Klebsiella pneumoniae necrotizing fasciitis associated with diabetes and liver cirrhosis [9]

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Axial alignment of the lower extremity in Chinese adults

Background: The restoration of normal axial alignment of the lower extremity is important to surgeons who perform reconstructive surgery of the knee. However, data on the normal alignment of the lower extremity in Chinese adults are not available. Methods: The axial alignment of the lower extremity in twenty-five adult male and twenty-five adult female volunteers of southern Chinese origin was measured on weight-bearing radiographs of the entire lower limb. The mean age was twenty-four years for the male volunteers and twenty-three years for the female volunteers. The results were compared with those of two similar studies of white volunteers in the United States. Results: The medial inclination of the tibial plateau in the Chinese subjects (mean and standard deviation, 5.4 ± 2.5 degrees for women and 4.9 ± 2.3 degrees for men) was greater than the commonly reported 3 degrees. The extremities of the Chinese women were found to have a mean of 2.2 ± 2.5 degrees of varus alignment, and those of the Chinese men had a mean of 2.2 ± 2.7 degrees of varus alignment. Conclusions: Compared with the white subjects described in the studies by Moreland et al. and Hsu et al., the Chinese subjects had significantly larger medial inclination of the knee joint (knee-joint obliquity) (p < 0.005) and the female Chinese subjects had significantly more varus alignment of the lower extremity (p < 0.025). Clinical Relevance: Five degrees of external rotation of the femoral component, instead of the commonly reported 3 degrees, may be required to obtain a rectangular flexion gap in total knee arthroplasty in Chinese patients. The racial difference in the knee-joint obliquity may contribute to the racial difference in the ratio of knee osteoarthritis to hip osteoarthritis. Additional studies are necessary to confirm this relationship.published_or_final_versio

Three-dimensional ultrasonography of conjoined twins

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Effect of non-invasive prenatal testing as a contingent approach on the indications for invasive prenatal diagnosis and prenatal detection rate of Down's syndrome

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Prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia

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Acupuncture mycobacteriosis [6]

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Anomalous diffusivity and electric conductivity for low concentration electrolytes in nanopores

The dynamic properties of electrolytes in nanopores were studied using the equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamic simulations. The realistic primitive model and the restrictive primitive models that were widely used in liquid state theory were applied to the electrolyte model. The electrolytic ions that were found to be immersed in the water were treated as dielectric continuum or macroscopic dielectric continuum. Simulation studies for the discrete solvent primitive model were performed and detailed analysis of the characteristics of the ion radial density functions was done.published_or_final_versio

Comparative host gene transcription by microarray analysis early after infection of the Huh7 cell line by SARS coronavirus and human coronavirus 229E

During the early stages of infection, SARS-CoV produces more severe perturbation of host cell gene expression in a human epithelial cell line of liver origin than the HCoV-229E.published_or_final_versio

Medical treatment of viral pneumonia including SARS in immunocompetent adult

Since no randomized controlled trials have been conducted on the treatment of viral pneumonia by antivirals or immunomodulators in immunocompetent adults, a review of such anecdotal experience are needed for the more rational use of such agents. Case reports (single or case series) with details on their treatment and outcome in the English literature can be reviewed for pneumonia caused by human or avian influenza A virus (50 patients), varicella zoster virus (120), adenovirus (29), hantavirus (100) and SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) (841). Even with steroid therapy alone, the mortality rate appeared to be lower when compared with conservative treatment for pneumonia caused by human influenza virus (12.5% vs. 42.1%) and hantavirus (13.3% vs. 63.4%). Combination of an effective antiviral, acyclovir, with steroid in the treatment of varicella zoster virus may be associated with a lower mortality than acyclovir alone (0% vs. 10.3%). Combination of interferon alfacon-1 plus steroid, or lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin plus steroid were associated with a better outcome than ribavirin plus steroid (0% vs. 2.3% vs. 7.7%, respectively). Combination of lopinavir/ritonavir plus ribavirin significantly reduced the virus load of SARS-CoV in nasopharyngeal, serum, stool and urine specimens taken between day 10 and 15 after symptom onset when compared with the historical control group treated with ribavirin. It appears that the combination of an effective antiviral and steroid was associated with a better outcome. Randomized therapeutic trial should be conducted to ascertain the relative usefulness of antiviral alone or in combination with steroid. © 2004 The British Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.postprin