The use of the facial translocation technique in the management of tumors of the paranasal sinuses and skull base.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the efficacy of facial translocation in the management of tumors of the skull base and paranasal sinuses. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: From July 1993 to December 1999, 75 patients, aged 3 to 102 years old, underwent facial translocation. Thirty-three (44%) patients also underwent a combined neurosurgical procedure. Nineteen (25%) had previous surgery. These patients were followed up to 6 years. RESULTS: There were 21 benign and 54 malignant tumors. There were no perioperative deaths. The morbidity rate was 31%. Of the 54 patients with malignant tumors, the actuarial 3-year survival rate was 59%, whereas the local control rate was 54%. CONCLUSION: The facial translocation technique offers favorable exposure of the critical zones of the anterior and middle cranial base, thus facilitating extensive resection and reconstruction. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that facial translocation is one of the best surgical approaches to the skull base.     

一种新的正交参数选优法及其在非线性回归分析中的应用

非线性回归分析是工程中经常采用的一种用来估计数学模型参数的方法，该方法能否顺利运用与参数初始值的选择有极大关系。本研究提出一种新的正交参数选优法——阻尼正交表法，它不仅可以保证非线性回归分析算法的顺利收敛，而且能够显著提高后者的收敛速度，进而极大改善非线性回归分析算法的应用性能。本研究的数值试验及心肌造影超声心动图定量分析应用实例表明，作为对传统正交参数选优法的一种改进，阻尼正交表法在科学与工程计算或信号与信息处理领域有着很好的应用前景。     

Longitudinal predictors of continued tobacco use among patients diagnosed with cancer

Even though continued smoking by cancer patients adversely affects survival and quality of life, about one third of patients who smoked prior to their diagnosis continue to smoke after their diagnosis. The implementation of smoking cessation treatments for cancer patients has been slowed by the lack of data on correlates of tobacco use in this population. Thus, this longitudinal study assessed demographic, medical, addiction, and psychological predictors of tobacco use among 74 head, neck, and lung cancer patients. Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses, with outcome categorized as smoker or nonsmoker, indicated that the likelihoodthat patients would be a smoker was associated with lower levels of perceived risk and a higher level of quitting cons. Multivariable nominal logistic regression, with outcome classified as continuous smoker, continuous quitter, relapser, or follow-up quitter, indicated that: (a) patients categorized as continuous smokers reported significantly lower quitting self-efficacy than follow-up quitters and continuous quitters, (b) relapsers reported a significantly lower level of quitting self-efficacy than either follow-up quitters or continuous quitters, and (c) continuous smokers exhibited a significantly lower level of risk perceptions than continuous abstainers. These findings can be useful for the development and evaluation of treatments to promote smoking cessation among cancer patients. Support for this study was provided by National Institutes of Health Grants CA57708, CA06927, CA88610, CA95678, and CA76644.     

Changes in the human vocal tract due to aging and the acoustic correlates of speech production: a pilot study.

This investigation used a derivation of acoustic reflection (AR) technology to make cross-sectional measurements of changes due to aging in the oral and pharyngeal lumina of male and female speakers. The purpose of the study was to establish preliminary normative data for such changes and to obtain acoustic measurements of changes due to aging in the formant frequencies of selected spoken vowels and their long-term average spectra (LTAS) analysis. Thirty-eight young men and women and 38 elderly men and women were involved in the study. The oral and pharyngeal lumina of the participants were measured with AR technology, and their formant frequencies were analyzed using the Kay Elemetrics Computerized Speech Lab. The findings have delineated specific and similar patterns of aging changes in human vocal tract configurations in speakers of both genders. Namely, the oral cavity length and volume of elderly speakers increased significantly compared to their young cohorts. The total vocal tract volume of elderly speakers also showed a significant increment, whereas the total vocal tract length of elderly speakers did not differ significantly from their young cohorts. Elderly speakers of both genders also showed similar patterns of acoustic changes of speech production, that is, consistent lowering of formant frequencies (especially F1) across selected vowel productions. Although new research models are still needed to succinctly account for the speech acoustic changes of the elderly, especially for their specific patterns of human vocal tract dimensional changes, this study has innovatively applied the noninvasive and cost-effective AR technology to monitor age-related human oral and pharyngeal lumina changes that have direct consequences for speech production.     

Electrophysiological study on differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal stem cells into neuron-like cells in vitro by edaravone

To explore the electrophysiological proper-ties of differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived stromal stem cells (rBMSCs) to neuron-like cells in vitro by edaravone, a new type of free radical scavenger. Methods: Stromal stem cells were separated from rat bone marrow with Ficoll-Paque reagent and expanded in different culture medium in vitro, rBMSCs were induced by edaravone containing serum-free L-DMEM. Morphologic observation and Western blot analysis including the ex-pression of Nav1.6, Kv1.2, Kv1.3, Cav1.2 were performed, and whole patch-clamp technique was used. Results: Cyton contraction and long processes were shown in differentiated stromal stem cells. Nav1.6, Kv1.2, Kv1.3 and Cav1.2 were expressed in both differentiated and undifferentiated cells. However, the expression of channel proteins in differentiated cells was up-regulated. Consistently, their resting potential and outward currents were also enhanced in the differentiated cells, which was especially significant in the outward rectifier potassium current. Conclusion: In vitro, neuron-like cells derived from rBMSCs, induced by edaravone, possess electrophysiologi-cal properties of neurons.     

深低温冷冻保存家兔性腺器官的研究

自１９９２年７月开始行深低温（－１９６℃）冷冻保存兔性腺研究。冷冻睾丸３６个，１５天后解冻，完好率９１．７％，其中２０个行器官移植，睾丸接通血管均即时建立血循环。４只兔的冷冻睾丸自体移植后，每次采精７４０．６±１８９０．４万个。２只兔的冷冻睾丸异体移植后，每次采精６３．４±３７．７万个。冷冻兔卵巢１４个，１５天后解冻，完好率９２．９％，其中８个行器官移植，卵巢接通血管均即时建立血循环，术后雌二醇水平为２．７２～１２７．３ｐｍｏｌ／Ｌ。冷冻睾丸及卵巢移植一段时间后病理切片证实睾丸及卵巢组织存活。     

Cloning of Human α-defensin-1 (HNP-1) Gene and Construction of Its Eukaryotic Expression Vector

1 Introduction Defensins are small cationic antimicrobial peptides that function in the host's innate immune system. The human defensin family includes three small peptides from the azurophil granules of polymorphonuclear cells named human neutrophil peptide (HNP)-1, HNP-2, HNP-3,which consist 5%-7% of the protein of human neutrophil. HNP-4 is approximately one hundred times less abundant. They demonstrate antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties in vitro. HNPs are important component of nonoxidative mechanism in macrophages, and can direct inactivate the enveloped viruses. Because only special cells express defensins. And it is hard to extract them naturally and the production is few. So researcher expect to obtain defensins highly through heterogenous expression by gene engineering technology. In order to express HNP-1, we cloned the cDNA of HNP-1 from human polymorphonuclear cells in peripheral blood, and constructed its eukaryotic expression vector, which provided a base for the further study on its mechanism of antimicrobial effect.     

Ⅱ孔型房间隔缺损直视修补术后心律失常的临床观察

210例Ⅱ孔型房间隔缺损术后发生心律失常90例,14种类型,共292例次,其中,室上性占96%。30例需药物治疗,93%的患者出院时恢复正常。本文着重分析心律失常的特点,讨论影响因素及预防措施。