Objective To understand the clinical characteristics of elderly patients aged 60 years and over in Anhui Province who receive maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).Methods Clinical data of MHD patients in hemodialysis centers of 26 hospitals in Anhui Province from March 31, 2014 to January 1, 2014 were collected.With non-elderly MHD patients (aged over 18 old and under 60) serving as controls, similarities and differences in the primary disease, vascular access, nutritional status, mineral and bone disorders (MBD), and other related aspects in MHD patients were compared.Results The top three original diseases for elderly patients were chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) (32.8 ％), hypertensive nephrosclerosis (HNS) (27.7 ％) and diabetic nephropathy (DN) (26.2％).The proportion of patients with DN and HNS in the elderly was higher than in the control group (P ＜ 0.001).Vascular access types in elderly MHD patients were arteriovenous fistula (AVF) (89.4 ％), tunneled cuffed catheter (TCC) (8.9 ％), and temporary venous catheter (1.3％).The proportion of patients with AVF was lower (P＜0.001) and the proportion of patients with TCC was higher (P＜0.001) in the elderly group than in the control group.The incidence of anemia was higher in the elderly patients than in the control group (P＜0.05);the proportion of elderly patients with hemoglobin (Hb) levels was 30.3％, in which had no significant difference as compared with the control group (P ＞ 0.05).The incidence of hypoalbuminemia was 21.2％ in elderly patients, which was higher than in the control group.The proportions of elderly MHD patients with normal levels of adjusted serum calcium, serum phosphorus, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were 52.0％, 27.9％ (higher than in the control group, P＜0.001), and 47.9％, respectively, while there was no difference in adjusted serum calcium and iPTH between the two groups (P＞0.05).The treatment rates for low serum calcium,hyperphosphatemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in elderly patients were 50.6％,51.6％ and 71.5％, respectively, which had no significant difference as compared with those in the control group (P＞0.05).Conclusions Elderly patients with MHD show distinct characteristics in primary diseases, vascular access types, and nutrition and MBD status, including higher proportions of HNS and DN as their primary diseases.The type of vascular access is still dominated by AVF, and the proportion of TCC is higher.The nutritional status is poor, with a lower incidence of high phosphorus and a higher incidence of low iPTH.Efforts should be made to promote compliance in elderly patients to better control MBD, improve nutritional status and increase safety and effectiveness of treatment.

Objective To investigate the CT perfusion imaging and the pathological features on the disturbance of regional cerebral microcirculation in a pre-infarction period, and to evaluate the relationship between the astrocytes and regional cerebral microcirculation. Methods Dynamic CT perfusion imaging of the models with regional cerebral hypoperfusion and astrocytic swelling in rats was performed to assess the presence or absence of the disturbance of regional cerebral microcirculation. Then, the histopathologic examination was made for both models, respectively. The ratios of side-to-side were measured at hypoperfusion areas in the models of regional cerebral ischemia. Results Regional hypoperfusion was revealed by regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and mean transit time (MTT) maps in the group of hypoperfusion for 6 hours. Regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and time-to-peak (TTP) maps were normal in that group. The ratios of rCBF, rCBV, MTT and TTP were 0 39-0 55, 0 92-1 00, 1 20-1 50 and 1 00-1 00 respectively. Astrocytic swelling pressing the capillary wall was obvious and subtle neuronal reversible degeneration was occasionally found. TTC stain was normal. In the tACPD group of astrocytic swelling, the abnormal hemodynamic regions on rCBF and MTT maps were found. The rCBV maps of 3 rats in the tACPD group showed the area of reduced rCBV. In 2 rats of tACPD group, the areas of delayed TTP were also found. The ratios of rCBF, rCBV, MTT and TTP were 0 25-0 44, 0 70-1 01, 1 20-2 00 and 1 02-1 45 respectively. TTC stain was negative. Electron microscope study revealed remarkable swelling of astrocytes, especially endfoot processes of astrocytes around capillaries. The abnormal hemodynamic region on rCBF and MTT maps matched with abnormal extent on histopathologic examination. The rCBV and TTP maps appeared normal. Conclusion The astrocytes can react in a way faster than the neurons in the pre-infarction period, viz. astrocytic swelling. The swelling of astrocytic foot, which pressed capillary vessel, induced the disturbance of regional cerebral microcirculation, and then aggravated hypoxic ischemic state in regional brain parenchyma. Perfusion CT and its parameters' analysis may play an increasing role to delineate the reversible hypoperfusion areas in pre-infarction period. Analyzing the relationship of rCBF and rCBV is very helpful to know the status of the capillary vessels in regional cerebral hypoperfusion area.

The original strain was treated with UV combining LiCl. The total carotenoid yield of the strain UL-61 was 7.62mg/L, the maximal yield of astaxanthin had reached 616.8?g/g under 25℃. 8 variables including fermentation temperature, initial pH were optimized by Plackett-Burman design and Response Surface Analysis of SAS software. The temperature, initial pH and corn steep liquor were the major factors. The optimal conditions were predictted to be 16.78℃, pH4.73 and 7.06 mg/L, respectively. Under these conditions, the theroretical maximal yield of carotenoid was 3.9407 mg/L and the practical maximal yield was about 3.9261mg/L. The carotenoid production was increased by 20.4% when Phaffia rhodozyma was cultivated under the optimal conditions as compared with the control.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of propofol on brain regions at different sedation levels and the association between changes in brain region activity and loss of consciousness using blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) and bispectral index (BIS) monitoring.

METHODSForty-eight participants were enrolled at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2011 to March 2012 and randomly assigned to a mild or a deep sedation group using computer- generated random numbers. Preliminary tests were performed a week prior to scanning to determine target effect site concentrations based on BIS and concomitant Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scores while under propofol. Within one week of the preliminary tests where propofol dose-response was established, BOLD-fMRI was conducted to examine brain activation with the subject awake, and with propofol infusion at the sedation level.

RESULTSMild propofol sedation inhibited left inferior parietal lobe activation. Deep sedation inhibited activation of the left insula, left superior temporal gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus. Compared with mild sedation, deep propofol sedation inhibited activation of the left thalamus, precentral gyrus, anterior cingulate, and right basal nuclei.

CONCLUSIONMild and deep propofol sedation are associated with inhibition of different brain regions, possibly explaining differences in the respective loss of consciousness processes.

Adult ; Brain ; drug effects ; Consciousness Monitors ; Deep Sedation ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; pharmacology ; Male ; Propofol ; pharmacology

This study aims to establish an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of gastrodin and eight nucleosides and nucleobases components in Gastrodia elata. The separation was carried out on an Agilent Zorbax Bonus-RP (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm) column with a methanol-(0.04% acetic acid) water solution gradient elution program at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). The column temperature was 36 degrees C, and the detection wavelength was 254 nm. The volume of injection was 20 μL. The nine components including gastrodin, cytosine, uracil, cytosine, adenine, thymine, uridine, guanosine and adenosine were well separated. The calibration curve was well linear in the range of 2.04-262.00 mg x L(-1), 0.20-24.67 mg x L(-1), 0.18-23.75 mg x L(-1), 0.20-25.83 mg x L(-1), 0.20-26.67 mg x L(-1), 0.16-20.00 mg x L(-1), 0.22-27.71 mg x L(-1), 0.20-24.29 mg x L(-1), 0.24-30.58 mg x L(-1), respectively, and the correlation coefficient was between 0.998 9-0.999 9. The average recovery of gastrodin and eight nucleosides and nucleobases were 96.4%-99.6%, RSD less than 2.7% (n = 6). The contents of gastrodin in all the seven Tibet cultured Gastrodia elata samples were over 2 mg x g(-1). Further, all samples contain higher contents of adenosine, guanosine, uridine and cytidine compared to low contents of cytosine, uracil, adenine and thymine. The established method is accurate, reproducible and suitable for the determination of gastrodin and eight nucleosides and nucleobases comppnents in Gastrodia elata.
Benzyl Alcohols ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Gastrodia ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Nucleosides ; analysis ; Nucleotides ; analysis

Objective To investigate the relationship between SFRP1 gene and clinicopathologic features of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), and to explore the possible mechanism of action of SFRP1 in the occurrence and development of CSCC.Methods CSCC and paracarcinomatous tissue specimens were obtained from 40 patients with CSCC, and normal skin tissue specimens from 40 healthy human controls.The EpiTYPER assay was conducted to evaluate the methylation status of SFRP1 gene promoter in all the specimens with a MassARRAY mass spectrometer.Results Totally, the methylation status of 1951 (86.52％, 1951/2255) CpG motifs were evaluated in 17 CpG loci in 2 fragments of the SFRP1 gene promoter.The methylation rate significantly differed in 10 (10/17, 58.82％) CpG loci between the CSCC and paracarcinomatous tissue specimens, and in 5 (5/17, 29.41％) CpG loci between the paracarcinomatous and normal tissue specimens (all P ＜ 0.05).Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the methylation rates of three CpG loci (CpG 1_5, CpG 1_7, CpG 2_8) in the SFRP1 gene promoter between tissue specimens from different pathological grades of CSCC (P ＜ 0.05), and their methylation rates sequentially decreased from grade Ⅲ to grade Ⅱ and Ⅰ.Conclusion The frequency of methylation is high in the SFRP1 gene promoter in patients with CSCC, and the SFRP1 gene may participate in the occurrence and development of CSCC.

Objective To analyze the correlation between septal branch characteristics and the prognosis of alcohol septal ablation ( ASA ) in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy . Methods The clinical , echocardiographic , angiographic and procedural characteristics were analyzed retrospectively in 55 patients.Good prognosis was defined as left ventricular outflow tract gradient decreased by 50%at long term follow-up.The characteristics of septal branch were analyzed in terms of QCA .Results There were no differences in the length of the ablated septal branch , sizes of the adjacent branches , distances between the septal branch and the ostia of the coronary arteries and the volume of alcoholo consumed ( all P>0.05).Compared with poor prognosis group (n =27), the diameter of the ablated septal branches were significantly larger in the good prognosis group ( n=28 ) [ ( 1.75 ±0.36 ) mm vs.( 1.48 ±0.41 ) mm, P=0.012].The distance between the ablated branch and its adjacent branch was farer in the good prognosis group [(18.80 ±10.20)mm vs.(13.04 ±6.65)mm, P=0.020].In multivariate analysis, the diameter of the ablated branch (OR 9.258,95%CI 1.427-60.069, P=0.020)and the distance between the ablated septal branch and its adjacent septal branch (OR 1.102,95% CI 1.002-1.213, P =0.046) were found to be independent risk factors for good prognosis of ASA .Conclusions The diameter of the ablated septal branch and the distance between its adjacent septal branch are associated with better prognosis of ASA .

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the KCNN4 gene and KPTN gene contribute to a Chinese non-syndromic hearing loss pedigree linked to DFNA4 with positional candidate approach. METHODS The complete coding region of the two genes were amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and bidirectional sequencing of the PCR products was subsequently applied in the 36 family members to identify the possible mutations or polymorphisms in the candidate genes. RESULTS Sequence analysis of coding regions and splice sites of the two candidate genes in 36 members including 12 hearing-impaired individuals in family Z002 failed to demonstrate any deafness-causing mutations of KCNN4 gene. There was one heterozygous mutation identified in exon10 coding sequence (942C/T) of KPTN gene, which did not result in amino acid change (P302P) as a repoerted synonymous SNP site (rs2293424). This SNP site did not cosegregate with the phenotype of family Z002. CONCLUSION Our study excluded the two candidates, KCNN4 and KPTN , as the causative genes involved in this Chinese DFNA4 pedigree.

Objective To study the relationship between self-esteem and childhood abuse, life events among male violent adolescent. Methods According to the modified overt aggression scale, juvenile delinquents were divided into violent group (n = 128 )and nonviolent group (n = 118 ). All the participants were investigated by Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-28 Item Short Form (CTQ-SF) and Adolescent SelfRating Life Events (ASLEC) and conducted correlation and regression analysis. Results ①Violent group had lower self-esteem scores ( 22.73 ± 3.30 ) than the nonviolent group ( 23.81 ± 3.30, P ＜ 0.05 ). Violent group had higher scores in physical abuse, sexual abuse, total life events, interpersonal relationship, punishment, and other (8.30 ±4.07, 7.23 ±2.26, 54.48 ±18.60, 10.09 ±3.84, 14.43 ±5.87, 4.93 ±3.15, 9.93 ±3.64), compared to the nonviolent group (7.27 ± 3.27, 6.60 ± 2.09, 45.40 ± 18.45, 8.42 ± 4.13, 11.07 ± 5.75, 3.66 ±2.81, 7.84 ±3.66, P＜0. 05). ②The self-esteem was significantly negative correlated with the childhood abuse and life events( r= -0. 143 ～ -0. 358, P＜ 0.01 ) among violent male adolescents. ③The physical abuse and punishment had significant prediction function of 15.6% on self-esteem. Conclusions Violent adolescents have low self-esteem, which is closely related to childhood abuse and adolescent life events.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of edaravone pretreatment on pulmonary inflammatory response during selective lobar blockade in patients undergoing thoracotomy,MethodsSixty ASA Ⅰ or Ⅱ patients of both sexes,aged 40-64 yr,weighing 50-80 kg,undergoing esophagectomy were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =15 each):the one-lung ventilation group (group OLV),the edaravone pretreatment + one-lung ventilation group (group E + OLV),the Univent tube selective lobar blockade group (group U) and the edaravone pretreatment + Univent tube selective lobar blockade group (group E + U).Padents in groups OLV and U were intubated with the double lumen endobronchial tube and Univent tube,respectively.Edaravone at a dose of 1 mg/kg was infused into patients at 5 min before one-lung ventilation in group E + OLV and before selective lobar blockade in group E + U,respectively.The patients in groups OLV and U received the equal volume of normal saline.The blood samples (5 ml ) were then drawn from the radial artery after anesthesia induction (T0),at 60 min after onelung ventilation (T1),at the end of operation (T2 ) and 120 min after operation (T3) for detecting the plasma concentrations of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL- 10 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent aesay.ResultsCompared with the group OLV and U,the plasma concentrations of TNF-α and IL-6 decreased at T2 and T3 in group E + OLV and group E + U (P ＜ 0.05).CondusionEdaravone pretreatment can reduce pulmonary inflammatory response during selective lobar blockade in patients undergoing thoracotomy.