A certain amount of image noise is increased in low-dese protocols, but image quality is still acceptable without problem in CT localization. The reduction of radiation dose and the radiation harm to patients are the superiority.

Objective To estimate the biological effects of leptin on human HaCaT keratinocytes and explore their molecular mechanisms.Methods Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to evaluate the proliferation of cultured HaCaT cells treated with different concentrations of leptin for 24 and 48 hours.Some HaCaT cells were classified into four groups to remain untreated,be treated with leptin (100 μg/L) and piceatannol (a specific inhibitor of STAT3 phosphorylation) alone or in combination for 24 hours,respectively,followed by the evaluation of cell proliferation using CCK-8 kit.Flow cytometry was performed to assess cell cycle of HaCaT cells treated with leptin of 100 μg/L,Western blot to determine the phosphorylation level of Erk1/2 and STAT3 in HaCaT cells treated with leptin of 100 μg/L for different durations.Statistical analysis was done by Student's t-test for unpaired data using GraphPad Prism 5 software.Results The proliferation of HaCaT cells was accelerated to different degrees after treatment with leptin of 50 and 100 μg/L for 24 and 48 hours,and the accelerating effect was in a dose-dependent manner within 24 hours (r =0.9989,P ＜ 0.05).Piceatannol apparently inhibited the promotive effect of leptin on the proliferation of HaCaT cells.There was an obvious elevation in the percentage of cells at S phase ((57.70 ± 5.88)％ vs.(42.50 ± 7.55)％,P ＞ 0.05),but a significant decrease in that at G0/G1 phase ((39.70 ± 1.57)％ vs.(45.20 ± 1.44)％,P ＜ 0.05),with a significant increase in proliferation index (0.603 ±0.0157 vs.0.564 ± 0.0144,P ＜ 0.05) in HaCaT cells treated with leptin of 100 μg/L for 24 hours compared with the untreated controls.Western blot showed that leptin of 100 μg/L markedly enhanced the phosphorylation level of STAT3 in HaCaT cells.Conclusion Leptin may upregulate the proliferation of HaCaT cells through activation of STAT3 pathway.

Objective To evaluate different post-processing imaging techniques of multi-slice helical CT cholangiography (MSCTC). Methods Fourty-seven patients were suspected of bile duct disease by ultrasound, with no abnormality by ordinary CT. These patients then received MSCTC examination. The original images were post-processed at workstation. The result of post-processed images was compared with that of the laparotomy and surgical bile duct endoscopy. Results Procedures were successful in 45 cases. Thirty-one cases were found with choledocholithiasis. The specificity and the sensitivity of CT virtual endoscopy (CTVE) for choledocholithiasis group were high. Cholangitis and cholangiocarcinoma were detected in 3 each cases.Three cases were finally found to have gallbladder polypus, in which only CTVE provided the diagnosis. The diagnosis of bile duct disease made by ultrasound were finally excluded by CTVE. Conclusions KG1 The available post-processing methods are CTVE and X-proj, MPR is applicable for observing bile duct wall, it is valuable in the diagnosis of all kinds of bile duct disease. CTVE is better than other methods at displaying intraluminal structure.

BACKGROUND: Serum creatinine (SCr) is the most commonly used parameter to estimate renal function impairement, but there are some shortcomings. Many factors including age, gender, drug, diet, muscle mass and metabolic rate can influence SCr, leading to an inaccurate estimation of kidney impairment. Studies have shown that cystatin C (CysC) is not affected by factors such as muscle mass, age, gender, diet, inflammation or tumor. The present study was undertaken to compare the sensitivity of CysC and SCr in evaluating renal function impairment at early stage of shock. METHODS: Seventy-one patients aged 38.3±21.4 years, who had been treated at the Emergency Medicine Department of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University between February 2006 and June 2007, were studied. They were divided into groups A, B, C, and D according to the shock time. Serum sample was drawn from each patient at 1, 2, 3, 4 hours after shock to determine SCr and CysC. CysC and SCr were determined again at 72 hours and 7 days after shock. RESULTS: CysC increased earlier than SCr in the 71 patients, and CysC decreased slower than SCr when shock was corrected. CysC increased at 1 hour after shock. There was a negative correlationship between CysC, SCr and glomerular filtration rate (GFR), especially at early stage of shock. CONCLUSIONS: There is renal injury at early stage of shock. CysC is more sensitive than SCr in assessing renal function at the early stage of shock.

Objective To analyze the CT imaging features of Castleman disease and enhance our knowledge of Castleman disease.Methods Twenty two patients with lymph node biopsy-proved or surgeryproved Castleman disease were retrospectively reviewed in this study.Of the 22 patients,18 had localized lesion and 4 patients had multicentric lesions.Correlation was made between CT and pathologic findings.Results Eighteen patients with localized Castleman disease had the hyaline-vascular type and showed well-circumscribed masses with soft-tissue density [mean CT value,(45 ± 16) HU],punctate or bifurcate calcification and linear low-density areas on non-enhanced CT images.All localized masses showed significant enhancementwith an increase of(56 ± 22)HU on arterial phase and showed residual enhancement and some low-density areas on delayed phase.Enhancing patterns were variable,including homogeneous enhancement,gradual enhancement from the edge to the center of mass and heterogeneous enhancement.Four patients with localized lesion demonstrated enhancing vessels around masses.Four patients with muhicentric CD belonged to the plasma cell type and had multiple enlarged lymph nodes.Plasma cell type masses with homogeneous density also showed enhancement after injection of contrast media but appeared to reveal a less increase of (32 ± 10) HU than the hyaline vascular type.Conclusions The localized Castleman disease showed certain characteristics on CT imaging includingcalcification and contrast enhancing patterns,which could help in the differential diagnosis of this disease.The muhicentric Castleman disease did not reveal any useful imaging features.

AIM: To evaluate visual outcome and wearing times in eyes fitted with a rigid gas permeable contact lenses and to assess the role of these lenses in therapeutic contact lens practice.METHODS: Patients fitted with RGP from May 2004 to December 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. Ocular diagnosis,flat and steep curvatures by corneal topography. The data included initial base curve, power, and the number of changes made in parameters during the follow-up. The outcome data included visual acuity and the duration of follow-up and lens wear. Complications and complaints were also noted.RESULTS: Forty-Three eyes of 25 patients had keratoconus were reviewed. The mean age of patients was 19.88 ±3.11years. 26 (60.5%)eyes achieved 20/20 visual acuity;15(34.9%) eyes achieved 20/25 to 20/40; and 1 (2.3%) eyes achieved 20/50 to 20/70. 37 (86.0%) eyes achieved visual improvement. No infection or neovascularization was noted; a corneal abrasion occurred in one eye.CONCLUSION: RGP may be a better alternative in selected patients with keratoconus rather than penetrating keratoplasty.

Objective To evaluate the antitumor effect of SEB-scFv fusion Drotein on gastric cancer. Methods Typical changes of morphologic features and super-microstructure were observed when SEB-scFv fusion protein was used in SGC7901 cens;and the effects of SEB-scFv and its concentration on the cell growth were examined by methyltetrazolium(MTT)assay;DNA ladder and flow cytometry were employed respectively to detect the inhibition phenomenon or apoptosis.We produced a subcutaneous gastric tumor model in baby SD rats by implanting SGC7901 cells.The SEB and SEB-scFv were injeeted to the vena caudalis in the trial groups,and normal saline to the control group.The weight of the tumor and the survival were recorded after treatment. Results Cell inhibitory rate was increased along with increased concentration of SEB-scFv fusion protein.Electron microscopy revealed that the cell presented typical changes of apoptosis.FCM indicated that the apoptotic rate of SGC7901 cell lines significantly increased with increasing dose of SEB-scFv fusion protein,and agarose gel electrophoresis appeared marked DNA ladder.The average weight of tumor in the SEB-scFv group was lower than that in control groups(P＜0.05).The tumor inhibition rate was 61.3%,and the mean survival period of rats in SEB-scFv group was longer than that of other group(P＜0.05)with a survival prolongation rate of 54.6%. Conclusion The resuhs indicate that SEB-scFv fusion protein has an obvious antitumor effect on gastric cancer.

Neurofeedback, as an alternative treatment method of behavioral medicine, is a technique which translates the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals to styles as sounds or animation to help people understand their own physical status and learn to enhance or suppress certain EEG signals to regulate their own brain functions after several repeated trainings. This paper develops a neurofeedback system on the foundation of brain-computer interface technique. The EEG features are extracted through real-time signal process and then translated to feedback information. Two feedback screens are designed for relaxation training and attention training individually. The veracity and feasibility of the neurofeedback system are validated through system simulation and preliminary experiment.
Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Neurofeedback

Adolescent ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dystonic Disorders ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male

Peptide cyclization, a pivotal approach to modifying linear precursors of proteins and pepticles, has been used to enhance their biological activities and serum stabilities. Recently, sortase A (SrtA) from Staphyloccus aureus becomes a promising new technology for efficiently incorporating site specific modifications into proteins, conjugating the cell surface and cyclizing the linear peptides. In this study, we constructed two recombinant expression systems, one with chitin binding domain and the other with six-histidine tag and chitin binding domain on the N-terminal of SrtA, separately. The results of enzymatic kinetics indicate that the two recombinant tags do not impair the transpeptidase activity of SrtA compared with the standard reaction reported under the same reaction condition. The two synthesized peptides with N-ternimal three glycines and C-terminal penta-amino acid motif, LPETG, were cyclized using immobilized and recycled SrtA. The SrtA-based cyclization promises to represent a simple method for easy and efficient enzymatic synthesis of large cyclic peptides.
Aminoacyltransferases ; metabolism ; Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Cyclization ; Cysteine Endopeptidases ; metabolism ; Enzymes, Immobilized ; metabolism ; Kinetics ; Peptides ; metabolism ; Peptides, Cyclic ; biosynthesis ; Staphylococcus aureus ; enzymology