Acute Coronary Syndrome ; etiology ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Female ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prosthesis Failure

Objective To perform a preclinical test of a delineation software based on atlas-based auto-segmentation (ABAS),to evaluate its accuracy in the delineation of organs at risk (OARs) in radiotherapy planning for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC),and to provide a basis for its clinical application.Methods Using OARs manually contoured by physicians on planning-CT images of 22 patients with NPC as the standard,the automatic delineation using two different algorithms (general and head/neck) of the ABAS software were applied to the following tests:(1) to evaluate the restoration of the atlas by the software,automatic delineation was performed on copied images from each patient using the contours of OARs manually delineated on the original images as atlases;(2) to evaluate the accuracy of automatic delineation on images from various patients using a single atlas,the contours manually delineated on images from one patients were used as atlases for automatic delineation of OARs on images from other patients.Dice similarity coefficient (DSC),volume difference (Vdiff),correlation between the DSC and the volume of OARs,and efficiency difference between manual delineation and automatic delineation plus manual modification were used as indices for evaluation.Wilcoxon signed rank test and Spearman correlation analysis were used.Results The head/neck algorithm had superior restoration of the atlas over the general algorithm.The DSC was positively correlated with the volume of OARs and was higher than 0.8 for OARs larger than 1 cc in volume in the restoration test.For automatic delineation with the head/neck algorithm using a single atlas,the mean DSC and Vdiff were 0.81-0.90 and 2.73％-16.02％,respectively,for the brain stem,temporal lobes,parotids,and mandible,while the mean DSC was 0.45-0.49 for the temporomandibular joint and optic chiasm.Compared with manual delineation,automatic delineation plus manual modification saved 68％ of the time.Conclusions A preclinical test is able to determine the accuracy and conditions of the ABAS software in specific clinical application.The tested software can help to improve the efficiency of OAR delineation in radiotherapy planning for NPC.However,it is not suitable for delineation of OAR with a relatively small volume.

Objective To investigate the effect of different doses of pralidoxime chloride on clinical outcome including recovery rate and mortality in patients with acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning.Methods According to the total amount of pralidoxime chloride administered over the first 24 hours or entire duration of hospitalization,a cohort of 163 organophosphorus pesticide poisoning patients,admitted from February 2004 to December 2014 were assigned to different groups followed by a retrospective analysis.Comparisons of recovery rate,mortality rate,mean length of hospital stay,and duration of mechanical ventilation were made among groups.SPSS 18.0 was used to analyze categorical variables between the data of groups with x2 test/Fisher exact probability method and numerical variables with t test or One-way ANOVA,and statistical significance was set as P ＜ 0.05.Results According to the amount of pralidoxime chloride given over the first 24 hours,the recovery rate and the mortality rate were significantly improved in the experimental group (pralidoxime chloride ＞ 2 g) than in the control group (pralidoxime chloride ＜ 2 g) (P =0.04).There was no significant difference in mean length of hospital stay between the experimental group and the control group (P =0.171),and there were statistically significant differences in recovery rate and mortality rate among the four dose-response subgroups (total dosage administered in 24 hours in group A ＜ 1 g,in group B ＜2 g,in group C ＜4 g and in group D ＞4 g) (P =0.034).Based on the total amount of pralidoxime chloride prescribed in the entire duration of hospital stay,the recovery rate and mortality rate were significantly better in the experimental group than those in control group (P =0.002),and among the three dose-response subgroups,the significant difference in recovery rate and mortality rate were also observed (P =0.006).Conclusions Increased amounts of pralidoxime chloride prescribed in the first 24 hours and in the whole hospitalized period can improve the recovery rate and reduce the mortality rate in organophosphorus pesticide poisoning patients.

