Objective To determine the effects of the early enteric nutrition (EEN) up to scratch on the outcomes of the critical care patients with different degrees of severity of illness. Method There were 192 critically ill patients eligible for enrollment for study during the past 18 months in our ICU. They were classified by using APACHE Ⅱ scores. The aim of this retrospective analysis of the early enteric nutrition was to see if the enteric nufore, the patients were divided into two groups: up to scratch group and not up to scratch group. According to APACHE Ⅱ scores, the patients of each group were further divided into three sub-groups in terms of scores below 15, between15 and 25, and above 25, respectively. Results There were 62 patients in the group of EEN up to scratch, and 130 patients' EEN did not up to scratch. When the scores of APACHE Ⅱ were below 15, the length of hospital stay (LOS) was significantly shorter in group of EEN up to scratch in comparison with that of EEN not up to scratch (t = 6.453, P = 0.000). When the scores of APACHE Ⅱ were between15 and 25, the LOS in ICU (t = 3.966, P = 0.000), in hospital (t = 8.165,P = 0.000), The cost of medical care (t = 4.812,P= 0.000) and the mortality (x2 = 5.421,P = 0.038) were all significantly less in patients with EEN up to scratch. However, when the scores of APACHE Ⅱ were above 25, only the cost of medical care ( t = 7.364, P = 0.000) was significantly lower in patients of EEN up to scratch than that of EEN not up to scratch. Conclusions The EEN up to scratch can significantly improve the outcomes of critical patients and the clinical value of EEN up to scratch depends on the severity of illness.

Background and purpose:Nowadays, the golden standard of diagnosis for malignant hydrothorax or ascites is exfoliocytology examination, but the missed diagnosis rate is too high. Other methods including immunologic test, telomerase activation test, conjugation of chromosome analysis with cytological examination test, and RT-PCR test. But none of them was widely used due to high cost or high false positive rate. Immunomagnetic beads (IMB) technique is a popular method all over the world in recent years. It was mainly used in isolating and purifying cells, but it was rarely used to detect cancer cells in patients with hydrothorax or ascites so far. Our aim was to fi nd an effi cient way to detect the cancer cells in patients with cancer related hydrothorax or ascites and to improve the corresponding diagnosis rate. Methods:In the experiments, both the traditional exfoliocytology examination method and IMB technique were used to detect the cancer cells in the hydrothorax or the ascites for comparison. Results:Using IMB technique and exfoliocytology method, the positive rates in 30 patients with cancers were 63.3% (19/30) and 23.3% (7/30), respectively, and the false positive rates in 30 patients without cancers were 3.3% (1/30) and 0.0% (0/30), respectively. It could be observed that the positive rate using IMB technique was much higher than that using exfoliocytology method (P0.05). Conclusions:The present study demonstrated that IMB technique is an accurate, sensitive, fast and economic method in detecting the cancer cells in patients with cancer related hydrothorax or ascites, especially for diagnosis and therapy in the early clinical stage. Due to the high effi ciency, IMB technique could be used after exfoliocytology examination to improve the diagnosis rate..

Objective To investigate the prognostic factors and influencing factors of lymph node ratio (LNR) in patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG).Methods The retrospective case-control study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 444 patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between January 2010 and January 2011 were collected.All the 444 patients underwent radical D2 lymph node dissection,extent of lymph node dissection was inferior mediastinum,around the esophageal hiatus and celiac lymph node.Follow-up usingtelephone interview and outpatient examination was performed to detect patients' prognosis once every 3 months within 2 years postoperatively,once every 6 months from 2 vears to 5 years postoperatively and once every 12 months after 5 years up to October 2016.Observation indicators:(1) follow-up and survival situations;(2) univariate and multivariate factors analysis affecting prognosis of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ[AEG;(3) univariate and multivariate factors analysis affecting LNR of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG.The survival curve and rate were respectively drawn and calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.The univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were respectively done using the Log-rank test and the COX regression model.Results (1) Follow-up and survival situations:all the 444 patients were followed up for 1-81 months,with a median time of 52 months.The 1-,3-,5-year overall survival rates of 444 patients were respectively 93.2％,60.3％ and 45.7％.(2) Factors analysis affecting prognosis of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG:results of univariate analysis showed that tumor diameter,tumor differentiation,invasion depth of tumor,pN staging and staging of LNR were related factors affecting prognosis of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG,with statistically significant differences (x2 =12.332,5.898,36.045,38.847,46.464,P＜0.05).Results of multivariate analysis showed that invasion depth of tumor and staging of LNR were independent factors affecting prognosis of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG [RR =1.393,1.411,95％ confidence interval (CI):1.137-1.708,1.106-1.801,P＜0.05].(3) Factors affecting LNR of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG:results of univariate analysis showed that tumor diameter,tumor differentiation and invasion depth of tumor were related factors affecting LNR of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG,with statistically significant differences (x2=20.077,12.618,36.586,P＜0.05).Results of multivariate analysis showed that tumor diameter,tumor differentiation and invasion depth of tumor were independent factors affecting LNR of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG (OR=0.684,0.688,0.788,95％ CI:0.485-0.965,0.505-0.936,0.687-0.903,P＜0.05).Conclusions The invasion depth of tunor and staging of LNR are independent factors affecting prognosis of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG.Tumor diameter,tumor differentiation and invasion depth of tumor are independent factors affecting LNR of patients with Siewert Ⅱ and Ⅲ AEG.

Objective To explore the independent risk factors of lymph-node metastasis (LNM) in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC),and establish a risk-prediction model based on LNM.Method 962 early gastric cancer patients undergoing curative radical gastrectomy in the First Hospital of Anhui Medical University from July 2011 to April 2016 were enrolled in this study.The relationships between different clinicopathologic characteristics and LNM were analyzed by Chi-square test or Fisher exact probability,and the independent risk factors were determined using Logistic regression analysis.Moreover,LNM risk was stratified and a risk-predicting model was established on the basis of the identified independent risk factors for LNM.Further,the risk-predicting model was validated using 962 EGC cases.The discriminatory accuracy of risk-predicting model was measured by area under ROC curve (ROC-AUC).Results Mucosal differentiated cancer ≤2 cm,irrespective of the existence of an ulcer,had low LNM rates (LNMR ＜ 3.0％).Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that female EGC patients with submucosal,undifferentiated,vessel invasion and tumor size ＞ 2 cm were independent risk factors of LNM for EGC patients,and relative risks were 1.893,3.173,1.956,1.922 and 9.027 respectively (P ＜ 0.05).ROCAUC of risk-predicting model was 0.768 (P ＜ 0.01),which showed high diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity.Conclusion Female EGC patients with submucosal undifferentiated carcinomas measuring ＞ 2 cm with vessel invasion have higher risk of LNM.

Objective To explore the value of preoperative D-dimer in patients with gastric cancer in judging gastric cancer metastasis and assessing prognosis.Methods Clinicopathological data of 132 patients with gastric cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between Jan.2010 and Jan.2011 was analyzed retrospectively in this study.All patients were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value (1.465 mg/L)of D-dimer and the relationships between D-dimer and clinicopathological data were determined by chi-square test.Moreover,the association of preoperative D-dimer and the prognosis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Log-rank test.Univariate and multivaritate Cox model were used to analyze the factors which might affect the survival of the patients and significant independent factors.Results A total of 132 patients were enrolled in this study in accordance with the inclusion criteria.D-dimer was positively correlated with the depth of invasion (x2 =4.996,P ＜ 0.05),age (x2 =4.311,P ＜ 0.05) and distant metastasis of gastric cancer (x2 =16.641,P ＜0.01),but not with thc gcndcr,lymph node metastasis,tumor size,the degree of differentiation and TNM stage (P ＞ 0.05).The mean D-dimer level was (1.39 ± 0.7) mg/L in distant metastasis patients and (0.97 ±0.83) mg/L in non distant metastasis patients (P =0.023),the mean plasma D-dimer level in patients alive at the 5 years after the surgery was (0.78 ± 0.58) mg/L,which was significantly lower than the amounts determined for the deceased patients (0.75 ± 0.58) mg/L (P ＜ 0.01).The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the patients with gastric cancer had a longer time in the low D-dimer group than in the high D-dimer group,showing a significant difference between the two groups (P ＜ 0.01).Univariate analysis showed that the overall survival rate was significantly correlated with the gender,D-dimer,tumor size,the depth of invasion,lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P all ＜ 0.05).The D-dimer was proved to be independent risk factor for the prognosis of gastric cancer by multivariate analysis(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion According to the analysis,D-dimer may be valuable biomarker for metastasis patients,besides,D-dimer was an independent prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer.

Objective To explore the changes of the pressure of sphincter of Oddi(SO)in postoperative patients with cholangiolithiasis.Methods Sixty cases with multiple biliary calculi operation (recurrent cholangiolithiasis group),80 cases with biliary calculi operation at first time(cholangiolithiasis group)and 9 cases with external injuries of pancreas or liver(control group),who were examined in order to identify common bile duct pressure(CBDP),SO basal pressure(SOBP),amplitude of SO contractions (SOCA),frequency of SO contractions(SOF),then comparing the difference of statistics among the three groups.Results CBDP,SOBP,SOCA,SOF in recurrent cholangiolithiasis group and cholangiolithiasis group were significantly higher than those in control group[(13.78 ±9.91),(12.65 ±7.64)mm Hg(1mm Hg =0.133 kPa)vs.(12.54 ± 2.35)mm Hg,(15.27 ± 9.15),(14.89 ± 7.87)mm Hg vs.(13.63 ± 3.27)mm Hg,(106.30 ± 54.70),(98.39 ±38.29)mm Hg vs.(87.65 ±56.38)mm Hg,(6.91 ± 1.92),(6.25 ±2.17)times/min vs.(5.26 ± 2.11)times/min](P ＜ 0.05),but there was no significant difference between recurrent cholangiolithiasis group and cholangiolithiasis group(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion SO dysfunction resides in the postoperative patients with cholangiolithiasis,and it is possible related with the formation and/or recurrence of cholangiolithiasis.

Objective To explore the relationship between cholelithiasis and the function of sphincter of Oddi (SO). Methods To identify the existence of calculi, choledochoscopy was performed in patients 6 weeks after exploration of the common bile duct (CBD) and T tube drainage, in which 71 were patients with stones in gall bladder, CBD or intra-hepatic bile duct, and 9 with trauma of pancreas or liver.Biliary manometry was performed after choledochoscopy, and an additional manometry was applied after calculus removal if calculi were detected. The indices measured included SO basal pressure ( SOBP), amplitude of SO contractions (SOCA), frequency of SO contractions (SOF) and CBD pressure (CBDP). The patients with cholelithiasis were classified into cholecystolithiasis group, choledocholithiasis group, and hepatolithiasis group according to the position of calculi. Patients with trauma were assigned as the control group.Results All variables in 50 patients with choledocholithiasis were similar before and after the procedure.The variables in patients with cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis had no difference from those of the control (P ＞ 0. 05 ). The SOBP and SOCA of patients in hepatolithiasis group were lower than those of the control group ( P ＜ 0. 05 ), while no difference in SOF was detected (P ＞ 0. 05 ). Conclusion The function of SO in patients with hepatolithiasis is abnormal ( decrease in SOBP and SOCA). Biliary manometry cannot be the reliable evidence for the existence of calculi in bile duct.

The abdomen-rubbing qigong exercise was first developed by Fang Kai, a Xin’an medical practitioner. It’s an essential part of Xin’an health preservation works. This health preservation method integrates massage with Daoyin and integrates meridian theory with Zangxiang theory. It’s safe, simple and has no side effects. Practice of this qigong exercise can protect the spleen and stomach, tonify qi and essence, harmonize Ying-Nutrients and Wei-Defense, unblock meridians and circulate qi. This paper aims to summarize and promote this exercise.

BACKGROUND:Papain-induced rat knee osteoarthritis is a common modeling method, which can obtain a stable osteoarthritis model.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the change of ultrastructure of chondrocytes in the early process of papain-induced rat knee osteoarthritis under transmission electron microscope.
METHODS:A total of 18 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Two rats were considered as a normal control group, without intervention. The mixture of papain and L-cysteine was injected in right knee joint cavity of 16 rats to induce osteoarthritis models (osteoarthritis model group). Physiological saline was injected in the left side (physiological saline control group). At 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after injection, samples were col ected. Transmission electron microscope was used to observe the change of cartilage ultrastructure of the medial femoral condyle joint.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:For the normal control group and physiological saline control group, their cytoplasm contained abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. After 1 week of injection,
mitochondria vacuoles and light expanded rough endoplasmic reticulum were visible. Two weeks later, lipid droplets appeared, mitochondria degeneration was distinct, vacuolization was serious and its number was reduced, and rough endoplasmic reticulum expansion was obvious. Four weeks later, lipid droplets became increased, and the number of mitochondria decreased significantly. Most of the rough endoplasmic reticula were highly expanded, and part of the rough endoplasmic reticula were dissolved and fractured. Six weeks later, a number of lipid droplets were visible in cytoplasm, most of the mitochondria disappeared, only a smal number of mitochondria existed, and most of the rough endoplasmic reticula were dissolved and fractured. These results confirmed that cartilage ultrastructure changes gradual y in the early process of papain-induced rat knee osteoarthritis under transmission electron microscope.

BACKGROUND:Osteoarthritis animal models induced by papain are commonly used for studying osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the morphology of articular cartilage surface during early osteoarthritis process in rats induced by papain and L-cysteine under scanning electron microscope.
METHODS:The right knees of Sprague-Dawley rats were given 0.15 mL mixed solution of 2%papain and 0.03 mol/L L-cysteine in the ratio of 2:1. The left knees were given injections of 0.15 mL 0.9%NaCl, as the control group. Another two rats (four knees) maintained untreated, as the normal control group. Al the rats were observed with scanning electron microscope at 2, 4, 6 weeks after injection, to explore the surface morphology of medial condyle of femur.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The condyles of normal and control groups revealed numerous shal ow pits on the surface of articular cartilage. At 2 weeks after injection, the surfaces of condyles were unsmooth, presenting the shrinkage and distortion. The thinner articular cartilage and local tiny cracks were seen at 4 weeks. The deep and great cracks and cartilage defect were observed on the surface of cartilage at 6 weeks. The time of 4-6 weeks is a reference point for establishing early osteoarthritis model in rats through injections of 2%papain and 0.03 mol/L L-cysteine.