Subjective Sensation Research Articles

Local image descriptor developed from Fechner’s law

Human perception of visual stimulus and its physical characteristics have a nonlinear-logarithmic relation as stated in Fechner’s law, which is a psychophysical law of perception (i.e., subjective sensation). Inspired by Fechner’s law, we use the salient differences among pixels in images as the physical characteristics to mimic the human pattern perception and propose a Fechner local image descriptor (FLID) for face image representation. FLID is a nonlinear descriptor, so the represented image is more hierarchical than the general linear one. In addition, a threshold method is used to divide the features into four different intervals, which can effectively reduce the effects of noise and illumination. However, considering that FLID only extracts the local features of single-scale blocks, we incorporate multi-scale block into FLID and propose a multi-scale block Fechner local image descriptor (MB-FLID) to extract more global structural features. In the experimental part, we verified the performance of FLID and MB-FLID on the Face Recognition Technology (FERET), extended Yale-B, Olivetti Research Laboratories, Yale, and AR face databases, and compared them with a host of other local feature descriptors. The experimental results show that the proposed FLID and MB-FLID outperform the compared descriptors.

Effect of percutaneous electrical stimulation with high-frequency alternating currents at 30 kHz on the sensory-motor system.

Unmodulated high-frequency alternating currents (HFAC) are employed for producing peripheral nerves block. HFAC have been applied in humans with frequencies up to 20 kHz, whether transcutaneously, percutaneously, or via surgically-implanted electrodes. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of percutaneous HFAC, applied with ultrasound-guided needles at 30 kHz, on the sensory-motor nerve conduction of healthy volunteers. A parallel, double-blind, randomized clinical trial with a placebo control was conducted. Percutaneous HFAC at 30 kHz or sham stimulation was applied via ultrasound-guided needles in 48 healthy volunteers (n = 24 in each group) for 20 min. The assessed outcome variables were pressure pain threshold (PPT), mechanical detection threshold (MDT), maximal finger flexion strength (MFFS), antidromic sensory nerve action potential (SNAP), hand temperature, and subjective sensations by the participants. The measurements were recorded pre-intervention, during the stimulation (at 15 min), immediately post-intervention (at 20 min), and 15 min after the end of treatment. The PPT increased in the active group compared with sham stimulation, both during the intervention [14.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.4-25.0], immediately post-intervention (16.9%; 95% CI: -7.2-26.5), and 15 min after the end of the stimulation (14.3%; 95% CI: 4.4-24.3) (p < 0.01). The proportion of participants who reported feelings of numbness and heaviness was significantly higher in the active group (46 and 50%, respectively) than in the sham group (8 and 18%, respectively) (p < 0.05). No intergroup differences were observed in the remaining outcome variables. No unexpected adverse effects derived from the electrical stimulation were reported. Percutaneous stimulation with HFAC at 30 kHz applied to the median nerve increased the PPT and subjective perception of numbness and heaviness. Future research should evaluate its potential therapeutic effect in people with pain. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04884932, identifier NCT04884932.

Medium-term results of total wrist arthroplasty with ceramic implants

Objective. Arthritis of the wrist joint can cause significant pain and decreased motion, resulting in a significant impact on quality of life. Total wrist Arthroplasty can provide pain relief and motion in these patients. Ceramic implants can be used in arthroplasty, but their longer-term performance in the wrist remains unknown. The purpose of the study was to review outcomes utilizing a ceramic total wrist arthroplasty.Material and Methods. А consistent ceramic arthroplasty technique and postoperative regimen was performed. The number of observations subjected to preoperative analysis at Novosibirsk Research Institute for Traumatology and Orthopedics is 63. The results of the study and the nature of the changes determine the indications for wrist arthroplasty. The average observation period was 8 years. Medium-term results were evaluated in 35 patients operated on between 2010 and 2017. The article evaluated three main time points: before the operational intervention, 2017 and 2019. Comparable results of objective and subjective evaluation of the intervention are indicated. X-ray methods and questionnaires were used to analyze the material: the Visual Analogue Pain Syndrome Scale (VAS), the Mayo Clinic Wrist Function Scale (MWS), and the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH). All patients underwent total wrist arthroplasty with ceramic endoprosthesis. In one patient, total arthroplasty of both wrists were performed, which corresponds to two clinical cases, in all other cases surgical treatment was carried out on one wrist joint.Results. At the preoperative stage, according to the DASH scale, the result was from 15.8 to 86.2 points, the median was 69.2 (56.2; 76.5) points. Performance characteristics and subjective sensations in the joint according to the MWS questionnaire ranged from 0 to 70, median 30 (15; 45) points. The assessment of the initial state of patients according to the Mayo clinic scale corresponded to very poor results of adaptation and functional activity. The value of the pain scale had indicators from 0 to 10 points, the median was 7 (5; 8) points.In 2017 (second time point), the mean VAS pain score decreased by 2.35 times (by 3.9 points, p &lt; 0.0001), the mean DASH score decreased by 2.64 times (by 40.9 points, p &lt; 0.0001), the average score of the MWS questionnaire increased 1.84 times (by 25.4 points, p &lt; 0.0001). In 2019 (third time point), the average pain syndrome score on the VAS scale decreased by 2.19 times (by 3.7 points, p &lt; 0.0001) compared to the first point; the average score on the DASH scale decreased by 2.25 times (by 36.6 points, p &lt; 0.0001) compared to the first point; the mean score of the MWS questionnaire increased by 1.99 times (by 29.8 points, p &lt; 0.0001) compared to the first point.Conclusions. 1. In the vast majority of cases, there is an increase in the volume of movements in the wrist joint compared to the original condition. 2. According to the results of a midterm study, stability and positive dynamics are noted. 3. Pain syndrome decreases or disappears completely. 4. Preservation of physiological mobility of bones of distal row of wrist contributes to redistribution of force action (damping) and stabilization of components in long period of time. 5. We divide the postoperative period for orthopedic pathology into the nearest (in the hospital), early (up to 2 years), medium-term (2-8 years) and long-term (more than 8 years).

An experimental study of thermal performance of the radiant ceiling cooling in office building in Thailand

This paper investigated the radiant ceiling cooling in office buildings in a tropical hot humid climate. Full-scale experiments were conducted in an outdoor laboratory chamber to observe the indoor thermal conditions and the envelope heat gain from the intermittent operation of the installed radiant chilled panels (RCP) coupled with an outdoor air unit (OAU). The radiant system was also modeled by using a simulation software namely Transient System Simulation Software (TRNSYS), and the calculation results from the model were compared to the experimental observations. In the simulation part, the validated TRNSYS model was adopted to assess the radiant system performance in a typical office environment under the four schemes of combinations of the technology options for the OAU and the building envelope. The perceived comfort from the radiant cooling was assessed based on the thermal sensation of the local subjects acclimatized to hot humid climate. The energy consumption of the radiant cooling was also apprised as opposed to the conventional mixed-air system. The simulation results presented an insight into the importance of the exhaust air heat recovery and the envelope insulation on energy saving and human comfort improvement for the radiant cooling.

Clinical and Morphological Evaluation of Erosive and Ulcerative Gastric Lesions in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

One of the most important problems associated with the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is erosive-ulcerative lesions (EUL) of the gastroduodenal zone, which is associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Our research aims to study the clinical and histo-morphological criteria for forming the EUL of the gastroduodenal zone in patients with RA. Patients were divided into 3 groups, depending on the presence of an EUL, according to Fibrogastroduodenoscopy (FGDS) data with a negative test for H. pylori. Group 1 included RA patients without EUL (n = 18), group 2 RA patients with erosive lesions of the gastroduodenal zone (n = 57), and group 3 consisted of RA patients with ulcerative lesions (n = 17). As a norm, we used data from a survey of 18 healthy donors corresponding to RA patient's age and sex distribution, where no somatic pathology was revealed. GSRS questionnaire was used for assessment of subjective symptoms. For histomorphological studies, biopsy specimens were taken during FGDS using an Olympus Evis Exera II digital video endoscope. Patients of RA with EUL in the gastro-duodenal zone were significantly different from the group of healthy donors and patients of group 1 by the severity of 5 symptoms related to the upper gastrointestinal tract according to the GSRS questionnaire, including abdominal pain, heartburn, belching acid, a feeling of sucking and burning in epigastria, nausea and vomiting. In general, there were no clinically significant differences between the frequency of occurrence and the severity of symptoms on the GSRS scale between group 2 and group 3, except for complaints of heartburn. So, RA patients of group 3 had a higher rate of heartburn feeling of 3.0 (2.0-3.0) points than patients of group 2 with 2.0 (1.0-2.0) points. The development of a EUL of the gastroduodenal zone in patients with RA is associated with low activity of inflammation in all studied slides, regardless of structurally destructive changes in the stomach and duodenum and compensatory hyperplastic reactions in the superficial layer of mucosa membrane, which can be determined by minimal subjective sensations or even complete absence of clinical manifestations with the formation of "silent ulcers", complicated by bleeding and perforation.

