Objective To explore the Oneomehnia distribution on electronic map based on gridding orientation pattern of marshlands in Changsha along Xiangjiang River,in order to manage snail information in a visual and digital way.Methods The data of geographic information and snail information were collected by global positioning system(GPS)and database was established using systematic sampling,and then an information management system of electronic map about the distribution of Oncomelania was designed.The degree of Oncomelania was expressed in different colors,the Oncomelania information in the database on the digital map wag reflected accurately using the geographic information system(GIS)technology.Results The electronic map of the distribution information of 20 marshlands in Changsha along Xiangjiang River were drawn.At the same time,the information could be grasped compreheusively.Digit map contains geographic information and database of snail information,such as the row and rnum,the density of alive and infectious snails,the area and geographic information et al.A method of managing and analyzing snail information with higher efficiency was offerred in this article.Conclusion Conventional methods of managing and analyzing Oncomelania information are reformed into digitalization and visualization.

INTRODUCTIONBicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common form of adult congenital heart disease. When compared to patients with a normal trileaflet aortic valve, dilatation of the aortic root and the ascending aorta (Asc Ao) are the common findings in patients with BAV, with consequent higher risk of developing aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection and rupture. We aim to determine the site of the Asc Ao where maximum dilatation occurs in Asian adult patients with BAV.

MATERIALS AND METHODSAll subjects underwent full echocardiography examination. The diameter of the Asc Ao was measured at 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm and 7 cm from the level of aortic annulus to the Asc Ao in 2D from the parasternal long-axis view.

RESULTSA total of 80 patients (male/female: 45/35; mean age: 45.3 ± 16.2 years) with congenital BAV and 30 normal control group (male/female: 16/14; mean age: 45.9 ± 15.1 years) were enrolled. The indexed diameters of the Asc Ao were significantly larger than the control group. In patients with BAV, maximum dilatation of Asc Ao occurred around 6 cm distal to the aortic annulus.

CONCLUSIONIn patients with BAV, dilatation of Asc Ao is maximal at the mid Asc Ao region around 6 cm distal to the aorta annulus.

Adult ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; epidemiology ; Aorta ; diagnostic imaging ; Aortic Aneurysm ; epidemiology ; Aortic Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; Aortic Rupture ; epidemiology ; Aortic Valve ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Case-Control Studies ; Comorbidity ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Valve Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo summarize the echocardiographic features of a wide spectrum of congenital mitral valve anomalies.

METHODSThe medical records, echocardiograms, cardiac catheterization studies, and surgical reports were reviewed. The mitral valve anomalies evaluated in the study included parachute mitral valve, double orifice mitral valve, congenital mitral stenosis with 2 papillary muscles, anomalous papillary muscle rotation, and 3 commissures and papillary muscles in 15 cases. Surgeries were performed in 11 patients, and 1 patient underwent transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus.

RESULTSThe echocardiograms of 6 cases of parachute mitral valve were characterized by a hypoplastic mitral valve with short chordal attachments to a single posterior medial papillary muscle. The mitral valve demonstrated restricted motion. The double orifice mitral valve were featured by two separate mitral valve orifice, with each suborifice supported by its own tension apparatus in 4 patients. Asymmetric hypoplastic mitral valve stenosis with two papillary muscles was found in 1 patient with short and unbalanced chordal attachments to the anterior lateral major papillary muscle. Anomalous papillary muscle rotation was found in 1 patient. Mirtal anomaly with 3 major commissures and 3 papillary muscles was found in 3 patients.

CONCLUSIONSEchocardiography offers clear demonstration of the mitral valve thickness and chordal attachments, and allows visualization of the position and the number of the papillary muscles and interpapillary spaces for evaluation of the mobility of the valve leaflets, therefore can be a valuable diagnostic modality for congenital mitral valve anomalies, especially congenital mitral stenosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; congenital ; diagnostic imaging ; Papillary Muscles ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture(EA) at "Fenglong" (ST 40) in hyperlipidemia (HLP) rats.

METHODSForty health SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group (group A), a high fat forage feed group (group B) and a high fat forage feed treatment group (group C), a high fat forage + normal forage feed group (group D) and a high fat forage + normal forage feed treatment group (group E), eight rats in each group. EA was applied at "Fenglong" (ST 40) for the rats in group C and group E, once daily. After treatment of 30 days, blood lipid levels of rats, including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in plasma were tested. Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western Blotting were applied to detect the gene expression changes of the contents of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha), liver X receptor alpha (LXR-alpha) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXR-alpha) in liver tissue of rats.

RESULTSCompared with group A, the contents of TC, LDL-C were significantly elevated in group B and group D (all P < 0.01); compared with group B, above indices were significantly decreased in group D (all P < 0.01). After the treatment of EA at "Fenglong"(ST 40), the contents of TC, LDL-C were significantly decreased (all P < 0.01), and the contents of TG, HDL-C did not change obviously (all P > 0.05). Compared with group A, the mRNA and protein contents of ABCA1, PPARalpha, LXR-alpha and RXR-alpha were decreased obviously in group B and group D (all P < 0.01). But compared with group B, the above indices were decreased in the group D. There were signficantly increasing in the protein content of ABCA1, PPARalpha, RXR-alpha and LXR-alpha mRNA after the treatment of EA (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA at "Fenglong" (ST 40) has some therapeutic effect on decrease the content of TC, LDL-C in rats of hyperlipemia and improve the gene expression of ABCA1, PPARalpha, LXR-alpha and RXR-alpha mRNA so as to promote reverse cholesterol transport.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; genetics ; Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Male ; PPAR alpha ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo identify the differentially expressed proteins in the liver of Oncomelania snails induced by Eomecon chinanthe sanguinarine.

METHODSSanguinarine was extracted and purified from the dry powder of Eomecon chinanthe. Oncomelania snails were immersed in 5 mg/L sanguinarine (50 Oncomelania snails per 500 ml) or pure water for 36 h (25°C) and the livers were isolated from live snails. Total liver proteins were extracted and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Electrophoretogram was analyzed by Image Master 2D 5.0 software. The differentially expressed proteins between sanguinarine group and pure water group were selected and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing of tryptic peptides.

RESULTSIn terms of protein spots, 433 ± 14 and 385 ± 12 were observed in sanguinarine group and in water group respectively. The eleven identified differentially expressed proteins included tropomyosin, hypothetical protein XP_533132, actin 87E, keratin 6A, beta-tubulin, mitochondrial inner membrane protein isoform 4, keratin 2, allatostatin precursor, ENSANGP00000020184, actin-3 and ENSANGP00000013943. Among them, hypothetical protein XP_533132 and ENSANGP00000013943 were down-regulated and the other nine proteins were up-regulated in sanguinarine group.

CONCLUSIONSanguinarine could alter the expression of proteins in livers of Oncomelania snails.

Animals ; Benzophenanthridines ; pharmacology ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Isoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Proteomics ; Snails ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

Background:Gastric cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the gastric mucosal epithelium.OLGA/OLGIM staging systems are scoring systems for gastric mucosal atrophy and intestinal metaplasia based on gastroscopic pathology.Serum pepsinogen(PG)and PG Ⅰ/PG Ⅱ ratio(PGR)can reflect the gastric mucosal function and status.Studying the relationship between PG and OLGA/OLGIM stages and the changing trends is of great value for early screening of gastric cancer.Aims:To explore the relationship between serum PG and OLGA/OLGIM stages,and its application value in screening of early gastric cancer.Methods:A total of 188 healthy individuals underwent gastroscopy from June 2021 to June 2023 at Shanghai Health and Medical Center were selected.The serum PG level was measured,and the status of Helicobacter pylori(Hp)infection was evaluated.OLGA/OLGIM stages were assessed according to the findings of gastroscopic pathology,and correlated with the serum PG level.After two years of follow-up,changes of PG and PGR in subjects with different baseline OLGA/OLGIM stages were analyzed.Results:There were significant differences in PG Ⅰand PGR among subjects with various baseline OLGA/OLGIM stages(P＜0.05).OLGA/OLGIM stages were correlated with Hp infection,family history of malignant gastrointestinal tumors and spicy diet(P＜0.05).The incidences of gastric mucosal atrophy in PG Ⅰ ≤70 μg/L group and PGR≤3.0 group were significantly higher than those in PG Ⅰ＞70 μg/L group and PGR＞3.0 group,respectively(P＜0.05).The follow-up results showed that for baseline OLGA/OLGIM stage 0,PG Ⅰ showed a decreasing trend over time,while no significant change of PG Ⅰ was found in other OLGA/OLGIM stages;PG Ⅱ showed a decreasing trend while PGR showed an increasing trend over time in all stages.But all these trends were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusions:The combined detection of PG and Hp infection has important value in evaluating the severity of chronic atrophic gastritis and the risk of gastric cancer.It can be applied as an early screening project for gastric cancer in individuals undergoing physical examination.

OBJECTIVETo screen and identify differentially expressed proteins between adult female and male worms of Schistosoma japonicum(S.japonicum).

METHODSTwo rabbits infected with the cercaria were perfused with saline in carotid, and approximately two hundred adult female and two hundred male worms of S.japonicum were collected. Approximately 300 microg soluble and hydrophobic proteins of adult female and male worms of S.japonicum were extracted and then the proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis respectively. The analysis using ImageMaster Platinum 2D 5.0 resulted in differentially expressed proteins between adult female and male worms, which were subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing of tryptic peptides.

RESULTSThere were (255 +/- 10) and (224 +/- 12) spots detected for soluble proteins and (200 +/- 11) and (132 +/- 8) spots for hydrophobic proteins from adult female and male worms respectively. Six differential proteins were identified, five up-regulated proteins in female worms were thioredoxin, putative ferritin-1 heavy chain, chain B in solution structure of the human ubiquitin-conjugating-enzyme-like protein Mms2-Ubiquitin Complex, heat shock protein 10, cytoplasmic fatty acid binding protein variant H; while only one up-regulated proteins in male worms was identified as 48 kDa histamine receptor subunit peptide 4.

CONCLUSIONSeveral differentially expressed proteins between female and male worms of S. japonicum were recognized through screening and identifying differential proteins between female and male worms of S.japonicum.

Animals ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Female ; Helminth Proteins ; isolation & purification ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Proteome ; isolation & purification ; Rabbits ; Schistosoma japonicum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the value of serum Cystatin C (Cyst C) in the evaluation of glomerular filtration function in children with viral encephalitis.

METHODSSerum levels of Cyst C, urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) were measured in 92 children with viral encephalitis and in 50 healthy children as a control group. According to glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the encephalitis group was subdivided into normal renal function, renal insufficiency in the compensatory or decompensatory stage, and renal failure /end-stage groups.

RESULTSSerum levels of Cyst C, BUN and Cr in the encephalitis group increased and GFR decreased significantly compared with those in the control group (P<0.01). With the decline of renal function, GFR decreased and serum levels of Cyst C, BUN and Cr increased gradually. Serum levels of Cyst C and GFR were significantly different among the encephaitis subgroups (P<0.01). For serum levels of BUN and Cr, there were significant differences among the subgroups except between the normal renal function and the compensatory renal insufficiency groups. Serum Cyst C level was positively correlated with serum BUN and Cr levels, and negatively correlated with GFR.

CONCLUSIONSThe children with viral encephalitis have different degrees of renal impairments. Cyst C appears to be superior to BUN and Cr as a marker for the evaluation of glomerular filtration function. Measurement of serum Cyst C levels is very valuable in renal function monitoring in children with viral encephalitis.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cystatin C ; blood ; Encephalitis, Viral ; blood ; physiopathology ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Renal Insufficiency ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo make an attempt at the multi-element speciation in the Chinese medicinal herbs by determining the concentrations of 25 elements in different extraction solutions.

METHODFirstly, five Chinese medicinal herbs (Buddleja officinalis, Dictamnus dasycarpus, Myristica fragrans, Albizia judibrissin and Inula japonica) from the same region of China were treated to obtain water-soluble phase, lipid-soluble phase and non-soluble phase by water extraction, organic solvent extraction and acid digestion, respectively. Secondly, Phytolacca acinosa, a Chinese medicinal herb collected from 9 regions of China, was extracted by 0% EtOH, 50% EtOH, 75% EtOH, 95% EtOH, respectively, referring the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Finally, the concentrations of 25 elements, such as Be, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ge, Sr, Y, Mo, Cd, Tl, Pb and REEs, in the above three phases were determined by ICP-MS.

RESULTUnder the optimal conditions, all the 25 elements could be determined with detection limits ranged from 0.003 to 0.71 ng x g(-1). The average recoveries of the elements in P. acinosa were 88% approximately 119%, with the relative standard deviations 1.7% approximately 13.3%. It was observed that the determined 25 elements distributed in all the water-soluble, lipid-soluble and non-soluble phases, indicating that the inorganic species, organicspecies, as well as the protein bound species were coexisted in the herbs. Big differences of the element extraction rates could be found by using different ethanol solutions.

CONCLUSIONWith the aid of the obtained results, we may increase the extraction of necessary elements while decrease that of the toxic elements from the herbs by choosing a suitable solvent during the drug production.

Buddleja ; chemistry ; Cadmium ; analysis ; Copper ; analysis ; Dictamnus ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ecosystem ; Lead ; analysis ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; Molybdenum ; analysis ; Myristica fragrans ; chemistry ; Phytolacca ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Solvents ; chemistry ; Trace Elements ; analysis ; Zinc ; analysis

Objective To explore the association between the characteristics of the genetic polymorphism of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B and HLA-DR alleles and asthma in Guangxi Zhuang and Han nationality children.Methods Eighty-four blood-unrelated asthmatic individuals,57 cases of Han nationality and 27 cases of Zhuang children with asthma,and 168 healthy controls,included 83 cases of Han nationality and 85 cases of Zhuang people without asthma and atopy living in Nanning region of Guangxi were involved in the study.All asthmatic patients′serum total IgE levels were measured with UniCAP Pharmacia system,and skin-prick test with ten kinds of inhalant allergens were taken and pulmonary functions were measured among the patients.HLA oligonucleotide array was used to 40 gene alleles of HLA-B and 26 HLA-DR.Comparison of the frequency distribution of HLA-DR alleles and HLA-B alleles in 2 groups was evaluated by chi-square test,and the risk for asthma of the HLA allele′s carriers was valuated by OR value.Results Twenty-seven alleles at HLA-B locus and 21 alleles at HLA-DR were detected.The distribution of HLA-B46,HLA-DRB1070X and HLA-DRB111XX alleles only in Han people was distinctive in the asthmatic patients compared with those in healthy controls(Pa