Air ; analysis ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Chromatography, Gas ; methods ; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated ; analysis

Objective To establish a method for determination of total hardness in drinking water by using automatic potentiometric titrator.Methods Dynamic equivalence point titration(DET)and monotonic equivalence point titration(MET)mode was used to determine the high total hardness and low total hardness of drinking water samples respectively.Results Used DET mode to determine the high total hardness,the relative standard deviation(RSD)was 0.69%～1.72% and the recovery rate was 101.5%～102.2%.Used MET mode to determine the low total hardness,RSD was 3.49%～4.00% and the recovery rate was 95.8%- 103.6%.Conclusion This method is rapid,simple,accurate,precise and applicable to the determination of total hardness in drinking water in low and high levels.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the role of serum level of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell count (WBC) as predictors in postoperative early infectious complications with fever after posterior lumbar internal fixation (PLIF).

METHODSA retrospective study was conducted from January 2012 to January 2014. Fifty-two patients with fever in the early stage(within 10 days) after the PLIF were collected in the study. They were divided into infection group and non-infection group (group A and group B) according to the results of postoperative blood culture. There were 26 patients in group A and 32 patients in group B. The values of PCT, CRP, ESR, and WBC count were compared and analyzed between two groups.

RESULTSThe values of PCT, CRP, and ESR in group A were higher than those of group B. Meanwhile, CRP and ESR in group B were still higher than the normal range. Among the 26 patients with infections (group A), PCT was superior to CRP and ESR, had a good ability in discriminating different kinds of postoperative infections. The area under the ROC curve of serum PCT levels was the largest (CI 95% was 0.81 to 0.98) in the indexs; and ROC curve of WBC count was no statistically significant. When the cut off points of each predictors were evaluated, the higher sensitive was CRP and reached at 90.27% and the higher specific was ESR and reached at 88.50%.

CONCLUSIONFor the patients with fever at the early stage after the PLIF should be paid attention and reasonable choosing predictors are helpful to identify postoperative infection in the early stage. The CRP and ESR may be influenced by the surgery, and the PCT level is helpful to differentiate infection type.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Calcitonin ; blood ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Female ; Fever ; blood ; diagnosis ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Infection ; blood ; diagnosis ; Leukocyte Count ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; blood ; diagnosis ; Protein Precursors ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Jing'an Oral Liquid (JOL) on the central neurotransmitters of multiple tics (MT) children.

METHODSSixty MT children patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 30 cases in each group. Another 30 healthy children were recruited as the health group. JOL and Tiapride Tablet (TT) was respectively given to patients in the treatment group and the control group. The treatment course was 2 months. The levels of central neurotransmitters [dopamine (DA), homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), glutamic acid (GLU), aspartate (ASP), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)] were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) before and after treatment, and compared with the health group.

RESULTSCompared with the health group, the levels of 5-HT, HVA, GLU, and ASP significantly increased in the treatment group and the control group before treatment (P < 0.05), GABA significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, the levels 5-HT, HVA, and GLU significantly decreased in the treatment group (P < 0.05), while the levels of NE and GABA significantly increased (P < 0.05). The levels of DA, 5-HT, GLU, and ASP significantly decreased, while the levels of NE ang GABA significantly increased in the control group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in each index between the treatment group and the control group before and after treatment (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS(1) The imbalance of a variety of monoamines and amino acid neurotransmitters can lead to MT, especially in the changes of 5-HT, HVA, GLU, ASP, and GABA. (2) JOL can significantly reduce the levels of 5-HT, HVA, and GLU, and significantly increase the levels of NE and GABA, which might be its pharmacodynamic mechanisms for treating MT.

Child ; Dopamine ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; blood ; Norepinephrine ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Serotonin ; blood ; Tiapride Hydrochloride ; therapeutic use ; Tourette Syndrome ; blood ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo explore effects of color Doppler ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosis intramuscular hemangioma of skeletal muscle.

METHODSFrom December 2000 to January 2013, 54 patients treated by operation confirmed as intramuscular hemangioma of skeletal muscle by pathology postoperatively, there were 19 males and 35 females aged from 11 to 59 years old (averaged 33.6); the courses of disease ranged from 2.5 to 15 years with an average of 5.2 years. Thirty-eight patients were checked by color Doppler ultrasound, and 14 patients were inspected by MRI. All patients were treated by operation. Postoperative operative time, blood loss in operation, and complications and pathology postoperatively were observed, and IMH clinical effective evaluating standard were used to evaluate clinical outcomes.

RESULTSForty-three patients were followed up from 7 to 49 months with an average of 28.4 months. Operative time was (53 to 187) min with average of 76.3 min, blood loss was (70 to 350) ml with an average of 223.6 ml. No infections and death occurred. Thirty-five patients were diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasound and 13 patients were confirmed by MRI. Twenty patients were capillary type, 22 patients were spongy vascular type and 12 patients were mixed type according to Brown pathological type. In accordance with IMH clinical effective evaluating standard, 29 cases obtained excellent results, 8 moderate and 4 dissatisfaction and 2 poor.

CONCLUSIONColor doppler ultrasound and MRI get a high rate diagnosing patients with intramuscular hemangioma and have an significant valuable in clinical application, and surgical operation which has advantages of relieve symptoms obviously, improve life quality and reduce recurrence rate, could receive good curative effect.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Hemangioma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Skeletal ; pathology ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

BACKGROUND:Human umbilical vein endothelial cells transfected with lentivirus containing enhanced green fluorescent protein can be easily traced. The optimal multiplicity of infection and time for producing strong fluorescence intensity can lay the foundation of tracing human umbilical vein endothelial cells in animal models.
OBJECTIVE:To observe expression of lentivirus containing enhanced green fluorescent protein in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and thereby to find a stable method to label human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
METHODS:Using 0.1%col agenase perfusion digestion, we isolated human umbilical vein endothelial cells, which then were placed into a culture medium containing 20%fetal bovine serum and endothelial cellgrowth factor and observed under an inverted microscope. Fol owing digestion, centrifugation and suspension, the cells were counted and divided into four groups, 5.0×105 cells in each group. After cells were seededonto 24-wel plates, 10μL serum-free Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium was added into the blank group, and lentiviruses containing enhanced green fluorescent protein were added into another three groups for celltransfection respectively at multiplicities of infection of 2, 3, 4. There were three dishes in each group.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After cultured for 5-7 days, isolated cells grew into a single layer and exhibited a cobblestone-like arrangement under a light microscope. In addition, factor VIII related antigen test was positive. A green fluorescence was visible at 24 hours of transfection, and peaked at 72 hours. Transfection efficiency was in a linear growth with the multiplicity of infection. Up to the 21st day of transfection, the green fluorescence was stil visible. After 0, 7, 14, 21 days of transfection, the number of human umbilical vein endothelial cells showed no difference between the transfection group with the multiplicity of infection=3 and blank group, suggesting the proliferative ability of cells has no changes after transfection with lentivirus containing enhanced green fluorescent protein. These findings indicate that the lentivirus containing enhanced green fluorescent protein can highly transfect human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and green fluorescent protein can sustainably express for 21 days but cannot impact the cellproliferation.

BackgroundIt has been proved that as a chemokine,interferon-inducible protein-10(IP-10)can regulate the immuno-inflammatory reaction.Some new researches showed that IP-10 also played role in regulating the neovascular vessel formation.Corneal neovascularization (CNV) is associated with multiple cellular factors,but its mechanism is below clear.Objective The present study was to address the roles of exogenous mouse IP-10 in alkali burn-induced CNV.Methods Eighty-two SPF BALB/c mice were used in this experiment and grouped according to random number table.The corneal alkali burn models were established by putting the filter paper with 1 mol/L NaOH at the central corneas of the left eyes for 40 seconds.10 mg/L IP-10 was topically administered from the first day or 14 days after modeling in the early intervene group( 10 eyes)or middle-late intervene group(5 eyes).CNV area was measured as a percentage of whole cornea.0.2％ sodium hyaluronate(HA) as vehicle was utilized in the model control group.Angiogenic factor expression in corneal tissue in the early intervene group was quantified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)and compared with model control group.All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research and complied with the standards of Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of Soochow University. ResultsThe CNV percentage was(88.67±10.22) ％ in the model control mice,showing a significant increase in comparison with that of IP-10 early intervene group (70.06±12.21)％ (t=3.77,P=0.00).In 21 days after corneal alkali burn,the CNV percentage was(87.33±13.47)％ in the model control mice,and that of the IP-10 middle-late intervene group was ( 86.56± 12.47 ) ％ without significant difference between them ( t =1.26,P＞0.05 ).Two days or four days after IP-10 early intervene,the expressions of chemokine receptor type 3 ( CXCR3 ) in corneal tissue were significant higher than model control group( t =3.13,3.07,P＜0.05 ),but the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cornea were lowed ( t =5.99,6.27,P＜0.01),and so were transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) (t =8.50,P＜0.01;t =4.53,P＜0.05).Conclusions The early topical administration of the exogenous mouse IP-10 can inhibit CNV by up-regulating CXCR3 expression and down-regulating VEGF and TGF-β1 expression in cornea.However,middle-later usage of the IP-10 is uneffective.

BACKGROUND:With the deepening of bone tissue engineering research and bone metabolism understanding, it is a hotspot to analyze the blood supply and nutritional status of tissue-engineered bone.
OBJECTIVE:To compare different methods for evaluating smal vascular network distribution around the knee joint in rats in order to provide a guideline for the study of microvascular network in tissue-engineered bone.
METHODS:Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups, with six rats in each group. Three commonly methods were used to evaluate the smal vascular network around the knee joint in rats:immunohistochemistry analysis, angiography analysis, and CT scans and reconstruction analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The microstructure of vascular network could be observed by immunohistochemistry, but the spatial distribution of vessels could not be evaluated. The spatial distribution of vessels could be showed by angiography and CT scans. However, some of micro vessels were showed unclearly by CT scans. The number of blood vessels detected by immunohistochemistry was (26.50±3.02) vessels, significantly higher than those detected by angiography and CT scans that were (14.12±1.47) and (9.00±1.79) vessels, respectively. Combination of immunohistochemistry and angiography can evaluate the microvascular network at microscopic and macroscopic levels, which can provide the whole information of the vascular network.

Objective Toinvestigatetheriskfactorsforleukoaraiosis(LA)inpatientswithlarge arteryatherosclerosis(LAA).Methods Theclinicaldata(age,sex,hypertension,diabetes,smoking, serum lipid level,hyperhomocysteinemia,and numbers of stenosis or occluded cerebral arteries)of 312 patients with LAA classified by the modified stop stroke study trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment (SSS-TOAST ) were analyzed retrospectively. The age-related white matter changes (age related white matter changes,ARWMC)scale was used to evaluate LA. All the 312 patients were divided into non-LA group(n=72)and LA group(n=240)according the T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluid attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR)sequence,and 3 groups according to the (age-related white matter changes,ARWMC)scores:mild LA,moderate LA,and severe LA groups. The patients with multiple risk factors were analyzed by the univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses. Results (1)Of the 312 patients with LA,227 were males (72. 8%). Their average age was 64 ± 11 years,and 240 of them (76. 9%)had LA. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR,2. 911,95%CI 1. 647-5.146,P=0. 000),hypertension (OR,2. 583,95%CI 1. 373-4.857,P<0. 01),diabetes (OR,1. 882, 95%CI 1. 058-3. 348,P <0. 05),the numbers of stenosis or occlusion arteries (OR,1. 851,95%CI 1.018-3. 367,P<0. 05),and lacunar infarction (LI)(OR,1.493,95%CI 1. 202-1. 853,P<0. 01)were the risk factors for LA. (2)The comparison of the clinical data in patients with different severity in the LA group found that there were significant differences in age,hypertension,diabetes,the numbers of stenosis or occlusionarteries,andLIamongthe3groups(allP<0.05).Conclusion Age,hypertension,diabetes, the numbers of stenosis or occlusion arteries,and LI are the independent risk factors for patients with LAA,and it is associated with the severity of LA.