An apparatus based on a high sensitive sensor which detects cardiovascular functions is introduced in this paper. Some intelligent detecting technologies, such as syntactic pattern recognition and a medical expert system are used in this detector. Its embedded single-chip microcomputer processes and analyzes pulse signals for gaining automatically the parameters about heart, blood vessel and blood etc., so as to get the health evaluation, correct medical diagnosis and prediction of cardiovascular diseases.
Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; Biosensing Techniques ; instrumentation ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; diagnosis ; Computer Systems ; Equipment Design ; Hemorheology ; Humans ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; Pulse ; Radial Artery ; physiology ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; instrumentation ; Software

OBJECTIVETo prepare monoclonal antibody (mAb) against prM epitope.

METHODSThe gene encoding prM was isolated using RT-PCR from brain of JEV infected mouse and cloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a. Recombinant plasmid was transformed into E.coli BL21/DE3/LysS, then the transformed cells were expressed with the induction of IPTG. The expression and purification of the prM protein was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The BALB/c mice were immunized with purified prM protein. Hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies against prM were established after cell fusion of mouse splenic cell and P3-X63-Ag8.653 cells. The specificity of mAb was identified by ELISA, Western Blot and Immunohistochemistry assay.

RESULTSmAb against prM epitope of JEV was prepared successfully.

CONCLUSIONThe obtained prM specific mAb was valuable for the prevention and dignosis of Japanese encephalitis.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; analysis ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Antibody Specificity ; BALB 3T3 Cells ; Cell Line ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; genetics ; immunology ; Epitopes ; immunology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Mice ; Plasmids ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prokaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Viral Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the application of the Chinese Urological Association (CUA) Guidelines on Prostatitis and its effects on the clinical practice patterns of diagnosing and treating chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) among Chinese urologists and andrologists.

METHODSWe conducted a questionnaire investigation on the application of the CUA Guidelines on Prostatitis among the urologists and andrologists of 173 hospitals in 21 cities of China, and performed statistical analyses on all the eligible questionnaires collected.

RESULTSOf the 1 056 questionnaires distributed, 851 (80.6%) were eligible, of which 71.6% were from the urologists or andrologists in grade 3 hospitals, 80.7% of them with senior or intermediate professional titles and 97.5% had studied the CUA Guidelines. Most of the subjects agreed that Type III prostatitis is a clinical syndrome, whose diagnosis should exclude other conditions with similar symptoms, and whose treatment should aim at relieving pain, alleviating urination symptoms and improving the quality of life. Those who had and those who had not studied the CUA Guidelines differed in their viewpoints on CPPS as illustrated in the book. In clinical practice, the most common treatment options for CPPS were psychological therapy (80.7%), medication (80.4%) and life style adjustment (79.6%), and the most frequently used drugs were phytotherapy (80.0%), alpha-blockers (68.9%) and antibiotics (61.0%).

CONCLUSIONCUA Guidelines on Prostatitis has gained a nationwide application and promoted the standardization of the management of CPPS in China.

Humans ; Male ; Pelvic Pain ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Physicians ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Prostatitis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Damage ; Doxorubicin ; pharmacology ; Fas Ligand Protein ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Necrosis ; Sulfinic Acids ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factors ; genetics ; Up-Regulation ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics

OBJECTIVEConventional deletion of ALK3, also termed as bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor IA, in mice might result in early embryonic lethality. To investigate the function of ALK3 in cardiac development, the cardiac-specific deletion of ALK3 in mice was made by Dr. Schneider, using Cre recombinase driven by the alpha-MHC promoter that Dr. Fukushipe worked out. Such specific deletion of ALK3 caused death in mid-gestation with defects in the trabeculae, interventricular septum, and endocardial cushion. Since ALK3 is not a cardiac-specific gene, it is extremely important to identify ALK3 downstream genes.

METHODSAlpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/- and alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/+ embryos were obtained after 20 alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 +/- mice and 20 ALK3 F/F mice were mating. The ALK3 downstream genes were screened using microarray made in Germany that could identify 25000 genes in mouse. Two populations of mRNA, one derived from the embryonic heart (11.5 days) of alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/- mice, and the other derived from the alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/+ mice, were compared. Cardiac-specific ALK3 downstream genes were identified using real time quantitative RT-PCR and in situ hybridization.

RESULTSThe expression of 12 genes, such as Pax-8 and Hox-3.5 were down-regulated in alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/- mouse heart. The expression of 16 genes including Ras-related protein Rab-5b and EPS-8 protein was up-regulated in the group of alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/-. It was found that the Box protein Pax-8 gene was down-regulated by 7.1 fold (P < 0.001) in the alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/- mice by real time quantitative RT-PCR. It was also revealed that the Box protein Pax-8 gene was expressed stronger in alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/+ than alpha-MHC Cre+/-, ALK3 F/- E11.5 days mouse heart by means of in situ hybridization.

CONCLUSIONThe Box protein Pax-8 gene is an important and cardiac-specific ALK3 downstream gene in the BMP signaling pathway during inter-ventricular septum development.

Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Heart ; embryology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nuclear Proteins ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; PAX8 Transcription Factor ; Paired Box Transcription Factors ; Receptors, Growth Factor ; genetics ; physiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Trans-Activators ; genetics

To study the CTL antigen epitopes and drug resistance mutations of HIV-1 gag and pol genes through analyzing gag and pol gene sequences. The HIV-1 gag and pol gene fragments were amplified using nested polymerase chain reaction. A total of 23 PCR sequences, 449 cloned gag sequences and 402 cloned pol sequences were obtained. Sequence analyses showed the 23 samples were subtype B or B'. A total of 4 in 8 CTL antigen epitopes appeared 8 mutations in consensus sequence of subtype B and B'. There were no mutations found in the PCR sequences, whereas a few mutations were found in clone sequences (9.80%) in 5 antigen epitopes in p24 region. Eighteen PIs-related mutations and 24 RTIs-related mutations were found in PCR sequences and clone sequences in pol gene region, in which 17 (94.44%) PIs-related mutations and 15 (62.50%) RTIs-related mutations were found only in the clone sequences, respectively. The results showed that the prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance strains in this study was at a higher level (17.39%), suggesting that some samples were resistant.to existing antiviral drugs.
Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; genetics ; Epitopes ; immunology ; HIV-1 ; classification ; drug effects ; genetics ; immunology ; Human Immunodeficiency Virus Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Phylogeny ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology ; gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus ; genetics ; pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy of Qilin Pills in the treatment of oligoasthenospermia.

METHODSWe conducted a multi-centered open controlled clinical trial by including 220 oligoasthenospermia patients in a trial group and another 110 as controls. The patients in the trial group were treated with Qilin Pills at the dose of 6 g tid, and the controls given Wuziyanzong Pills at 6 g bid, both for a course of 12 weeks. Then we evaluated the clinical effects of Qilin Pills with sperm concentration, the numbers of grade a and grade a + b sperm, and sperm motility as the primary, and the pregnancy rate of the patients'spouses as the secondary therapeutic indexes.

RESULTSA total of 310 patients accomplished the clinical trial, 208 in the trial and 102 in the control group. Compared with the baseline, significant improvement was observed in the semen parameters after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment in both the trial and control groups except sperm density and the number of grade a sperm in the control after 4 weeks (P < 0.01), and the improvement was even more significant in all the semen parameters at the same time points in the trial than in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONQilin Pills can evidently improve the seminal quality of oligoasthenospermia patients with no obvious adverse events.

Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Oligospermia ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Sperm Count ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo translate the English version of The Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) into Chinese, evaluate its reliability and validity, and analyze its feasibility in the diagnosis of premature ejaculation (PE).

METHODSFollowing the forward-backward translation procedure, we developed the Chinese version of PEDT, which was then revised by andrologists and bilingual linguists. We enrolled subjects with or without PE from 15 urological or andrological clinics in China and obtained the information about their demographic characteristics, PEDT scores, and intra-vaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT). We evaluated the internal consistency of PEDT using Cronbach alpha, was examined its reliability and stability by test-retest analysis, analyzed its correlation with IELT by Spearman correlation analysis, and tested its sensitivity and specificity by receiver operating characteristic ( ROC) analysis.

RESULTSTotally, 570 PE patients (aged [30.66 ± 7.11] years) and 226 non-PE men (aged [33.01 ± 5.41] years) were recruited, with the mean IELT of (1.34 ± 0.54) min in the former and (11.09 ± 7.5) min in the latter group. The Cronbach's alpha of the Chinese version of PEDT was 0.79, and the test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.75 (P < 0.01). The PEDT score was negatively correlated with IELT (Spearman's p = -0.52, P < 0.01). When the cutoff value of PE diagnosis was defined as 7.5, the sensitivity and specificity of PEDT were 0.80 and 0.78, and when as 8.5, they were 0.72 and 0.89, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe Chinese version of PEDT was demonstrated to have good internal consistency, reliability, and validity, as well as a high predictability for PE. It can be used as a reliable and convenient tool to screen PE among Chinese men.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Ejaculation ; Feasibility Studies ; Humans ; Language ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Premature Ejaculation ; diagnosis ; ROC Curve ; Reaction Time ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Translations

Objective To investigate the factors influencing prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with cardiogenic shock undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PPCI).Methods Patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with cardiogenic shock who underwent PPCI at our hospital between January 2015 and December 2019 were enrolled.Clinical baseline characteristics,coronary angiography and PCI-related parameters,and mechanical support information were collected.The patients were followed up for one year and divided into survival and death groups based on their survival status within one year.Differences in various factors between the two groups were compared.Results A total of 40 patients were enrolled,including 26 in the survival group and 14 in the death group.There were no differences in baseline data,diagnosis,risk factors,and comorbidities between the two groups.The survival group had a lower heart rate and higher blood pressure trend at admission compared to the death group.Myocardial enzymes were significantly lower in the survival group compared to the death group(median CK peak:496.00(198.25,2 830.00)U/L vs.3 040.00(405.75,5 626.53)U/L,P=0.003;median CK-MB peak:52.65(31.75,219.50)U/L vs.306.00(27.25,489.63)U/L,P=0.006).When comparing coronary angiography and PCI-related indicators between the two groups,the survival group had a higher rate of complete revascularization compared to the control group(53.85％vs.21.43％,P=0.048).The survival group had a higher proportion of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)combined with intra-aortic balloon pump(IABP)support compared to the control group[38.46％vs.7.14％,P=0.034].Conclusions Survival in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with cardiogenic shock undergoing PPCI is associated with lower level of myocardial enzymes,ECMO combined with IABP support and complete revascularization.

Liriope (Liliaceae) species have been used as folk medicines in Asian countries since ancient times. From Liriope plants (8 species), a total of 132 compounds (except polysaccharides) have been isolated and identified, including steroidal saponins, flavonoids, phenols, and eudesmane sesquiterpenoids. The crude extracts or monomeric compounds from this genus have been shown to exhibit anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities. The present review summarizes the results on phytochemical and biological studies on Liriope plants. The chemotaxonomy of this genus is also discussed.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Liriope Plant ; chemistry ; Medicine, Traditional ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Phenols ; pharmacology ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Sesquiterpenes ; pharmacology