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- Blomqvist, Anders, 1949-, et al.
(författare)
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Cytoarchitectonic and immunohistochemical characterization of a specific pain and temperature relay, the posterior portion of the ventral medial nucleus, in the human thalamus
- 2000
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Ingår i: Brain. - 0006-8950 .- 1460-2156. ; 123:3, s. 601-619
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous studies in the macaque monkey have identified a thalamic nucleus, the posterior portion of the ventral medial nucleus (VMpo), as a dedicated lamina I spinothalamocortical relay for pain and temperature sensation. The dense plexus of calbindin-immunoreactive fibres that characterizes VMpo in primates enables its homologue to be identified in the human thalamus by immunohistochemical labelling for calbindin. We have now analysed in detail the cytoarchitectonic characteristics of VMpo and its relationship with immunoreactivity for calbindin, substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the human thalamus. The area in the posterolateral thalamus in which dense calbindin-immunoreactive fibre terminations are present coincides nearly completely with a distinct region that contains small to medium-sized cells with round or oval shapes that are aggregated in clusters separated by cell sparse areas. This region, which we identify as VMpo, is located posteromedial to the ventral posterior lateral (VPL) and ventral posterior medial (VPM) nuclei, ventral to the anterior pulvinar and centre median nuclei, lateral to the limitans and parafascicular nuclei and dorsal to the medial geniculate nucleus. Calbindin-immunoreactive fibres enter VMpo from the spinal lemniscus and form large patches of dense terminal-like staining over clusters of VMpo neurons. A few of these clusters also display terminal-like substance P labelling. Small bursts of CGRP staining are intercalated between the calbindin-labelled clusters, but there is little or no overlap between these two markers. CGRP inmunoreactivity is also present over small, non-clustered neurons in the calbindin-negative area that separates VMpo from the VPL and VPM nuclei, which we denote as the posterior nucleus (Po). These observations provide a concise description of VMpo in the human thalamus. Further, they suggest that the lamina I spinothalamic tract fibres (represented by calbindin and probably also substance P immunoreactivity) and vagal-solitary-parabrachial afferents (represented by CGRP immunoreactivity) form closely related, but separate, termination fields that can be considered to represent different aspects of enteroceptive information regarding the physiological status of the tissues and organs of the body. The location of VMpo and the adjacent Po fits with clinical descriptions of the thalamic area from which pain, temperature and visceral sensations can be evoked by microstimulation, and where nociceptive and thermoreceptive neurons have been recorded in humans. It also corresponds to the area in which infarcts cause analgesia and thermoanaesthesia and can lead to the paradoxical development of central pain.
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| 2. |
- Jaarsma, Tiny, et al.
(författare)
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Heart failure clinics in the Netherlands in 2003
- 2004
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1474-5151 .- 1873-1953. ; 3:4, s. 271-4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: Heart failure (HF) care in the Netherlands is going through a lot of changes. Nurses have increasingly important roles in providing optimal care for these chronically ill patients. In this study, we describe the current number of HF management programs and the role of the nurses in these programs. METHOD: Data were collected by a national survey as part of a European HF clinic survey of the UNITE study group of the Working Group on Cardiovascular Nursing between February and March 2003 to 142 hospitals in the Netherlands. RESULTS: In 60% of the hospital locations, there is a HF management program. Most of the programs are organized as HF outpatient clinics. In all HF programs, cardiologists and nurses are involved. Other health care providers involved are, amongst others, general practitioners (29%), dieticians (59%), physical therapists (47%), social workers (30%) and psychologists (17%). All programs offer follow-up after discharge from the hospitals and in most of the programs patients have increased access to a health care provider. Behavioural interventions (68%), psychosocial counselling (64%), patient education (88%) and support of the informal caregivers (59%) are important components. In 90% of the programs (restricted), physical examination is the responsibility of the HF nurse and in 65% of the programs nurses are involved in optimizing medical treatment. Financial support and education of HF nurses is still unstructured and diverse. CONCLUSION: There is a rise in the number of HF programs in the Netherlands. There is diversity in content and intensity of these programs and the role of the nurse is not clearly defined yet. Research and discussion on the subject of optimal effective HF care and the role of the HF nurse is still needed.
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| 4. |
- Powell, John, et al.
(författare)
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Laser cutting stainless steel with dual focus lenses
- 2000
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Ingår i: Journal of laser applications. - : Laser Institute of America. - 1042-346X .- 1938-1387. ; 12:6, s. 224-231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article the performance of a new type of lens is compared with traditional meniscus lenses for CO sub 2 laser cutting of medium ( > 5 mm) section stainless steel. Dual Focus lenses produce two focus spots, one above the other. This type of optic was found to be capable of higher cutting speeds and better quality cuts. A phenomenological model is presented which explains the superior performance of Dual Focus lenses. The model concentrates upon the fact that during high speed cutting of medium section metals, the laser does not irradiate the lower portion of the cut zone. This lower part of the cut is heated by the melt flowing over it, which has been previously heated by the laser. This melt preheating involves narrower kerfs and higher cut speeds if a dual focus lens is used.
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