Prevalence of knee abnormalities in patients with osteoarthritis and anterior cruciate ligament injury identified with peripheral magnetic resonance imaging: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To assess, with a peripheral magnetic resonance imaging system (pMRI), the prevalence of bony and soft tissue abnormalities in the knee joints of normal subjects, osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and individuals who have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture; and 2) to compare the prevalence among groups. METHODS: Magnetic resonance (MR) images of 28 healthy, 32 OA, and 26 ACL damaged knees were acquired with a 1.0-T pMRI system. Two radiologists graded the presence and severity of 9 MR image features: cartilage degeneration, osteophytes, subchondral cyst, bone marrow edema, meniscal abnormality, ligament integrity, loose bodies, popliteal cysts, and joint effusion. RESULTS: Ten of 28 healthy (35.7%), 24 of 26 ACL (92.3%), and all OA knees (100%) showed prevalent cartilage defects; 5 healthy (17.9%), 20 ACL (76.9%), and all OA knees (100%) had osteophytes; and 9 normal (32.1%), 21 ACL (80.8%), and 29 OA knees (90.6%) had meniscal abnormalities. One-half of the knees in the OA group (16 of 32, 50%) had subchondral cysts, and almost one-half had bone marrow edema (15 of 32, 46.9%). These features were not common in the ACL group (7.7%, and 11.5%, respectively) and were not observed in healthy knees. The OA group had the most severe cartilage defects, osteophytes, bone marrow edema, subchondral cysts, and meniscal abnormalities; the ACL group showed more severe cartilage defects, osteophytes, and meniscal abnormalities than did normal subjects. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that knees that have sustained ACL damage have OA-like reatures; most subjects (19 of 26, 73.1%) could be identified as in the early stage of OA. The prominent abnormalities present in ACL-damaged knees are cartilage defects, osteophytes, and meniscal abnormalities.     

Applicability of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) in occupational heat stress assessment: a case study in brick industries

The present study aimed to investigate the applicability of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) as an innovative and science-based index in public health researches, in occupational heat stress assessment. All indoor and outdoor workers (200 people) of Brick industries of Shahroud, Iran participated in the research. First, the environmental variables such as air temperature, wet-bulb temperature, globe temperature, air velocity and relative humidity were measured; then UTCI and WBGT (wet-bulb globe temperature) indices were calculated. Simultaneously, physiological parameters including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, oral temperature, skin temperature, tympanic temperature and heart rate of workers were measured. UTCI and WBGT indices were 34.2 ± 2°C, 21.8 ± 1.8°C in the outdoor environments and 38.1 ± 4.4°C, 24.7 ± 3.3°C at the indoor environments, respectively. There were the weak inverse relationships between UTCI and WBGT indices at the outdoor environments and physiological responses such as systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. However, there were no similar results for indoor environments. The significant relationships were found between UTCI and WBGT at both indoor and outdoor environments. Both UTCI and WBGT indices are suitable for assessing the occupational heat stress. Although, UTCI index seems more appropriate for heat stress assessment in the environments with low humidity and air velocity.     

Trichostrongylus colubriformis: Possible Most Common Cause of Human Infection in Mazandaran Province,North of Iran

Background:

Infection with Trichostrongylus spp. is common among human and herbivorous in most parts of Iran, especially in southern and northern areas. The aim of present study was to identify Trichostrongylus spp. among human population using excreted egg specimens, by the molecular method, in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran.

Methods:

Overall, 33 positive fecal specimens were randomly sampled and examined. PCR amplification of ITS2-rDNA region was performed on the isolated egg and then a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profile was considered to discriminate of Trichostrongylus spp.

Results:

A total of 33 positive fecal specimens, 29(78.9%), 4(12.1%) were found T. colubriformis and T. axei respectively. Our data appear the molecular evidence of both human T. colubriformis and T. axei infections in North of Iran.

Conclusion:

T. colubriformis was the probable most common zoonotic species causing human trichostrongylosis infection in the area     

Comparison of the Conox (qCON) and Sedline (PSI) depth of anaesthesia indices to predict the hypnotic effect during desflurane general anaesthesia with ketamine

Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing - Comparison of two depth of anesthesia indices, qCON (Conox) and PSI (Sedline), during desflurane sedation and their sensitivity to random ketamine...     

An Anatomic Study on Whether the Patella is Centered in an Ideal Anteroposterior Radiograph of the Knee

BackgroundCurrently, an anteroposterior radiograph of the knee is judged based on a centered position of the patella between the femoral condyles. We are not aware of any anatomic literature supporting this recommendation.Questions/PurposesOrthogonal images are required for accurate assessment of knee deformity. Although an image with the patella centered at the distal femur is generally accepted as a true anteroposterior (AP) radiograph of the knee, there is minimal anatomic data to support that this view is orthogonal to a true lateral view of the knee where the condyles are overlapped. We designed an anatomical study to test the relationship between these two radiographic views.MethodsWe studied 428 well-preserved cadaveric skeletons ranging from 40 to 79 years of age at death. Centering of the patella was calculated based on distal femoral and patellar widths. Multiple regression analysis was then performed to determine the relationship between patellar centering and age, gender, ethnicity, mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), femoral anteversion, and contralateral centering.ResultsAverage patellar centering was 0.13 ± 0.04, indicating that the average patella was laterally positioned in the distal femur. Only mLDFA and contralateral centering showed statistically significant independent correlations with patellar centering with modest standardized beta coefficients of 0.10 and 0.23, respectively.ConclusionsIn the average specimen, the patella is laterally deviated by 13% of the condylar width. Clinicians should be aware that a lateral view with the femoral condyles overlapped is not always orthogonal to a patella-centered AP view when planning and implementing deformity correction.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11420-014-9419-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Association of toxicochemical and microbiological quality of bottled mineral water in Birjand city,Iran

Water is one of the pivotal, both in natural ecosystems and human development. Inadequate and unsafe water is still one of the major challenges in most developing countries. Due to the growing trends of bottled water (BW) consumption in Iran, especially in dry regions, regular monitoring of the quality of bottled mineral water is necessary. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the chemical and microbiological quality of bottled mineral water which was sold in the markets of Birjand city, Iran in 2015. Samples were selected randomly from 12 most popular brands of national BW in autumn and winter. Then, 12 most popular brands were selected for analysis. Finally, parameters including total hardness, levels of calcium, magnesium, pH, bicarbonate, sulfate, alkalinity, residual chlorine and total and fecal coliforms were examined for each brand. The results of the present study revealed that most of the chemical and microbiological parameters of BW in Birjand city were lower than maximum contaminant levels which are set by Iranian mineral water quality standards and WHO guidelines. Furthermore, total and fecal coliforms were within the standards. Overall, the results of this study revealed that the health status of the bottled mineral water which is sold in the markets of Birjand city was good. But, regular monitoring of the above mentioned parameters would be helpful to improve the water quality and to provide good portable water for the dwellers and very effective to enhance public health on citizens.     

Comparison of chest CT scan findings between COVID-19 and pulmonary contusion in trauma patients based on RSNA criteria: Established novel criteria for trauma victims

ProposeIn this study, we re-assessed the criteria defined by the radiological society of North America (RSNA) to determine novel radiological findings helping the physicians differentiating COVID-19 from pulmonary contusion.MethodsAll trauma patients with blunt chest wall trauma and subsequent pulmonary contusion, COVID-19-related signs and symptoms before the trauma were enrolled in this retrospective study from February to May 2020. Included patients (Group P) were then classified into two groups based on polymerase chain reaction tests (Group Pa for positive patients and Pb for negative ones). Moreover, 44 patients from the pre-pandemic period (Group PP) were enrolled. They were matched to Group P regarding age, sex, and trauma-related scores. Two radiologists blindly reviewed the CT images of all enrolled patients according to criteria defined by the RSNA criteria. The radiological findings were compared between Group P and Group PP; statistically significant ones were re-evaluated between Group Pa and Group Pb thereafter. Finally, the sensitivity and specificity of each significant findings were calculated. The Chi-square test was used to compare the radiological findings between Group P and Group PP.ResultsIn the Group PP, 73.7% of all ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and 80% of all multiple bilateral GGOs were detected (p < 0.001 and p = 0.25, respectively). Single bilateral GGOs were only seen among the Group PP. The Chi-square tests showed that the prevalence of diffused GGOs, multiple unilateral GGOs, multiple consolidations, and multiple bilateral consolidations were significantly higher in the Group P (p = 0.001, 0.01, 0.003, and 0.003, respectively). However, GGOs with irregular borders and single consolidations were more significant among the Group PP (p = 0.01 and 0.003, respectively). Of note, reticular distortions and subpleural spares were exclusively detected in the Group PP.ConclusionWe concluded that the criteria set by RSNA for the diagnosis of COVID-19 are not appropriate in trauma patients. The clinical signs and symptoms are not always useful either. The presence of multiple unilateral GGOs, diffused GGOs, and multiple bilateral consolidations favor COVID-19 with 88%, 97.62%, and 77.7% diagnostic accuracy.