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The effect of treatment with 5 g/L chitosan (CTS), 100 μmol/L melatonin (MT) and their combination on the storage quality and chlorophyll metabolism of fresh-cut broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Planch.) during storage at (15 ± 1) ℃ and relative humidity (RH) of 85%–90% were investigated through sensory evaluation, physiological and biochemical characterization, and texture analysis. The results showed that separate and combined treatment with CTS and MT effectively maintained the sensory quality of fresh-cut broccoli, and the sensory scores of the samples treated with CTS, MT and their combination were 3.36, 2.83 and 5.17 times higher than that of the control group on the 7th day of storage, respectively. Compared with the control group, the combined treatment could significantly inhibit the activity of chlorophyll-degrading enzymes in broccoli (P < 0.05), thereby inhibiting chlorophyll degradation, while significantly reducing the rate of mass loss and respiratory intensity of fresh-cut broccoli (P < 0.05). Furthermore, it was found that the combined treatment increased chlorophyll content by 83.80%, reduced chlorophyllase (CLH), Mg-dechelatase (MDcase), pheophyllase (PPH) and pheophyllase a oxygenase (PAO) activities by 5.78%, 26.76%, 18.59% and 34.87%, respectively, and decreased mass loss rate and respiratory intensity by 24.82% and 45.28%, respectively on the 5th day of storage. Also, the combined treatment better maintained the texture properties of fresh-cut broccoli, such as hardness and chewiness, as well as the contents of soluble solids, soluble protein, total phenols and flavonoids. These findings suggest that combined treatment with CTS and MT can effectively delay the yellowing and maintain the quality of fresh-cut broccoli.

We performed this study in order to evaluate the control effect and mechanism of the biosurfactant rhamnolipids (RLS) on black spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata in pear fruit. The results showed that RLS treatment at a mass concentration of 20 mg/mL effectively enhanced resistance to A. alternata, and the lesion diameter was only 64.29% of that of the control group at 12 days following the treatment. Furthermore, it was shown that compared to the control group, RLS treatment significantly increased the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), cinnamate acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H), 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase (4CL), and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), as well as the contents of total phenols and flavonoids in pear fruit tissue. The activities of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase were significantly induced. The activities of NADPH oxidase (NOX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), and the contents of H2O2 and superoxide anion radical in the early and middle stages of storage were also increased by RLS treatment. Meanwhile, the ascorbate-glutathione (ASA-GSH) cycle was activated to maintain the dynamic balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and scavenging in pear fruit tissue, and the membrane permeability and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were reduced. Collectively, this study suggested that post-harvest rhamnolipid treatment can enhance black spot disease resistance in pear fruit by regulating phenylpropane metabolism, ROS metabolism and pathogenesis-related proteins.

In view of problems of high switching loss, serious interphase interference and low DC side voltage utilization in tracking compensation current and voltage of traditional mine-used unified power quality conditioner, a constant frequency double hysteresis control strategy based on space voltage vector was proposed. Through the tracking analysis of single-phase current and voltage hysteresis loop, the function relation between the width of time delay loop with fixed switching frequency and the voltage on the grid side is obtained. Then, the width of double hysteresis loop is dynamically adjusted according to change of the grid-side voltage to ensure the constant switching frequency, which can effectively reduce switching loss while tracking compensation current and voltage. Combination of constant frequency double hysteresis loop control and space voltage vector can eliminate phase interference and improve voltage utilization rate, and can reduce current harmonics while ensuring current response speed. The simulation results show that the power quality conditioner adopting this control strategy can compensate grid voltage and current in time and effectively when voltage sag and current waveform are distorted, and the harmonic distortion rate of voltage and current after compensation is low, which ensures safe operation of coal mine power grid.

