AIM: To establish HPLC for the determination of icariin and adenosine in Cordyceps Vigorine Tablet. METHODS:MetaChem Polaris ODS C18-A column(4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) was adopted; acetonitrile-water was the mobile phase; detection wavelength was set at 272 nm for icariin and at 260 nm for adenosine; column linearity within the range of 0. 374-2. 246 μg for icariin and 0. 348-1. 392 μg for adenosine, respectively. The average recovery and RSD were found to be (99.4 ± 1.84) % for icariin ( n = 6), (99.63 ± 1.29 ) % for adenosine,respectively. CONCLUSION: The method is convenient, fast, reliable to operate and suitable for the quality control of Cordyceps Vigorine Tablet.

Objective To study the blood supply of the flap accompanying vessels of the cutaneous nerves in the lower leg, and to design the reversed flap for clinical reference. Methods Anatomic observation was performed on 30 adults’ lower extremity specimens perfused via pressure with red latex through femoral arteries. Results Superficial peroneal nerves, sural nerves and saphenous nerves were all nourished by their accompanying arteries which, anastomosed with the cutaneous perforating branches of other arteries, also nourish the corresponding skin areas. Conclusion The blood supply of the reversed island flap accompanying vessels of the cutaneous nerves in the lower leg is reliable and so it is possible to design long flaps along the cutaneous nervous axis.

In order to investigate the roles of MTA2 in the pathogenesis of ovarian epithelial cancer, the expression of MTA2 in 4 ovarian cell lines were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western-blot assays. MTA2 expression in normal, borderline, benign and malignant epithelial ovarian tissues was immunohistochemically examined. The expression of MTA2 mRNA and protein was detected in all of 4 cell lines of ovarian epithelial cancer. The expression of MTA2 mRNA and protein was higher in strong migration cell lines than in weak migration ones. In borderline and malignant ovarian tissues tested, MTA2 staining was dramatically stronger than in normal and benign tissues (P < 0.01). The expression levels in malignant ovarian tissues were significantly higher than that in borderline epithelial ovarian tissues (P < 0.01). The expression of MTA2 was correlated with clinical stage, histopathological grade and lymph node metastasis. It was concluded that the high expression of MTA2 was associated with more aggressive behaviors of epithelial ovarian cancer. MTA2 provides a novel indicator of ovarian cancer.

Objective: To study the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure of rural families in Xiaochang County of Hubei province, in order to explore the influential factors of catastrophic health expenditure. Methods: By using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling to conduct a household survey, this paper randomly selects a total of a-bout 1,222 households of 4,673 people from 9 villages of 3 different towns in Xiaochang county of Hubei province, in order to compare the rate and severity of catastrophic health expenditure before and after joining the New Rural Coop-erative Medical Scheme ( NRCMS) , and it uses binary logistic regression model to analyze the influential factors of catastrophic health expenditure. Results: After joining the NRCMS, the rate, average gap and relative gap of cata-strophic health expenditure have all declined within the sampled areas; the influential factors of catastrophic health expenditure are household income, the number of working family members, the number of hospitalizations in family members, and the number of chronic patients among family members. Conclusion: With the increase of household in-come in the rural areas of Xiaochang County, both the rate and severity of catastrophic health expenditure have de-creased. In order to significantly reduce the catastrophic health expenditure in the rural areas of Xiaochang County, the government should perfectly improve the NRCMS's compensation mechanism for chronic outpatients' costs and re-duce the proportion of self-pay patients from low-income families.

Objective To analyze the laboratory results and chest CT appearances of novel recombinant avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) in discharged patients for understanding the imaging changes.Methods The clinical and imaging data of 4 patients with novel recombinant avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) were collected.The imaging changes and laboratory results were analyzed.Results All patients underwent chest CT examination 2 to 5 times from admission to discharge.The lesions primarily presented as ground-glass opacity (GGO) and mainly located in the inferior lobe of the left lung in 3 cases,in the inferior lobe of the right lung in 1 case,alternating between absorption and progress.GGO was absorbed obviously in about 3 days after treatment and consolidation was progressed after treatment.Consolidation absorption was observed with continue treatment in 1 case.The pulmonary lesions were absorbed obviously in 1 case 7 days after discharge.Synchronous reduction of the absolute values of CD3,CD8,CD4,CD45 were observed in 3 cases and the ratio of CD4/CD8 was normal.Conclusions (1) The areas of pulmonary involvement are large and variable in H7N9.The lesion area and imaging patterns are important for disease prognosis.(2) H7N9 virus infection may causes immunosuppression,decrease of CRP value can predict the improvement of the disease.

