Search results for "ICT."
showing 10 items of 7941 documents
Analysis of thiamine transporter genes in sporadic beriberi
2014
Abstract Objective Thiamine or vitamin B 1 deficiency diminishes thiamine-dependent enzymatic activity, alters mitochondrial function, impairs oxidative metabolism, and causes selective neuronal death. We analyzed for the first time, the role of all known mutations within three specific thiamine carrier genes, SLC19 A2, SLC19 A3 , and SLC25 A19 , in a patient with atrophic beriberi, a multiorgan nutritional disease caused by thiamine deficiency. Methods A 44-year-old male alcoholic patient from Morocco developed massive bilateral leg edema, a subacute sensorimotor neuropathy, and incontinence. Despite normal vitamin B 1 serum levels, his clinical picture was rapidly reverted by high-dose in…
Pretherapeutic MRI for decision-making regarding selective neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy for rectal carcinoma: interim analysis of a multicentric pro…
2012
Purpose: To study the accuracy of different cutoffs for an involved circumferential resection margin (CRM) compared with T and N categories measured by MRI as basis for selective application of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (nRCT) in rectal carcinoma. Materials and Methods: In a prospective multicenter observational study involving 153 primarily operated patients, the preoperative results of MRI with pathohistological findings of resected specimens were compared. Results: For a cutoff of ≤1 mm for involvement of the CRM, the accuracy of preoperative MRI was 90.9% (139/153). The negative predictive value was 98.5% (134/136). The four participating departments did not differ significantly. Fo…
Association of renal resistive index with aortic pulse wave velocity in hypertensive patients
2014
Background: Recent data suggest that renal haemodynamic parameters obtained by duplex Doppler sonography, especially the intrarenal resistive index (RI), may be associated with systemic vascular changes. However, conflicting data exist about the independent relationship between aortic stiffness and RI. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between RI and arterial stiffness, assessed by aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), in hypertensive patients. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We enrolled 264 hypertensive subjects aged between 30 and 70 years. They were divided into two groups, either with normal renal function (n=140) or with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n=124). E…
Prevalence and predictors of left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with hypertension and normal electrocardiogram.
2013
Background: Electrocardiography (ECG) has low sensitivity for detecting left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), while echocardiography cannot be routinely performed. Design/methods: In this study we evaluate the prevalence of LVH and diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients with normal ECG. We excluded patients with cardiovascular (CV) diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or presenting ECG-LVH or other ECG anomalies. The enrolled 440 hypertensive patients underwent echocardiographic examination (Acuson Sequoia 512); LV mass was indexed by body surface area (LVMI) and LVH was defined as LVMI >125 g/m2 in men and >110 g/m2 in women. Diastolic function was evaluated by mitral inflow a…
Sudomotor testing predicts the presence of neutralizing botulinum A toxin antibodies.
2002
The increasing number of patients being treated with botulinum toxin A complex (BoNT/A) has led to a higher incidence of neutralizing anti-BoNT/A antibodies (ABAs). Because BoNT/A is known to inhibit sweating, here we report sudometry as a possibility for predicting the presence of ABA. Sixteen patients suffering from spasmodic torticollis were selected: in 2 patients, BoNT/A treatment continued to be effective, in 9 patients, the treatment effect was impaired, and in 5 patients, secondary treatment failure developed. BoNT/A (100 mouse units, Dysport; Ipsen Pharma, Berkshire, United Kingdom) was injected subcutaneously into the lateral calves. Sweating was visualized with iodine starch stai…
Physical loading and performance as predictors of back pain in healthy adults. A 5-year prospective study.
1996
We investigated muscle strength, aerobic power, and occupational and leisure-time physical loading as predictors of back pain in a 5-year follow-up study. A cohort of 456 adults aged 25, 35, 45 and 55 years, free of back pain, participated in measurements of anthropometric characteristics, aerobic power and muscle strength characteristics at baseline. The subjects' levels and types of physical activity and occupational physical loading were also determined. At 5 years after the baseline examinations 356 of these subjects (78.1 %) were reached by mail, and 262 of them (73.6%) properly completed and returned a questionnaire including a detailed back pain history for the 5 years following the …
Relationship of drug-addicted patients' personality disorders to social problem-solving changes during the rehabilitation process.
2012
Drug-addicted patients exhibit various personality disorders that interfere with their adaptation to society, as well as their ability to participate in the rehabilitation process. The Latvian Rehabilitation Programme for drug addicts includes social problem-solving training to help patients reintegrate into society. However, the role of personality disorders has not been investigated in relation to this process.The aim of the study is to assess whether personality disorders predict changes in dimensions of social problem-solving after 6 months of rehabilitation for drug-addicted patients.The sample of this study consists of 31 drug-addicted patients from the Latvian rehabilitation centres …
Focal breast lesion characterization according to the BI-RADS US lexicon: role of a computer-aided decision-making support
2018
Objectives: to assess the diagnostic performance of a computer-guided decision- making software (S-Detect) in the US characterization of focal breast lesions (FBLs), according to the radiologist's experience. Materials and Methods: 300 FBLs (size: 2.6-47.2 mm; mean: 13.2 mm) in 255 patients (mean age: 51 years) were prospectively assessed in consensus according to BIRADS US lexicon by two experienced radiologists without and with S-Detect; to evaluate intra and inter-observer agreement, the same 300 FBLs were independently evaluated by two residents at baseline and after 3 months. Results: 120/300 (40%) FBLs were malignant, 2/300 (0.7%) high-risk and 178/300 (59.3%) benign. Experts review s…
Influence of Endothelial Nitric Oxide on Adrenergic Contractile Responses of Human Cerebral Arteries
1996
The present study was designed to investigate the influence of the endothelium and that of the L-arginine pathway on the contractile responses of isolated human cerebral arteries to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and norepinephrine. Rings of human middle cerebral artery were obtained during autopsy of 19 patients who had died 3–8 h before. EFS (1–8 Hz) induced frequency-dependent contractions that were abolished by tetrodotoxin, prazosin, and guanethidine (all at 10-6 M). The increases in tension were of greater magnitude in arteries denuded of endothelium. NG-monomethyl L-arginine (L-NMMA 10-4 M) potentiated the contractile response to EFS in artery rings with endothelium but did not …
Clonidine induces nitric oxide- and prostaglandin-mediated vasodilation in healthy human skin
2005
Sustained sympathetic activation not only leads to vasoconstriction but also might induce paradox vasodilation. This study was performed to explore whether and how alpha(2)-receptor stimulation mediates this vasodilation. We investigated 11 healthy subjects in 33 dermal microdialysis (MD) sessions. After nerve trunk blockade, MD fibers were inserted and perfused with physiological saline until skin trauma-related vasodilation subsided. Thereafter, fibers were perfused with either clonidine solutions (10(-3), 5 x 10(-4), 10(-4) mol/l), N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine (L-NMMA; nitric oxide synthase blocker), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; cyclooxygenase blocker), or combinations of these. Laser-Dopple…