Ebola Virus RNA Stability in Human Blood and Urine in West Africa’s Environmental Conditions

We evaluated RNA stability of Ebola virus in EDTA blood and urine samples collected from infected patients and stored in West Africa’s environmental conditions. In blood, RNA was stable for at least 18 days when initial cycle threshold values were <30, but in urine, RNA degradation occurred more quickly.     

Application of disaccharides alone and in combination,for the improvement of stability and particle properties of spray-freeze dried IgG

Purpose: Spray-freeze drying (SFD) is a recently applied method to develop pharmaceutical powders. This study aimed to analyze the competence of Trehalose, Mannitol, Lactose, and Sorbitol instability and aerosolization of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) via SFD.

Methods: Induced soluble aggregates were quantified at 0 and 3?months, and 45?°C using size-exclusion chromatography. Conformation and thermogravimetric assessments were done by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Laser light scattering was performed to determine the particle sizes. Aerodynamic features were characterized by twin stage impinger and scanning electron microscopy.

Results: Although sugars/polyols preferably stabilized IgG following the process, storage stabilization was achieved in Trehalose, Trehalose-Lactose, Lactose, and Trehalose-Mannitol-based powders with soluble aggregates <5%. The conformation of antibody was preserved with β sheet content from 66.28% to 76.37%. Particle sizes ranged from 5.23 to 8.12?µm. Mannitol exhibited the best aerodynamic behavior, fine particle fraction (FPF: 70%) but high degree of protein aggregation during storage.

Conclusions: SFD could favorably stabilize antibody using Trehalose and its combination with Lactose and Mannitol, and also, Lactose alone. Sorbitol disturbed IgG powder recovery. Incorporation of other types of excipient is required for efficient respiratory delivery of IgG molecules.     

Same-Day Yttrium-90 Radioembolization: Feasibility with Resin Microspheres

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility of a same-day yttrium-90 (⁹⁰Y) radioembolization protocol with resin microspheres (including pretreatment angiography, lung shunt fraction [LSF] determination, and radioembolization) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver metastases.

A systematic review of the safety and efficacy of non-operative management in patients with high grade liver injury

IntroductionThe liver is the most frequently damaged organ in blunt abdominal trauma. It is widely accepted that hemodynamically stable patients with low-grade liver trauma should be treated with non-operative management, however there is controversy surrounding its safety and efficacy in high-grade trauma. The purpose of this review is to investigate the role of non-operative management in patients with high-grade liver trauma.MethodsPubMed and reference lists of PubMed articles were searched to find studies that examined the efficacy of non-operative management in high-grade liver injury patients, and compare it to operative management. Non-operative management was considered successful if rescue surgery was avoided. Outcomes considered were success, mortality, and complication rates.ResultsThe electronic search revealed 2662 records, 8 of which met the inclusion criteria. All 8 studies contained results suggesting that non-operative management was safe and effective in hemodynamically stable patients with high-grade liver trauma. By combining the outcomes of the different studies, non-operative management had a high success rate of 92.4% (194/210) in high-grade liver trauma patients, which was near the overall 95.0% non-operative management success rate. Non-operative management also had mortality and complication rates of 4.6% (9/194) and 9.7% (7/72) in high-grade injury patients, respectively, compared to operative management's 17.6% (26/148) and 45.5% (5/11).ConclusionNon-operative management of liver trauma is safe and effective in hemodynamically stable patients with high-grade liver injury. It is associated with significantly lower mortality compared with operative management. More studies are required to evaluate complications of non-operative management in high-grade liver injury.     

Development of a new sensor based on micro-electro-mechanical systems for objective in vivo measurement of the cutaneous temperature: application to foundations

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this work was to develop a new sensor for objective in vivo measurement of the cutaneous temperature based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), and to compare these performances with those of a classical thermocouple. Research on this new sensor was carried out to allow the quantification of the thermal properties of the made-up skin. METHODS: Sixteen female subjects divided into two different age groups (18-35 and >50 years old) were recruited for this study. Several zones of the face and forearms were made up at random with foundations containing or not a thermoregulator raw material. The quantity of foundation applied on the skin was standardized and measurements were carried out first before make-up, and then 10 s and 5 min after make-up. The new sensor and the thermocouple were used successively on each zone. The cutaneous temperature was expressed in degrees celsius. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: The two systems are similar in terms of repeatability and reproducibility, with some differences in sensibility. The data measured by the MEMS sensor appear lower than those measured by the thermocouple. After make-up, the MEMS sensor detects a progressive increase of the temperature in time whereas the thermocouple detects a decrease. We found the same evolution on the face but in a more attenuated way. These results tend to show that the devices do not measure the same phenomenon. The thermocouple appears more sensitive to the thermal response of the made-up surface whereas the MEMS sensor appears more sensitive to the heat transfers in the interface between the skin and make-up.     

Correction of frequency and phase variations induced by eddy currents in localized spectroscopy with multiple echo times.

As a consequence of the time-varying magnetic field induced by eddy currents, frequency drifting occurs when the sampling window of localized spectroscopy continuously shifts. The frequency drifting and the concomitant phase variations can severely affect spectroscopy results when data are acquired with multiple echo times (TEs), such as in the measurement of glutamate (Glu) concentration using the TE-averaged method. Specifically, the averaged spectra are further broadened and distorted in the presence of residual eddy currents, and editing of the coupled spins of Glu C4 protons is affected, resulting in errors in the measured relative intensity ratio. Postacquisition correction using unsuppressed water as reference can effectively minimize this detrimental effect, as manifested by the significantly enhanced signal intensity. Also, it is demonstrated that the methyl signals of creatine (Cr) at 3.0 ppm and choline (Cho) at 3.2 ppm can be used as internal references in finding frequency and phase disparities between different TEs.     

心理干预对行体外受精病人的影响

体外受精(IVF)治疗对不育夫妇既是一种生理负担又是一种心理负担,在IVF各个时期均表现出心理应激,其中胚胎移植后至妊娠试验前和IVF失败后应激最强,出现负性心理反应,以焦虑、抑郁多见。研究表明,通过心理干预能有效缓解患者的负性心理,并可能提高妊娠率和降低治疗中断率。     

间期细胞原位PCR检测B细胞系恶性淋巴瘤

目的：应用原位PCR技术检测B细胞系恶性淋巴瘤。方法：采用免疫球蛋白重链（IgH)基因第三互补决定区（CDR－Ⅲ）的引物，dig-11-dUTP标记物，应用直接原位PCR技术检测Ⅲ-Ⅳ级恶性淋巴瘤的间期淋巴细胞，结果：在初诊的15例恶性淋巴瘤患中，12例检测到IgH基因重排；4例临床表现呈现淋巴瘤性白血病患，治疗后骨髓完全缓解，2例间期细胞原位PCR仍显示有IgH基因重排，6个月复发，结论：间期细胞原位PCR技术能敏感、准确地检测Ⅲ级以上的恶性淋巴瘤，并帮助预测复发，为一有效的基因诊断方法。