A kind of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) apparatus is developed to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT),which is based on the theory of occurrence and prevention of the DVT and AT89C52 micro-controller. This paper introduces its principle, composition of electromechanical system and the software design. The apparatus has showed its characteristics of easy operation, high intelligence and high reliability.
Equipment Design ; Physical Therapy Modalities ; instrumentation ; Software ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; instrumentation ; Venous Thrombosis ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical results of early and delayed intramedullary nailing and locked plating for the treatment of multi-segments tibial fractures of type AO/ASIF-42C2.

METHODSBetween January 2010 and January 2013,45 patients with multi-segments closed tibial fractures of AO/ASIF-42C2 were treated by early primary intramedullary nailing and locked plating in 20 cases as early group and delayed in 25 cases as delayed group. In early group,20 cases included 13 males and 7 females with an average age of (37.9±14.3) years old ranging from 20 to 56 years;according to soft tissue injury Tscherne classification, 8 fractures were frade I,12 were grade II. In delayed group, 25 cases included 17 males and 8 females with an average age of (38.7±17.2) years old ranging from 24 to 55 years,4 fractures were grade I ,19 were grade II ,2 were grade III. The operative time, blood loss, hospital stay,fracture healing time and complications were recorded. At final follow-up, the Johner-Wruhs score were used to evaluate functional efficacy, and the posterior-anterior and lateral X-ray to evaluate fracture reduction and alignment.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up for (12.5±2.5) months in early group and (13.2±2.8) months in delayed group (P>0.05). No wounds infections were happened. At the last follow-up, the mean range of knee joint was 10°-0°-120°. According to Johner-Wruhs scoring,there were 15 cases in excellent,3 in good,fair in 2 in early group; 21 in excellent,2 in good,2 in fair. The average operative time,blood loss had no significant differences between two groups (P>0.05), but hospital stay in early group was significantly shorter than those in delayed group(P<0.05). Average fracture healing time of early group and delayed group were (5.3±2.6) months and (6.0±2.9) months, respectively (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONFor multi-segments tibial fractures of type AO/ASIF-42C2 with preoperative minor soft tissue injuries lighter of Tscherne grade I or II, early primary intramedullary nailing and locked plating does not significantly increase the postoperative incidence of soft tissue complications for patients. The early and delayed primary intramedullary nailing and locked plating for treatment of AO/ASIF-42C2 proximal third tibial fractures can get similar curative effect.

Adult ; Bone Plates ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between the results of the nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) test and the efficacy of tadalafil in the treatment of ED.

METHODSA total of 188 ED patients were divided into a normal NPT group (n = 136) and an abnormal NPT group (n = 52) according to the results of the NPT test. All of them were treated with tadalafil at 20 mg 3 times a week. The IIEF-5 score, SEP2, SEP3 and GAQ score were compared between the two groups before and 1 month after the treatment.

RESULTSTadalafil treatment significantly improved IIEF-5 score, SEP2 and SEP3 of both groups of the patients (P < 0.01). Compared with the abnormal NPT group, the normal NPT group showed a remarkable increase in the IIEF-5 score, SEP2, SEP3 (P < 0.05) and GAQ score (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAfter 1 month of tadalafil treatment, the normal NPT group achieved a more significant improvement of erectile function and sexual satisfaction than the abnormal NPT group, suggesting that tadalafil has a better therapeutic effect for ED patients with normal NPT.

Carbolines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Penile Erection ; drug effects ; Tadalafil

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Compound Qingqin Liquid (CQL) on the expression level of angiotensin II (Ang II) and COX-2 mRNA transcription and protein expression in the renal tissue of rats with uric acid nephropathy.

METHODSSD rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, the model group, the positive drug group, the high, moderate, and low dose CQL group according to number randomization principle. The model was established by gastrogavage of adenine, accompanied with yeast feeding. Distilled water was given by gastrogavage to rats in the blank control group and the model group. Allopurinol at the daily dose of 9.33 mg/kg was given by gastrogavage to rats of the positive control group. CQL at the daily dose of 3.77 g/kg, 1.89 g/kg, and 0.09 g/kg was respectively given by gastrogavage to rats in the high, moderate, and low dose CQL groups. All treatment lasted for 6 weeks. Rats were randomly divided at week 4 (3 in the blank control group, and 6 in the rest groups), and the rest rats were killed at week 6. The renal tissue was extracted. The expression level of Ang II and COX-2 mRNA transcription were detected by RT-PCR. The expression level of Ang II was detected by ELISA. The expression level of COX-2 protein was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group, except the mRNA expression of Ang II at week 4, the mRNA and protein expression of Ang II and COX-2 obviously increased at week 4 and 6 in the model group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The COX-2 protein expression at week 4 was obviously lower in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the model group and the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05); the average integral of optical density value was obviously lower in the positive control group than in the model group. Except the mRNA expression of Ang II in the high dose CQL group at week 6, the mRNA and protein expression of Ang II obviously decreased in the positive control group and each dose CQL group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Of them, the effects were better in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the positive control group and the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Besides, the mRNA expression of COX-2, the average integral of optical density value were obviously lower in the positive control group and each dose CQL group than in the model group (P < 0.05). The protein expression of COX-2 was obviously lower in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the model group (P < 0.05). Of them, the mRNA expression of COX-2 was better in the moderate dose CQL group than in the positive control group (P < 0.05); the protein expression of COX-2 was better in the high dose CQL group than in the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCQL was capable of lowering the expression level of Ang II, COX-2 mRNA transcription and protein expression, thus suppressing the inflammatory pathological injury of the renal tissue.

Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uric Acid

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of compound qingqin liquid (CQL) on Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in rats with urate nephropathy, and to explore its renal protection mechanism.

METHODSTotally 55 SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control group (n =5), the model group (n =10), the positive drug group (n=10), and the high-, medium-, low-dose CQL groups (n=10) respectively. The urate nephropathy model was induced by intragastrically administering adenine and feeding yeast. Distilled water was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 10 mL/kg to rats in the normal control group and the model group. Allopurinol was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 9.33 mg/kg to rats in the positive control group. CQL was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 3.77, 1.89, 0.94 g/kg to rats in the high-, medium-, and low-dose CQL groups. Rats of each group were executed in batches at the 4th and 6th week respectively. Their kidney tissues were taken out to determine the mRNA transcription level of TLR2 and TLR4 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein expression level of TLR2 and TLR4 were determined by Western blot. The protein expression level of TLR4 was also detected by immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSAt week 4 and 6, the protein expression of TLR2 and TLR4 as well as the mRNA transcription of TLR4 increased in the model group, when compared with the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, there was no statistical difference in the transcription level of TLR2 mRNA or TLR4 mRNA among the 3 CQL groups (P > 0.05) at week 4 and 6. Additionally, at week 6, the protein expression of TLR4 and TLR2 could be reduced by CQL (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCQL might protect kidney tissue against inflammatory injury by inhibiting the protein expression levels of TLR2 and TLR4.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toll-Like Receptor 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Uric Acid

OBJECTIVETo evaluate protective effects of Rheum tanguticum polysaccharides (RTP) on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats.

METHODThe polysaccharides (RTP) were extracted from Tanguficum Maxim. 120 rats were divided into 15 groups, with 8 rats in each group. RTP at 100, 200 and 400 mg x kg(-1) were administrated orally once a day for five days, and model of brain injury was made by dropping weight method.

RESULTRTP reduced water content and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and increased total SOD activity and Na+-K+ ATPase activity after injuried.

CONCLUSIONThe polysaccharides may be one of the effective comptents in Rheum tanguticum, showing significant neuroprotective effects.

Animals ; Brain Injuries ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cerebral Cortex ; enzymology ; ultrastructure ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Construction of multifunctional pesticides-degrading genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) is increasing important in the bioremediation of various pesticides contaminants in environment. However, construction of genetically stable GEMs without any exogenous antibiotic resistance is thought to be one of the bottlenecks in GEMs construction. In this article, homologous recombination vectors with the recipient's 16S rDNA as homologous recombination directing sequence (HRDS) and sacB gene as double crossover recombinants positive selective marker were firstly constructed. The methyl parathion hydroalse gene (mpd) was inserted into the 16S rDNA site of the carbofuran degrading strain Sphingomonas sp. CDS-1 by homologous recombination single crossover in the level of about 3.7 x 10-(7) - 6.8 x 10(-7). Multifunctional pesticides-degrading GEMs with one or two mpd genes inserted into the chromosome without any antibiotic marker were successfully constructed. The homologous recombination events were confirmed by PCR and southern blot methods. The obtained GEMs were genetically stable and could degrade methyl parathion and carbofuran simultaneously. The insertion of mpd gene into rrn site did not have any significant effect on recipient' s physiological and original degrading characteristics. The methyl parathion hydrolase (MPH) was expressed at a relatively high level in the recombinants and the recombinant MPH specific activity in cell lysate was higher than that of original bacterium (DLL-1) in every growth phase tested. The highest recombinant MPH specific activity was 6.22 mu/tg. In this article, we describe a first attempt to use rRNA-encoding regions of Sphingomonas strains as target site for expression of exogenous MPH, and constructed multifunctional pesticides degrading GEMs, which are genetically stable and promising for developing bioremediation strategies for the decontamination of pesticides polluted soils.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Carbofuran ; metabolism ; Environmental Pollutants ; metabolism ; Genetic Markers ; Insecticides ; metabolism ; Organisms, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Recombination, Genetic ; Sphingomonas ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of serum reproductive hormones with male aging and to compare the differences in the hormone levels among different age groups or between township and rural males of the same age group.

METHODSUsing cluster and stratified sampling, we recruited 434 healthy old and middle-aged (40-69 years) males, 198 from the township and 236 from the rural communities. We determined the concentrations of serum total testosterone (tT), luteinizing hormone (LH) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free testosterone (fT), bio-available testosterone (Bio-T), and obtained the testosterone secretion index (TSI) and free testosterone index (fTI). Meanwhile, we included fifty-nine 20-39 years old males from the same communities in a control group.

RESULTSWith the increase of age, the serum tT levels did not change significantly, while the levels of serum LH and SHBG increased, and those of fT, Bio-T, TSI and fTI decreased gradually. Statistically significant differences were found among the four different age groups in all the parameters of reproductive hormones (P < 0.01), except in the serum tT level (P > 0.05). The serum tT level was not significantly correlated with aging and LH (P > 0.05). Serum LH and SHBG had a marked positive correlation with aging, and SHBG with LH (P < 0.01), while fT, Bio-T, TSI and fTI were negatively correlated with aging and the LH level (P < 0.01). Serum LH, TSI and fTI showed statistical differences (P < 0.05), while fT and Bio-T exhibited extremely significant differences (P < 0.01) between the township and rural males in the 40 -49 yr group, and in the same age group, the increase rates of serum LH and SHBG and reduction rates of fT, Bio-T, TSI and fTI were higher in the rural men than in the township residents. However, the results were just the opposite in the 50 - 59 and 60 - 69 yr groups.

CONCLUSIONThe levels of serum LH, SHBG, fT, Bio-T, TSI and fTI changed with aging in a gradientmanner in the old and middle-aged males, but no significant changes were observed in the level of serum tT. There were statistical differences in many parameters of serum reproductive hormones among different age groups or between township and rural males.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aging ; metabolism ; China ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rural Population ; Serum Albumin ; metabolism ; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin ; metabolism ; Testosterone ; blood ; Urban Population ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo develop a suitable physical exercise behavior-psychological scale for the Chinese adolescents and to evaluate its validity and reliability.

METHODSA total of 3600 junior students were recruited and tested through multistage sampling method. Reliability was assessed, using Cronbach's α and split-half reliability; while exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test its validity, with entries-dimension correlation coefficient (IIC), correlation coefficient between the scores and the dimension, the dimension of correlation coefficient test content validity.

RESULTSThe internal consistency reliabilities for total scale score (Cronbach's α = 0.888), Cronbach's α of four domains were 0.880, 0.706, 0.552 and 0.839, respectively. The four-domain split-efficacy reliabilities were ranged between 0.559 and 0.876. Data from the exploratory factor analysis revealed the following dimensions: the entries were all inclusive; the cumulative contribution rate was more than 40%.

RESULTSfrom the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the absolute fit measures of GFI = 0.972, AGFI = 0.958, RMSEA = 0.032 (90%CI: 0.030 - 0.034) could satisfy the condition while the model fit was better. The results of IIC showed: in the four dimensions, and the contained entries between Spearman correlation coefficient range were 0.396 - 0.700, 0.470 - 0.709, 0.696 - 0.771 and 0.665 - 0.813, while other dimensions from weak to moderate relationships, the r value range was from 0.386 to 0.935. With the change of the phase changing process, decision balance, self-efficacy scores were differently prompting the health-related intervention periodically and pertinently.

CONCLUSIONThe reliability and validity of the 'Adolescent physical exercise behavior-psychological scales (Chinese version) ' were good, and could be used to measure the adolescent's physical training behavior-psychological conditions.

Adolescent ; Exercise ; Humans ; Psychometrics ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the genotypes of hepatitis B virus and the clinical and liver pathological features of patients with chronic hepatitis in the Zhoushan Islands.

METHODSOne hundred eighty HBV DNA positive chronic hepatitis patients with HBV markers were enrolled in this study. They were at least second generation Zhoushan Island residents. One hundred forty-seven of them were males and 33 were females with an average age of 39.0+/-11.3. Among the 180 patients, 17 had ASC, 57 had mild CHB, 48 moderate CHB, 9 severe CHB, 6 SHB, 39 LC, and 4 had HCC. The genotypes of their serum HBV were detected by using PCR integrated with Tagman MGB probe technology, and their serum HBV markers, HBV DNA and liver functions were also examined. Out of 180 patients, 129 accepted a liver biopsy. A pathological evaluation was then performed.

RESULTSHBVs of genotype C, 135 cases (75.0%), of B, 40 cases (22.2%), and of B+C, 5 cases (2.8%) were found among these 180 patients. No genotype A or D HBV were found. The proportions of genotype C virus were 7/17, 86/114, 34/39, 6/6 in ASC, CHB, LC and SHB patients. In the hepatocellular carcinoma patients, there were 2 each of genotype B and C. Among the 99 patients with genotype C HBV, 84 cases (84.8%) showed moderate and severe inflammation histologically in their livers and among the 30 patients with B, 7 cases (23.3%) showed moderate to severe inflammation in their livers (z = 6.47, P less than 0.01). The proportion of genotype C HBV was significantly different from that of genotype B HBV in those that showed moderate and severe (S3-4) liver fibrosis. In patients infected with genotype C HBV who had moderate and severe liver pathological changes, their clinical manifestations reflected better the histological alterations of their livers.

CONCLUSIONGenotypes C, B and B+C HBV were found in CHB patients in the Zhoushan Islands of China, and type C was the predominant one. The liver pathological damage level of genotype C HBV infected patients is more serious than that of genotype B.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Female ; Genome, Viral ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged