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Agricultural tractor drivers experience a high amplitude of vibration, especially during soil tillage operations. In the past, most research studied vibration exposure with more focus on the vertical (z) axis than on the fore-and-aft (x) and lateral (y) axes. This study examines how rotary soil tillage affects the vibration acceleration and frequency, and the power spectral densities (PSDs) at the seat pan and head along three translational axes in a real-field multiaxis vibration context. Moreover, this study aimed to identify the characteristics of the seat-to-head transmissibility (STHT) response to identifying the most salient resonant frequencies along the x-, y-, and z-axes. Nine (9) male tractor drivers operated the tractor with a mounted rotary tiller throughout the soil tillage process. In the event of a COVID-19 pandemic, and to respect social distancing, this study developed an Internet of Things (IoT) module with the potential to integrate with existing data loggers for online data transmission and to make the experimentation process more effective by removing potential sources of experimenter errors. The raw acceleration data retrieved at the seat pan and the head were utilized to obtain daily exposure (A(8)), PSDs, and STHT along the x-, y-, and z-axes. The vibration energy was found to be dominant along the z-axis than the x- and y-axes. A(8) response among tractor drivers exceeds the exposure action value explicitly stated by Directive 2002/44/EU. PSDs along the x-, y-, and z-axes depicted the low-frequency vibration induced by rotary soil tillage operation. The STHT response exhibited a higher degree of transmissibility along the y- and z-axes when compared with that along the x-axis. The frequency range of 4-7 Hz may plausibly be associated with cognitive impairment in tractor drivers during rotary soil tillage.
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Topic significance and study purpose/background/rationale: The current Radiation Oncology electronic health record (EHR) at an Academic Medical Center remains distinct from the EHR in use by other departments. The transplant tracking system used by the Transplant and Cellular Therapy (TCT) division provides additional complexity. The previous system relied on treatment schemas physically signed by the attending, then scanned into the transplant tracking system. Precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, entering and verifying chemotherapy admissions moved from paper to the EHR. The transplant coordinator enters and routes the conditioning treatment plans to the physician and clinical pharmacists for verification. The clinical pharmacists integrated dosing into the treatment plans for conditioning regimens. Evaluation within the continuous quality improvement process identified that Radiation Oncology still utilized the transplant tracking system to plan total body irradiation (TBI) dose dates. The limited comfort and ability of Radiation Oncology to view treatment plans was identified as a barrier. To prevent errors, a standardized process to communication within the EHR was developed. Methods, intervention, and analysis: While the conditioning regimen information could be included in the referral order, Radiation Oncology wanted further documentation of physi-cian signatures, particularly to allow for plan alterations. To further document the physician signatures, a standardized note template was developed for the transplant coordinators to utilize in a nursing note. The note summarizes the condi-tioning regimen and radiation dates, then gets automatically routed to the attending physician for co-signature and, if necessary, attestation. Findings and interpretation: The project is ongoing with a goal compliance rate of 100% for adult stem cell recipients undergoing TBI-based conditioning. Discussion and implications: Workarounds open up vulnera-bilities for safety lapses, particularly within a complex health-care system. Utilization of the EHR's full capabilities provides an opportunity to clearly document communicationCopyright © 2023 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
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Studies on the effects of training confinement on athletes with physical impairments are limited. Hence, in this retrospective cohort study, we aimed to investigate the impact of prolonged cessation of organized team training due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the body composition of elite female Japanese basketball athletes. Fourteen female wheelchair basketball athletes (aged ≥20 years) were enrolled. The primary outcomes were lean and adipose indices measured using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The impact of prolonged organized team training cessation on body composition was investigated by comparing the body composition at baseline and post-training confinement. A reduced whole-body lean mass (p = 0.038) and percent lean mass (p = 0.022), as well as an increased percent body fat (p = 0.035), were observed after the confinement period. The regional analysis revealed reduced percent lean and increased percent fat masses in the trunk (p = 0.015 and p = 0.026, respectively) and upper limbs (p = 0.036 and p = 0.048, respectively). In conclusion, prolonged organized team training cessation reduced lean mass and increased body fat percentage, primarily in the trunk and upper limbs. Individualized training programs targeting these body regions should be implemented to improve body composition and physical conditions in athletes during and after prolonged cessation of organized team training.
