Adult ; Chlorides ; toxicity ; Female ; Humans ; Inhalation Exposure ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; Lung Injury ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphorus Compounds ; toxicity ; Radiography ; Young Adult

Adult ; Bone and Bones ; diagnostic imaging ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Male ; Mandible ; diagnostic imaging ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Phosphorus ; poisoning ; Radiography

Objective To investigate the useful parameters of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for the diagnosis of stroke subtypes in patients with acute cerebral infarction.Methods One hundred and one acute ischemic stroke patients met all of the following criteria including ≥50 years of age,normal sinus rhythm on admission,and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) within 7 days from the onset.The clinical significance of the TEE parameters on admission was examined for identifying intracardiac thrombus formation as follows; left atrial dimension,left ventricular end-diastolic dimension,percentage fractional shortening,left ventricular mass index,ratio of the transmitral inflow velocities (E/A),and the deceleration time of the E wave.Results There were 28 patients with E/A ≥ 1.0 (70 ± 12) years old and 73 with E/A ＜ 1.0 (73 ± 10) years old.No patients showed pulmonary congestion on chest radiography.There were no significant differences in age,TTE parameters,and plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide between the two groups.Patients with E/A≥ 1.0 had higher incidence of left atrial appendage (LAA)thrombus formation and/or spontaneous echograhic contrast than those with ＜ 1.0 (25.0％ vs 5.5％,x2 =7.95,P ＜0.01).A significant relationship was found between E/A and emptying flow velocity of the LAA (r =-0.569,P ＜0.01).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed E/A was an independent predictor for LAA thrombus (risk ratio 1.531 per0.1 increase,95％ confidence interval 1.129-2.076,P =0.0002).Conclusions Increased level of E/A on admission was associated with the occurrence of left atrial appendage thrombus formation in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy of the cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for the treatment of chronic subjective tinnitus. METHOD: One hundred and fifty-seven patients were randomly divided into two groups. Sixty-eight patients of the control group were treated by masking therapy; and the other 89 patients of the experimental group were treated by CBT therapy. The score of tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) was utilized to analyze the treatment efficacy in the two groups respectively. RESULT: The effective rate assessed by of THI score in the experimental group was not significantly higher than the control group 2 months after treatment (P > 0.05), but was significantly higher than the control group 6 months and 12 months after treatment (P < 0.05 respectively). CONCLUSION The CBT therapy contributed to achieve rapid adaptation of tinnitus feeling, which shows great value of further clinical application.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ; Humans ; Tinnitus ; psychology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Though parched Chinese herbal medicines contain less effective or index components, their pharmacological actions do not reduce or even become improved to some extent. However, the current studies related to material basis could not explain the changes in property, flavour and efficacy of parched Chinese herbal medicines. Meanwhile, due to the lack of objective and specific evaluation indexes, the quality evaluation could not reflect features of parched Chinese herbal pieces. Therefore, how to break the bottleneck for the studies on parched Chinese herbal pieces, make further innovation and conduct in-depth studies on the material basis of parched Chinese herbal medicines are common problems that medical scholars are facing. According to the findings in the previous studies, the author proposed to explain the material basis of parched Chinese herbal medicines by studying Maillard reaction and establish specific quality evaluation indexes according to the features of parched Chinese herbal pieces, and conducted relevant studies.
Drug Compounding ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Maillard Reaction ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVETo investigate the resistant effect of houttuyfonate sodium (SH) combined with imipenem (IMP) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) biofilms.

METHODThe two-fold dilution method was used to examine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the tested drug. The crystal violet staining was applied to detect the effect of the combination of 1/2MIC, 1MIC, 2MIC of SH, single IMP, 1/2MIC of SH and IMP of various concentrations on the clearance rate of adherent bacteria, growth of biofilms and alginate production. Fluorescein diacetate (FDA)-propidium iodide (PI) doubling staining assay was employed to observe the bacterial viability and morphological changes after membrane dispersion of each drug group.

RESULTSodium houttuyfonate could enhance the effect of IMP against pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Particularly, the combination group with the concentration of 2MIC showed the highest effect, with P < 0.001 compared with the negative control group. The above results were proved by the bacterial viability and biofilm morphology under fluorescence microscope.

CONCLUSIONAfter being combined with imipenem, sodium houttuyfonate shows a higher effect against biofilms. It is expected that the combination of the two drugs could improve the clinical efficacy of associated infections.

Alkanes ; pharmacology ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Drug Synergism ; Imipenem ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Microbial Viability ; drug effects ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; drug effects ; physiology ; Sulfites ; pharmacology

Objective To investigate the consumption status of iodized salt and iodine nutrition status of Tianjin residents,and to provide a scientific basis for iodine supplementation.Methods Sampling methods:① Salt iodine:According to The National Project of Surveillance on IDD,the iodine in salt samples from 18 Tianjin districts (counties) was tested between 2002 to 2011.②Iodine nutritional status of children:Investigation of iodine nutritional status of children was conducted four times in 2002,2005,2009 and 2011.In 2002 and 2005,two primary schools were selected in each district.By age,gender parity principle,40 subjects aged from 8 to 10 in each school were randomly selected to perform thyroid examination and 20 of them were selected to collect urine samples for determination of urinary iodine.In 2009,according to their sub-area positions in the north,the south,the east,the west and the center of each district,5 primary schools were selected in each town (if there were less than five towns in the district,all towns had been selected).Twenty subjects aged from 8 to 10 in each school were selected to collect urine samples for determination of urinary iodine.In 2011,probability sampling method (PPS) was used to select 30 primary schools,and then 40 children aged from 8 to 10 were randomly selected in each school to examine thyroids.At the same time,urine samples from 12 children of the 40 selected children were tested.③Iodine nutritional status of women of childbearing age:In 2007,2008 and 2010,150,50 and 60 women of childbearing age were selected in Hangu District,urine samples of them were collected for determination of urinary iodine.④Iodine nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women:In 2011,3 towns around each primary school were selected.Five pregnant and five lactating women were selected in each town,urine samples of them were collected for determination of urinary iodine.Test methods:①Salt iodine was tested by direct titration,while Sichuan salt and other reinforced edible salt by arbitration determination based on the General Test Method in Salt Industry-Determination of Iodide Ion (GB/T 13025.7-1999).②Thyroid was tested by B-type-ultrasound and judged according to Diagnostic Criterion of Endemic Goiter (WS 276-2007).③Urinary iodine was tested by the Method for Determination of Iodine in Urine by As3+-Ce4+ Catalytic Spectrophotometry (WS/T 107-2006).Results From 2002 to 2011,the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt,the rate of qualified iodized salt,the coverage rate of iodized salt,the rate of non-iodinated salt was 92.7％(43 489/46 926),97.4％(43 489/44 694),95.1％ (44 694/46 926) and 4.8％(2273/46 926),respectively.The median salt iodine was in the range of 29.2-36.7 mg/kg.Children's urinary iodine was monitored 4 times,the median urinary iodine was 228.0,221.5,191.8; and 194.7 μg/L,respectively.Children goiter rates were 2.1％(27/1258),1.6％(19/1186) and 2.1％(26/1219) of the 3 times monitored.The median urinary iodine in pregnant and lactating women was 145.2 and 136.0 μg/L.The median urinary iodine in women of childbearing age was 130.7,196.1 and 229.5 μg/L,which increased with the increase of coverage of iodized salt.Conclusions The iodine nutrition of Tianjin residents,women of childbearing age and lactating women are at appropriate level.The iodine nutrition of pregnant women is lower than appropriate level.Recommended salt iodine level in our city is 30 mg/kg,or 25 mg/kg for ordinary residents,and 30 mg/kg for pregnant women.

Objective To investigate the influence of thiamine deficiency(TD)at early pre- pathological lesion stage on cognitive function and the correlation between cognitive dysfunction and hippocampal neurogenesis.Methods TD mouse model was prepared by feeding a thiamine-depleted diet. Learning and memory functions of TD mice were tested with Y-maze.Hippoeampal neurogenesis was studied with bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU),proliferative cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),and Doublecortin(Dcx) immunohistochemical staining on the 7th(TD7),9th,14th and TD25th day.Results TD9 mice without pathological impairment and cholinergic nerve degeneration needed more times of training(22.3?2.2)in the learning test of Y maze compared with the controls(13.5?3.5).Correspondingly,the numbers of BrdU-positive ceils and the immunoreactivity of Dcx decreased significantly in the TD9 mice(19.8?0.4, 1537.2?50.2 vs 23.9?0.3,2688.9?127.9 pixels/mm~2).Thiamine re-administration reversed the declined hippocampal neurogenesis:the number of BrdU-positive cells was 23.6?1.9 and Dcx immunoreactivity was 2052.3?269.6 pixels/mm~2:the impaired learning ability was simultaneously restored,with the number of total training trial being 16.8?0.5.Conclusion The decreased hippocampal neurogenesis contributes to retarded learning ability at early pre-pathological lesion stage of TD.

Objective: To study the pharmacological action of Mahuang Compound Capsule(MCC) (Herba Ephedrae, Semen Armeniacae Amarum, Fructus Schisandrae, etc.). Methods: The study was carried out through the observation of ammonia induced cough model in mice and acrolein induced cough model in guinea pigs treated with MCC, its effects on asthma model of guinea pigs induced by histamine and acetylcholine mixture and on isolated tracheas smooth muscle of guinea pigs were also studied. Results: MCC administrated orally showed significant antitussive effect in ammonia induced cough model in mice and acrolein induced cough model in guinea pigs. MCC could effectively prevent guinea pigs from asthma induced by histamine and acetylcholine mixture. The water extracts could antagonize histamin phosphate that contract the isolated tracheas of guinea pigs. Conclusions: MCC has antitussive and anti asthma effects.

The specific fragment of Pneumococcal surface protein A(PspA)and Pneumococcal Surface Adhesin A(PsaA)gene was amplified by PCR from Streptococcus pneumonia 5 and Streptococcus pneumonia 19.The amplified fragnent of PspA and PsaA gene was ligated into pET-27b(+)vector and transformed into BL 21 E.coli for expression and obtain the expressive production of PspA and PsaA.Induced by IPTG,the expression level was as high as 75 % of the total disolube protein.The result showed that the recombinant plasmid could express a specific 75 kDa and 37 kDa fusion protein in E.coli BL 21,which showed the good immunogenicity and a broadly cross reactivity with the other serotypes.