The efficacy of bismuth subsalicylate in the treatment of acute diarrhoea and the prevention of persistent diarrhoea

A controlled, randomized, double-blind study in Bangladeshi children (ages 4-36 mo) with acute diarrhoea was undertaken to determine whether bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) would prevent the development of persistent diarrhoea (PD) in young children. The children were randomized to two groups: 226 were given liquid oral BSS, (as Pepto-Bismol), 100 mg/kg/d for 5 d; 225 were given placebo of identical appearance. On admission to the study, the two groups were comparable both clinically and microbiologically. Rotavirus was found in 56% of all the children, and enterotoxigenic E. coli in 31% of a subsample studied. Children treated with BSS had less severe and less prolonged illness than those treated with placebo (p = 0.057). There was, however, no difference in the development of PD between the two groups (8% and 11%). Unexpectedly, patients treated with BSS gained significantly more weight (2.3%) than those treated with placebo (0.5%; p < 0.001) during the course of the study. No toxicity of BSS was detected. Conclusion: Treatment with BSS had a modest therapeutic effect on acute diarrhoea, as has been previously demonstrated, but with no suggestion of a therapeutic effect on the prevention of persistent diarrhoea in this group of patients.     

Spider phobics more easily see a spider in morphed schematic pictures

Background  

A dominant view in numerical cognition is that numerical comparisons operate on a notation independent representation (Dehaene, 1992). Although previous human neurophysiological studies using scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) on the numerical distance effect have been interpreted as supporting this idea, differences in the electrophysiological correlates of the numerical distance effect in symbolic notations (e.g. Arabic numerals) and non-symbolic notations (e.g. a set of visually presented dots of a certain number) are not entirely consistent with this view.     

Relationship between psychological factors and performance-based and self-reported disability in chronic low back pain

Cross sectional study, performed in an outpatient university based pain rehabilitation setting. To analyze the relationship between psychological factors (psychosocial distress, depression, self efficacy, self-esteem, fear of movement, pain cognitions and coping reactions) and performance-based and self-reported disability, as measured with a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). It has been suggested that a strong relationship exists between psychological factors and disability in patients with CLBP. In former research disability was often measured by self-report and seldom performance-based. Study sample consisted of 92 patients with CLBP admitted for multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Prior to treatment, all patients completed questionnaires to measure psychological factors and self-reported disability, and performed an FCE to measure performance-based disability. Correlation coefficients between psychological variables and FCE and self-reported disability were calculated. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed with self-reported or performance based disability measures as outcome variables, and psychological measures as predictor variables. Out of 42 relations analyzed, 5 were statistically significant. This concerned one significant correlation between kinesiophobia and a subtest of FCE, and four correlations between psychological factors and RMDQ. No correlation was significant after the Bonferroni correction was applied (P < 0.001). The strength of significant correlations ranged from r = −0.33 to r = 0.25. The multivariate analysis revealed that psychological variables measured in this study could explain 19% of the variance of self-reported disability, with kinesiophobia being the only psychological variable that contributed significantly. The suggested strong relationship between psychological factors and performance-based and self-reported disability could not be confirmed in this study. This may implicate that the relationship between psychological factors and disability in patients with CLBP is not as unambiguous as suggested.     

The relationship between psychosocial distress and disability assessed by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised and Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire in patients with chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: In the assessment and treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients, the biopsychosocial model is used worldwide. Psychological distress has been reported to have a strong relationship with disability as measured with several instruments. The relationship between psychosocial distress measured with the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and self-reported disability measured with the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) has not been investigated. PURPOSE: To analyze the relationship between psychosocial distress measured with the SCL-90-R and self-reported disability measured with the RMDQ in patients with CLBP. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: This cross sectional study was performed in an outpatient pain rehabilitation setting. PATIENT SAMPLE: The study sample consisted of 152 patients with CLBP. OUTCOME MEASURES: SCL-90-R and RMDQ. METHODS: All patients admitted for multidisciplinary treatment completed the SCL-90-R and RMDQ before treatment. Pearson's correlation coefficients between SCL-90-R (Global Severity Index and subscales) and RMDQ were calculated. RESULTS: Correlation coefficients between SCL-90-R (Global Severity Index and subscales) and RMDQ ranged from 0.18 to 0.31 (p<.05). CONCLUSION: The relationship between psychosocial distress measured with the SCL-90-R and self-reported disability measured with the RMDQ in CLBP patients is weak.     

“Anosmia” the mysterious collateral damage of COVID-19

Journal of NeuroVirology - COVID-19 pandemic spreads worldwide, with more than 100 million positive cases and more than 2 million deaths. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, several...     

Functional consequences of an arginine180 to glutamine mutation in factor IX Hilo

Factor IX Hilo is a variant factor IX molecule that has no detectable coagulant activity. The defect in factor IX Hilo arises from a point mutation in the gene such that in the protein Arg180 is converted to a Gln. Activation of factor IX Hilo by factor Xla was monitored using the fluorescent active site probe p-aminobenzamidine. Normal factor IX showed complete activation in one hour as determined by measuring the increase in fluorescence when p-aminobenzamidine bound to activated factor IX. Factor IX Hilo showed no increase in fluorescence even after 24 hours, indicating that the active site was not exposed. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that factor IX Hilo was cleaved to a light chain plus a larger peptide with a molecular weight equivalent to a heavy chain covalently linked to an activation peptide. Amino terminal amino acid sequencing of factor IX Hilo cleaved by factor Xla showed cleavage only at Arg145-Ala146, indicating that the Gln180-Val181 bond was not cleaved and that the active site was thus not exposed. The presence of factor IX Hilo in patient plasma was responsible for the patient having a very long ox brain prothrombin time characteristic of severe hemophilia Bm. Patient plasma had an ox brain prothrombin time of 100 seconds using a Thrombotest kit, significantly prolonged over the normal control value of 45 seconds. When factor IX Hilo was depleted from patient plasma using an immunoaffinity column, the ox brain prothrombin time decreased to 41 seconds. When factor IX Hilo was added back to depleted patient plasma, to normal plasma depleted of factor IX by the same affinity column, or to plasma from a CRM- hemophilia B patient, the ox brain prothrombin time was significantly prolonged. We conclude that the Arg180 to Gln mutation in factor IX Hilo results in a molecule that cannot be activated by factor Xla. Further, our data suggest that the mutation results in a molecule that interacts with components of the extrinsic pathway to give a prolonged ox brain prothrombin time.     

豚鼠脂肪干细胞的分离培养与鉴定

目的:从成年雄性豚鼠脂肪中分离培养脂肪干细胞,为脂肪干细胞移植治疗感音神经性耳聋的实验研究创造条件。方法:实验于2005-12/2006-03在河南省高等学校临床医学重点学科开放实验室完成。成年雄性豚鼠,体质量500～750g。分离培养豚鼠脂肪组织,培养三四天后首次换液。倒置显微镜下观察有大量细胞贴壁和漂浮的血细胞,用磷酸缓冲液反复冲洗去除漂浮的细胞,加入DMEM基础培养基 10%胎牛血清培养液。传代前用少量磷酸缓冲液洗涤1次,加入0.25%胰蛋白酶和0.02%乙二胺四乙酸2mL,见大部分细胞胞质回缩、形态变圆,加入2mL含血清的DMEM培养液终止消化,收集细胞悬液、计数,以2×104/cm2细胞密度接种于新的培养皿内。二三天达到融合状态,继续传代培养。四甲基偶氮唑蓝测定第1、3、10代脂肪干细胞生长曲线,流式细胞仪检测脂肪干细胞表面标志。结果:①原代培养显示培养的脂肪间充质干细胞2d左右开始贴壁,7d左右可达90%融合,基本上为梭形成纤维样细胞形态。②生长曲线显示,豚鼠脂肪干细胞在1～3代增值能力较强,以第1代细胞最强,10代以后增殖能力减弱,细胞生长进入平台期。经消化传代后的第1、3、10代细胞均经历24～48h的潜伏期,此后为3～5d对数生长期,逐渐进入生长平台期。14代以前具有活跃的增殖能力。③脂肪干细胞标志CD105,CD44呈阳性表达,而造血干细胞标志CD34阴性表达。结论:成功地建立了一种分离培养豚鼠脂肪间充质干细胞的方法,其生长稳定、增殖较快,可作为干细胞移植治疗感音神经性耳聋实验研究的供体细胞。     

非亲缘异基因外周血干细胞移植重建白血病幼儿造血功能：1例报告

目的:分析非亲缘异基因外周血干细胞移植治疗幼儿急性非淋巴性白血病的可行性。方法:患儿,男,3岁,于2005-07-18为行造血干细胞移植入本院血液科骨髓移植病房,入院诊断为急性非淋巴细胞性白血病-M5b。经抗肿瘤药物治疗病情获得完全缓解。患儿首先接受清髓性预处理,然后接受同性别非亲缘异基因外周血造血干细胞移植。①移植预处理包括马利兰、阿糖胞苷和环磷酰胺。移植前依次用药为马利兰3.2mg/(kg·d)×4d,口服,于移植前6,7,8,9d给药;阿糖胞苷3.2g/(m2·d)×2d,于移植前4,5d给药;环磷酰胺54mg/(kg·d),于移植前2,3d给药。②急性移植物抗宿主病的预防用药包括环孢菌素A和氨甲蝶呤、抗胸腺细胞球蛋白及吗替麦考酚酯。供者接受粒细胞集落刺激因子动员4d后采集外周血造血干细胞,供、受者间HLA全相合,患者血型A,供者血型B,主次要均不合。结果:①患儿移植后早期获得造血重建,中性粒细胞>0.5×109L-1和血小板>50×109L-1的天数分别是12d和11d。②移植后1个月经DNA短串联重复序列多态性分析证明为供者型完全植入,移植后3个月查骨髓象正常。③移植后3,6个月定期行淋巴细胞亚群检查表明除CD19 ,CD4 细胞未恢复外,自然杀伤细胞在移植后3个月恢复正常,T淋巴细胞CD3 与CD8 、体液免疫球蛋白在移植后6个月中均获得重建。④整个移植过程顺利,未出现明显感染和重度急性移植物抗宿主病。移植后96d时出现Ⅰ度皮肤移植物抗宿主病,经加用激素治疗,皮疹消失。移植术后已随访观察12个月,患儿正常生活。结论:如果患儿有HLA完全相合的供者,非亲缘异基因外周血干细胞移植治疗儿童高危白血病是一种有效和安全的方法,对国内独生子女家庭拓宽供者来源有重要的实用价值。