[Primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma with Sjögren's syndrome and positive cerebrospinal fluid Epstein-Barr virus: a case report and literature review].

The study presents an analysis of the diagnostic and treatment protocol for a patient with a first episode of nasopharyngeal carcinoma who also has Sjogren's syndrome and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) positive cerebrospinal fluid, as detected through metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). It reviews existing literature to examine the connections between EBV and various conditions including Sjogren's syndrome, encephalitis or meningitis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, emphasizing the importance of EBV positive cerebrospinal fluid. The study focuses on a case from the Eighth Medical Center of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, where a patient was admitted with headaches as the primary symptom on March 3, 2021. This patient had a history of Sjogren's syndrome and was later diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The research involved reviewing both domestic and international databases for cases related to cerebrospinal fluid EBV positive encephalitis or meningitis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. It aimed to aggregate data on demographics, initial symptoms, treatment methods, and patient outcomes. Findings suggest that positive cerebrospinal fluid EBV is linked to autoimmune diseases, viral encephalitis or meningitis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, albeit infrequently in the context of Sjogren's syndrome. Notably, EBV positive cerebrospinal fluid is commonly associated with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma rather than initial episodes. The study concludes that for patients with an immune condition, exhibiting symptoms like headaches or cranial nerve issues, or in cases where nasopharyngeal carcinoma is suspected, early testing through cerebrospinal fluid mNGS or EBV DNA is recommended. This approach facilitates risk assessment, prognosis determination, and the creation of individualized treatment plans.

[Effects of insulin glargine at different times on organ oxidative stress in burned rats with delayed resuscitation].

Objective: To examine the antioxidant effect of low dosage insulin glargine intervention at different time in rats with delayed resuscitation after burn, in order to acquire a better time of antioxidant intervention during delayed resuscitation following burn injury. Methods: With 10 rats in each group, 50 male SD rats were assigned to sham injury group, delayed resuscitation group, immediate post-burn insulin glargine treatment group (immediate treatment group), 2 hours post-burn insulin glargine treatment group(2 h treatment group), and 6 hours post-burn insulin treatment group(6 h treatment group) with random number table. Each treatment group received subcutaneous injections of insulin glargine (1.0 U·kg-1·d-1) immediately, two hours and six hours after the burn, while the delayed resuscitation group received the same amount of normal saline six hours after the burn. To imitate delayed fluid resuscitation, the delayed resuscitation group and each therapy group were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline (40 ml/kg) 6 hours after injury. No medicine and fluid resuscitation was administered to the sham injury group. Rats in the sham injury group had their abdominal aortic blood, hearts, and kidney tissues collected immediately after injury, while rats in the other groups had their blood and tissues collected 24 hours later. To analyze the timing of antioxidant intervention, the activities of CuZn-superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), xanthine oxidase (XOD) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in blood glucose and myocardial and renal tissues were measured by spectrophotometry. Results: Compared with the sham group, blood glucose levels in the delayed resuscitation group increased [(10.72±0.80) vs (6.57±0.82)mmol/L,P<0.001], while in the myocardium and kidney, the activities of CuZn-SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and T-AOC decreased (all P<0.05) and the activities of XOD and MPO increased (all P<0.05). Compared with the delayed resuscitation group, blood glucose decreased in the immediate, 2 h, and 6 h treatment groups (all P<0.05). In the immediate and 2 h treatment group, the activities of CuZn-SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and T-AOC in the myocardium and kidney increased(all P<0.05). In the 6 h treatment group, only the activities of GSH-Px in myocardium, CAT and GSH-Px in kidney increased (all P<0.05). Compared with the delayed resuscitation group, in the immediate treatment group, the activities of MPO and XOD in myocardial tissue and XOD in renal tissue decreased (all P<0.05). The activities of MPO and XOD in myocardial and renal tissues of the 2 h treatment group both decreased (all P<0.05). In the 6 h treatment group, the activities of MPO in myocardial tissue and XOD in renal tissue both decreased (all P<0.05). Compared with the immediate treatment group, the activity of GSH-Px in myocardial tissue increased (P<0.05), and the activities of CuZn-SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and T-AOC in renal tissue increased in the 2 h treatment group (all P<0.05). The activities of CuZn-SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and T-AOC in myocardium of 6 h treatment group decreased (all P<0.05). Compared with the immediate treatment group, the activities of XOD and MPO in myocardial tissue and XOD in renal tissue of the 2 h treatment group had no significant difference (all P>0.05), but the activity of MPO in renal tissue decreased (P<0.05). The activities of XOD and MPO in myocardial tissue of the 6 h treatment group increased (all P<0.05). Compared with the 2 h treatment group, the activities of CuZn-SOD, CAT and GSH-Px and T-AOC in myocardium and kidney tissues in the 6 h treatment group decreased (all P<0.05), while the activities of XOD and MPO in myocardium and kidney tissues increased [myocardium: (374±8) vs (290±19) U/g, (0.021 8±0.003 9) vs (0.010 7±0.002 4) U/g, kidney: (157±6) vs (128±9) U/g, (0.026 8±0.004 3) vs (0.013 4±0.003 1) U/g, all P<0.05]. Conclusions: The timing of the intervention is related to the antioxidant effect of insulin glargine during delayed burn resuscitation. The intervention immediately and 2 hours after burn could have a better antioxidant effect compared to the intervention at 6 hours after burn.

