BACKGROUND: Oyster shell has been recently reported as a new root canal filling material; therefore, it needs primary biological evaluation, i.e., cytotoxicity test and genotoxicity test, before clinical application. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of oyster shell powder. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A contrast observational study was performed at the Materials Laboratory, School of Stomatology of Peking University from April to July 2008. MATERIALS: Oyster shell powder was provided by Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; L929 cell strain and Salmonella typhimurium TA97, TA98, TA100, and TA102 were provided by the National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products. METHODS: Oyster shell diffusion was prepared based on the times of 0.5, 1, and 2. According to the standards of biological evaluation of dental materials, the cytotoxity and genotoxicity of oyster shell were evaluated with molecule filter test and Ames test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fading area of the film induced by succinic dehydrogenase and amount of spontaneous revertants. RESULTS: After 2 hours, the results indicated that fading area of the film in the experimental group was the same as negative control, i.e., fading was not found in the film, and cytotoxicity was grade 0. After 24 hours, diameter of non-stained film was 1.0-2.0 mm, fading area was 1-3 mm2, and cytotoxicity was grade 1, suggesting that the material had light cytotoxity that was still qualified. The spontaneous revertant test indicated that the mutagenicity of experimental groups was no more than 2 times of the control groups, suggesting there was no dose-dependence. CONCLUSION: Oyster shell powder has no cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on the organism.

Objective To describe characteristics of adult respiratory tract influenza virus A (INFA)infection.Method 804 adult patients with acute respiratory tract infections were enrolled and 156 cases of healthy adults were concomitantly selected. Enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay was used to measure INFA serum specific IgM antibody.Result (1)In the total patients , 17.6% had positive INFA-IgM,significantly higher than the control(P

Objective:To investigate the effects of LPS on the IL-6 expression in osteoblasts.Methods:Rat calvarial osteoblasts were primarily cultured. LPS from Escherichia coli with different concentration were administrated. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to identify the IL-6 mRNA expression of the cells. The intensities of electrophoresis bands were measured. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect IL-6 protein production. The data were analyzed with SPSS 10.0 software package.Results:E. coli LPS with concentrations of 1?10-5 g/L-1?10-3 g/L induced IL-6 mRNA and IL-6 protein expression in osteoblasts. Statistically significant differences were detected at concentrations 1?10-4,1?10-3 g/L E.coli LPS.Conclusion:LPS can increase the expression of IL-6 in osteoblasts in the gene and protein levels. IL-6 may play an important role in the alveolar bone metabolism.

OBJECTIVE:To establish a HPLC method for the content determination of baicalin in Pneumonia I mixture.METHODS:The assaying was conducted on a ODS C 18 column with methol-0.06%H 3 PO 4 (43∶57)as mobile phase,the detection wavelength was278nm,the column temperature was25℃and the flow rate was1.0ml/min.RESULTS:The linear concentration range of baicalin was0.1875?g～1.5?g(r=0.9998)with average recovery rate at99.63%(RSD=1.00%,n=6).CONCLUSION:This method is simple,accurate and reproducible,and it can be used for the quality control of baicalin.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of nerve growth factors in the treatment of sudden deafness.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 124 cases of hospitalized patients who suffered from unilateral sudden deafness from November 2013 to February 2015.The patients were divided into two groups: 59 in the treatment group and 65 in the control group.Each group was further divided into four subgroups according to different audiometric curves: the low-frequency declining type, the high-frequency declining type, the flat type, the completely deafness type.The control group: the patients were treated with the conventional therapy according to different audiometric curves.The treatment group: intramuscular mouse nerve growth factor treatment was added on the basis of conventional therapy mentioned above.The both treatments lasted 10 days.The total efficiency of two groups was compared ,and the efficiency of the subgroups was also compared.Results The total efficiency of the treatment group was 64.40% and 44.62% for the control group.The total efficiency of the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group.The analysis revealed as having statistically significant differences (x2=4.877,P=0.032<0.05).The total efficiency of the sub-groups by different audiometric curves was further analyzed.All the total efficiency of the sub-groups in treatment group were higher than the sub-groups in the control group, but the results were notconsidered as significantly different(P>0.05).Conclusion The mouse nerve growth factor has a positive effect on the treatment of sudden deafness, and has shown the acceptable clinical efficacy without side-effect.Thus the mouse nerve growth factor is a safe and effective drug for treating sudden deafness.

Objective To explore the relationships of quality of life ( QOL ) and functional status in patients with malignant bone tumors after operation. Methods European organization for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire C30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30), social support revalued scale (SSRS) and Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) were used to investigate the levels of QOL, social support and functional status. The correlations between them were explored. Results The overall score by QOL was (58.33 ± 18.94). The score by KPS was positively related to somatic function, role function, social function, and general health status (P<0.01), but negatively related to tiredness, pains, insomnia and financial burden (P<0.01). Conclusions The QOL in patients with malignant bone tumors after operation is at a lower level and the function is at a medium level. Nurses should assess the function and make out interventional measures for them so as to improve their QOL.

ObjectiveTo investigate the relatioaship between the changes in perioperative plasma vasopressin (VP) and angiotensin Ⅱ ( Ang Ⅱ ) concentrations and outcome in patients undergoing off-pump coronary attery bypass grafting (OPCABG).MethodsFifty ASA Ⅰ -Ⅲ patients (NYHA Ⅰ -Ⅲ ) of both sexes,aged 45-79yr,undergoing OPCABG,were enrolled in this study.Blood samples were collected before induction of anesthesia (T1,baseline),before skin incision (T2),at 10 and 30 min after skin incision (T3,T4 ),10 min after protamine injection (T5),end of operation (T6 ) and 24 h after operation (T7).Based on the intraoperative plasma VP concentrations,the patients were divided into high level group ( n =26) and low level group ( n =24) by hierarchical clustering analysis.The risk factors for perioperative lower plasma VP concentration were determined by logistic regression analysis.ResultsPlasma VP concentrations were significantly lower,while plasma Ang Ⅱ concentrations were significantly higher at T2-6 in the low level group than in the high level group.The incidence of vasoplegia (high cardiac output and low peripheral resistance) was significantly higher,the intra- and post-operative use of vasodilator was less,the tracheal extubation time,ICU stay and post-operative hospital stay were longer,and preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was lower in low level group than in high level group.Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative low LVEF was a risk factor for intraoperative low plasma VP concentration and OR was 1.122.Conclusion Plasma VP and Ang Ⅱ concentrations demonstrate an opposite trend of change during OPCABG.The incidence of vasoplegic syndrome is significantly higher and the outcome poor in low plasma VP group.Preoperative low LVEF is a risk factor for development of low plasma VP during OPCABG.

AIM: To examine the electrophysiological characteristics of transient outward potassium current(Ito 1) in repolarization 1 phase from the canine right ventricular M cells. METHODS: By use of whole cell patch-clamp technique, we quantitatively researched the ionic intensity, density of Ito 1 and the notch magnitude of action potential in repolarization 1 phase. RESULTS: (1) The activating process of Ito 1 of canine right ventricular M cells presented evident voltage-dependency. Under the condition of 37℃, 5 000 ms, 0 mV and +70 mV, the average peak Ito 1 intensity of right ventricular M cell were (690?380) pA and ( 3 130? 1 910) pA, respectively (P

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Six Sigma management for shortening the waiting time of outpatients accepting radiography and improving patient satisfaction. Methods Six Sigma management was applied to identify the key points critical to quality in the process of radiography,analyze the factors influencing the waiting time,and take targeted measures to modify the process. Results The waiting time of patients accepting radiography was reduced by an average of 25.2min and the rate of dissatisfaction was decreased by 18%. Conclusion The application of Six Sigma management can effectively shorten the waiting time of outpatients accepting radiography and increase patient satisfaction.

Objective To investigate the relationship between raf kinase inhibitor protein (SKIP), a novel metastasis suppressor gene, and metastasis of ovarian carcinoma. Methods Immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and western blot analysis were performed to examine the expression of SKIP in clinical samples of ovarian tumors and five human ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Stable cell lines over-expressed or deleted of SKIP were cloned to investigate the function of SKIP in ovarian cancer cells. The recombinant plasmids expressing sense (ss) or antisense (as) SKIP cDNA or empty vector was transfected into ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 by lipofectamine. The expression level of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in ovarian cancer cells were detected by western blot analysis. Assays of cell proliferation, soft-agar colony formation, cell adhesion, and cell invasion in vitro were used to examine the malignant phenotypes of the transfected cells. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to observe the effect of SKIP on cell cycle distribution before and after transfection. Results (1 ) The expression levels of SKIP protein in ovarian carcinoma tissues from patients were found to be reduced than those in ovarian benign tumor and borderline tumor. SKOV3 clones stably expressing full-length recombinant ssRKIP, asRKIP, and their respective empty vector were obtained. (2)RKIP was able to block basal levels of MEK and ERK in ovarian cancer cells. The expression level of phosphorylation MEK in ssRKIP#1 and ssRKIP#4 cells were 0. 35, 0. 34; while the expression level of phosphorylation ERK in ssRKIP#1 and ssRKIP#4 cells were 0.48 and 0.46. (3) Abilities of cell proliferation in the ssRKIP vector-transfected cells were decreased compared with that in the non-transfected cells (P ＜0. 01 ). (4)Anchorage-independent growth in the ssRKIP#1 and ssRKIP#4 cells (83.7 ± 5.7, 106. 0±9. 2) were decreased compared with that in the empty vector-transfected cells (158.3 ± 14. 6, P＜ 0. 01). (5)Cell adhesion in the ssRKIP#1 and ssRKIP#4 cells [(68.3±0. 8)%, (64. 1±0. 9)%] were decreased compared with that in the non-transfected cells [(100. 0 ± 1.1 )%, P ＜ 0. 01]. (6) Cell invasion in the ssRKIP#1 and ssRKIP#4 cells (24 ± 5, 25±4) were decreased compared with that in the non-transfected cells (68 ± 5, P ＜ 0. 01 ). (7) ssRKIP cells had a significant increase in the G1 phase and decrease in the G2 + S phase. Conclusion RKIP could inhibits the metastasis, but also the growth of ovarian cancer cells.