The seeds of Rabdosia rubescens were as the materials to research the impacts of different lead (Pb2+) concentrations(0, 135, 270, 540, 1 080 mg x L(-1)) on seed germination and seedling growth. The results show that: Low concentration of lead had no obvious effect on early germination of the seed, the germination vigor and germination speed were lightly higher but not significantly differed at the level of Pb concentration 135 mg x L(-1) with control group; Mid-high concentration of Pb solution (270-1 080 mg x L(-1)) significantly inhibited the seed germination and seedling growth, which reduced the seed germination rate, germination vigor, germination index, embryo root length and shoot length, growth index with increasing of Pb concentrations. There was a inhibitory effect on embryo shoot length and root length at mid-high lead concentrations stress, and stronger inhibitory effect on root , which was more sensitive than shoot to Pb stress(P < 0.05). Pb bioaccumulation coefficient (BC) was 0.76-2.59, increased with concentration of Pb; Pb enrichment in seedling mainly caused the growth inhibition. The fitting model predictive analyses show, the critical concentration of Pb, which causes the germination rate and biomass fresh weight reducing 10%, is 195.18, 101.65 mg x L(-1).
Germination ; drug effects ; Isodon ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Lead ; toxicity ; Seedlings ; growth & development ; Seeds ; growth & development ; Stress, Physiological

Humans ; Nasal Obstruction ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Turbinates ; surgery

To evaluate the automated segmentation algorithm for detection of intra - retinal layers to process images obtained from ultra- high resolution optical coherence tomography ( OCT ) . Graph theory and the shortest path search based on dynamic programming were applied to automatically segment the 8 intra - retinal layers. We experimentally verified the accuracy and reliability of the algorithm. The results showed that the intra-retinal layer boundaries between automated and manual segmentations matched well. The algorithm successfully segmented the intra- retinal layers in glaucoma, high myopia, and retinitis pigmentosa patients. The proposed automatic segmentation for intra-retinal layers provides a promising tool for quantitative analysis in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of acute cold exposure on the inflammation and pathologic injuries in pulmonary of rats, and explore the mechanism induced by cold stress.

METHODSForty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups(n = 8): control group (23 ± 2) °C 2.5 h, -25°C 0.5 h group, -25°C 1 h group, -25°C 2 h group and -25°C 2.5 h group. Rats were exposed to cold at -25°C and no wind by keeping them in a low temperature chamber except control group. Rectal temperatures of the rats were measured before and after cold exposure. The morphological changes of pulmonary were observed by the optics microscope. The levels of tumer necrosis factor-α(TNF- α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-β (IL-1β) in lung tissue homogenate were measured by ELISA.

RESULTSCompared to the control group, body core temperatures of the -25°C 1 h group, -25°C2 h group and -25°C 2.5 h group were decreased significantly, and the D-values of rectal temperature were increased before and after cold exposure (P < 0.05). The infiltration of inflammatory cells and alveolar edema fluid appeared in the lung tissue of the -25°C 2.5 h group. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and inter- leukin-1β (IL-1β) in lung tissue homogenate were increased significantly in -25°C l h group, -25°C 2 h group and -25C° 2.5 h group (P < 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe infiltration of inflammatory cells and the increase in proinflammatory cytokine from pulmonary may lead to the lung tissue injury after acute cold exposure.

Animals ; Cold Temperature ; adverse effects ; Inflammation ; physiopathology ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Lung ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the intensity changes of different thickness ratios of Empress II glass ceramic and GI- II glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic before and after Hertzian contact cyclic fatigue.

METHODSDisk-shaped specimens of different thickness ratios of Empress II glass ceramic and GI-II glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic were respectively fabricated. Hertzian contact technique was imposed on the specimens. Critical loads of the specimens before and after 10(5) cycles loading were recorded.

RESULTSThe average values of critical loads of all specimens reduced significantly after cycles loading (P < 0.05), and critical loads declined with diminishing thickness of the core ceramic. The critical load of GI-II glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic was significantly higher than Empress II glass ceramic before and after cycle loading(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCycle loading can reduce the strengths of the two kinds of dental ceramic, and the latter is better than the former in the resistance to fracture and cyclic fatigue. Critical loads of the two kinds of dental ceramic are mainly influenced by the core ceramic's strength and thickness.

Aluminum Oxide ; Ceramics ; Dental Porcelain ; Glass ; Humans ; Materials Testing

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of adenosine A2A receptor knockout (A(2A)RKO) on relationship between continuous activation of phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (P-JNK) and expression of nerve cell apoptosis in hippocampus CA1 domain of newborn mice after hypoxia/ischemia brain damage(HIBD) and its potential mechanism.

