The relation between patent applications and published papers in hospitals of Guangdong Province since 2000 on China Intellectual Property Network was analyzed , which showed that the quality and quantity of patents were lower in hospitals of Guangdong Province than in those of Shanghai and Beijing , the quality of patents was re-lated with the medical service level in hospitals, the patent applications were centralized in large class A hospitals of Guangzhou , and inventive patents were those of medical preparations .Suggestions were thus put forward for hos-pitals of Guangdong Province to improve their awareness of patent application, the quality of patents, transformation of patents, cooperation with patent service organizations, research of patent application, and balance of patent dis-tribution in different areas.

BACKGROUND: Type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen, the main components of cardiac stroma,have supporting,protective and restrictive effects on myocardial cells. They are essential for the heart to maintain its normal shape and function. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of types Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagen on cardiac function by observing their changes in atrium myocardium of children with ventricular septal defect (VSD). DESIGN: A case analysis. SETTTING: Department of Cytobiology, Xinxiang Medical College. PARTICIPANTS: Six children who had died from accidents were selected from the Pediatric Department of the First Affiliated Hospital,Xinxiang Medical College, between January and August 2003. Informed consent was obtained form their relatives. They were 4 males and 2 females,ranging from 1 to 15 years in age. Congenital heart diseases were excluded by naked-eye anatomical examination,and right atrium tissues were collected for the study. Meanwhile, 21 children with VSD, 12 males and 9 females aged 1-17 years,were recruited from the Department of Cardiac-thoracic Surgery of the same hospital. METHODS:A small amount of fresh myocardium was cut from the right atrium at the edge of incision. Peroxidase-labeled strepto-avidin immunohistochemical method was adopted to detect the expression of types Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagen protein in atrium myocardium, which was analyzed using image analysis to calculate the area composition ratio of type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen in atrium myocardium(representing the relative area percentage of collagen protein) and area percentage (representingthe expression percentage of collagen protein). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Expression of typeⅠand type Ⅲ collagen protein in atrium myocardium. RESULTS: Six normal controls and 21 patients with VSD entered the final statistical analysis. ① Type Ⅰcollagen of normal atrium was strip-like fibers with different diameters connected with each other,whereas type Ⅲ collagen was scattered in spots and pieces. ② The distribution of type Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagen of atrium in VSD patients was mostly similar to that of the normal controls; only part of them displayed extreme rearrangement, that is,type Ⅰcollagen presenting large-speckle increment,breakage or disappearance, while type Ⅲ collagen increased in stripes and bundles. ③ The area percentage and area composition ratio of type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen:type Ⅰ collagen expressed more than type Ⅲ collagen in normal myocardium [area percentage: (48.82±12.35)％ vs (40.02±13.53)％, t=2.173, P ＜ 0.05;area composition: (15.87±6.03) μm2 vs (13.62 6.94) μm2, t=2.221, P ＜ 0.05].Likewise, type Ⅰ collagen expressed more highly than type Ⅲ collagen in VSD myocardium [area percentage: (55.37±10.42)％ vs (50.27±14.36) ％,t=2.173, P ＜ 0.05; area composition: (24.93±9.62) μm2 vs (19.22 12.03) μm2,t=2.221, P＜ 0.05]. The content of both type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen in VSD children was obviously higher than that in normal children(t=2.153-2.234,P ＜ 0.05). CONCLUSION: In children with VSD, part of type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen is found rearranged and increased in atrium, which may result from the interstitial compensation due to cardiac dysfunction.

A method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was established to analyze the changes of intracellular metabolites and study the toxic mechanisms of different concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5) effecting the lung tissues in mice.Nasal drip experiments of PM2.5 suspensions (0, 7.5, 20.0, 37.5 g/L) for mice were carried out, and the intracellular metabolites in lung tissues were extracted, pretreated and analyzed.Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were employed for pattern recognition, and an obvious distinction among different conditions was found.According to the PLS-DA loading diagram and variable important factor (VIP) value, 7 kinds of potential biomarkers, alanine, valine, leucine, ornithine, fumaric acid, citric acid and purine (p<0.01), were determined with significant differences between four different concentrations of PM2.5.Metabolic pathway analysis indicated that the oxidative stress reactions were enhanced, and the TCA cycle and the purine metabolism in lung cells were restrained after dripping PM2.5 to the lung tissues in mice.This study could provide a new perspective and theoretical basis for the further analysis on toxic mechanisms by PM2.5.

Objective To investigate expressional pattern of the Connexin 43 in atrial myocytes of ventricular septal defect children. Methods The expressional role of the Connexin 43 in atrial myocytes of ventricular septal defect children were observed and determinated by immunohistochemistry and digital image analysis technology. Results 1.The Connexin 43 granules of 1-3 year-old-group normal children were mainly distributed on cell side surface,which took on beening spot-,belt-or chain-shaped,but seldom at intercalated disks. The Connexin 43 of 7-16 year-old-group normal children were abundantly distributed on cell side surface and intercalated disks. 2.The Connexin 43 of 1-3 year-old-group ventricular septal defect children were not noly distributed on cell side surface but could be detected at intercalated disks and cytoplasm,a few granules were irregular in arrangement.The Connexin 43 of 7-16 year-old-group ventricular septal defect children were distributed on cell side surface and in cytoplasm but seldom existed at intercalated disks,and arranged in irregular order. 3.The experimental results showed insignificant difference in the expressional amount of the Connexin 43 in atrial myocytes between the ventricular septal defect children and normal children. Conclusion The Cx 43 distributional pattern in atrial myocytes of ventricular septal defect children was changed,but its expressional amount was indistinct,which suggested that ventricular septal defect affected only the Cx43 expressional pattern.

Objective To investigate the short-term acute rejection incidence of the recipients under the steroid-free immunosuppressive therapy after liver transplantation. Methods This retrospective study included 186 patients who were divided into two groups by random number table.The patients in no steroid group (the study group, n =94) received tacrolimus (Tac) with mycophemolate mofetil (MMF) or cyclosporine with MMF,and those in the steroid group (the control group,n =92) received the aforementioned immunosuppressive therapy combined with steroids.The acute rejection incidence was analyzed during six months post-transplantation.Results There was no significant difference in the gender,age,indication for transplantation,Child-Pugh score,MELD score,operating time,bleeding and transfusion volume during the operation,warm ischemia time and cold ischemia time between the two groups (P＞0.05).Liver biopsy was done on 9 cases of each group.The acute rejection incidence had no significant difference between the study group and the control group (5/94 vs 4/92,5.3％ vs 4.4％,P＞0.05).Conclusion The steroid-free immunosuppressive therapy after liver transplantation did not increase the short term acute rejection incidence.

Objective To investigate the potential values of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE)for evaluating the brain tumor consistency in vivo.Methods Fourteen patients with known solid brain tumor(5 male,9 female;age range:16-63 years)underwent brain MRE studies.Informed consent was obtained from all patients.A dedicated external force actuator for brain MRE study Was developed.The actuator was fixed to the head coil.During scan.one side of the actuator was attached to the patients'head.Low frequency oscillation Was produced by the actuator and caused shear waves propagating into brain tissue.The pulse sequence used in the study Writs phase-contrast gradient-echo sequence.Phase images of the brain were obtained and the shear waves within the brain were directly imaged.Phase images were processed with local frequency estimation (LFE) technique to obtain the elasticity image.Consistency of brain tumors Was evaluated at surgery and Was classified as soft,intermediate,or hard with comparison to the white matter of the brain.Correspondence of MRE evaluation with operative results was studied.Results The elastic modulus of the tumor Was lower than that of white matter in 1 patient,higher inll patients,and similar in 2 patients.At surgery,the tumor manifested a soft consistency in I patient,hard consistency in 11 patients,intermediate consistency in 2 patients.The elasticity of tumors in 14 patients evaluated by MRE was correlated with the tumor consistency on the operation.Conclusion MRE Can noninvasively display the elasticity of brain tumors in vivo,and evaluate the brain tumor consistency before operation.

