Search results for " Design"
showing 10 items of 5050 documents
Rationale and design of dal-VESSEL: a study to assess the safety and efficacy of dalcetrapib on endothelial function using brachial artery flow-media…
2011
Dalcetrapib increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels through effects on cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP). As part of the dalcetrapib dal-HEART clinical trial programme, the efficacy and safety of dalcetrapib is assessed in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients in the dal-VESSEL study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00655538), the design and methods of which are presented here. RESEARCH DESIGN AND STUDY METHOD: Men and women with CHD or CHD risk equivalent, with HDL-C levels50 mg/dL were recruited for a 36-week, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. After a pre-randomisation phase of up to 8 weeks, patients received dalcetrapib 600 mg/day or placebo in …
PROSAIKA: A prospective multicenter registry with the first programmable gravitational device for hydrocephalus shunting
2015
Abstract Objective Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) overdrainage is a major problem in shunt therapy for hydrocephalus. The adjustable gravitational valve proSA allows for the first time a targeted compensation for overdrainage in the upright position without interfering with the differential pressure valve. To evaluate benefit, safety and reliability, the multicenter prospective registry PROSAIKA was conducted in 10 German neurosurgical centers. Methods Between March 2009 and July 2010, 120 hydrocephalic patients undergoing first time shunt implantation or shunt revision using proSA entered the study. 93 patients completed the 12 months follow-up. Results Hydrocephalus symptoms were improved in 8…
Operative Treatment of Scoliosis With Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf Instrumentation
1997
Study design This study analyzes the effects of a new anterior spinal instrumentation system and the results of use in 50 patients with scoliosis. Objectives Anterior spine systems are reviewed. The principles of a new anterior spinal instrumentation system allowing for postoperative care without external support are discussed. Summary of background data Numerous different implants have been presented in the literature for anterior spinal surgery. Nevertheless a primary stable anterior instrumentation was not available for multisegmental procedures until now, and the restoration of lordosis in the lumbar spine was very difficult with the common devices. The development of more stable device…
Handling forces for the use of different inhaler devices.
2019
Abstract Age and comorbidities can impact on the success of handling an inhaler. In this pilot study, we assessed finger strength in 62 participants (aged 5–17 years [n = 20], 18–65 years [n = 22] and > 65 years [n = 20]) by using different types of inhalers with integrated sensors (Respimat®, Breezhaler®, Aerolizer®, Genuair®, Diskus®, Ellipta®, HandiHaler®, Turbohaler® and a pressurized metered-dose inhaler [Atrovent®]). Parameters under investigation included the spontaneous and maximum achievable force and torque required to operate devices. Satisfaction with individual inhalers, and the relationship between satisfaction and strength, were also assessed. There was a marked difference in…
Auditory Mismatch Negativity and Repetition Suppression Deficits in Schizophrenia Explained by Irregular Computation of Prediction Error
2015
Background The predictive coding model is rapidly gaining attention in schizophrenia research. It posits the neuronal computation of residual variance (‘prediction error’) between sensory information and top-down expectation through multiple hierarchical levels. Event-related potentials (ERP) reflect cortical processing stages that are increasingly interpreted in the light of the predictive coding hypothesis. Both mismatch negativity (MMN) and repetition suppression (RS) measures are considered a prediction error correlates based on error detection and error minimization, respectively. Methods Twenty-five schizophrenia patients and 25 healthy controls completed auditory tasks designed to el…
Effects of sildenafil on human penile blood vessels.
2000
Abstract Objectives. To investigate the effects of sildenafil on human penile blood vessels and evaluate the interaction of sildenafil with neurogenic-mediated responses. Sildenafil is currently used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Methods. Penile dorsal arteries and deep dorsal veins were obtained from 14 multiorgan donors. Vascular rings were suspended in organ bath chambers, and the isometric tension was recorded. We then studied the effects of sildenafil on precontracted vessels and the neurogenic (noradrenergic and nitrergic) responses. Results. Sildenafil (10 −9 to 3 × 10 −6 M) caused concentration-dependent relaxation and amplified the relaxation induced by sodium nitroprus…
Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a blended cognitive behavioral therapy for depression in Spanish primary health care:Study protocol for a randomis…
2018
Background: Data from primary health care in Spain show a high prevalence of the major depressive disorder. Blended treatment (combination of face-to-face and online components) seems to be a very promising tool for the optimization and dissemination of psychological treatments in a cost-effective form. Although there is growing data that confirm the advantages of blended therapies, few studies have analyzed their application in regular clinical practice. The objective of the present paper is to describe the protocol for a clinical study aimed at exploring the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a blended cognitive behavioral therapy (b-CBT) for depression, compared to treatment as usual (TA…
Optical quality in eyes with aspheric intraocular lenses and in younger and older adult phakic eyes: comparative study.
2009
To compare ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs) in eyes with aspheric intraocular lenses (IOL) and in phakic eyes.Department of Ophthalmology, Military Health Service Institute, Warsaw, Poland.Higher-order aberrations with a 5.0 mm pupil and best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) were analyzed in a young phakic group (age 20 to 40 years), older phakic group (age 40 to 60 years), and a pseudophakic group (age 62 to 84 years; SN60WF aspheric IOL).The mean coma was 0.13 microm+/-0.07 (SD) in the younger phakic group, 0.18+/-0.08 microm in the older phakic group, and 0.16+/-0.08 microm in the pseudophakic group; the difference between the 2 phakic groups was statistically significant …
Implant treatment in atrophic posterior mandibles: Vertical regeneration with block bone grafts versus implants with 5.5-mm intrabony length
2014
Purpose: To retrospectively compare the outcomes of implants placed in posterior mandibles vertically regenerated with onlay autogenous block bone grafts and short dental implants. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with vertical bone atrophy in edentulous mandibular posterior regions (7 to 8 mm of bone above the inferior alveolar nerve) were treated with either implants placed in regenerated bone using autologous block bone grafts (group 1) or short implants (with 5.5-mm intrabony length) in native bone (group 2) between 2005 and 2010 and followed for 12 months after loading. The procedure used was the established treatment protocol for this type of patient at the Oral Surgery Uni…
Prospective randomized comparison of short-access mother-baby cholangioscopy versus direct cholangioscopy with ultraslim gastroscopes
2012
Mother-baby technologies, the criterion standard for cholangioscopy, have several limitations. A novel, short-access, mother-baby (SAMBA) system may improve this technique. Direct cholangioscopy (DC) was recently developed as an alternative to mother-baby cholangioscopy.Comparison of success rates with SAMBA and DC.Single-center, randomized, controlled trial.Academic tertiary-care referral center.Sixty patients with suspected cholangiopathies randomized to either SAMBA (n = 30) or DC (n = 30).Cholangioscopy under deep sedation.Technical success rate of diagnostic or therapeutic procedure.A total of 24 and 21 diagnostic procedures were performed in the SAMBA and DC groups, respectively. Ther…