Congenital fiber-type disproportion presenting with type II respiratory failure after delivery:A case report

BACKGROUND Congenital fiber-type disproportion(CFTD)is a form of congenital myopathy.CFTD is rare,especially when presenting in patients with critical illnesses.Here,we report a case of CFTD presenting with type II respiratory failure after delivery and provide a review of the literature on CFTD.CASE SUMMARY A 30-year-old woman was admitted to the obstetrics department of our hospital with premature rupture of the fetal membrane and with 7 h of regular contractions.After delivery,the patient experienced a refractory type II respiratory failure.Physical examination along with diagnostic procedures such as electromyography and biopsy confirmed CFTD.Use of invasive ventilator followed by intermittent use of noninvasive ventilator attenuated her symptoms.The patient recovered after ventilator-assisted respiration and was weaned off the noninvasive ventilator on the seventh day postpartum.CONCLUSION Congenital myopathy should be considered a differential diagnosis for type II respiratory failures that cannot be attributed to other diseases.

FAILURE OF HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE 2 TO SUBSTITUTE FOR DIMETHYL-BENZANTHRACENE IN TWO-STAGE SKIN CARCINOGENESIS

There are some Indications thtt herpes aimplex virus (HSV) may be mutagenic. Specific chromosomal changes have also been demonstrated In cultured cells infected with HSV. To further Investigate the mutagenic activity of HSV type 2 (HSV-2) we used mouse skin as a model system for cardnogenetls. Inoculation of the back skin of 4-week-old Sencar mke with live virus twice per week for one week or with Inactivated virus twice per week for two weeks was used to Initiate the mouse akin. After Initiation with HSV-2, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetale(TPA) was applied twice weekly for 50 weeks as a promoter. During a period of 52 weeks, no skin carcinoma was found In the experimental groups, whereas 55% of control mice treated with 9, 10-dlmethy1-1, 2- benzanthracene (DMBA ) and then with TPA-developed skin carcinoma. The results demonstrate that HSV-2 could not substitute for DMBA in this animal model of two-stage skin carcinogenesis.

A Comparative Visualization Strategy of Probabilistic Susceptibility Maps for Analyzing Different Types of Slope Failures

This paper presents a comparative visualization strategy of slope failure susceptibility maps for analyzing different types of simultaneous occurrences of slope failures. Through the SEM （structural equation modeling）, slope failure susceptibility maps are produced by using causal factors （i.e., geographical information, satellite remotely sensed data）. As for a conventional pair-wise comparative procedure, the differences between susceptibility maps are delineated on difference maps, that can be, however, applied for evaluating differences only between pairs of susceptibility maps. One of the strong requirements from specialists working on slope stability evaluation is a comparative and visualization strategy of susceptibility maps with respect to ＂different types of simultaneous slope failures＂, for which the discussion is insufficient in the previous research activities for constructing the quantitative models for slope failure hazard mapping. As a measure, a color composite map based on susceptibility maps has been produced. The combination of assigning susceptibility maps to RGB-color planes is determined based on an index of ＂NCCT （normalized correlated color temperature）＂ which represents the relationship between chromaticity and human visual perception. Through the cases examined, the result indicates that the proposed color composite map, as a heuristic visualization strategy, is useful for simultaneously evaluating the hazardous areas affected by ＂different types of slope failures＂.

Prognostic Potential of B - type Natriuetic Peptide and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Objectives To study wheth- er change of BNP levels reflect the change of cardiac function and to investigate the short - term prognostic potential of BNP and QOL in patients with CHF. Methods 96 consecutive patients admittedwith CHF between September 2002 and January 2003 were stud- ied , upon entry the study, BNP levels were measured, Patients administered the disease - specificquality of life questionnaire Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire (LiHFe) within 1 day. BNP levels and administering LiHFe were repeated three months later. Results BNP levels were increased proportional to the severity of cardiac function. Physical domain and total score of LiHFe were significantly correlated to the severity of CHF ( p < 0. 05 ). BNP levels were de- creased in improving group(p =0. 032) . In deteriora- ting group BNP levels increased (P = 0. 043 ) . Kaplan - meier analysis according to BNP level cutoff point 150 ng/1, the life curve of higher BNP level group was significantly lower than the lower group ( p = 0. 001 ) . In univariate logistic regression, NYHA class, BNP, LVEF, LVEDD, heart size, total score of LiHFe, phys- ical domain of LiHFe and the emotional domain of LiH- Fe were all significant prognostic factors of CHF ( p < 0. 05 for all). While in multiple regression, only BNP level( p = 0. 036) and the emotional domain of LiHFe ( p = 0. 025 ) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions Change of BNP reflects the treatment efficacy of CHF. BNP and QOL are the two major short - time prognostic factors of the chronic heart failure patients.

Mechanical property design method of cement sheath in a horizontal shale oil well under fracturing conditions

Based on the elastoplastic model of cement sheath considering the influence of three-dimensional principal stress and the stress field model of interface crack,a mechanical performance design method of cement sheath is established to meet the wellbore sealing requirements during fracturing.This method takes the failure types of the cement sheath,such as tensile failure,plastic yield,interface crack propagation along interface and zigzag propagation into account.Meanwhile,the elasticity modulus and Poisson's ratio quantitative design charts of cement sheath are constructed based on this method,and the safety and risk areas of wellbores are defined,which quantify the yield strength and tensile strength indexes of cement sheath.The results show that decreasing elasticity modulus,increasing yield strength and Poisson's ratio of cement sheath can avoid plastic deformation of cement sheath;increasing the tensile strength of cement sheath can prevent its tensile failure;increasing elasticity modulus and Poisson's ratio of cement sheath is good for shortening the length of the interface crack,but will increase the risk of interface cracks zigzagging into cement sheath.The model calculation and case verification has proved that the method in this paper can give accurate calculation results and is convenient for field application.

Changes of chymase,angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor expressions in the hamster heart during the development of heart failure

Background Little is known about the role of dual angiotensin Ⅱ forming pathways during heart failure. In the present study, the changes of chymase and angiotensin converting enzyme （ACE） expressions in the failing hearts of hamsters were analysed. Methods Heart failure was induced by ligation of left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery. Chymase, ACE and angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor （AT1R） mRNA levels were analysed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）. The activities of chymase and ACE were determined by radioimmunoassay （RIA）. Myocardial collagen fibre analysis was performed under optical microscope. Results Left ventricular systolic pressure （LVSP） and maximum left ventricular developed pressure increase rate （ dp/dtmax, mmHg/s） gradually moved lower at 2, 3,4 and 8 weeks after operation. On the other hand, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure （LVEDP） increased gradually after operation. Compared with the control group （3.55±0. 06, 4.79±0.70）, the heart weight/body weight ratio in operation group had increased significantly at 4 weeks and 8 weeks （4. 28±0. 43, 6. 17±0.73） （P 〈0. 01 ）. Collagen staining showed that the quantity of myocardial collagen fibre increased significantly in the operation group. RT-PCR showed that the chymase mRNA level in the operation group was consistently greater than that in the control group. ATIR mRNA level was also increased significantly at 3 weeks and 4 weeks, both being 1.3 times that of the control group （ P〈0.01 ）, whereas ACE mRNA level was not changed. Higher activity of chymase was detected in operation group, being 4, 8, 13 and 19 times that of the control group at 2, 3, 4 and 8 weeks （P〈0.01 ）, respectively. ACE activity was also significantly higher at the same time, being 7, 10, 10 and 3.5 times that of the control（P〈0.01）. Angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ） level in operation group increased significantly, being 2.5, 2.7, 3.5 and 2 times that of the control group at 2, 3, 4 and 8 weeks, respectively （P 〈 0. 01 ）. Conclusions A dual Ang Ⅱ forming pathway from both ACE and chymase in the hamster hearts plays an important role during the development of heart failure. At the decompensatory stage, the reduction of AngⅡ level may be associated with the decrease of ACE activity.

Plate reinforced square hollow section X-joints subjected to in-plane moment

The static test of 13 square hollow section(SHS) X-joints with different β and different types of plate reinforcement under in-plane moment in brace was carried out. Experimental test schemes, failure modes of specimens, moment-vertical displacement curves, moment-deformation of the chord, and strain strength distribution curves were presented. The effect of β and plate reinforcement types on in-plane flexural property of SHS X-joints was studied. Results show that punching shear of chord face disappears, brace material fracture appears and concave and convex deformation of chord decrease when either collar plates or doubler plates were welded on chord face. Moment-vertical displacement curves of all specimens have obvious elastic, elastic-plastic and plastic stages. As β increases, the in-plane flexural ultimate capacity and initial stiffness of joints of the same plate reinforcement type increase, but ductility of joints decreases. With the same β, the in-plane flexural initial stiffness and ultimate capacity of doubler plate reinforced joints, collar plate reinforced joints, and unreinforced joints decrease progressively. Thickness of reinforcement plate has no obvious effect on in-plane flexural initial stiffness and ultimate capacity of joints. As thickness of reinforcement plate increases, the ductility of reinforced X-joints decreases. The concave and convex deformation of every specimen has good symmetry;as β increases, the yield and ultimate deformation of chord decrease.