Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 20 de 286
Filter
1.
BMC Public Health ; 23(1): 848, 2023 05 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37165331

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hospital staff are often exposed to stressful psychosocial working conditions and report high levels of stress and burnout, which may negatively impact the safety of employees and patients. Managers hold unique knowledge of workplace conditions and needs of employees, but leadership interventions to improve the well-being of managers and employees in hospital settings are scarce. This study evaluates the effects of a leadership intervention based on a health-oriented leadership approach on the well-being and psychosocial work environment aspects of managers and employees. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is designed as a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with two groups (intervention and waitlist control group) and measurements at baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-up. We aim to include 200 frontline managers in Danish hospital settings and their approximately 5,000 employees. The leadership training comprises five full day modules and four smaller group-training sessions over a period of 5 months. The main aim is to improve stress, burnout, self-care, and perceived level of staff-care among managers and employees. Sickness absence will also be assessed at both manager and employee level. In addition, several psychosocial factors will be assessed at the employee level. A quantitative and qualitative process evaluation will also be conducted. DISCUSSION: Action towards supporting the mental health of hospital employees is important to maintain a strong healthcare system. There is increasing recognition that best practice in workplace mental health requires an integrated approach that prevents harm and promotes positive mental health. There is also increasing understanding of the key role managers' play in maintaining well-being within the workplace, however they often report a lack of knowledge and skills to promote employee mental health. The current leadership training program has been developed for frontline managers working in a hospital setting. The aim is to increase managers' application of strategies to facilitate a healthy psychosocial work environment to benefit well-being and mental health among staff and managers themselves. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was retrospectively registered on November 21, 2022 in Clinical Trial.gov with identifier: NCT05623371.


Subject(s)
Burnout, Professional , Working Conditions , Humans , Mental Health , Workplace/psychology , Leadership , Burnout, Professional/prevention & control , Denmark , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
2.
Ophthalmologie ; 119(9): 937-944, 2022 Sep.
Article in German | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35441852

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Experiences of aggression/violence influence job satisfaction and can have a long-term psychological and physical impact on employees. In the fall of 2018, the Professional Association of Ophthalmologists (BVA) and the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) conducted a survey on experiences of aggression and violence. The first results were published in 2020. In the survey it was also possible to describe the most serious incident to date using free text fields, among others. METHOD: All 9411 members of the DOG and BVA were given the opportunity to complete a questionnaire online in 2018 regarding aggression and violence in ophthalmology. RESULTS: Overall, 253 of 1508 (16.8%) ophthalmologists participating in the survey reported their most serious incident, 46.8% of which were classified as moderate and 34.3% were related to verbal violence such as insults and threats. The most serious incident was experienced by 171 (67.6%) physicians in a practice setting, 71% were specialists at the time of the incident and 74.3% of the incidents occurred during regular working hours. The main causes were intercultural conflicts, long waiting times, problems with the allocation of appointments, excessive expectations, differences in treatment and basic aggressiveness. The offenders were male in 86.3% of cases, 15.8% of the incidents were reported to the police and 21 (8.3%) physicians issued a practice reprimand or house ban. DISCUSSION: The description of the most serious incidents illustrates situations that are sometimes hard to imagine and also which incidents were considered serious. There are large subjective variations in the assessment of the incidents. Protective measures in practices and clinics are essential.


Subject(s)
Ophthalmology , Aggression/psychology , Female , Humans , Job Satisfaction , Male , Surveys and Questionnaires , Violence
3.
Rev. chil. obstet. ginecol. (En línea) ; 85(supl.1): S75-S89, set. 2020. tab, graf
Article in Spanish | LILACS | ID: biblio-1138651

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCCIÓN: En Chile, los efectos maternos y perinatales de la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 son aún desconocidos. GESTACOVID es un estudio multicéntrico que incluye embarazadas y puérperas hasta el día 42 con COVID-19. El objetivo de este estudio es presentar un informe preliminar, describiendo el impacto de la enfermedad en las embarazadas, factores de riesgo asociados y resultados perinatales. MÉTODOS: Estudio de cohorte descriptivo que incluye 661 pacientes enroladas entre el 7 de marzo y el 6 de julio de 2020, en 23 centros hospitalarios del país. Se analizaron variables demográficas, comorbilidades, características clínicas y del diagnóstico de COVID-19 y resultado materno y perinatal. RESULTADOS: Las pacientes hospitalizadas por COVID-19 tuvieron mayor prevalencia de hipertensión arterial crónica [10% vs 3%; OR=3,1 (1,5-6,79); p=0,003] y de diabetes tipo 1 y 2 [7% vs 2%; OR=3,2 (1,3-7,7); p=0,009] que las pacientes manejadas ambulatoriamente. Un IMC >40 kg/mt2 se asoció con un riesgo dos veces mayor de requerir manejo hospitalizado [OR=2,4 (1,2 - 4,6); p=0,009]. Aproximadamente la mitad de las pacientes (54%) tuvo un parto por cesárea, y un 8% de las interrupciones del embarazo fueron por COVID-19. Hasta la fecha de esta publicación, 38% de las pacientes continuaban embarazadas. Hubo 21 PCR positivas en 316 neonatos (6,6%), la mayoría (17/21) en pacientes diagnosticadas por cribado universal. CONCLUSIONES: Las embarazadas con COVID-19 y comorbilidades como diabetes, hipertensión crónica y obesidad mórbida deben ser manejadas atentamente y deberán ser objeto de mayor investigación. La tasa de transmisión vertical requiere una mayor evaluación para diferenciar el mecanismo y tipo de infección involucrada.


INTRODUCTION: In Chile, effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women are unknown. GESTACOVID is a multicenter collaborative study including pregnant women and those in the postpartum period (until 42 days) who have had COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to report our preliminary results describing the clinical impact of COVID-19 in pregnant women, the associated risk factors and perinatal results. METHODS: Descriptive cohort study including 661 patients between April 7th and July 6th, 2020, in 23 hospitals. Demographical, comorbidities, clinical and diagnostic characteristics of COVID-19 disease and maternal and perinatal outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Pregnant women with COVID-19 admitted to the hospital were more likely to have chronic hypertension [10% vs 3%; OR=3.1 (1.5-6.79); p=0,003] and diabetes type 1 and 2 [7% vs 2%; OR=3.2 (1.3-7.7); p=0.009] than those with outpatient management. A body mass index of >40 kg/mt2 was associated with two-fold higher risk of hospitalization [OR=2.4 (1.2-4.6); p=0.009]. Almost half of patients (54%) were delivered by cesarean section, and 8% of the medically indicated deliveries were due to COVID-19. So far, 38% of the patients are still pregnant. Among 316 newborns, there were 21 positive PCR tests (6.6%), mostly from asymptomatic mothers undergoing universal screening. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women with COVID-19 and comorbidities such as diabetes, chronic hypertension and morbid obesity need a close follow up and should be a matter for further research. Vertical transmission of COVID-19 should be thoroughly studied to define the mechanisms and type of infection involved.


Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Pregnancy , Infant, Newborn , Adult , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Pandemics , Outpatients , Signs and Symptoms , Pregnancy Outcome , Comorbidity , Cesarean Section/statistics & numerical data , Chile/epidemiology , Mass Screening , Epidemiology, Descriptive , Risk Factors , Cohort Studies , Abortion, Induced/statistics & numerical data , Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical/statistics & numerical data , Critical Care , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology , Betacoronavirus , Hospitalization , Hypertension/epidemiology , Obesity/epidemiology
4.
Opt Express ; 27(26): 37877-37885, 2019 Dec 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31878561

ABSTRACT

Strongly squeezed light finds many important applications within the fields of quantum metrology, quantum communication and quantum computation. However, due to the bulkiness and complexity of most squeezed light sources of today, they are still not a standard tool in quantum optics labs. We have taken the first steps in realizing a compact, high-performance 1550 nm squeezing source based on commercially available fiber components combined with a free-space double-resonant parametric down-conversion source. The whole setup, including single-pass second-harmonic generation in a waveguide, fits on a 30 cm×45 cm breadboard and produces 9.3 dB of squeezing at a 5 MHz sideband-frequency. The setup is currently limited by phase noise, but further optimization and development should allow for a 19" sized turn-key squeezing source capable of delivering more than 10 dB of squeezing.

5.
Forensic Sci Med Pathol ; 15(2): 213-217, 2019 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30828766

ABSTRACT

A decrease in the volume of the hippocampus is associated with severe mental illness, especially schizophrenia, and has been studied extensively in the living using magnetic resonance imaging. Autopsy cohorts also represent a valuable data source for imaging studies. However, post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMRI) is subject to unique challenges, such as the lower core temperature of scanned subjects and the influence of decomposition processes. This study aimed to determine if results from in vivo studies could be replicated on a post-mortem cohort of decedents who suffered from severe mental illness. We included 96 decedents with either schizophrenia (n = 34), depressive disorder (n = 17), or no known psychiatric diagnosis (n = 45) from April 2015 to January 2017. All cases underwent a T2-weighted cerebral MRI less than 24 h before autopsy. We used a manual segmentation algorithm to define the hippocampus on coronal images and subsequently estimate the volume of the region. The group with schizophrenia had a statistically significant 9.5% decrease in mean hippocampal volume compared with control subjects, while the group with depression trended towards a reduced volume, but this difference was not statistically significant. Thus we were able to replicate previous results from in vivo studies. PMMRI has unique potential for research in that it can be combined with procedures possible only in the research fields of clinical pathology and forensic science, e.g. histopathological sampling.


Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder , Hippocampus/diagnostic imaging , Schizophrenia , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Case-Control Studies , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Imaging, Three-Dimensional , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult
6.
Optica ; 5(9): 1078-1086, 2018 Sep 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30406160

ABSTRACT

X-ray ptychography is becoming the standard method for sub-30 nm imaging of thick extended samples. Available algorithms and computing power have traditionally restricted sample reconstruction to 2D slices. We build on recent progress in optimization algorithms and high performance computing to solve the ptychographic phase retrieval problem directly in 3D. Our approach addresses samples that do not fit entirely within the depth of focus of the imaging system. Such samples pose additional challenges because of internal diffraction effects within the sample. We demonstrate our approach on a computational sample modeled with 17 million complex variables.

7.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr ; 57(10): 2057-2070, 2017 Jul 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26558295

ABSTRACT

There is a growing interest in using marine phospholipids (PL) as ingredient for food fortification due to their numerous health benefits. However, the use of marine PL for food fortification is a challenge due to the complex nature of the degradation products that are formed during the handling and storage of marine PL. For example, nonenzymatic browning reactions may occur between lipid oxidation products and primary amine group from phosphatidylethanolamine or amino acid residues that are present in marine PL. Therefore, marine PL contain products from nonenzymatic browning and lipid oxidation reactions, namely, Strecker aldehydes, pyrroles, oxypolymers, and other impurities that may positively or negatively affect the oxidative stability and quality of marine PL. This review was undertaken to provide the industry and academia with an overview of the current understanding of the quality changes taking place in PL during their production and their storage as well as with regards to their utilization for food fortification.


