Objective To introduce the development of facial recess of 210 cases who recieved cochlear implantation and experienced the opening of the facial recess under the direction of high resolation computed tomography(HRCT).Methods The facial recess was assessed and measured using the HRCT before cochlear implantation in 210 patients who suffered from severe and profound sensorineural hearing loss.A statistic analysis was performed according to the age group,and the findings during the operation were compared with that before the surgery.Results The facial recess of 13 cases (6%) did not developed.The mean volume of the rest facial recess was 4.26 mm3 in 197 cases,while in 12.0 years group(group C) it was 3.09 mm3.The differences among three groups were statistically significant. The findings during the operation was agreed with the assessment results prior to the surgery.Conclusion 94% facial recesses developed in all 210 cases.Employment of HRCT scan prior to the surgery allows auurate determination of the location of facial recess to ensure successful surgery.

SUMMARY Diffusion spectrum imaging ( DSI) , a newly developed MRI technique, affords the capacity to map complex fiber architectures in tissues with sufficient angular resolution by imaging the spectra of tissue water diffusion. By contrast, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) , the currently widely used technique based on the 2nd order tensor model, obtains an approximation of the complex diffusion, and provides only one global maximal direction corresponding to the primary eigenvector for each voxel. As a generalized model-free diffusion imaging technique, firstly, DSI employs the probability density function to describe the diffusion process in each voxel; secondly, a sufficient dense signal sample derived from repeated applications of diffusion-weighed gradients ensures its capability to resolve the diffusion probability density function; thirdly, specific computer visualization techniques are used to extract the diffusion information and reconstruct the geometrical properties of tissue microstructure. The capacity to unravel complex tissue architecture, recent improvements in hardware and ongoing optimization of sequence design and algorithm enable a rapid growth of DSI for research use and future incorporation into clinical protocols. This paper introduces the basic principles of DSI and then compares the characteristics of DSI and DTI schemes. Finally, the typical applications of DSI to date are reviewed.

BACKGROUND:Osteoporosis and its complications severely threaten the elder’s health. Simvastatin, widely accepted as a lipid-lowering drug, is reported to potentialy promote bone formation, but it is in debate when oraly administered, and there is no evidence to support whether this is due to the region difference.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of oraly administered simvastatin on bone mass and biomechanical properties of the femur and vertebrae in osteopenia rats induced by ovariectomy (OVX).
METHODS: Twenty-four 6-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to OVX+oraly administered saline vehicle (OVX group,n=8), OVX+oraly administered simvastatin (5 mg/kg/d; intervention group,n=8) or sham surgery (sham group,n=8). After 8 weeks of treatment, al rats were sacrificed and the level of procolagen type I N-terminal propeptide in blood serum was assessed by ELISA. Bone mineral density was determined in the L5 vertebra and left femur using dual-energy X-rays. Furthermore, the biomechanical properties of the L4 vertebra and right femur, including maximum load and elastic modulus, were detected by compression testing and three-point bending test, respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The serum level of procolagen type I N-terminal propeptide in the sham group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups. OVX rats showed significantly lower bone mineral density in both the L5 vertebra and left femur than sham rats (P < 0.05). Rats in the intervention group showed higher bone mineral density than those in the OVX group, with statisticaly significant difference in the L5 vertebra (P < 0.05), but insignificant difference in the femur. Maximum load and elastic modulus of the L4 vertebra in the OVX group were significantly lower than those in the sham and intervention group. Markedly lower elastic modulus of the femur was found in the OVX group than the sham and intervention groups. These findings demonstrate that simvastatin treatment can partialy prevent bone loss in OVX rats with more notable effect on the vertebrae than the femur, and for this model, the vertebra is superior to the femur used in biomechanical test.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the choise of operation approach for chronic otitis media surgery. METHODS Auditory and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) assessment were carried out prior to the operation in 160 ears with otitis media. Tympanoplasty or mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty were performed. RESULTS Thirty-one patients received tympanoplasty and 129 patients received mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty. Closed and opened surgery were performed in 49 and 80 cases respectively. The ear-drying time ranged from 7 to 51days with an average of 23 days. Mean hearing increased by 15dB. CONCLUSION Assessing the HRCT scan prior to the surgery can help us choose a reasonable approach in chronic otitis media surgery.

Objective To summarize the methods of diagnosis and results of surgical treatment of pancreatic insulinoma. Methods The clinical data of 137 patients with insulinoma treated in our hospital during the past twenty-six years were reviewed retrospectively.Results There were 77 males and 60 females. All of them were characterized by the Whipple′s triad. The sensitivity of ultrasonography, CT and MRI for localization was 35.1%, 67.9% and 58.1% respectively. One hundred and tweenty-six patients underwent operation. Of them, 102 cases had tumor enucleation, 4 cases had pancreaticoduodenectomy, 16 cases had distal panreatectomy, and the other 4 cases had only laparotomy. Of the 122 patients, who underwent resection, the tumor was benign in 118(96.7%) and malignant in 4(3.3%). The diameter of the tumor was less than 2cm in 86.9% of cases. In 98.4% of cases the tumors were single and in 1.6% of cases were multiple. 13.1% of the tumors located in the head, 46.7% in the body, and 40.2% in the tail.Conclusions Whipple′s triad and the measurement of fasting glucose, IRI, IGR, C-peptide, and proinsulin levels contribute to the diagnosis of insulinoma. However, the preoperative tumor localization is still difficult. Tumor enucleation is the technique of choice when feasible. Patients in whom tumor localization is unsuccessful at operation should be carefully evaluated to be certain of the diagnosis, and in general should not undergo blind resection.

Objective To study the CT and MRI features of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor(PNET).Methods CT and MRI appearances of 10 patients with PNET pathologically proved were analyzed retrospectively.All cases underwent CT scan and 2 cases underwent MR imaging examination.There were 5 men and 5 women,the age ranged from 11 years to 54 years old(mean 24 years).Results The tumors were located in the chest wall(n=4),abdomen and sinus(n=2,each),cervical vertebra and humerus(n=1,each).The lesions in the chest wall and abdomen appeared as larger masses(5~16 cm in diameter).The masses were circular and lobulated with heterogeneous density and in company with bone destruction or periosteal reaction.The solid masses were enhanced after contrast medium administration.The lesions in the sinus showed the soft tissue mass with bone erosion.The lesions in bone demonstrated local iso-intensity on T1WI,hyper-intensity on FSE T2WI and on FATSAT T2WI.There were distant metastasis in 3 cases.Conclusion The clinical and imaging features of pPNET in chest wall were more specific than in other locations.CT and MRI can showed intra-tumor structure,and are helpful in delineated the extent of tumor,predicting resectability and monitoring treatment.

Objective To explore the structure of ribosomal protein S7 ( RPS7) gene of giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and investigate its homologies with other already reported sequences,including Homo sapiens,Mus musculus,Rattus norvegicus and Bos taurus. Methods The cDNA of RPS7 was cloned from the giant panda by RT-PCR. The sequence data were analyzed by GenScan software. Blast 2. 1 was used to study the homology of the obtained RPS7 sequence with the gene sequences of other species; Open reading frame ( ORF) of the DNA sequence was searched using ORF finder software; Protein structure of the RPS7 sequence cloned was deduced using Predict Protein software. Results The full length of the sequence fragment was 589 bp containing an ORF of 585 bp. The deduced protein sequence showed that the protein was composed of 194 ami- no acids and its estimated molecular weight was 22. 126 85 ?103 with a pI of 10. 09. There were 7 different pat- terns of functional sites: one N-glycosylation site; two cAMP and cGMP-dependent kinase phosphorylation sites; four casein kinase C phosphorylation sites; one casein kinase Ⅱ phosphorylation site; two N-myristoylation sites; two amidation sites and one ribosomal protein S7e signature site in the RPS7 protein. Further analysis indicated that the sequence of RPS7 and the protein encoded were highly homologous to some mammals reported.Conclusion The complete coding sequence of RPS7 gene has been cloned through RT-PCR successfully, which is the first report on the RPS7 gene from the giant panda.

Objective To evaluate the correlation between pathological findings and clinical characteristics of patients with Sj(o)gren's syndrome (SS). Methods Eighty-four patients diagnosed with SS from 119 suspected ones at Peking University First Hospital were recruited. According to the pathological changes of lip biopsy, 64 patients were focus score (FS)( + ) and 20 patients were FS (-). In the FS( + ) group, 20 patients had germinal center (GC)( + ) and 44 patients had no GC. x2 test and t test were used for statistical analysis. Results The duration of symptoms of dry eyes or dry mouth in the FS (+) group was longer than that in the FS (-) group (P＜0.05). In the FS ( + ) patients, those with GC (+) had significantly longer duration of xerothalmia or xerostomia, higher serum IgG levels, greater FS score, and higher incidence of system involvement than those without GC patients (P＜0.05). In the FS (-) group, lip biopsies showed degenerative changes in 6 (30%) patients. Those with degenerative changes had longer duration of dry eyes and dry mouth and higher incidence of system involvement. Conclusion GC (+) in FS (+) patients and degenerative changes in FS (-) patients from lip biopsy are associated with severer clinical manifestations in patients with SS, suggesting that more clinical attention should be paid to this subgroup of patients.

Objective: This research explores the relationship between the immuno-suppression function of regulatory T cells (Treg) in the ascites of ovarian cancer (OC) patients, the clinico-pathologic features of these patients, and the correlation of the function of Treg with initial treatment and relapse status of the patients to further investigate the specific mechanism of immuno-regulatory func-tion of CD4+ CD25+ Treg in the ascites of OC. Methods: Immuno-magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) was conducted to sort CD4+CD25+Treg and autologous CD4+CD25-Treg from the ascites of 28 OC patients. Carboxyfluorescein-diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) was used to label the autologous CD4+CD25-Treg. These labeled cells were then used as controls and co-cultured with autologous CD4+CD25+Treg at the ratio of 1∶1 or 1∶2. The mean inhibition ratio of Treg in specimens to the proliferation of autolo-gous CD4+ CD25-Treg was calculated after the flow cytometry of the CFSE expression and Modfit software analysis of the CD4+CD25-Treg proliferation index (PI) were performed. Anti-IL-10 and/or anti-TGF-β1 antibodies were neutralized to investigate whether the CD4+CD25+Treg-mediated immuno-suppression escaped through the ascites can produce a marked effect by the inhibitory cyto-kine IL-10 or TGF-β1. Results: The mean inhibition ratio of CD4+ CD25- Treg in the ascites of stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ OC patients was (75.72±17.04)%, which is significantly higher than that of stageⅠtoⅡOC patients (59.61±16.97)%;P<0.05. In addition, Treg in the as-cites of OC patients with recurrent disease showed a significantly higher inhibition ratio than that of patients with primary disease;P<0.001. Moreover, Treg in groups added into neutralizing anti-IL-10 and/or anti-TGF-β1 antibodies displayed significantly lower depres-sant effect than the control group;P<0.05. Conclusion:The immuno-suppression of CD4+CD25+Treg in the ascites of OC patients is correlated with the tumor staging and status of the primary or recurrent diseases. Moreover, Treg may indicate a suppressor function by secreting cytokine IL-10 and TGF-β1.

Objective:CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells (Treg) may contribute to tumor progression by suppressing antitumor im-munity. The function of Treg in antitumor immunity regulation in the peritoneal microenvironment of ovarian cancer (OC) was investi-gated and compared with the circulating Treg to elucidate OC immune escape. Methods: Flow cytometry was used to determine the proportion of CD4+CD25+T cells in CD4+T cells in ascites of 27 patients with OC and in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 28 patients with OC. The samples were analyzed and classified in three stages:primary disease (PD), after chemotherapy (AC), and recurrence dis-ease (RD), according to the clinical conditions of the OC patients upon donating the samples. The percentage of Treg in the three groups was determined in ascites and blood. CD4+CD25+T cells were isolated from ascites and peripheral blood of patients with OC us-ing magnetic sorting (MACS) system. The cells were then tested for regulatory function through coculture with carboxyfluorescein diac-etate succinimidyl ester-labeled autologous CD4+ CD25- responder cells. Results:The proportion of CD4+ CD25+T cells in CD4+T cells significantly increased in ascites (28.25%± 14.06%) compared with that in blood (14.6%± 4.74%;P<0.0001). The Treg in ascites and blood in AC showed higher proportion (P<0.0001) than those in the PD and RD;the proportion in RD was higher than that in PD (P<0.0001). Moreover, the Treg in ascites mediated a significantly higher suppression compared with the Treg in peripheral blood (P<0.001). Conclusion:The frequency and suppressor function of Treg were significantly higher in ascites than in peripheral blood. This finding suggests more possibility for escape immune surveillance in the peritoneal microenvironment. Moreover, the proportion of Treg in AC was higher than that in PD or RD;the proportion in RD was higher than that in the PD. Chemotherapy may favor the expansion of Treg, which may promote the recurrence of cancer.