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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Objective:To investigate the imaging manifestations and diagnosis of hepatic hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHHT). Methods:The imaging features and clinical data of three HHHT patients were analysed and the related data were reviewed. B-type ultra-sonography, contrast enhanced CT and DSA were utilized to show the changes of the involved liver and the vessels. Results:B-type ultra-sonic graph showed abnormal blood vessels in hepatic hila. CT or DSA demonstrated intra-and extra-hepatic abnormal ectatic arteries, intrahepatic telangiectasia, cirrhosis and hepatic enlargement. Conclusion:CT might be used as one of the key measures for the diagnosis of HHHT.

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 investigate the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in the estimation of tumor angiogenesis and pathologic grading of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.Methods Routine preoperative MRI and DCE-MRI scanning were performed on 57 patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.The early signal enhancement ratio (eSER) and delayed signal enhancement ratio (dSER) of DCE-MRI were calculated.Microvessel density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions were detected in the extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tissue samples using immunohistochemical methods.The relations between the eSER or dSER and MVD,VEGF and the pathological grading of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were analyzed.Results There was a positive correlation between the eSER or dSER and MVD of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (r =0.62,P ＜ 0.05 ; r =0.45,P ＜ 0.05).The eSER of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with a positive VEGF expression was higher than those with a negative VEGF expression (t =3.53,P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in dSER between the positive VEGF expression group and the negative VEGF expression group (t =1.35,P ＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the eSER or dSER among the different differentiated extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (F =2.65,P ＞ 0.05 ; F =2.23,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The eSER and dSER reflected tumor angiogenesis of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,and DCE-MRI contributed to the evaluation of biological features of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in vivo.