Vancomycin administration in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: the risk of ototoxicity

Patients diagnosed with nodules (NO = 40) in a large university hospital clinic and an age-stratum matched nondiseased group (ND = 200) described adverse outcomes of vocal impairment on work and work-related communications. NOs were significantly more likely than NDs to report symptoms of hoarseness (73% vs. 26%), high-note difficulty (70% vs. 20%), difficulty speaking with a lower voice (53% vs. 13%) and a tired voice (50% vs. 10%), and their greatest source of physical discomfort was associated with scratchiness (61% vs. 3%). The average number of symptoms was four in NOs and less than one in NDs. Nodule patients were most concerned about the effects their voice problem would have on their future career (78% vs. 24%) and 49% of NOS reported their voice problem had an adverse work effect in the past compared with 4% of NDs. Having a voice condition limited current job performance in 39% of the NO group but only in 2% of the ND group. The results suggest that a diagnosis of nodules plays a major role in disrupting careers and work activities and that available educational programs and additional research are needed for improving their functional ability and preventing adverse outcomes in the lives of individuals with voice disorders.     

发酵增效剂对黄霉素发酵效价的影响

试验研究了发酵增效剂在黄霉素发酵过程中对促进黄霉素效价的影响。结果显示,在发酵摇瓶中添加不同含量的发酵增效剂,有助于黄霉素发酵效价的提高,其中以添加300ppm浓度的增效剂效果最佳。     

Helical CT angiography for examination of living renal donors

OBJECTIVE: This prospective study was intended to determine if helical CT arteriography plus conventional radiography is sufficiently accurate to replace and less costly than excretory urography and conventional renal arteriography, the techniques currently used to examine living renal donors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients underwent CT arteriography with a helical CT scanner. Conventional radiographs were obtained during the pyelographic phase to evaluate the urothelium. Findings on CT arteriograms were compared with findings on conventional arteriograms and at surgery. RESULTS: Of 57 patients who underwent CT arteriography, 46 also underwent conventional arteriography and 40 underwent surgery. For those 46 patients, we found agreement between results of CT arteriography and conventional arteriography in 89% of kidneys. For those 40 patients, we found agreement between results of CT arteriography and findings at surgery in 90% of kidneys and agreement between results of conventional arteriography and findings at surgery in 87% of kidneys. Of the 57 patients, six (11%) had findings on CT angiograms that precluded further consideration for donation. CONCLUSION: Eight to ten percent of renal arteries are not seen on renal arteriograms when compared with findings at surgery. Our results indicate that CT arteriography is as accurate as conventional arteriography at revealing the number of vessels that perfuse and drain the kidneys and can replace conventional arteriography. Use of CT angiography plus conventional radiography instead of excretory urography and conventional arteriography can result in a 35-50% reduction in cost of the imaging studies in potential renal donors.     

Control of optical bandgap energy and optical absorption coefficient by geometric parameters in sub-10 nm silicon-nanodisc array structure

A sub-10 nm, high-density, periodic silicon-nanodisc (Si-ND) array has been fabricated using a new top-down process, which involves a 2D array bio-template etching mask made of Listeria-Dps with a 4.5 nm diameter iron oxide core and damage-free neutral-beam etching (Si-ND diameter: 6.4 nm). An Si-ND array with an SiO(2) matrix demonstrated more controllable optical bandgap energy due to the fine tunability of the Si-ND thickness and diameter. Unlike the case of shrinking Si-ND thickness, the case of shrinking Si-ND diameter simultaneously increased the optical absorption coefficient and the optical bandgap energy. The optical absorption coefficient became higher due to the decrease in the center-to-center distance of NDs to enhance wavefunction coupling. This means that our 6 nm diameter Si-ND structure can satisfy the strict requirements of optical bandgap energy control and high absorption coefficient for achieving realistic Si quantum dot solar cells.     

A long-term follow-up study with endoscope in chronic gastritis

A 10 to 17 years endoscope follow-up was performed to 138 cases of chronic gastritis. The result showed that 118 cases still proved to be chronic gastritis, and the increase of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) in numbers. 15 cases developed into peptic ulcer. 5 cases to carcinoma (4 cases were early carcinoma). The time of cancerization differed from 2 to 12 years. The rate of cancerization of CAG reached 7.46%. The rate of cancerization of intestinal metaplasia (IM) were 8.20%. 13 cases of IM were mucus histo-chemical stained, and five of them contained sulfuric acid mucus, one of the 5 cases cancerized. 3 of 14 cases with atypical hyperplasia (ATP) turned into stomach cancer. We believe that chronic gastritis, especially CAG with ATP and IM, or with sulfuric acid mucus of IM had a high possibility of cancerization with the increase of age, and should be followed up for a long time.