ObjectiveTo report the results of preventive control program of severe thalassemias in Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province from 1998 to 2010.MethodsAs the guide centre of marriage and childbearing and the greatest maternity hospital in Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province,Zhuhai Municipal Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital constructed the genetic screening network for thalassemias testing and referred for follow-up and for genetic counseling.The couples for premarital medical examination or regular healthcare examination in pregnancy were enrolled to this preventive control program.A conventional strategy of screening for heterozygote was used to identify the α- and β-thalassemia traits in women and their spouses according to the standard procedures of hematological phenotype analysis which was recommended by Thalassemia International Federation (T IF).Then those suspected couples at risk were diagnosed for α- and β-thalassemia by PCR-based DNA assays.The couples at risk for severe thalassemias were counseled and offered prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy in case of an affected fetus in the rights of consent and of option voluntarily.ResultsFrom January 1998 to December 2010,85 522 brides and grooms-to-be for premarital screening and 41 503 pregnant women in addition to 14 141 partners for prenatal screening were recorded,the covering rates of premarital screening and prenatal screening in the city were 92.698％ (from 1998 to 2003) and 27.667％ (from 2004 to 2010),respectively.Totally 10 726 cases were found to be the carriers of thalassemias,with 7393 for o-thalassemia (5.237％,7 393/141 166) and 3333 for β-thalassemia (2.361％,3 333/141 166).A total of 257 couples at-risk for severe thalassemias were detected including 190 for α-thalassemia and 67 for β-thalassemia.Among them,251 (97.7％,251/257) couples were performed prenatal diagnosis.During the preventive control program,a total of 72 fetuses with severe thalassemias including hemoglobin H disease were voluntarily terminated.In Zhuhai City,the average annual birth rate of fetuses with severe thalassemia was declined by 32.9％ (49/149).ConclusionsThis study has reduced effectively birth rate of perinatal infants with severe thalassemias in Zhuhai City by genetic screening and prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia in the large population of 13 years.Our summary comes out of technical proposals for prenatal screening and diagnosis,which could be take example by preventative control of thalassemia in other regions of China where are prevalent.

Objective To quantitatively analysis the aortic valve leaf anatomical characteristics in aortic regurgitation(AR) patients by real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT-3D-TEE),and screening the parameters which significantly affect AR to further reveal the mechanism of AR.Methods 32 patients with AR were enrolled as AR group and 20 cases of non-AR people were involved as control group.RT-3D-TEE was using to collect images in two groups and offline analysis was performed.4 sets of parameters of the aortic valves(left coronary valve,right coronary valve,and non-coronary valve):leaflet edge length(LL,RL,NL),leaflet height (LH,RH,N H),leaflet length/height ratio (LRa,RRa,NRa),leaflet tip plane distance(LTH,RTH,NTH) were acquired.Parameters of two groups were compared,and the parameters were incorporated into the logistic regression model,then the ROC curves were obtained.Results ①Compared with the control group,LL,RL,NL,RH,LRa,NRa,RRa in AR group increased (P ＜ 0.05),while the rest parameters had no statistical differences (P ＞0.05).②Multivariable logistic regression model gradually screening of the significant factors influencing the reflux,and as a result RL and RTH had significant influence on AR,P values were 0.001,0.011.③The ROC curve analysis showed that the area of RL or RTH curve were both greater than 0.5,which were 0.811 and 0.605 respectively.Conclusions The free edge length and free edge length/height ratio have changed unbalanced.Furthermore,right coronary valve parameters changed significantly,and this might be one of the possible mechanism of AR.

OBJECTIVETo study the inhibition of berberine (BBR) against ECV-304 apoptosis induced by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

METHODSECV-304 cells were pre-treated with 128 microg/mL BBR for 2 h and then S. aureus was added (1:100). The viability of cells was detected by MTT (3-4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The morphological changes were observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. The protection of BBR for infected cells was detected by DNA Ladder.

RESULTSECV-304 cells' viability were not obviously affected by berberine. But S. aureus induced ECV-304 cells' viability could be significantly inhibited by pre-treatment of BBR (P < 0.05). Besides S. aureus-induced ECV-304 apoptosis could be reduced, with significantly lessened apoptotic body and unobvious DNA degradation.

