Prognostic analysis of children with Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia common genes / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To summarize the clinical data and prognosis of children with Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL) common genes. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study.Clinical data of 56 children with Ph-like ALL common gene cases (Ph-like ALL positive group) treated from January 2017 to January 2022 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Henan Cancer's Hospital and Henan Provincial People's Hospital were collected, 69 children with other high-risk B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) at the same time and the same age were selected as the negative group. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of two groups were analyzed retrospectively. Comparisons between groups were performed using Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival curve, Log-Rank test was used for univariate analysis, and the Cox regression model was used for multivariate prognosis analysis. Results: Among 56 Ph-like ALL positive patients, there were 30 males and 26 females, and 15 cases were over 10 years old. There were 69 patients in Ph-like ALL negative group. Compared with the negative group, the children in positive group were older (6.4 (4.2, 11.2) vs. 4.7 (2.8, 8.4) years), and hyperleukocytosis (≥50×109/L) was more common (25% (14/56) vs. 9% (6/69)), the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.05). In the Ph-like ALL positive group, 32 cases were positive for IK6 (1 case was co-expressed with IK6 and EBF1-PDGFRB), 24 cases were IK6-negative, of which 9 cases were CRLF2 positive (including 2 cases with P2RY8-CRLF2, 7 cases with CRLF2 high expression), 5 cases were PDGFRB rearrangement, 4 cases were ABL1 rearrangement, 4 cases were JAK2 rearrangement, 1 case was ABL2 rearrangement and 1 case was EPOR rearrangement. The follow-up time of Ph-like ALL positive group was 22 (12, 40) months, and 32 (20, 45) months for negative group. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate of positive group was significantly lower than the negative group ((72±7) % vs. (86±5) %, χ2=4.59, P<0.05). Compared with the 24 IK6-negative patients, the 3-year event free survival (EFS) rate of 32 IK6 positive patients was higher, the difference was statistically significant ((88±9) % vs. (65±14) %, χ2=5.37, P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the bone marrow minimal residual disease (MRD) not turning negative at the end of first induction (HR=4.12, 95%CI 1.13-15.03) independent prognostic risk factor for patient with Ph-like ALL common genes. Conclusions: Children with Ph-like ALL common genes were older than other high-risk B-ALL patients at diagnosis, with high white blood cells and lower survival rate. The bone marrow MRD not turning negative at the end of first induction were independent prognostic risk factor for children with Ph-like ALL common gene.

Research progress on the association between childhood obesity and pubertal timing / 中国学校卫生

Abstract@#With the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in children, the influence of overweight and obesity on pubertal timing has attracted the attention of scholars. This paper reviewed the correlation and mechanism between childhood obesity and pubertal timing, especially for earlier pubertal timing, and found that the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function by nutrition and metabolic signals might under lie those associations. Obesity in girls was positively correlated with early pubertal timing, while the conclusions in boys were inconsistent. Overweight in boys was related to early pubertal timing, obesity in boys could lead to both earlier and later onset of puberty, which warrents further investigation.

Gene cloning and enzymatic activity analysis of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) Ying / 生物工程学报

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the key entry enzyme of plant phenylpropanoid pathway. It plays an important role in the biosynthesis of podophyllotoxin, an anti-tumor lignan that is currently produced from its main natural source Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) Ying. In this study, we cloned the gene ShPAL encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase by RT-PCR from the root of S. hexandrum ecotype inhabited in the Aba' district, Sichuan, based on its public SRA transcriptome data-package. Bioinformatics analyses showed that the ShPAL-encoded protein is composed of 711 amino acids, contains the conserved domains of PAL, and has the signature motif within the active center of aromatic ammonia-lyases. Moreover, ShPAL protein was predicted to have a secondary structure mainly composed of α-helix and random coil, a typical 'seahorse' shape monomer tertiary structure, and a homologous tetramer three-dimensional structure by Swiss-Modelling. The phylogenetic lineage analysis indicated ShPAL was of the highest sequence identity and the shortest evolutionary distance with the PAL of Epimedium sagittatum from the same Berberidaceae family. Subcellular localization experiments showed that ShPAL protein was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm, despite of a minority on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Furthermore, ShPAL protein was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by histidine-tag affinity chromatography. Its enzymatic activity was determined up to 20.91 U/mg, with the optimum temperature of 41 ℃ and pH of 9.0. In contrast, the enzyme activity of its F130H mutant decreased by about 23.6%, yet with the same trends of change with temperature and pH, confirming that phenylalanine at this position does affect the substrate specificity of PAL. Both the wild type and the mutant have relatively poor thermostability, but good pH-stability. These results may help to further investigate the regulatory role of PAL in the process of podophyllotoxin biosynthesis and advance the heterologous synthesis of podophyllotoxin to protect the germplasm resource of S. hexandrum. They also demonstrate that ShPAL has a potential application in biochemical industry and biomedicine.

Characterization and identification of chemical components in traditional Chinese medicine Psoraleae Fructus based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS / 中国中药杂志

This study was designed to comprehensively characterize and identify the chemical components in traditional Chinese medicine Psoraleae Fructus by establishing an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) method in combination with in-house library. The chromatographic separation conditions(stationary phase, column temperature, mobile phase, and elution gradient) and key MS monitoring parameters(capillary voltage, nozzle voltage, and fragmentor) were sequentially optimized via single-factor experiments. A BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) was finally adopted, with the mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in water(A) and acetonitrile(B) at the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1) and column temperature of 30 ℃. Auto MS/MS was utilized for data acquisition in both positive and negative ion modes. By comparison with reference compounds, analysis of the MS~2 fragments, in-house library retrieval and literature research, 83 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized from Psoraleae Fructus, including 58 flavonoids, 11 coumarins, 4 terpenoid phenols, and 10 others. Sixteen of them were identified by comparison with reference compounds, and ten compounds may have not been reported from Psoraleae Fructus. This study achieved a rapid qualitative analysis on the chemical components in Psoraleae Fructus, which provided useful reference for elucidating its material basis and promoting the quality control.

Binder jet 3D printing composite bilayer tablet of extended-release printing technology in the study / 药学学报

Based on the dual needs of analgesia and anti-inflammation in trauma treatment, this study uses acetaminophen and moxifloxacin hydrochloride as active pharmaceutical ingredients and develops a composite bilayer tablet with a dual-phase drug release system by using binder jet 3D printing technology. Due to the complexity of the 3D printing process, there is an interaction between the various parameters. Through the optimization of the process, the relationship between the key process parameters can be determined more intuitively. In this study, the process of extended-release tablets was optimized to maintain the mechanical properties of the tablets while realizing the regulation of release. The full-factor experimental design of three central points 23 was used to analyze the factors that significantly affect the quality attributes of extended-release tablets and the interaction between factors. The optimal extended-release process parameters were obtained by the response optimizer: the inkjet quantity of the printing ink was 10 (about 13.8 pL), the powder thickness was 180 μm, and the running speed was 360 mm·s-1. The in vitro of release of 3D printed composite bilayer tablets showed that the in vitro of release of 3D printed tablets and commercially available tablets conformed to the Ritger-Peppas release model. The results of porosity showed that the immediate-release layer of the preparation has many pores and large pore size, and the dissolution of the immediate release layer within 15 min was greater than 85%. The internal pore size of the extended release layer is large, but it can still release slowly for up to 8 h, the mechanism may be related to the extended release of HPMC gelation. On the basis of verifying the rationality of the design goal of 3D printed composite bilayer tablets, this study also provides a theoretical basis for the preparation of 3D printing complex preparations.

