To evaluate percutaneous trans hepatic puncture and intraluminal bleomycin injection for hepatic hemangioma, 20 patients accepted the therapy. With local anesthesia, a PTC needle was punctured into the lumen of hepatic hemangioma, and the bleomycin was injected. One time a week, and three times made a course of treatment. The total curative ratio was 100%. Fever and distension of the abdomen occurred in 25% of the patients. It is concluded that the method is a mini traumatic and effective therapy for hepatic hemangioma.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy on primary varicose veins treated with He's fire needle therapy.

METHODSFifty patients of primary varicose veins were randomized into an observation group (25 cases) and a control group (25 cases). In the observation group, He's fire needle therapy was applied for 8 weeks. The fire needling was done on the sites of varicose veins till the bleeding stopped automatically. Additionally, acupuncture with filiform needle was applied to Heyang (BL 55), Chengjin (BL 56), Chengshan (BL 57) and Kunlun (BL 60) on the affected side. In the control group, no intervention was given. The follow-up visit was conducted regularly and since the 8th week, the same treatment as the observation group was provided in the control group. The revised venous clinical severity score (RVCSS) was used for the evaluation of the primary outcomes. The methods for the evaluation of the secondary efficacy outcomes included the venous insufficiency epidemiologic and economic study of quality of life questionnaire scale (VEINES-QOL/sym questionnaire), the venous insufficiency epidemiologic and economic study of symptom score (VEINES-Sym score), the venous insufficiency epidemiologic and economic study of quality of life scale (VEINES-QOL score) and the Homburg varicose vein severity score (HVVSS). The evaluation was conducted at the baseline, at the end of the 4th week and the 8th week separately. The follow-up evaluation was done at the end of the 16th week in the observation group.

RESULTSDuring the study, 5 cases were dropped out, accounting for 10%. RVCSS score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks separately (both P < 0.05). VEINES-QOL score and HVVSS score in the observation group were higher than those in the control group at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks separately (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). VEINES-Sym score in the observation group was increased as compared with that of the control group at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks, but the difference was significant at the end of the 8th week (P < 0.01). HVVSS score at the end of the 8th and 16th weeks was reduced as compared with that at the end of the 4th week in the observation group (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHE's fire needle therapy is effective on primary varicose veins. It significantly reduces the severity of disease, the severity of symptoms and the attack frequency of symptoms so that the quality of life is improved in the patients. Additionally, the good long-term efficacy is maintained in 8 weeks after treatment. When the duration of treatment is increased from 4 weeks to 8 weeks, HE's fire needle therapy remarkably improves the efficacy for reducing the symptom severity.

Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome ; Varicose Veins ; therapy

[Objective]This study was designed to investigate capability of the conditioned media that originated from Renca cells to convert CIM~+ CD25~- T cells into CD4~+ CD25~+ T cells,which can exert immunosuppressive effect on effector T cells in vitro and in vivo.[Methods]The common media were mixed with the conditioned media at different ratios,and fresh enriched CD4~+ CD25~- T cells with MACS were cultured in mixed media for 7 days.At end-point of culture,the cells were collected and detected phenotypes in flow cytometer.Moreover,we detected immunosuppressive effect of converted CD4~+ CD25~+ T cells on effeetor T cells proliferation in one-way mixed lymphocytes reaction by using CCK-8,and we observed survival time and histology of grafts.The delayed type hypersensitivity was determined 14 days after transplantation.[Results]The mixed media could increase ratio of CD4~+ CD25~+ Foxp3~+ T cells in conditioned media ratio-dependent(P＜0.05),compared with control groups,when the mixed media contained no mote than 75% of conditioned media.The converted CD4~+ CD25~+ T cells significantly suppress proliferation of effector T cells in vitro,and prolong survival time of grafts,which were(29.6±1.4)d in converted CD4~+ CD25~+ T cells treated groups(P＜0.05),compared with that in untreated groups(9.8±0.6 d)or PBS treated groups(10.9±0.6 d).Moreover,delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction were conducted at day 14 after transplantation in the recipients,and the results showed that less pad swelling in the group treated with converted CD4~+ CD25~+ T cells than other control groups was found,according to measurement of pad swelling.In addition,progressed to complete necrosis of grafts were exhibited in the mice treated with PBS and untreated mice,whereas better healing of grafts and less lymphocytes infiltration were displayed in the mice treated with converted CD4~+ CD25~+ T cells,which were similar to the mice treated with natural regulatory T cells.[Conclusion]The converted CD4~+ CD25~+ T cells with Renca conditioned media play suppressive role in vitro and in vivo.

Objective To compare gross tumor volume (GTV) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) according to MRI and FDG PET/CT and to investigated four fixed threshold methods to delineate the GTV using FDG PET/CT.Methods Fifty patients with primary biopsy-proven NPC were prospectively were enrolled into the study.FDG PET/CT scans and MRI were carried out within one week prior to pretreatment,respectively.The GTV was named GTV-MRI (GTV were delineated according to MRI),GTV-PETvis,GTV-PET30,GTV-PET40,GTV-PET50 (GTV was delineated according to the PET-based GTVs obtained by visual interpretationor,by percentage of the SUVmax (30％,40％,50％) thresholds,respectively).The differences were compared among the GTV-MRI,GTV-PETvis,GTV-PET30,GTV-PET40 and GTV-PET50 in different by Wilcoxon test.Results Of 50 patients,the median of volume descending order were: GTV-MRI 27.8 cm3,GTV-PETvis 22.2 cm3,GTV-PET30 22.7 cm3,GTV-PET40 14.4 cm3 and GTV-PET50 9.0 cm3.However,there was no significant difference between GTV-PETvis and GTV-PET30 (Z=-0.05,P=0.958),as well as GTV-MRI and GTV-PETvis or GTV-PET30 in 25 patients who were T1-2 stage (Z =-0.93,-0.93,P=0.353,O.353),the other GTVs were all different in 50 patients' (Z=-5.74-2.09,P =0.000-0.037).Conclusions All the GTVs delineated by the different methods of using FDG PET/CT were less than the GTV delineated by MRI.The potential advantages with the GTV-PETvis or GTV-PET30 delineated by FDG PET/CT are reduction of biological metabolic tumor volume in GTV delineation and reduction of the size of the GTV in NPC patients.

0.05). Conclusion The lesions of left and right hemisphere can both cause cognitive impairment, which is significantly correlated with the severity of motor dysfunction in acute stroke patients with subcortical lesion.Great attention should be paid to the evaluation and treatment of cognitive dysfunction in patients with serious hemiplegia.

Objective:To explore the early diagnostic value of serum procalcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein (CRP) and endotoxin in patients with sepsis caused by bacterial bloodstream infection.Methods:Retrospectively analyzed 123 cases of patients diagnosed with sepsis induced by bacterial bloodstream infection in our hospital from May 2010 to May 2015,detected their serum PCT,CRP and endotoxin levels,and analyzed the evaluation value of these three indexes for sepsis induced by bacterial bloodstream infection by receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC).Results:Blood sample culture results showed that 123 cases of bacterial bloodstream infections caused by sepsis patients in the presence of infection of G+bacteria were 35 cases,G-bacteria infection of 88 cases;The levels of three index in the G+bacteria group were significantly lower than that in the G-bacteria group (P＜0.05);The serum PCT,CRP and endotoxin levels was positive correlated with each other among G+bacteria group,G-bacteria group and all bacteria group;ROC curves showed that the cutoff value of serum PCT,CRP and endotoxin for diagnosis of patients with sepsis induced by G+bacteria bloodstream infection were 1.58 μg/L,95.25 mg/L and 16.71ng/L,and their sensitivity and specificity were (65.92％,88.37％),(67.39％,84.38％) and (56.34％,78.93％) respectively;and the cutoff value for diagnosis of patients with sepsis induced by G-bacteria bloodstream infection were 2.45 μg/L,79.45 mg/L and 15.54 ng/L,their sensitivity and specificity were (78.73％,97.13％),(68.89％,92.38％) and (65.39％,95.33％)respectively.Conclusion:Detecting the serum PCT,CRP and endotoxin levels is helpful to identify patients with sepsis induced by G+ or G-bacteria bloodstream infection,with high sensitivity and specificity,which can be used in the early diagnosis of sepsis induced by bacterial bloodstream infection.

Objective To measure the maximum movement of the hyoid bone and ventriculus laryngis during normal swallowing. Methods Forty volunteers were selected as subjects, and an X?ray simulator was used to collect the videos of normal swallowing. Video analysis software was used to capture continuous and quick screenshots of these videos, and the maximum movement of the hyoid bone and ventriculus laryngis was measured. The difference in movement was analyzed by one?way analysis of variance. Results The mean time for swallowing in 40 volunteers was 1.13±0.28 s. During the process of swallowing, the hyoid bone and ventriculus laryngis moved upward first, then outward, and finally returned to the resting position. The maximum movement of the hyoid bone forward and backward was 0.90±0.30 cm;the maximum vertical movement of the hyoid bone was 0.93±0.36 cm. The maximum movement of the ventriculus laryngis forward and backward was 0.69± 0. 25 cm;the maximum vertical movement of the ventriculus laryngis was 1.04±0.45 cm. Further studies showed the effect of age on the time for swallowing (P=0.03), with similar results for the male and female ( P=0.13) . Sex and age had no effects on movement of the hyoid bone and ventriculus laryngis (P=0.28?0.81 and 0.20?0.88). Conclusions During normal swallowing, the hyoid bone and the ventriculus laryngis move first upward and then forward. These movements should be considered during the development of radiotherapy plan for head and neck cancer.

Candelariella is a widespread lineage of lichenized ascomycetes with ambiguous relationships among species that have not solved completely. In this study, several specimens belonging to Candelariella were collected from China and South Korea, and the internal transcribed spacer region was generated to confirm the system position of the newly collected specimens. Combined with a morphological examination and phylogenetic analysis, two new areolate species, Candelariella rubrisoli and C. subsquamulosa, are new to science. Detail descriptions of each new species are presented. In addition, C. canadensis is firstly reported from China mainland.
Ascomycota ; China ; Classification ; Far East ; Korea ; Lichens ; Phylogeny

Most of lichens are formed by Ascomycota, less than 1% are lichenized Basidiomycota. The flora investigation of lichenized Ascomycota of South Korea has been well studied in the past three decades; however, prior to this study, none of basidiolichens was discovered. During the recent excursion, an unexpected clavarioid basidiolichen, Sulzbacheromyces sinensis was collected. Morphology and ecology has been recorded in detail. DNA was extracted, and ITS, 18S, 28S nuclear rDNA were generated. In order to further confirm the systematic position of the Korean specimens, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analysis including all the species of the order Lepidostromatales were conducted based on the ITS. As a result, the phylogenetic tree of the order Lepidostromatales was reconstructed, which differed from the previous studies. The inferred phylogenetic tree showed that species of Sulzbacheromyces in three different continents (Asia, South Africa and South America) were separated into three clades with support. In this study, the species worldwide distribution map of Lepidostromatales was illustrated, and S. sinensis had a widest distribution range (paleotropical extend to the Sino-Japanese) than other species (paleotropical or neotropical). Prior to this study, the range of distribution, southernmost and northernmost points and the fruiting time of S. sinensis were recorded, and the genus Sulzbacheromyces was firstly reported from Korean peninsula and Philippines.
Ascomycota ; Asia ; Basidiomycota ; DNA ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Ecology ; Fruit ; Geography ; Korea ; Lichens ; Philippines ; Phylogeny ; South Africa ; Trees

This study was aimed at evaluating the growth promoting effect of symbiotic algal polyol (ribitol) and plant hormones on the lichen-forming fungi (LFF), Ramalina farinacea (CH050010 and 40403) and Ramalina fastigiata. The addition of ribitol to basal (malt-yeast extract) medium enhanced the relative growth rates of all three LFF. R. farinacea (CH050010), R. farinacea (40403) and R. fastigiata (H06127) showed 35.3%, 29.0% and 29.3% higher growth rates, respectively, compared to the control. IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) and TIBA (2,3,5-tridobenzoic acid) also increased growth rates of the LFF by 34 to 64% and 7 to 28%, respectively, compared to the control. The combination of ribitol with IBA or TIBA synergistically increased the growth of all LFF. For example, ribitol and IBA treatments increased growth rates of R. farinacea (CH050010), R. farinacea (40403) and R. fastigiata (H06127) by 79.4%, 40.3% and 72.8% in, respectively, compared to those grown on the basal medium. The stimulating effect of ribitol and IBA on the LFF growth induced vertical development of the fungal mass in culture. We suggest that lichen-forming fungal growth of Ramalina lichens can be stimulated aposymbiotically by supplementing polyols and plant hormones to the basal medium in the mass production of lichen secondary metabolites under large scale culture conditions.
Fungi ; Indoles ; Lichens ; Plant Growth Regulators ; Plants ; Polymers ; Ribitol ; Triiodobenzoic Acids