Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus Chinese medicine iontophoresis in treating dry eye syndrome.Method Sixty-two patients with dry eye syndrome were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 31 cases in each group. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture plus Chinese medicine iontophoresis, while the control group was intervened by artificial tears. After 4-week treatment, the changes of tear secretion, tear film break-up time (BUT) and symptoms score were observed, and the clinical efficacies were compared.Result The total effective rate was 87.1% in the treatment group versus 61.3% in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The total symptoms score, tear secretion and BUT were significantly changed after the treatment in both groups (P<0.05). After the treatment, the total symptoms score, tear secretion and BUT in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture plus Chinese medicine iontophoresis is an effective method in treating dry eye syndrome.

In this paper, we propose an image-based key frame gating method to reduce motion artifacts in intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) longitudinal cuts. The artifacts are mainly caused by the periodic relative displacement between blood vessels and the IVUS catheter due to cardiac motion. The method is achieved in four steps as following. Firstly, we convert IVUS image sequences to polar coordinates to cut down the amount of calculation. Secondly, we extracted a one-dimensional signal cluster reflecting cardiac motion by spectral analysis and filtering techniques. Thirdly, we designed a Butterworth band-pass filter for filtering the one-dimensional signal clusters. Fourthly, we retrieved the extremes of the filtered signal clusters to seek key frames to compose key-frames gated sequences. Experimental results showed that our algorithm was fast and the average frame processing time was 17ms. Observing the longitudinal viewpictures, we found that comparing to the original ones, the gated sequences had similar trend, less saw tooth shape, and good continuity. We selected 12 groups of clinical IVUS sequences [images (876 +/- 65 frames), coronary segments length (14.61 +/- 1.08 mm)] to calculate vessel volume, lumen volume, mean plaque burden of the original and gated sequences. Statistical results showed that, on one hand, both vessel volume and lumen volume measured of the gated sequences were significantly smaller than those of the original ones, and there was no significant difference on mean plaque burden between original and gated sequences, which met the need of the clinical diagnosis and treatment. On the other hand, variances of vessel area and lumen area of the gated sequences were significantly smaller than those of the original sequences, indicating that the gated sequences would be more stable than the original ones.
Algorithms ; Artifacts ; Heart ; Humans ; Motion ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of warm needling in treating chronic prostatitis due to kidney-yang deficiency.Method Seventy-eight patients with chronic prostatitis due to kidney-yang deficiency were randomized into a treatment group of 40 cases and a control group of 38 cases. The treatment group was intervened by warm needling, while the control group was by oral administration of Terazosin hydrochloride tablets. The National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and white blood cell (WBC) count in prostatic fluid were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacies were compared.Result The total effective rate was 92.5% in the treatment group versus 76.3% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The NIH-CPSI scores and WBC counts were significantly changed in both groups after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the NIH-CPSI score of the treatment group was significantly different from that of the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in comparing the WBC count between the two groups after treatment (P>0.05).Conclusion Warm needling is an effective approach in treating chronic prostatitis due to kidney-yang deficiency.

Objective:To investigate the expression and clinical significance of PD-L1 in colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods:A total of 210 CRC patients who accepted radical surgery in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2016 were divided into three groups, namely, high-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H), low-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-L), and microsatellite stable (MSS). The expression of PD-L1 was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the expression characteristics of PD-L1 in different types of CRC were analyzed. Results:CRC cases with low differentiation had a higher expression of PD-L1 than CRC patients with high differ-entiation (P<0.05). PD-L1 had a positive rate of 75.8%in the MSI-H group and a rate of 9.3%in the MSI-L and MSS groups, wherein the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion:PD-L1 was positively expressed in some CRC tu-mor tissues, and its positive rate was significantly higher in MSI-H than in MSI-L and MSS. The therapeutic effect of a PD-L1 blocker for patients with MSI-H CRC might be preferable.

ObjectiveDiabetes is an independent risk factor for coronary artery bypasss grafting(CABG). Off pump coronary artery bypasss (OPCAB) experience in 251 cases was reviewed to determine whether diabetes wou ld be applicable in OPCAB procedures.MethodsConsecutive 251 patients underwent OPCAB over 12 month period. This study included 71 diebetic patients (DM group) and 180 nondiabetic patients (NDM group). Preoperative v ariables were compared between the two groups by univariate analysis.R esultsNo differences were found regarding the length of stay in cardio intensive care unit [DM group(2.4?0.3)d; NDM group (2.4?0.3) d;P=0. 386], and sternal complication (DM group: 5.7%;NDM group: 3.9%;P=0.511) . In hospital complications were as follows: death rate(DM group: 2.8%; NDM gr oup: 1.1%; P=0.680); stroke (DM group: 2 8%; NDM group: 1 7%; P=0 623 ); hemofiltratioin renal failure (DM group: 2.8%; NDM group: 0.5%; P=0.194); myocardial infarction(DM group: 0%; NDM group: 0.5%;P=1.000); blood using were more frequent in DM group comparied with NDM group (P=0.111). ConclusionOPCAB in diabetic patients is as safe as in non diabetic patients.

