Animals ; Borrelia burgdorferi ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; China ; Genotype ; Ixodidae ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate direct bone graft repair with lag screw and tension band fixation technique and its value for the treatment of adolescence spondylolysis.

METHODSLysis was prepared and the fibrous tissue within the gap was removed in 12 patients from 12 to 26 years (average 18.4). 1 - 2 mm extra bony element was resected on both sides with fresh interface with the bone graft harvested from the iliac crest. From the entry point 8 mm away from the midline at the inferior margin of the lamina, titanium lag screws of 35 - 45 mm long and 3.5 mm in diameter were placed at 300 upward and outward and tighted through the lysis, bone graft and the superior and lateral aspect of the pedicle. Extra match bone graft was placed around the surface of defect, an high intensity Nilon wire tension band between the cap of the screw and the basis of transverse process was constructed before wound closure and suction drainage. The patients were immobilized with plaster brace of Paris for 2 months.

RESULTSAverage operation time was (10 +/- 55) minutes, and average blood loss was 170 ml. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 36 months (mean 17 months), and cases of 22 lysis healed within 3 months.

CONCLUSIONSTechnique of direct bone graft repair with lag screw and tension band fixation for the treatment of adolescence spondylolysis is simple, safe and reliable. Combined biomechanical and biological processes, it is less invasive but advantageous in preserving the motion in the affected segment.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Screws ; Bone Transplantation ; Child ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Male ; Spondylolysis ; surgery

Objective: To investigate the application of single-molecule PCR (SM-PCR) in the detection of plasma ctDNA for the treat-ment of patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: In total, 30 patients diagnosed with advanced lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled between June 2017 and May 2018. ctDNA fragments of the target genes (EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, ALK, HER2, and TP53) from the blood samples were enriched by SM-PCR, and DNA libraries were prepared. Finally, a high-throughput sequencing was performed. The EGFR detection of tumor tissue samples was performed using real-time fluorescence PCR based on the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and consistency in the results of EGFR mutation detection in the plasma and tissue was compared. Results:The results of both the methods were consistent (Kappa=0.867, P<0.001). The McNemar's test also indicated that the results are not statistically different (P=0.500). Conclusions: SM-PCR can be used for the detection of plasma EGFR mutations. The target detection sites are more comprehensive and multiple mutations can be detected at the same time. Results of the analysis are more precise and can be absolutely quantified.

We conducted a randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled, multicenter trial on the use of Shuanghuanglian (SHL), a traditional Chinese patent medicine, in treating cases of COVID-19. A total of 176 patients received SHL by three doses (56 in low dose, 61 in middle dose, and 59 in high dose) in addition to standard care. The control group was composed of 59 patients who received standard therapy alone. Treatment with SHL was not associated with a difference from standard care in the time to disease recovery. Patients with 14-day SHL treatment had significantly higher rate in negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 in nucleic acid swab tests than the patients from the control group (93.4% vs. 73.9%, P = 0.006). Analysis of chest computed tomography images showed that treatment with high-dose SHL significantly promoted absorption of inflammatory focus of pneumonia, which was evaluated by density reduction of inflammatory focus from baseline, at day 7 (mean difference (95% CI), -46.39 (-86.83 to -5.94) HU; P = 0.025) and day 14 (mean difference (95% CI), -74.21 (-133.35 to -15.08) HU; P = 0.014). No serious adverse events occurred in the SHL groups. This study illustrated that SHL in combination with standard care was safe and partially effective for the treatment of COVID-19.
COVID-19 ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Research ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Treatment Outcome