Impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on diffuse inflammatory activation of de novo atheromatous lesions: Implications for systemic inflammation

AimsLocal coronary and systemic inflammation is pronounced in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Intracoronary thermography detects local inflammation and C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of systemic inflammation. We investigated whether or not, in patients with DM, thermal heterogeneity of culprit lesions (CLs) correlates with that of non-culprit lesions (NCLs) and with systemic inflammation.MethodsWe included DM patients who had two angiographically significant lesions and were undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. We measured the temperature difference (ΔT) between the lesion and proximal vessel wall.ResultsWe included 104 (n = 208 lesions) patients: 32 (n = 64 lesions) had DM and 72 (n = 144 lesions) were non-DM (control group). ΔT was increased in DM in both CLs and NCLs (CLs: DM = 0.12 ± 0.06 °C; no DM = 0.06 ± 0.04 °C; P < 0.01 versus NCLs: DM = 0.13 ± 0.08 °C versus no DM = 0.06 ± 0.05 °C; P < 0.01). Patients with DM had similar ΔT in CLs and NCLs (P = 0.49). A linear correlation was detected between heat production in all lesions and CRP (R = 0.45; P < 0.01), which was attributed to the correlation of ΔT in lesions of patients with DM and CRP (R = 0.32; P < 0.01). In lesions of patients with low CRP, a greater rate of discrepancy was found, as 100% of lesions in patients with DM versus 66.1% of lesions of patients without DM had a high ΔT in one or both lesions (P < 0.01).ConclusionIn patients with DM, local inflammatory activation is diffuse and correlates with systemic inflammation. However, low systemic inflammatory activation does not always predict an increase in local thermal heterogeneity.     

红外热像图在神经外科疾病中应用价值的评价

目的 评价红外热像图在神经外科疾病中应用的价值。方法 应用红外热像图对39例脊髓损伤患者进行躯体温度监测，对31例颅内肿瘤、76例脑梗死、2480例头痛、21例头面部血管瘤进行头部温度监测。结果 红外热像图监测脊髓损伤39例，测出脊髓损伤平面上下无温差14例，平面以下温度增高1-3℃ 13例，下降1-3℃ 12例。经大网膜脊髓移植手术13例，术前脊髓损伤平面以下34℃，术后1个月复查皮肤温度，上升至35℃并伴有麻胀和皮肤湿润感7例，皮肤温度下降0．6℃者6例。热像图可显示血管性头痛颞部高温区，眶上神经痛同侧前额部皮肤低温区，枕大神经痛同侧枕颈部热区；热像图可显示梗死侧有低温区；显示颅内肿瘤颈外血管供血情况；基本上能反映头面部血管瘤血管侵及范围。结论 红外热像图在神经外科有其独特的价值，本技术具有无创、可重复、价廉和检查的非接触性等优点，反映组织代谢活跃状态与程度，是CT等形态学诊断方法的补充，在医学科学的研究和临床应用中具有很大的潜力。     

Impedance-gradient electrode reduces skin irritation induced by transthoracic defibrillation

A new type of disposable external defibrillation electrode has been developed to reduce the skin irritation commonly associated with defibrillation and synchronised cardioversion. This design employs an impedance gradient to reduce the proportion of current delivered to the electrode periphery. The temperature distribution under the new electrode was compared with that of four other types of commercially available electrodes after repeated high-energy biphasic defibrillation discharges to domestic swine. Skin temperature distributions were acquired using non-invasive thermography. Measurements of the maximum temperature rise at each electrode site, taken 3.6s after the fifth defibrillation discharge, demonstrated that the new impedance-gradient electrode produced 50–60% less skin heating than two of the three uniform-impedance electrode designs. Histological examination of erythematous sites excised 24h after defibrillation quantified the associated skin damage using a scoring protocol developed for this study. In contrast to previous studies, histological examinations demonstrated second-degree skin burns following defibrillation. The new electrode design, however, induced 44–46% less skin damage than two of the traditional uniform-impedance electrodes.     

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy in childhood: A case report

A case report is presented of a 15-year-old girl with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). She was referred to hospital because of left upper limb pain. Her left upper limb was cold, edematous and blue with a limited active range of movement. The serum concentration of noradrenaline was lower on the painful side than on the healthy side, and neurotropin, which has an antinociceptive effect to hyperalgesia, was clearly effective. Early diagnosis and management is essential in the treatment of RSD and administration of neurotropin is a useful and non-invasive treatment without severe adverse effects.     

针药合用治疗周围性面瘫146例

针药合用治疗周围性面瘫１４６例安徽省颍上县人民医院（安徽２３６２００）黄子英１９７０～１９９５年，笔者采用针药合用治疗周围性面瘫１４６例，疗效满意，现总结如下。临床资料１４６例均属门诊患者，参照《针灸学》（上海针灸学院编．北京：人民卫生出版社，１９７...     

Thermography‐measured effect of capsaicin,methylprednisolone and mitomycin on the survival of random skin flaps in rats

Aims: This study was designed to determine if steroids, capsaicin and mytomicin improved skin flap survival in rats, and it has confirmed that thermography is an effective method to measured skin flap vitality. Methods: Forty female Wistar rats were randomised into four groups. A standardised full thickness inferiorly based dorsal random‐pattern skin flap was raised, and a gelatine sponge was placed before suturing between the flap and its recipient bed, soaked with 0.9 % saline in the control group and with capsaicin, methylprednisolone and mitomycini in the experimental groups. Vitality of the flap and of the survival area was measured by infrared thermography. Results: Methylprednisolone statistically significant decrease skin flap necrosis, approximately 56%, when compared with controls (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Corticosteroids applied subcutaneously in a single dose on a gelatine sponge produced a statistically significant improvement of the survival of random skin flaps in rats, whereas capsaicin and mitomycin showed no improvement.     

Age and sex differences in frontal lobe cerebral oxygenation in older adults—Normative values using novel,scalable technology: Findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)

AimsNear-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive, easy to apply, optical technology for measuring cerebral blood oxygenation, but there is lack of comprehensive population data to aid interpretation and clinical use. Given the importance of cerebral perfusion in the context of evolving guideline recommendations for more aggressive lowering of blood pressure (BP) in hypertension, even in the oldest old, understanding of normative NIRS values is timely. We estimated normative values of cerebral oxygenation measured by NIRS in a large community-dwelling population sample of adults aged > = 50 years (n = 3110). We hypothesized that measurements would be attenuated by cardiovascular risk factors.MethodsData from Wave 3 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) was utilized. Frontal lobe cerebral oxygenation was continuously measured via a Portalite, while participants rested in the supine position. Beat-to-beat BP was measured simultaneously. Normative data was modelled using generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS). Multivariate linear regressions were used to examine associations with cardiovascular risk factors.ResultsAll three measures of NIRS (TSI, O2Hb and HHb) declined with increasing age. O2Hb and HHb were significantly lower in males than females. Increased smoking, excess alcohol intake, a higher waist-hip ratio, diabetes, angina, congestive heart failure, transient ischemic attack and total cardiovascular disease burden were all associated with decreased cerebral oxygenation.ConclusionWe present for the first time, normative resting-state NIRS reference data from a large population, which contributes to clinical interpretation of NIRS and advances the use of NIRS as a standard clinical tool.     

Locomotor training with partial body weight support in patients with Parkinson's disease and stroke: Its efficacy and neural mechanisms

Locomotor training with partial bodyweight support on the treadmill is applicable to neuro-rehabilitation for various gait disorders caused by neurological diseases. Although neural mechanisms for the efficacy remain unclear, recent optical neuroimaging studies using near infra-red spectroscopy have suggested that this training might modify the hierarchical locomotor control system, including several cortical motor areas and the central pattern generator in the spinal cord.