The use of segmented regression for evaluation of an interrupted time series study involving complex intervention: the CaPSAI project experience

Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology - An interrupted time series with a parallel control group (ITS-CG) design is a powerful quasi-experimental design commonly used to evaluate the...     

New onset vesicovaginal fistula after transurethral collagen injection in women who underwent cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder creation: presentation and definitive treatment

PURPOSE: We present our experience with collagen injection for treating urinary incontinence after cystectomy and orthotopic bladder substitution in women. We discuss the efficacy of collagen injection, specific complications and subsequent definitive therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed cystectomy and orthotopic bladder substitution in 2 women for muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. In each case new onset stress urinary incontinence developed after surgery that was refractory to conservative therapy. Intrinsic sphincter deficiency was diagnosed in each patient by video urodynamic studies. Initial treatment involved transurethral collagen injections but subsequent intervention was required due to resultant complications and primary therapy inefficacy. RESULTS: Collagen (3.5 cc per session) was injected in 1 case at 2 treatment sessions and in the other at 3. Incontinence symptoms did not significantly improve in either patient and a new onset vesicovaginal fistula developed 2 days and 1 month after collagen injection, respectively. Subsequently in each case 1-stage transvaginal primary fistula repair was done in multiple layers with a pubovaginal sling procedure. Six months after repair there has been no recurrent fistula and the women remain hypercontinent, requiring intermittent self-catheterization. They are satisfied with their eventual lower tract function and overall outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Collagen injection for type 3 stress urinary incontinence after cystectomy and orthotopic bladder replacement in women may not be as effective and innocuous as in patients with a native bladder. Initial treatment with a pubovaginal sling procedure should be considered.     

Feasibility and clinical utility of real-time tele-echocardiography using personal mobile device-based pocket echocardiograph

IntroductionRecently introduced microUSB ultrasound probe, which can be connected to personal mobile device constitutes a new class of diagnostic pocket size imaging devices (PSID).The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and clinical utility of real-time tele-echocardiography with the use such device.Material and methodsThe study group comprised 30 patients (18 men and 12 women; mean age: 54 ±14 years; mean body mass index: 27 ±6 kg/m²), admitted to various hospital departments (infectious diseases, internal medicine and cardiology). All patients underwent focused echocardiographic examination performed by an inexperienced operator using PSID and collaborating remotely in real-time with cardiologist by means of tele-consultation. Before commencing the examination, the operators underwent 1 h training in use of the PSID.ResultsIn most of patients PSID imaging provided sufficient diagnostic image quality. The dimensions of left ventricle, left atrium and the aorta obtained during the this examination showed good correlation with standard echocardiography (r = 0.89, r = 0.82, r = 0.92 respectively), but the correlation for TAPSE measurements was less pronounced (r = 0.52). The agreement in detection of pathologies (wall motion abnormalities, morphological and functional valvular abnormalities) between the tele-echocardiography and standard echocardiographic examination was good to very good (κ ranged from 0.648 to 0.823).ConclusionsPocket size imaging devices allows an inexperienced operator to perform a focused echocardiographic examination under a remote supervision of an experienced cardiologist. The introduction of new technology in the form of PSID with tele-echocardiography feature can revolutionize access to this imaging technique.     

Relationship between Structure and Antibacterial Activity of α-Aminophosphonate Derivatives Obtained via Lipase-Catalyzed Kabachnik−Fields Reaction

We reported a new method dealing with the synthesis of novel pharmacologically relevant α-aminophosphonate derivatives via a lipase-catalyzed Kabachnik−Fields reaction with yields of up to 93%. The advantages of this protocol are excellent yields, mild reaction conditions, low costs, and sustainability. The developed protocol is applicable to a range of H-phosphites and organic amines, providing a wide substrate scope. A new class of α-aminophosphonate analogues possessing P-chiral centers was also synthesized. The synthesized compounds were characterized on the basis of their antimicrobial activities against E. coli. The impact of the various alkoxy groups on antimicrobial activity was demonstrated. The crucial role of the substituents, located at the aromatic rings in the phenylethyloxy and benzyloxy groups, on the inhibitory action against selected pathogenic E. coli strains was revealed. The observed results are especially important because of increasing resistance of bacteria to various drugs and antibiotics.     

Evaluation of the Concentration of Selected Elements in Patients with Cancer of the Reproductive Organs with Respect to Treatment Stage—Preliminary Study

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to assess the concentrations of selected elements in female patients with cancer of the reproductive organs, taking into account the stage of treatment. (2) Methods: The study sample consisted of 51 patients with advanced endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, undergoing chemotherapy. The median age of the studied patients with endometrial cancer was 66.0 years (IQR: from 60.75 to 70.25), and with ovarian cancer―60.0 years (IQR: from 49.0 to 64.0). Each of the qualified women, after consent to participate in the study, had her blood drawn several times (before surgery, the first course of chemotherapy, the third course of chemotherapy, and the sixth course of chemotherapy) in order to determine serum levels of macro- and micronutrients (Na, Mg, Ca, Zn, P, Cu, Fe, Cd, Ni, and Sr). (3) Results: In the study group of patients with cancer of the reproductive tract, the concentrations of iron (<0.001), magnesium (0.038), sodium (0.014), and nickel (0.037) varied significantly over the course of the study. The analysis showed that the interaction between the stage of chemotherapy and the type of cancer had an effect on the concentrations of magnesium and cadmium (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: In the studied group of patients with ovarian and endometrial cancer, the applied chemotherapy significantly changed the concentrations of Fe, Na, and Ni, regardless of the type of tumor. Changes in Mg and Cd concentrations resulted from the interaction between the stage of chemotherapy and the type of cancer. The results of serum concentrations of selected elements in women with cancer of the reproductive organs may help understand the physiological changes resulting from the applied chemotherapy.     

Quality and Quantity Assessment of the Water Repellent Properties of Functional Clothing Materials after Washing

The aim of the research was to evaluate the changes in the surface properties of five functional clothing materials with water-repellent finishes (including PFC-free finish) after 1, 5, and 10 washes with three detergents. A new approach to the interpretation of the water-repellent properties of textile materials is presented, based on two techniques, i.e., the spray test method and contact angle measurements. The results showed that washing materials with hydrophobic finishes can cause significant changes in their properties, which are mainly dependent on the composition and structure of the material, as well as the type of hydrophobic finish. The PFC-free finish is the least resistant to washing. For all materials with PFC finishes, the water repellency depends on the fluorine content on the surface and fabric topography. It was also found that increasing washing frequency resulted in a gradual decrease in water repellency. The loss of water repellency below an acceptable level (Grade 3) occurred after the fifth washing for all materials. Significant differences in the interpretation of the results of the spray test and contact angle measurements were observed. Using these methods separately provides information on the changes in the surface properties of the tested materials; however, their parallel application allows for obtaining complementary data, which is important for the proper interpretation of results.     

甲硝唑诱导阴道毛滴虫凋亡样细胞死亡

目的凋亡或程序性细胞死亡在多细胞生物体中已经被广泛研究,然而,关于单细胞寄生性原生动物细胞凋亡发生的分子机制却知之甚少。本研究旨在了解甲硝唑诱导阴道毛滴虫细胞凋亡的特征。方法培养阴道毛滴虫并用不同浓度的甲硝唑进行处理。在不同的时间间隔进行活细胞计数。提取甲硝唑处理过的阴道毛滴虫基因组进行DNA断裂片段检测。用DNA断端末端标记(TUNEL)法测定甲硝唑处理后阴道毛滴虫核酸内切酶活性。流式细胞检测分析脂酰丝氨酸暴露情况。结果甲硝唑可以诱导阴道毛滴虫出现凋亡样细胞死亡。这种凋亡样细胞死亡表现为细胞皱缩,磷脂酰丝氨酸暴露以及核染色体凝聚,但并未检测到寡核苷酸DNA梯带。结论阴道毛滴虫程序性细胞死亡的调节通路不同于多细胞生物体。确定导致原生动物细胞死亡的凋亡通路也许最终可用于鉴定新的治疗靶点。     

Prevalence of Orthorexia in Groups of Students with Varied Diets and Physical Activity (Silesia,Poland)

(1) Background: The literature emphasizes the role of many factors influencing the onset of eating disorders (EDs) and their mutual influence on each other. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate and compare the prevalence of orthorexic behaviors in groups of health-related and non-health-related students in terms of their differential health behaviors—diet and physical activity levels. (2) The study included 300 individuals representing two equal groups of fields of study, which for the study were called the health-related field (HRF) and the non-health-related field (NRF). (3) Results: Based on the results of the dietary assessment, it was found that the best dietary model was characterized by the HRF group; in this group, 97.2% of students were characterized by a very good and good dietary mode. The NRF group, on the other hand, was dominated by a sufficient dietary mode for 64.4% of all cases in this group (94 people), while the dietary model marked as “good” was less popular, at 24.6% of this group (36 people). (4) Conclusions: Based on the cited self-research and information from the literature, it can be concluded that the problem of orthorexia is still a new issue at the level of social sciences, medical sciences, and health sciences. The psychometric tools used in this study allowed us to demonstrate the prevalence of the aforementioned eating disorders in the sample groups of students.     

Effect of the Indentation Load on the Raman Spectra of the InP Crystal

Nanoindentations and the Raman spectroscopy measurements were carried out on the (001) surface of undoped and S-doped InP crystal. The samples were indented with the maximum load ranging from 15 mN to 100 mN. The phase transition B3→B1 was not confirmed by spectroscopic experiments, indicating a plastic deformation mechanism governed by dislocations activity. Increasing the maximum indentation load shifts and the longitudinal and transverse optical Raman bands to lower frequencies reveals a reduction in the elastic energy stored in the plastic zone right below the indentation imprint. Mechanical experiments have shown that a shift in Raman bands occurs alongside the indentation size effect. Indeed, the hardness of undoped and S-doped InP crystal decreases as a function of the maximum indentation load.     

Ammonia Concentration in Ambient Air in a Peri-Urban Area Using a Laser Photoacoustic Spectroscopy Detector

Measuring ammonia from the environmental air is a sensitive and prioritized issue due to its harmful effects on humans, ecosystems, and climate. Ammonia is an environmental pollutant that has an important role in forming secondary inorganic aerosols, the main component of fine particulate matter concentrations in the urban atmosphere. Through this study, we present a gas analyzer that utilizes the technique of laser photoacoustic spectroscopy to measure ammonia concentration in three different sites located in Magurele, (44°20′58″ N 26°01′47″ E, 93 m altitude), Romania, from March to August 2021 at the breathing level of 1.5 m above ground. The ammonia concentrations from the ambient air were elevated in summer (mean of 46.03 ± 8.05 ppb (parts per billion)) compared to those measured in spring (18.62 ± 2.92 ppb), which means that atmospheric temperature affects ammonia concentrations. The highest mean ammonia concentrations occurred in August, with an ammonia concentration level of 100.68 ± 11.12 ppb, and the low mean ammonia concentrations occurred in March, with an ammonia level concentration of 0.161 ± 0.03 ppb. The results confirm that meteorological characteristics (i.e., temperature) and motor vehicles are major contributors to the elevated ammonia levels during the monitoring period.