Fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering algorithm is a popular model widely used in the segmentation of magnetic resonance image (MRI). The conventional FCM doesn't involve the spatial information of MRI and then unexpected segmentation results appear when it is applied to inhomogeneous MRI with noise and bias field. Modifying the objective function of FCM and introducing a variable as the parameter to control the tight degree of neighborhood effect present a spatial model to FCM clustering algorithm. The variable can reasonably use the spatial information of MRI. The experiment results show that the proposed algorithm can provide a powerful segmentation than the conventional FCM and others.

Objective To investigate the etiology and provide data for clinical treatment and therapeutic assessment of congenital clubfoot(CCF) via neuroelectrophysiology on motor and sensory nerves and ultrastructure of sural nerve.Methods Totally 248 patients diagnosed with CCF(338 clubfeet) were studied.Motor nerve conduction velocity(MCV),sensory nerve conduction velocity(SCV) and wave amplitude were detected for any changes.An ultra-structural study of sural nerve ramification was also conducted in 36 patients(36 clubfeet) under electron microscope.The correlation between deformity degree,nerve conduction abnormality and therapeutic outcomes was analyzed.Results The motor nerve conduction in 291 clubfeet(86.1%) and the sensory nerve conduction in 252 clubfeet(74.6%) were found with different degrees of abnormalities such as prolonged latency,declined/disappeared wave amplitude,etc.The ultrastructural observation of sural nerve ramification demonstrated abnormalities in all the 36 cases,showing proliferation of myelin sheath in peripheral myelinated nerve fibers,formation of vacuoles,segmental demyelinating lesions and so on.Part of axial cord was squeezed by the proliferated myelin sheath,which resulted in disappearance of axoplasm.The correlation study showed that as deformity became more severe,the nerve conduction abnormality was more evident,requiring more complicated treatments,and the therapeutic outcomes were less satisfactory.Statistical analysis by Mantel-Haenszel method showed that:① the abnormality rate of motor nerve in different types of CCF is signifi-cantly different(?2=32.31,P

The author studied the optimizing problem of medical signal processing in the course system of biomedical technology and focused on the design and realization of the comprehensive experiment platform of the course system of biomedical technology, and explored the course system of every stage in the public basic courses, the basic courses of specialty and the specialized courses by using course system of biomedical technology as the study subject and paradigm.

Objective To determine the interleukin(IL)-17 concentrations in serum and synovi-al fluid from patients with knee osteoarthritis(OA),and evaluate their correlation with disease severity. Methods Serum and synovial fluid were collected from 100 patients with primary knee OA;age-and sex-matched 50 healthy subjects provided serum samples as controls.OA severity and grade were assessed u-sing the Lequesne index and Kellgren and Lawrence(K-L)grading system,respectively.The expression of IL-17 was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results Serum IL-17 concentrations were significantly higher in patients than in controls(P <0.05).In the patient group,patients with K-L grade 3 and 4 had higher synovial IL-17 levels than those with K-L grade 2(P <0.05).At the same time,com-pared with K-L grade 3,there was a higher IL-17 level in K-L grade 4 patients(P <0.05).Synovial fluid IL-17 concentration was positively correlated with Lequesne index(r =0.6232,P <0.05).There was no correlation between serum IL-17 concentrations and Lequesne index,however.Conclusion The expres-sion of IL-17 was significantly increased in serum and synovial fluid of knee from patients with knee OA. There was a positive correlation between synovial fluid IL-17 concentrations and OA severity.It suggests that the imbalance of IL-17 expression plays a certain role in the pathogenesis of OA.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) in patients with rheumatic severe mitral stenosis and thrombus in the left atrial appendage.Methods We selected 11 patients (9 women and 2 men), the average age being 40.6?5.7 years. All cases received warfarin orally every day for more than 12 weeks before underwent PBMV used Inoue single balloon technique, to see whether systemic thromboembolism complication occurred during the operation and one year follow-up term. Results The successful rate of PBMV was 100%. No systemic thromboembolism occurred during and after PBMV. The parameters of hemodynamics, mitral valve area and cardiac function improved markedly.Conclusion PBMV on patients with severe mitral stenosis and thrombus in the left atrial appendage is safe and effective after certain anticoagulation treatment.

Objective To identify the middle-long term outcomes,the incidence of restenosis,and the determining factors of restenosis.Methods Four hundred and sixty five patients with mitral stenosis (MS) underwent percutaneous balloon mitrail valvuloplasty (PBMV) from May 1990 to May 2002. Among the 465 patients,a retrospective study of 344 cases (258 females and 86 males) with complete data was presented in this article. The mean age was (40.2?9.6) years (ranging from 15 to 72 years). They were followed-up after PBMV. The data were analyzed with SAS software. Results Follow-up results of 1-12 years [median (3.6?2.5) years] showed that the one-year event-free survival rate was 100% with 9 cases of restenosis in 344 cases (2.5%),the three-years event-free survival rate was 97% with 39 cases of restenosis in 286 cases (13.6%),the five-years event-free survival rate was 91% with 60 cases of restenosis in 221 cases (27.1%),the eight-year event-free survival rate was 80% with 32 cases of restenosis in 81 cases (39.5%),and the ten-year event-free survival rate was 69% with 20 cases of restenosis in 42 cases (47.6%),and the twelve-year event-free survival rate was 63% with 9 cases of restenosis in 16 cases (56.3%). The event-free survival rate was greater in patients with modified echocardiographic score ≤10. Conclusion PBMV can produce good clinical middle and long-term outcomes in most patients,and those with modified echocardiographic score ≤10,bi-commissural splitting,sinus rhythm,large mitral valve area after PBMV,without poor cardiac function may especially have the best middle and long-term results.

To measure the subfoveal choroidal thickness ( SFCT ) in myopia using Cirrus HD optical coherence tomography ( OCT ), and to explore the relationship between the SFCT, axial length and myopic refractive spherical equivalent.
● METHODS: One - hundred thirty - three eyes of 70 healthy volunteers were recruited, and were divided into emmetropia group, low- degree myopia, middle- degree myopia and high - degree myopia group. SFCT were measured by Cirrus HD OCT, and the relationship between the SFCT, axial length and myopic refractive spherical equivalent were evaluated.
●RESULTS: 1) Average SFCT was (275. 91±55. 74)μ m in normals, that in emmetropia group, low-degree myopia, middle- degree myopia and high - degree myopia group were (290. 03± 34. 82) μ m, (287. 64 ± 51. 51) μ m, (274. 95 ± 56. 83)μ m, (248. 37 ± 67. 98) μ m; 2) the SFCT of high -degree myopia group was significant thinner than that of emmetropia group (P< 0. 05); 3) There was a significant negatives correlation between the SFCT and axial length (P<0. 01), a significant positive correlation between SFCT and myopic refractive spherical equivalent (P<0. 01).
● CONCLUSlON: the SFCT is inversely correlated with increasing axial length and myopic refractive error.

Objective To make use of the characteristics of presenting and processing tumor antigen of Dendritic cells pulsed with recombinant human Hsp70 and Mage-3 peptide to enhance killing capability of breast neoplasms. Methods Autologous dendritic cells were isolated from PBMC and then stimuiated in vitro with GM-CSF and IL-4.Dendritic cells were loaded with Mage-3 peptide;at the same time Hsp70L1 was added. The specific groupings each induce generation of tumor specific cytotoxic assay with ELISA. Results DCs pulsed with Mage-3 peptide enhanced the growth expansion of CTL, and promoted the secretion of cytokines such as TNF-αand IL-6. DCs pulsed with recombinant human Hsp70 and Mage-3 peptide had cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cells MCF-7.Conclusions DCs pulsed with recombinant human Hsp70 and Mage -3 peptide have higher biological activities. Modified DCs can stimulate the proliferation of lymphoeytes,present effectively tumor antigen to stimulate generation of speeific CTLs. Dendritic cells pulsed with recombinant human Hsp70 and Mage-3 peptide have high ability to kill breast cancer cells.

Objective:This work aims to use the characteristics of dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with recombinant human HSP70, which can present and process tumor antigens, to enhance the killing activity of cytotoxic t lymphocytes (CTLs) against breast neoplasms. Methods:Autologous DCs were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and then stimulated in vitro with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor and interleukin-4. The DCs were loaded with A549 tumor cell freeze-thaw lysate, and rhHSP70 was added as an immune adjuvant. The specific groups were subjected to tumor-specific cytotoxic assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and fluores-cence-activated cell sorting. Results:DCs pulsed with A549 tumor cell lysate enhanced the growth expansion of CTLs, upregulated CD40 and CD80 populations in CTLs, and augmented Th1 cytokines. In addition, the cytotoxicity of specific CTLs against A549 was highly enhanced. The above indications became more obvious after the addition of rhHSP70. Conclusion:DCs pulsed with freeze-thaw cell lysates derived from breast cancer can enhance growth expansion of lymphocytes. They may serve as an effective tumor antigen to stimulate the proliferation of specific CTLs, which are very effective in activating specific T-cell responses against breast cancer cells in vitro. The improved anti-tumor immunity response by DC-based vaccines may be related to the maturation of the DCs promoted by rhHSP70.

AIM: To know the psychological conditions of various cataract patients in pre- and post-operative periods.METHODS: From June 2008 to June 2009, 278 cataract patients had been asked to complete a questionnaire anonymously of their self-evaluation of symptoms scale (SCL) before and after operation. In their pre-operative and post-operative surveys, the results were compared with the norms respectively. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A were age-related cataract patients; while Group B were cataract patients with glaucoma, trauma or metabolic disease.RESULTS: When cataract patients' masculine scores of somatization, depression, anxiety and fear factors before and after the operation rank higher than the norms, the differences had statistical significance(P＜0.05), especially the somatization factor(P＜0.01).While cataract patients with diseases such as glaucoma, trauma or diabetes got higher marks than age-related cataract patients in the aspects of anxiety, somatization, depression (P<0.05), and fear factors, the differences were of statistical significance(P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Cataract patients both in pre- and post- and operative periods have somatization behaviors and emotions of depression, anxiety and fear. Cataract patients with glaucoma, trauma or diabetes especially anxiety have more obvious symptoms than age-related cataract patients.