Adult ; Aged ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hemorheology ; Humans ; Male ; Microcirculation ; drug effects ; Middle Aged ; Migraine Disorders ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Nails ; blood supply ; Phytotherapy

The effect of magnetic Fe3O4 particles on cellulase in the enzymatic hydrolysis of sunflower seed hull was studied in different adding ways and additive amount. In the process of enzymatic hydrolysis of sunflower seed hull, the variations of cellulase activity, reducing sugar concentration and cellulose conversion were evaluated. After the reaction, the analysis of pH and surface tension of hydrolysate were also used to determine the mechanisms of cellulase by the magnetic effect. The results indicated that after adding magnetic Fe3O4, the cellulase activity, reducing sugar concentration and conversion of cellulose had an increased between the 0.5 g/L and 2.0 g/L cases after 48 h. When the additive amount of magnetic Fe3O4 was 2 g/L, the cellulase activity at 60 h was improved significantly by 25.9%. It was found that the concentration of reducing sugar was increased from 6.950 mg/mL to 8.775 mg/mL with magnetic Fe3O4 1.5 g/L. Simultaneously, compared with the blank, which the conversion of cellulose was 47.932%, the maximum celluloseconversion of samples with adding magnetic Fe3O4 was 60.531%. Besides, the stability of cellulase activity adding in times was better than in one time. After the reaction, the final surface tension of hydrolysate with 1.5 g/L magnetic Fe3O4 was the lowest in comparison with the blank. However, no significant differences were observed in the final pH of the hydrolysate.

Objective To study the different effects of valsartan and extended realse nifedipine tablets on lowering blood pressure of essential hypertension patients and their reversal effects on left ventricular hypertrophy. Methods 100 cases of essential hypertension patients with left ventricular hypertrophy were randomly divided into valsartan group(group A) and adalt group(group B).Other antihypertensive drugs except diuretic were removed for 3 weeks.There were 50 cases in group A using valsartan 4～8mg qd,and 50 cases in group B using adalt 30～60 mg qd,the stud),lasted for 24 weeks.The blood pressure was measured and the altrasowic cardiogram examed in baseline and 24 weeks later.Results BP could be significantly reduced after treatment(P

Microbial oil, as raw material for biodiesel, can be produced by Trichosporon cutaneum B3 using cassava starch hydrolysate. Batch cultures demonstrated that there was little inhibitory effect with the concentration of cassava starch hydrolysate up to 90 g/L. The favorable initial pH, C/N molar ratio, nitrogen source and its concentration were 6.0, 116, yeast extract and 3.0 g/L, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, dry biomass reached 15.2 g/L and lipid content reached 40.9% after culture for 144 h in flask. Batch cultures in a 2 L stirred-tank fermenter were run for 44 h and resulted in dry biomass, lipid content and lipid yield of 28.7 g/L, 42.8% and 12.27 g/L, respectively. The chemical compositions of biodiesel prepared from lipids of T cutaneum B3 mainly included palmitic acid methyl ester, stearic acid methyl ester, oleic acid methyl ester and linoleic acid methyl ester etc., and its main physicochemical properties were in compliance with relevant national diesel standards. Therefore, the biodiesel prepared from lipids of T cutaneum B3 can serve as a potential fossil fuel alternatives.
Biofuels ; Culture Techniques ; methods ; Fermentation ; Industrial Microbiology ; methods ; Lipids ; biosynthesis ; Manihot ; metabolism ; Starch ; metabolism ; Trichosporon ; growth & development ; metabolism

Objective To assess left ventricular (LV) geometry, LV diastolic and systolic function in maintenance hemodialysis uremic patients. Methods Forty uremic patients and forty-five normal subjects were included in this study. LV volume, LV mass index (LVMI), relative wall thickness (RWT), LV mass and diastolic volume ratio (LVM/EDV) were measured. Mitred flow E velocity and A velocity ratio, deceleration time, mitral flow E velocity and mitral annulus Ea velocity ratio (E/Ea), pulmonary vein flow S velocity and D velocity ratio, atrial flow reversal velocity of pulmonary vein flow, mitral inflow propagation velocity, left atrium volume (LAV) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) were determined for diastolic function evaluation. LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and single volume (SV) were derived from 3D echocardiography, systolic velocity of mitral valve annulus (Sa) by pulse tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) were used to evaluate systolic function. The time to peak systohc velocity (Ts) and early diastole velocity (Td) of LV 12 segments were measured using TDI. The maximal difference of Ts and Td (Ts-Dif and Td-Dif) were calculated to assess LV systolic and diastolic asynchrony. Results RWT, LVMI and LVM/EDV were significantly increased in uremic patients. There were 50% concentric, 17. 5% eccentric hypertrophy and 17. 5% concentric remodeling, respectively in uremic patients. The indices for LV diastolic function (E/ Ea, LAV and PASP) were significantly higher in uremic patients than those in control subjects (P<0.01). About 85% of the diastolic dysfunction in uremic patients presented as impaired relaxation pattern and 32. 5% as increased filling pressure. LVEF and SV were similar between uremic patients and control subjects. Sa was significantly lower in uremic group than that in controls (P<0.05). Ts-Dif was similar between the 2 groups while Td-Dif was significantly higher in uremic patients than control subjects (P< 0.05). Conclusion LV hypertrophy, LV mass increase and LV diastolic dysfunction were the major characteristic of myocardial injury in uremia patients.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Capsule metadoxine in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease.

METHODSA randomized double blind multicenter placebo-controlled clinical study was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of capsule metadoxine. Patients in metadoxine group received capsule metadoxine 500mg tid po. Patients in placebo group received placebo 2 pillows tid po. The treatment duration was 6 weeks. Patients were followed up 2 weeks after the treatment. Patients were visited once every 3 weeks during the treatment period. Clinical symptoms and liver function were evaluated in all the patients before treatment, at week 3, week 6 and 2 weeks after therapy. CT scan was done in some patients before treatment and at the end point of therapy.