Subject(s)
Aquatic Organisms/chemistry , Food Quality , Food, Fortified , Phospholipids/therapeutic use , Animals , Food Contamination/prevention & control , Food Handling , Food Storage , Food, Fortified/adverse effects , Humans , Hydrolysis , Lipid Peroxides/analysis , Lipid Peroxides/chemistry , Lipid Peroxides/toxicity , Maillard Reaction , Nutritive Value , Oxidation-Reduction , Phospholipids/adverse effects , Phospholipids/chemistry , Phospholipids/isolation & purification , Polymerization , Pyrroles/analysis , Pyrroles/chemistry , Pyrroles/toxicity , Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis , Volatile Organic Compounds/chemistry , Volatile Organic Compounds/toxicity
8.
AIP Conf Proc ; 16962016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27293302

ABSTRACT

Ptychography has emerged as a nondestructive tool to quantitatively study extended samples at a high spatial resolution. In this manuscript, we report on recent developments from our team. We have combined cryo ptychography and fluorescence microscopy to provide simultaneous views of ultrastructure and elemental composition, we have developed multi-GPU parallel computation to speed up ptychographic reconstructions, and we have implemented fly-scan ptychography to allow for faster data acquisition. We conclude with a discussion of future challenges in high-resolution 3D ptychography.

9.
Oral Dis ; 22(2): 123-31, 2016 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26575180

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) often represent a clinical challenge as available agents for symptomatic treatment are few and often ineffective. The aim was to evaluate the effect of a bupivacaine lozenge on oral mucosal pain, xerostomia, and taste alterations in patients with BMS. METHODS: Eighteen patients (4 men and 14 women) aged 39-71 years with BMS were included in this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Lozenges (containing bupivacaine or placebo) were administrated three times a day for 2 weeks for two separate treatment periods. Assessment of oral mucosal pain, xerostomia, and taste alterations was performed in a patient diary on a visual analog scale (ranging from 0 to 100 mm) before and after the lozenge was dissolved. RESULTS: The bupivacaine lozenge significantly reduced the burning oral pain (P < 0.001), increased the sense of taste disturbances (P < 0.001), and had no impact on xerostomia, when adjusted for the treatment period. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the bupivacaine lozenge offers a novel therapeutic modality to patients with BMS, although without alleviating effect on the associated symptoms, taste alterations, and xerostomia.


Subject(s)
Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage , Bupivacaine/administration & dosage , Burning Mouth Syndrome/drug therapy , Mouth Mucosa/drug effects , Administration, Mucosal , Adult , Aged , Burning Mouth Syndrome/complications , Cross-Over Studies , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Taste Disorders/drug therapy , Taste Disorders/etiology , Xerostomia/drug therapy , Xerostomia/etiology
10.
Andrology ; 3(1): 111-21, 2015 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25546083

ABSTRACT

Recent years have led to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying cisplatin response and resistance in germ cell tumours (GCT), and several promising targets have been identified. Two main mechanisms of the responsiveness to DNA damaging agents have been postulated. Firstly, GCT readily activate a DNA damage response, but show deficits in several damage repair pathways. In particular, they have been found to have defects in interstrand crosslink repair and in homologous recombination (HR). Secondly, GCT, especially embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells, show a hypersensitive apoptotic response to DNA damage, which activates p53, and leads to up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic factors Noxa, Puma and Fas in non-resistant EC. These cells fail to activate p21 which induces a G1/S arrest, but accumulate in G2/M phase. In the absence of functional p53, family members like p73 and GTAp63 might be important in initiating this response. Mechanisms involved in cisplatin resistance are as follows: down-regulation of Oct4 (e.g. as a result of hypoxia, treatment with retinoic acid or exposure to cisplatin) and failure to induce Puma and Noxa; changes in the expression levels of micro-RNAs such as miR-17/-106b, miR-302a, or miR-371 to -373; elevated levels of MDM2 and cytoplasmic translocation of p21 by phosphorylation; and activation of the PDGFRß/PI3K/pAKT pathway. Several approaches to overcome resistance have been successfully examined in vitro and in vivo, including PARP inhibitors, especially in cells showing deficient HR-repair; stabilization of p53 using nutlin-3; inhibition of several components of the PI3K/pAKT pathway using small molecules; and DNA demethylation by 5-azacytidine or 5-aza-deoxy-cytidine, among others. Many of these substances deserve further exploration, alone or in combination with DNA damaging agents, and the most promising approaches should be taken forward to clinical testing. Targeted therapy based on mechanistic insights holds the promise to turn cisplatin-resistant GCT into a curable disease.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Cisplatin/therapeutic use , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm , Testicular Neoplasms/drug therapy , Animals , Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , Male , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Testicular Neoplasms/genetics , Testicular Neoplasms/metabolism , Testicular Neoplasms/pathology
11.
Z Rheumatol ; 73(6): 520-5, 2014 Aug.
Article in German | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25037478

ABSTRACT

The working profile of university hospitals includes medical education, research and implementation of medical innovations as well as large volume patient care. University hospitals offer inpatient, day care and outpatient care which are of essential value for many patients. Besides their primary role in treating rare and orphan diseases and complex cases, they increasingly support general patient care. There are different kinds of outpatient access and treatment options available. The funding of university hospitals and clinics is based on general university funding, income from third party funds for research, income from patient care and funding from the federal states for investments. In recent years these institutions have suffered more and more from economic deficits, a lack of investment and inadequate funding whereby high performance medicine cannot be sufficiently supported. Professors are developing into scientific managers and are frequently assessed by economic outcome and competitiveness. At the same time they are embedded in the structures of the university and are not in the position to make decisions on their own, in contrast to doctors in private practices. Therefore, processes, necessary investments and restructuring are significantly delayed. There is a need to develop strategies for long-term funding and providing university hospitals and clinics with the means to deliver the necessary services.


Subject(s)
Academic Medical Centers/organization & administration , Delivery of Health Care, Integrated/organization & administration , Hospital Administration/methods , Hospitals, University/organization & administration , Interprofessional Relations , Physician's Role , Rheumatology/organization & administration , Humans , Interinstitutional Relations , Models, Organizational
12.
Food Chem ; 157: 398-407, 2014 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24679797

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature towards lipid oxidation and non-enzymatic browning reactions in krill oil upon storage. Krill oil was incubated at two different temperatures (20 and 40 °C) for 28 or 42 days. The oxidative stability of krill oil was assessed by peroxide value and anisidine value, measurement of lipid derived volatiles, lipid classes and antioxidants. The non-enzymatic browning reactions were assessed through the measurement of pyrroles, free amino acids content and Strecker-derived volatiles. The increase of incubation temperature firstly increased the lipid oxidation in krill oil and subsequently the non-enzymatic browning reactions. The occurrence of these reactions was most likely due to the reaction between α-dicarbonyl or carbonyl compounds with amino acids or ammonia. In addition to tocopherol and astaxanthin esters, the formation of pyrroles might help to protect the krill oil against lipid oxidation.


Subject(s)
Antioxidants/chemistry , Euphausiacea/chemistry , Animals , Food Storage , Lipid Metabolism , Maillard Reaction , Oxidation-Reduction , Temperature
13.
Acta Neurol Scand Suppl ; (198): 32-6, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24588504

ABSTRACT

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the central nervous system, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used as both a diagnostic tool and a parameter in the clinical evaluation. Multiple sclerosis was long regarded as a disease of the white matter (WM) in the brain, which can be visualized by the standard MRI used in daily practice. There is an increasing amount of evidence that grey matter (GM) pathology plays a role from the start of the MS disease and throughout the clinical course. Grey matter atrophy, both cortical and central, is present in the early course of MS and is also related above all to cognitive decline, but also to the development of physical disability as measured by EDSS. In this article, we give an overview of GM atrophy in MS evaluated by MRI and the relation to the clinical course in MS.


Subject(s)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Multiple Sclerosis/pathology , Atrophy , Disability Evaluation , Disease Progression , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Multiple Sclerosis/diagnosis , Multiple Sclerosis/physiopathology
14.
Oral Maxillofac Surg ; 18(1): 31-7, 2014 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23271457

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The osteopathology of the jaws associated with bone resorption inhibitors is a current topic that engages a variety of clinical specialists. This has increased after the approval of denosumab for treatment of osteoporosis and skeletal-related events in patients with solid malignancy. Early after the first publications, there is a possible connection between phosphorous necrosis of the jaws, a dreadful industrial disease mentioned, and bisphosphonate-induced pathology. The nineteenth century was the prime time for phosphorus necrosis of match factory workers. RESULTS: This occurrence provides an interesting insight into the medical and surgical profession in the nineteenth century. There are striking parallels and repetition of current and old ideas in the approach to this "new disease." There are similar examples in case descriptions when compared with today's patients of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ). DISCUSSION: Phosphorus necrosis was first described in Austria. Soon after this, surgeons in German-speaking countries including well-known clinicians Wegner (1872) and von Schulthess-Rechberg (1879) pioneered the analysis, preventative measures, and treatment of this disease. The tendency at this time was to approach BRONJ as a "special kind of osteomyelitis" in pretreated and metabolically different bone. Not only the treatment strategy to wait until sequestrum formation with subsequent removal and preventative measures but also the idea of focusing on the periosteum as the triggering anatomical structure may have been adopted from specialists in the nineteenth century. Therefore, phosphorous necrosis of the jaw is an excellent example of "learning from the past."


Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/adverse effects , Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/history , Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/pathology , Bone Density Conservation Agents/adverse effects , Bone Neoplasms/drug therapy , Bone Neoplasms/secondary , Jaw/drug effects , Jaw/pathology , Osteonecrosis/chemically induced , Osteonecrosis/history , Osteonecrosis/pathology , Osteoporosis/drug therapy , Osteoporosis/history , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use , Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/therapy , Bone Density Conservation Agents/therapeutic use , Bone Neoplasms/pathology , Denosumab , Female , History, 19th Century , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Osteonecrosis/therapy , Risk Factors , Switzerland , Young Adult
15.
Acta Neurol Scand ; 129(1): 21-6, 2014 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23772958

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To describe a representative population of patients recently diagnosed with MS in terms of both motor and non-motor disability. In particular we wanted to examine the HRQoL in this population to get a better understanding of what impact various clinical features have on the patients' experience of distress in the early phase of the disease. METHODS: Ninety three patients diagnosed with MS in Hordaland and Rogaland county in 1998-2000 and 96 healthy controls were examined through questionnaires on HRQoL (SF-36), depression (Beck's depression inventory), fatigue (fatigue severity scale) and apathy (Starkstein's apathy scale). The patients also underwent neurological examination including the expanded disability status scale and the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, as well as the symbol digit memory test and the selective reminder test. RESULTS: Patients with MS reported a lower HRQoL than the controls with a mean physical health summary score of 57.3 compared to 84.5 (P < 0.001), and a mental health summary score of 66.4 vs 79.2 (P < 0.001). The controls scored significantly higher on all SF-36 sub scores except for bodily pain. The incidence of fatigue was 71% in patients compared to 27% in controls (P < 0.001), whereas 46% of patients vs 18% of controls reported depression (P < 0.001). The mean score for apathy was significantly higher among patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with recently diagnosed MS reported significantly lower on both physical and mental aspects of HRQoL compared with controls. Depression, fatigue and apathy were more common and more severe in MS. We found no correlation between cognitive decline and HRQoL scores.


Subject(s)
Multiple Sclerosis/psychology , Quality of Life , Adolescent , Adult , Apathy , Child , Child, Preschool , Depression/etiology , Fatigue/etiology , Female , Humans , Male , Memory Disorders/etiology , Middle Aged , Multiple Sclerosis/complications , Multiple Sclerosis/diagnosis , Neurologic Examination , Severity of Illness Index , Surveys and Questionnaires , Symptom Assessment , Young Adult
16.
J Synchrotron Radiat ; 21(Pt 1): 66-75, 2014 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24365918

ABSTRACT

Hard X-ray fluorescence microscopy is one of the most sensitive techniques for performing trace elemental analysis of biological samples such as whole cells and tissues. Conventional sample preparation methods usually involve dehydration, which removes cellular water and may consequently cause structural collapse, or invasive processes such as embedding. Radiation-induced artifacts may also become an issue, particularly as the spatial resolution increases beyond the sub-micrometer scale. To allow imaging under hydrated conditions, close to the `natural state', as well as to reduce structural radiation damage, the Bionanoprobe (BNP) has been developed, a hard X-ray fluorescence nanoprobe with cryogenic sample environment and cryo transfer capabilities, dedicated to studying trace elements in frozen-hydrated biological systems. The BNP is installed at an undulator beamline at sector 21 of the Advanced Photon Source. It provides a spatial resolution of 30 nm for two-dimensional fluorescence imaging. In this first demonstration the instrument design and motion control principles are described, the instrument performance is quantified, and the first results obtained with the BNP on frozen-hydrated whole cells are reported.


Subject(s)
Biosensing Techniques , Cold Temperature , Fluorescent Dyes , Freezing , Microscopy, Fluorescence
17.
Food Chem ; 141(2): 879-88, 2013 Nov 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23790862

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this study was to investigate the oxidative stability and non-enzymatic browning reactions of marine PL in the presence or in the absence of primary amine group from aminophospholipids and amino acids. Marine phospholipids liposomal dispersions were prepared from two authentic standards (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine) and two purified PL from marine sources with and without addition of amino acids (leucine, methionine and lysine). Samples were incubated at 60°C for 0, 2, 4 and 6days. Non-enzymatic browning reactions were investigated through measurement of (i) Strecker derived volatiles, (ii) yellowness index (YI), (iii) hydrophobic and (iv) hydrophilic pyrroles content. The oxidative stability of the samples was assessed through measurement of secondary lipid derived volatile oxidation products. The result showed that the presence of PE and amino acids caused the formation of pyrroles, generated Strecker derived volatiles, decreased the YI development and lowered lipid oxidation. The lower degree of lipid oxidation in liposomal dispersions containing amino acids might be attributed to antioxidative properties of pyrroles or amino acids.


Subject(s)
Amino Acids/chemistry , Phospholipids/chemistry , Drug Stability , Lipid Peroxidation , Lipids/chemistry , Molecular Structure
18.
J Oral Pathol Med ; 42(8): 587-93, 2013 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23369166

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bone resorption inhibitor-related osteopathology of the jaw (BRIOJ) is a severe complication in patients treated with bisphosphonates or denosumab. However, the precise pathogenesis of BRIOJ is not yet fully understood. Recent studies discovered the presence of Actinomyces colonies in biopsy material from BRIOJ patients. The aim of this study was to analyze current knowledge concerning the impact of Actinomyces on the pathogenesis of this condition and to present data from our own patients. METHODS: Data from 51 patients with histopathological diagnoses of BRIOJ were retrospectively analyzed. In addition, a systematic literature search for studies describing the presence of Actinomyces was performed. RESULTS: Actinomyces was present in 86% of our cases and 63.3% of 371 cases presented in the literature. All of our patients and 85% of patients described in the literature had a clearly defined local focus in association with osteopathology. A clear picture of whether Actinomyces colonizes the previously necrotic bone or contributes to inflammation causing subsequent bone necrosis is lacking in the literature. CONCLUSION: The pathogenesis of BRIOJ remains unknown; however, there seems to be a role for Actinomyces, and possibly other pathogens, in the development of osteopathology of the jaws, which is not exclusive to bisphosphonate therapy. This study supports the hypothesis that an infectious component is of utmost importance for the pathogenesis of BRIOJ.


Subject(s)
Actinomyces/isolation & purification , Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/etiology , Bone Density Conservation Agents/adverse effects , Diphosphonates/adverse effects , Actinomycosis/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alendronate/adverse effects , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/adverse effects , Biopsy , Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/microbiology , Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/pathology , Denosumab , Female , Humans , Imidazoles/adverse effects , Male , Middle Aged , RANK Ligand/antagonists & inhibitors , Retrospective Studies , Tooth Extraction/adverse effects , Zoledronic Acid
19.
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol ; 34(6): 1242-7, 2013.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23221951

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Imaging of bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw is essential for surgical planning. We compared the extent of BONJ on contrast-enhanced MR imaging, [(18)F] fluoride PET/CT, and panoramic views derived from standard conebeam CT with clinical pre- and intraoperative examinations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 2011 and January 2012, ten subjects with written informed consent (9 women; mean, 69.6 years; range, 53-88 years) were included in this prospective ethics-board-approved study. Patients underwent CEMR imaging, [(18)F] fluoride PET/CT, and CBCT and were clinically examined pre- and intraoperatively. Surgery was performed, and BONJ was histologically confirmed in 9 patients. Location and extent of BONJ on different modalities/examinations were graphically compared (0 = no pathologic finding, 1 = smallest, 5 = largest extent of BONJ). Rank tests were used to assess overall and paired differences of ratings in 9 patients. A P value <.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Significant differences in BONJ extent among different modalities and examinations were found (P < .001). The highest median rank was seen in PET/CT (4 ± 1.12) and CEMR imaging (4 ± 1.01), followed by intraoperative examinations (3 ± 0.71), CBCT (2 ± 0.33), and preoperative examinations (1 ± 0). No significant differences were found between PET/CT and CEMR imaging (P = .23), except when comparing PET/CT to either CBCT, pre- and intraoperative examinations (all P < .05). Preoperative examinations showed significantly less extensive disease than all other modalities/examinations (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: [(18)F] fluoride PET/CT and CEMR imaging revealed more extensive involvement of BONJ compared with panoramic views from CBCT and clinical examinations.


Subject(s)
Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw , Diphosphonates/adverse effects , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Multimodal Imaging/methods , Positron-Emission Tomography , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/diagnostic imaging , Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw/pathology , Bone Density Conservation Agents/adverse effects , Female , Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Radiopharmaceuticals
20.
Animal ; 7(3): 394-403, 2013 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23031667

ABSTRACT

Producing organic fish diets requires that the use of both fishmeal and fish oil (FO) be minimized and replaced by sustainable, organic sources. The purpose of the present study was to replace FO with organic oils and evaluate the effects on feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), daily specific growth rate (SGR) and nutrient digestibility in diets in which fishmeal protein was partly substituted by organic plant protein concentrates. It is prohibited to add antioxidants to organic oils, and therefore the effects of force-oxidizing the oils (including FO) on feed intake and nutrient digestibility was furthermore examined. Four organic oils with either a relatively high or low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids were considered: linseed oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil and grapeseed oil. Substituting FO with organic oils did not affect feed intake (P > 0.05), FCR or SGR (P > 0.05) despite very different dietary fatty acid profiles. All organic plant oils had a positive effect on apparent lipid digestibility compared with the FO diet (P < 0.05), whereas there were no effects on the apparent digestibility of other macronutrients when compared with the FO diet (P > 0.05). Organic vegetable oils did not undergo auto-oxidation as opposed to the FO, and the FO diet consequently had a significantly negative effect on the apparent lipid digestibility. Feed intake was not affected by oxidation of any oils. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that it is possible to fully substitute FO with plant-based organic oils without negatively affecting nutrient digestibility and growth performance. Furthermore, plant-based organic oils are less likely to oxidize than FOs, prolonging the shelf life of such organic diets.


Subject(s)
Animal Feed/analysis , Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena/physiology , Aquaculture/methods , Digestion/physiology , Oncorhynchus mykiss/growth & development , Plant Oils/pharmacology , Analysis of Variance , Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena/drug effects , Animals , Chromatography, Gas , Digestion/drug effects , Eating/physiology , Oxidation-Reduction , Plant Oils/metabolism
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL
...