Objective To understand the influencing factors of the post competency of health technical personnel in township hospitals in a prov-ince,so as to provide scientific reference for improving health professionals'post competency. Methods Using stratified cluster random sam-pling,1242 health professionals from township health centers and village clinics of 14 cities were extracted and then surveyed with questionnaire. Results The average score of the respondents'post competency was 3.43,which meant they could afford most of the work. Multiple linear re-gression analysis showed that the main influencing factors of the professionals'post competency included gender,age,specialty,and training. The female,senior,nursing and health-care professionals with training exhibited a better post competency. Conclusion To realize the further develop-ment of professionals'post competency,medical students should not only be early clinical and more clinical,but also actively participate in the training and continue the education after entering the clinic. On the other hand ,the government should define the function orientation of the town-ship healthy centers and explore human resource management mode based on the post competency.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of propentofylline on the expressions of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and TNF-alpha and its action mechanism in the rat model of chronic prostatitis pain (CPP).

METHODSWe equally randomized 30 male SD rats to groups A (sham operation), B (CPP model) and C (propentofylline intervention). After modelling, the rats in group C received intraperitoneal injection of propentofylline at 2 mg/kg, while those in groups A and B were injected intrathecally with the same dose of normal saline. At 15 days after the treatment, we examined the expressions of GFAP in the spinal cord and TNF-alpha in the prostate by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe levels of GFAP and TNF-alpha were obviously lower in group A (2.56 +/- 0.16 and 1.34 +/- 0.05) than in B (16.79 +/- 0.72 and 3.46 +/- 0.05) and C (8.83 +/- 0.63 and 2.25 +/- 0.05), significantly increased in B as compared with A (P < 0.05). And the increase was markedly less in group C than in B (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPropentofylline inhibits chronic prostatitis pain in the rat model by suppressing the activation of astroglia and the release of inflammatory mediators.

Animals ; Astrocytes ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Chronic Pain ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Male ; Prostatitis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; Xanthines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

Objective To investigate the effect of tumor length and number of positive lymph nodes and the ratio of positive lymph nodes on survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.Methods From July 1995 to July 2005, a total of 6,691 resected lymph nodes were obtained from 526patients who underwent curative resection of the primary tumour with systematic lymphadenectomy. The survivals were analysed by life tables and Kaplan-Meier methods. Results Among patients with regional disease, the number of positive lymph nodes (＞3) was related to an increasing risk. The proportion of positive lymph nodes compared with the number of lymph nodes dissected (20 %) conferred an increased risk. The tumor length (≤5 cm, 5 cm ＜ length ＜ 7 cm, ＞7 cm) was related to an increasing risk (84.74 %, 47.79 %,36.90 %, 35.52 %; 73.41%, 46.29 %, 23.87 %, 20.64 %; 64.44 %, 13.92 %, 0, 0). Conclusion Tumor length,the number of positive lymph nodes, and the ratio of positive lymph nodes are important prognostic factors for survival in patients with esophageal carcinoma. The PTNM classification system for patients with esophageal carcinoma might consider adding number of positive lymph nodes as an important prognostic factor.

Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification(NASBA) is a sensitive,isothermal,transcription-based amplification system specifically designed for the detection of RNA targets,which could amplify templete RNA in 2h under isothermal condition at about 42?C and without any special equipment.NASBA is now widely applicated in diagnosis of many pathogenic microorganism.It is mainly about principles and applications of NASBA in viral diagnosis.

OBJECTIVETo identify the ETV6 gene rearrangement in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and explore its relationship with prognosis and disease stages.

METHODSETV6 rearrangement in 58 MDS cases were detected by conventional cytogenetics and Split-signal FISH. RT-PCR was used to detect 9p24-12p13 balance translocation with special designed primers ETV6F1/F2 and JAK2R1/R2. The relationship between ETV6 rearrangement and prognosis and disease staging in MDS patients was analyzed.

RESULTSETV6 rearrangement were found in 4 (6.9%) of 58 cases, among which ETV6/JAK2 fusion was identified by RT-PCR in 1 (1.7%) case. The mean follow-up duration was 12 months. All 4 patients (100%) with rearrangement transformed into acute leukemia, with a median survival time (MS) of 7 months; while 10 patients (17%) in the non-translocation group transformed to acute leukemia, with a MS of 28 months. In addition, all 4 patients (100%) with rearrangement were in advanced stage of MDS( RAEB), while 17 cases (31.5%) in non-rearrangement group were in that stage.

