Objective To explore the effects of upper limb robot-assisted therapy on motor recovery in acute stroke patients. Methods From August, 2013 to September, 2014, 46 acute stroke patients at their first-ever stroke were enrolled and randomized into experimental group and control group with 23 cases in each group. Both groups received routine therapy. Additional robot-assisted therapy was provided to the experimental group, and additional repetitive movement training was provided to the control group, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 12 weeks. Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Limb (FM-UL), modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and modified Barthel index (MBI) were used to assess the motor function of the upper limbs and hands, the muscular tension of elbow, and activities of daily living (ADL) before and after treatment. Results After treatment, the scores of FM-UA, MAS and MBI improved in both groups (t>3.856, Z>1.889, P<0.05), and the scores of FM-UA and MAS were better in the experiment group than in the control group (t=-2.386, Z=-2.625, P<0.05), however, there was no significant difference in the score of MBI between two groups (t=-1.326, P=0.098). Conclusion Upper limb robot-assisted therapy can facilitate the recovery of the motor function of upper limbs in acute stroke patient.

Air ; analysis ; Chromatography, Gas ; Propane ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Workplace

Objective To study the technique and clinical significance of percutaneous biopsy of transplanted liver guided by CT.Methods 19 transplanted liver were undergone 25 times of percutaneous biopsy and the pathomorphologic changes were demonstrated by HE staining.Results The successful rate of the percutaneous biopsy was 100% for all the 25 times of this procedure,including acute rejection on 9 episodes,preservation perfusion retrauma in 6,bile duct strictures in 4,drug-induced injury in 4,chronic rejection in 1 and acute hepatic necrosis in 1.Conclusions CT-guided percutaneous biopsy is an important method for diagnosing transplanted liver injury and providing great value for distinguishment of the causes for transplanted liver injury.(J Intervent Radiol,2007,16:855-857)

Objective To evaluate the role and technical advantages of CT in 125Ⅰseed implantation in the treatment of tumors. Methods CT-guided 125Ⅰ seed implantation in 45 cases of cancer patients treated 57 times in 51 lesions,CT were used to evaluate the progress of lesions after 125Ⅰ seed implantation 1,2,6 months. Results All procedures were once successful and the total effective rate was 74.5% without any serious complications. Fifty CT examinations immediately after implantation showed satisfactorily seeds distribution but seven cases less satisfactorily that include particles overlap,the location is too close to the lesion edge,the larger the radiation cold spots,etc. Follow-up CT reexamination in 1,2 and 6 months demonstrated that CT examinations showed satisfactorily seeds distribution but accurate seeds number,which could be solved by combined with MPR images and the positioning piece. Conclusions CT-guided 125Ⅰ seed implantation treatment of tumors was a safe,reliable and effective minimally invasive treatment. CT in the preoperative treatment of seed implants planning,precise intraoperative guidance,quality assurance and efficacy of postoperative assessment had a greater role and application advantages.

BACKGROUND: As a new radiotherapy for malignant tumor, brachytherapy of radioactive seed implantation enables the inter-tissue implantation of radioactive seeds to be applied further with the appearance of seed implantation treatment planning system (TPS), and the gradual consummation of ultrasound and CT-guided precise positioning system.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the methods, feasibility, safety and efficacy of CT-guided iodine-125 (125I) implantation for malignant tumors.DESIGN: A controlled observation before and after implantation.SETTING: The First People's Hospital of Hefei City.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one patients with malignant tumors, who were not suitable for surgical treatments of operation,were selected from the First People's Hospital of Hefei City from January 2004 to March 2005. There were 26 lesions, including 9 lesions of primary unresectable carcinoma and 17 lesions of metastasis tumors.METHODS: Under CT guidance, 125I seeds were implanted into malignant tumor according to TPS, the radioactivity quantum were 22, 26, 30 and 33 MBq per granule. Larger radiation 125I wes suitable for the implantation in the center of a lesion and smaller ones were for the margin of the lesion and the peripheral region of some important organisms such as vessels and nerves. The interval between larger seeds was about 1.5 cm whereas the interval between smaller ones was about 1.0 cm.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The seed distribution, existence of complication and changes of the size of lesion after implantation were observed.RESULTS: ① The seeds were implanted successfully in all the 21 cases. No complication was observed. The practical distribution of the implanted seeds was basically the same as the scheduled scheme before implantation. All the 21 patients were involved in the analysis of results. ② The number of seeds implanted in one lesion was 5 to 40 (mean 14).Pain relief was obtained in all 10 cases of malignant tumors of bone after implantation. Follow-up CT reexamination demonstrated that 18 lesions were obviously diminished, necrosis was found in 4 lesions and remaining 4 lesions had no significant changes in size. ③ The average sizes of 14 lesions in 11 patients at 5-7 months after implantation were obviously smaller than those before implantation (1.84 cm vs 3.41 cm, t =5.7237, P ＜ 0.001). The average sizes of 12 lesions in 10 patients at 8-10 months after implantation were also obviously smaller than those before implantation (1.96 cm vs 3.43 cm, t =5.577 8, P ＜ 0.002).CONCLUSION: CT-guided 125I implantation is a safe, effective and feasible method for the treatment of malignant tumor.

Objective To evaluate the expression and activity of GFP/TRAIL gene activated by the hTERT promoter on colon cancer cell line DLD-1. MethodsGFP/TRAIL gene activated by the hTERT promoter was transfected into DLD-1 with adenoviral vector,expression and apoptosis inducing ability of GFP/TRAIL protein was determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). [WT5”HZ]ResultsThe expression of GFP gene is 41.63% and 54.07% with either hTERT promoter or CMV promoter in DLD1 cells;GFP/TRAIL gene was able to inhibit cell growth(93.50%) and induce apoptosis(56.97%) of DLD-1 ,there was significant difference between Ad/hTERT-gTRAIL and the other two control groups (PBS and Ad/hTERT-LacZ)( P

Background: Patients with intermediate to advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are most commonly treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Previous studies showed that TACE combined with recombinant human adenovirus type 5 (H101) may provide a clinical survival benefit. In the present study, we aimed to determine the survival benefit of TACE with or without H101 for patients with intermediate to advanced HCC and to develop an effective nomogram for predicting individual survival outcomes of these patients. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 590 patients with intermediate to advanced HCC who were treated at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between January 2007 and July 2015. After propensity score matching, 238 patients who received TACE with H101 (TACE with H101 group) and 238 patients who received TACE without H101 (TACE group) were analyzed. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method; the nomogram was developed based on Cox regression analysis. Discrimination and calibration were measured using the concordance index (c-index) and calibration plots. Results: Clinical and radiologic features were similar between the two groups. OS rates were significantly lower in the TACE group than in the TACE with H101 group (1-year OS rate, 53.8% vs. 61.3%; 2-year OS rate, 33.4% vs. 44.2%;3-year OS rate, 22.4% vs. 40.5%; all P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis for the entire cohort showed that alpha-fetoprotein level, alkaline phosphatase level, tumor size, metastasis, vascular invasion, and TACE with or without H101 were independent factors for OS, all of which were included in the nomogram. Calibration curves showed good agreement between nomogram-predicted survival and observed survival. The c-index of the nomogram for predict-ing OS was 0.716 (95% confidence interval 0.686–0.746). Conclusions: TACE plus H101 extends the survival of patients with intermediate to advanced HCC. Our proposed nomogram provides individual survival prediction and stratification for patients with intermediate to advanced HCC who receive TACE with or without H101.

OBJECTIVETo study the anatomical measurement of goat lumbar vertebrae and to compare with human lumbar vertebrae, so as to build the foundation for establishing animal models of lumbar prosthesis.

METHODSThe anatomical parameters of the vertebral body, pedicle and intervertebral disc in the fresh lumbar vertebrae of Boer goat and the lumbar vertebrae of healthy adults were collected by computer aided software Mimics16.0, and the anatomical characteristics of the two lumbar vertebrae were compared with the statistical software.

RESULTSThe anterior vertebral body height(VBHa) of goat lumbar was less than the middle vertebral body height(VBHm), which was less than the posterior vertebral body height(VBHp), and the maximum values were (38.7±2.9), (40.1±2.6) and (40.7±2.7) mm respectively. Its endplate width was greater than its depth, with the whole shaped like a heart or a kidney. The cranial endplate of goats was convex while the caudal endplate was depressed and the depression was small, with a maximum value of (1.6±0.6) mm. The pedicle height of goats increased from L₁1 to L̀ with the maximum of (30.5±1.9) mm; its pedicle width and angle increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of vertebra level and the minimum values were (6.7±0.4) mm and(45.9±2.6)° respectively. The anterior intervertebral disc height was larger than the middle which was larger than the posterior and all varied slightly with the changes of intervertebral spaces; the height and width of intervertebral foramen separately waved at (12.9±0.3) to (14.3±1.0) mm and (5.7±1.0) to (6.7±0.9) mm. The comparative results showed that the vertebral body height, pedicle height and angle of goats were greater than those of humans (<0.05) while the width and depth of the endplate, the intervertebral disc height, and etc. were significantly smaller than those of humans (<0.05). In addition, some structures, such as the height of pedicle and intervertebral disc, also showed different changing laws with the increase of vertebra level.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough there are similarities in goat lumbar spine in some aspects, such as endplate and foramen foramen, there are still many differences in many aspects. Understanding the anatomical characteristics of goat lumbar vertebrae and the difference between goat and human is of great guiding significance for the research of goat prosthesis and related technology.

Objective To evaluate the clinical reliability and feasibility of computerized endoscopic balloon manometry in vitro and in vivo, in measurement of pressure of esophageal varices. Methods Computerized endoscopic balloon manometry was used to measure the pressure of variceal model with different diameter (3 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm) and intraluminal pressures (ranging from 8 to 36 mm Hg), and the findings were compared with actual pressures. The technique was also applied in 23 patients with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices, and its correlation with hepatic venous pressure gradient and other factors related with varices bleeding. Results The study in vitro showed that the measured intraluminal pressure was correlated significantly with the actual value ( r ≥ 0. 993, P ＜ 0. 001 ) without obvious measurement bias(95% CI = -0.13 cm H2O to 0. 33 cm H2O). The measurement in 23 patients were success with little variation coefficient (r≥0. 998) between repeated procedures. Regression analysis showed a good correlation between variceal pressure and hepatic venous pressure gradient (r=0. 858, P ＜ 0. 001 ). A higher variceal pressure was strongly associated with presence of previous bleeding episodes, vascular diameter and presence of red color signs, but did not correlate with the parameter of Child-Pugh classification ( t = 0. 31, P =0. 76). Conclusion Computerized endoscopic balloon manometry is reliable and feasible to examine esophageal variceal pressure, and is very likely to be a valuable clinical index for variceal bleeding.

Objective To investigate a new method which could not only avoid the extrusion of the silicon implant, but also be benefit for the reconstruction of nasal tip and alar during nasal augmen-tation procedure. Methods Folded lower lateral cartilage flap combined with silicon implant was ap-plied for nasal dorsal augmentation and reconstruction of nasal tip and alar with its unique character at the same time. Results 12 cases were all primary healing, without infection, extrusion of implant and other complications. One month after operation, the projection of nasal tip was increased, which had better delicate and definite shape, natural appearing tip adding contour and height to nasal tip, pleas-ant definition. Conclusions Folded lower lateral cartilage flap combined with silicon implant is an ef-fective method to decrease the incidence of extrusion, when we want to have a little over-projected na-sal tip with prosthesis. It is also helpful for reconstructing the nasal tip and alar with its unique char-acter.