The information entropy, H = - Pk log Pk, has been proved in this paper to be always positive and invariant for a linear coordinate transformation, so that it can be used as a measuring index. On the contrary, the integral term of the information entropy, H(x) = -f(x) log f(x) dx, is not always positive and invariant for a linear coordinate transformation. Therefore, H(x) can not be used as a measuring index. An example of a probability density function for response of nerve to electric current with different intensities is given to confirm above conclusions.

Silk fibroin is a natural polymer with certain water solubility, structural modification, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, which can be used as a drug delivery carrier material. As a promising drug delivery system, drug-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles can control drug release, reduce toxicity and improve therapeutic effects. In this paper, the basic characteristics of silk fibroin, the preparation methods of drug-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles and the application of silk fibroin in nanoparticulate drug delivery systems are reviewed, and on this basis, the further development of drug-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles is prospected.

OBJECTIVETo study on effects of different manipulation methods of acupuncture on the binding ability of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT5) in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with DNA.

METHODSThirty healthy volunteers were randomly divided into 3 groups; reinforcing method group, reducing method group, normal control group, 10 cases in each group. The expression of STAT5 mRNA and the activation of STAT5 in the human PBMC were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA).

RESULTSIn the reinforcing method group, the basic transcription level of STATS mRNA in human PBMC and the binding ability of STAT5 with DNA significantly increased (P<0.01), but in the reducing method group, they did not significantly change as compared with those in the normal control group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONCytokines and JAK/STAT signal transduction pathway are in volved in immunoregulative actions of acupuncture of the reinforcing method, but the reasons of influencing the transcription level of STAT5 mRNA and the binding ability of STAT5 with DNA are unclear.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; RNA, Messenger ; STAT5 Transcription Factor ; Signal Transduction

Objective To evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy and safety of intense pulsed light (IPL) versus 595-nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) for the treatment of post-acne erythema.Methods A randomized split-face clinical trial was conducted.A total of 20 patients with post-acne erythema were enrolled,and randomized to receive treatment with IPL on one half of the face and 595-nm PDL on the other facial side once every 4 weeks for 3 sessions.Digital photographs were taken using the VISIA,and erythema index was recorded before each treatment and one month after the last treatment.The severity of bilateral facial erythema was evaluated based on a 4-point grading scale before the first treatment and after the last treatment.Pain scores and adverse reactions were recorded using a visual analogue scale (VAS) after each treatment,and a patient satisfaction survey was conducted by questionnaire at the last follow-up.Results The mean erythema index on the IPL side before and after treatment was 472.25 ± 86.02 and 357.15 ±82.71 respectively,and that on the PDL side before and after treatment was 476.40 ± 74.25 and 360.05 ± 64.83 respectively.Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the erythema indices on both treated sides significantly decreased over time (F =197.666,P ＜ 0.001),and the efficacy of IPL was better than that of PDL (F =1 173.909,P ＜ 0.001).Erythema severity grades on the IPL side as well as on the PDL side significantly differed between before and after treatment (Z =28.735,31.450,respectively,both P ＜ 0.001).As VAS showed,the pain score on the PDL side was significantly lower than that on the IPL side (t =2.468,P ＜ 0.05).Among the 20 patients,17 and 15 assessed their improvement as good or excellent after PDL and IPL treatment respectively,but there was no significant difference between the two groups (Z =2.696,P ＞ 0.05).The adverse reactions included erythema,burning sensation,tense sensation,blistering and hyperpigmentation on IPL-treated side,and erythema and purpuric reactions on the PDL-treated side,which all disappeared in a few hours to several days.Conclusions Both IPL and 595-nm PDL are effective and safe for the treatment of post-acne erythema,and are worthy of clinical promotion and application.IPL shows superiority in the efficacy,but elicits higher pain sensation compared with PDL.

It has gradually become a consensus in the industry that the traditional Chinese medicine gypsum should be decocted first, but the understanding of decocting method is not completely unified in the works of doctors since ancient times, and there are occasional disputes about whether it is necessary to decocting first. In this study, the phase determination, physical and chemical characterization, qualitative and quantitative analysis of inorganic and organic components of the decoctions of herbal pairs and the whole prescription Maxingshigan decoction with gypsum as the center, and the pre-decoctions and co-decoctions of them were carried out to explore the scientific connotation of the pre-decoctions of gypsum. Results show that decoction phases were different between the co-decoctions and pre-decoctions of licorice-gypsum (Gancao-Shigao, GC-SG), ephedra-gypsum (Mahuang-Shigao, MH-SG) and almond-gypsum (Xingren-Shigao, XR-SG). The results of the micromorphology, particle size and zeta potential of herbal pairs and prescription (Quanfang, QF) showed that the supramolecular particles in pre-decoctions were smaller, more uniform and more stable than the co-decoctions. The results of organic components analysis showed that different cooking methods did not change the organic composition and content. ICP-OES results showed that the content of inorganic components in pre-decoctions was higher than in co-decoctions for the same boiling time of gypsum. The IR results showed that the pre-decoctions had stronger chemical functional group effect than the co-decoctions. To sum up, compared with the co-decoction, the pre-decoction of gypsum has different phase state and chemical composition interaction, and the difference of inorganic composition is an important material basis affecting the change of phase state compared with the co-decoction. It indicates that the material basis of traditional Chinese medicine decoction is indeed different whether gypsum is decocted first or not, which can provide a basis for the clinical application of decocted gypsum.

