Objective To verify the relationship between personality traits and clinical nurse competence in five third-A level hospitals in Shenyang. Methods A total of 1559 clinical nurses from five tertiary-level hospitals in Shenyang were recruited into this study. Two self-report questionnaires, the Nurse Competence Scale (NCS) and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), were used to collect data. Results The average score of NCS was 71.97 ± 13.25.Nursing competence increased with the increase of working years (β=0.272, P<0.01) and RD (β=0.134, P<0.01). Practicing nurses with the lower HA appear to have a higher level of competence (β=-0.117, P<0.01). Conclusions The overall level of nurses' competencies good in third-A level hospitals in Shenyang. The predicting factors of nursing competence are work experience, HA and RD. More psychological courses should be provided in fundamental nursing education and continuing nursing education for helping nurses shape their good personality traits.

Objective To investigate the fuction of tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-?),interleukin-1 beta(IL-1?) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in children with intracranial infection.Methods TNF-?,IL-1? and IL-6 levels of serum and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) were determined in the purulent meningitis group(25 cases),tuberculous meningitis group(17 cases),viral meningitis group(30 cases)and control group(20 cases)by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The levels of TNF-?,IL-1? and IL-6 obviously increased in CSF compared with that in the serum (Pa

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy alone and prognostic factors for locally advanced rectal cancer. Methods The clinical data of 47 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who were admitted to our hospital and mostly treated with chemoradiotherapy alone from 2003 to 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Three of the patients received radiotherapy alone. The Kaplan?Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS), progression?free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis?free survival ( DMFS ) rates, and the log?rank test was used for survival difference analysis and univariate prognostic analysis. The Cox regression model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis. Results In all patients, the 3?and 5?year OS rates were 53?2% and 33?2%, respectively, while the 3?and 5?year PFS rates were 37% and 31%, respectively. During the follow?up, 15 patients (32%) had local progression with PFS of 1?60 months (median PFS, 14 months);23 patients (49%) had distant metastasis with DMFS of 2?60 months ( median DMFS, 17 months) . Patients treated with high?dose radiotherapy had significantly lower 3?and 5?year local progression rates than patients treated with medium?dose radiotherapy ( 11% vs. 54%;11%vs. 57%;P=0?004). After chemoradiotherapy, 9 patients (19%) had clinical complete response (cCR), and the 3?and 5?year OS and PFS rates in those patients were all 8/9. The univariate analysis indicated that tumor distance from the anus and cCR were influencing factors for prognosis ( P= 0?026;P= 0?000 ) . However, the multivariate analysis showed that cCR was the only influencing factor for survival ( HR=12?24;95% CI, 1?64 ?91?29;P= 0?015 ) . Conclusions Chemoradiotherpay or radiotherapy alone is effective and safe in the treatment of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who have to give up surgery or have unresectable tumors. High?dose radiotherapy may improve local control rate. Complete response to chemoradiotherapy predicts satisfactory treatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To study the interactive regulatory effect of histone acetylation and methylation on cardiomyogenesis, and to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of congenital heart disease. METHODS: A total of 24 Kunming mice were randomly divided into embryo day 14.5 (ED 14.5) group, embryo day 16.5 (ED 16.5) group, postnatal day 0.5 (PND 0.5) group, and postnatal day 7 (PND 7) group, with 6 mice in each group, and the heart tissue of fetal and neonatal mice was collected. Colorimetry was used to measure the activities of histone acetylases (HATs) and histone methyltransferases (HMTs) in the myocardium. Western blot was used to measure the expression of H3K9ac and H3K9me3 in the myocardium. RESULTS: Colorimetry showed that the activities of HATs and HMTs were higher before birth and were lower after birth. There was a significant difference in the activity of HATs in the myocardium between the PND 0.5 and PND 7 groups and the ED 14.5 group (P<0.05), as well as between the PND 7 group and the ED 16.5 group (P<0.05). There was also a significant difference in the activity of HMTs in the myocardium between the PND 7 group and the ED 14.5 and ED 16.5 groups (P<0.05). Western blot showed higher expression of H3K9ac and H3K9me3 before birth and lower expression of H3K9ac and H3K9me3 after birth, and there were significant differences in the expression H3K9ac and H3K9me3 in the myocardium between the PND 0.5 and PND 7 groups and the ED 14.5 and ED 16.5 groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The dynamic expression of HATs, HMTs, H3K9ac, and H3K9me3 is observed during cardiomyogenesis, suggesting that histone H3K9ac acetylation and histone H3K9me3 methylation mediated by HATs and HMTs may play a role in interactive regulation during cardiomyogenesis.
Acetylation ; Animals ; Histone Acetyltransferases ; Histones ; metabolism ; Methylation ; Mice ; Protein Processing, Post-Translational

Objective:To methodologically establish the lentivirus granule packaging, concentration and infection against CD34~+ cells from umbilical blood. Methods:The lentivirus system of the 3~(rd) generation was used to produce the virus. Ultrafiltration and ultracentrifugation were employed to concentrate virus. Several treatments were used to improve virus infection including in vitro amplification culture, facilitation of rest cells into cell cycle, promotion of cell adhesion and immobilization during infection, and repeat infection methods. Results:CD34~+ cells were not obviously changed by checking the expression level of CD34 marker on the cell surface after 48 h culture. After two-step concentration, virus titer was increased up to 5.06×10~7/ml, and the infection rate against CD34~+ cells from umbilical blood was increased up to 37.7%.Conclusion:Lentivirus supernatant with over 10~7/ml titer can be obtained using the above methods. Efficient infection against CD34~+ cells from umbilical blood can be achieved.

BACKGROUNDIt is well recognized that meteorological factors have important infuences on the onset and development of many kinds of diseases. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the meteorological elements on admission rates of cerebral infarction patients with hypertensive nephropathy at Changchun city, Jilin Province, northeast China.

METHODSA total of 763 medical records of inpatients from nine hospitals at Changchun city, during a period from April 6 to April 17 in 2010, were reviewed. These patients were admitted to hospitals due to the occurrence of cerebral infarction. The hypertensive nephropathy was evidenced with certain diagnosis of essential hypertension and hypertension-related kidney injuries. The cerebral infarction was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (Stroke) standard. All the meteorological data were from practical monitoring records in Jilin Province Meteorological Observatory. The relationships between the epidemiological prevalence of cerebral infarction and meteorological variables were analyzed using the time series models of statistics.

RESULTSCompared with admission rates before the violent change in meteorological status (April 6 to April 17, 2010), the number of admission patients suffering from cerebral infarction remarkably peaked on April 12. Such an increase was highly correlated with heavy precipitation, elevation of daily average relative humidity, and reduction of average daily air temperature. With the betterment of the meteorological conditions on April 17, the admission rates of cerebral infarction patients dropped to the same level as the dates before snowing (April 6 to April 11).

CONCLUSIONSThe meteorological changes are highly associated with the occurrence of cerebral infarction in patients with hypertensive renal injury in northeast China. This study also suggested that an intensive medical interference for those patients with hypertension-induced organ injuries is very necessary in preventing the occurrence of cerebral infarction with hypertensive nephropathy when there is a violent change in meteorological condition.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cerebral Infarction ; China ; Female ; Hospitalization ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Hypertension, Renal ; Male ; Meteorological Concepts ; Middle Aged ; Nephritis ; Patient Admission ; statistics & numerical data

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antitumor effect of natural killer (NK) cells on human colorectal cancer cells HT-29 in vitro by blocking transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in NK cells transfected with vector containing dominant negative TGF-β type 2 receptor (DNTβR2).

METHODSTGF-β1 was added at the final concentration of 10 ng/ml for HT-29 cells. Primary NK cells were transfected with recombinant plasmid pIRES2-AcGFP-DNTβR2 and control plasmid pIRES2-AcGFP using Amaxa Nucleofector technology respectively. The cytotoxicity of these two types of NK cells to HT-29 cells was detected and analyzed by cell counting kit-8.

RESULTSThe transfection efficiency of primary NK cells was 18.85% for the plasmid pIRES2-AcGFP-DNTβR2 and 35.28% for the control plasmid pIRES2-AcGFP. The expression of DNTβR2 in NK cells was confirmed by Western blotting and RT-PCR. Primary NK cells displayed significantly lower cytotoxicity against HT-29 cells incubated with TGF-β1 than that without TGF-β1 (effect-target cell ratio 10:1,14.40%∓ 2.00% vs. 26.14% ∓ 2.50%, P > 0.05; effect-target cell ratio 20:1, 19.18% ∓ 2.49% vs. 40.81% ∓ 3.50%, P > 0.05). The cytotoxicity of NK cells transfected with DNTβR2 vector was significantly higher than that with control vector against HT-29 cells cultured with 10 ng/ml TGF-β1 (effect-target cell ratio 10:1, 21.17% ∓ 2.49% vs. 11.48% ∓ 1.11% ,P > 0.05; and effect-target cell ratio 20:1, 35.30% ∓ 3.78% vs. 17.19% ∓ 2.29%, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNK cells transfected with DNTβR2 vector show better antitumor effect, which may provide new method for NK-based adoptive immunotherapy for cancer.

HT29 Cells ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the splice variants of the calpain 3 gene existing in human skeletal muscle tissue and white blood cells, and to explore the feasibility of gene diagnosis using CAPN3 mRNA extracted from peripheral leukocytes.

METHODSTotal RNA was extracted from peripheral blood and skeletal muscle tissue in healthy individuals. CAPN3 cDNAs were determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. CAPN3 cDNAs from peripheral leukocytes were compared with sequences obtained from skeletal muscle tissue.

RESULTSRT-PCR and DNA sequencing showed that the CAPN3 cDNAs comprised 24 exons in human skeletal muscle tissue, while the number of exons was 23 in white blood cells. Exon 15 was spliced out in human white blood cells.

CONCLUSIONSplice variants exist in human skeletal muscle tissue and white blood cells. Gene diagnosis may omit the mutations of exon 15 using mRNA extracted from peripheral leukocytes. These findings suggest that mutation analysis of the CAPN3 cDNA should use skeletal muscle tissue as materials instead of peripheral blood.

Calpain ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Exons ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; metabolism ; Muscle Proteins ; genetics ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

A fetal/maternal multi-parameter monitor is introduced here in the paper. It can monitor the vital signs of a fetus and his/her mother in a same screen synchronously. It is more useful in obstetric clinics. Its other functions include management of patient file, computer-assistant analyses.
Adult ; Automatic Data Processing ; instrumentation ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; instrumentation ; Equipment Design ; Female ; Fetal Monitoring ; instrumentation ; Heart Rate, Fetal ; Humans ; Microcomputers ; Monitoring, Ambulatory ; instrumentation ; Pregnancy ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Software

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of houttuyfonate sodium (HS) on eliminating adhesion of Psedomonas aeruginosa (Pa) and forming biofilms.

METHODPa biofilms were established in 96-hold plates. MTT assay was used to evaluate the changes in metabolism of biofilms and assess the minimum eliminating concentration and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration for adherent Pa. The colony counting method was used to observe the effect of HS on Pa adhesion and biomass in biofilms. SEM was employed to examine the effect of HS on adhesion of tested Pa and morphology of biofilms.

RESULTMEC80 and MEC50 of HS for adherent Pa was 500 mg x L(-1) and 125 mg x L(-1), respectively. Meanwhile, its SMIC80 for either early or mature biofilms of Pa was 500 mg x L(-1), and SMIC50 for early and mature biofilms of Pa were 31.25, 1.95 mg x L(-1), respectively. At the concentration of 250 mg x L(-1), the number of viable bacteria in the state of adhesion and in initial and mature biofilms decreased significantly, compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The number of bacteria on adherent carriers notably reduced under SEM. Following the continuous administration, there were no visible biofilms on carriers in the mature biofilm phase, with the biomass remarkably shrinking and the bacterial morphology changing from bacillus into coccobacillus.

CONCLUSIONHS displayed powerful effect on eliminating adherent Pa, and can inhibit Pa biofilm from being formed through continuous administration.

Alkanes ; pharmacology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Adhesion ; drug effects ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; drug effects ; Sulfites ; pharmacology