Development and validation of a novel scoring system to predict severe intraventricular hemorrhage in very low birth weight infants

ObjectiveWe sought to develop and validate a novel scoring system for the prediction of severe intraventricular hemorrhage (SIVH) in very low birth weight infants (VLBWI).MethodsThis retrospective cohort multicenter study included 615 VLBWI born between 24 and 32 weeks gestational age (GA). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine which factors evaluated within the first 5 days of life were associated with SIVH and the weights of these variables. The accuracy of the predictive scoring system was prospectively tested in the same units.ResultsThe final SIVH scoring system included the following variables: antenatal steroid therapy, GA, birth weight (BW), 1-min Apgar score, mechanical ventilation and hypotension. The SIVH scores used to divide the subjects into three tiers (low-risk (<5), moderate-risk (5–8) and high-risk (>8)) were developed based on these variables. Of infants with a score below 5, 1.2% (4/339) developed SIVH. Of those with a score above 8, 42.5% (17/40) developed SIVH. The scores were successfully verified in 99 VLBWI.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that among infants with a score >8, the incidence of SIVH is significantly higher. This scoring system can be used to predict the incidence of SIVH during the first 5 days after birth and may contribute to the early intervention in and prevention of SIVH.     

The increase in bone mineral density by bisphosphonate with active vitamin D analog is associated with the serum calcium level within the reference interval in postmenopausal osteoporosis

Objectives: To examine the factors associated with increase in lumbar spine bone mineral density (LS-BMD) by bisphosphonates (BPs) with active vitamin D analog (aVD).

Methods: Two independent postmenopausal osteoporotic patients treated by BPs with aVD for 24 months (Study 1: n?=?93, Study 2: n?=?99) were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: In Study 1, LS-BMD of the patients significantly increased for 24 m (5.4%, p?r²: 0.088, p?=?.02). While average sCa of the patients was 9.2?mg/dL before treatment, it increased time-dependently to 9.6?mg/dL for 24 m by treatment. As each patient had their LS-BMD five times during the study, there were four instances of %LS-BMD in each patient, resulting in 372 instances of %LS-BMD in Study 1. The smallest Akaike’s information criterion value for the most appropriate cut-off levels of sCa for %LS-BMD by treatment every 6 m was 9.3?mg/dL. The %LS-BMD by treatment for 6 m during 24 m period in patients with sCa ≥9.3?mg/dL (1.5%) was significantly higher than that in patients with sCa <9.3?mg/dL (0.8%, p?=?.038). The results of Study 2 were similar to those of Study 1, confirming the phenomena observed.

Conclusion: sCa was associated with an increased LS-BMD by BPs with aVD.     

医科达数字化电子直线加速器控制软件IPV基本原理与应用解读

目的 介绍医科达数字化医用电子直线加速器控制软件里子项目和项目成分值(IPV)的工作原理,并具体说明控制软件通过三类子项目及其项目分项实时监测、控制子系统的运行状态。方法 首先介绍医科达数字化医用电子直线加速器的控制系统组成,然后介绍控制软件里子项目和项目分项的定义和分类,以及各类子项目的基本原理,最后通过分析高功率移相器的运动控制具体说明控制软件的子项目在实时监测、控制子系统运行状态的应用。结果 通过分析原理和举例详细、具体说明了控制软件IPV的工作原理及其应用,使用户尤其是维修人员能掌握相应理论知识,在日常使用和维修时能通过软件快速准确地查找运行参数,并根据相关子系统的控制原理分析问题和解决故障。结论 用户尤其是维修人员掌握这些子项目及其项目分项的工作原理,就能在日常使用或维修、校准时,快速准确地通过控制软件查看、校准运行参数,解决设备故障,并避免错误操作引起事故。     

嗜肺军团菌致病性与效应蛋白的研究进展

嗜肺军团菌是一种可以引起军团菌肺炎和庞蒂亚克热的兼性胞内病原菌，主要侵染阿米巴原虫和人类巨噬细胞。该菌在宿主胞内能依靠Dot/Icm IVB型分泌系统产生的效应蛋白成功逃避溶酶体的降解。本文主要对嗜肺军团菌的致病物质、胞内存活与增殖机制及其效应蛋白的生物学功能进行综述，详细介绍嗜肺军团菌的毒力因子与致病机制，为军团病防治的研究提供新思路，也为其他胞内病原菌所致感染性疾病的研究提供重要的借鉴意义。     

Optimizing access and configuration of trauma centre care in New South Wales

IntroductionGetting the right patient, to the right place, at the right time is dependent on a multitude of modifiable and non-modifiable factors. One potentially modifiable factor is the number and location of trauma centres (TC). Overabundance of TC dilutes volumes and could be associated with worse outcomes. We describe a methodology that evaluates trauma system reconfiguration without reductions in potential access to care. We used the mature trauma system of New South Wales (NSW) as a model given the perceived overabundance of urban major trauma centres (MTC).MethodsWe first evaluated potential access to TC care via ground and air transport through the use of geographic information systems (GIS) network analysis. Potential access was defined as the proportion of the population living within 60-min transport time from a potential scene of injury to a TC by ground or rotary-wing aircraft. Sensitivity analyses were carried out in order to account for potential pre-hospital interventions and/or transport delays; travel times of 15-, 30-, 45-, 60-, and 90-min were also analyzed. We then evaluated if the current configuration of the system (number of urban MTS in the Sydney basin) could be optimized without reductions in potential access to care using two GIS methodologies: location-allocation and individual removal of MTC.Results86% of the NSW population has potential access to a TC within 60 min ground travel time; potential access improves to 99% with rotary-wing transport. The 1% of the population without potential TC access lives in 48% of the land area (>384,000km2). Utilizing two different methodologies we identified that there was no change in potential access by ground transport after removing 1 or 2 MTC in the Sydney basin at the 30-, 45-, and 60-min transport times. However, 0.02% and 0.5% of the population would not have potential access to MTC care at 15 min after removing one and two MTC respectively.DiscussionRedistribution of the number of MTC in the Sydney basin could be achieved without a significant impact on potential access to care. Our approach can be utilized as an initial tool to evaluate a trauma system where overabundance of coverage is present.     

Are plain-language summaries included in published reports of evidence about physiotherapy interventions? Analysis of 4421 randomised trials,systematic reviews and guidelines on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro)

BackgroundA plain-language summary is a short and clearly stated version of a study’s results using non-scientific vocabulary that provide many advantages for patients and clinicians in the process of shared decision-making.ObjectivesThe primary objective was to investigate the extent to which published reports of physiotherapy interventions provide plain-language summaries. We investigate as the secondary objectives if the available plain-language summaries are at a suitable reading level for a lay person and if inclusion of plain-language summaries in these reports is increasing over time and is associated with trial quality (i.e. PEDro score).Data sourcesAll 4421 randomised controlled trials (RCT), systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines that included plain-language summaries indexed on Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) were included.Main outcome measuresProportion of published reports with plain-language summaries, Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL).ResultsThe number of published reports with a plain-language summary doubled in the last 6 years. From a total of 34,444 reports indexed on PEDro, only 4421 reports had English plain-language summaries. RCTs with plain-language summaries had higher PEDro scores than RCTs without plain-language summaries (mean difference = 0.8 points, 95%CI 0.7 to 0.8). Only 2% of reports were considered at a suitable reading level by the FKGL formula and 0.1% by the FRES formula.ConclusionsAlthough the publication of plain-language summaries is increasing over time, the current number corresponds to only 13% of all published reports. In addition the majority of plain-language summaries are written at an advanced reading level.