Intermediate-term outcomes of the Aurolab aqueous drainage implant in neovascular glaucoma

PurposeTo assess the outcomes of the non-valved Aurolab aqueous drainage implant (AADI) in neovascular glaucoma (NVG).MethodsData of consecutive patients with NVG who underwent AADI and had a minimum follow-up of 2 years were included. The primary outcome measure was the cumulative rate of surgical failure defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) >21 mm Hg or reduced <20% below baseline, IOP ≤5 mm Hg, reoperation for glaucoma or a complication, or loss of light perception vision.ResultsWe included 85 eyes of 85 patients with NVG, with a mean age of 61.2±9.3 years. The most common aetiologies were proliferative diabetic retinopathy (n=43) and central retinal vein occlusion (n=24). The mean IOP decreased from 36.8±12.5 mm Hg at baseline to 15.8±7.5 mm Hg at 2-year follow-up (p<0.001) and the number of IOP-lowering medications reduced from 3.4±0.8 to 1.5±1.1 (p<0.001). The cumulative rate of failure increased from 3.1% (95% CI 1.1% to 11.8%) at 1 year to 33.8% (95% CI 20.4% to 52.5%) at 2 years. Multivariable analysis showed that eyes with open angles had a lower risk of failure (HR 0.17, 95% CI 0.10 to 1.03, p=0.09). The logarithm of minimum angle of resolution visual acuity declined from 0.98±0.7 to 1.8±1.0 at 2 years (p<0.001).ConclusionApproximately one-third of NVG eyes that received the AADI failed after 2 years of follow-up similar to other series. Early AADI implantation at the open angle stage of NVG may yield better results.

Numerical Simulations of the Monotonic and Cyclic Behaviour of Offshore Wind Turbine Monopile Foundations in Clayey Soils

Most of the reported centrifuge tests available in the existing literature on offshore wind turbine foundations are focused on the behaviour of monopiles in sands, but very few studies on clayey soils can be found, due to the very long saturation and consolidation periods required to properly conduct experiments in such materials. Moreover, most of the reported numerical simulations using finite element analyses have been validated with monotonic centrifuge tests only. In this research, both monotonic and cyclic performance of offshore wind turbines in clay are validated and justified. The relationship between the monopile rotation in clays and the geometry and strength of the soil has been found and quantified. A prediction of the rotation for a high number of cycles of loading, based on the one experienced by the pile during the first cycle, can be obtained using the correlation derived in the paper. For those cases in which the rotation does not reach a steady value after a high number of cycles, the cumulative rate has been found significantly larger than the prediction conducted with standard analytical methods. A new design methodology for the design of offshore monopile foundations in clay is presented.

Return To Work After Cell Transplantation in Patients With Angiitis-Induced Critical Limb Ischemia and Factors Related

Backgrounds: Angiitis-induced critical limb ischemia (AICLI) patients, who are usually with young age and high amputation rate, always lose their labor force. Return to work (RTW), not only mean patients’ physical health for they could undertake the work but also demonstrate their psychological well-being. While cell transplantation showed satisfactory efficacy for AICLI patients, few studies in terms of AICLI patients’ returning to work after transplantation were reported. Methods From May 2009 to May 2021, AICLI patients who underwent cell transplantation and completed a no less than 12-month follow-up were retrospectively enrolled. Primary endpoint was RTW. Patients’ demographic characteristics, characteristics of ischemic limb, etc. were reviewed to analyze independent risk factors in terms of RTW. Results 171 AICLI patients (170 males) were enrolled with a mean age of 41.9 ± 9.6 years (range, 20–57 years). The 12-month and 24-month RTW cumulative rates were 69.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 61.6%-75.6%) and 70.1% (95% CI 62.3%-76.2%), respectively. Age < 40 years (OR 2.659, 95% CI 1.138–6.719), and preoperative job as mental workers (OR 8.930, 95% CI 2.665–42.847) were identified as independent protective factors for RTW, perioperative limb infection of patients with ulcer or gangrene (OR 0.250, 95% CI 0.075–0.779) was identified as independent risk factor. Conclusion AICLI patients who underwent cell transplantation were with a satisfactory mid-term RTW cumulative rate. AICLI patients < 40 years old with preoperative occupation as mental workers were more likely to return to work. Prevention of limb infection during the perioperative period is of great significance to RTW.

The reality of e-learning from the viewpoint of students of private Jordanian universities in the northern region in light of the corona pandemic: واقع التعليم الإلكتروني من وجهة نظر طلبة الجامعات الأردنية الخاصة لإقليم الشمال في ظل جائحة كورونا

The study aimed to reveal the reality of e-learning from the viewpoint of students of private Jordanian universities in the northern region in light of the Corona pandemic, and whether there are different expectations towards electronic education according to gender, specialization and cumulative rate, and the study sample consists of (294) male and female students. She uses the descriptive analytical approach, The results of the study showed that the advantages of e-learning in Jordanian private universities in the northern region from the students ’point of view in light of the Corona pandemic, came at a medium level and with an arithmetic average (3.40), and the efficiency of using education came at a high level, with an average of (3.43), while the negatives (Obstacles and Difficulties) E-learning came in a moderate degree, with an average of (3.03), and the results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences about the advantages of e-learning and about the efficiency of using e-learning according to the variable of specialization, and the presence of statistically significant differences in the dimension of the negatives of e-learning according to the gender variable. And in favor of females, and the existence of statistically significant differences in the dimension of the advantages of e-learning according to a variable Cumulative , and in favor of those with an acceptable variable Cumulative, The study recommended holding courses and workshops for students; To enlighten them about the importance of this system (e-learning), its benefits and importance, and how to use the Internet and applications related to e-learning, and to include courses related to e-learning for all students in Jordanian universities.

C-Reactive Protein at Hospital Discharge and 1-Year Mortality in Acute Infective Endocarditis: A Prospective Observational Study

Background: An accurate biomarker at hospital discharge is needed to identify patients with acute infective endocarditis (IE) who are at high risk of mortality. This prospective observational study evaluated the prognostic value of C-reactive protein (CRP).Methods: Patients with acute IE (n = 343) and hospitalized at 2 university-affiliated medical centers from January 2014 to December 2019 were enrolled. Patients were categorized as having low or high CRP (n = 217 and 126, respectively) at hospital discharge according to the optimal cutoff (CRP = 6.5 mg/L) determined via receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis. The primary endpoint was all-cause death, from hospital discharge to 1 year. The secondary endpoint was the cumulative rate of rehospitalization or paravalvular abscess at 1 year.Results: At the 12-month follow-up, the mortality rate of the high-CRP group (21.43%) was significantly higher than that of the low-CRP group (2.76%, log-rank P &lt; 0.0001). The multivariate regression analysis indicated that the high-CRP group had a higher excess mortality hazard risk (HR = 4.182; 95% CI: 2.120, 5.211; P &lt; 0.001). The cumulative 1-year incidence of paravalvular abscess of the high-CRP group (11.90%) was significantly higher than that of the low-CRP (5.07%; P = 0.022). The cumulative rate of heart rehospitalizations of the 2 groups were similar (18.25% cf. 14.29%, P = 0.273).Conclusion: For hospitalized patients with acute IE, a high CRP at discharge suggests a poor prognosis for 1-year mortality and paravalvular abscess.

The Benefits of Guilu Erxian Jiao for Patients With Osteoporosis: A Retrospective Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the Chinese herbal medicine formula Guilu Erxian Jiao can improve the T-score in osteoporosis patients and even decrease the fracture rate.Design: This is a retrospective study.Subjects and Setting: Osteoporosis participants were selected from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) database from 2000 to 2019.Interventions: The patients were administered Guilu Erxian Jiao pills.Outcome measures: We analyzed the change of T-score and the associated cumulative incidence of fracture.Results: Eighty-five patients administered GEJ met the inclusion criteria. After propensity score matching (1:5), 425 patients who were not administered GEJ were included in the control group. There were no significant differences about the baseline characteristics between the study and control groups. In the study group, GEJ improved the osteoporosis of the lumbar vertebrate and osteopenia of the hip joint but did not improve osteoporosis of the femoral neck. The cumulative rate of fracture between these two groups was not significantly different. Patients who took at least 600 GEJ pills over the treatment period had a decreased risk for fracture at fracture-prone sites.Conclusion:The use of Guilu Erxian Jiao may improve osteoporosis of the lumbar vertebrate and osteopenia of the hip joint. In addition, it may help decrease fractures of the lumbar spine. Administering at least 600 GEJ pills over the treatment period might result in a decreased risk for fracture at fracture-prone sites.

Impact of posttraumatic stress syndrome disorder on GPA for Kurd-Yazidis students studying at Duhok Polytechnical University: تأثير متلازمة الإجهاد اللاحق للصدمة على المعدل التراكمي للطلاب الكرد اليزيديين الذين يدرسون في جامعة دهوك التقنية

This study shows the impact of post-traumatic syndrome on the cumulative rate of students studying at Duhok Polytechnic University. The 314 students from different departments at Duhok Polytechnic University are targeted randomly selected. In order to answer the hypotheses of the study, the computational averages, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and the use of the T-test were used where the results indicated the following: The increase in post-traumatic stress syndrome is associated with an increase in mental unit feeling. The level of mental unity is higher in the group of two sources compared to the group of non-traumatized people. The existence of statistical differences between males and females in the level of the post-traumatic stress syndrome, and this is higher among females. The existence of statistical differences between males and females in the low cumulative rate of male and female enrollment and this is higher for females. In the light of the results, a number of recommendations and proposals have been formulated that could contribute to improving student coping with a post-traumatic syndrome, improving the cumulative rate and improving social communication.

The Effect of Guilu Erxian Jiao on Osteoporosis Patients: A Retrospective Study

Background: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate whether the Chinese herbal medicine formula Guilu Erxian Jiao can improve T-score in osteoporosis patients diagnosed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and even decrease fracture rate.Method: Osteoporosis participants were collected through the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) database from 2000 to 2019. Intervention was taking Guilu Erxian Jiao pills. We analyzed the change of T-score and the following cumulative incidence of fracture. The Student’s T-test, Cox’s proportional hazard model, Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were conducted using SAS software.Results: There was no significant difference about the baseline between the Guilu Erxian Jiao group and non-Guilu Erxian Jiao group. Guilu Erxian Jiao can improve the osteoporosis of the vertebrate of lumbar. However, there is no significant diffidence about the vertebrate of lumbar and femoral neck between the Guilu Erxian Jiao group and non-Guilu Erxian Jiao group. The cumulative rate of fracture between these two groups is no significant difference. However, if patients took the total dose of Guilu Erxian Jiao over 600 pill*days, the fracture rate would decrease.Conclusion: Usage of Guilu Erxian Jiao would improve the osteoporosis of vertebrate of lumbar, but does not improve the cumulative incidence of fracture, unless they took the total dose of Guilu Erxian Jiao over 600 pill*days.