Assessment of Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients' Satisfaction with Thoracolumbar Brace Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Bracing is the most efficient non-surgical method of treatment for idiopathic scoliosis patients with 25-45° curvature according to Cobb. The aim of the present study was to assess compliance of idiopathic scoliosis patients with medical instructions concerning the time patients should spend wearing orthopedic braces, patients' self-perceived health status and problems occurring in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 51 patients aged between 9 to 18 years (84% females) treated for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with a thoracolumbar brace were asked to complete a survey titled ''The profile of quality of life with spine deformity". Survey data were subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: Mean brace-wearing compliance among the patients was about 70% of the required time of 23 h/day. The vast majority of patients - 48 (94%) -were satisfied with the treatment method and the results. Pain of about 4 pts (VAS scale) was reported by 18 patients. Excoriations occurred in 70% of the patients. We did not find a significant correlation between the time of brace-wearing per day vs. pain (p=0.18) and excoriations (p=0.36). CONCLUSIONS: 1. Increasing the number of brace-wearing hours per day does not interfere with the socioeconomic relations and does not affect the child's sleep quality. 2. High awareness of the faulty posture is an important factor improving patients' assessment of the progress and methods of treatment. 3. The number of brace-wearing hours per day does not correlate with pain and epidermal injury; appropriate fitting of the brace to a given patient is of key importance here.

Microsystem technology as a road from macro to nanoworld.

Tremendous progress of microelectronic technology observed within last 40 years is closely related to even more remarkable progress of technological tools. It is important to note however, that these new tools may be used for fabrication of diverse multifunctional structures as well. Such devices, called MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System) and MOEMS (Micro-Electro-Opto-Mechanical-System) integrate microelectronic and micromechanical structures in one system enabling interdisciplinary application, with most interesting and prospective being bio-medical investigations. Development of these applications requires however cooperation of multidisciplinary team of specialists, covering broad range of physics, (bio) chemistry and electronics, not mentioning medical doctors and other medical specialists. Thus, dissemination, of knowledge about existing processing capabilities is of key importance. In this paper, examples of various applications of microelectronic technology for fabrication of Microsystems which may be used for medicine and chemistry, will be presented. Besides, information concerning a design and technology potential available in poland and new, emerging opportunities will be given.

Retention of configuration in the action of human plasma 3'-exonuclease on oligo(deoxynucleoside phosphorothioate). A new method for assignment of absolute configuration at phosphorus in isotopomeric deoxyadenosine 5'-O-[(18)O]phosphorothioate.

A new method of analysis has allowed the exonucleolytic cleavage by human 3'-exonuclease to be determined. Hydrolysis by human plasma 3'-exonuclease proceeds with retention of configuration at phosphorus. The new method determines the sense of chirality at phosphorus in isotopomeric adenosine 5'-O-[(18)O]phosphorothioates. This is based on stereospecific two-step conversion of the mono-thionucleotide into the corresponding deoxyadenosine 5'-O-alpha-[(18)O]thiotriphosphate, followed by the use of terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase and MALDI TOF mass spectrometry of the resulting elongated primer. Retention of configuration in the reaction of plasma 3'-exonuclease implies a two-step mechanism with two displacements on phosphorus. Inversion at each step leads to overall retention.

Oxathiaphospholane Approach to the Synthesis of P-Chiral, Isotopomeric Deoxy(ribonucleoside phosphorothioate)s and Phosphates Labeled with an Oxygen Isotope.

Diastereomerically pure and isotopically labeled 5'-O-DMT-nucleoside-3'-O-(2-thio- and -oxo-4,4-"spiro"-pentamethylene-1,3,2-[18 O]oxathiaphospholane)s were used for stereocontrolled synthesis of P-chiral, isotopically labeled oligonucleotide phosphorothioates and phosphates, as well as "chimeric" PS18 O/P18 O oligomers without loss of isotope enrichment. DBU=1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, DMT=4,4'-dimethoxytrityl, ROH=3'-O-acetylthymidine, Bz=benzoyl.