The distance fmm skin to the lumber epidural space was measured in 60 male patients receiving epidural analgesia. The mean distance was found to be 4.45cm. The epidural depths were identified most frequently at 4.0 to 4.5cm deep and over 90% of total cases were less than 5.5cm deep. The epidural depths had correlations with weight and PI(P < 0.001), but not correlated with height.
Adult* ; Analgesia, Epidural ; Epidural Space* ; Humans ; Male* ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Anemia, Refractory* ; Cyclosporine*

To study the variation of six ester-type alkaloids and characteristic fingerprints in the process from Radix Aconite Lateralis to Heishunpian and lay a foundation for the study of the processing principle of Heishunpian, HPLC. analysis was performed on a Phenomenex Gemini C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) with acetonitrile and 40 mmol x L(-1) ammonium acetate (adjusted to pH 10 with concentrated ammonia water) as mobile phase. The detection wavelength was set at 235 nm. The flow rate was set at 0.8 mL x min(-1) and the injection volume was 10-20 microL. Six ester-type alkaloids were determined and characteristic fingerprints of the process were established. As the process continues, the contents of diester diterpene alkaloids were decreased step by step, while the contents varia tion of monoester diterpene alkaloids were not obvious. Each sample showed significant difference in characteristic fingerprints. With the exception of 6 known monoester diterpene alkaloids and diester diterpene alkaloids, 13 peaks were marked in the characteristic fingerprints, of which the total change rule of the other 7 unknown peaks were similar with 3 diester diterpene alkaloids. The established method is accurate, reliable and repeatable, and can provide reference for revealing change rule of index components and illuminating processing principle in the process of Heishunpian.
Aconitine ; chemistry ; Aconitum ; chemistry ; Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Esters ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure

The aim of this study is to develop an animal model of polyps that is more suitable for further polyp studies by semiquantitatively analyzing the effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and/or mechanical trauma to the sinus mucosa, based on the epithelial rupture theory, on polyp formation in the rabbit maxillary sinuses. The natural ostia were occluded in 30 Pasturellafree New Zealand white rabbits. All rabbits were divided into three groups according to the following modes of manipulation on the right maxillary sinus: inoculation with P. aeruginosa (group A), brushing of the sinus mucosa (group B), and inoculation with P. aeruginosa accompanied by brushing of the mucosa (group C). The left maxillary sinuses were used as the control. After four weeks, macroscopic polyps and light microscopic polyps and/or polypoid mucosa were semiquantitatively analyzed. The number of macroscopic polyps per sinus was significantly larger in groups A (1.0 polyps) and C (1.3 polyps) than in group B (0.0 polyps). Microscopic examination revealed significantly higher levels of polyps and/or polypoid mucosa in groups A and C than in group B. The results of this study suggest that a rabbit model of polyps using P. aeruginosa is suitable for further polyp studies and that induction of this type of model needs no mechanical trauma to the sinus mucosa.
Maxillary Sinus* ; Models, Animal ; Mucous Membrane* ; Polyps* ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa* ; Pseudomonas* ; Rabbits ; Rupture

In this paper the system structure The automatic biochemistry analyzer is a necessary instrument for clinical diagnostics. First of is analyzed. The system problems description and the fundamental principles for dispatch are brought forward. Then this text puts emphasis on the modeling for the automatic biochemistry analyzer control system. The objects model and the communications model are put forward. Finally, the implementation method is designed. It indicates that the system based on the model has good performance.
Autoanalysis ; instrumentation ; methods ; Biochemistry ; instrumentation ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Models, Theoretical

OBJECTIVETo investigate glycometabolism of patients with depression at first episode.

METHODSOral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in 100 patients with depression at first episode and 50 healthy subjects; the levels of fast blood plasma insulin were also measured.

RESULTThere were no statistically significant differences in fast blood plasma insulin levels and postprandial blood glucose levels at 0 h, 1 h and 3 h (P>0.05); the fasting blood glucose (FBS), postprandial blood glucose levels in 2 h and area under OGTT curve of depression patients were significantly higher than those of healthy controls. The frequency of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in depression patients was higher than that in controls (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONDepression patients at the first episode are abnormal in glycometabolism, which may have clinical implication.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Depressive Disorder ; blood ; complications ; Female ; Glucose Intolerance ; complications ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is routinely used for anatomical assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, invasive measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFR) is the current gold standard for the diagnosis of hemodynamically significant CAD. CT-derived FFRCT and CT perfusion are two emerging techniques that can provide a functional assessment of CAD for risk stratification and clinical decision making. Several clinical studies have shown that the diagnostic performance of concomitant CCTA and functional CT assessment for detecting hemodynamically significant CAD is at least non-inferior to that of other routinely used imaging modalities. This article aims to review the current clinical evidence and recent developments in functional CT techniques.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It was reported that external nasal dilators (ENDs) can reduce snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in white people by dilating the nasal valve area and then, improving nasal breathing. However, there are no available data on Asians, whose geometry of nasal cavities is different from that of white people. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of ENDs on snoring and OSA in Korean adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve simple snorers (3 female and 9 males, aged 19 to 44 years) and 35 OSA patients (35 males, aged 22 to 65 years) without nasal diseases were included in this study. Polysomnography including measurement of snoring intensity was performed at two separate nights, one with and the other without an END. Averaged maximum snoring intensity, apnea index (AI), respiratory disturbance index (RDI), ratio of deep sleep (stage 3 and 4) to total sleep time, and minimum arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) with and without an END were measured and compared. RESULTS: Snoring intensity was reduced in 6 (50.0%) of 12 simple snorers and 16 (45.7%) of 35 OSA patients. In overall, snoring improved significantly in both groups. In OSA patients, AI and RDI improved significantly, but ratio of deep sleep time and minimum SaO2 did not. There were no significant correlations between change of snoring intensity and change of AI or RDI in OSA patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ENDs are helpful to improvement of snoring and respiration during sleep, but the sleep stages remain almost unchanged by ENDs in Korean adults with snoring and/or OSA.
Adult* ; Apnea ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nasal Cavity ; Nose Diseases ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Respiration ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Sleep Stages ; Snoring*

OBJECTIVE: There are some evidences that some epithelial ovarian cancer cells respond to hormonal therapy. And in vitro studies have revealed that treatment of various human cancer cell lines with selective cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors induces apoptotic cell death. The goal of this article is to evaluate the effects of tamoxifen and celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, on the ovarian cancer cells and the benefits of combining these agents in the management of ovarian cancer. METHODS: SK-OV-3 epithelial ovarian cancer cells were exposed to increasing concentration of tamoxifen (10(-8) M, 10(-7) M, 10(-6) M, 10(-5) M and 10(-4) M) and celecoxib (10(-8) M, 10(-7) M, 10(-6) M, 10(-5) M and 10(-4) M) as well as a combination of both drugs. The activity of apoptosis was evaluated by the morphologic examination and the MTT assay. The pattern of apoptosis was also assessed by the caspase-3 activity and the fraction of cleaved PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase) protein. RESULTS: Single application of both drugs could significantly increase the rate of apoptosis after 24 h of continuous exposure. Concomitant treatment of SK-OV-3 cells with tamoxifen and celecoxib induced significant increase in apoptosis, comparing with single drug exposure. The pattern of apoptosis induced by these agents on SK-OV-3 cells seemed to be caspase-3 dependent. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that combining tamoxifen with selective COX-2 inhibitor seems to have at least an additive tumoricidal effect. A more definitive role for this combination therapy in clinical settings in ovarian cancer will need to be defined through the conduct of clinical trials.
Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose ; Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Line* ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Tamoxifen* ; Celecoxib

OBJECTIVE: In vitro studies have revealed that treatment of various human cancer cell lines with specific cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors induces apoptotic cell death. The goal of this article is to investigate the benefits of combining COX-2 inhibitors with existing treatment modalities in the management of ovarian cancer. METHODS: In this study we sought to determine the effects of combining paclitaxel and the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib on apoptosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells. SK-OV-3 cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of paclitaxel (10(-7) M, 10(-6) M and 10(-5) M) and celecoxib (10(-8) M, 10(-7) M, 10(-6) M, 10(-5) M and 10(-4) M) as well as a combination of both drugs. The activity of apoptosis was evaluated by the morphologic examination and the MTT assay. The pattern of apoptosis was also assessed by the caspase-3 activity and the fraction of cleaved PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase) protein. RESULTS: Single application of both drugs could significantly increase the rate of apoptosis after 24 hours of continuous exposure. But concomitant treatment of SK-OV-3 EOC cell line with paclitaxel and celecoxib resulted in marked impairment of paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. The pattern of apoptosis induced by paclitaxel on SK-OV-3 EOC cell line was caspase-3 independent. CONCLUSION: Combining COX-2 inhibitors and paclitaxel does not have an additive or synergistic tumoricidal effect. On the contrary, celecoxib treatment markedly inhibited the apoptotic effects of paclitaxel in SK-OV-3 EOC cell line.
Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose ; Apoptosis* ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Line* ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Paclitaxel ; Celecoxib