Effect of corticosteroid therapy in acute pain edema caused by Herpes Zoster

Purpose: To evaluate the curative effect of corticosteroids in the treatment of acute pain, local edema, and skin lesions caused by herpes zoster, and to develop some pertinent therapeutic guidelines.Methods: A total of 48 cases of patients diagnosed with herpes zoster from 2010 to 2011 in the dermatology clinic of Shan Dong Traffic Hospital were selected and all received the same therapy of antiviral, pain-relieving and nerve nutrition. They were divided into a corticosteroid application group, with 24 patients treated with corticosteroids, and a control group of 24 patients without corticosteroids. Local swelling subsided in the corticosteroid group. The differences observed in pain relief and days needed for blisters to dry and scab between the two patient groups were analyzed to determine significance and, thus, assess the curative effect of corticosteroids in treatment of herpes zoster.Results: Patients in the glucocorticosteroid application group relieved pain faster than patients in the control group (2.38 ± 1.41 days vs 5.50 ± 3.19 days), and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). Skin lesions of patients in the glucocorticosteroid application group healed quicker than that of patients in control group (2.83 ± 0.87 days vs 3.54 ± 1.02 days), and the difference was remarkable (p < 0.05). Local swelling of patients in the glucocorticosteroid application group recovered rapidly after treatment. .Conclusion: Treatment of herpes zoster with appropriate corticosteroid isodose application can effectively relieve acute pain and local swelling, and speed up scabbing and healing of skin lesions.Keywords: Herpes zoster, Corticosteroids, Local edema, Scab, Skin lesions, Acute pain, Blisters, Therapeutic guideline

Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) in detection of _Bifidobacterium longum_ and _Clostridium novyi-NT_ labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticle

*Purpose:* To investigate the MR imaging of _Bifidobacterium longum_ and _Clostridium novyi-NT_ labeling with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles.

*Materials and methods:* Tubes containing _B. longum_-SPIO, Free-SPIO, _B. longum_ and PYG Medium were incubated under anaerobic condition in _in vitro_ experiment. Transmission electron microscope and Prussian blue staining were used to demonstrate intra-bacteria nanoparticles. R~2~^*^ mapping and R~2~ mapping were reconstructed after MR scanning. _B. longum_-SPIO and _C. novyi_-NT-SPIO were injected respectively _in vivo_ to show whether it might be traced by MR imaging.

*Results:* Magnetosomes in bacteria were observed by electron microscopic and stained by Prussian blue staining. At the same concentration of SPIOs, the R~2~^*^ value of _B. longum_-SPIO was significantly higher than that of Free-SPIO (P<0.001), however, the R~2~ value was lower comparing with Free-SPIO (P<0.001). After injection with _B. longum_-SPIO, they could present in tumor and shorten T~2~^*^.

*Conclusion:* _B. longum_ and _C. novyi_-NT could be labeled by SPIO and then traced by MRI

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF INTERNET MEDIA ON PATIENT-CLINICIAN TRUST: MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH DESIGN

Patient-clinician trust is one of the major concerns regarding the relationship between the public and the healthcare industry. The development of Internet technology, especially Web 2.0 applications, provides us with a greater ability to exchange information and provide feedback. To describe and measure the impact of ICT-based new media on patient-clinician trust, this paper develops a theoretical model that builds on previous literature in both the healthcare and IS research areas. The paper also aims to explain the differing impacts of online reports (Web 1.0) and online comments (Web 2.0), along with the differing impacts of positive and negative comments. Expected contributions and an agenda for future empirical experiment are also discussed in the paper

The Catalyzing Factors of Official Documents Exchange via Microblogging in Public Sectors: A Case Study based on the T-O-E Framework

Since Government transparency and information open has got more attention by both academia and practitioners with the development of information technologies (IT) and Internet, The popularity of Web 2.0 application provides the government some new opportunities and challenges. Official documents exchange via microblogging (ODEM) in the Bureau of Justice, Haining is a practice case of government information open in the new media. For analyzing the determinants from academic perspective and exploring the managerial value of the case, the paper report an exploratory case study based on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. After several field interviews and rigorous data coding by following the case study methodology, we find that top manager’s support, personnel’s IT accomplishment, and regional economic and social environment are the key determinants of the emergence of ODEM, as well as the organizational structure and operational flow is not change immediately in this case. The limitation and future goals of the study are also discussed in the paper

Exploring Different Roles between Service Expectation and Technology Expectation In Citizen’s E-Government Continuance Adoption: An Extended Expectation-Confirmation Model

Although Chinese government has got remarkable achievement in e-Government development, the difficult issue that citizen use behaviour cannot last toward many e-Government services has long been troubling to government in different levels. Based on expectation-confirmation theory (ECT), this paper proposed an extended model by divide the expectation and perceived performance into two categories, service perspective and technology perspective, for understanding the different roles of those factors in the process of e-Government continuance adoption. The research plan of an empirical experiment toward the e-Government portal of Beijing, the capital of China for utilizing this extended model was also discussed briefly in the paper

Understanding Cross-Sector Collaboration in E-Government Development: Theoretical Consideration Based on Extended Bryson’s Framework

With the rapid development of e-government, cross-sector collaboration has been one of the most important issues to academia and practitioners. Although collaboration was a classical topic in public administration research, digital age and e-government environment complicate the related issues from multi-perspectives. Based on accumulated literature in the public administration research area and e-government research area, this paper tries to introduce Bryson’s Framework, an important theoretical framework of collaboration in public administration provided on 2006, for analyzing cross-sector collaboration based on e-government development more deeply. Considering the e-government environment, we redefine and extend the detail items of five basic dimensions in the framework, called initial conditions, process, structure and governance, constraints on collaboration, outcomes. The research plan of an empirical study in a local government in China for utilizing this extended framework was also discussed briefly in the paper

Comparative study of model updating methods using frequency response function data

Constructing accurate finite element models for engineering structures plays a key role in structural dynamic design and analysis. Finite element model updating using frequency response function data arises great attention. In this paper, a comparison of two model updating approaches by using frequency response function data is investigated. The first method is based on sensitivity analysis, which has been regarded as one of the most successful approaches in model updating. The second one is based on the representation of modeling errors as linear combinations of the individual element matrices, which can be used for both error locating and model updating. The basic formulations of these two methods are introduced and the possible solution strategies are discussed. Numerical simulations are conducted to compare the two model updating methods employing the GARTEUR Truss, two aspects effect on the updating solution including magnitude of initial modeling errors and the completeness of measured coordinates are studied. At last, an experimental cantilever beam is updated by adopting the sensitivity method with tested frequency response function, it is shown that the sensitivity method is effective even when the test data are extremely incomplete

Finite element model updating using base excitation response function

Finite element model updating is an effective way to build accurate analytical models for structures. Most of the available updating methods employ information from modal testing. However, in astronautics engineering, information provided by vibration table testing is more valuable than those from modal testing. Therefore, it is necessary to study updating methods which can adopt information from vibration table testing. This paper presents the study on such issue. The base excitation response function is analyzed with the assumption that the vibration table gives the structure a single direction motion excitation. Model updating method which adopts the response function is then proposed. In the numerical simulation, several case studies are constructed for a truss structure with small or significant modeling errors respectively. Data selection, which has great influence on the success of updating, is carefully studied. A novel adaptive data selection approach is suggested. Simulation results show that model updating converge with good accuracy when the adaptive data selection approach is used