Extracorporeal life support as a bridge to high-urgency heart transplantation

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) represents an effective, emergent therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure or cardiac arrest. However, ECLS is typically not used as a bridge to heart transplantation because of the limited duration of ECLS. In France, high-urgency priority heart transplantation remains a possibility for transplant patients who are on ECLS. In this article, we present our experience with high-urgency priority heart transplantation after ECLS. From July 2004 to December 2009, 242 patients underwent emergent ECLS. Heart transplantation was performed in eight of these patients. Time of ECLS was 6.3 ± 4.6 d. Before heart transplantation, all patients on ECLS had decreased organ dysfunctions and four were conscious. Despite frequent post-operative complications, no death occurred during the first year after transplantation. In our experience, ECLS is a valid method of supporting patients awaiting high-urgency heart transplantation and can be used as a short-term bridge to heart transplantation.     

距下关节镜下桥接棒内固定在跟骨骨折患者中的应用

目的探讨距下关节镜下桥接棒内固定治疗跟骨骨折的临床疗效。方法回顾性分析该院2013年5月-2016年3月38例行距下关节镜监视下桥接棒内固定治疗跟骨骨折的患者,术后平均随访12个月,将术前、术后跟距关节面、Bohler角和Gissane角进行分析比较,术后关节功能经Maryland评分。结果 38例均获得随访,患者术后跟距关节面平整度较术前明显改善,术前、术后患者的Bohler角和Gissane角比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05),经Maryland评分优良率为86.8%。结论距下关节镜下桥接棒内固定治疗跟骨骨折,镜下恢复跟距关节面的平整,创伤小,足部功能恢复满意,是一种较好的微创治疗方法。     

铜陵长江大桥伸缩装置检测与探讨

介绍了铜陵长江大桥E-720型伸缩装置病害现状,并就检测现状进行了探讨,这对今后该桥伸缩装置的更换有一定的指导作用。     

In vitro and in vivo relaxation of urinary bladder smooth muscle by the selective myosin II inhibitor,blebbistatin

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Various pathological conditions of the bladder, including overactive bladder syndrome (OAB), are associated with unregulated increases in bladder smooth muscle (SM) contraction. Although a number of new pre‐clinical pharmacological agents for OAB have been identified, they predominantly target at the neural or detrusor cell membrane level rather than the SM contractile apparatus itself. The current study provides the first demonstration that blebbistatin, a novel small cell permeable molecule with demonstrated high affinity and selectivity toward the myosin II contractile molecule, potently and efficiently relaxes both rat and human bladder SM in vitro and also significantly alters urodynamic parameters in vivo to values reflective of decreased bladder overactivity. OBJECTIVE To investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of blebbistatin (a small cell‐permeable molecule with high affinity and selectivity toward the myosin II contractile molecule) on bladder smooth muscle (SM) contractility, as antimuscarinic therapy is only 65–75% effective in treating overactive bladder (OAB) and is associated with considerable side‐effects, with a <25% continuation rate at 1 year. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bladder and aortic strips from adult male rats, and human bladder strips obtained from open prostatectomy, were used for organ‐bath studies of blebbistatin. Awake cystometry was also used in rats in both the presence and absence of intravesically delivered blebbistatin. RESULTS Blebbistatin dose‐dependently and completely relaxed both KCl‐ and carbachol‐induced rat detrusor and endothelin‐1‐induced human bladder contraction. Pre‐incubation with 10 µm blebbistatin attenuated carbachol responsiveness by ≈65% while blocking electrical field stimulation‐induced bladder contraction reaching 50% inhibition at 32 Hz. The basal tone and amplitude of spontaneous contraction were also significantly diminished. Urodynamic variables were obviously altered by intravesical infusion with blebbistatin. CONCLUSION Our novel data show that blebbistatin strongly relaxes both rat and human bladder contraction induced by various physiological stimuli. Coupled with our in vivo data showing that nanomole doses of blebbistatin significantly alter urodynamic variables to produce a less active bladder, our results suggest the possibility of intravesically administered blebbistatin binding at myosin II being developed as a therapeutic treatment for OAB via a novel targeting of the SM contractile apparatus.     

口腔修复体疲劳寿命测试机专用试件的研制

目的：研制一种符合临床牙特征的用于口腔修复体疲劳寿命的测试试件。方法：根据国人牙体的标准尺寸和烤瓷修复体的基牙预备要求,选择合适的材料分别制备冠、桥基牙实验用模型,并在模型上制作相应的烤瓷修复体。结果：研制出的各类试件符合要求,并制作出了实验用修复体。结论：采用该方法制备的疲劳测试试件能够模拟口腔内修复体的实际情况,满足疲劳测试的要求。     

Fixed Bicortical Screw and Blade Implants as a Non-Standard Solution to an Edentulous (Toothless) Mandible

Aim This paper deals with the treatment of an atrophied toothless mandible with a fixing bridge carried by two non-standard implant systems.Methodology Four bicortical screws were implanted into the frontal part of the mandible and one implant on each side was placed into the distal area of the mandible as a support for a fixing bridge.Results During the years 2002 - 2007 the authors placed a total of 256 bicortical screw and 84 blade implants. During thisperiod only four bicortical screws and one blade implant failed. The primary and secondary surgical success rate was therefore above 98%, while the prosthetic success rate was 100%. (Bridges which had to be re-fabricated due to implant failure were not taken into account.) Conclusion This approach is recommended as a highly successful and affordable option for a wide range of patients.     

Factor structure of the Communicator Styles Measure (CSM) when used with undergraduate health science students

Scand J Caring Sci; 2013; 27; 363–372 Factor structure of the Communicator Styles Measure (CSM) when used with undergraduate health science students Background: It is important for educators to consider the communication skills of students enrolled in health science programmes. To date, research into this area is limited, and having measures that are valid and reliable would assist educators and researchers to complete high‐quality investigations. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factor structure of Communicator Styles Measure. Method: Data from the Communicator Styles Measure completed by 860 undergraduate health science students enrolled in eight different courses at an Australian university (response rate of 59%) were analysed using principal component analysis with varimax rotation and a cluster analysis using elementary linkage analysis. The Communicator Styles Measure is a self‐report scale consisting of 40 items designed to assess ten communication styles and one’s perception of his/her ability to communicate. Results: Communicator Styles Measure items loaded onto five new viable factors labelled personable, energetic, confident, open and confronting. Six items of the original 40 from the Communicator Styles Measure did not load onto any factor and were therefore considered redundant. Conclusion: The original factor structure proposed by the Communicator Styles Measure’s author was not supported, which calls into question its construct validity. However, the five new factors identified in this study may be useful for researchers and educators when assessing the communication skills of students and practitioners. Further investigation into the construct validity and reliability of the five new Communicator Styles Measure factors is recommended.     

The role of telomere length modulation in delayed chromosome instability induced by ionizing radiation in human primary fibroblasts

Telomere integrity is important for chromosome stability. The main objective of our study was to investigate the relationship between telomere length modulation and mitotic chromosome segregation induced by ionizing radiation in human primary fibroblasts. We used X‐rays and low‐energy protons because of their ability to induce different telomeric responses. Samples irradiated with 4 Gy were fixed at different times up to 6 days from exposure and telomere length, anaphase abnormalities, and chromosome aberrations were analyzed. We observed that X‐rays induced telomere shortening in cells harvested at 96 hrs, whereas protons induced a significant increase in telomere length at short as well as at long harvesting times (24 and 96 hrs). Consistent with this, the analysis of anaphase bridges at 96 hrs showed a fourfold increase in X‐ray‐ compared with proton‐irradiated samples, suggesting a correlation between telomere length/dysfunction and chromosome missegregation. In line with these findings, the frequency of dicentrics and rings decreased with time for protons whereas it remained stable after X‐rays irradiation. Telomeric FISH staining on anaphases revealed a higher percentage of bridges with telomere signals in X‐ray‐treated samples than that observed after proton irradiation, thus suggesting that the aberrations observed after X‐ray irradiation originated from telomere attrition and consequent chromosome end‐to‐end fusion. This study shows that, beside an expected “early” chromosome instability induced shortly after irradiation, a delayed one occurs as a result of alterations in telomere metabolism and that this mechanism may play an important role in genomic stability. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 54:172–179, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.