Evaluation of corticospinal tract injury with three-dimensional diffusion tensor tract in patients with acute cerebral infarction

Three-dimensional diffusion tensor tract (DTT) is the newest imaging to describe the structure of white matter fiber in three-dimensions, it has great significance in dividing the concrete anatomic site of gray and white matter lesions, displaying the correlation with fibrous band and judging clinical prognosis, which is incomparable by other imagings.OBJECTTVE: To observe the conditions of corticospinal tract (CST) in acute cerebral ischemic stroke patients,and analyze the relationship between motor function and the severity of CST injury.DESIGN: A case-control observation.SETTTNG: Department of Medical Imaging, Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.PARTTCTPANTS: Fifteen patients with acute cerebral infarction were selected from Fuzhou General Hospital of Nanjing Military Area Command of Chinese PLA from February to December in 2005. They all suffered from acute attack and motor disorder of hemiplegic limbs to different extent, and were conformed by CT or MRI.There were 9 males and 6 females, aging 16-87 years old, the median age was 51.7 years, and all were right handed. Fifteen right-handed normal subjects, who were matched by age and sex with the patients in the cerebral infarction group, were selected from the relatives of patients and physicians of the Imaging Department as the control group. All the subjects were informed and agreed with the study.METHODS: The patients with acute cerebral infarction and subjects in the control group received MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with GE 1.5 T nuclear magnetic resonance system, fiber tracking with the software of dTV- Ⅱ. Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps and three-dimensional tractography of bilateral CST of all patients were created. Displacement, continuity and destroy of fibrous bands were observed. At the same time, muscle strength of ipsilateral hand of patients with cerebral infarction was measured with Brunnstrom standard. The correlation between the severity of CST injury and the muscle strength of ipsilateral hand was analyzed with spearman correlation analysis.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① FA values in the infarcted sites and those in the contralateral corresponding sites of patients with cerebral infarction; ② CST manifestations in the patients with cerebral infarction and the control group.RESULTS: All the 30 testees were involved in the analysis of results. ① The FA values in infarcted sites of white matter were significantly lower than those in the contralateral ones (t =4.570, P ＜ 0.001 ). ② In the control group, bilateral CST were reconstructed, they originated from precentral gyrus, went downwards to internal capsule, and extended to pontine and medulla oblongata, each fiber had good uniformity in continuous form. In the patients with cerebral infarction, the forms of contralateral CST were consistent with those in the control group with good continuity. Due to the involvement by the infarcted site to different extents, the ipsilateral CST manifested as continuous interruption and loss of uniformity in anatomic structure and form. The CST involvements were divided into three grades: integrated CST for grade I (n =2); integrated CST but compressed or displaced for grade 2 (n =5); interrupted CST for grade 3 (n =8). ③ The severity of CST injury was obviously correlated with the muscle strength of the ipsilateral hand (r=0.888, P＜ 0.05＝.CONCLUSION: ① CST is injured to different extents in patients with acute cerebral infarction, and the severity of injury is associated with muscle strength. It is indicated that it can be used to judge the prognosis of rehabilitative treatment. ②DTT can directly display the status of pyramidal tract more three-dimensionally.     

膝关节运动过程的应力数值模拟

目的观察膝关节关节面在整个运动过程中的应力、应变分布范围、大小及变化规律。方法利用有限元数值模拟方法对行走过程中膝关节关节面应力、应变情况进行分析。结果与结论行走过程中关节面产生应力、应变随时间推移而增加，并且变化规律近似的服从抛物线变化。通过对不同体重的人在行走时膝关节面上产生的应力分析得出，体重对关节面上的应力的大小并不产生重大影响，体重带来的应力差异仅占总应力的10％。     

Increasing the efficiency of Monte Carlo cohort simulations with variance reduction techniques.

The authors discuss techniques for Monte Carlo (MC) cohort simulations that reduce the number of simulation replications required to achieve a given degree of precision for various output measures. Known as variance reduction techniques, they are often used in industrial engineering and operations research models, but they are seldom used in medical models. However, most MC cohort simulations are well suited to the implementation of these techniques. The authors discuss the cost of implementation versus the benefit of reduced replications.     

Serum monitoring of antipsychotic drug levels during concomitant administration of sertraline and antipsychotic medication.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether pharmacokinetic drug interactions occur when sertraline is added to antipsychotic medications. METHOD: Forty-eight patients with remitted DSM-IV schizophrenia and comorbid major depression were randomized to placebo for 6 weeks or sertraline 50 mg for 4 weeks followed by sertraline 50 mg to 100 mg for 2 weeks for nonresponders. Treatment with the patients' usual antipsychotic continued. Weekly clinical outcome assessments occurred for 6 weeks, and serum samples for drug monitoring were collected at Weeks 1, 5, and 6. Serum concentrations of sertraline and antipsychotics were measured with standard assays. RESULTS: In both placebo- and sertraline-treated groups, most patients displayed minor fluctuations in antipsychotic serum levels over 6 weeks. There was no clinical evidence of drug interactions in the sertraline-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically significant adverse effects did not occur despite variable antipsychotic serum levels with or without sertraline. Concern about pharmacokinetic interactions should not deter the use of sertraline for depression in individuals with schizophrenia.     

湘中地区50～59岁女性农民400人心血管功能测定

目的:观察体质监测身体功能指标——血压、肺活量/体质量、安静脉搏、台阶指数,了解经济不发达地区女性农民心血管功能现状。方法:于2004-07/08采用随机整群抽样的方法,在湘中地区4个县(市)中随机抽取50～54岁和55～59岁女性农民共400人作为研究对象,用体质测量仪对反映心血管功能的指标进行测定,包括血压、肺活量、安静脉搏、台阶指数。并将所获数据分别与全国同龄女性农民及湖南省城市体力、非体力劳动人群心血管功能指标进行差异性比较。测试同时对测试对象进行询问访谈,内容包括生活环境和经济收入、劳动生活方式、饮食营养习惯、体育锻炼现状、疾病情况等。要求测试者根据自己的实际情况如实回答。结果:400人均完成指标测试,全部进入结果分析。①湘中女性农民50～54岁高血压患病率为31.09%,55～59岁为40.13%,以1级、2级高血压为主。55～59岁年龄组,湘中女性农民收缩压和舒张压均高于全国农民及省内城市人群(P<0.05)。两年龄组比较,55～59岁年龄组高于50～54岁年龄组。②湘中55～59岁女性农民肺活量/体质量低于湖南省城市体力、非体力劳动人群(P<0.01,0.05)。③湘中50～54岁女性农民安静心率高于湖南省城市非体力人群(P<0.01)。④湘中55～59岁女性农民台阶指数低于湖南省城市体力劳动人群(P<0.05)。⑤湘中女性农民的心血管功能受体育锻炼、饮食习惯、经济等因素的影响。结论:湘中地区50～59岁女性农民心血管功能整体低于全国农民和湖南城市体力、非体力人群。影响湘中女性农民身体功能的主要因素有缺乏体育锻炼、饮食习惯、落后经济等因素。     

中药膳食配合运动干预对肥胖性脂肪肝的影响

目的 探讨中药膳食配合运动干预对肥胖性脂肪肝的影响。方法 将68例脂肪肝患者随机分为对照组和观察组各34例。对照组常规给予低脂饮食和易善复、大黄庶虫丸等降酶保肝治疗；观察组按常规方法治疗外，采用中医辨证施食予以活血化淤、健脾利湿的中药膳食疗法配合运动干预．疗程均为1年。结果 治疗后观察组体重、甘油三酯、总胆固醇、谷丙转氨酶等显著低于对照组（均P〈0．01）。结论 中药膳食配合运动干预对肥胖性脂肪肝疗效显著。     

肾移植术后并发尿路上皮肿瘤的临床分析

目的 分析肾移植患者并发尿路上皮肿瘤的特点，探讨其诊治方法。方法 自1998～2003年肾移植患者1293例，术后发生尿路上皮恶性肿瘤21例（1．6％）。男4例，女17例。17例原发病为慢性问质性肾炎。发生尿路上皮肿瘤距肾移植6～62个月，平均26个月。其中膀胱癌6例，单侧肾盂或输尿管癌6例，单侧肾盂或输尿管、膀胱癌8例，双侧肾盂输尿管癌1例。10例上尿路肿瘤发生部位与移植肾同侧，4例发生于移植肾对侧。临床症状以无痛性肉服血尿和反复泌尿系感染为主。19例行手术治疗，术后所有患者免疫抑制剂用量减少1／3并辅以局部灌注化疗。结果 2例行姑息性治疗的晚期肿瘤患者分别于发现肿瘤5、8个月死亡。余19例现已随访2～5年。13例肿瘤复发，复发部位为膀胱或对侧原。肾、输尿管。所有患者在免疫抑制剂减量期间均未出现急性排斥。2例因切除移植肾恢复透析，17例肾功能正常。结论 慢性间质性。肾炎导致。肾功能衰竭的。肾移植患者和女性肾移植患者易发生移植后尿路上皮肿瘤；移植肾同侧上尿路较对侧好发肿瘤；对移植肾对侧为首发的上尿路发生肿瘤者可预防性行双侧上尿路根治性切除。     

Cause-specific and total mortality in the Canterbury (New Zealand) insulin-treated Diabetic Registry population: a 15-year follow-up study.

AIMS: To establish all-cause and cause-specific death rates, and risk factors for mortality in insulin-treated diabetic individuals living in the province of Canterbury, New Zealand. METHODS: Insulin-treated diabetic subjects (n = 995) on the Canterbury Diabetes Registry were followed up over 15 years and vital status determined. Death rates were standardized and hazard regression was used to model the effects of demographic covariates on relative survival time. RESULTS: There were 419 deaths in 11 226.3 person-years of follow-up with a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 2.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8-2.2). Relative mortality was greatest for the group aged 0-29 years (SMR 3.0 (95% CI 2.4-3.7)). After controlling for diabetes duration and gender, a 10-year increment in age of onset was associated with a 33% decrease in relative hazard (95% CI 29-36%), indicating that excess mortality due to diabetes declines with rising age of onset. After controlling for age of onset and gender, each 10-year increment in duration of diabetes is associated with a 26% decrease in relative hazard (95% CI 24-29%), indicating that with longer survival the mortality hazard approaches the general population hazard. Relative mortalities were increased for cardiovascular, renal and respiratory disease, but not malignancy. Relative mortality from acute metabolic complications was increased in the subgroup with age of onset of diabetes < 30 years and requiring insulin within 1 year of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality rates are high for insulin-treated diabetic individuals relative to the general population.     

Hospital Episode Statistics and trends in ophthalmic surgery 1998 – 2004

Background  

Hospital episode statistics (HES) is a UK national database for the National Health Service (NHS), now available online. The purpose of this study was to observe trends in ophthalmic operations performed during the period from 1998 to 2004, using this data.     

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.