Objective To determine the value of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for staging of lung cancer. Methods The study was retrospective, a total of 52 patients underwent EBUSTBNA for known or suspected lung cancer. All patients were detected enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes on CT scan ( ≥ 1.0cm). Results Of the 52 patients, 41 patients were found with N2 or N3 disease on EBUS-TBNA. 11 patients with negative EBUS-TBNA underwent thoracoscopy or thoracotomy for pulmonary resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection, 9 patients were confirmed N0 by pathology, whereas 2 patients had metastatic lymph node. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of EBUS-TBNA for the mediastinal staging of lung cancer were 95.3%, 100%, 96.2%, 100%, and 81.8%, respectively. The procedure was uneventful, and there were no postoperative complications. Conclusion EBUS-TBNA is an effective and safe technique for mediastinal staging in lung cancer patients.

Objective To evaluated the role of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the diagnosis of mediastinal lesions around the trachea.MethodsThe study was retrospective, between September 2009 to July 2010, 34 consecutive patients with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes or mediastinal masses of unknown origin underwent EBUS-TBNA.Patients in whom EBUS-TBNA was nondiagnostic subsequently underwent surgical biopsy or a minimum of 6 months clinical and radiologic follow-up.ResultsOf the 34 patients, EBUS-TBNA achieved definitive diagnosis in 28 patients (82.4％), 10 were diagnosed as malignancies, 18 were diagnosed as benign.The sensitivity, specificity,and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA in distinguishing benign from malignant mediastinal lesions were 90.9％, 100％, and 97.1％,respectively.EBUS was well tolerated by all of the patients with no complications.ConclusionEBUS-TBNA of mediastinal lesions around the trachea is a minimally invasive safe diagnostic technique with high yield.

Objective To review the experience d EBUS-TBNA for staging of lung cancer and the value in diagnosing thoracic diseases in our single center.Methods The data of 343 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA from September 2009 to August 2011 in our institution were retrospectively reviewed.There were 219 males and 124 females with an average age of (59.4 ± 13.6 ) years.Based on their primary indication,patyients were divided into three categories:group A:with known or strongly suspected lung cancer and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes on chest radiographic examination ( short axis ≥ 1.0cm) ; group B:with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes or mediastinal masses of unknown origin; and group C:with pulmonary parenchymal mass located close to the central airways.Results The average short axis diameter of the thoracic lesions was ( 1.94 ± 1.01 ) cm ( range from 0.5 to 8.0cm),and 2.66 punctures were performed per lesion.In group A ( n =208 ),151 patients were confirmed to have mediestinal lymph nodes metastasis while 51 showed negative results.Four patients were diagnosed as tuberculosis and two were confirmed to be stage Ⅱ sarcoidosis.37 in the 51 patients with negative EBUS-TBNA underwent thoracoscopic or thoracotomy for pulmonary resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection.Postoperative pathology confirmed that 32 patients did not have lymph nodes metastases.The diagnostic sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive and negative predictive of EBUS-TBNA for the mediastiral staging of lung cancer were 96.8％ (151/156),100.0％ (32/32),97.3％ ( 183/188 ),100％ ( 151/151 ) and 86.5％ (32/37),respectively.In group B ( n =94),22 patients had malignancy and 72 had benign diseases.Thirteen patients received operative validation in the 23 cases which were diagnosed as proliferative lymph nodes by EBUS-TBNA,and by further operation two and three patients were confirmed as malignancy and other benign diseases respectively.The sensitivity,negative predictive value ( NPV ) and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA in distinguishing malignant mediastinal diseases was 88.0％ (22/25)、100％ (73/73) 、95.9％ (70/73)and 97.9％ (92/94),respectively.In group C( n =41 ),malignant diagnosis was achieved in 33 patients,while 4 patients confirmed as malignancy by further operations in the other 8 negative cases.The diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis of unknown pulmonary parenchymal mass were 89.2％ (33/37) and 90.2％ (37/41),respectively.All the procedures were uneventful and no complication occurred.Conclusion EBUS-TBNA is a highly effective and safe procedure in the diagnosis of thoracic diseases and staging.of lung cancer.

BACKGROUND:Traditional therapeutic methods of diabetes combined with lower limb artery obturation showed poor outcomes such as drug or intervention.Stem cell transplantation is a new method to treat this disease in recant years,and has obtained good outcomes in the clinic.Evaluating the therapeutic outcomes of stem cell transplantation has great damage and cost much.Thus,color Doppler ultrasound is used to examine non-invasion in the artery of the lower extremity,which shows important clinical value.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate improvement of lower extremity artery lesion following autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation using color Doppler ultrasound,and to compare with results of angiography.METHODS:A total of 41 patients diagnosed as having diabetes combined with lower limb artery obturation were included.Following administration of recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor(rhG-CSF)(150 μg/d)for 5 days,peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMNCs)were mobilized and harvested by using a separator at day 5 to prepare stem cell suspension,and which were injected intramuscularly in the diseased extremities(3×109 per limb).The clinical and laboratory findings were monitored every week for 3 months to 1 year following stem cell transplantation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After stem cell transplantation,severe pain lameness,local cool-feeling and ulcer were significantly improved,and ankle-brachial index was increased obviously(P＜0.01).Color Doppler ultrasonography measurement showed that peak systolic velocity in diseased extremities was significantly increased post-transplantation(P＜0.01).Following transplantation,blood flow of the lower limb arterial canal was improved to different extents;collateral vessels were increased surrounding obstructed artery and in muscles.Spiral CT for new collateral vessel formation were showed increased.No related complication or adverse effects were observed in 41 patients during observation.Results indicated that color Doppler ultrasound can exactly rapidly examine and assess blood transport improvement in the lower limbs following stem cell transplantation,which is identical to results from angiography.It also provides reliable evidences for the diagnosis on the transplantation of stem cells for the treatment of diabetes combined with lower limb artery obturation.

The effect of water extracts of Euphorbia hirta on the histological features and expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in the rat articular cartilage was investigated. Arthritis was induced in rats using Freund's Complete Adjuvant containing heat-killed M. tuberculosis, and treated with water extracts of E. hirta. Paraffin tissue sections of the arthritic joints were evaluated. The extent of cartilage degeneration was found to be greatest in rats treated with the highest dosage of E. hirta, followed by rats in the untreated group. Rats treated with the intermediary and low dosages of Euphorbia hirta showed improved histology. MMP-13 levels were found to be decreased with decreasing dosages of E. hirta. TIMP-1 levels were found to increase with decreasing dosages of E. hirta. MMP-3 levels fluctuated without any appreciable pattern. Low dosages of E. hirta seem to be beneficial in reducing cartilage degeneration in cases of arthritis.
Upper case ee ; Rattus norvegicus ; Euphorbia ; Water ; Degeneration, NOS

Objective To develop an easy-to-use nomogram to assist clinicians in predicting major postoperative morbidity in those non-small-cell lung canccr patients who underwent VATS lobectomy.Methods A perspective multi-center study was developed to analyze the major postoperative complications of 612 non-small-cell lung cancer patients who underwent VATS lobectomy.Muhivariable logistic regression was used to model postoperative morbidity and built the nomogram to accurately predict the major complications.Results There were 606 (99％) survivors and 6 (1％) mortality.A total of 32 patients suffered from major complications.Using logistic regression to predict major complications,preoperative model for ASA score,age ≥70 years and operation time ＞ 150 nin were found to be the significant predictors(P ＜ 0.05) of morbidity and were included in our model.Conclusion We propose a nomogram to enable clinicians to better estimate morbidity in patients with VATS lobectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The genetic studies of 13 short tandem repeats(STRs) loci in two multiplex amplification systems were carried out on Chinese Han population in Guangdong. METHODS: DNA samples from 328 unrelated individuals were screened. The 13 loci were D3S1358, vWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, TH01, TPOX and CSF1PO. The PCR products were analyzed and genotyped by ABI 377-96 Sequencer. RESULTS: The combined power of discrimination (DP) was 0.999999999999993 and the combined paternity of exclusion(PE) was 99.999%. These 13 loci met the Hardy-Weinberg expectations. CONCLUSION The two multiplex amplification systems were very useful in forensic case investigation.
Asian People/genetics* ; China ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Male ; Paternity ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Tandem Repeat Sequences

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical value of magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for diagnosing radiation-induced liver injury (RILI) and detecting changes in hepatic pathology at different post-irradiation times.

METHODSMale New Zealand white rabbits received no irradiation (C0, control group; n = 10) or irradiation of 50 Gy/10F once every other day by virtual three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for one day (C1; n = 10), three days (C2; n = 10), two weeks (C3; n = 10), one month (C4; n = 10) or two months (C5; n = 10). One member of all groups were sacrificed for DWI examination and pathologic study on post-irradiation day 1, day 3, week 2, month 1 and month 2. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured using a range of b values (50, 300, 600, 800 and 1000 s/mm2).

RESULTSHematoxylin-eosin (H-E) staining showed that livers of rabbits in the C3, C4 and C5 groups had the characteristic features of veno-occlusive disease. DWI examination showed that the irradiated livers of rabbits in C2, C3, C4 and C5 groups had significantly lower ADC values than the livers of the non-irradiated rabbits at b values of 300, 600, 800 and 1000 s/mm2 (P less than 0.05). When the b value was 600 s/mm2, the best negative correlation between ADC values and pathological stage was seen for the irradiated livers (Spearman's rank, r = -0.459, P less than 0.01). The threshold ADC value to distinguish the normal group (C0) from an irradiated group (more than or equal toC1) was 1.955 * 10-3 mm2/s at 600 s/mm2 b value. When the b value was 1000 s/mm2, the threshold ADC value to predict an irradiated group with normal H-E staining (C1) from an irradiated group with abnormal H-E staining (more than or equal toC2) was 1.5250 * 10-3 mm2/s; the ADC threshold value was 1.5150 * 10-3 mm2/s to predict groups C0-2 and groups C3-5.

CONCLUSIONDWI has high sensitivity for detecting RILI at three days after irradiation with proper b values. Use of the ADC value is feasible for estimating the evolutionary process of pathological features of RILI damage. DWI may represent an important clinical tool for detection of early pathological changes in RILI.

AIMTo study the chemical constituents of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F.

METHODSVarious column chromatographies with silica gel were used for the isolation and purification. The structures of compounds were established on the basis of its IR, MS, UV, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS, 1H-1H COSY, 1H-13C COSY and NOESY.

RESULTSFour diterpenoids were isolated: 16-hydroxytriptolide (I), triptolidenol (II), tripdiolide (III), 2-epitripdiolide (IV).

CONCLUSIONCompound IV is a new diterpenoid.

Diterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Tripterygium ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore factors affecting occupational adaptability in nurses for offering basis to increase their occupational adaptability.

METHODSFive hundred and forty-five nurses were investigated with work ability index questionnaire and occupational stress instruments.

RESULTSThere were many risk factors affecting occupational adaptability in nurses. The main variables that influenced occupational adaptability included work-overtime, mental load, social support, physical environment, and job hazards. The social support was the factor increasing the occupational adaptability of the nurses (P < 0.01, OR = 0.912). Five factors including work overtime, mental load, social support, physical environment and job hazards were introduced in the Logistic equation. The established functions were: Logit (P) = -11.357 + 1.011x(1) + 0.335x(2) - 0.076x(3) + 0.260x(4) + 0.129x(5).

CONCLUSIONThere are many risk factors affecting occupational adaptability in nurses. Relevant measures should be taken to promote the occupational adaptability in nurses to reduce the risk factors.

Adaptation, Psychological ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Nurses ; psychology ; Occupational Health ; Risk Factors ; Social Support ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workload ; psychology