The Relationship Between Glycaemic Control and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Nigerian Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Background

Metabolic risk factors associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) include Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity and dyslipidaemia. Prevention or management of these risk factors with glycaemic control, weight reduction and low serum lipid levels respectively have been reported to reduce the risk of NAFLD or slow its progression. Since ultrasound (USS) is a safe and reliable method of identifying fatty changes in the liver, this study was done to determine the relationship between glycaemic control and ultrasound diagnosed NAFLD in T2DM.

Body mass index and the risk of infection - from underweight to obesity

BackgroundNutritional status is a well-known risk factor for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Recent studies suggest that dietary intake also affects immune function and as a consequence infection risk.AimsThis reviews aims to give an overview on the effect of body weight on infection rate at different periods of life.SourcesClinically relevant prospective, cross-sectional and case–control community-based studies are summarized.ContentIn children and adolescents underweight is a significant risk factor for infection especially in developing countries, probably reflecting malnutrition and poor hygienic standards. Data from industrialized countries suggest that infection rate is also increased in obese children and adolescents. Similarly, several studies suggest a U-shaped increased infection rate in both underweight and obese adults. In the latter, infections of the skin and respiratory tract as well as surgical-site infections have consistently been reported to be more common than in normal-weight participants. Paradoxically, mortality of critically ill patients was reduced in obesity in some studies.ImplicationsSeveral studies in children or adults suggest that both underweight and obesity are associated with increased infection risk. However, confounding factors such as malnutrition, hygienic status and underlying disease or co-morbidities might aggravate accurate assessment of the impact of body weight on infection risk.     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征与血压变异性的临床研究

目的:通过测定阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征(OSAHS)患者血压及脉压(PP),探讨血压变异性与OSAHS之间的关系。方法:OSAHS合并高血压患者99例,根据呼吸暂停低通气指数(AHI)分为轻度、中度和重度OSAHS三组;单纯高血压患者20例作为对照组,比较OSAHS各组及单纯高血压组之间血压变化的特点。结果:重度OSAHS组患者的AHI、体重指数(BMI)、平均血压、非杓型血压所占比例及PP均明显高于轻、中度OSAHS组和单纯高血压组,最低血氧饱和度(SaO2)明显低于轻、中度OSAHS组和单纯高血压组。相关分析结果表明,平均PP与AHI呈正相关;SaO2与平均收缩压、舒张压呈负相关;AHI与平均收缩压呈正相关。结论:OSAHS患者夜间血压出现非杓型模式,血压增高的程度以及非杓型血压所占比例随着OSAHS病情加重而逐渐增高;PP与OSAHS的严重程度密切相关。     

Panoramic radiomorphometry and vertebral fractures in Spanish postmenopausal women

ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between panoramic radiomorphometric indexes, and the presence of osteoporotic fractures in a Spanish postmenopausal women.MethodsA sample of 120 women (60 with fragility spine fractures and 60 healthy), aged 55–70 years, with fragility spine fractures, were included in this cross-sectional study that was conducted from 2008 to 2011. All the women were referred to undergo a radiological spine examination, spinal densitometry and a panoramic radiograph for assessing osteoporosis using 3 radiomorphometric indexes: Panoramic Mandibular Index (PMI), Mental Index (MI) and Mandibular Cortical Index (MCI). According to mandibular cortical shape, in MCI, three groups were defined: C3 (osteoporosis), C2 (osteopenia), C1 (health).ResultsSignificant differences were found between all the MCI groups due to their composition between fractures and non-fractures. C1 group (healthy) has less fractures women than C2 (Bonferroni p < 0.001), C1 has less fractures than C3 (Bonferroni p < 0.001) and finally, C2 has less fractures than C3 (Bonferroni p < 0.006). PMI and MI values were significantly lower in cases than in controls (U Mann–Whitney p < 0.001).ConclusionsPanoramic radiomorphometrics mandibular indexes such as MCI, PMI, and MI, may be useful for identifying the population at higher risk for fracture. The relationship between panoramic index and osteoporosis remains unclear and further studies using fragility fracture as a real marker of osteoporosis are warranted to clarify the exact role and effect of one condition on the other and the corresponding clinical implications.     

Defining a standard and weighted mathematical index for maturation of dendritic cells

The concept of dendritic cell (DC) maturation generally refers to the changes in morphology and function of DCs. Conventionally, DC maturity is based on three criteria: loss of endocytic ability, gain of high‐level capacity to present antigens and induce proliferation of T cells, and mobility of DCs toward high concentrations of CCL19. Impairment of DC maturation has been suggested as the main reason for infectivity or chronicity of several infectious agents. In the case of hepatitis C virus, this has been a matter of controversy for the last two decades. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the method of ex vivo maturation as the possible source of such controversies. We previously reported striking differences between DCs matured with different methods, so we propose the use of a standard quantitative index to determine the level of maturity in DCs as an approach to compare results from different studies. We designed and formulated a mathematically calculated index to numerically define the level of maturity based on experimental data from ex vivo assays. This introduces a standard maturation index (SMI) and weighted maturation index (WMI) based on strictly standardized mean differences between different methods of generating mature DCs. By calculating an SMI and a WMI, numerical values were assigned to the level of maturity achieved by DCs matured with different methods. SMI and WMI could be used as a standard tool to compare diversely generated mature DCs and so better interpret outcomes of ex vivo and in vivo studies with mature DCs.     

医学物理学本科生综合素质状况调查和评价体系的研究

目的：本课题通过对医学物理学专业本科生目前的综合素质状况进行了详细的调查和分析,旨在提出更好的提高大学生综合素质的途径和办法。方法：本文构建医学物理学专业本科生综合素质评价指标体系,较好的体现了当代大学生应具备的各方面的素质并强调了它的重要性,通过对综合素质评价指标体系的研究分析和论证,并结合我校本专业的教学及学生的实际情况,提出了可行性的建议。结果：通过对医学物理学专业本科生的调查,本专业的教学效果有明显提高,学生的基础知识掌握的比较扎实,专业素质高,得到了用人单位的一致认可,学生的就业率明显提高,大学生的核心竞争力和综合素质得到进一步提高。结论：这项研究的结果表明,本科医学物理学的总体质量评价体系是可行的,通过提高大学生的整体素质,改善和制定合理的评价体系,才能更好地提高教学质量,培养高素质医学物理学人才。     

Bispectral Index Monitoring during Anesthesiologist-Directed Propofol and Remifentanil Sedation for Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a technically difficult and lengthy procedure requiring optimal depth of sedation. The bispectral index (BIS) monitor is a non-invasive tool that objectively evaluates the depth of sedation. The purpose of this prospective randomized controlled trial was to evaluate whether BIS guided sedation with propofol and remifentanil could reduce the number of patients requiring rescue propofol, and thus reduce the incidence of sedation- and/or procedure-related complications.

Materials and Methods

A total of 180 patients who underwent the ESD procedure for gastric adenoma or early gastric cancer were randomized to two groups. The control group (n=90) was monitored by the Modified Observer''s Assessment of Alertness and Sedation scale and the BIS group (n=90) was monitored using BIS. The total doses of propofol and remifentanil, the need for rescue propofol, and the rates of complications were recorded.

Results

The number of patients who needed rescue propofol during the procedure was significantly higher in the control group than the BIS group (47.8% vs. 30.0%, p=0.014). There were no significant differences in the incidence of sedation- and/or procedure-related complications.

Conclusion

BIS-guided propofol infusion combined with remifentanil reduced the number of patients requiring rescue propofol in ESD procedures. However, this finding did not lead to clinical benefits and thus BIS monitoring is of limited use during anesthesiologist-directed sedation.     

Urinary Liver-Type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Linked with Increased Risk of Acute Kidney Injury after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Stem cell transplantation (SCT) involves a great risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). Urinary liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (uL-FABP) is a sensitive biomarker to detect kidney damage before an increase in serum creatinine (Cr); however, the utility of uL-FABP is not fully understood in the platform of SCT. A prospective study was conducted in 84 allogeneic SCT recipients to ascertain a link between the uL-FABP level before preparative procedures and AKI incidence after SCT. The association between them was analyzed using Gray's method and a multivariate Fine-Gray proportional hazards regression model. The recipients were stratified into high and low uL-FABP groups, according to the reference value for healthy subjects (8.4 μg/g Cr). AKI developed more frequently in the high (n = 20) than low (n = 64) group (55.0% versus 26.6% at day 30, P = .005), and high uL-FABP was an independent risk for the emergence of AKI (hazard ratio, 2.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.24 to 6.22, P = .01). In conclusion, increased baseline uL-FABP, which may indicate previous incipient kidney injury, is linked with a high risk of AKI after allogeneic SCT.     

Variability of the autoregulation index decreases after removing the effect of the very low frequency band

Dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) estimates show large between and within subject variability. Sources of variability include low coherence and influence of CO2 in the very low frequency (VLF) band, where dCA is active. This may lead to unreliable transfer function and autoregulation index (ARI) estimates. We tested whether variability of the ARI could be decreased by suppressing the effect of the VLF band through filtering. We also evaluated whether filtering had any effect on mean group differences between healthy subjects and acute stroke patients.Data from a recent mobilization stroke study were re-analyzed. Middle cerebral artery cerebral blood flow velocity (MCA-CBFV), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and end tidal PCO2 (PetCO2) were obtained in 16 healthy subjects and 27 acute ischemic stroke patients in the supine position. The ARI index was calculated from the transfer function (TF) by using spontaneous BP fluctuations. Three different filtering strategies were compared; no filtering (NF), a high pass filter at 0.04 Hz (Time Domain Filtering: TDF) and a high pass Transfer Function Filter (TFF) at 0.04 Hz. In addition, a simulation study was done to obtain further insight into the effects of the applied filters.The variability of the ARI index decreased significantly only with TFF in healthy subjects (standard deviation (left vs. right) after NF 2.28 vs. 2.36, after TDF 2.13 vs. 2.31 after TFF 1.09 vs. 1.19, p < 0.001).Variability was not significantly reduced in stroke patients. The mean ARI was significantly lower in stroke patients compared to healthy subjects after TFF (affected hemisphere 5.85 ± 1.96 vs. 7.13 ± 1.09, non-affected hemisphere 5.96 ± 1.64 vs. 7.31 ± 1.19, p < 0.01 for both hemispheres), but not after NF or TDF. The simulation study showed that TFF results in an overestimation of the ARI index at low ARI levels (0–3), but in correct estimates at higher ARI levels.Removing the effect of the VLF band with TFF results in less ARI variability in healthy subjects, and in more pronounced group differences between stroke patients and healthy subjects. This will improve diagnostic properties when using TFA for ARI calculation.