Objective To provide a practicable method for the complete display and localization of the posterolateral structures (PLS) of the normal knee through MRI study. Methods 30 tibial bone specimens were observed to establish the bony landmark for localizing the knee. In 50 cadaver knees, the angles between lateral tibial plateau and the long axis of the individual structure of PLS were measured. Then the scan methods of the oblique MR images were determined based on above results. The routine and oblique scans of T 1WI were performed in 40 normal knees. The display effect and appearance of the PLS were observed on MRI. Results The lateral tibial plateau was a stable bony landmark for measuring and localizing of the knee. In the 40 normal knees, The fibular collateral ligament could be intactly displayed on 70? posterior coronal oblique images in 34 cases (85%). The popliteus could be better seen on either 45? medial sagittal oblique in 34 cases (85%) or 60? posterior coronal oblique planes in 36 cases (90%). The popliteofibular ligament could be intactly appreciated on both 60? posterior coronal oblique in 32 cases (80%) and 70? lateral sagittal oblique images in 34 cases (85%). Although the arcuate ligament and the fabellofibular ligament could occasionally be seen on routine and oblique images, but the display rate was lower. Conclusion The oblique MR imaging can intactly display the main structures of PLS, and can be useful in diagnosing the injuries in those structures.

Gymnastics ; physiology ; Humans ; Workload

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of 131 Ⅰ SPECT/CT in the differentiation of indeterminate 131Ⅰ uptake on planer whole body scan (WBS) for patients with DTC after 131Ⅰ treatment. Methods Fifty-six DTC patients ( male: 19, female: 37, mean age: 45 ± 15 years, ranging from 20 to 85 years) underwent 131Ⅰ treatment. 131Ⅰ WBS was performed five days after 131 Ⅰ treatment, followed by regional 131Ⅰ SPECT/CT for the indeterminate foci with abnormal uptake on 131Ⅰ WBS. The diagnostic difference of the two imaging modalities was compared by x2 test. Results There were 288 foci with abnormal uptake on 131 Ⅰ WBS, including 108 indeterminate foci (37.5%). Subsequent 131Ⅰ SPECT/CT identified 27 foci as DTC metastases (25.0%) and 71 foci as non-metastases such as benign lesions at nose, oral cavity, salivary gland, maxillary cyst, thyroid remnant, thymus, gallbladder, gastrointestinal tract, and uterus, or non-specific uptake of body contaminations (65.7%). However, the remaining 10 foci (9.3%) remained indeterminate on 131 Ⅰ SPECT/CT imaging. The diagnostic accuracy of 131 Ⅰ SPECT/CT was significantly higher than that of 131Ⅰ WBS (x2 = 102.35, P＜0. 01). Conclusion 131Ⅰ SPECT/CT could significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy for the differentiation of indeterminate foci with abnormal uptake on 131Ⅰ WBS.

A 23-year-old man in remission from acute myeloblastic leukemia after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation developed peripheral neuropathy presenting as sciatic and peroneal nerve deficits. Electrophysiological tests localized the lesions to the left sciatic and common peroneal nerve. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed nerve thickening and enhancement, while a positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan demonstrated increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake tracking along the nerve, suggesting peripheral nerve infiltration. This report demonstrates an unusual presentation of acute leukemia relapse presenting as focal neuropathy

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical features, distribution of pathogens, drug susceptibility, and treatment effectiveness in neonates with urinary tract infection (UTI) and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

METHODSThe clinical data of 229 neonates who developed UTI during their stay in the NICU were retrospectively studied.

RESULTSThe main clinical manifestations of these children included fever/irregular body temperature, refusing to milk feeding, jaundice, vomiting, diarrhea, poor weight gain, and lethargy. The top three pathogens were Escherichia coli, Enterococcus feces, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were highly resistant to ampicillin and most cephalosporins (≥ 85%), and were highly sensitive to imipenem (100%), meropenem (100%), cefoperazone/sulbactam and piperacillin/tazobactam (>90%). Enterococcus feces were highly resistant to penicillin (100%), rifampicin (84%) and gentamicin (79%), but were sensitive to vancomycin.

CONCLUSIONSThe clinical manifestations of neonatal UTI are often atypical and manifested as systemic symptoms. The main pathogenic bacterium is Escherichia coli, and the isolation rate of enterococci can also be high. Most pathogenic bacteria are resistant to penicillin and cephalosporins, and therefore decision-making on drug administration must be based on the results of drug sensitivity tests.

Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Tract Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology

To determine the role of vagi in heart rate variability, conscious rabbits were employed and electrocardiogram was recorded under conditions of bilateral vagi intact, unilateral vagotomy, and bilateral vagotomy. The variability of RR intervals (RRI) was analyzed using power spectrum and approximate entropy (ApEn). The results showed that the values of high frequency power (HF) component, low frequency power (LF) component and ApEn in animals with bilateral vagi intact were the highest, but the LF/HF ratio was the lowest; unilateral vagotomy decreased ApEn, right vagotomy increased LF/HF ratio but left vagotomy did not; the LF/HF ratio increased while ApEn decreased significantly in animals with bilateral vagotomy. It is suggested that the variability of RRI is mainly regulated by the vagi and the role of right vagi is more important than that of the left. When measuring heart rate variability, the results obtained with conventional method are consistent with those with nonlinear method.
Animals ; Entropy ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Male ; Rabbits ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

