nConclusions: We concluded that the TSA alone or with fibrin scaffold can lead to the\ngeneration of cardiac like cells in a short period of time....
Background: For mechanically ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress\nsyndrome (ARDS), suboptimal PEEP levels can cause ventilator induced lung injury\n(VILI). In particular, high PEEP and high peak inspiratory pressures (PIP) can cause over\ndistension of alveoli that is associated with VILI. However, PEEP must also be sufficient\nto maintain recruitment in ARDS lungs. A lung model that accurately and precisely predicts\nthe outcome of an increase in PEEP may allow dangerous high PIP to be avoided,\nand reduce the incidence of VILI.\nMethods and results: Sixteen pressure-flow data sets were collected from nine\nmechanically ventilated ARDs patients that underwent one or more recruitment\nmanoeuvres. A nonlinear autoregressive (NARX) model was identified on one or\nmore adjacent PEEP steps, and extrapolated to predict PIP at 2, 4, and 6 cmH2O PEEP\nhorizons. The analysis considered whether the predicted and measured PIP exceeded\na threshold of 40 cmH2O. A direct comparison of the method was made using the first\norder model of pulmonary mechanics (FOM(I)). Additionally, a further, more clinically\nappropriate method for the FOM was tested, in which the FOM was trained on a single\nPEEP prior to prediction (FOM(II)). The NARX model exhibited very high sensitivity\n(> 0.96) in all cases, and a high specificity (> 0.88). While both FOM methods had a high\nspecificity (> 0.96), the sensitivity was much lower, with a mean of 0.68 for FOM(I), and\n0.82 for FOM(II).\nConclusions: Clinically, false negatives are more harmful than false positives, as a high\nPIP may result in distension and VILI. Thus, the NARX model may be more effective\nthan the FOM in allowing clinicians to reduce the risk of applying a PEEP that results in\ndangerously high airway pressures....
Background: R-wave synchronised atrial pacing is an effective temporary pacing\ntherapy in infants with postoperative junctional ectopic tachycardia. In the technique\ncurrently used, adverse short or long intervals between atrial pacing and ventricular\nsensing (APââ?¬â??VS) may be observed during routine clinical practice.\nObjectives: The aim of the study was to analyse outcomes of R-wave synchronised\natrial pacing and the relationship between maximum tracking rates and APââ?¬â??VS\nintervals.\nMethods: Calculated APââ?¬â??VS intervals were compared with those predicted by experienced\npediatric cardiologist.\nResults: A maximum tracking rate (MTR) set 10 bpm higher than the heart rate (HR)\nmay result in undesirable short APââ?¬â??VS intervals (minimum 83 ms). A MTR set 20 bpm\nabove the HR is the hemodynamically better choice (minimum 96 ms). Effects of either\nsetting on the APââ?¬â??VS interval could not be predicted by experienced observers. In our\nnewly proposed technique the APââ?¬â??VS interval approaches 95 ms for HR > 210 bpm\nand 130 ms for HR < 130 bpm. The progression is linear and decreases strictly\n(âË?â?? 0.4 ms/bpm) between the two extreme levels.\nConclusions: Adjusting the APââ?¬â??VS interval in the currently used technique is complex\nand may imply unfavorable pacemaker settings. A new pacemaker design is advisable\nto allow direct control of the APââ?¬â??VS interval...
Background: Two international guidelines/standards for human protection from\nelectromagnetic fields define the specific absorption rate (SAR) averaged over 10 g of\ntissue as a metric for protection against localized radio frequency field exposure due to\nportable devices operating below 3ââ?¬â??10 GHz. Temperature elevation is suggested to be\na dominant effect for exposure at frequencies higher than 100 kHz. No previous studies\nhave evaluated temperature elevation in the human head for local exposure considering\nthermoregulation. This study aims to discuss the temperature elevation in a human\nhead model considering vasodilation, to discuss the conservativeness of the current\nlimit.\nMethods: This study computes the temperature elevations in an anatomical human\nhead model exposed to radiation from a dipole antenna and truncated plane waves\nat 300 MHzââ?¬â??10GHz. The SARs in the human model are first computed using a finitedifference\ntime-domain method. The temperature elevation is calculated by solving\nthe bioheat transfer equation by considering the thermoregulation that simulates the\nvasodilation.\nResults: The maximum temperature elevation in the brain appeared around its\nperiphery. At exposures with higher intensity, the temperature elevation became larger\nand reached around 40 Ã?°C at the peak SAR of 100 W/kg, and became lower at higher\nfrequencies. The temperature elevation in the brain at the current limit of 10 W/kg is at\nmost 0.93 Ã?°C. The effect of vasodilation became notable for tissue temperature elevations\nhigher than 1ââ?¬â??2 Ã?°C and for an SAR of 10 W/kg. The temperature at the periphery\nwas below the basal brain temperature (37 Ã?°C).\nConclusions: The temperature elevation under the current guideline for occupational\nexposure is within the ranges of brain temperature variability for environmental\nchanges in daily life. The effect of vasodilation is significant, especially at higher\nfrequencies where skin temperature elevation is dominant....
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