Heart Defects, Congenital ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Organ Size ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Syndrome

Adult ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Humans ; Male ; Osteochondroma ; diagnosis ; surgery

Objective To investigate the situation of visual memory impairment in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG).Methods Thirty MG patients and 28 normal control subjects were tested with a battery of computerized tests (modified Smith working memory software), which was designed to assess visual-spatial and visual-object working memory.Results There was no significant difference in the accuracy rate of visual-object working memory test between the MG group and normal controls (MG group 73.4% ±9.7%, normal controls 72.7% ±8.5%).The accuracy rate of the visual-spatial working memory test in the MG group (76.6% ± 16.5%) was significantly lower than that in the normal controls (86.6% ±7.5%, Z = -2.204, P = 0.028).Conclusion The visual-spatial working memory is probably impaired while the visual-object working memory is relatively spared in MG patients.

Graphite ; Humans ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; methods ; Vanadium ; urine

Statement of the REporting of studies conducted using routinely collected data (RECORD) and evaluating checklist of good research for comparative effectiveness (GRACE) were translated and introduced in this paper. The two evaluation tools would help researchers of Chinese medicine to conduct real world study in future. RECORD statement focus on unique aspects of studies conducted with routinely collected health data and the perceived need for better reporting of methodological issues. Researchers of comparative effectiveness research could refer to GRACE checklist. It was believed that researchers of Chinese medicines who were keen on real world studies would be benefited from the two tools.
Biomedical Research ; Checklist ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

A 56-year-old man with 1-year history of palpitation, heat intolerance and sweating, was diagnosed as thyrotropin (TSH) -secreting pituitary adenoma based on the symptoms of hypermetabolism, enlarged thyroid gland, inappropriately increased serum TSH concomitantly elevated plasma thyroid hormones and a pituitary tumor demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging. Long-acting octreotide formulation was administered at a dose of 20 mg intramuscularly. Tumor volume shrinkage and improvement of thyroid function was achieved after a single drug injection; and the thyroid function returned to normal in 28 days. It is suggested that long-acting octreotide formulation might be used as a routine therapeutic approach prior to pituitary surgery, which may enhance the effectiveness of surgery and postoperative recovery.

BackgroundIt has been well-known that integrin linked kinase(ILK) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neorascularization.But there are few researches to elucidate the relationship between ILK and retinal nevascularization. Objective This study was to explore the expression and significance of ILK on retinal neovascularization and new vessels regression in the oxygen-induced retinopathy(OIR) mouse model. Methods One hundred and twenty-eight 7-day-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the normal group and model group.The mice were rose in(75±2)％O2 environment with mother mice together for 5 days and then in normal environment for 5 days to establish the OIR models.The mice in normal group were rose in the normal environment for 21 days.The 17-day-old mice were sacrificed and retinal sections were prepared for histopathological examination and the numbers of the cellular nuclei of vascular endotheliumbreaking retinalinternal limiting membranewere calculated.Retinal sections and sheeting were prepared in 12,14,17 and 21 -day-old mice to examine the formation and regression of new blood vessel using ADP histochemistry staining,and then immunochemistry,real-time PCR and Western-blotting were used to detect the expressions of ILK and its mRNA in retina. ResultsThe numbers of the cellular nuclei of vascular endothelium breaking retinal internal limiting membrane were (45.64 ± 12.17 )in OIR group,and those of the normal group were( 0.35±0.14 )with a significant difference between two groups (t =22.85,P＜0.05).Retinal new blood vessel appeared in 14-day mice,and peaked in 17-day mice and then regression in 21-day mice.ILK protein was expressed mainly in retinal ganglion cell layer,inner nuclear layer,inner plexiform layer and photoreceptor layer.Real-time PCR showed that ILK mRNA expressing levels in retina in model group were( 1.00±0.22),(1.85±0.17),(1.58±0.43) and(1.53±0.36) respectively in 12-,14-,17- and 21-day mice.Westernblotting determined that the A value of the ILK/β-actin was increased in 12-,14-,17-day mice and decreased in 21-day mice,and the A values were significantly higher in model group than the control group in various aged mice ( t =2.97,P＜0.05 ;t =11.88,P＜0.01 ;t =16.84,P＜0.01 ;t =13.00,P＜0.01 ). ConclusionsThese results indicate a space-time corresponding relation between the expression of ILK and retinal neovascularization.The obvious positive expression of ILK may be highly correlated with retinal neovascularization.

Background Fibrin glue has been utilized to adhere the graft during the pterygium excision with conjunctival autografts.Several relevant clinical randomized controlled trial(RCT) and retrospective studies have been published abroad,but the samples for its effectiveness and safety issue of fibrin glue and suture are still underinvestigation.Objective Current study was to quantificationally assess the efficacy and safety of fibrin glue versus sutures in the application of pterygium excision with conjunctival autografts.Methods Based on established search strategy,a computerized literature search was conducted to identify all citations concerning the RCT for effectiveness and safety evaluation of fibrin glue and suture for the graft fixation during the pterygium excision with conjunctival autografts from MEDLINE ( from 2000 to October,2010 ),EMbase ( from 2000 to October,2010 ),Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials ( Issue 4,2010 ),CBMdisc ( 2000 to October 2010 ),CNKI ( 2000 to October 2010 ),and the relevant conference proceedings and references searched by hand was performed as supplement.The included literature was scored with Jadad table.The Cochrane Collaboration' s RevMan 5.0 software was used for the test of heterogeneity or test for overall effect.The effective indexes,such as operative duration,recurrence rate and complication,were evaluated by Meta analysis.Results Six RCTs involving 401 eyes of 377 participants were identified.These literatures were published with English in 2004-2010 from China,New Zealand,Sweden,Israel,Turkey and Malasia and the Jadad scores were 4-5.The quantitatively analysis revealed that fibrin glue appeared to short the operative time compared with suturing method (MD =14.23 ;95％ CI:- 16.18- 12.29;P=0.00) and drop the rate of recurrence ( RR =0.49,95％ CI:0.26 -0.95 ; P =0.03 ).No significant differences were found in the rate of postoperative graft dehiscence or absence (RR =3.41,95 ％ CI:0.85-13.68;P =0.08 ).Conclusions Fibrin glue shows the good effectiveness and easy application during the pterygium excision with conjunctival autografts.Long-term follow-up of multi-central RCTs with a larger number of cases are still needed to support this conclusion.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of family environment in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in clinics, and analyse the risk factors for ADHD. Methods Two thousand two hundred and ninety-six children with inattention, hyperactivity or unfavourable school performance were subjected to diagnosis with DSM-Ⅳ criteria in clinics. The characteristics of family environment were investigated by self-prepared questionnaires. The risk factors for ADHD were explored by univariate analysis and noneonditioned multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results Seven hundred and twenty children were diagnosed with ADHD. There were significant differences in family environment between children with ADHD and those without(P<0.05 or P<0.01). The risk factors for ADHD included discord between parents, parental smoking and maternal depression during pregnancy and after delivery, while older age, female, paternal higher educational background were protective factors for ADHD. Conclusion Unfavourable family environment may be associated with the prevalence of ADHD, and special attention should be paid to the family environment in the treatment of ADHD.

Combined Modality Therapy ; Endometriosis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Integrative Medicine