ed in vitro and in vivo,which was inhibited by aspirin treatment.

From original concept and literature of acupoint, the concept and clinical significance of ashi method is discussed, which clarifies that the essence of ashi method is to locate the acupoints by patients' sensitivity on force. The clinical application of heat-sensitive moxibustion has illustrated that positioning method of this therapy is based on the appearance of heat-sensitive moxibustion sensation. Although both types are based on patients' feeling, positioning method of heat-sensitive moxibustion stands on a new angle and uses a new method to locate acupoint. Therefore, it is believed that the positioning method of heat-sensitive moxibustion is the inheritance and development of ashi method.
Acupuncture Points ; China ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Moxibustion ; history ; methods ; Sensation

Objective To describe the characteristics of sexual debut among college students in China to provide appropriate sex education in that population. Methods An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted among 33 653 college students selected by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method in 18 provinces and cities of China. Results The percentage of students who had initiated sexual intercourse before age 14 was 1.9%. Overall, male students (2.8%) were significantly more likely to have initiated sexual intercourse before age 14, than female students (1.1%). The percentage of students who had initiated sexual intercourse from age 15 to 18 was 6.4% in males versus 2.1% in females. while the rates of students who had initiated sexual intercourse after age 19 were 6.9% in males and 2.6% in females. The first sexual intercourse was significantly associated with parental educational attainment, geographic location and family structure. Students whose parents were relatively well educated, living in the western areas of the country China, or with nucleus/extensive families were more likely to have early sex in their puberties. Conclusion Sexual education should be strengthened especially in the western areas, and targeted on the students whose parents with relatively higher educational background or who were from extensive families.

OBJECTIVETo establish the computer aided design (CAD) software platform of individualized abutment for the maxilla central incisor.

METHODSThree-dimentional data of the incisor was collected by scanning and geometric transformation. Data mainly included the occlusal part of the healing abutment, the location carinae of the bedpiece, the occlusal 1/3 part of the artificial gingiva's inner surface, and so on. The all-ceramic crown designed in advanced was "virtual cutback" to get the original data of the abutment's supragingival part. The abutment's in-gum part was designed to simulate the individual natural tooth root. The functions such as "data offset", "bi-rail sweep surface" and "loft surface" were used in the process of CAD.

RESULTSThe CAD route of the individualized all-ceramic abutment was set up. The functions and application methods were decided and the complete CAD process was realized.

CONCLUSIONSThe software platform was basically set up according to the requests of the dental clinic.

Ceramics ; Computer-Aided Design ; Crowns ; Dental Implants ; Dental Porcelain ; Dental Prosthesis Design ; Humans ; Incisor ; Maxilla

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of mutant hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) adenovirus (Adeno-HIF-1α-Ala402-Ala564) on cardiomyocytes (CMCs) differentiation from the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) co-cultured with CMCs.

METHODSFollowing groups were studied: HIF-1α group (MSCs + CMCs + Ad-HIF-1α), LacZ group (MSCs + CMCs + Ad-LacZ), Sham group (MSCs + CMCs + PBS) and MSC + HIF-1α Group (MSCs + Ad-HIF-1α). MSCs were co-cultured with myocardial cells in proportion of MSCs:CMCs 1:2, after 24 hours, cells were infect with virus (MOI = 100) or treated with PBS, cardiac troponin (cTnT) expression in MSCs was detected 7 days post infection by immunochemical analysis, mRNA expression of HIF-1α, TGF-β(1), Smad4, NKx2.5, GATA-4 was also detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSHIF-1α increased MSCs differentiation to myocardial cells (differentiation rate 32.68% ± 6.52% vs. 8.28% ± 0.09% in the LacZ group and 10.25% ± 2.20% in the Sham group and 0.32% ± 0.05% in the MSC group (all P < 0.05 vs. HIF-1α group). mRNA expression of HIF, TGF-β(1), Smad4, NKx2.5 and GATA-4 was also significantly upregulated in HIF-1α group all P < 0.05 vs. Sham group).

CONCLUSIONHIF-1α promoted MSCs, co-cultured with myocardial cells, differentiating to cardiomyocytes via upregulating TGF-β(1)/Smad4 signaling pathway.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cells, Cultured ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Smad4 Protein ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo report the results of clinical characteristics, enzyme activity determination and mutation analysis of GLB1 gene in a Chinese patient with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type IVB (Morquio B disease).

METHODA 14-year-old Chinese boy with MPS type IVB was firstly diagnosed by blood leucocytes galactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (GALNS) and β-galactosidase (GLB1) determination, who was characterized by short stature, multiplex skeletal abnormalities, difficulty in walking. PCR-sequencing analysis was applied to detect the mutations in GLB1 of the patient.

RESULTThe patient was characterized by dwarfism, pectus carinatum, kyphosis, normal intelligence, and no neurologic damage of spasms, linguistic capacity and so on. The patient had normal GALNS enzyme activity and very low GLB1 enzyme activity [5.03 nmol/(h·mg) vs. normal value 118 - 413 nmol/(h·mg) ] in leukocytes. A compound heterozygous missense mutations c.442C > T(p.R148C)/c.1454A > G(p.Y485C) in GLB1 gene were detected in this patient. The mutation p.Y485C is a novel variant. With the method of gene analysis of new variant, the mutation p.Y485C was considered to be a pathogenic mutation.

CONCLUSIONThe MPS IVB patient showed severe multiple skeletal deformities, normal intelligence, no neurologic damage and very low GLB1 enzyme activity, who carries compound heterozygous mutations p.R148C/p.Y485C. The mutation p.Y485C in GLB1 gene may be a novel pathologic mutation of MPS type IVB.

Adolescent ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Chondroitinsulfatases ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Humans ; Joints ; pathology ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mucopolysaccharidosis IV ; enzymology ; genetics ; pathology ; Mutation, Missense ; Pedigree ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Radiography ; Spine ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; beta-Galactosidase ; genetics ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDAs the Shanghai Obstetrical Cardiology Intensive Care Center, our hospital has accumulated a large number of clinical data of pregnant women with heart disease. This paper is a retrospective analysis of 1142 pregnancies in women with heart disease so as to evaluate the maternal and fetal outcomes of these patients.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was carried out for pregnancies in 1142 women with heart disease who delivered in Shanghai Obstetrical Cardiology Intensive Care Center between 1993 and 2007.

RESULTSIn this study, main heart diseases in pregnancy were arrhythmia (n = 359, 31.4%), congenital heart disease (CHD; n = 291, 25.5%), and myocarditis and its sequelae (n = 284, 24.9%); based on the functional classification criteria of New York Heart Association (NYHA), more than half (n = 678, 59.4%) of patients were classified NYHA Class I; pregnant women in NHYA Class I-II (n = 951, 83.3%) commonly had arrhythmia, myocarditis and its sequelae, while those in NHYA Class III-IV (n = 191, 16.7%) mainly had CHD, rheumatic heart disease (RHD), cardiopathy induced by hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy, and peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Cardiac failure occurred in 97 (8.5%) patients, and 8 (0.7%) maternal deaths and 12 (1.1%) perinatal deaths were reported in this study. Compared with those in NHYA Class I-II, women in NHYA Class III-IV had a significantly lower gestational age at birth (P < 0.05), lower birth weight (P < 0.01), and higher incidence of preterm delivery, small for gestational age and perinatal death (P < 0.01). The incidence of cardiac failure in pregnant women with cardiopathy induced by hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy and PPCM was relatively high, with a rate of 80% and 52.2%, respectively. After cardiac operation, 131 (90.3%) women were in classified NHYA Class I-II and 14 (9.7%) in NHYA Class III-IV.

CONCLUSIONSArrhythmia is the type of heart disease that has a highest incidence in patients with heart disease in pregnancy, while main types of heart disease that impair cardiac function are CHD and RHD; cardiac failure is more frequently caused by cardiopathy induced by hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy and PPCM; impaired cardiac function increases perinatal morbidity; cardiac surgery before pregnancy could improve the cardiac function.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; complications ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: To explore the status of PM 2.5 pollution in school classrooms and the student exposure level, and to provide basic data to safeguard the health of students. Methods: This study continuously monitored the PM 2.5 levels of 16 naturally ventilated classrooms in eight primary and secondary schools in Jiamusi for one academic year using an online environmental monitoring instrument. At the same time, outdoor PM 2.5 data was captured for comparative research, and student exposure to PM 2.5 during school hours was evaluated. Results: The average concentration of PM 2.5 in the classroom in the spring and autumn semesters was (26.93±24.7) and (31.85±30.37)μg/m 3, respectively, and the indoor/outdoor ratio ( I/O ) was 0.92 and 0.95, respectively, which indicated a strong correlation between them. The daily average concentration of all classrooms during both semesters was ( 28.93 ±26.85)μg/m 3, which was slightly higher than the average concentration of (27.53±26.53)μg/m 3 during the daytime when students were in school. In addition, the concentration on workdays was higher than that observed on weekends, and this was termed the "weekend effect". The indoor PM 2.5 concentration was lower on higher floors. The comprehensive exposure concentration of students during school was 28.48 μg/m 3 in spring semester and 31.87 μg/m 3 in autumn semester. Conclusion PM 2.5 levels in the classrooms varied according to time, the horizontal space, and the vertical space, and the level of indoor PM 2.5 pollution largely depended on outdoor pollution sources. Differences in PM 2.5 exposure were observed between.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways in the regulation of benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P)-induced c-Jun activation in human embryo lung fibroblasts (HELFs).

METHODSHELFs were cultured with 2.0 micromol/L B(a)P for various time (0, 3, 6, 12, 24 h) or with various concentration of B(a)P (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 micromol/L) for 12 h. Western blot was performed to examine the effect of B(a)P on c-Jun activation. The dominant negative mutants of p38, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) were applied to establish stable transfectant, and to detect the relationship of MAPK signal molecules and c-Jun activation in B (a) P-treated cells.

RESULTSB(a)P treatment resulted in a marked activation of c-Jun in time-dependent manner with a peak at 12 h (the densitometric ratios of phosphorylated c-Jun Ser63, Ser73 to actin were 20.1, 15.2 times for control respectively) and in dose-dependent manner. However, there was no evident change on total c-Jun expression in B(a)P-treated HELFs. Moreover, B(a)P-induced activation of c-Jun was inhibited by stable expression of dominant negative mutants of JNK or ERK, but not by dominant negative mutant of p38.

CONCLUSIONJNK and ERK signaling pathways, but not p38 pathway regulate B(a)P-induced c-Jun activation in HELFs.

Benzo(a)pyrene ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Embryo, Mammalian ; cytology ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; metabolism ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Lung ; cytology ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship of stroke and plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level and the mutation of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene.

METHODSThree hundred patients with stroke were included as the case group in this study while 300 subjects without stroke matched with the case group for sex and age were collected as the control group. Plasma Hcy level was measured using HPLC and MTHFR 667C-->T mutant was determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment analysis. The relationship of stroke and plasma Hcy level and the mutation of MTHFR gene was then analysed.

RESULTSThe plasma Hcy level of the case group was significantly higher than that of the control group (16.92 +/- 3.43 micromol/L vs. 14.57 +/- 2.59 micromol/L, P <0.05). There was no significant difference in mutation rate of MTHFR C677T between stroke group and control group (P >0.05), as well as between ischemic stroke group and homorrhagic stroke group (P >0.05). The mutation of MTHFR C677T had no significant influence on the Hcy level (15.28 +/- 2.17 micromol/L vs. 15.11 +/- 3.81 micromol/L, P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONIncreased plasma Hcy level played an important role in the occurrence of stroke in Chinese people, and the mutation of MTHFR C677T was not associated with Hcy level or stroke which led to the speculation that plasma Hcy level was important in the prevention of cardio-cerebro-vascular diseases among Chinese people.

Case-Control Studies ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Point Mutation ; Stroke ; blood ; enzymology