Preliminary exploration of using ultrasound to quantitatively evaluate the development of epiphyseal cartilage and analyze its correlation with bone age, based on the ultrasound findings of the long bone joint end.

Bone age, the most commonly used and effective indicator for understanding children's growth and development, plays an important role in the diagnosis and efficacy evaluation of various growth and development disorders. Clinically, X-rays of the left hand and wrist are mostly taken for bone age assessment, but there is a certain radiation risk. Ultrasound can clearly display the epiphysis and secondary ossification center, and conveniently perform multi-site scanning and dynamic measurement without radiation. In recent years, great progress has been made in the research and clinical application of ultrasound in bone age assessment. This article, by reviewing the latest literature, discusses the value of musculoskeletal ultrasound and quantitative ultrasound in bone age assessment, raises the problems in the study of ultrasound assessment of bone age, and suggests direction for improvement.

To research on area ossification ratio (AOR), a novel parameter for quantitatively assessing adolescent bone age by conventional ultrasonography, and evaluate the correlation between AOR and radiographic bone age.

To evaluate the correlation between ultrasound ossification ratio(OR) and exercise intensity among adolescents.

Different degrees of visual function impairment is the main reason for first visit of children with optic pathway glioma; it seriously affects the quality of life of children. Early diagnosis, timely treatment, maximum preservation or restoration of the children's vision function, and improvement of quality of life of children are major challenges. This article reviews the recent advance in visual function assessments for children with optic pathway glioma, aiming to provide some references for early clinical objective assessment of visual function impairment and clear diagnosis.

Objective: To propose the concept of a novel regional control and prevention (RCP) system for the outbreak of COVID-19 infectious disease, design an emergency epidemic prevention information system based on the existing network architecture and information system in the region, and a remote intelligent medical consultation and remote office platform, research and develop the technology of risk assessment and early warning for people in the region, and improve the regions’prevention and control ability facing emergency of major infectious diseases. Methods: Taking colleges, affiliated (teaching) hospitals, and cloud applications as typical RCP regional units, the existing local area network interaction methods between the cloud and universities and affiliated (teaching) hospitals are established to realize remote work in the network environment, remote medical imaging, psychological and ethical consultation and interaction; applying multi-agent propagation model based on complex network, combining Global Positioning System (GPS), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and electronic fence technology, to realize the risk classification and early warning of units and personnel in the area. Results: In the RCP, a system architecture combining campus network, affiliated (teaching) hospital intranet, and the Internet is used. Dynamic connection is made using distributed technology and cloud storage. The data buffer mechanism of the intermediary database in the network realized telemedicine consultation and telecommuting. Relying on the platform, multi-agent propagation model based on complex network and cellular automaton model are used to realize the score and early warning of population exposure risk in the region by using GPS, RFID and electronic fence technology. Conclusions In the epidemic phase of major infectious diseases, the construction of RCP can improve the response speed of wartime epidemic prevention, provide reasonable data-based warnings and risk ratings, and reduce the exposure risk of susceptible people. The design and development of RCP is a systematic project that needs to combine regional structural and functional characteristics, and the foundation of the early informatization work in the region and the level of the emergency development team determine the development progress, maintenance, and actual application effects. It is recommended to establish a peacetime and wartime combined RCP mode and incorporate it into the government's disease control system to improve the national and regional level of prevention and control of major infectious diseases.

Objective To evaluate the quality of different parts of agarwood formed by stimulation with biological induction method, thus to provide evidence for agarwood quality control. Methods The identification of agarwood and the determination of alcohol extracts from agarwood were achieved by the methods of Chinese Pharmacopeia. The determination of total chromones from agarwood was achieved by ultraviolet spectrophotometry(UVS), with aquilarone E as reference substance and 760 nm as the detective wavelength. Results The UVS method was stable within 5 h and the recovery rate was 95.71%(sR=2.09%). The average alcohol extract content of the outside part of the xylem of Aquilaria sinensis(Lour.) Gilg(part B) was 109.4 mg/g,which was higher than that (100 mg/g) of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard. The average content of total chromones was 15.73 mg/g. The rest identification results were accorded with the requirements of Chinese Pharmacopeia. The average alcohol extract content of the inside part of the xylem(part Z) was 47.6 mg/g, and the average content of total chromones was 2.66 mg/g. The rest identification results did not reach the requirements of Chinese Pharmacopeia. Conclusion The obtained part B of the agarwood meets the requirements of Chinese Pharmacopeia, while part Z has color changed and its quality has not yet reached the requirements. The results indicated that the biological induction method impacts Aquilaria sinensis xylem from outside to inside, and then the xylem grows into agarwood gradually.

