Objective To understand the water quality of centralized water supply in Shanghai and provide the scientific data for further improvement of the health inspection and management of centralized water supply. Methods The management situation of centralized water supply, the water quality of water source, product water and tap water were investigated by using the methods in Analytical Methods for Water and Sanitary Standard for Drinking Water Quality (2001) in Shanghai in 2006. Results The current situation of management of 165 units of centralized water supply including 19 self-supply water plants in Shanghai was satisfactory. The analysis of drinking water showed that COD and total coliform in source water exceeded the standard limit remarkably(the eligible rates were 63.93% and 22.95% respectively), the eligible rates of COD, turbidity and manganese in product water and tap water were 25.45%, 18.18%, 27.88% and 18.06%, 13.89%, 11.81% respectively. Conclusion The results of the present investigation show that in Shanghai the main problems about the water quality are water source contamination by organic pollutants and the undeveloped water treatment.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of hypertension and the current status of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Chinese cardiovascular physicians. Methods A total of 4032 cardiovascular certified physicians were recruited from 386 medical centers in all 31 provinces and municipalities in mainland China between 1 June 2008 and 31 August 2008. Results The prevalence of hypertension in Chinese cardiovascular physicians was 12.1%, and there were gender differences and age group differences among them. Among hypertensive patients, the percentage of awareness, treatment and well-controlled of hypertension were 80.0%, 75.7% and 42.4%, respectively. There were age group differences between awareness rate and treatment rate. Conclusion There exist a considerable prevalence of hypertension in Chinese cardiovascular physicians surveyed, and the prevention and control should be further strengthened.

Objective To study the relationship of abnormal family history in the first degree relatives and the clinical phenotype of patients with polyeystic ovary syndrome(PCOS).Methods Clinical data of first degree relatives of 139 women with PCOS were collected by questionnaires,including body mass index(BMI),waist hip ratio(WHR),and hursutism score.Follicle stimulating hormone(FSH), luteinizing hormone(LH),prolactin(PRL),testosterone(T),androstenedione(A),oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)and insulin releasing test were measured.Results(1)Compared with patients with a negative family history of diabetes mellitus,for women with a positive family history,WHR(0.99?0.10 vs 0.79?0.08)and score of hirsutism(1.9?1.2 vs 1.8?1.2)were increased,the duration of menstruation was longer[(108?10)vs(92?19)days];A[(11?6)vs(8?5)nmol/L],homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR,3.5?2.0 vs 2.7?1.6),area under curve(AUC) glucose[(836?245)vs(748?139)nmol?L~(-1)?min~(-1)],AUC insulin[(9670?4582)vs(7330?4311) mIU?L~(-1)?min~(-1)],fasting glucose[(5.0?1.1)vs(4.8?0.5)mmol/L]and fasting insulin[(15?8)vs (11?8)mIU/L]were increased,while early insulin secretion function index(?I60/?G60,32?22 vs 52?30),insulin sensitive index(ISI,0.019?0.011 vs 0.033?0.014)and disposition index(DI,18? 10 vs 30?22;P

ObjectiveTo approach the taxonomy of polymer hydrogels prepared with composite material science methods.MethodsThe research results which have been obtained were synthesized and analysed in the light of multiscale design viewpoint,and the hydrogel composite materials were classified by the composite ways and its structural levels.Results and ConclusionA kind of taxonomy system was advanced in which new concepts of intermolecular composite,textural composite etc.were induced.Apply-ing these concepts and methods will be helpful to research on composite biomaterials.

OBJECTIVETo establish and evaluate chronic heart failure (CHF) rat model of Xin-qi deficiency complicated blood stasis and edema syndrome (XQD-BSES).

METHODSTotally 40 SD rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (Control), the propylthiouracil (PTU) group, the adriamycin (ADR), and the ADR + PTU group. Normal saline was used as equivalent solvent of each group. Rats in the Control group were intragastrically and intraperitoneally injected with normal saline. Rats in the PTU group were intragastrically injected with PTU suspension and intraperitoneally injected with normal saline. Rats in the ADR group were intragastrically injected with ADR solution and intraperitoneally injected with normal saline. And rats in the ADR + PTU group were intragastrically injected with PTU suspension and intraperitoneally injected with ADR solution. The dose of PTU was 0.2% of daily forage weight, once daily. The dose of ADR was 3.5 mg/kg, once per week. The modeling lasted for 6 weeks. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), urine output, ear temperature, exhaustive swimming test (EST), Tri-iodothyronine (T3), tetra-iodothyronine(T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) as well as heart, lung, liver weight indices and their pathological sections were integrated and compared.

RESULTSCompared with the Control group, LVEF, LVFS, BNP, HR, RR, heart, lung, liver weight indices, urine output, ear temperature, EST, and T3, T4, and TSH changed significantly in the ADR group, the PTU group, and the ADR + PTU group with statistical significance (P < 0.05), and pathological changes of heart failure occurred in pathological sections of heart, lung, and liver. Compared with the ADR group, LVEF, LVFS, BNP, and lung, liver weight indices, urine output, ear temperature, T3, T4, and TSH changed significantly in the ADR + PTU group with statistical significance (P < 0.05), and pathological changes of heart failure were more serious in pathological sections of heart, lung, and liver. Compared with the PTU group, LVEF, LVFS, BNP, HR, RR, urine output, EST, T4, heart and lung weight indices changed significantly in the ADR + PTU group with statistical significance (P < 0.05), and pathological changes of heart failure were quite serious in pathological sections of heart, lung, and liver.

CONCLUSIONADR + PTU was an appropriate method to establish CHF rat model of XQD-BSES.

Animals ; Edema ; Heart Failure ; diagnosis ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Judgment ; Models, Animal ; Qi ; Rats ; Ventricular Function, Left

OBJECTIVETo study and evaluate the curative effect and mechanism of Qiangxin Granule (QXG) in intervening chronic heart failure (CHF) rats with Xin-qi deficiency complicated blood stasis and edema syndrome (XQD-BS-ES).

METHODSTotally 72 SD rats of clean grade were randomly divided to the normal control group (n =10) and the model group (n = 62). The XQD-BS-ES rat model was established by adriamycin plus propylthiouracil method. Survived modeled rats were then randomly divided to 5 groups i.e., the model group (n = 11, administered with normal saline by gastrogavage), the Western medicine (WM) group (n =11 , administered with perindopril and hydrochlorothiazide by gastrogavage), the low dose QXG (QXG(L)) group (n = 11, administered with 9.26 g/kg QXG by gastrogavage), the middle dose QXG (QXG(M)) group (n = 11, administered with 18.52 g/kg QXG by gastrogavage), the high dose QXG (QXG(H)) group (n = 11, administered with 37.04 g/kg QXG by gastrogavage). After 4 weeks of treatment, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), urine output, ear temperature, exhaustive swimming test (EST), tri-iodothyronine (T3), tetra-iodothyronine (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), as well as heart, lung, liver weight index and their pathological sections, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP), angiotensin II (Ang II), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) were detected and compared.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, LVEF, LVFS, BNP, HR, RR, urine output, ear temperature, EST, T3, T4, TSH, HS-CRP, Ang II, and CA125 changed significantly in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group after treatment, LVEF, LVFS, BNP, urine output, EST, T4, heart and liver weight index, HS-CRP, Ang II, CA125 were significantly improved in each QXG group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Moreover, TSH was improved in the QXGL and QXG(M) groups (P < 0.05); ear temperature and T3 in the QXG(M) were also improved (P < 0.05); the lung weight index decreased in the QXG(M) and QXG(H) groups (P < 0.01). Compared with the WM group, T4 and CA125 were obviously improved in all QXG groups (P < 0.01); BNP and ear temperature were obviously improved in QXG(L) and QXG(M) groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); LVEF, LVFS and TSH were obviously improved in the QXG(M) group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). And as far as each treatment group, LVEF, LVFS, urine output increased significantly after treatment (P < 0.01); EST obviously increased in QXG(M) and QXG(H) groups (P < 0.01); ear temperature increased in all QXG groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Moreover, compared with the model group, pathological changes of heart, lung, and liver were improved to some degree in each treatment group, especially in the QXG(M) group.

CONCLUSIONSGood curative effect was shown in each QXG group. QXG could improve LVEF, LVFS and BNP of CHF rats of XQD-BS-ES, as well as T3, T4, TSH, EST, urine output, and ear temperature. Moreover, QXG showed superiority than WM group in this respect.

Angiotensin II ; Animals ; C-Reactive Protein ; Chronic Disease ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Edema ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; Heart Ventricles ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Qi ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Syndrome ; Thyrotropin ; Ventricular Function, Left

OBJECTIVETo test the immunity of peritoneal monocytes against Plasmodium yoelii infected red blood cells (target cells).

METHODSSaponinized Plasmodium yoelii infected red blood cells (SPRBC, Ghost erythrocyte) were used to immunize mice i.p twice. Three weeks later, the infected red blood cells were injected i.p.; 90 min later, the total peritoneal cells were isolated and washed for scanning electromicroscopy to observe the effects of the peritoneal monocyte to the target cell.

RESULTSThe peritoneal cells of the immunized mice were activated after 90 min of the challenge of target cells. The size of the cell was not even and the pili on the cell surface turned to be long and densed. Cell interconnections were found among the cells. In some peritoneal monocytes, their cell plasma were scattered (omlette-like) or with the shape as "cellular bomb". The scattered or the sheeted pili and spredding cell plasma could adhere to the target cells which were perforated densely and damaged.

CONCLUSIONThe protective adaptive immunity exists in the peritoneal monocytes of immunized mice.

Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan ; immunology ; Erythrocyte Membrane ; parasitology ; Female ; Malaria Vaccines ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Monocytes ; immunology ; ultrastructure ; Peritoneum ; cytology ; Plasmodium yoelii ; immunology ; ultrastructure

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and imaging characteristics of acute hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) due to perinatal sentinel events in neonates.

METHODSForty-six neonates with acute HIBI who were admitted between January 2004 and May 2013, and who had a history of major cardiopulmonary resuscitation, were enrolled in the study. They were classified into full-term and preterm infants to analyze the clinical and imaging characteristics.

RESULTSAmong full-term infants, the incidence rates of white matter injury, cortical injury, basal ganglia /thalamic injury, and brain stem injury were 95%, 90%, 75%, and 65%, respectively; among preterm infants, the incidence rates of white matter injury, cortical injury, basal ganglia/thalamic injury, and brain stem injury were 73%, 23%, 19%, and 15%, respectively. Compared with full-term infants, preterm infants had a significantly lower incidence of gray matter injury in the cortex, basal ganglia/thalamus, and brain stem (P<0.05). About 46% of all subjects had multiple organ dysfunction. The 20 full-term infants with HIBI had typical clinical manifestations; 19 (95%) of them had moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy, with mixed lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and moderate or severe basal ganglia/thalamic injury was found in 68% of these patients. Multiple organ dysfunction, various abnormal neurological manifestations, and arterial blood pH less than 7.1 were closely related to moderate or severe brain injury.

CONCLUSIONSWhite matter injury is the most common type of HIBI. Gray matter injury can be found in preterm infants, but the incidence is lower than that in full-term infants. Moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy is mainly manifested as basal ganglia/thalamic injury on MRI. Evaluation of multiple organ dysfunction and abnormal neurological manifestations and early blood gas analysis are very important for the diagnosis of neonatal HIBI.

Acute Disease ; Brain ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; diagnosis ; etiology ; pathology ; Infant, Newborn ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of folic acid on homocysteine (Hcy)-induced chemokine secretion and NADPH oxidase activity in human monocytes.

METHODSHuman monocytes from healthy volunteers were incubated with Hcy (100 micromol/L) with or without folic acid (5 micromol/L) for 24 h; MCP-1 and IL-8 were assessed by ELISA. DCFH-DA was added to monitor intracellular ROS production on confocal microscopy. A cytochrome c reduction assay was used to measure NADPH oxidase activity.

RESULTSThe Hcy-induced secretion of MCP-1 and IL-8 was significantly reduced by folic acid [(1.88 +/- 0.51) ng/ml vs. (4.36 +/- 0.72) ng/ml vs. (2.40 +/- 0.60) ng/ml and (4.9 +/- 1.9) ng/ml vs. (12.7 +/- 1.5) ng/ml vs. (7.2 +/- 1.9) ng/ml, all P < 0.05]. The Hcy-induced production of ROS was also significantly attenuated by folic acid. Moreover, the Hcy-induced NADPH oxidase activity increase was significantly inhibited by cotreatment with folic acid.

CONCLUSIONFolic acid may attenuate oxidative stress induced by Hcy by reducing NADPH oxidase activity in monocytes.

Cells, Cultured ; Chemokines ; secretion ; Folic Acid ; pharmacology ; Homocysteine ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Interleukin-8 ; metabolism ; Monocytes ; drug effects ; secretion ; NADPH Oxidases ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Receptors, CCR2 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the changes in the concentrations of five components in Fructus Evodiae used in Chinese medicine, including evodiamine and glycyrrhizic acid, during processing of Fructus Evodiae with Radix Glycyrrhizae extract by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and to provide a scientific basis for different clinical uses of processed and unprocessed Fructus Evodiae.

METHODSThe concentrations of the Fructus Evodiae components in processed or unprocessed Fructus Evodiae were evaluated by HPLC using a YMC J'sphere ODS-H80 column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) with acetonitrile-water-tetrahydrofuran-acetic acid (41:59:1:0.2, v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The detection wavelength was 225 nm, the column temperature was 35°C, the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min, and the injection volume was 10 μL. The concentrations of the Radix Glycyrrhizae components were determined by HPLC with a Kromasil-C₁₈ column (4.6 mm×250 mm, 4 μm) and a gradient elution of acetonitrile (A) and 0.05% aqueous phosphoric acid (B) as the mobile phase. The detection wavelength was 237 nm, the column temperature was 35 °C, the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min, and the injection volume was 10 μL.

RESULTSThe calibration curves of evodia lactone, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, liquiritin, and glycyrrhizin showed good linear relationships (r>0.99). The recoveries of evodia lactone, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, liquiritin, and glycyrrhizin were 96.59%, 104.18%, 101.91%, 97.75%, and 97.95%, respectively. The concentrations of the components in processed Fructus Evodiae were obviously different to those in unprocessed Fructus Evodiae.

CONCLUSIONSThe developed method is rapid and accurate. The results provide a reference for processed Fructus Evodiae and the changes that could be expected in its effects compared to unprocessed Fructus Evodiae.

Calibration ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cooking ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Evodia ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Reference Standards ; Solutions