Objective To apply sigma metrics to assess key indicators designed in the laboratory improvement plan to find problems and promote quality improvement.Methods Sigma metrics were calculated to reflect the performance of analytic phase including imprecision,inaccuracy and Turn around time(TAT).The quality control strategy was designed accordingly.Quality goal index(QGI)was calculated to find the cause of any error for the items exceeding 6 sigma.Quality of pre-,post-analytic and total analytic phase,such as quality of specimen,TAT,panic value notification and satisfaction of physicians and patients were measured in sigma metrics too.Results The average sigma metric of analytic phase was 4.44,while sigma metric for 8 of 27 test items were above 6?.The main cause of performance under 6o" was poor precision.The sigma metrics of quality of specimen,panic value notification,satisfaction of customer and emergent/routine TAT were 4.9,2.9,5.6,2.8,and 2.9 respectively.Conclusion Sigma metrics provide the objective marker for the evaluation of performance in each stage of analytic process.

AIM:To investigate the effects of vesicular transport inhibition on the proliferation and regulation of store-operated calcium entry ( SOCE) in rat endothelial progenitor cells ( EPCs) .METHODS:EPCs were isolated from the rats with density-gradient centrifugation and confirmed via double fluorescence staining with acLDL-DiI and FITC-UEA-I.After inhibition of vesicular transport with brefeldin A ( BFA) , the proliferation of EPCs was measured by CCK-8 assay and real-time cell analyzer instrument, apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the expression of ADP-ribosylation factor GTPase-activating protein 1 (ARFGAP1), a key protein to vesicular transport, was also detected.SOCE was ob-served under laser scanning confocal microscope after the vesicular transport was inhibited, and the protein expression of SOCC complex was determined by Western blot.Furthermore, the influences of vesicular transport inhibition on the expres-sion of transient receptor potential channel 1 ( TRPC1 ) and SOCE were examined with a RNA interference method.RE-SULTS:The acLDL-DiI and FITC-UEA-I double positive rate of the cells was 82.53%±6.12%.BFA insult significantly inhibited the proliferation of EPCs and down-regulated the expression of ARFGAP1, and no influence on the apoptosis of the EPCs was observed, suggesting that vesicular transport of EPCs was inhibited.Vesicular transport inhibition remarkably down-regulated the expression of TRPC1 and decreased SOCE level.No evident difference in the level of SOCE between siTRPC1 group and siTRPC1+BFA group, in which the cells were pretreated with siTRPC1 before BFA addition, was ob-served.CONCLUSION:Vesicular transport inhibition in EPCs reduces the proliferation of EPCs and decreases SOCE lev-el through down-regulation of TRPC1.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the application of two-dimensional ultrasound speckle tracking imaging (STI) in assessment of myocardial torsion and left ventricular function for patients with chronic pulmonary heart disease (CPHD).

METHODSThirty six patients with CPHD and 38 normal subjects were enrolled in the study,and STI examinations were performed. The left ventricular short-axis views (mitral level,apical level) were observed,the rotation angles of the standardized time point were measured at each short-axis views and the corresponding left ventricular torsion angles were calculated. Simultaneously, the basal rotation peak, apical rotation peak, left ventricular twist peak, end-systolic basal rotation value, end-systolic apical rotation value and end-systolic left ventricular twist value were recorded. The correlations of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) with left ventricular torsion peak, end-systolic left ventricular twist value in patients were analyzed.

RESULTSCompared to normal controls, the basal rotation peak, apical rotation peak, left ventricular twist peak, end-systolic basal rotation value, end-systolic apical rotation value and end-systolic left ventricular twist value were significantly lower (P<0.01) in CPHD patients. The LVEF was highly correlated with left ventricular twist peak and end-systolic left ventricular twist value in CPHD patients (r=0.967, 0.952,P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONSTI is sensitive to detect left ventricular myocardial torsion change; left ventricular torsion peak and end-systolic left ventricular twist value can be used to assess the left ventricular function in patients with CPHD.

Aged ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Heart Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; Torsion Abnormality ; diagnostic imaging

OBJECTIVETo make full use of the plant resources of Panax notoginseng, nutritional compositions and mineral elements were analyzed in aerial part of P. notoginseng from different areas in Yunnan.

METHODUsing the national standard method, water, ash, crude fat, crude fiber, crude protein and mineral elements were determined in aerial part of P. notoginseng from different growing areas.

RESULTResults showed that there were higher contents of crude fiber and crude protein, and lower content of crude fat in the stems and flowers of P. notoginseng. Meanwhile, a large number of mineral elements were determined in two locations of P. notoginseng, and the contents of Zn, Fe, Mn, Ca and Mg were obvious higher among these mineral elements.

CONCLUSIONThis study showed that the stems and flowers of P. notoginseng were nutritious and suggested that the aerial part may be utilized as new resources foods.

