Objective To analyse the antibiotics susceptibility result of Neisseria gonorrhoeae(N.g) isolates.Method 95 strains of N.g were performed the in-vitro susceptibility test.MICs of penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, cefepime, and spectinomycin were determined by agar dilution.Results Almost all of the N.g strains were susceptible to the first-line antibiotics used for treating the infection. The resistance rate to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline and penicillin were 100%, 78.9% and 68.4% respectively.Conclusion Although N.g is susceptible to first-line antibiotics used for treating the infections at the clinics, the situation of resistance to penicillin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin is very serious.

Objective To investigate the efficacy,safety and localization of multilayer amniotic membrane transplantation(AMT) for corneal perforation associated with ulceration.Design A retrospective clinical case series.Participants Nine patients(9 eyes)with corneal perforation secondary to ulceration were enrolled into this study.These were little response to medicine,including bacterial keratitis(4 eyes ),fungal keratitis(2 eyes),fungal and bacterial mixed keratitis( 1 eye),virus keratitis( 1 eye),and Mooren's ulcer ( 1 eye).Size of perforation was 0.5～3.0 mm in diameter.Methods The AMT was applied to tamp the perforation,fill the ulcer and cover the surface of ulcer.After surgery,the medicine was continued to be used to treat the original corneal ulcer.The follow-up ranged from 6～20 months.In the suffering eyes,reformation of anterior chamber,healing of ulcer,complications and recurrence of ulceration were observed.Main Outcome Measures Of the postoperative eyes,reformation of anterior chamber,healing of ulcer,complications and recurrence of ulceration.Results The anterior chamber reformed at the first postoperative day in 9 eyes,and kept in normal depth in the follow-up time.At postoperative 2 months,the ulcer healed with sear and a smooth surface.Corneal thickness of the ulcer area recovered almost to normal.During follow up,no recurrence of ulceration or severe complications was noted.Conclusions Multilayer AMT is a safe and effective method for the management of small corneal perforation associated with ulceration,but the ulcer healed with scar.(Ophthalmol CHN,2008,17:101-103)

AIM: To investigate the efficacy, safety and localization of multilayer amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) for the management of corneal perforation associated with ulceration.METHODS: Six eyes (6 patients) were treated with multilayer AMT for corneal perforation associated with ulceration. The perforation size was 0.5-2mm in diameter. The amniotic membrane (AM) was applied to tamp the perforation, fill the ulcer and cover the surface of ulcer. The follow-up ranged from 5-19 months.RESULTS: The anterior chamber reformed at the first postoperative day in all patients, and kept in normal depth in the follow- up time. The epithelialization of the AM grafts was observed in about 3 weeks after surgery. During the first postoperative month, the corneal thickness at the perforation site gradually increased, and the stromal inflammatory cell invasions surrounding the corneal ulcer were gradually subsided.Two months postoperatively, the ulcer healed with scar with part neovascutarization; the corneal thickness of the ulcer area was stable and recovered almost normal. The vision was not improved in all patients after operation. During-follow up,no severe complications or recurrence of ulceration was noted.CONCLUSION: Multilayer AMT is an effective and safe method for the management of small corneal perforation associated with ulceration, but the ulcer healed with scar.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of annular bubble conjunctival excision combining with amniotic membrane transplantation(AMT) for vernal keratoconjunctivitis(VKC) with gelatinous swellings(papillae) at the limbus.METHODS: Twenty eyes(10 patients) with VKC, were characterized by gelatinous swellings(papillae) at limbus and were underwent annular bubble conjunctival excision associated with AMT. The follow up ranged 5-21months.RESULTS: After operation, the symptoms were subsided remarkably: itching,discharge and foreign body sensation were almost disappear; photophobia and tearing were obvious in the first week after surgery, but were gradually alleviated, and almost disappear after one month of postoperative.Yellow-brown or filthy red gelatinous protuberances at limbus were cleaned away by operation and did not recur during the follow up. Corneal superficial punctuate keratitis(11 eyes) and corneal ulcers(3 eyes) were healed during the first week after surgery and did not recur. Conjunctival congestion was gradually lessened after surgery, which could not be noted 1months after surgery in 19 eyes, and the conjunctiva around the limbus, where AMT was performed, was whiter than the normal. But conjunctival congestion in 1 eye lasted for about 5mon accompanying with a little of itch, and this eye was treated with eyedrops with improvement but recurrence. No severe complications had been seen during the follow up.CONCLUSION: Annular bubble conjunctival excision combining with amniotic membrane transplantation is an effective and safe method for the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis with gelatinous swellings (papillae) at limbus. But the candidates must be chosen with discretion.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of annular conjunctival excision combined with amniotic membrane transplantation for the management of earlier Mooren's ulcer.METHODS: Thirty eyes (24 patients) with earlier Mooren's ulcer were treated with this method, followed-up for 5-30mo. The characteristic of these patients was localized periphery corneal ulcer: the ulcer involved 30-120° corneal limbus with depth of 1/3-1/2 cornealthickness and width of 2-5mm.RESULTS: After surgery, symptoms subsided remarkably and immediately in all patients,and almost disappeared after stitches were removed. Corneal melts were controlled. At postoperative 2-3mo, the corneal thickness of the ulcer area became almost stable, which in some patients recovered normal and in others were still thinner than normal, and the average increase was about 1/3 of the corneal thickness. Corneal transparence and vision were improved. During follow-up, no severe complications or recurrence were noted.CONCLUSION: Conjunctival peritomy combined with amniotic membrane transplantation is an effective and safe method for the treatment of earlier Mooren's ulcer.

OBJECTIVETo observe the impacts on the recovery of swallowing function in patients of dysphagia after acute stroke treated with acupuncture and functional electric stimulation.

METHODSSeventy-four patients were randomized into an acupuncture plus electric stimulation group (38 cases) and an electric stimulation group (36 cases). The functional electric stimulator was used in the two groups. The electric pads were placed on the hyoid bone, the upper part of thyroid cartilage, the masseter muscle and the mandibular joint. The treatment lasted for 30 mm each time. In the acupuncture plus electric stimulation group, acupuncture was supplemented at motor area of Jiao's scalp acupuncture, lower 2/5 of sensory area, Baihui (CV 20), Lianquan (CV 23), Jinjin (EX-HN 12) and Yuye (EX-HN 13), 30 mm each time. The treatment was given once a day, 6 treatments for one session and there was 1 day at interval between the sessions, 4 sessions were required totally in the two groups. The dysphagia scale was adopted for efficacy evaluation before treatment and after 4 sessions of treatment in the two groups. The removal rate of nasal feeding tube was observed after treatment.

RESULTSThe dysphagia score was increased apparently after treatment compared with that before treatment in the two groups (both P < 0.05). After treatment, in the acupuncture plus electric stimulation group, the dysphagia score was increased much more apparently than that in the electric stimulation group (8.01 +/- 1.25 vs 6.73 +/- 1.36, P < 0.05). The remarkably effective rate was 84.2% (32/38) in the acupuncture plus electric stimulation group, better than 58.3% (21/36) in the electric stimulation group (P < 0.05). The removal rate of nasal feeding tube was 89.5% (34/38) in the acupuncture plus electric stimulation group, which was higher than 50. 0% (18/36) in the electric stimulation group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture combined with electric stimulation achieves the much better efficacy on dysphagia after acute stroke and promotes the early removal of nasal feeding tube. The efficacy is better than that of the simple electric stimulation therapy.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Electric Stimulation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; complications ; Treatment Outcome

AIM: To assess the relative agreement of GAT and NCT in IOP measurement by comparing the differences between Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) and non-contact tonometer (NCT) in intraocular pressure (IOP) detection.METHODS: IOP of 529 eyes of 265 volunteers were measured with both NCT and GAT, respectively.RESULTS: The measurement results of NCT were lower than that of GAT, there was significant difference between the IOP measured with NCT and GAT (19.13 vs23.43, t=22.644, P＜0.05). With the increasing of IOP values, the difference magnitude was greater, especially in IOP group that was more than 30mmHg, but the correlation coefficient became lower.CONCLUSION: The measurement results with NCT are lower than that of GAT. When the IOP with the NCT is in borderline value, it need be corrected with GAT, in order to discover the pathologically elevated IOP and avoid the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of glaucoma.

BACKGROUNDA link between postoperative pain intensity and heart rate variability (HRV) had not been well established. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between post-operative pain intensity and HRV.

METHODSThe subjects in this cross-sectional correlation study comprised of patients who had undergone abdominal surgery in a regional teaching hospital in central Taiwan during the period July 2009 - November 2009. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and the short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) were used to measure post-operative pain. HRV was measured as the standard deviation of normal RR interval, and by power spectral analysis that included high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF), very low frequency power, and LF/HF ratio.

RESULTSA total of 34 subjects were included in this study. We found that the day after the surgery, the mean VAS score was 47.50 ± 20.98 and the mean SF-MPQ score was 18.06 ± 8.90, indicating a moderate degree of pain. Moderate to severe degrees of tenderness were reported by 70.6% of the patients, moderate to severe degrees of gnawing pain were experienced by 67.7% of the patients, moderate to severe degrees of tiring-exhaustion pain were reported by 64.7% of the patients, and 41.2% of the patients who experienced moderate to severe pain believed that the pain was punishing-cruel. The standard deviation of normal RR interval and high frequency values obtained from male patients or married patients were higher than female patients or unmarried (P < 0.05). The correlation of the standard deviation of normal RR interval, high frequency, very low frequency value and patient's age were negative (P < 0.05). The total SF-MPQ pain scores positively correlated with the LF/HF ratio (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe multidimensional pain assessment tool (SF-MPQ) reflects better the patients' post-operative pain than the single-dimensional assessment tool (VAS). HRV positively correlated with SF-MPQ scores in patients after abdominal surgery.

Abdomen ; surgery ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pain ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the content of mineral elements and the principal components in Gastrodia elata.

METHODMineral elements were determined by ICP and the data was analyzed by SPSS.

RESULTK element has the highest content-and the average content was 15.31 g x kg(-1). The average content of N element was 8.99 g x kg(-1), followed by K element. The coefficient of variation of K and N was small, but the Mn was the biggest with 51.39%. The highly significant positive correlation was found among N, P and K . Three principal components were selected by principal components analysis to evaluate the quality of G. elata. P, B, N, K, Cu, Mn, Fe and Mg were the characteristic elements of G. elata.

CONCLUSIONThe content of K and N elements was higher and relatively stable. The variation of Mn content was biggest. The quality of G. elata in Guizhou and Yunnan was better from the perspective of mineral elements.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Gastrodia ; chemistry ; Minerals ; analysis ; Principal Component Analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of curcumin (Cur) on histone deacetylase (HDAC1) and P21(WAF1/CIP1), a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor, in HepG2 cells for exploring the mechanism of Cur in anti-cancer.

METHODThe HDAC1, P21(WAF1/CIP1) proteins and P21(WAF1/CIP1) mRNA were extracted from human hepatoma cells treated with or without Cur of different concentrations at different time points. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the levels of HDAC1 and P21(WAF1/CIP1) proteins, respectively. RT-PCR was performed to detect the level of P21(WAF1/CIP1) mRNA.

RESULTThe IC50 of concentration treated by Cur was 25 micromol x L(1) on HepG2 cell. The level of HDAC1 was obviously inhibited by Cur, and decreased at 4 hours at IC, and lasted for 48 h in a time-dependent manner. The inhibition of HDAC1 was significant at the Cur concentration of 12.5 micromol x L(-1) but there was no difference between 50 and 100 micromol x L(-1). The levels of P21(WAF1/CIP1) mRNA and protein were up-regulated by Cur in dose and time-dependent manner, and the change of mRNA and protein was detected at 8 hours and lasted for 48 hours.

CONCLUSIONCur can inhibit the level of HDAC1 and enhance the expression of P21(WAF1/CIP1) protein and mRNA, and the results suggest that inhibiting HDAC1 and increasing P21(WAF1/CIP1) may be one of the possible mechanisms of anti-cancer by Cur.

Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Curcumin ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; Histone Deacetylases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors