Comparison of a traditional paracetamol medication and a new paracetamol/paracetamol-methionine ester combination

Summary The SUR 2647 combination is a sachet formulation containing free paracetamol and its N-acetyl-methionate ester (SUR 2647). In a randomized, single-blind, between-patient study the onset of analgesia, duration and efficacy of the SUR 2647 combination vs paracetamol was investigated in outpatients after oral surgery. One group (n=27) received sachets of SUR 2647 combination 2 b.i.d. (equivalent to 2 g paracetamol ×2) on the day of operation, and one sachet b.i.d. (equivalent to 1 g paracetamol ×2) for the following two days. The other group (n=26) received paracetamol tablets 2 q.i.d. on the day of operation (1 g×4) and one tablet q.i.d. (0.5 g×4) for the following two days. Several objective and subjective assessments, including pain score on a visual analogue scale, were recorded for comparison of the postoperative courses. Median onset of analgesia for both groups was 0.5 h. The duration after SUR 2647 combination was 5.5 h as compared to 2.5 h for paracetamol. Mean pain scores showed that the SUR 2647 combination regime reduced pain significantly more than the paracetamol regime from 0.5 to 3.0 h after initiation of medication. The mean pain scores did not show a significant difference during the remaining observation period. Mild to moderate drowsiness was reported in both treatment groups, but it was more common in subjects given SUR 2647 combination.     

Effects of combined whole body vibration and resistance training on lower quadrants electromyographic activity,muscle strength and power in athletes

BackgroundWhole body vibration (WBV) with resistance training is one of the increasing ways of gaining ankle and foot complex muscle strength and power for the rehabilitative and prophylactic purpose in athletes.ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to compare the effects of combined WBV and resistance training (RVE) with strength training alone (RE) on alteration of gastrocnemius lateralis and vastus medialis obliquus muscle activity and strength, and power performance in athletes.MethodsThe study was performed on 23 university-level male athletes who were randomized into two groups as RVE (n = 12; age 22.2 ± 1.94 years) and RE (n = 11; age 21.60 ± 1.78 years). The training program was scheduled three times per week for six weeks (18 sessions). Gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) and vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) were measured for muscle activity and isometric strength with surface EMG device and handheld dynamometer respectively. Counter-movement jump (CMJ) was used for measuring power. All the participants were assessed for outcome measures at baseline and then after 6 weeks. Group (RVE vs. RE) by time (pre vs. post) effects were compared through a 2-way interaction utilizing mixed model repeated measure ANOVA.ResultsAfter training, VMO muscle activity (group effects) increased significantly in the RVE group (p < 0.05). However, both the groups showed statistically significant time and group × time interaction effects for muscle activity of VMO, isometric strength (VMO and GL), and CMJ (p < 0.05).ConclusionWBV might serve as an adjunct modality for enhancement of the neuromuscular activity of the VMO muscle. However, RVE had no additive effect when compared to RE alone on muscle strength and power in athletes. The long-term impacts of combined WBV and resistance training on other foot and ankles muscle should be investigated in future studies.     

Hospital Pricing Following Integration with Physician Practices

The past decade has witnessed a new wave of hospital-physician integration, with the fraction of hospitals owning any office-based physician practice increasing from 28% in 2009 to 53% in 2015 nationwide. We offer one of the first hospital-level longitudinal analyses in examining how hospital-physician integration affects hospital prices in the modern healthcare environment. We find a robust 3–5% increase in hospital prices following integration. There is little indication that hospital quality is commensurately higher or that patient mix has changed following integration. Our supplementary analyses point to stronger bargaining leverage and foreclosure of rival hospitals as potential mechanisms for the estimated price effects.     

"Fatigue on rest" and associated symptoms (headache, vertigo, blurred vision, nausea, tension and irritability) due to locally asymptomatic, unerupted, impacted teeth.

"Fatigue on Rest", headache, vertigo and the feeling of loss of balance, blurred vision, nausea, tension and irritability, were found to be prevalent amongst patients who had locally asymptomatic, unerupted impacted teeth. A comparative pressure sign was developed, which, when positive, confirmed the relationship between the impacted teeth and the medical symptoms. Removal of the impactions resulted in the alleviation of the symptoms. Stress and psychogenic factors are considered as trigger mechanisms, rather than as basic causes of the symptoms.     

Effect of ethanol on dynamic visual acuity during vertical body oscillation in healthy volunteers

Visual orientation is the most important sensory input during locomotion (e.g. walking, driving a car, riding a bicycle). We investigated dynamic visual acuity (DVA) during vertical body-oscillations (amplitude 5 cm; frequency 1.5 Hz) in 12 healthy subjects before and twice after ethanol consumption. During oscillation, vertical eye movements were recorded under two test conditions: with eyes closed (EC) and during DVA testing. A significant increase in vertical eye-amplitude after ethanol ingestion occurred only during EC tests, as a possible sign of vestibular hyperreaction. During vestibular stimulation alone (EC), ethanol did not affect the phase shift between stimulus and eye movements. However, when the subjects were given an additional visual stimulus (DVA), the post-alcohol phase shift rose significantly. Surprisingly, the post-alcohol phase shift values for the two test conditions showed no significant differences. After ethanol ingestion we found no changes in static visual acuity but a significant loss of DVA. Volunteers with a change of DVA threshold (DVAT) showed significantly (P = 0.004) higher post-alcoholic changes in the phase shift. In summary, low doses of ethanol disturbed the visually guided oculomotor response during fixation of an earth-fixed target while the observer was subject to linear vertical acceleration. This effect led to an increasing delay between the beginning of body and eye movements. The consequence was an increasing phase shift and thus a decrease in DVA during whole-body oscillation which was comparable to movements during human locomotion. Received: 8 March 2000 / Accepted: 18 April 2000     

人体牙齿颜色测量系统口内活体牙测量重复性的研究

对人体牙齿颜色测量系统的重复性进行研究。方法：采用ＣＩＥ１９７６Ｌ＾＊ａ＾＊ｂ＾＊色度参数对７名自愿者上中切牙进行测量,通过比较不同时间、不同损伤者测量结果差异,计算、比较不同时间测量色差偏差的大小,研究人体牙齿颜色测量系统的重复性。结果：本实验所测人体牙齿颜色系统在不同时间测量结果的色差偏差为１．０２６个单位,且不同时间比较该色差值无显著性差异;不同时间内测量指标比较除ａ＾＊以外,Ｌ＾＊,ｂ＾＊     

Maternal colonization and early-onset neonatal bacterial sepsis in the Gambia,West Africa: a genomic analysis of vertical transmission

ObjectivesTo define bacterial aetiology of neonatal sepsis and estimate the prevalence of neonatal infection from maternal genital tract bacterial carriage among mother-newborn pairs.MethodsWe carried out a cross-sectional study of newborns with clinical sepsis admitted to three hospitals in the Gambia neonatal wards. Neonatal blood cultures and maternal genital swabs were obtained at recruitment. We used whole-genome sequencing to explore vertical transmission for neonates with microbiologically confirmed bloodstream infection by comparing phenotypically-matched paired neonatal blood cultures and maternal genital tract bacterial isolates.ResultsWe enrolled 203 maternal-newborn pairs. Two-thirds (67%; 137/203) of neonates presented with early-onset sepsis (days 0–6 after birth) of which 26% (36/137) were because of a clinically-significant bacterial pathogen. Blood culture isolates from newborns with early-onset sepsis because of Staphylococcus aureus (n = 5), Klebsiella pneumonia (n = 2), and Enterococcus faecalis (n = 1), phenotypically matched their maternal genital tract isolates. Pairwise single-nucleotide variants comparisons showed differences of 12 to 52 single-nucleotide variants only between maternal and newborn S. aureus isolates, presumably representing vertical transmission with a transmission rate of 14% (5/36).ConclusionsWe found a low prevalence of vertical transmission of maternal genital tract colonization in maternal-newborn pairs for early-onset neonatal sepsis in the West African context. Identifying infection acquisition pathways among newborns is essential to prioritize preventive interventions, which could be targeted at the mother or infection control in the hospital environment, depending on the major pathways of transmission.     

应用Opalescence脱色方法治疗色素牙的疗效观察(附112例临床分析)

目的 :研究 Opalescence脱色方法对色素牙脱色的疗效。方法 :将 Opalescence脱色剂涂于个别托模唇、颊侧内 ,病人每晚睡前刷牙后擦干牙面 ,戴上托模 ,晨起摘下冲洗干净 ,每天 1次 ,疗程一般为 2周 ,视疗效及患者反应增减用药时间。结果 :1 1 2例患者脱色治疗后氟斑牙的显效率( 80 .8%)高于四环素牙的显效率 ( 66.7%)。有 2 3例病人疗效不甚满意。结论 :应用 Opalescence脱色治疗活髓色素牙效果明显 ,脱色后牙体呈自然色泽 ,透明感好 ,特别适用于年龄较轻、无牙体缺损的氟斑牙及四环素牙的脱色。     

垂直传播中乙型肝炎病毒S区变异株检出及其流行病学意义

目的　研究垂直传播中乙型肝炎病毒Ｓ基因变异的流行病学意义。方法　以配偶无乙型肝炎病毒（ＨＢＶ） 标志的４ 名女性携带者与６ 名男性携带者及其子宫内感染ＨＢＶ 的胎儿为对象,以双脱氧链末端终止法检测母子、父子所携ＨＢＶＳ区４５１ ～６６０ 位核苷酸序列。结果　母子、父子间同源性９８ ％ ～１００ ％ ,检出４９１ 、４９４、５３０ 、５４６、５８１ 位点变异致使１１３ 、１１４、１２６ 、１３１、１４３ 位氨基酸替代,其中２ 对父母与胎儿检出１２６ 位变异。４ 例胎儿检出１３１ 位变异,其中２ 例胎儿合并检出１４３ 位变异。结论　ＨＢＶ垂直传播中存在Ｓ基因变异株,可能以１２６、１３１、１４３ 位氨基酸变异株为主,这些变异株可能使ＨＢ疫苗免疫失败。