Observed index is a very important element in a research design, because it is a specific reflection of the effects of research factors on the research subjects and is indispensable in any research. Generally, there are two types of observed indexes: the indexes that reflect natural attributes, habits or states of the research subjects and the indexes that reflect the effects of different drugs or treatments on research subjects. This article mainly introduces the definition, characteristics, selection and observation of research indexes and the major and minor indexes.

Adult ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Fractures, Ununited ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Transplantation, Autologous

Objective To explore the function of ERCC2/XPD polymorphisms in the repair of DNA damage induced by UVC. Methods Plas?mids stably expressing ERCC2/XPD rs13181 AA(Lys751)and ERCC2/XPD rs13181 CC(Gln751)were transfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells,and the stable ERCC2 transfected cell lines were obtained. MTT assay was used to compare the inhibitory rates of the transfected cells treated with UVC at different irradiation intensity. The DNA damage repair ability of the transfected cells treated with UVC for 1,3,6 and 24 h was detected by modified comet assay. Results Compared with UV5ERCC2(CC),UV5ERCC2(CC) was more sensitive to UVC with decreased cell viability. DNA damage level of UV5ERCC2(CC) cells was more serious than UV5ERCC2(CC). Conclusion DNA repair capacity of ERCC2/XPD rs13181A allelic is lower than its wild?type,suggesting that ERCC2/XPDpolymorphisms play a critical role in UVC?induced DNA damage repair.

Objective To explore the feasibility of excluding oral 75 g glucose tolerance test (OGTT)in pregnant women with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ＜4.4 mmol/L in middle and late trimester.Methods From February 1,2012 to August 31,2013,18 851 pregnant women without pre-gestational diabetes mellitus who received 75 g OGTT in Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province,China,at 24-28 weeks of gestation were enrolled.The criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were FPG ＞5.1 mmol/L and/or 1 h plasma glucose ＞10.0 mmol/L and/or 2 h plasma glucose ＞8.5 mmol/L in OGTT.The values of FPG in predicting GDM were analyzed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.The differences of detection rates for GDM among women of different ages,women with different FPG levels,and those with or without risk factors of GDM were compared by x2 test and Fisher's exact test.Results The overall detection rate of GDM was 9.11％(1 718/18 851).The detection rate of GDM was lower in women aged ＜ 25 years than women aged 25-,30-and ≥ 35 years [4.77％ (137/2 875) vs 7.76％ (803/10 350),12.43％ (552/4 440)and 19.06％ (226/1 186),respectively,x2=30.53,120.24 and 210.66,all P＜0.01].The sensitivity and specificity were 55％ and 68％,respectively,when the cutoff value of FPG was 4.4 mmol/L,and the Youden index was 0.23 and the area under the ROC curve was 0.61 (95％CI:0.59-0.63,P＜0.01).The sensitivity and specificity were 40％ and 80％,respectively,when the cutoff value was 4.5 mmol/L,and the Youden index was 0.20 and the area under the ROC curve was 0.61 (95％CI:0.59-0.63,P＜0.01).The missed diagnosis rate was lower when the cutoff point of FPG was defined as 4.4 mmol/L.The detection rate for GDM was 3.45％ (384/11 121) in women with FPG ＜4.4 mmol/L,significantly lower than in those with FPG ≥ 4.4 but ＜5.1 mmol/L and ≥ 5.1 mmol/L [8.06％ (561/6 957) and 100.00％ (773/773),x2=183.66 and 7 672.08,all P＜0.01].When FPG was ＜4.4 mmol/L or ≥ 4.4 but ＜5.1 mmol/L,the detection rate for GDM was significantly higher in women with GDM risk factors than in those without [5.09％ (118/2 318) and 10.75％ (184/1 712) vs 3.02％ (266/8 803) and 7.19％ (377/5 245),x2=23.56 and 22.06,P＜0.01].Conclusion OGTT may not be included in GDM screening in the pregnant women with FPG＜4.4 mmol/L and without GDM risk factors in the areas lack of medical resources.

OBJECTIVETo study the acute toxicity of the water extracts (ERWE) and 60% ethanol extracts (EREE) from different processed products of Radix Polygalae (crude Radix Polygalae, licorice, and honey processed Radix Polygalae), thus providing scientific evidence for toxicity study of Radix Polygalae and its safe clinical application.

METHODSThe ERWE and EREE were prepared from different processed products of Radix Polygalae. Their contents of saponins were respectively determined. The poisoning condition and death of the mice administered with ERWE and EREE by gastrogavage were observed within fourteen days. The modified Karber's method was used to calculate LD50 and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTSThe EREE of licorice processed Radix Polygalae had the maximum toxicity with highest content of saponins, while the ERWE of honey processed Radix Polygalae had the minimum toxicity with lowest content of saponins.

CONCLUSIONSDifferent processing methods have effects on the contents of saponins in Radix Polygalae. The experiment showed that the toxicity of Radix Polygalae is in direct proportion to the content of saponins. The higher the saponins contents, the higher the toxicity.

Animals ; Female ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Plant Extracts ; toxicity ; Polygala ; Saponins ; toxicity ; Toxicity Tests, Acute

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation of daily living activities with location and severity of trau- matic brain injury (TBI) and to provide a theoretical basis for improving the accuracy of expert opinion. METHODS: Five hundred and one cases of patients with TBI were selected. Detailed records included following: pre-injury situation, location and severity of injury, treatment and education. Daily living activi- ties scale (Barthel index) was applied to test the subjects' daily living activities. The relevance among location and severity of TBI and Barthel index was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: In mild TBI group, there was no significant difference in Barthel index among each location (P>0.05). In moderate TBI group, there were significant differences in Barthel index between subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral lobe injury, also between parietal, occipital lobes injury and frontal lobe injury, parietal, occipital lobes injury and temporal lobe (P<0.05), respectively, whereas no significant difference in Barthel index between frontal lobe injury and temporal lobe injury (P>0.05). In severe TBI, there were significant differences in Barthel index between every two different locations (P<0.05). CONCLUSION There is some correlation between the location of TBI and Barthel index, which provides an important reference value for analyzing and determining daily living activities after TBI.
Activities of Daily Living ; Adult ; Brain Injuries/rehabilitation* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Outcome Assessment, Health Care ; Trauma Severity Indices

AIM: To investigate chemical constituents of Spatholobus suberectus Dunn. METHODS: Isolation and purification were carried out by column chromatographic methods. Compounds were characterized based on their physical characteristics and spectra data. RESULTS: Seventeen compounds were isolated from ethanol extract of S. suberectus. The structures were elucidated as prestegane B (1), (2R, 3R)-buteaspermanol (2), (+)-medioresinol (3), (2R, 3R)-3,7-dihydroxyflavanone (4), benzeneethanol (5), 4, 7, 2'-trihydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavanol (6), naringenin (7), blumenol A (8), protocatechuic acid ethyl ester (9), liquiritigenin (10), 7, 4'-dihydroxy-8-methoxy-isoflavone (11), 3, 5, 7, 3', 5'-pentahydroxyflavanone (12), protocatechuic acid (13), glycyroside (14), 8-methylretusin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (15), 3, 3', 4', 5, 6, 7, 8-heptahydroxyflavan (16), and dulcisflavan (17). CONCLUSION All compounds are firstly isolated from the title plant and compounds 1, 3 were isolated from the Spatholobus genus for the first time.
4-Butyrolactone ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Fabaceae ; chemistry ; Lignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between the level of serum testosterone and atherosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly men.

METHODSWe conducted a population-based study of 413 males aged 40-75 years in a community in Guangzhou. We obtained the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical data, physical measurements, and laboratory results of sex hormones, blood glucose, and blood lipid of the subjects. We also measured the carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) by color Doppler ultrasonography.

RESULTSThe subjects were divided into a carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) group (CIMT ≥ 0.9 mm) and a non-CAS group (CIMT < 0.9 mm). The medians of free testosterone (FT) were 57.41 and 59.72 pmol/L in the CAS and non-CAS groups, respectively (P = 0.005), and no significant difference was found between the two groups in total testosterone (TT). The levels of serum FT and TT were negatively correlated to CIMT, with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of -0.126 (P = 0.011) and -0.188 (P < 0.001), respectively. The incidence rates of CAS were 23.30, 13.46, 17.48, and 7.77% in the Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, respectively according to the quartile of FT (P for trend = 0.008) and 17.48, 18.27, 16.50, and 9.71% respectively according to the quartile of TT (P for trend = 0.116). Based on the quartile of FT and after adjustment for age, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and HbAlc, the risk of CAS was significantly increased in the Q1 group as compared with Q4 (OR = 2.491, 95% CI 1.01-6.149), but no statistically significant differences were observed according to the quartile of TT.

CONCLUSIONA low serum FT level may be a risk factor of atherosclerosis in Chinese men aged 40 years or older.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; blood ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Testosterone ; blood

OBJECTIVETo assess the nutrition status of children and adolescents in China using the WHO growth reference (2007) in comparison with that defined by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and the Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC).

METHODSOverweight and obesity were defined by age-, sex-, specific BMI reference developed by WHO (2007), IOTF (2000), and WGOC (2004), respectively. Stunting and thinness were defined as height and BMI less than two standard deviations (SD) of the WHO growth reference (2007), respectively. Data of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years (n=54,857, 28,273 boys, 26,584 girls) from the 2002 China National Nutrition and Health Survey (CNNHS) were used in the study.

RESULTSThe prevalence of overweight, obesity, stunting and thinness among Chinese children and adolescents aged 5-19 years was 5.0%, 1.2%, 13.8%, and 7.4%, respectively when the WHO growth reference (2007) was used, whereas the estimated absolute total number affected by these 4 conditions were 14.6, 3.7, 40.6, and 21.8 million, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 18.1% in large cities, while the stunting prevalence was 25.1% in rural 4. Obesity prevalence assessed by the WHO growth reference was higher than that as assessed by the IOTF reference, and obesity prevalence assessed by the WGOC reference was lower than that as assessed by the IOTF reference.

CONCLUSIONThe nutritional status of children and adolescents is not equal in different areas of China. Stunting is still the main health problem of the poor, while overweight and obesity are the main health problems in large cities.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Body Weight ; Child ; Child Nutrition Disorders ; epidemiology ; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritional Status ; Sex Characteristics ; World Health Organization ; Young Adult