Objective To analyze the performance of a rapid immunofluorescence assay for plasma NT-proBNP. Methods Human plasma NT-proBNP was measured by RAMP in 264 healthy cases and 78 patients with heart failure. The precision, stability, linearity and interference factors of RAMP were evaluated according to the protocold from America CLSI. Meanwhile, the results were compared with those obtained by Elecsys. Results Functional sensitivity of RAMP in 20% CV and 10% CV were 48 ng/L and 57 ng/L respectively. The linear range was 18-8 000 ng/L. NT-proBNP in plasma samples detected by RAMP were stable at room temperature for 24 hours, 4 ℃ for 3 days and - 20 ℃ for 20 days. No influences on results were observed throughout three freeze-thaw cycles. The results measured by RAMP were compared between EDTA-K2 anticoagulant plasma and heparin anticoagulant plasma, which showed that YEDTA-K2 =0. 953 9 Xheparin + 0. 365 2 ( R2 = 0. 982, P < 0. 01, n = 40 ). The results of EDTA-K2 and heparin anticoagulant plasma using RAMP and Elecsys showed no significant difference( P ＞0. 05). Slight hemolysis( Hb 2 g/L)had small effect on the results of PAMP and Elecsys assays and deviations of them were below 5%. However median and heavy hemolysis( Hb 3-4 g/L )obviously influenced the results with deviation were more than 15%. The values measured by RMAP fell from 390 ng/L to 82 ng/L, and those measured by Elecsys method fell from 390 ng/L to 178 ng/L when 3 different concentrations of triacylglycerol were added, the values measured by two methods fell from 7 777 ng/L to 7 741 ng/L when bilirubin ( 16-330 μmol/L) was added. The anti-interference ability of RAMP method was similar to Elecsys. Results detected with two methods in 45 EDTA-K2 anticoagulant plasma samples were analyzed with Passing and Bablok regression.The regression equation was YRAMP = 0. 972 8XElecsys - 0. 035 2 (R2 = 0. 994, P ＞ 0. 05, n = 45 ). When heparin anticoagulant plasma samples increased to 78 samples, Passing and Bablok regression equation showed:YRAMP= 0. 983 2XElecsys - 0. 037 6 ( R2 = 0. 991, P ＞ 0. 05, n = 78 ). NT-proBNP levels in healthy adults were elevated along with age and related to the gender. The median value of female[105(60-120) ng/L] was higher than that of male [59 ( 44-91 ) ng/L, Z = 3. 264, P < 0. 01] significantly. Conclusions RAMP method has good repeatability, outstanding stability, and broad linear range. The results detected by RAMP is consistent with results detected by Elecsys.

Virtual Reality is just emerging as an accepted scientific discipline. It has been widely used in medicine. The major applications of virtual reality for medicine are introduced from three areas :virtual humans,the fusion of virtual humans with real humans and virtual telemedicine. The advanced graphics behind medical virtual reality,such as computational demands,hardware and software environments is briefly discussed. This article also gives a summary of existing distributed VR systems.

Objective To compare the effects of ephedrine and dopamine in the prevention of hypotension during combined spinal and epidural anesthesia (CSEA)for cesarean delivery.Methods Fifty ASAⅠorⅡ patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery were randomly divided into the two groups,Ephedrine group (n=5 1 ):intrave-nous injection of 10mg ephedrine before anesthesia;Dopamine group(n=52):continuous intravenous infusion at the speed of 5μg·kg-1 ·min-1 .During the whole process,we investigated the incidence rate of adverse effects,com-pared the Apgar score of neonate and analyzed blood gas of umbilical artery and vein.Results Compare to the dopa-mine group,the incidence rate of hypotension was lower in the ephedrine group (43.1% vs 69.2%,χ2 =7.06,P=0.00).The pH value of umbilical artery and 1 min Apgar score of neonate in the ephedrine group was lower compare with that in the dopamine group[(7.22 ±0.03)vs (7.27 ±0.06),t=0.62,P=0.02],there are no significant difference of 5 min Apgar score in the two groups.Conclusion Compared with dopamine,ephedrine is a useful drug in the prevention of hypotension during combined spinal and epidural anesthesia (CSEA)for cesarean delivery and there are no significant differences of adverse effects of dopamine and ephedrine.Ephedrine has transient effect on the neonate,while the effect of dopamine is minor.

Objective To investigate the relevance of liver function and neurobehavior of offspring of SD rats ex-posed to sodium valproate in the second trimester. Methods 30 SD rats at 12. 5 d of pregnance were randomly di-vided into three groups: low-dose group (300 mg/kg VPA was injected into abdominal cavity), high-dose group (600 mg/kg VPA);control group (normal saline). The offspring of low-dose groupe were grouped as VPA-low-dose;the offspring of high-dose groupe were grouped as VPA-high-dose; and the offspring of control group were grouped as control group. Then, we tested the liver and neurological function of each group of offspring, respective-ly, and analyzed their relevance. Results The levels of serum total protein and albumin of the high-dose group were considerably lower than these of the low-dose group which were significantly lower than these of control group ( P<0. 01 for both total protein and albumin);the levels of ALT, AST and blood ammonia of the high dose group were drastically higher than these of the low dose group, which were dramatically higher than these of control group ( P<0. 01 ) . The duration and of stereotyped movement disorder in experimental group was markedly longer than this of the control group, while this of the high-dose group was notably longer than this of the low-dose group ( P<0. 01 );the frequency of the stereotyped movement disorder of experimental group was significantly more than this of the control group, while this of high-dose group was obviously more than this of the control group (P<0. 01). In the Morris water maze, the escape latency of the high-dose group was remarkably longer than this of low-dose group, which was observably longer than this of control group (P<0. 01);the swimming distance of the high-dose group was tremendously shorter than this of low-dose group, which was considerably shorter than this of control group ( P<0. 05 , P<0. 01 ) . Correlation analysis of liver function and neural behavior showed that the neurobe-havioral abnormalities were negatively correlated with level of total protein and albumin, and were positively related with the level of blood ammonia, ALT and AST ( P<0. 01 ) . Conclusion The VPA exposure in the second tri-mester leads to the decrement of serum albumin and total protein and to the increment of AIL, AST and blood am-monia;and it also causes the neurobehavioral abnormalities of offspring. The reduction of synthesis of liver albumin and the rise of ALT, AST and blood ammonia can influence the neurobehavioral abnormalities. And there were both of the factors which result in the neurobehavioral abnormalities of offspring exposured to VPA in the second trimes-ter.

Objective To assess the risk of emergent endotracheal intubations in pediatric intensive care unite (PICU ) and to de-termine the risk factors of complications .Methods A prospective study was conducted with unified tables to collected data of all e-mergent intubations occurring in PICU between November 2011 and May 2012 .All the children were divided into group of any com-plication and group of no complication .Results (1)69 .1% children of emergent intubations had complications including desatura-tion(67 .9% ) ,bradycardia(29 .8% ) ,vomiting (16 .7% ) .(2)Emergent endotracheal intubations were 1 .7 times more likely to occur off-hours .Off-hours intubations were associated with 2 .7 times the risk of complications as on-hours intubations .(3)In a multivari-ate logistic regression analysis ,the nasal tracheal intubation ,two or more attempts at intubation ,and off-hours intubation were asso-ciated with complications .Conclusion Emergent endotracheal intubation are 1 .7 times more likely to occur off-hours .off-hours in-tubations ,the nasal tracheal intubation ,two or more attempts at intubation ,are associated with complications .

Objective To investigate the effect of nuclear factor-?B (NF-?B), NF-?B-inducing kinase (NIK) and I-?B in basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) promoting gene expression and signal transduction of tenocyte NF-?B. Methods Tenocytes isolated from rabbits were divided into 3 groups with 8 dishes: no bFGF (Group A), 2 ng/ml bFGF (Group B) and 10 ng/ml bFGF (Group C). Cells in all dishes were cultured for 5 days. The effect of bFGF on tenocytes proliferation was examined by means of growth curve analysis. The mRNA was isolated after 5 days and the gene expressions of NIK,IKK? and IKK? induced by NF-?B investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results The growth curve moved forward with the dosage increase of bFGF. Gene expressions of NF-?B,NIK, I?B kinase (IKK)? and IKK? were 0.4? 0.2 , 0.4 ? 0.1 , 0.3 ?0.1 and 0.2?0.1 respectively in the Group B and 1.8?0.5,1.0?0.3, 0.8 ? 0.2 and 1.5 ? 0.4 in the Group C. Gene expressions were all up-regulated in the Groups B and C posterior to adding of bFGF. Conclusions bFGF stimulates tenocyte proliferation and up-regulates gene expression of NF-?B,NIK,IKK? and IKK?, as indicates that the signal transduction of promoting tenocyte proliferation by bFGF may be through NF-?B pathway.

Objective To study the relationship between the renal cortical thickness and age,and to establish the range of the normal renal cortex thickness by using CT measurement in different age groups so as to obtain a best age-related and practicable method for clinical measurement. Methods (1) the accuracy of measuring renal cortical thickness by CT was evaluated; 18 kidneys resected due to renal neoplasm were studied and the cortical thickness of the normal part of these specimens was assessed. The difference between the renal cortical thickness of specimens and preoperative measurements of renal cortex of the same patient by contrast enhanced CT was analyzed statistically. (2) 120 patients without history of renal disease or long term usage of potentially renal toxic drugs or history of hypertention were examined by CT with indication(s) other than renal disease. All the patients were divided into 20-40, 41-60, and 61-80 year-old groups. The renal cortical and parenchymal thickness and renal size were measured in three CT sections. The difference of the measurements among the three groups and their relationship to age was analyzed statistically. Results There was no significant difference between the renal cortical thickness measured by enhanced spiral CT and measured in renal specimens(t =0. 80,P =0. 43). The renal cortical thickness in three groups was 0. 73 cm, 0. 65 cm, and 0. 53 cm, respectively, and the differences among the three groups were significant ( F = 93.430, P 0. 05). Conclusion The measurement of the renal cortical thickness with enhanced spiral CT was reliable and was a sensitive method in investigating the morphologic changes of the kidney. The renal cortical thickness of normal kidney diminishes with age, but the change of the ratio of thickness of renal cortex to renal parenchyma with age was not significant.

0.5). Conclusion To some extent, the cup sign and split sign on CT reflect the biologic character of AMLs, and the signs are helpful in making the specific diagnosis of AML combined with other imaging manifestations.

12 gestational-week uterus) were treated in our hospital by LAVH. The operation time,intraoperative blood loss,and postoperative recovery of the patients were compared to another 110 cases that underwent TAH. Results The operation time in the TAH group was significantly shorter than that in the LAVH group [(109?27) min vs (130?22) min,t=-6.441,P=0.000]. During the operation,the LAVH group had a mean of (121?70) ml blood loss,which was significantly lower than that in the TAH group [(141?73) ml,t=-0.903,P=0.368]. After the operation,the patients in the TAH group had longer recovery time for gastrointestinal function and longer hospital stay than those in the LAVH group [(45?13) h vs (24?6) h,t=15.778,P=0.000;and (7?2) d vs (5?2) d,t=7.530,P=0.000]. Conclusions Compared to TAH,LAVH results in shorter hospital stay and fewer postoperative complications. It is a feasible and safe treatment for large uterus.

The virtual reality teaching system of human skeletal anatomy developed in this paper is based on the advanced personal computer and uses the stereo glasses of ELSA 3D REVELATOR, mouse and keyboard to make up the human-computer interface. Using this system, students can take apart and assemble the skeleton, grasp single bone to rotate and zoom, learn the human skeletal anatomy in a vivid environment, and thus know more about motion physiology.