Animals ; China ; Hantavirus Infections ; veterinary ; Rodent Diseases ; virology

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; genetics ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Leukemia ; physiopathology ; Male ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vault Ribonucleoprotein Particles ; genetics

Objective To analysis and determine the possibility of the Citellus undulatus infected with Yersinia pestis surviving the winter in an experimental study, and to provide scientific experimental basis for the study on the mechanism of Yersinia pestis preservation. Method In 2006,09 to 2007,04 and 2007,09 to 2008,04 in Xinjiang Wusu-Gurtu natural foci of plague, under natural conditions, the over the winter process of Citellus undulatus carrying the plague bacteria was simulated, and 178 Citellus undulatus were infected with Yersinia pestis (1×107 Bacteria/mouse) using artificial injection method. One hundred seventy-eight Citellus undulatus infected with Yersinia pestis were kept into a construction of the black (1-5 ℃) basement (2 meters under the ground) in the plague focus. In doing so, these Citellus undulatuses almost simultaneously stepped into hibernation. After waking up from hibernation in following year in April, the survived mice carrying the plague bacteria were observed. Results Sixty-eight mice survived among the 178 infected with Yersinia pestis after 6 months of hibernation (through October to the following year in April), and the remaining 110 were all dead without pulling through the hibernation period. The survival rate was 38.2% (68/178). The organ culture of Yersinia pestis of the 110 dead mice(Citellus undnlatus) were tested, 67 were negative(-), 43 positive(+), with a positive rate of 39.1%(43/110). Among the rats with positive plague bacteria, the congestive pulmonary edema and the pathological changes of the hemorrhagic inflammation of the heart, liver, spleen, kidney and injection site could be seen clearly; the plague-free mice were not found to have any pathological changes. The survived 68 mice over the winter were autopsied and observed after being fed up for 20 days. No any pathological changes were found among these mice, and culturing of Yersinia pestis of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and the tissue of injection site of these mice were all negative (-). Conclusions Citellus undulatus can carry Yersinia pestis during hibernation, but some fail to carry the bacteria through the entire process of hibernation persistently. Yersinia pestis was negative in the survived mice at the end of hibernation. The results showed that Citellus undulatus can not carry Yersinia pestis over the winter.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; CD56 Antigen ; immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; complications ; immunology ; surgery ; Recurrence ; Stem Cell Transplantation

Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Base Sequence ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sequence Deletion ; Smoking ; genetics

Foreign Bodies ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; urine ; Humans ; Iatrogenic Disease ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Urinary Bladder ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Urinary Retention ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; surgery ; urine

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Para-aminobenzonic acid on cell-surface hydrophobicity of Streptococcus mutans.

METHODSMicrobial adhesion to hydrocarbons (MATH) was used to measure the cell-surface hydrophobicity of Streptococcus mutans which grew in modified Carlsson medium with different dilutions of PABA.

RESULTSThe cell-surface hydrophobicity of Streptococcus mutans increased when Carlsson medium contained low dilution of PABA. But following the increase of PABA, the cell-surface hydrophobicity decreased.

CONCLUSIONPara-aminobenzonic acid could inhibit the adherence of Streptococcus mutans through changing its cell-surface hydrophobicity.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Adhesion ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Streptococcus mutans ; drug effects ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the short-term effect and experience of Nuss procedure on 120 cases of patients with pectus excavatum.

METHODSThoracoscopy assisted Nuss procedure with different ways of anesthesia were applied to 120 cases of patients with pectus excavatum, including 7 cases of recurrence after traditional surgical procedure (6 cases) and Nuss method (another one). The patients ranged in age from 2.5 to 43 (mean 14.1) years and in Haller index from 2.91 to 29. Of the 120, 73 had symmetric and 47 had asymmetric pectus excavatum. The Nuss procedure is performed with general anesthesia and a convex steel bar is inserted under the sternum with thoracoscopy through small bilateral thoracic incisions. The steel bar is inserted with the convexity facing posteriorly, and when it is in position, the bar is turned over, thereby correcting the deformity.

RESULTSThe operation was successfully accomplished without severe complications in all the 120 cases. The mean operative time was 58 minutes and the mean volume of blood loss was 30 ml. 103 patients had one bar inserted while the other 17 cases with more extremely diffuse depression required 2 or even 3 bars to get a satisfactory correction. Such methods as modifications to the fixing points and the shape of the bar, partial osteotomy, were developed to deal with asymmetric ones.

CONCLUSIONThe Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive technique for correction of pectus excavatum. It can lead to a satisfactory outcome and surgical time is less.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Funnel Chest ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Orthopedic Procedures ; methods ; Thoracoscopy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of transurethral holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for prostate adenoma greater than 100 g.

METHODSSixty BPH patients with the prostate larger than 100 g were randomized to two treatment groups of HoLEP (n = 32) and open prostatectomy (n = 28). Comparisons were made between the two groups in operating time, blood loss, bladder irrigating time, catheterization time and hospital stay, as well as in the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and postvoid residual volume (PVR) before and 3 months after the surgery.

RESULTSCompared with the open prostatectomy group, the operating time was significantly longer (P < 0.01) but the blood loss, mean bladder irrigating time, catheterization time and hospital stay were significantly less in the HoLEP group (P < 0.01). Three-month follow-up revealed that HoLEP and open prostatectomy resulted in a similarly significant improvement in IPSS, QOL, Qmax and PVR (P < 0.01 ), with no statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHoLEP and open prostatectomy are equally effective procedures for removal of large prostate adenomas, but the former is a better surgical option for prostate adenomas larger than 100 g for its greater safety, less pain and faster recovery.

Aged ; Holmium ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Male ; Prostate ; surgery ; Prostatectomy ; methods ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; surgery ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

The aim of this study was to purify and characterize a keratinase produced by a new isolated Bacillus subtilis KD-N2 strain. The keratinase produced by the isolate was purified using ammonium sulphate precipitation, Sephadex G-75 and DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-Sepharose chromatographic techniques. The purified enzyme was shown to have a molecular mass of 30.5 kDa, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis. The optimum pH at 50 degrees C was 8.5 and the optimum temperature at pH 8.5 was 55 degrees C. The keratinase was partially inactivated by some metal ions, organic solvents and serine protease inhibitor phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) had positive effect on the keratinase activity. Reducing agents including dithiothreitol (DTT), mercaptoethanol, L-cysteine, sodium sulphite, as well as chemicals of SDS, ammonium sulfamate and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) stimulated the enzyme activity upon a feather meal substrate. Besides feather keratin, the enzyme is active upon the soluble proteins ovalbumin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), casein and insoluble ones as sheep wool and human hair. Calf hair, silk and collagen could not be hydrolyzed by the keratinase.
Bacillus subtilis ; classification ; enzymology ; Enzyme Activation ; Enzyme Stability ; Peptide Hydrolases ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Species Specificity ; Substrate Specificity