Epidemiology of human ancylostomiasis among rural villagers in Nanlin County (Zhongzhou village), Anhui Province, China: age-associated prevalence, intensity and hookworm species identification

Hookworm infection has traditionally been highly endemic to Anhui Province, China. Zhongzhou village in southwestern Anhui was identified as an endemic focus of infection caused by the hookworm Ancylostoma duodenale. This species was found to predominate over Necator americanus in ratios ranging from 35:1 based on the recovery of third-stage infective larvae (L,) to 21:1 based on the recovery of adult hookworms after anthelmintic chemotherapy. The overall prevalence of Ancylostoma infection in Zhongzhou was 33.2% with a greater prevalence among males. Unlike the age-associated prevalence patterns for N. americanus in Hainan and other southern Chinese provinces that show increasing prevalence with age and the highest prevalence among the elderly, the age-associated prevalence for A. duodenale in Zhongzhou exhibited a peak in middle-aged adults with subsequent decline. The age-associated intensity pattern exhibited a similar trend although the most of the hookworm infections were light or moderate infections as defined by quantitative egg counts.

[The radiopaque evaluation of NaI radiopaque resinifying agent in vitro]

OBJECTIVE

To study the possibility of using radiopaque resinifying agent in resinification of the tooth.

METHODS

65 teeth resinified with radiopaque resinifying agent in vitro were evaluated on X-ray films and through stereomicroscope.

RESULTS

86.11% of the root canals on X-ray films was with good contrast, 95.37% of them was with enough radiopaque length.

CONCLUSION

The radiopaque length could really indicate the filling length of the radiopaque resinifying agent in the root canals.

[Multivariate analysis on prognostic factors of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma]

OBJECTIVE

To predict the prognostic factors and to improve the response and survival in intermediate-grade and high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

METHODS

200 patients with intermediate-grade and high-grade NHL were treated with chemotherapy. A multivariate Cox model was used to analyse the prognostic factors that significantly affect the treatment outcome. The variables examined included: sex, age, clinic stage of disease, B symptoms, extranodal sites, bone marrow involvement, tumor bulk, performance status (ECOG) and malignancy grades.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis showed that performance status, the number of extranodal sites, pathologic malignancy grade and tumor bulk were significantly independent prognostic factors. These factors were put together to construct a prognostic index formula. The index partitioned the patients into low risk group (PI -2.43(-)-1.30), intermediate risk group (PI -1.29-1.0) and high risk group (PI > 1.0) giving 5-year survival rates of 76.0%, 21.6% and 7.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The prognostic index formula and subgroups could serve as a reference to distinguish patients requiring more intensive chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation from those who should be treated with standard regimens in order to improve the prognosis.

Chromatographic method for the determination of non-transferrin-bound iron suitable for use on the plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of preterm babies

1. Non-protein-bound iron has been implicated in the aetiology of chronic lung disease of prematurity. 2. The modification of a method for the measurement of non-transferrin-bound iron in small volumes of plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from preterm babies is described. 3. The assay runs with a good degree of precision and a lower limit of detection of 0.02 mumol/l. 4. Non-transferrin-bound iron was detected in 50% of plasma samples and 11% of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples collected over the first week of life from babies born prematurely.

Hemobilia due to gallbladder contusion following blunt trauma--sonography and CT scanning for early detection: case report

Gallbladder injury following blunt trauma is rare and early diagnosis is difficult when it is associated with other injuries. Clinical symptoms and signs alone are not necessarily helpful in diagnosing such cases. However, modern diagnostic imaging procedures such as ultrasonography and CT scanning are valuable for investigating possible gallbladder injuries. Patients with blunt trauma should be carefully examined by US and CT for early detection and treatment of gallbladder injuries.