Pulmonary Lophomonas blattarum infection in patients with kidney allograft transplantation

The aim of the study was to analyse the clinical manifestation and management of pulmonary Lophomonas blattarum infection in four allograft transplantation recipients retrospectively. Four patients with pulmonary L. blattarum infection were diagnosed by using Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) examination. Their clinical manifestation and management are summarized. Four cases of pulmonary L. blattarum were found during the period from the second month to the third month after transplantation. Concurring infection by other pathogens was found in three of them. Common initial symptoms included fever (>38 degrees C) without cough and breathlessness. Lower lobe shadowing could be found on chest X-ray. Body temperature decreased to the normal range in three patients and to 37.5 degrees C in the other one, after intravenous injection of metronidazole and tapering immunosuppressant. Radiological examination confirmed improved health condition of the patients afterwards. Two patients received repeated FOB and only dead L. blattarum was found. Pulmonary L. blattarum infection in allograft transplant recipients carry relatively obscure initial symptoms. Possible L. blattarum infection needs to be screened in post-transplantation pulmonary infection patients with similar symptoms, especially in those who respond poorly to anti-infection treatment. Microscopic examination of BAL fluid can help to identify pulmonary L. blattarum infection and metronidazole is an ideal treatment choice.     

Modeling in Frequency Domain Used for Assessment of In Vivo Dissolution Profile

Purpose. To present a model-dependent approach for the assessment of the in vivo drug dissolution profile based on in vitrodata for the multiple unit dosage form, as an alternative to the numerical method proposed in the study by Hayashi et al, Pharm. Res. 12:1333–1337 (1995). Methods. The data for aspirin granules administered to healthy subjects obtained in the above mentioned study were re-evaluated. The subject dissolution system was considered to consist of two subsystems connected in series, i.e. the subsystem describing the gastric-emptying process and the subsystem describing the intestinal dissolution process. The frequency response method was used to model the subject dissolution system. Results. The model in vivodissolution profile of aspirin, assessed as the integral of the model weighting function of the subject dissolution system, was in agreement with the in vivo cumulative absorption profile calculated by the Wagner-Nelson method. Conclusions. Comparison of dynamic properties of the subject dissolution system with the subsystem describing the gastric-emptying process yielded quantitative confirmation of the decisive role of the gastric-emptying process in the in vivodrug dissolution after administration in the multi unit dosage form.     

Studies of pickled vegetables and cause of esophageal cancer in Linxian. II. Determination of nitrosamines and their precursors]

Pickled vegetables are daily food consumed in the high-risk areas for esophageal cancer in China. We analyzed the nitrosamine content of Linxian pickles by GC/TEA and found that trace amounts of six nitrosamines (NDMA, NDEA, NMBA, NMAMBA, NDPA, NPYR) were present, with the highest concentrations being NDMA and NDEA (1.7 and 1.9 micrograms/kg wet weight respectively). The average level of nitrosamine precursors, such as nitrate (111.22 mg/L), nitrite (0.152 mg/L) and secondary amines (4.223 mg/L), in pickled vegetables were determined, and their pH values ranged from 3 to 5.     

A study of a method for distribution analysis of skin color

Background/aims: The objective and quantitative assessment of the skin is important in medical and cosmeceutical research. Assessment of color is an important element for analyzing the surface of the skin, which is usually determined subjectively by a doctor or using color analysis devices. These devices, however, cannot provide correct color information because color is construed from the mean value of the observation region, and analysis of color distribution is impossible. The purpose of this paper is to develop an objective analysis method to permit skin color measurement of each pixel unit of an image and analyze the distribution of skin surface color. Methods: The Skin Color Distribution Analyzer (SCDA) is an analysis method newly developed at the Research Institute for Skin Image at Korea University. The SCDA system presented in this paper performed a novel form of quantitative and objective analysis of skin color distribution using each pixel color model parameter found in image wavelength information. In this paper, distribution analysis was conducted on normal skin and skin lesions and skin affected by artificially induced irritant contact dermatitis and pigmented nevous. The method selected a grade using a color model parameter. Twenty healthy Korean males participated in this study. A comparative study of the eight anatomical areas was performed, including the exposure and non‐exposure parts and the medial aspect and the lateral aspect of the forearm. A reliability test for the SCDA system was also conducted with a spectrometer (SPEC) using the color analysis method. Results: Each skin lesion was precisely segmented by grade and each parameter hada different statistical significance for results of analysis of distribution in pigmented nevous and the artificially induced irritant contact dermatitis. Parameters L^*, b^*, a^*, and EI showed salient traits. Showed resemble measured result in the SCDA system and the SPEC of normal skin. The exposed site, in comparison with the non‐exposed site, showed a notable difference in the L^* parameter and a significant statistical difference in the x and z parameters, except b^*. The comparison of the medial and lateral aspects of the forearm showed a notable difference in the L^* parameter and a significant statistical difference in the parameters except y and b^*. In the reliability test result using the SCDA system and the SPEC, the SCDA system was highly reliabile in terms of the CV value in all color model parameters. Conclusions: The color distribution analysis method using the SCDA system has revealed an aspect that the existent method of medical research has not shown, and is considered to be more reliable than other methods. This method can provide better study findings because it can be applied to other fields in addition to the medical science field and the ripple effect is thought to be bigger in other science field too.     

宫腔镜在辅助生殖技术中的应用

目的：探讨宫腔镜检查术在辅助生殖技术中应用的重要性。方法：对150例拟行辅助生殖技术的不育妇女行常规宫腔镜检查。结果：宫腔镜150例中47例（31％）有镜下异常，其中：子宫内膜息肉或息肉样增生18例（12％），子宫内膜单纯性增生17例（11％），子宫畸形7例（5％），宫腔粘连狭窄3例（2％），子宫内膜结核1例（0．7％），子宫黏膜下肌瘤或腺肌瘤1例（0．7％）。以宫腔镜诊断为标准，阴道超声诊断敏感性、特异性、阳性预测值、阴性预测值、准确率分别为66％（31／47）、98％（101／103）、94％（31／33）、86％（101／117）、88％（132／150），子宫造影分别为26％（12／47）、100％（95／95）、100％（12／12）、73％（95／130）、75％（107／142）。结论：宫腔镜检查术具有良好的可接受性和准确性，应作为辅助生殖技术前的常规检查。     

纵隔支气管囊肿CT误诊1例

患者男性,29岁。因体检发现纵隔肿物17天入院。无胸、背痛及胸闷、气促、呼吸困难,无咳嗽、咳痰及咯血。查体:生命体征平稳,双肺呼吸音清晰、未闻及干湿性罗音及胸膜摩擦音。胸透及胸部CT:右后下纵隔类圆形占位,密度较均匀,CT值20~22HU,肿物不随呼吸运动活动。CT诊断:右后下纵隔神经源性良性肿瘤(图1,2)。于全麻下行右后下纵隔肿瘤切除术,病理诊断:(右后下纵隔)支气管源性囊肿。讨论:纵隔支气管囊肿属先天性异常,为前肠囊肿的一种,多见于儿童和青年人。大部分位于气管、支气管周围,多在隆突下和右气管旁。最常见的临床症状是胸痛,无症状…     

Analysis of the Surface Ozone During Summer and Autumn at a Coastal Site in East China

The levels and temporal variations of surface ozone at a coastal site in East China during summer and autumn were analyzed and the influences of meteorological parameters on ozone were investigated. An inland city was chosen as a comparison site. The main results and conclusions of this study are: (1) ozone pollution, with a maximum 1 h concentration of 150.98 ppbv, was severe during summer and autumn at the coastal site; (2) the ozone level was obviously higher at the coastal site than that at the inland site in September; (3) besides temperature and solar radiation, sea-land breeze circulation is an important factor influencing the ozone level at the coastal site, and sea breeze often induce high ozone levels (the average ozone concentration for sea breeze was about 13 ppbv higher than that for land breeze).