Exploration of establishing the evaluation index system of professional and specialized drug inspectors in China / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To provide scientific basis for establishing the evaluation index system of professional and specialized drug inspectors in China. METHODS Through the method of literature research， group discussions and behavioral event interview， combined with the practice situation of drug inspection at home and abroad， in accordance with the requirements of Chinese laws and regulations and department rules， the evaluation indexes for drug inspectors were extracted and screened. In addition， the Delphi method was used to conduct correspondence with experts in relevant fields so as to determine the evaluation index system of drug inspectors. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS Finally， 62 experts completed two rounds of anonymous online questionnaires， including 29 experts in the first round and 33 experts in the second round. The questionnaire recovery rates were 96.67% and 94.29% respectively， and the expert authority coefficients were 0.81 and 0.79， indicating a high level of authority among experts. After expert consultation， evaluation index system for professional and specialized drug inspectors had been constructed， including five first-level indexes （personal characteristics， professional knowledge， professional skills， professional behavior and professional ethics） and their corresponding 27 second-level indexes. The average score of the importance of second-level indexes was 4.224- 4.879， the full score ratio was 81.8%-100%， the coefficient of variation was 0.067-0.177， and Kendall’s W was 0.643 （P＜0.001）. It indicates that this evaluation index system is relatively reliable and is expected to become a management tool for promoting the construction of professional and specialized drug inspector team and ensuring the quality of drug inspection.

Quantitative Imaging Study of Liver and Spleen Lesions in Patients with Gaucher Disease / 罕见病研究

  Objective  Quantitative imaging evaluation was performed on the liver and spleen system lesions of patients with Gaucher disease after treatment. in order to deepen the understanding of Gaucher disease.  Methods  From August 1999 to August 2018, we registered, examined and treated children with Gaucher disease, and conducted quantitative imaging research on 40 children with Gaucher disease who were intensively followed up in Beijing Children's hospital, Capital Medical University until August 2018. At the same time, 34 normal volunteers were matched. All subjects were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). The fat fraction(FF), iron content(R2*), standard apparent diffusion coefficient(sADC), slow apparent diffusion coefficient(D), fast apparent diffusion coefficient(D*) and perfusion fraction(f)of the liver and spleen were measured. The quantitative parameter values measured by patients with Gaucher disease and normal subjects were statistically analyzed by independent sample t-tests.  Results  The results showed that there was no significant difference in FF, R2*, sADC, D, D*, f of the liver and spleen, and liver elasticity was also within the normal range. However, the volume of liver and spleen in patients was significantly different from that in normal subjects.  Conclusions  After treatment, the volume of the liver and spleen in patients with Gaucher disease is greater than that of normal people, but other quantitative parameters are within the normal range, indicating that long-term enzyme replacement therapy can delay the progress of liver and spleen diseases to a certain extent. Quantitative imaging has a certain value in the evaluation of Gaucher disease.

Application of amide proton transfer-weighted MRI for grading of brainstem glioma in children / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To evaluate the application of amide proton transfer weighted (APTw) magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) for grading of brainstem glioma (BSG) in children.Methods:Twenty-five children (16 males and 9 females) aged 0.7-12.4(5.6±3.3)years were diagnosed as BSG by surgery or biopsy in Beijing Children′s Hospital from December 2019 to March 2022, including 13 cases of low-grade BSG and 12 cases of high-grade BSG. APTw imaging and conventional MRI were performed on a 3.0 T MRI scanner. The differences in gender distribution, age, conventional MRI appearance, APTw signal intensity and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) between children with high and low grade BSG were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the efficacy of APTw signal intensity in the differential diagnosis of high and low grade BSG, and Youden index was calculated to obtain the optimal diagnostic threshold. Pearson′s correlation coefficient analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between APTw signal intensity and Ki-67 expression.Results:There was no significant difference in age and gender distribution between high-grade and low-grade BSG patients. The maximum diameter of high-grade BSG was significantly larger than that of low-grade BSG [(4.7±0.9) vs. (3.1±1.7)cm; t=-2.94, P=0.007]; the maximum signal intensity of APTw (APTw max) in high-grade BSG was significantly higher than that in low-grade BSG [(4.9±0.6)% vs. (3.0±1.2)%; t=-5.14, P<0.001]; the average signal intensity of APTw (APTw mean) in high-grade BSG was significantly higher than that in low-grade BSG[(3.6±0.4%) vs. (2.7±1.1)%; t=-2.66, P=0.014].The area under the curve(AUC)of APTw max in distinguishing high-and low-grade BSG was 0.897; with 4.07% as the optimal diagnostic threshold of APTw max, the sensitivity for the diagnosis of high-grade BSG was 0.917 and specificity was 0.846. The AUC of APTw mean in distinguishing high-and low-grade BSG was 0.769; with 2.85% as the optimal diagnostic threshold of APTw mean, the sensitivity for the diagnosis of high-grade BSG was 0.917 and specificity was 0.692. There was a positive correlation between the value of APTw max and Ki-67 expression( r=0.453, P=0.023). Conclusion:APTw imaging is helpful to distinguish high-grade and low-grade BSG in children. APTw max value can be used to effectively evaluate the proliferative activity of BSG in children.

Network pharmacology unveils spleen-fortifying effect of Codonopsis Radix on different gastric diseases based on theory of “same treatment for different diseases” in traditional Chinese medicine / 中草药·英文版

Objective: “Same treatment for different diseases” is a unique treatment strategy under the guidance of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory. Codonopsis Radix (Codonopsis pilosula, Dangshen in Chinese) with spleen-fortifying effect was employed to understand the strategy of “Same treatment for different diseases”, based on its common mechanism in the treatment of gastric diseases including gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastric cancer via network pharmacology research. Methods: Network pharmacology research methods were used to analyze the interaction network and potential mechanisms of Dangshen in treating gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastric cancer. The active components and their target proteins of Dangshen were integrated from TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM databases. The targets of gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastric cancer were collected through GeneCards, PubMed, TDD and DisGeNET Database. Through screening, the key components and the key targets of Dangshen in treating gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastric cancer were obtained. After KEGG pathway analysis and GO analysis, the important pathways and biological processes were analyzed. Results: Through data and literature mining, the common and specific pharmaceutical effects and mechanism of Dangshen were summarized in these three gastric lesions. It was shown that Dangshen mainly acted on gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastric cancer through the overall regulation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. With the development of the disease, it will gradually increase the control of inflammation through TNF, NF-κB and other inflammation-related signaling pathways to reduce inflammatory damage. For tumorigenesis, it pays more attention to inhibiting the ErbB signaling pathways to reduce the proliferation and migration of tumor cells. In addition, Dangshen's regulation of HIF-1 signaling pathway may also be beneficial for the treatment of gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastric cancer. Conclusion: Dangshen achieves spleen-fortifying effect on gastric diseases including gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastric cancer through multiple targets in multiple pathways, especially PI3K-AKT pathway and HIF-1 pathway. It could provide a scientific basis for understanding the strategy of “Same treatment for different diseases” in traditional Chinese medicine.

Clinical analysis of vitreous haemorrhage associated with retinal tears / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To study the clinical characteristics of vitreous hemorrhage associated with retinal tears, so as to provide suggestions for early intervention and improving the prognosis of patients.<p>METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Totally 105 patients(105 eyes)with vitreous haemorrhage associated with retinal tears treated at our hospital from December 2016 to December 2018 including 54 males and 51 females, of who the clinical characters, therapeutic effcet and prognostic facors were retrospectively analyzed.<p>RESULTS: Among the 105 eyes(151 retinal tears), 82 tears were located in the superotemporal area(54.3%), 28 tears were located in the superonasal area(18.5%), 27 tears were located in the inferior temporal area(17.9%), and 14 tears were located in the inferior nasal area(9.3%). The shape of the retinal tears was mostly horseshoe(77.5%). The diameter of the tear was between 1/8-4 papillary diameter(PD), most commonly is 1 PD. Seventy-six patients(72.4%)had visual acuity better than or equal to their preoperative vision. There was no significant difference in corrected visual acuity pre-and postoperative(<i>P</i>>0.05), and there was no statistically significant improvement in visual acuity between the buckling procedure group and the vitrectomy group(<i>P</i>>0.05).<p>CONCLUSION: Retinal tear is an important cause of vitreous haemorrhage. Retinal tears were mostly located in the superotemporal area with horseshoe shape. A comprehensive understanding of the clinical characteristics of rhegmatogenous vitreous haemorrhage helps to detect tears early and avoid serious complications.Patients had preoperative best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)(LogMAR)less than 1.6 and light perception less than 1 m, have poor postoperative vision, as do patients with retinal detachment involving the macula especially along with proliferative vitreoretinopathy(PVR).

