Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; analysis ; Workplace

Objective To select the calibrator for the conventional measurement system of serum a-Amylase (Amy).Methods The Amy levels of forty frozen serum samples were detected by the IFCC reference method (reference system),the conventional system A which used the Bioassay routine reagent and Randox calibrator,and was calibrated by the Roche PNPG7 method,and the conventional system B which used the Bioassay routine reagent and Randox calibrator,and was calibrated by the Rondox liquid stable PNPG7 method,respectively,and the acceptability of the two conventional systems was evaluated.Results The regression equations of the measurement values between the IFCC reference method and the conventional systems A and B were Y =0.964X +0.376 and Y =1.095X + 3.131,respectively.Among them,X and Y represented the results of the IFCC reference method and the conventional system,respectively.Compared with the IFCC reference method,the results of the conventional system A was reliable.Condusion With the guidance of the IFCC reference method,the domestic biochemical reagents matched with the suitable calibrators may provide the acceptable results.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between serum testosterone levels and the plaque formation of the carotid artery in a population-based cohort of independently living healthy women above 60 years of age.

METHODSAnalysis of the healthy elders from a population-based cohort study in 9 communities of Beijing. Carotid intima-media thickness and atherosclerotic plaques were determined ultrasonographically. Serum testosterone levels were measured by immunoassay. The data were analyzed with ANOVA and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThere was an inverse correlation between testosterone and plaque formation in old females (P < 0.01), while no association was found in males. Female with testosterone levels in the lowest quartile (< 0.49 nmol/L) had more risk of plaque formation (OR = 3.805, P < 0.01) after adjusted with age and other traditional factors of atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONTestosterone concentrations are negatively associated with carotid artery atherosclerosis in old women in Beijing, experimental and prospective studies are needed to determine the possible therapeutic role of testosterone in atherosclerosis.

Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; blood ; Carotid Arteries ; pathology ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Carotid Stenosis ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Testosterone ; blood

Objective To establish a high throughput phenotypic test for the detection of drug re-sistance in human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)strains. Methods The gene encoding luciferase was in-activated through restriction enzyme digestion and ligation. LacZ gene was used to replace the genes encoding original protease and reverse transcriptase. pol genes were amplified from pSG3△env plasmid and cloned in-to a new backbone plasmid through infusion. The factors that might affect the results of the test were opti-mized. Results The parental backbone plasmid pNL4-3. Lac was constructed,of which the gene encoding luciferase was inactivated and bearing the LacZ gene instead of genes encoding protease and reverse tran-scriptase. Several influential factors including cell numbers(10 000 / well),virus inoculation(200 TCID50 /well)and the concentration of DEAE-dextran(15 μg/ ml)were optimized. The reproducibility of this test was confirmed by testing 12 anti-HIV drugs against 2 pseudovirus strains 8 times,presenting the coefficient of variations(CVs)from 4. 32% to 28. 46% . Six types of pseudovirus were constructed and tested against the 12 anti-HIV drugs,the results of which were compared with those by using the pSG3△env-based pseud-ovirus test. The results of the two tests presented good consistency. Conclusion The high throughput phe-notypic test based on pNL4-3. Lac plasmid,combining the advantages of pSG3△env and pNL4-3 systems, could be used to analyze the drug resistance patterns of HIV-1 infectors and screen new drugs for antiretrovi-ral therapy in a rapid and effective way.

Objective To build experimental animal model of cerebral alveolar echinococcosis disease of sheep,in order to study of human alveolar hydatid disease of the brain.Methods Experiment animal models of ten Xinjiang big-tail sheep were performed by, direct skull puncture,intracerebral inoculation of echinococcus multilocularis.MRI was used to observe the growth status of cerebral alveolar echinococcosis disease of sheep after 8 months,and morphological and pathological characteristics after autopsy were ana-lysed.Results 4 sheep models (40%)were successful built which were confirmed by pathology and MRI.On MRI,4 cases all were single lesion,on T2 WI there was multiple follicles bubbles under the background of low signal in one case,and low signal in other three cases.Under the microscope,a large number of lymphocytes,eosinophils and plasma cells infiltrated the lesion area,around which small blood vessels were blocked and had inflammatory reaction were showed.Conclusion The method using artificial inocula-tion rat alveolar echinococcosis to establish experimental model of cerebral alveolar echinococcosis disease of sheep has the character-istic of feasibility,simplicity and repeatability.

Objective To analyze the influencing factors of having clinical meaningful recanalization (CMR)after revascularization therapy in acute phase of ischemic stroke. Methods A total of 267 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology,Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University and received intravenous thrombolysis or endovascular intervention in acute stage from March 2011 and March 2015 were enrolled retrospectively. CMR was used as a primary endpoint event. They were divided into either a CMR group (n = 92)or a non-CMR group (n = 175)according to whether they had CMR. The baseline data of the patients in both groups were compared by using the Rank sum test and Pearson Chi-Square test. A multivariate logistic regression model was established to analyze the independent influencing factor of CMR. Results The median (interquartile range)age of 267 patents was 60 (51 -69)years,and 69 of them were females (25. 8%);the median (interquartile range)time from onset to treatment was 250 (195 -305)min,and the median (interquartile range)NIHSS score was 10 (6 -15). The baseline NIHSS score,body mass index,blood glucose level,and proportion of diabetes of the CMR group were significantly lower than those of the non-CMR group (all P≤0. 05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the baseline NIHSS (OR,0. 93,95% CI 0. 88 -0. 98;P = 0. 01),intravenous thrombolysis (with respect to endovascular intervention)(OR,0. 35, 95% CI 0. 17 -0. 73;P = 0. 01),and baseline blood glucose (OR,0. 87;95% CI 0. 77 -0. 98;P =0. 02)were the independent negative predictors of CMR. Conclusion The baseline NIHSS,intravenous thrombolysis (with respect to endovascular intervention),and high blood glucose are the negative influencing factors for achieving CMR in the acute phase of ischemic stroke,suggesting blood sugar intervention and endovascular intervention in acute phase may contribute to the improvement of clinical prognosis.

Objective To evaluate the method of detecting antibodies to Bacillus anthracis by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)using crude antigen.Methods The anti-Bacillus anthracis antibody levels in sera of 42 healthy people and 42 patients were detected by indirect ELISA.Standard curve was plotted using the data from positive controls,based on which the relative content of each serum was calculated and compared with the result of rLF.Results The median of antibody's relative content in patient group and healthy people group are 1.19 and 0.24,the differences being statistically significant(uc=7.643,P＜0.05).The result of crude antigen is in concordance with rLF(but not parallel absolutely).Conclusions Crude antigen can distinguish most of patients with healthy population effectively.The results suggested that crude antigen is applicable in anti-Bacillus anthracis antibody surveillance.

Silica gel column chromatography was used for the isolation and purification of the chemical constituents of the pericarp of Illicium macranthum. From dichloromethane-EtOAc (1:1) fraction and EtOAc fraction of the methanol extracts, eleven compounds were identified on the basis of chemical and spectral data. Two new compounds were elucidated to be 6-deoxyneomajucin (1) and 2-oxo-6-deoxyneomajucin (2), along with nine known compounds 6-deoxypseudoanisatin (3), pseudoanisatin (4), anisatin (5), pseudomajucin (6), protocatecheuic acid (7), shikimic acid (8), shikimic acid methylester (9), beta-sitosterol (10) and daucosterol (11). Compounds 1 and 2 are new majucin-type sesquiterpene lactones.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Illicium ; chemistry ; Lactones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sesquiterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Shikimic Acid ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Sitosterols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Spiro Compounds ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

BackgroundChoriodal neovascularization is an important ocular manifestation of angiogenesis in eyes,which derives from the choroid capillaries.Recent studies have found that complement activation is playing a key role in the laser-induced CNV.Because of the key position of CFB in the alternative pathway,bytargeting CFB and blocking the alternative pathway may provide an approach to observe the role of this alternative pathway in the generation of CNV.Objective This study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of reconstructed complement factor B (CFB)-small interfering ribonucleicacid(siRNA)on choroidal neovascularization (CNV)and its mechanism. Methods Experimental CNV was induced by laser photocoagulation in 96 eyes of 48 clean Brown Norway rats.The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups.25,50 and 75 μg B factor siRNA were injected via caudal vein on 1 day,3,5 days after photocoagulation in different dose groups,and normal saline solution was injected at the same way in experimental control group.Other 12 normal rats were used as blank control group.Fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA) was performed on 3,7,14,21,28 days after injection of CFB-siRNA and CNV was scored.The expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and factor Ⅷ in choroid were detected by immunochemistry.The expressions of CFB-siRNA,VEGF,transforming growth factor β2( TGF-β2 )proteins in choroid were determined using immunochemistry in 7,14,21,28 days,and the expressions of mRNA of CFB-siRNA,VEGF,TGF-β2 were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). ResultsFFA revealed that the CNV rates in various doses of CFB-siRNA groups were significant lower than those of experimental control group in various time points(P＜0.05),and those in 75 μg B factor siRNA were decreased in comparison with 25 μg B factor siRNA (P＜0.05).Immunochemistry showed that the intensities of the VEGF and factor Ⅶ expression in various doses of CFB-siRNA groups were weaker than the blank control group ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Compared with the control group,the expression of CFB reduced in 7 days,and then approached to the level near the control group.Fourteen to twenty-one days after injection of CFB-siRNA,VEGF and TGF-β2 depressions in different doses of CFB-siRNA groups were lower than blank control group( P＜0.05 ).CFB expression in choroid showed the lower levels in CFB-siRNA injection group compared with blank control group in from 7 through 21 days (P＜0.05).RT-PCR displayed the gradual increase of CFB mRNA and curve-like changes of VEGF and TGF-β2 with time prolong. Conclusions Recombinated CFB-siRNA can effectively inhibit laser-induced CNV by down-regulating the expression of VEGF and factor Ⅷ.Alternative pathway of complement plays an important role in the production of CNV.

Objective To investigate the distribution status of coal-burning fluorosis (endemic fluorosis) areas in Luoyang and to provide scientifc evidence for making strategies in prevention and control. Methods In 2006, a household per village was chosen to carry the general survey so as of disease condition, living habits and housing structure among 941 coal-burning pollution fluorine sickness natural villages in Yanshi, Mengjin, Xin'an, Luanchuan counties and Geely area which were under the jurisdiction of Luoyang. In the general survey, the sampled village having a population of more than 500 person was considered as a major survey village, and water fluoride, 8 - 12 year-old child fluorine spot on tooth and the urinary fluoride were surveyed. Water fluoride and the child urinary fluoride determination used the fluoride ion selective electrode method, and the children's dental fluorosis used Dean method. Results The endemic fluorosis of Luoyang existed 742 in endemic fluomsis villages, compared with history, a decrease of 199 in number. Ninety-six point seven per cent( 142 543/147 419) of the households were consuming smoke-free coal. Households using intact kitchens accounted for 93.6%( 137 919/147 419). Of which 63.0%(86 889/137 919) of kitchens were mixed up with bedrooms. Total 125 060 people were using coal- fired furnace for heating, of which 87.8%(109 802/125 060) had smoke-free facilities, 12.2%(15 258/125 060) had none. Among 52 endemic villages with population of more than 500 people surveyed, a total of 183 water samples were collected, 2 had water fluoride exceeding 1.0 rag/L, the highest water fluoride being 1.04 rag/L, averaging 0.39 mg/L Sixteen villages had a prevalence rate of dental fluorosis for children less than 30.00%, accounting for 30.8% (16/52), 36 endemic villages the prevalence of dental fluorosis detection rate of more than 30.00%, accounting for 69.2%(36/52). Twenty-thrce villages had a dental fluorosis index greater than 0.6, severe dental fluorosis was not found. Real-time measurement of 1408 urine samples of children aged 8 - 12 showed that urine fluoride highest value 6.88 nag/L, the minimum value of 0.10 mg/L, geometric mean 1.10 mg/L. The prevalence rate of dental fluorosis for children was 36.06%. Conclusions In Luoyang city, numbers of coal-burning endemic fluorosis villages are less than before, children's dental fluorosis has significantly declined, however some people still use kitchens connecting with bedrooms and lack smoke-free facilities, they need to be educated to change lifestyle and improve furnace to reduce soot fluoride pollution.