Optimized set of criteria for defining interictal epileptiform EEG discharges

ObjectiveTo find and validate the optimal combination of criteria that define interictal epileptiform EEG discharges (IEDs). Our target was a specificity over 95%, to avoid over-reading in clinical EEG.MethodsWe constructed 63 combinations of the six criteria from the operational definition of IEDs, recently issued in the EEG-glossary of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN). The diagnostic gold standard was derived from video-EEG recordings. In a testing EEG dataset from 100 patients, we selected the best performing combinations of criteria and then we validated them in an independent dataset from 70 patients. We compared their performance with subjective, expert-scorings and we determined inter-rater agreement (IRA).ResultsWithout using criteria, the specificity of expert-scorings was lower than the pre-defined threshold (86%). The best performing combination of criteria was the following: waves with spiky morphology, followed by a slow-afterwave and voltage map suggesting a source in the brain. In the validation dataset this achieved a specificity of 97% and a sensitivity of 89%. IRA was substantial.ConclusionsThe optimized set of criteria for defining IEDs has high accuracy and IRA.SignificanceUsing these criteria will contribute to decreasing over-reading of EEG and avoid misdiagnosis of epilepsy.     

Validation of deep-learning image reconstruction for coronary computed tomography angiography: Impact on noise,image quality and diagnostic accuracy

BackgroundAdvances in image reconstruction are necessary to decrease radiation exposure from coronary CT angiography (CCTA) further, but iterative reconstruction has been shown to degrade image quality at high levels. Deep-learning image reconstruction (DLIR) offers unique opportunities to overcome these limitations. The present study compared the impact of DLIR and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo (ASiR-V) on quantitative and qualitative image parameters and the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the standard of reference.MethodsThis retrospective study includes 43 patients who underwent clinically indicated CCTA and ICA. Datasets were reconstructed with ASiR-V 70% (using standard [SD] and high-definition [HD] kernels) and with DLIR at different levels (i.e., medium [M] and high [H]). Image noise, image quality, and coronary luminal narrowing were evaluated by three blinded readers. Diagnostic accuracy was compared against ICA.ResultsNoise did not significantly differ between ASiR-V SD and DLIR-M (37 vs. 37 HU, p = 1.000), but was significantly lower in DLIR-H (30 HU, p < 0.001) and higher in ASiR-V HD (53 HU, p < 0.001). Image quality was higher for DLIR-M and DLIR-H (3.4–3.8 and 4.2–4.6) compared to ASiR-V SD and HD (2.1–2.7 and 1.8–2.2; p < 0.001), with DLIR-H yielding the highest image quality. Consistently across readers, no significant differences in sensitivity (88% vs. 92%; p = 0.453), specificity (73% vs. 73%; p = 0.583) and diagnostic accuracy (80% vs. 82%; p = 0.366) were found between ASiR-V HD and DLIR-H.ConclusionDLIR significantly reduces noise in CCTA compared to ASiR-V, while yielding superior image quality at equal diagnostic accuracy.     

美学区种植修复的评价和临床程序

评价种植修复的临床效果包括种植修复体的长期骨结合和美学效果。近年来,伴随着美学种植原则的确立和美学种植修复技术的成熟,口腔种植进入一个新的历史阶段。本文将根据笔者的临床经验和文献资料,简要介绍目前已经明确的美学种植的定义、评价和风险因素,并以病例报告的形式向读者推荐美学区种植的临床程序,为读者的美学种植修复的临床实践提供帮助。     

脑性瘫痪的定义、诊断标准及临床分型

在2005年中华医学会儿科学分会神经学组和2007年中国康复医学会儿童康复专业委员会制定发表的《小儿脑性瘫痪的定义、分型和诊断条件》的基础上,《中国脑性瘫痪康复治疗指南》编写委员会参考国外有关小儿脑性瘫痪诊疗指南和最新文献报道,多次组织讨论编写.以便更好地指导临床医师对小儿脑性瘫痪定义的理解,提高脑性瘫痪的诊断和分型水平,与国际接轨.     

“肢体困重”释义

本研究通过分析"肢体困重"的字义,试图明确"肢体困重"的定义,探索其主要病机和量化方法。研究表明:肢体困重是"一种患者的主观感受,意指四肢和(或)躯体额外的负重感,重则如包裹束缚、活动量减少"。肢体困重的病机实责痰湿,虚责于阳虚、气虚。以等级法为主辅以数字模拟法、量表法的测量方法,有利于对肢体困重严重程度进行客观评价。     

肝衰竭:定义、诊断与治疗

肝衰竭是临床上常见的严重肝病证候群,在我国尤其多见于重型肝炎,病死率极高.尽管国内外学者在对肝衰竭发病机制和诊治长期不懈的探索中取得了较大进步,但在肝衰竭的定义、分类及诊断方面尚未取得一致意见,尤其是此类患者的救治尚无突破性进展[1].     

Defining hard-to-reach populations for vaccination

Extending the benefits of vaccination to everyone who is eligible requires an understanding of which populations current vaccination efforts have struggled to reach. A clear definition of “hard-to-reach” populations – also known as high-risk or marginalized populations, or reaching the last mile – is essential for estimating the size of target groups, sharing lessons learned based on consistent definitions, and allocating resources appropriately. A literature review was conducted to determine what formal definitions of hard-to-reach populations exist and how they are being used, and to propose definitions to consider for future use. Overall, we found that (1) there is a need to distinguish populations that are hard to reach versus hard to vaccinate, and (2) the existing literature poorly defined these populations and clear criteria or thresholds for classifying them were missing. Based on this review, we propose that hard-to-reach populations be defined as those facing supply-side barriers to vaccination due to geography by distance or terrain, transient or nomadic movement, healthcare provider discrimination, lack of healthcare provider recommendations, inadequate vaccination systems, war and conflict, home births or other home-bound mobility limitations, or legal restrictions. Although multiple mechanisms may apply to the same population, supply-side barriers should be distinguished from demand-side barriers. Hard-to-vaccinate populations are defined as those who are reachable but difficult to vaccinate due to distrust, religious beliefs, lack of awareness of vaccine benefits and recommendations, poverty or low socioeconomic status, lack of time to access available vaccination services, or gender-based discrimination. Further work is needed to better define hard-to-reach populations and delineate them from populations that may be hard to vaccinate due to complex refusal reasons, improve measurement of the size and importance of their impact, and examine interventions related to overcoming barriers for each mechanism. This will enable policy makers, governments, donors, and the vaccine community to better plan interventions and allocate necessary resources to remove existing barriers to vaccination.     

Management of functional dyspepsia： Unsolved problems and new perspectives

The common characteristic criteria of all functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are the persistence and recurrence of variable gastrointestinal symptoms that cannot be explained by any structural or biochemical abnormalities. Functional dyspepsia (FD) represents one of the important GI disorders in Western countries because of its remarkably high prevalence in general population and its impact on quality of life. Due to its dependence on both subjective determinants and diverse country-specific circumstances, the definition and management strategies of FD are still variably stated. Clinical trials with several drug classes (e.g., proton pump inhibitors, H2-blockers, prokinetic drugs) have been performed frequently without validated disease-specific test instruments for the outcome measurements. Therefore, the interpretation of such trials remains difficult and controversial with respect to comparability and evaluation of drug efficacy, and definite conclusions can be drawn neither for diagnostic management nor for efficacious drug therapy so far. In view of these unsolved problems, guidelines both on the clinical management of FD and on the performance of clinical trials are needed. In recent years, increasing research work has been done in this area. Clinical trials conducted in adequately diagnosed patients that provided validated outcome measurements may result in better insights leading to more effective treatment strategies. Encouraging perspectives have been recently performed by methodologically well-designed treatment studies with herbal drug preparations. Herbal drugs, given their proven efficacy in clinical trials, offer a safe therapeutic alternative in the treatment of FD which is often favored by both patients and physicians. A fixed combination of peppermint oil and caraway oil in patients suffering from FD could be proven effective by well-designed clinical trials.     

Do components of current ‘hardcore smoker’ definitions predict quitting behaviour?

Aims It has been hypothesized that the smoking population is represented by an increasingly ‘hardcore’ group of smokers who are resistant to quitting. Many definitions of ‘hardcore smokers’ have been used, but their predictive validity is unknown. To evaluate whether ‘hardcore smoker’ definition components predict quitting behaviours and which combinations of ‘hardcore’ components are most predictive. Design, setting and participants Longitudinal, random telephone survey of a representative sample of adult smokers in Ontario, Canada (n = 4130, recruited 2005–08 and followed for 1 year). Measurements Multiple logistic regression models were compared to evaluate the predictive ability of ‘hardcore’ components (high daily cigarette consumption, high nicotine dependence, being a daily smoker, history of long‐term smoking, no quit intention and no life‐time quit attempt) on three outcomes [continued smoking, not attempting to quit and having unsuccessful quit attempt(s)]. Findings All ‘hardcore’ components predicted having no quit attempt and continued smoking during follow‐up (P < 0.05), except for history of long‐term smoking and no life‐time quit attempt (for continued smoking). Among respondents who made 1 + quit attempts during follow‐up, only high nicotine dependence, high daily cigarette consumption and being a daily smoker were predictive of quitting failure (P < 0.01). The best combination of components depended on the outcome. Conclusions Measures of ‘hardcore’ include a mixture of motivational, dependence and behavioural variables. As found previously, motivational and behavioural measures, such as intention to quit, predict failure to make quit attempts. However, dependence components best predicted continued smoking and thus would be best for further exploring the hardening hypothesis.     

“文献”定义几个问题的探讨

给文献定义的重要性,界定文献的依据,已有文献的多种定义的评析与所回答的问题及文献的四要素：知识信息;载体;文字、符号、图像等;记录。