Ultra-low-dose unenhanced chest CT: Prospective comparison of high kV/low mA versus low kV/high mA protocols

Purpose

To qualitatively and quantitatively compare unenhanced ultra-low-dose chest computed tomography (ULD-CT) acquired at 80 kVp and 135 kVp.

Malnutrition Diagnosis during Adult Inpatient Hospitalizations: Analysis of a Multi-Institutional Collaborative Database of Academic Medical Centers

Background

Malnutrition is a significant problem for hospitalized patients. However, the true prevalence of reported malnutrition diagnosis in real-world clinical practice is largely unknown. Using a large collaborative multi-institutional database, the rate of malnutrition diagnosis was assessed and used to assess institutional variables associated with higher rates of malnutrition diagnosis.

Quality of life and psychological well-being in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS): Importance of adopting a biopsychosocial model

Background

Reductions in quality of life (QOL) exist among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Quality assurance in drug demand reduction in European countries: an overview

Background: The EMCDDA, through its network of National Focal Points, collects information on the quality assurance systems for drugs-related interventions across European countries. European National Drug Strategies include recommendations for systems and approaches for the assurance of the quality of interventions.

Methods: We searched National Drug Strategies for elements related to quality assurance in drug demand reduction and summarised information through questionnaires administered to the EMCDDA Network of National Focal Points.

Results: In total, 15 National Drug Strategies and 60 questionnaires were analysed. Almost all the strategies include quality-related topics. Frequently, the Ministry of Health leads quality assurance although sometimes jointly with the Ministries of Education, Labour, Family and Social Welfare. Accreditation systems are common, but implemented in different ways. Training and education are widely provided, for the vast majority of countries, consisting of short-term training to keep professionals updated. Guidelines and Standards are gathering momentum as the major tools for the implementation of evidence-based recommendations and are usually available across countries.

Conclusions: Although the evidence base for interventions in drug demand reduction is becoming available and accepted, attention needs to be given to implementation issues. The European countries are rapidly moving towards paying greater attention to the quality of interventions.     

A new strategy for choosing “Q-markers” via network pharmacology,application to the quality control of a Chinese medical preparation

Due to its chemical complexity, proper quality control for a Chinese medical preparation (CMP) has been a great challenge. Choosing the appropriate quality markers (Q-markers) for quality control of CMP is an important work. Best of all, the chosen Q-markers are the main chemical compounds from the herbals as well as the active constituents of this CMP. Only in this way the established quality control system can really achieve the purpose of controlling the quality of CMP and ensuring the safely and effectively use of CMP. To achieve the purpose, network pharmacology combined with the contents of chemical compounds in the CMP has been used in this research. We took an anti-arrhythmic CMP, Shenxian-Shengmai oral liquid (SSOL), as an example. Firstly, UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method was used to analyze the main components of SSOL. A total of 64 compounds were unambiguously or tentatively identified and 32 of them were further validated by reference compounds. Secondly, the network was constructed based on the identified compounds to predict the effective compounds related to cardiac arrhythmias. Based on the existing database and the operation method of topology, a method of double network analysis (DNAA) was proposed, from which 10 important targets in the pathway of arrhythmia were screened out, and 26 compounds had good antiarrhythmic activity. Based on the prediction results of network pharmacology along with the contents of the compounds in this CMP, ten representative compounds were chosen as the Q-markers for the quality control of SSOL. We find that five of these ten compounds, including danshensu, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A, epimedin A and icariin, have antiarrhythmic activity. Then, the UPLC-DAD method was established as the control method for SSOL.