AIM: To study the characteristics of retinal detachment surgery after laser 　in situ　 keratomileusis (LASIK).METHODS: Eleven eyes of ten patients that experienced rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after LASIK procedure participated in the study. The characteristics of retinal detachment, management and complications after surgery were analyzed . RESULTS: Retinal detachment was characterized by the large percentage of multiple peripheral holes (73%) and giant tears (27%). All eyes underwent sclera buckling, and three of them combined with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and silicone oil tamponade. Silicone oil was removed after 1 month. Retina was reattached successfully at the first retinal detachment surgery in all eyes except one that succeeded at the fourth time. One eye of LASIK flap dehiscence and one eye of corneal subepithelial opacity occurred after surgery.CONCLUSION: Patients after LASIK should be carefully examined under pupillary dilation during follow-up. Sclera buckling is necessary to most retinal detachment after LASIK, and corneal protection is important in the treatment.

Octapeptin has strong antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii, while it also has activity against some Gram-positive bacteria. This study used natural octapeptin A3 and B3 as lead compounds for structural modification. Twenty-one peptide derivatives (including A3 and B3) containing eight amino acid residues were prepared by solid-phase synthesis, and evaluated for antibacterial activity and renal cytotoxicity. Among them, three compounds 6, 7 and 17 exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and significantly enhanced the activity for Gram-positive bacteria while maintaining the activity of Gram-negative bacteria. Several compounds improved the activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Compound 7 was active against all test strains and had relatively low renal cytotoxicity. The results provide a basis for the further development of novel polypeptide antibiotics.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and CX chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR-4) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HC) and liver cirrhosis.

METHODSPeripheral blood and/or ascites fluid were collected from 39 hepatocellular carcinoma patients, 16 patients with liver cirrhosis, 12 with hepatitis and 12 healthy donors. The SDF-1 expression was assayed by ELISA and CXCR-4 was measured by immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTSThe level of SDF-1 expression in the carcinoma patients was higher than that of the liver cirrhosis, hepatitis patients and healthy donors, but there was no significant difference between those of the healthy donors and hepatitis patients or liver cirrhosis patients. The levels of CXCR-4 expression were closely related to the tumor differentiation.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of SDF-1 in the peripheral blood and the CXCR4 expression in the HCC tissues of the HC patients may be regarded as markers of HC and they may have a positive relationship with the differentiation and metastasis of HC.

Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Staging ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; metabolism

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Instability ; complications ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Canal ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Spinal Stenosis ; complications ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the use of neural network in determining the risk factors of diseases.

METHODSWith back-propagation neural network (BP network) as fitting model based upon data gathered from an epidemiological survey on diabetes mellitus and under the network structure of 22-6-1, the mean impact value (MIV) for each input variables and sequencing the factors according to their absolute MIVs were calculated. The results from BP network with multiple logistic regression analysis and log-linear model for united actions between factors were compared with optimizing Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm.

RESULTSBy BP network analysis, the sequence of importance for the risk factors of diabetes mellitus became: faster pulse, diabetes mellitus family history, living longer in the investigated area, with medical record of nephropathy, having higher ratio for waist-to-hip, being male, with medical records of diseases as hyperlipoproteinmia, coronary heart disease, hypertension, high diastolic pressure, higher income, do no drink alcohol, age, higher systolic pressure, less educated, body mass index, with medical records of other diseases, physical exercise related to jobs smoking, occupation, with medical record for cerebrovascular disease, with medical record for liver disease etc. However, only 7 factors were statistically significant in multiple logistic regression analysis. The sequence of their importance appeared as: pulse, diabetes mellitus family history, the medical record of nephropathy, waist-to-hip ratio, the medical record of hypertension, work-place related exercise and age. The sequences of importance were almost the same between the two while the difference could partly be explained by the interaction among risk factors through log-linear model.

CONCLUSIONNeural network could be used to analyze the risk factors of diseases and could assimilate more complicated relationships (main effects and interactions) between inputs and outputs, better than using the traditional methods.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Diabetes Mellitus ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Family Health ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; complications ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Neural Networks (Computer) ; Obesity ; complications ; Pulse ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo analyze the application of vertebral pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of burst fracture of thoracolumbar vertebrae.

METHODSA total of 48 cases (31 males and 17 females, aged from 18-72 years, mean: 41.3 years) with thoracolumbar vertebrae burst fracture were treated by pedicle screw system since January 2004. According to the AO classification of thoracolumbar vertebrae fracture, there are 36 cases of Type A, 9 of Type B and 3 of Type C.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up for 6-25 months (average 12 months), no secondary nerve root injury, spinal cord injury, loosening or breakage of pedicle screw were observed. The nerve function of 29 patients with cauda equina nerve injury was restored to different degrees. The vertebral body height returned to normal level and posterior process angle was rectified after operation.

CONCLUSIONSThe vertebral pedicle screw internal fixation was technologically applicable, which can efficiently reposition and stabilize the bursting fractured vertebrae, indirectly decompress canalis spinalis, maintain spine stability, scatter stress of screw system, reduce the risk of loosening or breakage of screw and loss of vertebral height, and prevent the formation of posterior convex after operation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Humans ; Internal Fixators ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries

After the characteristics of project-driven teaching methods and traditional teaching methods were com-paratively analyzed,a new gradient and hierarchical "dual-driven" model of medical interdisciplinary innovative informationists training was established by embedding the general model of project-driven teaching methods into the traditional training model of medical interdisciplinary innovative informationists training in order to improve the teaching level and find a new way for medical informationists training.

OBJECTIVETo assess the diagnosis and treatment of invasive lung aspergillosis after liver transplantation.

METHODSRoutine sputum culture was performed. Itraconazole and fluconazole were used to prevent fungal infection prophylactically. Amphyotericin B was only used on aspergillosis. In 54 patients receiving, liver transplantation, 3 patients with lung aspergillosis were reviewed.

RESULTSOf the 3 patients 2 died and 1 recovered.

CONCLUSIONSOver-immunosuppression is a main risk factor for aspergillosis. Amphotericin B is still the best choice for the treatment of aspergillosis and its gradual, interrupted, low concentration administration, cooperated with itraconazole can ease the side effects.

Adult ; Aspergillosis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Lung Diseases, Fungal ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo compare coronary lesion characteristics by coronary angiography (CAG) between yellows and whites.

METHODSCAG results of 3021 Chinese patients, defined as yellows, from Nanjing and 3230 Australian patients, defined as whites, from Sydney were analyzed. The coronary artery lesion was evaluated by the number and location of coronary lesion and Gensini scores.

RESULTS(1) Coronary stenosis was diagnosed in 69.4% Chinese patients and 75.5% in Australians. The involved coronary arteries were left anterior descending branch, right coronary artery, left circumflex branch and left main coronary artery in a descending order in both Chinese and Australians. (2) The incidences of three-vessel disease and left main disease of yellows were significantly lower than that of whites in both male (29.8% vs. 34.0% and 9.6% vs. 14.2%) and female patients (15.8% vs. 26.2% and 4.9% vs. 11.6%) respectively, all P < 0.05. (3) There was an age-dependent Gensini scores increase in both yellows and whites patients and Gensini scores at age 40 and more of whites were significantly higher than those of yellows in comparable age groups.

CONCLUSIONThe incidences of three-vessel disease and left main disease as well as Gensini score were significantly higher in Australian patients than those of Chinese patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Australia ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; European Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sex Factors ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the properties of screw-bone interface of expansive pedicle screw (EPS) in osteoporotic sheep using micro-CT and histology.

METHODSSix female sheep with bilateral ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis were employed in this experiment and were randomly assigned into 2 groups: A and B. After EPS insertion in each femoral condyles, sheep in group A were bred for 3 months, while those in group B 6 months. Femoral condyles with EPS were 3D-imaged and reconstructed by micro-CT. Histology was evaluated thereafter.

RESULTSThe trabecular microstructure was denser at the screw-bone interface than in the distant parts in expansive section, especially within spiral marking. In the non-expansive section, however, there was no significant difference between the interface and the distant parts. The regions of interest (ROI) adjacent to EPS were reconstructed and analyzed by micro-CT using the same thresholds. The 3D-parameters generated, including tissue mineral density (TMD), bone volume fraction (BVF, BV/TV), bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) ratio, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), were significantly better in expansive than in non-expansive sections (P < 0.05). Histologically, newly formed bone trabeculae crawled along the expansive fissures and into the center of EPS. The newly formed bones, as well as the bone at the bone-screw interface, closely contacted the EPS and constructed four compartments.

CONCLUSIONSBased on micro-CT and histological evaluation, the study suggest that EPS can significantly provide stabilization in osteoporotic cancellous bone.

Animals ; Bone Density ; Bone Screws ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Femur ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; surgery ; Osteoporosis ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Ovariectomy ; adverse effects ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sheep ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods