OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of cryogenic treatment and age-hardening heat treatment on the corrosion behavior of a dental casting Ag-Pd alloy.

METHODSA low gold content dental casting alloy composed of Ag-Pd-Cu-Au was prepared for this study. Corrosion test was performed according to ISO 10271:2001 dental metallie-corrosion test methods. Experimental specimens were casted according to a standard dental lost-wax casting procedure, treated with solution by heating the specimens to 900 degrees C, and immediately quenched in ice water. The specimens were then divided into four groups and subjected to heat treatment, cryogenic treatment, and heat treatment combined with cryogenic treatment. The specimens after the solution treatment were taken as control. The metallographic structures of the specimens were observed. The electrochemical parameters and the quantity of non-precious metallic ions released were evaluated via electrochemical and static immersion tests.

RESULTSMetallographic observation revealed that all the treatments resulted in a change in the microstructure of the alloy. The treatments were effective in improving the electrochemical parameters, such as an increase in Eocp and Ecorr and a decrease in Icorr (P < 0.05). The amount of non-noble metal ions released showed no difference compared with the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAfter different treatments, the antierosion properties of the alloy satisfied the ISO requirements. Age-hardening heat treatment and cryogenic treatment improved the corrosion resistance of the alloy.

Objective To investigate the expression of serum tumor markers in pancreatic carcinoma and to assess the value of serum tumor markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma. Methods Five serum tumor markers including AFP, CEA, CA199, CA125 and CA242 were detected in 95 patients with pancreatic carcinoma by chemi-luminescence immunoassay (CLI) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 80 patients with other malignant tumor and 65 patients with benign disease served as controls. Five tumor markers in pancreatic carcinoma diagnosis for TNM staging were compared. The value of tumor markers for prognosis was analyzed. Results Among these 5 kinds of tumor marker, CA199, CAI25, CA242 were valuable in diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma, and CA199 was the most valuable one, whose sensitivity and specificity were 76.2 % and 74.8 % respectively. CA199, CA125, CA242 were increased with progression of pancreatic carcinoma. Conclusion Serum CA199, CA125 and CA242 are the preferred tumor markers to be used in the diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE:To study the relieving cough and eliminating phlegm effects of stemoninine combined with mogrosideⅤ on mice,and select its optimal ratio. METHODS:70 mice were selected in each experiment and randomly divided into 7 groups,namely solvent group(normal saline), codeine(15 mg/kg)or ambroxol(30 mg/kg)group(positive control),stemoni-nine group(30 mg/kg),mogroside Ⅴ group(30 mg/kg),stemoninine-mogroside Ⅴ combination group(30 mg/kg)with mass ra-tio of 2:1,1:1,1:2,ig,once a day. Ammonia-induced cough experiment(positive drug was codeine)and tracheal phenol red ex-cretion experiment(positive drug was ambroxol)were respectively conducted. Using cough latent period,cough times and volume of tracheal phenol red excretion as indexes,the antitussive and expectorant effects of drug in each group were compared. RE-SULTS:Compared with solvent group,cough latent period was obviously shortened,cough times was obviously reduced,volume of tracheal phenol red excretion was obviously increased in each administration group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with mogro-side Ⅴ group,cough latent period was obviously shortened,cough times was obviously reduced in stemoninine-mogroside Ⅴgroup with different mass ratios(P<0.05),and 2:1,1:1 groups showed the best effects. Compared with stemoninine group,vol-ume of tracheal phenol red excretion was obviously increased in stemoninine-mogroside Ⅴ group with different mass ratios (P<0.05),and 1:1,1:2 groups showed the best effects. CONCLUSIONS:The combination of temoninine and mogroside Ⅴ shows synergistic effects on relieving cough and eliminating phlegm,stemoninine-mogrosideⅤmass ratio of 2:1,1:1 can be used as pre-ferred combination of reference.

Objective To control the quality of GongYanKang Granule. Methods Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Corydalis and Radix Angelicae Sinensis of Gongyankang Granules were identified by TLC. Results Qualitative identification to Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Corydalis and Radix Angelicae Sinensis in GongYanKang Granules by TCL showed that this method has negative interference, clear spots and good resolving powder. Conclusion This method is simple and accurate with good reproducibiliy, being suitable for quality control of Gongyankang Granule.

Radiotherapy is the primary treatment modality for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) which can effectively control the disease.Oral cavity,anatomically near nasopharyngeal region is the main area for the occurrence of complication of radiotherapy.Second primary malignancy (SPM) in oral cavity is an important factor interferencing NPC patients survival rate.The etiology of oral SPM is unclear and,the prognosis is poor.The research of it is still in exploration.

Objective To evaluate the effect of different tube voltage and noise index (NI)on image quality and radiation dose during peripheral artery CTA with automatic tube current modulation(ATCM)technique.Methods Seventy-two patients were ran-domly divided into three groups with different scanning tube voltage and noise index as follows:group A with 100 kV and NI of 1 5, group B with 80 kV and NI of 1 5,group C with 100 kV and NI of 20.Image quality,segmental vascular enhancement,signal-to-noise ratio (SNR),contrast-to-noise (CNR)and effective dose (ED)were independently evaluated in 3 groups.The methods of sta-tistics analysis were ANOVA,and P <0.05 represented the significant difference.Results There was no significant difference of image quality of the peripheral artery among 3 groups.The CT value,SNR,CNR in group B (80 kV)was the highest,and there were statistical differences between A,B groups and B,C groups of arteries (P <0.05),and there was no satistiacal difference between A group and C group.Compared with group A and group B,the CTDlvol,DLP and ED of group C was reduced 50.45%,51.20%,51.21% and 35.03%,34.91%,34.92%,respectively,and the difference was statistical significance (P < 0.05 ),and there was no significant difference between group A and group B (P >0.05).Conclusion Using ATCM low-kV with high NI scanning can reduce radiation dose without interference on image quality for peripheral artery CTA.

Objective To observe the effects of Danhong Injection in the treatment of lacunar cerebral infarction, Methods 82 patients with lacunar cerebral infarction were randomly recruited into a treatment group (n=42) and a control group (n=40). The treatment group was treated with Danhong Injection, 30ml/d for once, while the control group was treated with Danshen Injection, i.v. 20ml/day for once. Both groups were treated for 14 days. Results The total effective rate was 97.62% and 77.50% in the treatment group and the control group respectively, showing significant difference (χ~2=4.65, P< 0.05) . Conclusion Danhong Injection is better than Danshen Injection in treatment of lacunar cerebral infarction.

Objective To evaluate the effect of anisodamine on endoplasmic reticulum stress during acute kidney injury (AKI) in rats.Methods Forty-two nale Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 200-220 g,were randomly divided into 3 groups:control group (group C,n =6),AKI group (n =18) and anisodamine group (group AD,n =18).AKI was induced by intramuscular injection of 50％ (v/v) glycerol 10 ml/kg into bilateral hind limbs in groups AKI and AD.In addition,anisodamine 10 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally 20 min before intramuscular injection of glycerol in group AD.In group C the rats received intramuscular injection of normal saline 10 ml/kg into bilateral hind limbs.Six rats were chosen immediately after injection of normal saline in group C or at 1,6 and 24 h after glycerol injection in groups AKI and AD and then anethetized with intraperitoneal pentobarbital.The animals were sacrificed and kidney specimens were obtained and cut into sections which were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for pathological examination.The pathological changes of the renal tubules were scored.The expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and oxygen-regulated protein 150 (ORP150) in renal tissues was determined by immuno-histochemistry and Western blot.Results Compared with group C,the pathological scores were significantly increased and the expression of GRP78 and ORP150 was up-regulated at all time points in groups AKI and AD (P ＜ 0.01).Compared with group AKI,the pathological scores were significantly decreased and the expression of GRP78 and ORP150 was down-regulated at all time points in group AD (P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01).Conclusion Anisodamine can ameliorate AKI through inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress in renal tubular epithelial cells and decreasing endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced cell apoptosis in rats.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the stem bark of Albizia julibrissin Durazz. Methods: Chemical constituents were isolated by the repeated chromatography methods and their structures were identified by spectral analysis. Results: Five compounds were obtained as follows: 3 O [? D xylopyranosyl (1→2) ? D fucopyranosyl (1→6) ? D glucopyranosyl] 21 O (6S) 2 trans 2 hydroxy methyl 6 methyl 6 O ? D quinovopyranosyl 2,7 octadienoyl acacic acid 28 O ? D glucopyran osyl (1→3) [? L arabinofuranosyl (1→4)] ? L rhamnopyranosyl (1→2) ] ? D glucopyranosyl ester (1). acacigenin B (2), julibrotriterpenoidal lactone A (3), machaerinic acid lactone (4), acacic acid methylester (5). Conclusion: Compound 1 was isolated directly from this plant for the first time.

BACKGROUND:Cervical decompression and fusion internal fixation wil accelerate adjacent segment disc degeneration, and it is not clear whether single segment instaibility can increase the adjacent segment disc degeneration. OBJECTIVE:To study the changes of morphology, proteoglycan and col agen type Ⅱ in the adjacent intervertebral disc of the cervical instability models. METHODS:Sixteen New Zealand white rabbits were divided into two groups randomly, with eight rabbits in the control group and eight rabbits in the model group. The animal cervical instability models were made by destroyed partly annulus fibrosus and absorbed C 5/6 nucleus pulposus through anterior cervical puncture. After 12 weeks, the animal models were tested by X-ray film. Al rabbits were sacrificed and 10 mg nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral discs of C 4/5 cut from sagittal plane were harvested and stored under 0 ℃. The content of proteoglycan in nucleus pulposus was tested with phloroglucinol method. Then, the paraffin sections of intervertebral disc tissues were taken for hematoxylin-eosin staining and SABC immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The notochord cells of C4/5 intervertebral discs in the experimental group was decreased, and being replaced by fibroblast-like cells. Round chondrocytes could be seen occasional y and intervertebral discs annulus fibrosus became rough and arranged disorderly, the hyaline degeneration and pigmentation were observed as wel as the fibrochondrocytes, and there was a gap between inner and outer annulus fibrosus. The content of proteoglycan was decreased in the nucleus pulposus, and there was significant difference between two groups. The col agen type Ⅱ in the degenerative disc nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. Cervical instability can lead to adjacent intervertebral disc degeneration with the morphological changes and decreased content of proteoglycan and col agen type Ⅱ.