Brief Report: Parents’ Declarative Use of Deictic Gestures Predict Vocabulary Development in Infants at High and Low Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - We examined the communicative intentions behind parents’ deictic gesture use with high-risk infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum...     

经腹腹膜前疝修补术与Lichtenstein术治疗老年嵌顿性腹股沟疝的临床疗效对比

目的对比评价经腹腹膜前疝修补术（TAPP）与Lichtenstein无张力疝修补术治疗老年嵌顿性腹股沟疝的临床疗效。 方法回顾性分析2015年1月至2018年1月天津市人民医院和天津市第三中心医院收治的95例老年嵌顿性腹股沟疝患者,依据手术方式不同分为腹腔镜组（TAPP）和开放组（Lichtenstein）,对比2组患者一般资料、手术时间、住院时间、首次通便时间、术后并发症发生率及复发率等指标。 结果腹腔镜组患者平均手术时间（65.45±9.72）min,平均住院时间（6.86±1.12）d,首次通便时间平均（2.60±0.70）d。开放组患者平均手术时间（63.13±11.05）min,平均住院时间（7.52±1.36）d,首次通便时间平均（2.80±1.03）d,2组患者手术时间、住院时间及首次通便时间差异均无统计学意义（P>0.05）。腹腔镜组患者术后并发症发生率及复发率明显低于开放组（P<0.05) 。 结论腹腔镜手术治疗老年嵌顿性腹股沟疝更加安全有效,在满足手术适应证条件下,应首选腹腔镜手术治疗。     

White paper on antimicrobial stewardship in solid organ transplant recipients

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) have made immense strides in optimizing antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral use in clinical settings. However, although ASPs are required institutionally by regulatory agencies in the United States and Canada, they are not mandated for transplant centers or programs specifically. Despite the fact that solid organ transplant recipients in particular are at increased risk of infections from multidrug-resistant organisms, due to host and donor factors and immunosuppressive therapy, there currently are little rigorous data regarding stewardship practices in solid organ transplant populations, and thus, no transplant-specific requirements currently exist. Further complicating matters, transplant patients have a wide range of variability regarding their susceptibility to infection, as factors such as surgery of transplant, intensity of immunosuppression, and presence of drains or catheters in situ may modify the risk of infection. As such, it is not feasible to have a “one-size-fits-all” style of stewardship for this patient population. The objective of this white paper is to identify opportunities, risk factors, and ASP strategies that should be assessed with solid organ transplant recipients to optimize antimicrobial use, while producing an overall improvement in patient outcomes. We hope it may serve as a springboard for development of future guidance and identification of research opportunities.     

Impact of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Safety‐Related Announcements on the Use of Bisphosphonates After Hip Fracture

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued several announcements related to potential risk of bisphosphonates including osteonecrosis of the jaw (2005), atrial fibrillation (2007), and atypical femur fracture (2010). We aimed to evaluate the impact of three FDA drug safety announcements on the use of bisphosphonates in patients with hip fracture using claims data from a U.S. commercial health plan (2004‐2013). We calculated the proportion of patients in each quarter who received a bisphosphonate or other osteoporosis medication in the 6 months following hospitalization for hip fracture. Segmented logistic regression models examined the time trends. Among 22,598 patients with hip fracture, use of bisphosphonate decreased from 15% in 2004 to 3% in the last quarter of 2013. Prior to the 2007 announcement, there was a 4% increase in the odds of bisphosphonate use every quarter (OR 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.07). After the 2007 announcement, there was a 4% decrease in the odds of bisphosphonate use (OR 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93 to 0.99) every quarter. The announcement in 2007 was associated with a significant decline in the rate of change of bisphosphonate uses over time (p < 0.001), but no impact on other osteoporosis medication use (p = 0.2). After the 2010 announcement, the odds of bisphosphonate use continued to decrease by 4% (OR 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94 to 0.98) each quarter and the odds of other osteoporosis medication use remained stable over time (OR 0.99; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.02). The FDA safety announcement related to atrial fibrillation in 2007 was significantly associated with a decrease in bisphosphonate use among patients with hip fracture. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.     

Increased risk of strontium ranelate-related SJS/TEN is associated with HLA

Summary

Severe adverse drug reactions (ADR) of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) in some patients receiving strontium ranelate have been reported, but the risk factors are unclear. We show that HLA-A*33:03 and B*58:01 are significantly associated with patients who developed SJS/TEN; and provide the first evidence that genetic risk factors are involved in strontium ranelate-associated SJS/TEN.

Introduction

In this study, HLA as a genetic risk factor was assessed among osteoporotic patients prescribed with strontium ranelate that developed severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs) compared with those who were tolerant.

Methods

Genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients was HLA typed using sequencing-based typing method to determine their HLA profiles.

Results

Osteoporotic patients who are currently on strontium ranelate were enrolled in the study (n?=?76). Tolerant controls were defined as patients who received strontium ranelate for a minimum of 3 months (range 3 months to 8 years) with no reports of any cutaneous reactions as these reactions usually occur within the first 12 weeks after starting treatment. Retrospective cases of SJS/TEN were also identified (n?=?5). The majority of the accrued samples were of Han Chinese descent: controls (n?=?72) and cases (n?=?4). All cases and controls were genotyped at four HLA genes, namely HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, and HLA-DRB1. In comparing the samples of Han Chinese descent (72 controls and 4 cases), we found significant associations with HLA-A*33:03 (p?=?0.002) and HLA-B*58:01 (p?=?0.023). There was no significant association with any HLA-C or HLA-DRB1 alleles.

Conclusions

This study reveals that the occurrence of SJS/TEN in Han Chinese patients receiving strontium ranelate is HLA associated. This has important clinical implications for understanding the underlying mechanisms for this ADR as well as evaluating the potential role of genetic pre-screening for osteoporotic patients who may be prescribed strontium ranelate.

     

Improved outcomes after technical modifications in tubularized incised plate urethroplasty for mid-shaft and proximal hypospadias

Purpose

To investigate and compare the outcomes after tubularized incised plate (TIP) urethroplasty in mid-shaft and proximal hypospadias using a standard and a modified technique.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study in 104 consecutive children who underwent mid-shaft or proximal TIP repairs from Jan 2007 to Sept 2015. Patients in Cohort One had dorsal dartos (DD) neourethral coverage while patients in Cohort Two had either de-epithelialized split preputial (DESP) or tunica vaginalis (TV) flap coverage. TV flap was used only when DESP flap was not sufficient to cover the neourethra.

Results

There were 52 patients each in Cohort One (DD, n = 52) and Cohort Two (DESP, n = 38; TV, n = 14) with no difference in ratio of mid-shaft/proximal between the two cohorts. At a median follow-up of 28 months, 36 patients (34.6 %) developed 47 complications including fistula (n = 19; 18.3 %) and neourethral dehiscence (n = 4; 3.8 %). Cohort One patients had significantly more fistula (28.8 vs 7.7 %; p = 0.005) and neourethral dehiscence (7.7 vs 0 %; p = 0.04) than Cohort Two. There was no difference between the two cohorts in the complication rates of meatal stenosis, recurrent ventral curvature and neourethral stricture.

Conclusions

Both DESP and TV flap appear to be superior to DD in preventing fistula and neourethral dehiscence in non-distal TIP repairs.

     

Stress Mediates the Relationship Between Past Drug Addiction and Current Risky Sexual Behaviour Among Low‐income Women

This study examined the role of stress as a mediator of the relationship between prior drug addiction and current high‐risk sexual behaviour. Eight hundred twenty women aged 18 to 30 years, who received care at community‐based family planning clinics, were interviewed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the Sexual Risk Behavior Assessment Schedule. They also completed the brief version of the Self‐Control Scale as a measure of problem‐solving strategies and measures of recent stressful events, daily hassles and ongoing chronic stress. Regardless of addiction history, stress exposure during the previous 12 months was associated with risky sexual behaviour during the previous 12 months. Structural equation modelling revealed that 12‐month stress levels mediated the relationship between past drug addiction and 12‐month high‐risk sexual behaviours, as well as the negative relationship between problem‐solving strategies and high‐risk sexual behaviours. Problem‐solving strategies did not moderate the relationship between drug addiction and high‐risk sexual behaviours. These findings suggest that stress management training may help reduce risky behaviour among young, low‐income women Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Overexpression of CDT1 Is a Predictor of Poor Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Genomic instability is a common feature in hepatocellular carcinoma. Deregulation of replication licensing factors has been shown to trigger DNA damage response contributing to genomic instability. Overexpression of DNA replication licensing factors chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1 (CDT1) and minichromosome maintenance complex component 7 (MCM7) has been previously reported in several human cancers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression and prognostic significance of CDT1 and MCM7 in association with DNA damage response markers and p53 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods

Expression of CDT1, MCM7, p-H2A histone family member X (H2AX), phospho-ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)/ataxia telangiectasia rad3-related (ATR) substrate, and p53 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded surgical specimens from 111 patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate associations between the studied proteins, clinicopathological parameters, and patient survival.

Results

CDT1 expression correlated with p-H2AX (p?=?0.038), while MCM7 correlated with p-H2AX and phospho-ATM/ATR substrate (p?<?0.001). Increased CDT1 expression was associated with higher tumor grade (p?=?0.006) and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (p?=?0.033). High CDT1 expression correlated significantly with reduced overall survival (60.8 and 26.5 % vs 82.8 and 53.0 %, for low CDT1 expression, at 2 and 5 years, respectively, p?=?0.012) and was identified by multivariate analysis as an independent predictor of poor overall survival (p?=?0.049).

Conclusions

Overexpression of CDT1 and MCM7 in hepatocellular carcinoma correlates with DNA damage response, and CDT1 overexpression is a significant prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma.