The neuropeptide orexins, including orexin A and orexin B, are located exclusively in hypothalamus OX1R and OX2R are receptors of orexin. OX1R is selective to orexin A while OX2R is not. The distributions of orexin neurons in human brain are the same as those of rats. Orexin was closely related with sleep and awakening behavior besides regulating the feeding behavior. Orexin-containing terminals are also found in areas modulating sleep and awakening such as the locus ceruleus, tuberomammillary nucleus, dorsal raphe, and the basal forebrain. In those areas, there are also lots of OX1R and OX2R and their precursors. Orexin neurons are extremely active during rapid wave sleep and awakening. If hypothalamus in some areas is destroyed and orexin neurons are reduced, sleep-awakening dysfunction will appear (for instance: narcolepsy).

Sensitive and useful biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of infectious diseases have been widely developed.An example of these biomarkers is triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-1 (TREM-1),which is a cell surface receptor expressed on monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils.TREM-1 amplifies inflammation by activating the TREM-1/DAP12 pathway.This pathway is triggered by the interaction of TREM-1 with ligands or stimulation by bacterial lipopolysaccharide.Consequently,pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines are secreted.Soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1) is a special form of TREM-1 that can be directly tested in human body fluids and well-known biomarker for infectious diseases.sTREM-1 level can be potentially used for the early diagnosis and prognosis prediction of some infectious diseases,including infectious pleural effusion,lung infections,sepsis,bacterial meningitis,viral infections (e.g.,Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever and dengue fever),fungal infections (e.g.,Aspergillus infection),and burn-related infections.sTREM-1 is a more sensitive and specific biomarker than traditional indices,such as C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels,for these infectious diseases.Therefore,sTREM-1 is a feasible biomarker for the targeted therapy and rapid and early diagnosis of infectious diseases.

BACKGROUND: Tendon injury and dysfunction often occurs in military training, but the exactly epidemiological, pathological, physiological, healing and remodeling mechanisms of tendonopathy is still unclear, even the pain due to chronic tendon dysfunction should be further studied.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of forced training on the muscular strength of ankle joint and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of achilles tendon of infantry soldiers, and look for effective training methods.DESIGN: One-sample contrasting study.SETTING: Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA; InStitute of Military Training-related Medical Sciences, the 150 Hospital of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: The study was carried out in the Institute of Military Training-related Medical Sciences, the 150 Hospital of Chinese PLA from March to June 2004. Thirty male light infantry recruits and thirty one-year-trained male soldiers were regarded as recruit group and one-year soldier group. The enlisted age ranged from 17 to 18 years. Recruits did not have the history of special training and injury of ankle joints. All of them were able to undertake routinely physical training.METHODS: The recruits participated in routinely physical trainings, such as grenade throwing and 5 km cross-country race, and forced trainings, such as dorsiflexors and plantarflexors on ankle joint, twice a day for each training item for 8 successive weeks. The forced training included calf raise for 50 times and sit-ups for 50 times on 45° arched board.Moreover, one-year soldiers were undertaken routinely physical trainings. Eight weeks later, the isokinetic testing of ankle joint and CSA of achilles tendon were measured before and after trainings.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparisons of CSA of achilles tendon and changes of muscular strength of ankle joint between recruits before routine training and after 8-week forced training and one-year soldiers after routine training.RESULTS: All 60 soldiers were involved in the final analysis. Partial correlation was showed between CSA and body weight (r =0.446, P=0.015), and there was no difference in CSA before and after training. The relative peak torque, endurance and torque acceleration energy of plantarflexors, dorsiflexors and evertors were distinctively higher in recruit group and one-year soldier group after training than those in recruit group before training (P ＜ 0.05); however, there was no difference between recruit group and one-year soldier group after training.CONCLUSION: Forced training method can improve physical readiness in a short time. No changes of CSA of achilles tendon after training show that the improvement of ankle muscular strength may be through the rebuilding of its inner-structure rather than through the hypertrophy of the tendon.

Batch and continuous fermentation were adopted to investigate the effect of specific growth rate and amino acid components on RNA accumulation in Candida tropicalis ATCC 20408 in fermentation medium ( FM), yeast peptone dextrose medium (YPD), molasses fermentation medium ( MFM) and FM without corn steep liquor. The data showed that obvious differences in intracellular RNA accumulation were observed at different cell growth phases in bath fermentation prosess, and RNA level reached 11. 8% (g-RNA /g-DCW) during exponential phase, and only 6.9% during stationary phases. It was also found that intracellular RNA accumulation increased with the increase of specific growth rate in continue fermentation prosess, and the highest RNA level reached 15. 6% with the glucose conversion rate of 42. 8% at the dilution rate of 0. 5 h-1. Furthermore, the data showed that RNA lever was notably increased in batch fermentation process when amino acids or peptone was added into the fermentation medium containing no corn steep liquor. Taken together, it was reported for the first time that specific growth rate and amino acid components plays a leading role on the intracellular RNA accumulation in C. tropica lis, and specific growth rate is more important.

Objective To discuss the clinical value of strain rate imaging in quantitatively evaluating segmental myocardial function of left ventricle in latent autoimmune diabetes in adult(LADA).Methods Thirty LADA without complication(LADA group),30 LADA patients with hypertension and normal geometric left ventricle(LADA+NLVH group)and 30 healthy people(control group)were enrolled.All patients had normal ejection fraction,normal fractional shortening and no cardiac symptoms.The strain rate in systolic,early and later diastolic periods were obtained from 3 consecutive heartbeats in 16 segments respectively.The parameters were quantitatively analyzed between the three groups.Results Compared with the control group,all of the measured parameter of LADA and LADA+NLVH were significantly lower(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Although the mean strain rate in early and later diastolic periods decreased significantly in LADA+NLVH group than in LADA group(P＜0.05),there was no significant difference in the mean systolic strain rate between the two groups (P＞0.05).Conclusions Strain rate imaging provides a sensitive and accurate tool to assess the left ventricular myocardial performance in patients with LADA.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of interventional therapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSThirty-three patients with HCC were synthetically treated by systematic measures. Among them, percutaneous port-catheter system (PCS) implantation via the femoral artery was performed in 21 cases. Patients with haemorrhage were treated with prothrombin complex concentrate and fibroraas, and patients with hepatic encephalopathy by branched-chain amino acids and arginine.

RESULTSAll indwelling catheters of PCS were patent and no catheter tip dislocations were observed. Of 33 patients with advanced HCC, the mean survival rate was 20.1 months and 12 (36%) patients survived more than 2 years.

CONCLUSIONPatients with advanced HCC were treated by synthetic measures. Survival was prolonged, quality of life was improved significantly, and the effectiveness of interventional therapy was further improved.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; mortality ; therapy ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; mortality ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Survival Rate

Objective To design and build a set of experimental equipment for neutron radiation irradiation by using the ²⁴¹Am-Be neutron source. Methods In the preliminary work, the spatial distribution data of the neutron energy spectrum and the gamma energy spectrum inside and outside the device were simulated by Monte Carlo method, and the changes of radiation fluence rate with spatial distribution was studied. The model of the ²⁴¹Am-Be neutron device was established, and the neutron transport process in the irradiation field was studied using the method of shadow cone, inverse square law and other data analysis methods. Results Based on the simulation results, the normalized effective does of fast neutron fluence at the measurement point is about 72.9 pSv/n, and the one of photon fluence is about 3.04 pSv/γ. The ratio of effective dose of photon fluence to neuteon is about 4.17%. Conclusion Using Monte Carlo method, a standard model of ²⁴¹Am-Be neutron source was constructed, the shadow cone design was optimized, and the feasibility of using the shadow cone conversion method to establish a standard neutron source radiation device was discussed.