Virulence properties of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from meat and meat contact surfaces in a slaughterhouse

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous microorganism that is isolated from a variety of sources such as soil, water, decaying vegetation, sewage, animal feeds, silage, farm environments and food-processing environments. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, serogroups, biofilm formation, virulence factor genes, and genetic relationships of L. monocytogenes strains isolated from beef meat and meat contact surfaces obtained from a slaughterhouse in Burdur, Turkey. In this study, a total of 179 beef meat and meat contact surface samples were analyzed for the presence of L. monocytogenes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of a total of 179 beef meat and meat contact surface samples, 83 (46.37%) were found to be contaminated with L. monocytogenes, with the highest incidence (53.01%) occurring in beef meat. In the present study, most of the isolated strains belonged to serogroups IIB and IVB (lineage I). The L. monocytogenes strain also contained monoA-B, prfA, plcA, plcB, mpl, hlyA, actA, gtcA, dltA, Fri, flaA, InlA, InlC, InlJ, and iap genes. Biofilm formation was not determined in the tested samples at pH 5.5 and different temperatures (4°C, 10°C, 25°C, and 37°C). However, strong biofilm formation was observed in 6.45% (2/31) of the strains at pH 7.0 after 48 h incubation at 37°C, and in 3.22% (1/31) of the strains at pH 7.0 after 48 h incubation at 4°C and 10°C. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) results showed that L. monocytogenes isolates were clonally related, and cross-contamination was present. In addition, PFGE results also revealed that AscI had more distinguishing power than the ApaI restriction enzyme. These results indicate that L. monocytogenes detected from meat and meat contact surfaces in the slaughterhouse pose a potential risk to public health.

Long-Term Outcomes of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

A growing number of patients with tetralogy of Fallot develop left ventricular systolic dysfunction and heart failure, in addition to right ventricular dysfunction. Although cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established treatment option, the effect of CRT in this population is still not well defined. This study aimed to investigate the early and late efficacy, survival, and safety of CRT in patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

METHODS

Data were analyzed from an observational, retrospective, multicenter cohort, initiated jointly by the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society and the International Society of Adult Congenital Heart Disease. Twelve centers contributed baseline and longitudinal data, including vital status, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), QRS duration, and NYHA functional class. Outcomes were analyzed at early (3 months), intermediate (1 year), and late follow-up (≥2 years) after CRT implantation.

RESULTS

A total of 44 patients (40.3±19.2 years) with tetralogy of Fallot and CRT were enrolled. Twenty-nine (65.9%) patients had right ventricular pacing before CRT upgrade. The left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 32% [24%-44%] at baseline to 42% [32%-50%] at early follow-up (P<0.001) and remained improved from baseline thereafter (P≤0.002). The QRS duration decreased from 180 [160-205] ms at baseline to 152 [133-182] ms at early follow-up (P<0.001) and remained decreased at intermediate and late follow-up (P≤0.001). Patients with upgraded CRT had consistent improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction and QRS duration at each time point (P≤0.004). Patients had a significantly improved New York Heart Association functional class after CRT implantation at each time point compared with baseline (P≤0.002). The transplant-free survival rates at 3, 5, and 8 years after CRT implantation were 85%, 79%, and 73%.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with tetralogy of Fallot treated with CRT consistent improvement in QRS duration, left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association functional class, and reasonable long-term survival were observed. The findings from this multicenter study support the consideration of CRT in this unique population.

Do barrier dressings reduce cardiac implantable device infection: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial (BARRIER-PROTECT)

Background

Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) procedures can be associated with serious complications, including infection with significant mortality and morbidity, necessitating removal of the device and prolonged hospitalization. One potential pathophysiological mechanism is pocket contamination at the time of device implantation. Therefore, steps taken to prevent contamination at this stage can potentially reduce CIED infections.The barrier dressing, an adhesive material applied to the skin, has the potential to reduce the colonization of the surgical site with host flora that can predispose to infection. There are a limited number of randomized prospective studies on barrier dressing use during various surgeries, but it has never been systematically studied in CIED implantation.

Objectives

Do Barrier Dressings Reduce Cardiac Implantable Device Infection? (BARRIER-PROTECT trial; NCT04591366) is a single-centre, prospective, double-armed, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the use of an intra-operative adhesive barrier dressing to reduce the risk of end-of-procedure pocket swab positivity. We hypothesize that adhesive draping during implant procedures will reduce the risk of contamination from the skin flora. Also, we aim to investigate if the end-of-procedure pocket swab culture positivity can be used as a potential surrogate marker of CIED infection.

Methods and Design

Patients undergoing a second or later procedure on the same device pocket (pulse generator change, lead/pocket revision or upgrade) will be enrolled. Eligible and consenting patients will be equally randomized to the use of barrier dressing or not using an automated web-based system. Patients, but not the operator, will be blinded to the arm. The person performing the pocket swabs will also be blinded. The primary endpoint is the end-of-procedure pocket swab culture positivity. The main secondary endpoint is the CIED infection rate.

Discussion

This is the first randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of using a barrier adhesive draping on reducing the end-of-procedure pocket swab culture positivity. In this study, we are exploring a low-cost intervention that may significantly reduce CIED infection. Also, having a valid surrogate marker for CIED infection at the time of implant will facilitate design of future clinical trials.

A quantitative sonoelastography evaluation of ocular and periocular elasticity after intravitreal ranibizumab injection

PURPOSE

We evaluated changes in ocular and periocular elasticity by ultrasound (US) elastography in intravitreal ranibizumab-treated eyes and the healthy fellow eyes of patients with neovascular AMD.

METHODS

The study was performed on 52 eyes of 26 volunteers who ranged in age from 59 to 89 (mean 72±7.78) years old. The study group consisted of the patients with neovascular AMD treated with intravitreal ranibizumab. The fellow eyes (without choroidal neovascularization) of the study group were selected as the control group. All patients were examined with sonoelastography before intravitreal injection and at 1day, 1week, and 1month after intravitreal injection. All images were acquired with a Toshiba Aplio 500 ultrasound system (Tokyo, Japan) including software with a combined autocorrelation method and a multifrequency linear probe. The elastography values of the anterior vitreous (AV), posterior vitreous (PV), retina-choroid-sclera complex (RCS), retrobulbar fat tissue (RF), optic nerve head (ONH) and retrobulbar optic nerve (RON) were measured in each eye.

RESULTS

There were 13 male (50%) and 13 female (50%) participants in our study. Anterior vitreous, posterior vitreous, RCS, retrobulbar fat tissue, ONH, and RON US elastography values were similar in both groups (P˃0.05 for all). On the other hand, there was a positive correlation between the difference between baseline and 1-month PV sonoelastography values and age (r=0.47, P=0.035).

CONCLUSION

A single dose intravitreal Ranibizumab (Lucentis®, Genentech, USA) injection does not alter the elasticity of ocular and periocular structures.

A Randomized Trial of Lenient Versus Strict Arm Instruction Post Cardiac Device Surgery (LENIENT)

BACKGROUND

Arm restriction after cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) placement is common practice despite minimal supporting evidence. Patients receive a range of restriction recommendations of variable durations with the goal of reducing complications such as wound dehiscence, infection, lead dislodgement, or hematoma formation. These movement limitations can lead to emotional stress and anxiety, complications such as frozen shoulder, and upper extremity venous thrombosis due to immobilization. There are no published clinical trials assessing the benefits and risks of arm restrictions post-CIED implant.

OBJECTIVES

The randomized trial of lenient vs strict arm and activity instruction post-CIED surgery (LENIENT trial; NCT04915261) is a single center nonblinded randomized prospective study designed to evaluate lenient compared to restrictive post-CIED care instructions. We hypothesize that there will be no significant difference in complications between the arms.

