Using Li Ka Shing Medical School of Hong Kong University as an example, this paper introduced the medical humanities education in Li Ka Shing Medical School of Hong Kong University from four aspects of the medical humanities curriculum implementation in detail. Secondly, it expounded the relationship between students and art through two typical cases. Finally, this paper pointed out the enlightenment for medical humanities educa-tion in Medical Schools. For curriculum, the core curriculum of medical humanities must be determined. For teachers, exchanges and cooperation with foreign mature medical humanities education should be carried out active-ly. For teaching methods, the novelty and diversity must be emphasized.

To study the effect of different exercise intensities on cardiac endocrine function, with radioimmunoassay, immunohistochemistry and the technique of computer image analysis, the level of plasma ANP and the expression of ANP in myocardial cells of rats with different training intensities were investigated. The result showed that with the increasing of exercise intensity,the level of ANP in plasma increased progressively, the expression of ANP in myocardial cells increased remarkably after moderate and heavy exercise training while it decreased remarkably after exhaustive exercise training. Results suggested that different exercise intensities revealed different effects on adaptation of cardiac endocrine function.

Internal fistula is the most ideal hemodialysis approach and the life channel of patients with chronic renal failure. However, the existence of complications may affect the efficacy of hemodialysis, reduce the quality of life of patients, and even endanger the life of patients in serious cases. Among them, vascular stenosis, internal fistula occlusion, thrombosis, steals syndrome, upper extremity edema syndrome, heart failure and pseudoaneurysm are the most common and dangerous. Based on relevant studies, this paper intends to summarize the clinical symptoms, causes and nursing strategies of internal fistula complications in hemodialysis patients, in order to provide ideas for the nursing treatment of hemodialysis patients for the majority of medical workers.

Objective To investigate the pharmacodynamic interactions between remifentanil and sevoflurane during general anesthesia for laparoscopic operation.Methods Sixty-five ASA I patients undergoing selective laparoscopic operations at the Department of Gynecology and the Department of General Surgery in People's Hospital were enrolled in this study.Sevoflurane was used for anesthesia induction with its expired concentration being kept stable,and different dosages of remifentanil(0,1,2,4,6,and 8 ng/ml)being added during the operation.When the expired concentration of sevoflurane reached an expected level(pseuto-state),the block somatic and cardiovascular responses to electrical tetanus stimuli(ETS;100 Hz,60 mA,5 s)were measured.The data were analyzed using NONMEM software to establish concentration-effect curves.Logistic regression was used to calculate the minimal alveolar concentration of sevoflurane under ETS(MACETS).Results In the cases received sevoflurane only,the somatic response was inhibited when MACETS reached 1.52%;while the cardiovascular response was inhibited when MACETS reached 2.24%.The MACETS was decreased significantly by adding low-dosage remifentanil.When the target-controlled concentration of remifentanil was 8 ng/ml,the MACETS for the inhibition of somatic and cardiovascular responses decreased by 70.0% and 76.3%,respectively.Conclusions There is a synergic effect between remifentanil and sevoflurane on the suppression of somatic and cardiovascular responses to ETS.Remifentanil produces a dose-dependent decrease of MACETS of sevoflurane.The effect is especially strong in low-dosage remifentanil group,but shows ceiling effect characteristics.

To study the effect of exercise on gene expression of natriuretic peptide receptors (NPRs) in the heart, using immunofluorescent method, in situ hybridization, laser confocal scanning microscopy and the technique of computer image analysis, the distribution of NPRs in the heart and the alterations of gene expression of NPRs on the animal model of different training intensity were investigated. The result showed that NPRs located mainly in the endocardium, the sarcolemma of myocardial fiber, the connective tissue around myocardial fiber and the wall of coronary artery branch. After moderate and heavy exercise training, the gene expression of natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPR-A) upregulated and natriuretic peptide clearance receptor (NPR-C) downregulated, whereas the gene expression of NPR-A downregulated and NPR-C upregulated after exhaustive exercise.

AIM: To determine the interactions with response-surface modeling methodologies when sevoflurane (Sevo) and remifentanil (Remi) were administered simultaneously. METHODS: (1) Patients, Study design and drug delivery: Based on parallel slices design, sixty-five patients were randomly assigned to inhale a specific end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane (0.3% to 3.4%), with different level of remifentanil (0-10 ng/mL). The responses to laryngoscopy were observed for each given concentration pair. (2) Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis with response surface mode: The probability of no response (P) was assessed in the modeling process as below. P=(Us+Ur)r/[U50/I(Q)]r+(Us+Ur)r RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: NONMEM estimated average values (RSE%) of the model parameters for laryngoscopy of C50,Sevo, C50,remi, U50, r, Imax and Qmax are 1.71% (12.9), 12.4 ng/mL (19.0), 6.62 (10.6), 1.53 (8.76), 2.31 (8.23), 0.706 (2.46), respectively. The inter-individual variability (CV%) in parameter Imax and inter-occasion variability (S.D.) in this model are 12.7 and 0.0316, respectively. It is concluded that the response-surface modeling approach provided a novel method to study drug-drug interactions.

This study is to develop a therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) network server of tacrolimus for Chinese renal transplant patients, which can facilitate doctor to manage patients' information and provide three levels of predictions. Database management system MySQL was employed to build and manage the database of patients and doctors' information, and hypertext mark-up language (HTML) and Java server pages (JSP) technology were employed to construct network server for database management. Based on the population pharmacokinetic model of tacrolimus for Chinese renal transplant patients, above program languages were used to construct the population prediction and subpopulation prediction modules. Based on Bayesian principle and maximization of the posterior probability function, an objective function was established, and minimized by an optimization algorithm to estimate patient's individual pharmacokinetic parameters. It is proved that the network server has the basic functions for database management and three levels of prediction to aid doctor to optimize the regimen of tacrolimus for Chinese renal transplant patients.

