OBJECTIVETo study the role of the synchronized springy lengthening apparatus for the tibia and calcaneal tendon designed by the author in preventing the clubfoot of secondary to the Ilizarov tibia lengthening.

METHODSBased on the Ilizarov tibia lengthening apparatus, a special synchronized springy lengthening apparatus for the tibia and calcaneal tendon was designed. The tibial was made of distal and proximal 2 rings respectively and 4 threaded rods, and the calcaneal was made of a half ring, 2 hinges and a threaded rod with spring. The half ring was fixed to the calcaneus by 2 crossed wires. The fracture tibia and fibula, ankle joint, talocalcaneal joint were attached to the apparatus. At the same time of tibia lengthening, the soft tissue was simultaneously stretched, the ankle joint could move, and the leg could bear weight. If the clubfoot angle was larger, the percutaneous fasciotomy of calcaneal tendon was performed; if the angle was less than 20 degrees, the pes deformities were corrected only by the stretch of calcaneal tendon.

RESULTSSeventy-seven patients' tibia were lengthened averagely 4.6 cm, with an average speed of 0.7 mm/d. The healing made tibia lengthened, and the index was 1.35 months/cm. There were not the secondary varus and valgus deformities and clubfoot in all the patients. The clubfoot with 100-400 angle of the 16 patients were corrected after tibia lengthening.

CONCLUSIONSThe new apparatus coincides with the biomechanical principle and can effectively prevent the secondary deformities of foot such as clubfoot, talipes varus and valgus after tibia lengthening procedure.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bone Lengthening ; instrumentation ; methods ; Child ; Equipment Design ; Female ; Humans ; Leg Length Inequality ; surgery ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

Binocular vision refers to a progress of analysing and integrating the binocular visual signals into a whole and three-dimensional sensory perception by higher nerve centre. In this process, the interac-tion between the two eyes results in the changes of output signal, which is called binocular interaction. Through a series of subjective and objective experiments, it can be concluded that binocular interaction can be divided into three types: facilitation, summation and suppression, and the forms of binocular in-teraction in different visual states are different. In general, the visual signal is processed by binocular in-teraction, so that there are some differences between binocular vision and monocular vision. The extent of the difference can be affected by the damage of monocular vision and then affects the binocular vision. Thus, it is necessary for forensic scientists to further study the effects of the monocular visual impairment on visual function. Based on relevant data, this paper reviews the mechanism of the monocular visual impairment in binocular vision, the research methods and the application prospect in forensic science.

OBJECTIVETo clone human PD-1 gene, construct a prokaryotic expression plasmid and express in E. coli.

METHODSThe human PD-1 cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR from the total RNA, which was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocyte cell of the patient with chronic hepatitis B. Recombinant PD-1 protein was been expressed and purified after the prokaryotic expression plasmid had been constructed. It was identified by SDS-PAGE, DNA sequencing and amino acid sequencing.

RESULTSThe PD-1 gene was cloned and confirmed by DNA sequencing. The recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli. The purified protein was obtained, then been confirmed by amino acid sequencing.

CONCLUSIONThe human PD-1 gene was successfully cloned and expressed in E. coli, which lays the foundation for further study on the function and application of PD-1.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Antigens, CD ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; Prokaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVETo shorten the time of external skeletal fixation on legs, and enhance quality of limb lengthening, avoid complications of shortening, bending, twisting and etc.

METHODSInsert pin transcortical to attack external skeletal fixation simultaneously, put un-reaming locked intramedullary nail (do not insert distal locked screw) into endosteum of lengthening bone. After the legs achieved predetermined length, insert distal locked screw and then remove external skeletal fixation, locked intramedullary nail, then maintain consolidation of rehabilitation.

RESULTSThe group lengthened legs for 412 cases. The range of lengthening was 3 to 18 cm. Mean length was 7.6 cm. The mean time for needed external skeletal fixation was 20 d/cm. The mean time of osteogenesis was 56 d/cm. For complications, there were 3 tibias ununion cases and 1 varus ankle. All cases were treated undergoing twice.

