A comparison of two Fendrix hepatitis B vaccination schedules in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Systemic immunosuppressive therapy (IS) renders patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) vulnerable to fulminant hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Seroprotection against HBV through a full vaccination scheme is preferably obtained before IS is initiated, but often conflicts with the clinical need to initiate therapy rapidly. Consequently, the vast majority of patients will use IS during booster vaccinations. In this retrospective cohort study, we examined the serological response after a modified vaccination schedule which includes an initial double dose of Fendrix in patients with IBD and compared the results with the serological responses of patients with IBD who received the standard schedule. Seroprotection rates were 86.2 % and 88.9 % in the modified and standard schedule groups respectively. One-third of patients obtained seroprotection after only one double dose vaccine. A double dose may be considered in patients with IBD at high short-term risk of HBV infection when a rapid protective response is warranted.     

An 8-week aerobic cycling intervention elicits improved gait velocity and biomechanics in persons with Parkinson’s disease

BackgroundIt is unknown if improvements in gait velocity following an aerobic cycling intervention are accompanied by improved gait biomechanics in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) or if gait abnormalities are exaggerated in response to increased velocity.Research questionCan an 8-week aerobic cycling intervention elicit improvements in locomotor function in individuals with mild to moderate PD?MethodsA secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial was conducted in individuals with mild to moderate idiopathic PD (N = 28). Participants were randomized to an aerobic cycling intervention (PD_ex, N = 14) consisting of 24 sessions at a targeted aerobic intensity of 60–80% of heart rate reserve or to a no intervention control group (PD_control, N = 14). Change in comfortable walking speed in addition to gait kinematics, kinetics, and spatiotemporal variables using motion capture were obtained at baseline and end of treatment (EOT).ResultsThe PD_ex group made significantly greater improvements in the primary outcome, change in comfortable gait velocity, from 0.86 ± 0.24 m/s at baseline to 1.00 ± 0.23 m/s at EOT compared to the PD_control group who declined from 0.91 ± 0.23 m/s at baseline to 0.80 ± 0.29 at EOT (P = 0.002). Improvements in gait velocity for the PD_ex group were accompanied by improvements in gait kinematics, kinetics, and spatiotemporal parameters, while the PD_control group demonstrated slight worsening in all gait parameters over the 8-week period.SignificanceThe 8-week moderate- to high-intensity cycling intervention elicited significantly greater improvements in gait velocity compared to the PD_control group. Increased gait velocity was accompanied by normalization of gait biomechanics, rather than an exaggeration of existing gait deviations. Aerobic cycling may be a viable treatment approach to improve gait velocity and gait biomechanics in individuals with mild to moderate PD and may mitigate declines in mobility.     

社区动脉粥样硬化风险研究的进展和展望

社区动脉粥样硬化风险（ARIC）研究是1987年由美国心、肺和血液研究所资助的关注非洲裔美国人心血管健康的最大研究。旨在调查心脏病的危险因素以及心血管疾病与认知之间的联系。ARIC研究的许多发现加深了对动脉粥样硬化性心血管病病因的了解,在心血管病预防领域做出了重大贡献,证明了以人群为基础的研究对改善健康和预防疾病的重要性。主要概述ARIC研究的起源、目的、研究设计、对心血管医学的贡献以及未来的发展方向。     

稳定性冠心病血瘀证的血浆定量蛋白质组学探析＊

目的 基于数据非依赖性采集的定量蛋白质组学技术（data independent acquisition，DIA）对稳定性冠心病血瘀证患者的血浆蛋白质进行研究分析，初步探索冠心病血瘀证的关键生物学过程与核心靶点。方法 选择中国中医科学院广安门医院心血管科收治的5例稳定性冠心病患者作为疾病观察组，同时选取健康成人5人作为对照组，采用DIA蛋白质组学技术对受试者的血浆进行检测，确定蛋白质表达量后进行差异蛋白质表达分析、GO富集分析、KEGG信号通路图查询和蛋白质互作网络分析。结果 在差异倍数为1.5倍时，疾病观察组相比于健康对照组，共鉴定到22个蛋白质下调，9个蛋白质上调。进一步的生物信息学分析表明，冠心病血瘀证的生物学过程与补体参与的慢性炎症反应有关，关键信号通路是补体与凝血级联反应的信号通路，核心蛋白质为C反应蛋白、转甲状腺素蛋白、补体因子H、维生素D结合蛋白等。结论 冠心病血瘀证的生物学过程与补体参与的慢性炎症反应有关。     

Clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with COVID-19 between Omicron era vs. pre-Omicron era

IntroductionDetailed data on clinical characteristics in children with the omicron strain of SARS-COV-2 are limited.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study of children with COVID-19 at the National Center for Child Health and Development to evaluate the clinical manifestations during and before the emergence of the omicron variant. Only symptomatic patients without underlying diseases were included. Participants were divided into two temporal groups: the “omicron era” (1/2022–2/2022) and the “pre-omicron era,” where the delta variant predominated (7/2021–11/2021). The patients were subclassified into an older vaccine-eligible group (aged 12–17 years), a younger vaccine-eligible group (aged 5–11 years), and a vaccine-ineligible group (aged 0–4 years).ResultsWe compared 113 patients in the omicron era with 106 in the pre-omicron era. Most patients in both eras had non-severe disease, and no patients required mechanical ventilation or died. Among patients aged 0–4 years, sore throat and hoarseness were more common during the omicron era than the pre-omicron era (11.1% vs. 0.0% and 11.1% vs. 1.5%, respectively). Croup syndrome was diagnosed in all patients with hoarseness. Among patients aged 5–11 years, vomiting was more frequent during the omicron era (47.2%) than during the pre-omicron era (21.7%). Cough and rhinorrhea were less common during the omicron era in patients aged 0–4 and 5–11 years, respectively, than during the pre-omicron era.ConclusionsIn children with COVID-19, clinical manifestations differed between the omicron and pre-omicron eras. In the Omicron era, croup syndrome was more frequent in vaccine-ineligible children.     

Practice developments supporting change implementation in Wellington,New Zealand (NZ) for ‘continuity of care when transitioning complex preterm infants from NICU to home’

The discussion paper will focus on continuity of care relating to previous NZ research, specifically to transitioning complex preterm infants from NICU to home based on parent experiences, and on the practice developments that have occurred, to ensure optimal health outcomes. Previous NZ research discovered parent desire a consistent service delivery for the entire transition journey from NICU and at home.An informative and comprehensive opportunity has occurred for reflective professional practice, evaluation, development and implementation which have transpired in positive change through innovative practice developments and support change implementation in Wellington, NZ. This has resulted in the articulation of a model of care that has both embraced and integrated parental desires for a continuity of care process for complex preterm infants. This has been achieved by having the same Discharge Facilitator/Key Case Manager present within the NICU and external to the NICU for Home-based infants for the entire transition journey.The paper will focus and emphasis additional practice development changes and furthermore, will present a real purpose, for other countries to learn of such practice developments that have exemplified a celebratory success for families of Wellington, NZ.