Sotalol and metoprolol comparison of their anti-hypertensive effect

Summary 28 patients, aged 35–62 years, with uncomplicated hypertension, entered a double-blind, crossover study, in which the effects of single daily doses of sotalol and metoprolol were compared. Both drugs exerted a clinically useful anti-hypertensive effect as monotherapy, or in combination with a thiazide diuretic. No significant difference in hypotensive effects was noted between the two beta-blocking agents, when the dose was titrated to an optimal clinical effect. Treatment with sotalol and metoprolol was associated with a clinically insignificant increase in serum uric acid concentration. The side-effects observed were few, and in only two cases was therapy discontinued. We regard both sotalol and metoprolol as useful anti-hypertensive drugs.     

Cost-effectiveness analysis of different embryo transfer strategies in England

Objective  The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of different embryo transfer strategies for a single cycle when two embryos are available, and taking the NHS cost perspective.
Design  Cost-effectiveness model.
Setting  Five in vitro fertilisation (IVF) centres in England between 2003/04 and 2004/05.
Population  Women with two embryos available for transfer in three age groups (<30, 30–35 and 36–39 years).
Methods  A decision analytic model was constructed using observational data collected from a sample of fertility centres in England. Costs and adverse outcomes are estimated up to 5 years after the birth. Incremental cost per live birth was calculated for different embryo transfer strategies and for three separate age groups: less than 30, 30–35 and 36–39 years.
Main outcome measures  Premature birth, neonatal intensive care unit admissions and days, cerebral palsy and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios.
Results  Single fresh embryo transfer (SET) plus frozen single embryo transfer (fzSET) is the more costly in terms of IVF costs, but the lower rates of multiple births mean that in terms of total costs, it is less costly than double embryo transfer (DET). Adverse events increase when moving from SET to SET+fzSET to DET. The probability of SET+fzSET being cost-effective decreases with age. When SET is included in the analysis, SET+fzSET no longer becomes a cost-effective option at any threshold value for all age groups studied.
Conclusions  The analyses show that the choice of embryo transfer strategy is a function of four factors: the age of the mother, the relevance of the SET option, the value placed on a live birth and the relative importance placed on adverse outcomes. For each patient group, the choice of strategy is a trade-off between the value placed on a live birth and cost.     

医疗保险民营化模式的比较及其对我国的启示

总结了发达国家医疗保险及其经办的民营化模式,深入剖析了发达国家医疗保险的民营化程度,勾勒了当下国际医疗保险民营化的发展趋势,在此基础上进一步阐述了我国医疗保险民营化的可能趋势,提出借鉴国外经验需要遵循系统、严谨、本土化原则。     

Box-behnken响应面法优化紫红生肌软膏的醇提工艺

目的 优选紫红生肌软膏的醇提工艺参数,为紫红生肌软膏的新药开发提供依据.方法 以栀子苷、连翘酯苷A、羟基红花黄色素A为评价指标,在单因素试验的基础上,以乙醇浓度、加醇量、提取时间为考察因素,采用Box-behnken响应面法设计试验,采用层次分析法-熵权法组合赋权确定各指标权重系数并计算综合评分,从而优化紫红生肌软膏醇...     

两种电子教材开发方式的对比研究

介绍了移动学习领域以iBook Author为依托和基于Web的两种电子教材开发方式,并将两种开发方式进行对比、总结出各自的优缺点,为今后的电子教材开发人员提供参考。     

Determination of diagnostic threshold in harmonization and comparison of clinical utility for five major antiphospholipid antibody assays used in Japan

BackgroundAnticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and anti‐β₂‐glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ₂GPI) are essential in diagnosing antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) according to the international APS guideline. Five commercial assays for aCL and aβ₂GPI are available in Japan, but their test results are quite discordant. For harmonization of diagnosing APS, upper reference limit (URL) and diagnostic accuracy of each assay were evaluated and compared by testing common sets of specimens across all assays.MethodsWe evaluated two manual and three automated assays for aCL and aβ₂GPI of IgG‐ and IgM classes. 99%URL (the upper limit of reference interval: as per guideline) together with 97.5%URL were determined by testing sera from 198 to 400 well‐defined healthy subjects. Both URLs were compared with the cutoff values, which were determined based on ROC analysis by testing 50 each of plasma specimens from patients with/without APS. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated as area under curve (AUC) of the ROC curve.ResultsA variable degree of discrepancy between URLs and the cutoff values was observed, which was partly attributable to between‐year assay variability. 97.5%URLs were set lower and closer to the cutoff values than 99%URLs. For all assays, diagnostic accuracies of both aβ₂GPI‐IgG and aCL‐IgG were generally high (AUC: 0.84−0.93); whereas those for IgM‐class assays were low (AUC: 0.57−0.67), implicating its utility is limited to rare IgG negative APS cases.ConclusionTo ensure harmonized APS diagnosis, the diagnostic thresholds of the five assays were evaluated by common procedures. Contrary to the guideline, 97.5%URL is rather recommended for diagnosing APS, which showed a closer match to the cutoff value.     

开胸手术与胸腔镜手术治疗自发性气胸的效果比较

目的：开胸手术与胸腔镜手术治疗自发性气胸的效果比较。方法选自2009年10月-2014年12月该院收治的自发性气胸进行手术的患者作为研究对象,共收集105例,分别为开胸组(n=60)和胸腔镜组(n=45)这两组。对两组患者均使用静脉吸入复合麻醉,并让患者呈90o侧卧位。对开胸组患者使用开胸手术,对胸腔镜组患者采用胸腔镜手术。结果相比于开胸组,胸腔镜组患者在手术时间、术中出血量、切口长度、引流管留置时间和住院天数方面的指标均明显要低,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);开胸组的60例患者并发症的发生率为36.67%;胸腔镜组的45例患者并发症的发生率为8.89%。胸腔镜组的治疗效果明显高于开胸组(P<0.05);开胸组患者的病情复发率为3.33%,胸腔镜组患者的病情复发率为2.22%,两组比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论和开胸手术相比较,胸腔镜手术治疗自发性气胸,患者出血少、恢复快、手术时间短、术后并发症和复发率低,值得医师和患者优先选择,但手术材料费用偏高。     

Performance comparison of electronic radon monitors

The electronic radon monitors are noted for their convenience and acceptable accuracy. Even so, it is necessary to reassure their data quality regularly. We utilized a performance comparison system for this purpose. The instruments in our laboratories (Alphaguard, RAD7, RTM-2100 and Safety Siren) were tested via the comparison experiments. We conclude that by utilizing this system with the concept of calibration factor, it can be helpful to decide whether to send the monitors back to the original manufacturers for adjustment.     

EMPHASIZING AFFECTIVE OUTCOMES IN AN INTRODUCTORY GERONTOLOGY COURSE

No abstract available for this article.