Using the common algorithm and the Mellin algorithm of a continuous wavelet transform, we analyzed the pulse signals of 15 heroin addicts and 15 normal persons. With the use of two algorithms, every pulse signal was processed under 4 scales. From the analyzed results, we found that there was significant difference of wavelet transform coefficients in the time interval 0.2 to approximately 0.4 seconds between the heroin addicts and normal persons. In this paper, the critical parameter used to classify heroin addicts and normal persons is given to every algorithm. The research result of this paper shows that the continuous wavelet transform is really an effective method for processing pulse signals.
Algorithms ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; Heroin Dependence ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Pulse ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

Objective To explore the differences in clinical features between the latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the elderly.Methods Clinical features of 41 cases with LADA and 49 cases with T2DM were retrospectively analyzed and compared.Results (1) Body mass index (BMI),fasting and postprandial levels of cpeptide,triglyceride (TG) and serum albumin were lower in LADA patients than in T2DM patients.(2) The levels of fasting and postprandial blood glucose were higher in LADA patients than in T2DM patients.(3) There were no statistically significant differences in the disease course,blood pressure (BP),and the functions of liver and kidney between LADA and T2DM patients.Conclusions As compared with T2DM patients,LADA patients have higher blood glucose level,lower BMI and TG level,and poorer function of islet B cell.But there is no significant difference in the chronic complications between two groups.

This study was aimed to establish a method for the rapid content determination of Ixerin Z and 11,13α-dihydroixerin Z in Ku-Die-Zi (KDZ) injection by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The separation was performed on a Waters ACQUITY BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.7μm) by using a gradient elution with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-water at the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min-1. The column temperature was set at 40℃. Multi-reaction moni-toring (MRM) scanning was employed for quantification in ESI negative mode. The results showed that two sesquit-erpene lactones in KDZ injection were totally separated within 2 min. The linear range of Ixerin Z was 5.70-182.50 ng·mL-1, and the linear range of 11,13α-dihydroixerin Z was 4.60-131.25 ng·mL-1. The correlation coefficient r was more than 0.999 0. The recovery rates (n = 6) were 98.18% and 97.52%, with RSDs < 1.5%. The established method was successfully applied for simultaneous content determination of Ixerin Z and 11,13α-dihydroixerin Z in 6 batches of KDZ injection from 2 factories, which had some variations on the content determination results. It was concluded that the method was rapid, accurate and sensitive, which can be used for the content determination of two sesquiterpene lactones in KDZ injection.

Background and purpose: The incidence of breast cancer increases as patients age, elderly patients account for a large proportion. Due to the insufifcient systemic therapy, more complications and poorly physical condition, the prognosis of elderly patients is often worse than the younger. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and tolerance with non-anthracyclin regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly breast cancer patients. Methods:From Nov. 2008 to Jan. 2012, 56 patients (≥65 years) after surgical excision were enrolled into this study. The patients were divided into two groups:TC and PC groups. Each patient received 4 or 6 cycles of chemotherapy of PC (175 and 600 mg/m2, respectively;n=21) or TC (75 and 600 mg/m2, respectively;n=35), administered intravenously every 3 weeks, as adjuvant chemotherapy. Radiation therapy (as indicated) and endocrine therapy, for patients with hormone receptor-positive disease, were administered after completion of chemotherapy. Results: In this study, 50 patients completed chemotherapy as plan, the proportion of two groups were above 90%. After a median follow-up of 33 months, the median disease-free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS) were not reached. The relapse-free rate and survival rate were 89.5%and 100%in the PC regime group, which were 90.3%and 96.8%in the TC regime group. Major toxicities included:neutropenia, leucopenia, alopecia, nausea, vomiting and various degree of peripheral neuropathy. The incidence of gradeⅢ-Ⅳneutropenia was 76.2%in PC group vs 48.6%in TC group (P=0.044). The most common cause for withdrawing from treatment was to be unable to tolerate the adverse effects. Conclusion:Adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel and cyclophosphamide is safe, tolerable and promising for elderly breast cancer patients.

ObjectiveFrom the changes of expression of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) in rats with traumatic brain injury under mild hypothermia treatment with Shenfu decoction as a subsidiary, to speculate the mechanism of protective effect of the decoction on the injury.Methods Ninety Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups by random number table: non-transfection control group, adenovirus mediated immune flourescent reverse transcription virus group (blank AD5-GFP transfection group) and adenovirus mediated immune flourescent reverse transcription virus carrying CIRP silent expression gene group (AD5-GFP-CIRP-SiRNA transfection group), 30 rats in each groups. Then, each group was subdivided into three subgroups: model group, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) low and high dose groups, 10 rats in each subgroup. After the mild hypothermia treatment for 48 hours, in the TCM low dose group and high dose group, a dose of TCM 1 mL/kg and 5 mL/kg was injected via a tail vein into the rat respectively, while in the model group, 1 mL/kg normal saline was injected into the same vein, once a day for consecutive 2 days in all the groups. Before modeling in the blank AD5-GFP transfection group and AD5-GFP-CIRP-SiRNA transfection group, virus transfection models were reproduced at first by one-time intrathecal injection of 0.1 mL AD5-GFP and 0.1 mL (1×1010 pfu/mL) AD5-GFP-CIRP-SiRNA virus vector respectively, and in model group, 0.1 mL normal saline was given. The rat cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus part were collected, the brain cell apoptosis was detected by transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL), the CIRP mRNA expression in the cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus part was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the protein expressions of rat sarcoma protein Raf, Ras, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phosphorylation ERK (p-ERK), mitogen activated protein kinase (MEK), p-MEK were determined by Western Blot.Results The brain tissue cell apoptosis indexes (AI) in the cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus part in TCM low, high dose group of non-transfection control and blank AD5-GFP transfection group were lower than those in model group, and the expressions of CIRP mRNA were higher than those in model group, there were no significant differences in AI and CIRP mRNA in the cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus between model, TCM low and high dose groups of AD5-GFP-CIRP-SiRNA transfection group, but AI was significantly higher and CIRP mRNA was significantly lower than that in corresponding subgroups of AD5-GFP transfection control group and blank AD5-GFP transfection group. Western Blot detection showed that: Raf/Ras, p-MEK/MEK protein expressions revealed no statistical significant differences in different parts of each group (allP > 0.05), the p-ERK/ERK protein expression in the cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus part was significantly lower in TCM low and high dose group than that in the model group of non-transfection control group and blank AD5-GFP transfection group, the degree of descent in the TCM high dose group being more significant (the cortex: non-transfection control group was 7.2±1.0 vs. 15.3±1.8, AD5-GFP transfection group was 8.1±0.7 vs. 16.2±1.5; hippocampus part: non-transfection control group was 6.6±0.8 vs. 14.7±2.0, AD5-GFP transfection group was 6.8±1.0 vs. 14.9±1.3; hypothalamus part: non-transfection control group was 9.4±1.1 vs. 12.7±1.7, AD5-GFP transfection group was 10.6±1.3 vs. 9.4±1.1, allP < 0.05). There were no significant statistical differences in p-ERK/ERK protein expression in above brain parts between AD5-GFP-CIRP-SiRNA transfection subgroups (allP > 0.05).Conclusions The Shenfu decoction used in rats with brain trauma under treatment of mild hypothermia is possibly by promoting CIRP over-expression, lowering ERK expression and inhibiting the initiation of signal transduction of the secondary transcription factor phosphorylation, thereby the neural cell apoptosis is decreased and play a subsidiary role of anti-apoptosis of mild hypothermia.

ObjectiveTo investigated the effect of post-operative primary site radiotherapy on stage Ⅳ neuroblastoma.Methods From Jan 2003 to Dem 2010,47 newly diagnosed stage Ⅳ neuroblastoma treated in Sun Yet-sen university cancer center.The treatment protocol for these patients were induction chemotherapy 4- 12 cycles,followed by surgery if possible,then 4-6 cycles consolidation chemotherapy and/or primary site radiotherapy and maintenance immunotherapy.The median age was 4 years old,the median induction chemotherapy cycles was 5.37 patients received resection of the primary tumor (total resection and nearly gross resection).24 out of 37 received primary site radiotherapy.ResultsThe followup rate was 89％.34 cases were followed up more than 36 months.For patients with or without postoperative primary site radiotherapy,the local recurrence rate were 13％ ( 3/24 ) and 54％ ( 7/13 ),respectively ( P =0.016),the 3-year local control rate were 84％ and 47％,respectively ( χ2 =7.95,P =0.005 ).The 3-year overall survival rate were 56％ and 28％,respectively ( χ2 =5.44,P =0.020 ). There was no severe radiation side effect. Conclusions This study indicated that postoperative primary site after induction chemotherapy and surgery could reduce the local recurrence rate and possibly improve the overall survival rate of stage Ⅳ neuroblastoma.

