It was reported that human can perceive ultrasound with frequency ranges up to at least 120 kHz. Bone-conducted ultrasound perception has several medical applications, among which more attention has been paid to its application for hearing aid. The bone-conducted ultrasonic hearing aid technique can help the hearing-impaired retrieve hearing with bone-conducted ultrasound modulated by speech sounds. Studies of the characteristics and the perception mechanism of bone-conducted ultrasound are introduced in this paper and so as the bone-conducted ultrasonic hearing aid(BCUHA) developed by the Japanese Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Current results show that the BCUHA can make more than 40 % of profoundly deaf subjects perceive sounds and 17 % recognize speech. The BCUHA exempt the hearing-impaired from suffering the surgery due to its non-invasiveness and is expected to have great application value.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of virulence genes(ply, pspA, nanA, lytA, psaA) among Streptococcus pneumoniae recently isolated from clinical patients. Methods The 133 strains were isolated from patients in three teaching hospitals in Chongqing from 2006 to 2008. Polymerase chain reaction was used to screen for virulence genes (ply, pspA, nanA, lytA, psaA). Results The positive rate of lytA, psaA, ply, nanA and pspA in 133 clinical isolates were 94.7%, 85.0%, 82.7%, 84. 2% and 60.2%, respectively. The positive rates of the lytA, psaA, ply, nanA and pspA genes in 87 common serotypes isolates was 100%, 87.4%, 86.2%, 89.7%, 67.8%, respectively. Conclusion The total positive rates of five virulence genes in the 133 clinical strains were high. The positive rates of five genes in the com-mon serotypes isolates were higher than those in the no-common serotypes. These genes are important virulence genes of Streptococcus pneumoniae. They could be candidates for protein vaccine of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Aim To investigate the release feature of ginsenoside Rd solid lipid nanoparticles (Rd-SLN) in vitro,and to clarify the difference in absorption of Rd-SLN from varied rat intestinal segments and pharmacokinetic properties in vivo. Methods Dialysis method was used to determine ginsenoside Rd release rate from nanoparticles in vitro. Perfusion method was used to study the intestinal absorption of Rd-SLN in rat. HPLC assay was established to determine the concentration of ginsenoside Rd in plasma. After intragastric administration,the concentrations of drug in rat blood at different time points were recorded to investigate the absorption and pharmacokinetics of Rd-SLN. Results The release of ginsenoside Rd from Rd-SLN was slowed down and presented the property of sustained release. There was no significant difference between the absorption rate of Rd-SLN and control solution in duodenum and jejunum. However,it was obviously different in ileum and colon. Comparing with other intestinal segments,significantly higher percentage of Rd-SLN was absorbed in colon. In Rd-SLN group,the concentration of ginsenoside Rd in blood was maintained,and the Cmax,MRT,AUMC,and AUC were all increased. Conclusions Rd-SLN possesses sustained-release effect. The colon is the preferable absorption site for Rd-SLN in intestinal tract. Rd-SLN can enhance the oral bioavailability of ginsenoside Rd.

Objective To investigate the relationship between renal sympathetic nerve activity and the severity of heart failure in dogs with chronic heart failure ( CHF) .Methods CHF were induced by ab-dominal aorta constriction.Plasma renin activity ( PRA) , adrenaline ( E) , and noradrenaline ( NE) were determined in 9 dogs with CHF (CHF group) and 3 sham-operated dogs (control group).Results E, NE, PRA, and B-type natriuretic peptide ( BNP) were significantly higher in CHF group than those in con-trol group (all P <0.01).Compared to 10-week post-operation, PRA [(2.08 ±0.08)ng/(ml? h) vs (2.26 ±0.16)ng/(ml? h)], NE [(184.01 ±11.76)pg/ml vs (202.99 ±16.54)pg/ml] and BNP [(85.87 ±11.41)μg/ml vs (100.41 ±9.24)μg/ml] were significantly increased in the 12-week post-op-eration (all P <0.01).PRA [10 weeks post-operation:(2.13 ±0.08)ng/(ml? h) vs (2.02 ±0.05)ng/(ml? h);12 weeks post-operation:(2.38 ±0.09)ng/(ml? h) vs (2.11 ±0.07)ng/(ml? h)] and NE [10 weeks post-operation: (191.75 ±8.40) pg/ml vs (174.33 ±7.08) pg/ml;12 weeks post-operation:(215.69 ±6.26)pg/ml vs (186.36 ±7.98)pg/ml] were higher in high BNP group than those in low BNP group both in 10 and 12 weeks post-operation ( P =0.013, P =0.013, P =0.002, respectively).Con-clusions PRA was increased in dogs with CHF and associated with the severity of CHF.