PurposeTo investigate the feasibility of using low concentration contrast agent and low tube voltage in the light and moderate weight's abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scan, in order to find an optimal solution to reduce radiation dose and iodine intake.Materials and Methods Forty patients with light weight whose body mass indexes (BMI) were lower than 20 kg/m2 were randomly divided into group A1 (n=20) and group B1 (n=20). Meanwhile, another 40 patients with moderate weight whose BMI ranged from 20 kg/m2 to 25 kg/m2 were randomly divided into group A2 (n=20) and group B2 (n=20). Low concentration contrast agent and low tube voltage (Visipaque 270 mgI/ml, 100 kV) were used in both group A1 and group A2 in abdominal enhanced CT scan. While both group B1 and group B2 used conventional scan solution (Omnipaque 300 mgI/ml, 120 kV) in abdominal enhanced CT scan. Then the contrast noise ratio (CNR), the image quality score and the effective radiation dose (ED) were compared among the four groups.Results The CNR and image quality score at artery phase and portal phase were neither significantly different between group A1 and group B1, nor between group A2 and group B2 (t=-1.539-0.000,P>0.05). The CNR and image quality score of the liver at artery phase in group B1 were signiifcantly higher than those in group A2 and group B2 (P<0.05).Conclusion The solution of using low concentration contrast agent and low tube voltage in contrast enhanced scan can achieve the same high quality abdominal image with reduced iodine intake and radiation, compared with the application of conventional enhanced scan; BMI has rather great impact on image quality score at arterial phase and little impact on that at portal phase. So it is suggested that the protocol of liver contrast-enhanced CT scan may choose reduction of voltage at portal phase so as to reduce radiation.

Objective To establish a method for fingerprint analysis of amino acids from honey by high performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC). Methods Amino acids of honey were concentrated by 732 cation exchange resin, and then were treated by pre-column derivatization with phenyl isothiocyanate, with praline as control peak. The chromatography was performed on a Waters Symmetry C18 ( 250 mm × 4.6 mm × 5 μm) column, with acetonitrile ∶ water (4∶1) as mobile phase A and 30 mmol/L sodium acetate ∶ acetonitrile (355∶15, acetic acid adjusting pH value to be 6.5) as mobile phase B by gradient elution. The detection wave length was set at 254 nm. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min. The column temperature was 40℃, and the injection volume was 5μL. Results Sixteen common peaks were shown in the fingerprint of 15 batches of honey samples. The similarity for 15 batches of honey samples was in the range of 0.910 ~ 0.996 . Conclusion The fingerprint detection method is simple, practical, reproducible and specific, and can provide certain reference for quality control of honey.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the changes of the extracellular matrix in nasal mucosa by a guinea pig model of prolonged allergic-induced rhinitis. METHOD: Thirty-two male Hartley guinea pigs were randomly divided into four groups: allergen challenged groups (Group 2 w, Group 6 w and Group 12 w) and a control group. Ovalbumin-sensitized guinea pigs were repeatedly challenged with allergen twice a week from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. Matched control groups were challenged with physiological saline. Nasal mucosa were obtained from the animals killed. Hematoxylin-Eosin, Masson's trichrome, and immunohistochemical staining against transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), Collagen III and Collagen I were performed to nasal mucosa. RESULT: (1) Pathological examination showed obvious infiltration of eosinophils and the enlarged thickness of epithelial layer of nasal mucosa in the experiment groups. (2) The area ratios of blue stained in the extracellular matrix of nasal mucosa were increased. The area ratios of blue stained were statistically different in Group 6 w and Group 12 w compared with the control group. (3) The increasing absorbance of TGF-beta1 were statistically different in the experiment groups with the control group. The absorbance of Collagen III and Collagen I showed a rising trend along prolonged allergen challenged in the experiment groups. CONCLUSION Prolonged allergen challenge and the inflammation of nasal mucosa, can lead to the increasing of the inflammation relevant factors and the deposit of collagen in the extracellular matrix of nasal mucosa.
Allergens ; immunology ; Animals ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Collagen Type III ; metabolism ; Eosinophils ; immunology ; Extracellular Matrix ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Guinea Pigs ; Inflammation ; Male ; Nasal Mucosa ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism