Study on Combined Determination Plasma NGAL,Cys C and Urinary NAG/Crea for the Diagnosis of Early Diabetic Nephropathy / 现代检验医学杂志

Objective To investigate the value of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL),cystatin C (Cys C) and the ratio of urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase to creatinine (NAG/Crea) combined determination in the diagnosis of early diabetic nephropathy.Methods Collected 67 cases of patients with type 2 diabetes hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from December 2016 to February 2017.According to the value of UALB/Crea was divided into two groups:Diabetic urinary microalbumin normal group (UALB/Crea＜30 mg/gCrea) had 35 patients and early diabetic nephropathy group (namely the trace albuminuria group,UALB/Crea 30 ～ 300 mg/gCrea) had 32 patients.Other selected 20 normal volunteers as control group,compared with a medical group to gather all the staff of the clinical data,using automatic biochemical analyzer detected the plasma NGAL,Cys C and urine NAG/Crea,and adopted the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the detection index was analyzed.Results ①Plasma NGAL,Cys C and urinary NAG/Crea of diabetic nephropathy patients was significantly higher than those of healthy control group (Z=-5.740 ～-5.386,P＜0.05).②The areaunder receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of plasma NGAL,Cys C and urine NAG/Crea were 0.858,0.911 and 0.714.Conclusion Plasma NGAL,Cys C and urinary NAG/Crea combined determination have a higher value for early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.

Effects of body-shade resin layer thickness on the color of polyetheretherketone-Crea.lign restorations / 华西口腔医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#This study aims to assess the effects of the different thicknesses of body-shade resin layers on the color of polyetheretherketone (PEEK)-Crea.lign restorations.@*METHODS@#Five PEEK specimens with the thickness of 0.6 mm were prepared. The color values of PEEK specimens were measured. Afterward, opaque-shade resin layers (0.1 mm) and body-shade resin layers (1.5 mm) were stacked with mold. The five specimens were evenly ground to a thickness of 1.4, 1.2, 1.0, 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2, and 0.0 mm in sequence. After grinding and ultrasonic cleaning, the color value was measured.@*RESULTS@#With the constant thickness of PEEK and 0.1 mm thickness of opaque-shade resin layer, the L*, a*, and b* values all showed downward trend with the increased thickness of the body-shade resin layer (1.0-1.4 mm). With the constant thickness of PEEK and 0.1 mm thickness of opaque-shade resin layer, the color difference between the adjacent groups was less than 1.5 NBS. This difference between nonadjacent groups was more than 1.5 NBS when the thickness of the body-shade resin layer reached 0.6 mm. Color difference between PEEK-Crea.lign restoration and PEEK was more than 1.5 NBS.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The thickness change in the body-shade resin layers influence the color of the PEEK-Crea.lign restorations. Using A2 shade Crea.lign, opaque-shade resin layer thickness is 0.1 and 0.6 mm thickness of body-shade resin layer can produce color which clinically acceptable.

Brazilian clinical engineering regulations: health equipment management and conditions for professional exercise

Abstract Introduction In Brazil, professionals, scientific community, and members of regulatory bodies have not yet achieved a consensus regarding who can legally perform the professional duties of a clinical engineer. We aim at clarifying this aspect, based on a detailed analysis of the pertinent regulations. Methods We acted on three fronts: (i) reviewing the current legislation regarding the clinical engineering exercise; (ii) visiting hospitals and working as trainee to understand how this exercise is implemented on Brazil's Federal District; (iii) one of the authors participated in virtual discussion groups of clinical engineering professionals, monitoring collective understanding of regulations, checking consistency of proper knowledge, and acting as an active opinion leader in the subject among peers. Results We try to make a formal definition of clinical engineer and indicate their characteristic activities. We propose a synthesis of the regulation regarding healthcare products' integrity protection and health technology management, identifying the engineering activities necessary to achieve those legal requirements. We analyze the legal constraints and conditions to exert engineering, indicating the necessary professionals' attributions and the way to obtain them. Finally, we provide a brief analysis of the technical requirements presented by the Brazilian Consumer Protection Code and of the 15.943 Brazilian Standard (NBR). Discussion We conclude that, despite the lack of consensus about the Clinical Engineering activity, there exists in Brazil a Clinical Engineering regulation, but it is spread in complex laws and normative resolutions, defining compulsory responsibilities and attributions, as well as conditions and prerequisites for role performance.

Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species via NOXa Is Important for Development and Pathogenicity of Mycosphaerella graminicola

The ascomycete fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola (synonym Zymoseptoria tritici) is an important pathogen of wheat causing economically significant losses. The primary nutritional mode of this fungus is thought to be hemibiotrophic. This pathogenic lifestyle is associated with an early biotrophic stage of nutrient uptake followed by a necrotrophic stage aided possibly by production of a toxin or reactive oxygen species (ROS). In many other fungi, the genes CREA and AREA are important during the biotrophic stage of infection, while the NOXa gene product is important during necrotrophic growth. To test the hypothesis that these genes are important for pathogenicity of M. graminicola, we employed an over-expression strategy for the selected target genes CREA, AREA, and NOXa, which might function as regulators of nutrient acquisition or ROS generation. Increased expressions of CREA, AREA, and NOXa in M. graminicola were confirmed via quantitative real-time PCR and strains were subsequently assayed for pathogenicity. Among them, the NOXa over-expression strain, NO2, resulted in significantly increased virulence. Moreover, instead of the usual filamentous growth, we observed a predominance of yeast-like growth of NO2 which was correlated with ROS production. Our data indicate that ROS generation via NOXa is important to pathogenicity as well as development in M. graminicola.