Objective To explore the possible relationship between environmental contamination by Aspergillus and invasive aspergillosis.Methods From November 2005 to October 2006,samples were collected from the environment (air in corridors,air in wards,surfaces and tap water) twice a month,and from patients (nose,pharynx and sputum) at a liver transplantation department (LTD),neurologic surgery intensive care unit (NSICU) and central intensive care unit (CICU) in our hospital,and subjected to fungal culture.The Aspergillus density was determined in these environments.The isolates of Aspergillus flavus were genotyped by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay to investigate the origin of infection.Results The mean aspergillus density was 12,10.75,0 and 20 cfu/m~3 at LTD,NSICU,CICU and corridors respectively.The five most prevalent species of aspergillus in these environments in decreasing order were Aspergillus flavus,Aspergillus fumigatus,Aspergillus niger,Aspergillus versicolor and Aspergillus clavatus.RAPD demonstrated that the genotypes ofA.flavus isolated from two patients were identical to those of the environmental strains in NSICU.The A.flavus genotypes from 3 patients in CICU were all different from those of the environment strains in CICU,but the genotypes were identical from two of the three patients.Conclusions Aspergillus contamination of different degree does exist at LTD,NSICU and CICU. The genotypes of A.flavus are identical from patients and environment in NSICU,suggesting that the clinical infection may originate from hospital environment.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from the Stellaria dichotoma L.var.lanceolata Bge and their anti-inflammatory activities.METHODS The 95％ ethnol extract from S.dichotoma was isolated and purified by silica,MCI,C18 prep-HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.Their anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by LPS induced RAW264.7 inflammatory cell model.RESULTS Ten compounds were isolated and identified as 3-hydroxy-β-carboline (1),taraxacine A (2),1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,3,4-trioxo-β-carbo1ine (3),1-acetyl-β-carboline (4),arenarine A (5),arenarine B (6),diisobutyl-phthalate (7),dibutyl-phthalate (8),(z,z,z)-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid,methyl ester (9),tricin (10).Compounds 1-6 had stronger anti-inflammatory activities with the IC50 values of 4.79-9.34 μg/mL.CONCLUSION All the compounds are isolated from this plant for the first time.Their stronger anti-inflammatory activities are discovered for the first time.

Objective To know the related factors of the coping styles of nursing students in different educational systems. Methods 290 nursing students with different educational systems were selected, then interviewed for the coping styles and general states by questionnaires. And the datum were analyzed with the SPSS 13.0. Results The score of active coping was (42.00±20.57), and the score of negative coping was (34.00±13.24) in 290 nurses. Among the different demographic characteristics, sex, educational system, origin, whether or not only child and culture degree of parents had inlfuece to active coping, and there were significant differences for the coping styles (P<0.05). Conclusions In order to cultivate the favorable coping style, the psychic-training and the consulation should be done uninterrupted, the lecture of mental health education and the the coping style training should be given regularly for the different students.

OBJECTIVETo fabricate polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds owning the similar physiological structure of ECM, and to observe its biodegradation behavior in vivo and in vitro.

METHODS(1) The PVA nanofibrous scaffold and PVA/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffold were fabricated by electrospinning technique, and then they were crosslinked by glutaraldehyde vapor method. The morphology of both scaffolds was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). (2) Biodegradation experiment in vitro: the samples of two scaffolds with size of 2 cm x 2 cm were placed into phosphate-buffer saline (PBS) fluid under 37.0 degrees C water for incubation, and then they were dried to observe morphologic changes under SEM on post incubation day (PID) 3, 7, and 14. (3) Biodegradation experiment in vivo: 48 Wistar rats were divided into PVA group and PVA/chitosan group according to the random number table, with 24 rats in each group. PVA or PVA/chitosan nanofibrous scaffold was implanted into subcutaneous tissue on both sides of back in rats of both groups, with 4 scaffolds in each rat. The scaffold samples were harvested to observe morphologic changes with HE staining on post operation day (POD) 3, 7, 14, and 28.

RESULTS(1) After crosslinking, the surface of fibers in PVA and PVA/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds were smooth, and the diameters of fibers were similar, ranging from 200 to 300 nm, with high porosity. (2) Biodegradation experiment in vitro showed that the morphologic changes in fiber was respectively swelling, dissolution, fusion in PVA nanofibrous scaffold on PID 3, 7, 14, and that in PVA/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffold was respectively swelling, dissolution and fragmentation, and disappearance. (3) Biodegradation experiment in vivo showed that the morphologic changes in scaffold structure was respectively loosening, fuzziness of edges, degradation, and disappearance in PVA group and PVA/chitosan group on POD 3, 7, 14, 28.

CONCLUSIONSPVA/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds can be prepared with electrospinning technique, and it has an appropriate biodegradation rate compatible with tissue reconstruction after crosslinking.

Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; Cells, Cultured ; Chitosan ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Materials Testing ; Polyvinyl Alcohol ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic potential of marrow-derived cardiac stem cell (MCSC) transplantation after myocardial infarction (MI) in rats.

METHODSMCSC were selected from the marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MMSC) of male SD rats by single-cell cloning culture. MI was induced by left anterior descending artery ligating in female SD rats. Equal volume PBS, MMSC and MCSC were transplanted at the border zone of the infarct one week after MI. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography at four weeks after cell transplantation. The hearts were removed and morphological changes of scar tissue were examined with HE staining and Masson trichrome staining, VEGFR-1(+) capillary vessels were labeled with immunohistochemical staining. Scar area and vessel density were measured by image analyzer. MCSC containing Y chromosome were examined using in situ fluorescent hybridization, and cardiomyocyte cTnT expression was also analyzed.

RESULTSCardiac transcription factor Nkx2.5 was expressed at low level in c-kit(+) MCSC. Four weeks after cell transplantation, left ventricular fractional shortening and ejection fraction were significantly higher while scar area was significantly lower in MCSC group compared to MMSC group and control group. cTnT was expressed in cells containing Y chromosome and these cells were connected with myocardium of recipient rats in the rats transplanted with MCSC. Vessel density around the infarcted tissue in MCSC group was similar as that in MMSC group and significantly higher than that in control group.

CONCLUSIONMSCS could effectually differentiate into functional cardiomyocytes at the border zone of the infarct, and MCSC transplantation post MI significantly improved cardiac functions and promoted angiogenesis.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Differentiation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Myocardial Infarction ; therapy ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; transplantation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stem Cell Transplantation

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the validity of intraoperative magnetic MEP (motor evoked potentials) monitoring in a spinal-cord-menaced surgery.

METHODS32 rabbits were employed in weight-drop spinal cord contusion model. After anesthetized with a combination of Ketamine and Droperidol the spinal cords were surgically exposed with the dura intact, and the contusion injuries were delivered except the rabbits in control group. The MEPs were recorded and the relationship between the variation of the MEPs and the residual locomotor capacity after spinal cord injury was analyzed.

RESULTSThe 6 rabbits in mild-spinal-cord-injury group experienced transient attenuation of their TMS-MEPs, and the locomotor capacity remained intact (scores of 5) in almost all rabbits (5 of 6) when assessed 24 hours later; In the moderate-spinal-cord-injury group the 8 rabbits lost their TMS-MEP immediately after the weight-drop contusion, but they regained them partly in 1 hour one after another and scored 4 or 5 in the assessment of muscle power next day except for one score of 2; 8 rabbits had their spinal cords impaired severely in the contusion procedure and lost their TMS-MEP too but without recovery, their locomotor capacity outcomes were very poor, 5 of them had no response to transcranial magnetic stimulation next day, and in the other 3 rabbits we only found some polyphase waves with variant latency and lower amplitude which did not resemble common compound muscle action potential (CMAPs) evoked by TMS.

CONCLUSIONSMyogenic TMS-MEPs was very sensitive to the spinal cord injury and should be a valid technique for intraoperative monitoring, and a slight change of them, even if a transient lose, should be unnecessarily related to a severe movement disorder. The warning threshold for a given patient should depend on the malady itself.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Evoked Potentials, Motor ; physiology ; Female ; Male ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; Prognosis ; Rabbits ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; physiopathology ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

BACKGROUNDProprioception plays an important role in knee movements. Since there are controversies surrounding the overall recovery time of proprioception following surgery, it is necessary to define the factors affecting proprioceptive recovery after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and to investigate the relationship between proprioception and muscle strength.

METHODSA total of 36 patients who had their ACL reconstructed with a semitendinosus/gracilis graft (reconstructed group: 6 months post-surgery) and 13 healthy adults without any knee injury (control group) were included in the study. Knee proprioception was evaluated with a passive reproduction test. Isokinetic strength was measured using the Biodex System. Statistical analysis was used to compare proprioception of the reconstructed group versus the control group, and to define causal factors, including sex, hamstring/quadriceps ratio, and the course of injury before reconstruction. We also investigated the correlation between the passive reproduction error and quadriceps index.

RESULTSThere was a significant difference in proprioception between the reconstructed and control groups (P < 0.05). When the course of injury before reconstruction was less than 4 months, there was a linear correlation with proprioception 6 months after the operation (r = 0.713, P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between post-surgery proprioception and the quadriceps index at 6 months post-surgery.

CONCLUSIONSImpaired knee proprioception is observed 6 months after ACL reconstruction. Within 4 months of injury, early undertaking of reconstruction is associated with better proprioception outcome. Patients with enhanced proprioception have a better quadriceps index.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; pathology ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; pathology ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Male ; Proprioception ; physiology ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Recovery of Function ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects of paeoniflorin against PM2.5-induced damage in BEAS-2B cells and explore the possible mechanism.

METHODSWith a factorial design, this study was performed to observe the protective effects of different doses of paeoniflorin against PM2.5-induced BEAS-2B cell growth inhibition and the effects of paeoniflorin on the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cell cultures.

RESULTSExposure to increased PM2.5 concentrations caused significant decrease in the cell survival rate (P<0.05) with a clear dose-response relationship (r=-0.759, P<0.05). Treatment of the cells with paeoniflorin significantly attenuated PM2.5-induced inhibition of BEAS-2B cell survival (P<0.05), but the effect of paeoniflorin was not dose-dependent (P>0.05). PM2.5 exposure also significantly increased the contents of MDA and intracellular ROS (P<0.05), and paeoniflorin obviously antagonized these effects of PM2.5.

CONCLUSIONPaeoniflorin can protect BEAS-2B cells from PM2.5-induced growth inhibition, and the mechanism might be related to the anti-oxidant effects of paeoniflorin.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of visual restoration after cataract surgery on plantar pressure and biomechanics of foot in elder individuals. METHODS: Thirty-two patients [male/female 5/27, (70.1±5.2) years old] with age-related cataract were recruited between October 2016 and December 2019. The footscan system was employed to record the data of plantar pressure during level walking before and 1-month after the cataract surgery. Parameters of peak pressure (PP), impulse (I), pressure-time integral (PTI) and time to peak pressure (TPP) from the regions of the 1st toe (T1), 2nd to 5th toes (T2-5), 1st to 5th metatarsal heads (M1-M5), midfoot (MF), medial hindfoot (HM) and lateral hindfoot (HL) were analyzed respectively. RESULTS: Post-operatively, the visual function was effectively reconstructed with improved visual acuity in both eyes (Z=-4.878, -4.801; P < 0.001). The PP (t=2.266, P=0.031) and I (t=2.152, P=0.039) values in M2 region on the dominant side (right foot) increased statistically at post-operative phase, while the changes of pressure and temporal para-meters in other regions remained stable. There was laterality in plantar pressure at pre-operative phase, manifested as greater PP values in M1, M2, MF, and HM regions on the dominant sides (t=-2.414, -2.478, -2.144, -5.269; P < 0.05), greater PP values in T1, M3, M5 and HL regions on the non-dominant sides (t=4.830, 3.155, 2.686, 3.683; P < 0.05), greater I values in M1, MF, and HM regions on the dominant sides (t=-2.380, -2.185, -5.320; P < 0.05) and greater I values in T1, M3, M5 and HL regions on the non-dominant sides (t=4.489, 2.247, 2.838, 3.992; P < 0.05). post-operatively, the pressure tended to be compatible between the two sides in regions of M3 and MF, while the magnitude of laterality in regions of M1 (Z_PP△= -2.721, P=0.007; Z_I△=-2.581, P=0.010), M2 (Z_PP△=-2.674, P=0.007; Z_I△=-2.375, P=0.018) and M5 (Z_PP△=1.991, P=0.046; Z_I△=2.150, P=0.032) was further increased. CONCLUSION Changes in plantar pressure after cataract surgery were characterized as increased pressure in the 2nd metatarsal head area on the dominant side. Visual restoration might intensify the laterality in the medial of forefoot on the dominant side and the lateral of forefoot on the non-dominant side.
Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Female ; Foot ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pressure

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effect of NANOG against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) -induced cell damage in the human hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells (hHF-MSCs). METHODS: NANOG was expressed from a lentiviral vector, pLVX-IRES-ZsGreen. NANOG hHF-MSCs and vector hHF-MSCs were treated with 400 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for 2 h, the cell survival rate, cell morphology, ROS production, apoptosis and expression of AKT, ERK, and p21 were determined and compared. RESULTS: Our results showed that NANOG could activate AKT and upregulate the expression of p-AKT, but not p-ERK. When treated with 400 μmol/L H2O2, NANOG hHF-MSCs showed higher cell survival rate, lower ROS production and apoptosis, higher expression of p-AKT, higher ratio of p-AKT/AKT. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that NANOG could protect hHF-MSCs against cell damage caused by H2O2 through activating AKT signaling pathway.
Cell Survival ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Hair Follicle ; cytology ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Lentivirus ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Nanog Homeobox Protein ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction