Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; drug therapy ; Infant, Newborn ; Thyroxine ; poisoning ; therapeutic use

Objective To evaluate the feasibility,safety and accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography guided fine-needle aspiration(EUS-FNA) in patients with mediastinal benign and malignant lesions.Methods A linear array scanning endosonography (Pentax-EG3630U) and a 22-guage (Wilson-CooK) needle were used to perform EUS-FNA in 22 patients with mediastinal lesions.Results EUS-FNA revealed 15 patients with carcinoma and 6 cases with benign tumors,which were confirmed by mediastinoscopy.One patient was not diagnosed because of inadequate specimen.None of the patients had complications caused by any procedures.Conclusion EUS-FNA is safe,reliable and accurate in diagnosis of mediastinal benign and malignant lesions.

Background The application of femtosecond laser in the corneal refractive surgery has made great progression recent years,but the morphology characteristic of corneal stroma surface after making-flap of femtosecond laser is closely concerned.Objective This study was to analyze the influence of photodisrnption of femtosecond laser on the corneal stroma surface and to investigate the effect of different laser pulse energy on the sudace ultrastructure of corneal stroma.Methods Corneal flaps were made with Visu Max femtosecond laser in 16 fresh porcine eyes with the pulse energy 125 nJ,155 nJ and 195 nJ respectively,and Moria-M2 microkeratome was used as control.Scanning electron microscopy (S-3400N Hitachi High-Technologies Corp) was used to observe and compare the ultrastructural characteristic of corneal stroma bed surface after making of corneal flap.Results The corneal strnma was evaporated and created a smooth surface when photodisrnption happened in the femtosecond laser group.Residual tissue bridges could been exhibited among the cavitation bubbles under the scanning electron microscope.Corneal strnma surface was smooth in the 125 nJ pulse energy group,but some tissue bridges still were visible.In the 155 nJ pulse energy group,much more smooth surface was seen without tissue bridges and mechanical damages on the corneal surface.However,the surface quality was worse and many tissue bridges and grooves existed in the 195 nJ pulse energy group.In addition,different sizes of slots caused by big cavitation bubbles were visible with the round and oval shape.The edges were regular and sharp with small damage zone after cutting with femtoseeond laser.However,many elevated fibril tissues could be seen on the corneal surface after making of flap with microkeratome.Many crimp and irregularity tissues were found on the surface.Blunt surface and indentations appeared in the cutting edge.Conclusions The mierostrueture of corneal stroma surface is more smoother after making of corneal flap with fentosecond laser in comparison with microkeratome.Pulse energy of 155 nJ is preferably during the making-flap with femtosecond laser.

OBJECTIVE: Research on sociocultural factors associated caregiver-provider relationship is needed to enhance family involvement in psychiatric care. This study examines from the caregiver's perspective the associations of schizophrenia attributions, stigmatization, and caregiving experiences with caregiver-psychiatrist working relationship in Taiwan. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of 152 Taiwanese family caregivers of persons diagnosed with schizophrenia, recruited from a grassroots organization, 4 community mental health rehabilitation centers and 2 psychiatric hospitals between July 2012 and March 2013. Multiple linear regression models were used for analysis. RESULTS: Biological attribution was positively associated with perceived family collaboration, and so was environmental attribution with perceived informational support. Internalized stigma was negatively associated with perceived family collaboration. Caregiving rewards were positively related to both perceived family collaboration and informational support, and so was experience of problems with services to perceived family collaboration. CONCLUSION: The examination of family perceptions informs Western psychiatric care providers of the importance of culturally sensitive practices in developing an effective working relationship with family caregivers, particularly in regards to caregivers' casual attributions, impact of stigma, and caregiving experiences.
Caregivers ; Cooperative Behavior ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Mental Health ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Reward ; Schizophrenia ; Stereotyping ; Taiwan*

The effects of ginsenosides on the actions of morphine are summarized. It mainly focuses on the antagonistic effects of ginsenosides on morphine-induced changes of animal behaviors, neural system functions and cell signaling transduction.
Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Morphine ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Morphine Dependence ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; metabolism ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

Objective To observe the association between homocysteine (Hcy)level and low limb vascular disease(LLVD) in newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients. Methods The study subjects were divided into three groups : control group (NC), newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes group without peripheral artery disease (T2DM) and peripheral artery disease with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes group (T2DM+LLVD).Both Hcy and the ankle-brachial index(ABI) were measured in three groups. Results Compared with NC group, clinical parameters of body mass index,waist-to-hip ratio,systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C),and glycated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) increased markedly,and the content of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was markedly lower in both T2DM and T2DM+LLVD groups.In T2DM+LLVD group the contents of Hcy,LDL-C and HbA1c were markedly higher than in T2DM group,but the content of HDL-C decreased significantly.Hcy was independently associated with the development of peripheral artery disease in newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients by logisitic regression analysis. Conclusions Increased Hcy is an independent risk factor for peripheral artery disease in newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

Objective To evaluate the cLinical outcome and influencing factors of open reduction and internal fixation in treatment of hip dislocation combined with acetabular fractures. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 51 patients with hip dislocation combined with twetabular frac-tures, who were treated with open reduction and internal fixation under general anesthesia in the emergen-cy department on admission. Of all, 41 patients were treated with open reduction and plate/screw internal fixation, for which the reduction result was evaluated by postoperative X-rays and follow up X-rays accord-ing to Matta's criteria and the functional outcome by Merle d' Aubigne's criteria. Results Of 41 pa-tients, 33 were followed up for 1-7 years (mean 3.1 years). X-ray evaluation showed anatomic reduction in 27 patients (82%), imperfect reduction in five (15%) and poor reduction in one (3%). The clini-cal outcome at the time of final follow-up was graded as excellent in 18 patients (55%), good in 8 (24%), mederate in 3 (9%) and peor in4 (12%), with total excellence rate of 79%. Conclusion Prompt reduction of hip dislocation, precise reduction of the acetabular fracture and decrease of periopera-tive comphcations are key to excellent clinical outcome.

The antioxidative capability and Na+-K+-ATPase α1-subunit mRNA expression in myocardium of hypothyroid rats induced by low-iodine diet were observed. The results showed that the antioxidative capability of myocardium decreased, resulting in lipid peroxidative damage, atrophy of myocardial cells and chondrification of tunica intima, along with decreased expression of sodium pump α1 subunit mRNA in hypothyroid rats.

Thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) is a thiamine (vitamin B1) derivative and an essential cofactor in oxidative metabolism of the sugars,fatty acids and amino acids in living cells.By now,numerous TPP-dependent artificial riboswitch systems have been developed to regulate target gene expression but limited in bacteria,fungi or plant cells.Herein,the activating (switch-on) and inhibiting (switch-off) TPP-depended hammerhead ribozyme switches,which are from previous reported structures of prokaryotes screening,were investigated in mammalian cells.These ribozyme switches were inserted into the 3'UTR of the enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene to construct the efficient ribozyme-based artificial switches through overlap extension PCR cloning.The HEK293 cells were transfected with the engineered ribozyme switches at increasing concentration of TPP.The EGFP gene-regulatory ability was analyzed with fluorescent microscope and flow cytometry.These TPP-inducible gene regulation devices showed the obvious ligand dose-dependency and excellent specificity.Two switch-on and one switch-off constructs demonstrated 3.1-fold or 1.9-fold increment and 2.3-fold reduction of EGFP level respectively with 150 μ mol/L TPP.The ligand-responsive ribozyme switches,by tuning the change of TPP concentration into the visual reporter genetic expression in cells,enable an efficient development of label-free,noninvasive and high-specific biosensors in living mammalian cells.

Objective To study the impact of the off-pump coronary artery bypass compared to the on-pump coronary artery bypass technique on the rate of acute kidney injury.Methods A retrospective analysis of 824 patients accepted coronary artery bypass surgery in FuWai Hospital Surgical ICU from March 2011 to January 2013.Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical approach,597 patients in on-pump group and 227 patients in off-pump group.Then compared the difference of acute kidney injury incidence in the two groups.Results 92 patients in the on-pump group occurred AKI,the incidence of AKI was 15.4％.32 patients in the off-pump group occurred AKI,the incidence of AKI was 14.1％.Two groups of patients had no statistical difference in the incidence of AKI,x2 =0.222,P =0.638.Based on the preoperative baseline creatinine clearance levels.We defined normal creatinine clearance (SCR ≥ 60 ml/min),mild renal insufficiency (45 ml/min ＜ SCR ＜60 ml/min),moderate renal dysfunction group(31 ml/min ＜ SCR ＜45 ml/min).Decline with the preoperative creatinine clearance rate,the AKI incidence was elevated significantly,P ＜0.05.Patients with moderate renal insufficiency,offpump patients had lower incidence of AKI than those in on-pump group,P ＜ 0.05.The incidence of renal replacement in the two group patients had no statistical differences.Conclusion The incidence of AKI after coronary artery bypass surgery had no statistical differences with or without pump.In the patients with preoperative moderate renal insufficiency,off-pump can reduce the incidence of AKI,but could not change the kidney the incidence of renal replacement treatment.