Objective To propose a novel method for image segmentation based on"catalyst" segmentation method.Methods Feeler image was imported into segmentation algorithm as the"catalyst",and whether the candidate nodes should stop segmentation or not was decided according to whether the catalyst appeared in the segmentation result.Results Image segmentation based on "catalyst" segmentation method could judge the right class number for segmented images.Conclusions Primary experiments shows that "catalyst" segmentation method is simple and useful.

green light(480 nm).

Objective To analyze clinical and radiological characteristics in 5 cases of neuromyelitisoptica (NMO) with tumefactive-like demyelinating lesions (TDLs).Methods Five NMO patients with TDLs hospitalized during November 2007 and March 2012 were retrospectively analyzed for clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features,as well as therapeutic efficiency and prognoses.Results The male-to-female ratio is 1∶4 and the range of onset ages is 15-44 years old.The median time when TDLs was developed was 36 months after the onset of NMO.The anti-aquaporin 4 was seropositive in all NMO patients with TDLs.Four patients had clinical manifestations of encephalopathy symptoms including coma (n =2),seizures (n =1),narcolepsy (n =1),homonymous hemianopia (n =1).All TDLs grew unilaterally.Two TDLs were located at parietal-occipital,1 at parietal,I at the cerebellum and 1 at the temporal.On MRI,there was no enhanced signal in 4 TDLs,and there was open-ring-like enhanced signals in 1 case.Three TDLs revealed mixed signals intensities on diffusion-weighted images and an increase in the apparent diffusion coeficient values.On the subsequent MRIs,the sizes of 5 TDLs were markedly reduced in 3 cases,disappeared in 1 and another 1 case remained the same.Meanwhile,3 lesions subsequently developed cavity forming.Five cases improved after treatment of high-dose corticosteroid and intravenous immune globulin.Conclusions TDLs is not uncommon in NMO.Encephalopathysymptoms are more frequently affected in NMO with TDLs.TDLs often accompany with extensive vasogenic edema,but without enhancement in acute stage.NMO-IgG antibody testing and brain MRI are important in the diagnosis of TDLs.The therapy of corticosteroid and intravenous immune globulin is recommended.

Objective To explore the magnetic resonance spectroscopy characteristics of prefrontal white matter in bipolar Ⅱ disorder and its relation with executive function.Methods Thirty bipolar Ⅱ disorder patients and twenty healthy controls were evaluated with Multi-Voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS)scans on prefrontal white matter to assess the N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA),Choline (Cho),Creatine (Cr) and myoinositol (MI),and then the ratios of NAA/Cr,Cho/Cr,MI/Cr,NAA/Cho and NAA/Cho + Cr were calculated.All subjects were assessed for executive function using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).Results NAA/Cr in right prefrontal white matter(1.43 ± 0.26) and NAA/Cr,NAA/Cho,NAA/Cho + Cr in left prefrontal white matter (separatelyl.40 ± 0.29,1.13 (1.53,0.24),0.62 ± 0.12) were lower than healthy controls (separately 1.58 ±0.18,1.59,0.23,1.30 (0.53 ± 0.29),0.71 ± 0.08) (P ＜ 0.05).The correct trials and the number of categories of WCST in Bipolar Ⅱ disorder (separately 26.97 ± 8.97,3(6,3)) were less than in healthy controls(separately 36.35±4.85,5 (3,2)),and perseverative errors and random errors were more in patients (separately 12.77 ±5.73,7 (21,5)) than healthy controls (separately 7.35 ± 3.01,4 (13,2)).NAA/Cho and NAA/Cho + Cr in left prefrontal white matter were positively correlated with correct trials,number of categories,and negatively related with perseverative errors (P＜0.05).Conclusions Bilateral prefrontal white matter fiber damage occurs to bipolar Ⅱ disorder.And left prefrontal white matter fiber damage in bipolar Ⅱ disorder may lead to executive impairment.

Objective To investigate the change of the intestinal permeability,the expression level of intestinal trefoil factor (ITF) mRNA and the relationship between them after total body irradiation (TBI),and explore the effect of TBI on the development of intestinal permeability and the expression level of ITF mRNA.Methods Twenty two BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 4 equal groups: 3 groups at 4,8 and 12 d after TBI with the total dose of 8.0 Gy and the dose rate of 1.0 Gy/min respectively,and a control group.Lactulose (L) and mannitol (M) were perfused into the esophagus before the experiment and urine samples were collected.Liquid chromatography was used to measure the L/M excretion ratio in the urine samples collected 4,8,and 12 days after the TBI.And then the mice were killed with their intestine were taken out.The expression of ITF mRNA in the jejunum tissue was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.Results The urine L/M ratio levels of the groups 4,8 and 12 days after TBI were (0.5092 ± 0.0352),(0.7174 ± 0.0116),and (0.7295 ± 0.0533) respectively,all significantly higher than that of the control group [(0.2908 ± 0.0533),F = 321.47,P ＜ 0.05].The ITF mRNA expression levels of groups 4,8 and 12 days after TBI were (0.78612 ±0.1428),(0.2521 ±0.1223),and (0.2306 + 0.0221 ) respectively,all significantly lower than that of the control group [( 1.3498 + 0.0476),F = 235.71 ,P ＜ 0.05].The urine L/M ratio was significantly negatively correlated with the expression of ITF mRNA in all TBI groups (r = - 0.985,P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions The intestinal permeability increases and the expression level of ITF mRNA decreases after TBI.The urine L/M ratio is negatively correlated with the expression level of ITF mRNA after TBI.ITF is involved in protection against intestinal permeability induced by TBI.

Objective To investigate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO),and their neuroprotective effects.Methods Sixty-two patients (49 patients were MS and 13 patients were NMO) and 21 controls were investigated in our studies.The disability severity in MS and NMO patients in their relapse period was assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).MRI scanning of brain,spinal cord or optic nerve was examined and the oligoclonal band in serum and CSF were detected.BDNF and GDNF concentrations in serum and CSF were assessed by Liquid Assay.Results There were no significant differences of BDNF (μg/L,5.616±0.650 in serum and 0.186±0.012 in CSF of MS patients;6.584±0.929 in serum and 0.176± 0.006 in CSF of NMO patients) and GDNF (μg/L,0.039 in serum and 0.080 in CSF of MS patients;0.029 in serum and 0.050 in CSF of NMO patients) concentrations in serum and CSF in patients with MS and NMO in relapse,compared with those in controls.There was a positive correlation between BDNF and GDNF concentrations in CSF (r=0.756,P=0.000),and a negative correlation between BDNF and GDNF concentrations in serum (r=-0.329,P=0.018).There were no correlations of BDNF and GDNF concentrations in serum and CSF with EDSS,blood brain barrier index,Delpech index and Tourtellotte synthesis rate.There were no significant differences of BDNF and GDNF concentration in serum and CSF between NMO/MS patients with and without atrophy.Conclusions The level of BDNF in patients with MS and NMO is correlated with that of GDNF,which may have a synergistic neurotrophic effect on MS and NMO.BDNF and GDNF are not associated with the blood-brain harrier destruction and lgG synthesis in central nervous system.However,associations of BDNF and GDNF with functional disability and neuron atrophy in NMO and MS patients still need further studies.

Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Noise, Occupational ; adverse effects ; Reference Standards

CBS(Case Based Study)is a new teaching method,which is based on the case given.It requires students to answer questions according to the case. In the teaching,the students who are divided into groups,seek for resolvent by themselves. They should combine the information provided in the case,find the key answer and the relationship.The students gain the knowledge by reviewing and studying in the textbook,then analyse and solve questions with them. The application of CBS could make knowledge more relatively and systematic, moreover,it also make study more actively and initiatively.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze and summarize the clinical characteristics of 15 glioma cases that led to leptomenin-ges and spinal cord metastases in Department of Glioma, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University since 2011. Methods:A total of 15 cases were considered, including 5 patients with World Health Organization gradeⅡ, 6 patients with gradeⅢ, and 4 pa-tients with gradeⅣ. One patient had a tumor at the brain stem, two patients had tumors at the spinal cords, and the other patients had tumors at the hemispheres. One case received biopsy, 4 cases received subtotal resection, and 10 cases received complete resec-tion. Results: Symptoms included low back pain, sensory and motor dysfunction, incontinence, and seizures. After the metastases spread to the cerebrospinal region, patients were treated with chemotherapy, whole spine radiotherapy, intrathecal chemotherapy, and target therapy. The median time of leptomeninges and spinal cord metastasis dissemination appearance was 10 months (1.5-80 months) since surgery. The median overall survival time of the 15 patients was 20 months (9-83 months), and the median survival time was 6 months (2-48 months) after leptomeninges and spinal cord metastases. Conclusion:The prognosis of glioma patients with lepto-meninges and spinal cord metastases was poor, and a proportion of the patients who received appropriate treatment might have a better survival.

Objective To investigate activation patterns in the motor cortex of patients with cerebral infarction by blood oxygen level dependent-functional magnetic resonance imaging ( BOLD-fMRI) , and to explore the brain's functional reorganization mechanism. Methods Sixteen patients ( 12 men and 4 women, age 37 to 80, mean 61.0±11.3) who had suffered a subcortical infarction within the previous 3 months were studied. All the patients received fMRI scanning during passive flexion-extension movement of both the affected and unaffected wrist separately.Brain functional mapping was acquired with SPM2 software. Activation patterns in the brain were compared between the affected and unaffected hands. Results The volume and intensity of the activated areas were diverse, but showed some order. When the affected hand moved, the fMRI map showed general hyperactivation. When the unaffected hand moved, the contralateral M1 and S1 were activated. Conclusions After cerebral infarction, the brain cortex showed compensatory changes. As the main motor cortex (M1) was deactivated, the subsidiary motor areas such as the PMC, SMA, CMA, IPL, PFC and CRB were activated. The activated motor areas could shift to the area around the lesion, and the non-motor area was activated also.