Resource Value Discovery and Utilization of Wastes in Industrialization of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The recycling of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） wastes is an important research topic to be solved urgently in the industrialization of TCM resources. Rhei Radix et Rhizoma is a bulk Chinese herb mainly derived from Rheum palmatum，R. tanguticum，and R. officinale. At present，these three medicinal plants have been cultivated on a large scale and widely used in the fields of medicine，health care，food，cosmetics，and veterinary medicine，with an annual demand of more than 5 500 tons（1 ton=1 000 kg）. However，a large number of wastes such as non-medicinal parts and residues produced in the production and deep processing are discarded because there is no effective way of utilization，resulting in serious waste of resources and environmental pollution. The non-medicinal parts contain not only the chemical components and pharmacological effects similar to those of roots and rhizomes but also a variety of amino acids，mineral elements，and conventional nutrients. They have a long history of use，and the content of some resource components is higher than that in roots and rhizomes. In particular，their stems and leaves exhibit great potential to be consumed as food and medicine due to high safety. Besides，the content of anthraquinones in Rhei Radix et Rhizoma residue is high and it possesses good antibacterial activity. It can be seen that the waste from the industrialization of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma has high utilization value. Hence，based on the relevant literature and investigation on the application of producing areas in China and abroad，the paper summarized the utilization status of their medicinal and non-medicinal parts，the waste production in the industrialization，as well as the active substances and utilization ways and put forward the multi-level and multi-path utilization strategy of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma wastes，in order to provide reference for the rational development and application of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma resources and promote the effective utilization and green development of the corresponding wastes.

Investigation and validation of magnetic resonance white matter atlas for 0 to 2 years old infants / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To construct and verify a standard template of white matter based on Chinese normal 0 to 2 years old infants by using nonlinear high registration accuracy of non-rigid diffeomorphism paradigm (large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping, LDDMM).@*METHODS@#Full-term spontaneous labor children without maternal pregnancy disease (hypertension, diabetes, etc.), intrauterine hypoxia and ischemia, head trauma, intracranial infection, intracranial surgery history, family history of mental disorders were selected. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from the 120 normal Chinese infants under 2 years old were acquired after excluding the existence of neurological diseases revealed by neurologists, radiologists and Gesell Developmental Scale. All the data were divided into six groups including group A: 1 day to 1.5 months, group B: 1.5 to 4.5 months, group C: 4.5 to 9.0 months, group D: 9 to 15 months, group E: 15 to 21 months, and group F: 21 to 24 months. Data pre-processing, normalizing, tensor fitting and calculation of all the images were performed by using MRlcron, DtiStudio, DiffeoMap and SPM software package combined with LDDMM image registration method based on the selected single template of each group. And the average templates of each group were constructed by MATLAB software platform. The set of templates included fractional anisotropy figure (FA), color map, T1 weighted image, b0 image and the mean of all DWfs figures.@*RESULTS@#The templates of FA, T1, b0, DWfs and color map for the normal brain magnetic resonance white matter development of the Chinese infants aged 0 to 2 years were successfully established with the subjective scores exceeding 2 points. The objective evaluation root mean squared error was controlled below 0.19, and the cubic chart of brain alternation trend for the children aged 0 to 2 years was consistent with previous literature.@*CONCLUSION@#Constructing a standard template of white matter based on Chinese normal infants, by using nonlinear high registration accuracy of non-rigid diffeomorphism paradigm provides not only a foundation of further research on brain development, mechanism and treatment of pediatric diseases associated with brain, but also objective and fair imaging information for medical education and research.

MRI features and diagnosis of neonatal deep cerebral arterial infarctions / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore the MRI features of neonatal deep cerebral arterial infarctions.Methods:The medical and MRI datas of 23 neonates with deep cerebral arterial infarctions from January 2011 to December 2018 in Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. Both 11 males and 12 females with ages between 1-28 d were recruited and MRI were performed within 2-20 d after symptom onset. The MRI featurs including location, morphology, signal characteristics, enhancement features and other accompanied signs were reviewed.Results:A total of 15 cases with arterial infarction and 8 cases with complication of purulent meningitis were identified. The median age at presentation were 2 d and 7 d respectively. The unilateral involvement were demonstrated in all neonates with arterial infarctions. Among them, 11 had deep infarcts and the main branch of the middle cerebral artery was involved in 4 neonates. MRI showed slightly hypo-intensity on T 1WI and slightly hyper-intensity on T 2WI with indistinct boundary and focal punctate hyper-intensity on T 1WI and hypo-intensity on T 2WI. In 8 cases secondary to purulent meningitis, unilateral involvement was found in 5 cases and bilateral involvement in 3 cases. All cases showed hypo-intensity on T 1WI and hyper-intensity on T 2WI with indistinct boundary. Among them, 7 cases were heterogeneous, with small cystic changes which appeared as slightly hyper-intensity on T 1WI and slightly hypo-intensity on T 2WI peripherally, as well as nodular or patchy restricted diffusion. Marked swelling of the lesion was found in 6 cases. Multiple patchy or ring enhancement was revealed in 5 cases. Iso-intensity and restricted diffusion in posterior horn of the lateral ventricle were found in 2 cases. Restricted diffusion in frontotemporal subarachnoid space was found in 5 cases. One case showed subdural effusion. Conclusion:Neonatal deep cerebral arterial infarctions have certain characteristic appearance on MRI. Lesions secondary to purulent meningitis can be bilateral involvement with heterogeneous MRI intensities, and different period of infarction signs could be found concurrently. MRI is beneficial to the differential diagnosis.

Investigation of current status of citizen's attitude to legislation of brain death criteria / 器官移植

Objective To investigate the citizen's attitude towards the cognition of brain death and the legislation of brain death criteria. Methods A questionnaire survey was performed in 1 500 outpatients or accompanying personnel by the convenient sampling method. The questionnaire data were independently recorded by two professionals using the Epidata 3.02 software. The factors influencing the citizen's support of the legislation of brain death were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Logistic regression models. Results Among 1 433 eligible respondents, 84.65% (1 213/1 433) of them knew brain death, and 24.32% (295/1 213) considered brain death as a reasonable criterion for death. The proportion of respondents who supported and opposed the legislation of brain death was 49.79% (604/1 213) and 17.31% (210/1 213).Male [odds ratio (OR)=1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-1.6], those with junior college degree or above at educational level (OR=1.5, 95%CI 1.1-1.9), those whose relatives and friends were engaged in organ donation (OR=3.3, 95%CI 1.1-10.3), those who participated in public welfare activities of organ donation (OR=3.1, 95%CI 1.6-6.0) and those who regarded brain death as a reasonable criterion for death (OR=2.0, 95%CI 1.5-2.6) were more inclined to support the legislation of brain death, which were the independent influencing factors of the legislation of brain death (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Citizens have relatively low cognition and support of the legislation of brain death criteria. Relevant propaganda on brain death should be widely carried out to strengthen the citizen basis for the legislation.

Electron Elimination Method Based on Single Electrode Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ion Source / 分析化学

Based on the electric field shielding and insulation technology, the single electrode dielectric barrier discharge ion source ( DBDI ) has the characteristics of uniform discharging, stability, and high ionization energy, and thus can be used to detect various samples with a large range of polarity. However, the ionization energy is too high to reduce the background signal noise, and thus affects the detection effectiveness to low polarity and low boiling point samples. To enhance the detection effectiveness to these samples, a method of eliminating electrons of single electrode DBDI by using external metal electrodes was developed in this study. Then, the single electrode DBDI was improved by an external needle electrode and an external metal net, respectively. The mechanism of those external metal electrodes was discussed, and the experimental studies were carried out. The results showed that the external metal net technology had an advantage in improving signal to noise ratio ( SNR ) , and the enhancement of SNR for the detection of isoprocarb, perfluorooctanoic acid and SudanⅢwas about 5-6 times. Based on the technology, a method for determination of Sudan Ⅲ in chili powder was developed. The recoveries, RSD and LOD were 83. 7%-94. 6% , 5. 6%-9. 0% and 23 mg/kg, respectively. The external metal electrode technique has broadened the detection range of single electrode DBDI to the field of low polarity, low boiling point and complex samples.

Calculation of orbital fat volumes for determining treatment timing for thyroid- associated ophthalmopathy / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the relationship between orbital fat volume and the progression and prognosis of thyroid- associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and determine the optimal treatment timing for TAO.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data were collected from 35 patients (70 orbits) with a definite diagnosis of TAO between January, 2016 and December, 2016. The correlation between orbital fat volume and the clinical parameters was evaluated. We also analyzed the correlation of the signal intensity ratio (SIR) of the extraocular muscles with the clinical parameters. The orbital fat volume was compared between patients with TAO and 12 control subjects.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The orbital fat volume was significantly correlated with the duration of TAO (r=0.480, P<0.01), but showed no significant difference between patients with a disease course within 6 months and those with a disease course of 6 to 12 months (P=0.084). The patients with a disease course beyond 12 months had a significantly greater orbital fat volume than those with a disease course of 6 months (P<0.01) or 6 to 12 months (P<0.05). The orbital fat volume was correlated with the degree of proptosis (r=0.622, P<0.01), and an increase of exophthalmos by 1 mm was associated with a total orbital volume increment of 0.88 mL. The clinical activity score was correlated with the SIR of the extraorbital muscles (r=0.536, P<0.01) and levels of anti-thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody (r=0.416,P<0.01). The orbital fat volume was significantly greater in TAO patients than in the healthy individuals (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In patients with TAO, the peak increase of orbital fat volume occurs one year after the disease onset. Measurement of the orbital fat volume combined with SIR of the extraorbital muscles can serve as an indicator for determining the optimal timing for intervention of TAO and helps in the evaluation of prognosis of the patients.</p>

A novel method for quantitative measurement of orbital fat volume based on magnetic resonance images / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a new method for rapid and quantitative measurement of orbital fat volume based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected MRI data from normalized mold and patients with the diagnosis of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). The cross-sectional areas of the orbital fat on each MR image slice were measured to calculate the fat volume on each slice and then the total orbital fat volume. We recorded the time for completing the measurement and assessed the precision, reliability, repeatability and interoperator variations of the results.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>This MRI data-based method allowed precise measurement of the orbital fat volumes with an absolute value of the mean percentage difference <1%. This method was fast and the results showed a good repeatability (with CVs <1%), a high reliability (ICC=0.996, 95%CI: 0.985-0.999) and a high interoperator concordance (95%CI of the Bland-Altman: -0.54-0.90).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The novel method we established for orbital fat volume measurement is rapid, accurate, reliable and reproducible with a low learning cost for clinical use.</p>

CT imaging findings of thymus or thyroid gland involved in Langerhans cell histiocytosis of pediatric patients / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the CT imaging findings of thymus and thyroid gland involved in Langerhans cell histiocytosis(LCH) of pediatric patients. Methods CT image findings in pediatric patients with LCH confirmed by pathology and clinical diagnosis from January 2006 to February 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. By radiography, 38 cases' thymus gland were involved and 8 cases' thyroids gland were involved. Results Plain CT scan for thymus gland involved patients revealed 9 cases were shown as hyperplasia, 17 cases were shown as calcification, 9 cases were shown as hyperplasia with calcification, 1 case was shown as cavity, 1 case was shown as hyperplasia with calcification and cavity and 1 case was shown as hyperplasia with calcification and low density. Enhanced CT scan for thyroid gland involved patients showed bilateral or unilateral enlargement of thyroid gland with heterogeneous low density and unobvious enhancement. Conclusions Finely calcifications were the most common CT findings on thymus gland involved in LCH and might without hyperplasia. CT imaging of thyroid LCH exhibited an enlarged or normal size and abnormal density in the thyroid gland with adjacent soft tissues involved.

Gap junction blockage promotes cadmium-induced apoptosis in BRL 3A derived from Buffalo rat liver cells

Gap junctions mediate direct communication between cells; however, toxicological cascade triggered by nonessential metals can abrogate cellular signaling mediated by gap junctions. Although cadmium (Cd) is known to induce apoptosis in organs and tissues, the mechanisms that underlie gap junction activity in Cd-induced apoptosis in BRL 3A rat liver cells has yet to be established. In this study, we showed that Cd treatment decreased the cell index (a measure of cellular electrical impedance) in BRL 3A cells. Mechanistically, we found that Cd exposure decreased expression of connexin 43 (Cx43), increased expression of p-Cx43 and elevated intracellular free Ca2+ concentration, corresponding to a decrease in gap junctional intercellular communication. Gap junction blockage pretreatment with 18β-glycyrrhizic acid (GA) promoted Cd-induced apoptosis, involving changes in expression of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and the mitochondrial transmembrane electrical potential (Δψm). Additionally, GA was found to enhance ERK and p38 activation during Cd-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, but had no significant effect on JNK activation. Our results indicated the apoptosis-related proteins and the ERK and p38 signaling pathways may participate in gap junction blockage promoting Cd-induced apoptosis in BRL 3A cells.

Pulmonary CT imaging characteristics of pediatric perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated systemic vasculitis / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the chest HRCT characteristics of pediatric perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) associated systemic vasculitis. Methods Retrospectively analysis of the clinical and HRCT data of 15 pediatric cases diagnosed as p-ANCA related pneumonia according to the classification and diagnostic criteria of Chapel Hill meeting of 1994 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. They were 13 girls and 2 boys. The age range was 1—17 years and the median was about 10 years old, In the 15 patients, 12 were diagnosed as primary MPA, 2 were secondary MPA, 1 was CSS. Two radiologists with 10 years of radiological experience read the CT imaging together. Results 1 of 12 primary MPA were found large opacities and ground glass shades in both sides of lung,especially the posterior parts on CT images with bilateral pleural effusion; 1 case had focal opacities in left lower lobe, around with thickened interlobular septa and pleural effusion; Another 1 case only had focal thickened interstitial in right middle lobe; The other 9 cases showed scattered or diffused ground glass opacity, with thickened pulmonary interstitial and (or) pleura. 1 of the 2 secondary MPA who had hemoptysis showed ground glass opacity on CT images with no thickened septal nodules or pleural effusion. The other one who had renal anomalies and no respiratory symptoms showed subpleural nodules with halo sign in right low lobe. The CSS showed diffused patchy ground glass opacity, consolidation of both lingular lobes, nodules of centri-and peri-lobular, thickened septa near the pleura, obviously thickened bronchial wall, slightly widened bronchial lumen and thickened pleura. Conclusion The classic imaging features of p-ANCA pneumonia on HRCT is the non-specific small pulmonary vessel hemorrhage.