Objective clinical data were collected with a physician’s questionnaire and subjective data were collected with a patients’ questionnaire on disease characteristics, treatment satisfaction, quality of life, depressive symptoms, and Antonovsky’s sense of coherence
(SOC). We also tested the significance of possible determinants of treatment satisfaction.
Results: Treatment satisfaction was 72.0 (+/- 22.2; VAS 1-100). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ABT-888.html The assessment of professional competence of the treating physician was the most important determinant of treatment satisfaction and was independent of the patient’s age and sex. The assessment of physician empathy, information about the disease, and the patient’s own evaluation of the severity of disease were also associated with treatment satisfaction. The mean health-related quality of life (QoL; EQ-5D) was 0.74 (+/- 0.28) and the mean SOC was 72.6 (+/- 10.6). 58 % of patients reported moderate to severe pain and 13 % were treated Selleckchem AZD9291 for pain symptoms. In 69 % there was evidence of probable depression (CES-D >= 22); 8 % were on antidepressants.
Conclusions: Treatment satisfaction was average and correlated especially with the sense of professional competence of the treating
physician. In SSc patients, a diminished health-related quality of life as well as pain and evidence of depression are common and seem to be inadequately treated. However, the SOC indicates a lower general vulnerability. In the future, screening for pain and symptoms of depression should part of routine practice in SSc patients and, if necessary, interdisciplinary care should be initiated.”
“Melt electrospinning is a cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and safer alternative to solution electrospinning. We have designed a novel melt spinning device which incorporates a reverse of the normal polarity, with the capillary grounded and the collector grid at positive potential. The apparatus is much simpler and more economical than conventional equipment because
no syringe pump is required. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with a low-melt flow index of 2 g/10 min, which is not suitable for spinning using current commercial methods, was chosen to highlight the advantages of melt electrospinning in general, and our device in particular. The effects of varying the electrospinning parameters such as temperature, electrostatic field, spinning distance, see more and capillary inner diameter, have been studied. Although it was found that temperatures higher than normal processing temperatures had to be employed in our electrospinning system to reduce the viscosity of the polymer melt sufficiently, good quality fibers with smooth and even surfaces, most of which had diameters smaller than 15 mu m, were electrospun successfully. It was observed that there was an optimum point for the spinning distance (14-15 cm) and the capillary inner diameter (0.4-0.6 mm) to get fine fiber. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.