Objective To investigate the occurrence and reporting of sharp injuries among health care workers (HCWs)at all levels of hospitals in Xuzhou City,provide evidences for formulating protective measures against sharp injuries and improving the reporting system.Methods From July to August 2016,13 hospitals in Xuzhou City were randomly selected by multi-stage stratified random sampling method,the general information,occurrence of sharp injuries,and reporting situation was performed questionnaire survey.Results A total of 2 694 valid question-naires were collected,incidence,case incidence,and reporting rate of sharp injuries were 10.32%,12.84%,and 30.64% respectively.Case incidence of sharp injuries among HCWs in primary,secondary,and tertiary hospitals were 44.83%,11.53%,and 12.52% respectively,case incidences of sharp injuries in different levels of hospitals were significantly different (χ2＝55.148,P＜0.001).The main opportunity for sharp injuries was when HCWs re-turned needle cap (79 cases,22.83%),the main device involving sharp injuries was hollow-bore needle (297 cases, 85.84%).Incidences of sharp injuries among HCWs receiving different training were significantly different (χ2＝66.760,P＜0.001).Conclusion Current situation of sharp injuries among HCWs in this region is not optimistic, there are some problems such as poor training efficacy,low reporting rate and low use rate of safety devices,effec-tive measures should be taken to establish an effective monitoring and tracking system for sharp injuries,so as to re-duce the occurrence of sharp injuries.

AIMTo study the modulation of extracellular pH on the voltage-gated potassium currents (I(Kv)) in isolated pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs).

METHODSI(Kv) was recorded using whole-cell patch clamp technique under the external solutions with different pH. The electrophysiological characteristics of I(Kv) were then analyzed.

RESULTS(1) As compared to the normoxic group, I(K), decreased under acidic condition. When the extracellular pH were 7.0, 6.5, 6.0, the peak currents at a potential of +60 mV were inhibited by 16.93% +/- 2.47% (P < 0.01), 33.03% +/- 2.13% (P < 0.01), 41.59% +/- 6.53% (P < 0.01) respectively, and the current-voltage relationship (I/V) curve shifted to the right. (2) When the extracellular pH was 7.0, 6.5, 6.0, the voltage-depended Gk-Em was shifted to the direction of positive and the activation was sped up.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that with the development of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV), extracellular pH may take part in the modulation of Kv channels partly, then make the cell depolarized and decrease the Kv currents, this will lead to open the L-type calcium channel and contract the pulmonary artery smooth muscle. It may be one of the mechanisms that hypoxic leads to HPV and finally accelerate the development of HPV.

Animals ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; metabolism ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated ; physiology ; Pulmonary Artery ; cytology ; metabolism ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

In our studies, we have applied a novel tool, microelectrode arrays (MEA), to investigate the electrophysiological properties of murine embryonic hearts in vitro. The electrical signals were recorded from the areas of the heart adhering to the 60 MEA electrodes, being called field potentials (FPs). As an extracelluar recording, the waveform of the FP appeared similar to a reversed action potential obtained from single cell by whole cell current clamp and the FP duration was comparable with the action potential duration. To study propagation of spontaneous electrical activity, we have compared the occurrence time of FPs recorded from different electrodes. It is shown that there was already an apparent A-V delay [(50.21+/-9.7) ms] at day 9.5 post coitum (E9.5) when heart was still tubular-like and atrium and ventricle were not separated anatomically, while occurence of FP at different electrodes of ventricular area were almost synchronous. Further, we looked into the modulation of spontaneous electrical activity during cardiac development: at E9.5 of embryonic development, 1 mumol/L of isoproterenol (Iso) increased beating frequency by (34.04+/-7.31)%, shortened the A-V delay by (20.00+/-6.44) % and prolonged FP duration. In contrast, 1 mumol/L of carbachol (CCh) slowed down beating frequency by (42.32+/-5.36) %, A-V conduction by (26.00+/-4.81) % and shortened FP duration; however at late stage (E16.5), the regulatory effect of Iso and CCh was strengthened. Therefore we conclude that cardiac conduction system is already established at E9.5 when the four-chambered heart is not formed yet and the regulation of spontaneous activity by sympathetic and para-sympathetic system is gradually matured during cardiac development.
Action Potentials ; physiology ; Animals ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; Fetal Heart ; physiology ; Heart Conduction System ; embryology ; physiology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Mice ; Microelectrodes

To evaluate in vitro release and transdermal behaviors of Zhitong cataplasm, modified Franz diffusion cell method was applied to investigate in vitro transdermal absorption of Zhitong cataplasm and the content of tetrahydropalmatine was determined by HPLC. In 24 hours, accumulative release rate of tetrahydropalmatine was 81. 9%, transmission rate was 2.26 microg x cm(-2) x h(-1). In 48 hours, accumulative transdermal rate and transmission rate of tetrahydropalmatine were 20.31%, 0.22 pg x cm(-2) x h(-1). So Zhitong cataplasm had a good release and transdermal properties and transdermal actions were consistent with zero-order kinetics process.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Berberine Alkaloids ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Mice ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Skin ; metabolism ; Skin Absorption

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of childhood asthma, and to find the distribution characteristics, precipitating factors, diagnosis and treatment status, and to provide scientific data for improving the prevention and management of asthma in children in Kunming City, China.

METHODSChildren were selected by random cluster sampling. A standardized preliminary questionnaire was used for screening out possible patients in the survey. Diagnosis of asthma was confirmed by diagnostic criteria in suspected asthmatic children. Asthmatic children were further asked for past diagnosis and treatment with the questionnaire of asthma in children.

RESULTSThe total asthma incidence rate was 1.40%. The prevalence of asthma in male and female children was 1.89% and 0.88% respectively (P<0.05). Children aged 0-5 years old had a higher prevalence of asthma (1.69%) than that of school-age children (6-14 years old, 1.21%). In all asthmatic children, 51.3% were previously diagnosed with classical asthma or cough variant asthma, 26.0% were suffered attacks from December to February, and 54.0% were suffered attacks at midnight or dawn. Respiratory tract infection (87.3%) was the most common triggers of asthma exacerbation. Antibiotics were used in 80.0%, bronchodilators in 66.0%, inhaled corticosteroid in 64.0%. A peak flow meter for monitoring lung function was used in 17% of asthmatic children over 5 years old.

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of asthma is associated with age and gender in children aged 0-14 years old in Kunming City. Acute asthma attack occurs mostly in winter and at midnight or dawn. Respiratory tract infection is the most common trigger of asthma exacerbation. Nearly a half of patients with asthma had not been diagnosed with asthma in the early stage. Most asthmatic children use antibiotics and only two-thirds use bronchodilators or inhaled corticosteroid in the treatment. The treatment and management of asthma in children awaits improvement as well.

Adolescent ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seasons

Constitutive activation of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) exists in a variety of leukemia, and induction of apoptosis through blocking NF-κB activation may be an alternative strategy for leukemia treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the inducing effect of modified adenovirus 5-based adenovirus vector (i.e. chimeric Ad5F35 Vec)-mediated expression of mutant IκBα (IκBαDN) on apoptosis of HL-60 cells. The recombinant Ad5F35-IκBαDN Vec carrying IκBαDN cDNA which deleted the first 1-70 amino acids coding sequences at 5' terminal of human IκBα was transfected into HL-60 cells. The apoptosis, NF-κB DNA binding activity, the expressions of IκBα, cIAP-2 and xIAP in HL-60 cells were detected by DNA binding assay, flow cytometry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot respectively. The results showed that apoptosis rates were 22.53 ± 2.999%, 6.08 ± 2.464% and 4.86 ± 1.366% for Ad5F35-IκBαDN Vec-infected or blank vector of Ad5F35-EGFP Vec-transfected and untransfected HL-60 cells respectively, which showed a significant difference between Ad5F35-IκBαDN Vec-transfected and untransfected cells (p < 0.001) and between Ad5F35-IκBαDN Vec-transfected and Ad5F35-EGFP Vec-transfected cells (p < 0.001, p < 0.002), while NF-κB DNA binding activity was decreased, the truncated IκBα was expressed, and IκBα mRNA expression was up-regulated, but the expression of cIAP-2 and xIAP mRNA was down-regulated after transduction for 48 hours. It is concluded that the chimeric Ad5F35 Vec can effectively mediate the expression of IκBαDN cDNA in HL-60 cells, leading to the inhibition of NF-κB DNA binding activity and inducing apoptosis of HL-60 cells.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Apoptosis ; Genetic Vectors ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; I-kappa B Proteins ; genetics ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; Transfection

