0.05).Conclusions Serum NT-proBNP level is sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of pneumonia complicated with CHF and CHD complicated with CHF. There is an increasing tendency of NT-proBNP level companied increasing pulmonary pressure.

Humans ; Stomatitis, Aphthous ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy

Objective To evaluate the effects of occupational therapy and Taoist cognitive psychotherapy on emotional disorder of stroke patients.Methods A total of 136 hemiplegic patients with emotional disorder were randomly divided into a general treatment group,a cognitive psychotherapy group,an occupational therapy group and a combined therapy group(occupational therapy combined Taoist cognitive psychotherapy group).All patients were treated accordingly for 8 weeks and followed up for 6 months.All the patients were evaluated with Fugl-Meyer Assess- ment,COPM and SCL-90.Results It was found that the Fugl-Meyer Assessment and COPM scores were improved gradually in all groups.The combined therapy group scored higher than occupational therapy group(P

Chills ; prevention & control ; Cold Temperature ; Female ; Humans ; Occupational Exposure ; prevention & control ; Occupational Health Services ; Water

On the basis of the Uncaria transcriptome, specific primers were designed for UrSTR. The full-length cDNA of UrSTR (GeneBank: OL310251) was 1 541 bp, encoding 345 amino acid residues, and the promoter region sequence of UrSTR (GeneBank: OL310252) was 1 179 bp. Phylogenetic tree is revealed that UrSTR had a closest relationship with STR from Ophiorrhiza pumila and Ophiorrhiza japonica. Localization of UrSTR protein is revealed located in the vacuole membrane. Plant-care analysis indicated that the promoter region sequence of UrSTR, covering multiple light, stress and hormone-response cis-regulatory elements, and verified transcriptional activity. The results of SDS-PAGE show that pET-28a-UrSTR recombinant protein was successfully expressed, and the size was anticipated. The UrSTR prokaryotic expression system needs to be optimized in the later stage. The research lays the foundation for further purification to study its structure and functional characterization of the UrSTR protein.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of the active fraction of Tiaoxin recipe (TXR-A), in inhibiting long-term potentiation (LTP) induced by beta amyloid protein (beta-AP) in CA1 area of rats' hippocampal slices.

METHODSThe population spike (PS) in CA1 area of hippocampal slices incubated in different medium was recorded before and after LTP was evoked by a 100 Hz, 100 trains high frequency stimulation (HFS), using extracellular microelectrode recording techniques.

RESULTSThe amplitude of PS significantly decreased after HFS in hippocampal slices incubated in medium containing 0.2 micromol/L beta-AP for more than 1.5 hour, as compared with that incubated in normal cerebrospinal fluid, the difference was significant, suggesting that beta-AP could inhibit LTP in hippocampal slices. The average amplitude of PS in slices incubated in beta-AP containing medium could be significantly enhanced by adding high-concentration TXR-A or TXR into the medium, and TXR-A showed a better effect of enhancing than that of TXR, indicating that TXR-A could increase the amplitude of LTP.

CONCLUSIONTXR-A may be the chief ingredient extracted from TXR for improving beta-AP induced LTP in CA1 area of rats' hippocampus, to antagonise the inhibition of beta-AP on LTP is possibly one of the mechanisms for its intelligence benefiting action.

Alzheimer Disease ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hippocampus ; physiopathology ; Long-Term Potentiation ; drug effects ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Four screening methods, colorimetric assay, blood-plate hemolysis method, surface tension activ- ity and oil spreading technique were introduced to isolate strains producing bio-demulsifiers from 6 different bacteria source samples. The results of various screening methods were evaluated in this paper. Seventeen demulsifying strains were obtained, which are qualified in demulsification test of kerosene model emulsions. Among them, 5 strains showed high demulsifying ability, achieving 70% plus demulsifying ratio within 24 hours. Petroleum-contaminated soil, excess sludge from biological process treating oilfield produced water and sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant were the best among all tested sources. Due to the determination limit, the colorimetric assay and blood-plate hemolysis method are not competent to screen bio-demulsifiers strains. The measurement of surface tension and oil spreading method were easy but accu- rate methods to isolate bio-demulsifiers strains. Although demulsification test of model emulsion is an effec- tive technique to target strains with the capability of breaking emulsions, it is sophisticated and time-con- suming. Thus it is recommended to use surface tension and oil spreading methods in pre-screening and vali- date the results in demulsification test with kerosene model emulsions.

Objective To quantify aqueous flare and cells in the eyes of healthy subjects and to evaluate the effect of age and sex on the blood aqueous barrier. Design Prospective case series. Participants Four hundred and forty-two eyes of 221 healthy sub- jects. Methods Aqueous flare and cells of 442 eyes were evaluated with FC-2000 laser flare cell meter (LFCM). Main Outcome Mea- sures Aqueous flare and cells. Results The mean flare values of all of eyes was 4.7?2.9 pc/ms, it was 3.1 pc/ms in the age group of less than 10 years, 3.8 pc/ms in the age group of 40-49 years and 11.0 pc/ms in the age group of 80 years or over. The mean flare val- ues in the age groups of 50 years or over were significantly higher than that in the age group of 40-49 years (P

Objective To summarize our experience in prevention and treatment of stricture after esopageal burns in the past thirty years.Methods There were 168 cases in this series.Of them,158 cases underwent surgical management in this study.Modified intraluminal stenting was used in 34 cases, colon interposition without resection of strictured esophagus in 77 cases,gastric transposion with resection of the stricture in 27,repair of cervical stricture with platysma myocutaneous flap in 22,and miscellane- ous operation in 12.Eleven cases experienced operation twice or more at our department.Results Twenty-nine cases recovered after treatment with intraluminal stenting,and 5 re-experienced stricture after stent removal.One of the 5 cases with failed stent responded to bougienage,and the remaining 4 cases re- quired esophageal reconstruction later.Of the 77 colon interpositions,5 cases died postoperatively,and complications of cervical anastomotic fistula occurred in 14 cases,anastomotic stenosis in 4,and abdomi- nal incision dehiscence in 2 cases.In the 27 cases with gastric transpositions,postoperative complications of anastomotic stricture occurred in 2 cases and empyema in 1 patient.There was a cervical leak in 3 ca- ses of the 22 cases treated with the repair of cervical esopageal or anastomotic stricture with a platysma myocutaneous flap.In the 12 cases treated with miscellaneous operation,one died of intestinal obstruc- tion.All the survivors had regular diet after discharge.Conclusions Intraluminal stenting can prevent the formation of caustic esophageal stricture.The location of the cicatricial esophagus dictates whether to perform concomitant esophagectomy during esophageal reconstruction.Platysma myocutaneous flap repair is an excellent method for the treatment of severe cervical esophageal or anastomotic stricture.

'Bronze teeth' reflect the mechanical properties of natural teeth to a certain extent. Their mechanical properties resemble those of a tough metal, and the gradient of these properties lies in the direction from outside to inside. These attributes confer human teeth with effective mastication ability. Understanding the various mechanical properties of human teeth and dental materials is the basis for the development of restorative materials. In this study, the elastic properties, dynamic mechanical properties (visco-elasticity) and fracture mechanical properties of enamel and dentin were reviewed to provide a more thorough understanding of the mechanical properties of human teeth.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Dental Enamel ; physiopathology ; Dentin ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Mastication ; Tooth ; physiopathology