Background The condition of the sclera is associated with many ocular diseases.The measurement of human scleral thickness in vivo is helpful for us to understand the features of the sclera and related diseases.Objective The present study was to measure the anterior sclera thickness(AST) in patients with senile cataract and to analyze the relationship among AST and other associated ocular parameters.Methods This study was approved by the Ethic Commission of First Hospital of Peking University.Written informed consent was obtained from each individual prior to examination.One hundred and five senile cataract patients were recruited in this study.Central corneal thickness (CCT),corneal curvature (CCV) and axial length were measured using ultrasonic pachymeter,keratometer,and A-scan unit,respectively.The AST was measured at 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur in the temporal meridian using ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM).The differences of CCT,CCV,ocular axial length and AST between bilateral eyes and the different sexes were compared by the Paired test and independent sample t test.The correlations among various parameters were assessed by the Pearson linear correlation analysis.The differences of CCT and AST among different axial length groups were evaluated by one-way ANOVA.Results No significant differences were found in the CCT,CCV,axial length and AST between bilateral eyes (t =0.584,P =0.561 ; t =1.161,P =0.248 ; t =0.140,P =0.889 ; t =0.342,P =0.773).Temporal AST at 2 mm posterior to the sclera spur was (0.589 ±0.051)mm in the right eyes.An insignificant decline in CCT was found in the male group compared with the female group (right eyes:t =0.469,P =0.641 ; left eyes:t =0.465,P =0.643).However,compared with the female group,the increase of axial length,reduction of the mean CCV value and enhancement of the mean AST were observed(right eyes:all P＜0.01 ;left eyes:all P＜0.01).CCV showed a negative correlation with ocular axial length (r =-0.50,P＜0.01),but no significant correlation was found among age,CCT,ocular axial length and AST(P＞0.05).No remarkable differences were found in CCT and AST among the various axial length groups (CCT:F =0.998,P=0.372;AST:F=1.919,P=0.383).Conclusions In senile cataract patients,correlation is not found between AST and CCT;the increase of axial length is not associated with the thinning of the eyeball wall to a certain extent.Differences exist in some ocular parameters between different sexes.

Background A close relation between sclera thickness and glaucoma has been determined.Clinical features vary in different types of glaucoma patients,which hints that the scleral thickness might be distinct among these patients.Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of central corneal thickness(CCT),anterior scleral thickness(AST) and axial length in glaucomatous patients.Methods This study was approved by the Ethic Commission of First Hospital of Peking University.Written informed consent was obtained from each individual prior to the examination.A retrospective descriptive study was designed.One hundred and sixty consecutive patients were recruited from March,2009 to November,2010 in First Hospital of Peking University,including 35 eyes with primary angle closure glaucoma(PACG) (35 cases),34 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma POAG) (34 cases),37 eyes with normal tension glaucoma(NTG) (37 cases)and 17 eyes of ocular hypertension OHT) (17 cases).Thirty-seven eyes of 37 subjects with incipient cataract served as the control group.CCT and ocular axial length were measured with ultrasonic pachymeter and A-scan unit,respectively,and AST at the temporal quadrant 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur was measured by ultrasonic biomicroscopy (UBM).The measuring parameters among different groups were compared by analysis of covariance,and the correlations of AST,CCT with ocular axial length were analyzed using Pearson linear correlation and linear regression.The differences and correlation of CCT,AST and AL among five groups were analyzed.Results The CCT values in PACG group,POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group were (535.54 ± 5.20),(550.47 ± 5.28),(521.61 ± 5.07),(575.75 ± 7.76) and (535.06± 5.06) μm,respectively,showing a significant difference among them (F =9.560,P =0.000),and the CCT value of OHT group was increased in comparison with POAG group,PACG group,NTG group and control group(all P =0.000).The CCT of the POAG group was thicker than that in the PACG group,NTG group and control group(P=0.046,0.000,0.040).No significant difference was found in CCT among NTG group,PACG group and control group(P=0.950,0.060).The AST values of PACG group,POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group were(0.593±0.050),(0.600±0.050),(0.592-±0.060),(0.610-±0.060) and(0.604±0.060) mm,respectively,showing a insignificant difference among them (F =0.700,P =0.590).The axial length in the patients with PACG was shorter than that of the POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group (all P =0.000).The Pearson correlation analysis showed significantly positive correlation between CCT and AST in POAG group and NTG group(r=0.445,P=0.008;r=0.400,P=0.014).Conclusions This study confirms that there is dissimilarity in CCT but not in AST among different types of glaucomatous patients.The changes of CCT and AST are consistent in POAG and NTG patients.

OBJECTIVETo discuss the optimum extraction process of compound Nanxing pain-relieving cataplasm through orthogonal design and pharmacodynamic experiment

METHODThe orthogonal experiment method was adopted to optimize the ethanol extraction process with Angelica dahurica, Ligusticum chuanxiong and other herbs. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of extracts from volatile oil in such herbs as syzygium aromaticum with different extraction processes were compared by tail pain tenderness test and food-pad swelling in mice, in order to optimize the extraction process of extracts from volatile oil in such herbs as syzygium aromaticum.

RESULTThe optimum extraction process of A. dahurica, L. chuanxiong and other herbs for compound Nanxing pain-relieving cataplasm were as follows: adding 8-fold amount of 70% alcohol, extracting for 2 times with 1.5 h each time. The 95% ethnol extracts of syzygium aromaticum and other herbs had more effect in the increasing the threshold of pain and the inhibition of toe swelling of mice than volatile oil obtained from steam distillation as well as volatile oil and water decoction obtained from steam distillation.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple and reliable that it can provide technical reference for the development of modern preparations of compound Nanxing pain-relieving cataplasm.

Analgesics ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Chemical Fractionation ; methods ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Mice ; Oils, Volatile ; chemistry ; Pain ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo determine the serotype and genotype of a sample with ABO blood group discrepancies.

METHODSSerotype was determined with serological method. Sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) was carried out based on the serotype. Sequences of exons 6 and 7 of ABO gene was analyzed by sequence-based testing (SBT).

RESULTSCompletely agglutinated A antigen, half agglutinated B antigen and weak agglutinated anti-B antibody were detected in both erythrocytes and serum, which suggested presence of a ABw serotype. An A/Bw12 genotype was revealed by B subgroup detection. Sequences of exons 6 and 7 were 278CT, 297GA and 467CT, 526CG, 657CT, 703GA, 796CA, 803GC, 930GA, respectively. The genotype fit with A102/B101 except for a nt278 C>T mutation. Blood group antigen gene mutation database (BGMUT) search has confirmed the mutant allele to be Bw12.

CONCLUSIONAn A102/Bw12 genotype has been found in the Chinese population.

ABO Blood-Group System ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Blood Group Antigens ; genetics ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching ; methods ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation

BACKGROUNDOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high resolution noncontact imaging modality which can quantitatively detect the optic disc and retinal structure. This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic capability of parameters of the optic disc, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and ganglion cell complex (GCC) using a new technology called Fourier-domain OCT (FD-OCT) for early primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients.

METHODSTwo groups of patients, early perimetric damage POAG and normal subjects were included in this observational cross-sectional study. All patients underwent FD-OCT and visual field examination in addition to full ophthalmic examinations. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were studied for all parameters. The sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing between normal and early glaucomatous eyes, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AROC) and positive, negative likelihood ratios were evaluated for all the single parameters and selected combined parameters using arbitrary cutoffs.

RESULTSThirty-four eyes of 34 early POAG patients and 42 eyes of 42 normal subjects were analyzed. Cup/disc (C/D) vertical ratio presented the best sensitivity and positive likelihood ratio for selected specificities (95% and 85%) which were 79.4% and 88.2%, 33.4 and 7.4, respectively. Among all single parameters, the C/D vertical ratio demonstrated the highest AROC which was at 0.930. The average thickness of circumpapillary RNFL on 3.45 mm showed the highest AROC among all of the peripapillary RNFL parameters. The sensitivity at selected specificity and AROC of GCC were not as high as C/D vertical ratio and RNFL AT on 3.45 mm. When the C/D vertical ratio, RNFL AT on 3.45 mm, and rim area were combined using a logistical diagnostic model, the AROC was raised to 0.949 but not significantly different from the top single parameter, C/D vertical ratio.

CONCLUSIONSThe key parameters obtained by FD-OCT were able to show the significant differences of optic discs, thickness of RNFL and GCC between POAG patients and normal subjects. According to sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio and AROC, the top three parameters from FD-OCT for early diagnosis of POAG were C/D vertical ratio, RNFL AT on 3.45 mm, and the rim area.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; methods

