Magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) findings were studied in 19 patients with non-dementia Parkinson′s disease ( PD) Hoehn-Yahr Stage 1 and 1.5 and 38 healthy subjects.The width and area of pars compacta of substantia nigra ( SNc) , substantia nigra ( SN) and midbrain were measured.The width and area ratios of SNc to SN were calculated.Compared with controls, the widths of right SNc was narrower, bilateral ratios of SNc to SN width were decreased in PD group.As to the area of substantia nigra, there was no significant difference between PD and controls.The width of left SN and the ratio of right SNc to SN width was negatively correlation with age of patients.The ratio of left SNc to SN width, the area of bilateral SNc and left SN, as well as the ratio of right SNc to SN area had negative correlation with the disease duration;however, there was no correlation with gender, Hoehn-Yahr Stage, the Unified Parkinson disease rating scale score, mini mental state scale, education years, levodopa equivalent daily dose, Hamilton Depression Scale or Hamilton Anxiety Scale in PD group.The results indicate that there are bilateral structural changes of SN in unilateral PD patients, which may be more significant with increasing disease duration.The measurement of SNc width and SN area can be used as an objective indicator for diagnosis and disease progression monitoring of PD.

The severe acute syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)is responsible for the global pandemic of 2019 novel coronavirus disease(COVID-19). Understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 is of great significance to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic. The spike(S)protein of SARS-CoV-2 is a major target of protective immunity. The mutations of S protein impact the transmission and pathogenic capacity of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2)is the receptor of SARS-CoV-2 S protein and mediates viral entry into target cells. The genetic polymorphisms of the ACE2 gene may lead to the difference of incidence of COVID-19 among different populations. Protease can promote the infection of SARS-Cov-2 by activating the S protein. This review summarized the current understanding of the function and genetic variants of S protein, ACE2, and the related proteases. The synergistic effect of these three molecules on the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection was further discussed.

Objective To analyze the relationship between the measurement error of oxygen concentration and service time of oxygen cell of the ventilator. Methods The present situation of the ventilator was analyzed. Some cases of alarms for oxygen concentration failures were taken in statistical analysis on 3-a quality control detection results of the ventilators in some hospital. Results There was an approximately linear correlation between the measurement error of oxygen concentration and service time of oxygen cell, and the measurement error of oxygen concentration was increased significantly 430 days after the oxygen cell enabled. Conclusion The measurement error of oxygen concentration quality control could be used as a reference for performance evaluation and replacement of oxygen cell.

OBJECTIVES: To study the difference in intestinal flora between children with focal epilepsy and healthy children and the change in intestinal flora after treatment in children with epilepsy. METHODS: A total of 10 children with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy were recruited as the case group and were all treated with oxcarbazepine alone. Their clinical data were recorded. Fecal specimens before treatment and after 3 months of treatment were collected. Fourteen aged-matched healthy children were recruited as the control group. Total bacterial DNA was extracted from the fecal specimens for 16S rDNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: After 3 months of carbamazepine treatment, the seizure frequency was reduced by >50% in the case group. At the phylum level, the abundance of Actinobacteria in the case group before treatment was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and it was reduced after treatment (P<0.05). At the genus level, the abundances of Escherichia/Shigella, Streptococcus, Collinsella, and Megamonas in the case group before treatment were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the abundances of these bacteria decreased significantly after treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant difference in intestinal flora between children with focal epilepsy and healthy children. Oxcarbazepine can significantly improve the symptoms and intestinal flora in children with epilepsy.
Aged ; Bacteria/genetics* ; Child ; DNA, Bacterial ; Epilepsies, Partial/drug therapy* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*

Abstract：Objective To analyze the stabilities of neuraminidase（NA）in influenza vaccine at different temperatures and provide a reference for further complete understanding of overall shelf life of vaccines. Methods Monovalent bulks of influenza H1N1，H3N2 and B vaccines were stored at 4（low temperature），25（room temperature）and 37 ℃（changed temperature）for 0. 5，2，7，24 and 48 h separately，using that at 100 ℃（extreme temperature）for 1 h as control，and determined for NA activity by enzyme⁃linked lectin method. Results The NA activities of influenza H1N1 vaccines stored at 25 and 37 ℃ decreased significantly with the increasing of time. No significant decreases were observed in H3N2 and B vaccines even after storage at two non⁃storage temperatures for 48 h. However，all the NA activities of three vaccines decreased at 100 ℃. Conclusion Both H3N2 and B vaccines showed high stability at abnormal storage temperatures not more than 37 ℃，while H1N1 vaccine was relatively sensitive to the temperature for storage.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between the serum level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the severity of asthma in children.

METHODSA total of 60 children with acute exacerbation of asthma were enrolled and divided according to the severity of the disease into mild group (n=18), moderate group (n=25), and severe group (n=17). Sixty healthy children were enrolled as controls. ELISA was used to measure the serum BDNF level in each group and the association between serum BDNF level and the severity of asthma was analyzed.

RESULTSThe asthmatic children at the acute exacerbation and remission stages had significantly higher serum BDNF levels than healthy controls (P<0.05). The serum BDNF level was significantly reduced in the remission stage compared with that in the acute exacerbation stage in asthmatic children (P<0.05). The children with varying degrees of severity at the acute exacerbation stage had different serum BDNF levels: the severe group had the highest serum BDNF level and the mild group had the lowest level (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSBDNF may play an important role in the pathogenesis of childhood asthma and is related to the severity of the disease.

Adolescent ; Asthma ; blood ; etiology ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Severity of Illness Index

Four kinds of ionic liquids [BMIM] Br, [BMIM] BF4, [BMIM] PF6, [HMIM] PF6 were used to analyze the content of oleanic acid and paeoniflorin in Paeonia lactiflora with ultrasonic-assisted extraction coupled with HPLC. The chromatographic column, Purospher star RP-C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm), was used. Acetonitrile and water (90:10) as mobile phase was used to determine the content of oleanic acid with a gradient elution and flow rate at 1.00 mL · min(-1), detection wavelength at 210 nm, chromatographic column temperature at room temperature. Paeoniflorin content was determined using acetonitrile and water (18:82) as mobile phase with a gradient elution and flow rate at 1.00 mL · min(-1), detection wavelength at 250 nm, the chromatographic column temperature at room temperature. The result show that oleanic acid has the highest extraction yield when the conditions are solid-liquid ratio of 1:80 (g · mL(-1)), and the [BMIM] Br methanol solution concentration of 0.6 mol · L(-1). Under the optimal extraction conditions, the content of oleanic acid from 0.24 to 3.76 μg showed a good linearity (r = 0.9999), the average recovery was 97.20%. Paeoniflorin has the highest extraction yield when the conditions are solid-liquid ratio of 1:130 (g · mL(-1)), and the [C4 MIM] PF6 methanol solution concentration of 0.6 mol · L(-1). Under the optimal extraction conditions, paeoniflorin content from 0.42 to 4.20 μg showed a good lin- earity (r = 1.000), the average recovery was 98.84%. This method is simple and reliable, its repeatability is also very good. It has important significance in the study P. lactiflora of ionic liquid microextraction.
Chromatography, Reverse-Phase ; methods ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Ionic Liquids ; chemistry ; Monoterpenes ; analysis ; Oleanolic Acid ; analysis ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Ultrasonics

Objective To investigate the predictors of long-term remission of type 2 diabetes induced by short-term intensive insulin treatment.Methods Fifty-four cases of diabetes mellitus with the duration of illness less than 5 years received an intensive insulin treatment for 2 weeks.The standard meal test and intravenous glucose tolerance test were performed at the baseline and 24 h after treatment completion respectively.Long-term remission meant that the diabetic patients should maintain the target glyeaemic control without any hypoglyeaemie agent within one year.Results The remission rate was 57.4% (31/54) overall,and even reached to 80.6% (29/36) in patients with the duration of illness less than 6 months,whereas,the remission rate was only 11.1% (2/18) in those with the duration of illness more than 12 months.In another view,the remission rate was significantly higher in the patients with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level of less than 7 mmol/L (78.8%,26/ 33) 24 h after intensive treatment than those with FPG level of more than 7 mmol/L (23.8%,5/21,P

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of drought stress on the growth of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and its drought resistance characteristic.

METHODThe growth in dicators of G. uralensis including leaf, stem, root and biomass were measured when two-years-old G. uralensis had lived in drought stress soil for 60 days.

RESULTThe growth of all organs of G. uralensis was restrained because of drought stress, especially to up ground organs.

CONCLUSIONIt is obvious that the restraining effect of drought stress on G. uralensis possesses organ speciality. Both yield and quality of G. uralensis will be satisfied when it grows in the soil with relative water content of 50%.

Disasters ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Plant Components, Aerial ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of huai qi huang, a traditional Chinese medicine, on cytokines Th1, Th2 and Th17 levels and alveolar macrophage phagocytosis in asthmatic rats sensitized by ovalbumin (OVA).

METHODSForty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control, untreated asthma, budesonide-treated, huai qi huang-treated and budesonide+huai qi huang-treated asthma (n=8 each). Asthma was induced by OVA sensitization and challenge. The levels of IL-4, IFN-γ and IL-17 in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured using ELISA. The phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages which were isolated and purified from BALF was evaluated by the colorimetric assay.

RESULTSThe levels of IL-4 and IL-17 increased, in contrast, the IFN-γ level decreased in plasma and BALF in the untreated asthma group compared with those in the normal control group. The IFN-γ level in the huai qi huang-treated asthma group was higher than that in the untreated asthma group. The IFN-γ level increased and the IL-17 level decreased more significantly in the budesonide+huai qi huang-treated asthma group when compared with the budesonide and huai qi huang alone treatment groups. The phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages in the untreated asthma group was lower than that in the normal control group. Huai qi huang alone or combined with budesonide increased the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages compared with the normal control, untreated asthma and budesonid-treated asthma groups. The levels of IFN-γ in plasma and BALF were positively correlated with the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages.

CONCLUSIONSThe levels of IL-4 and IL-17 increase and the IFN-γ level decreases in plasma and BALF, and the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages decreases in asthmatic rats. Huai qi huang treatment may increase the IFN-γ expression in plasma and BALF and the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages in asthmatic rats. There is a synergistic effect between huai qi huang and glucocorticoids.

Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Cytokines ; biosynthesis ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; drug effects ; immunology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phagocytosis ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; immunology ; Th1 Cells ; immunology ; Th17 Cells ; immunology ; Th2 Cells ; immunology