Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Short-Wave Therapy ; Spinal Diseases ; therapy ; Thoracic Vertebrae

The influence of low tube voltage in dual source CT (DSCT) coronary artery imaging on image quality and radiation dose and its application value in clinical practice were investigated. Totally, 300 cases of chest pain with low body mass index (BMI <18.5 kg/m(2)) subjected to DSCT coronary artery imaging were prospectively enrolled. The heart rate in all patients were greater than 65/min. The retrospective ECG gated scanning mode and simple random sampling method were used to assign the patients into groups A, B and C (n=100 each). The patients in groups A, B and C experienced 120-, 100-, and 80-kV tube voltage imaging respectively, and the image quality was evaluated. The CT volume dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded, and the effective dose (ED) was calculated in each group. The image quality scores and radiation doses in groups were compared, and the influence of tube voltage on image quality and radiation dose was analyzed. The results showed that the excellent rate of image quality in groups A, B and C was 95.69%, 94.72% and 96.33% respectively with the difference being not statistically significant among the three groups (P>0.05). The CTDIvol values in groups A, B and C were 51.35±12.21, 21.28±7.13 and 6.34±3.34 mGy, respectively, with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). The ED values in groups A, B and C were 9.27±1.63, 4.56±2.29 and 2.29±1.69 mSv, respectively, with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). It was suggested that for the patients with low BMI, the application of DSCT coronary artery imaging with low tube voltage can obtain satisfactory image quality, and simultaneously, significantly reduce the radiation dose.

The Her-2 proto-oncogene encodes a 185kDa transmenbrane glycoprotein p185 which has intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. It is overexpressed in several malignant human tumors like breast cancer. A chimeric antibody by assembling a single-chain Fv antibody and a human IgG1 Fc fragment was constructed. This chimeric antibody reacts with tumor surface antigen p185c-erbB-2 specifically. In order to put the antibody into clinical application, two steps purification method was used to attain the antibody’s purity more than 95%. Both the lyophilized pharmaceutical formulations of the antibody were found. The formulations can keep the stability and activity of the antibody for at least one year. These results were the foundation of the chimeric antibody for cancer therapy.

OBJECTIVETo assess the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at key acupoints combined with the routine rehabilitation training of limb function on spasmodic hemiplegia after cerebral infarction.

METHODSEighty-six cases were randomized into an acupuncture combined with rehabilitation group (group A, 44 cases) and a rehabilitation group (group B, 42 cases). In group A, the key acupoints were selected from head, face, chest, abdomen, shoulder, back, hands, feet and ankles such as Cuanzhu (BL 2), Danzhong (CV 17), Jianyu (LI 15) and Yanglao (SI 16) were stimulated with acupuncture. In combination, the routine limb rehabilitation training was applied, once every day. In group B, the routine limb rehabilitation training was applied alone. In both groups, 10 treatments made one session and 2 sessions were required totally. Before and after treatment, Fugl-Meyer scale and functional independent measurement (FIM) scale were adopted to assess the limb motor level and the activity of daily life in the patients respectively. The modified Ashworth scale was used to assess the effect of anti-spasm.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of anti-spasm was 90.9% (40/44) in the group A, which was superior to 73.8% (32/42) in the group B (P < 0.05). After 2 sessions of treatment, Fugl-Meyer score and FIM score were all improved in both groups (all P < 0.05) and the results in the group A were better than those in the group B (all P < 0.05). Additionally, the improvement of FIM score after the 1st session of treatment in the group A was better as compared with the group B, indicating the significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at key acupoints combined with rehabilitation therapy effectively relieves the spasmodic condition of the patients with post-stroke spasmodic hemiplegia, improves the limb function and the life activity of the patients.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Cerebral Infarction ; complications ; Female ; Hemiplegia ; etiology ; rehabilitation ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

The influence of low tube voltage in dual source CT (DSCT) coronary artery imaging on image quality and radiation dose and its application value in clinical practice were investigated. Totally, 300 cases of chest pain with low body mass index (BMI <18.5 kg/m(2)) subjected to DSCT coronary artery imaging were prospectively enrolled. The heart rate in all patients were greater than 65/min. The retrospective ECG gated scanning mode and simple random sampling method were used to assign the patients into groups A, B and C (n=100 each). The patients in groups A, B and C experienced 120-, 100-, and 80-kV tube voltage imaging respectively, and the image quality was evaluated. The CT volume dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded, and the effective dose (ED) was calculated in each group. The image quality scores and radiation doses in groups were compared, and the influence of tube voltage on image quality and radiation dose was analyzed. The results showed that the excellent rate of image quality in groups A, B and C was 95.69%, 94.72% and 96.33% respectively with the difference being not statistically significant among the three groups (P>0.05). The CTDIvol values in groups A, B and C were 51.35±12.21, 21.28±7.13 and 6.34±3.34 mGy, respectively, with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). The ED values in groups A, B and C were 9.27±1.63, 4.56±2.29 and 2.29±1.69 mSv, respectively, with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). It was suggested that for the patients with low BMI, the application of DSCT coronary artery imaging with low tube voltage can obtain satisfactory image quality, and simultaneously, significantly reduce the radiation dose.
Adult ; Aged ; Body Mass Index ; Chest Pain ; diagnostic imaging ; Coronary Angiography ; methods ; Coronary Vessels ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

The paper takes hypertension literature on CNKI as its study subject and adopts knowledge map to analyze research institution distribution,team modes and cooperation degrees formed among authors,transformation of study contents over the years,current study hotspots and future emphases for study in domestic hypertension field,giving a full picture of domestic status and trend of hypertension.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of different reference point on intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement.

METHODSNine critically ill patients with risk of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) were studied from July 2008 to June 2010, all of the patients were equipped with abdominal cavity drain and urinary drainage tube. By which IAP was measured using direct and indirect methods respectively. The symphysis pubis, phlebostatic axis and the midaxillary line at the level of the iliac crest were defined as reference points. According to the different reference point, three sets of IAP measurements were obtained in the supine position with each method and kept as IAP(S), IAP(P), IAP(I). Bland-Altman method analysis and Pearson's correlation were performed to evaluate the relationships between results from different reference points with direct and indirect methods. Paired t-test was performed to evaluate the differences among different reference points.

RESULTSSixty measurements of IAP(S), IAP(P) and IAP(I) were obtained. In direct measurement through abdominal cavity drain, IAP(I) (13.8 ± 3.9) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) was significantly higher than IAP(P) (12.8 ± 3.6) mmHg and IAP(S) (9.1 ± 3.6) mmHg, P < 0.05; while in indirect measurement through urinary drainage tube, IAP(I) (12.7 ± 3.2) mmHg was significantly higher than IAP(P) (11.7 ± 2.9) mmHg and IAP(S) (7.9 ± 3.0) mmHg too, P < 0.05. In either direct or indirect method, IAP(P) was higher than IAP(S), P < 0.05. And good correlations were found among IAP(S), IAP(P) and IAP(I).

CONCLUSIONSIn the supine position, pressure obtained via the bladder could reflect authentic IAP. But selection of reference point has great impact on IAP measurement.

Abdominal Cavity ; physiopathology ; Aged ; Critical Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Manometry ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Pressure

OBJECTIVETo explore the differences in brain activation between musicians and non-musicians by use of functional MRI.

METHODSTwelve right-handed musicians and twelve right-handed non-musicians were recruited in the study. During a listening task, they were scanned on the Sigma 1.5T scanner (GE) while they were passively listening to several segments of music of "the Butterfly Love" and the white noise with same physical energy.

RESULTBoth musicians and non-musicians demonstrated bilateral transverse gyrus weak activated while listening to the white noise. But when listening to music, they showed bilateral temporal areas strongly activated including superior temporal gyrus, transverse gyrus and some middle temporal areas. Moreover, musicians showed relative left dominance (10/12), whereas non-musicians demonstrated right dominance(11/12). Furthermore,besides bilateral temporal areas, more and stronger activated areas were found in musicians such as cuneus, precuneus,medial frontal and left middle occipital gyrus.

CONCLUSIONThere are different neuro-patterns between musicians and non-musicians.

Adult ; Brain ; anatomy & histology ; physiology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Music ; Temporal Lobe ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo detect the changes of central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference (P(cv-a)CO(2)) during early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) in patients with septic shock and evaluate its' value in predicting adequate resuscitation and prognosis.

METHODSFrom April 2009 to October 2010, 26 septic shock patients were enrolled in the study. EGDT was performed in all the patients immediately after enrollment. According to the whether they achieved early goal with in the 6 hour or not, patients were separated to EGDT achievement and un-achievement groups. At the onset and after the 6 hours EGDT, mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI), central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO(2)), oxygen delivery (DO(2)), oxygen consumption (VO(2)), oxygen extraction ratio (O(2) ext), lactate, P(cv-a)CO(2) were recorded. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score and 28 day mortality were compared between 2 groups.

RESULTSThere were no significant difference of age and sex between the 15 patients who achieved early goals and 11 patients who did not. EGDT un-achievement patients had higher APACHE II score (21 ± 5) and 28 day mortality (9/11) when compared with EGDT achievement patients (t = 2.985, χ(2) = 4.547, P < 0.05). In EGDT un-achievement group, MAP, CI, DO(2), VO(2), O(2)ext, ScvO(2), Lac, P(cv-a)CO(2) were comparable between the onset and 6 hours after EGDT. However, in EGDT achievement group, MAP ((90 ± 9) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa)), CI ((4.0 ± 1.8) L×min(-1)×m(-2)), DO(2) ((596 ± 274) ml×min(-1)×m(-2)), ScvO(2) (76.9% ± 4.1%) increased, and P(cv-a)CO(2) ((4.2 ± 2.7) mmHg) decreased significantly after 6 hours of EGDT (t values were -3.393, -2.985, -2.103 and -3.195 respectively, all P < 0.05). The changes of P(cv-a)CO(2) between the onset and 6 hours after EGDT, demonstrated high value for predictability of outcome, according to the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.839 (P = 0.004). As a predictor for death, increasing of P(cv-a)CO(2) after 6 hours of EGDT has a sensibility of 100% and specificity of 60%.

CONCLUSIONSIncreasing of P(cv-a)CO(2) after EGDT purports inadequate tissue perfusion in patients with septic shock. Changes of P(cv-a)CO(2) during EGDT demonstrated a useful tool to evaluate adequate resuscitation and prognosis.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Carbon Dioxide ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Resuscitation ; Shock, Septic ; blood ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo construct and purify heme oxygenase-1, GFP gene mediated by recombinant adeno-associated-virus and identify expression rate of GFP in transplanted liver in rats.

METHODSHeme oxygenase-1 gene of rat was cloned and subcloned to rAAV vector, the gene sequence was confirmed correct by restriction enzyme and DNA sequencing. The rAAV-HO-1 was then cotransfected into 293 cell line with accessory plasmid virus helper and AAV-cap-rep through CaCl2 coprecipitation. Virus particles were purified by heparin column chromatography and titre were detected by Real-time PCR. An orthotopic liver transplantation model by Wistar to Wistar was set up using Kamada's two cuff technique. Purified rAAV-GFP was injected into portal vein and incubated for 2 hours at the donor liver cold preserved stage, and then performed OLT. Recipients were killed and visceral organs were sampled at 1 and 3 months after operation respectively, frozen section (3-5 microm) were prepared and gene expression rate in different tissues was examined under fluorescence microscope.

RESULTSThe inserted segment of HO-1 was identified through restriction enzyme cutting followed with electrophoresis, the result of DNA sequencing was in accordance with which found in Genbank. The GFP expression rate was over 80% in allograft at 1 and 3 month after transfection whereas there was no GFP expression in heart, lung, spleen, kidney and small bowel.

CONCLUSIONSHigh titre rAAV carried HO-1 and GFP were constructed successfully. Steady and effective expression of GFP mediated by rAAV was demonstrated in liver allograft in rats.

Animals ; Dependovirus ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Recombination, Genetic ; Transfection