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.     

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。     

保留自主呼吸对于重度急性呼吸窘迫综合征患者的影响：弊大于利

急性呼吸窘迫综合征（ARDS）是临床上常见的以顽固性低氧为表现的呼吸功能不全或衰竭的综合征，肺不均一性是其主要病理生理特点。传统观点认为，保留ARDS患者自主呼吸有助于改善全身氧合。但是近年来发现，对于重度ARDS患者，保留患者自主呼吸会加重肺损伤，过强的自主呼吸会导致重度ARDS患者跨肺压升高、肺内气体摆动、肺水肿加重以及人机不同步，引起患者肺内炎症加重，氧合功能恶化，最终影响患者预后，增加病死率。本文就自主呼吸对重度ARDS患者呼吸功能的影响机制展开综述。     

Babesiosis as a cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome: a series of eight cases

Objectives: The characteristics of patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) as a complication of Babesia microti infection have not been systematically described.

Methods: Adult patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of a tertiary care hospital in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York from 1/1/2008 to 8/1/2016 were evaluated for ARDS complicating babesiosis.

Results: Of 22 patients with babesiosis in the MICU, eight (36.4%; 95% CI: 19.7–57.0%) had ARDS. Six patients (75%) developed ARDS following initiation of anti-babesia drug therapy; however, the mean duration of symptoms in these patients exceeded that of patients who developed ARDS prior to initiation of treatment (7.50 ± 3.83d vs. 4.50 ± 0.71d, p = 0.34). Three patients (37.5%; 95% CI: 13.7–69.4%) expired without recovery from ARDS. In comparison, the mortality rate for the 14 MICU babesiosis patients without ARDS was 14.3% (p = 0.31). There was a trend toward younger age in survivors relative to non-survivors (mean age 54.6 ± 13.8y vs. 74.0 ± 6.24y, p = 0.07). Three of the five survivors did not require mechanical ventilation. The mean sequential organ failure assessment score of non-survivors was significantly higher than that of survivors (12.3 ± 1.15 vs. 6.0 ± 1.4, p = 0.0006).

Conclusion: Among 22 critically ill adult patients with B. microti infection, ARDS developed in eight (35.4%), and three (37.5%) expired without resolution of the ARDS. ARDS often followed the initiation of anti-babesia drug therapy, raising the question of whether the death of the parasite per se contributed to its development. However, this observation was confounded by the longer duration of symptoms preceding initiation of drug therapy.     

Sliding mode control of time‐varying delay Markov jump with quantized output

This paper investigates the quantized sliding mode control of Markov jump systems with time‐varying delay. A dynamical adjustment law is explored to quantize the system output. By constructing an observer‐based integral sliding surface, a sliding mode controller is designed to take over the dynamical motion of state estimation and ensure the reachability of sliding surface. A new scaling manner is developed to build the bound between the system output and quantized error. With the help of separation strategies for controller synthesis and general transition probabilities and a lower bound theorem for nonlinear integral terms, a new synthesis method to ensure the required stability and meet the required performance is proposed in the form of linear matrix inequalities. The validity of the proposed control method is illustrated by a numerical example.     

Safety profile of the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine: Pooled analysis of two large randomised phase 3 trials

Background

The ZOE-50 (NCT01165177) and ZOE-70 (NCT01165229) phase 3 clinical trials showed that the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) was ≥90% efficacious in preventing herpes zoster in adults. Here we present a comprehensive overview of the safety data from these studies.

Statin use and medically attended acute respiratory illness among influenza vaccine recipients

BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that statins decrease influenza vaccine effectiveness and increase risk of medically attended acute respiratory illness (MAARI).ObjectivesTo examine the association of incident statin use and MAARI in a cohort of influenza vaccine recipients.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study evaluated influenza vaccine recipients within the Tricare population. The primary outcome compared MAARI incidence during the follow-up period in a propensity score-matched cohort of incident statin users and statin non-users. Secondary analysis included propensity score-adjusted comparisons between incident statin users and statin non-users in the entire cohort and prespecified sub-cohorts with and without comorbidities. The propensity score was derived from 72 variables encompassing demographics, medical history, comorbidities, medication use, and healthcare utilization.ResultsMAARI incidence in statin users was similar to non-users in the propensity score-matched cohort (odds ratio [OR] 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84–1.01). In contrast, statin users with lower comorbidity had lower OR for MAARI compared to non-users (Charlson Score zero cohort: 0.85 [CI 0.74–0.98]; No Diabetes cohort: 0.88 [CI 0.80–0.96]).ConclusionIncident statin use was not associated with increased MAARI incidence and may be associated with lower incidence of MAARI in those with less comorbidity. This study thus offers reassurance regarding the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in statin users.