CONCLUSIONSThe method reduces the time for needed external skeletal fixation visibly, enhances the quality of limb lengthening remarkably, prevents complications of shortening new bone, deformity, bending and re-fracture which do not effect the healing time. This is a new choice of limb lengthening.

Adult ; Bone Lengthening ; instrumentation ; methods ; Bone Nails ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; instrumentation ; Humans ; Ilizarov Technique ; instrumentation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tibia ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEIt is important to use noninvasive methods to differentiate liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the validity of ultrasonography (US) in evaluating the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis in reference to the pathologic diagnosis of their liver biopsy specimens.

METHODSThe liver fibrosis status of 324 chronic viral hepatitis patients was evaluated by both needle biopsy and US. Histologically their liver fibrosis was graded as S0-S4, and the inflammatory reaction in the liver was graded as G1-G4. The US examination included qualitative description of the liver surface and liver parenchyma, and the quantitative parameters were vascular diameters, blood flow volume and spleen size.

RESULTSUS qualitative description of the liver surface and liver parenchyma was correlated to the severity of fibrosis and the degree of the inflammation seen in the liver biopsies. An analysis of US quantitative parameters showed that a cut-off value of 12.1 cm for the length of spleen had a sensitivity of 60.0%, and specificity of 75.3% in detecting early liver fibrosis. For other quantitative parameters, the cut-off values were 8mm for the diameter of the splenic vein, 30.5 cm/sec for maximal blood flow velocity in the portal vein and 12 mm in diameter of the main portal vein. The diagnostic sensitivities for these parameters were 60.0%, 78.6% and 76.7%; the diagnostic specificities were 78.1%, 66.9% and 44.6% respectively.

CONCLUSIONEarly cirrhosis can be detected by US, and the sonographic results were well paralleled with their pathologic diagnoses made by liver biopsies. Individual US parameter has limited sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing early cirrhosis. In clinical practice a combination of 2-3 parameters could be used to detect or exclude severe liver fibrosis.

Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; diagnostic imaging ; virology ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

Objective To analyze the genetic phenotypes of Nantong Han population and evaluate the application value of 17 Y-STR loci in Nantong population.Methods The peripheral blood samples were collected from 343 unrelated Nantong Han males and the genomic DNA were extracted by Chelex-100 method.Genotyping was performed using the AmpF(l)STR YfilerTM Kit.The results were compared with other 12 Han populations,including Anhui,Jiangsu,Jiangxi,Shandong,Shanghai,Zhejiang (1),Lanzhou,Nanyang,Luzhou,Mudanjiang,Shanxi and Zhejiang (2),and 9 minority populations (Mongol,Xibe,Tibetan in Lhasa,Tibetan in Qinghai,Kazak,Uighur,Manchu,Paiwan in Taiwan and Tujia).Results A total of 327 different haplotypes were found in 17 Y-STR loci in Nantong Han population.The haplotype diversity (HD) was 0.999 7.The R,value between Nantong Han and other Chinese populations ranged from-0.000 6 to 0.263 5.The multidimensional scaling results showed that Nantong Han population had no significant differences between most of the Han populations,but had significant differences between most of Chinese minority populations.Conclusion Seventeen Y-STR loci can be a powerful tool for forensic application because of its high polymorphism in Nantong Han population.