Objective To establish a three-dimensional finite element model of thoracolumbar fractures treated by mono-segmental instrumentation in the fractured part for testing effect of such fixation mode on adjacent segments.Methods CT scanning data of T10-L2 were used to build a normal model at T10-L2 region,a fracture model at T12 segment as well as a mono-segment fixation or short-segment fixation model.Stress of discs and vertebral body adjacent to the fixed vertebrae were tested in axial compression,anteflexion,extention,lateroflexion,and axial rotation.Results The fracture model presented significant increase concerning stress of nucleus pulposus and annular fibrosus at T10-T11 segments and annular fibrosus at L1-L2 segments in anteflexion,extention,and lateroflexion when compared with the normal model.General raise range of the stress reached around 75％,but was dropped to 23％ after short-segment fixation and to 18％ after mono-segmental fixation.And again,stress of nucleus pulposus at L1-L2 segments was increased by 46％ or so,which was declined to 12％ after short-segment fixation and to 8％ after mono-segmental fixation.Stress at lower endplate of T10 and at upper endplate of L2 in the fracture model group were increased by 24％ and 43％ respectively when compared to the normal model,but both presented a notable drop after internal fixation.The latter was decreased to a level slightly higher than that of model group,namely 8％ more after short-segmental fixation and 4％ more after mono-segmental fixation; the former was decreased to a level even lower than that of control group,namely 2％ less after short-segmental fixation and 8％ less after mono-segmental fixation.Conclusion Mono-segmental fixation reduces adjacent disc stress in contrast to conventional short-segmental fixation and hence is an effective alternative treatment of monosegmental thoracolumbar fractures.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the seasonal variation of total flavonoid content of Farfugium japonicum and its response to stress.

METHODSThe total flavonoids of Farfugium japonicum were determined by spectrophotometry in different seasons and under various stressful factors.

RESULTSThe total flavonoid content in Farfugium japonicum leaves was the highest, followed by the petiole, and rhizomes (P<0.05). The total flavonoid content in the leaves in December was higher than that in other months; that in the petiole and rhizome fluctuated in different seasons (P<0.05). As the light intensity enhanced, the total flavonoids in Farfugium japonicum leaves, petioles, rhizomes showed a downward trend. With the increase of water stress, the total flavonoid content in Farfugium japonicum leaves gradually increased, that in petiole first increased and then decreased,while that in rhizomes decreased (P<0.05). With the salt stress, the total flavonoid content in leaves, petioles and rhizomes of Farfugium japonicum showed a decreasing trend (P<0.05). With the increasing of temperature, the total flavonoid content in the leaves showed a gradually increasing trend; that in petiole first decreased and then increased,while that in the rhizomes first increased and then decreased (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe total flavonoids of Farfugium japonicum fluctuate with the change of seasons and that in different parts of the plant has different responses to ecological stressful factors.

Objective To investigate the effect of progesterone on the expressions of inflammation-related factors of cortical cyclooxygenase-2 ( COX-2 ),prostaglandin E2 ( PGE2 ),inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NF-κB in the cortex after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats so as to study the possible molecular mechanism of neuroprotective effect of progesterone on TBI.Methods Fortyfive male Spraque-Dawley rats were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into three groups,ie,sham operation group (n =15),TBI group (n =15) and progesterone treatment group (n =15).The rat model of TBI was duplicated with the improved Feeney' s method.The PROG treatment group was given i.p.injections of progesterone ( 16 mg/kg) at 1 and 6 hours after injury.The rats were sacrificed in three groups at 24 hours after injury and the specimens were removed.The changes of the positive cell numbers and protein level of COX-2,PGE2,iNOS and NF-κB in the cortex were examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.Results The positive cell numbers and protein levels of COX-2,PGE2,iNOS and NF-κB in the cortex of the TBI group were distinctly higher than those of the sham operation group (P＜O.05).While the positive cell numbers and protein levels of COX-2,PGE2,iNOS and NF-κB in the cortex of the progesterone treatment group were distinctly lower than those of the TBI group ( P ＜O.05).Conclusions Progesterone may exert protective effect on TBI through inhibiting NF-κB activity,blocking the inflammation response course of NF - κB and iNOS and decreasing the expressions of COX-2 and PGE2.

Objective To explore the application of low dose of radiation combined with low concentration of contrast medium in the energy spectrum CT of the coronary artery angiography.Methods 60 patients with suspected diagnosis of coronary heart disease were randomly divided into A,B two groups,30 cases in each group.Group A with 350 mg I/mL contrast agent,undergoing conventional CT scanning;Group B using 300 mg I/mL contrast agent,the gems energy spectrum CT scanning with low-dose.Two groups both adopted forward-looking heart switch control scanning mode.After scanning,group A reconstructed conventional images of 40% ASiR sequence,group B rebuilded axial surface images of single energy 65 keV and 40% ASiR sequence,all the reconstruction images were introduced to AW4.6 workstations used for analysis.Double-blind subjective rating was done by two experienced doctors to measure CT values and SD of aortic sinus (AS),left main (LMA),the left anterior descending branch proximal (LAD-p),left circumflex branch proximal (LCX-p), right coronary artery proximal (RCA-p)and pericardial fat,AS the noise (SD),to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)and contrast to noise ratio (CNR),to calculate the effective doses of radiation(ED)by recording CTDI and DLP,and to record iodine intake.By using two independent samples t test to compare two groups of patients’the effective radiation doses,iodine intake,the average CT value,SD,SNR and CNR.Results The subjective image quality score differences and coronary measuring section CT values between the two groups had no statistical significance.In the aspects of effective radiation dose,group B reduced about 29% compared to group A,the difference was statistically significant.Iodine intake in group B decreased about 16% than in group A.Conclusion In coronary artery CT imaging, spectral scanning with low dose of radiation and reconstruction images with single energy can effectively reduce the radiation dose and iodine intake,at the same time it can obtain the approximate image quality like conventional scanning.

PurposeTo explore the feasibility of personalized energy spectrum scanning in upper abdomen CT by comparing the image quality and radiation dose of optimizing choice spectrum scanning protocol with conventional 120 kVp scan.Material and Methods Sixty patients undergoing abdominal CT scan with and without contrast enhancement were prospectively collected and randomly assigned into two groups. Group A (30 patients) underwent conventional 120 kVp scan and spectral enhancement scanning; group B (30 patients) underwent spectrum scan and 120 kVp enhancement scanning. Spectral scanning protocol was based on individual choice with conventional 120 kVp NI10-5 mm average mAs scan for every patient. The CT dose index of volume (CTDIvol) and effective dose (ED) during non-contrast phase and portal venous phase were recorded. The CT value, standard deviation (SD), signal noise ratio (SNR) and contrast noise ratio (CNR) were measured in the liver parenchyma, spleen parenchyma and portal venous trunk.Results The CTDIvol and ED of spectrum scanning were less than 120 kVp scan but there was no statistical difference (P>0.05). The SD of group B GSI imaging was less than group A 120 kVp (P<0.05), while the SNR was greater than group A. The SD of group A GSI portal venous phase in the liver, spleen and portal vein was less than group B 120 kVp (P<0.05).ConclusionThe optimized energy spectrum scanning protocol can reduce radiation dose with quality of single energy image from the energy spectrum equal to or better than the conventional 120 kVp scanning protocol. Personalized energy spectrum scan protocol provides multi-parameter diagnosis and multi-application platform and can be used routinely in the upper abdomen scan.