[Application of three-dimensional ultrasound for diagnosis of congenital preauricular fistula]

Objective: To explore the application of real-time three-dimensional ultrasound in locating the course, the brand and the blind end of internal opening of congenital preauricular fistula. Methods: Congenital preauricular fistula patients from Changhai Hospital were studied. All the cases were evaluated using two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound before surgeries. The surgery findings were utilized as the gold standard. The imaging features of 3D ultrasound were described to determine the accuracy of the blind end location, the course of the main fistula tract and the branch tracts. The diagnosis was compared with the surgery findings. Results: In 89 cases, among which there were 21 branch fistulae. There were 68 bend fistulae without branch. The diagnostic accuracy of both two-dimensional ultrasound and three-dimensional ultrasound was 100%. The accuracy in locating the blind end of internal opening, the course of the branch tracts with 3D ultrasound was 92.1%(82/89), 85.7%(18/21) , compared to 80.9%(72/89), 57.1%(12/21) with 2D ultrasound. It was obvious that 3D ultrasound had more advantages. These differences were statistically significant (χ(2)=4.8, P<0.05; χ(2)=4.2, P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with 2D ultrasound, 3D ultrasound can accurately locate the blind end of internal opening, the course, and the branch of preauricular fistula, clearly display the morphology and the spatial structure of preauricular fistulaand its surroundings. It has high clinical application value in preoperative imaging examination.

Two new molybdates based on ∞[MonO3n+1]2− units (n = 11, 4) with proton conduction under ionothermal

Two new members of the _∞[Mo_nO_3n+1]²⁻ family with high proton conduction synthesized under ionothermal condition.

[Effects of xinshuaikang granule on cardiac function and atrial natriuretic polypeptide levels in rabbits with experimental congestive heart failure]

Xinshuaikang (XSK) granule mainly consisted of Radix Ginseng, Aconifum carmichaeli, Ligustici wallichii, Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae, etc. Thirty-five white rabbits of Japanese strain with big ears were used and five groups were divided randomly. The models of chronic heart failure (CHF) was made by injection of adriamycin through the marginal vein of rabbit's ear. Only one group without adriamycin injection was taken as blank group. After the making of models, Xinbao (XB) was used to treat one group which was regarded as control group, XSK was used to treat two model groups, one used higher dose, the other one used lower dose. Fifteen days was taken as a course of treatment. The results were: the body weight of all model groups was heavier than that without adriamycin. After a course of treatment, the body weight of the groups treated by XSK or XB decreased rapidly, the general conditions of the three groups were improved; the two drugs could reduce heart rate and enhance heart function, at the same time they reduced the level of atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) in plasma. The best results was obtained in XSK group with higher dose, the effect of XSK group with lower dose was equivalent to that of XB group. Hence, XSK granule could enhance the CHF rabbits' heart function, improve their heart endocrine activity, this drug had a reliable effect on CHF.

Image analysis of tissue sections

The use of computers for the automated image analysis of tissue sections is becoming increasingly important. The paper presents an overview of current methodologies and summarizes developments in this field. A brief introduction followed by a survey is provided in each of these areas: image transformation, image segmentation and classification.

A domain operator for binary morphological processing

A new class of morphological operators, the domain operator, is proposed for binary images. The operation is defined with a domain function based on the index function of fuzzy sets. With appropriate definition of the connection weights, the domain operator can implement conventional morphological operations such as dilation, erosion, opening, and closing, as well as other image processing functions such as noise reduction, edge detection, and clump splitting.