Objective To report our method to determine lateral needle insertion point (intersection point skin marker) in closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation for pediatric supracondylar fracture of humerus.Methods From May 2012 to June 2014,125 children with supracondylar fracture of humerus were treated with closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation.Of them,60 did not use the intersection point method to determine the lateral needle insertion point (group A),including 46 boys and 14 girls,with an average age of 6.3 ±0.6 years.According to Gartland classification,28 cases were type Ⅱ and 32 cases type Ⅲ.In the other 65 children,the intersection point method was used to determine the lateral needle insertion point (group B),including 50 boys and 15 girls,with an average age of 6.4 ± O.9 years.According to Gartland classification,29 cases were type Ⅱ and 36 cases type Ⅲ.The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time,fluoroscopy times,hospital stay and hospitalization cost.The efficacy was evaluated at the final follow-ups using Flynn criteria.The 2 groups were compatible without significant differences in preoperative general data (P ＞ 0.05).Results All the 125 children obtained successful closed reduction and percutaneous pin fixation,and an average follow-up of 13 months (from 12 to 15 months)as well.There were significant differences between groups A and B in average operation time (23.1 ± 15.3 min versus 17.5 ± 10.3 min) and fluoroscopy times (9.2 ± 1.0 times versus 5.3 ± 1.3 times) (P ＜ 0.05).There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups either in Flynn excellent to good rate [(98.3％ (59/60) versus 98.5％ (64/65)] (P ＞ O.05).Needle irritation occurred in 2 cases and Kirschner wire shift in one in group A while tensile blistering occurred in one in group B.Conclusion In closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation for pediatric supracondylar fracture of humerus,the intersection point skin marker is a simple and reliable method to determine the lateral needle insertion point,leading to considerable reduction in radiographic exposure for both patients and doctors.

Objective To investigate the effect of renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) on the activity of renalase in dogs with chronic heart failure (CHF).Methods After induced by abdominal aorta constriction,dogs were divided into three groups according to whether they underwent double renal artery ablation:2 dogs in control group,2 dogs in sham-operated group (no renal artery ablation),and 5 dogs in RSD group (renal artery ablation).Plasma noradrenaline (NE),B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP),and renalase were determined in 5 dogs with RSD (RSD group),2 control dogs (control group),and 2 shamoperated dogs (sham-operated group).Results NE,BNP and heart rate were significantly higher and renalase was lower in CHF group than those in control group (all P ＜ 0.05).Compared to the control dogs with CHF,the levels of renalase were significantly increased in 6 weeks after RSD [(1 948.78 ±49.19) ng/ml vs (1 847.35 ±20.72)ng/ml,P =0.029],and NE [(166.30 ±7.68)pg/ml vs (181.29 ±8.57)pg/ml],and BNP [(75.10 ± 5.58)lμg/ml vs (89.79 ± 2.04) μg/ml] were decreased in 8 weeks after RSD (all P ＜ 0.05).An decreased trend of the levels of renalase was observed in 8 weeks than in 6 weeks in CHF dogs after RSD,without significant difference (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The activity of renalase in dogs with CHF can be affected by RSD.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between sleep quality and slow-flow in patients with acute coronary syndrome during percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) and its impact on clinical prognosis.Methods:200 patients with ACS hospitalized in the cardiology department of Guangzhou First People's Hospital from January 2017 to October 2018 were selected. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was measured before elective PCI, and the sleep breathing of patients was monitored by micro motion sensitive mattress sleep monitoring system (MSMSMS). The patients were divided into normal sleep group (68 cases, PSQI≤7 points) and sleep disorder group (132 cases, PSQI>7 points). The levels of plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) were measured. The " slow-flow" that took place during PCI were also recorded. Major cardiac adverse events (MACE) of patients took placed during 12 months follow-up periods were recorded and compared between two groups.Results:Compared with normal sleep group, patients in sleep disorder group had higher ratio of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS), hypoxemia and lower deep sleep (25.00% vs 10.29%, 25.76% vs 11.76%, 66.67% vs 48.53%, all P<0.05); lower level of NO and higher level of ET-1 [(28.65±3.26)μmol/L vs (30.24±4.08)μmol/L; (21.17±3.08)pg/ml vs (18.90±2.95)pg/ml, P<0.05]; more slow-flow events took place during PCI in sleep disorder group than normal sleep group (16.67 vs 5.88%, P<0.05); After 12 months of follow-up, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed patients of the two groups had significantly different cumulative non-events survival rates (19.70% vs 7.35%, Log rank=5.06, P=0.025). Conclusions:Sleep disorder increase the slow-flow phenomenon during PCI in patients with ACS and affect the clinical prognosis.

Aristolochic acids (AAs) have long been considered as a potent carcinogen due to its nephrotoxicity. Aristolochic acid I (AAI) reacts with DNA to form covalent aristolactam (AL)-DNA adducts, leading to subsequent A to T transversion mutation, commonly referred as AA mutational signature. Previous research inferred that AAs were widely implicated in liver cancer throughout Asia. In this study, we explored whether AAs exposure was the main cause of liver cancer in the context of HBV infection in mainland China. Totally 1256 liver cancer samples were randomly retrieved from 3 medical centers and a refined bioanalytical method was used to detect AAI-DNA adducts. 5.10% of these samples could be identified as AAI positive exposure. Whole genome sequencing suggested 8.41% of 107 liver cancer patients exhibited the dominant AA mutational signature, indicating a relatively low overall AAI exposure rate. In animal models, long-term administration of AAI barely increased liver tumorigenesis in adult mice, opposite from its tumor-inducing role when subjected to infant mice. Furthermore, AAI induced dose-dependent accumulation of AA-DNA adduct in target organs in adult mice, with the most detected in kidney instead of liver. Taken together, our data indicate that AA exposure was not the major threat of liver cancer in adulthood.