At radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities, ions of short-lived radionuclides are cooled and bunched in buffer-gas-filled Paul traps to improve the ion-beam quality for subsequent experiments. To ...deliver even colder ions, beneficial to RIB experiments' sensitivity or accuracy, we employ Doppler and sympathetic cooling in a Paul trap cooler-buncher. The improved emittance of Mg+, K+, and O2+ ion beams is demonstrated by a reduced time-of-flight spread of the extracted ion bunches with respect to room-temperature buffer-gas cooling. Cooling externally-produced hot ions with energies of at least 7 eV down to a few Kelvin is achieved in a timescale of O(100 ms) by combining a low-pressure helium background gas with laser cooling. This is sufficiently short to cool short-lived radioactive ions. As an example of this technique's use for RIB research, the mass-resolving power in a multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer is shown to increase by up to a factor of 4.6 with respect to buffer-gas cooling. Simulations show good agreement with the experimental results and guide further improvements and applications. These results open a path to a significant emittance improvement and, thus, unprecedented ion-beam qualities at RIB facilities, achievable with standard equipment readily available. The same method provides opportunities for future high-precision experiments with radioactive cold trapped ions.
The main objective of this survey of persons with multiple sclerosis was to describe their employment situation. Secondary objectives were to ascertain when and how multiple sclerosis symptoms first ...impact employment per se and what strategies persons with multiple sclerosis use to cope with their employment problems.
A retrospective survey was conducted to collect data from persons with multiple sclerosis aged 18 years and over, using a computer-assisted web tool.
A total of 941 respondents were working at the time of multiple sclerosis diagnosis or had worked subsequently. Median time since diagnosis was 10 years. Multiple sclerosis had an impact on employment for 74.3% of respondents. The overall employment rate at the time of the survey was 68.1%; 27.2% had discontinued their occupational activity for a multiple sclerosis-related reason. Median time from diagnosis to multiple sclerosis-related cessation of occupational activity was 24.0 years (95% confidence interval (CI) 21.7-26.3 years). Respondents were poorly aware of available tools designed to assist them in retaining employment.
This study highlights the importance of early intervention by the occupational medicine physician in order to favour job retention and use of available tools by all workers with MS and not only those with a recognized status as a disabled worker.
Total pancreatectomy and autologous transplantation of pancreatic islets is a treatment option for patients with severe pain due to chronic pancreatitis. In the standard procedure, pancreatic islets ...are isolated and subsequently administered into the portal vein. In the case of patients with a history of thrombosis or at risk of thrombosis, this route of administration is not viable. Animal studies conducted in our department led to the development of a technique of endoscopic islets transplantation into the gastric submucosa. In 2013 and 2014, the first human autologous transplant procedures were performed. The objective of this study was to present the results of a 3-year follow-up of these patients.
Two pancreatectomies were performed in our department, the first in 2013 and another in 2014, along with subsequent autologous transplantation of pancreatic islets into the gastric submucosa.
Both patients had been diagnosed previously with diabetes, and both had endogenous islet activity detected. Peptide C concentration after pancreatectomy and before pancreatic cell transplantation was 0.1 ng/mL. After the transplantation, peptide C concentrations for the 2 patients were 0.8 and 0.5 ng/mL on day 7, 1.2 and 0.6 ng/mL on day 30, 1.3 and 0.8 ng/mL on day 180, 1.1 and 0.7 ng/mL on day 360, and 3.0 and 0.6 ng/mL at 3 years, respectively, after transplantation. The pain symptoms resolved in both cases.
Pancreatic islets may survive in the gastric wall. Endoscopic submucosal transplantation may present an alternative for the management of patients who cannot undergo a classic transplantation procedure.
•This study is a first-in-human endoscopic gastric submucosa islet transplantation.•Follow-up of patients was 3 years.•Endoscopic gastric submucosa islet transplantation might be an alternative for portal islet transplantation in cases of contraindications for standard procedure.
It has been determined that there are about 25% patients with renal allograft failure on the waiting lists.
We analyzed 406 patients who received a kidney graft from 2013 to 2015 in a single center. ...The analysis resulted in 33 pairs of patients: for one recipient in the pair it was the first transplantation and for the other it was the second or a subsequent one. Graft and patient survival, graft function, delayed graft function episodes, primary nonfunction, and acute rejection episodes were analyzed to assess the outcome of kidney retransplantation. The follow-up period was 2 years.
Delayed graft function was observed in both groups (P = .3303).
Although in the second group there were twice as many episodes of acute rejection than in the first group (8 to 4), the results are not statistically significant (P = .1420). Primary graft dysfunction was observed only in the second group. Five patients who had lost their kidney graft during the follow-up period were observed in the second group. The probability of graft loss in the second group was as follows: 3% on the day of the transplantation, 12% after 3 months, and 15% after 13 months. All of the patients survived during the 2-year follow-up period. A similar estimated glomerular filtration rate was observed in dialysis time in both groups.
There are no statistically significant differences in kidney graft function between patients with the first transplantation and those with the repeat one. Good kidney transplantation results are attainable in both groups. It seems that retransplantation is the best treatment option for patients with primary graft failure.
•There are no statistical differences of kidney graft function between patients with the first transplantation and those with repeated transplantations.•Retransplanted patients suffered from primary graft failure and graft failure more often than their counterparts; however, the results are not statistically significant.•It seems that retransplantation is the best treatment option for patients with primary graft failure.
Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors for urinary tract infections (UTI), the causative organisms of UTI and also their management and treatment. In addition, we ...evaluated the effects of UTI on renal graft function. Methods This analysis included 107 kidney transplant recipients (64% women) with a diagnosis of UTIs confirmed by positive results on urine culture. Type of pathogens, sensitivity to drugs, risk factors for infection, incidence of urosepsis, hospitalization period, treatment methods, and recurrence rates were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed by using Pearson's χ2 test, Yates' χ2 test, the Student t test, Welch's t test, the Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test, and the Shapiro-Wilk normality test. Results The most common species isolated from urine samples included Escherichia coli (42%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (15%), and Enterococcus faecalis (10%). The percentage of multidrug-resistant strains was 31%, and urosepsis was diagnosed in 16% of patients. Recurrences developed in 76% of infected patients. Bricker ureterointestinal anastomosis was performed in 11% of patients. Risk factors for severe infections included: pre-transplantation urinary tract surgery ( P = .02), double-J stent insertion (more common in men) during KTx (N = 34; 32%), ( P = .021), reoperations following transplantation ( P = .36), elevated tacrolimus levels at the time of infection ( P = .024). Severe infections were diagnosed in patients with lower eGFRs, were associated with a need for longer hospitalization ( P = .04) and escalation of antibacterial treatment. Carbapenems were used in 22 patients (20.5%). Conclusions UTIs were more common in women, in patients with impaired function of the kidney transplant, and in those with a history of urinary tract interventions. Severe infections were associated with a risk of urosepsis, longer hospitalization, and a need for escalation of antibiotic treatment.
RNA interference (RNAi) has recently emerged as a specific and efficient method to silence gene expression in mammalian cells either by transfection of short interfering RNAs (siRNAs; ref. 1) or, ...more recently, by transcription of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) from expression vectors and retroviruses. But the resistance of important cell types to transduction by these approaches, both in vitro and in vivo, has limited the use of RNAi. Here we describe a lentiviral system for delivery of shRNAs into cycling and non-cycling mammalian cells, stem cells, zygotes and their differentiated progeny. We show that lentivirus-delivered shRNAs are capable of specific, highly stable and functional silencing of gene expression in a variety of cell types and also in transgenic mice. Our lentiviral vectors should permit rapid and efficient analysis of gene function in primary human and animal cells and tissues and generation of animals that show reduced expression of specific genes. They may also provide new approaches for gene therapy.
Congenital reticular ichthyosiform erythroderma Dvorakova, V.; Watson, R. M.; Terron-Kwiatkowski, A. ...
Clinical and experimental dermatology,
July 2016, Letnik:
41, Številka:
5
Journal Article
The possibility of an increased risk of end-stage renal disease is a major concern associated with living kidney donation. Therefore, monitoring of residual kidney function becomes most essential.
A ...data analysis of 156 living kidney donors (LKDs) was conducted. The efficacy of the long-term care system with regard to monitoring residual kidney function was evaluated.
The analyzed group consisted of 102 (65.4%) women. The mean follow-up period was 5.44 years. The rise in value of mean serum creatinine concentration after donation was observed, but it was within the range of normal during the observation period. Despite its initial decline after nephrectomy, mean glomerular filtration rate (GFR) remained >60 mL/min/1.73 m2. A MDRD (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease) GFR in the range of 45–60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was observed in 53 donors (33.97%). It was found to be <45.0 mL/min/1.73 m2 in 15 cases (9.6%). No patient developed end-stage renal disease. Only 25.0% of those analyzed had their CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration) GFR estimated on 45–60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 4.49% were found to have levels of <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 (down to 33.7 mL/min/1.73 m2). Mean postdonation CKD-EPI GFR was estimated at 69.99% of its predonation value.
A reliable qualification process could minimize the probability of kidney donation by someone with an increased risk of chronic kidney failure. The CKD-EPI formula seems to be more precise than the MDRD for estimatation of LKDs' GFR, as their loss of GFR is a result of nephrectomy and not kidney or systemic disease. Using the MDRD formula may lead to inappropriate diagnosis of CKD in some cases.
•Monitoring of residual kidney function is a main purpose of follow-up care for living kidney donors.•The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula is more precise than the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula in living kidney donors.•Estimation of glomerular filtration rate using the MDRD may lead to inappropriate diagnosis of kidney disease.
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