Functional Capacity of Patients in the Early Period After the Embolization of Cerebrovascular Malformations: Preliminary Findings

ABSTRACT: Research into outcomes of endovascular intervention for cerebral blood vessel malformations has previously focused on the clinical picture of the disease, death rate, comparison of surgical methods, and the most common postoperative and postbleeding complications. From the nursing standpoint, the crucial elements in assessing postoperative patients are functional outcome defining patients' ability to function in life and recognition of impairments in which patients will be dependent on the nursing staff. The aim of the study was to assess functional capacity of patients before and after the embolization of cerebral blood vessel malformations in the aspect of nursing care. The study included 38 patients after embolization of cerebral blood vessels. The assessment of their condition using the Functional Capacity Scale was performed twice: before and after the surgical procedure. The research shows that on the day of admission to hospital, patients had greatest difficulty performing hygienic activities (p < .0001), satisfying physiological needs (p < .0001), and consuming their meals (p < .004). Headache (p < .002) and poor psychological state (p < .0001) manifesting itself through mild depression constituted other serious problems. After the surgery, vast majority of patients were independent in terms of self-care (p ≤ .03). Headache occurred in the case of 21% of patients, and psychological state improved in 34% of patients, which shows that there is a major demand for care in this sphere.     

Fetal echocardiography for planning perinatal and delivery room care of neonates with congenital heart disease

Fetal echocardiography facilitates the prenatal diagnosis of infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) and through sequential examinations, allows assessment of fetal hemodynamics and cardiovascular status from the time of diagnosis to delivery. Fetal cardiologists have created diagnostic protocols aimed at risk stratifying severity and potential postnatal compromise in fetuses with CHD, and identifying those who may require special intervention at birth or within the first days of life. In this article, we review fetal cardiovascular physiology, the progression of CHD in utero and fetal echocardiographic findings used for risk stratification of newborns with CHD, as well as some of the basic principles of planning for the neonatal resuscitation and initial transitional care of these complex newborns.     

Comparative study of ecophysiological and biochemical variation between the Baltic and North Sea populations of the invasive soft shell clam Mya arenaria (L. 1758)

Seasonal variations of environmental factors, such as temperature and salinity, require metabolic acclimatization in sedentary benthic fauna distributed over a wide geographical range. The soft-shell clam Mya arenaria inhabits the coastal waters of the North Atlantic including North America and Europe. In Europe, M. arenaria populations are distributed from Iceland to the Mediterranean Sea, including the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. Seasonal changes in physiological parameters (gonad index, condition index, biochemical composition and respiration rate) of M. arenaria from the Baltic Sea (the Gulf of Gdańsk, Poland), and the North Sea (Versee Meer, the Netherlands) were studied. The sex ratio of both populations did not differ from 1:1 and the seasonal gonad index was higher in the Baltic population. The average condition index changed seasonally at both studied sites, and was also higher in the Baltic population (except the autumn) compared to the North Sea. In both studied populations, the content of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates in the soft tissue followed the seasonal variations, and it was higher in the Baltic population. The respiration rate was lower in the Baltic population, and seasonal changes in the respiration rate seem to be correlated with changes in the water temperature. Based on the results obtained in the present study, we suggest that Mya arenaria is characterized by a large phenotypic plasticity and differences in the observed physiological traits are due to acclimatization to ambient environmental conditions.     

Only Hyperuricemia with Crystalluria,but not Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia,Drives Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease

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Serum levels and tissue expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP-2) in colorectal cancer patients

The objective of the study was the assessment of serum levels and tissue expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP-2) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The study included 72 CRC patients and 68 healthy subjects. The serum levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, whereas tissue expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in cancer cells, interstitial inflammatory cells, and adjacent normal colorectal mucosa were examined by immunohistochemical staining of tumor samples. The serum levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in cancer patients were significantly lower than those in control group, but the percentage of positive immunoreactivity of these proteins were higher in malignant and inflammatory cells as compared to normal tissue. There was a significant correlation between MMP-2 immunoreactivity in inflammatory cells and the presence of distant metastases and between TIMP-2 expression in inflammatory cells and tumor size, nodal involvement, and distant metastases. Area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for serum MMP-2 was higher than for serum TIMP-2. Moreover, positive tissue expression of MMP-2 was a significant prognostic factor for CRC patients’ survival. Our findings suggest that MMP-2 and TIMP-2 might play a role in the process of colorectal cancer invasion and metastasis, but the significance of their interactions with tumor stroma and interstitial inflammatory infiltration in colorectal neoplasia require further elucidation.     

Tumor escape and progression of HER-2/neu negative breast cancer under immune pressure

Background  

Emerging data from pre-clinical and clinical studies suggest that HER-2/neu-specific T cell responses could induce HER-2/neu antigen loss in the tumor cells. These data suggest that patients with HER-2/neu negative breast cancer might have had HER-2/neu positive premalignant lesions in the past that progressed to HER-2/neu negative breast cancer under HER-2/neu-specific immune pressure.