Functional and psychosocial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on rheumatic patients’ quality of life in Saudi Arabia

Quality of Life Research - The COVID-19 pandemic might add to the stressors experienced by people living with rheumatic diseases. This study aimed to examine rheumatic patients’ functional...     

健脾益肾方对非小细胞肺癌细胞体外增殖凋亡作用的实验研究

目的:探讨健脾益肾方对非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)细胞体外增殖凋亡的作用。方法:人NSCLC细胞系A549分为四组:空白对照组(仅加入细胞培养液)、阴性对照组(加入细胞,不进行中药处理)、实验组(加细胞加中药处理)。荧光定量PCR和Western blot分别检测Survivin、Bcl-2和Caspase-3的mRNA和蛋白表达。MTT检测细胞增殖;流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡。结果:与空白对照组相比,阴性对照组细胞在24、48、72 h的吸光度值明显升高,细胞凋亡率下降,Survivin和Bcl-2 mRNA和蛋白相对表达量上调,Caspase-3 mRNA和蛋白相对表达量下调,组间比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);而健脾益肾方处理的实验组24、48、72 h的吸光度值均显著降低,细胞凋亡率显著上升,Survivin和Bcl-2 mRNA和蛋白相对表达量下调,Caspase-3 mRNA和蛋白相对表达量上调,与空白对照组相比差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:健脾益肾方可通过下调Survivin和Bcl-2、上调Caspase-3表达诱导NSCLC细胞凋亡,并抑制肿瘤细胞的增殖,进而抑制NSCLC的发展。     

Percutaneous renal mass biopsy: historical perspective,current status,and future considerations

Introduction: Percutaneous renal mass biopsy has evolved over the last decade with improvements on previous pitfalls including low tissue yield, high non-diagnostic rates, and complications. As understanding of tumor biology and natural history of renal cortical neoplasms has improved, percutaneous renal mass biopsy is poised to have an expanding role in an area characterized by individualized management and refined risk stratification.

Areas covered: This review summarizes the evolution of renal mass biopsy to its current state with respect to outcomes, indications, and clinical guidelines.

Expert opinion: With improved understanding of differential biological potential of renal cortical neoplasms combined with technical improvements in diagnostic yield and accuracy, utilization of renal mass biopsy is becoming an important adjunct to patient care in a broad range of clinical scenarios, including active surveillance, thermal ablation, and use of primary systemic therapy in localized and advanced settings.     

HPLC-MS Method for Simultaneous Quantitative Determination of an Innovative Russian Gestagen and its Metabolites in Rat and Rabbit Blood Sera

Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal - An HPLC-MS method for simultaneous quantitative determination of a novel gestagenic pharmaceutical and two of its metabolites in rat and rabbit blood sera was...     

Differentiating poor validity from probable impairment on the medical symptom validity test: a cross-validation study

Aims: In neuropsychological evaluations, it is often difficult to ascertain whether poor performance on measures of validity is due to poor effort or malingering, or whether there is genuine cognitive impairment. Dunham and Denney created an algorithm to assess this question using the Medical Symptom Validity Test (MSVT). We assessed the ability of their algorithm to detect poor validity versus probable impairment, and concordance of failure on the MSVT with other freestanding tests of performance validity.

Methods: Two previously published datasets (n?=?153 and n?=?641, respectively) from outpatient neuropsychological evaluations were used to test Dunham and Denney’s algorithm, and to assess concordance of failure rates with the Test of Memory Malingering and the forced choice measure of the California Verbal Learning Test, two commonly used performance validity tests.

Results: In both datasets, none of the four cutoff scores for failure on the MSVT (70%, 75%, 80%, or 85%) identified a poor validity group with proportionally aligned failure rates on other freestanding measures of performance validity. Additionally, the protocols with probable impairment did not differ from those with poor validity on cognitive measures.

Conclusions: Despite what appeared to be a promising approach to evaluating failure on the easy MSVT subtests when clinical data are unavailable (as recommended in the advanced interpretation program, or advanced interpretation [AI], of the MSVT), the current findings indicate the AI remains the gold standard for doing so. Future research should build on this effort to address shortcomings in measures of effort in neuropsychological evaluations.     

Is routine extubation overnight safe in cardiac surgery patients?

Objectives

Expedient extubation after cardiac surgery has been associated with improved outcomes, leading to postoperative extubation frequently during overnight hours. However, recent evidence in a mixed medical-surgical intensive care unit population demonstrated worse outcomes with overnight extubation. This study investigated the impact of overnight extubation in a statewide, multicenter Society of Thoracic Surgeons database.