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Neuroinflammation is associated with poor outcomes in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Recent studies have demonstrated that stimulator of interferon genes (Sting) plays a key role in inflammatory diseases. However, the role of Sting in SCI remains unclear. In the present study, it is found that increased Sting expression is mainly derived from activated microglia after SCI. Interestingly, knockout of Sting in microglia can improve the recovery of neurological function after SCI. Microglial Sting knockout restrains the polarization of microglia toward the M1 phenotype and alleviates neuronal death. Furthermore, it is found that the downregulation of mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) expression in microglial cells leads to an imbalance in mitochondrial fusion and division, inducing the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which mediates the activation of the cGas‐Sting signaling pathway and aggravates inflammatory response damage after SCI. A biomimetic microglial nanoparticle strategy to deliver MASM7 (named MSNs‐MASM7@MI) is established. In vitro, MSNs‐MASM7@MI showed no biological toxicity and effectively delivered MASM7. In vivo, MSNs‐MASM7@MI improves nerve function after SCI. The study provides evidence that cGas‐Sting signaling senses Mfn2‐dependent mtDNA release and that its activation may play a key role in SCI. These findings provide new perspectives and potential therapeutic targets for SCI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A procedure is described for quantitatively analyzing sinoatrial nodes (SAN) using doppler tissue images (DTI).

Osteoporotic bone defects refer to the disruption of bone structural integrity in patients with osteoporosis and pose a substantial challenge to orthopedic surgeons. In this study, we developed a biomimetic hydrogel to improve the osteogenic microenvironment and promote stem cell homing. This hydrogel served as a container for S-nitrosoglutathione and Ca 2+ , promoting the release of bioactive nitric oxide (NO) from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and human vascular endothelial cells and activating the NO/cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling pathway. These changes promote osteogenic and angiogenic couplings. The hydrogel simultaneously recruited BMSCs by conjugating the stem cell homing peptide SKPPGTSS. Using a rat distal femoral defect model, it was demonstrated that this hydrogel can effectively increase the formation of bone tissue and new blood vessels and has immune-regulating functions. We envision that this hydrogel may be a minimally invasive yet highly effective strategy for expediting the healing of osteoporotic bone defects.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and application value of circular stapler in extraperitoneal colostomy., Methods: Retrospective analysis was made to 22 cases that experienced extraperitoneal colostomy with circular stapler from Match 2008 to March 2009 in the department of colon and anal surgery of the first hospital of Jilin University., Results: The length of surgery was (15 +/- 5) min when circular stapler- assisted extraperitoneal colostomy was used, and all of the colostomies were successfully completed during the first procedure. No complications occurred after surgery, such as stoma bleeding, necrosis, infection, retraction, stenosis, intestinal obstruction and hernia beside the stoma etc. Colostomy size of the uniform, beautiful shape formation. Although there were three cases requiring hemostasis due to anastomotic bleeding that occurred during the operation. About 3 months later, staples of the stoma fell off by themselves. All patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months after operation, form and function of colostomy are well., Conclusion: The popularization of the application of circular stapler in extraperitoneal colostomy is important and worthwhile for its obvious advantages such as simple operation, good stoma appearance and reduced complications.

Objective: To improve the precision of the traditional segmentation of echocardiogram, by suppressing the influence from inherent speckle noises in medical ultrasonic images., Method: An automatic segmentation method based on reconstructed morphology was proposed in this paper. First, the opening and closing operations by reconstruction were imposed to the ultrasonic image. Second, the top-hat operation was used to extract the bright and/or dark features and to find out the boundaries corresponding to these features, whereby implemented the automatic segmentation., Result: The segmented echocardiogram had less artificial boundaries resulted from speckle noise, and could accurately be extracted the artery and ventricle., Conclusion: The presented method can detect both dark and bright objects accurately, and the boundary has a fine continuity. In addition, the algorithm is also applicable to the extraction of sole bright/dark features, accordingly to reduce the complexity and time needed and to improve the accuracy.

Objective: To remove the speckle noise in ultrasonic images by using anisotropic diffusion method., Method: Based on anisotropic diffusion, a partial differential equation, of which the initial data was the input images, was transformed into differential forms and solved with iterations. The speckle scale function of the equation was modified to make better use in filtering medical ultrasonic images., Result: By comparing the results with other three filters, the anisotropic diffusion method could smooth the speckles very well and the edge of the image was also clear., Conclusion: Anisotropic diffusion can remove the speckle noise effectively and has great potential in filtering medical ultrasonic images.

Objective: To quantitatively analyze the characteristics of regional myocardial velocities of paced heart over His bundle, and explore the myocardial velocity pattern., Method: 5 dogs were paced at 120 times/min over His bundle. We defined the His bundle adjacent region and the top region of interventricular septum (IVS) as our regions of interest (ROI). Images of Doppler tissue velocity in ROI and corresponding electrocardiograms were observed and recorded by a 2-D Color Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) system. Quantitative velocities of myocardial DTI images were mapped by a neural network from the image sequences. Finally the velocity characteristics of the myocardium around His bundle and IVS were analyzed., Result: We obtained myocardial time-velocity curves in the ROI, and some results based on those curves: In the His bundle adjacent region intervals of myocardial systole and diastole were (209.75 +/- 19.41) ms and (294.50 +/- 17.87) ms, respectively. Myocardial systole velocity (S), early diastole velocity (E) and late diastole velocity (A) were (5.43 +/- 1.53) cm/s, (3.95 +/- 1.18) cm/s and (1.72 +/- 0.77) cm/s, respectively, E/A was 2.06 +/- 0.95; In IVS region intervals of myocardial systole and diastole were (191.33 +/- 17.23) ms and (294.70 +/- 17.91) ms, respectively. S, E and A were (3.17 +/- 1.34) cm/s, (2.17 +/- 0.64) cm/s and (1.48 +/- 0.52) cm/s, respectively. E/A was 1.305 +/- 0.287., Conclusion: The primary characteristics of myocardial velocities paced over His bundle were: 1) Myocardial velocities in His bundle adjacent region were higher than those in IVS. 2) E/A was greater than one.

Objective. To study the method for constructing an ultrasonic tele-diagnosis and quality control system. Method. The standard of Intemet/Intranet technology was used for the system. The compression and up-loading component based on wavelet and the software platform of ultrasound image processing were developed to suit the ultrasound image characteristics. The information exchange and storage (DICOM) was studied for the compatibility between the system and the Hospital Information System (HIS). Both of them were combined to form an integrated system. Result. WWW server, relevant case history managing and image processing software were constructed in the system. Conclusion. It is feasible to establish a low cost and maintainable system for ultrasound tele-diagnosis and quality control system based on Internet/Intranet technology.

Objective: To implement dynamic 3D reconstruction of ultrasonic flow images by the technique of 3D reconstruction of ultrasonic medical images combined with Doppler flow imaging method., Method: Through analyzing the color-coded mode of Doppler flow images and utilizing the Color Bar in DFI provided by ultrasound system, the information of anatomical structure and blood flow velocity were separated from original DFI images. Then 3D reconstruction of blood velocity and its fusion display with 3D anatomical structure was implemented., Result: Clinical experiments showed that in vivo blood flow in heart cavity could be shown in 3D space simultaneously with anatomical structure of the heart, and the relationship between them was consistent with cardiology. The images rendered in such a way could show more medical information than that in traditional methods., Conclusion: The combination of 3D reconstruction of ultrasonic medical images and Doppler imaging technique could realize functional 3D reconstruction of ultrasonic medical images so as to give more medical information. It would have great potential application and present a new future for ultrasonic medical imaging.