Quinone is one of the electron transporters of the microbial respiratory chain. The dominant quinone of one species of bacteria is different from other bacteria. So the quinone profile of environmental samples can reflect the microbial community. This paper briefly introduces the analytical method used for microbial quinones. The microbial community in an activated sludge sample is studied using this method.

0.05).The percentage of CD40 positive cells in CBMC-derived DC was lower than that in PBMC-derived DC[(34.80?7.77)% vs(54.37?9.57)%,P

A new caffeate compound, (E)-erythro-syringylglyceryl caffeate (1), was isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Nardostachys chinensis Batal., together with nine known phenolic compounds, including (+)-licarin A (2), naringenin 4', 7-dimethyl ether (3), pinoresinol-4-O-β-D-glucoside (4), caraphenol A (5), Z-miyabenol C (6), protocatechuic acid (7), caffeic acid (8), gallic acid (9) and vanillic acid (10). Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and physicochemical properties. Furthermore, this is the first report of compounds 2, 5 and 6 from Nardostachys genus.
Caffeic Acids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Flavanones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Furans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Hydroxybenzoates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Lignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Nardostachys ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Vanillic Acid ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo verify the regulatory effects of acupuncture on exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at stable phase.

METHODSThirty cases of COPD were randomly divided into a treatment group (16 cases) and a placebo group (14 cases). Based on specified aerobic exercise, acupuncture was applied in the treatment group and placebo acupuncture was used in the placebo group. The acupoints included Danzhong (CV 17), Rugen (ST 18), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25) and so on. The needle did not penetrate into the skin for the placebo group. The treatment was required for 2 to 3 times per week for totally 5 weeks. The indices of exercise tolerance, including 6-min walking distance (6-MWD), exercise time, maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC), maximum ventilatory volume (MVV), St. George respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) were observed in two groups before and after treatment.

RESULTS(1) Exercise tolerance: the differences of 6-MWD and exercise time were statistically significant between groups, which were more superior in the treatment group (both P<0.01); the VO2max was significantly increased after treatment in the treatment group (P<0.05), but there was no difference between two groups (P>0.05). (2) Pulmonary ventilation function: the differences of FEV1%, FEV1/FVC and MVV% were statistically significant between groups, which were more superior in the treatment group (P<0.05, P<0.01); (3) SGRQ: the SGRQ was significantly improved after treatment in the treatment group (P<0.05), but there was no difference between two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe acupuncture could improve the exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at stable phase, and shorten the onset time of aerobic exercise. Besides, acupuncture combined with aerobic exercise could effectively improve the pulmonary function.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Exercise Tolerance ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; physiopathology ; therapy

Objective:To investigate the correlation of plasma D-dimer levels with the response to first-line chemotherapy and the prognosis of patients with serous ovarian cancer (SOC). Methods:The preoperative plasmic D-dimer levels of 143 patients with prima-ry SOC were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were admitted to Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between January 2008 and May 2010. The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of plasmic D-dimer levels. Group A consisted of 100 patients with a normal plasmic D-dimer level of≤0.3 mg/L. Group B included 43 patients with an increased plasmic D-dimer level of>0.3 mg/L. The correlations of the different plasmic D-dimer levels with clinicopathological features, therapeutic effects, and surviv-al outcomes were further analyzed. Results:The plasmic D-dimer levels were positively correlated with the staging of the Federation of International Gynecology and Obstetrics, residual tumor size, presence of malignant ascites, preoperative serum CA125 level, and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Group B exhibited a significantly lower (P<0.001) complete response (CR) rate of 34.88%(15/43) than group A, which yielded a CR rate of 73.00%(73/100). The progression-free survival and overall survival rates of group B were significantly lower than those of group A (25.58%vs. 50.00%and 32.56%vs. 65.00%;P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that the plasmic D-di-mer level is an independent prognostic factor associated with unfavorable prognosis. Conclusion:Increased preoperative plasmic D-di-mer levels may be a potential biomarker of weak responses to first-line chemotherapy and poor clinical outcomes in patients with SOC.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the correlation between nasal obstruction score, Lund-Mackay score,congestion index and tissue remodeling degree of nasal mucosa in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis(CRS) and to study the role of diagnosing remodeling.METHODS Forty-three patients with CRS who underwent endoscopic surgery were studied.Congestion index of nasal mucosa was obtained by acoustic rhinometry.Nasal obstruction score was obtained by visual analogue scale.CT score was obtained by Lund-Mackay.The mucosa specimen of uncinate process from nasal cavity of the patients was used to evaluate the fibrosis degree.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS11.5.RESULTS Nasal obstruction and Lund-Mackay score had no correlation with fibrosis degree of mucosa(r=0.77,P=0.40),whereas congestion index of nasal mucosa had a negative correlation with fibrosis degree of mucosa(r=-0.348, P=0.022).CONCLUSION Nasal congestion index can reflect the degree of remodeling in submucosal tissue.Nasal congestion index with obstruction symptoms and CT scan can be used to guide the CRS treatment strategies.

Objective To observe the effect of acupuncture in promoting the lung recovery in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to discuss its advantage and safety in lung recovery. Method Forty-four patients were randomized into two groups, 22 cases in the treatment group and 19 in the control group finally (with 3 dropouts). In addition to the required aerobic exercises, the treatment group received active acupuncture treatment and the control group received placebo acupuncture treatment, with acupoints from the Spleen and Stomach Meridians and Conception Vessel as the major points, 2-3 sessions a week, for 14 sessions in total. The body mass index (BMI), athletic ability, COPD Assessment Test (CAT), pulmonary function and inflammation indexes [interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α] were observed before and after the treatment. Result After the treatment, the improvements in the six-minute walking distance, CAT and pulmonary function scores were statistically more significant in the treatment group than those in the control group (P<0.05,P<0.01); the serum content of TNF-α was increased more significantly in the control group than in the treatment group (P<0.05); there was no significant change in BMI in the treatment group, while a significant decrease of BMI was found in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture plus exercises can boost the lung recovery in remission-stage COPD and reduce the adverse reactions brought by sports fatigue.

Background:Previous studies of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) were mostly based on selective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) cases,and risk factors of CI-AKI after emergency PCI are unclear.The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors of CI-AKI in a Chinese population undergoing emergency PCI.Methods:A total of 1061 consecutive patients undergoing emergency PCI during January 2013 and June 2015 were enrolled and divided into CI-AKI and non-CI-AKI group.Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to identify the risk factors of CI-AKI in emergency PCI patients.CI-AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine ≥25％ or ≥0.5 mg/dl (44.2 tmol/L) above baseline within 3 days after exposure to contrast medium.Results:The incidence of CI-AKI in patients undergoing emergency PCI was 22.7％ (241/1061).Logistic multivariable analysis showed that body surface area (BSA) (odds ratio [OR] 0.213,95％ confidence interval [CI]:0.075-0.607,P =0.004),history of myocardial infarction (MI) (OR 1.642,95％ CI:1.079-2.499,P =0.021),left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (OR 0.969,95％ CI:0.944-0.994,P =0.015),hemoglobin (Hb) (OR 0.988,95％ CI:0.976-1.000,P =0.045),estimated glomerular filtration rate (OR 1.027,95％ CI:1.018-1.037,P ＜ 0.001),left anterior descending (LAD) stented (OR 1.464,95％ CI:1.000-2.145,P =0.050),aspirin (OR 0.097,95％CI:0.009-0.987,P =0.049),and diuretics use (OR 1.850,95％ CI:1.233-2.777,P =0.003) were independent predictors of CI-AKI in patients undergoing emergency PCI.Conclusion:History of MI,low BSA,LVEF and Hb level,LAD stented,and diuretics use are associated with increased risk of CI-AKI in patients undergoing emergency PCI.

Adenoma ; diagnosis ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pituitary Gland ; pathology ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; diagnosis

To detect the in vitro probe microdialysis recoveries based on an HPLC-DAD method for simultaneous quantification of nine active ingredients (ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methylephedrine, amygdalin, liquiritin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and glycyrrhizic acid) in Mahuang decoction, which provides reference for in vivo pharmacokinetic study. The concentrations of nine active ingredients in dialysate were detected by HPLC-DAD, to investigate the effect of flow rates (incremental method and subtraction method) and intraday stability of the probe recoveries and medium concentrations on the recoveries. Nine active ingredients could be well separated in 52 min. At the perfusion rate of 1.0 μL x min(-1), the relative recoveries of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methylephedrine, amygdalin, liquiritin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and glycyrrhizic acid were (50.95 ± 0.82)%, (52.74 ± 1.13)%, (51.29 ± 0.51)%, (32.56 ± 0.84)%, (45.36 ± 0.83)%, (70.94 ± 0.99)%, (69.98 ± 2.30)%, (71.68 ± 0.63)%, and (22.14 ± 0.48)%, respectively. And the probe kept steady in 7 hours. At the same medium concentration, the probe recoveries decreased exponentially with the increase in flow rates. The recoveries of seven ingredients detected by these two methods were similar at certain flow rates, except for amygdalin and cinnamaldehyde. At the same flow rate, the relative recoveries of cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid and cinnamaldehyde changed greatly (9.55%-16.2%) and the others six ingredients had less change (3.27%-5.71%) with the changes in medium concentrations. Microdialysis method could be used to detect the in vitro recoveries of nine ingredients in Mahuang decoction. Reverse dialysis method could be used for the in vivo probe recovery calibration of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methylephedrine, liquiritin, cinnamyl alcohol and cinnamic acid at the flow rate of 2.0 μL x min(-1).
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ephedra sinica ; chemistry ; Microdialysis ; methods ; Molecular Structure