OBJECTIVE: To analyze recent developments in image texture research both from methodology and from medical image analysis. DATA SOURCE: With the key words of "medical image, texture research, image analysis, application", we retrieved PubMed database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/), ScienceDirecr database (http://www.sciencedirect.com/) from 1983 to 2009 and CNKI database (http://www.cnki.net/) from 2004 to 2009. DATA SELECTION: Original research thesis, and reviews with clear opinion, sufficient data and reliable conclusion were included. Repetitive studies and studies concerning unrelated to the objective were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A total 104 literatures were selected, including 10 Chinese literatures and 94 English literatures. These literatures were primarily collected by reading titles and abstracts. A total of 33 literatures with unrelated objective, 18 literatures with repetitive studies were excluded. Finally, 53 Chinese and English literatures were included for further analysis. RESULTS: Primary methods used in texture analysis are structural, statistical, model-based and transform-based-method. When we are interested in identifying texture primitives and their distribution to analyze regular texture, structural approaches are suited. Characteristics of texture like smoothness and coarseness are well analyzed by statistical approaches. Model-based-method is based on the construction of an image model that can be used not only to describe texture, but also to synthesize it. Digital features of texture are got by using some signal processing theories in transformation domain. Texture applications have been widely used in medical imaging domain. CONCLUSION: Because of the specific and complication of medical image and texture, not all texture measure can be used for medical image analysis. One of the development directions of medical image texture research is how to integrate and educe advantages of different methods to fully extract texture features and exactly attribute medical image texture and the relation between its changes and pathological state, resulting in an important component of computer-aided diagnosis.

Background and purpose:The patients with aggressive lymphoma who have a poor prognosis and unlikely to be cured with conventional chemotherapy. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of high-dose etoposide in mobilization followed auto-SCT in treating refractory lymphoma. Methods:40 patients [median age 33 (13-61) years] with refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL, n=32) or Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HD, n=8) received high-dose etoposide [VP16 10-15 mg/(kg·d)×2 d] in mobilization in our center. Remission status prior to mobilization was PD (n=40). The use of such granulocyte colony-stimulating factor [G-CSF, 5-10μg/(kg·d)] mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) after high-dose etoposide until the end of leukapheresis. Peripheral blood stem cell was collected and frozen in-80℃refrigerator. All these patients received auto peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT). Conditioning regimen was BEAM (n=19, 47.5%) or CBV (n=21, 52.5%). Results:Twenty-eight pa-tients (70%) were assessable for response after high-dose etoposide at a median pretreatment time of 39 days (range 17-172 days), 12 patients (30%) had no response. Median follow-up of 28 (4-66) months, 16 patients (40%) reached CR after auto-PBSCT. Fifteen of the 28 patients (53.6%) who had response to high-dose etoposide reached CR, 4 patients (14.3%) reached PR, 9 patients (32.1%) succumb to progression of disease. One of the 12 patients (8.3%) who had no response to high-dose etoposide reached CR, 1 patients (8.3%) reached PR, 10 patients (83.4%) succumb to progression of disease. The estimated 1-year OS and EFS were 69%and 56.7%respectively, 2-years OS and EFS were 63%and 52%respectively. The prognosis of the patients who had no response to etoposide was poor. The estimated 1-year OS and EFS were 25%and 16.7%respectively. Two group of comparison differences have statistics signiifcance (P<0.01). Conclusion: High-dose etoposide could be used in refractory lymphoma as rescue therapy in mobilization. It can increase the EFS and OS of patients who had response. The hematopoietic stem cells collection and hematopoietic reconstitution are not affected by etoposide.

Humans ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; utilization

OBJECTIVETo analyze the fungal composition in Massa Medicata Fermentata based on culture dependent method and independent PCR-SSCP technique.

METHODFungi were directly isolated from Massa Medicata Fermentata samples. The obtained strains were identified according to morphology and DNA sequence. Meanwhile the total fungal DNA was extracted from Massa Medicata Fermentata samples, the cultural independent PCR-SSCP technique based on β-tubulin gene were used to identify the mycobiota.

RESULTAccording to cultural method, Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus oryzae were present in Massa Medicata Fermentata samples, while A. flavus and A. niger were present in fried Massa Medicata Fermentata samples. In contrast, 5 species were obtained by PCR-SSCP technique, A. flavus was overlapped with fungal taxa derived from culture dependent method; A. ambiguu and A. s ivoriensis were dominant with relative abundance of 57% and 35% respectively, while the relative abundance of A. flavus was as low as 4%. None species was obtained from fried Massa Medicata Fermentata samples.

CONCLUSIONPCR-SSCP based on β-tubulin gene could distinguish fungi into species, culture dependent method combined with culture independent method could better understand the fungal composition associated with Massa Medicata Fermentata fermentation.

Fermentation ; Fungi ; isolation & purification ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Tubulin ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the resistant effect of houttuyfonate sodium (SH) combined with imipenem (IMP) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) biofilms.

METHODThe two-fold dilution method was used to examine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the tested drug. The crystal violet staining was applied to detect the effect of the combination of 1/2MIC, 1MIC, 2MIC of SH, single IMP, 1/2MIC of SH and IMP of various concentrations on the clearance rate of adherent bacteria, growth of biofilms and alginate production. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA)-propidium iodide (PI) doubling staining assay was employed to observe the bacterial viability and morphological changes after membrane dispersion of each drug group.