Objective To detect the expression of IL-17 in renal transplant recipients by Luminex and evaluate the relationship between the level of serum IL 17 and early acute renal allograft rejection.Methods 38 kidney transplant recipients and healthy controls (HC,healthy volunteers,n =20) were selected in this study from January 2009 to October 2011.All patients were divided into two groups according to their allograft outcome as acute rejection group (ARG,n-18) and non-rejection group (NRG,n=20).The expression of serum IL-17 was detected by Luminex technique in two groups of kidney transplant recipients and HC.To evaluate the correlation between the level of serum IL-17 and early acute renal allograft rejection.Results The mean level of IL-17 in all renal transplant recipients 1.3 ± 1.9 pg/ml at the pre-transplantation was significantly lower than that in HC (6.9± 8.5 pg/ml,t=3.968,P＜0.001).The results highlighted that the level of serum IL-17 in ARG 3.4±5.8 pg/ml was significantly higher than that in NRG (0.5±0.4 pg/ml) on the 7th days post Kidney transplantation (post KTx,t=2.242,P =0.031).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the probability of rejectionfree survival in the higher levels group of IL-17 on the 7th days post-KTx was significant lower than that in the lower levels group (P＜0.001).The results of receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the combined IL-17 to predict acute rejection were 66.67％ and 100％,respectively.Conclusion The serum IL-17 levels in renal transplant recipients on the 4th and 7th post-KTx days can predict early renal transplant rejection.

Objective To observe the influence of simulated microgravity on rat islet. Methods Isolated islet were assigned to flask-culture or bioreactor-culture. Gross structure and ultrastructure of islet were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results Islets ultrastructure on 7th day in bioreactor closely resembled fresh islets,with well-formed secretory granules and abundant mitochondria. SEM showed under microgravity islets communicating each other with cavity-like areas. Conclusions The ultrastructure of islets cultured under microgravity closely resembled fresh islets.

Objective To execute physical performance testing of Mobetron 2000 mobile intraoperative radiotherapy system.Methods Mobetron 2000 mobile intraoperative radiotherapy system had its indexes measured according to TG51 protocol such as percent depth dose (PDD),output dose,beam energy,field flatness and symmetry,X-ray pollution,dose linearity and repeatability.Three-dimensional water phantom was used for verification and acceptance when the measurement was executed,while the calimator end was tangent to the water surface and the nominal ource-skin distance was 50 cm.Results All the indexes of the system met the desired requirements except 12 MeV beam energy.Conclusion The system can be promoted clinically for safe,reliable and efficient treatment.

Objective: To observe the features of air-conducted sound elicited ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential(ACS-oVEMP) and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential(ACS-cVEMP) in patients with Meniere disease (MD). To analyze the relationship between air-conducted sound elicited vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (ACS-VEMP) responses and clinical stages of disease, as well as its clinical application of cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in MD. Method: Fifty six patients with MD and 50 normal subjects (100 ears) were recruited for conventional cVEMP and oVEMP examinations. Grades of vestibular function were also collected for patients with MD. The relationship between VEMPs abnormity, grades of vestibular function and clinical stages of MD were analyzed. Results: The abnormal rates of cVEMP and oVEMP in MD patients were 57.1% (32/56) and 64.3% (36/56), which were significantly higher than those in normal subjects respectively (χ²=22.286, P=0.000; χ²=15.217, P=0.000). The abnormal rates of cVEMP and oVEMP in MD patients of stage Ⅰ to stage Ⅳ were 20.0% (1/5) and 40.0% (2/5), 50.0% (9/18) and 50.0% (9/18), 59.3% (16/27) and 70.4% (19/27), and 100.0% (6/6) and 100.0% (6/6) respectively. There was a significant difference in cVEMP abnormity between four stages of MD patients (P=0.046). Significant correlation was found between clinical stages and the grades of vestibular dysfunction (r_s=0.417, P=0.001). Conclusions Dysfunction of vestibular otolithic organs and their input pathways in patients with MD can be detected by cVEMP and oVEMP tests. The abnormal rates of VEMP could show an gradually increasing trend with the development of MD stages. And the extent of vestibular lesions could be detected by cVEMP and oVEMP tests, which may provide a reference for clinical staging of MD.