A multiplex PCR assay for the detection of five influenza viruses using a dual priming oligonucleotide system.

Background: A cost-effective, accurate and rapid simultaneous multiplex assay is required for testing and diagnoses of conventional and emerging viruses in clinical virology laboratories. We developed and optimized a dual priming oligonucleotide (DPO) multiplex PCR assay for detecting influenza viruses including seasonal H1N1, 2009 pandemic H1N1, H3N2, influenza B and H5N1.

Methods: The optimized multiplex DPO PCR was used to detect 233 clinical human samples.

Stent-assisted Coil Placement for the Treatment of 211 Acutely Ruptured Wide-necked Intracranial Aneurysms: A Single-Center 11-Year Experience.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and angiographic and clinical outcome of stent-assisted coil placement (SACP) for acutely ruptured wide-necked intracranial aneurysms treated in a single center during an 11-year period.

Materials And Methods: According to an institutional review board-approved protocol, the angiographic and clinical data of 211 patients (52 men, 159 women; median age, 56 years; age range, 31-83 years) with acutely ruptured wide-necked intracranial aneurysms (neck > 4 mm and/or dome-to-neck ratio ≤ 2) treated with SACP from September 2000 to December 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Baseline characteristics, procedure-related complications, angiographic follow-up results, and clinical outcome were analyzed statistically.

Effect of siloxane spacer length on organosilicon bi-quaternary ammonium amphiphiles.

A series of organosilicon Bola-form bi-quaternary ammonium amphiphiles, [OH5C3(C2H5)2N+-(CH2)3-Si(CH2)3-O-(Si(CH3)2O)n-Si(CH2)3⋯(CH2)3-N+(C2H5)2C3H5O]Cl2- (SinN2Cl2, n=0, 4, 6, 8), with the same headgroups and different length of hydrophobic linkage has been synthesized. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of each amphiphiles was determined by equilibrium surface tension. With the increased length of hydrophobic siloxane spacer, the CMC values follow the order of Si8N2Cl2 View Article and Find Full Text PDF

4D DSA a new technique for arteriovenous malformation evaluation: a feasibility study.

Background: The angioarchitectural features of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) provide key information regarding natural history and treatment planning. Because of rapid filling and vascular overlap, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) digital subtraction angiography (DSA) are often suboptimal for evaluation of these features. We have developed an algorithm that derives a series of fully time-resolved 3D DSA volumes (four-dimensional (4D) DSA) at up to 30 frames/s from a conventional 3D DSA.

A preliminary study of DTI Fingerprinting on stroke analysis.

DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) is a well-known MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technique which provides useful structural information about human brain. However, the quantitative measurement to physiological variation of subtypes of ischemic stroke is not available. An automatically quantitative method for DTI analysis will enhance the DTI application in clinics.

On the relationship between tibia torsional deformation and regional muscle contractions in habitual human exercises in vivo.

The mechanical relationship between bone and muscle has been long recognized. However, it still remains unclear how muscles exactly load on bone. In this study, utilizing an optical segment tracking technique, the in vivo tibia loading regimes in terms of tibia segment deformation in humans were investigated during walking, forefoot and rear foot stair ascent and running and isometric plantar flexion.

Licochalcone-A sensitizes human esophageal carcinoma cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis by proteasomal degradation of XIAP.

Background/aims: Esophageal carcinoma is one of the most aggressive human cancers, and novel treatment modality is required. Although expressing adequate levels of functional tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors DR4/DR5, significant proportion of esophageal cancer cells exhibit resistance to the cytotoxic effect of this ligand. Licochalcone-A (LA), a flavonoid present in a variety of edible plants, exhibits a wide spectrum of pharmacologic properties such as anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities.

Treatment of ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms distal to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery: stenting or trapping?

Purpose: The treatment of ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms (VADAs) continues to be controversial. Our goal was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and long-term outcomes of internal trapping and stent-assisted coiling (SAC) for ruptured VADAs distal to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (supra-PICA VADAs), which is the most common subset.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 39 consecutive ruptured supra-PICA VADAs treated with internal trapping (n = 20) or with SAC (n = 19) at our institution.

The application of the barrier-type anodic oxidation method to thickness testing of aluminum films.

The thickness of the active metal oxide film formed from a barrier-type anodizing process is directly proportional to its formation voltage. The thickness of the consumed portion of the metal film is also corresponding to the formation voltage. This principle can be applied to the thickness test of the metal films.

DWI-based neural fingerprinting technology: a preliminary study on stroke analysis.

Stroke is a common neural disorder in neurology clinics. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important tool to assess the neural physiological changes under stroke, such as diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Quantitative analysis of MRI images would help medical doctors to localize the stroke area in the diagnosis in terms of structural information and physiological characterization.

A hypomagnetic field aggravates bone loss induced by hindlimb unloading in rat femurs.

A hypomagnetic field is an extremely weak magnetic field--it is considerably weaker than the geomagnetic field. In deep-space exploration missions, such as those involving extended stays on the moon and interplanetary travel, astronauts will experience abnormal space environments involving hypomagnetic fields and microgravity. It is known that microgravity in space causes bone loss, which results in decreased bone mineral density.

Serum miRNA signature in Moyamoya disease.

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a cerebrovascular disease characterized by progressive stenosis of the intracranial internal carotid arteries and their proximal branches. However, the etiology of this rare disease remains unknown. Serum microRNA (miRNA) profiles have been screened to identify novel biomarkers of prognostic values.

Application of endovascular coiling and subsequent Onyx 34 embolization in anterior communicating artery aneurysms with adjacent hematoma.

Objective: Small anterior communicating artery aneurysms with recurrent bleeding and adjacent hematoma may have a high risk of post-operative rebleeding. This clinical study summarizes our preliminary experience with this subset of aneurysms, which were treated with endovascular coiling and subsequent Onyx 34 embolization.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 9 patients suffering from small anterior communicating artery aneurysms treated with the combination of coils and Onyx.

Overlapping stents for blood blister-like aneurysms of the internal carotid artery.

Objective: Blood blister-like aneurysms (BBAs) are unique due to their high risk of recurrent bleeding associated with their fragile neck. The best treatment for BBAs is still controversial. This paper sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of stent-assisted coiling and subsequent overlapping stents (SAC+OS) in the treatment of BBAs.

[Chemical constituents of Poria cocos].

The chemical constituents of Poria cocos were studied by means of silica gel, ODS column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. Thirteen compounds were isolated from this plant. By analysis of the ESI-MS and NMR data, the structures of these compounds were determined as tumulosic acid (1), dehydrotumulosic acid (2), 3beta, 5alpha-dihydroxy-ergosta-7, 22-dien-6-one (3), 3beta, 5alpha, 9alpha-trihydroxy-ergosta-7, 22-diene -6-one (4), ergosta-7, 22-diene-3-one (5), 6, 9-epoxy-ergosta-7,22-diene-3-ol (6), ergosta-4,22-diene-3-one (7), 3beta, 5alpha, 6beta-trihydroxyl-ergosta-7,22-diene (8), ergosta-5, 6-epoxy-7,22-dien-3-ol (9), beta-sitosterol (10), ribitol (11), mannitol (12), and oleanic acid 3-O-acetate (13), respectively.

In vivo application of an optical segment tracking approach for bone loading regimes recording in humans: a reliability study.

This paper demonstrates an optical segment tracking (OST) approach for assessing the in vivo bone loading regimes in humans. The relative movement between retro-reflective marker clusters affixed to the tibia cortex by bone screws was tracked and expressed as tibia loading regimes in terms of segment deformation. Stable in vivo fixation of bone screws was tested by assessing the resonance frequency of the screw-marker structure and the relative marker position changes after hopping and jumping.

The interaction between stent(s) implantation, PICA involvement, and immediate occlusion degree affect symptomatic intracranial spontaneous vertebral artery dissection aneurysm (sis-VADA) recurrence after reconstructive treatment with stent(s)-assisted coiling.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate risk factors of sis-VADAs recurrence after reconstructive treatment based on 113 reconstructed lesions.

Methods: A total of 111 patients (M:F = 68:43; median age, 47 years) with 113 sis-VADAs underwent reconstruction from October 2000 to March 2011, using stent(s) and coils. Treatments and predictors of recurrence were retrospectively analysed.

Parent artery reconstruction for large or giant cerebral aneurysms using a Tubridge flow diverter (PARAT): study protocol for a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Background: The treatment of large (10-25 mm) or giant (≥25 mm) cerebral aneurysms remains technically challenging, with a much higher complication and recanalization rate than that is observed for smaller aneurysms. The use of a flow diverter seems to facilitate the treatment of this special entity. In a previous single-center prospective study approved by the Ethics Committee and China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), we obtained promising results, showing remarkable safety and effectiveness for the Tubridge flow diverter.

Stent placement for complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms.

Background: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of stent placement for ruptured or unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms in a larger number.

Methods: Between October 2003 and December 2012, data for 70 patients with 72 complex MCA aneurysms treated with stents at our institution were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

Results: Eighty-five stents were successfully deployed in this series.

Torsion and antero-posterior bending in the in vivo human tibia loading regimes during walking and running.

Bending, in addition to compression, is recognized to be a common loading pattern in long bones in animals. However, due to the technical difficulty of measuring bone deformation in humans, our current understanding of bone loading patterns in humans is very limited. In the present study, we hypothesized that bending and torsion are important loading regimes in the human tibia.

First confirmation of imported dengue virus serotype 2 complete genome in urine from a Chinese traveler returning from India.

Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne virus that has four serotypes. Collection of serum from patients is time- and labor- consuming, and presents a high injury risk for infants and children. The genomic and serological diagnosis of imported dengue fever from a urine sample was used as a non-invasive diagnostic method in this study.

A novel oil-body nanoemulsion formulation of ginkgolide B: pharmacokinetics study and in vivo pharmacodynamics evaluations.

The goal of this study was to develop a novel oil-body nanoemulsion (ONE) for Ginkgolide B (GB) and to conduct pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics evaluations. GB-ONE was prepared by O/O emulsion method. The differences in pharmacokinetics parameters and tissue distribution of rats after oral administrated with GB-ONE were investigated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Stent-assisted coiling strategies for the treatment of wide-necked basilar artery bifurcation aneurysms.

Stent-assisted coiling is now the preferred treatment option for wide-necked basilar artery bifurcation aneurysms (BABA). However, the optimal choice of specific treatment strategies is still not well documented. In this paper, based on the "two-neck" theory of BABA, we classified the stent-assisted coiling treatment of BABA into three types: unilateral stent-assisted coiling, unilateral stent plus contralateral microcatheter or microwire-assisted coiling, and bilateral stent-assisted coiling.

Safety and long-term efficacy of endovascular treatment of small posterior communicating artery aneurysms by coiling with or without stent: a single center retrospective study.

Objectives: Endovascular stents have been widely used in intracranial aneurysm embolization. In this work, we compared the safety and long-term efficacy of stent-assisted coiling with those of conventional coiling for small posterior communicating artery aneurysms, aiming at a better understanding of the related safety and efficacy profiles.

Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2011, 114 small PcomA aneurysms (defined as 3mm≤maximum diameter<10mm in this study) in 108 patients were treated by endovascular treatment in our department.