Objective To compare the differences between Hertel exophthalmometry and CT on exophthalmos measurement,and explore its practical application value in forensic medicine.Methods Fifty-six normal individuals without eye injuries or diseases were selected as the control group.The absolute values of exophthalmos were measured in the standardized CT image workstation.The difference of binocular exophthalmos was compared in normal group.Forty-seven cases with unilateral orbital fracture were divided into injured eye group and normal eye group according to the presence of binocular orbital fractures.The differences of the absolute values of eophthalmos from the same eye and the relative values of eophthalmos between two eyes for same person measured by Hertel exophthalmometry and CT were analyzed.Results There was no statistical difference of exophthalmos between the normal eyes measured by CT method.In the normal eye group,the absolute value of exophthalmos measured by CT method was (16.66±5.41) rm,which was (16.16±4.45)mm when measured by the Hertel exophthalmometry method.There was no statistical difference between two groups (P＞0.05).In the injured eye group,there was statistical difference between the absolute values of exophthalmos measured by two measurement methods (P＜0.05).There was no statistical difference of the relative values of exophthalmos between the injured eyes and the normal eyes by two measurement methods (P＞0.05).Conclusion CT method has a good consistency with Hertel exophthalmometry,which can be applied into the practice of medicolegal expertise.

OBJECTIVETo construct virus-like particles of hepatitis B core antigen, with HBsAg "a" epitope exposed on the surface.

METHODSHepatitis B surface antigen "a" epitope were inserted into the Hepatitis B core antigen, between the 78th (Asp) and the 79th (Pro) amino acids. The gene was synthesized after the codon optimized, then it was ligated to the express vector after been enzyme digest. The virus-like particles were observed by electron microscope and detected by ELISA after been expressed and purified. Immune the rabbits by the VLPs, then detect the antibody.

RESULTThe virus-like particles were confirmed by electron microscope. Its antigenicity and immunogenicity were identified by ELISA.

CONCLUSIONThe prokaryotic express plasmid with the fusion gene has been constructed successfully. The virus-like particles have been expressed, purified and identified, which lays the foundation for its application in the further.

Animals ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epitopes ; analysis ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; analysis ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; analysis ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B virus ; chemistry ; genetics ; immunology ; ultrastructure ; Protein Engineering ; Rabbits ; Virion ; chemistry ; genetics ; immunology ; ultrastructure

BACKGROUNDCongenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common developmental anomaly in newborns. The germline mutations in GATA4 and NKX2.5 genes have been identified as responsible for CHD. The frequency of GATA4 and NKX2.5 mutations in Chinese Uygur patients with CHD and the correlation between their genotype and CHD phenotype are unknown.

METHODSWe examined the coding region of GATA4 and NKX2.5 genes in 62 Chinese Uygur patients with CHD and 117 Chinese Uygur individuals as the controls by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and sequencing.

RESULTSTwo heterozygous missense mutations of c.1220C > A and c.1273G > A in GATA4 gene, which cause the amino acid residue changes of P407Q and D425N in GATA4, were found in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot and a patient with ventricular septal defect, respectively. The two patients did not have atrioventricular conduct defects or non-cardiac abnormalities. The two mutations are expected to affect the protein function. There were no reported NKX2.5 mutations in the patients.

CONCLUSIONOur results provided the primary data on CHD phenotype associated with GATA4 mutation in the Chinese Uygur population.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; GATA4 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; genetics ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; genetics ; Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.5 ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation, Missense ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tetralogy of Fallot ; genetics ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo prepare monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) against VP1 capsid protein of Enterovirus 71.

METHODSTwo peptides, SP55 and SP70, containing amino acid 163-177 and 208-222 of VP1, were synthesized respectively. Immunized BALB/c mice with the synthetic peptides to establish the hybridoma cell strains secreting specific McAb to VP1. After the specific McAbs were prepared, identified and analyzed the titer by indirect ELISA assay. The positive clones were selected and their neutralization titer were determined by neutralization test.

RESULTSTwo high titered anti-VP1 antibodies secreted by the hybridoma cells showed good neutralization reaction with enterovirus 71 on RD cells, and the neutralization titer were 1:8 and 1:16 respectively.

CONCLUSIONTwo high titered anti-VP1 antibodies, with good neutralization activity, secreted by the hybridoma cells, which lays the foundation for further study.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; analysis ; immunology ; Antibodies, Viral ; analysis ; immunology ; Capsid Proteins ; analysis ; immunology ; Enterovirus ; chemistry ; immunology ; Enterovirus Infections ; diagnosis ; immunology ; virology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neutralization Tests