支气管哮喘急性发作期气道炎症表型与中医辨证分型的关系

支气管哮喘是由多种细胞和细胞组分参与的气道慢性炎症性疾病,其气道炎症反应的复杂性,给临床诊断和治疗带来了困难[1]。2009年全球哮喘防治倡议(GINA)第一次提出“表型”这一概念,并提出基于表型分类有助于哮喘治疗及判断预后[2]。中医药治疗哮喘有其独特优势,但辨证分型缺乏明确统一的客观化、量化指标。     

某设备所致脉冲X射线辐射场测量与防护评价

目的 了解某设备实验条件下不同位置脉冲X射线电离辐射水平，提出适当的防护建议。方法 采用热释光测量方法，分别在设备舱周围不同方向不同距离布放热释光剂量计，累积一定数量脉冲辐射后进行测量；采用电离室型X、γ剂量率仪（FJ-347A）实时测量工作状态下不同距离处电离辐射剂量率水平。依据《电离辐射防护与辐射源安全基本标准》（GB18871—2002）规定的职业照射人员和公众个人剂量限值提出不同工作位辐射防护建议。结果 热释光剂量计累计接收3 000个脉冲辐射，设备舱外壁0.01～8.98 mGy，顶部0.01～15.67 mGy，距外壁1～12 m之间0.01～2.18 mGy，工作位0 mGy。工作状态下，X射线剂量率仪测得距设备舱外侧壁1～20 m之间空气比释动能率范围0.26～16 mGy/h。结论 热释光剂量计、电离室型剂量率仪测量结果基本一致，说明两种方法均可用于脉冲X射线测量；工作状态下设备舱外近距离处辐射剂量率较高，可通过采取防护措施或者限制人员工作量以满足辐射防护要求。     

A modality-specific somatosensory evoked potential test protocol for clinical evaluation: A feasibility study

ObjectiveWe aimed to establish an objective neurophysiological test protocol that can be used to assess the somatosensory nervous system.MethodsIn order to assess most fiber subtypes of the somatosensory nervous system, repetitive stimuli of seven different modalities (touch, vibration, pinprick, cold, contact heat, laser, and warmth) were synchronized with the electroencephalogram (EEG) and applied on the cheek and dorsum of the hand and dorsum of the foot in 21 healthy subjects and three polyneuropathy (PNP) patients. Latencies and amplitudes of the modalities were assessed and compared. Patients received quantitative sensory testing (QST) as reference.ResultsWe found reproducible evoked potentials recordings for touch, vibration, pinprick, contact-heat, and laser stimuli. The recording of warm-evoked potentials was challenging in young healthy subjects and not applicable in patients. Latencies were shortest within Aβ-fiber-mediated signals and longest within C-fibers. The test protocol detected function loss within the Aβ-fiber and Aδ-fiber-range in PNP patients. This function loss corresponded with QST findings.ConclusionIn this pilot study, we developed a neurophysiological test protocol that can specifically assess most of the somatosensory modalities. Despite technical challenges, initial patient data appear promising regarding a possible future clinical application.SignificanceEstablished and custom-made stimulators were combined to assess different fiber subtypes of the somatosensory nervous system using modality-specific evoked potentials.     

Molecular profiling of ctDNA in pancreatic cancer: Opportunities and challenges for clinical application

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality within the next decade, with limited effective treatment options and a dismal long-term prognosis for patients. Genomic profiling has not yet manifested clinical benefits for diagnosis, treatment or prognosis in PDAC, due to the lack of available tissues for sequencing and the confounding effects of low tumour cellularity in many biopsy specimens. Increasing focus is now turning to the use of minimally invasive liquid biopsies to enhance the characterisation of actionable PDAC tumour genomes. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is the most comprehensively studied liquid biopsy analyte in blood and can provide insight into the molecular profile and biological characteristics of individual PDAC tumours, in real-time and in advance of traditional imaging modalities. This can pave the way for identification of new therapeutic targets, novel risk variants and markers of tumour response, to supplement diagnostic screening and provide enhanced scrutiny in treatment stratification. In the roadmap towards the application of precision medicine for clinical management in PDAC, ctDNA analyses may serve a leading role in streamlining candidate biomarkers for clinical integration. In this review, we highlight recent developments in the use of ctDNA-based liquid biopsies for PDAC and provide new insights into the technical, analytical and biological challenges that must be overcome for this potential to be realised.     

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and neck of femur fractures: Standardising the perioperative management and time to surgery

Demographic projections for hip fragility fractures indicate a rising annual incidence by virtue of a multimorbid, ageing population with more noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs are characterised by slow progression and long duration ranging from ischaemic cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to various cancers. Management of this disease burden often involves commencing patients on oral anticoagulants to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events. The use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in clinical practice has increased due to their rapid onset of action, short half-life and predictable anticoagulant effects, without the need for routine monitoring. Safe and timely surgical intervention relies on reversal of anticoagulants. However, the lack of specific evidence-based guidelines for the perioperative management of patients on DOACs with hip fractures has proved challenging; in particular, the accessibility of DOAC-specific assays, justification of the cost-benefit ratio of targeted reversal agents and indications for neuraxial anaesthesia. This has led to potentially avoidable delays in surgical intervention. Following a literature review of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics of commonly used DOACs in our region including the role of surrogate markers, we propose a systematic, evidence-based guideline to the perioperative management of hip fractures DOACs. We believe this standardised protocol can be easily replicated between hospitals. We recommend that if patients are deemed suitable for a general anaesthesia, with satisfactory renal function, optimal surgical time should be 24 h following the last ingested dose of DOAC.     

Outcomes After Aortic Valve Replacement for Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Regurgitation and Normal Ejection Fraction

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Maximizing intelligence obtained from higher-order DNA mixtures from volume crime samples

ABSTRACT

This work collates data from the analysis of complex mixtures analysed in STRmix during routine no-suspect volume crime work. It interrogates the upload rate for these types of mixtures and which component of the profile has been able to be interpreted for upload. The number of profiles giving multiple uploads and the amount of replicate PCR analysis has been collated.     

Connectivity measures suggest a sub-cortical generator of myoclonus in Angelman syndrome

ObjectiveThe clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of myoclonus in Angelman syndrome (AS) have been evaluated in single case or small cohorts, with contrasting results. We evaluated the features of myoclonus in a wide cohort of AS patients.MethodsWe performed polygraphic EEG-EMG recording in 24 patients with genetically confirmed AS and myoclonus. Neurophysiological investigations included jerk-locked back-averaging (JLBA), cortico-muscular coherence (CMC) and generalised partial directed coherence (GPDC). CMC and GPDC analyses were compared to those obtained from 10 healthy controls (HC).ResultsTwenty-four patients (aged 3–35 years, median 20) were evaluated. Sequences of quasi-continuous rhythmic jerks mostly occurred at alpha frequency or just below (mean 8.4 ± 1.4 Hz), without EEG correlate. JLBA did not show any clear transient preceding the jerks. CMC showed bilateral over-threshold CMC in alpha band that was prominent on the contralateral hemisphere in the patient group as compared to HC group. GPDC showed a significantly higher alpha outflow from both hemispheres toward activated muscles in the patient group, and a significantly higher beta outflow from contralateral hemisphere in the HC group.ConclusionsThese neurophysiological findings suggest a subcortical generator of myoclonus in AS.SignificanceMyoclonus in AS has not a cortical origin as previously hypothesised.