Preoperative prediction of tumour deposits in rectal cancer by an artificial neural network-based US radiomics model.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a machine learning-based ultrasound (US) radiomics model for predicting tumour deposits (TDs) preoperatively. METHODS: From December 2015 to December 2017, 127 patients with rectal cancer were prospectively enrolled and divided into training and validation sets. Endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) examinations were conducted for each patient. A total of 4176 US radiomics features were extracted for each patient. After the reduction and selection of US radiomics features , a predictive model using an artificial neural network (ANN) was constructed in the training set. Furthermore, two models (one incorporating clinical information and one based on MRI radiomics) were developed. These models were validated by assessing their diagnostic performance and comparing the areas under the curve (AUCs) in the validation set. RESULTS: The training and validation sets included 29 (33.3%) and 11 (27.5%) patients with TDs, respectively. A US radiomics ANN model was constructed. The model for predicting TDs showed an accuracy of 75.0% in the validation cohort. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and AUC were 72.7%, 75.9%, 53.3%, 88.0% and 0.743, respectively. For the model incorporating clinical information, the AUC improved to 0.795. Although the AUC of the US radiomics model was improved compared with that of the MRI radiomics model (0.916 vs. 0.872) in the 90 patients with both ultrasound and MRI data (which included both the training and validation sets), the difference was nonsignificant (p = 0.384). CONCLUSIONS: US radiomics may be a potential model to accurately predict TDs before therapy. KEY POINTS: • We prospectively developed an artificial neural network model for predicting tumour deposits based on US radiomics that had an accuracy of 75.0%. • The area under the curve of the US radiomics model was improved than that of the MRI radiomics model (0.916 vs. 0.872), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.384). • The US radiomics-based model may potentially predict TDs accurately before therapy, but this model needs further validation with larger samples.

The attachment potential and N-acyl-homoserine lactone-based quorum sensing in aerobic granular sludge and algal-bacterial granular sludge.

Bacteria and algae often coexist in the aerobic granular sludge (AGS) system in a photo-bioreactor, forming algal-bacterial granular sludge. In this study, the physicochemical characteristics and microbial attachment potential of the AGS and algal-bacterial granular sludge were comparatively analyzed. Results clearly showed that the larger and denser algal-bacterial granular sludge had stronger attachment potential compared to the AGS (as the control). A bioassay with Agrobacterium tumefaciens KYC55 indicated that N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) existed in both sludge types, but further investigations revealed that the relative AHL content of the algal-bacterial granular sludge obviously increased and slightly decreased during phases II and III, respectively, but was consistently higher than the AGS. Based on the EPS measurements and 3D-excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectra analysis, the enhancement of AHL-based QS favored the hydrophobic protein production of algal-bacterial granular sludge, contributing to a good development of the granular sludge. In addition, it was also found that inhibition of AHLs resulted in the reduction of the protein content and attachment potential in algal-bacterial granular sludge, which was unfavorable to the structural stability of the granules. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that the microbial community of AGS was different from the algal-bacterial granular sludge; specifically, algal-bacterial granulation facilitated the abundance of AHLs and EPS producers, such as the genera Acinetobacter, Chryseobacterium, and Flavobacterium.

Erratum: Xie, Z.-J.; Bao, X.-Y.; Peng, C.-F. Highly Sensitive and Selective Colorimetric Detection of Methylmercury Based on DNA-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles. Sensors 2018, 18, 2679.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to their paper [...].

Highly Sensitive and Selective Colorimetric Detection of Methylmercury Based on DNA Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles.

A new colorimetric detection of methylmercury (CH3Hg⁺) was developed, which was based on the surface deposition of Hg enhancing the catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The AuNPs were functionalized with a specific DNA strand (HT7) recognizing CH3Hg⁺, which was used to capture and separate CH3Hg⁺ by centrifugation. It was found that the CH3Hg⁺ reduction resulted in the deposition of Hg onto the surface of AuNPs. As a result, the catalytic activity of the AuNPs toward the chromogenic reaction of 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB)-H2O2 was remarkably enhanced. Under optimal conditions, a limit of detection of 5.0 nM was obtained for CH3Hg⁺ with a linear range of 10⁻200 nM. We demonstrated that the colorimetric method was fairly simple with a low cost and can be conveniently applied to CH3Hg⁺ detection in environmental samples.

[Freeze drying process optimization of ginger juice-adjuvant for Chinese materia medica processing and stability of freeze-dried ginger juice powder].

Ginger juice， a commonly used adjuvant for Chinese materia medica， is applied in processing of multiple Chinese herbal decoction pieces. Because of the raw materials and preparation process of ginger juice， it is difficult to be preserved for a long time， and the dosage of ginger juice in the processing can not be determined base on its content of main compositions. Ginger juice from different sources is hard to achieve consistent effect during the processing of traditional Chinese herbal decoction pieces. Based on the previous studies， the freeze drying of ginger juice under different shelf temperatures and vacuum degrees were studied， and the optimized freeze drying condition of ginger juice was determined. The content determination method for 6-gingerol， 8-gingerol， 10-gingerol and 6-shagaol in ginger juice and redissolved ginger juice was established. The content changes of 6-gingerol， 8-gingerol， 10-gingerol， 6-gingerol， 6-shagaol， volatile oil and total phenol were studied through the drying process and 30 days preservation period. The results showed that the freeze drying time of ginger juice was shortened after process optimization; the compositions basically remained unchanged after freeze drying， and there was no significant changes in the total phenol content and gingerol content， but the volatile oil content was significantly decreased(P<0.05). Within 30 days， the contents of gingerol， total phenol， and volatile oil were on the decline as a whole. This study has preliminarily proved the feasibility of freeze-drying process of ginger juice as an adjuvant for Chinese medicine processing.

Liver stiffness measurements with supersonic shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of biliary atresia: a comparative study with grey-scale US.

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively assess the diagnostic performance of supersonic shear wave elastography (SSWE) in identifying biliary atresia (BA) among infants with conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia by comparing this approach with grey-scale ultrasonography (US). METHODS: Forty infants were analysed as the control group to determine normal liver stiffness values. The use of SSWE values for identifying BA was investigated in 172 infants suspected of having BA, and results were compared with the results obtained by grey-scale US. The Mann-Whitney U test, unpaired t-test, Spearman correlation and linear regression were also performed. RESULTS: The success rates of SSWE measurements in the control and study group were 100% (40/40) and 96.4% (244/253), respectively. Age, direct bilirubin, and indirect bilirubin all significantly correlated with SSWE in the liver (all P < 0.001). Linear regression showed that age had a greater effect on SSWE values than direct or indirect bilirubin. The diagnostic performance of liver stiffness values in identifying BA was lower than that of grey-scale US (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.790 vs 0.893, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SSWE is feasible and valuable in differentiating BA from non-BA. However, its diagnostic performance does not exceed that of grey-scale US. KEY POINTS: • SSWE could be successfully performed in an infant population. • For infants, the liver stiffness will increase as age increases. • SSWE is potentially useful in assessing infants suspected of biliary atresia. • SSWE is inferior to grey-scale US in identifying biliary atresia.

The impact of anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) on ultrafiltration efficiency in flocculation-ultrafiltration process.

With the purpose of improving the ultrafiltration (UF) efficiency, anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) has been used as a coagulant aid in the flocculation-UF process. In this study, the impact of APAM on UF efficiency has been investigated with regard to membrane fouling, membrane cleaning and effluent quality. The results indicated that the optimal dosage of APAM had positive impacts on membrane fouling control, membrane cleaning and effluent quality. According to the flux decline curve, scanning electron microscopy and contact angle characterization, the optimal dosage of APAM was determined to be 0.1 mg/L coupled with 2 mg/L (as Al3+) poly-aluminium chloride. Under this optimal condition, membrane fouling can be mitigated because of the formation of a porous and hydrophilic fouling layer. APAM in the fouling layer can improve the chemical cleaning efficiency of 0.5% NaOH due to the disintegration of the fouling layer when APAM is dissolved under strong alkaline conditions. Furthermore, with the addition of APAM in the flocculation-UF process, more active adsorption sites can be formed in the flocs as well as the membrane fouling layer, thus more antipyrine molecules in the raw water can be adsorbed and removed in the flocculation-UF process.

[Status and suggestions for adjuvant standard for Chinese materia medica processing in China].

In this paper, the status of adjuvant standard for Chinese materia medica processing in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 edition, the National Specification of Chinese Materia Medica Processing, and the 29 provincial specification of Chinese materia medica was summarized, and the the status including general requirements, specific requirements, and quality standard in the three grade official specifications was collected and analyzed according to the "medicine-adjuvant homology" and "food-adjuvant homology" features of adjuvants. This paper also introduced the research situation of adjuvant standard for Chinese materia medica processing in China; In addition, analyzed and discussed the problems existing in the standard system of adjuvant for Chinese materia medica processing, such as lack of general requirements, low level of standard, inconsistent standard references, and lack of research on the standard, and provided suggestions for the further establishment of the national standards system of adjuvant for Chinese materia medica processing.

Elastography of shear wave speed imaging for the evaluation of liver fibrosis: A meta-analysis.

AIM: A meta-analysis was carried out to assess the accuracies of shear wave speed imaging (SWSI) in predicting significant fibrosis (stages F2-4) and cirrhosis (stage F4). METHODS: A review was performed of relevant studies published until October 2015. A bivariate binomial model was used to combine the sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (AUC), and 95% confidence intervals were derived to indicate the diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities. RESULTS: In total, 10 studies with 2182 patients were included in the analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, and AUC (with 95% confidence intervals) of SWSI were: 0.84 (0.81-0.87), 0.83 (0.77-0.88), and 0.88 (0.85-0.90) for significant fibrosis, respectively; and 0.80 (0.66-0.89), 0.93 (0.88-0.96), and 0.95 (0.92-0.96) for cirrhosis, respectively. When SWSI was compared with well-evaluated transient elastography, the AUCs for the prediction of significant fibrosis were 0.93 and 0.86, respectively. The AUCs for the prediction of cirrhosis were both 0.94. CONCLUSION: Shear wave speed imaging is a trustworthy tool for staging hepatic fibrosis, with a high combination of sensitivity and specificity. Compared with transient elastography, SWSI showed better diagnostic performance for the prediction of significant fibrosis.

[Study on Chemical Constituents of Strychnos nux-vomica].

Objective: To isolate and identify the chemical constituents from the seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica. Methods: Chromatographic separation techniques such as silica gel chromatography,ODS chromatography and Sephadex LH-20 chromatography were used for the isolation and purification. The structures of the chemical constituents were identified on the basis of mass spectrometry,NMR spectroscopy and so on. Results: 16 compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as: α-amyrin( 1), vomicine( 2), stearic acid( 3), ß-sitosterol( 4),vanillin( 5), ethyl gallate( 6),methyl gallate( 7),novacine( 8),strychnine( 9), daucosterol( 10),brucine chloromethochloride( 11),loganic acid( 12),strychnine chloromethochloride( 13),brucine( 14),geniposide( 15) and loganin( 16). Conclusion: Compounds 3,6,7 and 15 are isolated from this genus for the first time.

Optimizing the US Diagnosis of Biliary Atresia with a Modified Triangular Cord Thickness and Gallbladder Classification.

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasonography (US) in the identification and exclusion of biliary atresia with a modified triangular cord thickness metric together with a gallbladder classification scheme, as well as hepatic artery (HA) diameter and liver and spleen size, in a large sample of jaundiced infants. Materials and Methods The ethics committee approved this study, and written informed parental consent was obtained. In 273 infants with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin level ≥ 31.2 µmol/L, with direct bilirubin level > indirect bilirubin level), detailed abdominal US was performed to exclude biliary atresia. Biliary atresia was found in 129 infants and ruled out in 144. A modified triangular cord thickness was measured at the anterior branch of the right portal vein, and a gallbladder classification scheme was identified that incorporated the appearance of the gallbladder and a gallbladder length-to-width ratio of up to 5.2 when the lumen was visualized, as well as HA diameter and liver and spleen size. Reference standard diagnosis was based on results of one or more of the following: surgery, liver biopsy, cholangiography, and clinical follow-up. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis, binary logistic regression analysis, Fisher exact test, and unpaired t test were performed. Results Triangular cord thickness, HA diameter, ratio of gallbladder length to gallbladder width, liver size, and spleen size exhibited statistically significant differences (all P < .05) between the group with biliary atresia and the group without. AUCs of triangular cord thickness, ratio of gallbladder length to width, and HA diameter were 0.952, 0.844, and 0.838, respectively. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that these three US parameters were significantly associated (all P < .05) with biliary atresia. The combination of triangular cord thickness and gallbladder classification could yield comparable AUCs (0.915 vs 0.933, P = .400) and a higher sensitivity (96.9% vs 92.2%), compared with triangular cord thickness alone. Conclusion By using the combination of modified triangular cord thickness and gallbladder classification scheme, most infants with biliary atresia could be identified. (©) RSNA, 2015.

[Preparation and evaluation of Shedan in situ forming gel based on ocular characteristics].

To develop an ophthalmic preparation of Shedan, an in situ forming gel was prepared with the formulation containing 18% of poloxamer 407 and 5% of poloxamer 188 by response surface designs plus central composite designs. The rheology results showed that LVE range gamma should limited within 0.5%, Shedan high-frequency region, and the thixotropy recovery time is less than 5 seconds. The phase transition temperature was 33.25 °C according to curve of storage modulus and loss modulus determined by temperature scanning. Surface tension and osmometer of it determined by surface tension meter and dew point osmometer were 36.43 mN · m(-1), and 320.6 mOsm · kg(-1), respectively. Fluorescein sodium was selected as the marker to monitor the corneal residence time, and the results showed that Shedan gel could prolong drug residence for 180 min. In line with zero-order kinetics, releases of muscone and salvianolic acid B in vitro depends on gels erosion. The results of rabbit ocular irritation experiments suggested that Shedan in situ forming gel was biocompatible and nonirritant. In conclusion, a novel Shedan in situ forming gel was developed and characterized for potential drug treatment of retinal vein occlusion.

Geometric definition of the V-parameter in photonic crystal fibers.

We propose a general geometric definition of the V-parameter in photonic crystal fibers (PCF). We argue that the fundamental modal field in both square-lattice and triangular-lattice PCFs can be approached by certain proper assemblies of the fundamental mode in a one-dimensional planar waveguide. This observation suggests a geometric definition of the effective core radius and the single-mode regime of V≤π/2 in various PCFs. The numerical results imply that the suggestion is valid for all of the one-rod, seven-rod, 19-rod, and 37-rod core triangular-lattice PCFs and the one-rod, nine-rod, and 25-rod core square-lattice PCFs.

Phosphorus fertiliser application mitigates the negative effects of microplastic on soil microbes and rice growth.

Soil microplastics (MPs) have attracted widespread attention recently. Most studies have explored how soil MPs affect the soil's physicochemical parameters, matter circulation, and soil microbial community assembly. Similarly, a key concern in agricultural development has been the use of phosphorus (P) fertiliser, which is essential for plant health and development. However, the relationship between MPs and phosphate fertilisers and their effects on the soil environment and plant growth remains elusive. This study assessed the influence of adding low-density polyethylene MPs (1%) with different phosphate fertiliser application rates on microbial communities and rice biomass. Our results showed that MPs changed the structure of soil bacterial and phoD-harbouring microbial communities in the treatment with P fertiliser at the same level and suppressed the interactions of phoD-harbouring microorganisms. In addition, we found that MPs contamination inhibited rice growth; however, the inclusion of P fertiliser in MP-contaminated soils reduced the inhibitory action of MPs on rice growth, probably because the presence with P fertiliser promoted the uptake of NO3--N by rice in MP-contaminated soils. Our results provide further insights into guiding agricultural production, improving agricultural management, and rationally applying phosphate fertilisers in the context of widespread MPs pollution and global P resource constraints.

[Analysis of the Jumping Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Ozone Pollution in Beijing].

