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 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.

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

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

OBJECTIVETobacco smoking results in increased platelet aggregability, which suggests that low-dose aspirin used in common clinical practice may not effectively inhibit platelet activity in smokers with coronary heart disease (CHD). This review was performed to assess the effect of aspirin on platelet aggregation in patients with CHD.

DATA SOURCESWe performed an electronic literature search of MEDLINE (starting from the beginning to March 15, 2009) using the term "smoking" or "tobacco" paired with the following: "platelet", "aspirin" or "coronary heart disease".

STUDY SELECTIONWe looked for review articles regarding the effect of tobacco smoking on platelet activity and on the anti-platelet efficacy of aspirin in healthy people and patients with CHD. The search was limited in "core clinical journal". In total, 1321 relevant articles were retrieved, and 36 articles were ultimately cited.

RESULTSTobacco smoking results in increased platelet aggregability, which can be inhibited by low-dose aspirin in the healthy population. However, in patients with CHD, the increased platelet aggregability can not be effectively inhibited by the same low-dose of aspirin. A recent study indicated that clopidogrel or an increased dose of aspirin can effectively inhibit the increased platelet aggregability induced by tobacco smoking in patients with CHD.

CONCLUSIONSIt is important for patients with CHD to quit smoking. For the current smoker, it may be necessary to take larger doses of aspirin than normal or take an adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitor along with aspirin to effectively inhibit the increased platelet activity.

Aspirin ; therapeutic use ; Coronary Disease ; drug therapy ; Drug Interactions ; Humans ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Smoking ; adverse effects

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

Background Keratoconus is a bilateral,noninflammatory,gradually progressive corneal disorder characterized by progressive thinning and steepening of the central cornea.It is significant to investigate keratoconusrelated pathogenic gene for elaborating the pathogenesis and establishing early diagnosis standard and taking clinical measurement.Objective The aim of the study was to explore the relationship of visual system homeobox gene (VSX1) polymorphism and the risk of sporadic keratoconus.Methods This study was approved by Ethic Commission of First Hospital of Xi' an.Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to enrollment.A case-controlled study was conducted.One hundred and one Han nationality patients with sporadic keratoconus were included in this study.These keratoconus patients were clinically diagnosed by slit lamp examination and corneal tomography.Single nucleolide polymorphism (SNP) of VSX1 gene was assayed and classified using the MassARRAY SNP technique.Demography and relevant risk factors were collected from each subject by questionnaire.Eighty healthy volunteers served as controls.Chi-square test and Binary logistic regression were used to evaluate the difference in the distribution of allele frequency and genotype frequency and to analyze the association with keratoconus risks.Results SNP of two genes was found in the Chinese Han population (rs743018 (c.843+140 C＞T) and rs6138482(R217H C＞T)).There were no significant differences in the genotype frequency and allele frequency of the SNP of two genes in the keratoconus group in comparison with the normal control group (P＞0.05).After adjustment by age and sex,SNP of two genes was not significantly associated with the risk of keratoconus (regression model:rs743018 (C＞T) adjusted:P=0.35,OR=0.72,95％ CI:0.37-1.43 ;rs6138482 (C＞T) adjusted:P =0.48,OR=0.76,95％ CI:0.35-1.64).Conclusions Gene polymorphisms of rs743018(c.843+140 C＞T) and rs6138482(R217H C＞T) in the Chinese Han population is not associated with the risk of keratoconus.Due to the racial difference in genotype and allele frequency,the role of the VSX1 gene in the pathogenesis of keratoconus still remains controversial,and further study needs to be developed.