Objective To identify the infection and the replication of Tick-borne encephalitis virus(TBEV) in human neuroblastoma cells.Methods After being inffected with TBEV,the cell culture supernatant of human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH was collected and assayed at different time points.Byusing real-time RT-PCR and plaque assay to measure the titer of virus in the supernatant,the replication andproliferation of TBEV in human neuroblastoma cell was identified.Meanwhile,the morphological change of SK-N-SH after TBEV infection was also visualized by observation under microscope and immunmquorescenceassay.Results Real-time RT-PCR and plaque assay both demonstrated that TBEV could replicate effectively in SK-N-SH cells,the peak titer could reach 2.92× 107 PFU/ml on 3 days post-inoculation.And significant morphological change occured on infected SK-N-SH cells after 2 days post inoculation.By immunofluorescence assay,the virus particles could be detected and visualized.Conclusion TBEV can replicate andproliferate effcctively and cause significant cell morphological changes in human neuroblastoma cell SK-N-SH,which demonstrated that SK-N-SH could be a suitable cell model for TBEV culture.

The endoscopic fine needle aspiration cytology may add to the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic biopsy and brush cytology. It is also of particular value in submucosal, infiltrative and ulceronecrotic tumors. Endoscopic fine needle aspiration cytology was done with sclerotherapy needle(23 gauge) in. the 17 patients with submucosal tumor(18 cases), extrinsic compression(2 cases), infiltrative gastric cancer(one case) and cancer of the ampulla of Vater(one case) on the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Endoscopic fine needle aspiration cytology established the diagnosis in 6 cases(submucosal tumor of the stomach; 2 cases, submucosal tumor of the duodenum; one case, extrinsic mass of the duodenum; one case, infiltrative cancer of the stomach; one case, and the cancer of ampulla of Vater; one case) of 17 cases. There were negative results for malignancy in 7 cases and material insufficiency in 4 cases. Five cases of the positive results with endoscopic fine needle aspiration cytology were not diagnosed with endoscopic forceps biopsies. There was no complication. We conclude that endoscopic fine needle aspiration cytology is a simple and safe technique and is of particular value in submucosal tumor, extrinsic compression of the upper gastrointestinal tract by tumor, and infiltrative gastric cancer.
Ampulla of Vater ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Diagnosis* ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Humans ; Sclerotherapy ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Surgical Instruments ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical results of surgical treatment for old pelvic fractures with reconstruction plate.

METHODSFrom February 2000 to February 2011, 24 patients with old pelvic fractures were treated with internal fixation with reconstruction plates. There were 10 males and 14 females, with an average age of 42 years (ranged, 20 to 62 years). The time from injury to operation was from 23 to 64 days with an average of 35 days. X-rays and CT scanning were performed in all patients. According to classification of Tile, Tile C was in 11 cases and Tile B was in 13 cases.

RESULTSEighteen patients were followed up for 6 to 48 months with an average of 24 months. According to Majeed criteria, 9 cases obtained excellent results, 5 good, 4 fair, with average score of (84.4 +/- 11.5).

CONCLUSIONPositively operative treatment, exactly preoperative evaluation, correctly reduction and fixation can obtain satisfactory results in treating old pelvic fractures.

Adult ; Bone Plates ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Bones ; injuries ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Acute lower respiratory tract infections are common causes of hospitalization in children and viruses are major causative agents. The causative viruses are known to be variable by age, region, or year. We investigated the recent 5-year epidemics of respiratory viruses for pediatric patients in two university hospitals in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 1996 through June 2001, viral agents were detected for the 2,317 pediatric patients who were hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection in Hanyang University Hospital and Hanyang University Guri Hospital. We obtained nasopharyngeal aspirates on the day of admission and detected the viruses by indirect immunofluorescent staining method (Respiratory panel I viral Screening & Identification Kit, Light Diagnostics, Chemicon, Temecula, CA, USA). RESULTS: The causative viral agents were detected in 737(31.76%) patients. They were respiratory syncytial virus of 53.6%, influenza A virus 38.6%, adenovirus 5.5%, influenza B virus 1.9%, and parainfluenzavirus 0.4%. The epidemics of RSV were found during winter, but the epidemics of influenza A were found more frequently in spring, which had tendency of following the epidemic of RSV. Adenovirus was detected sporadically throughout year. RSV was found more frequently in patient with bronchiolitis and pneumonia and also found more frequently in patient less than 6 month of age. Influenza A and adenovirus were in patients of pneumonia and in more frequently in patient one to two year of age. CONCLUSION: Viruses were the leading causative agents of acute lower respiratory tract infections in pediatric patients. RSV was the most important causative agent. Influenza A virus was the second frequent viral agent and detection rate was higher than other reports. The detection rate of parainfluenza virus was lower than other reports from Korea or from abroad.
Adenoviridae ; Bronchiolitis ; Child ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza B virus ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Pneumonia ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Respiratory Tract Infections

Circular dichroism (CD) is an useful technique for monitoring DNA conformation changes resulting from changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature, ionic strength, and pH, and also for the study of the interaction between DNA and ligands (including small molecules and proteins). CD spectroscopy of DNA arises from the asymmetric backbone sugars and by the helical structures often adopted by nucleic acids. By the interpretation of induced circular dichroism (ICD) of ligand signals resulting from the coupling of electric transition moments of the ligand, DNA bases within the asymmetric DNA environment, ligand-DNA interactions, as well as the DNA-binding mode can be assessed. A number of important conclusions have been reported that related to the observed ICD signals resulting from the interactions between intercalators and groove binders with DNA. If short oligonucleotide sequences are used in the study, sequences-specific of binding also can be deduced. CD determination requires smaller amounts of sample, and not limited by the molecular weight or size and can be performed rapidly; though CD is of low resolution, but it's a complement to NMR and X-ray diffraction methods. This review will introduce the characters of the CD spectra of DNA, and its application to the studies of DNA with small molecules; some progress of the studies in our laboratory will also be discussed. CD is expected to be used as a screening method in seeking more DNA-targeted drugs, such as, antineoplastic, antimicrobial and antiviral drugs.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; Base Sequence ; Circular Dichroism ; methods ; DNA ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Humans ; Intercalating Agents ; chemistry ; Ligands ; Protein Binding ; Small Molecule Libraries ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of Artemisia rupestris.

METHODThe chemical constituents were isolated by column chromatography on silical gel and sephadex LH - 20. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis.

RESULT8 compounds have isolated from this plant, and the structures of them have identified as rupestonic acid (1), chrysosplenetin B (2), artemetin (3), herniarin (4), isokaempferide (5), vanillic acid (6), kaempferol 3, 3', 4'-trimethyl ether (7) and ermanine (8).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 2-8 have been isolated from this plant for the first time.

Artemisia ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Umbelliferones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Brain ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meningitis, Listeria ; diagnosis ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVE To explore the neuro-protective effects of saffron (Crocus satius L.) on chronic focal cerebral ischemia in rats.METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:sham control group,MCAO group,edaravone group and saffron 30,100,300 mg·kg-1groups.Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO).Saffron was administered orally by once daily from 2 h to 42 d after ischemia. At 42 d after cerebral ischemia, neurological deficit score, spontaneous activity test,elevated plus maze test,marble burying test and novel objective recognition test were used to evaluate the effects of saffron on the behevioural change. Infarct volume, survival neuron density, activated astrocyte number, and the thickness of glial scar were also detected. GFAP expression and inflammatory cytokine contents in ischemic peripheral region were detected by Western blot and ELISA,separately.RESULTS Saffron(100,300 mg·kg-1)improved the body weight decrease, neurological deficit and spontaneous activity. Saffron (30-300 mg·kg- 1) increased the traveled distance ratio and total time in open arm, decreased the buried marble number, which indicated that saffron could ameliorate anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Saffron (100, 300 mg·kg-1)improved the learning and memory function,which manifested by increased discrimination ratio(DR)and discrim-ination index (DI) in T2test. The results of toluidine blue found saffron treatment (100, 300 mg·kg-1) decreased the infarct volume and increased the neuron density in cortex and hippocampal.The activated astrocyte number,the thickness of glial scar and GFAP expression in ischemic peripheral region decreased after saffron. Saffron (100, 300 mg·kg-1) decreased the contents of IL-6 and IL-1β, increased the content of IL-10 in ischemic peripheral region.CONCLUSION Saffron exerted neuro-protective effects on chronic focal cerebral ischemia,which could be related with inhibiting the activation of astrocyte and glial scar,following with the decrease of inflammatory reaction.

PURPOSE: This study was done to analyze how a death preparation education program have the effects on awareness of hospice palliative care and withdrawing life sustaining treatment in older adults. METHODS: This study employed a non-equivalent control group design among quasi-experimental designs. The experimental group was comprised with 35 adults and the control group with 40 adults. The death preparation program consisted of five two-hour sessions and was administered once a week for five straight weeks. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, chi2 test, Fisher's exact test, and ANCOVA using SPSS version 18.0. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 66.2 years. A significant difference between the experimental and control groups was observed in withdrawing life sustaining treatment (F=3.380, P=0.040). However, no significant difference was found in awareness of hospice palliative care (F=0.163, P=0.850). CONCLUSION: The study results indicate that death preparation training could positively affect people's awareness of withdrawing life sustaining treatment. More studies should be conducted to explore effects of death preparation education for all ages and help people better understand hospice palliative care.
Adult ; Education* ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Life Support Care ; Palliative Care*

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Secondary amyloidosis can occur as a complication of chronic systemic inflammatory and infectious diseases. Until now there has been no report of secondary amyloidosis associated with MS. We report herein a case of renal biopsy-proven secondary amyloidosis in a patient with MS. CASE REPORT: A 41-year-old woman with MS was hospitalized due to aggravated quadriparesis and edema in both lower extremities. Laboratory findings showed nephrotic-range proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia. A percutaneous renal biopsy procedure was performed, the results of which revealed secondary amyloid-A-type amyloidosis associated with MS. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of secondary amyloidosis associated with MS.
Adult ; Amyloidosis ; Biopsy ; Central Nervous System ; Communicable Diseases ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Edema ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Lower Extremity ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Proteinuria ; Quadriplegia