0.05).Conclusions Serum NT-proBNP level is sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of pneumonia complicated with CHF and CHD complicated with CHF. There is an increasing tendency of NT-proBNP level companied increasing pulmonary pressure.

To further uncover the scientific significance and molecular mechanism of the Chinese herbs with pungent hot or warm natures, endogenous and exogenous expression systems were established by isolation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and transfection of HEK293 cells with TRPV1 channel gene separately. On this basis, the regulation action of capsaicin, one main ingredient from chili pepper, on TRPV1 channel was further explored by using confocal microscope. Besides, the three-sites one-unit technique and method were constructed based on the brown adipose tissue (BAT), anal and tail skin temperatures. Then the effect of capsaicin on mouse energy metabolism was evaluated. Both endogenous and exogenous TRPV1 channel could be activated and this action could be specifically blocked by the TRPV1 channel inhibitor capsazepine. Simultaneously, the mice's core body temperature and BAT temperature fall down and then go up, accompanied by the increase of temperature of the mice's tail skin. Promotion of the energy metabolism by activation of TRPV1 channel might be the common way for the pungent-hot (warm) herbs to demonstrate their natures.
Adipose Tissue, Brown ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animals ; Capsaicin ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Energy Metabolism ; Ganglia, Spinal ; cytology ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Mice ; Neurons ; drug effects ; physiology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; TRPV Cation Channels ; physiology ; Temperature ; Thermogenesis

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning ; complications ; Cardiomyopathies ; etiology ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To evaluate the value of three-dimensional color power angiography(3D-CPA) in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors.Methods 3D-CPA vascular parameters were collected and analyzed in 121 breast solid lesions (63 malignant,58 benign) in the 114 female patients.The diagnostic performances of each parameter were compared by receiver operating characteristic (ROC)cure.Results The parameters of intra-tumor flow index (FI1),flow index of shells with outside thickness of 3mm surrounding the breast tumors(FI2 ) and the ratio of FI2 and FI1 (G2) in malignant group were significantly higher than those in benign group( P ＜0.05,respectively).Analysis of the areas under ROC curve showed that the areas under FI2 curve was the largest.No significant difference( P ＞0.05) was found between the area under FI2 curve and the area under G2 curve.Comparing the area under FI2 curve to that under FI1,there was significant differences ( P ＜ 0.05).Taking FI2 ≥ 27.385 as the critical value,the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of malignant breast tumors were 88.9％ and 81.0％,and the positive and negative predictive values were 83.6％ and 87.0％ respectively.Conclusions The sensitivity and specificity of 3D-CPA parameter FI2 in the diagnosis of malignant breast tumors were higher than others,FI2 with the optimal critical value of ≥27.385 could help to identify malignant from benign breast tumors.

Objective To study the gait of children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) using plantar pressure measurement (PPM).Methods Twenty SCP children and 84 healthy children were recruited,and PPM was used to compare their gait cycle time,cadence,and standardized gait cycle parameters.Results Compared with the control group,gait cycle times in the SCP group were obviously prolonged,and their cadence was significantly slower.The side support phase and swing time in the SCP group were shorter,while the double support phase was longer than that of children in the control group.Conclusion PPM can be used to assess the gait of SCP children efficiently.

Four screening methods, colorimetric assay, blood-plate hemolysis method, surface tension activ- ity and oil spreading technique were introduced to isolate strains producing bio-demulsifiers from 6 different bacteria source samples. The results of various screening methods were evaluated in this paper. Seventeen demulsifying strains were obtained, which are qualified in demulsification test of kerosene model emulsions. Among them, 5 strains showed high demulsifying ability, achieving 70% plus demulsifying ratio within 24 hours. Petroleum-contaminated soil, excess sludge from biological process treating oilfield produced water and sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant were the best among all tested sources. Due to the determination limit, the colorimetric assay and blood-plate hemolysis method are not competent to screen bio-demulsifiers strains. The measurement of surface tension and oil spreading method were easy but accu- rate methods to isolate bio-demulsifiers strains. Although demulsification test of model emulsion is an effec- tive technique to target strains with the capability of breaking emulsions, it is sophisticated and time-con- suming. Thus it is recommended to use surface tension and oil spreading methods in pre-screening and vali- date the results in demulsification test with kerosene model emulsions.

Abstract: Objective　To investigate the clinical characteristics and diagnosis key points of brain abscess caused by Nocardia asiatica, and provide a clinical basis for diagnosing and treating intracranial infection caused by Nocardia. Methods　A case of pulmonary Nocardia asiatica complicated with brain abscess diagnosed at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University was selected to analyze the clinical manifestations, cerebrospinal fluid characteristics, pulmonary and cranial imaging features, and treatment plan, and to summarize the diagnosis and treatment experience. Results　The patient was an elderly woman with a history of diabetes, dry cough was the first symptom without fever or headache. At the beginning of the course, it was diagnosed as pulmonary infection and tuberculosis in the local hospital, and received conventional antimicrobial and anti-tuberculosis therapies, but showed no improvement. The patient developed progressive limb weakness, followed by consciousness disorders, and coma. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) adenosine deaminase and lactate dehydrogenase were not abnormal, CSF pressure, protein and white blood cells were high, mainly with multiple nuclear cells. CSF glucose and chloride were normal in the early stage of the disease, but decreased significantly in the later stage. Metagenomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid indicated Nocardia asiatica with a specific sequence number of 537. Lung CT showed exudation, abscess, and cavity in the right lung. Skull MRI scan + enhancement suggested multiple scattered abscesses in both cerebral hemispheres. The abscesses were of different sizes and showed ring enhancement, with extensive surrounding edema, and ventricular compression. After treatment with meropenem, linezolid, and compound sulfamethoxazole tablets, the cerebrospinal fluid recovered, and the lesions in the lungs and intracranial structures improved. Conclusions　Brain abscess caused by Nocardia asiatica is similar to the tuberculous brain in clinical symptoms, cerebrospinal fluid examination, craniocerebral imaging, so we should be alert to the possibility of Nocardia infection in patients with diabetes. At the same time, metagenomic testing of the cerebrospinal fluid can help confirm the diagnosis. The mortality and disability rates of brain abscess caused by Nocardia are high. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve the prognosis.

Objective To evaluate the association of islet autoantibodies [ glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody(GADA),protein tyrosine phosphatase antibody(IA-2A)and insulin autoantibodies(IAA)1 with HLA- DQ genotypes in the first-degree relatives of autoimmune type 1 diabetes mellitus.Methods This was a cross- sectional and case-control study.Three hundred and fifty-one first-degree relatives with normal glucose tolerance of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and 376 healthy controls were recruited and measured for GADA,IA-2A and IAA by radioligand assay,and 156 first-degree relatives of patients with autoimmune type 1 diabetes mellitus and 278 controls were typed for genetic polymorphisms of HLA-DQ with PCR sequencing-based typing method.Results (1)DQA1*03,DQBI*0303,*0401 alleles and DQA1 * 03-DQBI * 0303,DQA1 * 05-DQBI * 0201,DQA1 * 03-DQBI * 0401 haplotypes were significantly increased in the first-degree relatives of autoimmune type 1 diabetes mellitus(P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of application of mandibular outer cortex as bone graft by comparing its bone absorption with cranial outer cortex.

METHODS8 minitype grown-up pigs at the age of 8 - 12 months underwent surgery of taking out the same size (2.5 cm x 1.0 cm) of outer cortex from mandible and craninium. The volume of the outer cortex was measured by volume-displacement method. Then the outer cortex of mandible and cranium were onlay grafted to the each side of the pig snout, respectively. 12 weeks later, 2 pigs were randomly selected for histological examination. The other 6 pigs were killed 24 weeks after surgery for measurement of the bone graft volume and histologic examination.

RESULTSThe bone graft absorption rate was (41 +/- 5)% for mandibular outer cortex and (46 +/- 12)% for cranial outer cortex, showing no significant difference between them (P = 0.51). The histologic examination results also had no marked difference in the bony healing and reforming between the two graft.

CONCLUSIONSMandibular outer cortex is a good donor site for onlay bone graft in craniofacial region.

Animals ; Bone Plates ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone Transplantation ; methods ; Female ; Male ; Mandible ; transplantation ; Skull ; transplantation ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature

The purpose of this study is to investigate the penetration effects and mechanism of N-arginine chitosan (ACS). This novel transdermal enhancer with a mimetic structure of cell-penetration peptides was synthesized by introducing hydrophilic arginine groups to the amino-group on chitosan's side chain. The structure of ACS was confirmed by FT-IR, 1H NMR and element analysis. In addition, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was used to study the protein conformation and the water content of stratum corneum, and the result suggested that ACS can change the orderly arrangement of the molecules in the stratum corneum, making the stack structure of keratin become loose. And ACS can increase the water content of the stratum corneurn. Inverted fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry were used to examine penetration effect of ACS on Hacat cell. The result confirmed that the uptake of ACS was enhanced with increased substitution degree of arginine by 4-8 folds compared to chitosan. In vitro penetration studies on three electrical types of drugs were carried out using three model drugs of negatively charged aspirin, positively charged terazosin and neutral drug isosorbide mononitrate by the method of Franz diffusion cells. The results showed that ACS has obviously penetration of the negatively charged drug aspirin, and certain penetration of neutral drug issorbide mononitrate, but inhibition of positively charged terazosin. In vivo imaging technology research results show that the ACS can significantly enhance the fluorescence intensity of morin, which is the auto-fluorescence anionic drug. These obtained results suggested that ACS, as a promising transdermal enhancer, can change the structure of the keratinocytes and analog penetrating peptides promote absorption, but have certain selectivity for the drug.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Arginine ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Aspirin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cell-Penetrating Peptides ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Chitosan ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Drug Carriers ; Humans ; Isosorbide Dinitrate ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Keratinocytes ; cytology ; Male ; Mice ; Prazosin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Skin Absorption ; drug effects