Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with lower hepatitis B viral load and antiviral response in pediatric population

Journal of Gastroenterology - The interaction between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic hepatitis B infection (CBI) was unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between...     

Stakeholder views on opportunistic genomic screening in the Netherlands: a qualitative study

Genome sequencing can be used to actively search for genetic variants unrelated to the initial clinical question. While such ‘opportunistic genomic screening’ (OGS) has been proposed in the USA, a European discussion on the ethics of OGS is only starting. Should testing for selected ‘secondary findings’ be offered to patients who need genetic sequencing? Using focus groups and interviews, we explored views on OGS in adults and minors from three perspectives: policy experts (n = 9), health professionals (n = 8) and patient representatives (n = 7). A thematic approach was used to analyze the data. There was consensus that OGS should be evaluated in terms of the classical ‘screening’ framework, rather than as a form of ‘good patient care’. Accordingly, stakeholders agreed that professionals do not have a ‘fiduciary duty’ to look for secondary findings. Adding screening to clinical care was only conceivable with the patient’s informed consent. In general, stakeholders were reluctant towards OGS. Arguments for regarding OGS being premature included lack of evidence regarding its clinical utility, also in view of uncertainties regarding general population penetrance, and concerns about both its psychosocial impact and respect for autonomy. All groups agreed that OGS means unequal access, which was seen as problematic. Yet, despite their concerns, stakeholders felt that offering screening for certain actionable pathogenic variants with known high penetrance could potentially be valuable in certain contexts for both adults and minors. Pharmacogenetic variants were regarded as a category by itself, for which OGS could potentially be beneficial.Subject terms: Medical ethics, Ethics     

Science and practice:challenges and perspectives of contemporary orthodontics

Whether medicine is a science remains a philosophical question.Yet undeniably edvances in science have revolutionarily influenced almost every aspect of medicine including dentistry.It is now exactly one hundred years from Edward H.Angle introduced fixed orthodontic appliances in the early 1900s and established orthodontics as the first dental specialty.Orthodontics has come a long way during its first century.Looking forward to all the challenges and opportunities,it is now time to reflect what science has given to our profession,what for gap still exists between the science and practice in orthodontics,and how we can make science more available to our practice in future.     

Therapeutic cloning in debate]

Human embryos can be conceived by cell nuclear transfer in order to isolate human embryonic stem cells (hES cells) for research into autologous cell therapy (therapeutic cloning). However, this technique broaches the major ethical problem concerning the instrumental use of human preimplantation embryos. From the viewpoint of subsidiarity, it is argued that various potential alternatives for therapeutic cloning should first be investigated further. The question as to whether therapeutic cloning should be allowed only becomes apparent when research with surplus embryos obtained in the course of in-vitro fertilization suggests that usable transplants can be obtained in vitro from hES cells, and when the potential alternatives for therapeutic cloning are either less promising or need more time for development than is currently expected.     

小儿肱骨髁上骨折内固定的生物力学评价

目的　比较三种治疗小儿肱骨髁上骨折的内固定方法 ,为临床选用提供科学依据。方法　采用 8具尸体上肢标本 ,制成骨折损伤模型 ,随机分组分别适用交叉克氏针加 8字钢丝 ,交叉克氏针、平行克氏针等三种方法固定后 ,模拟肘关节伸、屈和扭转三种情况下进行加载。结果　采用交叉克氏针加 8字钢丝无论在强度还是刚度方面均优于单用交叉克氏针内固定 ,更比平行克氏针内固定的效果好 ,前者比后者强度平均高出 12 %和 30 %。刚度平均高出 15 %和 33% (P <0 0 1)。结论　交叉克氏针加钢丝固定 ,它操作简单、牢固、稳定性好 ,是治疗肱骨髁上骨折防止肘内翻的较好方法。     

输血与心脏移植术后急性肾损伤相关性研究

目的研究围术期输血和心脏移植术后急性肾损伤(acute kidney injury,AKI)的相关性。方法选取2016年1月至2018年12月在广东省人民医院心外科行心脏移植术的67例患者作为研究对象。根据排除标准最后纳入63例患者,其中男53例、女10例,平均年龄(44.3±12.9)岁。将20例心脏移植术后使用连续性肾脏替代治疗(continuous renal replacement therapy,CRRT)的患者作为RT组,另外将没有使用CRRT的43例患者作为非RT组。比较两组患者基线资料、围术期输血资料及临床预后等指标。结果两组术前基线特征基本一致。两组在围术期输注红细胞量和血浆量、术后24 h出血量、是否再次手术探查等方面差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。多因素分析发现围术期输注红细胞量是AKI的独立危险因素(OR=1.115)。相关性分析显示肾损伤程度与围术期输注红细胞量呈正相关(r=0.686,P<0.05)。受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线下面积为0.923(95%CI 0.852~0.995,P<0.001)。经ROC曲线计算发现围术期输注红细胞超过18 mL/kg将增加心脏移植术后AKI发生率。结论围术期输血和心脏移植术后AKI密切相关,临床中输血越多肾损伤发生率越高、预后越差,建议可开展多种节约用血措施。