Objective To assess the values of automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) for differentiating of benign and malignant breast masses.Methods A total 174 breast masses in 148 patients were subjected both to conventional handheld B-mode ultrasound (HHUS) and ABVS examinations.The masses were defined as five categories of benign,probably benign,equivocal,probably malignant,and malignant with each method.The results of ABVS and HHUS were compared with pathology.By using the definitive diagnosis and the five levels of suspicion categories,receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate their diagnostic results.In addition,the diagnostic accuracy for breast masses of futures including retraction phenomenon and hyperechoic rim in coronal plane of ABVS was evaluated.Results The area under the ROC curve of ABVS (0.927) was larger than that of HHUS (0.903) (Z =2.256,P =0.024).The specificity and the positive predictive values both reached to 100％ and false positive rate was 0 with retraction phenomenon,and the specificity and the negative predictive value were 88.89％ and 94.51％ respectively with hyperechoic rim in coronal plane of ABVS.Conclusions ABVS plays an important role in the clinical practice.The retraction phenomenon and hyperechoic rim of breast masses in coronal plane of this new modality have high specialty for differentiating malignant from benign breast masses.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between drinking environment, attitudes and situation and alcohol-related health problems.

METHODSA sample of 2327 respondents was randomly collected from Wuhan, Hubei Province in China by a face-to-face interview. The structural equation modeling analysis was performed for the data collected.

RESULTSBoth parents' drinking behaviors and respondents' drinking situation strongly impacted the alcohol-related problems and diseases. Friends' or peers' drinking behaviors influenced the respondents' drinking attitudes and behaviors. Males experienced more alcohol-related problems and diseases than females.

CONCLUSIONSComparatively, parents' drinking behaviors exert the most significant influence on drinkers. Therefore, it is beneficial to restrict parents' drinking behaviors for the offsprings and the whole society, and an intensive professional education in early motherhood is also necessary for Chinese women.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; epidemiology ; trends ; Alcohol-Related Disorders ; epidemiology ; Attitude ; Behavior ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Family Health ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Sex Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo explore the alone and joint diagnostic value of serum golgi protein 73 (GP73), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and the percentage of lectin-reactive aipha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) of primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC), and provide a novel method for diagnosis for PHC and screening for high-risk population.

METHODSELISA was used to detect the serum level of GP73, AFP and AFP-L3% in 81 cases of PHC,176 cases chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, 30 cases other tumber cancer and 40 cases of health people.

RESULTSThe sensitivity of GP73, AFP and AFP-L3% in PHC is 77.78%, 62.69% and 51.85%, and the specificity is 84.55%, 86.99% and 96.34%, respectively. Joint detection could increase the sensitivity up to 88.89%.

CONCLUSIONGP73 was a high sensitivity mark for dignosis of PHC, while AFP-L3% was a high specificity mark for dignosis of PHC. The joint detection could improve PHC diagnostic performance.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; methods ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; blood ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Protein Isoforms ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism ; Young Adult ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Through analyzing the influencing factors of congenital heart disease (CHD), it is aimed to establish CHD risk prediction model in fetus, and simultaneously provide theoretical foundation for CHD prevention. One-factor logistic regression method was used to screen the significant factors regarding CHD, and to separately adopt multiple-factor non-conditional logistic regression method and decision tree to set up model prediction fetus CHD risk and to analyze the advantages and shortcomings. Correct classification rates turned to be 80.93% and 82.79% respectively among 215 'training samples' by the two methods and the rates were 85.45 % and 89.09% respectively among 55 'testing samples'. The alliance of logistic regression and decision tree can overcome influence by co-linearity to guarantee the accuracy and perfection, as well as promoting the predictive accuracy.

Objective To find the changes of haemagglutination inhibition ( HI ) antibody level against A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) within one month after pandemic A/H1N1 influenza vaccine (A/H1N1InfV) vaccination, and to provide data for drawing up immunization protocols against novel influenza . Methods The HI antibodies against A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) in sera from the inoculated subjects were tested by HI test .The geometric mean titer ( GMT) , geometric mean increase ( GMI) , seroconversion (SC) rate, seroprotection (SP) rate of HI antibodies were compared among the sera collected on day 3, 7, 14, 30 post vaccination .Results 961 participants were injected with A/H1N1InfV.In subjects aged 3 to 11 years, the antibody level peaked on day 14 post vaccination, but neither on day 14 nor on day 30, the lower bound of the two -sided 95%CI for the SP rate could fulfill the criteria of the FDA for influenza vac-cine.In subjects aged 12 to 60 years, the antibody level peaked on day 14 post vaccination and the SC rate , SP rate and GMI fulfilled the criteria of the European Medicines Agency ( EMEA) and the FDA for influenza vaccine. In subjects aged more than 60 years, the antibody level peaked on day 30 post vaccination , and the SC rate, SP rate and GMI on day 30 fulfilled the criteria of the EMEA and the FDA .Conclusion One dose A/H1N1InfV vaccination was able to induce enough protection on day 14 for subjects aged 12 to 60 years, on day 30 for subjects aged more than 60 years;however , for subjects aged 3 to 11 years who were antibody-negative at baseline , the lower bound of the two-sided 95%CI for the SP rate on day 14 and day 30 couldn′t fulfill the criteria of the FDA for influenza vaccine .