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of osmotic pressure on myocardial contractility and the possible mechanism. Electrical stimulation was used to excite papillary muscles of the left ventricle of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The contractilities of myocardium in hyposmotic, isosmotic, and hyperosmotic perfusates were recorded. The influences of agonist and antagonist of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) on the contractility of myocardium under hyposmotic, isosmotic and hyperosmotic conditions were observed. The results were as follows: (1) Compared with that under isosmotic condition (310 mOsm/L), the myocardial contractility was increased by 11.5%, 21.5% and 25.0% (P<0.05) under hyposmotic conditions when the osmotic pressure was at 290, 270 and 230 mOsm/L, respectively; and was decreased by 16.0%, 23.7% and 55.2% (P<0.05) under hyperosmotic conditions when the osmotic pressure was at 350, 370 and 390 mOsm/L, respectively. (2) When ruthenium red (RR), an antagonist of TRPV4, was added to the hyposmotic perfusate (270 mOsm/L), the positive inotropic effect of hyposmia was restrained by 36% (P<0.01); and when RR was added to the hyperosmotic perfusate (390 mOsm/L), the inhibitory effect of hyperosmia on myocardial contractility was increased by 56.1% (P<0.01). (3) When 4-α-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (4α-PDD), an agonist of TRPV4, was added to the isosmotic perfusate (310 mOsm/L), the myocardial contractility did not change; and when 4α-PDD was added to the hyperosmotic perfusate (390 mOsm/L), the inhibition of myocardial contractility by hyperosmia was increased by 27.1% (P<0.01). These results obtained indicate that TRPV4 is possibly involved in the osmotic pressure-induced inotropic effect.
Animals ; Heart ; physiology ; Myocardial Contraction ; physiology ; Osmotic Pressure ; Phorbol Esters ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; TRPV Cation Channels ; physiology

Toxoplasma gondii is a serious foodborne zoonosis,which can not only affect the development of animal husbandry and the safety of meat products,but also cause great harm to public health.Therefore,the prevention of toxoplasmosis is crucial.Toxoplasma gondii vaccine which is regarded as an important measure to prevent toxoplasmosis has significant value to both public health and economics.This paper mainly summarizes advances in the study of Toxoplasma gondii vaccine in order to provide references for the further development of it,so as to control the toxoplasmosis more effectively.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects between electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) combined with intravenous drip of Granisetron and intravenous drip of Granisetron only for treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by the chemotherapy of the malignant tumor.

METHODSThe methods of multicentral, randomized controlled trial were used, the observation group (127 cases) was treated with electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) combined with intravenous drip of Granisetron, and the control group (119 cases) was treated with intravenous drip of Granisetron only.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of 90.5% in observation group was superior to that of 84.0% in control group (P < 0.01); the nausea and vomiting scores of two groups were obviously decreased after treatment (both P < 0.001), and the decreased degree of the observation group was superior to that of control group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) can significantly alleviate the symptoms such as nausea and vomiting caused by the chemotherapy of the patients.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; adverse effects ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; etiology ; therapy ; Neoplasms ; complications ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Vomiting ; etiology ; therapy ; Young Adult

Halofuginone (HF) is a derivative of dichroine which is the extract of traditional Chinese medicine. It is widely used as an efficient anticoccidial drug. Recent studies have found that HF has unique biological activities, showing great potential capacities in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In the article, we summarized the therapeutic effects of HF in a variety of autoimmune diseases and its mechanism, providing references for further clinical studies of HF.