Academy of Physiotheray in Wrocław

Background: To date, various forms of physiotherapy are used in the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS). The effectiveness of physiotherapy for CuTS is inconclusive. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of physiotherapy in the conservative treatment of CuTS. Methods: The six databases were searched from December 2020 to March 2022. The inclusion criteria were randomised controlled trials, case series, and case reports that evaluate the effects of physiotherapy in the treatment of adult participants with diagnosis CuTS. A total of 11 studies met the eligibility criteria, capturing a total of 187 participants. Results: In three types of papers, pain, muscle strength, and limitation of upper limb function were the most frequently assessed characteristics. Physiotherapy was most often based on manual therapy, neurodynamic techniques, and electrical modalities. One clinical trial rated the risk of bias “high” and the other two “some concerns”. In case-series designs, five studies rated the risk of bias as “serious” and three as “moderate”. Most of the studies showed a significant improvement in the clinical condition, also in the follow-up study. Only one clinical trial showed no therapeutic effect. Conclusion: There is no possibility of recommending the best method of physiotherapy in clinical practice for people with CuTS based on the results of this systematic review. More high-quality studies are required.

Admission. Seniors are becoming an increasingly larger social group in developed countries. Physical activity affects the overall health state and allows to improve the quality of their life. Aim. The aim of this research work is to show seniors’ self-evaluation oriented on various elements of their lifestyle and to describe phenomenon associated with the improvement or deterioration of their health. Material and research methods. The research was conducted in a group of 53 people, representing the age range from 60 to 86 years old. The diagnostic survey method was used and the survey technique for which the original questionnaire was made. Results. During the research, themajority of respondents were in a relationship with another person and had a secondary education (47.2% each), and their current economic situation was satisfactory (79.2%). The higher level of current physical fitness was declared by the respondents, the better they perceive their own fitness against the background of the same-sex peers (and vice versa (the worse fitness of the respondents, the worse perception against the background of the peers). Most respondents prefer passive rest (52.8%), as well as the majority use rehabilitation, and the largest percentage participated in a classic massage (39.6%).

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Whilemammography is the standard for early detection in women older than 50 years ofage, there is no standard for younger women. The aim of this prospective pilotstudy was to assess liquid crystal contact thermography, using the Brasterdevice, as a means for the early detection of breast cancer. The device isintended to be used as a complementary tool to standard of care (sonography,mammography, etc). Patients and Methods: A total of 274 consecutivewomen presenting at Polish breast centers for prophylactic breast examinationwere enrolled to receive thermography; 19 were excluded for errors inthermographic image acquisition. The women were divided according to age (n =135, <50 years; n = 120, ≥50 years). A control population was included (n =40, <50 years; n = 23, ≥50 years). The primary endpoint, stratified by agegroup, was the C-statistic for discrimination between breastcancer and noncancer. Results: In women with abnormal breastultrasound (n = 95, <50 years; n = 87, ≥50 years), theC-statistic was 0.85 and 0.75, respectively (P= .20), for discrimination between breast cancer and noncancer. Sensitivity didnot differ (P = .79) between the younger (82%) and older women(78%), while specificity was lower in the older women (60% vs 87%,P = .025). The false-positive rate was similar in womenwith normal and abnormal breast ultrasound. Positive thermographic result inwomen with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS) 4A on ultrasoundincreased the probability of breast cancer by over 2-fold. Conversely, anegative thermographic result decreased the probability of cancer more than3-fold. Breast size and structure did not affect the thermography performance.No adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Thermographyperformed well in women <50 years of age, while its specificity in women ≥50years was inadequate. These promising findings suggest that the Braster devicedeserves further investigation as a supporting tool for the early detection ofbreast cancer in women younger than 50 years of age.

We propose a model of dynamic networks of Web services, which allows to define and analyze the patterns of execution of Web services. This concept is illustrated by an experiment involving two service repositories, which provide services in service composition framework. The service networks are created on the basis of the semantic bindings between the services in the repository joined with the actual patterns of the service usage resulting from composition queries. Next, a selection of link prediction methods is used to predict future usage of services, and the discussion of the applicability of link prediction to dynamic networks of services is carried out.

Severe acute pancreatitis is associated with significant morbidity/mortality; thus, the ability to predict hospital course is imperative. An updated version of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE), APACHE IV, has recently been validated. Unlike other versions, APACHE IV uses hepatobiliary parameters and accounts for multiple comorbid conditions and sedation. The intention of this study was to examine APACHE IV for predicting mortality and secondary outcomes for pancreatitis in a prospective cohort. In addition, we compared APACHE IV to APACHE II, Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis, and Ranson criterion. We prospectively collected physiologic parameters for each scoring system in 266 patients with severe acute pancreatitis from August 2011 to April 2014. Prognostic value of each score was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Among 266 patients, 59% were men, 52% were white, and 36.5% had alcohol-induced pancreatitis. Mortality occurred in 15 (5.6%), and an APACHE IV of 44 or greater predicted mortality in 100% of cases. The receiver operating characteristic curve for APACHE IV was 0.93 (confidence interval [CI], 0.88-0.97); APACHE II, 0.87 (CI, 0.80-0.94); Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis, 0.86 (CI, 0.78-0.94); and Ranson criterion, 0.90 (CI, 0.94-0.96). The APACHE IV is a valid means for predicting mortality and disease-related complications in acute pancreatitis.

Neonatal seizures are a potentially life-threatening pediatric problem with a variety of causes, such as birth trauma, asphyxia, congenital anomalies, metabolic disturbances, infections, and drug withdrawal or intoxication. Thorough and timely evaluations of such patients are necessary to identify and treat the underlying etiology, therefore reducing potential morbidity and mortality. We review neonatal seizures and hypocalcemia and present the case of a 6-day-old male infant who presented to a tertiary pediatric emergency department with seizure-like episodes. He was found to have markedly low serum calcium, magnesium, and parathyroid hormone concentrations, as well as a significantly elevated serum phosphate concentration. The etiology of these abnormalities was found to be maternal ingestion of extremely high doses of calcium carbonate during the third trimester of her pregnancy, an occurrence that has been reported only once in the literature. Education pertaining to the dangers of excessive calcium carbonate intake during pregnancy may be an important piece of anticipatory guidance for pregnant mothers with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, and questioning the mother of a neonate presenting with seizures about such over-the-counter medications may help to elucidate the diagnosis.

A large group of patients of Ladek Zdrój spa consists of people with disabilities confirmed by objective tests performed under the pension prevention program of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). The purpose of disability prevention is to improve the health conditions to the extent required to continue work. The aim of the study was to identify the differences in the assessment of the treatment and its results between patients referred by the Social Insurance Institution and by the National Health Fund (NFZ). A group of 780 people referred to the spa treatment because of different locomotor dysfunctions participated in a questionnaire-based voluntary anonymous survey. The control group consisted of 215 persons with similar illnesses referred by the National Health Fund. The questionnaire included nine specific questions concerning important socio-medical issues of spa rehabilitation. Following the mathematical analysis, the survey data, presented in the percentage form in 10 tables, allowed us to identify differences in the evaluation of treatment of patients referred by ZUS and NFZ. Satisfactory results of rehabilitation were reported more often by patients referred by NFZ than by those treated under the ZUS disability prevention program. The latter group of patients frequently reported anger, fear or despair associated with rehabilitation declaring at the same time active participation in the treatment process. This observation provides evidence that the pension prevention based on the holistic model, preferred by the Social Insurance Institution, is more useful.

Magnesium plays an important role in the maintenance of host regulatory mechanisms in inflammation and immunity. It is well known that dietary magnesium deficiency in rodents, and especially in rats, causes inflammation (for review[l,2]). This inflammatory reaction is characterized by peripheral vasodilatation, splenomegaly and leukocytosis. Elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins have also been observed during magnesium deficiency [1,2]. On the other hand several observations on the modifications in the immune response during this deficiency have been reported [3]. Since T lymphocytes play a key role in the immune response in the present study we examined modifications occurred in the thymic gland during experimental magnesium deficiency. The thymus presents marked variations in its structure depending on the age and the condition of the organism as a whole. This organ is largest in embryos and gradually and continuously involutes throughout life. However, this process of normal or age involution may be complicated by the rapid changes of “accidental involution”[4]. Since the pioneering work of Selye (1936) it is known that following noxious stimuli, stress results in thymic involution and lymphopenia.

In his baic paper /1/ H.Einstein considered the probabilistic model of the motion of the bed-load material.He assumed, that the motion of the grain has diphase character:the moving period and the rest period. Einstei assumed, that the time of the moving period is very short compared to the duration of the rest period.This assumption leads us to the description of hydrotransportation process as a simple Poisson process. But in orginal Einstein paper, the transition from the motion of one particle to the motion of the group of particles is not clear.Einstein assumed, that the motion of the group of particles form the process of the same character.An interesting generalization of the Einstein model was presented by Shen and Cheong /7/. They suggested for the description of the hydro-transportation process a nonhomogenous Poisson process. Yang and Sayre/8/ obtained from experimental data gamma-distribution for the length of the rest period. In our paper /2/ we considered the motion of river bed-load material as a Markov chain. We found the estimators of transition probability in one step. In that model we assumed, that the motion of one particle in 3-dimensional space form 3 independent Markov chains : forward/backward, left/right and top/bottom.