Objective To evaluate the value of iterative modal reconstruction (IMR) for reducing radiation dose and controlling image quality in cardiac CT. Methods Ten pigs were included. All pigs were scanned on a 256?slice prospectively ECG?gated cardiac CT utilizing routine dose (group A) and tube current reduced by 30%(group B), 50%(group C) and 70%(group D), respectively. Filtered back projection (FBP), hybrid iterative reconstruction (iDose4) and IMR were used for all data, respectively. Image noise and contrast?to?noise ratio (CNR) of ascending aortic root were measured, while overall image quality and coronary artery image quality was rated (five point scale). All results reconstructed by FBP, iDose 4 and IMR were compared. Objective measurements were compared with one?way analysis of variance, and subjective assessments were compared with Kruskal?Wallis H test andχ2 test. Results Compared with that of FBP and iDose4, image noise of IMR was(15.1 ± 6.1),(18.8 ± 5.5),(22.1 ± 4.8)and(33.0 ± 4.0)HU, respectively in group A, B, C and D with significant reduction (F=82.77, 90.71, 96.59, 95.51 respectively, all P<0.01). Using IMR, groups A, B, C, D had higher CNR (42.0±11.1, 37.2±10.4, 31.4±8.7, 23.7±7.0;F=50.65, 53.55, 76.60, 57.36, all P<0.01) and overall image quality (5.0 ± 0.0, 4.8 ± 0.4, 4.6 ± 0.5, 4.5 ± 0.5;H=20.96, 15.63, 18.66, 23.56, all P<0.01) than FBP and iDose4. Using IMR, group A (100%, 40/40) and group B (100%, 40/40) had no significant difference (P>0.05) in the diagnosis rates of proximal coronary arteries compared with that using FBP and iDose4, while group C (100%, 40/40) and group D(92%, 37/40) had significantly increased diagnosis rates (χ2=20.05, 45.72, both P<0.01). The diagnosis rates of distal coronary arteries of IMR reconstruction which were 100%(50/50), 98%(49/50), 90%(45/50), 78%(39/50), respectively in groups A, B, C, D had significant increase compared with that of FBP and iDose4 reconstruction (χ2=7.39, 16.75, 34.62, 81.33, all P<0.05). Conclusions IMR can significantly reduce image noise, improve CNR and image quality compared with iDose4. Application of IMR can reduce radiation dose but without compromising image quality.

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy difference of electroacupuncture and auricular acupuncture in the treatment of methamphetamine withdrawal syndrome.

METHODSNinety male patients of methamphetamine addiction were randomized into an electroacupuncture group, an auricular acupuncture group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. In the electroacupuncture group, Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Jiaji (EX-B 2) at T5 and L2 were selected bilaterally. In the auricular acupuncture group, jiaogan (AH(6a)), shenmen (TF4), fei (CO14) and gan (CO12) were selected unilaterally. The treatment was given 3 times a week, totally 12 treatments were required. In the control group, no any intervention was applied. Separately, before treatment and after 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks treatment, the scores of methamphetamine withdrawal syndrome, Hamilton anxiety scale and Hamilton depression scale were observed in each group.

RESULTSThe total score of methamphetamine withdrawal syndrome, anxiety score and depression score were obviously reduced in 2, 3 and 4 weeks of treatment as compared with those before treatment in the electroacupuncture group and the auricular acupuncture group (all P < 0.05), and showed a trend of gradual decline as the extension of treatment. In 1,2,3,4 weeks of treatment, the total score of withdrawal syndrome, anxiety score and depression score in the electroacupuncture group and auricular acupuncture group were lower significantly than those in the control group (all P < 0.05), in which, the total score of withdrawal syndrome in the electroacupuncture group was lower significantly than that in the auricular acupuncture group in the 4th week of treatment (3.69 +/- 2.446 vs 5.73 +/- 3.169, P < 0.05); the anxiety scores were lower significantly than those in the auricular acupuncture group in 3 and 4 weeks of treatment (8.19 +/- 4.57 vs 9.65 +/- 4.24, 5.27 +/- 2.89 vs 7.38 +/- 3.10, both P < 0.05); the depression scores were lower significantly than those in the auricular acupuncture group in 2, 3 and 4 weeks of treatment (15.35 +/- 5.64 vs 19.81 +/- 5.37, 10.96 +/- 4.52 vs 15.00 +/- 4.53, 7.96 +/- 2.69 vs 12.35 +/- 3.59, all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture at the body points and auricular acupuncture play the therapeutic role in the treatment of methamphetamine withdrawal syndrome, anxiety and depression. The longer time the treatment is with electroacupuncture at the body points, the more obvious the efficacy will be on the above symptoms.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Adult ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methamphetamine ; adverse effects ; Middle Aged ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; etiology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore whether there is phenotypic modulation of mesangial cells in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats and study the effect of Tujian Mixture (TJM) on it.

METHODSSD rats were divided into the normal control group (NC group, n = 8), the unilateral nephrectomized control group (QC group, n = 8), the STZ induced diabetes mellitus with unilateral nephrectomy model group (DM group, n = 8), the Valsartan treated group (VT group, n = 8) and the TJM treated group (ZY group, n = 9), rats in the latter two groups were modeled as in the DM group and treated with Valsartan (20 mg/kg.d) and TJM (20 g/kg.d) respectively for 12 weeks. The expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) in rats glomeruli were observed by immunohistochemistry assay, and the ratio of alpha-SMA and TGF-beta 1 positive area/total glomerule tuft area (SMA/GT and TGF/GT) were analyzed using computer-assisted image analysis software.

RESULTSIn the NC and the QC groups, only trace of alpha-SMA positive staining was found. But there was prominant alpha-SMA positive staining in glomeruli of the DM group, with SMA/GT and TGF/GT increased significantly (P < 0.01), and marked increase of 24 hrs proteinuria excretion (P < 0.01). As compared with the DM group, the three indexes were all significantly lower in the VT and ZY groups (P < 0.01), and the lowering of proteinuria was more significant in the ZY group than that in the VT group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of alpha-SMA in glomeruli in STZ induced diabetic rats with unilateral nephrectomy is pronounced, indicating that phenotypic modulation of mesangial cells involvement in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. TJM and Valsartan can reduce 24 hrs proteinuria excretion, inhibit the phenotypic modulation of mesangial cells and the expression of TGF-beta 1 in glomeruli of diabetic rats, and the effect of TJM is more potent than that of Valsartan in lowering urinary protein excretion.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glomerular Mesangium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Phenotype ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate clinical efficacy of suture anchors in treating acute injuries of medial collateral ligament (MCL) of knee at degree III.

METHODSTwenty-seven patients with degree III acute MCL injuries of knee were treated with suture anchors from January 2007 to June 2011. There were 15 males and 12 females, aged from 19 to 56 (averaged 32.6) years old. The time from injury to operation was 3 to 10 days, averaged 6 days. Symptoms and physical signs before and after treatment were observed, Lysholm scoring were used to evluated clinical efficacy.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 16 to 30 months with an average of 21.6 months. The stability of knee joints was good in all patients. Abduction stress test was negative when the knee joint was straightened at 0 degrees and flexed at 30 degrees. The average degree of flexed knee (67.00 +/- 5.80) degrees preoperatively was lower than that of postoperatively (136.50 +/- 6.30) degrees at 1 year. According to Lysholm scoring, preoperative scores ranged from 30 to 43 points, averaged 36.46 +/- 1.48; 1 year after operation ranged from 87 to 100 with an average of 91.50 +/- 3.80 and higher than postoperative. Twenty patients got an excellent results, 5 good and 2 fair.

CONCLUSIONSuture anchors in treating acute injuries of medial collateral ligament of knee at degree III has following advantages: small range of tissue dissection, easy to operate, reliable fixation and less complications.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Collateral Ligaments ; injuries ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Suture Anchors

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo study HBV preS2/S gene expression effects in mammalian cells transferred with recombinant adenoviral vector.

METHODSThe replication-deficient recombinant adenoviral vector (Ad-HBs) carrying HBV preS2/S gene were constructed by homologous recombination in bacteria. The 293 cells, Vero cells, HepG2 cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were infected with adenoviruses. The expressions of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were observed with fluorescence microscope and the expressions of HBsAg were detected by RT-PCR and ELISA in vitro.

RESULTSMore than 90% of 293 cells, Vero cells, HepG2 cells or MSCs expressed EGFP after transfection at the MOI of 20 and the titers of HBsAg were more than 3.229 (A value) in culture supernatant.

CONCLUSIONThe HBV preS2/S gene was not only expressed efficiently in immortalized cells, but also expressed efficiently in stem cells with the recombinant adenoviruses vector.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transfection ; Vero Cells

Coinfection ; complications ; virology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; virology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; complications ; virology ; Hepatitis C ; complications ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

objective To compare three risk prediction system,the physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity(POSSUM),the Portsmouth POSSUM (P-POSSUM)and the colorectal POSSUM(Cr-POSSUM)for the accuracy in predicting operative mortality of patients of colorectal cancer in a single Chinese referral hospital setting. Methods Data of 903 patients,who undergone surgery for colon and rectal cancers from 1992 to 2005 at Peking University Third Hospital,were enrolled in the study.POSSUM,P-POSSUM and Cr-POSSUM was used respectively to predict the mortality rate.ROC curve was applied to judge the differentiation ability of each score.Model goodness-or-fit was tested by the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic and subgroup analysis was performed by the ratio of observed to expected deaths(O∶E ratio). Results The actual inhospital mortality in our series was 1.0%(9/903).The oredicted mortality rate by POSSUM,P-POSSUM and Cr-POSSUM were 5.6%,2.8% and 4.8%respectively.These predicted mortality rate were significantly higher than actual mortality of our patients.The O∶E ratio was 0.18,0.35 and 0.2 respectively. Conclusion The predicted mortality rate of POSSUM,P-POSSUM and Cr-POSSUM were significantly higher than actual observed mortality rate in a single Chinese referral hospital for patients of colorectal cancer.

Objective To evaluate a score system(Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland ACPGBI)in prediction of postoperative mortality from colorectal cancer patients in a Chinese hospital. Methods We analyzed retrospectively 904 patients with histologically confirmed colorectal cancer who had colorectal surgery from 1992 to 2005.There were 525 colonic cancer patients and 379 rectal cancer patients.We divided patients into several groups according to operative urgency(elective or emergency);surgeons(colorectal specialists or other surgeons);cancer location(colon or rectal).According to ACPGBI score we got the prediction.This prediction was compared with the actual mortality;Chi-square test,receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC),Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were used.Results Observed overall mortality within 30 days after surgery was 1.0%(9/904),and the predicted mortality was 8.3%(75/904).In all the subgroups the predicted momdity wag higher than observed mortality.We found that the actual mortality was higher in an individual subgroup in which the predicted mortality was higher. Conclusions For colorectal cancer patients undergoing a surgery the predicted mortality of ACPGBI score system was higher than the actual mortality in a Chinese hospital.