Flowers ; chemistry ; Nutritive Value ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Trace Elements ; analysis

Aims To establish a UPLC-MS method for quantifying protocatechuie acid,kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside and quercitrin and to investigate the pharma-cokinetics of three indix components in flower of Poly-gonumorientale L.in rat plasma.Methods The anal-ysis was achieved by BEH C18 column (2.1 mm ×100 mm,1.7 μm)with a mobile phase composed of 0.1%formic acid using step gradient elution.A TQD tandem mass spectrometry equipped with electrospray ionization source was used as detector and operated by selected ion recording(SIR)mode.Results In the selected linear range,calibration curves of the three markers components showed good linearity.Extraction recovery rate,precision,accuracy and stability reached the de-termination request.The parameters of Tmax (h ) in three index components were 0.46 ±0.1,0.79 ±0.33 and 2.63 ±4.6,respectively;Cmax (μg·L -1 )in three index components were 463.8 ±207.81,18.53 ±7.82 and 137.38 ±71.09,respectively.Conclusion The fully validated UPLC-MS method has been successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of the three index components in flower of Polygonumorientale L.in rat plasma.

Objective To explore the mechanism of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics of Moraxella catarrhalis (Me) in children with lower respiratory tract infection, to guide the rational and objective administration and provide measures of avoiding changes of antimicrobial resistance of Mc. Methods Total 40 strains Mc with positive beta-lactamase were taken from lower respiratory tract of hospitalized children with pneumonia from July to December in 2006. Polymerase chain reaction technology was used to amplify genes. The DNA product of the 40 strains were digested by restriction enzyme (BCgI). The expression and type of the drug resistance gene (BRO) for ampicillin according to different strap in agarose gel electrophoresis were analyzed. Clinical characteristics of different genotype was studied. Results Among 40 strains Me with positive Nitrocefin disk, positive BRO-1 gene was 90.0% while positive BRO-2 gene was 7.5%, and another 2.5% was neither positive BRO-1 gene nor positive BRO-2 gene. BRO-3 or TEM-1 enzyme produced may be the possible cause. The diameter of inhibition zone to beta-lactam antibiotics of Mc was smaller in positive BRO-1 gene than that Mc of positive BRO-2 gene. Conclusions BRO-1 gene was the main genotype of Mc with beta-laetamase positive in our study.

AIM:To establish a mouse model of immuno-inflammation in central nervous system (CNS) associated with cognitive dysfunction.METHODS:C57BL/6J male mice were divided into 3 groups.Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was intraperitoneally injected into the mice to induce cognitive impairment.Morris water maze test, passive avoidance test and pole test were used to observe the behavioral changes of mice.The histomorphology was analyzed by the method of immunofluorescence.The detailed molecular mechanism was determined by Western blot.RESULTS:Compared with saline group, LPS induced mouse sickness behavior and memory loss.Microglia activation and neuronal loss in the hippocampus were observed.The expression of neuroinflammatory proteins COX-2 and iNOS in the brain of LPS-induced mice was increased.CONCLUSION:Intraperitoneal injection of LPS induces cognitive dysfunction in mice.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Bone Marrow ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; Brain Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; CDC2 Protein Kinase ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Glioma ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; metabolism ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: It is easy to established human solid tumor nude mouse model, but for leukemia which is difficult. We inhibited immune system further by radioactive ray or CTX, to decrease cost and increase the stability.OBJECTIVE: To establish a human acute myeloblastic leukemia M2 Kasumi-1 models containing AML/ETO positive genes in BALB/c nude mouse. METHODS: Nude mice were randomly divided into three groups: CTX group was injected CTX 2 mg/day in abdominal cavity for two days, and injected 8×10~5/mouse Kasumi-1 cells in caudal vein next day; irradiation group was exposed to total body irradiation, and injected 8×10~5/mouse Kasumi-1 cells in caudal vein that day; untreated group was inoculated with 8×10~5/mouse Kasumi-1 cells by caudal vein injection. Three additional mice were considered as the normal control group. The blood smearing and bone morrow slides were detected, immunity type of BMC was detected using flow cytometry, loading of leukemic cellular tumor was detected using RT-PCR, and positive ratio of AML/ETO fusion gene was detected using FISH method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After inoculated into untreated nude mice by caudal vein injection for 14 days, the ratio of leukemia cell in blood smearing was 3.5%, and over 40% in bone marrow slides, which was equal to the results of FISH and FCM. The increasing of tumor loading was time-dependent. For irradiation group and CTX treated group, the tumor loading was higher that untreated group, and the cells also survived more than 60 days. AML/ETO band was observed by RT-PCR in all experimental groups, for normal mice it was negative. The results indicated that the systemic disseminated leukemia model was established successfully by caudal vein injection 8×10~5/mouse Kasumi-1 cells in the three experimental groups.