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Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum vitamin D and the risk of pre-eclampsia at the early, middle and late stages of pregnancy.Methods:Pregnant women who registered and delivered in Electric Power Teaching Hospital of Capital Medical University from August 2020 to July 2021 were included. Pregnant women with pre-eclampsia during pregnancy were selected as the case group (150 cases), while pregnant women without any complications after delivery were selected as the control group (600 cases) according to the 1∶4 matching principle (age, pre-pregnancy body mass index and last menstruation). The levels of serum vitamin D in differences stages of pregnancy between the two groups were compared. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between serum vitamin D levels and the risk of pre-eclampsia.Results:The levels of serum vitamin D at the early, middle and late stages of pregnancy in the case group were lower than those in the control group: (14.32 ± 3.61) μg/L vs. (18.78 ± 4.73) μg/L, (15.06 ± 3.12) μg/L vs. (19.88 ± 4.25) μg/L, (16.04 ± 3.51) μg/L vs. (22.04 ± 5.63) μg/L, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). Taking pregnant women with adequate serum Vitamin D as a reference, and adjusting for confounding factors such as gain weight and primipara, the risk of pre-eclampsia in early stages pregnant women with serum Vitamin D serious deficiency, middle deficiency and deficiency was increased and the OR and 95% CI were 4.84(1.25 -31.42), 3.09(1.12 - 8.96), 1.48(1.12 - 13.05); the risk of pre-eclampsia in middle stages pregnant women with serum vitamin D serious deficiency, middle deficiency and deficiency was increased and the OR(95% CI) were 4.43(1.23 - 13.55), 2.22(1.05 - 6.78), 1.12(0.45 - 7.73); the risk of pre-eclampsia in late stages pregnant women with serum vitamin D serious deficiency, middle deficiency and deficiency was increased and the OR(95% CI) were 2.13(1.12 - 8.64), 1.76(1.02 - 4.98), 1.22(0.72 - 3.94). Conclusions:The level of serum vitamin D is associated with the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women in the early, middle and late stages of pregnancy, and the risk of pre-eclampsia is significantly increase when the level of serum vitamin D is severely deficient or deficient during pregnancy.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of patients with sudden unexpected death of epilepsy (SUDEP).Methods:Using "epilepsy" as the keyword, the relevant cases entered from October 2011 to March 2012 were searched in the database of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) Monitoring Center, Xijing Hospital, the Air Force Military Medical University. Telephone follow-up was conducted for all confirmed epilepsy patients, and for the death cases confirmed by telephone follow-up, the patients identified as consistent with SUDEP diagnosis were included in this study based on their past medical history, clinical data, death details, etc, and their clinical and neuroelectrophysiological characteristics were summarized and analyzed.Results:Among the 1 232 patients who underwent 24-hour video-EEG monitoring during the study period, 354 patients were successfully followed up by telephone interview, of whom 17 patients were died (4.8%), 12 individuals met the diagnosis of SUDEP (7 men, 5 women). The duration of the disease in 9 patients exceeded 10 years. Eight cases presented with focal-bilateral tonic clonic seizures. Nine patients were treated with anti-seizure drug monotherapy. All the 24-hour video EEG of 12 patients were abnormal. There were 8 occasions when the EEG occipital α background rhythm slowed down compared with the standard frequency of peers or was dominated by slow waves. Interictal epileptic discharge (IED) located in temporal lobe were found in 12 EEG records, of which 9 EEG records were found with frontal IED. One of the 12 cases received 24-hour video EEG twice within 6 years, and his EEG background rhythm was significantly slower and the IED region was expanded compared with the first EEG record. At the third year after reexamination of EEG, SUDEP developed in this patient.Conclusions:SUDEP patients have a long course of disease and bilateral tonic-clonic seizure. The interictal EEG shows occipital slow α activity and temporofrontal epileptiform discharges, which may increase the risk of SUDEP.
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Familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy (FCMTE) is a rare neurological disorder. There were more than 10 different terms of disease name in domestic and international published articles by searching FCMTE from PubMed and Wanfang database (from 1990 to 2022), which indicated the different understanding of the disease. It is necessary to discuss the correct and consentaneous name of the disease to facilitate the professional investigation in the future. The name evolution of FCMTE and the author′s views are described in this article.
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Marine microorganisms, especially marine fungi, have historically proven their value as a prolific source for structurally novel and pharmacologically active secondary metabolites (Deshmukh et al., 2018; Carroll et al., 2022). The corals constitute a dominant part of reefs with the highest biodiversity, and harbor highly diverse and abundant microbial symbionts in their tissue, skeleton, and mucus layer, with species-specific core members that are spatially partitioned across coral microhabitats (Wang WQ et al., 2022). The coral-associated fungi were very recently found to be vital producers of structurally diverse compounds, terpenes, alkaloids, peptides, aromatics, lactones, and steroids. They demonstrate a wide range of bioactivity such as anticancer, antimicrobial, and antifouling activity (Chen et al., 2022). The genetically powerful genus Emericella (Ascomycota), which has marine and terrestrial sources, includes over 30 species and is distributed worldwide. It is considered a rich source of diverse secondary metabolites with antimicrobial activity or cytotoxicity (Alburae et al., 2020). Notably, Emericella nidulans, the sexual state of a classic biosynthetic strain Aspergillus nidulans, was recently reported as an important source of highly methylated polyketides (Li et al., 2019) and isoindolone-containing meroterpenoids (Zhou et al., 2016) with unusual skeletons.
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Animals , Aspergillus nidulans , Polyketides/chemistry , Anthozoa/microbiology , Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , AlkaloidsABSTRACT
The concepts and diagnostic criteria such as "migralepsy" and "ictal epileptic headache" have been proposed by International Headache Society in succession, and have been widely used in clinical practice. However, the authors believe that these diagnostic criteria are worth discussing. Headache can be a symptom of epileptic seizures, or be a state after seizures. Migraine and epilepsy can be comorbid, while migralepsy may be a form of focal epilepsy essentially from the professional perspectives of epilepsy. All medical points of views and thoughts need to be focused, so the sub-professional groups of epilepsy and headache should strengthen the dialogue and consultation, in order to formulate the diagnostic criteria of epilepsy and migraine scientifically.
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Objective:To study the case of mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) which mimic migraine attacks with visual aura, to analyze the clinical features, and to recognize the nature of headache.Methods:The clinical features, image data and video electroencephalogram (EEG) of a suspected patient with MELAS were analyzed. Genomic DNA of mitochondria was extracted from blood and the next generation sequencing was performed to explore the mutation of genes about MELAS.Results:The patient was adolescent-onset, and presented with migraine-like attacks with visual aura, epileptic seizures, stroke-like episodes and hyperlactemia. Brain images suggested basal ganglia calcification, reversible left occipital cortex infarction and abnormal lactic acid peaks in both occipital cortex. Video EEG suggested abnormal adolescent EEG. Mitochondrial DNA sequencing showed that MT-TL1 gene had m. 3243A>G pathogenic mutation.Conclusions:There are a variety of clinical manifestations in MELAS, and migraine-like attacks with visual aura as initial symptoms may be manifestations of occipital lobe epilepsy. Clinicians should avoid confusing the diagnosis of migraine with visual aura, occipital epilepsy and MELAS, in order to make rational clinical decisions.
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Objective:To investigate the predictive value of established random forest model for pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 142 primary breast cancer patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery or modified radical mastectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy from Cangzhou Central Hospital between January 2010 and October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Histologically, breast and axillary lymph node without residual infiltrated tumors was treated as pCR. The patients were divided into pCR group (23 cases) and non-pCR group (119 cases) according to whether patients achieved pCR or not, and the differences of clinicopathologic data between the two groups were compared. The risk factors affecting pCR were identified by using logistic regression analysis, random forest model was established by using random forest function of R statistical software, and Gini index of random forest algorithmic was used to order the importance of variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the value of random forest model in predicting the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Results:The overall pCR ratio after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 16.20% (23/142). The proportion of tumor diameter ≤5 cm, negative axillary lymph node, negative human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), Ki-67 positive index >20%, histological grade 2, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens including targeted therapy in pCR group was higher than that in non-pCR group, and the difference was statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that tumor diameter, axillary lymph node, HER2, Ki-67, histological grade, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens were related with pCR (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that tumor diameter >5 cm ( OR = 5.85, 95% CI 1.28-26.67, P = 0.022), positive axillary lymph node ( OR = 11.22, 95% CI 1.84-68.42, P = 0.009), positive HER2 ( OR = 7.35, 95% CI 1.45-37.26, P = 0.016), Ki-67 positive index ≤20% ( OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06, P = 0.017), histological grade 3 ( OR = 7.37, 95% CI 1.24-43.86, P = 0.028), and non-targeted therapy ( OR = 0.02, 95% CI 0.00-0.25, P = 0.003) were independent risk factors of pCR. Random forest algorithm showed that the importance order of risk factors of pCR was successively Ki-67 low expression, positive axillary lymph node, tumor diameter >5 cm, positive HER2, non-targeted therapy and histological grade 3. The area under the ROC curve of random forest model for predicting pCR was 0.84 (95% CI 0.74-0.93); the sensitivity was 87.0% and specificity was 72.3% when the optimal cut-off value was 0.88. Conclusions:Low expression of Ki-67, positive axillary lymph node, tumor diameter >5cm, positive HER2, non-targeted therapy and histological grade 3 are risk factors of pCR in breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotheapy. Random forest model helps to predict pCR in breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotheapy.
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Objective:To explore the clinical and electro-physiological characteristics of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities.Methods:Five patients of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities during electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring in the EEG Monitoring Center, Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital,the Air Force Military Medical University from January 2017 to September 2019 were studied and followed up.Results:All the 5 patients are male, aged 14 to 33 years, with the disease course of 3 to 9 years and the follow-up of 1 to 4 years. The myoclonic jerks, spasms seizure and generalized tonic and clonic seizure occured to the 5 patients. The EEG background of low amplitude alpha rhythm was recorded in the 5 patiens. The ictal-EEG of 2 cases showed the spike wave or spike slow complex waves in the central, parietal area, and the ictal-EEG of 1 case showed the generalized spike-wave discharge. There were no seizures occuring to the 2 cases during video-electroencephalography monitoring. There were no abnormalities in cranial magnetic resonance imaging. The arterial spin labeling of 2 cases suggested that the right cerebral hemisphere cerebral blood flow was lower than contralateral. Antiseizure drugs (levetiracetam in 4 cases and levetiracetam+magnesium valproate in 1 case) were administered, 4 cases were seizure free and 1 case was uncontrolled.Conclusions:The reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities is common in young men, and the EEG background with low amplitude alpha rhythm may be the characteristic of the reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities. The levetiracetam may be the good choice for the reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities and the prognosis of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities is good.
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Objective:To explore the electro-clinical characteristics of sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE) in rapid eye movement (REM) stage.Methods:Five patients of SHE in REM stage were studied and followed up in the Electroencephalogram Monitoring Center, Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, the Air Force Military Medical University, from January 2016 to August 2021.Results:Among the 5 patients, there are 3 male patients, aged 21 to 46 years. A total of 23 seizures were monitored in 5 patients, of which 22 occurred in REM sleep and 1 occurred in non-REM Ⅲ sleep. Each attack lasted from 30 seconds to 1 minute, and was manifested as "hyperkinetic attack" during sleep, with or without disturbance of consciousness. There were no obvious abnormalities in electroencephalography during 13 attacks, with the focal sharp slow waves or slow waves during 9 attacks, and the focal slow waves occurrence at the end of the 10 attacks.Conclusion:Most of the hypermotor epileptic seizures in REM stage started from awakening reaction, and the interictal discharges occured in waking and non-REM sleep stage, which is necessary to distinguish from the REM sleep behavior disorder.
