Biomedical Research ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Phytotherapy ; methods

Abstract: Objective　To investigate the distribution and drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria separated from ascites of patients in Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from 2015 to 2021, and to provide a basis for rational clinical antimicrobial agents. Methods　Bacterial culture, bacterial identification and drug sensitivity analysis were performed on 1 058 non-duplicate ascites culture specimens from January 2015 to December 2021. The clinica1 and microbiologica1 data were ana1yzed by WHONET 5.6 and SAS 9.4 Results　Of the 1 058 specimens, 586 (55.39%) were positive for pathogenic bacteria, with a total of 781 strains isolated. There was no significant trend of increase or decrease in the positivity rate over different years. Male children (63.99%) were more prevalent than female children. Appendicitis (59.22%) was the most common disease and Escherichia coli was the most common causative bacteria. Among neonates (≤28 d), the bacteria with the highest detection rate were Klebsiella pneumoniae (23.50%) and Enterococcus faecium (23.50%), while among children (>28 d), the highest detection rate was Escherichia coli (35.98%). Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 64.79% of the 781 strains, mainly Escherichia coli (38.28%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.58%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.89%); Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 29.45%, mainly Enterococcus faecium (8.58%), Streptococcus constellatus (2.69%), and Enterococcus avium (2.43%); fungi accounted for 1.66% and anaerobic bacteria accounted for 4.10%. The resistance rates of Escherichia coli to cefoperazone/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem and meropenem were 6.02%, 4.35%, 4.35%, and 3.68%, respectively. The resistance rates of Klebsiella pneumoniae to these drugs were 59.70%, 59.70%, 50.75% and 53.73% respectively. Linezolid-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecium were found. Conclusion　Appendicitis is the most common abdominal infection in children, and the distribution of ascites pathogens varies with ages and diseases. The pathogenic bacteria are mainly Gram-negative bacteria, and the drug resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae was more serious. It is particularly important to use antibiotics correctly and rationally to reduce the emergence of drug resistant bacteria.

Objective To evaluate whether global 2-dimensional strain imaging can offer additional benefit over conventional echocardiography to detect subclinical myocardial damage in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD). Methods Conventional echocardiography and global 2-dimension strain imaging were performed in 39 patients with CKD [23 men and 16 women,mean age (45.6± 14.6) years] and 29 control subjects. Twenty patients had CKD stage 2 or 3(group 1 ) and nineteen patients had CKD stage 4 or 5(group 2). Left ventricular structure and function were evaluated by conventional echocardiography. Global longitudinal and circumferential strain and strain rate were analyzed. Results There were no differences in ejection fraction and fraction shortening between CKD patients and controls. Compared with controls, CKD groups had significantly decreased value of global longitudinal strain and strain rate. Global longitudinal strain decreased from - (23.8 ± 3.1 ) % in controls to - ( 18. 5 ± 2.4) % in group 1 and to - (15.2 ± 3.2) % in group 2 ( P ＜0. 001 ). Compared with controls, there was no difference in global circumferential strain and strain rate between group 1 and controls, but global circumferential strain and strain rate of group 2 was reduced [ - (17.1± 3. 0) % vs -(21.2±2.8)%, P＜0.05;-(1.0±0.2)% vs -(1.3±0.3)%, P＜0.05]. In correlation analyses, global longitudinal strain was positively related to eGFR( r =0. 376, P ＜0. 001 ) and inversely related to left ventricular mass index( r = - 0. 473, P ＜0.01). Conclusions Global 2-dimensional strain imaging may represent a useful tool for the assessment of subclinical myocardial dysfunction in patients with CKD.

ObjectiveTo investigate the concentration of water fluoride and the application of water defluoridation projects in Suizhou,and to provide a basis for water improvement and prevention of the disease.MethodsCross-sectional study was carried out to investigate completely the water defluoridation projects built between 1986 and 2009 in the area under Suizhou's jurisdiction; 3 source water and terminal water samples of the projects in use were collected,respectively; 1 water sample was collected,respectively in the 3 projects with out-ofcommission or discarded water sources that used to be major water supply,for detection of fluoride,chloride,total hardness,heavy metals and other indicators.ResultsA total of 21 projects were investigated,14 projects were in normal use (66.7％),7 projects were out of order and abandoned (33.3％).Of the 14 projects normally used,13projects with water fluoride concentration ≤ 1.0 mg/L(92.9％)and 1 project with water fluoride concentration higher than 1.0 mg/L(7.1％),the concentration of water fluoride in the 7 abandoned projects was higher than 1.0 mg/L(100％).Arsenic and lead levels of all the water samples were normal.There were two water samples with iron content exceeded the standard,and one total hardness of water samples exceeded the standard in the normally used 14 peripheral water sources.One chloride content exceeded the standard,one manganese content exceeded the standard,two iron content exceeded the standard and three total hardness exceeded the standard in the seven abandoned projects.ConclusionsSome defluoridation projects are stopped using and abandoned in Suizhou,and the water fluoride exceeds the standard.

Number needed to treat (NNT) is a simple and effective index for clinical therapeutic effect assessment worldwide accepted in recent years. By calculation of absolute risk reduction (ARR) of classified variables, it made the effect estimate reflect objectively the therapeutic effect of an intervention. However, clinical application of this index was introduced rarely in Chinese literature. With the examples from some published clinical reports, the calculation of NNT and its 95% confidence interval were demonstrated in this paper, and its application was illustrated by some relevant terms explanation and Meta-analysis methods introduction.
Confidence Intervals ; Humans ; Meta-Analysis as Topic ; Numbers Needed To Treat ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the source of the blood flow through ventricular septum in normal subject caused by slice-thickness artifact in echocardiography. Methods Echocardiography was performed in 50 normal subjects without ventricular septum defect by two models of echocardiography unit equipped with two models of transducer, observing the conditions and sections in which the blood flow through ventricular septum could be detected. Results The blood flow through ventricular septum was detected in 8 normal subjects using the certain model of echocardiography unit,especially in parasternal four chambers section and parasternal irregular sections, while the blood flow through ventricular septum wasn't detected in the other 42 subjects by any echocardiography unit. The blood flow through ventricular septum was caused by coronary vessel in atrioventrieular groove proved by combining dynamic observation with anatomy analysis. Conclusions The blood flow through ventricular septum in normal subjects, a kind of slice-thickness artifact in echocardiography,is caused by coronary vessel in atrioventricular groove mapped into intact ventricular septum.

Objective To assess the quantitative relationship between the distribution of Himalayan marmot and its ecological environment,the terrain,the temperature and the precipitation,using remote sensing and geographic information system in Qinghai province.Methods The distribution of Himalayan marmot was located by Google Earth and ArcGIS software and by using field survey data provided by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.The corresponding ecological environment of marmot including terrain,temperature and precipitation were derived from the spatial information datasets.All results were processed according to the overlay and statistics analysis using ArcGIS software.Results Seventy-seven point twenty-seven percent(153/198) of Himalayan marmot were distributed in the area of elevation between 3000 and 4000 meters.The number of marmot reached the highest when the slope was between 0 and 17 degrees,and aspect range was between 91 and 270 degrees,180 degree was as south direction.During the period with the maximum temperature of the warmest month of 14.3-17.5 ℃,17.6-20.8 ℃ and 20.9-24.0 ℃,the distribution of marmot reached 95％(186/198) of the total area.Meanwhile,most of the marmot were presented in the area with average precipitation of 46-108 mm.Conclusions A quantitative analysis of appropriate ecological environment of Himalayan marmot in a large scope is carried uul successfully using remote sensing and geographic information system.The study indicates that spatial information technology has important applications in plague prevention and control.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacies of vasiculation moxibustion with pastes prepared in different ways and at different acupoint groups in treating allergic rhinitis due to deficient cold of lung qi. Method Eighty subjects were randomized into 4 groups, 20 in each group. Raw Bai Jie Zi (Semen Brassicae) was used in the vesiculation paste for group 1 and 2;stir-baked Bai Jie Zi (Semen Brassicae) was used for group 3 and 4. In group 1 and group 3, bilateral Feishu (BL 13), Fengmen (BL12), and Gaohuang (BL 43) were selected; in group 2 and group 4, bilateral Dazhu (BL11), Geshu (BL17), and Shenshu (BL23) were selected. The symptom and sign scores were compared before and after intervention. Result There were significant differences in comparing the symptoms and signs among the four groups (P＜0.05), and paired comparisons showed that the therapeutic efficacies of group 1 and group 3 were significantly higher than that of group 2 and group 4 (P＜0.05), while the differences in the therapeutic efficacy between group 1 and group 3, group 2 and group 4 were statistically insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusion Vesiculation moxibustion at the point group of Fengmen (BL12), Feishu (BL13), and Gaohuang (BL43) can markedly improve the symptoms and signs of allergic rhinitis due to deficient cold of lung qi;raw and stir-baked Bai Jie Zi (Semen Brassicae) can work equally in vesiculation paste for allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVETo assess embryo implantation rate (IR) and pregnancy rate (PR) in women who received Bushen Wengong Decoction (BSWGD), a Chinese herbal formula, combined with low dose of human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) prior to frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET).

METHODSA total of 262 subjects (674 transferred embryos) who received FET were analyzed retrospectively. In them, 122 women were under 30 years old, 106 between 30 - 35 years and 32 over 35 years. The 85 subjects with normal ovulation were assigned to Group A, the natural menstruation cycling group, on whom no pre-transfer treatment was applied. The other 177 subjects with abnormal ovulation were assigned to Group B, and subdivided, according to the pre-transfer treatment they received, into three groups, Group B1 (50 cases) received BSWGD, Group B2 (58 cases) received hMG and Group B3 (69 cases) received both BSWGD and low dose hMG. The IR and PR of FET in the four groups were compared, and the effect of the embryo cryotime on PR of FET were compared also. Besides, the influencing factors to FET were analyzed.

RESULTSIR and PR were significantly higher in all age sects of Group B3 than those in Group A, showing significant difference (P< 0.05). IR and PR in subjects in age sects of <30 years and > 35 years in group B3 were significantly higher than those in Group B1 ( P<0.05), but no significant difference was shown in the two parameters between Group B 2 and Group B3 (P>0.05). PR in the subjects who received embryos with cryo-time of > 200 days was significantly lower than that in those with cryo-time of < 100 days ( P<0.05). Embryo cryo-time, endometrial thickness, use of BSWGD and use of hMG were of significance in FET ( P 0.05).

CONCLUSIONA programmed cycle of BSWGD combined with low dose of hMG could improve the embryo IR and PR of FET. Embryo cryo-time, endometrial thickness, and the use of BSWGD and hMG are of significance for FET.

Adult ; Cryopreservation ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Humans ; Menotropins ; administration & dosage ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical manifestations, genotypes, and genetic characteristics of two pedigrees with Kennedy disease.

METHODSThe clinical data of the patients from two Kennedy disease families were collected. The numbers of trinucleotide CAG repeats in exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene were determined by DNA sequencing and repeat fragment analysis.

RESULTSFamily A was composed of 58 individuals in 4 generations. The proband had onset at 39 years old. There were two Kennedy disease patients in family B which included 61 individuals in 5 generations. The two patients had onset at 39 and 41 years old, respectively. All the three patients displayed limbs and bulbar muscular weakness because of the damage of lower motor neurons. They had androgen insensitivity syndrome in common, and showed mild or moderate increase in serum creatine kinase level. The electromyogram showed wild damage in anterior horn of spinal cord. Muscle biopsy displayed neurogenic muscular atrophy. The numbers of the CAG repeat expansion in the androgen receptor gene of the three patients were 49, 48, and 47, respectively. X-linked recessive mode of inheritance was demonstrated by pedigree analysis in the two families.

CONCLUSIONKennedy disease usually occurs in mid-adulthood man. The clinical features are the weakness and wasting of limbs and bulbar muscles. Genetic analysis contributes to diagnosis and identification of carriers, and is beneficial to genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Base Sequence ; Biopsy ; Bulbo-Spinal Atrophy, X-Linked ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; genetics ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Electromyography ; Exons ; genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Muscles ; pathology ; Pedigree ; Receptors, Androgen ; genetics ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult