BACKGROUND: It is believed that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may produce such neurophysiological effects as regulating regional cerebral blood flow, neurotransmitters, local metabolism, and neuronal remodeling after nerve tissue injuries. The prognosis ofischemic stroke is related with the cortical function reconstruction in the ipsilateral and contralateral hemisphere of the lesion. Currently studies have not defined whether rTMS can affect the cortical function, protect ischemic neurons and promote motor functional recovery after cerebral ischemia.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of rTMS on rat motor cortical excitability and neural function in acute stage of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.DESIGN: Completely randomized experiment.SETTING: Electroneurophysiological Laboratory of Peking Union Medical College Hospital.MATERIALS: The experiment was completed in the Zoological Research Center of Peking Union Hospital from January to June 2004. Totally 22adult male healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into treatment group and the control group with 11 in each.METHODS: After determination of the average motor threshold of the right hind limbs, which was 22% of the maximum output, the rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion for 1 hour followed by reperfusion for 72 hours. At each time point of immediately and at 12, 36 and 60 hours after the initiation of reperfusion, the rats in the treatment group received rTMS treatment (20 Hz, 40% maximum output, 5 seconds for each session with an between-session interval of 2 minutes for a total of 10 sessions), and the site for motor threshold evaluation was used for rTMS stimulation; the rats in the control group recevied no treatment after model establishment. Motor threshold testing was performed in both groups 4 hours after the last session of treatment to avoid immediate-early effects of rTMS on the motor threshold. At 24 and 72 hours of reperfusion, the scores of neural function were recorded according to evaluation systems. All the rats with scores between 1 and 3 were enrolled in statistical analysis were evaluated between.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Motor threshold of the rats in both groups before and after injury; ② Neural function scores at 24 and 72 hour reperfusion; ③ Infarct volume at 72 hour of reperfusion.RESULTS: Totally 13 rats entered the final result analysis. Before injury,motor threshold in the treatment and control group was similar (P=0.71),and after the injury, the motor threshold of the control group was 1.49times that of the treatment group but such difference was not statistically significant [(41.62±24.73)% vs (28.00±9.35)%, t=-1.17, P=0.27]. At 24hours of reperfusion, the functional scores of the treatment group and control group were not significantly different (P=0.46), but at 72 hours, the scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than that of the control group (1.60±1.52 vs 7.75±3.62, t=-3.57, P=0.004). The average infarct volume of two groups was (62.00±60.88) mm3 and (20.00±12.41) mm3 at 72 hours of reperfusion, respectively, which, after logarithm transformation,was not significantly different between the two group (t=-1.31, P=0.22),but when the infarct volume was transformed into Log10 values, a significant difference occurred between them (P=0.045).CONCLUSION: rTMS may stabilize and prevent the increment of the motor threshold, time-dependently relieve the neural function disability and reduce the infarct volume after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Purpose To explore the clinicopathological features,immunophenotype,differential diagnosis and prognosis of the composite pheochromocytoma (CP)-ganglioneuroma.Methods 3 cases of CP-ganglioneuroma were stained by immunohistochemical SP method,and the related literatures were reviewed.Results 3 cases of CP-ganglioneuroma were one male and 2 females,the age were 37-64.Case 3 were of primary mediastinal.Microscopically,the tumor tissues were composed of two components:one type of tumor cells were arranged in nests with a predominant Zellballen pattern,round or oval nuclei,fine granular cytoplasm and rare mitotic,another part of the neoplasm showed scattered and aggregated distributed ganglion cells in the background of neurofibromatosis which aligned bundles and interwoven,the edge of the tumor was still residual adrenal tissue.Immunohistochemically,components of pheochromocytoma were positive for CD56,CgA,Syn,vimentin and negative for SMA,Melan-A,α-inhibin NF with low Ki-67 proliferation index.S-100 was positive in supporting cells,ganglioneuroma components were positive for NF,S-100 with low Ki-67 proliferation index.CgA and Syn were weakly positive or negative in the ganglion cells.Conclusion CP is a relatively rare tumor,which can not be distinguished from pheochromocytoma in clinical and radiological diagnosis.The corresponding clinical treatment and follow-up management should be taken according to the different ingredients (benign or malignant).

Dental impressions are widely used in the field of oral restoration. The materials are used for making impression in oral cavity. In order to measure the thickness of impression for reference in clinic, the real impressions are taken as the object for studying. Through optical method, charge-coupled device (CCD) is used for collecting the grey image of cutting section of the impressions which are located in the same plane with steel dividing ruler. According to convert relationship between dividing ruler and pixels collecting grey image, the thickness of impression specimens can be obtained. The results show that the optical method used for measuring thickness is feasible to the task and the precision can reach micro dimension. The experiment method and technique can also be provided for measuring thickness of similar tissue engineering materials.
Dental Impression Materials ; Dental Models ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; Optics and Photonics

AIM: To explore the cytokines level and the discrepancy of reaction to dexamethasone (Dex) in ALI rats induced by hydrochloric acid (HCl) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: Ninety-six SD rats were divided into six groups at random (n=16 in each group): NS group, HCl group, LPS group, NS+Dex group, HCl+Dex group and LPS+Dex group. Every group was divided into two subgroups: the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) subgroup and no bronchoalveolar lavage (NBAL) subgroup. The total leukocytes, PMN%, macrophage%, lymphocyte%, total protein in BALF and the wet/dry of the lung weight were measured. The concentrations of TNF-?, IL-1?, IL-4 and IL-10 in serum and BALF in every group were compared. RESULTS: (1) In the groups of LPS and HCl, the total leukocytes, PMN numbers, the protein concentration in the BALF and W/D were higher than those in control group (P

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of onychin on the endothelial cells injured by oxidative stress. METHODS: The injured model was established by endothelial cells treated with menadione. The growth inhibitory rate of endothelial cell was determined by MTT assay; NO - 2/NO - 3 concentration in the medium was determined by nitrate reductase assay; eNOS and caveolin-1 protein levels were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Onychin significantly decreased the growth inhibitory rate of endothelial cells injured by menadione, increased NO - 2/NO - 3 concentration in the medium and eNOS activity and up-regulated caveolin-1 expression. CONCLUSION: Onychin possesses a protective effect against endothelial cell injury induced by menadione via caveolin-1/eNOS pathway.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of the instant gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast agent in the digestive diseases. Methods Five hundred and seventy-nine patients received the examination of the color Doppler after they drinked the ultrasonic contrast agent. Then the results were analyzed by consistency analysis. Results There was high consistency between the two examinations in the normal control, gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric cancer and gastric leiomyoma. The Kappa value was 0.768, 0.913, 0.925, 0.939 and 1.000, respectively. But the consistency in the gastric polyp was low , the Kappa value was 0.368. Conclusion The color Doppler through the instant gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast agent has high diagnostic value in the common diseases of the digestive system.

Objective To investigate the diagnosis of a case with 7p15.3p22.1 microdeletion by applying array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) and to analyze the relationship between the clinical manifestations and 7p15.3p22.1 microdeletion. Method Array-CGH technique was used to detect genomic copy number variations (CNVs) in an infant with normal karyotype after conventional chromosomal karyotyping. Results Array-CGH detected 7p15.3p22.1 deletion (chr7: 6777262-23981753), which was confirmed as pathogenic CNV after comparative analysis with database. Conclusion Array-CGH could serve as a useful complement for G-banding to be used in the clinical cytogenetic diagnosis.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of MSCT in the diagnosis of unexplained aseites.Methods 113 patients with unexplained ascites were retrospectively reviewed by CT、clinical data and continous observation.Results Large ascites in 50 cases(44.3%),moderate amount aseites in 10 cases(8.8%),small ascites in 53 cases(46.9%);Parietal peritoneum changed in 51 cases(45.1%);Mesentery changed in 44 cases(38.9%);Grerter omentum changed in 20 eases(17.7%);Enlargement of lymph nodes in 67 cases(59.3%).Conclusion Malignant tumor was the most common cause of unexplained ascites.MSCT could help in identifying tumors and the tumor lesion,forecast malignant ascites,and had great value in etiology and diagnosis of ascites.

Objective To explore the clinical features of nervous system involvement of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).Methods A retrospective clinical analysis of 15 admitted AIDS patients with neurological involvement in our hospital from February 2002 to February 2008.Eight of them visited department of neurology for the first time.Results There were 4 cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encephalopathy, 1 of them appearanced as general chorea, 1 HIV-associated encephalopathy accompanied with myopathy; 1 progressive multifocal leukoeneephalopathy (PML); 1 PML accompanied with toxoplasmosis; 1 HlV-associated myopathy; 1 multicranial nerve injury companied with myelopathy; 1 peripheral neuropathy; 1 drug-associated neuromuscular disease; 4 meningoencephalitis and 1 brain abscess cases.Conclusion The manifestations and AIDS neurological involvement are varied.A close attention should be paid to screening.

Objective To compare the clinical evaluation in diagnosis of thyroid nodules between fine needle aspiration(FNA) and core needle biopsy(CNB).Methods 82 cases with thyroid nodules undergoing FNA and 33 cases with thyroid nodules undergoing CNB were selected.Cytology,histopathology,and postoperative results were compared with postoperative pathology as the gold standard.Results The accuracy,sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value,false positive rate,false negative rate of FNA and CNB were 91.5％ vs 87.9％,93.2％ vs 87.5％,87.0％ vs 88.9％,94.8％ vs 95.5％,83.3％ vs 72.7％,13.0％ vs 11.1％,6.8％ vs 12.5％,respectively.There was no significant difference between FNA and CNB (P＞0.05).Conclusion Both of FNA and CNB examination show high accuracy,sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules,but FNA is more economical,safe,convenient and thus has more extensive clinical application.For lymphoma or borderline tumor,CNB examination combined with immunohistochemistry is of more advantages.