Issue Ebook
cover story
Latest Issue
Volume 4 ， Issue 4 ， 2017
-
Abstract：Background:Blood eosinophilia is a common laboratory abnormality, and its characterization frequently represents a quandary for primary care physicians. Consequently, in France, specialists and particularly hematologists, often must investigate patients who present with blood eosinophilia that often, but not always, occurs because of allergic causes. Both the Departments of Hematology and Parasitology at Toulouse University Hospitals established a collaboration to rule out allergic causes of eosinophilia, particularly helminthiases, prior to initiating more sophisticated investigations.Methods:Since 2004, the authors employed the same protocol to investigate eosinophilic outpatients who attended the clinic of Parasitology at Toulouse University Hospitals, and they reported the performance of this diagnostic procedure that was designed to be rapid (no hospitalization required) and only moderately expensive.Results:A total of 406 patients who presented with blood eosinophilia greater than 0.5(×109, giga cells per litter, G/L) had an allergic etiology in 350(86.2%) cases. Among the remaining 56 subjects, 17 did not undergo a follow-up and 39 were referred to another specialized department, mostly Hematology. However, only 21 patients attended then were subsequently investigated. Non-allergic causes of eosinophilia, including 3 cases of the lymphoid variant of hypereosinophilic syndrome and 2 cases of myeloproliferative disorder, were identified in 14 patients, whereas 7 remained diagnosed as having idiopathic eosinophilia.Conclusion:This study underlines the need to investigate patients presenting with even moderate blood eosinophilia. The work-up that was employed appears to be efficient and versatile and may be used by any medical specialist, such as in hematology, infectious disease, or internal medicine departments, who needs to investigate eosinophilic patients and should initially rule out any etiology of allergic eosinophilia.Keywords：Blood eosinophilia;Diagnostic protocol;classification;Secondary eosinophilias;Allergy;Helminthiases0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12 - Abstract：Background:Recruit training sites are places with a high incidence of respiratory infectious diseases. Effective surveillance for acute respiratory infectious diseases in a recruit training site is an important way to prevent disease outbreaks.Methods:Eight hundred recruits (722 males and 78 females) enlisted in autumn 2015 received a background survey within 24h of settlement at the recruit training site, including their general personal information, vaccination history, mental status and clinical symptoms. Then, nasopharyngeal swabs of these recruits were collected to detect common respiratory pathogens [influenza virus type A, influenza virus type B, adenovirus (Adv), human respiratory syncytial virus, human bocavirus and human metapneumovirus] by PCR. In addition, fasting venous blood was collected in the morning for Adv IgG antibody detection. During the three months of training, the recruits were monitored for symptoms of respiratory infection, and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from those with an axillary temperature ≥38℃ and other respiratory symptoms within 4h of symptom onset. Samples were further examined by PCR.Results:Among the 795 effective nasopharyngeal swab samples collected during survey, two cases of group C type 1 Adv were identified by PCR. During the 3 months of training, fever and respiratory symptoms occurred in 39 recruits (incidence rate of 4.9%) and 5 cases of Adv were detected (positive rate of 12.8%). Genotyping showed 3 cases of type 4 Adv and 2 of type 3 Adv. No type 7, 14 or 55 Adv was detected. The Adv-IgG positive rate of recruits was 48.2%. Among the 5 Adv positive cases with fever and respiratory symptoms, 4 were Adv-IgG positive.Conclusion:The pathogen carrier rate in recruits was low, and only group C Adv, which causes mild infection in humans, was detected. No respiratory outbreak was observed at the recruit training site, and sporadic cases were mainly caused by type 3 and type 4 Adv.Keywords：Recruit;Surveillance;Respiratory infectious diseases0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12
-
Abstract：Background:Particulate matter (PM), which has adverse effects on citizen health, is a major air pollutant in Beijing city. PM2.5 is an indicator of PM in urban areas and can cause serious damage to human health. Many epidemiological studies have shown that nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is involved in PM2.5-induced cell injury, but the exact mechanisms are not well understood.Methods:The cytotoxic effects of PM2.5 at 25–1600μg/ml for 24h were determined by MTT assay in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) cells. Flow cytometry was used to determine the apoptosis rate induced by PM2.5. The destabilized enhanced green fluorescent protein (d2EGFP) green fluorescent protein reporter system was used to determine the NF-κB activity induced by PM2.5. The expression of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD) proteins induced by PM2.5 was determined by Western blotting to explore the relationship between PM2.5 and the NF-κB signaling pathway and to determine the toxicological mechanisms of PM2.5.Results:PM2.5 collected in Beijing urban districts induces cytotoxic effects in CHO cells according to MTT assay with 72.28% cell viability rates even at 200μg/ml PM2.5 and flow cytometry assays with 26.97% apoptosis rates at 200μg/ml PM2.5. PM2.5 increases the activation levels of NF-κB, which have maintained for 24h. 200μg/ml PM2.5 cause activation of NF-κB after exposure for 4h, the activation peak appears after 13.5h with a peak value of 25.41%. The average percentage of NF-κB activation in whole 24h is up to 12.90% by 200μg/ml PM2.5. In addition, PM2.5 decreases the expression level of the pro-apoptotic protein BAD in a concentration-dependent manner.Conclusion:PM2.5 induces NF-κB activation, which persists for 24h. The expression of pro-apoptotic protein BAD decreased with increased concentrations of PM2.5. These findings suggest that PM2.5 plays a major role in apoptosis by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing BAD protein expression.Keywords：Particulate matter;NF-κB pathway;apoptosis;BAD protein0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12 -
Abstract：Background:The successful treatment of military combat casualties with penetrating injuries is significantly dependent on the time needed to get the patient to an adequate treatment facility. Profound hypothermia induced suspended animation for delayed resuscitation (SADR) is a novel approach for inducing cardiac arrest and buying additional time for such injuries. However, the time used to safely administer circulatory arrest (CA) is controversial. The goal of this study was to evaluate the safety of hypothermia-induced SADR over 90 and 120min time intervals.Methods:Sixteen male BAMA minipigs were randomized into two groups: CA90 group (90min, n=8) and CA120 group (120min, n=8). Cannulation of the right common carotid arteries and internal jugular veins was performed to establish cardiopulmonary bypass for each animal. Through the perfusion of cold organ preservation solution (OPS), cardioplegia and profound hypothermia (15°C) were induced. After CA, cardiopumonary bypass (CPB) was restarted, and the animals were gradually re-warmed and resuscitated. The animals were assisted with ventilators until spontaneous breathing was achieved. The index of hemodynamic perioperative serum chemistry values [alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine (CR), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and troponin T (TnT)] and survival were observed from pre-operation to 7 days post-operation.Results:Fifteen animals were enrolled in the experiment, while 1 animal in CA120 group died from surgical error. All 8 animals in CA90 group recovered, with only 1 animal displaying mild disability. However, in CA120 group, only 2 animals survived with severe disability, and the other 5 animals died after 2 days post-operation. In CA90 group, the perioperative serum chemistry values increased at 1 day post-operation (ALT 84.43±18.65U/L; AST 88.99±23.19U/L; Cr 87.90±24.49μmol/L; LDH 1894.13±322.26U/L; TnT 0.849±0.135ng/ml) but decreased to normal or almost normal levels at 7 days post-operation (ALT 52.48±9.04U/L; AST 75.23±21.46U/L; Cr 82.69±18.41μmol/L; LDH 944.67±834.32U/L; TnT 0.336±0.076ng/ml).Conclusion:Profound hypothermia-induced SADR is an effective method for inducing cardiac arrest. Our results indicate that inducing CA for 90 min (at 15°C) is safer than doing so for 120min. Our results indicate that 120min of CA at 15°C is dangerous and can result in high mortality and severe neurological complications. Further experimentation is needed to determine whether 120min of CA at temperatures lower than 15°C can lead to safe recovery.Keywords：Profound hypothermia;Suspended animation;resuscitation;Military combat casualty;hemorrhagic shock0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12
RESEARCH
- Abstract：Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling, potentially chronic disorder that is characterized by re-experience and hyperarousal symptoms as well as the avoidance of trauma-related stimuli. The distress experienced by many veterans of the Vietnam War and their partners prompted a strong interest in developing conjoint interventions that could both alleviate the core symptoms of PTSD and strengthen family bonds. We review the evolution of and evidence base for conjoint PTSD treatments from the Vietnam era through the post-911 era. Our review is particularly focused on the use of treatment strategies that are designed to address the emotions that are generated by the core symptoms of the disorder to reduce their adverse impact on veterans, their partners and the relationship. We present a rationale and evidence to support the direct incorporation of emotion-regulation skills training into conjoint interventions for PTSD. We begin by reviewing emerging evidence suggesting that high levels of emotion dysregulation are characteristic of and predict the severity of both PTSD symptoms and the level of interpersonal/marital difficulties reported by veterans with PTSD and their family members. In doing so, we present a compelling rationale for the inclusion of formal skills training in emotional regulation in couple–/family-based PTSD treatments. We further argue that increased exposure to trauma-related memories and emotions in treatments based on learning theory requires veterans and their partners to learn to manage the uncomfortable emotions that they previously avoided. Conjoint treatments that were developed in the last 30 years all acknowledge the importance of emotions in PTSD but vary widely in their relative emphasis on helping participants to acquire strategies to modulate them compared to other therapeutic tasks such as learning about the disorder or disclosing the trauma to a loved one. We conclude our review by describing two recent innovative treatments for PTSD that incorporate a special emphasis on emotion-regulation skills training in the dyadic context: structured approach therapy (SAT) and multi-family group for military couples (MFG-MC). Although the incorporation of emotion-regulation skills into conjoint PTSD therapies appears promising, replication and comparison to cognitive-behavioral approaches is needed to refine our understanding of which symptoms and veterans might be more responsive to one approach versus others.Keywords：couples;family;Post-traumatic stress disorder;emotional regulation0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12
-
Abstract：Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are serious problems for healthcare systems, especially in developing countries where public health infrastructure and technology for infection preventions remain undeveloped. Here, we characterized how strategy and technology could be mobilized to improve the effectiveness of infection prevention and control in hospitals during the outbreaks of Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Asia and West Africa. Published literature on the hospital-borne outbreaks of SARS, Ebola, and MERS in Asia and West Africa was comprehensively reviewed. The results showed that healthcare systems and hospital management in affected healthcare facilities had poor strategies and inadequate technologies and human resources for the prevention and control of HAIs, which led to increased morbidity, mortality, and unnecessary costs. We recommend that governments worldwide enforce disaster risk management, even when no outbreaks are imminent. Quarantine and ventilation functions should be taken into consideration in architectural design of hospitals and healthcare facilities. We also recommend that health authorities invest in training healthcare workers for disease outbreak response, as their preparedness is essential to reducing disaster risk.Keywords：SARS;Ebola;MERS;Infection control;Hospital-acquired infections;Strategy;Technology0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12
REVIEW
-
Abstract：Background:To introduce a new technique of laser-assisted conjunctival cystectomy using pattern scan laser (PASCAL) photocoagulation.Case presentation:A 50-years-old Asian woman presented with a conjunctival cyst in the left eye. Slit-lamp examination revealed a 5mm×2mm sized freely movable conjunctival cyst. After a 1mm×1mm sized conjunctival opening was made using PASCAL photocoagulation, the cyst was extracted using a non-toothed forceps without rupture. Two weeks later, complete re-epithelialization of the conjunctiva was observed without any complications. No evidence of recurrence was noted over the 6-month follow-up period.Conclusion:Conjunctival cystectomy with the adjunctive use of PASCAL photocoagulation can be an effective and safe treatment method.Keywords：Conjunctival cyst;Laser;PASCAL photocoagulation0|0|0Updated：2026-03-12
CASE REPORT
- Technical support is provided by Beijing Founder electronics co., LTD 京ICP备09064830号-19
京公网安备11010802024621 - It is recommended to read the content of this site in Chrome&IE9+. Please switch to extreme mode in browser 360.
- Cookies We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content. By continuing, you agree to the use of cookies.
0