Attitude to Health ; China ; Dust ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Needs Assessment ; Occupational Exposure ; prevention & control ; Occupational Health Services ; Pneumoconiosis ; prevention & control ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Purpose Median arcuate ligament (MAL) compression is the most common reason for celiac artery stenosis or occlusion, celiac artery compression of asymptomatic MAL is often misdiagnosed. This study aims to evaluate the multi-slice spiral CT manifestations of the celiac artery compression of median arcuate ligament. Materials and Methods CT features of 26 patients with celiac artery compression of median arcuate ligament were retrospectively studied. Eleven cases were symptomatic and fifteen cases were asymptomatic. Results In 14 cases (53.8%), the location of compression was at the level of superior 1/3 of the L1 vertebral body. There was statistic difference in location of the origin of compression between the celiac artery narrowing group and the non-narrowing group (P<0.05). CT manifestations included: narrowing of the celiac artery were observed in 26 patients on sagittal reformatted images with hollow on the anterior wall; a characteristic hooked appearance was observed. Narrowed celiac artery on the transverse images was seen in 21 patients, and a soft-tissue band extending across the anterior aspect of artery in 12 of them. Poststenotic dilatation was revealed in 20 patients. Collateral circulation was seen in 8 patients. Conclusion Multi-slice spiral CT can be helpful in demonstrating the location of celiac artery compression of median arcuate ligament and tell the characteristic imaging features.

Ongoing study on the chemical constituents of the roots of Macleaya microcarpa led to the isolation of eight compounds of derivatives of triterpenes and organic acids in addition to some previously identified benzophenanthridines. The eight compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods as well as comparison with literature values as 1-oxo-2, 22 (30)-hopandien-29-oic acid (1), 3-oxo-12-oleanen-30-oic acid (2), 3α-hydroxy-12-oleanen-30-oic acid (3), 3β-hydroxy-12-oleanen-30-oic acid (4), ferulic acid (5), ferulic acid 4-O-β-D-glucoside (6), 3-O-feruloylquinic acid (7), and methyl 3-O-feruloylquinate (8). Of which, 1 is a new triterpenoid of hopanes and 2-8 are isolated from M microcarpa for the first time. In order to discover natural active compounds as potential agents of anti-ulcerative colitis (UC), an in vitro drug high-throughput screening model targeted x-box-binding protein 1 (xbp1) was employed to evaluate the activity of the major chemical constituents of M microcarpa. The result confirmed that two dihydrobenzophenanthridines, dihydrosanguinarine (9) and dihydrochelerythrine (10), showed a certain activity on activating the transcription of xbpl, a transcription factor (TF) associated with the occurrence, development, and potential treatment of UC, with their relative activating ratios being 1.76 and 1.77 times, respectively, as compared with control group.
Anti-Ulcer Agents ; chemistry ; Benzophenanthridines ; chemistry ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Isoquinolines ; chemistry ; Papaveraceae ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Regulatory Factor X Transcription Factors ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Transcription, Genetic ; Triterpenes ; chemistry

Fifty-six patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy(GO)were treated with antithyroid drug and oral prednisone for three months,TSH receptor antibody(TRAb)level was reduced,GO activity and severity of some patients were ameliorated but still positively associated with TRAb.It suggests that TRAb not only triggers off GO but also plays a possible role in the maintenance of the autoimmune process in GO.

Objective To improve the conventional method of quantitative assessment of regional cerebral blood flows(rCBF)by a perfusion CT study based on maximal slope model at the general infusion rate(

In 2013, the World Health Organization reported the first case of human infection with a new influenza A (H7N9) virus in China. This has caused damage and panic within certain areas in China. Therefore, analysis of this virus with bioinformatics technology is very necessary. Neuraminidase (NA) is one of the most important antigens of the influenza virus and an important target for anti-flu drugs. In this study, the nucleotide and protein sequences of NA gene of A/H7N9 influenza viruses were retrieved from the NCBI database, and MEGA 5.0 software was employed to construct a phylogenetic tree based on the nucleotide coding sequence; BioEdit software was used to align the nucleotide and protein sequences of NA and calculate the homologies of nucleotides and amino acids and then to analyze the important mutation sites of NA gene. The results demonstrated that the spread of influenza virus H7N9 showed certain geographical and temporal relations. The H7N9 virus isolated from China in 2013 belonged to Euroasiatic serotype, and its NA stalk region hadobvious variation, which may be one of the reasons that this virus infects human. These analyses may be very helpful for understanding the evolutionary relationship and mutation trend of A/H7N9 influenza viruses.
Databases, Genetic ; Evolution, Molecular ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype ; enzymology ; genetics ; Mutation ; Neuraminidase ; chemistry ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (Skp2 ASODN) on the growth and proliferation of gastric carcinoma SGC-7901 cells and its mechanism.

METHODSThe Skp2 oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) were embedded in cationic liposome Lipofectamine 2000 reagent and transfected into SGC-7901 cells. The cell growth and proliferation were observed with light microscopy and MTT assay. Cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry. The expression levels of Skp2 and p27 mRNA were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The expression levels of Skp2 protein and its substrate p27 protein were detected by Western blot.

RESULTAfter treatment with Skp2 ASODN, the growth and proliferation of SGC-7901 cells were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner with a peak value at 48 h. The inhibition rate of 200 nmol/L group at 48 h was 42.4 % (P<0.01). In cell cycle study the percentage of S phase cells in 200 nmol/L group was significantly higher than that in normal control group (P<0.05). Both Skp2 mRNA and its protein levels in 200 nmol/L group were significantly lower than those in control group and in Skp2 nonsense oligodeoxynucleotide (Skp2 NSODN) group (P<0.05). However, p27 mRNA level remained unchanged although its protein level was significantly higher than that in control group and NSODN group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSkp2 ASODN can inhibit the growth and proliferation of SGC-7901 cells, which may be mediated by interfering with ubiquitin-proteosome pathway and cell cycle regulation.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense ; genetics ; pharmacology ; S-Phase Kinase-Associated Proteins ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects of the circumcision stapler, circumcision cerclage, and traditional circumcision in the treatment of phimosis and redundant prepuce.

METHODSUsing the circumcision stapler (group A), foreskin cerclage (group B), and traditional circumcision (group C), we treated 276 patients with phimosis or redundant prepuce. We made comparisons among the three groups in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative and 24-hour postoperative pain scores, and incidence of postoperative complications. Results: The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and intraoperative pain score were (6.52 ± 2.45) min, (1.93 ± 0.82) ml, and 1.37 ± 0.68 in group A and (7.24 ± 1.86) min, (1.51 ± 0.72) ml, and 1.20 ± 0.79 in group B, all significantly lower than (28. 36 ± 4.22) min, (9.52 ± 3.29) ml, and 3.06 ± 0.75 in group C (P <0.05). The 24-hour postoperative pain score was remarkably higher in group B than in A and C (3. 18 ± 0. 82 vs 1. 85 ± 0. 63 and 1. 82 ± 0. 75, P <0. 05). The incidence rate of postoperative complications was markedly lower in group A than in B (5. 43% vs 14. 13%, P < 0.05), but with no significant differences between either A and C or B and C (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe circumcision stapler, with its advantages of simple operation, minimal invasiveness, fewer complications, and better cosmetic result, deserves a wider clinical application.

Blood Loss, Surgical ; Circumcision, Male ; adverse effects ; instrumentation ; methods ; Foreskin ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative ; diagnosis ; Penis ; abnormalities ; Phimosis ; therapy ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period

Objective To determine the presence and the morphological features of bacterial biofilms in surgical specimens of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) compared with control patients without CRS by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and to evaluate the role of biofilm on the pathogenisis of CRS. Methods Fifteen patients with CRS undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery and 11 control patients with fracture of nasal bone were enrolled in this study. Clinical information was recorded from each patient. All patients underwent a thorough otolaryngological examination, preoperative paranasal sinus computerized tomography (CT) scanning which were evaluated according to the Lund-Mckay CT scoring system. All the samples including ancinate process, ethmoid mucosa from CRS group and uncinate process, ethmoid bulls from control group were prepared using standard methods for SEM. The presence of bacterial biofilms on the samples of two groups was observed by SEM. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13.0. Continuous data was analyzed by Student t test and dichotomous data was analyzed by χ~2 or Fisher exact test. P was considered to be significant at a level of 0.05. Results Nine (60.0% )of the 15 patients were found to have evidence of biofilms. In control group, only 1 (9.1%) of 11 patients had biofilm. The difference was statistical significant(χ~2=6.949 ,P<0. 01 ). All controls except one had healthy appearing cilia and goblet cells without biofilms. All the 16 CRS patients showed aberrant findings of the mueosal surface with variation in degrees of severity from disarrayed cilia to complete absence of cilia and goblet cells. Among them the typical morphologic feature such as water channels, 3-D structure, and matrix-embedding spherical or elliptical bodies were noted in 9 cases. Five samples including one case from control showed cilia aggregation. The preoperative CT scores of the CRS patients with biofilms (n=9) were significantly higher than those without biofilms (n=6,t=2.14,P<0.05 ). Conclusions The typical morphologic feature of BF such as water channels, 3-D structure, and matrix-embedding spherical or elliptical bodies were noted in sinus mucosa of patients with CRS by the SEM. The positive rate of bacterial biofilms in CRS group was significantly higher compared to control group, which indicated bacterial biofilms might play an important role in the pathogenesis of CRS. Besides the typical bacterial biofilm features, cilia aggregation was found in five cases of CRS patients. We consider cilia aggregation can be regarded as one morphologic feature of bacterial biofilm in nasal mueosa, which needs further study. The presence of bacterial biofilms in CRS patients is associated with paranasal CT scores, which indicates that bacterial biofilm is correlated with the severity of CRS.

OBJECTIVETo study the regulatory effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) on cell proliferation of skeletal myoblast strain L6 and its possible signal mechanism.

METHODSL6 cells cultured in DMEM high glucose culture medium containing 10% FBS were divided into control group (C, without addition), GLP-1 group (G, added with 10 nmol/L GLP-1), PI3K inhibitor group (W, added with 50 nmol/L PI3K specific inhibitor wortmannin), and GLP-1 + PI3K inhibitor group (GW, added with 10 nmol/L GLP-1 and 50 nmol/L wortmannin) according to the random number table. Cell proliferation activity was detected with MTT assay at post culture hour (PCH) 24, 48, 72 (denoted as absorbance value). At PCH 24, the change in cell cycle was evaluated with flow cytometer, the expression level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was determined with immunohistochemical staining, the protein levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) and p-Akt were determined with Western blotting. Data were processed with multi-group analysis of variance.

RESULTS(1) The cell proliferation activity at PCH 48, 72 in G group was respectively 0.660 +/- 0.120, 0.870 +/- 0.240, all significantly higher than those in C group (0.530 +/- 0.060, 0.700 +/- 0.100, with F value respectively 5.46, 5.90, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The cell proliferation activity in W group at each time point was lower than that in C group. The cell proliferation activity in GW group at PCH 48, 72 was respectively 0.510 +/- 0.080, 0.740 +/- 0.160, all lower than those in G group (with F value respectively 5.46, 5.90, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). (2) The percentage of S phase cell in G group at PCH 24 [(15.7 +/- 0.4)%] was significantly higher than that in C group [(13.6 +/- 0.6)%] and GW group [(10.1 +/- 0.6)%], while that in W group [(6.8 +/- 1.2)%] was lower than that in C group (with F values all equal to 15.39, P values all below 0.01). (3) PCNA level in G group at PCH 24 [(51.24 +/- 1.18)%] was markedly higher than that in C group [(36.72 +/- 1.56)%] and GW group [(25.90 +/- 1.22)%], and while in W group [(21.70 +/- 0.09)%] was lower than that in C group (with F values equal to 783.80, P values all below 0.05). (4) The protein level of p-Akt in G group at PCH 24 was significantly higher than that in the other 3 groups, while that in W group was lower than that in C group (with F values equal to 94.43, P values all below 0.01). There was no obvious difference in protein level of p-PI3K at PCH 24 among G, GW, and C groups ( F = 20.94, P > 0.05). The protein level of p-PI3K at PCH 24 in W group was lower than that in C group (F = 20.94, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSGLP-1 can promote cell proliferation of skeletal myoblast by accelerating the progression of cell cycle and increasing the synthesis of DNA, which can be attributed to PI3K/Akt signal pathway.

Androstadienes ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA ; biosynthesis ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 ; pharmacology ; Myoblasts, Skeletal ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects