Invasive salmonella enteritidis infection complicated by colonic perforations and pancytopenia: A case report.

Salmonellosis caused by bacterial genus Salmonella is associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate. Salmonellae can be divided into typhoidal serotypes (S. enterica ser. Typhi and S. enterica ser. Paratyphi A) and nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) serotypes. The two most common NTS serotypes isolated from human sources were S. enterica ser. Typhimurium and S. enterica ser. Enteritidis. NTS infection can present with diverse clinical manifestations, including gastroenteritis, bacteraemia, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, and endovascular infection. Intestinal perforation is an extremely rare and potentially fatal complication of severe salmonella infection. Herein, we report a case of invasive S. Enteritidis infection complicated by colonic perforation and pancytopenia. Following a colonic resection, the patient received a prolonged course of antimicrobial therapy and eventually recovered.

Partial thyroxine-binding globulin deficiency in a family with coding region mutations in the TBG gene.

PURPOSE: T4-binding globulin (TBG) is the main thyroid hormone (TH) transporter present in human serum. Inherited thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) deficiency is caused by mutations in the TBG (SERPINA7) gene, which is located on the X chromosome. This study was performed to report and evaluate coding region mutations in TBG gene for partial thyroxine-binding globulin deficiency. METHODS: A pedigree spanning four generations is described in this study. The proband is a female with partial TBG deficiency. All members of this pedigree underwent thyroid function tests, while Sanger sequencing was used to identify the TBG gene mutations. Bioinformatics databases were used to evaluate the deleterious effects of the mutation(s). Two hundred and seven unrelated individuals were used to evaluate the thyroid function of individuals with different TBG mutations. A one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the impact of the TBG mutations on thyroid function. RESULTS: TBG gene sequencing results revealed that the proband had a novel mutation in codon 27 leading to alanine to valine substitution (p.A27V). This mutation was associated with lower serum T4 levels (p < 0.0001) when compared to the groups that did not carry the mutation. The previously reported p.L283F mutation was also found in the proband. The hemizygous p.L283F individuals presenting with lower T4 serum and TBG levels (p < 0.001) when compared to wildtype males and females. Both mutations were deleterious upon SIFT and PolyPhen-2 evaluation. CONCLUSION: Associated with partial thyroxine-binding globulin deficiency, this study reports a novel p.A27V mutation in the TBG gene.

The emergence of magnetic ordering at complex oxide interfaces tuned by defects.

Complex oxides show extreme sensitivity to structural distortions and defects, and the intricate balance of competing interactions which emerge at atomically defined interfaces may give rise to unexpected physics. In the interfaces of non-magnetic complex oxides, one of the most intriguing properties is the emergence of magnetism which is sensitive to chemical defects. Particularly, it is unclear which defects are responsible for the emergent magnetic interfaces. Here, we show direct and clear experimental evidence, supported by theoretical explanation, that the B-site cation stoichiometry is crucial for the creation and control of magnetism at the interface between non-magnetic ABO3-perovskite oxides, LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. We find that consecutive defect formation, driven by atomic charge compensation, establishes the formation of robust perpendicular magnetic moments at the interface. Our observations propose a route to tune these emerging magnetoelectric structures, which are strongly coupled at the polar-nonpolar complex oxide interfaces.

Clinical effectiveness of pemetrexed combined with cisplatin chemotherapy for advanced and maintenance treatment for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of pemetrexed combined with cisplatin for the first-line chemotherapy of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and maintenance treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 240 advanced NSCLC patients were randomly divided into either a control group (treated with gemcitabine combined with cisplatin) or an observation group (treated with pemetrexed combined with cisplatin). The primary treatment was defined as first-line chemotherapy, and the maintenance treatment was defined as retreatment. The demographic data from both groups were statistically similar. Patients were treated for 21 days for each cycle and underwent between 4 to 6 treatment cycles. RESULTS: The mid-and-long term efficacy between groups was compared using efficacy indexes [objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and chemotherapy toxic reaction rate] and progression-free survival (PFS), median survival time, and one-year survival rates. The observation group showed a statically greater (p<0.05) ORR and DCR than the control group. Comparison of the prevalence of toxic reaction above level III between the two groups revealed no statistical difference (p>0.05). The PFS, median survival time, and one-year survival rate of the observation group were statistically longer (p<0.05) than those of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Pemetrexed combined with cisplatin was both safe and efficacious for the first-line chemotherapy of NSCLC patients at a progressive stage and for maintenance treatment.

Evaluation to the effect of B2O3-La2O3-SrO-Na2O-Al2O3 bonding agent on Ti6Al4V-porcelain bonding.

Low-fusing bonding agents have been widely applied in Ti-ceramics restorations. As an important category, borate bonding agents have great potentials in increasing Ti-porcelain bonding. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of borate bonding agent with addition of Na2O and Al2O3 on Ti6Al4V-porcelain bonding. The thermal properties of borate bonding agent, such as glass transition temperature (Tg) and crystallization peak temperature (Tp), were investigated to establish the sintering process. And the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was to evaluate the matching effect of porcelain to Ti6Al4V. The bond strength was analyzed by the three point bending test. The microscopic morphology of the borate bonding agent surface after sintering, the interface of Ti-borate bonding agent-porcelain, and the fracture mode after porcelains fracture, were studied to assess the influence of borate bonding agent on Ti6Al4V-ceramics. With the addition of Na2O and Al2O3, the porcelain residues were observed increased indication on the Ti6Al4V surface after porcelain fracture and the bond strength was acquired the maximum (49.45MPa) in the bonding agent composition of 75.70B2O3-5.92La2O3-11.84SrO-4.67Na2O-1.87Al2O3. Those results suggest that borate bonding agent is an effective way to improve the Ti6Al4V-ceramics bond strength. And the addition of Na2O and Al2O3 strengthen this effect.

[Acute stress mucosal lesion of the upper gastrointestinal tract after burn--a clinical and endoscopic analysis of 31 cases].

31 burned patients were studied by fiber-endoscopy. We found that the incidence rate of acute stress mucosal lesion (ASML) of upper gastrointestinal tract was 100% in which burns involved more than 30% of total body surface. The degree of severity of ASML appeared to be influenced by the areas of the burn and the duration between examination and occurrence of burn. It was also related to the existence of complications. The study of endoscopic findings revealed that ASML had a special development course. It consisted of congestion, edema, erosion, bleeding and ulceration. The acute ulceration was only a part of the whole course. The incidence rate of the stress ulcer of this group was 27.6%. The bleeding rate was 34.5%. The bile reflux was 87% in 29 patients. Endoscopic examination can not only recognize the nature of the ASML, but also can collect the incidence rate accurately and find the location of the bleeding and ulcer in time. So this provided an important method for the etiological study. If the examination is well prepared and handled carefully, the procedure is very safe.