Adverse events in patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated with TNF inhibitors: a cross-sectional study

International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - Background Although TNF inhibitors are well established in ankylosing spondylitis treatment, the majority of studies on TNF inhibitors safety have been...     

Operando sulfur speciation during sulfur poisoning-regeneration of Ru/SiO2 and Ru/Al2O3 using non-resonant sulfur Kα1,2 emission

A periodic oxidative regeneration of a sulfur-poisoned methanation catalyst is an alternative to the expensive state-of-the-art process of syngas cleaning using wet scrubbers. Here we have employed operando X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) to study sulfur speciation on Ru/SiO₂ and Ru/Al₂O₃ during methanation in the presence of H₂S and subsequent regeneration in dilute O₂ at 360 °C. XES allowed us to obtain semi-quantitative sulfur speciation and to monitor changes in the absolute sulfur concentration. It was established that Al₂O₃, in contrast to SiO₂, forms sulfite/sulfate species by reacting with SO₂, which is released from the poisoned Ru surface upon oxidative treatment. The concentration of sulfite/sulfate species is reduced upon switching the feed to H₂/CO while no simultaneous increase in sulfide concentration is observed. For both catalysts, the regenerative treatment removes adsorbed sulfur as SO₂ only partially, which we propose is the main reason for the incomplete activity recovery of the poisoned catalyst after regeneration.

Operando S Kα X-ray emission spectroscopy allows for a quantitative understanding of the sulfur poisoning and regeneration mechanism of state-of-the-art methanation catalysts used for the wood to synthetic natural gas process.     

Measurement of active shoulder proprioception: dedicated system and device

Proprioception is an essential part of shoulder stability and neuromuscular control. The purpose of the study was the development of a precise system of shoulder proprioception assessment in the active mode (Propriometr). For that purpose, devices such as the electronic goniometer and computer software had been designed. A pilot study was carried out on a control group of 27 healthy subjects, the average age being 23.8 (22–29) in order to test the system. The result of the assessment was the finding of the error of active reproduction of the joint position (EARJP). EARJP was assessed for flexion, abduction, external and internal rotation. For every motion, reference positions were used at three different angles. The results showed EARJP to range in 3–6.1°. The proprioception evaluation system (propriometr) allows a precise measurement of active joint position sense. The designed system can be used to assess proprioception in both shoulder injuries and treatment. In addition, all achieved results of normal shoulders may serve as reference to be compared with the results of forthcoming studies.     

Reliability of measurements performed on two dimensional and three dimensional computed tomography in glenoid assessment for instability

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to establish which of two methods is more reliable in glenoid assessment for instability in pre-operative planning. Accordingly, we have studied the intra- and inter-observer reliability of glenoid parameters with the use of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed computed tomography (CT) images.

Methods

One hundred glenoids were measured with the use of 2D-CT and 3D-CT (in 3D orientation) by two independent observers (one experienced and one inexperienced). Measurements were repeated after one week for 30 randomly selected glenoids.

Results

The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for inter-observer reliability was significantly greater for 3D-CT (0.811 to 0.915) than for 2D-CT (0.523 to 0.925). All intra-observer reliability values for 3D-CT were near perfect (0.835 to 0.997), while those for 2D-CT were less reliable (0.704 to 0.960). A dependent t-test showed that, for both observers, almost all glenoid parameters (except R and d) differed significantly (p?<?0.05) between 2D and 3D measurement methods.

Conclusions

Therefore, it can be concluded that 3D glenoid reconstructions are more reliable for glenoid bone loss assessment than 2D-CT. The results suggest that quantifying a glenoid defect with the use of 2D image only—even if performed by an experienced orthopaedic surgeon—is prone to errors. Differences in measurements between and within observers can be explained by plane setting and identifying glenoid rim in 2D-CT. Accordingly, we recommend that glenoid measurements should be performed in 3D orientation using 3D reconstruction obtained from CT images for pre-operative assessments, which are crucial for surgical planning.

     

Review article: the role of oxidative stress in pathogenesis and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases

In this review, we focus on the role of oxidative stress in the aetiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and colitis-associated colorectal cancer and discuss free radicals and free radical-stimulated pathways as pharmacological targets for anti-IBD drugs. We also suggest novel anti-oxidative agents, which may become effective and less-toxic alternatives in IBD and colitis-associated colorectal cancer treatment. A Medline search was performed to identify relevant bibliography using search terms including: ‘free radicals,’ ‘antioxidants,’ ‘oxidative stress,’ ‘colon cancer,’ ‘ulcerative colitis,’ ‘Crohn’s disease,’ ‘inflammatory bowel disease.’ Several therapeutics commonly used in IBD treatment, among which are immunosuppressants, corticosteroids and anti-TNF-α antibodies, could also affect the IBD progression by interfering with cellular oxidative stress and cytokine production. Experimental data shows that these drugs may effectively scavenge free radicals, increase anti-oxidative capacity of cells, influence multiple signalling pathways, e.g. MAPK and NF-kB, and inhibit pro-oxidative enzyme and cytokine concentration. However, their anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effectiveness still needs further investigation. A highly specific antioxidative activity may be important for the clinical treatment and relapse of IBD. In the future, a combination of currently used pharmaceutics, together with natural and synthetic anti-oxidative compounds, like lipoic acid or curcumine, could be taken into account in the design of novel anti-IBD therapies.