Objective To compare the effect of extracapsular cataract extraction and phacoemulsification. Methods Three hundred and twenty-six cases (360 eyes) of senile cataract were divided into two groups by random digits table with 163 cases (180 eyes) in each. One group underwent phacoemulsification (phacoemulsification group),and the other group underwent extracapsular cataract extraction with small incision(no-phacoemulsifieation group). A comparison was carried out between the two groups of the vision and complications after operation. Results In phacoemulsification group,7 d after operation 18.33%(33/180)had 0.4 or less in vision,66.11%( 119/180) were 0.5-0.9,15.56%(28/180) were 1.0 or better. In no-phacoemulsification group,7 d after operation, 18.89% (34/180) were 0.4 or less in vision,66.67% (120/180) were 0.5-0.9,14.44% (26/180) were 1.0 or better. During operation,posterior capsular ruptured and vitreous prolapsed in 4.44% (8/180) in phacoemulsification group and 3.33%(6/180) in no-phacoemulsification group. Corneal edema:there were 16.11%(29/180) in phacoemulsification group and 17.22%(31/180) in no-phacoemulsification group. The curative effect between the two kinds of operation mentioned above was almost the same and had no significant difference (P ＞0.05). Conclusion The no-phacoemulsification is simple and economical, wihch is suitable for basic hospitals.

Deconstruction of lignocellulosic plant cell walls to fermentable sugars by biochemical means is impeded by several poorly understood ultrastructural and chemical barriers. Pretreatment is an essential step by altering the morphological and compositional characteristics of biomass to enhance the sugar release during enzymatic hydrolysis. Therefore, getting insight into this field is necessary to improve the conversion of biomass into biofuels. In this review, we highlight our recent understanding on the impact of various promising pretreatments on biomass, with emphasis on the topochemical and ultrastructural changes of plant cell walls that are related to the reduction of recalcitrance and the consequence of saccharification. It will lend support to the scientific research and development with respect to biomass conversion.
Biofuels ; Biomass ; Carbohydrates ; chemistry ; Cell Wall ; ultrastructure ; Fermentation ; Hydrolysis ; Lignin ; chemistry ; Plant Cells ; ultrastructure

Aneurysm ; diagnosis ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; pathology ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; diagnosis ; Middle Aged ; Palatine Tonsil ; pathology

Objective To compare the clinical utility of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-gammacarboxyprothrombin (DCP) in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with a hepatic mass.Methods From January 2015 to May 2015,141 patients were diagnosed to have a liver tumor after imaging examinations in the Hepatobiliary Surgical General Hospital of PLA,Beijing,China.Preoperative AFP and DCP were measured using commercial assay kits.The reference standard was either pathologic or clinical diagnosis of HCC.The performance of AFP and DCP in diagnosing HCC was determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Results Of 141 patients,98 were diagnosed to have HCC and 43 without.The levels of AFP were significantly higher in patients with HCC than those without [80.0(3.9-1 375.0) μg/L vs.2.1 (1.6-3.2) μg/L,Z =6.98,P ＜ 0.01].Similar results were observed in the levels of DCP [141.5 (24.0-978.0) AU/L vs.19.0 (14.0-25.5) AU/L,Z =5.18,P ＜ 0.01].Receiver operating curves (ROC) indicated the cut-off value with the best sensitivity and specificity was 3.6 μg/L for AFP and 35 AU/L for DCP.The difference in the area under ROC between AFP and DCP was not statistically significant (0.87 vs.0.78,Z =1.72,P =0.085).The sensitivity and specificity for detection of HCC in patients with a hepatic mass were 56.1％ and 95.4％ for AFP ＞ or =20 μg/L,69.4％ and 83.7％ for DCP ＞ or =40 AU/L,respectively.The level of AFP was associated with DCP in patients with HCC (x2 =9.12,P ＜ 0.01,r =0.292) and parallel testing of AFP and DCP gave an optimal sensitivity of 79.6％ with a specificity of 81.4％ in diagnosing HCC.Conclusions DCP is a useful biomarker and it gave an equal performance as AFP in diagnosing HCC in patients with a liver mass in this study.Parallel testing of AFP and DCP effectively increased the diagnostic sensitivity.Although the biomarkers only marginally improved the diagnostic results,it could be useful in diagnosing HCC in individuals who had atypical imaging results.

BACKGROUND: During xenogenic liver transplantation, major histocompatibility antigen can induce immunological rejection, and immunosuppressant can cause adverse effect on organism. Recently, treatment prior to transplantation induces immune tolerance, which is perspective for organ transplantation.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between thymus induction and immunological rejection during liver transplantation. METHODS: A total of 40 male SD rats of clean grade were selected as donors. Moreover, 30 male Wistar rats of clean grade and 10 male SD rats of clean grade were selected as recipients. The donor rats were divided into allogeneic gene transplantation, allotransplantation, cyclosporine, and thymus induction groups, with 10 rats in each group. The modified Kamada and improved two-cuff technique was used to establish a stable rat orthotopic liver transplantation model. The cyclosporine group was given cyclosporine (50 mg/kg) for 5 successive days. Thymus induction group was injected with major histocompatibility antigens (50 pL) for 5 successive days. Other groups were not given any interventions. Survival time of rats was recorded in each group. Pathological observation and mixed lymphocyte cultured were performed at days 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after transplantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Survival time was longer in the thymus induced group compared with other groups (> 60 days), damaged level was mild, local immunological rejection was reduced, and lymphocytes were decreased. The effect after liver transplantation was similar to allogeneic gene transplantation but superior to cyclosporine intervention (P < 0.05). This suggested that thymus induction relieved immunological rejection following liver transplantation.

Objective To investigate susceptibility and antibacterial activity of cationic porphyfin derivative mediated photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (CPD-PACT) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa,to provide experimental evidence for its high efficiency antibacterial activity.Methods The impacts of culture environments on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were measured by double dilution method.The formation of inhibition zone was determined by diffusion plate method.The postantibiotic effect was analyzed by colony forming units.The viability and morphology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).Results The inoculum size of bacterial had a certain effect on the MIC.The MIC values increased as the pH of medium rose.When the calf serum content of culture medium increased,the MIC rose in light reaction and dropped in dark reaction.The diameter of inhibition zone mainly depended on the laser energy density,but not the concentration of photosensitizer.Though CPD possessed strong antimicrobial activity and persistent suppression on bacterial growth,the surviving Pseudomonas aeruginosa would soon continue to proliferate after PACT.The fluorescence images captured by CLSM showed that CPD-PACT could destroy the membrane integrity,leak the cytoplasmic component,decrease the bacterial activity and finally lead Pseudomonas aeruginosa to death.Conclusions CPD has strong inhibitory activity and obvious postantibiotic effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa,which is suitable to be developed as an drug candidate for PACT.

BACKGROUND: It is discovered by administrating different emetics to vomiting animals, like cats, that there are a large amount of Fos positive neuronal expressions in the arc region from nucleus of solitary tract, lateral tegmentum to ventrolateral area. And it has been viewed that the arc region from area postrema, nucleus of solitary tract to ventrolateral reticular structure is the main emetic region. Whether do the non-vomiting animals reflect in response or not after emetic injection?OBJECTIVE: To observe the distribution of Fos positive neurons in relevant emetic regions of brain and spinal cord in rats after abdominal injection of emetic, cisplatin.DESIGN: Randomized controlled experiment based on animals.SETTING: Neural Physiological Research Room of Life Science College in Hebei Normal University and Physiological Room of Basic Medicine Institute in Hebei Medical University.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Neural Physiological Research Room of Life Science College in Hebei Normal University and Physiological Room of Basic Medicine Institute in Hebei Medical University from March to August 2003. Twelve SD male rats were employed, body weighted varied from 220 to 250 g, of clean-grade. They were randomized into experimental group of 6 rats and the control of 6 rats.INTERVENTIONS: In experimental group, the emetic, cisplatin, was injected abdominally 10 mg/kg. In the control, the physiological saline of same dose was injected. Afterwards, the activity changes in rats were observed at room temperature, quiet and light-avoided environment. Six hours later, the brain tissue was collected for frozen continuous sectioning. Immunohistochemical staining method was used to observe the distribution of Fos positive neurons in brainstem and forebrain nuclei and to count positive cell.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Behavior observation in rats after emetic injection. ② Counts of Fos positive cell in relevant regions of brain in rats.RESULTS: Twelve rats all entered result analysis. ① In 20 minutes after injection, the rats in both groups were in tranquilizing state, lying prone with body curled, almost without any movement. In 60 minutes after injection, the rats in the control were recovered to normal, free of eating or drinking. The rats in experimental group were in prone-lying state with body curled. They rose up or shook the heads occasionally, and they breathed fast and uneven.In 2 hours after injection, in experimental group, the rats were still in abdominal prone tightly in the cage, with heads lowed and irregular shaking of noses. In 5 hours, the rats in experimental group began standing up and moving, with normal breathing, but they still did not eat or drink. ② Fos positive neurons in solitary tract, area postrema and lateral parabrachial nucleus and paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus and arc nucleus in hypothalamus (64.3 ±9.6, 83.4 ±15.0, 148.8 ±19.9, 80. 2 ± 11.8, 20.7 ±3.8, 86. 6 ± 10.8) were remarkably higher than those in the control(56. 2 ±6.3,73.5±9.9,136.9±17.8,66. 1±10.3,17.3±3.4,78.8±10.5).CONCLUSION: Emetics induce discomforts in internal organs of rats, due to which, there probably exist emetic regions similar to vomiting animals in central neural system. But it is probably lack of vomiting-related adjusting mechanism. Emetics irritate the increase of Fos positive neurons in relevant regions in the brain of rat, which suggests that there exist relevant neural chemical pathways similar to nausea in the brain of non-vomiting rats.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of thalidomide plus mometasone furoate cream under occlusion and ultraviolet irradiation for the treatment of prurigo nodularis.Methods A non-randomized,parallel,controlled study was carried out.Eighty patients with prurigo nodularis were divided into 3 groups,i.e.,control group(no irradiation),ultraviolet A1(UVA1)group,and ultraviolet B(UVB)group.All the patients were treated with oral thalidomide and topical mometasone furoate cream under occlusion.Additionally,the patients in UVA1 group and UVB group received UVA1 and NB-UVB irradiation,respectively,thrice a week for no less than 8 weeks.Patients were evaluated at the baseline,and on day 30 after the beginning of treatment.Clinical outcome parameters included disease severity score and visual analogue scales for pruritus.Peripheral blood eosinophils were counted during each visit.Rank sum test was performed to compare the clinical efficacy between the 3 groups,and the relationship between peripheral blood eosinophile count and visual analogue scales for pruritus was analyzed.Results After 30 days of treatment,skin lesions were markedly improved in 5 (21.74％),13(43.33％)and 9(37.5％)patients,and improved in 7(30.43％),12(40％)and 7(29.17％)patients,in the control group,UVA1 group and UVB group respectively;a marked response in pruritus was noted in 7(30.43％),18(60.00％)and 14(58.33％)patients respectively in the control group,UVA1 group and UVB group.The efficacy on skin lesions and pruritus was significantly stronger in the UVA1 group and UVB group than in the control group(skin lesions:Z =8.21,5.22,both P ＜ 0.01;pruritus:Z =4.50,4.50,both P ＜ 0.01),but similar between the UVA1 group and UVB group(skin lesions:Z =0.50,P ＞ 0.05;pruritus:Z =0.35,P ＞ 0.05).Peripheral blood eosinophil count was positively correlated with the visual analogue scale for pruritus in the patients(r =0.53,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Thalidomide combined with mometasone furoate cream under occlusion and ultraviolet irradiation shows notable efficacy for the treatment of prurigo nodularis,and the combination with UVA1 or NB-UVB irradiation enhances the efficacy of thalidomide and mometasone furoate cream under occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Most patients who underwent liver transplantation would suffer acute rejection or transplanted liver failure resulted by chronic rejection, therefore, inducing specific immune tolerance via varied pathways is the ideal method to solve this problem. OBJECTIVE: To treat rat transplanted liver by injecting transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β_1) plasmid, and to analyze the relationship between TGF-β1 and allograft rejection from gene level. METHODS: A total of 30 male, Wistar rats were served as allogenic liver donors, and 10 male, SD rats served as syngeneic donors Totally 40 male SD rats were served as liver recipients, and divided into 4 groups by order number table: ailogenic transplantation, syngeneic transplantation, ciclosporin, and ciclosporin plus TGF--β_1 groups. In each group, rat orthotopic liver transplantation model was established by modified Kamada and improved two-cuff technique. After modeling, rats were received cyclosporine 1-5 days in the cyclosporine group, or intraperitoneal injected ciclosporin for 1-5 days, combined with TGF-β_1 plasmid 0-2 days in the cyclosporine plus TGF-β_1 group. No intervention was performed in the other groups. The survival time of rats were recorded, and the pathological changes was detected at days 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after transplantation, then the mixed lymphocyte culture was performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The survival time of rats in syngeneic transplantation group and cyclosporine plus TGF-1,β_1 group was more than 60 days, which was obviously greater than that of allogenic transplantation and cyclosporine groups (P< 0.05). The histopathologic slide showed that there was moderate and severe acute rejection, with evident intrahepatic inflammatory cell infiltration in the allogenic transplantation and cyclosporine groups. Few rejections were observed in the syngeneic transplantatior group, which was close to the normal lever tissues. Mixed lymphocyte culture of the cyclosporine plus TGF-β_1 group was superior to the syngeneic transplantation group or cyclosporine group (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that cyclosporine combined with local injection of TGF-β_1 plasmid can relieve post-transplant immune rejection.

BACKGROUND: A small number of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) present in bone marrow, which would gradually drop with age. OBJECTIVE: To verify the effect of adherent method on culture of bone marrow-derived MSCs. METHODS: Under anaesthesia, bone marrow cells were obtained from femur and tibia of rats, cultured by DMEM containing calf serum, placed in an incubator containing 5% CO_2 at 37 ℃. The culture medium was renewed after 24 hours, and remained periodical medium change with once per week. The weakly adherent cells were passaged. The cell morphology, growth curve, and the expression of cell-surface markers were identified by flow cytometry and immunocytochemical staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After 24 hours of culture, the cells could adhere to the walls with fusiform or triangle shapes, proliferated faster after 2-3 days, and presented whirlpool-like or clustering. The cells reached a logarithmic growth phase after 2 days, and into the late stationary phase after 12 days, which covered the bottle after 15 days. The cultured cells were positive to CD90 and CD54. The results verified that bone marrow-derived MSCs can be isolated by adherent method. This method is easy operation, and can maintain cell activity preferably.