Conservative Methods Research Articles

Conservative therapy for lumbar disc herniation

Herniated discs are acommon cause of neurological symptoms that often lead to reduced quality of life. They affect around 20% of 45-56-year olds and, therefore, represent acorrespondingly major challenge for healthcare. Conservative therapy methods are usually used as the first treatment option; surgical interventions should only be considered in special symptom constellations. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of conservative therapy methods in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation and to demonstrate their influence on pain reduction and functional improvement. The current valid AWMF guideline was analyzed, and asystematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant information on the conservative treatment of herniated discs. The therapeutic approaches analyzed included physiotherapy, drug treatment, manual therapy and injection therapies. Inclusion criteria covered reviews and meta-analyses from 2019 to 2024. The analysis showed that conservative treatment methods led to asignificant reduction in pain and improvement in functional abilities in the majority of patients. Not all frequently clinical used forms of therapy have been well proven. The results of this study underline the importance of conservative treatment methods as an effective treatment option for herniated discs. In particular, the combination of different treatment approaches can improve treatment outcomes. However, further long-term studies are needed to determine the long-term effects and optimal treatment protocols.

Modern methods of treatment of complicated forms of pilonidal cyst

There are several theories of the origin of diseases of the epithelial coccygeal tract: empirical, neurogenic, ectodermal and acquired. Most Russian scientists consider this pathology to be congenital, while foreign colleagues believe that it is a consequence of sacrococcygeal area injuries. This pathology is quite common, affecting more than 5 % of the adult population, it also occurs in children and adolescents. This disease decreases the quality of patients` life significantly, affecting all aspects of their life. Conservative methods of treatment do not provide a complete cure, since they do not eliminate the causes of the disease. These include sclerotherapy and obliteration of the cavity with silver nitrate or hydrochloric acid. These methods are not used nowadays. Surgical treatment is the most effective one for this pathology. Surgical intervention, despite its apparent simplicity, turns out to be quite complex, which makes it inaccessible to any general surgeon. Treatment results are often disappointing due to the high incidence of complications after surgery, as well as the long period of activity limitation. Therefore, the resulting rough scar is a cosmetic defect, and the risk of recurrence remains quite high. Studying the literature data, one can see that the authors` opinions concerning surgical tactics for this disease differ. At the moment, there is no single approach and surgical tactic for the treatment of epithelial pilonidal cyst. The problem of creating and introducing new methods of treatment of pilonidal disease remains relevant nowadays.

Agricultural Water Conservation Methods: Application, Difficulties, and Innovation

The largest growth in water usage among water-using industries has been in agriculture due to the growing need for agricultural goods to feed the world's expanding population. Presently, agricultural water conservation encompasses a range of technologies that are mostly grounded in human understanding, but also include a number of complex strategies that significantly rely on cutting-edge mechanical and electrical techniques. Modern agronomic practices like precision agriculture may conserve water. Precision agriculture is a modern agronomic strategy that may preserve water.Modern agricultural investments, land transfers, and urbanisation have left these irregular and traditionally built villages with an ambiguous and ever-changing land use pattern. This may hinder water-saving adoption. In addition to taking into account the growth of the agricultural sector, the agricultural water management policy prioritises the long-term ecological economy and the sustainability of the water resource supply network. Water needs are predicted to rise significantly by the end of the twenty-first century, particularly for irrigation. Reducing the amount of water used in agriculture is crucial. With temperatures rising and droughts occurring more frequently in many nations, water is a vital component of agricultural output. Certain technology-based practices coupled with efficient farmers and humans management of water resources will be the key features for improving water conservation.

On the underestimation of the significance of environmental impacts in Peru: an approach using homogeneous units

ABSTRACT This study examines the reliability of the Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) in Peru, focusing on projects predicted to have high negative impacts. It highlights the discrepancy between the expected and the estimated impacts in EISs, revealing a general trend of underestimating the environmental significance of projects, particularly in areas free from industrial activities. The study critiques the application of the Gomez Orea Method, originally successful under Spanish regulations but problematic in its Peruvian applications, as evidenced by inconsistencies in the methodologies and a lack of bibliographic and regulatory support for the indicators used. The analysis covers seven EISs involving hydroelectric and mineral exploitation projects. It identifies a recurrent pattern where despite the significant potential impacts of these projects on water quality, ecosystems, and biodiversity, the impacts are predominantly classified as ‘Compatible’ or low. This underestimation results in 97.37% of impacts being categorized as low, contradicting the projects’ initial high-risk classification. Moreover, the study compares the Gomez Orea Method with the Conesa Method, a more conservative approach, finding significant methodological differences affecting impact significance estimations. The study advocates for enhanced Environmental Impact Assessment practices in Peru, suggesting the adoption of more conservative assessment methods to accurately gauge and mitigate environmental impacts.

The Development of a Procedure for the Cryopreservation of the Callus of Anthurium andraeanum by Vitrification.

The cryopreservation of Anthurium andraeanum germplasm resources is extremely important for the production and selection of new varieties. At present, the cryopreservation procedure for the callus of A. andraeanum has not been established. In this study, the leaves of A. andraeanum were used as explants to culture the callus. The cryopreservation procedure of the callus by vitrification was initially established by using the orthogonal experimental method of four factors and three levels in the preculture, loading, and dehydration steps. Furthermore, the vitrification-based cryopreservation was optimized by changing the preculture temperature and loading solution and adding exogenous substances to the plant vitrification solution (PVS2). In this procedure, the callus was precultured at 25 °C for 2 d, and loaded in 50% PVS2 at 25 °C for 60 min. The callus was dehydrated with PVS2 containing 0.08 mM reduced glutathione (GSH) at 0 °C for 60 min. After rapid-cooling in liquid nitrogen for 1 h, it was rapid-warming in a water bath at 40 °C for 90 s and unloaded for 30 min. After 1 d of recovery, the cell relative survival rate of the cryopreserved callus was 64.60%. The results provide a valuable basic and effective method for the long-term conservation of A. andraeanum germplasm resources.

CONSERVATION AND ARCHIVING MEDICAL RECORDS IN SELECTED HOSPITALS IN YAOUNDÉ

Introduction: Medical records play an important role in the storage and recall of patient’s information, patient’s follow-up, research, teaching, public health policy making and as a medico-legal tool, but less emphasis has been placed on its role in health care delivery. The objective of the study was to appraise the methods of conservation and archiving of medical records in hospitals in the city of Yaoundé.Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the hospitals of Yaoundé between January to June 2023. The Data which was collected from medical record clerks using a self-administered and pre-tested questionnaire included: The profile of the health institution, personal information of the clerks, strategies put in place for the protection of medical records and obstacles in archiving.Results: Twenty hospitals in the city of Yaoundé participated in the study. The public sector represented 65% of the health facilities, 45% had been existing between 21 and 40 years, with a median of 24.5 years. In 70% of the cases, medical records archiving system had been existing between 1 and 10years. In 65% of cases, the conservation of archived records was mainly done at the different services with the paediatric service being the most represented (16.2%). In 87.5% of cases, the means of archiving used was the paper file classified on shelves (73.5%); of which (52.2%) were archived in alphabetical order. The obstacles to archiving medical records were mainly the lack of qualified personnel (82.4%) and the lack of storage space (80.1%).Conclusion: Many obstacles were observed. These results suggest actions to be generated both by the Cameroonian State and by the leaders of private health facilities in order to improve the management of medical records.

Numerical study of effective parameters on deformation and coalescence of ferrofluid droplets under uniform magnetic field

This research examines different numerical techniques for modeling ferrofluids in a non-magnetic liquid subjected to homogeneous and steady magnetic field. It particularly compares the conservative level set method with the Volume of Fluid (VOF) and Simple Coupled Level Set and Volume of Fluid (SCLSVOF) methods. By comparing these methods with experimental data, we established the superiority of the utilized method in this study. Several case studies were conducted to evaluate how a homogeneous magnetic actuation affects ferrofluid dynamics, considering parameters such as initial droplet size, surface tension coefficient, and magnetic susceptibility. Additionally, the study explored the coalescence of two falling ferrofluid droplets under the combined effects of an external magnetic field and gravity. The conservative level set method was shown to be extendable to three-dimensional environments, unlike the standard level set method. The novelty of this work lies in demonstrating that the conservative level set method is particularly effective for ferrofluids, accurately capturing their complex dynamics. The main novelty of this article lies in demonstrating the precision of Conservative Level Set Method while utilizing a reduced number of equations compared to other works. This reduction in complexity enhances the method's efficiency without compromising precision, making it especially suited for applications requiring both speed and accuracy, such as model-based control systems.

COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONSERVATIVE AND SURGIRAL TREATMENT OF GENERALIZED PERIODONTITIS

In the complex treatment of generalized periodontitis, special attention is paid to the correct combination of conservative and surgical methods of treatment, which reduce the activity of destructive processes in periodontal tissues and restore the lost anatomy [1-9]. However, despite various additions and modifications, conservative and surgical interventions on the periodontal itself do not create sufficient conditions for effective relief of pathological processes and restoration of periodontal tissues [10-18]. In some cases, the use of new technologies, including the use of occupational hygiene, dental splints and other conservative methods of treatment, does not lead to the stabilization of destructive processes in the alveolar process, and in some cases contributes to the further destruction of periodontal tissues and surrounding bone tissue with the formation of defects of various sizes. The problem of dental preservation in patients with generalized periodontitis of II-III severity is still relevant. The organizational inconsistency of dentists of different specialties, the lack of a real medical examination of patients with periodontal disease create prerequisites for the interruption of treatment at the level of conservative therapeutic agents and the active course of destruction of bone tissue of alveolar processes.

Upwind block-centered multistep differences for semiconductor device problem with heat and magnetic influences

In this paper, a mathematical model of semiconductor device with two important factors is discussed. Heat and magnetic influences are considered together. Its numerical approximation is important in information science and other technological innovation fields. The major physical unknowns (the potential, electron concentration, hole concentration, and the heat) are defined by four nonlinear PDEs: an elliptic equation, two convection-diffusion equations and a heat conductor equation. A conservative block-centered method is used to approximate the elliptic equation. The derivatives to time t, ∂∂t(⋅), are discretized by multistep differences for improving the computational accuracy. The diffusions and convection terms are treated by block-centered differences and upwind approximations, respectively. This composite numerical method is suitable for this nonlinear system. Firstly, numerical dispersion and nonphysical oscillations are avoided. Secondly, the unknowns and their adjoint vectors are obtained simultaneously. Thirdly, the law of conservation is preserved. An error estimates is derived. Finally, simple examples are given for showing the efficiency and accuracy.

Comparative analysis of Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy versus conservative surgical strategies for giant hepatic hydatid cysts: A retrospective study

BackgroundThis retrospective study addressed the challenge of postoperative biliary fistula, a common complication observed after surgical management of giant hepatic hydatid cysts. The primary objective was to compare the efficacy and safety of conservative surgical techniques versus prophylactic Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy (R-en-Y CJ) in addressing residual cavity. MethodsRetrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent surgical intervention for giant hepatic hydatid cysts with cysto-biliary communication from July 2021 to Jan 2024. Preoperative laboratory tests, imaging studies, surgical procedures, and postoperative outcomes were reviewed from medical records. Results32 patients who underwent surgery for giant hepatic hydatid cysts were included. There were 19 (59.38%) female patients, with a mean age of cohort was 39.13 years. The patients were divided into two groups with respect to the treatment modality: Group A (n = 14), treated with conservative surgical techniques and R-en-Y CJ, and Group B (n = 18), treated with conservative surgical methods. The overall cavity-related complications occurred in 9/18 (50%) in Group B, whereas 2/14 patients (14.29%) in Group A during the follow-up period (p < 0.05). ConclusionR-en-Y CJ is an effective and safe surgical procedure for tackling residual cavities in giant hepatic hydatid cysts with cysto-biliary communication.

When blood is not an option. The awareness of bloodless medicine among Polish nurses

ObjectivesBlood transfusions (BTs) are generally safe and potentially life-saving but come with risks. The World Health Organization advocates reducing unnecessary transfusions and using patient blood management strategies and techniques. However, providing bloodless medical care to patients who prefer to avoid blood-related treatments is a challenge. This is because healthcare professionals’ beliefs about blood transfusion may not align with those of their patients. This study delves into Polish nursing personnel's attitudes toward bloodless medicine (BM), highlighting the potential gap between their knowledge and patient needs. MethodsWe conducted an online survey among 202 Polish nurses on non-blood management techniques, risks related to BT and BM, and nurses’ educational needs regarding BM. ResultsAlthough many nurses had some knowledge of BM, Polish nurses’ awareness of non-blood management techniques is relatively low: while less than half knew alternative treatment methods and drugs used in BM, many were unaware of the various risks or side effects related to BM. It also shows that more than three-quarters of nurses believed that patients should have the right to make an informed refusal of BT. While 87.1% of nurses rated their knowledge about BM insufficient or very poor, 66.3% did not feel prepared to care for patients who require non-blood management techniques. ConclusionsThis study underscores the urgent need to educate nurses on blood conservation methods, blood substitutes, and techniques of non-blood management. Incorporating these into the nursing curriculum is crucial for patients’ safety and well-being and our healthcare system's effectiveness. The potential impact of these findings on the healthcare system is significant, underlining the urgency and importance of addressing the knowledge gap in non-blood management techniques. Public Interest SummaryAlthough the World Health Organization recommends using non-blood management techniques, most nurses providing bloodless medical care to patients who wish to avoid blood transfusion do not feel prepared to care for such patients. This study describes the attitudes of Polish nursing personnel toward bloodless medicine. It demonstrates that Polish nurses do not possess knowledge of non-blood management techniques, and their awareness of patient blood management methods and drugs used in bloodless medicine is low. However, it also reveals a positive aspect: Most Polish nurses are interested in broadening their knowledge of bloodless medicine. This strong motivation to improve their skills and knowledge in this area is encouraging and should be harnessed to drive positive change in the field of bloodless medicine.

Windows of Insight: A Review on Stained Glass Research Trends

This study uses Scopus data from 1855 to 2023 to examine key trends and developments in stained glass research, showing a notable increase in academic work after 2000. This growth is linked to advances in digital technology and wider global access, allowing for interdisciplinary research combining materials science, engineering, and cultural studies. New technologies, such as hyperspectral imaging and laser cleaning, have significantly improved conservation methods. The study also shows an increasing contribution from the United States, alongside the continued leadership of Europe, with more diverse sources of funding reflecting global investment in stained glass research. By offering a comprehensive, long-term analysis, this review fills gaps in previous studies by addressing the lack of integrated research across different fields and regions. It provides useful insights for future research, policy-making, and conservation efforts, highlighting the global importance of stained glass. The findings emphasize its continuing relevance to art, technology, and cultural heritage preservation.

СОВРЕМЕННОЕ ЛЕЧЕНИЕ РУБЦОВОЙ ДЕФОРМАЦИИ ТКАНЕЙ

The problem of scar treatment is one of the most widespread in modern medicine. Treatment of scar formations is one of the most difficult tasks, as there is no single standard that is favorable in terms of efficacy and safety despite the active development in this area of research. Currently, conservative methods of treatment of scar tissue deformities such as corticosteroid administration, botulinum therapy, cryotherapy, microneedling, as well as surgical excision in combination with therapeutic methods are widely used, due to which the most favorable result is achieved. This study is devoted to the study of various modern methods of correction of hypertrophic and keloid scars that are becoming widespread in medicine, their comparison and identification of important advantages and disadvantages in order to choose the most effective treatment technique. Currently used conservative methods of treatment allow to cope with the problem of scar formations, but due to the high incidence of side effects, there is a tendency to search for the combined use of each of them, including with surgical excision to prevent the development of recurrences and to achieve a pronounced cosmetic effect and satisfaction among patients. Thanks to the constant development of medicine and the improvement of various methods, each patient can receive a personalized treatment approach that is guaranteed to reduce aesthetic discomfort due to the existing pathology, which is the main and important aspect of scar correction.

Farmers&amp;apos; Awareness of Land Degradation and Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in Hidebu Abote, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, land degradation is a serious problem that affects both overall economic growth and agricultural output. Even while nutrient depletion, soil erosion, and deteriorating soil quality are serious issues, many land conservation initiatives today neglect to consider the expertise of farmers and local requirements. This study&amp;apos;s primary goal was to evaluate farmers&amp;apos; knowledge of land degradation and their practice of soil and water conservation techniques in Ethiopia&amp;apos;s Hidebu Abote. Data were gathered through focus groups, key informant interviews, household surveys, secondary data analysis, and focus groups. According to the findings, over 75% of the participants were aware of the factors that contribute to land degradation, such as poverty, rocky terrain, bad farming techniques, overgrazing, overcultivation, and soil erosion. Farmers used techniques such as contour farming, fallowing, fanyajuu, cut-off drains, soil bunds, and manure application in addition to more modern methods of conserving water and soil. The adoption of soil and water conservation methods by farmers was impacted by several factors such as age, gender, size of family, educational background, NGOs&amp;apos; incentives, farm size, land tenure, and distance from homestead. The study indicates that encouraging farmers to manage and conserve their land should be the priority for any policy or program aiming at land resource management and soil conservation. Policymakers and development professionals can use the findings as guidance to create efficient interventions to alleviate land degradation in the research area and other comparable contexts.

Масляная живопись на бумажной основе: проблемы исследования повреждений бумаги, консервации и реставрации

The study aims to assess the condition of the paper support of oil paintings under the influence of natural aging factors in order to determine methods of conservation and restoration of oil paintings on paper. The article presents examples of the impact of oil paint binder on the paper support of art objects from the collections of St. Petersburg museums. The study shows possible variations of damage to the paintings’ support. Factors influencing the degree of oil binder absorption into the paper support are presented based on published research on this topic. The scientific novelty of the study lies in an attempt to systematize the influence of various factors on destructive changes in the paper support of oil paintings to identify the possibilities of conservation and restoration of these objects. Comprehensive research on oil painting on paper as a holistic object of restoration and conservation is absent in Russian and modern historiography, although separate methods of restoring graphic works and oil paintings exist. Based on a wide range of sources, the impact of oil paint binder on the paper support has been comprehensively examined. The study analyzed the experience of restoration presented in sources, systematized the obtained data, and identified the main factors of destruction. Particular attention was paid to the mutual influence of oil-absorbing properties of paint pigments depending on the method of preparing the support for painting. As a result of the work, the patterns of influence of oil paint binder on the paper support of paintings were identified based on published sources and tests on model samples.

Conservative Management of mild symptomatic descending thoracic aneurysm – A case report with 1year follow-up

Background: The thoracic aorta is made up of the ascending, descending, aortic arch, and aortic root. An aneurysm forms when the artery's usual diameter increases by fifty percent. Thoracic aneurysms affect 10 of every 100,000 elderly adults and are less common than their abdominal counterparts. Patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) rarely experience symptoms, and 95% of TAA patients are asymptomatic. Case history: A 47-year-old male patient who had a medical history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking. During the first visit, the patient presented with two months of dull back pain. The patient's blood pressure was 180/110 mm of Hg. Our initial assessment involved taking an X-ray and an echocardiography of the patient's chest. The data from his echocardiography and chest reveals that he has a thoracic aneurysm. After a confirmatory CT scan, the diagnosis of thoracic aortic aneurysm was made. Conclusion: In our case report, conservative method was successful in the management of a mild symptomatic descending thoracic aorta aneurysm. However, the size, growth pace, and underlying cause of an aortic aneurysm might all affect whether doctors recommend surgery to repair it. If an aneurysm ruptures or dissects, immediate surgery may be required. J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll 2023; 15(1): 87-90

Effectiveness of Local Glucocorticoid Infiltration Versus Traditional Gauze Bandaging for the Treatment of Onychocryptosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Local intralesional corticosteroid injections into the periungual fold are used to treat patients with onychocryptosis, but their short- or medium-term effects are unknown. The goal was to compare the efficacy of this treatment in stages IIa, IIb, and III of the condition with a common conservative method such as gauze bandaging. A two-arm randomized trial with 40 patients with stage IIa, IIb, and III onychocryptosis equally assigned into two treatment groups-control (spiculotomy and application of gauze bandaging) and experimental group (spiculotomy and infiltration of corticosteroid)-was performed. Anthropometric data, initial clinical status, pain, and inflammatory measures were collected before and at least one month after the intervention. Pain reduction was higher in the experimental group (5.5 vs. 4.8 points) but with no significant differences (p = 0.306).Corticosteroids significantly reduced inflammation over gauze bandaging (1.9 vs. 1) with significant differences between them (p = 0.029). Corticosteroid infiltration was more effective than gauze bandaging application in reducing inflammation in patients with onychocryptosis, with similar effects on pain. These findings support the clinical importance of corticosteroid treatment for this condition, although a single infiltration may not be sufficient to prevent relapses.

Treatment Options for Plantar Fasciitis: Surgical Release vs. Conservative Therapy

Introduction Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common reasons for visits to orthopedic clinics. This tendinopathy can cause medial heel pain, stiffness, and tenderness on the plantar surface of the foot. Both conservative and surgical methods are employed in its treatment. Aim The aim of this study is to evaluate selected conservative treatment methods, such as stretching, the use of orthotic insoles, splints, injections, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, and taping, as well as surgical treatment options. The study presents a comparison of these methods in terms of their effectiveness, advantages, and disadvantages. State of Knowledge The plantar fascia is a stiff, connective tissue structure extending along the plantar surface of the foot. Biomechanical load on the fascia, which supports the medial longitudinal arch, can lead to degenerative changes that underlie plantar fasciitis. Symptoms include pain, particularly in the mornings and late evenings, which intensifies with palpation of the heel area. Summary (Conclusions) Conservative treatments for plantar fasciitis are effective in 90% of patients. There are no studies that conclusively demonstrate the superiority of one treatment method over another. Thus, the choice of therapy should be tailored to the patient's lifestyle, activity level, and financial capability. Surgical intervention is necessary in cases of chronic plantar fasciitis which remains resistant to conservative treatments.

Treating Chronic Tendinopathy: Physical Therapy, Surgery and Other Form of Therapy

Introduction: The term "tendinopathy" refers to pathological changes in tendons. The previously used term "tendonitis" does not fully capture the nature of the condition, as inflammatory changes, when present, are secondary to degenerative damage. Tendinopathies are quite common in the general population. Aim: The aim of this review is to characterize various types of tendinopathies, with a focus on both conservative and surgical treatment methods, in order to organize available information that may be helpful for clinicians in their practice. State of Knowledge: Chronic tendinopathies develop as a result of multiple factors. The most significant include improper exercise techniques, excessive strain, and musculoskeletal system abnormalities. Summary (Conclusions): The approach to tendinopathy treatment should vary depending on the patient's clinical condition and provoking factors. Physiotherapy plays the most important role, along with supportive methods such as analgesic pharmacotherapy and cryotherapy. Surgical intervention may be necessary in cases where conservative treatment fails.

A Local Macroscopic Conservative (LoMaC) Low Rank Tensor Method for the Vlasov Dynamics

In this paper, we propose a novel Local Macroscopic Conservative (LoMaC) low rank tensor method for simulating the Vlasov-Poisson (VP) system. The LoMaC property refers to the exact local conservation of macroscopic mass, momentum and energy at the discrete level. This is a follow-up work of our previous development of a conservative low rank tensor approach for Vlasov dynamics (arXiv:2201.10397). In that work, we applied a low rank tensor method with a conservative singular value decomposition to the high dimensional VP system to mitigate the curse of dimensionality, while maintaining the local conservation of mass and momentum. However, energy conservation is not guaranteed, which is a critical property to avoid unphysical plasma self-heating or cooling. The new ingredient in the LoMaC low rank tensor algorithm is that we simultaneously evolve the macroscopic conservation laws of mass, momentum and energy using a flux-difference form with kinetic flux vector splitting; then the LoMaC property is realized by projecting the low rank kinetic solution onto a subspace that shares the same macroscopic observables by a conservative orthogonal projection. The algorithm is extended to the high dimensional problems by hierarchical Tuck decomposition of solution tensors and a corresponding conservative projection algorithm. Extensive numerical tests on the VP system are showcased for the algorithm’s efficacy.