Objective: To investigate the properties of zirconia toughened glass infiltrated nanometer-ceramic composite (Al 2O 3/nZrO 2) . Methods: Zirconia toughened glass infiltrated nanometer-ceramic composite(Al 2O 3/nZrO 2)powder was prepared with combination of chemical co-precipitation method and ball milling. The shape, size, partical distribution, crystal phase and chemical composition were measured and analyzed. Results: (1) The crystal phase composition of the studied nanometer ceramic composite powder was made up with ?-Al 2O 3, t-ZrO 2 and m-ZrO 2 examined by XRD?(2) The density of the powder was 4.12 g/cm 3?(3) The particle distribution of the powder ranged 0.02～3.0 ?m?(4)Observed with SEM, the particle profile of the powder was regular, the ratio of length and width of the particles was about 1.2. Conclusion: The studied nanometer ceramic composite powder owns good homogeneity, stable chemical composition, reasonable powder-size gradation and may be favourable in the improvement of the packing density of ceramics.

AIM:To analyze the characteristics of optical coherence tomography ( OCT ) in diabetic optic neuropathy ( DON ) retrospectively.
●METHODS:Retrospective study. A total of 175 cases of type ll diabetes with fundus lesions from Dec. 2013 to Dec. 2015 were selected and the clinical information was collected. These cases were diagnosed by consultation between Departments of Ophthalmology and Endocrinology in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiao Tong University. The results of body examination were recorded and cases were examined by color fundus photography, fluorescein fundus angiography ( FFA) and OCT. All these data were analyzed.
●RESULTS: A total of 49 cases ( 90 eyes, 25. 7%) were diagnosed DON through FFA which manifested abnormal fluorescence in optic papilla. Results of OCT showed:among 90 eyes of DON patients, 15 eyes ( 16. 7%) had normal optic nerve form; 20 eyes(22. 2%) of excavation of optic disc became smaller or disappeared, with prelaminar tissue and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) swelling;26 eyes (28. 9%) manifested optic cup deep and cup/disc ratio increasing;18 eyes (20. 0%) had tissue hyperplasia in the hollow or on the surface of optic disc; 11 eyes(12. 3%) had symptoms including vitreous traction optic papilla and optic disc rim rising. DON eyes which had similar fluorescence features could manifest different tissue morph by OCT.
●CONCLUSION: FFA defines DON by change of blood circulation in optic nerve. However, OCT can show differences of tissue morph of optic nerve that FFA fails to do. So OCT can manifest the causes and sites of optic neuropathy more clearly and also provide basis for treatment. The advantages of OCT are conducive to reviews and curative effect tracking among DON patients and these advantages including noninvasive, convenient, inexpensive and repeatable.

AIMTo build a simple and repeatable animal model of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

METHODSSAH was produced by passing a nylon thread up through the right internal carotid artery and piercing a hole in the right anterior cerebral artery. At 12 h and 24 h after SAH operation, the rats were evaluated with rotarod test and the behavior scale (5-point scale).

RESULTSThe rats were trained through rotarod test and then randomly divided into three groups, including vehicle group treated with vehicle after SAH, nimodipine treated group (i.p. 0.25 mg x kg(-1), 5 min, 6 h, 12 h after SAH) and sham group. At the point of the perforation there was usually a capping clot. There was always blood in the basal cisterns with some spread over the hemisphere. After 12 h and 24 h of SAH operation, the time of rotarod test of rats decreased significantly and the rats had serious neurological deficit. Nimodipine could alleviate the neurological deficit after 24 h of SAH.

CONCLUSIONTo present a simple and reliable model of SAH in the rats, which allows evaluating novel compounds and new drugs for treatment of SAH.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Brain ; pathology ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Nimodipine ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rotarod Performance Test ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; etiology ; pathology ; physiopathology

In this study, we investigated the pharmacokinetics parameters of SPIO-shRNA dual functional molecular probe and observed the main organ distribution by MRI in vivo. Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups and injected intravenously with different doses of SPIO-shRNA molecular probe, respectively. The blood samples were collected to analyze the pharmacokinetic parameters by measuring the iron content at 30 minutes before and after the injection. Twenty-four Kun Ming (KM) mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control group was injected intravenously with physiological saline 200 µL per mouse via the tail vein, the other 3 groups were injected intravenously with different doses of SPIO-shRNA molecular probe. MRI observation was performed in 24 hours, and the liver, spleen, kidney, brain and muscle were collected for iron quantification with Prussian blue staining to determine distribution of the SPIO-shRNA molecular probe in the main organ in vivo. Our results suggest that the molecular probe blood half-life is more than 3 hours. The data of MRI suggest the probe was distributed in liver and spleen, and the MRI signal was reduced with the increase in probe's doses (P < 0.05). The results of Prussian blue staining confirmed the results of MRI. Most of the probe could escape the phagocytosis of mononuclear phagocyte system. Our data provide the pharmacokinetic and distribution of SPIO-shRNA molecular probe in organs. Meanwhile, it suggests the choice of the time and dose of probe for MR imaging of tumor in vivo.
Animals ; Half-Life ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetite Nanoparticles ; Mice ; Molecular Probes ; pharmacokinetics ; RNA, Small Interfering ; chemistry ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVETo establish a new method for simultaneous determination of shanzhiside methyl ester, chlorogenic acid, 8-O-acetyl shanzhiside methylester, forsythiaside B, rutin, acteoside and galuteolin in Lamiophlomis rotata.

METHODSeparation was performed on a Welchrom-C18 chromatographic column with acetonitrile-0.1% orthophosphoric acid as mobile phasewith gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1). The column temperature was 30 degrees C, and the detection wavelength was set at 238 nm, 330 nm and 350 nm.

RESULTThe seven compounds were well separated with good linear correlations. The mean recoveries of seven compounds were 96.47%-102.2% (RSD 0.70%-2.2%).

CONCLUSIONThere were good correlations among the seven compounds in the samples of aerial parts. The mean sum of shanzhiside methyl ester and 8-O-acetyl shanzhiside methylester in samples of aerial parts is 1.44%. The aerial parts have more kinds of composition and with higher content than that of underground parts in L. rotata, which was reasonable for the resonable use of the aerial part as medicinal part. The method was simple, repeatable and stable, which could be used for identification and quality evaluation of L. rotata.

Chlorogenic Acid ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; Glycosides ; chemistry ; Lamiaceae ; chemistry ; Methyl Ethers ; chemistry ; Phenols ; chemistry ; Plant Components, Aerial ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pyrans ; chemistry ; Rutin ; chemistry

Objective Critical hand foot and mouth disease(HFMD)progresses from severe type to critical type very fast with high mortality rate.The article was to explore the significance of pediatric early warning score and common inflammatory markers in early diagnosis of critical HFMD cases. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 236 HFMD cases in Hainan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2014 to December 2016. According to HFMD diagnosis and treatment guidelines(2010 Edition)formulated by the Ministry of Health,the selected cases were divided into the general group(n=88),the severe group(n=128)and the critical group(n=20). The white blood cells(WBC),neutrophils(PMN), serum C reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT)and other la-boratory parameters were collected at admission,along with Pediatric Early Warning score(PEWS)and Pediatric Critical Illness Score(PCIS). The data of each group were compared by ROC curve analysis. Results The median number of WBC and PMN in the criti-cal group was 15.36×109/L and 10.09×109/L,respectively,which were significantly higher than those of severe group(P<0.05). However,no significant difference was found between general group and severe group(P>0.05). The serum levels of CRP and PCT in general group were higher than those in severe group and critical group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The PEWS[(6.1±2.42)vs(0.99±0.77)]and PCIS[(78.7±13.6)vs(99.03±2.12)]in critical group were significantly higher than those in severe group,which were of statistically significance(P<0.05). According to the ROC analysis,the area under the ROC curve of PEWS early warning score for children was(0.962~1.000),(P<0.05)and the best diagnosis limit PEWS was 3.5. The PEWS and PCIS correlation analysis showed the Pearson correlation coefficient was -0.885(P<0.05). Conclusion Common clini-cal inflammatory markers can not be taken as quantitative indicators for the early diagnosis of critical HFMD. The PEWS is an ideal quantitative index for early diagnosis of critical HFMD.

the process of malignant transformation of esophageal epithelial cells, and jointly promoting the occurrence and development of EC.

OBJECTIVEThe fabrication of all-ceramic dental restorations is challenged by ceramics' relatively low flexural strength and intrinsic poor resistance to fracture. This paper aimed at investigating the relationships between powder-size gradation and mechanical properties of Zirconia toughened glass infiltrated nanometer-ceramic composite (Al(2)O(3)-nZrO(2)).

METHODSAl(2)O(3)-nZrO(2) ceramics powder (W) was processed by combination methods of chemical co-precipitation and ball milling with addition of different powder-sized ZrO(2). Field-emission scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the particle size distribution and characterize the particle morphology of powders. The matrix compacts were made by slip-casting technique and sintered to 1,450 degrees C and flexural strength and the fracture toughness of them were measured.

RESULTS1. The particle distribution of Al(2)O(3)-nZrO(2) ceramics powder ranges from 0.02 - 3.5 micro m and among them the superfine particles almost accounted for 20%. 2. The ceramic matrix samples with addition of nZrO(2) (W) showed much higher flexural strength (115.434 +/- 5.319) MPa and fracture toughness (2.04 +/- 0.10) MPa m(1/2) than those of pure Al(2)O(3) ceramics (62.763 +/- 7.220 MPa; 1.16 +/- 0.02 MPa m(1/2)).

CONCLUSIONSThe particle size of additive ZrO(2) may impose influences on mechanical properties of Al(2)O(3)-nZrO(2) ceramics matrix. Good homogeneity and reasonable powder-size gradation of ceramic powder can improve the mechanical properties of material.

Aluminum Oxide ; chemistry ; Dental Porcelain ; chemistry ; Hardness ; Nanomedicine ; Nanotechnology ; Particle Size ; Powders ; Tensile Strength ; Zirconium ; chemistry

This article studied the chemical constituents from the aerial part of Vitis thunbergii var. taiwaniana. The 60% ethanol extract was eluted with 95% ethanol though HP-20 macroporous adsorption resin column. 12 compounds, including (1) betulinic acid, (2)2, 2, 2'-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane bis (2, 3-epoxypropyl) ether, (3) eriodictyol, (4) trans-ε-viniferin, (5) (+)-cis-ε-viniferin, (6) kobophenol A, (7) ampelopsin A, (8) nepalensinol B, (9) cis-miyabenol C, (10) cis-vitisin B, (11) cis-gnetin H and (12) (+)-hopeaphenol, were separated by using normal phase silica gel, ODS, Sephdadex LH-20 column chromatographies and semi-preparative or preparative HPLC. Compounds 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 were separated from the genus Vitis for the first time and compounds 3, 7, 12 were separated from Vitis thunbergii var. taiwaniana for the first time. At a concentration of 50 μmol · L(-1), compound 6, 7 and 11 showed strong cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cell lines with the inhibition rate of 66.58%, 57.16%, 52.84%, respectively.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Vitis ; chemistry

Objective To observe the effects of genistein and 17?-estradiol on microstructure of cancellous bone in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.Methods Ninty 7-month-old SD rats were randomly divided into baseline group,ovariectomized (OVX),sham-operated (SHAM),17?-estradiol treated (10?g?kg~(-1).day~(-1),EST) and genistein treated (5 mg?kg~(-1)?day~(-1),GEN) groups,and were killed at the beginning of the experiment,the 3rd and 15th week after operation.MicroCT scanning was performed on the left tibia in vitro.The regions involving 0.5 mm slice thickness and 1.6 mm distal to the tibial growth plate were selected as the regions of interest.Results At the 3rd week after operation,the tissue bone mineral density (tBMD) and trabecular thickness (sTh.Th) in group GEN were significantly higher than those in OVX and EST groups (all P