RESULTSodium houttuyfonate could enhance the effect of IMP against pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Particularly, the combination group with the concentration of 2MIC showed the highest effect, with P < 0.001 compared with the negative control group. The above results were proved by the bacterial viability and biofilm morphology under fluorescence microscope.

CONCLUSIONAfter being combined with imipenem, sodium houttuyfonate shows a higher effect against biofilms. It is expected that the combination of the two drugs could improve the clinical efficacy of associated infections.

Alkanes ; pharmacology ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Drug Synergism ; Imipenem ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Microbial Viability ; drug effects ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; drug effects ; physiology ; Sulfites ; pharmacology

Objective To establish and apply the systemic caring and nursing model,the five-heart nursing service model. Methods The five-heart nursing service content was designed,the five-heart nursing service organization was perfected,the five-heart nursing service manual books were compiled and the satisfaction questionnaires for five-heart nursing service were designed.Three tryout departments were selected and the nursing staff was trained by human theory and five-heart nursing service amenity and flow according to the five-heart nursing service requirement. Results The patients satisfaction degree, medical entanglemant complaint and praise after the application of five-heart nursing service were greatly improved compared with those of before its application (P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion The application of five-heart nursing service supplied systemic caring and nursing for patients and it proved effective to improve patients satisfaction degree.

Objective To retrospectively analyze the effect of preemptive treatment on cytomegaloviras (CMV) infection in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Methods The data of one hundred and three patients who underwent alIo-HSCT with preemptive treatment to prevent CMV associated diseases were retrospectively analyzed. Fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect CMV-DNA. The incidences of CMV viremia and CMV associated diseases were analyzed. Results CMV viremia was confirmed 63 times in 51 of the 103 patients. The incidence of CMV viremia was 49. 5% and the median time of onset was 40 days after transplantation. All the patients with CMV viremia received preemptive antiviral therapy and 19 of them developed CMV associated diseases, including 14 hemorrhagic cystitis, 3 CMV associated pneumonia and 2 CMV associated enteritis. The total incidence of CMV associated diseases was 18. 4%. After treatment with ganciclovir and/or foscarnet, 60 of the 63 times of CMV viremia disappeared. One patient was not included in the analysis because he died of intracranial hemorrhage and GVHD only 3 days after the treatment. The total response rate was 96. 8% (60/62). The remaining two cases who did not respond to treatment died of CMV associated pneumonia in combination with acute GVHD. The direct mortality rate of CMV infection was 1.9% (2/103). Conclusion The incidences of CMV viremia and CMV associated diseases do not increase in patients receiving preemptive therapy as compared with those receiving prophylaxis therapy. Preemptive treatment can not only prevent the progression of CMV viremia to CMV associated diseases in majority of the cases but also control CMV associated diseases effectively.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; complications ; Lung Neoplasms ; complications ; Uterine Neoplasms ; complications

Objective To assess the effectiveness of absorbable screws and metallic devices for treating tibial plateau fractures.Methods Fifty-seven cases of tibial plateau fractures were treated with internal fixation using absorbable screws(Group A),cannulated screws(Group B)and condylar buttress plates(Group C)in our hospital.According to Schatzker classification,there were 15 cases with typeⅠfractures,21 with typeⅡ,nine with typeⅢand 12 with typeⅣ,who were followed up for 6-51 months. Statistical analysis was performed to compare bone union and functional restoration of the knee between three groups.Results Bone union was achieved in all cases.Based on Merchant scale for knee func- tion,excellence rate was 84%(16/19)for Group A,92%(11/12)for Group B and 85%(22/26) for Group C,with no significant statistical difference.Conclusion Absorbable screws is as effective as metallic devices for treating tibial plateau fractures and has advantages of minimal invasion,few complica- tions and avoiding secondary operation.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (Rituximab) combined with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (ASCT) in treatment of the patients with B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Methods Twenty-one patients with B-cell NHL(CD20 positive) received ASCT with Rituximab at the dose of 385 mg·m-2·d-1 on day 1 and day 8 of mobilization,and day -1 and day +7 of conditioning regimen. Among the 21 patients receiving chemotherapy before the transplant, five cases achieved complete response (CR), eleven cases achieved partial remission (PR), and 5 cases had the progression of disease (PD) after many cycles of chemotherapy. Results The median follow-up was 24 months (1-68 months) in the present study. No relapse occurred among the 5 patients in CR before the transplant. Only one of the 11 PR patients relapsed 6 months post-transplantation. Three of the 5 PD patients died. Four of 21 cases (19 %) were documented as recurrence and death, the other 17 cases remained alive and disease-free. Both 2-year EFS and OS of these cases were 81%. No harmful effect of Rituximab was observed on the quality and quantity of collected stem cells as well as hematopoietic recovery post SCT. Conclusion The efficacy of ASCT with Rituximab in vivo purging in the patients with B-cell NHL was determined mainly by the disease status before transplant. The approach may be used as consolidation therapy to achieve long-term survival and increase the curable rate for patients in CR before transplant, and as intensification therapy to increase the remission rate and prolong the EFS and OS of the patients in PR. Rituximab did not show any adverse effect on collection and reconstitution of hematopoietic stem cells.