ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy of an antibiotic ertapenem for the treatment of bacterial liver abscess. MethodThe clinical data of 134 hospitalized bacterial liver abscess patients were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the clinical and bacteriological efficacy of ertapenem from March 2009-2011in our hospital. ResultFever was present in 122 (91％)cases,abdominal pain was complained in 70 (52.2％ ) cases and rigor in 66 (49.3％ ) cases.In 92(68.7％ ) cases the abscess was located in the right lobe of the liver.Leukocytosis and liver dysfunction were found in 73 cases(54.8％ ) and 84 cases (62.7％ ),respectively.Ultrasonography was the most effective diagnostic means for liver abscess.Fortyone cases(30.6％ )were treated conservatively with ertapenem and 82(61.2％ )were treated with ertapenem associated with percutaneous liver puncture aspiration and 11cases (8.2％ )were treated with ertapenem associated with surgery.The clinical success rate was respectively 89％,87.8％,90.9％.The average duration of medication and length of stay were respectively ( 7.0 ± 2.4 ) d and 14.2 d.Ninety-seven pathogens were isolated from samples and predominant strains were Klebsiella species.Bacterial eradication rate was 92.8％.The sensitivities of isolated bacteria to ertapenem were 94.8％.ConclusionsErtapenem administration is effective therapy for bacterial liver abscess.

BACKGROUND:Dexamethasone can improve the cellapoptosis and decrease the number of osteoblasts and bone cells through increasing the time of cellcycle. Protein kinase C is a kind of intraecellular singnal transduction pathways, and there are related reports on the relationship between protein kinase C and cellapoptosis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the mechanism of dexamethasone-induced osteoblast apoptosis via protein kinase C intracellular signal transduction pathway. METHODS:Fetal rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were col ected for osteogenic induction, and the cells were divided into dexamethasone group, phorbol group and star cytochalasin group. The cells in the dexamethasone group were added with 1×10-6 mol/L dexamethasone, the cells in the phorbol group were added with 1×10-6 mol/L dexamethasone and 1×10-7 mol/L phorbol, while the cells in the star cytochalasin group were added with 1×10-6 mol/L dexamethasone and 1×10-7 RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Dexamethasone could induce apoptosis significantly, and after added with mol/L star cytochalasin. The proliferation and inhibition of the cells in different intervention groups were observed, and the content of protein kinase C in the cellmembrane and cytoplasm was measured. phorbol, the apoptosis was increased significantly;while after added with star cytochalasin, the apoptosis was decreased significantly. After added with dexamethasone, the content of protein kinase C in the cytoplasm was significantly decreased, while increased in the cellmembrane. At different time points after added with dexamethasone, the change of the content of protein kinase C in the cytoplasm and cellmembrane was most significant at 30 minutes. The results indicated that mechanism of dexamethasone-induced osteoblast apoptosis was correlated with protein kinase C, and dexamethasone was the agonist of protein kinase C. After the cells were stimulated, the protein kinase C in the cytoplasm wil moved to the cellmembrane, and then the content of protein kinase C in the cytoplasm was decreased, while increased in the cellmembrane.

Objective This study explored the expression of polyclonal protein SUZ12 in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC),and its role in predicting the survival and treatment of ICC patients.Methods The expression of SUZ12 and p16INK4a was detected by immunohistochemical assay in 207 liver tissue samples including ICC patients,BilIN-1,-2,-3 and non-tumor-like cholangiocarcinoma.The expression of these proteins was assessed to be related to the pathological characteristics of the ICC patients receiving chemotherapy and the outcome of survival as well as the subsequent chemotherapy response.Results The expression level of SUZ12 was gradually increased from non-neoplastic bile duct tissue to BilIN-1,-2,-3 and ICC.The expression of p16INK4a protein was expressed in non-neoplastic-like cholangiocarcinoma,but it decreased gradually in BilIN-1,-2,-3 and ICC tissues.SUZ12 expression was associated with undifferentiated ICC,lymph node metastasis and advanced cancer.Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that ICC patients with high expression of SUZ12 had a significant reduction in overall survival and disease-free survival in comparison with ICC patients with the low expression of SUZ12.SUZ12 expression was significantly associated with overall survival of patients receiving adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy(AGC).Conclusion SUZ12 expression is able to predict the overall survival and disease-free survival of ICC patients with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the hemodynamics evidence of the descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery in a reversed way. To explore the clinical result of using the reversed descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery as the receipt artery for free flaps for reconstruction of the leg soft-tissue defect.

METHODSFrom October 2005 to February 2012, 38 patients with severe leg soft-tissue defects were treated. The proximal antegrade and retrograde mean artery pressure of the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery in 16 of 38 patients were recorded during operation. All wounds had osteomyelitis, bone and tendon exposure requiring coverage reconstruction. And there was no recipient artery in the injured lower leg for free flaps in all 38 patients. Reversed descending branches of lateral femoral circumflex arteries were used as recipient arteries for free flaps (free latissimus dorsi flap, free thoracoumbilical flap, and free anterolateral thigh flap) in all patients. The flap donor site was closed directly or with the skin graft.

RESULTSThe proximal antegrade mean artery pressure of the descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery was(81.6 +/- 12.4) mmHg. The proximal retrograde pressure was(48.2 +/- 10.7) mmHg. The proximal retrograde mean artery pressure was 59.07 percent of the proximal antegrade pressure. The donor skin graft survived and wound healed primarily. After operation, 2 flaps had distal partial necrosis and healing was achieved after dressing change. All the other flaps survived completely without vascular problems. All the patients were followed up for 11 months to 2.5 years (mean, 1.6 years). The flap appearance was satisfactory. The texture and color of flaps in all cases were good.

CONCLUSIONSThe reverse descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery is a reliable recipient artery for the free flaps. It is an easy and simple technique that can be used for reconstruction of the defects in the lower leg, with the reversed descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery as recipient artery.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Free Tissue Flaps ; blood supply ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; injuries ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; surgery ; Young Adult

The comprehensive detection and identification of active ingredients in complex matrices is a crucial challenge.Liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry(LC-HRMS)is the most prominent analytical platform for the exploration of novel active compounds from complex matrices.However,the LC-HRMS-based analysis workflow suffers from several bottleneck issues,such as trace content of target compounds,limited acquisition for fragment information,and uncertainty in interpreting relevant MS2 spectra.Lycibarbarspermidines are vital antioxidant active ingredients in Lycii Fructus,while the reported structures are merely focused on dicaffeoylspermidines due to their low content.To comprehensively detect the new structures of lycibarbarspermidine derivatives,a"depict"strategy was developed in this study.First,potential new lycibarbarspermidine derivatives were designed according to the biosynthetic pathway,and a comprehensive database was established,which enlarged the coverage of lycibarbarspermidine derivatives.Second,the polarity-oriented sample prep-aration of potential new compounds increased the concentration of the target compounds.Third,the construction of the molecular network based on the fragmentation pathway of lycibarbarspermidine derivatives broadened the comprehensiveness of identification.Finally,the weak response signals were captured by data-dependent scanning(DDA)followed by parallel reaction monitoring(PRM),and the efficiency of acquiring MS2 fragment ions of target compounds was significantly improved.Based on the integrated strategy above,210 lycibarbarspermidine derivatives were detected and identified from Lycii Fructus,and in particular,170 potential new compounds were structurally characterized.The integrated strategy improved the sensitivity of detection and the coverage of low-response components,and it is expected to be a promising pipeline for discovering new compounds.

Neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to play an essential function during tooth and skeletal development. PRX1⁺ cells constitute an important MSC subtype that is implicated in osteogenesis. However, their potential function in tooth development and regeneration remains elusive. In the present study, we first assessed the cell fate of PRX1⁺ cells during molar development and periodontal ligament (PDL) formation in mice. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was performed to study the distribution of PRX1⁺ cells in PDL cells. The behavior of PRX1⁺ cells during PDL reconstruction was investigated using an allogeneic transplanted tooth model. Although PRX1⁺ cells are spatial specific and can differentiate into almost all types of mesenchymal cells in first molars, their distribution in third molars is highly limited. The PDL formation is associated with a high number of PRX1⁺ cells; during transplanted teeth PDL reconstruction, PRX1⁺ cells from the recipient alveolar bone participate in angiogenesis as pericytes. Overall, PRX1⁺ cells are a key subtype of dental MSCs involved in the formation of mouse molar and PDL and participate in angiogenesis as pericytes during PDL reconstruction after tooth transplantation.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; Mice ; Molar ; Osteogenesis/physiology* ; Periodontal Ligament

Acute respiratory failure due to acute hypoxemia is the major manifestation in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Rational and effective respiratory support is crucial in the management of COVID-19 patients. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has been utilized widely due to its superiority over other non-invasive respiratory support techniques. To avoid HFNC failure and intubation delay, the key issues are proper patients, timely application and improving compliance. It should be noted that elder patients are vulnerable for failed HFNC. We applied HFNC for oxygen therapy in severe and critical ill COVID-19 patients and summarized the following experiences. Firstly, to select the proper size of nasal catheter, to locate it at suitable place, and to confirm the nose and the upper respiratory airway unobstructed. Secondly, an initial ow of 60 L/min and 37℃ should be given immediately for patients with obvious respiratory distress or weak cough ability; otherwise, low-level support should be given first and the level gradually increased. Thirdly, to avoid hypoxia or hypoxemia, the treatment goal of HFNC should be maintained the oxygen saturation (SpO) above 95% for patients without chronic pulmonary disease. Finally, patients should wear a surgical mask during HFNC treatment to reduce the risk of virus transmission through droplets or aerosols.
Aged ; Betacoronavirus ; isolation & purification ; Cannula ; Coronavirus Infections ; therapy ; Humans ; Oxygen ; administration & dosage ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; therapy

Acute respiratory failure due to acute hypoxemia is the major manifestation in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Rational and effective respiratory support is crucial in the management of COVID-19 patients. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has been utilized widely due to its superiority over other non-invasive respiratory support techniques. To avoid HFNC failure and intubation delay, the key issues are proper patients, timely application and improving compliance. It should be noted that elder patients are vulnerable for failed HFNC. We applied HFNC for oxygen therapy in severe and critical COVID-19 patients and summarized the following experiences. Firstly, to select the proper size of nasal catheter, to locate it at suitable place, and to confirm the nose and the upper respiratory airway unobstructed. Secondly, an initial flow of 60 L/min and 37℃ should be given immediately for patients with obvious respiratory distress or weak cough ability; otherwise, low-level support should be given first and the level gradually increased. Thirdly, to avoid hypoxia or hypoxemia, the treatment goal of HFNC should be maintained the oxygen saturation (SpO) above 95% for patients without chronic pulmonary disease. Finally, patients should wear a surgical mask during HFNC treatment to reduce the risk of virus transmission through droplets or aerosols.
Aged ; Betacoronavirus ; Cannula ; Coronavirus Infections ; complications ; therapy ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; etiology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Masks ; Oxygen ; administration & dosage ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; instrumentation ; standards ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; complications ; therapy

Calcium-based biomaterials have been intensively studied in the field of drug delivery owing to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. Calcium-based materials can also deliver contrast agents, which can enhance real-time imaging and exert a Ca²⁺-interfering therapeutic effect. Based on these characteristics, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), as a brunch of calcium-based biomaterials, has the potential to become a widely used biomaterial. Highly functional ACC can be either discovered in natural organisms or obtained by chemical synthesis However, the standalone presence of ACC is unstable in vivo. Additives are required to be used as stabilizers or core-shell structures formed by permeable layers or lipids with modified molecules constructed to maintain the stability of ACC until the ACC carrier reaches its destination. ACC has high chemical instability and can produce biocompatible products when exposed to an acidic condition in vivo, such as Ca²⁺ with an immune-regulating ability and CO₂ with an imaging-enhancing ability. Owing to these characteristics, ACC has been studied for self-sacrificing templates of carrier construction, targeted delivery of oncology drugs, immunomodulation, tumor imaging, tissue engineering, and calcium supplementation. Emphasis in this paper has been placed on the origin, structural features, and multiple applications of ACC. Meanwhile, ACC faces many challenges in clinical translation, and long-term basic research is required to overcome these challenges. We hope that this study will contribute to future innovative research on ACC.