Objective To investigate the relationship between carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and pulse pressure index (PPI) in elderly hypertensive patients.PPI was defined as 24 h mean pulse pressure(PP)/24 h mean SBP.Methods One hundred and three elderly hypertensive patients were categorized by PPI level:group A (PPI

Cassiae Semen is a common traditional Chinese medicine, and contents of anthraquinones of Cassiae Semen different significantly from area to area. According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition), only contents of aurantio obtusin and chrysophanol were used to evaluate the quality of Cassiae Semen, another data could be added later. Ten batches of Cassiae Semen from different areas were determined, and total anthraquinones, total free anthraquinones and total combined anthraquinones contents were assessed by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer, contents of aurantio obtusin, rhein, aloe emodin, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion were determined by HPLC. After that, principal components analysis was used to evaluate these data determined previous by dimension reduction analysis. At last, the result suggests that three main components were found out, it shows that content of aloe emodin could be used to evaluate the quality of Cassiae Semen as well as contents of aurantio obtusin and chrysophanol. And Cassiae Semen from Hebei province posseses higher quality than Cassiae Semen from other different areas. All these results can provide a good reference for quality evaluating of Cassiae Semen medicinal materials at a certain extent.
Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Cassia ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Principal Component Analysis

Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Maple Syrup Urine Disease ; diagnosis ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo explore the trend of influenza epidemics, predominate strains of the virus in Tianjin city and to analyze the economic impact of vaccine-based interventions for the prevention and control of influenza.

METHODSData on epidemiological studies and on virus surveillance was gathered. Monte Carlo mathematical simulation modelwas used for data analyses.

RESULTSFrom 29, December, 2003 to 2, January, 2005, the proportion of influenza-like infection cases was accounted for 8.93% of the total number of patients from the outpatient departments of 4 general hospitals in Tianjin. The proportion reached its peak from November to February and it was accounted for 9.39% in epidemic period, which was significantly different from that in the non-epidemic period (u = 15.53, P< 0.05). There was 56 strains of influenza virus isolated in which 45 were indentified as A(H3N2) and 11 as B with a total positive rate as 13.21%. Predominant strain was found bing type A(H3N2). The positive rate was 15.41% in the epidemic period, which was significantly different from that in the non-epidemic period (u = 2.519, P < 0.05). The cost per visit ranged from 475.93 to 581.69 Yuan (RMB) with an average cost of 528.81 Yuan. When the attack rate increased to 30 percent, the positive mean net returns would have been 24 million Yuan among the 0-19 age group.

CONCLUSIONInfluenza did not seem to be prevalent in Tianjin from 29, December, 2003 to 2, January, 2005. The main type of influenza was type A(H3N2). It is necessary to pay attention to the all-year round surveillance program due to the transformation of influenza type A and the slight increase of incidence in summer.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Health Care Costs ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; physiology ; Influenza B virus ; physiology ; Influenza, Human ; economics ; epidemiology ; immunology ; virology ; Middle Aged ; Population Surveillance ; Seasons ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology

Screening of microorganisms producing flocculating substances was carried out. A strain secreting a large amount of bioflocculant was isolated from wastewater samples collected from the Little Moon River in Beijing. Based on the morphological properties and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the isolate (designated W31) was classified as Vagococcus sp. A bioflocculant (named MBFW31) produced by W31 was extracted from the culture broth by ethanol precipitation and purified by gel chromatography. MBFW31 was heat-stable and had strong flocculating activity in a wide range of pH with relatively low dosage requirement. MBFW31 was identified as a polysaccharide with molecular weight over 2 x 10(6). It contained neutral sugar and uronic acid as its major and minor components, respectively. Infrared spectra showed the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl and methoxyl group in its molecules. The present results suggested that MBFW31 had potential application in wastewater treatment.
Carbohydrates ; analysis ; chemistry ; Enterococcus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Flocculation ; Species Specificity ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; methods ; Water Microbiology ; Water Pollutants ; isolation & purification

Aged ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Video-Assisted Surgery ; methods ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; surgery

Objective To report the clinical characteristics of alien hand syndrome(AHS). Methods Eight AHS inpatients from July,2015 to July,2017 were reviewed from the etiology,clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics and outcome. Results The etiology of the patients was cerebrovascular disease. The clinical features included alien hand (8 cases), movement disorder(8 cases),cognitive disorder(5 cases),speech disorder(4 cases)and affective disorder(3 cas-es).Imaging indicated the lesions involved callosum(8 cases),frontal lobe(2 cases),parietal lobe(3 cases),tem-poral lobe(2 cases)and basal ganglial region(1 case).There were four cases healing,two improving,two of re-mission after medicine and rehabilitation. Conclusion ASH is mainly resulted from cerebrovascular disease, in which callosum and frontal lobe are mostly in-volved,features in different forms,and prognoses well.

OBJECTIVE Glioblastomas(GBM)are the most malignant brain tumors in humans and have a very poor prognosis. New therapeutics are urgently needed. Here, we reported 2-methoxy-6-acetyl-7-methyljuglone (MAM)-induced cell death in U87 and U251 glioma cancer cells. METHODS Cells were cultured and treated with MAM, the cell viability was determined by MTT assay and LDH assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was observed by DCF fluorescence. The protein expression was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS MAM induced glioma cancer cell death without caspase activation. The cell death induced by MAM was attenuated by the pharmacological or genetic blockage of necroptosis signaling,including RIP1 inhibitor necrostatin-1s (Nec-1s)and siRNA-mediated gene silencing of RIP1 and RIP3,but was unaffected by caspase inhibitor z-vad-fmk or necrosis inhibitor 2-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-3-pentylamino-maleimide (IM54). MAM treated U87 and U251 glioma cancer cells induced RIP1/RIP3 complex formation, ROS level increased, ATP concentration decreased and loss of plasma membrane integrity, further confirmed this process was necroptosis.The essential role of ROS was confirmed by the protective effect of ROS scavenger NAC. Interestingly, MAM induced necroptosis both triggered by RIP1/RIP3 complex and ROS generation. Moreover, MAM induced necroptosis through cytosolic calcium (Ca2 +) accumulation and sustained c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation. Both calcium chelator BAPTA-AM and JNK inhibitor SP600125 could attenuate cell death. Further, we found there exists a feedback loop between RIP1 and JNK activation.Finally,MAM induced necroptosis was inhibited by dicoumarol(a NQO1 inhibitor). Dicoumarol exposed glioma cancer cells were resistant to RIP1/RIP3 complex formation and ROS generation. MAM induced necroptosis was independent of MLKL. CONCLUSION MAM induced non-canonical necroptosis through the NQO1-dependent ROS and RIP1/RIP3 pathway.This study also provided new insights into the molecular regulation of necroptosis in human glioma cancer cells and a promising approach for GBM treatment.

OBJECTIVETo establish a quick and reliable method to identify Streptococcus oligofermentans, a new species of oral streptococci.

METHODSWith two-step PCR, a pair of the 16S rDNA-specific primers of Streptococcus oligofermentans and a pair of primers of lactate oxidase gene (lox) were used to amplify the gene fragments from the genomic DNAs of 11 strains consisting of 9 species of the pure culture of oral streptococci. Pooled plaque samples from 9 caries-free volunteers were cultured on a selective medium of MSA with erythromycin and tentative strains of Streptococcus oligofermentans were isolated. The isolates were further identified by the two-step PCR and finally confirmed by 16S rDNA sequence analysis.

RESULTSWith the two-step PCR, the two gene fragments were only amplified from the three identified strains of Streptococcus oligofermentans, but not the rest of 8 strains of oral streptococci. Isolates from the dental plaque of caries-free volunteers were identified as Streptococcus oligofermentans by PCR and then further confirmed by 16S rDNA sequence homology analysis.

CONCLUSIONSStreptococcus oligofermentans could be identified by the two-step PCR approach with the specific 16S rDNA primers and lactate oxidase gene primers.

Bacterial Typing Techniques ; methods ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal ; genetics ; Mixed Function Oxygenases ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Streptococcus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect and mechanism of tagalsin on hepatoma cells.

METHODSThe animal models were established by transplanting H(22) mouse hepatoma cells to mouse liver, and ten days later the mice were randomly divided into five groups: blank group, carmofur positive group and tagalsin groups, including low-dose, middle-dose and high-dose groups. Then medicine or oil was given to the mice by gastric gavage in consecutive 5 days with a 2-days interval as a course of treatment, two courses in all. All mice were killed at 24 hours after medication, and the survival period, ascites conditions, aggressive conditions intra- or extra-liver, weight changes, tumor volume and spleen index of the tumor-bearing mice were observed. Pathological changes of the tumors were examined. Apoptotic factors p53 and Bcl-2 protien and mRNA were detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTStagalsin inhibited the hepatoma growth effectively without influencing spleen index to some extent. The tumor inhibition rate of tagalsin low, middle and high dose groups were 17.9%, 63.1% and 71.8%, respectively. Immunohistochemical results showed that the p53 and Bcl-2 protein positive cell counts of the positive control and experimental groups were significantly lower than those of the blank group (P < 0.01). RT-PCR results showed that the p53 mRNA expression was significantly enhanced and Bcl-2 mRNA expression was decreased in the positive control groups and tagalsin treatment groups, especially in the high dose group, compared with those of the blank group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONStagalsin can inhibit the growth of mouse hepatoma cells significantly. The mechanism of its anti-tumor effect may work via up-regulating the wild type p53 gene expression and down-regulating Bcl-2 gene expression and thus regulating tumor cell apoptosis.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rhizophoraceae ; chemistry ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism