ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of eyes-closed (EC) and eyes-open (EO) EEG field powers on the auditory P300 evoke potentials.MethodsThe EEG was recorded in 12 healthy male college students (20 ～24 years) respectively in their eyes-closed and eyes-open states,and then the auditory P300 paradigm was performed.Results① Alpha band was distributed at the posterior-occipital area,while Alpha-1 (7.5～9.5 Hz) field power were EC as (2.62 ±0.81 ) μV2 and EO as ( 1.80 ±0.56) μV2,with statistical significance (P ＜ 0.01 ) ; Alpha-2 ( 10 ～ 12 Hz) field power were EC as ( 8.55 ± 1.85 ) μV2 and EO as (4.95 ± 1.59 )μV2,also with statistical significance (P＜0.05).②In P300,the Common stimulus elicited clear component N1 (90ms)and P2 (180ms) in the ERPs after stimulus,while there were no significant differences between EC and EO states.Correspondingly,the rare stimulus elicited clear component N2 (207 ms) and P3 (313 ms) in the ERPs after stimulus on-set.Comparing the differences of field potentials of the rare stimulus between the two states,N2field potential in EC ( (0.01 ± 0.71 ) μV) was smaller than that in EO ( ( - 2.13 ± 0.80 ) μV ),with statistical significance (P ＜ 0.05 ) ; while P3 field potential in the EC ( ( 4.16 ± 1.08 ) μV ) was smaller than that in EO ( (4.78 ± 1.20) μV),but without statistical significance (P ＞ 0.05 ).ConclusionThe alpha field power is higher in eyes-closed than in eyes-open state,while performing the same auditory P300 paradigm,significant reduction of field potential in the N2 component are observed in eyes-closed than in eyes-open state.

A CdTe/ZnSe quantum-dot submicrobead ( QBs ) , which exhibited fluorescence intensity approximately 2800-fold stronger than that of single quantum dots, was conjugated with the anti-histidine rich protein( HRP )-Ⅱ mAbs using N-( 3-( Dimethylamino ) propyl )-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ( EDC ) method as fluorescence probe. The goat anti-HRP-Ⅱ polyclonal antibodies and donkey anti-mouse polyclonal antibodies were sprayed onto the nitrocellulose membrane as test line and control line, respectively. The resultant fluorescence probes were introduced to the immunochromatographic strip for the quantitative determination of Plasmodium falciparum. For determination of Plasmodium falciparum in serum, the QBs based immunochromatographic strips exhibited a good dynamic linear range from 5 . 8 Parasite/μL to 8010 Parasite/μL with a limit of detection of 5. 8 Parasite/μL. The detection time of the proposed QBs based immunochromatographic strips for each sample was only 15 min. Moreover, the recovery rates of the intra-and inter-assay ranged from 93. 0% to 111. 9%, and 98. 3% to 115. 1% respectively, while the relative standard deviations ( RSDs) of intra-and inter-assay were below 5%.

Objective To explore the effect of oxygen inhalation on auditory sensory gating P50 in healthy human brain. Methods 28 healthy male academician right-handed were included. They were divided into control group (n=12) and experiment group (n=16) according to the random numerical table, and blinded about groups. The subjects inhaled pure oxygen in the experiment group, and air in the control group through a mask for 60 min. The electroencephalograph was recorded while an auditory paired-click sensory gating test was conducted during 4 study periods: before inhalation (pre0), inhale for 20 min (Oxy20) and 50 min (Oxy50), and 30 min after inhalation (post30). The latency and amplitude (S1-S2) of auditory sensory gating P50 were calculated. Results The latencies of P50 from S1 were stable in each group (P>0.7), and the latency of Oxy50 was shorter in the experiment group than in the control group (P<0.05). The latencies from S2 were stable in each group (P>0.30), and there was no significant difference between groups in all the time points (P>0.05). The amplitudes of (S1-S2) of P50 were stable in the control group (P=0.70), and was higher on Oxy20 (P=0.04) and Oxy50 (P=0.02) than post30 in the experiment group. There was no difference between the groups in all the time points (P>0.05). Conclusion Oxygen inhalation may be helpful to shorten the active time to stimulate, and trend to enhancing the amplitude of P50.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the usefulness of quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG), flash visual evoked potential (F-VEP) and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) as indicators of general neurological status.

METHODSComparison was conducted on healthy controls (n = 30) and patients with brain concussion (n = 60) within 24 h after traumatic brain injury. Follow-up study of patient group was completed with the same standard paradigm 3 months later. All participants were recorded in multi-modality related potential testing in both early and late concussion at the same clinical setting. Glasgow coma scale, CT scanning, and physical examinations of neuro-psychological function, optic and auditory nervous system were performed before electroencephalogram (EEG) and evoked potential (EEG-EP) testing. Any participants showed abnormal changes of clinical examinations were excluded from the study. Average power of frequency spectrum and power ratios were selected for QEEG testing, and latency and amplitude of F-VEP and ABR were recorded.

RESULTSBetween patients and normal controls, the results indicated: (1) Highly significance (P < 0.01) in average power of α1 and power ratios of θ/α1, θ/α2, α1/α2 of EEG recording; (2) N70-P100 amplitude of F-VEP in significant difference at early brain concussion; and (3) apparent prolongation of I-III inter-peak latency of ABR appeared in some individuals at early stage after concussion. The follow-up study showed that some patients with concussion were also afflicted with characteristic changes of EEG components for both increments of α1 average power and θ/α2 power ratio after 3 months recording.

CONCLUSIONEEG testing has been shown to be more effective and sensitive than evoked potential tests alone on detecting functional state of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Increments of α1 average power and θ/α2 power ratio are the sensitive EEG parameters to determining early concussion and evaluating outcome of post-concussion symptoms (PCS). Follow-up study associated with persistent PCS may be consistent with the postulate of substantial biological, rather than psychological origin. The study suggests that combination of EEG and EP parameters can contribute to the evaluation of brain function as a whole for clinical and forensic applications.

A workshop on "Chips, Computers and Crops" was held in Hangzhou, China during September 26-27, 2008. The main objective of the workshop was to bring together China and UK scientists from mathematics, bioinformatics and plant molecular biology communities to exchange ideas, enhance awareness of each others' fields, explore synergisms and make recommendations on fruitful future directions in crop science. Here we describe the contributions to the workshop, and examine some conceptual issues that lie at the foundations and future of crop systems biology.
China ; Computational Biology ; methods ; Crops, Agricultural ; genetics ; growth & development ; Genome, Plant ; Humans ; International Cooperation ; Mathematical Computing ; Molecular Biology ; methods ; United Kingdom

Ectopic pregnancy is the implantation of a fertilized egg outside the uterine endometrial cavity. For women presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain and/or vaginal bleeding, ectopic pregnancy is an important diagnostic consideration. The diagnosis is made based on laboratory values and ultrasound imaging findings. The ultrasound appearance of both normal early pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy are variable and often subtle, presenting diagnostic challenges for radiologists. This pictorial essay describes and illustrates the sonographic findings of ectopic pregnancy and reviews the differential diagnoses that can mimic ectopic pregnancy on ultrasound. With the possibility of medical management, the value of early detection and prompt initiation of treatment has increased in improving clinical outcomes and preventing the complications of ectopic pregnancy.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Zygote

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Tiantai No. 1 [symbol in text] on gene expression profile in hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rat, molecular genetic target points of the effect of this drug were defined, its molecular genetic pharmacodynamic mechanism of anti-AD was further explored at molecular gene level, and a scientific basis was provided for its clinical availability and promotion.

METHODSThirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups with 10 rats per group: sham-operation group, model group and Tiantai No. 1 group. Sterile surgical procedure was applied, the model group with bilateral hippocampal injection of Aβ1-40 was established, and normal saline was used instead of Aβ1-40 in the sham-operation group. One week after the models was made, rats were administered by gastric lavage once every day for three consecutive weeks. The rats of the sham-operation group and the model group were daily fed with purified water by lavage; the rats of the Tiantai No.1 group treated group were administered with Tiantai No.1 by lavage. Total RNAs of hippocampus tissues were extracted with Trizol, the changes of hippocampus gene expression profiles in the above three groups were analyzed by using Affymetrix rat whole genome expression profile microarray.

RESULTSMicroarray analysis showed that, compared with the sham-operation group, the hippocampus of the model group had 50 up-regulated genes with significant difference (fold change >2), and 21 down-regulated genes with significant difference (fold change <0.5); compared with the hippocampus of the model group, the hippocampus of the Tiantai No. 1 group was found to have 5 up-regulated genes with significant difference (fold change >2) and 20 down-regulated genes with significant difference (fold change <0.5). The functions of differentially expressed genes of the groups were involved in nervous system's development, neuronic differentiation and function-regulation, cellular growth and differentiation and apoptosis, synaptic occurrence and plasticity, inflammation and immune response, ion channels/transporters, cellular signal transduction, cellular material/energy metabolism and so on.

CONCLUSIONTiantai No. 1 can regulate hippocampal function, and further regulate the brain function of animals in multiple gene target points by a number of ways.

Alzheimer Disease ; genetics ; pathology ; Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Computational Biology ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Nucleic Acid Denaturation ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; RNA ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVEChanges of the internal and external cellular environments can induce calcium homeostasis disorder and unfolded protein aggregation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This ER function disorder is called endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). Severe long-term ERS can trigger the ER apoptosis signaling pathway, resulting in cell apoptosis and organism injury. Recent researches revealed that ERS-induced cell death was involved in the neurocyte retrogradation in the progress of neuron degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease and so on. Therefore, the protection effect of the traditional Chinese drug-Tiantai No. 1 (1) on the ERS injury of AD was investigated at the molecular gene level in this study with a view to explore the gene pharmacodynamic actions and mechanisms of this drug.

METHODSPrimarily cultured marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of rats were treated by tunicamycin (TM) in order to induce ERS. RT-PCR, fluorescence immunocytochemistry and Western blot techniques were used to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of the protective stress protein-ER molecular chaperones GRP78 and GRP94 (which would assist cells to resist cellular stress injury), and to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of apoptosis promoting molecule Caspase-12 on the membrane of the ER, respectively.

RESULTSProtein expression levels of GRP78 and GRP94 were significantly increased in the TM-induced MSCs, and the mRNA level of Caspase-12 was also remarkably increased in the TM-induced MSCs (P<0.05). All these proved that the ERS model was successfully established by TM in MSC. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein levels of GRP78 and GRP94 were all significantly increased compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01) after MSCs were treated with Tiantai No.1 while the mRNA and protein expression levels of Caspase-12 were significantly decreased compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). This effect showed a dose dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONTiantai No.1 might attenuate the cell apoptosis induced by ERS injury, and thus protect the neurons against AD.

Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Drug Antagonism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; RNA ; analysis ; drug effects ; Rabbits ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Physiological ; drug effects ; genetics ; Tunicamycin ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology

INTRODUCTIONAnaesthetists may be called upon to emergently secure the airway of a laterally positioned patient. Intubating a patient's trachea in the lateral position may be difficult due to unfamiliarity. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the success rate of lateral intubation performed by novices in a controlled setting.

METHODSIn this observational study, all patients who presented for elective surgery requiring the lateral position with planned lateral intubation at Singapore General Hospital were included. The trainee assigned to each patient had no prior indication of the proposed lateral intubation until the start of the case. Verbal instructions were given before the start of and during the procedure. The consultant anaesthetist in attendance could intervene at any point to prevent patient harm or if the trainee requested assistance. Time to intubation, adjuncts used and complications encountered were recorded.

RESULTSA total of 44 consecutive patients were included in this study. The trainees completed 42 of the 44 lateral intubations, with 41 being successfully performed on the first attempt. All patients were intubated successfully in a lateral position within two attempts. The mean duration of intubation was 57.3 ± 36.4 seconds. There was no difference between left and right lateral intubation. Other than one episode of transient desaturation on pulse oximetry, there were no complications.

CONCLUSIONLateral intubation by trainees had a high success rate when supervised by an experienced operator. Intubation of patients in unconventional positions using routine airway equipment should be included in airway training for trainees.

Anesthesia ; Anesthesiology ; education ; Elective Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngoscopy ; education ; Patient Positioning ; Posture ; Singapore ; Trachea ; pathology

Background: Failure of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a distressing and technically challenging complication. Conventional conversion techniques (CCT) with rods and jigs have produced varying results. A robotic-assisted conversion technique (RCT) is an unexplored, though possibly advantageous, alternative. We compare our reconstructive outcomes between conventional and robotic methods in the management of failed UKA. Methods: Thirty-four patients with a failed UKA were retrospectively reviewed. Patients underwent conversion total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with either a CCT or RCT. Seventeen patients were included in each group. All procedures were done by a single surgeon at a single institution, with a mean time to follow-up of 3.6 years (range, 1 to 12).The primary outcome measures were the need for augments and polyethylene thickness. Secondary outcome measures were complications, need for revision, estimated blood loss (EBL), length of stay, and operative time. Results: The mean polyethylene thickness was 12 mm (range, 9 to 15) in the CCT group and 10 mm (range, 9 to 14) in the RCT groups, with no statistical difference between the two groups (P = 0.07). A statistically significant difference, however, was present in the use of augments. In the CCT group, five out of 17 knees required augments, whereas none of the 17 knees in the RCT group required augments (P = 0.04). Procedurally, roboticassisted surgery progressed uneventfully, even with metal artifact noted on the preoperative computerized tomography (CT) scans. Computer mapping of the residual bone surface after implant removal was a helpful guide in minimizing resection depth. No further revisions or reoperations were performed in either group. Conclusions Robotic-assisted conversion TKA is technically feasible and potentially advantageous. In the absence of normal anatomic landmarks to guide conventional methods, the preoperative CT scans were unexpectedly helpful in establishing mechanical alignment and resection depth. In this limited series, RCT does not seem to be inferior to CCT. Further investigation of outcomes is warranted.