A computer assisted method for guide-wore and catheter evaluation.

We developed a method for testing guide wires and catheters that realistically evaluates the forces applied to anatomical structures by these instruments during urological procedures. The placement of guide wires and catheters to gain access to the upper urinary tract can induce undesirable stress on the tissue. Previous studies have characterized wire/catheter performances base on their physical properties, such as stiffness and friction coefficient. However, the results of these studies do not directly quantify their effect on the tissues. Additionally, individual physical properties do not entirely characterize the behavior of the wire/catheter ensemble. Our model utilizes a computer-controlled test stand that simulates the urological environment by including a tortuous path and a stone obstruction. Experimental results indicate that the method shows significant promise in reflecting wire/catheter performance data in congruence with reliable real-life measures of stress upon relevant anatomical structures. Furthermore, due to the modularity of the approach, the model can be easily reconfigured to simulate environments from other medical fields.

[The descriptive epidemiological aspects of bronchopulmonary neoplasms in Dolj County]. / Aspecte epidemiologice descriptive ale neoplasmului bronhopulmonar în judetul Dolj.

This study represents a descriptive epidemiologic analysis of the morbidity and mortality incidence by lung cancer in Dolj. The usual processing of the registered values in primary evidences (report of the new cases to 100,000 residents) is in accordance with the literature about the variation of the incidence depending on residential environment and sex greater values in urban environment and at man, beginning from the fifth decade of life. The epidemiologic analysis by indirect standardisation of the mortality and the morbidity emphasizes in Dolj higher incidence up to the media of the Dolj, specially in the rural environment, aspects that suggest the intervention of the environmental factors and behaviour factors in the etiology of the lung cancer.

[Conditioning factors in the quality of health education for workers in public and collective food catering services]. / Facteurs de conditionnement de la qualité de l'acte éducationnel chez les travailleurs des unités d'alimentation publique et collective.

The authors started from the assumption that "expectations" relating to hygienic work habits of workers in the food catering industry were a function of their health education. Research was conducted in three major food catering units both before and after completion of health education courses. In order to assess workers' awareness, they were asked to fill in a questionnaire pertaining to their sanitary information and their approaches to washing up, cleaning and disinfection. Samples taken from tableware, tools and workers' hands were tested microbiologically. Indices computed to measure the efficiency of the health education courses and the standards of microbial safety, as well as the chi 2 test confirmed the non-stochastic character of the positive findings in experimental units vs. controls.