To establish the quality standards, the authors identified Semen Arecae and Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae in Xiaoerxiaoshi Tablets with TLC and determined the content of ursolic acid and organic acids with TLC-colorimetry and neutralization method.

Objective of this study is to re-compute the national hospitalization rate in China using the second-hand data and explore the practical use of systematic review in health policy research field.Methods Domestic literatures on hospitalization rate in the last six years were collected and quality assessment was done.Merging analysis was used based upon systematic review approach.Results 25 reported literatures on hospitalization rate of urban and rural residents were included into the study.After merging analysis,the hospitalization rates were 4.70% for the country,5.31% for the urban and 4.26% for the rural.They are higher than the reported hospitalization rate in National Health Services Survey (NHSS)in 2003.After merging with the NHSS data,the hospitalization rate were 4.12%,4.85% and 3.82% respectively.Conclusions Systematic review can be applied in health service and policy research field.Data merging and information processing methods are diversified and could be selected upon research purpose and data attribute.Computation methods in systematic review in health policy research still need to be developed.

The advancement of research work on the carcinogenicity and its inhibition of 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a tobacco-specific N-nitrosamine, was reviewed in the present paper. Carbonyl reduction and ?-hydroxylation were the major routes of NNK metabolic activation, the main target organ of NNK carcinogenicity was the lung and the carcinogenic probability related to the individual, organic isothiocyanates were the most potent inhibitors for NNK carcinogenicity. Eating more cruciferae vegetables and fruit and drinking more green and black tea would be helpful for smokers and passive smokers. Research about the nosogenesis and carcinogenicity and its inhibition of the harmful components in cigarette smoke should be further reinforced.

Objective To estimate the operational efficiency of 37 county level public general hospitals in Hubei province using the world popular method of Bootstrap-data envelopment analysis.The aim is to make up for the theory and methodology gaps on DEA research for hospitals in China,and to provide policy and management recommendations for their further improvement.Methods The input and output indicators of hospital efficiency evaluation were selected based on our previous research.R Software was used to describe the current input and output indicators,while FEAR package used to measure Bootstrap-DEA efficiency value of the sample hospitals with bias corrected,along with such applied analysis as efficiency benchmarking for the technical efficiency outcomes.Results There are great differences among the healthcare input and output of these hospitals.In particular,the difference in the number of actual beds was 4.67 times between the highest hospital and the lowest one.All of the bias corrected efficiency scores were lower than those before correction,and the average bias corrected score of the sample hospitals is 0.717 9.Moreover,only 20 hospitals(54.05%)have their efficiency scores above the median level.Conclusions The healthcare resources allocation of these hospitals needs to be further optimized.Hospitals still have big potential to improve their efficiency.Besides providing policy support,the government is advised to guide hospitals to innovate their management mechanisms,such as introducing and applying benchmarking,ranking,inter-hospital learning among others,so as to continuously improve their operational efficiency.

Objective To explore the assessment of precision, accuracy, and quality control(QC) procedures needed to satisfy the external quality assessment criteria with "operational process specifications" (OPSpecs) derived from an analytical quality-planning model. Methods The routine operating specifications were presented in the form of an OPSpecs chart, which described the operational limits for imprecision and inaccuracy when a desired level of quality assurance was provided by a specific QC procedure. Results OPSpecs charts could be used to compare the operational limits for different QC procedures and to select a QC procedure that was appropriate for the precision and accuracy of a specific measurement procedure. The inaccuracy and imprecision observed for a measurement procedure was plotted on the OPSpecs chart to define the current operating point, which was then compared with the operational limits of candidate QC procedures. Conclusion The general design approach is applicable in all instrument systems.

Objective The effect of lidocaine and bupivacaine on the Na+ current of dorsal horn neurons was observed to further evaluate the mechanism of local anesthetics . Methods The dorsal horn neurons of the SD neonates(0-7 d) were isolated acutely. Under the condition of holding voltage -80mV , and testing voltage -30mV with duration of 20 ms , the whole-cell patch-clamp technique was applied to recording the changes of voltage-gated Na+ currents following the administration of lidocaine or bupivacaine at 50-1000?mol/L.Results The voltage-gated Na+ currents ranged from 0.5-8nA peak amplitude , was inhibited by lidocaine and bupivacaine at clinical concentrations, the inhibitory degree was parallelly correlated with the concentration of local anesthetics(r=0.949 and 0.847 ,P

Objective To study the effects of propofol on the whole-cell sodium currents in rat sympathetic neurons in order to investigate the mechanisms of propofol-mediated peripheral vasodilation.Methods Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made from enzymatically isolated rat superior cervical sympathetic neurons.Results Propofol dose-dependently blocked the whole-cell sodium currents evoked by a voltage step from a holding potential of -- 80mV to 0mV with a mean IC50 value of 32. 19?mol/L (r = 0. 982, P

Objective:This study aims to ensure the private hospitals development strategy in the background of new healthcare reform and put forward some scientific suggestions to help promote their sustainable development. Methods:The SWOT analysis method was adopted to analyze the private hospitals’ internal strength, weakness, exter-nal opportunity and threats. Results: The results showed a clear property right, advanced management system and other outstanding advantages in the private hospitals. Opportunities like the improved policy environment and people’s medical demand expansion are also very prominent. Meanwhile, the private hospitals development also faces some disadvantages and challenges such as illegal operation, disorder in the market competition, vague orientation, etc. Conclusions:It suggests the strengthening of the personnel and hospital culture construction, adoption of the differen-tiation strategy, improvement of the diagnosis and treatment ability, etc.

BACKGROUND: Three kinds of donor meniscus are commonly used at present, namely cryopreserved, fresh and deep-frozen meniscus, which,however, almost invariably give rise to degenerative changes of various degrees after transplantation.OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcome of transplantation of allograft deep-frozen meniscus and meniscal acellular matrix to determine the most preferable means of allograft meniscus preservation.DESIGN: Randomized controlled experiment with rabbits.SETTING: Department of Orthopedics, Second Hospital Affiliated to Harbin Medical University.MATERIALS: Sixty-four male Japanese white rabbits with body mass of 3.0 - 3.5 kg.METHODS: This experiment was carried out in the Animal Experimental Center, Second Hospital Affiliated to Harbin Medical University between September 2002 and September 2003. Totally 64 adult rabbits were assigned into 32 pairs according to the body weight to served as the donor and the recipient animals, respectively. The medial menisci was obtained from the bilateral knees of the donor animals with the right one cryopreserved at -80 ℃ and the left prepared into acellular matrix for deep-frozen preservation. The donor menisci were respectively transplanted into the corresponding knee joints of the recipient animal's hindlimbs, with the left side taken as the experimental side and right as control. Gross observation,X-ray examination, and histological examination of the tissues were carried out at postoperative 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks, respectively.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Findings in X-ray, gross observation and histological observation of the grafted meniscus with meniscal measurement and findings in abdominal aorta perfusion.RFSULTS: All the 64 rabbits were observed for result analysis. X-ray examination of the grafted meniscus revealed no obvious changes in either the experimental and control side at 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively, but mild changes occurred on the control side at 12 weeks, which became obvious at 16 weeks, presented by joint space narrowing, hyperostosis and osteosclerosis below the cartilage of varied severities (with scores of 1.3 and 0.6, respectively, P ＜ 0.05). By gross observation, meniscal atrophy on the experimental side was milder and slower than the control side, with al so lower atrophy rate [(15.14±4.62) % vs (20.97±4.72) % at week 4, P ＜ 0.001, and (19.23±11.27) % vs (32.74±10.43) % at week 16, P ＜ 0.05].Perfusion of the abdominal aorta revealed no revascularization in the surrounding tissues of the meniscus by gross observation in either groups, but histologically, the experimental side showed more favorable structure than the control side at postoperative weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16.CONCLUSION: Meniscal acellular matrix may produce better outcome than deep-frozen meniscus after transplantation and can be a more practical means for preservation of the meniscus.

Objective To investigate the effects of β1-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies (β1-AA) on the proliferation of different subtypes of T lymphocytes in patients with heart failure .Methods β1-AA-positive IgG antibodies isolated from patients with heart failure were purified by using affinity chromatog -raphy.CD3 +CD4 +T and CD3 +CD8 +T lymphocytes were sorted by flow cytometry analysis .The prolifera-tion of different subtypes of T lymphocytes was tested by using CCK-8 kit.Tests for lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH) level and cell apoptosis were performed to evaluate T lymphocytes damage .Results The prolifera-tion of activated lymphocytes was inhibited by β1-AA isolated from the serum of patients with heart failure in a concentration dependent manner , but it could be blocked by β1 receptor blocker .The damage of lympho-cytes induced by β1-AA was increased.Moreover, β1-AA promoted the necrosis and apoptosis of CD 3 +CD4 +T and CD3 +CD8 +T lymphocytes and thus inhibited the proliferation of them .Conclusion β1-AA isolated from the serum of patients with heart failure inhibited the proliferation of CD 3 +CD4 +T and CD3 +CD8 +T lymphocytes through increasing the necrosis and apoptosis of them .This study suggests that β1-AA might induce immune disorders in addition to causing pathological changes in heart tissues .