OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effect of combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker on the quality of life (QOL) including appetite, defecation, and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

METHODSTotally 147 patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor were assigned to 4 groups according to different treatment methods, i.e., the supportive treatment group (A, 20 cases), the acupressure treatment group (B, 41 cases), the magnetic sticker treatment group (C, 40 cases), and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker treatment group (D, 46 cases). They were respectively treated with different methods, supportive treatment for group A, acupressure for group B, magnetic sticker for group C, and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker for group D. The scores of food intake, defecation frequency, sleep time, Karnofsky, and QOL were compared before treatment and at day 14 after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the scores of food intake, defecation frequency, and sleep time were obviously improved in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between group D and group A (P < 0.01). In addition, in comparison with A group, both Karnofsky score and QOL score increased in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe assisted therapy of the combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker could ameliorate QOL such as the digestive functions and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

Acupressure ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Humans ; Magnetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

AIM: To analyze clinical data of hospitalized patients with age - related cataract treated through clinical pathway in our hospital, and to investigate the effectiveness of clinical pathway in standardizing medical behavior, advancing work efficiency, and improving quality of hospital management.
METHODS:Data of patients with age-related cataract, who were treated with phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation in Xi'an North Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. In clinical pathway group, 220 patients underwent cataract surgery from October 2012 to May 2013 in accordance with clinical pathway. For control group, 213 patients with cataract receiving surgery from October 2010 to June 2011, comply with conventional process. Effect of cataract surgery, average length of hospitalization, average cost of hospitalization, and degree of satisfaction of patients were comprehensive investigated.
RESULTS: In 220 patients of clinical pathway group, 209 ( 95. 0%) got improved vision, the days of hospitalization was 4. 5 ± 1. 4d, and the average hospitalized consumption was 4 522. 3 ± 285. 1 Yuan. Whereas, in control group, visual acuity in 202 (94. 8%) out of 213 patients were improved, and the length and cost of hospitalization were 5. 1±1. 7d and 4 647. 7±271. 2 Yuan. The difference of the length and cost of hospitalization between these two groups were significant (P<0. 05). However, there was no statistically significance in curative effect and patients satisfaction compare (P>0. 05).
CONCLUSION: Practicing of age - related clinical pathway is helpful in standardizing medical heavier, optimizing clinical process, reducing health cost, improving quality of medical care, and providing evidence for hospital management innovation.

Purpose To investigate the relationship of infundibular bladder neck formation with pelvic floor support structure injury and urethral sphincter defect and its significance in female stress urinary incontinence.Materials and Methods The pelvic floor images of seventy-four female patients with stress urinary incontinence treated in the outpatient Department of Lanzhou University Second Hospital from April 2015 to August 2016 were analyzed retrospectively.The location of the bladder neck,posterior vesicourethral angle and the infundibular bladder neck formation were observed by the transperineal ultrasound under the resting state and the maximum Valsalva status.Meanwhile the thickness of middle urethral sphincter was measured under resting state.At the same time,eighty-one women visiting our hospital for regular physical examination were enrolled as control group.Results The infundibular urinary bladder neck formation rate (66.2％) in the stress urinary incontinence group was significantly higher than that in the control group (4.9％) under maximum Valsalva state,the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).The extent of the bladder neck descending and posterior vesicourethral angle in the stress urinary incontinence group were notably higher than those in the control group,both of the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).Stress urinary incontinence was confirmed with urethral sphincter defect by urodynamics in nine patients,in whom the infundibular bladder neck occurred.The thickness of the middle urethral sphincter in these nine patients showed no obvious difference with that in patients without sphincter defect and subjects in normal control group (P＞0.05).Conclusion The infundibular bladder neck formation,which is closely related to the pelvic floor support structure dysfunction and urethral sphincter defect,is an important indication of stress urinary incontinence.However,the assessment of urethral sphincter defect through urethral sphincter thickness need to be further studied.

Objective To fabricate an immunofluorescence probe system of carbon dots conjugated antibody based on antigen-antibody reaction principles.Methods A green one-step microwave assisted pyrolysis method was applied to preparing fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) using aminoglucose as carbon source and the obtained CDs were conjugated with antibody via EDC/NHS reactions to build CDs based fluorescent probe.Furthermore,the properties of CDs and CDs based probe system were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra,transmission electron microscopy (TEM),UV-vis absorption and so on.Results The as-prepared CDs showed excellent fluorescence and hydrophilicity and CDs based immunofluorescence probe exhibited the capability of quick detection of E.coli O157:H7.Cinclusion Fluorescent CDs as one new emerging environment-friendly nanomaterial has great potential in biosensors.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy, survival and toxicity in patients with brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), treated with concurrent systemic chemotherapy and whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) or sequential systemic chemotherapy/WBRT.

METHODSA total of 60 NSCLC patients with brain metastases were divided into two groups in this prospective clinical study: concurrent systemic chemotherapy and WBRT group (concurrent group) and sequential systemic chemotherapy/WBRT group (sequential group).

RESULTSOf 59 assessable patients, the overall response rate was 22.0%, and the brain response rate was 35.6%; the median progression-free survival time was 3.0 months, and the overall 1- and 2-year survival rates were 55% and 24.4%, respectively, with a median survival time of 16.0 months. The overall response rate was 20.0% in the concurrent group and 24.1% in sequential group (P > 0.05). The brain response rates of 43.3% in concurrent group and 27.6% in sequential group were also not significantly different (P > 0.05). The median progression-free survival time for the patients in the concurrent group was 3.0 months versus 4.0 months in the sequential group, and the median survival time was 16.0 months versus 13.0 months (all P > 0.05). The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 58.5% and 37.2% versus 52.9% and 18.9%, respectively, with a significant difference in the 2-year survival rate between the two groups (P = 0.011). In the sequential group, leukopenia was more frequent during chemotherapy than that in the concurrent group (P = 0.029).

CONCLUSIONConcurrent systemic chemotherapy and WBRT is effective with tolerable adverse events in treating brain metastasis from NSCLC with an encouraging survival, and deserves further large sample and randomized multicenter clinical trials.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Brain Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; secondary ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Cranial Irradiation ; Deoxycytidine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukopenia ; chemically induced ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Vinblastine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives

OBJECTIVETo observe the anti-renal fibrosis effect of Paidu Baoshen Pill (PBP) on 5/6 nephrectomized rats and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSTotally 50 SD male healthy rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (n = 10), the sham-operation group (n = 10), and the nephrectomy model group (n = 30) according to the proportion of 1:1:3. Rats in the sham-operation group had their renal capsule isolated without nephrectomy. Rats in the nephrectomy model group had their kidneys 5/6 nephrectomized. Then 24 h urine was collected and 24 h urinary protein (24 h UP) detected. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatitine (SCr) were also tested. According to the SCr level 30 rats of the model group were further randomly divided into the model group, the PBP group, and the Niaoduqing Granule (NG) group, 10 in each group. Rats in the PBP group and the NG group were respectively administered with PBP (at the daily dose of 1.0 g/kg) and NG (at the daily dose of 3.33 g/kg) by gastrogavage (they were dissolved in distilled water). At the same time, 2 mL distilled water was administered by gastrogavage to rats in the normal control group, the sham-operation group, and the nephrectomy model group, once daily for 4 successive weeks. Mental conditions, activities, hair color, shape of stool, and the body weight were observed during administration. After 4 weeks, urine was collected to detect 24 h UP. Blood was sampled to detect SCr, BUN, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), type III procollagen (PC III), collagen type IV (Col IV), laminin (LN), and fibronectin (FN). After rats were killed, their left remnant renal tissues were collected for pathological examinations. The protein expression quantity of TGF-β1 and FN was detected by immunohistochemical method. mRNA expression levels of TGF-β1 and FN were detected using real time fluorescent quantitative PCR.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in the above indices between the normal control group and the sham-operation group (P > 0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, rats' general condition was poorer in the model group, their body weight grew slower, and 24 h UP increased; serum levels of BUN, SCr, TGF-β1, PC III, Col IV, LN, and FN increased; the residual renal pathological lesion was serious; expression levels of TGF-β1, TGF-β1, mRNA, FN, and FN mRNA increased in the renal tissue (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, rats' general condition was better, their body weight grew faster, 24 h UP reduced (P < 0.05), blood levels of BUN and SCr decreased significantly (P < 0.01), serum levels of TGF-β1, PC III, CoL IV, LN, and FN decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the residual renal pathological lesion was attenuated in the PBP group and the NG group; expression levels of TGF-β1, TGF-β1, mRNA, FN, and FN mRNA decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with the NG group, blood levels of SCr and FN, and expression levels of FN and FN mRNA decreased more in the PBP group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPBP had the effect of anti-renal fibro- sis in 5/6 nephrectomized rats. Down-regulating expression levels of TGF-β1, and FN from gene transcription and protein translation levels might be one of its mechanisms.

Animals ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Collagen Type IV ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fibronectins ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; Laminin ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Rats ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Recent studies have shown that diet can affect the body's immunity. Roughage of dairy cows consists of a variety of plant materials which make different contributions to health. This study investigated the effect of different roughages on the immunity of dairy cows. Serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and milk samples were collected from 20 multiparous mid-lactation cows fed mixed forage (MF)- or corn straw (CS)-based diets. Expression profile analysis was used to detect the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from PBMCs. The results showed that milk protein in the MF group increased to 3.22 g/100 ml, while that of the CS group milk was 2.96 g/100 ml; by RNA sequencing, it was found that 1615 genes were differentially expressed between the CS group and the MF group among the 24 027 analyzed probes. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis of DEGs suggested that these genes (especially genes coding cytokines, chemokine and its receptors) are involved in the immune response. Results were confirmed at the protein level via detecting the levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, leptin (LEP), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in peripheral blood by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay analysis. Our data supported the conclusions that the protein content in milk of the MF group was higher than that of the CS group, the CS-based diets induced more release of cytokines than the MF-based diets in dairy cows' PBMCs, and milk protein content may be affected by cytokines.
Animals ; Cattle/immunology* ; Cytokines/physiology* ; Diet ; Female ; Gene Ontology ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology* ; Milk/chemistry* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/physiology* ; Zea mays