Reaching the unreached with polio vaccine and other child survival interventions through partnership with military in Angola

BackgroundGrowing conflict and insecurity played a major role in precipitating polio outbreaks in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East. In Angola, the early post-conflict situation was characterized by the presence of many inaccessible zones and districts due to insecurity and poor infrastructure. Partnership with the Angolan Army health service (AAHS) was one of the innovative strategies that the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) introduced into the country to support the polio vaccination campaigns in insecure and hard to reach zones.MethodsBefore embarking on creating a partnership with Angolan military it was essential to make high-level advocacy with top military decision makers to engage the leadership in the process for better and sustainable support to the strategy. The principal supports provided by the AAHS were the administration of oral polio vaccine, vitamin A, deworming agents, social mobilization, monitoring campaign quality, and surveillance. Distribution of logistics using military vehicles and helicopters to hard to reach and insecure zones was also part of the support.ResultsUsing this partnership it was possible to reach a significant number of children in insecure and hard to reach areas with polio vaccine and other child survival interventions. The military partnership also contributed in increasing the demand and addressing rejection for the polio vaccine.ConclusionMilitary is a potentially productive force that can be used for any development activities in any country. The Angolan experience has demonstrated that it is possible to form a partnership with the military for basic health intervention activities with little training and investment.     

软硬腭前移鼻咽下口扩大术初步报告

目的:运用软硬腭前移的手术方法扩大鼻咽下口,改善因鼻咽部狭小致阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者的呼吸暂停症状。方法:手术切除硬腭后份使其缩短、悬雍垂软腭成形并将软腭拉向前,扩大鼻咽下口。结果:患者术后自觉症状及客观评价疗效满意。结论:软硬腭前移鼻咽下口扩大显著改善鼻咽下口狭小导致的阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者的症状。     

Gas-to-liquid permeation in silicon-containing, crosslinked, glassy copotymers of methyl methacrylate

Copolymers of methyl methacrylate with disiloxane derivatives have been proposed as biomaterials for contact lens applications. Although glassy, these copolymers exhibit high oxygen permeability and adequate wettability so that they can be used for manufacture of hard, extended wear lenses. CrossHnked copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-1,3-bis(methacryloxymethyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-disiloxane), P(MMA-co-BMTDS), containing from 0.085 to 0.53 mole fraction of BMTDS were prepared and tested for oxygen permeation using a novel apparatus which simulates the atmosphere/lens/cornea conditions. The gas-to-liquid dissolved oxygen permeability, P_gd, was determined and it was found to increase with BMTDS content Permeability values for P(MMA-co-BMTDS) at 34°C were significantly higher than for pure homopolymer PMMA, although these copolymers were glassy at this temperature. The increased oxygen permeation was attributed to increased oxygen solubility in the copolymers due to the presence of the -Si-0-bonds.     

CZES型食管支架硬式改软式的临床意义

目的：改进Z型被膜食管支架的结构，使之具有更好的顺应性，稳定性和耐受性。方法：将被膜Z型食管支架的上下钢丝节段之间的交错连接（硬式支架）改为间隙连接（软式支架），并植入治疗43例食管狭窄或食管瘘患者，观察疗效和并发症，并与46例植入硬式支架者比较。结果：两组均取得显著疗效。软式支架组胸痛，呕吐等症状显著减轻，持续时间缩短，未发生支架移位，穿孔等重大并发症。结论：软式食管支架在顺应性，稳定性和耐受性等方面明显优于硬式支架。     

Confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmetry of the optic nerve in smokers

The many smoking-induced changes are diffuse and include, but are not limited to, coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular accidents. Cigarette smoking has even been suggested to be an important risk factor in the development of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. The purpose of the present investigation was to compare confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmeter parameters between otherwise healthy smokers and healthy nonsmokers. Confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmeter parameters were assessed in 58 healthy non-smokers and 20 otherwise healthy smokers in a middle-aged population. An analysis of covariance (covariate: age) disclosed decreased values for all confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmeter parameters (`Volume': p<0.036; `Flow': p<0.019; `Velocity': p<0.023) in smokers. The present study suggests that healthy smokers might have reduced confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmeter parameters at the optic nerve.     

可重复使用硬吸引瓶在临床中的应用

可重复使用硬吸引瓶是一种新型、实用性强、安全性能好的引流瓶,全封闭性,在直视条件下观察引流液的量及颜色不需每日更换,只要内袋满了以后更换内袋。患者出院即可更换硬吸引瓶,使用后须按照医院制度进行清洗、消毒。含有大量致病菌及毒素的痰液、引流液全部收集在液体收集袋内,减少对环境的污染,创造了一个清洁卫生的工作环境,保护了医护人员的身心健康,有利于控制院内感染,符合控制医院感染的要求,也符合国家的环保产业政策。     

冷超声乳化白内障吸除手术应用于硬核白内障的疗效

目的研究冷超声乳化白内障吸除(CP)手术应用于硬核白内障的疗效。方法选择2012年4月至2013年4月在我院接受治疗的硬核白内障患者80例(92只眼)作为研究对象。为所有患者均实施CP手术,随访6个月,分析术后不同时期视力和屈光情况,角膜内皮情况以及并发症情况。结果手术前所有患者的视力均<0.01,术后1个月和3个月时患者的视力均>0.1,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。但术后1个月与术后3个月在裸眼视力和矫正视力,以及球镜和散光等方面相比,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。术后1个月和3个月的角膜内皮细胞的密度均显著少于术前,但术后1个月与术后3个月在内皮细胞的密度及密度减少率方面对比,差异均无统计学意义(均P<0.05)。患者在术中有6只眼发生后囊破裂,发生率为6.52%,未发生玻璃体外溢;有2只眼的部分晶状体核发生脱落至玻璃体腔,发生率为2.17%;有5只眼的睫状沟需固定人工晶状体,发生率为5.43%。手术后1周有8只眼发生角膜水肿,发生率为8.70%。手术后1至3个月有1只眼发生孔源性视网膜脱离。结论 CP术式治疗硬核白内障的疗效较好,并发症相对较少,利于患者的视力恢复,值得在临床推广应用。     

A pre‐clinical functional assessment of an acellular scaffold intended for the treatment of hard‐to‐heal wounds

The majority of the population experience successful wound‐healing outcomes; however, 1–3% of those aged over 65 years experience delayed wound healing and wound perpetuation. These hard‐to‐heal wounds contain degraded and dysfunctional extracellular matrix (ECM); yet, the integrity of this structure is critical in the processes of normal wound healing. Here, we evaluated a novel synthetic matrix protein for its ability to act as an acellular scaffold that could replace dysfunctional ECM. In this regard, the synthetic protein was subjected to adsorption and diffusion assays using collagen and human dermal tissues; evaluated for its ability to influence keratinocyte and fibroblast attachment, migration and proliferation and assessed for its ability to influence in vivo wound healing in a porcine model. Critically, these experiments demonstrate that the matrix protein adsorbed to collagen and human dermal tissue but did not diffuse through human dermal tissue within a 24‐hour observation period, and facilitated cell attachment, migration and proliferation. In a porcine wound‐healing model, significantly smaller wound areas were observed in the test group compared with the control group following the third treatment. These data provide evidence that the synthetic matrix protein has the ability to function as an acellular scaffold for wound‐healing purposes.