Objective:To investigate the influence of sinter temperature alteration on the crystalline phase and microstructure of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic.Methods:Samples of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic were heated using the standard two stage heating-schedule at different final temperatures.All samples were observed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD),field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(FE-SEM-EDS) for the evaluation of crystalline phase and microstructural evolution.Results:Crystalline phase and microstructure of ceramic samples showed significant changes during processing at different temperatures,especially at 800 ℃.Samples sintered at 840 ℃ displayed higher crystallinity(P<0.05) and denser microstructure.Conclusion:Temperature control is important in ceramic sintering.800 ℃ and 840 ℃ are the critical temperature points in the crystalline phase and microstructural evolution of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic.

OBJECTIVETo compare the differences in the clinical efficacy between Guan's quadruple therapy for kidney disease and the conventional western medication in the treatment of chronic renal failure (CRF).

METHODSEighty patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each one. In the observation group, besides the physician instruction of low protein and low phosphorus diet in the two groups, Guan's quadruple therapy for kidney disease was applied, including (1) the isolated herbal moxibustion at Shenshu (BL 23) and Pishu (BL 21), or Ganshu (BL 18), Zusanli (ST 36) and Guanyuan (CV 4) alternatively; (2) acupuncture at the auricular points such as shen (CO10), jiaogan (AHR6), Shenshangxian (TG2), fei (CO14) and pizhixia (AT4); (3) injection of mixture of astragalus injection and lidocaine injection at Feishu (BL 13), Pishu (BL 21), Shenshu (BL 23) and the others; (4) modified Shenshuai Yihao decoction according to syndrome differentiation. In the control group, the conventional western medication was used. After 6 months of treatment, the differences were observed between the two groups in the clinical efficacy, serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), endogenous creatinine (Ccr) and 24 h urine protein quantitation (UPQ).

RESULTSIn the observation group, after treatment, the remarkably effective rate was 50.0% (20/40) and the total effective rate was 82.5% (33/40), which were superior to 25.0% (10/40) and 45.0% (18/40) in the control group (both P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of Scr, BUN and 24 h UPQ were reduced apparently (all P < 0.05), and the level of Ccr was increased apparently in the two groups (both P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of Scr, BUN and 24 h UPQ were reduced much more apparently in the observation group as compared with those in the control group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGuan's quadruple therapy for kidney disease achieves a better efficacy on CRF compared with the conventional western medication. This therapy improves renal functions, relieves clinical symptoms and physical signs and benefits the life quality of patients.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Kidney Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo compare therapeutic effects of needle warming therapy and electroacupuncture on simple obesity with spleen deficiency.

METHODSSixty-eight cases of simple obesity with spleen deficiency, including water-dampness retention due to spleen deficiency, qi-deficiency of the lung and spleen, yang-deficiency of the spleen and kidney, were randomly divided into a needle warming therapy group (n = 36) and an electroacupuncture group (n = 32). Zhongwan(CV 12), Shuifen (CV 9), Qihai (CV 6), Zhongji (CV 3), Tianshu (ST 25), Shuidao (ST 28), and so on were selected as main acupoints in the both groups. Their therapeutic effects and body mass indexes were observed.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 88.9% in the needle warming therapy group and 71.9% in the electroacupuncture group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05); and there was a significant difference between the two groups in decrease of body mass index (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNeedle warming therapy has definite and long-term therapeutic effect on simple obesity with spleen deficiency.

Acupuncture Points ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Needles ; Obesity ; therapy ; Spleen

OBJECTIVETo establish a rapid quantitative analysis method for the content of chlorogenic acid and solid content in the extraction liquid concentration process during the production of Reduning injection by using the near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, in order to reflect the concentration state in a real-time manner and really realize the quality control of concentrating process of the extraction and concentration process.

METHODThe samples during the Jinqing extraction liquid concentration process were collected. After the removal of abnormal samples, the spectra pretreatment and the wave band selection, the quantitative calibration model between NIR spectra and chlorogenic acid HPLC analytical value and solid content was established by using PLS algorithm, and unknown samples were predicted.

RESULTThe correlation coefficients between the chlorogenic acid content and the solid content were respectively 0.992 1 and 0.994 0, and the correlation coefficients of the verification model were respectively 0.994 4 and 0.998 4, with the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) of 0.814 6 and 2.656 1 and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.704 6 and 1.876 7 respectively, and the relative standard errors of predictions (RSEP) were 6.01% and 2.93% respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, rapid, nondestructive, accurate and reliable, thus could be adopted for the fast monitoring of the chlorogenic acid content and the solid content during the concentration process of Reduning injection extraction liquid.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Quality Control ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; methods

Abstract: Objective To understand the mental health literacy level of residents in Hainan Province, and to provide evidence for promoting mental health promotion and improving the mental health literacy level of residents. Methods Multi-stage random sampling method was used to investigate The National Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire among 6 895 residents in 12 districts including Changjiang, Chengmai, Dongfang, Ledong, Lingshui, Haikou Longhua District, Haikou Meilan District, Qionghai, Sanya, Tunchang, Wenchang and Wuzhishan. Results　In the survey 6 895 residents in 12 counties, cities, districts of Hainan Province, 365 of them reached the standard of mental health with the standard rate of 5.3%. The mental health knowledge score was (54.00±17.02) with the standard rate of 7.7%; the self-assessment score was (26.11±3.99) with the standard rate of 75.9%; the score of mental health skill was (26.22±7.25) with the standard rate of 44.8%. The mental health literacy level of medical workers was the highest, with the standard rate of 13.5% (112/830), and the mental health literacy level of farmers was the lowest, with the standard rate of 0.8% (13/1 647). The results of unconditional Logistic regression showed that the factors entering the regression model included educational background (OR=2.268), personal monthly income (OR=1.129), gender (OR=1.302), household registration (OR=0.776), and whether they had participated in mental health related courses OR training (OR=0.511). The higher the educational background and personal monthly income, the higher the psychological quality. The mental health of women was higher than that of men, and that of urban was higher than that of rural, and those who had participated in mental health related courses were higher than those who had not. Conclusions The mental health literacy level of Hainan residents is at a low level, and the influencing factors are multifaceted. It is suggested to strengthen the mental health monitoring comprehensively and carry out rich health education service mode for different groups.

AIMTo evaluate whether protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in nuclei play roles in the development of myocardial hypertrophy, distribution of protein kinases and phosphatases in cell fractions were determined.

METHODSThe model of hypertensive rat was established by abdominal aortic constriction. Velocity and isopyknic gradient centrifugation was employed to fractionate rat myocardium to membrane, cytosol and nuclei. Enzymatic methods were employed to determine kinases and phosphatases.

RESULTSCompare with control group, the activity of CaMK increased by 101.1% (P < 0.01) and 40.16% (P < 0.01) respectively in nuclear and membranous fractions, changed without significance in cytosolic fraction; the activity of calcineurin in nuclei increased by 43.57%, (P < 0.05), lightly changed without significance in membranous and cytosolic fractions.

CONCLUSIONNuclear translocation of CaMK and calcineurin, might play important roles on overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Animals ; Calcineurin ; metabolism ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Cell Nucleus ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression and mutation of Mad1, Mxi1 and Rox genes in leukemia cells.

METHODSExpression and mutation of Mad1, Mxi1 and Rox genes in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) from 26 de novo acute leukemia (AL) patients, and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from 30 healthy volunteers, as well as in 7 human leukemic cell lines were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing.

RESULTSRT-PCR showed that all the above cells expressed Mad1, Mxi1 and Rox mRNA. SSCP revealed four polymorphisms: two in Mad1, one each in Mxi1 and Rox. DNA sequencing detected nine missense mutations: two in Mad1 in AL patients, four in Mxi1 (three in AL patients and one in KG-1 cell line), and three in Rox in AL patients. The mutations of Mad1, Mxi1 and Rox mRNA were detected in 2, 3 and 3 patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONIt is for the first time to demonstrate the mutations of Mad1, Mxi1 and Rox genes in AL patients suggesting these mutated genes involve in the pathogenesis of leukemia.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis leads to the functional incapacitation of myocardial plasmodium and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of heart failure transformed from compensable cardiac hypertrophy. Mitochondria are the main source of apoptosis-inducing molecule of various cells, and the role of caspartate-specific cysteinyl proteinase (caspase)-dependent mechanism has generally been accepted in the cardiomyocyte apoptosis. However, the significance of caspase-independent apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) mechanism is not yet understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate hypoxia-reperfusion-induced alterations of AIF mRNA and protein expressions in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was produced by angiotensin II (0.1 mumol/L). The cells were cultured under the condition of hypoxia (95% N2 and 5% CO2; the O2 partial pressure was lower than 5 mmHg) for 8 h or 12 h (named as H8h and H12h groups, respectively), and then exposed to normal culture environment (named as H8h/R and H12h/R groups, respectively). Apoptosis was detected with Hoechst 33258 staining. The AIF mRNA and protein expressions were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot and quantified by gel scanning. The results were as follows: (1) The level of AIF mRNA expression was 0.29+/-0.08 (optical density, relative value) in the control group (hypertrophic cardiomyocytes cultured in normal environment). Compared with that in the control group, the levels of AIF mRNA expression were significantly higher in the groups of H8h and H12h (0.52+/-0.04 and 0.85+/-0.10), indicating that this effect was time-dependent. A further increase of AIF mRNA expression was observed in the groups of H8h/R (1.09+/-0.12) and H12h/R (1.41+/-0.23). (2) The level of AIF protein expression was 0.29+/-0.04 in the control group. Compared with that in the control group, the levels of AIF protein expression were significantly higher in the groups of H8h and H12h (2.07+/-0.15 and 3.12+/-0.19). The AIF protein expression was increased further in the groups of H8h/R (4.57+/-0.25) and H12h/R (5.71+/-0.27). The nuclear translocation of AIF protein was obvious only in the groups of H8h/R and H12h/R. (3) The expressions of AIF mRNA and protein were almost completely inhibited by AIF siRNA transfection. The siRNA transfection also reduced the apoptosis of hypertrophic cardiomyocytes in the groups of H8h/R and H12h/R but not in the groups of H8h and H12h. The apoptosis rate was significantly reduced by both AIF siRNA transfection and Ac-DEVD-cmk, an inhibitor of caspase-3. This reduction induced by two factors was more evident than that by one factor. (4) AIF nuclear translocation induced by hypoxia-reperfusion was not affected by inhibition of the activity of caspase-3. These data suggest that AIF plays a pivotal role in the apoptosis of hypertrophic cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia-reperfusion.
Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Inducing Factor ; metabolism ; Cardiomegaly ; Cell Hypoxia ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; Reperfusion Injury

OBJECTIVETo study the expression and significance of cyclin E, cyclin D1, CDK4 and p27 protein in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) and their correlation with tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis.

METHODSExpressions of cyclin E, cyclin D1, CDK4 and p27 protein in 65 patients with ESCC were quantitatively detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTSThe expressions of cyclin E, cyclin D1, CDK4 in poorly-differentiated ESCC were higher than those in well-differentiated ESCC (P = 0.0275, 0.0001, 0.0174). The expression of p27 in poorly-differentiated ESCC was lower than that in well-differentiated ESCC (P = 0.0042). There was positive correlation between cyclin E and cyclin D1, cyclin D1 and CDK4, but negative correlation between cyclin D1 and p27. The expressions of all four proteins were not correlated with lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of cyclin E, cyclin D1, CDK4 and p27 are closely related to tumor differentiation of ESCC. An imbalance between positive and negative control of cell cycling might be critical in the carcinogenesis of esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; secondary ; Cell Differentiation ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Cyclin E ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 ; metabolism ; Cyclins ; metabolism ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of lycopene against cryopreservation injury of post-thawing human sperm and its mechanism.

METHODSSemen samples were collected from 25 volunteers, each sample equally divided into four parts to be cryopreserved with cryoprotectant only (Ly0 control) or cryoprotectant + lycopene at the concentrations of 2 (Ly2), 5 (Ly5), and 10 µmol/L (Ly10), respectively. Before and after thawing, the semen samples were subjected to computer-assisted semen analysis ( CASA) for sperm kinematics, flow cytometry for sperm apoptosis, thiobarbituric acid assay for malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and JC-1 fluorescent staining for the sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP).

RESULTSAfter cryopreservation, sperm motility was markedly decreased in all the groups (P < 0.01). The rate of sperm apoptosis was significantly lower in the Ly5 group than in the Ly0 control ([25.68 ± 4.36]% vs [33.26 ± 4.78]%, P < 0.05), while sperm MMP remarkably higher in the former than in the latter ([66.18 ± 14.23]% vs [55.24 ± 12.31]%, P < 0.05). The Ly2, Ly5 and Ly10 groups showed no statistically significance differences in the MDA level from the Ly0 control (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAddition of lycopene at a proper concentration to cryoprotectant may reduce oxidative damage to sperm mitochondria in the freezing-thawing process, attenuate oxidative stress injury induced by reactive oxygen species to sperm plasma membrane, and improve the anti-apoptosis ability of sperm.

Apoptosis ; Carotenoids ; pharmacology ; Cryopreservation ; Cryoprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Oxidative Stress ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Semen Analysis ; Semen Preservation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; physiology