Endoscopes have been widely used in ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) disease diagnosis. This paper mainly designs a high-definition (HD) endoscopic video image system, as a subsystem of digital HD ENT head and neck surgery comprehensive diagnostic workstation, permit to display, record, store and transport of HD video or image, which are needed in clinical examination, diagnosis, treatment and teaching. The system is mainly composed of camera control module, video processing module, video display and storage module, human interactive module and picture & text workstation interactive interface module, etc.
Endoscopy ; instrumentation ; Equipment Design ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Video Recording

Objective To evaluate the significance of coronary calcification and stenosis in elderly hypertensive patients by 16-row multi-sliced computed tomography (MSCT) and its association with peripheral arterial atherosclerosis and other target organ damages. Methods Sixty-four patients with hypertension (n=50) 76.1?6.5 years and normotensions (n=14) 73.4?6.8 years were enrolled. All patients underwent coronary calcification scan by MSCT and the coronary calcification score(CCS) was calculated as AJ130 and Volume. Fourty-four patients in the hypertensive group were subjected to MSCT enhanced scan for evaluation of coronary stenosis. Intima media thickness (IMT), atherosclerotic and calcified plaques in carotid and femoral arteries and ankle-brachial index (ABI) carotid and femoral arteries were measured by echosonography and echocardiography; Fasting plasma blood glucose, blood lipid series, insulin, HOMA-IR, hsCRP and morning urine albumin were determined. Results (1) Both AJ130 and Volume of left anterior descending artery(LAD), left circumflex artery(LCX) and the total calcification score were higher in the hypertensive group than those in the control group (P

Objective To explore the distribution characteristics of high density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to evaluate the relationships of them with oxidative stress and carotid atherosclerosis. Methods The serum levels of HDL subclasses and 8-iso-prostaglandin (PG) F2α were assayed, the carotid ultrasound examinations were executed in 56 elderly patients with T2DM (male: 40, female: 16) and 41 elderly healthy controls (male: 31, female: 10). Results Compared with control group, the serum level of HDL3 was significantly lower in T2DM group [(0.51±0.21) mmol/L vs. (0.59±0.15) mmol/L,t=1.991, P＜ 0.05], and the serum levels of HDL and HDL2 were also decreased [(1.07±0.36)mmol/L vs. (1.18±0.32) mmol/L; (0.56±0.25) mmol/L vs. (0.64±0.33) mmol/L], but there were no statistical significances (t= 1.611 and 0.614 both P＞0.05). The HDL3 was negatively correlated with HbA1C (r=-0.503, P=0.005). The values of absorbance of serum 8-iso-PG F2αwere significantly decreased in T2DM group than in control group (0.017±0. 004 vs. 0. 021±0. 008,t=2.245, P＜0.05). The mean carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was higher in T2DM group,but there was no statistically significance. The detection rate of carotid atherosclerotic plaques was significantly higher in T2DM group than in control group (63.3% vs. 36.0%, x2=4.076, P＜0.05). Conclusions The low level of small particles HDL3 as well as elevated oxidative stress may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis in elderly patients with T2DM.

Objective To explore the correlation between TOP2A gene expression and TCM constitutional types of patients with triple-negative breast cancer.Methods The questionnaire for constitution of Chinese medicine was used to identify the TCM constitutional types of 71 patients with triple-negative breast cancer and TOP2A gene alterations were quantified by real-time PCR. 2-ΔΔCt was used to analyze the expressions of each group. SPSS17.0 was employed to analyze the correlation between TOP2A gene amplification and TCM constitutional types.Results Totally 71 patients were divided into general type (0 case), Qi deficiency type (18 cases), Yang deficiency type (10 cases), Yin deficiency type (12 cases), Qi stagnancy type (7 cases), blood stasis type (10 cases), phlegm wet calculus type (8 cases), damp-heat type (6 cases), and special type (0 case). All of them were biased constitutional types, of which Qi deficiency constitution (25.35%), Yin deficiency constitution (16.90%), blood stasis constitution (14.08%) took the majority. TOP2A gene amplification was negative correlated with each constitutional type (P<0.05).Conclusion Biased constitutional types were the main types of TCM constitutional type of patients with triple-negative breast cancer. The main three biased constitutional types of triple-negative breast cancer were Qi deficiency constitution, Yin deficiency constitution and blood stasis constitution. TOP2A gene expression in patients with triple-negative breast cancer was normal or less expressed, which predicted low chemotherapy sensitivity and poor prognosis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the main correlative factors affecting the pregnancy rate of intrauterine insemination (IUI) by means of analyzing 186 patients and 216 cycles of IUI.

METHODSComparisons were made between different pregnancy rates from five respects: infertility reasons, stimulation and natural cycles, different protocols for stimulating ovulation (CC group, CC + hMG group, hMG group), two methods for semen treatment (swim-up and gradient centrifugal), and insemination time (endometrial thickness and E2 levels at the day of hCG injection, and times of IUI).

RESULTSThe pregnancy rates resulting from male and cervix factors (29.82%, 25.00%) were significantly higher than those from other factors. There were few statistical differences in the pregnancy rates between stimulation and natural cycles (19.54% vs 16.67%), between the three different protocols for stimulating ovulation (CC 6.50%, CC + hMG 14.28%, hMG 22.30%), between gradient centrifugal and swim-up methods (20.13% vs 16.13%) and between one-time IUI and two-time IUI (19.73% vs 17.39%) (P > 0.05). However, the pregnancy rates were statistically correlated with the endometrial thickness at the day of hCG injection and different E2 levels of the follicles over 14 mm in diameter (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIUI is of more applied value for infertility caused by male and cervix factors. With these factors in view, to choose the most suitable insemination time is the key to increasing pregnancy rate.

Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Insemination, Artificial ; methods ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impact of the concentration of circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) in the late-follicle phase on the outcome of in vitro fertilization for normogonadotrophic women.

METHODSIntracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment was conducted in 432 consecutive cycles of normogonadotrophic women. A stimulation protocol with mid-luteal gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist down-regulation and ovarian stimulation with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was used in all cycles. hMG was added when a follicle of > or = 14 mm was present (FSH + hMG group), not in the control group (FSH-alone). LH and oestradiol concentration in the serum on hCG day were detected. Based on LH levels, patients in the FSH + hMG group were again divided into four subgroups: LH < or = 1, 1 < LH < or = 2, 2 < LH < or = 3, and 3 < LH < or = 10 IU/L.

RESULTSOestradiol concentration on the day of hCG injection in the FSH + hMG group was higher than that in the FSH-alone group [(3435.51 +/- 2029.01) pg/ml vs (2620.62 +/- 1604.80) pg/ml, P < 0.05]. More embryos were transferred in the FSH-alone group than in the FSH + hMG group [(2.77 +/- 0.45) vs (2.22 +/- 0.46), P <0.001]. Fertilization rate, implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate were similar between the FSH-alone group and the FSH + hMG group (77.52% vs 78.31%, 41.42% vs 41.68%, 64.56% vs 62.64%, P > 0.05), as well as among the four subgroups of the FSH + hMG group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe adding of suitable amount of hMG and physiologically limited LH concentration in the late-follicle phase have no negative effect on the outcome of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection for normogonadotrophic women.

Adult ; Down-Regulation ; Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; therapeutic use ; Follicular Phase ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; agonists ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Ovulation Induction ; Treatment Outcome

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disease with unclear pathogenesis. The disease progress/trajectory of AD patients can be adequately described by establishing quantitative pharmacological disease progression model. Integrating biomarker information into the model can provide more insight to understand the potential pathological mechanisms and facilitate the optimization of future trial design. Several empirical and semi-mechanism disease progression models have been published. This mini-review is expected to offer some references for the further AD clinical research and new drug development.