OBJECTIVE: To establish the fingerprints of Lonicera similis from Sichuan and Chongqing.METHODS: Chlorogenic acid was taken as the reference substance.The separation was carried out on Dikma Kromasil C18(250 mm?4.6 mm,10 ?m) column with methanol-0.1% phosphoric acid solution as mobile phase(in gradient elution) under a detection wavelength of 326 nm.RESULTS: A total of 11 common peaks appeared in the 10 batches of L.similis samples,and the parameters of the common peaks were up to the standard of the specification for fingerprints of Chinese medicine injections.CONCLUSION: The established HPLC fingerprints can be used as a reference for the quality evaluation and variety discrimination of L.similis.

Objective To detect serum concentration of folate receptor alpha and to investigate its significance in the clinical application of patients with endometrial carcinoma. Methods Thirty-seven patients with endometrial carcinoma, 33 patients with endometrial hyperplasia and 10 healthy women were enrolled in this study. Sera were used to detect the the folate receptor alpha using an Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique.The expression level of serum folate receptor alpha in different groups was analyzed. The correlation between the expression level of serum folate receptor alpha and age of patients, menopause, tumor morphology, myometrial invasion and clinical stage was was also analyzed in patients with endometrial carcinoma. Results Level of folate receptor alpha was successfully detected in serum of healthy women and patients with endometrial diseases. Level of folate receptor alpha in patients with endometrial carcinoma was much higher than that in patients with endometrial hyperplasia. Level of folate receptor alpha in patients with endometrial hyperplasia was also higher than that in the healthy controls, with significant difference (P < 0.05). In the endometrial carcinoma group,the levle of folate receptor alpha in serum was correlated with the clinical stage and myometrial invasion (P < 0.05), however, Level of folate receptor alpha was not correlated with the age of patients, menopause andtumor morphology(P > 0.05). Conclusion The Serum level of folate receptor alpha can be detected, and its expression will contribute to the diagnosis, treatment and predicting the prognosis of patients with endometrial carcinoma.

Constipation has become a common clinical symptom in the elderly. Many factors can result in constipation, including diet,physiological aging, lack of exercise, inappropriate medication, psychological factors, perianal disease, and so on. If the individualized, targetedand comprehensive care interventions that consist of health education, psychological intervention, dietary intervention, medicationguide, functional exercise, passive attention to bowel training and abdominal massage etc. are done well, it can decrease the incidence ofconstipation, reduce a variety of complications and adverse effects caused by the constipation and improve the quality of life in the elderly.So it has important clinical significance.

BACKGROUND:Bone cement used in the vertebroplasty treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures is nonabsorbable and has stronger intensity than normal bone tissue, which can cause further fractures of adjacent segments. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the short-term effect of vertebroplasty with artificial bone in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures. METHODS:A total of 21 patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were enrol ed, including 7 males and 14 females, aged 61-89 years old. Al the patients were subjected to vertebroplasty with calcium sulfate injection. Visual analog scale and Oswestry Disability Index assessment were used before and at 0, 24, 48 weeks after treatment;meanwhile, X-ray and CT were used to observe the fil ing and leakage of artificial bone. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After treatment, al the patients showed improvements in the scores of visual analog scale and Oswestry Disability Index (P<0.01). X-rays and CT scans showed that there were three cases of leakage but without spinal cord and nerve compressions. After 3 months, most of the artificial bone was absorbed. These findings indicate that vertebroplasty with artificial bone can ease pain and improve living conditions of patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Objective To evaluate the effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine administered intranasally on the median effective concentration (EC50) of sevoflurane inhibiting responses to laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion in the pediatric patients.Methods American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ pediatric patients of both sexes, aged 1-3 yr, with body mass index of 20-25 kg/m2, scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia, were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (group C) , dexmedetomidine 1 μg/kg group (group D1) , and dexmedetomidine 2 μg/kg group (group D2).In D1 and D2 groups, dexmedetomidine 1 and 2 μg/kg (in 1 ml of normal saline) were administered intranasally at 1 h before induction of anesthesia, respectively.Group C received the equal volume of normal saline administered intranasally.The children were separated from their parents at 45-60 min after intranasal administration and admitted to the operating room.The children inhaled 8％ sevoflurane until they lost consciousness.After loss of consciousness, the end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane was determined using the modified Dixon's up-and-down method.The initial end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane was set at 2％.The concentration was increased/decreased by 0.2％ in the next patient according to the response to LMA insertion.The patient's sedation status and with LMA acceptance were evaluated, and the patient's satisfaction with sedation and with LMA acceptance was recorded.Probit analysis was used to calculate the EC50 and 95％ confidence interval of sevoflurane inhibiting responses to LMA insertion.Results The patient's satisfaction with sedation and with LMA acceptance was significantly higher in D1 and D2 groups than in group C, and in group D2 than in group D1 (P＜0.05).The EC50 (95％ confidence interval) of sevoflurane inhibiting responses to LMA insertion was 2.03％ (1.91％-2.15％), 1.76％ (1.65％-1.87％) and 1.63％ (1.53％-1.73％) in C, D1 and D2 groups, respectively.The EC50 was significantly lower in D1 and D2 groups than in group C, and in group D2 than in group D1 (P＜0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine 1 and 2 μg/kg administered intranasally can decrease the EC50 of sevoflurane inhibiting responses to LMA insertion in the pediatric patients, and 2 μg/kg produces better efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Heat-activated nickel-titanium (HANT) wire is a new type of arch wire in orthodontic treatment, characterizing by well memory alloy ability and uneasily deformation. However, environmental temperature may affect its performance.OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of HANT and common nickel-titanium wire in clinical application.METHODS: A total of 80 patients who have accepted and finished orthodontic treatment in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun,Yat-sen University from July 2006 to November 2008 were randomly divided into two groups. The common group was treated with common arch wire in aligning and leveling stages, while the HANT group was treated using HANT in aligning and leveling stages. Tooth extracted cases were matched to non-tooth extracted cases. Indicators, such as time span for alignment, total treating time, times for wire breaking, times for bracket shedding, and times for return visits, were measured.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was significant difference in treating time and times for wire breaking between the two groups (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the times for bracket shedding. Anaphylactic response, toxic reaction,and other adverse reactions were not observed in the HANT group. Therefore, HANT wire can simplify orthodontic operation,shorten operation time beside the chair, save the total treating time, and reduce chances of shedding brackets and breaking wires.

Objective To probe the correlation between the short-axis diameter(SD) of coagulation necosis and the microwave power(P) using a new type of internally cooled microwave antenna in ex vivo and in vivo liver model.Methods Fourteen microwave ablations were performed in swine livers ex vivo and canine livers in vivo under the microwave powers of 30-90W and the durations of 10 min and 20 min, respectively.The short-axis diameter(SD) and the long-axis diameter(LD) of the coagulation were measured.The difference of SD, LD and SD/LD in swine liver ex vivo and canine liver in vivo were compared.The relationship between the SD and microwave power was analysised using linear regression model.Results Under the same conditions,the SDs and LDs of the coagulations of canine livers in vivo were smaller than those of swine livers in ex vivo (P <0.01).There was such a higher linear relationship(r = 0.96-0.99, P <0.01) between the SD of coagulation and the power in vivo liver model as the results acquired in ex vivo.Conclusions Although the blood flow decreased the SDs of the coagulation of microwave ablation in liver in vivo, but there was still a higher linear relationship between SD and microwave power.

Objective To summarize reasonable therapeutic measures by analyzing the characteristics of tardive intestinal malrotation in childhood. Methods Clinical data of 23 definitely diagnosed cases of intestinal mal-rotation from 1998 to 2008 were studied retrospectively. Results All of 23 patients were processed through plain ab-dominal radiograph;9 were examined with barium meal;2 were examined with barium enema;20 were examined by abdominal Doppler and 13 were examined by abdominal computer tomography. There were 18 patients who got final diagnosis preoperatively and the rate of final diagnosis was 78.3%. All of the cases were cured with Ladd's operative method. Conclusion Because tardive intestinal malrotation has various clinical manifestations,it is more difficult to diagnose than congenital intestinal malrotation in children. The main causes of death are intestinal volvulus and/or necrosis. At present,surgery is a traditional therapeutic way. Ladd procedure is the main traditional way to treat mal-trotation.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) for the assessment of renal allograft.Methods A total of 72 kidney recipients were examined with conventional ultrasound and VTQ after transpantation.Biopsies were performed in 34 patients,20 patients were with acute rejection (AR),14 with chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN),38 patients as control group.The peak systolic velocity (PSV) and resistance index(RI) were measured on main,infrarenal and arcuate arteries with conventional ultrasound and shear wave velocity (SWV) of the renal cortex was obtained by VTQ.All the data were compared among three groups.Results There were no significant differences of PSV between two groups.An increased RI was presented in the CAN group(P ＜0.05).The mean SWV was (2.67 ± 0.27) m/s,(2.90 ± 0.31)m/s and (2.28 ± 0.24)m/s for AR,CAN and normal group,respectively.There were significant differences of SWV among the three groups (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions VTQ technique could provide a new method for the assessment of transplanted kidney.

We examined the effects of intracerebroventricular ( i. c. v) administration of adrenomedullin (ADM) on catecholaminergic neurons and the expression of c-fos gene in rat brain nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation using double immunohistochemical method for Fos and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The results showed that: ( 1 ) Following icy administration of ADM (3 nmol/kg) , double-labeled neurons for Fos and TH were significantly increased in the area postrema ( AP), the nucleus of the solitary tract ( NTS), the nucleus paragigantocelluaris laterialis (PGL) and the locus coeruleus (LC). (2) Pretreatment with calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonis CGRP8-37 (30 nmol/kg) significantly reduced the action of ADM (3 nmol/kg) in the brain. The present study suggested that ADM might activate the neurons of the brain nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation, and supported the hypothesis that the central action of ADM were induced by activating the catecholaminergic neurons of brainstem nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation, CGRP receptor might mediate the effects of ADM.