OBJECTIVETo study 3 different strategies of urine drainage following hypospadias urethroplasty, the clinical nursing in their application, and their effects.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 595 cases of hypospadias treated by urethroplasty. After surgery, 133 of the patients underwent urine drainage by suprapubic cystostomy (group A), 202 by urethral stent- tube indwelling (group B), and 260 by early initiative micturition with the urethral stent-tube (group C). All the patients received routine postoperative nursing care required for hypospadias repair.

RESULTSOperations were successfully completed in all the cases. Group C showed a remarkably shorter hospital stay and lower incidence rates of urinary fistula and urethral stricture than groups A and B (P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in the three indexes between A and B (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONFor urine drainage following hypospadias repair, early initiative micturition with the urethral stent-tube can significantly reduce postoperative complications, decrease difficulties and workload of nursing care, and shorten the hospital stay of the patient.

Cystostomy ; Drainage ; methods ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; surgery ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Stents ; Urethra ; surgery ; Urethral Stricture ; prevention & control ; Urinary Fistula ; prevention & control ; Urine ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male

OBJECTIVETo investigate the targeted killing effect of human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (hTERTp)/tk gene on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells.

METHODSThe recombinant plasmid hTERTp/tk/pGL3 was transfected into human NPC HNE1 cells and the expressions of TK and telomerase were investigated. The targeted killing effect induced by hTERTp/tk on HNE1 cells was assessed using RT-PCR and MTT assay.

RESULTSTK gene expression was detected in HNE1 cells transfected by hTERTp/tk/pGL3, and the cells showed reduced telomerase and hTERT expression as compared with the control cells. hTERTp/tk/pGL3 resulted in target killing of HNE1 cells but not of the normal control cells. The tumor cell-killing effect of hTERTp/tk/pGL3 was slightly milder than that of the positive control CMV/tk/pGL3 that produced nonselective cell killing.

CONCLUSIONhTERTp/tk, a tumor-specific expression system, allows targeted tumor cell killing and reduces the activity of telomerase in NPC cells in vitro.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Targeting ; Genetic Therapy ; methods ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; enzymology ; genetics ; pathology ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Telomerase ; genetics ; Thymidine Kinase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

BACKGROUNDAn apnea test is essential in the clinical determination of brain death. This study was conducted to analyse complications associated with the apnea test in the determination of the brain death.

METHODSOn 93 adult patients in coma in Zhejiang Province of China from January 2003 to December 2006, 179 apnea tests were performed as a part of the determination of brain death. Potential risk conditions and complications were analysed during apnea tests.

RESULTSDuring apnea, serious cardiac arrhythmia did not occur in all patients. Complications occurred in 37 of 179 (21%) apnea tests. Hypotension occurred in 30 patients (17%) and it was observed in 8/94 (9%) tests with baseline value of systolic arterial blood pressure not less than 120 mmHg, and 22/85 (26%) less than 120 mmHg (P < 0.05). Severe hypoxaemia occurred in 10 patients (6%) of which 3/138 (2%) tests with baseline value of arterial oxygen pressure not less than 200 mmHg, and 7/41 (17%) less than 200 mmHg (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThis study demonstrated that complications occurred mostly in patients with inadequate baseline systolic arterial blood pressure and preoxygenation. Adequate precautions during the apnea tests may reduce the risk of cardiovascular and oxygenation complication.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Apnea ; physiopathology ; Brain Death ; diagnosis ; Carbon Dioxide ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hypotension ; etiology ; Hypoxia ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo evaluate and map the putative tumor suppressor loci on chromosome 5 involved in tumor progress or metastasis.

METHODSChromosome 5 of 83 patients with sporadic colorectal cancer was systemically screened. Fifteen microsatellite marker primers labeled with 3 different fluorescents were used to amplify the corresponding loci of the genome DNA. The PCR products were electrophoresed on a 377 PRISM sequencer and the fluorescent signals were analyzed with Genotyper and Genescan software.

RESULTSThe highest loss of heterozygosity (LOH) ratio was found at D5S416 (48.15%) on 5p and at D5S471 (38.71%) on 5q. The region (5q13.3 - 31), where D5S471 and 3 neighboring loci (D5S428, D5S2027 and D5S2115) reside, presented high frequent LOH.

CONCLUSIONThe deletion of APC, MCC, CTNNA1 and IL cluster in the 5q 13.3 - 31.1 area play important role in the tumorogenesis of colorectal cancer, and the expected existence of another novel tumor suppressor gene on 5p is possible.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alleles ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Female ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Loss of Heterozygosity ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: To obtain scores in a community-dwelling population over 60 using the SF-36, to assess the reliability and validity of this general health questionnaire, and to analyze the difference in dimension scores among the elderly Chinese in Changsha. METHODS: We randomly selected 602 elders, aged 60 to 91 years, in multi-phases. All the subjects had resided in Changsha for at least one year. The reliability of the SF-36 was assessed by split-half reliability and Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the validity through factor analysis and correlation analysis, etc. The dimension scores of different people were obtained by analysis of variance and independent-samples t-test. RESULTS: The split-half reliability was 0.72 and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients of all the 8 dimensions were more than 0.8; the Pearson correlate coefficients of all the items to their dimensions were more than 0. 59. SF-36 contained 8 domains and 2 summary scales in the factor analysis. Health-related quality was different in different elders. CONCLUSION The SF-36 is practical in studying the quality of life among community-dwelling elders.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Community Health Services ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sampling Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; standards