BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Bioelectrical fetal heart activity being recorded from maternal abdominal surface contains more information than mechanical heart activity measurement based on the Doppler ultrasound signals. However, it requires extraction of fetal electrocardiogram from abdominal signals where the maternal electrocardiogram is dominant. The simplest technique for maternal component suppression is a blanking procedure, which relies upon the replacement of maternal QRS complexes by isoline values. Although, in case of coincidence of fetal and maternal QRS complexes, it causes a loss of information on fetal heart activity. Its influence on determination of fetal heart rate and the variability analysis depends on the sensitivity of the heart-beat detector used. The sensitivity is defined as an ability to detect the incomplete fetal QRS complex. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of the maternal electrocardiogram suppression method used on the reliability of FHR signal being calculated.

背景与目标： : 从母体腹部表面记录的生物电胎儿心脏活动比基于多普勒超声信号的机械心脏活动测量包含更多信息。但是，它需要从母体心电图占主导地位的腹部信号中提取胎儿心电图。抑制母体成分的最简单技术是消隐程序，该程序依赖于用等值线值代替母体QRS复合物。尽管在胎儿和母体QRS复合物重合的情况下，它会导致有关胎儿心脏活动的信息丢失。它对确定胎儿心率和变异性分析的影响取决于所使用的心跳检测器的灵敏度。敏感性定义为检测不完整胎儿QRS复合物的能力。这项工作的目的是评估所使用的母体心电图抑制方法对所计算的FHR信号可靠性的影响。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: PURPOSE:To test human CRB1 heterozygotes for possible clinical or functional retinal changes and to evaluate whether a patient with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) with CRB1 mutations not consistent with previously described CRB1 phenotypes carried a modifier allele in another LCA gene. METHODS:Seven unrelated heterozygous carriers of CRB1 mutations underwent phenotyping by full eye examinations (indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp biomicroscopy) and functional testing (standard full-field electroretinography [ERG] and multifocal ERG). For genotyping of the LCA patients and their parents, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC) analyses were performed, followed by sequence analysis of CRB1, followed by sequence analysis of the AIPL1 and CRX genes to identify a putative modifier effect in a patient with an atypical CRB1 phenotype. RESULTS:Reduced full-field ERG b-wave amplitudes were observed with scotopic -2 dB flash (140 microV; P < 0.05), normal full-field cone ERGs, and significant regional retinal dysfunction on mfERG in five of seven carriers of CRB1 mutations. A known AIPL1 mutation (p. R302L) was identified as a potential modifier allele in a patient with LCA carrying two CRB1 mutations and with a prominent maculopathy. CONCLUSIONS:In human heterozygotes of CRB1 mutations (parents of offspring with LCA), distinctive regional retinal dysfunctions were found by multifocal ERG measurements that were consistent with the focal histologic abnormalities reported for the two CRB1 knockout mice models. This phenotypic finding may identify CRB1 carriers and point to the causal gene defect in affected LCA offspring, significantly facilitating the molecular diagnostic process. Evidence suggests a modifier allele in AIPL1 in a patient with LCA with prominent atrophic macular lesions and homozygous defects in CRB1.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is common in congestive heart failure. While isolated diastolic heart failure (DHF) accounts for up to a third of all cases of congestive heart failure, the prevalence of SDB in DHF is unknown. We aim to determine the prevalence and characteristics of SDB in a group of patients with symptomatic DHF.

METHODS:Twenty subjects with symptomatic DHF (New York Heart Association class II or III) and isolated diastolic dysfunction on echocardiography were assessed with lung function tests, modified sleep and health questionnaire, and overnight polysomnography. Significant SDB was defined as an apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) > 10.

RESULTS:Thirteen female and seven male subjects (mean age, 65+/-6.0 years; mean body mass index (BMI), 28+/-3.2) were evaluated, of whom 17 (85%) had a diagnosis of hypertension. Overall sleep quality was poor, with fragmentation and frequent arousals associated with respiratory events. Fifty-five percent of the patients had significant SDB, mainly obstructive apneas. BMI and the prevalence of hypertension were similar in patients with and without SDB. The deceleration time, an index of diastolic dysfunction, was more prolonged in the group with SDB (236+/-40 ms vs 282+/-31 ms; p<0.05). As a group, a lower minimum percentage arterial oxygen saturation during sleep, but not the AHI was associated with more severe degree of diastolic dysfunction on echocardiogram, including a lower ratio between the early peak transmittal flow velocity and the late peak atrial systolic velocity (rho=0.57; p<0.05) and a prolonged isovolumic relaxation time (rho=-0.54; p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:SDB is common in patients with DHF. Patients with DHF and SDB may be associated with worse diastolic dysfunction than those without SDB, although a causal relationship remains to be established.

