The combination effect of high hydrostatic pressure and moderate heat on the inactivation kinetics of Bacillus coagulans spore in phosphate buffer and UHT(Ultra High Temperature)whole milk was investigated.The pressure come-up time and corresponding log-reduction of spore inactivation were considered during pressure-thermal treatment.Bacillus coagulans spore had a much higher resistance to pressure in UHT whole milk than in phosphate buffer.Survival data were modeled using the linear,Weibull and log-logistic models to obtain relevant kinetic parameters.The tailing phenomenon occurred in all survival curves,indicating the linear model was not adequate for describing these curves.The log-logistic model produced best fits to survival curves,following by Weibull model.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and safety of imaging-guided percutaneous catheterization drainage and alcohol sclerosis for treatment of renal cysts.

METHODSThirty-six patients with primary renal cysts, including 22 men and 14 women aged 18-65 years (mean 42.5 years), were treated with imaging-guided percutaneous puncture catheterization drainage and alcohol sclerosis treatment. The location of the renal cysts and puncture route, angle and depth were determined by ultrasound or CT scan. Paracentesis and catheterization external drainage were carried out under fluoroscope. Absolute alcohol was used as the sclerosis agent.

RESULTSThirty-eight cysts were detected in the 36 patients, locating at the upper pole (n=21), subtus pole (n=10) and intermediate pole (n=7). The length of renal cysts was 4.5-8.5 cm (mean 5.5 cm). Puncture was performed through the lumbar back and the success rate was 100%. Thirty-eight multi-lateral holes 5-7F drainage catheters were placed in the 38 cysts. Alcohol was injected for 169 times through the drainage tube and the average volume was 25 ml, with an average injection of 4.45 times. During the follow-up for 1 to 6 years (mean 3.5 years), 37 renal cysts disappeared and 1 cyst was reduced in a patient with polycystic kidney. The total cure rate was 97% in this series, and no serious complications occurred after the operation.

CONCLUSIONImaging-guided percutaneous puncture catheterization drainage and alcohol sclerosis is effective and safe for treatment of renal cysts.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Catheterization ; Drainage ; methods ; Ethanol ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases, Cystic ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sclerosing Solutions ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Sclerotherapy ; methods ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult

The epieardial adipose tissue in 210 subjects with or without metabolic syndrome (MS) was measured by echocardiography.The thickness of epicardial adipose tissue in male with MS group was significantly greater than that in men without MS [(9.10?3.59) mm vs (6.82?3.00) mm,P

Coinfection/drug therapy* ; HIV ; HIV Infections/drug therapy* ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B/drug therapy* ; Hepatitis C/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Prevalence

Objective To investigate the image changes of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in children with epilepsy and their clinical significance. Methods Sixty-four patients with epilepsy,admitted to our hospital from March 2008 to March 2011,and 10 healthy children as control group were chosen in our study; the patients were divided into MR normal group and MR abnormal group according to the results of MR imaging. All of them received 1H-MRS examination on the hippocampal area.The ratio of NAA/Cho+Cr was compared between each 2 groups. Results No significant differences on the ratio of NAA/Cho+Cr were noted between the fight and left sides in all the groups (P＞0.05).The ratio of NAA/Cho+Cr was significantly different:MR normal group and control group enjoyed obvious difference as compared with MR abnormal group (P＜0.05); however,MR normal group and MR abnormal group existed no statistically significant differences (P＞0.05). Conclusion 1H-MRS is more sensitivity than MRI in children with epilepsy,therefore,1H-MRS can find the lesions earlier than MR imaging.

OBJECTIVESelecting variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) loci for different serogroups of Shigella spp to explore and establish multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) method, in order to study the molecular characteristic of the isolated strains.

METHODSOf the Shigella strains found by dysentery surveillance in Beijing from 2001 to 2009, 180 strains were selected for this study, according to the number and serotypes of the surveillant strains, at the ratio of 15%; including 50 strains of Shigella sonnei and 130 strains of Shigella flexneri. After screening the polymorphism of the 18 VNTR loci, 10 VNTR loci (sh1-sh10) were retained and constructed three groups of multi-PCR methods to detect all he 180 strains and analyze MLVA molecular subtypes using capillary segments.

RESULTSA range of 2 to 11 alleles were found on the 10 VNTR loci among the 180 Shigella strains, with a diversity index value between 0.158 and 0.766. The 10 loci showed diversity in different serogroups, such as only one allele found in sh6 of Shigella flexneri, sh2 and sh3 of Shigella sonnei individually. The isolated 180 strains were divided into 84 MLVA subtypes, with a resolution ratio D value at 0.967 (95%CI: 0.956 - 0.978). The 130 strains of Shigella flexneri were divided into 63 subtypes, named as TF001-TF063; among which TF001, TF002 and TF 005 were the dominant subtypes, accounting to 17, 16 and 15 strains respectively. The 50 strains of Shigella sonnei were divided into 21 subtypes, named as TS001-TS021; among which TS002 (14 strains) and TS001 (7 strains) were the dominant subtypes.

CONCLUSIONMLVA subtyping method including 10 VNTR loci was preliminarily developed. The MLVA cluster analysis revealed that the subtypes of Shigella strains isolated in Beijing were diverse, and suggested the possibility of multiple-clone source.

Alleles ; Bacterial Typing Techniques ; methods ; China ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Genotype ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Shigella ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVE: The anti-apoptotic protein Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1) is a regulator of apoptosis linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and BI-1-/- mice exhibit increased sensitivity to tissue damage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of BI-1 in the pathogenesis of chronic mild stress (CMS)-induced depression-like behaviors in BI-1-/- mice. METHODS: We delivered CMS for 2 or 6 weeks in BI-1-knockout and wild-type mice. Control groups of BI-1-knockout and wild-type mice were left undisturbed. The measured parameters were sucrose consumption at weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, spontaneous locomotion, and a forced swimming test (FST) at weeks 2 and 6. RESULTS: Significant decreases in sucrose consumption and increases in immobility time in the FST were observed in both stress groups compared with the non-stress groups. Interestingly, at week 2, but not at week 6, BI-1-/--stress mice showed less sucrose intake and greater immobility time than did BI-1+/+-stress mice. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that BI-1 may play role in protecting against the depressogenic effects of CMS in the short term, but not in the long term. Further study is required to deepen understanding of the role of BI-1 in protecting against depression.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Depression ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; Female ; Humans ; Indenes ; Locomotion ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Motor Activity ; Sucrose ; Swimming

OBJECTIVE: Aripiprazole, a dopamine system stabilizer, shows efficacy against both negative symptoms and positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aripiprazole and haloperidol on c-FOS expression in rat brain. METHODS: Aripiprazole (1, 10 and 30 mg/kg, i.p.) and haloperidol (0.1 and 1 mg/kg, i.p.) were administered to adult Male Sprague-Dawley rats. After 2 h of drug or vehicle administration, the rats were killed and their brains were removed and perfused with fixative, then cut into 40 microm slices on a freezing microtome. Brain regions of interest were the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the nucleus accumbens core and shell (NAC-C and NAC-S), the hippocampus (CA1, CA3 and DG), the central amygdala (Ce), the basolateral amygdala (BL) and the temporal cortex (Tc). Immunohistochemistry was performed to label cell bodies containing c-FOS. RESULTS: The administration of aripiprazole at all doses (1, 10 or 30 mg/kg) resulted in greater Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the investigated brain areas, as compared to the vehicle. Comparable increases in FLI were demonstrated in the NAC-C and NAC-S in response to both aripiprazole and haloperidol treatment. The administration of haloperidol (0.1 or 1 mg/kg) also resulted in greater FLI in the investigated brain areas, except the mPFC, where no changes were observed. In the Ce and BL, a significant increase in Fos-positive neurons was observed only with 0.1 mg/kg of haloperidol. CONCLUSION: Both aripiprazole and haloperidol increased FLI in limbic areas, which are considered important targets of antipsychotic drugs. The differential action of aripiprazole on FLI in the amygdala and mPFC as compared to haloperidol may be a good way to differentiate atypical from typical antipsychotics.
Adult ; Amygdala ; Animals ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Brain ; Dopamine ; Freezing ; Haloperidol ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Neurons ; Nucleus Accumbens ; Piperazines ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Quinolones ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Schizophrenia ; Aripiprazole

BACKGROUNDEmergence agitation is a common problem in pediatric anesthesia, especially after sevoflurane induction and maintenance anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sufentanil to reduce emergence agitation after sevoflurane anesthesia in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy compared with fentanyl.

METHODSOne hundred and five children, aged 3 - 11 years, were randomly allocated to receive normal saline (control group), sufentanil 0.2 µg/kg (S2) or fentanyl 2 µg/kg (F2) 1 minute after loss of the eyelash reflex. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with sevoflurane. Time to tracheal extubation, recovery time, Paediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale, and emergence behavior were assessed.

RESULTSThe incidence of severe agitation was significantly lower in S2 and F2 groups vs. the control group, 4/32 and 15/34 vs. 24/34 respectively, (P = 0.002, 0.009, respectively). PAED scales were significantly different among three groups (P = 0.007), and lower in the S2 and F2 groups than in the control group (P = 0.007 and P = 0.025, respectively). And the incidence of severe agitation and the PAED scale score was significantly different between the S2 and F2 groups (P = 0.007, P = 0.019, respectively). Time to tracheal extubation and recovery time were similar in all three groups.

CONCLUSIONSAdministration of sufentanil at 0.2 µg/kg after induction of anesthesia reduced emergence agitation in children receiving sevoflurane anesthesia for adenotonsillectomy compared with fentanyl. This was without delaying the recovery time or causing significant hypotension.

Adenoidectomy ; methods ; Anesthesia ; methods ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fentanyl ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Methyl Ethers ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Psychomotor Agitation ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Sufentanil ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the fast serum pepsinogen level of the healthy adults among local population in areas with high incidence of gastric cancer and to study the suitable cut-off values of serum pepsinogen abnormality for the screen of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) and gastric carcinoma (GC) in China.

METHODSSerum PG I and PG II levels were detected with time resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA). The fast serum PG I and PG I level as well as PG I/PG II ratio of 606 healthy adult residents among local population in Zanhuang county, Hebei province were detected and the normal distribution ranges determined. The relationship between different cut-off values of serum PG I level, PG I/PG II ratio and corresponding pathological changes in gastric mucosae were comparatively analyzed with serum PG detection, endoscopic biopsy and pathological observation in 720 cases of local residents receiving endoscopic examination in the high incidence area of gastric cancer. The efficacy, sensitivity and specificity of different PG I, PG II abnormality cut-off values in the screen p rogram of CAG and GC were statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThe serum PG I, PG II and PG I/PG II ratio levels of healthy adults from a local natural population in the high incidence area of gastric cancer were all skewed from normal distribution. The median level of PG I, PG II and PG I/PG II were 161 microg/L, 14.8 microg/L and 10.5 respectively. Data from comparative studies on serum PG level and pathological changes of gastric mucosae showed that within the serum PG I range from 40 microg/L to 80 microg/L and PG I/PG II ratio range from 3 to 8, sensitivity of the screening program for CAG and GC increased while the specificity decreased along with the increase of cutoff values of serum PG I and PG I/PG II ratio. Results from statistical receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis suggested that the best cut-off value of PG I and PG I/PG II abnormality for the screening of CAG and GC being PG I < or =60 microg/L,PG I/PG II < or =6 respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe serum PC I, PG II and PG I/PG II ratio levels of healthy adults from a local natural population in the high incidence area of gastric cancer were all skewed from normal distribution. Serum PG I < or =60 microg/L and PG I/PG II ratio < or =6 as abnormal cut-off value for the screen of CAG and GC could result relatively good sensitivity and specificity.

China ; Chronic Disease ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; blood ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Pepsinogen A ; blood ; Reference Values ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stomach Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis