Glucuronosyltransferase ; genetics ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice, Neonatal ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the method of reducing error in estimating postmortem interval (PMI). METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-six solved murder cases from 2003 January to 2013 January in Changzhou and Nanjing City were collected, The PMI of all cases was estimated by traditional method and then compared with the real PMI obtained after the cases were solved. The cases were grouped according to the PMI, the accuracy was calculated, and the reasons of suboptimal PMI were analyzed. RESULTS: The accuracies of early PMI (less than 12h and 13-24 h) were 90% and 89%, respectively; while the accuracies of late PMI (1-7 d, 1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks, 1-6 months, 7-12 months and 1-5 years) decreased over time, being 79%, 76%, 83%, 79%, 60% and 50%, respectively. The common reasons of estimating error included improper inference methods, water submerged body, extreme temperature, lack of objective evidence, intentionally abandoned body, and changed or destroyed scene, etc. CONCLUSION The multiple index data can reduce the error in estimating PMI.
Autopsy ; Cause of Death ; Forensic Pathology/methods* ; Homicide ; Humans ; Postmortem Changes ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Temperature ; Time Factors

Acute Disease ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; complications ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; etiology

Objective To investigate the reliability of cast measurements by comparing Photoshop and conventional hand-held method. Methods Maxillary standard plaster models from 10 orthodontic cases with crowding were enrolled in this study. The space available and the space required of anterior region were measured by using Photoshop in the digital pictures or conventional method used by 5 observers respectively.The measurement results of the same sample among every observer were analyzed with ANOVA, and the difference between the 2 methods was calculated and paired t test was used to analyze the data. Results The repeatability of measurement results was not good when the space available was measured with conven-tional method by different observer( M1 ～ M5 ), and the measurement results of M1 were significantly different from that of M3 and M5 respectively( P ＜ 0.05 ). The repeatability of measurement results was relatively good when the space available was measured by using Photoshop, and the measurement results of M5 were significantly different from other observers ( P ＜ 0.05 ). The measurement results of space required measured by different observer were very close, and the reproducibility was excellent when they were measured by means of Photoshop or conventional methods. Conclusion There were no much difference between Photoshop and conventional method to measure the required space. Photoshop had significant advantage over conventional method when available sRace was measured.

Objective To know the primary effect of nutrition intervention in farmers. Methods The questionnaires were used to do baseline and evaluation survey. The intervention ways were used in trial group, including holding lectures, posting posters, sending out healthy material, quizzes with prizes, recommending salts low in sodium to each family, training to make healthy food by the chef; but there were no measures in control group. Results There were statistical significance in healthy awareness of nutrition, exercises and chronic diseases between two groups after intervention; However, the average intake amounts of vegetables did not reach the recommendation of diet guidelines; After intervention, the intake frequency of vegetables and fruits had statistical significance between before and after intervention in trial group, and also had statistical significance in two groups. Conclusion The awareness of healthy knowledge and attitudes has been obvious improvement, but the diets and life styles of farmers have no obvious change. The diet structure and behavior of farmers have been increasingly rational but not enough. The farmers have started to increase the intake times of vegetables and fruits and built up the conception of eating more vegetables and fruits.

BACKGROUND: Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (CDK-5) is one of the members in cyclin-dependent protein kinase family. The attention has being drawn by researchers on the relationship between the expression and distribution of CDK-5 mRNA and its protein in the brain during brain development and neural degeneration in thought-cognition.OBJECTIVE: To probe into the influence of CDK-5 on neurogeny and neural degeneration during cerebral development.DESIGN: Single factor analysis of variance.SETTING: Histological and Embryological Department and Neurobiological Department in Third Military Medical University of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Histological and Embryological Department and Neurobiological Department in Third Military Medical University of Chinese PLA. Twenty-five Wistar rats of 5 phases were employed, named embryonicphase (E8-E21), neonatal phase (P0-P15),childhood (P16-2 months), grown-up phase (＞ 2 months) and senile phase (＞ 8 months), 5 rats in each group.METHODS: In situ hybridization histochemistry (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was adopted in brain sections from embryonic phase to senile phase.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURFS: Distribution and expression of positive cells of CDK-5 mRNA and protein in various brain areas.RESULTS: Twenty-five rats entered result analysis for all. ① The expression of CDK-5 mRNA presented in entire development from E14 to P350and was in tendency of stability after growth-up. CDK-5 mRNA localized mainly in neurons and positive regions distributed mainly in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebellum and a part of nerve nuclei. ② The expression of CDK-5 was strong after birth and it was weaker in embryonic and senile rats. Positive regions concentrated mainly in peripheral ventricle, hippocampus, cerebellum and a part of nerve nuclei.The expression only presented in hippocampus and Purkinje cellular layer of cerebellum in senile rats.CONCLUSION: CDK-5 in brain runs through entire phases of neural development, it expresses more significantly in neonatal phase and childhood and declines after growth-up, especially in senile phase. The declined expression of CDK-5 in hippocampus of senile rats is closely associated with decline of learning and memory in senility probably.

Objective To construct lentiviral vectors containing small interfering RNA (siRNA) sequence of Siglec-1 and to screen the effective vector.Methods Three fragments of Siglec-1 siRNA were designed and cloned into pGCSIL-GFP lentiviral plasmid.And then the plasmid was cotransfected into 293T cells with pHelper 1.0 and pHelper 2.0 plasmids.Forty-eight hours later,culture supernatant with virus particles was collected and concentrated.Virus titer was determined by 10-fold serial dilution method and virus was transduced into primary cultured mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM).Flow cytometry and QRT-PCR were used to screen effective vector with inhibition ability.Results Three vshRNA lentiviral plasmids and a control plasmid were constructed successfully and verified by DNA sequencing.Virus titer was between 1×10s TU/ml and 1×109 TU/ml,which was suitable for in vitro and in vivo experiments.The Lv-1 could inhibit Siglec-1 expression effectively in vitro transduction of BMM.Conclusion Lentiviral vectors containing siRNA sequence of Siglec-1 were constructed successfully and an effective vector was screened,which may lay the foundation for using the vector in gene knockdown experiment in vivo.

Objective By in vitro culture of mouse macrophage cell line RAW264. 7 and primary mouse bone marrow macrophages, the expression of Siglec-1 when stimulated by ox-LDL was observed. Meanwhile, Siglec-1 was up-regulated by M-CSF and down-regulated by small interference RNA targeting Siglec-1 ( si-RNA-Siglec-1) , and the expression of chemokines and lipid uptake ability by macrophages were observed, to explore the role of Siglec-1 on macrophages in atherosclerosis. Methods LDL was oxidized by copper. According to preliminary experiment results, ox-LDL 100 μg/ml was selected as a stimulus. There were 6 experimental groups:normal control group,ox-LDL 100 μg/ml group, ox-LDL 100 μg/ml + si-RNA 2509 2 ng/ml group,ox-LDL 100 μg/ml + si-RNA 3618 2 ng/ml group,ox-LDL 100 μg/ml + M-CSF 5 ng/ml group and ox-LDL 100 μg/ml + M-CSF 10 ng/ml group. si-RNA-Siglec-1 was transfected into macrophage to inhibit the expression of Siglec-1, whereas M-CSF 10 ng/ml or 5 ng/ml were added into the culture medium to enhance the expression of Siglec-1. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction ( qRT-PCR) was used to determine the interfere efficiency of si-RNA-Siglec-1 or M-CSF. After stimulation with ox-LDL for 48 h, cell culture supernatants were collected to determine MIP-1 alpha, MCP-1 and IL-8 concentration by ELISA (n =3 for each group) to evaluate the activation of macrophages. Internalization of lipid particles by macrophages was analyzed by oil red 0 staining. Results Observed by fluorescence microscope, si-RNA-Siglec-1 could be effectively transfected into macrophages with a transfection efficiency about 90% ;PCR results showed that si-RNA 2509 and si-RNA 3618 in a concentration of 40 pmol/L had an inhibition rate of 0. 54 ±0. 11 or 0. 52 ±0. 16 vs 1. 00 ±0. 24 (control group) , t =5. 227 and 4. 992, respectively, all P < 0.01, while M-CSF 10 ng/ml could increase Siglec-1 mRNA expression approximately 4-fold (4. 16 ± 1. 25 vs 1.00 ±0. 24, t =7. 448, P<0. 01). The secretion of MCP-1, MIP-1 alpha, and MIP-2 in si-RNA3618-Siglec-1 group [(359. 28±47. 80) pg/ml, (33. 76 ± 14. 28) ng/ml and (7.87±1.55) ng/ml for MCP-1,MIP-1 alpha, and MIP-2, respectively] was significantly reduced in compare with ox-LDL 100 μg/ml group [ (577. 89 ± 35. 95 ) pg/ml, (69. 17 ± 11. 82) ng/ml and (12.28 ± 1.19) ng/ml for MCP-1, MIP-1 alpha, and MIP-2, respectively], with P value of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.01. In contrary, ox-LDL 100 μg/ml plus M-CSF 10 ng/ml group could significantly promote macrophage chemokine secretion [ (672. 89 ± 43.80) pg/ml, (101.31 ±24.17) ng/ml and (14.81 ±0.54) ng/ml for MCP-1, MIP-1 alpha, and MIP-2, respectively], with P < 0.05 compared with ox-LDL 100 μg/ml group. Meanwhile, lipid intemalization and foam cell formation was inhibited in si-RNA3618-Siglec-l group while ox-LDL 100 μg/ml plus M-CSF 10 ng/ml group could enhance the phagocytosis of ox-LDL by macrophage. Conclusions Siglec-1 may served as a potential phagocytic receptor for ox-LDL involving in macrophage uptake of lipid and turn into foam cells. Furthermore, it can active macrophages and enhance the secretion of MIP-1 alpha, MCP-1 and IL-8, attracting more macrophages and lymphocytes to the site of inflammatory plaque. Targeted inhibition of Siglec-1 reduces macrophage uptake of lipid and secretion of chemokines. Siglec-1 may possibly serve as a potential target of treatment or delay the development of atherosclerosis.

