The use of the stapes coupling technique, employed in the Vibrant Soundbridge system, is technically less demanding than the vibroplasty technique, and is more likely to generate a positive outcome ...without significantly changing residual hearing or resulting in medical or surgical complication.
We report a patient with repeated left ossiculoplasty failure, who was successfully implanted with a Vibrant Soundbridge.
We believe that the stapes coupling technique can provide natural stimulation to the inner ear, resulting in a better perceived sound quality.
Three new alkaloids, including auranomides A and B (1 and 2), a new scaffold containing quinazolin-4-one substituted with a pyrrolidin-2-iminium moiety, and auranomide C (3), as well as two known ...metabolites auranthine (4) and aurantiomides C (5) were isolated from the marine-derived fungus Penicillium aurantiogriseum. The chemical structures of compounds 1-3 were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, including IR, HRESIMS and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-3 were suggested from the perspective of a plausible biosynthesis pathway. Compounds 1-3 were subjected to antitumor and antimicrobial screening models. Auranomides A-C exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against human tumor cells. Auranomides B was the most potent among them with an IC(50) value of 0.097 μmol/mL against HEPG2 cells.
In the algorithm of Leksell GAMMAPLAN (the treatment planning software of Leksell Gamma Knife), scattered photons from the collimator system are presumed to have negligible effects on the Gamma Knife ...dosimetry. In this study, we used the EGS4 Monte Carlo (MC) technique to study the scattered photons coming out of the single beam channel of Leksell Gamma Knife. The PRESTA (Parameter Reduced Electron-Step Transport Algorithm) version of the EGS4 (Electron Gamma Shower version 4) MC computer code was employed. We simulated the single beam channel of Leksell Gamma Knife with the full geometry. Primary photons were sampled from within the
Co
60
source and radiated isotropically in a solid angle of
4
π
. The percentages of scattered photons within all photons reaching the phantom space using different collimators were calculated with an average value of 15%. However, this significant amount of scattered photons contributes negligible effects to single beam dose profiles for different collimators. Output spectra were calculated for the four different collimators. To increase the efficiency of simulation by decreasing the semiaperture angle of the beam channel or the solid angle of the initial directions of primary photons will underestimate the scattered component of the photon fluence. The generated backscattered photons from within the
Co
60
source and the beam channel also contribute to the output spectra.
Migraine and Cochlear Symptoms Ma, Xin; Ke, Yu-jie; Jing, Yuan-yuan ...
Current medical science,
08/2021, Letnik:
41, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Migraine is one of the most common and highest burdens of disease. As a primary cerebral dysfunction illness, migraine might exhibit other system-related symptoms, including vestibular and cochlear ...symptoms. With the publication of the diagnostic criteria of vestibular migraine, the link between migraine and vestibular symptoms became clear. However, the relationship between migraine and cochlear symptoms is far from straightforward. Therefore, we focus on the correlation between migraine and deafness, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, acute tinnitus, and chronic tinnitus to better understand the relationship between migraine and cochlear symptoms.
Transfer moulding is the most common process for the encapsulation of electronic packages in semiconductor manufacturing. Quality of the moulding is affected by a large number of mould design ...parameters and process parameters. Currently, the parameters setting is performed by experienced engineers in a trial and error manner and often the optimal setting can not be obtained. In the face of global competition, the current practice is inadequate. In this research, a process optimisation system for transfer moulding of electronic packages is described which involves design of experiments (DOE) techniques, artificial neural networks (ANNs), multiple regression analysis and the minimax method. The system is aimed to determine the optimal mould design parameters and process parameter settings of transfer moulding of electronic packages for multiobjective problem. Implementation of the optimisation system has demonstrated that the time for the determination of optimal mould design parameters and process parameters setting can be greatly reduced and the parameters setting recommended by the system can contribute to the good quality of moulded packages without relying on experienced engineers.
Surgery remains the standard treatment for localized renal cell carcinomas, and partial nephrectomy is considered before radical nephrectomy with the aim of preserving renal function. This study ...aimed to compare robot-assisted and open partial nephrectomy for the purpose of nephron sparing.
We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients who received partial nephrectomy at a single tertiary medical center from January 2008 to January 2015. Medical records and radiographic images were reviewed. We analyzed the patients' general characteristics, underlying disease, complications, length of hospital stay, renal tumor complexity, surgery type, renal function, and specimen and tumor size. A comparison between open and robot-assisted nephrectomy groups was performed.
A total of 136 patients were enrolled, with a male to female ratio of 2:3 and a mean age of 57.8 years. Of these, 71 and 65 patients received open and robot-assisted surgery, respectively. Compared with the open group, patients who underwent robot-assisted surgery were significantly younger (56.0 versus 60.1 years old), had a longer operative time (303 versus 224 min), and a lower kidney ischemic time (33.4 versus 46.9 min). Given similar tumor sizes, the tumor-to-excision ratio was significantly higher in the robot-assisted group (51.7% versus 39.8%), and the excisional volume loss (EVL) was smaller (12.7 versus 19.6 mL). Preoperative glomerular filtration rate and EVL were significant predictors of long-term renal function preservation in the multivariate analysis.
When performing partial nephrectomy, a robot-assisted procedure could increase the accuracy of excision without increasing the risk of positive surgical margin. Lower EVL could assist in better long-term postoperative renal function preservation.
Three photon interaction processes, namely, the photoelectric effect, Compton effect, and pair production, can occur when materials with high atomic numbers are irradiated by the high- and low-energy ...bremsstrahlung photons from a linear accelerator. A dose enhancement, due to the photoelectric effect and pair production, near targets with platinum implants (with a high atomic number) in radiosurgery cannot be predicted by the
XKnife
®
radiosurgery treatment planning system. In the present work, Monte Carlo simulations using PRESTA EGS4 were employed to investigate the resulting dose enhancements from 4, 6, and
10
MV
energies commonly used in the stereotactic radiosurgery system. Dose enhancements from 32% to 68% were observed close to the platinum implant for the above energies when using a
12.5
mm
collimator. Comparatively higher dose enhancements were observed when using smaller collimators. It was found that this dose enhancement increased with beam energy but decreased as beam size increased.
Gafchromic XRCT, radiochromic film is assessed over a broad energy range, from kilovoltage to megavoltage x rays for variations in reflected optical density to dose response. A large energy ...dependence was found with reflected optical density output for the same delivered dose varying from
7.8
±
0.35
at
25.5
keV
(
50
kVp
)
peaking at
12.1
±
0.5
at
54
keV
(
125
kVp
)
to
0.975
±
0.03
at
2300
keV
(
10
MV
)
when normalized to 1 at
1400
keV
(
6
MV
)
energy. The response is constant (within 3%) in the 36–
69
keV
equivalent photon energy range, which corresponds to x-ray tube generating potentials of approximately 100–
150
kVp
. This matches well with beam qualities for diagnostic computed topography applications.
We investigate factors that may contribute individually to bladder recurrence and find out the potential candidate to receive postoperative single dose intravesical chemotherapy.
A total of 217 ...patients who were diagnosed with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) between 2012 and 2016 in a single hospital. The possible risk factors that may contribute to development of bladder recurrence and overall survival were analysed. In order to find out the relationship between 1st bladder recurrence timing and outcome, we divided the 54 of 56 patients (2 patients with prophylactic intravesical chemotherapy excluded) with bladder recurrence after RNU into 2 groups, using the median time of 1st bladder recurrence and confirmed with the "minimum P-value" approach. The primary endpoint was the development of relapsing high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The predictive factors of early recurrence and prognostic factors of survival were also analysed.
Among 217 patients with UTUC under RNU, intravesical recurrence occurred in 56 (25.8%) patients after a median follow-up of 35.2 (1.18-83.34) months. On multivariable analysis, the preoperative ureter manipulation (
=0.009) was a significant predictor for the development of bladder tumours. As for overall survival, renal rein invasion (
=0.017), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (
=0.021), and main tumour size (
=0.015) were significant predictors. For 54 patients who developed bladder recurrence, the optimal cut-off point of early recurrence was determined to be 10 months after surgery (
=0.042). Preoperative ureter manipulation (
=0.005) and tumour located both pelvicalyceally and ureterically (
=0.042) were identified as independent factors associated with early recurrence. An end-stage renal disease history and surgical margin positive patient has more late bladder recurrence.
Bladder recurrence was common in UTUC after RNU. Early bladder recurrence was associated with more relapsing high-risk NMIBC and preoperative ureter manipulation was identified as an independent factor associated with early recurrence.