Humans ; Lung ; pathology ; Physical Examination ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnosis ; Thoracotomy

Humans ; Lipodystrophy ; congenital

Plasma ghrelin level was measured by RIA in 49 grids with idiopathic central precocious puberty(ICPP)and 35 girls with simple premature thelarche(PT).The results showed that the plasma ghrelin level was negatively correlated with Tanner stage,bone age,Lid at 15,30 and 60 min after GnRH activation, uterus and ovary volumes.The plasma ghrelin level in the ICPP group was remarkably lower than that in the PT and control groups(both P

Objectives To clarify the basic data such as prevalent range,regiohal characteristics and the population at risk of drinking brick-tea type fluorosis in China.Methods Comprehensive survey for basic information was conducted in the provinces and autonomous regions where drinking brick-tea type fluorosis Wag prevalent,ineluding Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,Tibet Autonomous Region, Sichuan Province,Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province,Gansu Province,Ningxia Autonomous Region and Yunan Province.The survey included the number ot counties(cifies)and townships(towns)where the people were accustomed to drinking brick-tea,pepulation,ethnic minority composition,the production and living style,sales and the kinds of brick-tea aIn so on.Results Two hundred and forty-one counties and 3246 townships were found to haye the habit 0f drinking brick-tea,among which 87.46%(2839/3246)had the habit for more than 30 years.There were 31 684 administrative vilages(residents' committees),15 047 elementary schools and 2873 temples surveyed,coveting a total population of 31 052 398 and 122 739 monks.Fifty-three ethnic minorities were involved.Han accounted for 44.86%(12 902 710/31 052 398), Uighur ethnic for 20.98%(7 416 474/31 052 398),Tibetan ethnic for 13.34%(4 323 272/31 052 398),Muslim ethnicfor 8.15%(2 767 603/31 052 398),Mongolian ethnic for 4.61%(1 400 206/31 052 398),Kazak ethnicfor 3.45% (1 218 272/31 052 398),of the population of drinking brick-tea,farmer population accounted for 64.13%(19 912 833/ 31 052 398),herdsman population for 8.79%(2 728 418/31 052 398),farmer-herdsman population for 12.53%(3 889 678/ 31 052 398)and town population for 14.56%(4 521 169/31 052 398).There Was 3926.74 tons of brick-tea sold per year in the investigated regions,mainly of Fu brick-tea,Green brick-tea and Black brick-tea.Areas with high brick- tea consumption distributed mainly in farmer region and farmer-herdsman region.Annual per capita consumption of brick-tea for farmers was 3.77 kg,and for farmer-herdsman population was 2.05 kg.Conclusions Begions with the habit of drinking brick-tea distributes extensively in western China and cover a huge population,and the herdsmen and farmer-herdsman are the main risk population.Drinking brick-tea type fluorosis is a seriolls public health issue in western China.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of plasma ghrelin and adenohypophyseal hormone levels in female precocious puberty.

METHODSA total of 84 patients aged from 6 to 9 years were enrolled in this study. They were divided into idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) and premature thelarche(PT)groups according to their secondary sexual characteristics, bone age, volumes of uterus and ovary, and results of GnRH test. Plasma ghrelin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. ACTH, TSH, PRL, GH, LH and FSH were measured by chemoluminescence technique.

RESULTSGhrelin levels in ICPP group were Log (2.42+/-0.26) ng/L, which were significantly lower than those in PT group and controls [Log (2.62+/-0.21) ng/L and Log (2.58+/-0.44) ng/L, respectively, P<0.05]. However there was no significant difference between PT group and controls(P>0.05). Ghrelin levels of ICPP girls with Tanner III were Log (2.31+/-0.24) ng/L, significantly lower than those of ICPP girls with Tanner II [Log (2.53+/-0.24) ng/L, P<0.05]. By bivariate correlation analysis, ghrelin levels in precocious puberty girls were negatively correlated with ACTH, PRL and LH15, LH30 and LH60 in GnRH test(r=-0.248, -0.235, -0.445, 0.405, 0.398, respectively, P<0.05). No significant correlation was found between ghrelin and GH, LH0(-2), FSH0(-2), and FSH15, FSH30 and FSH60 in GnRH test.

