Aim To Compare the quality of Pinellia Tubers between Nanchong Sichuan and relevant areas in order to standardize plant and to provide evidence for further exploitation and application. Methods Expectorant experiment was conducted with methods of washing mice's respiratory tract with phenol red and antitussive effect, with ammomia caused mice cough. Results In the experiment of expectorant effect, oral administration of the water or the ethanol extracts of pinellia Tubers showed no obvious expectorant effect, it also showed no significant difference compared with control NS. In the antitussive effect experiment, however the water or the ethanol extracts of pinellia Tuhers prolonged the incubation period and reduced the frequency of coughing. It presented significant difference compared with the control NS and clear time-effect relationship. Conclusion Pinellia Tubers from Nanchong Sichuan and relevant areas showed no apparent expectorant effect and have destinct antitussive effect. As for antitussive effects, water extracts were stronger than those of ethanol extracts, and wild Pinellia Tubers outmatched planted ones. Antitussive effect of wild Pinellia Tubers samples was rather stronger from Nanchong, Guangan, Suining, and Liangshan of Sichuan and Xihe Gansu.

Actinobacillus succinogenes A3 was mutagenized by ultra high hydrostatic pressure for improving the production ability of succinic acid.The effects of pressure,rate of pressure changes and growth periods on the lethality rate of the strain were investigated.The strain in stationary phase was mutagenized at 200 MPa with the pressure changes at the rate of 50 MPa/min.As a result,a mutation strain Actinobacillus succinogenes B19 was obtained,and the concentration of succinic acid could reach 32.2 g/L,which was 17.9%higher than that of the original strain,and in the meanwhile the concentration of acetic acid was decreased by 11.5%.After six generation,the mutant also has good stability of descendiblity for succinic acid production.

Objective To examine the neural basis of item memory and source memory with fMRI approach.Methods Eight male and eight female healthy fight-handed native Chinese speakers were involved in this study.The item memory and source memory task were conducted with 504 highly frequent Chinese double-character words in the Block-designed experiment.Participants underwent such a double- round procedure as fMRI scanning following study.The fMRI data collected from a GE 1.5T MRI system were analyzed to generate corresponding activation maps for females and males respectively(P20)using statistical parametric mapping software(SPM).Results For females,item memory task activated the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6,the number of activated voxel clusters was 62 or 11 in the left and the right,respectively),source memory more activated the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6/46,the number was 59).For males,item memory activated the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6/46,the number was 64),source memory activated the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6,9 and 40 in the left and the right).Conclusion On the neural basis of item or source memory,there exists dissociation,which is that right dorsolateral prefrontal areas are more activated by item memory while left dorsolateral prefrontal areas by source memory.For the difference of gender,it is suggested that left dorsolateral prefrontal areas(BA6/46)are more activated in females while right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6/46)more in males.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cytokines ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Organ Failure ; immunology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Nitric Oxide ; physiology ; Plasma Exchange ; Sorption Detoxification ; methods

objective To explore the impact ot ideal health behaviors and health tactors on the detection rate of the carotid plaques.Methods Subjects with previous stroke,TIA,myocardial infarction were excluded from the study.A total of 5852 employees (active and retired employers from Tangshan Kailuan company) aged 40 years and over were included through stratified random sampling.Information was obtained from the unified questionnaire,measurements of blood biochemistry and carotid artery ultrasonography.Results (1) The carotid artery plaque detection rates were 67.0％,52.3％,50.5％,44.3％,37.2％,31.9％,26.1％ and 4.2％ in the groups with0,1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 components of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors,respectively.(2) The carotid artery plaques total burden score [TBS:M (Q1,Q3)] were7(7,7),7(5,7),7(5,7),5(3,5),5(3,5),5(3,5),3(3,3),3(3,3) in the groups with 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 components of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors,respectively.(3) Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that 3,4,5 and greater than 5 components of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors were protective factors against carotid plaques compared to less than 2 components of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors (all P ＜ 0.05),the OR (95％ CI) values were 0.78 (0.62-0.98),0.53 (0.62-0.98),0.52 (0.39-0.71) and 0.40 (0.25-0.64),respectively.Conclusion Increasing ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors are negatively linked with the detection rate and TBS of the carotid plaques.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the inhibitory effect of the Hedgehog signal pathway blocker (cyclopamine) on DU145 cells.

METHODSWe interfered DU145 cells with cyclopamine at the concentrations of 1, 10, 50 and 100 micromol/L and detected its inhibitory effect on the cells by MTT colorimetry assay at 24, 48 and 72 hours, as well as its effect on the cell cycle by flow cytometry. We also determined the difference in the mRNA expression of cyclin E between the experimental and control groups by RT-PCR at 48 hours after 50 +/- micromol/L cyclopamine intervention.

RESULTSCyclopamine inhibited the DU145 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with inhibition rates of 7.42, 12.70 and 59.15% in the 10, 50 and 100 micromol/L groups respectively at 24 hours, significantly different from that of the blank control group (P < 0.05). It markedly suppressed the proliferation of the DU145 cells at >10 micromol/L at 24 hours. Flow cytometry showed an obviously increased proportion of stage G1 cells at the concentration of >10 micromol/L after 48-hour intervention, with statistically significant differences from the G1 cell proportions in the control, 10 micromol/L and 50 micromol/ L groups, which were (52.17 +/- 2.21)%, (60.13 +/- 2.75)% and (74.30 +/- 3.52)% respectively (P < 0.01). The apoptotic peak was elevated with the increased concentration of cyclopamine. The cyclin E mRNA expression of the DU145 cells was decreased by 61.90% at 48 hours after 50 micromol/L cyclopamine intervention as compared with the blank control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCyclopamine can inhibit the proliferation of DU145 cells, and the mechanism may be related with its effect of down-regulating the cyclin E mRNA expression of DU145 cells and blocking them in stage G1. Cyclopamine can also induce the apoptosis of DU145 cells.

Apoptosis ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cyclin E ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Veratrum Alkaloids ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between plasma levels of fibrinogen, the-beta455 G/A fibrinogen gene polymorphism and the severity of periodontal inflammation and to explore the possible role of fibrinogen in the association of periodontitis with coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODSA total of 121 patients with moderate to severe periodontitis and periodontally healthy and gingivitis controls were enrolled in the study. Peripheral blood samples were collected and the plasma fibrinogen levels were determined by the clotting method of Clauss. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with Hae III were used to examine the -beta455 G/A fibrinogen gene polymorphism.

RESULTSFibrinogen levels were significantly higher in moderately or severely chronic periodontitis patients [(3.45 +/- 0.68) g/L] than periodontally healthy and gingivitis controls [(2.47 +/- 0.42) g/L, P < 0.001]. The carrier status of the A allele at position -455 in the beta fibrinogen gene was associated with elevated fibrinogen levels and the frequency of the-A455 allele in the beta fibrinogen gene in the patient group was significantly higher than in the control group (P = 0.032). Carriers of the -A455 allele were about 3-fold more likely to have moderate or severe periodontitis as compare to individuals without the -A455 allele( OR = 3. =135, P= 0.008).

CONCLUSIONSFg-beta455 G/A polymorphism may contribute to the elevated plasma fibrinogen levels and put individuals at higher risk of having severe periodontitis. As the independent risk factor of CHD, fibrinogen levels and Fg-beta455 G/A polymorphism may play a role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.

Adult ; Alleles ; Case-Control Studies ; Chronic Periodontitis ; genetics ; Coronary Disease ; genetics ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; analysis ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

OBJECTIVETo measure the quantities and apoptosis-related protein levels of B lymphocyte in the patients with immunorelated pancytopenia (IRP) and explore the action of B lymphocyte in the pathogenic mechanism of IRP.

METHODSQuantities of whole B lymphocytes and CD5+ B lymphocytes as well as the expressions of Fas and Bcl-2 in B lymphocytes in 35 patients with untreated IRP, 15 IRP patients in complete remission (CR), and 10 normal controls were assayed by flow cytometry.

RESULTSThe percentages of B lymphocyte and CD5+ B lymphocyte were significantly higher in untreated IRP patients than in CR IRP patients and normal controls (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the latter two groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference of Fas expression in B lymphocyte among three groups (P > 0.05). The expression of Bcl-2 in B lymphocyte was significantly higher in untreated patients than in CR patients or normal controls (P < 0.01), and significantly higher in CR patients than in normal controls (P < 0.01). The apoptosis-related index was significantly lower in untreated patients than in CR patients or normal controls (P < 0.05), and significantly lower in CR patients than in normal controls (P < 0.05). The percentage of B lymphocyte was positively correlated with post-treated response time (r = 0.53, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe production of auto-antibodies in IRP patients probably has some relationship with the abnormal quantities of B lymphocyte and its subpopulations as well as with the inhibition of B lymphocyte apoptosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; B-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; immunology ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancytopenia ; immunology ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the risk awareness and preparedness related to pandemic flu in China.

METHODSTwo groups of people, mainly employers and employees from enterprises, were covered in the survey, using quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (in-depth interview) methods. The employers and employees were from joint-ventured corporations, large state-owned corporations and private companies which were randomly selected from 7 major cities in China.

RESULTS(1) 82% of the people surveyed and interviewed had basic knowledge on pandemic flu. (2) 60% of the joint-ventured corporations had worked out or were working on their business continuity plan in the event of pandemic flu, compared to that of state-owned corporations and private companies that the figure was only 21% . (3) 67% of the joint-ventured corporations had informed their preparedness plan on pandemic flu to their employees, while that of the state-owned and private corporations, it was only 42 %. (4) About 70 % of the corporations was establishing policies for restricting travel to affected geographic areas (both domestic and international), evacuating the employees who working in or near the affected area when an outbreak began. (5) Nearly 60 % of the corporations thought annual flu vaccination was important and hence encouraging and tracking annual flu vaccination for employees. (6) 70% of the corporations paid high attention on providing sufficient and accessible supplies (e. g. hand - hygiene products, tissues and receptacles for their disposal) to control the epidemics in all business locations while nearly 76 % of the corporations were interested in purchasing commercial medical insurance.

CONCLUSIONJoint-verntured corporation were doing better than domestic corporations in terms of risk awareness and preparedness on pandemic flu, suggesting that the domestic corporation should learn from them regarding on pandemic flu preparedness to limit the negative impact of pandemic flu.

Adult ; Awareness ; Commerce ; Disease Outbreaks ; prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; psychology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Health

OBJECTIVETo investigate the surgical treatment of mid-distal humeral shaft fractures associated with radial nerve palsysis with minimal invasive screwed nails osteosynthesis technique.

METHODSThirty-six patients treated mid-distal humeral shaft fractures associated with radial nerve palsysis from January 2004 to January 2008. There were 28 males and 8 females whose age ranged from 20- to 58-years-old with an average of 36.5-years-old. Injury reasons: mechanical injury 18 cases, traffic injury 8 cases, accidents injury 10 cases, all cases were closed fracture. According to AO/ASIF classification, type A1 5 cases, type A2 7 cases, type B1 8 cases, type B2 7 cases, type B3 5 cases, type C3 4 cases. The small lateral incision was performed located to the fracture. After exploration of the radial nerve, the fractures were reduced. By acromion small lateral incision, the deltoid was separated. In the posterior macronodular slotted antegrade reamed bored with medullary cavity drill and selected a suitable screwed nail screwed into the medullary cavity distal. Along the slot, the locking pieces were inserted to complete the fixation. The postoperative complication, fracture healing time, radial nerve function recovery time, the motion of shoulder and elbow were recorded.

RESULTSThe incision of all cases healed with stage I . The patients were followed up for 9-36 weeks with an average of 18.5 weeks. The X-ray examination showed fractures healing in 12-16 weeks (average of 15.6 weeks). Radial nerve function recovered fully at 12-36 weeks after operation (average of 17.8 weeks). Shoulder abduction is 150 degrees-170 degrees with an average of 160 degrees; elbow motion of activities was 130 degrees-140 degrees with an average of 135 degrees. The ASES method was used to assess the shoulder joint function, 20 cases gained the excellent result, 12 good and 4 poor. And according to HSS method, 36 cases of elbow joint function gained the excellent result.

CONCLUSIONThe surgical treatment of mid-distal humeral shaft fractures associated with radial nerve palsysis with minimal invasive screwed nails osteosynthesis technique is effective.

Adult ; Bone Nails ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Humeral Fractures ; surgery ; Humerus ; injuries ; innervation ; surgery ; Internal Fixators ; Male ; Paralysis ; surgery ; Radial Nerve ; pathology ; Young Adult