Preventive Surgery for Asymptomatic Spinal Lipomas in Children

AIM

To explore the clinical effect and significance of preventive surgery for asymptomatic spinal lipomas in children.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 168 patients with asymptomatic spinal lipoma from April 2001 to June 2019, Shanghai Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. The patients were aged from 1.5 months to 15 years (the average age was 7 months), and there were no neurological symptoms, such as pain, incontinence, and/or bilateral lower limb dysfunction, before surgery. The surgical procedure included completely removing the lipomas in subcutaneous and extramedullary tissues of the spinal cord, subtotal resection of intraspinal fat, and separating the spinal cord, including the medullary conus from the dura sac, to release the tethered cord.

RESULTS

For the 168 children with spinal lipomas included in the study, complete resection was undertaken for the dorsal spinal lipomas, and subtotal resection was performed for the transitional lipomas. Subcutaneous effusion caused by cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred in 5 cases after surgery and was cured after multiple punctures and aspiration. Six patients developed mild incontinence immediately after the operation, 5 of whom completely returned to normal within 1 month, and 1 had no relief of symptoms. A total of 159 of the 168 patients were followed up for 3 to 19 years (the median follow-up time was 76 months). Longterm postoperative symptoms were observed in 13 patients (7.7%), including 12 cases of spinal cord retethering and 1 case of lipoma enlargement.

CONCLUSION

Preventive surgery can reduce the future incidence of neurological dysfunction in children with asymptomatic spinal lipomas.

Bilateral fronto-orbital advancement combined with cranial vault release using a free-floating bone flap technique for nonsyndromic unilateral coronal synostosis

Background

The goals of operative treatment for unilateral coronal synostosis (UCS) are to improve appearance and allow unrestricted brain growth. However, for severe unilateral premature closure of the coronal suture, existing methods do not address the compression of the brain or expand the volume of the skull cavity. We report our retrospective experience with bilateral fronto-orbital advancement combined with cranial vault release using a free-floating bone flap (CVR + FFBF) technique and the resulting changes in the anterior cranial vault asymmetry index (ACVAI) and intracranial volume.

Methods

Twenty patients with UCS who underwent bilateral fronto-orbital advancement combined with CVR + FFBF technique from April 2014 to May 2019 were included. Surgical efficacy was evaluated by the ACVAI and intracranial volume before the operation, 1 week after the operation, and at the last follow-up (average 19.8 months; range, 12 to 40 months). The measurement data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation and were statistically analyzed by t-test.

Results

The ACVAI was 9.07%±3.55% before the operation, 3.56%±3.42% 1 week after the operation, and 3.13%±2.41% at the last follow-up. The ACVAI 1 week after the operation was significantly lower than that before the operation (t=4.827, P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the ACVAI 1 week after the operation and at the last follow-up (t=0.660, P=0.517). The intracranial volume was 1,027.85±112.25 mL in patients before the operation and 1,131.92±161.71 mL in the normal control group, which was a statistically significant difference (t=2.364, P=0.023). The intracranial volume significantly increased 1 week after surgery: 1,081.62±111.10 mL (t=8.703, P<0.001), and this trend continued at the last follow-up (1,386.90±119.30 mL) similarly to the normal control group (1,438.22±89.28 mL). At the last follow-up, there was no significant difference between the two groups (t=1.540, P=0.132).

Conclusions

For the treatment of UCS, bilateral fronto-orbital advancement combined with CVR + FFBF technique offers functional and cosmetic outcomes in terms of intracranial volume expansion and fronto-orbital symmetry.

[Clinical and imaging features of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia: an analysis of 48 cases in China]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics, imaging findings, laboratory tests and treatment strategies for Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia. Methods: From January 1, 2019 to January 20, 2021, 48 cases of Psittacosis from 11 hospitals in China were diagnosed via metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS). The data of all patients on occupational history, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, chest computed tomography(CT)findings, treatment outcomes and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among the 48 patients, there were 29 males and 19 females, with a mean age of (57.1±10.3) years. Thirty patients had a confirmed history of exposure to poultry. The onset to admission interval was (6.5±3.2) days, and hospital stay was (12.4±4.8) days. Clinical manifestations included fever (100%, 48/48), relative bradycardia (71%, 34/48), cough (54.2%, 26/48), sputum (27.1%, 13/48), fatigue (16.7%, 8/48), headache and delirium (20.8%, 9/48), and gastrointestinal symptoms (16.7%, 8/48). Laboratory data showed that white blood cells were (8.0±3.8)×10⁹/L, and the proportion of neutrophils increased in 44 patients. The level of C-reactive protein was (155.3±74.1)mg/L, and that of procalcitonin (PCT)in 59.5% of patients was more than 0.5 μg/L. Percentages of patients with increased lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase were 82.9% and 45.2%, respectively. Chest CT scans showed unilateral lung involvement in 34 cases(70.8%) and single lobe involvement in 27 cases(56.3%).The most common imaging change was consolidation, with 38 cases (79.2%) showing lobar consolidation. In terms of treatment, 25 patients were treated with fluoroquinolones alone, 6 patients with doxycycline alone, and 13 patients with combined treatment. The combined-treatment group and the doxycycline alone group were similar in the course of defervescence. The combined treatment group and the doxycycline alone group were both superior to the fluoroquinolones alone group. However, 11 patients were admitted to ICU, all of them received artificial ventilation, and 5 cases developed shock, and one died. Conclusions: Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia is an animal-derived infectious disease with unique features in clinical symptoms, laboratory tests and chest imaging. Appropriate treatment is able to significantly shorten the course of disease and improve the prognosis.

The relationship between atherosclerosis and bone mineral density in patients with type 2 diabetes depends on vascular calcifications and sex

It is unknown whether a relationship exists between bone mineral density (BMD) and atherosclerosis with or without vascular calcification. In our study, a negative correlation between carotid atherosclerosis and BMD was found in female T2DM patients with vascular calcification, but not in those without calcification and males.

INTRODUCTION

Atherosclerosis is considered associated with low bone mineral density (BMD). However, most previous studies focus on patients with arterial atherosclerosis with vascular calcification. It is still unknown whether a relationship exists between atherosclerosis and BMD in patients without calcification. It is also unknown if sex plays a role in this relationship.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study, which included 1459 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients (648 males ≥ 50 years old, and 811 postmenopausal females). They were assigned to three groups: group 1 (patients without carotid plaques and without carotid calcification), group 2 (patients with carotid plaques but without carotid calcification), and group 3 (patients with carotid plaques and with carotid calcification). Clinical characteristics and BMD were compared. The relationship between atherosclerosis and BMD was determined by binary logistic regression analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0.

RESULTS

Significant differences were only observed in women. The percentage of osteoporosis was higher in group 3 (43.64%) than in groups 1 (34.82%) and 2 (32.14%) (P = 0.016). Low BMD was found in the lumbar (P = 0.032), hip (P < 0.001), and femoral neck (P < 0.001). The odds ratio for osteoporosis increased significantly in a score-dependent manner in postmenopausal female patients with calcified atherosclerosis, but not in uncalcified patients. In men, no differences or relationships were identified.

CONCLUSION

A negative correlation between carotid atherosclerosis and BMD was found in female T2DM patients with vascular calcification, but not in those without calcification. A similar relationship was not observed in male patients with or without calcification. Thus, the relationship between atherosclerosis and bone mineral density in patients with type 2 diabetes depends on vascular calcifications and sex.

Positive-Parity Linear-Chain Molecular Band in ^{16}C

An inelastic excitation and cluster-decay experiment ^{2}H(^{16}C,^{4}He+^{12}Be or ^{6}He+^{10}Be)^{2}H was carried out to investigate the linear-chain clustering structure in neutron-rich ^{16}C. For the first time, decay paths from the ^{16}C resonances to various states of the final nuclei were determined, thanks to the well-resolved Q-value spectra obtained from the threefold coincident measurement. The close-threshold resonance at 16.5 MeV is assigned as the J^{π}=0^{+} band head of the predicted positive-parity linear-chain molecular band with (3/2_{π}^{-})^{2}(1/2_{σ}^{-})^{2} configuration, according to the associated angular correlation and decay analysis. Other members of this band were found at 17.3, 19.4, and 21.6 MeV based on their selective decay properties, being consistent with the theoretical predictions. Another intriguing high-lying state was observed at 27.2 MeV which decays almost exclusively to ^{6}He+^{10}Be(∼6  MeV) final channel, corresponding well to another predicted linear-chain structure with the pure σ-bond configuration.

MiR-378a-5p inhibits angiogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma by targeting KLK4

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still a leading cause of cancer death owing to distant metastasis, which is largely facilitated by tumor angiogenesis. MicroRNA (miR)-378a-5p and Kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) participate in tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis according to previous studies, yet the exact role they play in tumor angiogenesis remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of miR-378a-5p and KLK4 on angiogenesis of OSCC. MTT assay showed that the expression level of miR-378a-5p was negatively correlated with the proliferation of OSCC cells. ELISA and Western blot assay showed that down-regulation of miR-378a-5p promotes VEGF expression. Tube formation and in vivo chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay showed that inhibition of miR-378a-5p reduced tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and newly formed microvessel. On the contrary, over-expression of KLK4 enhanced angiogenesis of OSCC cells with increased VEGF expression, tube formation activity of HUVECs and newly formed microvessel. Moreover, the dual-luciferase assay validated that KLK4 was a target gene of miR-378a-5p. MiR-378a-5p silencing induced tube formation was suppressed by the downregulation of KLK4. Besides, the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in miR-378a-5p antagomir transfected cells was also blocked by the KLK4 shRNA. To sum up, our study suggests that miR-378a-5p suppressed angiogenesis of OSCC at least partly by the regulation of KLK4.

Sevoflurane inhibits migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by regulating microRNA-34a/ADAM10 axis

Sevoflurane is frequently used volatile anesthetic in cancer surgery. It has been suggested that treatment with sevoflurane could suppress migration and invasion of several human cancer cells in vitro. However, the effects of sevoflurane on colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unclear. In this study, CRC HCT116 and SW480 cells were treated by various concentrations of sevoflurane. MTT assay and Transwell assay were applied to evaluate the cell viability, migration and invasion abilities of CRC cell lines, respectively. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to examine the expression level of miR-34a, and western blot assay was employed to detect the protein level of ADAM10. The target interaction between miR-34a and ADAM10 was verified through bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter gene assay system. We found Aberrant inhibitory effects induced by sevoflurane on the cell viability, migration and invasion abilities of HCT116 and SW480 cells in a dose-dependent manner were observed. Up-regulation of miR-34a strikingly suppressed the cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of the two cell lines. Sevoflurane could facilitate the miR-34a expression and its suppressor effects on CRC cells was reversed by pre-treatment with miR-34a inhibitors. ADAM10 was identified as a downstream gene of miR-34a, and down-regulated by miR-34a. Overexpression of ADAM10 reverted both miR-34a and sevoflurane-induced repression in the cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of CRC cells. Our data showed Sevoflurane inhibits the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by regulating microRNA-34a/ADAM10 axis.

Abstract P3-06-20: Druggable genomic landscape of primary and metastatic breast cancers

Background: Several studies (e.g. The Pan-Cancer Atlas) have examined the druggable genomic landscape of breast cancers and other malignancies using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). However, TCGA is representative of newly-diagnosed, treatment-naïve breast cancers, whereas genomic profiling is typically used to inform therapy for metastatic and/or pre-treated breast cancers. Here, we characterize the druggable genomic landscape of breast cancers using AACR Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE), a multi-institutional pragmatic cancer genomics registry.

Methods: We obtained mutation, copy-number amplification (CNA), and fusion data from GENIE, which contains de-identified genomic records from 4506 breast carcinoma and carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) tumors. We used Clinical Interpretation of Variants in Cancer (CIViC) to label the potential druggability of these mutations, CNAs, and fusions. Further, we plan to assess variations in the druggable genomic landscape of breast tumors as a function of tumor characteristics (e.g. histology, tumor mutation burden), patient characteristics (age, sex, ethnicity), and genomics assay characteristics (e.g. PCR vs. hybridization capture).

Results: In GENIE, we identified 19932 mutations, 9334 copy number amplifications (CNA), and 987 fusions in 4506 breast tumors. CNAs suggesting potential druggability were relatively common (e.g. ERBB2 amplifications in 9.9% of tumors), whereas fusions suggesting potential druggability were relatively rare (e.g. NTRK fusions in 0.1% of tumors). Mutations suggesting potential druggability were identified in ERBB2 (3.5% of tumors) and mismatch repair genes [MLH1, MSH2, MSH3, MSH6, PMS1, PMS2] (3.7% of tumors).

Conclusion: GENIE can be used to infer druggability across a cohort of breast tumors likely to be considered for approved systemic therapy at tertiary academic centers. This may inform use of genomic assays and/or design of clinical trials for patients with breast tumors.

*The author would like to acknowledge the American Association for Cancer Research and its financial and material support in the development of the AACR Project GENIE registry, as well as members of the consortium for their commitment to data sharing. Interpretations are the responsibility of study authors.

Citation Format: Sun SQ. Druggable genomic landscape of primary and metastatic breast cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-06-20.

Effect of an on-hip load-carrying belt on physiological and perceptual responses during bimanual anterior load carriage

Manual load carriage continues to be a major contributor of musculoskeletal injury. This study investigates the physiological and subjective effects of an on-hip load-carrying belt (HLCB) during bimanual anterior load carriage. Fifteen healthy male participants walked on a level ground treadmill at 4.5 km/h for 5 min carrying 5, 10 and 15 kg loads with hands and arms in front of the body, with and without using the HLCB (WD and ND). Heart rate, normalized oxygen uptake, minute ventilation and, central and peripheral ratings of perceived exertion were the dependent variables. The mean heart rate, normalized oxygen uptake, minute ventilation and peripheral rating of perceived exertion increased significantly with load under both WD and ND conditions. At a load of 15 kg, the mean heart rate, normalized oxygen uptake, minute ventilation and peripheral rating of perceived exertion were significantly lower by 6.6%, 8.0%, 11.8% and 13.9% respectively in WD condition when compared to the ND condition. There was no significant difference between WD and ND conditions with 5 or 10 kg load. It can be concluded that the HLCB could reduce a person's physiological and peripheral perceptual responses when walking on a level ground treadmill at 4.5 km/h with a load of 15 kg. Using a HLCB or similar device is therefore recommended for bimanual anterior load carriage for loads of 15 kg or probably larger.

Immunolocalization of aquaporins in rat brain

The aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of homologous water channels expressed in many tissues. In this study, the expression and immunolocalization of different AQP subtypes in rat brains were investigated by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The data showed that AQP1 was expressed in the subpial processes of astrocytes, choroid plexus and ependyma. AQP3, AQP5 and AQP8 had similar distribution patterns in piriform cortex, choroid plexus, hippocampus and dorsal thalamus. AQP4 and AQP9 were widely expressed in the rat brain and distributed in the subpial processes of astrocytes, ependyma, dorsal thalamus, hippocampus, white matter, suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and supraoptic nucleus. AQP3, AQP4, AQP5, AQP8 and AQP9 were found in the Bergmann glial cells of cerebellum, cochlear nucleus and trapezoid nuclei. The distinct localization of various AQPs in cerebrum and the similarities of distribution patterns within cerebellum, cochlear nucleus and trapezoid nuclei suggest that AQPs may play an important role in maintaining the specific microenvironments of the brain.

Thermal characterization of lowly Nd3+ doped disordered Nd:CNGG crystal

Thermal properties of a lowly Nd(3+)-doped disordered Nd:CNGG crystal have been symmetrically investigated. At room temperature, the specific heat, thermal diffusion coefficient and density were determined to be 0.595 J/g.K, 1.223 mm(2)/s and 4.718 g/cm(3), corresponding the thermal conductivity of 3.43 W/m.K. By measuring the thermal lens at different pump power, the thermal-optical coefficient was calculated to be 9.2x10(-6) K(-1) for the first time to our knowledge. All the thermal properties recovered that this material can be used in the moderate and even high pump power.

Expression of the Water Channel Protein Aquaporin-9 in Human Astrocytic Tumours: Correlation with Pathological Grade

This study investigated the expression of the water channel protein aquaporin-9 (AQP9) in 100 cases of human astrocytic tumour compared with normal brain tissue. AQP9 mRNA and protein were assessed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. The expression of both AQP9 mRNA and protein in astrocytic tumours was significantly greater than in normal brain tissue and was positively correlated with pathological grade. No significant correlations were found between the level of AQP9 mRNA or protein expression and gender, age, tumour size or tumour site. This study indicates that AQP9 may play an important role in the malignant progression of brain astrocytic tumours and may, therefore, be useful as a biomarker in its diagnosis and as a new target for gene therapy. The molecular mechanisms by which AQP9 affects the proliferation and apoptosis of astrocytic tumours need to be studied further.

An anatomical study of the recurrent laryngeal nerve: its branching patterns and relationship to the inferior thyroid artery

The aim of this study was to provide information about the morphology and topography of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), its external features and branches, as well as its relationship to the inferior thyroid artery, the inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage and the thyroid gland. The RLNs in 50 adult cadavers (100 sides) were dissected and analyzed. A communicating loop connecting one branch of the RLN to another or a twig originating from the cervical sympathetic trunk was present in 13 of 100 sides. A double left RLN appeared in 2 sides; a right non-recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve appeared in one side. All of the RLNs, including looped ones, bifurcated into laryngeal branches and extralaryngeal branches, with most of the former further dividing into the anterior and posterior branches entering the larynx. The relations of the RLN to the inferior thyroid artery, the inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage and the thyroid gland were inconstant. The information gained from this study will be of value in thyroid surgery.

[A rapid method for the identification of four different features of gouqizi by FTIR spectrometry]

In this article, a method of using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry to identify four Lyeium barbarum L. (Gouqizi) in turn of colour, shape, taste and water content. The four features (include color is red or black, shape is round or long, quality is dry or wet, taste is sweet or bitter) are related with the FTIR absorption peaks, this is based on the chemical components and their relative contents are different in various Gouqizi. These differences can be reflected in the FTIR spectra. So a new idea is brought up in the research area of identification of traditional Chinese medicine. Alao, FTIR is proved to be a rapid, simple, reliable and non-destructive qualification method.

[Studies of black roller pen inks by NIR FT-Raman spectrometry]

36 kinds of black roller pen inks collected from Chinese market were analyzed by NIR FT-Raman spectroscopic technique and they were divided into 10 groups (from A to J group) according to their characteristic Raman spectra. Based on studying main component of roller pen inks and peculiarity of Raman spectrum by documents, the main Raman peaks of each group of roller ball inks were interpreted particularly. It have also been investigated that the influence factors from paper matrix, humidity of the samples, laser power and writing time, especially the forth item showed some relationships of the peak intensity ratio with the relative age of inks. This method is speediness, convenience, high sensitivity and no ink-extraction process. The insufficiency of the method is that fluorescence and heat background comes forth when a few samples were irradiated by laser.

[Genetic analysis on litter size in pigs]

Genetic analysis was conducted on the data of 3 populations with 1,686 litters including Erhualian pig, Large White and first cross. The results indicated that the heritability estimates for the total number of piglets born, the number of piglets born alive, the number of piglets at 20 d and at 45 d were 0.081, 0.156, 0.402 and 0.419, respectively. The major gene index analysis indicated that the prolificacy of Erhualian pig was influenced by major genes.

[Genetic analysis of sow productivity traits]

Genetic analysis was conducted on the data of 3 populations with 1686 litters including Erhualian pigs, Large White and first cross. The phenotypic and genetic parameters among litter weight at birth (LW), average piglet weight at birth (APW), litter weight at 20 days (LW20), average piglet weight at 20 days (APW20), litter weight at 45 days (LW45), average piglet weight at 45 days (APW45) were estimated by sire model. The results indicated that Erhualian pigs had stronger maternal ability and slower growth rate compared to Large White. The first four traits (LW, APW, LW20, APW20) had larger maternal effects, while LW45 and APW45 had smaller maternal effects. The heritabilities of LW, APW, LW20, APW20, LW45, APW45 were 0.251, 0.277, 0.341, 0.330, 0.235, 0.186, respectively. The results indicated that direct selection was effective. According to our results, we considered that it was fit to select two traits (LW, LW20) out of these six traits to reflect sow productivity. Litter weight at birth could reflect the prolificacy of sow, litter weight at 20 days could reflect the maternal ability of sow.

Alterations in extracellular substances during the biofilm development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on aluminum plates

The chemical moieties during biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on aluminium plates were examined for a period of 17 days. The effect of fluid shearing upon biofilm formation has also been investigated. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum of the biofilm taken on the fifth day showed significant differences compared with the spectrum of the unattached bacterial cells, indicating that structural changes or modifications of the cell envelope had taken place during the development of the biofilm. Major changes were also observed in the spectrum during the subsequent development of the biofilm from day 5 to day 17. The increasing intensity of a band corresponding to the symmetric stretching mode of the carboxyl group indicated interactions between the carboxyl group and the aluminium surface. Increased bacterial colonization was also observed at the air-water interface of the aluminium plates when compared with the middle and the bottom parts. Changes in FTIR spectra of the biofilm at the bottom, at the middle, and at the air-water interface suggest that the mechanisms of bacterial attachment differed by a -COO(-) interaction at the air-water interface, and by both -COO(-) and NH3(+) groups beneath the water surface.

An applied anatomical study of the superior laryngeal nerve loop

The aim of this study was to provide some specific information about the morphology and topography of the superior laryngeal n., its branches, and its anastomoses with the cervical sympathetic chain, as well as its relations with the thyroid gland. Sixty adult cadavers, i.e. 120 superior laryngeal nn., were dissected and analysed. An anastomotic loop connecting the cervical sympathetic chain and the distal laryngeal n. was present in 111 of the 120 cases. The morphology of this loop made it possible to define 5 different groups. This study supplies information valuable in thyroid surgery.

[Radioepidemiological studies in the nuclear industry of China]

The results of retrospective-cohort radioepidemiological studies on workers of mines and plants governed by China National Nuclear Corporation was reported. The total number was 40,122 persons and 575,411 person-years. The accumulated personal dose in workers of reactor, nuclear fuel reprocessing plants and research units was 57 mSv on the average. For fuel element fabrication and diffusion plants, it was about 5 mSv. Mortality of cancers, especially the non-cancerous diseases was not higher but lower than the controlled group and national values, showing the so-called health worker effect. 31,786 off springs of workers in the nuclear plants were examined. There were no significant difference in the incidence of hereditary-congenital diseases among exposed and controlled groups. The results mentioned above provide the direct medical evidences of the safety of nuclear industry in China. Owing to the high concentration of radon in the uranium prospective and mining tunnels in early years, the average cumulative exposure to radon progeny was about 80 WLM for miners who had the history of working underground. The relative risk of lung cancer was about 2. The excess relative risk per WLM was similar to the value reported abroad.

[Nutritional support and nursing care of cancer patients]

The reasons for poor appetite and nutritional disorder in cancer patients were analyzed in this study. It is concluded that special emphasis should be put on nutritional support by both doctors and patients as early as possible. Clinical practices evidence showed that through parenteral or enteral nutrition supporting according to the patients' condition, not only enhance the patients' endurance to antineoplastic therapy but also improve their quality of life.

