[Risk factors of asthma among children aged 0 - 14 in Suzhou city].

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate risk influencing factors of asthma for children in Suzhou City, China. METHODS: A survey of asthma was conducted on children aged 0 - 14 with or without asthma from September 2010 to April 2011 in Pingjiang district of Suzhou city. A total of 271 children diagnosed with asthma were considered as a case group, and 271 non-asthmatic children with the same age, sex and living region formed the control group. Risk factors were analyzed with χ(2) test and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: All children were Han. The case group was composed of 165 boys and 106 girls, so was the case group. The average age was (7.5 ± 2.3) years for the case group and (7.8 ± 2.9) years for the control group, which did not showed any significant difference (P > 0.05). Family history of allergy (OR = 10.624, 95%CI: 6.294 - 18.623), history of children's eczema (OR = 4.403, 95%CI: 8.627 - 29.632), history of allergic rhinitis (OR = 6.871, 95%CI: 7.658 - 31.871), passive smoking when baby was born (OR = 3.323, 95%CI: 3.541 - 11.634), mold contamination (OR = 1.837, 95%CI: 1.531 - 4.926) were the risk factors, and breast-feeding (OR = 0.513, 95%CI: 0.418 - 0.914) was the protective factor. CONCLUSION: Family history of allergy, history of children's eczema, history of allergic rhinitis, passive smoking, and old contamination are the risk factors, and breast-feeding is the protective factor.

Functional brainstem changes in response to bladder function alteration elicited by surgical reduction in bladder capacity: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

PURPOSE: Our previous results revealed a positive correlation between bladder dysfunction and cortical arousals in children with enuresis. This finding implied an interrelationship between bladder dysfunction and brainstem dysfunction. Thus, we used an animal model to characterize brainstem functional changes in response to altered bladder function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male New Zealand rabbits weighing 3.0 to 3.5 kg underwent surgical bladder volume reduction (12) or sham operation (12). We performed conventional fill cystometry and brainstem functional magnetic resonance imaging in each group 4 weeks postoperatively. During scanning bladder stimulation was provided by bladder filling up to 70% of maximum capacity. We then compared brainstem activation area(s). RESULTS: Results revealed voiding dysfunction in animals with altered bladder function. Bladder function was markedly altered in the reduced bladder volume vs the sham operated group, mainly as significantly increased maximum voiding detrusor pressure (mean ± 1 SD 24.4 ± 7.0 vs 0.16.5 ± 7.2 cm water, p <0.05) and markedly decreased cystometric bladder volume (mean 35.3 ± 8.2 vs 71.6 ± 12.9 ml, p <0.05). Functional magnetic resonance imaging results revealed activation of 2 brainstem regions, including in 1) the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray and 2) the dorsolateral pons, in response to bladder distention. Activation in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray was significantly decreased in the reduced bladder vs the sham operated group with a corresponding decrease in signal size (25% vs 83.3%, signal size 0.7 ± 1.4 vs 3.3 ± 2.1 mm(2)). There was no significant difference in activation of the dorsolateral pons between the groups (83.3% vs 91.7%, signal size 3.7 ± 2.4 vs 0.4.7 ± 3.0 mm(2)). CONCLUSIONS: Functional derangement in brainstem micturition centers can be evoked by bladder dysfunction. In response to bladder dysfunction the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray shows deactivation during bladder distention, suggesting that it has an important role in bladder dysfunction biofeedback.

MnO2 Nano-Urchin/Graphene Hybrid Electrodes: Facile Synthesis and Enhanced Supercapacitance Performance.

MnO2 with urchin-like nano/micro hierarchical architecture was synthesized through an easy hydrothermal method at low temperature and used to prepare MnO2/graphene hybrid composite as electrode materials through an easy and efficient solution-based method. The MnO2 particles in the composite with 66.7% mass ratio could achieve specific capacitance as high as 451.5 F g(-1) at a scan rate of 10 mV s(-1) and exhibit good cycle stability with 93.8% capacitance retention over 2000 cycles. These properties result from the unique urchin-like nano/micro hierarchical structure of MnO2 as well as the function of graphene in enhancing the conductivity and utilization of MnO2.

Long-term survival after enucleation of a giant esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. Less than 1% occurs in the esophagus. Surgery is the primary treatment for patients with GISTs. We report a 29-year-old male was admitted after the detection of a posterior mediastinal mass during work-up with routine examination. He did not have any disease-related symptoms. The physical examination was unremarkable. Chest computed tomographic scan, the barium esophagogram and endoscopic esophageal ultrasound showed benign neoplasm. The patient was performed an enucleation surgery through the right posterolateral thoracotomy. The pathology revealed a 13.0 cm × 12.0 cm × 5.0 cm mass. The tumor was CD117 (C-kit), PDGFRA and DOG1 positive. These findings were consistent with a GIST of the esophagus. So the diagnosis of GIST of esophagus was confirmed. The pathological diagnosis of low grade of GIST of esophagus was confirmed. The patient has no evidence of recurrence and is in good clinical conditions up-to date, five years after surgery.

Characteristics of the bladder in infants with urinary tract infections: an ultrasound study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) are known to have impaired bladder function as demonstrated by urodynamic (UD) studies. UD is rarely performed in infants. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate bladder function in infants with UTI using a dynamic US protocol. Maximal bladder volume (MaxBV), residual volume (RV) and bladder wall thickness (BWT) were measured and compared with values from normal controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 57 consecutive infants (47 males, 10 females; mean age 0.48+/-0.30 years) with proven UTI, and 63 age-matched normal controls (37 males, 26 females; mean age 0.47+/-0.37 years) were recruited. MaxBV was determined just before voiding, and RV and BWT were measured after spontaneous voiding. RESULTS: Infants with UTI had smaller MaxBV (34.89 vs. 42.91 ml), larger RV (3.46 vs. 1.51 ml) and greater BWT (4.21 vs. 3.68 mm) than normal infants (P<0.05, Mann-Whitney test). CONCLUSION: Smaller bladder volume, larger residual volume and thicker bladder wall in infants with UTI can be explained by bladder instability, hypercontractility and infection-induced oedema of the bladder wall during UTI. The US measurement of bladder parameters might serve as an objective guide for clinical diagnosis and allow objective evaluation of bladder function during posttreatment follow-up.

Nomograms of total renal volume, urinary bladder volume and bladder wall thickness index in 3,376 children with a normal urinary tract.

BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that urinary bladder volume index (BVI = length x width x depth of bladder) and bladder volume wall thickness index (BVWI = BVI at full bladder/average bladder wall thickness) are useful indicators of bladder dysfunction in children with enuresis and urinary tract infection. These indices show a good correlation with urodynamic studies. We have expanded the study to include normal paediatric subjects with a wide age range. We illustrate a simple sonography protocol with nomograms of different parameters, which provide useful references for functional assessment in children with urological abnormalities. OBJECTIVE: To construct nomograms of total renal volume, maximum BVI and BVWI based on a Chinese paediatric population with age range from newborn to adolescence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sonography was performed in consecutive children with normal urinary tracts on imaging, using a standardized protocol. Data were collected for construction of nomograms for different parameters. RESULTS: Nomograms of total renal volume, BVI and BVWI were constructed based on 3,376 consecutive paediatric subjects. All parameters consistently increased with age. CONCLUSION: Nomograms of total renal volume, BVI and BVWI could provide useful references for studying bladder dysfunction in children using noninvasive dynamic sonography.