OBJECTIVES: Patients with schizophrenia often have a concrete thinking or an impairment in abstract thinking, but there has been a limitation in quantitatively measuring this cognitive function. The aim of the current study was to investigate a deficit in abstract thinking in patients with schizophrenia using the theme identification task. METHODS: Twenty subjects with schizophrenia and 20 healthy volunteers participated in the behavioral study for theme identification. The visual stimuli were composed of a series of pictures, which contained positive or negative emotional situations. Three words, indicating a main theme of the picture, a theme-related item and a theme-unrelated item, respectively, were presented in the bottom of the pictures, and participants had to select a theme. RESULTS: The patient group selected theme words at significantly lower rate in both emotional conditions than the control group (positive, p=0.002 ; negative, p=0.001). Especially, in the negative condition, the patient group more selected theme-unrelated items than the control group (p=0.001). The rates of theme identification were inversely correlated with scores of the Social Anhedonia Scale (positive, r=-0.440, p=0.007 ; negative, r=-0.366, p=0.028). CONCLUSION: Patients with schizophrenia exhibited an impairment in abstract thinking, and it was remarkable in the negative condition. The ability to think abstractly was associated with the severity of social anhedonia. The impairment of abstract thinking may become one of the reasons for poor social functioning in socially anhedonic patients.
Anhedonia ; Humans ; Schizophrenia ; Thinking

Objective To observe the efficacy of combinated inhaled glucocorticosteroid and long- ?2 - agonist for asthmatic children. Methods Forty- seven children with moderate or severe persistent asthma were treated with inhalation of the fluticasone pro-pionate and salmeterol. The PEF value and the mark according the symptom of asthma before and after treatment( week and month respectively) were recorded. At the same time the days of treatment the patient with the short - ?2 - agonist in the first week and the forth week respectively were noted. The subjective feeling and accident of patients also should be paid attention. Results There was significant difference (P

Hirudin (HV) is known as the most potent and specific inhibitor of thrombin. Although hirudin has many advantages , it has the bleeding side effect and this is the great shortage of hiudin for clinical application. In order to alleviate bleeding side effect of hirudin, fusion protein, named as FHV (fusion hirudin linked with FXa recognition peptide) was designed. The fusion protein gene ( fhv) was cloned into plasmid pPIC9K. FHV engineered Pichia pastoris containing high copies was chosen for fermentation and purification at 30 L fermentor scale, finally, FHV with purity of above 97% was obtained. To investigate the function of FHV in vivo, mouse tail thrombosis model was used. In the mice thrombus tail model induced by carrageenan, FHV decreased the length of tail thrombus significantly, similar to that of HV control, and had no obvious effects on the TT, PT and APTT. In conclusion, FHV is constructed and expressed in yeast. FHV fusion proteins is obtained by fermentation and purification. FHV has antithrombotic effects not influencing IT, PT and APTT after administration immediately in animal models. Therefore, FHV is a promising anticoagulant and antithrombotic drug.

Traumatic rupture of the superior oblique muscle is rare. We report a case of a 54-year-old man injured by the metal hook of a hanger, resulting in a rupture of the superior oblique muscle tendon. He complained of torsional diplopia when in the primary position. The distal margin of the superior oblique muscle was reattached to sclera 5 and 9 mm apart from the medial insertion of the superior rectus muscle. One week after the operation, torsional diplopia disappeared. However, a 4-prism diopter ipsilateral hypertropia was observed. Three months later, hypertropia gradually increased to 20 prism dioptors and the second operation was done to correct vertical diplopia.
Diplopia/etiology/physiopathology/surgery ; Eye Injuries/complications/*diagnosis/surgery ; *Eye Movements ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oculomotor Muscles/*injuries/physiopathology/surgery ; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Strabismus/etiology/physiopathology/surgery ; Tendon Injuries/complications/*diagnosis/surgery

PURPOSE: This is a qualitative study to identify dimensions of long-term care hospital care quality that provide high-level medical services for long-term care patients in Korea. METHODS: Service consumers and providers were interviewed, and collected data were analyzed into thesis, type and dimension. The focus group method was applied to two provider groups and individual interview was applied to two persons who had experienced a long-term care hospital. RESULTS: The results of analyzing the comsumers and providers was integrated into 8 dimensions: physical environment, staff, clinical care and nursing, multiplicity of activity program, atmosphere, interaction with family, nutrition, and quality improvement system. CONCLUSION: The dimensions of long-term care hospital care quality from this study can be used as a basis of quality indicators. Quantitative studies to test these dimensions are required for establishing quality management systems.
Atmosphere ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Korea ; Long-Term Care* ; Nursing ; Qualitative Research ; Quality Improvement ; Quality Indicators, Health Care

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in clinical efficacy on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) between electroacupuncture (EA) and dyne-35 and to explore the effect mechanism.

METHODSSixty-five patients were randomized into an EA group (33 cases) and a western medication group (32 cases). In the EA group, the selected acupoints were Danzhong (CV 17), Qimen (LR 14), Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3), etc. After the arrival of qi, electric stimulation was attached to the acupoints for 30 min. The treatment was given 3 times a week. In the western medication group, dyne-35 was prescribed on the 5th day of natural menstruation or withdrawal bleeding, one tablet a day, continuously for 21 days. The treatment cycle was 3 months in the two groups. The menstrual condition, body mass, body mass index (BMI), serum testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and LH/FSH were compared before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was assessed in the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 90.6% (29/32) in the EA group and was 93.3% (28/30) in the western medication group. The efficacy was similar in the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the levels of LH and LH/FSH were all reduced significantly in the two groups (all P < 0.01). After treatment, T level in serum was reduced apparently in the western medication group (P < 0.05). Before and after treatment, the differences in body mass and BMI in the EA group were more significant than those in the western medication group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA is the effective method for PCOS, similar to that of dyne-35. The effect of it for weight loss is superior to dyne-35 and no apparent adverse reactions happen. The effect mechanism of EA is related to the regulation of serum sexual hormone levels and their ratio, as well as to the regulation of body lipid metabolism.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Cyproterone Acetate ; administration & dosage ; Drug Combinations ; Electroacupuncture ; Ethinyl Estradiol ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; blood ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Young Adult

ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness and practicability of training technique in hemiplegia.Methods313 stroke patients with hemiplegia were divided randomly into the control group and training group, and treated with integrative training technique for hemiplegia impairment during 3 months. Locomotor recovery and the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) of patients in two groups were assessed before and after one, two and three months training respectively, using Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the scale of impairment in community rehabilitation.ResultsAfter treatment, FMA, FIM and the scale of impairment in community rehabilitation of the patients in the training group improved significantly ( P<0.001), the effectiveness was better than that of the control group ( P<0.05～0.001).The scales of FMA and FIM were proportional to the scale of impairment in community rehabilitation.ConclusionThe training technique for hemiplegia has ideal rehabilitation effectiveness.

AIM: To investigate the expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its effect on the biological function of human erythroleukemia cell line TF1, and to explore the underlying mechanism .METHODS: The abundance of CFTR in the bone marrow mononuclear cells of patients with AML was measured by real-time PCR.After TF1 cells were incubated with CFTR specific inhibitor CFTRinh-172, cell viability, cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis were analyzed by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry . The Wnt signaling pathway-related proteins were determined by Western blot .RESULTS: CFTR was highly expressed in both patients with AML and leukemia cell lines .After incubated with CFTRinh172, the viability of TF1 cells was de-creased, the proportion of the cells in G0/G1 phase was increased, while that in S phase declined (P<0.05).Further-more, the cells treated with CFTRinh-172 exhibited higher apoptotic rate , accompanied with lower protein expression of β-catenin, c-Myc and cyclin D1 (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:CFTR expression is dramatically increased in AML .Inhibi-tion of CFTR restrains the growth and promotes the apoptosis of TF 1 cells via classical Wnt signaling pathway .

Objective To investigate the relations between saliva arsenic levels and serum arsenic and urinary arsenic of rats after exposed to different levels of sodium arsenite.Methods Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into four groups(8 rats in each group),namely the control group,the low,the medium,and the high doses of sodium arsenite exposure groups.Rats of the control group were given 0.9％ NaCI by gavage,and other three groups were given sodium arsenite of 0.2,2.0,20.0 mg/kg body weight by gavage.All animals were administrated every other day for two weeks,then saliva,blood,urine and tissue organs were collected,organ coefficients were calculated,total arsenic concentrations in blood and urine were detected by Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry(AFS-230) and total arsenic concentration in saliva was detected by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer(ICP-MS).Results The weight gain values of rats exposed to sodium arsenite were lower than that of the control group,the difference was statistically significant between the highest dose group[(76.13 ± 17.19)g]and the control group[(103.00 ± 12.31)g,P ＜ 0.05].The liver and kidney organ coefficients in the highest dose group [(3.92 ± 0.54)％,(0.96 ± 0.15)％]were significantly higher than that in the control group[(3.27 ± 0.35)％,(0.76 ± 0.05)％,P ＜ 0.05 or ＜ 0.01].The total arsenic concentrations in saliva[(0.044 ± 0.019),(0.211 ± 0.071),(1.128 ± 0.380)mg/L],blood[(11.832 ± 1.887),(45.032 ± 7.216),(121.839 ± 17.323)mg/L]and urine[(0.138 ± 0.085),(0.874 ± 0.328),(8.843 ± 1.754)mg/L]in the three treatment groups were significantly higher compared with that of the control group [(0.018 ± 0.014),(2.267 ± 0.370),(0.025 ± 0.011)mg/L,all P ＜ 0.05],furthermore,there was a significant difference among the three treatment groups (all P ＜ 0.05).The arsenic contents in saliva were significantly correlated with blood arsenic and urinary arsenic,the correlation coefficient was 0.934 and 0.960,respectively (all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions High dose of arsenic exposure,with a strong toxicity to liver and kidney,can inhibit the increase of rat body weight.Arsenic dose-response relationship exists in the saliva,and saliva arsenic is significantly correlated with blood arsenic and urinary arsenic,suggesting that salivary arsenic can be used as a new biomarker for assessing human exposure to arsenic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether embryonic stem (ES) cells can be established from isolated blastomeres of mouse embryos. METHODS: Blastomeres were separated from mouse (C57Bl/6J) 2- or 4-cell embryos. Isolated blastomeres or whole 4-cell embryos were co-cultured with mitosis-arrested STO feeder cells in DMEM supplemented with recombinant murine leukemia inhibitory factor and ES-qualified fetal bovine serum. After the tentative ES cell lines were maintained from isolated blastomeres or whole embryos, some of them were frozen and the others were sub-cultured continually. Characteristics of tentative ES cell lines as were evaluated for specific gene expressions with immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. RESULTS: One ES cell line (3.0%) was established from isolated blastomere of 2-cell embryo and one cell line (4.0%) from isolated two blastomeres of 4-cell embryo. And five cell lines (16.7%) were established from whole 4-cell embryos. Both cell lines from isolated blastomere and whole embryo expressed mouse ES cells specific markers such as SSEA-1, Oct-4 and alkaline phosphatase. Marker genes of three germ layers were expressed from embryoid bodies of both cell lines. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that mouse ES cells could be established from isolated blastomeres, although the efficiency is lower than whole embryos. This animal model could be applied to establishment of autologous human ES cells from biopsied blastomeres of preimplantation embryos in human IVF-ET program.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Antigens, CD15 ; Blastocyst* ; Blastomeres* ; Cell Line ; Embryoid Bodies ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Embryonic Structures ; Feeder Cells ; Gene Expression ; Germ Layers ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ; Mice* ; Models, Animal