ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of gender and age on the posterior cranial fossa linear volume and cerebellar tonsil position in normal populations.MethodsA total of 180 normal adults who underwent cervical MRI examination at the physical examination center were selected, including 90 males and 90 females; the age ranged from 20 to 79 years, with an average of 50.4 years. The posterior cranial fossa linear volume and cerebellar tonsil position were measured by two spine surgeons on the mid-sagittal plane of the cervical MRI T2-weighted image. The posterior cranial fossa linear volume included the length of clivus (AB), anteroposterior diameter of foramen magnum (BC), length of supraocciput (CD), anteroposterior diameter of posterior fossa (DA), posterior fossa height (BE), and clivus angle (∠α). The index of the cerebellar tonsil position was the distance from the lower edge of the cerebellar tonsil to the baseline (MN). The differences of each indicators between males and females were compared, and the correlations between age and each indicators were analyzed.ResultsThe posterior fossa cranial linear volume AB, BC, CD, BE, and ∠α in males were significantly larger than those in females (P<0.05); DA in males was larger than that in females, but showing no significant difference (t=1.978, P=0.050). The cerebellar tonsil position (MN) in females was higher than that in males, but showing no significant difference (t=0.526, P=0.600). Correlation analysis showed that age was negatively correlated with AB, BC, CD, DA, BE, ∠α, and MN (r=−0.375, P=0.001; r=−0.417, P=0.001; r=−0.046, P=0.001; r=−0.244, P=0.001; r=−0.326, P=0.001; r=−0.320, P=0.001; r=−0.334, P=0.001).ConclusionThe posterior cranial fossa linear volume of normal adults is significantly larger in males than in females; the posterior cranial fossa linear volume and the cerebellar tonsil position may have a decreasing process of age-related degeneration.
Objective To provide a ventricular assist device for patients with heart failure, Fu Wai （FW） axial blood pump was developed for partly or totally to assist the left ventricular function. Vitro hemolysis and animals tests were also employed to test the hydromechanics and hemocompatibility of the FW left ventricular assist devices developed in Fu Wai hospital. Methods Using vitro test loop, FW axial blood pump has been used to evaluate the performance of hemolysis， the pump has also been tested for hemolysis characteristic through five sheep experiments. Results At 8 400 r/min, the pump generates 5 L/min flow against 100 mm Hg, the normalized index of hemolysis (NIH) was0.17±0.06 mg/L. The plasma free hemoglobin of in vivo tests was around 30 mg/dl. Conclusion The results obtained in vitro and in vivo testing indicate an acceptable design for the blood pump, further in vivo tests will be performed before clinical use.
Objective To seek for a method of constructing the tissue microarray which contains keloid, skin around keloid, and normal skin. Methods The specimens were gained from patients of voluntary donation between March and May2009, including the tissues of keloid (27 cases), skin around keloid (13 cases), and normal skin (27 cases). The specimens were imbedded by paraffin as donor blocks. The traditional method of constructing the tissue microarray and section were modified according to the histological characteristics of the keloid and skin tissue and the experimental requirement. The tissue cores were drilled from donor blocks and attached securely on the adhesive platform which was prepared. The adhesive platform with tissue cores in situ was placed into an imbedding mold, which then was preheated briefly. Paraffin at approximately 70℃ was injected to fill the mold and then cooled to room temperature. Then HE staining, immunohistochemistry staining were performed and the results were observed by microscope. Results The constructed tissue microarray block contained 67 cores as designed and displayed smooth surface with no crack. All the cores distributed regularly, had no disintegration or manifest shift. HE staining of tissue microarray section showed that all cores had equal thickness, distinct layer, manifest contradistinction, well-defined edge, and consistent with original pathological diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry staining results demonstrated that all cores contained enough tissue dose to apply group comparison. However, in tissue microarray which was made as traditional method, many cores missed and a few cores shifted obviously. Conclusion Applying modified method can successfully construct tissue microarray which is composed of keloid, skin around keloid, and normal skin. This tissue microarray will become an effective tool of researching the pathogenesis of keloid.
Objective To observed and analyze the clinical features of patients with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) causes of misdiagnosis. MethodsA retrospective case study. From November 2014 to July 2022, 49 NAION patients with 49 eyes diagnosed in Department of Ophthalmology, The First People’s Hospital of Lanzhou were included in the study. All patients were misdiagnosed with other eye diseases at first diagnosis. All eyes were examined by best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), relative afferent pupil defect (RAPD), orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), visual field, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and graphic visual evoked potential (P-VEP). Fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) was performed in 32 eyes. Clinical and MRI, visual field, P-VEP、FFA features of the patients were retrospectively analyzed. ResultsThere were 31 males and 18 females among the 49 patients. All cases were monocular. Age was (59.3±7.8) years. All of them complained of painless visual acuity loss or occlusion sensation in one eye. There were 12 (24.5%, 12/49) and 37 (75.6%, 37/49) cases with disease duration ＞2 months and ≤2 months, respectively. In 49 eyes, misdiagnosed as optic neuritis, normal tension glaucoma (NTG) or suspected glaucoma, optic disc vasculitis, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, traumatic optic neuropathy and toxic optic neuropathy were 28 (57.1%, 28/49), 11 (22.4%, 11/49), 5 (10.2%, 5/49), 2 (4.1%, 2/49), 1 (2.0%, 1/49), 1 (2.0%, 1/49), 1 (2.0%, 1/49) eyes. 24 (49.0%, 24/49), 16 (32.7%, 16/49) and 9 (18.4%, 9/49) eyes had BCVA＜0.1, 0.1-0.5 and＞0.5, respectively. RAPD was positive in 45 eyes (91.8%, 45/49). There were 37 (75.6%, 37/49) and 12 (24.5%, 12/49) eyes with and without optic disc edema, respectively. Bleeding was observed on and around the optic disc in 15 eyes (30.6%, 15/49). MRI examination showed no obvious abnormality in the optic nerve segments of all affected eyes. OCT showed an increase in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (307.1±62.1) μm in 37 patients with optic disc edema. The visual field examination showed that 24 eyes (49.0%, 24/49) had typical lower visual field defect connected with the physiological blind spot and circumvented the central fixation point, 6 eyes (12.2%, 6/49) had limited visual field defect connected with the physiological blind spot, and 19 eyes (38.8%, 19/49) had diffuse visual field defect. By P-VEP examination, the amplitude of P100 wave decreased moderately to severely in all affected eyes. There were 24 eyes (49.0%, 24/49) with mild peak delay and 11 eyes (22.4%, 11/49) with moderate peak delay. In 32 eyes examined by FFA, the arteries had early peridisk limitation or diffuse delayed filling, and mid-course fluorescein leakage in the corresponding area. ConclusionsThe main symptoms of NAION patients are painless visual acuity loss in one eye or occlusion of vision. The main clinical features of NAION patients are visual field defect, retinal nerve fiber layer thickening and visual electrophysiological abnormalities. NAION patients with acute or subacute visual loss accompanied by optic disc edema and/or bleeding are often misdiagnosed as optic neuritis, optic neurovasculitis and other types of optic neuropathy. NAION patients with a disease course of ＞2 months are easily misdiagnosed as NTG.
The meta-analysis of rare binary data is a difficulty in the field of medical research, and its methodology remains immature. The traditional meta-analysis technique is based on the normal-normal model of fixed effects analysis or random-effects analysis, however there are methodological problems in this method. Stijnen proposed an exact within-study likelihood models (EWLM) meta-analysis technique based on the generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), including the binomial-normal model (BN) and Hypergeometric-normal model (HNM), which can be used to achieve random effects meta-analysis of rare binary data. This paper introduces the model in detail and its implementation in SAS software with examples to provide relevant SAS code.
Objective To study the significances and expressions of Y14 and Upf1 in human breast cancer tissues and human normal breast tissues. Methods The expressions of Y14 and Upf1 were determined in human breast cancer tissues and human normal breast tissues by immunohistochemistry and laser scanning confocal microscope. Results ①Y14 and Upf1 levels of human breast cancer tissues were obviously higher than those of human normal breast tissues (Plt;0.05). ②Y14 and Upf1 levels of the class Ⅲ were obviously higher than those of the class Ⅰ and Ⅱ in breast cancer tissues (Plt;0.05). ③Y14 and Upf1 levels in breast cancer tissues of patients with positive axillary lymph nodes were obviously higher than those with negative axillary lymph nodes (Plt;0.05). Conclusion The function of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is obviously enhanced in breast cancer tissues. Expressions of Y14 and Upf1 levels of the class Ⅲ cancer tissue and cancer with positive axillary lymph node are high because of NMD.
Objective To evaluate the flushing effects of normal saline (NS) and heparin saline (HPS) after central venous catheterization. Methods We searched PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library (Issue 12, 2015), CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the flushing effects of NS versus HPS after central venous catheterization from inception to December 2015. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Then RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Results A total of 12 RCTs involving 2 092 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that no significant differences were found between the two groups in occlusion rate (OR=1.58, 95%CI 0.79 to 3.14,P=0.19) and the catheter days (OR=–7.24, 95%CI –22.90 to 8.41,P=0.36), while the HPS group had more advantage than the NS group in decreasing the incidence of phlebitis (OR=2.57, 95%CI 1.52 to 4.34,P=0.000 4). Subgroup analysis revealed that HPS provided more superiority over NS in lessening the occlusion rate (OR=1.85, 95%CI 1.22 to 2.80,P=0.004), no significant difference was found when comparing NS to 10 units, and 100 units HPS (10 units: OR=1.51, 95%CI 0.94 to 2.43,P=0.09; 100 units: OR=1.51, 95%CI 0.63 to 3.60,P=0.09). Conclusion HPS appears to be more beneficial than NS, larger rigorously studies are needed for better understanding on the effects of NS and HPS.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of problem-intervention-outcome (P-I-O) teaching method on the normalization training of new nurses. MethodsA total of 101 new nurses from 2011 to 2013 were included in this research. Forty-two new nurses who were invited from August 2011 to July 2012 were distributed into group A, and 59 new nurses who were invited from August 2012 to July 2013 were distributed into group B. Both groups accepted normalization training. Group B accepted P-I-O teaching at the same time. We assessed the differences in operating, theory, attendance, the rates of harmful events and the degree of satisfaction between the two groups. ResultsTheory and operating between the two groups had significant differences (t=3.44, 2.86; P<0.05). Attendance, rates of harmful events and the degree of satisfaction all had significant differences between the two groups (t=2.94, χ2=8.45, Z=-2.05; P<0.05). ConclusionThe application of P-I-O teaching method in the normalization training of new nurses can stimulate their study interest and enthusiasm, transit their role faster, as well as reduce the rates of clinical harmful events and elevate the quality of care. Thus, it is worthy of being popularized in clinical nursing care.
ObjectiveTo explore the reaction of normal skin fibroblasts from different sites of human body to cyclic stretch. MethodsThe normal skin tissues from scapular upper back and medial side of upper arm of 3 patients were cultured in vitro. Fibroblasts of experimental group were loaded by cyclic stretch with 10% amplitude for 24, 36, and 48 hours respectively. Fibroblasts of control group were cultured without cyclic stretch. The morphologic changes were observed using inverted microscope. CCK-8 method was used to detect the proliferation of the fibroblasts. The expressions of integrin β1 mRNA, p130Crk-associated substance (P130Cas) mRNA, transform growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) mRNA, and collagen type Ⅰ α1 chain (COL1A1) mRNA were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The protein levels of collagen type Ⅰ and TGF-β1 were detected by ELISA. ResultsThe cultured cells showed a significantly increased cell proliferation ability, and apparent orientation after the applied strain. The proliferation activity, mRNA expression levels of integrin β1, P130Cas, and TGF-β1, protein levels of TGF-β1 in back skin were significantly higher than those in arm skin (P<0.05) when the fibroblasts were loaded for 36 and 48 hours, but no significant difference between back skin and arm skin at 24 hours (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in mRNA expression level of COL1A1 and protein level of collagen type Ⅰ between back skin and arm skin at 24, 36, and 48 hours (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in all above indexes between back skin and arm skin in control group (P>0.05). ConclusionFibroblasts from scapular upper back and medial side of upper arm display different reactions to cyclic stretch, which indicates that there exists site difference in the reactions of fibroblasts to cyclic stretch. It might be related with the incidence of hypertrophic scar in different sites of the body.
ObjectiveTo set reference intervals of the levels of thyroid hormones among normal pregnant women without presence of thyroid antibodies during three trimesters of pregnancy in Quanzhou city, Fujian province. MethodsA total of 490 pregnant women during 4-39 week pregnancy without presence of thyroid antibodies were enrolled in Quanzhou city, Fujian province. Levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) were detected through the electrochemistry immunoassay (ECL) method. In addition, a total of 51 healthy women without pregnancy were enrolled to set the reference intervals of levels of thyroid hormones among normal pregnant women without presence of thyroid antibodies. ResultsThe median levels of TPO-Ab were in the reference intervals provided by the pharmaceutical factory. Levels of FT3 and FT4 gradually decreased from the first to the third trimester (P < 0.01), levels of serum TSH gradually increasd from the first to the third trimester (P < 0.01). Compared with those of pregnant women, levels of thyroid hormone in normal non-pregnant women were higher in the first trimester, lower in the second and the third trimesters (P < 0.01). During three trimesters, the reference intervals of FT3 in the three trimesters were (first: 3.75 to 7.23; second 3.31 to 4.9; and third: 3.16 to 4.48 pmol/L); the reference intervals of FT4 were (first: 12.85 to 25.3; second: 12.03 to 20.14; and third: 11.02 to 19.43 pmol/L); and the reference intervals of TSH were (first: 0.01 to 3.79; second: 1.09 to 4.19; and third: 1.08 to 5.95 mIU/L), respectively. ConclusionThrough this detection, we set the levels of thyroid hormones among normal pregnant women without presence of thyroid antibodies during three trimesters of pregnancy in Quanzhou city.