Development of cell oedema in piglet hearts during ischaemia monitored by dielectric spectroscopy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to investigate if dielectric spectroscopy between 100 Hz and 1 MHz provides reliable information about water distribution in ischaemic heart tissue and to investigate the influence of temperature on oedema formation. METHODS: We examined hearts of landrace piglets (n = 13) during ischaemia at 35 °C, 25 °C, and 15 °C. The dielectric permittivity ε'(f) and conductivity σ'(f) were calculated from impedance spectra measured between 100Hz and 1MHz. Gap junction uncoupling (GJU) was identified in the sigmoidal time course of ε'(13 kHz). The extracellular space index (ECSI) was estimated by the ratio σ'(100 Hz)/σ'(1 MHz). Intercalated water was analysed in electron microscopy images of the myocardial samples and was used to calculate the extracellular space index ECSIhisto. The ECSI and ECSIhisto were compared during ischaemia. GJU and oedema formation were simulated with an electrical heart model. RESULTS: At the onset of ischaemia, the ECSI was significantly higher than the ECSIhisto (p < .01). GJU during ischaemia was temperature-dependent. After GJU, the values of the ECSI and ECSIhisto matched very well. The simulations confirmed the influence of GJU on the ECSI. SIGNIFICANCE: The estimation of cell oedema with the ECSI is reliable only after GJU. The development of oedema estimated by the ECSI was delayed at cooler temperatures.

Knee motion pattern classification from trunk muscle based on sEMG signals.

A prominent change is being carried out in the fields of rehabilitation and assistive exoskeletons in order to actively aid or restore legged locomotion for individuals suffering from muscular impairments, muscle weakness, neurologic injury, or disabilities that affect the lower limbs. This paper presents a characterization of knee motion patterns from Surface Electromyography (sEMG) signals, measured in the Erector spinae (ES) muscle. Feature extraction (mean absolute value, waveform length and auto-regressive model) and pattern classification methods (Linear Discrimination Analysis, K-Nearest Neighborhood and Support Vector Machine) are applied for recognition of eight-movement classes. Additionally, several channels setup are analyzed to obtain a suitable electrodes array. The results were evaluated based on signals measured from lower limb using quantitative metric such as error rate, sensitivity, specificity and predictive positive value. A high accuracy (> 95%) was obtained, which suggest that it is possible to detect the knee motion intention from ES muscle, as well as to reduce the electrode number (from 2 to 3 channels) to obtain an optimal electrodes array. This implementation can be applied for myoelectric control of lower limb active exoskeletons.

Efecto de ruido en la comprensión de la señal de pulso arterial periférico / Noise effect in the comprehension of peripheral arterial pulse signal

En el proceso de adquisición o transmisión de la señal de onda de pulso arterial conocida como señal de fotopletismografía digital, aparecen señales ruidosas e interferentes que relacionan su relación señal-ruido. En este trabajo se demuestra que el proceso de comprensión de la señal de pulso arterial mediante la transformada discreta del coseno y la correcta selección de un número de funciones básicas de la señal en el dominio de la transformada mejoran considerablemente la relación señal-ruido. Se realiza un estudio de simulación que consiste en la adicción de ruido blanco a la señal y la aplicación del algoritmo de compresión y descompresión sobre la señal ruidosa. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que es necesario establecer un compromiso en la elección del número de funciones básicas de la señal en el dominio de la transformada de la forma tal que se reduzcan los niveles de ruido en la señal reconstruida...(AU)

Prostate operations: long-term effects on sexual and urinary function and quality of life. Comparison with an age-matched control population.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and the alterations induced by ageing on quality of life, urinary and sexual function, and bother. We evaluated 283 patients who filled in and returned the questionnaire used. A total of 105 were treated with RP and were selected prostate cancer patients with localised disease without recurrences. An additional 98 underwent TURP for BPH and a third group consisted of 80 apparently healthy men. The general quality of life was estimated by the Rand 36-Item Health Survey 1.0. Urinary function was estimated by the AUA Symptom Index and the UCLA Prostate Cancer Index (urinary function and bother scale). Sexual function and bother, were explored using the Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory for Urology. Patient outcome 2 years post treatment was compared to the pre-treatment status and to that of the matched control population. General quality of life was not affected by RP or TURP, with the exception of an increase in the emotional/well being domain in RP patients to control group levels. After RP there was more bother reported for the urinary function than urinary malfunction itself, while TURP, as expected, restored urinary function and bother to normal population norms. Elderly males had urinary function and bother similar to the operated patients. Estimating sexual function on RP patients, erectile dysfunction (ED) predominates, leading to decreased sexual life. TURP marginally affects sexual life, mainly due to the loss of ejaculation, while in men from the control group, sexual function, although affected, was still present.

Determination of sensitivity of inhalant allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis in West Athens.

In this study we have determined the sensitivity to inhalant (pollen and non-pollen) allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis from West Athens, Greece. The frequency of SPT positivity was highest for Dactylis glomerata, Parietaria, Olea europea, Dermatophagoides and several moulds.

Utero didelfo con tabique vaginal congénito : reporte de un caso / Bidefus uterus with congenital vaginal septum: one case ereport

Comunicamos el primer caso publicado en el Hospital "Ing. Luis L. Bogaert", Mao, República Dominicana, de Utero Didelfo (Utero doble) con tabique vaginal congénito, en una paciente de 20 años de edad secundigesta. Buscando n los archivos del Hospital no encontramos otro caso de esta patología, por lo que presentamos como el 1er. caso de la misma. Utero didelfo, utero doble, tabique vaginal congénito