Factor Xa-activated whole blood clotting time (Xa-ACT) for bedside monitoring of dalteparin anticoagulation during haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) like dalteparin are increasingly used for anticoagulation during haemodialysis (HD). The available laboratory tests for monitoring LMWH anticoagulation are time-consuming and expensive, and the suitability of the conventional activated clotting time (ACT) is controversial. A simple and cheap bedside test would be useful. METHODS: We studied the factor Xa-activated whole blood clotting time (Xa-ACT) in vitro and in vivo in nine patients undergoing chronic HD with i.v. dalteparin bolus anticoagulation and compared it with the conventional ACT. Plasma anti-factor Xa (antiXa) activity was determined with a chromogenic assay. Thrombin-antithrombin complexes were measured to detect coagulation activation. RESULTS: Xa-ACT and ACT were prolonged with rising dalteparin concentration. In vitro, both clotting times were strongly correlated with the antiXa levels (r = 0.94 and 0.89, respectively). Nevertheless, compared with the ACT, the Xa-ACT was considerably more sensitive to the LMWH in vitro (healthy blood: Xa-ACT 90 s/U vs ACT 26 s/U; uraemic blood: Xa-ACT 96 s/U vs ACT 31 s/U) as well as in vivo (Xa-ACT 81 s/U vs ACT 22 s/U) and reflected different intensities of anticoagulation. An initial dalteparin bolus of 80+/-11 U/kg body weight was able to prevent coagulation activation for up to 4 h of HD. CONCLUSION: For monitoring LMWH anticoagulation the Xa-ACT was superior to the conventional ACT in vitro as well as in vivo during HD. The Xa-ACT can be useful as a LMWH bedside test. The ACT was not sensitive enough to serve as a LMWH monitoring tool.     

TEN YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN LOW VISION PRACTICE

The Low Vision Clinic at the Palmerston North Hospital has now been oerating for 70 years. Over the course of these ten years a number of factors have emerged which can be as readily applied to general ophthalmological practice as to low vision practice. The philosophy of low vision care is one of which all ophthalmologists should be aware and includes factors to be taken into account when dealing with children, people in the workplace, and everyday factors involved in daily living activities, all of which are equally relevant in routine ophthalmological practice. This paper endeavours to share some thoughts on these factors and also discusses means by which the visually handicapped can be helped in areas where specialist low vision services are not readily available.     

低位无肛术术中完整保留瘘口组织的必要性和可行性

目的探讨低位肛门直肠畸形术术中保留瘘口组织的必要性和可行性。方法对67例无肛前庭及会阴瘘患儿的临床资料进行回顾性分析。其中女童无肛前庭瘘59例,男童无肛会阴瘘8例。年龄3个月~16岁,平均10个月。患儿多以排便困难或肛门位置异常就诊。4例无肛前庭瘘患儿曾在婴儿期行瘘口后切术。患儿均采用完整保留瘘口的前矢状入路肛门成形术治疗。结果患儿术后3及6个月常规来院复诊,最长随访8年。65例(97.0%)患儿会阴部矢状切口一期愈合,会阴及肛门外观良好;另2例(男、女各1例)术中直肠破损患儿,自修补处穿孔导致会阴部矢状切口感染(占直肠破损修补术的40%),最终形成直肠会阴瘘,但肛门外观良好。67例均采用肛门功能临床评分标准评估患儿排便功能,64例(95.5%)患儿排便功能良好,总评分为5~6分;另3例(男1例,女2例)顽固便秘,需开塞露协助排便。结论低位无肛术中完整保留瘘口组织非常必要。     

Recognition performance and perceived quality of video enhanced for the visually impaired

Subjects with central field loss (CFL) individually selected enhancement parameters to improve visibility of static video images. The effect of enhancement on performance and on perceived quality of motion video was assessed. Performance, e.g. recognition of visual details, was assessed by having subjects answer questions regarding visual information contained in the video motion segments that were enhanced using the individually-selected parameters. Enhancement did not improve subject performance on questions about video content. This result might be due to a ceiling effect limitation of the performance assessment method. In a second procedure, subjects' continuous perceptions of quality (using an adjective-based rating scale) were made while the enhancement parameters were abruptly switched among multiple values; these included the individually-selected enhancements, as well as unenhanced, over-enhanced, and degraded segments. The results indicate that adaptive enhancement (individually-tuned using a static image) adds significantly to perceived image quality when viewing motion video. Subjects who selected stronger contrast enhancement also perceived the enhancement to provide a larger benefit in image quality.     

浅谈电子文档的原始性和真实性及法律证据作用

该文针对电子文件或档案的原始性真实性与电子档案的法律证据作用,参考了最新的研究结果,并提出了自己的思考,逐步探讨了它们的涵义及关系.     

低密度及氧化低密度脂蛋白对内皮细胞分泌肾上腺髓质素的影响

目的探讨低密度及氧化低密度脂蛋白对内皮细胞分泌肾上腺髓质素(ADM)的影响.方法利用培养的内皮细胞株ECV-304细胞,分别与不同浓度的低密度(50 100mg/L)、氧化低密度脂蛋白(50 100mg/L)及低密度脂蛋白(50 mg/L) 氧化低密度脂蛋白(50 mg/L)进行孵育,24 h后分别收集培养上清及细胞,用放免分析检测上清及细胞内肾上腺髓质素的含量.结果低密度脂蛋白对肾上腺髓质素的分泌无影响,而氧化型低密度脂蛋白能明显刺激ADM的分泌,二者合用的作用接近于100mg/L的OX-LDL.结论OX-LDL可能具有氧化LDL使其成为OX-LDL的作用,ADM的分泌可能是对细胞损伤的一种反应.     

Transcatheter closure of the patent arterial duct using the Flipper coil in a premature infant weighing 1,400 g: a case report.

A symptomatic 1,400 g premature triplet underwent successful transcatheter coil embolization of patent arterial duct using the umbilical artery. One 3 mm x 3 cm Flipper coil was used with no angiographic residual shunt. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the smallest preterm infants to undergo this transcatheter procedure.     

Early rapid weight gain and current overweight in relation to asthma in adolescents born with very low birth weight

Early catch-up growth and subsequent overweight are suggested to be associated with later cardiovascular diseases and later type II diabetes. However, the impact of early catch-up growth and childhood overweight on the development of asthma has been less studied, particularly in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). A birth cohort of 74 VLBW children (birth weight < or = 1500 g) was followed from birth and investigated on asthma at 12 yr of age. Early rapid weight gain was in one way defined as an increase of weight > or =1 standard deviation score (SDS) at 6 months of corrected postnatal age. Current overweight was defined by body mass index (BMI) exceeding 21.2 and 21.7 kg/m(2), respectively, for boys and girls at 12 yr of age. Current asthma was diagnosed by a pediatrician, according to asthma ever in combination with a positive response to hypertonic saline bronchial provocation test and/or wheeze at physical examination at 12 yr old. Being overweight at 12 yr of age was associated with an increased risk for current asthma in the VLBW children [crude odds ratio (OR): 5.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-22.2]. After adjustment for early weight gain and neonatal risk, the OR of overweight increased nearly three times (adjusted OR: 15.3, 95% CI: 2.5-90.6). Early rapid weight gain seemed to be inversely associated with current asthma (adjusted OR: 0.49 for an increase of weight equal to 1 SDS, 95% CI: 0.23-1.02, p = 0.06). In addition, early rapid weight gain was inversely associated with the magnitude of bronchial responsiveness at 12 yr (coefficient -1.15, p < 0.01). There was a strong and positive association between overweight and asthma at 12 yr of age in the VLBW children. This strong association had been reduced by early rapid weight gain, possibly via the reduction of bronchial responsiveness.     

安徽省学生近20年常见病患病情况分析

目的了解安徽省学生视力低下、龋齿、贫血的患病状况及变化趋势,为开展学生常见病防治工作提供参考。方法对1985,1995,2000,2005年4个不同时期安徽省学生体质健康调研资料7～22岁学生视力低下、龋齿、贫血等常见病的患病状况进行分析。结果20a间,学生贫血患病率明显下降,从1985年的55.5%下降到2005年的5.3%;龋患率1985年至2000年明显上升,从32.1%上升到42.6%,2000年以后呈下降趋势,达18.8%;近视率逐年上升并居高不下,从1985年的23.0%上升到2005年的55.2%,尤其是高中生和大学生,高达70%～80%。结论通过开展学生常见病防治工作,学生贫血患病率和龋患率明显下降,但学生近视率逐年上升并居高不下,应引起有关部门的重视。     

Homocysteinylation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from subjects with Type 1 diabetes: effect on oxidative damage of human endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Homocysteine (Hcy) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are more susceptible to the effects of homocysteine than non-diabetic subjects. The interaction between homocysteine-thiolactone (Hcy-thiolactone), a reactive product of Hcy, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) induces the formation of homocystamide-LDL adducts (Hcy-LDL) and it has been suggested that homocysteinylation could increase atherogenicity of lipoproteins. AIM: The aim of the study was to compare the effect of in vitro homocysteinylation of LDL isolated from healthy control subjects (C-LDL) and from Type 1 diabetic patients (DM-LDL) and to investigate the effect of homocysteinylated LDL (Hcy-C-LDL and Hcy-DM-LDL) on peroxynitrite production of endothelial cells. METHODS: The in vitro homocysteinylation of LDL isolated from control (n = 12) and DM subjects (n = 12) was carried out by incubating lipoproteins with Hcy-thiolactone. The reaction was verified by quantifying the increase in sulphydryl groups (-SH groups) in Hcy-LDL with respect to control LDL. Control and homocysteinylated LDL were incubated with human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) in culture. Peroxynitrite production in cells treated in different experimental conditions was assayed by a fluorimetric method. RESULTS: The increase in -SH groups after incubation with homocysteine was greater in LDL from diabetic subjects compared with LDL from control subjects (P < 0.001). In addition, peroxynitrite production from HAEC incubated with Hcy-LDL from diabetic patients was greater than after incubation with Hcy-LDL from control subjects and untreated LDL from diabetic patients (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that LDL from diabetic patients is more susceptible to in vitro homocysteinylation than LDL from non-diabetic individuals and demonstrate that the compositional changes in Hcy-LDL from diabetic subjects have cytotoxic effects on human endothelial cells.