背景与目标： 目的 : 睡眠呼吸障碍 (SDB) 在充血性心力衰竭中很常见。虽然孤立的舒张性心力衰竭 (DHF) 占所有充血性心力衰竭病例的三分之一，但DHF中SDB的患病率尚不清楚。我们旨在确定一组有症状的DHF患者中SDB的患病率和特征。
方法 : 通过肺功能测试，改良的睡眠和健康问卷以及过夜多导睡眠图评估了20名有症状的DHF (纽约心脏协会II或III级) 和超声心动图孤立的舒张功能障碍的受试者。显著的SDB定义为呼吸暂停/呼吸不足指数 (AHI)> 10。
结果 : 13名女性和7名男性受试者 (平均年龄65 +/-6.0岁; 平均体重指数 (BMI)，评估了28/-3.2)，其中17 (85%) 诊断为高血压。总体睡眠质量较差，与呼吸事件相关的碎片和频繁唤醒。5% 的患者有明显的SDB，主要是阻塞性呼吸暂停。有或没有SDB的患者的BMI和高血压患病率相似。SDB组的减速时间 (舒张功能障碍的指标) 更长 (236/-40 ms vs 282/-31 ms; p<0.05)。作为一组，睡眠期间较低的最低动脉血氧饱和度百分比，但AHI与超声心动图上更严重的舒张功能障碍相关，包括早期传播峰值流速与晚期心房收缩峰值流速之间的比率较低 (rho = 0.57; p<0.05) 和延长的等容松弛时间 (rho =-0.54; p<0.05)。
结论 :SDB在DHF患者中很常见。DHF和SDB的患者可能比没有SDB的患者舒张功能障碍更差，尽管因果关系尚待确定。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Our knowledge about, and the availability of, orthobiologic materials has increased exponentially in the last decade. Although previously confined to the experimental or animal-model realm, several orthobiologics have been shown to be useful in a variety of clinical situations. As surgical techniques in vascular anastomosis, soft-tissue coverage, limb salvage, and fracture stabilization have improved, the size and frequency of bony defects (commensurate with the severity of the initial injury) have increased, as well. Because all methods of managing segmental bony defects have drawbacks, a need remains for a readily available, void-filling, inexpensive bone substitute. Such a bone substitute fulfills a permissive role in allowing new bone to grow into a given defect. Such potential osteoconductive materials include ceramics, calcium sulfate or calcium phosphate compounds, hydroxyapatite, deproteinized bone, corals, and recently developed polymers. Some materials that have osteoinductive properties, such as demineralized bone matrix, also display prominent osteoconductive properties.

背景与目标： : 在过去的十年中，我们对正交生物材料的了解和可用性呈指数增长。尽管以前仅限于实验或动物模型领域，但已显示几种原位生物制剂在各种临床情况下均有用。随着血管吻合，软组织覆盖，肢体挽救和骨折稳定方面的外科手术技术的改善，骨缺损的大小和频率 (与初始损伤的严重程度相称) 也增加了。由于所有处理节段性骨缺损的方法都有缺点，因此仍然需要一种容易获得的，填充空隙的，廉价的骨替代品。这种骨替代物在允许新骨长成给定的缺损方面发挥了允许的作用。此类潜在的骨传导材料包括陶瓷，硫酸钙或磷酸钙化合物，羟基磷灰石，脱蛋白骨，珊瑚和最近开发的聚合物。一些具有骨诱导特性的材料，如脱矿质骨基质，也显示出突出的骨传导特性。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Endoscopic transthoracic sympathicotomy (ETS) is a recently developed technique to divide sympathetic nerves. ETS has been shown to improve symptoms and reduce ischemia in patients with severe angina pectoris. Low heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with ischemic heart disease carries an adverse prognosis. HRV reflects autonomic response of the heart and a shift in the sympathovagal balance towards parasympathetic dominance could be a marker of improved prognosis. HRV might also be used as an indicator of surgical success in sympathetic heart denervation. Heart rate was recorded in 57 patients before and after ETS. Registration was recorded during controlled respiration in the supine position and at tilt test over 10 minutes and spectral analysis was performed. Twenty-four hour Holter recordings were analyzed in the time domain. During the controlled setting, the high-frequency (HF) component (0.15 to 0.40 Hz) increased significantly whereas the low-frequency (LF) component (0.04 to 0.15 Hz) did not change significantly. The LF/HF ratio at tilt test was reduced from 1.3 to 0.8 (p <0.01). The time-domain analysis showed a significant increase of the mean RR interval (923 to 1,006 ms, p <0.001) and indexes reflecting parasympathetic tone also increased significantly (the root-mean square of difference measured from 24.3 to 29.5 ms, p <0.001 and the proportion of adjacent RR intervals >50% measured from 5.5% to 8.2%, p <0.01), whereas measurements reflecting global HRV did not change. In addition to relief of symptoms and reduced ischemia in severe angina pectoris, ETS caused a shift of sympathovagal balance toward parasympathetic tone. This might explain the anti-ischemic effect and have prognostic implications.

