Objective For drinking water deep treatment,this study compared the abilities of several common domestic products of activated carbon in virus removal from water through adsorption. Methods This study compared the abilities in virus removal of two types of granular activated carbon (GAC) materials (domestic product made of coconut shell) and one type of activated carbon fiber (ACF) material (domestic product made of mucilage glue-based ACF felt) under a fixed condition (phosphate buffered saline-PBS solution,pH =7.3,25 ℃) and the abilities of one of the above two GAC types under various conditions (before and after pretreatment,15-35 ℃,pH= 6.0-8.4,concentration of Ca2+ 0-500 mg/L,ionic strength 0-0.1 mol/L). The tested virus was the indicator phages obtained from sewage with an enterobacterium (Escherichia coli 285). Results The removal process with the GACs followed the first order kinetic model (R2: 0.83-0.99),whereas that of the ACF did not (R2: 0.44-0.64),with the rate constants of 0.505 3-2.606 8 (GACs) and 0.219 2-0.413 8 (ACF). Pretreatment (boiling for 2 h and then washing in deionized water) could both increase and decrease the removal effects,depending on the GAC sources. Different abilities in virus removal were found between the two GACs with their comparative outcomes depending on if they were subject to the pretreatment; higher levels of temperature,Ca2+ concentration,and ionic strength,and slight acidic and alkaline conditions favored virus removal. Calculation from the first order kinetic simulation showed that: the removal percentage within 15 min was around 30% with the highest 40% and the lowest 5%; and the maximum removal during the experimental period of 5 h reached 5-log. Although the amount (1 g) of the GACs used was ten times of that of the ACF (0.1 g),the measured values showed that the latter had faster initial removal rates than the former. Conclusion The three domestic products of activated carbon showed a large difference in their abilities to remove the viruses from water through adsorption with their comparative outcomes depending on the experimental conditions. If the short duration (about 15 min) currently employed in activated carbon treatment process is considered,it will be necessary to study the ways in promoting virus removal through adsorption onto the activated carbon materials of domestic products used in this experiment.

Objective To compare the value of (~99m) Tc-octreotide scintigraphy and planar X-ray mammography in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods A total of 32 patients with suspected breast cancer were enrolled into this study. All patients underwent (~99m) Tc-octreotide scintigraphy and planar X-ray mammography. The diagnostic efficiency of (~99m) Tc-octreotide scintigraphy and planar X-ray mammography were compared based on the post-surgery pathology. Results The sensitivity of (~99m) Tc-octreotide scintigraphy and planar X-ray mammography in the diagnosis of breast cancer was 91.67% and 66.67%, the specificity was 100% and 37.50%, the accuracy was 93.75% and 59.38%, respectively. Combining (~99m) Tc-octreotide scintigraphy with planar X-ray mammography, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predicting values and negative predicting values for breast cancer was 95.83%, 100%, 96.88%, 82.14% and 47.06%, respectively. Conclusion The diagnostic efficiency of (~99m) Tc-octreotide scintigraphy for breast cancer is superior to planar X-ray mammography. (~99m) Tc-octreotide scintigraphy combined with planar X-ray mammography, the diagnostic efficiency for breast cancer will be further improved.

Objective To investigate the changes of serum and bile from victims attacked by infantile hepatitis syndrome(IHS).Methods The constituents from 42 IHS subjects and 16 controls,including total bilirubin(TB),direct bilirubin(DB),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),glutamyltranspeptidase(?-GT),total bile acid(TBA),interleukin 6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor ?(TNF-? )both in bile and serum,were assayed by fully-auto chemistry analyzer and ELISA,respectively.The subjects of IHS were divided into cholestasis group and hepatitis group.Results Of IHS group,the values of serumal TB,DB,ALT,?-GT,TBA,IL-6 and TNF-? were higher than those of control(P_a

Aim To study the effect of Baoxinbao film on endothelin(ET) and nitric oxide(NO) secretion in patients with stable angina pectoris(SAP).Methods 76 patients with SAP were randomly divided into two groups, with 40 cases in the baoxinbao group plastered with baoxinbao film and 36 cases in the isosorbide dinitrate group receiving isosorbide dinitrate. The levels of plasma ET and NO before and after treatment were observed. Results The concentrations of plasma ET were increased and plasma NO reduced significantly in the SAP patients respectively, as compared with those in the control group(all P

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) on aristolchic acid induced renal tubular epithelial cell trans-differentiation to look for new therapeutic approach for aristolchic acid nephropathy (AAN).

METHODSIn vitro cultured human proximal renal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2 cells were treated with different concentrations of BMP-7 (75 ng/mL, 150 ng/mL and 300 ng/mL) after trans-differentiation of the cells was induced by AA (10 microg/mL). Levels of alpha-SMA mRNA and protein expressions were detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting respectively.

RESULTSBMP-7 reversed the AA inducing alpha-SMA expressions in HK-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONBMP-7 can inhibit the trans-differentiation of human renal tubular epithelial cell induced by AA, thereby might be a new potential drug for AAN prevention and treatment.

Actins ; metabolism ; Aristolochic Acids ; adverse effects ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Cell Transdifferentiation ; drug effects ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Kidney Tubules, Proximal ; cytology

One influenza H3N2 virus, A/swine/Shandong/3/2005 (Sw/SD/3/2005), was isolated from pigs with respiratory disease on a farm in eastern China. Genetic analysis revealed that Sw/SD/3/2005 was a triple-reassortant virus with a PB2 gene from human-like HIN1, NS from classical swine H1NI, and the remaining genes from human-like H3N2 virus. These findings further support the concept that swine can serve as reservoir or mixing vessels of influenza virus strains and maintain genetic and antigenic stability of viruses. Furthermore, we have successfully established a reverse genetics system based on eight plasmids and rescued Sw/SD/3/2005 through cell transfection. HI tests and RT-PCR confirmed that the rescued virus maintained the biological properties of the wild type Sw/SD/3/2005. The successful establishment of the reverse genetics system of Sw/SD/3/2005 will enable us to conduct extensive studies of the molecular evolution of H3N2 influenza viruses in swine.

Objective To evaluate the impact of early enteral nutrition (EEN) compared with parenteral nutrition (PN) on patients after hepatectomy. Methods Seventy-eight patients undergoing liver resection were randomized prospectively into two groups: EEN group receiving early enteral nutrition (n=35) and PN group receiving parenteral nutrition (n=43). The patients in both groups received isocaloric and isonitrogenous nutritional formulas 24 h after operation and the formulas were stopped on postoperative day 7. The general conditions, liver function tests, clinical complications,and clinical nutritional variables at three time points that included preoperative phase, postoperative day 1 (POD 1) and postoperative day 8 (POD 8) were observed. Results No significant differences were found in length of hospital stay, liver function and clinical nutritional variables between the 2 groups. In the EEN group, the serum prealbumin level almost returned to the preoperative level on POD 8. The nutritional complication rate of the EEN group was increased significantly but it was milder than that of the PN group. The time of gut function recovery in the EEN group was shorter than that of the PN group. The costs of nutritional drugs showed a significant decrease in the EEN group.Conclusion Early enteral nutrition is safe, rational and effective in patients who have undergone hepatectomy. Early enteral nutrition is better than parenteral nutrition in promoting liver function recovery, liver protein synthesis, postoperative recovery of gut function and decreasing costs of nutritional drugs.

Objective To investigate the role of and relationship between reactivity to autologous serum and dermatophagoides farinae (Df) in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria (CU). Methods Autologous serum skin test (ASST) and skin prick test (SPT) to Df were carried out in 831 patients with CU. The correlation between reactivity to autologous serum and Df was statistically analyzed. Results The positivity rate of ASST and SPT to Df was 51.74% and 64.62%, respectively in the 831 patients. SPT was positive in 56.52% of patients with positive ASST and in 73.86% of those with negative ASST (P ＜ 0.05). In patients with positive ASST, the degree of autologous serum reactivity was negatively correlated with that of reactivity to Df (P ＜ 0.05). Conclusions The skin reactivity to Df and autologous serum plays an important role in the pathogenesis of CU, and the degree of the reactivity to Df and autologous serum is negatively correlated. To conduct ASST and SPT simultaneously in patients with CU may favor the clinical classification and therapy of CU.

Based on the characteristics of heart sound and lung sound, we propose to use high-order statistics to achieve the blind source separation of these signals. In this way, we can abstract lung sound signal from heart sound signal clearly.
Algorithms ; Computer Simulation ; Heart Sounds ; Humans ; Respiratory Sounds ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

Objective Labial gland biopsy is one of major diagnostic methods for Sj(o)gren's syn-drome(SS).Meanwhile,99TcmO-4 parotid scintigraphy has been proven useful for the clinical evaluation of SS.This study was performed to investigate the correlation between the two examinations and evaluate the semi-quantitative parotid scintigraphy in the early diagnosis and staging for SS patients.Methods There were 135 SS patients and 30 normal subjects as control group in this study.They all underwent 99TcmO-4 pa-rotid scintigraphy.Semi-quantitative analyses of parotid scintigraphy were conducted with parameters inclu-ding maximum accumulation ratio (MAR),maximum secretion ratio(MSR),time interval from stimulation to minimum count(tparotid),prestimulatory oral activity index (PRI) and poststimulatory oral activity index (POI).For comparison, the biopsy of labial gland was performed in each patient and the pathological se-verity was classified into grade 0,1,2,3,4 (also defined as subgroups).One-way ANOVA and q-teat were applied for the correlation analyses between the two examinations.Results There was significant difference between pathological subgroup 3 or subgroup 4 and the control in all the semi-quantitative parame-ters (q=6.79-38.64,P<0.O1).In subgroups 1 and 2,only PRI and POI showed significant changes compared with the control(q=8.33,8.63,all P<0.01).The pathological stages were negatively correla-ted with MAR(r=-0.679,P<0.01),MSR(r=-0.601,P<0.01),PRI(r=-0.724,P<0.01)and POI(r=-0.751,P<0.01),but only positively correlated with tparotid(r=0.364,P<0.01).Con-clusions Most semi-quantitative parameters of 99TcmaO-4 parotid scintigraphy may be well correlated with the pathological severity of labial gland biopsy in SS patients.Further,the semi-quantitative indices espe-eially PRI and POI may be helpful for the early diagnosis and staging of SS patients.