Survival impact of postoperative radiotherapy in patients with olfactory neuroblastoma: 513 cases from the SEER database.

PUPOSE: To evaluate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) on survival in olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) patients with different tumor staging. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with ONB were selected in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 2004-2016. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier (K-M) method, Cox regression analysis, and competing risk model. RESULTS: A total of 513 patients were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate analysis results demonstrated that PORT was not an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) of modified Kadish stage A and B patients (P=0.699 and P=0.248, respectively). Kadish stage C and D patients who underwent PORT had significantly better OS than those who did not undergo PORT (P=0.03 and P<0.0001). K-M curves revealed that the 5- and 10-year OS rates of patients who underwent PORT vs. non-PORT were 85.3% vs. 70.4% and 68.2% vs. 56.8% in stage C patients, respectively. For stage D patients, the 5-year OS rates were 70.7% and 42.6%, and 10-year OS rates were 53.4% and 29.5% in the PORT and non-PORT groups, respectively. The competitive risk model revealed that the 5-year cancer-specific cumulative mortality incidence decreased by 26.6% while the 10-year mortality incidence decreased by 41.4% in Kadish stage C patients who were treated using PORT; meanwhile, for Kadish stage D patients who were treated with PORT, the 5- and 10-year mortality incidences were reduced by 35.3% and 42.6%, respectively. Furthermore, we found that chemotherapy was not related to the prognosis of ONB patients (all P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that PORT improved survival outcomes of modified Kadish stage C and D ONB patients. However, PORT may not affect survival for modified Kadish stage A and B individuals. Chemotherapy was not recommended for ONB; therefore, further studies are warranted to determine its therapeutic significance.

[Assessment of heart's changes of elite Chinese male weightlifter by speckle tracking echocardiography].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes of heart structure and function in elite Chinese weightlifters by spot tracking technique. METHODS: Chinese elite male weightlifters (weightlifter group, n=16) and age-matched healthy men (control group, n=16) were included as subjects. Transthoracic echocardiography and speckle-tracking automatic functional imaging were used for two-dimensional myocardial strain measurements. RESULTS: The thickness of septum and left ventricular (LV) posterior wall and the myocardial mass index of LV were all higher than those of the control group [(9.3±1.3) mm vs. (8.0±0.4) mm, (9.2±0.8) mm vs. (8.0±0.8) mm, (77.8±12.8) g/m2 vs. (67.8±11.2) g/m2, all P < 0.05]. Although the LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and global long axis strain value (LVGLS) were not significantly different from those in the control group, the LV mean Sm and Em reflecting the systolic and diastolic functions of the LV were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Further myocardial strain analysis showed that the absolute value of the long axial strain of the basal anteroseptal and mid-inferoseptal segments of the weightlifters were significantly lower than those of the control group [|(-15.1±4.2)%|vs.|(-18.7±3.0)%|, |(-18.8±2.6)%|vs.|(-21.3±2.8)%|, all P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in other segments. The athletes were divided into two groups according to their best performance in the National Youth Games. The athletes were divided into two sub-groups according to their performance in the National Youth Games. The thickness of the septum in the sub-group with better performance (who ranked the 1st to 8th) was larger [(10.2±1.1) mm vs. (8.5±1.0) mm, P < 0.05], and the absolute value of the long-axis strain in the mid-inferoseptal segment was lower [|(-17.1±2.1)%|vs.|(-20.4±2.1)%|, P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: The thickening of septum is more obvious in the excellent weightlifters, accompanied by the decrease of myocardial systolic function. The speckle-tracking technique of echocardiography can identify the changes of the heart structure and function of elite athletes at an early stage, which may provide a basis for sports medicine supervision and the selection of excellent talents.

[Left ventricular function and remodeling assessed by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in Chinese weightlifter athletes].

Objectives: To explore the impact of strength sport on heart structure by echocardiography (ECHO) and cardiac resonance imaging (CMR). Methods: This is a case control study. A total of 14 male weightlifter athletes who underwent physical examination in Peking University Third Hospital from January 16, 2019 to November 1, 2019 were included in this study. Fourteen age-matched healthy Chinese men served as the control group. ECHO and CMR were used to detect the heart structure and function of the participants. Results: The age of athlete group was (21±3) years, and the training time was (9±4) years. The weekly exercise time of athlete group was more than 15 hours, while that of control group was less than 3 hours. ECHO-derived interventricular septal (IVS) thickness value ((9.3±1.3) mm vs. (8.1±0.5) mm, P=0.006) and CMR-derived IVS value ((11.0±1.5) mm vs. (10.0±0.5) mm, P=0.003) was both significantly higher in the athlete group than in the control group. For the athlete group, the indicators of left ventricular volume measured by ECHO (left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), left ventricular end systolic volume, left ventricular end systolic volume index) and IVS thickness were significantly lower than those measured by CMR (all P<0.05). Left ventricular ejection fraction ((67.0±3.8)% vs. (59.0±3.9)%, P<0.001) and left ventricular global longitudinal strain ((19.3±2.9)% vs. (11.2±1.2)%, P<0.001) values measured by ECHO were significantly higher than those measured by CMR. There was no significant difference in the proportion of subjects with the left ventricular end diastolic diameter, LVEDV and LVEDVI above the upper limit of normal as measured by ECHOs and CMR (all P>0.05). IVS values measured by ECHO were all within the normal range, and CMR showed that 9 (9/14) weightlifter athletes had IVS>11 mm with a maximum thickness of 13.8 mm, which occurred in the inferoseptum. Conclusion: Weightlifter sport could result in thickening of the left ventricular inferoseptum, and CMR is superior to ECHO in detecting the thickening of the left ventricular wall, which serves as a helpful tool for sports medicine supervision.

[Correlation between the expression profile of cytokeratin 19/glypican 3 and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after interventional therapy].

Objective: To observe the correlation between the expressions profile of cytokeratin 19/glypican 3 (CK19/GPC3) and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after interventional therapy. Methods: Clinical and pathological information of 251 eligible cases with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent interventional therapy in You'an Hospital from November 2007 to May 2016 were retrospectively collected. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the relevant risk factors that may affect their prognosis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to draw the survival curve. Log-rank test was used to compare the difference in survival rates between the groups. Results: Kaplan-Meier univariate analysis showed that histological grade, CK19/GPC3 expression profile, alpha-fetoprotein level and Hep Parl were closely related to tumor recurrence. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed CK19/GPC3 expression profile (HR = 1.634, 95%CI: 1.041 ~ 2.564, P = 0.033), histological grade (HR = 1.445, 95%CI: 1.037 ~ 2.014, P = 0.030), alpha-fetoprotein level (HR = 1.410, 95%CI: 1.042 ~ 1.908, P = 0.026), Hep Parl (HR = 0.570, 95%CI: 0.349 ~ 0.930, P = 0.025) were the four independent factors for prediction of recurrence after interventional therapy. Conclusion: Hepatocellular carcinoma patients with CK19(+)/GPC3(+) and CK19(-)/GPC3(+) phenotypes who meet the Milan criteria have a higher risk of recurrence after interventional therapy than CK19(-)/GPC3(-) phenotypes.

[LncRNA HULC promots HCC growth by downregulating miR-29].

Objective: To explore the effects of lncRNA HULC on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth by down-regulating miR-29. Methods: The expression levels of HULC and miR-29 in HCC tissues and cells were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and the correlation analysis was performed. After HCC cells were transfected with HULC overexpressed plasmid or siRNA, the expressions of miR-29 and its target gene SETDB1 were determinate by RT-qPCR. According to the bioinformatic prediction of the miR-29 binding site in the HULC sequence, the report gene plasmids were constructed. The HCC cells were co-transfected with miR-29 mimics or miR-29 inhibitor, and the HULC targeted regulation of miR-29 was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. The effect of miR-29 on the HULC-mediated proliferation in HCC cells was detected by cell count kit 8 (CCK-8) experiment. Expression of tumor proliferation antigen Ki-67 was detected by RT-qPCR.The Hep3B cells were inoculated in mice and miR-29 mimics and miR-29 negative control (NC) further injected into the lesions. The tumor volume was observed, and the expressions of tumor proliferation antigen ki-67 in tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Results: The expression of HULC was significantly up-regulated while the expression of miR-29 was significantly down-regulated in HCC tissues and cells (P<0.01). The level of HULC was negatively correlated with miR-29 in tumor tissues (r=-0.754, P<0.01) and HCC cells (r=-0.865, P<0.05). The in vitro experiments showed that, compared with the blank control group, the expression of miR-29 in HULC overexpressed Huh7 cells was significantly reduced, while the mRNA level of miR-29 target gene SETDB1 was increased (P<0.01). The expression of miR-29 was significantly increased in HULC deleted Hep3B cells, while the mRNA expression of SETDB1 was decreased (P<0.01). Double luciferase reporter gene assay showed that miR-29 mimics significantly inhibited the luciferase activity of Hep3B cells transfected with HULC wide type (psi-HULC-WT) plasmid but had no effect on Hep3B cells transfected with mutant plasmid (psi-HULC-Mut). However, the miR-29 inhibitor antagonized the inhibitory effect of miR-29 mimics on luciferase activity of psi-HULC-WT (P<0.01). Cell proliferation experiments showed that, compared with the control group, the proliferation ability of miR-29 mimics overexpressed Huh7 cells was significantly reduced.After 24, 48 and 72 hours of treatment, the proliferation rates of Huh7 cells in the HULC overexpressed group were (43.87±3.82)%, (83.45±7.46)% and (123.34±8.67)%, respectively, significantly higher than (13.45±1.77)%, (23.54±1.37)% and (38.21±2.09)% of control group (P<0.05). After treatment for 48 and 72 hours, the proliferation rates of miR-29 mimics transfected Huh7 cells were (57.10±1.94)% and (73.76±3.46)%, respectively, significantly lower than (83.45±7.46)% and (123.34±8.67)% of control group (P<0.05). After treatment for 48 and 72 hours, the proliferation rates of Huh7 cells transfected with miR-29 mimics and miR-29 inhibitor group were (76.45±3.24)% and (89.37±4.37)%, respectively, significant higher than (57.10%±1.94)% and (73.76±3.46)% of the control group (P<0.05). After 48 h transfection, the expression of Ki-67 in Huh7 transfected with miR-29 mimics was significantly inhibited compared with the control group (P<0.01). However, the expression of Ki-67 mRNA was increased in Huh7 cells transfected with miR-29 inhibitor (P<0.01). The results of in vivo experiments showed that the tumor volumes of the control group, miR-29 mimics group and miR-29 mimics + miR-29 inhibitors group were (504.0±19.6) mm(3), (310.0±24.3) mm(3) and (483.7±21.2) mm(3), respectively. Injection of miR-29 mimics reduced while miR-29 inhibitor promoted tumorigenesis ability of Huh7 in nude mice (P<0.01). The immunohistochemical staining showed that the average optical density values of Ki-67 protein in tumor tissues of the control group, miR-29 mimics group and miR-29 analogue+ miR-29 inhibitor group were 0.65±0.08, 0.36±0.07 and 0.56±0.06, respectively. The expression level of Ki-67 protein in miR-29 mimics group was significantly reduced (P<0.01) while increased in the miR-29 mimics+ miR-29 inhibitor group (P<0.01). Conclusion: LncRNA HULC promotes HCC growth by down-regulating miR-29.

[Analysis of chyle leakage after central lymph node dissection for thyroid carcinoma].

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of chyle leakage after central lymph node dissection for thyroid cancer. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of 985 patients who underwent surgical for thyroid carcinoma plus central lymph node dissection from January 2017 to June 2018 in Renji Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Shanghai Jiaotong University. Patients were divided into those without (group A, n=973) and with (group B, n=12) chyle leakage. Patients with chyle leakage who underwent left central lymph node dissection were divided into group B1 (n=5) and right central lymph node dissection into group B2 (n=7). Patients with chyle leakage were treated with fat-free diet and negative pressure drainage. SPSS 20.0 software was used to analyze the general condition, surgical pathology, postoperative drainage, hospitalization days, treatment and prognosis of patients in B1 and B2 groups. Results: The incidence of chyle leakage after central lymph node dissection for thyroid cancer was 1.2% (12/985). There were no significant differences in age, sex, size of primary lesion, number of lymph node dissection in central area and number of lymph node metastasis in central area between group A and group B (all P>0.05). The drainage volume on the first day after operation [((51.7±26.7)) ml] and the average hospitalization days [(3.4±0.8) d] in group A were significantly lower than those in group B ([131.3±56.0)]ml, [10.4±2.6)]d). The differences were statistically significant (t value was -5.442, -11.238, respectively, both P<0.001). There were no significant differences in age, size of primary lesion, number of lymph node dissection, number of lymph node metastasis, drainage volume on the first day after operation and average hospitalization days between group B1 and group B2 (all P>0.05). All chyle leakages in group B stopped after conservative management without surgical intervention. Conclusion: The occurrence of chyle leakage after central lymph node dissection is a rare complication. It can be cured by conservative treatment such as diet control, pressure bandaging and negative pressure drainage, and generally does not require secondary surgery.

Activation of the NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes in a mouse model of Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Schistosomiasis is an inflammatory disease that occurs when schistosome species eggs are deposited in the liver, resulting in fibrosis and portal hypertension. Schistosomes can interact with host inflammasomes to elicit host immune responses, leading to mitochondrial damage, generation of high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of apoptosis during inflammation. This study aims to examine whether ROS and NF-κB (p65) expression elicited other types of inflammasome activation in Schistosoma mansoni-infected mouse livers. We examine the relationship between inflammasome activation, mitochondrial damage and ROS production in mouse livers infected with S. mansoni. We demonstrate a significant release of ROS and superoxides and increased NF-κB (p65) in S. mansoni-infected mouse livers. Moreover, activation of the NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes was triggered by S. mansoni infection. Stimulation of HuH-7 hepatocellular carcinoma cells with soluble egg antigen induced activation of the AIM2 inflammasome pathway. In this study, we demonstrate that S. mansoni infection promotes both NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation.

A binary concrete crack self-healing system containing oxygen-releasing tablet and bacteria and its Ca2+-precipitation performance.

A strategy to supply molecular oxygen for microbial calcium precipitation was developed for the first time. Firstly, a controlled oxygen-releasing tablet (ORT) containing CaO2 and lactic acid with a suitable ratio of 9:1 was developed. It can provide a stable oxygen supply and maintain pH in the range of 9.5-11.0 for 45 days while contacting with water. In the presence of oxygen, a self-healing bacterium H4 spores germinated more effectively and maintained high metabolic activity. Furthermore, H4 vegetative cells induced 50 % more calcium precipitation than that obtained without oxygen supply. Finally, a binary self-healing system containing bacterial spores and ORT was established. The calcium precipitation experiments showed that H4 in the binary self-healing system precipitated 27.5 mM calcium with oxygen supply after 32 days and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of the solution decreased from 15 to 4 mg l-1, while only 6.9 mM calcium precipitation was obtained without oxygen supply. This work can disclose the effect of oxygen on microbial calcium precipitation and further lay a foundation for the establishment of ternary self-healing system containing bacteria, ORT, and nutrients, which will be promising for the self-healing of cracks deep inside the concrete structure.

[Research for intraoperative localization of parathyroid gland usingnanocarbon imaging combined with 99m Tc-MIBI].

Objective:To explore the clinical application of nanocarbon(NC) suspension liquid combined with low dose of 99m Tc-MIBI for parathyroid localization in the hyperparathyroidism surgery.Method:Forty-four patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism(SHPT) in the department of head-neck surgery of Renji Hospital, affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, were enrolled and randomized into 3 groups including low-dose 99m Tc-MIBI+NC groupⅠ, high dose99m Tc-MIBI+NC group Ⅱ,and control group Ⅲ.We compared the level of PTH,serum calcium before and after operation,and the intraoperative amount of radioactive isotopes of parathyroid gland, etc.Use t-test and Anova for statistical processing. Result:After operation,the PTH levels in group Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ were(23.8±32.4)ng/L,(15.8±18.2)ng/L,(90.1±139.4)ng/L,respectively(groupⅠvs Ⅲ,P<0.05;groupⅡvs Ⅲ,P<0.05,groupⅠvsⅡ,P>0.05).The intraoperative amount of radioactive isotopes of parathyroid gland had no significant difference among group Ⅰ,group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ. Conclusion:Nanocarbon combined with 99m Tc-MIBI for SHPT surgery has important localization value.And low dose of 99m Tc MIBI can reduce the cost and radiation, which can achieve the same outcome for patients..

[Long-term effect of different right ventricular apex pacing ratio on heart structure and function of patients with dual chamber pacemaker].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Long-term effect of different right ventricular apex pacing ratio for heart structure and function of patients with dual chamber pacemakers. METHODS: Patients who were implanted with dual chamber pacemakers at Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital were collected. The electrodes were put in right ventricular apex. All the patients, last pacemaker programming control and echocardiography results were followed up and collected.Patients with 10%-40% pacing ratio were rejected. RESULTS: The total of 83 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean duration of the follow-up was (38±23) months. The morbility rates of moderate-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) all significantly increased after implantation compared with those before implantation (6.2% vs. 2.6%, 11.1% vs. 4.9%, all P<0.01). There were 9 patients with moderate-severe TR after pacemaker implantation. They had higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and mitral diastolic early flow peak velocity/lateral mitral annulus diastolic early velocity (E/Em) [(49.6±10.5) mmHg vs. (33.8±12.0) mmHg, P<0.01, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa; and 11±5 vs.9±3, P<0.05]. And 52 patients had less than 10% pacing ratio (group A) and 31 patients had more than 40% pacing ratio (group B). The right atrium area and right ventricular diastolic diameter were bigger after implantation than those before implantation in group B [(17.7±4.0) cm(2) vs. (15.6±3.2) cm(2), (21.5±4.4) mm vs. (19.9±3.4) mm, all P<0.05]. The morbility of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) ≥50 mmHg was higher after implantation than that before implantation in group B (9.7% vs. 3.2%, P<0.05). The left atrium area and right atrium area were bigger in group B than those in group A [(21.8±5.5) cm(2) vs. (20.2±4.6) cm(2), (17.7±4.0) cm(2) vs. (16.1±3.8) cm(2), all the P<0.05] after implantation, and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in group B than that in group A (68%±6% vs. 70%±6%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with higher right ventricular apex pacing ratio have bigger left atrium, right atrium and right ventricular, higher PASP and lower LVEF in the long term.

[A case report of cerebral resuscitation by surface cooling in a patient with cardiac arrest].

Therapeutic hypothermia is an important treatment for cerebral resuscitation in patients after cardiac arrest. But it is rarely used for comatose survivor post-cardiac arrest in China. The patient was the first case who was in coma post cardiac arrest caused by acute myocardial infarction and given hypothermia therapy in our hospital. After coronary reperfusion and therapeutic hypothermia, the patient's sneurologic function was recovered to normal. The paper discussed the indications, contraindications, cooling methods and complications of therapeutic hypothermia.

A study on the relationship between TCTA tetranucleotide polymorphism of the HPRT gene and primary hyperuricemia.

We examined polymorphism of the TCTA tetranucleotide sequence in the 3rd intron of the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene in the Han population of Ningxia Province in China. We also looked for a possible relationship between STR polymorphism in the 3rd intron of the HPRT gene and primary hyperuricemia. We used Chelex-100 to extract DNA, then PCR, PAGE and silver staining for allele genotyping and DNA sequencing to obtain the distribution of the alleles. We found, for the first time, that there is high STR polymorphism in the 3rd intron of the HPRT gene. We detected 5 STR alleles in this intron in the Han population of Ningxia Province, with 15 genotypes in females; significant differences were observed in the distribution of alleles and genotypes between control and patient groups for both males and females. Alleles of the TCTA repeat in the 3rd intron of the HPRT gene were found to be associated with primary hyperuricemia; consequently, these alleles may be considered risk factors for primary hyperuricemia.

Polymorphisms of three new microsatellite sites of the dystrophin gene.

To look for novel microsatellites in the dystrophin gene for the diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, candidate microsatellite sites in the dystrophin gene were analyzed with the SSRHunter software and were also genotyped. Among the 15 candidate microsatellite sites, three novel microsatellite sites in the 60th, 30th, and 2nd intron were found to have a high degree of polymorphism. We submitted these three new loci to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, under accession Nos. FN547040, FN547041 and FN557526, which were called DXSDMD-in60, DXSDMD-in30 and DXSDMD-in2, respectively. In these three loci, we found 9, 6 and 11 alleles, respectively, in the 205 individuals. In addition, we also detected 20, 19 and 20 genotypes for the three loci in female samples, with a polymorphism information content of more than 0.600. In conclusion, the three microsatellite sites in the intron region of the dystrophin gene have a high degree of polymorphism, and they can be used in population genetics, as well as to provide a theoretical basis for genetic diagnosis and elucidation of molecular mechanisms in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Supersymmetry and the anomalous anomalous magnetic moment of the muon.

The recently reported measurement of the muon's anomalous magnetic moment differs from the standard model prediction by 2.6 sigma. We examine the implications of this discrepancy for supersymmetry. Deviations of the reported magnitude are generic in supersymmetric theories. Based on the new result, we derive model-independent upper bounds on the masses of observable supersymmetric particles. We also examine several model frameworks. The sign of the reported deviation is as predicted in many simple models, but disfavors anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking.

Effects of ambasilide, quinidine, flecainide and verapamil on ultra-rapid delayed rectifier potassium currents in canine atrial myocytes.

OBJECTIVE: A dog atrial ultra-rapid delayed rectifier current (I(Kur. d)) is involved in canine atrial repolarization and shares similarities with the human atrial ultra-rapid delayed rectifier (I(Kur)). Almost no information is available about the actions of antiarrhythmic drugs on I(Kur.d). This study evaluated effects of ambasilide, quinidine, flecainide and verapamil on I(Kur.d) in isolated canine atrial myocytes. METHODS: Standard whole-cell patch clamp techniques were used to study the effects of multiple concentrations of each drug. RESULTS: All drugs produced reversible concentration-, voltage- and time-dependent I(Kur.d) inhibition. Significant effects of quinidine, flecainide and ambasilide were noted at atrial-effective antiarrhythmic concentrations in the dog. Upon the onset of a depolarizing pulse, block developed exponentially in relation to time, with the blocking rate-constant increasing with drug concentration, consistent with open-channel blockade and permitting the calculation of forward and reverse rate-constants. For all drugs, the 50% blocking concentration (EC(50)) showed significant voltage-dependence, decreasing at more positive potentials. The magnitude of voltage-dependent block was directly related to the degree of drug-induced shift in the voltage dependence of activation (r=0.97), pointing to open-channel block as a mechanism for voltage-dependent action. An additional component of voltage-dependence suggested that blocking sites were subjected to 17-21% of the transmembrane voltage field. CONCLUSIONS: Ambasilide, quinidine, flecainide and verapamil inhibit I(Kur.d), with preferential action on the open state. I(Kur.d) inhibition may play a role in antiarrhythmic effects in canine atrial arrhythmia models. Comparisons between the effects of these drugs on I(Kur.d) and previously studied effects on I(Kur) suggest potential opportunities for investigating the molecular structural determinants of drug-blocking action on atrial-specific ultrarapid delayed rectifiers.

Parallel electron energy-loss spectroscopy free from gain variation.

A new method is presented for removing the effect of the gain variation of parallel detectors used for the quantitation of trace elements with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Use of the ratio of two first-difference spectra eliminates the effect of gain variation of the detector, therefore eliminating the need for gain normalization and dark current subtraction. This method is particularly suitable for revealing small signals superimposed on a large background, a typical scenario for trace element quantitation of both biological and inorganic materials. This method has been tested on a system with a cooled CCD camera as the parallel detector and illustrated by the analysis of low concentration Ca in an organic matrix. The method is expected to be generally applicable to spectral analysis affected by gain variations of parallel detectors.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis of changrolin in dogs with arrhythmia.

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of changrolin (CRL) were studied in 7 dogs with arrhythmia induced by coronary artery ligature. The ECG and the percentage of reduction ratio of ventricular premature were used to evaluate the effect of CRL, and an HPLC method was used to determine the serum drug concentration. A pharmacokinetic program was used to fit concentration-time (C-T) data and a combined pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model was used to analyze effect-time (E-T) data in individual dogs. After infusion with CRL 83.33 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 for 60 min, it was found that K10, T1/2, Vd, Cl and Ce were 0.0087 min-1, 78.03 min, 40.55 ml.kg-1, 0.42 ml.kg-1.min-1, and 2.01 micrograms.ml-1, respectively.