Objective To assess the correlation between the metal artifact degrees with the tube voltage (in peak kilovolts, kV) and tube current(in milliamperes, mA) in multidetector computed tomography(MDCT), so as to search for proper strategies to reduce metal artifact and the radiation dose. Methods Four lumbar pedicle screws were implanted in the human L4, L5 specimens to establish the pedicle screw fixation model, and the models were hung on the appropriative water mode to assess the artifacts with silk thread. Different scanning parameters (mainly tube tension, tube current) were used for scanning. The lengths of the artifacts emanating from the anterior tips of the screw were used to evaluate the degree of artifact. Results The tube current change did not significantly affect the metal artifacts (P>0. 05), but the tube voltage had significant impact on the metal artifacts; the degree of artifacts decreased remarkably with the increase of the tube voltage(100-140 kV, P<0. 05). Radiation dose rose with tube current and tube voltage increase. Conclusion Simultaneous reduction of the artifact and radiation dose can be achieved with high tube voltages (usually 140 kV) and tube currents should be lower than the generally used values of 250-270 mA.

Animals ; Flunarizine ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Neurons ; drug effects ; physiology ; Penicillins ; adverse effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Seizures ; chemically induced ; physiopathology

Objective To detect serum ubiquitin-like with PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1) levels in the patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC),and analyze their differences among different clinicopathological features subgroups and changes during the perioperative period.Methods Serum samples from 130 preoperative ESCC patients,62 patients 1 week after operation,14 patients 1 week and 2 weeks after operation and 67 healthy controls,and clinicopathological data from ESCC patients were collected.Serum UHRF1 levels were detected by ELISA,and the differences among different groups were analyzed with independent t test,paired t test or one-way ANOVA.Results Serum UHRF1 levels in 130 preoperative ESCC patients were significantly higher than that in healthy controls (t =7.680,P ＜ 0.01),and they were related to the ESCC patients' tumor size,differentiation degree,tumor invasion,lymph nodes metastasis and pTNM stage (P ＜ 0.05),but unrelated to the patients' age,gender,tumor location and types (P ＞ 0.05).Serum UHRF1 levels in 62 postoperative patients were significantly lower than that before operation (t =5.530,P ＜ 0.01),but similar to that in healthy controls (t =1.622,P ＞ 0.05).The serum UHRF1 levels before operation,1 week after operation and 2 weeks after operation in 14 ESCC patients decreased gradually (F =7.595,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Serum UHRF1 levels may be a potential biomarker for dynamically monitoring perioperative ESCC patients.

Objective To investigate the influence of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) on the disease progression in MRL/lps mice. Methods Tregs were separated by using magnetic beads from splenic cells of MRL/lps mice and BALB/c mice, and concentrated. Twenty-four MRLAps mice were equally divided into 3 groups, test group 1 injected with Tregs from MRL/lps mice, test group 2 injected with Tregs from BALB/c mice, and control group injected with physiological sodium chloride solution. Three weeks later, the levels of urine protein as well as serum anti-dsDNA antibody were determined; subsequently, the mice were sacrificed followed by histopathological and immunopathological examination of renal tissue. Results A significant decline was observed in the test group 1 compared with the test group 2 and control group in the urine protein score (10.63 ± 4.17 vs. 20.00 ± 5.35 and 18.75 ± 8.34, both P < 0.05), serum anti-dsDNA antibody level (5.36 ± 2.40 pg/ml vs. 9.57 ± 1.97 pg/ml and 10.75 ± 3.98 pg/ml, both P < 0.05), glomerular sclerosis index [(32.00 ± 12.09)% vs. (45.50 ± 13.68)% and (47.50 ± 10.78)%, both P< 0.05], and immunofluorescence intensity of IgG immune complex in renal tissue (1.88 ± 0.99 vs. 2.88 ± 0.64 and 2.75 ± 0.71, both P< 0.05). No significant difference was noted in renal tubule interstitial impairment index between the 3 groups (4.63 ± 1.92, 6.00 ± 1.07 and 5.75 ± 1.28, all P> 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the test group 2 and control group in terms of any of the above parameters (all P > 0.05). Conclusions Injection of Tregs from homologous mice could significantly down-regulate proteinuria degree, serum anti-dsDNA antibody level, glomerular sclerosis index and IgG immune complex level in renal tissue, and thereby decelerate the progression of renal impairment in MRL/lps mice.

Objective To compare the efficacy of percutaneous compression plate (PCCP) and dynamic hip screw (DHS) on intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients. Methods A literature search was performed in the Cochrane Li-brary, Mdiline, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang database and other databases. The controlled clinical trials were retrieved, which in-cluded PCCP and DHS treatment for intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients. A meta-analysis was performed to ana-lyze the efficacy of PCCP and DHS on this kind of fractures in elderly patients. Results In 231 citations initially identified, 11 eligible papers were included in this study, which consisted of a total of 1 100 patients. Results showed that there were shorter operative time (WMD=-12.83,Z=2.54,P=0.01), smaller incision(WMD=-7.43,Z=3.35,P＜0.001), low blood loss during surgery(WMD =-211.41,Z=9.07,P＜ 0.001) and better prognosis in PCCP group than those of DHS group. There was no significant difference in the length of postoperative hospital stay between PCCP and DHS group(WMD=-1.28, Z=0.89, P=0.37). Conclusion The current analysis suggests that the PCCP is better for intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients.