Quantitative water mapping of cryosectioned cells by electron energy-loss spectroscopy

A direct technique based on electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) has been developed to map subcellular distributions of water in frozen-hydrated biological cryosections. Previously, methods for water determination have been indirect in that they have required the cryosections to be dehydrated first. The new approach makes use of spectrum-imaging, where EELS data are collected in parallel at each pixel. Several operations are required to process the spectra including: subtraction of the detector dark current, deconvolution by the detector point-spread function, removal of plural inelastic scattering and correction for the support film. The resulting single scattering distributions are fitted to standard reference spectra at each pixel, and water content can be determined from the fitting coefficients. Although the darkfield or brightfield image from a hydrated cryosection shows minimal structure, the processed EELS image reveals strong contrast due to variations in water content. Reference spectra have been recorded from the major biomolecules (protein, lipid, carbohydrate, nucleic acid) as well as from vitrified water and crystalline ice. It has been found that quantitative results can be obtained for the majority of subcellular compartments by fitting only water and protein reference spectra, and the accuracy of the method for these compartments has been estimated as +/- 3.5%. With the present instrumentation the maximum allowed dose of 2 x 10(3) e/nm2 limits the useful spatial resolution to around 80 nm for +/- 5% precision at a single pixel. By averaging pixel intensities a value of 56.8% with a precision of +/- 2.0% has been determined for the water content of liver mitochondria. The water mapping technique may prove useful for applications to cell physiology and pathophysiology.

[Study of deposition and translocation of mineral dust in lungs of tin miners in Yunnan by X-ray microanalysis]

Histochemistry, SEM-EDX and X-ray fluorescence analysis were applied to detect the distribution of iron, arsenic and other related elements in the pulmonary tissues of tin miners in Yunnan. Lesions obtained in human beings could be reproduced in rats subjected to intratracheal injection of arsenic containing ore dust, which was prepared in order to study the deposition, dissociation and release of inhaled less-soluble arsenic containing ors dust in the lungs and the process of development of different ferruginous bodies. Data obtained in the pulmonary tissues provided also the evidence about the role of arsenic as the etiological factor of lung carcinoma in the tin miners of Yunnan province.

The superior laryngeal nerve loop and its surgical implications

Based upon findings from 60 cadavers (120 sides), the incidence of superior laryngeal nerve loop, connecting the cervical sympathetic chain and the superior laryngeal nerve and its branches, the external and internal laryngeal nerve, was 98.3% (118 out of 120 sides). In most cases the loop connected the sympathetic chain and the external laryngeal nerve. The external laryngeal nerve was looped, and not linear as traditionally thought. The loop could be divided into three categories, V-shaped, U-shaped and mixed, and subdivided into 5 types and 17 subtypes according to morphological variation. The loop without exception innervated not only the cricothyroid muscle, but also the thyroid gland. The loop is one of the origins of the thyroid nerve. It seems that for thyroid surgery the loop, when lower in position, should be carefully separated from the superior thyroid vessels before the latter are ligated, in order to preserve a normal nerve supply to the muscle as well as to the part of the gland that remains after surgery.

Pathohistogenetic approach on the etiology of Yunnan tin miner's lung cancer

Pathological observation was made in 100 surgically resected lung cancers of Yunnan tin miners: peripheral type 44 including 9 scar cancers; central type 56, 27 of whom were early lung cancer, with limited initial loci in a well defined area. On the basis of dust retention in original sites of lung cancer and results of X-ray microanalysis, a scheme for calculating the relative probability of causation is formulated. The result of calculation shows that the contribution of exposure to radon daughters is about 7 times that of ore dust retention in the etiology of Yunnan tin miner's lung cancer.

Validity and reliability of the Chinese Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (CHDS) was assessed. Interrater reliability was excellent, the item total-score correlations were good, and the internal reliability was satisfactory. The concurrent validity was tested by correlating the CHDS score with the Global Assessment Scale score; the strong negative correlation found indicated that the CHDS reflects the overall level of disability. Five distinct factors were generated by principle-component analysis; these factors account for 52.4% of the total variance. Rigorous evaluation of the numerous translated scales being used in clinical and research settings of non-Western countries is important.