Objective To compare the treatment effects of self-designed anti-rotation reduction internal fixators (ARRIF), atlas fixator (AF) and Dick screw in reduction and fixation of different thoracolumbar spinal fractures. Methods Reduction effect, operation time, bleeding volume during operation and complications were observed and compared after ARRIF, AF and Dick screw were used to treat 90 cases of thoracolumbar spinal fractures. Results Compared with AF and Dick screw, the operation time of ARRIF was shorter with less bleeding volume during operation as well as less complications like broken or pulled-out screw or broken rod. Conclusions All three fixation methods can attain the reduction and fixation of various kinds of thoracolumbar spinal fractures. However, ARRIF is the most valuable transpedicular internal fixator and can more conveniently reduce and fixate the different spinal fractures and AF places the second.

Objective To explore prevention and cure effects of the freeze-dried human fibrin glue as the way of the lacrimal duct embolization on xerophthalmia in perimenopausal female rabbit.Methods A total of 72 female rabbits,after anti infection treatment and were cut off third eyelid,were made into perimenopausal xerophthalmia rabbit models.After surgery,all of these rabbits were randomly divided into 6 groups (12 rabbits per group):No treatment group after surgery (group A),PBS prevention group (group B),freeze-dried human fibrin prevention group (group C);no treatment group after modeling (modeling time:Two weeks after surgery,group D),PBS treatment group (group E),freeze-dried human fibrin treatmentgroup (group F).The Schirmer test (SIT),corneal fluorescein (FL) and corneal confocal microscope were performed before and 2 weeks,4 weeks,6 weeks after injection.Results There were statistical differences in FL score and SIT in group A,group B and group C among different time points (F =27.346,10.608;P =0.000,0.001);There were statistical differences between FL scores and SIT among three groups (F =7.579,6.786;P =0.002,0.007);There was significant difference in FL scores and SIT trends among three groups(F =44.897,3.424;P =0.000,0.045).The FL score and SIT of group D,group E and group F were significantly improved after treatment for 2 weeks,4 weeks and 6 weeks,the differences were statistically significant (t =2.906,3.654,4.504;P =0.022,0.017,0.013.t =4.573,5.759,7.231;P =0.032,0.019,0.008);The difference between FL score and SIT in group E and group F was statistically significant after treatment (t =2.776,4.124,5.324;P =0.032,0.026,0.017.t =1.969,3.122,4.324;P =0.038,0.023,0.009).After injection of 6 weeks,the epithelial basal cells (F =17.306,P =0.002) and inflammatory cells (F =34.024,P =0.000) of group A,B and C were significant changed,the differences were statistically significant.After injection of 6 weeks,the epithelial basal cells (F =3.749,P =0.042)and inflarnmatory cells(F=8.806,P =0.005) of group D,E and F were significant changed,the differences were also statistically significant.Conclusion Lacrimal duct embolization with freeze-dried human fibrin glue is effective for the xerophthalmia.

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVETo estimate disease burden and epidemiological characteristics of acute meningitis/encephalitis, and provide the basis for the disease control strategy development.

METHODSA syndrome surveillance system was established in Guigang city with a population of 5 020 000. For the suspected cases, serum and CSF were collected, and bacterial culture, latex agglutination test, real-time PCR and ELISA tests were carried out. All involved cases were identified to 6 categories according to WHO case definition.

RESULTS1424 suspected cases were evaluated in a surveillance of 30 months, yielding the incidence, mortality and mortality of 11.35/100 000 (1424/12 546 500 person years), 0.43/100 000 (54/12 546 500 person years), 3.79% (54/1424) respectively. A total of 103 and 51 cases were confirmed for JE, bacterial meningitis, with a incidence of 0.82/100 000 (103/12 546 500 person years), 0.41/100 000 (51/12 546 500 person years). 96.10% (99/103) of JE cases and 37.30% (19/51) bacterial meningitis cases occurred in < 10 years old children and < 5 years old children. A clinical misdiagnosis rate of 19.42% (20/103) and 15.69% (8/51) were observed for JE and bacterial meningitis.

CONCLUSIONAcute encephalitis, meningitis syndrome can cause a higher burden of disease, of which the main components of viral encephalitis. Most of syndrome is occurred in summer and autumn, mainly reported in children of younger than 10 years old. A quite misdiagnosis would be made among meningitis and encephalitis syndrome cases.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Encephalitis, Viral ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; epidemiology ; Meningoencephalitis ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; prevention & control ; virology ; Middle Aged ; Seasons ; Young Adult

This article introduces a new-type anti-rotation reduction internal fixator, which can be applied in various spine fractures and dislocations in order to shorten the operation time, to raise reduction effect, and to reduce the complications such as the loss of reduction, broken nail, broken rod etc. Biomechanical tests and clinical applications have proved that the internal fixator has the features of a short operation time, a definite fixation and few complications.
Bone Nails ; Bone Plates ; Equipment Design ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Internal Fixators ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery

BACKGROUNDSevoflurane and propofol are widely used anesthetics for surgery. Studies on the mechanisms of general anesthesia have focused on changes in protein expression properties and membrane lipid. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate neural function by altering protein expression. We hypothesize that sevoflurane and propofol affect miRNA expression profiles in the brain, expect to understand the mechanism of anesthetic agents.

METHODSRats were randomly assigned to a 2% sevoflurane group, 600 μg·kg - 1·min - 1 propofol group, and a control group without anesthesia (n = 4, respectively). Treatment group was under anesthesia for 6 h, and all rats breathed spontaneously with continuous monitoring of respiration and blood gases. Changes in rat cortex miRNA expression profiles were analyzed by miRNA microarrays and validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Differential expression of miRNA using qRT-PCR among the control, sevoflurane, and propofol groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTSOf 677 preloaded rat miRNAs, the microarray detected the expression of 277 miRNAs in rat cortex (40.9%), of which 9 were regulated by propofol and (or) sevoflurane. Expression levels of three miRNAs (rno-miR-339-3p, rno-miR-448, rno-miR-466b-1FNx01) were significantly increased following sevoflurane and six (rno-miR-339-3p, rno-miR-347, rno-miR-378FNx01, rno-miR-412FNx01, rno-miR-702-3p, and rno-miR-7a-2FNx01) following propofol. Three miRNAs (rno-miR-466b-1FNx01, rno-miR-3584-5p and rno-miR-702-3p) were differentially expressed by the two anesthetic treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONSSevoflurane and propofol anesthesia induced distinct changes in brain miRNA expression patterns, suggesting differential regulation of protein expression. Determining the targets of these differentially expressed miRNAs may help reveal both the common and agent-specific actions of anesthetics on neurological and physiological function.

Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Methyl Ethers ; pharmacology ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; Propofol ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Communicable Disease Control ; General Surgery/organization & administration* ; Guidelines as Topic ; Health Care Rationing ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Health Workforce ; Humans ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Triage

OBJECTIVEThis study is to verify the use of rich BHI medium to substitute synthetic media for gene regulation studies in Yersinia pestis.

METHODSThe transcriptional regulation of rovA by PhoP or via temperature upshift, and that of pla by CRP were investigated when Y. pestis was cultured in BHI. After cultivation under 26 °C, and with temperature shifting from 26 to 37 °C, the wild-type (WT) strain or its phoP or crp null mutant (ΔphoP or Δcrp, respectively) was subject to RNA isolation, and then the promoter activity of rovA or pla in the above strains was detected by the primer extension assay. The rovA promoter-proximal region was cloned into the pRW50 containing a promoterless lacZ gene. The recombinant LacZ reporter plasmid was transformed into WT and ΔphoP to measure the promoter activity of rovA in these two strains with the β-Galactosidase enzyme assay system.

RESULTSWhen Y. pestis was cultured in BHI, the transcription of rovA was inhibited by PhoP and upon temperature upshift while that of pla was stimulated by CRP.

CONCLUSIONThe rich BHI medium without the need for modification to be introduced into the relevant stimulating conditions (which are essential to triggering relevant gene regulatory cascades), can be used in lieu of synthetic TMH media to cultivate Y. pestis for gene regulation studies.

Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Bacteriological Techniques ; Culture Media ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ; drug effects ; physiology ; Yersinia pestis ; metabolism ; physiology

BACKGROUNDDefinitive treatment for heart attack is early reperfusion with either angioplasty or thrombolytic therapy, and the benefit is strictly time-dependent. Patient outcomes are improved with either therapy when initiated as soon as possible. Recognition of heart attack symptoms is logically tied to taking action to receive prompt emergency care. Inadequate knowledge of heart attack symptoms may prolong delay. The purpose of this study was to document knowledge about heart attack symptoms in Beijing residents and to identify the characteristics associated with increased knowledge of heart attack.

METHODSA structured survey was conducted in 18 communities in Beijing from March 1 through June 10 in 2006. Addresses and participants were selected randomly following a stratification. The survey was designed to collect knowledge of heart attack symptoms from sampled adults in each community.

RESULTSA total of 4627 respondents completed the questionnaires correctly, and 50.29% of them were female. Totally 64.15% of the respondents reported chest pain or discomfort (common symptoms) as a symptom of heart attack; 75.38% reported at least one of the following eight symptoms as a symptom of heart attack: back pain, shortness of breath, arm pain or numbness, nausea or vomiting, neck, jaw or shoulder pain, epigastric pain, sweating, weakness (less common symptoms); 20.36% correctly reported four or more heart attack symptoms, only 7.4% knew all the correct heart attack symptoms, and 28.94% knew about reperfusion therapy for heart attack; 31.7% reported to call 120 or 999 while having a heart attack themselves; however 89.6% reported to call 120 or 999 when someone else is suffering from a heart attack. Very old persons and those with health insurance coverage, high education level, high household income, longer living in Beijing and previous experience with heart disease had greater knowledge of heart attack symptoms.

CONCLUSIONSPublic knowledge of common heart attack symptoms as well as less common heart attack symptoms is deficient in Beijing residents. But their knowledge of calling emergency medical services when someone is having a heart attack is relatively adequate. Public health efforts are needed to increase the recognition of the major heart attack symptoms in both the general public and groups at high risk for an acute cardiac event, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroups, including persons with low education level, low household income, and no health insurance coverage.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Health Education ; Humans ; Knowledge ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; diagnosis ; Public Health ; Sex Characteristics ; Socioeconomic Factors

BACKGROUNDMultiple neonatal characteristics and adult cardiovascular risk factors are associated with the development of atherosclerosis, however little conclusive evidence exists characterizing the relative strength of these factors. In a large retrospective study, we investigated the association between both objective neonatal measurements and comprehensive adult cardiovascular risk factors with the development of atherosclerosis, quantified by carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Further, we assessed the impact of gender on the relative impact of these risk factors.

METHODSCIMT, a measure of atherosclerosis, was determined by carotid ultrasound on 1568 participants (age 50-85) whose birth records were obtained from Peking Union Medical College Hospital. In addition, each participant was given a physical examination, and completed a medical questionnaire to identify a panel of cardiovascular risk factors. Multiple regression analysis was performed on the population and on the male and female cohorts individually, to identify the relative contribution of these risk factors to increased CIMT.

RESULTSFor the total population the Framingham score, renal function, adult abdominal circumference and mother's gestational age were associated with CIMT, accounting for 14.7%, 1.4%, 0.9%, and 0.2% of total variance, respectively. In the male population the Framingham score, renal function, abdominal circumference and hemoglobin were the most significant risk factors for CIMT. Risk in the female population was associated with Framingham score, renal function, insulin resistance and gestational age. No relationship between birth weight or head circumference and CIMT were observed.

CONCLUSIONSAdult cardiovascular risk factors were the most significantly associated with the development of atherosclerosis; however mother's age at birth was associated with CIMT, particularly in the female cohort. The relative contribution of the risk factors analyzed varied between the male and female populations.

Adult ; Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; Birth Weight ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; Carotid Arteries ; pathology ; China ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Sex Characteristics ; Tunica Intima ; pathology ; Tunica Media ; pathology