Objective To explore the echocardiography characteristics of non-compaction of ventricular myocardium(NVM),and assess its value in the diagnosis of NVM.Methods Philips SONOS 5500 color Doppler ultrasound system with 2-4 MHz transducers was used in 9 patients with NVM.Results In all 9 patients,the presence of multiple trabeculations and multiple deep intertrabecular Space communicating with the ventricular cavity was demonstrated by color Doppler imaging.Both ventricles were involved in 1 patient,only the left ventricle in 7 patients,and right ventricle in 1 patient.Conclusions NVM has typical ultrasonic appearance on echocardiography.It Can find out the NVM manifestations even if patients do not have any symptoms.It is a reliable and convenient way for diagnosing NVM.

Background: Nonlinguistic cognitive impairment has become an important issue for aphasic patients, but currently there are few neuropsychological cognitive assessment tests for it. To get more information on cognitive impairment of aphasic patients, this study aimed to develop a new cognitive assessment test battery for aphasic patients, the Non?language?based Cognitive Assessment (NLCA), and evaluate its utility in Chinese?speaking patients with aphasia. Methods: The NLCA consists of five nonverbal tests, which could assess five nonlinguistic cognitive domains such as visuospatial functions, attention test, memory, reasoning, and executive functions of aphasic patients. All tests are modified from the nonverbal items of the current existed tests with some changes to the characteristics of Chinese culture. The NLCA was tested in 157 participants (including 57 aphasic patients, 50 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and 50 normal controls), and was compared with other well?established relative neuropsychological tests on the reliability, validity, and utility. Results: The NLCA was fully applicable in the MCI patients and the normal controls, almost working in the aphasic patients (57/62 patients, 91.9%). The NLCA scores were 66.70 ± 6.30, 48.67 ± 15.04, and 77.58 ± 2.56 for the MCI group, the aphasic group, and the control group, respectively , and a significant difference was found among three groups (F = 118.446, P < 0.001). The Cronbach's alpha of the NLCA as an index of internal consistency was 0.805, and the test?retest and interrater reliability was adequate (r=0.977 and r= 0.970, respectively). The correlations of the cognitive subtests and their validation instruments were between 0.540 and 0.670 (all P < 0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that the coefficient of internal consistency of each subtest itself was higher than other subtests.When choosing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of <26 as the diagnostic criteria of cognitive impairment, the area under the curve for all participants in the control and MCI groups was 0.942 (95% confidence interval: 0.895–0.989), and an optimal cutoff point of 75.00 seemed to provide the best balance between sensitivity and specificity. Age (r = ?0.406, P < 0.001) was the main influence factor for the NLCA. Conclusions: The NLCA could efficiently differentiate the cognitive impairment patients from the normal controls and is a reliable and valid cognitive assessment test battery to specially find nonlinguistic cognitive function for aphasic patients.

OJECTIVE: To explore the changes of serum IgE and tryptase caused by anaphylactic shock rats and discuss the relation to PMI and preservative environment of corpse and specimen. METHODS: Rats were used for establishing anaphylactic shock models and randomly divided into room temperature group, refrigeration group, frozen group, manual hemolysis group, specimen preservation group. And the control group was also established. The blood samples were collected after rats were sacrificed. The degree of hemolysis was graded according to the color of the upper layer of the serum. The mass concentration of IgE and tryptase in each group was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: The levels of serum IgE and tryptase in anaphylactic shock dead rats were higher than that of the control group. Room temperature and frozen made obviously differences on the levels of serum IgE and tryptase with various PMI. The levels of serum IgE and tryptase in refrigeration group showed relatively stable. The levels of serum tryptase and IgE were elevated with differently increasing hemolysis. The levels of serum IgE and tryptase showed no obvious changes during the specimen kept under different temperature conditions for 25 days. CONCLUSION Serum IgE and tryptase obviously increased in anaphylactic shock rats. However, the levels were influenced by PMI and environmental temperature, especially under the conditions of room temperature and frozen.
Anaphylaxis/blood* ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunoglobulin E/blood* ; Rats ; Temperature ; Tryptases/blood*

OBJECTIVETo study the blood pressure (BP) changes in the liver transplant recipients.

METHODSA total of 206 patients without preoperation hypertension received liver transplantation in our hospital from February 2001 to July 2005. The BP level and serum immunosuppressant concentration at preoperation and various time points post operation were determined.

RESULTSCompared with the preoperation, the average systolic and diastolic pressure was significantly increased at the 2 week, 1, 2, 4 and 6 months post operation. The mobility of hypertension increased significantly after liver transplantation, with the highest mobility (46.49%) at the 1st month post operation. There was no linear correlation between the immunosuppressant (FK506) concentration and the BP level at any time point.

CONCLUSIONThere was a high hypertension incidence after liver transplantation. Although the use of immunosuppressive drugs accompanied with the BP increase, there was no linear correlation between the immunosuppressant concentration and the BP level post operation.

Blood Pressure ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; etiology ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; adverse effects ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; physiopathology ; Retrospective Studies

Fatal anaphylactic shock is common in forensic practice. However, it is difficult to diagnose for lacking specific pathological and morphologic changes in forensic autopsy. The application of some biochemical indicators is of great significance. This paper reviews the biological characteristics of some biochemical indicators and detection methods. The forensic application, problems and prospects of these indicators are also introduced in details. The stable biochemical indicators, IgE, tryptase and chymase, show great potential and advantages in the identification of fatal anaphylactic shock in forensic medicine.
Anaphylaxis/metabolism* ; Autopsy ; Biomarkers ; Chymases ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Tryptases

OBJECTIVEA novel biological piezoelectric ceramic was made by beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) and lithium sodium potassium niobate (LNK) piezoelectric ceramics. To study its biocompatibility to osteoblast isolated from the cranium of 1-day-old Sprague-Dawley mice.

METHODSThe biological piezoelectric ceramic TCPLNK1/10, TCPLNK5/5 respectively mixed by beta-TCP and LNK piezoelectric ceramic at the ratio of 1/10 and 5/5. Then osteoblasts were used and seeded respectively on the negative and positive surfaces of TCPLNK1/10 and TCPLNK5/5. Growth and proliferation of the osteoblasts on TCPLNK1/10 and TCPLNK5/5 surfaces were evaluated in vitro by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination, fluorescence dyeing of osteoblast skeleton protein and MTT assay.

RESULTSCell morphology of osteoblast on positive and negative surfaces of TCPLNK1/10 and TCPLNK5/5 was normal, and both adhesion and growth characteristics showed better than control group. The growing osteoblasts on the TCPLNK1/10 negative surface were significantly higher than others. The negative surface of TCPLNK1/10 possessed better osteogenesis potential than others in vitro.

CONCLUSIONThe surface of TCPLNK may permit the imitation piezoelectric effect of natural bone for bone regeneration.

Animals ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone and Bones ; Calcium Phosphates ; Cell Proliferation ; Ceramics ; Mice ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Niobium ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Oxides ; Periosteum ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skull

Objective To investigate the correlation between ganglioside (Gg) injection and serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B protein concentration in patients with severe craniocerebral injury.Methods Sixty-eight patients with acute craniocerebral injury were randomly divided into control group (n =34) and treatment group (n =34).Patients in control group were intravenously infused mannitol injection 200 mL,twice a day and orally given norepinephrine 1.2 g,3 times a day.Patients in treatment group were given intravenous infusion of monosialoglycoside ganglion glucoside 100 mg,once a day.All patients were treated for 2 months.Serum NES and S100B protein levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in two groups in 24,48,72,and 120 h after hospitalization.And the adverse drug reactions in two groups were observed.Results After 120 h treatment,the serum NSE levels in treatment group and control group were (13.21 ± 2.78),(18.52 ± 3.45) ng· mL-1.The S100 in treatment group and control group were (2.08 ±0.85),(3.76 ±2.14) ng · mL-1(P＜0.05).The effective rate was 82.35％ (28/34 cases) in treatment group,had significant difference with that in control group,which was 58.82％ (20/34 cases,P ＜ 0.05).The MMSE scores in treatment group after 2,4 weeks were 23.44 ± 3.15,27.41 ± 3.48,had significant difference with those in control group,which were 20.35 ± 2.35,22.24 ± 2.97 (P ＜ 0.01).There were no adverse drug reactions in two groups during the treatment.Conclusion Gg injection can effectively reduce the levels of serum NSE and S100B protein in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUNDThe virtual reality (VR) system can provide the neurosurgeon to intuitively interact with and manipulate the three dimensional (3-D) image similarly to manipulate a real object. It was seldom reported that the system was used in diagnosis and treatment of cerebral aneurysms. This study aimed to investigate the application of VR system in diagnosis and therapeutic planning of cerebral aneurysms.

METHODSA total of 24 cases of cerebral aneurysms were enrolled in this study from 2006 to 2008, which diagnosed by 3-D digital subtraction angiography (3D-DSA) or VR-based computed tomography angiographies (CTA). The VR system and 3D-DSA system were used to observe and measure aneurysms and the adjacent vessels. The data of observation and measurements were compared between VR image and 3D-DSA image. All the patients underwent surgical plan and simulated neurosurgical procedures in the VR system.

RESULTSThere were 28 aneurysms detected in VR system and 3D-DSA system. The VR system generated clear and vivid 3-D virtual images which clearly displayed the location and size of the aneurysms and their precise anatomical spatial relations to the parent arteries and skull. The location, size and shape of the aneurysms and their anatomical relationship with the adjacent vessels were similar between 3-D virtual image and 3D-DSA, but the spatial relationship between aneurysms and skull only been displayed by VR system. This VR system also could simulate simple surgical procedures and surgical environments.

CONCLUSIONSThe VR system can provide a highly effective way to provide precise imaging details as same as 3D-DSA system and assist the diagnosis of cerebral aneurysms with virtual 3-D data based on CTA. It significantly enhances the chosen therapeutic strategy of cerebral aneurysms.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo screen out the HAb18G/CD147 binding peptides and find out an antagonist against hepatoma invasion.

METHODSHAb18G/CD147 was purified by affinity chromatographic method and the antigen binding peptides acquired by bio-panning a phage-displayed 12-peptide library. After obtaining the sequence of the selected phage-displayed peptides, all the 9 peptides were synthesized by solid-phase method and identified by mass spectrograph. The peptides' anti-metastatic function was tested by Boyden Chamber assay.

RESULTSThe purified HAb18G/CD147, identified by Western blot (molecular weight about 65 kd) could be used to bio-pan the phage-displayed peptide library. After 3 rounds of bio-panning, 9 positive phage clones were selected and sequenced. The synthesized peptides had uneven inhibitory activities and three of them were able to markedly inhibit the hepatoma cell invasion (P < 0.01). The most effective peptide decreased by 90.1% of hepatoma cells migrating through the Boyden Chamber membrane as compared with the control.

CONCLUSIONBio-panning the phage-displayed peptide library can be used successfully to screen out the antigen binding peptides. Hepatoma metastatic potential can be inhibited by peptide antagonist which could be a good foundation of developing peptide therapeutic agent against hepatoma metastasis.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; therapeutic use ; Basigin ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Mice ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Peptide Library ; Peptides ; therapeutic use