OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the flexibility of the unfused thoracic segments above the "potential upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV)" (T1-T12) and its compensatory ability in Lenke 5 and 6 curves using supine side bending (SSB) radiographs.
STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was used.
PATIENT SAMPLE: This study comprised 100 patients.
OUTCOME MEASURES: The ability of the unfused thoracic segments above the potential UIV, that is, T1-T12, to compensate in Lenke 5 and 6 curves was determined. We also analyzed postoperative radiological outcome of this cohort of patients with a minimum follow-up of 12 months.
METHODS: Right and left SSB were obtained. Right side bending (RSB) and left side bending (LSB) angles were measured from T1 to T12. Compensatory ability of thoracic segments was defined as the ability to return to neutral (center sacral vertical line [CSVL]) with the assumption of maximal correction of lumbar curve with a horizontal UIV. The Lenke 5 curves were classified as follows: (1) Lenke 5-ve (mobile): main thoracic Cobb angle <15° and (2) Lenke 5+ve (stiff): main thoracic Cobb angle 15.0°-24.9°. This study was self-funded with no conflict of interest.
RESULTS: There were 43 Lenke 5-ve, 31 Lenke 5+ve, and 26 Lenke 6 curves analyzed. For Lenke 5-ve, >70% of thoracic segments were able to compensate when UIV were at T1-T8 and T12 and >50% at T9-T11. For Lenke 5+ve, >70% at T1-T6 and T12, 61.3% at T7, 38.7% at T8, 3.2% at T9, 6.5% at T10, and 22.6% at T11 were able to compensate. For Lenke 6 curve, >70% at T1-T6, 69.2% at T7, 19.2% at T8, 7.7% at T9, 0% at T10, 3.8% at T11, and 34.6% at T12 were able to compensate. There was a significant difference between Lenke 5-ve versus Lenke 5+ve and Lenke 5-ve versus Lenke 6 from T8 to T11. There were no significance differences between Lenke 5+ve and Lenke 6 curves from T1 to T11.
CONCLUSIONS: The compensatory ability of the unfused thoracic segment of Lenke 5+ve curves was different from the Lenke 5-ve curves, and it demonstrated characteristics similar to the Lenke 6 curves.
POPULATION AND METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was used in this multicenter cross-sectional study. It included questions on the socio-demographics, work characteristics, Emotional Exhaustion, Perceived Stress Scale and sources of job stress. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted using the SPSS software.
RESULTS: A total of 197 doctors working in the Pediatric department in eight hospitals returned complete questionnaire. High and moderate emotional exhaustion was reported by 25.4% and 24.4% doctors, respectively. In bivariate analysis, 29 out of the 38 items of sources of stress showed significant association with emotional exhaustion (p <0.05).The significant predictors of emotional exhaustion in the multivariate analysis were: scoring higher on the Perceived Stress Score, dealing with patient's psychosocial problems, disrespectful interactions with colleagues/ subordinates, lack of appreciation from supervisors, lack of incentives and promotions, time pressures and deadlines to meet, and setting unrealistic goals of having them imposed on oneself (p <0.05). The most common source of stress was dealing with difficult parents (80.2%).
CONCLUSIONS: Emotional exhaustion is associated with sources of stress in the workplace but not with socio-demographic factors.
AIM OF THE STUDY: To assess the motor and cognitive effects of acute oral administration of CT root methanolic extract and hippocampal long-term plasticity in the CA1 region of the CCH rat model.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats (200-300 g) were subjected to permanent bilateral occlusion of common carotid arteries (PBOCCA) or sham operation. Then, these rats were given oral administration of CT root extract at doses of 100, 200 or 300 mg/kg on day 28 post-surgery and tested using behavioural tests (open-field test, passive avoidance task, and Morris water maze) and electrophysiological recordings (under urethane anaesthesia).
RESULTS: Treatment with CT root extract at the doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg resulted in a significant enhancement in memory performance in CCH rats induced by PBOCCA. Furthermore, CCH resulted in inhibition of long-term potentiation (LTP) formation in the hippocampus, and CT root extract rescued the LTP impairment. The CT root extract was confirmed to improve the glutamate-induced calcium increase via calcium imaging using primary cultured rat neurons. No significance difference was found in the CaMKII expression. These results demonstrated that CT root extract ameliorates synaptic function, which may contribute to its improving effect on cognitive behaviour.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated an improving effect of CT root extract on memory in the CCH rat model suggesting that CT root extract could be a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent the progression of cognitive deterioration in vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the mean percentages and absolute counts of CD4+ memory T cell subsets between: (i) non-allergic controls and AR patients; (ii) mild AR patients and moderate-severe AR patients.
METHODS: Sensitization to Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were determined in 33 non -allergic controls, 28 mild AR and 29 moderate-severe AR patients. Flow cytometry was used to determine the percentage of CD4+ na?ve (TN; CD45RA+CCR7+), central memory (TCM; CD45RA-CCR7+), effector memory (TEM; CD45RA-CCR7-) and TEMRA (CD45RA+CCR7-) T cells from the peripheral blood. The absolute counts of CD4+ T cell subsets were obtained by dual platform method from flow cytometer and hematology analyzer.
RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the mean percentages and absolute counts of CD4+ T cell subsets between non-allergic controls and AR patients sensitized to HDMs. However, there were significant reduction in the mean percentage (p=0.0307) and absolute count (p=0.0309) of CD4+ TEMRA cells in moderate-severe AR patients compared to mild AR patients sensitized to HDMs and 13/24 (54.2%) moderate-severe AR patients sensitized to HDMs had persistent symptoms.
CONCLUSION: Reduction in the mean percentage and absolute count of CD4+CD45RA+CCR7- TEMRA cells were observed in moderate-severe AR patients compared to mild AR patients in our population of AR patients sensitized to HDMs.
METHODS: A retrospective study conducted between February 2015 and July 2016 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The subjects had had symptomatic anterior or apical prolapse with stage III or IV and undergone pelvic reconstructive surgery using Uphold™ LITE. Patients completed a 3-day voiding diary, urodynamic study, real-time ultrasonography and validated quality-of-life questionnaires at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Primary outcome was the absence of USI. Secondary outcomes included the objective cure rate of POP, ≤ stage 1 at the anterior/apical vaginal wall, and the subjective cure rate, negative feedback to POPDI-6.
RESULTS: Ninety-five women were eligible. Six were excluded because of incomplete data. The postoperative de novo USI and SUI were 22.7 and 19.7%, respectively. There was significant improvement of USI in patients who had MUS insertion (93.8%) and bladder outlet obstruction (96.7%). The objective and subjective cure rate for prolapse was 95.5 and 94.3%, respectively. POP-Q measurements pre- and postoperatively were significantly improved at all points except for Gh and Pb. There was a significant difference in the distance between the bladder neck to the distal end of the mesh during straining both at both the postoperative 3rd month and 1 year.
CONCLUSIONS: Uphold™ mesh has a 20% incidence of de novo USI with acceptable objective and subjective cure rates at 1 year postoperatively. The de novo USI rate was high but not bothersome enough to require surgery.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether combined total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) technique with propofol/remifentanil is associated with less SSEP suppression when compared to combined volatile agent desflurane/remifentanil anesthesia during corrective scoliosis surgery at a comparable depth of anesthesia.
DESIGN: It is a randomized controlled trial.
SETTING: The study was conducted at the Single tertiary University Hospital during October 2014 to June 2015.
PATIENTS: Patients who required SSEP and had no neurological deficits, and were of American Society of Anesthesiologist I and II physical status, were included. Patients who had sensory or motor deficits preoperatively and significant cardiovascular and respiratory disease were excluded. A total of 72 patients were screened, and 67 patients were randomized and allocated to two groups: 34 in desflurane/remifentanil group and 33 in TIVA group. Four patients from desflurane/remifentanil group and three from TIVA group were withdrawn due to decrease in SSEP amplitude to <0.3 µV after induction of anesthesia. Thirty patients from each group were analyzed.
INTERVENTIONS: Sixty-seven patients were randomized to receive TIVA or desflurane/remifentanil anesthesia.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The measurements taken were the amplitude and latency of SSEP monitoring at five different time points during surgery: before and after the induction of anesthesia, at skin incision, at pedicle screw insertion, and at rod insertion.
RESULTS: Both anesthesia techniques, TIVA and desflurane/remifentanil, resulted in decreased amplitude and increased latencies of both cervical and cortical peaks. The desflurane/remifentanil group had a significantly greater reduction in the amplitude ( p = 0.004) and an increase in latency ( p = 0.002) of P40 compared with the TIVA group. However, there were no differences in both amplitude ( p = 0.214) and latency ( p = 0.16) in cervical SSEP between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Compared with TIVA technique, desflurane/remifentanil anesthesia caused more suppression in cortical SSEP, but not in cervical SSEP, at a comparable depth of anesthesia.