Objective To evaluate the dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI)in detecting experimentally induced testicular ischemia. Methods Thirty healthy male New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned into 6 groups. There were 5 rabbits in each of the following experimental groups: ( 1 ) Normal control, (2) Sham-operated, (3) ischemia of 3 h group, (4) ischemia of 6 h group, (5) ischemia of 12 h group, (6) ischemia of 24 h group. In all experiment groups, the right testis served as the internal control while the left testis served as the experimental side. DCE-MRI for each animal lasts about 10 minutes. Signal enhanced ratios (SERs) of ROI for both sides of each group were calculated by a computer, and parameters of SERs of 30 s, 75 s, 120 s and maximal SER were used for statistical analysis.Time intensity curves (TICs) were made for two sides of each group via Excel 2003 software and classified into 4 types. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the differences of SERs between left and right testis by two independent Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results In group I and 2, significant enhancement was observed on both testes of 10 rabbits. The enhancement decreased gradually with the elongation of ischemia in torsion groups. Three cases of type Ⅰ and 2 cases of type Ⅱ were observed in group 1,5 cases of type Ⅰ in group two, 2 cases of type Ⅰ and 3 cases of type Ⅱ b in group three, 2 cases of type Ⅰ and 2 cases of type Ⅱ b in group four, 5 cases of type Ⅱ b in group five and 5 cases of type Ⅲ in group six were noticed in the left testes. And in TICs of right testes, all cases showed TICs of type Ⅰ except 2 cases of type Ⅱ a in group six. In four torsion groups, the values for SER75 of the left side were 0. 084%, 0. 076%, 0.164% and 0.065%, while the right side were 0.255%, 0.410%, 0.586% and 0.302% (P ＜0.05). The values for SER120 in group three, five and six were 0.221% , 0.158% and 0.059% for the left side, and 0.405%,0.522% and 0.207% for the right side(P ＜0.05). The values for MSER in group three, five and six were 0.217% ,0.164% and 0.072% for the left side, and 0.405%, 0.586% and 0.302% for the right side(P ＜0.05). Conclusion DCE-MRI technique may be useful in the diagnosis of testicular torsion, which shows potential in the clinical application.

OBJECTIVETo identify the anatomical variability of the left spermatic vein (LSV) and determine its effect on the induction of experimental left varicocele (ELV) in adolescent rats.

METHODSWe equally randomized 30 adolescent male SD rats to groups A (LSV collaterals fully ligated and the left renal vein constricted), B (only the left renal vein constricted), and C (sham operation), observed the courses of the LSVs and measured their diameters. At 30 days after operation, we analyzed the changes in the left kidneys and the diameters of the LSVs.

RESULTSIrregular collaterals were observed in 90% of the LSVs and no abnormal changes were found in the left kidneys after surgery. The postoperative LSV diameter was remarkably increased in group A as compared with the baseline ([1.47 +/- 0.15 ] vs [0.16 +/- 0.08] mm, P < 0.01), but showed no significant difference in group B ([0.31 +/- 0.49] vs [0.15 +/- 0.07] mm, P > 0.05) and C ([0.17 +/- 0.07] vs [0.16 +/- 0.06] mm, P > 0.05), and it was significantly longer in A than in B (P < 0.01). The success rate of ELV induction was 100% in group A and 10% in group B, but no varicocele was observed in group C.

CONCLUSIONCorrect identification of the anatomical course of the LSV and ligation of its irregular collaterals are essential for the establishment of a stable and consistent ELV model.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Kidney ; pathology ; Ligation ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatic Cord ; blood supply ; Varicocele ; Veins ; abnormalities

Objective To construct the Neisseria surface protein A (NspA) DNA vaccine of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and evaluate the humoral and cellular immune responses induced by this vaccine in mice model.Methods The recombinant expression vector pcDNA3.1 (+)/NspA was constructed by inserting NspA gene into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1 (+) and confirmed by poly merase chain reaction (PCR),restriction enzymes HindⅢ,XbaⅠand DNA sequencing.NspA mR- NA in transfected RAW264.7 cells and NspA protein expression in transfected COS-7 cells were de- tected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical stai- ning,respectively.Forty-five male BALB/c mice were immunized with pcDNA3.1 (+)/NspA recom binant plasmid.The level of serum anti-Neisseria gonorrhoeae antibody of the immunized mice was detected by tube agglutination test,and the level of interieron (IFN)-?was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The proliferation of splenocytes was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colormetry.The NspA gene in BALB/c mice was identified by PCR with the total DNA extracted from quadriceps femoris in immunized sites.Results Restriction enzymes digestion a- nalysis and DNA sequencing results revealed that the pcDNA3.1 (+)/NspA had been constructed successfully.NspA gene had been transcripted and expressed in mammalian cells.The peak titer of specific antibody was 1:640 in pcDNA3.1(+)/NspA immunized group and there was no specific an- tibody detected in both pcDNA3.1 (+) immunized group and PBS group.The IFN-?level in pcD NA3.1 (+) immunized group was (23.79?11.85)pg/mL and that in pcDNA3.1 (+)/NspA immu- nized group was(169.71?30.52)pg/mL (P

Objective:To develop a novel regulable sutureless aortic arch prosthesis and to apply it in an animal experimental study.Methods:The arch skeleton of the prosthesis was made of tandem Z-shape NiTiNOL wire;the branch skeleton was made of laser-cut NiTiNOL tube;and the whole skeleton was coated with thin ePTFE film.The blood vessel was anastomosed by di- rect ligature,needing no manual suturing.The prosthesis was applied in swine aortic arch operations under the bypass condi- tion.The practicality for surgery and the feasibility of anastomosis of the prosthesis were assessed.Results:Aortic arch opera- tions were successfully performed in 6 of the 8 experimental animals.The prostheses were easy to use,and the mean bypass time was only 10 min.The blood loss of the anastomoses was less than 100 ml within 8 h postoperatively in 5 animals;one had more blood loss due to prosthesis mismatch.Conclusion:The novel regulable sutureless aortic arch prosthesis has satisfactory practicality for surgery and reliable anastomosis,making it promising in future clinical application.