Objective To investigate the possibility of using poly-hydroxybutyate-hydroxyhexate p(3HB-co-3HH)), a modified extracellular matrix, the third generation of PHA family, as a scaffold for seeding of chondrocytes from the residual ear of microtia patients to generate tissue engineered cartilage in athymus mice. Methods The residual ear cartilage from eight 7-years-old microtia patients was enzymatically dissolved by collagenase, and chondrocytes were harvested and seeded into foams of PHB-PHH. After incubation for 1 week in vitro, chondrocyte-polymer constructs were implanted subcutaneously into 8 athymus mice. A control groups was established by subcutaneous implantation of PHB-PHH foams alone. One athymus mice were killed at 4 weeks postoperatively, and 6 were sacrificed at 8 weeks. The specimens were dissected and examined macroscopically and histologically. Results Specimens harvested from chondrocyte-polymer constructs subjected to gross morphologic and histology analysis demonstrated new cartilage formation, and those from control groups showed no cartilage formation. The one of 4 weeks still had some remains of the scaffold with nodules of neocartilage. After 8 weeks, all the 6 mice had neocartilage formed almost the same as natural. The PHB-PHH scaffold were totally absorbed. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that the foam of PHB-PHH is not only a good "matrix" for cartilage tissue engineering, but also optimal scaffold for the seeding of chondrocytes from the residual ear to generate new cartilage that would be useful in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Chondrocytes from the residual ear of microtia patients are good candidates for generation of tissue engineered cartilage.

Objective To explore the potential value of serum lipoxin A4 (LXA4) in monitoring bacterial load and anti-tuberculosis treatment progression in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Methods From January 2021 to January 2022, forty patients with active PTB, who were admitted to Shaanxi Provincial Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Hospital, were selected as the active PTB group, 38 patients with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) were selected as the LTBI group, and 28 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were included as the healthy control group. The active PTB patients received a 2-month standard anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy, while the other two groups were untreated. Fasting venous blood was drawn from the three groups at enrollment (baseline), after 2 months of treatment, and upon the completion of 6 months of treatment in the active PTB group to measure serum LXA4 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The relationship between serum LXA4 level and clinical manifestations, bacterial load, chest imaging manifestations, and treatment progress was analyzed. Results At baseline, serum LXA4 levels in the active PTB group, LTBI group, and healthy control group were [397.72 (210.68, 573.00)], [178.18 (108.17, 271.87)], and [131.06 (76.24, 166.04)] pg/mL, respectively. The levels in the active PTB and LTBI groups were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group, with statistical significance (P<0.01). According to the grading of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) sputum smears at diagnosis, baseline serum LXA4 level increased in the active PTB group with AFB sputum smear grade (P<0.001), and there was a positive correlation between serum LXA4 level and sputum smear grade (rs=0.209, P=0.003). After 6 months of treatment, the serum LXA4 level in the active PTB group was lower than the baseline value (P=0.002). The serum LXA4 level can predict treatment progress, with a baseline sensitivity of 55.0% (22/40), and after 6 months of treatment, 8 patients (20.0%) still showed positive serum LXA4 levels. Conclusions Serum LXA4 may be a useful biomarker for monitoring the progression of PTB treatment.

AIM: To compare the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer ( RNFL ) thickness and peripapillary topographic map's parameters between amblyopic eyes and non -amblyopic eyes in adolescent with anisometropic amblyopia by optical coherence tomography(OCT).
METHODS: Thirty - four juveniles with anisometropic amblyopia were selected. Peripapillary RNFL thickness and peripapillary topographic map were measured by frequency domain OCT with both eyes in all participants, and the differences between amblyopic eyes and non -amblyopic eyes were compared.
RESULTS: There was no significant difference in average thickness of peripapillary RNFL and in any other region of peripapillary RNFL. The disc area in amblyopic eyes was bigger than that in non - amblyopic eyes ( t =2. 8054,P= 0. 0263). The disc area in amblyopic eyes were significantly related to the thickness of nasal RNFL and the rim area(r= 0. 7592,0. 7501;P= 0. 0289,0. 0321).
CONCLUSION: There existed some difference in peripapillary structure between amblyopic eyes and non-amblyopic eyes in adolescent with anisometropic amblyopia.

The work aims to study the drug metabolizing enzymes involved in the metabolism of butylphthalide and evaluate the induction and inhibition activities of butylphthalide on CYP450 isoenzymes by using in vitro (liver microsome incubation system of rats and human) and in vivo (CYP induced model of rats) method. Butylphthalide was incubated with selective inhibitors of CYP450, and its metabolic rate was determined to identify the metabolizing isoenzymes of NBP in rat (normal and induced rats) and human liver microsomes. The in vitro inhibition effect of butylphthalide on 6 main liver microsomal CYP450 isoenzymes was evaluated by using probe drugs; the induction and inhibition activities in vivo of butylphthalide on CYP450 isoenzymes were evaluated by NBP ig dosing (160 mg x kg(-1)) and iv dosing (20 mg x kg(-1)) in rats. After adding the specific inhibitors of CYP2C11, 2E1 and 3A 1/2 for rat, CYP2C19, 2E1 and 3A4/5 for human, the metabolism of NBP in rat and human liver microsomes were reduced 38.8%, 86.2%, 78.4% and 51.0%, 92.0%, 58.9% of control, respectively. The metabolic rates of NBP in CYP2E1 and 3A 1/2 induced rat liver microsomes were increased 25.5% and 68.9%. High concentration of NBP (≥ 200 μmol x L(-1), in vitro) could inhibit the activities of CYP1A2, 2C6, 2C11 and 2D2 in rats, and high concentration of NBP ( ≥ 15 μmol x L(-1), in vitro) could inhibit the activity of CYP2C19 in human. All the results indicated that NBP should be mainly metabolized by CYP2E1, 2C11 and 3A 1/2 in rats and CYP2E1, 2C19 and 3A4/5 in human. High concentration of NBP could inhibit human CYP2C19 in vitro. No significant induction/inhibition effects of NBP were observed on rat liver CYP450 isoforms after ig 160 mg x kg(-1) NBP or iv 20 mg x kg(-1) NBP.
Animals ; Benzofurans ; pharmacology ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; metabolism ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Microsomes, Liver ; metabolism ; Rats

ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic value of “taller-than-wide sign” of thyroid malignancy in transverse and longitudinal plane using ultrasound.Methods708 thyroid lesions including 302 benign nodules and 406 malignant nodules ( 390 papillary carcinomas,12 medullary carcinomas,4 follicular carcinomas) that were diagnosed at surgery were included in this study.The sensitivity and specificity of “taller-than-wide sign” in transverse (A/TC ≥ 1 ) and longitudinal plane (A/TL ≥ 1 ) were evaluated using ultrasound.All thyroid malignant lesions were divided into three groups according to size of the nodules:group A≤1 cm; group B≤2 cm,group C＞2 cm.The sensitivity of each group was also evaluated.ResultsThe constituent ratio of “taller-than-wide sign” between benign and malignant nodules was significantly different (P＜0.001 ).The differences of sensitivity of A/TL ≥ 1 and A/TC ≥ 1 among three groups were also found( P ＜0.001),and the sensitivity of A/Tc≥1 was higher than A/TL≥1.ConclusionsA/TC≥1 found by ultrasound contributes to differentiate the thyroid carcinoma from benign nodules.For a large thyroid lesion,other indicators are needed to diagnose thyroid carcinoma.

A method was proposed for the separation and determination of paraffin waxes in food by HPLC-evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). A normal-phase column was used to separate nonparaffinic and paraffinic materials without resolving the latter into individual components. The t-test method was adopted for the evaluation of mean difference between response factors of n-alkanes in paraffin waxes on ELSD detector. No mean difference was obtained between response factors, which can be used for quantitative determination of paraffin waxes in food. The determination results obtained by HPLC-ELSD were compared with those by GC-MS. The linear range for the determination of paraffin waxes was in the range from 10 to 500 mg/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.9988, and the limit of detection was 1.0 mg/L. With the spiking level of 10, 50 and 100 mg/kg, the recovery ranged from 84.6% to 105.4% and the relative standard deviation ranging from 5.4% to 7.2%. The proposed method is simple, fast and sensitive.

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of administering Ivabradine in the elder patients with chronic heart failure(HF).Methods Totally 52 outpatients with chronic stable HF in Fuwai Hospital and Anzhen Hospital from August 2015 to February 2016,with heart rates (HR)of ＞70 bpmafter optimized medical therapy were selected and administrated Ivabradine for 3 months(Ivabradine group).50 patients who received optimized medical therapy except Ivabradine for economic or other reasons were recruited as control group during the same period.Initial dose of Ivabradine was 2.5 mg two times a day,up to a maximum of 7.5 mg two times a day,adjusting the dose according to HR.Resting HR of the patients was maintained around 60 beats/min and not lower than 55 beats/min.HR,N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP),6-minute walk distance,Minnesota heart failure quality of life(MLHFQ),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and adverse effects were recorded.Results At baseline,no significant differences were found in HR,NT-proBNP,the scores of MLHFQ,6-minute walk distance (all P＞ 0.05) between Ivabradine group and control group.After 3 months of treatment,compared with control group,Ivabradine group showed significantly decreased levels of HR,the scores of MLHFQ and NT-proBNP(allP＜0.01),and significantly increased 6-minute walk distance and LVEF(all P＜0.01).Compared with baseline data,Ivabradine treatment showed the decreased levels of HR [(69.5 ± 10.2)bpm vs.(80.2 ± 7.8)bpm,P＜0.05],the scores of MLHFQ [(14.9±4.3)scores vs.(23.5±6.2)scores(P＜0.05)]and NT-proBNP [1 682 ng/L (212-3 628) vs.2 450 (254-5 344) ng/L,P ＜ 0.05] significantly,and showed the significantly increased levels of 6-minute walk distance [(386.4 ± 101.8)m vs.(282.9 ± 86.3)m,P＜ 0.05]and LVEF [(40.0±6.0)％vs.(31.0±7.0)％ (P＜0.05)].Few adverse effects were recorded.Conclusions In elderly outpatients with stable HF,Ivabradine treatment is effective and safe.

Objective To explore MRI manifestations of incomplete healing of the uterine incision after abdominal delivery.Methods Nine patients with clinical suspected incomplete healing of the uterine incision after abdominal delivery underwent cavitas pelvis MRI scans with 3.0T MRI.Results According to the characteristics of the MRI images,healing conditions of the uterine incisions were divides into 2 groups.GroupⅠwas showed that the uterine incision healed well,the uterine junctional zone and myometrium were continuous,and the incision scar was linear low signal intensity on T2 WI (2 cases,22%).GroupⅡwas showed that the uterine incisions healed incompletely,the uterine junctional zone and myometrium were discontinuous,and the myometrium edema was in some cases with high signal intensity on T2 WI (7 cases,78%).Conclusion MRI could directly displays incomplete healing of the uterine incision after cesarean section,provide the basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To explore a new model of medical humanity education in new situation. Methods Extensive survey was carried out among medical students,and discussion and consultation were hold to faculty and education administers.A new teaching model was established. Results A curriculum system with 1 or 2 core courses supported by some elective courses and social practice is under the process of implementation and achieved preliminary success.Conclusion The medical humanity education should pay attention to the development of connotation instead of pursuing the extension of quantity blindly,which means that students' school work must be eased by focusing on self-study and self-education.Medical students'life path with high-minded personality training should be strengthened.

Objective To explore the quality of life (QOL) and its influential factors among patients with 3 major rheumatic diseases. Methods A total of 216 patients with rheumatic diseases (84 patients with systemic lu- pus erythematosus, SLE, 83 with rheumatoid arthritis, RA, and 49 with ankylosing spondylitis, AS) were recruited. The information with regard to their quality of life, sociopsychological factors and the evaluation of disease activity were obtained by using the medical outcomes study short form-36 (SF-36) and clinic documents. Results Patients with rheumatic diseases scored significantly lower with each subscale of SF-36 as compared to those of a healthy popu- lation in China (P