METHODS: A literature search was performed on PUBMED, SCOPUS AND EMBASE. The following keywords were used: ethmoidal artery; anterior ethmoidal artery; anterior ethmoidal canal; ethmoid sinus; ethmoid roof; skull base. The search was conducted over a period of 6 months between October 2016 and April 2017.
RESULTS: 105 articles were retrieved. 76 articles which were either case reports or unrelated topics were excluded. Out of the 29 full text articles retrieved, 16 articles were selected; 3 were cadaveric dissection, 5 combined cadaveric dissection and computed tomography (CT) and the rest were of CT studies. All studies were of level III evidence and a total of 1985 arteries were studied. Its position at the skull base was influenced by the presence of supraorbital ethmoid cell (SOEC) and length of the lateral lamella of cribriform plate (LLCP). Inter population morphological variations contribute to the anatomical variations.
CONCLUSIONS: The average diameter of AEA was 0.80 mm and the intranasal length was 5.82 mm. 79.2% was found between the second and third lamellae, 12.0% in the third lamella, 6% posterior to third lamella and 1.2% in the second lamella. Extra precaution should be taken in the presence of a well-pneumatized SOEC and a long LLCP as AEA tends to run freely below skull base.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 329 GPs and 548 pharmacists was conducted from May to November 2019. Participants answered a questionnaire focused on their i) current practice in the management of AR, ii) views on patient compliance, iii) understanding and usage of guidelines.
Results: Clinical history was the most preferred method to diagnose AR by 95.4% of GPs and 58.8% of pharmacists. Second-generation antihistamines were the most widely available treatment option in GP clinics and pharmacies (94.8% and 97.2%) and correspondingly the most preferred treatment for both mild (90.3%, 76.8%) to moderatesevere rhinitis (90.3%, 78.6%) by GPs and pharmacists, respectively. Loratadine was ranked as the most preferred 2nd generation antihistamines (GP vs pharmacists: 55.3% vs 58.9%). More than 90% of GPs and pharmacists ranked length and efficacy of treatment as important factors that increase patient compliance. Awareness of the ARIA guidelines was high among GPs (80%) and lower among pharmacists (48.4%). However, only 63.3% of GPs and 48.2% of pharmacists knew how to identify AR patients.
Conclusions: The survey in the 4 ASEAN countries has identified a need to strengthen the awareness and use of ARIA guidelines among the primary care practitioners. Adherence to ARIA guidelines, choosing the appropriate treatment option and prioritizing factors that increases patient compliance may contribute to better management outcomes of AR at the primary care practice.
METHODS: After translating the original English version into Chinese (GMAS-C) following the forward-backward translation and expert review procedure, we conducted a pilot study among 10 chronic disease patients. Each patient took about 10 min to complete the scale and was asked about the difficulty of understanding or filling the scale. Then a total of 312 patients aged 18 years or older with chronic illness were selected from the outpatient departments of two tertiary hospitals and a community center in Tianjin from April 2019 to May 2020 by convenience sampling. Cronbach's α coefficient, item-total correlation and test-retest reliability were used to evaluate the scale reliability; expert evaluation method was used to evaluate the content validity of the scale; and exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and known group validity were used to evaluate the construct validity of the scale.
RESULTS: As a result of the adaptation process, the GMAS-C's structure was determined. It included 3 dimensions and 11 items and was reliable and valid for Chinese patients with chronic diseases. Total Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.781 and test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.883 after two weeks. The item-level content validity indexes (CVIs) were ≥ 0.78 for all items. A Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test and Bartlett' test of sphericity test indicated that the sample met the requirements of factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis extracted three factors with eigenvalue >1, and 60% of the total variance was explained by three-factor solution. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indices (χ2/df = 1.58, IFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.94, CFI = 0.96 and RMSEA = 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The GMAS-C demonstrates satisfactory reliability and validity. This scale can be a clinically useful tool to identify the levels of medication adherence and possible barriers for adherence of the medication regime in patients with chronic diseases.
Materials and methods: In this study, the hybrid scaffold based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blended with metallocene polyethylene (mPE) and plectranthus amboinicus (PA) was fabricated for bone tissue engineering via electrospinning. The fabricated hybrid nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), contact angle measurement, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Furthermore, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and hemolytic assays were used to investigate the blood compatibility of the prepared hybrid nanocomposites.
Results: The prepared hybrid nanocomposites showed reduced fiber diameter (238±45 nm) and also increased porosity (87%) with decreased pore diameter (340±86 nm) compared with pure PVA. The interactions between PVA, mPE, and PA were identified by the formation of the additional peaks as revealed in FTIR. Furthermore, the prepared hybrid nanocomposites showed a decreased contact angle of 51°±1.32° indicating a hydrophilic nature and exhibited lower thermal stability compared to pristine PVA. Moreover, the mechanical results revealed that the electrospun scaffold showed an improved tensile strength of 3.55±0.29 MPa compared with the pristine PVA (1.8±0.52 MPa). The prepared hybrid nanocomposites showed delayed blood clotting as noted in APTT and PT assays indicating better blood compatibility. Moreover, the hemolysis assay revealed that the hybrid nanocomposites exhibited a low hemolytic index of 0.6% compared with pure PVA, which was 1.6% suggesting the safety of the developed nanocomposite to red blood cells (RBCs).
Conclusion: The prepared nanocomposites exhibited better physico-chemical properties, sufficient porosity, mechanical strength, and blood compatibility, which favors it as a valuable candidate in bone tissue engineering for repairing the bone defects.
Methods: In this work, we reported a colorimetric method for clinical detection of PSA using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as the reporters. The method is based on ascorbic acid (AA)-induced in situ formation of AuNPs and Cu2+-catalyzed oxidation of AA. Specifically, HAuCl4 can be reduced into AuNPs by AA; Cu2+ ion can catalyze the oxidation of AA by O2 to inhibit the formation of AuNPs. In the presence of the PSA-specific peptide (DAHSSKLQLAPP)-modified gold-coated magnetic microbeads (MMBs; denoted as DAHSSKLQLAPP-MMBs), complexation of Cu2+ by the MMBs through the DAH-Cu2+ interaction depressed the catalyzed oxidation of AA and thus allowed for the formation of red AuNPs. However, once the peptide immobilized on the MMB surface was cleaved by PSA, the DAHSSKLQ segment would be released. The resultant LAPP fragment remaining on the MMB surface could not sequestrate Cu2+ to depress its catalytic activity toward AA oxidation. Consequently, no or less AuNPs were generated.
Results: The linear range for PSA detection was found to be 0~0.8 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.02 ng/mL. Because of the separation of cleavage step and measurement step, the interference of matrix components in biological samples was avoided.
Conclusion: The high extinction coefficient of AuNPs facilitates the colorimetric analysis of PSA in serum samples. This work is helpful for designing of other protease biosensors by matching specific peptide substrates.
Methods: A literature search was performed on electronic databases, namely PUBMED. The following keywords were used either individually or in combination: orbital floor; maxillary sinus roof; endoscopic skull base surgery; endoscopic sinus surgery. Studies that used orbital floor as a landmark for endoscopic endonasal surgery were included in the analysis. In addition, relevant articles were identified from the references of articles that had been retrieved. The search was conducted over a period of 6 months between 1st June 2017 and 16th December 2017.
Results: One thousand seven hundred forty-three articles were retrieved from the electronic databases. Only 5 articles that met the review criteria were selected. Five studies of the orbital floor (or the maxillary sinus roof) were reviewed, one was a cadaveric study while another 4 were computed tomographic study of the paranasal sinuses. All studies were of level III evidence and consists of a total number of 948 nostrils. All studies showed the orbital floor was below the anterior skull base irrespective of the populations. The orbital floor serves as a guide for safe entry into posterior ethmoids and sphenoid sinus.
Conclusions: The orbital floor is a reliable and useful surgical landmark in endoscopic endonasal surgery. In revision cases or advanced disease, the normal landmarks can be distorted or absent and the orbital floor serves as a reference point for surgeons to avoid any unintentional injury to the skull base, the internal carotid artery and other critical structures.