OBJECTIVE:To establish the quality standards for Shenshuaikang granule. METHODS:TLC was used for the quali-tative identification of Astragali Radix and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma in the preparation. HPLC was used for the contents determina-tion of emodin and chrysophanol ,the column was Agilent HC-C18 with mobile phase of methanol-0.1% phosphoric acid (85:15 , V/V)at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min,the detection wavelength was 254 nm,the column temperature was 30 ℃ and the injection vol-ume was 10 μl. RESULTS:TLC showed clear spots and good separation. The linear range was 1.9-60.8 μg/ml for emodin(r=0.999 9, n=6) and 1.6-51.2 μg/ml for chrysophanol (r=0.999 9),RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were lower than 3%,recoveries were 95.76%-103.66%(RSD=2.83%,n=9)and 97.24%-104.34%(RSD=2.65%,n=9),respectively. CONCLU-SIONS:The standard can be used for the quality control of Shenshuaikang granule.

BACKGROUND:Beta angle,as a new index for the assessment of sagittal jaw relationship,has been widely used by clinical doctors.However,hand-made measurement but not academic software is still adopted in some hospital.OBJECTIVE:To study the beta angle of different skeletal patterns in Urumqi city for the clinical use of the method to assess the sagittal jaw relationship,and verify the possibility of Photoshop software to measurement of beta angle.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:An observational experiment and measurement design was performed at Department of Orthodontics,the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from July 2006 to May 2009.PARTICIPANTS:A total of 262 malocclusion cases including 94 males and 168 females were lived in Urumqi City.They were divided into three groups based on type of facies ossea,including type Ⅰ group (n=119),type Ⅱ group (n=74),and type Ⅲ group (n=69).METHODS:Lateral position of skull was photographed using X-ray,and beta angle was measured using Photoshop 8.0 software.Sex and type of facies ossea were compared using one-way analysis of variance and t test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:Beta angle of male and female;beta angle of the types Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ.RESULT:There was no significant difference in beta angle between males and females (P>0.05).Beta angle of type Ⅰ was (34.15±3.88)°,that of type Ⅱ was (26.42±2.65)°,and that of type Ⅲ was 42.41°±1.88°.There was significant difference in beta angle among three types of facies ossea (P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Beta angle is an index for the assessment of sagittal jaw relationship.The reference range of the beta angle is 30°-38°.Photoshop 8.0 software is a novel tool to measure cephalometry.

BACKGROUND:It is very important to appreciate the Sagittal discrepancy during the diagnosis and therapy in orthodontics patients.At present,ANB angle,AXB angle,Beta angle and APDI value were often used to evaluate the mandible and maxilla relationships in orthodontic clinic.Correlation and variance degree among these parameters were analyzed to judge the reliability.OBJECTIVE:To compare the reliability of ANB angle,AXB angle,Beta angle and APDI value in assessing sagittal discrepancy between mandible and maxilla in transitional dentition cases with Angle's class Ⅲ malocclusion.METHODS:Totally 56 patients of Angle's class Ⅲ malocclusion in transitional dentition at the Department of Orthodontics,First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University,between January 2004 and June 2009,were selected.ANB angle,AXB angle,Beta angle and APDI value of Angle's class Ⅲ malocclusion in transitional dentition were measured on the cephalometric radiographs.The radiographs were scanned by Microtek Phantom 9800 XL scanner at proportion of 1:1 with 300 dpi pixels,and saved as JPG format.The JPG pictures were fixed-point using Photoshop 8.0 to measure ANB angle,AXB angle,Beta angle and APDI value,the mean value was obtained after 3 times measurement.The correlation and variance degree among these parameters were analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Significant correlation was found among ANB angle,AXB angle,Beta angle and APDI value (P＜0.05).The coefficients of variation for the 4 indexes were 1.35,0.75,0.07 and 0.04,respectively.The results demonstrated that,it is accurate to use ANB angle,AXB angle,Beta angle and APDI value as cephalometric norm to evaluate sagittal discrepancy of maxmandibul in transitional dentition cases with Angle's class Ⅲ malocclusion.However,the APDI value is more reliable as cephalometric norm.

Objective To investigate the association of interleukin-6 (IL-6) with depression using meta analysis. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted to examine depression and interleukin-6 in Chinese patients us-ing“depression”and“interleukin-6”in Databases including PubMed, CBM, VIP, CNKI and WanFang Data. A me-ta-analysis was performed to analyze correlation between depression and interleukin-6 using RevMan 5.2.8 software. Results A total of 9 studies were recruited, involving 432 depression patients and 277 healthy controls. The results of meta-analysis showed that concentration of IL-6 was higher in depression patients than in healthy controls(SMD=1.48, 95%CI:0.78~2.18,P<0.05). Subgroup analysis in the first-episode subgroup and the non first-episode subgroup showed that concentration of interleukin-6 was higher in depression patients than that in controls [the first-episode subgroup (SMD=1.94,95%CI:0.07~3.81,P<0.05), the non first-episode subgroup (SMD=1.26,95%CI:0.60~1.93,P<0.05)]. Conclusion There is a good correlation between depression and the serum IL-6 concentration. Due to the small number of studies and heterogeneity in different studies, the present meta-analysis has not yet confirmed the quantitative correla-tion between IL-6 and depression.

Objective To investigate an effective method of breathing apparatus management. Methods According to the defect in process of breathing machine management, breathing apparatus management center was set up, related standards and procedures were established, the staff training was intensified and the management mode was expanded. Results The qualified rate of ventilator sterilization and breathing apparatus function were improved to 100% by applying zero defect quality management. Conclusion It is an effective method to ensure the safety and accuracy in breathing machine manage- ment with applying zero defect quality management.

Purpose: This study investigated the association between sleep problems and food allergies (FAs) in Chinese preschoolers and assessed whether there is a difference in this association among children with/without siblings. Methods: A cluster-stratified sampling approach was employed to select four districts in Chongqing based on demographic considerations. A total of 16 kindergartens (n = 966 parents) participated in this study. Parents completed the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and a standard FAs questionnaire. Analysis of covariance and multiple logistic regression were used to assess the associations between sleep problems and FAs after adjusting for relevant confounders. Results: The study found that 16.3% of children had FAs, with eggs, shellfish, and fruit being the most common allergenic foods. The prevalence of FAs was significantly higher in single children (20.63%) than in children with siblings (13.36%). A total of 70.39% of children had CSHQ scores above the clinical cut-off for sleep disorder. Factor analysis revealed five underlying dimensions from the CSHQ. Factor scores, except for the ‘difficulty morning waking’ factor, were not significantly different between the two groups. Remarkably, the factor scores of ‘parasomnias’ and ‘sleep anxiety’ were significantly higher when children had both siblings and FAs. For all subjects, the odds ratios (ORs) of FAs significantly increased with the presence of sleep disorder (OR, 2.35; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.50–3.68) and ‘difficulty falling asleep’ (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.22–1.48). The subgroup analysis showed that the probability of FAs significantly increased with the ‘difficulty falling asleep’ (OR, 1.32 vs. 1.38) and sleep disorder (OR, 2.48 vs. 2.14) in children with and without siblings, respectively. The ‘parasomnias’ was positively associated only with children with siblings. Conclusion This study suggests that children with siblings might be more susceptible to FAs when accompanied by certain sleep problems. Further studies are warranted to address the underlying dimensions and possible mediation effects of having siblings with sleep problems.

Objective To investigate the influences of arctigenin(ATG)on ventricular remodeling and inflammatory reaction in chronic heart failure(CHF)rats,and to analyze its potential mecha-nism.Methods A total of 79 SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group(n=12),and the remaining rats were inflicted with abdominal aortic coarctation to establish a rat CHF model.After modeling,60 CHF rats were randomly divided into CHF group,low and high dose ATG group(ATG-L and ATG-H groups,10 and 20 mg/kg,respectively),ATG+NC group[20 mg/kg ATG+100 μl high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)negative control plasmid],and ATG+HMGB1 group(20 mg/kg ATG+100 pl HMGB1 overexpression plasmid),with 12 rats per group.After 4 weeks of corresponding intervention,heart function,levels of B-type brain na-triuretic peptide(BNP),N-terminal B-type brain natriuretic peptide precursor(NT-proBNP)andIL-6 and TNF-α,heart mass index(HMI)and left ventricular mass index(LVMI),pathological changes of myocardial tissue,cross-sectional area of myocardial cells and myocardial collagen vol-ume fraction(CVF)and protein expression of HMGB1/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/NF-κB sig-naling pathway in left ventricular myocardial tissue were measured.Results Compared with the sham operation group,myocardial tissue HMGB1(0.42±0.05 vs 0.15±0.02)and TLR4(0.70± 0.09 vs 0.21±0.04)protein levels,and phosphorylated NF-κB p65(p-NF-κB p65)/NF-κB p65(0.73±0.09 vs 0.26±0.05)protein ratio were obviously increased in the CHF group,while the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular short-axis fractional shortening(LVFS)were obviously decreased(P＜0.05).Myocardial tissue HMGB1(0.33±0.04、0.24±0.04 vs 0.42±0.05)and TLR4(0.56±0.06、0.41±0.05 vs 0.70±0.09)protein levels,and p-NF κB p65/NF-KB p65(0.61±0.08、0.49±0.06 vs 0.73±0.09)protein ratio were decreased,and the LVEF and LVFS were increased in the ATG-L group and ATG-H group than the CHF group(P＜0.05).Overexpression of HMGB1 obviously attenuated the inhibitory effects of ATG on HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway,ventricular remodeling,and inflammatory reaction in CHF rats(P＜0.05).Conclusion ATG may suppress ventricular remodeling in CHF rats by in-hibiting HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling inflammatory pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dimensional accuracy of digital dental models obtained from the dental cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan of alginate impressions according to the time elapse when the impressions are stored under ambient conditions. METHODS: Alginate impressions were obtained from 20 adults using 3 different alginate materials, 2 traditional alginate materials (Alginoplast and Cavex Impressional) and 1 extended-pour alginate material (Cavex ColorChange). The impressions were stored under ambient conditions, and scanned by CBCT immediately after the impressions were taken, and then at 1 hour intervals for 6 hours. After reconstructing three-dimensional digital dental models, the models were measured and the data were analyzed to determine dimensional changes according to the elapsed time. The changes within the measurement error were regarded as clinically acceptable in this study. RESULTS: All measurements showed a decreasing tendency with an increase in the elapsed time after the impressions. Although the extended-pour alginate exhibited a less decreasing tendency than the other 2 materials, there were no statistically significant differences between the materials. Changes above the measurement error occurred between the time points of 3 and 4 hours after the impressions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that digital dental models can be obtained simply from a CBCT scan of alginate impressions without sending them to a remote laboratory. However, when the impressions are not stored under special conditions, they should be scanned immediately, or at least within 2 to 3 hours after the impressions are taken.
Adult ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography* ; Dental Models* ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of syndrome differentiation-based treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) versus losartan therapy in addition to basic treatment for management of proteinuria in patients with chronic kidney disease.

