OBJECTIVE To evaluate the benefits,if any, of thyroidectomy using the harmonic scalpel versus conventional thyroidectomy. METHODS The clinical data of 34 consecutive patients underwent thyroid nodule enucleation or lobectomy in one year using the harmonic scalpel were recorded. The results were compared with that of the 34 case-control patients in the same period using conventional techniques. RESULTS The average incision length for those underwent thyroidectomy with the harmonic scalpel and conventional techniques was 3.8cm and 6.9cm respectively. Drains were not used in the harmonic scalpel group compared with average of 47ml drainage in the control group. The average inpatient cost was 7205 RMB for the harmonic scalpel group versus 8054 RMB for the control group(P=0.137). The average postoperative length of hospitalization was 3.5 days for the harmonic scalpel group versus 4.1 days for the control group (P=0.228). The average time of anesthesia was 95 minutes for the harmonic scalpel group compare with 81 minutes for the control group (P=0.018). One postoperative hoarseness occurred in each group. Two patients had mild skin burn in the harmonic scalpel group. No other complications were enumerated(x2=0.273,P=0.602). CONCLUSION The harmonic scalpel is a safe alternative for thyroidectomy. Compare with conventional thyroid surgery, this technique offers cosmetic benefit and less trauma for patient with thyroid nodules.

Abstract: Total RNA was isolated from Siraitia grosvenorii fruit by the method of modified Trizol, according to S. grosvenorii fruit characteristics of rich phenols, polysaccharide, oil and proteins. The OD260/280, OD260/230, RNA integrity (RIN) and yield of the total RNA with this method were 2.01, 2.02, 9.50 and 260 mirog.g-1, respectively. The open reading frame (ORF) of dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), named as SgDHAR, was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and RT-PCR method from S. grosvenorii. The GenBank accession number for this gene is KC907731. The SgDHAR gene contains a full-length cDNA of 1,252 bp including ORF of 819 bp and encodes a predicted protein of 272 amino acids. The molecular mass is 30.217 7 kD and the isoelectric point is 8.76. Homology comparison showed that it shared 87% nucleotide sequence homology with Cucumis sativus. Expression patterns using qRT-PCR analysis showed that SgDHAR was mainly expressed in fruit and stem, followed by flower, and was lowest in root, while the expression level was 6.83 times in triploid. T than that in diploid. Therefore, SgDHAR gene may be involved in abortion of triploid seedless S. grosvenorii.

BACKGROUND: Most of the patients suffered from degenerative lumbar instability are treated by exposure both sides and bilateral pedicle screw fixation,which bring highly operative risk,large blood loss and great medical expenditure to patients.OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of single cage plus unilateral pedicle screw placement for treating lumbar degenerative instability.METHODS: Totally 51 cases with lumbar degenerative instability underwent single cage plus unilateral pedicle screw placement were selected,including 32 males and 19 females,aged ranging from 41 to 72 years.47 cases had single segment involved and 4cases had two segments involved.All cases experienced unilateral laminectomy and transforamenal lumbar interbody fusion.The therapeutic effect was assessed by Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score system.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The blood loss was 90-430 mL.The surgical time was 100 minutes(85-120 minutes)for single segment and 150 minutes(120-170 minutes)for double segments.The patients were allowed to early ambulation at 2-3 days after operation.Two cases did not get improvement on back-leg pain,but there was no abnormality from CT and MRI recheck,one case felt pain relieved after anti-symptom treatment for 3 months while the other did not relieve.The average JOA scores at pre-operation and 1 year follow-up was 11(7-13 scores)and 25(18-27 scores),respectively.The total improvement rate of JOA was larger than 50%.44 cases were evaluated as fusion and 7 cases as possible fusion.The average fusion time was 5.4 months(4.3-7.1 months).Postoperative X-ray showed no evidence of pedicle screw loosening,broken,or cage displacement.Single cage plus unilateral pedicle screw placement is characterized by simple operation,small blood loss,short operation and few interference to spine,which is a better method for treating lumbar degenerative instability.

Objective To investigate the chnical effect of modified transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) on the treatment of lumbar degenerative disease. Methods Sixty-two patients with lumbar degenerative disease were treated by the modified TLIF from June 2007 to May 2009. The preoperative diagnosis was lumbar intervertebral disc herniation with spinal instability (28 cases), lumbar intervertebral disc herniation with lumbar stenosis (27 cases ), degenerative spondylohsthesis (7 cases ). Forty-eight cases were single-level and 14 cases were two-level. The patients were evaluated by observing the fusion rate and comparing the visual analog score( VAS ) and Japanese orthopaedics association (JOA) score of preoperation with those of postoperation. Results All the patients were followed up from 15 to 30 (22.77 ± 3.82)months,no nerve injury,leakage of cerebralspinal,infection,the broken of pedical screws and other complications. The fusion rate of segment was 96.8% at the follow-up after 1 year postoperatively. Judgement by JOA score,the rate of improvement was 93.5%(58/62),excellent in 34 cases,good in 24 cases,fair in 4 cases. The postoperative value of V AS and JOA score were higher than those of preoperation (P ＜ 0.05 ), the values when follow-up of 3 months was performed had no statistic al difference with those of final follow-up (P＞0.05). Conclusion The modified TLIF with fully decompression while reducing the accessing spinal canal complications have good clinical efficacy in treating lumbar degenerative disease.

Objective To investigate the optimal methods of detecting micrometastasis of sentinel lymph node(SLN) in papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC).Methods Data of 51 consecutive PTC patients without clinical evidence of cervical lymph node metastasis were analyzed.They were conducted with SLN localization with blue dye,technetium-labeled sulfur colloid or the combination of them from Aug.2007 to Sep.2010.55 SLNs from 18 cases were selected.No metastasis was found to these 55 SLNs by routine pathological section.The 55 SLNs were serially sectioned at a 50 μm interval and stained by both HE and immunohistochemistry for detecting micrometastasis.Results SLN was successfully identified in all the 51 cases,with SLN identification rate of 100％.Among the 18 cases without metastasis to SLN by routine pathological section,5 cases were found micrometastasis by step sectioning plus immunohistochemically stains.The false negative rate was reduced from 15.4％ by routine pathological section to 2.6％ by step sectioning plus immunohistochemically stains.Conclusion Cytokeratin immunohistochemistry on series sections is a reliable method in detecting SLN micrometastasis in PTC.

Objective:To establish the methods for the qualitative identification and content determination of aurantio-obtusin and chrysophanol in Zeju Jiangzhi tablets. Methods:A TLC method was adopted for the qualitative identification, and an HPLC method was used for the content determination. The determination was performed on a Wondasil C18 (250 mm × 4. 6 mm, 5 μm ) column with the mobile phase of acetonitrile -0. 1% phosphonic acid with gradient elution at the flow rate of 1. 0 ml?min-1 , the detection wave-length was 286 nm, the column temperature was 30℃ and the injection volume was 10μl. Results:The TLC spots of aurantio-obtusin and chrysophanol were clear and well-separated without any negative interference. The HPLC experiment results showed the good line-arity within the range of 1. 03-25. 72μg?ml-1(r=0. 999 9) for aurantio-obtusin, and 0. 48-11. 92μg?ml-1(r=0. 999 9) for chry-sophanol. The average recovery was 99. 21% and 98. 85%, and RSD was 0. 70% and 0. 73%, respectively (n=9). Conclusion:The method is simple, accurate and repeatable, which can be used for the qualitative identification and content determination of auran-tio-obtusin and chrysophanol in Zeju Jiangzhi tablets.

ObjectiveTo evaluate combined radioisotope and methylene blue dye method for identifying sentinel lymph node (SLN) for modified radical neck dissection of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). MethodFifty-one consecutive PTC patients without clinical evidence of locoregional lymph node involvement were enrolled in the study between August 2007 and September 2010.5 h ( rangel.5 - 8 h) before the surgery,one single intratumoral injection of 74 MBq in a volume of 0.4 ml 99mTc -Dextran was administered under ultrasound guidance and 1％ methylene blue dye was injected into the parenchyma surrounding the primary tumor intraoperatively.Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy,intra-operative hand-held gamma probe detecting and blue dyed lymph node were used to identify the SLN.All SLNs were sent for frozen-section and the specimens of routine selective neck dissection were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). ResultsSLNs were identified in 48 of 51 cases (94.1％ ) with combination method.SLN identification rate were 66.7％by methylene blue dye method and 90.2％by radioisotope method respectively.Final pathologic examination revealed that 30 cases ( 58.8％ ),including 3 cases who had negative SLNs,had lateral neck occult lymph node metastasis.The rate of occult lymph node metastasis in level Ⅱ,level Ⅲ,level Ⅳ and level Ⅴ were 17.6％,52.9％,29.4％ and 0％.Thus,the sensitivity,specificity,accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of SLN biopsy were 90％, 100％,94.1％,100％ and 87.5％,respectively. ConclusionsSLNB is feasible and safe,the findings correlate with lateral lymph node status.Therefore,SLN biopsy is a good method for estimating the status of lateral lymph node in patients with clinical negative lymph node papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Objective To establish a sterility test of levofloxacin lactate and sodium chloride injection .Methods The test was carried out by thin-membrane filtration method with different volume of flushing liquid or adding neutralization into culture medium according to the Appendix of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition) .Results When 0 .1% peptone water was used as flushing liquid ,Staphylococcus aureus gave no evidence of growth until the amount of flushing liquid reached 700 ml per tube (100 ml each time) .At the same time ,all of the six positive control bacteria grew normally when there was 300 ml flushing liquid in each tube with neutralization as culture medium .Conclusion This method was simple and convenient ,suggesting that it was suitable for the sterility test of levofloxacin lactate and sodium chloride injection .

Objective To compare the clinical effects of oral proton pump inhibitor and intravenous proton pump inhibitor in preventing re-bleeding for patients with peptic ulcer.Methods From January 2014 to December 2015,149 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding who came to our hospital for treatment and were successfully stanched by endoscopic therapy were chosen as study subjects.They were randomly divided into oral group and intravenous group according to random number table.The clinical effects,including re-bleeding rate,mortality and volume of blood transfusion were compared between the two groups.Results The re-bleeding rates within 20 days of the oral group and intravenous group were 5.6％ and 5.1％,respectively,and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (x2 =0.02,P ＞ 0.05).The hospital stay of the oral group and intravenous group were (4.0 ± 0.4) d and (2.1 ± 0.6) d,respectively,and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (t =22.90,P ＜0.05).The volume of blood transfusion of the oral group and intravenous group were (1 001 ±284.2)mL and (601.0 ± 197.9) mL,respectively,and there was no significant difference between the two groups (t =0.90,P ＞ 0.05).Both two groups had no death within 30d and during surgery.Conclusion For the patients who were successfully cured by endoscopic therapy,the clinical effect of oral proton pump inhibitor is similar to the effect of intravenous proton pump inhibitor,and oral proton pump inhibitor is more easy operating and lower economic burden than intravenous proton pump inhibitor.