Forensic Sciences/education*

BACKGROUND: Studies showed that both anterior cervical disc replacement and anterior cervical decompression and fusion can achieve good clinical result in cervical spondylosis. However, it is not conclusive about which kind of surgical method has an advantage in avoiding the adjacent segment degeneration. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect on adjacent segment degeneration of single segment cervical disc herniation treated with anterior cervical decompression and fusion and anterior cervical disc replacement. METHODS: We col ected clinical data of 178 patients with cervical disc herniation and receiving anterior cervical disc replacement or anterior cervical decompression and fusion from January 2009 to December 2012. A retrospective analysis was performed. There were 116 cases in the anterior cervical decompression and fusion group and 62 cases in the anterior cervical disc replacement group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Evaluation: visual analogue scale score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association Scores and neck disability index were improved significantly in both groups during final fol ow-up compared with that pre-treatment (P < 0.05). (2) No significant difference in range of motion of operation segment, adjacent upper segment and adjacent lower segment was detected between final fol ow-up and pre-operation in the anterior cervical disc replacement group (P > 0.05). At 3 months after surgery, in the anterior cervical decompression and fusion group, surgical segment was confluent, and range of motion lost. During final fol ow-up, range of motion of adjacent upper segment and adjacent lower segment was significantly increased, and the increased range of motion in the upper segment was bigger than that of the lower segment (P < 0.05). (3) During final fol ow-up, X-ray films and MRI images revealed the number of degenerated adjacent segment was more in the anterior cervical decompression and fusion group than in the anterior cervical disc replacement group (P <0.05). The number of degenerated middle and upper segments was more than that of the lower segment in both groups (P < 0.05). (4) The findings confirmed that anterior cervical disc replacement or anterior cervical decompression and fusion for treating cervical disc herniation could effectively relieve nerve symptoms of patients. However, compared with the anterior cervical disc replacement, adjacent segment degeneration occurs more commonly after anterior cervical decompression and fusion.

Objective To investigate the difference of spatial working memory among first-episode patients with deficit and nondeficit schizophrenia. Methods The study recruited 116 first-episode treatment-naive patients with schizo-phrenia, and 60 normal controls. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess symptoms of patients and Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome (SDS) was used to divide schizophrenia patients into deficit group (28 patients) and nondeficit group (88 patients). Spatial Working Memory (SWM) test from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automat-ed Battery (CANTAB) was used to test the spatial working memory function. Results Adjusted for age, gender and years of education, there were significant differences in the performance of between errors of 4 boxes (P=0.03), between errors of 6 boxes (P=0.01), between errors of 8 boxes (P=0.03), total errors (P=0.01) and strategy (P<0.01) between deficit and nondef-icit patients, and both groups were poorer than the control group. The SWM of deficit and nondeficit patients has no corre-lation with the negative symptoms (P>0.05). Conclusion The impairment of SWM was more severe in deficit schizophrenia patients than in nondeficit patients at early stage of the disease, suggesting they are different subtypes of schizophrenia.

Objective To observe the serum B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP)changes in patients with acute coronary syndrome during percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Method The serum BNP level was determined and the heart function was assessed in 236 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS) admitted to CCU and in 54 normal normal suvjects as control from January 2005 to December 2006 in Tongji Hospital.The ACS patients were further divided into various subgroups according to the involved arteries and performance of PCI.Serum BNP,hypersensitive c respose protein(HsCRP)level,amd heart comstitution and function were analyzed.Results The serum BNP and HsCRP level were significantly increased in patients with ACS [(332.06?483.17)ng/L and(31.06?52.15)mg/L]more than those in normal subjects [(81.44?195.55)ng/L and(11.15?20.78)mg/L,respectively,P

One hundred and forty six elderly patients with constipation undergoing colonoscopy during March 2012 and August 2013 were randomly assigned to trial and control groups.Seventy patients in trial group received Macrogol electrolytes powder combined with Chinese herb medicine Simo decoction for bowel preparation and 76 patients in control group received macrogol electrolytes powder only.The first defecation,times of defecation and tolerance of patients were compared between two groups.The quality of bowel preparation was evaluated by endoscopists with Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS).The first defecation time was shorter in trial group than that in control group (55.7 ± 27.9 vs.72.9 ± 34.8,P ＜ 0.05).However,no statistical significance was found in the times of defecation and tolerance of patients between two groups.The mean BBPS score in trial groups was higher than that in control group (7.87 ± 1.08 vs.6.97 ± 0.96,P ＜ 0.05).Chinese herb medicine Simo decoction combined with conventional method shows satisfactory result for bowel preparation in elderly patients with constipation undergoing colonoscopy.

Objective To study the therapeutic effect and safety of acupuncture a long with the deep respiration on patient of acute traumat ic laryngitis. Methods Totally 240 cases with wind heat syndrome were divided into a treatment group (treated by puncturing acupoint Ka iyin 1 as the main point in combination with deep respiration of the patient) and a control group (treated by gentamy cin sulfate and dexamethasone spray-inhalation). After the treatment for 5 days , both groups were observed on the changes of the symptom scores for congest i on and swelling of vocal cords, sore throat, and hoarseness for evaluating the t herapeutic effect and safety. Results On the 3rd day of treatment, the cured and markedly effective rate of the treatment group was sig nificantly higher than that of the control group (P0.05). There was no untowards finding in l aboratory test. Conclusion Puncturing acupoint Kaiyin 1 as the main point in combination with deep respiration of the patient is a effe ctive and safe treatment for acute traumatic laryngitis.

Objective To explore the relationship of nitricoxide synthase(NOS)and cell apoptosis in epilepsy.Methods Pentylenetetrazol(PTZ)was used to build models of epilepsy.Cell apoptosis in each group were detected by flow cytometer,level of NOS was detected by colorimetric method.Results Levels of NOS increased obviously 1 hour after epilepsy and decreased;but at the 6th hour,NOS increased again and peaked at the 24th hour.Cell apotosis begin to increase at 6th hour and peaked at 24th hour after epilepsy,and decreased at 48th hour after epilepsy,there were significance differences compared with control group(Pa

Genetic analysis from forensic microsamples is a urgent, difficult task in forensic science, because it is frequently limited by the amount of specimen available in forensic practice, much effort has been carried out to resolve this difficulty. Whole genome amplification (WGA) technology, which was developing quickly in these years, has been thought to be a powerful, reliable and efficient strategy in analysis of minute amount DNA on many fields. In this review, we discuss its application in forensic science.
DNA/isolation & purification* ; DNA Primers ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVE: To establish the diagnosis of amniotic fluid embolism with blood samples by liquid-based cytology technique and to study the validity of method. METHODS: The blood samples were collected from patients who suffered from amniotic fluid embolism. The components of amniotic fluid in blood samples were examined with blood smear by two direct smear methods (supernatant smear, sediment smear) and two liquid-based cytology methods (automatic smear, manual smear). The positive detection rate of each method was calculated. RESULTS: The positive detection rates of two liquid-based cytology methods (84.6% and 92.3%, respectively) were much higher than those of two direct methods (53.8% and 61.5%, respectively). CONCLUSION The liquid-based cytology technique could improve the positive detection rate of amniotic fluid embolism.
Amniotic Fluid ; Cytological Techniques/methods* ; Embolism, Amniotic Fluid/diagnosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy

Objective To explore the outcomes of kidney transplant recipients who developed urinary and male genital cancers after transplantation. Methods Data of 31 kidney transplant recipients developed de novo urinary and male genital cancer were compared with data of 31 patients in general population with the same age and same tumor stage. Results Compared with the general population, the overall survival was significantly worse in the transplant recipients (P=0. 02) , 5-year survival rates for each group were 50% vs 68%. Multivariate analyses demonstrated cancer stage to be a negative risk factor for survival for transplant recipients with de novo urinary and male genital cancer, and surgery and functioning graft to be the positive survival predictors. Conclusions Transplant recipients experience worse outcomes than the general population from urinary and male genital cancers. Cancers in transplant recipients are more biologically aggressive at the time of diagnosis.