Giant gastrointestinal stromal tumour of the stomach: a case report with surgical treatment

We report a case of giant gastrointestinal stromal tumour of the stomach in a 71-year-old woman, with emphasis on its going through surgical resection. The physical examination and radiological findings revealed that a giant mass occupied most of the abdominal cavity. The patient underwent an en-block resection of the mass, partial resection of the distal stomach and Billroth II gastrojejunostomy. The pathological diagnosis was gastrointestinal stromal tumour. The patient had a long-term disease-free survival. We emphasise that complete surgical resection is the only effective radical treatment approach for giant gastrointestinal stroma of the stomach. In some cases, we still have the opportunity for resection of these tumours because of their expansive growth, even though the lesions are very large.

Child homicide victims in forensic autopsy in Taiwan: A 10-year retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Child homicides are critical medico-legal issues worldwide. Data on the characteristics of these cases in Asia are limited. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of child homicides in Taiwan.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of forensic autopsy records of child homicide victims (aged 0-17 years) in Taiwan, during a 10-year period between 2001 and 2010, was carried out. The age, sex, relationship with the perpetrator(s), injury patterns of the victims, and causes of death were analyzed.

RESULTS

In all, 193 child homicide autopsies were identified. There were 38 (19.7%), 82 (42.5%), 25 (13.0%), and 48 (24.9%) homicide victims aged under 1, 1-5, 6-12, and 13-17 years, respectively. One-hundred boys (mean age: 8.4±7.0) and 93 girls (mean age: 3.7±4.3) were included. A female predominance was noted among the victims aged 0-5. Blunt force (53.4%) was the most frequent method of injury, followed by suffocation/strangulation (20.2%) and sharp force (13.0%). Bruise (64.8%) and brain injury (45.1%) were the most common types of injuries. The cranium (62.2%) and face (60.6%) were the most frequently injured body regions. The distribution of fatal injuries varied among victims in different age groups. Neurogenic shock, asphyxia, and hemorrhagic shocks were most common in victims aged 0-5, 6-12, and 13-17, respectively. The most frequent causes of death included blunt force head injury (40.4%), suffocation/strangulation (20.2%), and sharp force lung trauma (7.3%). The type of offenders, injury methods, types of injuries, distribution of injuries, mechanism of death, and causes of death were significantly different among victims of different age groups. Eighteen (9.33%) victims displayed no external evidence of trauma.

CONCLUSIONS

The patterns of injuries, mechanism of death, and causes of death were different among victims of different age groups. A female predominance was noted among the victims aged 0-5. Complete forensic autopsy is necessary to identify child homicide. This report will help forensic examiners and forensic pathologists recognize the signs of child homicide and serve as a working basis for these professionals.

[Dynamic accumulation regulation of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxyeurcumin in three strains of curcuma longae rhizome]

The paper is aimed to study the dynamic accumulation regulation of curcumin (Cur), demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxyeurcumin (BDMC) in three strains of Curcuma longa, and provide scientific references for formalized cultivation, timely harvesting, quality control and breeding cultivation of C. longa. The accumulation regulation of the three curcumin derivatives was basically the same in rhizome of three strains. The relative contents decreased along with plant development growing, while the accumulation per hectare increased with plant development growing. The accumulation of curcuminoids per hectare could be taken as the assessment standard for the best harvest time of C. longa. A3 was the best strain in terms of Cur and BDMC content.

[Effects of spraying uniconazole on plant morphology and total alkaloid content of Aconitum carmichaeli]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of spraying uniconazole on plant morphology and total alkaloid content of Aconitum carmichaeli for providing theory base for establishment of planting measure.

METHODS

The mainly morphological character and total alkaloid content of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata were studied under different uniconazole spraying time and density.

RESULTS

Unieonazole could decrease plant height and leaf area, increase stem diameter, leaves and fibril roots, and the amount of dry matter. The difference in total alkaloid was not significant.

CONCLUSION

In this experiment,Spraying uniconazole has no significant effect on total alkaloid content of Aconitum carmichaeli. It is better for increasing yield per plant to applied 120 mg/L unieonazole at sub-root enlargement stage than sub-root formation stage, and it is better to applied the same density at another stage for adjusting the plant morphology.

[Study on growth and dry substance accumulation of Curcuma longa]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the growth characteristics of Curcuma longa, and provide basis for standardized cultivation.

METHOD

Plant samples were collected and investigated periodically.

RESULT

According to the growth of different parts and the characteristics of dry substance accumulation of C. longa, the development of C. longa could be divided into five stages: emergence of seedlings, seedling, leaf, root tuber expansion, and dry substance accumulation of root tuber. In terms of number, leaf of C. longa increases gradually from one at first to eight at the final stage. Leaf size increases at a very low speed at the stage of seedling. However, leaves expands their sizes at a much higher speed at the stage of leaf. The dry substance in different parts accumulates increasingly with the development of C. longa dry substance mainly accumulates in leaves at the stage of leaf, and in rhizome at the stage of root tuber expansion. At the final stage, it mainly accumulates in root tuber.

CONCLUSION

Cultivation technologies of C. longa and the relevant management methods could be established according to the growth of different parts of C. longa and the characteristics of dry substance accumulation in different stages.

[Pattern recognition of stereoscopic features of the leaves epidermis of medicinal Curcuma plants in China by image analysis]

OBJECTIVE

To provide new ways for classifying and identifying medicinal curcuma plants.

METHOD

Based on classical taxonomy, the microscopic features of the epidermis of Curcuma plants in China were scored quantitatively by stereology and image analysis.

RESULT

It showed that there were a lot of differences in density, size and shape of the epidermic cells among the medicinal Curcuma plants in China; that the average perimeter of the upper epidermic cells, average sectional area of the lower epidermis, stoma density and trichoma distribution of the upper and lower epidermis, etc. could be considered to be the main evidences for the microscopic identification of leaves of Curcuma. The 21 materials which belong to 11 species of Curcuma in China were systematized into 6 species, 1 species complex, 2 cultivated varieties.

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that stereology, and image analysis are advanced and feasible in pharmacognosy and taxonomy especially in the authentication of the relative and easily confused species.

[Studies on medicinal plant resources of heizhu ravine in Ebian County and their sustainable utilization]

OBJECTIVE

To find out the medicinal plant resources of Heizhu Ravine in Ebian County and put forward some principles and measures for their sustainable utilization.

METHOD

On-the-spot investigation and sample measuring, calculating, visiting and assessing.

RESULTS

The general situation about these resources was expounded. New curative effects of 3 species, distribution and region output of 7 superiority resource species, 1 plant pesticide species, 3 species suitable for extensive propagation and 7 rare species on the verge of extinction were also reported.

CONCLUSION

This area has more than 1500 species of medicinal plants, of which about 300 are original traditional Chinese medicinal herb in most use and 1200 are used in folk medicine or as important medicinal raw mAterials.

[A model atlas of the crude drug Radix Ophiopogonis in tri-dimensional computer reconstraction from their serial transections]

In this paper, the tri-dimensional computer reconstruction and animated display from the serial transections of the crude drugs Radix Ophiopogonis and Radix Liriopes have been achieved. Accordingly, some tri-dimensional image techniques and information for the computer aided teaching and identification of pharmacognosy have been offered.