CONCLUSIONICPP girls have lower plasma ghrelin levels, which are decreased with the development of Tanner stage. The plasma ghrelin levels are negatively correlated with ACTH, PRL and LH.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Child ; Female ; Ghrelin ; blood ; Gonadotropins, Pituitary ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Puberty, Precocious ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy and side-effects of long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) in treatment of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) in girls.

METHODSThirty six ICPP girls were treated with GnRHa. The secondary sexual characteristics, uterus volume, ovary volume, follicle development, bone age/chronological age (BA/CA), predicted adult height (PAH), serum inhibitor A (INHA) and inhibitor B (INHB), body mass index (BMI) and growth rate were compared before and after treatment. Bone age was assessed using the Greulich-Pyle method, PAH was calculated by the Payley-Pinneau method, serum INHA and INHB were measured by ELISA, and serum LH and FSH were measured by chemoluminescence.

RESULT(1) Breast development was reduced after 3 to approximately 6 months of treatment, and no continued development were observed. In 12 girls the breast development returned from Tanner II to B1. (2) Both uterus and ovary volume were decreased after 6 months [(3.28 +/-2.20)ml comrade with (1.27 +/-0.69)ml and (3.62 +/-1.94)ml compared with (1.24 +/-0.50)ml, respectively]; the follicle was reduced or even disappeared; and the serum INHA and INHB were decreased from Log(0.93 +/-0.35)ng/L and Log(1.95 +/-0.37)ng/L to Log(0.60 +/-0.32)ng/L and Log(1.46 +/-0.32)ng/L, respectively. (3) BA/CA was decreased from 1.40 +/-0.20 to 1.26 +/-0.15; PAH was increased from (149.12 +/-4.04)cm to (152.84 +/-3.72)cm after one-year treatment; BMI showed no significant changes (16.04 +/-1.68 compared with 15.93 +/-1.69).

CONCLUSIONGnRHa can effectively inhibit the development of sex gland and the secondary sexual characteristics, stabilize or delay bone maturation, improve the predicted adult height, and has no observed side-effects in the short-term treatment for ICPP girls.

Child ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Humans ; Puberty, Precocious ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To design a device for the patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), who are disable to speak and move, to call for the nurses independently when necessary. Methods The electroencephalographic signals were collected and processed with TGAM, and the extracted attention characteristic values were transmitted to a computer with Bluetooth. The loudspeaker would call the nurses when the attention characteristic value exceeds the normal range. Results In the testing process of 20 participants in 10 tests, the success rate was 81.5%, and the average misjudged frequence was 0.2 within 20 min. Conclusion The device can be used in the nursing of the patients with ALS to meet the needs of daily nursing work.

OBJECTIVEThe prevalence of obesity and of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children have increased in the Chinese population over the past two decades, and thus diabetes prevention has become a major concern of public health agencies. Identification of individuals at risk for diabetes is an essential first step in designing and implementing intervention programs. Insulin resistance is the hallmark of the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subjects with hyperinsulinemia and impaired glucose tolerance are well accepted as being at high risk for diabetes. Acanthosis nigricans (AN) has been proposed as a reliable marker of hyperinsulinemia, but its utility for predicting hyperinsulinemia has not been systematically evaluated in obese children. In order to further explore the relationship between obese childhood with benign acanthosis nigricans and insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, we examined 19 obese children with benign acanthosis nigricans.

METHODSNineteen of seventy six obese children (25%) with BMI over 25 enrolled in the Children' Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine fromJune 1st to September 1st in 2003 were studied. Skin biopsies were performed in these 19 obese children with acanthosis nigricans for final diagnosis. Levels of glucose, insulin, and glucose/insulin ratio were measured on fasting blood specimens and anthropometric parameters including waist/hip ratio, fat mass, body fat percentage and body mass index were examined. Oral glucose tolerance tests were also performed in these 19 children with benign acanthosis nigricans.

RESULTSAnthropometric parameters including waist/hip ratio, fat mass, body fat percentage and body mass index as well as fasting insulin level in acanthosis nigricans group were significantly higher than that of healthy controls (P < 0.01). Fasting glucose to insulin ratio (FGIR) of these 19 obese children with benign acanthosis nigricans was 4.27 +/- 0.53, indicating apparent insulin resistance. One of them was diagnosed as type 2 diabetes mellitus and ten of them showed impaired oral glucose tolerance.

CONCLUSIONChildhood benign acanthosis nigricans is tightly associated with obesity, hyperinsulinemia, insuline resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and may be used as a reliable index of insulin resistance.

Acanthosis Nigricans ; complications ; physiopathology ; Child ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; complications ; physiopathology ; Insulin Resistance ; Obesity ; complications ; physiopathology

Objective: To explore influence of continuous thoracic paravertebral block(CTPVB)under ultrasound-guidance combined with general anesthesia on inflammatory reaction and homodynamic of patients who underwent thoracotomy.Methods: 138 patients who underwent thoracotomy were prospectively selected and were divided into observation group(69 cases)and control group(69 cases)as random number table.Patients of observation group received CTPVB under ultrasound-guidance combined with general anesthesia and that of control group received general anesthesia.The changes of IL-6,IL-10 and TNF-α postoperative 48h and postoperative VAS score between the two groups were compared.And the VAS scores postoperative 2h,12h,24h and 48h also were observed.Besides,the mean arterial pressure and heart rate between the two groups at various time point included tranquillization time(T0),the 15 min(T1)after CTPVB combined with general anesthesia,the time post induced intubation(T2),5 min post skin incision(T3)and the time pre extubation(T4)were compared and analyzed so as to research its influence on hemodynamic.Results: The IL-6 and TNF-α postoperative 48h of observation group were significantly lower than that of control group(t=15.95,t=46.99,P＜0.05).And postoperative IL-10 of observation group was significantly higher than that of control group(t=134.3,P＜0.05).And the VAS scores of observation group at postoperative 2h,12h,24h and 48h were significantly lower than that of control group(t=13.91,t=17.1,t=2.321,t=9.231,P＜0.05),respectively.Conclusion: CTPVB under ultrasound-guidance combined with general anesthesia can improve postoperatively analgesic effect for patients,and it don't affect patients' blood pressure and heart rate,and it can reduce inflammatory reaction of patients who underwent thoracotomy and promote rehabilitation of patients.

OBJECTIVETo assess the diagnostic value of the simplified gonadorelin stimulation test for precocious puberty.

METHODSTwo hundred and ninety-two girls with signs of advanced breast development received the gonadorelin stimulation test. According to the result of gonadorelin stimulation test, the girls were divided into 3 groups: 151 with central precocious puberty (CPP),119 with premature thelarche (PT) and 22 with peripheral precocious puberty (PPP).

RESULTSLH or FSH levels at 15 min, 30 min, 60 min in PPP group were not significantly different (P>0.05). Those were significantly different in PT group (P<0.01). The highest levels of LH were at 30 min and the highest levels of FSH were at 60 min. LH or FSH levels at 15 min, 30 min, 60 min in CPP group were significantly different (P<0.01) with the highest levels at 30 min. The ratio of basal LH and FSH >0.2 had a diagnostic sensitivity of 48.3 % and specificity of 69.7%. Taking the LH/FSH ratio >0.9 at 15 min, 30 min, 60 min as cut-off value, the diagnostic sensitivity was 80.1%, 68.9% and 38.4%, and the specificity was 90.8%, 96.6% and 69.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe LH/FSH ratio>0.9 at 15 min after gonadorelin stimulation test can be used as a cut-off value to differentiate CPP from PT and blood sample at 60 min were not necessary.

Child ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Gonadotropins ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Puberty, Precocious ; diagnosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity