Expert Coaching in Weight Loss: Retrospective Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Kushner, Robert F; Hill, James O; Lindquist, Richard; Brunning, Scott; Margulies, Amy

2018-01-01

Background Providing coaches as part of a weight management program is a common practice to increase participant engagement and weight loss success. Understanding coach and participant interactions and how these interactions impact weight loss success needs to be further explored for coaching best practices. Objective The purpose of this study was to analyze the coach and participant interaction in a 6-month weight loss intervention administered by Retrofit, a personalized weight management and Web-based disease prevention solution. The study specifically examined the association between different methods of coach-participant interaction and weight loss and tried to understand the level of coaching impact on weight loss outcome. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed using 1432 participants enrolled from 2011 to 2016 in the Retrofit weight loss program. Participants were males and females aged 18 years or older with a baseline body mass index of ≥25 kg/m², who also provided at least one weight measurement beyond baseline. First, a detailed analysis of different coach-participant interaction was performed using both intent-to-treat and completer populations. Next, a multiple regression analysis was performed using all measures associated with coach-participant interactions involving expert coaching sessions, live weekly expert-led Web-based classes, and electronic messaging and feedback. Finally, 3 significant predictors (Pcoaching session attendance (Pcoaching sessions, attending 60% of live weekly Web-based classes, and receiving a minimum of 1 food log feedback day per week were associated with clinically significant weight loss. Conclusions Participant’s one-on-one expert coaching session attendance, live weekly expert-led interactive Web-based class attendance, and the number of food log feedback days per week from expert coach were significant predictors of weight loss in a 6-month intervention. PMID:29535082

A retrospective analysis of ultrasound-guided large core needle ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A retrospective analysis of ultrasound-guided large core needle biopsies of breast lesions at a regional public hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. ... Objective: To assess the influence of technical variables on the diagnostic yield of breast specimens obtained by using US-LCNB, and the sensitivity of detecting ...

Retrospective analysis of the Spitak earthquake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. K. Tovmassian

1995-06-01

Full Text Available Based on the retrospective analysis of numerous data and studies of the Spitak earthquake the present work at- tempts to shed light on different aspects of that catastrophic seismic event which occurred in Northern Arme- nia on December 7, 1988. The authors follow a chronological order of presentation, namely: changes in geo- sphere, atmosphere, biosphere during the preparation of the Spitak earthquake, foreshocks, main shock, after- shocks, focal mechanisms, historical seismicity; seismotectonic position of the source, strong motion records, site effects; the macroseismic effect, collapse of buildings and structures; rescue activities; earthquake conse- quences; and the lessons of the Spitak earthquake.

A simple method to retrospectively estimate patient dose-area product for chest tomosynthesis examinations performed using VolumeRAD.

Science.gov (United States)

Båth, Magnus; Söderman, Christina; Svalkvist, Angelica

2014-10-01

The purpose of the present work was to develop and validate a method of retrospectively estimating the dose-area product (DAP) of a chest tomosynthesis examination performed using the VolumeRAD system (GE Healthcare, Chalfont St. Giles, UK) from digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data available in the scout image. DICOM data were retrieved for 20 patients undergoing chest tomosynthesis using VolumeRAD. Using information about how the exposure parameters for the tomosynthesis examination are determined by the scout image, a correction factor for the adjustment in field size with projection angle was determined. The correction factor was used to estimate the DAP for 20 additional chest tomosynthesis examinations from DICOM data available in the scout images, which was compared with the actual DAP registered for the projection radiographs acquired during the tomosynthesis examination. A field size correction factor of 0.935 was determined. Applying the developed method using this factor, the average difference between the estimated DAP and the actual DAP was 0.2%, with a standard deviation of 0.8%. However, the difference was not normally distributed and the maximum error was only 1.0%. The validity and reliability of the presented method were thus very high. A method to estimate the DAP of a chest tomosynthesis examination performed using the VolumeRAD system from DICOM data in the scout image was developed and validated. As the scout image normally is the only image connected to the tomosynthesis examination stored in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) containing dose data, the method may be of value for retrospectively estimating patient dose in clinical use of chest tomosynthesis.

A simple method to retrospectively estimate patient dose-area product for chest tomosynthesis examinations performed using VolumeRAD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Båth, Magnus, E-mail: magnus.bath@vgregion.se; Svalkvist, Angelica [Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-413 45, Sweden and Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg SE-413 45 (Sweden); Söderman, Christina [Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-413 45 (Sweden)

2014-10-15

Purpose: The purpose of the present work was to develop and validate a method of retrospectively estimating the dose-area product (DAP) of a chest tomosynthesis examination performed using the VolumeRAD system (GE Healthcare, Chalfont St. Giles, UK) from digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data available in the scout image. Methods: DICOM data were retrieved for 20 patients undergoing chest tomosynthesis using VolumeRAD. Using information about how the exposure parameters for the tomosynthesis examination are determined by the scout image, a correction factor for the adjustment in field size with projection angle was determined. The correction factor was used to estimate the DAP for 20 additional chest tomosynthesis examinations from DICOM data available in the scout images, which was compared with the actual DAP registered for the projection radiographs acquired during the tomosynthesis examination. Results: A field size correction factor of 0.935 was determined. Applying the developed method using this factor, the average difference between the estimated DAP and the actual DAP was 0.2%, with a standard deviation of 0.8%. However, the difference was not normally distributed and the maximum error was only 1.0%. The validity and reliability of the presented method were thus very high. Conclusions: A method to estimate the DAP of a chest tomosynthesis examination performed using the VolumeRAD system from DICOM data in the scout image was developed and validated. As the scout image normally is the only image connected to the tomosynthesis examination stored in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) containing dose data, the method may be of value for retrospectively estimating patient dose in clinical use of chest tomosynthesis.

A simple method to retrospectively estimate patient dose-area product for chest tomosynthesis examinations performed using VolumeRAD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Båth, Magnus; Svalkvist, Angelica; Söderman, Christina

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the present work was to develop and validate a method of retrospectively estimating the dose-area product (DAP) of a chest tomosynthesis examination performed using the VolumeRAD system (GE Healthcare, Chalfont St. Giles, UK) from digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data available in the scout image. Methods: DICOM data were retrieved for 20 patients undergoing chest tomosynthesis using VolumeRAD. Using information about how the exposure parameters for the tomosynthesis examination are determined by the scout image, a correction factor for the adjustment in field size with projection angle was determined. The correction factor was used to estimate the DAP for 20 additional chest tomosynthesis examinations from DICOM data available in the scout images, which was compared with the actual DAP registered for the projection radiographs acquired during the tomosynthesis examination. Results: A field size correction factor of 0.935 was determined. Applying the developed method using this factor, the average difference between the estimated DAP and the actual DAP was 0.2%, with a standard deviation of 0.8%. However, the difference was not normally distributed and the maximum error was only 1.0%. The validity and reliability of the presented method were thus very high. Conclusions: A method to estimate the DAP of a chest tomosynthesis examination performed using the VolumeRAD system from DICOM data in the scout image was developed and validated. As the scout image normally is the only image connected to the tomosynthesis examination stored in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) containing dose data, the method may be of value for retrospectively estimating patient dose in clinical use of chest tomosynthesis

Analysis of phakic before intraocular lens implantation for fundus examination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Chen

2014-10-01

Full Text Available AIM:To investigate the findings of the eyes which were examined preoperatively by three mirror contact lens before the implantation of implantable collamer lens(ICL. To analysis the retinal pathological changes and to explore the clinical analysis of early diagnosis and treatment in retinopathy on fundus examination before operation. METHODS:The retrospective case series study included 127 eyes of 64 patients who underwent phakic intraocular lens implantation were received the fundus examination by three mirror from April 2011 to April 2012 in our hospital. The age, refractive diopter, the findings of Goldmann three mirror examination and the condition of retinal photocoagulation were analysed and concluded.RESULTS: A total of 34 eyes(26.8%out of all 127 eyes(64 caseswere found to have peripheral retinal pathological changes. Eight eyes(6.3%with retinal holes, 15 eyes(11.8%with retinal lattice degeneration, 5 eyes(3.9%with retina cream degeneration, 3 eyes(2.4%with retinal paving stone degeneration,2 eyes with vitreoretinal adhesion and traction,1 eye(0.8%with retinal hemorrhage. Twenty-five cases were given retinal photocoagulation and then received the ICL implantation after 3mo. The follow-up time was 1a. No retinal detachment happened.CONCLUSION:Phakic before intraocular lens implantation for fundus examination by three mirror is contributed to find the peripheral retinal pathological changes and abnormity. And make the appropriate treatment before operation for improving the security of operation, it can also give help to the postoperative follow-up of the fundus of these patients.

Foliar nutrient analysis of sugar maple decline: retrospective vector diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Victor R. Timmer; Yuanxin Teng

1999-01-01

Accuracy of traditional foiiar analysis of nutrient disorders in sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) is limited by lack of validation and confounding by nutrient interactions. Vector nutrient diagnosis is relatively free of these problems. The technique is demonstrated retrospectively on four case studies. Diagnostic interpretations consistently...

Shoulder injuries in professional rugby: a retrospective analysis

OpenAIRE

Horsley, Ian G; Fowler, Elizabeth M; Rolf, Christer G

2013-01-01

Background In the literature, little is known about the level and pattern of rugby injuries. Of the shoulder injuries reported, 51% of these are caused during a tackle, and 65% of all match injuries affected the shoulder. Objective The study aims to describe a sport-specific unique intra-articular shoulder pathology of professional rugby players, who presented with persistent pain and dysfunction despite physiotherapeutic treatment and rest. Method This study is a retrospective analysis set a...

A retrospective analysis of blood gases with two different insulin ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A retrospective analysis of blood gases with two different insulin infusion protocols in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. ... In this study, we aimed to look into the effect of glycemic control on arterial blood gas parameters, serum electrolytes, and hemoglobin (Hb). Materials and Methods: We collected data from ...

Expert Coaching in Weight Loss: Retrospective Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Painter, Stefanie Lynn; Ahmed, Rezwan; Kushner, Robert F; Hill, James O; Lindquist, Richard; Brunning, Scott; Margulies, Amy

2018-03-13

Providing coaches as part of a weight management program is a common practice to increase participant engagement and weight loss success. Understanding coach and participant interactions and how these interactions impact weight loss success needs to be further explored for coaching best practices. The purpose of this study was to analyze the coach and participant interaction in a 6-month weight loss intervention administered by Retrofit, a personalized weight management and Web-based disease prevention solution. The study specifically examined the association between different methods of coach-participant interaction and weight loss and tried to understand the level of coaching impact on weight loss outcome. A retrospective analysis was performed using 1432 participants enrolled from 2011 to 2016 in the Retrofit weight loss program. Participants were males and females aged 18 years or older with a baseline body mass index of ≥25 kg/m², who also provided at least one weight measurement beyond baseline. First, a detailed analysis of different coach-participant interaction was performed using both intent-to-treat and completer populations. Next, a multiple regression analysis was performed using all measures associated with coach-participant interactions involving expert coaching sessions, live weekly expert-led Web-based classes, and electronic messaging and feedback. Finally, 3 significant predictors (Pcoaching session attendance (Pcoaching sessions, attending 60% of live weekly Web-based classes, and receiving a minimum of 1 food log feedback day per week were associated with clinically significant weight loss. Participant's one-on-one expert coaching session attendance, live weekly expert-led interactive Web-based class attendance, and the number of food log feedback days per week from expert coach were significant predictors of weight loss in a 6-month intervention. ©Stefanie Lynn Painter, Rezwan Ahmed, Robert F Kushner, James O Hill, Richard Lindquist, Scott

Temporomandibular Disorders and Headache: A Retrospective Analysis of 1198 Patients

OpenAIRE

Di Paolo, Carlo; D'Urso, Anna; Papi, Piero; Di Sabato, Francesco; Rosella, Daniele; Pompa, Giorgio; Polimeni, Antonella

2017-01-01

Aim. Headache is one of the most common diseases associated with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate, retrospectively, if headache influences TMD’s symptoms. Material and Methods. A total sample of 1198 consecutive TMD patients was selected. After a neurological examination, a diagnosis of headache, according to the latest edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, was performed in 625 subjects. Patients were divided into two group...

Femoral anteversion assessment: Comparison of physical examination, gait analysis, and EOS biplanar radiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Westberry, David E; Wack, Linda I; Davis, Roy B; Hardin, James W

2018-05-01

Multiple measurement methods are available to assess transverse plane alignment of the lower extremity. This study was performed to determine the extent of correlation between femoral anteversion assessment using simultaneous biplanar radiographs and three-dimensional modeling (EOS imaging), clinical hip rotation by physical examination, and dynamic hip rotation assessed by gait analysis. Seventy-seven patients with cerebral palsy (GMFCS Level I and II) and 33 neurologically typical children with torsional abnormalities completed a comprehensive gait analysis with same day biplanar anterior-posterior and lateral radiographs and three-dimensional transverse plane assessment of femoral anteversion. Correlations were determined between physical exam of hip rotation, EOS imaging of femoral anteversion, and transverse plane hip kinematics for this retrospective review study. Linear regression analysis revealed a weak relationship between physical examination measures of hip rotation and biplanar radiographic assessment of femoral anteversion. Similarly, poor correlation was found between clinical evaluation of femoral anteversion and motion assessment of dynamic hip rotation. Correlations were better in neurologically typical children with torsional abnormalities compared to children with gait dysfunction secondary to cerebral palsy. Dynamic hip rotation cannot be predicted by physical examination measures of hip range of motion or from three-dimensional assessment of femoral anteversion derived from biplanar radiographs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Potential improvements in medical education as retrospectively evaluated by candidates for specialist examinations].

Science.gov (United States)

Hofer, M; Jansen, M; Soboll, S

2006-02-24

As part of the new regulations for licensing doctors there have been numerous attempts at reform by many medical faculties to consider interdisciplinary linkage of the curriculum with emphasis on teaching of small groups of students. This study was undertaken to help answer the question of how much weight should be given to the various subjects and what resources are needed for any reformed curriculum and what key areas of competence need to be given greater importance. 1029 candidates of specialist examinations of the Medical Council of North-Rhine in 2002 and 2003 filled in questionnaires to evaluate retrospectively the actual relevance of individual preclinical and clinical subjects, courses and areas of practical competence to their further medical education and related potentials for improvement in their studies. The participants were from 5 medical faculties in the North-Rhine area of Germany. They were also asked about methods of examination that were effective in aiding their learning behaviour. Those answering the questionnaire considered especially chemistry and physics as well as environmental, occupational and forensic medicine, bio-mathematics, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine among the less relevant subjects. On the other hand, anatomy, physiology, internal medicine, pharmacology and surgery were considered especially relevant. The greatest deficiencies in most of the medical curricula as taught in the North-Rhine medical courses are in the areas of competence in communication and practical clinical skills. Members of this group also pleaded for an increased use of standardized objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE).

Physical Examination-Indicated Cerclage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehsanipoor, Robert M; Seligman, Neil S; Saccone, Gabriele; Szymanski, Linda M; Wissinger, Christina; Werner, Erika F; Berghella, Vincenzo

2015-07-01

To estimate the effectiveness of physical examination-indicated cerclage in the setting of second-trimester cervical dilatation by systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies published between 1966 and 2014 that evaluated cervical cerclage for the treatment of cervical insufficiency. The search yielded 6,314 citations. We included cohort studies and randomized controlled trials comparing cerclage placement with expectant management of women with cervical dilatation between 14 and 27 weeks of gestation. Two investigators independently reviewed each citation for inclusion or exclusion and discordant decisions were arbitrated by a third reviewer. Summary estimates were reported as the mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous variables or relative risk and with 95% CI for dichotomous outcomes. Fixed- and random-effects meta-analysis was used, depending on heterogeneity. Ten studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. One was a randomized controlled trial, two were prospective cohort studies, and the remaining seven were retrospective cohort studies. Of the 757 women, 485 (64%) underwent physical examination-indicated cerclage placement and 272 (36%) were expectantly managed. Cerclage was associated with increased neonatal survival (71% compared with 43%; relative risk 1.65, 95% CI 1.19-2.28) and prolongation of pregnancy (mean difference 33.98 days, 95% CI 17.88-50.08). Physical examination-indicated cerclage is associated with a significant increase in neonatal survival and prolongation of pregnancy of approximately 1 month when compared with no such cerclage. The strength of this conclusion is limited by the potential for bias in the included studies.

Efficacy of Alteplase in a Mouse Model of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Retrospective Pooled Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Orset, Cyrille; Haelewyn, Benoit; Allan, Stuart M; Ansar, Saema; Campos, Francesco; Cho, Tae Hee; Durand, Anne; El Amki, Mohamad; Fatar, Marc; Garcia-Yébenes, Isaac; Gauberti, Maxime; Grudzenski, Saskia; Lizasoain, Ignacio; Lo, Eng; Macrez, Richard; Margaill, Isabelle; Maysami, Samaneh; Meairs, Stephen; Nighoghossian, Norbert; Orbe, Josune; Paramo, Jose Antonio; Parienti, Jean-Jacques; Rothwell, Nancy J; Rubio, Marina; Waeber, Christian; Young, Alan R; Touzé, Emmanuel; Vivien, Denis

2016-05-01

The debate over the fact that experimental drugs proposed for the treatment of stroke fail in the translation to the clinical situation has attracted considerable attention in the literature. In this context, we present a retrospective pooled analysis of a large data set from preclinical studies, to examine the effects of early versus late administration of intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator. We collected data from 26 individual studies from 9 international centers (13 researchers; 716 animals) that compared recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator with controls, in a unique mouse model of thromboembolic stroke induced by an in situ injection of thrombin into the middle cerebral artery. Studies were classified into early (stroke in mice. The power analysis reveals that a multicenter trial would require 123 animals per group instead of 40 for a single-center trial. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Retrospective Evaluations of Sequences: Testing the Predictions of a Memory-Based Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Aldrovandi, Silvio; Poirier, Marie; Kusev, Petko; Ayton, Peter

2015-01-01

Retrospective evaluation (RE) of event sequences is known to be biased in various ways. The present paper presents a series of studies that examined the suggestion that the moments that are the most accessible in memory at the point of RE contribute to these biases. As predicted by this memory-based analysis, Experiment 1 showed that pleasantness ratings of word lists were biased by the presentation position of a negative item and by how easy the negative information was to retrieve. Experiment 2 ruled out the hypothesis that these findings were due to the dual nature of the task called upon. Experiment 3 further manipulated the memorability of the negative items--and corresponding changes in RE were as predicted. Finally, Experiment 4 extended the findings to more complex stimuli involving event narratives. Overall, the results suggest that assessments were adjusted based on the retrieval of the most readily available information.

Analysis of luminescence from common salt (NaCl) for application to retrospective dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spooner, N.A.; Smith, B.W.; Williams, O.M.; Creighton, D.F.; McCulloch, I.; Hunter, P.G.; Questiaux, D.G.; Prescott, J.R.

2011-01-01

Thermoluminescence (TL), Optically-Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and Infrared-Stimulated Luminescence (IRSL) emitted from a set of 19 salt (NaCl) samples were studied for potential application to retrospective dosimetry. TL emission spectra revealed intense TL emissions from most samples, centred on 590 nm; UV and blue emissions were also found. Significant thermally-induced sensitivity changes were observed and TL, OSL and IRSL growth curves were measured. Pulse anneal analysis was performed, as was quantitative imaging of the TL, OSL and IRSL to assess sample heterogeneity. Kinetic analysis found lifetimes at 20 °C of the 200 °C and 240 °C TL peaks to be 0.6 ka and 4 ka respectively; sufficient for application to retrospective dosimetry.

A Retrospective Analysis of Cyanoacrylate Injection versus Hemoclip Placement for Bleeding Dieulafoy’s Lesion in Duodenum

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Yu Jiang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Duodenal Dieulafoy’s lesion (DL is a rare disease that may lead to lethal hemorrhage in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The best technique for endoscopic intervention still remains unclear. In the present study, we performed a retrospective analysis of cyanoacrylate injection versus hemoclip placement for treating bleeding DLs. Materials and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed eighteen patients from three medical centers between October 2008 and February 2016; six patients received cyanoacrylate injection, while hemoclips were placed in 12 patients during the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Results. All patients received first endoscopic examination and/or endotherapy within 12 hours of admission to hospital. No difference was observed in the primary hemostasis rate or the recurrent hemorrhage rate between the cyanoacrylate injection (CI group and the hemoclip placement (HP group, except that in one patient from the HP group melena was found three days after the first endotherapy. This patient received cyanoacrylate injection once again. Conclusion. Both cyanoacrylate injection and hemoclip placement are effective in treating duodenal DL, and neither of them causes significant side effects.

Retrospective North American CFL Experience Curve Analysis and Correlation to Deployment Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Sarah J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wei, Max [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sohn, Michael D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-07-01

Retrospective experience curves are a useful tool for understanding historic technology development, and can contribute to investment program analysis and future cost estimation efforts. This work documents our development of an analysis approach for deriving retrospective experience curves with a variable learning rate, and its application to develop an experience curve for compact fluorescent lamps for the global and North American markets over the years 1990-2007. Uncertainties and assumptions involved in interpreting data for our experience curve development are discussed, including the processing and transformation of empirical data, the selection of system boundaries, and the identification of historical changes in the learning rate over the course of 15 years. In the results that follow, we find that that the learning rate has changed at least once from 1990-2007. We also explore if, and to what degree, public deployment programs may have contributed to an increased technology learning rate in North America. We observe correlations between the changes in the learning rate and the initiation of new policies, abrupt technological advances, including improvements to ballast technology, and economic and political events such as trade tariffs and electricity prices. Finally, we discuss how the findings of this work (1) support the use of segmented experience curves for retrospective and prospective analysis and (2) may imply that investments in technological research and development have contributed to a change in market adoption and penetration.

Retrospective analysis of the treatment of psoriasis of the palms and soles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spuls, P. I.; Hadi, S.; Rivera, L.; Lebwohl, M.

2003-01-01

In this retrospective analysis, the effect of currently used treatments in 26 patients with psoriasis of the palms and soles were analyzed. In general, patients are treated initially with topical medications including superpotent topical corticosteroids in combination with calcipotriene ointment or

[Occupational Hearing Loss (BK-No. 2301) - A Retrospective Analysis of 100 Consecutive Cases].

Science.gov (United States)

Reiter, R; Brosch, S

2016-10-01

Introduction: In order for a diagnosis of Occupational Hearing Loss (BK-no. 2301) to be made certain criteria must be fulfilled to establish that the hearing loss is occupational in origin. This work compares 2 groups, those who fulfil the criteria (BKE) and those who do not (BKNE). Methods: A 100 consecutive reports ("Lärmgutachten BK-no. 2301") written by the authors were examined retrospectively. These recorded audiometric examination, an analysis of any tinnitus and noise exposure plus use of hearing protection. Pre- and post-noise exposure status together with an expert assessment of work limitations was made to produce a 7 point score. Results: 67% of the group fulfilled the conditions for occupational hearing loss (9% were entitled to compensation). In the BKE group 82% showed typical audiometric signs of noise damage with 75% of them fulfilling at least 6 criteria of occupational disease no. 2301. Tinnitus typical for noise exposure was found in 26%. Discussion: A 7 point score could be useful in the future as a method of helping distinguish hearing loss and tinnitus from occupational as opposed to other causes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

How often do surgeons intervene on shoulder labral lesions detected at MR examination? A retrospective review of MR examinations correlated with arthroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Objective: We report the prevalence of surgical intervention on shoulder labral lesions detected at MR examinations and how surgeons describe labral tears seen at MR examinations in their arthroscopy reports. Methods: A retrospective review of 100 consecutive patients aged 50 years or younger who had shoulder labral tears on MR and went on to have surgery performed. It was determined whether surgical intervention was performed on the MR lesions. Results: Of these 100 patients, 72 had superior labral anterior to posterior (SLAP) tears, 38 had posterior labral tears and 28 had anterior labral tears on MR examination. All 100 patients went on to arthroscopy. All lesions described on MRI were described on arthroscopy. Of the 72 SLAP tears, 64 were described as fraying on arthroscopy with 51 debrided. The remaining eight SLAP tears were tacked surgically. Of the 38 posterior labral tears, 36 were described as fraying on arthroscopy with 29 debrided and 2 had surgical tacking performed. Of the 28 anterior labral tears described on MR examination, 26 had surgical tacking performed and 2 were debrided. There were four SLAP tears, two anterior labral tears and three posterior labral tears seen on arthroscopy but not seen on MR examination. Conclusion: In this series, a high percentage of SLAP tears and posterior labral tears described on MR examination did not have surgical tacking. Most anterior labral tears had surgical tacking. Based on the above, our surgeons request we describe superior and posterior labral lesions as fraying and/or tearing, unless we can see a displaced tear. Most anterior labral lesions are treated with surgical tacking. Advances in knowledge: MRI allows for sensitive detection of labral tears. The tears often are not clinically significant. PMID:24712320

Retrospective Analysis of Mosh-Pit-Related Injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Milsten, Andrew M; Tennyson, Joseph; Weisberg, Stacy

2017-12-01

. Milsten AM , Tennyson J , Weisberg S , Retrospective analysis of mosh-pit-related injuries. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):636-641.

Fournier's gangrene: A retrospective analysis of 25 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Yücel, Metin; Özpek, Adnan; Başak, Fatih; Kılıç, Ali; Ünal, Ethem; Yüksekdağ, Sema; Acar, Aylin; Baş, Gürhan

2017-09-01

Fournier's gangrene is a surgical emergency that progresses rapidly and insidiously and results in high morbidity and mortality rates unless it is immediately diagnosed and managed. Here we analyze the outcomes of patients who were followed up and treated for Fournier's gangrene. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical data of 25 patients operated on for Fournier's gangrene between January 2010 and June 2015. The diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene was made by performing a physical examination. Patients who had genital, perineal, and perianal tenderness; induration; cyanosis; gangrene; and subcutaneous crepitation were considered as having Fournier's gangrene. Following resuscitation, aggressive surgical debridement was performed and vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) was conducted in addition to debridement in select patient. Repeat debridements were performed as requirement. This study included 25 patients. Fourteen patients (56%) were females and 11 (44%) were males. The mean age of the patients was 54.3 years (range: 27-82 years). The mean duration of hospital stay was 21.4 days; the mean number of debridements performed was 2.4. Thirteen patients (52%) had perianal abscesses, and 20 (80%) had diabetes mellitus. All patients underwent extensive debridement; 16 patients (64%) underwent VAC in addition to debridement. Patients undergoing VAC had significantly longer durations of hospital stay and a higher mean number of debridements performed (p=0.004 and p=0.048, respectively). An ostomy was made in one patient, and one patient died. In Fournier's gangrene, early diagnosis, effective resuscitation, aggressive debridement, and VAC application in suitable cases may reduce the morbidity and mortality rates and the need for an ostomy.

A retrospective analysis of compact fluorescent lamp experience curves and their correlations to deployment programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Sarah Josephine; Wei, Max; Sohn, Michael D.

2016-01-01

Experience curves are useful for understanding technology development and can aid in the design and analysis of market transformation programs. Here, we employ a novel approach to create experience curves, to examine both global and North American compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) data for the years 1990–2007. We move away from the prevailing method of fitting a single, constant, exponential curve to data and instead search for break points where changes in the learning rate may have occurred. Our analysis suggests a learning rate of approximately 21% for the period of 1990–1997, and 51% and 79% in global and North American datasets, respectively, after 1998. We use price data for this analysis; therefore our learning rates encompass developments beyond typical “learning by doing”, including supply chain impacts such as market competition. We examine correlations between North American learning rates and the initiation of new programs, abrupt technological advances, and economic and political events, and find an increased learning rate associated with design advancements and federal standards programs. Our findings support the use of segmented experience curves for retrospective and prospective technology analysis, and may imply that investments in technology programs have contributed to an increase of the CFL learning rate. - Highlights: • We develop a segmented regression technique to estimate historical CFL learning curves. • CFL experience curves do not have a constant learning rate. • CFLs exhibited a learning rate of approximately 21% from 1990 to 1997. • The CFL learning rate significantly increased after 1998. • Increased CFL learning rate is correlated to technology deployment programs.

Pre and post PET-CT impact on oesophageal cancer management: a retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Azmi, NA; Razak, HRA; Vinjamuri, S.

2017-05-01

Assessment of the retrospective cancer incidence, prevalence and crude survival rates of oesophageal cancer to allow comparison between pre and post PET-CT introduction are part of 4 phase cost effectiveness research. It will provide baseline data for to assess PET or PET-CT cost effective potential for staging. A total of 849 patient’s data received from NWCIS databases with various stages of oesophageal cancer between 2001 and 2008. The fundamental activities are retrospective analysis of patient data. In most cases where appropriate, results are presented with 95 percent confidence intervals (CI). Variances between patient groups and variables are assessed using chi-square test. In cases where it deems vital, multiple logistic regression are used to modify for potential confounder such as age and sex. All p-values are two-sided and any value lower than 0.05 were considered to suggest a statistically significant result. Retrospective analysis were categorised into two categories, patients from 2001-2003 considered as pre PET and post PET for 2004-2008. This categorisation allows better comparison of patients’ survival trend to be made between both groups. Rates are presented in percentages and being grouped by tumour characteristics and other variables associated with demographic profile, diagnosis, staging and treatment. Results allowed comparison of oesophageal cancer trends between the pre and post PET-CT introduction such as changes in incidence rate or changes in survival. These data were used to normalise the decision tree model so that cost-effectiveness analysis can be performed across the whole population.

Pre and post PET-CT impact on oesophageal cancer management: a retrospective analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azmi, NA; Razak, HRA; Vinjamuri, S

2017-01-01

Assessment of the retrospective cancer incidence, prevalence and crude survival rates of oesophageal cancer to allow comparison between pre and post PET-CT introduction are part of 4 phase cost effectiveness research. It will provide baseline data for to assess PET or PET-CT cost effective potential for staging. A total of 849 patient’s data received from NWCIS databases with various stages of oesophageal cancer between 2001 and 2008. The fundamental activities are retrospective analysis of patient data. In most cases where appropriate, results are presented with 95 percent confidence intervals (CI). Variances between patient groups and variables are assessed using chi-square test. In cases where it deems vital, multiple logistic regression are used to modify for potential confounder such as age and sex. All p-values are two-sided and any value lower than 0.05 were considered to suggest a statistically significant result. Retrospective analysis were categorised into two categories, patients from 2001-2003 considered as pre PET and post PET for 2004-2008. This categorisation allows better comparison of patients’ survival trend to be made between both groups. Rates are presented in percentages and being grouped by tumour characteristics and other variables associated with demographic profile, diagnosis, staging and treatment. Results allowed comparison of oesophageal cancer trends between the pre and post PET-CT introduction such as changes in incidence rate or changes in survival. These data were used to normalise the decision tree model so that cost-effectiveness analysis can be performed across the whole population. (paper)

Financial analysis of potential retrospective premium assessments under the Price-Anderson system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, R.S.

1985-04-01

Ten representative nuclear utilities have been analyzed over the period 1981 to 1983 to evaluate the effects of three levels of retrospective premiums on various financial indicators. This analysis continues and expands on earlier analyses prepared as background for deliberations by the US Congress for possible extension or modification of the Price-Anderson Act

Falls from height: A retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Turgut, Kasim; Sarihan, Mehmet Ediz; Colak, Cemil; Güven, Taner; Gür, Ali; Gürbüz, Sükrü

2018-01-01

Emergency services manage trauma patients frequently and falls from height comprise the main cause of emergency service admissions. In this study, we aimed to analyse the demographic characteristics of falls from height and their relationship to the mortality. A total of 460 patients, who admitted to the Emergency Department of Inonu University between November 2011 and November 2014 with a history of fall from height, were examined retrospectively. Demographic parameters, fall characteristics and their effect to mortality were evaluated statistically. The study comprised of 292 (63.5%) men and 168 (36.5%) women patients. The mean age of all patients was 27±24.99 years. Twenty-six (5.6%) patients died and the majority of them were in ≥62 years old group. The highest percentage of falls was at 0-5 years age group (28.3%). People fell mainly from 1.1-4 metres(m) level (46.1%). The causes of falls were ordered as unintentional (92.2%), workplace (8.1%) and suicidal (1.7%). Skin and soft tissue injuries (37.4%) were the main traumatic lesions. Age, fall height, fall place, lineer skull fracture, subarachnoidal hemorrhage, cervical fracture, thoracic vertebra fracture and trauma scores had statistically significant effect on mortality. The casualties died because of subarachnoid hemorrhage mostly.

SHOULD EVERY APPENDECECTOMY SPECIMEN BE SUBJECTED TO HISTOPATHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION? A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF HISTOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN APPENDICECTOMY SPECIMENS

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Shahanuma Shaik

2017-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Appendicitis is one of the commonest surgical emergencies with a lifetime risk of 7-8%. The appendicectomy specimens operated upon clinically-suspected appendicitis often appear normal on gross examination, but histopathological evaluation may reveal a diverse underlying pathology. Therefore, for accurate diagnosis, histopathological examination of all appendicectomy specimens is mandatory. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study of 175 appendicectomy cases operated over a period of two years. The clinical data and histopathological reports were reviewed and various histopathological findings are categorised. RESULTS Out of the total 175 appendicectomies, 155 emergency appendicectomy cases were included in the study, while 20 cases of incidental appendicectomy were excluded. The peak incidence was found in the 2nd and 3rd decades with male predominance. Among the 155 specimens, 96.8% had histological features of appendicitis and 1.9% were normal appendix. The unusual histopathological findings were Carcinoid tumour and Enterobius vermicularis. CONCLUSION The definitive diagnoses of appendicitis as well as the unusual incidental findings that were missed intraoperatively are established by histopathological examination. The study supports the histological examination of all resected appendicectomy specimens.

Retrospective analysis of dengue specific IgM reactive serum samples

OpenAIRE

Nemai Bhattacharya; Bhaswati Bandyopadhyay; Indranil Bhattacharjee; Hiranmoy Mukherjee; Srabani Talukdar; Ruby Mondal; Netai Pramanick; Goutam Chandra; Amiya K. Hati

2013-01-01

Objective: To conduct a retrospective analysis of dengue cases in Kolkata, on the basis of presence of anti-dengue IgM in their sera and presence or absence of anti-dengue IgG and dengue specific Non structural 1 (NS1) antigen in each of the serum sample. Methods: Sample was tested quantitatively employing ELISA technique, using Biorad test kits, with a view to get a more comprehensive picture of dengue in an urban endemic area and also to evaluate individual cases. Results: Th...

Retrospective analysis of 'gamma distribution' based IMRT QA criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, C.; Chappell, R.A.

2010-01-01

Full text: IMRT has been implemented into clinical practice at Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) since mid 2006 for treating patients with Head and Neck (H and N) or prostate tumours. A local quality assurance (QA) acceptance criteria based on 'gamma distribution' for approving IMRT plan was developed and implemented in early 2007. A retrospective analysis of such criteria over 194 clinical cases will be presented. The RHH IMRT criteria was established with assumption that gamma distribution obtained through inter-comparison of 2 D dose maps between planned and delivered was governed by a positive-hail' normal distribution. A commercial system-MapCheck was used for 2 D dose map comparison with a built-in gamma analysis tool. Gamma distribution histogram was generated and recorded for all cases. By retrospectively analysing those distributions using curve fitting technique, a statistical gamma distribution can be obtained and evaluated. This analytical result can be used for future IMRT planing and treatment delivery. The analyses indicate that gamma distribution obtained through MapCheckTM is well under the normal distribution, particularly for prostate cases. The applied pass/fail criteria is not overly sensitive to identify 'false fails' but can be further tighten-up for smaller field while for larger field found in both H and N and prostate cases, the criteria was correctly applied. Non-uniform distribution of detectors in MapCheck and experience level of planners are two major factors to variation in gamma distribution among clinical cases. This criteria derived from clinical statistics is superior and more accurate than single-valued criteria for lMRT QA acceptance procedure. (author)

Hospital stay as a proxy indicator for severe injury in earthquakes: a retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lu-Ping; Gerdin, Martin; Westman, Lina; Rodriguez-Llanes, Jose Manuel; Wu, Qi; van den Oever, Barbara; Pan, Liang; Albela, Manuel; Chen, Gao; Zhang, De-Sheng; Guha-Sapir, Debarati; von Schreeb, Johan

2013-01-01

Earthquakes are the most violent type of natural disasters and injuries are the dominant medical problem in the early phases after earthquakes. However, likely because of poor data availability, high-quality research on injuries after earthquakes is lacking. Length of hospital stay (LOS) has been validated as a proxy indicator for injury severity in high-income settings and could potentially be used in retrospective research of injuries after earthquakes. In this study, we assessed LOS as an adequate proxy indicator for severe injury in trauma survivors of an earthquake. A retrospective analysis was conducted using a database of 1,878 injured patients from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Our primary outcome was severe injury, defined as a composite measure of serious injury or resource use. Secondary outcomes were serious injury and resource use, analysed separately. Non-parametric receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis was used to test the discriminatory accuracy of LOS when used to identify severe injury. An 0.7earthquake survivors. However, LOS was found to be a proxy for major nonorthopaedic surgery and blood transfusion. These findings can be useful for retrospective research on earthquake-injured patients when detailed hospital records are not available.

[A retrospective analysis of 97 drunk driving cases].

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xiang-Wei; Chu, Yun; Zong, Xiong-Xin; Wang, Zi-Wei; Chu, Jian-Xin

2013-04-01

Based on a retrospective analysis of the drunk driving cases, to explore the drunk drivers' personnel composition, occurrence time and psychology. As a result of punishment of the drunk driving by criminal law for one year from May 1st, 2011 to April 30th, 2012, 91 drunk driving cases were statistically analyzed the easy-happening time of drunk driving, the drunk drivers' age, gender, occupational characteristics, domicile and psychological factors. In 97 drunk driving cases, 26-40 years old, non-local domiciled and non-professional male drivers were prone to drunk driving at night from 22:00 to 5:00. The behavior of drunk driving is relevant to time, age, genders and occupation. The psychological characteristics of most drivers are fluky, making-life-easy, competitive and peacockish.

Cost analysis of intraoperative frozen section examinations in thyroid surgery in a Canadian tertiary center.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Philip; Segall, Lorne; de Korompay, Nevin; Witterick, Ian; Freeman, Jeremy

2009-10-01

To perform a cost analysis of the routine intraoperative frozen section (FS) examinations in the management of patients undergoing thyroid surgery for unilateral thyroid nodules with benign or indeterminate cytology on preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs). A retrospective chart review of 190 consecutive patients with unilateral thyroid nodules undergoing thyroid surgery was undertaken between March 2006 and March 2008. The results of FNAB, FS, and final histology were obtained from the pathology report. A cost analysis was performed to compare the cost of routine FS examinations to determine malignancy with the cost of performing a second surgical procedure. Of the 169 patients evaluated, there were 53 cases of malignant nodules. Malignancy was diagnosed by FS in 16 of these 53 cases, resulting in a total thyroidectomy and thereby avoiding the need for a completion thyroidectomy. The sensitivity and specificity of FS examination were 30.2% and 100.0%, respectively. The routine use of intraoperative FS examination in cases of benign or indeterminate nodules afforded a total cost savings of $3719.27, or a cost savings of $22.01 per patient. FS examination was useful in guiding our intraoperative management for patients with unilateral thyroid nodules with benign or indeterminate preoperative FNAB. The routine use of FS was cost-effective in our Canadian health care system, even without considering the intangible costs, such as patients' anxiety, emotional stress, and the loss of productivity owing to a second surgical procedure.

Retrospective Analysis of Lophodermium seditiosum Epidemics in Estonia

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HANSO, MÄRT

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The needle trace method (NTM, created and developed by the Finnish forest pathologists prof. T. Kurkela, dr. R. Jalkanen and T. Aalto during the last decade of the XX century, has been already used by several researchers of different countries for retrospective analysis of needle diseases (Hypodermella sulcigena, by R. Jalkanen et al. in Finland or herbivorous insect pests of Scots pine (Diprion pini, by T. Kurkela et al. in Finland; Bupalus piniaria, by H. Armour et al. in Scotland, but as well of pests of Sitka spruce (Gilpinia hercyniae, by D.T. Williams et al. in England. Scots pine in forest nurseries and young plantations of Estonia is often but irregularly suffering from the epidemics of the needle cast fungus Lophodermium seditiosum. Current environmental regulations exclude from the regulatory (control measures all the others except of well-argued prophylactic systems, built up on reliable prognoses. The last is inconceivable without the availability of a reliable, as well, and long-lasting retrospective time-series of L. seditiosum epidemics, which, as it is known from the last half of the XX century, are occupying large forest areas, usually not least than a half of (the small Estonia. An appropriate time-series would be useful, as well, for the more basic understanding of the accelerated mortality processes during the stand formation in early pole-age Scots pine plantations. Methodological principles of the use of NTM in an appropriate investigation together with the preliminary results of our research work, looking back for more than a century, are introduced and discussed in this investigation.

[Analysis of 163 rib fractures by imaging examination].

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Tian-fu; Wang, Chao-chao

2014-12-01

To explore the applications of imaging examination on rib fracture sites in forensic identification. Features including the sites, numbers of the processed imaging examination and the first radiological technology at diagnosis in 56 cases of rib fractures from 163 injuries were retrospectively analyzed. The detection rate of the rib fractures within 14 days was 65.6%. The initial detection rate of anterior rib fracture proceeded by X-ray was 76.2%, then 90.5% detected at a second time X-ray, while the detection rate of CT was 66.7% and 80.0%, respectively. The initial detec- tion rate of rib fracture in axillary section proceeded by X-ray was 27.6%, then 58.6% detected at a second time X-ray, while the detection rate of CT was 54.3% and 80.4%, respectively. The initial detection rate of posterior rib fracture proceeded by X-ray was 63.6%, then 81.8% detected at a second time X-ray, while the detection rate of CT was 50.0% and 70.0%, respectively. It is important to pay attention to the use of combined imaging examinations and the follow-up results. In the cases of suspicious for rib fracture in axillary section, CT examination is suggested in such false X-ray negative cases.

A Retrospective Analysis of Factors Affecting Early Stoma Complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Koc, Umit; Karaman, Kerem; Gomceli, Ismail; Dalgic, Tahsin; Ozer, Ilter; Ulas, Murat; Ercan, Metin; Bostanci, Erdal; Akoglu, Musa

2017-01-01

Despite advances in surgical techniques and products for stoma care, stoma-related complications are still common. A retrospective analysis was performed of the medical records of 462 consecutive patients (295 [63.9%] female, 167 [36.1 %] male, mean age 55.5 ± 15.1 years, mean body mass index [BMI] 25.1 ± 5.2) who had undergone stoma creation at the Gastroenterological Surgery Clinic of Turkiye Yuksek İhtisas Teaching and Research Hospital between January 2008 and December 2012 to examine the incidence of early (ie, within 30 days after surgery) stoma complications and identify potential risk factors. Variables abstracted included gender, age, and BMI; existence of malignant disease; comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic respiratory disease); use of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; permanent or temporary stoma; type of stoma (loop/end stoma); stoma localization; and the use of preoperative marking of the stoma site. Data were entered and analyzed using statistical software. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to describe and analyze all variables, and logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent risk factors for stoma complications. Ostomy-related complications developed in 131 patients (28.4%) Of these, superficial mucocutaneous separation was the most frequent complication (90 patients, 19.5%), followed by stoma retraction (15 patients, 3.2%). In univariate analysis, malignant disease (P = .025), creation of a colostomy (P = .002), and left lower quadrant stoma location (P toma complication. Only stoma location was an independent risk factor for the development of a stoma complication (P = .044). The rate of stoma complications was not significantly different between patients who underwent nonemergent surgery (30% in patients preoperatively sited versus 28.4% not sited) and patients who underwent emergency surgery (27.1%). Early stoma complication rates were higher

Identification of Design Work Patterns by Retrospective Analysis of Work Sheets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Claus Thorp

1999-01-01

project is carried out where we seek to identify design work patterns by retrospective analysis of documentation created during design projects.An elements to satisfy the wish for an efficient design process could be to identify work patterns applied by engineering designers, evaluate these patterns...... with respect to their efficiency, and reuse the most efficient in future projects. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyse design projects in order to identify the work patterns applied. Based on an evaluation of identified work patterns we expect a recommendation of work patterns supporting...... an efficient design process can be established.In this paper we describe the analysis method, and present observations from analyses of three projects....

Management of pancreatic pseudocysts-A retrospective analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Rasch

Full Text Available Pancreatic pseudocysts arise mostly in patients with alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis causing various symptoms and complications. However, data on the optimal management are rare. To address this problem, we analysed patients with pancreatic pseudocysts treated at our clinic retrospectively.We searched our clinical database for the diagnosis pancreatitis from 2004 till 2014, selected patients with pseudocysts larger than 10 mm and entered all relevant information in a database for statistical analysis.In total, 129 patients with pancreatic pseudocysts were treated at our institution during the study period. Most patients suffered from alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis (43.4%; 56/129. Pseudocysts were more frequent in female than in male (2:1 and were mainly located in the pancreatic head (47.3%; 61/129. Local complications like obstructive jaundice were associated with the diameter of the cysts (AUC 0.697 in ROC-curve analysis. However, even cysts up to a diameter of 160 mm can regress spontaneously. Besides a lower re-intervention rate in surgically treated patients, endoscopic, percutaneous and surgical drainage are equally effective. Most treatment related complications occur in large pseudocysts located in the pancreatic head.Conservative management of large pseudocysts is successful in many patients. Therefore, indication for treatment should be made carefully considering the presence and risk of local complications. Endoscopic and surgical drainage are equally effective.

Retrospective dosimetry of Chernobyl liquidators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chumak, V.V.; Bakhanova, E.V.; Sholom, S.V.; Pasalskaya, L.F.; Bouville, A.; Krjuchkov, V.P.

2000-01-01

The numerous cohort of Chernobyl liquidators is a very attractive subject for epidemiological follow up due to high levels of exposure, age-gender distribution and availability of patients for medical examination. However, dosimetric information related to this population is incomplete, in many cases the quality of available dose records is doubtful and uncertainties of all dose values are not determined. Naive attempts to evaluate average doses on the basis of such factors as 'distance from the reactor' obviously fail due to large variation of tasks and workplace contamination. Therefore, prior to any sensible consideration of liquidators as a subject of epidemiological study, their doses should be evaluated (reevaluated) using the methods of retrospective dosimetry. Retrospective dosimetry in general got significant development over the last decade. However, most of the retrospective dosimetry techniques are time consuming, expensive and possess sensitivity threshold. Therefore, application of retrospective dosimetry for the needs of epidemiological follow up studies requires development of certain strategy. This strategy depends, of coarse, on the epidemiological design of the study, availability of resources and dosimetric information related to the time of clean up. One of the strategies of application of retrospective dosimetry may be demonstrated on the example of a cohort study with occasional nested case control consideration. In this case, the tools are needed for validation of existing dose records (of not always known quality), screening of the study cohort with express dosimetric method called to determine possible dose ranges, and 'state-of-the-art' assessment of individual doses for selected subjects (cases and controls). Verification of dose records involves analysis of the statistical regularities of dose distributions and detection of possible extraneous admixtures (presumably falsified dose records). This work is performed on impersonified data

Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) incidence of rupture: a retrospective MR analysis in 64 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Scotto di Santolo, Mariella; Cusati, Bianca; Ragozzino, Alfonso; Dell'Aprovitola, Nicoletta; Acquaviva, Alessandra; Altiero, Michele; Accurso, Antonello; Riccardi, Albina; Imbriaco, Massimo

2014-12-01

The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) hydrogel implants in a group of 64 patients and to assess the incidence of rupture, compared to other clinical trials. In this double-center study, we retrospectively reviewed the data sets of 64 consecutive patients (mean age, 43±9 years, age range, 27-65 years), who underwent breast MRI examinations, between January 2008 and October 2013, with suspected implant rupture on the basis of clinical assessment or after conventional imaging examination (either mammography or ultrasound). All patients had undergone breast operation with bilateral textured cohesive gel PIP implant insertion for aesthetic reasons. The mean time after operation was 8 years (range, 6-14 years). No patients reported history of direct trauma to their implants. At the time of clinical examination, 41 patients were asymptomatic, 16 complained of breast tenderness and 7 had clinical evidence of rupture. Normal findings were observed in 15 patients. In 26 patients there were signs of mild collapse, with associated not significant peri-capsular fluid collections and no evidence of implant rupture; in 23 patients there was suggestion of implant rupture, according to breast MRI leading to an indication for surgery. In particular, 14 patients showed intra-capsular rupture, with associated evidence of the linguine sign in all cases; the keyhole sign and the droplet signs were observed in 6 cases. In 9 patients there was evidence of extra-capsular rupture, with presence of axillary collections (siliconomas) in 7 cases and peri-prosthetic and mediastinal cavity siliconomas, in 5 cases. The results of this double center retrospective study, confirm the higher incidence (36%) of prosthesis rupture observed with the PIP implants, compared to other breast implants.

Living without Boys: A Retrospective Analysis of the Benefits and Skills Gained at All-Female Camps

Science.gov (United States)

Whittington, Anja; Garst, Barry A.; Gagnon, Ryan J.; Baughman, Sarah

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of all-female camp experiences on women's lives. Using a retrospective approach, this study collected qualitative data from 131 women to examine the benefits of all-female camp experiences, to analyze the skills they gained at camp, and to understand how they apply these skills to their…

Hyperthyroidism and Graves? disease: Is an ultrasound examination needed?

OpenAIRE

Varadhan, Lakshminarayanan; Varughese, George Iype; Sankaranarayanan, Sailesh

2016-01-01

Aim: The aim of our study was to assess the limitation of clinical examination in determining the morphology of thyroid gland in patients with hyperthyroidism and its implications. Methods: A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with hyperthyroidism seen in a tertiary endocrine clinic were analyzed. Sub-analysis was performed on patients with proven Graves' disease. Results: Of the 133 patients included in this study with hyperthyroidism, 60 (45%) patients had significant nodularity...

Retrospective analysis of patients clinical manifestations before and after pheochromocytoma surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Balazovjech, I; Davidova, H; Breza, J

2004-01-01

A retrospective analysis of presurgical clinical picture and blood pressures of 34 patients with histologically verified pheochromocytoma. Assessment of clinical state, blood pressure and prognosis in the course of patients control hospitalizations from 2001 to 2002. The study was designed as a synoptic one, based on a retrospective analysis of 34 patients records with histologically verified pheochromocytoma (26 women and 8 men). Our assessments of clinical symptomatology, maximum paroxysmal hypertension values, average blood pressure values in patients with persistent arterial hypertension, arterial hypertension grade and circadian index were based on patients records. Patients epinephrectomies were followed during their control hospitalizations to assess their clinical state. Their blood pressures were evaluated by means of their circadian monitoring. From the 34 patients, 21 were diagnosed with solitary pheochromocytomas. The circadian index persistence analysis prior to the surgery was associated with circadian blood pressure monitoring in 21 patients. It was lost in 57% of patients. During their control hospitalization as many as 82% of patients preserved their circadian blood pressure variability with a more than 10% decrease in the night time, 5 patients did not preserve their circadian blood pressure variability. Seven from the original 34 patients died: Three of them died from their primary disease, one 63-year old man died from shock following tumour extirpation. The death of other 3 patients was not associated with their primary disease. Long-lasting survival of patients with pheochromocytoma after surgical treatment--except for those with malignant disease--was demonstrated. Although our assessment of the resulting treatment effects was positive, a long-term follow-up is inevitable because of a difficult pathologic-anatomical verification of the malignant nature of the disease as well as of the risk of tumour relapse assessment. (Tab. 1, Fig. 5, Ref 36.)

Myeloperoxidase mRNA detection for lineage determination of leukemic blasts: retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Crisan, D; Anstett, M J

1995-07-01

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) mRNA is an early myeloid marker; its detection in the morphologically and immunophenotypically primitive blasts of acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL) establishes myeloid lineage and allows reclassification as acute myelogenous leukemia with minimal differentiation (AML-MO). We have previously reported a procedure for MPO mRNA detection by RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and an adaptation for use of routine hematology smears. This variant procedure allows retrospective analysis of mRNA and is used in the present study to evaluate the lineage of leukemic blasts in seven cases with morphology and cytochemistry consistent with AUL. All hematology smears used in this study were air-dried, unstained or Wright-stained and stored at room temperature for periods varying between 3 days and 2 years. MPO mRNA was detected in six cases, establishing the myeloid lineage of the blasts and the diagnosis of AML-MO. In the remaining case, the blasts were MPO mRNA negative, confirming the diagnosis of AUL. The RT-PCR procedure for retrospective mRNA analysis is useful in the clinical setting, due to its high specificity and sensitivity, speed (less than 24 h), safety (no radioactivity) and convenient use of routine hematology smears; it is particularly attractive in clinical situations when fresh or frozen specimens are no longer available at the time when the need for molecular diagnostics becomes apparent.

Scott Shuler's "Music and Education in the Twenty-First Century: A Retrospective"--Review and Response

Science.gov (United States)

McLain, Barbara Payne

2014-01-01

Predicting the future is a challenging task for music education, requiring both retrospection, analysis of current events, and foresight. This article examines several predictions from 2001 and challenges music educators to consider factors that may influence the future of teaching music in society.

Male gonadal dose of ionizing radiation delivered during X-ray examinations and monthly probability of pregnancy: a population-based retrospective study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slama Remy

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Male gonadal exposure to ionizing radiation may disrupt spermatogenesis, but its influence on the fecundity of couples has been rarely studied. We aimed to characterize the influence of male gonadal dose of ionizing radiation delivered during radiodiagnostic on the monthly probability of pregnancy. Methods We recruited a random sample of women who retrospectively described 1110 periods of unprotected intercourse beginning between 1985 and 1999 and leading either to a live birth or to no pregnancy; their duration was censored after 13 months. The male partner answered a telephone questionnaire on radiodiagnostic examinations. We assigned a mean gonadal dose to each type of radiodiagnostic examination. We defined male dose for each period of unprotected intercourse as the sum of the gonadal doses of the X-ray examinations experienced between 18 years of age and the date of discontinuation of contraception. Time to pregnancy was analysed using a discrete Cox model with random effect allowing to estimate hazard ratios of pregnancy. Results After adjustment for female factors likely to influence fecundity, there was no evidence of an association between male dose and the probability of pregnancy (test of homogeneity, p = 0.55. When compared to couples with a male gonadal dose between 0.01 and 0.20 milligrays (n = 321 periods of unprotected intercourse, couples with a gonadal dose above 10 milligrays had a hazard ratio of pregnancy of 1.44 (95% confidence interval, 0.73–2.86, n = 31. Conclusion Our study provides no evidence of a long-term detrimental effect of male gonadal dose of ionizing radiation delivered during radiodiagnostic on the monthly probability of pregnancy during the year following discontinuation of contraceptive use. Classification errors due to the retrospective assessment of male gonadal exposure may have limited the statistical power of our study.

Retrospective Study of the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Clitoral Adhesions: Women's Health Providers Should Routinely Examine the Glans Clitoris

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Leen Aerts, MD, PhD

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The glans clitoris is covered by a prepuce that normally moves over the glans surface and can be retracted beyond the corona. Clitoral adhesions, ranging from mild to severe, occur when preputial skin adheres to the glans. Physical examination consistent with clitoral adhesions is based on the inability to visualize the entire glans corona. In this closed compartment, the space underneath the adherent prepuce and clitoris can become irritated, erythematous, or infected and can result in sexual dysfunction. Aim: To determine the prevalence of clitoral adhesions in a sexual medicine practice and assess risk factors associated with clitoral adhesions. Methods: This research involved retrospective examinations of vulvoscopy photographs taken from August 2007 to December 2015. Clitoral adhesions were considered absent when preputial retraction enabled full glans corona visualization. The study group consisted of women with mild, moderate, or severe clitoral adhesions based on more than 75%, 25% to 75%, or less than 25% glans clitoris exposure without full corona visualization, respectively. 2 independent reviewers evaluated photographs; a 3rd analyzed study group health record data. Main Outcome Measure: Prevalence of severity of clitoral adhesions. Results: Of the 1,261 vulvoscopy photographs, 767 (61% were determined adequate for assessment and 614 photographs represented individual patients. The study group with clitoral adhesions consisted of 140 women (23% of whom 44%, 34%, and 22% demonstrated mild, moderate, and severe clitoral adhesions, respectively. In the study group, 14% presented with clitorodynia. Risk factors included a history of sexual pain, yeast infection, urinary tract infection, blunt perineal or genital trauma, lichen sclerosus, low calculated free testosterone, and other sexual dysfunctions including persistent genital arousal disorder. Conclusion: Women with sexual dysfunction should routinely undergo clitoral

A Retrospective Analysis of Neonatal Encephalocele Predisposing Factors and Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yucetas, Seyho Cem; Uçler, Necati

2017-01-01

This study evaluates the predisposing factors and outcomes of surgical management of encephaloceles at our institution. A retrospective analysis of 32 occipital encephaloceles managed operatively at the Neurosurgery Department Clinics of the Faculty of Medicine, Adıyaman University, was performed between 2011 and 2015. Among the study population, 19 mothers had been exposed to TORCH infections (toxoplasma, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus), 18 were in consanguineous marriages, and 3 had regular prenatal screening. Associated congenital anomalies were common. Eight infants required reoperation, and 9 died during follow-up. The study identified key areas for prevention. Knowledge of the intracranial and associated anomalies can guide management. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Radiographic evaluation of INBONE total ankle arthroplasty: a retrospective analysis of 30 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datir, Abhijit; Xing, Minzhi; Kakarala, Aparna; Terk, Michael R.; Labib, Sameh A.

2013-01-01

The objectives of this work were to retrospectively describe the radiographic assessment of INBONE total ankle arthroplasty in 30 patients using validated linear and angular measurements and to correlate these findings with the final surgical outcome over a 2-year follow-up period. Thirty consecutive patients (21 females, nine males; mean age, 64.8 years) underwent INBONE total ankle arthroplasty during 2007-2011. After IRB approval, a retrospective pre- and post-operative radiographic analysis was performed using validated linear and angular measurements. The pre- and post-operative assessment included the tibial angle, talar angle, tibial slope, and coronal deformity. Post-operative measurements also included the talocalcaneal angle, joint space height, talar height, lateral tibial component angle, lateral talar component angle, and anteroposterior tibial component angle. The post-operative bone loss, subluxation, positioning, and subsidence were also assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using two-sample t test and Fisher's exact test. Out of 30 patients, 23 had a successful clinical outcome with intact prosthesis at a 2-year follow-up. The only variables with significant correlation (p < 0.05) to the post-surgical outcome were the lateral talar component angle (p = 0.002) and the mean difference between pre- and post-operative tibial slope (p = 0.001). The coronal deformity had significant mean difference between pre- and post-operative values (p < 0.001); however, it lacked a significant correlation to the final surgical outcome. None of the categorical variables had a significant correlation with post-surgical outcome. In our retrospective study, only the lateral talar component angle and the mean difference between the pre- and post-operative tibial slope had significant correlation with post-surgical outcome in INBONE ankle arthroplasty. These measurements may be helpful in radiographic assessment of the INBONE ankle arthroplasty. (orig.)

Oral mucositis in patients treated with chemotherapy for solid tumors: a retrospective analysis of 150 cases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raber-Durlacher, J. E.; Weijl, N. I.; Abu Saris, M.; de Koning, B.; Zwinderman, A. H.; Osanto, S.

2000-01-01

The incidence and the severity of chemotherapy-associated oral mucositis were determined in a retrospective analysis of 150 patients with various solid tumors. In addition, possible risk factors for the development of mucositis were identified. Patients were treated with chemotherapeutic regimens

Shoulder injuries in professional rugby: a retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Horsley, Ian G; Fowler, Elizabeth M; Rolf, Christer G

2013-04-26

In the literature, little is known about the level and pattern of rugby injuries. Of the shoulder injuries reported, 51% of these are caused during a tackle, and 65% of all match injuries affected the shoulder. The study aims to describe a sport-specific unique intra-articular shoulder pathology of professional rugby players, who presented with persistent pain and dysfunction despite physiotherapeutic treatment and rest. This study is a retrospective analysis set at a university sports medicine clinic. Eighty-seven professional rugby players, referred by their professional medical team since they could no longer play, underwent shoulder arthroscopy between June 2001 and October 2007 due to persistent shoulder pain and dysfunction. All were full-time professional male rugby union and rugby league players. They all had failed conservative treatment for their complaint, and the diagnosis was unclear. Arthroscopic findings were used as a measure of main outcome. The primary mechanism of injury was reported as direct tackling (56%; n = 49) followed in succession by falling onto the arm (10%; n = 8). However, in 30% of the cases, no definite injury could be recalled. The main operative finding was that most patients exhibited multiple shoulder pathologies, with 75% of cases presenting with two or more pathologies. A superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion was evident at arthroscopy in 72 of the 87 cases (83%), while rotator cuff tears were evident in 43% of cases (n = 37). One-third of all cases had a Bankart tear (n = 29), despite none of them reporting previous dislocations, while other labral tears, excluding SLAP tears, to the inferior or posterior labrum were present in 34% (n = 30) of the cohort. Repeated tackling, which is clearly rugby specific, is most likely to be responsible for most of these shoulder injuries, which upon arthroscopic examination, showed signs of mixed pathology. We suggest that an early arthroscopic investigation is valuable in

Clinical and ultrasonographic features of male breast tumors: A retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Wei-Hsin; Li, Anna Fen-Yau; Chou, Yi-Hong; Hsu, Hui-Chen; Chen, Ying-Yuan

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine clinical and ultrasonographic characteristics of male breast tumors. The medical records of male patients with breast lesions were retrieved from an electronic medical record database and a pathology database and retrospectively reviewed. A total of 112 men (125 breast masses) with preoperative breast ultrasonography (US) were included (median age, 59.50 years; age range, 15-96 years). Data extracted included patient age, if the lesions were bilateral, palpable, and tender, and the presence of nipple discharge. Breast lesion features on static US images were reviewed by three experienced radiologists without knowledge of physical examination or pathology results, original breast US image interpretations, or surgical outcomes. The US features were documented according to the BI-RADS (Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System) US lexicons. A forth radiologist compiled the data for analysis. Of the 125 breast masses, palpable tender lumps and bilateral synchronous masses were more likely to be benign than malignant (both, 100% vs 0%, P nipples were common in malignant lesions (P nipple, irregular shape, the presence of an echogenic halo, predominantly internal vascularity, and rich color flow signal on color Doppler ultrasound were significantly related to malignancy (all, P < 0.05). An echogenic halo and the presence of rich color flow signal were independent predictors of malignancy. Specific clinical and US characteristics of male breast tumors may help guide treatment, and determine if surgery or conservative treatment is preferable.

The Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ): latent structure, normative data and discrepancy analysis for proxy-ratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, John R; Henry, Julie D; Ward, Aileen L; Blake, John

2006-03-01

To evaluate the proxy-rating version of the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ) and provide norms and methods for score interpretation. Cross-sectional and correlational. The PRMQ was administered to a large sample drawn from the general adult population (N=570). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test competing models of its latent structure. Various psychometric methods were applied to provide clinicians with tools for score interpretation. The CFA model with optimal fit specified a general memory factor together with additional prospective and retrospective factors. The reliabilities of the PRMQ were acceptable (.83 to .92), and demographic variables did not influence ratings. Tables are presented for conversion of raw scores on the Total scale and Prospective and Retrospective scales to T scores. In addition, tables are provided to allow users to assess the reliability and abnormality of differences between proxy ratings on the Prospective and Retrospective scales. Finally, tables are also provided to compare proxy-ratings with self-ratings (using data from the present sample and self-rating data from a previous study). The proxy-rating version of the PRMQ provides a useful measure of everyday memory for use in clinical research and practice.

Human Decomposition and the Factors that Affect it: A Retrospective Study of Death Scenes in Canada

OpenAIRE

Cockle, Diane Lyn

2013-01-01

Little is known about human decomposition and the variables which affect it in Canada. This study involves the retrospective analysis of 358 police death investigations from across Canada. Cases with reliable data were selected using the Canadian ViCLAS (Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System) database. A total of 36 environmental, immediate context, intrinsic and geographic variables were examined for each case. A classification system was designed based on biological processes of decomposi...

Spinal cord gliomas: A multi-institutional retrospective analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Wahab, May; Etuk, Blessing; Palermo, James; Shirato, Hiroki; Kresl, John; Yapicier, Ozlem; Walker, Gail; Scheithauer, Bernd W.; Shaw, Edward; Lee, Charles; Curran, Walter; Thomas, Terry; Markoe, Arnold

2006-01-01

Purpose: To determine the impact of postoperative radiation therapy (POXRT) on outcome in spinal cord gliomas. Patients and Methods: Data from 242 patients were collected retrospectively from six institutions using a standardized data sheet. Pathology specimens, when available, were centrally reviewed. Results: A total of 183 patients were analyzed: 82 received surgery alone as initial treatment, whereas 101 had surgery and POXRT. Demographic, diagnostic, and treatment factors were analyzed for impact on progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). PFS in ependymoma patients was 74%, 60%, and 35% at 5, 10, 15 years, respectively, and was significantly influenced by treatment type, race, age, tumor grade, and type of surgery on univariate analysis, with age being the only significant factor on multivariate analysis (MVA) (p = 0.01). OS of ependymoma patients was 91%, 84%, and 75% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively, and was significantly influenced by both complete resection (p = 0.04) and age (p = 0.03) on MVA. In astrocytomas, PFS was 42%, 29%, and 15% at 5, 10, and 15 years, and was significantly influenced by POXRT in low- and intermediate-grade tumors on MVA (p = 0.02). OS at 5, 10, and 15 years was 59%, 53%, and 32%, respectively, and was significantly influenced by grade on MVA (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Postoperative radiation therapy reduced disease progression in low- and moderate-grade astrocytomas. In ependymomas, complete resection significantly influenced OS

Outcome in acromegaly: A retrospective analysis

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Debmalya Sanyal

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Many of the treatment modalities recommended for acromegaly are either too expensive or not available in large parts of India. There is a dearth of treatment and outcome data in Indian patients. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the treatment modalities used and the respective outcomes which include remission, recurrence, hypopituitarism, other complications, and mortality. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective data analysis of 15 acromegaly patients treated at a tertiary care hospital in eastern India. A remission criteria of nadir growth hormone level <1 μg/dl after Oral Glucose tolerance test (OGTT and normal age related IGF-1 levels was used. Results: All patients (100% had macroadenomas. Surgery could not be done in five (33%; three (19.8% refused, two (13.2% had comorbidities. Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS achieved remission in four out of ten (40%. Conventional radiotherapy (CRT failed in all five patients and caused hypopituitarisn in three (60%. Cabergoline (CAB either alone or following surgery achieved remission in one out of four (25% though symptomatic relief and tolerability were remarkable. One patient (7% had pituitary apoplexy with remission, two patients (14.3% died due to CVA. Conclusions: TSS remains the treatment of choice in acromegaly, though in macroadenomas the success is limited. A sizeable proportion of patients refuse or are unfit for surgery. As most of the recommended options are very costly or unavailable, alternative treatment options generally used are CRT or CAB which have limited efficacy. Incidence of hypopituitarism, following CRT is very high.

Outcome of 132 consecutive reconstructive operations for intestinal fistula--staged operation without primary anastomosis improved outcome in retrospective analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Runström, B; Hallböök, O; Nyström, P O

2013-01-01

AIM: To study factors that influenced healing and survival after attempted closure of enterocutaneous fistula. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospective data concerning 101 patients operated on 132 instances for 110 enterocutaneous fistulae at two hospitals. RESULTS: In all, 96 ...... is a negative factor that requires careful planning of the operation.......AIM: To study factors that influenced healing and survival after attempted closure of enterocutaneous fistula. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospective data concerning 101 patients operated on 132 instances for 110 enterocutaneous fistulae at two hospitals. RESULTS: In all, 96...... (87%) of the 110 fistulae healed and 92 (91%) patients survived. A total of 9 patients with unhealed fistula died. Multivariate analysis revealed jaundice as an independent factor for both death and failed closure and operation without anastomosis as an independent positive factor for healing. Failure...

Examination of the Microbial Spectrum in the Etiology of Erythema Nodosum: A Retrospective Descriptive Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozlem Ozbagcivan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Even though infections are the most common cause of erythema nodosum (EN, only certain microorganisms take the great interest such as streptococci in knowledge. Our aim was to examine the frequency and type of infections in EN, to determine the characteristics of patients with an infectious etiology, and to discuss the role of these microbes in EN pathology in the context of their interactions with humans. Charts of 81 patients with EN who were seen between 2003 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Identified etiological factors were classified into three groups: infectious, noninfectious, and idiopathic. While there were no significant demographic and clinical differences between the infectious and idiopathic groups, systemic symptoms (p=0.034 and the number of EN lesions (p=0.016 were significantly lower; the mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate was significantly higher (p=0.049, but the mean aspartate aminotransferase value was significantly lower in the infectious group compared to the noninfectious group (p=0.019. Besides streptococci, many other microbes, including the ones living on and inside us, were identified in the etiology of EN. There is a need for large-scale prospective studies involving control groups for a better understanding of the microbial immunopathology of EN.

Retrospective evaluation of tritium fallout by tree-ring analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozak, K.; Biro, T.; Golder, F.; Rank, D.; Rajner, V.; Staudner, F.

1993-01-01

Tritium analyses of tree-ring cellulose were made to test its suitability for retrospective evaluation of a local tritium fallout. Several spruce trees were taken from an Austrian alpine area where tritium contamination of May 1974 precipitation had been detected. Wood from the annual growth rings of 1973, 1974 and 1975 was separated and the cellulose extracted. After isotopic equilibration with dead water, cellulose was combusted to yield water, whose tritium concentration was measured by liquid scintillation counting. Rigorous statistical treatment proved the significance of the increased tritium concentration caused by the tritium anomaly, which occurred during the growing season. The long-term trends of local atmospheric tritium, including the 1974 peak, were also well reflected by analysis of a 24-year ring sequence from a single tree in the contaminated area. The tritium data gained by the given method can be used at present qualitatively and a better understanding of the possible sources of contamination is required in order that the quantitative criteria be satisfied. (Author)

Retrospective panoramic radiographic analysis for idiopathic osteosclerosis in Indians

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Srikanth H Srivathsa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Idiopathic osteosclerosis is an area of increased radiodensity observed on panoramic radiographs. The prevalence of this entity is not known, especially in Indians. Aims and Objectives: To determine the prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of idiopathic osteosclerosis. Materials and Methods: Six hundred and forty panoramic radiographs were retrospectively analyzed for the presence of idiopathic osteosclerosis by a single trained oral radiologist. Statistical Analysis: The data obtained were analyzed using Microsoft Excel (Version 2007 for Windows. Results: Idiopathic osteosclerosis was identified in 32 individuals with a prevalence of 5%. There were 21 female (65.7% and 11 male (34.3% participants. There were 31 single, unilateral (96.85% osteosclerotic lesions and 1 (3.15% bilateral lesion. Right side localization was noted in 19 participants (57.57% and left side localization in 14 participants (42.42%. Conclusion: This study illustrates the prevalence of idiopathic osteosclerosis in Indians. Further, it depicts the characteristics of idiopathic osteosclerotic lesions.

Predictive Factors of In-Stent Restenosis in Renal Artery Stenting: A Retrospective Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vignali, Claudio; Bargellini, Irene; Lazzereschi, Michele; Cioni, Roberto; Petruzzi, Pasquale; Caramella, Davide; Pinto, Stefania; Napoli, Vinicio; Zampa, Virna; Bartolozzi, Carlo

2005-01-01

Purpose. To retrospectively evaluate the role of clinical and procedural factors in predicting in-stent restenosis in patients with renovascular disease treated by renal artery stenting. Methods. From 1995 to 2002, 147 patients underwent renal artery stenting for the treatment of significant ostial atherosclerotic stenosis. Patients underwent strict clinical and color-coded duplex ultrasound follow-up. Ninety-nine patients (111 stents), with over 6 months of continuous follow-up (mean 22±12 months, range 6-60 months), were selected and classified according to the presence (group A, 30 patients, 32 lesions) or absence (group B, 69 patients, 79 lesions) of significant in-stent restenosis. A statistical analysis was performed to identify possible preprocedural and procedural predictors of restenosis considering the following data: sex, age, smoking habit, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, serum creatinine, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, renal artery stenosis grade, and stent type, length and diameter. Results. Comparing group A and B patients (χ 2 test), a statistically significant relation was demonstrated between stent diameter and length and restenosis: the risk of in-stent restenosis decreased when the stent was ≥6 mm in diameter and between 15 and 20 mm in length. This finding was confirmed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Stent diameter and length were proved to be significantly related to in-stent restenosis also when evaluating only patients treated by Palmaz stent (71 stents). Conclusion. Although it is based on a retrospective analysis, the present study confirms the importance of correct stent selection in increasing long-term patency, using stents of at least 6 mm in diameter and with a length of approximately 15-20 mm

Use of positive and negative words in scientific PubMed abstracts between 1974 and 2014 : retrospective analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vinkers, Christiaan H|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304824755; Tijdink, Joeri K; Otte, Willem M

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether language used in science abstracts can skew towards the use of strikingly positive and negative words over time. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of all scientific abstracts in PubMed between 1974 and 2014. METHODS: The yearly frequencies of positive, negative, and

Retrospective questions or a diary method? A two-level multitrait-multimethod analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hox, J.J.; Kleiboer, A.M.

2007-01-01

This study describes a comparison between retrospective questions and daily diaries inquiring about positive and negative support in spousal interactions. The design was a multitrait-multimethod matrix with trait factors of positive and negative support, and method factors of retrospective questions

Retrospective analysis of co-occurrence of congenital aortic stenosis and pulmonary artery stenosis in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kander, M; Pasławska, U; Staszczyk, M; Cepiel, A; Pasławski, R; Mazur, G; Noszczyk-Nowak, A

2015-01-01

The study has focused on the retrospective analysis of cases of coexisting congenital aortic stenosis (AS) and pulmonary artery stenosis (PS) in dogs. The research included 5463 dogs which were referred for cardiological examination (including clinical examination, ECG and echocardiography) between 2004 and 2014. Aortic stenosis and PS stenosis were detected in 31 dogs. This complex defect was the most commonly diagnosed in Boxers - 7 dogs, other breeds were represented by: 4 cross-breed dogs, 2 Bichon Maltais, 3 Miniature Pinschers, 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs, 2 French Bulldogs, and individuals of following breeds: Bichon Frise, Bull Terrier, Czech Wolfdog, German Shepherd, Hairless Chinese Crested Dog, Miniature Schnauzer, Pug, Rottweiler, Samoyed, West Highland White Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier. In all the dogs, the murmurs could be heard, graded from 2 to 5 (on a scale of 1-6). Besides, in 9 cases other congenital defects were diagnosed: patent ductus arteriosus, mitral valve dysplasia, pulmonary or aortic valve regurgitation, tricuspid valve dysplasia, ventricular or atrial septal defect. The majority of the dogs suffered from pulmonary valvular stenosis (1 dog had supravalvular pulmonary artery stenosis) and subvalvular aortic stenosis (2 dogs had valvular aortic stenosis). Conclusions and clinical relevance - co-occurrence of AS and PS is the most common complex congenital heart defect. Boxer breed was predisposed to this complex defect. It was found that coexisting AS and PS is more common in male dogs and the degree of PS and AS was mostly similar.

Gandhi and Mao on manual labour in the school: A retrospective analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zachariah, Mathew; Hoffman, Arlene

1985-12-01

Mahatma Gandhi's views on relating the world of formal education to the world of work were developed first in his experimental `Tolstoy Farm' in South Africa. On his return to India, Gandhi insisted that a required manual labour component in the curriculum would help regenerate India's village economy, develop in India's children a deeper understanding of India's cultural roots, motivate children to relate `book learning' to life in society, and destroy invidious caste distinctions. The major proposals and suggestions in Gandhi's writing will be discussed in the context of his hopes for using schooling as an agent of progress in India. Mao Ze-Dong's views, on the other hand, were developed in the context of his Yenan experience in the 1930s, i.e. the decision to consolidate a power base in the interior of China before waging a class war against the landlords and capitalists of China. Mao's views were also, to some extent, rooted in the Chinese reality of stagnant, poverty-stricken rural areas. But, Mao's writings indicate that Marxist hopes to relate theory and practice (as understood in dialectical materialism) and to ensure that everyone participated in mental as well as manual labour in a socialist society had led him to formulate his proposals. Both Gandhi's and Mao's views and proposals have been more or less abandoned in India and China respectively. The similar and dissimilar reasons which led to such a fate are examined in this retrospective analysis.

A Retrospective Analysis of Ruptured Breast Implants

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Woo Yeol Baek

2014-11-01

Full Text Available BackgroundRupture is an important complication of breast implants. Before cohesive gel silicone implants, rupture rates of both saline and silicone breast implants were over 10%. Through an analysis of ruptured implants, we can determine the various factors related to ruptured implants.MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of 72 implants that were removed for implant rupture between 2005 and 2014 at a single institution. The following data were collected: type of implants (saline or silicone, duration of implantation, type of implant shell, degree of capsular contracture, associated symptoms, cause of rupture, diagnostic tools, and management.ResultsForty-five Saline implants and 27 silicone implants were used. Rupture was diagnosed at a mean of 5.6 and 12 years after insertion of saline and silicone implants, respectively. There was no association between shell type and risk of rupture. Spontaneous was the most common reason for the rupture. Rupture management was implant change (39 case, microfat graft (2 case, removal only (14 case, and follow-up loss (17 case.ConclusionsSaline implants have a shorter average duration of rupture, but diagnosis is easier and safer, leading to fewer complications. Previous-generation silicone implants required frequent follow-up observation, and it is recommended that they be changed to a cohesive gel implant before hidden rupture occurs.

Retrospective analysis of Newcastle disease diagnosed at the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild birds with devastating impact on poultry health and production. Many vaccines and vaccination schedules are in use in controlling the disease but prevention and control are still a problem. A ten-year retrospective study (2002-2011) of ...

Thermoluminescence characteristics of Israeli household salts for retrospective dosimetry in radiological events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Druzhyna, S.; Datz, H.; Horowitz, Y.S.; Oster, L.; Orion, I.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Examination the potential use of Israeli household salt as a retrospective dosimeter. • Detailed investigation of the basic dosimetric characteristics of the salts. • It is shown that computerized glow curve analysis for accurate background subtraction and dose measurement is required. - Abstract: Following a nuclear accident or terror attack involving the dispersal of radioactive substances, radiation dose assessment to first responders and the members of the public is essential. The need for a retrospective assessment of the radiation dose to those possibly affected is, therefore, obligatory. The present study examines the potential use of Israeli household salt as a retrospective dosimeter (RD). The experiments were carried out on Israeli salt samples (NaCl) following a Nielsen market track survey based on scanning data representing the barcoded market, including organized and independent retail chains and a sample of private minimarkets and supermarkets. The technique used was thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetry. Salt samples were exposed to levels of dose from 0.5 mGy to 300 Gy at the Israeli Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory of the Soreq Nuclear Research Center using a calibrated 137 Cs source. Our emphasis has been on a detailed investigation of the basic dosimetric characteristics of the salts including: (i) glow curve analysis (ii) individual glow peak dose response (iii) reproducibility (iv) estimation of minimal measurable dose (v) effect of nitrogen readout, (vi) influence of humidity during pre-irradiation storage and (vii) light induced fading. The results are sufficiently favorable to lead to the conclusion that the Israeli household salts can serve as a pragmatic potential candidate for RD under certain restricted conditions. Occasional pre-calibration of the major salt brands in a dedicated laboratory may be essential depending on the required accuracy in the estimation of dose and consequent clinical evaluation.

Thermoluminescence characteristics of Israeli household salts for retrospective dosimetry in radiological events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Druzhyna, S. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ben-Gurion University, 84105 Beer Sheva (Israel); Datz, H. [Radiation Safety Division, Soreq Nuclear Research Center, 81800 Yavne (Israel); Horowitz, Y.S. [Physics Department, Ben Gurion University, 84105 Beer Sheva (Israel); Oster, L., E-mail: leonido@sce.ac.il [Physics Unit, Sami Shamoon College of Engineering, 84100 Beer Sheva (Israel); Orion, I. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ben-Gurion University, 84105 Beer Sheva (Israel)

2016-06-15

Highlights: • Examination the potential use of Israeli household salt as a retrospective dosimeter. • Detailed investigation of the basic dosimetric characteristics of the salts. • It is shown that computerized glow curve analysis for accurate background subtraction and dose measurement is required. - Abstract: Following a nuclear accident or terror attack involving the dispersal of radioactive substances, radiation dose assessment to first responders and the members of the public is essential. The need for a retrospective assessment of the radiation dose to those possibly affected is, therefore, obligatory. The present study examines the potential use of Israeli household salt as a retrospective dosimeter (RD). The experiments were carried out on Israeli salt samples (NaCl) following a Nielsen market track survey based on scanning data representing the barcoded market, including organized and independent retail chains and a sample of private minimarkets and supermarkets. The technique used was thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetry. Salt samples were exposed to levels of dose from 0.5 mGy to 300 Gy at the Israeli Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory of the Soreq Nuclear Research Center using a calibrated {sup 137}Cs source. Our emphasis has been on a detailed investigation of the basic dosimetric characteristics of the salts including: (i) glow curve analysis (ii) individual glow peak dose response (iii) reproducibility (iv) estimation of minimal measurable dose (v) effect of nitrogen readout, (vi) influence of humidity during pre-irradiation storage and (vii) light induced fading. The results are sufficiently favorable to lead to the conclusion that the Israeli household salts can serve as a pragmatic potential candidate for RD under certain restricted conditions. Occasional pre-calibration of the major salt brands in a dedicated laboratory may be essential depending on the required accuracy in the estimation of dose and consequent clinical evaluation.

Uterine rupture: a retrospective analysis of causes, complications ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We conducted a retrospective review of case notes (from 2003 to 2009) to determine the incidence, causes, complications and foetal/maternal outcome among women with a diagnosis of ... Out of 72,570 deliveries 163 cases of ruptured uterus were recorded in seven years, making an incidence of 2.25 per 1000 births.

Analysis of the relationship between occlusal and clinical parameters and the need for incisor reduction in confined horses - a retrospective study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Fernando Rapp de Oliveira Pimentel

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the relationship between occlusal and clinical parameters and the need for incisor shortening in horses. It was based on the retrospective analysis of the dental charts of 75 confined horses. Body condition score, shape of incisors, presence of dysmastication, excursion to molar contact (EMC distance before and after cheek teeth occlusal adjustment were evaluated. History of difficult to riding, dysmastication and digestive problems was also considered. The initial measurement of lateral excursion to molar contact (EMC revealed incisor occlusal surface abnormalities in 45 (60% horses and long incisors (EMC>15mm in five (6.6% horses. Considering clinical examination and history data the need for reduction of incisor length was significant when EMC exceeded 15mm (P<0.0001 and when based on dental shape, clinical history of dysmastication and/or digestive problems or body condition score was also significant (P<0.05. In confined horses, the decision to shorten and align the incisor teeth should be based on observation and history of dysmastication and digestive problems, body condition score, incisors shape and EMC distance. The need for incisor reduction should be determined before dental intervention and reassessed following cheek teeth oclusal adjustment

Video content analysis on body-worn cameras for retrospective investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Bouma, Henri; Baan, Jan; ter Haar, Frank B.; Eendebak, Pieter T.; den Hollander, Richard J. M.; Burghouts, Gertjan J.; Wijn, Remco; van den Broek, Sebastiaan P.; van Rest, Jeroen H. C.

2015-10-01

In the security domain, cameras are important to assess critical situations. Apart from fixed surveillance cameras we observe an increasing number of sensors on mobile platforms, such as drones, vehicles and persons. Mobile cameras allow rapid and local deployment, enabling many novel applications and effects, such as the reduction of violence between police and citizens. However, the increased use of bodycams also creates potential challenges. For example: how can end-users extract information from the abundance of video, how can the information be presented, and how can an officer retrieve information efficiently? Nevertheless, such video gives the opportunity to stimulate the professionals' memory, and support complete and accurate reporting. In this paper, we show how video content analysis (VCA) can address these challenges and seize these opportunities. To this end, we focus on methods for creating a complete summary of the video, which allows quick retrieval of relevant fragments. The content analysis for summarization consists of several components, such as stabilization, scene selection, motion estimation, localization, pedestrian tracking and action recognition in the video from a bodycam. The different components and visual representations of summaries are presented for retrospective investigation.

Image analysis for remote examination of fuel pins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, J.H.; Nayak, U.P.

1982-01-01

An image analysis system operating in the Wing 9 Hot Cell Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory provides quantitative microstructural analyses of irradiated fuels and materials. With this system, fewer photomicrographs are required during postirradiation microstructural examination and data are available for analysis much faster. The system has been used successfully to examine Westinghouse Advanced Reactors Division experimental fuel pins

A retrospective dosimetry method and its uncertainty analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, L.; Jia, D.; Dai, G.

2000-01-01

The main aim of a radiation epidemiological study is to assess the risk of the population exposed to ionizing radiation. The actual work of the assessment may be very difficult because dose information about the population is often indirect and incomplete. It is very important, therefore, to find a way of estimating reasonable and reliable doses of the population by a retrospective method from limited information. In order to provide reasonable dose information for the cohort study of Chinese medical diagnostic X-ray workers, a retrospective dosimetry method was established. In China, a cohort study of more than 27,000 medical diagnostic X-ray workers, with 25,000 controls, has been carried out for about fifteen years in order to assess the risk to an occupationally exposed population. Obviously, a key to the success of the study is to obtain reliable and reasonable results of dose estimation by the dose reconstruction method. Before 1985, there was a lack of information regarding personal dose measured directly; however, we can obtain other indirect information. Examples are information about working loads from the documents of the hospitals, information about operational conditions of the workers of different statuses by a survey of occupational history, and the exposure levels of various working conditions by some simulation methods. The information for estimating organ dose can also be obtained by simulating experiments with a phantom. Based on the information mentioned above, a mathematical model and computerizing system for dose reconstruction of this occupational population was design and developed. Uncertainty analysis very important for dose reconstruction. The sources of uncertainty of our study are coming from two fields. One is coming from the mode of dose reconstruction. Another is coming from the survey of the occupational history. In the result reported, main results of the uncertainty will be presented. In order to control the uncertainty of the

Hypophosphatemia. From retrospective analysis to the analysis of the potential role of phosphatemia in panic disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro Riccardi

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The detection of a low serum phosphate level is not unusual in an Emergency Department, especially in clinical conditions linked to hyperventilation and subsequent respiratory alkalosis, asthma, sepsis, severe pain, anxiety. Symptoms of hypophosphatemia are typically not specific when the imbalance is not particularly severe, but if hyphophosphatemia does not resolve rhabdomyolisis, hemolysis, decreased tissue oxygenation and respiratory failure can be observed. Only recently some authors have pointed out that the level of serum phosphate in patient with anxiety and panic disorders can give information on the severity of the attacks as well on the clinical course of the disease. In a retrospective analysis on 599 case of hypophosphatemia observed in our ED, the percentage of case of panic disorders was particularly high among patients with lower phosphatemia. Therefore, we decided to examine this aspect closely, assessing if the determination of serum phosphate could be useful in the management of panic attacks at first approach in emergency room. Our observation are consistent with the statement that hypophosphatemia is one of the main clinical aspect of panic attack, and strongly support the hypothesis that hypophosphatemia correlates with the most severe symptoms of panic attack and should be itself considered as one of the most important aspect of this syndrome. Serum phosphate levels appear to mirror its clinical course, and can be used in the clinical setting of an Emergency Department, for the confirmation of a diagnosis of anxiety-panic disorder and as marker of the response to therapy

A retrospective analysis of oral cholera vaccine use, disease severity and deaths during an outbreak in South Sudan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekolo, C.E.; Loenhout, J.A. van; Rodriguez-Llanes, J.M.; Rumunu, J.; Ramadan, O.P.; Guha-Sapir, D.

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pre-emptive oral cholera vaccination reduces disease severity and mortality in people who develop cholera disease during an outbreak. METHODS: The study involved a retrospective analysis of demographic and clinical data from 41 cholera treatment facilities in South

A retrospective analysis for patient-specific quality assurance of volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Guangjun [Radiation Physics Center, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan (China); Wu, Kui [Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province (China); Peng, Guang; Zhang, Yingjie [Radiation Physics Center, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan (China); Bai, Sen, E-mail: baisen@scu.edu.cn [Radiation Physics Center, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan (China)

2014-01-01

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is now widely used clinically, as it is capable of delivering a highly conformal dose distribution in a short time interval. We retrospectively analyzed patient-specific quality assurance (QA) of VMAT and examined the relationships between the planning parameters and the QA results. A total of 118 clinical VMAT cases underwent pretreatment QA. All plans had 3-dimensional diode array measurements, and 69 also had ion chamber measurements. Dose distribution and isocenter point dose were evaluated by comparing the measurements and the treatment planning system (TPS) calculations. In addition, the relationship between QA results and several planning parameters, such as dose level, control points (CPs), monitor units (MUs), average field width, and average leaf travel, were also analyzed. For delivered dose distribution, a gamma analysis passing rate greater than 90% was obtained for all plans and greater than 95% for 100 of 118 plans with the 3%/3-mm criteria. The difference (mean ± standard deviation) between the point doses measured by the ion chamber and those calculated by TPS was 0.9% ± 2.0% for all plans. For all cancer sites, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric cancer have the lowest and highest average passing rates, respectively. From multivariate linear regression analysis, the dose level (p = 0.001) and the average leaf travel (p < 0.001) showed negative correlations with the passing rate, and the average field width (p = 0.003) showed a positive correlation with the passing rate, all indicating a correlation between the passing rate and the plan complexity. No statistically significant correlation was found between MU or CP and the passing rate. Analysis of the results of dosimetric pretreatment measurements as a function of VMAT plan parameters can provide important information to guide the plan parameter setting and optimization in TPS.

A retrospective analysis for patient-specific quality assurance of volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Guangjun; Wu, Kui; Peng, Guang; Zhang, Yingjie; Bai, Sen

2014-01-01

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is now widely used clinically, as it is capable of delivering a highly conformal dose distribution in a short time interval. We retrospectively analyzed patient-specific quality assurance (QA) of VMAT and examined the relationships between the planning parameters and the QA results. A total of 118 clinical VMAT cases underwent pretreatment QA. All plans had 3-dimensional diode array measurements, and 69 also had ion chamber measurements. Dose distribution and isocenter point dose were evaluated by comparing the measurements and the treatment planning system (TPS) calculations. In addition, the relationship between QA results and several planning parameters, such as dose level, control points (CPs), monitor units (MUs), average field width, and average leaf travel, were also analyzed. For delivered dose distribution, a gamma analysis passing rate greater than 90% was obtained for all plans and greater than 95% for 100 of 118 plans with the 3%/3-mm criteria. The difference (mean ± standard deviation) between the point doses measured by the ion chamber and those calculated by TPS was 0.9% ± 2.0% for all plans. For all cancer sites, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric cancer have the lowest and highest average passing rates, respectively. From multivariate linear regression analysis, the dose level (p = 0.001) and the average leaf travel (p < 0.001) showed negative correlations with the passing rate, and the average field width (p = 0.003) showed a positive correlation with the passing rate, all indicating a correlation between the passing rate and the plan complexity. No statistically significant correlation was found between MU or CP and the passing rate. Analysis of the results of dosimetric pretreatment measurements as a function of VMAT plan parameters can provide important information to guide the plan parameter setting and optimization in TPS

Value of image fusion using single photon emission computed tomography with integrated low dose computed tomography in comparison with a retrospective voxel-based method in neuroendocrine tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amthauer, H.; Denecke, T.; Ruf, J.; Gutberlet, M.; Felix, R.; Lemke, A.J.; Rohlfing, T.; Boehmig, M.; Ploeckinger, U.

2005-01-01

The objective was the evaluation of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with integrated low dose computed tomography (CT) in comparison with a retrospective fusion of SPECT and high-resolution CT and a side-by-side analysis for lesion localisation in patients with neuroendocrine tumours. Twenty-seven patients were examined by multidetector CT. Additionally, as part of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS), an integrated SPECT-CT was performed. SPECT and CT data were fused using software with a registration algorithm based on normalised mutual information. The reliability of the topographic assignment of lesions in SPECT-CT, retrospective fusion and side-by-side analysis was evaluated by two blinded readers. Two patients were not enrolled in the final analysis because of misregistrations in the retrospective fusion. Eighty-seven foci were included in the analysis. For the anatomical assignment of foci, SPECT-CT and retrospective fusion revealed overall accuracies of 91 and 94% (side-by-side analysis 86%). The correct identification of foci as lymph node manifestations (n=25) was more accurate by retrospective fusion (88%) than from SPECT-CT images (76%) or by side-by-side analysis (60%). Both modalities of image fusion appear to be well suited for the localisation of SRS foci and are superior to side-by-side analysis of non-fused images especially concerning lymph node manifestations. (orig.)

Examining Queer Elements and Ideologies in LGBT-Themed Literature: What Queer Literature Can Offer Young Adult Readers

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Blackburn, Mollie V.; Clark, Caroline T.; Nemeth, Emily A.

2015-01-01

This paper retrospectively examines a collection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* (LGBT)-themed books discussed by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) and ally students and teachers across 3 years of an out-of-school reading group. Through a textual content analysis of a sub-set of these books, we examine what queer…

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING IN A DIRECT-ACCESS SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINIC: A 2-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE PRACTICE ANALYSIS.

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Crowell, Michael S; Dedekam, Erik A; Johnson, Michael R; Dembowski, Scott C; Westrick, Richard B; Goss, Donald L

2016-10-01

While advanced diagnostic imaging is a large contributor to the growth in health care costs, direct-access to physical therapy is associated with decreased rates of diagnostic imaging. No study has systematically evaluated with evidence-based criteria the appropriateness of advanced diagnostic imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), when ordered by physical therapists. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the appropriateness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or magnetic resonance arthrogram (MRA) exams ordered by physical therapists in a direct-access sports physical therapy clinic. Retrospective observational study of practice. Greater than 80% of advanced diagnostic imaging orders would have an American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria rating of greater than 6, indicating an imaging order that is usually appropriate. A 2-year retrospective analysis identified 108 MRI/MRA examination orders from four physical therapists. A board-certified radiologist determined the appropriateness of each order based on ACR appropriateness criteria. The principal investigator and co-investigator radiologist assessed agreement between the clinical diagnosis and MRI/surgical findings. Knee (31%) and shoulder (25%) injuries were the most common. Overall, 55% of injuries were acute. The mean ACR rating was 7.7; scores from six to nine have been considered appropriate orders and higher ratings are better. The percentage of orders complying with ACR appropriateness criteria was 83.2%. Physical therapist's clinical diagnosis was confirmed by MRI/MRA findings in 64.8% of cases and was confirmed by surgical findings in 90% of cases. Physical therapists providing musculoskeletal primary care in a direct-access sports physical therapy clinic appropriately ordered advanced diagnostic imaging in over 80% of cases. Future research should prospectively compare physical therapist appropriateness and utilization to other groups of providers and

Metastatic spread pattern after curative colorectal cancer surgery. A retrospective, longitudinal analysis.

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Augestad, K M; Bakaki, P M; Rose, J; Crawshaw, B P; Lindsetmo, R O; Dørum, L M; Koroukian, S M; Delaney, C P

2015-10-01

The most common sites of colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence are the local tissues, liver or lungs. The objective was to identify risk factors associated with the primary CRC tumor and cancer recurrence in these anatomical sites. Retrospective, longitudinal analyses of data on CRC survivors. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association between possible cofounders with recurrence to various anatomical sites. Data for 10,398CRC survivors (tumor location right colon=3870, left colon=2898, high rectum=2569, low rectum=1061) were analyzed; follow up time was up to five years. Mean age at curative surgery was 71.5 (SD 11.8) years, 20.2% received radio-chemotherapy, stage T3 (64.4%) and N0 (65.1%) were most common. Overall 1632 (15.7%) had cancer recurrence (Isolated liver n=412, 3,8%;  isolated lung n=252, 2,4%; isolated local n=223, 2.1%). Risk factors associated with recurrent CRC were identified, i.e. isolated liver metastases (male: Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) 1,45; colon left: AHR 1,63; N2 disease: AHR 3,35; T2 disease: AHR 2,82), isolated lung metastases (colon left: AHR 1,53; rectum high: AHR 2,48; rectum low: AHR 2,65; N2 disease 3,76), and local recurrence (glands examined<12: AHR 1,51; CRM <3mm: AHR 1,60; rectum high: AHR 2,15; N2 disease: AHR 2,58) (all p values <0001). Our study finds that the site of the primary CRC tumor is associated with location of subsequent metastasis. Left sided colon cancers have increased risk of metastatic spread to the liver, whereas rectal cancers have increased risk of local recurrence and metastatic spread to the lungs. These results, in combination with other risk factors for CRC recurrence, should be taken into consideration when designing risk adapted post-treatment CRC surveillance programs. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Childhood intussusception in Uzbekistan: Analysis of retrospective surveillance data

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Flem Elmira

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Estimates of baseline incidence of childhood intussusception could help safety monitoring after the introduction of rotavirus vaccines. We studied the incidence of intussusception in Uzbekistan, a GAVI-fund eligible state in Central Asia. Methods We retrospectively reviewed intussusception cases in children Results Over a 5-year study period, 67 confirmed cases were identified, of which 67% were boys. The median age was 12 months, and no seasonal trend in the distribution of cases was observed. The diagnostic methods used included abdominal radiography (87% and ultrasonography (57%. Intussusception reduction by air enema was successful in 33 (49% patients and 34 (50% cases underwent surgery. A total of 4 deaths occurred, including 3 deaths in infants aged 0-6 months. The median length of hospital stay was 7.3 (range 0-37 days. The incidence of intussusception is estimated at 23 (95% CI 13.6-32.4 cases per 100,000 child-years, corresponding to approximately 237 cases annually. Conclusions This is the first study to estimate the incidence of childhood intussusception prior to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccination in Uzbekistan. A prospective surveillance system using a standardized case definition is needed in order to better examine the occurrence of intussusception in developing countries.

A retrospective analysis of ethics knowledge in physical therapy (1970-2000).

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Swisher, Laura Lee

2002-07-01

between clinical and ethical decision making, and the changing relationship with patients. Although knowledge of ethics grew steadily between 1970 and 2000, this retrospective analysis identified gaps in our current knowledge. Further research is needed to address the unique ethical problems commonly encountered in all 5 roles of the physical therapist; patient perspectives on ethical issues in physical therapy; variety in ethical approaches; factors affecting moral judgment, sensitivity, motivation, and courage; and cultural dimensions of ethical practice in physical therapy.

Retrospective analysis of the recovery of orientation and memory during posttraumatic amnesia.

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Roberts, Caroline M; Spitz, Gershon; Ponsford, Jennie L

2015-07-01

Prospective monitoring of posttraumatic amnesia (PTA) is recommended following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, few studies have examined the typical order in which items recover on PTA scales. Different methods have been used to define recovery, and the order reported is not consistent across the literature. The purpose of this study was to improve understanding of the progression of PTA by reporting the duration to recovery of items and categories on the Westmead Post-Traumatic Amnesia Scale (WPTAS) according to different criteria. A retrospective analysis was conducted of 66 patients with TBI who were administered the WPTAS during hospital admission. The duration to recovery of items and categories was determined according to 3 criteria: first correct, correct 3 times in a row, and consistently correct. On the basis of the sample mean, date of birth (DOB), year, age, place, month, day, name, and memory for the 3 pictures recovered in this order according to all 3 criteria. However, the significance of differences between items and the order of recovery of categories depended on the criterion adopted. Although DOB recovered first in 74% of cases and the 3 pictures last in 63% of cases, there was a high degree of individual variability in the precise sequence of recovery. The traditional view of PTA recovering in the order of person, place, time, and memory does not adequately describe the profile of recovery on the WPTAS. Considering the recovery of individual items is necessary to understand and account for individuals differences in the order of recovery. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

A Retrospective Analysis of the Clinical Impact of 939 Chest Radiographs Using the Medical Records

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geijer, M.; Ivarsson, L.; Gothlin, J.H.

2012-01-01

Objective. Between one-third and half of all radiology examinations worldwide are probably chest studies. The aim of the current study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical influence of chest radiography. Methods. In a tertiary referral hospital, 939 consecutive daytime chest radiography examinations were evaluated. The outcome was classified as normal, incidental, or pathologic. The referring physicians reaction to radiologic outcome was classified as highly expected, moderately expected, or unexpected. The influence on the patients' treatment was divided into four groups from major to no influence. Results. In all, 71.6% of the studies had a highly expected outcome. Moderately expected or unexpected outcomes were noted in 36.6% of 500 pathologic examinations. Unexpected outcome was noted in 11.6% of all studies. The radiologic outcome influenced treatment in 65.4% of patients where pathology was demonstrated. Patients with normal or incidental findings had treatment influenced in 1/3 of the cases. Unexpected findings influenced treatment more than moderately expected findings. When radiological findings were highly expected, treatment was influenced in less than half of the cases. Surprisingly few chest radiology examinations were commented upon in the medical records

Chinese specific characteristics of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a retrospective analysis of 57 cases.

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Wei Zhao

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD is a fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative disorder. However, no studies have reported Chinese specific characteristics of sCJD. We aimed to identify differences in sCJD between Chinese patients and patients from other countries. METHODS: The data from 57 Chinese sCJD patients were retrospectively analyzed, including demographic data, clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, electroencephalograms (EEGs, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI scans, positron emission tomography (PET scans, and pathological results. RESULT: The disease was pathologically confirmed in 11 patients. 39 cases were diagnosed as probable sCJD, and 7 were possible. Of the total cases, 33 were male, and 24 were female. The onset age ranged from 36 to 75 years (mean: 55.5, median: 57. Disease onset before the age of 60 occurred in 57.9% of patients. The disease duration from onset to death ranged 5-22 months (mean: 11.6, median: 11, and 51.9% of patients died 7 to 12 months after disease onset. The majority of patients presented with sub-acute onset with progressive dementia. 3 of the 9 patients who took 14-3-3 protein analysis had positive results (33.3%. The sensitivity of EEG was 79.6% (43/54. For DWI and PET examinations, the sensitivities were 94% (47/50 and 94.1% (16/17, respectively. In seven patients who did not show typical hyper-intensities on the first DWI examination, abnormalities of hypo-metabolism in the cerebral cortex were clearly detected by PET. In 13 out of the 17 patients, PET detected extra abnormal regions in addition to the hyper-intense areas observed in DWI. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to indicate that Chinese sCJD patients have a much earlier onset age and a longer disease duration than other populations, which is most likely related to racial differences. The longer disease duration may also be a probable characteristic of Asian populations. PET had high sensitivity for the

Hyperthyroidism and Graves' disease: Is an ultrasound examination needed?

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Lakshminarayanan Varadhan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of our study was to assess the limitation of clinical examination in determining the morphology of thyroid gland in patients with hyperthyroidism and its implications. Methods: A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with hyperthyroidism seen in a tertiary endocrine clinic were analyzed. Sub-analysis was performed on patients with proven Graves' disease. Results: Of the 133 patients included in this study with hyperthyroidism, 60 (45% patients had significant nodularity on ultrasound (US. However, only 67% of these were identified on clinical examination. In patients with confirmed Graves' disease (n = 73, the discordance between US and clinical examination was very similar (18 of 30 patients, 60%. Conclusion: US should form an essential part of the evaluation of hyperthyroidism as the morphology of thyroid gland could be variable and nodules in these glands would also need to be appropriately investigated. This would also significantly influence decision-making and appropriate immediate and follow-up management plan.

Primary intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery 1 case report and retrospective analysis of 20 cases published in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Lingchuan; Chen Yanbin

2012-01-01

Objective: To explore the clinical and histopathological features of primary, intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery. Methods: One case of primary intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery diagnosed in our hospital and 20 cases published openly in China were analysed retrospectively. Results: The clinical presentation of primary intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery was progressive dyspnea, cough, chest pain, syncope, bloody phlegm, fever and fatigue. From the radiological finding, its signs were of pulmonary, artery dilation, reduced pulmonary vasculature and cardiomegaly, soft tissue mass near the right ventricle outflow tract. Histological examination of intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery revealed a poorly differentiated mesenchymal tumor of fibroblastic or myofibroblastic differentiation, consisting of mildly atypical spindle cells with atypia, mitosis, and nuclear polymorphism. Immunohistochemical analysis showed positive staining with antibodies against vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, while negative for desmin. Conclusion: Primary, intimal sarcoma of the pulmonary artery has atypical clinical and radiological manifestation with poor prognosis, its definite diagnosis depends on histopathology. (authors)

Three-dimensional drip infusion CT cholangiography in patients with suspected obstructive biliary disease: a retrospective analysis of feasibility and adverse reaction to contrast material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Persson, A; Dahlström, N; Smedby, Ö; Brismar, TB

2006-01-01

Computed Tomography Cholangiography (CTC) is a fast and widely available alternative technique to visualise hepatobiliary disease in patients with an inconclusive ultrasound when MRI cannot be performed. The method has previously been relatively unknown and sparsely used, due to concerns about adverse reactions and about image quality in patients with impaired hepatic function and thus reduced contrast excretion. In this retrospective study, the feasibility and the frequency of adverse reactions of CTC when using a drip infusion scheme based on bilirubin levels were evaluated. The medical records of patients who had undergone upper abdominal spiral CT with subsequent three-dimensional rendering of the biliary tract by means of CTC during seven years were retrospectively reviewed regarding serum bilirubin concentration, adverse reaction and presence of visible contrast media in the bile ducts at CT examination. In total, 153 consecutive examinations in 142 patients were reviewed. Contrast media was observed in the bile ducts at 144 examinations. In 110 examinations, the infusion time had been recorded in the medical records. Among these, 42 examinations had an elevated bilirubin value (>19 umol/L). There were nine patients without contrast excretion; 3 of which had a normal bilirubin value and 6 had an elevated value (25–133 umol/L). Two of the 153 examinations were inconclusive. One subject (0.7%) experienced a minor adverse reaction – a pricking sensation in the face. No other adverse effects were noted. We conclude that drip infusion CTC with an infusion rate of the biliary contrast agent iotroxate governed by the serum bilirubin value is a feasible and safe alternative to MRC in patients with and without impaired biliary excretion. In this retrospective study the feasibility and the frequency of adverse reactions when using a drip infusion scheme based on bilirubin levels has been evaluated

Performance evaluation of phage-displayed synthetic human single-domain antibody libraries: A retrospective analysis.

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Henry, Kevin A; Tanha, Jamshid

2018-05-01

Fully human synthetic single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) are desirable therapeutic molecules but their development is a considerable challenge. Here, using a retrospective analysis of in-house historical data, we examined the parameters that impact the outcome of screening phage-displayed synthetic human sdAb libraries to discover antigen-specific binders. We found no evidence for a differential effect of domain type (V H or V L ), library randomization strategy, incorporation of a stabilizing disulfide linkage or sdAb display format (monovalent vs. multivalent) on the probability of obtaining any antigen-binding human sdAbs, instead finding that the success of library screens was primarily related to properties of target antigens, especially molecular mass. The solubility and binding affinity of sdAbs isolated from successful screens depended both on properties of the sdAb libraries (primarily domain type) and the target antigens. Taking attrition of sdAbs with major manufacturability concerns (aggregation; low expression) and sdAbs that do not recognize native cell-surface antigens as independent probabilities, we calculate the overall likelihood of obtaining ≥1 antigen-binding human sdAb from a single library-target screen as ~24%. Successful library-target screens should be expected to yield ~1.3 human sdAbs on average, each with average binding affinity of ~2 μM. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Injuries in Collegiate Women’s Volleyball: A Four-Year Retrospective Analysis

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Sole, Christopher J.; Kavanaugh, Ashley A.; Stone, Michael H.

2017-01-01

A four-year retrospective analysis of injury data was conducted on a collegiate (NCAA Division I) women’s volleyball team. Twenty athletes (Year 1: age = 19.4 ± 0.9 y, height = 175.2 ± 5.1 cm, body mass = 70.5 ± 10.2 kg; Year 2: age = 20.1 ± 1.0 y, height = 175.7 ± 4.7 cm, body mass = 69.5 ± 10.1 kg; Year 3: age = 20.1 ± 1.4 y, height = 173.8 ± 6.3 cm, body mass = 69.9 ± 10.8 kg; Year 4: age = 19.5 ± 1.4 y, height = 174.4 ± 8.6 cm, body mass = 72.7 ± 10.8 kg) participated in this study, accounting for 1483 total training exposures. Injury was defined as any damage to a body part, incurred during volleyball or strength and conditioning-related activities, which interfered with training and/or competition. Injury rate was normalized to the number of athletes and exposure and expressed as injuries per 1000 exposures. A total of 133 injuries were recorded. The most common injury was to the knee (left = 7.5%, right = 12.0%). Injuries occurred most often in volleyball practice (75.2%), followed by competition (20.3%), and strength and conditioning-related activities (4.5%). Non-contact injuries (upper body = 26.3%, lower body = 53.4%) were more common than contact injuries (upper-body = 13.5%, lower-body = 6.8%). An examination of injury rates relative to the training year revealed patterns in injury occurrence. Specifically, spikes in injury rate were consistently observed during periods of increased training volume that were preceded by breaks in organized training, such as the early pre-season and off-season training periods.

A retrospective analysis of health systems in Denmark and Kaiser Permanente

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frølich, Anne; Schiøtz, Michaela L; Strandberg-Larsen, Martin

2008-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To inform Danish health care reform efforts, we compared health care system inputs and performance and assessed the usefulness of these comparisons for informing policy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of secondary data in the Danish Health Care System (DHS) with 5.3 million...... citizens and the Kaiser Permanente integrated delivery system (KP) with 6.1 million members in California. We used secondary data to compare population characteristics, professional staff, delivery structure, utilisation and quality measures, and direct costs. We adjusted the cost data to increase...... comparability. RESULTS: A higher percentage of KP patients had chronic conditions than did patients in the DHS: 6.3% vs. 2.8% (diabetes) and 19% vs. 8.5% (hypertension), respectively. KP had fewer total physicians and staff compared to DHS, with134 physicians/100,000 individuals versus 311 physicians/100...

Retrospective analysis of necropsy reports suggestive of abuse in dogs and cats.

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Almeida, Daniel C; Torres, Sheila M F; Wuenschmann, Arno

2018-02-15

OBJECTIVE To identify historical and necropsy findings suggestive of neglect or abuse of dogs and cats by retrospective analysis of necropsy reports from a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SAMPLE 119 necropsy reports of dogs and cats. PROCEDURES Necropsy reports from February 2001 to May 2012 were electronically searched to identify potential animal abuse or neglect cases. Cases were selected and categorized according to a previously proposed method for classification of animal abuse. Inclusion criteria included signs of neglect, nonaccidental injury (NAI; blunt-force or sharp-force trauma, gunshot, burns, drowning, asphyxiation, and suspicious intoxications), and sexual abuse. Poor preservation of cadavers, age abuse cases, determined on the basis of all necropsies performed in the study period, was 73 of 8,417 (0.87%) in dogs and 46 of 4,905 (0.94%) in cats. Neglect and NAI were commonly identified in cats; NAI was most commonly found in dogs. Gunshot and blunt-force trauma were the most common NAIs in dogs and cats, respectively. Pit bull-type dogs (29/73 [40%]) were overrepresented in several abuse categories. Most cats (29/46 [63%]) were domestic shorthair, but no breed association was found. Most (41/71 [58%]) affected animals with age data available were ≤ 2 years old. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Approximately 1% of dogs and cats necropsied in the study period had signs suggestive of abuse. Medical findings alone are not necessarily indicative of abuse, but some findings can increase the index of suspicion.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Results of a Five-Year (2005-2009) Parasitological Examination for Common Intestinal Parasites from Bale-Robe Health Center, Robe Town, Southeastern Ethiopia.

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Chala, Bayissa

2013-01-01

A cross-sectional retrospective survey using the past five years clinical records (2005-2009) was conducted. The study was aimed at assessing the status of common intestinal parasites from Bale-Robe Health Center, Southeastern Ethiopia, in 2009/2010. The survey involved collection of data recorded on intestinal parasite from the health center during 2005-2009. Precoded questionnaires and interviews were also supplemented for knowledge attitude practices survey (KAPs survey) to assess awareness level of treatment seekers. Analysis of the various associations and strength of significant variations among qualitative and quantitative variables were assessed. The results revealed that Entamoeba histolytica (36.1%) and Giardia lamblia (11.0%), both being protozoan parasites were found to be the most prevalent intestinal parasites encountered during 2005-2009. The least prevalent intestinal parasite recorded was Strongyloides stercoralis (1.1%). Most intestinal parasites were detected among age group of 15 years and above than 0-4 and 5-14 years as shown in Table 4. There was a significant correlation between intestinal parasites prevalence and the age of treatment seeking individuals (P parasites in the area.

Transfusion transmitted infections – A retrospective analysis from the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The emergence of transfusion transmitted infection (TTI) especially HIV/AIDS has created a huge obstacle in ensuring blood safety. To assess the situation in Eritrea, we carried out a retrospective study of 29,501 blood donors for the prevalence of TTI's i.e. HIV, HBV, HCV and Syphilis. Methods: The study ...

Costs of examinations performed in a hospital laboratory in Chile.

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Andrade, Germán Lobos; Palma, Carolina Salas

2018-01-01

To determine the total average costs related to laboratory examinations performed in a hospital laboratory in Chile. Retrospective study with data from July 2014 to June 2015. 92 examinations classified in ten groups were selected according to the analysis methodology. The costs were estimated as the sum of direct and indirect laboratory costs and indirect institutional factors. The average values obtained for the costs according to examination group (in USD) were: 1.79 (clinical chemistry), 10.21 (immunoassay techniques), 13.27 (coagulation), 26.06 (high-performance liquid chromatography), 21.2 (immunological), 3.85 (gases and electrolytes), 156.48 (cytogenetic), 1.38 (urine), 4.02 (automated hematological), 4.93 (manual hematological). The value, or service fee, returned to public institutions who perform laboratory services does not adequately reflect the true total average production costs of examinations.

Underascertainment of Child Abuse Fatalities in France: Retrospective Analysis of Judicial Data to Assess Underreporting of Infant Homicides in Mortality Statistics

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Tursz, Anne; Crost, Monique; Gerbouin-Rerolle, Pascale; Cook, Jon M.

2010-01-01

Objectives: Test the hypothesis of an underestimation of infant homicides in mortality statistics in France; identify its causes; examine data from the judicial system and their contribution in correcting this underestimation. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was carried out in 26 courts in three regions of France of cases of infant…

Evolution of Canadian nursing curricula: a critical retrospective analysis of power and caring.

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Anthony, Susan E; Landeen, Janet

2009-01-01

The evolution of Canadian nursing curricula has mutually influenced and reflected nursing's historical course: nursing practice and education are inextricably linked. This paper is a critical retrospective analysis of the evolution of nursing curricula in Canada from the 20th century to the present. Falk Rafael's (1996) dialectic exploration of power and caring in nursing guides the analysis. An ordered, assimilated, and empowered curriculum development framework results. Foucault's (1980) work in the sociology of knowledge and Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule's (1986) epistemological conceptualization of women's knowledge development are incorporated. The intricacies of the relationship between nursing curriculum development and Canadian history, the navigation of societal paradoxes that mutually drive and inform education and practice, and the instrumental need for nursing education research are considered. A fourth and new dialectic layer is suggested that places nursing on the inter-professional team of architects of a co-constructed emancipatory curriculum.

Retrospective Analysis of the Benefits and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiser, Ryan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Barbose, Galen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Heeter, Jenny [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Mai, Trieu [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bird, Lori [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bolinger, Mark [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Carpenter, Alberta [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Heath, Garvin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Keyser, David [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Macknick, Jordan [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Mills, Andrew [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Millstein, Dev [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2016-01-06

This analysis is the first-ever comprehensive assessment of the benefits and impacts of state renewable portfolio standards (RPSs). This joint National Renewable Energy Laboratory-Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory project provides a retrospective analysis of RPS program benefits and impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions reductions, air pollution emission reductions, water use reductions, gross jobs and economic development impacts, wholesale electricity price reduction impacts, and natural gas price reduction impacts. Wherever possible, benefits and impacts are quantified in monetary terms. The paper will inform state policymakers, RPS program administrators, industry, and others about the costs and benefits of state RPS programs. In particular, the work seeks to inform decision-making surrounding ongoing legislative proposals to scale back, freeze, or expand existing RPS programs, as well as future discussions about increasing RPS targets or otherwise increasing renewable energy associated with Clean Power Plan compliance or other emission-reduction goals.

The effect of oral supplementation with a combination of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, arginine and glutamine on wound healing: a retrospective analysis of diabetic haemodialysis patients

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Sipahi, Savas; Gungor, Ozkan; Gunduz, Mehmet; Cilci, Mehmet; Demirci, Mustafa Cahit; Tamer, Ali

2013-01-01

Background Diabetes is an important reason for end-stage renal failure and diabetic foot wounds worsen the life qualities of these patients. Protein and amino acid support accelerates the wound healing. The purpose of this retrospective study is to examine the effect of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, arginine and glutamine (Abound?) supplementation on the wound healing. Methods A total of 11 diabetic dialysis patients were included in this retrospective study aiming to evaluate the effect ...

Efficacy of Alteplase® in a mouse model of acute ischemic stroke: a retrospective pooled analysis

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Orset, Cyrille; Haelewyn, Benoit; Allan, Stuart M.; Ansar, Saema; Campos, Francesco; Cho, Tae Hee; Durand, Anne; El Amki, Mohamad; Fatar, Marc; Garcia-Yébenes, Isaac; Gauberti, Maxime; Grudzenski, Saskia; Lizasoain, Ignacio; Lo, Eng; Macrez, Richard; Margaill, Isabelle; Maysami, Samaneh; Meairs, Stephen; Nighoghossian, Norbert; Orbe, Josune; Paramo, Jose Antonio; Parienti, Jean-Jacques; Rothwell, Nancy J.; Rubio, Marina; Waeber, Christian; Young, Alan R.

2016-01-01

Background and purpose The debate over the fact that experimental drugs proposed for the treatment of stroke fail in the translation to the clinical situation, has attracted considerable attention in the literature. In this context, we present a retrospective pooled analysis of a large dataset from pre-clinical studies, in order to examine the effects of early versus late administration of intravenous recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Methods We collected data from 26 individual studies from 9 international centers (13 researchers, 716 animals) that compared rt-PA to controls, in a unique mouse model of thromboembolic stroke induced by an in situ injection of thrombin into the middle cerebral artery. Studies were classified into early (<3h) versus late (≥3h) drug administration. Final infarct volumes, assessed by histology or MRI, were compared in each study and the absolute differences were pooled in a random-effect meta-analysis. The influence of time of administration was tested. Results When compared to saline controls, early rt-PA administration was associated with a significant benefit (absolute difference = −6.63 mm3; 95%CI, −9.08 to −4.17; I2=76%) whereas late rt-PA treatment showed a deleterious effect (+5.06 mm3; 95%CI, +2.78 to +7.34; I2=42%, Pint<0.00001). Results remained unchanged following subgroup analyses. Conclusion Our results provide the basis needed for the design of future pre-clinical studies on recanalization therapies using this model of thromboembolic stroke in mice. The power analysis reveals that a multi-center trial would require 123 animals per group instead of 40 for a single center trial. PMID:27032444

Treatment results and prognostic factors of pediatric neuroblastoma: a retrospective study.

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El-Sayed, Mohamed I; Ali, Amany M; Sayed, Heba A; Zaky, Eman M

2010-12-24

We conducted a retrospective analysis to investigate treatment results and prognostic factors of pediatric neuroblastoma patients. This retrospective study was carried out analyzing the medical records of patients with the pathological diagnosis of neuroblastoma seen at South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University during the period from January 2001 and January 2010. After induction chemotherapy, response according to international neuoblastoma response criteria was assessed. Radiotherapy to patients with residual primary tumor was applied. Overall and event free survival (OAS and EFS) rates were estimated using Graphed prism program. The Log-rank test was used to examine differences in OAS and EFS rates. Cox-regression multivariate analysis was done to determine the independent prognostic factors affecting survival rates. Fifty three cases were analyzed. The median follow-up duration was 32 months and ranged from 2 to 84 months. The 3-year OAS and EFS rates were 39.4% and 29.3% respectively. Poor prognostic factors included age >1 year of age, N-MYC amplification, and high risk group. The majority of patients (68%) presented in high risk group, where treatment outcome was poor, as only 21% of patients survived for 3 year. Multivariate analysis confirmed only the association between survival and risk group. However, in univariate analysis, local radiation therapy resulted in significant survival improvement. Therefore, radiotherapy should be given to patients with residual tumor evident after induction chemotherapy and surgery. Future attempts to improve OAS in high risk group patients with aggressive chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation should be considered.

Treatment results and prognostic factors of pediatric neuroblastoma: a retrospective study

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El-Sayed Mohamed I

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We conducted a retrospective analysis to investigate treatment results and prognostic factors of pediatric neuroblastoma patients. Methods This retrospective study was carried out analyzing the medical records of patients with the pathological diagnosis of neuroblastoma seen at South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University during the period from January 2001 and January 2010. After induction chemotherapy, response according to international neuoblastoma response criteria was assessed. Radiotherapy to patients with residual primary tumor was applied. Overall and event free survival (OAS and EFS rates were estimated using Graphed prism program. The Log-rank test was used to examine differences in OAS and EFS rates. Cox-regression multivariate analysis was done to determine the independent prognostic factors affecting survival rates. Results Fifty three cases were analyzed. The median follow-up duration was 32 months and ranged from 2 to 84 months. The 3-year OAS and EFS rates were 39.4% and 29.3% respectively. Poor prognostic factors included age >1 year of age, N-MYC amplification, and high risk group. The majority of patients (68% presented in high risk group, where treatment outcome was poor, as only 21% of patients survived for 3 year. Conclusion Multivariate analysis confirmed only the association between survival and risk group. However, in univariate analysis, local radiation therapy resulted in significant survival improvement. Therefore, radiotherapy should be given to patients with residual tumor evident after induction chemotherapy and surgery. Future attempts to improve OAS in high risk group patients with aggressive chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation should be considered.

Medulloblastoma in adults. A retrospective single institution analysis

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Hadi, Indrawati; Roengvoraphoj, Olarn; Niyazi, Maximilian; Nachbichler, Silke Birgit [LMU Munich, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Munich (Germany); Roeder, Falk [LMU Munich, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Munich (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Molecular Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg (Germany); Schueller, Ulrich [University Medical Center, Institute of Neuropathology, Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany); Research Institute Children' s Cancer Center, Hamburg (Germany); University Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany); Belka, Claus [LMU Munich, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Munich (Germany); German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich (Germany)

2018-03-15

Adult medulloblastoma is a rare disease treated according to the current pediatric treatment guidelines. This retrospective analysis investigated the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of adult medulloblastoma patients, who received multimodal therapy at our institution. Treatment charts of all patients over the age of 15 years of age with de novo medulloblastoma, who had been treated at our institution between 2001 and 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients' demographic parameters, initial symptoms, treatment modalities, toxicities, and survival outcomes were investigated. In all, 21 patients with a median age of 30.2 years were identified. The most frequent histologies were desmoplastic and classic, and the most common molecular subtype was sonic hedgehog (SHH). After tumor resection, all patients received craniospinal irradiation (median dose 35.2 Gy) and a boost to the posterior fossa (median dose 19.8 Gy). Simultaneous chemotherapy with vincristine was given to 20 patients and sequential chemotherapy to 15 patients. The most common side effects were hematological toxicities. Median overall survival (OS) has not been reached after a median follow-up of 92 months. Estimated 5- and 10-year OS was 89 and 80%, respectively. Estimated 5- and 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 89 and 81%, respectively. In univariate analysis, a shorter interval between tumor resection and end of irradiation was significantly associated with improved OS and PFS, anaplastic histology with worse OS and PFS. The combined modality treatment showed a good outcome in adults with medulloblastoma. Treatment time was revealed to be prognostic and should be kept as short as possible. (orig.) [German] Das Medulloblastom des Erwachsenen ist eine seltene Erkrankung, die analog paediatrischer Behandlungsprotokolle therapiert wird. Diese retrospektive Analyse untersuchte die klinischen Ergebnisse und prognostischen Faktoren von erwachsenen Medulloblastompatienten, die eine

Uncovering the problem-solving process: cued retrospective reporting versus concurrent and retrospective reporting.

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van Gog, Tamara; Paas, Fred; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G; Witte, Puk

2005-12-01

This study investigated the amounts of problem-solving process information ("action," "why," "how," and "metacognitive") elicited by means of concurrent, retrospective, and cued retrospective reporting. In a within-participants design, 26 participants completed electrical circuit troubleshooting tasks under different reporting conditions. The method of cued retrospective reporting used the original computer-based task and a superimposed record of the participant's eye fixations and mouse-keyboard operations as a cue for retrospection. Cued retrospective reporting (with the exception of why information) and concurrent reporting (with the exception of metacognitive information) resulted in a higher number of codes on the different types of information than did retrospective reporting.

Usefulness of texture analysis in differentiating transient from persistent part-solid nodules(PSNs: a retrospective study.

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Sang Hwan Lee

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Early discrimination between transient and persistent par-solid ground-glass nodules (PSNs at CT is essential for patient management. The objective of our study was to retrospectively investigate the value of texture analysis in differentiating pulmonary transient and persistent PSNs in addition to clinical and CT features. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed with IRB approval and a waiver of the requirement for patients' informed consent. From January 2007 to October 2009, we identified 77 individuals (39 men and 38 women; mean age, 55 years with 86 PSNs on thin-section chest CT. Thirty-nine PSNs in 31 individuals were transient and 47 PSNs in 46 patients were persistent. The clinical, CT, and texture features of PSNs were evaluated. To investigate the additional value of texture analysis in differentiating transient from persistent PSNs, logistic regression analysis and C-statistics were performed. RESULTS: Between transient and persistent PSNs, there were significant differences in age, gender, smoking history, and eosinophil count among the clinical features. As for thin-section CT features, there were significant differences in lesion size, solid portion size, and lesion multiplicity. In terms of texture features, there were significant differences in mean attenuation, skewness of whole PSN, attenuation ratio of whole PSN to inner solid portion, and 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-percentile CT numbers of whole PSN. Multivariate analysis revealed eosinophilia, lesion size, lesion multiplicity, mean attenuation of whole PSN, skewness of whole PSN, and 5-percentile CT number were significant independent predictors of transient PSNs. (P<0.05 C-statistics revealed that texture analysis incorporating clinical and CT features (AUC, 92.9% showed significantly higher differentiating performance of transient from persistent PSNs compared with the clinical and CT features alone (AUC, 79.0%. (P =  0.004. CONCLUSION: Texture analysis of

A retrospective analysis for patient-specific quality assurance of volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans.

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Li, Guangjun; Wu, Kui; Peng, Guang; Zhang, Yingjie; Bai, Sen

2014-01-01

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is now widely used clinically, as it is capable of delivering a highly conformal dose distribution in a short time interval. We retrospectively analyzed patient-specific quality assurance (QA) of VMAT and examined the relationships between the planning parameters and the QA results. A total of 118 clinical VMAT cases underwent pretreatment QA. All plans had 3-dimensional diode array measurements, and 69 also had ion chamber measurements. Dose distribution and isocenter point dose were evaluated by comparing the measurements and the treatment planning system (TPS) calculations. In addition, the relationship between QA results and several planning parameters, such as dose level, control points (CPs), monitor units (MUs), average field width, and average leaf travel, were also analyzed. For delivered dose distribution, a gamma analysis passing rate greater than 90% was obtained for all plans and greater than 95% for 100 of 118 plans with the 3%/3-mm criteria. The difference (mean ± standard deviation) between the point doses measured by the ion chamber and those calculated by TPS was 0.9% ± 2.0% for all plans. For all cancer sites, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric cancer have the lowest and highest average passing rates, respectively. From multivariate linear regression analysis, the dose level (p = 0.001) and the average leaf travel (p < 0.001) showed negative correlations with the passing rate, and the average field width (p = 0.003) showed a positive correlation with the passing rate, all indicating a correlation between the passing rate and the plan complexity. No statistically significant correlation was found between MU or CP and the passing rate. Analysis of the results of dosimetric pretreatment measurements as a function of VMAT plan parameters can provide important information to guide the plan parameter setting and optimization in TPS. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by

Use of yoked prisms in patients with acquired brain injury: a retrospective analysis.

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Bansal, Surbhi; Han, Esther; Ciuffreda, Kenneth J

2014-01-01

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the clinical practices for prescribing yoked prisms, as well as to assess related patient responses, in a sample of visually-symptomatic patients having acquired brain injury (ABI). The clinical records of individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) that were assessed for yoked prisms were reviewed retrospectively. This query resulted in 60 patient records for analysis between January 2011 and December 2012. The following diagnostic groups were analysed: homonymous hemianopsia (HH)/homonymous quadranopsia, abnormal egocentric localization (AEL) and visual neglect. HH/homonymous quadranopsia (58.3%) was the primary indication to prescribe yoked prisms, followed by visual neglect/unilateral spatial inattention (USI) (40.0%) and AEL (11.7%). The most common favourable patient responses were increased awareness of their blind visual field and improved gait, mobility and balance. The magnitude and direction of prisms prescribed were dependent upon the subjective responses in patients manifesting AEL. In contrast, base direction was dependent upon the direction of visual field loss in patients with HH/homonymous quadranopsia and visual neglect. Two-thirds of the present sample population responded favourably to the yoked prisms. The results of the present study should prove useful to clinicians for the successful prescription of yoked prisms as a treatment modality in patients presenting with the above three diagnoses.

Odontoid fractures: A retrospective analysis of 53 cases

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Shetty Arjun

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The management of odontoid fracture has evolved but controversy persists as to the best method for Type II odontoid fractures with or without atlantoaxial (AA instability. The anterior odontoid screw fixation can be associated with significant morbidity while delayed odontoid screw fixation has shown to be associated with reasonable good fusion rates. We conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the outcome of a trial of conservative management in type II odontoid fractures without atlantoaxial instability (Group A followed by delayed odontoid screw fixation in cases in which fusion was not achieved by conservative treatment. The outcome of type II odontoid fracture with AA subluxation (Group B was also analysed where closed reduction on traction could be achieved and in those atlantoaxial subluxations that were irreducible an intraoperative reduction was done. Materials and Methods: A retrospective evaluation of 53 cases of odontoid fractures treated over a 9-year period is being reported. All odontoid fractures without AA instability (n=29 were initially managed conservatively. Three patients who did not achieve union with conservative management were treated with delayed anterior screw fixation. Twenty-four cases of odontoid fractures were associated with AA instability; 17 of them could be reduced with skeletal traction and were managed with posterior fusion and fixation. Of the seven cases that were irreducible, the initial three cases were treated by odontoid excision followed by posterior fusion and fixation; however, in the later four cases, intra operative reduction was achieved by a manipulation procedure, and posterior fusion and fixation was performed. Results: Twenty-six of 29 cases of odontoid fracture without AA instability achieved fracture union with conservative management whereas the remaining three patients achieved union following delayed anterior odontoid screw fixation. 17 out of 24 odontoid fracture with

Knee joint examinations by magnetic resonance imaging: The correlation of pathology, age, and sex

OpenAIRE

Serhat Avcu; Ersan Altun; Ihsan Akpinar; Mehmet Deniz Bulut; Kemal Eresov; Tugrul Biren

2010-01-01

Aims: The aim of our study was to investigate the incidence and coexistence of multiple knee joint pathologies and the distribution of knee joint pathologies according to age and sex. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using the clinical data of patients evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee joint. Data from 308 patients examined between August 2002 and July 2003 were included into this study. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed to exam...

Temporomandibular Disorders and Headache: A Retrospective Analysis of 1198 Patients

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Di Paolo, Carlo; D'Urso, Anna; Di Sabato, Francesco; Pompa, Giorgio

2017-01-01

Aim. Headache is one of the most common diseases associated with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate, retrospectively, if headache influences TMD's symptoms. Material and Methods. A total sample of 1198 consecutive TMD patients was selected. After a neurological examination, a diagnosis of headache, according to the latest edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, was performed in 625 subjects. Patients were divided into two groups based on presence/absence of headache: Group with Headache (GwH) and Group without Headache (GwoH). Descriptive statistics and Chi-square index were performed. Results. Sociodemographic (gender, marital status, and occupation) and functional factors, occlusion (occlusal and skeletal classes, dental formula, and occlusal abnormalities), and familiar pain did not show a statistically significant correlation in either group. Intensity and frequency of neck pain, arthralgia of TMJ, and myalgia showed higher correlation values in GwH. Conclusion. This study is consistent with previous literature in showing a close relationship between headache and TMD. All data underlines that headache makes pain parameters more intense and frequent. Therefore, an early and multidisciplinary treatment of TMDs should be performed in order to avoid the overlay of painful events that could result in pain chronicity. PMID:28420942

Temporomandibular Disorders and Headache: A Retrospective Analysis of 1198 Patients.

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Di Paolo, Carlo; D'Urso, Anna; Papi, Piero; Di Sabato, Francesco; Rosella, Daniele; Pompa, Giorgio; Polimeni, Antonella

2017-01-01

Aim . Headache is one of the most common diseases associated with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate, retrospectively, if headache influences TMD's symptoms. Material and Methods . A total sample of 1198 consecutive TMD patients was selected. After a neurological examination, a diagnosis of headache, according to the latest edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, was performed in 625 subjects. Patients were divided into two groups based on presence/absence of headache: Group with Headache (GwH) and Group without Headache (GwoH). Descriptive statistics and Chi-square index were performed. Results . Sociodemographic (gender, marital status, and occupation) and functional factors, occlusion (occlusal and skeletal classes, dental formula, and occlusal abnormalities), and familiar pain did not show a statistically significant correlation in either group. Intensity and frequency of neck pain, arthralgia of TMJ, and myalgia showed higher correlation values in GwH. Conclusion . This study is consistent with previous literature in showing a close relationship between headache and TMD. All data underlines that headache makes pain parameters more intense and frequent. Therefore, an early and multidisciplinary treatment of TMDs should be performed in order to avoid the overlay of painful events that could result in pain chronicity.

Temporomandibular Disorders and Headache: A Retrospective Analysis of 1198 Patients

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Carlo Di Paolo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. Headache is one of the most common diseases associated with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs. The aim of this study was to evaluate, retrospectively, if headache influences TMD’s symptoms. Material and Methods. A total sample of 1198 consecutive TMD patients was selected. After a neurological examination, a diagnosis of headache, according to the latest edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, was performed in 625 subjects. Patients were divided into two groups based on presence/absence of headache: Group with Headache (GwH and Group without Headache (GwoH. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square index were performed. Results. Sociodemographic (gender, marital status, and occupation and functional factors, occlusion (occlusal and skeletal classes, dental formula, and occlusal abnormalities, and familiar pain did not show a statistically significant correlation in either group. Intensity and frequency of neck pain, arthralgia of TMJ, and myalgia showed higher correlation values in GwH. Conclusion. This study is consistent with previous literature in showing a close relationship between headache and TMD. All data underlines that headache makes pain parameters more intense and frequent. Therefore, an early and multidisciplinary treatment of TMDs should be performed in order to avoid the overlay of painful events that could result in pain chronicity.

Differentiation between benign and malignant palatal tumors using conventional MRI: a retrospective analysis of 130 cases.

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Zheng, Yingyan; Xiao, Zebin; Zhang, Hua; She, Dejun; Lin, Xuehua; Lin, Yu; Cao, Dairong

2018-04-01

To evaluate the discriminative value of conventional magnetic resonance imaging between benign and malignant palatal tumors. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging features of 130 patients with palatal tumors confirmed by histopathologic examination were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data and imaging findings were assessed between benign and malignant tumors and between benign and low-grade malignant salivary gland tumors. The variables that were significant in differentiating benign from malignant lesions were further identified using logistic regression analysis. Moreover, imaging features of each common palatal histologic entity were statistically analyzed with the rest of the tumors to define their typical imaging features. Older age, partially defined and ill-defined margins, and absence of a capsule were highly suggestive of malignant palatal tumors, especially ill-defined margins (β = 6.400). The precision in determining malignant palatal tumors achieved a sensitivity of 92.8% and a specificity of 85.6%. In addition, irregular shape, ill-defined margins, lack of a capsule, perineural spread, and invasion of surrounding structures were more often associated with low-grade malignant salivary gland tumors. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging is useful for differentiating benign from malignant palatal tumors as well as benign salivary gland tumors from low-grade salivary gland malignancies. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Discriminant analysis of Social Work’s performance in licensure examination

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Jonel R. Alonzo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Many research studies have examined academic factors as predictors of success in licensure examination. The purpose of this descriptive discriminant analysis was to explore possible factors in passing social work licensure examination. Data were examined from academic records of 69 (37 passed and 32 failed Social Work graduates of the University of Mindanao who took Social Work Licensure Examination 2014. This can be used as a basis of Social Work program in planning and administering strategies to improve its national passing rates. Discriminant analysis was employed along five academic factors which are Human Behavior and Social Environment (HBSE, Social Work Programs and Policies (SWPP, Social Work Methods (SWM, Field Practice (FP and Grade Point Average (GPA. The analysis generated three significant predictors accounting for 76.22% of between group variability. The function had a hit ratio of 100%. Structure matrix revealed that three cluster subjects were identified as good factors of passing the social work licensure examination: HBSE, SWPP and SWM had a correlation value of 0.713, 0.768 and 0.840, respectively.

Hand infections: a retrospective analysis

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Tolga Türker

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Hand infections are common, usually resulting from an untreated injury. In this retrospective study, we report on hand infection cases needing surgical drainage in order to assess patient demographics, causation of infection, clinical course, and clinical management.Methods. Medical records of patients presenting with hand infections, excluding post-surgical infections, treated with incision and debridement over a one-year period were reviewed. Patient demographics; past medical history; infection site(s and causation; intervals between onset of infection, hospital admission, surgical intervention and days of hospitalization; gram stains and cultures; choice of antibiotics; complications; and outcomes were reviewed.Results. Most infections were caused by laceration and the most common site of infection was the palm or dorsum of the hand. Mean length of hospitalization was 6 days. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus were the most commonly cultured microorganisms. Cephalosporins, clindamycin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, penicillin, vancomycin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole were major antibiotic choices. Amputations and contracture were the primary complications.Conclusions. Surgery along with medical management were key to treatment and most soft tissue infections resolved without further complications. With prompt and appropriate care, most hand infection patients can achieve full resolution of their infection.

Injection therapy for chronic prostatitis: A retrospective analysis of 77 cases

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Attila Toth

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To compare pre- and post-therapy symptom scores reported on the National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIHCPSI after trans-rectal antibiotic injections therapy for men suffering from chronic prostatitis. Materials and methods: Retrospective analysis of NIHCPSI symptom scores obtained from chart reviews of 77 treated males suffering from chronic prostatitis before and after trans rectal injections for the treatment of chronic prostatitis. Results: Most patients reported a 40% to 60% improvement in symptom scores. In subgroups comparing scores in patients with less than 5 injections, the improvement was less than in patients who received 10 or more injections. Patients’ responses after a shorter (3 months follow up showed better pain scores than patient’s scores after longer, over one-year or more, follow- up periods. Conclusion: Our findings show that direct antibiotic injection for chronic prostatitis is a viable addition to standard therapies. Improvements in symptom scores are long lasting. Discomfort is minimal and side effects are rare and avoidable

Long-term outcomes of dental implants placed in elderly patients: a retrospective clinical and radiographic analysis.

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Park, Jung-Chul; Baek, Won-Sun; Choi, Seong-Ho; Cho, Kyoo-Sung; Jung, Ui-Won

2017-02-01

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the clinical and the radiographic outcomes of dental implants placed in elderly people older than 65 years. In total, 902 implants in 346 patients (age: 65-89 years) were followed up for 2-17 years following the implant surgery. The survival rate of these implants was recorded and analyzed. Changes in marginal bone levels were also analyzed in serial radiographs, and Cox regression analysis for implant loss was performed. The survival rates were 95.39% and 99.98% in the implant- and patient-based analyses, respectively (involving a total of 29 implant failures), and the marginal bone loss at the implants was 0.17 ± 0.71 mm (mean ± SD). The number of failures was greatest in patients aged 65-69 years. The Cox regression with shared frailty analysis showed that implant loss was significantly greater in those aged 65-69 years than in those aged 70-74 years (P implant systems. Within the limitations of this retrospective study, it was concluded that implant therapy can be successfully provided to elderly patients and that age alone does not seem to affect the implant survival rate. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

LABORATORY EXAMINATION IN NERVE AGENT INTOXICATION

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Jiří Bajgar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Diagnosis of nerve agent intoxication is based on anamnestic data, clinical signs and laboratory examination. For acute poisoning, cholinesterase activity in the blood (erythrocyte AChE, plasma/serum BuChE is sensitive, simple and most frequent laboratory examination performed in biochemical laboratories. Specialized examinations to precise treatment (reactivation test or to make retrospective diagnosis (fluoride induced reactivation etc. can be conducted. Other sophisticated methods are available, too.

RETROSPECTIVE DETECTION OF INTERLEAVED SLICE ACQUISITION PARAMETERS FROM FMRI DATA

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Parker, David; Rotival, Georges; Laine, Andrew; Razlighi, Qolamreza R.

2015-01-01

To minimize slice excitation leakage to adjacent slices, interleaved slice acquisition is nowadays performed regularly in fMRI scanners. In interleaved slice acquisition, the number of slices skipped between two consecutive slice acquisitions is often referred to as the ‘interleave parameter’; the loss of this parameter can be catastrophic for the analysis of fMRI data. In this article we present a method to retrospectively detect the interleave parameter and the axis in which it is applied. Our method relies on the smoothness of the temporal-distance correlation function, which becomes disrupted along the axis on which interleaved slice acquisition is applied. We examined this method on simulated and real data in the presence of fMRI artifacts such as physiological noise, motion, etc. We also examined the reliability of this method in detecting different types of interleave parameters and demonstrated an accuracy of about 94% in more than 1000 real fMRI scans. PMID:26161244

Frequency of paediatric medical imaging examinations performed at a European teaching hospital over a 7-year period

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Portelli, Jonathan L.; Bezzina, Paul [University of Malta, Department of Radiography, Faculty of Health Sciences, Msida (Malta); McNulty, Jonathan P.; Rainford, Louise [University College Dublin, Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medicine and Medical Science, Dublin (Ireland)

2016-12-15

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to gain an insight into frequencies by which a range of medical imaging (MI) examinations were performed on paediatric patients at the main acute general teaching hospital in Malta between 2008 and 2014. Frequency data of MI examinations performed on paediatric patients were retrospectively collected from relevant information systems. All data was coded accordingly to facilitate data analysis. A total of 95,805 MI examinations were performed on 39,707 unique paediatric patients (<18 years) between 2008 and 2014. Overall, the total number of paediatric MI examinations performed decreased over time, with use varying depending on modality type and paediatric age. Coincidentally the use of ultrasound and MRI increased year after year. Some paediatric patients underwent at least three MI examinations involving the same anatomical region being scanned, and which may collectively contribute to effective doses exceeding 10 mSv. Knowledge of how MI examinations are used within the paediatric population can help practices evaluate and address any trends highlighted for particular examinations or age category of paediatric patients. Furthermore, awareness of current trends of MI in children can be helpful for the planning of future paediatric radiology departments. (orig.)

Frequency of paediatric medical imaging examinations performed at a European teaching hospital over a 7-year period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portelli, Jonathan L.; Bezzina, Paul; McNulty, Jonathan P.; Rainford, Louise

2016-01-01

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to gain an insight into frequencies by which a range of medical imaging (MI) examinations were performed on paediatric patients at the main acute general teaching hospital in Malta between 2008 and 2014. Frequency data of MI examinations performed on paediatric patients were retrospectively collected from relevant information systems. All data was coded accordingly to facilitate data analysis. A total of 95,805 MI examinations were performed on 39,707 unique paediatric patients (<18 years) between 2008 and 2014. Overall, the total number of paediatric MI examinations performed decreased over time, with use varying depending on modality type and paediatric age. Coincidentally the use of ultrasound and MRI increased year after year. Some paediatric patients underwent at least three MI examinations involving the same anatomical region being scanned, and which may collectively contribute to effective doses exceeding 10 mSv. Knowledge of how MI examinations are used within the paediatric population can help practices evaluate and address any trends highlighted for particular examinations or age category of paediatric patients. Furthermore, awareness of current trends of MI in children can be helpful for the planning of future paediatric radiology departments. (orig.)

Retrospective Study of Epidermal Parasitic Skin Diseases amongst ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

ABSTRACT: A ten year retrospective study (1997-2006) was undertaken to determine the prevalence of. Epidermal Parasitic Skin Diseases (EPSD) among out-patients from the skin diseases hospital in Maiduguri, Borno state. Out of 10,000 out-patients examined during the study period, 3527(35.27%) where infected with ...

A Retrospective Analysis of Pediatric Patients Admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Service for Carbon Monoxide Intoxication

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Metin Uysalol; Ezgi Paslı Uysalol; Gamze Varol Saraçoğlu; Semra Kayaoğlu

2011-01-01

Objective: The aim of the study is to analyze the general aspects of cases with carbon monoxide intoxication in order to improve the approach to future patients. Material and Methods: The hospital records of 84 children (mean age 4.71±2.64 years; 48 male, 36 female) who had been admitted to Paediatric Emergency Department for carbon monoxide intoxication between October 2007 and February 2009, were retrospectively evaluated in a descriptive analysis.Results: The source of carbon monoxide into...

Retrospective analysis of oral and maxillofacial surgery cases in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Method: This was a retrospective study conducted at the Oral Dental Health Centre, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria covering the period September, 2000 and April, 2004. ... Conclusion: A wide variety of cases were seen but socioeconomic, human resource and infrastructural problems limited the scope of practice. Keywords: ...

Basal Cell Carcinoma in Asians: A Retrospective Analysis of Ten Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, M. G.; Bennett, R. G.

2012-01-01

Background. Few studies have been done that characterize basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in Asians because this tumor is relatively uncommon in this population group. Objective. To characterize BCC in Asians. Methods. We retrospectively examined fifteen patient variables and eight tumor variables of ten Asian patients with BCC and compared these results to those of thirty matched Caucasian controls with BCC. Results. Asians developed their first BCC at an older age than the age of first BCC in Caucasian controls (68.9 years versus 58.3 years; ρ< 0 . 0 5 ). During their lifetime, Asians had fewer BCCs than the number of BCCs in Caucasian controls (1.11 versus 5.41;ρ< 0 . 0 2 ), despite a similar estimated lifetime daily sun exposure (hours/day) for both groups. Compared to BCCs in Caucasian controls, a higher percentage of BCCs in Asians were clinically pigmented (50.0% versus 3.3%; ρ< 0 . 0 1 ). Conclusion. Asians develop BCCs later in life and develop fewer BCCs over their lifetime than Caucasians, despite similar estimated lifetime daily sun exposure. This finding is probably due to skin pigmentation in Asians being more protective of ultraviolet light than skin pigmentation in Caucasians.

Anorexia nervosa versus bulimia nervosa : differences based on retrospective correlates in a case-control study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Machado, Barbara C.; Goncalves, Sonia F.; Martins, Carla; Brandao, Isabel; Roma-Torres, Antonio; Hoek, Hans W.; Machado, Paulo P.

This study is the result of two Portuguese case-control studies that examined the replication of retrospective correlates and preceding life events in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) development. This study aims to identify retrospective correlates that distinguish AN and BN A

Use of positive and negative words in scientific PubMed abstracts between 1974 and 2014 : retrospective analysis

OpenAIRE

Vinkers, Christiaan H; Tijdink, Joeri K; Otte, Willem M

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether language used in science abstracts can skew towards the use of strikingly positive and negative words over time. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of all scientific abstracts in PubMed between 1974 and 2014. METHODS: The yearly frequencies of positive, negative, and neutral words (25 preselected words in each category), plus 100 randomly selected words were normalised for the total number of abstracts. Subanalyses included pattern quantification of individual wo...

A retrospective of VAWT technology.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ashwill, Thomas D.; Sutherland, Herbert J. (HJS Consulting, Albuquerque, NM); Berg, Dale E.

2012-01-01

The study of Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) technology at Sandia National Laboratories started in the 1970's and concluded in the 1990's. These studies concentrated on the Darrieus configurations because of their high inherent efficiency, but other configurations (e.g., the Savonius turbine) were also examined. The Sandia VAWT program culminated with the design of the 34-m 'Test Bed' Darrieus VAWT. This turbine was designed and built to test various VAWT design concepts and to provide the necessary databases to validate analytical design codes and algorithms. Using the Test Bed as their starting point, FloWind Corp. developed a commercial VAWT product line with composite blades and an extended height-to-diameter ratio. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the design process and results of the Sandia 34-m VAWT Test Bed program and the FloWind prototype development program with an eye toward future offshore designs. This paper is our retrospective of the design, analysis, testing and commercial process. Special emphasis is given to those lessons learned that will aid in the development of an off-shore VAWT.

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and chronic pain: a retrospective case-controlled study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gazzola, Deana M; Carlson, Chad; Rugino, Angela; Hirsch, Scott; Starner, Karen; Devinsky, Orrin

2012-12-01

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) can be challenging to diagnose, but certain clinical features can help to distinguish PNES from epileptic seizures. The purpose of this study is to assess chronic pain and prescribed pain medication use in PNES patients. A case-controlled, retrospective analysis was performed examining pain medication use in 85 PNES patients versus an active control group of 85 patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Chronic pain was more frequent among PNES patients (N=40) than active controls (N=10) (pseizures raises the possibility of PNES. Among patients with PNES and chronic pain, a psychogenic etiology for pain and non-opiate pain management strategies should be considered. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in latent fingerprint examiners' markup between analysis and comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulery, Bradford T; Hicklin, R Austin; Roberts, Maria Antonia; Buscaglia, JoAnn

2015-02-01

After the initial analysis of a latent print, an examiner will sometimes revise the assessment during comparison with an exemplar. Changes between analysis and comparison may indicate that the initial analysis of the latent was inadequate, or that confirmation bias may have affected the comparison. 170 volunteer latent print examiners, each randomly assigned 22 pairs of prints from a pool of 320 total pairs, provided detailed markup documenting their interpretations of the prints and the bases for their comparison conclusions. We describe changes in value assessments and markup of features and clarity. When examiners individualized, they almost always added or deleted minutiae (90.3% of individualizations); every examiner revised at least some markups. For inconclusive and exclusion determinations, changes were less common, and features were added more frequently when the image pair was mated (same source). Even when individualizations were based on eight or fewer corresponding minutiae, in most cases some of those minutiae had been added during comparison. One erroneous individualization was observed: the markup changes were notably extreme, and almost all of the corresponding minutiae had been added during comparison. Latents assessed to be of value for exclusion only (VEO) during analysis were often individualized when compared to a mated exemplar (26%); in our previous work, where examiners were not required to provide markup of features, VEO individualizations were much less common (1.8%). Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Intentional and accidental paracetamol poisoning in childhood – a retrospective analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna Kominek

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Paracetamol is one of the most commonly used analgesics and antipyretics available without limits as preparations of the OTC group (over the counter drugs. Overdose and poisoning with this drug always brings about the risk of acute hepatic failure. The objective of the study was a retrospective evaluation of patients hospitalized in the Paediatric Clinic during the period 2004–2012 due to poisoning with paracetamol.The analysis covered 44 patients hospitalized in the Paediatric Clinic during 2004–2012 due to poisoning with paracetamol. Patients were divided into three groups: intentional poisonings, accidental poisonings, and drug overdose.During the period of the study, 44 patients aged 2.1–17.1, poisoned with paracetamol, were hospitalized. Among these patients there were 30 (68.2% cases of intentional poisonings, 10 (22.7% of accidental poisonings, and only 4 patients (9.1% were children hospitalized after a paracetamol overdose. The majority of patients in all groups were females (93.3%.Paracetamol intoxication may occur after exceeding a single allowable dose, in the case of intentional poisoning, more rarely after exceeding the daily dose, in the case of intense pain complaints, or in the treatment of persistent fever.Based on the analysis performed, an increase was observed in the frequency of poisoning with paracetamol, especially intentional poisoning. Unlimited access to paracetamol as an OTC drug should be reconsidered.

THE EFFECTS OF AMOXICILLIN WITH OR WITHOUT CLAVULANIC ACID ON THE POSTOPERATIVE COMPLAINTS AFTER THIRD MOLAR SURGERY: A RETROSPECTIVE CHART ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alparslan ESEN

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this chart-based retrospective study was to evaluate the effects of orally administered amoxicillin alone or amoxicillin combined with clavulanic acid on the frequency of post-operative complications and patients’ comfort after mandibular third molar surgery. Materials and Methods: The records of patients who had undergone lower third molar surgery between October 2014 and December 2015 were examined. A total of 62 patients who had fully impacted teeth in mesioangular position and who had been prescribed same type and dose of anti-inflammatory drug were included in this study. Among them, 32 subjects were found to have been prescribed 500 mg amoxicillin trihydrate orally every 8 h for 5 days (Group A and 30 patients 500 mg amoxicillin trihydrate plus 125 mg potassium clavulanate orally every 8 h for 5 days postoperatively (Group AC. Post-operative pain levels, swelling, presence of trismus, frequency of alveolar osteitis and quality of life (QoL scores were gathered from patients’ charts and were statistically compared. Results: Analysis of the variables showed that there were no significant differences between the Groups A and AC regarding pain levels, swelling, trismus and QoL scores. The frequency of alveolar osteitis was found to be 1.6% in the Group A, however, no significant difference was observed among study groups. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this retrospective chart review, it can be stated that amoxicillin and amoxicillin with clavulanic acid might provide similar outcome in terms of patient comfort following third molar surgery.

Retrospective analysis of factors affecting the efficacy of surgical treatment of the scar.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Z; Shi, X; Zhang, Y; Wang, S; Lei, Z; Liu, X; Fan, D

2014-04-01

The scar is a major problem in the medical profession. Its timely treatment is very important for the better outcome of the scar treatment and for the improvement of the life quality of the patients. The aim of this study was retrospectively analyzed the epidemiological characteristics affecting the efficacy of the scar surgical treatment of the people in the western part of China. Total 414 scar cases were retrospectively analyzed to clarify the epidemiological characteristics and the factors affecting the scar surgical treatment efficacy. The factors included were sex, age, area distribution, treatment seasons, injury sites, injury causes, and the time from scarring to the surgical treatment. All scar cases were surgically treated with the repairing technology including skin graft, flap and soft tissue dilation. There were 206 males and 208 females with the average age 20.53±12.9 years (age range 1-68 years). The patient proportions in the age groups of 0-20, 21-40 and >40 years were 61.4% (254 cases), 29.2% (121 cases), and 9.4% (39 cases) respectively. The patient's attendance rate reached the highest during the summer and winter. Most patients were from the rural areas with an increasing tendency each year. The burn scars were the most abundant and the injury sites were mostly the head and face. Univariate analysis showed that the time from scarring to the surgical treatment and the injury sites were significantly influenced the scar surgical treatment efficacy. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the injured sites of the head and face significantly influenced the scar surgical treatment efficacy. With the development of economy in China, more scar patients especially younger and children visit doctors predominantely from the rural areas. Usually, they get their scars in the exposed area of their bodies (head and face) which seriously affect the patient's appearance and function. Factors influencing the scar surgical treatment efficacy has

Diagnosis of right-sided varicocele: A retrospective comparative study between clinical examination, Doppler findings, US imaging and vascular anatomy at phlebography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cariati, Maurizio; Pieri, Stefano; Agresti, Paolo; Cariati, Massimiliano; Candito, Davide Fabio; Damiani, Giovanni; Marzano, Domenico

2012-01-01

Historically varicocele is diagnosed almost exclusively on the left side. The introduction of new imaging techniques has allowed the identification and characterization of right varicocele. This study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy of various imaging techniques to data obtained using phlebography in the diagnosis of right varicocele. Patients treated for isolated right varicocele between 1992 and 2010 were retrospectively identified. Data from clinical examination, Doppler-USS, Color-Doppler-USS and Retrograde Phlebography were collected for each patient. 133 out of 4305 patients (3.1%) presented with an isolated right varicocele. 34 of these patients (25.6%) presented with palpable right varicocele. Doppler-USS identified various degrees of type I right venous reflux in 90 patients (67.7%). Phlebography showed venous reflux in all the patients (133), although with variability in terms of internal spermatic vein anatomy. Right varicocele is characterized by predictable anatomic features. Identification and characterization of these features is useful in guiding percutaneous treatment, allowing to optimize radiological display and reducing failure rate

Diagnosis of right-sided varicocele: A retrospective comparative study between clinical examination, Doppler findings, US imaging and vascular anatomy at phlebography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cariati, Maurizio, E-mail: davide.candito@libero.it [U.O.C. Radiologia, A.O. San Carlo Borromeo, via Pio II 3, 20153 Milan (Italy); Pieri, Stefano, E-mail: stefano.pieri@scamilloforlanini.rm.it [U.O.C. Diagnostica per Immagini Cardioscienze, A.O. San Camillo - Forlanini, Piazza Carlo Forlanini 1, 00151 Rome (Italy); Agresti, Paolo, E-mail: paolo.agresti@scamilloforlanini.rm.it [U.O.C. Diagnostica per Immagini Cardioscienze, A.O. San Camillo - Forlanini, Piazza Carlo Forlanini 1, 00151 Rome (Italy); Cariati, Massimiliano, E-mail: massimiliano.cariati@kcl.ac.uk [Department of Academic Oncology, King' s College London, 3rd Floor Bermondsey Wing, Guy' s Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT (United Kingdom); Candito, Davide Fabio, E-mail: davide.candito@yahoo.it [Scuola di Specializzazione in Radiodiagnostica, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli studi di Milano, via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122 Milan (Italy); Damiani, Giovanni, E-mail: damiani_giovanni@libero.it [Scuola di Specializzazione in Radiodiagnostica, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli studi di Milano, via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122 Milan (Italy); Marzano, Domenico, E-mail: domenico.marzano@scamilloforlanini.rm.it [U.O.C. Urologia, A.O. San Camillo - Forlanini, Piazza Carlo Forlanini 1, 00151 Rome (Italy)

2012-09-15

Historically varicocele is diagnosed almost exclusively on the left side. The introduction of new imaging techniques has allowed the identification and characterization of right varicocele. This study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy of various imaging techniques to data obtained using phlebography in the diagnosis of right varicocele. Patients treated for isolated right varicocele between 1992 and 2010 were retrospectively identified. Data from clinical examination, Doppler-USS, Color-Doppler-USS and Retrograde Phlebography were collected for each patient. 133 out of 4305 patients (3.1%) presented with an isolated right varicocele. 34 of these patients (25.6%) presented with palpable right varicocele. Doppler-USS identified various degrees of type I right venous reflux in 90 patients (67.7%). Phlebography showed venous reflux in all the patients (133), although with variability in terms of internal spermatic vein anatomy. Right varicocele is characterized by predictable anatomic features. Identification and characterization of these features is useful in guiding percutaneous treatment, allowing to optimize radiological display and reducing failure rate.

Maxillary arch width and buccal corridor changes with Damon and conventional brackets: A retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shook, Corey; Kim, Sohyon Michelle; Burnheimer, John

2016-07-01

To evaluate the effect of Damon self-ligating and conventional bracket systems on buccal corridor widths and areas. A retrospective sample of consecutively treated patients using either conventional (CG, n  =  45) or Damon self-ligating (SL, n  =  39) brackets was analyzed to determine any differences in buccal corridor widths and areas both within and between groups. Pretreatment and posttreatment frontal photographs were transferred to Photoshop CC, standardized using intercanthal width, and linear and area measurements were performed with tools in Photoshop CC. Ratios were then calculated for statistical analysis. Relationships between arch widths and buccal corridors were also examined. There were no significant differences in the posttreatment intercanine or intermolar widths either within or between the CG and SL groups. There were no significant differences in any buccal corridor width or area measurement either within or between the CG and SL groups. There were strong correlations with the intercanine width and the corresponding buccal corridor smile width measurements. There was an inverse correlation with the buccal corridor area in relation to the canine and the total smile width. It is likely that posttreatment increases in arch width can be seen in patients treated with either a conventional bracket system or the Damon system. It is highly unlikely that there is any significant difference in buccal corridor width or area in patients treated with the Damon self-ligating system or a conventional bracket system.

Pre-pregnancy counselling for women with chronic kidney disease: a retrospective analysis of nine years' experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiles, Kate S; Bramham, Kate; Vais, Alina; Harding, Kate R; Chowdhury, Paramit; Taylor, Cath J; Nelson-Piercy, Catherine

2015-03-14

Women with chronic kidney disease have an increased risk of maternal and fetal complications in pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy counselling is recommended but the format of the counselling process and the experience of the patient have never been assessed. This study examines the experience of women with chronic kidney disease attending pre-pregnancy counselling and evaluates their pregnancy outcomes. This is a cross-sectional assessment of 179 women with chronic kidney disease attending a pre-pregnancy counselling clinic (2003-2011) with retrospective evaluation of aetiology, comorbidity, treatment and adverse pregnancy outcome compared with 277 hospital controls. It includes an analysis of descriptive data and free text content from 72 questionnaire responders. 65/72 (90%) of women found the clinic informative. 66 women (92%) felt that the consultation had helped them decide about pursuing pregnancy. 12 women (17%) found the multidisciplinary process intimidating. Free text comments supported the positive nature of the counselling experience, but also highlighted issues of access and emotional impact. Adverse pregnancy outcome rates were significantly higher in women with chronic kidney disease: 7/35 (20%) had pre-eclampsia (p affecting pregnancy include hypertension, proteinuria and teratogenic medication. It is important to be able to inform women of the risks to them and their babies before pregnancy in order to facilitate informed-decision making. Most women with chronic kidney disease attending a pre-pregnancy counselling clinic report a positive experience.

Retrospective Analysis of Communication Events - Understanding the Dynamics of Collaborative Multi-Party Discourse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowell, Andrew J.; Haack, Jereme N.; McColgin, Dave W.

2006-06-08

This research is aimed at understanding the dynamics of collaborative multi-party discourse across multiple communication modalities. Before we can truly make sig-nificant strides in devising collaborative communication systems, there is a need to understand how typical users utilize com-putationally supported communications mechanisms such as email, instant mes-saging, video conferencing, chat rooms, etc., both singularly and in conjunction with traditional means of communication such as face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and postal mail. Attempting to un-derstand an individual’s communications profile with access to only a single modal-ity is challenging at best and often futile. Here, we discuss the development of RACE – Retrospective Analysis of Com-munications Events – a test-bed prototype to investigate issues relating to multi-modal multi-party discourse.

Early treatment with laronidase improves clinical outcomes in patients with attenuated MPS I: a retrospective case series analysis of nine sibships

OpenAIRE

Al-Sannaa, Nouriya A.; Bay, Luisa; Barbouth, Deborah S.; Benhayoun, Youssef; Goizet, Cyril; Guelbert, Norberto; Jones, Simon A.; Kyosen, Sandra Obikawa; Martins, Ana Maria; Phornphutkul, Chanika; Reig, Celia; Pleat, Rebecca; Fallet, Shari; Ivanovska Holder, Iva

2015-01-01

Background Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with laronidase, (recombinant human α-L-iduronidase; Aldurazyme) is the primary treatment option for patients with attenuated mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I). This study examined the effect of early ERT on clinical manifestations. Methods This multinational, retrospective case series abstracted data from records of 20 patients with Hurler-Scheie syndrome within nine sibships that included older siblings treated with laronidase after the develop...

Odontogenic keratocysts in the Basal Cell Nevus (Gorlin-Goltz) Syndrome associated with paresthesia of the lower jaw: Case report, retrospective analysis of a representative Czech cohort and recommendations for the early diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hubacek, Milan; Kripnerova, Tereza; Nemcikova, Michaela; Krepelová, Anna; Puchmajerova, Alena; Malikova, Marcela; Havlovicová, Markéta; Cadova, Jana; Kodet, Roman; Macek, Milan; Dostalova, Tatjana

2016-09-01

Identification of early presenting signs of the Basal Cell Nevus (BCNS; synonyme Gorlin-Goltz) syndrome, which is associated with a principal triad of multiple basal cell nevi, jaw odontogenic keratocysts, and skeletal anomalies, in stomatological and neurological practices. Proposal of multidisciplinary diagnostic algorithm comprising other medical specialists, including pathology, imaging, laboratory and molecular analyses based on the study outcomes. Case report of a male patient reporting paresthesia of their lower jaw, with right facial asymmetry (maxilla and mandible) and radiological detection of large osteolytic lesions in both jaws, including a retrospective analysis of a representative Czech cohort with BCNS from within the last decade. Clinical, imaging and laboratory analyses were carried out at a national tertiary centre. A multidisciplinary clinical approach followed by surgical management lead to the identification of odontogenic cysts, which were substantiated by histological examination. DNA sequencing of the PTCH1 gene detected a c.2929dupT resulting in p. Tyr977Leufs*16 pathogenic variant. This finding confirmed the clinical and laboraoty diagnosis of BCNS. Parental DNA analysis showed that this causal genetic defect arose de novo. Surgical management and orthodontic therapy were successful. Analysis of the reported case and retrospective data analysis provided evidence that paresthesia of the lower jaw should be considered as one of the early presenting signs of this rare disorder in stomatological and neurological practice. Obtained results allowed us to formulate recommendations for diagnostic practice in stomatology and neurology.

Retrospective Analysis of Patient Presentations at the Sydney (Australia) Royal Easter Show from 2012 to 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Crabtree, Nathan; Mo, Shirley; Ong, Leon; Jegathees, Thuvarahan; Wei, Daniel; Fahey, David; Liu, Jia Jenny

2017-04-01

Introduction Comprehensive studies on the relationship between patient demographics and subsequent treatment and disposition at a single mass-gathering event are lacking. The Sydney Royal Easter Show (SRES; Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia) is an annual, 14-day, agricultural mass-gathering event occurring around the Easter weekend, attracting more than 800,000 patrons per year. In this study, patient records from the SRES were analyzed to examine relationships between weather, crowd size, day of week, and demographics on treatment and disposition. This information would help to predict factors affecting patient treatment and disposition to guide ongoing training of first responders and to evaluate the appropriateness of staffing skills mix at future events. Hypothesis Patient demographics, environmental factors, and attendance would influence the nature and severity of presentations at the SRES, which would influence staffing requirements. A retrospective analysis of 4,141 patient record forms was performed for patients who presented to St John Ambulance (Australian Capital Territory, Australia) at the SRES between 2012 and 2014 inclusive. Presentation type was classified using a previously published minimum data set. Data on weather and crowd size were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) and the SRES, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v22 (IBM; Armonk, New York USA). Between 2012 to 2014, over 2.5 million people attended the SRES with 4,141 patients treated onsite. As expected, the majority of presentations were injuries (49%) and illnesses (46%). Although patient demographics and presentation types did not change over time, the duration of treatment increased. A higher proportion of patients were discharged to hospital or home compared to the proportion of patients discharged back to the event. Patients from rural/regional locations (accounting for 15% of all patients) were

Prospective memory, working memory, retrospective memory and self-rated memory performance in persons with intellectual disability

OpenAIRE

Levén, Anna; Lyxell, Björn; Andersson, Jan; Danielsson, Henrik; Rönnberg, Jerker

2008-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between prospective memory, working memory, retrospective memory and self-rated memory capacity in adults with and without intellectual disability. Prospective memory was investigated by means of a picture-based task. Working memory was measured as performance on span tasks. Retrospective memory was scored as recall of subject performed tasks. Self-ratings of memory performance were based on the prospective and retrospective mem...

Stability of spinal bone metastases in breast cancer after radiotherapy. A retrospective analysis of 157 cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlampp, Ingmar; Rieken, Stefan; Habermehl, Daniel; Foerster, Robert; Debus, Juergen; Rief, Harald [University Hospital of Heidelberg, Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg (Germany); Bruckner, Thomas [University Hospital of Heidelberg, Department of Medical Biometry, Heidelberg (Germany)

2014-09-15

This retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate osteolytic bone lesions of breast cancer in the thoracic and lumbar spine after radiotherapy (RT) in terms of stability using a validated scoring system. The stability of 157 osteolytic metastases, treated from January 2000 to January 2012, in 115 patients with breast cancer was evaluated retrospectively using the Taneichi score. Predictive factors for stability were analyzed and survival rates were calculated. Eighty-five (54 %) lesions were classified as unstable prior to RT. After 3 and 6 months, 109 (70 %) and 124 (79 %) lesions, respectively, were classified as stable. Thirty fractures were detected prior to RT, and after RT seven cases (4.5 %) with pathologic fractures were found within 6 months. None of the examined predictive factors showed significant correlation with stability 6 months after RT. After a median follow-up of 16.7 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates revealed an overall survival of 83 % after 5 years. The majority of patients showed an improved or unchanged stability of the involved vertebral bodies after 6 months. The patients showed only minor cancer-related morbidity during follow-up and reached comparably high survival rates. (orig.) [German] Die retrospektive Analyse untersuchte osteolytische Knochenmetastasen von Patienten mit Mammakarzinom der thorakalen und lumbalen Wirbelsaeule nach Radiotherapie (RT) hinsichtlich Stabilitaet anhand eines validierten Scores. Die Stabilitaet von 157 osteolytischen Metastasen bei 115 Patienten mit Brustkrebs, behandelt von Januar 2000 bis Januar 2012, wurde retrospektiv anhand des Taneichi-Scores evaluiert. Prognostische Faktoren bezueglich Stabilitaet und Ueberlebensraten wurden analysiert. Vor RT wurden 85 Laesionen (54 %) als instabil gewertet. Nach 3 und 6 Monaten wurden 109 (70 %) und 124 (79 %) Laesionen als stabil klassifiziert. Vor RT wurden 30 Frakturen gefunden, nach RT zeigten sich 7 weitere (4,5 %) pathologische Frakturen. Kein prognostischer

Bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis in dogs: a retrospective study of 23 cases (1990-1999).

Science.gov (United States)

Radaelli, Simona T; Platt, Simon R

2002-01-01

The clinical records of 23 dogs (1990-1999) with histopathologically confirmed bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis were evaluated retrospectively. No breed, age, sex, or weight predisposition was found. All the dogs presented with clinical signs of a brain lesion, whereas 5 of 23 had neck pain. Pyrexia was detected in 11 of 23 dogs on admission. CBCs revealed neutrophilic leucocytosis in 7 of 21 dogs and thrombocytopenia in 3 of 21 dogs. The serum chemistry profiles were abnormal in 15 of 21 dogs. The results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis were abnormal in 13 of 14 dogs and aerobic CSF culture was positive for bacteria in 1of 8 samples. At postmortem examination, the lesions were localized to the central nervous system. Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, and Klebsiella spp were the most frequently isolated bacteria from cultures collected at postmortem examination. Twelve papers reporting 51 total clinical cases of canine bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis were reviewed. The clinical signs and results of the CBC, serum chemistry, blood culture, and CSF analysis were collated and compared with those of this study. The results of the CSF analysis in this study were similar to those in the literature. CSF cultures documented in the literature were positive for Staphylococcus, Pasteurella. Actinomyces, Nocardia spp, and various anaerobic species including Peptostreptococcus, Eubacterium, and Bacteroides spp.

A Financial Analysis of Resource Sharing Agreements as Part of the TRICARE Managed Care Support Contracts

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hoeft, Steven

1998-01-01

.... After conducting a literature review, interviews and performing data analysis, this thesis examined the reported cost analysis, retrospective analysis, and workload of RSAs in Health Services Region...

Effects of Radiotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma: a retrospective analysis of a Single Institution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matuschek, Christiane; Ochtrop, Thomas A; Bölke, Edwin; Ganswindt, Ute; Fenk, Roland; Gripp, Stephan; Kröpil, Patric; Gerber, Peter Arne; Kammers, Kai; Hamilton, Jackson; Orth, Klaus; Budach, Wilfried

2015-01-01

Palliative irradiation of osteolytic lesions is a considerable component in the treatment for patients with multiple myeloma. In this study, we analyzed the efficacy of irradiation in these patients. We retrospectively analyzed 153 patients with multiple myeloma who were admitted to our department between 1989 and 2013. According to the staging system of Durie & Salmon 116 patients were classified as stage III. 107/153 patients were treated with radiotherapy of at least one and up to 6 bony lesions at different times. In order to evaluate the effect of local radiotherapy on pain relief and bone recalcification a uni- and multivariate analysis was performed using a binary logistic regression model to correct for multiple measurements. Complete information on dose, fractionation and volume of radiotherapy was available from 81 patients treated in 136 target volumes for pain relief, and from 69 patients treated in 108 target volumes for recalcification. Total radiation doses varied between 8 Gy to 50 Gy (median dose 25 Gy in 2.5 Gy fractions, 5 times a week). Radiotherapy resulted in complete local pain relief in 31% and partial local pain relief in 54% of the patients. In the univariate analysis, higher total radiation doses (p = 0.023) and higher age (p = 0.014) at the time of radiotherapy were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of pain relief, whereas no significant association was detected for concurrent systemic treatment, type and stage of myeloma and location of bone lesions. The same variables were independent predictors for pain relief in the multivariate analysis. Recalcification was observed in 48% of irradiated bone lesions. In the uni- and multivariate analysis higher radiation doses were significantly associated (p = 0.048) with an increased likelihood of recalcification. Side effects of radiotherapy were generally mild. Higher total biological radiation doses were associated with better pain relief and recalcification in this

Prevalence and phenomenology of neonaticide in Switzerland 1980-2010: a retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Krüger, Paula

2015-01-01

For a child, the likelihood of being murdered is highest during the first year of life, and many such cases are neonaticides. Although several recent studies have examined neonaticide in different countries and cultures, there has been no in-depth analysis of Swiss cases, even though this country has special neonaticide legislation and four "baby hatches" have been opened to prevent such killings. The primary objective of this retrospective study was to analyze the prevalence and phenomenon of neonaticide in Switzerland. Using data from judicial files, 11 cases were identified in 15 German-speaking cantons between 1980 and 2010. The sample included two uncommon cases of nonmaternal neonaticide. The discussion addresses possible prevention strategies.

Uncovering the Problem-Solving Process: Cued Retrospective Reporting Versus Concurrent and Retrospective Reporting

OpenAIRE

Van Gog, Tamara; Paas, Fred; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen; Witte, P.

2007-01-01

This study investigated the amounts of problem-solving process information ("action," "why," "how," and "metacognitive") elicited by means of concurrent, retrospective, and cued retrospective reporting. In a within-participants design, 26 participants completed electrical circuit troubleshooting tasks under different reporting conditions. The method of cued retrospective reporting used the original computer-based task and a superimposed record of the participant's eye fixations and mouse-keyb...

Retrospective analysis of paediatric achalasia in India: Single centre experience

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Sunita Singh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Developing countries at tertiary referral centre. The aim of this study was to share our experience of paediatric achalasia in Indian scenario. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of children <16 years, operated for achalasia at our centre, from December 1998 to December 2011. Results: Total 40 patients (mean age 39 ± 4.29 months, including 1 patient of megaesophagus were operated over 13 years of period; 17 patients (associated congenital H-type tracheoesophageal fistula in one patient, non- responders/ lost follow-up for minimum of 3 years in 16 patients were excluded from the study. The response rate of parents in follow-up was 60.0%. Mean symptoms duration was 27.88 ± 2 months. Most common symptoms were regurgitation and failure to thrive (78.2%. Mean symptom scoring in follow-up after 3 year was 1 ± 0.7 compared to 5 ± 0.51 at the time of admission (P < 0.012. One infant expired (mediastenitis, one developed adhesive intestinal obstruction and one needed posterior re-myotomy (for megaesophagus. There were no treatment failures in mean follow-up of 40.2 ± 5.07 months. Conclusions: Cardiomyotomy with partial fundoplication is the best modality of treatment for paediatric achalasia cardia, even from parents′ perspective.

Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction: reducing dose while preserving image quality in the pediatric head CT examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKnight, Colin D.; Watcharotone, Kuanwong; Ibrahim, Mohannad; Christodoulou, Emmanuel; Baer, Aaron H.; Parmar, Hemant A.

2014-01-01

Over the last decade there has been escalating concern regarding the increasing radiation exposure stemming from CT exams, particularly in children. Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) is a relatively new and promising tool to reduce radiation dose while preserving image quality. While encouraging results have been found in adult head and chest and body imaging, validation of this technique in pediatric population is limited. The objective of our study was to retrospectively compare the image quality and radiation dose of pediatric head CT examinations obtained with ASIR compared to pediatric head CT examinations without ASIR in a large patient population. Retrospective analysis was performed on 82 pediatric head CT examinations. This group included 33 pediatric head CT examinations obtained with ASIR and 49 pediatric head CT examinations without ASIR. Computed tomography dose index (CTDI vol ) was recorded on all examinations. Quantitative analysis consisted of standardized measurement of attenuation and the standard deviation at the bilateral centrum semiovale and cerebellar white matter to evaluate objective noise. Qualitative analysis consisted of independent assessment by two radiologists in a blinded manner of gray-white differentiation, sharpness and overall diagnostic quality. The average CTDI vol value of the ASIR group was 21.8 mGy (SD = 4.0) while the average CTDI vol for the non-ASIR group was 29.7 mGy (SD = 13.8), reflecting a statistically significant reduction in CTDI vol in the ASIR group (P 12-year-old ASIR group as compared to the >12-year-old non-ASIR group (29.7 mGy vs. 49.9 mGy; P = 0.0002). Quantitative analysis revealed no significant difference in the homogeneity of variance in the ASIR group compared to the non-ASIR group. Radiologist assessment of gray-white differentiation, sharpness and overall diagnostic quality in ASIR examinations was not substantially different compared to non-ASIR examinations. The use of ASIR in

Occipitocervical fusions in children. Retrospective analysis and technical considerations.

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Rodgers, W B; Coran, D L; Emans, J B; Hresko, M T; Hall, J E

1999-07-01

This report presents a retrospective analysis of the authors' experience with occipitocervical fusions in children and adolescents during the last 2 decades. A description of an operative technique devised by the senior author (JEH), and a comparison of the results using this and other methods of fusion are given. Twenty-three patients underwent occipitocervical fusion. Fifteen of the patients were operated on using the authors' technique. To achieve stable fixation of the distal cervical vertebra a threaded Kirschner wire was passed transversely through the spinous process; occipital fixation was achieved by the traditional method of wiring corticocancellous bone graft to the skull through burr holes. The occipital wires then were wrapped around the Kirschner wire and the graft was cradled in the resulting nest. Halo immobilization was used in 10 patients for an average of 12.5 weeks (range, 6-24 weeks). Twenty-two patients achieved successful fusion at an average followup of 5.8 years (range, 1-14.33 years). Several complications, including transient quadriplegia in one patient, pseudarthrosis in two (one of which persists), hardware fixation failure in one, unintended distal extension of the fusion, pneumonia, wound infection, halo pin infection, skin breakdown under the halo vest, hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid leak, and traumatic fusion fracture were encountered. Results using the technique described herein are comparable with or better than the results reported in the previous literature, and the results of the patients in this series in whom the technique was not used.

Analysis of Virechana karma with Danti avaleha: A retrospective study

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Sreelakshmi Chaganti

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Virechana (therapeutic purgation is a common procedure that is widely practiced among the panchakarma treatments (pentad treatments. Various Virechaka dravyas (purgative drugs have been described for Virechana. Even after critical analysis of Virechaka dravyas in the literature, still there is difficulty in the fixation of dose. Hence, the retrospective analysis of varied outcomes of Virechana with Danti (Baliospermum montanum avaleha (linctus is discussed in this paper. The study included twenty-seven case reports of patients who were administered Virechana with Danti avaleha. These case reports are of patients suffering from various ailments such as irregular menstrual cycles, polycystic ovarian syndrome, primary and secondary infertility, and psoriasis. Danti avaleha was administered at dose of 10 g and 5 g in the Krura (~strong and Madhyama (~moderate/normal Koshta (~GI tract patients, respectively. Among seven Krura koshta patients, three of them resulted with Pravara (excellent Shuddhi and other four resulted with Madhyama (medium Shuddhi. In twenty Madhyama koshta patients, sixteen of them resulted with avara (minimum Shuddhi and remaining four patients resulted with Madhyama shuddhi. Complications like Udara shoola (spasmodic pain of abdomen and Vamana (emesis were observed during Virechana. Majority of the patients suffered with Udara shoola were of Madhyama koshta. Vamana was seen in both Krura and Madhyama koshta patients. Irrespective of the type of Shuddhi and complications, all the patients resulted with Samyak Kaphaantiki Virikta lakshana (signs of perfect purgation with end expulsion of Kapha. The study concluded that the Krura koshta patients were tolerable for dose of 10 g and are expected to attain Pravara Shuddhi. Whereas Madhyama koshta patients were intolerable even to mild dose of 5 g, producing Avara shuddhi.

CHRISTMAS 2015 : THE PUBLICATION GAME Use of positive and negative words in scientific PubMed abstracts between 1974 and 2014: retrospective analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vinkers, Christiaan H.; Tijdink, Joeri K.; Otte, Wim

2015-01-01

Objective To investigate whether language used in science abstracts can skew towards the use of strikingly positive and negative words over time. Design Retrospective analysis of all scientific abstracts in PubMed between 1974 and 2014. Methods The yearly frequencies of positive, negative, and

Retrospective estimation of patient dose-area product in thoracic spine tomosynthesis performed using VolumeRAD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baath, Magnus; Svalkvist, Angelica; Soederman, Christina

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a recently developed method of retrospectively estimating the patient dose-area product (DAP) of a chest tomosynthesis examination, performed using VolumeRAD, in thoracic spine tomosynthesis and to determine the necessary field-size correction factor. Digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data for the projection radiographs acquired during a thoracic spine tomosynthesis examination were retrieved directly from the modality for 17 patients. Using the previously developed method, an estimated DAP for the tomosynthesis examination was determined from DICOM data in the scout image. By comparing the estimated DAP with the actual DAP registered for the projection radiographs, a field-size correction factor was determined. The field-size correction factor for thoracic spine tomosynthesis was determined to 0.92. Applying this factor to the DAP estimated retrospectively, the maximum difference between the estimated DAP and the actual DAP was <3 %. In conclusion, the previously developed method of retrospectively estimating the DAP in chest tomosynthesis can be applied to thoracic spine tomosynthesis. (authors)

Characteristics and outcomes of e-cigarette exposure incidents reported to 10 European Poison Centers: a retrospective data analysis

OpenAIRE

Vardavas, Constantine I.; Girvalaki, Charis; Filippidis, Filippos T; Oder, Mare; Kastanje, Ruth; de Vries, Irma; Scholtens, Lies; Annas, Anita; Plackova, Silvia; Turk, Rajka; Gruzdyte, Laima; Rato, F?tima; Genser, Dieter; Schiel, Helmut; Bal?zs, Andrea

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: The use of e-cigarettes has increased during the past few years. Exposure to e-cigarette liquids, whether intentional or accidental, may lead to adverse events our aim was to assess factors associated with e-cigarette exposures across European Union Member States (EU MS). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of exposures associated with e-cigarettes reported to national poison centers was performed covering incidents from 2012 to March 2015 from 10 EU MS. De-identified and anonymous ...

A Dichotomic Analysis of the Surprise Examination Paradox

OpenAIRE

Franceschi, Paul

2002-01-01

This paper presents a dichotomic analysis of the surprise examination paradox. In section 1, I analyse the surprise notion in detail. I introduce then in section 2, the distinction between a monist and dichotomic analysis of the paradox. I also present there a dichotomy leading to distinguish two basically and structurally different versions of the paradox, respectively based on a conjoint and a disjoint definition of the surprise. In section 3, I describe the solution to SEP corresponding to...

Ultrasound and PET-CT Correlation in Shoulder Pathology: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis.

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Burke, Christopher J; Walter, William R; Adler, Ronald S; Babb, James S; Sanger, Joseph; Ponzo, Fabio

2017-10-01

To correlate shoulder ultrasound and radiography with F-FDG PET-CT to establish FDG uptake and therefore range of metabolic activity, as defined by SUV analysis, in various symptomatic shoulder pathologies. Retrospective database query was performed for shoulder ultrasound and PET-CT scans between January 2012 and January 2017. Patients who had both studies within 1 year were included. Age- and sex-matched control patients with PET-CT scans only were also included. Retrospective image review determined shoulder pathology, and F-FDG SUVmax was measured using regions of interest placed at the glenohumeral joint, rotator cuff/bursa, and bicipital groove. Glenohumeral and acromioclavicular osteoarthrosis was assessed by radiography using the Kellgren-Lawrence classification system. Thirty-three patients had both imaging studies within 1 year. Ten patients (11 cases) were included, ranging in age from 56 to 90 years (mean, 67.9 years). Control subjects were selected among patients receiving PET-CT within 1 week of symptomatic patients. Glenohumeral osteoarthrosis was mild in 3 (27%), moderate in 2 (18%), and severe in 2 (18%). Six full-thickness rotator cuff tears (55%) were identified. SUVmax means were compared between the pathologic and control groups and were significantly higher in the former: glenohumeral joint (1.96 vs 1.32; P = 0.016), rotator cuff/bursa (2.80 vs 2.0; P = 0.005), and bicipital groove (2.19 vs 1.48; P = 0.007). The highest values were seen in full-thickness rotator cuff tear and severe biceps tenosynovitis. Increased metabolic activity about the shoulder is associated with a spectrum of rotator cuff, glenohumeral joint, and other soft tissue pathology that can be correlated with diagnostic ultrasound findings.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Results of a Five-Year (2005?2009) Parasitological Examination for Common Intestinal Parasites from Bale-Robe Health Center, Robe Town, Southeastern Ethiopia

OpenAIRE

Chala, Bayissa

2013-01-01

A cross-sectional retrospective survey using the past five years clinical records (2005?2009) was conducted. The study was aimed at assessing the status of common intestinal parasites from Bale-Robe Health Center, Southeastern Ethiopia, in 2009/2010. The survey involved collection of data recorded on intestinal parasite from the health center during 2005?2009. Precoded questionnaires and interviews were also supplemented for knowledge attitude practices survey (KAPs survey) to assess awarenes...

RETROSPECTIVE DATA COLLECTION: CAN STUDENTS REMEMBER?

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Paul Leeming

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract: It is not always possible or practical to gather data over a long period of time, and researchers have used retrospective data from questionnaire and interview to gain insights into change over time. There has been little discussion within SLA as to the validity of this data, and it is seemingly accepted at face value. This paper examines both qualitative and quantitative retrospective accounts of changes in self-efficacy, by collecting quantitative questionnaire data over a one-year period, and then asking students to quantitatively recollect their feelings of self-efficacy over that time frame, followed by qualitative description. Results showed that students were able to accurately recollect quantitative data, although there was a noticeable degradation in accuracy with time. Interview data suggested that students were reluctant to admit lack of ability to recall events, and sometimes produced conflicting accounts of events.  This may in part be due to the dual role of teacher and researcher adopted in this study. The implications for researchers and also for teachers are considered.

Mortality in former Olympic athletes: retrospective cohort analysis

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Zwiers, R; Zantvoord, F W A; van Bodegom, D; van der Ouderaa, F J G; Westendorp, R G J

2012-01-01

Objective To assess the mortality risk in subsequent years (adjusted for year of birth, nationality, and sex) of former Olympic athletes from disciplines with different levels of exercise intensity. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Former Olympic athletes. Participants 9889 athletes (with a known age at death) who participated in the Olympic Games between 1896 and 1936, representing 43 types of disciplines with different levels of cardiovascular, static, and dynamic intensity exercise; high or low risk of bodily collision; and different levels of physical contact. Main outcome measure All cause mortality. Results Hazard ratios for mortality among athletes from disciplines with moderate cardiovascular intensity (1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.96 to 1.07) or high cardiovascular intensity (0.98, 0.92 to 1.04) were similar to those in athletes from disciplines with low cardiovascular intensity. The underlying static and dynamic components in exercise intensity showed similar non-significant results. Increased mortality was seen among athletes from disciplines with a high risk of bodily collision (hazard ratio 1.11, 1.06 to 1.15) and with high levels of physical contact (1.16, 1.11 to 1.22). In a multivariate analysis, the effect of high cardiovascular intensity remained similar (hazard ratio 1.05, 0.89 to 1.25); the increased mortality associated with high physical contact persisted (hazard ratio 1.13, 1.06 to 1.21), but that for bodily collision became non-significant (1.03, 0.98 to 1.09) as a consequence of its close relation with physical contact. Conclusions Among former Olympic athletes, engagement in disciplines with high intensity exercise did not bring a survival benefit compared with disciplines with low intensity exercise. Those who engaged in disciplines with high levels of physical contact had higher mortality than other Olympians later in life. PMID:23241269

Retrospective analysis of 104 histologically proven adult brainstem gliomas: clinical symptoms, therapeutic approaches and prognostic factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reithmeier, Thomas; Kuzeawu, Aanyo; Hentschel, Bettina; Loeffler, Markus; Trippel, Michael; Nikkhah, Guido

2014-01-01

Adult brainstem gliomas are rare primary brain tumors (<2% of gliomas). The goal of this study was to analyze clinical, prognostic and therapeutic factors in a large series of histologically proven brainstem gliomas. Between 1997 and 2007, 104 patients with a histologically proven brainstem glioma were retrospectively analyzed. Data about clinical course of disease, neuropathological findings and therapeutic approaches were analyzed. The median age at diagnosis was 41 years (range 18-89 years), median KPS before any operative procedure was 80 (range 20-100) and median survival for the whole cohort was 18.8 months. Histopathological examinations revealed 16 grade I, 31 grade II, 42 grade III and 14 grade IV gliomas. Grading was not possible in 1 patient. Therapeutic concepts differed according to the histopathology of the disease. Median overall survival for grade II tumors was 26.4 months, for grade III tumors 12.9 months and for grade IV tumors 9.8 months. On multivariate analysis the relative risk to die increased with a KPS ≤ 70 by factor 6.7, with grade III/IV gliomas by the factor 1.8 and for age ≥ 40 by the factor 1.7. External beam radiation reduced the risk to die by factor 0.4. Adult brainstem gliomas present with a wide variety of neurological symptoms and postoperative radiation remains the cornerstone of therapy with no proven benefit of adding chemotherapy. Low KPS, age ≥ 40 and higher tumor grade have a negative impact on overall survival

Survival after Second and Subsequent Recurrences in Osteosarcoma: A Retrospective Multicenter Analysis.

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Tirtei, Elisa; Asaftei, Sebastian D; Manicone, Rosaria; Cesari, Marilena; Paioli, Anna; Rocca, Michele; Ferrari, Stefano; Fagioli, Franca

2017-05-01

Purpose Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone tumor. Despite complete surgical removal and intensive chemotherapeutic treatment, 30%-35% of patients with OS have local or systemic recurrence. Some patients survive multiple recurrences, but overall survival after OS recurrence is poor. This analysis aims to describe and identify factors influencing post-relapse survival (PRS) after a second OS relapse. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of 60 patients with a second relapse of OS of the extremities in 2 Italian centers between 2003 and 2013. Results Treatment for first and subsequent relapses was planned according to institutional guidelines. After complete surgical remission (CSR) following the first recurrence, patients experienced a second OS relapse with a median disease-free interval (DFI) of 6 months. Lung disease was prevalent: 44 patients (76%) had pulmonary metastases. Survival after the second relapse was 22% at 5 years. Lung disease only correlated with better survival at 5 years (33.6%) compared with other sites of recurrence (5%; p = 0.008). Patients with a single pulmonary lesion had a better 5-year second PRS (42%; p = 0.02). Patients who achieved a second CSR had a 5-year second PRS of 33.4%. Chemotherapy (p<0.001) benefited patients without a third CSR. Conclusions This analysis confirms the importance of an aggressive, repeated surgical approach. Lung metastases only, the number of lesions, DFI and CSR influenced survival. It also confirms the importance of chemotherapy in patients in whom surgical treatment is not feasible.

Rituximab is associated with improved survival in Burkitt lymphoma: a retrospective analysis from two US academic medical centers.

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Wildes, Tanya M; Farrington, Laura; Yeung, Cecilia; Harrington, Alexandra M; Foyil, Kelley V; Liu, Jingxia; Kreisel, Friederike; Bartlett, Nancy L; Fenske, Timothy S

2014-02-01

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a rare, highly aggressive B-cell malignancy treated most successfully with brief-duration, high-intensity chemotherapeutic regimens. The benefit of the addition of rituximab to these regimens remains uncertain. We sought to examine the effectiveness of chemotherapy with and without rituximab in patients with BL. This study is a retrospective cohort study of all adult patients with BL diagnosed and treated with modern, dose-intense chemotherapeutic regimens from 1998-2008 at two tertiary care institutions. All cases were confirmed by application of WHO 2008 criteria by hematopathologists. Medical records were reviewed for patient-, disease-, and treatment- related factors as well as treatment response and survival. Factors associated with survival were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards modeling. A total of 35 patients were analyzed: 18 patients received rituximab with chemotherapy (R-chemo) and 17 received chemotherapy (chemo) alone. The median age was 42 (range 20-74 years); 57% were male; 71% had Ann Arbor Stage IV disease; 33% had central nervous system involvement; 78% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1. R-chemo was associated with significantly longer overall survival (OS) than chemo alone (5-year OS 70% and 29%, respectively, p = 0.040). On multivariate regression analysis, poor performance status and central nervous system involvement were associated with poorer survival. The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy was associated with improved OS in patients with Burkitt lymphoma. Poor performance status and central nervous system involvement were prognostically significant on multivariate analysis.

Retrospective ratings of emotions: the effects of age, daily tiredness, and personality

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Aire eMill

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Remembering the emotions we have experienced in the past is the core of one´s unique life-experience. However, there are many factors, both at the state and trait level that can affect the way past feelings are seen. The main aim of the current study was to examine the impact of individual differences on systematic biases in retrospective ratings compared to the momentary experience of basic emotions such as sadness, fear, happiness, and anger. To this end, an experience sampling study across two weeks was conducted using a younger and an older age-group; the experience of momentary emotions was assessed on 7 randomly determined occasions per day, the retrospective ratings being collected at the end of each day about that day, as well as at the end of the study about the previous two weeks. The results indicated that age and daily tiredness have significant effects on retrospective emotion ratings over a one-day period (state level, enhancing the retrospective ratings of negative emotions and decreasing the ratings of felt happiness. Whereas personality traits influence the more long-term emotion experience (trait level, with all Big Five personality traits having selective impact on retrospective emotion ratings of fear, sadness, happiness, and anger. Findings provide further evidence about the systematic biases in retrospective emotion ratings, suggesting that, although retrospective ratings are based on momentary experience, daily tiredness and personality traits systematically influence the way in which past feelings are seen.

Retrospective Ratings of Emotions: the Effects of Age, Daily Tiredness, and Personality

Science.gov (United States)

Mill, Aire; Realo, Anu; Allik, Jüri

2016-01-01

Remembering the emotions we have experienced in the past is the core of one's unique life-experience. However, there are many factors, both at the state and trait level that can affect the way past feelings are seen. The main aim of the current study was to examine the impact of individual differences on systematic biases in retrospective ratings compared to the momentary experience of basic emotions such as sadness, fear, happiness, and anger. To this end, an experience sampling study across 2 weeks was conducted using a younger and an older age-group; the experience of momentary emotions was assessed on 7 randomly determined occasions per day, the retrospective ratings being collected at the end of each day about that day, as well as at the end of the study about the previous 2 weeks. The results indicated that age and daily tiredness have significant effects on retrospective emotion ratings over a 1-day period (state level), enhancing the retrospective ratings of negative emotions and decreasing the ratings of felt happiness. Whereas personality traits influence the more long-term emotion experience (trait level), with all Big Five personality traits having selective impact on retrospective emotion ratings of fear, sadness, happiness, and anger. Findings provide further evidence about the systematic biases in retrospective emotion ratings, suggesting that, although retrospective ratings are based on momentary experience, daily tiredness and personality traits systematically influence the way in which past feelings are seen. PMID:26793142

A retrospective analysis of boarding times for adolescents in psychiatric crisis.

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Campbell, Michael; Pierce, Jessica

2018-02-05

The boarding of children and adolescents with identified psychiatric conditions at medical facilities has numerous negative effects on the patients and the systems that treat them. Efforts to minimize boarding times serves to increase patients' access to appropriate levels of care, redirect medical resources to patients who need them most, and reduce safety risks to people and property. This study explores the role Clinical Social Workers can play in facilitation of care and highlights the advantages of a coordinated data collection process facilitated by the effective use of the Electronic Medical Record. A retrospective chart analysis of 100 patients admitted to the Emergency department at a pediatric hospital in Central Florida was conducted for patients seen between 1 January 2015 and 30 June 2016. The data suggest key correlates that may impact the boarding times of pediatric patients presenting in a psychiatric crisis and the average duration of boarding time in hours (M = 5.11, SD = 2.07) was found to be significantly lower than prior published studies in the adult and pediatric literature. Discussion of these data implications on behavioral health practice is discussed.

Retrospective examination of the healthcare 'journey' of chronic orofacial pain patients referred to oral and maxillofacial surgery.

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Beecroft, E V; Durham, J; Thomson, P

2013-03-01

To gain a deeper understanding of the clinical journey taken by orofacial pain patients from initial presentation in primary care to treatment by oral and maxillofacial surgery. Retrospective audit. Data were collected from 101 consecutive patients suffering from chronic orofacial pain, attending oral and maxillofacial surgery clinics between 2009 and 2010. Once the patients were identified, information was drawn from their hospital records and referral letters, and a predesigned proforma was completed by a single examiner (EVB). Basic descriptive statistics and non-parametric inferential statistical techniques (Krushal-Wallis) were used to analyse the data. DATA AND DISCUSSION: Six definitive orofacial pain conditions were represented in the data set, 75% of which were temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Individuals within our study were treated in nine different hospital settings and were referred to 15 distinct specialties. The mean number of consultations received by the patients in our study across all care settings is seven (SD 5). The mean number of specialities that the subjects were assessed by was three (SD 1). The sample set had a total of 341 treatment attempts to manage their chronic orofacial pain conditions, of which only 83 (24%) of all the treatments attempted yielded a successful outcome. Improved education and remuneration for primary care practitioners as well as clear care pathways for patients with chronic orofacial pain should be established to reduce multiple re-referrals and improve efficiency of care. The creation of specialist regional centres for chronic orofacial pain may be considered to manage severe cases and drive evidence-based practice.

Bowenoid transformation in seborrheic keratosis: A retrospective analysis of 429 patients

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Rajabi, Parvin; Adibi, Neda; Nematollahi, Pardis; Heidarpour, Mitra; Eftekhari, Mehdi; Siadat, Amir Hossein

2012-01-01

Background: Seborrheic keratosis is a common, benign skin tumor. Numerous reports have shown its possibility of malignant transformation. This study was designed to demonstrate the occurrence of concomitant seborrheic keratosis and skin cancers. Materials and Methods: Data was retrospectively reviewed from all patients with a diagnosis of seborrheic keratosis in pathology department of Alzahra Hospital and a private pathology laboratory in Isfahan, Iran over a 4-year period. We classified all demographic data and associated dysplasia or Bowen's disease and analyzed them by student-t or chi-square tests. Results: From all 429 specimens, 5 (1.2%) were found to be associated with Bowen's disease and one (0.2%) with mild dysplasia in squamous epithelium. All cases arose within the clinically, atypical seborrheic keratosis. More men were affected with lesions alone and with malignancy (230/423 (54.4%) and 5/6 (83.3%), respectively) compared to women. The average age of patients suffering from lesions with and without associated malignancy was 57 and 54 years, respectively. The common site of lesion alone was head and neck but lesions with malignancy involved lower extremities. The two lesions were significantly different in site of occurrence (p keratosis and skin malignancy appears to be accidental, it must always be in mind. Therefore, histopathologic examination of all seborrheic keratosis should be considered, especially when seborrheic keratosis has atypical clinical manifestations. PMID:23267371

A Mokken scale analysis of the peer physical examination questionnaire.

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Vaughan, Brett; Grace, Sandra

2018-01-01

Peer physical examination (PPE) is a teaching and learning strategy utilised in most health profession education programs. Perceptions of participating in PPE have been described in the literature, focusing on areas of the body students are willing, or unwilling, to examine. A small number of questionnaires exist to evaluate these perceptions, however none have described the measurement properties that may allow them to be used longitudinally. The present study undertook a Mokken scale analysis of the Peer Physical Examination Questionnaire (PPEQ) to evaluate its dimensionality and structure when used with Australian osteopathy students. Students enrolled in Year 1 of the osteopathy programs at Victoria University (Melbourne, Australia) and Southern Cross University (Lismore, Australia) were invited to complete the PPEQ prior to their first practical skills examination class. R, an open-source statistics program, was used to generate the descriptive statistics and perform a Mokken scale analysis. Mokken scale analysis is a non-parametric item response theory approach that is used to cluster items measuring a latent construct. Initial analysis suggested the PPEQ did not form a single scale. Further analysis identified three subscales: 'comfort', 'concern', and 'professionalism and education'. The properties of each subscale suggested they were unidimensional with variable internal structures. The 'comfort' subscale was the strongest of the three identified. All subscales demonstrated acceptable reliability estimation statistics (McDonald's omega > 0.75) supporting the calculation of a sum score for each subscale. The subscales identified are consistent with the literature. The 'comfort' subscale may be useful to longitudinally evaluate student perceptions of PPE. Further research is required to evaluate changes with PPE and the utility of the questionnaire with other health profession education programs.

Anemia and growth failure among HIV-infected children in India: a retrospective analysis

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Shet Anita

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Anemia and poor nutrition have been previously described as independent risk factors for death among HIV-infected children. We sought to describe nutritional status, anemia burden and HIV disease correlates among infected children in India. Methods We analyzed retrospective data from 248 HIV-infected children aged 1–12 years attending three outpatient clinics in South India (2004–2006. Standard WHO definitions were used for anemia, HIV staging and growth parameters. Statistical analysis included chi square, t tests, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results The overall prevalence of anemia (defined as hemoglobin Conclusion The high prevalence and strong interrelationship of anemia and poor nutrition among HIV-infected children in India, particularly those living in rural areas underscores the need for incorporating targeted nutritional interventions during national scale up of care, support and treatment among HIV-infected children.

Incidence and Imaging Findings of Costal Cartilage Fractures in Patients with Blunt Chest Trauma: A Retrospective Review of 1461 Consecutive Whole-Body CT Examinations for Trauma.

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Nummela, Mari T; Bensch, Frank V; Pyhältö, Tuomo T; Koskinen, Seppo K

2018-02-01

Purpose To assess the incidence of costal cartilage (CC) fractures in whole-body computed tomographic (CT) examinations for blunt trauma and to evaluate distribution of CC fractures, concomitant injuries, mechanism of injury, accuracy of reporting, and the effect on 30-day mortality. Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained for this retrospective study. All whole-body CT examinations for blunt trauma over 36 months were reviewed retrospectively and chest trauma CT studies were evaluated by a second reader. Of 1461 patients who underwent a whole-body CT examination, 39% (574 of 1461) had signs of thoracic injuries (men, 74.0% [425 of 574]; mean age, 46.6 years; women, 26.0% [149 of 574]; mean age, 48.9 years). χ 2 and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Interobserver agreement was calculated by using Cohen kappa values. Results A total of 114 patients (men, 86.8% [99 of 114]; mean age, 48.6 years; women, 13.2% [15 of 114]; mean age, 45.1 years) had 221 CC fractures. The incidence was 7.8% (114 of 1461) in all whole-body CT examinations and 19.9% (114 of 574) in patients with thoracic trauma. Cartilage of rib 7 (21.3%, 47 of 221) was most commonly injured. Bilateral multiple consecutive rib fractures occurred in 36% (41 of 114) versus 14% (64 of 460) in other patients with chest trauma (OR, 3.48; 95% CI: 2.18, 5.53; P chest trauma with CC fractures (13%, 15 of 114) versus patients with chest trauma without CC fractures (4%, 18 of 460) (OR, 3.72; 95% CI: 1.81, 7.64; P = .0001), as well as aortic injuries (n = 4 vs n = 0; P = .0015; OR, unavailable). Kappa value for interobserver agreement in detecting CC fractures was 0.65 (substantial agreement). CC fractures were documented in 39.5% (45 of 114) of primary reports. The 30-day mortality of patients with CC fractures was 7.02% (eight of 114) versus 4.78% (22 of 460) of other patients with chest trauma (OR, 1.50; 95% CI: 0.65, 3.47; P = .3371). Conclusion

Examination of Spectral Transformations on Spectral Mixture Analysis

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Deng, Y.; Wu, C.

2018-04-01

While many spectral transformation techniques have been applied on spectral mixture analysis (SMA), few study examined their necessity and applicability. This paper focused on exploring the difference between spectrally transformed schemes and untransformed scheme to find out which transformed scheme performed better in SMA. In particular, nine spectrally transformed schemes as well as untransformed scheme were examined in two study areas. Each transformed scheme was tested 100 times using different endmember classes' spectra under the endmember model of vegetation- high albedo impervious surface area-low albedo impervious surface area-soil (V-ISAh-ISAl-S). Performance of each scheme was assessed based on mean absolute error (MAE). Statistical analysis technique, Paired-Samples T test, was applied to test the significance of mean MAEs' difference between transformed and untransformed schemes. Results demonstrated that only NSMA could exceed the untransformed scheme in all study areas. Some transformed schemes showed unstable performance since they outperformed the untransformed scheme in one area but weakened the SMA result in another region.

Parenting Environment and Scholastic Achievement during Adolescence: A Retrospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Taris, Toon W.; Bok, Inge A.

1996-01-01

This study examined the effects of perceived parenting style (overly protective versus a warm and loving environment) on the scholastic achievement of 986 Dutch adults age 18-30 years. Retrospective and longitudinal data suggested that respondents with overprotective parents drop out more frequently and have a lower level of educational attainment…

The effects of driver identity on driving safety in a retrospective feedback system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Guozhen; Wu, Changxu

2012-03-01

Retrospective feedback that provides detailed information on a driver's performance in critical driving situations at the end of a trip enhances his/her driving behaviors and safe driving habits. Although this has been demonstrated by a previous study, retrospective feedback can be further improved and applied to non-critical driving situations, which is needed for transportation safety. To propose a new retrospective feedback system that uses driver identity (i.e., a driver's name) and to experimentally study its effects on measures of driving performance and safety in a driving simulator. We conducted a behavioral experimental study with 30 participants. "Feedback type" was a between-subject variable with three conditions: no feedback (control group), feedback without driver identity, and feedback with driver identity. We measured multiple aspects of participants' driving behavior. To control for potential confounds, factors that were significantly correlated with driving behavior (e.g., age and driving experience) were all entered as covariates into a multivariate analysis of variance. To examine the effects of speeding on collision severity in driving simulation studies, we also developed a new index - momentum of potential collision - with a set of equations. Subjects who used a feedback system with driver identity had the fewest speeding violations and central-line crossings, spent the least amount of time speeding and crossing the central line, had the lowest speeding and central-line crossing magnitude, ran the fewest red lights, and had the smallest momentum of potential collision compared to the groups with feedback without driver identity and without feedback (control group). The new retrospective feedback system with driver identity has the potential to enhance a person's driving safety (e.g., speeding, central-line crossing, momentum of potential collision), which is an indication of the valence of one's name in a feedback system design. Copyright �

Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons for the Treatment of Dysfunctional Dialysis Access. Results from a Single-Center, Retrospective Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kitrou, Panagiotis M., E-mail: panoskitrou@gmail.com; Spiliopoulos, Stavros; Papadimatos, Panagiotis; Christeas, Nicolaos; Petsas, Theodoros; Katsanos, Konstantinos; Karnabatidis, Dimitris [Patras University Hospital, Interventional Radiology Department (Greece)

2017-01-15

PurposeTo investigate the safety and effectiveness of lutonix paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) for the treatment of dysfunctional dialysis access.Materials and MethodsThis was a single-center, single-arm, retrospective analysis of 39 patients (23 male, 59 %) undergoing 61 interventions using 69 PCBs in a 20-month period. There was a balance between arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) and grafts (AVG) (20 AVFs, 19AVGs), and the majority of lesions were restenotic (25/39, 64.1 %). Mean balloon diameter used was 6.6 mm and length 73.4 mm. Primary outcome measure was target lesion primary patency (TLPP) at 6 months, while secondary outcome measures included factors affecting TLPP and major complications. As there were lesions treated more than once with PCB, authors also compared patency results after first and second PCB angioplasty.ResultsTLPP was 72.2 % at 6 months with a median patency of 260 days according to the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. No major complications occurred. TLPP between AVFs and AVGs (311 vs. 237 days, respectively; p = 0.29) and de novo and restenotic lesions was similar (270.5 vs. 267.5 days, respectively; p = 0.50). In 14 cases, in which lesions were treated with two PCB angioplasties, a statistically significant difference in TLPP after the second treatment was noted (first intervention 179.5 days vs. second intervention 273.5 days; p = 0.032).ConclusionIn this retrospective analysis, Lutonix PCB proved to be safe and effective in treating restenosis in dysfunctional dialysis access with results comparable to the literature available. Larger studies are needed to prove abovementioned results.

Medical treatment of second-trimester fetal miscarriage; A retrospective analysis

OpenAIRE

Niinimaki, Maarit; Mentula, Maarit; Jahangiri, Reetta; Mannisto, Jaana; Haverinen, Annina; Heikinheimo, Oskari

2017-01-01

Abstract Objectives: Research on the treatment of second-trimester miscarriages is scarce. We studied the outcomes, and the factors associated with adverse events and need for hospital resources in the medical treatment of second-trimester miscarriage. Materials and methods: In these retrospective analyses we studied women treated for spontaneous fetal miscarriage with misoprostol-only (n = 24) or mifepristone and misoprostol (n = 177) in duration of gestation 12+1–21+6. Primary outcome...

Esophageal achalasia: retrospective analysis of treatment during 2000–2010

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Tomaž Štupnik

2011-10-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Esophageal achalasia (EA is a primary esophageal motility disorder of unclear aetiology. Standard treatments of EA are: pneumatic balloon dilation (PBD of the lower esophageal sphyncter (LES and surgical cleaving of the muscle by Heller myotomy. Although the treatment effectively cures dysphagia, the symptoms recur in about a half of the patients. Our point of interest was long-term effectiveness of EA treatment at our department. METHODSWe made a retrospective analysis of EA patients treated at our department of thoracic surgery during the 2000–2010 period.RESULTSIn 11 years we performed 187 PBD and 22 laparoscopic myotomies (LM in 148 patients. Three years after the procedure 65 % of patients after PBD and 90 % of patients after LM showed no signs of disease. The risk of recurrence was 3.56-times greater (p = 0.03 after PBD (in comparison to LM, whereas patients older than 50 years bear 0.51-times lower risk (p = 0.02. The most significant complicatios were esophageal perforation in 3 patients (1.6 % after PBD and gastroesophageal reflux in 3 patients (15 % after LM.CONCLUSIONSPBD is a fast, simple, inexpensive and very efficient method of EA treatment, which can be safely performed in almost every patient. LM is far more expensive and a more complicated method that is more suitable for younger patients, in whom PBD is less effective.

Retrospective analysis of dengue specific IgM reactive serum samples

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Nemai Bhattacharya

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: To conduct a retrospective analysis of dengue cases in Kolkata, on the basis of presence of anti-dengue IgM in their sera and presence or absence of anti-dengue IgG and dengue specific Non structural 1 (NS1 antigen in each of the serum sample. Methods: Sample was tested quantitatively employing ELISA technique, using Biorad test kits, with a view to get a more comprehensive picture of dengue in an urban endemic area and also to evaluate individual cases. Results: This reconstructed study revealed that of those 91 dengue cases, 70.3% (64 and 29.7% (27 were suffering from secondary and primary dengue respectively, showing that number of secondary dengue cases were much more than that of primary dengue cases with a possibility of emergence of DHF. A small proportion of cases 18.7% (17 were reactive for NS1. The duration of fever in NS1 antigen positive cases varied between 5 and 7 days. Of 17 NS1 reactive cases, 10 (10.9% and 7 (7.7% were suffering from secondary and primary dengue respectively. Conclusions: Early detection of primary and secondary dengue cases would be facilitated by utilizing all three parameters (NS1 antigen, anti-dengue IgM and IgG helping to evaluate, monitor and treat a dengue case effectively.

Cost accounting of radiological examinations. Cost analysis of radiological examinations of intermediate referral hospitals and general practice.

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Lääperi, A L

1996-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyse the cost structure of radiological procedures in the intermediary referral hospitals and general practice and to develop a cost accounting system for radiological examinations that takes into consideration all relevant cost factors and is suitable for management of radiology departments and regional planning of radiological resources. The material comprised 174,560 basic radiological examinations performed in 1991 at 5 intermediate referral hospitals and 13 public health centres in the Pirkanmaa Hospital District in Finland. All radiological departments in the hospitals were managed by a specialist in radiology. The radiology departments at the public health care centres operated on a self-referral basis by general practitioners. The data were extracted from examination lists, inventories and balance sheets; parts of the data were estimated or calculated. The radiological examinations were compiled according to the type of examination and equipment used: conventional, contrast medium, ultrasound, mammography and roentgen examinations with mobile equipment. The majority of the examinations (87%) comprised conventional radiography. For cost analysis the cost items were grouped into 5 cost factors: personnel, equipment, material, real estate and administration costs. The depreciation time used was 10 years for roentgen equipment, 5 years for ultrasound equipment and 5 to 10 years for other capital goods. An annual interest rate of 10% was applied. Standard average values based on a sample at 2 hospitals were used for the examination-specific radiologist time, radiographer time and material costs. Four cost accounting versions with varying allocation of the major cost items were designed. Two-way analysis of variance of the effect of different allocation methods on the costs and cost structure of the examination groups was performed. On the basis of the cost analysis a cost accounting program containing both monetary and

Uncovering the Problem-Solving Process: Cued Retrospective Reporting Versus Concurrent and Retrospective Reporting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Gog, Tamara; Paas, Fred; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen; Witte, P.

2007-01-01

This study investigated the amounts of problem-solving process information ("action," "why," "how," and "metacognitive") elicited by means of concurrent, retrospective, and cued retrospective reporting. In a within-participants design, 26 participants completed electrical circuit troubleshooting

On criteria for examining analysis quality with standard reference material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Huating

1997-01-01

The advantages and disadvantages and applicability of some criteria for examining analysis quality with standard reference material are discussed. The combination of the uncertainties of the instrument examined and the reference material should be determined on the basis of specific situations. Without the data of the instrument's uncertainty, it would be applicable to substitute the standard deviation multiplied by certain times for the uncertainty. The result of the examining should not result in more error reported in routine measurements than it really is. Over strict examining should also be avoided

Associations between United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE) scores.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Furman S; Zeger, Scott L; Kolars, Joseph C

2008-07-01

Little is known about the associations of previous standardized examination scores with scores on subsequent standardized examinations used to assess medical knowledge in internal medicine residencies. To examine associations of previous standardized test scores on subsequent standardized test scores. Retrospective cohort study. One hundred ninety-five internal medicine residents. Bivariate associations of United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Steps and Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE) scores were determined. Random effects analysis adjusting for repeated administrations of the IM-ITE and other variables known or hypothesized to affect IM-ITE score allowed for discrimination of associations of individual USMLE Step scores on IM-ITE scores. In bivariate associations, USMLE scores explained 17% to 27% of the variance in IME-ITE scores, and previous IM-ITE scores explained 66% of the variance in subsequent IM-ITE scores. Regression coefficients (95% CI) for adjusted associations of each USMLE Step with IM-ITE scores were USMLE-1 0.19 (0.12, 0.27), USMLE-2 0.23 (0.17, 0.30), and USMLE-3 0.19 (0.09, 0.29). No single USMLE Step is more strongly associated with IM-ITE scores than the others. Because previous IM-ITE scores are strongly associated with subsequent IM-ITE scores, appropriate modeling, such as random effects methods, should be used to account for previous IM-ITE administrations in studies for which IM-ITE score is an outcome.

Retrospective analysis of cytopathology using gray level co-occurrence matrix algorithm for thyroid malignant nodules in the ultrasound imaging

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Kim, Yeong Ju; Lee, Jin Soo [Dept. of Radiology, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Se Sik; Kim, Chang Soo [Dept. of Radiological Science, College of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

This study evaluated the applicability of computer-aided diagnosis by retrospective analysis of GLCM algorithm based on cytopathological diagnosis of normal and malignant nodules in thyroid ultrasound images. In the experiment, the recognition rate and ROC curve of thyroid malignant nodule were analyzed using 6 parameters of GLCM algorithm. Experimental results showed 97% energy, 93% contrast, 92% correlation, 92% homogeneity, 100% entropy and 100% variance. Statistical analysis showed that the area under the curve of each parameter was more than 0.947 (p = 0 .001) in t he ROC curve, which was s ignificant in the recognition of thyroid malignant nodules. In the GLCM, the cut-off value of each parameter can be used to predict the disease through analysis of quantitative computer-aided diagnosis.

Success rates of a skeletal anchorage system in orthodontics: A retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Raymond; Goonewardene, Mithran S; Allan, Brent P; Sugawara, Junji

2018-01-01

To evaluate the premise that skeletal anchorage with SAS miniplates are highly successful and predictable for a range of complex orthodontic movements. This retrospective cross-sectional analysis consisted of 421 bone plates placed by one clinician in 163 patients (95 female, 68 male, mean age 29.4 years ± 12.02). Simple descriptive statistics were performed for a wide range of malocclusions and desired movements to obtain success, complication, and failure rates. The success rate of skeletal anchorage system miniplates was 98.6%, where approximately 40% of cases experienced mild complications. The most common complication was soft tissue inflammation, which was amenable to focused oral hygiene and antiseptic rinses. Infection occurred in approximately 15% of patients where there was a statistically significant correlation with poor oral hygiene. The most common movements were distalization and intrusion of teeth. More than a third of the cases involved complex movements in more than one plane of space. The success rate of skeletal anchorage system miniplates is high and predictable for a wide range of complex orthodontic movements.

American Meteorological Society (AMS) - The Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) Data and Accessibility

Science.gov (United States)

daSilva, Arlindo

2009-01-01

The AM Short Course on The Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) data and accessibility will be held on January 11, 2009 preceding the 89th Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. Preliminary programs, registration, hotel, and general information will be posted on the AMS Web site in mid-September 2008. Retrospective-analyses (or reanalyses) have been established as an important tool in weather and climate research over the last decade. As computer power increases, the data assimilation and modeling systems improve and become more advanced, the input data quality increases and so reanalyses become more reliable. In 2008, NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office began producing a new reanalysis called the Modem Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA). The initial data from the reanalysis has been made available to the community and should be complete through 30 years (1979-present) by Fall of 2009. MERRA has taken advantage of the advancement of computing resources to provide users more data than previously available. The native spatial resolution is nominally 1/2 degrees and the surface two dimensional data are one hourly frequency. In addition to the meteorological analysis data, complete mass, energy and momentum budget data and also stratospheric data are provided. The eventual data holdings will exceed 150Tb. In order to facilitate user accessibility to the data, it will be stored in online hard drives (not tape storage) and available through several portals. Subsetting tools will also be available to allow users to tailor their data requests. The goals of this short course are to provide hands on users of reanalyses instruction on MERRA systems and also interactive experience with the online data and access tools. The course is intended for students and research scientists who will be actively interested in accessing and applying MERRA data in their weather, climate or applications work. The course has

Advanced Post-Irradiation Examination Capabilities Alternatives Analysis Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeff Bryan; Bill Landman; Porter Hill

2012-12-01

An alternatives analysis was performed for the Advanced Post-Irradiation Capabilities (APIEC) project in accordance with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order DOE O 413.3B, “Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets”. The Alternatives Analysis considered six major alternatives: ? No Action ? Modify Existing DOE Facilities – capabilities distributed among multiple locations ? Modify Existing DOE Facilities – capabilities consolidated at a few locations ? Construct New Facility ? Commercial Partnership ? International Partnerships Based on the alternatives analysis documented herein, it is recommended to DOE that the advanced post-irradiation examination capabilities be provided by a new facility constructed at the Materials and Fuels Complex at the Idaho National Laboratory.

Clinical, general, hemocoagulation and pathologicanatomical features of patients with moderate and severe community acquired pneumonia by the data of retrospective analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pertseva T.A.

2017-10-01

Full Text Available According to literature data, patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP fall into several groups of unfavorable prognostic factors. Development of thrombotic complications is one of causes of mortality of hospitalized patients. In this case systemic inflammation, which is always present in moderate and severe CAP, is the starting mechanism of formation of disorders in the hemostasis system. The aim of our work was to determine anamnestic, clinical, laboratory and pathologic anatomical features in patients with CAP, taking into account markers of systemic inflammation and coagulogram indices, as well as predicting the occurrence of complications. In the course of the work, a retrospective analysis of 151 medical histories of hospitalized patients with CAP was made. We analyzed anthropometric indicators, complaints at the time of hospitalization, results of physical examination, results of the chest X-ray, clinical and laboratory indicators, microbiological sputum analysis and to assess the possibility of thrombotic complications a RAM scale was used. It was found that late asking for medical help, the presence of mixed infection, underestimation of the severity of condition and severe systemic inflammation increase the risk of lethal outcome in patients with CAP. Considering a high risk of thrombosis in patients with CAP, it is necessary to assess the risk of thrombotic complications with the help of special scales, as well as timely detection and correction of disorders from the hemostasis system.

Predictors of sustained response to rivastigmine in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadowsky, Carl H; Grossberg, George T; Somogyi, Monique; Meng, Xiangyi

2011-01-01

The cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine is approved for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. However, it is not possible to predict which individuals will benefit from treatment. This retrospective analysis of an international, 24-week, randomized, double-blind trial aimed to identify the percentage of persons with Alzheimer's disease who have a sustained response with rivastigmine patch, rivastigmine capsules, or placebo; to determine the magnitude of the sustained treatment response; and to investigate baseline patient characteristics predictive of the observed sustained response. Patients who improved on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) and Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living scale (ADCS-ADL) at week 16 and maintained at least the week 16 improvement at week 24 were identified as sustained responders. Treatment differences and baseline predictive factors were assessed in patients demonstrating a 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, or 5-point sustained improvement. The first patient was screened in November 2003 and the last patient completed the study in January 2006. More persons with Alzheimer's disease had sustained improvements on the ADAS-cog and ADCS-ADL with rivastigmine versus placebo. Sustained improvements of 4 or 5 points on the ADAS-cog or ADCS-ADL were demonstrated in the 9.5-mg/24-h rivastigmine patch (24% and 36% of patients, respectively) and 12-mg/d capsule groups (28% on both outcome measures). Factors predictive of a sustained response to treatment included baseline Mini-Mental State Examination, ADAS-cog, and ADCS-ADL scores and treatment, country of treatment, and time since first symptom was diagnosed by a physician. Understanding factors predictive of sustained cholinesterase inhibitor treatment response should help to optimize Alzheimer's disease management and encourage compliance by allowing more realistic expectations of treatment effects.

Retrospective Attention Interacts with Stimulus Strength to Shape Working Memory Performance.

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Wildegger, Theresa; Humphreys, Glyn; Nobre, Anna C

2016-01-01

Orienting attention retrospectively to selective contents in working memory (WM) influences performance. A separate line of research has shown that stimulus strength shapes perceptual representations. There is little research on how stimulus strength during encoding shapes WM performance, and how effects of retrospective orienting might vary with changes in stimulus strength. We explore these questions in three experiments using a continuous-recall WM task. In Experiment 1 we show that benefits of cueing spatial attention retrospectively during WM maintenance (retrocueing) varies according to stimulus contrast during encoding. Retrocueing effects emerge for supraliminal but not sub-threshold stimuli. However, once stimuli are supraliminal, performance is no longer influenced by stimulus contrast. In Experiments 2 and 3 we used a mixture-model approach to examine how different sources of error in WM are affected by contrast and retrocueing. For high-contrast stimuli (Experiment 2), retrocues increased the precision of successfully remembered items. For low-contrast stimuli (Experiment 3), retrocues decreased the probability of mistaking a target with distracters. These results suggest that the processes by which retrospective attentional orienting shape WM performance are dependent on the quality of WM representations, which in turn depends on stimulus strength during encoding.

Retrospective evaluation of continental-scale streamflow nudging with WRF-Hydro National Water Model V1

Science.gov (United States)

McCreight, J. L.; Wu, Y.; Gochis, D.; Rafieeinasab, A.; Dugger, A. L.; Yu, W.; Cosgrove, B.; Cui, Z.; Oubeidillah, A.; Briar, D.

2016-12-01

The streamflow (discharge) data assimilation capability in version 1 of the National Water Model (NWM; a WRF-Hydro configuration) is applied and evaluated in a 5-year (2011-2015) retrospective study using NLDAS2 forcing data over CONUS. This talk will describe the NWM V1 operational nudging (continuous-time) streamflow data assimilation approach, its motivation, and its relationship to this retrospective evaluation. Results from this study will provide a an analysis-based (not forecast-based) benchmark for streamflow DA in the NWM. The goal of the assimilation is to reduce discharge bias and improve channel initial conditions for discharge forecasting (though forecasts are not considered here). The nudging method assimilates discharge observations at nearly 7,000 USGS gages (at frequency up to 1/15 minutes) to produce a (univariate) discharge reanalysis (i.e. this is the only variable affected by the assimilation). By withholding 14% nested gages throughout CONUS in a separate validation run, we evaluate the downstream impact of assimilation at upstream gages. Based on this sample, we estimate the skill of the streamflow reanalysis at ungaged locations and examine factors governing the skill of the assimilation. Comparison of assimilation and open-loop runs is presented. Performance of DA under both high and low flow regimes and selected flooding events is examined. Preliminary evaluation of nudging parameter sensitivity and its relationship to flow regime will be presented.

Long-Term Use of Aldosterone-Receptor Antagonists in Uncontrolled Hypertension: A Retrospective Analysis

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Pieter M. Jansen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The long-term efficacy of aldosterone-receptor antagonists (ARAs as add-on treatment in uncontrolled hypertension has not yet been reported. Methods. Data from 123 patients (21 with primary aldosteronism, 102 with essential hypertension with difficult-to-treat hypertension who received an ARA between May 2005 and September 2009 were analyzed retrospectively for their blood pressure (BP and biochemical response at first followup after start with ARA and the last follow-up available. Results. Systolic BP decreased by 22±20 and diastolic BP by 9.4±12 mmHg after a median treatment duration of 25 months. In patients that received treatment >5 years, SBP was 33±20 and DBP was 16 ± 13 mmHg lower than at baseline. Multivariate analysis revealed that baseline BP and follow-up duration were positively correlated with BP response. Conclusion. Add-on ARA treatment in difficult-to-treat hypertension results in a profound and sustained BP reduction.

Evaluation of bone marrow infiltration in non-neuropathic Gaucher disease patients with use of whole-body MRI. A retrospective data analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laudemann, K.; Moos, L.; Lollert, A.; Wagner, D.; Staatz, G.; Mengel, K.E.; Reinke, J.; Brixius-Huth, M.; Dueber, C.

2015-01-01

To evaluate whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) for the assessment of bone marrow infiltration in patients with confirmed Gaucher disease type 1 under long-term enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). This retrospective data analysis included 38 patients in two subgroups. Group A: 10 females, 9 males, 15-29 years, mean age 22 years and Group B: 11 females, 8 males, 29-77 years, mean age 49 years, all treated with alglucerase or imiglucerase for at least 12.5 years. Whole-body MRI was carried out in all patients using a standard MRI protocol. Two radiologists assessed all MR images retrospectively with the use of three different MRI score systems: The bone marrow burden (BMB) score, the Duesseldorf-Gaucher score (DGS) and the vertebra disc ratio (VDR). As a clinical component, severity score index type 1 (GD-DS3) was determined. In both groups the MR scores showed low to moderate pathologic levels but no statistically significant difference was found between both groups. The median scores in group A/group B were 7.00/9.00 for the BMB score (p=0.07), 4.00/3.00 for the DGS score (p=0.062) and 1.54/1.62 for the VDR score (p=0.267). The GD-DS3 score was statistically significantly different between both groups (1.6/3.9, p=0.000) and osseous Gaucher disease complications were only found in group B. Bone marrow involvement and typical clinical manifestations are reduced to a minimum, when ERT starts immediately after the confirmed diagnosis of Gaucher disease type 1. The applied MR scores are useful markers to control bone marrow infiltration under enzyme replacement therapy in older patients. Pathologic MR scores in young patients may reflect postponed fat conversion of the juvenile bone marrow. This issue has to be examined in further studies.

Evaluation of bone marrow infiltration in non-neuropathic Gaucher disease patients with use of whole-body MRI. A retrospective data analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laudemann, K.; Moos, L.; Lollert, A.; Wagner, D.; Staatz, G. [University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz (Germany). Section of Pediatric Radiology; Mengel, K.E.; Reinke, J.; Brixius-Huth, M. [University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz (Germany). Clinic for Metabolic Diseases; Dueber, C. [University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz (Germany). Dept. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology

2015-12-15

To evaluate whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) for the assessment of bone marrow infiltration in patients with confirmed Gaucher disease type 1 under long-term enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). This retrospective data analysis included 38 patients in two subgroups. Group A: 10 females, 9 males, 15-29 years, mean age 22 years and Group B: 11 females, 8 males, 29-77 years, mean age 49 years, all treated with alglucerase or imiglucerase for at least 12.5 years. Whole-body MRI was carried out in all patients using a standard MRI protocol. Two radiologists assessed all MR images retrospectively with the use of three different MRI score systems: The bone marrow burden (BMB) score, the Duesseldorf-Gaucher score (DGS) and the vertebra disc ratio (VDR). As a clinical component, severity score index type 1 (GD-DS3) was determined. In both groups the MR scores showed low to moderate pathologic levels but no statistically significant difference was found between both groups. The median scores in group A/group B were 7.00/9.00 for the BMB score (p=0.07), 4.00/3.00 for the DGS score (p=0.062) and 1.54/1.62 for the VDR score (p=0.267). The GD-DS3 score was statistically significantly different between both groups (1.6/3.9, p=0.000) and osseous Gaucher disease complications were only found in group B. Bone marrow involvement and typical clinical manifestations are reduced to a minimum, when ERT starts immediately after the confirmed diagnosis of Gaucher disease type 1. The applied MR scores are useful markers to control bone marrow infiltration under enzyme replacement therapy in older patients. Pathologic MR scores in young patients may reflect postponed fat conversion of the juvenile bone marrow. This issue has to be examined in further studies.

Examination of a Social-Networking Site Activities Scale (SNSAS) Using Rasch Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Alhaythami, Hassan; Karpinski, Aryn; Kirschner, Paul; Bolden, Edward

2017-01-01

This study examined the psychometric properties of a social-networking site (SNS) activities scale (SNSAS) using Rasch Analysis. Items were also examined with Rasch Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) across groups of university students (i.e., males and females from the United States [US] and Europe; N =…

Prolonged methylprednisolone therapy after the pulse treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe paraquat poisoning: A retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jie; Feng, ShunYi; Wang, Jian; Yang, SiYuan; Li, Yong

2017-06-01

This retrospective study aims to evaluate the effect of prolonged methylprednisolone (MP) therapy on the mortality of patients with moderate-to-severe paraquat (PQ) poisoning after the pulse treatment.We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with acute moderate-to-severe PQ poisoning that were admitted to the emergency department from May 2012 to August 2016. Out of 138 patients, 60 were treated with pulse treatment (15 mg kg day MP for 3 days) and 78 were treated with prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment (15 mg kg day MP for 3 days; afterward, the dosage was reduced in half every 2 days, and the MP therapy was terminated until 0.47 mg kg day). Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the mortality between the 2 groups. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).The mortality of the prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment group was lower than that of the pulse group (47.4% vs 63.3%; log-rank tests, P  =  .003). According to the multivariate Cox analysis, the prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment was significantly associated with a lower mortality risk (HR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.19-0.52, P treatment caused more incidences of leucopenia than the pulse treatment alone (25.6% vs 11.7%, P  =  .04).The prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment can reduce the mortality of moderate-to-severe PQ poisoning patients.

Prognostic roles of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio in ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis of retrospective studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhe; Zhao, Xinrui; Lu, Jingjing; Xue, Jing; Liu, Peishu; Mao, Hongluan

2018-04-01

The systemic inflammatory response markers have been reported to be associated with the prognosis of various cancers. We conducted this meta-analysis of retrospective studies to evaluate and identify the prognostic impact of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) on ovarian cancer. PubMed, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were included to search for eligible studies. The following terms were used: "neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio", "NLR", "platelet to lymphocyte ratio", "PLR", "ovarian cancer", "ovary cancer", "ovarian carcinoma", "ovary carcinoma", "ovarian neoplasm", "ovary neoplasm", "ovarian tumor", and "ovary tumor". The random-effects model was chosen to estimate the pooled HR with 95% CI. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed by Higgins I 2 value. The stability and heterogeneity of studies were analyzed by sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was examined by Egger's test and Begg's test with the funnel plots. 13 studies consisting of 3467 patients were considered for meta-analysis. We found that the high NLR had a poor prognostic impact on OS and PFS in ovarian cancer, with a pooled HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.35-2.15 and HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.48-2.12, respectively. Similarly, the results showed the high PLR adversely affected OS and PFS in ovarian cancer, with a pooled HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.70-2.48 and HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.53-2.25, respectively. In conclusion, we found that both NLR and PLR had an unfavorable impact on PFS and OS of patients with ovarian cancer. Our meta-analysis supported that NLR/PLR could be effective prognostic predictors of ovarian cancer.

Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction: reducing dose while preserving image quality in the pediatric head CT examination.

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McKnight, Colin D; Watcharotone, Kuanwong; Ibrahim, Mohannad; Christodoulou, Emmanuel; Baer, Aaron H; Parmar, Hemant A

2014-08-01

Over the last decade there has been escalating concern regarding the increasing radiation exposure stemming from CT exams, particularly in children. Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) is a relatively new and promising tool to reduce radiation dose while preserving image quality. While encouraging results have been found in adult head and chest and body imaging, validation of this technique in pediatric population is limited. The objective of our study was to retrospectively compare the image quality and radiation dose of pediatric head CT examinations obtained with ASIR compared to pediatric head CT examinations without ASIR in a large patient population. Retrospective analysis was performed on 82 pediatric head CT examinations. This group included 33 pediatric head CT examinations obtained with ASIR and 49 pediatric head CT examinations without ASIR. Computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) was recorded on all examinations. Quantitative analysis consisted of standardized measurement of attenuation and the standard deviation at the bilateral centrum semiovale and cerebellar white matter to evaluate objective noise. Qualitative analysis consisted of independent assessment by two radiologists in a blinded manner of gray-white differentiation, sharpness and overall diagnostic quality. The average CTDIvol value of the ASIR group was 21.8 mGy (SD = 4.0) while the average CTDIvol for the non-ASIR group was 29.7 mGy (SD = 13.8), reflecting a statistically significant reduction in CTDIvol in the ASIR group (P ASIR group as compared to the 3- to 12-year-old non-ASIR group (21.5 mGy vs. 30.0 mGy; P = 0.004) as well as statistically significant reductions in CTDI for the >12-year-old ASIR group as compared to the >12-year-old non-ASIR group (29.7 mGy vs. 49.9 mGy; P = 0.0002). Quantitative analysis revealed no significant difference in the homogeneity of variance in the ASIR group compared to the non-ASIR group. Radiologist assessment of

Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction: reducing dose while preserving image quality in the pediatric head CT examination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKnight, Colin D.; Watcharotone, Kuanwong; Ibrahim, Mohannad; Christodoulou, Emmanuel; Baer, Aaron H.; Parmar, Hemant A. [University of Michigan, Department of Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2014-08-15

Over the last decade there has been escalating concern regarding the increasing radiation exposure stemming from CT exams, particularly in children. Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) is a relatively new and promising tool to reduce radiation dose while preserving image quality. While encouraging results have been found in adult head and chest and body imaging, validation of this technique in pediatric population is limited. The objective of our study was to retrospectively compare the image quality and radiation dose of pediatric head CT examinations obtained with ASIR compared to pediatric head CT examinations without ASIR in a large patient population. Retrospective analysis was performed on 82 pediatric head CT examinations. This group included 33 pediatric head CT examinations obtained with ASIR and 49 pediatric head CT examinations without ASIR. Computed tomography dose index (CTDI{sub vol}) was recorded on all examinations. Quantitative analysis consisted of standardized measurement of attenuation and the standard deviation at the bilateral centrum semiovale and cerebellar white matter to evaluate objective noise. Qualitative analysis consisted of independent assessment by two radiologists in a blinded manner of gray-white differentiation, sharpness and overall diagnostic quality. The average CTDI{sub vol} value of the ASIR group was 21.8 mGy (SD = 4.0) while the average CTDI{sub vol} for the non-ASIR group was 29.7 mGy (SD = 13.8), reflecting a statistically significant reduction in CTDI{sub vol} in the ASIR group (P < 0.01). There were statistically significant reductions in CTDI for the 3- to 12-year-old ASIR group as compared to the 3- to 12-year-old non-ASIR group (21.5 mGy vs. 30.0 mGy; P = 0.004) as well as statistically significant reductions in CTDI for the >12-year-old ASIR group as compared to the >12-year-old non-ASIR group (29.7 mGy vs. 49.9 mGy; P = 0.0002). Quantitative analysis revealed no significant difference in the

A retrospective health policy analysis of the development and implementation of the voluntary health insurance system in Lebanon: learning from failure.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Jardali, Fadi; Bou-Karroum, Lama; Ataya, Nour; El-Ghali, Hana Addam; Hammoud, Rawan

2014-12-01

Public policymaking is complex and suffers from limited uptake of research evidence, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). In-depth case studies examining health policymaking in the EMR are lacking. This retrospective policy analysis aims at generating insights about how policies are being made, identifying factors influencing policymaking and assessing to what extent evidence is used in this process by using the Lebanese Voluntary Health Insurance policy as a case study. The study examined the policymaking process through a policy tracing technique that covered a period of 12 years. The study employed a qualitative research design using a case study approach and was conducted in two phases over the course of two years. Data was collected using multiple sources including: 1) a comprehensive and chronological media review; 2) twenty-two key informant interviews with policymakers, stakeholders, and journalists; and 3) a document review of legislations, minutes of meetings, actuarial studies, and official documents. Data was analyzed and validated using thematic analysis. Findings showed that the voluntary health insurance policy was a political decision taken by the government to tackle an urgent political problem. Evidence was not used to guide policy development and implementation and policy implementers and other stakeholders were not involved in policy development. Factors influencing policymaking were political interests, sectarianism, urgency, and values of policymakers. Barriers to the use of evidence were lack of policy-relevant research evidence, political context, personal interests, and resource constraints. Findings suggest that policymakers should be made more aware of the important role of evidence in informing public policymaking and the need for building capacity to develop, implement and evaluate policies. Study findings are likely to matter in light of the changes that are unfolding in some Arab countries and the looming

Retrospective review of congenital heart disease in 976 dogs.

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Oliveira, P; Domenech, O; Silva, J; Vannini, S; Bussadori, R; Bussadori, C

2011-01-01

Knowledge of epidemiology is important for recognition of cardiovascular malformations. Review the incidence of congenital heart defects in dogs in Italy and assess breed and sex predispositions. Nine hundred and seventy-six dogs diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) of 4,480 dogs presented to Clinica Veterinaria Gran Sasso for cardiovascular examination from 1997 to 2010. A retrospective analysis of medical records regarding signalment, history, clinical examination, radiography, electrocardiography, echocardiography, angiography, and postmortem examination was performed. Breed and sex predisposition were assessed with the odds ratio test. CHD was observed in 21.7% of cases. A total of 1,132 defects were observed with single defects in 832 cases (85%), 2 concurrent defects in 132 cases (14%), and 3 concurrent defects in 12 cases (1%). The most common defects were pulmonic stenosis (PS; 32.1%), subaortic stenosis (SAS; 21.3%), and patent ductus arteriosus (20.9%), followed by ventricular septal defect (VSD; 7.5%), valvular aortic stenosis (AS; 5.7%), and tricuspid dysplasia (3.1%). SAS, PS, and VSD frequently were associated with other defects. Several breed and sex predispositions were identified. The results of this study are in accordance with previous studies, with slight differences. The breed and sex predilections identified may be of value for the diagnosis and screening of CHD in dogs. Additionally, the relatively high percentage of concurrent heart defects emphasizes the importance of accurate and complete examinations for identification. Because these data are from a cardiology referral center, a bias may exist. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF ARTHROSCOPIC ACL RECONSTRUCTION WITH HAMSTRING TENDON GRAFT

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Ashish R. Agarwal

2017-08-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND ACL reconstruction is one of the commonest knee surgeries done. Young adults are the commonest patients; thus, this injury has a large impact on socioeconomic status of the family. The aim of the study is to study the outcome of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon graft. MATERIALS AND METHODS 50 patients following up in the OPD who had undergone ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon graft are evaluated. Patients who had other lesions, such meniscal injuries or collateral injuries were discarded. These patients were evaluated by using Tegner and Lysholm score of 6 months, 12 months and 24 months. Settings- It is a retrospective analysis of the data collected from the patients who were opiated at Nair Hospital. RESULTS 90% of patients in the study were males. Mean age of the study population is 30.7 years. All the patients in the study had instability as a symptom, while 80% of them also had pain. Six months after surgery, according to Tegner and Lysholm score, 52% patients had good outcome, while 48% had fair outcome. At 2 years, 98% of study population had excellent outcome. CONCLUSION Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction with hamstring graft is an effective way of treating ACL tear.

Nerve Decompression and Restless Legs Syndrome: A Retrospective Analysis

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James C. Anderson

2017-07-01

Full Text Available IntroductionRestless legs syndrome (RLS is a prevalent sleep disorder affecting quality of life and is often comorbid with other neurological diseases, including peripheral neuropathy. The mechanisms related to RLS symptoms remain unclear, and treatment options are often aimed at symptom relief rather than etiology. RLS may present in distinct phenotypes often described as “primary” vs. “secondary” RLS. Secondary RLS is often associated with peripheral neuropathy. Nerve decompression surgery of the common and superficial fibular nerves is used to treat peripheral neuropathy. Anecdotally, surgeons sometimes report improved RLS symptoms following nerve decompression for peripheral neuropathy. The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to quantify the change in symptoms commonly associated with RLS using visual analog scales (VAS.MethodsForty-two patients completed VAS scales (0–10 for pain, burning, numbness, tingling, weakness, balance, tightness, aching, pulling, cramping, twitchy/jumpy, uneasy, creepy/crawly, and throbbing, both before and 15 weeks after surgical decompression.ResultsSubjects reported significant improvement among all VAS categories, except for “pulling” (P = 0.14. The change in VAS following surgery was negatively correlated with the pre-surgery VAS for both the summed VAS (r = −0.58, P < 0.001 and the individual VAS scores (all P < 0.01, such that patients who reported the worst symptoms before surgery exhibited relatively greater reductions in symptoms after surgery.ConclusionThis is the first study to suggest improvement in RLS symptoms following surgical decompression of the common and superficial fibular nerves. Further investigation is needed to quantify improvement using RLS-specific metrics and sleep quality assessments.

SU-F-T-135: A Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of Range Uncertainty in Brain Patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grantham, K; Santanam, L; Goddu, S; Sun, B; Zhang, T; Mutic, S; Robinson, C; Huang, J; Perkins, S; Tsien, C; Bradley, J; Zhao, T [Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: We retrospectively evaluate the dosimetric impact of a 3.5% range uncertainty on CTV coverage and normal organ toxicity for a cohort of brain patients. Methods: Twenty treatment plans involving 20 brain cancer patients treated with Mevions S250 were reviewed. Forty uncertain plans were made by changing the ranges in original plans by ±3.5% while keeping all devices unchanged. Fidelity to the original plans was evaluated with gamma index. Changes in generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) were reported for the following structures: CTV coverage, brainstem, optic chiasm, and optic nerves. Comparisons were made by plotting the relevant endpoints from the uncertain plans as a function of the same endpoints from the original clinical plan. Results: Gamma-index analysis resulted in a 50% pass rate of the uncertain plans using a 90% passing rate and 3%/3mm criterion. A 9.5% decrease in the slope of gEUD plot for the CTV was observed for the 3.5% downward range shift. However, the change in slope did not result in a gEUD change greater than 1.1% for the CTV. The slopes of the gEUD plots for normal structures increased by 3.1% 3.9% 2.4% and 0.2% for the chiasm, brainstem, left optic nerve and right optic nerve respectively. The maximum deviation from the gEUD of the clinical plan for normal structures was: 64% in the chiasm, 31% for the brainstem, and 19% for both optic nerves. Conclusion: A retrospective review shows moderate radiobiological impact of range uncertainty in passively scattered proton therapy with sporadic catastrophe. The linear regression analysis on the statistical data indicates a systematic deviation of gEUD from treatment planning in the light of range uncertainty.

LESSONS FROM A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF A 5-YR PERIOD OF PRESHIPMENT TESTING AT SAN DIEGO ZOO: A RISK-BASED APPROACH TO PRESHIPMENT TESTING MAY BENEFIT ANIMAL WELFARE.

Science.gov (United States)

Marinkovich, Matt; Wallace, Chelsea; Morris, Pat J; Rideout, Bruce; Pye, Geoffrey W

2016-03-01

The preshipment examination, with associated transmissible disease testing, has become standard practice in the movement of animals between zoos. An alternative disease risk-based approach, based on a comprehensive surveillance program including necropsy and preventive medicine examination testing and data, has been in practice since 2006 between the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. A retrospective analysis, evaluating comprehensive necropsy data and preshipment testing over a 5-yr study period, was performed to determine the viability of this model for use with sending animals to other institutions. Animals (607 birds, 704 reptiles and amphibians, and 341 mammals) were shipped to 116 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited and 29 non-AZA-accredited institutions. The evaluation showed no evidence of the specific transmissible diseases tested for during the preshipment exam being present within the San Diego Zoo collection. We suggest that a risk-based animal and institution-specific approach to transmissible disease preshipment testing is more cost effective and is in the better interest of animal welfare than the current industry standard of dogmatic preshipment testing.

South African, Rural ICT Implementation: a critical retrospective application of Latour's due process model

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Jo Rhodes

2004-05-01

Full Text Available The potential developmental role of ICTs can pressurise governments to engage in ‘catch up’ and ‘leapfrog’. Consequently, analysis of the accompanying socio-political dimensions and risks can be, disastrously, neglected. This paper examines a specific technology implementation – a South African government sponsored telecentre using Latour’s Due Process model, an analytical tool grounded in Actor-Network Theory, where technology implementation is viewed as a symmetrical treatment of technology and society within a single collective. It is used here, retrospectively, to make sense of why the telecentre both failed to institutionalise within a successful actor-network, and, contributed to the destabilization and partial destruction of a successfully established women’s development organisation.

[Retrospective analysis of 24 recurrent glioblastoma after chemoradiation and treated with nitrosoureas or irinotecan and bevacizumab].

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Vauleon, Elodie; Mesbah, Habiba; Gedouin, Daniel; Lecouillard, Isabelle; Louvel, Guillaume; Hamlat, Abderrahmane; Riffaud, Laurent; Carsin, Béatrice; Quillien, Véronique; Audrain, Odile; Lesimple, Thierry

2012-02-01

Despite progress in the initial management of glioblastoma (GB), the vast majority of patients will experience recurrence within 2-3 years. The medical treatment of these recurrences is being modified by the use of antiangiogenic therapies. Twenty-four patients, who relapsed from GB after chemoradiation followed by adjuvant temozolomide in Rennes, were treated by conventional chemotherapy (nitrosourea) or by the combination of irinotecan and bevacizumab. In this retrospective analysis, overall survival from diagnosis of recurrence was significantly longer in patients treated with the combination of bevacizumab and irinotecan than with nitrosourea (5 months versus 11.5 months). The combination of irinotecan and bevacizumab appeared to provide clinical benefit to patients with recurrent GB.

'Rumours' and clinical trials: a retrospective examination of a paediatric malnutrition study in Zambia, southern Africa

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Amadi Beatrice

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many public health researchers conducting studies in resource-constrained settings have experienced negative 'rumours' about their work; in some cases they have been reported to create serious challenges and derail studies. However, what may appear superficially as 'gossip' or 'rumours' can also be regarded and understood as metaphors which represent local concerns. For researchers unaccustomed to having concerns expressed from participants in this manner, possible reactions can be to be unduly perturbed or conversely dismissive. This paper represents a retrospective examination of a malnutrition study conducted by an international team of researchers in Zambia, Southern Africa. The fears of mothers whose children were involved in the study and some of the concerns which were expressed as rumours are also presented. This paper argues that there is an underlying logic to these anxieties and to dismiss them simply as 'rumours' or 'gossip' would be to overlook the historic and socio-economic factors which have contributed to their production. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with the mothers whose children were involved in the study and with the research nurses. Twenty five face-to-face interviews and 2 focus group discussions (FGDs were conducted with mothers. In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted with research nurses participating in the trial. Results A prominent anxiety expressed as rumours by the mothers whose children were involved in the study was that recruitment into the trial was an indicator that the child was HIV-infected. Other anxieties included that the trial was a disguise for witchcraft or Satanism and that the children's body parts would be removed and sold. In addition, the liquid, milk-based food given to the children to improve their nutrition was suspected of being insufficiently nutritious, thus worsening their condition. The form which these anxieties took, such as rumours

Incorporating Colour Information for Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Melanoma from Dermoscopy Images: A Retrospective Survey and Critical Analysis

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Ali Madooei

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cutaneous melanoma is the most life-threatening form of skin cancer. Although advanced melanoma is often considered as incurable, if detected and excised early, the prognosis is promising. Today, clinicians use computer vision in an increasing number of applications to aid early detection of melanoma through dermatological image analysis (dermoscopy images, in particular. Colour assessment is essential for the clinical diagnosis of skin cancers. Due to this diagnostic importance, many studies have either focused on or employed colour features as a constituent part of their skin lesion analysis systems. These studies range from using low-level colour features, such as simple statistical measures of colours occurring in the lesion, to availing themselves of high-level semantic features such as the presence of blue-white veil, globules, or colour variegation in the lesion. This paper provides a retrospective survey and critical analysis of contributions in this research direction.

Kinetic therapy reduces complications and shortens hospital stay in patients with cardiogenic shock - a retrospective analysis.

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Simonis, Gregor; Flemming, Kerstin; Ziegs, Enrico; Haacke, Katrin; Rauwolf, Thomas; Strasser, Ruth H

2007-03-01

Kinetic therapy (KT) has been shown to reduce complications and to shorten hospital stay in trauma patients. Data in non-surgical patients are inconclusive, and kinetic therapy has not been tested in patients with cardiogenic shock. The present analysis compares KT with standard care in patients with cardiogenic shock. A retrospective analysis of 133 patients with cardiogenic shock admitted to 1 academic heart center was performed. Patients with standard care (SC, turning every 2 h by the staff) were compared with kinetic therapy (KT, using oscillating air-flotation beds). 68 patients with KT were compared with 65 patients with SC. Length of ventilator therapy was 11 days in KT and 18 days in SC (p=0.048). The mortality was comparable in both groups. Pneumonia occurred in 14 patients in KT and 39 patients in SC (ppatients treated with kinetic therapy. The use of KT shortens hospital stay and reduces rates of pneumonia and pressure ulcers as compared to SC.

Retrospective Analysis of T and B Cells Flow-Cross Matches in Renal Transplant Recipients

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Lakshmi Kiran C

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Complement-mediated cytotoxic antibodies in conventional cross match, often result in misappropriation of true positives and borderline positives which are detrimental to allograft survival. Flow cross matches (FCXM are sensitive to capture even non comple-ment fixing cytotoxic antibodies. This retrospective study evaluates the utility of FCXM in effectively predicting acute allograft rejection. A total of 17 cases were processed for FCXM (T and B cell of whom seven had no rejection episodes, while the remaining 11 had acute rejection despite negative cross match and panel reacting antibodies being ne-gative (less than 20%. The sensitivity and specificity of the FCXM outcome demons-trated that positive B-cell FCXM has potential to be a good tool in pre-transplant scree-ning. The current analysis proposes the possible utility of B-cell positive FCXM as a more sensitive parameter in predicting acute allograft rejection prior to transplantation.

[Medical negligence in surgery: 112 cases retrospective analysis].

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Xiang, Jian; Chang, Lin; Wang, Xu; Zhang, Feng-Qin

2013-06-01

To explore the general characteristics of medical negligence in surgery in order to provide the reference for forensic practices. One hundred and twelve cases of medical negligence in surgical department were retrospectively analyzed in Fada Institute of Forensic Medicine and Science from 2008 to 2010. The common types of medical negligence cases in the surgery were improper operation procedure (28.57%), failure of consent (26.79%), and inadequate monitoring (22.32%). The results of complications included disability or functional impairment (61.61%), death (31.25%) and transient impairment with no obvious adverse reactions (7.14%). The most common roles played by the medical negligence cases were minor role (26.79%), equal role (19.64%), and slight role (14.29%). Significant attention should be paid to the operation procedure, consent, and monitoring. It should be cautious to not make assessment on involvement degree of medical negligence.

UNCERTAINTY ON RADIATION DOSES ESTIMATED BY BIOLOGICAL AND RETROSPECTIVE PHYSICAL METHODS.

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Ainsbury, Elizabeth A; Samaga, Daniel; Della Monaca, Sara; Marrale, Maurizio; Bassinet, Celine; Burbidge, Christopher I; Correcher, Virgilio; Discher, Michael; Eakins, Jon; Fattibene, Paola; Güçlü, Inci; Higueras, Manuel; Lund, Eva; Maltar-Strmecki, Nadica; McKeever, Stephen; Rääf, Christopher L; Sholom, Sergey; Veronese, Ivan; Wieser, Albrecht; Woda, Clemens; Trompier, Francois

2018-03-01

Biological and physical retrospective dosimetry are recognised as key techniques to provide individual estimates of dose following unplanned exposures to ionising radiation. Whilst there has been a relatively large amount of recent development in the biological and physical procedures, development of statistical analysis techniques has failed to keep pace. The aim of this paper is to review the current state of the art in uncertainty analysis techniques across the 'EURADOS Working Group 10-Retrospective dosimetry' members, to give concrete examples of implementation of the techniques recommended in the international standards, and to further promote the use of Monte Carlo techniques to support characterisation of uncertainties. It is concluded that sufficient techniques are available and in use by most laboratories for acute, whole body exposures to highly penetrating radiation, but further work will be required to ensure that statistical analysis is always wholly sufficient for the more complex exposure scenarios.

Retrospective analysis of bottlenose dolphin foraging: a legacy of anthropogenic ecosystem disturbance

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Rossman, Sam; Barros, Nélio B.; Ostrom, Peggy H.; Stricker, Craig A.; Hohn, Aleta A.; Gandhi, Hasand; Wells, Randall S.

2013-01-01

We used stable isotope analysis to investigate the foraging ecology of coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in relation to a series of anthropogenic disturbances. We first demonstrated that stable isotopes are a faithful indicator of habitat use by comparing muscle isotope values to behavioral foraging data from the same individuals. δ13C values increased, while δ34S and δ15N values decreased with the percentage of feeding observations in seagrass habitat. We then utilized stable isotope values of muscle to assess temporal variation in foraging habitat from 1991 to 2010 and collagen from tooth crown tips to assess the time period 1944 to 2007. From 1991 to 2010, δ13C values of muscle decreased while δ34S values increased indicating reduced utilization of seagrass habitat. From 1944 to 1989 δ13C values of the crown tip declined significantly, likely due to a reduction in the coverage of seagrass habitat and δ15N values significantly increased, a trend we attribute to nutrient loading from a rapidly increasing human population. Our results demonstrate the utility of using marine mammal foraging habits to retrospectively assess the extent to which anthropogenic disturbance impacts coastal food webs.

Retrospective Attention Interacts with Stimulus Strength to Shape Working Memory Performance.

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Theresa Wildegger

Full Text Available Orienting attention retrospectively to selective contents in working memory (WM influences performance. A separate line of research has shown that stimulus strength shapes perceptual representations. There is little research on how stimulus strength during encoding shapes WM performance, and how effects of retrospective orienting might vary with changes in stimulus strength. We explore these questions in three experiments using a continuous-recall WM task. In Experiment 1 we show that benefits of cueing spatial attention retrospectively during WM maintenance (retrocueing varies according to stimulus contrast during encoding. Retrocueing effects emerge for supraliminal but not sub-threshold stimuli. However, once stimuli are supraliminal, performance is no longer influenced by stimulus contrast. In Experiments 2 and 3 we used a mixture-model approach to examine how different sources of error in WM are affected by contrast and retrocueing. For high-contrast stimuli (Experiment 2, retrocues increased the precision of successfully remembered items. For low-contrast stimuli (Experiment 3, retrocues decreased the probability of mistaking a target with distracters. These results suggest that the processes by which retrospective attentional orienting shape WM performance are dependent on the quality of WM representations, which in turn depends on stimulus strength during encoding.

A Retrospective Examination of a University's Thirteen Years in Latin America.

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Blood, Ronald E.; And Others

The context of educational reform within which U.S. higher education has worked in selected Latin American countries is examined, with attention directed to the specific experience of the University of New Mexico. The evolution of the Latin American Programs in Education office (LAPE) in the university setting, the organizational milieu in which…

Pleural space infections after image-guided percutaneous drainage of infected intraabdominal fluid collections: a retrospective single institution analysis.

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Avella, Diego M; Toth, Jennifer W; Reed, Michael F; Gusani, Niraj J; Kimchi, Eric T; Mahraj, Rickeshvar P; Staveley-O'Carroll, Kevin F; Kaifi, Jussuf T

2015-04-11

Percutaneous drainage of infected intraabdominal fluid collections is preferred over surgical drainage due to lower morbidity and costs. However, it can be a challenging procedure and catheter insertion carries the potential to contaminate the pleural space from the abdomen. This retrospective analysis demonstrates the clinical and radiographic correlation between percutaneous drainage of infected intraabdominal collections and the development of iatrogenic pleural space infections. A retrospective single institution analysis of 550 consecutive percutaneous drainage procedures for intraabdominal fluid collections was performed over 24 months. Patient charts and imaging were reviewed with regard to pleural space infections that were attributed to percutaneous drain placements. Institutional review board approval was obtained for conduct of the study. 6/550 (1.1%) patients developed iatrogenic pleural space infections after percutaneous drainage of intraabdominal fluid collections. All 6 patients presented with respiratory symptoms and required pleural space drainage (either by needle aspiration or chest tube placement), 2 received intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy and 1 patient had to undergo surgical drainage. Pleural effusion cultures revealed same bacteria in both intraabdominal and pleural fluid in 3 (50%) cases. A video with a dynamic radiographic sequence demonstrating the contamination of the pleural space from percutaneous drainage of an infected intraabdominal collection is included. Iatrogenic pleural space infections after percutaneous drainage of intraabdominal fluid collections occur at a low incidence, but the pleural empyema can be progressive requiring prompt chest tube drainage, intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy or even surgery. Expertise in intraabdominal drain placements, awareness and early recognition of this complication is critical to minimize incidence, morbidity and mortality in these patients.

Infantile Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: A retrospective study from a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: In this retrospective analysis, medical records of patients admitted to TAH, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with a diagnosis of IHPS in the years 2011 and 2012 were revised; information on age, sex, birth order, clinical presentation, treatment and outcomes of treatment were collected and analyzed. Results: Sixty one ...

Hair as a long-term retrospective cortisol calendar in orang-utans (Pongo spp.): new perspectives for stress monitoring in captive management and conservation.

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Carlitz, Esther H D; Kirschbaum, Clemens; Stalder, Tobias; van Schaik, Carolus P

2014-01-01

This study examined whether the method of hair cortisol analysis is applicable to orang-utans (Pongo spp.) and can help to advance the objective monitoring of stress in non-human primates. Specifically, we examined whether fundamental prerequisites for hair cortisol analysis are given in orang-utans and, subsequently, whether segmental hair analysis may provide a retrospective calendar of long-term cortisol levels. For this, hair samples were examined from 71 zoo-living orang-utans (38 males, mean age=22.5years; 33 females, mean age=24years) for which detailed records of past living conditions were available. Hair samples were cut from defined body regions and were analyzed either in full length or in segments. Results showed that hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were unrelated to age or sex of the individual animal. HCC were found to be higher in orang-utans, with perceived long-term stressful periods (mean HCC=43.6±26.5pg/mg, n=13) compared to animals without perceived stressful periods (19.3±5.5pg/mg, n=55, P40cm. The possibility of obtaining a retrospective calendar of stress-related cortisol changes through hair analysis was further supported by data of three case studies showing close correspondence between the segmental HCC results and keeper reports of stress exposure during the respective time periods. Finally, low within-animal variation in HCC from different body regions (CV%: 14.3) suggested that this method may also be applicable to naturally shed hair, e.g., as found in nests of wild orang-utans and other great apes. Therefore, using HCC may provide an ideal non-invasive tool for both captive management as well as conservation in orang-utans and potentially other great apes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Planning for Retrospective Conversion: A Simulation of the OCLC TAPECON Service.

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Hanson, Heidi; Pronevitz, Gregory

1989-01-01

Describes a simulation of OCLC's TAPECON retrospective conversion service and its impact on an online catalog in a large university research library. The analysis includes results of Library of Congress Card Numbers, author/title, and title searches, and hit rates based on an analysis of OCLC and locally generated reports. (three references)…

Analysis of sexual assault survivours in a tertiary care hospital in delhi: a retrospective analysis.

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Lal, Sweta; Singh, Alpana; Vaid, Neelam Bala; Behera, Sanjeeta

2014-09-01

Rape and abuse of women are common occurrences, which, many a times go unspoken due to social stigma or fear of retribution. Rape is a crime not against a single human being but against the entire humanity. For granting justice to the rape survivor it becomes necessary that such matters are properly presented before the Courts of Law. Healthcare workers play an important role in this regard because they are the first person who examine the rape victims. They prepare a documented record of medical condition of rape victim and do relevant sample collection. The objective of this study is to analyse demographic and event characteristics of rape victims who presented to the Emergency Department in tertiary care, Delhi after sexual assault. Data was retrospectively collected from the medico legal register of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology between June 2010 to December 2013. We noted a marked increase in the number of cases. Mean age of victims was 17 and most belonged to the lower socio-economic strata of the society. Use of sedatives and physical trauma was not common. Victims often knew the perpetrator of the event. Most (58%) of them reported within one day of the incident. Major degrees of perineal tears were seen in young victims. By understanding the demography of the sexual assault victims, we need to train our doctors for proper evidence collection not just in a government set up but also in private clinics, to help rape victims get justice and proper medical treatment.

Smoking and physical inactivity increase cancer prevalence in BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutation carriers: results from a retrospective observational analysis.

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Grill, Sabine; Yahiaoui-Doktor, Maryam; Dukatz, Ricarda; Lammert, Jacqueline; Ullrich, Mirjam; Engel, Christoph; Pfeifer, Katharina; Basrai, Maryam; Siniatchkin, Michael; Schmidt, Thorsten; Weisser, Burkhard; Rhiem, Kerstin; Ditsch, Nina; Schmutzler, Rita; Bischoff, Stephan C; Halle, Martin; Kiechle, Marion

2017-12-01

The aim of this analysis in a pilot study population was to investigate whether we can verify seemingly harmful lifestyle factors such as nicotine and alcohol indulgence, obesity, and physical inactivity, as well as a low socioeconomic status for increased cancer prevalence in a cohort of BRCA 1 and 2 mutation carriers. The analysis data are derived from 68 participants of the lifestyle intervention study LIBRE-1, a randomized, prospective trial that aimed to test the feasibility of a lifestyle modification in BRCA 1 and 2 mutation carriers. At study entry, factors such as medical history, lifestyle behavior, and socioeconomic status were retrospectively documented by interview and the current BMI was determined by clinical examination. The baseline measurements were compared within the cohort, and presented alongside reference values for the German population. Study participants indicating a higher physical activity during their adolescence showed a significantly lower cancer prevalence (p = 0.019). A significant difference in cancer occurrence was observed in those who smoked prior to the disease, and those who did not smoke (p physical activity level than diseased mutation carriers (p = 0.046). The present data in this small cohort of 68 mutation carriers suggest that smoking and low physical activity during adolescence are risk factors for developing breast cancer in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Further data of the ongoing LIBRE 2 study are necessary to confirm these findings in a larger cohort of 600 mutation carriers.

Analysis of injuries from the Army Ten Miler: A 6-year retrospective review.

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Pasquina, Paul F; Griffin, Sarah C; Anderson-Barnes, Victoria C; Tsao, Jack W; O'Connor, Francis G

2013-01-01

A number of long-distance running events are held each year in the United States; the Army Ten Miler (ATM) is one such race held annually in Washington, DC. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively analyze medical encounters for runners participating in the ATM from 1998 to 2004. Of the estimated 91,750 runners over the 6-year period, 73,100 participants finished the race and were included in the data analysis. Demographic and injury data were collected from medical records of participants who received medical care while participating in the ATM, and injury-related factors were assessed. The most common category of injury was musculoskeletal (44%), followed by medical-related problems (27%) and dermatological injuries (27%). Similar to marathon and ironman races, ATM injury rates correlate with race-day temperature and dew point. Overall, however, the injury rates observed at the ATM were relatively low compared to those reported for longer distance events. Finally, we detail the medical coverage provided at the ATM, as this coverage could be used as a guide for similarly distanced races.

76 FR 26651 - Reducing Regulatory Burden; Retrospective Review Under E.O. 13563

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-09

..., ongoing culture of retrospective analysis? The Department's leadership, beginning with Secretary Clinton... more democratic, secure, and prosperous world composed of well-governed states that respond to the...

Academic Workload and Working Time: Retrospective Perceptions versus Time-Series Data

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Kyvik, Svein

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to examine the validity of perceptions by academic staff about their past and present workload and working hours. Retrospective assessments are compared with time-series data. The data are drawn from four mail surveys among academic staff in Norwegian universities undertaken in the period 1982-2008. The findings show…

A retrospective analysis of glycol and toxic alcohol ingestion: utility of anion and osmolal gaps

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Krasowski Matthew D

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients ingesting ethylene glycol, isopropanol, methanol, and propylene glycol ('toxic alcohols' often present with non-specific signs and symptoms. Definitive diagnosis of toxic alcohols has traditionally been by gas chromatography (GC, a technique not commonly performed on-site in hospital clinical laboratories. The objectives of this retrospective study were: 1 to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the osmolal gap in screening for toxic alcohol ingestion and 2 to determine the common reasons other than toxic alcohol ingestion for elevated osmolal gaps. Methods Electronic medical records from an academic tertiary care medical center were searched to identify all patients in the time period from January 1, 1996 to September 1, 2010 who had serum/plasma ethanol, glucose, sodium, blood urea nitrogen, and osmolality measured simultaneously, and also all patients who had GC analysis for toxic alcohols. Detailed chart review was performed on all patients with osmolal gap of 9 or greater. Results In the study period, 20,669 patients had determination of serum/plasma ethanol and osmolal gap upon presentation to the hospitals. There were 341 patients with an osmolal gap greater than 14 (including correction for estimated contribution of ethanol on initial presentation to the medical center. Seventy-seven patients tested positive by GC for one or more toxic alcohols; all had elevated anion gap or osmolal gap or both. Other than toxic alcohols, the most common causes for an elevated osmolal gap were recent heavy ethanol consumption with suspected alcoholic ketoacidosis, renal failure, shock, and recent administration of mannitol. Only 9 patients with osmolal gap greater than 50 and no patients with osmolal gap greater than 100 were found to be negative for toxic alcohols. Conclusions Our study concurs with other investigations that show that osmolal gap can be a useful diagnostic test in conjunction with clinical history and physical

Retrospective analysis of the efficacy of omalizumab in chronic refractory urticaria

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Viswanathan, Ravi K.; Moss, Mark H.

2013-01-01

Omalizumab has been shown to be effective in chronic urticaria (CU) patients in numerous reports. However, it remains unknown whether there are specific phenotypes of CU that are more responsive to omalizumab therapy. We sought to identify CU phenotypes responsive to treatment with omalizumab by characterizing patients and their response patterns. A retrospective chart review analysis of refractory CU patients unresponsive to high-dose H1-blockers and immunomodulators and subsequently treated with omalizumab at the University of Wisconsin Allergy Clinic was performed with particular focus on their autoimmune characteristics, response to therapy, and dosing parameters. We analyzed 19 refractory CU patients (16 patients failed or had toxic side effects to immunomodulators) treated with omalizumab with an overall response rate of 89% (17/19). Of these 19 patients, 9 patients (47%) had a complete response, 8 patients (42%) had a partial response, and 2 patients (11%) had no response. In comparing the response patterns to omalizumab, we found no statistically significant differences among “autoimmune positive” versus “autoimmune negative” patients. No statistically significant differences in responses were observed when comparing demographic parameters including age, gender, IgE levels, or dosing regimen. Our study shows that omalizumab has robust efficacy in refractory CU patients regardless of their autoimmune status, age, gender, IgE levels, or dosing protocol. PMID:23998242

Clinical and molecular genetic analysis of best vitelliform macular dystrophy.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boon, C.J.F.; Theelen, T.; Hoefsloot, L.H.; Schooneveld, M.J. van; Keunen, J.E.E.; Cremers, F.P.M.; Klevering, B.J.; Hoyng, C.B.

2009-01-01

PURPOSE: To describe the phenotype of Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD) and to evaluate genotype-phenotype and histopathologic correlations. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients with BVMD who underwent an extensive ophthalmic examination, including best-corrected Snellen visual

CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF BEST VITELLIFORM MACULAR DYSTROPHY

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boon, Camiel J. F.; Theelen, Thomas; Hoefsloot, Elisabeth H.; van Schooneveld, Mary J.; Keunen, Jan E. E.; Cremers, Frans P. M.; Klevering, B. Jeroen; Hoyng, Carel B.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To describe the phenotype of Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD) and to evaluate genotype-phenotype and histopathologic correlations. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with BVMD who underwent an extensive ophthalmic examination, including best-corrected Snellen visual

A retrospective analysis of the effect of discussion in teleconference and face-to-face scientific peer-review panels

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Carpenter, Afton S; Sullivan, Joanne H; Deshmukh, Arati; Glisson, Scott R; Gallo, Stephen A

2015-01-01

Objective With the use of teleconferencing for grant peer-review panels increasing, further studies are necessary to determine the efficacy of the teleconference setting compared to the traditional onsite/face-to-face setting. The objective of this analysis was to examine the effects of discussion, namely changes in application scoring premeeting and postdiscussion, in these settings. We also investigated other parameters, including the magnitude of score shifts and application discussion time in face-to-face and teleconference review settings. Design The investigation involved a retrospective, quantitative analysis of premeeting and postdiscussion scores and discussion times for teleconference and face-to-face review panels. The analysis included 260 and 212 application score data points and 212 and 171 discussion time data points for the face-to-face and teleconference settings, respectively. Results The effect of discussion was found to be small, on average, in both settings. However, discussion was found to be important for at least 10% of applications, regardless of setting, with these applications moving over a potential funding line in either direction (fundable to unfundable or vice versa). Small differences were uncovered relating to the effect of discussion between settings, including a decrease in the magnitude of the effect in the teleconference panels as compared to face-to-face. Discussion time (despite teleconferences having shorter discussions) was observed to have little influence on the magnitude of the effect of discussion. Additionally, panel discussion was found to often result in a poorer score (as opposed to an improvement) when compared to reviewer premeeting scores. This was true regardless of setting or assigned reviewer type (primary or secondary reviewer). Conclusions Subtle differences were observed between settings, potentially due to reduced engagement in teleconferences. Overall, further research is required on the psychology of

NBME subject examination in surgery scores correlate with surgery clerkship clinical experience.

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Myers, Jonathan A; Vigneswaran, Yalini; Gabryszak, Beth; Fogg, Louis F; Francescatti, Amanda B; Golner, Christine; Bines, Steven D

2014-01-01

Most medical schools in the United States use the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examinations as a method of at least partial assessment of student performance, yet there is still uncertainty of how well these examination scores correlate with clinical proficiency. Thus, we investigated which factors in a surgery clerkship curriculum have a positive effect on academic achievement on the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examination in Surgery. A retrospective analysis of 83 third-year medical students at our institution with 4 unique clinical experiences on the general surgery clerkship for the 2007-2008 academic year was conducted. Records of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores, National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examination in Surgery scores, and essay examination scores for the groups were compared using 1-way analysis of variance testing. Rush University Medical Center, Chicago IL, an academic institution and tertiary care center. Our data demonstrated National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examination in Surgery scores from the group with the heavier clinical loads and least time for self-study were statistically higher than the group with lighter clinical services and higher rated self-study time (p = 0.036). However, there was no statistical difference of National Board of Medical Examiners Subject Examination in Surgery scores between the groups with equal clinical loads (p = 0.751). Students experiencing higher clinical volumes on surgical services, but less self-study time demonstrated statistically higher academic performance on objective evaluation, suggesting clinical experience may be of higher value than self-study and reading. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incidence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism in oncological oral and maxillofacial operations: retrospective analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lodders, J.N.; Parmar, S.; Stienen, N.L.M.; Martin, T.J.; Karagozoglu, K.H.; Heymans, M.W.; Forouzanfar, T.

2015-01-01

We retrospectively analysed the incidence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) and associated risk factors in operations under general anaesthesia for cancer of the oral cavity. To identify symptoms related to deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), together with associated

Retrospective analysis of mode survival, reliability of atrial sensing and incidence of atrial tachyarrhythmias in 307 single-lead VDD pacemaker patients.

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Zupan, Igor; Lipar, Luka; Zizek, David; Boute, Wim; Vidmar, Masa; Gabrijelcic, Tone; Rakovec, Peter; Brecelj, Ales

2006-10-01

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to investigate VDD mode survival, development of atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT), and long-term atrial sensing performance of VDD pacing systems. We implanted single-lead VDD pacemakers in patients with isolated atrioventricular block and performed a retrospective analysis of 307 patients who had their devices implanted between May 1994 and September 2001. In 39 patients (12.7%), the pacing mode had to be reprogrammed to a single-chamber ventricular pacing mode, mostly due to permanent AT. In 16 of these patients, the atrial sensing safety margin was less than 150%. The atrial sensing safety margin was insufficient, i.e. less than 100% in only seven patients. Although only 12 (3.9%) of the patients had a history of paroxysmal AT at the time of pacemaker implantation, 200 (65%) patients presented with AT during follow-up. The mean AT burden at the last follow-up was 2.5%. These data illustrate that single-lead VDD pacemakers can be applied without serious complications in a highly selected group of patients. Our main concern is the development of AT in a large part of our population. Over a 10-year period, two thirds of our patients presented with AT.

Flow, Liver, Flow: A Retrospective Analysis of the Interplay of Liver Disease and Coagulopathy in Chronic Subdural Hematoma.

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Kolcun, John Paul George; Gernsback, Joanna Elizabeth; Richardson, Angela Mae; Jagid, Jonathan Russell

2017-06-01

Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is a common neurosurgical ailment, particularly in elderly patients. A recent study uncovered an association between liver disease and recurrence in patients with cSDH. Here, we explored that relationship to identify recurrence predictors in at-risk patients. We hypothesized that the association between liver disease and recurrence was attributable to coagulopathy secondary to liver disease. We retrospectively reviewed all patients with cSDH treated with burr-hole drainage by 2 surgeons between 2007 and 2015. Comorbidities and laboratory findings for each patient were examined by Pearson χ 2 analysis or Mann-Whitney U tests. We identified 261 cSDH in 215 patients. Patients were a mean age of 65.6 years, and 72% were male. Sixteen patients with cSDH required repeat surgery (6.1%). There were 123 coagulopathic patients (47.1%), and 14 with liver disease (5.4%), all of whom were coagulopathic (P < 0.001). Coagulopathic patients with liver disease were more likely to experience recurrence than patients with coagulopathy alone (relative risk = 4.09, P = 0.019). Patients with liver disease had significantly elevated prothrombin time (P = 0.013) and reduced platelet counts (P < 0.001). Platelets also were reduced in coagulopathic patients with liver disease, as compared with those with coagulopathy alone (P = 0.002). Thrombocytopenia remained significant in a multivariate analysis (P < 0.001). Liver disease is significantly associated with the recurrence of cSDH. Although coagulopathy alone does not predict recurrence, patients with coagulopathy and liver disease are at greater risk for recurrence than those with coagulopathy alone. Liver disease effects are reflected in certain hematologic laboratory values. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonographic findings in patients examined in cataract detection-andtreatment campaigns: a retrospective study

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Marcio Henrique Mendes

2009-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: A cataract is defined as an opacity of any portion of the lens, regardless of visual acuity. In some advanced cases of cataracts, in which good fundus visualization is not possible, an ultrasound examination provides better assessment of the posterior segment of the globe. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the ultrasonographic records of patients with advanced cataracts who were examined during cataract campaigns. METHODS: The ultrasonographic findings obtained from 215 patients examined in cataract campaigns conducted by the Hospital das Clínicas Department of Ophthalmology of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo between the years of 2005 and 2007 were evaluated, and the utility of this exam in changing the treatment procedures was studied. RESULTS: A total of 289 eyes from 215 patients were examined. Of the eyes examined, 77.5% presented with findings in the vitreous cavity and the posterior pole. A posterior vitreous detachment with no other complications was observed in 47.4% of the eyes. The remaining 30.1% presented with eye diseases that could result in a reduced visual function after surgery. The most frequent eye diseases observed were diffuse vitreous opacity (12.1% of the eyes and detachment of the retina (9.3% of the eyes. DISCUSSION: In many cases, the ultrasonographic evaluation of the posterior segment revealed significant anomalies that changed the original treatment plan or contra-indicated surgery. At the very least, the evaluation was useful for patient counseling. CONCLUSION: The ultrasonographic examination revealed and differentiated between eyes with cataracts and eyes with ocular abnormalities other than cataracts as the cause of poor vision, thereby indicating the importance of its use during ocular evaluation.

Influence of retrospective sorting on image quality in respiratory correlated computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guckenberger, Matthias; Weininger, Markus; Wilbert, Juergen; Richter, Anne; Baier, Kurt; Krieger, Thomas; Polat, Buelent; Flentje, Michael

2007-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of retrospective sorting on image quality in four-dimensional respiratory correlated CT. Materials and methods: Twelve patients with intrapulmonary tumors were examined using a 24-slice CT-scanner in helical mode. Images were reconstructed after retrospective sorting based on five algorithms: amplitude-based sorting with definition of peak-exhalation and peak-inhalation separately/locally for all breathing cycles (LAS) and globally for the time of image acquisition (GAS). Drifts of the breathing signal were corrected in dc-GAS. In phase-based (PS) and cycle-based (CS) algorithm the projections were sorted relative to time. Motion artifacts were scored by a radiologist. The tumor volumes were measured using automatic image segmentation. Results: Averaged over all breathing phases, LAS and PS achieved significantly improved image quality and lowest tumor volume variability compared to GAS, dc-GAS and CS. Imaging redundancy of 5 s was not sufficient for GAS and dc-GAS: missing corresponding amplitude positions in one or several breathing cycles resulted in incomplete reconstruction of peak-ventilation images in 11/12 and 10/12 patients with GAS and dc-GAS, respectively. Limiting the analysis to mid-ventilation phases showed GAS and dc-GAS as the most reliable algorithms. Conclusions: LAS and PS are suggested as a compromise between image quality and radiation dose

Socio-demographic and other patient characteristics associated with time between colonoscopy and surgery, and choice of treatment centre for colorectal cancer: a retrospective cohort study

OpenAIRE

Goldsbury, David; Harris, Mark Fort; Pascoe, Shane; Olver, Ian; Barton, Michael; Spigelman, Allan; O'Connell, Dianne

2012-01-01

Objectives To investigate key patient clinical and demographic characteristics associated with time between colonoscopy and surgery, and choice of treatment centre for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This will add to the little published research examining the pathway following CRC diagnosis and prior to surgery. Design Retrospective cohort analysis of linked data. Setting A population-based sample of people diagnosed August 2004 to December 2007 in New South Wales, Australia. Participants ...

Retrospective Analysis of 513 Cases Diagnosed with Rib Fracture Secondary to Blunt Thorax Trauma

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Serdar Ozkan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Aim: This study aimed to analyze blunt chest trauma cases who were diagnosed with rib fracture and to examine the regional differences likely to appear in trauma cases and treatment approaches. Material and Method: 513 cases who applied to the Emergency Service and Department of Thoracic Surgery between October 2013 and December 2014 due to blunt trauma and were diagnosed with rib fracture were retrospectively examined. The cases were evaluated in terms of etiological factors, thoracic, and other system injuries accompanying the rib fracture, prognosis, and the treatments applied. Results: Isolated rib fracture was present in 266 of the cases. Thoracic organ injuries such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, hemopneumothorax, lung contusion, or laceration and sternal fracture accompanying the rib fracture were present in 247 of the cases. While one or two rib fractures were detected in 298 cases, six or more rib fractures were present in 28 cases. 78.2% of hemothorax cases, 85.3% of pneumothorax cases, 95.4% of hemopneumothorax cases, 81.8% of bilateral pneumothorax cases, 26% of bilateral hemothorax cases, and 71.4% of bilateral hemopneumothorax cases were treated by applying tube thoracostomy. 129 cases diagnosed with thoracic organ injury in addition to rib fracture but not subjected to surgical intervention, and 266 cases diagnosed with isolated rib fracture were discharged with full recovery after appropriate medical treatment. Discussion: Most of the rib fractures occurring due to blunt trauma are treated successfully with medical treatments and conservative approaches and do not need advanced surgical treatments.

Peritoneal dialysis peritonitis by anaerobic pathogens: a retrospective case series

OpenAIRE

Chao, Chia-Ter; Lee, Szu-Ying; Yang, Wei-Shun; Chen, Huei-Wen; Fang, Cheng-Chung; Yen, Chung-Jen; Chiang, Chih-Kang; Hung, Kuan-Yu; Huang, Jenq-Wen

2013-01-01

Background Bacterial infections account for most peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis episodes. However, anaerobic PD peritonitis is extremely rare and intuitively associated with intra-abdominal lesions. In this study, we examined the clinical characteristics of PD patients who developed anaerobic peritonitis. Methods We retrospectively identified all anaerobic PD peritonitis episodes from a prospectively collected PD registry at a single center between 1990 and 2010. Only patient...

Examining the Minimal Important Difference of Patient-reported Outcome Measures for Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mills, Kathryn A G; Naylor, Justine M; Eyles, Jillian P

2016-01-01

injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 272 patients with knee OA undergoing a multidisciplinary nonsurgical management strategy. The magnitude and rate of change as well as the influence of baseline covariates were examined...... for 5 KOOS subscales over 52 weeks. The MID for improving and worsening were investigated using 4 anchor-based methods. RESULTS: Waitlisted for joint replacement and exhibiting unilateral/bilateral symptoms influenced change in KOOS over time. Generally, low correlations between anchors and KOOS change...

Patterns of zolpidem use among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: A retrospective cohort analysis

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Amuan, Megan E.; Jaramillo, Carlos A.; Eapen, Blessen C.

2018-01-01

Background Although concern exists regarding the adverse effects and rate of zolpidem use, especially long-term use, limited information is available concerning patterns of zolpidem use. Objective To examine the prevalence and correlates of zolpidem exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans (IAVs). Methods A retrospective cohort study of zolpidem prescriptions was performed with National Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data. We gathered national VA inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy data files for IAV’s who received VA care between fiscal years (FY) 2013 and 2014. The VA pharmacy database was used to identify the prevalence of long term (>30 days), high-dose zolpidem exposure (>10mg immediate-release; >12.5mg extended-release) and other medications received in FY14. Baseline characteristics (demographics, diagnoses) were identified in FY13. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to examine the demographic, clinical, and medication correlates of zolpidem use. Results Of 493,683 IAVs who received VHA care in FY 2013 and 2014, 7.6% (n = 37,422) were prescribed zolpidem in FY 2014. Women had lower odds of high-dose zolpidem exposure than men. The majority (77.3%) of IAVs who received zolpidem prescriptions had long-term use with an average days’ supply of 189.3 days and a minority (0.9%) had high-dose exposure. In multivariable analyses, factors associated with long-term zolpidem exposure included age greater than 29 years old, PTSD, insomnia, Selim Index, physical 2–3 conditions, opioids, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics, and stimulants. High dose exposure was associated with PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, insomnia, benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics, and stimulant prescriptions. Conclusion The current practices of insomnia pharmacotherapy in IAVs fall short of the clinical guidelines and may reflect high-risk zolpidem prescribing practices that put Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans at risk for adverse effects

Adult "termination-of-resuscitation" (TOR)-criteria may not be suitable for children - a retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rotering, Victoria Maria; Trepels-Kottek, Sonja; Heimann, Konrad; Brokmann, Jörg-Christian; Orlikowsky, Thorsten; Schoberer, Mark

2016-12-07

Only a small number of patients survive out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA). The duration of CPR varies considerably and transportation of patients under CPR is often unsuccessful. Termination-of-resuscitation (TOR)-criteria aim to preclude futile resuscitation efforts. Our goal was to find out to which extent existing TOR-criteria can be transferred to paediatric OHCA-patients with special regard to their prognostic value. We performed a retrospective analysis of an eleven-year single centre patient cohort. 43 paediatric patients admitted to our institution after emergency-medical-system (EMS)-confirmed OHCA from 2003 to 2013 were included. Morrison's BLS- and ALS-TOR-rules as well as the Trauma-TOR-criteria by the American Association of EMS Physicians were evaluated for application in children, by calculating sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive value for death-, as well as survival-prediction in our cohort. 26 patients achieved ROSC and 14 were discharged alive (n = 7 PCPC 1/2, n = 7 PCPC 5). Sensitivity for BLS-TOR-criteria predicting death was 48.3%, specificity 92.9%, the PPV 93.3% and the NPV 46.4%. ALS-TOR-criteria for death had a sensitivity of 10.3%, specificity of 100%, a PPV of 100% and an NPV of 35%. Retrospective application of the BLS-TOR-rule in our patient cohort identified the resuscitation of one later survivor as futile. ALS-TOR-criteria did not give false predictions of death. The proportion of CPRs that could have been abandoned is 48.2% for the BLS-TOR and only 10.3% for the ALS-TOR-rule. Both rules therefore appear not to be transferable to a paediatric population.

Retrospective analysis on malignant calcification previously misdiagnosed as benign on screening mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Su Min; Cha, Joo Hee; Kim, Hak Hee; Shin, Hee Jung; Chae, Eun Young; Choi, Woo Jung

2017-01-01

The purpose of our study was to investigate the morphology and distribution of calcifications initially interpreted as benign or probably benign, but proven to be malignant by subsequent stereotactic biopsy, and to identify the reason for misinterpretation or underestimation at the initial diagnosis. Out of 567 women who underwent stereotactic biopsy for calcifications at our hospital between January 2012 and December 2014, 167 women were diagnosed with malignancy. Forty-six of these 167 women had previous mammography assessed as benign or probably benign which was changed to suspicious malignancy on follow-up mammography. Of these 46 women, three women with biopsy-proven benign calcifications at the site of subsequent cancer were excluded, and 43 patients were finally included. The calcifications (morphology, distribution, extent, associated findings) in the previous and follow-up mammography examinations were analyzed according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon and assessment category. We classified the patients into two groups: 1) group A patients who were still retrospectively re-categorized as less than or equal to BI-RADS 3 and 2) group B patients who were re-categorized as equal to or higher than BI-RADS 4a and whose results should have prompted previous diagnostic assessment. In the follow-up mammography examinations, change in calcification morphology (n = 27, 63%) was the most frequent cause of assessment change. The most frequent previous mammographic findings of malignant calcification were amorphous morphology (n = 26, 60%) and grouped distribution (n = 36, 84%). The most frequent calcification findings at reassessment were amorphous morphology (n = 4, 9%), fine pleomorphic calcification (n = 30, 70%), grouped distribution (n = 23, 53%), and segmental calcification (n = 12, 28%). There were 33 (77%) patients in group A, and 10 patients (23%) in group B. Amorphous morphology and grouped distribution were the most frequent

Retrospective analysis on malignant calcification previously misdiagnosed as benign on screening mammography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Su Min [Dept. of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Chung Ang University Hospital, Seoul(Korea, Republic of); Cha, Joo Hee; Kim, Hak Hee; Shin, Hee Jung; Chae, Eun Young; Choi, Woo Jung [Dept. of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-15

The purpose of our study was to investigate the morphology and distribution of calcifications initially interpreted as benign or probably benign, but proven to be malignant by subsequent stereotactic biopsy, and to identify the reason for misinterpretation or underestimation at the initial diagnosis. Out of 567 women who underwent stereotactic biopsy for calcifications at our hospital between January 2012 and December 2014, 167 women were diagnosed with malignancy. Forty-six of these 167 women had previous mammography assessed as benign or probably benign which was changed to suspicious malignancy on follow-up mammography. Of these 46 women, three women with biopsy-proven benign calcifications at the site of subsequent cancer were excluded, and 43 patients were finally included. The calcifications (morphology, distribution, extent, associated findings) in the previous and follow-up mammography examinations were analyzed according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon and assessment category. We classified the patients into two groups: 1) group A patients who were still retrospectively re-categorized as less than or equal to BI-RADS 3 and 2) group B patients who were re-categorized as equal to or higher than BI-RADS 4a and whose results should have prompted previous diagnostic assessment. In the follow-up mammography examinations, change in calcification morphology (n = 27, 63%) was the most frequent cause of assessment change. The most frequent previous mammographic findings of malignant calcification were amorphous morphology (n = 26, 60%) and grouped distribution (n = 36, 84%). The most frequent calcification findings at reassessment were amorphous morphology (n = 4, 9%), fine pleomorphic calcification (n = 30, 70%), grouped distribution (n = 23, 53%), and segmental calcification (n = 12, 28%). There were 33 (77%) patients in group A, and 10 patients (23%) in group B. Amorphous morphology and grouped distribution were the most frequent

Complications in lumbar spine surgery: A retrospective analysis

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Luca Proietti

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Surgical treatment of adult lumbar spinal disorders is associated with a substantial risk of intraoperative and perioperative complications. There is no clearly defined medical literature on complication in lumbar spine surgery. Purpose of the study is to retrospectively evaluate intraoperative and perioperative complications who underwent various lumbar surgical procedures and to study the possible predisposing role of advanced age in increasing this rate. Materials and Methods: From 2007 to 2011 the number and type of complications were recorded and both univariate, (considering the patients′ age and a multivariate statistical analysis was conducted in order to establish a possible predisposing role. 133 were lumbar disc hernia treated with microdiscetomy, 88 were lumbar stenosis, treated in 36 cases with only decompression, 52 with decompression and instrumentation with a maximum of 2 levels. 26 patients showed a lumbar fracture treated with percutaneous or open screw fixation. 12 showed a scoliotic or kyphotic deformity treated with decompression, fusion and osteotomies with a maximum of 7.3 levels of fusion (range 5-14. 70 were spondylolisthesis treated with 1 or more level of fusion. In 34 cases a fusion till S1 was performed. Results: Of the 338 patients who underwent surgery, 55 showed one or more complications. Type of surgical treatment ( P = 0.004, open surgical approach (open P = 0.001 and operative time ( P = 0.001 increased the relative risk (RR of complication occurrence of 2.3, 3.8 and 5.1 respectively. Major complications are more often seen in complex surgical treatment for severe deformities, in revision surgery and in anterior approaches with an occurrence of 58.3%. Age greater than 65 years, despite an increased RR of perioperative complications (1.5, does not represent a predisposing risk factor to complications ( P = 0.006. Conclusion: Surgical decision-making and exclusion of patients is not justified only

Hospitalization for partial nephrectomy was not associated with intrathecal opioid analgesia: Retrospective analysis.

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Weingarten, Toby N; Del Mundo, Serena B; Yeoh, Tze Yeng; Scavonetto, Federica; Leibovich, Bradley C; Sprung, Juraj

2014-10-01

The aim of this retrospective study is to test the hypothesis that the use of spinal analgesia shortens the length of hospital stay after partial nephrectomy. We reviewed all patients undergoing partial nephrectomy for malignancy through flank incision between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2011. We excluded patients who underwent tumor thrombectomy, used sustained-release opioids, or had general anesthesia supplemented by epidural analgesia. Patients were grouped into "spinal" (intrathecal opioid injection for postoperative analgesia) versus "general anesthetic" group, and "early" discharge group (within 3 postoperative days) versus "late" group. Association between demographics, patient physical status, anesthetic techniques, and surgical complexity and hospital stay were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Of 380 patients, 158 (41.6%) were discharged "early" and 151 (39.7%) were "spinal" cases. Both spinal and early discharge groups had better postoperative pain control and used less postoperative systemic opioids. Spinal analgesia was associated with early hospital discharge, odds ratio 1.52, (95% confidence interval 1.00-2.30), P = 0.05, but in adjusted analysis was no longer associated with early discharge, 1.16 (0.73-1.86), P = 0.52. Early discharge was associated with calendar year, with more recent years being associated with early discharge. Spinal analgesia combined with general anesthesia was associated with improved postoperative pain control during the 1(st) postoperative day, but not with shorter hospital stay following partial nephrectomy. Therefore, unaccounted practice changes that occurred during more recent times affected hospital stay.

The phenomenon of social assistance in the humanities: a retrospective analysis

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I. S. Lazarenko

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the phenomenon of social assistance in humanitarian schools. Such as: 1 Philosophy; 2 Cultural Studies; 3 Law; 3 Socio-pedagogical science. Retrospective analysis allowed revealing the research principles of social assistance analysis, functional features and differences of this phenomenon. Established that the theoretical basis of social assistance study incorporated in works of ancient philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. Analyzed influence on the formation of social assistance scientific research by religious philosophers of the Middle Ages (F. Aquinas, A. Blessed. Deals the transformation of social assistance understanding from a part of society moral to forms of social interaction. Civilizational approach outlined in the cultural mainstream schools (B. Malinowski, C. Polanyi. It was determined that the cultural research traditions of social assistance understood this phenomena as a repeater of cultural heritage through the traditions of the community. Outlined scientific approach to social assistance in Law sciences. It was found that representatives of Socio-pedagogical and Political Science have used theoretical developments sociologists (M. Weber, J. Mead, H. Blumer, T. Parsons, R. Merton, E Giddens. Demonstrated that in Political Science social assistance acts as a functional tool for implementation of social policy. Characterized the role of social assistance within different models of social policy and its positions in state and international organization. Deals with the fundamental difference between the concepts of «social assistance» and «social work». Outlined limits the use of these concepts in humanitarian studies. The analysis allows us to formulate research strategies study the phenomenon of social assistance in modern society. In particular sociological perspective updated study of the phenomenon of social assistance. Actually, applied achievements of classic theory of social capital in the

THE RISKS OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR ADOLESCENCE: EXPERIENCE IN A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

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Aminat Danjalovna Vislova

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The problem of the risks of drug abuse as a form of deviant behavior in the context of adolescence. In this study deviant behavior appears as actions (or willingness to commit them, contrary to the generally accepted cultural and moral values, as well as socio-psychological and legal norms, including the abuse of alcohol, drugs and other psychoactive substances Study prerequisites for the formation of drug addiction in adolescence age allows us to trace the link between awareness about drugs and those at risk of developing dependence on them, which are due to the age and psychological characteristics described L.S. Vygotsky and other scientists working in the paradigm of cultural-historical psychology. The article hypothesized that narcogene information can act as a factor of risk of drug use. It is argued that the basis of the commission of a narcotic substance samples is narcogene information and control over the sources that may contribute to the prevention of mass anesthesia teenagers. This assertion is supported by the results of a retrospective study of social and psychological factors in the emergence of drug abuse conducted in the Kabardino-Balkaria republic dispensary, which was attended by 24 active addict aged 18-28 who are registered with the method of questioning.Purpose. To study the role of information on drugs and drug addiction in the range of solutions «for» or «against» in a situation narcogene risk.Methodology. Questioning of active drug abusers.Results. Based on a retrospective analysis of risk factors for drug abuse as a form of deviant behavior found that narcogene information may lead to introduction to drugs. Lack of knowledge about the effects of drugs on the human body, and the temptation to create a stable, creates a high risk on narcotics debut. Drug use leads to a decrease of expression of fear and inadequate assessment of the degree of its danger. It creates a false impression that the drug is easy to give

The stability of osseous metastases of the spine in lung cancer – a retrospective analysis of 338 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rief, Harald; Bischof, Marc; Bruckner, Thomas; Welzel, Thomas; Askoxylakis, Vasileios; Rieken, Stefan; Lindel, Katja; Combs, Stephanie; Debus, Jürgen

2013-01-01

The objective of this retrospective analysis is to systematically assess osseous lesions on the basis of a validated scoring system in terms of stability and fractures prior to and following radiotherapy in 338 lung cancer patients with bone metastases in the vertebral column. The stability of 338 patients with 981 osteolytic metastases in the thoracic and lumbar spine was evaluated retrospectively on the basis of the Taneichi-Score between January 2000 and January 2012. 64% (215 patients) were classified stable prior to radiotherapy. Of the stable osseous metastases, none were rated unstable in the further course (p < 0.001, McNemar test). Of the 123 patients in whom the metastases were classified unstable prior to radiotherapy, 21 patients (17%) were classified stable after three months, and 30 patients (24%) stable after six months. A pathological fracture was diagnosed in 62 patients (18%) prior to radiotherapy. Regarding cases of osteolytic metastases of the vertebral bodies in which no fractures could be detected prior to the start of therapy, fractures occurred in 2% of all patients (n = 7) within six months following radiotherapy. Our analysis demonstrated that pathological fractures following radiotherapy occur in the very minority of vertebral lesions for patients with a favorable outcome. The use of a systematic radiological scoring system to classify osteolytic metastases of the vertebral column has shown to be feasible in daily routine. Prospective clinical trials are warranted in order to analyse, to what extent patients with osseous metastases can be mobilized by physiotherapy for strengthening the paravertebral muscles before radiotherapy effects can be measured by means of radiological recalcification

Uterine Carcinosarcoma Confined to the Pelvis: A Retrospective Review and Outcome Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, H.; TenNapel, M.J.; Bhatia, S.K.; Ahmed, A.; Lin, L.; Jacobson, G.

2014-01-01

Objective. We compared the treatments of uterine carcinosarcoma at our institution and evaluated their impact on survival. Methods. A retrospective analysis was performed on 60 eligible patients with carcinosarcoma limited to the pelvis. Subjects were divided into four categories: surgery, surgery plus chemotherapy, surgery plus radiation therapy, and a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and RT. The most commonly used chemotherapy was cisplatin and/or carboplatin and taxol. Radiotherapy included external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) alone or with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy or HDR brachytherapy alone. Survival probability data were computed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The differences between groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results. The combination of surgery and radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy is seen to improve overall survival (OS) compared to surgery alone (Ρ =0.044 and Ρ =0.028 resp.). Brachytherapy involving three HDR vaginal cylinder fractions shows an equally effective reduction in local recurrence compared to EBRT. Conclusion. Our study of a relatively large number of carcinosarcoma patients suggests that adjuvant radiation therapy improves OS compared to surgery alone. Brachytherapy with 3 HDR vaginal cylinder fractions is preferred because of its time-saving, better tolerance, low toxicity and equivalent OS, and local control compared to EBRT.

Consumer concerns about paracetamol: a retrospective analysis of a medicines call centre.

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Lau, Stephanie M; McGuire, Treasure M; van Driel, Mieke L

2016-06-08

To identify consumer information needs about paracetamol, the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic worldwide. Retrospective analysis of medicines questions from the public. Australian consumer medicines call centre. Callers to National Prescribing Service Medicines Line between September 2002 and June 2010 (n=123 217). Enquiry profile: demographics, enquiry type and concurrent medicines included in paracetamol calls; question themes derived from subset of call narratives. Paracetamol comprised part of the enquiry in 5.2% of calls (n=6367). The caller age distribution for paracetamol calls was skewed towards a younger cohort, with 45.2% made by those aged 25-44 vs 37.5% in 'rest of calls'. Significantly more paracetamol-related calls were made for a child (23.7%) compared with 'rest of calls' (12.7%, pConsumers have many concerns about the use of paracetamol that may be under-recognised by healthcare providers, with the nature of enquiries differing across life stages. These concerns are not adequately addressed by available consumer information. Improving access to targeted information about paracetamol would promote the safe and effective use of this common medicine. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

retrospective data analysis in the Fertility Centre from 1995 to 2000

OpenAIRE

Nahid, Hiwa

2016-01-01

Introduction: It is estimated that worldwide seven to nine percent of couples of reproductive age suffer from infertility and more than 6 million children were already born with the support of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Methodology: In the first part of this study, the medical records of 4136 patients in the Fertility Centre Berlin over a period of time from 1995 to 2000 in terms of duration of infertility were evaluated retrospectively. The age of women, the age difference between the ...

[Doppler ultrasonography of the renal artery: Guidelines and predictive factors for the presence of a tight stenosis. Retrospective analysis of 450 consecutive examinations].

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Dejerome, C; Grange, C; De Laforcade, L; Bonin, O; Laville, M; Lermusiaux, P; Long, A

2018-05-01

Duplex ultrasonography screening for renal artery stenosis has been the object of guidelines published by four societies designed to optimize the cost-effectiveness of the examination. To determine how well guideline indications for ultrasonography matched with requests and results in our university hospital; to determine whether compliance with guidelines was predictive of renal artery stenosis; to identify guidelines predictive of presence of stenosis; and to determine whether other predictive factors can be recognized. Requests and results of 450 Duplex ultrasonography examinations of the renal arteries performed from January 1st 2014 to December 31st 2015 were compared with published guidelines. At least one guideline indication was identified for 212 of the 450 examinations performed (47.1%). Among these examinations, renal artery stenosis≥70% was identified in 18 patients (8.0%). No case of stenosis was identified during examinations performed outside guideline indications. Factors predictive of stenosis were: compliance with guidelines (OR=21.86 [2.88; 165.8]). Predictive guidelines were: resistant hypertension in spite of appropriate treatment (OR=3.85, [1.44; 10.33], P=0.011), accelerated hypertension (OR=7.30, [1.40; 37.99], P=0.049), sudden unexplained pulmonary edema (OR=7.30, [1.40; 37.99], P=0.049), unexplained renal insufficiency (OR=3.58, [1.37; 9.37], P=0.011), unexplained renal hypotrophy (OR=16.69, [4.38; 63.69], P<0.001), renal asymmetry (OR=4.32, [1.45; 12.85], P<0.016). No other factor was predictive of renal stenosis. These examinations had therapeutic consequences in only 50% of patients. This study confirms the relevance of published guidelines. The diagnostic-effectiveness of Duplex ultrasonography examinations to search for renal artery stenosis depends upon compliance with these guidelines. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Where we used to live: validating retrospective measures of childhood neighborhood context for life course epidemiologic studies.

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Theresa L Osypuk

Full Text Available Early life exposures influence numerous social determinants of health, as distal causes or confounders of later health outcomes. Although a growing literature is documenting how early life socioeconomic position affects later life health, few epidemiologic studies have tested measures for operationalizing early life neighborhood context, or examined their effects on later life health. In the Life-course Influences on Fetal Environments (LIFE Study, a retrospective cohort study among Black women in Southfield, Michigan (71% response rate, we tested the validity and reliability of retrospectively-reported survey-based subjective measures of early life neighborhood context(N=693. We compared 3 subjective childhood neighborhood measures (disorder, informal social control, victimization, with 3 objective childhood neighborhood measures derived from 4 decades of historical census tract data 1970-2000, linked through geocoded residential histories (tract % poverty, tract % black, tract deprivation score derived from principal components analysis, as well as with 2 subjective neighborhood measures in adulthood. Our results documented that internal consistency reliability was high for the subjective childhood neighborhood scales (Cronbach's α =0.89, 0.93. Comparison of subjective with objective childhood neighborhood measures found moderate associations in hypothesized directions. Associations with objective variables were strongest for neighborhood disorder (rhos=.40, as opposed to with social control or victimization. Associations between subjective neighborhood context in childhood versus adulthood were moderate and stronger for residentially-stable populations. We lastly formally tested for, but found little evidence of, recall bias of the retrospective subjective reports of childhood context. These results provide evidence that retrospective reports of subjective neighborhood context may be a cost-effective, valid, and reliable method to

Where we used to live: validating retrospective measures of childhood neighborhood context for life course epidemiologic studies.

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Osypuk, Theresa L; Kehm, Rebecca; Misra, Dawn P

2015-01-01

Early life exposures influence numerous social determinants of health, as distal causes or confounders of later health outcomes. Although a growing literature is documenting how early life socioeconomic position affects later life health, few epidemiologic studies have tested measures for operationalizing early life neighborhood context, or examined their effects on later life health. In the Life-course Influences on Fetal Environments (LIFE) Study, a retrospective cohort study among Black women in Southfield, Michigan (71% response rate), we tested the validity and reliability of retrospectively-reported survey-based subjective measures of early life neighborhood context(N=693). We compared 3 subjective childhood neighborhood measures (disorder, informal social control, victimization), with 3 objective childhood neighborhood measures derived from 4 decades of historical census tract data 1970-2000, linked through geocoded residential histories (tract % poverty, tract % black, tract deprivation score derived from principal components analysis), as well as with 2 subjective neighborhood measures in adulthood. Our results documented that internal consistency reliability was high for the subjective childhood neighborhood scales (Cronbach's α =0.89, 0.93). Comparison of subjective with objective childhood neighborhood measures found moderate associations in hypothesized directions. Associations with objective variables were strongest for neighborhood disorder (rhos=.40), as opposed to with social control or victimization. Associations between subjective neighborhood context in childhood versus adulthood were moderate and stronger for residentially-stable populations. We lastly formally tested for, but found little evidence of, recall bias of the retrospective subjective reports of childhood context. These results provide evidence that retrospective reports of subjective neighborhood context may be a cost-effective, valid, and reliable method to operationalize early

Making modern migraine medieval: men of science, Hildegard of Bingen and the life of a retrospective diagnosis.

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Foxhall, Katherine

2014-07-01

Charles Singer's retrospective diagnosis of Hildegard of Bingen as a migraine sufferer, first made in 1913, has become commonly accepted. This article uses Hildegard as a case study to shift our focus from a polarised debate about the merits or otherwise of retrospective diagnosis, to examine instead what happens when diagnoses take on lives of their own. It argues that simply championing or rejecting retrospective diagnosis is not enough; that we need instead to appreciate how, at the moment of creation, a diagnosis reflects the significance of particular medical signs and theories in historical context and how, when and why such diagnoses can come to do meaningful work when subsequently mobilised as scientific 'fact'. This article first traces the emergence of a new formulation of migraine in the nineteenth century, then shows how this context enabled Singer to retrospectively diagnose Hildegard's migraine and finally examines some of the ways in which this idea has gained popular and academic currency in the second half of the twentieth century. The case of Hildegard's migraine reminds us of the need to historicise scientific evidence just as rigorously as we historicise our other material and it exposes the cumulative methodological problems that can occur when historians use science, and scientists use history on a casual basis.

Retrospective analysis of two hundred thirty-five pediatric mandibular fracture cases.

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Eskitascioglu, Teoman; Ozyazgan, Irfan; Coruh, Atilla; Gunay, Galip K; Yuksel, Esabil

2009-11-01

Maxillofacial fractures are encountered less commonly during childhood period due to anatomic, social, cultural, and environmental factors. Although the incidence of all maxillofacial fractures is 1% to 15% among pediatric and adolescent patients, this rate drops to less than 1% in children below 5 years age. Two hundred thirty-five cases (mandibular fracture were evaluated retrospectively. Patients records were examined in terms of age, gender, cause of fracture, fracture localization, number of fractures, fracture pattern, accompanying injuries, applied treatment methods, and complications. Mean age of cases was 9.2 years and 165 cases were male, 70 were female. Traffic accidents as the most common etiologic cause in all ages. Falls is the second most common cause which particularly affects children above age of 2 years. All cases had 333 fractures and the most common fracture localization was parasymphysis region (34%). The other most common fracture localizations were as follows: condyle (19%), corpus (13%), dentoalveolar region (12%), angulus (11%), symphysis region (9%), and ramus (2%). There was only a single fracture line in 145 cases, 40 cases had unilateral multiple and 50 cases had bilateral fracture lines. We applied symptomatic (conservative) treatment in 20 (8%) of our cases; fracture fixation with interdental wires or closed reduction methods were employed in 122 patients. Internal fixation with open reduction (OR) was performed on 51 (22%) patients. Both closed and OR techniques were carried out in 30 (13%) patients. Pediatric mandibular fractures, which are seen less frequently compared with those of adults, require a specific and different treatment. Although mostly less invasive methods are preferred, we believe that ORs should be considered when required.

Retrospective analysis of cystic craniopharyngeomas after intracavital irradiation with yttrium-90 colloid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urbanova, E.; Vizda, J.; Netikova, M.; Kafka, P.; Jakubec, J.

2002-01-01

Aim: The authors report about follow up the patients after intracavitary irradiation for cystic craniopharyngeoma. Material and Methods: For retrospective analysis 15 patients were selected. The volume of the cyst was determined by CT or MRI. For dosimetry Backlund's formula was used. The cumulative dose to the inner surface of the cyst wall was about 250Gy. 90 Yttrium silicate colloid was administered directly during stereotactically (CT guided) surgery or through the Ommaya drainage system. Control scintigraphy was performed 2-3 hours after 90 Y injection with gamma camera to detect possible leakage of the radioisotope. None of our patients showed evidence of this. In addition to this, the patients were checked daily to pay attention to visual function, neurological condition and possible meningeal irritation. Results: Cyst shrinkage was monitored by repeated CT examinations. CT cyst volume measurement analysed all patients before and 1,2,3 and 5 years after the treatment. In our study 45% of cysts decreased in volume during 4 month, shrinkage of the initial cyst volume was 75% after 1 year. The cyst disappeared nearly totally in 5 patients. Only 3 cyst remain unchanged and 90 Y treatment was repeated. No patients developed a visual field defect or evidence of hypothalamic dysfunction after the treatment. The neuro-opthalmological state completely recovered in 2 patients and improved in 5 patients. The prognosis was good only when an intact optic discs in time of the treatment was present. In some cases the radioisotope was implanted at a late stage of the disease without the opthalmological and neurological improvement. One patient died due to pulmonary embolism one week after the procedure. One patient died within a one year of the treatment from complications related to a solid cystic recurrence. One of typical signs for recurrence was worsening of neuro-opthalmological state. Conclusion: From our results this intracavitary 90 Y therapy is minimally invasive

Retrospective analysis of RF heating measurements of passive medical implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Ting; Xu, Zhiheng; Iacono, Maria Ida; Angelone, Leonardo M; Rajan, Sunder

2018-05-09

The test reports for the RF-induced heating of metallic devices of hundreds of medical implants have been provided to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a part of premarket submissions. The main purpose of this study is to perform a retrospective analysis of the RF-induced heating data provided in the reports to analyze the trends and correlate them with implant geometric characteristics. The ASTM-based RF heating test reports from 86 premarket U.S. Food and Drug Administration submissions were reviewed by three U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviewers. From each test report, the dimensions and RF-induced heating values for a given whole-body (WB) specific absorption rate (SAR) and local background (LB) SAR were extracted and analyzed. The data from 56 stents were analyzed as a subset to further understand heating trends and length dependence. For a given WB SAR, the LB/WB SAR ratio varied significantly across the test labs, from 2.3 to 11.3. There was an increasing trend on the temperature change per LB SAR with device length. The maximum heating for stents occurred at lengths of approximately 100 mm at 3 T, and beyond 150 mm at 1.5 T. Differences in the LB/WB SAR ratios across testing labs and various MRI scanners could lead to inconsistent WB SAR labeling. Magnetic resonance (MR) conditional labeling based on WB SAR should be derived from a conservative estimate of global LB/WB ratios. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Age-Related Changes in Pharyngeal Lumen Size: A Retrospective MRI Analysis.

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Molfenter, Sonja M; Amin, M R; Branski, R C; Brumm, J D; Hagiwara, M; Roof, S A; Lazarus, C L

2015-06-01

Age-related loss of muscle bulk and strength (sarcopenia) is often cited as a potential mechanism underlying age-related changes in swallowing. Our goal was to explore this phenomenon in the pharynx, specifically, by measuring pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area in a sample of young versus older women. MRI scans of the neck were retrospectively reviewed from 60 women equally stratified into three age groups (20s, 60s, 70+). Four de-identified slices were extracted per scan for randomized, blinded analysis: one mid-sagittal and three axial slices were selected at the anterior inferior border of C2 and C3, and at the pit of the vallecula. Pixel-based measures of pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area were completed using ImageJ and then converted to metric units. Measures of pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area were compared between age groups with one-way ANOVAs using Sidak adjustments for post-hoc pairwise comparisons. A significant main effect for age was observed across all variables whereby pharyngeal wall thickness decreased and pharyngeal lumen area increased with advancing age. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences between 20s versus 70+ for all variables and 20s versus 60s for all variables except those measured at C2. Effect sizes ranged from 0.54 to 1.34. Consistent with existing sacropenia literature, the pharyngeal muscles appear to atrophy with age and consequently, the size of the pharyngeal lumen increases.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding following transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A retrospective analysis.

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Stanger, Dylan E; Abdulla, Alym H; Wong, Frank T; Alipour, Sina; Bressler, Brian L; Wood, David A; Webb, John G

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in the postprocedural period following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). As TAVR moves into intermediate- and low-risk patients, it has become increasingly important to understand its extracardiac complications. The patient population undergoing TAVR have clinical and demographic characteristics that place them at significant risk of UGIB. Practical aspects of TAVR, including use of antithrombotic therapy, further increase risk of UGIB. A retrospective single-center evaluation of 841 patients who underwent TAVR between January 2005 and August 2014 was performed in conjunction with analysis of referral patterns to the gastroenterology service for UGIB at the same site. The overall risk of UGIB following TAVR was found to be 2.0% (n = 17/841). Additionally, the risk of UGIB in patients receiving triple antithrombotic therapy was found to be 10-fold greater than patients not receiving triple antithrombotic therapy (11.8% vs 1.0%). Endoscopy findings demonstrated five high-risk esophageal lesions including erosive esophageal ulcers, visible vessels at the GE junction, erosions at distal esophagus, and an actively bleeding esophageal ring that had been intubated through by the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe. This large cohort study demonstrates that TAVR is associated with a moderate risk of severe UGIB. The results of this study suggest that patients on triple antithrombotic therapy are at highest risk for severe UGIB. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reduction of radiation exposure for patient and examiner in interventional angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecher, G.; Pecher, S.; Gosch, D.; Schulz, H.G.; Koenig, H.; Voigt, P.

1998-01-01

Purpose: In a retrospective analysis of vascular interventional procedures, relations between parameters of the examination and radiation exposure of patient and medical personnel are examined. Material and Method: 1208 vascular interventional procedures are evaluated. Interventional procedures are divided into three groups: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, implantation of a stent, thrombolysis. Results: Mean values of the radiation dose of patient and radiology personnel are reported for these examinations. The mean value of the radiation dose of the physician was 7 μSv (maximum 24 μSv), that of the patient 1548 cGy.cm 2 (maximum 8485 cGy.cm 2 ). Conclusion: The quantity of X-rays to the patient may be lowered by using pulsed fluoroscopy and by reducing the number of radiographs. Reduction of the number of radiographs may be achieved by using the last-image hold and the road mapping mode. The operator's dose can be decreased by using additional radiation protection systems like a MAVIG trademark -radiation protection wall. The radiation dose reduction was 61% for the physician and 17% for the patient. (orig.) [de

Sudden illness while driving a vehicle--a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hitosugi, Masahito; Gomei, Sayaka; Okubo, Takao; Tokudome, Shogo

2012-01-01

We performed a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers to clarify the background of incidents of sudden illness while driving. The analysis used reports submitted by employers to the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism regarding commercial drivers who had been ordered to stop driving owing to health problems. Of 211 cases with an average work history of 15.2 years, there were 88 bus drivers, 70 taxi drivers, and 53 truck drivers, 36.0% of who had died as a result of their disease. Among taxi and truck drivers, more than 70% of incidents were due to cardiac, aortic, and cerebrovascular disease. More than 80% of these were unable to avoid traffic accidents caused by sudden illness. However, among bus drivers, cardiac, aortic, and cerebrovascular disease accounted for only 23.5% of incidents, and accidents were avoided in more than half of the cases. The duration between starting work and the incident time was significantly shorter among bus drivers [mean 3.3 hours, standard deviation (SD) 3.1] than taxi (7.7 hours, SD 5.8) and truck (7.2 hours, SD 6.3) drivers (Pprevent disabling events while driving. As a precaution, physicians should advise commercial drivers to stop driving as soon as they detect slight discomfort. To prevent accidents, more assertive health promotion aimed at professional drivers is needed.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Bipolar Radiofrequency Thermotherapy for Patients with Chronic Prostatitis: A Retrospective Analysis of 26 Cases

OpenAIRE

Lim, Ju Young; Shim, Seung Bum; Yoo, Dong Hoon; Park, Young Woong; Kim, Jong Yeon; Noh, Joon Hwa

2012-01-01

Purpose Chronic prostatitis (CP) does not yet have a universally successful therapy. Alternative treatments including thermotherapy have been adopted in the multimodal management of pain and voiding dysfunction. We retrospectively analyzed the therapeutic efficacy of bipolar radiofrequency thermotherapy for patients who were unsatisfied with conventional medication for CP. Materials and Methods A retrospective study between October 2009 and September 2010 of 26 patients who were under 50 year...

The frequency and determinants of liver stiffness measurement failure: a retrospective study of "real-life" 38,464 examinations.

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Dong Ji

Full Text Available To investigate the frequency and determinants of liver stiffness measurement (LSM failure by means of FibroScan in "real-life" Chinese patients.A total of 38,464 "real-life" Chinese patients in 302 military hospital of China through the whole year of 2013, including asymptomatic carrier, chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis (LC, alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC and other, were enrolled, their clinical and biological parameters were retrospectively investigated. Liver fibrosis was evaluated by FibroScan detection. S probe (for children with height less than 1.20 m and M probe (for adults were used. LSM failure defined as zero valid shots (unsuccessful LSM, or the ratio of the interquartile range to the median of 10 measurements (IQR/M greater than 0.30 plus median LSM greater or equal to 7.1 kPa (unreliable LSM.LSM failure occurred in 3.34% of all examinations (1286 patients out of 38,464, among them, there were 958 cases (2.49% with unsuccessful LSM, and 328 patients (0.85% with unreliable LSM. Statistical analyses showed that LSM failure was independently associated with body mass index (BMI greater than 30 kg/m(2, female sex, age greater than 50 years, intercostal spaces (IS less than 9 mm, decompensated liver cirrhosis and HCC patients. There were no significant differences among other diseases. By changing another skilled operator, success was achieved on 301 cases out of 1286, which reduced the failure rate to 2.56%, the decrease was significant (P<0.0001.The principal reasons of LSM failure are ascites, obesity and narrow of IS. The failure rates of HCC, decompensated LC, elder or female patients are higher. These results emphasize the need for adequate operator training, technological improvements and optimal criteria for specific patient subpopulations.

Clinical Characteristics and Predictors of Outcome for Onconeural Antibody-Associated Disorders: A Retrospective Analysis

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Shaohua Liao

2017-11-01

Full Text Available ObjectiveTo describe and analyze the clinical characteristics, laboratory data, management, and outcome of patients with onconeural antibody-associated disorders (OAAD and identify predictors for poor outcome.MethodsThis was a retrospective review of all patients with potential OAAD, who were hospitalized in Jinan General Hospital between September 2009 and July 2017. We clarified the diagnosis, collected comprehensive information and categorized patients into three groups: paraneoplastic neurological disorders (PNDs, autoimmune encephalitis (AE, and possible OAAD. Within the three groups, we analyzed a range of clinical and laboratory parameters and used univariate and multivariate regression analysis to identify predictors for poor outcome [modified Rankin Scale (mRS = 3–6].ResultsFrom 158 patients, we identified 70 who fulfilled the criteria for OAAD, including 44 men (62.9% and 26 women (37.1%. There were 38 patients (54.3% in the PNDs group, 14 patients (20% in the AE group, and 18 patients (25.7% in the possible OAAD group. After the last follow-up, 14 (36.8%, 9 (64.2%, and 12 (66.7% had a good outcome (mRS = 0–2. However, 6 (15.8%, 2 (14.3%, and 3 (16.7% died, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that duration prior to the hospital (p = 0.0224 and urinary incontinence/retention (p = 0.0043 were associated with poor outcome (mRS = 3–6. After multivariate regression analysis, urinary incontinence/retention (p = 0.0388 and an immunocompromised state (p = 0.0247 remained as significant factors for poor outcome.ConclusionUrinary incontinence/retention and an immunocompromised state represent significant predictors of a worse prognosis for patients with OAAD. By contrast, cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed that serum autoantibodies and tumor markers, the function of crucial organs, electrophysiology, and radiological findings were not associated with a poor outcome.

Population-based V3 genotypic tropism assay: a retrospective analysis using screening samples from the A4001029 and MOTIVATE studies.

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McGovern, Rachel A; Thielen, Alexander; Mo, Theresa; Dong, Winnie; Woods, Conan K; Chapman, Douglass; Lewis, Marilyn; James, Ian; Heera, Jayvant; Valdez, Hernan; Harrigan, P Richard

2010-10-23

The MOTIVATE-1 and 2 studies compared maraviroc (MVC) along with optimized background therapy (OBT) vs. placebo along with OBT in treatment-experienced patients screened as having R5-HIV (original Monogram Trofile). A subset screened with non-R5 HIV were treated with MVC or placebo along with OBT in a sister safety trial, A4001029. This analysis retrospectively examined the performance of population-based sequence analysis of HIV-1 env V3-loop to predict coreceptor tropism. Triplicate V3-loop sequences were generated using stored screening plasma samples and data was processed using custom software ('ReCall'), blinded to clinical response. Tropism was inferred using geno2pheno ('g2p'; 5% false positive rate). Primary outcomes were viral load changes after starting maraviroc; and concordance with prior screening Trofile results. Genotype and Trofile results were available for 1164 individuals with virological outcome data (N = 169 non-R5 by Trofile). Compared with Trofile, V3 genotyping had a specificity of 92.6% and a sensitivity of 67.4% for detecting non-R5 virus. However, when compared with clinical outcome, virological responses were consistently similar between Trofile and V3 genotype at weeks 8 and 24 following the initiation of therapy for patients categorized as R5. Despite differences in sensitivity for predicting non-R5 HIV, week 8 and 24 week virological responses were similar in this treatment-experienced population. These findings suggest the potential utility of V3 genotyping as an accessible assay to select patients who may benefit from maraviroc treatment. Optimization of the predictive tropism algorithm may lead to further improvement in the clinical utility of HIV genotypic tropism assays.

Sequencing chemotherapy and radiotherapy in locoregional advanced breast cancer patients after mastectomy – a retrospective analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piroth, Marc D; Pinkawa, Michael; Gagel, Bernd; Stanzel, Sven; Asadpour, Branka; Eble, Michael J

2008-01-01

Combined chemo- and radiotherapy are established in breast cancer treatment. Chemotherapy is recommended prior to radiotherapy but decisive data on the optimal sequence are rare. This retrospective analysis aimed to assess the role of sequencing in patients after mastectomy because of advanced locoregional disease. A total of 212 eligible patients had a stage III breast cancer and had adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy after mastectomy and axillary dissection between 1996 and 2004. According to concerted multi-modality treatment strategies 86 patients were treated sequentially (chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy) (SEQgroup), 70 patients had a sandwich treatment (SW-group) and 56 patients had simultaneous chemoradiation (SIM-group) during that time period. Radiotherapy comprised the thoracic wall and/or regional lymph nodes. The total dose was 45–50.4 Gray. As simultaneous chemoradiation CMF was given in 95.4% of patients while in sequential or sandwich application in 86% and 87.1% of patients an anthracycline-based chemotherapy was given. Concerning the parameters nodal involvement, lymphovascular invasion, extracapsular spread and extension of the irradiated region the three treatment groups were significantly imbalanced. The other parameters, e.g. age, pathological tumor stage, grading and receptor status were homogeneously distributed. Looking on those two groups with an equally effective chemotherapy (EC, FEC), the SEQ- and SW-group, the sole imbalance was the extension of LVI (57.1 vs. 25.6%, p < 0.0001). 5-year overall- and disease free survival were 53.2%/56%, 38.1%/32% and 64.2%/50%, for the sequential, sandwich and simultaneous regime, respectively, which differed significantly in the univariate analysis (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, log-rank test). Also the 5-year locoregional or distant recurrence free survival showed no significant differences according to the sequence of chemo- and radiotherapy. In the multivariate analyses the sequence had no

Characterising non-urgent users of the emergency department (ED): A retrospective analysis of routine ED data.

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O'Keeffe, Colin; Mason, Suzanne; Jacques, Richard; Nicholl, Jon

2018-01-01

The pressures of patient demand on emergency departments (EDs) continue to be reported worldwide, with an associated negative impact on ED crowding and waiting times. It has also been reported that a proportion of attendances to EDs in different international systems could be managed in settings such as primary care. This study used routine ED data to define, measure and profile non-urgent ED attendances that were suitable for management in alternative, non-emergency settings. We undertook a retrospective analysis of three years of Hospital Episode and Statistics Accident Emergency (HES A&E) data for one large region in England, United Kingdom (April 1st 2011 to March 31st 2014). Data was collected on all adult (>16 years) ED attendances from each of the 19 EDs in the region. A validated process based definition of non-urgent attendance was refined for this study and applied to the data. Using summary statistics non-urgent attenders were examined by variables hypothesised to influence them as follows: age at arrival, time of day and day of week and mode of arrival. Odds ratios were calculated to compare non-urgent attenders between groups. There were 3,667,601 first time attendances to EDs, of which 554,564 were defined as non-urgent (15.1%). Non-urgent attendances were significantly more likely to present out of hours than in hours (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.20, Paged 16-44) compared to those aged 45-64 (odds ratio: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.41 to 1.43, Puse the ED to obtain healthcare that could be provided in a less urgent setting and also more likely to do this out of hours. Alternative services are required to manage non-urgent demand, currently being borne by the ED and the ambulance service, particularly in out of hours.

Aetiology and incidence of maxillofacial trauma in Amsterdam: a retrospective analysis of 579 patients

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van den Bergh, B.; Karagozoglu, K.H.; Heymans, M.W.; Forouzanfar, T.

2012-01-01

Introduction The incidence of maxillofacial fractures varies widely between different countries. The large variability in reported incidence and aetiology is due to a variety of contributing factors, including environmental, cultural and socioeconomic factors. This retrospective report presents a

Aetiology and incidence of maxillofacial trauma in Amsterdam: a retrospective analysis of 579 patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Bergh, B.; Karagozoglu, K.H.; Heijmans, M.W.; Forouzanfar, T.

2012-01-01

Introduction: The incidence of maxillofacial fractures varies widely between different countries. The large variability in reported incidence and aetiology is due to a variety of contributing factors, including environmental, cultural and socioeconomic factors. This retrospective report presents a

Advancing the Certified in Public Health Examination: A Job Task Analysis.

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Kurz, Richard S; Yager, Christopher; Yager, James D; Foster, Allison; Breidenbach, Daniel H; Irwin, Zachary

In 2014, the National Board of Public Health Examiners performed a job task analysis (JTA) to revise the Certified in Public Health (CPH) examination. The objectives of this study were to describe the development, administration, and results of the JTA survey; to present an analysis of the survey results; and to review the implications of this first-ever public health JTA. An advisory committee of public health professionals developed a list of 200 public health job tasks categorized into 10 work domains. The list of tasks was incorporated into a web-based survey, and a snowball sample of public health professionals provided 4850 usable responses. Respondents rated job tasks as essential (4), very important (3), important (2), not very important (1), and never performed (0). The mean task importance ratings ranged from 2.61 to 3.01 (important to very important). The highest mean ratings were for tasks in the ethics domain (mean rating, 3.01). Respondents ranked 10 of the 200 tasks as the most important, with mean task rankings ranging from 2.98 to 3.39. We found subtle differences between male and female respondents and between master of public health and doctor of public health respondents in their rankings. The JTA established a set of job tasks in 10 public health work domains, and the results provided a foundation for refining the CPH examination. Additional steps are needed to further modify the content outline of the examination. An empirical assessment of public health job tasks, using methods such as principal components analysis, may provide additional insight.

Clinical factors affecting engraftment and transfusion needs in SCT: a single-center retrospective analysis.

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Liesveld, J; Pawlowski, J; Chen, R; Hyrien, O; Debolt, J; Becker, M; Phillips, G; Chen, Y

2013-05-01

Successful utilization of SCT modalities often requires utilization of both red cell and platelet transfusions. In this retrospective evaluation of clinical factors affecting transplant engraftment and transfusion utilization at a single transplant center in 505 patients from 2005 through 2009, we found that graft type, donor type and the conditioning regimen intensity significantly affected both the neutrophil engraftment time (PSCT patients required an average of 6.2 red cell units, and 7.9 platelet transfusions in the first 100 days with a wide s.d. Among auto-SCT patients, 5% required neither RBC nor platelet transfusions. Some reduced-intensity transplants were also associated with no transfusion need, and in allogeneic transplants, conditioning regimen intensity was positively correlated with platelet transfusion events as assessed by multivariate analysis. Other patient characteristics such as gender, graft type, donor type, underlying disease and use of TBI were all independently associated with transfusion needs in SCT patients. Further studies are required to understand the means to minimize transfusions and potential related complications in SCT patients.

Sensitivity of physical examination versus arthroscopy in diagnosing subscapularis tendon injury.

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Faruqui, Sami; Wijdicks, Coen; Foad, Abdullah

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of physical examination in the detection of subscapularis tendon tears and compare it with the gold standard of arthroscopy to determine whether clinical examination can reliably predict the presence of subscapularis tendon tears. This was a retrospective analysis of 52 patients (52 shoulders) who underwent arthroscopic subscapularis tendon repairs between September 2008 and April 2012. Positive findings on any combination of the belly press, lift-off, and bear hug tests constituted a positive physical examination result. There was a positive finding on physical examination in 42 of 52 patients. The sensitivity of the physical examination as a whole was 81%. The literature has shown that the belly press, bear hug, and lift-off tests are specific to the subscapularis tendon. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the sensitivity of these 3 separate clinical tests as a composite. Knowledge regarding the sensitivity of the subscapularis-specific physical examination as a composite can lead practitioners to implement all 3 components, even when 1 test has a negative finding, thus promoting a more thorough physical examination. Because unrepaired subscapularis tendon tears can result in poor outcomes in the repair of other rotator cuff tendons, a complete physical examination would be beneficial to patients with shoulder pathology. The authors conclude that physical examination, when performed consistently by an experienced practitioner, can reliably predict the presence of subscapularis tendon tears.

Climate Data Guide - Modern Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2)

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Cullather, Richard; Bosilovich, Michael

2017-01-01

The Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2) is a global atmospheric reanalysis produced by the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO). It spans the satellite observing era from 1980 to the present. The goals of MERRA-2 are to provide a regularly-gridded, homogeneous record of the global atmosphere, and to incorporate additional aspects of the climate system including trace gas constituents (stratospheric ozone), and improved land surface representation, and cryospheric processes. MERRA-2 is also the first satellite-era global reanalysis to assimilate space-based observations of aerosols and represent their interactions with other physical processes in the climate system. The inclusion of these additional components are consistent with the overall objectives of an Integrated Earth System Analysis (IESA). MERRA-2 is intended to replace the original MERRA product, and reflects recent advances in atmospheric modeling and data assimilation. Modern hyperspectral radiance and microwave observations, along with GPS-Radio Occultation and NASA ozone datasets are now assimilated in MERRA-2. Much of the structure of the data files remains the same in MERRA-2. While the original MERRA data format was HDF-EOS, the MERRA-2 supplied binary data format is now NetCDF4 (with lossy compression to save space).

A retrospective analysis of medical record use in e-consultations.

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Pecina, Jennifer L; North, Frederick

2017-06-01

Introduction Under certain circumstances, e-consultations can substitute for a face-to-face consultation. A basic requirement for a successful e-consultation is that the e-consultant has access to important medical history and exam findings along with laboratory and imaging results. Knowing just what information the specialist needs to complete an e-consultation is a major challenge. This paper examines differences between specialties in their need for past information from laboratory, imaging and clinical notes. Methods This is a retrospective study of patients who had an internal e-consultation performed at an academic medical centre. We reviewed a random sample of e-consultations that occurred in the first half of 2013 for the indication for the e-consultation and whether the e-consultant reviewed data in the medical record that was older than one year to perform the e-consultation. Results Out of 3008 total e-consultations we reviewed 360 (12%) randomly selected e-consultations from 12 specialties. Questions on management (35.8%), image results (27.2%) and laboratory results (25%) were the three most common indications for e-consultation. E-consultants reviewed medical records in existence more than one year prior to the e-consultation 146 (40.6%) of the time with e-consultants in the specialties of endocrinology, haematology and rheumatology, reviewing records older than one year more than half the time. Labs (20.3%), office notes (20%) and imaging (17.8%) were the types of medical data older than one year that were reviewed the most frequently overall. Discussion Management questions appear to be the most common reason for e-consultation. E-consultants frequently reviewed historical medical data that is older than one year at the time of the e-consultation, especially in endocrinology, haematology and rheumatology specialties. Practices engaging in e-consultations that require transfer of data may want to include longer time frames of historical information

Retrospective Recall of Sexual Orientation Identity Development among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Adults

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Calzo, Jerel P.; Antonucci, Toni C.; Mays, Vickie M.; Cochran, Susan D.

2011-01-01

Although recent attention has focused on the likelihood that contemporary sexual minority youth (i.e., gay, lesbian, bisexual [GLB]) are "coming out" at younger ages, few studies have examined whether early sexual orientation identity development is also present in older GLB cohorts. We analyzed retrospective data on the timing of sexual…

[Retrospective analysis of 44 childhood drowning accidents].

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Brüning, Caroline; Siekmeyer, Werner; Siekmeyer, Manuela; Merkenschlager, Andreas; Kiess, Wieland

2010-07-01

Worldwide, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death and the leading cause of cardiovascular failure for children [1-3]. The number of near-drownings, where the incident is survived for at least 24 hours, is assumed to be four times as high [5]. In the years 1994 until 2008 there were 44 cases of drowning treated at the children's department of the University of Leipzig. This number shows that even in a medical centre drowning incidents are only occasional incidents. Therefore it is important to know the sequelae and handlings to be able to react in case of an emergency. A total of 44 children suffering a drowning accident within the last 48 hours who were treated during the period of 01.01.1994 through 30.06.2008 at the Children's Centre at the University of Leipzig. A retrospective analysis using a structured questionnaire was done. Social demographic data, accident progress, clinical results and progress as well as outcome of the cases were investigated. During the analysed period in the median three children were treated each year after drowning incidents. Clustering in the summer and winter months and on the weekends was recognizable. The median age was 3.33 years and the group of high risk were children aged 1-3 years, especially boys. Sixty percent of the children came from stable social backgrounds. Half of the children suffered from drowning in created swimming pools or ponds, the rest in natural waters, public pools and sources of water in the household. The median submersion lasted 2 minutes. Correlation of submersions below 1 minute with a good, and submersions above 10 minutes with a negative outcome was shown. A Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 3 points (n = 15) and pupils without light reaction (n = 14) were associated with a lethal outcome or residual neurological deficits. Looking at the laboratory values, correlation between severe acidotic pH-values with a very low base excess, high blood sugar as well as high lactate values and a

Pediatric reduction mammaplasty: A retrospective analysis of the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID).

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Soleimani, Tahereh; Evans, Tyler A; Sood, Rajiv; Hadad, Ivan; Socas, Juan; Flores, Roberto L; Tholpady, Sunil S

2015-09-01

Pediatric breast reduction mammaplasty is a procedure commonly performed in children suffering from excess breast tissue, back pain, and social anxiety. Minimal information exists regarding demographics, epidemiology, and complications in adolescents. As health care reform progresses, investigating the socioeconomic and patient-related factors affecting cost and operative outcomes is essential. The Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) was used from 2000 to 2009. Patients with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code of macromastia and procedure code of reduction mammaplasty 20 and less were included. Demographic data, including age, sex, payer mix, and location, were collected. Significant independent variables associated with complications and duration of stay were identified with bivariate and multiple regression analysis. A total of 1,345 patients between the ages 12 and 20 were evaluated. The majority of patients were white (64%), from a zip code with greatest income (36%), and had private insurance (75%). Overall comorbidity and complication rates were 30% and 3.2%, respectively. Duration of stay was associated with race, income quartile, insurance type, having complications, and hospital type. African-American race, Medicaid, lower income, and private-investor owned hospitals were predictive of greater hospital charges. In this large retrospective database analysis, pediatric reduction mammaplasty had a relatively low early complication rate and short duration of stay. Complications, total charges, and duration of stay discrepancies were associated with race, location, and socioeconomic status. Although demonstrably safe, this is the first study demonstrating the negative effect of race and socioeconomic status on a completely elective procedure involving children. These results demonstrate the intricate association between socioeconomic and patient-related factors influencing overall outcomes in the pediatric population. Copyright © 2015

[Tracheobronchial stents: a retrospective analysis of indications, results and in particular complications].

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Tonn, H; Mall, W; Schneider, K-D; Schönhofer, B

2008-10-01

Tracheobronchial stents are inserted mainly in cases of malignant and benign airway stenosis. Further indications are esophago-tracheal fistulas, mediastinal fistulas and tracheomalacia. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients' records, information provided by the general practitioners and relatives of the patients from July 1993 to December 2006 in the Department of Pneumology of the Heidehaus Hospital Hannover (since 6/05 Department of Pneumology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, Oststadt-Heidehaus Hospital). During the observation period of 13 years a total of 269 stents (177 permanent, 92 temporary) were implanted in 207 patients (1.3 stents per patient). The vast majority of patients (173/207) suffered from an underlying malignancy. About half of the stents were deployed in the trachea. The median length of placement was 116 days in patients with malignancies and 313 days in patients with benign diseases. In about 40 % of the patients notable complications were observed which were directly or indirectly associated with the stents. These findings show the importance of a critical indication for stent implantation. In benign diseases a stent can remain for years inside the tracheobronchial system, if it is well tolerated in the beginning. In malignant diseases the result depends decisively on the stage of the tumour: has the stent been implanted before any other tumour therapy is started or is it an end-stage tumor with no other therapeutic option? In general, complications of stents occur quite frequently. The analysis of stent data leads to some aspects for the prevention of stent-related complications. There should be a strict indication and appropriate choice of stent material. Nevertheless, there remains an ethical dilemma in patients with end-stage disease as to whether to implant a stent or to do nothing against the tumor, because the benefit immediately after stent insertion vanishes with progression of the tumour, so causing extra

NASA Life Sciences Data Repositories: Tools for Retrospective Analysis and Future Planning

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Thomas, D.; Wear, M.; VanBaalen, M.; Lee, L.; Fitts, M.

2011-01-01

As NASA transitions from the Space Shuttle era into the next phase of space exploration, the need to ensure the capture, analysis, and application of its research and medical data is of greater urgency than at any other previous time. In this era of limited resources and challenging schedules, the Human Research Program (HRP) based at NASA s Johnson Space Center (JSC) recognizes the need to extract the greatest possible amount of information from the data already captured, as well as focus current and future research funding on addressing the HRP goal to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. To this end, the Science Management Office and the Medical Informatics and Health Care Systems Branch within the HRP and the Space Medicine Division have been working to make both research data and clinical data more accessible to the user community. The Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA), the research repository housing data and information regarding the physiologic effects of microgravity, and the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH-R), the clinical repository housing astronaut data, have joined forces to achieve this goal. The task of both repositories is to acquire, preserve, and distribute data and information both within the NASA community and to the science community at large. This is accomplished via the LSDA s public website (http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov), which allows access to experiment descriptions including hardware, datasets, key personnel, mission descriptions and a mechanism for researchers to request additional data, research and clinical, that is not accessible from the public website. This will result in making the work of NASA and its partners available to the wider sciences community, both domestic and international. The desired outcome is the use of these data for knowledge discovery, retrospective analysis, and planning of future

Synchronous bladder and prostate cancers in the specimens of radical cystoprostatectomy: A multicenter retrospective analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berat Cem Özgür

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the features of prostate cancer that have been incidentally detected in radical cystoprostatectomy specimens of bladder cancer patients. The researchers of the current study retrospectively evaluated the data from 119 men who underwent radical cystoprostatectomy at four referral institutions in Ankara, Turkey. Of the 21 prostate cancer patients, 17 (81% were aged ≥60 years; 10 (47.6% had clinically significant diseases; three had a Gleason score of 6, three had a Gleason score of 7, three had a Gleason score of 8, one had a positive surgical margin along with extracapsular invasion of the tumor and a high Gleason score, and three patients had a tumor volume of ≥0.5 cm3, of which two also had a high Gleason score. Patients were followed-up for a mean of 29 ± 10.2 months; the overall survival was 96.6% (n = 115 during that period. Preoperative digital rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen values did not differ between the benign and prostate cancer groups. There was no survival advantage in the insignificant prostate cancer and benign prostate groups. No additional benefit for predicting prostate cancer was found with digital rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen tests, although some clinicians advised such. In patients aged 60 years, the preoperative work-up may routinely include prostate biopsy, especially the apex. Preoperative findings of multifocality of bladder cancers and the presence of carcinoma in situ have the risk of prostatic involvement.

Cabergoline in the Treatment of Male Orgasmic Disorder—A Retrospective Pilot Analysis

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Hollander, Adam B.; Pastuszak, Alexander W.; Hsieh, Tung-Chin; Johnson, William G.; Scovell, Jason M.; Mai, Christina K.; Lipshultz, Larry I.

2016-01-01

Introduction Male orgasmic disorder is common, with few treatment options. Cabergoline is a dopamine agonist that acts centrally to normalize serum prolactin that could improve orgasmic dysfunction. Aims To determine whether cabergoline increases the potential for orgasm in men with orgasmic disorder. Methods A retrospective chart review of men treated in a single andrology clinic for delayed orgasm or anorgasmia in a pilot study using cabergoline 0.5 mg twice weekly was performed. Duration of treatment and response were noted. Medical records were examined for other factors including history of prostatectomy and concomitant androgen supplementation. Main Outcome Measures Subjective improvement in orgasmic function resulting from cabergoline treatment. Results Of 131 men treated with cabergoline for orgasmic disorder, 87 (66.4%) reported subjective improvement in orgasm and 44 (33.6%) reported no change in orgasm. Duration of therapy (P = .03) and concomitant testosterone therapy (P = .02) were associated with a significant positive response to cabergoline treatment. No differences were found between injectable and non-injectable testosterone formulations (P = .90), and neither age (P = .90) nor prior prostatectomy (P = .41) influenced the outcome of cabergoline treatment. Serum testosterone levels before (P = .26) and after (P = .81) treatment were not significantly different in responders vs non-responders. Conclusion Cabergoline is a potentially effective and easy-to-administer treatment for male orgasmic disorder, the efficacy of which appears to be independent of patient age or orgasmic disorder etiology. Prospective randomized trials are needed to determine the true role of cabergoline in the treatment of this disorder. PMID:26944776

Direct visual internal urethrotomy for isolated, post-urethroplasty strictures: a retrospective analysis.

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Brown, Elizabeth Timbrook; Mock, Stephen; Dmochowski, Roger; Reynolds, W Stuart; Milam, Douglas; Kaufman, Melissa R

2017-02-01

Urethroplasty is often successful for the treatment of male urethral stricture disease, but limited data exists on recurrence management. Our goal was to evaluate direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU) as a treatment option for isolated, recurrent strictures after urethroplasty. We retrospectively identified male patients who underwent urethroplasty from 1999 to 2013 and developed an isolated, recurrent stricture at the urethroplasty site treated with DVIU. Success was defined as lack of symptomatology and no subsequent intervention. Comparative analysis identified characteristics and stricture properties associated with success. A total of 436 urethroplasties were performed in 401 patients at our institution between 1999 and 2013. Stricture recurrence was noted in 64 (16%) patients. Of these, 47 (73%) underwent a DVIU. A total of 37 patients met inclusion criteria and underwent 50 DVIU procedures at the urethroplasty site. A single DVIU was successful in 13 of 37 patients (35%). A total of 4 of 6 patients required a second DVIU (67%). Overall, 17 of 43 (40%) of the total DVIUs were successful after urethroplasty. Success did not differ by age, stricture length or location, surgical technique, radiation history, prior urethroplasty or DVIU, time to failure, or etiology. Post-urethroplasty DVIU for isolated, recurrent strictures may be offered as a minimally invasive treatment option. Approximately 40% of patients were spared further intervention.

Seasonal variation in hemodialysis initiation: A single-center retrospective analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yujiro Maeoka

Full Text Available The number of new dialysis patients has been increasing worldwide, particularly among elderly individuals. However, information on seasonal variation in hemodialysis initiation in recent decades is lacking, and the seasonal distribution of patients' conditions immediately prior to starting dialysis remains unclear. Having this information could help in developing a modifiable approach to improving pre-dialysis care. We retrospectively investigated the records of 297 patients who initiated hemodialysis at Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital from January 1st, 2009 to December 31st, 2013. Seasonal differences were assessed by χ2 or Kruskal-Wallis tests. Multiple comparison analysis was performed with the Steel test. The overall number of patients starting dialysis was greatest in winter (n = 85, 28.6%, followed by spring (n = 74, 24.9%, summer (n = 70, 23.6%, and autumn (n = 68, 22.9%, though the differences were not significant. However, there was a significant winter peak in dialysis initiation among patients aged ≥65 years, but not in those aged <65 years. Fluid overload assessed by clinicians was the most common uremic symptom among all patients, but a winter peak was only detected in patients aged ≥65 years. The body weight gain ratio showed a similar trend to fluid overload assessed by clinicians. Pulmonary edema was most pronounced in winter among patients aged ≥65 years compared with other seasons. The incidences of infection were modestly increased in summer and winter, but not statistically significant. Cardiac complications were similar in all seasons. This study demonstrated the existence of seasonal variation in dialysis initiation, with a winter peak among patients aged ≥65 years. The winter increment in dialysis initiation was mainly attributable to increased fluid overload. These findings suggest that elderly individuals should be monitored particularly closely during the winter.

Retrospective Analysis of Low Flows at Headwater Watersheds in Wyoming

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Voutchkova, D. D.; Miller, S. N.

2016-12-01

Understanding summer low-flow variability and change in the mountainous West has important implications for water allocations downstream and for maintaining water availability for drinking water supply, reservoir storage, industrial, agricultural, and ecological needs. Wildfires and insect infestations are classical disturbance hydrology topics. It is unclear, however, what are their effects on streamflow and in particular low-flows, when vegetation disturbances are overlapping in time and combined with highly variable and potentially changing local climate. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to quantify changes in low-flows resulting from disturbance in headwater streams. Here we present a retrospective analysis based on: (1) 49-75 complete water years (wy) of daily streamflow data (USGS) for 14 high-elevation headwater watersheds with varying areas (60-1730 km2, 86-100% of watershed area >2000masl) and evergreen forest cover (15-82%), (2) 25-36 complete wy of daily snow-water equivalent accumulation (SWE) and precipitation data from Wyoming SNOTEL stations, (3) burned area boundaries for 20wy (MTBS project), (4) aerial surveys by R1, R2, R4 Forest Service Regions for 18wy (data on tree mortality). We quantify the change in various low-flow characteristics (e.g. post-snowmelt baseflow, Q90 and Q95, 3-,7-, 30- and 90-day annual minima etc.) while accounting for local inter- and multi-annual climate variability by using SWE accumulation data, as it integrates both temperature and precipitation changes. Our approach differs from typical before-after field-based investigation for paired watersheds, as it provides a synthesis over large temporal and spatial scales, resulting in spectrum of possible hydrologic responses due to varying disturbance severity. Quantifying the changes in low-flows and low-flow variability will improve our understanding and will facilitate water management and planning at local state-wide level.

Content analysis of physical examination templates in electronic health records using SNOMED CT.

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Gøeg, Kirstine Rosenbeck; Chen, Rong; Højen, Anne Randorff; Elberg, Pia

2014-10-01

Most electronic health record (EHR) systems are built on proprietary information models and terminology, which makes achieving semantic interoperability a challenge. Solving interoperability problems requires well-defined standards. In contrast, the need to support clinical work practice requires a local customization of EHR systems. Consequently, contrasting goals may be evident in EHR template design because customization means that local EHR organizations can define their own templates, whereas standardization implies consensus at some level. To explore the complexity of balancing these two goals, this study analyzes the differences and similarities between templates in use today. A similarity analysis was developed on the basis of SNOMED CT. The analysis was performed on four physical examination templates from Denmark and Sweden. The semantic relationships in SNOMED CT were used to quantify similarities and differences. Moreover, the analysis used these identified similarities to investigate the common content of a physical examination template. The analysis showed that there were both similarities and differences in physical examination templates, and the size of the templates varied from 18 to 49 fields. In the SNOMED CT analysis, exact matches and terminology similarities were represented in all template pairs. The number of exact matches ranged from 7 to 24. Moreover, the number of unrelated fields differed a lot from 1/18 to 22/35. Cross-country comparisons tended to have more unrelated content than within-country comparisons. On the basis of identified similarities, it was possible to define the common content of a physical examination. Nevertheless, a complete view on the physical examination required the inclusion of both exact matches and terminology similarities. This study revealed that a core set of items representing the physical examination templates can be generated when the analysis takes into account not only exact matches but also terminology

Thyroid disorders in patients treated with radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer: A retrospective analysis of seventy-three patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alterio, Daniela; Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara Alicja; Franchi, Benedetta; D'Onofrio, Alberto Sc.D.; Piazzi, Valeria; Rondi, Elena; Ciocca, Mario; Gibelli, Bianca; Grosso, Enrica; Tradati, Nicoletta; Mariani, Luigi; Boboc, Genoveva Ionela; Orecchia, Roberto

2007-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence of thyroid disorders and dose distribution to the thyroid in patients treated with radiotherapy for head-and-neck carcinomas. Methods and Materials: A retrospective evaluation of data from 73 patients treated for head-and-neck cancers in our department was performed. Thyroid function was evaluated mainly by the measurement of thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH]). A retrospective analysis of treatment plans was performed for 57 patients. Percentages of thyroid glandular volume absorbing 10, 30, and 50 Gy (V10, V30, and V50 respectively) were considered for statistical analysis. Results: A majority of patients (61%) had a normal thyroid function whereas 19 patients (26%) had hypothyroidism. Mean thyroid volume was 30.39 cc. Point 3 (located at isthmus) absorbed lower doses compared with other points (p < 0.0001). Median values of V10, V30, and V50 were 92% (range, 57-100%), 75% (range, 28.5-100%), and 35% (range, 3-83%) respectively. Gender was associated with toxicity (presence of any kind of thyroid disorders) (p < 0.05), with females displaying higher levels of TSHr (relative TSH = patient's value/maximum value of the laboratory range) (p = 0.0005) and smaller thyroid volume (p 0.0012) compared with male population. TSHr values were associated with thyroid volume, and the presence of midline shielding block in the anterior field was associated with relative free thyroxine (FT4r = patient's value/maximum value of the laboratory range) values. Conclusions: Gender and thyroid volume seem to play an important role in the occurrence of thyroid toxicity, but further studies on dose-effect relationship for radiotherapy-induced thyroid toxicity are needed

Approach to design space from retrospective quality data.

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Puñal Peces, Daniel; García-Montoya, Encarna; Manich, Albert; Suñé-Negre, Josep Maria; Pérez-Lozano, Pilar; Miñarro, Montse; Ticó, Josep Ramon

2016-01-01

Nowadays, the entire manufacturing process is based on the current GMPs, which emphasize the reproducibility of the process, and companies have a lot of recorded data about their processes. The establishment of the design space (DS) from retrospective data for a wet compression process. A design of experiments (DoE) with historical data from 4 years of industrial production has been carried out using the experimental factors as the results of the previous risk analysis and eight key parameters (quality specifications) that encompassed process and quality control data. Software Statgraphics 5.0 was applied, and data were processed to obtain eight DS as well as their safe and working ranges. Experience shows that it is possible to determine DS retrospectively, being the greatest difficulty in handling and processing of high amounts of data; however, the practicality of this study is very interesting as it let have the DS with minimal investment in experiments since actual production batch data are processed statistically.

Retrospective time perception in Korsakoff's syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

El Haj, M.; Nandrino, J.L.; Kessels, R.P.C.; Matton, C.; Bacquet, J.E.; Urso, L.; Antoine, P.

2017-01-01

The authors investigated retrospective timing in participants with Korsakoff's syndrome. Patients were assessed on four retrospective tasks on which they were instructed to read three-digit numbers aloud (15 seconds), fill connected squares (30 seconds), decide whether words were abstract or

Thyroid cancers: a three year retrospective histopathological study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Than-Than-Htwe; Maung-Ko

2001-01-01

A laboratory based retrospective study was done on thyroid tissue specimen that were received from the surgically removed thyroid swellings of various reasons. It was a three year study from 1996-1998 with a total number of cases as (n=1690). Cases were between the age range of 8-88 years including both sexes. A routine histopathological examination was done according to the standard WHO classification, using conventional methods and techniques of specimen sectioning and processing. Occurrence of thyroid cancer among total cases of thyroid dysfunction is highly significant (P 0.860). The results obtained were discussed. (author)

Lessons to be learned: a retrospective analysis of physiotherapy injury claims.

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Johnson, Gillian M; Skinner, Margot A; Stephen, Rachel E

2012-08-01

Retrospective, descriptive analysis. To describe the prevalence and nature of insurance claims for injuries attributed to physiotherapy care. In New Zealand, a national insurance scheme, the Accident Compensation Corporation, provides comprehensive, no-fault personal injury coverage. The patterns of injury sustained during physiotherapy care have not previously been described. De-identified data for all injuries registered with the Accident Compensation Corporation from 2005 to 2010 and attributed to physiotherapy were accessed. Prevalence patterns (percentages) of new-claim data were determined for physiotherapy intervention category, injury site, nature of injury, age, and sex. A subcategory, exercise-related injuries, was analyzed according to injury site and whether the injury was related (primary) or unrelated (secondary) to the intended therapeutic goal. There were 279 claims related to physiotherapy care filed with the Accident Compensation Corporation during the studied reporting period. Injury was attributed predominantly to exercise (n = 88, 31.5% of cases) and manual therapy (n = 74, 26.5% of cases). The prevalence of events categorized as exercise related was greatest in those who were 55 to 59 years of age (n = 14, 16.3%) and greater in females (n = 47, 54.7%). Of the exercise-related injuries, 39.8% were in the lower-limb region and 35.2% were categorized as sprains/strains. Injuries attributed to exercise exceeded those linked to other therapies provided by physiotherapists, yet exercise therapy rarely features as a cause of adverse events reported to the physiotherapy profession. The proportion of exercise-related injury events underlines the need for ensuring safe and careful consideration of exercise prescription. Harm, level 4.

Retrospective Analysis of Medication Adherence and Cost Following Medication Therapy Management

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Ashley Branham, PharmD

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To determine if pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM improves medication adherence in Medicare patients. A secondary objective is to compare the total monthly cost of a patient’s prescription medication regimen 6 months before and 6 months following a comprehensive medication review (CMR. Design: Retrospective analysis of medication adherence, pre-post comparison. Setting: Three independent pharmacies in North Carolina. Patients: 97 Medicare Part D beneficiaries with one or more chronic disease states who participated in a comprehensive medication review (CMR. Intervention: MTM services provided by community pharmacists. Main outcome measure: Change in adherence as measured by the proportion of days covered (PDC and change in medication costs for patients and third party payers. Results: Patients were adherent to chronic disease-state medications before and after MTM (PDC≥ 0.8. Overall, change in mean adherence before and after MTM did not change significantly (0.87 and 0.88, respectively; p = 0.43. However, patients taking medications for cholesterol management, GERD, thyroid and BPH demonstrated improved adherence following a CMR. No change in adherence was noted for patients using antihypertensives and antidiabetic agents. Average total chronic disease-state medication costs for participants were reduced from $210.74 to $193.63 (p=0.08 following the comprehensive medication review. Total costs for patient and third party payers decreased from patients prescribed antilipemics, antihypertensives, GERD and thyroid disorders following a CMR. Conclusions: Pharmacist-provided MTM services were effective at improving medication adherence for some patients managed with chronic medications. Pharmacist-provided MTM services also were effective in decreasing total medication costs.

Healthcare-associated Pneumonia: Clinical Features and Retrospective Analysis Over 10 Years.

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Qi, Fei; Zhang, Guo-Xin; She, Dan-Yang; Liang, Zhi-Xin; Wang, Ren-Tao; Yang, Zhen; Chen, Liang-An; Cui, Jun-Chang

2015-10-20

Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) is associated with drug-resistant pathogens and high mortality, and there is no clear evidence that this is due to inappropriate antibiotic therapy. This study was to elucidate the clinical features, pathogens, therapy, and outcomes of HCAP, and to clarify the risk factors for drug-resistant pathogens and prognosis. Retrospective observational study among hospitalized patients with HCAP over 10 years. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause hospital mortality after admission. Demographics (age, gender, clinical features, and comorbidities), dates of admission, discharge and/or death, hospitalization costs, microbiological results, chest imaging studies, and CURB-65 were analyzed. Antibiotics, admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU), mechanical ventilation, and pneumonia prognosis were recorded. Patients were dichotomized based on CURB-65 (low- vs. high-risk). Among 612 patients (mean age of 70.7 years), 88.4% had at least one comorbidity. Commonly detected pathogens were Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Initial monotherapy with β-lactam antibiotics was the most common initial therapy (50%). Mean age, length of stay, hospitalization expenses, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation use, malignancies, and detection rate for P. aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus were higher in the high-risk group compared with the low-risk group. CURB-65 ≥3, malignancies, and mechanical ventilation were associated with an increased mortality. Logistic regression analysis showed that cerebrovascular diseases and being bedridden were independent risk factors for HCAP. Initial treatment of HCAP with broad-spectrum antibiotics could be an appropriate approach. CURB-65 ≥3, malignancies, and mechanical ventilation may result in an increased mortality.

Pharmacoeconomics of volatile inhalational anaesthetic agents: an 11-year retrospective analysis.

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Weinberg, L; Story, D; Nam, J; McNicol, L

2010-09-01

With continuously increasing expenditure on health care resources, various cost containment strategies have been suggested in regard to controlling the cost of inhalational anaesthetic agents. We performed a cost identification analysis assessing inhalational anaesthetic agent expenditure at a tertiary level hospital, along with an evaluation of strategies to contain the cost of these agents. The number of bottles of isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane used during the financial years 1997 to 2007 was retrospectively determined and the acquisition costs and cumulative drug expenditure calculated. Pharmacoeconomic modelling using low fresh gas flow anaesthesia was performed to evaluate practical methods of cost reduction. The use of isoflurane decreased from 384 bottles during 1997 to 204 in 2007. In contrast, use of sevoflurane increased from 226 bottles during 1998 to 875 during 2007. Desflurane use increased from 34 bottles per year during 2002 (its year of introduction) to 163 bottles per year in 2007. While the inflation-adjusted cumulative expenditure for these inhalational agents (Australian dollars) increased from $132,000 in 1997 to over $326,000 in 2007, an increase of 168%, patient workload over the same period increased by only 11%. Pharmacoeconomic modelling demonstrated that sevoflurane at 2 l/minute costs 19 times more than isoflurane at 0.5 l/minute. For the financial years 1997 to 2007, we found a progressive shift from the cheaper isoflurane to the more expensive agents, sevoflurane and desflurane, a shift associated with marked increases in costs. Low flow anaesthesia with isoflurane is one strategy to reduce costs.

Percutaneous cryoablation of prostate cancer guided by rectal ultrasound: a retrospectively analysis of 42 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing Wenge; Guo Zhi; Wang Haitao; Liu Fang; Li Baoguo; Yu Haipeng; Li Yong

2008-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of rectal ultrasound-guided agon-hilium percutaneous cryoablation in treatment of patients with median and or late-stage prostate cancer patients. Methods: Retrospectively analysis of 42 cases of with stage C and D prostate cancer patients treated by rectal ultrasound-guided argon-hilium percutaneous cryoablation during the follow-up of 1-12 months. The prostate specific antigen (PSA), biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS), PSA objective response, transrectal ultrasound of the prostate (TRUS), TRUS-guided biopsy of the prostate, the maximum urinary flow rate(MFR), MRI examination at before, and 3,6,12 months after cryoablation were recorded and evaluated. The results were statistically evaluated by using variance analysis. Results: The PSA value at before and 3,6, 12 months after cryoablation were (4.48±1.35), (3.54±1.67), (3.18±1.76), (2.87±1.89) μg/L, respectively; TRUS-measured prostate volumes at before and 3, 6,12 months after cryoablation were (59.7± 8.2), (46.9±8.3), (26.2±3.9), (25.9±3.7) mm 3 , respectively; MFR before and 3, 6,12 months after cryoablation were (10.4±0.8), (14.3±1.2), (18.3±1.3), (18.9±1.3) ml/s, respectively; Compared with before cryoablation, the differences between before and after cryoablation was statistically significant (F= 53.93,747.92,3843.03, respectively, P<0.01). The bPFS rates in 3 months,6 months and 12 months were 95.2% (40/42), 95.2% (40/42), and 90.5% (38/42), respectively. According to the PSA response, the total effective rate (CR 16 cases, PR 15 cases) at 12 months was 73.8%, and SD was 16.7% (7/42), PD was 9.5% (4/42). Complications included temporary incontinence 2.4% (1/42), Penile tingling/numbness 2.4% (1/42), pelvic pain 4.9% (2/41) and Scrotum Edema 2.4% (1/42). There was no case with severe complications such as severe infection or urethrorectal fistula, etc. Conclusions: Rectal ultrasound-guided agon-hilium percutaneous cryoablation showed

Retrospective analysis of diversity and species composition of marine macroalgae of Hainan Island (China)

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Titlyanov, Eduard A.; Titlyanova, Tamara V.; Xia, Bangmei; Bartsch, Inka

2016-09-01

Retrospective analysis of diversity and species composition of marine macroalgae of Hainan Island in the period 1933-1992 is presented in this paper. There are two extensive sample collection periods of benthic macroalgae: the early collection (EC) covers a period between the early 1930s and the 1980s before considerable urbanization and reef degradation took place and a late collection (LC) was performed in 1990/1992 during a phase of rapid urbanization. Analysis of data also including an earlier published inventory of green algae covering the same collection sites (Titlyanov et al. 2011a) revealed that the marine flora of the island comprises 426 taxa in total, with 59% red algae, 18% brown algae and 23% green algae. In total 59 species of red algae, 11 species of brown algae and 37 species of green algae sampled during the LC are new records for Hainan Island. Considerable floristic changes between EC and LC became evident. In the LC there were significantly more filamentous, tubular or fine blade-like, and often epiphytic, green and red algae with a high surface-to-volume ratio. Additionally a reduction of green, brown and red algal species with larger fleshy or foliose thalli and a low surface-to-volume ratio was observed. It is assumed that the changes reflect the degradation of the coral reef ecosystem around Hainan, which was damaged by human activities especially in the 1950s-1970s.

Prevalence of multidrug resistant pathogens in children with urinary tract infection: a retrospective analysis

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Srinivasan S, Madhusudhan NS

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Urinary tract infection (UTI is one of the commonest medical problems in children. It can distress the child and may cause kidney damage. Prompt diagnosis and effective treatment can prevent complications in the child. But treatment of UTI in children has now become a challenge due to the emergence of multidrug resistant bacteria. Aims & Objectives: To know the bacteriological profile and susceptibility pattern of urinary tract infections in children and to know the prevalence of multidrug resistant uropathogens. Materials & Methods: A retrospective analysis was done on all paediatric urine samples for a period of one year. A total of 1581 samples were included in the study. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done on samples showing significant growth by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Statistical analysis: Prevalence and pattern were analyzed using proportions and percentages. Results: E.coli was the most predominant organism (56% causing UTI in children followed by Klebsiella sp (17%. Fifty three percent of gram negative organisms isolated from children were found to be multidrug resistant. Majority of E. coli isolates were found to be highly resistant to Ampicillin (91% and Cotrimoxazole (82% and highly sensitive to Imipenem (99% and Amikacin (93%. Conclusion: Paediatric UTI was common in children less than 5 years of age. Gram negative bacteria (E. coli and Klebsiella sp were more common than gram positive bacteria. Our study revealed that multidrug resistance was higher in E.coli.

Do physical examination and CT-scan measures of femoral neck anteversion and tibial torsion relate to each other?

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Sangeux, Morgan; Mahy, Jessica; Graham, H Kerr

2014-01-01

Informed clinical decision making for femoral and/or tibial de-rotation osteotomies requires accurate measurement of patient function through gait analysis and anatomy through physical examination of bony torsions. Validity of gait analysis has been extensively studied; however, controversy remains regarding the accuracy of physical examination measurements of femoral and tibial torsion. Comparison between CT-scans and physical examination measurements of femoral neck anteversion (FNA) and external tibial torsion (ETT) were retrospectively obtained for 98 (FNA) and 64 (ETT) patients who attended a tertiary hospital for instrumented gait analysis between 2007 and 2010. The physical examination methods studied for femoral neck anteversion were the trochanteric prominence angle test (TPAT) and the maximum hip rotation arc midpoint (Arc midpoint) and for external tibial torsion the transmalleolar axis (TMA). Results showed that all physical examination measurements statistically differed to the CT-scans (bias(standard deviation): -2(14) for TPAT, -10(12) for Arc midpoint and -16(9) for TMA). Bland and Altman plots showed that method disagreements increased with increasing bony torsions in all cases but notably for TPAT. Regression analysis showed that only TMA and CT-scan measurement of external tibial torsion demonstrated good (R(2)=57%) correlation. Correlations for both TPAT (R(2)=14%) and Arc midpoint (R(2)=39%) with CT-scan measurements of FNA were limited. We conclude that physical examination should be considered as screening techniques rather than definitive measurement methods for FNA and ETT. Further research is required to develop more accurate measurement methods to accompany instrumented gait analysis. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Return of fear after retrospective inferences about the absence of an unconditioned stimulus during extinction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raes, A.K.; de Houwer, J.; Verschuere, B.; de Raedt, R.

2011-01-01

We examined whether the effect of an extinction phase can be influenced retrospectively by information about the cause of the absence of the unconditioned stimulus (US) during that phase. Participants were subjected to a differential fear conditioning procedure, followed by an extinction procedure.

A Retrospective Analysis of Thyroid Disease in Pregnancy at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital Soweto South Africa

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V Nicolaou

2017-12-01

Full Text Available BackgroundThyroid diseases in pregnancy are associated with adverse outcomes for mother and fetus.No studies have been reported examining the spectrum and nature of such disorders in the Black population of South Africa.AimsTo examine thyroid disorders in pregnancy at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, by assessing the causes, management and outcomes.MethodsA retrospective review of thyroid disorders was undertaken in 88 patients, attending the Antenatal Endocrine Clinic over a four-year period. All underwent initial and follow-up clinical and biochemical assessments.Maternal delivery records and thyroid function tests of the neonates 48 hours or later following delivery were reviewed.ResultsFifty-eight (66% were hyperthyroid, 23(26% hypothyroid, and 7(8% had euthyroid colloid goiters. Forty-eight (83% hyperthyroid patients had Graves’ disease, whilst had gestational hyperthyroidism. Regarding the hypothyroid patients, more than half followed I131 ablation for Graves’ disease. Eighty-seven percent of the hyperthyroid and 83% of the hypothyroid patients were euthyroid prior to delivery. One fatal maternal outcome, due to uterine rupture and six intra-partum fetal losses occurred. Amongst neonates, there was one case of a tracheo-esophageal fistula and one of neonatal thyrotoxicosis.ConclusionThis is the first report in sub-Saharan Africa detailing thyroid diseases in pregnancy.

Retrospective data suggests that the higher prevalence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in individuals with type 2 diabetes is mediated by hypertension.

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D'Silva, Linda J; Staecker, Hinrich; Lin, James; Sykes, Kevin J; Phadnis, Milind A; McMahon, Tamara M; Connolly, Dan; Sabus, Carla H; Whitney, Susan L; Kluding, Patricia M

2016-01-01

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) has been linked to comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension. However, the relationship between type 2 diabetes (DM) and BPPV is unclear. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the relationship between DM and BPPV in the presence of known contributors like age, gender and hypertension. A retrospective review of the records of 3933 individuals was categorized by the specific vestibular diagnosis and for the presence of type 2 DM and hypertension. As the prevalence of BPPV was higher in people with type 2 DM compared to those without DM, multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify variables predictive of BPPV. The relationship between type 2 DM, hypertension and BPPV was analyzed using mediation analysis. BPPV was seen in 46% of individuals with type 2 DM, compared to 37% of individuals without DM (pdiabetes affects the vestibular system. Individuals with complaints of dizziness, with comorbidities including hypertension and diabetes, may benefit from a screening for BPPV.

Water soluble contrast enema examination of the integrity of the rectal anastomosis prior to loop ileostomy reversal may be superfluous.

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Larsson, Anna; Lindmark, Gudrun; Syk, Ingvar; Buchwald, Pamela

2015-03-01

Defunctioning loop ileostomy in low anterior resection (LAR) is routinely used to reduce consequences of anastomotic leakage. The purpose of this study was to analyze which examination technique is optimal for evaluating the integrity of the anastomosis prior to loop ileostomy reversal. Retrospective analysis of 95 patients who had been subjected to LAR at Helsingborg Hospital and Skåne University Hospital, Sweden, was undertaken between January 2007 and June 2009. The examination techniques of the rectal anastomosis prior to reversal and the clinical outcome after reversal were studied. Radiologic anastomosis control using water soluble contrast enema, digital rectal examination (DRE), and rectoscopy were performed in 53 % (50/95), 98 % (93/95), and 69 % (66/95), respectively. In two patients, no control of the anastomosis was performed before reversal. Fifty-two percent (49/95) of the patients were examined using all techniques. Six patients demonstrated leakage detected before reversal of which two were only radiological leakages. These two patients underwent loop ileostomy reversal after delay without complications. They were the only ones where the three examination techniques did not prove coherence. Four patients had symptomatic leakage; these were detected with rectoscopy and DRE and verified with enema. Three patients developed anastomotic leakage after loop ileostomy reversal despite normal preoperative examinations. Two of these patients had rectovaginal fistulas (AVFs). This retrospective study indicates that contrast enema does not provide additional information if rectoscopy and DRE are normal. Despite negative examinations, three of nine leakages were diagnosed after loop ileostomy reversal. Especially, AVFs seem difficult to diagnose.

Neurocysticercosis in Nepal: a retrospective clinical analysis

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Rajeev Ojha

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The prevalence of epilepsy is higher in Nepal. This study was conducted to analyze the clinical manifestations of neurocysticercosis (NCC among seizure patients admitted to our center. Methods: We retrospectively studied all the NCC patients admitted to Neurology Department, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal from April 2012 to February 2014. Computer tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI head, clinical profile, lab investigations and exclusion of other causes were the basis of the NCC diagnosis. Chi-square and Student′s t-test were used for comparison of variables. Results: Out of 131 seizure patients admitted, 21 patients were diagnosed with NCC (mean age: 33.95 ± 16.41; male: 15 (71.4%, female: 6 (28.6%. Generalized tonic clonic seizure was the most common seizure type in NCC patients (18 patients; 85.7%, two of them had status epilepticus during presentation in Emergency Department. Three patients had focal seizure, one with epilepsia partialis continua. Neuroimaging showed multiple NCC lesions in 8 (38.1% and a single NCC lesion in 13 (61.9% patients. Seven of them (33.3% sought traditional healers before being presented to our center. Eight patients (38.1% were treated with antiepileptics in local health-post without neuroimaging studies done. Calcified stage of NCC was the most frequent CT/MRI findings (12 patients; 57.1%. Phenytoin was preferred both by physicians and patients due to its low cost. Conclusion: NCC is a common finding among seizure patients in Nepal. Poor economic status, illiteracy and underdeveloped rural society are the major challenges in prevention and treatment of NCC.

Ureteroneocystostomy in primary vesicoureteral reflux: critical retrospective analysis of factors affecting the postoperative urinary tract infection rates

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Hasan Serkan Dogan

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction To determine the parameters affecting the outcome of ureteroneocystostomy (UNC procedure for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR. Materials and Methods Data of 398 patients who underwent UNC procedure from 2001 to 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. Different UNC techniques were used according to laterality of reflux and ureteral orifice configuration. Effects of several parameters on outcome were examined. Disappearance of reflux on control VCUG or absence of any kind of UTI/symptoms in patients without control VCUG was considered as clinical improvement. Results Mean age at operation was 59.2 ± 39.8 months and follow-up was 25.6 ± 23.3 months. Grade of VUR was 1-2, 3 and 4-5 in 17, 79, 302 patients, respectively. Male to female ratio was 163/235. UNC was performed bilaterally in 235 patients and intravesical approach was used in 373 patients. The frequency of voiding dysfunction, scar on preoperative DMSA, breakthrough infection and previous surgery was 28.4%, 70.7%, 49.3% and 22.4%, respectively. Twelve patients (8.9% with postoperative contralateral reflux were excluded from the analysis. Overall clinical improvement rate for UNC was 92%. Gender, age at diagnosis and operation, laterality and grade of reflux, mode of presentation, breakthrough infections (BTI under antibiotic prophylaxis, presence of voiding dysfunction and renal scar, and operation technique did not affect the surgical outcome. However, the clinical improvement rate was lower in patients with a history of previous endoscopic intervention (83.9% vs. 94%. Postoperative UTI rate was 27.2% and factors affecting the occurrence of postoperative UTI were previous failed endoscopic injection on univariate analysis and gender, preoperative BTI, postoperative VUR state, voiding dysfunction on multivariate analysis. Surgery related complication rate was 2% (8/398. These were all low grade complications (blood transfusion in 1, hematoma under incision in 3 and prolonged

Poster - 22: Retrospective analysis of portal dosimetry based QA of Prostate VMAT Plans

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Badu, Shyam; Darko, Johnson; Fleck, Andre; Osei, Ernest [Grand River Regional Cancer Centre , Kitchener , ON Canada (Canada)

2016-08-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to retrospectively analyze the portal dosimetry based quality assurance of prostate VMAT plans. Methods: Our standard quality assurance of VMAT treatment plans are performed using EPID installed on Varian TrueBeam Linac. In our current study we analyzed 84 prostate pretreatment VMAT plans. All plans consisted of two arcs, 7800cGy in 39 fractions with a 6MV beam. For each of these VMAT plans, the measured fluence for each arc is compared with the reference fluence using gamma index analysis. Results: We have compared the gamma passing rates for three criteria; 3%/3mm, 2%/2mm and 1%/1mm. Out of 168 arcs measured, the number below the gamma passing rate 95% using the area, Field+1cm, are 0, 2, and 124 for 3%/3mm, 2%/2mm and 1%/1mm criteria respectively. Corresponding numbers for MLC CIAO are 0, 2, and 139 respectively. The average gamma passing rate for all arcs measured using Field+1cm are 99.9±0.4, 99.6±1.2, and 90.9±6.5 for 3%/3mm, 2%/2mm and 1%/1mm respectively. Similarly if the MLC CIAO area is analyzed, a passing rate of 99.9±0.2, 99.2±1.2 and 87.2±8.5 respectively was observed. The average of the maximum gamma was also found to increase with tighter criteria. Conclusion: Analysis of prostate VMAT quality assurance plans indicate that the gamma passing rate is sensitive to the criteria and the area analyzed.

CAN A SPECIFIC NECK STRENGTHENING PROGRAM DECREASE CERVICAL SPINE INJURIES IN A MEN'S PROFESSIONAL RUGBY UNION TEAM? A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

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Robert Naish

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Cervical spine injuries in Rugby Union are a concerning issue at all levels of the game. The primary aim of this retrospective analysis conducted in a professional Rugby Union squad was to determine whether a 26-week isometric neck strengthening intervention program (13-week strengthening phase and 13-week maintenance phase was effective in reducing the number and severity of cervical spine injuries. The secondary aim was to determine whether at week five, where the program had been the similar for all players, there was increased isometric neck strength. All 27 players who were common to both the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons were included in this analysis and data was extracted from a Sports Medicine/Sports Science database which included the squad's injury records. Primary outcome variables included; the number of cervical spine injuries and the severity of these injuries as determined by the total number of days lost from training and competition. Secondary outcome variables included isometric neck strength in flexion, extension and left and right lateral flexion. Using non-parametric statistical methods, no significant differences were evident for the total number of cervical spine injuries (n = 8 in 2007-2008, n = 6 in 2008-2009 or time loss due to these injuries (100 days in 2007-2008, 40 days in 2008-2009. However, a significant (p = 0.03 reduction in the number of match injuries was evident from 2007-2008 (n = 11 to 2008-09 (n = 2. Non-significant increases in isometric neck strength were found in all directions examined. A significant reduction in the number of match injuries was evident in this study. However, no other significant changes to primary outcome variables were achieved. Further, no significant increases in isometric neck strength were found in this well-trained group of professional athletes

Analysis of previous screening examinations for patients with breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eun Hye; Cha, Joo Hee; Han, Dae Hee; Choi, Young Ho; Hwang, Ki Tae; Ryu, Dae Sik; Kwak, Jin Ho; Moon, Woo Kyung

2007-01-01

We wanted to improve the quality of subsequent screening by reviewing the previous screening of breast cancer patients. Twenty-four breast cancer patients who underwent previous screening were enrolled. All 24 took mammograms and 15 patients also took sonograms. We reviewed the screening retrospectively according to the BI-RADS criteria and we categorized the results into false negative, true negative, true positive and occult cancers. We also categorized the causes of false negative cancers into misperception, misinterpretation and technical factors and then we analyzed the attributing factors. Review of the previous screening revealed 66.7% (16/24) false negative, 25.0% (6/24) true negative, and 8.3% (2/24) true positive cancers. False negative cancers were caused by the mammogram in 56.3% (9/16) and by the sonogram in 43.7% (7/16). For the false negative cases, all of misperception were related with mammograms and this was attributed to dense breast, a lesion located at the edge of glandular tissue or the image, and findings seen on one view only. Almost all misinterpretations were related with sonograms and attributed to loose application of the final assessment. To improve the quality of breast screening, it is essential to overcome the main causes of false negative examinations, including misperception and misinterpretation. We need systematic education and strict application of final assessment categories of BI-RADS. For effective communication among physicians, it is also necessary to properly educate them about BI-RADS

Retrospective Analysis of Inflight Exercise Loading and Physiological Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Ploutz-Snyder, L. L.; Buxton, R. E.; De Witt, J. K.; Guilliams, M. E.; Hanson, A. M.; Peters, B. T.; Pandorf, M. M. Scott; Sibonga, J. D.

2014-01-01

Astronauts perform exercise throughout their missions to counter the health declines that occur as a result of long-term exposure to weightlessness. Although all astronauts perform exercise during their missions, the specific prescriptions, and thus the mechanical loading, differs among individuals. For example, inflight ground reaction force data indicate that subject-specific differences exist in foot forces created when exercising on the second-generation treadmill (T2) [1]. The current exercise devices allow astronauts to complete prescriptions at higher intensities, resulting in greater benefits with increased efficiency. Although physiological outcomes have improved, the specific factors related to the increased benefits are unknown. In-flight exercise hardware collect data that allows for exploratory analyses to determine if specific performance factors relate to physiological outcomes. These analyses are vital for understanding which components of exercise are most critical for optimal human health and performance. The relationship between exercise performance variables and physiological changes during flight has yet to be fully investigated. Identifying the critical performance variables that relate to improved physiological outcomes is vital for creating current and future exercise prescriptions to optimize astronaut health. The specific aims of this project are: 1) To quantify the exercise-related mechanical loading experienced by crewmembers on T2 and ARED during their mission on ISS; 2) To explore relationships between exercise loading variables, bone, and muscle health changes during the mission; 3) To determine if specific mechanical loading variables are more critical than others in protecting physiology; 4) To develop methodology for operational use in monitoring accumulated training loads during crew exercise programs. This retrospective analysis, which is currently in progress, is being conducted using data from astronauts that have flown long

Biological behaviour of canine mandibular osteosarcoma. A retrospective study of 50 cases (1999-2007).

Science.gov (United States)

Coyle, V J; Rassnick, K M; Borst, L B; Rodriguez, C O; Northrup, N C; Fan, T M; Garrett, L D

2015-06-01

The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the biological behaviour of canine mandibular osteosarcoma (OSA) and to examine factors for their impact on metastasis-free interval (MFI) and survival time (ST). Records from dogs treated with mandibulectomy for OSA (1999-2007) were reviewed. Archived tumour samples were evaluated for mitotic index (MI) and tumour grade. Fifty dogs were included, 21 received chemotherapy. Twenty-nine dogs (58%) developed metastatic disease. The median MFI was 627 days, and median ST was 525 days. In univariate analysis MI > 40 was prognostic for decreased MFI and ST. Grade also influenced MFI and ST, with 5/21 (24%) dogs with grade II/III tumours metastasis-free at one year versus 16/22 (72%) dogs with grade I tumours (P = 0.002); and 5/21 (24%) dogs with grade II/III tumours alive versus 17/22 (77%) dogs with grade I tumours (P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, histological grade and adjuvant chemotherapy were prognostic for MFI and ST. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Inter- and intra-examiner reliability of footprint pattern analysis obtained from diabetics using the Harris mat.

Science.gov (United States)

Cisneros, Lígia de Loiola; Fonseca, Tiago H S; Abreu, Vivianni C

2010-01-01

High plantar pressure is a proven risk factor for ulceration among individuals with diabetes mellitus. The Harris and Beath footprinting mat is one of the tools used in screening for foot ulceration risk among these subjects. There are no reports in the literature on the reliability of footprint analysis using print pattern criteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intra-examiner reliability of the analysis of footprint patterns obtained using the Harris and Beath footprinting mat. Footprints were taken from 41 subjects using the footprinting mat. The images were subjected to analysis by three independent examiners. To investigate the intra-examiner reliability, the analysis was repeated by one of the examiners one week later. The weighted kappa coefficient was excellent (K(w) > 0.80) for the inter- and intra-examiner analyses for most of the points studied on both feet. The criteria for analyzing footprint patterns obtained using the Harris and Beath footprinting mat presented good reliability and high to excellent inter- and intra-examiner agreement. This method is reliable for analyses involving one or more examiners. Article registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) under the number ACTRN12609000693224.

Civacuve analysis software for mis machine examination of pressurized water reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubois, Ph.; Gagnor, A.

2001-01-01

The product software CIVACUVE is used by INTERCONTROLE for the analysis of UT examinations, for detection, performed by the In-Service Inspection Machine (MIS) of the vessels of nuclear power plants. This software is based on an adaptation of an algorithm of SEGMENTATION (CEA CEREM), which is applied prior to any analysis. It is equipped with tools adapted to industrial use. It allows to: - perform image analysis thanks to advanced graphic tools (Zooms, True Bscan, 'contour' selection...), - backup of all data in a database (complete and transparent backup of all informations used and obtained during the different analysis operations), - connect PC to the Database (export of Reports and even of segmented points), - issue Examination Reports, Operating Condition Sheets, Sizing curves... - and last, perform a graphic and numerical comparison between different inspections of the same vessel. Used in Belgium and France on different kind of reactor vessels, CIVACUVE has allowed to show that the principle of SEGMENTATION can be adapted to detection exams. The use of CIVACUVE generates a important time gain as well as the betterment of quality in analysis. Wide data opening toward PC's allows a real flexibility with regard to client's requirements and preoccupations

Hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective analysis of 118 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aman-ur-Rehman; Murad, S.

2002-01-01

Objective: This study aimed at documenting the spectrum of clinico pathological variations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Design: It was a retrospective study. Place and duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (INMOL) Hospital, Lahore from March 1997 to December 2000. Patients and Methods: The profiles of 118 patients with a biopsy proven hepatocellular carcinoma were analyzed in this period. The data collected was age, sex, clinical presentation and laboratory investigations including liver function tests, alpha fetoprotein and hepatitis profile. Results: Weight loss, jaundice and right upper quadrant abdominal pain were the main presenting symptoms. Out of 118 patients, alpha fetoprotein values were raised in 63(53.38%) patients 106 (89.83%) patients were found to have or have had HBV infections, and 92 (77.96%) patients were anti-HCV positive. Eighty-three (70.33%) patients were cirrhotic. History of alcohol abuse was bound in three patients. Conclusion: The common association of HCC with cirrhosis and hepatitis B and C suggests that vaccination against HBV on nationwide basis can decrease prevalence of this malignancy. There is a need to generate public awareness regarding the transmission of these viruses. Early diagnosis and intervention is also important to the successful management of HCC. (author)

Correlation between physical examination and intraoperative findings in shoulder disease treated by arthroscopy. Statistical analysis of 150 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

García Parra, P; Anaya Rojas, M; Jiménez Bravo, B; González Oria, M O; Lisbona Muñoz, M; Gil Álvarez, J J; Cano Luis, P

2016-01-01

Only a few clinical exploratory manoeuvres are truly discriminatory and useful in shoulder disease. The aim of this study is to correlate the physical examination results of the shoulder with the true diagnosis found by arthroscopy. A retrospective case series of 150 patients with the most common surgical conditions of the shoulder. Data were collected on the suspicion of each pathology, the physical examination of the patient, and the actual discovery of the disease during arthroscopic surgery. The Bankart examination manoeuvres of the lesion show the best results, with a 92.1% positive prediction value (PPV), a 99.1% negative predictive value (NPV), followed by the impingement syndrome, with a PPV of 94.4%, and total cuff rupture with a PPV of 92.3%.Exploration of the superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion had an NPV of 99.1%. Physical examination is sufficient to diagnose or rule out Bankart. A positive physical examination provides the complete rupture of the rotator cuff, and requires further studies. The patients suspected of subacromial syndrome only need an NMR if the physical tests are negative. The conclusions drawn from this work can have a significant impact on both cost savings (by reducing forward tests), and saving time in certain cases in which, after appropriate physical examination, surgery may be indicated without losing time in intermediate steps. Copyright © 2016 SECOT. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Government Disaster Response and Narrative Retrospection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rubin, Olivier

2017-01-01

that voters did not appear to immediately punish the Danish and Swedish governments for the Tsunami despite the severe impacts and the widespread public disapproval of the governments’ disaster responses. The concept of narrative retrospection shows how there was limited pressure to politicize the government’s...... disaster management efforts in Denmark, while the brunt of the political blame in Sweden occurred more than a year after the Tsunami.......This paper investigates the nexus between disaster response and voting behaviour through a comparative study of the electoral dynamics in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami in Denmark and Sweden. The paper addresses three hypotheses of retrospection: (i) blind retrospection where voters...

Gemcitabine/cisplatin versus 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin C chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced pancreatic cancer: a retrospective analysis of 93 patients

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Sauer Rolf

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite of a growing number of gemcitabine based chemoradiotherapy studies in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC, 5-fluorouracil based regimens are still regarded to be standard and the debate of superiority between the two drugs is going on. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the effect of two concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens using 5-fluorouracil or gemcitabine to compare their effect and tolerance. Methods We have performed a single centre retrospective analysis of 93 patients treated with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy of 55.8 Gray using either concurrent 5-fluorouracil, 1 g/m² on days 1-5 and 29-33 of radiotherapy and 10 mg/m² of mitomycin C on day 1, 29 of radiotherapy (FM group, 35 patients versus gemcitabine (300 mg/m² and cisplatin, (30 mg/m² on days 1, 8, 22, and 29 (GC group, 58 patients. Primary endpoint was the median overall survival (OS rate. Results The median OS rate was 12.7 months in the GC group and 9.7 months in the FM group. The 1-year OS rate was 53% versus 40%, respectively (p = 0.009. GC led to more grade 3 leukocytopenia and thrombocytopenia than FM, but not to more grade 4 myelosuppression. Thrombocytopenia was the most frequently observed grade 4 toxicity in both groups (11% after FM versus 12% after GC. No grade 3/4 febrile neutropenia was observed. Grade 3 nausea was more common in the FM group (20% versus 9% and grade 4 nausea was observed in one patient per group only. Conclusions GC was superior to FM for overall survival and both regimens were similar in terms of tolerance. We conclude that GC leads to encouraging results and that the use of FM for chemoradiotherapy in LAPC cannot be recommended without concerns.

Value of systematic post mortem radiographic examinations of fetuses - 400 cases

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Kalifa, G.; Sellier, N.; Barbet, J.P.; Labbe, F.; Houette, A.

1989-01-01

A retrospective study of 400 cases of fetal deaths has been carried out to assess the value of systematic post mortem radiological examination. Apart from general diagnosis purpose, special attention was given to the assessment of bone age and mineralization. The results were correlated with the clinical, U.S., chromosomal and pathological data. Computerized analysis of our information show the following results: (1) The radiological examination was valuable for the final diagnosis in 13.5% of cases. (2) It brings additional information in 34.5% of cases. (3) It had no diagnostic value in 52%. Furthermore several points deserve attention such as apparition of teeth (21 weeks), calcaneum (24 weeks). Major osteoporosis was always associated with a constitutional bone disease or an infectious process. An excessive length of the upper limbs (12) was seen in 11 cases of anencephaly. We suggest that a radiological examination should not be routinely performed, when the diagnosis is otherwise obvious, but should be considered in the presence of dwarfism, or other limb abnormalities and when the gestational age is uncertain. The films provide essential information especially for further genetic counselling.

Value of systematic post mortem radiographic examinations of fetuses - 400 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalifa, G.; Sellier, N.; Barbet, J.P.; Labbe, F.; Houette, A.

1989-01-01

A retrospective study of 400 cases of fetal deaths has been carried out to assess the value of systematic post mortem radiological examination. Apart from general diagnosis purpose, special attention was given to the assessment of bone age and mineralization. The results were correlated with the clinical, U.S., chromosomal and pathological data. Computerized analysis of our information show the following results: (1) The radiological examination was valuable for the final diagnosis in 13.5% of cases. (2) It brings additional information in 34.5% of cases. (3) It had no diagnostic value in 52%. Furthermore several points deserve attention such as apparition of teeth (21 weeks), calcaneum (24 weeks). Major osteoporosis was always associated with a constitutional bone disease or an infectious process. An excessive length of the upper limbs (12) was seen in 11 cases of anencephaly. We suggest that a radiological examination should not be routinely performed, when the diagnosis is otherwise obvious, but should be considered in the presence of dwarfism, or other limb abnormalities and when the gestational age is uncertain. The films provide essential information especially for further genetic counselling. (orig./MG)

An audit of the outcome of amblyopia treatment: a retrospective analysis of 322 children.

Science.gov (United States)

Awan, M; Proudlock, F A; Grosvenor, D; Choudhuri, I; Sarvanananthan, N; Gottlob, I

2010-08-01

Little is known about the effectiveness of occlusion therapy in hospital settings. A retrospective analysis was conducted to assess modalities, outcome and hospital costs of children treated for amblyopia with patching in a UK clinic. Notes of 322 children with amblyopia discharged after occlusion treatment were selected consecutively and reviewed. Data collated included age at presentation, amblyopia type, visual acuity (VA; before/after occlusion and at discharge), number of prescribed hours of occlusion, duration of patching treatment, number of glasses prescribed and number of visits attended or failed to attend. Hospital treatment costs were estimated. Mixed amblyopes were prescribed the longest amount of patching (mean 2815 h over 23 months) followed by strabismic (1984 h) and anisometropic (1238 h) amblyopes. 319 amblyopes received glasses and five atropine treatment. The percentage of patients reaching VA of 6/12 was best in the anisometropic and strabismic groups (>75%) and worse in mixed amblyopia (64%). Average hospital costs were estimated at pound1365. Although the mean duration of treatment was long, involving many hospital visits, the visual outcome was variable, unsatisfactory (amblyopia treatment are needed, possibly by using educational/motivational intervention.

Evaluation of Bone Marrow Infiltration in Non-Neuropathic Gaucher Disease Patients with Use of Whole-Body MRI--A Retrospective Data Analysis.

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Laudemann, K; Moos, L; Mengel, K E; Lollert, A; Reinke, J; Brixius-Huth, M; Wagner, D; Düber, C; Staatz, G

2015-12-01

To evaluate whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) for the assessment of bone marrow infiltration in patients with confirmed Gaucher disease type 1 under long-term enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). This retrospective data analysis included 38 patients in two subgroups. Group A: 10 females, 9 males, 15-29 years, mean age 22 years and Group B: 11 females, 8 males, 29-77 years, mean age 49 years, all treated with alglucerase or imiglucerase for at least 12.5 years. Whole-body MRI was carried out in all patients using a standard MRI protocol. Two radiologists assessed all MR images retrospectively with the use of three different MRI score systems: The bone marrow burden (BMB) score, the Düsseldorf-Gaucher score (DGS) and the vertebra disc ratio (VDR). As a clinical component, severity score index type 1 (GD-DS3) was determined. In both groups the MR scores showed low to moderate pathologic levels but no statistically significant difference was found between both groups. The median scores in group A/group B were 7.00/9.00 for the BMB score (p=0.07), 4.00/3.00 for the DGS score (p=0.062) and 1.54/1.62 for the VDR score (p=0.267). The GD-DS3 score was statistically significantly different between both groups (1.6/3.9, p=0.000) and osseous Gaucher disease complications were only found in group B. Bone marrow involvement and typical clinical manifestations are reduced to a minimum, when ERT starts immediately after the confirmed diagnosis of Gaucher disease type 1. The applied MR scores are useful markers to control bone marrow infiltration under enzyme replacement therapy in older patients. Pathologic MR scores in young patients may reflect postponed fat conversion of the juvenile bone marrow. This issue has to be examined in further studies. Whole-body MRI is valuable for the staging of Gaucher disease type 1. Osseous complications are reduced to a minimum in early treated patients. MR score systems have to be adjusted in young Gaucher patients. © Georg Thieme

Socialization Turning Points: An Examination of Change in Organizational Identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullis, Connie; Bach, Betsy Wackernagel

To examine perspectives of change in individual-organizational socialization, a study used the retrospective interview technique (RIT) to reconstruct the history and process of individuals' socialization experiences over an 8-month period. Using the RIT, researchers asked subjects, 28 entering graduate students enrolled in three communication…

Frequency of breast cancer with hereditary risk features in Spain: Analysis from GEICAM "El Álamo III" retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Márquez-Rodas, Iván; Pollán, Marina; Escudero, María José; Ruiz, Amparo; Martín, Miguel; Santaballa, Ana; Martínez Del Prado, Purificación; Batista, Norberto; Andrés, Raquel; Antón, Antonio; Llombart, Antonio; Fernandez Aramburu, Antonio; Adrover, Encarnación; González, Sonia; Seguí, Miguel Angel; Calvo, Lourdes; Lizón, José; Rodríguez Lescure, Álvaro; Ramón Y Cajal, Teresa; Llort, Gemma; Jara, Carlos; Carrasco, Eva; López-Tarruella, Sara

2017-01-01

To determine the frequency of breast cancer (BC) patients with hereditary risk features in a wide retrospective cohort of patients in Spain. a retrospective analysis was conducted from 10,638 BC patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2001 in the GEICAM registry "El Álamo III", dividing them into four groups according to modified ESMO and SEOM hereditary cancer risk criteria: Sporadic breast cancer group (R0); Individual risk group (IR); Familial risk group (FR); Individual and familial risk group (IFR) with both individual and familial risk criteria. 7,641 patients were evaluable. Of them, 2,252 patients (29.5%) had at least one hereditary risk criteria, being subclassified in: FR 1.105 (14.5%), IR 970 (12.7%), IFR 177 (2.3%). There was a higher frequency of newly diagnosed metastatic patients in the IR group (5.1% vs 3.2%, p = 0.02). In contrast, in RO were lower proportion of big tumors (> T2) (43.8% vs 47.4%, p = 0.023), nodal involvement (43.4% vs 48.1%, p = 0.004) and lower histological grades (20.9% G3 for the R0 vs 29.8%) when compared to patients with any risk criteria. Almost three out of ten BC patients have at least one hereditary risk cancer feature that would warrant further genetic counseling. Patients with hereditary cancer risk seems to be diagnosed with worse prognosis factors.

Anorexia nervosa versus bulimia nervosa: differences based on retrospective correlates in a case-control study.

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Machado, Bárbara C; Gonçalves, Sónia F; Martins, Carla; Brandão, Isabel; Roma-Torres, António; Hoek, Hans W; Machado, Paulo P

2016-06-01

This study is the result of two Portuguese case-control studies that examined the replication of retrospective correlates and preceding life events in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) development. This study aims to identify retrospective correlates that distinguish AN and BN METHOD: A case-control design was used to compare a group of women who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for AN (N = 98) and BN (N = 79) with healthy controls (N = 86) and with other psychiatric disorders (N = 68). Each control group was matched with AN patients regarding age and parental social categories. Risk factors were assessed by interviewing each person with the Oxford Risk Factor Interview. Compared to AN, women with BN reported significantly higher rates of paternal high expectations, excessive family importance placed on fitness/keeping in shape, and negative consequences due to adolescent overweight and adolescent objective overweight. Overweight during adolescence emerged as the most relevant retrospective correlate in the distinction between BN and AN participants. Family expectations and the importance placed on keeping in shape were also significant retrospective correlates in the BN group.

Retrospective analysis of anthropometric and fitness characteristics associated with long-term career progression in Rugby League.

Science.gov (United States)

Till, Kevin; Cobley, Steve; O'Hara, John; Morley, David; Chapman, Chris; Cooke, Carlton

2015-05-01

The current study retrospectively investigated the differences in anthropometric and fitness characteristics of junior rugby league players selected onto a talent identification and development (TID) programme between long-term career progression levels (i.e., amateur, academy, professional). Retrospective design. Former junior rugby league players (N=580) selected to a TID programme were grouped according to their career progression level. Anthropometric (height, sitting height, body mass and sum of four skinfolds), maturational and fitness (power, speed, change of direction speed and estimated V̇O2max) assessments were conducted at 13-15 years. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) analyzed differences between career progression levels controlling for chronological age. 57.1% and 12.1% of players selected to the TID programme progressed to academy and professional levels in rugby league, respectively. Sum of four skinfolds (η(2)=0.03), vertical jump (η(2)=0.02), 10 m (η(2)=0.02), 20 m (η(2)=0.02), 30 m (η(2)=0.02), and 60 m (η(2)=0.03) speed, agility 505 left (η(2)=0.06), agility 505 right (η(2)=0.05) and estimated V̇O2max (η(2)=0.03) were superior within junior players who progressed to professional compared to amateur levels. No significant differences were identified between future academy and professional players for any measure. Findings suggest that lower sum of four skinfolds and advanced fitness characteristics within junior (13-15 years) rugby league players may partially contribute to long-term career progression. Therefore, TID programmes within rugby league should aim to assess and develop body composition and fitness characteristics, especially change of direction speed. However, TID programmes should also consider technical, tactical and psycho-social characteristics of junior rugby league players that may be important for long-term career progression. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All

Healthcare-associated Pneumonia: Clinical Features and Retrospective Analysis Over 10 Years

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Fei; Zhang, Guo-Xin; She, Dan-Yang; Liang, Zhi-Xin; Wang, Ren-Tao; Yang, Zhen; Chen, Liang-An; Cui, Jun-Chang

2015-01-01

Background: Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) is associated with drug-resistant pathogens and high mortality, and there is no clear evidence that this is due to inappropriate antibiotic therapy. This study was to elucidate the clinical features, pathogens, therapy, and outcomes of HCAP, and to clarify the risk factors for drug-resistant pathogens and prognosis. Methods: Retrospective observational study among hospitalized patients with HCAP over 10 years. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause hospital mortality after admission. Demographics (age, gender, clinical features, and comorbidities), dates of admission, discharge and/or death, hospitalization costs, microbiological results, chest imaging studies, and CURB-65 were analyzed. Antibiotics, admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU), mechanical ventilation, and pneumonia prognosis were recorded. Patients were dichotomized based on CURB-65 (low- vs. high-risk). Results: Among 612 patients (mean age of 70.7 years), 88.4% had at least one comorbidity. Commonly detected pathogens were Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Initial monotherapy with β-lactam antibiotics was the most common initial therapy (50%). Mean age, length of stay, hospitalization expenses, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation use, malignancies, and detection rate for P. aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus were higher in the high-risk group compared with the low-risk group. CURB-65 ≥3, malignancies, and mechanical ventilation were associated with an increased mortality. Logistic regression analysis showed that cerebrovascular diseases and being bedridden were independent risk factors for HCAP. Conclusion: Initial treatment of HCAP with broad-spectrum antibiotics could be an appropriate approach. CURB-65 ≥3, malignancies, and mechanical ventilation may result in an increased mortality. PMID:26481734

Healthcare-associated Pneumonia: Clinical Features and Retrospective Analysis Over 10 Years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Qi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP is associated with drug-resistant pathogens and high mortality, and there is no clear evidence that this is due to inappropriate antibiotic therapy. This study was to elucidate the clinical features, pathogens, therapy, and outcomes of HCAP, and to clarify the risk factors for drug-resistant pathogens and prognosis. Methods: Retrospective observational study among hospitalized patients with HCAP over 10 years. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause hospital mortality after admission. Demographics (age, gender, clinical features, and comorbidities, dates of admission, discharge and/or death, hospitalization costs, microbiological results, chest imaging studies, and CURB-65 were analyzed. Antibiotics, admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU, mechanical ventilation, and pneumonia prognosis were recorded. Patients were dichotomized based on CURB-65 (low- vs. high-risk. Results: Among 612 patients (mean age of 70.7 years, 88.4% had at least one comorbidity. Commonly detected pathogens were Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and coagulase-negative staphylococci. Initial monotherapy with β-lactam antibiotics was the most common initial therapy (50%. Mean age, length of stay, hospitalization expenses, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation use, malignancies, and detection rate for P. aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus were higher in the high-risk group compared with the low-risk group. CURB-65 ≥3, malignancies, and mechanical ventilation were associated with an increased mortality. Logistic regression analysis showed that cerebrovascular diseases and being bedridden were independent risk factors for HCAP. Conclusion: Initial treatment of HCAP with broad-spectrum antibiotics could be an appropriate approach. CURB-65 ≥3, malignancies, and mechanical ventilation may result in an increased mortality.

Is the time interval between surgery and radiotherapy important in operable nonsmall cell lung cancer? A retrospective analysis of 340 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wuerschmidt, Florian; Buenemann, Henry; Ehnert, Michael; Heilmann, Hans-Peter

1997-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of prognostic factors in postoperative radiotherapy of NSCLC with special emphasis on the time interval between surgery and start of radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Between January 1976 and December 1993, 340 cases were treated and retrospectively analyzed meeting the following criteria: complete follow-up; complete staging information including pathological confirmation of resection status; maximum interval between surgery (SX) and radiotherapy (RT) of 12 weeks (median 36 days, range 18 to 84 days); minimum dose of 50 Gy (R0), and maximum dose of 70 Gy (R2). Two hundred thirty patients (68%) had N2 disease; 228 patients were completely resected (R0). One hundred six (31%) had adenocarcinoma, 172 (51%) squamous cell carcinoma. Results: In univariate analysis, Karnofsky performance status (90+ > 60-80%; p = 0.019 log rank), resection status stratified for nodal disease (R+ < R0; p = 0.046), and the time interval between SX and RT were of significant importance. Patients with a long interval (37 to 84 days) had higher 5-year survival rates (26%) and a median survival time (MST: 21.9 months, 95% C.I. 17.2 to 28.6 months) than patients with a short interval (18 to 36 days: 15%; 14.9 months, 13 to 19.9 months; p = 0.013). A further subgroup analysis revealed significant higher survival rates in patients with a long interval in N0/1 disease (p = 0.011) and incompletely resected NSCLC (p = 0.012). In multivariate analysis, the time interval had a p-value of 0.009 (nodal disease: p = 0.0083; KPI: p = 0.0037; sex: p = 0.035). Conclusion: Shortening the time interval between surgery and postoperative radiotherapy to less than 6 weeks even in R+ cases is not necessary. Survival of patients with a long interval between surgery and start of radiotherapy was better in this retrospective analysis as compared to patients with a short interval

How can a phone survey help in a retrospective assessment of the medical exposure of the population?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rommens, C.; Brenot, J.; Maccia, C.; Pages, P.

2000-01-01

A retrospective assessment of the medical exposure to ionising radiation of a given population requires the completion of several steps: knowledge of the past x-ray examination frequencies, appraisal of the individual dose for each examination type and estimation of the influence of the improvements of the imaging technique during the span of time considered. Within such a context, a pilot study was carried out in France in 1999 to prepare a retrospective evaluation of the collective medical exposure of a local population in the Nord-Cotentin region over the past 40 years. The aim of the evaluation is to provide a working group [Groupe Radioecologie Nord-Cotentin 1998] in charge of the evaluation of all exposure levels (natural and artificial) of this population with a realistic average value for diagnostic exposure. As far as the examination frequencies are concerned, the methodological approach chosen was a phone-based survey which dealt with the individual personal medical history of a representative sample of the population over the considered period of time (40 years). Two complementary samples were included in the pilot study: One hundred adults who answered their own medical history; Twenty mothers who answered one of their children's medical history thus providing a more reliable information on medical examinations underwent by such a population. The main difficulties in the preparation of the questionnaires were the tuning of questions towards the best possible recollection of individual past events having led to a medical exposure, the acceptability of questioning about personal health problems. Frequencies of the different examination types were deduced according to the individual answers provided by the questionnaires while doses attributable to each examination type were assessed using different mathematical phantoms simulating adult and paediatric patients. The response rate obtained during the phone survey shows that the methodology used to carry out

A retrospective analysis of survival and prognostic factors after stereotactic radiosurgery for aggressive meningiomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferraro, Daniel J; Zoberi, Imran; Simpson, Joseph R; Jaboin, Jerry J; Funk, Ryan K; Blackett, John William; Ju, Michelle R; DeWees, Todd A; Chicoine, Michael R; Dowling, Joshua L; Rich, Keith M; Drzymala, Robert E

2014-01-01

While most meningiomas are benign, aggressive meningiomas are associated with high levels of recurrence and mortality. A single institution’s Gamma Knife radiosurgical experience with atypical and malignant meningiomas is presented, stratified by the most recent WHO classification. Thirty-one patients with atypical and 4 patients with malignant meningiomas treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery between July 2000 and July 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent prior surgical resection. Overall survival was the primary endpoint and rate of disease recurrence in the brain was a secondary endpoint. Patients who had previous radiotherapy or prior surgical resection were included. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate survival and identify factors predictive of recurrence and survival. Post-Gamma Knife recurrence was identified in 11 patients (31.4%) with a median overall survival of 36 months and progression-free survival of 25.8 months. Nine patients (25.7%) had died. Three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 78.0% and 65.0%, respectively. WHO grade II 3-year OS and PFS were 83.4% and 70.1%, while WHO grade III 3-year OS and PFS were 33.3% and 0%. Recurrence rate was significantly higher in patients with a prior history of benign meningioma, nuclear atypia, high mitotic rate, spontaneous necrosis, and WHO grade III diagnosis on univariate analysis; only WHO grade III diagnosis was significant on multivariate analysis. Overall survival was adversely affected in patients with WHO grade III diagnosis, prior history of benign meningioma, prior fractionated radiotherapy, larger tumor volume, and higher isocenter number on univariate analysis; WHO grade III diagnosis and larger treated tumor volume were significant on multivariate analysis. Atypical and anaplastic meningiomas remain difficult tumors to treat. WHO grade III diagnosis and treated tumor volume were significantly

Topiramate-induced weight loss in schizophrenia: a retrospective case series study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lévy, Emmanuel; Agbokou, Catherine; Ferreri, Florian; Chouinard, Guy; Margolese, Howard C

2007-01-01

Atypical antipsychotics have been associated with weight gain. This study examines the efficacy of adjunctive topiramate in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder with antipsychotic-induced weight gain. A 2-year retrospective case analysis was performed in all 300 patients of the outpatient Special Follow-up Clinic for chronic schizophrenia and related psychoses at the Allan Memorial Institute, McGill University Health Centre (Montreal, Canada), a tertiary care University teaching hospital. 10 patients met study inclusion criteria. Mean daily topiramate dose was 197.5 mg (A+/-77) (range, 125-400 mg). Topiramate produced continued weight loss throughout the study duration without tolerance. Patients treated for 6 months and more had significantly higher Body Mass Index (BMI) differences than those treated for shorter durations (BMI-d6 months=-4.7A+/-2.4; BMI-d2 months=-3.2A+/-2.3; P=0.015). BMI changes were similar across genders. This study supports topiramate use to target weight loss in stable overweight schizophrenic patients as a potential therapy that requires further investigation.

Prognostic factors for outcomes after whole-brain irradiation of brain metastases from relatively radioresistant tumors: a retrospective analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schild Steven E

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study investigated potential prognostic factors in patients treated with whole-brain irradiation (WBI alone for brain metastases from relatively radioresistant tumors such as malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and colorectal cancer. Additionally, a potential benefit from escalating the radiation dose was investigated. Methods Data from 220 patients were retrospectively analyzed for overall survival and local control. Nine potential prognostic factors were evaluated: tumor type, WBI schedule, age, gender, Karnofsky performance score, number of brain metastases, extracerebral metastases, interval from diagnosis of cancer to WBI, and recursive partitioning analysis (RPA class. Results Survival rates at 6 and 12 months were 32% and 19%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, WBI doses >30 Gy (p = 0.038, KPS ≥70 (p Conclusions Improved outcomes were associated with WBI doses >30 Gy, better performance status, fewer brain metastases, lack of extracerebral metastases, and lower RPA class. Patients receiving WBI alone appear to benefit from WBI doses >30 Gy. However, such a benefit is limited to RPA class 1 or 2 patients.

The underreporting of medication errors: A retrospective and comparative root cause analysis in an acute mental health unit over a 3-year period.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Maeve; Cope, Vicki; Murray, Melanie

2018-05-15

Medication errors remain a commonly reported clinical incident in health care as highlighted by the World Health Organization's focus to reduce medication-related harm. This retrospective quantitative analysis examined medication errors reported by staff using an electronic Clinical Incident Management System (CIMS) during a 3-year period from April 2014 to April 2017 at a metropolitan mental health ward in Western Australia. The aim of the project was to identify types of medication errors and the context in which they occur and to consider recourse so that medication errors can be reduced. Data were retrieved from the Clinical Incident Management System database and concerned medication incidents from categorized tiers within the system. Areas requiring improvement were identified, and the quality of the documented data captured in the database was reviewed for themes pertaining to medication errors. Content analysis provided insight into the following issues: (i) frequency of problem, (ii) when the problem was detected, and (iii) characteristics of the error (classification of drug/s, where the error occurred, what time the error occurred, what day of the week it occurred, and patient outcome). Data were compared to the state-wide results published in the Your Safety in Our Hands (2016) report. Results indicated several areas upon which quality improvement activities could be focused. These include the following: structural changes; changes to policy and practice; changes to individual responsibilities; improving workplace culture to counteract underreporting of medication errors; and improvement in safety and quality administration of medications within a mental health setting. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

immu ologic ad cli ical outcomes of childre o haart: a retrospective ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

METHOD: A three -year's retrospective cohort analysis was conducted in July 2008 among children ... Health Organization Anthro v2.0.2 software. ... rate and anthropometric changes of HIV infected children on highly active antiretroviral therapy were similar but ..... it was different form the South African pediatric cohorts.

E-cadherin expression phenotypes associated with molecular subtypes in invasive non-lobular breast cancer: evidence from a retrospective study and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jiang-Bo; Feng, Chen-Yi; Deng, Miao; Ge, Dong-Feng; Liu, De-Chun; Mi, Jian-Qiang; Feng, Xiao-Shan

2017-08-01

This retrospective study and meta-analysis was designed to explore the relationship between E-cadherin (E-cad) expression and the molecular subtypes of invasive non-lobular breast cancer, especially in early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). A total of 156 post-operative cases of early-stage IDCs were retrospectively collected for the immunohistochemistry (IHC) detection of E-cad expression. The association of E-cad expression with molecular subtypes of early-stage IDCs was analyzed. A literature search was conducted in March 2016 to retrieve publications on E-cad expression in association with molecular subtypes of invasive non-lobular breast cancer, and a meta-analysis was performed to estimate the relational statistics. E-cad was expressed in 82.7% (129/156) of early-stage IDCs. E-cad expression was closely associated with the molecular types of early-stage IDCs (P cancer (TNBC) than in other molecular subtypes (TNBC vs. luminal A: RR = 3.45, 95% CI = 2.79-4.26; TNBC vs. luminal B: RR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.49-3.90; TNBC vs. HER2-enriched: RR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.24-3.07). Early-stage IDCs or invasive non-lobular breast cancers with the TNBC molecular phenotype have a higher risk for the loss of E-cad expression than do tumors with non-TNBC molecular phenotypes, suggesting that E-cad expression phenotypes were closely related to molecular subtypes and further studies are needed to clarify the underlying mechanism.

A retrospective analysis of the change in anti-malarial treatment policy: Peru

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent-Mark Arlene

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background National malaria control programmes must deal with the complex process of changing national malaria treatment guidelines, often without guidance on the process of change. Selecting a replacement drug is only one issue in this process. There is a paucity of literature describing successful malaria treatment policy changes to help guide control programs through this process. Objectives To understand the wider context in which national malaria treatment guidelines were formulated in a specific country (Peru. Methods Using qualitative methods (individual and focus group interviews, stakeholder analysis and a review of documents, a retrospective analysis of the process of change in Peru's anti-malarial treatment policy from the early 1990's to 2003 was completed. Results The decision to change Peru's policies resulted from increasing levels of anti-malarial drug resistance, as well as complaints from providers that the drugs were no longer working. The context of the change occurred in a time in which Peru was changing national governments, which created extreme challenges in moving the change process forward. Peru utilized a number of key strategies successfully to ensure that policy change would occur. This included a having the process directed by a group who shared a common interest in malaria and who had long-established social and professional networks among themselves, b engaging in collaborative teamwork among nationals and between nationals and international collaborators, c respect for and inclusion of district-level staff in all phases of the process, d reliance on high levels of technical and scientific knowledge, e use of standardized protocols to collect data, and f transparency. Conclusion Although not perfectly or fully implemented by 2003, the change in malaria treatment policy in Peru occurred very quickly, as compared to other countries. They identified a problem, collected the data necessary to justify the

Prelinguistic communication development in children with childhood apraxia of speech: a retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Highman, Chantelle; Leitão, Suze; Hennessey, Neville; Piek, Jan

2012-02-01

In a retrospective study of prelinguistic communication development, clinically referred preschool children (n = 9) aged 3-4 years, who as infants had failed a community-based screening program, were evaluated for features of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Four children showed no features and either delayed or normal language, five had from three-to-seven CAS features and all exhibited delayed language. These children were matched by age with 21 children with typically-developing (TD) speech and language skills. Case-control comparisons of retrospective data from 9 months of age for two participants with more severe features of CAS at preschool age showed a dissociated pattern with low expressive quotients on the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Assessment-Second Edition (REEL-2) and records of infrequent babbling, but normal receptive quotients. However, other profiles were observed. Two children with milder CAS features showed poor receptive and expressive development similar to other clinically referred children with no CAS features, and one child with severe CAS features showed poor receptive but normal expressive developmental milestones at 9 months and records of frequent babbling. Results suggest some but not all children with features of suspected CAS have a selective deficit originating within speech motor development.

Loads and loads and loads: The influence of prospective load, retrospective load, and ongoing task load in prospective memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beat eMeier

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In prospective memory tasks different kinds of load can occur. Adding a prospective memory task can impose a load on ongoing task performance. Adding ongoing task load can affect prospective memory performance. The existence of multiple target events increases prospective load and adding complexity to the to-be-remembered action increases retrospective load. In two experiments, we systematically examined the effects of these different types of load on prospective memory performance. Results showed an effect of prospective load on costs in the ongoing task for categorical targets (Experiment 2, but not for specific targets (Experiment 1. Retrospective load and ongoing task load both affected remembering the retrospective component of the prospective memory task. We suggest that prospective load can enhance costs in the ongoing task due to additional monitoring requirements. Retrospective load and ongoing task load seem to impact the division of resources between the ongoing task and retrieval of the retrospective component, which may affect disengagement from the ongoing task. In general, the results demonstrate that the different types of load affect prospective memory differentially.

Surprise, Memory, and Retrospective Judgment Making: Testing Cognitive Reconstruction Theories of the Hindsight Bias Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Ash, Ivan K.

2009-01-01

Hindsight bias has been shown to be a pervasive and potentially harmful decision-making bias. A review of 4 competing cognitive reconstruction theories of hindsight bias revealed conflicting predictions about the role and effect of expectation or surprise in retrospective judgment formation. Two experiments tested these predictions examining the…

Twelve-year retrospective review of unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hitzerd, Emilie; Schreuder, Henk W R; Vleugels, Michel P H; Veersema, Sebastiaan

2016-01-01

Objective To identify factors contributing to the occurrence of unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization in the Netherlands. Even though Essure is a permanent method of contraception, unintended pregnancies have been reported.  Design  Retrospective case series analysis. Setting Not

Multi detector computed tomography (MDCT) of the aortic root; ECG-gated verses non-ECG-gated examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristiansen, Joanna; Guenther, Anne; Aalokken, Trond Mogens; Andersen, Rune

2011-01-01

Purpose: Motion artifacts may degrade a conventional CT examination of the ascending aorta and hinder accurate diagnosis. We quantitatively compared retrospectively electrocardiographic (ECG) -gated multi detector computed tomography (MDCT) with non-ECG-gated MDCT in order to demonstrate whether or not one of the methods should be preferred. Method: The study included seventeen patients with surgically reconstructed aortic root and reimplanted coronary arteries. All patients had undergone both non-gated MDCT and retrospectively ECG-gated MDCT employing a stringently modulated tube current with single phase image reconstruction. The incidence of motion artifacts in the left main coronary artery (LM), proximal right coronary artery (RCA), and aortic root and ascending aorta were rated using a four point scale. The effective dose for each scan was calculated and normalized to a 15 cm scan length. Statistical analysis of motion artifacts and radiation dose was performed using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank sum test. Results: A significant reduction in motion artifacts was found in all three vessels in images from the retrospectively ECG-gated scans (LM: P = 0.005, RCA: P = 0.015, aorta: P = 0.003). The mean normalized effective radiation dose was 3.69 mSv (±1.03) for the non-ECG-gated scans and 16.37 mSv (±2.53) for the ECG-gated scans. Conclusion: Retrospective ECG-gating with single phase reconstruction significantly reduces the incidence of motion artifacts in the aortic root and the proximal portion of the coronary arteries but at the expense of a fourfold increase in radiation dose.

Segmental Musculoskeletal Examinations using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA: Positioning and Analysis Considerations

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Nicolas H. Hart, Sophia Nimphius, Tania Spiteri, Jodie L. Cochrane, Robert U. Newton

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Musculoskeletal examinations provide informative and valuable quantitative insight into muscle and bone health. DXA is one mainstream tool used to accurately and reliably determine body composition components and bone mass characteristics in-vivo. Presently, whole body scan models separate the body into axial and appendicular regions, however there is a need for localised appendicular segmentation models to further examine regions of interest within the upper and lower extremities. Similarly, inconsistencies pertaining to patient positioning exist in the literature which influence measurement precision and analysis outcomes highlighting a need for standardised procedure. This paper provides standardised and reproducible: 1 positioning and analysis procedures using DXA and 2 reliable segmental examinations through descriptive appendicular boundaries. Whole-body scans were performed on forty-six (n = 46 football athletes (age: 22.9 ± 4.3 yrs; height: 1.85 ± 0.07 cm; weight: 87.4 ± 10.3 kg; body fat: 11.4 ± 4.5 % using DXA. All segments across all scans were analysed three times by the main investigator on three separate days, and by three independent investigators a week following the original analysis. To examine intra-rater and inter-rater, between day and researcher reliability, coefficients of variation (CV and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC were determined. Positioning and segmental analysis procedures presented in this study produced very high, nearly perfect intra-tester (CV ≤ 2.0%; ICC ≥ 0.988 and inter-tester (CV ≤ 2.4%; ICC ≥ 0.980 reliability, demonstrating excellent reproducibility within and between practitioners. Standardised examinations of axial and appendicular segments are necessary. Future studies aiming to quantify and report segmental analyses of the upper- and lower-body musculoskeletal properties using whole-body DXA scans are encouraged to use the patient positioning and image analysis procedures

Oral paracoccidioidomycosis: Retrospective analysis of 55 Brazilian patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Trindade, Aline Heloísa; Meira, Henrique Côrtes; Pereira, Igor Figueiredo; de Lacerda, Julio César Tanos; de Mesquita, Ricardo Alves; Santos, Vagner Rodrigues

2017-08-01

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a rare fungal infection in the world, but endemic and acquired exclusively in Latin America, with the highest prevalence in South America and Brazil, particularly. Changes in oral cavity are common and constitute the first clinical manifestation in many patients. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of oral PCM and analyse the profile of the disease and patients. Retrospective research, consisting of information present in the medical records in the period 1998-2015, whose histopathological diagnosis was oral PCM. Fifty-five oral PCM cases were confirmed. Of these patients, 90.9% were males and 9.1% were females. The average age was 49.66 years and the most reported occupation was rural workers. The painful symptomatology was present in 61.82% of patients. Erythematous lesions were predominant in 73% of them. In single lesions (22 cases), the most common locations were jugal mucosa and tongue. In multiple involvement (30 cases), the most affected regions were lips, jugal mucosa and alveolar ridge. Epidemiology of PCM, was similar to several other studies, especially in Brazil. This is the most important fungal infection in Latin America and the recognition of oral lesions is extremely important, as is often the first and in many cases the only manifestation of the disease. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The lasting memory enhancements of retrospective attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Reaves, Sarah; Strunk, Jonathan; Phillips, Shekinah; Verhaeghen, Paul; Duarte, Audrey

2016-07-01

Behavioral research has shown that spatial cues that orient attention toward task relevant items being maintained in visual short-term memory (VSTM) enhance item memory accuracy. However, it is unknown if these retrospective attentional cues ("retro-cues") enhance memory beyond typical short-term memory delays. It is also unknown whether retro-cues affect the spatial information associated with VSTM representations. Emerging evidence suggests that processes that affect short-term memory maintenance may also affect long-term memory (LTM) but little work has investigated the role of attention in LTM. In the current event-related potential (ERP) study, we investigated the duration of retrospective attention effects and the impact of retrospective attention manipulations on VSTM representations. Results revealed that retro-cueing improved both VSTM and LTM memory accuracy and that posterior maximal ERPs observed during VSTM maintenance predicted subsequent LTM performance. N2pc ERPs associated with attentional selection were attenuated by retro-cueing suggesting that retrospective attention may disrupt maintenance of spatial configural information in VSTM. Collectively, these findings suggest that retrospective attention can alter the structure of memory representations, which impacts memory performance beyond short-term memory delays. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The lasting memory enhancements of retrospective attention

Science.gov (United States)

Reaves, Sarah; Strunk, Jonathan; Phillips, Shekinah; Verhaeghen, Paul; Duarte, Audrey

2016-01-01

Behavioral research has shown that spatial cues that orient attention toward task relevant items being maintained in visual short-term memory (VSTM) enhance item memory accuracy. However, it is unknown if these retrospective attentional cues (“retro-cues”) enhance memory beyond typical short-term memory delays. It is also unknown whether retro-cues affect the spatial information associated with VSTM representations. Emerging evidence suggests that processes that affect short-term memory maintenance may also affect long-term memory (LTM) but little work has investigated the role of attention in LTM. In the current event-related potential (ERP) study, we investigated the duration of retrospective attention effects and the impact of retrospective attention manipulations on VSTM representations. Results revealed that retro-cueing improved both VSTM and LTM memory accuracy and that posterior maximal ERPs observed during VSTM maintenance predicted subsequent LTM performance. N2pc ERPs associated with attentional selection were attenuated by retro-cueing suggesting that retrospective attention may disrupt maintenance of spatial configural information in VSTM. Collectively, these findings suggest that retrospective attention can alter the structure of memory representations, which impacts memory performance beyond short-term memory delays. PMID:27038756

Results of radiotherapy in recurrent endometrial carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of 51 patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuten, A.; Grigsby, P.W.; Perez, C.A.; Fineberg, B.; Garcia, D.M.; Simpson, J.R.

1989-01-01

A retrospective analysis was performed of 51 patients with locoregional recurrence of endometrial carcinoma, treated by radiotherapy between 1959 and 1986. There were 17 patients (33%) with isolated vaginal recurrence, 12 patients (24%) with vaginal recurrence with pelvic extension, 7 patients (14%) with pelvic recurrence only, and 15 patients (29%) with simultaneous locoregional and distant failure. Eighty percent of the recurrences occurred within 3.5 years from primary treatment; time to relapse was shorter in patients with advanced-stage, high-grade malignancy at original diagnosis. Locoregional control was achieved in 18 patients (35%). Complete tumor regression in the vagina, irrespective of extravaginal pelvic disease status or distant metastasis, occurred in 28 of 34 patients with vaginal involvement (82%). The 5- and 10-year overall actuarial survivals for all patients were 18 and 12.5%, respectively. The 5- and 10-year progression-free survivals of patients with isolated vaginal recurrences were 40% and 29%, respectively; the 5-year progression-free survival of patients with vaginal recurrence with pelvic extension was 20%. There were no survivors beyond 1.5 years among patients with pelvic recurrence (p = 0.02). All patients with simultaneous locoregional and distant failure were dead by 3.5 years. Stage at original diagnosis, time to relapse from primary treatment, histologic pattern, and grade of malignancy were prognosticators of survival. Five patients (10%) developed a total of ten radiation-related sequelae

Accidental and retrospective dosimetry using TL method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesterházy, D.; Osvay, M.; Kovács, A.; Kelemen, A.

2012-01-01

Retrospective dosimetry is one of the most important tools of accidental dosimetry for dose estimation when dose measurement was not planned. In the affected area many objects can be applied as natural dosimeters. The paper discusses our recent investigations on various electronic components and common salt (NaCl) having useful thermoluminescence (TL) properties. Among materials investigated the electronic components of cell phones seem promising for retrospective dosimetry purposes, having high TL responses, proper glow curve peaks and the intensity of TL peaks vs. gamma dose received provided nearly linear response in the dose range of 10 mGy–1.5 Gy. - Highlights: ► Electronic components and common salt were investigated for accidental and retrospective dosimetry. ► SMD resistors seem promising for retrospective dosimetry purposes. ► Table salt can be used effectively for accidental dosimetry purposes, as well.

Nucleoplasty as a therapeutic option for lumbar disc degeneration related pain: a retrospective study of 396 cases

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José Lourenço Kallás

2013-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To make a retrospective analysis and evaluate a clinical response to the control of disc degeneration related pain of 396 patients submitted to percutaneous lumbar nucleoplasty; and to make a record of visual analogical scale (VAS up to a three-year follow-up after the surgical procedure. METHODS: Analysis of VAS score in 396 patients with lumbar disc degeneration related pain, according to anamnesis, clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, without improvement of previous clinical treatment, submitted to percutaneous nucleoplasty. RESULTS: A total of 26% of the patients presented 100% remission of pain or paresthesia, of whom 75% showed at least 50% of pain improvement. The median VAS pain improvement was about 67%. CONCLUSIONS: The median VAS improvement in inferior disc levels was higher than four points. The VAS showed improvement of the pain and paresthesia up to a three-year follow up after the surgical procedure.

Coastal zone color scanner ``system calibration'': A retrospective examination

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Robert H.; Gordon, Howard R.

1994-04-01

During its lifetime the coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) produced approximately 66,000 images. These have been placed in an archive of "raw" radiance (sensor counts) in a subsampled format that is easily accessible. They have also been processed to form global fields, at reduced resolution, of normalized water-leaving radiance, phytoplankton pigments, and diffuse attenuation coefficient. Using this archive, we have tried to characterize some aspects of the "system calibration" for the 8-year lifetime of CZCS. Specifically, we have assumed that the sensitivity of the red band decayed in a simple manner similar to the well-known long-term degradation of the shorter-wavelength bands, and we examined the sensitivity of the green and yellow bands by computing the globally averaged water-leaving radiance, over 10-day periods, for all of the imagery. The results provide evidence that in addition to the long-term degradation, short-term (2 weeks to 1 month) variations in the radiometric sensitivity of these bands started in early fall 1981 and continued for the rest of the mission. In contrast, the data suggest the absence of such variations prior to August 1981. It is reasonable to believe that the sensitivity of the blue (and probably the red) band underwent such variations as well; however, our methodology cannot be used to study the other bands. Thus after these fluctuations began, the actual values of CZCS-estimated pigment concentrations at a given location should be viewed with skepticism; however, the global patterns of derived pigment concentration should be valid. Had an extensive set of surface measurements of water-leaving radiance, e.g., from moored buoys or drifters, been available during the CZCS mission, these fluctuations could have been removed from the data set, and this would have greatly increased its value. The lessons learned from CZCS, that is, the requirement of good radiometric calibration and stability and the necessity of "sea truth" stations

Coastal zone color scanner 'system calibration': A retrospective examination

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Robert H.; Gordon, Howard R.

1994-01-01

During its lifetime the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) produced approximately 66,000 images. These have been placed in an archive of 'raw' radiance (sensor counts) in a subsampled format that is easily accessible. They have also been processed to form global fields, at reduced resolution, of normalized water-leaving radiance, phytoplankton pigments, and diffuse attenuation coefficient. Using this archive, we have tried to characterize some aspects of the 'system calibration' for the 8-year lifetime of CZCS. Specifically, we have assumed that the sensitivity of the red band decayed in a simple manner similar to the well-known long-term degradation of the shorter-wavelength bands, and we examined the sensitivity of the green and yellow bands by computing the globally averaged water-leaving radiance, over 10-day periods, for all of the imagery. The results provided evidence that in addition to the long-term degradation, short-term (2 weeks to 1 month) variations in the radiometric sensitivity of these bands started in early fall 1981 and continued for the rest of the mission. In contrast, the data suggested the absence of such variations prior to August 1981. It is reasonable to believe that the sensitivity of the blue (and probably the red) band underwent such variations as well; however our methodology cannot be used to study the other bands. Thus, after these fluctuations began, the actual values of CZCS - estimated pigment concentrations at a given location should be viewed with skepticism; however, the global patterns of derived pigment concentrations should be valid. Had an extensive set of surface measurements of water-leaving radiance, e.r., from moored buoyes or drifters, had been available during the CZCS mission, these fluctuations could have been removed from the data set, and this would have greatly increased its value. The lessons learned from CZCS that is, the requirement of good radiometric calibration and stability and the necessity of 'sea truth

Graduate Management Project (GMP) Retrospective Analysis of Promotional Mediums for Tricare Prime in Tricare Region 11

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Carpenter, Steven

1997-01-01

This study provides retrospective market research information about the population who enrolled in TRICARE Prime in TRICARE Region 11 and the advertising mediums used to promote enrollment in the TRICARE Prime program...

Multi-centre retrospective analysis of clinical diagnosis and treatment for chronic cough

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-ming CHENG

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and the present status of diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough.Methods The clinical data of 238 in-patients and out-patients of Departments of Respiratory Diseases from 4 teaching hospitals of Chongqing Municipality were collected from Oct.2008 to Dec.2009,and their clinical characteristics,diagnosis and therapeutic effects were retrospectively analyzed.Results A total of 238 patients were enrolled,most of them complained of dry cough and night cough.Throat symptoms were most common,including itching or foreign body sensation,throat discomfort and gastro-oesophageal reflux.Congestion of pharynx and cobblestone like changes in posterior pharyngeal wall were the most common signs in patients with chronic cough.Among all the supplementary examinations,bronchial provocation test resulted in highest positive rate.Etiological diagnosis was done in a total of 254 case-times for diseases leading to chronic cough,among them upper airway cough syndrome(UACS was suspected in 115 case-times.cough variant asthma(CVA in 42 case-times,and cough due to gastroesophageal reflux(GERC in 53 case-times.After the specific treatment targeting UACS,CVA and GERC,in 152 case-times improvement was found after follow-up,including 56,27 and 21 case-times,respectively,with an effective rate of 68.4%(104/152.The final diagnosis for the other 44 case-times with chronic cough was chronic tonsillitis,chronic bronchitis,eosinophilic bronchitis and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI induced cough.A definite diagnosis was finally made in 148 out of a total of 254 casses,with a diagnostic rate of 58.3%(148/254.Conclusion The final diagnostic rate in etiology of chronic cough is still poor nowadays in our country,and empirical treatment is still the main practice for chronic cough.

Analysis on the entrance surface dose and contrast medium dose at computed tomography and angiography in cardiovascular examination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Young Hyun [Dept. of Cardiovascular Center, Yeocheon Jeonnam Hospital, Yeosu (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jae Bok; Choi, Nam Gil; Song, Jong Nam [Dept. of Radiological Science, Dongshin University, Naju (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

This study aimed to identify dose reduction measures by retrospectively analyzing the entrance surface dose at computed tomography and angiography in cardiovascular examination and to contribute the patients with renal impairmend and a high probability of side effects to determine the inspection's direction by measuring the contrast usages actually to active actions for the dose by actually measuring the contrast medium dose. The CTDIvol value and air kerma value, which are the entrance surface doses of the two examinations, and the contrast medium dose depending on the number of slides were compared and analyzed. This study was conducted in 21 subjects (11 males; 10 females) who underwent Cardiac Computed Tomographic Angiography (CCTA) and Coronary Angiography (CAG) in this hospital during the period from May 2014 to May 2016. The subject's age was 48-85 years old (mean 65±10 years old), and the weight was 37.6~83.3 kg (mean 63±6 kg). Dose reduction could be expected in the cardiovascular examination using CCTA rather than in the examination using CAG. In terms of contrast medium dose, CAG used a smaller dose than CCTA. In particular, as the number of slides increases at CAG, the contrast medium dose increases. Therefore, in order to reduce the contrast medium dose, the number of slides suitable for the scan range must be selected.

CT examinations in older patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sciuk, J.; Peters, P.E.

1989-01-01

A total of 2,878 unselected subsequent CT examinations carried out in 1984 were analyzed retrospectively. All studies were performed in a university hospital with a centralized department of diagnostic radiology. Most of the patients investigated were hospitalized; there were only 12% outpatients. Of the patients studied 12.6% were older than 65 years and 20.5% older than 60; 17.7% were emergency cases and patients between 16 and 25 years of age represented the largest fraction. In all other age groups the relative distribution between emergency cases and regular studies revealed no significant differences. There was no statistically significant difference between the older age group (patients older than 65 years) and the total population of this study in almost all items investigated, i.e., no differences in CT examination time and no differences in preparation time (time between two CT studies). The rate of abdominal CT examinations was 7% higher in the older age group, while the relative distribution of all other CT examinations was again comparable to the total population under study. Thus, the expected increase in patients in the older age group does not measurably prolong the CT examination time. This statement applies to a major referral center with a high percentage of inpatients. (orig.) [de

Real-world Outcomes of Multiple Myeloma: Retrospective Analysis of the Czech Registry of Monoclonal Gammopathies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hájek, Roman; Jarkovsky, Jiri; Maisnar, Vladimír; Pour, Ludek; Špička, Ivan; Minařík, Jiri; Gregora, Evžen; Kessler, Petr; Sýkora, Michal; Fraňková, Hana; Campioni, Marco; DeCosta, Lucy; Treur, Maarten; Gonzalez-McQuire, Sebastian; Bouwmeester, Walter

2018-06-01

Real-world data on patient outcomes and treatment patterns in multiple myeloma (MM) are limited. The present noninterventional, observational, retrospective analysis of prospectively collected Czech patient medical record data from the Registry of Monoclonal Gammopathies estimated real-world outcomes in adults with a diagnosis of symptomatic MM made between May 2007 and June 2014. In total, 2446 patients had initiated first-line treatment. The median overall survival since the diagnosis (primary endpoint) was 50.3 months (95% confidence interval, 46.1-54.5 months) and decreased with each successive treatment line. A similar trend was observed for progression-free survival and the depth of response. In line with European guidelines and clinical practice, bortezomib-, thalidomide-, and lenalidomide-based regimens were most commonly used across all treatment lines (42.3%, 28.9%, and 18.4%, respectively). In the first line, bortezomib and thalidomide were used most often, with lenalidomide the most commonly used agent in the relapse setting (second to fourth lines). Exploratory analyses revealed that younger age (≤ 65 years), lower international staging system stage, and previous stem cell transplantation were associated with significant improvements in overall and progression-free survival, especially in the early treatment lines. The present study is the first analysis of Czech data from the Registry of Monoclonal Gammopathies, and it provides important insights into the real-world management of MM for physicians and healthcare providers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early treatment with laronidase improves clinical outcomes in patients with attenuated MPS I: a retrospective case series analysis of nine sibships.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Sannaa, Nouriya A; Bay, Luisa; Barbouth, Deborah S; Benhayoun, Youssef; Goizet, Cyril; Guelbert, Norberto; Jones, Simon A; Kyosen, Sandra Obikawa; Martins, Ana Maria; Phornphutkul, Chanika; Reig, Celia; Pleat, Rebecca; Fallet, Shari; Ivanovska Holder, Iva

2015-10-07

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with laronidase, (recombinant human α-L-iduronidase; Aldurazyme) is the primary treatment option for patients with attenuated mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I). This study examined the effect of early ERT on clinical manifestations. This multinational, retrospective case series abstracted data from records of 20 patients with Hurler-Scheie syndrome within nine sibships that included older siblings treated with laronidase after the development of significant clinical symptoms, and younger siblings treated before significant symptomatology. Median age at diagnosis was 5.6 and 0.5 years for older and younger siblings, respectively. Median age at ERT initiation was 7.9 and 1.9 years for older and younger siblings, respectively. Improvement or stabilization of somatic signs and symptoms was more notable in younger siblings. Organomegaly present at onset of ERT improved in the majority of both older and younger siblings. Analysis of physician-rated symptom severity demonstrated that cardiac, musculoskeletal, and cognitive symptoms, when absent or mild in younger siblings at ERT initiation, generally did not develop or progress. The majority of older siblings had height/length Z-scores greater than two standard deviations below the mean (less than -2) at both time points. In general, Z-scores for younger siblings were closer to the sex- and age-matched means at follow-up. These findings suggest early initiation of laronidase, prior to the onset of symptoms in patients with attenuated MPS I, can slow or prevent the development of severe clinical manifestations.

[Tics in children and adolescents: a retrospective analysis of 78 cases].

Science.gov (United States)

Catarina Prior, A; Tavares, S; Figueiroa, S; Temudo, T

2007-02-01

Tics are the most frequent abnormal movement in children. A familial history of tics and a personal and familial history of neurobehavioral disturbances are common in children with this abnormality. Tics may seriously compromise daily activities in affected individuals. To identify the characteristics of tics in children and adolescents followed-up in the Neuropediatric Unit of the Hospital Geral de Santo António. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with tics based on information collected from medical records. The diagnostic criteria of the DSM IV-TR 2000 of the American Psychiatric Association were used. The medical records of 78 children were analyzed, 84.6 % of whom were boys. More than one third of the patients were aged 4 to 8 years old. In 5.1 % of the patients tics developed before the age of 2 years. A familial history of tics, depression and obsessive disorder traits was found in approximately 30 % of patients. The most frequent comorbidity was attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (67.9 %). The occurrence of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus infection (PANDAS) was suggested in five patients. In all patients, motor tics occurred before vocal tics. In more than two thirds of the patients, tics were simple. In 59.0 % of the patients, tics were chronic, and in 45.7 % of these met the criteria for Tourette's syndrome. A total of 43.1 % of the patients with chronic tics received pharmacotherapy, risperidone being the most frequently used drug. In general the results of the present study are in agreement with those of previous studies, underlining the need to consider a diagnosis of tics in young children and highlighting the importance of identification and appropriate treatment of comorbidities.

Retrospective analysis of treatment outcomes after postoperative chemoradiotherapy in advanced gastric cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sup; Kim, Jun Sang; Jeong, Hyun Yong; Noh, Seung Moo; Kim, Ki Whan; Cho, Moon June

2011-01-01

To evaluate retrospectively the survival outcome, patterns of failure, and complications in patients treated with postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in advanced gastric cancer. Between January 2000 and December 2006, 80 patients with advanced gastric cancer who received postoperative concurrent CRT were included. Pathological staging was IB-II in 9%, IIIA in 38%, IIIB in 33%, and IV in 21%. Radiotherapy consisted of 45 Gy of radiation. Concurrent chemotherapy consisted of a continuous intravenous infusion of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin on the first 4 days and last 3 days of radiotherapy. The median follow-up period was 48 months (range, 3 to 83 months). The 5-year overall survival, disease-free survival, and locoregional recurrence-free survivals were 62%, 59%, and 80%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, significant factors for disease-free survival were T stage (hazard ratio [HR], 0.278; p = 0.038), lymph node dissection extent (HR, 0.201; p = 0.002), and maintenance oral chemotherapy (HR, 2.964; p = 0.004). Locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis occurred in 5 (6%) and 18 (23%) patients, respectively. Mixed failure occurred in 10 (16%) patients. Grade 3 leukopenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 4 (5%) and one (1%) patient, respectively. Grade 3 nausea and vomiting developed in 8 (10%) patients. Intestinal obstruction developed in one (1%). The survival outcome of the postoperative CRT in advanced gastric cancer was similar to those reported previously. Our postoperative CRT regimen seems to be a safe and effective method, reducing locoregional failure without severe treatment toxicity in advanced gastric cancer patients.

Study on the establishment of retrospective dosimetry system for nuclear radiation accident(II)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jun, Jae Shik; Chai, Ha Seok; Lee, Jong Ok [Chungnam National Univ., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1999-03-15

This study was driven forward centering around physical techniques in retrospective dosimetry system for encountering nuclear radiation accident. The results obtained through this study are summarized as follow : the minimal facilities based on physical techniques should be assured at KINS for appropriate operation and establishment of retrospective accident dosimetry system, the necessary apparatus and man power for retrospective dose assessment by physical techniques might be operated flexibly, however, CL and TL/OSL readers should be equipped with the highest priority, a series of comparative examination of several physical techniques for retrospective dose assessment revealed that most of the irradiated materials around accident sites are usable for the dose assessment, if a priori study on the dosimetrical characteristics of those materials is preceded in accordance with the species of the collectable samples, the results of the study on the CL-dose response and radiation energy dependence of sugar and sorbitol, showed the nonlinearity in CL-dose relationship at the range of low dose(less than 5 Gy), and it led us to perform a study on the correction of the nonlinearity, and in the later study, CL output showed heavy dependence on radiation energy in the energy below around 100 keV and accordingly, a study on the correction for the energy dependence was also carried out, ve were able to obtain good results as a first attempt to carry out such corrections.

Incidence of hypothyroidism after irradiation of the neck with special reference to lymphoma patients; A retrospective and prospective analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feyerabend, T; Kapp, B; Richter, E; Becker, W; Reiners, C [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Klinik fuer Radioonkologie Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin

1990-01-01

Twenty-eight patients were studied prospectively in order to determine the incidence of hypothyroidism after mantle irradiation for malignant lymphoma. This group was compared with a historical group of 65 patients, among them 36 patients with malignant lymphoma. The mean follow-up was 30 months for the prospective group and 46 months for the retrospective group. The mean thyroid dose for irradiated malignant lymphomas in the prospective and the retrospective group was 45 Gy and 43 Gy respectively. For other tumors with neck irradiation (retrospective group) the mean thyroid dose was 53 Gy. There were no cases of clinical hypothyroidism in our study. As for subclinical hypothyroidism which is characterised by elevated TSH, the incidence was 22% in the prospective group and 3% in the retrospective group, i.e. 8/93 patients showed a hypothyroid dysfunction. Three of the 8 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism had undergone lymphangiography before radiotherapy. Due to the elevated iodine pool a lymphangiogram is considered as a risk factor for hypothyroidism as well as for hyperthyroidism, which we observed twice in the prospective group. Evaluation of the thyroid function before lymphangiography and irradiation as well as regular thyroid function studies during the follow-up are recommended in order to detect hypothyroidism in time. (orig.).

An ecological approach to prospective and retrospective timing of long durations: a study involving gamers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Tobin

Full Text Available To date, most studies comparing prospective and retrospective timing have failed to use long durations and tasks with a certain degree of ecological validity. The present study assessed the effect of the timing paradigm on playing video games in a "naturalistic environment" (gaming centers. In addition, as it involved gamers, it provided an opportunity to examine the effect of gaming profile on time estimation. A total of 116 participants were asked to estimate prospectively or retrospectively a video game session lasting 12, 35 or 58 minutes. The results indicate that time is perceived as longer in the prospective paradigm than in the retrospective one, although the variability of estimates is the same. Moreover, the 12-minute session was perceived as longer, proportionally, than the 35- and 58-minute sessions. The study also revealed that the number of hours participants spent playing video games per week was a significant predictor of time estimates. To account for the main findings, the differences between prospective and retrospective timing are discussed in quantitative terms using a proposed theoretical framework, which states that both paradigms use the same cognitive processes, but in different proportions. Finally, the hypothesis that gamers play more because they underestimate time is also discussed.

Comparing Melanoma Invasiveness in Dermatologist- versus Patient-Detected Lesions: A Retrospective Chart Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cindy L. Lamerson

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This study examined whether patient-identified melanomas were more advanced than dermatologist-identified tumors at routine clinic visits, and whether a personal or family history of skin cancer was associated with patterns of detection. A retrospective chart review was performed on melanoma patients (N=201 in a private dermatology clinic. Variables included age, gender, pattern of detection (i.e., patient or a board certified dermatologist, personal or family history of skin cancer, skin type, and previous sun exposure, as well as tumor location and severity. Dermatologist-diagnosed melanomas were less invasive (P<0.0005, and more likely present on the chest, back, and legs (P<0.01. Conversely, patient-identified lesions were more likely to occur on the face, neck and scalp, be associated with younger patients, and a family history of melanoma, but not other types of skin cancer (P<0.01. In a post-hoc analysis examining these factors as predictors of tumor invasiveness, only diagnostic source was significant. Specifically, dermatologist-identified tumors were significantly less invasive than patient-identified tumors. Although age, family history, and tumor location played roles in the early detection of melanomas, the most important factor was diagnostic source. Thus, board-certified dermatologists play a key role in the early detection of malignant melanoma.

Retrospective Analysis of Outcome of Patients with Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma in a Tertiary Referral Center.

Science.gov (United States)

van Cann, Tom; Cornillie, Jasmien; Wozniak, Agnieszka; Debiec-Rychter, Maria; Sciot, Raf; Hompes, Daphne; Vergote, Ignace; Schöffski, Patrick

2018-01-01

Leiomyosarcoma is a common subtype of soft tissue sarcoma originating from smooth muscle. We evaluated the clinical course and treatment outcome of patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients at the University Hospitals Leuven. We identified 122 patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma, 77 female, median age 59.5 years. Most patients developed leiomyosarcoma in the extremities (35%), the uterus (20%) or the abdomen (19%); 69% developed metachronous metastasis, 31% had synchronous metastatic disease. Most patients (74%) received palliative systemic therapy. The most common first-line treatments were doxorubicin (n = 47) and an anthracycline combined with an alkylator (n = 28). The objective response rate to first-line palliative systemic therapy was 20% and the median progression-free survival was 4.9 months (range 0.1-17.1). The median survival from diagnosis of metastasis was 20.5 months (range 0.4-126.9). On multivariate analysis, metachronous disease, no progressive disease as best response to first-line treatment, the possibility of metastasectomy with curative intent and use of palliative radiotherapy were indicators for better survival. The prognosis of patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma is limited and objective responses to first-line systemic therapy are rare. The treatment of metastatic leiomyosarcoma remains an unmet medical need. © 2018 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Wet Wipe Allergens: Retrospective Analysis From the North American Contact Dermatitis Group 2011-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Warshaw, Erin M; Aschenbeck, Kelly A; Zug, Kathryn A; Belsito, Donald V; Zirwas, Matthew J; Fowler, Joseph F; Taylor, James S; Sasseville, Denis; Fransway, Anthony F; DeLeo, Vincent A; Marks, James G; Pratt, Melanie D; Maibach, Howard I; Mathias, C G Toby; DeKoven, Joel G

Although there are several case reports of wet wipe-associated contact dermatitis, the prevalence of wipes as a source of allergic contact dermatitis in larger populations and the responsible allergens are largely unknown. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of wet wipes as a source of contact allergy and the most commonly associated allergens in a North American tertiary referral patch test population. Data collected from 2011 to 2014 by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group was used to conduct a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of patient demographics and patch test results associated with the triple-digit source code for "wet wipe." Of the 9037 patients patch tested during the study period, 79 (0.9%) had a positive patch test reaction to an allergen identified with a wet wipe source. The most commonly associated allergens were preservatives, including the following: methylisothiazolinone (MI) (59.0%), methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI)/MI (35.6%), bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol) (27.4%), and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (12.3%). Fragrance (combined) represented 12.3%. Anal/genital dermatitis was 15 times more likely (P contact allergy had their contact allergens detected by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group screening series. Wet wipes are an important source of contact allergy. Preservatives are the main allergens, especially isothiazolinones.

Survival and prognostic factors in non-small cell lung cancer patients with spinal bone metastases. A retrospective analysis of 303 patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rief, H.; Welzel, T.; Rieken, S.; Bischof, M.; Lindel, K.; Combs, S.E.; Debus, J. [University Hospital of Heidelberg, Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg (Germany); Muley, T. [University Hospital of Heidelberg, Thorax Clinic, Department of Thoracic Oncology, Heidelberg (Germany); Bruckner, T. [University Hospital of Heidelberg, Department of Medical Biometry, Heidelberg (Germany)

2014-01-15

For palliative care of spinal bone metastases, stability assessment is of crucial importance. Pathological fractures, instability-related patient immobility and the extent of bone metastasis have been reported to affect patient outcome and these parameters have therefore been used for treatment stratification. We report on stability-dependent fracture and survival rates in over 300 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Data from 303 patients with 868 osteolytic metastases treated with radiotherapy (RT) between 2000 and 2012 were evaluated retrospectively. In NSCLC patients with bone metastases only, the retrospective 6- and 12-month overall survival (OS) rates were 76.7 and 47.2%, respectively. In patients with additional non-bone distant metastases, these values were 60.0 and 34.0%, respectively. Survival rates were significantly lower in patients with multiple bone metastases and in those suffering pathological fractures (p=0.017). No significant impact of histological type, location of spinal lesions or treatment regime was detected. Furthermore, stability assessment revealed no influence of vertebral column stability on patient outcome (p=0.739). Our analysis demonstrated a correlation between the pathological fractures of bone lesions, the number of bone metastases, additional distant metastases and survival. The results offer a rationale for future prospective investigations. (orig.)

Odontoma: a retrospective study of 73 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Seo Young; An, Chang Hyeon; Choi, Karp Shik

2012-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical findings and treatment results for impacted permanent teeth associated with odontomas. We retrospectively investigated 73 odontomas in 72 patients who visited Kyungpook National University Dental Hospital from April 2004 through November 2011. The study was performed using medical records, panoramic radiographs, and pathological reports. Data gathered included age, gender, location, chief complaints, effects on dentition, and treatment of odontoma and the impacted tooth associated with odontoma. Most compound odontomas (46.7%) were found in the second decade and complex odontomas were not related to age. Odontomas showed no gender predilection. Fifty-five cases (75.3%) of odontomas were detected on routine dental radiographs. Sixty percent of compound odontomas occurred in the canine area and 57.1% of complex odontomas in the molar areas. Impaction of permanent teeth (61.6%) was the most common complication on the adjacent teeth. Most odontomas (84.9%) were removed surgically and impacted permanent teeth were managed by surgical removal (53.2%), orthodontic treatment (25.5%), or surgical repositioning (6.4%). There was a statistically significant relation between age and preservation of the impacted permanent teeth associated with odontomas (p<0.01). Early detection and treatment of odontomas increase the possibility of preservation of the impacted tooth. Therefore, it would be suggested that periodic panoramic examination during the first and second decade of life might be beneficial for the early detection and better prognosis of odontomas.

Odontoma: a retrospective study of 73 cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An, Seo Young; An, Chang Hyeon; Choi, Karp Shik [School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2012-06-15

The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical findings and treatment results for impacted permanent teeth associated with odontomas. We retrospectively investigated 73 odontomas in 72 patients who visited Kyungpook National University Dental Hospital from April 2004 through November 2011. The study was performed using medical records, panoramic radiographs, and pathological reports. Data gathered included age, gender, location, chief complaints, effects on dentition, and treatment of odontoma and the impacted tooth associated with odontoma. Most compound odontomas (46.7%) were found in the second decade and complex odontomas were not related to age. Odontomas showed no gender predilection. Fifty-five cases (75.3%) of odontomas were detected on routine dental radiographs. Sixty percent of compound odontomas occurred in the canine area and 57.1% of complex odontomas in the molar areas. Impaction of permanent teeth (61.6%) was the most common complication on the adjacent teeth. Most odontomas (84.9%) were removed surgically and impacted permanent teeth were managed by surgical removal (53.2%), orthodontic treatment (25.5%), or surgical repositioning (6.4%). There was a statistically significant relation between age and preservation of the impacted permanent teeth associated with odontomas (p<0.01). Early detection and treatment of odontomas increase the possibility of preservation of the impacted tooth. Therefore, it would be suggested that periodic panoramic examination during the first and second decade of life might be beneficial for the early detection and better prognosis of odontomas.

Retrospective analysis of main and interaction effects in genetic association studies of human complex traits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tan, Qihua; Christiansen, Lene; Brasch-Andersen, Charlotte

2007-01-01

with that of the case-only model. RESULTS: Results from our simulation study indicate that our retrospective model exhibits high power in capturing even relatively small effect with reasonable sample sizes. Application of our method to data from an association study on the catalase -262C/T promoter polymorphism...

Examining Combinations of Social Physique Anxiety and Motivation Regulations Using Latent Profile Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ullrich-French, Sarah; Cox, Anne E.; Cooper, Brittany Rhoades

2016-01-01

Previous research has used cluster analysis to examine how social physique anxiety (SPA) combines with motivation in physical education. This study utilized a more advanced analytic approach, latent profile analysis (LPA), to identify profiles of SPA and motivation regulations. Students in grades 9-12 (N = 298) completed questionnaires at two time…

Segmental Musculoskeletal Examinations using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA): Positioning and Analysis Considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Nicolas H; Nimphius, Sophia; Spiteri, Tania; Cochrane, Jodie L; Newton, Robert U

2015-09-01

Musculoskeletal examinations provide informative and valuable quantitative insight into muscle and bone health. DXA is one mainstream tool used to accurately and reliably determine body composition components and bone mass characteristics in-vivo. Presently, whole body scan models separate the body into axial and appendicular regions, however there is a need for localised appendicular segmentation models to further examine regions of interest within the upper and lower extremities. Similarly, inconsistencies pertaining to patient positioning exist in the literature which influence measurement precision and analysis outcomes highlighting a need for standardised procedure. This paper provides standardised and reproducible: 1) positioning and analysis procedures using DXA and 2) reliable segmental examinations through descriptive appendicular boundaries. Whole-body scans were performed on forty-six (n = 46) football athletes (age: 22.9 ± 4.3 yrs; height: 1.85 ± 0.07 cm; weight: 87.4 ± 10.3 kg; body fat: 11.4 ± 4.5 %) using DXA. All segments across all scans were analysed three times by the main investigator on three separate days, and by three independent investigators a week following the original analysis. To examine intra-rater and inter-rater, between day and researcher reliability, coefficients of variation (CV) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were determined. Positioning and segmental analysis procedures presented in this study produced very high, nearly perfect intra-tester (CV ≤ 2.0%; ICC ≥ 0.988) and inter-tester (CV ≤ 2.4%; ICC ≥ 0.980) reliability, demonstrating excellent reproducibility within and between practitioners. Standardised examinations of axial and appendicular segments are necessary. Future studies aiming to quantify and report segmental analyses of the upper- and lower-body musculoskeletal properties using whole-body DXA scans are encouraged to use the patient positioning and image analysis procedures outlined in this

Retrospective examination of geothermal environmental assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Webb, J.W.; Eddlemon, G.K.; Reed, A.W.

1984-03-01

Since 1976, the Department of Energy (DOE) has supported a variety of programs and projects dealing with the exploration, development, and utilization of geothermal energy. This report presents an overview of the environmental impacts associated with these efforts. Impacts that were predicted in the environmental analyses prepared for the programs and projects are reviewed and summarized, along with measures that were recommended to mitigate these impacts. Also, for those projects that have gone forward, actual impacts and implemented mitigation measures are reported, based on telephone interviews with DOE and project personnel. An accident involving spills of geothermal fluids was the major environmental concern associated with geothermal development. Other important considerations included noise from drilling and production, emissions of H/sub 2/S and cooling tower drift, disposal of solid waste (e.g., from H/sub 2/S control), and the cumulative effects of geothermal development on land use and ecosystems. Mitigation measures were frequently recommended and implemented in conjunction with noise reduction; drift elimination; reduction of fugitive dust, erosion, and sedimentation; blowout prevention; and retention of wastes and spills. Monitoring to resolve uncertainties was often implemented to detect induced seismicity and subsidence, noise, drift deposition, concentrations of air and water pollutants, and effects on groundwater. The document contains an appendix, based on these findings, which outlines major environmental concerns, mitigation measures, and monitoring requirements associated with geothermal energy. Sources of information on various potential impacts are also listed.

Predictive factors for complete removal in soft tissue sarcomas: a retrospective analysis in a series of 592 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Sastre-Garau, X; Coindre, J M; Leroyer, A; Terrier, P; Ollivier, L; Stöckle, E; Bonichon, F; Collin, F; Le Doussal, V; Contesso, G; Vilain, M O; Jacquemier, J; Nguyen, B B

1997-07-01

In order to specify the indications for conservative surgery and preoperative therapeutic approaches of soft tissues sarcomas (STS), we looked for the clinico-pathological parameters associated with the failure to obtain a complete removal (CRm) of the tumor. We retrospectively analyzed a series of 592 cases of primary non-metastatic STS. Surgery was performed in 495 cases as a primary treatment and in 88 cases after chemo- or radiotherapy. Nine patients were treated by chemotherapy-radiotherapy. In a univariate analysis, 20 parameters were tested for their association with CRm. A multivariate analysis was then used to define the independent parameters linked to the achievement of a CRm. In the univariate analysis, 15 parameters were found to be linked to the achievement of a CRm. Three of them proved to be independent in the multivariate analysis: T in the TNM classification, tumor location, and tumor necrosis. By the combination of these risk factors, four groups of patients were defined, with respective rates of CRm of 97% (no factor), 95% (one factor), 70% (two factors), and 48% (three factors). The achievement of a CRm after surgery of STS depends not only on the accessibility of the lesion, but also on tumor aggressiveness, a reflection of which is necrosis. The detection of necrosis by imaging procedures may thus help predicting the resectability of tumors and defining the indications for neoadjuvant therapies, likely to broaden the use of conservative surgery.

Retrospective Analysis of the Survival Benefit of Induction Chemotherapy in Stage IVa-b Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Xiao-Wen; Zou, Xue-Bin; Xiao, Yao; Tang, Jie; OuYang, Pu-Yun; Su, Zhen; Xie, Fang-Yun

2016-01-01

The value of adding induction chemotherapy to chemoradiotherapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) remains controversial, yet high-risk patients with LA-NPC have poor outcomes after chemoradiotherapy. We aimed to assess the survival benefits of induction chemotherapy in stage IVa-b NPC. A total of 602 patients with stage IVa-b NPC treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy with or without induction chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival (OS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test and Cox regression analysis. In univariate analysis, 5-year OS was 83.2% for induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemotherapy and 74.8% for concurrent chemotherapy alone, corresponding to an absolute risk reduction of 8.4% (P = 0.022). Compared to concurrent chemotherapy alone, addition of induction chemotherapy improved 5-year DMFS (83.2% vs. 74.4%, P = 0.018) but not 5-year LRFS (83.7% vs. 83.0%, P = 0.848) or PFS (71.9% vs. 66.0%, P = 0.12). Age, T category, N category, chemotherapy strategy and clinical stage were associated with 5-year OS (P = 0.017, P = 0.031, P = 0.007, P = 0.022, P = 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemotherapy was an independent favorable prognostic factor for OS (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.43-0.90, P = 0.012) and DMFS (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.38-0.83, P = 0.004). In subgroup analysis, induction chemotherapy significantly improved 5-year DMFS in stage IVa (86.8% vs. 77.3%, P = 0.008), but provided no significant benefit in stage IVb. In patients with stage IVa-b NPC treated with IMRT, addition of induction chemotherapy to concurrent chemotherapy significantly improved 5-year OS and 5-year DMFS. This study provides a basis for selection of high risk patients in future clinical therapeutic

Fall risk assessment: retrospective analysis of Morse Fall Scale scores in Portuguese hospitalized adult patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Sardo, Pedro Miguel Garcez; Simões, Cláudia Sofia Oliveira; Alvarelhão, José Joaquim Marques; Simões, João Filipe Fernandes Lindo; Melo, Elsa Maria de Oliveira Pinheiro de

2016-08-01

The Morse Fall Scale is used in several care settings for fall risk assessment and supports the implementation of preventive nursing interventions. Our work aims to analyze the Morse Fall Scale scores of Portuguese hospitalized adult patients in association with their characteristics, diagnoses and length of stay. Retrospective cohort analysis of Morse Fall Scale scores of 8356 patients hospitalized during 2012. Data were associated to age, gender, type of admission, specialty units, length of stay, patient discharge, and ICD-9 diagnosis. Elderly patients, female, with emergency service admission, at medical units and/or with longer length of stays were more frequently included in the risk group for falls. ICD-9 diagnosis may also be an important risk factor. More than a half of hospitalized patients had "medium" to "high" risk of falling during the length of stay, which determines the implementation and maintenance of protocoled preventive nursing interventions throughout hospitalization. There are several fall risk factors not assessed by Morse Fall Scale. There were no statistical differences in Morse Fall Scale score between the first and the last assessment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial Distribution and a Retrospective Analysis of the Herpetofauna in the City of Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivelin A. Mollov

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The current study presents the contemporary status and distribution of theamphibians and reptiles in the city of Plovdiv. To track changes in the status ofamphibians and reptiles in the research area through time, a retrospective analysis wasmade based on available literary data. During the past 100 years four species ofamphibians (Triturus karelinii, Lissotriton vulgaris, Bombina bombina, B. variegata and fourspecies of reptiles (Coronella austriaca, Zamenis longissimus, Elaphe sauromates, Viperaammodytes probably have disappeared from the study area; one amphibian species (Bufobufo and one reptile (Natrix natrix have not changed their status, one amphibian(Pelobates syriacus and two reptile species (Ablepharus kitaibelii, Podarcis muralis havereduced their localities and four amphibian species (Epidalea viridis, Rana dalmatina,Pelophylax ridibundus, Hyla arborea and seven species of reptiles (Mediodactylus kotschyi,Lacerta trilineata, Lacerta viridis, Podarcis tauricus, Emys orbicularis, Dolichophis caspius,Natrix tessellata have increased their localities and frequency of occurrence. The recordsof the two tortoise species (Testudo hermanni and T. graeca in the city, and the presence ofthe Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans should be considered as accidental.Important Herpetological Areas (IHA in the study region are also identified.

Issues regarding transient analysis examined by the Sizewell B Public Inquiry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farmer, P.R.; Dunnicliffe, C.J.

1988-01-01

Issues on PWR safety transient analysis that were discussed at the Sizewell B Public Inquiry are presented. The Public Inquiry was set up by the UK Government under an Inspector, Sir Frank Layfield, to examine all aspects of the construction, safety and operation of a 1200 MW(e) PWR on the Sizewell site. The terms of reference were broad ranging, and the constitution of the Inquiry was to make a recommendation under three Acts of Parliament which apply to the construction and operation of nuclear electrical plant. The Inquiry also covered local planning aspects, which are the responsibility of the Local Authority - in this case the Suffolk County Council. The Inspector examined and made recommendations on the safety of the Station, but consideration by Public Inquiry is outside the formal safety and licensing process, which is the business of the Utility (the CEGB) and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (the NII). The paper therefore takes a broader look at the question of safety, dealing with the licensing process, the requirements of the safety case and the forward strategies adopted by the CEGB in terms of research and development. This is considered for transient analysis, and the aim is to set the discussions and conclusions of the Public Inquiry into their proper context with regard to nuclear safety in the UK. The Inquiry went into some depth on the topic of LOCA, as an example of safety analysis. In the summary of the evidence and cross-examination the Inspector accepted the adequacy of the LOCA safety case without major reservations, and was satisfied further work in progress would resolve any residual criticisms. In particular support was given for the CEGB commitment to the development and use of more physically realistic calculational methods

A retrospective content analysis of studies on factors constraining the implementation of health sector reform in Ghana.

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Sakyi, E Kojo

2008-01-01

Ghana has undertaken many public service management reforms in the past two decades. But the implementation of the reforms has been constrained by many factors. This paper undertakes a retrospective study of research works on the challenges to the implementation of reforms in the public health sector. It points out that most of the studies identified: (1) centralised, weak and fragmented management system; (2) poor implementation strategy; (3) lack of motivation; (4) weak institutional framework; (5) lack of financial and human resources and (6) staff attitude and behaviour as the major causes of ineffective reform implementation. The analysis further revealed that quite a number of crucial factors obstructing reform implementation which are particularly internal to the health system have either not been thoroughly studied or overlooked. The analysis identified lack of leadership; weak communication and consultation; lack of stakeholder participation, corruption and unethical professional behaviour as some of the missing variables in the literature. The study, therefore, indicated that there are gaps in the literature that needed to be filled through rigorous reform evaluation based on empirical research particularly at district, sub-district and community levels. It further suggested that future research should be concerned with the effects of both systems and structures and behavioural factors on reform implementation.

Serial migration and its implications for the parent-child relationship: a retrospective analysis of the experiences of the children of Caribbean immigrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Andrea; Lalonde, Richard N; Johnson, Simone

2004-05-01

This study addressed the potential impact of serial migration for parent-children relationships and for children's psychological well-being. The experience of being separated from their parents during childhood and reunited with them at a later time was retrospectively examined for 48 individuals. A series of measures (e.g., self-esteem, parental identification) associated with appraisals at critical time periods during serial migration (separation, reunion, current) revealed that serial migration can potentially disrupt parent-child bonding and unfavorably affect children's self-esteem and behavior. Time did not appear to be wholly effective in repairing rifts in the parent-child relationship. Risk factors for less successful reunions included lengthy separations and the addition of new members to the family unit in the child's absence. (c) 2004 APA

A retrospective analysis of reported errata in five leading medical journals in 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vijaya R. Bhatt

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Although medical publications are frequently used as the source of information, the prevalence of errata remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine peer-review and publication processes of medical journals as well as to determine the occurrence of reported errata in medical journals and timeliness in identifying and correcting errata. Methods: Five medical journals, New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, British Medical Journal, Journal of American Medical Association, and Lancet, were evaluated. The characteristics of these journals were obtained from editors’ survey. All these journals report errata noted in their prior publications. We retrospectively analyzed all errata reported from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2012. The mean number of reported errata per issue, the most common errata, and the mean time to report errata were calculated. Results: The journals had high impact factors (14–51, received 3,200 to more than 15,000 submissions in 2012, and utilized two or more external reviewers and usually two or more editors for any accepted articles. All the journals edited the accepted articles, including references, figures, and tables for style. A mean of 1.3 articles with ≥1 errata was reported per issue (a total of 306 articles with errata in 226 issues. Errata in author's information, numeric errata, and errata in the figures and tables were the most common errata. The mean time to report the errata was 122 days. Conclusion: The high-impact journals, with extensive pre-publication review, reported relatively few errata per issue. The delay in reporting errata needs further exploration.

Tuberculosis of the hip in children: A retrospective analysis of 27 patients.

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Agarwal, Anil; Suri, Tarun; Verma, Indereshwar; Kumar, Shashi Kant; Gupta, Neeraj; Shaharyar, Abbas

2014-09-01

We retrospectively evaluated the pretreatment radiological presentation and the clinicoradiological outcome at the completion of 1 year chemotherapy in osteoarticular tuberculosis of hip in children to prognosticate correlation between them. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and plain radiographic findings in 27 patients with an age of 12 years or younger in whom hip tuberculosis was diagnosed and treated between 2006 and 2010. The diagnosis was based on histopathology in 14 and clinicoradiological basis in 13 patients. The pre and post treatment plain radiographs were evaluated according to Shanmugasundaram radiological classification and our observations regarding unclassified cases which were not fit in this classification were suggested. The functional outcome at the completion of chemotherapy was assessed using modified Moon's criteria. The male female ratio was 11:16. The left hip was involved more frequently than the right (17:10). The average age was 7.37 years (range, 2-12 years). In the pretreatment radiographs, 9 hips were normal, 6 traveling, 4 dislocating, 1 protrusio acetabuli, 3 atrophic and 4 unclassified types (3 triradiate; 1 pseudarthrosis coxae). There were no Perthes and mortar pestle at the initial presentation. Posttreatment, the types changed to 9 normal, 3 Perthes, 1 protrusio acetabuli, 1 atrophic, 4 mortar pestle and 9 unclassified types (3 triradiate, 3 pseudarthrosis coxae and 3 ankylosed). There were 37% excellent, 18.5% good, 26% fair and 18.5% poor results. The prognosis was best with initial "triradiate" and normal types and worst with posttreatment atrophic and "ankylosed" types. The Shanmugasundaram radiological types accurately predict prognosis only in normal types and "triradiate" pattern. The functional outcome is independent of radiological morphology of the hip in smaller children.

Clinical usefulness of Tc-99m hexakis 2-methoxybutyl isonitrile gated SPECT in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy: retrospective analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Z.R.; Khan, A.Z.

2010-01-01

Background: In Dilated cardiomyopathy the heart is enlarged and ventricles are dilated. Gated myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography is considered state of the art for myocardial perfusion imaging. A retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate patients with dilated cardiomyopathy with Tc-99m sestamibi gated myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography to evaluate its clinical utility. Methods: A 10 year retrospective medical record review was done from 1991 to 2001 at Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA. Eligibility criteria included a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy and availability of coronary angiography and Tc-99m sestamibi cardiac imaging results. 26 cases were selected for the final review and inclusion in the study. The study was done with standard protocols for cardiac sestamibi imaging. Results: A total of 26 cases were included in the final analysis. Cases were divided into two main groups. Group-A included 16 patients with no correlation between Tc-99m sestamibi and cardiac catheterisation reports. Group-B included 10 patients with good correlation between the above tests. There were no significant differences between the left ventricular ejection fraction, angina history, sex distribution and diabetic status between the two groups. We applied Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and z-test to quantify the difference between the two groups. Data was tabulated and z-test was performed. The calculated p value was <0.0001. This is significantly less than the tabulated p-value at 5% level of significance, i.e., 1.96. Significant differences exist between Group-A and Group-B. Conclusion: Tc-99m sestamibi is an excellent agent for investigating myocardial perfusion in dilated cardiomyopathy. The reversible and fixed perfusion defects (small to medium sized) seen in dilated cardiomyopathy after performance of Tc-99m sestamibi gated single photon emission computed tomography imaging may not be due to coronary

Retrospective return on investment analysis of an electronic treatment adherence device piloted in the Northern Cape Province.

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Broomhead, Sean; Mars, Maurice

2012-01-01

The return on investment (ROI) for utilizing the SIMpill electronic treatment adherence solution as an adjunct to directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) is assessed using data from a 2005 pilot of the SIMpill solution among new smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) patients in the Northern Cape Province. The value of this cost minimization analysis (CMA), for use by public health planners in low-resource settings as a precursor to more rigorous assessment, is discussed. The retrospective analysis compares the costs and health outcomes of the DOTS-SIMpill cohort with DOTS-only controls. Hypothetical 5-year cash flows are generated and discounted to estimate net present values (NPVs). Comparison between the DOTS-SIMpill pilot cohort and DOTS-only supported controls, for a hypothetical implementation of 1,000 devices, over 5 years, demonstrates positive ROI for the DOTS-SIMpill cohort based on improved health outcomes and reduced average cost per patient. The net stream is shown to be positive from the first year. Discounted NPV is ZAR 3,255,256 (US$ 493,221) for a cohort that would have started mid 2005 and ZAR 3,747,636 (US$ 487,339) starting mid 2010. This is an ROI of 23% over the 5-year period. The addition of electronic treatment adherence support technology can help to improve TB outcomes and lower average cost per patient by reducing treatment failure and the associated higher cost and burden on limited resources. CMA is an appropriate initial analysis for health planners to highlight options that may justify more sophisticated methods such as cost effectiveness analysis or full cost benefit analysis where a preferred option is immediately revealed. CMA is proposed as a tool for use by public health planners in low-resource settings to evaluate the ROI of treatment adherence technology postpilot and prior to implementation.

Prognostic impact of the level of nodal involvement: retrospective analysis of patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, R; Nakayama, H; Semba, A; Hiraki, A; Nagata, M; Kawahara, K; Shiraishi, S; Hirai, T; Uozumi, H; Yamashita, Y

2017-01-01

We retrospectively evaluated the prognostic impact of the level of nodal involvement in patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Between 2005 and 2010, 105 patients with clinical stage III or IV oral SCC had chemoradiotherapy preoperatively. Clinical (cN) and pathological nodal (pN) involvement was primarily at levels Ib and II. We defined nodal involvement at levels Ia and III-V as anterior and inferior extensions, respectively, and recorded such findings as extensive. With respect to pretreatment variables (age, clinical stage, clinical findings of the primary tumour, and nodal findings), univariate analysis showed that extensive cN was the only significant factor for overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 3.27; 95% CI 1.50 to 7.13; p=0.001). Univariate analysis showed that all pN findings, including the nodal classification (invaded nodes, multiple, and contralateral) and extensive involvement were significant, and multivariate analysis confirmed that extensive pN (HR 4.71; 95% CI 1.85 to 11.97; p=0.001) and multiple pN (HR 2.59; 95% CI 1.10 to 6.09; p=0.029) were independent predictors of overall survival. Assessment based on the level of invaded neck nodes may be a better predictor of survival than the current nodal classification. Copyright © 2016 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Severe adverse events related to tattooing: An retrospective analysis of 11 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uwe Wollina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The incidence of tattoos has been increased markedly during the last 20 years. Aims: To analyze the patient files for severe adverse medical reactions related to tattooing. Settings: Academic Teaching Hospital in South-East Germany. Materials and Methods: Retrospective investigation from March 2001 to May 2012. Results: The incidence of severe adverse medical reactions has been estimated as 0.02%. Infectious and non-infectious severe reactions have been observed. The consequences were medical drug therapies and surgery. Conclusions: Tattooing may be associated with severe adverse medical reactions with significant morbidity. Regulations, education and at least hygienic controls are tools to increase consumer safety.

Benzodiazepine Consumption Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure in Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM): Retrospective Analysis of 4938 ABPMs.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendelson, Nitsan; Gontmacher, Bella; Vodonos, Allina; Novack, Victor; Abu-AjAj, Muhammad; Wolak, Arik; Shalev, Haddar; Wolak, Talya

2018-03-10

The effect of chronic benzodiazepine use on blood pressure has not been documented. We aimed to evaluate whether regular benzodiazepine use can be associated to the results of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). A retrospective analysis of the ABPM database between 2009 and 2015 was performed. The study groups were divided according to benzodiazepine treatment at least 3 months before ABPM. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) model analysis was conducted to estimate the association between benzodiazepine treatment and ABPM test measurements. Multivariable COX regression survival analysis model for mortality and cardiovascular (CV) events was performed. A total of 4,938 ABPM studies were included in final analysis, 670 ABPMs of benzodiazepine-treated patients, and 4,268 of untreated patients. The benzodiazepine-treated group was significantly older, with a predominance of female patients, comprised more diabetic patients and consumed more antihypertensive medications. Adjustment for age, gender, diabetes mellitus, and number of antihypertensive medications, showed an association between benzodiazepine treatment and significantly lower ABPM measurements. When the analysis was split into those ≥60 years old and the other ABPM measurements only among ≥60 years old. Multivariable Cox regression survival analysis showed that regular benzodiazepine consumption was not associated with increased mortality or CV events (mean follow-up period of 42.4 ± 19.8 and 42.1 ± 20.0 months, respectively). Long-term use of benzodiazepines by ≥60 years old was independently associated with lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure in all parameters of ABPM, but not among younger patients.

Prospective ECG triggering versus low-dose retrospective ECG-gated 128-channel CT coronary angiography: comparison of image quality and radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Q.; Yin, Y.; Hua, X.; Zhu, R.; Hua, J.; Xu, J.

2010-01-01

Aim: To evaluate image quality and radiation dose for 128-detector prospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) compared with a low-dose retrospective ECG-gated imaging protocol. Materials and methods: Thirty-one and 47 patients suspected of having coronary artery disease were enrolled into groups examined using prospective and low-dose retrospective ECG-gated CT protocols respectively. All examinations were performed on a 128-detector CT system (Definition AS, Siemens Healthcare, Forchheim, Germany). Prospective CTCA was performed using following parameters: tube voltage 100 kV; tube current 205 mAs; centre of acquisition window 70% of the RR interval. The tube current for low-dose retrospective ECG-gated CTCA was full dose during 40-70% of the RR interval and partial dose for the rest of RR interval. The pitch varied between 0.2 and 0.5 depending on heart rate and patient size. Image quality of coronary arteries was evaluated using a four-point grading scale. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of enhanced arteries and myocardium were also measured, corresponding contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were calculated, and the radiation doses received were recorded. Results: There was a significant difference in the image quality scores between the retrospective and prospective gating protocols (Chi-square = 15.331, p = 0.009). There was no significant difference between the SNRs of the contrasted artery and myocardium in these two groups, but the CNRs were increased in the prospective group. The mean radiation dose of prospective gating group was 2.71 ± 0.67 mSv (range, 1.67-3.59 mSv), which was significantly lower than that of the retrospective group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Prospective CT angiography can achieve lower radiation dose than that of low-dose retrospective CT angiography, with preserved image quality.

Prospective ECG triggering versus low-dose retrospective ECG-gated 128-channel CT coronary angiography: comparison of image quality and radiation dose

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Feng, Q.; Yin, Y.; Hua, X.; Zhu, R.; Hua, J. [Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai (China); Xu, J., E-mail: xujianr@hotmail.co [Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai (China)

2010-10-15

Aim: To evaluate image quality and radiation dose for 128-detector prospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) compared with a low-dose retrospective ECG-gated imaging protocol. Materials and methods: Thirty-one and 47 patients suspected of having coronary artery disease were enrolled into groups examined using prospective and low-dose retrospective ECG-gated CT protocols respectively. All examinations were performed on a 128-detector CT system (Definition AS, Siemens Healthcare, Forchheim, Germany). Prospective CTCA was performed using following parameters: tube voltage 100 kV; tube current 205 mAs; centre of acquisition window 70% of the RR interval. The tube current for low-dose retrospective ECG-gated CTCA was full dose during 40-70% of the RR interval and partial dose for the rest of RR interval. The pitch varied between 0.2 and 0.5 depending on heart rate and patient size. Image quality of coronary arteries was evaluated using a four-point grading scale. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of enhanced arteries and myocardium were also measured, corresponding contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were calculated, and the radiation doses received were recorded. Results: There was a significant difference in the image quality scores between the retrospective and prospective gating protocols (Chi-square = 15.331, p = 0.009). There was no significant difference between the SNRs of the contrasted artery and myocardium in these two groups, but the CNRs were increased in the prospective group. The mean radiation dose of prospective gating group was 2.71 {+-} 0.67 mSv (range, 1.67-3.59 mSv), which was significantly lower than that of the retrospective group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Prospective CT angiography can achieve lower radiation dose than that of low-dose retrospective CT angiography, with preserved image quality.

[Pediatric medulloblastoma: Retrospective series of 52 patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Vigneron, C; Antoni, D; Coca, A; Entz-Werlé, N; Lutz, P; Spiegel, A; Jannier, S; Niederst, C; Jarnet, D; Meyer, P; Kehrli, P; Noël, G

2016-04-01

Retrospective analysis of the results of 52 children irradiated for a medulloblastoma. Between 1974 and 2012, 52 children with an average age of 6 years and a half (11 months-17 years and a half) were treated with surgery then with radiotherapy at the Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Strasbourg (France). For 44 children, the treatment consisted of a chemotherapy. After a mean follow-up of 106.6 months (7-446 months), 13 relapses and 24 deaths were observed. Overall survival at 5 years and 10 years were 62% and 57%, respectively. Disease-free survival at 5 years and 10 years were 80% and 63%, respectively. Univariate analysis found the following adverse prognostic factors: the existence of a postoperative residue, the positivity of the cerebrospinal fluid, the metastatic status and medulloblastoma of high-risk. Positivity of the cerebrospinal fluid remains a negative factor in multivariate analysis. These results confirm the survival rate obtained by a conventional approach (surgery then irradiation). Insufficiency of results and rarity of medulloblastoma require the establishment of international protocols. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Analysis of hospitalization expenditures and influencing factors for inpatients with coronary heart disease in a tier-3 hospital in Xi'an, China: A retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Jing-Mei; Zhang, Xian-Zhi; Hu, Xue-Jun; Chen, Huo-Liang; Yu, Min

2017-12-01

The medical costs for inpatients with coronary heart disease (CHD) have risen to unprecedented levels, putting tremendous financial pressure on their families and the entire society. The objective of this study was to examine the actual direct medical costs of inpatients with CHD and to analyze the influencing factors of those costs, to provide advice on the prevention and control of high medical costs of patients with CHD. A retrospective descriptive analysis of hospitalization expenditures data examined 10,301 inpatients with coronary heart disease of a tier-3 hospital in Xi'an from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. The data included demographic information, the average length of stay, and different types of expenses incurred during the hospitalization period. The difference between different groups was analyzed using a univariate analysis, and the influencing factors of hospitalization expenditures were explored by the multiple linear stepwise regression analysis. The average age of these patients was 60.0 years old, the average length of stay was 4.0 days, and the majority were males (7172, 69.6%). The average hospitalization expenses were $6791.38 (3294.16-9, 732.59), and the top 3 expenses were medical consumables, operation fees, and drugs. The influencing factors of hospitalization expenditures included the length of stay, the number of times of admission, the type of medical insurance schemes, whether have a surgery or not, the gender, the age, and the marriage status. The inpatients with CHD in this tier-3 hospital were mostly over 45 years old. The average medical cost of males was much higher than that of females. Our findings suggest that the solution for tremendous hospitalization expenditures should be that more attention is paid to controlling the high expense of medical consumables and that the traditional method of reducing medical expenses by shortening the length of stay is still important in nowadays. Furthermore, the type of medical

The value of fine needle aspiration and cytologic examination of impalpable complicated breast cysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Tez, Selda; Dener, Cenap; Köktener, Aslý; Caydere, Muzaffer; Tez, Mesut

2008-01-01

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the utility of fine needle aspiration--FNA and cytologic analysis of impalpable complicated breast cysts. We rewieved the imaging findings, aspiration, cytology and biopsy results and followup imaging findings of 246 complicated cysts in 166 women retrospectively. FNA was performed in 169 out of the 246 complicated cysts. Thirtyone lesions were followed-up with US. Surgical biopsy was performed from five lesions. No malignant cells (137 cysts), insufficient cellular material (17 cysts), atypical cells (4 cysts) were seen in cytological examination of the aspirates. None of these lesions were found to represent malignancy at the time of surgical excision and during follow-up. Impalpable complicated breast cysts may be classified as probably benign and can be managed with follow-up imaging studies instead of intervention. Routine cytologic examination is unnecessary if the fluid is not bloody (Tab. 2, Ref. 18). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

Retrospective dosimetry using EPR and TL techniques: a status report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haskell, E.H.

1996-12-31

Methods of retrospective dosimetry, including luminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), rely on measurement of accident dose absorbed by naturally occurring materials - ceramics in the case of both thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and organic materials and bio- minerals in the case of EPR. Each of these methods relies on measurement of radiation defects resulting from accidental exposure. Since defects also result from natural sources of radiation over the lifetime of a sample, analysis is usually restricted to materials for which the natural dose may be determined and subtracted from the measured cumulative dose. Luminescence dating techniques rely heavily on an accurate assessment of cumulative dose from natural radiation sources, and dating research has provided us with the bulk of our knowledge in this area. Virtually all of the work on natural dose determination can be directly applied to retrospective techniques. With EPR techniques the cumulative dose from diagnostic x- rays is also of importance.

Retrospective dosimetry using EPR and TL techniques: a status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haskell, E.H.

1996-01-01

Methods of retrospective dosimetry, including luminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), rely on measurement of accident dose absorbed by naturally occurring materials - ceramics in the case of both thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and organic materials and bio- minerals in the case of EPR. Each of these methods relies on measurement of radiation defects resulting from accidental exposure. Since defects also result from natural sources of radiation over the lifetime of a sample, analysis is usually restricted to materials for which the natural dose may be determined and subtracted from the measured cumulative dose. Luminescence dating techniques rely heavily on an accurate assessment of cumulative dose from natural radiation sources, and dating research has provided us with the bulk of our knowledge in this area. Virtually all of the work on natural dose determination can be directly applied to retrospective techniques. With EPR techniques the cumulative dose from diagnostic x- rays is also of importance

A retrospective analysis of the relationship between medical student debt and primary care practice in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Julie P; Petterson, Stephen M; Bazemore, Andrew W; Phillips, Robert L

2014-01-01

We undertook a study to reexamine the relationship between educational debt and primary care practice, accounting for the potentially confounding effect of medical student socioeconomic status. We performed retrospective multivariate analyses of data from 136,232 physicians who graduated from allopathic US medical schools between 1988 and 2000, obtained from the American Association of Medical Colleges Graduate Questionnaire, the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, and other sources. Need-based loans were used as markers for socioeconomic status of physicians' families of origin. We examined 2 outcomes: primary care practice and family medicine practice in 2010. Physicians who graduated from public schools were most likely to practice primary care and family medicine at graduating educational debt levels of $50,000 to $100,000 (2010 dollars; P practice persisted when physicians from different socioeconomic status groups, as approximated by loan type, were examined separately. At higher debt, graduates' odds of practicing primary care or family medicine declined. In contrast, private school graduates were not less likely to practice primary care or family medicine as debt levels increased. High educational debt deters graduates of public medical schools from choosing primary care, but does not appear to influence private school graduates in the same way. Students from relatively lower income families are more strongly influenced by debt. Reducing debt of selected medical students may be effective in promoting a larger primary care physician workforce. © 2014 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

When the non-contrast-enhanced phase is unnecessary in abdominal computed tomography scans? A retrospective analysis of 244 cases

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Costa, Danilo Manuel Cerqueira; Salvadori, Priscila Silveira; Monjardim, Rodrigo da Fonseca; Bretas, Elisa Almeida Sathler; Torres, Lucas Rios; Caldana, Rogerio Pedreschi; Shigueoka, David Carlos; Medeiros, Regina Bitelli; D' ippolito, Giuseppe, E-mail: giuseppe_dr@uol.com.br [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Escola Paulista de Medicina. Departamento de Diagnostico por Imagem

2013-06-15

Objective: to evaluate the necessity of the non contrast-enhanced phase in abdominal computed tomography scans. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study was developed, evaluating 244 consecutive abdominal computed tomography scans both with and without contrast injection. Initially, the contrast-enhanced images were analyzed (first analysis). Subsequently, the observers had access to the non-contrast-enhanced images for a second analysis. The primary and secondary diagnoses were established as a function of the clinical indications for each study (such as tumor staging, acute abdomen, investigation for abdominal collection and hepatocellular carcinoma, among others). Finally, the changes in the diagnoses resulting from the addition of the non-contrast-enhanced phase were evaluated. Results: Only one (0.4%; p > 0.999; non-statistically significant) out of the 244 reviewed cases had the diagnosis changed after the reading of non-contrast-enhanced images. As the secondary diagnoses are considered, 35 (14%) cases presented changes after the second analysis, as follows: nephrolithiasis (10%), steatosis (3%), adrenal nodule (0.7%) and cholelithiasis (0.3%). Conclusion: For the clinical indications of tumor staging, acute abdomen, investigation of abdominal collections and hepatocellular carcinoma, the non-contrast-enhanced phase can be excluded from abdominal computed tomography studies with no significant impact on the diagnosis. (author)

Application of dye analysis in forensic fibre and textile examination: Case examples.

Science.gov (United States)

Schotman, Tom G; Xu, Xiaoma; Rodewijk, Nicole; van der Weerd, Jaap

2017-09-01

Seven cases and a quality assurance test are presented. In these cases, fibres or textiles submitted for investigation were analysed by HPLC-DAD-MS to identify the dyes present. The cases presented illustrate that it is possible to identify textile dyes in fibre traces recovered for forensic analysis. The results show that a mixture of dyes is present in all textiles investigated, except one sample that was taken from a manufacturer dye shade card. It is concluded that dye analyses improves the evidential value of forensic fibre examinations, as it becomes possible to distinguish textiles that are different in dye chemistry, but have a similar colour. In addition dye analysis makes the examination more robust, as it becomes possible to attribute colour differences between samples to identical dyes (mixed in different ratios) or to chemically different dyes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How does preclinical laboratory training impact physical examination skills during the first clinical year? A retrospective analysis of routinely collected objective structured clinical examination scores among the first two matriculating classes of a reformed curriculum in one Polish medical school.

Science.gov (United States)

Świerszcz, Jolanta; Stalmach-Przygoda, Agata; Kuźma, Marcin; Jabłoński, Konrad; Cegielny, Tomasz; Skrzypek, Agnieszka; Wieczorek-Surdacka, Ewa; Kruszelnicka, Olga; Chmura, Kaja; Chyrchel, Bernadeta; Surdacki, Andrzej; Nowakowski, Michał

2017-09-01

As a result of a curriculum reform launched in 2012 at our institution, preclinical training was shortened to 2 years instead of the traditional 3 years, creating additional incentives to optimise teaching methods. In accordance with the new curriculum, a semester-long preclinical module of clinical skills (CS) laboratory training takes place in the second year of study, while an introductory clinical course (ie, brief introductory clerkships) is scheduled for the Fall semester of the third year. Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are carried out at the conclusion of both the preclinical module and the introductory clinical course. Our aim was to compare the scores at physical examination stations between the first and second matriculating classes of a newly reformed curriculum on preclinical second-year OSCEs and early clinical third-year OSCEs. Analysis of routinely collected data. One Polish medical school. Complete OSCE records for 462 second-year students and 445 third-year students. OSCE scores by matriculation year. In comparison to the first class of the newly reformed curriculum, significantly higher (ie, better) OSCE scores were observed for those students who matriculated in 2013, a year after implementing the reformed curriculum. This finding was consistent for both second-year and third-year cohorts. Additionally, the magnitude of the improvement in median third-year OSCE scores was proportional to the corresponding advancement in preceding second-year preclinical OSCE scores for each of two different sets of physical examination tasks. In contrast, no significant difference was noted between the academic years in the ability to interpret laboratory data or ECG - tasks which had not been included in the second-year preclinical training. Our results suggest the importance of preclinical training in a CS laboratory to improve students' competence in physical examination at the completion of introductory clinical clerkships during

Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System Can Reduce Short-Term Mortality Among Patients With Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure-A Retrospective Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerth, Hans U; Pohlen, Michele; Thölking, Gerold; Pavenstädt, Hermann; Brand, Marcus; Hüsing-Kabar, Anna; Wilms, Christian; Maschmeier, Miriam; Kabar, Iyad; Torner, Josep; Pavesi, Marco; Arroyo, Vicente; Banares, Rafael; Schmidt, Hartmut H J

2017-10-01

Acute-on-chronic liver failure is associated with numerous consecutive organ failures and a high short-term mortality rate. Molecular adsorbent recirculating system therapy has demonstrated beneficial effects on the distinct symptoms, but the associated mortality data remain controversial. Retrospective analysis of acute-on-chronic liver failure patients receiving either standard medical treatment or standard medical treatment and molecular adsorbent recirculating system. Secondary analysis of data from the prospective randomized Recompensation of Exacerbated Liver Insufficiency with Hyperbilirubinemia and/or Encephalopathy and/or Renal Failure trial by applying the recently introduced Chronic Liver Failure-criteria. Medical Departments of University Hospital Muenster (Germany). This analysis was conducted in two parts. First, 101 patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure grades 1-3 and Chronic Liver Failure-C-Organ Failure liver subscore equals to 3 but stable pulmonary function were identified and received either standard medical treatment (standard medical treatment, n = 54) or standard medical treatment and molecular adsorbent recirculating system (n = 47) at the University Hospital Muenster. Second, the results of this retrospective analysis were tested against the Recompensation of Exacerbated Liver Insufficiency with Hyperbilirubinemia and/or Encephalopathy and/or Renal Failure trial. Standard medical treatment and molecular adsorbent recirculating system. Additionally to improved laboratory variables (bilirubin and creatinine), the short-term mortality (up to day 14) of the molecular adsorbent recirculating system group was significantly reduced compared with standard medical treatment. A reduced 14-day mortality rate was observed in the molecular adsorbent recirculating system group (9.5% vs 50.0% with standard medical treatment; p = 0.004), especially in patients with multiple organ failure (acute-on-chronic liver failure grade 2-3). Concerning the

Retrospective Benefit-Cost Evaluation of DOE Investment in Photovoltaic Energy Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Connor, Alan C. [RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Loomis, Ross J. [RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Braun, Fern M. [RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

2010-08-01

This study is a retrospective analysis of net benefits accruing from DOE's investment in photovoltaic (PV) technology development. The study employed a technology cluster approach. That is, benefits measured for a subset of technologies in a meaningful cluster, or portfolio, of technologies were compared to the total investment in the cluster to provide a lower bound measure of return for the entire cluster.

False traumatic aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas: retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidovic, Lazar B; Banzić, Igor; Rich, Norman; Dragaš, Marko; Cvetkovic, Slobodan D; Dimic, Andrija

2011-06-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of false traumatic aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas as well as the outcomes of the patients. A retrospective, 16-year survey has been conducted regarding the cases of patients who underwent surgery for false traumatic aneurysms (FTA) of arteries and traumatic arteriovenous fistulas (TAVF). Patients with iatrogenic AV fistulas and iatrogenic false aneurysms were excluded from the study. There were 36 patients with TAVF and 47 with FTA. In all, 73 (87.95%) were male, and 10 (12.05%) were female, with an average age of 36.93 years (13-82 years). In 25 (29.76%) cases TAVF and FTA appeared combat-related, and 59 (70.24%) were in noncombatants. The average of all intervals between the injury and surgery was 919. 8 days (1 day to 41 years) for FTA and 396.6 days (1 day to 9 years) for TAVF. Most of the patients in both groups were surgically treated during the first 30 days after injury. One patient died on the fourth postoperative day. There were two early complications. The early patency rate was 83.34%, and limb salvage was 100%. There were no recurrent AV fistulas that required additional operations. Because of their history of severe complications, FTA and TAV fistulas require prompt treatment. The treatment is simpler if there is only a short interval between the injury and the operation. Surgical endovascular repair is mostly indicated.

A 12-year analysis of closed medical malpractice claims of the Taiwan civil court: A retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Chi-Yuan; Wu, Chien-Hung; Cheng, Fu-Cheng; Yen, Yung-Lin; Wu, Kuan-Han

2018-03-01

Malpractices lawsuits cause increased physician stress and decreased career satisfaction, which might result in defensive medicine for avoiding litigation. It is, consequently, important to learn experiences from previous malpractice claims. The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiologic factors related to medical malpractice claims, identify specialties at high risk of such claims, and determine clinical which errors tend to lead to medical malpractice lawsuits, by analyzing closed malpractice claims in the civil courts of Taiwan.The current analysis reviewed the verdicts of the Taiwan judicial system from a retrospective study using the population-based databank, focusing on 946 closed medical claims between 2002 and 2013.Among these medical malpractice claims, only 14.1% of the verdicts were against clinicians, with a mean indemnity payment of $83,350. The most common single specialty involved was obstetrics (10.7%), while the surgery group accounted for approximately 40% of the cases. In total, 46.3% of the patients named in the claims had either died or been gravely injured. Compared to the $75,632 indemnity for deceased patients, the mean indemnity payment for plaintiffs with grave outcomes was approximately 4.5 times higher. The diagnosis groups at high risk of malpractice litigation were infectious diseases (7.3%), malignancies (7.2%), and limb fractures (4.9%). A relatively low success rate was found in claims concerning undiagnosed congenital anomalies (4.5%) and infectious diseases (5.8%) group. A surgery dispute was the most frequent argument in civil malpractice claims (38.8%), followed by diagnosis error (19.3%).Clinicians represent 85.9% of the defendants who won their cases, but they spent an average of 4.7 years to reach final adjudication. Increased public education to prevent unrealistic expectations among patients is recommended to decrease frivolous lawsuits. Further investigation to improve the lengthy judicial process is also

Histopathology of femoral head donations: a retrospective review of 6161 cases.

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Mackie, Katherine E; Zhou, Ziqiang; Robbins, Peter; Bulsara, Max; Zheng, Ming H

2011-08-17

Although total hip arthroplasty is one of the most common orthopaedic surgical procedures, it remains unclear whether histopathological examination of the excised femoral head adds to the quality of patient care. We propose that assessment of femoral heads resected during total hip arthroplasty and donated for allograft use may provide a profile of femoral head pathology that benefits total hip arthroplasty patients and bone donors. We retrospectively analyzed the histological findings reported for 6161 femoral heads donated for allograft use between 1993 and 2006. Specimens obtained during total hip arthroplasty and specimens donated at death were reviewed. Follow-up investigations that resulted from abnormal histopathological findings were also reviewed. The Western Australian Cancer Registry was used to determine whether patients with a suspected neoplasm were subsequently diagnosed with such a disease. A retrospective review of the histopathological findings was conducted to evaluate and reclassify all previous observations of abnormalities. One hundred and five femoral heads demonstrated abnormal or reactive histopathological features not reported prior to surgery and were rejected for allograft use. A reactive lymphocytic infiltrate, most likely due to osteoarthritis, was the most commonly identified feature (forty-five cases). Other features observed in twenty-seven cases were also most likely due to the presence of severe osteoarthritis. Ten femoral heads demonstrated plasmacytosis, which may have been related to osteoarthritis. Two patients were diagnosed with Paget's disease, and two, with rheumatoid arthritis. Nineteen patients had a suspected neoplasm. Of these nineteen, eight cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia and one case of myelodysplastic syndrome were confirmed on further investigation. One subsequently confirmed malignancy was detected per 770 femoral heads examined. Our findings indicate that, even with a detailed

National Survey on Justification of CT-examinations in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almen, Anja; Leitz, Wolfram; Richter, Sven

2009-02-01

All examinations in diagnostic radiology shall be justified to avoid unnecessary irradiation of the patients. The objective of the study was to investigate the degree of justification for CT-examinations in Sweden. Referrals for all examinations performed during one day were retrospectively evaluated by a group of physicians. The study was designed and conducted by a project group lead by prof. Haakan Jorulf. The authors of this report have derived the results and conclusions on the basis of the data and are responsible for the content of this report. The principle result was that approximately 20 % of all examinations were not justified. The degree of justification varied strongly with organ examined, moderately with prescriber affiliation and weakly with geographical region. If unjustified examinations could be avoided a large dose reduction for the population would be achieved. This study shows that there is a need for improvements and the authority will continue to work with this issue

National Survey on Justification of CT-examinations in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almen, Anja; Leitz, Wolfram; Richter, Sven

2009-02-15

All examinations in diagnostic radiology shall be justified to avoid unnecessary irradiation of the patients. The objective of the study was to investigate the degree of justification for CT-examinations in Sweden. Referrals for all examinations performed during one day were retrospectively evaluated by a group of physicians. The study was designed and conducted by a project group lead by prof. Haakan Jorulf. The authors of this report have derived the results and conclusions on the basis of the data and are responsible for the content of this report. The principle result was that approximately 20 % of all examinations were not justified. The degree of justification varied strongly with organ examined, moderately with prescriber affiliation and weakly with geographical region. If unjustified examinations could be avoided a large dose reduction for the population would be achieved. This study shows that there is a need for improvements and the authority will continue to work with this issue

Phrenic nerve injury after radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors: retrospective evaluation of the incidence and risk factors.

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Matsui, Yusuke; Hiraki, Takao; Gobara, Hideo; Uka, Mayu; Masaoka, Yoshihisa; Tada, Akihiro; Toyooka, Shinichi; Mitsuhashi, Toshiharu; Mimura, Hidefumi; Kanazawa, Susumu

2012-06-01

To retrospectively investigate the incidence of and risk factors for phrenic nerve injury after radiofrequency (RF) ablation of lung tumors. The study included 814 RF ablation procedures of lung tumors. To evaluate the development of phrenic nerve injury, chest radiographs obtained before and after the procedure were examined. Phrenic nerve injury was assumed to have developed if the diaphragmatic level was elevated after the procedure. To identify risk factors for phrenic nerve injury, multiple variables were compared between cases of phrenic nerve injury and randomly selected controls by using univariate analyses. Multivariate analysis was then performed to identify independent risk factors. Evaluation of phrenic nerve injury from chest radiographs was possible after 786 procedures. Evidence of phrenic nerve injury developed after 10 cases (1.3%). Univariate analysis revealed that larger tumor size (≥ 20 mm; P = .014), proximity of the phrenic nerve to the tumor (phrenic nerve injury. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the proximity of the phrenic nerve to the tumor (phrenic nerve injury after RF ablation was 1.3%. The proximity of the phrenic nerve to the tumor was an independent risk factor for phrenic nerve injury. Copyright © 2012 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Primary Care Screening of Depression and Treatment Engagement in a University Health Center: A Retrospective Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Michael C.; Ciotoli, Carlo; Chung, Henry

2011-01-01

Objectives: This retrospective study analyzed a primary care depression screening initiative in a large urban university health center. Depression detection, treatment status, and engagement data are presented. Participants: Participants were 3,713 graduate and undergraduate students who presented consecutively for primary care services between…

Counting the cost of social disadvantage in primary care: retrospective analysis of patient data.

OpenAIRE

Worrall, A.; Rea, J. N.; Ben-Shlomo, Y.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To cost the relation between socioeconomic status and various measures of primary care workload and assess the adequacy of current "deprivation" payments in relation to actual costings for patients living in qualifying areas. DESIGN: Retrospective data on primary care were collected over a 4.5 year period from both computerised and manually filed records. Standardised data on socioeconomic status were obtained by postal questionnaire. SETTING: Inner city group practice with a socio...

Performance assessment of retrospective meteorological inputs for use in air quality modeling during TexAQS 2006

Science.gov (United States)

Ngan, Fong; Byun, Daewon; Kim, Hyuncheol; Lee, Daegyun; Rappenglück, Bernhard; Pour-Biazar, Arastoo

2012-07-01

To achieve more accurate meteorological inputs than was used in the daily forecast for studying the TexAQS 2006 air quality, retrospective simulations were conducted using objective analysis and 3D/surface analysis nudging with surface and upper observations. Model ozone using the assimilated meteorological fields with improved wind fields shows better agreement with the observation compared to the forecasting results. In the post-frontal conditions, important factors for ozone modeling in terms of wind patterns are the weak easterlies in the morning for bringing in industrial emissions to the city and the subsequent clockwise turning of the wind direction induced by the Coriolis force superimposing the sea breeze, which keeps pollutants in the urban area. Objective analysis and nudging employed in the retrospective simulation minimize the wind bias but are not able to compensate for the general flow pattern biases inherited from large scale inputs. By using an alternative analyses data for initializing the meteorological simulation, the model can re-produce the flow pattern and generate the ozone peak location closer to the reality. The inaccurate simulation of precipitation and cloudiness cause over-prediction of ozone occasionally. Since there are limitations in the meteorological model to simulate precipitation and cloudiness in the fine scale domain (less than 4-km grid), the satellite-based cloud is an alternative way to provide necessary inputs for the retrospective study of air quality.

Tuberculosis of the hip in children a retrospective analysis of 27 patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anil Agarwal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: We retrospectively evaluated the pretreatment radiological presentation and the clinicoradiological outcome at the completion of 1 year chemotherapy in osteoarticular tuberculosis of hip in children to prognosticate correlation between them. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and plain radiographic findings in 27 patients with an age of 12 years or younger in whom hip tuberculosis was diagnosed and treated between 2006 and 2010. The diagnosis was based on histopathology in 14 and clinicoradiological basis in 13 patients. The pre and post treatment plain radiographs were evaluated according to Shanmugasundaram radiological classification and our observations regarding unclassified cases which were not fit in this classification were suggested. The functional outcome at the completion of chemotherapy was assessed using modified Moon′s criteria. Results: The male female ratio was 11:16. The left hip was involved more frequently than the right (17:10. The average age was 7.37 years (range, 2-12 years. In the pretreatment radiographs, 9 hips were normal, 6 traveling, 4 dislocating, 1 protrusio acetabuli, 3 atrophic and 4 unclassified types (3 triradiate; 1 pseudarthrosis coxae. There were no Perthes and mortar pestle at the initial presentation. Posttreatment, the types changed to 9 normal, 3 Perthes, 1 protrusio acetabuli, 1 atrophic, 4 mortar pestle and 9 unclassified types (3 triradiate, 3 pseudarthrosis coxae and 3 ankylosed. There were 37% excellent, 18.5% good, 26% fair and 18.5% poor results. The prognosis was best with initial ′"triradiate" and normal types and worst with posttreatment atrophic and "ankylosed" types. Conclusions: The Shanmugasundaram radiological types accurately predict prognosis only in normal types and "triradiate" pattern. The functional outcome is independent of radiological morphology of the hip in smaller children.

Retrospective study about 71 patients with anal carcinoma, treated with a uniform radiochemotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiesmeth, Alfred J.

2013-01-01

The aim of this retrospectively prospective study was to examine the outcome (over all survival, tumorspecific survival, local control, colostomy free survival as well as sideeffects of the tumorspecific treatment) on a roughly homogenous and compared to other studies appropriate large group of 71 patients with diagnosed anal carcinoma. All patients underwent primary radiochemotherapy during the period of 1991 to 2010 in a municipal hospital. The median follow-up consisted of 38 month.

Segmentation-based retrospective shading correction in fluorescence microscopy E. coli images for quantitative analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Fei; Chang, Chunqi; Liu, Wenqing; Xu, Weichao; Hung, Yeung S.

2009-10-01

Due to the inherent imperfections in the imaging process, fluorescence microscopy images often suffer from spurious intensity variations, which is usually referred to as intensity inhomogeneity, intensity non uniformity, shading or bias field. In this paper, a retrospective shading correction method for fluorescence microscopy Escherichia coli (E. Coli) images is proposed based on segmentation result. Segmentation and shading correction are coupled together, so we iteratively correct the shading effects based on segmentation result and refine the segmentation by segmenting the image after shading correction. A fluorescence microscopy E. Coli image can be segmented (based on its intensity value) into two classes: the background and the cells, where the intensity variation within each class is close to zero if there is no shading. Therefore, we make use of this characteristics to correct the shading in each iteration. Shading is mathematically modeled as a multiplicative component and an additive noise component. The additive component is removed by a denoising process, and the multiplicative component is estimated using a fast algorithm to minimize the intra-class intensity variation. We tested our method on synthetic images and real fluorescence E.coli images. It works well not only for visual inspection, but also for numerical evaluation. Our proposed method should be useful for further quantitative analysis especially for protein expression value comparison.

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernias: Retrospective analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.P.A. Sousa

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Aims: This study classifies cases of traumatic diaphragmatic hernias (TDH in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU of the Coimbra University Hospitals (HUC from 1990 to 2004. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 34 cases of TDH, studying anatomical location, place and time of diagnosis, complementary tests aiding diagnosis, herniated organs, associated traumatism, morbidity and mortality. Results: Twenty-eight male and six female patients with an average age of 40.5 years ± 20.5, average SAPS score 38.8. Average lenght of stay was 19.1 ± 13.6 days, all suffered from closed traumatism and were put on artificial ventilation. The left-side diaphragm was more frequently affected (94.1% then the right. Diagnosis in 19 cases was made up in the first six hours following the diagnosis of traumatism, in four cases within 12 hours and in the remaining cases between 48 hours and 16 years after traumatism. In 13 patients the diagnosis was established intra-operatively. The stomach was typically one of the herniated organs. The most frequently associated lesions at the thoracic level were pulmonary contusion, haemothorax and pneumothorax, and at the abdominal level, haemoperitoneum and splenic lesion. The rates for complications and mortality were 55.8% and 11.7% respectively. Conclusions: TDH mainly occurs on the left side through closed thoraco-abdominal trauma following road traffic accidents. This group of patients, on average younger than others admitted to ICU, presents a longer average hospitalisation period, but has lower rates of mortality and lower SAPS severity scores. The most commonly herniated organ was the stomach and the most frequently encountered lesions were cranial-encephalic, splenic and pleural traumatisms. Pre-operative diagnosis of diaphragmatic injuries is difficult and a high index of clinical suspicion is needed after thoracoabdominal trauma. This diagnosis should always be considered a possibility in

Retrospective Dosimetry: Dose Analysis From Tooth Enamel Using Electron Spin Resonance (ESR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Rodzi Ali; Rahimah Abdul Rahim; Noraisyah Yusof; Syed Asraf Fahlawi Wafa Syed Mohd Ghazi; Juliana Mahamad Napiah; Yahaya Talib; Rehir Dahalan

2014-01-01

The radiation dose should be accurately measured in order to relate its effect to the cells. The assessment of dose usually performed using biological dosimetry techniques. However, the reduction of lymphocytes (white blood cells) after the time period results in inaccuracy of dose measurement. An alternative method used is the application of Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) using tooth enamel. In this study, tooth enamels were evaluated and used to measure the individual absorbed dose from the background. The basic tooth features that would affect dose measurement were discussed. The results show this technique is capable and effective for retrospective dose measurement and useful for the study of radiation effect to human. (author)

Postoperative radiotherapy for endometrial carcinoma. A retrospective analysis of 541 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haensgen, G.; Nagel, M.; Dunst, J.; Enke, H.

1999-01-01

Purpose: This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the role of adjuvant radiotherapy for surgically treated endometrial carcinoma. Patients and methods: From 1980 through 1988, 541 patients were treated with either intravaginal cuff irradiation with a high-dose-rate (HDR) Iridium-192 remote afterloading technique (n=294) or with combined HDR-brachytherapy and additional external pelvic irradiation to 54 Gy (n=247) after surgery for endometrical cancer. Afterloading irradiation was administered in 4 fractions 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. A dose of 30 Gy was delivered at a depth of 0,5 cm from the vaginal mucosa. Results: Patients with HDR-brachytherapy alone showed a 5-year survival of 94.3% for Stage I and 73.6% for Stage II (p=0.0007). Patients who received both brachytherapy and additional pelvic irradiation had a 5-year survival of 94.1% for Stage I, 81.1% for Stage II, 70.4% for Stage III and 46.9% for Stage IV (p=0.0001). The main predictors for survival in a multivariate analysis were stage and grading. Patients with combined readiotherapy had a local recurrence rate of 3.2%, whereas patients with brachytherapy alone who were better selected and had more favorable prognostic factors showed a recurrence rate of 2%. Low-risk patients (Stage I, Grade 1, low infiltration) in the HDR-brachytherapy group had 6 relapses, mainly caused by insufficient treatment on the basis of papillary histology. High-risk patients with poorly differential tumors, which infiltrate more than half the myometrial wall might benefit from additional external radiotherapy in terms of reduction of local recurrence and better survival. Five-year actuarial survival rate was 93.6% after combined radiotherapy vs 86.7% after brachytherapy alone. Complications were graded according to the RTOG scoring system. Severe late complications were fistulas of bladder and/or bowel, which occurred in 2.8% in the combined radiotherapy group, and 0.7% in the HDR brachytherapy group. (orig.) [de

Primary Intracranial Germinomas: Retrospective Analysis of Five Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdallah, Anas; Asilturk, Murad; Uysal, Mustafa Levent; Emel, Erhan; Abdallah, Betul Guler; Bilgic, Bilge; Gundogdu, Gokcen

2018-01-01

Primary intracranial germinomas (PIGs) are rare malignant brain tumors that represent approximately 0.2% to 1.7% of all primary intracranial tumors. PIGs have infrequent, but there is a possibility of spinal cord metastases. In this study, clinical outcomes of five consecutive PIGs have been presented. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed in 1,849 cases of intracranial tumors who underwent surgery between the years 2005 and 2015 and cases confirmed as germinoma histopathologically were included in this study. Five cases of PIGs were detected in two female (40%) and 3 male (60%) patients. The mean age was 15.2±5.6 (8-23) years. The mean follow-up period was 52.3±56.4 (9-135) months. The most common complaint was headache (60%), followed by nausea±vomiting (40%). Four cases (80%) affected the suprasellar region while the fifth patient"s tumor was localized in the pineal region. The duration between the initial symptom and time of surgical intervention ranged between 15 days and 2 months. Twelve months after the first operation, one patient presented with drop seeding metastasis. Four-year survival (with exception of the case that died as a early surgical complication) was 100%. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in one patient. Surgical mortality rate was 20%. PIGs" morbidity rate was 60%. PIG is a mostly malignant tumor that generally affects the pediatric age group. They are radiosensitive tumors. Subtotal or near-total resection using stereotactic guide or direct surgery to confirm the histopathological diagnosis followed by chemotherapy and whole brain or in some cases craniospinal radiotherapy rather than GTR is therefore the treatment of choice.

Parents were accurate proxy reporters of urgent pediatric asthma health services: a retrospective agreement analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ungar, Wendy J; Davidson-Grimwood, Sara R; Cousins, Martha

2007-11-01

To assess agreement between parents' proxy reports of children's respiratory-related health service use and administrative data. A retrospective analysis of statistical agreement between clinical and claims data for reports of physician visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations in 545 asthmatic children recruited from sites in the greater Toronto area was conducted. Health services use data were extracted from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan and Canadian Institute for Health Information databases for each child for the interval coinciding with the proxy report for each health service type. Agreement between administrative data and respondent reports (n=545) was substantial for hospitalizations in the past year (kappa=0.80 [0.74, 0.86]), moderate for ED visits in the past year (kappa=0.60 [0.53, 0.67]), and slight for physician visits (kappa=0.13 [0.00, 0.27]) in the past 6 months. Income, parent's education, and child quality-of-life symptom scores did not affect agreement. Agreement for ED visits was significantly higher (Pasthma attack in the past 6 months (kappa=0.61 [0.54, 0.68]) compared to children who did not (kappa=0.25 [0.00, 0.59]). Parents of asthmatic children are reliable reporters of their child's respiratory-related urgent health services utilization.

Public accessibility of biomedical articles from PubMed Central reduces journal readership--retrospective cohort analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Philip M

2013-07-01

Does PubMed Central--a government-run digital archive of biomedical articles--compete with scientific society journals? A longitudinal, retrospective cohort analysis of 13,223 articles (5999 treatment, 7224 control) published in 14 society-run biomedical research journals in nutrition, experimental biology, physiology, and radiology between February 2008 and January 2011 reveals a 21.4% reduction in full-text hypertext markup language (HTML) article downloads and a 13.8% reduction in portable document format (PDF) article downloads from the journals' websites when U.S. National Institutes of Health-sponsored articles (treatment) become freely available from the PubMed Central repository. In addition, the effect of PubMed Central on reducing PDF article downloads is increasing over time, growing at a rate of 1.6% per year. There was no longitudinal effect for full-text HTML downloads. While PubMed Central may be providing complementary access to readers traditionally underserved by scientific journals, the loss of article readership from the journal website may weaken the ability of the journal to build communities of interest around research papers, impede the communication of news and events to scientific society members and journal readers, and reduce the perceived value of the journal to institutional subscribers.

A retrospective analysis of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens in an equine hospital (2012-2015).

Science.gov (United States)

van Spijk, J N; Schmitt, S; Fürst, A E; Schoster, A

2016-06-01

Antimicrobial resistance has become an important concern in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to describe the rate of antimicrobial resistance in common equine pathogens and to determine the occurrence of multidrug-resistant isolates. A retrospective analysis of all susceptibility testing results from bacterial pathogens cultured from horses at the University of Zurich Equine Hospital (2012-2015) was performed. Strains exhibiting resistance to 3 or more antimicrobial categories were defined as multidrug-resistant. Susceptibility results from 303 bacterial pathogens were analyzed, most commonly Escherichia coli (60/303, 20%) and Staphylococcus aureus (40/303, 13%). High rates of acquired resistance against commonly used antimicrobials were found in most of the frequently isolated equine pathogens. The highest rate of multidrug resistance was found in isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii (23/24, 96%), followed by Enterobacter cloacae complex (24/28, 86%) and Escherichia coli (48/60, 80%). Overall, 60% of Escherichia coli isolates were phenotypically ESBL-producing and 68% of Staphylococcus spp. were phenotypically methicillin-resistant. High rates of acquired antimicrobial resistance towards commonly used antibiotics are concerning and underline the importance of individual bacteriological and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to guide antimicrobial therapy. Minimizing and optimizing antimicrobial therapy in horses is needed.

Critical hand ischemia treatment via orbital atherectomy-A single center observational retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahro, Abdul; Igyarto, Zsuzsanna; Martinsen, Brad

2017-03-01

Critical hand ischemia (CHI) can be devastating and may result in amputation. Distal vessel calcification has been shown to be a major factor in causing CHI. Atherectomy in the upper extremities is not typically considered due to the small anatomy; however, the Diamondback 360° Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS) (Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.) can access treatment areas with a reference vessel diameter of 1.5mm. A retrospective, observational, single center (Merit Health Center, Jackson, MS) analysis of 11 CHI patients with calcific disease of the radial artery treated with orbital atherectomy (OAS) was completed. Demographics and procedural to 30-day outcomes were assessed. All patients had good blood flow to the hand after intervention and none experienced complications during or immediately post-procedure. At 30-days the freedom from revascularization and amputation was 100%, and all the wounds were healed. The following important principles were followed during the use of OAS for CHI: (1) ACT was therapeutic (~250s); (2) Gentle wire manipulation; (3) Utilization of a small OAS crown (1.25mm); (4) Aggressive vasodilator use-given through the exchange catheter; (5) Angioplasty balloon was matched to the size of the vessel and long and low pressure inflations were completed. Critical hand ischemia can be treated with endovascular techniques. Obtaining good outflow to the fingers is critical for wound healing and preventing amputation. Orbital atherectomy is a useful tool in preparing vessels for balloon angioplasty; particularly in cases where calcification is present. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CONSORT item adherence in top ranked anaesthesiology journals in 2011: a retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Münter, Nils H; Stevanovic, Ana; Rossaint, Rolf; Stoppe, Christian; Sanders, Robert D; Coburn, Mark

2015-02-01

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for measuring the efficacy of any medical intervention. The present study assesses the implementation of the CONSORT statement in the top 11 anaesthesiology journals in 2011. We designed this study in order to determine how well authors in the top 11 ranked anaesthesiology journals follow the CONSORT statement's criteria. A retrospective cross-sectional data analysis. The study was performed at the RWTH Aachen University Hospital. Journals included Pain, Anesthesiology, British Journal of Anaesthesia, Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, European Journal of Pain, Anesthesia and Analgesia, Anaesthesia, Minerva Anestesiologica, Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology and the European Journal of Anaesthesiology. All articles in the online table of contents from the top 11 anaesthesiology journals according to the ISI Web of Knowledge were screened for RCTs published in 2011. The RCTs were assessed using the CONSORT checklist. We also analysed the correlation between the number of citations and the adherence to CONSORT items. We evaluated 319 RCTs and found that, more than ten years after the publication of the CONSORT statement, the RCTs satisfied a median of 60.0% of the CONSORT criteria. Only 72.1% of the articles presented clearly defined primary and secondary outcome parameters. The number of citations is only weakly associated with the fulfilment of the CONSORT statement (r = 0.023). Adherence to the CONSORT criteria remains low in top-ranked anaesthesiology journals. We found only a very weak correlation between the number of citations and fulfilment of the requirements of the CONSORT statement.

Anticlockwise swirl of mesenteric vessels: A normal CT appearance, retrospective analysis of 200 pediatric patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sodhi, Kushaljit S., E-mail: sodhiks@gmail.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Bhatia, Anmol, E-mail: anmol_bhatia26@yahoo.co.in [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Saxena, Akshay K., E-mail: fatakshay@yahoo.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Rao, Katragadda L.N., E-mail: klnrao@hotmail.com [Department of Pediatric Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Menon, Prema, E-mail: menonprema@hotmail.com [Department of Pediatric Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Khandelwal, Niranjan, E-mail: khandelwaln@hotmail.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India)

2014-04-15

Objective: The counterclockwise rotation of the SMV on SMA is a normal and non-specific finding, which results in an incomplete swirl formation on CT scans. However, it has a potential to be misinterpreted as ‘midgut volvulus’ resulting in serious clinical implications. The study was done to determine the frequency and degree of counterclockwise rotation of the SMV on SMA on CT in normal otherwise asymptomatic pediatric patients undergoing CT scan. Methods: In this IRB approved study, we retrospectively analyzed abdominal CT scan examinations of 200 consecutive pediatric patients (age range of 11 days to 18 years), which were performed for different clinical indications over a period of 10 months. They were evaluated for the absence or presence and degree of counterclockwise rotation of the mesenteric vessels. Results: Of the 200 patients, 128 (64%) patients showed no clockwise or anticlockwise rotation of mesenteric vessels. Counterclockwise rotation of SMV on SMA was seen in 72 (36%) patients. Further, the degree of rotation of vessels was also calculated, based on the criteria proposed by the authors. Conclusions: The counterclockwise rotation of SMV on SMA gives an appearance of mesenteric whirlpool in otherwise normal mesenteric vessels and can be misinterpreted as midgut volvulus. It is a normal CT appearance and is due to a variation in branching pattern of mesenteric vessels. Awareness of this normal branching pattern of mesenteric vessels is important to avoid an inadvertent laparotomy.

Anticlockwise swirl of mesenteric vessels: A normal CT appearance, retrospective analysis of 200 pediatric patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sodhi, Kushaljit S.; Bhatia, Anmol; Saxena, Akshay K.; Rao, Katragadda L.N.; Menon, Prema; Khandelwal, Niranjan

2014-01-01

Objective: The counterclockwise rotation of the SMV on SMA is a normal and non-specific finding, which results in an incomplete swirl formation on CT scans. However, it has a potential to be misinterpreted as ‘midgut volvulus’ resulting in serious clinical implications. The study was done to determine the frequency and degree of counterclockwise rotation of the SMV on SMA on CT in normal otherwise asymptomatic pediatric patients undergoing CT scan. Methods: In this IRB approved study, we retrospectively analyzed abdominal CT scan examinations of 200 consecutive pediatric patients (age range of 11 days to 18 years), which were performed for different clinical indications over a period of 10 months. They were evaluated for the absence or presence and degree of counterclockwise rotation of the mesenteric vessels. Results: Of the 200 patients, 128 (64%) patients showed no clockwise or anticlockwise rotation of mesenteric vessels. Counterclockwise rotation of SMV on SMA was seen in 72 (36%) patients. Further, the degree of rotation of vessels was also calculated, based on the criteria proposed by the authors. Conclusions: The counterclockwise rotation of SMV on SMA gives an appearance of mesenteric whirlpool in otherwise normal mesenteric vessels and can be misinterpreted as midgut volvulus. It is a normal CT appearance and is due to a variation in branching pattern of mesenteric vessels. Awareness of this normal branching pattern of mesenteric vessels is important to avoid an inadvertent laparotomy

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Retrospective Series of Regorafenib for Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

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Mercier, Joey; Voutsadakis, Ioannis A

2017-11-01

Metastatic colorectal cancer is a common disease encountered in oncology practice and treatment options beyond fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan, oxaliplatin and monoclonal antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor and vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) are limited. Regorafenib, a new drug that targets tyrosine kinases such as VEGF receptor as well as others, has been added recently to the armamentarium for metastatic colorectal cancer. This report analyzes the published experience with this drug in clinical practice outside of clinical trials. A literature search of major databases was performed for the identification of studies of regorafenib in metastatic colorectal cancer. Studies retained for further analysis were in English or French, describing 20 or more patients treated with regorafenib monotherapy and not part of a phase I, II or III trial. Results of the pooled analysis of retrospective studies were compared with results of the published phase III trials and a phase IIIb prospective study. Twelve publications including a total of 702 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Summary response rate was 2% [95% confidence interval (CI) =0.8-3.2%] and the disease control rate 38.14% (95% CI=32.35-43.93%). Summary survival rates were 3.34 months (95% CI=2.71-3.97 months) for progression-free and 7.27 months (95% CI=6.23-8.3 months) for overall survival. These were similar to the phase III and IIIb studies. Most common adverse effects were also consistent with those of the published phase III experience. This systematic review and meta-analysis confirmed a moderate efficacy of regorafenib in later-stage metastatic colorectal cancer in the everyday clinical practice setting outside of clinical trials. Future identification of biomarkers may aid in further tailoring of this treatment in order to obtain maximum clinical benefit. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Examination of Routine Practice Patterns in the Hospital Information Data Warehouse: Use of OLAP and Rough Set Analysis with Clinician Feedback

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Grant, Andrew; Grant, Gwyneth; Gagné, Jean; Blanchette, Carl; Comeau, Émilie; Brodeur, Guillaume; Dionne, Jonathon; Ayite, Alphonse; Synak, Piotr; Wroblewski, Jakub; Apanowitz, Cas

2001-01-01

The patient centred electronic patient record enables retrospective analysis of practice patterns as one means to assist clinicians adjust and improve their practice. An interrogation of the data-warehouse linking test use to Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) of one years data of the Sherbrooke University Hospital showed that one-third of patients used two-thirds of these diagnostic tests. Using RoughSets analysis, zones of repeated tests were demonstrated where results remained within stable limits. It was concluded that 30% of fluid and electrolyte testing was probably unnecessary. These findings led to an endorsement of changing the test request formats in the hospital information system from profiles to individual tests requiring justification.

Quality of diagnosis and monitoring of tuberculosis in Northern Ethiopia: medical records-based retrospective study.

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Mala, George; Spigt, Mark G; Gidding, Luc G; Blanco, Roman; Dinant, Geert-Jan

2015-10-01

To determine quality of diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response of patients with smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) compared with smear-positive cases in Ethiopia. A retrospective analysis of medical records of newly diagnosed pulmonary TB cases that were registered for taking anti-TB medication and had completed treatment between 2010 and 2012. We evaluated the percentage of cases that were managed according to the International Standards of Tuberculosis Care (ISTC) and compared smear-negative with smear-positive cases. We analysed 1168 cases of which 742 (64%) were sputum smear-negative cases. Chest radiography examination at diagnosis and microbiological testing at the end of the intensive phase of treatment was performed in a smaller proportion than in smear-positive TB cases (70% vs. 79%, P value ISTC are of greatest importance in minimising pitfalls in care of smear-negative TB yet were performed less often in smear-negative than smear-positive TB cases. © The Author(s) 2015.

Retrospective and Prospective Decomposition Analysis of Chinese Manufacturing Energy Use, 1995-2020

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasanbeigi, Ali [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Environmental Impacts Dept., China Energy Group; Price, Lynn [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Environmental Impacts Dept., China Energy Group; Fino-Chen, Cecilia [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Environmental Impacts Dept., China Energy Group; Lu, Hongyou [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Environmental Impacts Dept., China Energy Group; Ke, Jing [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Environmental Impacts Dept., China Energy Group

2013-01-15

In 2010, China was responsible for nearly 20 percent of global energy use and 25 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Unlike most countries, China’s energy consumption pattern is unique because the industrial sector dominates the country’s total energy consumption, accounting for about 70 percent of energy use and 72 percent of CO₂ emissions in 2010. For this reason, the development path of China’s industrial sector will greatly affect future energy demand and dynamics of not only China, but the entire world. A number of analyses of historical trends have been conducted, but careful projections of the key factors affecting China’s industry sector energy use over the next decade are scarce. This study analyzes industrial energy use and the economic structure of the Chinese manufacturing sector in detail. First, the study analyzes the energy use of and output from 18 industry sub-sectors. Then, retrospective (1995-2010) and prospective (2010-2020) decomposition analyses are conducted for these industrial sectors in order to show how different factors (production growth, structural change, and energy intensity change) influenced industrial energy use trends in China over the last 15 years and how they will do so over the next 10 years. The results of this study will allow policy makers to quantitatively compare the level of structural change in the past and in the years to come and adjust their policies if needed to move towards the target of less energy-intensive industries. The scenario analysis shows the structural change achieved through different paths and helps to understand the consequences of supporting or limiting the growth of certain manufacturing subsectors from the point of view of energy use and structural change. The results point out the industries that have the largest influence in such structural change

Infectious complications in chronic lymphocytic leukemia- a retrospective analysis: single institution experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Demitrovicova, L; Mikuskova, E; Oravcova, I; Cingelova, S; Drgona, L; Mladosievicova, B

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of a variety of infectious complications in patients with CLL regarding the duration of CLL and the type of treatment. We present the retrospective analysis of patients with CLL treated at our institution in years 2004-2016. We collected data about the type of infection, pathogenes, treatment and severity of infections surpassed in connection with administration treatment. In the study one hundred and ten patients were evaluated. The average age of patients was 61.7 years (range 34.5-91.9 years). Fludarabine was the most widely used regimen, followed by bendamustine and alemtuzumab. We recorded 393 episodes of infections, of which 114 (29%) were severe and life threatening of degree 3-5, and 279 (71%) of degree 2. The most common infections were the upper respiratory tract infections together with sinusitis (45.03%), pneumonia (26.20%), CMV reactivation occured in 8.14%, infections of the skin was in 7.6 %. Most infections have occurred with the administration of monoclonal antibody alemtuzumab, these patients were at significantly higher risk of infection [RR 2.59 (1.30 to 5.17)] than patients receiving obinutuzumab [RR 0.63 (0.48 to 0.82)] (p = 0.0001). On the contrary, the safety profile of BCR signaling pathway inhibitors was very acceptable [RR 1.17 (0.70 - 1.96)]. The number of infections have decreased during the first 12 months of treatment with ibrutinib. In the study group we recorded 19 deaths, 8 (7.27%) of them were of infectious etiology. The risk of infectious complications is lifelong in patients with CLL, it can be minimized by early detection and aggressive management. Novel targeted agents used in therapy of CLL have a good safety profile, even the risk of infection is decreased during administration.

Retrospective analyses versus RCTs: comparing like with like?

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Baron R

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Ralf Baron,1 Lieven Nils Kennes,2 Christian Elling31Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel Campus, Kiel, 2Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Applied Sciences Stralsund, Stralsund, 3Grünenthal GmbH, Medical Affairs Europe and North America, Aachen, GermanyIn their recent retrospective analysis assessing oxycodone/naloxone (OXN vs. tapentadol (TAP treatment for chronic low-back pain with a neuropathic component, Ueberall and Mueller-Schwefe1 compare their results to the findings of an earlier phase 3b/4 study.2 In our opinion, a proper comparison to the prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label study by Baron and colleagues is scientifically not appropriate. Although Ueberall and Mueller-Schwefe use the terms “prospective,” “randomly,” and “blinded” and refer to the PROBE design (prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint,3 their database study is retrospective, nonrandomized, and nonblinded with the treatment choice left to the discretion of the physicians. In this context, the use of the term “intention-to-treat (ITT population” is inappropriate because ITT is unambiguously defined as including all randomized subjects and thus inseparable from true randomization (ICH E9.4View original paper by Ueberall and Mueller-Schwefe.

A retrospective analysis of oral cholera vaccine use, disease severity and deaths during an outbreak in South Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekolo, Cavin Epie; van Loenhout, Joris Adriaan Frank; Rodriguez-Llanes, Jose Manuel; Rumunu, John; Ramadan, Otim Patrick; Guha-Sapir, Debarati

2016-09-01

To determine whether pre-emptive oral cholera vaccination reduces disease severity and mortality in people who develop cholera disease during an outbreak. The study involved a retrospective analysis of demographic and clinical data from 41 cholera treatment facilities in South Sudan on patients who developed cholera disease between 23 April and 20 July 2014 during a large outbreak, a few months after a pre-emptive oral vaccination campaign. Patients who developed severe dehydration were regarded as having a severe cholera infection. Vaccinated and unvaccinated patients were compared and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with developing severe disease or death. In total, 4115 cholera patients were treated at the 41 facilities: 1946 (47.3%) had severe disease and 62 (1.5%) deaths occurred. Multivariate analysis showed that patients who received two doses of oral cholera vaccine were 4.5-fold less likely to develop severe disease than unvaccinated patients (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 0.22; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.11-0.44). Moreover, those with severe cholera were significantly more likely to die than those without (aOR: 4.76; 95% CI: 2.33-9.77). Pre-emptive vaccination with two doses of oral cholera vaccine was associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of developing severe cholera disease during an outbreak in South Sudan. Moreover, severe disease was the strongest predictor of death. Two doses of oral cholera vaccine should be used in emergencies to reduce the disease burden.

Artifact in Pediatric Oculomotor Findings during Videonystagmography: A Retrospective Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Doettl, Steven M; Plyler, Patrick N; McCaslin, Devin L

2017-04-01

Accurate measurement of oculomotor function using videonystagmography (VNG) is imperative for diagnosis and management of patients with reported dizziness. The oculomotor evaluation during VNG utilizes video-oculography providing valuable information regarding the central structures and pathways that control eye movements. Artifact may have an effect on the overall validity and reliability of VNG oculomotor tracings and can result from patient and/or recording errors. It is postulated that artifact could occur more frequently in the pediatric population due to both patient and equipment factors. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the occurrence and impact of artifact on saccades, smooth pursuit, and optokinetic (OPK) testing in normal pediatric and adult subjects using commercially available clinical VNG equipment and standard clinical protocols for oculomotor testing. The present study utilized a retrospective analysis of a repeated measures design. Oculomotor results from a total of 62 participants were analyzed. Portions of these data have been presented in a previous research study. Group 1 consisted of twenty-nine 4- to 6-yr-olds with an average age of 4.86 (SD = 0.88) yr. Group 2 consisted of thirty-three 22- to 44-yr-olds with an average age of 25.2 (SD = 5.34) yr. Raw oculomotor recordings were analyzed "offline" by a single masked, trained investigator. Each tracing was evaluated for instances of artifact including eye blinks, eye closure, eyes moving in opposite direction of the target, eye tracking software problems, and overall poor morphology. The number of instances of artifact were noted and recorded for each participant in both groups. Individual eye movements not affected by artifact were included for final analysis. Artifact rejection techniques were also compared. The results indicated increased artifact for the pediatric group for saccade and smooth pursuit testing. Additionally, a significant decrease in instances of

The prognostic value of time parameters in adjuvant radiotherapy of head and neck cancer. A retrospective analysis of 138 patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietl, B.; Schaefer, C.; Koelbl, O.

2005-01-01

Purpose: to answer the question, how the parameters waiting time, radiation treatment time and overall treatment time (OTT) influenced the endpoints overall (OS), event-free (EFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) in patients with locally advanced head-and-neck cancer, who had received postoperative radiotherapy. Patients and methods: 138 patients were included into a retrospective analysis from 10/1993 to 05/2000. Besides the time parameters waiting time, radiation treatment time and OTT, tumor- and therapy-related parameters (T-, N-, R-status, grading, tumor site, surgical technique, and postoperative hemoglobin < 12 g/dl) with potential impact on the endpoints were investigated in the univariate analysis (Kaplan-Meier log-rank test). Individual parameters with a significant impact (p = 0.05) were subjected to a multivariate Cox regression analysis. Results: besides a postoperative hemoglobin value < 12 g/dl, in the univariate analysis an OTT ≥ 105 days negatively influenced all endpoints, as well as a radiation treatment time ≥ 60 days. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, postoperative hemoglobin < 12 g/dl and an OTT ≥ 105 days were identified as independent negative prognostic factors for all endpoints. Conclusion: the waiting time should be managed according to the ASARA (as short as reasonably achievable) recommendation, radiation treatment should not be protracted exceeding an overall treatment of 105 days. Generally, time parameters should be routinely included in the standard tumor documentation, thus facilitating further evaluation of these prognostically relevant factors. (orig.)

Comparing the Medicaid Retrospective Drug Utilization Review Program Cost-Savings Methods Used by State Agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Prada, Sergio I

2017-12-01

The Medicaid Drug Utilization Review (DUR) program is a 2-phase process conducted by Medicaid state agencies. The first phase is a prospective DUR and involves electronically monitoring prescription drug claims to identify prescription-related problems, such as therapeutic duplication, contraindications, incorrect dosage, or duration of treatment. The second phase is a retrospective DUR and involves ongoing and periodic examinations of claims data to identify patterns of fraud, abuse, underutilization, drug-drug interaction, or medically unnecessary care, implementing corrective actions when needed. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires each state to measure prescription drug cost-savings generated from its DUR programs on an annual basis, but it provides no guidance or unified methodology for doing so. To describe and synthesize the methodologies used by states to measure cost-savings using their Medicaid retrospective DUR program in federal fiscal years 2014 and 2015. For each state, the cost-savings methodologies included in the Medicaid DUR 2014 and 2015 reports were downloaded from Medicaid's website. The reports were then reviewed and synthesized. Methods described by the states were classified according to research designs often described in evaluation textbooks. In 2014, the most often used prescription drugs cost-savings estimation methodology for the Medicaid retrospective DUR program was a simple pre-post intervention method, without a comparison group (ie, 12 states). In 2015, the most common methodology used was a pre-post intervention method, with a comparison group (ie, 14 states). Comparisons of savings attributed to the program among states are still unreliable, because of a lack of a common methodology available for measuring cost-savings. There is great variation among states in the methods used to measure prescription drug utilization cost-savings. This analysis suggests that there is still room for improvement in terms of

Retrospection-Simulation-Revision: Approach to the Analysis of the Composition and Characteristics of Medical Waste at a Disaster Relief Site.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Wu, Lihua; Tian, Feng; Wang, Zheng

2016-01-01

A large amount of medical waste is produced during disaster relief, posing a potential hazard to the habitat and the environment. A comprehensive understanding of the composition and characteristics of medical waste that requires management is one of the most basic steps in the development of a plan for medical waste management. Unfortunately, limited reliable information is available in the open literature on the characteristics of the medical waste that is generated at disaster relief sites. This paper discusses the analysis of the composition and characteristics of medical waste at a disaster relief site using the retrospection-simulation-revision method. For this study, we obtained 35 medical relief records of the Wenchuan Earthquake, Sichuan, May 2008 from a field cabin hospital. We first present a retrospective analysis of the relief medical records, and then, we simulate the medical waste generated in the affected areas. We ultimately determine the composition and characteristics of medical waste in the affected areas using untreated medical waste to revise the composition of the simulated medical waste. The results from 35 cases showed that the medical waste generated from disaster relief consists of the following: plastic (43.2%), biomass (26.3%), synthetic fiber (15.3%), rubber (6.6%), liquid (6.6%), inorganic salts (0.3%) and metals (1.7%). The bulk density of medical relief waste is 249 kg/m3, and the moisture content is 44.75%. The data should be provided to assist the collection, segregation, storage, transportation, disposal and contamination control of medical waste in affected areas. In this paper, we wish to introduce this research method of restoring the medical waste generated in disaster relief to readers and researchers. In addition, we hope more disaster relief agencies will become aware of the significance of medical case recording and storing. This may be very important for the environmental evaluation of medical waste in disaster areas, as

The Private Communications of Magnetic Recording under Socialism (Retrospective Disco Analysis

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Oleg Vladimir Sineokij

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the formation and development of a general model of rare sound records in the structure of institutions of a social communication. The author considers psychocomminicative features of the filophone communication as a special type of interaction in the field of entertainment. The author studied the causes and conditions of a tape subculture in the USSR. It is observed the dynamics of the disco-communication in limited information conditions from socialism till modern high-tech conditions.At the end of the article the author argues based achievements in the field of advanced technology systems, innovation revival in the industry of music-record. Hence, using innovative approaches in the study, the author sets out the basic concept of recording popular music as a special information and legal institution, in retrospect, the theory and practice of the future needs in the information society.

Turkish Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Study: Retrospective Sectional Analysis of CML Patients

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Fahri Şahin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: here have been tremendous changes in treatment and follow-up of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML in the last decade. Especially, regular publication and updating of NCCN and ELN guidelines have provided enermous rationale and base for close monitorization of patients with CML. But, it is stil needed to have registry results retrospectively to evaluate daily CML practices. METHODS: In this article, we have evaluated 1133 patients’ results with CML in terms of demographical features, disease status, response, resistance and use of second-generation TKIs. RESULTS: The response rate has been found relatively high in comparison with previously published articles, and we detected that there was a lack of appropriate and adequate molecular response assessment. CONCLUSION: We concluded that we need to improve registry systems and increase the availability of molecular response assessment to provide high-quality patient care.

Parasitic infestation in appendicitis. A retrospective analysis of 660 patients and brief literature review

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Eren Altun

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To investigate the incidence of parasitic infestations and inflammation accompanying parasitosis in a series of appendectomy cases. Methods: Six-hundred-sixty patients who had undergone appendectomy in Bingöl State Hospital, Bingol, Turkey with the preliminary diagnosis of appendicitis between January 2012 and February 2015 were included in this retrospective study. They were retrospectively evaluated in terms of age, gender and pathological findings. Cases diagnosed with parasitic infestations were re-evaluated histopathologically for inflammatory response. Results: The mean age was 19.6 years, and the male/female ratio was 1.8. When evaluated in terms of histopathological diagnoses, 573 (86.8% were diagnosed as acute appendicitis, and parasitic infestation was identified in 12 (1.8%. Among cases with parasitic infestation, Enterobius vermicularis was identified in 9 (75% and Taenia in 3 (25% cases. Of cases with Enterobius vermicularis, 4 (44.4% had lymphoid hyperplasia, 1 (11.1% had normal-structured appendix vermiformis, and 4 (44.4% had findings of acute appendicitis. All cases with taeniasis had an inflammatory response: acute appendicitis was identified in 2 (66% and acute gangrenous appendicitis in 1 (33% of them. Conclusion: Parasitic infestations are among the probable causes in appendicitis etiology and should be kept in mind during differential diagnosis. However, whether every parasitic infestation leads to appendiceal inflammatory response is controversial.

Rapid prototyping modelling in oral and maxillofacial surgery: a two year retrospective study

OpenAIRE

Suomalainen, Anni; Stoor, Patricia; Mesimäki, Karri; Kontio, Risto K.

2015-01-01

Background The use of rapid prototyping (RP) models in medicine to construct bony models is increasing. Material and Methods The aim of the study was to evaluate retrospectively the indication for the use of RP models in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Helsinki University Central Hospital during 2009-2010. Also, the used computed tomography (CT) examination ? multislice CT (MSCT) or cone beam CT (CBCT) - method was evaluated. Results In total 114 RP models were fabricated for 102 patients. ...

Greenhouse gas emissions in Europe: a retrospective trend analysis for the period 1990-2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borgan, A.; Gugele, B.; Haider, S. (Umweltbundesamt, Vienna (Austria)) (and others)

2011-10-15

This report presents a retrospective overview of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends in Europe from 1990 to 2008, with a particular focus on the underpinning drivers and the influence of EU policies. The analysis is based on the combination of decomposition analyses to identify the respective influence of each identified driver and an overview of the main EU policies and their likely effects on these drivers. The period covered by the analysis stops in 2008. As a result, the analysis avoids the effects of the recent economic crisis on GHG emissions. This reinforces the conclusion on long-term emission drivers. The report covers the EU-27 and presents results for the other EEA member countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey) and Croatia (EU candidate country together with Turkey) as far as data is available. The results can be summarized as: 1) Overall GHG emission trends. EU GHG emissions were reduced between 1990 and 2008. Most of the reductions took place in the 1990s, but emissions have also been decreasing every year from 2003 until the last year considered in this report, 2008. 2) Predominant drivers. For the most part, the GHG emission trends observed in the EU between 1990 and 2008 resulted from economic factors. However, EU policies, some of which were not directly targeting GHG emissions, as well as national policies by some front runner countries, also played a role in these trends. 3) Impacts of EU policies. Between 2000 and 2008, emission trends were more directly targeted by a range of energy and climate policies, e.g. the implementation of the European Climate Change programme. However, the steady increase in energy demand during this period - particularly electricity - outweighed the considerable EU-wide savings generated by energy efficiency improvements and the development of renewable energy. 4) Co-benefits. Taking example from the positive benefits on GHG emissions that resulted from the implementation of non

Thermoluminescence properties of irradiated commercial color pencils for accidental retrospective dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meriç, Niyazi; Şahiner, Eren; Bariş, Aytaç; Polymeris, George S.

2015-01-01

Color pencils are widely used mostly in kindergartens, in schools and could be found in all houses with families having young children. Their wide spread use in modern times as well as their chemical composition, consisting mostly of Si and Al, constitute two strong motivations towards exploiting their use as accidental retrospective thermoluminescent dosimeters. The present manuscript reports on the study of colored pencils manufactured by a commercial brand in China which is very common throughout Turkey. The preliminary results discussed in the present work illustrated encouraging characteristics, such as the presence of a trapping level giving rise to natural TL in a temperature range that is sufficiently high. Specific thermoluminescence features of this peak, such as glow peak shape and analysis, anomalous fading, thermal quenching, reproducibility, linearity and recovery ability to low attributed doses were studied. The results suggest that the color pencils could be effectively used in the framework of retrospective thermoluminescent dosimetry with extreme caution, based on multiple aliquot protocols. - Highlights: • Thermoluminescence of the inner part of commercial colored pencils was studied. • The presence of a trapping level giving rise to natural TL at 260 °C was yielded. • Deco analysis, anomalous fading, thermal quenching, reproducibility, linearity and recovery ability of this peak were studied

Risk factors of extubation failure in extremely low birth weight infants: a five year retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chao-Yi; Su, Bai-Horng; Lin, Tsung-Wen; Lin, Hung-Chih; Li, Tsai-Chung; Wang, Nai-Phon

2002-01-01

Extubation failure is one of the most serious complications in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI) on mechanical ventilation therapy. We performed a 5-year retrospective analysis to realize the status of extubation failure in ELBWI. Extubation failure was defined as requirements of re-intubation within 72 hours after extubation. The extubation failure rate was 21% (29/138). The mean birth body weight was 808.3 +/- 140.4 gm. The mean gestational age was 25.8 +/- 1.2 wks. The incidence of chronic lung disease (CLD) in infants with extubation failure was 100% (29/29). Apnea of prematurity 49% (14/29) and post-extubation atelectasis 39% (11/29) were the most common reasons for reintubation. The major microbiology findings which correlated with nosocomial pneumonia in infants with extubation failure were Acinetobacter baumanni (21%), Klebsiella pneumonia (21%), Pseudomonas aeroginosa (14%), and Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (14%). In conclusion, post-extubation atelectasis and apnea were the most common reasons for reintubation. ELBWI with extubation failure had higher incidences of post-extubation atelectasis, CLD, and nosocomial pneumonia. Further prospective studies are needed in order to clarify the appropriate extubation program for ELBWI and to prevent post-extubation atelectasis and nosocomial pneumonia.

A retrospective analysis of 34 potentially missed cases of female genital mutilation in the emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Fawcett, Richard John; Kernohan, George

2017-09-12

To discover if healthcare professionals working within an ED are able to make a diagnosis of female genital mutilation (FGM) in those patients who have previously undergone the procedure and report it as per UK law. A retrospective analysis of patients' notes who were assigned an FGM code during the period of May 2015 to August 2016. Single-centre, large UK major trauma centre offering a tertiary FGM clinic. Any woman coded during the study period as having undergone FGM. Number of FGM cases identified by the ED. Mean age, presenting complaint, discharge diagnosis, genitourinary exam and defibulation status. 34 patients were identified as having undergone FGM, 19 had previously attended ED and none had their FGM identified during their ED attendance. The age range of those identified was 23 to 40 years. None had undergone defibulation. This study demonstrates that the identification of FGM victims by an ED is very poor, and more work needs to be done to increase awareness of the subject by front-line staff. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Effect of sodium bicarbonate administration on mortality in patients with lactic acidosis: a retrospective analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun Jeong Kim

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Lactic acidosis is a common cause of high anion gap metabolic acidosis. Sodium bicarbonate may be considered for an arterial pH <7.15 but paradoxically depresses cardiac performance and exacerbates acidosis by enhancing lactate production. This study aimed to evaluate the cause and mortality rate of lactic acidosis and to investigate the effect of factors, including sodium bicarbonate use, on death. METHODS: We conducted a single center analysis from May 2011 through April 2012. We retrospectively analyzed 103 patients with lactic acidosis among 207 patients with metabolic acidosis. We used SOFA and APACHE II as severity scores to estimate illness severity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and Cox regression analysis models were used to identify factors that affect mortality. RESULTS: Of the 103 patients with a mean age of 66.1±11.4 years, eighty-three patients (80.6% died from sepsis (61.4%, hepatic failure, cardiogenic shock and other causes. The percentage of sodium bicarbonate administration (p = 0.006, catecholamine use, ventilator care and male gender were higher in the non-survival group than the survival group. The non-survival group had significantly higher initial and follow-up lactic acid levels, lower initial albumin, higher SOFA scores and APACHE II scores than the survival group. The mortality rate was significantly higher in patients who received sodium bicarbonate. Sodium bicarbonate administration (p = 0.016 was associated with higher mortality. Independent factors that affected mortality were SOFA score (Exp (B = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.12-2.63, p = 0.013 and sodium bicarbonate administration (Exp (B = 6.27, 95% CI = 1.10-35.78, p = 0.039. CONCLUSIONS: Lactic acidosis, which has a high mortality rate, should be evaluated in patients with metabolic acidosis. In addition, sodium bicarbonate should be prescribed with caution in the case of lactic acidosis because sodium bicarbonate

TMI-2 core debris grab samples: Examination and analysis: Part 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akers, D.W.; Carlson, E.R.; Cook, B.A.; Ploger, S.A.; Carlson, J.O.

1986-09-01

Six samples of particulate debris were removed from the TMI-2 core rubble bed during September and October 1983, and five more samples were obtained in March 1984. The samples (up to 174 g each) were obtained at two locations in the core: H8 (center) and E9 (mid-radius). Ten of the eleven samples were examined at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory to obtain data on the physical and chemical nature of the debris and the postaccident condition of the core. Portions of the samples also were subjected to differential thermal analysis at Rockwell Hanford Operations and metallurgical and chemical examinations at Argonne National Laboratories. This report presents results of the examination of the core debris grab samples, including physical, metallurgical, chemical, and radiochemical analyses. The results indicate that temperatures in the core reached at least 3100 K during the TMI-2 accident, fuel melting and significant mixing of core structural material occurred, and large fractions of some radionuclides (e.g., 90 Sr and 144 Ce) were retained in the core

Technician Consistency in Specular Microscopy Measurements: A "Real-World" Retrospective Analysis of a United States Eye Bank.

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Rand, Gabriel M; Kwon, Ji Won; Gore, Patrick K; McCartney, Mitchell D; Chuck, Roy S

2017-10-01

To quantify consistency of endothelial cell density (ECD) measurements among technicians in a single US eye bank operating under typical operating conditions. In this retrospective analysis of 51 microscopy technicians using a semiautomated counting method on 35,067 eyes from July 2007 to May 2015, technician- and date-related marginal ECD effects were calculated using linear regression models. ECD variance was correlated with the number of specular microscopy technicians. Technician mean ECDs ranged from 2386 ± 431 to 3005 ± 560 cells/mm. Nine technicians had statistically and clinically significant marginal effects. Annual mean ECDs adjusted for changes in technicians ranged from 2422 ± 433 to 2644 ± 430 cells/mm. The period of 2007 to 2009 had statistically and clinically significant marginal effects. There was a nonstatistically significant association between the number of technicians and ECD standard deviation. There was significant ECD variability associated with specular microscopy technicians and with the date of measurement. We recommend that eye banks collect data related to laboratory factors that have been shown to influence ECD variability.

Examining the provisional guidelines for weight gain in twin pregnancies: a retrospective cohort study.

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Lutsiv, Olha; Hulman, Adam; Woolcott, Christy; Beyene, Joseph; Giglia, Lucy; Armson, B Anthony; Dodds, Linda; Neupane, Binod; McDonald, Sarah D

2017-09-29

Weight gain during pregnancy has an important impact on maternal and neonatal health. Unlike the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations for weight gain in singleton pregnancies, those for twin gestations are termed "provisional", as they are based on limited data. The objectives of this study were to determine the neonatal and maternal outcomes associated with gaining weight below, within and above the IOM provisional guidelines on gestational weight gain in twin pregnancies, and additionally, to explore ranges of gestational weight gain among women who delivered twins at the recommended gestational age and birth weight, and those who did not. A retrospective cohort study of women who gave birth to twins at ≥20 weeks gestation, with a birth weight ≥ 500 g was conducted in Nova Scotia, Canada (2003-2014). Our primary outcome of interest was small for gestational age (gain were used to categorize women as gaining below, within, or above guidelines. We performed traditional regression analyses for maternal outcomes, and to account for the correlated nature of the neonatal outcomes in twins, we used generalized estimating equations (GEE). A total of 1482 twins and 741 mothers were included, of whom 27%, 43%, and 30% gained below, within, and above guidelines, respectively. The incidence of small for gestational age in these three groups was 30%, 21%, and 20%, respectively, and relative to gaining within guidelines, the adjusted odds ratios were 1.44 (95% CI 1.01-2.06) for gaining below and 0.92 (95% CI 0.62-1.36) for gaining above. The gestational weight gain in women who delivered twins at 37-42 weeks with average birth weight ≥ 2500 g and those who delivered twins outside of the recommend ranges were comparable to each other and the IOM recommendations. While gestational weight gain below guidelines for twins was associated with some adverse neonatal outcomes, additional research exploring alternate ranges of gestational weight gain in twin

[The Medical Examination - Between Desire and Reality - Analysis of Consensus Between the Second Part of the Medical Licensing Exam (IMPP) and the National Catalogue of Expertise-based Learning Goals in Surgery (NKLC)].

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Sterz, Jasmina; Rüsseler, Miriam; Britz, Vanessa; Stefanescu, Christina; Hoefer, Sebastian H; Adili, Farzin; Schreckenbach, Teresa; Schleicher, Iris; Weber, Roxane; Hofmann, Hans-Stefan; Voß, Friedericke; König, Sarah; Heinemann, Markus K; Kadmon, Martina

2017-12-01

Background The working party of the German Society for Surgery (DGCH) on undergraduate surgical education has developed a national expertise-based catalogue of learning goals in surgery (NKLC). This study analyses the extent to which the questions of the German second medical licensing examination compiled by the IMPP are congruent with the NKLC and which thematic focus is emphasised. Materials and Methods Firstly, a guideline and evaluation sheet were developed in order to achieve documentation of the individual examination questions of the second licensing examination with respect to the learning goals of the NKLC. In a retrospective analysis from autumn 2009 to autumn 2014, eleven licensing examinations in human medicine were screened independently by three different reviewers. In accordance with the guideline, the surgical questions were identified and subsequently matched to the learning goals of the NKLC. The analysis included the number of surgical learning goals as well as the number of surgical questions for each examination, learning goal, and different levels of expertise (LE). Results Thirteen reviewers from six surgical disciplines participated in the analysis. On average, reviewers agreed on the differentiation between surgical and non-surgical questions in 79.1% of all 3480 questions from 11 licensing examinations. For each examination (n = 320 questions), 98.8 ± 22.6 questions (min.: 69, max.: 150) were rated as surgical. For each surgical learning goal addressed, 2.2 ± 0.3 questions (min.: 1, max.: 16) were asked. For each examination, 23.5 ± 6.3 questions (min.: 11; max.: 31) referred to learning goals of LE 3, 52.5 ± 16.7 questions (min.: 34; max.: 94) addressed learning goals of LE 2 and 22.8 ± 7.7 questions (min.: 9; max.: 34) were related to learning goals of LE 1. 64 learning goals (27.8% of all learning goals of the NKLC) were not reflected in the examinations. With a total of 70 questions, the most frequently

Assessment of Various Risk Factors for Success of Delayed and Immediate Loaded Dental Implants: A Retrospective Analysis.

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Prasant, M C; Thukral, Rishi; Kumar, Sachin; Sadrani, Sannishth M; Baxi, Harsh; Shah, Aditi

2016-10-01

Ever since its introduction in 1977, a minimum of few months of period is required for osseointegration to take place after dental implant surgery. With the passage of time and advancements in the fields of dental implant, this healing period is getting smaller and smaller. Immediate loading of dental implants is becoming a very popular procedure in the recent time. Hence, we retrospectively analyzed the various risk factors for the failure of delayed and immediate loaded dental implants. In the present study, retrospective analysis of all the patients was done who underwent dental implant surgeries either by immediate loading procedure or by delayed loading procedures. All the patients were divided broadly into two groups with one group containing patients in which delayed loaded dental implants were placed while other consisted of patients in whom immediate loaded dental implants were placed. All the patients in whom follow-up records were missing and who had past medical history of any systemic diseases were excluded from the present study. Evaluation of associated possible risk factors was done by classifying the predictable factors as primary and secondary factors. All the results were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and chi-square test were used for assessment of level of significance. In delayed and immediate group of dental implants, mean age of the patients was 54.2 and 54.8 years respectively. Statistically significant results were obtained while comparing the clinical parameters of the dental implants in both the groups while demographic parameters showed nonsignificant correlation. Significant higher risk of dental implant failure is associated with immediate loaded dental implants. Tobacco smoking, shorter implant size, and other risk factors play a significant role in predicting the success and failure of dental implants. Delayed loaded dental implant placement should be preferred

Retrospective analysis of Newcastle disease diagnosed at the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADEYEYE

2015-10-22

Solomon et al., 2012;. Snoeck et al., 2013). Vaccination is practiced widely and ... books. Postmortem examination, microbiology and haemagglutination activity of tracheal swabs or serology (haemagglutination inhibition test) was.

Early detection of abnormality by a logistic analysis of atomic bomb survivor's serially performed examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Hiroyuki; Nakamura, Tsuyoshi; Toyoda, Shigeki; Morikawa, Akira.

1986-01-01

It is important to establish a method of using periodic medical examination results for disease screening. A method is described of logistically analyzing results from four or more periodic examinations for the early detection of abnormality. This method was applied to 308 patients who died of gastric cancer and 3,002 normal controls. The logistic analysis showed that the ability to differentiate normal from abnormal findings was better when using the results of the periodic examinations than when using the data of the one particular examination. (Namekawa, K.)

A retrospective, pooled data analysis of the safety of pegaptanib sodium in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration in subjects with or without diabetes mellitus

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Dombi Theresa

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate the safety of pegaptanib sodium 0.3 mg intravitreal injection in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration in subjects with or without diabetes mellitus. Methods A pooled, retrospective, analysis was conducted of data from 9 sponsor-administered, randomized, open-label trials. Subjects who received pegaptanib by randomization or change in dose assignment, crossover design, or protocol amendment, were included. Reports of endophthalmitis, increased intraocular pressure, retinal injury, intraocular hemorrhage, traumatic cataract, hypersensitivity reactions, stroke, myocardial infarction, and other arterial thromboembolic events defined by the Antiplatelet Trialists’ Collaboration were identified by Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities preferred terms. Adverse events were summarized from the first injection to 42 days after the last injection. The incidence of adverse events was stratified by the presence/absence of diabetes. Results Of 1,586 subjects enrolled, 165 (10.4% had a history of diabetes mellitus and 1,421 (89.6% did not. The 2 populations were similar at baseline. Based on the comparison of prespecified ocular, hypersensitivity, and Antiplatelet Trialists’ Collaboration event terms, the safety review did not identify any notable differences between the 2 populations. Conclusions This retrospective analysis found no increased safety risk resulting from treatment with pegaptanib 0.3 mg in individuals with neovascular age-related macular degeneration and concomitant diabetes mellitus.

Clinical examination of leucite-reinforced glass-ceramic crowns (Empress) in general practice: a retrospective study.

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Sjögren, G; Lantto, R; Granberg, A; Sundström, B O; Tillberg, A

1999-01-01

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate leucite reinforced-glass ceramic crowns (Empress) placed in patients who regularly visit general practices. One hundred ten Empress crowns, placed in 29 patients who visited a general practice on a regular basis, were evaluated according to the California Dental Association's (CDA) quality evaluation system. In addition, the occurrence of plaque and certain gingival conditions was evaluated. All crowns were luted with resin composite cement. The mean and median years in function for the crowns were 3.6 and 3.9 years, respectively. Based on the CDA criteria, 92% of the 110 crowns were rated "satisfactory." Eighty-six percent were given the CDA rating "excellent" for margin integrity. Fracture was registered in 6% of the 110 crowns. Of the remaining 103 crowns, the CDA rating excellent was given to 74% for anatomic form, 86% for color, and 90% for surface. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed regarding fracture rates between anterior and posterior crowns. With regard to the occurrence of plaque and bleeding on probing, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed between the Empress crowns and the controls. Most of the fractured crowns had been placed on molars or premolars. Although the difference between anterior and posterior teeth was not statistically significant with respect to the fracture rates obtained, the number of fractured crowns placed on posterior teeth exceeded that of those placed on anterior teeth. The difference between the fracture rates may have clinical significance, and the risk of fracture has to be taken into consideration when placing crowns on teeth that are likely to be subjected to high stress levels.

Impact of Bruxism on Ceramic Defects in Implant-Borne Fixed Dental Prostheses: A Retrospective Study.

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Mikeli, Aikaterini; Walter, Michael H

2016-01-01

Ceramic veneer fracture is a frequent complication in implant-borne fixed restorations. The retrospective clinical study assesses the effect of bruxism on this complication. A sample of 507 implant-borne fixed units inserted between 1995 and 2011 in 144 patients were examined. Any detected veneer fractures were assigned to one of four groups according to extent and position. A hypothetical correlation between bruxism and ceramic veneer fractures was examined. Of 34 patients (23.6%) with at least one ceramic veneer fracture, 24 were bruxers (70%) and 10 were nonbruxers (30%) (P = .002). Bruxism may pose a risk for ceramic fractures.

Electroconvulsive therapy in the elderly: Retrospective analysis from an urban general hospital psychiatry unit

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Dimple D Dadarwala

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The number of elder patients with severe psychiatric illnesses other than depression is increasing. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT has a special role in the treatment of late-life depression and other psychiatric conditions in the elderly. Using ECTs in the elderly could be difficult. In an Indian setting, ECT in the geriatric population is used as last resort of treatment which is in contrast to Western countries. There is dearth of data available for the use of ECT in the elderly in India. Methodology: Retrospective data review was carried out to identify patients 55 years or older who had received ECT from January 2014 to June 2016 in tertiary care teaching hospital in a metropolitan city in India. Results: A total of 304 ECTs were administered to 25 elderly aged> 55 years with average of 12 ECTs per patient. Schizophrenia (56% was the most common diagnosis among patients who were considered for ECT, and this was followed by major depression without psychotic features (24% and major depression with psychotic features (8%. The most common indication to start ECT was nonresponsiveness to medications (92%. There was an increase in mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE scores from baseline (23.42 to the end of the sixth (24.60 and last ECT (24.60. Duration of current used during ECT had positive correlation with MMSE. Patients with comorbid medical illness (20% received ECT without any complication. Conclusions: This study adds to scarce database on the use of ECT in old-age patients in India and adds to evidence that ECT is safe and effective treatment in old age with no negative impact on cognition.

Multicystic dysplastic kidney: a retrospective study.

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Sharada, Sathish; Vijayakumar, Mahalingam; Nageswaran, Prahlad; Ekambaram, Sudha; Udani, Amish

2014-08-01

To report the renal structural and functional anomalies in children with multicystic dysplastic kidneys. Retrospective descriptive analysis of 47 children with multicystic dysplastic kidney seen in a pediatric nephrology unit over a period of 6 years. Antenatal diagnosis of multicystic dysplastic kidney was made in 34 (72.3%) patients. On follow up of 31 children for more than 12 months, 21 (68%) had involution, 4 [13%] had non-regression, and 4 (13%) were nephrectomized. Vesico-ureteric reflux (n=13; 28%) was the commonest renal abnormality. The serum creatinine values were higher (P=0.006) in children with contralateral reflux. Sub-nephrotic proteinuria was noted in 9 (29%) and was significantly associated with complete involution (P=<0.023). None of the patients developed hypertension and 2 (6.4%) had renal failure. Close nephrological follow-up is needed in children with multicystic dysplasia of kidneys.

Analysis of switch and examine combining with post-examining selection in cognitive radio

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Agarwal, Rupali; Srivastava, Neelam; Katiyar, Himanshu

2018-06-01

To perform spectrum sensing in fading environment is one of the most challenging tasks for a CR system. Diversity combining schemes are used to combat the effect of fading and hence detection probability of CR gets improved. Among many diversity combining techniques, switched diversity offers one of the lowest complexity solutions. The receiver embedded with switched diversity looks for an acceptable diversity path (having signal to noise ratio (SNR) above the required threshold) to receive the data. In conventional switch and examine combining (SEC) scheme, when no acceptable path is found after all the paths are examined, the receiver randomly chooses an unacceptable path. Switch and examine combining with post-examining selection (SECp) is a modified version of conventional SEC. In SECp, the conventional SEC scheme is altered in a way that it selects the best path when no acceptable path is found after all paths have been examined. In this paper, formula for probability of detection ( ?) is derived using SECp and SEC diversity combining technique over Rayleigh fading channel. Also the performance of SECp is compared with SEC and no diversity case. Performance comparison is done with the help of SNR vs. ? and complementary receiver operating characteristic curves.

Examination of the suitability of collecting in event cognitive processes using Think Aloud protocol in golf.

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Amy Elizabeth Whitehead

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Two studies examined the use of think aloud (TA protocol as a means for collecting data of cognitive processes during performance in golf. In study 1, TA was employed to examine if different verbalisation (Level 2 or Level 3 TA instructions influence performance of high and low skilled golfers. Participants performed 30 putts using TA at either Level 2, Level 3, or no verbalization condition. Although Level 3 verbalization produced a higher volume of verbal data than Level 2, TA at either level 2 or 3 did not impair putting performance compared to no verbalization. Study 2 examined the congruence between data collected via TA at Level 3 and cued retrospective recall of cognitive processes during golf performance. Experienced golfers performed six holes of golf whilst engaging in Level 3 TA. After performance, three semi-structured retrospective interviews were conducted (ten minutes after performance, 24 hours after performance and 48 hours after performance. A comparison of the themes identified large discrepancies between the information reported during TA and at interview, with only 38-41% similarity in variables reported to influence decision making on each hole. Both studies suggest TA is a valuable method for recording cognitive processes of individuals during task performance. TA provides richer verbal data regarding decisions than cued retrospective recall, and TA does not negatively impact performance.

Retrospective revaluation and its neural circuit in rats.

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San-Galli, Aurore; Marchand, Alain R; Decorte, Laurence; Di Scala, Georges

2011-10-01

Contingency learning is essential for establishing predictive or causal judgements. Retrospective revaluation captures essential aspects of the updating of this knowledge, according to new experience. In the present study, retrospective revaluation and its neural substrate was investigated in a rat conditioned magazine approach. One element of a previously food-reinforced Tone-Light compound stimulus was either further reinforced (inflation) or extinguished (extinction). These treatments affected the predictive value of the alternate stimulus (target), but only when the target was a weakly salient stimulus such as a Light, and the inflation/extinction procedure concerned the more salient element, that is the Tone. As the predictive value of the Light was decreased in comparison with a relevant control group, this revaluation was interpreted as backward blocking, and not unovershadowing. This observation challenges retrospective revaluation models focused on acquisition and prediction error detection, and is better accounted for by retrieval-based associative theories such as the comparator model (Miller and Matzel) [5]. Immunohistochemical detection of the Fos protein after the test phase revealed activation of the orbitofrontal and infralimbic cortices as well as nucleus accumbens core and shell, in rats that exhibited retrospective revaluation. Our results suggest that rats integrate successive experiences at the retrieval stage of retrospective revaluation, and that prefronto-accumbal interactions are involved in this function. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A retrospective analysis of surgical site infections after chlorhexidine-alcohol versus iodine-alcohol for pre-operative antisepsis.

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Charehbili, Ayoub; Swijnenburg, Rutger-Jan; van de Velde, Cornelis; van den Bremer, Jephta; van Gijn, Willem

2014-06-01

Surgical site infection (SSI) is the most common hospital-acquired infection in the Netherlands. There is little evidence in regard to differences in the efficacy of pre-operative topical antisepsis with iodine-alcohol as compared with chlorhexidine-alcohol for preventing SSI. We conducted a retrospective analysis at a single center, involving all patients who underwent breast, colon, or vascular surgery in 2010 and 2011, in which pre-operative disinfection of the skin was done with iodine-alcohol in 2010 and with chlorhexidine-alcohol in 2011. Demographic characteristics, surgical parameters, and rates of SSI were compared in the two groups of patients. Subgroup analyses were done for wound classification, wound type, and type of surgery performed. Associations of patient characteristics with SSI were also investigated. Data were analyzed with χ(2) tests, Student t-tests, and logistic regression analysis. No statistically significant difference was found in the rates of SSI in the two study groups, at 6.1% for the patients who underwent antisepsis with iodine-alcohol and 3.8% for those who underwent disinfection with chlorhexidine-alcohol (p=0.20). After multivariable analysis, an odds ratio (OR) of 0.68 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30-1.47) in favor of chlorhexidine-alcohol was found. Male gender, acute surgery, absence of antibiotic prophylaxis, and longer hospital length of stay (LOS) were all associated with SSI after pre-operative topical antisepsis. In this single-center study conducted over a course of one year with each of the preparations investigated, no difference in the rate of SSI was found after an instantaneous protocol change from iodine-alcohol to chlorhexidine-alcohol for pre-operative topical antisepsis.

A retrospective analysis of the headache associated with temporomandibular joint disorder.

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Ungari, C; Quarato, D; Gennaro, P; Riccardi, E; Agrillo, A; Mitro, V; Cascino, F; Reale, G; Rinna, C; Filiaci, F

2012-11-01

Headache is a common symptom, that can be extremely disabling, affecting 26 million of patients only in Italy. ICHD-II has reported two categories: "primary headaches" and "secondary headaches". Temporomandibular joint disorders can lead to a secondary headaches. We want to evaluate the prevalence and clinical features of headache among a series of patients having temporomandibular joint disorders and we illustrate the evolution of headache following medical treatament of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. This is a retrospective study carried out on chart review of 426 consecutive patients with various degrees of temporomandibular disorders and treated with medical devices from 2007 to 2011. Headache was reported by 73 patients (17.14%). Headache was observed in 36 of 51 patients with lock and in 32 out of 130 patients with mandibular deflections (Table I). The remaining 5 patients with headache had articular noise. Headache is not a rare finding in a population with temporomandibular dysfunctions and is more often a tension-type rather than trigeminal headache.

Prevalence of GMC performance assessments in the United Kingdom: a retrospective cohort analysis by country of medical qualification.

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Mehdizadeh, L; Potts, H W W; Sturrock, A; Dacre, J

2017-04-04

The demographics of doctors working in the UK are changing. The United Kingdom (UK) has voted to leave the European Union (EU) and there is heightened political discourse around the world about the impact of migration on healthcare services. Previous work suggests that foreign trained doctors perform worse than UK graduates in postgraduate medical examinations. We analysed the prevalence by country of primary medical qualification of doctors who were required to take an assessment by the General Medical Council (GMC) because of performance concerns. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of data routinely collected by the GMC. We compared doctors who had a GMC performance assessment between 1996 and 2013 with the medical register in the same period. The outcome measures were numbers experiencing performance assessments by country or region of medical qualification. The rate of performance assessment varied significantly by place of medical qualification and by year; χ 2 (17) = 188, p Economic Area (EEA), were more likely to have a performance assessment than UK trained doctors, with the exception of South African trained doctors. The rate of performance assessment varies significantly by place of medical qualification. This is the first study to explore the risk of performance assessment by individual places of medical qualification. While concern has largely focused on the competence of non-EEA, International Medical Graduates, we discuss implications for how to ensure European trained doctors are fit to practise before their medical licence in the UK is granted. Further research is needed to investigate whether these country effects hold true when controlling for factors like doctors' sex, age, length of time working in the UK, and English language skills. This will allow evidence-based decisions to be made around the regulatory environment the UK should adopt once it leaves the EU. Patients should be reassured that the vast majority of all doctors

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia and Causative Microorganisms in Intensive Care Unit: A Two Year Retrospective Analysis

OpenAIRE

Onur Palabıyık; Yaşar Toptaş; Aziz Öğütlü

2016-01-01

Objective: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common nosocomial infection in the intensive care units (ICUs). It causes prolonged hospital stay and increases mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the rate of VAP, causative microorganisms, and their antibiotic susceptibilities in anaesthesiology and reanimation ICU (ARICU). Material and Method: This retrospective study included patients who were admitted to 12-bed ARICU between January 2013 and December 2014. The ...

Examining the Effectiveness of Augmented Reality Applications in Education: A Meta-Analysis

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Tekedere, Hakan; Göke, Hanife

2016-01-01

In this study, the purpose is examining the reviews released on augmented reality applications in education, merging the results obtained in the studies that are independent from each other, and providing a new viewpoint for the studies that will be conducted in the future. The meta-analysis method has been used in the study. 15 out of 171…

Using Activity Theory to Design Constructivist Online Learning Environments for Higher Order Thinking: A Retrospective Analysis

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