SWNTs are a mixture of 1/3 metallic SWNTs (m-SWNTs) and 2/3 semiconducting SWNTs (s-SWNTs). It is desirable to separate the metallic SWNTs from the semi-conducting ones. In this study m-SWNTs was separated by using a poly[(m-phenylenevinylene)-alt-(p-phenylenevinylene)] (PmPV) derivative and used as photo-thermal media instead of SWNTs. The separation effects of m-SWNTs were evaluated by Raman spectra, molecular modeling and TEM images. The effects of m-SWNTs on MCF-7 cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated with MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. m-SWNTs were separated with high purity. A strong inhibition of MCF-7 cell growth was observed with the m-SWNTs under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation. Our results will be helpful for the potential applications of m-SWNTs in clinical photothermal cancer therapy.
Apoptosis ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Light ; MCF-7 Cells ; drug effects ; Models, Molecular ; Nanotubes, Carbon

Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Language Development ; Sampling Studies

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Azithromycin ; pharmacology ; Bacteremia ; microbiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Culture Media ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Methicillin Resistance ; Middle Aged ; Penicillin G ; pharmacology ; Salmonella paratyphi A ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; drug effects ; isolation & purification

Objective To investigate the reliability of a novel rating scale, unified multiple system atrophy rating scale, section Ⅰ(UMSARS-Ⅰ) in the evaluation of illness severity in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). Methods A retrospective analysis and a prospective follow-up study were conducted by using UMSARS-Ⅰ in 46 patients with MSA, and the Schwab and England scale was employed and illness severity was graded. The reliability, validity and sensitivity to change of UMSARS-Ⅰ in evaluating the illness severity of MSA were estimated. Results UMSARS-Ⅰ enjoyed high internal consistency (standard Crohnbach's ?=0.88) and sound content, criterion-related, construct and discriminant validity in the evaluation of illness severity of MSA, and a moderate sensiti-vity to change was found(effect size=0.61). Conclusion UMSARS-Ⅰ is a reliable and multidimensional semi-quantitative scale in the measurement of severity and progression of impairment in MSA.

This paper summarize the practice in the teaching reform of microbiology experiment in recent years. We identify the main contents of experimental teaching systems and pay much more attention to peo-ple-oriented. Through the reform of teaching and assessment methods,students are trained to cultivate their practical ability and spirit of innovation.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of family environment in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in clinics, and analyse the risk factors for ADHD. Methods Two thousand two hundred and ninety-six children with inattention, hyperactivity or unfavourable school performance were subjected to diagnosis with DSM-Ⅳ criteria in clinics. The characteristics of family environment were investigated by self-prepared questionnaires. The risk factors for ADHD were explored by univariate analysis and noneonditioned multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results Seven hundred and twenty children were diagnosed with ADHD. There were significant differences in family environment between children with ADHD and those without(P<0.05 or P<0.01). The risk factors for ADHD included discord between parents, parental smoking and maternal depression during pregnancy and after delivery, while older age, female, paternal higher educational background were protective factors for ADHD. Conclusion Unfavourable family environment may be associated with the prevalence of ADHD, and special attention should be paid to the family environment in the treatment of ADHD.

Objective To study the efficacy and safety of tacalcitol combined with monochromatic excimer light (MEL) 308 nm vs MEL 308 nm monotherapy in treating vitiligo.Methods Thirty-eight pa- tients with vitiligo were enrolled in the single-blind clinical trial,using plabebo-treated lesions in the same patient as controls.Contralateral or nearby lesions were randomly selected to be treated by either tacalcitol or placebo.All lesions were treated weekly with MEL 308 nm,for a total of 12 sessions.Patients were ex- amined at monthly intervals.The mean number of sessions and the cumulative dosage for initial and excel- lent repigrnentation were calculated.Results Thirty-five patients were evaluated.The mean?SEM cumu- lative dose and number of MEL exposures for initial repigmentation,respectively,were 4.27?3.59 J/cm~2 and 4.89?3.16 on tacalcitol-treated site,5.36?4.12 J/cm~2 and 5.69?3.29 on placebo-treated site,re- spectively (both P＜0.05).For excellent repigrnentation,the cumulative dose and number of exposures were 7.72?5.64 J/cm~2 and 7.79?4.70 respectively on tacalcitol-treated site,and 8.18?4.87 J/cm~2 and 8.4?3.92 respectively on placebo-treated site (both P＞0.05).Treatment with tacalcitol resulted in a sig- nificantly higher percentage (71.4% vs 54.3%) of repigmentation than that with placebo.Conclusions Our results show that MEL 308 nm is safe and effective for the treatment of vitiligo.Additionally,concur- rent topical tacalcitol potentiates the efficacy of MEL 308 nm in the treatment of vitiligo;this combination achieves more rapid pigmentation with a lower total MEL dosage.

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the diagnostic value of color Doppler ultrasonography for epididymitis.

METHODSHigh frequency color Doppler ultrasonography was performed in 42 patients with epididymitis and 21 health volunteers.

RESULTSCompared with control group, epididymis enlarged significantly all in head, body and tail in 92% of patients with epididymitis. Bilateral epididymitis occurred in 73% of patients. Color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), in patient group, showed the markedly increased flow signals bright in bundle in epididymis. Mild hydroccele of testis and orchitis were companied in most patients(93%). Orchitis was often complicated in the patients with long history.

CONCLUSIONSHigh frequency color Doppler ultrasonography can be a preferred exam method and has diagnostic value for epididymitis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Epididymitis ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; methods

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic angiogenesis effect of naotai recipe (NR) on local ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of rats by observing signaling pathway of hypoxia-inducible factor-lα (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

METHODSTotally 120 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, namely, the normal control group (n =12), the sham-operation group (n =12), the I/R model group (n =48), and the NR group (n =48). Cerebral I/R injury models were established using thread suture method. Rats in the I/R model group and the NR group were sub-divided into 4 sub-groups according to the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th I/R day (n =12). The phenomenon of neovasculization was observed by immunofluorescence staining. The protein and mRNA expression levels of HIF-la, VEGF-A, and VEGFR II receptor were detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThere were a large amount of labels for neovasculization in the ischemic area of the NR group. Double-immunofluorescence labeling [vWF (red) and BrdU (green)] was observed in the NR group. Compared with the model group, the HIF-1α protein expression was obviously enhanced on the 1 st day of I/R (P <0.01), and the VEGF protein expression started to enhance on the 3rd day in the NR group (P <0.01). The VEGFR protein expression level was the highest in the NR group on the 5th day of I/R (P <0.01). The protein expression of VEGF and HIF-1α started to decrease on the 7th day of I/R.

CONCLUSIONNR could strengthen angiogenesis after I/R by elevating the expression of HIF-lα and activating HIF-lα/VEGF signaling pathway.

Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; Cerebral Infarction ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; metabolism ; Ischemia ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; Signal Transduction ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis

AIM:To compare the reliability and plaque area between using high-cholesterol diet and high-cho-lesterol diet with corn oil to establish a rabbit atherosclerotic model .METHODS:Eighteen New Zealand rabbits were ran-domly divided into 3 groups (6 rabbits each):normal diet group (group C), high-cholesterol diet group (group H1) and high-cholesterol diet containing 6%corn oil group (group H2).All rabbits were fed for 12 weeks, and their body mea-sured was weighed at the end of every weeks .The serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C) , low-den-sity lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C) , total cholesterol ( TC) and triglyceride ( TG) were measured by automatic chemistry analyzer at 0 week and 12 weeks.At the end of 12 weeks, the thoracic aorta of 8-cm length since aortic root was isolated from the rabbit after anesthesia , and stained with Sudan IV or oil red O to verify the existence of plaque .The percentage of plaque area (PA/IA) in the intima area was further calculated by ImageJ 2x software.RESULTS:At the end of 12-week feeding, the serum levels of HDL-C, LDL-C and TC in both group H1 and group H2 were significantly higher than those in group C, and serum TG in group H2 was significantly higher than that in group C .Serum HDL-C in group H2 was signifi-cantly higher than that in group H1, but no significant difference of serum LDL-C, TC and TG between group H1 and group H2 was found .There was no plaque in the intima in group C , and plaques were observed in the intima of all rabbits in group H1 and group H2.Rabbit atherosclerotic models in both group H 1 and group H2 were established with a success rate of 100%.The values of PA/IA in group H1 [(49.74 ±18.78)%] and group H2 [(56.95 ±26.74)%] were both sig-nificantly higher than that in group C (0%), and no significant difference of PA/IA between group H1 and group H2 was observed.CONCLUSION:High-cholesterol diet with or without corn oil can establish a rabbit atherosclerotic model with a success rate of 100%after 12-week feeding , and the percentage of plaque area in the total aortic intimal area is not differ-ent in the 2 feeding methods .