Head-to-head comparisons of enhanced CT, 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT in identifying adverse pathology of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma: a prospective study

ABSTRACT Objectives: Accurate preoperative prediction of adverse pathology is crucial for treatment planning of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Previous studies have emphasized the potential of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PSMA PET/CT) in differentiating between benign and malignant localized renal tumors. However, there is a scarcity of case reports elucidating the identification of aggressive pathological features using PET/CT. Our study was designed to prospectively compare the diagnostic value of enhanced CT, 68Ga-PSMA-11 and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) with necrosis or sarcomatoid or rhabdoid differentiation. Materials and Methods: A prospective case series of patients with a newly diagnosed renal mass who underwent enhanced CT, 68Ga-PSMA-11 and 18F-FDG PET/CT within 30 days prior to nephrectomy was included. Complete preoperative and postoperative clinicopathological data were recorded. Patients who received neoadjuvant targeted therapy, declined enhanced CT or PET/CT scanning, refused surgical treatment or had non-ccRCC pathological indications were excluded. Radiological parameters were compared within subgroups of pathological characteristics. Bonferroni corrections were used to adjust for multiple testing and statistical significance was set at a p-value less than 0.017. Results: Seventy-two patients were available for the final analysis. Enhanced CT demonstrated poor performance in identifying necrosis, sarcomatoid or rhabdoid differentiation and adverse pathology (all P > 0.05). The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT was more effective than 18F-FDG PET/CT in identifying tumor necrosis and adverse pathology, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.85 (cutoff value=25.26, p<0.001; Delong test z=2.709, p=0.007) for tumor necrosis and AUC of 0.90 (cutoff value=25.26, p<0.001; Delong test z=3.433, p<0.001) for adverse pathology. However, no significant statistical difference was found between 68Ga-PSMA-11 and 18F-FDG PET/CT in predicting sarcomatoid or rhabdoid feature (AUC of 0.91 vs.0.75, Delong test z=1.998, p=0.046). Subgroup analyses based on age, sex, tumor location, maximal diameter, stage and WHO/ISUP grade demonstrated that 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT SUVmax had a significant predictive value for adverse pathology. Enhanced CT value and SUVmax demonstrated strong reliability [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) > 0.80], indicating a robust correlation. Conclusions: 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT demonstrates distinct advantages in identifying aggressive pathological features of primary ccRCC when compared to enhanced CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT. Further research and assessment are warranted to fully establish the clinical utility of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in ccRCC.

Research progress in antenna technology for microwave imaging of stroke / 国际生物医学工程杂志

The diagnostic technology of acute stroke by microwave imaging has the advantages of being non-ionizing, fast, small, and low-cost. Therefore, this technology is expected to become an auxiliary or alternative means to CT and MRI technology. As the signal transmitting and receiving device of the microwave imaging system, the antenna has an important influence on the performance of the imaging system. At present, there are many antennas with different performances used in imaging systems, but there is a lack of clear evaluation criteria for them. In this paper, several typical antennas were introduced, their advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of bandwidth and near-field were analyzed, and the common requirements of imaging systems for antennas and the performance indicators of various types of imaging systems were summarized. Moreover, the development trend of antenna technology for microwave imaging was pointed out to provide a reference for the study of stroke microwave imaging technology.

Midterm Prognosis of Sexagenary Patients after Transcatheter Device Closure of Atrial Septal Defects: a Single-Chinese Center Experience

Abstract Introduction: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and midterm prognosis of transcatheter device closure of atrial septal defects (ASDs) in sexagenary patients in China. Methods: Forty-six sexagenary patients who underwent transcatheter device closure of ASDs in our hospital were included in this study. The patients' preoperative and postoperative clinical symptoms, echocardiographic results, and quality of life were investigated and analyzed. Results: Of the 46 sexagenary patients who participated in the study, 40 completed the study. After ASD closure, the clinical symptoms of the patients significantly improved, and the number of patients with dyspnea and palpitations significantly decreased after the operation. According to the echocardiographic results, few patients had a tiny residual shunt after closure, but the shunt disappeared completely at the three-month follow-up. The size of the right ventricular cavity was significantly smaller postoperatively compared with preoperatively. Regarding the patients' quality of life, their feedback in all dimensions of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (or SF-36) was significantly improved at the three-month follow-up, and it remained improved at the one-year follow-up. Conclusion: The clinical outcomes and subjective quality of life of sexagenary patients with ASDs improved significantly after transcatheter device closure of ASDs. Therefore, we believe that for sexagenary patients with ASDs, transcatheter device closure is a favorable treatment.