AlM: To investigate the relationship between the subfoveal choroidal thickness ( SFCT) and both choroidal hemodynamic index and glycosylated hemoglobin in diabetic subjects.METHODS:Seventy-eight type 2 diabetic patients (156 eyes) from ophthalmology and endocrinology ward of our hospital were enrolled in this study, including 39 females and 39 males, with a mean age of (59. 8±6. 2)years. According to early treatment diabetic retinopathy study ( ETDRS) grading method, all samples were divided into diabetic retinopathy ( DR ) group, mild or moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy group, severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy ( NPDR) group and proliferative diabetic retinopathy ( PDR ) group. The SFCT and choroidal hemodynamic index were measured by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography ( EDl-OCT ) and Color Doppler lmaging. Recording glycosylated hemoglobin content of all samples. Using multivariate linear regression to analyse the relationship between the SFCT and both choroidal hemodynamic index and glycosylated hemoglobin.RESULTS: The end diastolic velocity ( EDV ) was significant higher and the SFCT was significant thinner in no diabetic retinopathy ( NDR) group than other groups. There was no significant difference of peak systolic velocity ( PSV ) between four groups. The resistance index ( Rl) was significant higher in severe NPDR group than NDR group and mild or moderate group, the Rl in PDR group was hihgest than other group with statistically significance. The SFCT was correlated positively ( b =0. 540,P<0. 001) with the glycosylated hemoglobin. No significant correlation was found between the SFCT and the choroidal hemodynamic index (DR,P=0. 341;PSV,P=0. 770;EDV,P=0. 131;Rl,P=0. 084).CONCLUSlON: Our results suggest that there is no significant correlations between the SFCT and the choroidal hemodynamic index; glycosylated hemoglobin is one of the factors that affect the SFCT in diabetic patients.

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) has been historically recognized as a metabolite of the marine microorganism or a disgusting component for the smell of halitosis patients. In our recent study, DMS has been identified as a cytoprotectant that protects against oxidative-stress induced cell death and aging. We found that at near- physiological concentrations, DMS reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cultured PC12 cells and alleviated oxidative stress. The radical-scavenging capacity of DMS at near-physiological concentration was equivalent to endogenous methionine(Met)-centered antioxidant defense. Methionine sulfoxidereductase A (MsrA), the key antioxidant enzyme in Met-centered defense, bound to DMS and promoted its antioxidant capacity via facilitating the reaction of DMS with ROS through a sulfonium intermediate at residues Cys72, Tyr103, Glu115, followed by the release of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). MTT assay and trypan blue test indicated that supplement of DMS exhibited cytopro?tection against 6-hydroxydopamine and MPP + induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, MsrA knockdown abolished the cytoprotective effect of DMS at near- physiological concentrations. The present study reveals new insight into the potential therapeutic value of DMS in Parkinson disease.

Ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one (ergone) is one of main components in many medicinal fungi. Ergone has been reported to possess the activities of diuresis, cytotoxicity, antitumor, immunosuppression, as well as treatment of chronic kidney disease. According to reported literatures, an overview of spectroscopy characteristics, content determination, pharmacological activity and pharmacokinetics, etc. for ergone is presented in this review. Furthermore, the present review can provide a certain reference value for the further study and development of ergone.
Animals ; Cholestenones ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Humans

A total of 152 strains of endophytic fungi were isolated from the barks of Eucommia ulmoides in three regions (Lueyang country, Zunyi country, Cili country). Based on morphological characteristics and analysis of ITS sequences, these strains were identified into 8 genera. Thereinto Phomopsis, Diaporthe and Alternaria were common genera to Eucommia barks from different sites. But the dominant genus was different: Alternaria was the dominant genus in the barks from Cili country, and Phomopsis was the dominant genus from Zunyi country, then Diaporthe was the one from Lueyang country. According to the similarity coefficient, the composition of the endophytic fungi was distinctly different between the barks from three sites. The diversity and species richness in Lueyang country and Cili country were found higher than those in Zunyi country. The evenness of endophytic fungi was 0.936 5 in Lueyang county, which was higher than 0.737 1 or 0.641 0 in Cili county or Zunyi county, respectively. After phylogenic analysis and calculating the genetic distances of typical strains belong to Phomopsis and its perfect stage--Diaporthe, there was very high genetic diversity in the two genera from our study. In conclusion, the community structure and diversity of endophytic fungi were significant different in Eucommia barks from the three habitats.
DNA, Fungal ; genetics ; DNA, Intergenic ; genetics ; Ecosystem ; Endophytes ; classification ; physiology ; Eucommiaceae ; microbiology ; Fungi ; classification ; genetics ; physiology ; Phylogeny ; Plant Bark ; microbiology

AIM:To evaluate the effects of treatment with HP 1188-immunoglobulin yolk ( HP1188-IgY) on Helicobacter pylori ( H.pylori)-infected gastritis in BALB/c mice.METHODS:BALB/c mice were used to establish an animal model of H.pylori-infected gastritis, and the mice were divided into 8 groups (10 mice per group).Oral antibiotics were used in group 1, 1 mg HP1188-IgY in group 2, 1 mg HP1188-IgY plus 30%sucralfate in group 3, 5 mg HP1188-IgY in group 4, 5 mg HP1188-IgY plus 30%sucralfate in group 5, PBS in group 6, and 30% sucralfate in group 7 with the treatment once per day for 10 d;and 2.5 mg HP1188-IgY was injected hypodermically twice with a 48-h interval in group 8.Another 10 mice were used as normal control in group 9.The planting of bacteria in the stomach was assayed by bacteri-al culture, rapid urease test, PCR and pathological sectioning .RESULTS:Intragastric administration with 1 mg HP1188-IgY plus 30%sucralfate per day effectively cured the injury of gastric mucosa caused by H.pylori infection, and the effect has no significant difference compared with antibiotics (P>0.05).CONCLUSION:We establish a BALB/c mouse mod-el infected with H.pylori successfully.Sucralfate (30%) is an ideal protectant for HP1188-IgY, which might decrease H. pylori infection in the stomach of BALB/c mice by oral inoculation .

Objective To summarize and analyze the pathological characteristics of solid pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas (SPTs).Methods The clinical data of 51 cases of SPTs were retrospectively analyzed.The immunohistochemical localizations of different markers (HSE,SYN,CD_(56),CD_(10),Nestin,Vim,a1-ACT,EMA,AE1/AE3 and CK19) on 39 SPTs were studied.Results Pathological features included a combination of solid and cystic components with pseudopapillae formation and degenerative regions without glands.Among the 39 cases of SPTs,the expression rate of NSE was 97.4%,the expression rate of CD_(56),CD_(10) was 84.6%,the expression rate of Nestin and Vim was 64% and 87%,the expression rate of S100 was 79.5%,the expression rate of a1-ACT and a1-AT was 82.1% and 79.5%,while the expression rate of SYN was 12.8%;however there was low expression and weak positive reaction of EMA,AE1/AE3 and CK19.Conclusions The typical pathological characteristics of SPTs may result from gradual degenerative changes induced anoxemia in some SPT's areas.The heterogeneity of SPTs on different antibody markers showed that the SPTs may be originated from pancreatic embryonic stem cells,and result from immature differentiation of the pluripotential stem cells during pancreatic genesis.

Background and purpose: The incidence of breast cancer increases as patients age, elderly patients account for a large proportion. Due to the insufifcient systemic therapy, more complications and poorly physical condition, the prognosis of elderly patients is often worse than the younger. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and tolerance with non-anthracyclin regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly breast cancer patients. Methods:From Nov. 2008 to Jan. 2012, 56 patients (≥65 years) after surgical excision were enrolled into this study. The patients were divided into two groups:TC and PC groups. Each patient received 4 or 6 cycles of chemotherapy of PC (175 and 600 mg/m2, respectively;n=21) or TC (75 and 600 mg/m2, respectively;n=35), administered intravenously every 3 weeks, as adjuvant chemotherapy. Radiation therapy (as indicated) and endocrine therapy, for patients with hormone receptor-positive disease, were administered after completion of chemotherapy. Results: In this study, 50 patients completed chemotherapy as plan, the proportion of two groups were above 90%. After a median follow-up of 33 months, the median disease-free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS) were not reached. The relapse-free rate and survival rate were 89.5%and 100%in the PC regime group, which were 90.3%and 96.8%in the TC regime group. Major toxicities included:neutropenia, leucopenia, alopecia, nausea, vomiting and various degree of peripheral neuropathy. The incidence of gradeⅢ-Ⅳneutropenia was 76.2%in PC group vs 48.6%in TC group (P=0.044). The most common cause for withdrawing from treatment was to be unable to tolerate the adverse effects. Conclusion:Adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel and cyclophosphamide is safe, tolerable and promising for elderly breast cancer patients.