Amid continuous development of new military revolutions,the cultivation of high-quality professionals practical ability is becoming increasingly important.By learning from the successful experience and practices from foreign systems for training practical skills of graduate students majoring in military pharmacy,the education mode and methods for training military pharmacy postgraduates were discussed in this paper in order to optimize the training mode of practical skills for students of military pharmacy,explore a suitable training mode in China,improve teaching methods and formulate a set of scientific and optimized strategies.It is hoped that the practical ability of military pharmacy graduate students will be improved considerably.

OBJECTIVETo compare laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF)and Toupet laparoscopic fundoplication (LTF) with respect to treatment outcomes and postoperative complications.

METHODSPubMed, Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing laparoscopic Nissen and Toupet fundoplication were included. Outcomes evaluation included occurrences of heartburn, reflux, difficulty swallowing, chest pain, abdominal distention, failure to hiccup, diarrhea, and early complications and degree of patient satisfaction at early (three to six months) and later (one to three years) post-operative periods.

RESULTSOf 939 patients in seven RCTs, 478 received LNF and 461 received LTF. For both groups, control of reflux was good and occurrence of heartburn was similar (P>0.05). A lower incidence of postoperative dysphagia for both early and later post-operative periods, but a higher overall complication rate in early post-operative period were observed in the LTF group (P<0.05). Patient satisfaction was similar (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSLNF and LTF are both safe and effective. The adoption of procedure should be based on the patient status and surgeon experience.

Fundoplication ; methods ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; surgery ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDPrenatal exposure to diaethylstilbestrol (DES) has been found to lead to intra-abdominal cryptorchidism, but the mechanism is still not completely clear. This study investigated the roles of the INSL3/LGR8 system and HOXA10 in DES-induced intra-abdominal cryptorchidism (DIIAC). The effect of DES on steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), that has been reported to control transcription of insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3), was also investigated.

METHODSFifty pregnant female SD rats at embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5) were randomly assigned to five groups that received a subcutaneous injections of dimethyl sulfoxide (control), 2.5 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or 20 mg/kg of DES. Male offspring were sacrificed at E19.5, and fetal mortality and the degree of transabdominal testicular ascent (DTA) were determined under a stereomicroscope. The mRNA expression of INSL3 and SF-1 in the testis and leucine rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptors 8 (LGR8) and homeobox-A10 (HOXA10) in the gubernaculum were determined by RT-PCR. The expression of INSL3 protein was determined by Western blotting.

RESULTSHigher fetal mortality and DTA were induced by DES in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the expression of INSL3 and SF-1 mRNA were down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01), as was INSL3 protein; HOXA10 in the 2.5 mg/kg group and LGR8 mRNA in the 2.5 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg groups were not significantly different (P > 0.05); HOXA10 mRNA in groups C, D, and E decreased significantly and LGR8 mRNA levels in groups D and E increased significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONSDES can inhibit transabdominal testicular descent in a dose-dependent manner via down-regulating the expression of INSL3, which is induced by down-regulating the expression of SF-1. HOXA10 may not be involved in DES induced intra-abdominal cryptorchidism at 2.5 mg/kg, but is involved at 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg. LGR8 may not be responsible for DES-induced transabdominal testicular maldescent.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cryptorchidism ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Diethylstilbestrol ; toxicity ; Estrogens, Non-Steroidal ; toxicity ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; drug effects ; genetics ; physiology ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; physiology ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Insulin ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; metabolism ; Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; genetics ; physiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Steroidogenic Factor 1 ; genetics ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the causes of orchiectomy in different age groups.

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data about 291 cases of orchiectomy performed between March 1993 and October 2014 and analyzed the causes of surgery and their distribution in different age groups.

RESULTSThe main causes of orchiectomy were testicular torsion (45.8%), cryptorchidism (32.5%) and testicular tumor (16.9%) in the patients aged 0-25 years, testicular tumor (42.4%), cryptorchidism (25.9%) and tuberculosis (10.6%) in those aged 26-50 years. Prostate cancer was the leading cause in those aged 51-75 years (77.6%) or older (84.0%)), and testicular tumor was another cause in the 51-75 years old men (10.2%). Prostate cancer, testicular tumor, cryptorchidism, and testicular torsion were the first four causes of orchiectomy between 1993 and 2009. From 2010 to 2014, however, testicular tumor rose to the top while prostate cancer dropped to the fourth place.

CONCLUSIONThe causes of orchiectomy vary in different age groups. The proportion of castration for prostate cancer patients significantly reduced in the past five years, which might be attributed to the improvement of comprehensive health care service.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Causality ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cryptorchidism ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Orchiectomy ; statistics & numerical data ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; surgery ; Testicular Neoplasms ; surgery ; Tuberculosis, Male Genital ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of using guided bone regeneration (GBR) technique with an bioresorbable collagen membrane for repairing bone defects around dental implants.

METHODSIn 12 mongrel dogs, pure titanium implants were immediately implanted in mandibles after extraction of the mandibular third and fourth premolars of both sides, in which standard bone defects of 3 mm x 3 mm x 5 mm were created at mesial side of the implants. The defects on right side were covered with Co membrane, the left side was uncovered as control. The dogs were sacrificed 1, 2, 4, 6 months postoperatively. The specimens were removed and studied by gross observation, X-ray radiograph, histological examination, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and pull-out test.

RESULTSThe quantity and quality of new bone formation in experimental side which bone defects covered with Co membrane were much better than that in the control side.

CONCLUSIONWith the biodegradable property and excellent biocompatibility, Co membrane can be used for guided bone regeneration to promote the bone repair progress, and the promotion acts mainly at early stage of bone healing.

Animals ; Bone Regeneration ; Collagen ; Dental Implantation, Endosseous ; Dental Implants ; Dogs ; Guided Tissue Regeneration, Periodontal ; Mandible ; Membranes, Artificial ; Titanium