Elevated PCT at ICU discharge predicts poor prognosis in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: Disease severity and inflammatory response status are closely related to a poor prognosis and must be assessed in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) before intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. Whether elevated serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels can predict a poor prognosis in STBI patients before ICU discharge is unclear.

Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study enrolled 199 STBI patients who were in the ICU for at least 48 hours and survived after discharge.

[Raman and FTIR characteristics of otolith of ornamental carp].

Otolith is a typical natural biomineral as functional deposit existing in teleost's ears, which is mainly composed of calcium carbonate and organic matter. There is a pair of lapillus, sagitta and asteriscus in fish's inner ear, respectively. The authors compare the asteriscus and lapillus in cultured ornamental carp using FTIR and Raman.

[Repair of radius bone defect with the nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen/calcium alginate].

Objective: To explore the osteogenic potential of the nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen/calcium alginate composite implanted in animals.

Methods: Eighteen 3-month-old New Zealand white rabbits were adopted to prepare 15 mm segmental defect model at the middle part of radius. Rabbit models were randomly divided into experimental group and blank control group.

Preparation of 3-D regenerated fibroin scaffolds with freeze drying method and freeze drying/foaming technique.

Although three-dimensional fibroin scaffolds have been prepared with freeze drying method, the porosity and pore sizes still can not satisfy the requirement of tissue engineering. In this article, fibroin porous scaffold with high porosity and > 100 microm diameter interconnected pores was firstly prepared with freeze drying method through adjusting fibroin concentration. The morphology of different scaffolds lyophilized from different fibroin concentration was observed by SEM.

[Preparation and characterization of a new injectable bone substitute-carrageenan/nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen].

Objective: To develop a new injectable biomaterial carrageenan/nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen (nHAC/Carr) for bone surgery and characterize it.

Methods: nHAC/Carr was developed by filling carrageenan with nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen (nHAC) granules.

Results: It was found that nHAC/Carr had similar X-ray diffraction patterns with that of nHAC.

[Nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen composite for bone repair].

Objective: To develop nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen (NHAC) composite and test its ability in bone repairing.

Methods: NHAC composite was developed by biomimetic method.

Results: The composite showed some features of natural bone in both composition and microstructure.