Objective The prosthesis used for aortic valve replacement (AVR) may be too small in relation to the body size, thus causing valve prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) and abnormally high transvalvular pressure gradients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of PPM and the impact of PPM on hemodynamic and early mortality after AVR. Methods A total of 292 patients ( 167 males, 125 females; mean age of ( 52.8 ± 14.6 ) years, with ranging 22 - 82 years) who underwent AVR between January 2007 and December 2009 were retrospectively evaluated. Etiologies were: rheumatic in 243 cases, degenerative in 36, congenitally bicuspid aortic valve in 8, and infective endocarditis in 5. Combined operations with AVR including mitral valve replacement ( 172 cases), mitral valve repair (56 cases), tricuspid valve repair (238 cases), and coronary artery bypass grafting (32 cases). The aortic valve prosthesis effective valve orifice area (EOA) was divided by the body surface area (BSA) to obtain the EOA index (EOAI). PPM was then defined as none or mild if EOAI was ＞0.85 cm2/m2, as moderate for 0.65 -0.85 cm2/m2 and as severe for ＜0.65 cm2/m2. The mean flow rate through aortic prostheses and mean transvalvular pressure gradients were measured by color Doppler after AVR. The prevalence of PPM was compared between the different type ( mechanical or bioprosthetic valve) and the different size ( ＞21 mm or ≤21 mm) of aortic valve prostheses. The effect of PPM on hemodynamic and early mortality after AVR was also studied. Results 219 patients received mechanical AVR and 73 bioprosthetic AVR. Moderate PPM occurs more frequently with bioprosthetic AVR (6.25% versus 48.22%, P ＜0. 01 ). Bigger than 21mm prostheses were used in 191 patients and ≤21 mm prostheses in 101 patients. The prevalence of PPM was 13.61% and 33.66% respectively ( P ＜ 0. 05 ). According to the EOAI of the aortic valve prostheses,all the 219 patients were divided into two group, PPM group and non-PPM group. The mean flow rate of aortic prostheses and mean transvalvular pressure gradients in PPM group was significantly higher than those in non-PPM group [(2.66 ± 0.87 ) m/s versus ( 1. 58 ± 0.47 ) m/s, ( 26.50 ± 6.25 ) mm Hg versus ( 16.75 ± 3.46 ) mm Hg, P ＜ 0. 01]. There were 9 deaths during early period of operation, and the total 30-day operative mortality was 3.08%. The postoperative early mortality of PPM group and non-PPM group was 6.67% and 2.16% respectively, and there were significantly difference between the two group ( P ＜ 0. 05 ). Conclusion Prosthesis-patient mismatch is common present after AVR, especially in patients with bioprostheses and small size valve prostheses. PPM has a negative impact on postoperative hemodynamic and early mortality. PPM results in higher transvalvular pressure gradients and higher early mortality.

Objective To report 115 cases of congenital aortic arch anomalies, and to evaluate the imaging diagnostic techniques. Methods One hundred and fifteen patients with congenital aortic arch anomalies underwent angiocardiography and(or)contrast enhancement magnetic resonance angiography (CE MRA). Results In this 115 cases, double aortic arch was seen in 5 cases, right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery in 45 with isolated left subclavian artery in 11, left aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery in 33, right aortic arch with left descending aorta in 7, left aortic arch with right descending aorta in 4, cervical aorta in 4, and others in 6. Conclusion CE MRA is a reliable noninvasive imaging diagnostic method.