EEG functional connectivity contributes to outcome prediction of postanoxic coma

ObjectiveTo investigate the additional value of EEG functional connectivity features, in addition to non-coupling EEG features, for outcome prediction of comatose patients after cardiac arrest.MethodsProspective, multicenter cohort study. Coherence, phase locking value, and mutual information were calculated in 19-channel EEGs at 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after cardiac arrest. Three sets of machine learning classification models were trained and validated with functional connectivity, EEG non-coupling features, and a combination of these. Neurological outcome was assessed at six months and categorized as “good” (Cerebral Performance Category [CPC] 1–2) or “poor” (CPC 3–5).ResultsWe included 594 patients (46% good outcome). A sensitivity of 51% (95% CI: 34–56%) at 100% specificity in predicting poor outcome was achieved by the best functional connectivity-based classifier at 12 h after cardiac arrest, while the best non-coupling-based model reached a sensitivity of 32% (0–54%) at 100% specificity using data at 12 h and 48 h. Combination of both sets of features achieved a sensitivity of 73% (50–77%) at 100% specificity.ConclusionFunctional connectivity measures improve EEG based prediction models for poor outcome of postanoxic coma.SignificanceFunctional connectivity features derived from early EEG hold potential to improve outcome prediction of coma after cardiac arrest.     

Role of serum and synovial procalcitonin in differentiating septic from non-septic arthritis- a prospective study

IntroductionSeptic arthritis is a serious orthopaedic emergency that must be diagnosed and managed early to prevent devastating complications. The current gold standard for diagnosing septic arthritis is synovial fluid culture, but results are delayed by 48–72 h, and the sensitivity of the test is very low. Differentiating Septic from non-septic arthritis is vital to prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics and prevent complications. Serum Procalcitonin (PCT) is a useful marker in differentiating septic from non-septic arthritis but there are very few studies that have studied the role of synovial PCT for the same.AimTo determine the role of serum and synovial PCT in differentiating acute Septic from non-septic arthritis.Materials and methodsProspective clinical study in which 60 patients presenting with acute inflammatory arthritis (<2 weeks duration) were enrolled from May 2018 to May 2020. Serum and synovial fluid samples were drawn at presentation and routine blood investigations, synovial fluid culture sensitivity, and Procalcitonin levels were measured. Patients were divided into 3 groups, with group-1 having confirmed pyogenic, group-2 having presumed pyogenic, and group-3 having non –pyogenic patients, respectively. All data was tabulated and statistically analysed using appropriate tests.ResultsMean serum PCT values in groups 1, 2 and 3 were 1.06 ± 1.11, 0.85 ± 0.74, and 0.11 ± 0.24, respectively. Patients in the Pyogenic group (group1 and group 2) had significantly higher mean serum PCT as compared to group3 (p < 0.0001). Group 1 had higher serum PCT as compared to group 2, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.58). Mean synovial PCT in group 1, 2 and 3 were 2.42 ± 1.98, 1.89 ± 1.18, and 0.22 ± 0.40, respectively. Patients in the Pyogenic group (Group1 and Group2) had significantly higher mean synovial PCT as compared to Group 3 (p < 0.0001). Group 1 had higher mean synovial PCT as compared to group 2, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.54). The area under the ROC curve of the serum levels of PCT was 0.0.895, and the area under the ROC curve of the synovial fluid levels of PCT was 0.914, which was higher than the serum PCT level.ConclusionSerum and synovial Procalcitonin may be used as a diagnostic marker in differentiating septic from inflammatory arthritis and can help in reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics and early diagnosis and management of septic arthritis, thereby preventing complications.     

Comparison of quantitative susceptibility mapping methods on evaluating radiation-induced cerebral microbleeds and basal ganglia at 3T and 7T

Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) has the potential for being a biomarker for various diseases because of its ability to measure tissue susceptibility related to iron deposition, myelin, and hemorrhage from the phase signal of a T₂*-weighted MRI. Despite its promise as a quantitative marker, QSM is faced with many challenges, including its dependence on preprocessing of the raw phase data, the relatively weak tissue signal, and the inherently ill posed relationship between the magnetic dipole and measured phase. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of background field removal and dipole inversion algorithms on noise characteristics, image uniformity, and structural contrast for cerebral microbleed (CMB) quantification at both 3T and 7T. We selected four widely used background phase removal and five dipole field inversion algorithms for QSM and applied them to volunteers and patients with CMBs, who were scanned at two different field strengths, with ground truth QSM reference calculated using multiple orientation scans. 7T MRI provided QSM images with lower noise than did 3T MRI. QSIP and VSHARP + iLSQR achieved the highest white matter homogeneity and vein contrast, with QSIP also providing the highest CMB contrast. Compared with ground truth COSMOS QSM images, overall good correlations between susceptibility values of dipole inversion algorithms and the COSMOS reference were observed in basal ganglia regions, with VSHARP + iLSQR achieving the susceptibility values most similar to COSMOS across all regions. This study can provide guidance for selecting the most appropriate QSM processing pipeline based on the application of interest and scanner field strength.     

Proxalutamide in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: Primary analysis of a multicenter,randomized, open-label,phase 2 trial

We aim to assess the safety and efficacy of proxalutamide, a novel androgen receptor antagonist, for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase 2 trial. In our study, the enrolled mCRPC patients were randomized to 100, 200 and 300 mg dose groups at 1:1:1. The primary efficacy endpoint was prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate. The secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and time to PSA and radiographic progression. Safety and pharmacokinetics were also assessed. Finally, there were 108 patients from 17 centers being enrolled. By week 16, there were 13 (35.1%), 12 (36.4%) and 15 (42.9%) patients with confirmed 50% or greater PSA decline in 100 mg (n = 37), 200 mg (n = 33) and 300 mg (n = 35) groups, respectively. Among the 19 patients with target lesions at study entry, three (15.8%) had a partial response and 12 (63.2%) had stable disease. The ORRs of 20.0%, 22.2%, 0% and DCRs of 80.0%, 88.9%, 60.0% were, respectively, achieved in 100, 200 and 300 mg groups. By the maximum follow-up time of 24 weeks, there were 42.6% and 10.2% of cases experiencing PSA progression and radiographic progression, respectively. Overall, adverse events (AEs) were experienced by 94.4% of patients, most of which were mild or moderate. There were 28 patients experiencing ≥grade 3 AEs. The most common AEs were fatigue (17.6%), anemia (14.8%), elevated AST (14.8%) and ALT (13.0%), decreased appetite (13.0%). These findings preliminarily showed the promising antitumor activity of proxalutamide in patients with mCRPC with a manageable safety profile. The proxalutamide dose of 200 mg daily is recommended for future phase 3 trial (Clinical trial registration no. CTR20170177).     

腹针联合脐疗对黄体功能低下型不孕症患者子宫内膜容受性的影响

目的:探讨腹针联合脐疗对黄体功能低下型不孕症患者子宫内膜容受性的影响,旨在为临床治疗提供有力参考。方法:选择黄体功能低下型不孕症患者140例,按照随机数字表法分为对照组与观察组各70例。两组均给予常规黄体酮治疗,在此基础上,对照组给予黄体酮联合腹针治疗,观察组在对照组治疗基础上联合脐疗治疗。对比治疗前、治疗3个月经周期后两组证候总积分、子宫内膜厚度、子宫内膜血流参数[阻力指数(RI)、搏动指数(PI)]、黄体中期激素[雌二醇(E2)、孕酮(P)]及妊娠率。结果:治疗后,与对照组相比,观察组证候总积分较低,子宫内膜厚度较高,PI、RI指数较低,E2、P水平均较高,妊娠成功率较高,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:将腹针与脐疗联合用于黄体功能低下型不孕症患者治疗中,能够有效缓解患者临床症状,提高黄体中期雌孕激素水平,改善黄体中期血流灌注,促进子宫内膜增长,从而提高子宫内膜容受性,提高临床妊娠成功率。     

基于薄荷油为油相的红花提取物自微乳凝胶递送系统制备研究

目的制备以薄荷油(Menthaha plocalyx oil,MPO)为油相的红花提取物(Carthamus tinctorius extract,CTE)自微乳凝胶递送系统(CTE-SMEDDS-BGs)。方法以MPO为油相,CTE为水相,采用伪三元相图法优选载药自微乳处方,采用单因素法筛选凝胶工艺与处方,并对其外观性状、黏度和pH值进行评价。结果所得CTE-SMEDDS-BGs最佳处方工艺:F68为乳化剂,无水乙醇为助乳化剂,乳化剂与助乳化剂比例(Km)为1∶1,乳化剂和助乳化剂总量(TS)与MPO的比例为8∶2,卡波姆2%,甘油6%,CTE5m L。处方量自微乳加入溶胀后的凝胶基质,三乙胺调节pH值至6.0即得CTE-SMEDDS-BGs;其外观为黄色半透明、黏稠度适中、均匀细腻、不油腻,易涂展的胶状凝胶,黏度为4.98×10~4m Pa·s(RSD为1.53%),pH为6.04(RSD为0.44%)。结论制得的薄荷油为油相的CTE-SMEDDS-BGs,制备简便,方法稳定,符合凝胶局部外用制剂要求。