Benign acute myositis in an adult: case-based review.

Myositis is a clinical condition with a wide spectrum of clinical presentation. We present the case of 33 years old woman with acute history of pain and swelling of both legs. Investigations confirmed acute bilateral myositis of both calf muscles. She responded well to conservative management with full recovery. Benign acute myositis is more common in children and usually follows viral infection. Although our case may represent an adult form of benign acute childhood myositis, she had no history of preceding infections. Benign acute myositis is increasingly reported in adults. It appears to be self-limited with spontaneous full recovery. The diagnosis is largely based on clinical features. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of this type of myositis to avoid unnecessary invasive investigations.

[Analysis of distribution characteristics of specific immunoglobulin E in 8 092 children with eczema and urticaria in a hospital of pediatric in Tianjin City].

To investigate the common specific immunoglobulin E(sIgE) in children with eczema and urticaria, compare the allergies in children with different diseases, genders and ages, and provide the scientific basis for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment. A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the children who were suspected of eczema and urticaria and tested for serum sIgE in the Tianjin Children's Hospital from December 2019 to August 2021. A total of 8 092 serum samples were tested for ten food allergens and ten inhaled allergens. The method was the enzyme-linked immune capture assay. The allergen epidemiological characteristics were statistically analyzed by Chi square test based on the children's characteristics and factors such as different sexes and ages and by the mass data. The results showed that the positive rate of eczema was 64.42%(5 213/8 092), and the urticaria was 35.58%(2 879/8 092). The positive rate of specific IgE was 66.65%(5 393/8 092), the food allergens was 61.74%(4 996/8 092), and the inhaled allergens was 34.85%(2 820/8 092). The top three positive rates of food allergens were egg 46.65%(3 775/8 092), milk 32.64%(2 641/8 092) and wheat flour 15.08%(1 220/8 092). The top three positive rates of inhaled allergens were house dust 21.40%(1 732/8 092), Alternaria 11.78%(953/8 092) and Dermatophagoides farinae 7.33%(593/8 092). The positivity of food allergens and inhaled allergens was significantly different in different age groups. The positive rates of food allergens in different age groups were 48.92%(947/1 936) in<1 year old, 72.28%(2 680/3 708) in 1-3 years old, 64.58%(919/1 423) in 4-6 years old and 43.90%(450/1 025) in>6 years old. The positive rates of inhaled allergens in different age groups were 17.67%(342/1 936) in<1 year old, 36.35%(1 348/3 708) in 1-3 years old, 46.38%(660/1 423) in 4-6 years old and 45.85%(470/1 025) in>6 years old. The top six positive rates of allergens of eczema were the same with urticaria, which were egg, milk, house dust, wheat flour, Alternaria and Dermatophagoides farinae. The allergens (greater than or equal to grade 4) differed in children with eczema and urticaria. Moreover, there were significant differences in the positive rates of Alternaria, egg, wheat flour, crab and shrimp. In conclusion, this study can reflect the epidemic characteristics of allergens in children with eczema and urticaria to a certain extent. There were significant differences in the positive rates of allergens between different age groups. It is necessary to reasonably avoid the high-risk allergens according to the epidemiological characteristics and clinical symptoms, which provide valuable information for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases.

Positive nonsentinel lymph nodes are associated with poor survival in breast cancer: results from a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: The prognostic value of nonsentinel lymph-node (NSLN) status in breast cancer remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate the prognostic value of NSLN status in SLN-positive breast cancer. METHODS: Retrospective 873 consecutive primary breast cancer patients from a single institution who were SLN-positive and underwent axillary lymph-node dissection (ALND) were included. Patients with incomplete clinical information or loss of follow-up were excluded. Survival analysis in patients with the same number of positive LNs and patients belonging to the same American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) node (N) classification was performed to establish a proposal for incorporating the NSLN status into the breast cancer staging system. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 41 months. Positive NSLN status was a significantly unfavorable factor for recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR: 4.31, P < 0.001) and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) (HR: 3.62, P < 0.001). The survival of patients with one positive SLN and one positive NSLN (N = 97) was significantly worse than that of patients with two positive SLNs (N = 68; RFS, P = 0.011; DRFS, P = 0.027). Positive NSLN status was a significantly unfavorable factor affecting survival in patients with the AJCC N1 classification (N = 806; RFS, HR: 2.85, P = 0.002; DRFS, HR: 2.81, P = 0.004). No significant difference in survival was found between LN-negative (N = 361) and NSLN-negative AJCC N1 classification (N = 363) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Positive NSLN status has an independent prognostic value in breast cancer patients with 1-3 positive LNs, and the NSLN status should be incorporated into the breast cancer staging system.

Selective separation of deltamethrin by molecularly imprinted polymers using a ß-cyclodextrin derivative as the functional monomer.

A deltamethrin-imprinted polymer (MIP(1)) was prepared using bis(-6-O-butanediacid monoester)-ß-cyclodextrin (BBA-ß-CD) as the functional monomer and toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) as the cross-linker. In comparison to the molecularly imprinted polymer where ß-CD was applied as the functional monomer (MIP(2)), MIP(1) showed a higher specific binding capacity (ΔC(P)) and an improved imprinting factor (IF) for deltamethrin. The selective recognition experiments demonstrated that compared to MIP(2), MIP(1) could better recognize its template over other substrates that had similar chemical structures. The solid phase extraction (SPE) of deltamethrin using MIP(1) as the adsorbent was further investigated. The recoveries of the molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) column for deltamethrin were 83.2-93.4% with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 2.03-6.19%. The method has been successfully applied to the enrichment of trace deltamethrin from real water samples.

A systematic investigation into the extraction of aluminum from coal spoil through kaolinite.

This research has applied kaolin and active carbon (AC) to the investigation of the recovery of aluminum from coal spoil (CS). The kaolin, AC-containing kaolin mixture, and CS have been calcined at 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900 degrees C for 15, 30, 60, and 120 min. The transformation of kaolinite and aluminum extraction that occurred in each calcined sample have been characterized using XRD, TG, IR, and hydrochloric acid leaching methods. The dehydroxylation of kaolinite and the decomposition of metakaolin were influenced by thermal treatment temperature and time. The metakaolin had kept a portion of OH- in its structure until it was calcined at a temperature of 800 degrees C. Under 60 min treatment, new SiO2 phase was able to be formed at 500 degrees C, kaolinite was totally converted to metakaolin at 600 degrees C, and the SiO2 rejoined the reaction at 800 degrees C. The decompositions of CS were similar to those of kaolin mixture containing 20 wt % AC (MKC). The combustion of combustible matter accelerated the decomposition of kaolinite in the CS and MKC. Higher AC content led to lower aluminum extraction. The treatment at 600 degrees C was optimal for both CS and MKC.

Primary studies on heroin abuse and injury induced by oxidation and lipoperoxidation.

OBJECTIVE: To further reveal serious risks of heroin abuse to human body and clarify grave injuries of oxidation, peroxidation and lipoperoxidation induced by nitric oxide and other free radicals to heroin abusers. METHODS: Determined and compared plasma levels of nitric oxide (P-NO), vitamin C (P-VC), vitamin E (P-VE), beta-carotene (P-beta-CAR), lipoperoxides (P-LPO) and erythrocyte activities of superoxide dismutase (E-SOD), catalase (E-CAT), glutathione peroxidase (E-GSH-Px) and erythrocyte level of lipoperoxides (E-LPO) in 137 cases of heroin abusers (HAs) and 100 cases of healthy volunteers (HVs), used linear regression and correlation, stepwise regression and correlation to analyze correlation among heroin-abusing-duration (HAD), daily-heroin-abusing-quantity (DHAQ) with above determination values in the HAs. RESULTS: Compared with the above average values in the HVs group, the average values of P-NO, P-LPO, E-LPO in the HAs group were significantly increased (P < 0.0001), the average values of P-VC, P-VE, P-beta-CAR, E-SOD, E-CAT and E-GSH-Px were significantly decreased (P < 0.0001); the analysis of linear regression and correlation showed that with ascending of the HAD and DHAQ in the HAs, the values of P-NO, P-LPO, E-LPO were gradually increased (P < 0.0001), the values of P-VC, P-VE, P-beta-CAR, E-SOD, E-CAT, E-GSH-Px were gradually decreased (P < 0.0001); the analysis of stepwise regression and correlation suggested that the correlation among the HAD, DHAQ with the values of P-NO, P-VC, P-VE was the closest. CONCLUSION: The balance between oxidation and antioxidation in the HAs was seriously destroyed, and the injuries induced by nitric oxide and other free radicals, oxidation, peroxidation and lipoperoxidation reactions to the body of HAs gravely exacerbated. In the abstaining from heroin dependence, therefore, it should consider that sufficient quantum antioxidants such as VC, VE and beta-CAR are dosed to the HAs so as to abate the injuries to their bodies.