Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity of Morisky questionnaire in measurement of the compliance with hypertensive medications. Methods Seventy-four eligible subjects were selected and asked to fill a Morisky questionnaire about their adherence in taking antihypertensive drugs during the past 1 month; nineteen of them received two surveys at 3～7 day intervals. The internal consistency (Cronbach ? coefficients),test-retest reliability (interclass correlation coefficients),construct validity and convergent validity were calculated. Results The Cronbach ? coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.749 and the interclass correlation coefficients between the items and the total scores of the questionnaires ranged from 0.71 to 1.00. Factor analysis yielded one factor with an accumulated contribution rate of 57.3%,and the loading values of all items on this factor were above 0.6. The Spearman correlation coefficients between the Morisky scores and the adherence assessment by the subjects themselves were over 0.3 (P

Objective To evaluate the ability of two sets parameters of the volome rendering technich(VRT)with multislice spiral CT(MSCT)to display the normal inner ear.Methods Fifty-eight inner ears of twenty-nine healthy volunteers were scanned and reconstructed with VRT.The images of VRT were recombinated with two sets(A,B)of parameters.Results The semicirculares、cochlea,vestibule,fenestra cochleae and vestibuli of inner ear could be visualized clearly by VRT images with"A"group's parameters.The vestibuli was displayed unsharply by VRT images with"B" group's parameters.Conclusions The double-threshold segmentation matching with manuleditor of VRT was successfully used to separate the inner ear from the temporal bone.And the semicirculares,cochiea,vestibule,fenestra cochleae and vestibuli of inner ear could be displayed clearly by VRT images of"A"group's parameters(threshold:256～765,935～1019,brightness:42,opacity:70).

Due to the differences between Chinese and Western cultures, Chinese version of foreign research instruments may not be totally applicable for use in evaluating the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Great efforts have been made by Chinese researchers to develop scales for evaluation of the therapeutic effects of TCM. This study aims to understand the current situation of research in the development of evaluation instrument in TCM.

Objective To explore the common bleeding location, disease features, and the management strategies of intractable aged epistaxis. Methods 134 serious epistaxis patients were examined step by step according to nasal anatomic structure and treated by a stepwise way under endoscopy. Results The bleeding location of the intractable aged epistaxis were found as follows:2 cases (1. 49%) in anterosu-perior area, 44 cases (32. 84%) in anteroinferior area, 18 cases (13. 43%) in posterosuperior area, 22 cases (16. 42%) in posteroinferi-or area, 3 cases (2. 24%) in nasopharynx, and the bleeding site of the other 45 cases (33. 58%) were not found. All the patients were healed. The final treatment way were:46 cases (34. 33%) with pharmacotherapy or cauterization (grade Ⅰ~Ⅲ), 88 cases (65. 67%) with anterior nasal packing (grade Ⅳ), 9 cases (6. 72%) with posterior packing(gradeⅤ),1 case (0. 75%) with selective angiographic embolization (grade Ⅵ). There were 82 cases (61. 19%) succeed with the initial hemostasis methods while 52 cases (38. 81%) succeed with the upgrade therapy. Both hemostasis methods and upgrade therapy had statistical significance in different nasal position groups ( hemo-stasis methods:χ2 =16. 35,P=0. 00; upgrade therapy: χ2 =16. 35,P=0. 00). Conclusion Compartmental examination and classified treatment steps by using endoscope may locate and stop nose bleeding promptly while decrease patients' pain and medical cost.

Objective: To investigate the recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis patients 5 years after successful treatment in Hengyang City, Hunan Province, and to analyze its influencing factors. Methods: The data of pulmonary tuberculosis patients who were successfully treated in Hengyang City in 2014 were collected through the tuberculosis management information system. The recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis was defined as the endpoint, and all patients were observed for five consecutive years. Factors affecting recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis were identified using Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank test and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results: A total of 6 626 patients with successfully treated pulmonary tuberculosis were included, including 4 961 males and 1 665 females, with a median age of 54 years. There were 536 cases with recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis within five years, with a 8.09% cumulative proportion of recurrence and annual recurrence rate of 1.75 per 100 person-years. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that men ( HR=1.592, 95%CI: 1.256-2.019 ), age of 40 years and greater ( age of 40 to 59 years, HR=7.025, 95%CI: 1.739-28.377; age of 60 years and greater, HR=8.175, 95%CI: 2.024-33.023), farmers ( HR=1.379, 95%CI: 1.070-1.778 ), retreatment ( HR=6.398, 95%CI: 5.163-7.929 ) and positive etiology ( HR=1.255, 95%CI: 1.042-1.511 ) were risk factors for five-year recurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis among successfully-treated patients. Conclusions High recurrence rate is found among pulmonary tuberculosis patients within five years after successful treatment in Hengyang City. There is a high risk of pulmonary tuberculosis recurrence among male, etiologically positive, retreated farmers at ages of 40 years and older, and targeted interventions are recommended.

BACKGROUND:The ankle is one of the most important joints of human body. Medial maleolar fractures are very common, and there are lots of surgical methods to treat it. A traditional approach is open reduction and internal fixation. As views changed, percutaneous cannulated screw internal fixation become increasingly popular, but various clinical studies are stil needed to analyze the efficacy of these two methods. OBJECTIVE:To compare the recovery of joint function after medial maleolus fracture repaired by open reduction and internal fixation and percutaneous cannulated screw fixation. METHODS:A total of 63 cases of medial maleolus fracture, who were treated in the Department of Orthopedics, People’s Hospital of Xinyi City from March 2009 to March 2013, were enroled. According to repair plan, they were divided into two groups: open reduction and internal fixation group (n=29) and percutaneous cannulated screw fixation group (n=34). Ankle function was assessed in accordance with Kofoed ankle score standard on admission and at 3 months after repair. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The patients were folowed up for 3 to 12 months. Among 29 cases in the open reduction and internal fixation group, the wound was healed at grade A in 27 cases and at grade B in 2 cases; 29 cases were reset, and no poor reduction was found. In the percutaneous cannulated screw fixation group, 34 cases had healing at grade A, with the presence of good reduction. Al patients experienced bone union, and no infection appeared. In accordance with Kofoed score, at 3 months of folow-up, the satisfaction rate was 97% in the open reduction and internal fixation group, and 100% in the percutaneous cannulated screw fixation group. These data suggest that both open reduction and internal fixation and percutaneous cannulated screw fixation for medial maleolus fracture obtained positive effects, but percutaneous cannulated screw fixation showed smal surgical trauma, which could reduce the rate of infection and contributed to early functional recovery of ankle joint.

To evaluate the consistency of tongue manifestation and pulse condition observed by traditional Chinese medicine clinicians.

Objective To study the radiation-protective effect of diallyl disulfide(DADS)in germ cells of male mice. Methods Male mice were whole-body exposured to 4 Gy X-ray irradiation to establish a animal radiation damage model. Testicular histology, sperm motility and sperm deformity rate were observed, protein carbonyl content, malondialdehyde(MDA)and 8-hydroxy deoxyguanosine(8-OHdG)content were tested to assess the degrees of radiation damages of sperm cells and protective effect of DADS. Testicular tissue antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD),catalase(CAT),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-px)activity and glutathione(GSH)content were examined. The expression of Nrf2 signal protein was detected to explore the radiation-protective mechanism of DADS. Results Compared with the pure exposure group, the testicular tissue damages in the DADS pretreatment group were milder, sperm motility increased significantly(P< 0.05)and sperm deformity rate decreased(P< 0.05), and the protein carbonyl content, MDA and 8-OHdG levels significantly reduced(P< 0.05). The antioxidant indexes of SOD, CAT, GSH-px and GSH were markedly improved(P< 0.05),and the expression of Nrf2 was dramatically enhanced. Conclusions DADS has a protective effect on acute radiation injury in germ cells of male mice by means of anti-oxidative ability.

OBJECTIVETo study the radiobiological characteristics of a HepG2 cell line with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion.

METHODSHepG2 cells were cultured in a medium containing ethidium bromide, acetylformic acid and uracil. The HepG2 cell line with mtDNA deletion (ρ(0)HepG2 cells) were acquired after 30 subcultures by limited dilution cloning. The cell survival was then observed in the absence of acetylformic acid and uracil, and the total mtDNA deletion in the cells was confirmed by PCR. The radiosensitivity of HepG2 and ρ(0)HepG2 cells was evaluated by exposure to gradient doses of 6 MV X ray irradiation. The cell apoptosis was assessed following a 2 Gy X-ray exposure with Hochest33342 staining, and the invasiveness of ρ(0)HepG2 cells was measured by Transwell assay.

RESULTSHepG2 cells could survive 30 subcultures in the presence of ethidium bromide, and massive cell death occurred after removal of acetylformic acid and uracil from the medium. PCR confirmed total mtDNA deletion from ρ(0)HepG2 cells, whose α/β value was significantly lower than that of HepG2 cells. ρ(0)Hep-G2 cells showed an obviously lowered cell apoptosis rate following X-ray exposure with enhanced cell invasiveness.

CONCLUSIONHepG2 cells can be induced by ethidium bromide into ρ(0)HepG2 cells with an increased radiation resistance, anti-apoptosis ability and cell invasiveness.

Apoptosis ; Culture Media ; chemistry ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Ethidium ; chemistry ; Hep G2 Cells ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Radiation Tolerance ; genetics ; Sequence Deletion ; X-Rays

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy between robot-assisted and free-hand percutaneous cannulated screwing (PCS) in the treatment of femoral neck fractures in the middle-aged and young patients.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 53 patients with femoral neck fracture who had been treated with PCS from May 2020 to May 2022 at Department of Traumatic Surgery, Maoming Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University. In the robot group of 25 patients subjected to robot-assisted PCS, there were 11 males and 14 females with an age of (48.2 ± 11.9) years; in the free-hand group of 28 patients subjected to free-hand PCS, there were 13 males and 15 females with an age of (48.5 ± 9.8) years. The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time, intraoperative bleeding, intraoperative guide drills, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, fracture union time, Harris hip score at the last follow-up and postoperative complications. Postoperative imaging examination was performed to evaluate distribution accuracy of the cannulated screws in the femoral neck (deviation between the screws and the femoral neck axis, parallelism between the screws and distance between the screws and the neck cortex).Results:There was no statistically significant difference between the robot and free-hand groups in the general clinical data before operation, showing comparability ( P>0.05). The robot group showed significantly shorter operation time [(32.7 ± 4.8) min], significantly less intraoperative bleeding [(14.6 ± 4.8) mL], significantly less intraoperative guide drillings [(3.5 ± 0.7) times] and significantly less intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency [(7.9 ± 1.4) times] than the free-hand group [(56.9 ± 11.3) min, (27.0 ± 7.3) mL, (9.1 ± 1.8) times and (16.3 ± 6.0) times)] (all P<0.05). Postoperative imaging showed that the deviation between the screws and the femoral neck axis was 4.4° ± 1.1° on the anteroposterior X-ray film and 3.2° ± 0.8° on the lateral X-ray film, the parallelism between the screws 4.9° ± 0.8° on the anteroposterior X-ray film and 3.0° ± 0.7° on the lateral X-ray film, and the distance between the screws and the femoral neck cortex (10.4 ± 2.7) mm in the robot group, all significantly smaller than those in the free-hand group [10.5° ± 2.8°, 4.9° ± 1.1°, 12.1° ± 4.0°, 5.1° ± 1.3°, and (15.4 ± 3.2) mm] (all P<0.05). All the 53 patients were followed up for (22.2 ± 8.5) months. All fractures got united. The fracture union time in the robot group [(20.6 ± 4.6) weeks] was insignificantly shorter than that in the free-hand group [(23.7 ± 7.7) weeks] ( P>0.05). At the last follow-up, the Harris hip score in the robot group [(88.6 ± 5.6) points] was significantly higher than that in the free-hand group [(84.8 ± 6.3) points] ( P<0.05). Follow-ups revealed 2 cases of internal fixation loosening, 1 case of screw head cutting and 1 case of femoral head necrosis in the free-hand group but none of such complications in the robot group. Conclusion:In the treatment of femoral neck fractures in the middle-aged and young patients, compared with free-hand PCS, robot-assisted PCS shows advantages of shorter intraoperative time, less bleeding, less fluoroscopic radiation, higher accuracy of screw placement, a lower incidence of postoperative complications and better functional recovery of the hip joint.