Objective: To explore the effect of enterostomy on analgesic pattern in advanced digestive tract cancer. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out, which was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (E2018026). Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1)age and gender were not limited; (2) all the gastrointestinal malignancies were confirmed histologically, and local recurrence or metastasis were confirmed by CT or MR; (3) numerical rating scale (NRS) ≥4 points, opioid analgesic drugs were required; (4) informed consents were signed by patients of their own. Exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) malignancies of early stage; (2) suspicious adverse mental states which might lead to poor administration compliance; (3) hypersensitivity or allergic reactions to opioids. Clinical data of patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer receiving comprehensive treatment at the Medical Oncology Department of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from September 2016 to April 2017 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into the stoma group and the non-stoma group. The clinical findings of two groups were analyzed, including age, sex, ostomy status, pain location, presence or absence of intestinal obstruction, pain characteristics, selection of opioid analgesic agents, treatment of side effects of analgesics. Pain was assessed using brief pain inventory(BPI) table and NRS score. Strong opioids were prescribed for patients of NRS ≥4. Patients who were intolerant to opioids required opioid titration. The titration drugs included oral or IV morphine and oxycodone. After achievement of adequate pain control, long-acting opioids were administered, which included sustained-release morphine tablets, controlled release oxycodone and transdermal fentanyl. Criteria for pain relief included NRS≤3, breakthrough pain <3 times/day and duration of adequate pain control >3 days. The χ² test and the Wilcoxon signed rank sum test (nonparametric test) were used to analyze the clinical features of patients in the stoma and non-stomach groups. In order to find the factors associated with maintenance therapy and the use of laxatives, the variables were compared as well as in multivariate analysis with multiple regression models. For all the statistical tests, a value of P<0.05 in a two-tailed test was established as the alpha significance level. Result: A total of 123 patients were enrolled in this study, including 79 males (64.2%) and 44 females (35.8%) with a median age of 51 years. Fifty-two patients were in stoma group, including 30 (24.4%) of ileostomy and 22 (17.9%) of colostomy, and 71 patients were in non-stoma group. Pain of 40 (76.9%) patients in stoma group located in abdomenopelvic site while the pain of 44 (62.0%) patients in non-stoma group located in other sites. Compared with non-stoma group, cases in stoma group complained more abdominopelvic pain (73% vs. 62.0%, P<0.001).The median NRS pain score before treatment in the stoma group and the non-stoma group was 5.7 and 5.6, respectively, without statistically significant difference (P=0.741). After analgesic management, the above scores reduced to 2.1 and 2.3, respectively, without statistically significant difference as well (P=0.092). Analgesic treatment was effective in 111 cases (90.2%), including 49 cases (94.2%) in the stoma group, and 62 cases (87.3%) in the non-stoma group, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.202). There was more application of fentanyl transdermal patch [34.6%(18/52) vs. 9.8%(7/71)] in the stoma group, while more application of lactulose laxative [78.9%(56/71) vs. 61.5%(32/52)](χ²=10.023, P=0.002) in the non-stoma group. Multivariate analysis revealed that ostomy (OR=0.290, 95%CI: 0.102-0.824, P=0.009) and pain site (OR=5.691, 95%CI:1.709-18.948, P=0.005) were independent factors affecting the choice of the first line opioid sustained release agent. Of the 123 patients with maintaining analgesia, 98 had available data of laxative use, of whom 46 used laxatives to prevent or treat constipation, and the proportion of laxatives in stoma group (21.2%, 11/52) was significantly lower than that in non-stoma group (49.3%, 35/71) (χ²=6.957, P=0.008). Multivariate analysis of the application of laxative use showed that age (OR=0.281, 95% CI: 0.123-0.684, P=0.010) and ostomy (OR=2.621, 95% CI: 1.033-6.687, P=0.045) were independent factors affecting the use of lactulose laxatives. Conclusions Enterostomy may affect the analgesic pattern in advanced digestive tract cancer. Patients with stoma are more likely to use fentanyl transdermal patches and younger patients with stoma do not need prophylactic use of laxatives.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of trastuzumab plus different chemotherapy regimens in treatment of patients with HER-2-positive advanced breast cancer .Methods 132 patients with advanced HER-2-positive breast cancer were treated with trastuzumab plus different regimens . The clinical characteristics, efficacy and toxicity of the 132 patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results Five patients had complete response ( CR ) , 61 patients had partial response ( PR ) , 39 patients had stable disease (SD), and 27 patients had progressive disease (PD).The objective response rate was 50.0%and the disease control rate was 79.5%.The median progression-free survival was 9.3 months.The median overall survival time was 46.2 months.The 1-, 2-, 5-year survival rates were 98.3%, 81.9% and 40.2%, respectively.Trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy is superior to trastuzumab monotherapy (51.2%vs.33.3%).The number of metastatic sites , efficacy, different previous treatment lines were independent prognostic factors of PFS (P=0.002, P<0.0001 and P<0.0001, respectively).Visceral metastases, pathological grade, and PFS were independent prognostic factors of OS (P=0.041, P=0.001, P=0.025, P<0.001, P<0.0001 and P<0.0001, respectively).Regarding the toxicities, one case discontinued treatment due to the decrease of left ventricular ejection fraction to 47%, two cases had heartbeat tachycardia , 6 cases had palpitation , 17 cases had a fever during first input trastuzumab .No other serious cardiac toxicity was observed .The most common toxicities were chemotherapy-related hematological and non-hematological toxicities .Conclusions Trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy is superior to trastuzumab monotherapy . Patients may get benefits for early use of trastuzumab . Trastuzumab plus chemotherapy is effective and well tolerated in patients with advanced HER-2 positive breast cancer .No heart failure occurred in this series of patients , and cardiac safety seems better than that in Caucasians because of younger age at the onset in Chinese advanced breast cancer patients .

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction in the treatment of UC by integrating network pharmacology, bioinformatics, molecular docking and experimental verification.Methods:The effective components and targets of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction were obtained from TCMSP database, and UC data sets GSE16879, GSE48958 and GSE75214 were obtained from GEO database, and differentially expressed genes were screened; intersection targets were obtained through Venn diagram, and GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed. An intersection target PPI network was constructed using STRING database and topology analysis was performed; hub genes were screened through lasso regression and the expression consistency of core targets in the dataset was verified through logistic regression. A UC mouse model was established and hub genes were validated.Results:A total of 213 drug targets of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction were obtained, and 499 common intersection targets of GSE16879, GSE48958 and GSE75214 were obtained by differential gene expression analysis. Thirty intersection targets of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction and UC were obtained, mainly acting on IL-17 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, etc. PPI network topology analysis obtained 7 common intersection targets, including PTGS2, IL-1B, IL-6, MMP9, CXCL8, CCL2 and MMP2. IL-6 and MMP2 were selected as hub genes by lasso regression. Logistics regression analysis showed that IL-6 and MMP2 were risk factors for the disease. Compared with the model group, the expressions of IL-6 and MMP2 mRNA and protein in the colon tissue of the TCM group decreased ( P<0.05), and the morphology of colon tissue was improved compared with the model group. Conclusion:IL-6 and MMP2 are risk factors for UC, the therapeutic effect of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction is to mediate Il-17 signal pathway, TNF signal pathway and AGE-RAGE signal pathway in diabetic complications through the targets of IL-6, and MMP2, thereby treating UC.

Objective: To clinically validate the feasibility and accuracy of cine images acquired through the multitasking method, with no electrocardiogram gating and free-breathing, in measuring left ventricular (LV) function indices by comparing them with those acquired through the balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) method, with multiple breath-holds and electrocardiogram gating. Materials and Methods: Forty-three healthy volunteers (female:male, 30:13; mean age, 23.1 ± 2.3 years) and 36 patients requiring an assessment of LV function for various clinical indications (female:male, 22:14; 57.8 ± 11.3 years) were enrolled in this prospective study. Each participant underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the multiple breath-hold bSSFP method and free-breathing multitasking method. LV function parameters were measured for both MRI methods. Image quality was assessed through subjective image quality scores (1 to 5) and calculation of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the myocardium and blood pool. Differences between the two MRI methods were analyzed using the Bland–Altman plot, paired t-test, or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, as appropriate. Results: LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was not significantly different between the two MRI methods (P = 0.222 in healthy volunteers and P = 0.343 in patients). LV end-diastolic mass was slightly overestimated with multitasking in both healthy volunteers (multitasking vs. bSSFP, 60.5 ± 10.7 g vs. 58.0 ± 10.4 g, respectively; P < 0.001) and patients (69.4 ± 18.1 g vs. 66.8 ± 18.0 g, respectively; P = 0.003). Acceptable and comparable image quality was achieved for both MRI methods (multitasking vs. bSSFP, 4.5 ± 0.7 vs. 4.6 ± 0.6, respectively; P = 0.203). The CNR between the myocardium and blood pool showed no significant differences between the two MRI methods (18.89 ± 6.65 vs. 18.19 ± 5.83, respectively; P = 0.480). Conclusion Multitasking-derived cine images obtained without electrocardiogram gating and breath-holding achieved similar image quality and accurate quantification of LVEF in healthy volunteers and patients.