Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and a neurodegenerative disease with progressive cognitive dysfunction as the main feature. How to identify the early changes of cognitive dysfunction and give appropriate treatments is of great significance to delay the onset of dementia. Some other researches have shown that AD is associated with abnormal changes of brain networks. To study human brain functional connectivity characteristics in AD, 16 channels electroencephalogram (EEG) were recorded under resting and eyes-closed condition in 15 AD patients and 15 subjects in the control group. The synchronization likelihood of the full-band and alpha-band (8-13 Hz) data were evaluated, which resulted in the synchronization likelihood coefficient matrices. Considering a threshold T, the matrices were converted into binary graphs. Then the graphs of two groups were measured by topological parameters including the clustering coefficient and global efficiency. The results showed that the global efficiency of the network in full-band EEG was significantly smaller in AD group for the values of T = 0.06 and T = 0.07, but there was no statistically significant difference in the clustering coefficients between the two groups for the values of T (0.05-0.07). However, the clustering coefficient and global efficiency were significantly lower in AD patients at alpha-band for the same threshold range than those of subjects in the control group. It suggests that there may be decreases of the brain connectivity strength in AD patients at alpha-band of the resting-state EEG. This study provides a support for quantifying functional brain state of AD from the brain network perspective.
Alzheimer Disease ; physiopathology ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Brain Mapping ; Case-Control Studies ; Cluster Analysis ; Cognition Disorders ; physiopathology ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Probability ; Rest

Objective To study and evaluate frequency-doubled-double-pulse laser (FREDDY) lithotripsy of ureteral calculi. Methods The experience of 150 cases of ureteral calculi treated with FREDDY from April to December in 2001 was summarized.94 are male patients and 56 female with an average age of 42.There were 48 cases of upper,35 middle and 64 lower ureteral stone. Results Of 150 cases,136(90.6%) were successful on the first lithotripsy.Of which in 131 cases (96.8%) the stone fragment completely expelled in one week.The procedure failed in 9 cases of upper ureteral calculi.Among them,5 cases was due to up drift of calculi or incomplete lithotripsy and was then shifted to ESWL therapy.2 was due to angular twist of the ureter and changed to open operation,and another 2 was due to perforation of ureter during the procedure.Of the 5 failed cases with middle and lower ureteral calculi,1 was due to incomplete lithotripsy,nonfragmentation in 1 case and failure of ureteroscopy in 3(changed to open operation).Different degree of hematuria was seen in every case after operation.High fever or pyonephrosis after operation has not been observed.The average operation time was 32 minutes,and the average time for laser working was 3.3 minutes.The average hospitalization after operation was 2.5 days. Conclusions FREDDY is a kind of laser with the characteristics of single function,simple operation,safe,less damage to the soft tissue and high efficiency of lithotripsy.The procedure is indicated if ESWL failed or not indicated.

Objective To study the synchronization of electroencephalogram (EEG) in the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods Sixteen-channel EEG was recorded under resting, eyes-closed condition in 8 AD patients and 8 control subjects. After data preprocessing, the synchronization likelihood was measured between pairs of EEG channels for the full band,δband (0.5-4 Hz),θband (4-8 Hz),αband (8-13 Hz) andβband (13-30 Hz) in the AD and control groups. Mean synchronization likelihood values of each frequency band were compared between the two groups. Results At the full band,θband andαband, the mean synchronization likelihood values of the AD group were lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the two groups at theδandβbands (P>0.05). Conclusions The EEG synchronization of AD patients decreases at the full band,θandαbands, suggesting that collaborative information processing ability atθandαbands reduces between different brain regions in the AD patients. The research provides support for further study of the brain functional connectivity characteristics in the AD patients.

Objective:To examine the clinical value of combining indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation with blue dye in sen-tinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for patients with breast cancer. Methods:A total of 89 patients with early-stage breast cancer who met the inclusion criteria were admitted at Shantou Central Hospital, Guangdong from May 2013 to April 2014. In phase one, ICG and blue dye were applied in all 53 patients, and then SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) were performed based on fluores-cence signal or visual sense of the lymph nodes. In phase two, 36 patients with early-stage breast cancer were included. ALND was omitted when sentinel lymph nodes were frozen showing negative result. Rates of detection, accuracy, and false-negative were calcu-lated. Results:A total of 89 patients were monitored, of which the total rate of SLNB detection was 96.6%(86/89). In the validation pe-riod, the rates of detection, accuracy, and false-negative were 94.3%(50/53) 98.0%(49/50), and 2.6%(1/38), respectively. In the alter-ative period, the rates of detection reached 100%. Of the 196 sentinel lymph nodes, 179 showed fluorescence signal, 142 exhibited blue dying, 54 only demonstrated fluorescence signals, and 45 demonstrated metastasis with five signaling fluorescence. About 24.7%of patients were diagnosed with SLN metastasis (22/89), where SLNB in two patients showed fluorescence signal but without blue dye. No ipsilateral lymph node relapsed were observed during a median follow up of 25 months. Conclusion:Combination of ICG fluores-cence navigation with blue dye in SLNB is safe for patients with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVETo investigate an effective method to produce large numbers of pure corporal smooth muscle cells in vitro according to the requirement of study.

METHODSIn this study, we used the primary tissue culture technique to isolate and culture the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells (CCSM) from human males with normal erectile function and New Zealand white rabbits. The cells were identified in regard to morphological and growing characteristics via immunohistochemical methods (including alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin, myocin and factor VIII related antigen), special dye techniques (including Masson and Van Gieson) and transmission electron microscope.

RESULTSCCSM were isolated and cultured successfully with high purity. Morphologically, the cells were spindle shaped and grow on top of each other, resembling a "hill and valley" in appearance. When characterized in immunohistochemistry, the cells were stained with alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin and myocin, but not with anti-factor VIII, an endothelial marker.

CONCLUSIONThe CCSM, which can be isolated and cultured successfully, may be used for further studying their biological function. The CCSM cultured in vitro was proved to be useful to evaluate and investigate the effect of some new medicine for penile erection. There is also a clinical and theoretical significance in further studying the experimental mechanisms of erectile dysfunction.

Animals ; Cell Division ; Cells, Cultured ; Erectile Dysfunction ; etiology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; chemistry ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Penis ; cytology ; Rabbits

Ebolavirus can cause hemorrhagic fever in humans with a mortality rate of 50%-90%. Currently, no approved vaccines and antiviral therapies are available. Human TIM1 is considered as an attachment factor for EBOV, enhancing viral infection through interaction with PS located on the viral envelope. However, reasons underlying the preferable usage of hTIM-1, but not other PS binding receptors by filovirus, remain unknown. We firstly demonstrated a direct interaction between hTIM-1 and EBOV GP in vitro and determined the crystal structures of the Ig V domains of hTIM-1 and hTIM-4. The binding region in hTIM-1 to EBOV GP was mapped by chimeras and mutation assays, which were designed based on structural analysis. Pseudovirion infection assays performed using hTIM-1 and its homologs as well as point mutants verified the location of the GP binding site and the importance of EBOV GP-hTIM-1 interaction in EBOV cellular entry.
Ebolavirus ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 1 ; Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2 ; Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Receptors, Virus ; metabolism ; Surface Plasmon Resonance ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; metabolism ; Viral Proteins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the telephone follow-up of surgery patients with lung cancer and to analyze the prognosis factors. METHODS: From October 2011 to January 2012, 1635 post-surgery lung cancer patients from January 2002 to August 2011 were followed up by telephone interview. The data from follow-up and clinical characteristics were collected and analyzed. Among these patients, 116 patients with complete and reliable clinical data were further analyzed to determine the effective factors of lung cancer metastasis and long-term survival. RESULTS: The average response rate in the follow-up was 36.1%, and the response rate was related to the interval time after the operations. The shorter the interval, the higher the response rate. The response rate in female patients was higher than that in male patients (P<0.001).The response rate was higher in patients younger than 40 (56 %) than that in the patients aged between 50-59 and over 60 (39% and 24% respectively, P<0.001). There was no statistical difference between patients from urban and rural areas (P=0.844). In the 116 patients with complete and reliable clinical data, statistical analysis confirmed that the metastasis and high lymph node staging were factors to increase patients' risk of death (with odd ratio 0.212 and 1.818 respectively, P<0.001). The adenocarcinoma grade, high lymph node staging and advanced age were related to the metastasis risk (odds ratio 2.353, 2.181 and 2.908, respectively). CONCLUSION Time, gender and age are the influencing factors in the telephone follow-up. Metastasis, lymph node metastasis, pathologic type and age are related to the lung cancer prognosis in the small-scale sample.
Adenocarcinoma ; surgery ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Telephone ; Young Adult

Objective:To investigate the level of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its correlation with clinical symptoms in patients with first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia patients of different genders.Methods:From January 2016 to October 2019, a total of 81 first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia patients(patient group, 41 male, 40 female) and 64 healthy controls (control group, 40 male, 24 female) were included in this study.The serum level of VEGF was detected with flow cytometric bear array (CBA). Positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS) was used to evaluate the relevant clinical symptoms of patients.SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Independent sample t-test and nonparametric test were used for comparison between groups.The relationship between VEGF and clinical variables was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis and Spearman correlation analysis. Results:The level of serum VEGF in the patient group was significantly lower than that in the control group(148.08(75.89, 208.61)pg/mL, 179.94(99.14, 318.41)pg/mL, Z=-2.20, P=0.028). The total PANSS score((82.71±17.30), (73.45±16.36), t=2.473, P=0.016)and cognitive score((7.88±3.36), (6.23±2.81), t=2.402, P=0.019) in male patients were higher than those in female patients.There was a negative correlation between VEGF level and PANSS negative symptom score in the patient group( r=-0.228, P=0.041), as well as significant negtive correlation between VEGF level and cognitive score in male patients( r=-0.425, P=0.007). Conclusion:The level of serum VEGF is reduced in first-episode patients with schizophrenia, which influences their negative symptom. Moreover, the decline in serum VEGF level is implicated in cognitive impairments in male patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of modified PPH combined with partial internal anal sphincterotomy in the treatment of circular mixed hemorrhoids.Methods Patients with annular mixed hemorrhoids were divided into two groups by a completely randomized controlled method.54 patients in the experimental group were treated with modified PPH combined with partial internal anal sphincterotomy,while 51 patients in the control group were treated with conventional PPH.The postoperative indicators,perioperative and long-term complication rates of the two groups were compared,and the clinical efficacy and safety were observed.Results The operation time in the experimental group was(48.35±4.37)minutes,which was higher than that in the control group(36.42 ±6.21)minutes(P＜0.05).The incidence of postoperative anastomotic stenosis in the experimental group was 1.9％,lower than 15.6％ in the control group(P＜0.05).Anal pain,urinary retention,first defecation time,long-term anal distention,the experimental group was significantly better than the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05);The hospitalization time in the experimental group(4.8±0.62)days was not significantly different from that in the control group(5.1±0.54)days(P＞0.05).The amount of intraoperative bleeding and anastomotic bleeding in the experimental group[(17.28±2.22)ml,3.7％]were not significantly different from those in the control group[(16.75± 2.13)ml,3.9％](P＞0.05).Conclusion Compared with conventional PPH,the modified PPH combined with partial internal anal sphincterotomy slightly increases the operation time,but does not increase the risk of anastomotic bleeding,the incidence of rectal fistula,the amount of surgical bleeding,and the length of hospital stay.It can significantly improve postoperative anal pain,urinary retention,long-term distention symptoms,shorten the time of first defecation,ease the difficulty of defecation,and significantly reduce postoperative anastomotic stenosis,The long-term efficacy and safety are good.