CONCLUSIONBBR could significantly inhibit S. aureus induced ECV-304 apoptosis.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Berberine ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; microbiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Staphylococcus aureus

Pololike kinase 1(Plk1)contain an Nterminal Ser/Thr kinase catalytic domain and a Cterminal region that contains two poloboxes.As a key regulator of multiple steps during cell cycle across eukaryotic species,many proteins interact with Plk1.Plk1 is highly expressed in malignant cells and serves as a negative prognostic marker in specific human cancer types.Plk1 is a potential target for cancer therapy.Some novel smallmolecule inhibitors of pololike kinase 1 provide novel opportunities for cancerdrug discovery,such as BI 2536,ON01910.

Objective:To identify the characteristics and risk factors of the refractures after percuta-neous kyphoplasty ( PKP) and percutaneous vertebroplasty ( PVP) .Methods:A retrospective analysis of 148 patients who had undergone PKP or PVP between March 2006 and October 2013 inPeking University People’ s Hospital was conducted.In the study, 29 patients with 42 refractured vertebra and 119 patients without refracture were included.All the patients were observed for a time of (34.4 ±26.8) months. Clinical, imaging and procedure related factors ( gender, age, height, weight, body mass index, the level of the injured vertebra, the time interval between the procedure and the refracture, the level of the refractured vertebra, the bone cement volume injected, performed PKP or PVP,performed unilateral or bilateral, the percentage of anterior vertebral height restoration, the correction of the Cobb angle, cement diffusion, bone mineral density, presence or absence of diabetes mellitus, history of fractures of the whole body, anti-osteoporosis treatment, cement leakage) for each group were analyzed by Cox propor-tional hazards regression analysis.Results:Of all the patients,16 (55.17%, 16/29) had refractures in the adjacent vertebra, and 13 (44.83%, 13/29) had refractures in the nonadjacent vertebra.Refrac-tures within 3 months accounted for 31.03%(9/29) of all the refractures, and within 1 year accounted for 55.17%(16/29).Both older age (P=0.027, HR=1.051, 95%CI=1.006-1.098) and a his-tory of fractures of the whole body (P=0.012, HR=0.386, 95%CI=0.184-0.812) were statistical-ly significant as the independent risk factors for predicting refractures.Others were not associated with re-fractures ( P>0.05) .Conclusion:Older age and a history of fractures of the whole body are the inde-pendent risk factors of the refractures after PKP and PVP.The mechanism of the refractures after PKP and PVP is mainly the natural development of osteoporosis.

The objective of this study was to develop research of cardiac cells to reestablish 3D tissue architecture in vitro, we performed studies using collagen membrane as three-dimensional scaffold for cardiac cells culture with the principles and methods of tissue engineering. The polymer scaffold provides a 3-D substrate for cell attachment and tissue formation. Cardiac cells isolated by enzymatic digestion from 1d old neonatal rats were seeded to three-dimensional collagen scaffolds and tissue culture plates. The morphology, beating rate and the metabolic indexes, including specific consumption rate of glucose (q(glu)) , specific production rate of lactate (q(lac)), lactate transform rate ( Y(lac/glu)), specific creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities of cardiac cells cultured on three-dimensional collagen membrane and tissue culture plates were compared. It was found that cells shape and cells' CK and LDH activity was no differences between 3D and 2D cultures and cell beat rate on cell culture cluster was slower than those cells cultured on collagen membrane, However the cell glucose consumption and lactate yield rate of cells cultured on cluster was higher than those cells cultured on collagen membrane. After 5 days of cultivation, cardiac cells cultured on collagen membrane scaffolds organized into three-dimensional (3D) aggregates as opposed to the two-dimensional (2D) aggregates mosaic pattern seen in tissue culture plates, and spontaneous and rhythmical contractile 3D cultures in unison were visible to the naked eye and the area of synchronous contract three-dimensional (3D) aggregates reaches 80cm2. The mean value of q(glu), q(lac) and Y(lac/glu) of cultured on three-dimensional collagen scaffold was 7.37 micromol/10(6) cells/d, 2.92 micromol/10(6) cells/ d and 0.38 micromol/micromol, versus 7.59 micromol/10(6)cells/d, 3.83 micromol/10(6) cells/d and 0.51 micromol/micromol in tissue culture plates. These results demonstrate that cardiac cells immobilized on collagen membrane in 3D cultures maintain similar metabolic activity and contractile function when compared with native cardiac cells. The above results support the idea that engineered cardiac tissue can be used as a model of native tissue for studies of tissue development and function in vitro and eventually for tissue repair in vivo.
Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen ; chemistry ; Flow Cytometry ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; ultrastructure ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds ; chemistry

Objective To determine the changes of NGF receptor trkA content and investigate the role and the pathway of PG490 on trkA expression in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)models.Methods Fourty-eight rabbit models were induced and randomized into model group,PG490 intervention group 1(giving PG490 at the onset)and PG490 intervention group 2(giving PG490 at the recurrence).The clinical scores and pathological changes were observed and the expression changes of trkA in the brain tissue were tested by ELISA methods before and after the treatment with PG490.Results The recurrence in the model group was an extremely slow process.The mean clinical scores in the PG490 intervention groups were significantly lower as compared with those in the model group(P<0.05).No obvious differences of the trkA content were found between the model group and the PG490 intervention group 1(P>0.05);however,significant differences of the trkA content were noted between the model group and the PG490 intervention group 2(P<0.05).Conclusion PG490 can improve the clinical symptoms in EAE models by adjusting the trkA content.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of Diminished Criminal Responsibility Rating Scale(DCRRS) to schizophrenia offenders. METHODS: The DCRRS were used respectively to 325 cases of schizophrenia offender which were divided into three groups according to the degree of criminal responsibility. RESULTS: There were significant differences in rating score among three groups (mild group 21.16 +/- 4.17, moderate group 25.87 +/- 5.43, major group 29.35 +/- 4.60), and all items have good correlation with the total score of the scale. 6 factors were extracted by the factor analysis, and their cumulative squared loadings is 68.485%. CONCLUSION The diminished criminal responsibility in schizophrenia offenders could be divided into three grades.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Crime/psychology* ; Discriminant Analysis ; Female ; Forensic Psychiatry/methods* ; Humans ; Liability, Legal ; Male ; Mental Competency/psychology* ; Mentally Ill Persons/psychology* ; Middle Aged ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Schizophrenia ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application of Diminished Criminal Responsibility Rating Scale (DCRRS) to mental retardation offenders. METHODS: The DCRRS was used to 121 cases of mental retardation offenders who were divided into three groups according to the degree of their diminished criminal responsibility. RESULTS: There were significant differences in rating score among the three groups (mild group 22.12+/-4.69, moderate group 25.50+/-5.48, major group 27.59+/-5.69), and 17 items had good correlation with the total score of the scale with the correlation coefficient from 0.289 to 0.665. Six factors were extracted by the factor analysis, and 69.392% variation could be explained. CONCLUSION The DCRRS has rational items, its total score could show the difference among the three degree diminished criminal responsibility of mental retardation offenders.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; Crime/psychology* ; Female ; Forensic Psychiatry/methods* ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Liability, Legal ; Male ; Mental Competency/psychology* ; Middle Aged ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Young Adult

With the development of information technology, as one of the research frontiers in neurophysiology, event-related potentials (ERP) is concerned increasingly by international scholars, which provides a feasible and objective method for exploring cognitive function. There are many advances in neuropsychology due to new assessment tool for the last years. The basic theories in the field of ERP and neuropsychology were reviewed in this article. The research and development in evaluating cognitive function of patients with syndrome after brain trauma were focused in this review, and the perspectives for the future research of ERP was also explored.
Brain/physiopathology* ; Brain Injuries/physiopathology* ; Cognition Disorders/physiopathology* ; Electroencephalography ; Event-Related Potentials, P300/physiology* ; Evoked Potentials/physiology* ; Humans ; Language Disorders/physiopathology* ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Neuropsychology