A potential therapeutic strategy for inhibition of ocular neovascularization with a new endogenous protein: rhEDI-8t

Background  

Endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors act as natural negative feedback in the focal area during the neovascularization process, and have less interference on physiological angiogenesis, and thus fewer negative side-effects. These inhibitors are potential candidates to combine with or substitutes for current popular anti-angiogenesis treatments to have synergistic effect. In this study, the effects of recombinant endothelial growth inhibitor protein (rhEDI-8t), a novel endogenous protein originated from collagen VIII, was investigated on ocular neovascularization (NV). Endostatin, a well-identified endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor, was compared in parallel and served as a positive control.     

Association of long-term exposure to community noise and traffic-related air pollution with coronary heart disease mortality

In metropolitan areas, road traffic is a major contributor to ambient air pollution and the dominant source of community noise. The authors investigated the independent and joint influences of community noise and traffic-related air pollution on risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in a population-based cohort study with a 5-year exposure period (January 1994-December 1998) and a 4-year follow-up period (January 1999-December 2002). Individuals who were 45-85 years of age and resided in metropolitan Vancouver, Canada, during the exposure period and did not have known CHD at baseline were included (n = 445,868). Individual exposures to community noise and traffic-related air pollutants, including black carbon, particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide, were estimated at each person's residence using a noise prediction model and land-use regression models, respectively. CHD deaths were identified from the provincial death registration database. After adjustment for potential confounders, including traffic-related air pollutants or noise, elevations in noise and black carbon equal to the interquartile ranges were associated with 6% (95% confidence interval: 1, 11) and 4% (95% confidence interval: 1, 8) increases, respectively, in CHD mortality. Subjects in the highest noise decile had a 22% (95% confidence interval: 4, 43) increase in CHD mortality compared with persons in the lowest decile. These findings suggest that there are independent effects of traffic-related noise and air pollution on CHD mortality.     

Automated Sample Clean-up and Fraction of Organochlorine Pesticides in Sediments Using the SPE–GPC–VAP System

This paper describes an automated sample clean-up and fraction method using the SPE–GPC–VAP system for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediments. The method is based on a simultaneous extraction/clean-up step to reduce analysis time and solvent consumption. The parameters of a solid-phase extraction procedure, a gel permeation chromatography procedure and an AccuVap procedure were optimized to obtain maximum recovery of the target analytes with minimum presence of matrix-interfering compounds. The detection limits ranged from 0.03 to 0.13 ng g⁻¹ and the recovery ranged from 50.05% to 104.39%. The relative standard deviation was lower than 19.34% when OCPs concentrations in sediments ranged from 1.25 to 125 ng g⁻¹.     

Psychological distress as a mediator in the relationships between biopsychosocial factors and disordered eating among Malaysian university students

The mechanism linking biopsychosocial factors to disordered eating among university students is not well understood especially among Malaysians. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of psychological distress in the relationships between biopsychosocial factors and disordered eating among Malaysian university students. A self-administered questionnaire measured self-esteem, body image, social pressures to be thin, weight-related teasing, psychological distress, and disordered eating in 584 university students (59.4% females and 40.6% males). Body weight and height were measured. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that the partial mediation model provided good fit to the data. Specifically, the relationships between self-esteem and weight-related teasing with disordered eating were mediated by psychological distress. In contrast, only direct relationships between body weight status, body image, and social pressures to be thin with disordered eating were found and were not mediated by psychological distress. Furthermore, multigroup analyses indicated that the model was equivalent for both genders but not for ethnic groups. There was a negative relationship between body weight status and psychological distress for Chinese students, whereas this was not the case among Malay students. Intervention and prevention programs on psychological distress may be beneficial in reducing disordered eating among Malaysian university students.     

Ex—PRESS引流器植入治疗外伤性青光眼的术后护理

目的探讨Ex-PRESS青光眼引流器植入术治疗外伤性青光眼的术后观察与护理要点。方法回顾性分析19例（19只眼）外伤性青光眼患者的临床资料,所有患者均实施巩膜瓣下Ex-PRESS青光眼引流器植入术。术后观察患者视力、前房深度、前房积血、眼压及滤过泡情况,实施并总结规范的术后护理。结果术后3个月矫正视力提高2～3行者9只眼（47．4％）,矫正视力不变者（含视力增加或减少1行）9只眼（47．4％）,矫正视力下降2～3行者1只眼（5．3％）。术后第1天发生浅前房者2只眼（10．5％）,给予复方托吡卡胺滴眼液散瞳1～4次,第2天前房均恢复正常深度。术后第1周内有19眼眼压值5～16mmHg。3个月时有1只眼呈包囊型滤过泡眼压偏高,眼压36mmHg;维持在9—17mmHg者18只眼。术后3个月滤过泡情况：Ⅰ型者3只眼,Ⅱ型者15只眼,Ⅳ型者1只眼,Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型者共18只眼,占94．7％,为功能性滤过泡。结论Ex-PRESS青光眼引流器植入治疗外伤性青光眼术后视力改善、目标眼压稳定。规范的术后护理有助于减少术后并发症、提高患者的手术治疗效果。     

护士心理授权状况与工作倦怠的相关性分析

目的：了解护士的心理授权现状和工作倦怠情况,分析两者间的相关性,探索预防和降低护士工作倦怠的新对策。方法整群抽取广州5家三甲医院的临床护士203人,采用心理授权量表及工作倦怠量表进行调查。结果护士的心理授权感知得分（4．75±0．67）分,为中等水平;其中自我效能得分最高为（5．34±0．73）分,工作影响得分最低为（3．64±0．11）分;护士有较严重的工作倦怠,其中个人成就感丧失维度（3．83±0．62）分,情绪枯竭维度（2．96±0．81）分,去人格化倾向维度（1．89±0．84）分;护士心理授权感知与工作倦怠关系密切,与情绪枯竭、去人格化倾向、个人成就感各维度呈负相关（r值分别为－0．436,－0．366,0．514;P＜0．01）。结论临床护士的心理授权处于中等水平,临床护理管理者应加强护士对心理授权的感知,以降低工作倦怠感的产生。     

肝胆疾病术后切口感染原因分析及防治对策

目的 分析肝胆疾病术后切口感染的原因,探讨其防治对策.方法 回顾性分析肝胆外科200例患者的临床资料,统计其感染发生率,分析感染与性别、年龄、手术切口类型、手术时间、术中应用抗菌药物种类、肝功能及住院时间的关系.结果 200例患者发生感染者共31例,感染率为15.5％;年龄＞60岁患者感染率为18.8％,明显高于≤60岁者的8.1％,Ⅲ型手术切口患者感染率37.5％,明显高于Ⅰ、Ⅱ型切口的3.1％,手术时间及住院时间较长者感染率为30.1％及19.3％,明显高于手术时间、住院时间较短者的5.1％及10.5％,术中应用头孢类患者感染率为20.6％,明显高于应用青霉素者等10.7％,经统计处理差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05);而肝功正常与异常者、男女患者发生感染情况,经统计处理差异均无统计学意义.结论 肝胆疾病术后切口感染的发生与年龄、手术切口类型、术中应用抗菌药物种类、手术时间及住院时间密切相关,临床应针对性加以防治.     

CD4+ T cells support glial neuroprotection, slow disease progression, and modify glial morphology in an animal model of inherited ALS

Neuroinflammation, marked by gliosis and infiltrating T cells, is a prominent pathological feature in diverse models of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative diseases. Recent evidence derived from transgenic mice ubiquitously overexpressing mutant Cu(2+)/Zn(2+) superoxide dismutase (mSOD1), a chronic neurodegenerative model of inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), indicates that glia with either a lack of or reduction in mSOD1 expression enhance motoneuron protection and slow disease progression. However, the contribution of T cells that are present at sites of motoneuron injury in mSOD1 transgenic mice is not known. Here we show that when mSOD1 mice were bred with mice lacking functional T cells or CD4+ T cells, motoneuron disease was accelerated, accompanied by unexpected attenuated morphological markers of gliosis, increased mRNA levels for proinflammatory cytokines and NOX2, and decreased levels of trophic factors and glial glutamate transporters. Bone marrow transplants reconstituted mice with T cells, prolonged survival, suppressed cytotoxicity, and restored glial activation. These results demonstrate for the first time in a model of chronic neurodegeneration that morphological activation of microglia and astroglia does not predict glial function, and that the presence of CD4+ T cells provides supportive neuroprotection by modulating the trophic/cytotoxic balance of glia. These glial/T-cell interactions establish a novel target for therapeutic intervention in ALS and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases.     

Hematopoietic compartment of Fanconi anemia group C null mice contains fewer lineage-negative CD34+ primitive hematopoietic cells and shows reduced reconstruction ability

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a complex recessive genetic disease that causes bone marrow failure in children. The mechanism by which the gene for FA group C (Fancc) impinges on the normal hematopoietic program is unknown. Here we demonstrate that the bone marrow from Fancc-/- mice have reduced ability for primary and secondary long-term reconstitution of myeloablated recipients compared to wild-type or heterozygous mice, indicating that the Fancc gene product is required for the maintenance of normal numbers of hematopoietic stem cells. Long-term and secondary transplant studies suggested that there also were qualitative changes in their developmental potential. Consistent with the reduction in reconstitution, flow cytometric analysis of the primitive subfractions of hematopoietic cells obtained from the bone marrow of Fancc -/- mice demonstrated that they contained 40 to 70% fewer lineage-negative (Lin-)Thy1.2-/lowScal(+) c-Kit(+)CD34+ cells compared to controls. In contrast, the number of Lin Thy1.2-/ lowScal(+)c-Kit CD34(-)cells was comparable to that of wild-type mice. The differential behavior of Lin(-)Thy1.2-/lowScal+c-Kit+CD34+ and Lin(-)Thy1.2-/lowScal(+)c-Kit CD34 subfractions also was observed in mice treated with the DNA cross-linking agent mitomycin C(MMC). Fancc-/- mice treated with MMC had an 92% reduction of CD34 cells as compared to Fancc+/+ mice. The number of CD34 cells only was reduced about 20%. These results suggest that the Fancc gene may act at a stage of primitive hematopoietic cell development identified by CD34 expression.