Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Health ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnosis

Adult ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To evaluate the necessity and safety of implanting temporary vena eava fihers to prevent pulmonary emboli in patients of lower extremity fractures concomitant with acute deep venous thrombosis(DVT). Methods A total of 782 patients with lower extremity fractures were complicated with DVT perioperatively. Among them, 91 received temporary vena cava filters implantation before orthopedic operations for the prevention of pulmonary embolism. All patients were followed up post-operation. Results Vena cava filters were successfully implanted in 89 patients. Mean implantation time was 27 days (range from 14 to 42 days). Thrombus trapped within the filters were found in 78 patients (87.6%) after the filters removal. Eight-two filters (92.1%) were retrived successfully at the first attempt as scheduled. Seven filters(7.9%) with big trapped thrombi were removed at the 2nd attempt after additional thrombolytic therapy. No patients needed a permanent filter. No fetal pulmonary embolism (PE) or other major complications were detected during the three to six months follow-ups period. Conclusion Temporary vena cava filter can reduce the incidence and mortality of pulmonary embolism as well as the occurrence of mid- or long-term complications in lower limb fracture patients complicated with DVT.

Objective:To study the association of air pollution with health service demand of the elderly and middle-age patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases,and to provide a scientific ba-sis for development of environmental protection policy and health service policy of the Chinese govern-ment.Methods:This study included survey data on self-evaluated health,outpatient service demand and inpatient service demand of the patients with hypertension,heart disease and stroke in 62 cities of 1 7 provinces from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)in 201 1 and 201 3,and com-bined it with the data on the annual concentrations of inhalable particulate matter(PM1 0 ),sulfur dioxide (SO2 )and nitrogen dioxide(NO2 )of those provinces and cities.Conditional Logistic regression was car-ried out to assess the possible effects of air pollutants on self-evaluated health and health service utiliza-tion.Results:The results showed that turning points existed in the effects of concentrations of NO2 and SO2 on the health service demand of the patients with hypertension,heart disease and stroke.The inpa-tient service demand of the hypertension patients increased with NO2 concentration when it was lower than 35.1 μg/m3 and decreased with NO2 concentration for higher value.Self-evaluated health of the patients with heart disease and stroke decreased with SO2 concentration when it was lower than 63.8 μg/m3 and increased with SO2 concentration for higher value.In addition,no evidence was found for the association between PM1 0 and health service demand.Conclusion:Air pollution may have effects on health service demand of the patients with hypertension,cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases,and different air pollutants at high or low concentration may have different health effects.

Rare diseases are usually defined as diseases with a low incidence in the population. According to re-ports, there were 6084 rare diseases found worldwide in 2016, involving 3715 related genes. 80% of rare diseases are caused by heredity, dominant or recessive inheritance or mutations. The definition of rare diseases by”incidence”in the population varies from country to country, like the EU <1/2000 and the United States <1/2500. A drug used to prevent, treat, or diagnose a rare disease is called an orphan drug. Due to the difficulty of research and development in this small target population, the high investment risk and the high R&D cost, the problem associated with high price of orphan drugs is very prominent. In the cost-effectiveness evaluation, the resulting incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER)is likely to exceed the willingness to pay threshold adopted by most countries and regions, resulting in multiple countries raising its willingness to pay threshold reference standard(3-25 times GDP per capital)for orphan drugs, or simply ex-empting health technology assessment(HTA)assessment for orphan drugs and only evaluating the impact on medical in-surance fund. This paper systematically reviewed the various internationally accepted orphan drug HTA assessment meth-odologies. Based on the characteristics of rare diseases, the paper discusses the establishment of a model for the evalua-tion of orphan drugs and the multi-dimensional value assessment framework for HTA. At the same time, according to the internationally accepted norm, the paper also explores the way to determine the willingness to pay threshold in HTA as-sessment for orphan drugs in China.

OBJECTIVETo study mRNA expression levels of main hematopoietic growth factors in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC), and to compare effect on mRNA expression levels treated by ginseng polysaccharide and ginsenoside.

METHODSRelative quantification real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to observe mRNA expression levels of IL4, Csf2, Kitlg, Csf1, IL6, Lif, Csf3, IL11, Epo, and IL3, etc. in rat BM-MSC treated with ginseng polysaccharide (20 microg/mL) or ginsenoside (20 microg/mL) at 12, 24, and 36 h.