CONCLUSIONSETV6 rearrangement has higher expression rate (6.9%), and is closely associated with disease stage and prognosis in MDS.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Female ; Gene Rearrangement ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; genetics ; pathology ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets ; genetics ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics

Brain ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neurons ; Patch-Clamp Techniques

To study the effect of VEGF fully phosporothioated antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (VEGF-ASODN) on VEGF expression in acute monocyte leukemic cell line U937 in vitro, U937 cells were incubated with VEGF-ASODN at concentrations of 10, 20 and 30 micro mol/L or scrambled sequence as compared with negative control. The expression of VEGF mRNA was measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of VEGF protein was measured by Western blot. The result showed that VEGF-ASODN had obviously inhibitive effect on expression of VEGF in U937 cell, as compared with scrambled sequence and negative control (P < 0.05). Scrambled sequence group had no significant difference compared with negative control group (P > 0.05). It is concluded that the expressions of VEGF mRNA and protein in leukemic cell line U937 are down-regulated by VEGF-ASODN.
Humans ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; U937 Cells ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo verify the efficacy of Jianpi-xingniao needling therapy on prevention and treatment of motion sickness.

METHODSSixty volunteers of motion sickness were randomized into an acupuncture group and a delayed acupuncture group, 30 cases in each one. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was given at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Hegu (LI 4). The needles were retained for 20 min. The treatment was given twice a week and 10 treatments were required. In the delayed acupuncture group, acupuncture was postponed, meaning no acupuncture during observation stage. Graybel scale was adopted to observe the score of symptoms and physical signs of the subjects of motion sickness before and after intervention. The efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSTwenty-five cases in the acupuncture group and 22 cases in the delayed acupuncture group were included in the statistical analysis. The score of symptoms and physical signs of motion sickness was reduced significantly after treatment in the acupuncture group as compared with that before treatment (10.12 +/- 3.37 vs 0.92 +/- 0.40, P < 0.05). The score in the acupuncture group was lower apparently than that in the delayed acupuncture group (0.92 +/- 0.40 vs 9.86 +/- 2.53, P < 0.05). The difference was not significant before and after treatment in the self-comparison of the delayed acupuncture group (P > 0.05). The total effective rate was 96.0% (24/25) in the acupuncture group, which was significantly better than 0.0% (0/22) in the delayed acupuncture group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONJianpixingniao needling therapy relieves the symptoms of motion sickness in the patients and achieves a better clinical efficacy.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Motion Sickness ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo describe the incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer from 1974-2002 in Cixian county of Hebei province. Basic information on comparative geographical, epidemiological, and clinical research was collected.

METHODSIn early 1970s, cancer registry system in Cixian was established, collecting information on all the esophageal cancer cases in Cixian. Data was checked manually, then computerized, coded and analyzed using the software--SPSS 11.5.

RESULTSFrom 1974 to 2002, there were 18 471 esophageal cancer cases in Cixian, with 11 068 males and 7403 females, respectively. The age standardized incidence rate (ASR) for males was 208.77 per 100,000, while 120.47 per 100,000 for females. The trend of incidence rate of esophageal cancer had decreased during the 29 years from 1974 to 2002 (trend chi(2) = 19.94, P < 0.001). From 25 years of age onward, the incidence rates of the lower age groups declined with the increase of age. As for geographic distribution, the incidence rate in mountainous areas and hilly areas showed a significant declining trend in mountainous areas, chi(2) = 195.00, P < 0.001; hilly areas, chi(2) = 46.08, P < 0.001. The esophageal cancer incidence in plain areas remained steady, but had a slight increase in recent years. From 1969 to 2002, there were 18,736 cases died of esophageal cancer with 11 598 males and 7138 females. The ASR for male was 127.17 per 100,000 and 101.57 per 100,000 for female. Compared with the year 1969, the mortality rate of esophageal cancer in 2002 had a 37.96% decline. The proportion of esophageal cancer among malignant tumors in different decades decreased significantly.

CONCLUSIONThe trend of the incidence rate of esophageal cancer had been decreasing for the last 29 years. The incidence rate in mountainous areas and hilly areas showed a declining trend while in the plain areas it remained steady but having slight increase in the recent years. The mortality rate of esophageal cancer had a significant decrease from 1969 to 2002.

Adult ; Age Factors ; China ; epidemiology ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Registries ; Software