Prognostic values of optic nerve sheath diameter for comatose patients with acute stroke: An observational study.

Background: Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) measurement is one of the non-invasive methods recommended for increased intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the roles of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and ONSD/eyeball transverse diameter (ETD) ratio in predicting prognosis of death in comatose patients with acute stroke during their hospitalization.

Methods: A total of 67 comatose patients with acute stroke were retrospectively recruited.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel isothiazoloquinoline quinone analogues.

Natural quinones and their analogues have attracted growing attention because of their novel anticancer activities. A series of novel isothiazoloquinoline quinone analogues were synthesized and evaluated for antitumor activities against four different kind of cancer cells. Among them, isothiazoloquinolinoquinones inhibited cancer cells proliferation effectively with IC values in the nanomolar range, and isothiazoloquinolinoquinone 13a induced the cell apoptosis.

[Associations of genetic polymorphisms in the EPHX1 gene and the GSTT1 gene with low birth weight in neonates].

Objective: To investigate whether genetic polymorphisms in the microsomal epoxide hydrolase gene (EPHX1) and the glutathione S-transferase theta1 gene (GSTT1) are associated with low birth weight in neonates.

Methods: Using standard questionnaires, 246 singleton live born mother-neonates pairs (73 cases were mother-low birth weight neonate pairs and 173 controls were mother-non low birth weight neonate pairs) were investigated by the trained field workers with case-control study at the hospital in Anqing, Anhui Province, China between 1998 and 1999. A total of 246 neonates were genotyped for genetic polymorphisms in the EPHX1 gene and the GSTT1 gene by a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.