A Very Long-term Longitudinal Study on the Evolution and Clinical Outcomes of Persistent Iatrogenic Atrial Septal Defect After Cryoballoon Ablation

Background

Persistent iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD) is a common but poorly characterized complication after cryoballoon (CB) pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures. We therefore investigate its prevalence, evolution, risk factors, and clinical outcomes in a prospective longitudinal study.

Pediatric traumatic brain injuries in Taiwan: an 8-year study.

Background. This study is intended to determine the causes of pediatric traumatic brain injuries (PTBI) in children aged 14 years or less, and to identify various types of craniocerebral damage resulting from different mechanisms of injury.Methods. From July 1, 1993 to June 30, 2001, a survey on PTBI was conducted in Taiwan. The data of patients used in this study were collected from 56 major hospitals among the age group of 0-14 years. The items in the traumatic brain injury survey included sex, age, causes of injuries, severity, and the eventual outcome.Results. A total of 5349 cases were identified. The male-to-female ratio was 1.69: 1. The incidence rate was higher in the age groups of 4-9 years and 10-14 years. The main cause of PTBI was traffic injury, which accounted for 2537 of the cases (47.3%), followed by falls, 2160 (40.3%). Of all traffic injuries, motorcycle-related injury had the highest incidence, followed by the pedestrian and bicycle-related injury. This study also showed that 83.2% of the patients had mild injury, 9.8% had moderate injury, and 7.0%, severe injury.Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that it is important to decrease all the risk factors in the environment of homes and public areas as much as possible. Helmet wearing and the development of public transportation are essential for the prevention of head injury.     

Changes in activity level in women aged 40-80 years.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to report habitual physical activity levels in women and document the change in level of activity and factors affecting this change over a 5-year period. METHODS: A 5-year prospective cohort design was used. Women aged 40-80 years, living independently in the community, were recruited via the electoral role. The effects were investigated, first, of age, activity level, history of falls, number of co-morbidities and medications, body mass index and stability at baseline on change in activity level and, second, change in these demographics on activity level over the study period. RESULTS: Data from 459 women who completed our study are reported. Only activity level and body mass index at baseline significantly affected change in activity level (p<0.000). Change in activity level was not influenced by change in demographics over the study period. The forties and fifties cohorts accounted for the baseline body mass index effect on activity change (p<0.04). In the forties cohort, number of medical conditions at base line (p<0.03) and, in the sixties cohort, increase in number of medical conditions (p=0.011) affected activity level change. CONCLUSIONS: Activity level at baseline and body mass index in younger women were most likely to affect change over time. Being unsteady or having already fallen did not stimulate change.     

新的高强度高选择性阿片μ受体激动剂[11C]-羟甲芬太尼的合成

羟甲芬太尼(I)是一个新的高强度高选择性阿片μ受体激动剂。本文用cis-A-N-[1-(2-羟基-2-苯乙基)-3-甲基-4-哌啶基]-苯胺(II)或cis-N-[1-(苯甲酰甲基)-3-甲基-4-哌啶基]-苯胺(III)作为前体合成了[¹¹C]-羟甲芬太尼,以便用正电子发射断层扫描(PET)来观察μ受体。通过水解cis-A-羟甲芬太尼(I)和cis-N-[1-(苯甲酰甲基)-3-甲基-4-哌啶]-N-苯基丙酰胺(cis-IV)的4-N-丙酰基分别获得II和III。溴乙烷的格氏试剂与回旋加速器产生的[¹¹C]-二氧化碳反应后继而直接加入邻苯二甲酸二酰氯和2,6-二叔丁基吡啶生成同位素标记中间体[¹¹C]-丙酰氯。[¹¹C]-丙酰氯与OH-前体(II)反应后再经HPLC分离纯化直接得[¹¹C]-羟甲芬太尼;[¹¹C]-丙酰氯与酮-前体(III)反应后,再用硼氢化钠甲醇溶液处理,然后进行HPLC分离纯化得[¹¹C]-羟甲芬太尼。两种方法均可获得ll.1～14.8GBq/μmol的特异性放射化学纯[¹¹C]-羟甲芬太尼。总共耗时为40～50min(EOB)。     

In vivo production of tumor necrosis factor for the treatment of mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumor.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was produced in mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) by priming with zymosan and subsequently challenging with lipopolysaccharide. The optimal conditions for the in vivo production of TNF in treating EAT bearing mice were established. The endotoxin shock induced in mice during TNF production could be minimized by the combined administration of sulindac and mannoheptulose. The endogenous TNF produced could suppress proliferation of EAT cells as well as prolong the survival time of mice bearing small tumors.     

Treatment of persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma by brachytherapy

The early results of brachytherapy for persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma in 30 patients is presented. Fifteen patients were treated by intracavitary caesium, 12 patients were treated by interstitial gold grain implant using the split-palate approach and three patients were treated by both intracavitary caesium and interstitial gold grain implant for the first and second relapse in the nasopharynx, respectively. The overall tumour control rate for intracavitary caesium was 5/18 (28%) with median follow-up of 25.2 months, and for interstitial gold grain implant it was 9/14 (64%) with median follow-up of 16.5 months. Interstitial gold grain implantation appears to be effective in the treatment of persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.     

The phagocytic activity of human first trimester extravillous trophoblast

It has been suggested previously that phagocytic activity inthe human placenta is confined to cells of the macrophage lineage.However, earlier studies were hampered by the paucity and poorviability of cells inherent in primary trophoblast cell cultures,contamination by other cell types which themselves have phagocyticactivity, lack of reliable markers of trophoblasts, and by limitationsof methods available to demonstrate unequivocally the internalizationof particulate material. We have overcome these limitationsby using: (i) DNA transfection to provide unlimited suppliesof pure trophoblast cell lines; (ii) human placental lactogenas a marker unique to trophoblast; and (iii) confocal microscopyof demonstrate unequivocally the intracellular locality of phagocytosedmaterial. We found that both untransfected primary culture extravilloustrophoblast cells, as well as the cell lines, had the capacityto phagocytose sheep red blood cells, Staphylococcus aureusand baker's yeast cells, and that this activity was inhibitedby cytochalasin B and by culture at 4°C. Phagocytic activityin trophoblast cells was less avid than that seen in a professionalphagocyte. In physiological and pathological situations wheretissue remodelling occurs, such as the rapid turnover in theperiodontal ligament or during inflammation, epithelial cellsand other cells that are not considered professional phagocytesactively phagocytose components of the extracellular matrix.We postulate that phagocytosis by human trophoblasts may playan important role in the extensive tissue remodelling that occursduring trophoblastic invasion of the decidua.     

Direct detection of Epstein-Barr virus in peripheral blood and comparison of Epstein-Barr virus genotypes present in direct specimens and lymphoblastoid cell lines established from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and healthy carriers in Hong Kong.

By means of a PCR assay, EBV was demonstrated directly in peripheral blood of previously infected individuals. The virus was detected in approximately 80% of specimens from EBV-seropositive individuals, but not in cord-blood lymphocytes by this method. When virus present in peripheral blood was compared to that observed directly in NPC biopsies or throat washings, it was distinct from that seen in biopsies in 4/15 cases (27%) and from that seen in throat washes in 1/22 cases (5%). The throat-wash virus differed from the biopsy virus in 3/20 cases (15%). The prototype F virus was found in 7/10 LCLs (70%) established from NPC patients' peripheral blood, but was only detected in 2/9 specimens (22%) directly analyzed by the PCR assay. This finding suggests selective isolation of prototype F EBV in spontaneous LCLs established from NPC patients.     

HPLC和1HNMR分析确定cis-A-和cis-B-羟甲芬太尼的组成和构型

羟甲芬太尼(1)是一个强效的镇痛剂和高亲和、高选择性的阿片μ受体激动剂。通过HPLC和¹HNMR分析,cis-A-l被确定为由等量的cis-(+)-(3R,4S,2'S)-l和:cis-(—)-(3S,4R,2'R)-1组成的外消旋体,cis-B-l被确定为由等量的cis-(—)-(3R,4S,2'R)-1和cis-(+)-(3S/,4R,2'S)-1组成的外消旋体。