ObjectiveTo search for the optimum external masking time and tonal models for patients with tinnitus.MethodsTwenty-seven patients with cochlear tinnitus were selected respectively from three different out-patients departments and divided into three groups. Nine patients in every group were treated with different masking parameters according to factorial design which had three masking noises, i.e. narrow band noise (NBN), wide band noise (WBN), speech noise (SN),and three masking time ranges, i.e. 15,30,45 minutes. The results before and after treatment were compared and analysed with analysis of variance (ANOVA). ResultsThe treatment effect when masking for 15 minutes was worse than that for 30,45 minutes, but there was no difference between 30 and 45 minutes. The NBN had the best effect when tinnitus signal was single, the WBN was effective for tinnitus with multiple sounds. ConclusionNBN or WBN masking for 30 minutes showed better therapeutic effect.

Objective To explore the content and gene expression of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) in heart of hyperlipidemia apoE-/- mice. Methods apoE-/- mice were fed with high fat diet as high-fat diet group (n= 7) and normal fat diet as control group (n = 6) for 12 weeks. Serum lipid profiles including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were detected, eNOS mRNA expression in heart were determined by Real-Time RT-PCR, as well as protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Results Levels of serum TC, TG and LDL clearly increased in high fat diet group, while HDL decreased (P< 0. 01). mRNA and protein expression of eNOS in heart reduced in high fat diet group(P<0.01). Conclusions High fat diet may lead to hyperlipidemia in apoE-/- mice, which may down-regulate eNOS expression and decrease eNOS content in heart.

Nine patients with tinnitus were treated with tinnitus retraining therapy( TRT) between August and November, 1997. The components of TRT included(1)correct counselling, (2)use of appropriate hearing aid, (3)mask with a low level sound, (4)use of relaxation technique. 7 cases demonstrated encouraging results of treatment. This provides a new method for treatment of tinnitus.

With the further expansion of the connotations of the quality of medical services and the establishment of the bio psycho social medical model, it has become necessary to redefine quality evaluation of medical services. The authors give their interpretation of the quality of medical services and its evaluation from several perspectives, discuss the goals of quality evaluation of medical services, and expound in a rational manner the entire process and content of quality evaluation. On the basis of this, they make a comment on previous quality evaluation units and methods and put forward the tentative idea of conducting overall quality evaluation of whole process medical services.

Objective To evaluate the correlation of the ion selectivity electrode assay and arsenazo Ⅲ assay for serum calcium determination and compare the differences between two methods.Methods 142 serum samples were collected from patients and detected by ion selectivity electrode assay and arsenazo Ⅲ assay,the differences of two methods were compared,person correlation and Bland -Altman was used to discuss the correlation.Results The serum calcium concentration detected by ion selectivity electrode assay was (2.23 ±0.10)mmol/L and detected by arsenazo Ⅲ assay was (2.24 ±0.12)mmol/L,the difference between the two methods was not statistically significant (t =-1.09,P >0.05).The person correlation analysis demonstrated that the two methods had a positive correlation (r =0.393,P <0.01).The Bland -Altman consistency analysis showed that ion selectivity electrode assay was agreed with arsenazo Ⅲ assay.Conclusion The two methods for serum calcium concentration determination,the ion selectivity electrode assay was coincidence with the arsenazo Ⅲ assay.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of segmental scleral buckling and vitrectomy with/without lensectomy on the retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) stage 4a,4b and 5.Methods One hundred and thirty-four ROP infants (181 eyes) diagnosed as stage 4a,4b and 5,and performed with segmental scleral buckling or vitreous with/without lensectomy were retrospectively analyzed.The operated 4a-,4b-and 5-stage eyes were 40,51 and 90 eyes.The operational method depended on the location and severity of fibrovascular membrane.Of 181 eyes,segmental scleral buckling was referred for 37 eyes which include 23 eyes with 4a stage and 14 eyes with 4b stage;vitrectomy was referred for 50 eyes which include 14 eyes with 4a stage,29 eyes with 4b stage and 7 eyes with 5 stage;vitrectomy with lensectomy was referred for 94 eyes which include 3 eyes with 4a stage,8 eyes with 4b stage and 83 eyes with 5 stage.The effect was classified as success,improved and failure.Failure includes lost eye.Follow-up for 4a,4b and 5 stage patients are 34,31 and 29 months respectively.Results Segmental scleral buckling was referred for 37 eyes,success in 23 eyes (62.16％),improved in 11 eyes (29.73 ％),failure in 3 eyes (8.11 ％).Vitrectomy was referred for 50 eyes,and success in 20 eyes (40.00％),improved in 22 eyes (44.00％),and failure in 8 eyes (16.00％).In the total of 94 eyes underwent vitrectomy with lensectomy,20 eyes was success (21.28％),improved in 17 eyes (18.08％),failure in 57 eyes (60.64％).In 40 stage 4a eyes,33 successes (82.50％),6 improved (15.00％) and 1 failure (2.50％).In 51 stage4b eyes,11 successes (21.57％),30 improved (58.82％) and 10 failures (19.61％).For 90 stage 5 eyes,14 successes (17.50％),19 improved (23.75％) and 57 failures (71.25％).The therapeutic effect of segmental scleral buckling for stage 4a was better than that for stage 5 (x2 =6.707,P=0.035).The difference of therapeutic effect of vitrectomy for different stage was significant (x2=21.010,P =0.000);stage 4a was the best;stage 4b was the second,stage 5 was the worst.The therapeutic effect of vitrectomy with lensectomy for stage 5 was worse than that for stage 4a and 4b (x2=16.066,P=0.003).Conclusion The surgery patterns of ROP was determined based on the disease severity,the surgery effects of stage 4a and 4b were better than stage 5,which had nothing to do with the surgical procedures.

Aqueous two phase system(ATPS) provides a gentle, non-denaturing separation environment for proteins, enzymes. While high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) is a liquid-liquid partition chromatography which uses centrifugal force to hold the stationary phase and facilities the mobile phase partitioning through the stationary phase, it can produce high separation efficiency with large sample loading capacity. However, the ordinary HSCCC apparatus (Type J ) fails to retention a satisfactory stationary phase of ATPS because of its high viscosity and low interfacial tension. Nevertheless, the later designed cross-axis planetary centrifuge system(X-CPC) can produce a greater lateral force field and enhances significantly the retention of the ATPS stationary phase. A review of the application of these CCC techniques with ATPS in the separation of proteins was given. Meanwhile, new techniques such as pH-peak focusing CCC and dye-ligand affinity CCC and some new CCC column design for improvement of separation efficiency and retention of ATPS stationary phase are introduced.

Objective To know the position and shape of implanted electrode array with plain X-ray after cochlear implantation. Methods According to the Cochlear View developed by Xu plain X-ray was taken postoperatively to obtain the best view of electrode array. Results The Medical imaging of plain X- ray taken before switching on or following the concerning of the performance could assist in the detection of electrode arrays in improper position, partial insertion or bending inside the cochlea. It helped audiologists to make decisions to switch off affected electrodes for the optimization of the program, if functioning electrodes were insufficient and recipients failed. Conclusion It is recommended to conduct post-operative X-ray examination routinely for cochlear implant recipients. Audiologists should be able to use medical imaging to identify the position of intra-cochlear electrodes and apply the information to guide the mapping work.

Objective To analyze the methylation status and protein expression of Ras association domain family- 1A (RASSF1A) in endometriosis (EMS). Methods The ectopic and corresponding eutopic endometrium tissues were collected from 45 women with EMS and normal endometrium tissues of 20 women without EMS. The methylation status of RASSF1A was examined by methylation specific PCR (MSP). Immunohistochemistry was performed to measure the level of RASSF1A in endometrium tissues. Results The RASSF1A protein expression rate in ectopic endometrium, eutopic endometrium, and normal endometrium was 37.78%(17/45), 60.00%(27/45) and 85.00%(17/20), and there was significant difference (χ2 = 13.136, P = 0.001). The frequency of aberrant methylation of RASSF1A was 55.56%(25/45), 33.33%(15/45) and 0 in ectopic endometrium , eutopic endometrium, and normal endometrium, and there was significant difference (χ2 =18.770, P = 0.000). The frequency of aberrant methylation of RASSF1A had no significant differnce throughout the menstrual cycle in ectopic endometrium and eutopic endometrium: 66.67%(14/21) vs. 45.83%(11/24), 38.10%(8/21) vs. 29.17%(7/24), P>0.05. In ectopic endometrium, the frequency of aberrant methylation of RASSF1A inⅢ-Ⅲstage was significantly higher than that in Ⅰ-Ⅱstage (χ2=5.940, P=0.015). In ectopic endometrium and eutopic endometrium, the RASSF1A protein expression had negative correlation with aberrant methylation of RASSF1A (r =- 0.594、- 0.577, P<0.01). Conclusions Epigenetic inactivation of RASSF1A through aberrant promoter methylation may be strongly correlated with the formation and progression of EMS, and assessment of RASSF1A methylation status in eutopic endometrium may be a potentially useful biomarker to enhance the early detection of EMS.

Purpose To investigate the expression and clinical significance of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa).Methods The human tissue specimens were paraffin-embedded blocks which were collected from the Department of Pathology.miR-21 was detected by in situ hybridization (ISH) in 90 cases of PCa and 69 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Results The ISH data showed that the positive rate of miR-21 in PCa (71.1％) was significantly higher than that in BPH (24.6％) (P ＜ 0.05),the expression of miR-21 correlated with the Gleason grade (P ＜ 0.05),and no relationship was observed with other clinicpathological features (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The miR-21 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PCa,which can be a new diagnostic target for PCa.