Objective To assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions before microwave ablation. Methods One hundred and seven patients with 128 focal liver lesions underwent CEUS and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) before microwave ablation therapy. The diagnostic performance of CEUS and CDFI was compared with pathologic findings through biopsy. Results The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, accuracy of CEUS for diagnosing liver lesions was 98.35% (119/121), 100% (7/7), 100% (119/119), 77.78% (7/9) and 98.44% (126/128), respectively, higher than those of CDFI (P＜0.001). According to CEUS, 119 malignant lesions were treated with timely microwave ablation, while unnecessary microwave ablation was excluded for 7 benign lesions. Conclusion CEUS is useful in the characterization of focal liver tumors before microwave ablation, and is helpful to reduce the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of the patients.

Objective To study the roles of micheliolide on ovarian cancer cells. Methods Firstly, human ovarian cancer cell lines HeyA8, SKOV3 and A2780/DDP were treated with different concentration of micheliolide (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 50 μmol/L) for 72 hours, then methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used wo detect the growth of the human ovarian cancer cell lines and the stongest inhibited cell line were selected for the following test. Secondly, after HeyA8 cell line was treated with different concentration (5, 10, 20μmol/L) of micheliolide for 24 hours, the HeyA8 cell apoptosis was measured byflow cytometry. Thirdly, the expression of RelA mRNA in HeyA8 cell was detected through real-time PCR, the expressions of nuclear factor κB(NF-κB)signal pathway related protein RelA and the activited cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (caspase-9) were detected by western blot analysis. Results (1) The growth of HeyA8, SKOV3 and A2780/DDP cells were all significantly inhibited after being treated with different concentration of micheliolide for 72 hours and the roles of inhibition were all concentration dependant (P<0.05). The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of HeyA8, SKOV3 and A2780/DDP were (9.8±2.2), (12.0±2.1) and (12.8±1.8)μmol/L, respectively. We chose HeyA8 cell to do the following expreriments because of its best inhibited effect. (2) After HeyA8 cell was treated with micheliolide of different concentrations, as the concentration increased (20 and 0μmol/L, for example), the apoptosis rate of HeyA8 cell raised from (7.2±1.0)%to (17.4±1.1)%, the percentage of survived cells reduce from (92.8 ± 1.3)% to (82.6 ± 1.4)%,and the relative mRNA level of RelA decreased from 1.00 ± 0.13 to 0.18 ± 0.00 (P<0.01); furthermore, the expression of RelA protein was weaken and the activited caspase-9 protein expression was increased gradually. Conclusions Micheliolide plays a significantly inhibited role in HeyA8, SKOV3 and A2780/DDP cells. The inhibited role of micheliolide inovarian cancer cells might through inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-кB) signaling pathway, and inducing the expression of activited caspase-9 protein to promoting apoptosis of HeyA8 cell.

Objective To investigate neuroprotective effect of AM-36 on secondary brain injury following traumatic brain injury(TBI)in rats.Methods A total of 38 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into an experimental group,a control group and a sham operation group,then sustained to moder- ate TBI.AM-36(0.1 ml/100 g)was administered intraperitoneally in the experimental group and isoton- ic saline solution was administered intraperitoneally in the control and the sham operation groups at 30 mi- nutes,24 and 48 hours after TBI,respectively.The brain water content was determined at 24 hours after TBI.Rats were sacrificed by decapitation at 24 hours or one week after TBI for observing histological changes in peripheral cortex,thalamus and hippocampus by means of Hematoxylin and Eosin staining and Fluoro-Jade(F-J)staining.Results The brain water content of bilateral hemispheres 24 hours after TBI in the experimental group was significantly decreased,compared to that of the control group.Histo- logical examination revealed less degenerating neurons(F-J positive neurons)in the cortex,thalamus, CAI and CA3 of the hippocampus in AM-36 treated rats 24 hours and one week after injury(P＜0.05). Conclusion Systemic administration of AM-36 at the early stage after TBI can decrease brain water content and exert neuroprotective effect on TBI.F-J staining can be used for histopathologic quantitation of neuronal damage,for it can accurately exhibit pathologic changes following TBI induced by fluid per- cussion.

OBJECTIVETo investigate how network education can improve college students' knowledge on sexual and reproductive health in Ningbo city.

METHODSFrom December 2012 to June 2013, we conducted a questionnaire investigation among college students in Ningbo city about the effects of network education on their knowledge about sexual psychology, sexual physiology, sexual ethics, and reproductive health.

RESULTSA total of 7 362 college students accomplished the investigation, of whom 2 483 (42.1% males and 57.9% females) received network education, while the other 4 879 (24.1% males and 75.9% females) did not. Approximately 47.1% of the male and 28.0% of the female students acquired sexual and reproductive knowledge via network education. Reproductive health-related network education significantly enriched the students' knowledge about the reproductive system and sex, pubertal development, sexual physiology, conception and embryonic development, methods of contraception, sexual psychology, sexually transmitted diseases and their prevention, pregnancy care and eugenics, and environment- and occupation-related reproductive health (P < 0.01). It also remarkably improved their cognitive attitude towards reproductive health knowledge (P < 0.01). Those who received reproductive health-related network education showed a significantly higher rate of masturbation (P < 0.01) but markedly later time of the first masturbation (P < 0.01) than those who did not.

CONCLUSIONNetwork education can enhance the effect of reproductive health education among college students and improve their sexual experience and health.

China ; Contraception ; Female ; Health Education ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Masturbation ; Pregnancy ; Reproduction ; Reproductive Health ; Sexual Behavior ; physiology ; psychology ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Students ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Universities

This study was aimed to establish the method of quantitative PCR (q-PCR) of fungi in peripheral blood for diagnosis of invasive fungal infections in patients with hematologic malignancies, and to preliminarily assess the diagnostic value of this method. The 18S rDNA-ITS1 area of high consensus sequence of fungi was selected to design primer and probe, the DNA of fungal species was extracted and q-PCR was performed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the primer and probe. The standard product of fungal DNA was prepared by using pGEM-T plasmid and the fungal DNA in blood of patients was quantitatively detected. The results showed that the positive was found in 12 Aspergillus and 14 Candida species according to q-PCR detection, while there was no significant difference of fungal distribution between plasma, mononuclear cells and leukocytes (p<0.05). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis of q-PCR showed that the cut-off value for clinical diagnosis of invasive fungal infection was 8 copies/ml whole blood, its sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and kappa were 0.84, 0.9, 0.955, 0.692 and 0.679 respectively. It is concluded that the fungal q-PCR assay may be used as an early diagnostic method for invasive fungal infections in patients with hematologic malignancies.
Aspergillus ; isolation & purification ; Candida ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; complications ; microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mycoses ; complications ; diagnosis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) ointment in the treatment of anal fissure.

METHODSIn this multi-center, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial, 240 chronic anal fissure patients from 7 clinical centers were randomized to receive eight-week treatment with GTN ointment (treatment group) or vaseline ointment (control group) respectively. Healing rate, visual analogue score (VAS), maximum anal resting pressure (MARP) and adverse reactions were recorded and compared.

RESULTSA total of 221 patients (92.1%) finished the trial, including 114 patients in treatment group (95.0%, 114/120) and 107 in control group (89.2%, 107/120). At the endpoint of treatment (56 d), 90 patients in treatment group (78.9%, 90/114) healed completely compared to 31 patients in control group (29.0%, 31/107), and decrease rates of VAS in the two groups were (94.8±15.7)% and (61.2±35.7)% respectively, both differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). MARP after first administration was (20.2±18.5) mm Hg in treatment group (n=12) and (7.1±14.7) mm Hg in control group (n=6), which was not significantly different (P=0.152). Adverse reaction incidence was higher in treatment group (42.1% vs. 9.3%, P<0.05), while these adverse reactions were mainly headache and fullness in head, which were self-limiting.

CONCLUSIONGTN ointment can effectively promote healing and relieve pain in anal fissure with safety and tolerance.

Adult ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Fissure in Ano ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitroglycerin ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of cryoablation combined with CpG ODN in the treatment of murine transplanted colon carcinoma.

METHODSColon carcinoma model was established by subcutaneously inoculating CT26 cells into the right flank in BALB/c mice. The tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:the group of PBS injected in peritumoral area, the group of cryoablation, the group of cryoablation combined with CpG ODN, the group of CpG ODN injected in peritumoral area. The tumor size changes were measured. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma) were assayed by ELISA. The rates of CD3(+)CD4(+)T, CD3(+)CD8(+)T lymphocytes in serum were counted with flow cytometry. Mice in the cryoablation group and the combined group with tumor regression were re-challenged with CT26 cells.

RESULTSThe survival time of cryoablation group and combined therapy group were (80.3 + or - 5.4) days and (83.8 + or - 5.5) days, respectively, longer than (53.7 + or - 3.7) days in PBS group and (51.5 + or - 6.8) days in CpG ODN group(all P<0.05). The suppress rates of tumor cells in cryoablation group and combined therapy group were 83.8% and 86.2% respectively. After 20 days following treatment, CD3(+)CD4(+)T/CD3(+)CD8(+)T ratio and the concentrations of IL-12 and IFN-gamma in mice serum of cryoablation group and combined therapy group were higher than those in PBS group and CpG ODN group(all P<0.05). No significant difference was found in CD3(+)CD4(+)T/CD3(+)CD8(+)T ratio between cryoablation group and combined therapy group(P>0.05). However, the concentrations of IL-12 and IFN-gamma in combined therapy group were higher than those of cryoablation group(all P<0.05). After re-challenging, tumor formation rate in the cryoablation combined with CpG ODN group was 16.7%, significantly lower than that in the cryoablation group(83.8%)(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONCryoablation combined with CpG ODN can increase antitumor immune response in mice, and therefore can decrease the tumor formation when re-challenged with CT26 cells.

Animals ; Colonic Neoplasms ; therapy ; Cryosurgery ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides ; therapeutic use

Adult ; Aged ; Bacterial Infections ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; diagnosis ; immunology ; microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDAs a Chinese Traditional Medicine product, Kuntai capsule could improve the peri-menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women. But it is still not clear whether Kuntai capsule has a good effect on alleviating peri-menopausal symptoms induced by gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Kuntai capsule, on peri-menopausal symptoms in endometriosis (EMS) patients, with postoperative GnRH-a treatment.

METHODSNinety EMS ovarian cyst women with postoperative GnRH-a administration were enrolled in the study, and were randomly divided into Kuntai group, Tibolone group, or blank Control group. The therapeutic strategy in Kuntai group was 4 Kuntai capsules tid,po for 12 weeks after the first GnRH-a injection, while Tibolone 2.5 mg qd, po for 12 weeks in Tibolone group. There was no drug addition in Control group. Climacteric complaints were evaluated by Kupperman menopausal index (KMI) and hot flash/sweating score. Liver and renal functions, lipid profile, serum sex hormone levels and endometrial thickness were measured, and the frequency of adverse events in Kuntai and Tibolone groups was recorded.

RESULTS(1) Before GnRH-a therapy, the baseline parameter results were comparable in the three groups (P > 0.05). (2) After GnRH-a therapy, KMI and hot flash/sweating scores in all the three groups increased significantly (P < 0.05). At the 4 th week after GnRH-a therapy, KMI and hot flash/sweating score results were as follows: Control group > Kuntai group > Tibolone group (P < 0.05); at the 8 th and 12 th week after GnRH-a therapy, KMI and hot flash/sweating score in Control group were significantly higher than the other two groups (P < 0.05), and no significant difference was identified between Kuntai and Tibolone group (P > 0.05). (3) No statistical change took place in the liver and renal functions and lipid profile in all the three groups after the treatment (P > 0.05). (4) The posttherapeutic serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) level and endometrial thickness decreased significantly in all the three groups (P < 0.05). After therapy, serum E2 level in Tibolone group was obviously higher than the other two groups (P < 0.05), while FSH and LH levels were obviously lower (P < 0.05). (5) The incidence of vaginal bleeding, breast distending pain in Tibolne group was obviously higher than Kuntai group (P < 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONSKuntai capsule is effective on the peri-menopausal symptoms induced by postoperative GnRH-a administration to EMS patients, although its clinical effect might be a few weeks later than Tibolone. Kuntai capsule might be a little safer than Tibolone tablet.

Adult ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Endometriosis ; drug therapy ; Endometrium ; drug effects ; pathology ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; agonists ; Goserelin ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Norpregnenes ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

Adenine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organophosphonates ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult