Search results for " projects"
showing 10 items of 570 documents
Efficiency of telemedicine for acute stroke: a cost-effectiveness analysis from a French pilot study
2020
AbstractObjectivesTelestroke is an effective way to improve care and health outcomes for stroke patients. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of a French telestroke network.MethodsA decision analysis model was built using population-based data. We compared short-term clinical outcomes and costs for the management of acute ischemic stroke patients before and after the implementation of a telestroke network from the point of view of the national health insurance system. Three effectiveness endpoints were used: hospital death, death at 3 months, and severe disability 3 months after stroke (assessed with the modified Rankin scale). Most clinical and economic parameters were estimated fr…
The effects of transdermal testosterone and oestrogen therapy on dry eye in postmenopausal women: a randomised, placebo-controlled, pilot study
2016
Aims Sex hormones could provide a future treatment avenue for dry eye post menopause. However, there are few well-controlled studies. This study investigates the impact of testosterone and oestrogen on dry eye symptoms and signs in postmenopausal women. Methods A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study was conducted involving 40 women with dry eye (age 63.9±5.1 years, 13.2±6.3 years post menopause). Ten women were assigned to each of four treatment groups: transdermal testosterone, oestradiol, testosterone/oestradiol combination and placebo. Assessment at baseline and after 8 weeks: ocular symptoms, tear osmolarity, tear stability, tear secretion, meibomian gland assessment, …
Vulvo-vaginal atrophy: A new treatment modality using thermo-ablative fractional CO2 laser.
2015
a b s t r a c t Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of thermo-ablative fractional CO2 laser for the treatment of symptoms related to vulvo-vaginal atrophy (VVA) in post-menopausal women. Methods: From April 2013 to December 2013, post-menopausal patients who complained of one or more VVA-related symptoms and who underwent vaginal treatment with fractional CO2 laser were enrolled in the study. At baseline (T0) and 30 days post-treatment (T1), vaginal status of the women was evaluated using the Vaginal Health Index (VHI), and subjective intensity of VVA symptoms was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS). At T1, treatment satisfaction was evaluated using a 5-point Likert …
Peripheral blood levels of CXCL10 are a useful marker for diabetic polyneuropathy in subjects with type 2 diabetes.
2020
BACKGROUND Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus associated with high morbidity and mortality. Major risk factors for DPN include metabolic changes, duration of diabetes, nerve ischaemia and derangements in regeneration and nerve repair programmes. Chemokines have been previously implicated in the pathogenesis of various neuropathies and neuropathic pain processes. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the association between the plasma levels of chemokines (CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11) in the presence of DPN in a cohort of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS We studied 73 patients with T2D: 36 with DPN and 37 without DPN. D…
Pruritic and antipruritic colors: An exploratory pilot study.
2020
Itch is the commonest skin-related symptom and can be influenced by visual cues as exemplified by the phenomenon of "contagious itch." Colors are visual cues able to modify somatosensory inputs. We explored the relationship of colors and itch and the impact of color viewing on itch intensity. In this cross-sectional study, patients suffering from itch with a mean intensity of ≥2 on a Numerical Rating Scale during the last 7 days were evaluated. The study consisted of a questionnaire-based part using The Manchester Color Wheel and the ItchyQoL, followed by an interventional part. All 72 itch patients were able to match their itchy sensation with a color: In 68 patients (94.4%) this "pruritic…
Methotrexate-Loaded Polymethylmethacrylate Bone Cement for Local Bone Metastasis Therapy: Pilot Animal Study in the Rabbit Patellar Groove
2008
Local chemotherapy is an option in bone metastasis treatment. On the other hand, evaluation of side effects on bone is a difficult issue in drug development and biomaterials research. Most animal models to date are inappropriate or not feasible. Rabbits are an alternative to other bigger mammals and have an appropriate bone structure compared to rats and mice. The patellar groove model of the rabbit offers a standardized and sensitive model to evaluate bone-compromising drug effects. We tested the system with a reproducible polymethacrylate implant as carrier and loaded this system with methotrexate. Three methotrexate concentrations were used in the test samples (250 mg, 1 g and 4 g per 40…
Generating p53-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes by recombinant adenoviral vector-based vaccination in mice, but not man.
2002
Mutations and aberrant expression of the p53 tumor suppressor protein are the most frequent molecular alterations in human malignancy. Peptides derived from the wild-type (wt) p53 protein and presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules for T lymphocyte recognition are believed to serve as universal tumor-associated antigens for cancer immunotherapy. We studied the immunogeneicity of a recombinant replication-defective adenoviral vector encoding human full-length wt p53 (rAd/hup53) in human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2K(b)-transgenic (Tg) mice and man. The generation of p53 epitope-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in p53-proficient and p53-deficient A2K(b)-Tg mice was …
Kinematics of Cervical Spine during Rowing Ergometer at Different Stroke Rates in Young Rowers: A Pilot Study
2022
Background: Research on biomechanics in rowing has mostly focused on the lumbar spine. However, injuries can also affect other body segments. Thus, the aim of this pilot study was to explore any potential variations in the kinematics of the cervical spine during two different stroke rates on the rowing ergometer in young rowers. Methods: Twelve young rowers of regional or national level were recruited for the study. The experimental protocol consisted of two separate test sessions (i.e., a sequence of 10 consecutive strokes for each test session) at different stroke rates (i.e., 20 and 30 strokes/min) on an indoor rowing ergometer. Kinematics of the cervical spine was assessed using an iner…
A four-session acceptance and commitment therapy based intervention for depressive symptoms delivered by masters degree level psychology students: a …
2013
Background:Depressive symptoms are one of the main reasons for seeking psychological help. Shorter interventions using briefly trained therapists could offer a solution to the ever-rising need for early and easily applicable psychological treatments.Aims:The current study examines the effectiveness of a four-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based treatment for self-reported depressive symptoms administered by Masters level psychology students.Method:This paper reports the effectiveness of a brief intervention compared to a waiting list control (WLC) group. Participants were randomized into two groups: ACT (n= 28) and waiting list (n= 29). Long-term effects were examined using…
Rational Herding in Reward-Based Crowdfunding: An MTurk Experiment.
2020
Crowdfunding is gaining popularity as a way of financing social sustainable initiatives. We performed a controlled economic experiment in MTurk by simulating a crowdfunding platform and developed a theoretical model that rationalizes herding behavior. The experiment was designed to test and quantify the causal effects of revealing specific information to prospective backers: (i) the number of early contributors already financing the project and (ii) positive opinions of other backers versus those of experts. The results show that early contributions to the campaign and positive opinions of peers act as a reinforcing signal to potential backers and affect backers&rsquo