Esophageal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Preoperative Period

Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Body Temperature Regulation ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Dinoprostone ; metabolism ; Eugenol ; pharmacology ; Fever ; metabolism ; Preoptic Area ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rabbits

Objective To investigate the effect of erythropoietin(EPO)as a brain-protective factor and inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy(CP).Methods Serum samples from 31 CP patients,37 neonates with CP risk factors such as hypoxic-ischemic injury and/or perinatal infection,and 20 controls of neonates or children were obtained respectively.EPO,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α and interleukin(IL)-6 levels were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay double sandwich method(ABC-ELISA).Results The serum EPO level of neonatal patients was higher than that of controls or CP group(P<0.01),but there was no significant difference between CP group and controls.The serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels of CP and neonatal patients were higher than that in controls(P<0.01).The serum TNF-α level of CP group was higher than that of neonatal patients(P<0.05).There was no significant difference between CP group and neonatal patients in serum IL-6 level.Conclusion The inflammatory responses mediated by proinflammatory cytokines may play a role in the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the feasibility and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and to compare surgical results of VATS with standard median sternotomy (MS) and other minimal invasive approaches through various small incisions (SI).

METHODSTotally 111 patients underwent surgery for thymic disorders (maximun diameter ≤ 5 cm, clinical stage I-II for thymic tumors) during March 2010 to June 2012 was retrospectively reviewed. There were 46 male and 65 female patients with a mean age of (51 ± 15) years.Resection via VATS was carried out in 47 patients, via SI in 26 patients, and via MS in 38 patients. Demographic characteristics, operation time, number and cause of conversion, blood loss during operation, duration and amount of chest tube drainage, transfusion, morbidity, and length of hospital stay (LHS) were compared between the three groups.

RESULTSOf the 111 patients, 79 patients had thymic epithelia tumors (stage I 32 patients, stage II 39 patients, stage III 8 patients), 31 patients had benign cysts and 1 patient had tuberculosis.In the VATS group, there were 3 conversions among 38 patients through right-side approach, and 4 conversions among 9 patients through left-side approach. The causes for conversion included dense pleura adhesion, invasion of tumor into adjacent structures (pericardium, lung, or great vessels), and injury of the left inominate vein. There was no significant difference in operative time, blood loss or transfusion during operation, duration or amount of postoperative chest tube drainage among the 3 groups (P > 0.05). Average LHS was significantly shorter in the VATS group (5.7 ± 1.7) days than in the SI group (7.5 ± 2.2) days and the MS group (8.2 ± 1.9) days (F = 3.759, P = 0.002). Total thymectomy was performed in 74 patients, 25 patients (53.2%, 25/47) in VATS group, 11 patients (42.3%, 11/26) in SI group, and 38 patients (100%, 38/38) in MS group. The reset of the patients received tumor resection and partial thymectomy. Among all the subgroups, LHS was the shortest in VATS total thymectomy patients (5.0 ± 1.4) days (F = 5.844, P = 0.001). There was no perioperative mortality. The only major morbidity was a postoperative bleeding necessitating reintervention in SI group.

CONCLUSIONSVATS for benign thymic lesions and early-stage thymic tumors is safe and feasible.It is associated with shorter hospital stay compared with other minimal invasive approaches or standard sternotomy.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Thymectomy ; methods ; Thymoma ; surgery ; Thymus Neoplasms ; surgery

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Defecation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Short Bowel Syndrome ; physiopathology ; therapy

Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; pharmacology ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chick Embryo ; Chorioallantoic Membrane ; blood supply ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; pharmacology

Objective To explore the signal transduction pathway of cyst fluid of Echinococcus granalosus in anti-parasite mechanisms through investigating the effect of cyst fluid on the expression of Toll-like receptor(TLR) in cells. Methods Changes of TLR4 and TGF-β1 expression of 7404 liver cells were detected by quantitative PCR. Results After treatment with increasing concentration cyst fluid the expres-sion of TLR4 was reduced. TGF-β1 expression of liver cells increased with the dose. TLR2 expressions in each group were very low. Conclusion Cyst fluid can increase the expression of TLR4, suggesting that the TLR4 signal transduction pathway involve anti-cyst fluid of Echinococcus granulosus. High concentrations of cyst fluid contribute to TGF-β1 expression which plays a role in immune evasion.

OBJECTIVEA method for determined oxygen permeability (Dk) of finished soft contact lens.

METHODSOxygen permeability(Dk) of 10 group finished soft contact lens was determined by polarographic method, and the values were linearly calibrated using the measured and established Dk values of the specified reference materials.

RESULTSOnly one Dk value fell outside of the requirement of GB 11417.3-2012 tolerance for Dk (± 20%).

CONCLUSIONIt is great practicability when determined the oxygen permeability (Dk) of finished soft contact lens by polarographic method which were linearly calibrated using the measured and established Dk values of the specified equal thickness reference materials without the measured lens customized 4 different thickness.

Calibration ; Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Permeability ; Polarography

This paper presents and discusses the liquid density sensing potential of a delay line Lamb-wave sensor configuration, where Lamb wave is excited only by interdigital transducer (IDT), without membrane when fabricated. An optimized cut orientation and the normalized thickness of substrate by using genetic algorithm is presented to improve the sensitivity of the sensor and to get low noise. Experimental measurements performed on Lamb-wave device fabricated from Y-Z LiNbO3 in a delay line configuration are found to be in agreement with theoretical calculations.
Algorithms ; Biosensing Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Models, Theoretical ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Transducers ; Ultrasonics ; Water ; analysis ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage at the early stage.

METHODSFifty-four cases of small-amount cerebral hemorrhage were randomized into an acupuncture group and a conventional treatment group, 27 cases in each one. In the conventional treatment group, special care, oxygen therapy, nerve nutrition and symptomatic support were applied. In necessary, dehydrant and hypotensive drugs were prescribed for antihypertension, or surgery was given. In the acupuncture group, on the basis of the treatment as the control group, acupuncture was applied at Quchi (LI 11), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taichong (LR 3). Acupuncture was given at the admission, 4 h, 6 h and 12 h after disease onset respectively. Blood pressure was monitored in the whole procedure. 6 h and 24 h after disease onset, the cranial CT was re-examined. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), hematoma volume and neurological deficit score were compared at different time points between the two groups.

RESULTS(1) Blood pressure: from the admission to 12 h after disease onset, SBP, DBP and MAP were increased apparently in the conventional treatment group and increased slightly in the acupuncture group. The differences in SBP [(164.3 +/- 21.6) mmHg vs (158.6 +/- 21.5) mmHg] and MAP [(113.4 +/- 4.9) mmHg vs (106.7 +/- 6.1) mmHg] were significant between the two groups (both P < 0.05). From 12 h to 24 h after disease onset, compared with the conventional treatment group, SBP and MAP were decreased apparently in the acupuncture group [(147.3 +/- 21.6) mmHg vs (158.4 +/- 23.5) mmHg, (97.2 +/- 5.3) mmHg vs (106.6 +/- 5.1) mmHg, both P < 0.05)]. (2) Hematoma volume: from the admission to 6 h after disease onset, the volume was increased by (4.15 +/- 0.73) mL in the convertional treatment group and (2.67 +/- 0.33) mL in the acupuncture group, indicating the significant difference in comparison (P < 0.05). From the admission to 24 h after disease onset, it was increased by (5.57 +/- 1.26) mL in the convertional treatment group and (3.14 +/- 1.18) mL in the acupuncture group, indicating the significant difference in comparison (P < 0.05). (3) Neurological deficit score: the score was increasing gradually in first 3 days after disease onset in the two groups. The score (38.39 +/- 6.84) in the acupuncture group on the first day was different significantly as compared with that (42.37 +/- 7.46) in the conventional treatment group (P < 0.05). On the 10th days, the score (24.68 +/- 5.42) in the acupuncture group was different significantly from that (29.74 +/- 7.36) in the convertional treatment group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere is no peak of blood pressure rising, and the continuous hemorrhagic volume is less in 24 h and neurological deficit score is improved in the acupuncture group. Acupuncture brings the positive significance in the treatment of cerebral hemorrhage at the early stage.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Female ; Hematoma ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged