Enlarged high frequency oscillations of the median nerve somatosensory evoked potential and survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ObjectiveA large N20 and P25 of the median nerve somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) predicts short survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigated whether high frequency oscillations (HFOs) over N20 are enlarged and associated with survival in ALS.MethodsA total of 145 patients with ALS and 57 healthy subjects were studied. We recorded the median nerve SEP and measured the onset-to-peak amplitude of N20 (N20o-p), and peak-to-peak amplitude between N20 and P25 (N20p-P25p). We obtained early and late HFO potentials by filtering SEP between 500 and 1 kHz, and measured the peak-to-peak amplitude. We followed up patients until endpoints (death or tracheostomy) and analyzed the relationship between SEP or HFO amplitudes and survival using a Cox analysis.ResultsPatients showed larger N20o-p, N20p-P25p, and early and late HFO amplitudes than the control values. N20p-P25p was associated with survival periods (p = 0.0004), while early and late HFO amplitudes showed no significant association with survival (p = 0.4307, and p = 0.6858, respectively).ConclusionsThe HFO amplitude in ALS is increased, but does not predict survival.SignificanceThe enlarged HFOs in ALS might be a compensatory phenomenon to the hyperexcitability of the sensory cortex pyramidal neurons.     

股骨转子间骨折的稳定性重建概念演化与研究进展

目的总结近年来股骨转子间骨折在稳定性重建方面的概念演化与研究进展。方法查阅国内外相关文献并结合自身经验，从股骨转子间骨折的解剖特点、稳定型骨折与不稳定型骨折分类、稳定性复位与不稳定性复位、术中加压初始稳定与术后滑动二次稳定、内固定术后稳定性评估、早期下地站立负重等方面进行总结分析。结果股骨转子间骨折发生于股骨颈干骺端转换区，具有天然的内翻不稳定倾向。骨折复位质量是影响后续内固定物安放的最重要前提因素。判断骨折复位质量有对线和对位两方面，对线采用 Garden 指数；在对位方面，随着皮质对位理念（正性、中性、负性）的提出，特别强调前内侧皮质的相互砥住支撑（解剖、正性），是获得骨折稳定性复位的关键，而不再强调后内侧小转子骨块的作用。术后影像学的稳定性评分为早期下地站立负重提供了量化指标。但术中的前内侧皮质支撑复位，在术后头颈骨块滑动获得二次稳定的过程中，仍有皮质对位丢失现象，需研究其危险因素和防范措施。结论股骨转子间骨折在取得良好对线的基础上，只要获得了前内侧皮质的相互砥住和支撑，并用内固定器械维持住，就获得了术后稳定性。术后稳定性评分优良者，可以安全地早期下地负重、站立行走活动。     

Deconstructing myths,building alliances: a networking model to enhance tobacco control in hospital mental health settings

Life expectancy for people with severe mental disorders is up to 25 years less in comparison to the general population, mainly due to diseases caused or worsened by smoking. However, smoking is usually a neglected issue in mental healthcare settings. The aim of this article is to describe a strategy to improve tobacco control in the hospital mental healthcare services of Catalonia (Spain). To bridge this gap, the Catalan Network of Smoke-free Hospitals launched a nationwide bottom-up strategy in Catalonia in 2007. The strategy relied on the creation of a working group of key professionals from various hospitals —the early adopters— based on Rogers’ theory of the Diffusion of Innovations. In 2016, the working group is composed of professionals from 17 hospitals (70.8% of all hospitals in the region with mental health inpatient units). Since 2007, tobacco control has improved in different areas such as increasing mental health professionals’ awareness of smoking, training professionals on smoking cessation interventions and achieving good compliance with the national smoking ban. The working group has produced and disseminated various materials, including clinical practice and best practice guidelines, implemented smoking cessation programmes and organised seminars and training sessions on smoking cessation measures in patients with mental illnesses. The next challenge is to ensure effective follow-up for smoking cessation after discharge. While some areas of tobacco control within these services still require significant improvement, the aforementioned initiative promotes successful tobacco control in these settings.     

Maternal benzo[a]pyrene exposure is correlated with the meiotic arrest and quality deterioration of offspring oocytes in mice

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in particulate matter that has a diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5). Studies have demonstrated that BaP exposure causes oocyte meiotic arrest in mice. However, whether BaP exposure also affects oocyte maturation in offspring remains unclear. To test this, female mice were administered BaP before pregnancy to generate BaP-exposed offspring. Our findings showed that BaP exposure reduced the in vitro maturation and increased the abnormalities of meiotic apparatus in offspring oocytes. In addition, BaP exposure reduced the mitochondrial content and intracellular ATP generation, induced early apoptosis, increased reactive oxidative species accumulation and the genomic DNA 5-methylcytosine (5mc) level in offspring oocytes. Along with the abovementioned defective parameters, maternal BaP exposure further compromised the embryo developmental competence of offspring oocytes. In summary, our study demonstrated that maternal BaP exposure compromised offspring oocyte maturation and quality.     

Valor de la escala ASPECTS de circulación posterior y del índice puente-mesencéfalo en imágenes de TC sin contraste y angiografía por TC en pacientes con oclusiones de la arteria basilar recanalizados tras trombectomía mecánica

Purpose

Endovascular treatment with mechanical thrombectomy devices demonstrated high recanalization rates but functional outcome did not correlate with high rates of recanalization obtained. Patient selection prior to the endovascular treatment is very important in the final outcome of the patient. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of posterior circulation Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS) and Pons-Midbrain Index (PMI) scores in patients with Basilar Artery Occlusion (BAO) treated with successful angiographic recanalization after mechanical thrombectomy.

改良内固定融合术治疗成人Ⅱ型痛性足副舟骨

目的探讨改良内固定融合术治疗成人Ⅱ型痛性足副舟骨（painful accessory navicular，PAN）的疗效。方法2016 年 1 月—2017 年 12 月，采用改良内固定融合术治疗 29 例（37 足）Ⅱ型 PAN。其中男 12 例，女 17 例；年龄 18～50 岁，平均 41.4 岁。扭伤 24 例，无明显诱因 5 例。患者均行 6 个月以上保守治疗，症状无明显改善。术前及末次随访时采用美国矫形足踝协会（AOFAS）中足评分评估临床疗效；X 线片测量跟骨倾斜角、距骨第 1 跖骨角、距舟关节包容角、距骨第 2 跖骨角。结果术后 1 例出现切口浅表感染，经加强换药后愈合；其余患者切口均Ⅰ期愈合，无深部感染或骨髓炎发生。29 例均获随访，随访时间 12～33 个月，平均 25.1 个月。X 线片示关节面均于术后 2～5 个月愈合，平均 3.4 个月。随访期间未见内固定物松动或断裂。末次随访时，AOFAS 疼痛、功能、力线评分及总分以及距舟关节包容角、距骨第 1 跖骨角和距骨第 2 跖骨角均较术前显著改善，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）；跟骨倾斜角手术前后差异无统计学意义（t=1.097，P=0.276）。 结论采用改良内固定融合术治疗成人Ⅱ型 PAN 可有效缓解症状，患足功能恢复良好，并发症少。