METHODSA(2A)RKO mice and adenosine A2A receptor wildtype (A(2A)RWT) littermates (n = 80) were divided into Sham operation group (S) and model group (M), 1, 3 and 7 day after HIBD, totally 8 groups. HIBD was developed with 7 day-old neonatal mice according classical Rice-Vannucci method. It was tested the effect of A(2A)RKO on short-term neurofunctional outcomes consisted of three developmental reflexes (righting, geotaxis and cliff aversion), the changes of brain pathology with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Nissl staining, the expressions of nerve cell apoptosis with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling(TUNEL) staining and P-JNK were observed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe neurological behavior injuries and brain histopathological damages and nerve apoptosis cells were aggravated in A(2A)RKO newborn mice after HIBD. The positive expressions of P-JNK were significantly higher in the ischemic hippocampus CA1 domain after HIBD than ones in group S respectively (P < 0.01), reaching to peak at 1 day and then began gradually decreasing. P-JNK expression in model knockout(MKO) at 1, 3 and 7 day increased greatly compared to those in the previous time point of corresponding model wildtype (MWT) (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P > 0.05); there was a positive correlation between the expressions of P-JNK and nerve cell apoptosis after HIBD in newborn mice(r = 0.837, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONEarly continuous activation of P-JNK might be involved in the aggravated nerve apoptosis cells and brain damage induced by A(2A) RKO newborn mice after HIBD.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptor, Adenosine A2A ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo identify thyroid peroxidase (TPO) gene mutations in 35 patients with congenital hypothyroidism.

METHODGenomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples of 35 patients with congenital hypothyroidism. All of the 17 exons and flanking introns of TPO gene were amplified by PCR, then the PCR products were sequenced bi-directionally and were analyzed by restriction endonucleases.

RESULTOne patient had compound heterozygous mutations c.961A>G/c.2422delT, one was c.2268insT/c.1477G>A, and three was homozygous mutation c.2268insT. The TPO gene mutation c.961A>G [p. Thr321Ala] was one novel mutation.

CONCLUSIONHigh frequency mutation in TPO gene was detected in patients with congenital hypothyroidism.

Autoantigens ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Congenital Hypothyroidism ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Iodide Peroxidase ; genetics ; Iron-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Male ; Mutation

To study the optimal examination method of CD62P and CD63 and investigate platelet activation in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), whole blood labeled directly with monoclonal antibodies CD62P and CD63 and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the positive percentages and the mean fluorescence intensity of CD62P and CD63. The specimens of peripheral blood obtained from 10 healthy adults were divided into two groups. In the unfixing group, the positive percentages of CD62P and CD63 at the periods of 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after staining were (7.57 +/- 2.33)%, (20.50 +/- 5.70)%, (28.70 +/- 5.67)% and (36.52 +/- 6.13)%, and, (0.89 +/- 0.36)%, (1.11 +/- 0.84)%, (2.35 +/- 2.02)% and (5.43 +/- 3.66)% respectively, their respective MFI were 1.57 +/- 0.13, 1.88 +/- 0.08, 2.00 +/- 0.09 and 2.38 +/- 0.22 and 3.91 +/- 0.11, 4.07 +/- 0.16, 4.38 +/- 0.14 and 4.44 +/- 0.19. However, in fixing group with 1% paraformaldehyde, the results had not any obvious change and almost were same. Besides it, the positive percentages of CD62P and CD63 in 37 adult patients with DM were (14.11 +/- 6.68)% and (2.71 +/- 1.74)%, significantly higher than that in the normal controls. It is concluded that the CD62P and CD63 on platelet membrane were very sensitive and would be easily activated in vitro, all manipulations that includes labeling with antibody, incubation and detection using flow cytometry should be finished within 30 minutes after samples collected. While fixing by using 1% paraformaldehyde can steady the labeling compounds and effectively prevent the artificial activation of platelet, and keep the stable results within two hours after the samples labeled. In adult patients with DM, the relationship between the cardiovascular complication of diabetes and platelet activation might be existed.

The objective of the study is to find out the effect of shark chondroitin on T lymphocyte subsets in cancer patients. Patients were divided into two groups. One group was treated with chemotherapy alone, and the other group was treated with chemotherapy plus shark chondroitin. Using immunofluorescence technique, T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood were determined in two groups before and after chemotherapy. The results showed that CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio increased in the patients received shark chondroitin. In the chemotherapy group, CD3(+) had no change, but CD4(+) decreased while CD8(+) increased significantly. The results suggest that shark chondroitin could enhance immune function in cancer patients, especially during chemotherapy.

BACKGROUNDChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem worldwide. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an established intervention for the management of patients with COPD. Exercise training is an important part of PR, and its effectiveness in patients with COPD is well established. However, alternative methods of PR training such as Daoyin have not been appropriately studied. Hence, alternative forms of exercise training that require less exercise equipment and no specific training place should be evaluated. This paper describes the study protocol of a clinical trial that aims to determine if pulmonary Daoyin training will improve the exercise capacity and psychosocial function of patients with COPD in China.

METHODS AND DESIGNA multicenter, randomized, controlled trial will be conducted. A total of 464 patients meeting the inclusion criteria will be enrolled into this study with 232 patients in each of the trial group and the control group. Based on patient education, patients in the trial group will receive pulmonary Daoyin and continue with their usual therapy for three months. In the control group, patients will continue with their usual therapy. The primary outcome measures are exercise capacity assessed by the six-minute walking distance test and lung function. Secondary outcomes include dyspnea and quality of life. Measurements will be taken at baseline (month 0) and after the study period (month 3).

DISCUSSIONIt is hypothesized that pulmonary Daoyin will have beneficial effects in improving exercise capacity and psychosocial function of patients with stable COPD, and will provide an alternative form of exercise training that is accessible for the large number of people with COPD.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONThis trial has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov. The identifier is NCT01482000.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Breathing Exercises ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; physiopathology ; psychology ; rehabilitation ; therapy ; Research Design ; Young Adult