Based on environmental monitoring data and meteorological observation data from 2016 to 2022 in Beijing, combined with backward trajectory clustering and potential source area contribution analysis, the characteristics, meteorological impacts, and potential source areas of ozone (O3) pollution were analyzed. The results showed that there was a total of 41 O3 pollution processes with jumping characteristics in Beijing from 2016 to 2022, with an average of 5.9 times a year. The occurrence time was concentrated in May to July, and the day of the jump (OJD2) was higher than the day before the jump (OJD1). The average value of ρ(O3-8h) was 78.3% higher, and the peak concentration was 78.9% higher. The high O3 concentration zone in the OJD2 region exhibited a characteristic of advancing from south to north. The main reasons for the occurrence of jumped O3 pollution in Beijing could be summarized as local accumulation caused by unfavorable meteorological conditions and regional transmission impact. The occurrence of jump-type ozone pollution was characterized by an increase in southerly wind frequency, temperature rise, pressure decrease, and precipitation decrease. The increase in southerly wind frequency provided conditions for the transport of O3 and its precursors, and rapid photochemical reactions occurred under local high temperatures, with less superimposed precipitation, comprehensively pushing up the ozone concentration level of OJD2. Six air mass transporting pathways were identified through clustering analysis; the air mass from the direction north of OJD2 decreased by 11.2%, whereas the air mass from the south and east directions increased by 6.7% and 4.4%, respectively, with the air masses mainly transmitting over short distances. The ozone concentration corresponding to the south and east directions was relatively high, making a significant contribution to Beijing's pollution. The analysis of potential source areas revealed that the main potential source areas of OJD2 ozone pollution were the central, southern, and eastern parts of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, which contributed 82.6% to the pollution trajectory. There was a significant contribution of regional transport during jump-type ozone pollution, and it is necessary to strengthen joint prevention and control in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region.

[Water-soluble Inorganic Ion Content of PM2.5 and Its Change Characteristics in Urban Area of Beijing in 2022].

To explore the content and variation characteristics of water-soluble ions of atmospheric fine particles (PM2.5) in a Beijing urban area and put forward the pollution prevention and control scheme, the water-soluble ions, gaseous precursors (SO2, NO2), and meteorological factors (temperature, RH) of PM2.5 in 2022 were analyzed and determined. The results showed that the water-soluble ions with the highest proportion in PM2.5 in the Beijing City urban area were NO3-, NH4+, and SO42-, accounting for 52.7% of PM2.5. The mass concentrations of PM2.5 and SNA were lower than the historical results, whereas the proportion of SNA, SOR, and NOR was higher than the historical results. This showed that the fine particulate matter pollution in Beijing has been significantly improved, but it still has strong secondary pollution characteristics. NO3-/SO42-(2.2) was higher than those of historical and nearby provinces and cities, reflecting the expanding influence of mobile sources. In terms of seasonal variation, PM2.5 showed the characteristic of high in autumn and low in summer. The proportion of NO3- was the highest in autumn, spring, and winter; the proportion of SO42- was the highest in summer; and the proportion of NH4+ changed little in each season. The seasonal variation rules of NOR and SOR were almost opposite, which reflected the difference in transformation factors between NOR and SOR. The main forms of SNA in the Beijing urban area were NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4. The neutralization degree of cations and anions was the highest in winter, the cation NH4+ was slightly insufficient in summer, and NH4+ was in excess in spring and autumn. The Beijing urban area was an ammonia-rich environment. In terms of pollution level, RH, particulate matter moisture, and water-soluble ions mass concentration all increased with the increase in pollution level, and SNA increased fastest, with its proportion in PM2.5 increasing first and then stabilizing, whereas the contribution rate of other water-soluble ions decreased gradually. In terms of spatial distribution, the mass concentration relationship of SNA at the central urban area and suburbs was NO3- > SO42- > NH4+, which reflected the pollution characteristics dominated by NO3-. The highest contribution rate of SNA to PM2.5 occurred in the eastern region, the central urban area, and the transmission point, indicating that the secondary reaction was relatively active in the central urban area and the eastern region, and the regional transport was also an important source of secondary ions.

3-year clinical outcomes of A Singapore VenaSeal™ real world post-market evaluation Study (ASVS) for varicose vein ablation.

INTRODUCTION: Medium-term clinical outcome data are lacking for cyanoacrylate glue (CAG) ablation for symptomatic varicose veins, especially from the Asian population. OBJECTIVES: Aim was to determine the 3-year symptomatic relief gained from using the VenaSeal™ device to close refluxing truncal veins from the Singaporean ASVS prospective registry. METHODS: The revised Venous Clinical Severity Score (rVCSS) and three quality of life (QoL) questionnaires were completed to assess clinical improvement in venous disease symptoms along with a dedicated patient satisfaction survey. 70 patients (107 limbs; 40 females; mean age of 60.9 ± 13.6 years) were included at 3 years. RESULTS: At 3 years, rVCSS showed sustained improvement from baseline (5.00 to 0.00; p < 0.001) and 51/70 (72.9%) had improvement by at least 2 or more CEAP categories. Freedom from reintervention was 90% and 85.7% patients were extremely satisfied with the treatment outcome. No further reports of further hypersensitivity reactions after one year. CONCLUSION: The 3-year follow-up results of the ASVS registry demonstrated continued and sustained clinical efficacy with few reinterventions following CAG embolization in Asian patients with chronic venous insufficiency. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Registration: NCT03893201.

[Characteristics and Source Apportionment of VOCs Initial Mixing Ratio in Beijing During Summer].

To clarify the characteristics and source apportionment of the VOCs initial mixing ratio in Beijing in summer, continuous monitoring of VOCs was conducted in the Beijing urban area from May to August 2022, and the initial mixing ratio was calculated using the photochemical ratio method. The results showed that:① during the study period, initial φ(TVOCs) in the Beijing urban area were (30.0 ±11.5)×10-9, in which the proportion of VOCs and alkanes containing oxygen reached 34.2% and 33.2%, respectively. The species with high volume fractions were low carbon substances such as acetone, ethane, acetaldehyde, and propane. ② The initial TVOCs mixing ratio in Beijing showed a slightly unimodal trend, reaching the peak at 11:00 and slightly decreasing in the afternoon. ③ Isoprene, acetaldehyde, n-butanal, and ethylene were the major contributors to the generation of O3, whereas toluene, isoprene, m-paraxylene, and ethylbenzene were the major contributors to the generation of secondary organic aerosols. ④ Based on the initial mixing ratio of PMF analysis, it was found that aging background and secondary sources (30%) contributed the most to VOCs in Beijing, and motor vehicle sources (25%) were the main primary human sources. In addition, solvent and fuel volatile sources contributed 16%, combustion sources contributed 11%, industrial process sources contributed 9%, and natural sources contributed 9%. ⑤ The anthropogenic sources of Beijing were mainly from the eastern and southern regions, whereas the natural sources were from the western and northwestern regions. This research showed that vehicle emissions should be further reduced, and regional joint prevention and control to reduce VOCs in the whole region is an effective means to control VOCs in Beijing.

Thermally induced mode distortion and its limit to power scaling of fiber lasers.

A general model is proposed to describe thermal-induced mode distortion in the step-index fiber (SIF) high power lasers. Two normalized parameters in the model are able to determine the mode characteristic in the heated SIFs completely. Shrinking of the mode fields and excitation of the high-order modes by the thermal-optic effect are investigated. A simplified power amplification model is used to describe the output power redistribution under various guiding modes. The results suggest that fiber with large mode area is more sensitive on the thermally induced mode distortion and hence is disadvantaged in keeping the beam quality in high power operation. The model is further applied to improve the power scaling analysis of Yb-doped fiber lasers. Here the thermal effect is considered to couple with the optical damage and the stimulated Raman scattering dynamically, whereas direct constraint from the thermal lens is relaxed. The resulting maximal output power is from 67kW to 97kW, depending on power fraction of the fundamental mode.

[Clinical features of neuromyelitis optica and the distribution of Chinese medical syndrome types: a case report of 63 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patients, and to study the distribution of Chinese medical syndrome types and the pathogenesis of NMO. METHODS: The clinical features, figures of tongue and pulse, Chinese medical syndromes were comprehensively analyzed in 63 NMO patients using statistical methods for clinical data. RESULTS: The age ratio of male to female in 63 NMO patients was 1: 6.88. Their average age of first onset was 31.67 +/- 12.44 years old, and 28. 57% of patients had obvious inducing factor. Urgent onset with relieved recurrence were often seen, with the average recurrence times of 4.60. Most patients complained about sensation disorders, vision disorders, and movement disorders as their first attack and visit. The Chinese medical syndrome types included Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome and phlegm-heat collateral stagnation syndrome, mainly involved Gan and Shen. Gan-Shen yin deficiency, sputum, blood stasis, and heat were most often seen syndrome elements. CONCLUSIONS: Gan-Shen yin deficiency was dominated in the deficiency in origin of NMO. Phlegm, blood stasis, mingled heat were main dominant evils. Of them, the pathogenesis of Gan-Shen yin deficiency and phlegm-heat collateral stagnation had universality and representativeness, which could be verified from patients' tongue picture and pulse picture.