Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures ; instrumentation ; Humans ; Pathology, Clinical ; instrumentation ; methods ; trends ; Referral and Consultation ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Telepathology ; instrumentation ; methods ; trends

Objective To explore drinking water pollution by algae in Wuhan. Methods Sampling was carried out in different kinds of tap waters and tank waters for algae detection and identification. Results The detection rate of algae in tap waters was 89% in tank water it was 86% and at the same spot the genera and number of algae in the tank waters increased by 37% and 60% compared with the tap waters respectively. Conclusion Drinking water has been polluted by algae in different degree in Wuhan.

Objective Cervical instability was mostly caused by trauma. However, degenerative cervical instability was diagnosed rarely according to the present criteria although cervical degeneration was common in aged people. The study was aimed at investigating the results of surgical treatment for degenerative cervical instability and to define the indications for surgical intervention. Methods From April 1998 to April 2001, anterior cervical fusion and plate fixation were applied in fifteen patients, there were 6 males and 9 females aged from 44 to 65 years with an average of 55.2 years. The patients showed roentgenographic instability of the cervical spine associating with cervical postural symptoms. Spondylotic cervical myelopathy were excluded from the group. The cervical postural symptoms were those presented or aggravated with flexion-extension or rotational movements of the cervical spine, such as neck-shoulder pain, cervical spondylotic radiculopathy symptoms, sympathetic or vertebral artery symptoms. The symptoms lasted from 18 months to 4 years before the index surgery, all patients had received more than one year conservative treatments, but no any improvement. Seven cases were fused with iliac autograft, in which three cases were on single intervertebral spaces, four cases on double spaces, and grooved bone graft was used in the patient of double space fusion. Intervertebral fusion cage (Titanium mesh) was used in 8 cases; allograft was used in 2 single space cases; grooved autograft was used in 6 double space cases. Excised vertebral body was used as autograft material. Results The patients were followed up from 8 months to 4 years with an average of 25 months. All patients were satisfactory for the surgical results in follow-up period. All symptoms were released in 12 cases, occasional neck pain was found in 3 cases, and there was no abnormality presented in clinical examination. Solid fusion was achieved in all of cases at follow-up, the fused segment was stable judging by dynamic roentgenogram. Conclusion Fusion of the unstable segments is an alternative procedure for degenerative cervical instability in case the cervical postural symptoms are consistent with the radiographic features. Since some degenerative instability of cervical spine may spontaneously achieve re-stabilization, the indication of surgical fusion must be strictly limited to avoid over-treatment.

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a common clinical disease that seriously threatens human health and life. Accurate location of the upper airway obstruction is the key to the diagnosis and treatment of OSAHS. Acoustic pharyngometry uses sound reflection to quickly assess the cross-sectional area and volume of the upper airway. Acoustic pharyngometry represents a simple, quick, non-invasive method for measuring upper airway dimensions which could predict sleep apnea risk. In this article we sought to introduce the application of acoustic pharyngometry in the diagnosis and treatment of OSAHS.
Acoustics ; Humans ; Larynx ; Pharynx ; diagnostic imaging ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Syndrome

This paper reviews the development of appropriate health technology policy from 1992 to 2012 in Zhejiang province.The evolvement of recent twenty years is classified into several stages and each is analysed and evaluated.This study provides reference for the establishment of appropriate health technology policy and the transformation of science and technology policy across the country.

To enhance the capacity for extending and applying appropriate health technologies in rural areas in China,this paper proposes a supportive policy system that incoperates macro,average and microlevels. Thepolicysystemfocusesonorientation, incentives, regulationsand standardization,and its objectives and measures of each level are described.The policy system will contribute to the sustainable development rural health work.

The need analysis of information resource for appropriate health technologies is important for the related information transmission channel and promotion of those technologies at primary level.This paper introduces the current status of the information resource construction of appropriate health technologies in China,and analyzes the needs and means of transmission in terms of users,holders and spreader,taking Zhejiang as an example.Methods of literature review,questionnaire survey,interview,and symposium were employed.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the surgical techniques and 2-year follow-up results of Mast Quadrant-assisted modified transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).MethodsFrom September 2006 to October 2008,54 patients with single-level lumbar degeneration disease were treated by Mast Quadrantassisted modified TLIF.Under the guidance of C-arm,the Mast Quadrant's retractor was placed and the lower articular process of the upper vertebrae and 1/2-2/3 of the lamina,flavum ligament and hyperplastic cohesive part of the lower articular process were removed,the nerve roots and the central canal were decompressed.After cleaning up intervertebral disc space,bone grafting and pedicle screw fixation were achieved.Visual analogue scale(VAS) and Oswestry disability index(ODI) results,as well as the fusion rate at the last follow-up were analyzed.ResultsAll patients were treated by Mast Quadrant-assisted modified TLIF,in which 51 patients were followed up for 2 years.An average operating time was(178.7±63.2) min,and an average blood loss was (224.2±136.5) ml; an average postoperative drainage loss was (117.2±91.4) ml,and an average postoperative stay was(5.8±3.6) d.There were statistic significances between pre- and post-operative ODI and VAS scores,respectively.At last follow-up,51 patients were achieved radiographic fusion without internal fixation failure and other complications.ConclusionMast Quadrant-assisted modified TLIF had a good vision,was relatively safe and easy to be acceptable by surgeons,and which had a good clinical results for the patients with single-level lumbar degenerative disease.

Objective Establish an overall performance evaluation index system for innovative medical devices transforming project,a major science and technology project in Zhejiang province.Methods The weight of indexes was calculated using Delphi method,analytic hierarchy process and weight of percentile method.Results A three-level performance evaluation index system was established.First level included 3 indexes,as condition index,process index and result index,with weight of 0.3401、0.4042 and 0.2557 respectively.Meanwhile,second level and third level included 13 and 38 indexes.Conclusions The index system provide a performance evaluation tool for the innovative medical devices transforming project.

OBJECTIVE In this study we explored the role of Epac1-Rap1 pathway in the acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) in vitro and in vivo. METHODS An acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury model was established by the ligation of left anterior descending coronary. Myocardial architecture, fibers and apoptosis was evaluated by the Masson trichrome staining, Sirius red staining and TUNEL assay.H9c2 cells were subjected to hypoxia for 5 h followed by 1-h reoxygen-ation in vitro.Cell viability was measured by MTT assay and cellular injury was evaluated by measuring the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Western blot, real-time PCR and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expressions of Epac1 and relative downstream molecules.RESULTS Myocardial IR-induced cardiac apoptosis and accumulation of Epac1 and Rap1 in rat IR injury model.Direct Epac activation by 8-CPT(8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-2′-O-methyl-cAMP)exacerbated cardiomyocyte death and dysfunction following hypoxia-reoxygenation(H/R),selective activation of Epac in response to H/R was evident which enriched for cytosolic/membrane proteins and mRNA. Harmacological inhibitor of Epac (ESI-09)significantly ameliorated myocardial injury with the decline of Epac expression.Epac inhibitor and agonist studies also implicated the effect of Rap1, which is downstream of Epac in this pathway. The expression of Rap1 elevated when activated by Epac agonist and was blocked by Epac inhibitor. The same result was true for myocyte CaMK-II and intracellular calcium ions activation.Moreover,ESI-09 also increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation. CONCLUSION Our study reveal that Epac1/Rap1 signaling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of myocardial I/R injury in rats,which provides evidence on the development of therapeutic strategies target this pathway for myocardial I/R injury.