METHODS/DESIGN

All patients receiving a de novo CIED or those with upgrades and revisions requiring a new lead implant will be enrolled. Subjects are enrolled in a nonblinded randomized prospective trial with 6 randomly assigned 8-month periods, during which either a lenient or restrictive postoperative activity instructions will be given to all patients. Postoperative instructions are given at the time of discharge and further reinforced by recurrent interactive voice recognition (IVR) phone calls, text messages and emails. The requirement for individual consent has been waived. The primary end point is a composite of (1) lead dislodgement, (2) frozen shoulder, (3) upper extremity venous thrombosis, (4) clinically significant hematoma, and (5) infection occurring within 52 weeks of index surgery. The study is a noninferiority trial with a sample size of 1,250 per group.

DISCUSSION

This is the first large randomized clinical trial designed to establish an evidence-based postoperative standard of care for patients undergoing CIED implantation. This will improve the quality of care provided to patients and help guide implanting physicians providing postoperative care instructions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04915261.

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy for Adult Patients With a Failing Systemic Right Ventricle: A Multicenter Study

Background

The objective of this international multicenter study was to investigate both early and late outcomes of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with a systemic right ventricle (SRV) and to identify predictors for congestive heart failure readmissions and mortality.

Methods and Results

This retrospective international multicenter study included 13 centers. The study population comprised 80 adult patients with SRV (48.9% women) with a mean age of 45±14 (range, 18–77) years at initiation of CRT. Median follow‐up time was 4.1 (25th–75th percentile, 1.3–8.3) years. Underlying congenital heart disease consisted of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and dextro‐transposition of the great arteries in 63 (78.8%) and 17 (21.3%) patients, respectively. CRT resulted in significant improvement in functional class (before CRT: III, 25th–75th percentile, II–III; after CRT: II, 25th–75th percentile, II–III; P =0.005) and QRS duration (before CRT: 176±27; after CRT: 150±24 milliseconds; P =0.003) in patients with pre‐CRT ventricular pacing who underwent an upgrade to a CRT device (n=49). These improvements persisted during long‐term follow‐up with a marginal but significant increase in SRV function (before CRT; 30%, 25th–75th percentile, 25–35; after CRT: 31%, 25th–75th percentile, 21–38; P =0.049). In contrast, no beneficial change in the above‐mentioned variables was observed in patients who underwent de novo CRT (n=31). A quarter of all patients were readmitted for heart failure during follow‐up, and mortality at latest follow‐up was 21.3%.

Conclusions

This international experience with CRT in patients with an SRV demonstrated that CRT in selected patients with SRV dysfunction and pacing‐induced dyssynchrony yielded consistent improvement in QRS duration and New York Heart Association functional status, with a marginal increase in SRV function.

Conduction System Pacing Versus Conventional Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Congenital Heart Disease

BACKGROUND

Dyssynchrony-associated left ventricular systolic dysfunction is a major contributor to heart failure in congenital heart disease (CHD). Although conventional cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has shown benefit, the comparative efficacy of cardiac conduction system pacing (CSP) is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the clinical outcomes of CSP vs conventional CRT in CHD with biventricular, systemic left ventricular anatomy.

METHODS

Retrospective CSP data from 7 centers were compared with propensity score-matched conventional CRT control subjects. Outcomes were lead performance, change in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and QRS duration at 12 months.

RESULTS

A total of 65 CSP cases were identified (mean age 37 ± 21 years, 46% men). The most common CHDs were tetralogy of Fallot (n = 12 [19%]) and ventricular septal defect (n = 12 [19%]). CSP was achieved after a mean of 2.5 ± 1.6 attempts per procedure (38 patients with left bundle branch pacing, 17 with HBP, 10 with left ventricular septal myocardial). Left bundle branch area pacing [LBBAP] vs HBP was associated with a smaller increase in pacing threshold (Δ pacing threshold 0.2 V vs 0.8 V; P = 0.05) and similar sensing parameters at follow-up. For 25 CSP cases and control subjects with baseline left ventricular systolic dysfunction, improvement in LVEF was non-inferior (Δ LVEF 9.0% vs 6.0%; P = 0.3; 95% confidence limits: -2.9% to 10.0%) and narrowing of QRS duration was more pronounced for CSP (Δ QRS duration 35 ms vs 14 ms; P = 0.04). Complications were similar (3 [12%] CSP, 4 [16%] conventional CRT; P = 1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

CSP can be reliably achieved in biventricular, systemic left ventricular CHD patients with similar improvement in LVEF and greater QRS narrowing for CSP vs conventional CRT at 1 year. Among CSP patients, pacing electrical parameters were superior for LBBAP vs HBP.

364 Systematic Review of Simulation-Based Training Tools in Plastic Surgery

Aim

The recent shift from traditional surgical teaching to the incorporation of simulation training in plastic surgery has resulted in the development of a variety of simulation models and tools. We aim to identify all currently available simulators and tools for plastic surgery, assess their validity and establish their effectiveness.

Method

MEDLINE and Embase were searched for articles which validate simulation models in plastic surgery. Each study was screened in accordance with the Messick validity framework, and a rating was given for each section. In order to determine the effectiveness of each study, the McGaghie model of translational outcomes was used.

Results

On screening 2104 articles, 71 were identified to discuss validity and effectiveness. Only one study was found to achieve a high score in all validity parameters and no studies achieved an effectiveness level &gt;2.

Conclusions

With the increasing amount of simulation training tools, there must be more validity studies conducted using updated validity frameworks. In addition, there should be an increased emphasis of the relationship between these simulators and patient outcomes/surgical technique in the operating theatre in order to determine translational outcomes. More training tools evaluating both technical and nontechnical surgical skills are recommended.

Heavy metal and essential elements in beers from turkey market: A risk assessment study

In this study, the level of arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and also essential elements in beer samples consumed in Turkey were investigated using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. The heavy metal-induced non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were calculated. For essential elements, the calculated estimated daily intake of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), selenium (Se) and cobalt (Co) from beer consumption were compared with their toxicity reference values. Tukey post-hoc test showed that As was found at a significantly higher level when compared to Pb. Also, a significant correlation was found between As level and alcohol by volume percent. All samples had a hazard quotient and hazard index <1, indicating no non-carcinogenic risk from exposure to single or multiple heavy metals. Some samples exceeded the threshold limit of acceptable cancer risk for As in the high beer consumer group. This assessment showed that in addition to health implications based on the alcohol content of beer, there might be a carcinogenic risk associated with the heavy metals content of these beverages.

Comparison of the effect of ranibizumab and dexamethasone implant in diabetic macular edema with concurrent epiretinal membrane

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab (RZB) injections and intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant in diabetic macular edema (DME) with concurrent epiretinal membrane (ERM).

METHODS

This was a retrospective, observational, comparative study. Medical records of DME patients with concurrent ERM were retrospectively reviewed. Seventeen eyes of 16 patients treated with 3 consecutive monthly RZB injections (RZB group) and 22 eyes of 18 patients treated with a DEX implant (DEX group) were included. The groups were compared at baseline, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th months in terms of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and intraocular pressure (IOP).

RESULTS

Eighteen of the 39 eyes (46.1%) were phakic at baseline, 9 (52.9%) of which were treated with RZB, whereas 9 (40.9%) were treated with DEX implant (P=0.528). Although CMT improved significantly in both the RZB and DEX groups (P<0.001); the trend was different (P=0.003). The mean change in CMT at 1month in the DEX group was greater (DEX: 188.2±142.7μm; RZB: 95.7±110.7μm; P=0.034); it was in favor of RZB group at the 3rd and 4th months (DEX: -52.7±86.9μm; RZB: 1.4±31.4μm; P=0.012. DEX: -63±67.3μm; RZB: -5.8±43.9μm; P=0.004, respectively). BCVA improved significantly in both groups (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference between the groups with regard to gain in BCVA or IOP change throughout the study period (P=0.572, P=0.064, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Both RZB and DEX are effective in improving anatomical and visual outcomes in DME with concurrent ERM. The DEX group was associated with a prompt anatomic response, but with a gradual decrease from 3rd month.

Holistic nursing competence scale: Turkish translation and psychometric testing

AIM

This study aimed to culturally adapt and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Holistic Nursing Competence Scale for application in the Turkish context.

BACKGROUND

Nurses are expected to assess well-being of individuals by considering physical, social, psychological, cultural and spiritual dimensions to enhance adaptation to diseases. In Turkey, no tools have been developed to date for the evaluation of competencies in holistic nursing in the country.

METHODS

The study was conducted with 288 nurses working in two hospitals in Ankara equipped with over 500 beds. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed in order to identify whether the items and the sub-dimensions of the adapted scale complied with the original structure comprising 36 items and five sub-scales, namely 'general aptitude', 'staff education and management', 'ethically oriented practice', 'nursing care in a team' and 'professional development'. Cronbach's alpha value was used as an estimate for reliability analysis.

RESULTS

Opinions of 11 experts were obtained for content validation of the scale, and the content validity index was 0.90. The adaptation was observed to be acceptable on the basis of structural equation model fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha value was estimated to be 0.97 and 0.90, respectively, for the complete scale.

CONCLUSION

The study identified the Turkish version of Holistic Nursing Competence Scale as a valid and reliable tool for the evaluation of competence in holistic nursing among nurses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND NURSING POLICY

The instrument may now be utilized as a tool of measurement in nursing practice, as well as in education and research, for identifying the level of competence in the holistic nursing practices among the nurses in Turkey.

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of using monocular, binocular and panoramic night vision goggles in successful venous access in darkness

INTRODUCTION

The use of night vision goggles (NVGs) by medical staff operating in active combat areas may present a tactical advantage in maintaining unit concealment. This study seeks to assess the degree to which NVG use improves speed and ease of intravenous access in comparison to no NVG use, and which NVG system (monocular, binocular or panoramic) provides the best conditions for the clinician.

METHODS

Cannulation was carried out using both eyes open (BEO) and one eye open (OEO) in well-lit conditions to establish a baseline measurement. The same procedure was then performed with a variety of NVGs, with and without infrared (IR) light sources in a dark room, and the degree of difficulty, time to procedural completion and success rate were compared.

RESULTS

NVG use improved procedure speed in comparison to the BEO method in the dark. Among the NVG methods trialled, binocular NVG (BNVG) methods outperformed panoramic NVG (PNVG) and monocular NVG in terms of success rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of BNVG resulted with a better success rate in our study. We would like to emphasise that although combatant units prefer PNVGs for the wider temporal vision they provide, it must be kept in mind that this may pose a disadvantage in peripheral vascular access procedures while providing first aid to the casualty at close distances.

Effect of aflibercept on persistent macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion

PURPOSE

To evaluate the efficacy of switching treatment from intravitreal ranibizumab to intravitreal aflibercept on the treatment of refractory macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

METHODS

In this retrospective study; 12 eyes with refractory macular edema secondary to CRVO after multiple monthly repeated intravitreal 0.5mg/0.05mL ranibizumab injections prior to switching therapy to intravitreal 2mg/0.05mL aflibercept, between March 2012 and April 2016 were reviewed. The follow-up time was 12 months. Changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), central retinal volume (CRV) and injection interval between baseline and month 1, 3, 6 and 12 after switching therapy to aflibercept were reviewed and evaluated.

RESULTS

Mean baseline CRT decreased from 516±101 mic. to 252±114 mic. at month 12 (P=0.008). Mean baseline CRV decreased from 8.74±2.13 mm³ to 6.82±1.64 mm³ at month 12 (P=0.005). Baseline BCVA improved from 0.73±0.21 to 0.53±0.17 logMAR at month 12 (P=0.004). Mean BCVA gain was two logMar lines (10 letters) at month 12. After switching therapy to aflibercept; the mean injection interval increased significantly from 1.34 months at baseline to 1.86 months at month 12, by an increase of 0.52 months (P=0.02).

