Alterations of NK cell frequency and function in HIV/HCV co-infected patients / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the impacts of HIV/HCV co-infection to NK cells by investigating the changes of frequencies and functions of NK cells in HIV/HCV co-infected patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Frequencies and counts of NK cells were measured in patients with HIV mono-infection, HCV monoinfection, HIV/HCV co-infection and health control (HC) group by flow cytometer (FCM). After stimulated with PMA and K562 cells, PBMCs were examined the proportion of IFN-gamma+ NK cells by FCM. Proportion of killed K562 cells were detected to analyze the killing functions of NK cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequencies of NK cells, the percentages of IFN-gamma+ NK cells as well as the functions of NK cells killing the K562 cells in HIV/HCV co-infection, HIV mono-infection and HCV mono-infection groups were all lower than those of HC group significantly, the absolute counts and killing functions of NK cells in co-infection group were significantly lower than those of HIV or HCV mono-infection group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The counts and functions of NK cells were affected more in HIV/HCV co-infections than those in HIV or HCV mono-infection.</p>

Characteristics associated with falls among the elderly within aged care wards in a tertiary hospital: a retrospective / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Falls are the most frequently reported adverse events in inpatient settings. We conducted a retrospective case-control study of inpatient falls within aged care wards in a tertiary hospital to investigate the associated characteristics of elderly patients suffering from falls and fall-related characteristics.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Consecutive retrospective cross-sectional design spanned July 2006 to December 2008.</p><p><b>PATIENT GROUP</b>Information on all aged care inpatients who suffered from 1 or more falls was extracted from Incident Information Management System (IIMS). Further details about the particular admission(s) were obtained from patients' medical records, e.g., patients' characteristics and circumstances surrounding the falls. Randomly selected aged care patients who did not suffer from a fall and who were discharged from the hospital in the same period served control group. Characteristics among patients with single fall and recurrent falls, as well as non-fallers were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 438 falls evaluated, 71.9% occurred in patients' room and 18.9% in patients' bathroom/toilet. The common activities were moving/transferring and taking shower/toileting, respectively, 70.3%, 12.1% while occurring falls; and time of falls had a high peak during 9:00-11:00 a.m. Many were unassisted while falling. The common contributing factors for fall were intrinsic factors. Patients with recurrent falls were more likely to have lower Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Logistic regression analysis showed length of stay longer than five weeks, dementia and stroke were independent risk factors for recurrent falls; and living in hostel/nursing home preadmission, needing assistance with mobility, cognitive impairment, stroke, incontinence and arthritis/osteoporosis were independent risk factors for fall.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In an aged care ward, falls are independently associated with recurrent factors. Cognitive impairment/dementia was a strong risk factor for falls, and main causes leading to fall were intrinsic factors. For patients with cognitive impairment/dementia and behavioral disorder providing special and effective interventions is of paramount importance for reducing the incidence of fall in an aged care ward in hospital settings.</p>

Application of EEG Non-linear Analysis in Vision Memory Study / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo investigate the changes of non-linear dynamics characteristics of EEG during picture memory masks, and the application of non-linear dynamic analysis for memory research.MethodsEEGs of 30 healthy old volunteers were recorded under the states of opened eyes and picture memory. Correlation dimension (D2) was calculated for all subjects.ResultsD2 increased significantly during memory tasks compared with the rest state with eyes opened (P<0.05). In different memory tasks, the complexity of mental functions and the regions involved in the memory task were different.ConclusionNon-linear analysis is appropriate for the study of functional changes and working mechanism of brain during memory.

Non-linear Dynamics Characteristic of EEG at Acute Phase of Cerebral Infarction / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo investigate the changes of non-linear dynamics characteristic of EEG in patient with acute cerebral stroke under eyes closed state. MethodsEEG were recorded in 31 patients with acute cerebral infarction and 22 healthy volunteers under eyes closed state. Correlation dimension (D2) and Approximate Entropy (ApEn) were calculated for all subjects. ResultsD2 and ApEn of uninjured forehead cortex (FP1,FP2)reduced significantly in the group of cerebral infarction as compared with the group of normal control at eyes closed state. ConclusionDynamic analysis based on D2 and ApEn topographic maps might be helpful in understand the changes of mental functions after stroke, that can be used in the study of mental function.