Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare congenital disorder. In this case study, we reported prenatal ultrasound study on a 33-year-old pregnant woman at the gestation of 26 weeks and 3 days, ...whose fetus was suspected of KTS associated with enlarged right thigh and dilated inferior vena cava. Additionally, we comprehensively reviewed literatures of prenatal KTS published on Medline to further understanding of the prenatal ultrasonographic manifestations of KTS.
Ammoniated aerosols are important for urban air quality, but emissions of the key precursor NH3 are not well quantified. Mobile laboratory observations are used to characterize fleet-integrated NH3 ...emissions in six cities in the U.S. and China. Vehicle NH3:CO2 emission ratios in the U.S. are similar between cities (0.33–0.40 ppbv/ppmv, 15% uncertainty) despite differences in fleet composition, climate, and fuel composition. While Beijing, China has a comparable emission ratio (0.36 ppbv/ppmv) to the U.S. cities, less developed Chinese cities show higher emission ratios (0.44 and 0.55 ppbv/ppmv). If the vehicle CO2 inventories are accurate, NH3 emissions from U.S. vehicles (0.26 ± 0.07 Tg/yr) are more than twice those of the National Emission Inventory (0.12 Tg/yr), while Chinese NH3 vehicle emissions (0.09 ± 0.02 Tg/yr) are similar to a bottom-up inventory. Vehicle NH3 emissions are greater than agricultural emissions in counties containing near half of the U.S. population and require reconsideration in urban air quality models due to their colocation with other aerosol precursors and the uncertainties regarding NH3 losses from upwind agricultural sources. Ammonia emissions in developing cities are especially important because of their high emission ratios and rapid motorizations.
Abstract Background Primary graft dysfunction or nonfunction after liver transplantation, which is usually caused by ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), is a serious clinical problem. Although bone ...marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown great potential in cell therapy for IRI in several organs, the mechanism(s) by which MSCs offer protection is unclear. Methods In the present study, we injected MSCs systemically via the tail vein in the rat model of 70% hepatic IRI and measured the biochemical and pathologic alterations to evaluate the therapeutic effect of MSC transplantation. Concurrently, H2 O2 was used in vitro to mimic oxidative injury and to induce apoptosis in the human normal liver cell line LO2 to evaluate the protective effects of mesenchymal stem cell conditioned medium (MSC-CM) on LO2 cells. Results The systemic infusion of MSCs led to a significant prevention of liver enzyme release and an improvement in the histology of the acutely injured liver. In vitro assays demonstrated that MSC-CM promoted hepatocyte proliferation and had a direct inhibitory effect on hepatocyte apoptosis induced by H2 O2 . In addition, we demonstrated that the prevention of MEK/ERK pathway activation played a pivotal role in the protection. Conclusions These data suggest that MSC may represent a potential therapeutic strategy to alleviate hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injuries after liver transplantation via inactivation of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.
Abstract Background This double-blind, randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate inhaled budesonide and oral dexamethasone compared with placebo for their prophylactic efficacy against acute ...mountain sickness after acute high-altitude exposure. Methods There were 138 healthy young male lowland residents recruited and randomly assigned to receive inhaled budesonide (200 μg, twice a day bid), oral dexamethasone (4 mg, bid), or placebo (46 in each group). They traveled to 3900 m altitude from 400 m by car. Medication started 1 day before high-altitude exposure and continued until the third day of exposure. Primary outcome measure was the incidence of acute mountain sickness after exposure. Results One hundred twenty-four subjects completed the study (42, 39, and 43 in the budesonide, dexamethasone, and placebo groups, respectively). Demographic characteristics were comparable among the 3 groups. After high-altitude exposure, significantly fewer participants in the budesonide (23.81%) and dexamethasone (30.77%) groups developed acute mountain sickness compared with participants receiving placebo (60.46%) ( P = .0006 and P = .0071, respectively). Both the budesonide and dexamethasone groups had lower heart rate and higher pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) than the placebo group at altitude. Only the budesonide group demonstrated less deterioration in forced vital capacity and sleep quality than the placebo group. Four subjects in the dexamethasone group reported adverse reactions. Conclusions Both inhaled budesonide (200 μg, bid) and oral dexamethasone (4 mg, bid) were effective for the prevention of acute mountain sickness, especially its severe form, compared with placebo. Budesonide caused fewer adverse reactions than dexamethasone.
Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are significant indications for antibiotic treatment. Daptomycin, a novel antibiotic, has been registered and licensed to be used in the treatment of these ...infections. However, its efficacy and safety remain controversial.
The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review with trial sequential analysis (TSA) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of daptomycin for the treatment of SSTIs and to analyze whether the available sample size has been large enough and is conclusive.
PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE were searched for published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared daptomycin with other antibiotics in adult patients with SSTIs up to February 2016.
This meta-analysis included eight randomized controlled trials (n=2,002). There was no difference in either the clinical success rate (intention-to-treat population: relative risk RR =1.04, 95% confidence interval CI =0.99-1.10,
=0.12; clinically evaluable population: RR =1.00, 95% CI =0.97-1.04,
=0.82) or the microbiological success rate (RR =1.00, 95% CI =0.95-1.06,
=0.92) between the daptomycin and comparator groups for treating SSTIs, which was confirmed by TSA. Compared with vancomycin, daptomycin exhibited no advantage in increasing the clinical success rate (RR =1.03, 95% CI =0.95-1.13,
=0.47), and this was also confirmed by TSA. All-cause mortality, overall treatment-related adverse events, and creatine phosphokinase events were similar between these two groups.
Daptomycin and comparator drugs are equally efficacious with regard to clinical and microbiological success for patients with SSTIs, and TSA showed that no additional randomized controlled trials are required. Although daptomycin is a good alternative when other antibiotics are contraindicated for patients with SSTIs and it can serve as a first-line treatment for SSTIs, clinicians should be aware of potential adverse events, such as daptomycin-induced acute eosinophilic pneumonia and creatine phosphokinase, when treating patients with daptomycin.
Abstract Context Quality of life (QOL) for patients is now a worldwide concern, but there are few specific instruments developed by modular approach to measure outcomes in chronic diseases. ...Objectives This study aimed to develop and validate the System of Quality of Life Instruments for Chronic Diseases—General Module (QLICD-GM). Methods Based on the World Health Organization’s definition of QOL and programmed decision procedures, the QLICD-GM was developed using focus group discussions, pilot tests of 201 cases, and field tests of 620 cases representing seven different chronic diseases. The number of items in the final version was reduced to 30 from a 73-item pool, and the psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated by indicators, such as validity and reliability coefficients, standardized response mean, and statistical methods of correlational analysis, t -tests, and structural equation modeling. Results Correlational and structural equation model analyses confirmed good construct validity with root mean square error of approximation of 0.0606, nonnormed fit index of 0.941, and comparative fit index of 0.947. Test-retest reliability coefficients for all domains and facets were higher than 0.70, with a range of 0.71–0.92, and the internal consistency alphas for most domains and facets were higher than 0.65 (ranging from 0.52 to 0.89). All domains and overall scores of the QLICD-GM had a statistically significant change after treatment, with moderate effect size. Conclusion The QLICD-GM has good validity, reliability, and better responsiveness compared with the SF-36® Health Survey and can be used as the general module for chronic diseases.
Lead and Cadium as the key elements influencing human genetic health were selectively determined in the present paper. In the area of metal elements determination in body fluid, most samples used in ...the study are blood, plasma and saliva. No literature about genetic fluid determination has been found so far. In the present paper the preparation of samples, volume of samples, and determination parameters were investigated. An easy reliable method of determining lead and cadium in semen and liquor follicle is established. The recoveries of lead are 99.0%-118% and the recoveries of cadium are 96.3%-109%. The determination limit of lead is 0.8 microg x L(-1) and the determination limit of cadium is 0.05 microg x L(-1). The relative standard deviations (RSD)(n = 5) are 3.74%-8.54%.
Zinc one of the key elements that influence human genetic health, was selectively determined in this paper. In the area of metal elements determination in body fluid, most samples used in the study ...are blood, plasma and saliva. No literature about genetic fluid determination has been found so far. In this paper the preparation of samples, volume of samples and determination parameters were investigated. An easy reliable method of determining zinc in semen and liquor folliculi was established. The recoveries are 92.0%-107.6%, the detection limit is 0.002 mg x L(-1) and the relative standard deviations (RSD) (n = 5) are 1.3%-10.0%.
Carbon dots (CDots) have recently been demonstrated their effective visible light-activated antimicrobial activities toward bacteria. This study was to evaluate and understand the roles of the ...surface functionalities in governing the antimicrobial activity of CDots.
Using the laboratory model bacteria
, the photo-activated antimicrobial activities of three groups of CDots with specifically selected different surface functionalization moieties were evaluated and compared. The first group consisting of CDots with surface functionalization by 2,2-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine) (EDA) vs. 3-ethoxypropylamine (EPA), was evaluated to determine the effect of different terminal groups/charges on their photo-activated antibacterial activities. The second group consisting of CDots functionalized with oligomeric polyethylenimine (PEI) and those prepared by the carbonization of PEI - citric acid mixture, was to evaluate the effects of dot surface charges vs. fluorescent quantum yields on their antimicrobial activities. The third group consisting of CDots functionalized with PEI of 1,200 vs. 600 in average molecular weight was evaluated for the effect of molecular weight of surface passivation molecular on their antimicrobial activities.
The results indicated the EDA-CDots in the first group was more effective and was attributed to the positive charges from the protonation of the amino groups (-NH
) being more favorable to interactions with bacterial cells. The evaluation of the second group CDots suggested the same surface charge effect dominating the antibacterial performance over the fluorescent quantum yields. The evaluation of the third group CDots functionalized with PEI of 1,200 vs. 600 in average molecular weight, indicated the latter was significantly more effective.
The results from this study highlighted the dominant role of surface functionalities in governing CDots' light activated antimicrobial activity and should have significant implications to the further design and development of CDots as a new class of visible light-activated antibacterial agents.
Abstract Background According to some clinical studies, insufficient cement distribution (ID) in the fractured area and asymmetrical cement distribution around the fractured area were thought to be ...the reasons for unrelieved pain and recollapse after percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) in the treatment of symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Methods Finite element methods were used to investigate the biomechanical variance among three patterns of cement distribution (ID and sufficient cement distribution in the fractured area and asymmetrical cement distribution around the fractured area including upward BU and downward BD cement distribution). Results Compared with fractured vertebra before PVA, distribution of von Mises stress in the cancellous bone was transferred to be concentrated at the cancellous bone surrounding cement after PVA, whereas it was not changed in the cortical bone. Compared with sufficient cement distribution group, maximum von Mises stress in the cancellous bone and cortical bone and maximum displacement of augmented vertebra increased significantly in the ID group, whereas asymmetrical cement distribution around the fractured area in BU and BD groups mainly increased maximum von Mises stress in the cancellous bone significantly. Similar results could be seen in all loading conditions. Conclusions ID in the fractured area may lead to unrelieved pain after PVA in the treatment of symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures as maximum displacement of augmented vertebral body increased significantly. Both ID in the fractured area and asymmetrical cement distribution around the fractured area are more likely to induce recollapse of augmented vertebra because they increased maximum von Mises stress in the cancellous bone and cortical bone of augmented vertebra significantly.
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