外伤性视神经病变24例回顾研究

目的:探讨的外伤性视神经病变的临床表现,评估在眼科第三病区住院的经过三组不同处理(保守估计,单独静脉注射皮质类固醇,静脉注射和口服皮质类固醇联合治疗)的外伤性视神经病变患者的治疗效果。方法:对2007-01/2009-12在马来西亚医科大学眼科连续住院的24例27眼外伤性视神经患者进行了回顾性研究。结果:本次研究对象为24例27眼男性外伤性视神经患者(平均年龄为33岁)。车祸是导致发病的主要原因(83%)。大部分患者的视力低下(手动/眼前～无光感约占82%),其中有22眼并发眶周血肿,20眼并发有结膜下出血。并发多于一骨(颅骨或眶骨)骨折有19例(79%),5例(21%)没有出现骨折。CT扫描或核磁共振检查显示患者均没有视神经压迫的证据。第一组: 11例(46%)患者进行静脉注射联合口服类固醇的治疗;第二组:7例患者(29%)进行保守治疗;第三组:6例(25%)患者给予静脉注射皮质类固醇治疗。92%(11/12眼)给予静脉注射和口服类固醇治疗的患者和78%保守治疗患者视力能提高1行。单独静脉注射皮质类固醇治疗的患者4例呈现无光感,1例有轻度视力改善,而其他患者视力保持不变。保守治疗患者和单独静脉注射皮质类固醇患者视力改善不显著,且两组间相比在统计学上无显著性差异(P=0.368)。静脉注射联合口服类固醇治疗的患者有明显的视觉改善(P<0.05)。没有患者接受视神经减压手术。在本研究中,随访时间为6mo～3a。结论:大部分外伤性视神经病变患者都存在有眶周血肿,结膜下出血,眶壁骨折的症状。对比保守治疗,经过静脉注射和口服皮质类固醇联合治疗的患者有更好的治疗效果。     

Effects of Sintering Temperature Variation on Synthesis of Glass-Ceramic Phosphor Using Rice Husk Ash as Silica Source

In this study, the authors attempted to propose the very first study on fabrication and characterization of zinc-boro-silicate (ZBS) glass-ceramics derived from the ternary zinc-boro-silicate (ZnO)_0.65(B₂O₃)_0.15(RHA)_0.2 glass system through a conventional melt-quenching method by incorporating rice husk ash (RHA) as the silica (SiO₂) source, followed by a sintering process. Optimization of sintering condition has densified the sintered samples while embedded beta willemite (β-Zn₂SiO₄) and alpha willemite (α-Zn₂SiO₄) were proven in X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) has shown the distribution of willemite crystals in rhombohedral shape crystals and successfully form closely-packed grains due to intense crystallization. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of all sintered ZBS glasses presented various emission peaks at 425, 463, 487, 531, and 643 nm corresponded to violet, blue, green, and red emission, respectively. The correlation between the densification, phase transformation, microstructure, and photoluminescence of Zn₂SiO₄ glass-ceramic phosphor is discussed in detail.     

Is there a Reliable Method to Assess the Complete Pathologic Response on the Tumor after Neo‐adjuvant Chemotherapy in Inflammatory Breast Cancer toward Recommendations for the Pathologic Process? Experience in 56 Patients Treated in a Single Institution

Abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the complete pathologic response (CPR) rate in 56 nonmetastatic inflammatory breast cancer patients according to the classification used and to look for a correlation between the CPR and overall survival. Initial biopsies and mastectomy specimens were reviewed by the same pathologist. The clinical response rate was 75%. A CPR was observed in 11 cases according to Sataloff, three according to Chevallier and five according to the NSABP. There was no correlation between the clinical and pathologic responses and none of them was predictive of relapse free survival or overall survival. We propose a standardization of the pathologic process of the mastectomy specimens so that a CPR has a clear definition across the institutions, with a good reproducibility whatever the classification used.     

MCS-18, a novel natural plant product prevents autoimmune diabetes

There is still a vital need for new therapies in order to prevent or treat type I diabetes. In this respect, we report that MCS-18 a novel natural product isolated from the plant Helleborus purpurascens (i.e. Christmas rose) is able to increase diabetes free survival using the NOD-mouse model, which is accompanied with a diminished IFN-γ secretion of splenocytes. In the animal group which has been treated with MCS-18 during week 8 and week 12 of age 70% of the animals showed a diabetes free survival at week 30, whereas in contrast in the untreated animals less than 10% were free of diabetes. MCS-18 treatment significantly reduced islet T-cell infiltrates as well as the rate of T-cell proliferation. Periinsular infiltrates in the MCS-18 treated animals showed a significantly enhanced number of Foxp3(+) CD25(+) T cells, indicating the increased presence of regulatory T cells. These studies show that MCS-18 exerts an efficient immunosuppressive activity with remarkable potential for the therapy of diseases characterized by pathological over-activation of the immune system.     

Pharmacists' perceptions of their practice: a comparison between Alberta and Northern Ireland

Objective To explore how community pharmacists from Alberta, Canada, and Northern Ireland, UK, describe what a pharmacist does and to compare their responses. Methods Two hundred community pharmacists were interviewed using the telephone. The interviewer who introduced himself as a researcher asked two questions about the period over which the participants had been practising pharmacy and the way they describe what a pharmacist does. Responses were categorised into three categories: patient‐centred, product‐focused and ambiguous. Word‐cloud analysis was used to assess the use of patient‐care‐related terms. Key findings Of the responses from community pharmacists in Alberta, 29% were categorised as patient‐centred, 45% as product‐focused and 26% as ambiguous. In Northern Ireland, 40% of the community pharmacists' responses were categorised as patient‐centred, 39% as product‐focused and 21% as ambiguous. Community pharmacists in Northern Ireland provided more patient‐centred responses than community pharmacists in Alberta (P = 0.013). The word‐cloud analysis showed that ‘medicine’ and ‘dispense’ were the most frequently reported terms. It also highlighted a relative lack of patient‐care‐related terms. Conclusions The findings of the present study are suggestive of some movement towards patient‐centredness; however, product‐focused practice still predominates within the pharmacy profession in Alberta and Northern Ireland. The relative lack of patient‐care‐related terms suggests that patient care is still not the first priority for pharmacists in both Alberta and Northern Ireland.     

The contribution of PET to radiation treatment planning

Advances in medical imaging have greatly enhanced the speciality of radiation oncology by allowing more healthy tissue to be speared for better tumour coverage. Positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analogue [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) is a functional imaging method that has become widely used in oncology over the last decade. It has been rapidly incorporated in the staging and treatment planing of many patients with cancer in several anatomic sites such as non-small cell lung carcinomas. However, the initial data were controversial by the use of non dedicated PET units, the lack of patient immobilisation for radiation therapy, or the lack of image registration for fusion PET images with computed tomography (CT). The increased number of combined PET/CT units installed and the development of new isotopes that allow advances in biological and molecular tumour and healthy tissue imaging should lead to enhanced target definition for highly conformal radiation therapy. Such developments might also allow tumour viability or healthy tissue function to be imaged, which could be used during treatment as early indicators of tumour response or healthy tissue injury, possibly leading to a change in treatment strategy based on functional and biological imaging. The contribution of PET imaging advances using FDG or new tracers for treatment planing in the new era of image guided radiation therapy will be discussed in this review.