RESULTS254 patients were recruited in the study, 126 in metadoxine group and 128 in placebo group. Median ALT, AST, GGT level in metadoxine group were decreased from 80.0 U/L, 59.2 U/L, 123.0 U/L (before treatment) to 41.1 U/L, 36.0 U/L, 57.0 U/L (after 6 weeks therapy). The improvement in liver function was more significant in metadoxine group than in placebo group (P less than 0.05). For the patients who stopped drinking during the study, the total effective rate of improvement in liver function was 82.8% in metadoxine group, much higher than that in placebo group (55.7% , P=0.0000). For the patients who did not stop drinking during the study, the total effective rate of improvement in liver function was 65.4% in metadoxine group, which is not significantly higher than that in placebo group (44.8%, P=0.1767). The CT value ratio of liver to spleen was significantly improved in metadoxine group (P=0.0023), and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.6293). The rate of adverse was 1.6% in both of groups.

CONCLUSIONCapsule metadoxine is an effective and safe treatment for alcoholic liver disease.

Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Alcohol Deterrents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Analysis of Variance ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Capsules ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug Combinations ; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyridoxine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the morbidity, burdens caused and risk factors of injuries among children and to provide information for policy making on prevention.

METHODSBy PPS sampling method, we selected 28 000 households in Beijing and using a questionnaire developed by UNICEF, TASC and China CDC.

RESULTSThe morbidity of child injury in Beijing was 2.25%, higher than that of adults (1.56%) with 6-9 year group the highest (2.83% ). The morbidity of boys was 3.04% higher than that of girls (1.37%). Among the 7 death cases, 3 were caused by injury(2 RTA, 1 drowning). The three leading causes of injuries were fall, animal bite and road traffic accident in children. Among children aged 0-5 years, fall, animal and burn/machine injuries were the leading causes. Among children aged 0-5 years, the leading causes were hurt by animals, fall and RTA with the leading causes as fall, sprain and RTA. The average medical cost of injury cases was 1617.57 Yuan. There were 3500 children (injured orphan) whose parents were injured leading to death or disability in Beijing in 2003.

CONCLUSIONInjury was the leading cause of child deaths in Beijing with children of 6-9 years old having the highest morbidity with RTA the most severe type of injuries in Beijing which affects both children and their parents.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Morbidity ; Risk Factors ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo report an X-linked dominant Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX) Chinese family with vocal cord paresis and to identify the mutation of gap junction protein beta 1 gene (GJB1).

METHODSPart of the family members with dysphagia, dysphonia and lethal respiratory failure were studied through flexible laryngoscope, clinical, brain MRI and electrophysiological examinations. After excluding large fragment tandem duplication containing peripheral myelin protein 22 gene (PMP22), direct sequencing was performed to analyze the mutation of the GJB1 gene in 5 patients including the proband, 5 unaffected family members and 50 unrelated healthy individuals.

RESULTSEight members spanning 3 generations in this family were affected with CMTX characterized by progressive atrophy and weakness of the anterior tibial and peroneal muscles, especially in the proband. Vocal cord paresis was observed through flexible laryngoscope in total of 4 affected members with dysarthria and dysphagia, 2 of them died of severe respiratory failure due to complete bilateral vocal cord involvement. Normal brain MRI was observed in the proband. The electrophysiological data showed predominant demyelization involving the motor and sensory nerves in the proband. DNA sequencing revealed a de novo c.186 C>G missense mutation in exon 2 of the GJB1 gene, the mutation cosegregated with phenotype.

CONCLUSIONRespiratory failure associated with vocal cord involvement may be a rare and severe symptom in CMTX. The present report provides further evidence for clinical and genetic heterogeneity in the X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Case-Control Studies ; Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease ; genetics ; Connexins ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation, Missense ; Myelin Proteins ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; genetics ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDSoft tissue rheumatism is a group of common rheumatic disorders reported in many countries. For investigating the prevalence rate of soft tissue rheumatism in different population in China, we carried out a population study in Shantou rural and Taiyuan urban area.

METHODSSamples of 3915 adults in an urban area of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, and 2350 in a rural area of Shantou, Guangdong Province were surveyed. Modified International League of Association for Rheumatology (ILAR)-Asia Pacific League of Association for Rheumatology (APLAR) Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) core questionnaire was implemented as screening tool. The positive responders were then all examined by rheumatologists.

RESULTSPrevalence rate of soft tissue rheumatism was 2.0% in Taiyuan, and 5.3% in Shantou. Rotator cuff (shoulder) tendinitis, adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), and digital flexor tenosynovitis (trigger finger) were the commonly seen soft tissue rheumatism in both areas. Tatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, and De Quervain's tenosynovitis were more commonly seen in Shantou than that in Taiyuan. Only 1 case of fibromyalgia was found in Taiyuan and 2 cases in Shantou. The prevalence of soft tissue rheumatism varied with age, sex and occupation.

CONCLUSIONSSoft tissue rheumatism is common in Taiyuan and Shantou, China. The prevalence of soft tissue rheumatism was quite different with different geographic, environmental, and socioeconomic conditions; and varying with age, sex, and occupation. The prevalence of fibromyalgia is low in the present survey.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Bursitis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Rheumatic Diseases ; epidemiology ; Sex Distribution ; Tendinopathy ; epidemiology ; Tenosynovitis ; epidemiology ; Young Adult

Cell Line ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Oxidative Stress ; Phosphatidylcholines ; pharmacology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism