Background Evaluation of intra-retinal layer thickness plays an important role in the diagnosis and monitor of various eye diseases,and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a frequently used tool.Software analysis method was used to measure the retinal thickness in previous study,but the study on the reliability of automatic layered software is lack.Objective This study was to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of thickness profile measurement of intra-retinal layers determined by an automated algorithm applied to OCT images from RTVue100 OCT instrument.Methods In this prospective cross-sectional study,retinal thickness images at 6 mm around fovea were obtained from 18 right eyes of 18 normal subjects with RTVue100 OCT instrument.The retinal images were segmented into retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL),ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer(GCL+IPL),inner nuclear layer (INL),outer plexiform layer (OPL),outer nuclear layer (ONL),inner segment (IS),outer segment (OS) and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) layer using automated algorithm method.Then Matlab software was used to analyze the measuring outcome.Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficients of reproducibility (COR) were calculated from the results of two-time examination by the same examiner to evaluate the repeatability and from the results of two different examiners to assess the reproducibility.Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to any medical procedure.Results The entire retinal thickness measured by RTVue-OCT was (303.22± 14.10) μm in the horizontal meridian and (306.68 ± 13.32) μm in the vertical meridian,with the maximum values of retinal thickness in the GCL+ IPL and ONL.Whether in the horizontal meridian or in the vertical meridian,the ICC and COR were ＜0.60 in the OPL,IS and OS;while those in the RNFL,GCL+IPL,INL,ONL and RPE layer were ＞0.70.Conclusions RTVue OCT with automated algorithm is a useful and reliable approach to the measurement of intra-retinal layer thickness.Automated segmentation can offer accurate and repeatable thickness profile of OCT retinal image.This method may improve the diagnosis and monitoring of retinal diseases.

BACKGROUND:Chitosan biological materials can induce bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate toward neurons. As a derivative of chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan has a series of excelent properties. However, whether carboxymethyl chitosan can induce the neuronal differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells remains unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel on the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neurons and the possible mechanism.METHODS:Passage 3 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from rats were selected and cultured in carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extracts in different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 500 g/L). Control cells were cultured in culture medium with no addition of carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extracts. MTT assay was performed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extracts on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation. Western blot assay was used to explore the effect of 150 g/L carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extracts on the expression of neuron-specific enolase, Nestin, Vimentin, NF-M, microtubule associated protein 2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, β3-tubulin, Notch1 and Jag1 protein.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:MTT assay showed that carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel promoted the cell proliferation, and the proliferation rate reached the peak at the concentration of 150 g/L. Western blot assay showed that the cells induced by 150 g/L carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extract had significant increases in neuron-specific enolase, Nestin, Vimentin, NF-M, microtubule associated protein 2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and β3-tubulin protein expression, and obvious decreases in Notch1 and Jag1 protein expression in comparison with the control group. These results indicate that the carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel induces rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate toward neurons, and suppresses the activity of Notch signal pathway in the process of differentiation.

stinguish active tuberculosis and healthy cases with tuberculosis exposure history according SFC count.

A 33-year-old male patient with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) was reviewed, who presented with severe neurological deficits following TBEV infection, and improved in his motor and quality of life after an individualized rehabilitation.

Objective: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents appeared prevalent and multifactorial. This study was to examine the associations between exposure to suicidal behaviors and NSSI in the Chinese adolescents. Methods: Participants included for analyses were 5 154 adolescent students who participated in the baseline survey in 2015 and the first follow-up survey in 2016 of the Shandong Adolescent Behavior and Health Cohort, but with no history of NSSI at the baseline survey. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, behavioral and emotional problems, lifetime and last-year NSSI. Data on the history of exposure to suicide attempt or death of a family member, friend, or close acquaintance were also collected. Multivariate logistic regression methods were used to examine the associations between exposure to suicidal behaviors and NSSI. Results: In the baseline survey, mean age of the 5 154 participants was (14.49±1.48) years, with 48.5% of the participants as girls. Of the participants, 9.0% reported having been exposed to suicidal behaviors, including 6.0% reported to suicide attempt, 4.9% to suicide death, 7.3% to suicidal behaviors of friends/close acquaintances, and 3.1% to suicidal behaviors of relatives. The prevalence rates of NSSI in the last year were significantly higher in adolescents who had been exposed to suicidal behaviors than those who had not (P<0.05). Results from the multivariate logistic regressions showed that exposure to suicide death (OR=1.91, 95%CI: 1.22-3.01) or to suicidal behaviors of relatives (OR=1.79, 95%CI: 1.02-3.12) were both significantly associated with the increased risk of NSSI. Conclusions Experiences related to exposure to suicide-death or suicidal behaviors of relatives were associated with increased risk of NSSI in adolescents. After the suicide events, psychological counseling and health education programs set for high-risk groups were helpful in promoting physical and mental health and preventing the attempt of self-injury in teenagers.

Objective To investigate the effect and long-term prognosis of patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatolithiasis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 98 patients with hepatolithiasis who were treated by hepatectomy in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.Results Male/femah:1/1.7;median age:55 years old.58 cases(59.2%)had been treated before;among them.50 by surgery.In 88 cages(89.8%)hepatolithiasis involved the left lobe only,in 2(2.0%) only the right lobe involved.and in 8(8.2%)both left and right lobe were involved.51(52.0%)had extrahepatic biliary stones,30(30.6%)had biliary duct strictures,28(28.6%)had a history of biliary ascariasis.and 5(5.1%)had a concurrent biliary tract malignancy.All received partial hepatectomy according to the stone location;for the 8 bilaterally involved patients,left hepatectomy and right lithotomy were performed.Postoperative complications occurredin 14 cases(14.3%),and there were2perioperative deaths(2.0%).Seventy-eight patients(79.6%)have beenfollowedupfor over1 yearwith no tumors;the results were excellent or good in 91.0%;the stone residue and recurrence rate were both 2.0%.Conclusions Hepatectomy not only eliminates calcuci,but also removes diseased biliary tracts,with advantages of low residue stone and recurrence rate.

Objective To study the effect of clove oil on bacterial biofilm of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Methods The components of clove oil were determined by GC-MS mass spectrometry. The suspension of streptococcus mutans was prepared to carry out the germicidal test, and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of clove oil. The effects of different concentrations of clove oil on the formation of biofilm were observed by laser confocal microscopy, and the average fluorescence intensity of live bacteria and dead bacteria in biofilm was recorded. Results Determination of clove oil 8 components were analyzed by GC-MS mass spectrometry method, most of the Eugenol content was 48.93%, followed by the Caryophyllene 20.78%, Methylis salicylas 14.96%. Through MIC, MBC and the experimental results showed that clove oil had antibacterial activity of Proteus, and with the increase of clove oil concentration, the inhibitory effect was better. When it reached a certain concentration, it can showed bactericidal effect that the MIC and MBC were 0.3125%, 0.6250%. The clove oil also had inhibitory effect on Streptococcus mutans biofilm with the concentration depedence. When the concentration of clove oil was 2.5000%, the average fluorescence intensity (live/dead bacteria) was 0.082 ± 0.007, the proportion of living bacteria decreased obviously, and biofilm disappeared. Conclusions The clove oil not only has inhibitory effect on Streptococcus mutants, but also can inhibit and clear the biofilm formation of Streptococcus.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors of renal function recovery in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) combined with acute kidney injury (AKI).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted in 105 SAP patients with AKI who were admitted to ICU or EICU of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2013 to October 2019. According to the recovery of renal function at 28 days, the patients were divided into the renal function recovery group and the poor recovery group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the clinical data of the two groups and to determine the risk factors related to renal function recovery.Results:According to the recovery of renal function, 105 patients were divided into the renal function recovery group ( n=73) and the poor recovery group ( n=32). Compared with the renal function recovery group, patients in the poor recovery group were older, had a higher prevalence of diabetes and coronary heart disease and a higher score on the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ); More patients had abdominal necrosis infection and abdominal hemorrhage. The proportion of patients who applied mechanical ventilation was higher in the poor recovery group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that abdominal necrosis infection ( OR=5.088, 95% CI:1.041-24.871, P=0.044) and mechanical ventilation ( OR=4.615, 95% CI:1.126-18.904, P=0.034) were the independent risk factors of renal function recovery in SAP patients with AKI. Conclusions:Abdominal necrosis infection and mechanical ventilation are the independent risk factors for renal function recovery in patients with SAP and AKI.

Objective To establish an improved type Ⅱ cardio-renal syndrome rat model and evaluate it.Methods Twenty male SD rats were randomly divided into sham and model groups with 7 rats in the sham group and 13 rats in the model group.The model group received the method of squeezing the heart under a small animal anesthesia machine to permanently ligate the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery to cause myocardial infarction.One week later,unilateral nephrectomy(right nephrectomy)was performed.The rats underwent cardiac echocardiography,pathological staining,and blood and urine tests at 6 weeks to verify model establishment.Results Compared with the sham group,the cardiac function assessed by echocardiography and the endogenous creatinine clearance rate in the model group rats were significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the levels of brain natriuretic peptide,blood creatinine,urea nitrogen,and 24 h urine protein in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01).HE staining revealed a disordered myocardial arrangement,glomerular atrophy,and inflammatory cell infiltration in model group rats.Picric acid-Sirius red staining showed a significant increase in myocardial collagen fibers,an irregular arrangement of renal tubules,and a large amount of collagen deposition in model group rats.The positive staining area ratio was also significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusions This improved modeling method provided a typeⅡcardio-renal syndrome rat model with s simple operation,minimal surgical trauma,and low mortality rate.This model simulates the early onset of cardiac and renal function damage and pathological changes in type Ⅱ CRS,laying the foundation for systematic and in-depth research on the pathogenesis and pathological mechanism of type Ⅱ cardio-renal syndrome.

Purpose: The systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) has been reported to have prognostic ability in various solid tumors but has not been studied in gallbladder cancer (GBC). We aimed to determine its prognostic value in GBC. Materials and Methods: From 2003 to 2017, patients with confirmed GBC were recruited. To determine the SIRI’s optimal cutoff value, a time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve was applied. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed for the recognition of significant factors. Then the cohort was randomly divided into the training and the validation set. A nomogram was constructed using the SIRI and other selected indicators in the training set, and compared with the TNM staging system. C-index, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis were performed to assess the nomogram’s clinical utility. Results: One hundred twenty-four patients were included. The SIRI’s optimal cutoff value divided patients into high (≥ 0.89) and low SIRI (< 0.89) groups. Kaplan-Meier curves according to SIRI levels were significantly different (p < 0.001). The high SIRI group tended to stay longer in hospital and lost more blood during surgery. SIRI, body mass index, weight loss, carbohydrate antigen 19-9, radical surgery, and TNM stage were combined to generate a nomogram (C-index, 0.821 in the training cohort, 0.828 in the validation cohort) that was significantly superior to the TNM staging system both in the training (C-index, 0.655) and validation cohort (C-index, 0.649). Conclusion The SIRI is an independent predictor of prognosis in GBC. A nomogram based on the SIRI may help physicians to precisely stratify patients and implement individualized treatment.