Search results for "Positive"
showing 10 items of 1875 documents
Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
2021
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by upper airway collapse during sleep. Chronic intermittent hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, and inflammatory activation are the main pathophysiological mechanisms of OSA. OSA is highly prevalent in obese patients and may contribute to cardiometabolic risk by exerting detrimental effects on adipose tissue metabolism and potentiating the adipose tissue dysfunction typically found in obesity. This chapter will provide an update on: (a) the epidemiological studies linking obesity and OSA; (b) the studies exploring the effects of intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation on the adipose tissue; (c) the effects of OSA treatment with continuous positi…
Blood pressure reduction following treatment with positive airway pressure in sleep apnea: data from the European Sleep Apnea Database
2020
Abstract Introduction Positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment modifies blood pressure (BP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We aimed to explore which factors that influence the BP response to PAP therapy in the European Sleep Apnea Database (ESADA). Methods A total of 2662 OSA patients with PAP therapy ≥90 days were included in the analysis (74% male, age 55±11 years, body mass index 32.3±6.1 kg/m2, 47% hypertensives, apnea-hypopnea index 40±24 events/h, treatment duration 1.0±1.1 years, PAP compliance 5.2±1.9 h/day). Anthropometric data, co-medications and office BP were assessed at baseline and follow-up visit. Results Systolic and diastolic BP were modestly reduced after …
A clinical study of the effect of calcium sodium phosphosilicate on dentin hypersensitivity
2012
Objective: Dentinal hypersensitivity is a commonly encountered problem with varied treatment options for its management. A large number of home use products have been tested and used for the management of dentinal hypersensitivity. This 8 week clinical trial investigates the temporal efficacy of commercially available calcium sodium phosphosilicate containing toothpaste in comparison to a potassium nitrate containing toothpaste. Methods: A total 20 subjects between the ages of 18 to 65 years were screened for a visual analogue score (VAS) for sensitivity of 5 or more by testing with a cold stimulus and randomly divided into test and positive control groups. Baseline sensitivity VAS scores t…
Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTDS) and Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS) in the early identification of Italian teachers with voice disorders
2019
Abstract Introduction The current Italian law does not include any guidance regarding voice education, prevention of voice disorders and screening in subjects with high vocal loading such as teachers. Objectives We aimed to check the correlation between the Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale (VTDS) with the Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS) for the evaluation of Italian teachers. In addition, we aimed to investigate whether there are differences in the frequency and intensity of discomfort symptoms in teachers with disabilities comparing vocal tract discomfort symptoms in teachers with high risk (HRVD) and low risk (LRVD) of vocal disorders according to the VoiSS cutoff (> 15.5). Methods We analyzed…
A Positive Technology System for the Promotion of Well-Being: From the Lab to the Hospital Setting
2016
There is growing evidence of the effectiveness of Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) to enhance subjective and psychological well-being in different populations, and the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are becoming into a key help to increase the efficiency of this type of interventions. Recently, the use of technology to foster well-being and personal growth has been named as Positive Technology. The aim of this paper is to describe and to present data about a positive technology example (EARTH of Well-being system) and to examine its usefulness in different populations and settings. Data of four studies are presented: two with non-clinical population (university st…
Objective assessment of cataract: Comparison between the Lens Opacities Classification System III and a Scheimpflug camera
2015
Purpose Develop an automatic system for cataract classification using the Sirius Scheimpflug for both nuclear and cortical cataract. Methods Scheimpflug images were taken using the Sirius system in 50 patients with nuclear and/or cortical cataract (mean age 69 ± 9.2 years). The nuclear opacity (NO) and cortical opacity was graded by an ophthalmologist according to the Lens Opacities Classification System (LOCSIII) by comparing the slit-lamp image with the LOCS's standard nuclear images. A custom-made MATLAB program was used to calculate the pixel intensity value within a region of interest (ROI) of the nucleus and to calculate the percentage of opaque pixels in the cortex. Results Eighty-ni…
Detection of liver metastases in cancer patients with geographic fatty infiltration of the liver: the added value of contrast-enhanced sonography
2017
Purpose The aim of this study is to assess the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in the detection of liver metastases in cancer patients with geographic liver fatty deposition on greyscale ultrasonography (US). Methods Thirty-seven consecutive cancer patients (24 women and 13 men; age, 33 to 80 years; mean, 58.1 years) with geographic liver fatty deposition, but without any detectable focal liver lesion on greyscale US, underwent sulphur hexafluoride-enhanced US. Two readers reported by consensus the presence, size, and location of any detected lesion. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a confirmatory study. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negat…
Validation of the Cycling Behavior Questionnaire: A tool for measuring cyclists' road behaviors
2018
Abstract Introduction Even though cycling is an activity whose benefits in terms of urban mobility and health are globally recognized, its disproportional growth during the past few decades has led to some unexpected dynamics. In fact, the increasing number of traffic injuries and deaths involving cyclists has a high cost for public health systems. Considering the available empirical evidence, aberrant and positive behaviors on the road constitute relevant predictors for the injuries suffered by road users. Nevertheless, the scarcity of tools that measure and evaluate the behavior of road users, especially in the case of cyclists, constitutes a serious lack in terms of explaining, interveni…
111-Indium-DTPA-Octreotid-Szintigraphie bei kolorektalen Lebermetastasen
1997
The somatostatin analogue octreotide is effective in the treatment of neuroendocrine and other tumours. 111-In-labelled DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy is successful in localizing primary neuroendocrine tumours and metastases and other tumours containing somatostatin receptors. An antiproliferative effect of octreotide was also demonstrated for colorectal carcinoma. Since only about 40% of colorectal carcinomas express somatostatin receptors, we tried to establish whether 111-In-labelled DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy is able to reveal the receptor status of liver metastases in patients with colorectal liver metastases. This would be useful in selecting patients for adjuvant therapy studies with…
Mandibular advancement devices vs nasal-continuous positive airway pressure in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea. Systematic review and meta-…
2016
Background Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder that may affect at least 2 to 4% of the adult population. Nasal-Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (N-CPAP) is today considered the gold standard for the treatment of OSA. The development of oral appliances (OAs) represents a new approach for the management of this pathology. The aim of this systematic review is to compare the efficacy of OAs and N-CPAP in the treatment of patients with mild to severe OSA. Material and Methods A PubMed-MEDLINE and Cochrane databases search of articles published between 1982 and 2016 comparing the effect of N-CPAP and OAs in OSA patients was conducted during July 2016. The studies were selected …