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Objective:To investigate the predictive value of systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) before treatment for pathological complete response (pCR) in patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Methods:The clinicopathological data of 119 patients with primary breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and subsequent breast-conserving or modified radical surgery from Cangzhou Central Hospital of Hebei Province between January 2010 to March 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and patients were divided into pCR group ( n=19) and non-pCR group ( n=100) based on postoperative pathology. The SIRI before treatment between the two groups was compared. The patients were divided into SIRI≤0.25 ( n=10) , 0.26-0.50 ( n=42) , 0.51-0.75 ( n=29) , 0.76-1.00 ( n=19) , and >1.00 ( n=19) groups according the SIRI before treatment, and the pCR ratios of the five groups were compared. Spearman correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the relationship between SIRI before treatment and pCR, logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors of pCR for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of SIRI before treatment for pCR of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Results:Tumor size ( Z=2.26, P=0.024) , axillary lymph node metastasis ( χ2=5.73, P=0.017) , human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) ( χ2=8.77, P=0.003) , Ki-67 ( Z=2.68, P=0.007) , cytological nuclear grade ( χ2=5.08, P=0.024) , neutrophil count before treatment ( Z=2.44, P=0.015) , monocyte/lymphocyte ratio before treatment ( Z=3.04, P=0.002) , and SIRI before treatment ( Z=3.29, P=0.001) had statistical differences between the pCR and non-pCR groups. The pCR ratios were 50% (5/10) in the SIRI ≤0.25 group, 21% (9/42) in the 0.26-0.50 group, 10% (3/29) in the 0.51-0.75 group, 11% (2/19) in the 0.76-1.00 group, and 0 (0/19) in the >1.00 group, with a statistic difference ( χ2=14.28, P=0.006) . SIRI before treatment was negatively related with pCR ( r=-0.30, P=0.001) . Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that tumor size ( OR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.28-0.89, P=0.019) , axillary lymph node metastasis ( OR=5.43, 95% CI: 1.19-24.83, P=0.029) , HER-2 ( OR=7.54, 95% CI: 1.65-34.36, P=0.009) , Ki-67 ( OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05, P=0.008) , cytological nuclear grade ( OR=0.20, 95% CI: 0.04-0.92, P=0.038) , neutrophil count before treatment ( OR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.32-0.92, P=0.023) , monocyte/lymphocyte ratio before treatment ( OR=0.00, 95% CI: 0.00-0.01, P=0.007) , and SIRI before treatment ( OR=0.03, 95% CI: 0.00-0.37, P=0.007) were influencing factors for pCR of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that tumor size ( OR=0.31, 95% CI: 0.14-0.72, P=0.007) , axillary lymph node metastasis ( OR=10.97, 95% CI: 1.35-89.61, P=0.025) , HER-2 ( OR=6.47, 95% CI: 1.18-35.65, P=0.032) , Ki-67 ( OR=1.04, 95% CI: 1.00-1.07, P=0.029) , cytological nuclear grade ( OR=7.87, 95% CI: 1.01-61.35, P=0.049) , and SIRI before treatment ( OR=0.03, 95% CI: 0.00-0.58, P=0.020) were independent influencing factors for pCR of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of SIRI before treatment for predicting pCR was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.65-0.82) , sensitivity was 68.0%, and specificity was 75.3%. The area under the curve of monocyte/lymphocyte ratio before treatment for predicting pCR was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.63-0.80) , sensitivity was 48.0%, and specificity was 84.2%. The area under the curve of neutrophil count before treatment for predicting pCR was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.59-0.76) , sensitivity was 61.0%, and specificity was 83.7%. Conclusion:SIRI before treatment may serve as a marker for predicting pCR in patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patients with low SIRI are more likely to obtain pCR.
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Sleep disorders are common diseases of nervous system, while sleep disorders in autoimmune encephalitis have received little attention. Sleep involves in the complex function of nerve centers and brain networks. Some autoimmune encephalitis with specific antibodies has sleep disorders as the core symptoms, or sleep patterns change as disease evolution. Sleep disorders often occur in autoimmune encephalitis and usually persist beyond the acute stage of disease,which seriously affect the recovery and life quality of patients. The study of sleep disorders in autoimmune encephalitis is rarely recognized and studied. The characteristics and possible mechanisms of sleep disorders in autoimmune encephalitis were reviewed here to improve the recognition and attention of clinicians.
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Objective:To discuss the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy (FCMTE) with fixation-off sensitivity (FOS).Methods:The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of four patients diagnosed as FCMTE with FOS in the Electroencephalography (EEG) Monitoring Center of Xijing Hospital from May 2016 to December 2017 were studied and followed up.Results:The four patients were all female. The age was ranged from 29 to 67 years. The course was from six to 30 years, and the follow-up time was at least two years. The tremors and jerks occurred to the four patients frequently when the eyes were closed, which prevented their falling a sleep, and three of them had generalized tonic-clonic seizure occasionally. The FOS was monitored in the all four patients, and the photosensitivity occured to the three of them.Conclusions:The fixation-off sensitive trail during EEG monitoring is helpful to find the FCMTE with FOS. It is necessary to determine the potential clinical significance of FOS and photosensitivity coexisting in patients with FCMTE.
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Objective:To discuss the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of neck myoclonus during sleep.Methods:The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of 31 patients in the Electroencephalography Monitoring Center of Xijing Hospital from January 2020 to August 2020 were studied retrospectively. All the patients received video-polysomnography and video-electroencephalography.Results:There were 22 males (71%) and nine females (29%) in the 31 patients. The mean age of the patients at the time of inclusion in the study was 27.8 years. Neck myoclonus was most common in patients with narcolepsy ( n=8), followed by epilepsy ( n=4), obstructive sleep apnea syndrome ( n=4), anxiety and depression ( n=3), snoring ( n=3), etc. A total of 555 motor events were considered and analyzed, 89.5% (497/555) of which occurred during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The mean neck myoclonus index in REM sleep (5.8) was significantly higher than that in non-rapid eye movement sleep (0.2). Totally 48.3% (268/555) of neck myoclonus were accompanied by an arousal, 0.7% (4/555) by a full awakening, and 2.7% (15/555) by limb movements. Conclusions:Neck myoclonus is common during REM sleep, which can occur in patients with sleep disorders and epilepsy. Physiological or pathological significance of neck myoclonus has to be investigated in further studies.
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Objective:To describe the electroclinical features of the coexistence of epilepsy and narcolepsy.Methods:The electroencephalography database was searched using the terms “epilepsy” and “narcolepsy” over a four-year period from January 2016 to December 2019 in the Xijing Hospital. The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of patients with coexistence of epilepsy and narcolepsy were studied.Results:Five patients with comorbidity for epilepsy and narcolepsy were found, of which three patients were female, two patients were male. The age at epilepsy onset and narcolepsy onset was 2-12 years and 8-17 years, respectively. There were two patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, one with sleep-related hypermoter epilepsy, one with epilepsy with retardation of brain development, one with symptomatic epilepsy with cognitive decline. All the patients had narcolepsy with cataplexy, which followed the onset of epilepsy by three months to eight years. All the patients accepted 24 h video electroencephalography monitoring and multiple sleep latency test. Interictal epileptic discharges were found, mean sleep latency was<8 min, and two or more sleep onset rapid eye movement periods were recorded. Duloxetine hydrochloride can effectively improve the drowsiness and catalepsy symptoms of narcolepsy, and seizures did not worsen in patients using duloxetine hydrochloride.Conclusions:Both generalized and focal epilepsy can occur in narcolepsy with cataplexy. Duloxetine hydrochloride may be safe and effective in treating narcolepsy in patients with epilepsy.
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Objective:To explore the electro-clinical characteristics of Jeavons syndrome complicated with non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE).Methods:Three patients of Jeavons syndrome complicated with NCSE during electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring in the EEG Monitoring Center, Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital in 2018 were studied and followed up.Results:Among the three patients, there are two female patients, one male patient, aged 12 to 24 years. Generalized spike-wave discharges and impaired consciousness were recorded during video-EEG monitoring, which lasted for 8 minutes to 6.5 hours and evolved in generalized tonic clonic seizure (GTCS), and did not recur after receiving correct anti-epileptic drugs.Conclusion:NCSE can also occur in Jeavons syndrome, and NCSE in patients with Jeavons syndrome ends with GTCS, suggesting that early detection and timely termination of NCSE in patients with Jeavons syndrome may avoid the occurrence of GTCS.
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Seizure cluster (SC) is a common clinical phenomenon in patients with epilepsy, which was reported to be associated with post-ictal psychosis, status epilepticus, and increased risk of death, with a negative impact on the quality of life of patients and caregivers, but the diagnostic criteria, management principles and pathogenesis of SC are still unclear."seizure cluster" "acute repitetive seizures" and "cluster seizures" were used to search the relevant literatures in the databases of "Pubmed" "Wanfang Medicine" and "China Knowledge Network" from 1990 to 2019. The definitions, prevalence, risk factors, consequences, possible mechanism, and current management methods of seizure clusters were summaried in this article, to help health care professionals and patients gain a clearer understanding of SC.