NEUROMUSCULAR TAPING APPLICATION TO REDUCE WORK-RELATED TENSION NECK SYNDROME IN “BATIK” MANUAL LABOR WORKERS: A PILOT-CONTROLLED TRIAL

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of NeuroMuscular Taping (NMT) in pain and neck disability in reducing work-related musculoskeletal stress. Methods: This study was conducted on 20 workers, with an age mean of about 53.85 years who work in the home industry of “Batik-Village” in Solo Indonesia that were divided into two groups. Intervention groups ([Formula: see text] = 10) received NMT application, while control groups ([Formula: see text] = 10) received sham treatment by the traditional approach. The collected data covered the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain and the Neck Disability Index (NDI) for a neck disability. Evaluations were made at four points of time: before, after 3 times, after 6 times of NMT application, and follow-up 15 days after the last application with mirroring duration on the control group. Results: Intervention group showed reduction on pain ([Formula: see text] = 0.000) and neck disability ([Formula: see text] = 0.000) during the intervention but only pain has prolonged effect on follow-up ([Formula: see text] = 0.001). Conclusion: NMT application to painful neck muscles in manual labor workers decreases their subjective sensation of pain during the work, after work, and after the tape removal.

An early clinical comparative study on total knee arthroplasty with kinematic alignment using specific instruments versus mechanical alignment in varus knees.

The kinematic alignment technique, as one of the alignment options for total knee arthroplasty, has attracted increasing attention from orthopedic surgeons and has been increasingly performed in the most populous countries in the world. The purpose of this study is to explore and compare the early clinical outcomes of total knee arthroplasty with KA using specific instruments vs. mechanical alignment in our nation. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent unilateral total knee arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity. Depending on the alignment method, patients were divided into a kinematically aligned total knee arthroplasty (KA-TKA) group and a mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasty (MA-TKA) group. The hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle before and after surgery, the knee joint clinical score (KS-C), the knee joint functional score (KS-F) and the forgotten joint score (FJS) at 3months and 2 years after surgery were recorded and statistically analyzed. A total of 126 patients were enrolled, including 65 in the KA-TKA group and 61 in the MA-TKA group. The mean follow-up period was 30.8 months. The postoperative HKA angle was not significantly different at the 2-year follow-up between the two groups (P > 0.05). The KS-C, KS-F and FJS scores in the KA-TKA group were higher than those in the MA-TKA group at 3 months after surgery, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). At the 2-year follow-up, the KS-C, KS-F and FJS scores in the KA-TKA group were higher than those in the MA-TKA group, and the difference in the KS-C and FJS scores was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Patients who underwent KA-TKA had a postoperative lower limb alignment similar to that of those who underwent MA-TKA. The clinical outcomes of KA-TKA were superior to those of MA-TKA in terms of clinical performance, knee function and subjective sensation up to 2 years after surgery.

Evaluation of the dynamics of symptoms of dyspepsia after eradication therapy in patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis

The treatment of functional dyspepsia remains a complex and incompletely resolved issue of gastroenterology. Subjective sensations of the patient, described as a feeling of fullness in the epigastrium after eating, early satiety, pain in the epigastrium, may be a manifestation of dyspepsia associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Aim was evaluation of the effectiveness of standard triple eradication therapy enhanced with bismuth tripotassium dicitrate for the relief of symptoms of dyspepsia in patients with H. pylori-associated chronic gastritis. Materials and Methods. The study involved 38 patients with H. pylori-associated chronic gastritis with symptoms of dyspepsia. The Questionnaire “7 × 7” was used to describe the dynamics of symptoms of dyspepsia. Results. At the initial examination, dyspeptic disorders in most patients corresponded the criteria for mild and moderate severity, respectively - 44.7% and 28.9% of patients. The severity of pain in the stomach area on average corresponded to a moderate pain syndrome, and the burning sensation was of low intensity. A feeling of fullness in the stomach after eating and/or early satiety was experienced by 76.3% of patients, pain disorders were observed in 92.1% of individuals. Two months after successful eradication treatment, complete relief of dyspepsia symptoms was noted in 57.9% of patients, and significant relief of symptoms of the combined form of dyspepsia in 23.7% of individuals. Conclusions: Successful standard triple eradication therapy enhanced with bismuth tripotassium dicitrate is effective for the treatment of dyspeptic symptoms in patients with H. pylori-associated chronic gastritis.

Asking about Risk in a Company: A New Approach to Learning ISO 45001 in Engineering Programs

This paper proposes a workflow so that engineering scholars can learn to ask effective questions to establish systems of consultation to workers following the indications of the international standard ISO 45001 “Occupational health and safety management systems” (Chapter 5.1) in the context of a medium-size developer and construction company. The methodology has been specifically designed to assess whether it is possible for students to acquire skills in ISO 45001 by developing an innovative method for their own employee questionnaires, and this new standard requires professionals who know how to apply the fundamentals in an industrial context. An experiment with 31 mechanical engineering students was carried out. The new methodology was applied based on three learning levels: large group, working group, and individual student. Different research instruments have been applied to evaluate how they perceive the activity with respect to the usefulness for learning and adaptation to reality. It has also tried to evaluate the subjective sensation during the development of the activity: feelings of happiness, self-confidence, and satisfaction of the scholars. The results show that students considered the activity as interesting, useful for learning, and adapted to reality, posing an important challenge that may have served to improve intrinsic motivation in the learning of management systems.

Perspectives of Motor Functional Upper Extremity Recovery with the Use of Immersive Virtual Reality in Stroke Patients.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability, including loss of hand manipulative skills. It constitutes a major limitation in independence and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Among the numerous accessible physiotherapeutic methods, it is becoming more common to apply Virtual Reality "VR". The aim of this study was to establish whether immersive VR was worth considering as a form of physical therapy and the advisability of applying it in restoring post-stroke hand function impairment. A proprietary application Virtual Mirror Hand 1.0 was used in the research and its effectiveness in therapy was compared to classical mirror therapy. A total of 20 survivors after ischaemic stroke with comparable functional status were divided into a study group (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). Diagnostic tools included 36-Item Short Form Survey "SF-36" and the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity "FMA-UE". Collected metrics showed a normal distribution and the differences in mean values were tested by the student's t-test. In both, the study and control groups' changes were recorded. A statistically significant outcome for FMA-UE and SF-36 measured by the student's t-test for dependent or independent samples (p &gt; 0.05) were obtained in both groups. Importantly, proven by conducted studies, an advantage of VR proprietary application was subjective sensations amelioration in pain and sensory impressions. Applying Virtual Mirror Hand 1.0 treatment to patients after a stroke appears to be a good solution and definitely provides the opportunity to consider VR applications as an integral part of the neurorehabilitation process. These results give a basis to plan further larger-scale observation attempts. Moreover, the development of the Virtual Mirror Hand 1.0 as an innovative application in physiotherapy may become equivalent to classical mirror therapy in improving the quality and effectiveness of the treatment used for post-stroke patients.

Effectiveness of cartoon video as a distraction strategy on pain perception during venepuncture among children

Pain is often a subjective sensation having physiological, psychological and emotional implications for an individual. In a hospital setting, children usually perceive unpredictable pain which is often procedure related that can impact both emotionally and psychologically. Perception of pain varies with multiple factors such as age, gender, intellectual level, personality, parental care and previous experience of painful procedure/ suppression of pain using pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic measures. Our study aimed to assess the effectiveness of animated cartoons as a distraction strategy to reduce behavioral response to pain perception among children undergoing venepuncture and to assess and compare pain perception in children with and without cartoon distraction. We had total of 60 children participated in the study group, we found that children who were distracted perceived less pain (p &lt; 0.001), also the number of attempts required to do venepuncture also reduced significantly (p &lt; 0.001). We concluded that, distraction technique is a simple yet effective tool in alleviating pain during venepuncture in preschool children. This technique can help in reduction of anxiety among children.

FTO genotypes (rs9939609 T>A) are Associated with Increased Added Sugar Intake in Healthy Young Adults

Introduction: Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs9939609 in the FTO gene has been associated with dietary intake and appetite traits, mainly in participants with obesity; however, it remains widely unexplored in normal weight participants. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to compare the changes in subjective appetite sensations, ghrelin, and insulin concentrations according to the SNP rs9939609 T>A in FTO and (2) to compare dietary intake between rs9939609 genotype groups in normal weight young participants. Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study involving 88 normal weight participants to analyze subjective perception of appetite, hormonal response for hunger and satiety, and dietary intake according to the rs9939609 SNP. Participants received a standardized single breakfast. Visual analogue scales (VAS) were utilized for assessing the subjective perception of appetite at fasting and immediately after breakfast and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min postprandially. Glucose, lipid profile, ghrelin, and insulin were measured at fasting and at 120 min after breakfast. Dietary intake was assessed with a 3-day food record. The SNP was determined by allelic discrimination with TaqMan probes. To compare dietetic, biochemical, and the subjective appetite sensations, Student t test, ANCOVA test, and the repeated measures ANOVA were used. The linear regression model and the linear mixed model were used for the association analysis. Pearson correlation was used to test the correlation between two quantitative variables. Results: A total of 88 people participated, 81.8% were female, with a mean body mass index of 21.8 ± 2.0 kg/m² and a mean age of 20.6 ± 2.0. Genotype frequencies of the rs9939609 SNP were 52% for the TT allele and 48% for the TA/AA. The subjective perception of appetite named hunger, fullness, satiety, desire to eat, and prospective food consumption were similar between genotypes of the rs9939609. Participants with the TA/AA genotype showed a higher intake of added sugar (p = 0.039) than TT participants. No differences were found in ghrelin, insulin, glucose, or lipid parameters between genotypes. Conclusion: Carriers of the A allele from FTO gene SNP rs9939609 may have an increased preference for foods, specifically for added sugars.

Physiological Effects of Using Citrus Mint Flavored Mouthwash

This study aimed to investigate the effect of flavored mouthwash on peripheral and cardiac autonomic nervous system activity. In a within-subject experimental design, 10 male and 10 female healthy adults went through two types of mouthwashes, one was with citrus mint flavor and another was with spice mint flavor, right after performing a 20-minute calculation task given as a cognitive stressor. Along with subjective evaluation, skin conductance and electrocardiogram was recorded throughout the experiment. Although there was no difference in the subjective stress levels between the two conditions, the level of skin conductance decreased more remarkably and significantly during the recovery period when the participants used citrus mint mouthwash. The findings suggest that a particular flavored mouthwash may provide physiological effect on user regardless of its subjective sensation and the citrus mint type mouthwash might be better suited for use in need of a relaxation.