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The use of robotic systems for doctor-patient interaction during Covid-19 and in post-pandemic phases has been proven useful. On the other hand, in current implementations, teleoperating a robot in critical contexts such as the medical scenario may induce a high mental workload on the operator, mainly due to the need to adapt to the remote control of a complex robot, and the reduced environmental awareness. Furthermore, robotic platforms for telemedicine do not usually offer the possibility of establishing physical contact with the patient, which may indeed be useful to show how to assume a certain posture, or to guide a specific movement. The aim of this work is to overcome these limitations, by creating a framework in which the arms, the head, and the base of a humanoid robot can be easily teleoperated with a rapid learning curve and a low mental workload for the operator. The proposed approach is based on the real-time human pose estimation of the operator, which is calculated in real-time and transformed into correspondent skeleton joint angles, used as input to control the upper body joints of the Softbank Robotics robot Pepper. Experiments with users have been performed to check the effectiveness of the imitation system, by verifying the similarity between the human and robot pose and measuring its usability and perceived workload. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is curable for most children and adolescent and young adult patients with contemporary frontline chemotherapy regimens. During the past decade, improved survival rates have resulted from the optimization of frontline chemotherapy regimens, the use of minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment for evaluating a patient's risk for relapse, and the intensification of treatment based on the persistence of MRD. Optimization of initial therapy is critical because relapsed T-ALL after initial intensive chemotherapy is incurable for most adult patients. Current T-ALL salvage chemotherapy regimens are minimally effective, and unlike in B-cell ALL, there are no approved antibody therapies or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies for relapsed disease. Immunotherapy and small-molecule inhibitors are beginning to be tested in relapsed T-ALL and have the potential to advance the treatment. Until effective salvage strategies are discovered, however, intensive frontline therapy is required for cure. In this article I review the current frontline chemotherapy regimens for adult patients with T-ALL, summarize the novel targeted and immune therapeutics currently in early-phase clinical trials, and outline how these therapies are helping to define an optimal approach for T-ALL.Copyright © 2022 by The American Society of Hematology.
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The global novel coronavirus pneumonia has brought great impact on people's daily life, and has also strengthened the importance of health care and public health in various countries. This design is a whole body disinfection device designed for public space and semi public space. It uses ergonomics, modular design and other concepts to develop an epidemic prevention and control product that is easy to assemble, move and keep, intuitive to use and fast to run. Such epidemic prevention and control products are relatively rare in the market. This design aims to help China and even the world improve the public health and safety of public space and semi public space with large population flow and density in the post epidemic era, and to quickly assemble, emergency and carry out epidemic prevention and control in case of large-scale respiratory tract infectious diseases in the future, To avoid the spread of the virus in the dense population, to achieve early detection, early prevention. © 2022 IEEE.
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Aim/Introduction: 99mTc is used in about 80% of the convencional diagnostic nuclear imaging procedures and represent yearly approximately 30 million examinations/year worldwide a year in diagnostic tests in hospitals, among others by oncology, cardiology and neurology.The production of radiopharmaceuticals for use in Nuclear Medicine has a complex system. It involves carefully calculated production schedules that take into account supply, demand and many logistical operations.The aim of this study is to show how our nuclear medicine department manage the impact of the shortly 99Mo supply chain and consequently, in the 99mTc availability and other radiopharmaceuticals produced in nuclear reactora. Material(s) and Method(s): European nuclear medicine organizations had just pay attention to how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect different parts of the 99Mo supply chain when had to dealt again faced with a new problem;the shortness 99Mo production. There are only five nuclear reactors involved in the production of 99Mo on industrial scale. These aging reactors are subject to unscheduled shutdowns and longer maintenance periods making the 99Mo supply chain vulnerable. In the last few months at our nuclear medicine department we had to reinvent ourselves so as not to completely stop carrying out the previously scheduled exams and therapies. Result(s): The use of technetium generators in Europe represents about 17% - 25% of the worldwide consumption of 99Mo, representing 30,000 exams per day and about 1.1 million doses per month. The main consequences at the IPO-Porto was;Delays in diagnosis/staging, rescheduling exams, change of surgery dates (Sentinel Ganglion and Myocardial Perfusion Cardiacs), weeks of overbooking, delay in follow-up of Glomerular Filtration Rate in pre- or post-transplant patients, postponement of 131I Therapies, Scintigraphy and Whole Body Scintigraphy in patients who were already in hypothyroidism. we had to reinvent the use of 99mTc generators, change exams appointments times, reagroup exams types by defined days and other radiopharmaceutical management tools that were not commonly used. Conclusion(s): Approximately 2/3 of scheduled exams were postponed and we had to deal with weekly and daily stock updates. Our department suggest some measures and procedures that could help with future 99Mo shortages, in order to be ready in future situations and to avoid shortness of production: the creation of a centralized European radiopharmacy system, European policies to encourage long-term investment, homogenization of marketing specifications in the Member States, solid databases of radiopharmaceuticals used/ available in Europe and encouraging cooperation between other countries outside the European Union.
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Covid-19 has changed the practice of present-day medicine. Social-distancing, hand-sanitation and use of face-mask are important measures taken against its spread. Post-thyroidectomy whole-body diagnostic I-131 scan is an important preliminary investigation for risk stratification and further management in thyroid cancer. False positive findings on diagnostic scan are not uncommon and must be evaluated to avoid unnecessary work-up and treatment. Clinical and biochemical correlation with adjunct SPCET/CT imaging may differentiate true from false-positive lesions. We report a case of unusual false positive linear neck tracer on whole-body diagnostic I-131 scan due to the use of an I-131 contaminated face mask.
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From December 2019, a major outbreak called novel corona virus is infecting people all over the world now. It is believed to be a beta corona virus of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Infected people are unable to detect this disease as they feel normal till 10-12 days. After that, the virus infects the whole body and starts to find another body to infect, multiplying it day by day. As per the media news and other sources, epidemic is spreading globally, especially in countries like China, Italy where its effect is at peak, killing thousands of people. Based on the data of infected Covid-19 people in India, we systematically discuss the outbreak of epidemic corona virus in India. Defining the structure of active cases day by day, we predict the future of Covid-19 in India. We also suggest important measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in India. © 2022 IEEE.
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The recent spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has meant that online conference presentations are becoming more and more frequent at national and international level. We believe that these online presentations will remain an option even after the pandemic has subsided. One of the challenges of online conference presentations is that it is difficult to convey nonverbal information such as gestures and the facial expressions of the presenter. In this paper, we propose the “Stage-like Presentation Method”, which involves projecting the whole body, and investigates how the presence or absence of nonverbal information from the presenter affects the audience. A comparison of the proposed method with two other presentation methods confirmed that the audience considered it the most effective. The method was used by seven people in actual conference presentations, and it was found that the audience’s impressions changed according to the details of the setting. This research confirmed that the Stage-like Presentation Method left the audience at online conferences with a good impression of presentations. It also suggests that audiences find visual nonverbal information useful. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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BACKGROUND: Many patients suffer from the consequences of a COVID infection. The so-called long or post-COVID syndrome affects the quality of life of patients and can lead to severe physical impairments. There are currently no suitable therapies for the treatment of long/post-COVID. CASE PRESENTATION: A 49-year-old patient with post-COVID was admitted to a specialized clinic to carry out a multimodal therapy approach in the event of a therapy-resistant course. In addition to pronounced fatigue, sleep disorders, inner restlessness, and depression were seen in the patients' high levels of suffering. A naturopathic complex therapy including systemic whole-body hyperthermia was carried out. Well-being and physical well-being were recorded using the visual analog scale, and depression was recorded using the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression (PHQ-D). There was close monitoring of the vital parameters, and an evaluation of the therapy result was performed. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The implementation of a naturopathic complex therapy including systemic whole-body hyperthermia was able to significantly improve the mental state, physical well-being, and mood of the patient. Since there are still no evidence-based therapy recommendations for the treatment of long/post-COVID, clinical research is called upon to intensively deal with this topic and to examine treatment concepts.
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SESSION TITLE: Post-COVID-19 Infection Complications SESSION TYPE: Case Report Posters PRESENTED ON: 10/17/2022 12:15 pm - 01:15 pm INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is a systemic infectious and inflammatory disease, with multifactorial immunosuppression during the recovery phase which predisposes to serious infections. Although the gastrointestinal (GI) system is often affected in post-acute COVID-19 patients, liver abscess formation is rare. Here, we present a case of septic shock caused by a bacterial liver abscess in a survivor of severe COVID-19. CASE PRESENTATION: 78-year-old man with no past medical or surgical history was admitted to an outside hospital (OSH) with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and discharged after 14 days. He required high flow nasal cannula and was treated with Remdesevir, Dexamethasone, and Baricitinib. D-dimer was elevated without evidence of acute venous thromboembolism. Four weeks later he returned to the OSH due to dyspnea and was found to be hypotensive and hypoxemic. Laboratories showed leukocytosis, hyperlactatemia, and mild elevation of total bilirubin and transaminases. Whole-body CT scan revealed a small RUL pulmonary embolus and a 7cm multifocal loculated complex fluid collection indicative of a left hepatic lobe abscess. He was managed with supplemental oxygen, anticoagulation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, IV fluids, and vasopressors and transferred to our hospital for abscess drainage. The liver abscess was aspirated after an abdominal MR confirmed the findings and the septic shock subsequently resolved. Body fluid and blood cultures grew pan-sensitive Klebsiella pneumoniae. Antibiotics were narrowed to levofloxacin. He remained hemodynamically stable and was discharged home. DISCUSSION: In our patient, the underlying cause of bacterial inoculation of the liver and abscess formation remains unclear and is not fully explained by drug-induced immunosuppression given the frequency with which these medications are used. Hepatic abscesses often develop after liver injury and, in COVID-19, multiple mechanisms of liver injury have been proposed which may predispose to abscess formation. Specifically, in our case, it is likely that hypoxic hepatitis and arterial/venous thrombosis from hypercoagulability played a role in abscess formation given the need for supplemental oxygen and the presence of a pulmonary embolism. Additionally, in COVID-19, increased hepatobiliary expression of ACE2 may contribute to direct viral cytotoxicity of the liver and substantial dysbiosis may lead to cholestasis and bacterial translocation. CONCLUSIONS: Our case is unique and underlines the importance of having a high index of suspicion and monitoring for "occult infections,” such as liver abscesses in the COVID-19 recovery phase, even in those without prior GI medical history and with non-specific signs and symptoms. Further elucidation of the cause of liver injury and abscess formation are warranted;however, early identification and treatment can reduce morbidity and mortality. Reference #1: Nalbandian, A., et al, 2021. Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Nat Med, 27(4): 601–615. Reference #2: Liemarto, A.K., et al, 2021. Liver abscess with necrosis in post COVID-19: A case report. Ann Med Surg (Lond), 72: 103107. Reference #3: Alhaddad O., et al, 2022. A case report of COVID-19 evoked cholangitic liver abscess. Egypt Liver J, 12(1):5. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Christian Ascoli No relevant relationships by Anna Duchnowska No relevant relationships by Tirsa Ferrer Marrero No relevant relationships by Manasa Reddy
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Background: A 50 years old woman, a medical doctor, came to our department with symmetrical proximal muscular weakness, several months after Covid-19 infection and three weeks after a second dose of Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. The patient had no prior or family history of autoimmune diseases and take no medicines. In the past she undergone an operation for double-kidney with frequent urinary infections. Objective fndings have shown symmetrical proximal muscular weakness and classic sings of dermatomyositis-Gottron's papules, shawl and holster signs, periungual vasculitis. Objectives: We present a case of a 50 old woman with clinical and laboratory proven dermatomyositis, starting three weeks after a second dose of a Covid1-19 mRNA vaccine without other reasons. Methods: The laboratory tests showed elevated CPK, lactate dehydroge-nase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, high ANA-1:1280 and myositis specifc autoantibodies-anti-NXP2 and anti-Mi-2-beta. The electromyography showed myopathic changes and the muscle MRI-symmetrical edema of mm.obturator and mm.adductor brevis. We exclude diseases that may mimic infammatory myopathies. We made a cancer screening-whole body MRI, colonoscopy, gastroscopy, mammography and gynecological exam, immunoblot for detection of paraneoplastic syndrome-associated neuronal antibodies, with no detection of cancer. Muscle biopsy of m.vastus lateralis showed attenuating muscle infammation with advancing muscle atrophy and fbrosis. Results: The diagnose dermatomyositis was made according Bohan and Peter criteria and we start a high dose (1mg/kg/day) glucocorticoid therapy with good initial clinical and laboratory effect. Two months after starting a therapy muscle weakness worsened together with difficulty of swallowing. We excluded steroid myopathy after second EMG and lack of improvement when tapering the GS dose. Methotrexate 20 mg/weekly was added as a steroid sparing drug with good response, but was stopped because fare of pyelonephritis. Accordning to the opinion of dermatologist hydroxychloroquine was started for a couple of weeks, because of active skin manifestations. Muscle weakness worsened on the background of treatment, which was stopped. We started a therapy with intravenous immunoglobulins and considered therapy with cyclophosphamide or azathio-prine after urinary infection. Because the patient was infected for a second time with covid-19, although vaccine, we continued only with glucocorticoids and anti-osteoporotic therapy. Conclusion: The etiology and pathogenesis of infammatory myopathies are not fully clarifed so far. We speculate that the infection with Covid-19 as well as mRNA vaccine trigger infammatory myopathy and compromise the patient's immunity for poor treatment response with glucocorticoids and immunosuppres-sives. On the other hand advanced muscle atrophy and fbrosis within a short period show that suspected triggering factors could be a reason for difficult to treat such type of dermatomyiositis.
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The article entitled, "Whole-Body Cryotherapy as an Innovative Treatment for COVID 19-Induced Anosmia-Hyposmia: A Feasibility Study," by Legrand FD, Polidori G, Beaumont F, Bouchet B, Morin A, Derruau S, and Brenet E (Epub ahead of print Jan 13, 2022; DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2021.0254) is officially retracted at the request of the authors. This request came after the paper had undergone full peer review, three rounds of revisions, acceptance, page proofs, and ultimately, online publication. The Methods section of the published paper states that the study had "secured University ethics clearance "1 but the authors explained that, "after re-discussion and internal reassessment, it appears clearly that this study required, according to French law, the approval of a specific committee known as the '[C]ommittee for the [P]rotection of [P]ersons (CPP)' and not a simple ethical agreement. For this reason, [we] request, in good faith, that the article be retracted. We apologize for this delay in taking a position, but this study gave rise to a re-discussion with our peers of the methodology which led us to realize our error 'a posteriori.'" The authors' respective institutions have been notified by the publisher. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine is committed to upholding the rigors of scientific publishing and the veracity of the literature. Reference 1. Legrand FD, Polidori G, Beaumont F, et al. Whole-body cryotherapy as an innovative treatment for COVID 19-induced anosmia-hyposmia: a feasibility study. Epub ahead of print Jan 13, 2022; DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2021.0254.
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Anosmia , COVID-19 , COVID-19/therapy , Cryotherapy/adverse effects , Feasibility Studies , HumansABSTRACT
Lead Author's Financial Disclosures: Nothing to disclose. Study Funding: None. Background/Synopsis: Extensive evidence exists in support of a causal association of elevated triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) levels with the risk of atherosclerosis progression. Hypertriglyceridemia has been established as a risk factor for venous thrombosis, including a 2- fold increase in the risk of venous thrombosis in postmenopausal women. However, there is limited data on the role of hypertriglyceridemia in the arterial thrombosis. Objective/Purpose: Not Applicable. Methods: Case description: A 51-year-old white female with hypertension and type 2 diabetes (hemoglobin A1C, 7.4%) was transferred for further management of newly diagnosed bilateral renal and splenic infarcts. No risky habits were elicited except for the use of combined hormonal contraceptives over the past two years to control menorrhagia. Family history was significant for hypertriglyceridemia. Her physical exam was unremarkable. Testing for COVID-19 was negative. An extensive hypercoagulable and autoimmune work-up was unremarkable. Fasting lipid profile was significant for elevated levels of triglycerides, 1,274 mg/dL (replicated on two separate occasions), very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, 255 mg/dL, and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, 214 mg/dL, directly measured low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 39 mg/dL and lipoprotein(a), 6 mg/dL. There was no structural pathology on the echocardiogram, including no interatrial shunt or intracardiac thrombus. Her whole-body computed tomography angiography revealed a focal calcified protruding thrombus in the distal thoracic aorta. No significant plaque was seen elsewhere in the aorta. Results: Decision-making. The posterior thrombus in the distal thoracic and proximal abdominal aorta was determined as a culprit for the visceral organ infarcts. Over the course of the hospital stay her abdominal pain gradually resolved. Treatment with low dose aspirin and therapeutic dose of low-molecular weight heparin was initiated followed by apixaban and aspirin on discharge. She was started on atorvastatin 40 mg, fenofibrate 145 mg, icosapent ethyl 4 g, resulting in a 70% reduction in the triglycerides levels (306 mg/dL). In 3 months, her repeat CT angiography showed significant resolution of the aortic atherothrombosis with no signs of aortic wall inflammation. At the 6-month follow-up visit she was switched to dual antiplatelet therapy with a plan to repeat imaging in 6 months. Conclusions: This case illustrates challenges in managing patients with arterial thrombosis in the setting of familial hypertriglyceridemia. Apart from severely elevated triglycerides no other etiology was evident. We propose further investigation of the prothrombotic properties of TRL and the role of targeted triglyceride-lowering therapies on atherothrombotic outcomes.
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Successfully used for years in the rehabilitation of various diseases, the techniques of manual vibration massage and therapeutic vibrations generated by medical devices distinguish a new type of physical therapy – vibrotherapy. Therapeutic vibration stimulates blood and lymph circulation, the neuromuscular system, and, in the form of respiratory vibration therapy, helps clear airways of secretions and strengthens respiratory muscles, improving tissue oxygenation in patients with cystic fibrosis and, more recently, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19). Although the use of respiratory vibration therapy is well established in cystic fibrosis, it has yet to be sufficiently studied in other pulmonary disorders, and since the clinical potential of respiratory vibration therapy is broad, the authors of this literature review wish to point out that it should not be neglected. Particularly in automated form during pandemic times, as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic –hindering rehabilitation services, quarantine isolations – respiratory vibration therapy can be crucial in rehabilitation, enriching both hospital and home physiotherapy offers. © 2021, DJ Studio. All rights reserved.
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Given the severity and prevalence of post-COVID-19 symptoms in the general population, the identification of boosters for rehabilitation programs appears to be of paramount importance. The purpose of this case series is to provide some preliminary evidence about the role of whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) as an effective adjuvant for the recovery of patients with the post-COVID-19 condition (PCC). We recruited seven patients with previously confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptoms of PCC of different severities for a comprehensive rehabilitation program, including WBC. The main symptoms were dyspnea, chronic and muscular fatigue, chronic pain, and poor sleep quality. Moreover, some patients presented high levels of hematological markers of inflammation. Because we provided a range of interventions, including nutritional and psychological support along with physical exercise and physiotherapy, we could not determine to what extent WBC may per se have accounted for the clinical and functional improvements. However, for all reported cases, it was observed that the introduction of WBC sessions represented a turning point in the patient’s subjective and objective improvements related to health and functioning. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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Background: Tubercolosis has a worrisome connection with novel corona virus.Lingering respiratory symptoms in people who have recovered from Covid could well be mistaken as residual issues of Covid or secondary bacterial infections, missing TB diagnosis totally. Methods: A 28 year old female doctor by profession, initially asymptomatic tested Covid -19 positive as a part of contact tracing. On the 15th day, she developed fever, dry cough and fatigue which persisted even after taking symptomatic treatment. Repeat Covid testing was negative.HRCT chest was normal.Sputum CBNAAT was negative and other relevant blood investigations were normal. On examination she was febrile and matted subcentimetric right cervical lyphnodes(LN) were palpable.Excision Biopsy of cervical LN was done and report suggested Kikuchi's disease.As a part of work up of Pyrexia of Unknown Origin, she undertwent 18-FDG PET whole body CT scan and showed mediastinal lymph node uptake(2R,4R LN station). Mediastinoscopic biopsy report showed tuberculosis and Gene Expert showed mycobacterium complex with Rifampicin resistance. Results: Based on clinical, radiological and laboratory findings, MDR LN tuberculosis was diagnosed.Patient wad started on MDR TB regimen and symptoms got improved. Conclusion: There is an increased likelihood of tuberculosis in post COVID patients due to many factors like lung inflammation, altered immunity and stress due to COVID, use of steroids and uncontrolled diabetes.Therefore active tuberculosis should be vigorously ruled out in any post covid patients with continuous fever.
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INTRODUCTION: Distinct physiological states arise from complex interactions among the various organs present in the human body. PET is a non-invasive modality with numerous successful applications in oncology, neurology, and cardiology. However, while PET imaging has been applied extensively in detecting focal lesions or diseases, its potential in detecting systemic abnormalities is seldom explored, mostly because total-body imaging was not possible until recently. METHODS: In this context, the present study proposes a framework capable of constructing an individual metabolic abnormality network using a subject's whole-body 18F-FDG SUV image and a normal control database. The developed framework was evaluated in the patients with lung cancer, the one discharged after suffering from Covid-19 disease, and the one that had gastrointestinal bleeding with the underlying cause unknown. RESULTS: The framework could successfully capture the deviation of these patients from healthy subjects at the level of both system and organ. The strength of the altered network edges revealed the abnormal metabolic connection between organs. The overall deviation of the network nodes was observed to be highly correlated to the organ SUV measures. Therefore, the molecular connectivity of glucose metabolism was characterized at a single subject level. CONCLUSION: The proposed framework represents a significant step toward the use of PET imaging for identifying metabolic dysfunction from a systemic perspective. A better understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms and the physiological interpretation of the interregional connections identified in the present study warrant further research.
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COVID-19 , Lung Neoplasms , Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Positron-Emission Tomography/methods , Whole Body ImagingABSTRACT
Background: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status is an important predictive biomarker in breast cancer (BC). Tumor heterogeneity has been described, with changes in HER2 expression levels between lesions and over the disease course. HER2 expression is assessed on tissue biopsies, at primary diagnosis and in metastatic lesions. A whole-body imaging technique such as PET/CT could help understand expression levels in different lesions. A 68Ga-labeled single domain antibody (sdAb) targeting the HER2 receptor has been developed and proven safe (Keyaerts et al., 2016). Imaging is performed at 90 min post-injection (pi). We report results of a phase II trial to assess the repeatability of the technique in 20 patients and the correlation of tracer uptake with HER2 tissue expression of the lesions present at the time of imaging. Methods: Twenty patients (pts) with a locally advanced or metastatic BC with at least one lesion of minimum 12 mm were included. Pts were injected intravenously with a typical protein mass of 100 μ g and a radioactive dose ranging from 98-168 MBq 68GaNOTA-anti-HER2 sdAb. PET/CT images were Sobtained at 90 min pi. A second tracer injection followed by PET/CT was done with a maximal interval of 8 days. To assess repeatability, up to 5 lesions per pt were selected, with no more than 2 in a single organ. Peak Standard Uptake Values (SUVpeak) of the lesions were measured on both scans and compared with a t-test and Bland-Altman Plots. Images were compared to other available medical or imaging data and interpreted considering the subject's disease course. Serum and plasma samples were collected before injection and between 60 and 365 days pi and stored for future detection of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) and liquid biopsies analysis for the presence of HER2 amplification. Tissue samples were assessed by central labs using mass spectrometry, immunohistochemistry and in fluorescence situ hybridization. Results: Twenty women with BC (6 HER2+, 14 HER2-) with a mean age of 58.6 y (37-81) were included. Three pts were scanned only once (2 due to withdrawal of consent, 1 due to covid pandemic). Repeatability of the technique was visually scored as excellent. For quantification, 50 lesions were compared on both scans in 17 pts without significant differences between the two measurements (p=0.40). The repeatability coefficient (RC) was 38.2%. The mean absolute percentage difference (MAPD) was 13.6%, comparable to repeat values reported for 18F-FDG. In 3 out of 6 HER2-positive (HER2+) patients, lesions showed high uptake, even better visible than using 18F-FDG in 2 of them. In 2 HER2+ subjects with a negative scan, lesions were confirmed to be true negatives: one patient did not relapse from BC but had tuberculosis;the other was confirmed to have a radiopneumonitis after radiotherapy and no relapse. In 1 HER2+ patient, the uptake was unexpectedly low. However, the HER2 status was also not reconfirmed in the metastatic setting for this subject. In 1 HER2-negative patient, the tumor HER2 status was changed from negative to positive based on a subsequent image-guided biopsy performed in this study. High tracer uptake was also seen in many of the patients presenting with HER2-low BC (IHC 1+ or 2+), indicating the potential of the tracer to detect low-level HER2 expression. Additional correlation to centrally performed tissue and blood analysis is ongoing. Conclusion: 68GaNOTA-Anti-HER2 PET/CT shows high uptake in HER2-expressing BC lesions but also in HER2-low lesions. The technique shows good repeatability and, in some cases, even better sensitivity than 18F-FDG PET/CT. Specificity was confirmed in relapse-free lesions such as tuberculosis and radiopneumonitis. Its sensitivity makes it a promising technique to assess HER2+ and HER2-low lesions in BC patients.