Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Periarthritis ; therapy ; Punctures ; Treatment Outcome

The Qinghai⁃Tibet Plateau is known as one of the highest endemic areas of echinococcosis However，the dog infection rates of Echinococcus granulosus in the plateau regions were similar to other non⁃Tibetan areas with the high endemic，and most of the rates were below 40%. The infected dogs with E. multilocularis were ubiquitous in Ganzi Prefecture of Sichuan Province and Qinghai Province where many survey data were done and available，which was much different from those in non⁃Ti⁃betan areas where the geographical distribution of dogs infected with E. multilocularis was sporadic. The total infection rates of Echinococcus in dogs kept stable from 1983 to 2009 in Ganzi Prefecture of Sichuan Province and did not show much variation from 2000 to 2014 in Qinghai Province as well. Since 2006，the national comprehensive prevention and control strategy and mea⁃ sures against echinococcosis have been launched in China，and significant progress has been made. In the endemic Tibetan area of Sichuan，the general Echinococcus infection rates in dogs were 28.10%，15.87%，19.22%，3.28% and 1.11% from 2009 to 2013，respectively，and the Echinococcus coproantigen⁃positive rate in Gannan Prefecture of Gansu Province and parts of Qing⁃ hai Province also decreased. This paper reviews the literature on the characteristics of dog infections in the Qinghai⁃Tibetan Plateau，so as to provide useful information to support echinococcosis control and prevention there.

Objective To describe the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of spinal infections to assist the clinical diagnosis and treatment .Methods Clinical data of all cases with spinal infections at He′nan Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2010 to December 2014 were analyzed retrospectively . The demographic characteristics , risk factors , clinical characteristics and outcomes were evaluated . Variables were compared by t‐test ,chi‐square test or Fisher exact test when appropriate .Results Totally 231 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were reviewed ,of which 179 (77 .5% ) were pyogenic spinal infection (PSI) and 52 (22 .5% ) were tuberculous spinal infection (TSI) .The most common risk factor for infection was history of previous spinal surgery or procedure (43 .3% ) ,followed by diabetes mellitus (14 .7% ) .The infection site of lumbosacral spine was prominent with 114 cases (63 .7% ) in PSI and 38 cases (73 .1% ) in TSI .At initial presentation ,white cell blood count ([10 .8 ± 4 .5] × 109/L vs [7 .3 ± 3 .2]× 109/L ,t=2 .685) and C‐reactive protein levels ([79 ± 33] vs [37 ± 21] mg/L ,t=6 .241) in PSI were higher compared to TSI (both P<0 .05) .The positive rate of blood culture was significant higher than tissue culture in PSI (47 .9% vs 21 .8% ,χ2 = 6 .782 , P< 0 .05 ) .But the positive rate of blood culture was significantly lower than tissue culture in TSI (0 vs 39 .4% ,χ2 =8 .312 , P<0 .05) .Surgical treatment was performed in 30 .2% of PSI and 25 .0% of TSI .Conclusions History of spinal surgery or procedure is the most common risk factor for spinal infections , followed by diabetes mellitus . The lumbosacral spine is the common involved site in both PSI and TSI .The incidence of PSI is higher among spinal infections in our hospital .And Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogenic bacteria in PSI .

Objective To study the changes of flow parameters of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in children with abdominal type Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) using color Doppler ultrasound.Methods Ten children with abdominal type HSP and 17 controls were included in present study.The blood flow parameters of SMA[including peak velocity(PV),end-diastole velocity(EDV),resistant index(RI)]were measured at acute and recovery stage separately.Statistical analysis was conducted among groups.Results PV were (41.57±8.02)cm/s,(33.38±7.44)cm/s and (35.34±9.73)cm/s in acute stage,recovery stage and control group,respectively.There was no statistically significant difference among groups(F=2.471,P=0.10).EDV were(7.63±4.28)cm/s,(4.23±2.57)cm/s and (3.77±0.87) cm/s in acute stage,recovery stage and control group,respectively.There was significantly significant differences between acute stage group and other two groups(t=0.066,P=0.025;t=0.059,P=0.003).RI were (0.85±0.17),(1.00±0.15) and (1.04±0.13) in acute stage,recovery stage and control group,respectively.Also there was significantly significant differences between acute stage group and other two groups(t=1.391,P=0.020;t=1.239,P=0.026).Conclusion For abdominal type HSP in children,the changes of PV,EDV and RI of SMA were significant,which may help us determine the stage of disease.

A total of 200 outpatients with congenital urogenital abnormalities were recruited.Peripheral blood from each patient had mixed lymphocyte culture and chromosome karyotype was analyzed.Among them,22 (11％) cases showed abnormal chromosomal karyotypes.The aberrations included abnormal chromosome number (n =13),abnormal chromosome structure (n =8) and sex reversal syndrome (n =1).Chromosomal aberrations are important causative factors of congenital urogenital abnormalities.

To evaluate the role of murine fibrinogen like protein 2 (mfgl2) /fibroleukin in lung impairment in Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a murine SARS model induced by Murine hepatitis virus strain 3 (MHV-3) through trachea was established. Impressively, all the animals developed interstitial pneumonia with extensive hyaline membranes formation within alveoli, and presence of micro-vascular thrombosis in the pulmonary vessels. MHV-3 nucleocapsid gene transcripts were identified in multiple organs including lungs, spleen etc. As a representative proinflammatory gene, mfgl2 prothrombinase expression was evident in terminal and respiratory bronchioles, alveolar epithelia and infiltrated cells in the lungs associated with fibrin deposition and micro-vascular thrombosis. In summary, the established murine SARS model could mimic the pathologic characteristics of lungs in patients with SARS. Besides the physical damages due to virus replication in organs, the up-regulation of novel gene mfgl2 in lungs may play a vital role in the development of SARS associated lung damage.

Background Retinal development continues during the early postnatal period in mammals.Correct arrangement of layers and precise location of various cells in the retina are vital for forming normal visual function during critical period plasticity.Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT)provides highquality in vivo retinal imaging and the possibility to measure retinal thickness longitudinally. Objective The present study was to investigate the changes of retinal thickness during critical period plasticity in rats. Methods In vivo consecutive scanning of retinal image was performed in 10 SPF Sprague-Dawley rats at postnatal day 14(P14),P18,P21,P24 and P42 with SD-OCT,and retinal histopathological examination was used to detect retinal morphologic changes at the same postnatal ages in 20 matched rats.The whole retinal thickness,the thickness from inner limiting membrane(ILM)to inner plexiform layer(IPL),the thickness of inner nuclear layer(INL)and the thickness from outer nuclear layer(ONL)to retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)were measured using Cirrus HD-OCT system and HMIAS-2000 Imaging System in retinal sections.The measurement parameters by Cirrus HD-OCT and those by hematoxylin-eosin staining were compared.The use of animals followed the Statement of National Institute of Health (USA). Results In vivo high-resolution images of rat retinas with SD-OCT compared well with histology,which enabled quantitative comparison of the SD-OCT and histological data during critical period plasticity in rats.From P14 to P42,the retinal thickness gradually decreased with the increase of rat ages(F=15.425,P=0.000),and so were the thickness from ILM to IPL,the thickness of INL and the thickness from ONL to RPE(F=3.973,P=0.007;F=17.529,P=0.000;F=7.038,P=0.000).The retinal thickness,thickness of INL.thickness from ONL to RPE measured by Cirrus HD-OCT were significantly correlated with those measured by retinal sections among P14,P18,P21,P24 and P42 rats(r=0.794,P=0.000;r=0.784,P=0.000;r=0.681,P=0.000). Conclusion SD-OCT is a demonstratably valuable technology to study the structure of retinas in rats.The retinal thickness is shown to reduce in thickness throughout the development of the retina during critical period plasticity due to the decrease in thickness of INL and the distance from the ONL to RPE,as illustrated by OCT scanning.

The abnormality of ubiquitin proteasome pathway is an important factor leading to the imbalance of protein homeostasis. In this process, the deubiquitinase responsible for removing the ubiquitin chain of protein substrate is very important. Its abnormal activity or expression can cause the functional changes of key oncogenic/tumor suppressor proteins, which directly or indirectly lead to the occurrence, development and malignant evolution of tumors. Based on this, the discovery and research of small molecule inhibitors targeting deubiquitinases have become a hot field of anti-tumor candidate drugs. This review will focus on the regulatory effect and mechanism of ubiquitin proteasome pathway, especially deubiquitinase on tumor, introduce the application of deubiquitinase small molecule inhibitors in tumor treatment, and discuss the research status and latest progress of small molecule inhibitors, so as to provide ideas for the research of new anti-tumor strategies based on deubiquitinase.

This study aims to construct a dynamic two-dimensional characterization technique for the hygroscopicity of traditional Chinese medicine extracts and investigate the effect of material properties of powders on hygroscopicity. The dynamic hygroscopicity-time curves of the powders were measured at 25 ℃ and 75% humidity, and the semi-equilibrium hygroscopicity time (t_1/2) and equilibrium hygroscopicity (F^∞) were derived as two-dimensional evaluation indicators. Finally, the correlation between the material properties and the hygroscopic behavior was analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares analysis (PLS). The results showed that the dynamic two-dimensional characterization system of hygroscopicity constructed with 1/t_1/2 = 0.1 h^-1 and F^∞ = 15% as the center can classify the hygroscopic behavior of traditional Chinese medicine extracts into four categories: fast hygroscopicity with strong hygroscopicity, slow hygroscopicity with strong hygroscopicity, fast hygroscopicity with weak hygroscopicity and slow hygroscopicity with weak hygroscopicity. The moisture absorption was negatively correlated with D₅₀, D₉₀, ρ_b and ρ_t; the moisture absorption rate was negatively correlated with D₁₀, D₅₀, D₉₀, ρ_b, ρ_t, and positively correlated with moisture content. The hygroscopicity dynamic two-dimensional characterization indicators of Chinese medicine extracts (CMEs) constructed in this study matched with the physical properties. The method of dynamic multi-dimensional characterization technology is feasible and scientific, and the idea has strong promotional value.