The questionnaire and the result of 2010' Hwato Cup National University Students' Acupuncture Manipulation Skills Competition were analyzed in this paper. It was showed that the competition achieved the significant effects of enhancing acupuncture manipulation skills for the university students and promoting the standardization on teaching acupuncture manipulation skills. The teachers and students were not very satisfied with the current acupuncture manipulation skill education. In the competition, only the item of reciting the classics achieved more than 90 scores, which just displayed the memory ability. The results of the manipulation competition were generally not very high. It is suggested that concerning to teaching acupuncture and moxibustion in the future, the ratio of class time for improving the practice ability on the human body should be increased and the practice on some manipulation techniques such as inserting the needle by holding the needle tip with the pressing hand, reinforcing-reducing technique by twirling and rotating the needle and warming needle technique should be intensified. It is necessary to enhance the interpretation, emphasis and supplementation on the keys and details of some manipulations of acupuncture and moxibustion.
Acupuncture ; education ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Universities

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1) signaling pathway in H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells.

METHODSPC12 cells were exposed to 50 micromol/L H(2)O(2) after pretreatment with 10 micromol/L U73122, a specific PLC-gamma1 inhibitor. Hoechst/PI double staining was performed to observe the morphological changes of the cells under light microscope. MTT assay was used to evaluate the cell viability, and the percentage of apoptotic cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. DNA fragmentation assay was carried out to characterize the cell apoptosis.

RESULTSAfter inhibition of the PLC-gamma1 signaling pathway with 10 micromol/L U73122, PC12 cells showed obvious apoptotic morphology, the viable cells decreased significantly, and the percentage of apoptotic cells rose to 35.7%. PC12 cells treated with U73122 presented with a distinct DNA ladder on electrophoresis resulting from DNA cleavage in the apoptotic cells.

CONCLUSIONPLC-gamma1 signaling pathway plays an important protective role in H(2)O(2)-induced PC12 cell apoptosis.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Estrenes ; pharmacology ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; pharmacology ; PC12 Cells ; Phospholipase C gamma ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Pyrrolidinones ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of polysaccharide fraction of Cordyceps sinensis (PSCS) on triptolide (TPL)-induced apoptosis in the HL-60 cells and the involved molecular mechanism.

METHODSThe cultured leukemia HL-60 cells were divided into three groups: control group, TPL group (cells were treated with 5 ng/ml TPL only), and PSCS+TPL cells group (cells treated with 5 ng/ml TPL and 100 microg/ml or 200 microg/ml PSCS for 18 h). Cell viability was tested by MTT assay and apoptotic cells were quantitatively measured by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI double stain.The expressions of Caspase-3, 6, 7, 9 and NF-kappa B proteins were tested by Western blot.

RESULTMTT assay showed that different concentrations of PSCS inhibited the cell viability. Flow cytometry indicated that TPL markedly increased the apoptosis rate of the HL-60 cells, and PSCS enhanced the apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot showed that TPL did not inhibit the expression of the Caspase-3, 6, 7, 9 and NF-kappa B proteins, and when cells were treated with PSCS, the expression of proteins decreased with the PSCS concentration rising.

CONCLUSIONPSCS can enhance TPL-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells and inhibit the expression of NF-kappa B and Caspase 3,6,7,9,which might be the possible signaling pathway of inducing apoptosis.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspases ; metabolism ; Cordyceps ; chemistry ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Synergism ; Epoxy Compounds ; pharmacology ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Phenanthrenes ; pharmacology ; Polysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Objective To establish a noninvasive prenatal testing(NIPT) method based on the chromosome specific site sequencing instead of the conventional whole genome sequencing.Methods Blood plasma samples from 200 pregnant women with known fetus karyotypes were collected.First,the specific loci on chromosome 13,18 and 21 were selected by the database filter.Then,these specific loci were captured by probes,and were performed sequencing.Finally,chromosome aneuploidy was identified by the Z-score.ResultsSeven fetuses with 21-trisomy syndrome,3 with 18-trisomy syndrome and 1 with 13-trisomy syndrome were detected by the chromosome specific site sequencing,and the results were accordant with those of the whole genome sequencing method.Conclusion The NIPT method based on the chromosome specific site sequencing has the advantages of low cost and high throughput,which may replace the NIPT method based on the whole genome sequencing.

Adult ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; complications ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Liver Failure ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Th1 Cells ; metabolism

Effective biomarkers for clinical usage of osteoarthritis are still limited. It was confirmed that C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX- II) was a specific marker reflecting degradation of articular cartilage. Detection of CTX- II could promptly reflect level of cartilage injury and degradation ,diagnose OA,predict its progress,monitor effects of drug treatment, thus, reflect the condition of osteoarthritis patient indirectly. Application of CTX- II focused mainly on in the early stage of OA and need together to detect with other biomarkers,in order to more accurately reflection of the pathological changes of OA,but the specific clinical significance of CTX- II results still need to improve further.
Biomarkers ; analysis ; Cartilage, Articular ; pathology ; Collagen Type II ; analysis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis ; diagnosis ; Peptide Fragments ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo reduce the risk of infection during the induction therapy while to ensure remission rates, and to evaluate the protocol ALL-2005.

METHODSThe minimal residual disease (MRD) was detected by flow cytometry on day 35 and 55 of induction therapy. The efficacy of induction and the clinic grouping were evaluated by MRD level. From May 1, 2005 to April 30, 2007, 158 children with newly diagnosed ALL were enrolled in this study. According to clinic grouping criteria of ALL-2005, patients were stratified into 3 groups: low-risk( LR), intermediate-risk (MR) and high-risk (HR). The remission rates, therapy related complication during induction, and the relationship between MRD level on day 35 and 55 of induction and prognosis were analyzed. The endpoints are disease-free survival (DFS), relapse and death of any cause. Patients lost to follow-up were censored at the time of their withdrawal.

RESULTSOf the 158 patients, 59 were LR, 93 MR and 6 HR. The CR rate on day 35 was 98.1%. There were detectable MRD in 139 (88.0%) patients. In 94 patients (68.6%) MRDs were < or = 0.01% on day 35 being 73.1% (49/67) for LR and 63.4% (45/71) for MR (P = 0.219). During induction therapy, 43 patients (27.2%) developed infection and among them 1.3% (2/158) suffered serious infection and 0.6% (1/158) died of complication. Four patients (2.5%) in CR were lost follow-up, 17 patients (10.8%) relapsed, including 4 patients (4.3%) with MRD < or = 0.01% and 10 (23.3%) >0.01% on day 35 (P = 0.003). One died of severe malnutrition and infection in CR. With a median follow-up of 20 (12-35) months, the estimated 30 month DFS for whole group was (81.6 +/- 4.5)% including (94.1 +/- 3.3)% for LR, (82.8 +/- 4.4)% for MR, and (91.0 +/- 5.4)% for MRD < or = 0.01%, (67.1 +/- 9.5)% for MRD >0.01% on day 35 and (89.1 +/- 5.3)% for MRD < or = 0.01% and (46.9 +/- 15.6)% for MRD >0.01% on day 55.

CONCLUSIONThe risk of infection and therapy related death during induction with protocol ALL-2005 are lower, while the remission rate and quality of the induction are better. Longer follow-up is needed to estimate the long-term result.

Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; drug therapy ; Prognosis ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study on basic Volt-ampere (V-A) characteristics of human acupoints and the changes with physiologic and pathologic changes, and probe their biophysical basis.

METHODSThe research works of this research group about V-A characteristics of acupoints in recent 10 years were systematized and analyzed.

RESULTSV-A characteristic curve of human acupoints is of the both characteristics of non-linear and inertia. Compared with controlled point, the lower electric resistance characteristic of acupoints is not popular and the lower inertia is popular. V-A area of acupoints has no obvious circadian rhythms and the inertia area of a large part of acupoints has obvious circadian rhythms, with the phase of peak value corresponding to the phase of valley value of body temperature rhythms. V-A characteristics of acupoints in the patients of heart disease or stomach diseases changes obviously, and these changes have a certain specificities of acupoints. After remission of the lesion, the V-A characteristics of acupoints restore normal. The V-A area and the inertia area of acupoints in the corpse are obviously smaller than the normal person, with disappearance of the characteristics of both the non-linear and inertia of the normal person.

CONCLUSIONHuman acupoints have characteristics of non-linear and inertia, and the non-linear characteristic reflects complexity of physiology and behavior, while the inertia characteristic is related with energy metabolism of acupoints. The inertia area can more sensitively reflect human physiologic and pathological changes as compared with the V-A area, so it is an important index for the studies on electric characteristics of acupoints in the future.

Acupuncture Points ; Biophysical Phenomena ; Biophysics ; Electric Conductivity ; Heart Diseases ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Stomach Diseases ; physiopathology

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air can participate in photochemical reactions, which lead to the generation of secondary pollutants such as ozone and aerosol. So real-time and accurate monitoring of atmospheric VOCs plays an important role in the study of the causes of air pollution. On the basis of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) research, a novel dipolar proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer (DP-PTR-MS) for real-time and on-line monitoring atmospheric VOCs was developed. Compared with the conventional PTR-MS with one kind of reagent ion H3O+, DP-PTR-MS had three kinds of reagent ions H3O+, OH-, (CH)2COH+, which could be switched according to the actual detection need. So DP-PTR-MS can improve the qualitative ability and expand the detection range effectively. The reagent ion H3O+can be used for detecting VOCs whose proton affinities are greater than that of H2O. The reagent ion OH-can be used to identify VOCs cooperating with the reagent ion H3O+,and can also be used for detecting some inorganic substances such as CO2. The reagent ion (CH3)2COH+can be used for accurately detecting NH3under interference elimination circumstances. The limit of detection (LOD) and sensitivity of DP-PTR-MS were measured by using six kinds of standard gases. The results showed that the LOD for detecting toluene was 7×10-12(V/V) and the sensitivity for detecting ammonia has reached 126 cps/10-9 (V/V). The ambient air in Hefei city was on-line and real-time monitored for continuous 78 hours with DP-PTR-MS. The results showed that the newly developed DP-PTR-MS could be used for long-term and real-time monitoring atmospheric VOCs with the concentration of 10-12(V/V) level. DP-PTR-MS is an important tool for the study of the causes of atmospheric pollution and the monitoring of trace VOCs emissions.

Objective To determine the effect of berberine on cell cycle of Candida albicans.Methods Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to determine the effect of berberine on cell cycle of Candida albicans.After Candida albicans (ATCC76615) was incubated in yeast extract peptone dextrose (YPD)medium which contained different concentration of berberine for 6 hours,12 hours and 48 hours respectively,the cell cycle was detected by FCM.The proliferation index(PI) was calculated.Results PI was significantly inhibited when Candida albicans (ATCC76615)was incubated with berberine for 12 hours (0 g/L:98.8,0.04 g/L:82.4,0.08 g/L:75.6,0.16 g/L:54.1).Conclusions The berberine could inhibit the cell cycle of Candida albicans in vitro,wbich may be the potential mechanism of antifungal effect of berberine against Candida albicans.