RESULTSIL4 and Csf2 mRNA expressions were not detected. Relative expression of Kitlg, Csf1, IL6, Lif, Csf3, IL11, Epo and IL3 mRNA ranked in an attenuating order when compared with Gapdh mRNA. mRNA expression of Epo and IL3 was not significantly changed at any time point by treatment of ginseng polysaccharide or ginsenoside in rat BM-MSC (P > 0.05). mRNA expression of Csf1, IL6, Lif, Csf3 and IL11 were significantly enhanced at 12 and 36 h by treatment of ginseng polysaccharide (P < 0.05) and that of Csf1, IL6, Lif, Csf3, and Kitlg were significantly enhanced at 24 h in rat BM-MSC (P < 0.05). The enhanced mRNA expression was Csf3 at 12 h, Csf3, IL6 and Lif at 24 h, and Csf3, IL6, Lif, IL11, and Kitlg, respectively at 36 h by treatment of ginsenoside in rat BM-MSC.

CONCLUSIONSThe enhancement of ginseng polysaccharide was stronger than that of ginsenoside on mRNA expression of hematopoietic growth factors in the initial stage. As time went by, the enhancement of ginsenoside gradually increased and exceeded that of ginseng polysaccharide.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors ; metabolism ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Panax ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

AIM: To investigate the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and α-SMA in human lens epithelium cell (HLEC) line B3 after transfection by liposome-coated siRNA targeting CTGF.METHODS: HLECs were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting CTGF,labeled with 5`-fluorescein isothiocyanate (5`-FITC) and coated with lipofectamine.The transfection ratio was evaluated via fluorescence intensity.Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was performed to assess cytoviability of both non-transfected and transfected HLECs.Quantitative RT-PCR,cell immunochemistry and Western blot analysis were conducted to detect the expression changes of CTGF and α-SMA after transfection.RESULTS: A highly effective transfection ratio was observed in siRNA co-transfected with lipofectamine.The transfection ratio reached 95% at 24h.The proliferation of HLECs was inhibited by siRNA after 72h transfection.The expression of CTGF and α-SMA significantly decreased in HLECs after transfected by CTGF siRNA for 24h.This effect was not found in negative control siRNA.CONCLUSIONS: SiRNA targeting CTGF decreased CTGF and α-SMA expression in HLECs,which is a potential therapeutic strategy for posterior capsular opacification.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Tribulus terrestris extract on melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) expression in C57BL/6J mouse hair follicles, and investigate the role of Tribulus terrestris extract in activation, proliferation, epidermal migration of dormant hair follicle melanocytes.

METHODSThe aqueous extract of Tribulus terrestris was administered orally in specific pathogen-free C57BL/6J mouse at the daily dose equivalent to 1 g/1 kg in adult human, and the expression and distribution of MSH in the mouse hair follicles was observed with immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe positivity rate of MSH expression in the hair follicle melanocytes was 75% in mice treated with the extract, significantly higher than the rate of only 18.75% in the control group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe aqueous extract of Tribulus terrestris can significantly increase MSH expression in the hair follicle melanocytes by activating tyrosinase activity and promoting melanocyte proliferation, melanine synthesis, and epidermal migration of dormant melanocytes.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Female ; Hair Follicle ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones ; biosynthesis ; Melanocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Tribulus ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo observe the influence of three types of dental ceramic alloys on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

METHODSNi-Cr alloy, Co-Cr alloy, and Ti alloy were elaborated into three crowns with the same shape and size by computer aided design, computer aided manufacturing device. Afterwards we fixed the crown in the mouth of a volunteer at the same location separately. Then we scanned them with MRI. The extents of artifacts were compared.

RESULTSAll these alloys caused MR artifacts. The extent of the artifact of Co-Cr alloy was larger than those of Ni-Cr alloy and Ti alloy under MRI.

CONCLUSIONTi alloy has the smallest influence on MRI than Ni-Cr alloy and Co-Cr alloy.

Adult ; Artifacts ; Chromium Alloys ; Denture, Partial, Fixed ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Metal Ceramic Alloys

Adolescent ; Aortic Valve ; abnormalities ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Child ; Endocarditis ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Male ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; complications ; pathology ; surgery