Objective To study the effect of age and sex on circadian rhythms of renin-angiotensin system(RAS) .Methods 96 SPRD rats were divided into three groups.The levels of renin(Ren)activity,angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)and angiotensin-converting-enzyme(ACE)in plasma or serum were respectively determined.Results The plasma or serum levels of renin,ACE,and angiotensin-Ⅱ in adult male group(D group)were significantly increased in comparison with elderly male group(M group)and elderly female group(F group).There were not significantly different between F group and M group in the levels of Ren activity,AngⅡ and ACE.The three substances presented typical circadian rhythms in three groups(P

Objective To preliminarily test the value of gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire (GERD-Q) in auxiliary diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) in infants and young children.Methods From January 2011 to February 2014,148 infants and 87 young children with suspected GERD symptoms were enrolled in the outpatient and inpatient departments of Wuhan Women and Children's Medical Care Center.The diagnosis of GERD were made through 24 h esophageal pH monitoring and upper gastrointestinal hysterosalpingography.Those with any examinations being positive were brought into GERD group,and the others into the control group.All cases had been surveyed with GERD-Q.Using SPSS17.0 statistical software,the ratio was compared with chi-square test,and the difference of the scores between groups with t test.Results In infants (1 to 11 months),the individual symptom scores (ISS) of the 6 symptoms in the GERD group (n =111) were all higher than those in the control group (37 cases) (P ＜ 0.05),and the composite and symptom scores (CSS) [(131.43 ± 66.56) scores] in the GERD group was higher than that [(33.70 ± 40.03) scores] in the control group (t =8.42,P ＜ 0.05).In young children (1 to 3 years old),the ISS in the GERD group(55 cases) were all higher than those in the control group(32 cases),and the CSS[(98.58 ± 66.75) scores] in the GERD group was also higher than that [(28.50 ± 35.95) scores] in the control group(t =5.49,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions There is a good correlation for age-specific GERD-Q to distinguish GERD symptoms in infants and young children,which is suitable for the assessment of GERD.

Humans ; Infant ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic ; complications ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Thymus Gland ; abnormalities

Background The condition of the sclera is associated with many ocular diseases.The measurement of human scleral thickness in vivo is helpful for us to understand the features of the sclera and related diseases.Objective The present study was to measure the anterior sclera thickness(AST) in patients with senile cataract and to analyze the relationship among AST and other associated ocular parameters.Methods This study was approved by the Ethic Commission of First Hospital of Peking University.Written informed consent was obtained from each individual prior to examination.One hundred and five senile cataract patients were recruited in this study.Central corneal thickness (CCT),corneal curvature (CCV) and axial length were measured using ultrasonic pachymeter,keratometer,and A-scan unit,respectively.The AST was measured at 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur in the temporal meridian using ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM).The differences of CCT,CCV,ocular axial length and AST between bilateral eyes and the different sexes were compared by the Paired test and independent sample t test.The correlations among various parameters were assessed by the Pearson linear correlation analysis.The differences of CCT and AST among different axial length groups were evaluated by one-way ANOVA.Results No significant differences were found in the CCT,CCV,axial length and AST between bilateral eyes (t =0.584,P =0.561 ; t =1.161,P =0.248 ; t =0.140,P =0.889 ; t =0.342,P =0.773).Temporal AST at 2 mm posterior to the sclera spur was (0.589 ±0.051)mm in the right eyes.An insignificant decline in CCT was found in the male group compared with the female group (right eyes:t =0.469,P =0.641 ; left eyes:t =0.465,P =0.643).However,compared with the female group,the increase of axial length,reduction of the mean CCV value and enhancement of the mean AST were observed(right eyes:all P＜0.01 ;left eyes:all P＜0.01).CCV showed a negative correlation with ocular axial length (r =-0.50,P＜0.01),but no significant correlation was found among age,CCT,ocular axial length and AST(P＞0.05).No remarkable differences were found in CCT and AST among the various axial length groups (CCT:F =0.998,P=0.372;AST:F=1.919,P=0.383).Conclusions In senile cataract patients,correlation is not found between AST and CCT;the increase of axial length is not associated with the thinning of the eyeball wall to a certain extent.Differences exist in some ocular parameters between different sexes.

Background A close relation between sclera thickness and glaucoma has been determined.Clinical features vary in different types of glaucoma patients,which hints that the scleral thickness might be distinct among these patients.Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of central corneal thickness(CCT),anterior scleral thickness(AST) and axial length in glaucomatous patients.Methods This study was approved by the Ethic Commission of First Hospital of Peking University.Written informed consent was obtained from each individual prior to the examination.A retrospective descriptive study was designed.One hundred and sixty consecutive patients were recruited from March,2009 to November,2010 in First Hospital of Peking University,including 35 eyes with primary angle closure glaucoma(PACG) (35 cases),34 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma POAG) (34 cases),37 eyes with normal tension glaucoma(NTG) (37 cases)and 17 eyes of ocular hypertension OHT) (17 cases).Thirty-seven eyes of 37 subjects with incipient cataract served as the control group.CCT and ocular axial length were measured with ultrasonic pachymeter and A-scan unit,respectively,and AST at the temporal quadrant 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur was measured by ultrasonic biomicroscopy (UBM).The measuring parameters among different groups were compared by analysis of covariance,and the correlations of AST,CCT with ocular axial length were analyzed using Pearson linear correlation and linear regression.The differences and correlation of CCT,AST and AL among five groups were analyzed.Results The CCT values in PACG group,POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group were (535.54 ± 5.20),(550.47 ± 5.28),(521.61 ± 5.07),(575.75 ± 7.76) and (535.06± 5.06) μm,respectively,showing a significant difference among them (F =9.560,P =0.000),and the CCT value of OHT group was increased in comparison with POAG group,PACG group,NTG group and control group(all P =0.000).The CCT of the POAG group was thicker than that in the PACG group,NTG group and control group(P=0.046,0.000,0.040).No significant difference was found in CCT among NTG group,PACG group and control group(P=0.950,0.060).The AST values of PACG group,POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group were(0.593±0.050),(0.600±0.050),(0.592-±0.060),(0.610-±0.060) and(0.604±0.060) mm,respectively,showing a insignificant difference among them (F =0.700,P =0.590).The axial length in the patients with PACG was shorter than that of the POAG group,NTG group,OHT group and control group (all P =0.000).The Pearson correlation analysis showed significantly positive correlation between CCT and AST in POAG group and NTG group(r=0.445,P=0.008;r=0.400,P=0.014).Conclusions This study confirms that there is dissimilarity in CCT but not in AST among different types of glaucomatous patients.The changes of CCT and AST are consistent in POAG and NTG patients.

Objective To detect the characteristics of benign infantile seizures.Methods Fifty seven cases of benign infantile seizures were analyzed.Results All patients had a normal development before and after the onset of the seizures.The age of onset was from 1.5-30 months.The main manifestations included tonic clonic seizure,staring and motion arrest,64.9 % occurred in clusters.A family history of epilepsy or febrile seizures was present in 6 cases.Interictel electroen cephalograms were normal.The seizures were easily ceased after taking phenobarbital,carbamazepine or valproate.Antiepileptic drugs(AEDs)were discontinued in 51 patients.The mean ages of seizure stopping were 12.8 months and mean seizure′s durations were 4.1 months.Conclusion The benign infantile seizures can be easily controlled with a single AEDs for short time with favorable prognosis.

A method to determine dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in fermentation broth was developed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). DHA was separated on a Alltima C18(5?m,250?4.6mm). The mobile phase was 0.5% methanol solution (pH adjusted to 3.0 with H3PO4), the flow-rate was 1.0 ml/min and the detective wavelength was 200 nm. The detection limits of DHA was 0.1 g/L～10.0 g/L. 6.2 g/L DHA in the fermentation broth was detected by HPLC, which was in agreement with the result by spectrophotometric method.The method was applicable for DHA determination in the fermentation process.

More than 20 strains capable of producing dihydroxyacetone from glycerol were isolated from 4 different natural environment samples by using two detection methods. The strain 6-8 which could grow on medium containing glycerol as sole carbon source had a higher converting capability. Under a better culture, the highest DHA production of the strain 6?8 reached 6.4 g/L. In addition to general morphological and bio-chemical characteristics, the strain 6?8 was identified by 16S rDNA sequence and systematic analysis. The results showed that 16S rDNA sequence of the strain 6-8 had similarity of 99.7% with Acinetobacter sp. suggesting that the strain 6-8 is one of subspecies of Acinetobacter sp.

Total 149 strains of endophytic bacteria were isolated from different healthy organisms of Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat. from Xinjiang. The fermented liquids of these strains were screened by TLC and analysed by HPLC, and the glycyrrhizinic acid monoammonium salt was taken as standard control at the same time. Only one endophtytic bacterial stain of Bacillus subtilis could produce Glycyrrhizinic acid monoammonium salt analogue.

ostic sensitivity and specificity of EUS are high in distinguishing benign and malignant character of upper digestive tract GIMTs. EUS plays an important role in guiding the clinical management of upper digestive tract GIMTs.