Objective To evaluate the role of 3 D spiral computerized tomographic angiography (SCTA) in microsurgery of separating craniopagus twins Methods A case of craniopagus twins underwent spiral CTA Image reconstruction was made by shaded surface display Result SCTA demonstrated osseous fusion in twins skull Parts of bone and dura mater were found to be absent in the fused area Two parts of brain tissues were linked together, and some area were fused Twins' one third of posterior superior sagittal sinuses were fused and converged into a common sinus One side of their transverse sinuses were fused Conclusion SCTA can clearlly reveal the abnormalities of skull, cerebrum, intracranial blood vessels, especially the stereostruction between intracranial blood vessels and skull SCTA is useful for intraoperative bone design and decision of surgical route and has important value in formulating surgical plans

ATP-binding cassette transporter Al (ABCAl) is a kind of membrane intergrate protein and may have multiple and diverse functions. It mediates the cellular efflux of phospholipids and cholesterol to lipid-poor apolipoproteinA- Ⅰ (apoA- Ⅰ ) and plays a significant role in high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism. Mutations in human ABCAl cause severe HDL deficiencies characterized by the virtual absence of apoA- Ⅰ and HDL and prevalent atherosclerosis. ABCAl expression is highly regulated and implies a variety of molecular actors. All of the nuclear receptors which involve in regulation of ABCAl expression act via the DR4 element in the ABCAl promoter. cAMP up-regulates ABCAl expression by acting both at the transcriptional and translational level. Cytokines have been shown to exert pleiotropic and antinomic effects on ABCAl transcription, In addition to these, some of enzymes and proteins such as protein kinase A, protein kinase CK2, cathepsin D are involved in the regulation of ABCAl expression. The recent progress in the structure, function and regulation of ABCAl transporter is reviewed.

Metformin is the most commonly prescibed drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus as it is inexpensive, safe, and efficient in ameliorating hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Numerous epidemiological studies indicate that diabetic population is not only at increased risk of cardiovascular complications, but also at substantially higher risk of many forms of malignancies. Meanwhile, epidemiological and clinical observation studies have shown that metformin use reduces risk of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and improves prognosis and survival rate of the cancer patients. Furthermore, metformin has been used for cancer therapy in clinical trials. Thus, metformin is emerging as a new cancer therapy or adjuvant anticancer drugs. This review summarizes recent progress in studies of metformin use and its molecular mechanism.
Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Metformin ; therapeutic use ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

?Objective: To study the preparation method of nanometer powder of zirconia, which was used to toughen dental alumina ceramics. Methods: The inorganic precursors at the concentrations of 0.0155 , 0.03, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.28 mol/L were used to prepare zirconia powder via precipitation method. Ammonia water was added into the said solutions to control the pH value at 7.0, 8.5 and 9. The dried precipitation product was then calcined. The prepared zirconia powder were studied by using X ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results: The zirconia powder prepared under the condition of 0.03 0.05 mol/L concentration of inorganic precursors, pH = 8.5, and calcined at 700 ℃ for 2 h was even in size,well dispersed and well micronized. The diameter of the final powder was about 100 nm. Conclusion: With proper preparation condition, weakly agglomerated powder of zirconia in nanometer size can be obtained.

The method of PBL (problem based learning) teaching in China is widely recognized. However, the characteristics of Vocational Medical Education limit its wider application. The paper discusses the mode which is suitable for our country by analyzing the major issues,improving methods of teaching and doing experiments.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Janus Kinase 2 ; genetics ; Karyotyping ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; genetics ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; genetics ; Young Adult ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 ; genetics

Cochlear Implantation ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Meningitis ; etiology ; Postoperative Complications

Child ; Cochlear Implantation ; Cochlear Implants ; Humans ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To discuss the quality of life in the postoperative patients with aortic valve replacement (AVR) and related influencing factors .Methods The changes of preoperative and postoperative survival quality in 102 cases of AVR surgery were assessed by using the SF‐36 scale ,and the Logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of age ,effective valve orifice area and prosthetic valve on the quality of life .Results Five patients died during follow‐up .The relative baseline survey after postopera‐tive 1 year showed that the quality of life of patients was significantly improved ,the Logistic regression analysis revealed that a lar‐ger effective orifice area(EOA) and biological valve replacement could have higher health scale scores ,and showed a positive corre‐lation .Conclusion The quality of life in the postoperative patients with AVR is affected by the valve type and EOA of prosthetic valve .

BACKGROUND: Differentiation inducing factors and gestational age influence the differentiation potential of embryonic neuralstem cells.OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to observe the differentiation potential of rat mesencephalic neural stem cells at differentgestational ages towards dopaminergic neurons.DESIGN: A randomized controlled observation.SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou City, GuangdongProvince, China.MATERIALS: This study was performed at the Laboratory of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between Marchand September 2007. Thirty adult gestational SD rats, weighing 350 400 g, were provided by the Laboratory Animal Center of SunYat-sen University (Permission No. 2007-0034). The protocol was performed in accordance with ethical guidelines stated in Guide forthe use and care of laboratory animals, approved by the Committee on the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the Institute ofLaboratory Animal Resources Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, China (1985). DMEM/F12 serum-free medium,B27 additives, epidermal growth factor, basic fibmblast growth factor, and fetal bovine serum (volume fraction:0, 1) were purchased fromGibco Company, British; Interleukin lα, interleukin 11, and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factors were purchased from R&D Company,USA; In addition, leukaemia inhibitory factor (Perpotech, British), tyrosine hydroxylase(Santa Cruz, USA), nidogen antibody,microtubule-associated protein 2 antibody, and glial fibrillary acidic protein antibody(Chemicon, USA) were also used.METHODS: Six rats were randomly selected at each time point (on days 10,12,14,16, and 18 after gestation). After anesthesia, therats were sacrificed. Under the aseptic condition, fetal rat was harvested. Rat mesencephalic ventral brain tissue was isolated forculture of neural stem cells. Different gestational ages of rat brain-derived neural stem cells were separately cultured in theserum-free medium containing epidermal growth factors and basic fibroblast growth factors. After passage and amplification, theneural stem cells were induced to differentiate towards dopaminergic neurons in the medium containing interleukin lu, interleukin11, leukaemia inhibitory factors, glial cell-derived leukaemia inhibitory factors. On day 6 after induction and differentiation, thedopaminergic neurons were observed and identified by immunocytochemistry. After labeled by tyrosine hydroxylase, thedifferentiated dopaminergic neuron proportion was detected by a flow cytometer.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The growth state of differentiated rat neural stem cells at different gestational ages and theimmunocytochemistry results. The tyrosine hydroxylase staining-positive neural stem cell proportion after induction anddifferentiation.RESULTS: Rat mesencephalic neural stem cell spheres on days 10,12, 14, 16, and 18 after gestation adhesively grew in thedifferentiation-inducing medium. The neural stem cells in the spheres gradually grew in radial tendency. On day 6 afterdifferentiation, most of the neural stem cells exhibited 1-2 long processes or several short processes. After nidogenimmunocytochemical staining, most of neural stem cells exhibited cytoplasm-positive. After culture for 6 days in the differentiationinducing medium, rat mesencephalic neural stem cells at gestational 10,12, 14, 16, and 18 days were detected by a flow cytometer.Results demonstrated that the proportion of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells was (10.3±2.5)%, (21.6±3.4)%, (16.7±2.8)%,(14.2±3.2)%, and (8.9±1.8)%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the proportion of tyrosine hydroxylase-positivecells among the cells at different gestational days (P < 0.05). Rat neural stem cells at gestational 12 days could be induced todifferentiate into dopaminergic neurons at the highest proportion.CONCLUSION: Mesencephalic neural stem cells of rats at different gestational days have different capabilities to differentiatetowards dopaminergic neurons. The proportion of dopaminergic neurons is the highest when mesencephalic neural stem cells ofrats at gestational 12 days.