OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to investigate the influence of mechanical properties and sintering performance by adding 5% weight percentage aids to nano-compound zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) ceramics.

METHODSMicrometer Al2O3 and nanometer ZrO2 (quality ratio 4:1) were used to get 55% volume percentage slurry. Magnesium oxide and titanium oxide were taken as aids which were 5% weight percentage of the Al2O3 and ZrO2 powder. Five groups (number 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 group) were divided according to different proportion of aids. After gel-casting, the porcelain pieces were sintered at 1150, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1450, 1500, 1600 degrees C for 2 hours. Static three-point flexure strength, line shrinkage, relative density were measured and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe section.

RESULTSNumber 1 (MgO 1%, TiO2 4%) group had the highest bending strength. It was (401.78+/-19.50) MPa after sintering at 1600 degrees C for 2 hours and was higher than 0 group (380.64+/-44.50) MPa. Bending strength became lower than 0 group when MgO was more than 2% or more than that weight percentage of ZTA powder. When MgO content was higher than 2% or more than that weight percentage, there was no difference in relative density raising rate between each sintering assistants groups. When the sintering temperature was higher than 1200 degrees C, all groups showed obvious line-shrinkage and the groups which contained sintering assistants were all was higher than 0 group.

CONCLUSIONAdding MgO and TiO2 aids from 1% to 4% weight percentage of ZTA will promote fritting and increase ZTA nano-compound ceramics mechanical properties. Adding 2% MgO aids or more than that weight percent will has no obvious help to increase the relative density raising rate of ZTA nano-compound ceramics and will degrade the mechanical properties of ZTA nano-compound ceramics.

Aluminum Oxide ; Dental Porcelain ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Temperature ; Titanium ; Zirconium

AIMTo study the chemical constituents from Uvaria macrophylla Roxb. (Annonaceae).

METHODSVarious chromatography techniques were used to separate and purify the constituents. Their structures were elucidated by UV, IR, MS, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, 1H-1H COSY, HMQC and HMBC spectral analysis.

RESULTSSeven compounds have been isolated from the CHCl3 extract of the roots of the U. macrophylla. They were identified as macrophyllin (1), onysilin (2), taraxerol (3), 3,5-dimethoxy benzyl benzoic acid ester (4), benzoic acid (5), beta-sitosterol (6) and daucosterol (7).

CONCLUSIONCompound 1 is a new compound. Compounds 2-7 were obtained from this plant for the first time.

Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sitosterols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Uvaria ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its mechanism.

METHODSTwenty patients with Alzheimer's disease were treated by acupuncture with reinforcing kidney and activating blood method for 12 weeks and Baihui (GV 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Xuehai (SP 10) and Geshu (BL 17) were selected. The clinical therapeutic effect were assessed by comparing the scores of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Section (ADAS-Cog) and 8-IPF2alpha concentration in cerebrospinal fluid, blood and urine before and after treatment were detected by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the effective rate was 90.0%. The score of ADAS-Cog was 35. 70 +/- 14. 70 before treatment and 31. 45 +/- 4. 08 after treatment, with a significant difference (P<0. 001). The concentration of 8-IPF2alpha in cerebrospinal fluid, blood and urine were all significantly decreased after treatment (all P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture can improve the cognitive ability of AD patients and its possible mechanism may be relative to the decrease in lipid peroxidation in AD patients' brain.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alzheimer Disease ; blood ; cerebrospinal fluid ; therapy ; urine ; Cognition ; F2-Isoprostanes ; analysis ; blood ; cerebrospinal fluid ; urine ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

[ Objective ] To observe the effect of kaolin and propranolol on paraquat ( PQ ) concentration in the lungs of poisoned mice. [ Methods] A group of 144 ICR mice were randomly divided into 3 groups:PQ, treatment, and control.Then 100 mg/kg PQ were intragastrically administrated ( ig) in PQ group and treatment group, while only the same volume normal saline was given in control group.And then 48 g/kg kaolin combined with 3.2 mg/kg propranolol were administered in treatment group immediately after poisoning while only the same volume of normal saline was given in the other two groups. Pathological examination was done and PQ concentration in lungs of the mice detected 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h after poisoning. [ Results] In the lungs of the mice in PQ group occurred alveolar capillary expansion, endothelial cell swelling, small or large sheet-shaped inflammation cell infiltration and mainly neutrophils while in treatment group the above lesions were apparently alleviated.In PQ and treatment groups, PQ concentration in lungs of both groups rose significantly 0.5 h after poisoning and up to peak at 4 h.But PQ concentration in lungs decreased significantly in treatment group from 4 h to 24 h after poisoning ( P<0.05) , as compared with that in PQ group. [ Conclusion] PQ concentration in lungs of the poisoned mice was decreased and the injury alleviated when they were treated with kaolin combined with propranolol.It is held that further research is worth doing in clinical practice.

To solve the problem of real-time detection and removal of EEG signal noise in anesthesia depth monitoring, we proposed an adaptive EEG signal noise detection and removal method. This method uses discrete wavelet transform to extract the low-frequency energy and high-frequency energy of a segment of EEG signals, and sets two sets of thresholds for the low-frequency band and high-frequency band of the EEG signal. These two sets of thresholds can be updated adaptively according to the energy situation of the most recent EEG signal. Finally, we judge the level of signal interference according to the range of low-frequency energy and high-frequency energy, and perform corresponding denoising processing. The results show that the method can more accurately detect and remove the noise interference in the EEG signal, and improve the stability of the calculated characteristic parameters.
Algorithms ; Electroencephalography ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Wavelet Analysis

The value of combined detection of neutrophil apolipoprotein (HNL), serum amyloid A (SAA), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the differential diagnosis of bacterial and viral infectious diseases. A retrospective study was conducted to collect the clinical data of infected patients and healthy people in the clinical department of Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital from September to December in 2022. 100 patients with confirmed infection were divided into bacterial infection group (n=50) and virus infection group (n=50), and 50 healthy people were selected as control group (n=50). Fasting venous blood was collected at the initial stage of admission or on the day of physical examination. HNL was detected by double antibody sandwich method, SAA and CRP were detected by nephelometry, and PCT was detected by chemiluminescence method. The efficacy of infection markers in the differential diagnosis of bacterial infection and viral infection in infected patients was evaluated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of HNL, SAA, PCT and CRP in bacterial and viral infectious diseases; Logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of each index on the diagnostic efficiency. The results showed that the levels of HNL (126.60±33.32) ng/ml, PCT (28.02±11.37) ng/ml and CRP (36.13±14.37) mg/L in bacterial infection group were significantly higher than those of HNL (47.72±15.94) ng/ml, PCT (1.27±0.40) ng/ml, CRP (18.77±10.66) mg/L in virus group and HNL (38.21±12.53) ng/ml, PCT (0.38±0.12) ng/ml and CRP (4.13±1.07) mg/L in control group. The level of HNL increased most significantly (F=89.228, P<0.05). The area under ROC curve (AUC) from large to small was HNL+SAA+PCT+CRP (0.976), HNL (0.907), PCT (0.885), CRP (0.856), SAA (0.790), SAA/CRP (0.733). The level of SAA/CRP in virus infection group (94.05±3.75) was significantly higher than that in bacteria group (17.70±3.69) and control group (3.89±1.50) (F=84.005, P<0.05). The area under ROC curve (AUC) from large to small was HNL+SAA+PCT+CRP (0.986), SAA/CRP (0.956), SAA (0.878), HNL (0.768), CRP (0.742), PCT (0.730). In conclusion, HNL has the best auxiliary diagnostic efficacy in bacterial infection, followed by PCT; SAA/CRP has the best auxiliary diagnostic efficacy in viral infection, followed by SAA; the combined detection of serum HNL, SAA, PCT and CRP may be helpful for the differential diagnosis of bacterial and viral infections.
Humans ; C-Reactive Protein ; Procalcitonin ; Serum Amyloid A Protein ; Retrospective Studies ; Virus Diseases/diagnosis* ; Bacteria ; Communicable Diseases ; Bacterial Infections/diagnosis*

The value of combined detection of neutrophil apolipoprotein (HNL), serum amyloid A (SAA), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the differential diagnosis of bacterial and viral infectious diseases. A retrospective study was conducted to collect the clinical data of infected patients and healthy people in the clinical department of Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital from September to December in 2022. 100 patients with confirmed infection were divided into bacterial infection group (n=50) and virus infection group (n=50), and 50 healthy people were selected as control group (n=50). Fasting venous blood was collected at the initial stage of admission or on the day of physical examination. HNL was detected by double antibody sandwich method, SAA and CRP were detected by nephelometry, and PCT was detected by chemiluminescence method. The efficacy of infection markers in the differential diagnosis of bacterial infection and viral infection in infected patients was evaluated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of HNL, SAA, PCT and CRP in bacterial and viral infectious diseases; Logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of each index on the diagnostic efficiency. The results showed that the levels of HNL (126.60±33.32) ng/ml, PCT (28.02±11.37) ng/ml and CRP (36.13±14.37) mg/L in bacterial infection group were significantly higher than those of HNL (47.72±15.94) ng/ml, PCT (1.27±0.40) ng/ml, CRP (18.77±10.66) mg/L in virus group and HNL (38.21±12.53) ng/ml, PCT (0.38±0.12) ng/ml and CRP (4.13±1.07) mg/L in control group. The level of HNL increased most significantly (F=89.228, P<0.05). The area under ROC curve (AUC) from large to small was HNL+SAA+PCT+CRP (0.976), HNL (0.907), PCT (0.885), CRP (0.856), SAA (0.790), SAA/CRP (0.733). The level of SAA/CRP in virus infection group (94.05±3.75) was significantly higher than that in bacteria group (17.70±3.69) and control group (3.89±1.50) (F=84.005, P<0.05). The area under ROC curve (AUC) from large to small was HNL+SAA+PCT+CRP (0.986), SAA/CRP (0.956), SAA (0.878), HNL (0.768), CRP (0.742), PCT (0.730). In conclusion, HNL has the best auxiliary diagnostic efficacy in bacterial infection, followed by PCT; SAA/CRP has the best auxiliary diagnostic efficacy in viral infection, followed by SAA; the combined detection of serum HNL, SAA, PCT and CRP may be helpful for the differential diagnosis of bacterial and viral infections.
Humans ; C-Reactive Protein ; Procalcitonin ; Serum Amyloid A Protein ; Retrospective Studies ; Virus Diseases/diagnosis* ; Bacteria ; Communicable Diseases ; Bacterial Infections/diagnosis*

This paper introduces professor SUN Shen-tian's clinical thoughts and his characteristics of acupuncture techniques for the treatment of depression based on "psychosomatic medicine". Professor SUN, the master of traditional Chinese medicine, believes that depression refers to comorbidity of "heart mind" and "body", resulting from the "body-mind" disharmony, specially dominated by the emotional disorder. This disease is located in the brain, with the injury of mind and closely related to the heart and liver dysfunction. In pathogenesis, the dysfunction of brain mind and the unhealthy conditions of body and mind are involved. The treatment should focus on "regulating the mind, improving the intelligence, co-modulating the abdominal and brain functions and treating the physical and mental disorders". Baihui (GV 20), Ningshen (Extra) and emotional area on the head are selected as the main points to benefit the intelligence and calming down the mind; the abdominal region 1 and region 8 of "Sun's abdominal acupuncture" are used as the main points of the abdomen to regulate the brain functions. The point prescription is modified according to the symptoms and etiologies. The repeated transcranial acupuncture stimulation and electroacupuncture at low frequency (2 Hz) are crucial to the therapeutic effect. Reliving anxious emotions is specially considered before acupuncture, and the mind is protected and deqi is consolidated during acupuncture.
Humans ; Depression/therapy* ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Acupuncture

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of buckwheat-oat-pea (BOP) composite flour [buckwheat ∶ oats ∶ peas=6 ∶ 1 ∶ 1 (quality ratio)] on blood glucose in diabetic rats. METHODS: In this study, 64 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 8 groups by fasting blood glucose (FBG) and body weight: normal control group, model control group, metformin group, buckwheat group, oats group, BOP low-dose group (BOP-L), medium-dose group (BOP-M), and high-dose group (BOP-H). The rats in the normal control group were fed with normal diet, the rats in the model control group and metformin group were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD), and the rats in the buckwheat group, oats group, and BOP-L, BOP-M, BOP-H groups were fed with HFD containing 10% buckwheat flour, 10% oat flour, 3.3% BOP, 10% BOP, 30% BOP, respectively. The HFD in all the groups had the same percentage of energy from fat (45%). After 30 days, the rats fed with HFD received intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg, once a week for two weeks) to establish diabetes mellitus. After the model was successful established, the rats were fed for another 28 days. During the study, the body weight, food intake/body weight (FI/BW) and water intake/body weight (WI/BW), food utilization rate, 24 h urine volume, FBG, glucose area under curve (GAUC) of oral glucose tolerance test were measured regularly. At the end of the study, the fasting serum glucose and insulin were measured, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. RESULTS: With the inducing of HFD and streptozotocin, compared with the normal control group, the rats in the model control group had higher FI/BW, WI/BW, 24 h urine volume, FBG, GAUC, HOMA-IR (P < 0.05), and lower body weight, food utilization rate (P < 0.05). Compared with the model control group, the rats in the three BOP groups all had higher body weight, food utilization rate (P < 0.05), and lower WI/BW, HOMA-IR (P < 0.05); the rats in the BOP-L and BOP-M groups had lower FI/BW, 24 h urine volume, FBG (P < 0.05), and the rats in the BOP-M group also had lower GAUC (P < 0.05). After the establishment of diabetes, there was no significant difference in blood glucose and the other indicators between the rats in the three BOP groups and the buckwheat group or the oats group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The BOP had the effects of reducing blood glucose, insulin resistance and diabetic symptoms on diabetic rats, and had the value for further development and utilization.
Animals ; Avena ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Fagopyrum ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Peas ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of interfering ADAM10 on proliferation and apoptosis of multiple myeloma MM.1S cells, and its possible mechanism.

METHODSFour pairs of shRNA-coding sequences directed against different sites of ADAM10 mRNA were designed and inserted into lentiviral vector plasimd pLVshRNA-EGFP(2A) Puro for constructing the sh/ADAM10-1, sh/ADAM10-2, sh/ADAM10-3, sh/ADAM10-4 and sh/Con. These plasmids and lentiviral packaging plasmids were co-transfected into the packaging cells 293FT, then the virus particles were collected and the viral titer was assayed after concentration, and these viral particles were transfected to MM.1S cells. The flow cytometry was used to sort GFPcells. Real-time quantitative PCR, and Western blot were used to detect the effect of interfering the ADAM10 gene by lentiviral vector mediated shRNA. The proliferation-inhibition curve was plotted by CCK-8 method, the cell viability and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry with Annexin V and 7-AAD staining, the transcripts of pro-apoptosis gene BAD, BAK, BIK, anti-apoptotic genes BCL-2, c-Myc and Notch1 target gene Hes-1 were detected by real-time PCR.

RESULTSLentivirus vector was successfully constructed, that could specifically interfere ADAM10 expression. Interfering ADAM10 gene could inhibit the MM.1S cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. After the interferencing ADAM10 gene the mRNA levels of pro-apoptosis gene BAD, BAK and BIK were increased, and the mRNA levels of anti-apoptotic genes BCL-2 and c-Myc were reduced. Q-PCR results showed that the mRNA level of Notch1 were increased, but that of Hes-1 were reduced.

CONCLUSIONDown-regulated ADAM10 expression can significantly inhibit multiple myeloma MM.1S cell proliferation and promote the apotosis. Its mechanism may be related to Notch1 signaling pathways.