背景与目标： 内镜经胸交感神经切开术 (ETS) 是最近开发的一种分裂交感神经的技术。ETS已被证明可以改善严重心绞痛患者的症状并减少缺血。缺血性心脏病患者的低心率变异性 (HRV) 具有不利的预后。HRV反映了心脏的自主反应，交感神经平衡向副交感神经优势的转变可能是预后改善的标志。HRV也可以用作交感神经去神经支配手术成功的指标。在ETS前后记录了57例患者的心率。在仰卧位和倾斜测试的控制呼吸过程中记录了10分钟以上的记录，并进行了光谱分析。在时域中分析了24小时Holter记录。在受控设置期间，高频 (HF) 分量 (0.15至0.40Hz) 显着增加，而低频 (LF) 分量 (0.04至0.15Hz) 没有显着变化。倾斜试验时的LF/HF比从1.3降低到0.8 (p <0.01)。时域分析显示，平均RR间隔显着增加 (923至1,006 ms，p <0.001)，反映副交感神经张力的指标也显着增加 (从24.3至29.5 ms测量的均方根差异，p <0.001和相邻RR区间的比例> 50% 从5.5% 到8.2% 测量，p <0.01)，而反映整体HRV的测量没有变化。除了缓解症状和减少严重心绞痛的缺血外，ETS还导致交感神经平衡向副交感神经张力转移。这可能解释了抗缺血作用并具有预后意义。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :In 1969, the United States established its national rubella vaccination program. With the success of the program, 32 years later, reports of rubella reached record low numbers. To assess the achievement of elimination of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the United States, 7 epidemiological criteria were used. Rubella cases reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System from 1998 through 2004 and CRS cases reported to the National Congenital Rubella Syndrome Registry from 1998 through 2004 were analyzed. During 1998-2000, the median number of reported rubella cases was 272, whereas, during 2001-2004, the median number reported was 13. The incidence of rubella decreased significantly, from 0.1/100,000 population in 1998 to 0.005/100,000 population in 2004. Since 2001, 5 infants with CRS have been reported--3 were born in 2001, 1 was born in 2003, and 1 was born in 2004. The epidemiological evidence strongly supports the claim that rubella is no longer endemic in the United States. To prevent future rubella outbreaks and CRS cases, current strategies must be maintained.

背景与目标： : 1969年，美国建立了国家风疹疫苗接种计划。随着该计划的成功，32年后，风疹的报道达到了历史新低。为了评估在美国消除风疹和先天性风疹综合征 (CRS) 的成就，使用了7个流行病学标准。分析了向国家法定疾病监测系统报告的风疹病例1998年2004年和向国家先天性风疹综合征登记1998年2004年报告的CRS病例。在1998-2000年期间，报告的风疹病例的中位数为272，而在2001-2004年期间，报告的中位数为13。风疹的发病率从0.1/100,000人口1998年下降到0.005/100,000人口2004年。自2001年以来，已报告5例CRS婴儿-3例2001年出生，1例2003年出生，1例2004年出生。流行病学证据强烈支持风疹在美国不再流行的说法。为了防止未来的风疹暴发和CRS病例，必须维持当前的策略。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and/or heart failure (HF) are frequent complications of hypertension and myocardial infarction (MI), placing affected patients at increased risk of significant morbidity and premature death. Given that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is activated and of pathophysiological importance in such patients, a strong therapeutic rationale exists to target the main effector mechanism (that is, angiotensin II [Ang II]) in order to lessen the associated morbidity and mortality burden. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been shown to reduce mortality and LV dysfunction and to slow disease progression in patients with HF, including high-risk, post-MI patients. However, ACE inhibitors (ACE-Is) may not provide optimal long-term RAAS blockade (a finding that is associated with a worse prognosis) and many patients are unable to tolerate such therapy (because of troublesome dry cough, for example). In contrast, Ang II receptor blockers (ARBs) may block the RAAS more completely than ACE-Is and appear to be better tolerated. Several large-scale trials gave evaluated the efficacy of ARBs in patients with LV dysfunction and/or HF (including high-risk, post-MI patients), and have confirmed their utility as an efficacious and well-tolerated alternative to ACE-Is in this setting.

背景与目标： : 左心室 (LV) 功能障碍和/或心力衰竭 (HF) 是高血压和心肌梗塞 (MI) 的常见并发症，使受影响的患者具有显着发病率和过早死亡的风险。鉴于肾素-血管紧张素-醛固酮系统 (RAAS) 在此类患者中被激活并且具有病理生理重要性，因此存在针对主要效应机制 (即血管紧张素II [Ang II]) 的强有力的治疗依据，以减轻相关的发病率和死亡率负担。血管紧张素转换酶 (ACE) 抑制剂已被证明可降低HF患者 (包括高危MI后患者) 的死亡率和LV功能障碍，并可减缓疾病进展。然而，ACE抑制剂 (ACE-Is) 可能无法提供最佳的长期RAAS阻断 (这一发现与更差的预后相关)，并且许多患者无法耐受这种治疗 (例如，由于麻烦的干咳)。相比之下，Ang II受体阻滞剂 (arb) 可能比ACE-Is更完全地阻断RAAS，并且似乎具有更好的耐受性。几项大规模试验评估了ARBs在LV功能障碍和/或HF患者 (包括高危MI后患者) 中的疗效，并已证实其作为ACE-Is的有效且耐受性良好的替代方法在这种情况下。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: AIMS:We tested whether brain event-related potentials (ERPs) are normal in children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) after early high-dose levothyroxine treatment. METHODS:Auditory ERPs were recorded in 33 normal controls and in 15 children with CH at 5 years 9/12. Based on bone maturation at diagnosis, the CH group was divided into severe (n = 8) and moderate (n = 7) subgroups. CH patients were treated at a median age of 14 days with a mean initial dose of levothyroxine of 11.6 microg/kgxday. Two ERP components (N100 and N200) were measured and clinical follow-up variables collected. RESULTS:The functional anatomical and cognitive organisation of the auditory system, as revealed by the analyses of ERP measures, did not differ between CH and controls, or between severe and moderate CH subjects. However, N200 latency was globally longer in the CH than in the control group (p = 0.01) and was positively correlated with the over-treatment index (r = 0.61; p < 0.05) and verbal IQ. N200 amplitude was negatively correlated with initial dose (r = -0.74; p < 0.005). CONCLUSION:These data suggest that sensitive tools such as ERPs can reveal differences between CH and controls and relate these differences to the adequacy of treatment of CH.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Subclinical hypothyroidism usually is asymptomatic, but it can be associated with various adverse cardiologic outcomes. With the objective of gaining insight into the role of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in congenital heart abnormalities, this study measured serum TSH concentrations in different subtypes of grown-up congenital heart disease (GUCHD) patients. Serum TSH (reference range, 0.34-5.6 mIU/L), creatinine, cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CRP), N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), and 24-h proteinuria were measured in 249 GUCHD patients. Of 24 GUCHD patients (9.6 %) with a TSH level higher than 5.6 mUI/L, nine were cyanotic (37.5 %) and seven (29.1 %) had Down syndrome. The GUCHD patients with serum TSH exceeding 5.6 mIU/L had a significantly higher level of serum NT-pro-BNP (195.1 [0.28; 5,280.3] vs 57.6 [0.00; 929.8]; p = 0.001) and CRP (0.30 [0.06; 1.87] vs 0.16 [0.00; 1.40]; p = 0.011] than those with a TSH level of 5.6 mIU/L or lower. No significant differences were found in serum creatinine, lipids, or 24-h proteinuria between the two groups. The T4 concentrations in the GUCHD patients with TSH exceeding 5.6 mIU/L were within the normal range (0.89 ± 0.23 ng/dL). In the multivariate analysis, cyanosis (odds ratio [OR], 6,399; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2,296-17,830; p < 0.001), Down syndrome (OR, 6,208; 95 % CI, 1,963-19,636; p = 0.002), and NT-pro-BNP concentrations (OR, 1,001; 95 % CI, 1,000-1,002; p < 0.026) proved to be risk factors for TSH levels higher than 5.6 mIU/L. Because subclinical hypothyroidism entails a cardiovascular risk, the authors postulate that TSH screening should be included in the routine follow-up evaluation of GUCHD patients with cyanosis or Down syndrome.

背景与目标： : 亚临床甲状腺功能减退通常是无症状的，但它可能与各种不良的心脏结局有关。为了深入了解促甲状腺激素 (TSH) 在先天性心脏异常中的作用，本研究测量了成年先天性心脏病 (GUCHD) 患者不同亚型的血清TSH浓度。在249例GUCHD患者中测量了血清TSH (参考范围，0.34-5.6 mIU/L)，肌酐，胆固醇，C反应蛋白 (CRP)，N末端proB型利钠肽 (NT-pro-BNP) 和24小时蛋白尿。在TSH水平高于5.6 mUI/L的24例GUCHD患者 (9.6% 例) 中，9例为紫绀 (37.5% 例)，7例 (29.1% 例) 患有唐氏综合症。血清TSH超过5.6 mIU/L的GUCHD患者的血清NT-pro-BNP水平 (195.1 [0.28; 5,280.3] vs 57.6 [0.00; 929.8]; p = 0.001) 和CRP (0.30 [0.06; 1.87] vs 0.16 [0.00; 1.40]; p = 0.011] 与TSH水平为5.6 mIU/L或更低者比较，血清肌酐、血脂、或两组之间的24小时蛋白尿。TSH超过5.6 mIU/L的GUCHD患者的T4浓度在正常范围内 (0.89 ± 0.23 ng/dL)。在多变量分析中，发绀 (优势比 [or]，6,399; 95% 置信区间 [CI] 2,296-17,830; p <0.001)，唐氏综合征 (OR，6,208; 95% CI，1,963-19,636; p = 0.002) 和NT-pro-BNP浓度 (OR，1,001; 95% CI，1,000-1,002; p < 0.026) 被证明是TSH水平高于5.6 mIU/L的危险因素。由于亚临床甲状腺功能减退会带来心血管风险，因此作者假设TSH筛查应包括在患有发绀或唐氏综合症的GUCHD患者的常规随访评估中。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: INTRODUCTION:Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is produced by mutations in genes that encode regulatory or structural proteins of the cohesin complex. Congenital heart disease (CHD) is not a major criterion of the disease, but it affects many individuals. The objective of this study was to study the incidence and type of CHD in patients with CdLS. MATERIAL AND METHOD:Cardiological findings were evaluated in 149 patients with CdLS and their possible relationship with clinical and genetic variables. RESULTS:A percentage of 34.9 had CHD (septal defects 50%, pulmonary stenosis 27%, aortic coarctation 9.6%). The presence of CHD was related with neonatal hospitalisation (P=.04), hearing loss (P=.002), mortality (P=.09) and lower hyperactivity (P=.02), it being more frequent in HDAC8+ patients (60%), followed by NIPBL+ (33%) and SMC1A+ (28.5%). While septal defects predominate in NIPBL+, pulmonary stenosis is more common in HDAC8+. CONCLUSIONS:Patients with CdLS have a high incidence of CHD, which varies according to the affected gene, the most frequent findings being septal defects and pulmonary stenosis. Perform a cardiologic study in all these patients is suggested.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The cardioprotective drugs used for treatment against ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury have been well evaluated and are considered inadequate. The Chinese herbal medicine formula, Xinji pill (XJP) has been used traditionally for the prevention and treatment of ischemic heart diseases for decades. In the present study, the cardioprotective effects of XJP against MI/R injury were assessed in vivo and its possible mechanism was examined. Male Sprague‑Dawley rats were selected for establishing an MI/R model, which was induced by ischemia for 30 min followed by 24 h reperfusion. Drugs and saline were administered intragastrically from day 14 prior to MI/R. Blood samples were collected for biochemical detection. The rats were then sacrificed and cardiac muscle tissues were harvested. The mRNA expression levels of antioxidant genes were measured by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and the protein levels were measured by western blotting. Pretreatment with XJP for 14 days protected the heart against I/R‑induced myocardial function disorder, protected against heart injury, as demonstrated by normalized serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase, and suppressed oxidative stress. XJP markedly upregulated the expression of antioxidant genes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase, and promoted the protein expression of heme oxygenase‑1 and NFE2‑related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the heart tissues. Furthermore, Akt kinase was confirmed to be upstream of Nrf2 in the XJP treatment. LY294002, a specific inhibitor of Akt, significantly eliminated the cardioprotective effects of XJP. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that XJP exhibited notable cardioprotective properties, in which the Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway may be involved.

