The general situation of the approved and concluded projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China in the field of processing Chinese Materia Medica in recent five years has been reviewed. The progresses and achievements of some projects have been summarized in accordance with research area such as the processing principle, the processing technology, quality evaluation, toxicity and safety evaluation, etc. The researchers and project support units of the funded projects have been analyzed, and the problems of the applications have been also summarized.
Biomedical Research ; economics ; organization & administration ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; economics ; organization & administration ; China ; Financing, Organized ; economics ; organization & administration ; Humans ; Materia Medica ; economics ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics

Objective To examine the relationship between smoking and tobacco-related mortality in a cohort of the aged Chinese armymen.Methods A cohort study was carried out in Xi'an,China from 1987 to 2005.A total of 1 268 retired male military cadres aged 55 or older were examined in 1987 and followed up in the next 18 years.At baseline,388 men were non-smokers,461 were former smokers,and 419 were current smokers.The current smoking rate was 33.04%,Quitted rate was 52.39%.The terminal main observation items included all-cause and tobacco-associated mortality.Results Up to Jun 30,2005,a total of 491 subjects died.Compared with non-smokers,the relative risks(95% confidence intervals(CI)) of ever-smokers for all-cause deaths,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),lung cancer,and coronary heart disease(CHD) were 1.24(1.01-1.53),1.91(1.06-3.46),2.91(1.36-6.23),and 1.15(0.68-1.93),respectively.Compared with current smokers,the risks of total mortality and death from lung cancer for former smokers were decreased by 66.7% and 14.98%,respectively.Conclusions Cigarette smoking was a major death risk factor in the cohort and quitting smoking could save lives.

ObjectiveTo Compare the clinical results between microscope and loupes which used in microsurgical discectomy.MethodsA prospective randomized controlled trial of 93 patients who had undergone microsurgical discectomy from January 2007 to December 2010 was performed.Clinical results were assessed by comparing the following parameters between patients who had undergone the surgery by microscope and loupes:length of stay,hospitalization cost,operative time,estimated blood loss,Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and JOA recovery rate,Odom's standard.ResultsForty-nine patients underwent surgery by microscope,and forty-four patients underwent surgery by loupes.Eighty patients received outpatient or telephone follow-up.The follow-up period was 6.17 to 52.90 months with an average of (29.64±13.05) months,and the follow-up rate was 86.02％.According preoperative data,the two groups didn't differ with respect to age,gender,level of radiculopathy,or preoperative JOA score and JOA recovery rate.No statistically significant differences were identified in postoperative JOA score and JOA recovery rate,length of stay,hospitalization cost,length of follow-up,or relapse rate.Statistically significant differences were identified in operative time,estimated blood loss,and follow-up JOA score and JOA recovery rate.Conclusion Microscope can provide relatively more clear and comfortable vision for the surgery.It can short the operative time,decrease blood loss,reduce the potential risk of nerve injury,and retain more normal tissue,which can ensure better clinical results.

BACKGROUNDRegulatory T-cells (Treg) play key roles in suppressing cell-mediated immunity in cancer patients. Little is known about perioperative Treg fluctuations in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy, as a minimal invasive procedure for treating NSCLC, may have relatively less impact on the patient's immune system. This study aimed to observe perioperative dynamics of circulating Treg and natural killer (NK) cell levels in NSCLC patients who underwent major lobectomy by VATS or thoracotomy.

METHODSTotally, 98 consecutive patients with stage I NSCLC were recruited and assigned into VATS or thoracotomy groups. Peripheral blood samples were taken on 1-day prior to operation, postoperative days (PODs) 1, 3, 7, 30, and 90. Circulating Treg and NK cell counts were assayed by flow cytometry, defined as CD4 + CD25 + CD127 low cells in CD4 + lymphocytes and CD56 + 16 + CD3- cells within CD45 + leukocytes respectively. With SPSS software version 21.0 (SPSS Inc., USA), differences between VATS and thoracotomy groups were determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and differences between preoperative baseline and PODs in each group were evaluated by one-way ANOVA Dunnett t-test.

RESULTSIn both groups, postoperative Treg percentages were lower than preoperative status. No statistical difference was found between VATS and thoracotomy groups on PODs 1, 3, 7, and 30. On POD 90, Treg percentage in VATS group was significantly lower than in thoracotomy group (5.26 ± 2.75 vs. 6.99 ± 3.60, P = 0.012). However, a higher level of NK was found on all PODs except on POD 90 in VATS group, comparing to thoracotomy group.

CONCLUSIONSLower Treg level on POD 90 and higher NK levels on PODs 1, 3, 7, 30 in VATS group might imply better preserved cell-mediated immune function in NSCLC patients, than those in thoracotomy group.

Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; immunology ; surgery ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; methods ; Thoracotomy ; methods

Due to adverse economic impact and social panic influences,live poultry market closure(LPM) as an effective control strategy of H7N9 influenza has become the focus of public repeatedly.So this paper reviewed transmission characteris tics of H7N9 influenza,impact of LMP on human H7N9 infection,and the effect of LMP on H7N9 influenza control.

OBJECTIVETo examine risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) deaths in Chinese military elderly men.

METHODSA cohort analytic study was carried out in Xi'an, China. A total of 1268 retired military males aged 55 or older were examined in 1987 and followed for 18 years. Main outcome measures were all causes and COPD deaths.

RESULTSThe total person-years of follow-up from 1987 until June 2005 was 18 766.28. The mean follow-up time was 14.35 years; A total of 491 had died, with 748 alive and 29 lost of follow-up. COPD was the second cause of death in all deaths (16.90%). Results Univariate analysis of Cox model showed that age, number of smoking cigarettes per day, duration of smoking, negative affairs and existing COPD were risk factors of COPD deaths and the relative risks [95% confidence intervals (CI)] were 1.13 (1.09-1.17), 1.04 (1.02-1.06), 1.03 (1.01-1.04), 1.81 (2.85-6.77) and 4.39 (2.85-6.77) respectively. Data from Multivariate analysis of Cox model showed that age, number of smoking cigarettes per day and existing COPD were risk factors of COPD death with relative risks [95% confidence intervals (CI)] as 1.10 (1.06-1.15), 1.03 (1.01-1.06) and 3.07 (1.90-4.98) respectively. The risks for deaths increased significantly with increasing amount and duration of smoking resulting from all causes and COPD. Compared with current smokers, former smokers had lower risks of total mortality(excess risk reduction of 66.67%).

CONCLUSIONCOPD was the second cause among all deaths in this cohort. Age, number of smoking cigarettes per day and existing COPD were the risk factors of COPD deaths which called for further survey to examine the relationship between quitting smoking and COPD deaths in this cohort.

Age Factors ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Military Personnel ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; mortality ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this research is to construct a clinic-usable genechip method for detection of hepatitis B virus lamivudine-resistant mutants and basal core promotor/Pre-C mutants, compare this method with DNA sequencing to investigate this genechip's character (sensity, specificity, stability and practicability in clinic) and apply it in clinic.

METHODSThis genechip detection method can detect the DNA and 8 mutative site of HBV, include 3 lamivudine-resistant mutation site(No. 180, 204, 207 site in DNA polymerase gene), 5 HBeAg escape-related mutation site (nt 1896, 1899, 1862, 1764,1762 site in BCP/Pre-C region).The results of genechip method was verified by DNA sequencing.

RESULTSIn detecting HBV DNA, the results of genechip were agree with 100% of the results of DNA sequencing. In detecting HBV mutants, 251 sites (in 32 samples, 256 sites) showed the same results using both methods, and only 5 sites were not completely match (P > 0.05). In these 5 sites, genechip methods got multi-infection results, but sequencing got single-infection results.

CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that genechip method has the same positive rate and almost these same specificity with DNA sequencing method, and is better than DNA sequencing method in detecting multi-infected HBV strains. [Key words]

Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Base Sequence ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; Hepatitis B ; drug therapy ; virology ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; genetics ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; pharmacology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; methods ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

Objective: To identify the anti-depressive effect of ferulic acid (FA) in mice exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and explore its molecular mechanisms. Methods: The mice were divided into 5 groups as follows: Control, LPS, LPS + SP, LPS + FA, and LPS + FA + anisomycin. The LPS + FA and LPS + FA + anisomycin groups were administered with FA (100 mg/kg, i.p.) once daily continuously for 7 days, and the other groups received an equivalent volume of saline. On the 7th day, LPS (0.1 mg/mL, i.p.) was injected in all mice except the control group 30 min after FA or saline administration. The LPS + SP and LPS + FA + anisomycin groups were intravenously administered with SP600125 [c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor] (100 μL/ site, i.v.) and anisomycin (JNK activator) (100 μL/site, i.v.) 15 min before LPS, respectively. The depressive behaviors were assessed by open field test, sucrose preference test, and forced swimming test at 24 h post-LPS administration. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels in plasma were measured by ELISA. The levels of phospho-JNK, TNF-α, IL-1β, Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome c and caspase-3 were evaluated by Western blotting. Results: FA alleviated depression symptoms caused by LPS in mice, including increasing sucrose water consumption in sucrose preference test and reducing the immobility time in forced swimming test. FA could inhibit upregulated levels of phospho-JNK, TNF-α, and IL-1β. FA also markedly decreased Bax, caspase-3, and cytochrome c, and increased Bcl-2 levels. Besides, SP600125 showed neuroprotective effect similar to FA which was attenuated by anisomycin. Conclusions: FA attenuates inflammation and apoptosis by inhibiting LPS-induced activation of JNK to alleviate depressionlike behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of antibiotic use for very and extremely low birth weight (VLBW/ELBW) infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of Hunan Province. METHODS: The use of antibiotics was investigated in multiple level 3 NICUs of Hunan Province for VLBW and ELBW infants born between January, 2017 and December, 2017. RESULTS: The clinical data of 1 442 VLBW/ELBW infants were collected from 24 NICUs in 2017. The median antibiotic use duration was 17 days (range: 0-86 days), accounting for 53.0% of the total length of hospital stay. The highest duration of antibiotic use was up to 91.4% of the total length of hospital stay, with the lowest at 14.6%. In 16 out of 24 NICUs, the antibiotic use duration was accounted for more than 50.0% of the hospitalization days. There were 113 cases with positive bacterial culture grown in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, making the positive rate of overall bacterial culture as 7.84%. The positive rate of bacterial culture in different NICUs was significantly different from 0% to 14.9%. The common isolated bacterial pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae was 29 cases (25.7%); Escherichia coli 12 cases (10.6%); Staphylococcus aureus 3 cases (2.7%). The most commonly used antibiotics were third-generation of cephalosporins, accounting for 41.00% of the total antibiotics, followed by penicillins, accounting for 32.10%, and followed by carbapenems, accounting for 13.15%. The proportion of antibiotic use time was negatively correlated with birth weight Z-score and the change in weight Z-score between birth and hospital discharge (r=-0.095, -0.151 respectively, P<0.01), positively correlated with death/withdrawal of care (r=0.196, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Antibiotics used for VLBW/ELBW infants in NICUs of Hunan Province are obviously prolonged in many NICUs. The proportion of routine use of third-generation of cephalosporins and carbapenems antibiotics is high among the NICUs.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Birth Weight ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUNDTuberculosis (TB) remains a major global public health challenge. Articular TB is an important form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and its diagnosis is difficult because of the low sensitivity of traditional methods. The aim of this study was to analyze the diagnostic value of T-SPOT.TB on synovial fluid for the diagnosis of articular TB.

METHODSPatients with suspected articular TB were enrolled consecutively between August 2011 and December 2015. T-SPOT.TB was performed on both synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The final diagnosis of articular TB was independent of the T-SPOT.TB result. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratio of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs and PBMCs were analyzed.

RESULTSTwenty patients with suspected articular TB were enrolled. Six were diagnosed with articular TB, and 14 patients were diagnosed with other diseases. Sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 86% for T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs, and 67% and 69% for T-SPOT.TB on PBMCs, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs were 71% and 92%, respectively. The PPV and NPV were 50% and 82% for T-SPOT.TB on PBMCs.

CONCLUSIONSensitivity, specificity, and NPV of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs appeared higher than that on PBMCs, indicating that T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs might be a rapid and accurate diagnostic test for articular TB.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pilot Projects ; Synovial Fluid ; chemistry ; Tuberculosis ; diagnosis ; Young Adult