AIM: To research how to separate the active component in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort by high speed counter current chromatography. METHODS: Senkyunolide A and Z-ligustilide,the main components of volatile oil in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort were one step separated by high speed counter current chromatography. n-hexane-ethyl acetate-ethanol-water,1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1 ∶ 1(v/v),was used as the solvent system for HSCCC. Top phase and bottom phase were respectively used as static phase and mobile phase. Optimum speed and flow rate were 900 r/min and 1. 2 mL/min respectively. RESULTS: Collected fractions were analyzed by HPLC and identified by EI-MS and 1HNMR. Purity could reach more than 95% . CONCLUSION: Lactone is fit to be separated and prepared by high speed counter current chromatography with good resolution and high purity. We find a fast and efficient way to separate these.

Objective To understand the prevalence and the nursing status of incontinence and incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD),analyze the risk factors of the occurrence of IAD,and to provide effective measures for the prevention and management of IAD.Methods Using the questionnaire survey, 1 318 hospitalized patients in 2 grade three hospitals of Suzhou were investigated,and then the results were analyzed.Results The prevalence of incontinence was 10.70％(141/1 318),among the prevalence of urinary incontinence was 4.63％(61/1 318),fecal incontinence was 4.32％(57/1 318);with 24.11％(34/141) of incontinent patients having IAD;disposable pad and briefs were the most common containment devices,only 36.17％ (51/141) of the incontinent inpatients using skin protectant after perineal skin clean.Single factor analysis revealed that IAD was related with wards, types of incontinence, character of stools, frequency of feces, antibiotics, modes of nutrition support, Braden scores, level of albumin and prealbumin.Unconditional Logistic regression indicated that risk factors of IAD included the level of serum albumin (OR=0.769, P＜ 0.05), Braden scores(OR=0.335, P＜ 0.05) and frequency of feces(OR=11.076, P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Incontinence and IAD are common in hospitalized patients,low serum albumin, low Braden scores and high frequency of feces are the risk factors of IAD.The clinical nurses have not paied enough attention on the prevention of IAD, lacked relevant knowledge and skin care regimen.

Objective To revise the Symptom Distress Scale for postoperative patients with pituitary tumor and to test its reliability and validity. Methods On the base of previous qualitative interview and literature review, Delphi consultation was performed to identify items of the Symptom Distress Scale for postoperative patients with pituitary tumor. By convenience sampling method, totally 191 patients from four first-class ternary hospitals in Jiangsu province were investigated effectively by this scale. Results A scale of 4 factors and 16 items was identified by expert interviews, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis and the four factors could explain 69.812%of the variance. The Cronbachαcoefficient of the scale was 0.920, the content validity index was 0.915, and the interrater reliability was 0.860. Conclusions Symptom Distress Scale for postoperative patients with pituitary tumor has good reliability and validity to assess the symptom distress of pituitary tumor patients after operation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the liver T1rho values for detecting fibrosis, and the potential impact of fatty liver on T1rho measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 18 healthy subjects, 18 patients with fatty liver, and 18 patients with liver fibrosis, who underwent T1rho MRI and mDIXON collections. Liver T1rho, proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and T2* values were measured and compared among the three groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the T1rho values for detecting liver fibrosis. Liver T1rho values were correlated with PDFF, T2* values and clinical data. RESULTS: Liver T1rho and PDFF values were significantly different (p < 0.001), whereas the T2* (p = 0.766) values were similar, among the three groups. Mean liver T1rho values in the fibrotic group (52.6 ± 6.8 ms) were significantly higher than those of healthy subjects (44.9 ± 2.8 ms, p < 0.001) and fatty liver group (45.0 ± 3.5 ms, p < 0.001). Mean liver T1rho values were similar between healthy subjects and fatty liver group (p = 0.999). PDFF values in the fatty liver group (16.07 ± 10.59%) were significantly higher than those of healthy subjects (1.43 ± 1.36%, p < 0.001) and fibrosis group (1.07 ± 1.06%, p < 0.001). PDFF values were similar in healthy subjects and fibrosis group (p = 0.984). Mean T1rho values performed well to detect fibrosis at a threshold of 49.5 ms (area under the ROC curve, 0.855), had a moderate correlation with liver stiffness (r = 0.671, p = 0.012), and no correlation with PDFF, T2* values, subject age, or body mass index (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: T1rho MRI is useful for noninvasive detection of liver fibrosis, and may not be affected with the presence of fatty liver.
Body Mass Index ; Fatty Liver* ; Fibrosis ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prospective Studies* ; Protons ; ROC Curve

OBJECTIVETo clone the coding gene of the stage-specific antigen cC1 from Cysticercus cellulosae and express high levels of soluble cC1 in E.coli.

METHODSThe cC1 gene was amplified from Cysticercus cellulosae by RT-PCR and cloned into pMD18-T vector, followed by subcloning into the prokaryotic expression plasmid pET28a. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) and the expression conditions were optimized. The expressed product was purified by Ni(+)-affinity chromatography, analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and identified with SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.

RESULTSThe fragment length of the amplification product by RT-PCR was 1056 bp. Comparison of the amplified gene sequence with the cC1 gene in Genbank identified a samesense point mutation at 423 position in the gene cloned into the expression plasmids. After a 6-h induction with 0.05 mmol/L IPTG at 37 degrees celsius;, the expression of the 40 kd soluble fusion protein exceeded 60% of the total bacterial protein, and the fusion protein was recognized by Cysticercus-infected human sera. The purity of the fusion protein was about 94% after purification by affinity chromatography.

CONCLUSIONThe stage-specific antigen cC1 from Cysticercus cellulosae has been successfully cloned and the soluble protein efficiently expressed in E.coli, which provides the basis for its further study and application.

Animals ; Antigens, Helminth ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cysticercus ; immunology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Solubility ; Swine ; Taenia solium ; immunology

Objective To compare the clinical curative effect of bridge combined internal fixation system (BCFS) and digital customized steel plate(DCSP) for treating complex extremity fracture.Methods Fortyseven cases of complex extremity fracture in this hospital from October 2012 to October 2015 were treated by BCFS and DCSP,among them,26 cases adopted BCFS(BCFS group) and 21 cases were treated by DCSP(DCSP group).Then the operation time,intraoperative blood loss volume,hospitalization time,healing time of fracture,postoperative complications and function evaluation of limbs were compared between the two groups.Results The two group were followed up for 6-15 months with an average of(13.57±1.37)months.The DCSP group was better than the BCFS group in the aspects of operation time and intraoperative blood loss volume,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The fracture healing time in the BCFS group was significantly shorter than that in the DCSP group,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The hospitalization time,postoperative complications and function evaluation of limbs had no statistical differences between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Both BCFS and DCSP can acquire good clinical curative effect in the treatment of complex extremity fracture,however BCFS has a shorter healing time of fracture.

Due to the diversity of toxicologically relevant substances, the uncertainty of target compounds and the specificity of samples, toxicological screening techniques have always been valued by the forensic toxicologists. Depending on its powerful separation ability, superhigh resolution and accurate mass measurement, combined with the two levels spectrum database matching and abundance ratio of isotope ion, the liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analyzers have increasingly advantage in screening and identification of chemical compound. This review focuses on the applications of LC-HRMS in screening and identification of drug-of-abuse, prescription drugs, pesticide and stimulant. The prospect of LC-HRMS in forensic toxicology analysis is also included.
Central Nervous System Agents/analysis* ; Chromatography, Liquid/methods* ; Doping in Sports ; Forensic Toxicology/methods* ; Humans ; Pesticide Residues/analysis* ; Pesticides/analysis* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Substance Abuse Detection/methods* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Toxicity Tests/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To establish a screening and confirmation method for psychotropic drugs and their metabolites in human blood and urine by HPLC-LTQ Orbitrap MS. METHODS: The samples were pretreated with Sirocco protein precipitation plate, and then analyzed by HPLC-LTQ Orbitrap MS. The method was validated in terms of the limit of detection (LOD). An accurate mass database was created for psychotropic drugs screening. RESULTS: The LOD for most of 56 determined compounds was < or = 0.1 ng/mL. The accurate mass database included the accurate mass information of 61 psychotropic drugs. CONCLUSION The method is accurate, rapid, sensitive and the database is suitable for psychotropic drugs screening and confirmation.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Forensic Toxicology ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Molecular Structure ; Molecular Weight ; Psychotropic Drugs/urine* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Substance Abuse Detection/methods*

PURPOSE: Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychostimulant. It is often adopted as a tool to modulate brain activations in fMRI studies. However, its pharmaceutical effect on task-induced deactivation has not been fully examined in fMRI. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of caffeine on both activation and deactivation under sustained attention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Task fMRI was acquired from 26 caffeine naive healthy volunteers before and after taking caffeine pill (200 mg). RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed an increase in cognition-load dependent task activation but a decrease in load dependent de-activation after caffeine ingestion. Increase of attention and memory task activation and its load-dependence suggest a beneficial effect of caffeine on the brain even though it has no overt behavior improvement. The reduction of deactivation by caffeine and its load-dependence indicate reduced facilitation from task-negative networks. CONCLUSION: Caffeine affects brain activity in a load-dependent manner accompanied by a disassociation between task-positive network and task-negative network.
Brain ; Caffeine* ; Eating* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Memory, Short-Term*

BACKGROUNDAlthough previous clinical study revealed that bortezomib combined with dexamethasone had improved the outcomes of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), the optimal dose combinations of bortezomib and dexamethasone remain unknown. This trial aimed to observe the efficacy and safety of different dose combinations of bortezomib and dexamethasone in the treatment of RRMM patients in China.

METHODSA total of 168 patients with relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) who were refractory to at lest two prior treatments were enrolled in this multicenter, open-label, non-randomized, prospective clinical trial. Twenty patients received 1.3 mg/m(2) of bortezomib twice weekly for 2 weeks of a 3-week cycle for up to 8 cycles and oral or intravenous dexamethasone 20 mg on the day of and after each bortezomib dose (group 1); 66 patients received less than 1.3 mg/m(2) (0.7 - 1.0 mg/m(2)) of bortezomib and dexamethasone 20 mg on the same schedule (group 2); 37 patients received 1.3 mg/m(2)2 of bortezomib and dexamethasone 40 mg (group 3) and 45 patients received less than 1.3 mg/m(2) (0.7 - 1.0 mg/m(2)) of bortezomib and dexamethasone 40 mg (group 4). The response was evaluated according to the criteria of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and confirmed by an independent review committee. Adverse events were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria, version 3.0.

RESULTSThe median age of groups 1 to 4 was 61, 62, 56, and 60 years, respectively. Most patients were in stages II/III of MM and the most common subtype was IgG. The rate of overall response to bortezomib and dexamethasone of group 1 to 4 was 72.2% (13/18), 73.8% (48/65), 78.8% (26/33) and 78.0% (32/41) (P = 0.91), including a complete response rate of 22.2% (4/18), 20.0% (13/65), 33.3% (11/33) and 29.3% (12/41) (P = 0.67), respectively. There was no statistical significance in time to progression and overall survival among these 4 groups (P > 0.05). The most commonly adverse events of any grade in the entire 4 groups were fatigue, gastrointestinal effects, peripheral neuropathy and thrombocytopenia, and there was no significance in the number of adverse events among the 4 groups (P > 0.05) except that peripheral neuropathy was reported more frequently in group 3 (36.3%) than in group 2 (13.8%, P < 0.05) and group 4 (14.6%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of bortezomib and dexamethasone was associated with high responses in Chinese RRMM patients. No significant differences of efficacy were detected in different dose combinations of bortezomib and dexamethasone. Moreover, low dose of bortezomib reduced the incidence of peripheral neuropathy without affecting outcome in the treatment of patients with RRMM in China.

Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal ; administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Boronic Acids ; administration & dosage ; Bortezomib ; China ; Dexamethasone ; administration & dosage ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; drug therapy ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Prospective Studies ; Pyrazines ; administration & dosage