Objective To enhance the knowledge of pulmonary aspergilloma on CT and chest radiography. Methods CT scans and chest radiographs of 10 cases with pulmonary aspergilloma were reviewed retrospectively. Of these 10 patients,9 were men,1 was woman, ranged in age from 25～55 years old(means 36.4 years old).Results Of 10 cases,8 cases manifested themselves as an oval or round masses .9 cases were located both upper lobes. Air crescent sign or air ring sign were shown in all 10 cases. The fungus ball could move with the change of patient’s body position in 3 cases.Conclusion A mobile intracavitary mass with air crescent sign or air ring sign is the imaging characteristic of pulmonary aspergilloma.

Objective To investigate the effect of C-erbB-2 shRNA on chemosensitivity of mouse lung adenocarcinoma cells and its mechanism,and to find new therapy method for non-small cell lung cancer,especial lung adenocarcinoma.Methods The mouse lung adenocarcinoma Lewis cells were cultured regularly and divided into non-transfected group, pGPU6/RFP/Neo-shNC group and pGPU6/RFP/Neo-erbB-2 group. The plasmids were synthesized and transfected into Lewis cells in each group by Lipofectamine 2000.The expression levels of C-erbB-2 mRNA and protein in the cells in various groups were tested by RT-PCR and Western blotting method, respectively. The Lewis cells were divided into non- transfected group, pGPU6/RFP/Neo-shNC group, carboplatin group, pGPU6/RFP/Neo-erbB-2 group, pGPU6/RFP/Neo-shNC+carboplatin group and pGPU6/RFP/Neo-erbB-2+ carboplatin group. The apoptotic rates of the cells in each group were detected by flow cytometry;the expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in each group were determined by Western blotting method.Results The expression levels of C-erbB-2 mRNA and protein in pGPU6/RFP/Neo-erbB-2 group were lower than those in non-transfected group and pGPU6/RFP/Neo-shNC.The apoptotic rate of the cells in pGPU6/RFP/Neo-erbB-2+carboplatin group was the highest in all of the groups (P<0.01);compared with the others, the expression of Bax protein in pGPU6/RFP/Neo-erbB-2+carboplatin group was increased, while the expression level of Bcl-2 protein was decreased.Conclusion C-erbB-2 shRNA can increase the Lewis cells’sensitivity to carboplatin.The mechanism may be that it can enhance the Lewis cells’apoptosis induced by carboplatin through increasing the expression of Bax protein and decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 protein.

Objective To study the correlation of quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) parameters with outcomes of adults who sustained coma after cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.Methods The clinical data of coma patients after cardio-pulmonary resuscitation,admitted to our hospital from March 2008 to August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed.Glasgow coma scale (GCS) was performed.EEG was registered and recorded at least once within 7 d of coma after cardio-pulmonary resuscitation:electrodes were placed according to the international 10-20 system,using a 16-channel lay out.The qEEG parameters defined as burst suppression ratio (BSR),brain symmetry index (BSI),[delta+theta]/[alpha+beta] ratio (DTABR) were analyzed at the same time.Follow-up was performed 3 months after onset and the outcomes of these patients were assessed by Glasgow outcome scale (GOS).The correlations of GOS scores with qEEG parameters were analyzed.Results Sixty patients with GCS scores-＜ 8 after cardio-pulmonary resuscitation were included.BSR1 and BSR2 were negatively correlated with GOS scores 3 months after onset (r=-0.723,P=0.000;r=-0.651,P=0.000);DTABR was positively correlated with GOS scores 3 months after onset (r=0.270,P=0.037).BSI and DTABR were not correlated with GCS scores.BSR1 and BSR2 were negatively correlated with GCS scores (r=-0.562,P=0.000;r=-0.429,P=0.001).Conclusion The qEEG parameters are correlated with outcomes after cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

Objective:To observe the changes of cognitive function, subcortical nuclei volumes, and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) parameters (values of fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD] and mean kurtosis [MK]) after surgery in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), and analyze the correlations of cognitive dysfunction with subcortical nuclei volumes and DKI parameters.Methods:A prospective sutdy was conducted;17 patients with aSAH confirmed by surgery in our hospital from September 2019 to June 2020 were selected as patient group, and 16 healthy volunteers whose age, gender, and education level were matched with the patient group were recruited as control group. Neuropsychological tests and MR imaging were performed in the patients 3 months after surgery and the controls right after enrollment. The structural image data of all subjects were post-processed. Bilateral subcortical nuclei volumes and DKI parameters were analyzed. The differences of general clinical data, subcortical nuclei volumes and DKI parameters were compared between the two groups. The correlations of mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scores with subcortical nuclei volumes and DKI parameters were analyzed.Results:As compared with the control group, the patient group had significantly lower MMSE and MoCA scores, and statistically decreased volumes of ipsilateral hippocampus, ipsilateral thalamus and ipsilateral lentiform nucleus ( P<0.05). The FA values of the contralateral caudate nucleus, bilateral thalamus and bilateral lentiform nucleus and MK values of the ipsilateral hippocampus in the patient group were significantly decreased as compared with those in the control group ( P<0.05); while the MD values of the ipsilateral caudate nucleus in the patient group were significantly increased as compared with those in the control group ( P<0.05). The volume of ipsilateral hippocampus was positively with MoCA scores ( r=0.604, P=0.038); the FA values of contralateral caudate nucleus were negatively correlated with MMSE scores ( r=-0.579, P=0.049). Conclusions:Cognitive dysfunction, atrophy of ipsilateral hippocampus, thalamus and lenticular nucleus, and changes of DKI parameters exist in patients with aSAH after surgery. The changes in ipsilateral hippocampus volume and FA values of caudate nucleus may be related to the postoperative cognitive dysfunction in these patients.

BACKGROUNDThe brain death confirmation tests occupy a different position in each country's diagnostic criteria (or guideline); the choices of tests are also different. China brain death criteria include clinical judgment and confirmation tests. This study aimed to confirm the preferred confirmatory test and complementary confirmatory tests.

METHODSWe did a clinical brain death determination on deep coma patients, and then divided them into brain death group and non-brain death group. According to the Chinese standards for determining brain death, both the groups accepted confirmatory tests including electroencephalograph (EEG), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), and transcranial Doppler (TCD). The sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, and false negative rate were calculated to evaluate the accuracy of the confirmatory tests.

RESULTSAmong the 131 cases of patients, 103 patients met the clinical criteria of brain death. Respiratory arrest provocation test was performed on 44 cases and 32 cases (73%) successfully completed and confirmed that they have no spontaneous breathing. Of the three confirmation tests, EEG had the highest completion rate (98%) and good sensitivity (83%) and specificity (97%); TCD had followed completion rate (54%) and not good sensitivity (73%) and specificity (75%); SEP had the lowest completion rate (49%), good sensitivity (100%), and not good specificity (78%). After the combination of SEP or TCD with EEG, the specificity can increase to 100%.

CONCLUSIONSThe completion rate of respiratory arrest provocation test remains a problem in the clinical diagnosis of brain death. If the test cannot be completed, whether to increase a confirmatory test is debatable. SEP had an ideal sensitivity, and the specificity will reach 100% after combining with TCD or EEG. When a confirmed test was uncertain, we suggest increasing another confirmatory test.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Brain Death ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial ; Young Adult