scholarly journals Optical puncture combined with balloon dilation PCNL vs. conventional puncture dilation PCNL for kidney stones without hydronephrosis: a retrospective study

BMC Urology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Zhou ◽  
Xiang He ◽  
Yuelong Zhang ◽  
Weiwen Yu
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Success Rate ◽  
Kidney Stones ◽  
Balloon Dilation ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Organ Damage ◽  
The One ◽  
Zhejiang Provincial ◽  
Analgesic Use ◽  
Pleural Injury

Abstract Background Accurate puncture and dilation of the target kidney calices for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) can be difficult. This study aimed to investigate the advantages of PCNL using optical puncture (i.e. the puncture is visualized on a screen as seen through the needle) combined with balloon dilation vs. conventional puncture methods. Methods This was a retrospective study of 58 consecutive patients with kidney stones without hydronephrosis and treated at the Minimally Invasive Urology Center of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital between 10/2016 and 12/2017. Twenty-one patients underwent optical puncture combined with balloon dilation PCNL. Thirty-seven patients underwent conventional puncture instrument dilation PCNL (controls). Success rate, tubeless rate, blood loss, pain, and complications were compared between the two groups. Results The one-time puncture success rate (95.2% [20/21] vs. 67.6% [25/37], P = 0.02) and the postoperative tubeless rate (81.0% [17/21] vs. 54.1% [20/37], P = 0.04) were higher in the optical puncture group compared with controls. The average postoperative hemoglobin reduction was smaller (1.13 ± 0.63 vs. 1.56 ± 0.59 g/dL, P = 0.01), the postoperative VAS score was lower (1.6 ± 0.9 vs. 2.5 ± 1.2, P = 0.004), the rate of postoperative analgesic use was lower (14.3% [3/21] vs. 40.5% [15/37], P = 0.04), and the postoperative mean hospitalization days was shorter (3.7 ± 0.9 vs. 4.4 ± 0.8, P = 0.005) in the optical puncture group vs. controls. There was no case of urinary sepsis, blood transfusion, perirenal hematoma, pleural injury, and visceral organ damage. Conclusions Optical puncture combined with balloon dilation PCNL could be associated with good therapeutic effect and low frequency of complications for the treatment of kidney stones without hydronephrosis.

scholarly journals Pyelonephritis in Pediatric Uropathic Patients: Differences from Community-Acquired Ones and Therapeutic Protocol Considerations. A 10-Year Single-Center Retrospective Study

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 436
Author(s):  
Giovanni Parente ◽  
Tommaso Gargano ◽  
Stefania Pavia ◽  
Chiara Cordola ◽  
Marzia Vastano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Success Rate ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Klebsiella Spp

Pyelonephritis (PN) represents an important cause of morbidity in the pediatric population, especially in uropathic patients. The aim of the study is to demonstrate differences between PNs of uropathic patients and PNs acquired in community in terms of uropathogens involved and antibiotic sensitivity; moreover, to identify a proper empiric therapeutic strategy. A retrospective study was conducted on antibiograms on urine cultures from PNs in vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) patients admitted to pediatric surgery department and from PNs in not VUR patients admitted to Pediatric Emergency Unit between 2010 and 2020. We recorded 58 PNs in 33 patients affected by VUR and 112 PNs in the not VUR group. The mean age of not VUR patients at the PN episode was 1.3 ± 2.6 years (range: 20 days of life–3 years), and almost all the urine cultures, 111 (99.1%), isolated Gram-negative bacteria and rarely, 1 (0.9%), Gram-positive bacteria. The Gram-negative uropathogens isolated were Escherichia coli (97%), Proteus mirabilis (2%), and Klebsiella spp. (1%). The only Gram-positive bacteria isolated was an Enterococcus faecalis. As regards the antibiograms, 96% of not VUR PNs responded to beta-lactams, 99% to aminoglycosides, and 80% to sulfonamides. For the VUR group, mean age was 3.0 years ± 3.0 years (range: 9 days of life–11 years) and mean number of episodes per patient was 2.0 ± 1.0 (range: 1–5); 83% of PNs were by Gram-negatives bacteria vs. 17% by Gram-positive: the most important Gram-negative bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (44%), Escherichia coli (27%), and Klebsiella spp. (12%), while Enterococcus spp. determined 90% of Gram-positive UTIs. Regimen ampicillin/ceftazidime (success rate: 72.0%) was compared to ampicillin/amikacin (success rate of 83.0%): no statistically significant difference was found (p = 0.09). The pathogens of PNs in uropathic patients are different from those of community-acquired PNs, and clinicians should be aware of their peculiar antibiotic susceptibility. An empiric therapy based on the association ampicillin + ceftazidime is therefore suggested.

