[Drug-resistant gene polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum isolated from Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea in 2018 and 2019].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genetic polymorphisms of Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance protein 1 (PfMDR1), chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) and Kelch 13 (PfK13) genes in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, so as to provide insights into the development of the malaria control strategy in local areas. METHODS: A total of 85 peripheral blood samples were collected from patients with Plasmodium falciparum infections in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea in 2018 and 2019, and genomic DNA was extracted. The PfMDR1, PfCRT and PfK13 genes were amplified using a nested PCR assay. The amplification products were sequenced, and the gene sequences were aligned. RESULTS: There were no mutations associated with artemisinin resistance in PfK13 gene in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, while drug-resistant mutations were detected in PfMDR1 and PfCRT genes, and the proportions of PfMDR1_N86Y, PfMDR1_Y184F and PfCRT_K76T mutations were 35.29% (30/85), 72.94% (62/85) and 24.71% (21/85), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There are mutations in PfMDR1, PfCRT and PfK13 genes in P. falciparum isolates from Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.

[Surgical treatment and curative effect observation of vascular malformations in the adult floor of the mouth and pharyngeal space].

Objective:To investigate the effect of surgical treatment of vascular malformation in the adult floor of the mouth and pharyngeal space. Method:Collect 12 cases of vascular malformation from the floor of the mouth and pharyngeal space.All of them were checked out of the different degrees of tongue elevation and dysphagia and to carry out the excision of vascular malformation with lingual nerve and hypoglossal nerve preservation. Result:The lesion reduction degree of 10 cases of patients were Ⅳ class(excellent), theoher 2 cases were Ⅲ class(good). Hematoma at the bottom of the mouth after operation were not happened. Follow-up 0.5-3 years,tongue deviation appeared in 1 cases of postoperation. After 6 months of follow-up, the tongue is in the middle when it put out, functional recovery,no tongue muscle atrophy,no tongue movement disorder in the rest of the patients,no obvious recurrence of vascular malformations, no swallowing disorder in all patients. Conclusion:It would be obtained ideal therapeutic effect with surgical treatment in the adult vascular malformations of the floor of the mouth and pharyngeal space.It would be the key to the success of surgery with protecting the lingual nerve and hypoglossal nerve and controlling bleeding.

Direct density measurement of shock-compressed iron using hard x rays generated by a short laser pulse.

We present the application of short-pulse laser-driven hard x rays (>40 keV) for the direct density measurement of iron compressed by a laser-driven shock. By using an on-shot calibration of the spectral absorption, we are able to obtain line densities with 5%-10% precision, although the x-ray source is not monochromatic. We also discuss possibilities for increasing the precision, which would be an improvement for equation of state measurements.

Patient education in the emergency department.

The emergency department (ED) visit provides an opportunity for patient education. Many ED patients have poor access to regular health care, including patient education. Accreditation standards, legal considerations, and cost-efficiency concerns encourage the clinician to implement formal patient education in the ED. More importantly, published clinical studies evaluating patient education in both the ED and comparable settings support the hypothesis that ED-based patient education improves outcomes. The article discusses considerations for instructional material, highlights challenges to ED-based patient education, and suggests possibilities for future research.

Attenuated amplitude of circadian and sleep-dependent modulation of electroencephalographic sleep spindle characteristics in elderly human subjects.

Sleep spindles are 12-15 Hz electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillations characteristic of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep. Sleep EEG recordings (total 252 episodes; duration, 9 h 20 min each) distributed across the circadian cycle were analyzed in eight young and eight elderly human subjects. In the young subjects, sleep spindle amplitude, frequency, duration and incidence displayed significant circadian modulation, with the highest spindle incidence and amplitude and the lowest spindle frequency coincident with circadian phases associated with times of habitual sleep. In the elderly subjects, overall amplitude, duration, and incidence were reduced, and only spindle frequency exhibited a detectable circadian modulation. The results demonstrate that a circadian process modulates sleep spindle characteristics and that the strength of this circadian modulation is reduced with age.