Numerical simulation is one of the most significant methods to predict the temperature distribution in high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy. In this study, the adopted numerical simulation was used based on a transcranial ultrasound therapy model taking a human skull as a reference. The approximation of the Westervelt formula and the Pennes bio-heat conduction equation were applied to the simulation of the transcranial temperature distribution. According to the temperature distribution and the Time Reversal theory, the position of the treatable focal region was corrected and the hot spot existing in the skull was eliminated. Furthermore, the influence of the exposure time, input power and the distance between transducer and skull on the temperature distribution was analyzed. The results showed that the position of the focal region could be corrected and the hot spot was eliminated using the Time Reversal theory without affecting the focus. The focal region above 60 degrees C could be formed at the superficial tis sue located from the skull of 20 mm using the hot spot elimination method and the volume of the focal region increases with the exposure time and the input power in a nonlinear form. When the same volume of the focal region was obtained, the more power was inputted, the less the exposure time was needed. Moreover, the volume of the focal region was influenced by the distance between the transducer and the skull.
Computer Simulation ; High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; therapy ; Skull

Objective To explore how neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is related with inflammation and atherosclerosis,and the role of NLR in hospitalization in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.Methods MHD patients treated in hemodialysis center of Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from June till November 2013 were enrolled.Patients with severe infection,cardiovascular events and malignant carcinoma were excluded.NLR was determined from complete blood count differential.Clinical parameters such as serum albumin,lipids,intact parathormone,ferritin,C-reactive protein (CRP),25-(OH) vitamin D,interleukin-6 (IL-6) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were collected.Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were used to evaluate the arterial stiffness.Spearman analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between NLR and these parameters.All patients were divided into low NLR group (NLR≤3.25) and high NLR group (NLR ＞3.25) on the median NLR,and their differences in these indexes were analyzed.During the one-year follow-up,the reasons and rates of hospitalization and survival were analyzed.Results One hundred and thirteen MHD patients including 58 males and 55 females were enrolled with (69±49) dialysis age and (54± 15) average age.(1) The NLR was significantly correlated with whole blood count (WBC,r=0.538,P＜ 0.001),ABIL (r=0.201,P=0.033),ABIR (r=0.235,P=0.012) and total cholesterol (TC,r=-0.414,P＜ 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C,r=-0.378,P ＜ 0.001).(2) Low NLR patients had increased TC,LDL-C and IL-6 as compare with high NLR patients,however decreased ABIL and ABIR (all P ＜ 0.05).(3) Forty one patients were hospitalized 63 times during the follow-up period.Annual hospitalization rate was 558/1000 and the mortality rate was 17.7/1000.(4)NLR in patients at least hospitalized once a year was significantly lower than in patients without hospitalization,while ALP was higher (all P ＜ 0.05).Compared with those in other patients,NLR and hemoglobin (Hb) were significantly lower in patients with hospitalization due to infection,while ALP was higher (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions NLR is related with WBC,ABI,TC and LDL-C in MHDpatients.Lower NLR may indicate high risk for cardiovascular,atherosclerosis and hospitalization,probably different form non-MHD patients,which needs more studies to verify.

Objective We aim to evaluate the value of the current serum creatinine reference interval ( RI ) provided by Industry Standard WS /T 404.5 in clinical practice.Methods The first time serum creatinine levels and urinary albumin /creatinine ratio were obtained from 67 605 adult patients ( <60 years old) who were treated in the First Hospital of China Medical University between October 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015 in this cross-sectional study.Estimated glomerular filtration rate ( eGFR ) calculated by chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation and urinary albumin /creatinine ratio (ACR) were used to evaluate the clinical practical significance of current and old serum creatinine RIs as the criteria.Results 4.3% of normal subjects based on current RI were showed decreased eGFR, 98% of abnormal subjects based on the current RI were founded to have decreased eGFR . 1378 subjects were evaluated as increased based on current RI but as normal based on old RI , and 93.5% of these subjects were showed decreased eGFR .In addition, ACR was measured in 26 cases, and 18 out of 26 cases (69.2%) were confirmed to have elevated ACR (≥30 mg/g) and proteinuria.On the other hand of analysis, screening positive rates of declined eGFR were 43.6% by old RI and 61.9% by current RI in the subjects with eGFR under 90 ml(min ×1.73 m 2 ), and the performance of the current RI was obviously improved(χ2 =212.648,P <0.001).Conclusions The current reference interval of serum creatinine is favorable for the detection of renal dysfunction in patients .It is recommended that the current reference interval can be applied in the clinical laboratories as early as possible .

Objective To explore the role of liver X receptor (LXR) agonist T0901317 on thrombomodulin (TM) expression in human glomerular endothelial cells and the possible mechanisms.Methods Different concentrations of T0901317 were used to stimulate human glomerular endothelial cells for different time,then LXRα,LXRβ expression were detected by using Western blotting analysis;the roles of T0901317 on TM mRNA and TM protein expression were observed by using real-time PCR,Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay.LXRα,LXRβ gene interference segment Si-hLXRα,Si -hLXRβ were transfected into human glomerular endothelial cells with the concentration of 100 nmol/L respectively,then the roles of Si-hLXRα,Si-hLXRβ on the TM protein and TM mRNA expression were assayed by Western blotting and real time PCR.Results Human glomerular endothelial cells expressed LXRα and LXRβ.Compared to the normal cells and DMSO group,T0901317 could significantly promote TM expression in human glomerular endothelial cells (P ＜ 0.05) and showed a time -and dose-dependent manner.TM expression in Si-hLXRα transfected group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P ＜ 0.05),while TM expression in Si-hLXRβ transfected group had no significant difference compared to the control group.Conclusions Human glomerular endothelial cells express LXRα and LXRβ.LXR agonist T0901317 promotes TM expression in human glomerular endothelial cells,which may be mainly through activating LXRa.

Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-6/therapeutic use*

Objective To design and test a device which is capable of accurately measuring and dynamically adjusting the axial pressure at the fracture end in real-time.Methods Upon completion of the design,the pressure measurement and adjustment device was implemented in a canine tibial fracture external fixation model.A pressure sensor was mounted at the fracture end,and the displayed values of the pressure sensor were used as the standard for comparison.The relationship between the displayed values of the measurement and adjustment device and the pressure sensor under identical conditions was examined.Results The device was utilized in external fixation models of tibial fractures in five beagles.A linear correlation was observed between the displayed values of the device and the pressure sensor at the fracture end.The measurement values from the device could be transformed into fracture end pressure through the application of coefficients,thereby facilitating accurate measurement and dynamic adjustment of the fracture end pressure.Conclusion The pressure measurement and adjustment device at the fracture end is easy to operate,enabling precise measurement and dynamic regulation of the pressure at the fracture end.It is well-suited for animal experiments aimed at investigating the impact of axial compression on fracture healing,demonstrating promising potential for experimental applications.

Objective:To explore the effect of sulforaphane (SFN) preconditioning on the cold myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in the rats through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.Methods:Sixty-four health male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into cold IRI group,SFN group,LY (LY294002) + cold IRI group,and LY+SFN group (n=16).The allogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation model was established by donor heart into recipient abdomen.The myocardium tissue was taken 24 h after reperfusion for the detection of histological changes using HE staining.The expression levels of Akt,p-Akt,Bax and Bcl-2 proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western boltting methods.Results:The morphological results showed that the myocardium tissue damage was serious in cold IRI group and LY+cold IRI group,it was light in SFN group;the myocardium tissue damage of the rats in SFN+ LY group was ranged between cold IRI group and SFN group.Compared with IRI group,the expression levels of p-Akt protein and Bcl-2 protein in SFN group were increased (P＜0.05),and the expression level of Bax protein was decreased (P＜0.05).After treatment of blockage LY294002,compared with LY-+-cold IRI group,the expression level of p-Akt protein in LY-+-SFN group was not statistically significant (P＞0.05),the expression level of Bcl2 protein was increased (P＜0.05),the expression levels of Bax protein was decreased),and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was also increased (P＜0.05).Conclusion:SFN may attenuate cold IRI of heart transplantation through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the rats.

Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of transcutaneous oximetry in patients with septic shock.Methods Fifty-three patients with septic shock were enrolled prospectively from January 2013 to December 2015.Transcutaneous oximetry were used to determine the results of 10 min oxygen challenge tests (OCT) carried out at beginning(0 h) and at 6 h after fluid resuscitation respectively.The 10-min OCT value (10 min OCT) and oxygen challenge index(OCI) were calculated.The APACHE Ⅱ and SOFA score,hemodynamic variables,oxygen metabolism indexes,dose of vasoactive agents,10 min OCT,and OCI at 0 h and at 6 h were recorded.Patients were assigned into survival group and death group according to the 28 d survival.The differences in demographics and clinical data were compared between groups.The role of 10 min OCT and OCI in predicting death was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves(ROC).The Kaplan-Meier surviving curve was created and the survival of the patients was analyzed by the Log-rank test.Risk factors associated with the prognosis were analyzed using the multiple logistic regression analysis.Results There were 29 patients in the survival group and 24 patients in the death group.Compared with death group,10 min OCT[(77.55±18.48)mmHg vs.(51.30±21.60)mmHg] and OCI [(0.78±0.13) vs.(0.59±0.15)] at 6 h in survival group were significantly higher(P＜0.05),while APACHE Ⅱ [(12.48±5.69) vs.(17.25±8.79)] and SOFA [(5.79±1.72) vs.(10.10±2.52)] in survival group were significantly lower than those in death group(P＜0.01).The area under the ROC curve of 10 min OCT at 6 h and OCI at 6 h for predicting 28 d death were 0.86±0.05(95％CI:0.76-0.87,P＜0.01) and 0.79±0.08(95％CI:0.64-0.95,P＜0.01),respectively.The optimal cutoff point for 10 min OCT at 6 h was 72.00 mmHg with the sensitivity of 76.84％ and specificity of 85.03％.The optimal cutoff point for OCI at 6 h was 0.76 with the sensitivity of 76.84％ and specificity of 77.47％.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that 28 d survival rate in high level of 10 min OCT at 6 h and high level of OCI at 6 h were significantly higher than that in low level of 10 min OCT at 6 h(70.86％ vs.31.82％,x2=7.96,P＜0.01)and low level of OCI at 6 h (75.00％ vs.32.00％,x2=9.86,P＜0.01).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that both 10 min OCT at 6 h (OR=0.92,95％CI:0.88-0.96,P＜0.05) and OCI at 6 h (OR=0.01,95％CI:0.001-0.023,P＜0.05) were independent risk factors associated with 28 d mortality of patients with septic shock.Conclusions The 10 min OCT and OCI were reliable predictors for the prognosis of patients with septic shock.

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 135 cm Corsair microcatheter inpercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) with antegrade approach via radial artery. Methods From June 2010 to February 2014, a total of 81 patients with CTO lesions treated with 135cm Corsair microcatheter (Asahi Intec Co, Japan) and transradial antegrade approach was enrolled in this study. The success rate of CTO-PCI, the rate of Corsair microcatheter crossing the CTO lesions and the number of balloon catheters utilization were retrospectively analyzed. Unique complications related to the Corsair microcatheter were also documented. Results Success recanalization of CTO were achieved in 73 (90.1%) patients. Crossing the CTO body with Corsair microcatheter was found in 56(84.8%) patients. The number of balloon utilized after Corsair microcatheter crossing the CTO was much lower than that of patients who Corsair microcatheter failed to cross (1.3±0.6 per patient versus 2.8±1.2per patient, P < 0.05). The success recanalization rate of combined using Fielder XT guidewire with Corsair microcatheter was 51.5%. There was no complications related to Corsair microcatheter during the index procedure, no major adverse cardiac events during in-hospital clinical follow-up. Conclusions Corsair microcatheter was safe and effective in the recanalization for CTO with transradialantegrade approach. It can simplify the CTO-PCI procedure and reduce the number of balloon catheters.