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Sample records for positional therapy prone-antitrendelenburg

  1. The role of a prone setup in breast radiation therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huppert, Nelly; Jozsef, Gabor; Dewyngaert, Keith; Formenti, Silvia Chiara

    2011-01-01

    Most patients undergoing breast conservation therapy receive radiotherapy in the supine position. Historically, prone breast irradiation has been advocated for women with large pendulous breasts in order to decrease acute and late toxicities. With the advent of CT planning, the prone technique has become both feasible and reproducible. It was shown to be advantageous not only for women with larger breasts but in most patients since it consistently reduces, if not eliminates, the inclusion of heart and lung within the field. The prone setup has been accepted as the best localizing position for both MRI and stereotactic biopsy, but its adoption has been delayed in radiotherapy. New technological advances including image-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy have made possible the exploration of accelerated fractionation schemes with a concomitant boost to the tumor bed in the prone position, along with better imaging and verification of reproducibility of patient setup. This review describes some of the available techniques for prone breast radiotherapy and the available experience in their application. The NYU prone breast radiotherapy approach is discussed, including a summary of the results from several prospective trials.

  2. The role of a prone setup in breast radiation therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelly eHuppert

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Most patients undergoing breast conservation therapy (BCT receive radiotherapy in the supine position. Historically, prone breast irradiation has been advocated for women with large pendulous breasts in order to decrease acute and late toxicities. With the advent of CT planning, the prone technique has become both feasible and reproducible. It was shown to be advantageous not only for women with larger breasts but in most patients since it consistently reduces, if not eliminates, the inclusion of heart and lung within the field. The prone setup has been accepted as the best localizing position for both MRI and stereotactic biopsy, but its adoption has been delayed in radiotherapy. New technological advances including image-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT have made possible the exploration of accelerated fractionation schemes with a concomitant boost to the tumor bed in the prone position, along with better imaging and verification of reproducibility of patient setup. This review describes some of the available techniques for prone breast radiotherapy and the available experience in their application. The NYU prone breast radiotherapy approach is discussed, including a summary of the results from several prospective trials.

  3. The Role of a Prone Setup in Breast Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huppert, Nelly; Jozsef, Gabor; DeWyngaert, Keith; Formenti, Silvia Chiara, E-mail: silvia.formenti@nyumc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States)

    2011-10-11

    Most patients undergoing breast conservation therapy receive radiotherapy in the supine position. Historically, prone breast irradiation has been advocated for women with large pendulous breasts in order to decrease acute and late toxicities. With the advent of CT planning, the prone technique has become both feasible and reproducible. It was shown to be advantageous not only for women with larger breasts but in most patients since it consistently reduces, if not eliminates, the inclusion of heart and lung within the field. The prone setup has been accepted as the best localizing position for both MRI and stereotactic biopsy, but its adoption has been delayed in radiotherapy. New technological advances including image-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy have made possible the exploration of accelerated fractionation schemes with a concomitant boost to the tumor bed in the prone position, along with better imaging and verification of reproducibility of patient setup. This review describes some of the available techniques for prone breast radiotherapy and the available experience in their application. The NYU prone breast radiotherapy approach is discussed, including a summary of the results from several prospective trials.

  4. Isometric elbow extensors strength in supine- and prone-lying positions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdelzaher, Ibrahim E; Ababneh, Anas F; Alzyoud, Jehad M

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare isometric strength of elbow extensors measured in supine- and prone-lying positions at elbow flexion angles of 45 and 90 degrees. Twenty-two male subjects under single-blind procedures participated in the study. Each subject participated in both supine-lying and prone-lying measuring protocols. Calibrated cable tensiometer was used to measure isometric strength of the right elbow extensors and a biofeedback electromyography was used to assure no substitution movements from shoulder girdle muscles. The mean values of isometric strength of elbow extensors measured from supine-lying position at elbow flexion angles of 45 and 90 degrees were 11.1  ±  4.2 kg and 13.1  ±  4.6 kg, while those measured from prone-lying position were 9.9  ±  3.6 kg and 12  ±  4.2 kg, respectively. There is statistical significant difference between the isometric strength of elbow extensors measured from supine-lying position at elbow flexion angles of 45 and 90 degrees compared to that measured from prone-lying position (p  isometric strength of elbow extensors since supine-lying starting position is better than prone-lying starting position.

  5. Prone positioning reduces severe pushing behavior: three case studies.

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    Fujino, Yuji; Amimoto, Kazu; Sugimoto, Satoshi; Fukata, Kazuhiro; Inoue, Masahide; Takahashi, Hidetoshi; Makita, Shigeru

    2016-09-01

    [Purpose] Pushing behavior is classically described as a disorder of body orientation in the coronal plane. Most interventions for pushing behavior have focused on correcting the deviation in vertical perception. However, pushing behavior seems to involve erroneous movements associated with excessive motor output by the non-paretic limbs and trunk. The present study aimed to inhibit muscular hyper-activity by placing the non-paretic limbs and trunk in the prone position. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of the present study were 3 acute stroke patients with severe pushing behavior. The study consisted of the following 3 phases: baseline, intervention, and follow-up. In addition to conventional therapy, patients received relaxation therapy in the prone position for 10 minutes a day over 2 days. The severity of pushing behavior was assessed using the scale for contraversive pushing, and truncal balance was evaluated using the trunk control test. These assessments were performed before and after the baseline phase, and after the intervention and follow-up phases. [Results] At the baseline phase, both scores were poor. Both scores improved after the intervention and follow-up phases, and all the patients could sit independently. [Conclusion] Relaxation therapy in the prone position might ameliorate pushing behavior and impaired truncal balance.

  6. SU-E-T-307: Dosimetric Comparison of Prone Versus Supine Positioning for Adjuvant Breast Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pope, C; O’Connor, B; Hayes, L; Rella, J; Ruiz, B; Yang, J

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The prone treatment position has been used to reduce ipsilateral lung and heart dose in left breast radiation. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the difference in the dosimetry between prone and supine treatment positions. Methods: Eight left breast cancer patients were simulated in both the supine and prone positions as a pretreatment evaluation for the optimal treatment position. Treatment plans were created for all patients in both the supine and prone positions using a field in field three dimensional planning technique. Prescribed dose was 45 Gy delivered by two tangential photon fields. Irradiated volume (IV) was evaluated by V50, V100, and dose to lung and heart by V5, V10, V20, and the mean dose were evaluated. Results: All dosimetry metrics for both the supine and prone plans met our internal normal structure guidelines which are based on Quantec data. The average IVs (50% and 100%) were 2223cc and 1361cc prone, 2315cc and 1315cc supine. The average ipsilateral lung Mean dose (0.83Gy prone vs 5.8Gy supine), V5 (1.6% prone vs 20.9% supine), V10 (0.78% prone vs 15% supine) and V20 (0.36% prone vs 11% supine) were significantly lower in prone position. Heart Mean dose (1.4Gy prone vs 2.9Gy supine), V10 (1.4% prone vs 5.0% supine) and V20 (0.4% prone vs 3.5% supine) were found improved for all patients except one where the mean dose was the same and all other values were improved. Conclusion: The prone position offer preferable dosimetry for all patients planned in our study. These patients were chosen based on the physician’s belief that they would benefit from prone treatment either because they had large pendulous breasts or due to the amount of heart seen in the field on CT simulation

  7. Postural hemodynamic changes after turning to prone position

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    Микола Віталійович Лизогуб

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Background of study. Prone position is one of the most complex positions for anesthesiologist as it is accompanied by several physiological changes that can lead to specific complications. Hemodynamic changes are most controversial.Aim of study was to establish hemodynamic changes in non-anaesthetized patients in prone position depending on body mass index.Material and methods. We examined central hemodynamics in 40 patients the day before surgery using thoracic rheography in supine position, in prone position 5 min after turning and in prone position 20 min after turning. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to body mass index (18-25 and 26-35.Results. Patients with normal body weight did not have any hemodynamic changes after turning to prone position. Patients with increased body weight had higher cardiac index. After turning to prone position obese patients’ cardiac output and cardiac index reduced 22% comparing with supine position. After 20 min in prone position these hemodynamic parameters were found to be reduced to the same level.Conclusion. Significant hemodynamic changes after turning from supine to prone position were revealed only in patients with increased body mass index. In these patients cardiac index in prone position was reduced by 22% comparing to supine position

  8. Prone Position Ventilation Used during a Transfer as a Bridge to Ecmo Therapy in Hantavirus-Induced Severe Cardiopulmonary Syndrome

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    R. Cornejo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Transport of critically ill patients is a complex issue. We present a case using prone positioning as a bridge to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO, performed by a critical retrieval team from a university hospital. Case Report. A 28-year-old male developed fever, progressive respiratory failure, and shock. He was admitted to ICU from a public hospital, and mechanical ventilation was begun, but clinical response was not adequate. ECMO was deemed necessary due to severe respiratory failure and severe shock. A critical retrieval team of our center was assembled to attempt transfer. Prone positioning was employed to stabilize and transfer the patient, after risk-benefit assessment. Once in our hospital, ECMO was useful to resolve shock and pulmonary edema secondary to Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Finally, he was discharged with normal functioning. Conclusion. This case exemplifies the relevance of a retrieval team and bridge therapy. Prone positioning improves oxygenation and is safe to perform as transport if performed by a trained team as in this case. Preparation and organization is necessary to improve outcomes, using teams and organized networks. Catastrophic respiratory failure and shock should not be contraindications to transferring patients, but it must be done with an experienced team.

  9. Prone position for the prevention of lung infection.

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    Beuret, P

    2002-04-01

    Pulmonary infection is frequent in brain injured patients. It has been identified as an independent predictor of unfavorable neurological outcome, calling for attempts of prevention. We recently evaluated intermittent prone positioning for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in comatose brain injured patients, in a randomized study. 25 patients were included in the prone position (PP) group: they were positioned on prone four hours once daily until they could get up to sit in an armchair; 26 patients were included in the supine position (SP) group. The main characteristics of the patients from the two groups were similar at randomization. The primary end-point was the incidence of lung worsening, defined by an increase in the Lung Injury Score by at least one point since the time of randomization. The incidence of lung worsening was lower in the PP group (12%) than in the SP group (50%) (p=0.003). The incidence of VAP was 38.4% in the SP group and 20% in the PP group (p=0.14). There was no serious complication attributable to prone positioning. In conclusion, the beneficial effect of prone positioning for prevention of lung infection in brain injured patients is not well established. However, in those patients, prone positioning is able to avoid the worsening of pulmonary function, especially in oxygenation.

  10. A Prospective Study of Intrafraction Prostate Motion in the Prone vs. Supine Position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilder, Richard B.; Chittenden, Lucy; Mesa, Albert V.; Bunyapanasarn, Jane; Agustin, Jeff; Lizarde, Jessica; Ravera, John; Tokita, Kenneth M.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To prospectively analyze prostate intrafraction motion in the prone vs. supine position and to assess patient satisfaction with these two positions. Methods and Materials: Fifteen prostate cancer patients underwent implantation of five fiducial gold seeds in their prostate for localization. Patients were treated with high-dose-rate brachytherapy to 2,200 cGy followed by intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to 5,040 cGy. Patients underwent computed tomography simulation and IMRT in the prone position. For the first five IMRT treatments, an electronic portal imaging system was used to acquire anteroposterior (AP) and lateral images pretreatment and posttreatment. We then repositioned each patient supine and repeated the process, resulting in 600 images. Results: Mean ± standard deviation intrafraction prostate motion was 2.1 ± 1.2 mm and 1.7 ± 1.4 mm (AP, p = 0.47), 2.2 ± 2.0 mm and 1.6 ± 1.8 mm (superoinferior, p = 0.16), and 1.0 ± 1.2 mm and 0.6 ± 0.9 mm (left-right, p = 0.03) in the prone and supine positions, respectively. Eighty percent of patients stated that they were more comfortable in the supine position (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Prone and supine positions resulted in a similar magnitude of AP and superoinferior intrafraction prostate motion (2 mm). Because there was no significant difference in the magnitude of AP and superoinferior prostate motion prone vs. supine and patients were more comfortable in the supine position, patients now undergo IMRT to the prostate and seminal vesicles at our center in the supine position.

  11. Three-dimensional conformal breast irradiation in the prone position

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    C. Kurtman

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available The prone position can be used for the planning of adjuvant radiotherapy after conservative breast surgery in order to deliver less irradiation to lung and cardiac tissue. In the present study, we compared the results of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy planning for five patients irradiated in the supine and prone position. Tumor stage was T1N0M0 in four patients and T1N1M0 in one. All patients had been previously submitted to conservative breast surgery. Breast size was large in three patients and moderate in the other two. Irradiation in the prone position was performed using an immobilization foam pad with a hole cut into it to accommodate the breast so that it would hang down away from the chest wall. Dose-volume histograms showed that mean irradiation doses reaching the ipsilateral lung were 8.3 ± 3.6 Gy with the patient in the supine position and 1.4 ± 1.0 Gy with the patient in the prone position (P = 0.043. The values for the contralateral lung were 1.3 ± 0.7 and 0.3 ± 0.1 Gy (P = 0.043 and the values for cardiac tissue were 4.6 ± 1.6 and 3.0 ± 1.7 Gy (P = 0.079, respectively. Thus, the dose-volume histograms demonstrated that lung tissue irradiation was significantly lower with the patient in the prone position than in the supine position. Large-breasted women appeared to benefit most from irradiation in the prone position. Prone position breast irradiation appears to be a simple and effective alternative to the conventional supine position for patients with large breasts, since they are subjected to lower pulmonary doses which may cause less pulmonary side effects in the future.

  12. Beyond prone position in percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a comprehensive review.

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    de la Rosette, Jean J M C H; Tsakiris, Peter; Ferrandino, Michael N; Elsakka, Ahmed M; Rioja, Jorge; Preminger, Glenn M

    2008-12-01

    Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) is traditionally performed with the patient in the prone position. To assess the efficacy and safety of the prone and supine positions, particularly in obese patients and in those with staghorn calculi. A Medline search was conducted for articles published during the last 10 yr related to PNL in the prone and supine positions. This search revealed 9 published studies for supine and 25 for prone PNL. None of the supine PNL studies reported visceral injuries, while transfusion rates were 0.0-9.4% and stone-free rates were 69.6-95.0%. One study of supine PNL evaluated a significant proportion of obese patients. Prone PNL studies in obese patients report transfusion rates of 3.2-8.8% and stone-free rates of 79.0-89.2%. In the only randomized study, excluding obese patients and staghorn calculi, operative time favors the supine position. A nonrandomized comparative study demonstrated similar complication rates with insignificant improvement in treatment success for supine PNL; however, when comparing series with similar proportions of staghorn calculi cases, there are slightly improved outcomes for prone PNL. Moreover, comparison of weighted means favors prone PNL. For obese patients and staghorn calculi, prone PNL appears to be associated with decreased operative times with similar bleeding rates and slightly better stone-free rates than supine PNL.

  13. Prone positioning ventilation for treatment of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

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    Lan, Mei-juan; He, Xiao-di

    2009-08-01

    Patients who are diagnosed with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) usually have ventilation-perfusion mismatch, severe decrease in lung capacity, and gas exchange abnormalities. Health care workers have implemented various strategies in an attempt to compensate for these pathological alterations. By rotating patients with ALI/ARDS between the supine and prone position, it is possible to achieve a significant improvement in PaO2/FiO2, decrease shunting and therefore improve oxygenation without use of expensive, invasive and experimental procedures. Prone positioning is a safe and effective way to improve ventilation when conventional strategies fail to initiate a patient response. Because a specific cure for ARDS is not available, the goal is to support the patients with therapies that cause the least amount of injury while the lungs have an opportunity to heal. Based on current data, a trial of prone positioning ventilation should be offered to the patients who have ALI/ARDS in the early course of the disease. Published studies exhibit substantial heterogeneity in clinical results, suggesting that an adequately sized study optimizing the duration of proning ventilation strategy is warranted to enable definitive conclusions to be drawn.

  14. Long-term Clinical Outcomes of Whole-Breast Irradiation Delivered in the Prone Position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stegman, Lauren D.; Beal, Katherine P.; Hunt, Margie A.; Fornier, Monica N.; McCormick, Beryl

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the effectiveness and toxicity of post-lumpectomy whole-breast radiation therapy delivered with prone positioning. Methods and Materials: Between September 1992 and August 2004, 245 women with 248 early-stage invasive or in situ breast cancers were treated using a prone breast board. Photon fields treated the whole breast to 46 to 50.4 Gy with standard fractionation. The target volume was clinically palpable breast tissue; no attempt was made to irradiate chest wall lymphatics. Tumor bed boosts were delivered in 85% of cases. Adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy were administered to 42% and 62% of patients, respectively. Results: After a median follow-up of 4.9 years, the 5 year actuarial true local and elsewhere ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence rates were 4.8% and 1.3%, respectively. The 5-year actuarial rates of regional nodal recurrence and distant metastases were 1.6% and 7.4%. Actuarial disease-free, disease-specific, and overall survival rates at 5 years were 89.4%, 97.3%, and 93%, respectively. Treatment breaks were required by 2.4% of patients. Grade 3 acute dermatitis and edema were each limited to 2% of patients. Only 4.9% of patients complained of acute chest wall discomfort. Chronic Grade 2 to 3 skin and subcutaneous tissue toxicities were reported in 4.4% and 13.7% of patients, respectively. Conclusions: Prone position breast radiation results in similar long-term disease control with a favorable toxicity profile compared with standard supine tangents. The anatomic advantages of prone positioning may contribute to improving the therapeutic ratio of post-lumpectomy radiation by improving dose homogeneity and minimizing incidental cardiac and lung dose

  15. Beyond Prone Position in Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Comprehensive Review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de La Rosette, Jean J. M. C. H.; Tsakiris, Peter; Ferrandino, Michael N.; Elsakka, Ahmed M.; Rioja, Jorge; Preminger, Glenn M.

    2008-01-01

    Context: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) is traditionally performed with the patient in the prone position. Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of the prone and supine positions, particularly in obese patients and in those with staghorn calculi. Evidence acquisition: A Medline search was

  16. Effect of reducing abdominal compression during prone CT colonography on ascending colonic rotation during supine-to-prone positional change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jang, Jong eon; Park, Seong Ho; Lee, Jong Seok; Kim, Hyun Jin; KIm, Ah Young; Ha, Hyun Kwon

    2016-01-01

    To determine the effect of reduced abdominal compression in prone position on ascending colonic movement during supine-to-prone positional change during CT colonography (CTC). Eighteen consecutive patients who had undergone prone CTC scanning with cushion blocks placed under the chest and hip/thigh to reduce abdominal compression and had confirmed sessile polyps ≥ 6 mm in the well-distended, straight, mid-ascending colon, were included. Radial location along the ascending colonic luminal circumference (°) was measured for 24 polyps and 54 colonic teniae on supine and prone CTC images. The supine-to-prone change ranging between -180° and +180° (- and + for internal and external colonic rotations, respectively), was determined. In addition, possible causes of any ascending colonic rotations were explored. Abdominal compression during prone CTC scanning completely disappeared with the use of cushion blocks in 17 of 18 patients. However, some degrees of ascending colonic rotation were still observed, with the radial location changes of -22° to 61° (median, 13.9°) for the polyps and similar degrees for teniae. Fifty-four percent and 56% of polyps and teniae, respectively, showed changes > 10°. The radial location change of the polyps was significantly associated with the degree of anterior shift of the small bowel and mesentery (r = 0.722, p < 0.001) and the degree of posterior displacement of the ascending colon (r = 0.566, p = 0.004) during supine-to-prone positional change. Ascending colonic rotation upon supine-to-prone positional change during CTC, mostly in the form of external rotation, is not eliminated by removing abdominal compression in prone position

  17. SU-E-J-227: Breathing Pattern Consistency and Reproducibility: Comparative Analysis for Supine and Prone Body Positioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laugeman, E; Weiss, E; Chen, S; Hugo, G; Rosu, M

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Evaluate and compare the cycle-to-cycle consistency of breathing patterns and their reproducibility over the course of treatment, for supine and prone positioning. Methods: Respiratory traces from 25 patients were recorded for sequential supine/prone 4DCT scans acquired prior to treatment, and during the course of the treatment (weekly or bi-weekly). For each breathing cycle, the average(AVE), end-of-exhale(EoE) and end-of-inhale( EoI) locations were identified using in-house developed software. In addition, the mean values and variations for the above quantities were computed for each breathing trace. F-tests were used to compare the cycle-to-cycle consistency of all pairs of sequential supine and prone scans. Analysis of variances was also performed using population means for AVE, EoE and EoI to quantify differences between the reproducibility of prone and supine respiration traces over the treatment course. Results: Consistency: Cycle-to-cycle variations are less in prone than supine in the pre-treatment and during-treatment scans for AVE, EoE and EoI points, for the majority of patients (differences significant at p<0.05). The few cases where the respiratory pattern had more variability in prone appeared to be random events. Reproducibility: The reproducibility of breathing patterns (supine and prone) improved as treatment progressed, perhaps due to patients becoming more comfortable with the procedure. However, variability in supine position continued to remain significantly larger than in prone (p<0.05), as indicated by the variance analysis of population means for the pretreatment and subsequent during-treatment scans. Conclusions: Prone positioning stabilizes breathing patterns in most subjects investigated in this study. Importantly, a parallel analysis of the same group of patients revealed a tendency towards increasing motion amplitude of tumor targets in prone position regardless of their size or location; thus, the choice for body positioning

  18. Electromagnetic Tracking of Intrafraction Prostate Displacement in Patients Externally Immobilized in the Prone Position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bittner, Nathan; Butler, Wayne M.; Reed, Joshua L.; Murray, Brian C.; Kurko, Brian S.; Wallner, Kent E.; Merrick, Gregory S.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate intrafraction prostate displacement among patients immobilized in the prone position using real-time monitoring of implanted radiofrequency transponders. Methods and Materials: The Calypso localization system was used to track prostate motion in patients receiving external beam radiation therapy (XRT) for prostate cancer. All patients were treated in the prone position and immobilized with a thermoplastic immobilization device. Real-time measurement of prostate displacement was recorded for each treatment fraction. These measurements were used to determine the duration and magnitude of displacement along the three directional axes. Results: The calculated centroid of the implanted transponders was offset from the treatment isocenter by ≥2 mm, ≥3 mm, and ≥4 mm for 38.0%, 13.9%, and 4.5% of the time. In the lateral dimension, the centroid was offset from the treatment isocenter by ≥2 mm, ≥3 mm, and ≥4 mm for 2.7%, 0.4%, and 0.06% of the time. In the superior-inferior dimension, the centroid was offset from the treatment isocenter by ≥2 mm, ≥3 mm, and ≥4 mm for 16.1%, 4.7%, and 1.5% of the time, respectively. In the anterior-posterior dimension, the centroid was offset from the treatment isocenter by ≥2 mm, ≥3 mm, and ≥4 mm for 13.4%, 3.0%, and 0.5% of the time. Conclusions: Intrafraction prostate displacement in the prone position is comparable to that in the supine position. For patients with large girth, in whom the supine position may preclude accurate detection of implanted radiofrequency transponders, treatment in the prone position is a suitable alternative.

  19. Use of the prone position in radiation treatment for women with early stage breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Algan, Oezer; Fowble, Barbara; McNeeley, Shawn; Fein, Douglas

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: The prone position has been advocated for women with large pendulous breasts undergoing breast-conserving treatment with radiation therapy. However, there is no information in the literature regarding the coverage of the target volume with this technique. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the prone treatment position in including at least the biopsy cavity with a 2-cm margin. Methods and Materials: Eleven consecutive patients who underwent CT simulation in the prone position were included in this study. Patients underwent CT simulation in the prone position using a flat platform containing an aperture for the breast to hang through in a dependent fashion. CT slices were 5-mm thick taken at 3-mm intervals. The biopsy cavity was localized and outlined on sequential CT images using the surgical clips (when present) as well as the residual seroma. A 2-cm margin was included around the biopsy cavity to define the minimal target volume (mTV). Lateral fields were used for treatment planning. The beam arrangements were considered adequate if the mTV was totally included in the lateral fields. Results: Median age of the patient population was 55 years. Bra sizes ranged from 36A-44DD. The majority of patients had mammographically detected T1 lesions. Median volume of the biopsy cavity was 48 cm 3 . Five of 11 (45%) patients underwent reexcision of the biopsy cavity, and 6 of 11 (55%) had surgical clips placed in the biopsy cavity. Overall, 8 of 11 (73%) patients did not have the entire mTV included in the lateral opposed tangential fields in the prone position. This was especially true in patients whose biopsy cavity extended down to the chest wall. There were no other clinical factors that could predict for the adequacy of coverage in the prone position. Conclusion: Special attention must be paid to the location of the surgical clips to determine the proximity of the biopsy cavity to the chest wall, or CT simulation should be performed

  20. Optimal Patient Positioning (Prone Versus Supine) for VMAT in Gynecologic Cancer: A Dosimetric Study on the Effect of Different Margins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heijkoop, Sabrina T., E-mail: s.heijkoop@erasmusmc.nl [Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Westerveld, Henrike; Bijker, Nina [Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Feije, Raphael; Sharfo, Abdul W. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Wieringen, Niek van [Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Mens, Jan Willem M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Stalpers, Lukas J.A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Hoogeman, Mischa S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

    2016-10-01

    Purpose/Objective: It is unknown whether the historically found dosimetric advantages of treating gynecologic cancer with the patient in a prone position with use of a small-bowel displacement device (belly-board) remain when volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) is used and whether these advantages depend on the necessary margin between clinical target volume (CTV) and planning target volume (PTV). The aim of this study is to determine the best patient position (prone or supine) in terms of sparing organs at risk (OAR) for various CTV-to-PTV margins and VMAT dose delivery. Methods and Materials: In an institutional review board—approved study, 26 patients with gynecologic cancer scheduled for primary (9) or postoperative (17) radiation therapy were scanned in a prone position on a belly-board and in a supine position on the same day. The primary tumor CTV, nodal CTV, bladder, bowel, and rectum were delineated on both scans. The PTVs were created each with a different margin for the primary tumor and nodal CTV. The VMAT plans were generated with our in-house system for automated treatment planning. For all margin combinations, the supine and prone plans were compared with consideration of all OAR dose-volume parameters but with highest priority given to bowel cavity V{sub 45Gy} (cm{sup 3}). Results: For both groups, the prone position reduced the bowel cavity V{sub 45Gy}, in particular for nodal margins ≥10 mm (ΔV{sub 45Gy} = 23.9 ± 10.6 cm{sup 3}). However, for smaller margins, the advantage was much less pronounced (ΔV{sub 45Gy} = 6.5 ± 3.0 cm{sup 3}) and did not reach statistical significance. The rectum mean dose (D{sub mean}) was significantly lower (ΔD{sub mean} = 2.5 ± 0.3 Gy) in the prone position for both patient groups and for all margins, and the bladder D{sub mean} was significantly lower in the supine position (ΔD{sub mean} = 2.6 ± 0.4 Gy) only for the postoperative group. The advantage of the prone position was not present if it

  1. Complications associated with prone positioning in elective spinal surgery.

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    DePasse, J Mason; Palumbo, Mark A; Haque, Maahir; Eberson, Craig P; Daniels, Alan H

    2015-04-18

    Complications associated with prone surgical positioning during elective spine surgery have the potential to cause serious patient morbidity. Although many of these complications remain uncommon, the range of possible morbidities is wide and includes multiple organ systems. Perioperative visual loss (POVL) is a well described, but uncommon complication that may occur due to ischemia to the optic nerve, retina, or cerebral cortex. Closed-angle glaucoma and amaurosis have been reported as additional etiologies for vision loss following spinal surgery. Peripheral nerve injuries, such as those caused by prolonged traction to the brachial plexus, are more commonly encountered postoperative events. Myocutaneous complications including pressure ulcers and compartment syndrome may also occur after prone positioning, albeit rarely. Other uncommon positioning complications such as tongue swelling resulting in airway compromise, femoral artery ischemia, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head have also been reported. Many of these are well-understood and largely avoidable through thoughtful attention to detail. Other complications, such as POVL, remain incompletely understood and thus more difficult to predict or prevent. Here, the current literature on the complications of prone positioning for spine surgery is reviewed to increase awareness of the spectrum of potential complications and to inform spine surgeons of strategies to minimize the risk of prone patient morbidity.

  2. [Reduction of pressure sores during prone positioning of ventilated intensive care patients by the prone-head support system: a pilot study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prebio, Michael; Katz-Papatheophilou, Elfriede; Heindl, Werner; Gelbmann, Herbert; Burghuber, Otto C

    2005-02-01

    Prone positioning in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome is a well-known method to improve oxygenation. The aim of our study was to evaluate a new device for prone positioning, the prone-head support system (PHS system), with regard to reduction of cutaneous pressure sores. In a pilot study we randomized 8 patients with ARDS in two groups: 180 degrees standard prone positioning (group without mask) and prone positioning with the PHS system (group with mask). The PHS system consists of a facemask support, which is connected to an adapted air suspension bed. The patients of both groups were intermittently proned for several days. We evaluated the pressure sores on head and neck before turning the patients prone for the first time and after each period of prone positioning. We documented the quantity, the size, the type and the localization of the pressure sores. There was no significant difference in the mean duration of prone positioning (27.1+/-14.7 hours in the group with mask versus 24.5+/-18.7 h in the group without mask). In the group with mask there were 1.5+/-0.8 new pressure sores by each proning, whereas in the group without mask there were 2.37+/-1.6 new pressure sores, which was lower, but not significantly. The overall area of pressure sores (798 mm2 versus 3184 mm2, p=0.004), the area of pressure sores per patient (199.5+/-104.7 mm2 versus 796+/-478 mm2, p=0.03) and the increase of the area of pressure sores per proning (79.8+/-52.0 mm2 versus 398.0+/-214.3 mm2, p=0.004) were significantly lower in the group with mask in comparison to the group without mask. The lips were the most effected localization in both groups. The pressure sores in the group with mask were less severe and showed a homogenous distribution in comparison to the group without mask. Blisters dominated in the group with mask in comparison to erosions, necrosis and ulcers in the group without mask. The PHS system with its face mask is able to reduce the extent and the

  3. Preliminary Results on Setup Precision of Prone-Lateral Patient Positioning for Whole Breast Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veldeman, Liv; Speleers, Bruno; Bakker, Marlies; Jacobs, Filip; Coghe, Marc; De Gersem, Werner; Impens, Aline; Nechelput, Sarah; De Wagter, Carlos

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a rapid and reproducible technique for prone positioning and to compare dose-volume indices in prone and supine positions. Methods and Materials: Eighteen patients underwent computed tomography imaging for radiotherapy planning in prone and supine position. Experience was gained in the first eight patients, which lead to modifications of the Horizon prone breast board (Civco Medical Solutions, Orange City, Iowa, USA) and the patient setup technique. A unilateral breast holder (U-BH) was developed (Van de Velde, Schellebelle, Belgium) to retract the contralateral breast away from the treated breast. The technique was then applied to an additional 10 patients. The setup precision was evaluated using daily cone-beam CT. Results: Modifications to the breast board were made to secure a prone-lateral rather then a pure prone position. We evolved from a classical setup using laser marks on the patients' body to a direct breast setup using marks on the breast only. The setup precision of the direct positioning procedure with the modified breast board and the U-BH is comparable to supine setup data in the literature. Dose-volume indices for heart and lung show significantly better results for prone than for supine position, and dose homogeneity within the treated breast did not differ according to the treatment position. Conclusions: The setup precision of our prone-lateral positioning technique is comparable to supine data in literature. Our data show the advantage of prone radiotherapy to spare the lung and heart. Further research is necessary to reduce the duration of prone setup.

  4. Lumbar Lordosis of Spinal Stenosis Patients during Intraoperative Prone Positioning

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Su-Keon; Lee, Seung-Hwan; Song, Kyung-Sub; Park, Byung-Moon; Lim, Sang-Youn; Jang, Geun; Lee, Beom-Seok; Moon, Seong-Hwan; Lee, Hwan-Mo

    2016-01-01

    Background To evaluate the effect of spondylolisthesis on lumbar lordosis on the OSI (Jackson; Orthopaedic Systems Inc.) frame. Restoration of lumbar lordosis is important for maintaining sagittal balance. Physiologic lumbar lordosis has to be gained by intraoperative prone positioning with a hip extension and posterior instrumentation technique. There are some debates about changing lumbar lordosis on the OSI frame after an intraoperative prone position. We evaluated the effect of spondyloli...

  5. Comparison of supine, upright, and prone positions for liver scans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harolds, J.A.; Brill, A.B.; Patton, J.A.; Touya, J.J.

    1983-01-01

    We compared liver scan interpretations based on anterior images obtained in the upright, prone, and supine positions. Receiver-operating-characteristic curves were generated for three well trained observers. Results showed that reading the three different views together was more accurate than the reading of any individual image. Furthermore, interpretations based on either the prone or upright view were superior to those using the supine view alone. The prone and upright views should be used more often in liver scanning

  6. Comparison of supine and prone positions for percutaneous nephrolithotomy in treatment of staghorn stones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gökce, Mehmet İlker; Ibiş, Arif; Sancı, Adem; Akıncı, Aykut; Bağcı, Uygar; Ağaoğlu, Eylül Asya; Süer, Evren; Gülpınar, Ömer

    2017-12-01

    Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) is the primary treatment modality for management of staghorn stones. PNL in supine position has important advantages over prone positon. However, studies comparing prone and supine positions for PNL in staghorn stone patients have conflicting results, and the aim of the current study was to compare prone and supine positions for PNL in staghorn stone cases. Data of patients underwent PNL for staghorn stones in supine or prone position by a single urologist were collected prospectively. The supine and prone position groups were compared for stone free rate (SFR) and complication rates. All patients were evaluated with NCCT for evaluation of SFR. Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables and Student t test was applied for continuous variables of the treatment groups. The groups were similar for demographic and stone-related characteristics. Multi-caliceal and intercostal access was more common in prone position. Operation duration was significantly shorter and hemoglobin drop was significantly less in supine group. SFR was 64.1 and 60.4% in the supine and prone groups, respectively (p = 0.72). Complication rates were similar in the two groups but Clavien III complications were observed in two patients in the prone group. PNL in supine position is an effective treatment for management of staghorn stones. The need for multi-caliceal and intercostal puncture is less when combined with retrograde intrarenal surgery. PNL in supine position should be considered as primary treatment option in staghorn stone cases.

  7. Ventilatory sensitivity to mild asphyxia: prone versus supine sleep position

    OpenAIRE

    Galland, B; Bolton, D; Taylor, B; Sayers, R; Williams, S

    2000-01-01

    AIMS—To compare the effects of prone and supine sleep position on the main physiological responses to mild asphyxia: increase in ventilation and arousal.
METHODS—Ventilatory and arousal responses to mild asphyxia (hypercapnia/hypoxia) were measured in 53 healthy infants at newborn and 3 months of age, during quiet sleep (QS) and active sleep (AS), and in supine and prone sleep positions. The asphyxial test mimicked face down rebreathing by slowly altering the inspired air: C...

  8. Prone Breast Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy: 5-Year Results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osa, Etin-Osa O.; DeWyngaert, Keith; Roses, Daniel; Speyer, James; Guth, Amber; Axelrod, Deborah; Fenton Kerimian, Maria; Goldberg, Judith D.; Formenti, Silvia C.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To report the 5-year results of a technique of prone breast radiation therapy delivered by a regimen of accelerated intensity modulated radiation therapy with a concurrent boost to the tumor bed. Methods and Materials: Between 2003 and 2006, 404 patients with stage I-II breast cancer were prospectively enrolled into 2 consecutive protocols, institutional trials 03-30 and 05-181, that used the same regimen of 40.5 Gy/15 fractions delivered to the index breast over 3 weeks, with a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy (total dose 48 Gy). All patients were treated after segmental mastectomy and had negative margins and nodal assessment. Patients were set up prone: only if lung or heart volumes were in the field was a supine setup attempted and chosen if found to better spare these organs. Results: Ninety-two percent of patients were treated prone, 8% supine. Seventy-two percent had stage I, 28% stage II invasive breast cancer. In-field lung volume ranged from 0 to 228.27 cm 3 , mean 19.65 cm 3 . In-field heart volume for left breast cancer patients ranged from 0 to 21.24 cm 3 , mean 1.59 cm 3 . There was no heart in the field for right breast cancer patients. At a median follow-up of 5 years, the 5-year cumulative incidence of isolated ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence was 0.82% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65%-1.04%). The 5-year cumulative incidence of regional recurrence was 0.53% (95% CI 0.41%-0.69%), and the 5-year overall cumulative death rate was 1.28% (95% CI 0.48%-3.38%). Eighty-two percent (95% CI 77%-85%) of patients judged their final cosmetic result as excellent/good. Conclusions: Prone accelerated intensity modulated radiation therapy with a concomitant boost results in excellent local control and optimal sparing of heart and lung, with good cosmesis. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group protocol 1005, a phase 3, multi-institutional, randomized trial is ongoing and is evaluating the equivalence of a similar dose and fractionation

  9. Prone Breast Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy: 5-Year Results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Osa, Etin-Osa O.; DeWyngaert, Keith [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Roses, Daniel [Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Speyer, James [Department of Medical Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Guth, Amber; Axelrod, Deborah [Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Fenton Kerimian, Maria [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Goldberg, Judith D. [Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Formenti, Silvia C., E-mail: Silvia.formenti@nyumc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States)

    2014-07-15

    Purpose: To report the 5-year results of a technique of prone breast radiation therapy delivered by a regimen of accelerated intensity modulated radiation therapy with a concurrent boost to the tumor bed. Methods and Materials: Between 2003 and 2006, 404 patients with stage I-II breast cancer were prospectively enrolled into 2 consecutive protocols, institutional trials 03-30 and 05-181, that used the same regimen of 40.5 Gy/15 fractions delivered to the index breast over 3 weeks, with a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy (total dose 48 Gy). All patients were treated after segmental mastectomy and had negative margins and nodal assessment. Patients were set up prone: only if lung or heart volumes were in the field was a supine setup attempted and chosen if found to better spare these organs. Results: Ninety-two percent of patients were treated prone, 8% supine. Seventy-two percent had stage I, 28% stage II invasive breast cancer. In-field lung volume ranged from 0 to 228.27 cm{sup 3}, mean 19.65 cm{sup 3}. In-field heart volume for left breast cancer patients ranged from 0 to 21.24 cm{sup 3}, mean 1.59 cm{sup 3}. There was no heart in the field for right breast cancer patients. At a median follow-up of 5 years, the 5-year cumulative incidence of isolated ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence was 0.82% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65%-1.04%). The 5-year cumulative incidence of regional recurrence was 0.53% (95% CI 0.41%-0.69%), and the 5-year overall cumulative death rate was 1.28% (95% CI 0.48%-3.38%). Eighty-two percent (95% CI 77%-85%) of patients judged their final cosmetic result as excellent/good. Conclusions: Prone accelerated intensity modulated radiation therapy with a concomitant boost results in excellent local control and optimal sparing of heart and lung, with good cosmesis. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group protocol 1005, a phase 3, multi-institutional, randomized trial is ongoing and is evaluating the equivalence of a similar dose and

  10. Prone positioning in hypoxemic respiratory failure: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopterides, Petros; Siempos, Ilias I; Armaganidis, Apostolos

    2009-03-01

    Prone positioning is used to improve oxygenation in patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure (HRF). However, its role in clinical practice is not yet clearly defined. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of prone positioning on relevant clinical outcomes, such as intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital mortality, days of mechanical ventilation, length of stay, incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and pneumothorax, and associated complications. We used literature search of MEDLINE, Current Contents, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We focused only on randomized controlled trials reporting clinical outcomes in adult patients with HRF. Four trials met our inclusion criteria, including 662 patients randomized to prone ventilation and 609 patients to supine ventilation. The pooled odds ratio (OR) for the ICU mortality in the intention-to-treat analysis was 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77-1.22), for the comparison between prone and supine ventilated patients. Interestingly, the pooled OR for the ICU mortality in the selected group of the more severely ill patients favored prone positioning (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.18-0.66). The duration of mechanical ventilation and the incidence of pneumothorax were not different between the 2 groups. The incidence of VAP was lower but not statistically significant in patients treated with prone positioning (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.61-1.10). However, prone positioning was associated with a higher risk of pressure sores (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.17-1.89) and a trend for more complications related to the endotracheal tube (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.94-1.80). Despite the inherent limitations of the meta-analytic approach, it seems that prone positioning has no discernible effect on mortality in patients with HRF. It may decrease the incidence of VAP at the expense of more pressure sores and complications related to the endotracheal tube. However, a subgroup of the most severely ill patients may

  11. Comparison of the kidney dose between supine and prone position for pelvic and periaortic irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mison, Chun; Haejin, Kang; Juree, Kim; Heesuk, Ryu; Hyunsoo, Shin

    1996-01-01

    We compared the doses received by the kidney in supine and prone positions for pelvic and periaortic irradiation. Kidney locations were verified by CT images taken with patients in the same position as during the treatment. Due to the shift of the kidney anteriorly during prone position, treatment in supine position delivered a much lower dose to most of the kidney than treatment in the prone position. Therefore, for periaortic irradiation treatment, the supine position should be considered to minimize the dose to the kidneys, even though the prone position with a belly board can reduce the dose to the small bowel

  12. A prospective international observational prevalence study on prone positioning of ARDS patients: the APRONET (ARDS Prone Position Network) study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guérin, C.; Beuret, P.; Constantin, J. M.; Bellani, G.; Garcia-Olivares, P.; Roca, O.; Meertens, J. H.; Maia, P. Azevedo; Becher, T.; Peterson, J.; Larsson, A.; Gurjar, M.; Hajjej, Z.; Kovari, F.; Assiri, A. H.; Mainas, E.; Hasan, M. S.; Morocho-Tutillo, D. R.; Baboi, L.; Chrétien, J. M.; François, G.; Ayzac, L.; Chen, L.; Brochard, L.; Mercat, A.; Hajjej, Zied; Sellami, Walid; Ferjani, M.; Gurjar, Mohan; Assiri, Amer; Al Bshabshe, Ali; Almekhlafi, Ghaleb; Mandourah, Yasser; Hasan, Mohd Shahnaz; Rai, Vineya; Marzida, M.; Corcoles Gonzalez, Virgilio; Sanchez Iniesta, Rafael; Garcia, Pablo; Garcia-Montesinos de La Peña, Manuel; Garcia Herrera, Adriana; Roca, Oriol; Garcia-de-Acilu, Marina; Masclans Enviz, Joan Ramon; Mancebo, Jordi; Heili, Sarah; Artigas Raventos, Antonio; Blanch Torra, Lluís; Roche-Campo, Ferran; Schultz, Marcus

    2018-01-01

    While prone positioning (PP) has been shown to improve patient survival in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients, the rate of application of PP in clinical practice still appears low. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of use of PP in ARDS patients (primary

  13. Prone position for acute respiratory failure in adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomfield, Roxanna; Noble, David W; Sudlow, Alexis

    2015-11-13

    Acute hypoxaemia de novo or on a background of chronic hypoxaemia is a common reason for admission to intensive care and for provision of mechanical ventilation. Various refinements of mechanical ventilation or adjuncts are employed to improve patient outcomes. Mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome, one of the main contributors to the need for mechanical ventilation for hypoxaemia, remains approximately 40%. Ventilation in the prone position may improve lung mechanics and gas exchange and could improve outcomes. The objectives of this review are (1) to ascertain whether prone ventilation offers a mortality advantage when compared with traditional supine or semi recumbent ventilation in patients with severe acute respiratory failure requiring conventional invasive artificial ventilation, and (2) to supplement previous systematic reviews on prone ventilation for hypoxaemic respiratory failure in an adult population. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2014, Issue 1), Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to 31 January 2014), EMBASE (1980 to 31 January 2014), the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) (1982 to 31 January 2014) and Latin American Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) (1992 to 31 January 2014) in Ovid MEDLINE for eligible randomized controlled trials. We also searched for studies by handsearching reference lists of relevant articles, by contacting colleagues and by handsearching published proceedings of relevant journals. We applied no language constraints, and we reran the searches in CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and LILACS in June 2015. We added five new studies of potential interest to the list of "Studies awaiting classification" and will incorporate them into formal review findings during the review update. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the effects of prone position versus supine/semi recumbent position during conventional mechanical ventilation in

  14. Is decreased diameter of renal pelvis in prone position an indicator of successful pyeloplasty?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, Gyanendra; Sharma, Anshu; Leung, Vivian Yee-Fong; Chu, Winnie Chiu-Wing

    2016-01-01

    To evaluate patients who had undergone pyeloplasty for pelviureteric junction obstruction, by measuring the anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the renal pelvis in supine and prone positions, and determine whether a decrease in APD in prone position can exclude obstruction in dilated renal system. From January 2012 to December 2013, patients who had undergone pyeloplasty were evaluated by ultrasound in two centers. The difference of APD of the renal pelvis in supine and prone positions was obtained. Correlation was made with the pre- and post-pyeloplasty renal function by radionuclide renogram. There were 42 patients (31 males, 11 females; age range 5 months to 18 years). Residual hydronephrosis was detected in 41 patients of whom 35 patients (85%) showed decrease in APD by >10% in prone position. These patients and the one without hydronephrosis showed either no deterioration or improvement in renal function. Six patients (15%) showed either no change or increase in APD in prone position. Three patients (7.5%) were confirmed to have decrease in renal function indicating obstruction. Three patients (7.5%) showed no deterioration of renal function, but sluggish drainage on radionuclide renogram. Demonstration of decreased APD of renal pelvis in prone position by ultrasound is useful to differentiate obstructed from non-obstructed dilated renal system, and it correctly identified 85% candidates with successful pyeloplasty. In patients with no decrease or increase in APD at prone position, further follow-up is recommended to rule out obstruction

  15. Contact high: Mania proneness and positive perception of emotional touches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piff, Paul K; Purcell, Amanda; Gruber, June; Hertenstein, Matthew J; Keltner, Dacher

    2012-01-01

    How do extreme degrees of positive emotion-such as those characteristic of mania-influence emotion perception? The present study investigated how mania proneness, assessed using the Hypomanic Personality Scale, influences the perception of emotion via touch. Using a validated dyadic interaction paradigm for communicating emotion through touch (Hertenstein, Keltner, App, Bulleit, & Jaskolka, 2006), participants (N=53) received eight different touches to their forearm from a stranger and then identified the emotion via forced-choice methodology. Mania proneness predicted increased overall accuracy in touch perception, particularly for positive emotion touches, as well as the over-attribution of positive and under-attribution of negative emotions across all touches. These findings highlight the effects of positive emotion extremes on the perception of emotion in social interactions.

  16. Using the prone position for ventilated patients with respiratory failure: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Angie D; Flynn, Maria

    2011-01-01

    this review explored the evidence relating to prone positioning in ventilated patients diagnosed with respiratory failure, including acute lung injury (ALI) or adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). mortality rates for ventilated patients with ALI or ARDS are high, and there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the position these patients are nursed in may influence clinical outcomes. However, there are no guidelines to inform nursing practice in positioning these patients. Medline, Scopus, Cinahl and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for original research reports or systematic reviews of evidence between 2000 and 2009. Reference lists of retrieved papers were hand searched and included studies were analysed using the Critical Appraisal and Skills Programme framework. A narrative data synthesis considered the strengths and limitations of studies, and findings were collated and interpreted. Application of the search strategy identified a systematic review, currently underway, which has not yet reported and 14 relevant studies eligible for inclusion in this review. Analysis showed considerable variation in study design, but suggests that PaO(2) /FiO(2) ratio, incidence of VAP and mortality may be positively affected by prone positioning. evidence of the clinical benefits associated with prone positioning is inconclusive and provides little guidance for nursing practice. There is a need for further research into the clinical outcomes of prone positioning, and greater understanding of the practicalities of prone positioning critically ill patients is required. nurses have a central role to play in the continual assessment and management of this patient group, including the position they are nursed in, not only to ensure the best clinical outcomes but also to provide care and comfort to the patient and their family. It is therefore important that their nursing practice and interventions are informed by the best available evidence.

  17. Effects of systematic prone positioning in hypoxemic acute respiratory failure: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerin, Claude; Gaillard, Sandrine; Lemasson, Stephane; Ayzac, Louis; Girard, Raphaele; Beuret, Pascal; Palmier, Bruno; Le, Quoc Viet; Sirodot, Michel; Rosselli, Sylvaine; Cadiergue, Vincent; Sainty, Jean-Marie; Barbe, Philippe; Combourieu, Emmanuel; Debatty, Daniel; Rouffineau, Jean; Ezingeard, Eric; Millet, Olivier; Guelon, Dominique; Rodriguez, Luc; Martin, Olivier; Renault, Anne; Sibille, Jean-Paul; Kaidomar, Michel

    2004-11-17

    A recent trial showed that placing patients with acute lung injury in the prone position did not increase survival; however, whether those results hold true for patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (ARF) is unclear. To determine whether prone positioning improves mortality in ARF patients. Prospective, unblinded, multicenter controlled trial of 791 ARF patients in 21 general intensive care units in France using concealed randomization conducted from December 14, 1998, through December 31, 2002. To be included, patients had to be at least 18 years, hemodynamically stable, receiving mechanical ventilation, and intubated and had to have a partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) to fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) ratio of 300 or less and no contraindications to lying prone. Patients were randomly assigned to prone position placement (n = 413), applied as early as possible for at least 8 hours per day on standard beds, or to supine position placement (n = 378). The primary end point was 28-day mortality; secondary end points were 90-day mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and oxygenation. The 2 groups were comparable at randomization. The 28-day mortality rate was 32.4% for the prone group and 31.5% for the supine group (relative risk [RR], 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-1.19; P = .77). Ninety-day mortality for the prone group was 43.3% vs 42.2% for the supine group (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.84-1.13; P = .74). The mean (SD) duration of mechanical ventilation was 13.7 (7.8) days for the prone group vs 14.1 (8.6) days for the supine group (P = .93) and the VAP incidence was 1.66 vs 2.14 episodes per 100-patients days of intubation, respectively (P = .045). The PaO2/FIO2 ratio was significantly higher in the prone group during the 28-day follow-up. However, pressure sores, selective intubation, and endotracheal tube obstruction incidences were higher in the prone group. This trial

  18. Supine or prone position for mini-PNL procedure: does it matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tokatlı, Zafer; Gokce, Mehmet Ilker; Süer, Evren; Sağlam, Remzi

    2015-06-01

    In this study it is aimed to compare the success and complication rates of mini-PNL procedure in supine and prone positions. In this retrospective study data of 180 patients treated with MPNL either in supine (n = 54) or prone (n = 126) positions between May 2009 and August 2014 was investigated. Success was defined as no visible stones >2 mm. Perioperative complications were classified using the modified Clavien system. Groups were compared with Chi square test or Student t test and for statistical significance p value of 0.05 was accepted. Mean age of the population was 42.5 ± 8.2 years and mean stone size was 23.9 ± 4.1 mm. The two groups were similar with regard to demographic characteristics and stone related characteristics except the ASA status. Success rates of the supine and prone groups were 85.1 and 87.3%, respectively (p = 0.701). No statistically significant differences in terms of complications were observed. Mean operative time was the only parameter different between the two groups (55 vs 82 min, p = 0.001). Supine position for PNL seems to be promising and the complication and success rates are shown to be similar to the prone position with MPNL technique. The only significant benefit of this technique is shorter operative time.

  19. Target volume shape variation during irradiation of rectal cancer patients in supine position: Comparison with prone position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nijkamp, Jasper; Jong, Rianne de; Sonke, Jan-Jakob; Vliet, Corine van; Marijnen, Corrie

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To quantify the inter-fraction shape variation of the mesorectum for rectal cancer patients treated with 5 x 5 Gy in supine position and compare it to variation in prone position. Methods and materials: For 28 patients a planning CT (pCT) and five daily cone-beam-CT (CBCT) scans were acquired in supine position. The mesorectal part of the CTV (MesoRect) was delineated on all scans. The shape variation was quantified by the distance between the pCT- and the CBCT delineations and stored in surface maps after online setup correction. Data were analyzed for male and female patients separately and compared to prone data. Results: A large range of systematic, 1-8 mm (1SD), and random, 1-5 mm, shape variation was found, comparable to prone patients. Random-shape variation was comparable for male and female patients, while systematic variation was 3 mm larger for female patients. Conclusions: Shape variation of the MesoRect is substantial, heterogeneous and different between male and female patients. Differences between supine and prone orientation, however, are small. Clinical margins should be differentiated in position along the cranio-caudal axis, in anterior-posterior direction and for gender. Margins should also be increased, even when online setup correction is used. Due to the small margin differences between prone and supine treatments, the setup choice should be determined on dose to the organs at risk.

  20. Effect of head rotation on cerebral blood velocity in the prone position

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højlund, Jakob; Sandmand, Marie; Sonne, Morten

    2012-01-01

    for cerebral blood flow. We tested in healthy subjects the hypothesis that rotating the head in the prone position reduces cerebral blood flow. Methods. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), stroke volume (SV), and CO were determined, together with the middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCA V...... V(mean) ~10% in spite of an elevated MAP. Prone positioning with rotated head affects both CBF and cerebrovenous drainage indicating that optimal brain perfusion requires head centering....

  1. Effect of scanning in the supine and prone positions on dilation of air-charged colon in CTVC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye Jing; Chen Junkun; Zhang Zongjun; Wang Junpeng; Gao Dazhi

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the effect of scanning in the supine and prone positions on dilation of air-charged colon in CT virtual colonoscopy (CTVC). Methods: Thirty cases underwent CTVC scanning in both the supine and prone positions immediately before colonoscopy, and the dilation of each intestine was graded. The differences of colon dilation in different positions were compared. Results: In supine and prone position, there were 26 (17.3%) and 22 (14.7%) insufficient dilating colon segments, respectively, and only 5 (3.3%) insufficient dilating colon segments in double positions. 15(50.0%) and 13(43.3%) colons dilated insufficiently in supine and prone position, respectively, and decreased to 5 (16.7%) in double positions. The dilation of rectum, sigmoid colon, and transverse colon had significant difference in different positions. Conclusion: When performing CTVC, it is highly necessary to scan in both the supine and prone positions in order to ensure the sufficient dilation of colon. In supine position, the dilation of transverse colon is better, while the dilation of rectum and sigmoid colon in prone position is superior to that in supine position

  2. Lumbar Lordosis of Spinal Stenosis Patients during Intraoperative Prone Positioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Su-Keon; Song, Kyung-Sub; Park, Byung-Moon; Lim, Sang-Youn; Jang, Geun; Lee, Beom-Seok; Moon, Seong-Hwan; Lee, Hwan-Mo

    2016-01-01

    Background To evaluate the effect of spondylolisthesis on lumbar lordosis on the OSI (Jackson; Orthopaedic Systems Inc.) frame. Restoration of lumbar lordosis is important for maintaining sagittal balance. Physiologic lumbar lordosis has to be gained by intraoperative prone positioning with a hip extension and posterior instrumentation technique. There are some debates about changing lumbar lordosis on the OSI frame after an intraoperative prone position. We evaluated the effect of spondylolisthesis on lumbar lordosis after an intraoperative prone position. Methods Sixty-seven patients, who underwent spinal fusion at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Gwangmyeong Sungae Hospital between May 2007 and February 2012, were included in this study. The study compared lumbar lordosis on preoperative upright, intraoperative prone and postoperative upright lateral X-rays between the simple stenosis (SS) group and spondylolisthesis group. The average age of patients was 67.86 years old. The average preoperative lordosis was 43.5° (± 14.9°), average intraoperative lordosis was 48.8° (± 13.2°), average postoperative lordosis was 46.5° (± 16.1°) and the average change on the frame was 5.3° (± 10.6°). Results Among all patients, 24 patients were diagnosed with simple spinal stenosis, 43 patients with spondylolisthesis (29 degenerative spondylolisthesis and 14 isthmic spondylolisthesis). Between the SS group and spondylolisthesis group, preoperative lordosis, intraoperative lordosis and postoperative lordosis were significantly larger in the spondylolisthesis group. The ratio of patients with increased lordosis on the OSI frame compared to preoperative lordosis was significantly higher in the spondylolisthesis group. The risk of increased lordosis on frame was significantly higher in the spondylolisthesis group (odds ratio, 3.325; 95% confidence interval, 1.101 to 10.039; p = 0.033). Conclusions Intraoperative lumbar lordosis on the OSI frame with a prone

  3. Changes in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness after spinal surgery in the prone position: a prospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baran Gencer

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Changes in ocular perfusion play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic optic neuropathy. Ocular perfusion pressure is equal to mean arterial pressure minus intraocular pressure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the intraocular pressure and the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in patients undergoing spinal surgery in the prone position. METHODS: This prospective study included 30 patients undergoing spinal surgery. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness were measured one day before and after the surgery by using optical coherence tomography. Intraocular pressure was measured by tonopen six times at different position and time-duration: supine position (baseline; 10 min after intubation (Supine 1; 10 (Prone 1, 60 (Prone 2, 120 (Prone 3 min after prone position; and just after postoperative supine position (Supine 2. RESULTS: Our study involved 10 male and 20 female patients with the median age of 57 years. When postoperative retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements were compared with preoperative values, a statistically significant thinning was observed in inferior and nasal quadrants (p = 0.009 and p = 0.003, respectively. We observed a statistically significant intraocular pressure decrease in Supine 1 and an increase in both Prone 2 and Prone 3 when compared to the baseline. Mean arterial pressure and ocular perfusion pressure were found to be significantly lower in Prone 1, Prone 2 and Prone 3, when compared with the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has shown increase in intraocular pressure during spinal surgery in prone position. A statistically significant retinal nerve fiber layer thickness thinning was seen in inferior and nasal quadrants one day after the spinal surgery.

  4. SU-E-J-21: Setup Variability of Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated in the Prone Position and Dosimetric Comparison with the Supine Position

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, A; Foster, J; Chu, W; Karotki, A [Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre/Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Many cancer centers treat colorectal patients in the prone position on a belly board to minimize dose to the small bowel. That may potentially Result in patient setup instability with corresponding impact on dose delivery accuracy for highly conformal techniques such as IMRT/VMAT. Two aims of this work are 1) to investigate setup accuracy of rectum patients treated in the prone position on a belly board using CBCT and 2) to evaluate dosimetric impact on bladder and small bowel of treating rectum patients in supine vs. prone position. Methods: For the setup accuracy study, 10 patients were selected. Weekly CBCTs were acquired and matched to bone. The CBCT-determined shifts were recorded. For the dosimetric study, 7 prone-setup patients and 7 supine-setup patients were randomly selected from our clinical database. Various clinically relevant dose volume histogram values were recorded for the small bowel and bladder. Results: The CBCT-determined rotational shifts had a wide variation. For the dataset acquired at the time of this writing, the ranges of rotational setup errors for pitch, roll, and yaw were [−3.6° 4.7°], [−4.3° 3.2°], and [−1.4° 1.4°]. For the dosimetric study: the small bowel V(45Gy) and mean dose for the prone position was 5.6±12.1% and 18.4±6.2Gy (ranges indicate standard deviations); for the supine position the corresponding dose values were 12.9±15.8% and 24.7±8.8Gy. For the bladder, the V(30Gy) and mean dose for prone position were 68.7±12.7% and 38.4±3.3Gy; for supine position these dose values were 77.1±13.7% and 40.7±3.1Gy. Conclusion: There is evidence of significant rotational instability in the prone position. The OAR dosimetry study indicates that there are some patients that may still benefit from the prone position, though many patients can be safely treated supine.

  5. An evaluation of intrafraction motion of the prostate in the prone and supine positions using electromagnetic tracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shah, Amish P.; Kupelian, Patrick A.; Willoughby, Twyla R.; Langen, Katja M.; Meeks, Sanford L.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate differences in target motion during prostate irradiation in the prone versus supine position using electromagnetic tracking to measure prostate mobility. Materials/methods: Twenty patients received prostate radiotherapy in the supine position utilizing the Calypso Localization System (registered) for prostate positioning and monitoring. For each patient, 10 treatment fractions were followed by a session in which the patient was repositioned prone, and prostate mobility was tracked. The fraction of time that the prostate was displaced by >3, 5, 7, and 10 mm was calculated for each patient, for both positions (400 tracking sessions). Results: Clear patterns of respiratory motion were seen in the prone tracks due to the influence of increased abdominal motion. Averaged over all patients, the prostate was displaced >3 and 5 mm for 37.8% and 10.1% of the total tracking time in the prone position, respectively. In the supine position, the prostate was displaced >3 and 5 mm for 12.6% and 2.9%, respectively. With both patient setups, inferior and posterior drifts of the prostate position were observed. Averaged over all prone tracking sessions, the prostate was displaced >3 mm in the posterior and inferior directions for 11.7% and 9.5% of the total time, respectively. Conclusions: With real-time tracking of the prostate, it is possible to study the effects of different setup positions on the prostate mobility. The percentage of time the prostate moved >3 and 5 mm was increased by a factor of three in the prone versus supine position. For larger displacements (>7 mm) no difference in prostate mobility was observed between prone and supine positions. To reduce rectal toxicity, radiotherapy in the prone position may be a suitable alternative provided respiratory motion is accounted for during treatment. Acute and late toxicity results remain to be evaluated for both patient positions.

  6. Comparison of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography for Breast Target Volume Delineation in Prone and Supine Positions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pogson, Elise M. [Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong (Australia); Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool (Australia); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool (Australia); Delaney, Geoff P. [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool (Australia); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool (Australia); South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia); School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney (Australia); Ahern, Verity [Crown Princess Mary Cancer Care Centre, Westmead Hospital, Westmead (Australia); Boxer, Miriam M. [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool (Australia); South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia); Chan, Christine [Department of Radiology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool (Australia); David, Steven [Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne (Australia); Dimigen, Marion [Department of Radiology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool (Australia); Harvey, Jennifer A. [School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston (Australia); Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba (Australia); Koh, Eng-Siew [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool (Australia); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool (Australia); South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia); Lim, Karen [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool (Australia); South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia); Papadatos, George [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool (Australia); and others

    2016-11-15

    Purpose: To determine whether T2-weighted MRI improves seroma cavity (SC) and whole breast (WB) interobserver conformity for radiation therapy purposes, compared with the gold standard of CT, both in the prone and supine positions. Methods and Materials: Eleven observers (2 radiologists and 9 radiation oncologists) delineated SC and WB clinical target volumes (CTVs) on T2-weighted MRI and CT supine and prone scans (4 scans per patient) for 33 patient datasets. Individual observer's volumes were compared using the Dice similarity coefficient, volume overlap index, center of mass shift, and Hausdorff distances. An average cavity visualization score was also determined. Results: Imaging modality did not affect interobserver variation for WB CTVs. Prone WB CTVs were larger in volume and more conformal than supine CTVs (on both MRI and CT). Seroma cavity volumes were larger on CT than on MRI. Seroma cavity volumes proved to be comparable in interobserver conformity in both modalities (volume overlap index of 0.57 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.54-0.60) for CT supine and 0.52 (95% CI 0.48-0.56) for MRI supine, 0.56 (95% CI 0.53-0.59) for CT prone and 0.55 (95% CI 0.51-0.59) for MRI prone); however, after registering modalities together the intermodality variation (Dice similarity coefficient of 0.41 (95% CI 0.36-0.46) for supine and 0.38 (0.34-0.42) for prone) was larger than the interobserver variability for SC, despite the location typically remaining constant. Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging interobserver variation was comparable to CT for the WB CTV and SC delineation, in both prone and supine positions. Although the cavity visualization score and interobserver concordance was not significantly higher for MRI than for CT, the SCs were smaller on MRI, potentially owing to clearer SC definition, especially on T2-weighted MR images.

  7. Differences in abdominal organ movement between supine and prone positions measured using four-dimensional computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young Seok; Park, Sung Ho; Ahn, Seung Do; Lee, Jeong Eun; Choi, Eun Kyung; Lee, Sang-wook; Shin, Seong Soo; Yoon, Sang Min; Kim, Jong Hoon

    2007-01-01

    Background and purpose: To analyze the differences in intrafractional organ movement throughout the breathing cycles between the supine and prone positions using four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT). Materials and methods: We performed 4D CT on nine volunteers in the supine and prone positions, with each examinee asked to breathe normally during scanning. The movement of abdominal organs in the cranio-caudal (CC), anterior-posterior (AP) and right-left (RL) directions was quantified by contouring on each phase between inspiration and expiration. Results: The mean intrafractional motions of the hepatic dome, lower tip, pancreatic head and tail, both kidneys, spleen, and celiac axis in the supine/prone position were 17.3/13.0, 14.4/11.0, 12.8/8.9, 13.0/10.0, 14.3/12.1, 12.3/12.6, 11.7/12.6 and 2.2/1.8 mm, respectively. Intrafractional movements of the liver dome and pancreatic head were reduced significantly in the prone position. The CC directional excursions were major determinants of the 3D displacements of the abdominal organs. Alteration from the supine to the prone position did not change the amount of intrafractional movements of kidneys, spleen, and celiac axis. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in the movements of the liver and pancreas during the prone position, especially in the CC direction, suggesting possible advantage of radiotherapy to these organs in this position

  8. Tension Pneumothorax During Surgery for Thoracic Spine Stabilization in Prone Position

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Demicha Rankin MD

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The intraoperative progression of a simple or occult pneumothorax into a tension pneumothorax can be a devastating clinical scenario. Routine use of prophylactic thoracostomy prior to anesthesia and initiation of controlled ventilation in patients with simple or occult pneumothorax remains controversial. We report the case of a 75-year-old trauma patient with an insignificant pneumothorax on the right who developed an intraoperative tension pneumothorax on the left side while undergoing thoracic spine stabilization surgery in the prone position. Management of an intraoperative tension pneumothorax requires prompt recognition and treatment; however, the prone position presents an additional challenge of readily accessing the standard anatomic sites for pleural puncture and air drainage.

  9. Positioning of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: combining prone and upright makes sense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richard, Jean-Christophe M; Lefebvre, Jean-Claude

    2011-01-01

    Positional strategies have been proposed for mechanically ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Despite different physiological mechanisms involved, oxygenation improvement has been demonstrated with both prone and upright positions. In the previous issue of Critical Care, Robak and colleagues reported the first study evaluating the short-term effects of combining prone and upright positioning. The combined positioning enhanced the response rate in terms of oxygenation. Other benefits, such as a reduction in ventilator-associated pneumonia and better enteral feeding tolerance, can potentially be expected.

  10. Anthropometric Renal Anatomic Alterations Between Supine and Prone Positions in Percutaneous Renal Ablation for Renal Cortical Neoplasms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lusch, Achim; Fujimoto, Scott; Findeiss, Laura K; Okhunov, Zhamshid; McDougall, Elspeth M; Landman, Jaime

    2016-02-01

    To establish patterns of anatomic changes relevant to the kidney and colon during positional change between the supine and prone positions as noted on CT scans performed during percutaneous cryoablation for renal cortical neoplasms (RCN). Nineteen patients undergoing percutaneous cryoablation for RCN with abdominal CT scan in both the supine and prone positions were included in the study. We documented the anterior/posterior, medial/lateral, and cranial/caudal anatomic changes of the kidney, kidney rotation, and the proportion of the kidney whose access was limited by the liver, spleen, and lung. We also calculated the length of the percutaneous access tract and the distance between the colon and kidney in hilar position as well as the anterior/posterior location of the colon relative to the kidney. In the prone position, the kidney lies significantly more anteriorly on both sides: 4.7 cm vs 4.3 cm (L) and 4.4 cm vs 4.1 cm (R) (p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). On prone CT images, both kidneys are more cranial when compared with the supine position: 80.4 mm vs 60.8 mm (L) and 87.2 mm vs 57.4 mm (R) (p = 0.002 and p anatomic alterations between supine and prone CT imaging. The changes associated with the prone position modify percutaneous access, particularly for right upper pole tumors. Prone imaging before surgery may be helpful in selected cases.

  11. Prone position as prevention of lung injury in comatose patients: a prospective, randomized, controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beuret, Pascal; Carton, Marie-Jose; Nourdine, Karim; Kaaki, Mahmoud; Tramoni, Gerard; Ducreux, Jean-Claude

    2002-05-01

    Comatose patients frequently exhibit pulmonary function worsening, especially in cases of pulmonary infection. It appears to have a deleterious effect on neurologic outcome. We therefore conducted a randomized trial to determine whether daily prone positioning would prevent lung worsening in these patients. Prospective, randomized, controlled study. Sixteen-bed intensive care unit. Fifty-one patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation because of coma with Glascow coma scores of 9 or less. In the prone position (PP) group: prone positioning for 4 h once daily until the patients could get up to sit in an armchair; in the supine position (SP) group: supine positioning. The primary end point was the incidence of lung worsening defined by an increase in the Lung Injury Score of at least 1 point since the time of randomization. The secondary end point was the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). A total of 25 patients were randomly assigned to the PP group and 26 patients to the SP group. The characteristics of the patients from the two groups were similar at randomization. The incidence of lung worsening was lower in the PP group (12%) than in the SP group (50%) ( p=0.003). The incidence of VAP was 20% in the PP group and 38.4% in the SP group ( p=0.14). There was no serious complication attributable to prone positioning, however, there was a significant increase of intracranial pressure in the PP. In a selected population of comatose ventilated patients, daily prone positioning reduced the incidence of lung worsening.

  12. Dosimetric effects of the prone and supine positions on image guided localized prostate cancer radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Bei; Lerma, Fritz A.; Patel, Shilpen; Amin, Pradip; Feng Yuanming; Yi, B.-Y.; Yu, Cedric

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To compare target coverage and doses to rectum and bladder in IMRT of localized prostate cancer in the supine versus prone position, with the inclusion of image guidance. Materials and methods: Twenty patients with early stage localized prostate carcinoma who received external beam radiotherapy in the supine and prone positions underwent approximately 10 serial CT examinations in their respective treatment position in non-consecutive days, except for one patient who was treated prone but serially imaged supine. The prostate, bladder and rectum were contoured on all CT scans. A PTV was generated on the first scan of each patient's CT series by expanding the prostate with a 5 mm margin and an IMRT plan was created. The resultant IMRT plan was then applied to that patient's remaining serial CT scans by aligning the initial CT image set with the subsequent serial CT image sets using (1) skin marks, (2) bony anatomy and (3) center of mass of the prostate. The dosimetric results from these three alignments were compared between the supine and prone groups. To account for the uncertainties associated with prostate delineation and intra-fractional geometric changes, a fictional 'daily PTV' was generated by expanding the prostate with a 3 mm margin on each serial CT scan. Thus, a more realistic target coverage index, V95, was quantified as the fraction of the daily PTV receiving at least 95% of the prescription dose. Dose-volume measures of the organs at risk were also compared. The fraction of the daily PTV contained by the initial PTV after each alignment method was quantified on each patient's serial CT scan, and is defined as PTV overlap index. Results: As expected, alignment based on skin marks yielded unacceptable dose coverage for both groups of patients. Under bony alignment, the target coverage index, V95, was 97.3% and 93.6% for prone and supine patients (p < 0.0001), respectively. The mean PTV overlap indices were 90.7% and 84.7% for prone and supine

  13. [A project to reduce the incidence of facial pressure ulcers caused by prolonged surgery with prone positioning].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Wen-Yi; Lin, Pao-Chen; Weng, Chia-Hsing; Lin, Yi-Lin; Tsai, Wen-Lin

    2012-06-01

    We observed in our institute a 13.6% incidence of prolonged surgery (>4 hours) induced facial pressure ulcers that required prone positioning. Causes identified included: (1) customized silicon face pillows used were not suited for every patient; (2) our institute lacked a standard operating procedure for prone positioning; (3) our institute lacked a postoperative evaluation and audit procedure for facial pressure ulcers. We designed a strategy to reduce post-prolonged surgery facial pressure ulcer incidence requiring prone positioning by 50% (i.e., from 13.6% to 6.8%). We implemented the following: (1) Created a new water pillow to relieve facial pressure; (2) Implemented continuing education pressure ulcer prevention and evaluation; (3) Established protocols on standard care for prone-position patients and proper facial pressure ulcer identification; (4) Established a face pressure ulcers accident reporting mechanism; and (5) Established an audit mechanism facial pressure ulcer cases. After implementing the resolution measures, 116 patients underwent prolonged surgery in a prone position (mean operating time: 298 mins). None suffered from facial pressure ulcers. The measures effectively reduced the incidence of facial pressure ulcers from 13.6% to 0.0%. The project used a water pillow to relieve facial pressure and educated staff to recognize and evaluate pressure ulcers. These measures were demonstrated effective in reducing the incidence of facial pressure ulcers caused by prolonged prone positioning.

  14. Prone versus supine positioning for whole and partial-breast radiotherapy: A comparison of non-target tissue dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirby, Anna M.; Evans, Philip M.; Donovan, Ellen M.; Convery, Helen M.; Haviland, Joanna S.; Yarnold, John R.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To compare non-target tissue (including left-anterior-descending coronary-artery (LAD)) dosimetry of prone versus supine whole (WBI) and partial-breast irradiation (PBI). Methods and materials: Sixty-five post-lumpectomy breast cancer patients underwent CT-imaging supine and prone. On each dataset, the whole-breast clinical-target-volume (WB-CTV), partial-breast CTV (tumour-bed + 15 mm), ipsilateral-lung and chest-wall were outlined. Heart and LAD were outlined in left-sided cases (n = 30). Tangential-field WBI and PBI plans were generated for each position. Mean LAD, heart, and ipsilateral-lung doses (x mean ), maximum LAD (LAD max ) doses, and the volume of chest-wall receiving 50 Gy (V 50Gy ) were compared. Results: Two-hundred and sixty plans were generated. Prone positioning reduced heart and LAD doses in 19/30 WBI cases (median reduction in LAD mean = 6.2 Gy) and 7/30 PBI cases (median reduction in LAD max = 29.3 Gy) (no difference in 4/30 cases). However, prone positioning increased cardiac doses in 8/30 WBI (median increase in LAD mean = 9.5 Gy) and 19/30 PBI cases (median increase in LAD max = 22.9 Gy) (no difference in 3/30 cases). WB-CTV > 1000cm 3 was associated with improved cardiac dosimetry in the prone position for WBI (p = 0.04) and PBI (p = 0.04). Prone positioning reduced ipsilateral-lung mean in 65/65 WBI and 61/65 PBI cases, and chest-wall V 50Gy in all WBI cases. PBI reduced normal-tissue doses compared to WBI in all cases, regardless of the treatment position. Conclusions: In the context of tangential-field WBI and PBI, prone positioning is likely to benefit left-breast-affected women of larger breast volume, but to be detrimental in left-breast-affected women of smaller breast volume. Right-breast-affected women are likely to benefit from prone positioning regardless of breast volume.

  15. Comparison of CT myelography performed in the prone and supine positions in the detection of cervical spinal stenosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blease Graham, Cole III; Wippold, Franz J. II; Bae, Kyongtae T.; Pilgram, Thomas K.; Shaibani, Ali; Kido, Daniel K.

    2001-01-01

    AIM: To quantify the change in the cross-sectional area of the cervical spinal cord and subarachnoid space (SAS) in the supine neutral vs prone extension positions in patients with myelopathy undergoing cervical CT myelography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Axial CT myelgrams of 21 myelopathic patients were performed in both the supine neutral and prone extension positions. The SAS and cord cross-sectional areas were then measured at the disk spaces and mid-pedicle levels from C2 to T1 in both the supine and prone positions using a public domain NIH Image program, version 156b18. Mean area measurements in both positions were then compared for each level examined. RESULTS: Mean SAS cross-sectional area in the prone position was notably reduced compared with the supine position at C4-C5 [128.8 mm 2 vs 168.1 mm 2 (P 2 vs 143.2 mm 2 (P< .05)] disk levels. The mean cord cross-sectional area failed to change signficantly with positioning. CONCLUSIONS: Prone myelography may demonstrate a greater degree of cervical spine stenosis compared with CT myelography performed in the supine position in myelopathic patients. Imaging with the patient prone with neck extended in both myelography and CTM may improve precision in the results of measurements of the stenotic spinal canal when comparing these two methods. Blease Graham III, C. (2001)

  16. Profound Obstructive Hypotension From Prone Positioning Documented by Transesophageal Echocardiography in a Patient With Scoliosis: A Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abcejo, Arnoley S; Diaz Soto, Juan; Castoro, Courtney; Armour, Sarah; Long, Timothy R

    2017-08-01

    In a healthy 12-year-old female with scoliosis, prone positioning resulted in pressor-refractory cardiovascular collapse. Resumption of supine position immediately improved hemodynamics. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) revealed a collapsed left atrium and biventricular failure. Repeat prone positioning resulted in a recurrence of hypotension. However, hemodynamic stabilization was restored and maintained by repositioning chest pads caudally. The patient successfully underwent a 6-hour scoliosis repair without perioperative morbidity. With this case, we aim to: (1) reintroduce awareness of this mechanical obstructive cause of reversible hypotension; (2) highlight the use of intraoperative TEE during prone hemodynamic collapse; and (3) suggest an alternative prone positioning technique if chest compression results in hemodynamic instability.

  17. Effects of supine, prone, and lateral positions on cardiovascular and renal variables in humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pump, Bettina; Talleruphuus, Ulrik; Christensen, Niels Juel

    2002-01-01

    The hypothesis was tested that changing the direction of the transverse gravitational stress in horizontal humans modulates cardiovascular and renal variables. On different study days, 14 healthy males were placed for 6 h in either the horizontal supine or prone position following 3 h of being...... supine. Eight of the subjects were in addition investigated in the horizontal left lateral position. Compared with supine, the prone position slightly increased free water clearance (349 +/- 38 vs. 447 +/- 39 ml/6 h, P = 0.05) and urine output (1,387 +/- 55 vs. 1,533 +/- 52 ml/6 h, P = 0...

  18. Comparison between conventional protective mechanical ventilation and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation associated with the prone position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fioretto, José Roberto; Klefens, Susiane Oliveira; Pires, Rafaelle Fernandes; Kurokawa, Cilmery Suemi; Carpi, Mario Ferreira; Bonatto, Rossano César; Moraes, Marcos Aurélio; Ronchi, Carlos Fernando

    2017-01-01

    To compare the effects of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and conventional protective mechanical ventilation associated with the prone position on oxygenation, histology and pulmonary oxidative damage in an experimental model of acute lung injury. Forty-five rabbits with tracheostomy and vascular access were underwent mechanical ventilation. Acute lung injury was induced by tracheal infusion of warm saline. Three experimental groups were formed: healthy animals + conventional protective mechanical ventilation, supine position (Control Group; n = 15); animals with acute lung injury + conventional protective mechanical ventilation, prone position (CMVG; n = 15); and animals with acute lung injury + high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, prone position (HFOG; n = 15). Ten minutes after the beginning of the specific ventilation of each group, arterial gasometry was collected, with this timepoint being called time zero, after which the animal was placed in prone position and remained in this position for 4 hours. Oxidative stress was evaluated by the total antioxidant performance assay. Pulmonary tissue injury was determined by histopathological score. The level of significance was 5%. Both groups with acute lung injury showed worsening of oxygenation after induction of injury compared with the Control Group. After 4 hours, there was a significant improvement in oxygenation in the HFOG group compared with CMVG. Analysis of total antioxidant performance in plasma showed greater protection in HFOG. HFOG had a lower histopathological lesion score in lung tissue than CMVG. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation, associated with prone position, improves oxygenation and attenuates oxidative damage and histopathological lung injury compared with conventional protective mechanical ventilation.

  19. Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy Based on Stroke Volume Variation in Patients Undergoing Major Spine Surgery in the Prone Position: A Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacchin, Maria Renata; Ceria, Chiara Marta; Giannone, Sandra; Ghisi, Daniela; Stagni, Gaetano; Greggi, Tiziana; Bonarelli, Stefano

    2016-09-15

    A retrospective observational study. The aim of this study was to test whether a goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) protocol, based on stroke volume variation (SVV), applied in major spine surgery performed in the prone position, would be effective in reducing peri-operative red blood cells transfusions. Recent literature shows that optimizing perioperative fluid therapy is associated with lower complication rates and faster recovery. Data from 23 patients who underwent posterior spine arthrodesis surgery and whose intraoperative fluid administration were managed with the GDFT protocol were retrospectively collected and compared with data from 23 matched controls who underwent the same surgical procedure in the same timeframe, and who received a liberal intraoperative fluid therapy. Patients in the GDFT group received less units of transfused red blood cells (primary endpoint) in the intra (0 vs. 2.0, P = 0.0 4) and postoperative period (2.0 vs. 4.0, P = 0.003). They also received a lower amount of intraoperative crystalloids, had fewer blood losses, and lower intraoperative peak lactate. In the postoperative period, patients in the GDFT group had fewer pulmonary complications and blood losses from surgical drains, needed less blood product transfusions, had a shorter intensive care unit stay, and a faster return of bowel function. We found no difference in the total length of stay among the two groups. Our study shows that application of a GDFT based on SVV in major spine surgery is feasible and can lead to reduced blood losses and transfusions, better postoperative respiratory performance, shorter ICU stay, and faster return of bowel function. 3.

  20. Three-dimensional intrafractional movement of prostate measured during real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy in supine and prone treatment positions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kitamura, Kei; Shirato, Hiroki; Seppenwoolde, Yvette; Onimaru, Rikiya; Oda, Makoto; Fujita, Katsuhisa; Shimizu, Shinichi; Shinohara, Nobuo; Harabayashi, Toru; Miyasaka, Kazuo

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: To quantify three-dimensional (3D) movement of the prostate gland with the patient in the supine and prone positions and to analyze the movement frequency for each treatment position. Methods and Materials: The real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy (RTRT) system was developed to identify the 3D position of a 2-mm gold marker implanted in the prostate 30 times/s using two sets of fluoroscopic images. The linear accelerator was triggered to irradiate the tumor only when the gold marker was located within the region of the planned coordinates relative to the isocenter. Ten patients with prostate cancer treated with RTRT were the subjects of this study. The coordinates of the gold marker were recorded every 0.033 s during RTRT in the supine treatment position for 2 min. The patient was then moved to the prone position, and the marker was tracked for 2 min to acquire data regarding movement in this position. Measurements were taken 5 times for each patient (once a week); a total of 50 sets for the 10 patients was analyzed. The raw data from the RTRT system were filtered to reduce system noise, and the amplitude of movement was then calculated. The discrete Fourier transform of the unfiltered data was performed for the frequency analysis of prostate movement. Results: No apparent difference in movement was found among individuals. The amplitude of 3D movement was 0.1-2.7 mm in the supine and 0.4-24 mm in the prone positions. The amplitude in the supine position was statistically smaller in all directions than that in the prone position (p < 0.0001). The amplitude in the craniocaudal and AP directions was larger than in the left-right direction in the prone position (p < 0.0001). No characteristic movement frequency was detected in the supine position. The respiratory frequency was detected for all patients regarding movement in the craniocaudal and AP directions in the prone position. The results of the frequency analysis suggest that prostate movement is

  1. Accelerated Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy to Breast in Prone Position: Dosimetric Results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Wyngaert, J. Keith; Jozsef, Gabor; Mitchell, James; Rosenstein, Barry; Formenti, Silvia C.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To report the physics and dosimetry results of a trial of accelerated intensity-modulated radiotherapy to the whole breast with a concomitant boost to the tumor bed in patients treated in the prone position. Methods and Materials: Patients underwent computed tomography planning and treatment in the prone position on a dedicated treatment platform. The platform has an open aperture on the side to allow for the index breast to fall away from the chest wall. Noncontrast computed tomography images were acquired at 2.5- or 3.75-mm-thick intervals, from the level of the mandible to below the diaphragm. A dose of 40.5 Gy was delivered to the entire breast at 2.7-Gy fractions in 15 fractions. An additional dose of 0.5 Gy was delivered as a concomitant boost to the lumpectomy site, with a 1-cm margin, using inverse planning, for a total dose of 48 Gy in 15 fractions. No more than 10% of the heart and lung volume was allowed to receive >18 and >20 Gy, respectively. Results: Between September 2003 and August 2005, 91 patients were enrolled in the study. The median volume of heart that received ≥18 Gy was 0.5%, with a maximal value of 4.7%. The median volume of ipsilateral lung that received ≥20 Gy was 0.8%, with a maximum of 7.2%. Conclusion: This technique for whole breast radiotherapy is feasible and enables an accelerated regimen in the prone position while sparing the lung and heart

  2. Comparison of supine and prone craniospinal irradiation in children with medulloblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Jonathan; Mazloom, Ali; Teh, Bin S; South, Michael; Butler, E Brian; Paulino, Arnold C

    2015-01-01

    To compare port film rejection and treatment outcome according to craniospinal irradiation (CSI) position for medulloblastoma. We retrospectively searched for patients ≤19 years treated with CSI for medulloblastoma at 1 department. We collected the following data: age; sex; risk group; need for general anesthesia; radiation therapy (RT) dose and fractionation; and the acceptance or rejection of weekly port films during treatment. We also collected data on outcomes, including neuraxis recurrence and possible complications such as myelitis. Of 46 children identified, 23 were treated prone (median age, 8.1 years) and 23 supine (median age, 7.2 years). High-risk disease was seen in 26% of prone and 35% of supine patients (P = .25). There was no difference in use of general anesthesia between those treated prone versus supine (57% vs 61%). The rejection rate of cranial port films in the prone position was 35%, which was significantly higher than the rate of 8% in patients treated supine (P < .0001). The 5-year progression-free (P = .37) and overall survival (P = .18) rates were 62% and 67% for prone and 76% and 84% for supine patients. There were no isolated junctional failures or radiation myelitis in either CSI position. The supine position for CSI was found to have similar survival outcomes compared with the prone position. A higher proportion of rejected cranial port films was seen in children treated in the prone position. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. [Relationship between the prone position and achieving head control at 3 months].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Machado, J L; Rodríguez-Fuentes, G

    2013-10-01

    Owing to the significant increase of mild motor delays and the strong intolerance of infants to be placed on prone position observed in the Physiotherapy Unit of the Maternal and Children's University Hospital of the Canaries (HUMIC), a study was conducted to determine whether positioning infants in the prone position while awake affected the achievement and quality of head control at three months. A prospective comparative practice-based study of a representative sample of 67 healthy infants born in the HUMIC, and divided into an experimental group (n = 35) and control group (n = 32). The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and a parent questionnaire were used as measurement tools. The intervention consisted of regular home visits to the experimental group (from the first to the third month). The two groups were evaluated in their homes at the end of 3 months. The differences in mean raw score of the AIMS at 3 months were, 16.26 in the experimental group and 10.38 in control group (P<.001). The percentile mean was 94 in the experimental group, and less than 50 (42) in the control group. All of the experimental group babies achieved the head control, with only 8 in the control group (25%). The significant findings suggest a direct relationship between the time spent in the prone position when the baby is awake and the achievement of head control at three months. Copyright © 2012 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  4. [Effects of recruitment maneuver in prone position on hemodynamics in patients with severe pulmonary infection].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Yuan-hua; Liu, Yuan-fei; Zhu, Hua-yong; Zhang, Min

    2012-02-01

    To evaluate effects of recruitment maneuver in prone position on hemodynamics in patients with severe pulmonary infection, based on the protective pulmonary ventilation strategy. Ninety-seven cases with severe pulmonary infection admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of Ganzhou City People's Hospital undergoing mechanical ventilation were involved. Volume controlled ventilation mode with small tidal volume (8 ml/kg) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 6 cm H(2)O [1 cm H(2)O = 0.098 kPa] was conducted. Each patient underwent recruitment maneuver in supine position and then in prone position [PEEP 20 cm H(2)O+pressure control (PC) 20 cm H(2)O]. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse oxygen saturation [SpO(2)] and blood gas analysis data were recorded before and after recruitment maneuver in either position. A double-lumen venous catheter was inserted into internal jugular vein or subclavian vein, and a pulse index contour cardiac output (PiCCO) catheter was introduced into femoral artery. Cardiac index (CI), stroke volume index (SVI), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), intra-thoracic blood volume index (ITBVI), extra vascular lung water index (EVLWI), global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI), global ejection fraction (GEF), stroke volume variation (SVV) and central vein pressure (CVP) were monitored. (1) Compared with data before recruitment maneuver, there were no significant differences in HR and MAP after supine position and prone position recruitment maneuver, but significant differences in SpO(2) were found between before and after recruitment maneuver when patients' position was changed (supine position: 0.954 ± 0.032 vs. 0.917 ± 0.025, P recruitment maneuver (P recruitment maneuver, CI [L×min(-1)×m(-2)], SVI (ml/m(2)), GEDVI (ml/m(2)) and GEF were decreased significantly during recruitment maneuver (supine position: CI 3.2 ± 0.4 vs. 3.8 ± 0.6, SVI 32.4 ± 5.6 vs. 38.8 ± 6.5, GEDVI 689 ± 44 vs. 766 ± 32, GEF 0.267 ± 0

  5. Poster - 34: Clinical Implementation of Prone Breast Treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Runqing; Fleming, Katrina; Kobeleva, Sofya; Osei, Ernest [Grand River Regional Cancer Centre (Canada)

    2016-08-15

    Purpose: Prone breast treatment is used to reduce acute and late toxicities for large or pendulous breast patients. This study developed and implemented the clinical workflow of prone breast radiotherapy treatment. Methods: Varian kVue Access360™ Prone Breast Couchtop was used as prone breast board. The treatment planning (TP)is performed in Eclipse TP system. TP comparisons between supine deep inspiration breathing hold (DIBH) and prone breast; prone forward field-in-field (FinF) planning and inverse IMRT planning were performed and discussed. For the daily setup, breast coverage was assessed in the room using light field and MV imaging was used at day 1 and weekly. Results: The first ten patients are CT scanned and planned both supine and prone. The coverage was all excellent for supine DIBH plan and prone breast plan. The plan in the prone position demonstrated improvements in lung sparing comparing to the DIBH plan. Both forward FinF plan and inverse IMRT plan achieved acceptable coverage of the breast, and heart dose is comparable. Considering the daily setup variations and MLC leakage, forward FinF plan was recommended for routine clinical use. The procedure has been tested in phantom and patients were treated clinically. Conclusions: Prone breast irradiation has been advocated for women with large pendulous breasts in order to decrease acute and late toxicities. The workflow for prone breast radiation therapy has been developed and the technique is ready to treat patients.

  6. [Techniques and complementary techniques. Complementary treatments: nitric oxide, prone positioning and surfactant].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martos Sánchez, I; Vázquez Martínez, J L; Otheo de Tejada, E; Ros, P

    2003-11-01

    The management of hypoxic respiratory failure is based on oxygen delivery and ventilatory support with lung-protective ventilation strategies. Better understanding of acute lung injury have led to new therapeutic approaches that can modify the outcome of these patients. These adjunctive oxygenation strategies include inhaled nitric oxide and surfactant delivery, and the use of prone positioning. Nitric oxide is a selective pulmonary vasodilator that when inhaled, improves oxygenation in clinical situations such as persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). When applied early in ARDS, prone positioning improves distribution of ventilation and reduces the intrapulmonary shunt. The surfactant has dramatically decreased mortality caused by hyaline membrane disease in premature newborns, although the results have been less successful in ARDS. Greater experience is required to determine whether the combination of these treatments will improve the prognosis of these patients.

  7. Patient positioning and ventilator-associated pneumonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Dean R

    2005-07-01

    Rotational beds, prone position, and semi-recumbent position have been proposed as procedures to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Rotational therapy uses a special bed designed to turn continuously, or nearly continuously, the patient from side to side; specific designs include kinetic therapy and continuous lateral rotation therapy. A meta-analysis of studies evaluating the effect of rotational bed therapy shows a decrease in the risk of pneumonia but no effect on mortality. Two studies reported a lower risk of VAP in patients placed in a prone position, with no effect on mortality. Studies using radiolabeled enteral feeding solutions in mechanically ventilated patients have reported that aspiration of gastric contents occurs to a greater degree when patients are in the supine position, compared with the semirecumbent position. One study reported a lower rate of VAP in patients randomized to semi-recumbent compared to supine position. Although each of the techniques discussed in this paper has been shown to reduce the risk of VAP, none has been shown to affect mortality. The available evidence suggests that semi-recumbent position should be used routinely, rotational therapy should be considered in selected patients, and prone position should not be used as a technique to reduce the risk of VAP.

  8. Exclusion-Proneness in Borderline Personality Disorder Inpatients Impairs Alliance in Mentalization-Based Group Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Euler

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Interpersonal sensitivity, particularly threat of potential exclusion, is a critical condition in borderline personality disorder (BPD which impairs patients’ social adjustment. Current evidence-based treatments include group components, such as mentalization-based group therapy (MBT-G, in order to improve interpersonal functioning. These treatments additionally focus on the therapeutic alliance since it was discovered to be a robust predictor of treatment outcome. However, alliance is a multidimensional factor of group therapy, which includes the fellow patients, and may thus be negatively affected by the exclusion-proneness of BPD patients. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the predictive value of threat of social exclusion for the therapeutic alliance in MBT-G. In the first part of the study, social exclusion was experimentally induced in 23 BPD inpatients and 28 healthy subjects using the Cyberball paradigm, a virtual ball tossing game. The evoked level of threat was measured with the Need-Threat Scale (NTS which captures four dimensions of fundamental human needs, i.e., the need for belongingness, for self-esteem, for control, and for a meaningful existence. In the second part of the study, therapeutic alliance was measured on three dimensions, the therapists, the fellow patients and the group as a whole, using the Group-Questionnaire (GQ-D. BPD patients scored higher in their level of threat according to the NTS in both, the inclusion and the exclusion condition. The level of threat after exclusion predicted impairments of the therapeutic alliance in MBT-G. It was associated with more negative relationships, lower positive bonding and a lower positive working alliance with the fellow patients and lower positive bonding to the group as a whole whilst no negative prediction of the alliance to the therapists was found. Consequently, our translational study design has shown that Cyberball is an appropriate tool to use as an approach

  9. Skull registration for prone patient position using tracked ultrasound

    Science.gov (United States)

    Underwood, Grace; Ungi, Tamas; Baum, Zachary; Lasso, Andras; Kronreif, Gernot; Fichtinger, Gabor

    2017-03-01

    PURPOSE: Tracked navigation has become prevalent in neurosurgery. Problems with registration of a patient and a preoperative image arise when the patient is in a prone position. Surfaces accessible to optical tracking on the back of the head are unreliable for registration. We investigated the accuracy of surface-based registration using points accessible through tracked ultrasound. Using ultrasound allows access to bone surfaces that are not available through optical tracking. Tracked ultrasound could eliminate the need to work (i) under the table for registration and (ii) adjust the tracker between surgery and registration. In addition, tracked ultrasound could provide a non-invasive method in comparison to an alternative method of registration involving screw implantation. METHODS: A phantom study was performed to test the feasibility of tracked ultrasound for registration. An initial registration was performed to partially align the pre-operative computer tomography data and skull phantom. The initial registration was performed by an anatomical landmark registration. Surface points accessible by tracked ultrasound were collected and used to perform an Iterative Closest Point Algorithm. RESULTS: When the surface registration was compared to a ground truth landmark registration, the average TRE was found to be 1.6+/-0.1mm and the average distance of points off the skull surface was 0.6+/-0.1mm. CONCLUSION: The use of tracked ultrasound is feasible for registration of patients in prone position and eliminates the need to perform registration under the table. The translational component of error found was minimal. Therefore, the amount of TRE in registration is due to a rotational component of error.

  10. A prospective study to evaluate and compare laryngeal mask airway ProSeal and i-gel airway in the prone position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taxak, Susheela; Gopinath, Ajith; Saini, Savita; Bansal, Teena; Ahlawat, Mangal Singh; Bala, Manju

    2015-01-01

    Prone position is commonly used to provide surgical access to a variety of surgeries. In view of the advantages of induction of anesthesia in the prone position, we conducted a randomized study to evaluate and compare ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and i-gel in the prone position. Totally, 40 patients of either sex as per American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II, between 16 and 60 years of age, scheduled to undergo surgery in prone position were included in the study. After the patients positioned themselves prone on the operating table, anesthesia was induced by the standard technique. LMA ProSeal was used as an airway conduit in group 1 while i-gel was used in group 2. At the end of surgery, the airway device was removed in the same position. Insertion of airway device was successful in first attempt in 16, and 17 cases in ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA) and i-gel groups, respectively. A second attempt was required to secure the airway in 4 and 3 patients in PLMA and i-gel groups, respectively. The mean insertion time was 21.8 ± 2.70 s for group 1 and 13.1 ± 2.24 s for group 2, the difference being statistically significant (P position. The PLMA has a better seal while insertion is easier with i-gel.

  11. Ventilator-associated pneumonia in ARDS patients: the impact of prone positioning. A secondary analysis of the PROSEVA trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayzac, L; Girard, R; Baboi, L; Beuret, P; Rabilloud, M; Richard, J C; Guérin, C

    2016-05-01

    The goal of this study was to assess the impact of prone positioning on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and the role of VAP in mortality in a recent multicenter trial performed on patients with severe ARDS. An ancillary study of a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial on early prone positioning in patients with severe ARDS. In suspected cases of VAP the diagnosis was based on positive quantitative cultures of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or tracheal aspirate at the 10(4) and 10(7) CFU/ml thresholds, respectively. The VAP cases were then subject to central, independent adjudication. The cumulative probabilities of VAP were estimated in each position group using the Aalen-Johansen estimator and compared using Gray's test. A univariate and a multivariate Cox model was performed to assess the impact of VAP, used as a time-dependent covariate for mortality hazard during the ICU stay. In the supine and prone position groups, the incidence rate for VAP was 1.18 (0.86-1.60) and 1.54 (1.15-2.02) per 100 days of invasive mechanical ventilation (p = 0.10), respectively. The cumulative probability of VAP at 90 days was estimated at 46.5 % (27-66) in the prone group and at 33.5 % (23-44) in the supine group. The difference between the two cumulative probability curves was not statistically significant (p = 0.11). In the univariate Cox model, VAP was associated with an increase in the mortality rate during the ICU stay [HR 1.65 (1.05-2.61), p = 0.03]. HR increased to 2.2 (1.39-3.52) (p position group, age, SOFA score, McCabe score, and immunodeficiency. In severe ARDS patients prone positioning did not reduce the incidence of VAP and VAP was associated with higher mortality.

  12. Thoraco-laparoscopic esophagectomy: thoracic stage in prone position

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Bernardo Cola

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the National Cancer Institute Abdominopelvic Division (INCA / MS/HC I initial experience with thoraco-laparoscopic esophagectomy with thoracic stage in prone position. Methods: we studied 19 consecutive thoraco-laparoscopic esophagectomies from may 2012 to august 2014, including ten patients with squamous cells carcinoma (five of the middle third and five of the lower third and nine cases of gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (six Siewert I and three Siewert II. All procedures were initiated by the prone thoracic stage. Results: There were minimal blood loss, optimal mediastinal visualization, oncological radicality and no conversions. Surgical morbidity was 42 %, most being minor complications (58% Clavien I or II, with few related to the technique. The most common complication was cervical anastomotic leak (37%, with a low anastomotic stricture rate (two stenosis: 10.53%. We had one (5.3% surgical related death, due to a gastric tube`s mediastinal leak, treated by open reoperation and neck diversion. The median Intensive Care Unit stay and hospital stay were two and 12 days, respectively. The mean thoracoscopic stage duration was 77 min. Thirteen patients received neoadjuvant treatment (five squamous cells carcinoma and eight gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas. The average lymph node sample had 16.4 lymph nodes per patient and 22.67 when separately analyzing patients without neoadjuvant treatment. Conclusion: the thoraco-laparoscopic approach was a safe technique in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer, with a good lymph node sampling.

  13. The effects of prone position ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. A systematic review and metaanalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mora-Arteaga, J A; Bernal-Ramírez, O J; Rodríguez, S J

    2015-01-01

    Prone position ventilation has been shown to improve oxygenation and ventilatory mechanics in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. We evaluated whether prone ventilation reduces the risk of mortality in adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome versus supine ventilation. A metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials comparing patients in supine versus prone position was performed. A search was conducted of the Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and LILACS databases. Mortality, hospital length of stay, days of mechanical ventilation and adverse effects were evaluated. Seven randomized controlled trials (2,119 patients) were included in the analysis. The prone position showed a nonsignificant tendency to reduce mortality (OR: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.54 to 1.06; P=.11, I(2) 63%). When stratified by subgroups, a significant decrease was seen in the risk of mortality in patients ventilated with low tidal volume (OR: 0.58; 95%CI: 0.38 to 0.87; P=.009, I(2) 33%), prolonged pronation (OR: 0.6; 95%CI: 0.43 to 0.83; p=.002, I(2) 27%), start within the first 48hours of disease evolution (OR 0.49; 95%CI 0.35 to 0.68; P=.0001, I(2) 0%) and severe hypoxemia (OR: 0.51: 95%CI: 0.36 to 1.25; P=.0001, I(2) 0%). Adverse effects associated with pronation were the development of pressure ulcers and endotracheal tube obstruction. Prone position ventilation is a safe strategy and reduces mortality in patients with severely impaired oxygenation. It should be started early, for prolonged periods, and should be associated to a protective ventilation strategy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

  14. Factors among patients receiving prone positioning for the acute respiratory distress syndrome found useful for predicting mortality in the intensive care unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modrykamien, Ariel M; Daoud, Yahya

    2018-01-01

    Optimal mechanical ventilation management in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) involves the use of low tidal volumes and limited plateau pressure. Refractory hypoxemia may not respond to this strategy, requiring other interventions. The use of prone positioning in severe ARDS resulted in improvement in 28-day survival. To determine whether mechanical ventilation strategies or other parameters affected survival in patients undergoing prone positioning, a retrospective analysis was conducted of a consecutive series of patients with severe ARDS treated with prone positioning. Demographic and clinical information involving mechanical ventilation strategies, as well as other variables associated with prone positioning, was collected. The rate of in-hospital mortality was obtained, and previously described parameters were compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. Forty-three patients with severe ARDS were treated with prone positioning, and 27 (63%) died in the intensive care unit. Only three parameters were significant predictors of survival: APACHE II score ( P = 0.03), plateau pressure ( P = 0.02), and driving pressure ( P = 0.04). The ability of each of these parameters to predict mortality was assessed with receiver operating characteristic curves. The area under the curve values for APACHE II, plateau pressure, and driving pressure were 0.74, 0.69, and 0.67, respectively. In conclusion, in a group of patients with severe ARDS treated with prone positioning, only APACHE II, plateau pressure, and driving pressure were associated with mortality in the intensive care unit.

  15. Comparison of angiography, prone renography, and exercise renography for treatment planning in hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clorius, J.H.; Strauss, L.G.; Allenberg, J.; Hupp, T.; Schmidlin, P.; Irngartinger, G.

    1987-01-01

    Fifteen hypertensives with unilateral vascular stenosis had selective renal angiograms, prone-position gamma camera hippurate renograms, and upright exercise renograms. The exercise renograms were used to identify renal vasomotor dysfunction. Each procedure was assessed for its value to predict cure of hypertension. Therapy included one nephrectomy, and angioplasty, and 13 surgical revascularizations. Neither the extent of vascular lumen reduction as assessed with angiography nor the unilateral function impairment documented with a prone-position renogram contained useful prognostic data. Exercise renography correctly predicted the posttherapy blood pressure status in 14 of 15 hypertensives. Exercise renography can identify a newly recognized function response of the vasculature of the kidney, a pathologic response that shows promise in the investigation of hypertension

  16. The effect of prone positioning in acute respiratory distress syndrome or acute lung injury: a meta-analysis. Areas of uncertainty and recommendations for research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abroug, Fekri; Ouanes-Besbes, Lamia; Elatrous, Souheil; Brochard, Laurent

    2008-06-01

    To compare the effects of ventilation in prone and in supine position in patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS). Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BioMedCentral, PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase (to November 2007), with additional information from authors. From selected randomised controlled trials comparing positioning in ALI/ARDS we extracted data concerning study design, disease severity, clinical outcomes, and adverse events. Five trials including 1,372 patients met the inclusion criteria for mortality analysis; one trial was added to assess the effects on acquisition of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The included trials were significantly underpowered and enrolled patients with varying severity. Prone positioning duration and mechanical ventilation strategy were not standardised across studies. Using a fixed-effects model, we did not find a significant effect of prone positioning (proning) on mortality (odds ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.77-1.22). The PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio increased significantly more with proning (weighted means difference 25 mmHg, p VAP (p=0.09), and with no increase in major adverse airway complications: OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.71-1.43. Length of intensive care unit stay was marginally and not significantly increased by proning. Prone position is not associated with a significant reduction in mortality from ALI/ARDS despite a significant increase in PaO(2)/FiO(2), is safe, and tends to decrease VAP. Published studies exhibit substantial clinical heterogeneity, suggesting that an adequately sized study optimising the duration of proning and ventilation strategy is warranted to enable definitive conclusions to be drawn.

  17. Prospective Assessment of Optimal Individual Position (Prone Versus Supine) for Breast Radiotherapy: Volumetric and Dosimetric Correlations in 100 Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lymberis, Stella C.; Wyngaert, John Keith de; Parhar, Preeti; Chhabra, Arpit M.; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria; Chang Jengwha; Hochman, Tsivia; Guth, Amber; Roses, Daniel; Goldberg, Judith D.; Formenti, Silvia C.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Damage to heart and lung from breast radiotherapy is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and lung cancer development. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate which position is best to spare lung and heart from radiotherapy exposure. Methods and Materials: One hundred consecutive Stage 0–IIA breast cancer patients consented to participate in a research trial that required two computed tomography simulation scans for planning both supine and prone positions. The optimal position was defined as that which best covered the contoured breast and tumor bed while it minimized critical organ irradiation, as quantified by the in-field heart and lung volume. The trial was designed to plan the first 100 patients in each position to study correlations between in-field volumes of organs at risk and dose. Results: Fifty-three left and 47 right breast cancer patients were consecutively accrued to the trial. In all patients, the prone position was optimal for sparing lung volume compared to the supine setup (mean lung volume reduction was 93.5 cc for right and 103.6 cc for left breast cancer patients). In 46/53 (87%) left breast cancer patients best treated prone, in-field heart volume was reduced by a mean of 12 cc and by 1.8 cc for the other 7/53 (13%) patients best treated supine. As predicted, supine-prone differences in in-field volume and mean dose of heart and lung were highly correlated (Spearman's correlation coefficient for left breast cancer patients was 0.90 for heart and 0.94 for lung and 0.92 for right breast cancer patients for lung). Conclusions: Prone setup reduced the amount of irradiated lung in all patients and reduced the amount of heart volume irradiated in 87% of left breast cancer patients. In-field organ volume is a valid surrogate for predicting dose; the trial continued to the planned target of 400.

  18. The effect of patient position on dose in radiation therapy of liver cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Won Seok; Shin, Ryung Mi; Oh, Jeong Hun; Jeong, Geon A; Jo, Jun Young; Kim, Gi Chul; Choi, Tae Kyu; Kim, Ju Ho; Kim, Young Jae

    2014-01-01

    To analyze tumors movement and volume change from changing position in order to minimize movement caused by breathing. We conducted survey of 14 patients with HCC(Hepatocellular carcinoma). Patient immobilization device was made in two ways(Supine position, prone position) and from image acquisition, tumors movement, volume and dose are analyzed. The mean movement of target(LR, Left-right) in supine position and prone position was 2.76±1.25 mm, 2.21±0.93 mm. AP(Anterior-posterior) and SI(Superior-inferior) was 4.02±1.63 mm, 11.56±3.08 mm, and 3.36±1.17 mm, 7.45±1.96 mm. Treatment volume was decreased and normal liver volume was increased in prone position. We could reduce the margin of the treatment volume by minimizing the movement of liver caused by breathing. Especially in prone position, it is considered to be able to decrease the movement of the liver and increase normal liver volume

  19. The effect of patient position on dose in radiation therapy of liver cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jung, Won Seok; Shin, Ryung Mi; Oh, Jeong Hun; Jeong, Geon A; Jo, Jun Young; Kim, Gi Chul; Choi, Tae Kyu [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Kyunghee College Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ju Ho [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young Jae [Dept. of Radiation Technology, Daegu Health College, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-06-15

    To analyze tumors movement and volume change from changing position in order to minimize movement caused by breathing. We conducted survey of 14 patients with HCC(Hepatocellular carcinoma). Patient immobilization device was made in two ways(Supine position, prone position) and from image acquisition, tumors movement, volume and dose are analyzed. The mean movement of target(LR, Left-right) in supine position and prone position was 2.76±1.25 mm, 2.21±0.93 mm. AP(Anterior-posterior) and SI(Superior-inferior) was 4.02±1.63 mm, 11.56±3.08 mm, and 3.36±1.17 mm, 7.45±1.96 mm. Treatment volume was decreased and normal liver volume was increased in prone position. We could reduce the margin of the treatment volume by minimizing the movement of liver caused by breathing. Especially in prone position, it is considered to be able to decrease the movement of the liver and increase normal liver volume.

  20. Motion in the unstable cervical spine: comparison of manual turning and use of the Jackson table in prone positioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bearden, Brook G; Conrad, Bryan P; Horodyski, Marybeth; Rechtine, Glenn R

    2007-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare manual maneuvering with the use of a Jackson table when moving patients with cervical spine instability from the supine to the surgically appropriate prone position. The range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine of a fresh cadaver was measured. A ligamentous instability was created at the C5-6 level, and the increased ROM was confirmed. Sensors for an electromagnetic motion analysis device were fixed to the anterior portions of the C-5 and C-6 vertebral bodies (VBs) using machined polyethylene mounts and carbon fiber rods that were inserted into the VBs. The sensors were used to measure cervical flexion, lateral bending, and axial rotation during the two transfer procedures. The cadaver was then moved from the supine position on a hospital bed to the prone position for surgery. The manual technique was performed by four trained individuals who moved the cadaver from the hospital bed while rotating it 180 degrees axially onto the surgical table. In using the Jackson table, the cadaver was moved from the bed to the table in the supine position and then the Jackson table rotated the cadaver to the prone position. The two techniques were tested with and without the use of a collar and were repeated five times. Analysis of the data indicated that when moving a patient into the prone surgical position, the use of a cervical collar and the Jackson table significantly reduced the cervical motion in all angular planes compared with that of manual transfer. The use of a cervical collar and the Jackson table may reduce the possibility of further spinal cord compromise. Because manual transfers are performed routinely, this warrants further study.

  1. Cineoesophagogastroscintigraphy and positioning therapy of infant gastroesophageal reflux

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peyraud, J.; Guillet, J.; Bouix, G.; Brendel, A.J.

    1985-01-01

    During this prospective study, using cineoesophagogastroscintigraphy carried out in 27 infants under seven months of age, the positioning of the infants in the infant seat for the treatment of the gastroesophageal reflux was not detrimental in comparison to prone positioning [fr

  2. Cineoesophagogastroscintigraphy and positioning therapy of infant gastroesophageal reflux

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peyraud, J.; Guillet, J.; Bouix, G.; Brendel, A.J.

    1985-01-01

    During this prospective study, using cineoesophagogastroscintigraphy carried out in 27 infants under seven months of age, the positioning of the infants in the infant seat for the treatment of the gastroesophageal reflux was not detrimental in comparison to prone positioning.

  3. Small bowel protection in IMRT for rectal cancer. A dosimetric study on supine vs. prone position

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koeck, Julia; Kromer, Katharina; Siebenlist, Kerstin; Mai, Sabine; Fleckenstein, Jens; Wenz, Frederik [University of Heidelberg, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim (Germany); Lohr, Frank [Az. Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Unita Operativa di Radioterapia, Dipartimento di Oncologia, Modena (Italy); Baack, Tobias [GRN Clinic Weinheim, Department of Internal Medicine, Weinheim (Germany); Buettner, Sylvia [University of Heidelberg, Department of Biomathematics and Medical Statistics, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim (Germany)

    2017-07-15

    This treatment planning study analyzes dose coverage and dose to organs at risk (OAR) in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of rectal cancer and compares prone vs. supine positioning as well as the effect of dose optimization for the small bowel (SB) by additional dose constraints in the inverse planning process. Based on the CT datasets of ten male patients in both prone and supine position, a total of four different IMRT plans were created for each patient. OAR were defined as the SB, bladder, and femoral heads. In half of the plans, two additional SB cost functions were used in the inverse planning process. There was a statistically significant dose reduction for the SB in prone position of up to 41% in the high and intermediate dose region, compared with the supine position. Furthermore, the femoral heads showed a significant dose reduction in prone position in the low dose region. Regarding the additional active SB constraints, the dose in the high dose region of the SB was significantly reduced by up to 14% with the additional cost functions. There were no significant differences in the dose distribution of the planning target volume (PTV) and the bladder. Prone positioning can significantly reduce dose to the SB in IMRT for rectal cancer and therefore should not only be used in 3D conformal radiotherapy but also in IMRT of rectal cancer. Further protection of the SB can be achieved by additional dose constraints in inverse planning without jeopardizing the homogeneity of the PTV. (orig.) [German] Diese Planungsstudie analysiert die Dosisverteilung im Zielvolumen und in den Risikoorganen (''organs at risk'', OAR) bei der intensitaetsmodulierten Strahlentherapie (''intensity-modulated radiotherapy'', IMRT) des Rektumkarzinoms und vergleicht hierbei Bauch- und Rueckenlagerung sowie die Effekte der Dosisoptimierung fuer den Duenndarm (DD) durch zusaetzliche Dosiseinschraenkungen bei der inversen Planung. Anhand der

  4. A comparative study of set up variations and bowel volumes in supine versus prone positions of patients treated with external beam radiation for carcinoma rectum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajeev, K R; Menon, Smrithy S; Beena, K; Holla, Raghavendra; Kumar, R Rajaneesh; Dinesh, M

    2014-01-01

    A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of patient positioning on the set up variations to determine the planning target volume (PTV) margins and to evaluate the clinical relevance volume assessment of the small bowel (SB) within the irradiated volume. During the period of months from December 2011 to April 2012, a computed tomography (CT) scan was done either in supine position or in prone position using a belly board (BB) for 20 consecutive patients. All the patients had histologically proven rectal cancer and received either post- or pre-operative pelvic irradiation. Using a three-dimensional planning system, the dose-volume histogram for SB was defined in each axial CT slice. Total dose was 46-50 Gy (2 Gy/fraction), delivered using the 4-field box technique. The set up variation of the study group was assessed from the data received from the electronic portal imaging device in the linear accelerator. The shift along X, Y, and Z directions were noted. Both systematic and random errors were calculated and using both these values the PTV margin was calculated. The systematic errors of patients treated in the supine position were 0.87 (X-mm), 0.66 (Y-mm), 1.6 (Z-mm) and in the prone position were 1.3 (X-mm), 0.59 (Y-mm), 1.17 (Z-mm). The random errors of patients treated in the supine positions were 1.81 (X-mm), 1.73 (Y-mm), 1.83 (Z-mm) and in prone position were 2.02 (X-mm), 1.21 (Y-mm), 3.05 (Z-mm). The calculated PTV margins in the supine position were 3.45 (X-mm), 2.87 (Y-mm), 5.31 (Z-mm) and in the prone position were 4.91 (X-mm), 2.32 (Y-mm), 5.08 (Z-mm). The mean volume of the peritoneal cavity was 648.65 cm 3 in the prone position and 1197.37 cm 3 in the supine position. The prone position using BB device was more effective in reducing irradiated SB volume in rectal cancer patients. There were no significant variations in the daily set up for patients treated in both supine and prone positions.

  5. Newly formed skeletal muscle fibers are prone to false positive immunostaining by rabbit antibodies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Ditte C; Kliem, Anette; Schrøder, Henrik Daa

    2011-01-01

    rely on controls that reveal non-specific binding by the secondary antibody and neglect that the primary rabbit antibody itself may cause false positive staining of the muscle. We suggest that reliable immuno-based protein detection in newly formed muscle fibers at least requires a nonsense rabbit......Reports on muscle biology and regeneration often implicate immuno(cyto/histo)chemical protein characterization using rabbit polyclonal antibodies. In this study we demonstrate that newly formed myofibers are especially prone to false positive staining by rabbit antibodies and this unwanted staining...

  6. Evaluation of tumor invasion in gastric carcinoma with CT using water as an oral contrast agent in prone position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Jin Il; Lee, Jong Tae; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Lee, Byung Hee; Bae, Jong Yup

    1994-01-01

    To evaluate the accuracy of CT using water as an oral contrast material in a prone position in determining the depth of tumor invasion in gastric cancer patients. Thirty three patients(19 male, 14 female) with surgically confirmed gastric cancer were studied. We performed CT in a prone position after ingestion of 1 liter of pure water. CT findings were classified into 4 groups by the morphologic appearance of infiltrates in the perigastric fat plane: normal perigastric fat(S0), fine mottled densities(S1), irregular aggregated or liner densities(S2) and direct extension and invasion of tumor into contiguous structures(S3). Also we prospectively compared the CT staging with pathologic T staging according to the TNM systems. The overall accuracy of CT staging in determining the pathologic T factor was 69.6%. As we regarded T1 and T2 lesions as one group on CT, the accuracy of CT staging was increased to 80.2% because of a limitation of CT for distinguishing T1 from T2 lesions. Prone position CT using water as an oral contrast agent is quite accurate in determining the T staging of gastric carcinoma

  7. Effect of prone positioning during mechanical ventilation on mortality among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sud, Sachin; Friedrich, Jan O; Adhikari, Neill K J; Taccone, Paolo; Mancebo, Jordi; Polli, Federico; Latini, Roberto; Pesenti, Antonio; Curley, Martha A Q; Fernandez, Rafael; Chan, Ming-Cheng; Beuret, Pascal; Voggenreiter, Gregor; Sud, Maneesh; Tognoni, Gianni; Gattinoni, Luciano; Guérin, Claude

    2014-07-08

    Mechanical ventilation in the prone position is used to improve oxygenation and to mitigate the harmful effects of mechanical ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We sought to determine the effect of prone positioning on mortality among patients with ARDS receiving protective lung ventilation. We searched electronic databases and conference proceedings to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published through August 2013. We included RCTs that compared prone and supine positioning during mechanical ventilation in patients with ARDS. We assessed risk of bias and obtained data on all-cause mortality (determined at hospital discharge or, if unavailable, after longest follow-up period). We used random-effects models for the pooled analyses. We identified 11 RCTs (n=2341) that met our inclusion criteria. In the 6 trials (n=1016) that used a protective ventilation strategy with reduced tidal volumes, prone positioning significantly reduced mortality (risk ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.59-0.95; I2=29%) compared with supine positioning. The mortality benefit remained in several sensitivity analyses. The overall quality of evidence was high. The risk of bias was low in all of the trials except one, which was small. Statistical heterogeneity was low (I2mechanical ventilation improved survival among patients with ARDS who received protective lung ventilation. © 2014 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors.

  8. Prospective study of postoperative whole breast radiotherapy for Japanese large-breasted women: a clinical and dosimetric comparisons between supine and prone positions and a dose measurement using a breast phantom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Kana; Morota, Madoka; Kagami, Yoshikazu; Okamoto, Hiroyuki; Sekii, Shuhei; Inaba, Koji; Murakami, Naoya; Igaki, Hiroshi; Ito, Yoshinori; Uno, Takashi; Itami, Jun

    2016-01-01

    This prospective study aimed to compare dose volume histograms (DVH) of the breasts and organs at risk (OARs) of whole breast radiotherapy in the supine and prone positions, and frequency and severity of acute and late toxicities were analyzed. Early-stage breast cancer patients with large breasts (Japanese bra size C or larger, or the widest measurements of the bust ≥ 95 cm) undergoing partial mastectomy participated in this study. CT-based treatment plans were made in each position, and various dosimetric parameters for the breast and OARs were calculated to compare the supine and prone radiotherapy plans. The actual treatment was delivered in the position regarded as better. From 2009 to 2010, 22 patients were prospectively accrued. Median follow-up period was 58 months. The homogeneity index and lung doses were significantly lower in the prone position (P = 0.008, P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Cardiac dose showed no significant differences between two positions. By comparing two plans, the prone position was chosen in 77 % of the patients. In the prone position, ≥ grade 2 acute dermatitis were seen in 47 % of patients treated, whereas 20 % of the patients treated in the supine position had grade 2 and no cases of grade 3, although without a statistical significance of the rates of ≥ grade 2 acute dermatitis between the two positions (P = 0.28). The actual dose measurement using a breast phantom revealed significantly higher surface dose of the breast treated in the prone position than that in the supine position. Breast irradiation in the prone position improves PTV homogeneity and lowers doses to the OARs in the Japanese large-breast patients. However meticulous positioning of the breast in the prone board avoiding the bolus effect is necessary to prevent acute dermatitis

  9. Changes in cardiac index and blood pressure on positioning children prone for scoliosis surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Z E; Görges, M; Cooke, E; Malherbe, S; Dumont, G A; Ansermino, J M

    2013-07-01

    In this prospective observational study we investigated the changes in cardiac index and mean arterial pressure in children when positioned prone for scoliosis correction surgery. Thirty children (ASA 1-2, aged 13-18 years) undergoing primary, idiopathic scoliosis repair were recruited. The cardiac index and mean arterial blood pressure (median (IQR [range])) were 2.7 (2.3-3.1 [1.4-3.7]) l.min(-1).m(-2) and 73 (66-80 [54-91]) mmHg, respectively, at baseline; 2.9 (2.5-3.2 [1.7-4.4]) l.min(-1).m(-2) and 73 (63-81 [51-96]) mmHg following a 5-ml.kg(-1) fluid bolus; and 2.5 (2.2-2.7 [1.4-4.8]) l.min(-1).m(-2) and 69 (62-73 [46-85]) mmHg immediately after turning prone. Turning prone resulted in a median reduction in cardiac index of 0.5 l.min(-1).m(-2) (95% CI 0.3-0.7 l.min(-1).m(-2), p=0.001), or 18.5%, with a large degree of inter-subject variability (+10.3% to -40.9%). The changes in mean arterial blood pressure were not significant. Strategies to predict, prevent and treat decreases in cardiac index need to be developed. © 2013 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

  10. Prospective Randomized Trial of Prone Accelerated Intensity Modulated Breast Radiation Therapy With a Daily Versus Weekly Boost to the Tumor Bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, Benjamin T.; Formenti-Ujlaki, George F.; Li, Xiaochun; Shin, Samuel M.; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria; Guth, Amber; Roses, Daniel F.; Hitchen, Christine J.; Rosenstein, Barry S.; Dewyngaert, J. Keith; Goldberg, Judith D.; Formenti, Silvia C.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To report the results of a prospective randomized trial comparing a daily versus weekly boost to the tumor cavity during the course of accelerated radiation to the breast with patients in the prone position. Methods and Materials: From 2009 to 2012, 400 patients with stage 0 to II breast cancer who had undergone segmental mastectomy participated in an institutional review board–approved trial testing prone breast radiation therapy to 40.5 Gy in 15 fractions 5 d/wk to the whole breast, after randomization to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy, on Friday. The present noninferiority trial tested the primary hypothesis that a weekly boost produced no more acute toxicity than did a daily boost. The recurrence-free survival was estimated for both treatment arms using the Kaplan-Meier method; the relative risk of recurrence or death was estimated, and the 2 arms were compared using the log-rank test. Results: At a median follow-up period of 45 months, no deaths related to breast cancer had occurred. The weekly boost regimen produced no more grade ≥2 acute toxicity than did the daily boost regimen (8.1% vs 10.4%; noninferiority Z = −2.52; P=.006). No statistically significant difference was found in the cumulative incidence of long-term fibrosis or telangiectasia of grade ≥2 between the 2 arms (log-rank P=.923). Two local and two distant recurrences developed in the daily treatment arm and three local and one distant developed in the weekly arm. The 4-year recurrence-free survival rate was not different between the 2 treatment arms (98% for both arms). Conclusions: A tumor bed boost delivered either daily or weekly was tolerated similarly during accelerated prone breast radiation therapy, with excellent control of disease and comparable cosmetic results.

  11. Prospective Randomized Trial of Prone Accelerated Intensity Modulated Breast Radiation Therapy With a Daily Versus Weekly Boost to the Tumor Bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooper, Benjamin T.; Formenti-Ujlaki, George F. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Li, Xiaochun [Division of Biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Shin, Samuel M.; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Guth, Amber; Roses, Daniel F. [Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Hitchen, Christine J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Rosenstein, Barry S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (United States); Dewyngaert, J. Keith [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Goldberg, Judith D. [Division of Biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Formenti, Silvia C., E-mail: formenti@med.cornell.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States)

    2016-06-01

    Purpose: To report the results of a prospective randomized trial comparing a daily versus weekly boost to the tumor cavity during the course of accelerated radiation to the breast with patients in the prone position. Methods and Materials: From 2009 to 2012, 400 patients with stage 0 to II breast cancer who had undergone segmental mastectomy participated in an institutional review board–approved trial testing prone breast radiation therapy to 40.5 Gy in 15 fractions 5 d/wk to the whole breast, after randomization to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy, on Friday. The present noninferiority trial tested the primary hypothesis that a weekly boost produced no more acute toxicity than did a daily boost. The recurrence-free survival was estimated for both treatment arms using the Kaplan-Meier method; the relative risk of recurrence or death was estimated, and the 2 arms were compared using the log-rank test. Results: At a median follow-up period of 45 months, no deaths related to breast cancer had occurred. The weekly boost regimen produced no more grade ≥2 acute toxicity than did the daily boost regimen (8.1% vs 10.4%; noninferiority Z = −2.52; P=.006). No statistically significant difference was found in the cumulative incidence of long-term fibrosis or telangiectasia of grade ≥2 between the 2 arms (log-rank P=.923). Two local and two distant recurrences developed in the daily treatment arm and three local and one distant developed in the weekly arm. The 4-year recurrence-free survival rate was not different between the 2 treatment arms (98% for both arms). Conclusions: A tumor bed boost delivered either daily or weekly was tolerated similarly during accelerated prone breast radiation therapy, with excellent control of disease and comparable cosmetic results.

  12. Study of prone positioning to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in hypoxaemic patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mounier, R; Adrie, C; Français, A; Garrouste-Orgeas, M; Cheval, C; Allaouchiche, B; Jamali, S; Dinh-Xuan, A T; Goldgran-Toledano, D; Cohen, Y; Azoulay, E; Timsit, J-F; Ricard, J-D

    2010-04-01

    The aim of the present study was to examine whether prone positioning (PP) affects ventilator associated-pneumonia (VAP) and mortality in patients with acute lung injury/adult respiratory distress syndrome. 2,409 prospectively included patients were admitted over 9 yrs (2000-2008) to 12 French intensive care units (ICUs) (OUTCOMEREA). The patients required invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) and had arterial oxygen tension/inspiratory oxygen fraction ratios patients on the PP propensity score (+/-10%), MV duration longer than that in PP patients before the first turn prone, and centre. VAP incidence was similar in the PP and control groups (24 versus 13 episodes.1,000 patient-days MV(-1) respectively, p = 0.14). After adjustment, PP did not decrease VAP occurrence (HR 1.64 (95% CI 0.70-3.84); p = 0.25) but significantly delayed hospital mortality (HR 0.56 (95% CI 0.39-0.79); p = 0.001), without decreasing 28-day mortality (37% in both groups). Post hoc analyses indicated that PP did not protect against VAP but, when used for >1 day, might decrease mortality and benefit the sickest patients (Simplified Acute Physiology Score >50). In ICU patients with hypoxaemic acute respiratory failure, PP had no effect on the risk of VAP. PP delayed mortality without decreasing 28-day mortality. PP >1 day might decrease mortality, particularly in the sickest patients.

  13. Positive Art Therapy: Linking Positive Psychology to Art Therapy Theory, Practice, and Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Rebecca A.; Chilton, Gioia

    2013-01-01

    As a growing movement in the larger field of mental health, positive psychology has much to offer the art therapy profession, which in turn is uniquely poised to contribute to the study of optimal functioning. This article discusses the relationship of positive psychology to art therapy and its capacity to mobilize client strengths, to induce…

  14. Facilitation of Hoffmann reflexes of ankle muscles in prone but not standing positions by focal ankle-joint cooling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyung-Min; Ingersoll, Christopher D; Hertel, Jay

    2015-05-01

    Focal ankle-joint cooling (FAJC) has been shown to increase Hoffmann (H) reflex amplitudes of select leg muscles while subjects lie prone, but it is unknown whether the neurophysiological cooling effects persist in standing. To assess the effects of FAJC on H-reflexes of the soleus and fibularis longus during 3 body positions (prone, bipedal, and unipedal stances) in individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Crossover. Laboratory. 15 young adults with CAI (9 male, 6 female) and 15 healthy controls. All subjects received both FAJC and sham treatments on separate days in a randomized order. FAJC was accomplished by applying a 1.5-L plastic bag filled with crushed ice to the ankle for 20 min. Sham treatment involved room-temperature candy corn. Maximum amplitudes of H-reflexes and motor (M) waves were recorded while subjects lay prone and then stood in quiet bipedal and unipedal stances before and immediately after each treatment. Primary outcome measures were H(max):M(max) ratios for the soleus and fibularis longus. Three-factor (group × treatment condition × time) repeated-measures ANOVAs and Fisher LSD tests were performed for statistical analyses. Significant interactions of treatment condition by time for prone H(max):M(max) ratios were found in the soleus (P = .001) and fibularis longus (P = .003). In both muscles, prone H(max):M(max) ratios moderately increased after FAJC but not after sham treatment. The CAI and healthy groups responded similarly to FAJC. In contrast, there were no significant interactions or main effects in the bipedal and unipedal stances in either muscle (P > .05). FAJC moderately increased H-reflex amplitudes of the soleus and fibularis longus while subjects were prone but not during bipedal or unipedal standing. These results were not different between groups with and without CAI.

  15. Evaluation of performance of Streamlined Liner of the Pharynx Airway™, Laryngeal Mask Airway-ProSeal and endotracheal tube in prone position: A prospective, randomised study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harihar Vishwanath Hegde

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims: Airway used in prone position should be efficacious and safe. The Streamlined Liner of the Pharynx Airway (SLIPA™ and Laryngeal Mask Airway-ProSeal (PLMA provide better airway seal and protection against aspiration. We planned to evaluate the performance of SLIPA™, PLMA and endotracheal tube (ETT in prone position. Methods: 114 adult patients undergoing elective surgery in prone position under general anaesthesia were randomised into Group-T (ETT, Group-S (SLIPA™ and Group-P (PLMA. Airways were inserted in supine position and patients turned prone subsequently. Airway characteristics, ventilatory parameters and complications were noted. One-way analysis of variance, Mann–Whitney U-test and Chi-square or Fisher's exact test were used. Results: Tidal volumes, peak airway pressure and compliance were comparable at all times. Leak pressure was significantly higher (P < 0.001 in Group-T (mean leak pressure = 40 cmH2O when compared to Group-S and Group-P at all the times of recording, and there was no significant difference between Group-S and Group-P. The number of patients requiring airway/neck manipulation in prone position was significantly higher (P < 0.001 in Group-S (19 [55.9%] when the three groups were compared (none in Group-T and in comparison with Group-P (5 [14.7%], P < 0.001. On airway removal, the incidence of complications and airway reaction was significantly higher in Group-T. Group-S had a significantly higher incidence of dysphagia at 2 h postoperatively. Conclusion: ETT was most efficacious. SLIPA™ and PLMA were efficacious, safe and less stimulating to the airway during removal. More patients required SLIPA™ airway/neck manipulation.

  16. [Relationships between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological type and marital satisfaction, divorce proneness, positive affect, and conflict regulation in clinic couples].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Seong Sook

    2010-06-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological type and marital satisfaction, divorce proneness, positive affect, and conflict regulation in couple visiting a clinic. Couples (n=62) who visited "M" couple clinic participated in the study. Data were collected from March to June 2009 using the Marital Satisfaction Scale, Marital Status Inventory, Positive Affect Inventory, and Conflict Regulation Inventory. The couples showed no significant differences in marital satisfaction, positive affect, and conflict regulation according to similarities between spouses in MBTI types. However, they showed significant differences in divorce proneness of husband according to a similarity in the Sensing/Intuition indicator. They also showed significant differences in divorce proneness, positive affect, and conflict regulation between the couples for ISTJ (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging) or ESTJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging) types compared to other couples. When nurses counsel couples, they should understand that differences in psychological type between spouses affects their marital relationship. In addition, nurses should educate couples on the characteristics of each type according to the couple's types and help them to understand each other, especially for couples where one spouse is the ISTJ/ESTJ type. These interventions will improve marital satisfaction and prevent the divorce in these couples.

  17. An Analysis of Muscle Activities of Healthy Women during Pilates Exercises in a Prone Position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Bo-In; Jung, Ju-Hyeon; Shim, Jemyung; Kwon, Hae-Yeon; Kim, Haroo

    2014-01-01

    [Purpose] This study analyzed the activities of the back and hip muscles during Pilates exercises conducted in a prone position. [Subjects] The subjects were 18 healthy women volunteers who had practiced at a Pilates center for more than three months. [Methods] The subjects performed three Pilates exercises. To examine muscle activity during the exercises, 8-channel surface electromyography (Noraxon USA, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ) was used. The surface electrodes were attached to the bilateral latissimus dorsi muscle, multifidus muscle, gluteus maximus, and semitendinous muscle. Three Pilates back exercises were compared: (1) double leg kick (DLK), (2) swimming (SW), and (3) leg beat (LB). Electrical muscle activation was normalized to maximal voluntary isometric contraction. Repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to assess the differences in activation levels among the exercises. [Results] The activity of the multifidus muscle was significantly high for the SW (52.3±11.0, 50.9±9.8) and LB exercises(51.8±12.8, 48.3±13.9) and the activity of the semitendinosus muscle was higher for the LB exercise (49.2±8.7, 52.9±9.3) than for the DLK and SW exercises. [Conclusion] These results may provide basic material for when Pilates exercises are performed in a prone position and may be useful information on clinical Pilates for rehabilitation programs.

  18. The Comparison of Four Different Methods of Perioperative Eye Protection under General Anesthesia in Prone Position

    OpenAIRE

    Özlem Kocatürk; Tolga Kocatürk; Nil Kaan; Volkan Dayanır

    2012-01-01

    Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare and assess the efficacy of hypoallergen adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, artificial tear liquid gel and ocular lubricant pomade for perioperative protection of eyes under general anesthesia in prone position. Material and Method: One hundred and eighty four patients (368 eyes) undergoing general anesthesia for >90 min for spinal procedures were divided randomly into four groups. Hypoallergen adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, artificial tea...

  19. Comparison of knee flexion isokinetic deficits between seated and prone positions after ACL reconstruction with hamstrings graft: Implications for rehabilitation and return to sports decisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koutras, Georgios; Bernard, Manfred; Terzidis, Ioannis P; Papadopoulos, Pericles; Georgoulis, Anastasios; Pappas, Evangelos

    2016-07-01

    Hamstrings grafts are commonly used in ACL reconstruction, however, the effect of graft harvesting on knee flexion strength has not been longitudinally evaluated in functional positions. We hypothesized that greater deficits in knee flexion strength exist in the prone compared to the seated position and these deficits remain as rehabilitation progresses. Case series. Forty-two consecutive patients who underwent ACL reconstruction with a hamstrings graft were followed prospectively for 9 months. Isokinetic knee flexion strength at a slow and a fast speed were collected at 3, 4, 6, and 9 months in two different positions: conventional (seated) and functional (0° of hip flexion). Peak torque knee flexion deficits were higher in the prone position compared to the seated position by an average of 6.5% at 60°/s and 9.1% at 180°/s (p<0.001). Measuring knee flexion strength in prone demonstrates higher deficits than in the conventional seated position. Most athletes would not be cleared to return to sports even at 9 months after surgery with this method. Copyright © 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Changes in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness after spinal surgery in the prone position: a prospective study

    OpenAIRE

    Gencer, Baran; Cosar, Murat; Tufan, Hasan Ali; Kara, Selcuk; Arikan, Sedat; Akman, Tarik; Kiraz, Hasan Ali; Comez, Arzu Taskiran; Hanci, Volkan

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Changes in ocular perfusion play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic optic neuropathy. Ocular perfusion pressure is equal to mean arterial pressure minus intraocular pressure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the intraocular pressure and the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in patients undergoing spinal surgery in the prone position. ...

  1. SU-G-BRC-13: Model Based Classification for Optimal Position Selection for Left-Sided Breast Radiotherapy: Free Breathing, DIBH, Or Prone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, H; Liu, T; Xu, X [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (United States); Shi, C [Saint Vincent Medical Center, Bridgeport, CT (United States); Petillion, S; Kindts, I [University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant (Belgium); Tang, X [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, West Harrison, NY (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: There are clinical decision challenges to select optimal treatment positions for left-sided breast cancer patients—supine free breathing (FB), supine Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) and prone free breathing (prone). Physicians often make the decision based on experiences and trials, which might not always result optimal OAR doses. We herein propose a mathematical model to predict the lowest OAR doses among these three positions, providing a quantitative tool for corresponding clinical decision. Methods: Patients were scanned in FB, DIBH, and prone positions under an IRB approved protocol. Tangential beam plans were generated for each position, and OAR doses were calculated. The position with least OAR doses is defined as the optimal position. The following features were extracted from each scan to build the model: heart, ipsilateral lung, breast volume, in-field heart, ipsilateral lung volume, distance between heart and target, laterality of heart, and dose to heart and ipsilateral lung. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was applied to remove the co-linearity of the input data and also to lower the data dimensionality. Feature selection, another method to reduce dimensionality, was applied as a comparison. Support Vector Machine (SVM) was then used for classification. Thirtyseven patient data were acquired; up to now, five patient plans were available. K-fold cross validation was used to validate the accuracy of the classifier model with small training size. Results: The classification results and K-fold cross validation demonstrated the model is capable of predicting the optimal position for patients. The accuracy of K-fold cross validations has reached 80%. Compared to PCA, feature selection allows causal features of dose to be determined. This provides more clinical insights. Conclusion: The proposed classification system appeared to be feasible. We are generating plans for the rest of the 37 patient images, and more statistically significant

  2. SU-F-T-536: Contra-Lateral Breast Study for Prone Versus Supine Patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marrero, M; Joseph, K; Klein, E [Northwell Health, Lake Success, NY (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: There are several advantages to utilizing the prone technique for intact breast cancer patients. However, as the topography changes, accompanied by the influence of a supporting breast board and patient treatment couch, the question that arises is to whether there is a concern for contralateral breast dose for intact breast cancer patients being treated with this technique. Methods: An anthropomorphic phantom with breast mounds to duplicate intact breast cancer treatment was planned in prone and supine position. Two tangential beams were executed in the similar manner for as the radiotherapy planning system. For the prone setup, a breast dense foam board was used to support the phantom. A grid of 24 OSL nanodots was placed at 6cm, 4cm, and 2cm apart from the medial border for both prone and supine setups. The phantom was set up using megavoltage imaging and treated as per plan. Additional, a similar study was performed on a patient treated in prone position. Results: Overall, the contralateral breast dose was generally higher for prone setups at all locations especially when close to the medial border. The average mean dose was found to be 1.8%, 2.5% of the prescribed dose for supine respectively prone position. The average of the standard deviation is 1.04%, 1.38% for supine respectively prone position. As for patient treated in prone position average mean dose was found to be 1.165% of the prescribed dose and average of the standard deviation is 9.456%. Conclusion: There is minimal influence of scatter from the breast board. It appears that the volatility of the setup could lead to higher doses than expected from the planning system to the contralateral breast when the patient is in the prone position.

  3. Inhibiting HER3-mediated tumor cell growth with affibody molecules engineered to low picomolar affinity by position-directed error-prone PCR-like diversification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malm, Magdalena; Kronqvist, Nina; Lindberg, Hanna; Gudmundsdotter, Lindvi; Bass, Tarek; Frejd, Fredrik Y; Höidén-Guthenberg, Ingmarie; Varasteh, Zohreh; Orlova, Anna; Tolmachev, Vladimir; Ståhl, Stefan; Löfblom, John

    2013-01-01

    The HER3 receptor is implicated in the progression of various cancers as well as in resistance to several currently used drugs, and is hence a potential target for development of new therapies. We have previously generated Affibody molecules that inhibit heregulin-induced signaling of the HER3 pathways. The aim of this study was to improve the affinity of the binders to hopefully increase receptor inhibition efficacy and enable a high receptor-mediated uptake in tumors. We explored a novel strategy for affinity maturation of Affibody molecules that is based on alanine scanning followed by design of library diversification to mimic the result from an error-prone PCR reaction, but with full control over mutated positions and thus less biases. Using bacterial surface display and flow-cytometric sorting of the maturation library, the affinity for HER3 was improved more than 30-fold down to 21 pM. The affinity is among the higher that has been reported for Affibody molecules and we believe that the maturation strategy should be generally applicable for improvement of affinity proteins. The new binders also demonstrated an improved thermal stability as well as complete refolding after denaturation. Moreover, inhibition of ligand-induced proliferation of HER3-positive breast cancer cells was improved more than two orders of magnitude compared to the previously best-performing clone. Radiolabeled Affibody molecules showed specific targeting of a number of HER3-positive cell lines in vitro as well as targeting of HER3 in in vivo mouse models and represent promising candidates for future development of targeted therapies and diagnostics.

  4. Positional therapy in sleep apnoea - one fits all? What determines success in positional therapy in sleep apnoea syndrome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natascha Troester

    Full Text Available Positional therapy is a simple means of therapy in sleep apnoea syndrome, but due to controversial or lacking evidence, it is not widely accepted as appropriate treatment. In this study, we analysed data to positional therapy with regard to successful reduction of AHI and predictors of success.All consecutive patients undergoing polysomnography between 2007 and 2011 were analysed. We used a strict definition of positional sleep apnoea syndrome (supine-exclusive sleep apnoea syndrome and of therapy used. Patients underwent polysomnography initially and during follow-up.1275 patients were evaluated, 112 of which had supine-exclusive sleep apnoea syndrome (AHI 5-66/h, median 13/h, 105 received positional therapy. With this treatment alone 75% (70/105 reached an AHI <5/h, in the follow-up 1 year later 37% (37/105 of these still had AHI<5/h, 46% (43/105 yielded an AHI between 5 and 10/h. Nine patient switched to APAP due to deterioration, 3 wanted to try APAP due to comfort reasons. At the last follow-up, 32% patients (34/105 were still on positional therapy with AHI <5/h. BMI was a predictor for successful reduction of AHI, but success was independent of sex, the presence of obstructive versus central sleep apnoea, severity of sleep apnoea syndrome or co-morbidities.Positional therapy may be a promising therapy option for patients with positional sleep apnoea. With appropriate adherence it yields a reasonable success rate in the clinical routine.

  5. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Prone Position: A Simplified Method for Outpatients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeng Wei

    2006-05-01

    Conclusion: Our study revealed that prone CPR provides good respiratory and circulatory support at the same time. It is easy to perform and it may be a good alternative way for bystanders to perform CPR in public surroundings. We recommend that more investigators do further studies on this topic.

  6. Prostate immobilization can be achieved with patient positioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, David T.; Silverman, Larry N.; Tercilla, Oscar F.; Lutz, Stephen T.

    1995-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: With advances in 3D conformal therapy, daily variation in the position of the prostate poses increasing problems for radiation oncologists. In this study we attempt to define the optimal treatment position for patients with prostate cancer by measuring the range of movement of the prostate. Materials and Methods: Ten patients with biopsy proven adenocarcinoma of the prostate underwent prone and supine CT scans with IV and oral contrast. Foley catheters (FC) were placed in the urinary bladder, and renograffin was used to make the balloon radiopaque. AP/PA and lateral radiographs were taken for patients in the supine and prone position with either empty bladder (EB) or partially filled bladder (PFB, containing 60 cc of contrast medium). Measurements were taken from the Foley catheter (represents prostatic urethra), to the anterior rectal wall and pubic symphysis (PS). The rectal gas pattern was analyzed to evaluate the rectum-sparing effect. The false table top was not used. Results: For radiographs taken in the supine position, the FC was located 1.4 ± 0.5 cm from the PS in the case of PFB versus EB. In the prone position the variation was significantly less, with an increase in FC to PS distance of only 0.5 ± 0.3 cm for a PFB versus EB. The rectal gas pattern was also noted to vary, with a more expanded and rounded shape in the prone position. Conclusion: Most institutions treat patients with prostate cancer in the supine position. The previous rationale for treatment in the prone position has been small bowel sparing. Here, however, we show that prone treatment also minimizes the motion of the prostate. With less posterior margin required, 3D conformal treatment could be delivered with an additional 30-50% rectal sparing

  7. Comparison of effect of body position, prone or supine, on the result of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in patients with stones in the proximal ureter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zomorrodi, A.; Elahian, A.; Ghorbani, N.; Tavoosi, A.

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether positioning of patient, prone or supine, plays a significant role on the treatment of stones in the proximal ureter with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). 68 patients with proximal ureteric stones underwent ESWL. The procedure was performed in the supine position in 35 (Group1) and the prone position in 33 patients (Group2). Stone-free rates, repeat ESWL rates, shocks per patient and shocks per session were compared in both groups. The mean session number per patient was 1.93+-0.82 in Group 1 and 1.88+-0.79 in Group 2 (P=0.786). The stone free rates, three months after ESWL, were 81.8% in group 1 and 82.9% in Group 2 (P=>0.05). Thus these two parameters were similar in both groups. Also, the number of shocks per session was 3066.1 +- 346.3 in Group 1 and 3148+-621.0 in Group 2. This difference was no significant (P=0.49). Our study suggests that the treatment of proximal ureteric stones with ESWL in the prone position is a safe and effective as when the patient is placed in the supine position. (author)

  8. Sagittal Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Profiles in Upright Standing and Lying Prone Positions Among Healthy Subjects: Influence of Various Biometric Features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salem, Walid; Coomans, Ysaline; Brismée, Jean-Michel; Klein, Paul; Sobczak, Stéphane; Dugailly, Pierre-Michel

    2015-08-01

    A prospective study was performed on the assessment of both thoracic and lumbar spine sagittal profiles (from C7 to S1). To propose a new noninvasive method for measuring the spine curvatures in standing and lying prone positions and to analyze their relationship with various biometric characteristics. Modifications of spine curvatures (i.e. lordosis or kyphosis) are of importance in the development of spinal disorders. Studies have emphasized the development of new devices to measure the spine sagittal profiles using a noninvasive and low-cost method. To date, it has not been applied for analyzing both lumbar and thoracic alterations for various positioning. Seventy-five healthy subjects (mean 22.6 ± 4.3 yr) were recruited to participate in this study. Thoracic and lumbar sagittal profiles were assessed in standing and lying prone positions using a 3D digitizer. In addition, several biometric data were collected including maximal trunk isometric strength for flexion and extension movement. Statistical analysis consisted in data comparisons of spine profiles and a multivariate analysis including biometric features, to classify individuals considering low within- and high between-variability. Kyphosis and lordosis angles decreased significantly from standing to lying prone position by an average of 13.4° and 16.6°, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed a sample clustering of 3 homogenous subgroups. The first group displayed larger lordosis and flexibility, and had low data values for height, weight, and strength. The second group had lower values than the overall trend of the whole sample, whereas the third group had larger score values for the torques, height, weight, waist, body mass index, and kyphosis angle but a reduced flexibility. The present results demonstrate a significant effect of the positioning on both thoracic and lumbar spine sagittal profiles and highlight the use of cluster analysis to categorize subgroups after biometric characteristics

  9. Evidence-based nursing interventions and guidelines for prone ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Although the prone positioning of a critically ill patient poses a challenge to nursing interventions, it remains the responsibility of nurses to develop a way to provide the same basic and intensive care to those patients lying prone as to those lying supine. The purpose of this study was firstly to conduct a systematic review of ...

  10. The retrorenal colon in the supine and prone patient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopper, K.D.; Sherman, J.L.; Luethke, J.M.; Ghaed, N.

    1986-01-01

    Ninety patients underwent CT in both supine and prone positions so that the orientation of the retroperitoneal colon about the kidneys could be determined. Particular attention was given to bowel found posterior to the kidneys, the so-called retrorenal colon. The frequency of retrorenal colon increased from 1.9% on supine studies to 10.7% on prone studies. Since most invasive renal procedures performed with the patient prone would miss retrorenal colon located behind the lateral one third of the kidney, the data were reevaluated, excluding these patients. The resulting frequency of significant retrorenal colon found on prone studies was 4.7%. Significant retrorenal colon was found exclusively at the level of the lower renal poles, and the involved colon in these patients was extensively distended with gas. Particular attention should be given, under fluoroscopic guidance, to detecting this unusual posteriorly positioned, air-filled colon before one undertakes any invasive renal procedure

  11. Supine Versus Prone Position During Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Report from the Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Global Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    G. Vadivia, José; M. Scarpa, Roberto; Duvdevani, Mordechai

    2011-01-01

    To determine differences in patients' characteristics, operative time and procedures, and perioperative outcomes between prone and supine positioning in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) using the Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society (CROES) PCNL Global Study database....

  12. Alternated Prone and Supine Whole-Breast Irradiation Using IMRT: Setup Precision, Respiratory Movement and Treatment Time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veldeman, Liv; De Gersem, Werner; Speleers, Bruno; Truyens, Bart; Van Greveling, Annick; Van den Broecke, Rudy; De Neve, Wilfried

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare setup precision, respiration-related breast movement and treatment time between prone and supine positions for whole-breast irradiation. Methods and Materials: Ten patients with early-stage breast carcinoma after breast-conserving surgery were treated with prone and supine whole breast-irradiation in a daily alternating schedule. Setup precision was monitored using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. Respiration-related breast movement in the vertical direction was assessed by magnetic sensors. The time needed for patient setup and for the CBCT procedure, the beam time, and the length of the whole treatment slot were also recorded. Results: Random and systematic errors were not significantly different between positions in individual patients for each of the three axes (left-right, longitudinal, and vertical). Respiration-related movement was smaller in prone position, but about 80% of observations showed amplitudes <1 mm in both positions. Treatment slots were longer in prone position (21.2 ± 2.5 min) than in supine position (19.4 ± 0.8 min; p = 0.044). Conclusion: Comparison of setup precision between prone and supine position in the same patient showed no significant differences in random and systematic errors. Respiratory movement was smaller in prone position. The longer treatment slots in prone position can probably be attributed to the higher repositioning need.

  13. The clinical application of head-ring type posture pad used for prone position in performing the placement of central venous catheter in patients with tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Meiqian; Wang Chunmei; Chen Feiyin; Zhang Lubing

    2011-01-01

    Objective: to observe the effectiveness of head-ring type posture pad used for prone position in performing the procedure of peripheral insertion of central catheter (PICC) via the dorsal forearm vein in patients with neoplasm. Methods: A total of 80 consecutive tumor patients were randomly divided into two groups. PICC was carried out in all patients in prone position. In control group (n=38) PICC was performed with patient's head inclining to one side, while in study group (n=42) PICC was performed with the help of head-ring type pad to keep the patient in comfortable posture. The comfortableness, breathing rhythm, transcutaneous oxygen saturation and the change of heart rate during the procedure were observed. The results were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results: The results is study group were much better than those in control group. Statistically significant difference in the comfortableness, breathing rhythm, transcutaneous oxygen saturation and heart rate existed between the two groups. Conclusion: The head-ring type posture pad used for prone position can make the patients more comfortable in performing peripheral insertion of central venous catheter via the dorsal forearm vein. (authors)

  14. [Care plan for patients in prone decubitus. An experience from practice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliva Torras, E; Subirana Casacuberta, M; Sebastià, M P; Jover Sancho, C; Solà Solé, N

    1995-01-01

    Offering a specific integral attention to patients with SDRA in prone decubitus positions makes us establish a performance plan with the aim to know the problems derived from the change in position, the time staying in prone decubitus and to standardize a care plan. We review the clinic records of the patients admitted in our unit from March '93 to March '95 who were positioned in prone decubitus. Taking as a base the nursing care model of V. Henderson and the taxonomy of NANDA, we analyse the needs which have been altered, and determine the nursing diagnosis, complications and most frequent interdependent problems establishing the aim to accomplish, planning the performance and rationalization. Five patients were positioned in prone decubitus before planning the performance and four more afterwards. All the patients tolerated SNG diet keeping a correct bowel transit. One patient showed an ulcera at frontal level. There were neither comeal ulceras nor alterations in the oral mucossa. The vascular accesses remained permeable. DP caused facial and periorbital edema in all the patients. We did not observe any increase in the amount of bronchial secretions. The eight patients who tolerated the change in position stayed in prone decubitus for an average of 77 hours, with a range of 10 to 216 hours. Four patients were discharged from the hospital, two of whom showed movility alterations, independently of the time staying in prone decubitus. We state explicitly the nursing care, determine five nursing diagnosis, one problem and seven interdependent complications. Establishing the nursing care from the experience and review of the records has allowed us to be more specific and objective. Standardizing the specific care plans makes the nursing care easier when dealing with real problems as well as with the care of complications derived from this situation.

  15. The relation between gastro-oesophageal reflux, sleeping-position and sudden infant death and its impact on positional therapy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vandenplas, Y.; Belli, D. C.; Dupont, C.; Kneepkens, C. M.; Heymans, H. S.

    1997-01-01

    Many infants do regurgitate. The recommended therapeutic approach starts with postural and dietary measures, followed by antacids and prokinetics. However, the recent findings regarding the increased risk for sudden infant death (SID) in the prone sleeping position challenge the current

  16. Modified supine versus prone percutaneous nephrolithotomy: Surgical outcomes from a tertiary teaching hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madeleine Nina Jones

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The traditional prone positioning of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL is associated with various anesthetic and logistic difficulties. We aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of PCNLs performed using our modified supine position with those performed in the standard prone position. Materials and Methods: A prospective group of 236 renal units (224 patients undergoing PCNL were included in this 2 site study: 160 were performed in the modified supine position were compared with 76 undergoing PCNL in the prone position. The outcomes of radiation dose, radiation time, stone free rate, body mass index (BMI, stone size, operative time, length of stay (LOS, in hospital and complications were compared. Chi-square and t-tests were used. Results: There were no significant differences in mean radiation time, radiation dose or stone size between the modified supine and prone groups. The supine group had a higher mean BMI (31 kg/m2 vs. 28 kg/m2 , p=0.03, shorter mean surgical time (93 minutes vs. 123 minutes, p<0.001, shorter mean LOS (2 days vs. 3 days, p=0.005 and higher stone free rate (70% vs. 50%, p=0.005. There were no differences in septic or bleeding complications but the prone group had a higher rate of overall complications. Conclusions: Modified supine PCNL has significantly lower operative time, shorter LOS and higher stone-free rate compared with prone in our series, while remaining a safe procedure.

  17. Evaluation of the improvement of the double-contrast radiographic image quality in the prone position brought about by the use of a decision tree in the screening examination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamada, Yasuji; Nakamura, Syunichi; Ohno, Ryuichi; Azuma, Hiroshi; Fujinaga, Akira; Nagai, Makoto

    2009-01-01

    We designed a decision tree in order to improve the double-contrast radiographic image quality in the prone position and compensate for the disparity of technique among radiological technologists. We evaluated 391 consecutive individuals who underwent medical checkups at our hospital. Three decision trees, id est (i.e.), Tree 1, Tree 2 and Tree 3, were constructed based on the axis and contortion of the stomach with the use of a prone filling image, and then the insertion site of compression pillow was altered. The image quality at the gastric angulus, the gastric body and the antrum was evaluated based on our original numeric scale, and was compared between the previous method and the present method which employs a decision tree. The image quality improved more significantly in the present method employing a decision tree compared with the previous method, for each decision tree: from 90 points to 100 points for Tree 1, from 70 points to 95 points for Tree 2, and from 39.5 points for 85.7 points in Tree 3. These results indicate that our original procedure employing a decision tree improves the radiographic image quality in the prone position and compensates for the disparity of technique among radiological technologists. Therefore, the present method may be expected to serve as the standard procedure of double-contrast radiography in the prone position. (author)

  18. Vocational interests and career indecision among psychosis-prone college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poreh, A M; Schullen, C

    1998-10-01

    This study investigated the relationship between scores on scales that purport to measure psychosis-proneness and scores on vocational interests, identity, and differentiation scales in a sample of 233 college students who completed the Perceptual Aberration and Magical Ideation scales, the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory, and the Career Decision Scale. The present findings are consistent with prior work indicating a sex-related association of scores on measures of psychosis-proneness and vocational interests. A positive correlation between scores on vocational indecision and measures of psychosis-proneness was also found, suggesting that both men and women who score high on psychosis-proneness find it difficult to formulate long-term career goals. Finally, there was no significant correlation between scores on measures of psychosis-proneness and Holland's Vocational Differentiation Index. Present results are discussed in light of previously reported sex differences among psychosis-prone adults and diagnosed schizophrenics. The implications of the findings for vocational counselors are also addressed.

  19. The Influence Of Personal & Psychological Factors On Prone-Ness ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    efficacy and achievement striving behaviour on prone-ness of athletes in Ogun State to abuse drugs. Descriptive survey design was adopted. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 304 participants. The age range of participants ...

  20. Alternated prone and supine whole-breast irradiation using IMRT: setup precision, respiratory movement and treatment time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veldeman, Liv; De Gersem, Werner; Speleers, Bruno; Truyens, Bart; Van Greveling, Annick; Van den Broecke, Rudy; De Neve, Wilfried

    2012-04-01

    The objective of this study was to compare setup precision, respiration-related breast movement and treatment time between prone and supine positions for whole-breast irradiation. Ten patients with early-stage breast carcinoma after breast-conserving surgery were treated with prone and supine whole breast-irradiation in a daily alternating schedule. Setup precision was monitored using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. Respiration-related breast movement in the vertical direction was assessed by magnetic sensors. The time needed for patient setup and for the CBCT procedure, the beam time, and the length of the whole treatment slot were also recorded. Random and systematic errors were not significantly different between positions in individual patients for each of the three axes (left-right, longitudinal, and vertical). Respiration-related movement was smaller in prone position, but about 80% of observations showed amplitudes movement was smaller in prone position. The longer treatment slots in prone position can probably be attributed to the higher repositioning need. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Individual Differences in Emotion Regulation, Childhood Trauma and Proneness to Shame and Guilt in Adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szentágotai-Tătar, Aurora; Miu, Andrei C

    2016-01-01

    Dispositional shame and guilt have been associated with psychopathology and an increasing number of studies have traced this relation back to adolescence. This developmental period is thought to be characterized by maturational changes in emotion regulation, which also play an important role in vulnerability to psychopathology, but little is known about the links between emotion regulation and dispositional shame and guilt. The current study investigated the relations between individual differences in the habitual use of a wide range of emotion regulation strategies and proneness to shame and guilt in a large sample of adolescents (N = 706), aged 13 to 17 years. History of childhood trauma was also assessed. Our results showed that emotion regulation independently explained about 20% of the variance of shame-proneness and guilt-proneness. Higher use of maladaptive (e.g., Self-Blaming, Catastrophizing) and lower use of adaptive (e.g., Refocus on Planning, Positive Reappraisal) emotion regulation strategies were positively associated with shame-proneness. In contrast, lower use of maladaptive (e.g., Catastrophizing, Blaming Others) and higher use of adaptive (e.g., Refocus on Planning, Positive Reappraisal) emotion regulation strategies were associated with guilt-proneness, independent of the influence of childhood trauma, which also explained a relatively minor portion of guilt-proneness. Although there were age differences (i.e., rumination was used more by older adolescents) and sex differences (i.e., girls reported higher use of Putting into Perspective and lower use of Other Blaming compared to boys) in emotion regulation, age and sex were not significantly associated with proneness to shame and guilt. The positive relations with maladaptive emotion regulation underscore the dysfunctional nature of shame-proneness. Future studies could use longitudinal measures to establish that emotion regulation drives dispositional shame and guilt, and also investigate

  2. Comparison of prone versus supine 18F-FDG-PET of locally advanced breast cancer: Phantom and preliminary clinical studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Jason M.; Rani, Sudheer D.; Li, Xia; Whisenant, Jennifer G.; Abramson, Richard G.; Arlinghaus, Lori R.; Lee, Tzu-Cheng; MacDonald, Lawrence R.; Partridge, Savannah C.; Kang, Hakmook; Linden, Hannah M.; Kinahan, Paul E.; Yankeelov, Thomas E.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated how imaging of the breast with patients lying prone using a supportive positioning device markedly facilitates longitudinal and/or multimodal image registration. In this contribution, the authors’ primary objective was to determine if there are differences in the standardized uptake value (SUV) derived from [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in breast tumors imaged in the standard supine position and in the prone position using a specialized positioning device. Methods: A custom positioning device was constructed to allow for breast scanning in the prone position. Rigid and nonrigid phantom studies evaluated differences in prone and supine PET. Clinical studies comprised 18F-FDG-PET of 34 patients with locally advanced breast cancer imaged in the prone position (with the custom support) followed by imaging in the supine position (without the support). Mean and maximum values (SUV peak and SUV max , respectively) were obtained from tumor regions-of-interest for both positions. Prone and supine SUV were linearly corrected to account for the differences in 18F-FDG uptake time. Correlation, Bland–Altman, and nonparametric analyses were performed on uptake time-corrected and uncorrected data. Results: SUV from the rigid PET breast phantom imaged in the prone position with the support device was 1.9% lower than without the support device. In the nonrigid PET breast phantom, prone SUV with the support device was 5.0% lower than supine SUV without the support device. In patients, the median (range) difference in uptake time between prone and supine scans was 16.4 min (13.4–30.9 min), which was significantly—but not completely—reduced by the linear correction method. SUV peak and SUV max from prone versus supine scans were highly correlated, with concordance correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.90, respectively. Prone SUV peak and SUV max were significantly lower than supine in both

  3. A randomised trial of Supine versus Prone breast radiotherapy (SuPr study): Comparing set-up errors and respiratory motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirby, Anna M.; Evans, Philip M.; Helyer, Sarah J.; Donovan, Ellen M.; Convery, Helen M.; Yarnold, John R.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To test a prone position against the international-standard supine position in women undergoing whole-breast-radiotherapy (WBRT) after wide-local-excision (WLE) of early breast cancer (BC) in terms of feasibility, set-up errors, and respiratory motion. Methods: Following WLE of BC with insertion of tumour-bed clips, patients underwent 4D-CT for WBRT-planning in supine and prone positions (the latter using an in-house-designed platform). Patients were randomised to undergo WBRT fractions 1-7 in one position, switching to the alternate position for fractions 8-15 (40 Gy/15-fractions total). Cone-beam CT-images (CBCT) were acquired prior to fractions 1, 4, 7, 8, 11 and 14. CBCT data were matched to planning-CT data using (i) chest-wall and (ii) clips. Systematic and random errors were calculated. Maximal displacement of chest-wall and clips with respiration was measured on 4D-CT. Clinical- to planning-target-volume (CTV-PTV) margins were calculated. Patient-comfort-scores and treatment-times were evaluated. Results: Twenty-five patients were randomized. 192/192 (100%) planned supine fractions and 173/192 (90%) prone fractions were completed. 3D population systematic errors were 1.3-1.9 mm (supine) and 3.1-4.3 mm (prone) (p = 0.02) and random errors 2.6-3.2 mm (supine) and 3.8-5.4 mm (prone) (p = 0.02). Prone positioning reduced chest-wall and clip motion (0.5 ± 0.2 mm (prone) versus 2.7 ± 0.5 mm (supine) (p < 0.001)) with respiration. Calculated CTV-PTV margins were greater for prone (12-16 mm) than for supine treatment (10 mm). Patient-comfort-scores and treatment times were comparable (p = 0.06). Conclusions: Set-up errors were greater using our prone technique than for our standard supine technique, resulting in the need for larger CTV-PTV margins in the prone position. Further work is required to optimize the prone treatment-platform and technique before it can become a standard treatment option at our institution.

  4. Comparison of Radiation Treatment Plans for Breast Cancer between 3D Conformal in Prone and Supine Positions in Contrast to VMAT and IMRT Supine Positions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bejarano Buele, Ana Isabel

    The treatment regimen for breast cancer patients typically involves Whole Breast Irradiation (WBI). The coverage and extent of the radiation treatment is dictated by location of tumor mass, breast tissue distribution, involvement of lymph nodes, and other factors. The current standard treatment approach used at our institution is a 3D tangential beam geometry, which involves two fields irradiating the breast, or a four field beam arrangement covering the whole breast and involved nodes, while decreasing the dose to organs as risk (OARs) such as the lung and heart. The coverage of these targets can be difficult to achieve in patients with unfavorable thoracic geometries, especially in those cases in which the planning target volume (PTV) is extended to the chest wall. It is a well-known fact that exposure of the heart to ionizing radiation has been proved to increase the subsequent rate of ischemic heart disease. In these cases, inverse planned treatments have become a proven alternative to the 3D approach. The goal of this research project is to evaluate the factors that affect our current techniques as well as to adapt the development of inverse modulated techniques for our clinic, in which breast cancer patients are one of the largest populations treated. For this purpose, a dosimetric comparison along with the evaluation of immobilization devices was necessary. Radiation treatment plans were designed and dosimetrically compared for 5 patients in both, supine and prone positions. For 8 patients, VMAT and IMRT plans were created and evaluated in the supine position. Skin flash incorporation for inverse modulated plans required measurement of the surface dose as well as an evaluation of breast volume changes during a treatment course. It was found that prone 3D conformal plans as well as the VMAT and IMRT plans are generally superior in sparing OARs to supine plans with comparable PTV coverage. Prone setup leads to larger shifts in breast volume as well as in

  5. Statistical Study on Respiratory Stability Through RPM Signal Analysis according to Patient Position Under Radiation Therapy and Device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Myung Hwan; Seo, Jeong Min; Choi, Byeong Gi; Shin, Eun Hyeok; Song, Gi Won

    2011-01-01

    This study statistically analyzed the difference of the stability of maintaining a respiratory period shown according to position and use of a device to search the tendency and usefulness of a device. The study obtained respiratory signals which maintained a respiratory period for 20 minutes each supine and prone position for 11 subjects. The study obtained respiratory signals in a state of using a belly board for 7 patients in a bad condition of a respiratory period in a prone position to analyze a change in respiration and the stability before and after the use of a device. The supine part showed 54.5%, better than the prone part of 36.4% in a case that the stability for maintaining a respiratory period was in a good condition as a fixed respiratory period was well maintained according to the position. 6 patients (85%) showed a maintenance pattern of a respiratory period significantly different before the use and 4 patients showed a significantly good change in the stability for maintaining a respiratory period as a result that belly boards were used for 7 patients that the maintenance of a respiratory period was not in a good condition on a prone position. It seemed that this study could contribute to the maintenance of respiratory period and of respiratory stability as the optimal position for maintenance of respiration and the use of a device such as a belly board were decided through statistic analysis of respiratory signals and its application even if patient position and use of device were decided by the beam arrangement a treatment part of a patient, location of a target, and an expected plan.

  6. Comparison of prone versus supine 18F-FDG-PET of locally advanced breast cancer: Phantom and preliminary clinical studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Jason M.; Rani, Sudheer D.; Li, Xia; Whisenant, Jennifer G.; Abramson, Richard G. [Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 and Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 (United States); Arlinghaus, Lori R. [Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 (United States); Lee, Tzu-Cheng [Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); MacDonald, Lawrence R.; Partridge, Savannah C. [Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); Kang, Hakmook [Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 and Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 (United States); Linden, Hannah M. [Department of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); Kinahan, Paul E. [Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States); Yankeelov, Thomas E., E-mail: thomas.yankeelov@vanderbilt.edu [Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 (United States); Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 (United States); Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 (United States); Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 (United States)

    2015-07-15

    Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated how imaging of the breast with patients lying prone using a supportive positioning device markedly facilitates longitudinal and/or multimodal image registration. In this contribution, the authors’ primary objective was to determine if there are differences in the standardized uptake value (SUV) derived from [{sup 18}F]fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in breast tumors imaged in the standard supine position and in the prone position using a specialized positioning device. Methods: A custom positioning device was constructed to allow for breast scanning in the prone position. Rigid and nonrigid phantom studies evaluated differences in prone and supine PET. Clinical studies comprised 18F-FDG-PET of 34 patients with locally advanced breast cancer imaged in the prone position (with the custom support) followed by imaging in the supine position (without the support). Mean and maximum values (SUV{sub peak} and SUV{sub max}, respectively) were obtained from tumor regions-of-interest for both positions. Prone and supine SUV were linearly corrected to account for the differences in 18F-FDG uptake time. Correlation, Bland–Altman, and nonparametric analyses were performed on uptake time-corrected and uncorrected data. Results: SUV from the rigid PET breast phantom imaged in the prone position with the support device was 1.9% lower than without the support device. In the nonrigid PET breast phantom, prone SUV with the support device was 5.0% lower than supine SUV without the support device. In patients, the median (range) difference in uptake time between prone and supine scans was 16.4 min (13.4–30.9 min), which was significantly—but not completely—reduced by the linear correction method. SUV{sub peak} and SUV{sub max} from prone versus supine scans were highly correlated, with concordance correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.90, respectively. Prone SUV{sub peak} and SUV{sub max} were

  7. Does prone repositioning before posterior fixation produce greater lordosis in lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF)?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yson, Sharon C; Sembrano, Jonathan N; Santos, Edward R G; Luna, Jeffrey T P; Polly, David W

    2014-10-01

    Retrospective comparative radiographic review. To determine if lateral to prone repositioning before posterior fixation confers additional operative level lordosis in lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) procedures. In a review of 56 consecutive patients who underwent LLIF, there was no statistically significant change in segmental lordosis from lateral to prone once a cage is in place. The greatest lordosis increase was observed after cage insertion. We reviewed 56 consecutive patients who underwent LLIF in the lateral position followed by posterior fixation in the prone position. Eighty-eight levels were fused. Disk space angle was measured on intraoperative C-arm images, and change in operative level segmental lordosis brought about by each of the following was determined: (1) cage insertion, (2) prone repositioning, and (3) posterior instrumentation. Paired t test was used to determine significance (α=0.05). Mean lordosis improvement brought about by cage insertion was 2.6 degrees (P=0.00005). There was a 0.1 degree mean lordosis change brought about by lateral to prone positioning (P=0.47). Mean lordosis improvement brought about by posterior fixation, including rod compression, was 1.0 degree (P=0.03). In LLIF procedures, the largest increase in operative level segmental lordosis is brought about by cage insertion. Further lordosis may be gained by placing posterior fixation, including compressive maneuvers. Prone repositioning after cage placement does not produce any incremental lordosis change. Therefore, posterior fixation may be performed in the lateral position without compromising operative level sagittal alignment.

  8. Procrastination and suicide proneness: A moderated-mediation model for cognitive schemas and gender.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klibert, Jeffrey; LeLeux-LaBarge, Kayla; Tarantino, Nicholas; Yancey, Thresa; Lamis, Dorian A

    2016-07-01

    This study examined the direct and indirect paths between procrastination and suicide proneness while considering gender differences. Participants included 547 undergraduates from a southeastern university. Procrastination was positively related to suicide proneness for both genders, although this relation was stronger for women. Moderated-mediation analyses with bootstrapping highlighted insufficient self-control schemas as a mediator in the relation between procrastination and suicide proneness. However, indirect pathways did not vary by gender. Results represent an extension of the Procrastination-Health Model by highlighting the contribution of cognitive factors in explaining the relation between procrastination and suicide proneness.

  9. Shame and Guilt-Proneness in Adolescents: Gene-Environment Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szentágotai-Tătar, Aurora; Chiș, Adina; Vulturar, Romana; Dobrean, Anca; Cândea, Diana Mirela; Miu, Andrei C

    2015-01-01

    Rooted in people's preoccupation with how they are perceived and evaluated, shame and guilt are self-conscious emotions that play adaptive roles in social behavior, but can also contribute to psychopathology when dysregulated. Shame and guilt-proneness develop during childhood and adolescence, and are influenced by genetic and environmental factors that are little known to date. This study investigated the effects of early traumatic events and functional polymorphisms in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and the serotonin transporter gene promoter (5-HTTLPR) on shame and guilt in adolescents. A sample of N = 271 healthy adolescents between 14 and 17 years of age filled in measures of early traumatic events and proneness to shame and guilt, and were genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms. Results of moderator analyses indicated that trauma intensity was positively associated with guilt-proneness only in carriers of the low-expressing Met allele of BDNF Val66Met. This is the first study that identifies a gene-environment interaction that significantly contributes to guilt proneness in adolescents, with potential implications for developmental psychopathology.

  10. EFFECT OF POSTURAL DRAINAGE POSITIONS ON VITAL PARAMETERS IN ASYMPTOMATIC HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Animesh Hazari

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Postural drainage is used exclusively or in combination with other airway clearance techniques in the management of chronic pulmonary diseases. Postural drainage therapy helps to prevent accumulation of secretions in patients who are at high risk for pulmonary complications. It also helps to remove accumulated secretions from the lungs.The role of body positioning on lung function and the clinical implications of postural drainage has been identified in a variety of settings including intensive care units. There is dearth in literature on effects on postural drainage on vital parameters. Thus the objective of the study was to measure the vital parameters at different postural drainage positions in healthy asymptomatic adults. Methods: Twenty healthy subjects participated in the study. The instruments used in the current study included a Pulse oximeter, Sphygmomanometer, Stethoscope, Postural drainage table.The outcome measures of interest were heart rate, respiratoryrate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and Borg’s scale of rate of perceived exertion. The changes in the vital signs were recorded at different head down titling position of 0°, 15° & 30° in both supine and prone lying positions Results: Statistical significant difference was found for Systolic Blood Pressure in prone lying at different degrees of tilt (p=0.001 and Diastolic Blood Pressure in prone lying (p=0.000. Conclusion: Postural drainage positioning should be given with caution and under proper monitoring as there is a risk of change in the blood pressure even in asymptomatic elderly population. The monitoring of vital signs should be done during the therapy to decrease the risk of complications.

  11. [Lymphadenectomy performed along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve after anterior detachment of the esophagus via thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position under artificial pneumothorax].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Shinichi; Ohshima, Hisami; Katsumori, Takashi; Hamaguchi, Hiromitsu; Tsukamoto, Yukika; Iwanaga, Tomohiro

    2014-11-01

    Thoracoscopic esophagectomy was performed in the prone position under artificial pneumothorax and did not affect the surgical area during lung ventilation; tracheal mobility was also improved. Lymphadenectomy around the left recurrent laryngeal nerve was performed by separating the left main bronchus and trachea between the esophagus and pericardium before detaching the dorsal side of the esophagus.

  12. Attitudes Toward Divorce, Commitment, and Divorce Proneness in First Marriages and Remarriages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitton, Sarah W.; Stanley, Scott M.; Markman, Howard J.; Johnson, Christine A.

    2012-01-01

    A random multistate sample of married individuals (N = 1,931) was used to explore whether more positive attitudes toward divorce and weaker commitment to marriage may contribute to the greater instability of remarriages than first marriages. Remarried adults, whether or not they brought children from a previous union into the remarriage, reported marital quality (happiness and conflict) equal to those in first marriages. They also reported more positive attitudes toward divorce, which were associated with higher divorce proneness (i.e., thinking about and taking actions toward divorce). Marriage type interacted with marital quality to predict divorce proneness, such that the association between low marital quality and divorce proneness was stronger for remarried individuals than for those in first marriages. This suggests that remarried adults may be more likely than adults in first marriages to take steps toward divorce when experiencing marital distress, possibly reflecting a weaker commitment to marriage. PMID:23630405

  13. Attitudes Toward Divorce, Commitment, and Divorce Proneness in First Marriages and Remarriages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitton, Sarah W; Stanley, Scott M; Markman, Howard J; Johnson, Christine A

    2013-04-01

    A random multistate sample of married individuals ( N = 1,931) was used to explore whether more positive attitudes toward divorce and weaker commitment to marriage may contribute to the greater instability of remarriages than first marriages. Remarried adults, whether or not they brought children from a previous union into the remarriage, reported marital quality (happiness and conflict) equal to those in first marriages. They also reported more positive attitudes toward divorce, which were associated with higher divorce proneness (i.e., thinking about and taking actions toward divorce). Marriage type interacted with marital quality to predict divorce proneness, such that the association between low marital quality and divorce proneness was stronger for remarried individuals than for those in first marriages. This suggests that remarried adults may be more likely than adults in first marriages to take steps toward divorce when experiencing marital distress, possibly reflecting a weaker commitment to marriage.

  14. Assessment of the effective dose in supine, prone, and oblique positions in the maxillofacial region using a novel combined extremity and maxillofacial cone beam computed tomography scanner

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koivisto, J.; Wolff, J.; Järnstedt, J.; Dastidar, P.; Kortesniemi, M.

    2014-01-01

    Objective The objectives of this study were to assess the organ and effective doses (International Commission on Radiological Protection [ICRP] 103 standard) resulting from supine, prone, and oblique phantom positions in the maxillofacial region using a novel cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)

  15. Precise positioning of patients for radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verhey, L.J.; Goitein, M.; McNulty, P.; Munzenrider, J.E.; Suit, H.D.

    1982-01-01

    A number of immobilization schemes which permit precise daily positioning of patients for radiation therapy are discussed. Pretreatment and post-treatment radiographs have been taken with the patient in the treatment position and analyzed to determine the amount of intratreatment movement. Studies of patients in the supine, seated and decubitus positions indicate mean movements of less than 1 mm with a standard deviation of less than 1 mm. Patients immobilized in the seated position with a bite block and a mask have a mean movement of about 0.5 mm +/- 0.3 mm (s.d.), and patients immobilized in the supine position with their necks hyperextended for submental therapy evidence a mean movement of about 1.4 mm +/- 0.9 mm (s.d.). With the exception of those used for the decubitus position, the immobilization devices are simply fabricated out of thermoplastic casting materials readily available from orthopedic supply houses. A study of day-to-day reproducibility of patient position using laser alignment and pretreatment radiographs for final verification of position indicates that the initial laser alignment can be used to position a patient within 2.2 mm +/- 1.4 mm (s.d.) of the intended position. These results indicate that rigid immobilization devices can improve the precision of radiotherapy, which would be advantageous with respect to both tumor and normal tissue coverage in certain situations

  16. When feeling bad leads to feeling good: guilt-proneness and affective organizational commitment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, Francis J; Schaumberg, Rebecca L

    2012-01-01

    The authors posit that higher levels of guilt-proneness are associated with higher levels of affective organizational commitment. To explain this counterintuitive link, the authors suggest that a dispositional tendency to feel guilt motivates individuals to exert greater effort on their work-related tasks that, in turn, strengthens their affinity for the organization. The authors tested this idea using a laboratory study and field data from 2 samples of working adults. Individuals who are more guilt-prone reported higher levels of organizational attachment compared with less guilt-prone individuals. Furthermore, mediation analyses indicate that the link between guilt-proneness and affective commitment is driven by greater task effort. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the affective drivers of commitment in organizations.

  17. Shame-proneness in attempted suicide patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wiklander Maria

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been suggested that shame may be an important feature in suicidal behaviors. The disposition to react with shame, “shame-proneness”, has previously not been investigated in groups of attempted suicide patients. We examined shame-proneness in two groups of attempted suicide patients, one group of non-suicidal patients and one group of healthy controls. We hypothesized that the attempted suicide patients would be more shame-prone than non-suicidal patients and healthy controls. Methods The Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA, which is the most used measure of shame-proneness, was completed by attempted suicide patients (n = 175: 105 women and 3 men with borderline personality disorder [BPD], 45 women and 22 men without BPD, non-suicidal psychiatric patients (n = 162, and healthy controls (n = 161. The participants were convenience samples, with patients from three clinical research projects and healthy controls from a fourth research project. The relationship between shame-proneness and attempted suicide was studied with group comparisons and multiple regressions. Men and women were analyzed separately. Results Women were generally more shame-prone than men of the same participant group. Female suicide attempters with BPD were significantly more shame-prone than both female suicide attempters without BPD and female non-suicidal patients and controls. Male suicide attempters without BPD were significantly less shame-prone than non-suicidal male patients. In multiple regressions, shame-proneness was predicted by level of depression and BPD (but not by attempted suicide in female patients, and level of depression and non-suicidality in male patients. Conclusions Contrary to our hypothesis and related previous research, there was no general relationship between shame-proneness and attempted suicide. Shame-proneness was differentially related to attempted suicide in different groups of suicide attempters

  18. Relational interaction in occupational therapy: Conversation analysis of positive feedback.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiste, Elina

    2018-01-01

    The therapeutic relationship is an important factor for good therapy outcomes. The primary mediator of a beneficial therapy relationship is clinician-client interaction. However, few studies identify the observable interactional attributes of good quality relational interactions, e.g. offering the client positive feedback. The present paper aims to expand current understanding of relational interaction by analyzing the real-time interactional practices therapists use for offering positive feedback, an important value in occupational therapy. The analysis is based on the conversation analysis of 15 video-recorded occupational therapy encounters in psychiatric outpatient clinics. Two types of positive feedback were identified. In aligning feedback, therapists encouraged and complimented clients' positive perspectives on their own achievements in adopting certain behaviour, encouraging and supporting their progress. In redirecting feedback, therapists shifted the perspective from clients' negative experiences to their positive experiences. This shift was interactionally successful if they laid the foundation for the shift in perspective and attuned their expressions to the clients' emotional states. Occupational therapists routinely provide their clients with positive feedback. Awareness of the interactional attributes related to positive feedback is critically important for successful relational interaction.

  19. Theory and Practice of Positive Feminist Therapy: A Culturally Responsive Approach to Divorce Therapy with Chinese Women

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzou, Jean Yuh-Jin; Kim, Eunha; Waldheim, Kim

    2012-01-01

    Positive Feminist Therapy (PFT) is a strength-based culturally responsive therapy model specifically designed for helping Chinese women facing marital conflicts and divorce, integrating Empowerment Feminist Therapy, systems theory, and positive psychology. To help clients become change agents, PFT uses clients' existing strengths to develop…

  20. Spinal Stiffness in Prone and Upright Postures During 0-1.8 g Induced by Parabolic Flight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swanenburg, Jaap; Meier, Michael L; Langenfeld, Anke; Schweinhardt, Petra; Humphreys, B Kim

    2018-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze posterior-to-anterior spinal stiffness in Earth, hyper-, and microgravity conditions during both prone and upright postures. During parabolic flight, the spinal stiffness of the L3 vertebra of a healthy 37-yr-old man was measured in normal Earth gravity (1.0 g), hypergravity (1.8 g), and microgravity (0.0 g) conditions induced in the prone and upright positions. Differences in spinal stiffness were significant across all three gravity conditions in the prone and upright positions. Most effect sizes were large; however, in the upright posture, the effect size between Earth gravity and microgravity was medium. Significant differences in spinal stiffness between the prone and upright positions were found during Earth gravity and hypergravity conditions. No difference was found between the two postures during microgravity conditions. Based on repeated measurements of a single individual, our results showed detectable changes in posterior-to-anterior spinal stiffness. Spinal stiffness increased during microgravity and decreased during hypergravity conditions. In microgravity conditions, posture did not impact spinal stiffness. More data on spinal stiffness in variable gravitational conditions is needed to confirm these results.Swanenburg J, Meier ML, Langenfeld A, Schweinhardt P, Humphreys BK. Spinal stiffness in prone and upright postures during 0-1.8 g induced by parabolic flight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(6):563-567.

  1. Serum Antibody Response to Five Streptococcus pneumoniae Proteins during Acute Otitis Media in Otitis Prone and Non-Otitis Prone Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Ravinder; Casey, Janet R.; Pichichero, Michael E.

    2011-01-01

    Background Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) is one of the common bacteria responsible for episodic acute otitis media (AOM; non-otitis prone), recurrent AOM (otitis-prone) and AOM treatment failure (AOMTF) in children. Objective From a population of 268 children we sought to compare the serum IgG antibody titers to five different Spn proteins (PhtD, LytB, PcpA, PhtE and Ply) that are vaccine candidates in children with episodic AOM (n=34), who were otitis prone (n=35), and who had AOMTF (n=25) caused by Spn. Methods Antibody was quantitated by ELISA. Results At their acute AOM visit, anti-PhtD, -LytB, -PhtE and −Ply IgG antibody titers in otitis-prone children were significantly lower compared to non-otitis prone children (p otitis-prone, AOMTF and non-otitis prone children had no significant change in geometric mean IgG antibody titers against the five proteins (except for PhtE in children with AOMTF), but detailed analysis showed that about one-third of the children in each cohort had a 2-fold rise in antibody to the studied antigens. While non-otitis prone children had significant increases (p otitis-prone children either failed to show rises or the rises were significantly less than the non-otitis prone children. Conclusion Otitis-prone and AOMTF children mount less of an IgG serum antibody response than non-otitis prone children to Spn proteins following AOM and nasopharyngeal colonization. PMID:21487325

  2. Disappearance of myocardial perfusion defects on prone SPECT imaging: Comparison with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients without established coronary artery disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hedén Bo

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It is of great clinical importance to exclude myocardial infarction in patients with suspected coronary artery disease who do not have stress-induced ischemia. The diagnostic use of myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT in this situation is sometimes complicated by attenuation artifacts that mimic myocardial infarction. Imaging in the prone position has been suggested as a method to overcome this problem. Methods In this study, 52 patients without known prior infarction and no stress-induced ischemia on SPECT imaging were examined in both supine and prone position. The results were compared with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR with delayed-enhancement technique to confirm or exclude myocardial infarction. Results There were 63 defects in supine-position images, 37 of which disappeared in the prone position. None of the 37 defects were associated with myocardial infarction by CMR, indicating that all of them represented attenuation artifacts. Of the remaining 26 defects that did not disappear on prone imaging, myocardial infarction was confirmed by CMR in 2; the remaining 24 had no sign of ischemic infarction but 2 had other kinds of myocardial injuries. In 3 patients, SPECT failed to detect small scars identified by CMR. Conclusion Perfusion defects in the supine position that disappeared in the prone position were caused by attenuation, not myocardial infarction. Hence, imaging in the prone position can help to rule out ischemic heart disease for some patients admitted for SPECT with suspected but not documented ischemic heart disease. This would indicate a better prognosis and prevent unnecessary further investigations and treatment.

  3. Musculoskeletal disorders, personality traits, psychological distress, and accident proneness of Chinese coal miners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Mingming; Wu, Feng; Wang, Jun; Sun, Linyan

    2017-01-01

    Human factors comprise one of the important reasons leading to the casualty accidents in coal mines. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships among musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), personality traits, psychological distress, and accident proneness of coal miners. There were 1500 Chinese coal miners surveyed in this study. Among these miners, 992 valid samples were obtained. The study surveyed the MSDs, personality traits, psychological distress, and accident proneness of coal miners with MSDs Likert scale, Eysenck personality questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) scale, and accident proneness questionnaire, respectively. The highest MSDs level was found in the waist. The increasing working age of the miners was connected with increased MSDs and psychological distress. Significant differences in MSDs and psychological distress of miners from different types of work were observed. Coal miners with higher MSDs had higher accident proneness. Coal miners with higher neuroticism dimension of Eysenck personality and more serious psychological distress had higher accident proneness. Phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism dimension of psychological distress were the three most important indicators that had significant positive relationships with accident proneness. The MSDs, neuroticism dimension, and psychological distress of the coal mine workers are important to work safety and require serious attention. Some implications concerning coal mine safety management in China were provided.

  4. A Multicenter Retrospective Review of Prone Position Ventilation (PPV) in Treatment of Severe Human H7N9 Avian Flu.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yuanda; Deng, Xilong; Han, Yun; Zhou, Lixin; He, Weiqun; Chen, Sibei; Nong, Lingbo; Huang, Huang; Zhang, Yan; Yu, Tieou; Li, Yimin; Liu, Xiaoqing

    2015-01-01

    Patients with H7N9 avian flu concurrent with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) usually have a poor clinical outcome. Prone position ventilation (PPV) has been shown to improve the prognosis of patients with severe ARDS. This study explored the effects of PPV on the respiratory and circulatory mechanics of H7N9-infected patients with severe ARDS. Individuals admitted to four hospitals designated for H7N9 patients in Guangdong province were treated with PPV, and their clinical data were recorded before and after receiving PPV. Six of 20 critically ill patients in the ICU received PPV. After treatment with 35 PPV sessions, the oxygenation index (OI) values of the six patients when measured post-PPV and post-supine position ventilation (SPV) were significantly higher than those measured pre-PPV (P protective ventilation strategy for use in patients with H7N9 avian flu concurrent with severe ARDS.

  5. The Comparison of Four Different Methods of Perioperative Eye Protection under General Anesthesia in Prone Position

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Özlem Kocatürk

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare and assess the efficacy of hypoallergen adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, artificial tear liquid gel and ocular lubricant pomade for perioperative protection of eyes under general anesthesia in prone position. Material and Method: One hundred and eighty four patients (368 eyes undergoing general anesthesia for >90 min for spinal procedures were divided randomly into four groups. Hypoallergen adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, artificial tear liquid gel or ocular lubricant pomade was applied into the eyes. The patients underwent complete ophthalmic examination, including corrected visual acuity measurement, basal tear production, corneal and conjunctival staining both before and after surgery. Results: Basal tear production was reduced in all groups compared to preoperative values (P0.05. There was no difference between pre and postoperative visual acuity. Discussion: All of the methods are suitable for protecting corneal injuries. But none of them is good enough to avoid temporary symptoms in postoperative period. During general anesthesia eyes need protection either by tape, gel, ointment or pomade to reduce the incidence of corneal injuries.

  6. Tension - Type - Headache treated by Positional Release Therapy: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamadi, Marzieh; Ghanbari, Ali; Rahimi Jaberi, Abbas

    2012-10-01

    Tension Type Headache (T.T.H) is the most prevalent headache. Myofascial abnormalities & trigger points are important in this type of headache which can be managed by Positional Release Therapy (PRT). This is a report of a 47 years old female patient with Tension Type Headache treated by Positional Release Therapy for her trigger points. She had a constant dull headache, which continued all the day for 9 months. A physiotherapist evaluated the patient and found active trigger points in her cervical muscles. Then, she received Positional Release Therapy for her trigger points. After 3 treatment sessions, the patient's headache stopped completely. During the 8 months following the treatment she was without pain, and did not use any medication. Positional Release Therapy was effective in treating Tension Type Headache. This suggests that PRT could be an alternative treatment to medication in patients with T.T.H if the effectiveness of that can be confirmed by further studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Simple shielding reduces dose to the contralateral breast during prone breast cancer radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goyal, Uma, E-mail: uma.goyal@gmail.com; Locke, Angela; Smith-Raymond, Lexie; Georgiev, Georgi N.

    2016-07-01

    Our goal was to design a prone breast shield for the contralateral breast and study its efficacy in decreasing scatter radiation to the contralateral breast in a prone breast phantom setup receiving radiation therapy designed for breast cancer. We constructed a prone breast phantom setup consisting of (1) A thermoplastic mask with a left-sided depression created by a water balloon for a breast shape; (2) 2 plastic bags to hold water in the thermoplastic mask depression; (3) 2000 mL of water to fill the thermoplastic mask depression to create a water-based false breast; (4) 1-cm thick bolus placed in the contralateral breast holder; (5) 2 lead (Pb) sheets, each 0.1-cm thick for blocking scatter radiation in the contralateral bolus-based false breast; (6) a prone breast board to hold the thermoplastic mask, water, bolus, and lead; (7) 9 cm solid water on top of the breast board to simulate body; (8) a diode was used to verify dose for each treatment field of the treated water-based breast; (9) metal–oxide–semiconductor-field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters to measure dose to the contralateral bolus-based breast. The phantom prone breast setup was CT simulated and treatment was designed with 95% isodose line covering the treated breast. The maximum dose was 107.1%. Megavoltage (MV) port images ensured accurate setup. Measurements were done using diodes on the treated water-based breast and MOSFET dosimeters at the medial and lateral sides of the contralateral bolus-based breast without and with the Pb shield. Five treatments were done for each of the 3 data sets and recorded individually for statistical purposes. All treatments were completed with 6 MV photons at 200 cGy per treatment. The dose contributions from each of the 3 data sets including 15 treatments total without and with the prone lead shield to the medial and lateral portions of contralateral bolus-based breast were averaged individually. Unshielded dose means were 37.11 and 2.94 cGy, and

  8. Prone versus supine thallium myocardial SPECT: A method to decrease artifactual inferior wall defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Segall, G.M.; Davis, M.J.

    1989-01-01

    Artifactual inferior wall defects as a result of diaphragmatic attenuation of activity are a frequent source of error in thallium myocardial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies. Thirty-four patients and 11 clinically normal volunteers were studied prospectively to see if specificity of inferior wall defects for right coronary artery disease could be improved by scanning patients prone versus supine. All individuals were scanned both prone and supine, in random order, following symptom limited treadmill exercise. Images were acquired at 3 degrees steps, 25 sec per frame, in a 180 degrees elliptical orbit always beginning in the 45 degrees right anterior oblique position relative to the patient. Polar maps generated from the short axis slices were used to calculate the average regional activity. The prone studies showed consistently higher inferior wall activity compared to the supine studies on both the exercise (182 +/- 22 vs. 160 +/- 23, p less than or equal to 0.001) and 4-hr delay studies (183 +/- 20 vs. 175 +/- 21, p less than or equal to 0.001). Prone imaging resulted in a significantly higher specificity for RCA disease compared to supine imaging (90% vs. 66%, p less than 0.05) with an improvement in accuracy from 71% to 82%. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for left anterior descending and left circumflex artery disease were not significantly affected by patient position during imaging. All patients having SPECT thallium myocardial perfusion studies should be imaged prone to minimize artifactual inferior wall defects and improve accuracy

  9. Setup accuracy for prone and supine whole breast irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mulliez, Thomas; Vercauteren, Tom; Greveling, Annick van; Speleers, Bruno; Neve, Wilfried de; Veldeman, Liv [University Hospital Ghent, Department of Radiotherapy, Ghent (Belgium); Gulyban, Akos [University Hospital Ghent, Department of Radiotherapy, Ghent (Belgium); University Hospital Liege, Department of Radiotherapy, Liege (Belgium)

    2016-04-15

    To evaluate cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) based setup accuracy and margins for prone and supine whole breast irradiation (WBI). Setup accuracy was evaluated on 3559 CBCT scans of 242 patients treated with WBI and uncertainty margins were calculated using the van Herk formula. Uni- and multivariate analysis on individual margins was performed for age, body mass index (BMI) and cup size. The population-based margin in vertical (VE), lateral (LA) and longitudinal (LO) directions was 10.4/9.4/9.4 mm for the 103 supine and 10.5/22.4/13.7 mm for the 139 prone treated patients, being significantly (p < 0.01) different for the LA and LO directions. Multivariate analysis identified a significant (p < 0.05) correlation between BMI and the LO margin in supine position and the VE/LA margin in prone position. In this series, setup accuracy is significantly worse in prone compared to supine position for the LA and LO directions. However, without proper image-guidance, uncertainty margins of about 1 cm are also necessary for supine WBI. For patients with a higher BMI, larger margins are required. (orig.) [German] Ziel der Arbeit war es, die interfraktionelle Repositionierungsgenauigkeit in Bauchlage (BL) versus Rueckenlage (RL) bei Ganzbrustbestrahlung (GBB) mittels Cone-Beam-CT (CBCT) zu bestimmen, um die notwendigen PTV-Sicherheitsabstaende zu definieren. Die Repositionierungsgenauigkeit wurde basierend an 3559 CBCT-Scans von 242 mit GBB behandelten Patienten ausgewertet. Die PTV-Sicherheitsabstaende wurden unter Verwendung der ''van-Herk''-Formel berechnet. Uni- und multivariable Analysen wurden fuer Sicherheitsabstaende in jede Richtung auf Basis von Alter, Body-Mass-Index (BMI) und Koerbchengroesse durchgefuehrt. Die basierend auf den taeglichen CBCT-Verschiebungen berechneten PTV-Sicherheitsabstaende betrugen in anteroposteriorer (AP), lateraler (LT oder links-rechts) und kraniokaudaler (CC) Richtung 10,4/9,4/9,4 mm fuer die RL (103 Patienten) und

  10. Self-esteem and delusion proneness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warman, Debbie M; Lysaker, Paul H; Luedtke, Brandi; Martin, Joel M

    2010-06-01

    The present study was an examination of global self-esteem and various types of unusual beliefs in a nonclinical population. Individuals with no history of psychotic disorder (N = 121) completed a measure of delusion-proneness and also a measure of self-esteem. Results indicated high delusion prone individuals had lower self-esteem than low delusion prone individuals (p = 0.044). In addition, higher levels of paranoid ideation and suspiciousness were associated with lower self-esteem (p low self-esteem and higher levels of beliefs related to thought disturbances, catastrophic ideation/thought broadcasting, and ideation of reference/influence. The significance of these findings as they relate to theories of delusion formation is discussed.

  11. Shame-proneness and its correlates in couples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomaž Erzar

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The study assessed the relationships between three TOSCA-3 (Test of Self-Conscious Affect; Tangney, 1990 subscales (shame-proneness, guilt-proneness, and externalization, and the following variables: stress, anxiety, depression, fear of intimacy, and attachment style in a sample of 68 heterosexual couples in committed relationships. Within-subject and within-dyad correlations were computed. Results confirmed a low to moderate connection for depression, anxiety, fear of intimacy and secure attachment. Shame-proneness, externalization, and guilt-proneness were not correlated within couples. The findings also provided further evidence for a differential understanding for some of the variables in each gender.

  12. Comparison of standard, prone and cine MRI in the evaluation of tethered cord

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Sukhjinder; Kline-Fath, Beth; Racadio, Judy M.; Bierbrauer, Karin; Salisbury, Shelia; Macaluso, Maurizio; Jackson, Elizabeth C.; Egelhoff, John C.

    2012-01-01

    Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is defined by abnormal traction on the spinal cord that confines its movement. Surgical cord release usually stops neurological deterioration; therefore, early and accurate neuroradiological diagnosis is important. Supine MRI is the imaging modality of choice, but prone MRI and cine MRI can demonstrate cord movement. We compared the diagnostic accuracies of standard MRI, prone MRI and cine MRI in patients with clinical suspicion of TCS and evaluated inter-reader reliability for MR imaging. Children who underwent MRI for suspicion of TCS were retrospectively identified. Supine, prone and cine MRI studies were re-read by two pediatric neuroradiologists. Conus level, filum appearance and cord movement were documented. Thirteen of 49 children had tethered cord documented at surgery. Conus level had the highest diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity 69-77%, specificity 94%, positive predictive value 82-83%, negative predictive value 89-92%, correct diagnosis 88-90%) and highest between-reader concordance (98%). Prone and cine MRI did not add to the accuracy of the supine imaging. Conus level provides the highest diagnostic accuracy and inter-reader reliability in TCS. Until a larger series is evaluated, it remains questionable whether prone or cine MRI provides enough additional diagnostic information to warrant routine use. (orig.)

  13. Comparison of standard, prone and cine MRI in the evaluation of tethered cord

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Sukhjinder [Cohen Children' s Medical Center, Department of Radiology, New Hyde Park, NY (United States); Kline-Fath, Beth; Racadio, Judy M. [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Bierbrauer, Karin [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Salisbury, Shelia; Macaluso, Maurizio [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Jackson, Elizabeth C. [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Nephrology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Egelhoff, John C. [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Phoenix Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Phoenix, AZ (United States)

    2012-06-15

    Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is defined by abnormal traction on the spinal cord that confines its movement. Surgical cord release usually stops neurological deterioration; therefore, early and accurate neuroradiological diagnosis is important. Supine MRI is the imaging modality of choice, but prone MRI and cine MRI can demonstrate cord movement. We compared the diagnostic accuracies of standard MRI, prone MRI and cine MRI in patients with clinical suspicion of TCS and evaluated inter-reader reliability for MR imaging. Children who underwent MRI for suspicion of TCS were retrospectively identified. Supine, prone and cine MRI studies were re-read by two pediatric neuroradiologists. Conus level, filum appearance and cord movement were documented. Thirteen of 49 children had tethered cord documented at surgery. Conus level had the highest diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity 69-77%, specificity 94%, positive predictive value 82-83%, negative predictive value 89-92%, correct diagnosis 88-90%) and highest between-reader concordance (98%). Prone and cine MRI did not add to the accuracy of the supine imaging. Conus level provides the highest diagnostic accuracy and inter-reader reliability in TCS. Until a larger series is evaluated, it remains questionable whether prone or cine MRI provides enough additional diagnostic information to warrant routine use. (orig.)

  14. Adaptive Breast Radiation Therapy Using Modeling of Tissue Mechanics: A Breast Tissue Segmentation Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juneja, Prabhjot; Harris, Emma J.; Kirby, Anna M.; Evans, Philip M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To validate and compare the accuracy of breast tissue segmentation methods applied to computed tomography (CT) scans used for radiation therapy planning and to study the effect of tissue distribution on the segmentation accuracy for the purpose of developing models for use in adaptive breast radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients receiving postlumpectomy radiation therapy for breast cancer underwent CT imaging in prone and supine positions. The whole-breast clinical target volume was outlined. Clinical target volumes were segmented into fibroglandular and fatty tissue using the following algorithms: physical density thresholding; interactive thresholding; fuzzy c-means with 3 classes (FCM3) and 4 classes (FCM4); and k-means. The segmentation algorithms were evaluated in 2 stages: first, an approach based on the assumption that the breast composition should be the same in both prone and supine position; and second, comparison of segmentation with tissue outlines from 3 experts using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). Breast datasets were grouped into nonsparse and sparse fibroglandular tissue distributions according to expert assessment and used to assess the accuracy of the segmentation methods and the agreement between experts. Results: Prone and supine breast composition analysis showed differences between the methods. Validation against expert outlines found significant differences (P<.001) between FCM3 and FCM4. Fuzzy c-means with 3 classes generated segmentation results (mean DSC = 0.70) closest to the experts' outlines. There was good agreement (mean DSC = 0.85) among experts for breast tissue outlining. Segmentation accuracy and expert agreement was significantly higher (P<.005) in the nonsparse group than in the sparse group. Conclusions: The FCM3 gave the most accurate segmentation of breast tissues on CT data and could therefore be used in adaptive radiation therapy-based on tissue modeling. Breast tissue segmentation

  15. Adaptive Breast Radiation Therapy Using Modeling of Tissue Mechanics: A Breast Tissue Segmentation Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Juneja, Prabhjot, E-mail: Prabhjot.Juneja@icr.ac.uk [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton (United Kingdom); Harris, Emma J. [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton (United Kingdom); Kirby, Anna M. [Department of Academic Radiotherapy, Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, Sutton (United Kingdom); Evans, Philip M. [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton (United Kingdom)

    2012-11-01

    Purpose: To validate and compare the accuracy of breast tissue segmentation methods applied to computed tomography (CT) scans used for radiation therapy planning and to study the effect of tissue distribution on the segmentation accuracy for the purpose of developing models for use in adaptive breast radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients receiving postlumpectomy radiation therapy for breast cancer underwent CT imaging in prone and supine positions. The whole-breast clinical target volume was outlined. Clinical target volumes were segmented into fibroglandular and fatty tissue using the following algorithms: physical density thresholding; interactive thresholding; fuzzy c-means with 3 classes (FCM3) and 4 classes (FCM4); and k-means. The segmentation algorithms were evaluated in 2 stages: first, an approach based on the assumption that the breast composition should be the same in both prone and supine position; and second, comparison of segmentation with tissue outlines from 3 experts using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). Breast datasets were grouped into nonsparse and sparse fibroglandular tissue distributions according to expert assessment and used to assess the accuracy of the segmentation methods and the agreement between experts. Results: Prone and supine breast composition analysis showed differences between the methods. Validation against expert outlines found significant differences (P<.001) between FCM3 and FCM4. Fuzzy c-means with 3 classes generated segmentation results (mean DSC = 0.70) closest to the experts' outlines. There was good agreement (mean DSC = 0.85) among experts for breast tissue outlining. Segmentation accuracy and expert agreement was significantly higher (P<.005) in the nonsparse group than in the sparse group. Conclusions: The FCM3 gave the most accurate segmentation of breast tissues on CT data and could therefore be used in adaptive radiation therapy-based on tissue modeling. Breast tissue

  16. Multidisciplinary approach to converting power chair into motorized prone cart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brose, Steven W; Wali, Eisha

    2014-01-01

    Pressure ulcers remain a major source of morbidity and mortality in veterans with neurologic impairment. Management of pressure ulcers typically involves pressure relief over skin regions containing wounds, but this can lead to loss of mobility and independence when the wounds are located in regions that receive pressure from sitting. An innovative, low-cost, multidisciplinary effort was undertaken to maximize quality of life in a veteran with a thoracic-4 level complete spinal cord injury and a stage 4 ischial wound. The person's power wheelchair was converted into a motorized prone cart, allowing navigation of the Department of Veterans Affairs spinal cord injury hospital ward and improved socialization while relieving pressure on the wound. Physical and occupational therapy assisted with the reconfiguration of the power chair and verified safe transfers into the chair and driving of the device. Psychology verified positive psychosocial benefit, while nursing and physician services verified an absence of unwanted pain or skin injury resulting from use of the device. Further investigation of ways to apply this technique is warranted to improve the quality of life of persons with pressure ulcers.

  17. Neglected children, shame-proneness, and depressive symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, David S; Sullivan, Margaret Wolan; Lewis, Michael

    2010-11-01

    Neglected children may be at increased risk for depressive symptoms. This study examines shame-proneness as an outcome of child neglect and as a potential explanatory variable in the relation between neglect and depressive symptoms. Participants were 111 children (52 with a Child Protective Services [CPS] allegation of neglect) seen at age 7. Neglected children reported more shame-proneness and more depressive symptoms than comparison children. Guilt-proneness, in contrast, was unrelated to neglect and depressive symptoms, indicating specificity for shame-proneness. The potential role of shame as a process variable that can help explain how some neglected children exhibit depressive symptoms is discussed.

  18. Self-concept and delinquency proneness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, F R; Swain, M T

    1977-01-01

    Contrary to the theory of the homeostatic model of self-concept, i.e., the expectancy that engaging in anti-social or pro-social behavior results typically in shifts in the self-concept (Graf, 1968; Deitz, 1970 shifts did not occur. Subjects, 12- 14-year-old boys enrolled in junior high school, delinquent prone (DP) and non-delinquent prone bright (NDPB), reacted to manipulation by engaging in reparative behavior as indicated via an aggression module in a fashion generally expected but the expected shift from chronic self-images did not occur. Both DP and NDPB viewed themselves similarly on self concept. The authors postulated that if shifts would occur for the delinquent prone it would be after they left school with its accompanying identification with a sub-culture outside the school setting.

  19. Continuous positive airway pressure therapy: new generations.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Garvey, John F

    2010-02-01

    Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). However, CPAP is not tolerated by all patients with OSAS and alternative modes of pressure delivery have been developed to overcome pressure intolerance, thereby improving patient comfort and adherence. Auto-adjustable positive airway pressure (APAP) devices may be utilised for the long-term management of OSAS and may also assist in the initial diagnosis of OSAS and titration of conventional CPAP therapy. Newer modalities such as C-Flex and A-Flex also show promise as treatment options in the future. However, the evidence supporting the use of these alternative modalities remains scant, in particular with regard to long-term cardiovascular outcomes. In addition, not all APAP devices use the same technological algorithms and data supporting individual APAP devices cannot be extrapolated to support all. Further studies are required to validate the roles of APAP, C-Flex and A-Flex. In the interim, standard CPAP therapy should continue as the mainstay of OSAS management.

  20. Continuous positive airway pressure therapy: new generations.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Garvey, John F

    2012-02-01

    Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). However, CPAP is not tolerated by all patients with OSAS and alternative modes of pressure delivery have been developed to overcome pressure intolerance, thereby improving patient comfort and adherence. Auto-adjustable positive airway pressure (APAP) devices may be utilised for the long-term management of OSAS and may also assist in the initial diagnosis of OSAS and titration of conventional CPAP therapy. Newer modalities such as C-Flex and A-Flex also show promise as treatment options in the future. However, the evidence supporting the use of these alternative modalities remains scant, in particular with regard to long-term cardiovascular outcomes. In addition, not all APAP devices use the same technological algorithms and data supporting individual APAP devices cannot be extrapolated to support all. Further studies are required to validate the roles of APAP, C-Flex and A-Flex. In the interim, standard CPAP therapy should continue as the mainstay of OSAS management.

  1. The prone bridge test: Performance, validity, and reliability among older and younger adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohannon, Richard W; Steffl, Michal; Glenney, Susan S; Green, Michelle; Cashwell, Leah; Prajerova, Kveta; Bunn, Jennifer

    2018-04-01

    The prone bridge maneuver, or plank, has been viewed as a potential alternative to curl-ups for assessing trunk muscle performance. The purpose of this study was to assess prone bridge test performance, validity, and reliability among younger and older adults. Sixty younger (20-35 years old) and 60 older (60-79 years old) participants completed this study. Groups were evenly divided by sex. Participants completed surveys regarding physical activity and abdominal exercise participation. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were measured. On two occasions, 5-9 days apart, participants held a prone bridge until volitional exhaustion or until repeated technique failure. Validity was examined using data from the first session: convergent validity by calculating correlations between survey responses, anthropometrics, and prone bridge time, known groups validity by using an ANOVA comparing bridge times of younger and older adults and of men and women. Test-retest reliability was examined by using a paired t-test to compare prone bridge times for Session1 and Session 2. Furthermore, an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to characterize relative reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC 95% ) was used to describe absolute reliability. The mean prone bridge time was 145.3 ± 71.5 s, and was positively correlated with physical activity participation (p ≤ 0.001) and negatively correlated with BMI and waist circumference (p ≤ 0.003). Younger participants had significantly longer plank times than older participants (p = 0.003). The ICC between testing sessions was 0.915. The prone bridge test is a valid and reliable measure for evaluating abdominal performance in both younger and older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. [Reactance proneness, collectivism, uniqueness, and resistance to persuasion].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imajo, Shuzo

    2002-10-01

    This study examined the reliability and validity of Japanese psychological reactance scales. A total of 167 undergraduates completed a questionnaire of Therapeutic Reactance Scale (TRS), the Hong Reactance Scale (HRS), the Uniqueness Scale, and the Collectivism Scale. They also received messages involving three persuasion situations that were either high or low in terms of threat, and were asked to describe their reactions to them. The author categorized the reactions into three: acceptance, indirect resistance, and direct resistance. Reliabilities of the reactance scales were satisfactory. Their scores positively correlated with uniqueness scores, and negatively with collectivism scores. Those high on reactance proneness were less persuaded in two of the three situations. But in the third, an HRS by threat interaction was observed, indicating that only those who were high on reactance proneness under the high-threat condition showed resistance to persuasion. These results suggest that the Japanese versions of reactance scale were reliable and valid. However, the assertiveness aspect of TRS may not be appropriate for the definition of reactance. The influence of culture on psychological reactance was also discussed.

  3. Proneness to guilt, shame, and pride in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and neurotypical children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, Denise; Hilvert, Elizabeth; Misiunaite, Ieva; Giordano, Michael

    2018-02-13

    Self-conscious emotions (e.g., guilt, shame, and pride) are complex emotions that require self-reflection and self-evaluation, and are thought to facilitate the maintenance of societal norms and personal standards. Despite the importance of self-conscious emotions, most research has focused on basic emotion processing in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Therefore, in the present study, we used the Test of Self-Conscious Affect for Children (TOSCA-C) to assess proneness to, or propensity to experience, the self-conscious emotions guilt, shame, and pride in children with ASD and neurotypical children. The TOSCA-C is designed to capture a child's natural tendency to experience a given emotion across a range of everyday situations [Tangney, Stuewig, & Mashek, 2007]. We also assessed how individual characteristics contribute to the development of proneness to self-conscious emotions, including theory of mind (ToM) and ASD symptomatology. In comparison to neurotypical children, children with ASD showed less proneness to guilt, although all children showed relatively high levels of proneness to guilt. Greater ToM ability was related to more proneness to guilt and authentic pride in children with ASD. Additionally, we found that children with ASD with more severe symptomatology were more prone to hubristic pride. Our results provide evidence of differences in proneness to self-conscious emotions in children with ASD, as well as highlight important mechanisms contributing to how children with ASD may experience self-conscious emotions. Autism Res 2017,4. ©2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This research examined proneness to guilt, shame, and pride in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and neurotypical children. We found that children with ASD showed less proneness to guilt than neurotypical children. Better understanding of theory of mind was related to greater proneness to guilt and pride, but only for

  4. A comparison of ventilatory prostate movement in four treatment positions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dawson, Laura A.; Litzenberg, Dale W.; Brock, Kristy K.; Sanda, Martin; Sullivan, Molly; Sandler, Howard M.; Balter, James M.

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: To ensure target coverage during radiotherapy, all sources of geometric uncertainty in target position must be considered. Movement of the prostate due to breathing has not traditionally been considered in prostate radiotherapy. The purpose of this study is to report the influence of patient orientation and immobilization on prostate movement due to breathing. Methods and Materials: Four patients had radiopaque markers implanted in the prostate. Fluoroscopy was performed in four different positions: prone in alpha cradle, prone with an aquaplast mold, supine on a flat table, and supine with a false table under the buttocks. Fluoroscopic movies were videotaped and digitized. Frames were analyzed using 2D-alignment software to determine the extent of movement of the prostate markers and the skeleton for each position during normal and deep breathing. Results: During normal breathing, maximal movement of the prostate markers was seen in the prone position (cranial-caudal [CC] range: 0.9-5.1 mm; anterior-posterior [AP] range: up to 3.5 mm). In the supine position, prostate movement during normal breathing was less than 1 mm in all directions. Deep breathing resulted in CC movements of 3.8-10.5 mm in the prone position (with and without an aquaplast mold). This range was reduced to 2.0-7.3 mm in the supine position and 0.5-2.1 mm with the use of the false table top. Deep breathing resulted in AP skeletal movements of 2.7-13.1 mm in the prone position, whereas AP skeletal movements in the supine position were negligible. Conclusion: Ventilatory movement of the prostate is substantial in the prone position and is reduced in the supine position. The potential for breathing to influence prostate movement, and thus the dose delivered to the prostate and normal tissues, should be considered when positioning and planning patients for conformal irradiation

  5. Alcohol use, depressive symptoms, and impulsivity as risk factors for suicide proneness among college students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dvorak, Robert D; Lamis, Dorian A; Malone, Patrick S

    2013-07-01

    Alcohol use, depression, and suicide are significant public health problems, particularly among college students. Impulsivity is associated with all of these factors. Additionally, impulsivity increases the effects of negative mood and alcohol use on maladaptive behavior. The current cross-sectional study examined the association between the four-factor model of impulsivity (urgency, (lack of) perseverance, (lack of) premeditation, and sensation seeking), depressive symptoms, and alcohol use as predictors of suicide proneness among college students. Participants (n=1100) completed online assessments of demographics, impulsivity, depressive symptoms, and suicide proneness. All predictors were positively related to suicide proneness. The relation between depressive symptoms and suicide proneness was moderated by (lack of) perseverance, alcohol use, and joint interactions of urgency×alcohol use and sensation seeking×alcohol use. Despite some paradoxical findings regarding the depressive symptoms-suicide proneness relation when only one risk factor was elevated, the average level of suicide proneness increased as risk factors increased. This cross-sectional self-report data comes from a non-clinical sample of college students from a homogeneous background, limiting generalizability and causal predictions. Overall, these findings indicate that the association between depressive symptoms and suicide proneness varies considerably by different facets of impulsivity and alcohol use. The results suggest that clinical risk-assessments should weigh two forms of impulsivity (urgency and sensation seeking) as particularly vital in the presence of heavy alcohol use. These findings highlight the importance of considering and exploring moderators of the mood-suicide relationship. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Association between implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy and different lead positions in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kronborg, Mads Brix; Johansen, Jens Brock; Haarbo, Jens

    2017-01-01

    /mid-ventricular/apical for the LV-LP, and as apical/non-apical for the RV-LP. Appropriate and inappropriate therapies were registered during follow-up via remote monitoring or at device interrogations. Time to event was summarized with Kaplan-Meier plots, and competed risk regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted hazard...... with an apical. We observed no significant association between appropriate therapy and LV-LP in left anterior oblique or right anterior oblique views or inappropriate therapy between any lead positions. Conclusion: An apical RV-LP is associated with an increased risk of appropriate therapy for ventricular...

  7. Activation of the gluteus maximus and hamstring muscles during prone hip extension with knee flexion in three hip abduction positions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Sun-Young; Jeon, Hye-Seon; Kwon, Ohyun; Cynn, Heon-Seock; Choi, Boram

    2013-08-01

    The direction of fiber alignment within a muscle is known to influence the effectiveness of muscle contraction. However, most of the commonly used clinical gluteus maximus (GM) exercises do not consider the direction of fiber alignment within the muscle. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of hip abduction position on the EMG (electromyography) amplitude and onset time of the GM and hamstrings (HAM) during prone hip extension with knee flexion (PHEKF) exercise. Surface EMG signals were recorded from the GM and HAM during PHEKF exercise in three hip abduction positions: 0°, 15°, and 30°. Thirty healthy subjects voluntarily participated in this study. The results show that GM EMG amplitude was greatest in the 30° hip abduction position, followed by 15° and then 0° hip abduction during PHEKF exercise. On the other hand, the HAM EMG amplitude at 0° hip abduction was significantly greater than at 15° and 30° hip abduction. Additionally, GM EMG onset firing was delayed relative to that of the HAM at 0° hip abduction. On the contrary, the GM EMG onset occurred earlier than the HAM in the 15° and 30° hip abduction positions. These findings indicate that performing PHEKF exercise in the 30° hip abduction position may be recommended as an effective way to facilitate the GM muscle activity and advance the firing time of the GM muscle in asymptomatic individuals. This finding provides preliminary evidence that GM EMG amplitude and onset time can be modified by the degree of hip abduction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Peripheral blood antigen presenting cell responses in otitis-prone and non-otitis-prone infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surendran, Naveen; Nicolosi, Ted; Kaur, Ravinder; Pichichero, Michael E

    2016-01-01

    Stringently defined otitis-prone (sOP) children represent a new classification of the otitis-prone condition. Previous studies showed dysfunction in Ab, B-cell memory and T-cell memory responses. We sought to determine whether there are defects in numbers, phenotype and/or function of professional APC in the peripheral blood of sOP infants. APC phenotypic counts, MHC II expression and intracellular cytokine levels were determined in response to TLR7/8 (R848) stimulation by flow cytometry. Innate immune mRNA expression was measured using RT-PCR and cytokines were measured using Luminex technology. Significant (P otitis-prone (NOP) age-matched infants. No significant differences in APC activation or function were observed. Expression of various TLRs, intracellular signaling molecules and downstream cytokines was also not found to be significantly different between sOP and NOP infants. Higher numbers of APCs in sOP infants suggest the possibility of a persistent mucosal inflammatory status. Transcriptional and cytokine profiles of PBMCs among sOP infants suggest their systemic innate responses are not different compared to NOP infants. © The Author(s) 2015.

  9. Androgens as therapy for androgen receptor-positive castration-resistant prostate cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Hui-Ping

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-cutaneous tumor of men in Western countries. While surgery is often successful for organ-confined prostate cancer, androgen ablation therapy is the primary treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. However, this therapy is associated with several undesired side-effects, including increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Shortening the period of androgen ablation therapy may benefit prostate cancer patients. Intermittent Androgen Deprivation therapy improves quality of life, reduces toxicity and medical costs, and delays disease progression in some patients. Cell culture and xenograft studies using androgen receptor (AR-positive castration-resistant human prostate cancers cells (LNCaP, ARCaP, and PC-3 cells over-expressing AR suggest that androgens may suppress the growth of AR-rich prostate cancer cells. Androgens cause growth inhibition and G1 cell cycle arrest in these cells by regulating c-Myc, Skp2, and p27Kip via AR. Higher dosages of testosterone cause greater growth inhibition of relapsed tumors. Manipulating androgen/AR signaling may therefore be a potential therapy for AR-positive advanced prostate cancer.

  10. Ultrasonographic examination of plantar fasciitis: a comparison of patient positions during examination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Jae Hoon; Lee, Choong Woo; Park, ChanJoo; Kim, Yoon-Chung

    2016-01-01

    Musculoskeletal ultrasound is a non-invasive and low-cost modality for real-time visualisation of the plantar fascia. Ultrasound examination for plantar fasciitis is generally performed with the patient in a prone position, although the rational for using a prone position has not been validated. The aim of the study was to investigate if ultrasound examination in a supine position, which is more comfortable than the prone position, is valid. We conducted a prospective study of 30 participants with plantar fasciitis, 8 men (27 %) and 22 women (73 %), with a mean age of 53.9 ± 12.6 (range, 32 to 77) years, and an equal distribution of left and right feet. The plantar heel was divided into three portions for ultrasound examination: medial, central and lateral. Two measurements of plantar fascia thickness were obtained for each portion, with participants in 2 positions (supine and prone) and for 2 ankle postures (neutral and 15° of plantarflexion). Mean measurements of plantar fascia thickness were compared between the two positions (Wilcoxon signed rank tests for non-normally distributed data and paired t-tests for normally distributed data). Participants were asked to report their preferred position for examination, supine or prone. The measured thickness was comparable for both supine and prone positions, for both ankle postures, neutral and 15° of plantarflexion (p > 0.05). A specific self-reported preferred position was not identified. Ultrasound examination of plantar fasciitis can be performed in the supine position without any significant difference in measurement compared to examination in the conventional prone position. The Catholic Medical Center Office of Human Research Protection Program (CMC-OHRP)/Institutional Review Board approved the current study (Approval No. KC12DISI0338), and all participants provided their written informed consent for participation and publication.

  11. HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer: new possibilities for therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. V. Artamonova

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This article is devoted to modern approaches in HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer therapy. Recently treatment algorithm for this type of cancer included trastuzumab plus cytostatic in first line, continuation of trastuzumab with another chemotherapy regimen in second line, further switch to lapatinib and eventual return to trastuzumab after progression. Nowadays our options are broader owing to new anti-HER-2 agents which are pertruzumab and T-DM1. Now the most effective therapy regimen in first line is double HER-2 blockade (trastuzumab + pertuzumab in combination with docetaxel. Benefit of new agent T-DM1 versus combination of lapatinib and capecitabin is proved in patients progressed on trastuzumab and taxanes. T-DM1 also showed high efficacy as salvage therapy in intensively pretreated patients with meta- static HER-2-positive breast cancer who progressed on taxanes, trastuzumab and lapatinib.

  12. Comparison of CTAC and prone imaging for the detection of coronary artery disease using CZT SPECT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Shimpei; Endo, Akihiro; Okada, Taiji; Nakamura, Taku; Sugamori, Takashi; Takahashi, Nobuyuki; Yoshitomi, Hiroyuki; Tanabe, Kazuaki

    2017-10-01

    Cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) cameras have improved the evaluation of patients with chest pain. However, inferior/inferolateral attenuation artifacts similar to those seen with conventional Anger cameras persist. We added prone acquisitions and CT attenuation correction (CTAC) to the standard supine image acquisition and analyzed the resulting examinations. Seventy-two patients referred for invasive coronary angiography (CAG), and who also underwent rest/stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) on a CZT camera in the supine and prone positions plus CTAC imaging, to examine known or suspected CAD between April 2013 and March 2014 were included. A sixteen-slice CT scan acquired on a SPECT/CT scanner between rest and stress imaging provided data for iterative reconstruction. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LRs) were calculated to compare MPI with CAG on a per-patient basis. Per-patient sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of supine images to predict coronary abnormalities on CAG were 35% [95% confidence interval (CI) 19-52], 86% (95% CI 80-92), and 74% (95% CI 66-82); those of prone imaging were 65% (95% CI 45-81), 82% (95% CI 76-87), and 78% (95% CI 68-85); and those of CTAC were 59% (95% CI 41-71), 93% (95% CI 87-97), and 85% (95% CI 76-91), respectively. Prone acquisition and CTAC images improve the ability to assess the inferior/inferolateral area.

  13. Randomized Trial of Asprin as Adjuvant Therapy for Node-Positive Breast Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0268 TITLE: Randomized Trial of Asprin as Adjuvant Therapy for Node-Positive Breast Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...Eric Winer CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston, MA 02215 REPORT DATE: OCTOBER 2017 TYPE OF REPORT: ANNUAL PREPARED FOR...CONTRACT NUMBER Randomized Trial of Asprin as Adjuvant Therapy for Node- Positive Breast Cancer 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR

  14. Interactions between sleeping position and feeding on cardiorespiratory activity in preterm infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fifer, William P; Myers, Michael M; Sahni, Rakesh; Ohira-Kist, Kiyoko; Kashyap, Sudha; Stark, Raymond I; Schulze, Karl F

    2005-11-01

    Infants sleeping in the prone position are at greater risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sleep position-dependent changes in cardiorespiratory activity may contribute to this increased risk. Cardiorespiratory activity is also affected by feeding. Twenty prematurely-born infants were studied at 31-36 weeks postconceptional age while sleeping in the prone and supine positions. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and patterns of variability were recorded during interfeed intervals, and effects of position and time after feeding were analyzed by repeated measures analyses of variance. There were significant effects of both sleeping position and time after feeding. Heart rate is higher and heart period variability is lower in the prone position, and the effects of sleeping position on cardiac functioning are more pronounced during the middle of the intrafeed interval. In preterm infants, autonomic responses to nutrient processing modulate the cardiorespiratory effects of sleeping position. Prone sleeping risk may vary with time after feeding. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Motion in the unstable thoracolumbar spine when spine boarding a prone patient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrad, Bryan P.; Marchese, Diana L.; Rechtine, Glenn R.; Horodyski, MaryBeth

    2012-01-01

    Introduction Previous research has found that the log roll (LR) technique produces significant motion in the spinal column while transferring a supine patient onto a spine board. The purpose of this project was to determine whether log rolling a patient with an unstable spine from prone to supine with a pulling motion provides better thoracolumbar immobilization compared to log rolling with a push technique. Methods A global instability was surgically created at the L1 level in five cadavers. Two spine-boarding protocols were tested (LR Push and LR Pull). Both techniques entailed performing a 180° LR rotation of the prone patient from the ground to the supine position on the spine board. An electromagnetic tracking device registered motion between the T12 and L2 vertebral segments. Six motion parameters were tracked. Repeated-measures statistical analysis was performed to evaluate angular and translational motion. Results Less motion was produced during the LR Push compared to the LR Pull for all six motion parameters. The difference was statistically significant for three of the six parameters (flexion–extension, axial translation, and anterior–posterior (A–P) translation). Conclusions Both the LR Push and LR Pull generated significant motion in the thoracolumbar spine during the prone to supine LR. The LR Push technique produced statistically less motion than the LR Pull, and should be considered when a prone patient with a suspected thoracolumbar injury needs to be transferred to a long spine board. More research is needed to identify techniques to further reduce the motion in the unstable spine during prone to supine LR. PMID:22330191

  16. Prostate position late in the course of external beam therapy: patterns and predictors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zellars, Richard C.; Roberson, Peter L.; Strawderman, Myla; Zhang Daowen; Sandler, Howard M.; Haken, Randall K. ten; Osher, David; McLaughlin, P. William

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: To examine prostate and seminal vesicles position late in the course of radiation therapy and to determine the effect and predictive value of the bladder and rectum on prostate and seminal vesicles positioning. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients with localized prostate cancer underwent a computerized tomography scan (CT1) before the start of radiation therapy. After 4-5 weeks of radiation therapy, a second CT scan (CT2) was obtained. All patients were scanned in the supine treatment position with instructions to maintain a full bladder. The prostate, seminal vesicles, bladder, and rectum were contoured. CT2 was aligned via fixed bony anatomy to CT1. The geometrical center and volume of each structure were obtained and directly compared. Results: The prostate shifted along a diagonal axis extending from an anterior-superior position to a posterior-inferior position. The dominant shift was to a more posterior-inferior position. On average, bladder and rectal volumes decreased to 51% (no. +-no. 29%) and 82% (no. +-no. 45%) of their pretreatment values, respectively. Multiple regression analysis (MRA) revealed that bladder movement and volume change and upper rectum movement were independently associated with prostate motion (p = 0.016, p = 0.003, and p = 0.052 respectively). Conclusion: Patients are often instructed to maintain a full bladder during a course of external beam radiation therapy, in the hopes of decreasing bladder and small bowel toxicity. However, our study shows that large bladder volumes late in therapy are strongly associated with posterior prostate displacement. This prostate displacement may result in marginal miss

  17. Suggestibility and signal detection performance in hallucination-prone students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alganami, Fatimah; Varese, Filippo; Wagstaff, Graham F; Bentall, Richard P

    2017-03-01

    Auditory hallucinations are associated with signal detection biases. We examine the extent to which suggestions influence performance on a signal detection task (SDT) in highly hallucination-prone and low hallucination-prone students. We also explore the relationship between trait suggestibility, dissociation and hallucination proneness. In two experiments, students completed on-line measures of hallucination proneness (the revised Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale; LSHS-R), trait suggestibility (Inventory of Suggestibility) and dissociation (Dissociative Experiences Scale-II). Students in the upper and lower tertiles of the LSHS-R performed an auditory SDT. Prior to the task, suggestions were made pertaining to the number of expected targets (Experiment 1, N = 60: high vs. low suggestions; Experiment 2, N = 62, no suggestion vs. high suggestion vs. no voice suggestion). Correlational and regression analyses indicated that trait suggestibility and dissociation predicted hallucination proneness. Highly hallucination-prone students showed a higher SDT bias in both studies. In Experiment 1, both bias scores were significantly affected by suggestions to the same degree. In Experiment 2, highly hallucination-prone students were more reactive to the high suggestion condition than the controls. Suggestions may affect source-monitoring judgments, and this effect may be greater in those who have a predisposition towards hallucinatory experiences.

  18. Ethnic and gender differences in boredom proneness

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gibson, G.S.; Morales,

    1996-02-01

    Although boredom may exhibit many shared elements, culturally specific attitudes have also been found to exist. The present paper investigated boredom proneness among African-American college students. Data from 120 participants on the Boredom Proneness (BP) Scale was analyzed and compared to cross-cultural participants. African-American females scored significantly higher than African-American males. Scores were presented from two other studies to show a comparative look at boredom proneness in five other ethnic groups. African-American females are the only female ethnic group to score higher on the BP Scale than their male counterparts. Additionally, overall African-Americans, were found to have higher BP scores than their Western counterparts.

  19. Dysmorphic concern is related to delusional proneness and negative affect in a community sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keating, Charlotte; Thomas, Neil; Stephens, Jessie; Castle, David J; Rossell, Susan L

    2016-06-30

    Body image concerns are common in the general population and in some mental illnesses reach pathological levels. We investigated whether dysmorphic concern with appearance (a preoccupation with minor or imagined defects in appearance) is explained by psychotic processes in a community sample. In a cross-sectional design, two hundred and twenty six participants completed an online survey battery including: The Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire; the Peters Delusional inventory; the Aberrant Salience Inventory; and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale. Participants were native English speakers residing in Australia. Dysmorphic concern was positively correlated with delusional proneness, aberrant salience and negative emotion. Regression established that negative emotion and delusional proneness predicted dysmorphic concern, whereas, aberrant salience did not. Although delusional proneness was related to body dysmorphia, there was no evidence that it was related to aberrant salience. Understanding the contribution of other psychosis processes, and other health related variables to the severity of dysmorphic concern will be a focus of future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The UK HeartSpare Study (Stage IB): Randomised comparison of a voluntary breath-hold technique and prone radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartlett, Frederick R.; Colgan, Ruth M.; Donovan, Ellen M.; McNair, Helen A.; Carr, Karen; Evans, Philip M.; Griffin, Clare; Locke, Imogen; Haviland, Joanne S.; Yarnold, John R.; Kirby, Anna M.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To compare mean heart and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) doses (NTD mean ) and positional reproducibility in larger-breasted women receiving left breast radiotherapy using supine voluntary deep-inspiratory breath-hold (VBH) and free-breathing prone techniques. Materials and methods: Following surgery for early breast cancer, patients with estimated breast volumes >750 cm 3 underwent planning-CT scans in supine VBH and free-breathing prone positions. Radiotherapy treatment plans were prepared, and mean heart and LAD doses were calculated. Patients were randomised to receive one technique for fractions 1–7, before switching techniques for fractions 8–15 (40 Gy/15 fractions total). Daily electronic portal imaging and alternate-day cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging were performed. The primary endpoint was the difference in mean LAD NTD mean between techniques. Population systematic (Σ) and random errors (σ) were estimated. Within-patient comparisons between techniques used Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: 34 patients were recruited, with complete dosimetric data available for 28. Mean heart and LAD NTD mean doses for VBH and prone treatments respectively were 0.4 and 0.7 (p < 0.001) and 2.9 and 7.8 (p < 0.001). Clip-based CBCT errors for VBH and prone respectively were ⩽3.0 mm and ⩽6.5 mm (Σ) and ⩽3.5 mm and ⩽5.4 mm (σ). Conclusions: In larger-breasted women, supine VBH provided superior cardiac sparing and reproducibility than a free-breathing prone position

  1. Prone breast radiotherapy in early-stage breast cancer: a preliminary analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grann, Alison; McCormick, Beryl; Chabner, Elizabeth S.; Gollamudi, Smitha V.; Schupak, Karen D.; Mychalczak, Borys R.; Heerdt, Alexandra S.; Merchant, Thomas E.; Hunt, Margie A.

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: Women with large breasts have marked dose inhomogeneity and often an inferior cosmetic outcome when treated with breast conservation compared to smaller-sized patients. We designed a prone breast board, which both minimizes breast separation and irradiated lung or heart volume. We report feasibility, cosmesis, and preliminary local control and survival for selected women with Stage 0-II breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Fifty-six patients with clinical Stage 0-II breast cancer were treated with lumpectomy and breast irradiation utilizing a prototype prone breast board. A total of 59 breasts were treated. Indications for treatment in the prone position were large or pendulous breast size (n = 57), or a history of cardiopulmonary disease (n = 2). The median bra size was 41D (range, 34D-44EE). Cosmesis was evaluated on a 1-10 (worst-to-best) scale. Results: Acute toxicity included skin erythema (80% of patients experienced Grade I or Grade II erythema), breast edema (72% of patients experienced mild edema), pruritus (20% of patients), and fatigue (20% of patients reported mild fatigue). One patient required a treatment break. The only late toxicity was related to long-term cosmesis. The mean overall cosmesis score for 53 patients was 9.37 (range, 8-10). Actuarial 3- and 5-year local control rates are 98%. Actuarial overall survival at 3 and 5 years are 98% and 94%. Conclusion: Our data indicate that treating selected women with prone breast radiotherapy is feasible and tolerated. The approach results in excellent cosmesis, and short-term outcome is comparable to traditional treatment techniques. This technique offers an innovative alternative to women who might not otherwise be considered candidates for breast conservation

  2. Efficacy of chemotherapy after hormone therapy for hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mori, Ryutaro; Nagao, Yasuko

    2014-01-01

    According to the guidelines for metastatic breast cancer, hormone therapy for hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer without life-threatening metastasis should be received prior to chemotherapy. Previous trials have investigated the sensitivity of chemotherapy for preoperative breast cancer based on the efficacy of neoadjuvant hormone therapy. In this retrospective study, we investigated the efficacy of chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer in hormone therapy-effective and hormone therapy-ineffective cases. Patients who received chemotherapy after hormone therapy for metastatic breast cancer between 2006 and 2013 at our institution were investigated. A total of 32 patients received chemotherapy after hormone therapy for metastatic breast cancer. The median patient age was 59 years, and most of the primary tumors exhibited a T2 status. A total of 26 patients had an N(+) status, while 7 patients had human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive tumors. A total of 13 patients received clinical benefits from hormone therapy, with a rate of clinical benefit of subsequent chemotherapy of 30.8%, which was not significantly different from that observed in the hormone therapy-ineffective patients (52.6%). A total of 13 patients were able to continue the hormone therapy for more than 1 year, with a rate of clinical benefit of chemotherapy of 38.5%, which was not significantly different from that observed in the short-term hormone therapy patients (47.4%). The luminal A patients were able to continue hormone therapy for a significantly longer period than the non-luminal A patients (median survival time: 17.8 months vs 6.35 months, p = 0.0085). However, there were no significant differences in the response to or duration of chemotherapy. The efficacy of chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer cannot be predicted based on the efficacy of prior hormone therapy or tumor subtype, and clinicians should administer chemotherapy in all cases of

  3. The 2-Year Cosmetic Outcome of a Randomized Trial Comparing Prone and Supine Whole-Breast Irradiation in Large-Breasted Women

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Veldeman, Liv, E-mail: liv.veldeman@uzgent.be [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent (Belgium); Department of Radiotherapy and Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium); Schiettecatte, Kimberly; De Sutter, Charlotte; Monten, Christel; Greveling, Annick van [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent (Belgium); Berkovic, Patrick [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent (Belgium); Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Liège (Belgium); Mulliez, Thomas [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent (Belgium); De Neve, Wilfried [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent (Belgium); Department of Radiotherapy and Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium)

    2016-07-15

    Purpose: To report the 2-year cosmetic outcome of a randomized trial comparing prone and supine whole-breast irradiation in large-breasted patients. Methods and Materials: One hundred patients with a (European) cup size ≥C were included. Before and 2 years after radiation therapy, clinical endpoints were scored and digital photographs were taken with the arms alongside the body and with the arms elevated 180°. Three observers rated the photographs using the 4-point Harvard cosmesis scale. Cosmesis was also evaluated with the commercially available Breast Cancer Conservation Treatment.cosmetic results (BCCT.core) software. Results: Two-year follow-up data and photographs were available for 94 patients (47 supine treated and 47 prone treated). Patient and treatment characteristics were not significantly different between the 2 cohorts. A worsening of color change occurred more frequently in the supine than in the prone cohort (19/46 vs 10/46 patients, respectively, P=.04). Five patients in the prone group (11%) and 12 patients in the supine group (26%) presented with a worse scoring of edema at 2-year follow-up (P=.06). For retraction and fibrosis, no significant differences were found between the 2 cohorts, although scores were generally worse in the supine cohort. The cosmetic scoring by 3 observers did not reveal differences between the prone and supine groups. On the photographs with the hands up, 7 patients in the supine group versus none in the prone group had a worsening of cosmesis of 2 categories using the (BCCT.org) software (P=.02). Conclusion: With a limited follow-up of 2 years, better cosmetic outcome was observed in prone-treated than in supine-treated patients.

  4. Open table-top device positioning technique to reduce small bowel obstruction. Positioning accuracy and impact on conformal radiation therapy techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudat, V.; Flentje, M.; Engenhart, R.; Metzger, M.; Wannenmacher, M.

    1995-01-01

    The immobilization error of patients positioned on the opern table-top device in prone prosition as well as the movement of the small bowel out of the pelvis by this positioning technique was determined. The positioning error is of special importance for the 3-dimensional treatment planning for conformal radiotherapy. The positioning error was determined by superposing 106 portal films with the corresponding simultor films from 21 patients with carcinoma of the rectum who received 3D-planned conformal radiotherapy (o-field technique with irregular blocks). The movement of the small bowel out of the pelvis was studied by comparing simulator films after barium swallow in supine and open table-top position as well with 3D-treatment plans of the same patient in both positions in 3 cases. The positioning error along the medio-lateral, dorso-ventral und cranio-caudal axis was 1.4/-0.6/1.8 mm and the standard deviation 4.4/6.8/6.3 mm, respectively. In comparison to the supine position more rotation errors in the sagittal view were observed (37% and 9% respectively) with a media of 5.1 . Six out of 22 patients showed no adhesions of the small bowel and a complete movement out of the tratment field was achieved. 14 out of 16 Patients with adhesions revealed a partial movement of the small bowel out of the treatment field. Comparing 3D-treatment plans in both positions again demonstrated a marked reduction of the irradiated small bowel volume with the use of the open table-top decive. (orig.) [de

  5. I followed the butterflies: Poetry of positive emotions in art therapy research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gioia Chilton

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Art therapy is a profession that offers potential avenues to improve mental health by increasing positive emotions and counteracting depression and negativity through art-making processes within a therapeutic relationship. As art therapy research is scant, this study of how positive emotions are expressed through art-making was needed. Pairs of art therapists (N = 5 conducted participatory arts-based research to explore emotional expression through visual art-making and discussion. Results included artwork and illustrated poems that demonstrate the expression of positive and other emotions within an interpersonal relationship. As part of multi-modal aesthetic exploration, poetry was used as a means of data analysis and as a vehicle for conveying findings.

  6. Powerful vascular protection by combining cilnidipine with valsartan in stroke-prone, spontaneously hypertensive rats

    OpenAIRE

    Takai, Shinji; Jin, Denan; Aritomi, Shizuka; Niinuma, Kazumi; Miyazaki, Mizuo

    2012-01-01

    Cilnidipine is an L- and N-type calcium channel blocker (CCB), and amlodipine is an L-type CCB. Valsartan (10?mg?kg?1), valsartan (10?mg?kg?1) and amlodipine (1?mg kg?1), and valsartan (10?mg?kg?1) and cilnidipine (1?mg?kg?1) were administered once daily for 2 weeks to stroke-prone, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SPs). Blood pressure was significantly reduced by valsartan, and it was further reduced by the combination therapies. Vascular endothelial dysfunction was significantly attenua...

  7. The 2012 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Objective This position statement aimed to update the evidence-based position statement published by The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) in 2010 regarding recommendations for hormone therapy (HT) for postmenopausal women. This updated position statement further distinguishes the emerging differences in the therapeutic benefit-risk ratio between estrogen therapy (ET) and combined estrogen-progestogen therapy (EPT) at various ages and time intervals since menopause onset. Methods An Advisory Panel of expert clinicians and researchers in the field of women’s health was enlisted to review the 2010 NAMS position statement, evaluate new evidence, and reach consensus on recommendations. The Panel’s recommendations were reviewed and approved by the NAMS Board of Trustees as an official NAMS position statement. Results Current evidence supports the use of HT for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women when the balance of potential benefits and risks is favorable for the individual woman. This position statement reviews the effects of ET and EPT on many aspects of women’s health and recognizes the greater safety profile associated with ET. Conclusions Recent data support the initiation of HT around the time of menopause to treat menopause-related symptoms and to prevent osteoporosis in women at high risk of fracture. The more favorable benefit-risk ratio for ET allows more flexibility in extending the duration of use compared with EPT, where the earlier appearance of increased breast cancer risk precludes a recommendation for use beyond 3 to 5 years. PMID:22367731

  8. Ketosis-Onset Diabetes and Ketosis-Prone Diabetes: Same or Not?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Beiyan; Yu, Changhua; Li, Qiang; Li, Lin

    2013-01-01

    Objective. To compare clinical characteristics, immunological markers, and β-cell functions of 4 subgroups (“Aβ” classification system) of ketosis-onset diabetes and ketosis prone diabetes patients without known diabetes, presenting with ketosis or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and admitted to our department from March 2011 to December 2011 in China, with 50 healthy persons as control group. Results. β-cell functional reserve was preserved in 63.52% of patients. In almost each subgroup (except A−  β− subgroup of ketosis prone group), male patients were more than female ones. The age of the majority of patients in ketosis prone group was older than that of ketosis-onset group, except A−  β− subgroup of ketosis prone group. The durations from the patient first time ketosis or DKA onset to admitting to the hospital have significant difference, which were much longer for the ketosis prone group except the A+ β+ subgroup. BMI has no significant difference among subgroups. FPG of ketosis prone group was lower than that of A−  β+ subgroup and A+ β+ subgroup in ketosis-onset group. A−  β− subgroup and A+ β+ subgroup of ketosis prone group have lower HbA1c than ketosis-onset group. Conclusions. Ketosis-onset diabetes and ketosis prone diabetes do not absolutely have the same clinical characteristics. Each subgroup shows different specialty. PMID:23710177

  9. "Jumping to conclusions" in delusion-prone participants: an experimental economics approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Leer, Leslie; McKay, Ryan

    2014-01-01

    That delusional and delusion-prone individuals "jump to conclusions" on probabilistic reasoning tasks is a key finding in cognitive neuropsychiatry. Here we focused on a less frequently investigated aspect of "jumping to conclusions" (JTC): certainty judgments. We incorporated rigorous procedures from experimental economics to eliminate potential confounds of miscomprehension and motivation and systematically investigated the effect of incentives on task performance. Low- and high-delusion-prone participants (n = 109) completed a series of computerised trials; on each trial, they were shown a black or a white fish, caught from one of the two lakes containing fish of both colours in complementary ratios. In the betting condition, participants were given £4 to distribute over the two lakes as they wished; in the control condition, participants simply provided an estimate of how probable each lake was. Deviations from Bayesian probabilities were investigated. Whereas high-delusion-prone participants in both the control and betting conditions underestimated the Bayesian probabilities (i.e. were conservative), low-delusion-prone participants in the control condition underestimated but those in the betting condition provided accurate estimates. In the control condition, there was a trend for high-delusion-prone participants to give higher estimates than low-delusion-prone participants, which is consistent with previous reports of "jumping to conclusions" in delusion-prone participants. However, our findings in the betting condition, where high-delusion-prone participants provided lower estimates than low-delusion-prone participants (who were accurate), are inconsistent with the jumping-to-conclusions effect in both a relative and an absolute sense. Our findings highlight the key role of task incentives and underscore the importance of comparing the responses of delusion-prone participants to an objective rational standard as well as to the responses of non-delusion-prone

  10. Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy: does the scientific literature support efficacy claims made in the advertising media?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Dwain M

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Traction therapy has been utilized in the treatment of low back pain for decades. The most recent incarnation of traction therapy is non-surgical spinal decompression therapy which can cost over $100,000. This form of therapy has been heavily marketed to manual therapy professions and subsequently to the consumer. The purpose of this paper is to initiate a debate pertaining to the relationship between marketing claims and the scientific literature on non-surgical spinal decompression. Discussion Only one small randomized controlled trial and several lower level efficacy studies have been performed on spinal decompression therapy. In general the quality of these studies is questionable. Many of the studies were performed using the VAX-D® unit which places the patient in a prone position. Often companies utilize this research for their marketing although their units place the patient in the supine position. Summary Only limited evidence is available to warrant the routine use of non-surgical spinal decompression, particularly when many other well investigated, less expensive alternatives are available.

  11. Chronic Kidney Disease and Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Positive Individuals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Achhra, Amit C; Nugent, Melinda; Mocroft, Amanda

    2016-01-01

    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as an important health concern in HIV-positive individuals. Preventing long-term kidney toxicity from an antiretroviral therapy is therefore critical. Selected antiretroviral agents, especially tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and some ritonavir-boosted...

  12. Overall Survival Benefit From Postoperative Radiation Therapy for Organ-Confined, Margin-Positive Prostate Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dillman, Robert O.; Hafer, Russell; Cox, Craig; McClure, Stephanie E.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Radical prostatectomy for invasive prostate cancer is associated with positive margin rates in 10% to 50% of resected specimens. Postoperative radiation therapy may benefit patients who have organ-confined prostate cancer with positive margins. Methods and Materials: We performed a retrospective analysis to examine whether adjunctive radiation therapy enhanced long-term survival for prostate cancer patients who underwent prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer but with positive margins. We used the Hoag Cancer Center database to identify patients diagnosed with invasive prostate cancer. Relative and overall survival rates were calculated. Results: Among 1,474 patients diagnosed with localized invasive prostate cancer during the years 1990 to 2006 and undergoing prostatectomy, 113 (7.7%) were identified who had positive margins and did not have local extension of disease, positive lymph nodes, or distant metastases. A total of 17 patients received adjunctive radiation therapy (Group A), whereas 96 did not (Group B; 3 received hormonal therapy). Both groups had a median age of 64 years and median follow-up of 7.5 years. In Group A, no patients have died as of last follow-up, but in Group B, 18 have died. Estimated 10-year and 15-year overall survival rates were both 100% for Group A compared with 85% and 57% respectively for Group B (p 2 = 0.050, log rank). Relative 10- and 15 year survival rates were both 100% for Group A compared with 100% and 79% respectively for Group B. Conclusions: This retrospective analysis suggests that prostate cancer patients with localized disease but positive margins do derive a survival benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy.

  13. A Multicenter Retrospective Review of Prone Position Ventilation (PPV in Treatment of Severe Human H7N9 Avian Flu.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanda Xu

    Full Text Available Patients with H7N9 avian flu concurrent with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS usually have a poor clinical outcome. Prone position ventilation (PPV has been shown to improve the prognosis of patients with severe ARDS. This study explored the effects of PPV on the respiratory and circulatory mechanics of H7N9-infected patients with severe ARDS.Individuals admitted to four hospitals designated for H7N9 patients in Guangdong province were treated with PPV, and their clinical data were recorded before and after receiving PPV.Six of 20 critically ill patients in the ICU received PPV. After treatment with 35 PPV sessions, the oxygenation index (OI values of the six patients when measured post-PPV and post-supine position ventilation (SPV were significantly higher than those measured pre-PPV (P < 0.05.The six patients showed no significant differences in their values for respiratory rate (RR, peak inspiratory pressure (PIP, tidal volume (TV or arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2 when compared pre-PPV, post-PPV, and post-SPV. Additionally, there were no significant differences in the mean values for arterial pressure (MAP, cardiac index (CI, central venous pressure (CVP, heart rate (HR, lactic acid (LAC levels or the doses of norepinephrine (NE administered when compared pre-PPV, post-PPV, and post-SPV.PPV provided improved oxygenation that was sustained after returning to a supine position, and resulted in decreased carbon dioxide retention. PPV can thus serve as an alternative lung protective ventilation strategy for use in patients with H7N9 avian flu concurrent with severe ARDS.

  14. Response to pediatric physical therapy in infants with positional preference and skull deformation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wijk, R.M. van; Pelsma, M.; Groothuis-Oudshoorn, C.G.; IJzerman, M.J.; Vlimmeren, L.A. van; Boere-Boonekamp, M.M.

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Pediatric physical therapy seems to reduce skull deformation in infants with positional preference. However, not all infants show improvement. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to determine which infant and parent characteristics were related to responses to pediatric physical therapy

  15. Estimating likelihood of future crashes for crash-prone drivers

    OpenAIRE

    Subasish Das; Xiaoduan Sun; Fan Wang; Charles Leboeuf

    2015-01-01

    At-fault crash-prone drivers are usually considered as the high risk group for possible future incidents or crashes. In Louisiana, 34% of crashes are repeatedly committed by the at-fault crash-prone drivers who represent only 5% of the total licensed drivers in the state. This research has conducted an exploratory data analysis based on the driver faultiness and proneness. The objective of this study is to develop a crash prediction model to estimate the likelihood of future crashes for the a...

  16. Posição prona e diminuição da assincronia toracoabdominal em recém-nascidos prematuros Prone position and reduced thoracoabdominal asynchrony in preterm newborns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trícia G. Oliveira

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar a influência das posições prona e supina em recém-nascidos prematuros pós-síndrome do desconforto respiratório, respirando espontaneamente e em estado de sono ativo, sobre variáveis de padrão respiratório, movimento toracoabdominal e saturação periférica da hemoglobina pelo oxigênio. MÉTODOS: Estudo quase experimental. Doze prematuros com peso > 1.000 g no momento do estudo foram estudados nas duas posições, em ordem randomizada. A pletismografia respiratória por indutância foi utilizada para avaliação do padrão respiratório (volume corrente, frequência respiratória, ventilação minuto, fluxo inspiratório médio e do movimento toracoabdominal (índice de trabalho respiratório, relação de fase inspiratória, relação de fase expiratória, relação de fase respiratória total e ângulo de fase. A oximetria de pulso registrou a saturação periférica de oxigênio. Para a análise estatística foram realizados os testes t de Student para amostras pareadas ou Wilcoxon. Foi considerado significativo p OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of prone and supine positions on breathing pattern variables, thoracoabdominal motion and peripheral oxygen saturation of hemoglobin of premature newborn infants recovering from respiratory distress syndrome, while breathing spontaneously and in rapid eye movement sleep. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study. Twelve preterms weighing > 1,000 g at enrollment were studied in both positions, in random order. Respiratory inductive plethysmography was used to analyze breathing pattern (tidal volume, respiratory rate, minute ventilation, mean inspiratory flow and thoracoabdominal motion (labored breathing index, phase relation in inspiration, phase relation in expiration, phase relation in total breath and phase angle. Pulse oximetry was used to evaluate peripheral oxygen saturation. Student's t test for paired samples or the Wilcoxon test were used for statistical

  17. Ascending colon rotation following patient positional change during CT colonography: a potential pitfall in interpretation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Ji Yeon; Park, Seong Ho; Lee, Seung Soo; Kim, Ah Young; Ha, Hyun Kwon

    2011-01-01

    To investigate the degree and pattern of ascending colonic rotation as patients moved from supine to prone positions during CTC. A search of our CTC and colonoscopy database found 37 patients (43 eligible lesions) who fulfilled the following criteria: colonoscopy-proven sessile polyps ≥6 mm in the straight mid-ascending colon, lesion visualisation in both supine and prone CTC, and optimal colonic distension. A coordinate system was developed to designate the polyp radial location ( ) along the luminal circumference, unaffected by rotation of the torso. The degree/direction of polyp radial location change (i.e. ascending colonic rotation) between supine and prone positions correlated with anthropometric measurements. Movement from supine to prone positions resulted in a change in the radial polyp location of between -23 and 79 (median, 21 ), demonstrating external rotation of the ascending colon in almost all cases (2 to 79 in 36/37 patients and 42/43 lesions). The degree/direction of rotation mildly correlated with the degree of abdominal compression in the anterior-posterior direction in prone position (r = 0.427 [P = 0.004] and r = 0.404 [P = 0.007]). The ascending colon was usually found to rotate externally as patients moved from supine to prone positions, partly dependent on the degree of abdominal compression. (orig.)

  18. Estimating likelihood of future crashes for crash-prone drivers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subasish Das

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available At-fault crash-prone drivers are usually considered as the high risk group for possible future incidents or crashes. In Louisiana, 34% of crashes are repeatedly committed by the at-fault crash-prone drivers who represent only 5% of the total licensed drivers in the state. This research has conducted an exploratory data analysis based on the driver faultiness and proneness. The objective of this study is to develop a crash prediction model to estimate the likelihood of future crashes for the at-fault drivers. The logistic regression method is used by employing eight years' traffic crash data (2004–2011 in Louisiana. Crash predictors such as the driver's crash involvement, crash and road characteristics, human factors, collision type, and environmental factors are considered in the model. The at-fault and not-at-fault status of the crashes are used as the response variable. The developed model has identified a few important variables, and is used to correctly classify at-fault crashes up to 62.40% with a specificity of 77.25%. This model can identify as many as 62.40% of the crash incidence of at-fault drivers in the upcoming year. Traffic agencies can use the model for monitoring the performance of an at-fault crash-prone drivers and making roadway improvements meant to reduce crash proneness. From the findings, it is recommended that crash-prone drivers should be targeted for special safety programs regularly through education and regulations.

  19. A comparison of two gluteus maximus EMG maximum voluntary isometric contraction positions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bret Contreras

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Background. The purpose of this study was to compare the peak electromyography (EMG of the most commonly-used position in the literature, the prone bent-leg (90° hip extension against manual resistance applied to the distal thigh (PRONE, to a novel position, the standing glute squeeze (SQUEEZE.Methods. Surface EMG electrodes were placed on the upper and lower gluteus maximus of thirteen recreationally active females (age = 28.9 years; height = 164 cm; body mass = 58.2 kg, before three maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC trials for each position were obtained in a randomized, counterbalanced fashion.Results. No statistically significant (p < 0.05 differences were observed between PRONE (upper: 91.94%; lower: 94.52% and SQUEEZE (upper: 92.04%; lower: 85.12% for both the upper and lower gluteus maximus. Neither the PRONE nor SQUEEZE was more effective between all subjects.Conclusions. In agreement with other studies, no single testing position is ideal for every participant. Therefore, it is recommended that investigators employ multiple MVIC positions, when possible, to ensure accuracy. Future research should investigate a variety of gluteus maximus MVIC positions in heterogeneous samples.

  20. POSSIBILITIES OF THERAPY OF HER-2-POSITIVE REGIONAL BREAST CANCER

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    A. S. Belokhvostova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Breast cancer heads the list of malignant neoplasms in women. In this connection the regional forms of cancer are diagnosed in one fourth of the patients. The treatment of regional cancer begins with systemic therapy and aimed at gaining of state fit for operation. The choice of modern treatment strategy is based on determination of molecular subtype of the tumor. One of them is referred to HER-2-positive cancer, requiring the administration of additional targeted therapy. This form of cancer is referred to prognostically pejorative tumors, as it’s more aggressive, leads to fast metastasis and early death of the patients. The “golden standard” of systemic chemotherapy is defined as administration of docetaxel and trastuzumab,  and antracyclic drugs, which also prove to be efficient. However concomitant administration of trastuzumab and antracyclines is limited due to their cardiotoxicity. Chemotherapy is not always efficient and, upon recommendations both of Russian and international oncologists, radiotherapy is the next stage of treatment. The question about radiosensibility of HER-2-positive tumors is still open and worth studying. Addition of radiotherapy to regional cancer treatment regimen in combination with the targeted therapy and chemotherapy may contribute to obtaining better survival rate and disease control. There are still no clearly defined standard for the sequence of chemo-radiation therapy. Simultaneous  chemo-radiatiojn  therapy results in  reliably better loco-regional control of tumor and  enables to gain a  higher degree of pathomorphological response on the one hand, and it may result in development of serious adverse effects on the other hand. Striving for improvement of immediate results of antineoplastic therapy, including that of regional cancer, by combining various methods, one should keep in mind the increasing action toxicity, which may have a considerable impact on the patients’ quality of living

  1. Registration of central paths and colonic polyps between supine and prone scans in computed tomography colonography: Pilot study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Ping; Napel, Sandy; Acar, Burak; Paik, David S.; Jeffrey, R. Brooke Jr.; Beaulieu, Christopher F.

    2004-01-01

    Computed tomography colonography (CTC) is a minimally invasive method that allows the evaluation of the colon wall from CT sections of the abdomen/pelvis. The primary goal of CTC is to detect colonic polyps, precursors to colorectal cancer. Because imperfect cleansing and distension can cause portions of the colon wall to be collapsed, covered with water, and/or covered with retained stool, patients are scanned in both prone and supine positions. We believe that both reading efficiency and computer aided detection (CAD) of CTC images can be improved by accurate registration of data from the supine and prone positions. We developed a two-stage approach that first registers the colonic central paths using a heuristic and automated algorithm and then matches polyps or polyp candidates (CAD hits) by a statistical approach. We evaluated the registration algorithm on 24 patient cases. After path registration, the mean misalignment distance between prone and supine identical anatomic landmarks was reduced from 47.08 to 12.66 mm, a 73% improvement. The polyp registration algorithm was specifically evaluated using eight patient cases for which radiologists identified polyps separately for both supine and prone data sets, and then manually registered corresponding pairs. The algorithm correctly matched 78% of these pairs without user input. The algorithm was also applied to the 30 highest-scoring CAD hits in the prone and supine scans and showed a success rate of 50% in automatically registering corresponding polyp pairs. Finally, we computed the average number of CAD hits that need to be manually compared in order to find the correct matches among the top 30 CAD hits. With polyp registration, the average number of comparisons was 1.78 per polyp, as opposed to 4.28 comparisons without polyp registration

  2. Efficacy of Prone Lumbar Traction on Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain and Disability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmoud Beyki

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To compare the outcomes of prone and supine lumbar traction in patients with chronic discogenic low back pain. Methods: The test was prospective and randomized control trial. The structure of trial was Urban Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic. Participants was included of A total of 124 subjects with chronic low back pain (LBP and evidence of a degenerative and/or herniated inter-vertebral disk at 1 or more levels of the lumbar spine, who have not our exclusion criteria. There was A 4-week course of lumbar traction, prone or supine in case and control groups consecutively, consisting of six 30-minute sessions every other days, followed by four 30-minute sessions every 3 days. The numeric Visual pain rating scale and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI were completed at pre-intervention and discharge (within 2 weeks of the last visit. Results: A total of 124 subjects completed the treatment protocol. We noted significant improvements for all post-intervention outcome scores when compared with pre-intervention scores (P<0.01. Also found significant difference between 2 groups in favor of prone traction (P<0.01 Discussion: Traction applied in the prone position for 4 weeks was associated with improvements in pain intensity and ODI scores at discharge, in a sample of patients with activity limiting LBP. However, because we lacked a reasonable long time follow-up, we cannot imply a long lasting relationship between the traction and outcome, and a long time follow-up is suggested.

  3. Prolonged lateral steep position impairs respiratory mechanics during continuous lateral rotation therapy in respiratory failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schellongowski, Peter; Losert, Heidrun; Locker, Gottfried J; Laczika, Klaus; Frass, Michael; Holzinger, Ulrike; Bojic, Andja; Staudinger, Thomas

    2007-04-01

    To establish whether prolonged lateral steep position during continuous rotation therapy leads to improvement on pulmonary gas exchange, respiratory mechanics and hemodynamics. Prospective observational study. Intensive care unit of a university hospital. Twelve consecutive patients suffering from acute lung injury or adult respiratory distress syndrome undergoing continuous rotation therapy. Blood gas analysis, static lung compliance, blood pressure, cardiac index and pulmonary shunt fraction were measured in supine as well as in left and right lateral steep position at 62 degrees during continuous rotation therapy (phase I). Rotation was then stopped for 30 min with the patients in supine position, left and right lateral steep position, and the same measurements were performed every 10 min (phase II). Phase I and II revealed no significant changes in PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio, mean arterial blood pressure, pulmonary shunt fraction, or cardiac index. Significantly lower static compliance was observed in lateral steep position than in supine position (pposition than in left and right lateral steep position (ppositioning impairs the compliance of the respiratory system. Prolonged lateral steep position does not lead to benefits with respect to oxygenation or hemodynamics. Individual response to the different positions is unpredictable. The pauses in "extreme" positions should be as short as possible.

  4. Eradication therapy for peptic ulcer disease in Helicobacter pylori-positive people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, Alexander C; Gurusamy, Kurinchi Selvan; Delaney, Brendan; Forman, David; Moayyedi, Paul

    2016-04-19

    Peptic ulcer disease is the cause of dyspepsia in about 10% of people. Ninety-five percent of duodenal and 70% of gastric ulcers are associated with Helicobacter pylori. Eradication of H. pylori reduces the relapse rate of ulcers but the magnitude of this effect is uncertain. This is an update of Ford AC, Delaney B, Forman D, Moayyedi P. Eradication therapy for peptic ulcer disease in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003840. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003840.pub4. To assess the proportion of peptic ulcers healed and the proportion of participants who remained free from relapse with eradication therapy against placebo or other pharmacological therapies in H. pylori-positive people.To assess the proportion of participants that achieved complete relief of symptoms and improvement in quality of life scores.To compare the incidence of adverse effects/drop-outs (total number for each drug) associated with the different treatments.To assess the proportion of participants in whom successful eradication was achieved. In this update, we identified trials by searching the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to March 2016) and Ovid EMBASE (1980 to March 2016). To identify further relevant trials, we handsearched reference lists from trials selected by electronic searching, and published abstracts from conference proceedings from the United European Gastroenterology Week (published in Gut) and Digestive Disease Week (published in Gastroenterology). The search was last updated in March 2016. We contacted members of Cochrane Upper GI and Pancreatic Diseases, and experts in the field and asked them to provide details of outstanding clinical trials and any relevant unpublished materials. We analysed randomised controlled trials of short- and long-term treatment of peptic ulcer disease in H. pylori-positive adults. Participants received at least one week of H. pylori

  5. Land cover fire proneness in Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Gonzalez Pereira

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim of study: This study aims to identify and characterize the spatial and temporal evolution of the types of vegetation that are most affected by forest fires in Europe. The characterization of the fuels is an important issue of the fire regime in each specific ecosystem while, on the other hand, fire is an important disturbance for global vegetation dynamics.Area of study: Southern European countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece.Material and Methods: Corine Land Cover maps for 2000 and 2006 (CLC2000, CLC2006 and burned area (BA perimeters, from 2000 to 2013 in Europe are combined to access the spatial and temporal evolution of the types of vegetation that are most affected by wild fires using descriptive statistics and Geographical Information System (GIS techniques.Main results: The spatial and temporal distribution of BA perimeters, vegetation and burnt vegetation by wild fires was performed and different statistics were obtained for Mediterranean and entire Europe, confirming the usefulness of the proposed land cover system. A fire proneness index is proposed to assess the fire selectivity of land cover classes. The index allowed to quantify and to compare the propensity of vegetation classes and countries to fire.Research highlights: The usefulness and efficiency of the land cover classification scheme and fire proneness index. The differences between northern Europe and southern Europe and among the Mediterranean region in what concerns to vegetation cover, fire incidence, area burnt in land cover classes and fire proneness between classes for the different countries.Keywords: Fire proneness; Mixed forests; Land cover/land use; Fire regime; Europe; GIS; Corine land cover. 

  6. Understanding positional cues in salamander limb regeneration: implications for optimizing cell-based regenerative therapies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine D. McCusker

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Regenerative medicine has reached the point where we are performing clinical trials with stem-cell-derived cell populations in an effort to treat numerous human pathologies. However, many of these efforts have been challenged by the inability of the engrafted populations to properly integrate into the host environment to make a functional biological unit. It is apparent that we must understand the basic biology of tissue integration in order to apply these principles to the development of regenerative therapies in humans. Studying tissue integration in model organisms, where the process of integration between the newly regenerated tissues and the ‘old’ existing structures can be observed and manipulated, can provide valuable insights. Embryonic and adult cells have a memory of their original position, and this positional information can modify surrounding tissues and drive the formation of new structures. In this Review, we discuss the positional interactions that control the ability of grafted cells to integrate into existing tissues during the process of salamander limb regeneration, and discuss how these insights could explain the integration defects observed in current cell-based regenerative therapies. Additionally, we describe potential molecular tools that can be used to manipulate the positional information in grafted cell populations, and to promote the communication of positional cues in the host environment to facilitate the integration of engrafted cells. Lastly, we explain how studying positional information in current cell-based therapies and in regenerating limbs could provide key insights to improve the integration of cell-based regenerative therapies in the future.

  7. The benefits of prone SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in reducing both artifact defects and patient radiation exposure; Beneficio da aquisicao de imagem na posicao Prona em perfusao miocardica com SPECT para reducao de artefatos e exposicao do paciente a radiacao

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stathaki, Maria; Koukouraki, Sophia; Papadaki, Emmanouela; Tsaroucha, Angeliki; Karkavitsas, Nikolaos, E-mail: mariast_cha@yahoo.gr [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete (Greece)

    2015-10-15

    Background: Prone imaging has been demonstrated to minimize diaphragmatic and breast tissue attenuation. Objectives: To determine the role of prone imaging on the reduction of unnecessary rest perfusion studies and coronary angiographies performed, thus decreasing investigation time and radiation exposure. Methods: We examined 139 patients, 120 with an inferior wall and 19 with an anterior wall perfusion defect that might represented attenuation artifact. Post-stress images were acquired in both the supine and prone position. Coronary angiography was used as the 'gold standard' for evaluating coronary artery patency. The study was terminated and rest imaging was obviated in the presence of complete improvement of the defect in the prone position. Quantitative interpretation was performed. Results were compared with clinical data and coronary angiographic findings. Results: Prone acquisition correctly revealed defect improvement in 89 patients (89/120) with inferior wall and 12 patients (12/19) with anterior wall attenuation artifact. Quantitative analysis demonstrated statistically significant difference in the mean summed stress scores (SSS) of supine and mean SSS of prone studies in patients with disappearing inferior wall defect in the prone position and patent right coronary artery (true negative results). The mean difference between SSS in supine and in prone position was higher with disappearing than with remaining defects. Conclusion: Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging with the patient in the prone position overcomes soft tissue attenuation; moreover it provides an inexpensive, accurate approach to limit the number of unnecessary rest perfusion studies and coronary angiographies performed. (author)

  8. Evaluation of the breath-hold approach in proton therapy of lung tumors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gorgisyan, Jenny

    Proton therapy has the potential to improve the treatment effect as compared to conventional radiation therapy for lung cancer patients. However, the proton therapy delivery is prone to uncertainties caused by anatomical changes and motion during the treatment and between the treatment fractions ...

  9. Fantasy Proneness Correlates With the Intensity of Near-Death Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte Martial

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about the personality characteristics of those who have experienced a “Near-Death Experience” (NDE. One interesting candidate is fantasy proneness. We studied this trait in individuals who developed NDEs in the presence (i.e., classical NDEs or absence (i.e., NDEs-like of a life-threatening situation. We surveyed a total of 228 individuals. From those, 108 qualified as NDE experiencers (i.e., Greyson NDE scale total score ≥7: 51 had their NDEs in the context of a life-threatening situation; 57 had their NDEs not related to a life-threatening situation. From those who did not meet the criteria to be considered “experiencers,” 20 had their NDE in the absence of a life-threatening situation; 50 had faced death but did not recall a NDE and finally, 50 were healthy people without a history of life threat and/or NDE. All participants completed a measure of NDE intensity (the Greyson NDE scale and a measure of fantasy proneness (the Creative Experiences Questionnaire. People reporting NDEs-like scored higher on fantasy proneness than those reporting classical NDEs, individuals whose experiences did not meet the NDE criteria and matched controls. By contrast, individuals reporting classical NDEs did not show different engagement in fantasy as matched controls. The reported intensity of the experiences was positively correlated with engagement in fantasy. Our findings support the view that strong engagement in fantasy by individuals recalling NDEs-like might make these persons more likely to report such subjective experiences when exposed to suitable physiological and/or psychological conditions (e.g., meditation, syncope.

  10. Positive effects of massage therapy on a patient with narcolepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Robyn; Baskwill, Amanda

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this case report was to investigate the effects of massage therapy on the sleep patterns of a woman with narcolepsy. The 23-year-old woman's primary symptoms included excessive daytime sleepiness and periodic leg movements (PLM), which were associated with her diagnoses of both narcolepsy and cataplexy. Five 45-minute massage therapy treatments were administered over a five-week period. The patient's sleep patterns were recorded each week before the treatment. A final measurement was recorded in the sixth week. The sleep patterns were monitored using the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, which included ten visual analogue scales. The results of this case report included an improvement in getting to sleep by 148%, an improvement in quality of sleep by 1100%, an improvement in awake following sleep by 121%, and an improvement in behaviour following wakening by 28% using the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. This case report suggests that massage therapy had a positive effect on this patient with narcolepsy. Further research is needed to investigate the effects of massage therapy on narcolepsy and sleep patterns.

  11. Constructing Unfinalizability: A Subject Positioning Analysis of a Couple's Therapy Session Hosted by Tom Andersen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guilfoyle, Michael

    2018-03-08

    The notion of subject positions is a useful tool in thinking through therapeutic interactions. In this article, I discuss positioning as an everyday phenomenon, and highlight the relational and social power dynamics that shape the subject positions persons may inhabit. Analysis is presented of the positional dynamics that play out in the couple's therapy session facilitated by Tom Andersen. Analysis suggests that Andersen adopts a not-knowing, uncertain, and curious position, while constructing the couple as competent, unfinalizable persons able to negotiate the choice-points that arise in front of them. However, if subject positions are grounded in social power dynamics, the session leaves a particular question unanswered: How will these emergent positions take hold outside of the consulting room? © 2018 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

  12. The effects of antiretroviral therapy on HIV-positive individuals in Wakiso District, Uganda

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Tina Yang

    2015-01-01

    AIM The aim was to explore the experiences of HIV-positive individuals before and after gaining access to antiretroviral therapy in Wakiso District, Uganda and how antiretroviral therapy impacts certain aspects of those living with HIV, such as sexual behavior, support systems, faith and personal identity. METHODS Based on secondary data analysis of “Life On Antiretroviral Therapy: People’s Adaptive Coping And Adjustment To Living With HIV As A Chronic Condition In Wakiso District, Uganda” by...

  13. 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is associated with nostalgia proneness: The role of neuroticism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Yu L L; Welker, Keith M; Way, Baldwin; DeWall, Nathan; Bushman, Brad J; Wildschut, Tim; Sedikides, Constantine

    2017-12-12

    Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, is a self-relevant and social emotion. Nostalgia proneness is associated with alleviation of distress or instability (e.g., neuroticism). Although nostalgia proneness is heritable, the specific molecular contributors to this heritability are unknown. We focused on a polymorphism in the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) as a possible biological basis of nostalgia proneness, because the serotonin system has been associated with sensitivity to negative experience. Participants (N = 397 adults) who had reported levels of nostalgia proneness were genotyped. A subsample also completed a measure of neuroticism. Participants with the 5-HTTLPR short allele were higher on nostalgia proneness than those without this allele. Neuroticism mediated the relation between 5-HTTLPR and nostalgia proneness. These findings enrich our understanding of the genetic and personality underpinnings of nostalgia.

  14. Prone Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation After Breast-Conserving Surgery: Compliance to the Dosimetry Requirements of RTOG-0413

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wen Bixiu [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Hsu, Howard; Formenti-Ujlaki, George F.; Lymberis, Stella; Magnolfi, Chiara; Zhao Xuan; Chang Jenghwa; DeWyngaert, J. Keith; Jozsef, Gabor [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Formenti, Silvia C., E-mail: silvia.formenti@nyumc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University Medical Center, New York, New York (United States)

    2012-11-15

    Purpose: The dosimetric results from our institution's trials of prone accelerated partial breast irradiation are compared with the dosimetric requirements of RTOG-0413. Methods and Materials: Trial 1 and Trial 2 are 2 consecutive trials of prone-accelerated partial breast irradiation. Eligible for both trials were stage I breast cancer patients with negative margins after breast-conserving surgery. The planning target tumor volume (PTV) was created by extending the surgical cavity 2.0 cm for Trial 1 and 1.5 cm for Trial 2, respectively. Contralateral breast, heart, lungs, and thyroid were contoured. Thirty Gray was delivered in five daily fractions of 6 Gy by a three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy technique in Trial 1 and were by image-guided radiation therapy/intensity-modulated radiation therapy in Trial 2. Dosimetric results from the trials are reported and compared with RTOG 0413 requirements. Results: One hundred forty-six consecutive plans were analyzed: 67 left and 79 right breast cancers. The plans from the trials complied with the required >90% of prescribed dose covering 90% of PTV{sub E}VAL (=generated from the PTV by cropping 0.5 cm from the skin edge and excluding the chest wall): V90% was 98.1 {+-} 3.0% (with V100% and V95%, 89.4 {+-} 12.8%, 96.4 {+-} 5.1%, respectively). No significant difference between laterality was found (Student's t test). The dose constraints criteria of the RTOG-0413 protocol for ipsilateral and contralateral lung (V30 <15% and Dmax <3%), heart (V5 <40%), and thyroid (Dmax <3%) were satisfied because the plans showed an average V5% of 0.6% (range, 0-13.4) for heart, an average V30% of 0.6% (range, 0-9.1%) for ipsilateral lung, and <2% maximum dose to the thyroid. However, our partial breast irradiation plans demonstrated a higher dose to contralateral breast than that defined by RTOG constraints, with a median value of maximum doses of 4.1% (1.2 Gy), possibly as a result of contouring differences

  15. Negative social comparisons and psychosis proneness in a healthy adolescent population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotier, F A; Toulopoulou, T

    2017-10-01

    There is growing evidence of an association between negative social comparisons (NSC) and both psychosis, and psychosis proneness. The majority of the work thus far, however, has focused largely on one type of NSC, namely, social rank. Whilst social rank is clearly an important factor, an individual's perception of belonging is likely also of importance; particularly, when considering individuals from collectivistic cultures such as China, where greater emphasis is placed on fitting into the group. There is also limited research investigating what factors may contribute towards the relationship between NSC and psychosis proneness, and to what extent this relationship may be due to common familial factors. To address these issues, we examined whether (1) Social rank and perceived belonging predict negative, positive and depressive psychotic experiences in a Chinese, adolescent, twin and sibling population, (2) coping styles moderate the impact of these relationships and (3), there is a familial association between NSC and psychosis proneness. Both social rank and perceived belonging were found to predict the negative and depressive dimensions of psychosis. These relationships were moderated by problem-focused coping styles. Interestingly, the association between perception of belonging, and negative psychotic experiences was familial-and stronger in Monozygotic twins-indicating perhaps shared aetiology due to common genes. Our findings highlight NSC as potential vulnerability markers for negative and depressive psychotic experiences, and suggest potentially different aetiological pathways amongst different NSC and different psychotic experiences. On a clinical level, our findings emphasize the need to consider coping styles when treating at-risk individuals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. CT colonography: colonic distention improved by dual positioning but not intravenous glucagon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morrin, Martina M.; Keogan, Mary T.; Kruskal, Jonathan B.; Yam, Chun-Shan; Raptopoulos, Vassilios; Farrell, Richard J.

    2002-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether intravenous (IV) glucagon and dual positioning administered prior to CT colonography enhances colonic distention. We assessed the effect of dual positioning and IV glucagon on colonic distention in 96 patients who underwent CT colonography examinations. The CT colonography was performed in both supine and prone positions. Seventy-four patients received glucagon (1 mg i.v.) immediately prior to CT scanning and 22 patients did not. The bowel was divided into ten segments and colonic distention was scored by two radiologists in the supine, prone, and combined supine/prone positions using a five-point scale: 1=collapsed; 2=poorly visualized; ≥3=adequate distention; 4=entire segment visualized and well distended; 5=excellent distention. A combined segmental and overall supine/prone distention score was calculated based on the sum of the mean score for each position. There was no significant difference in the degree of colonic distention between patients who received glucagon and those who did not [supine/prone distention score (mean±SE): 3.63±0.2 vs 3.85±0.2; p=n.s.]. The degree of colonic distention was greater in the prone position in both the glucagon (3.87±0.2 vs 3.38±0.2; p<0.05) and non-glucagon groups (4.01±0.2 vs 3.69±0.2; p=N.S.) particularly in the proximal colon. There was almost perfect agreement between both radiologists in their scoring of colonic distention on a per-patient basis (k=0.9; p<0.001). Of 1480 bowel segments, 1261 (85.2%) were adequately distended in the glucagon group compared with 370 of 440 bowel segments (84%) in the non-glucagon group (p=n.s.) Colonic distention at CT colonography is improved by dual positioning but not by the administration of intravenous glucagon. While our results suggest that other smooth muscle relaxants, including butyl scopolamine, may only have a limited role in improving colonic distention in CT colonography, further studies are required. (orig.)

  17. Body Position Influences Which Neural Structures Are Recruited by Lumbar Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon M Danner

    Full Text Available Transcutaneous stimulation of the human lumbosacral spinal cord is used to evoke spinal reflexes and to neuromodulate altered sensorimotor function following spinal cord injury. Both applications require the reliable stimulation of afferent posterior root fibers. Yet under certain circumstances, efferent anterior root fibers can be co-activated. We hypothesized that body position influences the preferential stimulation of sensory or motor fibers. Stimulus-triggered responses to transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation were recorded using surface-electromyography from quadriceps, hamstrings, tibialis anterior, and triceps surae muscles in 10 individuals with intact nervous systems in the supine, standing and prone positions. Single and paired (30-ms inter-stimulus intervals biphasic stimulation pulses were applied through surface electrodes placed on the skin between the T11 and T12 inter-spinous processes referenced to electrodes on the abdomen. The paired stimulation was applied to evaluate the origin of the evoked electromyographic response; trans-synaptic responses would be suppressed whereas direct efferent responses would almost retain their amplitude. We found that responses to the second stimulus were decreased to 14%±5% of the amplitude of the response to the initial pulse in the supine position across muscles, to 30%±5% in the standing, and to only 80%±5% in the prone position. Response thresholds were lowest during standing and highest in the prone position and response amplitudes were largest in the supine and smallest in the prone position. The responses obtained in the supine and standing positions likely resulted from selective stimulation of sensory fibers while concomitant motor-fiber stimulation occurred in the prone position. We assume that changes of root-fiber paths within the generated electric field when in the prone position increase the stimulation thresholds of posterior above those of anterior root fibers. Thus, we

  18. The patient position for PNL: does it matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cracco, Cecilia Maria; Scoffone, Cesare Marco; Poggio, Massimiliano; Scarpa, Roberto Mario

    2010-03-01

    Currently, PNL is the treatment of choice for large and/or otherwise complex urolithiasis. PNL was initially performed with the patient in a supine-oblique position, but later on the prone position became the conventional one for habit and handiness. The prone position provides a larger area for percutaneous renal access, a wider space for instrument manipulation, and a claimed lower risk of splanchnic injury. Nonetheless, it implies important anaesthesiological risks, including circulatory, haemodynamic, and ventilatory difficulties; need of several nurses to be present for intraoperative changes of the decubitus in case of simultaneous retrograde instrumentation of the ureter, implying evident risks related to pressure points; an increased radiological hazard to the urologist's hands; patient discomfort. To overcome these drawbacks, various safe and effective changes in patient positioning for PNL have been proposed over the years, including the reverse lithotomy position, the prone split-leg position, the lateral decubitus, the supine position, and the Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia (GMSV) position. Among these, the GMSV position is safe and effective, and seems profitable and ergonomic. It allows optimal cardiopulmonary control during general anaesthesia; an easy puncture of the kidney; a reduced risk of colonic injury; simultaneous antero-retrograde approach to the renal cavities (PNL and retrograde ureteroscopy = ECIRS, Endoscopic Combined IntraRenal Surgery), with no need of intraoperative repositioning of the anaesthetized patient, less need for nurses in the operating room, less occupational risk due to shifting of heavy loads, less risk of pressure injuries related to inaccurate repositioning, and reduced duration of the procedure; facilitated spontaneous evacuation of stone fragments; a comfortable sitting position and a restrained X-ray exposure of the hands for the urologist. But, first of all, GMSV position fully supports a new comprehensive

  19. Effect of patient position on the lordosis and scoliosis of patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fei, Han; Li, Wei-Shi; Sun, Zhuo-Ran; Jiang, Shuai; Chen, Zhong-Qiang

    2017-08-01

    This study aimed to analyze the effect of patient positions on the lordosis and scoliosis of patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS).Seventy-seven patients with DLS were retrospectively analyzed. We measured lordosis and Cobb's angle on preoperative upright x-rays and magnetic resonance imagings in supine position. The lordosis and scoliosis of surgical segments in intraoperative prone position were measured on intraoperative radiographs of 20 patients to compare with that in standing position. Paired t tests were performed to investigate the parameters of the sample.From standing to supine position the whole lordosis increased (29.2 ± 15.7 degree vs. 34.9 ± 11.2 degree), and the whole scoliosis decreased (24.3 ± 11.8 degree vs. 19.0 ± 10.5 degree); 53 of 77 (68.8%) cases had increased lordosis, and 67 of 77 (87%) cases had decreased scoliosis. The lordosis of surgical segments in standing position had no difference with that in intraoprerative prone position. But in changing from supine/standing position to intraoprerative prone position, the scoliosis of surgical segments decreased (14.7 ± 9.4 degree vs. 11.4 ± 7.0 degree; 19.0 ± 11.8 degree vs. 11.4 ± 7.0 degree, respectively), and 18 of 20 (90%) cases had decreased scoliosis in intraoperative prone position than that in standing position.Compared with standing position in DLS patients, supine position increased lordosis and reduced scoliosis, and intraoperative prone position reduced scoliosis significantly. When evaluating the severity of DLS and making preoperative surgical plans, lumbar lordosis in supine position should also be evaluated in addition to upright x-ray, and the effects of different positions should be taken into consideration to reduce deviation.

  20. Incidental dose to coronary arteries is higher in prone than in supine whole breast irradiation. A dosimetric comparison in adjuvant radiotherapy of early stage breast cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wuerschmidt, Florian; Stoltenberg, Solveigh; Kretschmer, Matthias; Petersen, Cordula

    2014-06-15

    Sparing of normal lung is best achieved in prone whole breast irradiation (WBI). However, exposure of the heart and coronary arteries might increase due to anterior movement of the heart in prone WBI. Treatment plans of 46 patients with large breasts irradiated for mammary cancer after breast-conserving surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The average treated breast volume of right-sided breasts (n = 33) was 1,804 ccm and 1,500 ccm for left-sided breasts (n = 13). The majority had invasive cancer (96 %) of which 61 % were pT1 and 39 % pT2 tumors. All patients received radiation therapy to the breast only. For three-dimensional (3D) treatment planning, all patients underwent a noncontrast-enhanced CT in the supine position with a wingboard and a second CT in the prone position using a prone breastboard. Nontarget volumes of the lung, heart, and coronary arteries were contoured. A total dose of 50.4 Gy was prescribed to the breast only. Differences were calculated for each patient and compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Treatment of left-sided breasts resulted in similar average mean heart doses in prone versus supine WBI (4.16 vs. 4.01 Gy; p = 0.70). The left anterior descending artery (LAD) had significantly higher dose exposure in left versus right WBI independent of position. Prone WBI always resulted in significantly higher exposures of the right circumflex artery (RCA) and LAD as compared to supine WBI. In left WBI, the mean LADprone was 33.5 Gy vs. LADsupine of 25.6 Gy (p = 0.0051). The V20prone of the LAD was 73.6 % vs. V20supine 50.4 % (p = 0.0006). The heart dose is not different between supine and prone WBI. However, in left WBI the incidental dose to the LAD with clinically relevant doses can be significantly higher in prone WBI. This is discussed controversially in the literature as it might depend on contouring and treatment techniques. We recommend contouring of LAD if patients are treated in prone WBI and evaluation of alternative

  1. Proneness to Self-Conscious Emotions in Adults With and Without Autism Traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, Denise; Vanegas, Sandra B; Hilvert, Elizabeth

    2017-11-01

    Self-conscious emotions, such as shame, guilt and pride, facilitate our social interactions by motivating us to adhere to social norms and external standards. In this study, we examined proneness to shame, guilt, hubristic pride and authentic pride in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder traits (ASD-T) and in neurotypical (NT) adults. Relations between proneness to self-conscious emotions and theory of mind (ToM), fear of negative evaluation, and social functioning were also assessed. Adults with ASD-T showed greater proneness to shame, and less proneness to guilt and pride than NT adults. Both ToM and fear of negative evaluation predicted proneness to self-conscious emotions in ASD-T. These findings are discussed in terms of understanding complex emotion processing in adults with ASD-T.

  2. The amplitude of the Achilles tendon reflex in infants is related to body position

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bruggink, Janneke L. M.; Bos, Arend F.; vd Hoeven, Johannes H.; Brouwer, Oebele F.; Sollie, Krystyna M.; Sival, Deborah A.

    2006-01-01

    In this study, we investigated whether the Achilles tendon reflex (ATR) in healthy infants is modulated by changes in body position (prone vs. supine). The amplitude of the ATR was compared at postnatal day 1, months 2, 3 and 6, while infants were placed in prone and supine position. The ATR was

  3. The 2017 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-07-01

    The 2017 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) updates the 2012 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society and identifies future research needs. An Advisory Panel of clinicians and researchers expert in the field of women's health and menopause was recruited by NAMS to review the 2012 Position Statement, evaluate new literature, assess the evidence, and reach consensus on recommendations, using the level of evidence to identify the strength of recommendations and the quality of the evidence. The Panel's recommendations were reviewed and approved by the NAMS Board of Trustees.Hormone therapy (HT) remains the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and has been shown to prevent bone loss and fracture. The risks of HT differ depending on type, dose, duration of use, route of administration, timing of initiation, and whether a progestogen is used. Treatment should be individualized to identify the most appropriate HT type, dose, formulation, route of administration, and duration of use, using the best available evidence to maximize benefits and minimize risks, with periodic reevaluation of the benefits and risks of continuing or discontinuing HT.For women aged younger than 60 years or who are within 10 years of menopause onset and have no contraindications, the benefit-risk ratio is most favorable for treatment of bothersome VMS and for those at elevated risk for bone loss or fracture. For women who initiate HT more than 10 or 20 years from menopause onset or are aged 60 years or older, the benefit-risk ratio appears less favorable because of the greater absolute risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, venous thromboembolism, and dementia. Longer durations of therapy should be for documented indications such as persistent VMS or bone loss, with shared decision making and periodic reevaluation. For bothersome GSM symptoms not

  4. The influence of hallucination proneness and social threat on time perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coy, Abbie L; Hutton, Samuel B

    2013-01-01

    Individuals with schizophrenia frequently report disturbances in time perception, but the precise nature of such deficits and their relation to specific symptoms of the disorder is unclear. We sought to determine the relationship between hallucination proneness and time perception in healthy individuals, and whether this relationship is moderated by hypervigilance to threat-related stimuli. 206 participants completed the Revised Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale (LSHS-R) and a time reproduction task in which, on each trial, participants viewed a face (happy, angry, neutral, or fearful) for between 1 and 5 s and then reproduced the time period with a spacebar press. High LSHS-R scores were associated with longer time estimates, but only during exposure to angry faces. A factor analysis of LSHS-R scores identified a factor comprising items related to reality monitoring, and this factor was most associated with the longer time estimates. During exposure to potential threat in the environment, duration estimates increase with hallucination proneness. The experience of feeling exposed to threat for longer may serve to maintain a state of hypervigilance which has been shown previously to be associated with positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

  5. Accident proneness, does it exist? A review and meta-analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser, Ellen; Pijl, Ysbrand J.; Stolk, Ronald P.; Neeleman, Jan; Rosmalen, Judith G. M.

    Accident related health problems have been suggested to cluster within persons. This phenomenon became known as accident proneness and has been a subject of many discussions. This study provides an overview of accident proneness. Therefore, 79 articles with empirical data on accident rates were

  6. Managing flood prone ecosystem for rice production in Bihar plains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, A.R.; Singh, S.S.

    2002-06-01

    A large area of the eastern region especially Bihar (0.5 million hectare) faces flood submergence and/or drought every year which creates an unfavorable environment for crop production. In this ecosystem only flood prone rice is grown whose cultivation is entirely different than normal rice crop. Managing the flood prone ecosystem for rice production needs to evaluate the reasons and a comprehensive appropriate technology through research efforts for better rice production under such harsh ecology. An attempt was made to develop a suitable agronomic package for rice cultivation during and after flooding in flood prone plains of Bihar. (author)

  7. Computed tomography scan in supine and prone positions: an alternative method to detect intramural gas in emphysematous cystitis and to evaluate efficacy after adjuvant continuous intravesical irrigation treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortés-González, Jeff R; Ortiz-Lara, Gerardo E; Salinas, Matías; Hernández-Galván, Fernando; Gómez-Guerra, Lauro S

    2013-04-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of continuous intravesical irrigation with saline plus amikacin as adjuvant therapy and to evaluate the computed tomography (CT) scan in supine and prone positions (CystoCT scan) as an alternative diagnostic and evaluation method of intramural gas in emphysematous cystitis (EC) before and after treatment. Consecutive patients with a diagnosis of EC who were hospitalized between March 2006 and January 2011 were investigated. The diagnosis was made by CystoCT scan. Treatment consisted of intravenous antibiotics, control of concomitant diseases, and placement of a 3-way urinary catheter for continuous irrigation of 500 mg of amikacin diluted in 1 l of saline given on days 0, 3, and 7. Treatment was considered successful when there was an absence of gas in the bladder wall, the urine culture was negative, there was clinical improvement, and there was an absence of toxicity. Eleven patients were hospitalized with a diagnosis of EC during the study period. Four were excluded from the study, 2 due to the lack of confirmation of the diagnosis with the CystoCT scan. Treatment was successful in all patients; for 6 (86%) this was achieved in 3 days and for 1 (14%) in 7 days. No toxicity was reported. Continuous intravesical irrigation with saline plus amikacin as adjuvant treatment of EC is an inexpensive, effective, and safe tool that might help conventional treatment and provide a rapid recovery. The CystoCT scan is an alternative method to diagnose and evaluate intramural gas in EC patients. These findings should be challenged in a randomized, multi-centre, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

  8. Measurement of gastric emptying time in various positions using sup(99m)Tc-DTPA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shibatsuji, H; Hamada, S; Takahashi, H; Ohishi, H; Hachiya, T [Nara Medical Univ., Kashihara (Japan)

    1976-04-01

    Gastric emptying with the patients in various positions was evaluated in a group of 8 volunteers by means of serial recordings of gastric radioactivity after administration of a test meal labelled with sup(99m)Tc-DTPA. Gastric emptying time was measured in the supine, prone and sitting position, and the time, which differed according to the position, was expressed as a half life (T1/2) of meal in the stomach. Emptying time was shorter in the prone position and longer in the supine position.

  9. Parent Proneness to Shame and the Use of Psychological Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Rosemary S. L.; Freeman, Wendy S.; Clara, Ian P.; Elgar, Frank J.; Walling, Bobbi R.; Mak, Leanne

    2007-01-01

    We examined the link between parent proneness to shame and two forms of psychological control, overprotection and critical/rejecting behavior, in parents of preschoolers. Because shame is self-condemning, proneness to shame affects intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning. We hypothesized that parents' emotion-regulatory responses to shame…

  10. Hypofractionated Whole-Breast Radiation Therapy: Does Breast Size Matter?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hannan, Raquibul; Thompson, Reid F.; Chen Yu; Bernstein, Karen; Kabarriti, Rafi; Skinner, William; Chen, Chin C.; Landau, Evan; Miller, Ekeni; Spierer, Marnee; Hong, Linda; Kalnicki, Shalom

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the effects of breast size on dose-volume histogram parameters and clinical toxicity in whole-breast hypofractionated radiation therapy using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, all patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy between 2005 and 2009 were screened, and qualifying consecutive patients were included in 1 of 2 cohorts: large-breasted patients (chest wall separation >25 cm or planning target volume [PTV] >1500 cm 3 ) (n=97) and small-breasted patients (chest wall separation 3 ) (n=32). All patients were treated prone or supine with hypofractionated IMRT to the whole breast (42.4 Gy in 16 fractions) followed by a boost dose (9.6 Gy in 4 fractions). Dosimetric and clinical toxicity data were collected and analyzed using the R statistical package (version 2.12). Results: The mean PTV V95 (percentage of volume receiving >= 95% of prescribed dose) was 90.18% and the mean V105 percentage of volume receiving >= 105% of prescribed dose was 3.55% with no dose greater than 107%. PTV dose was independent of breast size, whereas heart dose and maximum point dose to skin correlated with increasing breast size. Lung dose was markedly decreased in prone compared with supine treatments. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade 0, 1, and 2 skin toxicities were noted acutely in 6%, 69%, and 25% of patients, respectively, and at later follow-up (>3 months) in 43%, 57%, and 0% of patients, respectively. Large breast size contributed to increased acute grade 2 toxicity (28% vs 12%, P=.008). Conclusions: Adequate PTV coverage with acceptable hot spots and excellent sparing of organs at risk was achieved by use of IMRT regardless of treatment position and breast size. Although increasing breast size leads to increased heart dose and maximum skin dose, heart dose remained within our institutional constraints and the incidence of overall skin toxicity was comparable to that reported in the

  11. Empathy, Guilt Proneness, and Gender: Relative Contributions to Prosocial Behaviour

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda Torstveit

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Guilt is a moral emotion that is often looked upon as a negative trait. However, studies show that some individuals are more predisposed to think, feel and act in a more ethical manner because of a lower threshold to experience guilt. Some theories of helping behaviour emphasize the evolutionary mechanisms, while other theories stress the importance of social variables. This study investigated whether guilt proneness as a dispositional trait can be associated with prosocial behaviour. Five hundred sixty-nine participants reported in an online survey their own levels of guilt proneness, frequency of prosocial behaviour, and related cognitions such as empathy. This study is among the first to demonstrate how guilt proneness combined with empathy can explain additional variance in prosocial behaviour. The findings also indicate gender differences in the precursors of prosocial behaviour, suggesting women are more influenced by the effects of guilt proneness on prosocial behaviour than men.

  12. Empathy, Guilt Proneness, and Gender: Relative Contributions to Prosocial Behaviour

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torstveit, Linda; Sütterlin, Stefan; Lugo, Ricardo Gregorio

    2016-01-01

    Guilt is a moral emotion that is often looked upon as a negative trait. However, studies show that some individuals are more predisposed to think, feel and act in a more ethical manner because of a lower threshold to experience guilt. Some theories of helping behaviour emphasize the evolutionary mechanisms, while other theories stress the importance of social variables. This study investigated whether guilt proneness as a dispositional trait can be associated with prosocial behaviour. Five hundred sixty-nine participants reported in an online survey their own levels of guilt proneness, frequency of prosocial behaviour, and related cognitions such as empathy. This study is among the first to demonstrate how guilt proneness combined with empathy can explain additional variance in prosocial behaviour. The findings also indicate gender differences in the precursors of prosocial behaviour, suggesting women are more influenced by the effects of guilt proneness on prosocial behaviour than men. PMID:27298635

  13. Cross-cultural differences and similarities in proneness to shame: an adaptationist and ecological approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sznycer, Daniel; Takemura, Kosuke; Delton, Andrew W; Sato, Kosuke; Robertson, Theresa; Cosmides, Leda; Tooby, John

    2012-06-29

    People vary in how easily they feel ashamed, that is, in their shame proneness. According to the information threat theory of shame, variation in shame proneness should, in part, be regulated by features of a person's social ecology. On this view, shame is an emotion program that evolved to mitigate the likelihood or costs of reputation-damaging information spreading to others. In social environments where there are fewer possibilities to form new relationships (i.e., low relational mobility), there are higher costs to damaging or losing existing ones. Therefore, shame proneness toward current relationship partners should increase as perceived relational mobility decreases. In contrast, individuals with whom one has little or no relationship history are easy to replace, and so shame-proneness towards them should not be modulated by relational mobility. We tested these predictions cross-culturally by measuring relational mobility and shame proneness towards friends and strangers in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Japanese subjects were more shame-prone than their British and American counterparts. Critically, lower relational mobility was associated with greater shame proneness towards friends (but not strangers), and this relationship partially mediated the cultural differences in shame proneness. Shame proneness appears tailored to respond to relevant features of one's social ecology.

  14. Cross-Cultural Differences and Similarities in Proneness to Shame: An Adaptationist and Ecological Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Sznycer

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available People vary in how easily they feel ashamed, that is, in their shame proneness. According to the information threat theory of shame, variation in shame proneness should, in part, be regulated by features of a person's social ecology. On this view, shame is an emotion program that evolved to mitigate the likelihood or costs of reputation-damaging information spreading to others. In social environments where there are fewer possibilities to form new relationships (i.e., low relational mobility, there are higher costs to damaging or losing existing ones. Therefore, shame proneness toward current relationship partners should increase as perceived relational mobility decreases. In contrast, individuals with whom one has little or no relationship history are easy to replace, and so shame-proneness towards them should not be modulated by relational mobility. We tested these predictions cross-culturally by measuring relational mobility and shame proneness towards friends and strangers in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Japanese subjects were more shame-prone than their British and American counterparts. Critically, lower relational mobility was associated with greater shame proneness towards friends (but not strangers, and this relationship partially mediated the cultural differences in shame proneness. Shame proneness appears tailored to respond to relevant features of one's social ecology.

  15. Right-frontal cortical asymmetry predicts increased proneness to nostalgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tullett, Alexa M; Wildschut, Tim; Sedikides, Constantine; Inzlicht, Michael

    2015-08-01

    Nostalgia is often triggered by feelings-such as sadness, loneliness, or meaninglessness-that are typically associated with withdrawal motivation. Here, we examined whether a trait tendency to experience withdrawal motivation is associated with nostalgia proneness. Past work indicates that baseline right-frontal cortical asymmetry is a neural correlate of withdrawal-related motivation. We therefore hypothesized that higher baseline levels of right-frontal asymmetry would predict increased proneness to nostalgia. We assessed participants' baseline levels of frontal cortical activity using EEG. Results supported the hypothesis and demonstrated that the association between relative right-frontal asymmetry and increased nostalgia remained significant when controlling for the Big Five personality traits. Overall, these findings indicate that individuals with a stronger dispositional tendency to experience withdrawal-related motivation are more prone to nostalgia. © 2015 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  16. Cause-Specific Mortality in HIV-Positive Patients Who Survived Ten Years after Starting Antiretroviral Therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trickey, Adam; May, Margaret T; Vehreschild, Jorg-Janne

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To estimate mortality rates and prognostic factors in HIV-positive patients who started combination antiretroviral therapy between 1996-1999 and survived for more than ten years. METHODS: We used data from 18 European and North American HIV cohort studies contributing to the Antiretro......OBJECTIVES: To estimate mortality rates and prognostic factors in HIV-positive patients who started combination antiretroviral therapy between 1996-1999 and survived for more than ten years. METHODS: We used data from 18 European and North American HIV cohort studies contributing...... to the Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration. We followed up patients from ten years after start of combination antiretroviral therapy. We estimated overall and cause-specific mortality rate ratios for age, sex, transmission through injection drug use, AIDS, CD4 count and HIV-1 RNA. RESULTS: During 50,593 person...... years 656/13,011 (5%) patients died. Older age, male sex, injecting drug use transmission, AIDS, and low CD4 count and detectable viral replication ten years after starting combination antiretroviral therapy were associated with higher subsequent mortality. CD4 count at ART start did not predict...

  17. Guilt and Proneness to Shame: Unethical Behaviour in Vulnerable and Grandiose Narcissism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poless, Pauline Georgees; Torstveit, Linda; Lugo, Ricardo Gregorio; Andreassen, Marita; Sütterlin, Stefan

    2018-01-01

    Narcissists are described as individuals with dysfunctional personality traits such as lack of psychological awareness and empathy. Theories of ethical behaviour assume that unethical actions trigger moral emotions of guilt and shame. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on moral emotions as dispositional traits and their potential influences on behaviour in individuals with narcissistic traits. The present study examined vulnerable and grandiose narcissism’s differences in the propensity to experience guilt and shame as a proneness, across a range of personal transgressions. Guilt proneness was measured by negative evaluation of unethical behaviour, and whether this evaluation could influence reparation of tendencies of unethical action in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism. Shame proneness was investigated by negative evaluation of the self, and then whether the previous tendency could affect unethical decision making and behaviour (e.g., hiding), in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism. Two hundred and sixteen participants responded to the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory Scale and the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale in an online questionnaire. Findings indicate that grandiose narcissism was negatively associated with guilt proneness, and the relation between the vulnerable narcissism and guilt proneness was negative. Additionally, the results confirm a negative association between grandiose narcissism and shame proneness, especially related to the subscale ‘shame negative self-evaluation’. Furthermore, guilt and shame proneness explained 20% of the variance in vulnerable narcissism and 11% in grandiose narcissism. This research indicates that both vulnerable and grandiose narcissism have the tendency to make unethical decisions, and they are more likely to enact in unethical behaviour. These findings are relevant for the detection of narcissistic individual’s propensity to act unethically in social context.

  18. Guilt and Proneness to Shame: Unethical Behaviour in Vulnerable and Grandiose Narcissism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poless, Pauline Georgees; Torstveit, Linda; Lugo, Ricardo Gregorio; Andreassen, Marita; Sütterlin, Stefan

    2018-03-01

    Narcissists are described as individuals with dysfunctional personality traits such as lack of psychological awareness and empathy. Theories of ethical behaviour assume that unethical actions trigger moral emotions of guilt and shame. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on moral emotions as dispositional traits and their potential influences on behaviour in individuals with narcissistic traits. The present study examined vulnerable and grandiose narcissism's differences in the propensity to experience guilt and shame as a proneness, across a range of personal transgressions. Guilt proneness was measured by negative evaluation of unethical behaviour, and whether this evaluation could influence reparation of tendencies of unethical action in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism. Shame proneness was investigated by negative evaluation of the self, and then whether the previous tendency could affect unethical decision making and behaviour (e.g., hiding), in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism. Two hundred and sixteen participants responded to the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory Scale and the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale in an online questionnaire. Findings indicate that grandiose narcissism was negatively associated with guilt proneness, and the relation between the vulnerable narcissism and guilt proneness was negative. Additionally, the results confirm a negative association between grandiose narcissism and shame proneness, especially related to the subscale 'shame negative self-evaluation'. Furthermore, guilt and shame proneness explained 20% of the variance in vulnerable narcissism and 11% in grandiose narcissism. This research indicates that both vulnerable and grandiose narcissism have the tendency to make unethical decisions, and they are more likely to enact in unethical behaviour. These findings are relevant for the detection of narcissistic individual's propensity to act unethically in social context.

  19. Guilt and Proneness to Shame: Unethical Behaviour in Vulnerable and Grandiose Narcissism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pauline Georgees Poless

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Narcissists are described as individuals with dysfunctional personality traits such as lack of psychological awareness and empathy. Theories of ethical behaviour assume that unethical actions trigger moral emotions of guilt and shame. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on moral emotions as dispositional traits and their potential influences on behaviour in individuals with narcissistic traits. The present study examined vulnerable and grandiose narcissism’s differences in the propensity to experience guilt and shame as a proneness, across a range of personal transgressions. Guilt proneness was measured by negative evaluation of unethical behaviour, and whether this evaluation could influence reparation of tendencies of unethical action in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism. Shame proneness was investigated by negative evaluation of the self, and then whether the previous tendency could affect unethical decision making and behaviour (e.g., hiding, in vulnerable and grandiose narcissism. Two hundred and sixteen participants responded to the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory Scale and the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale in an online questionnaire. Findings indicate that grandiose narcissism was negatively associated with guilt proneness, and the relation between the vulnerable narcissism and guilt proneness was negative. Additionally, the results confirm a negative association between grandiose narcissism and shame proneness, especially related to the subscale ‘shame negative self-evaluation’. Furthermore, guilt and shame proneness explained 20% of the variance in vulnerable narcissism and 11% in grandiose narcissism. This research indicates that both vulnerable and grandiose narcissism have the tendency to make unethical decisions, and they are more likely to enact in unethical behaviour. These findings are relevant for the detection of narcissistic individual’s propensity to act unethically in

  20. Investor Outlook: Significance of the Positive LCA2 Gene Therapy Phase III Results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schimmer, Joshua; Breazzano, Steven

    2015-12-01

    Spark Therapeutics recently reported positive phase III results for SPK-RPE65 targeting the treatment of visual impairment caused by RPE65 gene mutations (often referred to as Leber congenital amaurosis type 2, or LCA2, but may include other retinal disorders), marking an important inflection point for the field of gene therapy. The results highlight the ability to successfully design and execute a randomized trial of a gene therapy and also reinforce the potentially predictive nature of early preclinical and clinical data. The results are expected to pave the way for the first approved gene therapy product in the United States and should sustain investor interest and confidence in gene therapy for many approaches, including retina targeting and beyond.

  1. Low-energy fracture of posterolateral tibial plateau: treatment by a posterolateral prone approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Guang-Rong; Xia, Jiang; Zhou, Jia-Qian; Yang, Yun-Feng

    2012-05-01

    Most of the posterolateral tibial plateau fractures are caused by low-energy injury. The posterior fracture fragment could not be exposed and reduced well through traditional approaches. The aim of this study was to review the results of surgical treatment of this kind of fracture using posterolateral approach with patient in prone position. The low-energy posterolateral fracture is defined as the main part of articular depression or split fragment limited within the posterior half of the lateral column. Direct reduction and buttress plate fixation through the posterolateral prone approach was applied in all the patients. In our series, 15 of 132 (11.4%) patients with tibial plateau fractures were identified as low-energy posterolateral fractures. The clinical outcomes were available in 14 of the 15 patients through phone interviews and chart reviews. Mean follow-up was 35.1 months (range: 24-48 months). All the patients had anatomic or good reductions (≤ 2 mm step/gap). Average range of motion was 0.7 degrees to 123.2 degrees (5-110 degrees to 0-140 degrees). The complications were limited to one superficial wound infection, two slight flexion contractures, and five implants removal. The average modified hospital for special surgery knee score was 93.4 (range: 86-100). The posterolateral prone approach provides excellent visualization, which can facilitate the reduction and posterior buttress plate fixation for low-energy posterolateral tibial plateau fractures and shows encouraging results. V, therapeutic study.

  2. Multileaf collimator leaf position verification and analysis for adaptive radiation therapy using a video-optical method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sethna, Sohrab B.

    External beam radiation therapy is commonly used to eliminate and control cancerous tumors. High-energy beams are shaped to match the patient's specific tumor volume, whereby maximizing radiation dose to malignant cells and limiting dose to normal tissue. A multileaf collimator (MLC) consisting of multiple pairs of tungsten leaves is used to conform the radiation beam to the desired treatment field. Advanced treatment methods utilize dynamic MLC settings to conform to multiple treatment fields and provide intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Future methods would further increase conformity by actively tracking tumor motion caused by patient cardiac and respiratory motion. Leaf position quality assurance for a dynamic MLC is critical as variation between the planned and actual leaf positions could induce significant errors in radiation dose. The goal of this research project is to prototype a video-optical quality assurance system for MLC leaf positions. The system captures light-field images of MLC leaf sequences during dynamic therapy. Image acquisition and analysis software was developed to determine leaf edge positions. The mean absolute difference between QA prototype predicted and caliper measured leaf positions was found to be 0.6 mm with an uncertainty of +/- 0.3 mm. Maximum errors in predicted positions were below 1.0 mm for static fields. The prototype served as a proof of concept for quality assurance of future tumor tracking methods. Specifically, a lung tumor phantom was created to mimic a lung tumor's motion from respiration. The lung tumor video images were superimposed on MLC field video images for visualization and analysis. The toolbox is capable of displaying leaf position, leaf velocity, tumor position, and determining errors between planned and actual treatment fields for dynamic radiation therapy.

  3. Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Depression-Proneness: Closing the Gender Gap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCaulay, Marci; And Others

    1988-01-01

    Examines gender differences in body image and its relationship to depression-proneness and self-esteem. Findings indicate a preoccupation with body weight and appearance for both men and women, and a relationship between body satisfaction and depression-proneness. (FMW)

  4. Image Guidance Based on Prostate Position for Prostate Cancer Proton Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vargas, Carlos; Wagner, Marcus; Indelicato, Daniel; Fryer, Amber; Horne, David; Chellini, Angela; McKenzie, Craig; Lawlor, Paula; Mahajan, Chaitali; Li Zuofeng; Lin Liyong; Keole, Sameer

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the target coverage for proton therapy with and without image guidance and daily prebeam reorientation. Methods and Materials: A total of 207 prostate positions were analyzed for 9 prostate cancer patients treated using our low-risk prostate proton therapy protocol (University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute 001). The planning target volume was defined as the prostate plus a 5-mm axial and 8-mm superoinferior extension. The prostate was repositioned using 5- and 10-mm shifts (anteriorly, inferiorly, posteriorly, and superiorly) and for Points A-D using a combination of 10-mm multidimensional movements (anteriorly or inferiorly; posteriorly or superiorly; and left or right). The beams were then realigned using the new prostate position. The prescription dose was 78 Gray equivalent (GE) to 95% of the planning target volume. Results: For small movements in the anterior, inferior, and posterior directions within the planning target volume (≤5 mm), treatment realignment demonstrated small, but significant, improvements in the clinical target volume (CTV) coverage to the prescribed dose (78 GE). The anterior and posterior shifts also significantly increased the minimal CTV dose (Δ +1.59 GE). For prostate 10-mm movements in the inferior, posterior, and superior directions, the beam realignment produced larger and significant improvements for both the CTV V 78 (Δ +6.4%) and the CTV minimal dose (Δ +8.22 GE). For the compounded 10-mm multidimensional shifts, realignment significantly improved the CTV V 78 (Δ +11.8%) and CTV minimal dose (Δ +23.6 GE). After realignment, the CTV minimal dose was >76.6 GE (>98%) for all points (A-D). Conclusion: Proton beam realignment after target shift will enhance CTV coverage for different prostate positions

  5. Complication of radiation therapy among patients with positive S. aureus culture from genital tract

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cybulski, Zefiryn; Urbaniak, Iwona; Roszak, Andrzej; Grabiec, Alicja; Talaga, Zofia; Klimczak, Piotr

    2012-01-01

    Aim The main goal of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of positive Staphylococcus aureus culture from the genital tract on patients receiving radiation therapy, suffering from carcinoma of the uterus. The other aim was to observe radiation therapy complications. Background Radiation therapy of patients suffering from cervical cancer can be connected with inflammation of the genitourinary tract. Materials and methods In years 2006–2010 vaginal swabs from 452 patients were examined. 39 women with positive S. aureus cultures were analysed. Results Complications and interruptions during radiation therapy were observed in 7 (18.9%) of 37 patients with positive vaginal S. aureus culture. One of them, a 46-year-old woman developed pelvic inflammatory disease. None of the six patients who received palliative radiotherapy showed interruption in this treatment. Isolated S. aureus strains were classified into 13 sensitivity patterns, of which 8 were represented by 1 strain, two by 2 strains and three by 13, 8 and 6 strains. One strain was diagnosed as methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Conclusions The results of the present study show that S. aureus may generally be isolated from the genital tract of female patients with neoplastic disease of uterus but is not often observed as inflammation factor of this tract. Comparison of species’ resistance patterns may be used in epidemiological studies in order to discover the source of infections and therefore be of profound significance in the prevention of nosocomial infections. PMID:24377025

  6. Laterality, spatial abilities, and accident proneness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voyer, Susan D; Voyer, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Although handedness as a measure of cerebral specialization has been linked to accident proneness, more direct measures of laterality are rarely considered. The present study aimed to fill that gap in the existing research. In addition, individual difference factors in accident proneness were further examined with the inclusion of mental rotation and navigation abilities measures. One hundred and forty participants were asked to complete the Mental Rotations Test, the Santa Barbara Sense of Direction scale, the Greyscales task, the Fused Dichotic Word Test, the Waterloo Handedness Questionnaire, and a grip strength task before answering questions related to number of accidents in five areas. Results indicated that handedness scores, absolute visual laterality score, absolute response time on the auditory laterality index, and navigation ability were significant predictors of the total number of accidents. Results are discussed with respect to cerebral hemispheric specialization and risk-taking attitudes and behavior.

  7. Otitis-Prone Children Produce Functional Antibodies to Pneumolysin and Pneumococcal Polysaccharides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkham, Lea-Ann S; Wiertsema, Selma P; Corscadden, Karli J; Mateus, Tulia; Mullaney, Gemma L; Zhang, Guicheng; Richmond, Peter C; Thornton, Ruth B

    2017-03-01

    The pneumococcus is a major otitis media (OM) pathogen, but data are conflicting regarding whether otitis-prone children have impaired humoral immunity to pneumococcal antigens. We and others have shown that otitis-prone and healthy children have similar antibody titers to pneumococcal proteins and polysaccharides (vaccine and nonvaccine types); however, the quality of antibodies from otitis-prone children has not been investigated. Antibody function, rather than titer, is considered to be a better correlate of protection from pneumococcal disease. Therefore, we compared the capacities of antibodies from otitis-prone (cases) and healthy (controls) children to neutralize pneumolysin, the pneumococcal toxin currently in development as a vaccine antigen, and to opsonize pneumococcal vaccine and nonvaccine serotypes. A pneumolysin neutralization assay was conducted on cholesterol-depleted complement-inactivated sera from 165 cases and 61 controls. A multiplex opsonophagocytosis assay (MOPA) was conducted on sera from 20 cases and 20 controls. Neutralizing and opsonizing titers were calculated with antigen-specific IgG titers to determine antibody potency for pneumolysin, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) polysaccharides, and non-PCV polysaccharides. There was no significant difference in antibody potencies between cases and controls for the antigens tested. Antipneumolysin neutralizing titers increased with the number of episodes of acute OM, but antibody potency did not. Pneumolysin antibody potency was lower in children colonized with pneumococci than in noncarriers, and this was significant for the otitis-prone group ( P otitis-prone children demonstrates that they respond to the current PCV and are likely to respond to pneumolysin-based vaccines as effectively as healthy children. Copyright © 2017 Kirkham et al.

  8. MO-DE-210-06: Development of a Supercompounded 3D Volumetric Ultrasound Image Guidance System for Prone Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chiu, T; Hrycushko, B; Zhao, B; Jiang, S; Gu, X [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: For early-stage breast cancer, accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is a cost-effective breast-conserving treatment. Irradiation in a prone position can mitigate respiratory induced breast movement and achieve maximal sparing of heart and lung tissues. However, accurate dose delivery is challenging due to breast deformation and lumpectomy cavity shrinkage. We propose a 3D volumetric ultrasound (US) image guidance system for accurate prone APBI Methods: The designed system, set beneath the prone breast board, consists of a water container, an US scanner, and a two-layer breast immobilization cup. The outer layer of the breast cup forms the inner wall of water container while the inner layer is attached to patient breast directly to immobilization. The US transducer scans is attached to the outer-layer of breast cup at the dent of water container. Rotational US scans in a transverse plane are achieved by simultaneously rotating water container and transducer, and multiple transverse scanning forms a 3D scan. A supercompounding-technique-based volumetric US reconstruction algorithm is developed for 3D image reconstruction. The performance of the designed system is evaluated with two custom-made gelatin phantoms containing several cylindrical inserts filled in with water (11% reflection coefficient between materials). One phantom is designed for positioning evaluation while the other is for scaling assessment. Results: In the positioning evaluation phantom, the central distances between the inserts are 15, 20, 30 and 40 mm. The distances on reconstructed images differ by −0.19, −0.65, −0.11 and −1.67 mm, respectively. In the scaling evaluation phantom, inserts are 12.7, 19.05, 25.40 and 31.75 mm in diameter. Measured inserts’ sizes on images differed by 0.23, 0.19, −0.1 and 0.22 mm, respectively. Conclusion: The phantom evaluation results show that the developed 3D volumetric US system can accurately localize target position and determine

  9. CD34-positive cells as stem cell support after high dose therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kvalheim, G.; Pharo, A.; Holte, H.

    1996-01-01

    Six patients, five with breast cancer and one with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, were mobilized by chemotherapy and G-CSF. CD34-positive cells were isolated by means of immunomagnetic beads and Isolex 300 Cell Separator. Mean purity of isolated CD34-positive cells was 97% and mean yield was 54%. Three patients were treated with high dose therapy followed by reinfusion of CD34-positive cells as stem cell support. Recovery of neutrophils occurred at day 8, 11 and 13 and of platelets at day 9, 14 and 32. It is concluded that immunomagnetic isolated CD34-positive cells give high purity and yield. Although use of CD34-positive cells reduces the content of contaminating tumours cells in the graft, breast cancer cells were still detectable in two out of five CD34-positive cell products. 20 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  10. Evidence that UV-inducible error-prone repair is absent in Haemophilus influenzae Rd, with a discussion of the relation to error-prone repair of alkylating-agent damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimball, R.F.; Boling, M.E.; Perdue, S.W.

    1977-01-01

    Haemophilus influenzae Rd and its derivatives are mutated either not at all or to only a very small extent by ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, methyl methanesulfonate, and nitrogen mustard, though they are readily mutated by such agents as N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, ethyl methanesulfonate, and nitrosocarbaryl (NC). In these respects H. influenzae Rd resembles the lexA mutants of Escherichia coli that lack the SOS or reclex UV-inducible error-prone repair system. This similarity is further brought out by the observation that chloramphenicol has little or no effect on post-replication repair after UV irradiation. In E. coli, chloramphenicol has been reported to considerably inhibit post-replication repair in the wild type but not in the lexA mutant. Earlier work has suggested that most or all the mutations induced in H. influenzae by NC result from error-prone repair. Combined treatment with NC and either X-rays or UV shows that the NC error-prone repair system does not produce mutations from the lesions induced by these radiations even while it is producing them from its own lesions. It is concluded that the NC error-prone repair system or systems and the reclex error-prone system are different

  11. Comfort as a determiner of treatment position in radiotherapy of the male pelvis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cox, J.; Davison, A.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: A comfortable treatment position in radiotherapy may promote patient stability and contribute to the best possible patient experience. Patients receiving radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer lie supine or prone, but little evaluation has been made of the comfort of these positions. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the comfort of the prone and supine positions and to assess any influence of feelings of anxiety. Methods: Self-reported comfort and anxiety levels were measured using visual analogue scales in the first and last weeks of treatment for patients receiving radical prostatic radiotherapy. The subjects were from two hospitals, 23 routinely treated lying prone and 21 routinely treated lying supine. Six subjects from each group were interviewed in the first week of treatment. Results: Comfort levels were high and no significant difference was found between treatment positions or between the first and last weeks of treatment. Anxiety levels were low with no significant variation according to position or week of treatment. Little correlation was seen between reported anxiety and comfort levels. Interview data supported the quantitative findings. Supine subjects indicated the need for lateral elbow support to improve feelings of stability. Conclusions: For radiotherapy of male patients without pain or other complicating factors, selection between the prone and supine positions may be made without considering comfort. Supine patients should be provided with lateral elbow support. Further research is indicated into the comfort of these positions for females and the phenomenon of low reported anxiety in male cancer patients

  12. Effectiveness of a positive psychology intervention combined with cognitive behavioral therapy in university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosario-Josefa Marrero

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to design and implement a positive intervention combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy to enhance subjective and psychological well-being and other positive functioning constructs in a convenience sample. Participants analysed were 48 university students (mean age 22.25, 25 assigned nonrandomized to intervention condition and 23 to no-treatment waiting-list control condition. All participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention to test the treatment program effectiveness. Repeated-measures ANCOVAs, controlling baseline differences between the two groups, indicated that the intervention group reported greater social support after the intervention period than the waiting-list control group. Within-group differences were found for happiness, selfacceptance, positive relations with others, optimism, and self-esteem in the intervention group; these differences did not appear in the waiting-list control group. These findings suggest the limited capacity of this intervention program for improving well-being through positive activities combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Future research should analyse what kind of activities could be more effective in promoting well-being depending on the characteristics of participants.

  13. Children's proneness to shame and guilt predict risky and illegal behaviors in young adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuewig, Jeffrey; Tangney, June P; Kendall, Stephanie; Folk, Johanna B; Meyer, Candace Reinsmith; Dearing, Ronda L

    2015-04-01

    Do shame and guilt help people avoid doing wrong? Although some research suggests that guilt-proneness is a protective factor while shame-proneness puts individuals at risk, most research is either cross-sectional or short-term. In this longitudinal study, 380 5th graders (ages 10-12) completed measures of proneness to shame and guilt. We re-interviewed 68 % of participants after they turned 18 years old (range 18-21). Guilt-proneness assessed in childhood predicted fewer sexual partners, less use of illegal drugs and alcohol, and less involvement with the criminal justice system. Shame-proneness, in contrast, was a risk factor for later deviant behavior. Shame-prone children were more likely to have unprotected sex and use illegal drugs in young adulthood. These results held when controlling for childhood SES and teachers' ratings of aggression. Children's moral emotional styles appear to be well established by at least middle childhood, with distinct downstream implications for risky behavior in early adulthood.

  14. MS2 VLP-based delivery of microRNA-146a inhibits autoantibody production in lupus-prone mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pan Y

    2012-12-01

    β and Interleukin-6 (Il-6. Moreover, we showed that the toll-like receptor pathway was involved in this regulation.Conclusion: Restoring the loss of miR-146a was effective in eliminating the production of autoantibodies and ameliorating SLE progression in lupus-prone mice. Thus, the induction of dysregulated miRNAs by an MS2 VLP-based delivery system may lead to novel therapies.Keywords: systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-dsDNA antibody, autoantibody to nuclear antigen, Toll-like receptor, BXSB mice, gene therapy.

  15. Evidence of functional cell-mediated immune responses to nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in otitis-prone children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seppanen, Elke; Tan, Dino; Corscadden, Karli J.; Currie, Andrew J.; Richmond, Peter C.; Thornton, Ruth B.

    2018-01-01

    Otitis media (OM) remains a common paediatric disease, despite advances in vaccinology. Susceptibility to recurrent acute OM (rAOM) has been postulated to involve defective cell-mediated immune responses to common otopathogenic bacteria. We compared the composition of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 20 children with a history of rAOM (otitis-prone) and 20 healthy non-otitis-prone controls, and assessed innate and cell-mediated immune responses to the major otopathogen nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). NTHi was a potent stimulator of inflammatory cytokine secretion from PBMC within 4 hours, with no difference in cytokine levels produced between PBMC from cases or controls. In the absence of antigen stimulation, otitis-prone children had more circulating Natural Killer (NK) cells (potitis-prone and non-otitis-prone children (potitis-prone children are functional and respond to NTHi. CD8+ T cells and NK cells from both cases and controls produced IFNγ in response to polyclonal stimulus (Staphylococcal enterotoxin B; SEB), with more IFNγ+ CD8+ T cells present in cases than controls (pOtitis-prone children had more circulating IFNγ-producing NK cells (potitis-prone children mounted innate and T cell-mediated responses to NTHi challenge that were comparable to healthy children. These data provide evidence that otitis-prone children do not have impaired functional cell mediated immunity. PMID:29621281

  16. Infant Positioning, Baby Gear Use, and Cranial Asymmetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zachry, Anne H; Nolan, Vikki G; Hand, Sarah B; Klemm, Susan A

    2017-12-01

    Objectives This study aimed to identify predictors of cranial asymmetry. We hypothesize that among infants diagnosed with cranial asymmetry in the sampled region, there is an association between exposure to more time in baby gear and less awake time in prone and side-lying than in infants who do not present with this condition. Methods The study employed a cross sectional survey of caregivers of typically developing infants and infants diagnosed with cranial asymmetry. Results A mutivariable model reveals that caregivers of children who are diagnosed with cranial asymmetry report their children spending significantly less time in prone play than those children without a diagnosis of cranial asymmetry. Side-lying and time spent in baby gear did not attain statistical significance. Conclusions for Practice Occupational therapists, physical therapists, pediatricians, nurses and other health care professionals must provide parents with early education about the importance of varying positions and prone play in infancy and address fears and concerns that may serve as barriers to providing prone playtime.

  17. Ketosis-prone atypical diabetes in Cameroonian people with hyperglycaemic crisis: frequency, clinical and metabolic phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lontchi-Yimagou, E; Nguewa, J L; Assah, F; Noubiap, J J; Boudou, P; Djahmeni, E; Balti, E V; Atogho-Tiedeu, B; Gautier, J F; Mbanya, J C; Sobngwi, E

    2017-03-01

    It is unclear whether ketosis-prone diabetes is a specific type or a subtype of Type 2 diabetes. We aimed to describe the clinical and metabolic features of ketosis-prone diabetes in a sub-Saharan population. We consecutively enrolled and characterized 173 people with non-autoimmune diabetes admitted for hyperglycaemic crisis at the Yaoundé Central Hospital, Cameroon. Blood samples were collected for fasting glucose, HbA 1c , lipid profile and C-peptide assays with insulin resistance and secretion estimation by homeostasis model assessment. People were classified as having Type 2 diabetes (n = 124) or ketosis-prone diabetes (n = 49). Ketosis-prone diabetes was sub-classified as new-onset ketotic phase (n = 34) or non-ketotic phase (n = 15). Ketosis-prone diabetes was found in 28.3% of the hyperglycaemic crises. Age at diabetes diagnosis was comparable in Type 2 and ketosis-prone diabetes [48 ± 14 vs 47 ± 11 years; P = 0.13] with a similar sex distribution. Overall BMI was 27.7 ± 13.4 kg/m 2 and was ≥ 25 kg/m 2 in 55.8% of those taking part, however, 73.5% of those with ketosis-prone diabetes reported weight loss of > 5% at diagnosis. Blood pressure and lipid profile were comparable in both types. Ketosis-prone diabetes in the ketotic phase was characterized by lower insulin secretion and higher serum triglycerides compared with non-ketotic ketosis prone and Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 and ketosis prone diabetes in the non-ketotic phase were comparable in terms of lipid profile, blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, BMI and fat mass, insulin secretion and insulin resistance indices. Ketosis-prone diabetes is likely to be a subtype of Type 2 diabetes with the potential to develop acute insulinopenic episodes. © 2016 Diabetes UK.

  18. Systemic therapy for HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathew, Aju; Romond, Edward H

    The advent of the targeted monoclonal antbody trastuzumab for treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer marked a revolution in the understanding and management of mammary carcinoma and, in practice, separated this subtype from other kinds of primary breast malignancy. Long term follow-up from the initial large adjuvant trials continue to show remarkably positive results. Currently, at least four additional agents targeting this receptor, using different and complementary mechanisms of action compared with trastuzumab, have been incorporated into clinical trials. The small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors lapatinib and neratinib, in addition to the antibody pertuzumab and the antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab-ematansine, have shown efficacy in metastatic breast cancer and are being evaluated both in neoadjuvant and adjuvant trials for early stage disease. The cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens used in combination with these agents also are evolving and different therapeutic approaches are emerging for patients depending on their relative level of risk from their cancers, thus moving clinical management toward individualized therapy. Much has been learned about managing the toxicities of treatment and pre-operative approaches have provided a means of assessing the sensitivity of individual patients' cancers to specific treatment regimens. This review traces the development of these studies and focuses on improvements in adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy for patients with HER2-positive disease whose prognosis has changed in the last decade from dire to favorable. A path forward has been set by which the goal of cure is attainable for almost all patients faced with this aggressive form of breast cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Steroid induction of therapy-resistant cytokeratin-5-positive cells in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer through a BCL6-dependent mechanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, C R; Sato, T; Peck, A R; Girondo, M A; Yang, N; Liu, C; Yanac, A F; Kovatich, A J; Hooke, J A; Shriver, C D; Mitchell, E P; Hyslop, T; Rui, H

    2016-01-01

    Therapy resistance remains a major problem in estrogen receptor-α (ERα)-positive breast cancer. A subgroup of ERα-positive breast cancer is characterized by mosaic presence of a minor population of ERα-negative cancer cells expressing the basal cytokeratin-5 (CK5). These CK5-positive cells are therapy resistant and have increased tumor-initiating potential. Although a series of reports document induction of the CK5-positive cells by progestins, it is unknown if other 3-ketosteroids share this ability. We now report that glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids effectively expand the CK5-positive cell population. CK5-positive cells induced by 3-ketosteroids lacked ERα and progesterone receptors, expressed stem cell marker, CD44, and displayed increased clonogenicity in soft agar and broad drug-resistance in vitro and in vivo. Upregulation of CK5-positive cells by 3-ketosteroids required induction of the transcriptional repressor BCL6 based on suppression of BCL6 by two independent BCL6 small hairpin RNAs or by prolactin. Prolactin also suppressed 3-ketosteroid induction of CK5+ cells in T47D xenografts in vivo. Survival analysis with recursive partitioning in node-negative ERα-positive breast cancer using quantitative CK5 and BCL6 mRNA or protein expression data identified patients at high or low risk for tumor recurrence in two independent patient cohorts. The data provide a mechanism by which common pathophysiological or pharmacologic elevations in glucocorticoids or other 3-ketosteroids may adversely affect patients with mixed ERα+/CK5+ breast cancer. The observations further suggest a cooperative diagnostic utility of CK5 and BCL6 expression levels and justify exploring efficacy of inhibitors of BCL6 and 3-ketosteroid receptors for a subset of ERα-positive breast cancers. PMID:26096934

  20. Accident proneness, does it exist? A review and meta-analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Visser, Ellen; Pijl, Ysbrand J.; Stolk, Ronald P.; Neeleman, Jan; Rosmalen, Judith G. M.

    2007-01-01

    Accident related health problems have been suggested to cluster within persons. This phenomenon became known as accident proneness and has been a subject of many discussions. This study provides an overview of accident proneness. Therefore, 79 articles with empirical data on accident rates were identified from databases Embase, Medline, and Psychinfo. First, definitions of accidents varied highly, but most studies focused on accidents resulting in injuries requiring medical attention. Second,...

  1. The Correlation of Initial Sputum Smear Positivity on Treatment Failure of Category 1 Therapy for Pulmonary Tuberculosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Puput Dyah Ayu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Tuberculosis is an infectious disease and is an important public health problem. Based on data from East Java Province Health Department reported that number of tuberculosis patient in Surabaya is the highest in East Java on year 2014. Early identification and good treatment based on the result of sputum identification are the strategy use to control tuberculosis widespread. So that why, microscopic observation to identify acid fast bacilli (AFB is the fundamental stage to determine recovery treatment. Initial sputum smear positivity is necessary to determine infectious graded. The objectives of the study were to identify of initial sputum smear positivity on treatment failure of category 1 therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in RS Paru Surabaya year 2011-2014. This study used case control method with quantitative approach. Forty two samples were taken from secondary data. Case group is 21 samples who have treatment failure and control group is 21 successful treatment. Samples were selected by simple random sampling. The chi square correlation showed that highly positive initial smear (p = 0,045; OR = 5,4 have correlated and risk factor to treatment failure on category 1 therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis. The conclusion is patient’s high positive sputum smear initially correlated to treatment failure on category 1 therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in RS Paru Surabaya year 2011–2014. Keywords: initial sputum smear positivity, treatment failure,, category 1 therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis

  2. Impact of patient position on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexiou, Vangelis G; Ierodiakonou, Vrettos; Dimopoulos, George; Falagas, Matthew E

    2009-12-01

    The aim of this study is to summarize the effect of position (prone and semirecumbent 45 degrees ) of mechanically ventilated patients on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and other outcomes. A systematic search for randomized control trials (RCTs) was done. We estimated pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using fixed effects model or random effects model, where appropriate. For continuous variables, we calculated the estimation of weighted mean differences. We analyzed data extracted from 3 RCTs studying the semirecumbent 45 degrees and 4 RCTs studying the prone position with a total of 337 and 1018 patients, respectively. The odds of developing clinically diagnosed VAP were significantly lower among patients in the semirecumbent 45 degrees position compared to patients in the supine position (OR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.27-0.82; 337 patients). The comparison of prone vs supine position group showed a moderate trend toward better outcomes regarding the incidence of clinically diagnosed VAP among patients in the prone position (OR = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.60-1.08; 1018 patients). The subanalysis regarding the incidence of microbiologically documented VAP, the length of intensive care unit stay, and the duration of mechanical ventilation showed that patients in the semirecumbent 45 degrees position have a moderate trend toward better clinical outcomes. This meta-analysis provides additional evidence that the usual practice of back-rest elevation of 15 degrees to 30 degrees is not sufficient to prevent VAP in mechanically ventilated patients. Patients positioned semirecumbently 45 degrees have significantly lower incidence of clinically diagnosed VAP compared to patients positioned supinely. On the other hand, the incidence of clinically diagnosed VAP among patients positioned pronely does not differ significantly from the incidence of clinically diagnosed VAP among patients positioned supinely.

  3. Optimal systemic therapy for premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jankowitz, Rachel C; McGuire, Kandace P; Davidson, Nancy E

    2013-08-01

    Although systemic therapy is one of the cornerstones of therapy for premenopausal women with early stage breast cancer, there remain many unknowns regarding its optimal use. By accident of clinical trial design, much clinical investigation in premenopausal women has focused on chemotherapy. More recently the value of endocrine therapy (tamoxifen and ovarian suppression/ablation via surgery, LHRH agonists, or chemotherapy-induced menopause) has become apparent, and some form of endocrine therapy is viewed as standard for virtually all premenopausal women with early stage invasive breast cancer that expresses estrogen and/or progesterone receptor. Critical open questions include type and duration of endocrine therapy and the development of prognostic/predictive markers to help identify patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy in addition to endocrine therapy. For some years, five years of tamoxifen has been viewed as the standard endocrine therapy for premenopausal hormone-responsive breast cancer, although the ATLAS trial suggests that an additional five years of tamoxifen can be considered. The MA17 trial also suggests that an additional five years of an aromatase inhibitor can be considered for women who become postmenopausal during tamoxifen therapy. Information about the value of ovarian suppression continues to emerge, most recently with the demonstration of excellent outcome with goserelin plus tamoxifen in the ABCSG12 trial. The SOFT and TEXT trials, whose accrual is now complete, should help to define optimal endocrine therapy. In addition, use of the 21-gene recurrence score assay may help to delineate the additional value of chemotherapy for patients with node-negative breast cancer, and its utility in the setting of women with 1-3 positive lymph nodes is under study in the RxPONDER trial. Nonetheless, the need for other predictive biomarkers to select appropriate therapy remains real. Finally, attention to long term benefits and side effects

  4. Evaluating fatigue in lupus-prone mice: preliminary assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meeks, Allison; Larson, Susan J

    2012-01-01

    Fatigue is a debilitating condition suffered by many as the result of chronic disease, yet relatively little is known about its biological basis or how to effectively manage its effects. This study sought to evaluate chronic fatigue by using lupus-prone mice and testing them at three different time periods. Lupus-prone mice were chosen because fatigue affects over half of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Eleven MLR⁺/(+) (genetic controls) and twelve MLR/MpJ-Fas/J (MRL/lpr; lupus-prone) mice were tested three times: once at 12, 16 and 20 weeks of age. All mice were subjected to a variety of behavioral tests including: forced swim, post-swim grooming, running wheel, and sucrose consumption; five of the MLR⁺/(+) and five of the MLR/lpr mice were also tested on a fixed ratio-25 operant conditioning task. MRL/lpr mice showed more peripheral symptoms of lupus than controls, particularly lymphadenopathy and proteinuria. Lupus mice spent more time floating during the forced swim test and traveled less distance in the running wheel at each testing period. There were no differences between groups in post-swim grooming or in number of reinforcers earned in the operant conditioning task indicating the behavioral changes were not likely due simply to muscle weakness or motivation. Correlations between performance in the running wheel, forced swim test and sucrose consumption were conducted and distance traveled in the running wheel was consistently negatively correlated with time spent floating. Based on these data, we conclude that the lupus-prone mice were experiencing chronic fatigue and that running wheel activity and floating during a forced swim test can be used to evaluate fatigue, although these data cannot rule out the possibility that both fatigue and a depressive-like state were mediating these effects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Breakdown-prone volume in terahertz wave beams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nusinovich, G. S.; Qiao, F.; Kashyn, D. G.; Pu, R. [Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-3511 (United States); Dolin, L. S. [Institute of Applied Physics, Nizhny Novgorod 603600 (Russian Federation)

    2013-06-21

    This study was motivated by the recently proposed concept of remote detection of concealed radioactive materials by a focused terahertz (THz) radiation [V. L. Granatstein and G. S. Nusinovich, J. Appl. Phys. 108, 063304 (2010)]. According to this concept, a high-power THz radiation should be focused in a small spot where the field intensity exceeds the breakdown threshold. In the presence of free electrons in such a breakdown-prone volume, a THz discharge will occur there. However, this volume should be so small that in the absence of ionizing sources in its vicinity the probability to have there any free electrons is low. Then, the increased breakdown rate in a series of THz pulses would indicate the presence of hidden radioactive materials in the vicinity of the focused spot. For this concept, it is important to accurately determine the breakdown-prone volume created by a focused THz radiation. This problem is analyzed in this paper, first, for the case of a single wave beam and, then, for the case of crossing wave beams of different polarizations. The problem is studied first ignoring the diffraction spread of wave beams in the vicinity of the focal plane and, then, with the account for the diffraction spreading. Then, relations between the THz wave power, the range of such a system and the breakdown-prone volume are analyzed. Finally, the effect of the atmospheric turbulence on propagation and focusing of THz wave beams in air is considered.

  6. Breakdown-prone volume in terahertz wave beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nusinovich, G. S.; Qiao, F.; Kashyn, D. G.; Pu, R.; Dolin, L. S.

    2013-01-01

    This study was motivated by the recently proposed concept of remote detection of concealed radioactive materials by a focused terahertz (THz) radiation [V. L. Granatstein and G. S. Nusinovich, J. Appl. Phys. 108, 063304 (2010)]. According to this concept, a high-power THz radiation should be focused in a small spot where the field intensity exceeds the breakdown threshold. In the presence of free electrons in such a breakdown-prone volume, a THz discharge will occur there. However, this volume should be so small that in the absence of ionizing sources in its vicinity the probability to have there any free electrons is low. Then, the increased breakdown rate in a series of THz pulses would indicate the presence of hidden radioactive materials in the vicinity of the focused spot. For this concept, it is important to accurately determine the breakdown-prone volume created by a focused THz radiation. This problem is analyzed in this paper, first, for the case of a single wave beam and, then, for the case of crossing wave beams of different polarizations. The problem is studied first ignoring the diffraction spread of wave beams in the vicinity of the focal plane and, then, with the account for the diffraction spreading. Then, relations between the THz wave power, the range of such a system and the breakdown-prone volume are analyzed. Finally, the effect of the atmospheric turbulence on propagation and focusing of THz wave beams in air is considered.

  7. Pathogenesis of A-beta+ ketosis-prone diabetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    A-beta+ ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD) is an emerging syndrome of obesity, unprovoked ketoacidosis, reversible beta-cell dysfunction, and near-normoglycemic remission. We combined metabolomics with targeted kinetic measurements to investigate its pathophysiology. Fasting plasma fatty acids, acylcarnit...

  8. "I'd only let you down": Guilt proneness and the avoidance of harmful interdependence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiltermuth, Scott S; Cohen, Taya R

    2014-11-01

    Five studies demonstrated that highly guilt-prone people may avoid forming interdependent partnerships with others whom they perceive to be more competent than themselves, as benefitting a partner less than the partner benefits one's self could trigger feelings of guilt. Highly guilt-prone people who lacked expertise in a domain were less willing than were those low in guilt proneness who lacked expertise in that domain to create outcome-interdependent relationships with people who possessed domain-specific expertise. These highly guilt-prone people were more likely than others both to opt to be paid on their performance alone (Studies 1, 3, 4, and 5) and to opt to be paid on the basis of the average of their performance and that of others whose competence was more similar to their own (Studies 2 and 5). Guilt proneness did not predict people's willingness to form outcome-interdependent relationships with potential partners who lacked domain-specific expertise (Studies 4 and 5). It also did not predict people's willingness to form relationships when poor individual performance would not negatively affect partner outcomes (Study 4). Guilt proneness therefore predicts whether, and with whom, people develop interdependent relationships. The findings also demonstrate that highly guilt-prone people sacrifice financial gain out of concern about how their actions would influence others' welfare. As such, the findings demonstrate a novel way in which guilt proneness limits free-riding and therefore reduces the incidence of potentially unethical behavior. Lastly, the findings demonstrate that people who lack competence may not always seek out competence in others when choosing partners.

  9. Hypofractionated Whole-Breast Radiation Therapy: Does Breast Size Matter?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hannan, Raquibul, E-mail: Raquibul.Hannan@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (United States); Thompson, Reid F.; Chen Yu; Bernstein, Karen; Kabarriti, Rafi; Skinner, William [Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York (United States); Chen, Chin C. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Landau, Evan; Miller, Ekeni; Spierer, Marnee; Hong, Linda; Kalnicki, Shalom [Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York (United States)

    2012-11-15

    Purpose: To evaluate the effects of breast size on dose-volume histogram parameters and clinical toxicity in whole-breast hypofractionated radiation therapy using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, all patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy between 2005 and 2009 were screened, and qualifying consecutive patients were included in 1 of 2 cohorts: large-breasted patients (chest wall separation >25 cm or planning target volume [PTV] >1500 cm{sub 3}) (n=97) and small-breasted patients (chest wall separation <25 cm and PTV <1500 cm{sub 3}) (n=32). All patients were treated prone or supine with hypofractionated IMRT to the whole breast (42.4 Gy in 16 fractions) followed by a boost dose (9.6 Gy in 4 fractions). Dosimetric and clinical toxicity data were collected and analyzed using the R statistical package (version 2.12). Results: The mean PTV V95 (percentage of volume receiving >= 95% of prescribed dose) was 90.18% and the mean V105 percentage of volume receiving >= 105% of prescribed dose was 3.55% with no dose greater than 107%. PTV dose was independent of breast size, whereas heart dose and maximum point dose to skin correlated with increasing breast size. Lung dose was markedly decreased in prone compared with supine treatments. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade 0, 1, and 2 skin toxicities were noted acutely in 6%, 69%, and 25% of patients, respectively, and at later follow-up (>3 months) in 43%, 57%, and 0% of patients, respectively. Large breast size contributed to increased acute grade 2 toxicity (28% vs 12%, P=.008). Conclusions: Adequate PTV coverage with acceptable hot spots and excellent sparing of organs at risk was achieved by use of IMRT regardless of treatment position and breast size. Although increasing breast size leads to increased heart dose and maximum skin dose, heart dose remained within our institutional constraints and the incidence of overall skin toxicity was comparable

  10. Constructing a Professional: Gendered Knowledge in the (Self-)Positioning of Skin and Spa Therapy Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bredlöv, Eleonor

    2017-01-01

    This study outlines the self-positioning of skin and spa therapy students. More specifically, it focuses how they position themselves as professionals in terms of knowledge, and how gender is at play throughout this process. Drawing on a poststructural approach, inspired by Foucault and feminist theory, regularities of description and…

  11. On the relationship between meaning in life and boredom proneness: examining a logotherapy postulate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melton, Amanda M A; Schulenberg, Stefan E

    2007-12-01

    Logotherapy, developed by Viktor Frankl, posits that when one lacks meaning in life, boredom can result. Thus, the two constructs should be inversely related. To examine this relationship, 279 students (M = 19.8 yr., SD = 2.6; 179 women, 98 men) from a university in the southern United States were administered the Purpose of Life test and the Boredom Proneness Scale. As expected, a statistically significant negative correlation was found between the scores on the two scales (r = -.71). Directions for research are offered.

  12. Sensory-Challenge Balance Exercises Improve Multisensory Reweighting in Fall-Prone Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allison, Leslie K; Kiemel, Tim; Jeka, John J

    2018-04-01

    Multisensory reweighting (MSR) deficits in older adults contribute to fall risk. Sensory-challenge balance exercises may have value for addressing the MSR deficits in fall-prone older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sensory-challenge balance exercises on MSR and clinical balance measures in fall-prone older adults. We used a quasi-experimental, repeated-measures, within-subjects design. Older adults with a history of falls underwent an 8-week baseline (control) period. This was followed by an 8-week intervention period that included 16 sensory-challenge balance exercise sessions performed with computerized balance training equipment. Measurements, taken twice before and once after intervention, included laboratory measures of MSR (center of mass gain and phase, position, and velocity variability) and clinical tests (Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Sensory Organization Test, Limits of Stability test, and lower extremity strength and range of motion). Twenty adults 70 years of age and older with a history of falls completed all 16 sessions. Significant improvements were observed in laboratory-based MSR measures of touch gain (P = 0.006) and phase (P = 0.05), Berg Balance Scale (P = 0.002), Sensory Organization Test (P = 0.002), Limits of Stability Test (P = 0.001), and lower extremity strength scores (P = 0.005). Mean values of vision gain increased more than those for touch gain, but did not reach significance. A balance exercise program specifically targeting multisensory integration mechanisms improved MSR, balance, and lower extremity strength in this mechanistic study. These valuable findings provide the scientific rationale for sensory-challenge balance exercise to improve perception of body position and motion in space and potential reduction in fall risk.

  13. Mapping radon-prone areas using γ-radiation dose rate and geological information

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    García-Talavera, M; Rey, C; Ramos, L; García-Pérez, A

    2013-01-01

    Identifying radon-prone areas is key to policies on the control of this environmental carcinogen. In the current paper, we present the methodology followed to delineate radon-prone areas in Spain. It combines information from indoor radon measurements with γ-radiation and geological maps. The advantage of the proposed approach is that it lessens the requirement for a high density of measurements by making use of commonly available information. It can be applied for an initial definition of radon-prone areas in countries committed to introducing a national radon policy or to improving existing radon maps in low population regions. (paper)

  14. Neurodevelopmental correlates of proneness to guilt and shame in adolescence and early adulthood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Whittle

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Investigating how brain development during adolescence and early adulthood underlies guilt- and shame-proneness may be important for understanding risk processes for mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the neurodevelopmental correlates of interpersonal guilt- and shame-proneness in healthy adolescents and young adults using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI. Sixty participants (age range: 15–25 completed sMRI and self-report measures of interpersonal guilt- and shame-proneness. Independent of interpersonal guilt, higher levels of shame-proneness were associated with thinner posterior cingulate cortex (PCC thickness and smaller amygdala volume. Higher levels of shame-proneness were also associated with attenuated age-related reductions in thickness of lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC. Our findings highlight the complexities in understanding brain–behavior relationships during the adolescent/young adult period. Results were consistent with growing evidence that accelerated cortical thinning during adolescence may be associated with superior socioemotional functioning. Further research is required to understand the implications of these findings for mental disorders characterized by higher levels of guilt and shame.

  15. Clarifying the link between job satisfaction and absenteeism: The role of guilt proneness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaumberg, Rebecca L; Flynn, Francis J

    2017-06-01

    We propose that the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism depends partly on guilt proneness. Drawing on withdrawal and process models of absenteeism, we argue that job satisfaction predicts absences for employees who are low (but not high) in guilt proneness because low guilt-prone people's behaviors are governed more by fulfilling their own egoistic desires than by fulfilling others' normative expectations. We find support for this prediction in a sample of customer service agents working for a major telecommunications company and a sample of working adults employed in a range of industries. In each study, we use measures of employees' guilt proneness and job satisfaction to predict their subsequent workplace absences. In Study 2, we extend our hypothesis tests to 2 traits that are conceptually comparable to guilt proneness (i.e., moral identity and agreeableness), showing that these traits similarly moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism. We discuss the implications of these findings for extant models of absenteeism and research on moral affectivity in the workplace. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. Ventilator-associated pneumonia: role of positioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li Bassi, Gianluigi; Torres, Antoni

    2011-02-01

    Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a lung infection commonly acquired following tracheal intubation. This review assesses the role of the supine semirecumbent and the prone position as VAP preventive strategies and calls attention for further investigation on novel body positions that could potentially reduce risks of VAP. The most recent studies on the semirecumbent position failed to achieve an orientation of the head of the bed higher than 30° and did not corroborate any benefit of the semirecumbent position on VAP, as reported in earlier studies. To date, there is clear evidence that the supine horizontal body position increases risks of pulmonary aspiration and VAP, particularly when patients are enterally fed. Laboratory reports are emphasizing the importance of an endotracheal tube-oropharynx-trachea axis below horizontal to avoid VAP. The prone position potentially increases drainage of oropharyngeal and airways secretions and recent evidence is supporting its beneficial effects. However, several associated adverse effects preclude its regular use as a VAP preventive strategy for patients other than those with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Body position greatly affects several pathogenetic mechanisms of VAP. The current evidence recommends avoidance of supine horizontal position in order to prevent aspiration of colonized gastric contents. The semirecumbent position has proven benefits and should be routinely used but there is still limited evidence to recommend the lowest orientation of the bed at which the patient can be safely maintained. Results from pioneering laboratory investigation call attention to new possible positions, that is lateral Trendelenburg position, aimed to avoid pulmonary aspiration and to enhance mucus clearance in intubated patients.

  17. Contextual memory, psychosis-proneness, and the experience of intrusive imagery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glazer, Daniel A; Mason, Oliver; King, John A; Brewin, Chris R

    2013-01-01

    This study tested the hypothesis that the presence and characteristics of naturally occurring involuntary imagery would be related to poorer context-dependent spatial memory and higher levels of proneness to psychotic experiences. Poorer contextual memory was also predicted to be associated with a greater sense of "nowness". Participants completed a virtual environment task that assessed contextual memory through responses that required allocentric and egocentric processing of virtual stimuli. Two questionnaires assessing predisposition to psychotic experiences were employed. Finally, participants completed an interview that required details of recent, naturally occurring involuntary images. Reports of involuntary imagery were associated with greater proneness to psychotic experiences but not with memory. In those participants who reported imagery, however, poorer memory performance was associated with more vivid and detailed intrusive imagery. Poorer contextual memory was specifically associated with a greater sense of "nowness". Possible links between contextual memory and proneness to psychosis are discussed.

  18. Differential Effectiveness of Paradoxical Interventions for More Versus Less Stress-Prone Individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoham-Salomon, Varda; Jancourt, Annick

    1985-01-01

    Forty-three undergraduates underwent stress induction and were then assigned to a paradoxical, stress management, or self-help treatment. In the stress management and self-help groups, better performance was exhibited by less stress-prone subjects. Initial stress proneness, continued stress, and resistance facilitated performance in the…

  19. Children’s Proneness to Shame and Guilt Predict Risky and Illegal Behaviors in Young Adulthood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuewig, Jeffrey; Tangney, June P.; Kendall, Stephanie; Folk, Johanna B.; Meyer, Candace Reinsmith; Dearing, Ronda L.

    2014-01-01

    Do shame and guilt help people avoid doing wrong? Although some research suggests that guilt-proneness is a protective factor while shame-proneness puts individuals at risk, most research is either cross-sectional or short-term. In this longitudinal study, 380 5th graders (ages 10–12) completed measures of proneness to shame and guilt. We re-interviewed 68% of participants after they turned 18 years old (range 18–21). Guilt-proneness assessed in childhood predicted fewer sexual partners, less use of illegal drugs and alcohol, and less involvement with the criminal justice system. Shame-proneness, in contrast, was a risk factor for later deviant behavior. Shame-prone children were more likely to have unprotected sex and use illegal drugs in young adulthood. These results held when controlling for childhood SES and teachers’ ratings of aggression. Children’s moral emotional styles appear to be well established by at least middle childhood, with distinct downstream implications for risky behavior in early adulthood. PMID:24842762

  20. Clinical features and effect of antiviral therapy on anti-liver/kidney microsomal antibody type 1 positive chronic hepatitis C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferri, Silvia; Muratori, Luigi; Quarneti, Chiara; Muratori, Paolo; Menichella, Rita; Pappas, Georgios; Granito, Alessandro; Ballardini, Giorgio; Bianchi, Francesco B; Lenzi, Marco

    2009-06-01

    Anti-liver/kidney microsomal antibody type 1 (anti-LKM1), a serological marker of type 2 autoimmune hepatitis, is also detected in a small proportion of patients with hepatitis C. This study aimed to evaluate clinical features and effect of antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C who are anti-LKM1 positive. Sixty consecutive anti-LKM1 positive and 120 age and sex-matched anti-LKM1 negative chronic hepatitis C patients were assessed at diagnosis and during follow-up. Of these, 26 anti-LKM1 positive and 72 anti-LKM1 negative received antiviral therapy. Anti-LKM1 was detected by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblot. Number of HCV-infected hepatocytes and intrahepatic CD8+ lymphocytes was determined by immunohistochemistry. At diagnosis anti-LKM1 positive patients had higher IgG levels and more intrahepatic CD8+ lymphocytes (p 0.022 and 0.046, respectively). Viral genotypes distribution and response to therapy were identical. Hepatic flares during antiviral treatment only occurred in a minority of patients in concomitance with anti-LKM1 positivity. Immune system activation is more pronounced in anti-LKM1 positive patients with hepatitis C, possibly representing the expression of autoimmune mechanisms of liver damage. Antiviral treatment is as beneficial in these patients as in anti-LKM1 negative patients, and the rare necroinflammatory flares are effectively controlled by corticosteroids, allowing subsequent resumption of antiviral therapy.

  1. Relations among behavioral inhibition, shame- and guilt-proneness, and anxiety disorders symptoms in non-clinical children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muris, Peter; Meesters, Cor; Bouwman, Leanne; Notermans, Sabine

    2015-04-01

    This study examined relationships between the self-conscious emotions of shame and guilt, behavioral inhibition (as an index of anxiety proneness), and anxiety disorder symptoms in non-clinical children aged 8-13 years (N = 126), using children's self-report data. Results showed that there were positive and significant correlations between shame and guilt, behavioral inhibition, and anxiety disorders symptoms. When controlling for the overlap between shame and guilt, it was found that shame (but not guilt) remained significantly associated with higher levels of anxiety proneness and anxiety symptoms. Further, when controlling for the effect of behavioral inhibition, shame still accounted for a significant proportion of the variance of total anxiety and generalized anxiety scores. For these anxiety problems, support emerged for a model in which shame acted as a partial mediator in the relation between behavioral inhibition and anxiety. These results indicate that the self-conscious emotion of shame is a robust correlate of anxiety pathology in children.

  2. Combination therapies for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer: current and future prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandão, Mariana; Pondé, Noam F; Poggio, Francesca; Kotecki, Nuria; Salis, Mauren; Lambertini, Matteo; de Azambuja, Evandro

    2018-05-24

    HER2-positive disease is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that has been revolutionized by anti-HER2 directed therapies. Multiple drugs have been developed and are currently in clinical use, including trastuzumab, lapatinib, pertuzumab, T-DM1, and neratinib, alone or combined in 'dual HER2-blockade' regimens. Areas covered: A comprehensive literature review was performed regarding the current state and the future of combination regimens containing anti-HER2 agents, focusing on their efficacy, toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. Expert commentary: The combination of trastuzumab/pertuzumab is approved in all disease settings, while trastuzumab/neratinib is approved in the adjuvant setting and trastuzumab/lapatinib in metastatic disease. Meanwhile, as breast cancer biology and resistance mechanisms become clearer, combinations with drugs like PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors, CDK4/6 inhibitors, anti-PD(L)1 antibodies, endocrine therapy, and new anti-HER2 agents (panHER and HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors, bispecific antibodies, anti-HER3 antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates) are being extensively tested in clinical trials. More specific strategies for the 'triple-positive' (estrogen receptor-positive/HER2-positive) disease are also being explored. However, there is an urgent need for the development of predictive biomarkers for a better tailoring of anti-HER2 directed therapy. This is the only way to further improve clinical outcomes and quality of life and to decrease costs and toxicities of unnecessary treatments.

  3. Vegetation fire proneness in Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Mário; Aranha, José; Amraoui, Malik

    2015-04-01

    Fire selectivity has been studied for vegetation classes in terms of fire frequency and fire size in a few European regions. This analysis is often performed along with other landscape variables such as topography, distance to roads and towns. These studies aims to assess the landscape sensitivity to forest fires in peri-urban areas and land cover changes, to define landscape management guidelines and policies based on the relationships between landscape and fires in the Mediterranean region. Therefore, the objectives of this study includes the: (i) analysis of the spatial and temporal variability statistics within Europe; and, (ii) the identification and characterization of the vegetated land cover classes affected by fires; and, (iii) to propose a fire proneness index. The datasets used in the present study comprises: Corine Land Cover (CLC) maps for 2000 and 2006 (CLC2000, CLC2006) and burned area (BA) perimeters, from 2000 to 2013 in Europe, provided by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The CLC is a part of the European Commission programme to COoRdinate INformation on the Environment (Corine) and it provides consistent, reliable and comparable information on land cover across Europe. Both the CLC and EFFIS datasets were combined using geostatistics and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques to access the spatial and temporal evolution of the types of shrubs and forest affected by fires. Obtained results confirms the usefulness and efficiency of the land cover classification scheme and fire proneness index which allows to quantify and to compare the propensity of vegetation classes and countries to fire. As expected, differences between northern and southern Europe are notorious in what concern to land cover distribution, fire incidence and fire proneness of vegetation cover classes. This work was supported by national funds by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project PEst-OE/AGR/UI4033/2014 and by

  4. The impact of a focally positive resection margin on the local control in patients treated with breast-conserving therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Seho; Park, Hyung-Seok; Kim, Seung-ll; Koo, Ja-Seung; Park, Byeong-Woo; Lee, Kyong-Sik

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate the parameters affecting positive margin and the impact of positive margin on outcomes after breast-conserving therapy in patients with breast cancer. Characteristics and survival of 705 patients attempted breast-conserving therapy between January 1994 and December 2004 were retrospectively analyzed using χ 2 tests, the Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariate analyses. Ninety-five (13.5%) showed positive margins at initial resection. Among them, 28 (4.0%) had negative margin on the initial frozen section; however, they finally turned out a focally positive margin with intraductal carcinoma on the permanent pathology. Positive margin at initial resection was significantly associated with lobular histology (P=0.001), four or more involved lymph nodes (P=0.015) and the presence of extensive intraductal component (P<0.001). A focally positive margin did not influence local (P=0.250; 95% confidence interval, 0.612-6.592) or regional failure (P=0.756; 95% confidence interval, 0.297-5.311). Patients with a focally positive margin showed an advanced nodal stage and received a higher dose of irradiation and more systemic therapy. Nodal involvements were the most significant factor for locoregional failure. Although the achievement of negative margins is the best way to reduce local failure, patients with a focally positive margin and favorable risk factors such as node negativity and older age could have an option of close follow-up with adequate boost irradiation and adjuvant therapy instead of conversion to total mastectomy. (author)

  5. Association of cytokine gene polymorphisms and risk factors with otitis media proneness in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miljanović, Olivera; Cikota-Aleksić, Bojana; Likić, Dragan; Vojvodić, Danilo; Jovićević, Ognjen; Magić, Zvonko

    2016-06-01

    In order to assess the association between gene polymorphisms and otitis media (OM) proneness, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) -308, interleukin (IL) 10-1082 and -3575, IL6 -597, IL2 -330, and CD14 -159 genotyping was performed in 58 OM-prone children and 85 controls who were exposed to similar number and frequency of environmental and host risk factors. The frequencies of genotypes (wild type vs. genotypes containing at least one polymorphic allele) were not significantly different between groups, except for IL10 -1082. Polymorphic genotypes IL10 -1082 GA and GG were more frequent in OM-prone children than in control group (RR 1.145, 95 % CI 1.011-1.298; p = 0.047). However, logistic regression did not confirm IL10 -1082 polymorphic genotypes as an independent risk factor for OM proneness. The present study indicates that high-producing IL10 -1082 GA/GG genotypes may increase the risk for OM proneness in its carriers when exposed to other environmental/host risk factors (day care attendance, passive smoking, male sex, respiratory infections, and atopic manifestations). This study revealed no significant independent genetic association, but the lack of breastfeeding in infancy was found to be the only independent risk factor for development of OM-prone phenotype, implying that breastfeeding had a protective role in development of susceptibility to OM. • The pathogenesis of OM is of multifactorial nature, dependent on infection, environmental factors, and immune response of the child. • Cytokines and CD14 play an important role in the presentation and clinical course of otitis media, but a clear link with otitis media proneness was not established. What is new: • This is the first clinical and genetic study on Montenegrin children with the otitis media-prone phenotype. • The study revealed that high-producing IL10 -1082 genotypes may influence otitis media proneness in children exposed to other environmental/host risk factors.

  6. Impaired self-monitoring of inner speech in schizophrenia patients with verbal hallucinations and in non-clinical individuals prone to hallucinations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gildas Brébion

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Previous research has shown that various memory errors reflecting failure in the self-monitoring of speech were associated with auditory/verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia patients and with proneness to hallucinations in non-clinical individuals. Method: We administered to 57 schizophrenia patients and 60 healthy participants a verbal memory task involving free recall and recognition of lists of words with different structures (high-frequency, low-frequency, and semantically-organisable words. Extra-list intrusions in free recall were tallied, and the response bias reflecting tendency to make false recognitions of non-presented words was computed for each list. Results: In the male patient subsample, extra-list intrusions were positively associated with verbal hallucinations and inversely associated with negative symptoms. In the healthy participants the extra-list intrusions were positively associated with proneness to hallucinations. A liberal response bias in the recognition of the high-frequency words was associated with verbal hallucinations in male patients and with proneness to hallucinations in healthy men. Meanwhile, a conservative response bias for these high-frequency words was associated with negative symptoms in male patients and with social anhedonia in healthy men. Conclusions: Misattribution of inner speech to an external source, reflected by false recollection of familiar material, seems to underlie both clinical and non-clinical hallucinations. Further, both clinical and non-clinical negative symptoms may exert on verbal memory errors an effect opposite to that of hallucinations.

  7. Novel application of red-light runner proneness theory within traffic microsimulation to an actual signal junction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Margaret Carol; Galatioto, Fabio; Giuffrè, Tullio; Tesoriere, Giovanni

    2012-05-01

    Building on previous research a conceptual framework, based on potential conflicts analysis, has provided a quantitative evaluation of 'proneness' to red-light running behaviour at urban signalised intersections of different geometric, flow and driver characteristics. The results provided evidence that commonly used violation rates could cause inappropriate evaluation of the extent of the red-light running phenomenon. Initially, an in-depth investigation of the functional form of the mathematical relationship between the potential and actual red-light runners was carried out. The application of the conceptual framework was tested on a signalised intersection in order to quantify the proneness to red-light running. For the particular junction studied proneness for daytime was found to be 0.17 north and 0.16 south for opposing main road approaches and 0.42 east and 0.59 west for the secondary approaches. Further investigations were carried out using a traffic microsimulation model, to explore those geometric features and traffic volumes (arrival patterns at the stop-line) that significantly affect red-light running. In this way the prediction capability of the proposed potential conflict model was improved. A degree of consistency in the measured and simulated red-light running was observed and the conceptual framework was tested through a sensitivity analysis applied to different stop-line positions and traffic volume variations. The microsimulation, although at its early stages of development, has shown promise in its ability to model unintentional red light running behaviour and following further work through application to other junctions, potentially provides a tool for evaluation of alternative junction designs on proneness. In brief, this paper proposes and applies a novel approach to model red-light running using a microsimulation and demonstrates consistency with the observed and theoretical results. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Cyclone hazard proneness of districts of India

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    tems of the earth atmosphere coupled system and are extreme weather ... intense low pressure systems (India Meteorological. Department (IMD) .... which is responsible for the structural damage due to TC. ..... It fails to distinguish the more prone districts .... References. BMTPC 2006 Vulnerability Atlas of India: Earthquake,.

  9. Accumulation of oligomer-prone α-synuclein exacerbates synaptic and neuronal degeneration in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockenstein, Edward; Nuber, Silke; Overk, Cassia R; Ubhi, Kiren; Mante, Michael; Patrick, Christina; Adame, Anthony; Trejo-Morales, Margarita; Gerez, Juan; Picotti, Paola; Jensen, Poul H; Campioni, Silvia; Riek, Roland; Winkler, Jürgen; Gage, Fred H; Winner, Beate; Masliah, Eliezer

    2014-05-01

    higher-expressing α-synuclein E57K mice displayed synaptic and dendritic loss, reduced levels of synapsin 1 and synaptic vesicles, and behavioural deficits. Similar alterations, but to a lesser extent, were seen in the α-synuclein wild-type mice. Moreover, although the oligomer-prone α-synuclein mice displayed neurodegeneration in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, the α-synuclein wild-type only displayed neuronal loss in the hippocampus. These results support the hypothesis that accumulating oligomeric α-synuclein may mediate early synaptic pathology in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies by disrupting synaptic vesicles. This oligomer-prone model might be useful for evaluating therapies directed at oligomer reduction.

  10. Lower pole stones: prone PCNL versus supine PCNL in the International Cooperation in Endourology (ICE) group experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanguedolce, Francesco; Breda, Alberto; Millan, Felix; Brehmer, Marianne; Knoll, Thomas; Liatsikos, Evangelos; Osther, Palle; Traxer, Olivier; Scoffone, Cesare

    2013-12-01

    To assess efficacy and safety of prone- and supine percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for the treatment of lower pole kidney stones. Data from patients affected by lower pole kidney stones and treated with PCNL between December 2005 and August 2010 were collected retrospectively by seven referral centres. Variables analysed included patient demographics, clinical and surgical characteristics, stone-free rates (SFR) and complications. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the differences for SFRs and complication rates between prone- and supine PCNL. One hundred seventeen patients underwent PCNL (mean stone size: 19.5 mm) for stones harboured only in the lower renal pole (single stone: 53.6%; multiple stones: 46.4%). A higher proportion of patients with ASA score ≥ 3 and harbouring multiple lower pole stones were treated with supine PCNL (5.8 vs. 23.1%; p = 0.0001, and 25 vs. 81.5%; p = 0.0001, respectively, for prone- and supine PCNL). One-month SFR was 88.9%; an auxiliary procedure was needed in 6 patients; the 3-month SFR was 90.2%. There were 9 post-operative major complications (7.7%). No differences were observed in terms of 1- and 3-month SFRs (90.4 vs. 87.7%; p = 0.64; 92.3 vs. 89.2%; p = 0.4) and complication rates (7.6 vs. 7.7%; p = 0.83) when comparing prone- versus supine PCNL, respectively. The results confirm the high success rate and relatively low morbidity of modern PCNL for lower pole stones, regardless the position used. Supine PCNL was more frequently offered in case of patients at higher ASA score and in case of multiple lower pole stones.

  11. Suicide Proneness in College Students: Relationships with Gender, Procrastination, and Achievement Motivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klibert, Jeffrey; Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Jennifer; Luna, Amy; Robichaux, Michelle

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the relationships between 2 academic dispositions (i.e., procrastination and achievement motivation) and 2 indices of suicidal proneness in college women and men. The degree these 2 academic dispositions could predict unique variance in suicide proneness scores, above and beyond the influence of depression and self-esteem was…

  12. What good are positive emotions for treatment? Trait positive emotionality predicts response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Charles T; Knapp, Sarah E; Bomyea, Jessica A; Ramsawh, Holly J; Paulus, Martin P; Stein, Murray B

    2017-06-01

    Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is empirically supported for the treatment of anxiety disorders; however, not all individuals achieve recovery following CBT. Positive emotions serve a number of functions that theoretically should facilitate response to CBT - they promote flexible patterns of information processing and assimilation of new information, encourage approach-oriented behavior, and speed physiological recovery from negative emotions. We conducted a secondary analysis of an existing clinical trial dataset to test the a priori hypothesis that individual differences in trait positive emotions would predict CBT response for anxiety. Participants meeting diagnostic criteria for panic disorder (n = 28) or generalized anxiety disorder (n = 31) completed 10 weekly individual CBT sessions. Trait positive emotionality was assessed at pre-treatment, and severity of anxiety symptoms and associated impairment was assessed throughout treatment. Participants who reported a greater propensity to experience positive emotions at pre-treatment displayed the largest reduction in anxiety symptoms as well as fewer symptoms following treatment. Positive emotions remained a robust predictor of change in symptoms when controlling for baseline depression severity. Initial evidence supports the predictive value of trait positive emotions as a prognostic indicator for CBT outcome in a GAD and PD sample. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Effect of Body Position on Energy Expenditure of Preterm Infants as Determined by Simultaneous Direct and Indirect Calorimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Edward F; Johnson, Karen J; Dove, Edwin L

    2017-04-01

    Background  Indirect calorimetry is the standard method for estimating energy expenditure in clinical research. Few studies have evaluated indirect calorimetry in infants by comparing it with simultaneous direct calorimetry. Our purpose was (1) to compare the energy expenditure of preterm infants determined by these two methods, direct calorimetry and indirect calorimetry; and (2) to examine the effect of body position, supine or prone, on energy expenditure. Study Design  We measured energy expenditure by simultaneous direct (heat loss by gradient-layer calorimeter corrected for heat storage) and indirect calorimetry (whole-body oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production) in 15 growing preterm infants during two consecutive interfeeding intervals, once in the supine position and once in the prone position. Results  The mean energy expenditure for all measurements in both positions did not differ significantly by the method used: 2.82 (standard deviation [SD] 0.42) kcal/kg/h by direct calorimetry and 2.78 (SD 0.48) kcal/kg/h by indirect calorimetry. The energy expenditure was significantly lower, by 10%, in the prone than in the supine position, whether examined by direct calorimetry (2.67 vs. 2.97 kcal/kg/h, p  Direct calorimetry and indirect calorimetry gave similar estimates of energy expenditure. Energy expenditure was 10% lower in the prone position than in the supine position. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  14. Protective effect of prone posture against hypergravity-induced arterial hypoxaemia in humans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohdin, M; Petersson, J; Mure, M; Glenny, R W; Lindahl, S G E; Linnarsson, D

    2003-01-01

    Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome have increased lung tissue weight and therefore an increased hydrostatic pressure gradient down the lung. Also, they have a better arterial oxygenation in prone (face down) than in supine (face up) posture. We hypothesized that this effect of the direction of gravity also existed in healthy humans, when increased hydrostatic gradients were induced by hypergravity. Ten healthy subjects were studied in a human centrifuge while exposed to 1 or 5 G in anterio-posterior (supine) or posterio-anterior (prone) direction. We measured blood gases using remote-controlled sampling and gas exchange by mass spectrometry. Hypergravity led to marked impairments of arterial oxygenation in both postures and more so in supine posture. At 5 G, the arterial oxygen saturation was 84.6 ± 1.2 % (mean ±s.e.m.) in supine and 89.7 ± 1.4 % in prone posture (P postures. The alveolar-to-arterial PO2 difference increased at 5 G to 8.0 ± 0.2 kPa and 6.6 ± 0.3 kPa in supine and prone postures (P = 0.003). Arterial oxygenation was less impaired in prone during hypergravity due to a better-preserved alveolo-arterial oxygen transport. We speculate that mammals have developed a cardiopulmonary structure that favours function with the gravitational vector in the posterio-anterior direction. PMID:12598589

  15. Environmental Health Risk Assesement in Flood-prone Area in Tamangapa Sub-District Makassar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haris, Ibrahim Abdul; Basir, Basir

    2018-05-01

    Environmental health in Indonesia is still caution to concern, poor sanitation in Indonesia is characterized by the high incidence of infectious diseases in society. The society in flood-prone area has a high-risk exposure on the disease based on the environment because they live in disaster-prone area. This research aimed to describe the condition of sanitary facilities and risky behavior on public health in flood-prone areas in Manggala district particularly in Tamangapa sub-district of Makassar. This reserach uses an observation method with a descriptive approach. The data is processed by using SPSS and Arc View GIS applications. Environmental risk category is determined by the approach of Environmental Health Risk Assessment (EHRA). The results showed that the flood-prone area in RT 04 RW 06 was included in very high-risk category at 229 with an index value of environmental health risks 212-229. Meanwhile, RT 04 RW 05 was in the category of low risk in the amount of 155 with an index of 155-173. Environmental health hazards identified in Tamangapa flood-prone areas sub-district includes domestic sources of clean water, domestic wastewater, and household garbage.

  16. Neurodevelopmental correlates of proneness to guilt and shame in adolescence and early adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittle, Sarah; Liu, Kirra; Bastin, Coralie; Harrison, Ben J; Davey, Christopher G

    2016-06-01

    Investigating how brain development during adolescence and early adulthood underlies guilt- and shame-proneness may be important for understanding risk processes for mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the neurodevelopmental correlates of interpersonal guilt- and shame-proneness in healthy adolescents and young adults using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). Sixty participants (age range: 15-25) completed sMRI and self-report measures of interpersonal guilt- and shame-proneness. Independent of interpersonal guilt, higher levels of shame-proneness were associated with thinner posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) thickness and smaller amygdala volume. Higher levels of shame-proneness were also associated with attenuated age-related reductions in thickness of lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC). Our findings highlight the complexities in understanding brain-behavior relationships during the adolescent/young adult period. Results were consistent with growing evidence that accelerated cortical thinning during adolescence may be associated with superior socioemotional functioning. Further research is required to understand the implications of these findings for mental disorders characterized by higher levels of guilt and shame. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Positional Concerns and Institutions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Landes, Xavier

    2013-01-01

    that invoking envy or subjective well-being is not fully satisfying for regulating positional concerns. More compelling reasons seem, in complement with efficiency, to be related to considerations for equality. In other words, if institutions could have strong reasons to pay attention to and regulate positional...... their implications for economics, positional concerns imply important normative dimensions. There have been presumed to be a symptom of envy, reduce people’s happiness, and create problems of social interaction or economic inefficiencies. Individuals are, for instance, prone to pick states of the world that improve...... concerns, it would be in virtue of their impact on the social product and individuals’ conditions of living....

  18. Historical change in the link between adolescent deviance proneness and marijuana use, 1979-2004.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Michelle; Weaver, Scott R; King, Kevin M; Liu, Freda; Chassin, Laurie

    2008-03-01

    We examined historical change in the association between adolescent deviance proneness and marijuana use using 26 years (from 1979 through 2004) of national 12th grade data from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study. "Deviance proneness" was measured using a latent factor model of behavioral and personality characteristics that underlie both substance use and antisocial disorders. Marijuana use was measured both in terms of annual frequency of use and degree of involvement with marijuana. Separate within-gender structural equation models were used to determine whether links between deviance proneness and marijuana use were consistently significant and invariant in magnitude across 13 two-year historical cohorts. Overall results affirmed the established association between adolescent deviance proneness and both the frequency of marijuana use as well as regular use. Among male youth, the size of the association between deviance proneness and marijuana use was significantly smaller at the cohort of lowest population prevalence (1991/92) compared to cohorts marking peaks in marijuana use prevalence, thus suggesting a "softening" historical trend. By contrast, the prediction of female marijuana use from deviance proneness was not consistently related to historical shifts in population prevalence of marijuana use. Study findings point to the utility of risk-focused prevention programming that targets early precursors of both antisocial and substance use disorders.

  19. Hypnotic responsiveness: expectancy, attitudes, fantasy proneness, absorption, and gender.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Joseph P; Lynn, Steven Jay

    2011-01-01

    This study examines the effect of providing information linking participants' attitudes toward hypnosis with later hypnotic performance. Using total scale scores from McConkey's Opinions About Hypnosis scale, as well as subscale scores, the authors found a weak association between attitudes and performance among 460 student participants; however, the correlation was unaffected by prehypnotic information specifically connecting attitudes and performance. A brief, 3-item measure of hypnotic expectancies generated the strongest correlation with hypnotic responsiveness. The authors also found that the association between fantasy proneness and hypnotizability was unaffected by the order of scale administration. Finally, the study highlighted gender differences across measures of fantasy proneness, absorption, expectancy, and hypnotizability.

  20. Toxicity of Head-and-Neck Radiation Therapy in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanfilippo, Nicholas J.; Mitchell, James; Grew, David; DeLacure, Mark

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To examine the acute morbidity of high dose head and neck RT and CRT in patients with infected with HIV. Methods and Materials: All HIV-positive patients who underwent radiation therapy for head and neck cancer in our department between 2004 and 2008 were reviewed. Treatment related data were examined. All treatments were delivered with megavoltage photon beams or electron beams. Patients were evaluated by an attending radiation oncologist for toxicity and response on a weekly basis during therapy and monthly after treatment in a multidisciplinary clinic. Acute toxicities were recorded using the Radiation Therapy and Oncology Group (RTOG) common toxicity criteria. Response to treatment was based on both physical exam as well as post-treatment imaging as indicated. Results: Thirteen patients who underwent RT with a diagnosis of HIV were identified. Median age was 53 years and median follow-up was 22 months. Twelve had squamous cell carcinoma and one had lymphoproliferative parotiditis. Median radiation dose was 66.4 Gy and median duration of treatment was 51 days. The median number of scheduled radiotherapy days missed was zero (range 0 to 7). One patient (8%) developed Grade 4 confluent moist desquamation. Eight patients (61%) developed Grade 3 toxicity. Conclusion: Based on our results, HIV-positive individuals appear to tolerate treatment for head and neck cancer, with toxicity similar to that in HIV-negative individuals.

  1. Acute adverse effects of radiation therapy on HIV-positive patients in Japan. Study of 31 cases at Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaminuma, Takuya; Karasawa, Katsuyuki; Hanyu, Nahoko

    2010-01-01

    Recently, the number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients has increased in Japan. HIV-positive patients are at a higher risk of cancer than the general population. This paper retrospectively reports the acute adverse effects of radiation therapy on HIV-positive patients who were treated at Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious diseases Center Komagome Hospital (TMCICK). Thirty-one cases involving 24 HIV-positive cancer patients who were treated at TMCICK from January 1997 to March 2009 were included in this study. All acute adverse effects of radiation therapy were examined during, and one month after, the last radiation therapy session. Acute adverse effects were classified according to the site of radiation therapy treatment and analyzed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 3.0. Grade 3 acute adverse effects were seen in 17% of cases, and Grade 2 toxicities were found in 23% of patients. Damage to the skin and mucosa, including stomatitis or diarrhea, tended to occur after low-dose radiation therapy; however, no severe acute adverse effects were seen in other organs, such as the brain, lung, and bone. Acute adverse effects tended to occur earlier in HIV-positive patients and became severe more frequently than in the general population. In particular, disorders of the mucosa, such as those of the oral cavity, pharynx, and intestine, tended to occur rapidly. It was shown that radiation therapy is safe when treatment is performed carefully and that it is a very useful treatment for cancer in HIV-positive patients. (author)

  2. Fall-Prone Older People's Attitudes towards the Use of Virtual Reality Technology for Fall Prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dockx, Kim; Alcock, Lisa; Bekkers, Esther; Ginis, Pieter; Reelick, Miriam; Pelosin, Elisa; Lagravinese, Giovanna; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M; Mirelman, Anat; Rochester, Lynn; Nieuwboer, Alice

    2017-01-01

    Virtual reality (VR) technology is a relatively new rehabilitation tool that can deliver a combination of cognitive and motor training for fall prevention. The attitudes of older people to such training are currently unclear. This study aimed to investigate: (1) the attitudes of fall-prone older people towards fall prevention exercise with and without VR; (2) attitudinal changes after intervention with and without VR; and (3) user satisfaction following fall prevention exercise with and without VR. A total of 281 fall-prone older people were randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving treadmill training augmented by VR (TT+VR, n = 144) or a control group receiving treadmill training alone (TT, n = 137). Two questionnaires were used to measure (1) attitudes towards fall prevention exercise with and without VR (AQ); and (2) user satisfaction (USQ). AQ was evaluated at baseline and after intervention. USQ was measured after intervention only. The AQ revealed that most participants had positive attitudes towards fall prevention exercise at baseline (82.2%) and after intervention (80.6%; p = 0.144). In contrast, only 53.6% were enthusiastic about fall prevention exercise with VR at baseline. These attitudes positively changed after intervention (83.1%; p < 0.001), and 99.2% indicated that they enjoyed TT+VR. Correlation analyses showed that postintervention attitudes were strongly related to user satisfaction (USQ: r = 0.503; p < 0.001). Older people's attitudes towards fall prevention exercise with VR were positively influenced by their experience. From the perspective of the user, VR is an attractive training mode, and thus improving service provision for older people is important. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. Prona positioning in patients submitted to myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cunha, C.J.; Ferreira, F.C.L.; Dullius, M.A.; Souza, S.O.; Souza, D.N.

    2011-01-01

    The myocardium perfusion scintigraphy corresponds at the nuclear medicine to one of best diagnostic methods for myocardium diseases. However, artefacts generated by the diaphragmatic tissue can induce to false positive diagnostic when does not occurs association of the image in supine position with the prone position. Images acquired at the two positions were analysed and the evaluation of tomographic images were estimation and consequently, a more completed diagnostic

  4. Central venous oxygen saturation during hypovolaemic shock in humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, P; Iversen, H; Secher, N H

    1993-01-01

    We compared central venous oxygen saturation and central venous pressure (CVP) as indices of the effective blood volume during 50 degrees head-up tilt (anti-Trendelenburg's position) induced hypovolaemic shock in eight healthy subjects. Head-up tilt increased thoracic electrical impedance from 31...... (28-36) (median and range) to 34 (30-40) Ohm, mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 79 (70-88) to 86 (80-99) mmHg, heart rate (HR) from 67 (56-71) to 99 (78-119) beats min-1 (p ....05) but thereafter remained stable. In contrast, central venous oxygen saturation showed a linear decrease with time from 0.75 (0.69-0.78) at rest to 0.60 (0.49-0.67) (p measurement of central venous oxygen saturation...

  5. Prenatal education through art therapy. A possible way for positive parenting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucía HERVÁS HERMIDA

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Recent research in the field of positive parenting advocates the importance of promoting family support, through parental education programs. On the other hand, the importance of the prenatal period for human development is well known, but attention to this stage has traditionally been done from the biomedical point of view, without paying attention to the other educational, emotional, social and gender aspects.In this sense, the aim of this article is to propose a possible way to support positive parenting, which will provide an useful contribution to prenatal pedagogy as an emerging science, through art therapy. By the qualitative analysis of two case studies of two women participants from two different workshops, the possibilities offered by group art therapy as a way of prenatal education, for the exploration of the creative dimension of motherhood are shown, and the deepening of the attachment with both the baby, the couple and the environment. Likewise, the development of parental competences is favored, focusing on awareness and personal development, and on the creation of a group support, in which shared learning takes place. Finally, the conclusions deal with aspects of the methodology that foster an improvement in the well-being and the development of an empowered and resilient attitude, benefiting both mother and child, as well as the whole family and social environment.

  6. Cardiovascular risk in patients with sleep apnoea with or without continuous positive airway pressure therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lamberts, Morten; Nielsen, O W; Lip, G Y H

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of age and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on cardiovascular disease in patients with sleep apnoea has not been assessed previously. METHODS: Using nationwide databases, the entire Danish population was followed from 2000 until 2011. First......-time sleep apnoea diagnoses and use of CPAP therapy were determined. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of ischaemic stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) were analysed using Poisson regression models. RESULTS: Amongst 4.5 million individuals included in the study, 33 274 developed sleep apnoea (mean age 53, 79......% men) of whom 44% received persistent CPAP therapy. Median time to initiation of CPAP therapy was 88 days (interquartile range 34-346). Patients with sleep apnoea had more comorbidities compared to the general population. Crude rates of MI and ischaemic stroke were increased for sleep apnoea patients...

  7. MRI fused with prone FDG PET/CT improves the primary tumour staging of patients with breast cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia-Velloso, Maria J.; Ribelles, Maria J.; Rodriguez, Macarena; Sancho, Lidia; Prieto, Elena [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Pamplona (Spain); Fernandez-Montero, Alejandro [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Occupational Medicine, Pamplona (Spain); Santisteban, Marta [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Oncology, Pamplona (Spain); Rodriguez-Spiteri, Natalia; Martinez-Regueira, Fernando [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Surgery, Pamplona (Spain); Idoate, Miguel A. [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Pathology, Pamplona (Spain); Elizalde, Arlette; Pina, Luis J. [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Radiology, Pamplona (Spain)

    2017-08-15

    Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fused with prone 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in primary tumour staging of patients with breast cancer. This retrospective study evaluated 45 women with 49 pathologically proven breast carcinomas. MRI and prone PET-CT scans with time-of-flight and point-spread-function reconstruction were performed with the same dedicated breast coil. The studies were assessed by a radiologist and a nuclear medicine physician, and evaluation of fused images was made by consensus. The final diagnosis was based on pathology (90 lesions) or follow-up ≥ 24 months (17 lesions). The study assessed 72 malignant and 35 benign lesions with a median size of 1.8 cm (range 0.3-8.4 cm): 31 focal, nine multifocal and nine multicentric cases. In lesion-by-lesion analysis, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 97%, 80%, 91% and 93% for MRI, 96%, 71%, 87%, and 89% for prone PET, and 97%. 94%, 97% and 94% for MRI fused with PET. Areas under the curve (AUC) were 0.953, 0.850, and 0.983, respectively (p < 0.01). MRI fused with FDG-PET is more accurate than FDG-PET in primary tumour staging of breast cancer patients and increases the specificity of MRI. (orig.)

  8. Action simulation in hallucination-prone adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarik eDahoun

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical and empirical accounts suggest that impairments in self-other discrimination processes are likely to promote the expression of hallucinations. However, our understanding of such processes during adolescence is still at an early stage. The present study thus aims 1 to delineate the neural correlates sustaining mental simulation of actions involving self-performed actions (first-person perspective; 1PP and other-performed actions (third-person perspective; 3PP during adolescence 2 to identify atypical activation patterns during 1PP/3PP mental simulation of actions in hallucination-prone adolescents 3 to examine whether differential risk for schizophrenia (clinical vs genetic is also associated with differential impairments in the 1PP/3PP mental simulation of actions during adolescence. Twenty-two typically developing controls (Control group; 6 females, twelve hallucination-prone adolescents (AH group; 7 females and thirteen adolescents with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS group; 4 females were included in the study. During the fMRI task, subjects were presented with a cue (self-other priming cues indicating to perform the task using either a first person perspective (you-1PP or a third person perspective (friend-3PP and then they were asked to mentally simulate actions based on the type of cue. Our results indicated that atypical patterns of cerebral activation, particularly in the key areas of self-other distinction, were found in both groups at risk for auditory hallucinations (AH and 22q11.2DS. More precisely, adolescents in the AH and 22q11.2DS groups presented decreased activations in the parieto-occipital region BA19 during 3PP. This study characterizes the neural correlates of mental imagery for actions during adolescence, and suggests that a differential risk for hallucination-proneness (clinical vs. genetic is associated to similar patterns of atypical activations in key areas sustaining self-other discrimination

  9. Carbohydrate intake improves cognitive performance of stress-prone individuals under controllable laboratory stress

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Markus, C.R.; Panhuysen, G.; Jonkman, L.M.; Bachman, M.

    1999-01-01

    Cognitive performance has been found to decline after exposure to stress, particularly in stress-prone subjects. The present study investigated whether a carbohydrate-rich, protein-poor (CR/PP) diet, which may enhance cerebral serotonin function in stress-prone subjects due to increases in the

  10. A framework for automated contour quality assurance in radiation therapy including adaptive techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altman, M B; Kavanaugh, J A; Wooten, H O; Green, O L; DeWees, T A; Gay, H; Thorstad, W L; Li, H; Mutic, S

    2015-01-01

    Contouring of targets and normal tissues is one of the largest sources of variability in radiation therapy treatment plans. Contours thus require a time intensive and error-prone quality assurance (QA) evaluation, limitations which also impair the facilitation of adaptive radiotherapy (ART). Here, an automated system for contour QA is developed using historical data (the ‘knowledge base’). A pilot study was performed with a knowledge base derived from 9 contours each from 29 head-and-neck treatment plans. Size, shape, relative position, and other clinically-relevant metrics and heuristically derived rules are determined. Metrics are extracted from input patient data and compared against rules determined from the knowledge base; a computer-learning component allows metrics to evolve with more input data, including patient specific data for ART. Nine additional plans containing 42 unique contouring errors were analyzed. 40/42 errors were detected as were 9 false positives. The results of this study imply knowledge-based contour QA could potentially enhance the safety and effectiveness of RT treatment plans as well as increase the efficiency of the treatment planning process, reducing labor and the cost of therapy for patients. (paper)

  11. Assessment of trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure in murine strains genetically-prone and non-prone to develop autoimmune disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keil, Deborah E; Peden-Adams, Margie M; Wallace, Stacy; Ruiz, Phillip; Gilkeson, Gary S

    2009-04-01

    There is increasing laboratory and epidemiologic evidence relating exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) with autoimmune disease including scleroderma and lupus. New Zealand Black/New Zealand White (NZBWF1) and B6C3F1 mice were exposed to TCE (0, 1, 400 or 14,000 ppb) via drinking water for 27 or 30 weeks, respectively. NZBWF1 mice spontaneously develop autoimmune disease while B6C3F1 mice, a standard strain used in immunotoxicology testing, are not genetically prone to develop autoimmune disease. During the TCE exposure period, serum levels of total IgG, and autoantibodies (anti-ssDNA, -dsDNA, and -glomerular antigen [GA]) were monitored. At the termination of the study, renal pathology, natural killer (NK) cell activity, total IgG levels, autoantibody production, T-cell activation, and lymphocytic proliferative responses were evaluated. TCE did not alter NK cell activity, or T- and B-cell proliferation in either strain. Numbers of activated T-cells (CD4+/CD44+) were increased in the B6C3F1 mice but not in the NZBWF1 mice. Renal pathology, as indicated by renal score, was significantly increased in the B6C3F1, but not in the NZBWF1 mice. Serum levels of autoantibodies to dsDNA and ssDNA were increased at more time points in B6C3F1, as compared to the NZBWF1 mice. Anti-GA autoantibodies were increased by TCE treatment in early stages of the study in NZBWF1 mice, but by 23 weeks of age, control levels were comparable to those of TCE-exposed animals. Serum levels anti-GA autoantibodies in B6C3F1 were not affected by TCE exposure. Overall, these data suggest that TCE did not contribute to the progression of autoimmune disease in autoimmune-prone mice during the period of 11-36 weeks of age, but rather lead to increased expression of markers associated with autoimmune disease in a non-genetically prone mouse strain.

  12. The Livelihood Analysis in Merapi Prone Area After 2010 Eruption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susy Nofrita

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available As stated in Regent Regulation No. 20 Year 2011 about Merapi Volcano Disaster-Prone Area, Merapi eruption in 2010 affected larger area than before included Kalitengah Lor, Kalitengah Kidul and Srunen hamlet which was now categorized as prone area zone III or the most dangerous area related to Merapi volcano hazard and was forbidden to live at. But its local people agreed to oppose the regulation and this area had been 100% reoccupied. This research examined about the existing livelihood condition in Kalitengah Lor, Kalitengah Kidul and Srunen that had been changed and degraded after 2010 great eruption. The grounded based information found that 80% of households sample were at the middle level of welfare status, meanwhile the high and low were at 13% and 7% respectively. Each status represented different livelihood strategy in facing the life in prone area with no one considered the Merapi hazard, but more economic motivation and assets preservation. The diversity in strategy was found in diversification of livelihood resources which were dominated by sand mining, farming and dairy farming.

  13. Positive expiratory pressure therapy versus other airway clearance techniques for bronchiectasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Annemarie L; Burge, Angela T; Holland, Anne E

    2017-09-27

    People with bronchiectasis experience chronic cough and sputum production and require the prescription of airway clearance techniques (ACTs). A common type of ACT prescribed is positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy. A previous review has suggested that ACTs including PEP therapy are beneficial compared to no treatment in people with bronchiectasis. However, the efficacy of PEP therapy in a stable clinical state or during an acute exacerbation compared to other ACTs in bronchiectasis is unknown. The primary aim of this review was to determine the effects of PEP therapy compared with other ACTs on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), rate of acute exacerbations, and incidence of hospitalisation in individuals with stable or an acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis.Secondary aims included determining the effects of PEP therapy upon physiological outcomes and clinical signs and symptoms compared with other ACTs in individuals with stable or an acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis. We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register of Trials, PEDro and clinical trials registries from inception to February 2017 and we handsearched relevant journals. Randomised controlled parallel and cross-over trials that compared PEP therapy versus other ACTs in participants with bronchiectasis. We used standard methodological procedures as outlined by Cochrane. Nine studies involving 213 participants met the inclusion criteria, of which seven were cross-over in design. All studies included adults with bronchiectasis, with eight including participants in a stable clinical state and one including participants experiencing an acute exacerbation. Eight studies used oscillatory PEP therapy, using either a Flutter or Acapella device and one study used Minimal PEP therapy. The comparison intervention differed between studies. The methodological quality of studies was poor, with cross-over studies including suboptimal or no washout period, and a lack of blinding of

  14. Impact of antiretroviral therapy on tuberculosis incidence among HIV-positive patients in high-income countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    del Amo, Julia; Moreno, Santiago; Bucher, Heiner C.; Furrer, Hansjakob; Logan, Roger; Sterne, Jonathan; Pérez-Hoyos, Santiago; Jarrín, Inma; Phillips, Andrew; Lodi, Sara; van Sighem, Ard; de Wolf, Frank; Sabin, Caroline; Bansi, Loveleen; Justice, Amy; Goulet, Joseph; Miró, José M.; Ferrer, Elena; Meyer, Laurence; Seng, Rémonie; Toulomi, Giota; Gargalianos, Panagiotis; Costagliola, Dominique; Abgrall, Sophie; Hernán, Miguel A.; Ainsworth, J.; Anderson, J.; Babiker, A.; Delpech, V.; Dunn, D.; Easterbrook, P.; Fisher, M.; Gazzard, B.; Gilson, R.; Gompels, M.; Hill, T.; Johnson, M.; Leen, C.; Orkin, C.; Phillips, A.; Pillay, D.; Porter, K.; Sabin, C.; Schwenk, A.; Walsh, J.; Bansi, L.; Glabay, A.; Thomas, R.; Jones, K.; Perry, N.; Pullin, A.; Churchill, D.; Nelson, M.; Asboe, D.; Bulbeck, S.; Mandalia, S.; Clarke, J.; Munshi, S.; Post, F.; Khan, Y.; Patel, P.; Karim, F.; Duffell, S.; Man, S.-L.; Williams, I.; Dooley, D.; Youle, M.; Lampe, F.; Smith, C.; Grabowska, H.; Chaloner, C.; Ismajani Puradiredja, D.; Weber, J.; Kemble, C.; Mackie, N.; Winston, A.; Wilson, A.; Bezemer, D. O.; Gras, L. A. J.; Kesselring, A. M.; van Sighem, A. I.; Smit, C.; Zhang, S.; Zaheri, S.; Prins, J. M.; Boer, K.; Bos, J. C.; Geerlings, S. E.; Godfried, M. H.; Haverkort, M. E.; Kuijpers, T. W.; Lange, J. M. A.; van der Meer, J. T. M.; Nellen, F. J. B.; Pajkrt, D.; van der Poll, T.; Reiss, P.; Scherpbier, H. J.; van der Valk, M.; Wit, F. W. M. N.; Vrouenraets, S. M. E.; van Vugt, M.; Schreij, G.; Lowe, S.; Oude Lashof, A.; Bravenboer, B.; Pronk, M. J. H.; van der Ende, M. E.; van der Feltz, M.; Gelinck, L. B. S.; Nouwen, J. L.; Rijnders, B. J. A.; de Ruiter, E. D.; Slobbe, L.; Schurink, C. A. M.; Verbon, A.; de Vries-Sluijs, T. E. M. S.; Driessen, G.; Hartwig, N. G.; Branger, J.; Kauffmann, R. H.; Schippers, E. F.; Groeneveld, P. H. P.; Alleman, M. A.; Bouwhuis, J. W.; ten Kate, R. W.; Soetekouw, R.; Kroon, F. P.; Arend, S. M.; de Boer, M. G. J.; van den Broek, P. J.; van Dissel, J. T.; Jolink, H.; van Nieuwkoop, C.; den Hollander, J. G.; Pogany, K.; Bronsveld, W.; Kortmann, W.; van Twillert, G.; Vriesendorp, R.; Leyten, E. M. S.; van Houte, D.; Polée, M. B.; van Vonderen, M. G. A.; ten Napel, C. H. H.; Kootstra, G. J.; Brinkman, K.; van den Berk, G. E. L.; Blok, W. L.; Frissen, P. H. J.; Schouten, W. E. M.; van Eeden, A.; Verhagen, D. W. M.; Mulder, J. W.; van Gorp, E. C. M.; Smit, P. M.; Weijer, S.; Juttmann, J. R.; Brouwer, A. E.; van Kasteren, M. E. E.; Veenstra, J.; Lettinga, K. D.; Koopmans, P. P.; Brouwer, A. M.; Dofferhoff, A. S. M.; van der Flier, M.; de Groot, R.; ter Hofstede, H. J. M.; Keuter, M.; van der Ven, A. J. A. M.; Sprenger, H. G.; van Assen, S.; Doedens, R.; Scholvinck, E. H.; Stek, C. J.; Hoepelman, A. I. M.; Arends, J. E.; Ellerbroek, P. M.; van der Hilst, J. C. H.; Jaspers, C. A. J. J.; Maarschalk-Ellerbroek, L. J.; Oosterheert, J. J.; Peters, E. J. G.; Mudrikova, T.; Schneider, M. M. E.; Wassenberg, M. W. M.; Geelen, S. P. M.; Wolfs, T. F. W.; Danner, S. A.; van Agtmael, M. A.; Bierman, W. F. W.; Claessen, F. A. P.; de Jong, E. V.; Perenboom, R. M.; bij de Vaate, E. A.; Richter, C.; van der Berg, J.; Gisolf, E. H.; van den Berge, M.; Stegeman, A.; Duits, A. J.; Winkel, K.; Abgrall, S.; Barin, F.; Bentata, M.; Billaud, E.; Boué, F.; Burty, C.; Cabié, A.; Costagliola, D.; Cotte, L.; de Truchis, P.; Duval, X.; Duvivier, C.; Enel, P.; Fredouille-Heripret, L.; Gasnault, J.; Gaud, C.; Gilquin, J.; Grabar, S.; Katlama, C.; Khuong, M. A.; Lang, J. M.; Lascaux, A. S.; Launay, O.; Mahamat, A.; Mary-Krause, M.; Matheron, S.; Meynard, J. L.; Pavie, J.; Pialoux, G.; Pilorgé, F.; Poizot-Martin, I.; Pradier, C.; Reynes, J.; Rouveix, E.; Simon, A.; Tattevin, P.; Tissot-Dupont, H.; Viard, J. P.; Viget, N.; Jacquemet, N.; Guiguet, M.; Lanoy, E.; Lièvre, L.; Selinger-Leneman, H.; Lacombe, J. M.; Potard, V.; Bricaire, F.; Herson, S.; Desplanque, N.; Girard, P. M.; Meyohas, M. C.; Picard, O.; Cadranel, J.; Mayaud, C.; Clauvel, J. P.; Decazes, J. M.; Gerard, L.; Molina, J. M.; Diemer, M.; Sellier, P.; Honoré, P.; Jeantils, V.; Tassi, S.; Mechali, D.; Taverne, B.; Bouvet, E.; Crickx, B.; Ecobichon, J. L.; Picard-Dahan, C.; Yeni, P.; Berthé, H.; Dupont, C.; Chandemerle, C.; Mortier, E.; Tisne-Dessus, D.; Weiss, L.; Salmon, D.; Auperin, I.; Roudière, L.; Fior, R.; Delfraissy, J. F.; Goujard, C.; Jung, C.; Lesprit, Ph; Vittecoq, D.; Fraisse, P.; Rey, D.; Beck-Wirth, G.; Stahl, J. P.; Lecercq, P.; Gourdon, F.; Laurichesse, H.; Fresard, A.; Lucht, F.; Bazin, C.; Verdon, R.; Chavanet, P.; Arvieux, C.; Michelet, C.; Choutet, P.; Goudeau, A.; Maître, M. F.; Hoen, B.; Eglinger, P.; Faller, J. P.; Borsa-Lebas, F.; Caron, F.; Daures, J. P.; May, T.; Rabaud, C.; Berger, J. L.; Rémy, G.; Arlet-Suau, E.; Cuzin, L.; Massip, P.; Thiercelin Legrand, M. F.; Pontonnier, G.; Yasdanpanah, Y.; Dellamonica, P.; Pugliese, P.; Aleksandrowicz, K.; Quinsat, D.; Ravaux, I.; Delmont, J. P.; Moreau, J.; Gastaut, J. A.; Retornaz, F.; Soubeyrand, J.; Galinier, A.; Ruiz, J. M.; Allegre, T.; Blanc, P. A.; Bonnet-Montchardon, D.; Lepeu, G.; Granet-Brunello, P.; Esterni, J. P.; Pelissier, L.; Cohen-Valensi, R.; Nezri, M.; Chadapaud, S.; Laffeuillade, A.; Raffi, F.; Boibieux, A.; Peyramond, D.; Livrozet, J. M.; Touraine, J. L.; Trepo, C.; Strobel, M.; Saint-Martin, C. H.; Bissuel, F.; Pradinaud, R.; Sobesky, M.; Contant, M.; Aebi, C.; Battegay, M.; Bernasconi, E.; Böni, J.; Brazzola, P.; Bucher, H. C.; Bürgisser, Ph; Calmy, A.; Cattacin, S.; Cavassini, M.; Cheseaux, J.-J.; Drack, G.; Dubs, R.; Egger, M.; Elzi, L.; Fischer, M.; Flepp, M.; Fontana, A.; Francioli, P.; Furrer, H. J.; Fux, C.; Gayet-Ageron, A.; Gerber, S.; Gorgievski, M.; Günthard, H.; Gyr, Th; Hirsch, H.; Hirschel, B.; Hösli, I.; Hüsler, M.; Kaiser, L.; Kahlert, Ch; Karrer, U.; Kind, C.; Klimkait, Th; Ledergerber, B.; Martinetti, G.; Martinez, B.; Müller, N.; Nadal, D.; Paccaud, F.; Pantaleo, G.; Raio, L.; Rauch, A.; Regenass, S.; Rickenbach, M.; Rudin, C.; Schmid, P.; Schultze, D.; Schüpbach, J.; Speck, R.; Taffé, P.; Telenti, A.; Trkola, A.; Vernazza, P.; Weber, R.; Wyler, C.-A.; Yerly, S.; Casabona, J.; Miró, J. M.; Alquézar, A.; Isern, V.; Esteve, A.; Podzamczer, D.; Murillas, J.; Gatell, J. M.; Agüero, F.; Tural, C.; Clotet, B.; Ferrer, E.; Segura, F.; Riera, M.; Navarro, G.; Force, L.; Vilaró, J.; Masabeu, A.; García, I.; Guadarrama, M.; Romero, A.; Agustí, C.; Montoliu, A.; Ortega, N.; Lazzari, E.; Puchol, E.; Sanchez, M.; Blanco, J. L.; Garcia-Alcaide, F.; Mallolas, J.; Martínez, E.; López-Dieguez, M.; García-Goez, J. F.; Sirera, G.; Romeu, J.; Jou E Negredo, A.; Miranda, C.; Capitan, M. C.; Olmo, M.; Barragan, P.; Saumoy, M.; Bolao, F.; Cabellos, C.; Peña, C.; Sala, M.; Cervantes, M.; Navarro, M.; Jose Amengual, M.; Penelo, E.; Barrufet, P.; Berenguer, J.; del Amo, J.; García, F.; Gutiérrez, F.; Labarga, P.; Moreno, S.; Muñoz, M. A.; Sobrino, P.; Alejos, B.; Monge, S.; Hernando, V.; Alvarez, D.; Jarrín, I.; Gómez Sirvent, J. L.; Rodríguez, P.; Alemán, M. R.; Alonso, M. M.; López, A. M.; Hernández, M. I.; Soriano, V.; Barreiro, P.; Medrano, J.; Rivas, P.; Herrero, D.; Blanco, F.; Vispo, M. E.; Martín, L.; Ramírez, G.; de Diego, M.; Rubio, R.; Pulido, F.; Moreno, V.; Cepeda, C.; Hervás, R. l; Iribarren, J. A.; Arrizabalaga, J.; Aramburu, M. J.; Camino, X.; Rodríguez-Arrondo, F.; von Wichmann, M. A.; Pascual, L.; Goenaga, M. A.; Masiá, M.; Ramos, J. M.; Padilla, S.; Sánchez-Hellín, V.; Bernal, E.; Escolano, C.; Montolio, F.; Peral, Y.; López, J. C.; Miralles, P.; Cosín, J.; Sánchez, M.; Gutiérrez, I.; Ramírez, M.; Padilla, B.; Vidal, F.; Sanjuan, M.; Peraire, J.; Veloso, S.; Viladés, C.; López-Dupla, M.; Olona, M.; Vargas, M.; Aldeguer, J. L.; Blanes, M.; Lacruz, J.; Salavert, M.; Montero, M.; Cuéllar, S.; de los Santos, I.; Sanz, J.; Oteo, J. A.; Blanco, J. R.; Ibarra, V.; Metola, L.; Sanz, M.; Pérez-Martínez, L.; Sola, J.; Uriz, J.; Castiello, J.; Reparaz, J.; Arriaza, M. J.; Irigoyen, C.; Antela, A.; Casado, J. L.; Dronda, F.; Moreno, A.; Pérez, M. J.; López, D.; Gutiérrez, C.; Hernández, B.; Pumares, M.; Martí, P.; García, L.; Page, C.; Hernández, J.; Peña, A.; Muñoz, L.; Parra, J.; Viciana, P.; Leal, M.; López-Cortés, L. F.; Trastoy, M.; Mata, R.; Justice, A. C.; Fiellin, D. A.; Rimland, D.; Jones-Taylor, C.; Oursler, K. A.; Titanji, R.; Brown, S.; Garrison, S.; Rodriguez-Barradas, M.; Masozera, N.; Goetz, M.; Leaf, D.; Simberkoff, M.; Blumenthal, D.; Leung, J.; Butt, A.; Hoffman, E.; Gibert, C.; Peck, R.; Mattocks, K.; Braithwaite, S.; Brandt, C.; Bryant, K.; Cook, R.; Conigliaro, J.; Crothers, K.; Chang, J.; Crystal, S.; Day, N.; Erdos, J.; Freiberg, M.; Kozal, M.; Gandhi, N.; Gaziano, M.; Gerschenson, M.; Good, B.; Gordon, A.; Goulet, J. L.; Hernán, M. A.; Kraemer, K.; Lim, J.; Maisto, S.; Miller, P.; Mole, L.; O'Connor, P.; Papas, R.; Robins, J. M.; Rinaldo, C.; Roberts, M.; Samet, J.; Tierney, B.; Whittle, J.; Brettle, R.; Darbyshire, J.; Fidler, S.; Goldberg, D.; Hawkins, D.; Jaffe, H.; Johnson, A.; McLean, K.; Porter, Kholoud; Cursley, Adam; Ewings, Fiona; Fairbrother, Keith; Gnatiuc, Louisa; Murphy, Brendan; Douglas, G.; Kennedy, N.; Pritchard, J.; Andrady, U.; Rajda, N.; Maw, R.; McKernan, S.; Drake, S.; Gilleran, G.; White, D.; Ross, J.; Toomer, S.; Hewart, R.; Wilding, H.; Woodward, R.; Dean, G.; Heald, L.; Horner, P.; Glover, S.; Bansaal, D.; Eduards, S.; Carne, C.; Browing, M.; Das, R.; Stanley, B.; Estreich, S.; Magdy, A.; O'Mahony, C.; Fraser, P.; Hayman, B.; Jebakumar, S. P. R.; Joshi, U.; Ralph, S.; Wade, A.; Mette, R.; Lalik, J.; Summerfield, H.; El-Dalil, A.; France, A. J.; White, C.; Robertson, R.; Gordon, S.; McMillan, S.; Morris, S.; Lean, C.; Vithayathil, K.; McLean, L.; Winter, A.; Gale, D.; Jacobs, S.; Tayal, S.; Short, L.; Green, S.; Williams, G.; Sivakumar, K.; Bhattacharyya, D. N.; Monteiro, E.; Minton, J.; Dhar, J.; Nye, F.; DeSouza, C. B.; Isaksen, A.; McDonald, L.; Franca, A.; William, L.; Jendrulek, I.; Peters, B.; Shaunak, S.; El-Gadi, S.; Easterbrook, P. J.; Mazhude, C.; Johnstone, R.; Fakoya, A.; Mchale, J.; Waters, A.; Kegg, S.; Mitchell, S.; Byrne, P.; Rice, P.; Mullaney, S. A.; McCormack, S.; David, D.; Melville, R.; Phillip, K.; Balachandran, T.; Mabey-Puttock, S.; Sukthankar, A.; Murphy, C.; Wilkins, E.; Ahmad, S.; Haynes, J.; Evans, E.; Ong, E.; Grey, R.; Meaden, J.; Bignell, C.; Loay, D.; Peacock, K.; Girgis, M. R.; Morgan, B.; Palfreeman, A.; Wilcox, J.; Tobin, J.; Tucker, L.; Saeed, A. M.; Chen, F.; Deheragada, A.; Williams, O.; Lacey, H.; Herman, S.; Kinghorn, D.; Devendra, S. V.; Wither, J.; Dawson, S.; Rowen, D.; Harvey, J.; Bridgwood, A.; Singh, G.; Chauhan, M.; Kellock, D.; Young, S.; Dannino, S.; Kathir, Y.; Rooney, G.; Currie, J.; Fitzgerald, M.; Devendra, S.; Keane, F.; Booth, G.; Green, T.; Arumainayyagam, J.; Chandramani, S.; Rajamanoharan, S.; Robinson, T.; Curless, E.; Gokhale, R.; Tariq, A.; Luzzi, G.; Fairley, I.; Wallis, F.; Smit, E.; Ward, F.; Loze, B.; Morlat, P.; Bonarek, M.; Bonnet, F.; Nouts, C.; Louis, I.; Reliquet, V.; Sauser, F.; Biron, C.; Mounoury, O.; Hue, H.; Brosseau, D.; Ghosn, J.; Rannou, M. T.; Bergmann, J. F.; Badsi, E.; Rami, A.; Parrinello, M.; Samanon-Bollens, D.; Campa, P.; Tourneur, M.; Desplanques, N.; Jeanblanc, F.; Chiarello, P.; Makhloufi, D.; Blanc, A. P.; Allègre, T.; Baillat, V.; Lemoing, V.; Merle de Boever, C.; Tramoni, C.; Sobesky, G.; Abel, S.; Beaujolais, V.; Slama, L.; Chakvetadze, C.; Berrebi, V.; Fournier, I.; Gerbe, J.; Koffi, K.; Augustin-Normand, C.; Miailhes, P.; Thoirain, V.; Brochier, C.; Souala, F.; Ratajczak, M.; Beytoux, J.; Jacomet, C.; Montpied, G.; Morelon, S.; Olivier, C.; Lortholary, O.; Dupont, B.; Maignan, A.; Ragnaud, J. M.; Raymond, I.; Leport, C.; Jadand, C.; Jestin, C.; Longuet, P.; Boucherit, S.; Sereni, D.; Lascoux, C.; Prevoteau, F.; Sobel, A.; Levy, Y.; Lelièvre, J. D.; Dominguez, S.; Dumont, C.; Aumaître, H.; Delmas, B.; Saada, M.; Medus, M.; Guillevin, L.; Tahi, T.; Yazdanpanah, Y.; Pavel, S.; Marien, M. C.; Drenou, B.; Beck, C.; Benomar, M.; Muller, E.; Tubiana, R.; Ait Mohand, H.; Chermak, A.; Ben Abdallah, S.; Touam, F.; Drobacheff, C.; Folzer, A.; Obadia, M.; Prudhomme, L.; Bonnet, E.; Balzarin, F.; Pichard, E.; Chennebault, J. M.; Fialaire, P.; Loison, J.; Galanaud, P.; Bornarel, D.; Six, M.; Ferret, P.; Batisse, D.; Gonzales-Canali, G.; Devidas, A.; Chevojon, P.; Turpault, I.; Lafeuillade, A.; Cheret, A.; Philip, G.; Morel, P.; Timsit, J.; Amirat, N.; Brancion, C.; Cabane, J.; Tredup, J.; Stein, A.; Ravault, I.; Chavanet, C.; Buisson, M.; Treuvetot, S.; Nau, P.; Bastides, F.; Boyer, L.; Wassoumbou, S.; Oksenhendeler, E.; Gérard, L.; Bernard, L.; Poincaré, R.; Domart, Y.; Merrien, D.; Greder Belan, A.; Mignot, A.; Gayraud, M.; Bodard, L.; Meudec, A.; Beuscart, C.; Daniel, C.; Pape, E.; Vinceneux, P.; Simonpoli, A. M.; Zeng, A.; Mourier, L.; Fournier, L.; Jacquet, M.; Fuzibet, J. G.; Sohn, C.; Rosenthal, E.; Quaranta, M.; Chaillou, S.; Sabah, M.; Audhuy, B.; Schieber, A.; Pasteur, L.; Moreau, P.; Niault, M.; Vaillant, O.; Huchon, G.; Compagnucci, A.; de Lacroix Szmania, I.; Richier, L.; Lamaury, I.; Saint-Dizier, F.; Garipuy, D.; Drogoul, M. P.; Poizot Martin, I.; Fabre, G.; Lambert, G.; Abraham, B.; Perino, C.; Lagarde, P.; David, F.; Roche-Sicot, J.; Saraux, J. L.; Leprêtre, A.; Veil, S.; Fampin, B.; Uludag, A.; Morin, A. S.; Bletry, O.; Zucman, D.; Regnier, A.; Girard, J. J.; Quinsat, D. T.; Heripret, L.; Grihon, F.; Houlbert, D.; Ruel, M.; Chemlal, K.; Debab, Y.; Tremollieres, F.; Perronne, V.; Slama, B.; Perré, P.; Miodovski, C.; Guermonprez, G.; Dulioust, A.; Boudon, P.; Malbec, D.; Patey, O.; Semaille, C.; Deville, J.; Remy, G.; Béguinot, I.; Boue, F.; Chambrin, V.; Pignon, C.; Estocq, G. A.; Levy, A.; Duracinsky, M.; Le Bras, P.; Ngussan, M. S.; Peretti, D.; Medintzeff, N.; Lambert, T.; Segeral, O.; Lezeau, P.; Laurian, Y.; Piketty, C.; Karmochkine, M.; Eliaszewitch, M.; Jayle, D.; Tisne, D.; Kazatchkine, M.; Colasante, U.; Nouaouia, W.; Vilde, J. L.; Bollens, D.; Binet, D.; Diallo, B.; Fonquernie, L.; Lagneau, J. L.; Pietrie, M. P.; Sicard, D.; Stieltjes, N.; Michot, J.; Bourdillon, F.; Lelievre, J. D.; Obenga, G.; Escaut, L.; Bolliot, C.; Schneider, L.; Iguertsira, M.; Tomei, C.; Dhiver, C.; Tissot Dupont, H.; Vallon, A.; Gallais, J.; Gallais, H.; Durant, J.; Mondain, V.; Perbost, I.; Cassuto, J. P.; Karsenti, J. M.; Venti, H.; Ceppi, C.; Krivitsky, J. A.; Bouchaud, O.; Honore, P.; Delgado, J.; Rouzioux, C.; Burgard, M.; Boufassa, L.; Peynet, J.; Ferreros, I.; Hurtado, I.; González, C.; Caro, A. M.; Muga, R.; Sanvicens, A.; Tor, J.; del Romero, J.; Raposo, P.; Rodríguez, C.; Vera, M.; Garcia de Olalla, P.; Cayla, J.; Alastrue, I.; Belda, J.; Trullen, P.; Fernández, E.; Santos, C.; Tasa, T.; Zafra, T.; Guerrero, R.; Marco, A.; Quintana, M.; Ruiz, I.; Nuñez, R.; Pérez, R.; Castilla, J.; Guevara, M.; de Mendoza, C.; Zahonero, N.; Antoniadou, A.; Chrysos, G.; Daikos, G.; Gargalianos-Kakolyris, P.; Gogos, H. A.; Katsarou, O.; Kordossis, T.; Lazanas, M.; Nikolaidis, P.; Panos, G.; Paparizos, V.; Paraskevis, D.; Sambatakou, H.; Skoutelis, A.; Touloumi, G.; Pantazis, N.; Bakoyannis, G.; Vourli, G.; Gioukari, V.; Papadopoulos, A.; Petrikkos, G.; Paraskeva, D.; Hatziastros, P.; Psichogiou, M.; Xylomenos, G.; Maragos, M. N.; Kouramba, A.; Ioannidou, P.; Kontos, A.; Chini, M.; Tsogas, N.; Kolaras, P.; Metallidis, S.; Haratsis, G.; Leuow, K.; Kourkounti, S.; Mariolis, I.; Papastamopoulos, V.; Baraboutis, I.

    2012-01-01

    The lower tuberculosis incidence reported in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) is difficult to interpret causally. Furthermore, the role of unmasking immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is unclear. We aim to

  15. Suicide proneness in college students: relationships with gender, procrastination, and achievement motivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klibert, Jeffrey; Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Jennifer; Luna, Amy; Robichaux, Michelle

    2011-08-01

    This study examined the relationships between 2 academic dispositions (i.e., procrastination and achievement motivation) and 2 indices of suicidal proneness in college women and men. The degree these 2 academic dispositions could predict unique variance in suicide proneness scores, above and beyond the influence of depression and self-esteem was also examined for each gender. Participants included 475 (336 women, 139 men) undergraduates from a southeastern university. For both genders, procrastination and achievement motivation were significantly correlated at the univarate level with the suicide proneness indices. However, for college women, but not men, procrastination significantly accounted for unique amounts of variance in both suicide indices above and beyond the influence of depression and self-esteem. Implications for suicide intervention efforts directed toward college women and men are offered.

  16. Prone Hypofractionated Whole-Breast Radiotherapy Without a Boost to the Tumor Bed: Comparable Toxicity of IMRT Versus a 3D Conformal Technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hardee, Matthew E.; Raza, Shahzad; Becker, Stewart J.; Jozsef, Gabor; Lymberis, Stella C. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States); Hochman, Tsivia; Goldberg, Judith D. [Division of Biostatistics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States); DeWyngaert, Keith J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States); Formenti, Silvia C., E-mail: silvia.formenti@nyumc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY (United States)

    2012-03-01

    Purpose: We report a comparison of the dosimetry and toxicity of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) vs. intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) among patients treated in the prone position with the same fractionation and target of the hypofractionation arm of the Canadian/Whelan trial. Methods and Materials: An institutional review board-approved protocol identified a consecutive series of early-stage breast cancer patients treated according to the Canadian hypofractionation regimen but in the prone position. Patients underwent IMRT treatment planning and treatment if the insurance carrier approved reimbursement for IMRT; in case of refusal, a 3D-CRT plan was used. A comparison of the dosimetric and toxicity outcomes during the acute, subacute, and long-term follow-up of the two treatment groups is reported. Results: We included 97 consecutive patients with 100 treatment plans in this study (3 patients with bilateral breast cancer); 40 patients were treated with 3D-CRT and 57 with IMRT. IMRT significantly reduced the maximum dose (Dmax median, 109.96% for 3D-CRT vs. 107.28% for IMRT; p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon test) and improved median dose homogeneity (median, 1.15 for 3D-CRT vs. 1.05 for IMRT; p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon test) when compared with 3D-CRT. Acute toxicity consisted primarily of Grade 1 to 2 dermatitis and occurred in 92% of patients. Grade 2 dermatitis occurred in 13% of patients in the 3D-CRT group and 2% in the IMRT group. IMRT moderately decreased rates of acute pruritus (p = 0.03, chi-square test) and Grade 2 to 3 subacute hyperpigmentation (p = 0.01, Fisher exact test). With a minimum of 6 months' follow-up, the treatment was similarly well tolerated in either group, including among women with large breast volumes. Conclusion: Hypofractionated breast radiotherapy is well tolerated when treating patients in the prone position, even among those with large breast volumes. Breast IMRT significantly improves dosimetry but yields only a modest

  17. Antecedents of Truck Drivers’ Job Satisfaction and Retention Proneness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prockl, Günter; Teller, Christoph; Kotzab, Herbert

    2017-01-01

    is statistically significant. Financial and nonfinancial job properties affect satisfaction with one's employer whereas the former shows a lower impact compared to the latter. Satisfaction with the job and one's employer impacts retention proneness. The contribution of this study was to (1) add...... to the understanding of the factors that predict retention of truck drivers in relationship to job satisfaction and (2) highlight the different roles of financial and nonfinancial job properties in this specific work context.......The aim of this study was to (1) explore the antecedents of truck drivers’ job satisfaction, (2) identify the impact of financial and nonfinancial job properties on satisfaction with the job and with one's employer, and (3) the drivers’ proneness to retaining their jobs. Based on the extant...

  18. The Effect of Body Position on Pain Due to Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP in Premature Neonates: A Cross-Over Clinical Trial Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahnaz Jabraeili

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background The most common cause of admission to neonatal intensive care units (NICU is respiratory distress syndrome. One of the respiratory assistance methods is using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP. Regarding the importance of pain control which is one of the major priorities in neonatal nursing care, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of body position on pain due to nasal CPAP in premature neonates. Materials and Methods In this cross-over clinical trial, 50 premature neonates who were receiving nasal CPAP admitted to the NICU of Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran, were included. The neonates were randomly placed at three body positions (fetal, supine, and prone positions. Pain was measured by Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital Pain Scale Neonates (ALPS-Neo pain assessment scale. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS software (Version 22.0. Results Significant difference existed regarding pain of nasal CPAP among body positions (p< 0.001. Mean (SD pain was 5.15 (0.822 in fetal position, 6.260 (0.747 in prone position and 7.326 (0.792 in supine position. Conclusion Body positioning in premature neonates under nasal CPAP in NICU can be effective as a non-pharmacologic method in alleviating pain due to nasal CPAP. Among the studied positions, the lowest pain score was seen in fetal position.

  19. SU-F-T-93: Breast Surface Dose Enhancement Using a Clinical Prone Breast Board

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guerra, M; Jozsef, G

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The use of specialized patient set-up devices in radiotherapy, such as prone breast boards, may have unwanted dosimetric effects. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of a clinically used prone breast board on skin dose due to buildup. Methods: GafChromic film (EBT3) was used for dose measurements on the surface of a solid water phantom shaped to mimic the curvature of the breast. We investigated two setup scenarios: the medial field border placed at the medial edge of the board and 1 cm contralaterally from that edge. A strip of film was taped to the medial surface of the phantom. Gantry angles varied from 10 to 30 degrees below the lateral gantry position, representing anterior oblique fields. The measurements were performed with and without the presence of the board; the ratio of their corresponding doses (dose enhancement) was evaluated. Results: For the cases where the field edge is at the edge of the board, the dose enhancement is negligible for all the tested angles. When the field edge is 1 cm inside the board, the maximum surface dose enhancement varies depending on the gantry angle between 2.2 for 30 degrees and 3.2 for 20 degrees. The length on the film at which the presence of the board is detectable (i.e. where there is dose enhancement) is longer for the shallower angles. Conclusion: Even the low-density, thin carbon fiber board with a thin soft foam pad on the top can produce significant dose enhancement on the skin in prone breast treatment due to loss of buildup. However, it happens only when the patient mid-sternum is over the board, i.e. the medial edge of the field traverses through the board and pad. Even then, the effect occurs only at the field edge, i.e. the penumbral region.

  20. THE USE OF METHODS OF PSYCHOSEMANTICS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF VALUE-SEMANTIC SPHERE OF ADOLESCENTS PRONE TO DRUG-ADDICTED BEHAVIOR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A S Markov

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The article considers the problem of using methods of psychosemantics for the examination of value- semantic sphere of adolescents who are prone to drug-addicted behavior. As a diagnostic tool for this task there was used the psychosemantic approach which gives the opportunity to uncover the subjective picture of the world of the teenager, a member of the risk group, his verbal and graphical constructs.At the first stage of the study, with the help of the proprietary methodology of working scales (motivational- need sphere, emotionally-conative sphere, the sphere of normative and behavioral regulation, the scale of the social risks, value-semantic sphere the personal profiles of adolescents are prone to drug-addicted behavior were identified and described. As part of the description of the personality profiles, the peculiarities of the drug-addicted behavior were also disclosed.The psychosemantic approach applied at the second stage of the empirical research, with the help of the modified role list given to the respondents, allowed to make and characterize the resulting model maps of the subjective semantic space of the teenagers at risk. The above mentioned model maps reflect the subjective value-semantic sphere, the existing correlation between the formed socially approved and also risk-taking role positions, and the internal picture of the world of the adolescents prone to drug-addicted behavior. The study results give the opportunity to improve the preventive and remedial work with adolescents, prone to drug-addicted behavior in the educational environment

  1. Effects of steal-prone anatomy on intraoperative myocardial ischemia. The SPI Research Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, J M; Hollenberg, M; O'Kelly, B F; Kao, A; Mangano, D T

    1992-11-01

    Our study objective was to determine whether the presence of steal-prone anatomy conferred an increased risk in the development of intraoperative myocardial ischemia. Coronary artery steal of collateral blood flow has been demonstrated for many vasodilators, including isoflurane, the most commonly used inhalational anesthetic agent in the United States. It has been postulated that patients with steal-prone anatomy (total occlusion of one coronary artery that is supplied distally by collateral flow from another coronary artery with a > or = 50% stenosis) may be particularly at risk for the development of intraoperative myocardial ischemia when an anesthetic with a vasodilator property is being administered. We evaluated the risk of myocardial ischemia under isoflurane anesthesia (vs. a high dose narcotic technique using sufentanil) using continuous intraoperative electrocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography in patients with and without steal-prone anatomy undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Sixty-two (33%) of the 186 patients had steal-prone anatomy: in 5 (8%) the collateral-supplying vessel was > or = 50% to 69% stenosed, in 24 (39%) it was > or = 70% to 89% stenosed and in 33 (53%) it was > or = 90% stenosed. The incidence of ischemia (transesophageal echocardiography or intraoperative electrocardiography, or both) was similar in patients with and without steal-prone coronary anatomy (18 [29%] of 62 patients vs. 39 [31%] of 124 patients, p = 0.87, 95% confidence interval = -0.13 to 0.17). The incidence of intraoperative ischemia was similar in patients who received isoflurane or sufentanil anesthesia (20 [32%] of 62 patients vs. 37 [30%] of 124 patients, p = 0.87). The incidence of tachycardia and hypotension was low (increases in heart rate = 9.8%, and decreases in systolic blood pressure = 10.8% of total monitoring time during the prebypass period compared with preoperative baseline values). The incidence of adverse cardiac outcome was

  2. Robotic-based carbon ion therapy and patient positioning in 6 degrees of freedom: setup accuracy of two standard immobilization devices used in carbon ion therapy and IMRT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Alexandra D; Winter, Marcus; Kuhn, Sabine P; Debus, Jürgen; Nairz, Olaf; Münter, Marc W

    2012-03-29

    To investigate repositioning accuracy in particle radiotherapy in 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT, 3 DOF) for two immobilization devices (Scotchcast masks vs thermoplastic head masks) currently in use at our institution for fractionated radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients. Position verifications in patients treated with carbon ion therapy and IMRT for head and neck malignancies were evaluated. Most patients received combined treatment regimen (IMRT plus carbon ion boost), immobilization was achieved with either Scotchcast or thermoplastic head masks. Position corrections in robotic-based carbon ion therapy allowing 6 DOF were compared to IMRT allowing corrections in 3 DOF for two standard immobilization devices. In total, 838 set-up controls of 38 patients were analyzed. Robotic-based position correction including correction of rotations was well tolerated and without discomfort. Standard deviations of translational components were between 0.5 and 0.8 mm for Scotchcast and 0.7 and 1.3 mm for thermoplastic masks in 6 DOF and 1.2-1.4 mm and 1.0-1.1 mm in 3 DOF respectively. Mean overall displacement vectors were between 2.1 mm (Scotchcast) and 2.9 mm (thermoplastic masks) in 6 DOF and 3.9-3.0 mm in 3 DOF respectively. Displacement vectors were lower when correction in 6 DOF was allowed as opposed to 3 DOF only, which was maintained at the traditional action level of >3 mm for position correction in the pre-on-board imaging era. Setup accuracy for both systems was within the expected range. Smaller shifts were required when 6 DOF were available for correction as opposed to 3 DOF. Where highest possible positioning accuracy is required, frequent image guidance is mandatory to achieve best possible plan delivery and maintenance of sharp gradients and optimal normal tissue sparing inherent in carbon ion therapy.

  3. Implementation of immobilization accessories for positioning of small animals for radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vettorato, M.C.; Girotto, C.H.; Fogaça, J.L.; Vulcano, L.C.; Fernandes, M.A.R.

    2017-01-01

    Radiation therapy is a modality that is presenting great advances in veterinary medicine worldwide. In Brazil, this therapeutic option is underachieved. The success of this method depends on several factors, including the use of appropriate accessories for protection and immobilization of patients. For the immobilization of small animals during treatment, in addition to sedation and anesthesia, immobilizing accessories, similar to those used in human radiotherapy, are used. This study aimed to present proposals for immobilizing accessories adapted to the positioning of small animals in order to be used in radiotherapy planning. In order to achieve results, accessories were made and tested in a living animal simulating a radiotherapy planning, which proved to be favorable to use in positioning small animals undergoing radiotherapy and for implementation processes. (author)

  4. Implementation of immobilization accessories for positioning of small animals for radiation therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vettorato, M.C.; Girotto, C.H.; Fogaça, J.L.; Vulcano, L.C.; Fernandes, M.A.R., E-mail: m_vettorato@hotmail.com [Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, SP (Brazil)

    2017-11-15

    Radiation therapy is a modality that is presenting great advances in veterinary medicine worldwide. In Brazil, this therapeutic option is underachieved. The success of this method depends on several factors, including the use of appropriate accessories for protection and immobilization of patients. For the immobilization of small animals during treatment, in addition to sedation and anesthesia, immobilizing accessories, similar to those used in human radiotherapy, are used. This study aimed to present proposals for immobilizing accessories adapted to the positioning of small animals in order to be used in radiotherapy planning. In order to achieve results, accessories were made and tested in a living animal simulating a radiotherapy planning, which proved to be favorable to use in positioning small animals undergoing radiotherapy and for implementation processes. (author)

  5. Externalizing proneness and brain response during pre-cuing and viewing of emotional pictures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foell, Jens; Brislin, Sarah J; Strickland, Casey M; Seo, Dongju; Sabatinelli, Dean; Patrick, Christopher J

    2016-07-01

    Externalizing proneness, or trait disinhibition, is a concept relevant to multiple high-impact disorders involving impulsive-aggressive behavior. Its mechanisms remain disputed: major models posit hyperresponsive reward circuitry or heightened threat-system reactivity as sources of disinhibitory tendencies. This study evaluated alternative possibilities by examining relations between trait disinhibition and brain reactivity during preparation for and processing of visual affective stimuli. Forty females participated in a functional neuroimaging procedure with stimuli presented in blocks containing either pleasurable or aversive pictures interspersed with neutral, with each picture preceded by a preparation signal. Preparing to view elicited activation in regions including nucleus accumbens, whereas visual regions and bilateral amygdala were activated during viewing of emotional pictures. High disinhibition predicted reduced nucleus accumbens activation during preparation within pleasant/neutral picture blocks, along with enhanced amygdala reactivity during viewing of pleasant and aversive pictures. Follow-up analyses revealed that the augmented amygdala response was related to reduced preparatory activation. Findings indicate that participants high in disinhibition are less able to process implicit cues and mentally prepare for upcoming stimuli, leading to limbic hyperreactivity during processing of actual stimuli. This outcome is helpful for integrating findings from studies suggesting reward-system hyperreactivity and others suggesting threat-system hyperreactivity as mechanisms for externalizing proneness. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. The technique of craniospinal irradiation of paediatric patients in supine position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slampa, P.; Seneklova, Z.; Simicek, J.; Soumarova, R.; Burkon, P.; Burianova, L.

    2001-01-01

    Background. Postoperative radiation therapy has significant impact on local control and overall survival of paediatric patients with brain tumours but an irradiated volume is often a controversial issue. Our aim was to describe a new technique of craniospinal irradiation as a postoperative treatment in patients with the risk of relapse of brain tumours as well as to estimate the side effects of such craniospinal irradiation. Patients and methods. In the last 4 years, 17 paediatric patients under 15 years of age with medulloblastoma (8) ependymoma (6) and glioblastoma (3) received postoperative craniospinal axis radiotherapy by a new technique developed in our departments. This technique is based on irradiation in supine position with the use of asymmetric jaws of the linear accelerator. Results. Radiotherapy was well tolerated and dose-reduction was not needed in any case. Skin reactions were mild in all patients. The gastrointestinal and haematological toxicity was mild to moderate (WHO grade I-II). Conclusion. The proposed new technique of craniospinal irradiation is advantageous in terms of side effects and could be recommended to be widely used. Craniospinal irradiation in supine position is an alternative method to the treatment in prone position. The evaluation of the effectiveness was limited by a short follow-up interval. (author)

  7. DEM-based Approaches for the Identification of Flood Prone Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samela, Caterina; Manfreda, Salvatore; Nardi, Fernando; Grimaldi, Salvatore; Roth, Giorgio; Sole, Aurelia

    2013-04-01

    The remarkable number of inundations that caused, in the last decades, thousands of deaths and huge economic losses, testifies the extreme vulnerability of many Countries to the flood hazard. As a matter of fact, human activities are often developed in the floodplains, creating conditions of extremely high risk. Terrain morphology plays an important role in understanding, modelling and analyzing the hydraulic behaviour of flood waves. Research during the last 10 years has shown that the delineation of flood prone areas can be carried out using fast methods that relay on basin geomorphologic features. In fact, the availability of new technologies to measure surface elevation (e.g., GPS, SAR, SAR interferometry, RADAR and LASER altimetry) has given a strong impulse to the development of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) based approaches. The identification of the dominant topographic controls on the flood inundation process is a critical research question that we try to tackle with a comparative analysis of several techniques. We reviewed four different approaches for the morphological characterization of a river basin with the aim to provide a description of their performances and to identify their range of applicability. In particular, we explored the potential of the following tools. 1) The hydrogeomorphic method proposed by Nardi et al. (2006) which defines the flood prone areas according to the water level in the river network through the hydrogeomorphic theory. 2) The linear binary classifier proposed by Degiorgis et al. (2012) which allows distinguishing flood-prone areas using two features related to the location of the site under exam with respect to the nearest hazard source. The two features, proposed in the study, are the length of the path that hydrologically connects the location under exam to the nearest element of the drainage network and the difference in elevation between the cell under exam and the final point of the same path. 3) The method by

  8. Individual differences in posterior cortical volume correlate with proneness to pride and gratitude.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahn, Roland; Garrido, Griselda; Moll, Jorge; Grafman, Jordan

    2014-11-01

    Proneness to specific moral sentiments (e.g. pride, gratitude, guilt, indignation) has been linked with individual variations in functional MRI (fMRI) response within anterior brain regions whose lesion leads to inappropriate behaviour. However, the role of structural anatomical differences in rendering individuals prone to particular moral sentiments relative to others is unknown. Here, we investigated grey matter volumes (VBM8) and proneness to specific moral sentiments on a well-controlled experimental task in healthy individuals. Individuals with smaller cuneus, and precuneus volumes were more pride-prone, whereas those with larger right inferior temporal volumes experienced gratitude more readily. Although the primary analysis detected no associations with guilt- or indignation-proneness, subgenual cingulate fMRI responses to guilt were negatively correlated with grey matter volumes in the left superior temporal sulcus and anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (right >left). This shows that individual variations in functional activations within critical areas for moral sentiments were not due to grey matter volume differences in the same areas. Grey matter volume differences between healthy individuals may nevertheless play an important role by affecting posterior cortical brain systems that are non-critical but supportive for the experience of specific moral sentiments. This may be of particular relevance when their experience depends on visuo-spatial elaboration. Published by Oxford University Press 2013. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

  9. Accuracy and precision of patient positioning for pelvic MR-only radiation therapy using digitally reconstructed radiographs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemppainen, R.; Vaara, T.; Joensuu, T.; Kiljunen, T.

    2018-03-01

    Background and Purpose. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has in recent years emerged as an imaging modality to drive precise contouring of targets and organs at risk in external beam radiation therapy. Moreover, recent advances in MRI enable treatment of cancer without computed tomography (CT) simulation. A commercially available MR-only solution, MRCAT, offers a single-modality approach that provides density information for dose calculation and generation of positioning reference images. We evaluated the accuracy of patient positioning based on MRCAT digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) by comparing to standard CT based workflow. Materials and Methods. Twenty consecutive prostate cancer patients being treated with external beam radiation therapy were included in the study. DRRs were generated for each patient based on the planning CT and MRCAT. The accuracy assessment was performed by manually registering the DRR images to planar kV setup images using bony landmarks. A Bayesian linear mixed effects model was used to separate systematic and random components (inter- and intra-observer variation) in the assessment. In addition, method agreement was assessed using a Bland-Altman analysis. Results. The systematic difference between MRCAT and CT based patient positioning, averaged over the study population, were found to be (mean [95% CI])  -0.49 [-0.85 to  -0.13] mm, 0.11 [-0.33 to  +0.57] mm and  -0.05 [-0.23 to  +0.36] mm in vertical, longitudinal and lateral directions, respectively. The increases in total random uncertainty were estimated to be below 0.5 mm for all directions, when using MR-only workflow instead of CT. Conclusions. The MRCAT pseudo-CT method provides clinically acceptable accuracy and precision for patient positioning for pelvic radiation therapy based on planar DRR images. Furthermore, due to the reduction of geometric uncertainty, compared to dual-modality workflow, the approach is likely to improve the total

  10. Assessing Jail Inmates’ Proneness to Shame and Guilt: Feeling Bad About the Behavior or the Self?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tangney, June P.; Stuewig, Jeffrey; Mashek, Debra; Hastings, Mark

    2011-01-01

    This study of 550 jail inmates (379 male and 171 female) held on felony charges examines the reliability and validity of the Test of Self Conscious Affect –Socially Deviant Version (TOSCA-SD; Hanson & Tangney, 1996) as a measure of offenders’ proneness to shame and proneness to guilt. Discriminant validity (e.g., vis-à-vis self-esteem, negative affect, social desirability/impression management) and convergent validity (e.g., vis-à-vis correlations with empathy, externalization of blame, anger, psychological symptoms, and substance use problems) was supported, paralleling results from community samples. Further, proneness to shame and guilt were differentially related to widely used risk measures from the field of criminal justice (e.g., criminal history, psychopathy, violence risk, antisocial personality). Guilt-proneness appears to be a protective factor, whereas there was no evidence that shame-proneness serves an inhibitory function. Subsequent analyses indicate these findings generalize quite well across gender and race. Implications for intervention and sentencing practices are discussed. PMID:21743757

  11. Comparison of Acute and Late Toxicity of Two Regimens of 3- and 5-Week Concomitant Boost Prone IMRT to Standard 6-Week Breast Radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raza, Shahzad; Lymberis, Stella C.; Ciervide, Raquel [Department of Radiation Oncology and Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States); Axelrod, Deborah [Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States); Fenton-Kerimian, Maria; Magnolfi, Chiara; Rosenstein, Barry; DeWyngaert, J. Keith; Formenti, Silvia C., E-mail: silvia.formenti@nyumc.org [Department of Radiation Oncology and Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States)

    2012-05-08

    Purpose: Limited information is available comparing toxicity of accelerated radiotherapy (RT) to that of standard fractionation RT for early stage breast cancer. We report early and late toxicities of two prone regimens of accelerated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with a concomitant boost (CB) to the tumor bed delivered over 3 or 5 weeks as compared to standard 6 week RT with a sequential electron boost. Methods: From 2/2003 to 12/2007, 169 consecutive patients with Stage I–II breast cancer were offered the choice to undergo prone RT with either: a 6-week standard RT regimen of 46 Gy/23 fractions (fx) to the whole breast (WB), followed by a14 Gy sequential boost (SB) to the tumor bed (6wSB), a 5-week regimen of 50 Gy to WB with an IMRT CB of 6.25 Gy in 25 fx (5wCB); or a 3-week protocol of 40.5 Gy to WB with an IMRT CB of 7.5 Gy in 15 fx (3wCB). These regimens were estimated as biologically equivalent, based on alpha/beta = 4 for tumor control. Toxicities were reported using RTOG and LENT/SOMA scoring. Results: 51/169 patients chose standard 6wSB, 28 selected 5wCB, and 90 enrolled in 3wCB protocol. Maximum acute toxicity was Grade 3 dermatitis in 4% of the patients in the 6wSB compared 1% in 3wCB. In general, acute complications (breast pain, fatigue, and dermatitis) were significantly less in the 3wCB than in the other schedules (P < 0.05). With a median follow-up of 61 months, the only Grade 3 late toxicity was telangiectasia in two patients: one in 3wCB and one in 5wCB group. Notably, fibrosis was comparable among the three groups (P = NS). Conclusion: These preliminary data suggest that accelerated regimens of breast RT over 3 or 5 weeks in the prone position, with an IMRT tumor bed CB, result in comparable late toxicity to standard fractionation with a sequential tumor boost delivered over 6 weeks. As predicted by radiobiological modeling the shorter regimen was associated with less acute effects.

  12. Psychosis-proneness and the rubber hand illusion of body ownership.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Germine, Laura; Benson, Taylor Leigh; Cohen, Francesca; Hooker, Christine I'lee

    2013-05-15

    Psychosis and psychosis-proneness are associated with abnormalities in subjective experience of the self, including distortions in bodily experience that are difficult to study experimentally due to lack of structured methods. In 55 healthy adults, we assessed the relationship between self-reported psychosis-like characteristics and susceptibility to the rubber hand illusion of body ownership. In this illusion, a participant sees a rubber hand being stroked by a brush at the same time that they feel a brush stroking their own hand. In some individuals, this creates the bodily sense that the rubber hand is their own hand. Individual differences in positive (but not negative) psychosis-like characteristics predicted differences in susceptibility to experiencing the rubber hand illusion. This relationship was specific to the subjective experience of rubber hand ownership, and not other unusual experiences or sensations, and absent when a small delay was introduced between seeing and feeling the brush stroke. This indicates that individual differences in susceptibility are related to visual-tactile integration and cannot be explained by differences in the tendency to endorse unusual experiences. Our findings suggest that susceptibility to body representation distortion by sensory information may be related or contribute to the development of psychosis and positive psychosis-like characteristics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Outcomes of Post Mastectomy Radiation Therapy in Patients Receiving Axillary Lymph Node Dissection After Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stauder, Michael C.; Caudle, Abigail S.; Allen, Pamela K.; Shaitelman, Simona F.; Smith, Benjamin D.; Hoffman, Karen E.; Buchholz, Thomas A.; Chavez-Macgregor, Mariana; Hunt, Kelly K.; Meric-Bernstam, Funda; Woodward, Wendy A.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: We sought to determine the rate of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) among women treated with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy results and to establish the effect of negative ALND results and PMRT on locoregional recurrence (LRR) and overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials: All patients were treated with mastectomy and ALND after positive SLN biopsy results. All patients had clinical N0 or NX disease at the time of mastectomy and received no neoadjuvant therapy. The presence of lymphovascular space invasion, presence of multifocality, number of positive SLNs and non-SLNs, clinical and pathologic stage, extranodal extension, age, and use of PMRT were evaluated for significance regarding the rates of OS and LRR. Results: A total of 345 patients were analyzed. ALND after positive SLN biopsy results was negative in 235 patients (68.1%), and a total of 112 patients (32.5%) received radiation therapy. On multivariate analysis, only pathologic stage III predicted for lower OS (hazard ratio, 3.32; P<.001). The rate of 10-year freedom from LRR was 87.9% and 95.3% in patients with positive ALND results and patients with negative ALND results, respectively. In patients with negative ALND results with ≥3 positive SLNs, the rate of freedom from LRR was 74.7% compared with 96.7% in those with <3 positive SLNs (P=.009). In patients with negative ALND results, ≥3 positive SLNs predicted for an increase in LRR on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 10.10; P=.034). Conclusions: A low proportion of cT1-2, N0 patients with positive SLNs who undergo mastectomy receive PMRT after ALND. Even in this low-risk cohort, patients with ≥3 positive SLNs and negative ALND results are at increased risk of LRR and may benefit from PMRT.

  14. Outcomes of Post Mastectomy Radiation Therapy in Patients Receiving Axillary Lymph Node Dissection After Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stauder, Michael C., E-mail: mstauder@mdanderson.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Caudle, Abigail S. [Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Allen, Pamela K.; Shaitelman, Simona F.; Smith, Benjamin D.; Hoffman, Karen E.; Buchholz, Thomas A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Chavez-Macgregor, Mariana [Department of Breast Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Hunt, Kelly K.; Meric-Bernstam, Funda [Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Woodward, Wendy A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States)

    2016-11-01

    Purpose: We sought to determine the rate of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) among women treated with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy results and to establish the effect of negative ALND results and PMRT on locoregional recurrence (LRR) and overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials: All patients were treated with mastectomy and ALND after positive SLN biopsy results. All patients had clinical N0 or NX disease at the time of mastectomy and received no neoadjuvant therapy. The presence of lymphovascular space invasion, presence of multifocality, number of positive SLNs and non-SLNs, clinical and pathologic stage, extranodal extension, age, and use of PMRT were evaluated for significance regarding the rates of OS and LRR. Results: A total of 345 patients were analyzed. ALND after positive SLN biopsy results was negative in 235 patients (68.1%), and a total of 112 patients (32.5%) received radiation therapy. On multivariate analysis, only pathologic stage III predicted for lower OS (hazard ratio, 3.32; P<.001). The rate of 10-year freedom from LRR was 87.9% and 95.3% in patients with positive ALND results and patients with negative ALND results, respectively. In patients with negative ALND results with ≥3 positive SLNs, the rate of freedom from LRR was 74.7% compared with 96.7% in those with <3 positive SLNs (P=.009). In patients with negative ALND results, ≥3 positive SLNs predicted for an increase in LRR on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 10.10; P=.034). Conclusions: A low proportion of cT1-2, N0 patients with positive SLNs who undergo mastectomy receive PMRT after ALND. Even in this low-risk cohort, patients with ≥3 positive SLNs and negative ALND results are at increased risk of LRR and may benefit from PMRT.

  15. The effect of nesting positions on pain, stress and comfort during heel lance in premature infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahraman, Ayşe; Başbakkal, Zümrüt; Yalaz, Mehmet; Sözmen, Eser Y

    2017-11-13

    Nesting positions are commonly used in procedural analgesic administration in premature neonates. The effectiveness of nesting positions is questioned. The aim of the this study was to assess the pain, stress, comfort and salivary cortisol and melatonin values in nesting positions during the heel lance procedure in premature infants at the NICU. Experimental research; repeated measurement design. The sample comprised 33 premature neonates with gestational age of 31-35 weeks who had been hospitalized in the NICU. Nesting positions were given using linen or towels. The procedure of heel lance was recorded on camera. The camera recordings were evaluated according to the NIPS and the COMFORTneo scale. Saliva samples were obtained five minutes prior to and 30 min after the heel lance procedure. Salivary Cortisol and Melatonin were measured using the Salimetrics Cortisol Elisa Kit and the Salimetrics Melatonin Elisa Kit. The crying time, the mean NIPS score, the COMFORTneo score, the COMFORTneo NRS-pain scores and the COMFORTneo NRS-distress scores for premature neonates who were in the prone position during the procedure were significantly lower than the scores in the supine position (p lance procedure had significantly decreased in the prone position; however, there were insignificant differences in the mean levels of salivary melatonin between the positions. Nesting in the prone position has a pain reducing effect, enhancing comfort and reducing stress in premature infants. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. DISC1 conditioned GWAS for psychosis proneness in a large Finnish birth cohort.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liisa Tomppo

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Genetic evidence implicates the DISC1 gene in the etiology of a number of mental illnesses. Previously, we have reported association between DISC1 and measures of psychosis proneness, the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale (RSAS and Revised Physical Anhedonia Scale (RPAS, in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC66. As part of the studies of this Finnish birth cohort genome-wide association analysis has recently been performed. METHODOLOGY: In the present study, we re-analyzed the genome-wide association data with regard to these two measures of psychosis proneness, conditioning on our previous DISC1 observation. From the original NFBC66 sample (N = 12 058, 4 561 individuals provided phenotype and genotype data. No markers were significant at the genome-wide level. However, several genes with biological relevance to mental illnesses were highlighted through loci displaying suggestive evidence for association (≥3 SNP with P<10E-4. These included the protein coding genes, CXCL3, KIAA1128, LCT, MED13L, TMCO7, TTN, and the micro RNA MIR620. CONCLUSIONS: By conditioning a previous genome-wide association study on DISC1, we have been able to identify eight genes as associating to psychosis proneness. Further, these molecules predominantly link to the DISC1 pathway, strengthening the evidence for the role of this gene network in the etiology of mental illness. The use of quantitative measures of psychosis proneness in a large population cohort will make these findings, once verified; more generalized to a broad selection of disorders related to psychoses and psychosis proneness.

  17. Effect of changes in PCO2 and body positions on intraocular pressure during general anaesthesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hvidberg, A; Kessing, S V; Fernandes, A

    1981-08-01

    Elevated arterial carbon dioxide tension, induced by the administration of CO2 via the respiratory air or by hypoventilation, entailed a gradual increase in the IOP in patients without eye diseases under general anaesthesia. A sudden cessation of CO2 administration or hyperventilation caused such a rapid, simultaneous fall in IOP to values below the initial level that the pressure variations must be of vascular nature, presumably related to changes in choroidal blood volume. The above-mentioned procedures always cause a change in the central venous pressure (CVP) simultaneously with the IOP changes. Alterations of the CVP induced by hydrostatic factors in postural changes, placing the head 15 degrees above or below the horizontal level while keeping the PaCO2 constant, caused IOP changes of the same configuration and magnitude as described above. It is concluded, therefore, that presumably the CO2-conditioned IOP changes are due predominantly to changes in central venous pressure, being one link in a CO2-conditioned action upon the general circulation, entailing passive secondary changes in the choroidal venous blood volume and thereby an influence upon the IOP. On the basis of the present results it appears rational to recommend hyperventilation to keep the PaCO2 between 25 and 30 mm and a 15 degree anti-Trendelenburg position in operations on the eye under general anaesthesia, since both procedures afford a low central venous pressure and consequently a low pressure in the posterior segment of the eye, with its attendant advantages as regards vitreous complications and the insertion of intraocular lenses. Owing to the risk of an unacceptable fall in BP in the combined procedure, a frequent checking of the BP is needed.

  18. Noninvasive nodal restaging in clinically node positive breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant systemic therapy: A systematic review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schipper, R.J.; Moossdorff, M.; Beets-Tan, R.G.H.; Smidt, M.L.; Lobbes, M.B.I.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To provide a systematic review of studies comparing the diagnostic performance of noninvasive techniques and axillary lymph node dissection in the identification of initially node positive patients with pathological complete response of axillary lymph nodes to neoadjuvant systemic therapy. Methods: PubMed and Embase databases were searched until May 21st, 2014. First, duplicate studies were eliminated. Next, study abstracts were read by two readers to assess eligibility. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria. Of these, data extraction was performed by two readers independently. Results: Of the 987 abstracts that were considered for inclusion, four were eligible for final analysis, which included a total of 572 patients. The diagnostic performance of clinical examination, axillary ultrasound, breast MRI, whole body 18 F-FDG PET-CT, and a prediction model to identify patients with pathological complete response were investigated. Studies were often limited by small sample size. Furthermore, systemic therapy regimens and definitions of clinical and pathological complete response were variable, refraining further pooling of data. The reported positive predictive value of different techniques to identify patients with axillary pathological complete response after neoadjuvant systemic therapy varied between 40% and 100%. Conclusion: At present, there is no accurate noninvasive restaging technique able to identify patients with complete axillary response after neoadjuvant systemic therapy

  19. Alignment and position visualization methods for the biomedical imaging and therapy (BMIT) MRT lift

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bree, Michael; Miller, Denise; Kerr, Graham; Belev, George; Wysokinski, Tomasz W.; Dolton, Wade

    2016-01-01

    The Microbeam Radiation Therapy (MRT) Lift is an eight stage positioning and scanning system at the Canadian Light Source’s BMIT Facility. Alignment of the sample with the beam using the MRT Lift is a time consuming and challenging task. The BMIT Group has developed a Python-based MRT Lift positioning and control program that uses a combination of computational and iterative methods to independently adjust the sample’s X, Y, Z, pitch and roll positions. The program offers “1-Click” alignment of the sample to the beam. Use of a wireframe visualization technique enables even minute movements to be illustrated. Proposed movements and the resulting MRT Lift position can be manually verified before being applied. Optional integration with the SolidWorks modelling platform allows high quality renderings of the MRT Lift in its current or proposed position to be displayed in real time. Human factors principles are incorporated into the program with the objective of delivering easy to use controls for this complex device.

  20. Alignment and position visualization methods for the biomedical imaging and therapy (BMIT) MRT lift

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bree, Michael, E-mail: michael.bree@lightsource.ca; Miller, Denise; Kerr, Graham; Belev, George; Wysokinski, Tomasz W.; Dolton, Wade [Canadian Light Source Inc., 44 Innovation Blvd, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2V3 Canada (Canada)

    2016-07-27

    The Microbeam Radiation Therapy (MRT) Lift is an eight stage positioning and scanning system at the Canadian Light Source’s BMIT Facility. Alignment of the sample with the beam using the MRT Lift is a time consuming and challenging task. The BMIT Group has developed a Python-based MRT Lift positioning and control program that uses a combination of computational and iterative methods to independently adjust the sample’s X, Y, Z, pitch and roll positions. The program offers “1-Click” alignment of the sample to the beam. Use of a wireframe visualization technique enables even minute movements to be illustrated. Proposed movements and the resulting MRT Lift position can be manually verified before being applied. Optional integration with the SolidWorks modelling platform allows high quality renderings of the MRT Lift in its current or proposed position to be displayed in real time. Human factors principles are incorporated into the program with the objective of delivering easy to use controls for this complex device.

  1. Cholelithiasis and Nephrolithiasis in HIV-Positive Patients in the Era of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuan-Yin Lin

    Full Text Available This study aimed to describe the epidemiology and risk factors of cholelithiasis and nephrolithiasis among HIV-positive patients in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy.We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of HIV-positive patients who underwent routine abdominal sonography for chronic viral hepatitis, fatty liver, or elevated aminotransferases between January 2004 and January 2015. Therapeutic drug monitoring of plasma concentrations of atazanavir was performed and genetic polymorphisms, including UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT 1A1*28 and multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1 G2677T/A, were determined in a subgroup of patients who received ritonavir-boosted or unboosted atazanavir-containing combination antiretroviral therapy. Information on demographics, clinical characteristics, and laboratory testing were collected and analyzed.During the 11-year study period, 910 patients who underwent routine abdominal sonography were included for analysis. The patients were mostly male (96.9% with a mean age of 42.2 years and mean body-mass index of 22.9 kg/m2 and 85.8% being on antiretroviral therapy. The anchor antiretroviral agents included non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (49.3%, unboosted atazanavir (34.4%, ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (20.4%, and ritonavir-boosted atazanavir (5.5%. The overall prevalence of cholelithiasis and nephrolithiasis was 12.5% and 8.2%, respectively. Among 680 antiretroviral-experienced patients with both baseline and follow-up sonography, the crude incidence of cholelithiasis and nephrolithiasis was 4.3% and 3.7%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the independent factors associated with incident cholelithiasis were exposure to ritonavir-boosted atazanavir for >2 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 6.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-35.16 and older age (AOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00-1.09. The positive association between duration of exposure to ritonavir-boosted atazanavir and incident

  2. Using Epigenetic Therapy to Overcome Chemotherapy Resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strauss, Julius; Figg, William D

    2016-01-01

    It has been known for decades that as cancer progresses, tumors develop genetic alterations, making them highly prone to developing resistance to therapies. Classically, it has been thought that these acquired genetic changes are fixed. This has led to the paradigm of moving from one cancer therapy to the next while avoiding past therapies. However, emerging data on epigenetic changes during tumor progression and use of epigenetic therapies have shown that epigenetic modifications leading to chemotherapy resistance have the potential to be reversible with epigenetic therapy. In fact, promising clinical data exist that treatment with epigenetic agents can diminish chemotherapy resistance in a number of tumor types including chronic myelogenous leukemia, colorectal, ovarian, lung and breast cancer. The potential for epigenetic-modifying drugs to allow for treatment of resistant disease is exciting and clinical trials have just begun to evaluate this area. Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

  3. Lung Basal Stem Cells Rapidly Repair DNA Damage Using the Error-Prone Nonhomologous End-Joining Pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weeden, Clare E.; Chen, Yunshun; Ma, Stephen B.; Hu, Yifang; Ramm, Georg; Sutherland, Kate D.; Smyth, Gordon K.

    2017-01-01

    Lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC), the second most common subtype of lung cancer, is strongly associated with tobacco smoking and exhibits genomic instability. The cellular origins and molecular processes that contribute to SqCC formation are largely unexplored. Here we show that human basal stem cells (BSCs) isolated from heavy smokers proliferate extensively, whereas their alveolar progenitor cell counterparts have limited colony-forming capacity. We demonstrate that this difference arises in part because of the ability of BSCs to repair their DNA more efficiently than alveolar cells following ionizing radiation or chemical-induced DNA damage. Analysis of mice harbouring a mutation in the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), a key enzyme in DNA damage repair by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), indicated that BSCs preferentially repair their DNA by this error-prone process. Interestingly, polyploidy, a phenomenon associated with genetically unstable cells, was only observed in the human BSC subset. Expression signature analysis indicated that BSCs are the likely cells of origin of human SqCC and that high levels of NHEJ genes in SqCC are correlated with increasing genomic instability. Hence, our results favour a model in which heavy smoking promotes proliferation of BSCs, and their predilection for error-prone NHEJ could lead to the high mutagenic burden that culminates in SqCC. Targeting DNA repair processes may therefore have a role in the prevention and therapy of SqCC. PMID:28125611

  4. Case of false positive scanning observed after radiation therapy for orbital tumor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohara, H [Gifu Prefectural Tajimi Hospital (Japan); Nakamura, K; Maeda, S; Watanabe, R; Miyajima, T

    1978-12-01

    A report was made of 56-year-old female patient of abducensparesis. In the early stage the cause remained undetermined with nothing abnormal noted in scintigraphy. Diplopia disappeared once, but right, exophalmus relapsed. In gammaencepharography, a hot spot was noted in the orbita, sinus ethmoidalis and sirus sphenoidalis. In an operation, squamous cell carcinoma was removed and radiation therapy was performed (total dose of 3520 r) and, three months later a scintigraphy disclosed a high spot of /sup 203/Hg uptake ratio in the right orbita and its lower portions. The biopsy of these portions disclosed a necrotic tissue instead of a tumor. In scintigraphy after radiation therapy against the tumor, it was reported that a positive scintigraphy was present because of the vascular trouble of said portions, although the tumor had disappeared. Attention should be given as well as an opinion of high density together with the examination by CT, especially as to enhancement.

  5. Multiple parasitic and viral infections in a patient living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K Deepika

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection are more prone for gastrointestinal infections causing diarrhoea, particularly with parasites. Parasitic infections have been regularly reported in such patients. A female patient confirmed positive for HIV 1 on antiretroviral therapy came with complaints of chronic diarrhoea for the past 7 months. Her initial CD4 count was 89 cells/μl of blood, and antibodies to cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 virus were found to be positive in the patient's serum, but there was no HIV-associated retinopathy. Her stool examination showed decorticated fertilised eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides, cysts of Blastocystis sp. and Entamoeba species in the unconcentrated sample and oocysts of Cystoisospora species, egg of Schistosoma haematobium and eggs of Trichuris trichiura in the concentrated. The patient responded well to cotrimoxazole and albendazole, and repeat samples were negative for all these parasites.

  6. Pulmonary atelectasis in patients with neurological or muscular disease. Gravity-related lung compression by the heart and intra-abdominal organs on persistent supine position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toyoshima, Mitsuo; Maeoka, Yukinori; Kawahara, Hitoshi; Maegaki, Yoshihiro; Ohno, Kousaku

    2006-01-01

    We report 10 cases of pulmonary atelectasis diagnosed by chest computed tomography in patients with neurological or muscular disease. Atelectasis was frequently seen in hypotonic patients who could not roll over on their own. The atelectases located mostly in the dorsal bronchopulmonary segments, adjacent to the heart or diaphragm. Atelectasis diminished in two patients after they became able to roll themselves over. Gravity-related lung compression by the heart and intra-abdominal organs on persistent supine position can cause pulmonary atelectasis in patients with neurological or muscular disease who can not roll over by their own power. To confirm that the prone position reduces compression of the lungs, chest computed tomography was performed in both the supine and the prone position in three patients. Sagittal images with three-dimensional computed tomographic reconstruction revealed significant sternad displacements of the heart and caudal displacements of the dorsal portion of the diaphragm on prone position compared with supine position. The prone position, motor exercises for rolling over, and biphasic cuirass ventilation are effective in reducing gravity-related lung compression. Some patients with intellectual disabilities were also able to cooperate in chest physiotherapy. Chest physiotherapy is useful in preventing atelectasis in patients with neurological or muscular disease. (author)

  7. Positioning devices for patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heavens, M.

    1981-01-01

    It has been suggested that it is very important to position patients reproducibly at different stages of radiotherapy treatment planning and treatment, or similar procedures. Devices have been described for positioning a patient's upper and lower thorax. This invention provides reproducible positioning for a female patient's breasts, for example in planning treatment of and treating breast tumours. The patient is placed prone, using for example an upper thorax device. A support device is placed central to and beneath her breasts to partially displace them outwards. The device may be triangular in section with one apex contacting the chest wall at the sternum. Restraining straps may be provided to hold the breasts against the support device. Means may be provided to take a healthy breast from the path of radiation through the tumour. (author)

  8. The Process for the Formulation of the International Telehealth Position Statement for Occupational Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    JACOBS, KAREN; CASON, JANA; MCCULLOUGH, ANN

    2015-01-01

    The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) consists of 84 member organizations representing over 420,000 occupational therapists internationally (WFOT, 2014). In 2014, WFOT published the WFOT Telehealth Position Statement on the use of telehealth in occupational therapy. The process for the formulation of the official document involved reviewing WFOT member organizations’ telehealth position statements and data collected from a survey sent to member organizations’ delegates in April 2014. Qualitative data from 39 countries yielded factors to consider in five key areas: licensure/registration requirements, the cost of technology, privacy and security, reimbursement/payment models, and other issues (e.g., need for collaboration/transfer of knowledge, client selection, provider competencies, standard of care). The WFOT Telehealth Position Statement addressed each of these areas. The collaborative effort resulting in the development of the WFOT Telehealth Position Statement serves as a model for other international organizations. PMID:27563380

  9. Systematic feasibility analysis of a quantitative elasticity estimation for breast anatomy using supine/prone patient postures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasse, Katelyn; Neylon, John; Sheng, Ke; Santhanam, Anand P

    2016-03-01

    Breast elastography is a critical tool for improving the targeted radiotherapy treatment of breast tumors. Current breast radiotherapy imaging protocols only involve prone and supine CT scans. There is a lack of knowledge on the quantitative accuracy with which breast elasticity can be systematically measured using only prone and supine CT datasets. The purpose of this paper is to describe a quantitative elasticity estimation technique for breast anatomy using only these supine/prone patient postures. Using biomechanical, high-resolution breast geometry obtained from CT scans, a systematic assessment was performed in order to determine the feasibility of this methodology for clinically relevant elasticity distributions. A model-guided inverse analysis approach is presented in this paper. A graphics processing unit (GPU)-based linear elastic biomechanical model was employed as a forward model for the inverse analysis with the breast geometry in a prone position. The elasticity estimation was performed using a gradient-based iterative optimization scheme and a fast-simulated annealing (FSA) algorithm. Numerical studies were conducted to systematically analyze the feasibility of elasticity estimation. For simulating gravity-induced breast deformation, the breast geometry was anchored at its base, resembling the chest-wall/breast tissue interface. Ground-truth elasticity distributions were assigned to the model, representing tumor presence within breast tissue. Model geometry resolution was varied to estimate its influence on convergence of the system. A priori information was approximated and utilized to record the effect on time and accuracy of convergence. The role of the FSA process was also recorded. A novel error metric that combined elasticity and displacement error was used to quantify the systematic feasibility study. For the authors' purposes, convergence was set to be obtained when each voxel of tissue was within 1 mm of ground-truth deformation. The authors

  10. A self-regulatory approach to understanding boredom proneness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struk, A A; Scholer, A A; Danckert, J

    2015-07-29

    We investigated the relationship between self-regulation and two types of boredom proneness (perceived lack of internal stimulation, perceived lack of external stimulation) using a variety of measures of self-regulation. These included a general measure of self-control, measures of both regulatory focus (i.e., promotion or a sensitivity to gains/non-gains vs. prevention or a sensitivity to losses/non-losses) and regulatory mode (i.e., assessment or the tendency to compare means and goals vs. locomotion or the tendency to initiate and maintain commitment to action), and measures of cognitive flexibility (i.e., a perceived sense of control and the tendency to seek alternative solutions). Results identified a unique set of factors related to each boredom proneness component. Trait self-control and prevention focus were associated with lower boredom propensity due to a lack of external stimulation. Locomotion and the tendency to seek alternatives were associated with lower boredom propensity due to a lack of internal stimulation. These findings suggest that effective goal pursuit is associated with reduced likelihood of experiencing boredom.

  11. Relationship between the serum TGA, TMA positiveness and development of hypothyroidism after 131I therapy in patients with Graves' disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Hui; Xu Xiaohong; Yu Hui

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To study the likelihood of development of hypothyroidism after 131 I therapy in patients with Graves' disease as related to the serum positiveness of TGA and TMA before treatment. Methods: Altogether, 176 patients with Graves' disease were treated with 131 I and followed for 3 years of these patients, serum TGA and TMA were positive in 70 and were negative in 106. Results: In the 70 patients with positive TGA and TMA, development of hypothyroidism after 131 I treatment occurred in 22 subjects three years later (31.4%). However, only 4 of the 106 patients with negative TGA and TMA developed hypothyroidism 3 years after 131 I therapy (3.8%). Difference in the incidence of hypothyroidism was significant (P 131 I be administered to patients with Graves' disease and positive serum TGA, TMA. (authors)

  12. Positive response of a recurrent keloid scar to topical methyl aminolevulinate-photodynamic therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Zhuxiang; Bayat, Ardeshir; Behzad, Farhad; Rhodes, Lesley E

    2010-12-01

    A 36-year-old Caucasian female of Iranian origin presented with a persistently raised dermal lesion under her chin, confirmed histologically to be a keloid scar. There was a 4-year history of a negative response to a range of conventional treatments including topical silicone gel sheets, steroid creams, steroid injections and surgical excision. In view of treatment failure and an in vitro study indicating a positive effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT)on keloid fibroblasts, we treated our patient's lesion with five sessions of methyl aminolevulinate photodynamic therapy (MAL-PDT) over a period of 5 months. Following this treatment regime, her keloid scar had considerably reduced in size and become flattened.The surface of the keloid also became smooth, with attenuation in erythema at the margin as well as an improvement in the colour of the scar, which was better matched to the surrounding skin. There was no recurrence at 1-year follow-up and this treatment resulted in an overall acceptable cosmetic outcome. This case report presents PDT as a potential treatment option for persistent keloid lesions unresponsive to conventional scar modulation therapies and suggests a need for further research in this area.

  13. Hepatitis C virus infection among transmission-prone medical personnel

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zaaijer, H. L.; Appelman, P.; Frijstein, G.

    2012-01-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected physicians have been reported to infect some of their patients during exposure-prone procedures (EPPs). There is no European consensus on the policy for the prevention of this transmission. To help define an appropriate preventive policy, we determined the prevalence

  14. Prone Whole-Breast Irradiation Using Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy in Women Undergoing Breast Conservation for Early Disease Yields High Rates of Excellent to Good Cosmetic Outcomes in Patients With Large and/or Pendulous Breasts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bergom, Carmen; Kelly, Tracy; Morrow, Natalya; Wilson, J. Frank [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States); Walker, Alonzo [Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States); Xiang Qun; Ahn, Kwang Woo [Division of Biostatistics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States); White, Julia, E-mail: jwhite@mcw.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States)

    2012-07-01

    Purpose: To report our institution's experience using prone positioning for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) to deliver post-lumpectomy whole breast irradiation (WBI) in a cohort of women with large and/or pendulous breasts, to determine the rate of acute and late toxicities and, more specifically, cosmetic outcomes. We hypothesized that using 3D-CRT for WBI in the prone position would reduce or eliminate patient and breast size as negative prognostic indicators for toxicities associated with WBI. Methods and Materials: From 1998 to 2006, 110 cases were treated with prone WBI using 3D-CRT. The lumpectomy, breast target volumes, heart, and lung were contoured on all computed tomography scans. A dose of 45-50 Gy was prescribed to the breast volume using standard fractionation schemes. The planning goals were {>=}95% of prescription to 95% of the breast volume, and 100% of boost dose to 95% of lumpectomy planning target volume. Toxicities and cosmesis were prospectively scored using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Effects Version 3.0 and the Harvard Scale. The median follow-up was 40 months. Results: The median body mass index (BMI) was 33.6 kg/m{sup 2}, and median breast volume was 1396 cm{sup 3}. The worst toxicity encountered during radiation was Grade 3 dermatitis in 5% of our patient population. Moist desquamation occurred in 16% of patients, with only 2% of patients with moist desquamation outside the inframammary/axillary folds. Eleven percent of patients had Grade {>=}2 late toxicities, including Grade 3 induration/fibrosis in 2%. Excellent to good cosmesis was achieved in 89%. Higher BMI was associated with moist desquamation and breast pain, but BMI and breast volume did not impact fibrosis or excellent to good cosmesis. Conclusion: In patients with higher BMI and/or large-pendulous breasts, delivering prone WBI using 3D-CRT results in favorable toxicity profiles and high excellent to good cosmesis rates. Higher BMI was

  15. Improved detection of breast cancer on FDG-PET cancer screening using breast positioning device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaida, Hayato; Ishibashi, Masatoshi; Fujii, Teruhiko; Kurata, Seiji; Ogo, Etsuyo; Hayabuchi, Naofumi; Tanaka, Maki

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the detection rate of breast cancer by positron emission tomography cancer screening using a breast positioning device. Between January 2004 and January 2006, 1,498 healthy asymptomatic individuals underwent cancer screening by fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) at our institution; 660 of 1498 asymptomatic healthy women underwent breast PET imaging in the prone position using the breast positioning device to examine the mammary glands in addition to whole-body PET imaging. All subjects that showed abnormal 18 F-FDG uptake in the mammary glands were referred for further examination or surgery at our institution or a local hospital. Our data were compared with the histopathological findings or findings of other imaging modalities in our institution and replies from the doctors at another hospital. Of the 660 participants, 7 (1.06%) were found to have breast cancers at a curable stage. All the seven cancers were detected by breast PET imaging, but only five of these were detected by whole-body PET imaging; the other two were detected by breast PET imaging using the breast positioning device. In cancer screening, prone breast imaging using a positioning device may help to improve the detection rate of breast cancer. However, overall cancer including mammography and ultrasonography screening should be performed to investigate the false-negative cases and reduce false-positive cases. The effectiveness of prone breast PET imaging in cancer screening should be investigated using a much larger number of cases in the near future. (author)

  16. Operationalizing Proneness to Externalizing Psychopathology as a Multivariate Psychophysiological Phenotype

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Lindsay D.; Patrick, Christopher J.; Bernat, Edward M.

    2010-01-01

    The externalizing dimension is viewed as a broad dispositional factor underlying risk for numerous disinhibitory disorders. Prior work has documented deficits in event-related brain potential (ERP) responses in individuals prone to externalizing problems. Here, we constructed a direct physiological index of externalizing vulnerability from three ERP indicators and evaluated its validity in relation to criterion measures in two distinct domains: psychometric and physiological. The index was derived from three ERP measures that covaried in their relations with externalizing proneness the error-related negativity and two variants of the P3. Scores on this ERP composite predicted psychometric criterion variables and accounted for externalizing-related variance in P3 response from a separate task. These findings illustrate how a diagnostic construct can be operationalized as a composite (multivariate) psychophysiological variable (phenotype). PMID:20573054

  17. Experimental peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in radioiodine negative somatostatin receptor positive thyroid cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nilica, B.; Kroiss, A.; Putzer, D.; Uprimmy, C.; Warwitz, B.; Kendler, D.; Waitz, D.; Virgolini, I.

    2015-01-01

    Full text of publication follows. Purpose: This retrospective analysis evaluated the time to progression (TTP), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with radioiodine negative thyroid cancer who had undergone peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 177 Lu-DOTA-TATE, 177 Lu-DOTA-LAN, 90 Y-DOTA-TOC or 90 Y-DOTA-LAN after tumor progression. Methods: Data derived from twenty patients with either differentiated (n=15), anaplastic (n=1) or medullary (n=4) somatostatin receptor positive thyroid cancer who had received treatment with PRRT after tumor progression. TTP, PFS and OS were defined according to the clinical trial endpoints suggested by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Progressive disease was defined by sonography, FDG-PET, Ga-DOTA-TOC-PET, or CT (RECIST Criteria). Results: In 17 patients the median overall survival time after the first PRRT was 17.3 (range: 0.1 - 109.7) months. Three patients still alive are actually showing stable disease. The median of PFS in 20 Patients (6 with more than one PRRT-cycle or PRRT-substance) has been 10.9 (range: 0.1 - 44.0) months. The median TTP was 15.6 (range 4.4 to 29.2) months. Conclusion: PRRT appears to be useful in patients with somatostatin receptor positive but radioiodine negative thyroid cancer as a complementary palliative cytotoxic therapy. (authors)

  18. Effects of fixed functional therapy on tongue and hyoid positions and posterior airway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozdemir, Fulya; Ulkur, Feyza; Nalbantgil, Didem

    2014-03-01

    To evaluate how therapy with a fixed functional appliance affects airway dimensions, dentoalveolar changes, and tongue and hyoid positions. A retrospective study was carried out on 46 pre- and posttreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs of 23 post-peak Class II patients (12 girls, 11 boys) treated with a Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device (FRD) appliance. The radiographies were taken at the start and at the end of Forsus FRD appliance therapy when a Class I or overcorrected Class I canine and molar relationship was achieved. The process took an average of 5 months 13 days ± 1 month 4 days. Skeletal and dental parameters were measured using Dolphin software, and the sagittal airway area was measured by AutoCAD software. Analyses of the pre- and posttreatment means revealed that there was no statistically significant skeletal correction of the sagittal malocclusion; increase of lower incisor inclination, decrease of upper incisor inclination, decrease of interincisal angle, and rotation of occlusal plane all contributed to the reduction of overjet. The tongue area and intermaxillary space area increased in response to these dentoalveolar changes; however, there was no statistically significant change in the hyoid position or the oropharyngeal area between the two time points. The dentoalveolar changes produced by Forsus FRD appliance did not cause any significant posterior airway changes in young adult patients.

  19. Historical Change in the Link between Adolescent Deviance Proneness and Marijuana Use, 1979–2004

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Michelle; Weaver, Scott R.; King, Kevin M.; Liu, Freda; Chassin, Laurie

    2009-01-01

    We examined historical change in the association between adolescent deviance proneness and marijuana use using 26 years (from 1979 through 2004) of national 12th grade data from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study. “Deviance proneness” was measured using a latent factor model of behavioral and personality characteristics that underlie both substance use and antisocial disorders. Marijuana use outcomes were measured in terms of youths’ annual frequency of use, and youths’ degree of involvement with marijuana. Separate within-gender structural equation models were used to determine whether links between deviance proneness and marijuana use were consistently significant and invariant in magnitude across 13 2-year historical cohorts. Overall results affirmed the established association between adolescent deviance proneness and both the frequency of marijuana use as well as regular use. Among male youth, the size of the association between deviance proneness and marijuana use was significantly smaller at the cohort of lowest population prevalence (1991/92) compared to cohorts marking peaks in marijuana use prevalence, thus suggesting a “softening” historical trend. By contrast, the prediction of female marijuana use from deviance proneness was not consistently related to historical shifts in population prevalence of marijuana use. Study findings point to the utility of risk-focused prevention programming that targets early precursors of both antisocial and substance use disorders. PMID:18317927

  20. Breast conservation therapy based on liberal selection criteria and less extensive surgery. Analysis of cases with positive margins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amemiya, Atsushi; Kondo, Makoto

    1999-01-01

    The relationship between the margin status and the risk of in-breast recurrence (IBR) is an important consideration in patients treated with breast conservation therapy but has not been defined adequately. To address this issue, 1533 clinical stage I and II patients who completed irradiation therapy between 1983 and 1998 were evaluated. Only selection criterion was whether she could be satisfied with cosmesis after lumpectomy. Size and location of the tumor, nodal status, histology and age were not primary consideration. The tumor was excised in such a way to obtain macroscopically clear margins. The breast was treated with 50 Gy of external irradiation but without boost. Margins were evaluated by serially sectioning of the specimen and the margin was judged positive only when cancer cells were present on the inked surface. Margins were also evaluated by scratch cytology. Seventy two IBR were experienced within 5 years. Only age and margin status were found to be independent risk factors. Five-year IBR rate with negative and positive margins was 3.7% and 10.0%, respectively. In patients with positive margins, number of positive site and positive cytology were independent risk factor for IBR. IBR rate among patients with focally involved margins by non-comedo, comedo and invasive ca, was 0.0%, 3.5%, and 8.7%, respectively. IBR rate in more than focal involvement by non-comedo, comedo, and invasive ca, was 4.0%, 33.0% and 30.0%, respectively. If histologically positive margin was also positive cytologically, IBR was 14.8%, whereas only 3.6% if negative cytologically. Even with liberal patient selection and less extensive local treatment, adequate local control can be obtained, provided that margins are histologically and/or cytologically negative. Focal margin involvement by DCIS or more than focal involvement by non-comedo type DCIS does not jeopardize local control. More than focal involvement by comedo DCIS or involvement by invasive ca results in high IBR rate

  1. Interleukin (IL)‐39 [IL‐23p19/Epstein–Barr virus‐induced 3 (Ebi3)] induces differentiation/expansion of neutrophils in lupus‐prone mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, X.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, Z.; Zhu, G.; Han, G.; Chen, G.; Hou, C.; Wang, T.; Ma, N.; Shen, B.; Li, Y.; Wang, R.

    2016-01-01

    Summary Interleukin (IL)‐12 family cytokines play critical roles in autoimmune diseases. Our previous study has shown that IL‐23p19 and Epstein–Barr virus‐induced 3 (Ebi3) form a new IL‐12 family heterodimer, IL‐23p19/Ebi3, termed IL‐39, and knock‐down of p19 or Ebi3 reduced diseases by transferred GL7+ B cells in lupus‐prone mice. In the present study, we explore further the possible effect of IL‐39 on murine lupus. We found that IL‐39 in vitro and in vivo induces differentiation and/or expansion of neutrophils. GL7+ B cells up‐regulated neutrophils by secreting IL‐39, whereas IL‐39‐deficient GL7+ B cells lost the capacity to up‐regulate neutrophils in lupus‐prone mice and homozygous CD19cre (CD19‐deficient) mice. Finally, we found that IL‐39‐induced neutrophils had a positive feedback on IL‐39 expression in activated B cells by secreting B cell activation factor (BAFF). Taken together, our results suggest that IL‐39 induces differentiation and/or expansion of neutrophils in lupus‐prone mice. PMID:27400195

  2. Neratinib after trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (ExteNET)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chan, Arlene; Delaloge, Suzette; Holmes, Frankie A

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Neratinib, an irreversible tyrosine-kinase inhibitor of HER1, HER2, and HER4, has clinical activity in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of 12 months of neratinib after trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy in patients w...

  3. Divergent Effects of Different Positive Emotions on Moral Judgment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strohminger, Nina; Lewis, Richard L.; Meyer, David E.

    2011-01-01

    Positive emotions are often treated as relatively similar in their cognitive-behavioral effects, and as having unambiguously beneficial consequences. For example, Valdesolo and DeSteno (2006) reported that a humorous video made people more prone to choose a utilitarian solution to a moral dilemma. They attributed this finding to increased positive…

  4. The intercomparison of standardized patients anatomy and organs topography with CT-scanning results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breit, A.; Lindner, H.; Pfaendner, K.

    1981-01-01

    Using CT-studies for therapy planning gives some new and important aspects in the anatomy of different organs. Visualization of the kidneys in prone or supine positions shows that moderate displacement ventrally may occur which has to be taken into account in isodose distribution. Topographical cross-sections of the kidney based on various drawings comprise considerable sources of errors. Examination of bowel loops taken in prone and supine positions as well as at different days, however, show for radiation therapy only minor differences. CT enables us to exactly comprehend the position of the uterus and thereby the isodoses for intracavitary therapy. Evaluation of the individual thickness of the thoracic wall by CT allows in cases with mamma carcinoma optimization of radiotherapy technique. Additional information as fas as topography of different organs is concerned may be gained by angio-CT. With the help of a computer precise therapy plans can be drawn up knowing the exact individual anatomy and can be realized to the benefit of the patient. (orig.)

  5. Inducibility of error-prone DNA repair in yeast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siede, W.; Eckardt, F.

    1984-01-01

    Whereas some experimental evidence suggests that mutagenesis in yeast after treatment with DNA-damaging agents involves inducible functions, a general-acting error-prone repair activity analogous to the SOS system of Escherichia coli has not yet been demonstrated. The current literature on the problem of inducibility of mutagenic repair in yeast is reviewed with emphasis on the differences in the experimental procedures applied. (orig.)

  6. Better than I thought: positive evaluation bias in hypomania.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liam Mason

    Full Text Available Mania is characterised by increased impulsivity and risk-taking, and psychological accounts argue that these features may be due to hypersensitivity to reward. The neurobiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we examine reinforcement learning and sensitivity to both reward and punishment outcomes in hypomania-prone individuals not receiving pharmacotherapy.We recorded EEG from 45 healthy individuals split into three groups by low, intermediate and high self-reported hypomanic traits. Participants played a computerised card game in which they learned the reward contingencies of three cues. Neural responses to monetary gain and loss were measured using the feedback-related negativity (FRN, a component implicated in motivational outcome evaluation and reinforcement learning.As predicted, rewards elicited a smaller FRN in the hypomania-prone group relative to the low hypomania group, indicative of greater reward responsiveness. The hypomania-prone group also showed smaller FRN to losses, indicating diminished response to negative feedback.Our findings indicate that proneness to hypomania is associated with both reward hypersensitivity and discounting of punishment. This positive evaluation bias may be driven by aberrant reinforcement learning signals, which fail to update future expectations. This provides a possible neural mechanism explaining risk-taking and impaired reinforcement learning in BD. Further research will be needed to explore the potential value of the FRN as a biological vulnerability marker for mania and pathological risk-taking.

  7. [Efficacy of combination therapy with pegylated-interferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin in autoantibody-positive chronic hepatitis C patients].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ya-xin; Yang, Yan-jia; Yang, Mei; Chen, Li-yu; Lu, Jia-jie; Ma, Yuan-ji; Liu, Kai; Lei, Xue-zhong; Tang, Hong

    2013-05-01

    To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of antiviral combination therapy with pegylated-interferon alpha-2a plus ribavirin (RBV) in patients with autoantibody-positive chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and to investigate the impact of the presence of autoantibodies on the treatment outcome. Eighty-six consecutive CHC patients who underwent a 48-week treatment regimen composed of Peg-IFNa-2a (135 or 180 mug/wk) plus weight-based RBV ( less than or equal to 65 kg, 800 mg/d; 65 to 75 kg, 1000 mg/d; more than or equal to75 kg, 1200 mg/d ). Prior to treatment (baseline) and at end of treatment (EOT; week 48), levels of antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-smooth muscle antibody (SMA), anti liver/kidney microsomal antibody type 1 (LKM1), anti-La (SSB), and anti liver cytosolic-1 (LC-1) were detected by indirect immunofluorescence. At baseline, during treatment (weeks 4, 12, 24, and 36), EOT, and 24 weeks after EOT, levels of HCV RNA were assessed by real-time quantitative PCR. Rapid virological response (RVR) was defined as HCV RNA less than 10(3) copy/ml at week 4. Sustained virologic response (SVR) was defined as HCV RNA load below the lower limit of detection at 24 weeks after EOT. Correlation between autoantibodies and treatment-induced reduced HCV RNA load was assessed by univariate analysis of variance or chi-squared tests. Autoantibodies were detected in 24 patients, which included 14 ANA-positive patients, five SMA-positive patients, three LKM1-positive patients, one patient with double-positivity for ANA and SSB, and one patient with double-positivity for ANA and LC-1. The autoantibody-positive patients and autoantibody-negative patients showed similar rates of RVR (70.8% vs. 72.5%, P more than 0.05) and SVR (81.4% vs. 82.2%, P more than 0.05). Antiviral therapy with Peg-IFNa-2a RBV can effectively reduce the HCV RNA load in autoantibody-positive CHC patients; however, the presence of autoantibodies may not be an independent predictor of therapy outcome.

  8. Can perspective-taking reduce crime? Examining a pathway through empathic-concern and guilt-proneness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Andres G; Stuewig, Jeffrey; Tangney, June P

    2014-12-01

    We describe and appraise a theoretical model in which individual differences in perspective-taking eventuate in crime reduction. Specifically, it is hypothesized that perspective-taking propensities influence the tendency to feel empathic-concern, thereby heightening proneness for guilt, which ultimately inhibits criminal behavior (perspective-taking → empathic-concern → guilt-proneness → crime desistance). Data from two sources were analyzed: (a) a cross-sectional college sample and (b) a longitudinal sample of jail inmates. Overall, results lend credence to this theoretical model: Perspective-taking propensities ultimately "put the brakes" on criminal behavior-via an emotional pathway of empathic-concern and then guilt-proneness. Discussion focuses on the nature of perspective-taking, its generative role for moral emotion and behavior, as well as potential applications for crime reduction. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  9. Efficacy of lamivudine and thymosin alpha-1 combination therapy in treatment of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B: a meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    QI Youtao

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of lamivudine and thymosin alpha-1 combination therapy in the treatment of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB by meta-analysis. MethodsRandomized controlled trials (RCTs of lamivudine and thymosin alpha-1 combination therapy in treatment of HBeAg-positive CHB (follow-up for at least 24 weeks, from January 1998 to date, were identified by searching Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and CQVIP. Lamivudine monotherapy RCTs were searched for in the same way as control tests. Efficacy was measured by odds ratio. Meta-analysis was carried out with RevMan 5.2 software. ResultsNine RCTs involving 600 patients were included, with 320 cases in the combination therapy group and 280 in the control group. At the end of follow-up, the combination therapy group had significantly higher serum ALT recovery rate, HBV-DNA negative conversion rate, HBeAg negative conversion rate, and HBeAg seroconversion rate than the control group (P<0.01 for all, with pooled odds ratios (95% confidence intervals of 4.84 (3.28, 7.16, 2.09 (1.45, 3.01, 5.32 (3.35, 8.46, and 6.22 (3.78, 10.25, respectively. ConclusionLamivudine and thymosin alpha-1 combination therapy is more likely to achieve sustained response rate than lamivudine monotherapy for HBeAg-positive CHB. More RCTs of high quality and large scale are required to verify this conclusion.

  10. A preliminary study of spiritual self-schema (3-S(+)) therapy for reducing impulsivity in HIV-positive drug users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margolin, Arthur; Schuman-Olivier, Zev; Beitel, Mark; Arnold, Ruth M; Fulwiler, Carl E; Avants, S Kelly

    2007-10-01

    The purpose of this study was twofold. First, pretreatment correlations are presented among impulsivity, intoxicant use, HIV risk behavior, spirituality, and motivation in a sample of 38 HIV-positive drug users. Second, treatment outcomes are presented from a preliminary study of spiritual self-schema (3-S(+)) therapy - a manual-guided psychotherapy integrating cognitive and Buddhist psychologies - for increasing motivation for abstinence, HIV prevention, and medication adherence. Impulsivity was negatively correlated with spiritual practices and motivation for recovery, and was positively related to intoxicant use and HIV risk behavior. Relative to a standard care comparison condition, patients completing 3-S(+) therapy reported greater decreases in impulsivity and intoxicant use, and greater increases in spiritual practices and motivation for abstinence, HIV prevention, and medication adherence. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. The NOFLO trial: low-flow nasal prongs therapy in weaning nasal continuous positive airway pressure in preterm infants.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Donnell, Sinéad M

    2013-07-01

    To determine if low-flow nasal prongs therapy with room air, compared with no treatment, facilitates weaning from nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in very low birth weight (VLBW, birth weight <1500 g) infants.

  12. Rational approaches to the therapy of nosocomial infections caused by gram-positive microorganisms in cancer p

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. V. Aginova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Nosocomial infections caused by gram-positive organisms, including Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci (Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis are steadily increasing in almost all clinics around the world. Cancer patients have a higher risk of hospital-acquired infections than non-cancer patients. Cancer patients are immunosuppressed due to increased use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs, radiation therapy, surgery and use of steroids. This paper presents an analysis of resistance of gram-positive bacterial pathogens to antimicrobial agents to determine treatment strategy for cancer patients.

  13. Jumping to conclusions style along the continuum of delusions: delusion-prone individuals are not hastier in decision making than healthy individuals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzanne Ho-wai So

    Full Text Available Literature comparing 'jumping to conclusions' (JTC between patients and healthy controls has demonstrated the importance of the reasoning bias in the development of delusions. When groups that vary along the entire delusional continuum are included, the relationship between JTC and delusionality is less clear. This study compared JTC and delusional dimensions between 28 patients with delusions, 35 delusion-prone individuals and 32 non-delusion-prone individuals. Delusion proneness was defined by an established threshold based on the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory. Two versions of the beads task (85:15 and 60:40 were used to measure JTC. As hypothesized, patients manifested hastier data gathering than the two non-clinical groups on both beads tasks. However, delusion-prone individuals did not manifest a hastier decision making style than non-delusion prone individuals. Instead, non-delusion-prone participants showed more JTC bias than delusion-prone individuals on the easier beads task. There was no evidence for a dose-response relationship between JTC and delusional dimensions, with correlations between JTC and PDI scores found in the non-delusion-prone group only. The present finding confirms the link between an extreme JTC bias and the presence of clinical delusions, and argues against a linear relationship between JTC and delusionality along the symptomatic continuum.

  14. Endocrine Society of Australia position statement on male hypogonadism (part 1): assessment and indications for testosterone therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeap, Bu B; Grossmann, Mathis; McLachlan, Robert I; Handelsman, David J; Wittert, Gary A; Conway, Ann J; Stuckey, Bronwyn Ga; Lording, Douglas W; Allan, Carolyn A; Zajac, Jeffrey D; Burger, Henry G

    2016-08-15

    This article, Part 1 of the Endocrine Society of Australia's position statement on male hypogonadism, focuses on assessment of male hypogonadism, including the indications for testosterone therapy. (Part 2 will deal with treatment and therapeutic considerations.) Key points and recommendations are:Pathological hypogonadism arises due to diseases of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism) or testes (hypergonadotropic hypogonadism). It is a clinical diagnosis with a pathological basis, confirmed by hormone assays.Hormonal assessment is based on measurement of circulating testosterone, luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations. Measurement of sex hormone-binding globulin levels can be informative, but use of calculated free testosterone is not recommended for clinical decision making.Testosterone replacement therapy is warranted in men with pathological hypogonadism, regardless of age.Currently, there are limited data from high-quality randomised controlled trials with clinically meaningful outcomes to justify testosterone treatment in older men, usually with chronic disease, who have low circulating testosterone levels but without hypothalamic, pituitary or testicular disease.Obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes are associated with lowering of circulating testosterone level, but without elevation of LH and FSH levels. Whether these are non-specific consequences of non-reproductive disorders or a correctable deficiency state is unknown, but clear evidence for efficacy and safety of testosterone therapy in this setting is lacking.Glucocorticoid and opioid use is associated with possibly reversible reductions in circulating testosterone level, without elevation of LH and FSH levels. Where continuation of glucocorticoid or opioid therapy is necessary, review by an endocrinologist may be warranted.Changes in management as result of the position statement: Men with pathological hypogonadism should

  15. Comparing the acceptability of a positive psychology intervention versus a cognitive behavioural therapy for clinical depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez-Gomez, Irene; Chaves, Covadonga; Hervas, Gonzalo; Vazquez, Carmelo

    2017-09-01

    There is growing evidence on the efficacy of positive psychology interventions (PPI) to treat clinical disorders. However, very few studies have addressed their acceptability. The present study aimed to analyse 2 key components of acceptability (i.e., client satisfaction and adherence to treatment) of a new PPI programme, the Integrative Positive Psychological Intervention for Depression (IPPI-D), in comparison to a standard cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme in the treatment of clinical depression. One hundred twenty-eight women with a DSM-IV diagnosis of major depression or dysthymia were allocated to a 10-session IPPI-D or CBT group intervention condition. Results showed that both interventions were highly acceptable for participants. Attendance rates were high, and there were no significant differences between conditions. However, the IPPI-D condition showed significantly higher client satisfaction than the CBT condition. Moreover, acceptability did not differ based on participants' severity of symptoms, regardless of condition. These findings encourage further investigations of the applicability of PPI in clinical settings in order to broaden the range of acceptable and suitable therapies for depressed patients. Key Practitioner Message This study sheds light on the client satisfaction and adherence to a positive intervention. For participants, positive psychology interventions (PPI) may be more satisfactory than CBT as PPI are framed within a positive mental health model and, consequently, may reduce the risk of stigmatization Because acceptability of treatments and preferences may affect the efficacy of treatments, this study provides an excellent opportunity to offer professionals more therapeutic options to tailor treatments to clients' needs and expectations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Evaluating abdominal core muscle fatigue: Assessment of the validity and reliability of the prone bridging test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Blaiser, C; De Ridder, R; Willems, T; Danneels, L; Vanden Bossche, L; Palmans, T; Roosen, P

    2018-02-01

    The aims of this study were to research the amplitude and median frequency characteristics of selected abdominal, back, and hip muscles of healthy subjects during a prone bridging endurance test, based on surface electromyography (sEMG), (a) to determine if the prone bridging test is a valid field test to measure abdominal muscle fatigue, and (b) to evaluate if the current method of administrating the prone bridging test is reliable. Thirty healthy subjects participated in this experiment. The sEMG activity of seven abdominal, back, and hip muscles was bilaterally measured. Normalized median frequencies were computed from the EMG power spectra. The prone bridging tests were repeated on separate days to evaluate inter and intratester reliability. Significant differences in normalized median frequency slope (NMF slope ) values between several abdominal, back, and hip muscles could be demonstrated. Moderate-to-high correlation coefficients were shown between NMF slope values and endurance time. Multiple backward linear regression revealed that the test endurance time could only be significantly predicted by the NMF slope of the rectus abdominis. Statistical analysis showed excellent reliability (ICC=0.87-0.89). The findings of this study support the validity and reliability of the prone bridging test for evaluating abdominal muscle fatigue. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Indirect calorimetry in nutritional therapy. A position paper by the ICALIC study group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oshima, Taku; Berger, Mette M; De Waele, Elisabeth; Guttormsen, Anne Berit; Heidegger, Claudia-Paula; Hiesmayr, Michael; Singer, Pierre; Wernerman, Jan; Pichard, Claude

    2017-06-01

    This review aims to clarify the use of indirect calorimetry (IC) in nutritional therapy for critically ill and other patient populations. It features a comprehensive overview of the technical concepts, the practical application and current developments of IC. Pubmed-referenced publications were analyzed to generate an overview about the basic knowledge of IC, to describe advantages and disadvantages of the current technology, to clarify technical issues and provide pragmatic solutions for clinical practice and metabolic research. The International Multicentric Study Group for Indirect Calorimetry (ICALIC) has generated this position paper. IC can be performed in in- and out-patients, including those in the intensive care unit, to measure energy expenditure (EE). Optimal nutritional therapy, defined as energy prescription based on measured EE by IC has been associated with better clinical outcome. Equations based on simple anthropometric measurements to predict EE are inaccurate when applied to individual patients. An ongoing international academic initiative to develop a new indirect calorimeter aims at providing innovative and affordable technical solutions for many of the current limitations of IC. Indirect calorimetry is a tool of paramount importance, necessary to optimize the nutrition therapy of patients with various pathologies and conditions. Recent technical developments allow broader use of IC for in- and out-patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

  18. The incidence of vasculitis is increased in female stroke-prone ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Vascular changes in hypertension share common characteristics with inflammatory wall injury. Since it is known that chronic inflammatory diseases are frequently more prevalent in females, this study tested the hypothesis that vasculitis would be more evident in female stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive ...

  19. Residual setup errors caused by rotation and non-rigid motion in prone-treated cervical cancer patients after online CBCT image-guidance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, Rozilawati; Hoogeman, Mischa S.; Quint, Sandra; Mens, Jan Willem; Osorio, Eliana M. Vásquez; Heijmen, Ben J.M.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To quantify the impact of uncorrected or partially corrected pelvis rotation and spine bending on region-specific residual setup errors in prone-treated cervical cancer patients. Methods and materials: Fifteen patients received an in-room CBCT scan twice a week. CBCT scans were registered to the planning CT-scan using a pelvic clip box and considering both translations and rotations. For daily correction of the detected translational pelvis setup errors by couch shifts, residual setup errors were determined for L5, L4 and seven other points of interest (POIs). The same was done for a procedure with translational corrections and limited rotational correction (±3°) by a 6D positioning device. Results: With translational correction only, residual setup errors were large especially for L5/L4 in AP direction (Σ = 5.1/5.5 mm). For the 7 POIs the residual setup errors ranged from 1.8 to 5.6 mm (AP). Using the 6D positioning device, the errors were substantially smaller (for L5/L4 in AP direction Σ = 2.7/2.2 mm). Using this device, the percentage of fractions with a residual AP displacement for L4 > 5 mm reduced from 47% to 9%. Conclusions: Setup variations caused by pelvis rotations are large and cannot be ignored in prone treatment of cervical cancer patients. Corrections with a 6D positioning device may considerably reduce resulting setup errors, but the residual setup errors should still be accounted for by appropriate CTV-to-PTV margins.

  20. PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF PRONENESS TO CONFLICT BEHAVIOR IN THE PERIOD OF STUDENTSHIP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. A. Bunjak

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The University student is claimed to be one of the most important ?gure today whо deter mines the future of the society and its progressive development and democratic transformations. In the dif?cult conditions of life, characterizing the situation in the country nowadays contemporary students are often uncertain about their future and in connection with this, experience negative emotional states which might cause intrapersonal con?icts. The contemporary youth is characterized nowadays by numerous con?icts in which the development of the age speci?c achievements  takes  place,  namely:  self-actualization,  self-expression,  competition,  defending one’s own values, attitudes and passions. The paper presents the results of an anonymous survey in testing of Ternopil National university students aimed at de?ning the relationships between the frequency of the intrapersonal con?icts experienced by the young people and psychological factors causing them. The proneness to the con?ict behavior of the personality has been shown to be caused by such psychological characteristics of the individual as the level of self-esteem, the level of aggression, anxiety, frustration, rigidity and locus of control. It is postulated in the paper that high proneness of the personality to the con?ict behavior can be adequately described with reference to a set of personality properties which jointly de?ne and enhance the levels of con?ict. This set of characteristics act as psychological determinants of con?icts. The analysis of the survey designed to de?ne the sources of the students’ proneness to the con?ict behavior shows that the problem requires further theoretical research and empirical studies to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the possible causes of proneness to this type of behavior.

  1. Sleep position trainer versus tennis ball technique in positional obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eijsvogel, Michiel M.; Ubbink, Rinse; Dekker, Janita; Mos-Oppersma, Eline; de Jongh, Franciscus H.C.; van der Palen, Jacobus Adrianus Maria; Brusse-Keizer, Marjolein G.J.

    2015-01-01

    Study Objective Positional therapy (PT) is an effective therapy in positional obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (POSAS) when used, but the compliance of PT is low. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a new kind of PT is effective and can improve compliance. Methods 29 patients were

  2. Canine-assisted therapy for children with ADHD: preliminary findings from the positive assertive cooperative kids study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuck, Sabrina E B; Emmerson, Natasha A; Fine, Aubrey H; Lakes, Kimberley D

    2015-02-01

    The objective of this study was to provide preliminary findings from an ongoing randomized clinical trial using a canine-assisted intervention (CAI) for 24 children with ADHD. Project Positive Assertive Cooperative Kids (P.A.C.K.) was designed to study a 12-week cognitive-behavioral intervention delivered with or without CAI. Children were randomly assigned to group therapy with or without CAI. Parents of children in both groups simultaneously participated in weekly parent group therapy sessions. Across both treatment groups, parents reported improvements in children's social skills, prosocial behaviors, and problematic behaviors. In both groups, the severity of ADHD symptoms declined during the course of treatment; however, children who received the CAI model exhibited greater reductions in the severity of ADHD symptoms than did children who received cognitive-behavioral therapy without CAI. Results suggest that CAI offers a novel therapeutic strategy that may enhance cognitive-behavioral interventions for children with ADHD. © 2013 SAGE Publications.

  3. Evaluation of Therapy Management and Patient Compliance in Postmenopausal Patients with Hormone Receptor-positive Breast Cancer Receiving Letrozole Treatment: The EvaluateTM Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fasching, P. A.; Fehm, T.; Kellner, S.; de Waal, J.; Rezai, M.; Baier, B.; Baake, G.; Kolberg, H.-C.; Guggenberger, M.; Warm, M.; Harbeck, N.; Würstlein, R.; Deuker, J.-U.; Dall, P.; Richter, B.; Wachsmann, G.; Brucker, C.; Siebers, J. W.; Fersis, N.; Kuhn, T.; Wolf, C.; Vollert, H.-W.; Breitbach, G.-P.; Janni, W.; Landthaler, R.; Kohls, A.; Rezek, D.; Noesslet, T.; Fischer, G.; Henschen, S.; Praetz, T.; Heyl, V.; Kühn, T.; Krauß, T.; Thomssen, C.; Kümmel, S.; Hohn, A.; Tesch, H.; Mundhenke, C.; Hein, A.; Rauh, C.; Bayer, C. M.; Jacob, A.; Schmidt, K.; Belleville, E.; Hadji, P.; Wallwiener, D.; Grischke, E.-M.; Beckmann, M. W.; Brucker, S. Y.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: The EvaluateTM study (Evaluation of therapy management and patient compliance in postmenopausal hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients receiving letrozole treatment) is a prospective, non-interventional study for the assessment of therapy management and compliance in the routine care of postmenopausal women with invasive hormone receptor-positive breast cancer receiving letrozole. The parameters for inclusion in the study are presented and discussed here. Material and Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2009 a total of 5045 patients in 310 study centers were recruited to the EvaluateTM study. Inclusion criteria were hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and adjuvant treatment or metastasis. 373 patients were excluded from the analysis for various reasons. Results: A total of 4420 patients receiving adjuvant treatment and 252 patients with metastasis receiving palliative treatment were included in the study. For 4181 patients receiving adjuvant treatment, treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole commenced immediately after surgery (upfront). Two hundred patients had initially received tamoxifen and started aromatase inhibitor treatment with letrozole at 1–5 years after diagnosis (switch), und 39 patients only commenced letrozole treatment 5–10 years after diagnosis (extended endocrine therapy). Patient and tumor characteristics were within expected ranges, as were comorbidities and concurrent medication. Conclusion: The data from the EvaluateTM study will offer a good overview of therapy management in the routine care of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Planned analyses will look at therapy compliance and patient satisfaction with how information is conveyed and the contents of the conveyed information. PMID:25568468

  4. The association of family functioning and psychosis proneness in five countries that differ in cultural values and family structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wüsten, Caroline; Lincoln, Tania M

    2017-07-01

    For decades, researchers have attributed the better prognosis of psychosis in developing countries to a host of socio-cultural factors, including family functioning. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether family functioning and its association with symptoms differ across countries. This study assessed family functioning (support, satisfaction with family relations, and criticism) and psychosis proneness in community samples from Chile (n =399), Colombia (n=486), Indonesia (n=115), Germany (n=174) and the USA (n=143). Family functioning was compared between prototypical developing countries (Chile, Columbia, Indonesia) and highly industrialized countries (Germany, USA). Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test for the moderating effect of country on the associations between family functioning and psychosis proneness. Participants from developing countries perceived more support and felt more satisfied. However, they also perceived more criticism than participants from highly industrialized countries. Criticism and family satisfaction were significantly associated with psychosis proneness. Moreover, the relationship between criticism and psychosis proneness was significantly stronger in developing countries compared to highly industrialized countries. Generally, family satisfaction and criticism appear to be more relevant to psychosis proneness than the quantity of family support. Moreover, criticism seems to be more closely related to psychosis proneness in developing countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Genetic variation in STAT4 predicts response to interferon-α therapy for hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, De-Ke; Wu, Xiaopan; Qian, Ji; Ma, Xiao-Pin; Yang, Jingmin; Li, Zhuo; Wang, Runhua; Sun, Li; Liu, Fang; Zhang, Pengyin; Zhu, Xilin; Wu, Jia; Chen, Kangmei; Conran, Carly; Zheng, S Lilly; Lu, Daru; Yu, Long; Liu, Ying; Xu, Jianfeng

    2016-04-01

    Interferon (IFN)-α is a first-line therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients but only initiates a response in a minority of patients. A genetic variant, rs7574865 in STAT4, was recently reported to be associated with risk of developing CHB and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. We aimed to determine whether this variant is associated with the response to IFNα treatment for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB patients. We studied 466 HBeAg-positive CHB patients who received either IFNα-2b (n = 224) or pegylated IFNα-2a (n = 242) therapy for 48 weeks and were followed for an additional 24 weeks. The rate of sustained virologic response (SVR), defined as HBeAg seroconversion along with hepatitis B virus DNA level rs7574865. After 48 weeks of treatment and 24 weeks off treatment, the SVR rates in the IFNα-2b and pegylated IFNα-2a therapy groups were 30.4% and 28.9%, respectively. Compared to the rs7574865 GT/TT genotype, the GG genotype (a risk factor of CHB and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma) was significantly associated with a reduced SVR rate in both patients who received IFNα-2b therapy (21.1% versus 37.2%, P = 0.01) and those who received pegylated IFNα-2a therapy (18.0% versus 41.2%, P = 9.74 × 10(-5) ). In joint analysis of the 466 patients, the GG genotype was associated with an approximately half SVR rate compared to the GT/TT genotype (19.3% versus 39.1%, P = 4.15 × 10(-6) ). A multivariate logistic regression model including rs7574865 and clinical variables showed that rs7574865 was the most significant factor for the prediction of SVR. STAT4 rs7574865 is a reliable predictor of response to IFNα therapy for HBeAg-positive CHB patients and may be used for optimizing the treatment of CHB. © 2015 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

  6. Neuraminidase activity mediates IL-6 production by activated lupus-prone mesangial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundararaj, Kamala; Rodgers, Jessalyn I; Marimuthu, Subathra; Siskind, Leah J; Bruner, Evelyn; Nowling, Tamara K

    2018-04-01

    The development of nephritis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in lupus patients. Although the general pathophysiological progression of lupus nephritis is known, the molecular mediators and mechanisms are incompletely understood. Previously, we demonstrated that the glycosphingolipid (GSL) catabolic pathway is elevated in the kidneys of MRL/lpr lupus mice and human lupus patients with nephritis. Specifically, the activity of neuraminidase (NEU) and expression of Neu1, an enzyme in the GSL catabolic pathway is significantly increased. To better understand the role and mechanisms by which this pathway contributes to the progression of LN, we analyzed the expression and effects of NEU activity on the function of MRL/lpr lupus-prone mesangial cells (MCs). We demonstrate that NEU1 and NEU3 promote IL-6 production in MES13 MCs. Neu1 expression, NEU activity, and IL-6 production are significantly increased in stimulated primary MRL/lpr lupus-prone MCs, and blocking NEU activity inhibits IL-6 production. NEU1 and NEU3 expression overlaps IgG deposits in MCs in vitro and in renal sections from nephritic MRL/lpr mice. Together, our results suggest that NEU activity mediates IL-6 production in lupus-prone MCs possibly through an IgG-receptor complex signaling pathway.

  7. Sleep position trainer versus tennis ball technique in positional obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eijsvogel, Michiel M.; Ubbink, Rinse; Dekker, Janita; Oppersma, Eline; de Jongh, Frans H.; van der Palen, Job; Brusse-Keizer, Marjolein G.

    2015-01-01

    Positional therapy (PT) is an effective therapy in positional obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (POSAS) when used, but the compliance of PT is low. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a new kind of PT is effective and can improve compliance. 29 patients were treated with the Sleep

  8. Reduced Serum IgG Responses to Pneumococcal Antigens in Otitis-Prone Children May Be Due to Poor Memory B-Cell Generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Sharad K.; Casey, Janet R.

    2012-01-01

    A low level of serum antibody to antigens expressed by Streptococcus pneumoniae has been proposed to explain the susceptibility of children to recurrent episodes of acute otitis media (hereafter, “otitis-prone children”). By use of enzyme-linked immunospot assays, the percentages of memory B cells to pneumococcal protein antigens PhtD, LytB, PcpA, PhtE, and Ply were compared between otitis-prone and non–otitis-prone children at the time of acute otitis media or nasopharyngeal colonization with S. pneumoniae. We found significantly lower percentages of memory B cells to 3 pneumococcal protein antigens (PhtD, PhtE, and Ply) and reduced antigen-specific immunoglobulin G concentrations in otitis-prone children, compared with non–otitis-prone children. PMID:22383675

  9. The effect of trigger point management by positional release therapy on tension type headache.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghanbari, Ali; Rahimijaberi, Abbas; Mohamadi, Marzieh; Abbasi, Leila; Sarvestani, Fahimeh Kamali

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of trigger points' management by Positional Release Therapy (PRT) and routine medical therapy in treatment of Tension Type Headache. Tension Type Headache is the most frequent headache with the basis of myofascial and trigger point disorders. PRT is an indirect technique that treats trigger points. 30 Patients with active trigger points in cervical muscles entered to the study. They were randomly assigned to PRT or medical therapy group. Headache frequency, intensity and duration and tablet count were recorded by use of a daily headache diary. Sensitivity of trigger points was assessed by numeric pain intensity and by use of a digital force gauge (FG 5020). Both groups showed significant reduction in headache frequency and duration and tablet count after treatment phase. However, the reduction of study variables was persisted only in PRT group after follow up phase. There was no significant reduction in headache intensity, neither in PRT and nor in medication group. Sensitivity of trigger points was significantly reduced. In comparison of the two study groups, there was no significant difference in headache frequency, intensity, duration and tablet count (p> 0.05). Both procedures were equally effective according to the study. Thus, PRT can be a treatment choice for patients with T.T.H.

  10. Assessing individual differences in proneness to shame and guilt: development of the Self-Conscious Affect and Attribution Inventory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tangney, J P

    1990-07-01

    Individual differences in proneness to shame and proneness to guilt are thought to play an important role in the development of both adaptive and maladaptive interpersonal and intrapersonal processes. But little empirical research has addressed these issues, largely because no reliable, valid measure has been available to researchers interested in differentiating proneness to shame from proneness to guilt. The Self-Conscious Affect and Attribution Inventory (SCAAI) was developed to assess characteristic affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses associated with shame and guilt among a young adult population. The SCAAI also includes indices of externalization of cause or blame, detachment/unconcern, pride in self, and pride in behavior. Data from 3 independent studies of college students and 1 study of noncollege adults provide support for the reliability of the main SCAAI subscales. Moreover, the pattern of relations among the SCAAI subscales and the relation of SCAAI subscales to 2 extant measures of shame and guilt support the validity of this new measure. The SCAAI appears to provide related but functionally distinct indices of proneness to shame and guilt in a way that these previous measures have not.

  11. Random mutagenesis by error-prone pol plasmid replication in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, David L; Lilly, Joshua; Hernandez, Jaime; Romsdahl, Jillian; Troll, Christopher J; Camps, Manel

    2014-01-01

    Directed evolution is an approach that mimics natural evolution in the laboratory with the goal of modifying existing enzymatic activities or of generating new ones. The identification of mutants with desired properties involves the generation of genetic diversity coupled with a functional selection or screen. Genetic diversity can be generated using PCR or using in vivo methods such as chemical mutagenesis or error-prone replication of the desired sequence in a mutator strain. In vivo mutagenesis methods facilitate iterative selection because they do not require cloning, but generally produce a low mutation density with mutations not restricted to specific genes or areas within a gene. For this reason, this approach is typically used to generate new biochemical properties when large numbers of mutants can be screened or selected. Here we describe protocols for an advanced in vivo mutagenesis method that is based on error-prone replication of a ColE1 plasmid bearing the gene of interest. Compared to other in vivo mutagenesis methods, this plasmid-targeted approach allows increased mutation loads and facilitates iterative selection approaches. We also describe the mutation spectrum for this mutagenesis methodology in detail, and, using cycle 3 GFP as a target for mutagenesis, we illustrate the phenotypic diversity that can be generated using our method. In sum, error-prone Pol I replication is a mutagenesis method that is ideally suited for the evolution of new biochemical activities when a functional selection is available.

  12. Recovery of arrested replication forks by homologous recombination is error-prone.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ismail Iraqui

    Full Text Available Homologous recombination is a universal mechanism that allows repair of DNA and provides support for DNA replication. Homologous recombination is therefore a major pathway that suppresses non-homology-mediated genome instability. Here, we report that recovery of impeded replication forks by homologous recombination is error-prone. Using a fork-arrest-based assay in fission yeast, we demonstrate that a single collapsed fork can cause mutations and large-scale genomic changes, including deletions and translocations. Fork-arrest-induced gross chromosomal rearrangements are mediated by inappropriate ectopic recombination events at the site of collapsed forks. Inverted repeats near the site of fork collapse stimulate large-scale genomic changes up to 1,500 times over spontaneous events. We also show that the high accuracy of DNA replication during S-phase is impaired by impediments to fork progression, since fork-arrest-induced mutation is due to erroneous DNA synthesis during recovery of replication forks. The mutations caused are small insertions/duplications between short tandem repeats (micro-homology indicative of replication slippage. Our data establish that collapsed forks, but not stalled forks, recovered by homologous recombination are prone to replication slippage. The inaccuracy of DNA synthesis does not rely on PCNA ubiquitination or trans-lesion-synthesis DNA polymerases, and it is not counteracted by mismatch repair. We propose that deletions/insertions, mediated by micro-homology, leading to copy number variations during replication stress may arise by progression of error-prone replication forks restarted by homologous recombination.

  13. Maintenance Therapy with Trastuzumab in Her2 Positive Metastatic Parotid Ductal Adenocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Shahid Iqbal

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Salivary ductal carcinomas (SDCs are extremely rare and aggressive malignancies, accounting for approximately 6% of all salivary gland malignancies. One distinct feature is their resemblance to ductal carcinomas of breast. A significant percentage of SDCs overexpress Her2 and the use of targeted therapy with trastuzumab can be considered in these patients. We report a rare case of long term disease control with trastuzumab in Her2 positive metastatic parotid ductal carcinoma. Our case also highlights that isolated brain metastasis should be managed aggressively to allow optimal local control when systemic disease is under remission with trastuzumab. We have also reviewed the published literature on the use of trastuzumab in SDCs.

  14. Self-esteem in delinquent-prone adolescents in Gauteng

    OpenAIRE

    2009-01-01

    D.Ed. Delinquent-prone behaviour amongst the adolescent school population has become a serious problem in South Africa. From the reports in the media, it would seem that many adolescents cannot conform to the demands of society and, consequently, become involved in acts, which may be punishable by law. These acts include illegal substance abuse, stealing, fighting, aggravated assault and bullying of both educators and learners. In this respect, it must be noted that, although society at la...

  15. Settlement preferences in the disaster-prone areas of Brantas River

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hariyani, S.

    2018-01-01

    Kota Lama is one of the urban villages in Malang city that has settlements along the Brantas River. Kota Lama experienced three landslides and flooding in 2015 and one in 2016. Those disasters caused the community to take action of post-disaster recovery, yet the people still choose to remain living in Kota Lama. Therefore, the study aims at determining the preferences of the citizens living in disaster-prone areas in Brantas River. The research used a factor analysis of 12 variables: 1) neighbourhood situation, 2) air condition, 3) relations between neighbours, 4) security, 5) location, 6) customs, 7) ethnic diversity, 8) the presence of social groups, 9) the community’s customs and habits, 10) proximity to the economic facilities, 11) adequate educational facilities, and 12) adequate medical/health facilities. The results show that two factors have been formed, namely Factor 1 (access) comprising variables of neighbourhood situation, air condition, relations between neighbours, location, ethnic diversity, the presence of a social group, supporting positive habits at home, close to the economic facilities, educational facilities, as well as medical facilities, and Factor 2 (assurance) consisting of customs and security.

  16. Predicting uptake of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skinner, Timothy; McNeil, Lindsay; Olaithe, Michelle

    2013-01-01

    diagnosed with OSA. Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Fatigue Severity Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) were administered at time of sleep study. These, patient demographics and sleep study variables were used to determine factors predicting patient......Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder, for which continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a standard treatment. Despite its well-established efficacy, many patients choose not to initiate CPAP treatment. The present study investigated the degree to which...

  17. Factors in Early Adolescence Associated With a Mole-Prone Phenotype in Late Adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Haoming; Marchetti, Michael A; Dusza, Stephen W; Chung, Esther; Fonseca, Maira; Scope, Alon; Geller, Alan C; Bishop, Marilyn; Marghoob, Ashfaq A; Halpern, Allan C

    2017-10-01

    Nevi are important phenotypic risk factors for melanoma in adults. Few studies have examined the constitutional and behavioral factors associated with a mole-prone phenotype in adolescents. To identify host, behavioral, and dermoscopic factors in early adolescence (age, 14 years) that are associated with a mole-prone phenotype in late adolescence (age, 17 years). A prospective observational cohort study from the Study of Nevi in Children was conducted from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2014, with a 2- to 3-year follow-up. A total of 569 students from the school system in Framingham, Massachusetts, were enrolled in the 8th or 9th grade (baseline; mean [SD] age, 14.4 [0.7] years). The overall retention rate was 73.3%, and 417 students were reassessed in the 11th grade. Mole-prone phenotype in the 11th grade, defined as total nevus count of the back and 1 randomly selected leg in the top decile of the cohort or having any nevi greater than 5 mm in diameter. Of the 417 students assessed at follow-up in the 11th grade (166 females and 251 males; mean [SD] age, 17.0 [0.4] years), 111 participants (26.6%) demonstrated a mole-prone phenotype: 69 students (62.2%) with 1 nevus greater than 5 mm in diameter, 23 students (20.7%) with total nevus count in the top decile, and 19 students (17.1%) with both characteristics. On multivariate analysis, baseline total nevus count (adjusted odds ratio, 9.08; 95% CI, 4.0-23.7; P adolescents for higher-intensity counseling about sun protection and skin self-examination.

  18. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy in semisupine position: a modified approach for renal calculus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Ke-Wei; Huang, Jian; Guo, Zheng-Hui; Lin, Tian-Xin; Zhang, Cai-Xai; Liu, Hao; Chun, Jian; Yao, You-Sheng; Han, Jin-Li; Huang, Hai

    2011-12-01

    Conventional percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is usually performed in a prone position, which compresses the thorax and results in difficulty in rescue during operation. When PCNL is performed in a supine position, the flank renal puncture area is limited, so it is difficult to treat disseminated and complex renal calculi. Herein, we introduce a modified semisupine position for performing PCNL, which has numerous benefits as well as safe and effective. Between May 2002 and May 2009, a total of 452 patients with renal calculi were treated with semisupine PCNL. The patient was placed in 45° semisupine position during the procedure, with the affected flank arched as much as possible. In this series, no one converted to open surgery. The average operating time was (115.2 ± 44.5) min. Single tract PCNL was performed for 80.97% of the cases, two tracts 13.94%, three tracts 4.65%, and four tracts 0.44%. The upper, middle, and lower calix tracts accounted for 12.1, 63.0, and 24.9%, of procedures, respectively. Stone-free rate was 85.7% overall, 92.2% for single calculus (83/90), and 72.9% for staghorn calculi (78/107). Major postoperative complications occurred in 3.3% of the cases. This study demonstrated PCNL in a semisupine position is an effective alternative for treating renal calculi, which combines the advantages of PCNL in a prone position, and PCNL in a supine position. The semisupine position allows easier irrigation of stone fragments, is more comfortable for the patient, and facilitates monitoring of anesthesia.

  19. Zonation of Landslide-Prone Using Microseismic Method and Slope Analysis in Margoyoso, Magelang

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aditya, Muchamad Reza; Fauqi Romadlon, Arriqo’; Agra Medika, Reymon; Alfontius, Yosua; Delva Jannet, Zukhruf; Hartantyo, Eddy

    2018-04-01

    Margoyoso Village, Salaman Sub-district, Magelang Regency, Central Java is one of the villages that were included in landslide prone areas. The steep slopes and land use in this village were quite apprehensive. There were fractures with 5 cm in width and a length of 50 m. Moreover, these fractures appeared in the home residents. Although the local government has established a disaster response organization, this village is still not getting adequate information about the landslide prone areas. Based on the description before, we conducted research with geophysical methods and geotechnical analysis to minimize the danger of landslides. The geophysical method used in this research was microseismic method and geotechnical analysis. The microseismic measurement and slope stability analysis at Margoyoso village was a step in analysing the landslide-prone zone boundary. The results of this research indicated that landslide potential areas had a low peak ground acceleration values with a range from 36 gal to 46 gal. Measurement of slope stability indicated that a slope angle values between 55°-78° are a potential landslide slope because the soil in this village has very loose properties so it is very easy to move.

  20. Risk Perception and sexual risk behaviors among HIV-positive men on antiretroviral therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remien, Robert H; Halkitis, Perry N; O'Leary, Ann; Wolitski, Richard J; Gómez, Cynthia A

    2005-06-01

    There are reports of increased sexual risk behavior among people on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) due to beliefs about risk of HIV transmission when on HAART. In a cross-sectional study (Seropositive Urban Men's Study), we examined the relationship between risk perception and sexual risk behavior among sexually active, culturally diverse HIV positive men who have sex with men (N = 456). Less than twenty-five percent engaged in unprotected anal sex (either with an HIV negative, or unknown-status partner, or an HIV positive partner) within the past 3 months. Most men believed there was significant health risk (to partner or self) associated with unprotected sex when on HAART. There was no increased risk behavior associated with being on HAART, although the perception of negative health consequences, including HIV transmission, when on HAART was significantly lower for the relatively small subset of men who reported unprotected sex. Prevention strategies need to be tailored to address risk perception associated with HAART.

  1. Unearthing belowground bud banks in fire-prone ecosystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pausas, Juli G; Lamont, Byron B; Paula, Susana; Appezzato-da-Glória, Beatriz; Fidelis, Alessandra

    2018-03-01

    Despite long-time awareness of the importance of the location of buds in plant biology, research on belowground bud banks has been scant. Terms such as lignotuber, xylopodium and sobole, all referring to belowground bud-bearing structures, are used inconsistently in the literature. Because soil efficiently insulates meristems from the heat of fire, concealing buds below ground provides fitness benefits in fire-prone ecosystems. Thus, in these ecosystems, there is a remarkable diversity of bud-bearing structures. There are at least six locations where belowground buds are stored: roots, root crown, rhizomes, woody burls, fleshy swellings and belowground caudexes. These support many morphologically distinct organs. Given their history and function, these organs may be divided into three groups: those that originated in the early history of plants and that currently are widespread (bud-bearing roots and root crowns); those that also originated early and have spread mainly among ferns and monocots (nonwoody rhizomes and a wide range of fleshy underground swellings); and those that originated later in history and are strictly tied to fire-prone ecosystems (woody rhizomes, lignotubers and xylopodia). Recognizing the diversity of belowground bud banks is the starting point for understanding the many evolutionary pathways available for responding to severe recurrent disturbances. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

  2. Long-term use of first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy is not associated with carotid artery stiffness in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haohui Zhu

    2014-09-01

    Conclusion: The first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy currently used in China is not associated with carotid artery stiffness in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients with good highly active antiretroviral therapy compliance. Human immunodeficiency virus may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis.

  3. Self-reflection and the psychosis-prone brain: an fMRI study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modinos, Gemma; Renken, Remco; Ormel, Johan; Aleman, André

    2011-05-01

    The Cortical Midline Structures (CMS) play a critical role in self-reflection, together with the insula. Abnormalities in self-referential processing and its neural underpinnings have been reported in schizophrenia and at-risk populations, suggesting they might be markers of psychotic vulnerability. Psychometric measures of schizotypal traits may be used to index psychosis proneness (PP) in nonclinical samples. It remains an unresolved question whether differences in self-reflective processing are associated with PP. Six hundred students completed the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences Questionnaire, positive subscale. Two groups were formed from the extremes of the distribution (total N = 36). fMRI was used to examine CMS/insula function during a self-reflection task. Participants judged personality trait sentences about self and about an acquaintance. High PP subjects attributed less positive traits to others (i.e., acquaintances) than subjects with low PP. Across groups, the contrasts self > semantic and self > other induced activation in CMS and insula, whereas other > semantic did not produce insula activation. Other > self induced posterior cingulate cortex activation in low PP but not in high PP. In addition, high PP subjects showed stronger activation than low PP in left insula during self > semantic. Examining valence effects revealed that high PP individuals showed increased activation in left insula, right dMPFC, and left vMPFC for positive self-related traits, and in bilateral insula, ACC, and right dMPFC for negative self-related traits. The findings suggest that aspects of self-referential processing and underlying brain mechanisms are similar in clinical and subclinical (high PP) forms of psychosis, suggesting that these may be associated with vulnerability to psychosis.

  4. Preventive and therapeutic application of Hib and pneumococcal vaccines among children, who are prone to frequent and prolonged recurrent otites media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T.I. Garashchenko

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available THE AIM OF THE RESEARCH WAS TO ASSESS THE CLINIC EFFECTIVENESS OF A COMBINED APPLICATION OF SUCH VACCINES AS: ACTBHIB AND PNEUMO 23 (SANOFI PASTEUR, FRANCE IN CHILDREN, WHO ARE PRONE TO FREQUENT AND PROLONGED RECURRENT OTITES MEDIA. DURING 2004 AND 2005, 153 CHILDREN AGED BETWEEN 2 AND 12 YEARS OLD WERE IMMUNIZED AND OBSERVED. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS MADE UP OF 30 CHILDREN, WHOSE PARENTS REFUSED TO PARTICIPATE IN VACCINATION. THE CHILDREN OF BOTH GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE. THE FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH SHOWED HIGH PREVENTIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMBINED IMMUNIZATION, WHICH PROVIDED A 3BFOLD REDUCTION OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS AND RECURRENT OTITES, A REDUCTION OF ANTIBACTERIAL THERAPY PRESCRIPTION BY MORE THAN 8 TIMES AND A REDUCTION OF H. INFLUENZAE AND PNEUMOCOCCUS CARRIAGE BY 9 TIMES. IN THE GROUP OF IMMUNIZED CHILDREN, THE RESEARCHERS OBSERVED A REDUCTION OF ADENOID VEGETATION AUXESIS, RECOVERY OF AUDITORY TUBE PASSABILITY IN 85% OF CASES ALONG WITH THE PRESSURE NORMALIZATION IN TYMPANIC CAVITY. THEREFORE, THESE FINDINGS ALLOW TO EXPAND INDICATIONS FOR THE COMBINED IMMUNIZATION BY VACCINES AGAINST HIBB AND PNEUMOCOCCAL INFECTION, AS WELL AS TO PURSUE IMMUNIZATION WITH PNEUMO 23 AND ACT-HIB VACCINES BY PNEUMO 23 AND ACTBHIB IN CHILDREN, WHO ARE PRONE TO FREQUENT AND PROLONGED RECURRENT OTITES MEDIA AND ADENOID VEGETATION AUXESIS.KEY WORDS: VACCINATION, CHILDREN, H. INFLUENZAE, S. PNEUMONIAE, OTITES MEDIA.

  5. Determinants of Household Food Security in Drought Prone Areas of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper documents the determinants of household-level food security based on the data collected in 2003 from 954 randomly-selected households in major drought-prone areas of Ethiopia; namely from the West and East Haraghe zones of Oromiya and South Gonder zone of Amhara. The food security is assessed using ...

  6. A study of the positioning errors of head and neck in the process of intensity modulation radiated therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin Chengguang; Lin Liuwen; Liu Bingti; Liu Xiaomao; Li Guowen

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the positioning errors of head and neck during intensity-modulated radiation therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: Nineteen patients with middle-advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (T 2-4 N 1-3 M 0 ), treated by intensity-modulated radiation therapy, underwent repeated CT during their 6-week treatment course. All the patients were immobilized by head-neck-shoulder thermoplastic mask. We evaluated their anatomic landmark coordinated in a total of 66 repeated CT data sets and respective x, y, z shifts relative to their position in the planning CT. Results: The positioning error of the neck was 2.44 mm ± 2.24 mm, 2.05 mm ± 1.42 mm, 1.83 mm ± 1.53 mm in x, y, z respectively. And that of the head was 1.05 mm ± 0.87 mm, 1.23 mm ± 1.05 mm, 1.17 mm ± 1.55 mm respectively. The positioning error between neck and head have respectively statistical difference (t=-6.58, -5.28, -3.42, P=0.000, 0.000, 0.001). The system error of the neck was 2.33, 1.67 and 1.56 higher than that of the head, respectively in left-right, vertical and head-foot directions; and the random error of neck was 2.57, 1.34 and 0.99 higher than that of head respectively. Conclusions: In the process of the intensity-modulated radiation therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with the immobilization by head-neck-shoulder thermoplastic mask, the positioning error of neck is higher than that of head. (authors)

  7. Pre-existing differences in motivation for food and sensitivity to cocaine-induced locomotion in obesity-prone rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vollbrecht, Peter J; Nobile, Cameron W; Chadderdon, Aaron M; Jutkiewicz, Emily M; Ferrario, Carrie R

    2015-12-01

    Obesity is a significant problem in the United States, with roughly one third of adults having a body mass index (BMI) over thirty. Recent evidence from human studies suggests that pre-existing differences in the function of mesolimbic circuits that mediate motivational processes may promote obesity and hamper weight loss. However, few preclinical studies have examined pre-existing neurobehavioral differences related to the function of mesolimbic systems in models of individual susceptibility to obesity. Here, we used selectively bred obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats to examine 1) the effect of a novel "junk-food" diet on the development of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, 2) over-consumption of "junk-food" in a free access procedure, 3) motivation for food using instrumental procedures, and 4) cocaine-induced locomotor activity as an index of general mesolimbic function. As expected, eating a sugary, fatty, "junk-food" diet exacerbated weight gain and increased fasted insulin levels only in obesity-prone rats. In addition, obesity-prone rats continued to over-consume junk-food during discrete access testing, even when this same food was freely available in the home cage. Furthermore, when asked to press a lever to obtain food in an instrumental task, rates of responding were enhanced in obesity-prone versus obesity-resistant rats. Finally, obesity-prone rats showed a stronger locomotor response to 15 mg/kg cocaine compared to obesity-resistant rats prior to any diet manipulation. This enhanced sensitivity to this dose of cocaine is indicative of basal differences in the function of mesolimbic circuits in obesity-prone rats. We speculate that pre-existing differences in motivational systems may contribute to over-consumption and enhanced motivation in susceptible individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Pre-existing differences in motivation for food and sensitivity to cocaine-induced locomotion in obesity-prone rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vollbrecht, Peter J.; Nobile, Cameron W.; Chadderdon, Aaron M.; Jutkiewicz, Emily M.; Ferrario, Carrie R.

    2015-01-01

    Obesity is a significant problem in the United States, with roughly one third of adults having a body mass index (BMI) over thirty. Recent evidence from human studies suggests that pre-existing differences in the function of mesolimbic circuits that mediate motivational processes may promote obesity and hamper weight loss. However, few preclinical studies have examined pre-existing neurobehavioral differences related to the function of mesolimbic systems in models of individual susceptibility to obesity. Here, we used selectively bred obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats to examine 1) the effect of a novel “junk-food” diet on the development of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, 2) over-consumption of “junk-food” in a free access procedure, 3) motivation for food using instrumental procedures, and 4) cocaine-induced locomotor activity as an index of general mesolimbic function. As expected, eating a sugary, fatty, “junk-food” diet exacerbated weight gain and increased fasted insulin levels only in obesity-prone rats. In addition, obesity-prone rats continued to over-consume junk-food during discrete access testing, even when this same food was freely available in the home cage. Furthermore, when asked to press a lever to obtain food in an instrumental task, rates of responding were enhanced in obesity-prone versus obesity-resistant rats. Finally, obesity-prone rats showed a stronger locomotor response to 15 mg/kg cocaine compared to obesity-resistant rats prior to any diet manipulation. This enhanced sensitivity to this dose of cocaine is indicative of basal differences in the function of mesolimbic circuits in obesity-prone rats. We speculate that pre-existing differences in motivational systems may contribute to over-consumption and enhanced motivation in susceptible individuals. PMID:26423787

  9. Ribociclib as First-Line Therapy for HR-Positive, Advanced Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hortobagyi, Gabriel N; Stemmer, Salomon M; Burris, Howard A; Yap, Yoon-Sim; Sonke, Gabe S; Paluch-Shimon, Shani; Campone, Mario; Blackwell, Kimberly L; André, Fabrice; Winer, Eric P; Janni, Wolfgang; Verma, Sunil; Conte, Pierfranco; Arteaga, Carlos L; Cameron, David A; Petrakova, Katarina; Hart, Lowell L; Villanueva, Cristian; Chan, Arlene; Jakobsen, Erik; Nusch, Arnd; Burdaeva, Olga; Grischke, Eva-Maria; Alba, Emilio; Wist, Erik; Marschner, Norbert; Favret, Anne M; Yardley, Denise; Bachelot, Thomas; Tseng, Ling-Ming; Blau, Sibel; Xuan, Fengjuan; Souami, Farida; Miller, Michelle; Germa, Caroline; Hirawat, Samit; O'Shaughnessy, Joyce

    2016-11-03

    The inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) could potentially overcome or delay resistance to endocrine therapy in advanced breast cancer that is positive for hormone receptor (HR) and negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). In this randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the selective CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib combined with letrozole for first-line treatment in 668 postmenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who had not received previous systemic therapy for advanced disease. We randomly assigned the patients to receive either ribociclib (600 mg per day on a 3-weeks-on, 1-week-off schedule) plus letrozole (2.5 mg per day) or placebo plus letrozole. The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival. Secondary end points included overall survival, overall response rate, and safety. A preplanned interim analysis was performed on January 29, 2016, after 243 patients had disease progression or died. Prespecified criteria for superiority required a hazard ratio of 0.56 or less with P<1.29×10 -5 . The duration of progression-free survival was significantly longer in the ribociclib group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.72; P=3.29×10 -6 for superiority). The median duration of follow-up was 15.3 months. After 18 months, the progression-free survival rate was 63.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 54.6 to 70.3) in the ribociclib group and 42.2% (95% CI, 34.8 to 49.5) in the placebo group. In patients with measurable disease at baseline, the overall response rate was 52.7% and 37.1%, respectively (P<0.001). Common grade 3 or 4 adverse events that were reported in more than 10% of the patients in either group were neutropenia (59.3% in the ribociclib group vs. 0.9% in the placebo group) and leukopenia (21.0% vs. 0.6%); the rates of discontinuation because of adverse events were 7.5% and 2

  10. Survival benefit of anti-HER2 therapy after whole-brain radiotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer patients with brain metastasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qian; Chen, Jian; Yu, Xiaoli; Cai, Gang; Yang, Zhaozhi; Cao, Lu; Hu, Chaosu; Guo, Xiaomao; Sun, Jing; Chen, Jiayi

    2016-09-01

    We aimed to assess the survival benefit of epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer patients with brain metastasis (BM) after whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in combination with systemic treatments, especially anti-HER2 therapy. This retrospective study analyzed the overall survival (OS) of 60 HER2-positive breast cancer patients with BM after WBRT in combination with systemic treatments. Among them, 42 patients received chemotherapy while 18 patients did not receive after WBRT. With regard to anti-HER2 therapy, after WBRT, 17 patients received anti-HER2 treatment without prior adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy, 7 patients received anti-HER2 treatment with prior adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy, and 36 patients did not receive further anti-HER2 treatment. All patients were followed up regularly until January 23, 2013. The median OS of patients with BM was 12 months. Patients who received anti-HER2 therapy and chemotherapy after WBRT had significantly better survival compared with patients who did not receive further treatment. Patients who received anti-HER2 treatment after WBRT but did not receive adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy for early breast cancer had better OS, followed by patients who received anti-HER2 agent both in adjuvant treatment and after WBRT and patients who did not receive anti-HER2 treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that Karnofsky Performance Status, control of extracranial metastases, chemotherapy after WBRT, and anti-HER2 therapy combined with WBRT were all independent predictors for OS. Both chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy after WBRT could improve OS. Moreover, patients without prior exposure to adjuvant anti-HER2 treatment may have survival benefit superior to those of patients with prior exposure.

  11. Pre-existing differences and diet-induced alterations in striatal dopamine systems of obesity-prone rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vollbrecht, Peter J; Mabrouk, Omar S; Nelson, Andrew D; Kennedy, Robert T; Ferrario, Carrie R

    2016-03-01

    Interactions between pre-existing differences in mesolimbic function and neuroadaptations induced by consumption of fatty, sugary foods are thought to contribute to human obesity. This study examined basal and cocaine-induced changes in striatal neurotransmitter levels without diet manipulation and D2 /D3 dopamine receptor-mediated transmission prior to and after consumption of "junk-foods" in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats. Microdialysis and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to determine basal and cocaine-induced changes in neurotransmitter levels in real time with cocaine-induced locomotor activity. Sensitivity to the D2 /D3 dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole was examined before and after restricted junk-food exposure. Selectively bred obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats were used. Cocaine-induced locomotion was greater in obesity-prone rats versus obesity-resistant rats prior to diet manipulation. Basal and cocaine-induced increases in dopamine and serotonin levels did not differ. Obesity-prone rats were more sensitive to the D2 receptor-mediated effects of quinpirole, and junk-food produced modest alterations in quinpirole sensitivity in obesity-resistant rats. These data show that mesolimbic systems differ prior to diet manipulation in susceptible versus resistant rats, and that consumption of fatty, sugary foods produce different neuroadaptations in these populations. These differences may contribute to enhanced food craving and an inability to limit food intake in susceptible individuals. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

  12. When Passive Feels Active--Delusion-Proneness Alters Self-Recognition in the Moving Rubber Hand Illusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louzolo, Anaïs; Kalckert, Andreas; Petrovic, Predrag

    2015-01-01

    Psychotic patients have problems with bodily self-recognition such as the experience of self-produced actions (sense of agency) and the perception of the body as their own (sense of ownership). While it has been shown that such impairments in psychotic patients can be explained by hypersalient processing of external sensory input it has also been suggested that they lack normal efference copy in voluntary action. However, it is not known how problems with motor predictions like efference copy contribute to impaired sense of agency and ownership in psychosis or psychosis-related states. We used a rubber hand illusion based on finger movements and measured sense of agency and ownership to compute a bodily self-recognition score in delusion-proneness (indexed by Peters' Delusion Inventory - PDI). A group of healthy subjects (n=71) experienced active movements (involving motor predictions) or passive movements (lacking motor predictions). We observed a highly significant correlation between delusion-proneness and self-recognition in the passive conditions, while no such effect was observed in the active conditions. This was seen for both ownership and agency scores. The result suggests that delusion-proneness is associated with hypersalient external input in passive conditions, resulting in an abnormal experience of the illusion. We hypothesize that this effect is not present in the active condition because deficient motor predictions counteract hypersalience in psychosis proneness.

  13. SU-E-J-115: Graticule for Verification of Treatment Position in Neutron Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halford, R; Snyder, M

    2012-06-01

    Until recently the treatment verification for patients undergoing fast neutron therapy at our facility was accomplished through a combination of neutron beam portal films aligned with a graticule mounted on an orthronormal x-ray tube. To eliminate uncertainty with respect to the relative positions of the x-ray graticule and the therapy beam, we have developed a graticule which is placed in the neutron beam itself. For a graticule to be visible on the portal film, the attenuation of the neutron beam by the graticule landmarks must be significantly greater than that of the material in which the landmarks are mounted. Various materials, thicknesses, and mounting points were tried to gain the largest contrast between the graticule landmarks and the mounting material. The final design involved 2 inch steel pins of 0.125 inch diameter captured between two parallel plates of 0.25 inch thick clear acrylic plastic. The distance between the two acrylic plates was 1.625 inches, held together at the perimeter with acrylic sidewall spacers. This allowed the majority of length of the steel pins to be surrounded by air. The pins were set 1 cm apart and mounted at angles parallel to the divergence of the beam dependent on their position within the array. The entire steel pin and acrylic plate assembly was mounted on an acrylic accessory tray to allow for graticule alignment. Despite the inherent difficulties in attenuating fast neutrons, our simple graticule design produces the required difference of attenuation between the arrays of landmarks and the mounting material. The graticule successfully provides an in-beam frame of reference for patient portal verification. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  14. How do the features of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy contribute to positive therapeutic change? A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cairns, Victoria; Murray, Craig

    2015-05-01

    The exploration of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy through qualitative investigation is a growing area of interest within current literature, providing valuable understanding of the process of change experienced by those engaging in this therapeutic approach. This meta-synthesis aims to gain a deeper understanding of how the features of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy contribute to positive therapeutic change. Noblit and Hare's (1988) 7-step meta-ethnography method was conducted in order to synthesize the findings of seven qualitative studies. The process of reciprocal translation identified the following five major themes: i) Taking control through understanding, awareness and acceptance; ii) The impact of the group; (iii) Taking skills into everyday life; (iv) Feelings towards the self; (v) The role of expectations. The synthesis of translation identified the higher order concept of "The Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy Journey to Change", which depicts the complex interaction between the five themes in relation to how they contribute to positive therapeutic change. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research, theory and their implications for clinical practice.

  15. Disfiguring molluscum contagiosum in a HIV-positive patient responding to antiretroviral therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sen Sumit

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Molluscum contagiosum (MC is caused by a double stranded DNA virus belonging to the pox virus family. MC lesions are usually pearly, dome shaped, small, discrete lesions with central umbilication. In HIV-positive patients atypical varieties are found. They may be large or nonumbilicated. Individual papules may join to form the agminate variety. This form is rare. Lesions of MC in healthy immunocompetent patients may occur at any part of the body including face, trunk, and limbs. Sexually active adults have lesions usually on the genitalia, pubis, and inner thigh, rarely on the face and scalp. We present a case of agminate MC occurring in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency disease responding to highly active antiretroviral therapy.

  16. Clinical Characteristics of Exacerbation-Prone Adult Asthmatics Identified by Cluster Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Mi Ae; Shin, Seung Woo; Park, Jong Sook; Uh, Soo Taek; Chang, Hun Soo; Bae, Da Jeong; Cho, You Sook; Park, Hae Sim; Yoon, Ho Joo; Choi, Byoung Whui; Kim, Yong Hoon; Park, Choon Sik

    2017-11-01

    Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by various types of airway inflammation and obstruction. Therefore, it is classified into several subphenotypes, such as early-onset atopic, obese non-eosinophilic, benign, and eosinophilic asthma, using cluster analysis. A number of asthmatics frequently experience exacerbation over a long-term follow-up period, but the exacerbation-prone subphenotype has rarely been evaluated by cluster analysis. This prompted us to identify clusters reflecting asthma exacerbation. A uniform cluster analysis method was applied to 259 adult asthmatics who were regularly followed-up for over 1 year using 12 variables, selected on the basis of their contribution to asthma phenotypes. After clustering, clinical profiles and exacerbation rates during follow-up were compared among the clusters. Four subphenotypes were identified: cluster 1 was comprised of patients with early-onset atopic asthma with preserved lung function, cluster 2 late-onset non-atopic asthma with impaired lung function, cluster 3 early-onset atopic asthma with severely impaired lung function, and cluster 4 late-onset non-atopic asthma with well-preserved lung function. The patients in clusters 2 and 3 were identified as exacerbation-prone asthmatics, showing a higher risk of asthma exacerbation. Two different phenotypes of exacerbation-prone asthma were identified among Korean asthmatics using cluster analysis; both were characterized by impaired lung function, but the age at asthma onset and atopic status were different between the two. Copyright © 2017 The Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology · The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease

  17. Disgust proneness and associated neural substrates in obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watkins, Tristan J; Di Iorio, Christina R; Olatunji, Bunmi O; Benningfield, Margaret M; Blackford, Jennifer U; Dietrich, Mary S; Bhatia, Monisha; Theiss, Justin D; Salomon, Ronald M; Niswender, Kevin; Cowan, Ronald L

    2016-03-01

    Defects in experiencing disgust may contribute to obesity by allowing for the overconsumption of food. However, the relationship of disgust proneness and its associated neural locus has yet to be explored in the context of obesity. Thirty-three participants (17 obese, 16 lean) completed the Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised and a functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm where images from 4 categories (food, contaminates, contaminated food or fixation) were randomly presented. Independent two-sample t-tests revealed significantly lower levels of Disgust Sensitivity for the obese group (mean score = 14.7) compared with the lean group (mean score = 17.6, P = 0.026). The obese group had less activation in the right insula than the lean group when viewing contaminated food images. Multiple regression with interaction analysis revealed one left insula region where the association of Disgust Sensitivity scores with activation differed by group when viewing contaminated food images. These interaction effects were driven by the negative correlation of Disgust Sensitivity scores with beta values extracted from the left insula in the obese group (r = -0.59) compared with a positive correlation in the lean group (r = 0.65). Given these body mass index-dependent differences in Disgust Sensitivity and neural responsiveness to disgusting food images, it is likely that altered Disgust Sensitivity may contribute to obesity. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. How Informative are the Vertical Buoyancy and the Prone Gliding Tests to Assess Young Swimmers’ Hydrostatic and Hydrodynamic Profiles?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbosa, Tiago M.; Costa, Mário J.; Morais, Jorge E; Moreira, Marc; Silva, António J.; Marinho, Daniel A.

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this research was to develop a path-flow analysis model to highlight the relationships between buoyancy and prone gliding tests and some selected anthropometrical and biomechanical variables. Thirty-eight young male swimmers (12.97 ± 1.05 years old) with several competitive levels were evaluated. It were assessed the body mass, height, fat mass, body surface area, vertical buoyancy, prone gliding after wall push-off, stroke length, stroke frequency and velocity after a maximal 25 [m] swim. The confirmatory model included the body mass, height, fat mass, prone gliding test, stroke length, stroke frequency and velocity. All theoretical paths were verified except for the vertical buoyancy test that did not present any relationship with anthropometrical and biomechanical variables nor with the prone gliding test. The good-of-fit from the confirmatory path-flow model, assessed with the standardized root mean square residuals (SRMR), is considered as being close to the cut-off value, but even so not suitable of the theory (SRMR = 0.11). As a conclusion, vertical buoyancy and prone gliding tests are not the best techniques to assess the swimmer’s hydrostatic and hydrodynamic profile, respectively. PMID:23486528

  19. Importance of Local Control in Early-Stage Prostate Cancer: Outcomes of Patients With Positive Post-Radiation Therapy Biopsy Results Treated in RTOG 9408

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krauss, Daniel J.; Hu, Chen; Bahary, Jean-Paul; Souhami, Luis; Gore, Elizabeth M.; Chafe, Susan Maria Jacinta; Leibenhaut, Mark H.; Narayan, Samir; Torres-Roca, Javier; Michalski, Jeff; Zeitzer, Kenneth L.; Donavanik, Viroon; Sandler, Howard; McGowan, David G.; Jones, Christopher U.; Shipley, William U.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between positive post-radiation therapy (RT) biopsy results and subsequent clinical outcomes in males with localized prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group study 94-08 analyzed 1979 males with prostate cancer, stage T1b-T2b and prostate-specific antigen concentrations of ≤20 ng/dL, to investigate whether 4 months of total androgen suppression (TAS) added to RT improved survival compared to RT alone. Patients randomized to receive TAS received flutamide with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist. According to protocol, patients without evidence of clinical recurrence or initiation of additional endocrine therapy underwent repeat prostate biopsy 2 years after RT completion. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of positive post-RT biopsy results on clinical outcomes. Results: A total of 831 patients underwent post-RT biopsy, 398 were treated with RT alone and 433 with RT plus TAS. Patients with positive post-RT biopsy results had higher rates of biochemical failure (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-2.1) and distant metastasis (HR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.3-4.4) and inferior disease-specific survival (HR = 3.8; 95% CI = 1.9-7.5). Positive biopsy results remained predictive of such outcomes after correction for potential confounders such as Gleason score, tumor stage, and TAS administration. Prior TAS therapy did not prevent elevated risk of adverse outcome in the setting of post-RT positive biopsy results. Patients with Gleason score ≥7 with a positive biopsy result additionally had inferior overall survival compared to those with a negative biopsy result (HR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.04-2.35). Conclusions: Positive post-RT biopsy is associated with increased rates of distant metastases and inferior disease-specific survival in patients treated with definitive RT and was associated with inferior overall

  20. Supraglottic carcinoma: Impact of radiation therapy on outcome of patients with positive margins and extracapsular nodal disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devineni, V.R.; Simpson, J.R.; Sessions, D.; Spector, J.G.; Hayden, R.; Fredrickson, J.; Fineberg, B.

    1991-01-01

    Seventy-nine patients with supraglottic carcinoma treated between 1966 and 1985 are reviewed. All patients were treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. Thirty-five percent of the patients had positive margins at the site of resection of the primary tumor. Of the 25 patients who had positive nodal disease, 13 patients (52%) had either extracapsular extension or soft-tissue or adjacent organ invasion, referred to in composite as grave signs. The median follow-up of the patients was 4.9 years and all patients were followed for a minimum of 3 years. The disease-free survival for all patients was 76% at 2 years and 71% at 3 years. The locoregional control rate for all patients was 70%. This study demonstrates that there is no difference in local recurrence or disease-free survival, or time to recurrence relative to the status of the surgical margins, which may be a benefit of the postoperative radiation therapy. This study also demonstrates that there is an increase in the number of patients with grave signs with increasing nodal stage. The rate of neck recurrence in patients with grave signs was substantially higher (54%) than in patients without grave signs (8%), even though these patients also had positive lymph nodes. Interestingly, there was also a higher rate of local recurrence among patients who had grave signs. Patients receiving doses higher than 6000 cGy to the primary site had fewer local failures, although within each group of patients with positive or negative surgical margins the differences in survival were minimal

  1. 44 CFR 60.23 - Planning considerations for mudslide (i.e., mudflow)-prone areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... standards for schools, hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, correctional and other residential institutions...)-prone areas; (j) Deterring the nonessential installation of public utilities and public facilities in...

  2. Poster - 33: Dosimetry Comparison of Prone Breast Forward and Inverse Treatment planning considering daily setup variations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Runqing; Zhan, Lixin; Osei, Ernest [Grand River Regional Cancer Centre (Canada)

    2016-08-15

    Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of daily setup variations on prone breast forward field-in-field (FinF) and inverse IMRT treatment planning. Methods: Rando Phantom (Left breast) and Pixy phantom (Right breast) were built and CT scanned in prone position. The treatment planning (TP) is performed in Eclipse TP system. Forward FinF plan and inverse IMRT plan were created to satisfy the CTV coverage and OARs criteria. The daily setup variations were assumed to be 5 mm at left-right, superior-inferior, and anterior-posterior directions. The DVHs of CTV coverage and OARs were compared for both forward FinF plan and inverse IMRT plans due to 5mm setup variation. Results and Discussions: DVHs of CTV coverage had fewer variations for 5m setup variation for forward FinF and inverse IMRT plan for both phantoms. However, for the setup variations in the left-right direction, the DVH of CTV coverage of IMRT plan showed the worst variation due to lateral setup variation for both phantoms. For anterior-posterior variation, the CTV could not get full coverage when the breast chest wall is shallow; however, with the guidance of MV imaging, breast chest wall will be checked during the MV imaging setup. So the setup variations have more effects on inverse IMRT plan, compared to forward FinF plan, especially in the left-right direction. Conclusions: The Forward FinF plan was recommended clinically considering daily setup variation.

  3. A phase II trial for the optimisation of treatment position in the radiation therapy of prostate cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    O'Neill, L.; Armstrong, J.; Buckney, S.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Patient immobilisation and position are important contributors to the reproducibility and accuracy of radiation therapy. In addition the choice of position can alter the external contour of the treated area and has the potential to alter the spatial relationship between internal organs...... was reduced to 5 mm. The outer circumference of the bladder, rectal wall, small bowel (when present) was drawn along with femoral heads. 3D conformal treatment plans were computed using Helax TMS version 6.1B. A 3-field treatment technique was employed with energy of 10/15 MV. The prescribed dose was 70 Gy...

  4. A study on the application of prone compression study for obese patients in upper gastrointestinal series

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Son, Soon Yong; Jung, Hong Ryang

    1999-01-01

    The aim of this study is to measure the application of prone compression study using compression paddle for obese patients in upper gastrointestinal series. Prone compression study using compression paddle was performed in fifty patients, who were not examined completely erect compression study for obesity. The radiographs of stomach were classified into the lower, middle, and high body, and then we gave five points included 'very poor', 'poor', 'suspicious', 'good', and 'complete' according to level of detection for area gastric and mucosal fold. Statistic analysis was performed using T-test and ANOVA, and confidence rate was fixed in 95%(P 0.05). As these results, the prone compression study in upper gastrointestinal series seem to be an useful study for obese patients, because it decreases pain and the feeling of uneasiness, and improve compression efficiency remarkably

  5. Stem cell therapy for the systemic right ventricle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Si, Ming-Sing; Ohye, Richard G

    2017-11-01

    In specific forms of congenital heart defects and pulmonary hypertension, the right ventricle (RV) is exposed to systemic levels of pressure overload. The RV is prone to failure in these patients because of its vulnerability to chronic pressure overload. As patients with a systemic RV reach adulthood, an emerging epidemic of RV failure has become evident. Medical therapies proven for LV failure are ineffective in treating RV failure. Areas covered: In this review, the pathophysiology of the failing RV under pressure overload is discussed, with specific emphasis on the pivotal roles of angiogenesis and oxidative stress. Studies investigating the ability of stem cell therapy to improve angiogenesis and mitigate oxidative stress in the setting of pressure overload are then reviewed. Finally, clinical trials utilizing stem cell therapy to prevent RV failure under pressure overload in congenital heart disease will be discussed. Expert commentary: Although considerable hurdles remain before their mainstream clinical implementation, stem cell therapy possesses revolutionary potential in the treatment of patients with failing systemic RVs who currently have very limited long-term treatment options. Rigorous clinical trials of stem cell therapy for RV failure that target well-defined mechanisms will ensure success adoption of this therapeutic strategy.

  6. Different nutritional-state indicators of HIV-positive individuals undergoing antiretroviral therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Geraix

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed at learning about the nutritional profile of HIV-positive individuals undergoing antiretroviral therapy and at comparing the performance of nutritional-state indicators. A transversal study was performed on 94 patients attending the Tropical Diseases Outpatient Hospital of Botucatu Medical School (FMB - UNESP. The body mass index (BMI and the classification by Papini-Berto (PB were used to evaluate nutritional state, aiming at detecting malnutrition and obesity. The waist-to-hips ratio (W/HR and waist circumference (WC were adopted for identification of abdominal obesity and lipodystrophy. According to BMI, most of the individuals were eutrophic, followed by 30.9% overweight and 6.4% malnourished. By using the PB classification, the frequency of malnourished increased (22.3%. The analysis of the PB classification in relation to BMI indicated that the former presented high sensitivity and good specificity for malnutrition diagnosis, namely 100% and 83%, respectively. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 7.44% according to WC, and a higher prevalence (38.3% was observed when taking W/HR into account. There was significant positive association between nutritional diagnosis according to PB and T CD4+ lymphocyte. The results support the use of PB classification for malnutrition detection as well as that of BMI and W/HR for overweight and fat redistribution.

  7. Reduction of cerebral injury in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats by amlodipine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blezer, E.L.A.; Nicolaij, K.; Goldschmeding, R.C.; Koomans, H.A.; Joles, Jaap

    2002-01-01

    Dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel antagonists, initiated together with high salt intake, prevent the development of hypertension and subsequent cerebral damage in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). We hypothesized that the dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel antagonist amlodipine

  8. Purification and crystallization of the catalytic PRONE domain of RopGEF8 and its complex with Rop4 from Arabidopsis thaliana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, Christoph; Weyand, Michael; Wittinghofer, Alfred; Berken, Antje

    2006-01-01

    Crystals of the catalytic PRONE domain of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor RopGEF8 and its complex with the Rho-family protein Rop4 from A. thaliana were obtained that diffract to 2.2 and 3.1 Å resolution, respectively. The PRONE domain of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor RopGEF8 (PRONE8) was purified and crystallized free and in complex with the Rho-family protein Rop4 using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. PRONE8 crystals were obtained using NaCl as precipitating agent and belong to the hexagonal space group P6 5 22. Native and anomalous data sets were collected using synchrotron radiation at 100 K to 2.2 and 2.8 Å resolution, respectively. Crystals of the Rop4–PRONE8 complex belonging to space group P6 3 were obtained using Tacsimate and PEG 3350 as precipitating agents and diffracted to 3.1 Å resolution

  9. Purification and crystallization of the catalytic PRONE domain of RopGEF8 and its complex with Rop4 from Arabidopsis thaliana

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomas, Christoph; Weyand, Michael; Wittinghofer, Alfred; Berken, Antje, E-mail: antje.berken@mpi-dortmund.mpg.de [Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund (Germany)

    2006-06-01

    Crystals of the catalytic PRONE domain of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor RopGEF8 and its complex with the Rho-family protein Rop4 from A. thaliana were obtained that diffract to 2.2 and 3.1 Å resolution, respectively. The PRONE domain of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor RopGEF8 (PRONE8) was purified and crystallized free and in complex with the Rho-family protein Rop4 using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. PRONE8 crystals were obtained using NaCl as precipitating agent and belong to the hexagonal space group P6{sub 5}22. Native and anomalous data sets were collected using synchrotron radiation at 100 K to 2.2 and 2.8 Å resolution, respectively. Crystals of the Rop4–PRONE8 complex belonging to space group P6{sub 3} were obtained using Tacsimate and PEG 3350 as precipitating agents and diffracted to 3.1 Å resolution.

  10. Modelling Hepatitis B Virus Antiviral Therapy and Drug Resistant Mutant Strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernal, Julie; Dix, Trevor; Allison, Lloyd; Bartholomeusz, Angeline; Yuen, Lilly

    Despite the existence of vaccines, the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still a serious global health concern. HBV targets liver cells. It has an unusual replication process involving an RNA pre-genome that the reverse transcriptase domain of the viral polymerase protein translates into viral DNA. The reverse transcription process is error prone and together with the high replication rates of the virus, allows the virus to exist as a heterogeneous population of mutants, known as a quasispecies, that can adapt and become resistant to antiviral therapy. This study presents an individual-based model of HBV inside an artificial liver, and associated blood serum, undergoing antiviral therapy. This model aims to provide insights into the evolution of the HBV quasispecies and the individual contribution of HBV mutations in the outcome of therapy.

  11. Predicting for activity of second-line trastuzumab-based therapy in her2-positive advanced breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rottenfusser Andrea

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Her2-positive advanced breast cancer, the upfront use of trastuzumab is well established. Upon progression on first-line therapy, patients may be switched to lapatinib. Others however remain candidates for continued antibody treatment (treatment beyond progression. Here, we aimed to identify factors predicting for activity of second-line trastuzumab-based therapy. Methods Ninety-seven patients treated with > 1 line of trastuzumab-containing therapy were available for this analysis. Her2-status was determined by immunohistochemistry and re-analyzed by FISH if a score of 2+ was gained. Time to progression (TTP on second-line therapy was defined as primary study endpoint. TTP and overall survival (OS were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. Multivariate analyses (Cox proportional hazards model, multinomial logistic regression were applied in order to identify factors associated with TTP, response, OS, and incidence of brain metastases. p values Results Median TTP on second-line trastuzumab-based therapy was 7 months (95% CI 5.74-8.26, and 8 months (95% CI 6.25-9.74 on first-line, respectively (n.s.. In the multivariate models, none of the clinical or histopthological features could reliably predict for activity of second-line trastuzumab-based treatment. OS was 43 months suggesting improved survival in patients treated with trastuzumab in multiple-lines. A significant deterioration of cardiac function was observed in three patients; 40.2% developed brain metastases while on second-line trastuzumab or thereafter. Conclusion Trastuzumab beyond progression showed considerable activity. None of the variables investigated correlated with activity of second-line therapy. In order to predict for activity of second-line trastuzumab, it appears necessary to evaluate factors known to confer trastuzumab-resistance.

  12. Modeling interactions betweenspotted owl and barred owl populations in fire-prone forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Background / Question / Methods Efforts to conserve northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in the eastern Cascades of Washington must merge the challenges of providing sufficient structurally complex forest habitat in a fire-prone landscape with the limitations impos...

  13. TU-H-CAMPUS-JeP2-01: Inter-Observer Delineation Comparison of Visible Glandular Breast Tissue On Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography (prone and Supine)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pogson, EM; Delaney, G; Yap, M; Ahern, V; Boxer, M; David, S; Dimigen, M; Harvey, J; Koh, E; Batumalai, V; Lim, K; Papadatos, G; Metcalfe, P

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Breast cancers predominantly arise from Glandular Breast Tissue (GBT). If the GBT can be treated effectively post-operatively utilising radiotherapy this may be adequate volumetric coverage for adjuvant breast radiotherapy. Adequate imaging of the GBT is necessary and will be assessed between MRI and CT modalities. GBT visualisation is acknowledged to be qualitatively superior on Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) compared to Computed Tomography (CT), the current radiotherapy imaging standard, however this has not been quantitatively assessed. For radiotherapy purposes it is important that any treatment volume can be consistently defined between observers. This study investigates the consistency of CT and MRI GBT contours for potential radiotherapy planning. Methods: Ten experts (9 breast radiation oncologists and 1 radiologist) contoured the extent of the visible GBT for 33 patients on MRI and CT (both without contrast), which was performed according to a contouring guideline in supine and prone patient positions. The GBT volume was not a conventional whole breast radiotherapy planning volume, but rather the extent of GBT that was indicated from the CT or MR imaging. Volumes were compared utilizing the dice similarity coefficient (DSC), kappa statistic, and Hausdorff Distances (HDs) to ascertain the modality that was most consistently volumed. Results: The inter-observer concordance was of substantial agreement (kappa above 0.6) for the CT supine, CT prone, MRI supine and MRI prone datasets. The MRI GBT volumes were larger than the CT GBT volumes (p<0.001). Inter-observer conformity was higher for CT than MRI, although the magnitude of this difference was small (VOI<0.04). Conformity between modalities (CT and MRI) was in agreement for both prone and supine, DSC=0.75. Prone GBT volumes were larger than supine for both MRI and CT. Conclusion: MRI improves the extent of GBT delineation. The role of MRI guided, GBT-targeted radiotherapy requires investigation in

  14. TU-H-CAMPUS-JeP2-01: Inter-Observer Delineation Comparison of Visible Glandular Breast Tissue On Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography (prone and Supine)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pogson, EM [Institute of Medical Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia); University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW (Australia); Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Delaney, G; Yap, M [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW (Australia); South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (Australia); School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Ahern, V [Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW (Australia); Boxer, M [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW (Australia); David, S [Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute,, Melbourne, VIC (Australia); Dimigen, M [Department of Radiology, Liverpool Hospital, NSW (United Kingdom); Harvey, J [University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD (Australia); Princess Alexandra Hospital, QLD (Australia); Koh, E; Batumalai, V [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW (Australia); South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (Australia); Lim, K; Papadatos, G [Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Metcalfe, P [University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW (Australia); Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres, Liverpool, NSW (United Kingdom); Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW (Australia); and others

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Breast cancers predominantly arise from Glandular Breast Tissue (GBT). If the GBT can be treated effectively post-operatively utilising radiotherapy this may be adequate volumetric coverage for adjuvant breast radiotherapy. Adequate imaging of the GBT is necessary and will be assessed between MRI and CT modalities. GBT visualisation is acknowledged to be qualitatively superior on Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) compared to Computed Tomography (CT), the current radiotherapy imaging standard, however this has not been quantitatively assessed. For radiotherapy purposes it is important that any treatment volume can be consistently defined between observers. This study investigates the consistency of CT and MRI GBT contours for potential radiotherapy planning. Methods: Ten experts (9 breast radiation oncologists and 1 radiologist) contoured the extent of the visible GBT for 33 patients on MRI and CT (both without contrast), which was performed according to a contouring guideline in supine and prone patient positions. The GBT volume was not a conventional whole breast radiotherapy planning volume, but rather the extent of GBT that was indicated from the CT or MR imaging. Volumes were compared utilizing the dice similarity coefficient (DSC), kappa statistic, and Hausdorff Distances (HDs) to ascertain the modality that was most consistently volumed. Results: The inter-observer concordance was of substantial agreement (kappa above 0.6) for the CT supine, CT prone, MRI supine and MRI prone datasets. The MRI GBT volumes were larger than the CT GBT volumes (p<0.001). Inter-observer conformity was higher for CT than MRI, although the magnitude of this difference was small (VOI<0.04). Conformity between modalities (CT and MRI) was in agreement for both prone and supine, DSC=0.75. Prone GBT volumes were larger than supine for both MRI and CT. Conclusion: MRI improves the extent of GBT delineation. The role of MRI guided, GBT-targeted radiotherapy requires investigation in

  15. Quality Improvement of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chien-Yi; Chou, An-Kuo; Chen, Yu-Lien; Chou, Hung-Chieh; Tsao, Po-Nien; Hsieh, Wu-Shiun

    2017-06-01

    Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) therapy is widely used in neonates, but the clinical practice varies. However, nursing practice differs among individuals, and an inappropriate application method may delay the respiratory therapy, influence the beneficial effect of NCPAP, and increase complications. We introduced a quality improvement project to expedite the application of NCPAP therapy and decrease the incidence of nasal trauma. A new strategy of mobile NCPAP cart with prepacked fixation kits and a written protocol was implemented from April 2006. All medical staff answered a questionnaire to assess their basic knowledge before and after intensive training. The records of the patients who were treated with NCPAP from October 2005 to November 2006 were reviewed. Fifty-nine medical staff were involved in the project, and their mean score for the questionnaire improved from 69.2 points to 98.3 points after training. From October 2005 to November 2006, 113 infants were recruited in total and 82 of them were admitted after the protocol was implemented. The NCPAP cart dramatically shortened the preparation time (from 520 seconds to 72 seconds) and the application time (from 468 seconds to 200 seconds). The use of the nursing protocol significantly decreased the incidence of nasal trauma in the study population (45.2% vs. 19.6%, p = 0.006), but not in infants with a birth weight of < 1000 g. Risk factors for nasal skin trauma included lower gestational age and birth weight, longer duration of NCPAP use, and lack of standardized nursing care. The mobile NCPAP cart with prepacked fixation kits is a practical way of expediting the initiation of NCPAP therapy. The written nursing protocol decreased the incidence of nasal trauma in infants, except for those with an extremely low birth weight. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Thoracoscopic part of minimal invasive oesophagectomy in semiprone position: our initial experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakkar, Chirag M; Kumar, Alankar V; Soni, Harshad N; Shah, Atul J; Patel, Kantilal S; Haribhakti, Sanjiv P

    2014-08-01

    Surgical resection with curative intent is till the mainstay of treatment for resectable esophageal cancer. Minimal invasive oesophagectomy has the potential to lower morbidity and mortality. In all likelihood, thoracoscopic oesophagectomy in semiprone position gives all the benefits of prone position and can be converted to thoracotomy without change in patient position if needed. The aim of this study is to analyze the feasibility of thoracoscopic oesophagectomy in semiprone position. This is a retrospective analysis of the data of thoracoscopic oesophgeactomy in semiprone position at Kaizen Hospital, a tertiary care center for gastroenterology during the period of December 2011 to December 2012. All surgeries were performed under general anesthesia with a single-lumen endotracheal tube. Esophageal mobilization was done by thoracoscopic approach in a semiprone position and an end-to-end hand-sewn cervical anastomosis was done. Abdominal part was performed by laparoscopic method in 3 patients and by laparotomy in rest of the patients. Total of 12 patients were included in this study. There was 1 conversion to thoracotomy and 1 surgical mortality. Mean operating time for the thoracoscopic part was 103 minutes, mean estimated blood loss for the thoracoscopic part was 110 mL, mean maximum end-tidal CO2 38.5 mm Hg, mean lymph nodes retrieved 14, and all patients had R0 resection. The median intensive care unit stay was 1 day and hospital stay was 8 days. Thoracoscopic part of thoracolaparoscopic oesophagectomy in semiprone position is a feasible option. It gives all advantages of prone position and thoracotomy is possible without change in patient position. However, further large-scale studies are required.

  17. De-Escalation Strategies in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-Positive Early Breast Cancer (BC): Final Analysis of the West German Study Group Adjuvant Dynamic Marker-Adjusted Personalized Therapy Trial Optimizing Risk Assessment and Therapy Response Prediction in Early BC HER2- and Hormone Receptor-Positive Phase II Randomized Trial-Efficacy, Safety, and Predictive Markers for 12 Weeks of Neoadjuvant Trastuzumab Emtansine With or Without Endocrine Therapy (ET) Versus Trastuzumab Plus ET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harbeck, Nadia; Gluz, Oleg; Christgen, Matthias; Kates, Ronald Ernest; Braun, Michael; Küemmel, Sherko; Schumacher, Claudia; Potenberg, Jochem; Kraemer, Stefan; Kleine-Tebbe, Anke; Augustin, Doris; Aktas, Bahriye; Forstbauer, Helmut; Tio, Joke; von Schumann, Raquel; Liedtke, Cornelia; Grischke, Eva-Maria; Schumacher, Johannes; Wuerstlein, Rachel; Kreipe, Hans Heinrich; Nitz, Ulrike Anneliese

    2017-09-10

    Purpose Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive/hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer is a distinct subgroup associated with lower chemotherapy sensitivity and slightly better outcome than HER2-positive/HR-negative disease. Little is known about the efficacy of the combination of endocrine therapy (ET) with trastuzumab or with the potent antibody-cytotoxic, anti-HER2 compound trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) with or without ET for this subgroup. The West German Study Group trial, ADAPT (Adjuvant Dynamic Marker-Adjusted Personalized Therapy Trial Optimizing Risk Assessment and Therapy Response Prediction in Early Breast Cancer) compares pathologic complete response (pCR) rates of T-DM1 versus trastuzumab with ET in early HER2-positive/HR-positive breast cancer. Patients and Methods In this prospective, neoadjuvant, phase II trial, 375 patients with early breast cancer with HER2-positive and HR-positive status (n = 463 screened) were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of T-DM1 with or without ET or to trastuzumab with ET. The primary end point was pCR (ypT0/is/ypN0). Early response was assessed in 3-week post-therapeutic core biopsies (proliferation decrease ≥ 30% Ki-67 or cellularity response). Secondary end points included safety and predictive impact of early response on pCR. Adjuvant therapy followed national standards. Results Baseline characteristics were well balanced among the arms. More than 90% of patients completed the therapy per protocol. pCR was observed in 41.0% of patients treated with T-DM1, 41.5% of patients treated with T-DM1 and ET, and 15.1% with trastuzumab and ET ( P < .001). Early responders (67% of patients with assessable response) achieved pCR in 35.7% compared with 19.8% in nonresponders (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.24 to 4.19). T-DM1 was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of grade 1 to 2 toxicities, especially thrombocytopenia, nausea, and elevation of liver enzymes. Overall toxicity was low; seventeen

  18. Development of Graves' ophthalmopathy and uveitis after radioiodine therapy for Graves' disease in a patient with HTLA-I associated myelopathy (HAM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozawa, Yasunori; Migita, Masayoshi; Watanabe, Tomoji; Okuda, Itsuko; Takeshita, Akira; Takagi, Akio; Shishiba, Yoshimasa

    1994-01-01

    HTLV-I carriers or patients with HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM) are prone to immune-mediated inflammatory disorders. We present a 44-year-old female with HAM who developed Graves' disease. She developed severe Graves' ophthalmopathy shortly after 131 I therapy, concurrently with a remarkable increase in TSH-receptor antibody titer. Ophthalmopathy was aggravated in spite of prednisolone therapy and euthyroidism being maintained by thyroxine replacement. Uveitis also developed after 131 I therapy and iridocyclitis finally required trabeculotomy. This case suggests that HAM patients may have a higher risk of immune-mediated Graves' ophthalmopathy after 131 I therapy.(author)

  19. Reduced Memory CD4+ T-Cell Generation in the Circulation of Young Children May Contribute to the Otitis-Prone Condition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Sharad K.; Casey, Janet R.

    2011-01-01

    Background. An explanation for the immunologic dysfunction that causes children to be prone to repeated episodes of acute otitis media (AOM) has long been sought. Poor antibody response has been associated with the otitis-prone condition; however, there is no precise mechanistic explanation for this condition. Methods. Non–otitis-prone and otitis-prone children with AOM or nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization caused by either Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae were compared for pathogen-specific CD4+ T-helper memory responses by stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells using 6 vaccine candidate S. pneumoniae and 3 H. influenzae protein antigens. Samples were analyzed by multi-parameter flow cytometry. Results. Significantly reduced percentages of functional CD45RALow memory CD4+ T cells producing specific cytokines (interferon γ, interleukin [IL]–2, IL-4 and IL-17a) were observed in otitis-prone children following AOM and NP colonization with either S. pneumoniae or H. influenzae. Immunoglobulin (Ig) G responses to the studied protein antigens were reduced, which suggests that antigen-specific B-cell function may be compromised as a result of poor T-cell help. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B stimulated similar cytokine patterns in memory CD4+T cells in both groups of children. Conclusions. Otitis-prone children have suboptimal circulating functional T-helper memory and reduced IgG responses to S. pneumoniae or H. influenzae after colonization and after AOM; this immune dysfunction causes susceptibility to recurrent AOM infections. PMID:21791667

  20. Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Processes in Psychosis: Refining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Persistent Positive Symptoms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuipers, Elizabeth; Garety, Philippa; Fowler, David; Freeman, Daniel; Dunn, Graham; Bebbington, Paul

    2006-01-01

    Psychosis used to be thought of as essentially a biological condition unamenable to psychological interventions. However, more recent research has shown that positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations are on a continuum with normality and therefore might also be susceptible to adaptations of the cognitive behavioral therapies found useful for anxiety and depression. In the context of a model of cognitive, emotional, and social processes in psychosis, the latest evidence for the putative psychological mechanisms that elicit and maintain symptoms is reviewed. There is now good support for emotional processes in psychosis, for the role of cognitive processes including reasoning biases, for the central role of appraisal, and for the effects of the social environment, including stress and trauma. We have also used virtual environments to test our hypotheses. These developments have improved our understanding of symptom dimensions such as distress and conviction and also provide a rationale for interventions, which have some evidence of efficacy. Therapeutic approaches are described as follows: a collaborative therapeutic relationship, managing dysphoria, helping service users reappraise their beliefs to reduce distress, working on negative schemas, managing and reducing stressful environments if possible, compensating for reasoning biases by using disconfirmation strategies, and considering the full range of evidence in order to reduce high conviction. Theoretical ideas supported by experimental evidence can inform the development of cognitive behavior therapy for persistent positive symptoms of psychosis. PMID:16885206

  1. Mapping radon-prone areas - a geophysical approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shirav, M. [Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem (Israel); Vulkan, U. [Soreq Nuclear Research Center, Yavne (Israel)

    1997-06-01

    Radon-prone areas in Israel were mapped on the basis of direct measurements of radon ({sup 222}Rn) in the soil/rock gas of all exposed geological units, supported by the accumulated knowledge of local stratigraphy and sub-surface geology. Measurements were carried out by a modified alpha-track detection system, resulting in high radon levels mainly in rocks of the Senonian-Paleocene-aged Mount Scopus Group, comprised of chert-bearing marly chalks, rich in phosphorite which acts as the major uranium source. Issues of source depth, seasonal variations and comparison with indoor radon levels are addressed as well. This approach could be applied to other similar terrains, especially the Mediterranean Phosphate Belt. (orig.)

  2. Mapping radon-prone areas - a geophysical approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirav, M.; Vulkan, U.

    1997-01-01

    Radon-prone areas in Israel were mapped on the basis of direct measurements of radon ( 222 Rn) in the soil/rock gas of all exposed geological units, supported by the accumulated knowledge of local stratigraphy and sub-surface geology. Measurements were carried out by a modified alpha-track detection system, resulting in high radon levels mainly in rocks of the Senonian-Paleocene-aged Mount Scopus Group, comprised of chert-bearing marly chalks, rich in phosphorite which acts as the major uranium source. Issues of source depth, seasonal variations and comparison with indoor radon levels are addressed as well. This approach could be applied to other similar terrains, especially the Mediterranean Phosphate Belt. (orig.)

  3. Theoretical approach towards increasing effectiveness of palatal surgery in obstructive sleep apnea: role for concomitant positional therapy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Maanen, J P; Witte, B I; de Vries, N

    2014-05-01

    The aims of this study are to evaluate the effect of palatal surgery (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) or Z-palatoplasty (ZPP)) with or without (+/-) concomitant radiofrequent ablation of the base of the tongue (RFTB) on body position-specific apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) values in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to compare this treatment outcome to the theoretical effect of (addition of) positional therapy (PT). Retrospective analysis of pre- and posttreatment polysomnographies in 139 patients who had undergone UPPP/ZPP +/- RFTB was performed. Hypothetical evaluation of the effects of (addition of) ideal PT on AHI in positional OSA (POSA) patients was carried out. Median AHI significantly decreased from 18.0 to 11.2 (p effect of body position needs to be taken into account. PT, either as monotherapy or in addition to surgery, theoretically has shown to improve treatment results dramatically in POSA patients. Prospective, controlled trials focusing on the effects of this combination of treatments should further evaluate this hypothetical conclusion.

  4. Radiation Therapy for Control of Soft-Tissue Sarcomas Resected With Positive Margins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeLaney, Thomas F.; Kepka, Lucyna; Goldberg, Saveli I.; Hornicek, Francis J.; Gebhardt, Mark C.; Yoon, Sam S.; Springfield, Dempsey S.; Raskin, Kevin A.; Harmon, David C.; Kirsch, David G.; Mankin, Henry J.; Rosenberg, Andrew E.; Nielsen, G. Petur; Suit, Herman D.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: Positive margins (PM) remain after surgery in some soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients. We investigated the efficacy of radiation therapy (RT) in STS patients with PM. Methods and Materials: A retrospective chart review was performed on 154 patients with STS at various anatomic sites with PM, defined as tumor on ink, who underwent RT with curative intent between 1970 and 2001. Local control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were evaluated by univariate (log-rank) and multivariate analysis of prognostic and treatment factors. Results: At 5 years, actuarial LC, DFS, and OS rates were: 76%, 46.7%, and 65.2%, respectively. LC was highest with extremity lesions (p 64 Gy (p 64 Gy had higher 5-year LC, DFS, and OS rates of 85%, 52.1%, and 67.8% vs. 66.1%, 41.8%, and 62.9% if ≤64 Gy, p 50), also significantly influenced OS. By multivariate analysis, the best predictors of LC were site (extremity vs. other), p 64 vs. ≤64 Gy), p 64 Gy, superficial location, and extremity site are associated with improved LC. OS is worse in patients with tumors with lesions >5 cm, grossly positive margins, and after local failure

  5. Position statement on ethics, equipoise and research on charged particle radiation therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheehan, Mark; Timlin, Claire; Peach, Ken; Binik, Ariella; Puthenparampil, Wilson; Lodge, Mark; Kehoe, Sean; Brada, Michael; Burnet, Neil; Clarke, Steve; Crellin, Adrian; Dunn, Michael; Fossati, Piero; Harris, Steve; Hocken, Michael; Hope, Tony; Ives, Jonathan; Kamada, Tadashi; London, Alex John; Miller, Robert; Parker, Michael; Pijls-Johannesma, Madelon; Savulescu, Julian; Short, Susan; Skene, Loane; Tsujii, Hirohiko; Tuan, Jeffrey; Weijer, Charles

    2014-08-01

    The use of charged-particle radiation therapy (CPRT) is an increasingly important development in the treatment of cancer. One of the most pressing controversies about the use of this technology is whether randomised controlled trials are required before this form of treatment can be considered to be the treatment of choice for a wide range of indications. Equipoise is the key ethical concept in determining which research studies are justified. However, there is a good deal of disagreement about how this concept is best understood and applied in the specific case of CPRT. This report is a position statement on these controversies that arises out of a workshop held at Wolfson College, Oxford in August 2011. The workshop brought together international leaders in the relevant fields (radiation oncology, medical physics, radiobiology, research ethics and methodology), including proponents on both sides of the debate, in order to make significant progress on the ethical issues associated with CPRT research. This position statement provides an ethical platform for future research and should enable further work to be done in developing international coordinated programmes of research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  6. Are brain and heart tissue prone to the development of thiamine deficiency?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klooster, Astrid; Larkin, James R.; Wiersema-Buist, Janneke; Gans, Reinold O. B.; Thornalley, Paul J.; Navis, Gerjan; van Goor, Harry; Leuvenink, Henri G. D.; Bakker, Stephan J. L.

    Thiamine deficiency is a continuing problem leading to beriberi and Wernicke's encephalopathy. The symptoms of thiamine deficiency develop in the heart, brain and neuronal tissue. Yet, it is unclear how rapid thiamine deficiency develops and which organs are prone to development of thiamine

  7. Positive Response to Thermobalancing Therapy Enabled by Therapeutic Device in Men with Non-Malignant Prostate Diseases: BPH and Chronic Prostatitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan Gerasimovich Aghajanyan

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: The most common types of non-malignant prostate diseases are benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH and chronic prostatitis (CP. The aim of this study was to find out whether thermobalancing therapy with a physiotherapeutic device is effective for BPH and CP. Methods: During a 2.5-year period, 124 men with BPH over the age of 55 were investigated. Clinical parameters were tested twice: via the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS and via ultrasound measurement of prostate volume (PV and uroflowmetry maximum flow rate (Qmax, before and after six months of therapy. In 45 men with CP under the age of 55, the dynamics of the National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI were studied. Results: The results of the investigated index tests in men with BPH confirmed a decrease in IPSS (p < 0.001, a reduction in PV (p < 0.001, an increase in Qmax (p < 0.001, and an improvement of quality of life (QoL (p < 0.001. NIH-CPSI scores in men with CP indicated positive dynamics. Conclusions: The observed positive changes in IPSS, PV, and Qmax in men with BPH and the improvement in NIH-CPSI-QoL in patients with CP after using a physiotherapeutic device for six months as mono-therapy, support the view that thermobalancing therapy with the device can be recommended for these patients. Furthermore, the therapeutic device is free of side effects.

  8. CT simulation technique for craniospinal irradiation in supine position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Suk; Kim, Yong Bae; Chu, Sung Sil; Suh, Chang Ok; Kwon, Soo Il

    2002-01-01

    In order to perform craniospinal irradiation (CSI) in the supine position on patients who are unable to lie in the prone position, a new simulation technique using a CT simulator was developed and its availability was evaluated. A CT simulator and a 3-D conformal treatment planning system were used to develop CSI in the supine position. The head and neck were immobilized with a thermoplastic mask in the supine position and the entire body was immobilized with a Vac-Loc. A volumetric image was then obtained using the CT simulator. In order to improve the reproducibility of the patients' setup, datum lines and points were marked on the head and the body. Virtual fluoroscopy was performed with the removal of visual obstacles such as the treatment table or the immobilization devices. After the virtual simulation, the treatment isocenters of each field were marked on the body and the immobilization devices at the conventional simulation room. Each treatment field was confirmed by comparing the fluoroscopy images with the digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR)/digitally composite radiography (DCR) images from the virtual simulation. The port verification films from the first treatment were also compared with the DRR/DCR images for a geometrical verification. CSI in the supine position was successfully performed in 9 patients. It required less than 20 minutes to construct the immobilization device and to obtain the whole body volumetric images. This made it possible to not only reduce the patients' inconvenience, but also to eliminate the position change variables during the long conventional simulation process. In addition, by obtaining the CT volumetric image, critical organs, such as the eyeballs and spinal cord, were better defined, and the accuracy of the port designs and shielding was improved. The difference between the DRRs and the portal films were less than 3 mm in the vertebral contour. CSI in the supine position is feasible in patients who cannot lie on

  9. CT simulation technique for craniospinal irradiation in supine position

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Suk; Kim, Yong Bae; Chu, Sung Sil; Suh, Chang Ok [Yonsei Cancer Center, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Soo Il [Kyonggi University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-06-15

    In order to perform craniospinal irradiation (CSI) in the supine position on patients who are unable to lie in the prone position, a new simulation technique using a CT simulator was developed and its availability was evaluated. A CT simulator and a 3-D conformal treatment planning system were used to develop CSI in the supine position. The head and neck were immobilized with a thermoplastic mask in the supine position and the entire body was immobilized with a Vac-Loc. A volumetric image was then obtained using the CT simulator. In order to improve the reproducibility of the patients' setup, datum lines and points were marked on the head and the body. Virtual fluoroscopy was performed with the removal of visual obstacles such as the treatment table or the immobilization devices. After the virtual simulation, the treatment isocenters of each field were marked on the body and the immobilization devices at the conventional simulation room. Each treatment field was confirmed by comparing the fluoroscopy images with the digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR)/digitally composite radiography (DCR) images from the virtual simulation. The port verification films from the first treatment were also compared with the DRR/DCR images for a geometrical verification. CSI in the supine position was successfully performed in 9 patients. It required less than 20 minutes to construct the immobilization device and to obtain the whole body volumetric images. This made it possible to not only reduce the patients' inconvenience, but also to eliminate the position change variables during the long conventional simulation process. In addition, by obtaining the CT volumetric image, critical organs, such as the eyeballs and spinal cord, were better defined, and the accuracy of the port designs and shielding was improved. The difference between the DRRs and the portal films were less than 3 mm in the vertebral contour. CSI in the supine position is feasible in patients who cannot

  10. Added value of prone CT in the assessment of honeycombing and classification of usual interstitial pneumonia pattern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Minjae; Lee, Sang Min; Song, Jae-Woo; Do, Kyung-Hyun; Lee, Hyun Joo; Lim, Soyeoun; Choe, Jooae; Park, Kye Jin; Park, Hyo Jung; Kim, Hwa Jung; Seo, Joon Beom

    2017-06-01

    To retrospectively investigate whether prone CT improves identification of honeycombing and classification of UIP patterns in terms of interobserver agreement and accuracy using pathological results as a reference standard. Institutional review board approval with waiver of patients' informed consent requirement was obtained. HRCTs of 86 patients with pathologically proven UIP, NSIP and chronic HP between January 2011 and April 2015 were evaluated by 8 observers. Observers were asked to review supine only set and supine and prone combined set and determine the presence of honeycombing and UIP classification (UIP, possible UIP, inconsistent with UIP). The diagnosis was regarded as correct when UIP pattern on CT corresponded to pathological UIP. Interobserver agreement of honeycombing identification among radiologists was only fair on the supine and combined set (weighted κ=0.31 and 0.34). Additional review of prone images demonstrated a significant improvement in interobserver agreement (weighted κ) of UIP classification from 0.25 to 0.33. Prone CT conferred a significant improvement in interobserver agreement of UIP classification for trainee radiologists (from 0.10 to 0.34) while no improvement was found for board-certified radiologists (from 0.35 to 0.31). There were no significant differences in the accuracy of UIP pattern with reference to pathological results between the supine and combined set (78.8% (145/184) and 81.3% (179/220), P=0.612). Additional review of prone CT can improve overall interobserver agreement of UIP classification among radiologists with variable experiences, particularly for less experienced radiologists, while no improvement was found in honeycombing identification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Asymmetry of neck motion and activation of the cervical paraspinal muscles during prone neck extension in subjects with unilateral posterior neck pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Kyue-Nam; Kwon, Oh-Yun; Kim, Su-Jung; Kim, Si-Hyun

    2017-01-01

    Although unilateral posterior neck pain (UPNP) is more prevalent than central neck pain, little is known about how UPNP affects neck motion and the muscle activation pattern during prone neck extension. To investigate whether deviation in neck motion and asymmetry of activation of the bilateral cervical paraspinal muscles occur during prone neck extension in subjects with UPNP compared to subjects without UPNP. This study recruited 20 subjects with UPNP and 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects without such pain. Neck motion and muscle onset time during prone neck extension were measured using a three-dimensional motion-analysis system and surface electromyography. The deviation during prone neck extension was greater in the UPNP group than in the controls (p cervical extensor muscle activation in the UPNP group was significantly delayed on the painful side during prone neck extension (p cervical extensors, triggering a need for specific evaluation and exercises in the management of patients with UPNP.

  12. Recognition of earthquake-prone nodes, a case study for North Vietnam (M ⩾ 5.0

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen Huu Tuyen

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Morphostructural nodes in North Vietnam are delineated with the morphostructural zoning (MZ method, and classified into seismogenic and non-seismogenic nodes. The compiled morphostructural map (scale 1: 1000000 shows a three-level hierarchical structure of blocks, boundary zones, and nodes. The identified nodes are classified with the pattern-recognition algorithm CORA-3 into those that are prone to generate M ⩾ 5.0 earthquakes and those that are not. Some of the earthquake-prone nodes coincide with epicenters of M ⩾ 5.0 earthquakes that have occurred; others may coincide with such events in the future.

  13. Automatic detection of patient identification and positioning errors in radiation therapy treatment using 3-dimensional setup images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jani, Shyam S; Low, Daniel A; Lamb, James M

    2015-01-01

    To develop an automated system that detects patient identification and positioning errors between 3-dimensional computed tomography (CT) and kilovoltage CT planning images. Planning kilovoltage CT images were collected for head and neck (H&N), pelvis, and spine treatments with corresponding 3-dimensional cone beam CT and megavoltage CT setup images from TrueBeam and TomoTherapy units, respectively. Patient identification errors were simulated by registering setup and planning images from different patients. For positioning errors, setup and planning images were misaligned by 1 to 5 cm in the 6 anatomical directions for H&N and pelvis patients. Spinal misalignments were simulated by misaligning to adjacent vertebral bodies. Image pairs were assessed using commonly used image similarity metrics as well as custom-designed metrics. Linear discriminant analysis classification models were trained and tested on the imaging datasets, and misclassification error (MCE), sensitivity, and specificity parameters were estimated using 10-fold cross-validation. For patient identification, our workflow produced MCE estimates of 0.66%, 1.67%, and 0% for H&N, pelvis, and spine TomoTherapy images, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity ranged from 97.5% to 100%. MCEs of 3.5%, 2.3%, and 2.1% were obtained for TrueBeam images of the above sites, respectively, with sensitivity and specificity estimates between 95.4% and 97.7%. MCEs for 1-cm H&N/pelvis misalignments were 1.3%/5.1% and 9.1%/8.6% for TomoTherapy and TrueBeam images, respectively. Two-centimeter MCE estimates were 0.4%/1.6% and 3.1/3.2%, respectively. MCEs for vertebral body misalignments were 4.8% and 3.6% for TomoTherapy and TrueBeam images, respectively. Patient identification and gross misalignment errors can be robustly and automatically detected using 3-dimensional setup images of different energies across 3 commonly treated anatomical sites. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by

  14. Examining fire-prone forest landscapes as coupled human and natural systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas A. Spies; Eric M. White; Jeffrey D. Kline; A. Paige Fisher; Alan Ager; John Bailey; John Bolte; Jennifer Koch; Emily Platt; Christine S. Olsen; Derric Jacobs; Bruce Shindler; Michelle M. Steen-Adams; Roger. Hammer

    2014-01-01

    Fire-prone landscapes are not well studied as coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) and present many challenges for understanding and promoting adaptive behaviors and institutions. Here, we explore how heterogeneity, feedbacks, and external drivers in this type of natural hazard system can lead to complexity and can limit the development of more adaptive approaches...

  15. Low-Cost Method to Monitor Patient Adherence to HIV Antiretroviral Therapy Using Multiplex Cathepsin Zymography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, Manu O; Evans, Denise; Keegan, Philip M; McNamara, Lynne; Parker, Ivana K; Roberts, LaDeidra M; Caulk, Alexander W; Gleason, Rudolph L; Seifu, Daniel; Amogne, Wondwossen; Penny, Clement

    2016-01-01

    Monitoring patient adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) by patient survey is inherently error prone, justifying a need for objective, biological measures affordable in low-resource settings where HIV/AIDS epidemic is highest. In preliminary studies conducted in Ethiopia and South Africa, we observed loss of cysteine cathepsin activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-positive patients on ART. We optimized a rapid protocol for multiplex cathepsin zymography to quantify cysteine cathepsins, and prospectively enrolled 350 HIV-positive, ART-naïve adults attending the Themba Lethu Clinic, Johannesburg, South Africa, to test if suppressed cathepsin activity could be a biomarker of ART adherence (103 patients were included in final analysis). Poor adherence was defined as detectable viral load (>400 copies/ml) or simplified medication adherence questionnaire, 4-6 months after ART initiation. 86 % of patients with undetectable viral loads after 6 months were cathepsin negative, and cathepsin-positive patients were twice as likely to have detectable viral loads (RR 2.32 95 % CI 1.26-4.29). Together, this demonstrates proof of concept that multiplex cathepsin zymography may be an inexpensive, objective method to monitor patient adherence to ART. Low cost of this electrophoresis-based assay makes it a prime candidate for implementation in resource-limited settings.

  16. Low cost method to monitor patient adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy using multiplex cathepsin zymography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, Manu O.; Evans, Denise; Keegan, Philip M.; McNamara, Lynne; Parker, Ivana K.; Roberts, LaDeidra M.; Caulk, Alexander W.; Gleason, Rudolph L.; Seifu, Daniel; Amogne, Wondwossen; Penny, Clement

    2015-01-01

    Monitoring patient adherence to HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) by patient survey is inherently error-prone, justifying a need for objective, biological measures affordable in low resource settings where HIV/AIDS epidemic is highest. In preliminary studies conducted in Ethiopia and South Africa, we observed loss of cysteine cathepsin activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HIV-positive patients on ART. We optimized a rapid protocol for multiplex cathepsin zymography to quantify cysteine cathepsins, and prospectively enrolled 350 HIV-positive, ART naïve adults attending the Themba Lethu Clinic, Johannesburg, South Africa, to test if suppressed cathepsin activity could be a biomarker of ART adherence (103 patients were included in final analysis). Poor adherence was defined as detectable viral load (>400 copies/ml) or simplified medication adherence questionnaire (SMAQ), 4–6 months after ART initiation. 86% of patients with undetectable viral loads after 6 months were cathepsin negative, and cathepsin positive patients were twice as likely to have detectable viral loads (RR 2.32 95% CI 1.26–4.29). Together, this demonstrates proof of concept that multiplex cathepsin zymography may be an inexpensive, objective method to monitor patient adherence to ART. Low cost of this electrophoresis based assay makes it a prime candidate for implementation in resource limited settings. PMID:26589706

  17. On-farm yield potential of local seed watermelon landraces under heat- and drought-prone conditions in Mali

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nantoume, Aminata Dolo; Christiansen, Jørgen Lindskrog; Andersen, Sven Bode

    2012-01-01

    On-farm yield experiments were carried out in the Tombouctou region of Mali in 2009/10 under heat- and drought-prone desert conditions with three local landraces of seed-type watermelons. The landraces, named Fombou, Kaneye and Musa Musa by the farmers, exhibited distinct characteristics for fruit...... responsive. The yields obtained suggest that these local landraces of watermelon are valuable plant genetic resources for securing food supply in arid, heat- and drought-prone areas....

  18. Differences in innate immune response gene regulation in the middle ear of children who are otitis prone and in those not otitis prone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casey, Janet; Pichichero, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Acute otitis media (AOM) causes an inflammatory response in the middle ear. We assessed differences in innate immune responses involved in bacterial defense at onset of AOM in children who were stringently defined as otitis prone (sOP) and children not otitis prone (NOP). Study Design: Innate immune genes analysis from middle ear fluid (MEF) samples of children. Methods: Genes of toll-like receptors (TLR), nod-like and retinoic acid-inducible gene-I-like receptors, downstream effectors important for inflammation and apoptosis, including cytokines and chemokines, were studied from MEF samples by using a real-time polymerase chain reaction array. Protein levels of differentially regulated genes were measured by Luminex. Results: Gene expression in MEF among children who were sOP was significantly different in upregulation of interleukin 8, secretory leukocyte peptidase inhibitor, and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3, and in downregulation of interferon regulatory factor 7 and its related signaling molecules interferon alpha, Toll-like receptor adaptor molecule 2, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5, and mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 compared with children who were NOP. Differences in innate gene regulation were similar when AOM was caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae or nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. Conclusion: Innate-immune response genes are differentially regulated in children who were sOP compared with children with NOP. PMID:28124644

  19. A Model for Art Therapy-Based Supervision for End-of-Life Care Workers in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potash, Jordan S; Chan, Faye; Ho, Andy H Y; Wang, Xiao Lu; Cheng, Carol

    2015-01-01

    End-of-life care workers and volunteers are particularly prone to burnout given the intense emotional and existential nature of their work. Supervision is one important way to provide adequate support that focuses on both professional and personal competencies. The inclusion of art therapy principles and practices within supervision further creates a dynamic platform for sustained self-reflection. A 6-week art therapy-based supervision group provided opportunities for developing emotional awareness, recognizing professional strengths, securing collegial relationships, and reflecting on death-related memories. The structure, rationale, and feedback are discussed.

  20. Effects of positive end-expiratory pressure on intraoperative core temperature in patients undergoing posterior spine surgery: prospective randomised trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Hyungseok; Do Son, Je; Lee, Hyung-Chul; Oh, Hyung-Min; Jung, Chul-Woo; Park, Hee-Pyoung

    2018-03-01

    Objective Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) causes carotid baroreceptor unloading, which leads to thermoregulatory peripheral vasoconstriction. However, the effects of PEEP on intraoperative thermoregulation in the prone position remain unknown. Methods Thirty-seven patients undergoing spine surgery in the prone position were assigned at random to receive either 10 cmH 2 O PEEP (Group P) or no PEEP (Group Z). The primary endpoint was core temperature 180 minutes after intubation. Secondary endpoints were delta core temperature (difference in core temperature between 180 minutes and immediately after tracheal intubation), incidence of intraoperative hypothermia (core temperature of peripheral vasoconstriction-related data. Results The median [interquartile range] core temperature 180 minutes after intubation was 36.1°C [35.9°C-36.2°C] and 36.0°C [35.9°C-36.4°C] in Groups Z and P, respectively. The delta core temperature and incidences of intraoperative hypothermia and peripheral vasoconstriction were not significantly different between the two groups. The peripheral vasoconstriction threshold (36.2°C±0.5°C vs. 36.7°C±0.6°C) was lower and the onset of peripheral vasoconstriction (66 [60-129] vs. 38 [28-70] minutes) was slower in Group Z than in Group P. Conclusions Intraoperative PEEP did not reduce the core temperature decrease in the prone position, although it resulted in an earlier onset and higher threshold of peripheral vasoconstriction.

  1. PET Motion Compensation for Radiation Therapy Using a CT-Based Mid-Position Motion Model: Methodology and Clinical Evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruis, Matthijs F.; Kamer, Jeroen B. van de; Houweling, Antonetta C.; Sonke, Jan-Jakob; Belderbos, José S.A.; Herk, Marcel van

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Four-dimensional positron emission tomography (4D PET) imaging of the thorax produces sharper images with reduced motion artifacts. Current radiation therapy planning systems, however, do not facilitate 4D plan optimization. When images are acquired in a 2-minute time slot, the signal-to-noise ratio of each 4D frame is low, compromising image quality. The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate the construction of mid-position 3D PET scans, with motion compensated using a 4D computed tomography (CT)-derived motion model. Methods and Materials: All voxels of 4D PET were registered to the time-averaged position by using a motion model derived from the 4D CT frames. After the registration the scans were summed, resulting in a motion-compensated 3D mid-position PET scan. The method was tested with a phantom dataset as well as data from 27 lung cancer patients. Results: PET motion compensation using a CT-based motion model improved image quality of both phantoms and patients in terms of increased maximum SUV (SUV max ) values and decreased apparent volumes. In homogenous phantom data, a strong relationship was found between the amplitude-to-diameter ratio and the effects of the method. In heterogeneous patient data, the effect correlated better with the motion amplitude. In case of large amplitudes, motion compensation may increase SUV max up to 25% and reduce the diameter of the 50% SUV max volume by 10%. Conclusions: 4D CT-based motion-compensated mid-position PET scans provide improved quantitative data in terms of uptake values and volumes at the time-averaged position, thereby facilitating more accurate radiation therapy treatment planning of pulmonary lesions

  2. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy Associated Hypophysitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moeber Mahzari

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Ipilimumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against CTLA4 T-lymphocyte antigen used as cancer therapy. Immune-related adverse events are common side effects and may include hypophysitis-related hypopituitarism. The clinical features of six patients with ipilimumab-induced hypophysitis (IH are described. The clinical features of IH reported in clinical trials, including the incidence of IH by gender and the likelihood of adrenal axis recovery, are summarized. Following the development of IH, most patients remain on glucocorticoid replacement despite efforts to withdraw therapy. Analysis of gender information in published clinical trials suggests that men are more prone to developing IH than women, and few patients fully recover the pituitary-adrenal axis function. Ipilimumab and other drugs within its class are likely to be used to treat many forms of cancer. Endocrinologists should anticipate a significant increase in the incidence of autoimmune hypophysitis. Strategies for early detection of IH and long-term management should be considered.

  3. Ketosis-Onset Diabetes and Ketosis-Prone Diabetes: Same or Not?

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Beiyan; Yu, Changhua; Li, Qiang; Li, Lin

    2013-01-01

    Objective. To compare clinical characteristics, immunological markers, and ? -cell functions of 4 subgroups (?A ? ? classification system) of ketosis-onset diabetes and ketosis prone diabetes patients without known diabetes, presenting with ketosis or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and admitted to our department from March 2011 to December 2011 in China, with 50 healthy persons as control group. Results. ? -cell functional reserve was preserved in 63.52% of patients. In almost each subgroup (exc...

  4. Impaired Gal-9 Dysregulates the PBMC-Induced Th1/Th2 Imbalance in Abortion-Prone Matings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mengzhou He

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Recurrent miscarriage is defined as the loss of 3 or more consecutive pregnancies; however, the underlying immunologic mechanisms that trigger pregnancy loss remain largely unelucidated. Galectin-9 (Gal-9 may modulate a variety of biologic functions and play an important role in Th1/Th2 immune deviation. To analyze the mechanism of Gal-9 in abortion, we used the classical abortion-prone mouse model (DBA/2-mated CBA/J mice to detect the expression of Gal-9 at the maternal-fetal interface. We also mimicked the immune environment of pregnancy by culturing trophoblast cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs to explore how Gal-9 might be involved in the pathogenesis of abortion. We found that the expression levels of Gal-9 in abortion-prone matings were lower than that for controls. Using a coculture system, we detected a Th1 preponderance in the coculture from abortion-prone matings. Furthermore, Gal-9 blockade augmented the imbalance of Th1/Th2 immunity in abortion-prone matings by promoting the secretion of Th1-derived cytokines in coculture, while there was a Th2 preponderance when we administered recombinant Gal-9. In conclusion, our results suggest that the Gal-9 signal is important for the regulation of PBMC function toward a Th2 bias at the maternal-fetal interface, which is beneficial for the maintenance of a normal pregnancy.

  5. Cardiometabolic and reproductive benefits of early dietary energy restriction and voluntary exercise in an obese PCOS-prone rodent model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diane, Abdoulaye; Kupreeva, Maria; Borthwick, Faye; Proctor, Spencer D; Pierce, W David; Vine, Donna F

    2015-09-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine-metabolic disorders in women of reproductive age characterized by ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism and cardiometabolic risk. The overweight-obese PCOS phenotype appears to have exacerbated reproductive dysfunction and cardiometabolic risk. In overweight-obese adult women with PCOS, exercise and energy restricted diets have shown limited and inconsistent effects on both cardiometabolic indices and reproductive outcomes. We hypothesized that an early lifestyle intervention involving exercise and dietary energy restriction to prevent or reduce the propensity for adiposity would modulate reproductive indices and cardiometabolic risk in an obese PCOS-prone rodent model. Weanling obese PCOS-prone and Lean-Control JCR:LA-cp rodents were given a chow diet ad libitum or an energy-restricted diet combined with or without voluntary exercise (4  h/day) for 8 weeks. Dietary energy restriction and exercise lowered total body weight gain and body fat mass by 30% compared to free-fed sedentary or exercising obese PCOS-prone animals (Pexercise intensity compared to free-feeding plus exercise conditions. Energy restriction and exercise decreased fasting plasma triglycerides and apoB48 concentrations in obese PCOS-prone animals compared to free-fed and exercise or sedentary groups. The energy restriction and exercise combination in obese PCOS-prone animals significantly increased plasma sex-hormone binding globulin, hypothalamic cocaine-and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and Kisspeptin mRNA expression to levels of the Lean-Control group, and this was further associated with improvements in estrous cyclicity. The combination of exercise and dietary energy restriction when initiated in early life exerts beneficial effects on cardiometabolic and reproductive indices in an obese PCOS-prone rodent model, and this may be associated with normalization of the hypothalamic neuropeptides, Kisspeptin and CART

  6. Prona positioning in patients submitted to myocardial perfusion scintigraphy; Posicao prona em pacientes submetidos a cintilografia de perfusao miocardica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cunha, C.J.; Ferreira, F.C.L.; Dullius, M.A.; Souza, S.O.; Souza, D.N. [Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Sao Cristovao, SE (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica; Carvalho, C.R.A. [Clinica de Medicina Nuclear Endocrinologia e Diabetes, Aracaju, SE (Brazil)

    2011-10-26

    The myocardium perfusion scintigraphy corresponds at the nuclear medicine to one of best diagnostic methods for myocardium diseases. However, artefacts generated by the diaphragmatic tissue can induce to false positive diagnostic when does not occurs association of the image in supine position with the prone position. Images acquired at the two positions were analysed and the evaluation of tomographic images were estimation and consequently, a more completed diagnostic

  7. Functional Outcomes After De-escalated Chemoradiation Therapy for Human Papillomavirus-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer: Secondary Analysis of a Phase 2 Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegde, John V; Shaverdian, Narek; Felix, Carol; Wang, Pin-Chieh; Veruttipong, Darlene; Hsu, Sophia; Riess, Jonathan W; Rao, Shyam D; Daly, Megan E; Chen, Allen M

    2018-03-01

    To analyze functional outcomes for patients treated on a phase 2 trial of de-escalated chemoradiation therapy for human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Patient eligibility included p16-positive, stage III or IV oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and a Zubrod performance status of 0 to 1. Treatment was induction chemotherapy with paclitaxel, 175 mg/m 2 , and carboplatin, area under the curve (AUC) of 6 mg/ml/min, for 2 cycles every 21 days, followed by concurrent paclitaxel, 30 mg/m 2 , every 7 days with dose-reduced radiation therapy of 54 or 60 Gy. Trends in body weight and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed with gastrostomy tube and narcotic use rates. Functional outcomes were assessed using the University of Washington Quality of Life Scale and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck Scale. Forty-five patients were registered, of whom 40 were evaluable. Only 1 patient had a BMI deemed unhealthy at the completion of treatment. For the 15 patients (38%) with a normal BMI (18-25 kg/m 2 ) before treatment, recovery back to baseline occurred at approximately 18 months (average BMI, 23.2 kg/m 2 vs 22.3 kg/m 2 ; P=.09). In 2 patients (5%), gastrostomy tubes were placed during treatment. No patient was enteral feeding tube-dependent at 6 months after treatment. Ninety-five percent of patients tolerated a normal regular diet at last follow-up. De-escalated chemoradiation therapy may improve functional outcomes as indicated by the relatively low incidence of gastrostomy tube placement and long-term dysphagia. In patients with a normal BMI prior to chemoradiation therapy, BMI recovered to baseline levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. A Dosimetric Comparison of Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Techniques: Multicatheter Interstitial Brachytherapy, Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy, and Supine Versus Prone Helical Tomotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, Rakesh R.; Becker, Stewart J.; Das, Rupak K.; Mackie, Thomas R.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To compare dosimetrically four different techniques of accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in the same patient. Methods and Materials: Thirteen post-lumpectomy interstitial brachytherapy (IB) patients underwent imaging with preimplant computed tomography (CT) in the prone and supine position. These CT scans were then used to generate three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and prone and supine helical tomotherapy (PT and ST, respectively) APBI plans and compared with the treated IB plans. Dose-volume histogram analysis and the mean dose (NTD mean ) values were compared. Results: Planning target volume coverage was excellent for all methods. Statistical significance was considered to be a p value mean dose of 1.3 Gy 3 and 1.2 Gy 3 , respectively. Both of these methods were statistically significantly lower than the supine external beam techniques. Overall, all four methods yielded similar low doses to the heart. Conclusions: The use of IB and PT resulted in greater normal tissue sparing (especially ipsilateral breast and lung) than the use of supine external beam techniques of 3D-CRT or ST. However, the choice of APBI technique must be tailored to the patient's anatomy, lumpectomy cavity location, and overall treatment goals

  9. Improved acid tolerance of Lactobacillus pentosus by error-prone whole genome amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Lidan; Zhao, Hua; Li, Zhi; Wu, Jin Chuan

    2013-05-01

    Acid tolerance of Lactobacillus pentosus ATCC 8041 was improved by error-prone amplification of its genomic DNA using random primers and Taq DNA polymerase. The resulting amplification products were transferred into wild-type L. pentosus by electroporation and the transformants were screened for growth on low-pH agar plates. After only one round of mutation, one mutant (MT3) was identified that was able to completely consume 20 g/L of glucose to produce lactic acid at a yield of 95% in 1L MRS medium at pH 3.8 within 36 h, whereas no growth or lactic acid production was observed for the wild-type strain under the same conditions. The acid tolerance of mutant MT3 remained genetically stable for at least 25 subcultures. Therefore, the error-prone whole genome amplification technique is a very powerful tool for improving phenotypes of this lactic acid bacterium and may also be applicable for other microorganisms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Jerky driving--An indicator of accident proneness?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagdadi, Omar; Várhelyi, András

    2011-07-01

    This study uses continuously logged driving data from 166 private cars to derive the level of jerks caused by the drivers during everyday driving. The number of critical jerks found in the data is analysed and compared with the self-reported accident involvement of the drivers. The results show that the expected number of accidents for a driver increases with the number of critical jerks caused by the driver. Jerk analyses make it possible to identify safety critical driving behaviour or "accident prone" drivers. They also facilitate the development of safety measures such as active safety systems or advanced driver assistance systems, ADAS, which could be adapted for specific groups of drivers or specific risky driving behaviour. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Automated high-content live animal drug screening using C. elegans expressing the aggregation prone serpin α1-antitrypsin Z.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sager J Gosai

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The development of preclinical models amenable to live animal bioactive compound screening is an attractive approach to discovering effective pharmacological therapies for disorders caused by misfolded and aggregation-prone proteins. In general, however, live animal drug screening is labor and resource intensive, and has been hampered by the lack of robust assay designs and high throughput work-flows. Based on their small size, tissue transparency and ease of cultivation, the use of C. elegans should obviate many of the technical impediments associated with live animal drug screening. Moreover, their genetic tractability and accomplished record for providing insights into the molecular and cellular basis of human disease, should make C. elegans an ideal model system for in vivo drug discovery campaigns. The goal of this study was to determine whether C. elegans could be adapted to high-throughput and high-content drug screening strategies analogous to those developed for cell-based systems. Using transgenic animals expressing fluorescently-tagged proteins, we first developed a high-quality, high-throughput work-flow utilizing an automated fluorescence microscopy platform with integrated image acquisition and data analysis modules to qualitatively assess different biological processes including, growth, tissue development, cell viability and autophagy. We next adapted this technology to conduct a small molecule screen and identified compounds that altered the intracellular accumulation of the human aggregation prone mutant that causes liver disease in α1-antitrypsin deficiency. This study provides powerful validation for advancement in preclinical drug discovery campaigns by screening live C. elegans modeling α1-antitrypsin deficiency and other complex disease phenotypes on high-content imaging platforms.

  12. Farmers’s perception and strategies for the development of sustainable livelihoods in disaster prone areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anantanyu, S.; Suwarto; Suminah

    2018-03-01

    Empowerment is a strategy to develop and build economy and community in both physically and mentally. One effort is to help generate a plan for community development in disaster-prone areas. For that, this study aims to develop farmers profile, to describe farmer perception towards farming effort and to formulate the empowerment strategies in the development of sustainable livelihoods in disaster prone areas. This study uses mixed methods. Farmers population use in this study were live in two villages of landslides prone areas, that are Beruk and Wonorejo which belongs Jatiyoso Subdistrict Karanganyar regency (Central Java). In depth structured interview was conducted to 150 farmers under Focus Group Discussion (FGD) followed with. data analysis using SWOT analysis. The results showed level of farm management is in anxiety level, perception of farmers toward the availability of agricultural inputs is at a reasonable level and the agricultural information becomes the reduction factors. The result of QSPM matrix calculation through SWOT analysis on livelihood of agricultural, resulting some strategy according to the priority level that are development of conservation farming, strengthening the farmers capacity in agricultural products processing, strengthening farmer groups and improving the performance of agriculture extensionist.

  13. EMPLOYMENT OF ATMS TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE DATA TO ASSIST IN IDENTIFICATION OF CRASH-PRONE INTERSECTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin P. HWANG

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper employs information from the advanced traffic management system (ATMS of Kaohsiung, Taiwan to help differentiate those crash-prone intersections by discriminant analysis. From the 25,604 records of 2005, 1977 crashes that occurred at 119 intersections with traffic exposure data were compiled to calibrate and validate the model. The road attributes of crash records, traffic control devices and movement exposure are the three types of data used as predicting variables. The correct ratios for model calibration and validation range from 78.33% to 67.80%. if traffic movements are removed, the correct ratios become slightly lowered to 76.67% to 66.10%. Research findings reveal that with or without inclusion of exposure data in identifying high crash-prone intersections for an urban environment does not make a significant difference. in addition, layout and traffic control devices could possibly explain about 66.10 ∼ 78.33% of the possibility that an intersection will become a high crash intersection. it suggests that the developed approach could be a countermeasure for budget constraints and difficulties in continuation of exposure data collection, and the information of ATMS could help identify crash-prone urban intersections.

  14. A stable neurotensin-based radiopharmaceutical for targeted imaging and therapy of neurotensin receptor-positive tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-Garayoa, Elisa; Blaeuenstein, Peter; Blanc, Alain; Maes, Veronique; Tourwe, Dirk; Schubiger, P.A.

    2009-01-01

    Neurotensin (NT) and its high affinity receptor (NTR1) are involved in several neoplastic processes. Thus, NT-based radiopharmaceuticals are potential tracers for targeted diagnosis and therapy of NTR-positive tumours. A new analogue based on NT(8-13), NT-XIX, with the three enzymatic cleavage sites stabilised, was synthesised and tested. The synthesis was performed by Boc strategy. Labelling with 99m Tc/ 188 Re was performed using the tricarbonyl technique. Metabolic stability was tested in vitro and in vivo. NT-XIX was further characterised in vitro in HT-29 cells and in vivo in nude mice with HT-29 xenografts. NT-XIX showed much longer half-lives than non-stabilised analogues. Binding to NTR1 was highly specific, although the affinity was lower than that of natural NT. Bound activity rapidly internalised into HT-29 cells and 50% remained trapped after 24 h. In the time-course biodistribution, the highest uptake was found in the tumour at all p.i. times. In vivo uptake was specific, and accumulation of activity in the kidneys was low. Radioactivity clearance from healthy organs was faster than that from the tumour, resulting in improved tumour-to-tissue ratios and good SPECT/CT imaging. Treatment with 188 Re-NT-XIX (30 MBq, in three or four fractions) decreased tumour growth by 50% after 3 weeks. The high in vivo stability and the favourable in vivo behaviour makes NT-XIX an excellent candidate for the imaging and therapy of NTR1-positive tumours. (orig.)

  15. Acupuncture promotes mTOR-independent autophagic clearance of aggregation-prone proteins in mouse brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Tian; Sun, Yanhong; Wu, Huangan; Pei, Jian; Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Yi; Wang, Lu; Li, Bin; Wang, Lihua; Shi, Jiye; Hu, Jun; Fan, Chunhai

    2016-01-21

    Acupuncture has historically been practiced to treat medical disorders by mechanically stimulating specific acupoints with fine needles. Despite its well-documented efficacy, its biological basis remains largely elusive. In this study, we found that mechanical stimulation at the acupoint of Yanglingquan (GB34) promoted the autophagic clearance of α-synuclein (α-syn), a well known aggregation-prone protein closely related to Parkinson's disease (PD), in the substantia nigra par compacta (SNpc) of the brain in a PD mouse model. We found the protein clearance arose from the activation of the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP) in a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-independent approach. Further, we observed the recovery in the activity of dopaminergic neurons in SNpc, and improvement in the motor function at the behavior level of PD mice. Whereas acupuncture and rapamycin, a chemical mTOR inhibitor, show comparable α-syn clearance and therapeutic effects in the PD mouse model, the latter adopts a distinctly different, mTOR-dependent, autophagy induction process. Due to this fundamental difference, acupuncture may circumvent adverse effects of the rapamycin treatment. The newly discovered connection between acupuncture and autophagy not only provides a new route to understanding the molecular mechanism of acupuncture but also sheds new light on cost-effective and safe therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.

  16. The use of combined radiation therapy and hormonal therapy in the management of lymph node-positive prostate cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Whittington, Richard; Malkowicz, S Bruce; Machtay, Mitchell; Van Arsdalen, Keith; Barnes, Margaret M; Broderick, Gregory A; Wein, Alan J

    1997-10-01

    Purpose: To determine the rate of tumor response and patterns of relapse following combined hormonal-radiation therapy of adenocarcinoma of the prostate and to measure the survival in a group of men with tumor metastatic to pelvic lymph nodes. Methods and Materials: 66 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate with pathologically confirmed pelvic lymph node involvement were treated with combined radiation therapy and hormonal therapy. An additional five patients declined hormonal therapy. The patients treated with combined therapy represented a group with locally advanced disease including 44 patients (67%) with T3 or T4 tumors and 51 patients (80%) had N2 or N3 lymph node metastases. The pelvic lymph nodes were treated to a dose of 45 Gy and the prostate was boosted to a dose of 65 to 71 Gy. Hormonal therapy began up to 2 months before radiation and continued indefinitely. Patients were allowed to select their hormonal therapy and could choose DES (2 patients), orchiectomy (21 patients), LHRH agonist (7 patients) or combined androgen blockade (34 patients). Results: Median follow-up is 49 months (range 12 to 131 months) and 21 patients have been followed for longer than 5 years. There have been 15 recurrences the entire group including three local recurrences in the prostate, seven patients with distant metastases, four patients with biochemical recurrences without clinical evidence of disease, and one patient where the location was unknown. Two of the PSA recurrences occurred in patients who elected to discontinue hormones after less than 3 years of therapy. The overall survival at 5 and 8 years is 94 and 84%, the clinical disease free survival is 85 and 67%, and the biochemical disease-free survival is 78 and 47%. There was no increased toxicity of the combined modality regimen compared to the expected effects of radiation and hormonal therapy. Conclusion: Combined hormonal and radiation therapy represents an effective treatment option for patients with

  17. The use of combined radiation therapy and hormonal therapy in the management of lymph node-positive prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whittington, Richard; Malkowicz, S. Bruce; Machtay, Mitchell; Van Arsdalen, Keith; Barnes, Margaret M.; Broderick, Gregory A.; Wein, Alan J.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the rate of tumor response and patterns of relapse following combined hormonal-radiation therapy of adenocarcinoma of the prostate and to measure the survival in a group of men with tumor metastatic to pelvic lymph nodes. Methods and Materials: 66 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate with pathologically confirmed pelvic lymph node involvement were treated with combined radiation therapy and hormonal therapy. An additional five patients declined hormonal therapy. The patients treated with combined therapy represented a group with locally advanced disease including 44 patients (67%) with T3 or T4 tumors and 51 patients (80%) had N2 or N3 lymph node metastases. The pelvic lymph nodes were treated to a dose of 45 Gy and the prostate was boosted to a dose of 65 to 71 Gy. Hormonal therapy began up to 2 months before radiation and continued indefinitely. Patients were allowed to select their hormonal therapy and could choose DES (2 patients), orchiectomy (21 patients), LHRH agonist (7 patients) or combined androgen blockade (34 patients). Results: Median follow-up is 49 months (range 12 to 131 months) and 21 patients have been followed for longer than 5 years. There have been 15 recurrences the entire group including three local recurrences in the prostate, seven patients with distant metastases, four patients with biochemical recurrences without clinical evidence of disease, and one patient where the location was unknown. Two of the PSA recurrences occurred in patients who elected to discontinue hormones after less than 3 years of therapy. The overall survival at 5 and 8 years is 94 and 84%, the clinical disease free survival is 85 and 67%, and the biochemical disease-free survival is 78 and 47%. There was no increased toxicity of the combined modality regimen compared to the expected effects of radiation and hormonal therapy. Conclusion: Combined hormonal and radiation therapy represents an effective treatment option for patients with

  18. Arginine metabolism is altered in adults with A-B + ketosis-prone diabetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    A-B + ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD) is a subset of type 2 diabetes in which patients have severe but reversible B cell dysfunction of unknown etiology. Plasma metabolomic analysis indicates that abnormal arginine metabolism may be involved. The objective of this study was to determine the relation be...

  19. Neurologic complications of polycythemia and their impact on therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newton, L.K.

    1990-01-01

    Polycythemia vera, a clonal stem cell disorder, produces neurologic problems in 50-80% of patients. Some symptoms, such as headache and dizziness, are related to hyperviscosity, and respond immediately to reduction of cell counts. Others seem to result from an associated coagulopathy. Patients with polycythemia tend to develop both arterial and venous thrombosis and are prone to hemorrhages. Treatments for polycythemia include phlebotomy, chlorambucil supplemented with phlebotomy, and 32 P plus phlebotomy. Whatever treatment is chosen, the aim of therapy should be to reduce the hematocrit to approximately 40-45%.37 references

  20. SU-E-T-589: Optimization of Patient Head Angle Position to Spare Hippocampus During the Brain Radiation Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheon, G; Kang, Y; Kang, S; Kim, T; Kim, D; Suh, T

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Hippocampus is one of the important organs which controls emotions, behaviors, movements the memorizing and learning ability. In the conventional head & neck therapy position, it is difficult to perform the hippocampal-sparing brain radiation therapy. The purpose of this study is to investigate optimal head angle which can save the hippocampal-sparing and organ at risk (OAR) in conformal radiation therapy (CRT), Intensity modulation radiation therapy (IMRT) and helical tomotherapy (HT). Methods: Three types of radiation treatment plans, CRT, IMRT and Tomotherapy plans, were performed for 10 brain tumor patients. The image fusion between CT and MRI data were used in the contour due to the limited delineation of the target and OAR in the CT scan. The optimal condition plan was determined by comparing the dosimetric performance of the each plan with the use of various parameters which include three different techniques (CRT, IMRT, HT) and 4 angle (0, 15, 30, 40 degree). The each treatment plans of three different techniques were compared with the following parameters: conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), target coverage, dose in the OARs, monitor units (MU), beam on time and the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). Results: HI, CI and target coverage was most excellent in head angle 30 degree among all angle. When compared by modality, target coverage and CI showed good results in IMRT and TOMO than compared to the CRT. HI at the head angle 0 degrees is 1.137±0.17 (CRT), 1.085±0.09 (IMRT) and 1.077±0.06 (HT). HI at the head angle 30 degrees is 1.056±0.08 (CRT), 1.020±0.05 (IMRT) and 1.022±0.07 (HT). Conclusion: The results of our study show that when head angle tilted at 30 degree, target coverage, HI, CI were improved, and the dose delivered to OAR was reduced compared with conventional supine position in brain radiation therapy. This work was supported by the Radiation Technology R&D program (No. 2013M2A2A7043498) and the Mid

  1. SU-E-T-589: Optimization of Patient Head Angle Position to Spare Hippocampus During the Brain Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheon, G; Kang, Y [Radiation Oncology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kang, S; Kim, T; Kim, D; Suh, T [The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Hippocampus is one of the important organs which controls emotions, behaviors, movements the memorizing and learning ability. In the conventional head & neck therapy position, it is difficult to perform the hippocampal-sparing brain radiation therapy. The purpose of this study is to investigate optimal head angle which can save the hippocampal-sparing and organ at risk (OAR) in conformal radiation therapy (CRT), Intensity modulation radiation therapy (IMRT) and helical tomotherapy (HT). Methods: Three types of radiation treatment plans, CRT, IMRT and Tomotherapy plans, were performed for 10 brain tumor patients. The image fusion between CT and MRI data were used in the contour due to the limited delineation of the target and OAR in the CT scan. The optimal condition plan was determined by comparing the dosimetric performance of the each plan with the use of various parameters which include three different techniques (CRT, IMRT, HT) and 4 angle (0, 15, 30, 40 degree). The each treatment plans of three different techniques were compared with the following parameters: conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), target coverage, dose in the OARs, monitor units (MU), beam on time and the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). Results: HI, CI and target coverage was most excellent in head angle 30 degree among all angle. When compared by modality, target coverage and CI showed good results in IMRT and TOMO than compared to the CRT. HI at the head angle 0 degrees is 1.137±0.17 (CRT), 1.085±0.09 (IMRT) and 1.077±0.06 (HT). HI at the head angle 30 degrees is 1.056±0.08 (CRT), 1.020±0.05 (IMRT) and 1.022±0.07 (HT). Conclusion: The results of our study show that when head angle tilted at 30 degree, target coverage, HI, CI were improved, and the dose delivered to OAR was reduced compared with conventional supine position in brain radiation therapy. This work was supported by the Radiation Technology R&D program (No. 2013M2A2A7043498) and the Mid

  2. Normal values of quantitative T2′ in a spontaneously hypertensive stroke prone rat stem at 3 T

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jensen-Kondering, U.; Böhm, R.; Höcker, J.; Ruhe, R.; Brdon, J.; Ulmer, S.; Herdegen, T.; Jansen, O.

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Regarding therapy and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke the identification of ischemic penumbra is pivotal. A promising candidate is BOLD-imaging using qT2′-maps. For valid interpretation of experimental studies in animals normal values for qT2′ are needed. Normal values in humans at 1.5 T already exist. Normal values for cortical and subcortical structures in a spontaneously hypertensive stroke prone rat stem (SHR-SP) at a fieldstrength of 3 T are reported. Materials and methods: 39 (20 males and 19 females) spontaneously hypertensive stroke prone (SHRSP) rats were examined in a 3 T scanner using a dedicated small animal coil. Mean weight was 144.1 ± 8.2 g and mean age was 60.2 ± 2.7 days. For the calculation of qT2′ multiple echo T2w and T2*w images were acquired. ROIs were placed into deep and cortical grey matter in five different brain regions to obtain values for qT2′, qT2 and qT2*. Results: Mean qT2′ for cortical grey matter was 74.76 ± 33.27 ms and 67.73 ± 17.86 ms for deep grey matter. The 99% confidence interval for cortical grey matter was 69.91–79.61 ms. For qT2 it was 79.02 ± 2.9 ms and 70.45 ± 1.89 ms, respectively. For qT2* it was 34.65 ± 5.25 ms and 31.9 ± 2.99 ms. Conclusion: The values for qT2′ presented here can serve as reference values for further studies examining the ischemic penumbra in a rat model.

  3. Lapatinib or Trastuzumab Plus Taxane Therapy for Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer: Final Results of NCIC CTG MA.31.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelmon, Karen A; Boyle, Frances M; Kaufman, Bella; Huntsman, David G; Manikhas, Alexey; Di Leo, Angelo; Martin, Miguel; Schwartzberg, Lee S; Lemieux, Julie; Aparicio, Samuel; Shepherd, Lois E; Dent, Susan; Ellard, Susan L; Tonkin, Katia; Pritchard, Kathleen I; Whelan, Timothy J; Nomikos, Dora; Nusch, Arnd; Coleman, Robert E; Mukai, Hirofumi; Tjulandin, Sergei; Khasanov, Rustem; Rizel, Shulamith; Connor, Anne P; Santillana, Sergio L; Chapman, Judith-Anne W; Parulekar, Wendy R

    2015-05-10

    The efficacy of lapatinib versus trastuzumab combined with taxanes in the first-line setting of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -positive metastatic breast cancer (BC) is unknown. The MA.31 trial compared a combination of first-line anti-HER2 therapy (lapatinib or trastuzumab) and taxane therapy for 24 weeks, followed by the same anti-HER2 monotherapy until progression. Stratification was by prior (neo)adjuvant anti-HER2 therapy, prior (neo)adjuvant taxane, planned taxane, and liver metastases. The primary end point was intention-to-treat (ITT) progression-free survival (PFS), defined as time from random assignment to progression by RECIST (version 1.0) criteria, or death for patients with locally assessed HER2-positive tumors. The primary test statistic was a stratified log-rank test for noninferiority. PFS was also assessed for patients with centrally confirmed HER2-positive tumors. From July 17, 2008, to December 1, 2011, 652 patients were accrued from 21 countries, resulting in 537 patients with centrally confirmed HER2-positive tumors. Median follow-up was 21.5 months. Median ITT PFS was 9.0 months with lapatinib and 11.3 months with trastuzumab. By ITT analysis, PFS was inferior for lapatinib compared with trastuzumab, with a stratified hazard ratio (HR) of 1.37 (95% CI, 1.13 to 1.65; P = .001). In patients with centrally confirmed HER2-positive tumors, median PFS was 9.1 months with lapatinib and 13.6 months with trastuzumab (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.83; P < .001). More grade 3 or 4 diarrhea and rash were observed with lapatinib (P < .001). PFS results were supported by the secondary end point of overall survival, with an ITT HR of 1.28 (95% CI, 0.95 to 1.72; P = .11); in patients with centrally confirmed HER2-positive tumors, the HR was 1.47 (95% CI, 1.03 to 2.09; P = .03). As first-line therapy for HER2-positive metastatic BC, lapatinib combined with taxane was associated with shorter PFS and more toxicity compared with trastuzumab

  4. Applying information network analysis to fire-prone landscapes: implications for community resilience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derric B. Jacobs

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Resilient communities promote trust, have well-developed networks, and can adapt to change. For rural communities in fire-prone landscapes, current resilience strategies may prove insufficient in light of increasing wildfire risks due to climate change. It is argued that, given the complexity of climate change, adaptations are best addressed at local levels where specific social, cultural, political, and economic conditions are matched with local risks and opportunities. Despite the importance of social networks as key attributes of community resilience, research using social network analysis on coupled human and natural systems is scarce. Furthermore, the extent to which local communities in fire-prone areas understand climate change risks, accept the likelihood of potential changes, and have the capacity to develop collaborative mitigation strategies is underexamined, yet these factors are imperative to community resiliency. We apply a social network framework to examine information networks that affect perceptions of wildfire and climate change in Central Oregon. Data were collected using a mailed questionnaire. Analysis focused on the residents' information networks that are used to gain awareness of governmental activities and measures of community social capital. A two-mode network analysis was used to uncover information exchanges. Results suggest that the general public develops perceptions about climate change based on complex social and cultural systems rather than as patrons of scientific inquiry and understanding. It appears that perceptions about climate change itself may not be the limiting factor in these communities' adaptive capacity, but rather how they perceive local risks. We provide a novel methodological approach in understanding rural community adaptation and resilience in fire-prone landscapes and offer a framework for future studies.

  5. Coping mechanisms for crop plants in drought-prone environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neumann, Peter M

    2008-05-01

    Drought is a major limitation to plant productivity. Various options are available for increasing water availability and sustaining growth of crop plants in drought-prone environments. After a general introduction to the problems of water availability, this review focuses on a critical evaluation of recent progress in unravelling mechanisms for modifying plant growth responses to drought. Investigations of key regulatory mechanisms integrating plant growth responses to water deficits at the whole-organism, cellular and genomic levels continue to provide novel and exiting research findings. For example, recent reports contradict the widespread conception that root-derived abscisic acid is necessarily involved in signalling for stomatal and shoot-growth responses to soil water deficits. The findings bring into question the theoretical basis for alternate-side root-irrigation techniques. Similarly, recent reports indicate that increased ABA production or increased aquaporin expression did not lead to improved drought resistance. Other reports have concerned key genes and proteins involved in regulation of flowering (FT), vegetative growth (DELLA), leaf senescence (IPT) and desiccation tolerance (LEA). Introgression of such genes, with suitable promoters, can greatly impact on whole-plant responses to drought. Further developments could facilitate the introduction by breeders of new crop varieties with growth physiologies tailored to improved field performance under drought. Parallel efforts to encourage the introduction of supplementary irrigation with water made available by improved conservation measures and by sea- or brackish-water desalination, will probably provide comprehensive solutions to coping with drought-prone environments.

  6. Body-related state shame and guilt in women: do causal attributions mediate the influence of physical self-concept and shame and guilt proneness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crocker, Peter R E; Brune, Sara M; Kowalski, Kent C; Mack, Diane E; Wilson, Philip M; Sabiston, Catherine M

    2014-01-01

    Guided by the process model of self-conscious emotions, this study examined whether physical self-concept (PSC) and shame and guilt proneness were associated with body-related self-conscious emotions of state shame and guilt and if these relationships were mediated by attributions of stability, globality, and controllability. Female participants (N=284; Mean age=20.6±1.9 years) completed measures of PSC and shame and guilt proneness before reading a hypothetical scenario. Participants completed measures of attributions and state shame and guilt in response to the scenario. Significant relationships were noted between state shame and attributions of globality and controllability, and shame proneness, guilt proneness, and PSC. Similar relationships, with the additional predictor of stability, were found for state guilt. Mediation analysis partially supported the process model hypotheses for shame. Results indicate PSC and shame proneness are important in predicting body-related emotions, but the role of specific attributions are still unclear. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Antiretroviral Therapy Helps HIV-Positive Women Navigate Social Expectations for and Clinical Recommendations against Childbearing in Uganda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jasmine Kastner

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Understanding factors that influence pregnancy decision-making and experiences among HIV-positive women is important for developing integrated reproductive health and HIV services. Few studies have examined HIV-positive women’s navigation through the social and clinical factors that shape experiences of pregnancy in the context of access to antiretroviral therapy (ART. We conducted 25 semistructured interviews with HIV-positive, pregnant women receiving ART in Mbarara, Uganda in 2011 to explore how access to ART shapes pregnancy experiences. Main themes included: (1 clinical counselling about pregnancy is often dissuasive but focuses on the importance of ART adherence once pregnant; (2 accordingly, women demonstrate knowledge about the role of ART adherence in maintaining maternal health and reducing risks of perinatal HIV transmission; (3 this knowledge contributes to personal optimism about pregnancy and childbearing in the context of HIV; and (4 knowledge about and adherence to ART creates opportunities for HIV-positive women to manage normative community and social expectations of childbearing. Access to ART and knowledge of the accompanying lowered risks of mortality, morbidity, and HIV transmission improved experiences of pregnancy and empowered HIV-positive women to discretely manage conflicting social expectations and clinical recommendations regarding childbearing.

  8. Conscious sedation with inhaled 50% nitrous oxide/oxygen premix in photodynamic therapy sessions for vulvar lichen sclerosus treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabete, Joana; Campos, Sara; Lestre, Sara

    2015-01-01

    Photodynamic therapy has been described as an effective therapeutic option in selected cases of anogenital lichen sclerosus that are refractory to first-line treatments. However, procedure-related pain is a limiting factor in patient adherence to treatment. The authors report the case of a 75-year-old woman with highly symptomatic vulvar lichen sclerosus, successfully treated with photodynamic therapy. An inhaled 50% nitrous oxide/oxygen premix was administered during sessions, producing a pain-relieving, anxiolytic, and sedative effect without loss of consciousness. This ready-to-use gas mixture may be a well-tolerated and accepted alternative to classical anesthetics in Photodynamic therapy, facilitating patients' adherence to illumination of pain-prone areas.

  9. Comparing effects of insulin analogues and human insulin on nocturnal glycaemia in hypoglycaemia-prone people with Type 1 diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, P. L.; Tarnow, L.; Bay, C.

    2017-01-01

    . Conclusions: Treatment with insulin analogue reduces the occurrence of nocturnal hypoglycaemia assessed by nocturnal glucose profiles in people with Type 1 diabetes prone to severe hypoglycaemia. Nocturnal glucose profiles provide a more comprehensive assessment of clinical benefit of insulin regimens......Aims: To assess the difference between analogue and human insulin with regard to nocturnal glucose profiles and risk of hypoglycaemia in people with recurrent severe hypoglycaemia. Methods: A total of 72 people [46 men, mean ± sd age 54 ± 12 years, mean ± sd HbA1c 65 ± 12 mmol/mol (8.1 ± 1.1......%), mean ± sd duration of diabetes 30 ± 14 years], who participated in a 2-year randomized, crossover trial of basal-bolus therapy with insulin detemir/insulin aspart or human NPH insulin/human regular insulin (the HypoAna trial) were studied for 2 nights during each treatment. Venous blood was drawn...

  10. The genome-wide associated candidate gene ZNF804A and psychosis-proneness: Evidence of sex-modulated association.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta de Castro-Catala

    Full Text Available The Zinc finger protein 804A (ZNF804A is a promising candidate gene for schizophrenia and the broader psychosis phenotype that emerged from genome-wide association studies. It is related to neurodevelopment and associated to severe symptoms of schizophrenia and alterations in brain structure, as well as positive schizotypal personality traits in non-clinical samples. Moreover, a female-specific association has been observed between ZNF804A and schizophrenia.The present study examined the association of two ZNF804A polymorphisms (rs1344706 and rs7597593 with the positive dimension of schizotypy and psychotic-like experiences in a sample of 808 non-clinical subjects. Additionally, we wanted to explore whether the sexual differences reported in schizophrenia are also present in psychosis-proneness.Our results showed an association between rs7597593 and both schizotypy and psychotic-like experiences. These associations were driven by females, such those carrying the C allele had higher scores in the positive dimension of both variables compared to TT allele homozygotes.The findings of the present study support the inclusion of ZNF804 variability in studies of the vulnerability for the development of psychopathology in non-clinical samples and consideration of sex as a moderator of this association.

  11. The effects of prone bridge exercise on the Oswestry disability index and proprioception of patients with chronic low back pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Yong-Soo; Jang, Gwon-Uk; Park, Seol

    2015-09-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bridge exercises on the Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores and proprioception among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). [Subjects and Methods] A total of 38 patients participated in this study. After eight weeks of bridge exercise, the joint position angle of the body trunk was measured and the ODI was used in survey form to investigate the intensity of the patients' low back pain. [Results] After eight weeks of exercise, the ODI showed significant differences in all three groups. Subjects' joint position sense of the trunk in both lumbar flexion and extension was also significantly different after completing the exercise program; this was true for all three groups. [Conclusion] Performing the prone bridge exercise for eight weeks improved proprioceptive function and reduced pain and impediment of activity, showing it a more effective exercise than other bridge exercises.

  12. Social Participation and Disaster Risk Reduction Behaviors in Tsunami Prone Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witvorapong, Nopphol; Muttarak, Raya; Pothisiri, Wiraporn

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the relationships between social participation and disaster risk reduction actions. A survey of 557 households in tsunami prone areas in Phang Nga, Thailand was conducted following the 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes. We use a multivariate probit model to jointly estimate the likelihood of undertaking three responses to earthquake and tsunami hazards (namely, (1) following disaster-related news closely, (2) preparing emergency kits and/or having a family emergency plan, and (3) having an intention to migrate) and community participation. We find that those who experienced losses from the 2004 tsunami are more likely to participate in community activities and respond to earthquake hazards. Compared to men, women are more likely to prepare emergency kits and/or have an emergency plan and have a greater intention to migrate. Living in a community with a higher proportion of women with tertiary education increases the probability of engaging in community activities and carrying out disaster risk reduction measures. Individuals who participate in village-based activities are 5.2% more likely to undertake all three risk reduction actions compared to those not engaging in community activities. This implies that encouraging participation in community activities can have positive externalities in disaster mitigation. PMID:26153891

  13. Proteinuria precedes cerebral edema in stroke-prone rats : a magnetic resonance imaging study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blezer, E.L.A.; Schurink, M.; Nicolaij, K.; Dop Bär, P.R.; Jansen, G.H.; Koomans, H.A.; Joles, Jaap

    1998-01-01

    Background and Purpose: Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) subjected to high sodium intake develop severe hypertension, cerebral edema, and proteinuria, culminating in organ damage and early death. MRI, which can be applied serially, provides the unique opportunity to study

  14. The influence of HAART on the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy for the treatment of chronic HCV infection in HIV-positive individuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vogel M

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective This study was performed to investigate the impact of HAART versus no HAART and nucleoside free versus nucleoside containing HAART on the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy for the treatment of chronic HCV infection in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. In addition a control group of HCV mono-infected patients undergoing anti-HCV therapy was evaluated. Methods Multicenter, partially randomized, controlled clinical trial. HIV-negative and -positive patients with chronic HCV infection were treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin (800 - 1200 mg/day for 24 - 48 weeks in one of four treatment arms: HIV-negative (A, HIV-positive without HAART (B and HIV-positive on HAART (C. Patients within arm C were randomized to receive open label either a nucleoside containing (C1 or a nucleoside free HAART (C2. Results 168 patients were available for analysis. By intent-to-treat analysis similar sustained virological response rates (SVR, negative HCV-RNA 24 weeks after the end of therapy were observed comparing HIV-negative and -positive patients (54% vs. 54%, p = 1.000. Among HIV-positive patients SVR rates were similar between patients off and on HAART (57% vs. 52%, p = 0.708. Higher SVR rates were observed in patients on a nucleoside free HAART compared to patients on a nucleoside containing HAART, though confounding could not be ruled out and in the intent-to-treat analysis the difference was not statistically significant (64% vs. 46%, p = 0.209. Conclusions Similar response rates for HCV therapy can be achieved in HIV-positive and -negative patients. Patients on nucleoside free HAART reached at least equal rates of sustained virological response compared to patients on standard HAART.

  15. Verification of the Patient Positioning in the Bellyboard Pelvic Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasabasic, M.; Faj, D.; Smilovic Radojcic, D.; Svabic, M.; Ivkovic, A.; Jurkovic, S.

    2008-01-01

    The size and shape of the treatment fields applied in radiotherapy account for uncertainties in the daily set-up of the patients during the treatment. We investigated the accuracy of daily patient positioning in the bellyboard pelvic radiotherapy in order to find out the magnitude of the patients movement during the treatment. Translational as well as rotational movements of the patients are explored. Film portal imaging is used in order to find patient positioning error during the treatment of the pelvic region. Patients are treated in the prone position using the bellyboard positioning device. Thirty six patients are included in the study; 15 patients were followed during the whole treatment and 21 during the first 5 consecutive treatment days. The image acquisition was completed in 85 percent and systematic and random positioning errors in 453 images are analyzed. (author)

  16. Novel image registration quality evaluator (RQE) with an implementation for automated patient positioning in cranial radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Jian; Samant, Sanjiv S.

    2007-01-01

    In external beam radiation therapy, digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) and portal images are used to verify patient setup based either on a visual comparison or, less frequently, with automated registration algorithms. A registration algorithm can be trapped in local optima due to irregularity of patient anatomy, image noise and artifacts, and/ or out-of-plane shifts, resulting in an incorrect solution. Thus, human observation, which is subjective, is still required to check the registration result. We propose to use a novel image registration quality evaluator (RQE) to automatically identify misregistrations as part of an algorithm-based decision-making process for verification of patient positioning. A RQE, based on an adaptive pattern classifier, is generated from a pair of reference and target images to determine the acceptability of a registration solution given an optimization process. Here we applied our RQE to patient positioning for cranial radiation therapy. We constructed two RQEs--one for the evaluation of intramodal registrations (i.e., portal-portal); the other for intermodal registrations (i.e., portal-DRR). Mutual information, because of its high discriminatory ability compared with other measures (i.e., correlation coefficient and partitioned intensity uniformity), was chosen as the test function for both RQEs. We adopted 1 mm translation and 1 deg. rotation as the maximal acceptable registration errors, reflecting desirable clinical setup tolerances for cranial radiation therapy. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the performance of the RQE, including computations of sensitivity and specificity. The RQEs showed very good performance for both intramodal and intermodal registrations using simulated and phantom data. The sensitivity and the specificity were 0.973 and 0.936, respectively, for the intramodal RQE using phantom data. Whereas the sensitivity and the specificity were 0.961 and 0.758, respectively, for

  17. Position modification and actual radiation dose in parotids for head and neck cancers treated with TomoTherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Huayong; Zhang Yongqian; Wang Yadi; Xu Weidong; Gao Junmao; Zhang Fuli; Yao Bo

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To analyze the impact of parotid's position and volume changing on radiation dose for head and neck cancer treated with TomoTherapy. Methods: Totally 12 patients with head and neck cancer were treated with TomoTherapy. Before the treatment, the dose distribution was recalculated with MVCT images, which would obtain the parameters of position, volume and actual radiation dose for parotids. Results: The volume of parotids in Plan2 was significantly lower than in Plan1, and the percentage reduction was 29.06% and 31.78% for left and right parotid, respectively (Z = 6.77, 3.06, P < 0.05). Distance between the COM(center of mass) of parotids and the midline of body was significantly smaller in Plan2 than in Plan1, and the percentage reduction was 6.72% and 6.19% (t = 5.14, 5.80, P < 0.05) at left and right side, respectively. Average dose and V_2_6 for both parotids were higher than those in Plan1, increasing by an average of 37.74%, 25.08% (Z = -6.03, -5.31, P < 0.05) for left parotid and 30.45%, 19.33% (Z = -5.43, -3.26, P < 0.05) for right parotid, respectively. Conclusions: The actual radiation dose to parotids was significantly increased during the radiation therapy for patients with head and neck cancer. There was a linear correlation between the decrease of distance between the COM of parotids and the midline of body and the percentage increase of parotids' radiation dose. No correlation between the reduction of parotids' volume and dose to parotids. In order to reduce the parotids' radiation dose, modification of treatment plan at the appropriate time is essential. (authors)

  18. A comparison of prone SPET and left lateral (decubitus) planar imaging for inferior wall attenuation artefact in 201Tl myocardial imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Donnell, M.; Jenkin, B.; Van Every, B.; Kelly, M.J.; Kalff, V.

    1999-01-01

    Full text: Inferior wall attenuation artefacts are a major problem in supine SPET (S-S) myocardial perfusion imaging. SPET imaging with the patient lying in the prone position (P-S) and left lateral planar imaging with the patient lying in the right lateral decubitus position (LL) ameliorate this artefact. This study attempts to define the clinical role of P-S and LL imaging in characterizing S-S inferior wall defects. 21 patients with an inferior wall defect on S-S then had LL and rapid P-S imaging. All images were performed with a GE Optima NX gamma camera using GENIE acquisition and processing. All SPETs used 16 stops (32 frames) through 90 deg, with 40 s per stop for SS and 14 s per stop for P-S. LL images were acquired for 150 s. All images were assessed for adequacy and inferior wall scored for 0 = no, 1 mild, 2 moderate and 3 = severe defects. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test for matched pairs. All images were adequate for analysis. Significantly fewer defects were seen in P-S vs S-S, LL vs S-S (P 0.88); however; there was a difference (P < 0.05) in the subgroup (n = 7) with moderate defects on S-S imaging but no LL defect. In conclusion, most inferior wall defects seen on S-S imaging can be attributed to either attenuation or true perfusion defects with the use of LL imaging. Prone imaging may only be helpful where the inferior defect is of moderate severity but no LL defect is seen

  19. A standing posture is associated with increased susceptibility to the sound-induced flash illusion in fall-prone older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stapleton, John; Setti, Annalisa; Doheny, Emer P; Kenny, Rose Anne; Newell, Fiona N

    2014-02-01

    Recent research has provided evidence suggesting a link between inefficient processing of multisensory information and incidence of falling in older adults. Specifically, Setti et al. (Exp Brain Res 209:375-384, 2011) reported that older adults with a history of falling were more susceptible than their healthy, age-matched counterparts to the sound-induced flash illusion. Here, we investigated whether balance control in fall-prone older adults was directly associated with multisensory integration by testing susceptibility to the illusion under two postural conditions: sitting and standing. Whilst standing, fall-prone older adults had a greater body sway than the age-matched healthy older adults and their body sway increased when presented with the audio-visual illusory but not the audio-visual congruent conditions. We also found an increase in susceptibility to the sound-induced flash illusion during standing relative to sitting for fall-prone older adults only. Importantly, no performance differences were found across groups in either the unisensory or non-illusory multisensory conditions across the two postures. These results suggest an important link between multisensory integration and balance control in older adults and have important implications for understanding why some older adults are prone to falling.

  20. Supine Percutaneous Nephrolithotripsy in Double-S Position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giusti, Giuseppe; De Lisa, Antonello

    2018-01-01

    At present, the percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) is performed both in supine and in prone position. The aim of this paper is to describe an innovative position during PCNL. We describe a supine position. The patient's legs are slightly abducted at the hips. The thorax is laterally tilted (inclination 30°-35°) and kept in the right position by one or two gel pads placed between the scapula and the vertebrae. External genitalia can be accessed at any time, so that it is always possible to use flexible instruments in the upper urinary tract. We used this position for a period of 12 months to treat with PCNL 45 patients with renal lithiasis. All the procedures were successfully completed without complications, using the position we are describing. The following are some of its benefits: an easier positioning of the patient; a better exposure of the flank for an easier access to the posterior renal calyces of the kidney; a lower risk of pressure injuries compared to positions foreseeing the use of knee crutches; the possibility of combined procedures (ECIRS) through the use of flexible instruments; and a good fluoroscopic visualization of the kidney not overlapped by the vertebrae. This position is effective, safe, easy, and quick to prepare and allows for combined anterograde/retrograde operations.