Liquid-assisted surface desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LA-DAPCI-MS)was used directly for the analysis of healthy rat liver (normal control group);acute alcoholic injury rat liver(alcohol model group)and Zhizi Dahuang decoction-treated rat liver (ZZDHD group)sections with the mass spectrometry images obtained simultaneously.Principal component analysis (PCA)was employed for the differentiation of livers of the groups;and 3 phospholipids;PC (34 ∶2);PC(36 ∶4)and PC(38 ∶4);were found to be the main factors.LA-DAPCI mass spectrometry images showed that the 3 phospholipids were evenly distrib-uted in liver under the spatial resolution of 0.01 mm2.Contents of 3 PCs in the model group were decreased in alcohol model group compared to the normal control group and the ZZDHD group;which revealed the relationship between acute alcoholic liver injury and intrahepatic phospholipid variation.The results showed that ZZDHD had protective effect on acute alcoholic liver injury-induced intrahepatic phospholipid variations at the molecular level.

BACKGROUND:Different races, genders, heredity, geographical environment can cause different bone ages. Therefore, an assessment of hand-wrist bone age has been done in the Han and Uygur adolescents and children in Xinjiang region.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the actual conditions of hand-wrist bone age in Han and Uygur adolescents and children in Urumqi.
METHODS: 760 children and adolescents (aged 4.0-4.0 years) of Uighur and Han nationalities were enroled in this study. Two years acted as an age group. The hand-wrist bone age was estimated by hand-wrist X-ray using theChinese Wrist Skeletal Development Standard CHN Method. The correlation between bone age and chronological age was analyzed statisticaly as wel as difference in the bone age and chronological age between two ethnic groups.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) A close correlation was found between hand-wrist bone age and chronological age for two ethnic groups (P < 0.05). (2) Thirteen age group showed higher bone ages than chronological ages, including four age groups of Han nationality girls aged 4.0-11.9 years, three age groups of Han nationality boys aged 4.0-9.9 years, three age groups of Uygur girls aged 4.0-9.9 years, and three age groups of Uygur boys aged 4.0-9.9 years. (3) The bone and chronological ages were higher in the Han girls aged 10-11.9 year than the Uygur girls aged 10-11.9 years as wel as in the Han boys aged 12-13.9 years than the Uygur boys aged 12-13.9 years. Results show that the two ethnic groups of children and adolescents exhibit the early mature trend of skeletal development in multiple age groups; and there is a difference in skeletal and chronological age between Han and Uygur adolescents in some age groups.

Objective To construct an in vitro phenotypic analysis technology for evaluating the impact of I233V mutation in the hepatitis B virus(HBV)reverse transcriptase(rt)domain on adefovir (ADV)resistance.Methods A site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct recombinant HBV plasmid containing rtI233V,rtA181V and rtN236T.The culture solution with varied concentration ADV was added after the transient transfection of hepatocyte-derived cell lines with recombinant wild type and mutant HBV clones.Three days later,the cells were harvested and the replicable intermediate was detected by the Southern blot assay.The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and folds of resistance were calculated by the Table Curve2D software according to the Southern blot results.Results The variant harboring rtI233V mutation exhibited a 6.5-fold decrease of susceptibility to ADV with IC50 of(1.69±0.52)/μmol/L compared to the wild type HBV.Conclusion The findings suggest that the emergence of a single substitution at position rtI233V is sufficient to induce resistance to ADV.

Objective To characterize serum hepatitis B virus(HBV)full-length genome quasispecies and to investigate its ralationship with severe exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods HBV full-length genome was amplified and cloned from four treatment naive CHB patients and four treatment naive CSHB patients.Fourteen to sixteen clones per sample were selected,sequenced and analyzed by bioinformatics software.The measurement data was compared by independent-samples t test and count data was analyzed by x2 test. Results Totally 120 HBV fulllength genome sequences were obtained.All the patients had either genotype B or C virus monoinfection.One hundred percent clones(60/60)from CSHB patients showed mutations including G1896A,A1762T/G1764A(one patient even carried A1762T/G1764A/C1766T mutations),T1753C/G and start codon mutations in preS2,preS1,which were more common than those from CHB patients(46/60,76.7%;x2=15.85,P<0.01).The quasispecies complexity and diversity were higher in CSHB patients than CHB patients within full-length genome,S,X,P genes and reverse transcriptase region,but lower within C gene at both nucleotide and amino acid levels.But the difference were not statistically significant in all regions.Conclusion The mutation frequency and quasispeeies heterogeneity in HBV genome are higher in CSHB patients than in CHB patients,which may play a role in the severe exacerbation of CHB and needs further investigation in large scale studies.

Objective To characterize the profile and clinical significance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) quasispecies in patients infected with hepatitis B virus based on the sequence of reverse transcriptase (RT) region.Methods Fifty HBV infected treatment-naive patients were enrolled and divided into three groups,asymptomatic carriers (ASC) group (10 cases),chronic hepatitis B (CHB) group (30 cases) and liver cirrhosis (LC) group (10 cases).HBV genomes were extracted from serum samples.The sequence of RT region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into vectors.Fifteen to thirty clones per sample were selected,sequenced and analyzed by bioinformatics software.The mean values among groups were compared by analysis of variance.The median values among groups were compared by nonparametric statistics.The enumeration data were analyzed by x2 test.Results Totally 1221 HBV RT region nucleotide sequences were obtained (152from ASC patients,780 from CHB patients and 289 from LC patients).Genotype distribution showed no difference among three groups.However,the quasispecies complexity showed significant differences among the three groups,LC group ＞CHB group＞ ASC group (F=33.400,P＜0.05).The quasispecies diversity was LC group ＞CHB group＞ ASC group,and that of LC group was significantly different from the other two groups (F=18.070,P＜0.05),while there was no significant difference between CHB and ASC patients.Conclusions The HBV isolated from patients in immune clearance phase have higher variability than those isolated from patients in immune tolerance phase.The longer the infection persists and the more severe the disease is,the more variable HBV quasispecies are.