METHODSThis multicenter, randomized, and case-controlled clinical trial was conducted among 81 consecutive patients meeting the inclusion criteria. The patients were randomized consecutively to receive TCM treatments according to the syndrome patterns in TCM (spleen and kidney Qi and Yin deficiency, and spleen and kidney Qi and Yang deficiency, n=60) or oral losartan therapy (50 mg/day, n=21) in addition to the basic treatments. All the patients were followed up for 24 weeks to observe the clinical effects.

RESULTSThe patients in TCM group showed a significantly higher overall response rate (93.33%) than those in losartan group (76.20%, P<0.05). The TCM score in the two groups were all decreased at week 24 as compared with baseline (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The TCM scores in both groups decreased significantly after the treatments as compared with the baseline scores (P<0.05). After a 8-week-long treatment, Scr, eGFR and Cys-C, U-Pro/24 h, and MA/Cr all decreased significantly in TCM group (P<0.05) but showed no significant changes in losartan group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSyndrome differentiation-based TCM treatment in addition to basic treatments can produce satisfactory therapeutic effects on proteinuria in patients with chronic kidney disease by improving the clinical symptoms, reducing TCM symptom scores and proteinuria, and protecting the renal functions.

Adult ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Losartan ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Prospective Studies ; Proteinuria ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; complications ; drug therapy

Objective:To explore the effect of family doctor system on the risk stratification of community hypertensive population by application of Markov modelMethods:Retrospective investigation was conducted on hypertensive patients under continuing management from 13 community health service centers in Shanghai Xuhui District from January 2014 to December 2016. Among 98 996 subjects, 50 920 (51.45%) were contracted to family doctors (contracted group) and 48 046 (48.55%) did not contracted to family doctors (non-contracted group). According to the risk stratification of hypertension, the four-state Markov model (low-risk, medium-risk, high-risk, and extremely high-risk) was established. The prediction effect of the model was validated, and the changes in the risk stratification status of hypertension in the study subjects from 2017 to 2020 was predicted by using the Markov model.Results:Among all subjects the number of medium-risk and extremely high-risk accounted for the majority(>80%). Compared with 2014, in 2016 the number of low-risk patients with hypertension was decreased from 9 042 cases (17.76%) to 6 851 cases (13.45%) in contracted group; and from 9 971 cases (20.75%) to 7 906 cases (16.46%) in non-contracted group; the number of people at extremely high risk of hypertension was increased from 15 609 cases (30.65%) to 17 639 cases (34.64%) in the contracted group; from 13 847 cases (28.82%) to 15 641 cases (32.55%) in the non-contracted group. According to the Markov model one year after the risk stratification, the risk status of most subjects remained in the original one. There was not transform from extremely high-risk to low-risk state (0%), but there was transform from low-risk to extremely high-risk state in some extend, and the degree of transform in non-contracted group [2.06%(205/9 971)] was higher than the contracted group [1.85%(167/9 042)]. Predicted by the Markov model, between 2017 and 2020 the number and proportion of the medium-risk>extremely high-risk>low-risk>high-risk in both contracted group and non-contracted group. With the extension of time, low-risk proportion is gradually reduces, and the rate of reduction of the contracted group was lower than that of the non-contracted group, while proportion of medium-risk, high-risk and extremely high-risk is gradually increased.Conclusions:The constructed Markov model is accruable and stable, which can be used in the study of hypertension prognosis. The study indicates that the contracted services of family doctor have positive effects on the management of community hypertensive patients.