Objective To study the effect of angiotensinⅡon the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells(hUVEC) , and the effect of peroxisome proliferator- activated receptors (PPARs)?and?on MCP-1. Methods MCP-1 protein level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, and the mRNA expression level of MCP-1 was determined by RT-PCR. Results AngiotensinⅡdistinctly increased the expression of MCP-1 in a dose-dependent manner in cultured hUVECs, and valsartan inhibited the expression of MCP-1 remarkably. Both rosiglitazone (PPAR7 agonist) and fenofibrate (PPAR?agonist) concentration- dependently reduced the expression of MCP-1 in induced by AngⅡ10-6 mol/L. Conclusions AngiotensinⅡcan increase the expression of MCP-1 evidently in hUVECs, which is inhibited by valsartan. The activation of PPARa and PPAR?can decrease the expression of MCP-1 in hUVECs.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of the plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with acute cardiac dyspnea or noncardiac dyspnea.Methods 93 patients with acute dyspnea were divided into two groups:cardiac dyspnea group(61 cases)and noncardiac dyspnea group(32 cases).In cardiac dyspnea group,according to the results of echocardiography,the cases were divided into three groups:pure diastolic heart failure(25 cases),pure systolic heart failure(21 cases)as well as diastolic and systolic heart failure(15 cases).At the same time,heart function was classified according to NYHA.The plasma NT-proBNP level was measured by ELISA.The data was analyzed by SPSS12.0.Results The plasma NT-proBNP level of the cases with cardiac dyspnea and noncardiac dyspnea was(3.591 ?2.943)ng/L and(0.429 ?0.119)ng/L respectively.There was a significant difference between cardiac dyspnea cases and noncardiac dyspnea cases(P

Objective To analyze the clinical manifestations,treatment and prognosis of adult medulloblastoma (MB).Methods A total of 163 cases of adult MB,confirmed by surgical and pathological diagnosis,were retrospectively analyzed about the clinical manifestations,imaging,treatment and prognosis.There are 108 males and 55 females in the group,whose average age was 28.6-year-old.Results The main clinical manifestations include headache,nausea,vomiting,dizziness,gait disturbance,hypopsia,diplopia,hearing loss and cerebellum crisis.Gross total resection was achieved in 90 cases,subtotal resection in 67 cases and biopsy in 6 cases.Survival time from surgery to progression or death or the last date of follow-up were measured and estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method.Among a total of 160 follow-up patients with MB,postoperative overall survival time was from 7 to 170 months,median survival time was (127±6) months (95％ CI 115.3-138.68).The 5-year overall survival time of adult MB patients was 73.1％ (120/163).The log-rank test was used to compare the significance of the following prognostic variables.Among all clinical factors,patients undergoing the craniospinal irradiation had a significantly better survival rate than those without this treatment (44 months vs 34 months,x2 =8.712,P =0.003).Conclusion Good therapeutic effect of MB be achieved by adopting surgical resection with early enough craniospinal irradiation.Recurrence and metastasis are the two main factors for bad prognosis in adult MB.

Taking Shinshu University of Japan for example,we attempted to introduce the postgraduate clinical education system for new oral surgeons by analyzing the management of clinical training programs,studies of oral maxillofacial and associated medicine,and practices of scientific research in the department of oral surgery.Their experiences may be useful for us to improve our medical continuing education for young oral surgery residences.

Objective To explore the curative effect of clinical application of modified McBride's procedure on correcting mild-moderate hallux valgus.Methods We had retrospectively assessed 32 patients(52 feet)treated with the procedure of modified McBride's procedure.All patients were followed up,the follow -up period from 6 months to 6 years(3.1 years on average).There were 2 male(4 feet)patients and 30 female(48 feet)patients in this group.The average age at the time of surgery was 41.6 years old(from 21 to 59 years).Results According to the forefoot score of American Orthopedics Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS),29 feet(55.8%)were excellent,17 feet (32.7%)were good,And the rate of excellent and good was 88.5%.The average correction of HVA and IMA was 13.68°and 3.24°respectively compared with the preoperative cases.Conclusion This procedure can not only effec-tively reduce the increased hallux valgus angle,but also narrow the angle between the 1st and 2nd metatarsal,relocate the sesamoid system,and effectively relieve patients'pain.This approach is of minor side effects to bone and joint structure,and of rapid recovery.It is a preferential choice to treat mild-to-moderate hallux valgus deformity.

OBJECTIVETo probe into the new idea along with establishment of a novel method for dynamic monitoring and early-warning on the wild resources of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs).

METHODThe alterations of wild traditional Chinese medicinal resources were assessed through the price ratio between drug and foodstuff (PRDF) indicating the balance between supply and demand of the specific TCMs, referred to the price ration between pork to foodstuff which is used in national monitoring to the balance between pork supply and demand.

RESULTSince the price of rice was tightly controlled by government, it was selected as a relatively stable reference to build the PRDF in order to take away the non-marketing influence to TCMs price such as CPI and inflation rate. The modified relative alteration trend of TCMs price had been researched through comparing different formulae to build PRDF, including absolute average month price of TCMs, month average price ratio of TCMs to foodstuff (rice) , month-on-month change of TCMs to rice, year-on-year change of TCMs to rice, and difference in value of period-on-period change (DVPPC). In the research, Cordyceps, Glycyrrhiza and totally five herbs were selected as model drugs and the price data were collected from 2002 to 2008. The results showed that DVPPC calculated of relative long time window was more sensitive and stable to reflect the relative alteration trend of TCMs price. For instance, the DVPPC of Ligustici showed continuously increase trend in recent years. This suggested appearance of unbalance between supply and demand of Ligustici, and forced policy intervention to maintain reasonable and continuable utilization of Ligustici resource.

CONCLUSIONThe proposed method and the formula of DVPPC revealed some useful guidance for dynamic monitoring the wild resources of TCMs.

Conservation of Natural Resources ; economics ; Food ; economics ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; Nonlinear Dynamics

Objective To investigate clinicopathological features of pancreatic carcinoma with or without lymph node metastasis,and to explore the relationship between the lymph node metastasis and the prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma.Methods The clinical and follow up data of 216 patients with pancreatic carcinoma from 2001 to 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival rates and plot survival curves.Results The postoperative survival time was 4-86 months,the median survival time was 19 months,and the postoperative 1,3 and 5 year survival rates were 65.1％,33.8％,20.5％,respectively.Patients with positive lymph node metastasis were with 1,3,5 year survival rates of 36.5％,12.2％,0％,those with no lymph node metastasis were with 1,3,5 year survival rates of 70.3％,38.0％,21.4％ (x2 =15.803,P ＜ 0.001).Conclusions Lymph node metastasis in patients with pancreatic cancer is worse than that without lymph node metastasis.Lymph node metastasis is one of the main prognostic factors in patients after radical resection of the pancreatic cancer.

OBJECTIVETo study the pathologic characteristics and prognosis in different subtypes of adult medulloblastoma (MB).

METHODSThe clinical information, imaging findings and pathologic characteristics of 151 cases of adult medulloblastomas were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed by chi-square test. The survival data were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTSAmongst the 151 MB cases studied, there were 73 cases of classic MB, 36 cases of desmoplastic/nodular MB, 39 cases of anaplastic MB and 3 cases of large cell MB. The primary tumors were more frequently located in cerebral hemisphere in desmoplastic/nodular MB than in other subtypes (P=0.000).On the other hand, large cell/anaplastic MB were associated with more frequently local recurrence and distant metastasis (P=0.003). The post-operative overall survival time ranged from 6 to 150 months, with median survival being (103.3±5.7) months (95%CI, 92.52 to 115.09). The median survival of classic MB, desmoplastic/nodular MB and large cell/anaplastic MB was (110.7±7.8) months, (125.5±7.6) months and (57.6±7.6) months, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONSThe three variants of MB show different biologic behavior. Large cell/anaplastic MB represents an independent poor prognostic indicator in adults.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cerebellar Neoplasms ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; metabolism ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the synergistic effect of hyperhomocystinemia (HHcy) and smoking on the incidence of Coronary heart disease. Methods A total of 22 043 subjects were enrolled from health care center. Participants were classified into two groups: Non-coronary heart disease group (control group, n = 19 410) and coronary heart disease group(n=2 633).A questionnaire survey,physical examination and blood homocysteine (Hcy)test were carried out among the participants.Results After controlling the confounding factors,multivariable Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of coronary heart disease in patients with smoking was 4.832 times higher than that of patients with normal waistline. The risk of coronary heart disease in patients with HHcy was 1.019 times higher than that of patients with normal Hcy (OR = 4.832,1.019,P < 0.05).Interaction analysis showed that the risk of patients with HHcy and smoking was 2.473 times higher than that of patients without HHcy and no-smoking.The synergy index between HHcy and smoking on the incidence of Coronary heart disease was 1.739. The pure attributable proportion due to the interaction was 42.9%. Conclusions HHcy and smoking are risk factors for coronary heart disease and there is a positive synergistic effect between HHcy and smoking on the incidence of coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND:Subepithelial connective tissue grafts are generally considered as the gold standard for soft tissue augmentation.However,it needs a second surgical site,which will prolong the surgical time and increase patients'pain. OBJECTIVE:To compare the histological and thickness changes of attached gingiva following grafting with different soft tissue substitutes in the labial region of the cuspids. METHODS:In three Beagle dogs,attached gingival augmentation was performed with double-layer allogeneic acellular dermal matrix membrane(AADM),bovine-derived acellular dermal matrices(BADM)combined with concentrated growth factor membrane or BADM combined with collagen sponge.Thickness of attached gingiva was measured before augmentation,and 1,2,3,and 4 months after augmentation.Histological analyses were performed after 4 months. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The mean values of attached gingival thickness and attached gingival thickness augmentation were higher in the double-layer AADM group than in the other two groups(all P<0.05)from the 1st to 4th month after surgery.At 1 month after surgery,the attached gingival thickness of the three groups increased significantly and then decreased.At 3 months after surgery,the BADM combined with collagen sponge group and the BADM combined with concentrated growth factor membrane group showed no significant difference in the attached gingival thickness of the graft area compared with that before surgery(P>0.05).At 4 months after surgery,the mean value of attached gingival thickness in the double-layer AADM group was still significantly increased compared with that before surgery(P<0.05).The value of attached gingival thickness was highest in the double-layer AADM group,followed by the BADM combined with collagen sponge group,and the lowest in the BADM combined with concentrated growth factor membrane group at 1-4 months after surgery.Histological analyses revealed that AADM was well integrated with the host gingival tissue,and new fibrous connective tissue and fibroblasts grew into the AADM.But the grafts in the other two groups were absorbed and the augmentation area was remodeled into a structure consistent with the surrounding host tissue.To conclude,AADM is superior to BADM combined with concentrated growth factor and BADM combined with collagen sponge with regard to gingival augmentation.