背景与目标： : 用于治疗缺血/再灌注 (MI/R) 损伤的心脏保护药物已得到很好的评估，被认为是不充分的。几十年来，中药配方新基丸 (XJP) 一直用于预防和治疗缺血性心脏病。在本研究中，在体内评估了XJP对MI/R损伤的心脏保护作用，并研究了其可能的机制。选择雄性sprague-dawley大鼠建立MI/R模型，该模型由缺血30分钟然后再灌注24小时诱导。从MI/R开始的第14天开始胃内给药和生理盐水。采集血样进行生化检测。然后处死大鼠并收获心肌组织。通过逆转录定量聚合酶链反应测量抗氧化基因的mRNA表达水平，并通过蛋白质印迹法测量蛋白质水平。用XJP预处理14天可以保护心脏免受I/r诱导的心肌功能障碍，防止心脏损伤，如乳酸脱氢酶和肌酸激酶的标准化血清水平所示，并抑制氧化应激。XJP显着上调了抗氧化基因的表达，包括超氧化物歧化酶，过氧化氢酶，谷胱甘肽还原酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶，并促进了血红素氧合酶-1和NFE2相关因子2 (Nrf2) 在心脏组织中的蛋白表达。此外，在XJP治疗中，Akt激酶被证实是Nrf2的上游。LY294002是一种特殊的Akt抑制剂，显著消除了XJP的心脏保护作用。总之，这些结果表明XJP表现出显着的心脏保护特性，其中可能涉及Akt/Nrf2信号通路。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the healing of bone defects in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM. METHODS:28 male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. 14 animals received a single dose of STZ intraperitoneally (65 mg/kg) to induce Type I DM, whereas others were injected only with sterile saline solution. Four weeks later, standard bone defects were created in the tibiae of rats. Surgical wounds in one group from each of the diabetic and non-diabetic animals were irradiated with diode laser for every other day for 4 weeks and they were described as DM + LLLT and CONT + LLLT groups, respectively. Remaining two groups received no laser treatment. New bone formation, osteoblast and blood vessel counts were calculated in histologic sections. RESULTS:DM group had significantly smaller bone area and lower blood vessel count when compared to DM + LLLT, CONT and CONT + LLLT groups (p < 0.05 for each). CONT and CONT + LLLT groups had significantly larger bone area than DM + LLLT group (p < 0.05 for both). CONCLUSIONS:LLLT application promoted vascularization and new bone formation in animals with DM to a limited extent, since it was unable to support the healing process up to the level of non-diabetic animals.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:To investigate: (1) the course of coronary heart disease risk factors (lipid profiles and body mass index (BMI)) in the first five years after discharge from inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation and (2) the association between lifestyle (physical activity, self-care related to fitness, smoking, alcohol, body mass and low-fat diet) and coronary heart disease risk factors during that period. DESIGN:Prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:Individuals with SCI (N=130). Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG) and BMI were determined at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation and 1 and 5 years after discharge. Using multilevel regression models, the effects of lifestyle (drinking alcohol, smoking, active lifestyle and self-care) on the lipid profiles and BMI were determined. RESULTS:After correction for lesion and personal characteristics, no changes in lipid profiles in the five years after discharge were seen, whereas the BMI increased significantly with 1.8 kg m(-2). A high percentage was at risk of cardiovascular disease due to high BMI (63-75%) or HDL (66-95%). The individuals who indicated to maintain their fitness level as good as possible and the individuals with a low BMI showed better lipid profiles. Individuals with a more active lifestyle showed higher HDL levels. Individuals who avoid smoking showed a 1.5 kg m(-2) higher BMI. CONCLUSION:Lipid profiles seem to stabilize in the years after discharge from inpatient SCI rehabilitation, whereas the BMI increased. Lifestyle factors associated with a favorable lipid profile and BMI could be identified.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECV) reflecting diffuse myocardial fibrosis can be measured with T1 mapping cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) before and after the application of a gadolinium-based extracellular contrast agent. The equilibrium between blood and myocardium contrast concentration required for ECV measurements can be obtained with a primed contrast infusion (equilibrium contrast-CMR). We hypothesized that equilibrium can also be achieved with a single contrast bolus to accurately measure diffuse myocardial fibrosis in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Healthy controls (n = 17; median age 24.0 years) and patients with CHD (n = 19; 25.0 years) were prospectively enrolled. Using modified Look-Locker inversion recovery T1 mapping before, 15 min after bolus injection, and during constant infusion of gadolinium-DOTA, T1 values were obtained for blood pool and myocardium of the left ventricle (LV), the interventricular septum (IVS), and the right ventricle (RV) in a single midventricular plane in short axis or in transverse orientation. ECV of LV, IVS and RV by bolus-only and bolus-infusion correlated significantly in CHD patients (r = 0.94, 0.95, and 0.74; p < 0.01, respectively) and healthy controls (r = 0.96, 0.89, and 0.64; p < 0.05, respectively). Bland-Altman plots revealed no significant bias between the techniques for any of the analyzed regions. ECV of LV and RV myocardium measured by bolus-only T1 mapping agrees well with bolus-infusion measurements in patients with CHD. The use of a bolus-only approach facilitates the integration of ECV measurements into existing CMR imaging protocols, allowing for assessment of diffuse myocardial fibrosis in CHD in clinical routine.

背景与目标： : 反映弥漫性心肌纤维化的心肌细胞外体积分数 (ECV) 可以在施用基于g的细胞外造影剂之前和之后用T1映射心血管磁共振 (CMR) 测量。ECV测量所需的血液和心肌对比浓度之间的平衡可以通过灌注对比输注 (平衡对比-CMR) 获得。我们假设，通过单次对比推注也可以实现平衡，以准确测量先天性心脏病 (CHD) 患者的弥漫性心肌纤维化。前瞻性地纳入健康对照 (n   =   17; 中位年龄24.0岁) 和CHD患者 (n   =   19; 25.0岁)。在推注前，推注后15分钟以及在不断输注g-DOTA期间，使用改良的Look-Locker反转恢复T1映射，获得左心室 (LV)，室间隔 (IVS) 的血池和心肌的T1值，和右心室 (RV) 在单个心室中平面中的短轴或横向方向。在CHD患者 (分别为r   =   0.94、0.95和0.74; P  <  0.01) 和健康对照组 (分别为r   =   0.96、0.89和0.64; P  <  0.05) 中，仅推注和推注LV、IVS和RV的ECV显著相关。Bland-Altman图显示，任何分析区域的技术之间都没有明显的偏差。通过仅推注T1映射测量的LV和RV心肌的ECV与冠心病患者的推注测量非常吻合。仅推注方法的使用有助于将ECV测量结果集成到现有的CMR成像协议中，从而可以在临床常规中评估CHD中的弥漫性心肌纤维化。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Anxiety and depression for 399 survivors of a 1,102-member heart disease cohort were assessed 8 to 9 years post-hospitalization. Approximately one-third reported symptoms of emotional distress and one-fourth were on anti-anxiety drugs. Predictors of anxiety and depression were analyzed through logistic regression. Subjects age 65 and over were less likely than younger patients to report anxiety or depression and also reported less heart-associated disability, the strongest predictor of distress for both age groups. Other significant predictors included a previous history of distress, low income, female sex, and beta blocker use.

背景与目标： : 住院后8至9年评估了一个由1,102名成员组成的心脏病队列的399幸存者的焦虑和抑郁。大约3分之1个报告的情绪困扰和4分之1症状是使用抗焦虑药物。通过logistic回归分析焦虑和抑郁的预测因子。与年轻患者相比，65岁及以上的受试者报告焦虑或抑郁的可能性较小，并且与心脏相关的残疾也较少，这是两个年龄组中困扰的最强预测指标。其他重要的预测因素包括以前的困扰史，低收入，女性性别和使用 β 受体阻滞剂。