Effect of upper limb robot-assisted therapy on upper limb function in stroke patients: based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo study the effect of upper limb robot-assisted therapy on upper limb function and cerebral cortex activation in stroke patients using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). MethodsFrom January, 2022 to January, 2023, 32 stroke patients in Zhejiang Rehabilitation Medical Center were randomly divided into control group (n = 16) and experimental group (n = 16). Both groups received routine neurological medication and routine rehabilitation. The control group received routine upper limb exercises, the experimental group received upper limb robot-assisted therapy. They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities (FMA-UE) and fNIRS (oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and total hemoglobin) before and four weeks after treatment. NIRS_SPM was used for activation analysis, Homer2 was used for blood oxygen concentration analysis. ResultsAfter treatment, the score of FMA-UE increased in both groups (|t| > 5.910, P < 0.001), and was higher in the experimental group than in the control group (t = -2.348, P < 0.05). fNIRS activation results showed that, the activation increased in the experimental group after treatment in channel 17 (F = 9.354, P < 0.01), and it was more than that in the control group (F = 5.217, P < 0.05). fNIRS blood oxygen concentration results showed that, the blood oxygen concentration increased in the experimental group after treatment in channel 17 (F = 12.179, P < 0.01), and it was more than that in the control group (F = 4.883, P < 0.05). ConclusionThe upper limb robot-assisted therapy can improve the upper limb motor function and cerebral cortex activation of stroke patients.

Treatment of spinal burst fractures with pedicle screw fixation at high altitude area / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#According to the characteristics of spinal burst fractures in high-altitude areas and the local medical conditions, to explore the clinical efficacy of short-segment fixation with pedicle screws combined with screw placement in injured vertebrae in the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures.@*METHODS@#From August 2018 to December 2021, 12 patients with single-vertebral thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurological symptoms were treated with injured vertebral screw placement technique, including 7 males and 5 females;aged 29 to 54 years old, with an average of(42.50±7.95) years old;6 cases of traffic accident injury, 4 cases of high fall injury, 2 cases of heavy object injury;2 cases of T11, 4 cases of T12, 3 cases of L1, 2 cases of L2, and 1 case of L3. In the operation, screws were first placed in the upper and lower vertebrae of the fracture, pedicle screws were placed in the injured vertebra, and connecting rods were installed, and the fractured vertebral body was reset by positioning and distraction. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scoring were used to evaluate the changes in pain and quality of life of patients, and the kyphotic correction rate and correction loss rate of the injured segment were measured by X-ray.@*RESULTS@#All operations were successful without significant intraoperative complications. All 12 patients were followed up, the duration ranged from 9 to 27 months, with an mean of (17.75±5.79) months. VAS at 3 days after operation was significantly higher than that at admission (t=6.701, P=0.000). There was significant difference in JOA score between 9 months after operation and at admission (t=5.085, P=0.000). Three days after operation, Cobb angle was (4.42±1.16)°, and the correction rate was (82±5)% compared with (25.67±5.71)° at admission. Cobb angle was (5.08±1.24) °at 9 months after operation, with a corrected loss rate of (16±13)%. No loosening or breakage of internal fixation was found.@*CONCLUSION@#Under the high-altitude hypobaric and hypoxic environment, the effect of the operation should be ensured while reducing the trauma. The application of the technique of placing screws on the injured vertebra can effectively restore and maintain the height of the injured vertebra, with less bleeding and shorter fixed segments, which is an effective method.

Clinical effect of Kirschner wire intramedullary fixation in the treatment of pediatric both-bone forearm fractures at high altitude area / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical effect of Kirschner wire intramedullary fixation in the treatment of both-bone forearm fractures in children of high altitude area.@*METHODS@#From August 2020 to December 2021, 19 children were treated with Kirschner wire intramedullary fixation including 11 males and 8 females, aged from 4 to 13 years old with an average of (8.16±2.71) years old. The course of disease was 1 to 10 days, with a mean of (4.11±2.51) d. First, close reduction was performed. If the reduction was unsuccessful, limited open reduction was performed, followed by Kirschner wire intramedullary fixation of the radius and ulna. The fracture healing was evaluated by X-ray after operation, and the curative effect was evaluated by Anderson forearm function score standard.@*RESULTS@#The wound healed well after operation, 2 cases had clinical manifestations of needle tail irritation after operation, and the symptoms disappeared after removing the internal fixation. The average follow-up time was(7.68±3.50) months (3 to 14 months). X-ray showed that all fracture healing in follow-up, Anderson forearm function score showed excellent in 16 cases, good in 2 cases and fair in 1 case at the final follow-up.@*CONCLUSION@#Children with fractures in plateau areas often have delayed medical treatment, lack of medical conditions and insufficient compliance. Based on these characteristics, Kirschner wire intramedullary fixation for the treatment of children's double forearm fractures has the advantages of small injury and rapid recovery. It is a kind of operation method that can be popularized.

