OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relative factors influencing olfactory dysfunction in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). METHOD: Visual analogue scale (VAS) was applied to measure the severity of olfactory dysfunction of 270 patients with CRS. Patients were divided into two groups, one was that the quality of life (QOL) of patients was affected by olfactory dysfunction (VAS > 5), the other was that without QOL affected by olfactory dysfunction (VAS ≤ 5). The association between age, gender, nasal polyps, allergic rhinitis, smoking history, early nasal surgery history and other clinical factors, and serum total IgE level, peripheral blood eosinophil count, peripheral blood mononuclear cell count and olfactory dysfunction was analyzed. RESULT: The number of patients with nasal polyps, allergic rhinitis, previous nasal surgeries, the level of serum total IgE, and the severity of edema were significantly increased in patients with impaired QOL associated with olfactory dysfunction (P < 0.05). Sex distribution, age, smoking history, deviation of nasal septum, eosinophil and mononuclear cell count did no statistically differ between the groups with and without impaired QOL associated with olfactory dysfunctions (P > 0.05). Serum total IgE increased (OR = 1.003, P < 0.01) and severe edema (OR = 2.483, P < 0.01) were the risk factors for the impairment of olfactory function, more notably for edema; whereas previous nasal surgeries was a protective factor (OR = 0.408, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Sever edema and increased serum total IgE are risk factors, whereas previous nasal surgeries history is a protective factor for the olfactory dysfunction.
Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; Male ; Nasal Polyps ; Olfaction Disorders ; etiology ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis ; complications ; immunology ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; complications ; immunology ; Risk Factors ; Sinusitis ; complications ; immunology ; Smell ; Smoking ; adverse effects

Objective To evaluate the effects of various resection and reconstruction method on pain relief and function restoration for periacetabular metastatic destruction in different grade. Methods This study involved 20 patients, 11 males and 9 females, with the average age of 52 years(range, 43-82 years). The original tumor consisted of 5 renal cell carcinoma, 4 breast carcinoma, 3 lung carcinoma, 2 thyroid carcinoma, 1 prostate carcinoma, 1 rectum carcinoma and 4 unknown primary cancers. A solitary periacetabular metastatic lesion was demonstrated in 14 patients and multi-metastases were seen in 6 patients, and accompanying periacetabular pathologic fractures in 4 patients. As to the Harrington grading system for the periacetabular metastatic destruction, there were 8 grade Ⅰ, 5 grade Ⅱ, and 7 grade Ⅲ. And according to grade Ⅰ, curettage and cement packing (5 cases) as well as stability reconstruction in iliac and acetabulum (3 cases) were performed; grade Ⅱ, curettage, cement packing and total hip arthroplasty with reinforcement ring was performed; grade Ⅲ, en bolc resection of acetabular lesion and modular prosthesis reconstruction was performed. The average score was 5.4(ranged from 3 to 9) according to Tomita scoring system. The pain relief and functional recovery were investigated from the regular follow up postoperatively. Results All patients showed the improvement in pain relief and mobility postoperatively. No prosthetic dislocation, deep infection and leg length discrepancy occurred. The prosthesis or internal fixation loosening happened in 5 of 15 patients at different stage. The median survival time of all patients was 16.5 months (range from 4.2 to 63 months). 2 patients survived over 5 years, 3 over 2 years, 6 over 1 year, 6 over 6 months, and 3 less than 6 months. According to the Enneking functional scoring system, the patients were rated as excellent in 10 cases, good in 8, fair 1 and poor 1 at the 3rd month postoperatively, and for the 7 cases with grade Ⅲ, excellent 2, good 2, and poor 2. The functions of 11 patients survived one year after surgery were excellent in 3, good 4, fair 2 and poor 2. Conclusion The favorable resections and reconstructions for periacetabular metastatic destruction could lead to remarked improvement in pain relief, functional recovery and quality of life.

[Objective]A new limited contact femoral supracondylar interlocking intramedullary nail(LCFSIIN) was made,which was part of a new custom-made hemi-knee joint,to improve the results of childrens' limb salvage.[Method]A new LCFSIIN was performed and the stress of bolts,intramedullary nails and bone were analyzed by finite dement analysis(FEA) while the bolts were implanted in different angulafions-0?,15?,30?,45?and 60?.[Result]The results of FEA show that the stress of bolts,bone and nails with 15? insertion angles of bolt was the tiniest and well distributed.Stress of bone with 0? insertion angles was more obvious than that with 15?,30?and 45?.The more the angles,the stress of proximal bolt became more obvious and the stress of distal bolt decreasing.[Conclusion]This new LCFSIIN can reduce destruction of biological environment of bone and is easy in use in limb salvage surgery of allograft.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that berberine represses multiple tumors and tumor stem cells, but the effect of berberine on lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of berberine on the proliferation and apoptosis of LCSCs and the possible mechanism. METHODS: CD133+ LCSCs were separated from A549 cells by immunomagnetic beads. The effects of different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40 mg/L) of berberine on the proliferation and apoptosis of LCSCs were determined by MTT and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. In order to further affirm the effect of berberine on the proliferation and apoptosis of LCSCs, the expression levels of Ki67, Bax and Bcl-2 protein were detected by western blot. In addition, to investigate the potential mechanism by which berberine exerts regulatory effects on LCSCs, the expression levels of Hedgehog signaling pathway-associated proteins (PTCH1, SHH, Gli-1 and SMO) were determined. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After magnetic cell sorting, the content of the CD133+ fraction was enriched up to 84.13%. MTT and flow cytometry assays showed that berberine inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of LCSCs in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blot analysis showed that the expression levels of Ki67, Bcl-2, PTCH1, SHH, Gli-1 and SMO proteins of LCSCs cultured in the medium with 20 mg/L berberine were dramatically decreased compared to the control, while the expression level of Bax protein was markedly increased compared to the control. These findings suggest that berberine may inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis for LCSCs through the Hedgehog signaling pathway.BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that berberine represses multiple tumors and tumor stem cells, but the effect of berberine on lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of berberine on the proliferation and apoptosis of LCSCs and the possible mechanism. METHODS: CD133+ LCSCs were separated from A549 cells by immunomagnetic beads. The effects of different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40 mg/L) of berberine on the proliferation and apoptosis of LCSCs were determined by MTT and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. In order to further affirm the effect of berberine on the proliferation and apoptosis of LCSCs, the expression levels of Ki67, Bax and Bcl-2 protein were detected by western blot. In addition, to investigate the potential mechanism by which berberine exerts regulatory effects on LCSCs, the expression levels of Hedgehog signaling pathway-associated proteins (PTCH1, SHH, Gli-1 and SMO) were determined. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After magnetic cell sorting, the content of the CD133+ fraction was enriched up to 84.13%. MTT and flow cytometry assays showed that berberine inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of LCSCs in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blot analysis showed that the expression levels of Ki67, Bcl-2, PTCH1, SHH, Gli-1 and SMO proteins of LCSCs cultured in the medium with 20 mg/L berberine were dramatically decreased compared to the control, while the expression level of Bax protein was markedly increased compared to the control. These findings suggest that berberine may inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis for LCSCs through the Hedgehog signaling pathway.

Research on novel pullulanase has major significance on the domestic industrialization of pullulanase and the breakdown of foreign monopoly. A thermophilic bacteria LM 18-11 producing thermostable pullulanase was isolated from Lunma hot springs of Yunnan province. It was identified as Anoxybacillus sp. by 16S rDNA phylogenetic analysis. Full-length pullulanase gene was cloned from Anoxybacillus sp. LM18-11. The optimum temperature of the pullulanase was between 55 and 60 degrees C with a half-life as long as 48 h at 60 degrees C; and its optimum pH was between 5.6 and 6.4. V(max) and K(m) of the pullulanase was measured as 750 U/mg and 1.47 mg/mL, which is the highest specific activity reported so far. The pullulanase crystals structure showed a typical alpha-amylase family structure. The N-terminal has a special substrate binding domain. Activity and substrate binding were decreased when the domain was deleted, the V(max) and K(m) were 324 U/mg and 1.95 mg/mL, respectively. The pullulanase was highly heterologous expressed in Bacillus subtilis by P43 promoter. The extracellular enzyme activity was 42 U/mL, which increased more than 40 times compared to the initial strain. This pullulanase has good application prospects.
Anoxybacillus ; classification ; enzymology ; China ; Glycoside Hydrolases ; metabolism ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Temperature

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Health Care Surveys ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Waste Disposal ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Health ; Personnel, Hospital ; Young Adult

Resveratrol synthase (RS) plays a key role in resveratrol (Res) biosynthesis. RS gene has been formerly reported to be transformed into many plant species and microorganisms, and to play certain roles in metabolic and regulation processes. In this paper, the transformations of RS gene in plants, and the related changes of biological properties, such as metabolites, anti-pathogen activities, anti-radical properties, and developmental characters in transgenic plants, as well as the production of resveratrol in microbes by utilizing RS gene were summarized. Moreover, the application prospects of RS gene in bioengineering were also addressed.
Acyltransferases ; genetics ; Genetic Engineering ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; enzymology ; genetics ; Stilbenes ; metabolism

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes of a hovel porous β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)and control allograft for the repair of lacunar bone defects caused by solitary bone cyst curettage.Methods From January 2003 to December 2008,the patients with solitary bone cyst were randomized into an experimental(55 cases)and a control(40 cases)group.The control group received particulate allograft bone as the graft material,and the experimental group received β-TCP.At 1 week,1,2,3,6,12,24,48months after surgery,a new radiographic scoring system was employed to calculate the biodegradation of bone graft and evaluate the influence of multiple factors.Histologic characteristic of the degradation process of β-TCP were also evaluated.Results All the cases were followed up for average 28.4 months.Radiographic semi-quantitative analysis revealed that the biodegradation effieiencies were not significantly difierent between β-TCP and allografts(P=0.424).Degradation percentage of the implanted β-TCP or allograft was higher in younger patients than those in the older ones.Degradation of β-TCP was significantly higher than that of allografts over 3 years after surgery(P=0.04).In the experimental group,β-TCP degradation was greater in the loose packing treatment than that in the dense packing treatment (P=0.03).Histological observation demonstrated that the process of new bone formation accompanied the degradation of β-TCP.Conclusion The interporous β-TCP could be an advantageous alternative to allografts for repair bone defects caused by bone cyst.The clinical application of β-TCP is safe and reliable,which shows better biodegradation and osteogenesis than allografts in long-term follow-up.

Adolescent ; Body Height ; Body Weight ; Child ; Female ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Male ; Papilloma ; surgery ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; surgery ; Thyroidectomy ; adverse effects

Animals ; Drug Tolerance ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 ; metabolism ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta ; Morphine ; Phosphorylation ; Rats ; Signal Transduction