Objective To investigate the value of electroencephalogram(EEG), transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) on evaluating brain function in coma patients. Methods The brain function in 72 cases of coma(mild coma 12,moderate coma 17,open eyes coma 4 and severe coma 39 cases) were examined using EEG,SEP ,TCD and scored. Results For the first time of exam, the results of EEG in 25 cases were electrical silence; no blood stream signalthe were found in 28 cases by TCD; the wave of P14 were disappeared in 26 cases by SEP and all of them belonged to severe coma group. For the second time exam, the results of finally EEG in 17 cases were electrical silence. The results of TCD in other 24 cases were surge waves and nail waves spectra eumorphism. Brain function grading: the EEG grade V in 42 cases, grade Ⅳ in 10 cases, grade Ⅲ in 14 cases were affirmed; TCD grade V in 28 cases, grade Ⅳ in 9 cases and SEP grade Ⅲ in 27 cases were affirmed. All the 28 cases of death and the most of 25 cases abandoned treatment for many reasons were belong to severe coma group. Conclusions The more severe of coma, the higher grade of EEG,TCD and SEP, the worse of prognosis. EEG,SEP,TCD testing can provide an objective indicator not only for evaluating brain function of coma patients, but aslo for estimating prognosis.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a single-stranded and positive-sense RNA, which has a single ORF (open reading frame), encoding a polyprotein precursor. Non-structural protein 3 (NS3) plays an important role in processing the polyprotein precursor and has become an important drug target of flavivirus. In this study, NS2BH-NS3 gene was amplified by PCR and subcloned to the prokaryotic expression plasmid, resulting pET30a-NS2BH-NS3. The fusion protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) in soluble form after induction by Isopropyl beta-D-1-Thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity column. Then a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) method was used to determine enzymatic activity and the assay conditions were optimized. After screening 113 compounds, we found two compounds inhibiting the activity of NS2BH-NS3. This study provides a convenient and cost-effective method for screening of JEV NS3 protease inhibitor.
Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; enzymology ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; Protease Inhibitors ; chemistry ; RNA Helicases ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; metabolism ; Serine Endopeptidases ; metabolism ; Viral Nonstructural Proteins ; metabolism

Objective To explore the value of somatosensory cortex evoked potential(CSEP)monitoring in objective evaluation of spinal cord function and integrity as well as prognostication of neural function after surgery.Methods CSEP monitoring was performed before the operation,during surgical procedure and after the operation in 56 spinal cord surgery patients to observe and analyze latency and amplitude of cortical potential.The significant changes were amplitude reduction≥150%or latency prolongation≥10%.Results There were 71.43%(40/56)true negative finding,both latency and amplitude without abnormal changes during the operation and without new neural functional deficit after operation.There was 0.18%(1/56)false negative finding,latency and amplitude without abnormal changes during surgical procedure,but with new neural functional deficit after operation.There were 26.79%(15/56)true positive findings,where latency transient prolongation<10%and amplitude reduction<50%during surgical procedure were observed.After suspending procedure or changing direction during surgical procedure,the waveform restored or improved.Conclusion CSEP monitoring during surgical procedure could reflect the sensitiveness to distracting,ischemia and injury of spinal cord.A timely intervention might improve the CSEP.CSEP could reflect the function and integrity of spinal cord.CSEP possess an important value in preventing spinal cord injury and evaluating the prognosis of neural function.

Objective To evaluate the role of MR imaging and MR cholangiopancreatography(MRCP) for the diagnosis of hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma and assessment of tumor resectability.Methods MR imagings were analyzed retrospectively and compared with surgical result in 20 patients with hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Results The tumor masses were found in the hilar regions on the MR images for 18 patients. It was found that only dilatation of the intrahepatic biliary tree and thickness of the bile duct wall for the other 2 patients. According to the Bismuth classifying, classification of MR was: typeⅠ (n=3), typeⅡ(n=4), type Ⅲ(n=6),type Ⅳ(n=7). Compared with the operative findings, the accurate ratio of classification was 80%, sensitivity specificity and coincidence was 75%, 75%,80% for the assessment of tumor resectablility by MR. Conclusion MRCP combined with MRI is very useful for diagnosis and classification of the hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma and assessment of tumor respectability.

Object To study the contents and the determinating method of scopoletin in Cortex Mori from different sources.Methods Scopoletin was determined by HPLC.The mobile phase was MeOH-H 2O-HAc (40∶60∶0.25).Detection wavelength was at 354 nm.Results The average recovery was 98.88% with RSD=1.91% and the linear range was 0.025 6—0.128 ?g.The highest content of scopoletin was 0.017 3% and the lowest content was 0.002% from different producing areas.Conclusion The method is easy, accurate, reliable with good reproducibility and high sensitivity.

Objectives To investigate characterization of imipenem resistance among imipenem non susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from patients who treated without imipenem and explore risk factors of imipenem resistance.Methods From April,2006 to March,2008,a total of 37 non-susceptible to imipenem without imipenem therapy isolates were collected from affiliated 3201st Hospital of Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University.The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) to 11 antimicrobial agents were determined by the broth dilution method.We also tested imipenem MIC combined with efflux pump inhibitor PAβN.PCR was performed to check for the presence of carbapenem-hydrolylzing MBL genes and oprD gene.The expression level of oprD2 and ampC were evaluated by qRT-PCR.Molecular typing was performed using PFGE.Results There is significant difference ( t =- 2.9004,P ＜ 0.01 ) of the average number days of therapy between with two or more antibiotics in the 16 patients (20.0 ± 9.5 ) d and that with only one antibiotic in the other 21 patients ( 12.6 ± 4.4 ) d before imipenem-non-susceptible strains were isolated.In all 37 strains,32 strains showed resistance to more than three antibiotics.The MBL gene ( IMP-9 ) was only found in one strain,but its phenotype is negative,oprD2 gene from the 29 strains were found forward inserted by ISpa1328.Thirty-five isolated were considered to have no oprD expression.The patterns of the total DNA of 37 strains appeared six PFGE types.The 26 strains belonged to C2 PFGE type.In the presence of PAβN,all 37 strains increased sensitivity to meropenem.Conclusion Fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins treatment could play an important role in imipenem non-susceptible production in the research isolates.

Objective BREAST-Questionnaire (BREAST-Q) was a patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument designed by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and University of British Columbia (UBC).Our study aimed to evaluate the Chinese version of BREAST-Q augmentation module in China.Methods BREAST-Q augmentation module consisted of two parts:pre-operative and post-operative.Pre-operative had 25 items.Post-operative had 88 items.BREAST-Q questionnaires were given to ten breast augmentation patients.All patients completed BREAST-Q questionnaires at two weeks pre augmentation,one day pre augmentation,fourteen weeks post augmentation,and sixteen weeks post augmentation.Results At two weeks pre augmentation,scores for satisfaction with breasts,psychosocial well-being,and sexual well-being were 29.9 + 5.8,16.5 ± 10.2,and 28.2± 9.3,respectively.At sixteen weeks post augmentation,scores for these three domains were statistically increased to be 65.3 ± 10.0,67.5±17.8,and 56.5±22.2,respectively.These differences were all above 20.However,there was no significant difference between pre augmentaion score and post augmentation score for physical well-being.Pre augmentation score was 64.9 ± 11.9,and post augmentation score was 56.0±14.5.Test-retest reliabilities in different domains were all above 0.8 and most were above 0.9.The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were higher than 0.6.Conclusions Chinese version of BREAST-Q augmentation module is reliable and responsive in assessing the quality of life in Chinese women with breast surgery.However,larger sample is needed for future study.

A new molecular method for simultaneously rapid detection and differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was established by using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) combined with multiplex nucleic acid amplification. These 4 important pathogenic mycobacteria were identified by separation of 4 specific PCR-amplified target fragments by DHPLC analysis. A total of 51 Mycobacterium strains and 22 other bacterial species were tested to confirm the specificity of the multiplex PCR-DHPLC assay. The sensitivity of the assay was as low as 10~2-10~3 gene copies. This method rapidly identify the positive clinical samples from human and bovine with higher detection ratio than traditional culture method and was able to identify simultaneously four pathogenic Mycobacterium, which provided a new molecular tool for rapid detection of tuberculosis and paratuberculosis in human and animals.

Objective To investigate the effects of Nod-like receptor protein 3 inhibitor MCC950 on cognitive function in a mouse model of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE).Methods Ninety adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly (random number) divided into three groups:the sham + saline group (n=20,sham group),CLP + saline group (n=35,CLP group),and CLP + MCC950 group (n=35,MCC950 group).SAE mouse model was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery.Saline (10 mL/kg) or MCC950 (10 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected 30 min before surgery and on day 1,2,4 and 6 after surgery according the grouping.Seven days after surgery,six mice were taken from each group.Western blot was used to detect the hippocampal content of NLRP3,apoptosis-associated specklike protein (ASC),interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18.The number of NLRP3-positive cells in CA 1 region were detected by immunohistochemical analysis.The remaining mice in each group were used for open field and fear conditioning tests 14 days after surgery.One-way analysis of variance was used for inter-group comparison,and SNK-q test was used for pairwise comparison.A P value ＜0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results Compared the MCC950 group with the CLP group,the freezing time of context test was significantly increased [(137±21) s vs (84±15) s,P=0.013],the hippocampal content of NLRP3,IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly reduced (P＜0.01),and the number of NLRP3-immunoreactive cells per mm2 in CA region were significantly decreased (23±5 vs 74±13,P＜0.01).There was no significant changes in protein level of ASC and results of open field tests (P＞0.05).Conclusions MCC950 administration can improve cognitive function in a mouse model of SAE,which is probably due to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and downstream inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18.

Diarrhea ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Salmonella Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Salmonella typhimurium