Search

Background: Endovascular treatment for patients with symptomatic nonacute middle cerebral artery occlusion remains clinically challenging, and proof of a beneficial effect on functional outcome is lacking. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endovascular recanalization for patients with symptomatic nonacute middle cerebral artery occlusion., Methods: Ninety-eight patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic nonacute middle cerebral artery occlusion were divided into drug treatment groups (42) and endovascular treatment groups (56). The rate of recanalization, peri-procedural complications, and follow-up results were evaluated., Results: Among the 56 patients who received endovascular treatment, 53 (94.6%) achieved successful recanalization. The rate of peri-procedural complications was 7.1% (4/56), and the death rate was 1.8% (1/56). Any stroke within 90 days was 7.1% (4/56). Among the 42 patients in drug treatment group, any stroke within 90 days was 19.0% (8/42), death rate was 0., Conclusion: Among patients with symptomatic nonacute middle cerebral artery occlusion with a short length of occlusion and a moderate-to-good collateral circulation, endovascular treatment seems to be safe. And endovascular treatment could reduce the recurrence rate of stroke., (© 2023 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Aortic valve neocuspidalization aims to replace the 3 aortic cusps with autologous pericardium pre-treated with glutaraldehyde, and it is a surgical alternative to the classical aortic valve replacement (AVR). Image-based patient-specific computational fluid dynamics allows the derivation of shear stress on the aortic wall [wall shear stress (WSS)]. Previous studies support a potential link between increased WSS and histological alterations of the aortic wall. The aim of this study is to compare the WSS of the ascending aorta in patients undergoing aortic valve neocuspidalization versus AVR with biological prostheses., Methods: This is a prospective nonrandomized clinical trial. Each patient underwent a 4D-flow cardiac magnetic resonance scan after surgery, which informed patient-specific computational fluid dynamics models to evaluate WSS at the ascending aortic wall. The adjusted variables were calculated by summing the residuals obtained from a multivariate linear model (with ejection fraction and left ventricle outflow tract-aorta angle as covariates) to the mean of the variables., Results: Ten patients treated with aortic valve neocuspidalization were enrolled and compared with 10 AVR patients. The aortic valve neocuspidalization group showed a significantly lower WSS in the outer curvature segments of the proximal and distal ascending aorta as compared to AVR patients (P = 0.0179 and 0.0412, respectively). WSS levels remained significantly lower along the outer curvature of the proximal aorta in the aortic valve neocuspidalization population, even after adjusting the WSS for the ejection fraction and the left ventricle outflow tract-aorta angle [2.44 Pa (2.17-3.01) vs 1.94 Pa (1.72-2.01), P = 0.02]., Conclusions: Aortic valve neocuspidalization hemodynamical features are potentially associated with a lower WSS in the ascending aorta as compared to commercially available bioprosthetic valves., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Endovascular recanalization for patients with symptomatic non-acute middle cerebral artery occlusion still remines challenging. Postoperative treatment is still controversial. This study aims to investigate the safety and effectiveness of tirofiban after elective angioplasty in patients with non-acute middle cerebral artery occlusion related ischemic stroke., Methods: Our study is a retrospective case series study of 48 stroke patients who received elective endovascular recanalization for middle cerebral artery occlusion. Patients who received EVT without hemorrhage were divided into 2 groups: those who did not receive intravenous tirofiban treatment (control group, n = 25); those who received continuous intravenous infusion of 0.2-0.3 mg/h tirofiban for 48 h after endovascular recanalization (intravenous tirofiban group, n = 23). Early reocclusion of treated arteries, symptomatic hemorrhage, and 90-day functional outcome of the 2 groups were compared., Results: The 90-day mRS score and NIHSS score after endovascular recanalization showed no significantly different between the two groups. However, the rate of mRS score reverse (≥1) was significantly higher in the intravenous tirofiban group than the control (73.9% versus 24.0%, P = 0.001), and the rate of NIHSS score reverse (≥3) in the intravenous tirofiban group was also higher (43.5% verse 16.0%, P = 0.037). The rate of early reocclusion, symptomatic hemorrhage (4.3% versw 4%, P = 0.734), showed no difference between the two groups., Conclusions: Low-dose intravenous tirofiban infusion (0.2-0.3 mg/h for 48 h) after endovascular treatment seems to be safe and potentially effective for non-acute middle cerebral artery occlusion patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Given the increasing trend of using wind energy in cities, the utilization of distributed wind energy in cities has been widely concerned by researchers. The related research on the micro-site selection of wind turbines, a sub-project of the Task27 project of the International energy agency, was continued in this paper. The wind speed data of an observation station near Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, with a range of 10-19 m were collected. The evaluation included wind direction, Weibull parameter characteristics, and turbulence intensity. The potential energy output in 10 different heights was estimated using commercial horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines of the same power. Results showed that the following: the three-parameter Weibull distribution model can well describe the statistical properties of the wind speed in this site. The wind speed distribution model constructed from extrapolation parameters reflects the wind speed statistical properties out of detection positions to a certain extent. The wind energy density of the vertical axis wind turbine is slightly lower than that of the horizontal axis wind turbine. Furthermore, more power can be generated from March to May.

Tumour vasculature is known to be aberrant, tortuous and erratic which can have significant implications for fluid flow. Fluid dynamics in tumour tissue plays an important part in tumour growth, metastasis and the delivery of therapeutics. Mathematical models are increasingly employed to elucidate the complex interplay between various aspects of the tumour vasculature and fluid flow. Previous models usually assume a uniformly distributed vasculature without explicitly describing its architecture or incorporate the distribution of vasculature without accounting for real geometric features of the network. In this study, an integrated computational model is developed by resolving fluid flow at the single capillary level across the whole tumour vascular network. It consists of an angiogenesis model and a fluid flow model which resolves flow as a function of the explicit vasculature by coupling intravascular flow and interstitial flow in tumour tissue. The integrated model has been used to examine the influence of microvascular distribution, necrosis and vessel pruning on fluid flow, as well as the effect of heterogeneous vessel permeability. Our results reveal the level of nonuniformity in tumour interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), with large variations in IFP profile between necrotic and non-necrotic tumours. Changes in microscopic features of the vascular network can significantly influence fluid flow in the tumour where removal of vessel blind ends has been found to reduce IFP and promote interstitial fluid flow. Our results demonstrate the importance of incorporating microscopic properties of the tumour vasculature and intravascular flow when predicting fluid flow in tumour tissue., Competing Interests: Moath Alamer and Xiao Yun Xu declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Objective: To determine the critical concentration of rifabutin (RFB) for susceptibility testing against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) on Löwenstein-Jensen (L-J) medium using the proportion method., Methods: We used 47 strains were used to determine the critical concentration of RFB. The microplate antimicrobial assay (MABA) was used as a reference method. We used 160 strains to evaluate its correlation with the classification results derived from the MABA method. We performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) against RFB and rifampin (RIF) for 2748 other strains using the proportion method on L-J medium., Results: The determined critical concentration for RFB was 20 μg per mL. Identical classification as susceptible or resistant was observed in 93.8% and 92.5% strains for RFB and RIF, respectively, using the 2 different methods. The cross-resistance ratio between RFB and RIF was 72.7% in the 2748 Mtb strains., Conclusions: We determined that a critical concentration of 20 μg per mL RFB was reliable for AST of Mtb., (© American Society for Clinical Pathology 2019. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Guidelines for screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have been updated in the past several years, and various inconsistencies exist across these guidelines. Moreover, the quality of these updated guidelines has not been clarified. We thus conducted this systematic review to evaluate the relationship between the quality and detailed recommendations of these guidelines., Data Sources: The Guidelines International Network Library, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) database, the Medline database, the Embase and the National Guidelines Clearinghouse were searched for guidelines containing recommendations on screening and diagnosis strategies for GDM between 2009 and November 2018., Methods: Guidelines included a target group of women with GDM, and contained recommendations for screening and diagnostic strategies for GDM were included in the present systematic review. Reviewers summarised recommendations on screening and diagnosis strategies from each guideline and rated the quality of guidelines by using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) criteria., Results: A total of 459 citations were collected by the preliminary literature selection, and 16 guidelines that met the inclusion criteria were assessed. The inconsistencies of the guidelines mainly focus on the screening process (one step vs two step) and criteria of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups [IADPSG] vs CarpenterandCoustan). Guidelines with higher AGREE scores usually recommend a one-step OGTT strategy with IADPSG criteria between 24 and 28 gestational weeks, and the majority of these guidelines likely to select evidence by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria., Conclusions: The guidelines of WHO-2013, NICE-2015, American Diabetes Association-2018, Endocrine Society-2013, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada-2016, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics-2015, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists-2018, United States Preventive Services Task Force-2014 and IADPSG-2015 are strongly recommended in the present evaluation, according to the AGREE II criteria. Guidelines with higher quality tend to recommend a one-step 75 g OGTT strategy with IADPSG criteria between 24 and 28 gestational weeks., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To discuss the clinical features of cerebral schistosomiasis., Methods: The clinical data of fourteen patients with cerebral schistosomiasis from March 2010 to March 2016 were collected and analyzed retrospectively., Results: The schistosomiasis immunological tests of sera and cerebrospinal fluids from the fourteen patients were all positive. Eosinophils increased in ten cases, and the proportion was 5.1%-60.3%. Schistosoma eggs were found in seven cases by the fecal Kato-Katz method. Fourteen cases were all infected with Schistosome japonicum . Twelve cases were diagnosed as chronic type, and two cases as acute type. Thirteen patients received medical treatment, of which twelve were cured, and one improved. One patient received the surgical resection of the lesion., Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of cerebral schistosomiasis mainly include seizure, headache, dizziness and fever. In the enhanced head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the lesions are clustered and merged into lumps, which is the characteristic image of cerebral schistosomiasis japonica. The praziquantel treatment can achieve a good prognosis.

Among various therapeutic approaches for stroke, treatment with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) has acquired some promising results. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We analyzed the protein expression spectrum of the cortical peri-infarction region after ischemic stroke followed by treatment with hUC-MSCs, and found 16 proteins expressed differentially between groups treated with or without hUC-MSCs. These proteins were further determined by Gene Ontology term analysis and network with CD200-CD200R1, CCL21-CXCR3 and transcription factors. Three of them: Abca13, Grb2 and Ptgds were verified by qPCR and ELISA. We found the protein level of Abca13 and the mRNA level of Grb2 consistent with results from the proteomic analysis. Finally, the function of these proteins was described and the potential proteins that deserve to be further studied was also highlighted. Our data may provide possible underlying mechanisms for the treatment of stroke using hUC-MSCs.

We evaluate the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in China. The performance of Xpert was evaluated compared to the composite reference standard (CRS), drug susceptibility testing (DST), and imaging examination. The overall sensitivity and specificity of Xpert were 64.1% (195/304) and 100% (24/24), respectively, using CRS as the gold standard. The sensitivity was significantly higher than that of culture for pus (P<0.05). The proportion of EPTB-positive cases diagnosed by imaging was two times more than that diagnosed using Xpert; however, 6 out of 19 cases may have been overdiagnosed by imaging. Compared to phenotypic DST, the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert were 80% (12/15) and 100% (75/75), respectively. Considering its high sensitivity and specificity, Xpert MTB/RIF may be used as a rapid initial test for EPTB diagnosis, and may also support a quicker decision on the treatment regimen. The combination of imaging and Xpert testing could provide high efficiency and accurate diagnosis of suspected EPTB., (Copyright © 2016 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Hemorrhage of the basal ganglia is common in hypertensive patients, and most of the cases are spon- taneous unilateral hemorrhage. Traumatic basal ganglia hemorrhage is uncommon, while bilateral hemorrhage of the basal ganglia after trauma is an extremely rare entity. This report described a rare case of bilateral hemorrhage of the basal ganglia after head trauma. We also analyzed the mechanisms and reviewed relative literatures.

Background: Wilms tumor (WT) is an embryonic kidney cancer, for which histone acetylation might be a therapeutic target. LBH589, a novel targeted agent, suppresses histone deacetylases in many tumors. This study investigated the antitumor activity of LBH589 in SK-NEP-1 and G401 cells., Methods: SK-NEP-1 and G401 cell growth was assessed by CCK-8 and in nude mice experiments. Annexin V/propidium iodide staining followed by flow cytometry detected apoptosis in cell culture. Gene expressions of LBH589-treated tumor cells were analyzed using an Arraystar Human LncRNA Array. The Multi Experiment View cluster software analyzed the expression data. Differentially expressed genes from the cluster analyses were imported into the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis tool., Results: LBH589 inhibited cell proliferation of SK-NEP-1 and G401 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Annexin V, TUNEL and Hochest 33342 staining analysis showed that LBH589-treated cells showed more apoptotic features compared with the control. LBH589 treatment inhibited the growth of SK-NEP-1 xenograft tumors in nude mice. Arraystar Human LncRNA Array analysis of genes and lncRNAs regulated by LBH589 identified 6653 mRNAs and 8135 lncRNAs in LBH589-treated SK-NEP-1 cells. The most enriched gene ontology terms were those involved in nucleosome assembly. KEGG pathway analysis identified cell cycle proteins, including CCNA2, CCNB2, CCND1, CCND2, CDK4, CDKN1B and HDAC2, etc. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified important upstream molecules: HIST2H3C, HIST1H4A, HIST1A, HIST1C, HIST1D, histone H1, histone H3, RPRM, HSP70 and MYC., Conclusions: LBH589 treatment caused apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation of SK-NEP-1and G401 cells. LBH589 had a significant effect and few side effects on SK-NEP-1 xenograft tumors. Expression profiling, and GO, KEGG and IPA analyses identified new targets and a new "network" of genes responding to LBH589 treatment in SK-NEP-1 cells. RPRM, HSP70 and MYC may be important regulators during LBH589 treatment. Our results provide new clues to the proapoptotic mechanism of LBH589.

Bone and Joint tuberculosis (BJTB) constitutes about 10% of total extra-pulmonary TB cases. Since the BJTB is a paucibacillary condition, there has been no systematic study on the bacterial characterization, especially the epidemiological feature. Here we collected the mycobacterial clinical isolates, analyzed the clinical features and the bacteriological characteristics from 113 BJTB cases reported in China. The mean age of the cases was 40.33 years while most of the patients fell into the 20-29 year age group; local pain was the most common onset symptom of BJTB cases; mean time from symptom onset to BJTB diagnosis was 13.16 months. 31 isolates were defined as drug resistant, including 15 multidrug resistant (MDR) and 2 extensively drug resistant (XDR) isolates according to the drug susceptibility test outcomes; after spoligotyping, 87.6% (99/113) isolates were categorized as Beijing family. In contrast to the isolates from pulmonary tuberculosis patients, here the MIRU-VNTR assay did not find anything significant. A prolonged time span for BJTB diagnosis highlights the requirement of paying further attention to BJTB infection in China. This study provides essential insights into the demographic and microbial characteristics of BJTB cases in China.

We report a patient with small intestinal metastasis from lung squamous cell carcinoma. A 66-year-old man who underwent radical lung cancer surgery was admitted to our hospital. Before starting his fifth cycle of chemotherapy, he was found to have a positive fecal occult blood test. Abdominal computed tomography scan revealed an ileal tumor with mesenteric lymph node enlargement. He underwent laparoscopic resection of the involved small intestine and mesentery. Histopathological analysis confirmed metastasis from lung cancer. We conducted a review of the literature and 64 documented cases of small intestinal metastasis from lung cancer were found. The pathologic diagnosis, clinical presentation, site of metastasis, and survival time in these cases were reviewed.

Two regression models, based on panel data over the period of 2000-2011, are built and used to analyze what factors determine China's exports of primary and semi-finished products of traditional Chinese medicine to ASEAN. The results indicate that, China GDP, the ratio of ASEAN to China GDP per capita, average export price, the ratio of state-owned assets to total assets, have a significant positive influence on the export volumes of primary products of Chinese medicine. At the same time, RMB appreciation, the ratio of three kinds of foreign-invested assets to total assets, China-ASEAN Early Harvest Program, ASEAN-China Free Trade Area have a significant negative influence. In respect of the export volumes of semi-finished products of Chinese medicine, the significant influential factors are ASEAN GDP and the ratio of ASEAN to China GDP per capita. The former is positive and the latter is negative. In order to optimize the commodity composition of experts, it is needed to increase export volumes of both primary and semi-finished products of Chinese medicine. According to the analysis above, some proposals are put forward, such as, improving the performance of foreign capital, playing an exemplary and leading role in technological innovation by state-owned enterprises, taking advantage of bargaining power of suppliers, increasing outward foreign direct investment.

The purpose of the article is to apply a binary logistic model to analyze the major factors, which influence Chinese medicinal herb growers' willingness to use green pesticides by using survey data collected in Wenshan, Yunnan Province. The results indicate that, output per capita, average pesticide cost per mu, cognition of pesticide residues, expectations on Panax notoginseng prices, cognition of pesticides' effect of pests control, cognition of P. notoginseng prices of low pesticide residues have a significant influence on growers' willingness to use green pesticides. According to the analysis above, some proposals for enhancing Chinese medicinal herb growers' willingness to use green pesticides are put forward, such as, moving toward the intensive planting systems, fetching down the pieces of green pesticides, emphasizing and propagating the advantages of green pesticides, keeping the prices of Chinese medicinal herb running at steady rates.

A 6',8'-di-tert-butyl-1-hydroxyethyl-3,3-dimethyl-indoline benzospiropyran L1 and its derivative L2 were synthesized and characterized. Chelation-enhanced appearswhen L1 with electron donating groups of 6', 8'-di-tert-butyl touch on benzospiropyran and affect the stability of cyanine structure. L1 exhibited high selectivity to Hg2+, Cr3+, Ag+ over other metal ions. While, there was no obvious interferences of coexist metal ions on Hg2+, Cr3+, Ag+ detection. The Hg2+, Cr+, Ag+ recognition of L1 not only could be achieved by means of fluorescense and absorption "turn-on" spectra but also an obvious color change from colorless to yellowish by naked-eyes. The binding of L1 to Ag+, Cr3+, Hg2+ are in 1 : 1 stoichometry and the detection limits are 7.435 8 x 10(-6), 6.126 8 x 10(-6), 3.452 4 x 10(-6) mol x L(-1). The sensing mechanism was also investigated from L2.

Pneumocephalus is the presence of air in the cranial vault. The common etiologies of pneumocephalus are brain trauma and cranial surgery. We report a case of a 26-year-old man with brain trauma who developed diffuse pneumocephalus after sneezing. CT scan was performed on arrival, and the image showed subarachnoid hemorrhage without pneumocephalus. On the seventh day after a big sneeze brain CT scan was re-performed, which showed pneumocephalus. After another ten days of treatment, the patient was discharged without any symptoms.

Two pink, non-motile, aerobic, alkaliphilic, halotolerant, Gram-negative cocci, designated MIM28(T) and MIM29, were isolated from the surface water of a haloalkaline lake on the Mongolia Plateau. The isolates grew optimally at 30-33 °C, at pH 8-9 and with 3-4 % (w/v) NaCl. The isolates were chemoheterotrophic and could assimilate carbohydrates, organic acids and amino acids. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone MK-7. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0) (13.8-17.5 %), anteiso-C(15 : 0) (10.5-11.2 %), iso-C(16 : 0) (9.9-13.0 %), C(16 : 0) (4.3-4.6 %), iso-C(17 : 0) (3.8-5.3 %), anteiso-C(17 : 0) (3.7-7.1 %), C(17 : 1)ω6c (4.6-6.4 %), iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH (4.6-5.8 %), summed feature 3 (C(16 : 1)ω7c and/or C(16 : 1)ω6c; 4.0-6.4 %) and summed feature 9 (iso-C(17 : 1)ω9c and/or C(16 : 0) 10-methyl; 10.4-12.5 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolates were most closely related to Litoribacter ruber YIM CH208(T) (93.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), the genus Echinicola (90.4-92 %) and other members of the family Cyclobacteriaceae (87.8-90 %). The DNA G+C contents of strains MIM28(T) and MIM29 were 62.8 and 62.2 mol%. On the basis of morphology, physiology, fatty acid composition, phylogeny and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the isolates are assigned to a novel species of a new genus, for which we propose the name Mongoliicoccus roseus gen. nov., sp. nov.; the type strain of the type species is MIM28(T) (= ACCC 05511(T) = KCTC 19808(T)).

Aims. Antenatal dexamethasone administration for fetal lung development may impair maternal glucose tolerance. In this study, we investigated whether glucose and insulin levels differed among singleton and twin pregnancies and pregnancies with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) after treatment with dexamethasone. Methods. Singleton pregnancies, twin pregnancies, and pregnancies with IGT between 28 and 33 weeks of gestation whose mothers were treated with dexamethasone were enrolled in this study. Exclusion criteria included gestational hypertension, diabetes, renal disorders, and infectious diseases. The fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were checked before administration and 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after treatment was completed. Results. Mean glucose levels were significantly higher in the twin pregnancy and IGT groups at 24 h and 48 h after the administration of dexamethasone than those in the singleton pregnancy group (P < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference in glucose levels before administration and 72 h after dexamethasone administration among the three groups, insulin levels in the IGT group were significantly higher (P < 0.05). Insulin levels in the singleton pregnancy group at 24 h and 48 h after treatment were significantly lower than in the twin and IGT groups. Conclusion. The effects on maternal fasting blood glucose and insulin levels of dexamethasone administrated to promote fetal lung maturation correlated with embryo number and the presence of IGT.

Purpose: To compare image quality and patient radiation dose in a group of patients who underwent 320-detector computed tomography coronary angiography performed with prospective electrocardiogram (ECG) gating with image quality and radiation dose in a group of patients matched for clinical features who underwent 320-detector computed tomographic (CT) coronary angiography performed with retrospective ECG gating., Materials and Methods: This study was approved by our institutional human research committee. All patients had clinical indications for coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA). Two independent reviewers separately scored coronary artery segment image quality for 480 cardiac CT studies in prospective group and retrospective group (240 in each group). Reviewer variability was calculated. Estimated effective radiation dose was compared for prospective versus retrospective ECG gating., Results: The two groups matched well for clinical characteristics and CT parameters. There was good agreement for coronary artery segment image quality scores between the independent reviewers (k=0.73). Of the 6408 coronary artery segments scored, there were no coronary artery segments that could not be evaluated in each group. Image quality scores were not significantly different (P>.05). Mean patient radiation dose was 76.50% lower for prospective gating (4.2 mSv) than for retrospective gating (18.1 mSv) (P<.01)., Conclusion: Use of 320-detector CT coronary angiography performed with prospective ECG gating has similar subjective image quality scores but 76.50% lower patient radiation dose when compared with use of retrospective ECG gating., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of cannulated compression screws for the treatment of femoral neck fractures, and to investigate the related factors influencing the avascular necrosis of femoral head after surgery., Methods: A retrospective review was done for 96 patients with femoral neck fractures treated with cannulated compression screws from January 2003 to June 2009. Among them, there were 44 males and 52 females with 21 to 88 years old (averaged 56.3 years old). According to Garden classification, 4 patients were type I, 34 patients were type II, 37 patients were type III and 21 patients were type IV. Factors such as patients' age, gender, fracture type, duration from injury to surgery and fracture reduction quality were statistically analysed to find correlations with nonunion and avascular necrosis of femoral head., Results: Eighty-four patients were followed up ranging from 9 to 60 months and the mean time was 25.4 months. Postoperative complications included deep venous thrombosis of lower extremity in 2 cases, bone nonunion in 8 cases and avascular necrosis of femoral head in 11 cases. According to Harris criterion, the total postoperative Harris score was 86.20 +/- 11.00, and 40 patients got an excellent result, 32 good, 7 fair and 5 poor. The incidence of avascular necrosis of femoral head in nondisplaced fracture group and displaced fractures group were 3.22% and 18.87% respectively;and there were significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.037). The incidence of avascular necrosis of femoral head in anatomical reduction group and non-anatomical reduction group were 5.00% and 20.45% respectively; also,significant difference was existed between the two groups (P = 0.036). However, there was no statistically significant difference of the incidence of avascular necrosis of femoral head according to different age, sex, operative time., Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of cannulated compression screws for non-displaced femoral neck fractures is good. The fracture type and reduction quality are found to be main factors correlated with avascular necrosis of femoral head statistically. For young patients with a displaced femoral neck fracture,in order to avoid incidence of avascular necrosis of femoral head, anatomical reduction should be ensured. For elder patients with a severe displaced femoral neck fracture, the total hip replacement should be recommended.

Objective: To study the curative effects of the treatment of tibial avulsion fracture of the posterior cruciate ligament with open reduction and steel-wire internal fixation., Methods: From January 2003 to June 2009, 28 patients of tibial avulsion fracture of the posterior cruciate ligament were treated with open reduction and steel-wire internal fixation through posteromedial inverted "L" approach. There were 19 males and 9 females with an average age of 35.3 years old ranging from 16 to 55 years. The X-ray examination showed that there were II degree displaced in 10 cases and III degree in 18 patients. The affected lower extremity was put in a controlled hinge knee brace after operation. The patients were asked to do passive extension and flexion of the knee joint with the assistance of a CPM 2 weeks after operation,and allowed to be partial weight-bearing as tolerated with the hinged brace locked in extension if concomitant injuries allowed 4 weeks postoperatively. The brace were removed 6 weeks later., Results: Among them, 25 patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months with an average of 15 months. The X-ray examination showed satisfactory reduction, and bony union was obtained in all the patients. The Lachman test was negative in all patients. No complications such as malunion or joint stiffness were found. The extension of affected knee was normal and its flexion were (136 +/- 12) degrees. According to Lysholm knee score system,it was preoperatively (41.80 +/- 6.16) and (94.10 +/- 8.26) six months after surgery respectively. Twenty-two cases were excellent, 2 cases good and 1 fair., Conclusion: Treatment of tibial avulsion fracture of the posterior cruciate ligament with open reduction and internal fixation with wires through posteromedial inverted "L" approach is a safe, effective method, due to its stable fixation and relatively low expense. It is believed as an ideal choice for tibial avulsion fracture of the posterior cruciate ligament.

Objective: to compare the success rate, radiation dose, image quality and diagnosis of prospective electrocardiogram(ECG)-gated 320-detector computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) versus retrospective ECG-gated CTCA., Methods: patients suspected coronary artery disease were divided into two groups which underwent 320-detector CTCA with prospective ECG-gated and retrospective ECG-gated scanning (n = 240 each, HR < 65 bpm). Curved-planar reconstruction (CPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP) and volume rendering (VR) were performed to demonstrate the coronary arteries. The image quality was defined as excellent, good and poor by motion and stair-step artifacts. Effective radiation exposure dose was estimated from the dose-length product. Effective radiation dose, image quality and diagnosis were evaluated., Results: the success rate of examination was 100% in prospective ECG-gated group and retrospective ECG-gated group. The mean effective radiation dose of prospective ECG-gated CTCA [(3.3 ± 1.3) mSv] was significantly lower than that of retrospective ECG-gated CTCA [(13.0 ± 1.6) mSv, P < 0.01]. Segments of diagnostic image quality (95.42%, 3435/3600) and non-diagnostic coronary segments (4.58%, 165/3600) in prospective ECG-gated group were similar as those of retrospective ECG-gated group (95.81%, 3449/3600 and 4.19%, 151/3600, all P > 0.05). Compared with CAG, the sensitivity, specificity, false positive and false negative value in prospective ECG-gated group (93.22%, 99.21%, 91.64%, 99.05%) and retrospective ECG-gated group (94.55%, 98.80%, 95.86%, 98.54%) were not significantly different., Conclusion: though the effective radiation dose is significantly lower, the success rate, image quality and diagnosis of prospective ECG-gated 320-detector CTCA is comparable with that of retrospective ECG-gated 320-detector CTCA on patients with stable heart rates less than 65 bpm.

A model is proposed to study the average capacity optimization in free-space optical (FSO) channels, accounting for effects of atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors. For a given transmitter laser power, it is shown that both transmitter beam divergence angle and beam waist can be tuned to maximize the average capacity. Meanwhile, their optimum values strongly depend on the jitter and operation wavelength. These results can be helpful for designing FSO communication systems.

Objective: To investigate the distribution characteristics of syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in essential hypertension and to explore the distribution rule of TCM syndromes., Methods: A multicenter, large-sample survey method of clinical epidemiology was applied to choose the patients with essential hypertension from North, Middle, and South China. A questionnaire was designed and filled in, then 477 untreated patients with first-diagnosed essential hypertension were selected and the information was recorded into FileMaker database. A cluster analysis method was utilized to study the TCM syndrome distribution rule of essential hypertension., Results: Two-step cluster analysis was done from 3 to 7 clusters. Seven clusters were appropriate, which included deficiency of heart and kidney qi, hyperactivity of liver-yang, deficiency of yin and yang, stagnation of phlegm-dampness, phlegm-heat (subtype of stagnation of phlegm-dampness), blood stasis obstructing collaterals, and other syndromes. The symptoms presenting high percentage in each cluster were more significant in TCM theory. The syndromes of hyperactivity of liver-yang (24.1%) and stagnation of phlegm-dampness (27.1%) presented the high percentages, and deficiency of heart and kidney qi (10.1%), deficiency of yin and yang (8.4%), and blood stasis obstructing collaterals (9.0%) presented the low percentages., Conclusion: As compared with the current syndrome differentiation criteria, two-step cluster analysis results not only include the syndromes of deficiency of yin and yang, hyperactivity of liver-yang, stagnation of phlegm-dampness, but also cover qi deficiency and blood stasis.

Background: Studies on intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis in adults are confined to the preliminary CT findings with ordinary CT and ordinary spiral CT. There has been no deepgoing study of multidetector CT to date. Multidetector CT could contribute to better imaging of intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis in adults. The purpose of this study was to explore the multidetector CT features of intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis in adults, and the correlation with clinical symptoms and pathologic changes., Methods: Multidetector CT findings from 42 consecutive adult patients with intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis were analyzed retrospectively with regard to locations, sizes, numbers, shapes, margins, and densities reviewing precontrast and enhanced images. CT results were correlated with clinical symptoms and pathologic results (n = 37)., Results: One hundred and eighty-five intrathoracic lymph nodes that had tuberculous lymphadenitis in 42 patients were distributed mainly in regions 4R (n = 37), 2R (n = 33), 7 (n = 31) and 10R (n = 21), more than 2 regions were implicated in 34 patients. One hundred and twenty-two (72.2%) of the tuberculous lymphadenitis without confluence were oval or round with clear margins. On precontrast scanning, 78.4% of tuberculous lymphadenitis had a homogeneous density. Seven enhancement patterns were demonstrated in 169 tuberculous lymphadenitis from 37 patients with pathologic results: homogeneous enhancement with no clinical symptom (n = 12), corresponded pathologically to tuberculous hyperplasia without caseous necrosis; heterogeneous enhancement with a small central no enhancement area, slight clinical symptoms (n = 22), tuberculous granulomas with a little caseous necroses; peripheral irregular thick wall enhancement with a central area with no enhancement, slight clinical symptoms (n = 52), tuberculous granulomas with some caseous necroses in the center; peripheral thin rim enhancement with a central area having no enhancement, moderate clinical symptoms (n = 36), a few tuberculous granulomas with a great quantity of caseous necroses in the center; peripheral irregular enhancement without central enhancement, extending outside the capsule, severe clinical symptoms (n = 4), caseous necroses ruptured from capsule; peripheral irregular rim enhancement with central separate enhancement, severe clinical symptoms (n = 40), multiple lymph nodes with liquefaction of caseous necroses were adherent and confluent, rim and separation were tuberculous granulomas; no obvious enhancement, severe clinical symptoms (n = 3). Caseous necrosis was usually associated with little tuberculous granulomas., Conclusions: The main multidetector CT features of intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis in adults are involvement of multiregional lymph nodes with oval or round shape and clear margins, a basically homogeneous density on precontrast scanning, multiple enhancement patterns, and they correlate closely with clinical symptoms. Multidetector CT could reveal pathological changes of intrathoracic tuberculous lymphadenitis in adults.

Five kinds of Salen Mn(II) and two kinds of Eu(III) complexes were synthesized. Under the system of NBT/L-methionine, which creates and detects O2*-, the complexes of antioxidant activity were studied, and the conclusion revealed that all Mn(II) complexes have obvious antioxidant activity. The fluorescence study indicated that all the Salen metal complexes could bind with DNA, which shows their potential anticancer activity.

Objective: To investigate the expression of cortical SCF/KIT system at different blood glucose level in mice., Methods: 27 male C57 mice were randomly divided into control group, diabetes group, and diabetes plus insulin group. The diabetic mice were induced by streptozotocin. Western-blot and double-immunofluorescence histochemistry were used to detect the expression of SCF and KIT., Results: Both methods indicate that the level of S-SCF and M-SCF were decreased significantly in the diabetes group, and this trend can be reversed effectively when the insulin was utilized., Conclusion: The decline of SCF might be one of underlying mechanisms of diabetic encephalopathy.

Background: Atrialfibrillation (AF) is associated with the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in the atria. It is not clear whether the expression of a mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), or 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11betaHSD2), conferring aldosterone specificity to the MR, in patients with AF is altered., Hypothesis: Patients with AF may be associated with increased expression of MR and 11betaHSD2 in the atria., Methods: Atrial tissue samples of 25 patients with rheumatic heart valve disease undergoing a valve replacement operation were examined. A total of 13 patients had chronic persistent AF (>6 mo) and 12 patients had no history of AF. The MR and 11betaHSD2 expression were analyzed at the mRNA and protein level. The localization of MR and 11betaHSD2 in atrial tissue was performed using specific immunohistochemistry staining., Results: The results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that AF groups, in comparison with sinus rhythm, had a higher mRNA expression level of MR or 11betaHSD2 (all P < 0.01). Both the MR and 11betaHSD2 protein expression level in atrial tissue were also significantly increased in patients with AF compared with patients with sinus rhythm (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The immunohistochemical staining of MR or 11betaHSD2 demonstrated that MR and 11betaHSD2 predominately located in the cytoplasm of myocardial cells in the atrium and the intensity and density of immunostaining appeared to be increased in the atria of patients with AF compared to those without AF., Conclusions: Increasing expression of MR and 11betaHSD2 in the atria during AF is one of the molecular mechanisms for development of atrial interstitial fibrosis in patients with AF. These findings may have an important impact on the treatment of AF with aldosterone antagonists., (Copyright 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The accumulation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is recognized as one of the main contributors in atherogenesis. Mathematical models have been constructed to simulate mass transport in large arteries and the consequent lipid accumulation in the arterial wall. The objective of this study was to investigate the influences of wall shear stress and transmural pressure on LDL accumulation in the arterial wall by a multilayered, coupled lumen-wall model. The model employs the Navier-Stokes equations and Darcy's Law for fluid dynamics, convection-diffusion-reaction equations for mass balance, and Kedem-Katchalsky equations for interfacial coupling. To determine physiologically realistic model parameters, an optimization approach that searches optimal parameters based on experimental data was developed. Two sets of model parameters corresponding to different transmural pressures were found by the optimization approach using experimental data in the literature. Furthermore, a shear-dependent hydraulic conductivity relation reported previously was adopted. The integrated multilayered model was applied to an axisymmetric stenosis simulating an idealized, mildly stenosed coronary artery. The results show that low wall shear stress leads to focal LDL accumulation by weakening the convective clearance effect of transmural flow, whereas high transmural pressure, associated with hypertension, leads to global elevation of LDL concentration in the arterial wall by facilitating the passage of LDL through wall layers.

A fast fluorescence micro-imaging system using mainly intensified charge couple device (ICCD), argon-ion laser, and xenon lamp was set up, and its preliminary application in living cells was presented. Real-time observation and imaging of fast concentration and distribution changing of intracellular Ca2+ labeled by Fluo-3, a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, in the proliferation process of rat cerebral micro-vessels endothelial cells (rCMECs) were carried out, and curves of artificial intensity versus imaging sequence of four typical points were obtained. It is shown that the ICCD-based fast fluorescence micro-imaging system is a powerful tool for recording the real-time fast processes in living cells.

This paper describes a new method, multiphoton excitation fluorescence detection combined with capillary electrophoresis separation. The excitation source was a self mode-locked femtosecond titanium-sapphire laser (Spectra-physics Inc.), producing a stream of pulses with a pulse duration of about 100 fs at 82 MHz repetition rate. Its average power was about 200 mW at 750 nm. The laser beam was focused into a thin wall flow cell of capillary electrophoresis. A high numerical aperture objective (100 x NA 1.25) was chosen to focus the laser beam and to collect the fluorescence emitted by detecting molecules. Then the fluorescence was detected by a fast response PMT. All data were acquired and processed by a microcomputer. For three biological molecules, 5HT, FAD and NADH, it was demonstrated that they can be separated and detected efficiently by this method with three-photon and two-photon excitation respectively using only one 750 nm laser beam. The detection limits were 1.0 x 10(-6) mol x L(-1) for 5HT, 7.4 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1) for FAD and 9.8 x 10(-7) mol x L(-1) for NADH using the criterion of three standard deviations above background. The results are much better than those with UV absorption detection by one or two magnitudes.