Objective To investigate the clinical application value of genechip detection system in the mycobacterial species iden-tification and drug resistance analysis .Methods The specimens of sputum ,punctured pus ,pleural and abdominal ascites ,cerebro-spinal fluid and so on were performed the Mycobacterium DNA detection by using the gene chip technique .Then Mycobacterium tuberculosis positive samples were further performed the drug-resistant analysis .Meanwhile the Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining was adopted to detect the sample .The positive rates were compared between the two groups .And TB-IGRA was used to examine the tubercle bacillus infection in partial patients .Results In 4402 samples ,137 cases (3 .36% ) of M ycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and 11 cases(7 .4% ) of non-tuberculosis mycobacterium(NTM) were detected .Puncture solution ,bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and tissue specimen had higher positive rate .In the 137 positive M TB samples by rifampicin-resistant gene rpoB ,isoniazide-re-sistant gene katG and inhA detection ,22 cases of resistance gene mutations were detected ;the positive rate of genechip for detecting sputum ,cerebrospinal fluid ,hydrothorax and ascites was higher than that of acid-fast staining .TB-IGRA detection had higher pos-itive rate of TB infection than genechip .Conclusion The genechip detection system can directly conduct Mycobacterium identifica-tion and drug resistance analysis ,which is especially suitable for sputum ,cerebrospinal fluid ,hydrothorax and ascites samples ,and which is simple and rapid with higher sensitivity and good specificity .

Objective To explore the significance and important measure of integrative treatment of multiple trauma patients with severe craniocerebral injury in emergency center. Methods One hundred and forty-eight multiple trauma patients with severe craniocerebral injury in emergency center from November 2002 to February 2006 were analysed retrospectively. Result In total 148 cases, 72 were cured and 26 dead, 7 were in status of plant man, 17 experienced severe deformity, and 26 did mild deformity. Conclusion Multiple trauma patients with severe craniocerebral injury usually experience a serious situation and rapid development. Therefore emergency doctors are required for organizing salvage of such patients, at the same time treatment and diagnosis are implemented. Firstly the most important key to successful salvage is appropriate disposal of fatal injury and early elimination of shock. Proper surgical choice, especially at the first time, inspection and protection of visceral functions, and attention to nutritional support are other vital methods to gain more successful salvage. ICU is also emphasized for its essentiality.

Objective To investigate and evaluate the polymorphism distribution of arsenic(+3 oxidation state)methyhransferase(AS3MT)5'-UTR VNTR in Chinese populations.Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood anti-coagulated with ACD of 1440 individuals in a standard phenol-chloroform protocol.The phenotypes of AS3MT 5'-UTR VNTR were determined by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)associated with agarose gel electrophoresis.Results Of the 1440 individuals,771(53.5%),426(29.6%),211(14.7%),16(1.1%)and 16(1.1%)were carriers of the V2/V3(AB/A2B),V3/V3(A2B/A2B),V2/V2(AB/AB),V2/V4(AB/A3B)and V3/V4(A2B/A3B)genotype,respectively.The AB(V2),A2B(V3)and A3B(V4)allele frequency was 41.9%,57.0%,1.1%respectively.The differences of AB(V2)and A2B(V3)allele frequency were all significant between the northern and southern populations respectively(χ2=23.39,χ2=33.28,P＜0.007).Conclusions In different regions the AB(V2)and A2B(V3)allele frequency is different,the AS3MT 5'-UTR VNTR polymorphism can be used to evaluate the susceptivity of arsenieosis.

Huntington disease (HD) rat model was produced by injection of ibotenic acid (IA) into the head of right caudate putamen (CP). One month post lesion, fetal (El5-17) striatal cell suspension was implanted into the lateral ventricle ipsilateral to the lesion, and the rats were devided into four groups; group I normal control rats (n=8), group II model control rats (n=10), group III simple transplanted with fetal striatal cell suspension, (n=10, ST group), group IV grafted with striatal cell suspension containing laminin (n=6, LST group). Three and six months after grafting, active avoidence test was carried, the results showed that there were significant differences bewteen grafted groups and model control group at three and six months, and no significant differences between LST group and normal group either in three or six months whereas between ST group and normal group no significant difference only can be found at six months. Overnight locomotor activity was measured in each group at six months post grafting, the results indicated that the locomotor behaviour of model control group was hyperactive whereas the overnight hyperactivity was compensated completely in the grafted groups. After the behavioural test, the rat brain was investigated morphologically. The head of the lesioned CP was atrophied and the graft was located at the dorsal part of the atrophied CP and projected into the lateral ventricle. The volume of the graft area of LST group was larger than that of ST group. ChAT, GABA and Leu-ENK positive neurons were found in the graft area of the two grafted groups and their shape and size were similar to those of nomal CP. The processes of AChE positive neurons in the graft of LST group were more and longer than that in the graft of ST group. The results indicated that the fetal striatal neurons implanted into the lateral ventricle of HD model rats not only can survive and grow well but also ameliorate the behavioural deficits of the IA lesioned rats and the laminin may supports the neuronal suvival and growth in vivo.