Objective To investigate the clinical performance of fiber post restorations in elderly patients with residual root and crown and to analyze the factors affecting the clinical success rate.Methods A total of 66 elderly patients requiring post restoration were selected.They were randomly divided into two groups:the observation group (n=33,restored with fiber post-resin cores) and the control group (n=33,restored with cast metal post-cores).All patients were rechecked 1 year and 2years after the restoration.The clinical efficacy and the failure types were recorded.The differences in clinical performance between the 2 groups were compared by using Fisher's exact test.Results The differences in the gingival index and periodontal index in the 2 groups between the experimental teeth and the control teeth were zero.There were no significant differences in dental morphology,root canal treatment failure,tooth color matching and marginal coloration between the 2 groups (all P＞0.05).1 case with post debonding and 1 case with fiber post fracture were found in the observation group and 1 case with marginal coloration was found in control group.There was no significant difference in clinical success rate between the 2 groups (93.94％ vs.96.97％,P＞0.05).Conclusions The clinical success rate in fiber post-resin core restoration is the same as in cast metal post-cores restoration in elderly patients.

AIM: To evaluate the potential acylation stimulating protein (ASP) resistance in both adipocytes and preadipocytes under the conditions by which insulin resistance is produced by the stimulation of free fatty acids (FFA), and to explore the mechanism of ASP resistance on post-receptor level. METHODS: 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate. Then the cells were treated with oleate or palmitate at concentration of 0 mmol/L (FFA-free DMEM/F12), 0.125 mmol/L, 0.5 mmol/L or 1.0 mmol/L overnight. Glucose transport was assessed by [~3H] 2-deoxyglucose uptake to evaluate insulin resistance and ASP resistance. Both non-FFA treated and FFA treated 3T3-L1 cells were cultured with ASP at concentration of 5.0 μmol/L for 4 h, then the cell proteins were extracted, and the expressions of guanine nucleotide binding protein beta (Gβ), guanine nucleotide-binding protein alpha-q/11(Gαq/11), phosphorylated-protein kinase Cα (p-PKCα) and phosphorylated-protein kinase Cζ (p-PKCζ) were measured by Western blotting. RESULTS: Both adipocytes and preadipocytes were responsive to ASP. ASP stimulation increased glucose transport by 198% in adipocytes and by 287% in preadipocytes (P<0.01 vs PBS). FFA at concentration of 0.125 mmol/L did not change ASP-stimulated glucose transport significantly, but high dose of oleate or palmitate effectively reduced the ASP response with a significant reduction by 47% (P<0.05 for oleate) and 34% (P<0.05 for palmitate) at 1 mmol/L FFA in adipocytes. Similarly in preadipocytes, glucose uptake rates were decreased by 43% (P<0.05 for oleate) and 62% (P<0.01 for palmitate) at 1 mmol/L FFA. Effects were comparable to those obtained with insulin. After overnight incubation with oleate or palmitate in adipocytes and preadipocytes, Gβ, Gαq/11, p-PKCα and p-PKCζ were downregulated both in the absence of ASP treatment and in the presence of ASP treatment in adipocytes. At concentration of 1.0 mmol/L, oleate inhibited the expressions of ASP-induced Gβ, Gαq/11, p-PKCα and p-PKCζ in adipocytes by 47%, 44%, 39% (P<0.05, P<0.01) and 20% (P>0.05), respectively. Palmitate also effectively blocked the expressions of ASP (at concentration of 1.0 mmol/L)-induced Gβ, Gαq/11, p-PKCα and p-PKCζ by 50%, 43%, 44% and 43% (P<0.05, P<0.01) in adipocytes. In preadipocytes, oleate only inhibited ASP-induced p-PKCα and p-PKCζ significantly by 39% and 19%, respectively (P<0.05). However, overnight exposure of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to 1 mmol/L palmitate leaded to 45%, 50%, 52% and 21% (P<0.05, P<0.01) inhibition of ASP-induced expressions of Gβ, Gαq/11, p-PKCα and p-PKCζ, respectively. CONCLUSION: Oleate and palmitate inhibit ASP-mediated stimulation of glucose transport both in adipocytes and preadipocytes. The study provides direct evidence of ASP resistance under the condition of insulin resistance induced by FFA in a cellular model. The mechanism of action involves both changes in expression of C5L2 as well as signaling parameters. Fatty acid-induced ASP resistance may contribute to the physiological abnormalities associated with insulin resistance and obesity phenotype.

It is important to design a long-period transparent bioactive material for corneal repair in the process of corneal tissue renovation. This article discusses the silk fibroin and formamide blend membranes as a corneal stroma repair material. Silk fibroin solution was mixed with formamide in different proportions to obtain insoluble transparent silk fibroin film by casting method. The blending membranes had excellent mechanical properties, cell compatibility and long-term transparent properties. Rabbit corneal stromal cells were seeded on the sterilized composite films. The rate of cell surface adhesion was over 90% after cells were placed on it for 5 hours. When cells were seeded on blend membranes from one day to seven days, Alma Blue was added to complete medium. Compared with the cell culture plate, there was no significant difference in cell proliferation on formamide/silk films. The results indicated that formamide/silk films might be used as a corneal stroma repair material and worth of further investigatinn
Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Proliferation ; Cornea ; cytology ; Fibroins ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Regeneration