Etanercept decreases tumor necrosis factor-α activity in chronic wound fluid

High levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, are present in the wound fluid of chronic nonhealing wounds. This leads to increased inflammation, cytokine expression, and ultimately results in impaired wound healing and tissue destruction. Etanercept is a recombinant fusion protein that consists of the soluble TNF receptor (p75) linked to the Fc portion of human IgG1. It is an effective inhibitor of TNF-alpha and has been shown to provide rapid and sustained improvement in rheumatoid arthritis by acting as a soluble receptor binding TNF-alpha and preventing its proinflammatory activities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether Etanercept could inhibit TNF-alpha activity in chronic wound fluid. Wound fluid was collected from the venous leg ulcers of 16 different patients. The effect of Etanercept on TNF-alpha activity was evaluated using both a TNF-alpha bioassay and an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Etanercept was found to reduce the cytotoxic effect of chronic wound fluid on L929 fibroblasts by approximately 30% and neutralized TNF-alpha binding in the enzyme-linked immunoassay by up to 80%. Direct application of Etanercept to chronic wounds may therefore reduce the inflammatory activity of TNF-alpha, which could reduce the chronicity of venous leg ulcers and thus aid in the healing of these wounds.     

The influence of different error estimates in the detection of post-operative cognitive dysfunction using reliable change indices with correction for practice effects.

The reliable change index (RCI) expresses change relative to its associated error, and is useful in the identification of post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). This paper examines four common RCIs that each account for error in different ways. Three rules incorporate a constant correction for practice effects and are contrasted with the standard RCI that had no correction for practice. These rules are applied to 160 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery who completed neuropsychological assessments preoperatively and 1 week post-operatively using error and reliability data from a comparable healthy non-surgical control group. The rules all identify POCD in a similar proportion of patients, but the use of the within subject standard deviation, expressing the effects of random error, as an error estimate is a theoretically appropriate denominator when a constant error correction, removing the effects of systematic error, is deducted from the numerator in a RCI.     

The expression of emotion through nonverbal behavior in medical visits

Relationship-centered care reflects both knowing and feeling: the knowledge that physician and patient bring from their respective domains of expertise, and the physician’s and patient’s experience, expression, and perception of emotions during the medical encounter. These processes are conveyed and reciprocated in the care process through verbal and nonverbal communication. We suggest that the emotional context of care is especially related to nonverbal communication and that emotion-related communication skills, including sending and receiving nonverbal messages and emotional self-awareness, are critical elements of high-quality care. Although nonverbal behavior has received far less study than other care processes, the current review argues that it holds significance for the therapeutic relationship and influences important outcomes including satisfaction, adherence, and clinical outcomes of care.     

晶体玻璃体视网膜联合手术治疗复杂性视网膜脱离

目的探讨玻璃体视网膜手术（ｖｉｔｒｅｒｅｔｉｎａｌｓｕｒｇｅｒｙ，ＶＲ术）联合晶体切除／超声粉碎的效果。方法对８１例（８１只眼）应用晶体玻璃体视网膜联合手术（ｌｅｎｔｉｃｕｌａｒ－ｖｉｔｒｅｏｒｅｔｉｎａｌｓｕｒｇｅｒｙ，ＬＶＲ术）治疗的复杂性视网膜脱离进行回顾性分析。结果解剖性成功者６４只眼（７９．０１％），功能性成功者４５只眼（５５．５６％）；手术成功率显著降低的原因是前部增殖性玻璃体视网膜病变（ｐｒｏｌｉｆｅｒａｔｉｖｅｖｉｔｒｅｏ－ｒｅｔｉｎｏｐａｔｈｙ，ＰＶＲ）（成功率４２．８６％，Ｐ＜０．０１）和术中／术后眼内出血（成功率５８．８２％，Ｐ＜０．０２５）。结论ＬＶＲ术是治疗复杂性视网膜脱离的主要方法；显著影响手术预后的因素是前部ＰＶＲ和术中／术后眼内出血。     

Behaviors and attitudes associated with eating disorders: perceptions of college athletes about food and weight

This study surveyed male and female athletes from 22 midwesterncolleges and universities regarding behaviors and attitudesassociated with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The responserate was 66% (N= 695) and the findings indicated that the bodyimage of some athletes may be distorted; one-seventh perceivedthemselves as fat even though they were not. Many athletes seemedpreoccupied with food and weight; almost one-third reportedroutinely thinking about food and weight and more than one-thirdreported dramatic annual weight fluctuations (9 lb or greater)related to bingeing and fasting. Athletes also did not feelin control when they ate and their habits related to food consumptionappeared to be extreme; one-tenth reported a lack of controlwhen they ate, more than one-third binged, one-twentieth ateuntil they were physically ill, and a similar proportion preferrednot to eat in the presence of others. In addition, it was foundthat as many men as women athletes reported these perceptionsbut significant sex differences were noted for specific items.It was suggested that behaviors and attitudes be viewed on acontinuum with normals at one end, eating disordered individuals at the other end,and college athletes in between. Health education that focuseson behaviors and attitudes as symptoms of eating disorders wasrecommended for athletes and those working closely with athletes.Future research was suggested to determine reasons for the undesirablebehaviors and attitudes and to study the onset, development,long-term effects and whether these behaviors and attitudeslead to an eating disorder.     

医源性胆管狭窄X线表现

本文报道了１３例医源性胆管狭窄，分析其影像表现。特点为：环形狭窄；线样狭窄，包括规则的和不规则的线样狭窄；闭塞性狭窄；胆管闭塞和胆管中断分离。ＥＲＣＴ和ＰＣＴ对狭窄的形态，位置及长度显示优于ＣＴ和ＵＳ。