Target-Controlled Infusion of Propofol in Training Anesthesiology Residents in Colonoscopy Sedation: A Prospective Randomized Crossover Trial.

BACKGROUND: Propofol is widely used in sedation for colonoscopy, but its adverse effects on cardiovascular and respiratory systems are still concerning. The present study investigated whether target controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol could provide a better sedation quality than manually controlled infusion (MCI) in training inexperienced anesthesiology residents. MATERIAL/METHODS: Eighteen training residents were allocated into 2 groups receiving TCI and MCI training in their first month in the endoscopy center, while receiving MCI and TCI training instead in their second month. The last 2 patients at the end of each month were included to analyze the sedation quality of TCI and MCI techniques by comparing satisfaction of endoscopist and patients based on the visual analogue scale (VAS). Heart rate (HR), mean blood pressure (MAP), SpO2, and recovery time were also compared as the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: The demographic data were similarly distributed among the TCI and MCI patients. Endoscopist's satisfaction score in the TCI group was significantly higher than in the MCI group, 81.3±7.2 versus 74.2±9.5 (P=0.003), but the patients' satisfaction score was similar between the 2 groups. More stable hemodynamic status was obtained in the TCI group, manifested as higher lowest MAP and lower highest MAP than in the MCI group. Lowest SpO2 in the TCI group was significantly higher than in the MCI group. Patients in the TCI group recovered earlier than in the MCI group. CONCLUSIONS: TCI is a more effective and safer technique for anesthesiology residents in sedation for colonoscopy.

Target-controlled infusion of remifentanil with or without flurbiprofen axetil in sedation for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of pancreatic stones: a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is an effective therapeutic method used to treat patients with pancreatic stones. However, the anesthesia for this procedure has been underappreciated, with minimal reports of these procedures in certain case series with general or epidural anesthesia. METHODS: A cohort of 60 patients who elected to undergo ESWL in order to treat pancreatic stones for the first time were randomly selected and divided into two groups. One group of patients received target controlled infusion (TCI) of remifentanil, while the other group of patients received TCI of remifentanil plus a bolus of flurbiprofen axetil (a cyclooxygenase inhibitor) (Rem group and Rem + Flu group, n = 30 for each group). The Dixon's up-and-down method was used to calculate the half maximum effective concentration (EC50) of remifentanil. Visual analogue scales of pain, Ramsay sedation scale, hemodynamic changes, and adverse events were also recorded. RESULTS: The EC50 of remifentanil was calculated to be 4.0 ng/ml (95 % confidential interval: 3.84 ng/ml, 4.16 ng/ml) and 2.76 ng/ml (95 % confidential interval: 2.63 ng/ml, 2.89 ng/ml) in the Rem group and Rem + Flu group respectively (p < 0.001). Pain score was comparable between the two groups, while the Ramsay sedation scale was higher in the Rem group. Hemodynamic data showed that patients in the Rem group experienced higher mean arterial pressures and higher heart rates across the procedures. Patients in Rem group demonstrated a lower respiratory rate (p < 0.001) and a lower SpO2 (p = 0.001). Less adverse events occurred in Rem + Flu group, including a reduced respiratory depression requiring wake-up as well as reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting. CONCLUSION: Remifentanil plus flurbiprofen axetil provided satisfactory analgesia and sedation for ESWL of pancreatic stones with less adverse events. (Clinicaltrial.gov: NCT01998217 ; registered on November 19, 2013).

[Clinical experience of combined surgical thrombectomy and endovascular intervention for acute deep venous thrombosis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of surgical venous thrombectomy and simultaneous stenting in patients with acute, symptomatic iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis (DVT). METHODS: From October 2008 to December 2010, a total of 15 patients with acute symptomatic DVT underwent combined surgical venous thrombectomy and endovascular stenting in ipsilateral iliac vein. There were 6 male and 9 female patients, with a mean age of 57.4 years (ranging from 36 to 71 years). All patients underwent Duplex ultrasonography for diagnosis of DVT. The location of thrombosis was femoro-ilio-caval vein in 2 cases, bilateral iliac vein in 1 case and left iliofemoral vein in 12 cases. All patients had leg swelling and 12 cases had severe leg pain. The mean time of symptomatic DVT occurring at operation was 3.3 d. The factors related to DVT were operation in 6 cases, DVT reoccur in 2 cases. Coexist diseases were digestive tract bleeding in 1 case, gastric ulcer in 1 case, hypertension in 3 cases and 1 case had cerebral infarction. The inferior vena cava filter was inserted before thrombectomy, iliac vein compression and residual stenosis were treated with a self-expandable stent after thrombectomy. RESULTS: Intraoperative venography showed severe venous stenosis in all patients including 80% of iliac vein compression syndrome, 18 self-expandable stents were inserted successfully, the procedural successful rate was 100%, the 30-day mortality rate was 0.One case was suffered from hematoma at incision after operation. 3 patients were lost during follow-up. Median follow-up was 10.3 months (ranging from 2 to 26 months). There was no case of re-thrombosis. Leg pain was disappeared in all cases and only 2 patients showed slight leg swelling after excise. CONCLUSION: Combined surgical thrombectomy and endovascular treatment for patients with acute symptomatic iliofemoral venous thrombosis is an effective and safe technique with low morbidity and good clinical results.

Controlled Alternate Quantum Walks based Quantum Hash Function.

Through introducing controlled alternate quantum walks, we present controlled alternate quantum walks (CAQW) based quantum hash function. CAQW based quantum hash function have excellent security, outstanding statistical performance and splendid expansibility. Furthermore, due to the structure of alternate quantum walks, implementing CAQW based quantum hash function significantly reduces the resources necessary for its feasible experimental realization than implementing other quantum hash functions.

[Surgical treatment for varicose vein].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the techniques and outcomes of the surgical treatment for varicose vein. METHODS: Totally 2 200 patients with varicose vein received surgical treatment in our hospital from July 2000 to January 2006. The latest techniques for endovenous occlusion were used for most cases, among which 1 802 cases were treated with endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) combined with transilluminated powered phlebectomy (TIPP), 82 cases with radiofrequency endovenous occlusion (RFO) combined with TIPP, and 218 cases with limited invaginated vein stripping and foam sclerotherapy. The remaining 98 cases were treated with laser, radiofrequency or ligation for saphenous vein trunk, and with resection, electric coagulation, and transfixation for vein clusters as additional methods. Perforators were also cut and ligated as well. RESULTS: Satisfied surgical results were obtained in all cases. The average operative time was 40 minutes (range 20-78 minutes). CONCLUSIONS: Limited invaginated vein stripping, EVLT, and RFO can be used to treat saphenous vein reflux. Surgical resection, transfixation, electric coagulation, and sclerotherapy are reasonable options for vein cluster or tributaries. Transection and ligation of the perforators are important. TIPP is ideal for the treatment of vein clusters.

Novel pseudo-random number generator based on quantum random walks.

In this paper, we investigate the potential application of quantum computation for constructing pseudo-random number generators (PRNGs) and further construct a novel PRNG based on quantum random walks (QRWs), a famous quantum computation model. The PRNG merely relies on the equations used in the QRWs, and thus the generation algorithm is simple and the computation speed is fast. The proposed PRNG is subjected to statistical tests such as NIST and successfully passed the test. Compared with the representative PRNG based on quantum chaotic maps (QCM), the present QRWs-based PRNG has some advantages such as better statistical complexity and recurrence. For example, the normalized Shannon entropy and the statistical complexity of the QRWs-based PRNG are 0.999699456771172 and 1.799961178212329e-04 respectively given the number of 8 bits-words, say, 16Mbits. By contrast, the corresponding values of the QCM-based PRNG are 0.999448131481064 and 3.701210794388818e-04 respectively. Thus the statistical complexity and the normalized entropy of the QRWs-based PRNG are closer to 0 and 1 respectively than those of the QCM-based PRNG when the number of words of the analyzed sequence increases. It provides a new clue to construct PRNGs and also extends the applications of quantum computation.

Practical Quantum Private Database Queries Based on Passive Round-Robin Differential Phase-shift Quantum Key Distribution.

A novel quantum private database query protocol is proposed, based on passive round-robin differential phase-shift quantum key distribution. Compared with previous quantum private database query protocols, the present protocol has the following unique merits: (i) the user Alice can obtain one and only one key bit so that both the efficiency and security of the present protocol can be ensured, and (ii) it does not require to change the length difference of the two arms in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and just chooses two pulses passively to interfere with so that it is much simpler and more practical. The present protocol is also proved to be secure in terms of the user security and database security.

Quantum Hash function and its application to privacy amplification in quantum key distribution, pseudo-random number generation and image encryption.

Quantum information and quantum computation have achieved a huge success during the last years. In this paper, we investigate the capability of quantum Hash function, which can be constructed by subtly modifying quantum walks, a famous quantum computation model. It is found that quantum Hash function can act as a hash function for the privacy amplification process of quantum key distribution systems with higher security. As a byproduct, quantum Hash function can also be used for pseudo-random number generation due to its inherent chaotic dynamics. Further we discuss the application of quantum Hash function to image encryption and propose a novel image encryption algorithm. Numerical simulations and performance comparisons show that quantum Hash function is eligible for privacy amplification in quantum key distribution, pseudo-random number generation and image encryption in terms of various hash tests and randomness tests. It extends the scope of application of quantum computation and quantum information.

[Species composition and population structure of plant communities on semi-fixed dunes of the Gurbantongut Desert, China.] / å¤å°”ç­é€šå¤ç‰¹æ²™æ¼ åŠå›ºå®šæ²™ä¸˜æ¤ç‰©ç¾¤è½ç‰©ç§ç»„æˆå’Œç§ç¾¤ç»“æž„.

The objective of this study was to investigate species composition, and predict future development of dominant species on semi-fixed sand dunes in the Gurbantongut Desert. Using the plant height, crown area and volume instead of age structure, the growth and development condition of dominant shrub populations were analyzed. The results showed that totally 23 species were observed, of which Chenopodiaceae occurred the most with 6 genera 8 species, followed by Asteraceae with 5 genera 6 species. The vegetation community of Gurbantunggut Desert was characterized by few species, and simple structure. As a dominant species, Haloxylon persicum was distributed mainly on the top of the dunes and was a stable increasing population. However, the number of H. ammodendron was small. Artemisia ordosica, as an exotic species introduced by vegetation restoration after construction, covered mainly in the windward and the top of dunes. The po-pulation of A. ordosica had an increasing age structure with a strongly increasing potential, which has affected local species composition. The populations of Calligonum leucocladum and Ephedra distachya were lack of seedlings and had few saplings, resulting in the declining age structure. Due to the same distribution habitat, C. leucocladum might be replaced by A. ordosica in the future.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Chinese Patients With Pancreatic Stones: A Prospective Study of 214 Cases.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate prospectively the safety and efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in Chinese patients. METHODS: A total of 214 patients with painful chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic stones who underwent ESWL followed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography from March 2011 to February 2012 in Changhai Hospital were enrolled. The main pancreatic duct clearance rate and complications were recorded prospectively. Symptoms, weight, quality of life, and pancreatic function were assessed before and after ESWL and endotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 473 ESWL procedures were performed in 214 patients. Stones were fragmented in all cases. Complete clearance of main pancreatic duct stones and successful endoscopic decompression were achieved in 155 (72.4%) and 188 (90.8%) of 214 patients, respectively. Complications were observed after 20 sessions (20 of 473, 4.23%). Follow-up (n = 195) after 18.5 ± 3.3 months showed that complete and partial pain relief were achieved in 71.3% and 24.0% of the patients, respectively. The scores for the quality of life (5.8 ± 1.7 vs 8.1 ± 1.2, P < 0.05) and mental health from the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form General Health Survey questionnaire (62.2 ± 21.5 vs 68.5 ± 16.4, P < 0.05) improved after ESWL. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, ESWL is a safe and effective method to treat Chinese patients with pancreatic stones. This procedure can significantly improve the success rate of endotherapy.

Novel image encryption based on quantum walks.

Quantum computation has achieved a tremendous success during the last decades. In this paper, we investigate the potential application of a famous quantum computation model, i.e., quantum walks (QW) in image encryption. It is found that QW can serve as an excellent key generator thanks to its inherent nonlinear chaotic dynamic behavior. Furthermore, we construct a novel QW-based image encryption algorithm. Simulations and performance comparisons show that the proposal is secure enough for image encryption and outperforms prior works. It also opens the door towards introducing quantum computation into image encryption and promotes the convergence between quantum computation and image processing.

[Effects of plastic film mulching on soil CO2 efflux and CO2 concentration in an oasis cotton field].

A field study was conducted to compare soil CO2 efflux and CO2 concentration between mulched and non-mulched cotton fields by using closed chamber method and diffusion chamber technique. Soil CO2 efflux and CO2 concentration exhibited a similar seasonal pattern, decreasing from July to October. Mulched field had a lower soil CO2 efflux but a higher CO2 concentration, compared to those of non-mulched fields. Over the measurement period, cumulative CO2 efflux was 1871.95 kg C . hm-2 for mulched field and 2032.81 kg C . hm-2 for non-mulched field. Soil CO2 concentration was higher in mulched field (ranging from 5137 to 25945 µL . L-1) than in non- mulched field (ranging from 2165 to 23986 µL . L-1). The correlation coefficients between soil CO2 concentrations at different depths and soil CO2 effluxes were 0.60 to 0.73 and 0.57 to 0.75 for the mulched and non-mulched fields, indicating that soil CO2 concentration played a crucial role in soil CO2 emission. The Q10 values were 2.77 and 2.48 for the mulched and non-mulched fields, respectively, suggesting that CO2 efflux in mulched field was more sensitive to the temperature.

Research on the optical spectra, g factors and defect structures for two tetragonal Y²+ centers in the irradiated CaF2: Y crystal.

Based on the defect models that the tetragonal Y(2+) (1) center in the irradiated CaF(2): Y crystal is due to Y(2+) at Ca(2+) site associated with a nearest interstitial F(-) ion along C(4) axis and the tetragonal Y(2+) (2) center is Y(2+) at Ca(2+) site where the tetragonal distortion is caused by the static Jahn-Teller effect, the two optical spectral bands and anisotropic g factors for both tetragonal Y(2+) centers are calculated. The calculations are made by using two methods based on the cluster approach, one is the complete diagonalization (of energy matrix) method (CDM) and another is the perturbation theory method (PTM). The calculated results for each Y(2+) center from CDM and PTM coincide and show reasonable agreement with the experimental values. The calculated isotropic g factor for Y(2+) (2) center at higher temperature owing to the dynamical Jahn-Teller effect is also consistent with the observed value. The defect structures (i.e., tetragonal distortion) of the two Y(2+) centers are obtained from the calculation. It appears that both theoretical methods can be applied to explain the optical and EPR data, to study the defect model and to determine the defect structures for d(1) ions in crystals.

Photodynamic therapy of condyloma acuminata in pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is an emerging technique for the treatment of genital human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced benign and premalignant lesions. We report here in a case series of condyloma acuminata (CA) in pregnancy successfully treated with ALA-PDT. METHODS: Five pregnant patients with CA received three to four times treatment respectively. Patients were followed up for 6 - 23 months after treatment. RESULTS: The clearance rate of genital warts was 100%. No recurrence was found during the follow-up period. Major adverse events reported were mild erosion, pain, and local edema. All pregnancies resulted in healthy live births without delivery complications. CONCLUSIONS: PDT with topical ALA seems to be safe and effective in the treatment of CA in pregnancy. It demonstrated high clearance rate of warts, was well-tolerated by patients, and showed no adverse effects on mothers or fetuses. ALA-PDT may be an ideal strategy of treatment for pregnant women with CA.