WeChat-Assisted Preoperative Health Education Reduces Burden of Care on Parents of Children with Simple Congenital Heart Disease: a Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical effect of preoperative health education based on the WeChat platform for parents of children with simple congenital heart disease. Methods: In this study, participants were randomly divided into an intervention group (WeChat group, n=40) and a control group (leaflet group, n=40) in our center. All parents were required to complete the Family Caregiver Task Inventory (FCTI) on the first visit and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and FCTI before the operation. Clinical, family and relevant data from children and parents were collected and subsequently analyzed. Results: Before the operation, the FCTI score and the ZBI score in the WeChat group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P=0.010, P=0.027, respectively). Compared to the FCTI score on the first visit, the preoperative status score was significantly lower in the WeChat group (P=0.008). The rate of loss to follow-up and complications in the WeChat group was also significantly lower than in the control group (P=0.003). Conclusion: Preoperative health education assisted by the WeChat platform for parents of children with simple congenital heart disease can effectively improve the parents' care ability and reduce the burden of care, preoperative complications and the rate of loss to follow-up.

Application of Remote Follow-Up Via the WeChat Platform for Patients who Underwent Congenital Cardiac Surgery During the COVID-19 Epidemic

Abstract Objective: To investigate the effect of WeChat-based telehealth services on the postoperative follow-up of children who underwent congenital heart surgery during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical and family data of 108 children who underwent congenital heart surgery and underwent remote follow-up via the WeChat platform from December 2019 to March 2020 in our hospital. Results: During the follow-up period, the WeChat platform was used to refer 8 children with respiratory infection symptoms to local hospitals for treatment. Two children with poor incision healing were healed after we used the WeChat platform to guide the parents in dressing the wounds on a regular basis at home. Nutritional guidance was given via the WeChat platform to 13 patients with poor growth and development. The psychological evaluation results of the parents showed that the median (range) SDS score was 43 (34-59), and 7 parents (6.5%) were classified as depressed; the median (range) SAS score was 41 (32-58), and 12 parents (11.1%) were classified as having mild anxiety. Conclusion: The use of WeChat-based telehealth services was effective for the remote postoperative follow-up of children who underwent congenital cardiac surgery during the COVID-19 epidemic. Providing WeChat-based telehealth services can reduce the amount of travel required for these children and their families, which is helpful for controlling and preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Risk factors for children s blood lead levels in one city of Jiangsu / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the level and risk factor of lead exposure among children in one city of Jiangsu.@*Methods@#In northern Jiangsu Province, 373 children from 2 primary schools were enrolled and were tested for blood lead and heavy metal exposure. Lead exposure was tested in household dust of 46 children. A multivariate Logistic regression was used for lead exposure risk analysis. Spatial distribution of lead contamination in household dust was conducted and compared with the location of industrial enterprises.@*Results@#The geometric mean of blood lead in 373 children was 25.80 mg/L,the blood lead of 3 children (0.8%) was more than 100 mg/L. Pencil biting ( OR=4.26, 95%CI=1.61-10.68, P <0.05) and lead contamination in surrounding environment ( OR=2.93, 95%CI=1.24-7.34, P =0.02) was positively related to high blood lead level in children. The geometric mean household dust lead concentrations in 46 children was 302.27 μg/mg, and household with high dust lead levels were mainly located around manufacturing enterprises.@*Conclusion@#Environmental factors correlate with blood lead level in children. Efficient strategies and public health policies are urgently needed to control and prevent environmental lead pollution. Families and schools should actively carry out health education to engourage children good hygiene habits, and effectively reduce lead exposure.

Overexpression of serum extracellular vesicle microRNA-215-5p is associated with early tumor recurrence and poor prognosis of gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES: Extracellular vesicle microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be reliable candidate biomarkers for clinical applications. However, the clinical application potential of serum EV-miR-215-5p for gastric cancer (GC) remains poorly understood. The goal of our study was to determine the efficacy of serum EV-miR-215-5p in predicting the prognosis of GC. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 118 patients with GC, 60 patients with benign gastric disease and BGD and 70 healthy controls. The relative levels of serum EV-miR-215-5p were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: Compared to patients with BGD and normal controls, GC patients exhibited remarkably higher serum EV-miR-215-5p level, especially those with early tumor recurrence (ETR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that serum EV-miR-215-5p was able to distinguish GC patients from BGD patients or healthy controls and GC patients with ETR from those without ETR. In addition, increased serum EV-miR-215-5p levels were notably correlated with invasive depth, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis. Moreover, serum EV-miR-215-5p levels were greatly decreased after surgical treatment, but increased at the time of ETR. Survival analysis showed that patients with higher serum EV-miR-215-5p had shorter survival. Furthermore, serum EV-miR-215-5p was an independent risk factor for GC. CONCLUSIONS: Serum EV-miR-215-5p might be a novel biomarker for predicting ETR and prognosis of GC.

Overexpression of serum extracellular vesicle microRNA-215-5p is associated with early tumor recurrence and poor prognosis of gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES: Extracellular vesicle microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be reliable candidate biomarkers for clinical applications. However, the clinical application potential of serum EV-miR-215-5p for gastric cancer (GC) remains poorly understood. The goal of our study was to determine the efficacy of serum EV-miR-215-5p in predicting the prognosis of GC. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 118 patients with GC, 60 patients with benign gastric disease and BGD and 70 healthy controls. The relative levels of serum EV-miR-215-5p were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: Compared to patients with BGD and normal controls, GC patients exhibited remarkably higher serum EV-miR-215-5p level, especially those with early tumor recurrence (ETR). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that serum EV-miR-215-5p was able to distinguish GC patients from BGD patients or healthy controls and GC patients with ETR from those without ETR. In addition, increased serum EV-miR-215-5p levels were notably correlated with invasive depth, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis. Moreover, serum EV-miR-215-5p levels were greatly decreased after surgical treatment, but increased at the time of ETR. Survival analysis showed that patients with higher serum EV-miR-215-5p had shorter survival. Furthermore, serum EV-miR-215-5p was an independent risk factor for GC. CONCLUSIONS: Serum EV-miR-215-5p might be a novel biomarker for predicting ETR and prognosis of GC.

Rehmanniae Radix and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata improve diabetes induced by high-fat diet coupled with streptozotocin in mice through AMPK-mediated NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway / 中国中药杂志

This study investigated the differential mechanisms of Rehmanniae Radix and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata in improving diabetes in mice through AMPK-mediated NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. The diabetic mouse model was established with high-fat diet coupled with streptozotocin(STZ, intraperitoneal injection, 100 mg·kg~(-1), once a day for three consecutive days), after which the mice were randomly divided into model group, low-dose(5 g·kg~(-1)) and high-dose(15 g·kg~(-1)) Rehmanniae Radix groups, low-dose(5 g·kg~(-1)) and high-dose(15 g·kg~(-1)) Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata groups, catalpol group(250 mg·kg~(-1)), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5-HMF) group(250 mg·kg~(-1)), metformin group(250 mg·kg~(-1)), with the normal group also set. The organ indexes of heart,liver, spleen, lung, kidney and pancreas were calculated after four weeks of administration. The pathological changes and fibrosis of pancreas, kidney and liver in mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Masson staining. Western blot was used to determine the expression levels of Toll-like receptor-4(TLR4), nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB), Nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),interleukin-1β(IL-1β), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK), phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK) in the pancreas, kidney and liver of mice. Compared with the model group, the administration groups witnessed significant decrease in the liver,spleen, kidney, pancreas and fat indexes of diabetic mice, and there was no significant difference in heart and lung indexes. The pathological states and fibrosis of pancreatic, kidney and liver tissues were significantly improved after administration. Additionally, the expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB and NLRP3 in pancreas, kidney and liver of diabetic mice were significantly lowered. The expression levels of p-AMPK/AMPK were enhanced significantly in kidney and liver of mice in Rehmanniae Radix group while in pancreas, kidney and liver in Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata group. This suggests that Rehmanniae Radix and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata differ in the mechanism of regulating energy metabolism of multiple organs and thereby exerting anti-inflammatory effects to alleviate symptoms of diabetic mice.

Sufentanil reduces emergence delirium in children undergoing transthoracic device closure of vsd after sevoflurane-based cardiac anesthesia

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether sufentanil can reduce emergence delirium in children undergoing transthoracic device closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD) after sevoflurane-based cardiac anesthesia. Methods: From February 2019 to May 2019, 68 children who underwent transthoracic device closure of VSD at our center were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into two groups: 36 patients in group S, who were given sufentanil and sevoflurane-based cardiac anesthesia, and 32 patients in group F, who were given fentanyl and sevoflurane-based cardiac anesthesia. The following clinical data were recorded: age, sex, body weight, operation time, and bispectral index (BIS). After the children were sent to the intensive care unit (ICU), pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED) and face, legs, activity, cry, consolability (FLACC) scale scores were also assessed. The incidence of adverse reactions, such as nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and dizziness, was recorded. Results: There was no significant difference in age, sex, body weight, operation time or BIS value between the two groups. Extubation time (min), PEAD score and FLACC scale score in group S were significantly better than those in group F (P<0.05). No serious anesthesia or drug-related side effects occurred. Conclusions: Sufentanil can be safely used in sevoflurane-based fast-track cardiac anesthesia for transthoracic device closure of VSD in children. Compared to fentanyl, sufentanil is more effective in reducing postoperative emergence delirium, with lower analgesia scores and greater comfort.

Identification of the stroke type of hemorrhage and ischemic based on microwave measurement technique / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective@#To establish a microwave scattering parameter acquisition system to detect cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral ischemia animal models, and to study the non-contact rapid identification methods for the two stroke types.@*Methods@#Rabbits were selected for modeling. Eight rabbits in the cerebral hemorrhage group were injected with autologous blood. Six rabbits in the cerebral ischemia group were treated with bilateral common carotid artery clamping and femoral artery bleeding. The measurement excitation source has a scanning frequency range of 300 kHz to 3 GHz and an intermediate frequency bandwidth of 30 kHz. The signal of the S21 phase was acquired. The collected microwave scattering signals were subjected to mean filtering, principal component analysis dimension reduction, and mean clustering and nearest neighbor analysis to realize the identification of stroke types.@*Results@#The microwave scattering measurement method can reflect the changes of cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral ischemia. The phase of S21 decreases with the increase of blood loss and increases with the increase of ischemic duration. The results of the differential experiment showed that all 14 models were correctly identified.@*Conclusions@#The stroke identification system based on microwave scattering measurement can effectively distinguish rabbit cerebral hemorrhage model and ischemic model. This technology is low cost, portable non-invasive, simple operation and fast, which make it be a promising method for identifying pre-hospital stroke types.

Identification of the stroke type of hemorrhage and ischemic based on microwave measurement technique / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective To establish a microwave scattering parameter acquisition system to detect cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral ischemia animal models, and to study the non-contact rapid identification methods for the two stroke types. Methods Rabbits were selected for modeling. Eight rabbits in the cerebral hemorrhage group were injected with autologous blood. Six rabbits in the cerebral ischemia group were treated with bilateral common carotid artery clamping and femoral artery bleeding. The measurement excitation source has a scanning frequency range of 300 kHz to 3 GHz and an intermediate frequency bandwidth of 30 kHz. The signal of the S21 phase was acquired. The collected microwave scattering signals were subjected to mean filtering, principal component analysis dimension reduction, and mean clustering and nearest neighbor analysis to realize the identification of stroke types. Results The microwave scattering measurement method can reflect the changes of cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral ischemia. The phase of S21 decreases with the increase of blood loss and increases with the increase of ischemic duration. The results of the differential experiment showed that all 14 models were correctly identified. Conclusions The stroke identification system based on microwave scattering measurement can effectively distinguish rabbit cerebral hemorrhage model and ischemic model. This technology is low cost, portable non-invasive, simple operation and fast, which make it be a promising method for identifying pre-hospital stroke types.

Application and effect evaluation of "3-PR" participatory health education model in the improvement of health literacy of secondary health school / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To compare the effect of two different methods of "3-PR" participatory health education and traditional distribution of publicity materials on health literacy improvement of medical students, to provide a reference for making more effective measure to improve health literacy.@*Methods@#173 Second-grade students in nursing major were selected in a secondary vocational school in Datong City. Two different intervention methods were used to intervene for 8 weeks. The experimental group (92 students) received "3-PR" participatory health education; the traditional health education intervention in the control group(81 students). The "National Residents’ Health Literacy Monitoring Questionnaire 2015" was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on the experimental group and the control group before and after the intervention, and to compare the effects before and after the intervention.@*Results@#The average score of health literacy was (36.04±9.43) points and (36.01±10.17) points before and after intervention in the control group; (35.78±8.91) points and (49.53±13.53) points before and after intervention in the experimental group; No statistical difference between experimental and control group was found before intervention(t=0.18, P=0.86); There was no significant difference in health literacy score before and after intervention for the control group(t=0.03, P=0.98); Health literacy significantly increased in the experimental group after intervention(t=-11.36, P=0.00). Adequate health literacy accounted for 3.70% and 4.94% before and after intervention in the control group and 4.35% and 45.65% in the experimental group before and after intervention. No significant difference was found in adequate health literacy proportion between the two groups before intervention(χ2=0.00, P=1.00). However, the difference showed statistically significant after intervention(χ2=36.58, P=0.00). The change of health literacy score in the control group and the experimental group was (-0.02±7.52) and (12.75±10.77), respectively, accounting for 1.24% decrement and 41.30% increment. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t=-8.93, P=0.00). The dimension-and type-specific score of health literacy showed similar pattern.@*Conclusion@#The "3-PR" participatory health education model is more effective than the traditional health education method in improving health literacy, and it could be carried out by multi-disciplinary students.

Correlation analysis of depression and life events among junior middle school students in Shanghai / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the relationship between depression and life events among junior middle school students in Shanghai, and to provide the scientific reference for the construction of psychology in the schools.@*Methods@#A total of 3 648 junior middle school students were investigated by the Chinese version of the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale and Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List(ASLEC) , to measure their depression and life events. χ2 test and multiple stepwise regression analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of depression.@*Results@#Among 3 648 junior middle school students, 846 were positive for depression, and the detection rate of depression was 23.2%. There was a statistically significant difference in the detection rate of depression among junior middle school students in different grades(χ2=143.24，P<0.01). Study pressure(r=0.54), interpersonal relationship(r=0.54), other(r=0.51), health adaptation(r=0.41), being punished(r=0.40), and loss(r=0.26) in the Adolescent Life Events Scale were positively correlated with depression (P<0.05). Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that being punished and loss scores had negative association with depression scores(β=-0.10, -0.08). Interpersonal relationships, study pressure, health adaptation and other scores had positive predictive effects on depression scores(β=0.29, 0.26, 0.04, 0.22)(P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#There was a wide positive correlation between depression and life events in junior middle school students. Some factors of life events had certain predictive effects on depression of junior middle school students in Shanghai.

N1 characteristics and influencing factors in non-small cell lung cancer of T2 stage / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the characteristics and influencing factors of N1 in T2 stage of the 8th TNM stage of The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) (3 cm <tumor size≤5 cm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), to provide the basis for dissecting intrapulmonary lymph node more accurately during the operation. Methods    We collected the clinical information of patients who underwent the pulmonary malignant tumor surgery in Dalian Central Hospital between October 2011 and November 2016. Through the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 68 patients were obtained, including 48 males and 20 females, aged 48–81 (63.1±7.6) years. According to the pathological results, we invesigated the characteristics and influencing factors of N1 in T2 stage non-small cell lung cancer. Results    The results showed that the highest positive rate of lymph node was 14.8% in the 12th group, 14.3% in the 13th group, and 13.9% in the 6th group, respectively. In the single factor analysis, it showed that male, T2b stage, poorly differentiated degree were the risk factors for intrapulmonary lymph node metastasis in T2 stage (P<0.05). But the intrapulmonary lymph nodes metastasis was no significant correlation with above factors according to the multivariate analysis. Conclusion    It is necessary to extract the intrapulmonary lymph node of T2 stage NSCLC at utmost, especially for the No.12 and No.13 high-risk areas. T2b stage with odd ratio (OR) at 3.038 and poorly differentiated degree (OR=1.945) may be the risk factors for the intrapulmonary lymph nodes metastasis of NSCLC in T2 stage. But they are not determining factors.

Teaching"Medical Electronics"course in military medical university / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To improve the theory and practice learning of the students majoring in medical imaging by investigating the teaching method of"Medical Electronics"course.Methods The problems in teaching"Medical Electronics"course were summarized, and the causes were analyzed. Results Some improvement measures were proposed for teaching"Medical Electronics"course with considerations on the professional background of the students and the characteristics of the course, which proved its efficiency through practical trial. Conclusion For teaching medical students in electronics technology course,the methods such as integrating and optimizing contents of course,guided teaching as well as experiments and discussions by groups,have significant effects on improving students'learning enthusiasm and teaching efficiency.

Preparation of silk fibroin/nano-hydroxypatite composite scaffold and its treatment outcomes in spinal fusion / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Silk fibroin, as an inorganic mineralization template, can induce hydroxyapatite crystal growth, and combined with nano-hydroxyapatite can simulate the inorganic and organic components of natural bone, which is expected to become the most ideal bone graft material. OBJECTIVE:To prepare the silk fibroin/nano-hydroxyapatite composite material and investigate its treatment outcomes in spinal fusion. METHODS:Silk fibroin/nano-hydroxyapatite composite was synthesized by the co precipitation method with silk fibroin and calcium phosphate as raw materials, to simulate the structure and composition of the bone tissue. The crystal phase composition and microstructure of the composite scaffold were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. Osteoblasts were seeded onto the composite, and the cel adhesion and proliferation were observed under inverted microscope. The lumbar posterolateral spinal fusion models were established in the New Zealand rabbits, fol owed by treated with autologous bone graft (control group) and composite (composite group), respectively. The gross, radiological and histological observations of bone fusion were compared between groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Silk fibroin/nano-hydroxyapatite composite appeared to be fascicular under electron microscope, the length was 200-500 nm and width was 20-30 nm. And the hydroxyapatite was about 200 nm in length and 50 nm in width. X-ray diffraction showed that the bottom of diffraction peak was wide, and the peak was not sharp. Transmission electron microscope found that cel s adhered wel onto the composite scaffold at 2 days. Scanning electron microscope showed that the polygonal, oval or conical cel s covered most of the composite scaffold holes, presented obvious mitotic phase at 5 days. The third generation of MC3T3-E cel s tended to rise at first 3 days, and then decreased. The fusion site of L5-6 transverse process was strong, and non-bony fusion occurred. At the same time, numerous new bones were visible in the composite group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed a large number of cel aggregation, abundant osteoblasts surrounding cartilage, and the bone tissues were in a regular arrangement in the composite group. Moreover, irregular trabecular bone with medul ary cavity was found in the composite material. These results suggest that the silk fibroin/nano-hydroxyapatite composite with the similar structure and composition of natural bone can achieve satisfactory fusion effect in the rabbit lumbar posterolateral fusion.

Bipolar transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate versus bipolar resection of the prostate for prostates larger than 60gr: A retrospective study at a single academic tertiary care center

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of bipolar transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate (B-TUERP) versus bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (B-TURP) in the treatment of prostates larger than 60g. Material and Methods: Clinical data for 270 BPH patients who underwent B-TUERP and 204 patients who underwent B-TURP for BPH from May 2007 to May 2013 at our center were retrospectively analyzed. Outcome measures included operative time, decreased hemoglobin level, total prostate specific antigen (TPSA), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximal urinary flow rate (Qmax), quality of life (QoL) score, post void residual urine volume (RUV), bladder irrigation duration, hospital stay, and the weight of resected prostatic tissue. Other measures included perioperative complications including transurethral resection syndrome (TURS), hyponatremia, blood transfusion, bleeding requiring surgery, postoperative acute urinary retention, urine incontinence and urinary sepsis. Patients in both groups were followed for two years. Results: Compared with the B-TURP group, the B-TUERP group had shorter operative time, postoperative bladder irrigation duration and hospital stay, a greater amount of resected prostatic tissue, less postoperative hemoglobin decrease, better postoperative IPSS and Qmax, as well as lower incidences of hyponatremia, urinary sepsis, blood transfusion requirement, urine incontinence and reoperation (P<0.05 for all). Conclusions: B-TUERP is superior to B-TURP in the management of large volume BPH in terms of efficacy and safety, but this finding needs to be validated in further prospective, randomized, controlled studies.

Biomechanics and stability of the spine after implantation with pedicle screw and cervical vertebral screw fixation / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:From the point of view of human anatomy, the load of the spine is more. When the body moves, the range of activities, and activity are relatively large. After screws were implanted in the spine, if biomechanical properties and stability are not up to the standard, it easily leads to lack of grip force of screw and screw loosening so as to increase the incidence of complications after treatment. OBJECTIVE:To compare biomechanical properties and stability of the spine after insertion of pedicle screw and cervical vertebral screw into the spine. METHODS:100 vertebrae under human cervical spine specimens were analyzed and randomly divided into cervical vertebral screw fixation group and pedicle screw fixation group. Cervical vertebral screws and pedicle screws were implanted in lower cervical spine specimens. Electro Force 3510 material testing machine was used to test axial pul-out force, axial pul-out strength after the fatigue loading, and fixed stability. The biomechanical properties and stability were compared after two kinds of screws were implanted in the spine. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Instantaneous pul out force and immediate pul out stiffness were significantly higher in the pedicle screw fixation group than in the cervical vertebral screw fixation group (P<0.05). (2) Fatigue pul-out strength and fatigue pul-out stiffness did not have significant differences in both groups, but statistical analysis showed significant differences (P<0.05). Fatigue pul-out strength and fatigue pul-out stiffness were significantly higher in the pedicle screw fixation group than in the cervical vertebral screw fixation group. (3) These results suggested that pedicle screw fixation after implantation in the spine provides sufficient fixation stability, has better fatigue resistance, elevates instantaneous pul-out force and fatigue pul-out strength, and presents strong stability.

Biomechanical properties of lower anterior vertebral pedicle screw system and its effects on osteoporotic vertebral stability / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Although the traditional surgical treatment can improve the symptoms of patients with senile osteoporotic vertebral fracture, the treatment easily produces bone graft fusion failure and pseudoarticulation formation and affects clinical effects. OBJECTIVE:To investigate biomechanical properties of anterior cervical pedicle screw and the effects on osteoporotic vertebral stability. METHODS:A total of 16 fresh cadaver cervical specimens contained 64 motion segments (C3-4, C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7). The 64 segments by the way of implantation were randomly divided into ordinary anterior locking screw fixation group and lower anterior vertebral pedicle screw system group (32 segments per group). The mechanical properties were determined on the biomechanical testing machine for each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Biomechanics:Compared with the ordinary anterior locking screw fixation group, the maximum pul-out strength, screw path length, postoperative vertebral column height, the maximum surface strain, strain maximum and the range of maximum values were increased in the lower anterior vertebral pedicle screw system group (P<0.05). (2) Results suggest that compared with the ordinary anterior locking screw fixation group, lower cervical anterior pedicle screw required larger extraction force and was more stable for osteoporotic vertebrae.