Engineering microbial consortia through synthetic biology approach / 生物工程学报

There are a large number of natural microbial communities in nature. Different populations inside the consortia expand the performance boundary of a single microbial population through communication and division of labor, reducing the overall metabolic burden and increasing the environmental adaptability. Based on engineering principles, synthetic biology designs or modifies basic functional components, gene circuits, and chassis cells to purposefully reprogram the operational processes of the living cells, achieving rich and controllable biological functions. Introducing this engineering design principle to obtain structurally well-defined synthetic microbial communities can provide ideas for theoretical studies and shed light on versatile applications. This review discussed recent progresses on synthetic microbial consortia with regard to design principles, construction methods and applications, and prospected future perspectives.

Retrospective and cost-effective analysis of the result of Changsha Municipal Public Welfare Program by Noninvasive Prenatal Testing / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the practical and health economical values of non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) in Changsha Municipal Public Welfare Program.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was carried out on 149 165 women undergoing NIPT test from April 9, 2018 to December 31, 2019. For pregnant women with high risks, invasive prenatal diagnosis and follow-up of pregnancy outcome were conducted. The cost-benefit of NIPT for Down syndrome was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#NIPT was carried out for 149 165 pregnant women and succeeded in 148 749 cases (99.72%), for which outcome were available in 148 538 (99.86%). 90% of pregnant women from the region accepted the screening with NIPT. 415 (0.27%) were diagnosed as high risk. Among these, 381 (91.81%) accepted amniocentesis, which led to the diagnosis of 212 cases of trisomy 21 (PPV=85.14%), 41 cases with trisomy 18 (PPV=48.81%) and 10 cases with trisomy 13 (PPV=20.83%). The sensitivity and specificity of NIPT for trisomy 21, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 were (97.70%, 99.98%), (97.62%, 9.97%) and (100%, 99.97%), respectively. In addition, 213 and 30 cases were diagnosed with sex chromosomal aneuploidies (PPV=46.2%) and other autosomal anomalies (PPV=16.57%), respectively. For Down syndrome screening, the cost and benefit of the project was 120.79 million yuan and 1,056.95 million yuan, respectively. The cost-benefit ratio was 1: 8.75, and safety index was 0.0035.@*CONCLUSION@#NIPT is a highly accurate screening test for trisomy 21, which was followed by trisomy 18 and sex chromosomal aneuploidies, while it was less accurate for other autosomal aneuploidies. The application of NIPT screening has a high health economical value.

Investigation on plague foci and epidemic risk analysis in Qiaojia County, Yunnan / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　A survey on the plague foci in Qiaojia County of Jinsha River Basin was conducted to understand the composition of plague host vectors and the prevalence of plague among animals, to explore the occurrence and epidemic risk of plague, and to provide scientific basis for plague monitoring and control in this area. Methods　Seven villages and towns in Qiaojia County were selected as the research areas, and the cage night method and the clamp line method were used to investigate the small mammals and their surface parasitic fleas. The host animal organs, serum and surface parasitic flea's samples were collected. The plague indicator animal serum was collected simultaneously on the spot, and the collected host animal organs and flea's samples were cultured and detected for Yersinia pestis. The indirect hemagglutination test (IHA) was used to detect the fraction 1 capsular antigen (F1) antibody of the host animal and the indicator animal serum samples. Results　A total of 525 small mammals belonging to 3 orders, 6 families, 12 genera and 23 species were captured. The dominant species in farming areas were Apodemus chevrieri (31.05%), Niviventer confucianus (13.90%) and Anourosorex squamipes Milne-Edwards (11.43%). The dominant species in residential areas were Rattus norvegicus (66.67%) and Rattus tanezumi (20.00%). The rat densities in agricultural and residential areas were 20.98% and 1.00%, respectively. A total of 277 external parasitic fleas belonging to 15 species, 13 genera, 5 families were collected. The dominant species were Palaeopsylla remota (22.02%), Neopsylla specialis specialis (20.58%), Frontopsylla diqingensis (18.77%) and Ctenophthalmus (Sinoctenophthalmus) quadratus (11.55%), and the rat fleas index was 0.53. No Yersinia pestis was isolated from all rodent organs and flea samples. A total of 167 serum samples from dogs and 15 serum samples from rats were collected, and plague F1 antibody was detected by IHA. IHA detection of plague F1 antibody were negative. Conclusions　Qiaojia County has the distribution of the main host and main vector of plague, and the rat density is high, but the rat body flea index is low. There is no positive detection of plague host animals, vector fleas and indicator animals. It can be considered that the risk of plague occurrence and epidemic in the region is not high in the near future. It is necessary to further strengthen the monitoring and control of plague and other rodent-borne diseases in the region.

The role of hippocampal γ oscillation abnormality in sepsis-associated encephalopathy / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To explore the role of hippocampal γ oscillation abnormality in sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE).Methods:Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats (2-3 months) were randomly (random number) divided into three groups according to the random digital table method: sham, CLP, and CLP + dopamine 4 (D4) receptor agonists RO-10-5824 group. The SAE animal model was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). On day 10-14 after surgery, the open field, novel object recognition, and fear conditioning tests were performed. After that, the hippocampus was collected to measure expressions of parvalbumin (PV) and D4 receptor. In another set of experiment, CA1 local field potential (LFP) were recorded, and the relationship between LFP and time with novel object was analyzed. Independent sample t-test was used for pairwise comparisons, and multiple comparisons were performed by one-way ANOVA, followed by the Tukey multiple comparisons test. Correlation was analyzed using Pearson correlation. Statistical significance was assumed when P<0.05. Results:Compared with the sham group, hippocampal PV (77.54±4.61)%, D4 expression (56.36±3.88)% and γ oscillation power (41.1±8.62)%, object exposure time (36±3) s, new object recognition rate (49±4)%, and scene stiffness time (56±7) s were decreased significantly ( P<0.05). However, RO-10-5824 treatment could increase hippocaml γ oscillation power (92.3±6.7)%, and reverse the decreased new object exposure time (44±3) s and new object recognition rate (63±4)%. Correlation analysis showed that hippocampal γ oscillation power was positively associated with new object exposure time ( r=0.609 2, P=0.015 9). There was no difference in total distance traveled or time spent in the center among groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Hippocampal γ oscillation abnormality might play a key role in cognitive impairment associated with SAE.

Research progress and applications of strain analysis based on metagenomic data / 生物工程学报

Strain is the fundamental unit in microbial taxonomy. The functional diversity among strains has great influence on host phenotypes. With the development of microbiome research, knowing the composition and functional capacities of complex microbial communities at the strain level has become increasingly valuable in scientific research and clinical applications. This review introduces the principles of bioinformatics algorithms for strain analysis based on metagenomic data, the applications in microbiome research and directions of future development.

Risk factors and prediction model of anastomotic leakage after McKeown esophagectomy / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the risk factors for anastomotic leakage after McKeown esophagectomy, and to establish a risk prediction model for early clinical intervention. Methods    We selected 469 patients including 379 males and 90 females, with a median age of 67 (42-91) years, who underwent McKeown esophagectomy in our department from 2018 to 2019. The clinical data of the patients were analyzed. Results    Among the 469 patients, 7.0% (33/469) patients had anastomotic leakage after McKeown esophagectomy. Logistic analysis showed that the risk factors for anastomotic leakage were operation time >4.5 h, postoperative low albumin and postoperative hypoxemia (P<0.05). A prognostic nomogram model was established based on these factors with the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.769 (95%CI 0.677-0.861), indicating a good predictive value. Conclusion    Operation time >4.5 h, postoperative low albumin and postoperative hypoxemia are the independent risk factors for anastomotic leakage after McKeown esophagectomy. Through the nomogram prediction model, early detection and intervention can be achieved, and the hospital stay can be shortened.

Association between social health status and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling elderly adults in Zhejiang Province, China / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Objective: Mental disorders of the elderly population in China deserve attention. Social health is significantly associated with depression. This study aimed to evaluate the rate of depressive symptoms and to test the relationships between social health and depressive symptoms among a large sample of community-dwelling elderly adults. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or above in Zhejiang Province, China. Face-to-face interviews were used to complete a structured questionnaire for all participants. We used the Social Health Scale for the Elderly (SHSE) to evaluate social health status and used the short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale to evaluate depressive symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between social health status and depressive symptoms. Results: Of the total of 3757 participants included, 1887 (50.23%) were female, and the mean±standard deviation (SD) age was (70.0±8.3) years. The rate of depressive symptoms was 25.92%. The social health score was higher in non-depressed participants than in depressed participants (raw score 50.7 vs. 48.3, P < 0.001). Participants with “moderate” or “good” social health had a significantly lower risk of depressive symptoms than those with “poor” social health (odds ratio (OR)=0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46-0.66 for moderate social health; OR=0.45, 95% CI: 0.35-0.60 for good social health). The association between social health and depressive symptoms was consistent across several subgroups. Conclusions: Social health is significantly inversely associated with depressive symptoms. The SHSE may serve as an efficient screener to identify those elderly adults with social health deficits, but systematic assessment to guide intervention merits further investigation.

Effects of exogenous high mobility group protein box 1 on angiogenesis in ischemic zone of early scald wounds of rats / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective@#To observe effects of exogenous high mobility group protein box 1 (HMGB1) on angiogenesis in ischemic zone of early scald wounds of rats.@*Methods@#Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into HMGB1 group and simple scald (SS) group according to the random number table, with 18 rats in each group. Comb-like copper mould was placed on the back of rats for 20 s after being immersed in 100 ℃ hot water for 3 to 5 min to make three ischemic zones of wound. Immediately after scald, rats in HMGB1 group were subcutaneously injected with 0.4 μg HMGB1 and 0.1 mL phosphate buffer solution (PBS), and rats in SS group were subcutaneously injected with 0.1 mL PBS from boarders of ischemic zone of scald wound. At post scald hour (PSH) 24, 48, and 72, 6 rats in each group were collected. Protein expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in ischemic zone of wound at PSH 24, 48, and 72 and protein expressions of CD31 in ischemic zone of wound at PSH 48 and 72 were detected by immunohistochemistry. The number of microvessel in CD31 immunohistochemical sections of ischemic zone of wound at PSH 48 and 72 was calculated after observing by the microscope. The mRNA expressions of VEGF and CD31 in ischemic zone of wound were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction at PSH 24, 48, and 72. Data were processed with analysis of variance of factorial design, t test, and Bonferroni correction.@*Results@#(1) At PSH 24, 48, and 72, protein expressions of VEGF in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group were significantly higher than those of rats in SS group (t=7.496, 4.437, 5.402, P<0.05 or P<0.01). At PSH 48 and 72, protein expressions of CD31 in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group were 0.038 8±0.007 9 and 0.057 7±0.001 2 respectively, significantly higher than 0.013 4±0.004 9 and 0.030 3±0.004 0 of rats in SS group (t=10.257, 15.055, P<0.01). (2) At PSH 48 and 72, the number of microvessel in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group was obviously more than that of rats in SS group (t=3.536, 4.000, P<0.05). (3) At PSH 24, 48, and 72, mRNA expressions of VEGF in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group were significantly higher than those of rats in SS group (t=4.406, 3.821, 3.356, P<0.05). At PSH 24 and 48, mRNA expressions of CD31 in ischemic zone of wound of rats in HMGB1 group were significantly higher than those of rats in SS group (t=4.113, 3.466, P<0.05). At PSH 72, mRNA expressions of CD31 in ischemic zone of wound of rats in 2 groups were close (t=0.010, P>0.05).@*Conclusions@#Exogenous HMGB1 can promote angiogenesis in ischemic zone of early scald wounds of rats by increasing expressions of VEGF and CD31.

Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for alleviating clinical symptoms and suicidal ideation in elderly depressive patients: a randomized controlled trial / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for alleviating the clinical symptoms and suicidal ideation in elderly patients with depression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 178 elderly depressive patients with suicidal ideation were randomized into rTMS treatment group (n=80) and control group (n=98) and treated with rTMS or sham rTMS treatment for 4 weeks in addition to conventional therapy with medications. The 24-item Hamilton Depression Scales (HAMD) and Self-rating Idea of Suicide Scale (SIOSS) were used to assess the severity of depression and the risk of suicide at the baseline and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. The treatment response was defined as a 25% reduction in HAMD scores from baseline, and an early improvement as 20% reduction in HAMD scores after 2 weeks of treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The two groups of patients were comparable for baseline socio-demographic characteristics and baseline SIOSS and HAMD scores (P>0.05). After 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, both SIOSS and HAMD scores were improved in the two groups, but the patients in rTMS group showed a significantly faster score reduction. A significantly higher rate of early improvement at 2 weeks (52.5% vs 28.6%; χ=10.569, P<0.01) and a higher response rate at 4 weeks (77.5% vs 53.1%; χ=15.470, P<0.05) were observed in rTMS group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>rTMS combined with medications can effectively improve sleep quality, cognitive impairment and somatization symptom and reduce suicidal ideation in elderly patients with depression.</p>

Clinical performance evaluation of HBV serological biomarkers using SYSMEX HISCL5000 chemiluminescence analyzer / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To assess the detection performance of SYSMEX HISCL5000 automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer for serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) biomarkers.Methods Serological HBV biomarkers,including HBsAg,HBsAb,HBeAg,HbeAb and HbcAb,were measured by HISCLS000 analyzer.Further,a panel of parameters were analyzed,including precision,cross contamination rate,linear range,concordance rate,biological reference interval and limit of detection.According to the guideline from Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institues (CLSI) EP system,the potential clinical application of using HISCL5000 analyzer to measure serum HBV biomarkers were evaluated.Results A panel of five serum HBV biomarkers was measure by using HISCLS000 analyzer.The coefficient of variation (CV) value of the within-run imprecision was from 0.60％ to 4.17％,and CV value of the between-run imprecision was from 0.04％ to 5.35％.Linear verification showed that r2 was between 0.980 5 and 0.998 7,and a was between 0.970 9 and 1.022 6.The ratio of cross contamination was 0.00％.The coincident rate of HISCL5000 analyzer with other methods was between 96.00％ and 100.00％.Biological reference interval and limit of detectionderived from this analyzer were also proved qualified.Conclusion HISCL5000 analyzer can be used clinically to detect HBV biomarkers.

Clinical performance evaluation of HBV serological biomarkers using SYSMEX HISCL5000 chemiluminescence analyzer / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To assess the detection performance of SYSMEX HISCL5000 automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer for serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) biomarkers.Methods Serological HBV biomarkers,including HBsAg,HBsAb,HBeAg,HbeAb and HbcAb,were measured by HISCLS000 analyzer.Further,a panel of parameters were analyzed,including precision,cross contamination rate,linear range,concordance rate,biological reference interval and limit of detection.According to the guideline from Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institues (CLSI) EP system,the potential clinical application of using HISCL5000 analyzer to measure serum HBV biomarkers were evaluated.Results A panel of five serum HBV biomarkers was measure by using HISCLS000 analyzer.The coefficient of variation (CV) value of the within-run imprecision was from 0.60％ to 4.17％,and CV value of the between-run imprecision was from 0.04％ to 5.35％.Linear verification showed that r2 was between 0.980 5 and 0.998 7,and a was between 0.970 9 and 1.022 6.The ratio of cross contamination was 0.00％.The coincident rate of HISCL5000 analyzer with other methods was between 96.00％ and 100.00％.Biological reference interval and limit of detectionderived from this analyzer were also proved qualified.Conclusion HISCL5000 analyzer can be used clinically to detect HBV biomarkers.

Injectable small intestinal submucosa is co-cultured with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:The decel ularized porcine smal intestinal submucosa is a kind of bioactive extracel ular matrix, which is mainly composed of col agen, glycoprotein, proteoglycan and rich in col agen, glycosaminoglycan and various growth factors, and these components play an important role in promoting the differentiation and proliferation of tissue cel s. OBJECTIVE:To prepare the injectable smal intestinal submucosa and to investigate its co-culture with rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cel s in vitro. METHODS:The injectable smal intestinal submucosa and rat adipose-derived stem cel s were prepared. Cel counting kit-8 test for cel proliferation:Passage 3 adipose-derived stem cel s were seeded onto the injectable smal intestinal submucosa (experimental group) and cel s cultured under normal condition as control group. The cel proliferation was observed at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days of incubation. Live/dead staining test for the survival of cel s:Passage 3 adipose-derived stem cel s were respectively cultured in the injectable smal intestinal submucosa extracts (experimental group) and complete culture medium (control group). Cel survival was determined at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Scanning electron microscope oval and strip adipose-derived stem cel s adhered onto the material. The absorbance values in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group at 1 and 5 days of incubation (P<0.05). Cel survival:The number of cel s appeared to be in a rising trend with time in both two groups;after 1-day co-culture, al cel s in the two groups survived. Then dead cel s appeared in both two groups, showing no significant difference. These results show that the injectable smal intestinal submucosa exhibits a good cytocompatibility.

The investigation of methods for prevention of anastomotic stenosis after resection of esophageal cancer / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose:Esophageal cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in our country. Anastomotic stenosis is a common complication after resection of esophageal cancer, seriously affecting the quality of life of patients after operation. By changing anastomosis, this study explored the methods for prevention of anastomotic stenosis after esophageal cancer surgery.Methods:Patients were randomly divided into groups. Patients admitted on odd dates were placed in the control group whereas patients admitted on even dates were placed in the experimental group. Patients in the control group were treated with gastroesophageal anastomosis using anastomat for gastroesophageal anastomosis. Anastomotic stomach was contracted by purse string suture at first, and then treated with stapler gastroesophageal anastomosis, before the gastroesophageal anastomosis was carried out on patients in the experimental group. After 6 months’ follow-up, the incidences of anastomotic stenosis between the two groups were compared.Results:The postoperative anastomotic stenosis rate in the control group was 19.2%, while that in the exper-imental group was 0%. There were statistically signiifcant differences between them (χ2=22.8,P<0.005). The incidence of anastomotic stenosis in the control group was signiifcantly higher than that in the experimental group.Conclusion:Anastomotic stomach contracted by purse string suture before stapler gastroesophageal anastomosis can effectively reduce the occurrence of anastomotic stenosis after esophageal cancer surgery.

Research progress on determination method of anal sphincter function / 国际外科学杂志

Many anorectal opearations may result in damage to anal sphincter function and,as a result,patients have problems when they are defecating.Measuring anal sphincter function not only benefit for operating,but also may help prevent operating complications and do good for rehabilitation.Therefor,measuring anal sphincter function is important.This article will review those measures about anal sphincter function.

Research progress of mesenchymal stem cell-antitumor gene complexes in cancer treatment / 肿瘤研究与临床

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) possesses highly self-renewal properties and potential ability of multiple differentiations.The homing and directional migration of MSC to tumors makes MSC uniquely destined as a potential anti-tumor gene carrier.MSC itself is discovered involved in remodeling the tumor microenvironment and regulating the biological behaviors of tumor cells such as invasion,proliferation and migration.Anti-tumor genes,such as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosisinducing ligand (TRAIL) and phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) combine MSC to constitute a complex dually targeting tumor cells for destruction,but no damage to normal tissue.However,many questions remain to be answered and the precise mechanisms remain unclear.In this article,the current situation and prospects of the homing mechanism of MSC,the effects of MSC to tumor biological behavior and MSC-antitumor gene complex for tumor therapy are reviewed.

Status and Trends of GAP Base Construction of Chinese Materia Medica in Guangdong Province / 中草药·英文版

It is one of the key points for modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicines to construct the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) base of Chinese materia medica (CMM).GAP helps to minimize contamination and improve the quality of CMM during the plantation and the production of Chinese crude drugs.In this article,the status and development of CMM production bases of GAP in Guangdong Province,China,are presented.The suggestions upon the problems during the development of GAP for Chinese crude drugs are also provided.

Relationship between alanine aminotransferase levels and metabolic syndrome in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and metabolic syndrome (MS) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 26527 subjects who received medical health checkup in our hospital from January 2005 to July 2007 were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of fatty liver was based on ultrasound imaging. MS was defined according to the criteria of the Adult Treatment Panel III. ALT, triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), height, weight, waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured in each subject to analyze the relationship between MS and ALT activity.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The prevalence of NAFLD in men (30.94%) was significantly higher than that in women (15.65%); (2) The incidence of MS in NAFLD (33.83%) was significantly greater than that in non-NAFLD (10.62%); (3) Of the 6470 subjects with NAFLD, in the age-adjusted partial correlation analysis, there were statistically significant correlations between the ALT levels and most metabolic risk factors in each sex (P<0.01), except that ALT levels had no correlation with HDL-c in women. Moreover, in the multiple stepwise regression analysis, SBP lost its significance, and WC, body mass index (BMI), age, DBP, TG and FPG were independently associated with ALT levels in both sexes (P<0.05). HDL-c remained significant and was independently related to ALT levels in men; (4) ALT levels were significantly higher in subjects with MS compared to those without MS (P<0.001). Mean ALT levels increased with the number of MS components in each sex (P<0.05 for trend).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>We found a strong relationship between ALT levels and MS in NAFLD and revealed that the cluster of MS components might be the predictor for ALT elevations.</p>