CONCLUSION

Intravitreal aflibercept is evaluated to be presenting significant visual and anatomical improvements in patients with persistent macular edema due to CRVO despite previous intravitreal ranibizumab.

The role of cognitive training in endourology: a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Cognitive training is an important training modality which allows the user to rehearse a procedure without physically carrying it out. This has led to recent interests to incorporate cognitive training within surgical education but research is currently limited. The use of cognitive training in surgery is not clear-cut and so this study aimed to determine whether, relative to a control condition, the use of cognitive training improves technical surgical skills on a ureteroscopy simulator, and if so whether one cognitive training method is superior.

METHODS

This prospective, comparative study recruited 59 medical students and randomised them to one of three groups: control- simulation training only (n=20), flashcards cognitive training group (n=20) or mental imagery cognitive training group (n=19). All participants completed three tasks at baseline on the URO Mentor simulator followed by the cognitive intervention if randomised to receive it. Participants then returned to perform an assessment task on the simulator. Outcome measures from the URO Mentor performance report was used for analysis and a quantitative survey was given to all participants to assess usefulness of training received.

RESULTS

This study showed cognitive training to have minimal effects on technical skills of participants. The mental imagery group had fewer laser misfires in the assessment task when compared to both control and flashcards group (P=.017, P=.036, respectively). The flashcards group rated their preparation to be most useful when compared to control (P=.0125). Other parameters analysed between the groups did not reach statistical significance. Cognitive training was found to be feasible and cost effective when carried out in addition to simulation training.

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that the role of cognitive training within acquisition of surgical skills is minimal and that no form of cognitive training was superior to another. Further research needs to be done to evaluate other ways of performing cognitive training.

Detrimental Effects of N-Acetylcysteine Plus Desferoxamine Combination in an Experimental Nephrotic Syndrome Model

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and desferoxamine (DFO) administered alone or in combination together in rats with doxorubicin (DOX)-induced nephrotic syndrome, by monitoring oxidative stress parameters and trace elements in renal tissue and erythrocytes. Fifty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were included the study. Equal volume of isotonic saline was injected to control rats. After DOX administration, the animals were divided into four experimental groups: (a) rats given only DOX; (b) rats treated with NAC; (c) rats treated with DFO; (d) rats treated with NAC plus DFO. The combination of N-acetylcysteine and DFO has no beneficial effect on reducing proteinuria in experimentally nephrotic rats, although both of these agents ameliorate the condition when administered separately. It seems likely that detrimental effects of NAC plus DFO could be secondary to its effects on erythrocyte selenium levels demonstrated here. Consequently, the results may propose caution to the use of antioxidant therapeutic strategies such as NAC plus DFO against nephropathy.

Extravasation of Calcium Solution Leading to Calcinosis Cutis Surrounding the Dorsal Cutaneous Branch of the Ulnar Nerve

A case of calcinosis cutis caused by calcium extravasation around the wrist is presented. During excision, the lesion was seen to be surrounding the dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve. The possibility of peripheral nerve involvement in extravasation injuries is emphasized.

Are there any novel radiological diagnostic clues in magnetic resonance imaging for vertebrobasilar insufficiency?

BACKGROUND

The aim of the current study was to investigate whether signal intensities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) views and radiological findings on Doppler ultrasonography may have a diagnostic value for vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI).

METHODS

This case-control study was performed on demographic and radiologic data derived from 18 VBI patients and 58 healthy controls in the radiology department of a tertiary care center. The blood flow characteristics including peak systolic and end diastolic flow rates, resistance and pulsatility indices, mean velocities, flow rates, diameters and intensity pattern of vertebral arteries on cervical and cranial MRI sequences were noted. The association between blood flow characteristics and signal patterns on MRI views was investigated in VBI patients and controls.

RESULTS

Blood flow and vessel diameter were significantly decreased in VBI patients compared to controls on both sides (P<0.001). In contrast, other parameters did not exhibit any remarkable difference between VBI and control groups. The distribution of hypo- or hyperintense signals in VBI and control groups was similar. No remarkable variabilities were detected in blood flow characteristics of cases presenting with signals having different intensities on MRI sequences.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, results of the current study have demonstrated that assessment of blood flow and vascular diameter may be important for ruling in VBI. Nevertheless, the intensity of signals derived from vessels seems not reveal any data of diagnostic significance in these cases. Further studies on larger populations may allow development and exploration of newer diagnostic techniques and clues for VBI.

Comfort and learnability assessment of a new soft robotic manipulator for minimally invasive surgery

Laparoscopic surgeons perform precise and time consuming procedures while holding awkward poses in their upper body and arms. There is an ongoing effort to produce robotic tools for laparoscopic surgery that will simplify these tasks and reduce risk of errors to help both the surgeon and the patient. STIFF-FLOP is an ongoing EU FP7 project focusing on this by creating a stiffness controllable soft robotic manipulator. This paper reports on a study to test the soft manipulator's learnability and the effort associated with its use. The tests involved a limited prototype of the manipulator with a custom built test rig and EMG acquisition system. Task times and video recordings along with EMG waveforms from the forearm muscles of participants (n=25) were measured for objective assessment. A questionnaire was also provided to the participants for subjective assessment. The data shows that in average EMG levels were 25.9% less in RMS when using the STIFF-FLOP arm than when conventional laparoscopic tools were used. In terms of learnability, from the first to the second attempt on the STIFF-FLOP manipulator, elapsed time was reduced by an average of 32.1%. Further details and analysis of the EMG signals as well as time and questionnaire results is presented in the paper.

Immediate risk of HSIL presence in women who have both ASC-US cytology and negative high-risk HPV test

PURPOSE

The authors aimed to detect immediate risk of having high grade squamous lesions (HSIL) in atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance(AS-CUS) and concomitant high-risk human papillomavirus (HrHPV) testing as negative [HrHPV(negative)AS-CUS].

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The authors performed immediate/baseline colposcopy on concomitant HrHPV (negative)AS-CUS cases. Pap tests were evaluated with liquid-based cytology (LBC) and HrHPV detection was performed in LBC material with PCR. Colposcopic diagnoses and biopsy results were compared with Pap test and HrHPV test results.

RESULTS

There were 104 patients over a one-year period. In all, 84 cases were included. Colposcopic biopsies revealed low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) in 19 cases (23%) and HSIL in three cases (4%). Intrauterine device use and smoking were significantly correlated with presence of HSIL (p = 0.005 and p = 0.007 respectively).

CONCLUSION

Similar data in literature, 4% of ASC-US-HrHPV (negative) cases are expected to have HSIL in follow-up periods less than six months. The present authors believe clinicians should be more open with their patients about limitations of Pap-HPV testing.

Evaluation of the mutagenic and genotoxic effects of the ALC67 thiazolidine compound in Salmonella strains and human lymphocytes in vitro

ALC67 is an N-acylated thiazolidine compound with promising anticancer activity that led to the recent discovery of a series of 3-propionyl thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid ethyl esters as a family of novel antiproliferative agents. Since the mutagenic and genotoxic properties of marketed anticancer molecules constitute a main issue to be addressed, this study focused on the analysis of the mutagenicity, antimutagenecity, and genotoxicity of this molecule. The mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of ALC67 were evaluated by Ames test performed on Salmonella TA98 and TA100 strains. The genotoxicity of this molecule was investigated in the chromosomal aberration assay on human lymphocytes. All results revealed that the analyzed structure is not mutagenic in the two Salmonella strains tested and was not genotoxic in human lymphocytes in vitro On the other hand, it showed a weak antimutagenic effect in these two bacterial strains. The above results indicate that after performing some more mutagenicity assays using the other recommended strains, this compound can be safely used for the development of new structures exhibiting anticancer activities.