Accidents, Occupational ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans

Objective To explore serum long stranded noncoding RNA (lncRNA) transcript 1 (PCAT-1) expression level of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and clinical value.Methods 72 cases of patients with MM treated in the Second People's Hospital of Zhaoqing City were selected as the study objects,and 60 cases of normal subjects undergoing physical examination in the same period were as the control group.Serum lncRNA PCAT-1 expression was detected by RT-PCR method.The relationship between lncRNA PCAT 1 expression and clinical pathological parameters,treatment effect was analyzed,and 5 years survival was analyzed by using Kaplan-Meier,and survival difference was detected by using Log-Rank method.Results Serum PCAT-1mRNA expression in MM group (2.65 ± 0.64) was significantly higher than that in the control group (1.06 ± 0.23,t=18.276,P=0.000).There were no significant differences in sex,clinical stage and pathological types of hemoglobin,plasma cells,platelets,albumin,β2-MG and CRP between PCAT 1 mRNA high expression group and low expression group (x2 =0.001 ～ 3.345,all P ＞ 0.05).Ca2+ ≥ 10 mg/dl in the PCAT-1 high expression group (57.14％) was significantly higher than that in the low expression group (27.27％,x2 =5.229,P=0.022).There was no significant difference in treatment effect between PCAT-1 mRNA high expression group and low expression group (88.64 ％ vs 75.00％,x2 =2.291,P=0.130).PFS and OS expression in PCAT-1 high expression group were lower than that in the low expression group (x2 =7.269,P =0.007;x2 =9.190,P =0.002).COX risk regression multiple factor analysis showed that age and PCAT-1mRNA expression were independent prognostic factors influencing patients (OR =3.275,P =0.025,95％CI:2.691～3.761;OR=2.136,P=0.046,95％CI:2.034～2.685).Conclusion LncRNA PCAT-1 is highly expressed in serum of patients with multiple myeloma,and correlated with the prognosis of patients.

Public library, academic library and special library are different kinds of library. The aim, objects, contents of service and the different characteristics, needs, problems of smart construction depend on their different functional positions. The problems and challenges faced by smart construction were pointed out based on the analy-sis of the origin, concept and characteristics of smart construction, domestic studies on smart construction, in com-bination with the different functional positions of public library, academic library and special library, and the needs of their smart construction. Suggestions were thus put forward for their solution.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of a high-definition CT (HDCT) for imaging small caliber coronary stents (< or = 3 mm) by comparing different scan modes of a conventional 64-row standard-definition CT (SDCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cardiac phantom with twelve stents (2.5 mm and 3.0 mm in diameter) was scanned by HDCT and SDCT. The scan modes were retrospective electrocardiography (ECG)-gated helical and prospective ECG-triggered axial with tube voltages of 120 kVp and 100 kVp, respectively. The inner stent diameters (ISD) and the in-stent attenuation value (AVin-stent) and the in-vessel extra-stent attenuation value (AVin-vessel) were measured by two observers. The artificial lumen narrowing (ALN = [ISD - ISDmeasured]/ISD) and artificial attenuation increase between in-stent and in-vessel (AAI = AVin-stent - AVin-vessel) were calculated. All data was analyzed by intraclass correlation and ANOVA-test. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient of ISD, AVin-vessel and AVin-stent between the two observers was good. The ALNs of HDCT were statistically lower than that of SDCT (30 +/- 5.7% versus 35 +/- 5.4%, p < 0.05). HDCT had statistically lower AAI values than SDCT (15.7 +/- 81.4 HU versus 71.4 +/- 90.5 HU, p < 0.05). The prospective axial dataset demonstrated smaller ALN than the retrospective helical dataset on both HDCT and SDCT (p < 0.05). Additionally, there were no differences in ALN between the 120 kVp and 100 kVp tube voltages on HDCT (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: High-definition CT helps improve measurement accuracy for imaging coronary stents compared to SDCT. HDCT with 100 kVp and the prospective ECG-triggered axial technique, with a lower radiation dose than 120 kVp application, may be advantageous in evaluating coronary stents with smaller calibers (< or = 3 mm).
Analysis of Variance ; Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques/methods ; Coronary Disease/*radiography/*therapy ; Humans ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; *Stents ; Tomography, Spiral Computed/*methods

OBJECTIVELong term glucocorticoid (prednisolone) treatment on human growth hormone (hGH) secretion in children and adolescents and to investigate the effectiveness and safety of the recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment.

METHODSTwelve patients (age: 10.4∓1.2 years) who were treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September 1999 to November 2009 were enrolled in this study. All of them had taken prednisolone with a dose of 0.5∓2.0 mg/(kg.d) for 6~18 months. Two different hGH stimulating tests was done and their growth and development was evaluated at regular intervals. Seven patients were given rhGH with a dose of 0.1 U/(kg.d) for 6~12 months to improve their growth and development after half a year of prednisolone withdrawal when their disease conditions were improved.

RESULTSThe growth speed of these 12 children decreased significantly during prednisolone treatment compared with before prednisolone treatment (1.2∓0.3cm/year vs.3.7∓1.2 cm/year,P12 months than those with a 6~12 months course (P0.05). The growth speed of seven children who received rhGH therapy for half a year were increased from 2.2∓0.1cm/year to 7.8∓0.5cm/year (P<0.05), and then to 6.9∓0.4cm/year one year later.

CONCLUSIONSThe long-term glucocorticoid treatment can decrease the hGH secretion, and thus leads to short stature and agenesis. However, the rhGH replacement can safely and effectively improve growth and development in these children after their primary diseases are improved and glucocorticoids are withdrawn.

Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucocorticoids ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Human Growth Hormone ; secretion ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome