A Monte Carlo model for optical coherence tomography of human skin is proposed. The new model includes importance sampling technique which is designed to suit for the multi-layer human skin, new rules for back scattered photon classification are correspondingly proposed. Based on the new simulation model, we analyzed the focusing of Gaussian beam through skin and the maximum detecting depth of optical coherence tomography. The experimental results show that there exists focus distortion when beam propagates in skin, including focus shift and diffusion. Object lens with greater NA will lower the maximum detecting depth of optical coherence tomography.
Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Monte Carlo Method ; Photons ; Skin ; Tomography, Optical Coherence

Argentina ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hemophilia A ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Russia ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; United States ; epidemiology ; Urban Population

BACKGROUND:Previous experiment has confirmed that the nitinol artificial esophagus is an artificial succedaneum which can be used for replacing an esophagus resected and rebuilding esophageal tube.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the tissue reaction of the neo-esophagus and the adjacent organs injury contacted with the nitinol artificial esophagus after replacement.
METHODS:Eight miniature pigs were selected and modeled by resection of a 70 mm segment of the thoracic esophagus. After modeling, the nitinol artificial esophagus was inserted into the proximal and distal end of the thoracic esophagus at an insert distance of about 10 mm. After that, the nitinol artificial esophagus with polyester connecting ring was sewed into the thoracic esophagus in a manner of ful-thickness anastomosis. After operation, the pigs were subjected to feeding regulation measures to control the shedding time of the artificial esophagus. Two model pigs were sacrificed for anatomical observation at 1, 2, 3, 4 months postoperatively, respectively. The tissue reaction during the neo-esophagus formed procedure and adjacent organs injury contacted with the nitinol artificial esophagus were observed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al pigs survived without complications such as thoracic hemorrhage, pneumothorax, pyothorax, esophageal perforation and anastomotic leakage. The experimental animals with the nitinol artificial esophagus fixed in situ had no dysphagia for eating semisolids food (Bown’SⅡ). Autopsy findings showed that there was slight membrane-like adhesion between partial pleura and lung. No hydrothorax was found. The nitinol artificial esophagus was wrapped up by the neo-esophagus. There was slight membrane-like adhesion between the neo-esophagus and the adjacent organs such as the lung, aorta and esophageal mucosa. The esophageal mucosa covered the neo-esophageal entocoele from esophageal stumps to intermedius of neo-esophagus until completely covered. Histological findings of the neo-esophagus showed that in imbed cycle of the nitinol artificial esophagus the tissue reaction showed aseprtic inflammation reaction and foreign body reaction around the implant. These tissue reactions were most severe at 1 month after operation and thereafter relieved gradual y.

Objective To understand websites of public hospitals in China.Methods Website search and appraisal were called into play to analyze the percentage and present conditions of websites built by public hospitals in Shanghai,Hubei Province and Gansu Province.Rusults The study found websites in less than 55％ of the public hospitals in these three areas.Those websites in operation provide instant information on hospitals and medical services,yet their online service functions are less satisfactory and website levels vary sharply.Conclusion The authors recommend the Chinese government encourage public hospitals to build websites and enhance their online services.

Objective To explore the expression of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling and its correlation with the progression of acute intestinal graft-versus-host disease (iGVHD) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in mice.Method Recipient BALB/c female mice were lethally irradiated and were reconstituted within 4-6 h with a transplant of bone marrow cells (1 × 107) and different amounts of splenocytes (1 × 107,n =12 or 2 × 107,n =12) from MHC-mismatched C57BL/6 donors to induce iGVHD,and 6 healthy BALB/c mice served as controls.A globe survey observation of GVHD by survival,clinical manifestation,and histological detection was performed.RT-PCR,immunohistochemistry,and Western blotting technology were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 in the small intestine tissue.Result The exacerbation of iGVHD was associated with the increasing dose of allogeneic spleen lymphocytes.The mRNA expression of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κBp65 was increased as the iGVHD progressed.All of them in severe iGVHD model were significantly increased as compared with the healthy controls (P＜0.05).The expression of corresponding proteins had the same tendency as mRNA.All of the three genes expression was not only positively correlated with each other,but also with the clinical GVHD score:TLR4 (R =0.814,P＜0.001),MyD88 (R=0.828,P＜0.001),and NF-κB p65 (R=0.568,P =0.034).Conclusion Excessive activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway does exist in iGVHD,and the enhanced levels of gene transcription and translation are positively correlated with the deterioration of iGVHD.

Objective To investigate the tendency of diapause symptoms in breast cancer patients during their chemotherapy. Method Sixty-four breast cancer patients with chemotherapy participated in the study by using Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the cancer fatigue scale (CFS), the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and the self-rating depression scale (SDS) to assess their sleep, fatigue, anxiety and depression at every first day from the second course to sixth one of chemotherapy. Results The diapause symptoms including fatigue, sleep disorders, anxiety and depression varied with the therapeutic course progressing. The conditions in sleep quality, fatigue and depression were the poorest at the diapause of the fourth course and the condition of anxiety was the poorest at the diapause of the third course. Conclusion The medical staff should attach importance to the patients'physical and mental problems brought by the process of chemotherapy, strengthen the regulation of psychosomatic symptoms during chemotherapic diapause, and give reasonable control and intervention before the symptoms deteriorating.

Aluminium (Al) toxicity is one of the major limiting factors for barley production on acid soils. It inhibits root cell division and elongation, thus reducing water and nutrient uptake, consequently resulting in poor plant growth and yield. Plants tolerate Al either through external resistance mechanisms, by which Al is excluded from plant tissues or internal tolerance mechanisms, conferring the ability of plants to tolerate Al ion in the plant symplasm where Al that has permeated the plasmalemma is sequestered or converted into an innocuous form. Barley is considered to be most sensitive to Al toxicity among cereal species. Al tolerance in barley has been assessed by several methods, such as nutrient solution culture, soil bioassay and field screening. Genetic and molecular mapping research has shown that Al tolerance in barley is controlled by a single locus which is located on chromosome 4H. Molecular markers linked with Al tolerance loci have been identified and validated in a range of diverse populations. This paper reviews the (1) screening methods for evaluating Al tolerance, (2) genetics and (3) mechanisms underlying Al tolerance in barley.

OBJECTIVETo study the natural progress of different degree chronic periodontitis and its association with IL-1B-511 genetic polymorphisms. METHODS; 100 subjects with chronic periodontitis were selected and examined at baselined and in the 6 month and in 1 year on attatchment loss at 6 sites of each tooth. DNA samples were obtained with buccal swabbing technique and were further analyzed for IL-1B-511 genotype polymorphisms using PCR-RFLP-based method in all subjects.

RESULTSThe mean AL increases were 1.43 mm within 1 year. Among 100 subjects, 16 patients with moderate progression (0 mm < AL increase/a year < or = 1.0 mm), 84 patients with rapid progression of periodontal disease (AL increase/ a year > 1.0 mm). There was no significant difference for the distribution and frequency of IL-1B-511 genotype and alleles between the AL increase/ a year > 1.0 mm group and AL increase/a year < or = 1.0 mm group. The progression of periodontal disease (AL increase/a year > 1.0 mm group) was significantly higher in the non-severe chronic periodontitis group than in the severe group (P < 0.05). The percentage of molar was higher as far as the rapid-progress sites (AL increase > 2.0 mm both in the 6th and the 12th months examination) were concerned than that of premolar and anterior (P < 0.05). The number of progressed sites in the severe group was higher than the non-severe chronic periodontitis group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe progress of chronic periodontits varies individually. No specific relationship was found between the progression of chronic periodontitis and IL-1 gene polymorphisms.

Adult ; Alleles ; Chronic Periodontitis ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Interleukin-1 ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Periodontitis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Aitongping capsule (ATP) in treating cancerous pain.

METHODSSixty cancer patients were randomly divided into two groups, 30 patients in the treated group took ATP and 30 patients in the control group took diclofenac, 1 week of treatment was applied. The relevant clinical conditions of cancerous pain, the content of plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and c-AMP, hemorheological index, improuement of life quality of patients, occurrence rate of adverse reaction were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total effective rate in the treated group and in the control group was 90.0 % and 83.3%, respectively, difference between them showed no significance. However, there were significant difference between the two groups in such aspects as the degree of pain relieving, the decrease of pain episodes, the shortening persistent time of pain and the initiation time of analgesic action and prolonged analgesic duration, the decrease of tenderness and percussion pain, the increase of plasma beta-EP content and the decrease of cAMP (P< 0.05 or P< 0.01). The evidences also showed that it was better in improving quality of life, ameliorating hemorheologic indexes and reducing incidence of adverse reaction in the treated group than in the control group (P <0.05 or P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONATP has affirmative effect on cancerous pain, its analgesic effect may be associated with the increasing of plasma beta-EP content, decreasing of cAMP level and ameliorating of hemorheologic indexes.

Capsules ; Cyclic AMP ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; complications ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Phytotherapy ; Quality of Life ; beta-Endorphin ; blood

The changes of bioactive constituents were analyzed for Puhuang-Wulingzhi before and after compatibility and the antiplatelet and antithrombin activitives were evaluated in order to elucidate the scientific and reasonable of Puhuang-Wulingzhi compatibility. UPLC-QTOF-MA-Markerlynx, principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis were used for data analysis and tracking changes of chemical composition during the decocting process. In vitro platelet aggregation induced by ADP, thrombin time(TT) and prothrombin time (PT) were investigated for Puhuang-Wulingzhi before and after compatibility. The results showed that significant differences were found between the mixed decoction and codecoction of Wulingzhi and Puhuang. Five compounds changed obviously were identified as typhaneoside, naringenin, isorhamnetin-3-O-ruinoside, quercetin-3-O-neohesperidoside, kaempferol-3-O-neohesperidoside. The codecoction, comparing with the single decoction, was more significant in antiplatelet aggregation and could prolong thrombin time. In the same crude drug dose, the thrombin time (TT) elongation were greater. These data could provide references for elucidation of bioactive components for this herb pair.
Animals ; Antithrombins ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Blood Platelets ; drug effects ; physiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Platelet Aggregation ; drug effects ; Rabbits ; Thrombin Time