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The cough related with lamotrigine in a patient with epilepsy was analyzed and summarized. According to the criteria of adverse drug reaction, the cough of the patient was the certain adverse reaction of lamotrigine. It is necessary to realize cough is an adverse reaction of lamotrigine, which is helpful to avoid the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of cough.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and electroencephalogram (EEG) of epilepsy patients with breach rhythm, improve clinical understanding of breach rhythm and avoid over-interpretation.Methods:Twelve epilepsy patients with breach rhythm who visited the Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, the Air Force Military Medical University from January 2016 to January 2017 were collected retrospectively. The clinical data, including etiology, clinical manifestations, EEG features and prognosis were summarized, and outpatient and telephone follow-up was performed for at least three years.Results:The clinical data of 12 patients with epilepsy with breach rhythm were collected, including eight males and four females, aged 36-78 years. After analysis, it was found that brain trauma was the most common cause of breach rhythm. Among them, two cases of skull defect were not repaired, eight cases were repaired with skull titanium mesh, one case was repaired with skull polymethylmethacrylate, and one case was repaired with skull polyetheretherketone. The distribution of the breach rhythm in 12 patients was consistent with the abnormal area of the skull. The breach rhythm can be expressed as high amplitude and fast frequency, or low amplitude and slow frequency and appear individually (similar to sharp waves, spikes). On the basis of pleomorphic slow waves, 10 patients were mixed with sharp waves and spike waves, and imaging confirmed that they had brain damage in corresponding parts. All of the 12 patients had a history of seizures, with tonic-clonic seizures and (or) focal seizures being the most common. Three patients with breach rhythm had no clinical seizures for more than five years, and had been taking antiepileptic drugs for epileptic spikes on EEG, and they were given reduction and discontinuation of the drugs and were seizure-free for three years during follow up.Conclusions:Skull repair is a common cause of breach rhythm, and repair materials with different resistances cause different waveforms and frequencies. Breach rhythm, epileptiform discharge and other pathological slow-wave activities can exist at the same time. Breach rhythm is a benign variant phenomenon which needs no special treatment.
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Livestock husbandry is vital to economy of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China. However, there have been few surveys of the distribution of ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and tick-borne pathogens affecting domestic animals at these locations. In this study, 3,916 adult ixodid ticks infesting domestic animals were collected from 23 sampling sites during 2012-2016. Ticks were identified to species based on morphology, and the identification was confirmed based on mitochondrial 16S and 12S rRNA sequences. Ten tick species belonging to 4 genera were identified, including Rhipicephalus turanicus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Rh. bursa, H. asiaticum asiaticum, and Rh. sanguineus. DNA sequences of Rickettsia spp. (spotted fever group) and Anaplasma spp. were detected in these ticks. Phylogenetic analyses revealed possible existence of undescribed Babesia spp. and Borrelia spp. This study illustrates potential threat to domestic animals and humans from tick-borne pathogens.
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OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the sensing volume of open-ended coaxial probe technique for measurement of dielectric characteristics.@*METHODS@#A measurement model combining macro- measurement device with a layer model of dielectric properties parameters was established for evaluating the sensing volume of open-ended coaxial probe technique. We defined sensing depth and sensing diameter to describe the distance that could be detected in vertical and horizontal direction. Using a variety of materials with different dielectric properties (Teflon, deionized water, ethanol, and gradient concentration sodium chloride solution), a layered model of dielectric properties differentiation was established. The total combined uncertainties (TCU) were calculated for different output power, and the output power was controlled to increase from -50 dBm to 15 dBm to calibrate the error range of the dielectric properties measurement system. The optimal output power range was determined based on the results of TCU test. In sensing volume measurement experiment, we set the control groups based on measurement parameters that potentially affect the sensing volume including output power (-10, -5, 0, 3, 6, and 9 dBm), frequency (1-500 MHz), Teflon, deionized water, and ethanol to form a dielectric constant difference between high and low contrast groups. Different concentrations of sodium chloride solution and Teflon were used to generate a conductivity difference between high and low contrast groups. These groups were tested in the sensing depth and sensing diameter measurement experiments.@*RESULTS@#The result of TCU test indicated that accurate and stable measurement results could be obtained when the output power was greater or equal to-10 dBm (TCU < 2%). Sensing volume measurement experiment revealed a positive correlation between the sensing depth and output power ( < 0.05). As the measured power increased, the sensing depth gradually increased in deionized water and ethanol, and the difference reached 70 μm. The sensing depth was negatively correlated frequency ( < 0.05). As the concentration of sodium chloride solution increased, the corresponding sensing depth gradually decreased, with a difference reaching 270 μm. The sensing depth of high dielectric materials was greater than that pf low dielectric materials. The results of sensing diameter measurement were not obviously affected by the measurement parameters, and the sensing diameter was stable in a fixed range (1.0 to 1.8 mm) between the diameter of the inner conductor and the diameter of the insulation layer, and was less than the diameter of the probe.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The sensing volume of open-ended coaxial probe technique is affected by measurement parameters and dielectric properties of materials, which significantly affect the sensing depth.