Using the high efficient copper-adsorbing yeast strain Y17 as absorbing material, the major affect factors including pH, original concentration of Cu2+, cell biomass, adsorption time and temperature were examined, and then the absorbing sites of the Y17 was determined. The results showed that the solution pH was the most dominate factor which affected the biosorption of Cu2+, the other affecting factors were the ini- tial concentration of Cu2+, the cell biomass added, and adsorption time, respectively; the temperature had lit- tle effect on the rate of biosorption. The orthogonal experiment showed that the optimal absorption condition was as follow: the solution pH was 5.0, the absorption time was 40 min, the cell biomass of Y17 added was 5.0 g/L, and the concentration of Cu2+ was 8 mmol/L; the highest adsorbing rate was up to 82.7% at this condition. Based on the results of different pretreatments and the desorption of Cu2+, the cell wall of Y17 was identified as the main place occurring boisorption process, and the -NH2 group, -COOH group on the surface of the yeast cells played an important role on the boisorption process.

Objective To evaluate the application of pooling HIV nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) among men who had sex with men (MSM) population, and to investigate suitable HIV screening strategy and the feasibility of calculation of HIV incidence using pooling NAAT among MSM population in China.Methods Four thousand eight hundred and fifty-six samples were collected from MSM population from April 2008 to September 2009 among with 4 156 were in Heilongjiang province and 700 were in Beijing in China. After standard testing with an HIV ELISA and WB confirmation testing, HIV antibody-negative samples were pooled and screened for HIV using NAAT.A three-stage pooling strategy was adopted.The HIV positive rate estimated by the four HIV screening strategies was calculated.In addition, 4 156 HIV positive specimens from Heilongjiang province were screened with the BED capture enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA).The HIV-1 incidences were estimated by BED-CEIA assay and pooling NAAT individually.ResultsOne hundred and forty-three of 4 856 subjects were HIV infected.130 were 3rd and 4th generation ELISA positive; 13 were antibody-negative but acutely HIV infected.According to the evaluation of four HIV screening strategies, routine HIV screening test together with pooling NAAT was more effective than other strategies for screening out window period generation ELISA+WB+pooling NAAT' were 2.68%(95% confidence interval CI=2.22%-3.14%), 2.82%(95%CI=2.35%-3.29%), 2.94%(95%CI=2.46%-3.42%) and 2.94%(95%CI=2.46%-3.42%), respectively.The differences were not significant (χ2=0.854 3, P=0.836 4).Of the 88 HIV positive samples from Heilongjiang province, 44 participants were tested as recent HIV infections by BED-CEIA assay. The estimated HIV-1 incidence was 2.36% (95%CI=1.63%-3.08%) and 2.92% (95%CI=1.01%-4.83%) based on BED-CEIA assay and pooling NAAT,respectively.Conclusions Pooling NAAT is a effective screening test in HIV negative population to detect window period infection among MSM population in China.

Objective To explore the effects of lamotrigine on the cognitive function and the quality of life in epilepsy patients.Methods This was a prospective study and 91 newly diagnosed epilepsy patients were enrolled.The neuropsychological tests score and the quality of life in epilepsy inventory(QOLIE-31) were obtained before and after the treatment with lamotrigine.A battery of neuropsychological tests comprised the auditory verbal learning test(AVLT), the logical memory test(LMT), the digital symbol test(DST), the stroop color word test(SCWT), the trail making test(TMT), the verbal fluency test(VFT), the WAIS block design test(WBDT), the WAIS digital span test(WDST)and the Boston naming test(BNT). Results The repeated assessments in the patients taking lamotrigine were associated with significant improvements in many domains.The greatest changes were observed in the immediate and delayed recall of AVLT, DST, the time consuming of SCWT card C and TMT test A and B, the immediate and delayed recall of LMT, VFT, WBDT and BNT.For the quality of life, significant improvements were recorded in the fields of the seizure worry(38.81?16.06 vs 45.68?15.18), the overall quality of life(59.12?13.50 vs 64.99?13.33), the social function(64.59?25.14 vs 69.41?22.70)and the self-health evaluation (71.18?13.73 vs 76.75?11.30).Conclusion Improvements of the cognitive function and the quality of life can be observed in the initial period of medication with lamotrigine in epilepsy patients.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; drug effects ; pathogenicity ; Pneumonia ; drug therapy ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo summarize the surgical technique and the clinical results of small acetabular components combined with medial protrusio technique in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) for the treatment of Crowe type IV congenital hip dislocation (CHD).

METHODSFrom January 2000 to December 2005, total 14 patients (16 hips) of Crowe type IV CHD underwent cementless THA (12 unilateral, 2 bilateral) with this new technique. There were 2 males and 12 females with an average age of 49 years (range, 38 to 75 years). The indications for surgery was severe hip pain and leg length discrepancy with difficulty in walking and activating. Cup design: Duraloc (Depuy, Warsaw, USA) in 10 hips, Pressfit S II (LINK, Germany) in 6 hips. The outside diameter of the cup was 42 to 44 mm; and the thickness of the polyethylene liner was 6 to 7 mm. Total hip replacement were performed with the medial protrusion technique to stabilize the fit of a hemispherical metal cup in the acetabulum. The hip functions were evaluated by Harris hip score. The muscle strength of the gluteus medius and gait were respectively evaluated in accordance with the standards of five and four classes.

RESULTSThe X-ray showed that the average superolateral bone coverage in these 16 hips (none of which had bone graft) was more than 98 percent. The cup was an average of (5.8 +/- 1.2) mm medial and (6.2 +/- 1.7) mm superior to the Ranawat triangle. The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 9 years. The Harris hip score improved from 25 to 32 preoperatively to 90 to 98 1 year postoperatively. X-ray showed that perforated area of the medial acetabulum were repaired with healed bone mud 4 to 8 months after operation. The rate of linear wear of the polyethylene liner averaged (0.10 +/- 0.03) mm each year. Until now, no aseptic loosening or osteolysis was identified around the acetabulum components, no acetabular components were revised for loosening or other reasons.

CONCLUSIONSmall acetabular components combined with medial protrusio technique is a simple, reliable and flexible surgical technique. Early and mid-term result in total hip arthroplasty with this technique for the treatment of Crowe type IV CHD is satisfactory.

Acetabulum ; metabolism ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Female ; Hip Dislocation, Congenital ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prosthesis Design

Adolescent ; Adult ; B-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Carrier State ; blood ; Child ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDPrevious studies have shown that the functional brain activity in the resting state is impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. However, most studies focused on the relationship between different brain areas, rather than the amplitude or strength of the regional brain activity. The purpose of this study was to explore the functional brain changes in AD patients by measuring the amplitude of the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) signals.

METHODSTwenty mild AD patients and twenty healthy elderly subjects participated in the fMRI scan. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was calculated using REST software.

RESULTSCompared with the healthy elderly subjects, the mild AD patients showed decreased ALFF in the right posterior cingulate cortex, right ventral medial prefrontal cortex, and in the bilateral dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. No brain region with increased ALFF was found in the AD group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONSThe reduced activity in the posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex observed in the present study suggest that the functional abnormalities of those areas are at an early stage of AD. The ALFF analysis may provide a useful tool in fMRI study of AD.

Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gyrus Cinguli ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prefrontal Cortex ; physiopathology

In order to explored the change of PML/PML-RARalpha protein during tetraarsenic tetrasulfide (As4S4) treatment, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells from a group of newly diagnosed APL patients were examined by indirect immunofluorescence staining with anit-PML monoclonal antibody. The results showed that all samples typically presented many microspeckle signals throughout the nucleus before treatment. The redistribution occurred as early as on the second day after As4S4 treatment, which revealed loss of microspeckles with the presentation of a few large speckles. Anti-PML staining also emerged in the perinuclear cytoplasm. At last, microspeckles and large speckles all disappeared. When the therapy was combining all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) with As4S4, similar results were obtained. However, APL cells from patients treated with ATRA alone performed totally different appearance, presenting microspeckles and large speckles at the same time, followed with entirely large speckles. The conclusion is that As4S4 makes redistribution of PML/PML-RARalpha protein in leukemic cells from APL patients during the treatment, which is quite different from that during the treatment of ATRA.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Arsenicals ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; analysis ; Nuclear Proteins ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; analysis ; Promyelocytic Leukemia Protein ; Transcription Factors ; analysis ; Tretinoin ; therapeutic use ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Bio-active components from Carthamus tinctorius were separated on the basis of antioxidant capacities in vitro. The antioxidant capacity was investigated on the basis of the ability to scavenge DPPH radical, ABTS radical and reduce Fe3+ of different polar fractions. Furthermore, the chemical compounds were isolated from bio-active fraction, and were evaluated for the antioxidative effects. Five major components were isolated and identified from water extract as 6-hydroxykaempferol 3,6,7-tri-O-β-D-glucoside(1), 6-hydroxykaempferol 3-O-β-rutinoside-6-O-β-D-glucoside (2), 6-hydroxykaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucoside (3), hydroxysafflor yellow A (4) and anhydrosafflor yellow B (5). By evaluating and comparing the antioxidative effects of different fractions and obtained compounds, the results showed that water extract displayed significantly high antioxidative activities and 6-hydroxykaempferol glycosides and quinochalcone C-glycosides were found as main contribution for antioxidant property.
Antioxidants ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Benzothiazoles ; metabolism ; Biphenyl Compounds ; metabolism ; Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Ferric Compounds ; metabolism ; Free Radicals ; metabolism ; Kaempferols ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Oxidation-Reduction ; drug effects ; Picrates ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quinones ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Sulfonic Acids ; metabolism ; Water ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of compound qizhu granule (CQG) on cellular immunity of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

METHODSTotally 103 CHB patients treated with lamivudin (LAM) for 6 months, who had partial virological response (HBeAg positive) were randomly assigned to two groups, 50 in the treatment group and 53 in the control group. All patients took LAM 100 mg (once a day) plus ADV 10 mg (once a day). Patients in the treatment group additionally took CQG, one dose per day. After one-year treatment hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA negative rates, HBeAg seroconversion, levels of HBV specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), non-specific CTL and natural killing (NK) cells were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSAfter 1-year treatment, HBV DNA negative rate of the treatment group was 88: 0% in 44 cases, slightly higher than that of the control group (41 cases, 77.4%), but with no statistical difference (P >0.05). HBeAg seroconversion of the treatment group was 32.0% in 16 cases, higher than that of the control group (8 cases, 15.1%), with statistical difference (P <0.05). Levels of HBV specific CTL (0.79%±0. 07%), non-specific CTL (19.4%±1.8%) and NK cells (14. 1%± 1.5%) of the treatment group were higher than those of the control group (0.58% ± 0.08%, 17.5% ± 1.7%, and 11.1%±1.5%, respectively; allP <0.01).

CONCLUSIONTreating CHB patients with partial virological response by ADV plus CQG could improve specific and non-specific cellular immunity, thereby elevating HBeAg seroconversion rate.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; immunology ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; drug effects