Objective To explore the feasibility of language sample analysis in assessment of language development in children in order to provide evidences for its clinical application. Methods The study population consisted of a cross-sectional sample of 50 preschool Putonghua-speaking children aged 4 to 6 years. The data on measurement of utterance length (MLU) and lexical diversity (D) were computed from 20 minutes' conversational language samples, and correlation analysis was conducted among MLU, D, age, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). Splited sample analysis by comparing MLU of first one hundred utterances and MLU of last one hundred utterance, D of odd lexicals and D of even lexicals were conducted to test the validity of language sample indictors. Results MLU and D development of the preschool Putonghua-speaking children were positively related to age. MLU, D, age, verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ) and PPVT were associated with each other (P<0.05 or P≤0.01) except age and VIQ(P>0.05). There were significant correlations between MLU of first one hundred utterances and MLU of last one hundred utterances and between D of odd lexicals and D of even lexicals(P=0.000). Conelusion Language sample analysis proves to be feasible in assessment of language development in preschool children aged 4 to 6 years.

Seeds of Bupleurum chinense cultivar, Zhongchai No. 1, were sowed in plastic pots which used the arable layer soil as the nursery bed and putted in the artificial climate incubator at various temperatures (15, 20, 25, 15-25 degrees C) and light (8,12 h) to germinate, respectively. The lower constant temperature (15 degrees ) and the higher constant temperature (25 "C) were not conducive to the sprouting characteristics of B. chinese. While they were able to enhance root activity to some extent; The seeding growth of B. chinese was significantly better in the variable temperature than correspondence in the constant temperature, significantly. The emergence speed, emergence index, vigor index and root activity of Bupleurum were improved under the 12 h of light-time, but the germination rate was not improved. The sprouting of Bupleurum's seeds could be improved to some extent by soaking with hormone, such as gibberellin, cytokinin, salicylic acid. Gibberellin promoted seeds' sprouting and seedings's root activity of Bupleurum, while salicylic acid increased the root activity of seeding. There is a significant influence of light, temperatures and hormone treatment on the germination of Zhongchai No. 1 seeds, and all three are remarkably interacted; It is beneficial to promote seed germination by the temperature (20 + 5) degrees C, lighting (8 h) and gibberellin concentration (10 x 10(-6)).
Bupleurum ; drug effects ; growth & development ; radiation effects ; Germination ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Gibberellins ; pharmacology ; Light ; Plant Growth Regulators ; pharmacology ; Seeds ; drug effects ; growth & development ; radiation effects ; Temperature

1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene (1,3,5-TMB) was used as the pore-enlarging modifier to expand the pore size of MCM-41 (mobil company of matter) mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The solvent impregnation method was adopted to assemble non-water-soluble β-carotene into the pore channel of MCM-41. The MCM-41 and drug assemblies were characterized by TEM, FT-IR, elemental analysis and N2 adsorption-desorption. The results showed that MCM-41 has good sphericity and regular pore structure. The research also investigated the optimal loading time, the drug loading and the vitro stability of the β-carotene. As a drug carrier, the modified MCM-41 showing a shorter drug loading time, the drug loading as high as 85.58% and the stability of β-carotene in drug assemblies has improved. The study of this new formulation provides a new way for β-carotene application.
Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drug Stability ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; beta Carotene ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Objective To investigate the difference between the early phases and delay phase of three-phase bone scintigraphy on hemiplegic patients with earlier complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).Methods Twenty-nine stroke patients with hemiplegia complicating CRPS received three-phase bone scintigraphy after intravenous injection of 99Tcm-methylene diphosphonate (MDP). The region of interest (ROI)technique was used to obtain the radioactive counts of involved joints and contralateral sites on wrists,metacarpophalangeal,proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints. The total counts of these four sites in each patient were then obtained and the total uptake ratios of involved joints/contralateral joints for each phase were calculated to compare the difference among the three phases. Wilcoxon test and ANOVA were used in data analyses. Results The involved joints of hemiplegic side displayed higher tracer uptake.There were significant differences of the radioactive counts between involved joints and uninvolved ones in the perfusion,pool and delay phase (Wilcoxon test,Z:-4.73 to -2.10,P＜0.05). There was no significant difference of total uptake ratios of involved joints/contralateral joints among the three phases ( ANOVA,F = 0. 807,P ＞ 0.05 ). Conclusions Due to higher bone seeking agent accumulation on three-phase bone scintigraphy,both early phases and delay phase imaging showed similar value in stroke patients with hemiplegia complicating earlier CRPS.

Animals ; Cadmium Chloride ; toxicity ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Estradiol ; toxicity ; Female ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uterus ; drug effects ; pathology

Objective:To observe the effect of sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (SAS) on sleep staging of bipolar disorder patients in different states. Methods:A total of 210 healthy controls aged 18-65 and 235 bipolar disorder patients of the same age were collected. The bipolar disorder patients were divided into depressive, manic and mixed states. Sleep time structure, sleep posture, heart rate and other indicators were collected by using sleep quality assessment system based on cardiopulmonary coupling analysis. According to whether the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was ≥ 5 times/h, whether they had SAS were determined. Two-way multivariate analysis of variance was conducted, investigating the effect of clinical states and SAS, on several sleep indicators. Results:SAS significantly prolonged rapid eyes movement (REM) sleep time of patients in depressive state (P=0.000) and shortened deep sleep time of patients in manic state (P=0.011). In addition, the heart rate during sleep (including deep sleep, light sleep and REM sleep) of patients in manic state increased most significantly among the three clinical states (P=0.000). Lying supine aggravated SAS most significantly in manic state among the three clinical states (P=0.002). Conclusion:SAS has different effects on the sleep staging of bipolar disorder patients in different states.

In temporomandibular disorders (TMD), pain takes place when neuropeptides stimulate synovial tissue to produce several cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, which activate neurons and glia of synovial membrane at the bilaminar regions of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It has been reported that, after neurogenic differentiation, the synovial mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs), deriving from TMJ, possess the same cytological features as the neuronal cells. This study examined the ability of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) to stimulate SMSCs and neurogenic SMSCs secreting inflammatory cytokines during TMD, evaluated the mutual effects of inflammatory cytokines and neuropeptides and tested the analgesic effect of hyaluronic acid (HA). The levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in SMSCs and neurogenic SMSCs in the presence of neuropeptides were measured by ELISA. SP and CGRP produced by SMSCs and neurogenic SMSCs were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The results showed that the expression of SP and CGRP was significantly enhanced in the neurogenic SMSCs in response to IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, and the effect was remarkably inhibited by HA. IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, in return, could be enhanced in the neurogenic SMSCs upon stimulation by SP and CGRP. Neuropeptides and inflammatory cytokines might work mutually on the TMD pain. The HA-mediated analgesic effect may be implicated in the inhibition of SP and CGRP expression in neurogenic SMSCs.

This device is used to measure the tension and the strength of a experimental healed wound in the research on stimulating the wound healing using vitamin A and vitamin C.The effect of vitamin A and vitamin C to the wound healing degree can be distinguished by using this device.

OBJECTIVETo build three-dimensional (3-D) visible model for surgical treatment of infection of fascial spaces of hand.

METHODSSerial thin cross-sections (0.2 mm) of hand were made by cryomicrotome, and the thin cross-sections of metacarpal parts were observed. A personal computer was employed to reconstruct 3-D model of metacarpal fascial space.

RESULTSThe shapes, locations and adjacent relations of the mid-palmar space, thenar space and metacarpal bones were displayed clearly from computerized 3-D model, which could be the cross-reference of the cross-sections expediently.

CONCLUSIONThe computerized 3-D reconstruction of metacarpal fascial spaces can provide some guidance for surgical treatment of infection and other diseases of metacarpal fascial spaces.

Anatomy, Cross-Sectional ; Hand ; anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional

OBJECTIVETo investigate the gene expression and potential functions of transforming growth factor-beta1 in osteophyte development.

METHODSA total of 25 specimens were obtained from individuals undergoing total knee arthroplasty due to severe primary osteoarthritis. Tissue samples were embedded in paraffin wax and made into sections. Hematoxylin and eosin and toluidine blue stainings were performed. The expressions of collagen I, IIa, IIb, and X were detected by immunohistochemistry. Based on the histomorphology of cellularity and matrix abundance, the glycosaminoglycans content, and the differential expressions of collagen I, IIa, IIb, and X, the osteophytic tissues were classified. For each different type of osteophyte, expressions of transforming growth factor-beta1 were detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, and results were analyzed using the image analysis system.

RESULTSFive different types of osteophytes were identified as type I, type II, type III, type IV, and type V. Transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA was more and intensely expressed in chondrocytes of type II and III osteophytes, and was less in other types of osteophytes. The difference was significant (P<0.05, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONTransforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA is mainly expressed in early-mid stages of osteophytes and may play an important role in promoting the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes in the early stages of osteophyte development.

Chondrocytes ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; metabolism ; pathology ; Osteophyte ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics