What are Journals for?

‘The secret is comprised in three words – work, finish, publish.’Michael FaradayThere are many reasons doctors want to publish their work. For most at an early stage in their career, this may be to add a line to their curriculum vitae and advance their careers but for academics, publishing is an expectation. Many will believe they have something important to say, and wish to provoke debate and discussion; others wish to share knowledge and experiences, which in medicine can lead to a satisfying change in clinical practice. All serve to register one’s idea and educate others. However, for some, the reason is as basic as money. As we celebrate the 350th anniversary of the first academic publication, perhaps we have come full circle when it comes to why people publish?Publishing is a flourishing business. There were approximately 28,100 active scholarly peer-reviewed journals in mid-2012, collectively publishing about 1.8–1.9 million articles per year. The number of articles published each year and the number of journals have both grown steadily for more than two centuries, by about 3% and 3.5% per year respectively.¹ Journals have a responsibility to refine and define information and act as a scientific filter. Many of us will receive daily invitations in our email inbox from eclectic and new journals that are likely to take anything – is the filter now too porous? But this industry is like any other commercial activity and the supply still far outstrips the demand. Perhaps the internet revolution has merely fuelled our hunger to publish more?The launch of this exciting and innovative series about publishing coincides with the 350th celebration of the publication of the first academic journal. In the age of social media, the first question is ‘What are journals for?’, which Simon Rallison sets out to answer. Simon is Director of Publications at the Physiological Society, and was previously a journal publisher with Earthscan, Springer and Blackwell.Writing is hard work and, through this series, I hope the reader will get some useful insight into this service industry for academia.Jyoti ShahCommissioning EditorIn an age of the internet and social media, why are we still using (admittedly with refinements and improvements) a form of publication dating from 1665? What exactly is a journal in the 21st century and what role does it have to perform? Surprisingly, the academic journal has not evolved since it was invented 350 years ago.¹ The first issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society was published in 1665, the brainchild of Henry Oldenburg and Robert Hooke. Since then, journals have digitised and now offer greater opportunity for research communication – but are authors taking advantage of what journals can offer? The academic and research community is generally very conservative about what it reads and how it views journals. There are, however, also frequent misunderstandings about the operation of journals.     

认知矫正治疗对慢性精神分裂症患者临床症状和社会功能的影响

目的:观察认知矫正治疗对慢性精神分裂症患者临床症状和社会功能的改善作用。方法:选择2003-01/08在北京回龙观医院住院的慢性精神分裂症患者104例。均符合CCMD-Ⅲ及DSM-Ⅳ关于精神分裂症诊断标准;年龄25～55岁;病程≥2年;病情稳定,处于迁延、残留或部分缓解状态;药物治疗状况稳定,近期无换药打算;纳入对象或家属同意入组并签署知情同意书。应用随机数字表法将患者分认知矫正治疗组和对照组,每组52例。在相近药物治疗的基础上,认知矫正治疗组以Ann Delahunty和Rodney Morice等制定的神经认知矫正手册(汉化)为治疗工具,在治疗师的指导下进行认知作业练习,内容包括认知灵活性、工作记忆、计划执行功能3大功能模块。对照组予以相同时间的工娱治疗,主要包括有治疗师指导的操作性音乐治疗和舞蹈治疗。治疗前后两组患者分别进行PANSS、住院精神患者社会功能缺陷量表和护士观察量表的评定。结果:实验共纳入慢性精神分裂症患者104例,认知矫正治疗组44例,对照组46例进入结果分析,14例脱落。①治疗前后两组患者PANSS量表总分以及阴性症状量表、复合量表、一般精神病理量表、反应缺乏量表4个分量表的评分均有下降,组内比较差异有显著性意义(t=2.12～4.59,P<0.05);减分情况在两组间差异不明显(P>0.05)。②两组患者的社会功能缺陷量表总分在治疗后均有下降,与治疗前比较,差异有显著性意义(t=3.89,2.04,P<0.05);两组间比较,差异无显著性意义(P>0.05)。认知矫正治疗组治疗后护士观察量表的总病情以及总消极、迟滞2个分量表评分下降,与治疗前比较差异有显著性意义(t=1.49,1.19,2.81,P<0.05);其中迟滞项的减分在两组间比较,差异具有显著性意义(F=4.97,P<0.05)。③社会功能量表的改善与词语流畅性的改善呈正相关(R2=0.36,P<0.05),护士观察量表中总病情与积极两项评分的改善也与言语流畅性测验的改善正相关(R2=0.37,0.34,P<0.05)。结论:认知矫正治疗能在一定程度上改善精神分裂症患者的社会功能,并与部分认知功能的改善相关,但对临床症状无明显改善作用。     

体外原代培养纯化新生鼠嗅鞘细胞的实验方法：差速贴壁＋阿糖胞苷＋胰酶法

目的:通过细胞形态学观察及生物学特性鉴定,建立一种经济实用的体外原代培养纯化新生鼠嗅鞘细胞的实验方法。方法:实验于2006-06在武汉理工大学完成。①阿糖胞苷(Sigma,批号w10562);胎牛血清(杭州四季青产品);胰蛋白酶(Amresco);多聚赖氨酸(Sigma);胶质纤维酸性蛋白,神经生长因子受体蛋白抗体(博士德)。②选取出生3d内的Wistar大鼠5只,乙醇浸泡后断头处死,取嗅球的最外两层,通过1.25g/L胰蛋白酶消化分离嗅鞘细胞,体外原代培养。③采用Nash差速贴壁 阿糖胞苷 胰酶法纯化嗅鞘细胞。培养18h后将未贴壁的细胞悬液转种于另一未涂层的器皿中,再培养36h,重复上述步骤移入0.1g/L多聚赖氨酸包被的塑料培养瓶中进行培养,纯化后的细胞在24h内陆续贴壁,常规培养2d,加入终浓度为2mg/L的阿糖胞苷,作用48h后,换上新的培养基,继续培养1d,弃去培养基,用无钙镁的Hanks液清洗2次,然后用1.25g/L的胰酶消化10min,待细胞突起回缩、胞体变圆时,立刻加入纯血清终止,其血清终浓度为20%,制备单细胞悬液。④倒置显微镜下观察其形态变化,苏木精-伊红染色,同时行神经生长因子受体蛋白和胶质纤维酸性蛋白免疫组化染色鉴定嗅鞘细胞,并计算嗅鞘细胞阳性百分率。结果:①活细胞形态观察:分离培养的嗅鞘细胞具有双极或多极突起,且突起细长,相互交织。②嗅鞘细胞的苏木精-伊红染色鉴定:细胞呈三角形或梭形,有长的突起,胞浆被染成粉红色,胞核呈蓝紫色,胞核内深染的为核仁,有1～3个核仁。③嗅鞘细胞的胶质纤维酸性蛋白免疫组化染色鉴定:细胞呈现棕黄色,胞核淡染,阳性细胞成网状连接,胞体多为三角形,有细长突起,阳性率91.5%。④嗅鞘细胞的P75免疫组化染色鉴定:阳性细胞呈绿色,多数细胞染色阳性,阳性率89%。结论:实验所采用的Nash差速贴壁 阿糖胞苷 胰酶法分离纯化培养嗅鞘细胞切实可行,为神经诱导修复材料的研究提供种子细胞。     

Direct identification of Yersinia enterocolitica in blood by polymerase chain reaction amplification

Primers based on the nucleotide sequence of the virF gene in the pYV plasmid and the chromosomal ail gene were used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications to directly identify Yersinia enterocolitica in blood. Approximately 500 bacteria seeded into 100 microL of blood can be extracted and amplified by PCR to yield positive results. PCR analyses of seven Y. enterocolitica isolates previously implicated in blood contaminations showed that only one isolate harbored the plasmid-borne virF gene; however, all seven isolates were identified effectively by the PCR product amplified from the chromosomal gene. The PCR assay has the potential for use in the identification of Y. enterocolitica contamination in stored units of blood or in the rapid diagnosis of transfusion-related bacteremia caused by Y.     

Persistent reversed end diastolic flow in the fetal middle cerebral artery: an ominous finding

Fetal persistent middle cerebral artery reversed end diastolic flow is a rare and ominous finding. Previous cases have been associated with intracranial hemorrhage, growth restriction, anaemia, and hepatic anomaly. Intrauterine demise or early neonatal death is a common outcome. We report the case of persistent middle cerebral artery reversed end diastolic flow in a well-grown fetus at 32 weeks’ gestation resulting from acute, severe anaemia due to a large feto-maternal hemorrhage. An emergency cesarean section was performed and the neonate required advanced resuscitation and immediate blood transfusion. Postnatal magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a hemorrhagic parietal infarct and bilateral ischaemic changes in the basal ganglia. This provides further evidence that persistent middle cerebral artery reversed end diastolic flow in any fetus is an ominous finding warranting urgent diagnostic evaluation and/or delivery.     

The preterm gut microbiota: changes associated with necrotizing enterocolitis and infection

Aim: To describe gut colonization in preterm infants using standard culture and 16S gene rRNA profiling, exploring differences in healthy infants and those who developed NEC/late onset sepsis (LOS). Methods: Ninety‐nine stools from 38 infants of median 27‐week gestation were cultured; 44 stools from 27 infants had their microbial profiles determined by 16S. Ordination analyses explored effects of patient variables on gut communities. Results: Standard microbiological culture identified a mean of two organisms (range 0–7), DGGE 12 (range 3–18) per patient. Enterococcus faecalis and coagulase negative staphylococci (CONS) were most common by culture (40% and 39% of specimens). Meconium was not sterile. No fungi were cultured. Bacterial community structures in infants with NEC and LOS differed from healthy infants. Infants who developed NEC carried more CONS (45% vs 30%) and less Enterococcus faecalis (31% vs 57%). 16S identified Enterobacter and Staphylococcus presence associated with NEC/LOS, respectively. Conclusions: Important differences were found in the gut microbiota of preterm infants who develop NEC/LOS. The relationship of these changes to current practices in neonatal intensive care requires further exploration.