Герпесвірусна інфекція. Оптимізація місцевого лікування

Considering the numerous clinical manifestations of herpes infection, the long recurrent course of the disease and the lifelong persistence of the virus in the body, its treatment is difficult and not always effective. Now none of the known antiviral drugs is able to eliminate the virus from the human body. The goal – to increase the effectiveness of therapy for patients with herpes virus infection by using an antiviral cream containing menthol. Materials and methods. 33 people suffering from herpes virus infection were under observation. Of these, 19 people had herpes zoster, 14 had HSV, 8 had herpes labialis, and 6 had herpes nasofacialis. The age of the patients ranged from 21 to 69 years. There were 20 women, 13 men. The patients were divided into clinical and therapeutic groups representative of age, gender, and nosological forms. The 1st experimental group included 19 patients, of which 1–9 had herpes simplex virus and 10 – herpes variocele zoster. The 2nd comparison group included 14 people, 5–5 had HSV-1 and 9 had herpes variocele zoster. Patients with herpes zoster received systemic antiviral drugs in complex therapy. Patients with HSV-1 in group I used lipster mint cream topically, patients in group II – cream with acyclovir. Creams were applied 5 times a day in a thin layer to the affected areas. Results. Subjective signs of itching, pain, and burning regressed after the first application of an antiviral cream containing menthol in patients of the 1st group. In the prodromal period 7 patients with HSV group I had an abortive form of herpes infection. In patients of the II group the decrease in subjective sensations was noted on the 2nd-3rd day of treatment. In patients with herpes zoster in both the I and II groups the dynamics of disease regression was equivalent. In patients of the 1st group the subjective feeling significantly decreased after applying the drug, which lasted for 30–40 minutes, and significantly stopped on the 3rd-4th day of treatment. Conclusions. Thus, the use of an antiviral cream containing menthol increases the effectiveness of the therapy of herpes virus infection caused by HSV and herpes zoster, due to the reduction of subjective manifestations: reduction of pain, itching, burning already at the first applications, which improves the quality of life. The use of this agent in the prodromal period prevents the appearance of extensive clinical manifestations of the disease, contributing to the development of abortive forms of herpes virus infection. The cream ensures rapid positive dynamics of the elements and prevents the development of secondary infection.

Thermal comfort prediction considering thermal adaptation based on facial temperature using thermal images and subjective indexes

The aim of this study is to predict thermal comfort based on a subjective evaluation index of occupants and thermal imaging data, which are physiological signals, while considering thermal adaptation. This study was conducted in an office in the winter, and three subjective evaluation indexes were used. Air temperature data was obtained using a specific equipment, and the facial temperature was recorded using a thermal imaging camera. Based on analysis, thermal adaptation yielded different results at the same facial temperature. In previous studies, a facial temperature of 33 °C before thermal adaptation signified discomfort. However, the same facial temperature of 33 °C after thermal adaptation signified comfort. This implies that simple indexes and physiological signals based on thermal imaging are insufficient to predict the subjective thermal sensation of occupants. Therefore, accuracy of thermal comfort prediction can be improved significantly by considering thermal adaptation using the existing subjective evaluation indexes as well as by considering the results of studies pertaining to facial temperature.

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of the effect of herbal medicine on the symptoms of SARS-COV-2 associated pharyngitis and the formation of post-covid syndrome

Pharyngitis is one of the manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which features specific changes in the pharyngoscopic pattern, long fluctuating course and increase in symptoms severity after a physical exercise, which requires long-term therapy with topical agents. A comparative analysis of Tonsilgon N effect on the course of SARS-CoV-2 associated pharyngitis as well as post-COVID syndrome development was carried out in this study. 164 patients with acute pharyngitis associated with SARS-CoV-2 were included in the study. Main group (n=81) received Tonsilgon N oral drops in addition to the standard treatment regimens for pharyngitis and control group (n=83) received standard regimen alone. Treatment regimen lasted for 21 days for both groups, followed by follow up examination in 12 weeks for assessment of post-COVID syndrome development. Patients taking Tonsilgon N showed a statistically significant symptoms improvement in throat pain relief (p=0.002) and throat discomfort (p=0.004), however, no statistically significant difference in two groups were observed in inflammation severity based on pharyngoscopy examination (p=0.558). Addition of Tolzilgon N to the regimen reduced occurrence of secondary bacterial infections and therefore use of antibiotics more than 2.8 times (p<0.001). Compared with the control group long term topical therapy with Tolzilgon N showed no increase in occurrence of side effects such as allergic reactions (p=0.311) as well as subjective burning sensations in the throat (p=0.849). In main group occurrence of post-COVID syndrome was observed 3.3 times less than in the control group (7.2% vs 25.9%, p=0.001). These results give us the ground for indication of Tonsilgon N use in the treatment of viral pharyngitis associated with SARS-CoV 2 infection and in prevention of post-COVID syndrome.

Constructing Bodily Emotion Maps Based on High-Density Body Surface Potentials for Psychophysiological Computing.

Emotion is a complex physiological and psychological activity, accompanied by subjective physiological sensations and objective physiological changes. The body sensation map describes the changes in body sensation associated with emotion in a topographic manner, but it relies on subjective evaluations from participants. Physiological signals are a more reliable measure of emotion, but most research focuses on the central nervous system, neglecting the importance of the peripheral nervous system. In this study, a body surface potential mapping (BSPM) system was constructed, and an experiment was designed to induce emotions and obtain high-density body surface potential information under negative and non-negative emotions. Then, by constructing and analyzing the functional connectivity network of BSPs, the high-density electrophysiological characteristics are obtained and visualized as bodily emotion maps. The results showed that the functional connectivity network of BSPs under negative emotions had denser connections, and emotion maps based on local clustering coefficient (LCC) are consistent with BSMs under negative emotions. in addition, our features can classify negative and non-negative emotions with the highest classification accuracy of 80.77%. In conclusion, this study constructs an emotion map based on high-density BSPs, which offers a novel approach to psychophysiological computing.

Tatoo Ink, Magnetism and Sensation of Burn during Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Introduction of Hand-Held Magnet Testing of Commercial Tattoo Ink Stock Products prior to Use.

Cosmetic tattoos may cause burning sensation during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and interrupt the procedure, and thereby any diagnostic workup. Tattoos also may cause disturbing artefacts in MRI images. The sensation, which can be painful, is due to magnetic elements in the tattoo ink deposited in the tattooed skin. It is not a thermal burn but a subjective sensation of burning. Tattoo ink bottles can be tested for magnetic properties by the artist in the studio, before cosmetic tattooing is performed, using a simple magnet test. This test and the pitfalls of the test are described. Hospital departments and clinics should be aware of the problem, and patients assessed prior to MRI regarding their tattoos, particularly eyebrows and eyeliners made in brown and dark colors. Red tattoos exemplified by tattooed lips are not prone to MRI-induced burning sensation. The problem is related to inorganic pigments with ferromagnetic properties.

Некоторые клинико-лабораторные особенности первичных оториноларингологических проявлений новой коронавирусной инфекции

The beginning of the 21st century was marked by the emergence of a new viral infection that has become a pandemic. Humanity has long been familiar with the coronavirus family. Their pathogenicity concerns mammals, including humans, amphibians, and birds causing diseases of various parts of the respiratory and digestive tracts. In nature, coronaviruses have a strict species identity, not spreading between macroorganisms of different species. However, under the necessary conditions, thanks to the reassortment of genetic material, they – like influenza viruses – are able to mutate and spread between different species. In the process of development, the virus acquired new properties, changing the nature of the course of the disease, giving it a wavelike appearance. These waves differed from each other both in the subjective sensations of patients and in clinical and laboratory manifestations and indicators. The world community and the healthcare systems of many states were not ready for such a test. The main task for dealing with the new coronavirus threat during the first wave of the so-called Wuhan strain since the beginning of 2020 has been the deployment of new hospitalization places as soon as possible and the fight against the terminal stages of the disease. In this regard, in most of the materials currently presented, there is extremely insufficient information about the manifestations of coronavirus infection from the upper respiratory tract. Attempts to understand this problem in more depth reveal a variety of clinical manifestations, a retrospective study of which will contribute to the early detection of the onset of this disease. On the basis of the clinic of otorhinolaryngology, the Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University analyzed the manifestations of a new coronavirus infection from the ENT organs during the pandemic from October 2021 to March 2022.

Influence of comorbid diseases in the elderly on the efficiency complex conservative of pain in efficacy of treatment of back pain in the elderly with comorbidities

The aim of the study: to determine the structure of dorsalgia and comorbid diseases and the possibilities of rehabilitation in elderly patients with degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine (DDSD). The results of observation of 120 elderly patients who received sanatorium treatment in the Urgench sanatorium during 2020-21, aged 60-74 years, were analyzed, including 71 women, 49 men. All patients underwent a neurological examination, X-ray, CT or MRI of the spine, to identify comorbid diseases - ECG, ultrasound of internal organs, consultations with a general practitioner, urologist or gynecologist. According to the literature data and the results obtained, when selecting elderly patients with dorsalgia for treatment, it is necessary to take into account the “red flags” and refer such patients to specialized specialists. In addition, other comorbid diseases are identified in the elderly, which may limit the treatment of drug and physiotherapy (rehabilitation) therapy, which must be considered. Finally, in the elderly, it is necessary to take into account the so-called “yellow flags” - cognitive and depressive manifestations that affect the subjective sensation of pain.