scholarly journals Posturography with head movements in the assessment of balance in chronic unilateral vestibular lesions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Janc ◽  
Mariola Sliwinska-Kowalska ◽  
Piotr Politanski ◽  
Marek Kaminski ◽  
Magdalena Jozefowicz-Korczynska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Reliability ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Random Order ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Canal Paresis ◽  
Eyes Closed ◽  
Static Posturography ◽  
Unstable Surface ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
The One

AbstractThe aim of our study was to validate the method of head-shake static posturography (HS-posturography) in healthy individuals and to establish the value of this novel method in the diagnostics of patients with unilateral vestibular lesion (UV). The study included 202 participants divided into two groups, one consisting of 133 patients with canal paresis CP > 19% and one of 69 healthy subjects. Participant was tested according to the standard protocol of static posturography (SP), and with head movements of 0.3 Hz (HS 40), 0.6 Hz (HS 70) in random order controlled by a metronome. HS-posturography revealed a similar repeatability and internal consistency as the standard posturography. In patients with UV, 4th condition revealed higher sensitivity (74%) and specificity (71%) in HS 40 than in the standard posturography (67%, 65% respectively) and HS 70 (54%, 70% respectively). Static posturography and HS- posturography revealed a high reliability of the testing method. The head movements added to static posturography improve the sensitivity and specificity of the method in group with vestibular impairment. The most important test for that purpose seems to be the one on unstable surface with the eyes closed, with low frequency of head movements.

scholarly journals Estimation of the Noise Source Level of a Commercial Ship Using On-Board Pressure Sensors

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1243
Author(s):  
Hongseok Jeong ◽  
Jeung-Hoon Lee ◽  
Yong-Hyun Kim ◽  
Hanshin Seol
Keyword(s):  
Noise Source ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Frequency Resolution ◽  
Source Strength ◽  
Recording Time ◽  
Source Level ◽  
The One ◽  
Hydrophone Array ◽  
Good Agreement

The dominant underwater noise source of a ship is known to be propeller cavitation. Recently, attempts have been made to quantify the source strength using on-board pressure sensors near the propeller, as this has advantages over conventional noise measurement. In this study, a beamforming method was used to estimate the source strength of a cavitating propeller. The method was validated against a model-scale measurement in a cavitation tunnel, which showed good agreement between the measured and estimated source levels. The method was also applied to a full-scale measurement, in which the source level was measured using an external hydrophone array. The estimated source level using the hull pressure sensors showed good agreement with the measured one above 400 Hz, which shows potential for noise monitoring using on-board sensors. A parametric study was carried out to check the practicality of the method. From the results, it was shown that a sufficient recording time is required to obtain a consistent level at high frequencies. Changing the frequency resolution had little effect on the result, as long as enough data were provided for the one-third octave band conversion. The number of sensors affected the mid- to low-frequency data.

scholarly journals Handling Nonlinearity in an Ensemble Kalman Filter: Experiments with the Three-Variable Lorenz Model

2012 ◽  
Vol 140 (8) ◽  
pp. 2628-2646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Chih Yang ◽  
Eugenia Kalnay ◽  
Brian Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Kalman Filter ◽  
Ensemble Kalman Filter ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Lorenz Model ◽  
Outer Loop ◽  
Nonlinear Growth ◽  
Ensemble Mean ◽  
Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter ◽  
The One

Abstract An ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is optimal only for linear models because it assumes Gaussian distributions. A new type of outer loop, different from the one used in 3D and 4D variational data assimilation (Var), is proposed for EnKF to improve its ability to handle nonlinear dynamics, especially for long assimilation windows. The idea of the “running in place” (RIP) algorithm is to increase the observation influence by reusing observations when there is strong nonlinear error growth, and thus improve the ensemble mean and perturbations within the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) framework. The “quasi-outer-loop” (QOL) algorithm, proposed here as a simplified version of RIP, aims to improve the ensemble mean so that ensemble perturbations are centered at a more accurate state. The performances of LETKF–RIP and LETKF–QOL in the presence of nonlinearities are tested with the three-variable Lorenz model. Results show that RIP and QOL allow LETKF to use longer assimilation windows with significant improvement of the analysis accuracy during periods of high nonlinear growth. For low-frequency observations (every 25 time steps, leading to long assimilation windows), and using the optimal inflation, the standard LETKF RMS error is 0.68, whereas for QOL and RIP the RMS errors are 0.47 and 0.35, respectively. This can be compared to the best 4D-Var analysis error of 0.53, obtained by using both the optimal long assimilation windows (75 time steps) and quasi-static variational analysis.

Evaluation of changes in mechanical properties of O-ring in one-piece and two-piece ball retained implant-supported overdentures: A three-year retrospective study.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fathima Banu Raza ◽  
Anand Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Wear Resistance ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Wear Rate ◽  
Digital Camera ◽  
Maximum Displacement ◽  
Pin On Disc ◽  
The One ◽  
Insight Into

The o-rings in ball retained overdentures deteriorate with time and need replacement to restore the retentive quality. We evaluated retrospectively the mechanical properties of o-rings after 3 years in function in one and two-piece implant-supported overdentures. The o-rings were retrieved from one-piece (Myriad snap, Equinox-Straumann, 3.3 x 13mm) and two-piece (Neo Biotech, 3.3 x 13mm) implant-supported overdenture patients. A total of 16 pairs of matrices were tested for wear, type of damage and elasticity using Pin on Disc method, USB Digital Camera in 30x zoom and Universal Tensile Machine respectively. The statistical analysis for independent groups were done with the Mann-Whitney U test. Assessment of used O-rings showed 84% more wear in the two-piece system with an abrasive type of damage while 46% wear in the one-piece system with a compressive type of damage. The o-rings in one-piece system showed increase in elongation and maximum displacement to 2% and 7% respectively, while two-piece system showed decrease in elongation and maximum displacement by 13% and 6% respectively. In one-piece system, the loss of retention was more with slow wear rate and in two-piece system, the wear resistance of O-rings decreased due to increased stiffness. Further studies to evaluate the changes in O-ring with increased sample size and at interval 1 year will pave way for insight into the progressive changes in the mechanical properties of an O-ring.

Calculation of NQR v's and T1-1' s being proportional to T4 and T5 , respectively

1990 ◽  
Vol 45 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 536-540
Author(s):  
Mariusz Máckowiak ◽  
Costas Dimitropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Dependence ◽  
Relaxation Rate ◽  
Spin System ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Lattice Relaxation ◽  
Spin Lattice Relaxation ◽  
Lattice Vibrations ◽  
Spin Lattice ◽  
Simplifying Assumptions ◽  
The One

Abstract The second-order Raman phonon process for a multilevel spin system is shown to give a quadru-polar spin-lattice relaxation rate T1-1varying as T5 at very low temperatures. This relaxation rate for quadrupole spins is similar to the one discussed for a paramagnetic spin system having a multilevel ground state. The temperature dependence of T1 is discussed on the basis of some simplifying assumptions about the nature of the lattice vibrations in the Debye approximation. This type of relaxation process has been observed below 20 K in tetramethylammonium hydrogen bis-trichloroacetate for the 35Cl T1-1 . Below 20 K the NQR frequency in the same crystal reveals a T4 temperature dependence due to the induced modulations of the vibrational and librational coordinates by the low-frequency acoustic phonons.

scholarly journals Diversity of and Selection Acting on CylindrospermopsincyrBGene Adenylation Domain Sequences in Florida

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 2502-2507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mete Yilmaz ◽  
Edward J. Phlips
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Purifying Selection ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cylindrospermopsis Raciborskii ◽  
Adenylation Domain ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Neutrality Tests ◽  
The One

ABSTRACTAphanizomenon ovalisporumis the only confirmed cylindrospermopsin producer identified in the United States to date. On the other hand,Cylindrospermopsis raciborskiiis a prominent feature of many lakes in Florida and other regions of the United States. To see the variation in cylindrospermopsincyrBgene adenylation domain sequences and possibly discover new cylindrospermopsin producers, we collected water samples for a 3-year period from 17 different systems in Florida. Positive amplicons were cloned and sequenced, revealing that approximately 92% of sequences wereA. ovalisporum-like (>99% identity). Interestingly, 6% of sequences were very similar (>99% identity) tocyrBsequences ofC. raciborskiifrom Australia and ofAphanizomenonsp. from Germany. Neutrality tests suggest thatA. ovalisporum-likecyrBadenylation domain sequences are under purifying selection, with abundant low-frequency polymorphisms within the population. On the other hand, when compared between species by codon-based methods, amino acids of CyrB also seem to be under purifying selection, in accordance with the one proposed amino acid thought to be activated by the CyrB adenylation domain.

scholarly journals The effects of framing and ego-involvement on performance on the Wason selection task

Psihologija ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Jovanovic ◽  
Iris Zezelj
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Success Rate ◽  
Early Death ◽  
Selection Task ◽  
School Students ◽  
Wason Selection Task ◽  
Self Image ◽  
Threatening Information ◽  
Ego Involvement ◽  
The One

Man?s deep-rooted tendency to maintain and reinforce a positive self-image makes man inclined to uncritically accept desirable information (the confirmation bias) as well as to criticize and reject undesirable information (the disconfirmation bias). Since disconfirmation strategy leads to a logically correct solution to the four-card Wason selection task, we predicted that ego-involvement manipulation would have a significant effect on the success rate of the task. Specifically, we hypothesized that subjects who were exposed to personally threatening information would try to reject it and thus be more successful on Wason task than those who were exposed to non-threatening information, as established in previously published study by Dawson et al. (2002a). Furthermore, we wanted to examine if manipulating valence framing of the Wason task rule would result in a higher success rate for the group exposed to the threatening and negatively framed rule (that implied their own early death) than the group exposed to the threatening but positively framed rule (that category of people other than the one they belong to live longer). One hundred ninety five high school students from Kragujevac, Serbia participated in the experiment. The results confirmed the expected effect of involvement, while the main effect of framing did not occur. However, there was a marginally significant involvement by framing interaction: unexpectedly, non involved participants were more likely to solve the task correctly when it was positively framed than when in was negatively framed, whilst in the involved group there was no difference in correct responding depending on framing. The findings suggest that the success rate in Wason task can be sensitive to the valence framing of the rule, but only when respondents are not highly personally threatened. Potential methodological interventions in ego-involvement manipulation and content of the rules are discussed.

scholarly journals Evoluzione metodologica dell’invalidità civile in Italia: confronto ragionato tra i sistemi valutativi tabellari, di legge e non, che si sono succeduti negli anni

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Sammicheli ◽  
Marcella Scaglione
Keyword(s):  
Disability Evaluation ◽  
Heart Diseases ◽  
Organ Damage ◽  
Working Capacity ◽  
Systematic Classification ◽  
Value Range ◽  
The One ◽  
Legal Judgments ◽  
Functional Indices ◽  
Ministerial Decree

The authors describe the evolution from 1980 to the present of the tables that describe invalidating states, on which the medical-legal judgments of civil disability in Italy are based.The first part of the work briefly describes the main disabilities, grouped by both body system and percentage value range, that can be found in the tables attached to the main documents applied, or applicable, to the sector: those issued alongside the Ministerial Decree n. 282 of 1980, those that accompanied the Ministerial Decree of February 1982 (still in force today) and those proposed by the Italian Institute of Social Security (INPS) in 2012, which have not yet entered into force.The second part of the paper has two aims. On the one hand, it seeks to underline the change in the pre-eminent type of disability featured in the tables: from osteoarticular diseases, which were the most significant type in the 1980 tables, to neoplastic diseases, which are the most prevalent overall in the 2012 tables.On the other hand, the authors highlight that the tables themselves have evolved, moving towards a more precise definition (both clinical and instrumental) of the organ damage causing the reduction in general working capacity. In the 1980 tables, disability was often evaluated empirically rather than based on the use of functional indices or systematic classification. In the 2012 INPS proposed tables, evaluations of the reduction in working capacity are often based on specific functional parameters for the various organs (EF for the heart, FEV1 for the respiratory system, GFR for the urinary system) or on standardized disability evaluation scales (NYHA classes for heart diseases, EDSS or the Hoehn & Yahr classification for neurological disorders, MMSE or CDR for dementia, the Child-Pugh classification for cirrhogenic hepatopathies).

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