To explore the method of walnut leaf substrate development through the study of acid-base pretreatment and pile rot fermentation of walnut leaves, different concentrations of oxalic acid and ammonia solution were used to treat walnut leaves at different times, and the gray correlation method was used to select the appropriate pretreatment conditions in combination with the physical and chemical properties of walnut leaves after treatment. Thereafter, 2 groups of tests, with pretreatment (A) and without pretreatment (B), were set up to add different amounts of rhamnolipids for fermentation of walnut leaves, and the degree of fermentation, decay of walnut leaves and substrate safety were judged by temperature, T value, heavy metal content and seed germination index. The results showed that the weighted correlation of treatment with 0.5% ammonia solution for 2.0 h was 0.739, which was higher than other alkali solution treatments, and the pH of the treated walnut leaves was 6.61, which was more suitable for later fermentation and was a suitable acid-base pretreatment condition for walnut leaves. During the fermentation process, the highest temperature of the pile reached 62.28 °C, and the high temperature above 50 °C was maintained for 6 d. After fermentation, the T value (the ratio of carbon and nitrogen ratio of materials before and after fermentation) was within the range of 0.36~0.58, all of which were less than 0.6. The germination index of substrate leaching solution of B0 treatment was greater than 70%, while the remaining treatments were more than 80%, and the heavy metal content of the substrate all met the standard requirements, indicating that the walnut leaves of each treatment were fermented rotting, the substrate was safe and usable. The treatment with 0.3% rhamnolipid had the lowest T value, whose germination index was higher than 85%, and the effect of heap rotting was better than other treatments. To sum up, the key technology of walnut leaf substrate was to add 0.3% rhamnolipid for fermentation after pretreatment with 0.5% ammonia for 2 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to conduct dynamic health assessment for the roller bearing and describe the dynamic process of its performance degradation accurately,by using the method of combining the Self-organizing map（ SOM） and restricted Boltzmann machine（ RBM） to implement the health assessment of rolling bearing. With the consideration of degradation induced changes for response features,unsupervised learning scheme based on SOM,with the help of multi-domain feature sets consist of features in time domain,frequency domain and time-frequency domain,the optimal feature domain is constructed by sorting the diverse features adopting the sequential forward selection（ SFS） regulation,the mapping relationship between the selected feature vectors and bearing health status is obtained. To avoid the problems of being easy to be run into local optimum,parameter adjustment difficulties and a long training process,when conducting the learning process using traditional neural network algorithms,the model for health assessment is constructed by using the RBM as an alternative.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can identify the health status of rolling bearing during the dynamic process of performance degradation with a good engineering applicability.

The mixed dentition stage is the period between primary and permanent dentition. The following biological processes are complicated and variable: jaw growth, development of inherited permanent teeth embryo, physiological absorption of primary teeth, restoration of surrounding alveolar bones, and growth and function establishment of soft tissues. For the normal development of the jaw, the establishment of the good occlusion relationship, development, and function of soft tissue is very important, whether or not the primary teeth are normally replaced by the permanent teeth in the mixed dentition stage. The eruption space is linked to the normal replacement of primary and permanent teeth. The presence of a mixed dentition space results in the incidence and progression of malocclusion and impacts the normal growth and development of the occlusion, jaw, and face. Space management in the mixed dentition stage is a crucial means to prevent and reduce malocclusion. The following were discussed and analyzed: the possible space problems, why the size of the space was affected, the content that needs to be assessed, and the methods of space management in the mixed dentition that can be used to unify and standardize the management of mixed dentition. This paper was developed to serve as a guide for regulated space management during the mixed dentition period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for the determination of lanthanum in molybdenum lanthanum alloy by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) was established. The molybdenum lanthanum alloy samples were dissolved with hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. 379.478 nm was selected as the analysis line of lanthanum, and the interference of matrix molybdenum was eliminated by matrix matching method. The linear correlation coefficient is above 0.999, the lower limit of quantification is 0.048%, the relative standard deviation (RSD, n= 11) is less than 3%, and the recovery is 93.0%-105%. The method is rapid and accurate. It can meet the requirements of the determination of molybdenum lanthanum alloy samples in actual production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Posterior decompression and pedicle screw fixation combined with interbody fusion is a method for the treatment of cervical vertebral degenerative lesions. There are few reports on the measurement of strain electricity in simulating C5/6 intervertebral disc fusion after pedicle screw removal. OBJECTIVE: To analyze stress and strain immediately after C5/6discectomy, pedicle screw fixation combined with interbody fusion. METHODS: Eighteen fresh pig cervical specimens were randomly divided into three groups: bone cage fusion group, PEEK fusion group, and titanium mesh fusion group (n=6). Each group simulated C5/6 discectomy and pedicle screw fixation, and then different fusion cages were used for interbody fusion. Before and after fusion, the resistance strain gauges were attached under the vertebral body at the position of pedicle screw fixation, at the edge of vertebral body at the fusion position of fusion cage, at the edge of adjacent vertebral body. The strain values of each sample were measured under the compression state by static resistance strain gauge. The stress values at each measurement point before and after fusion in posterior fixation with pedicle screws for cervical vertebrae in each group were calculated by material mechanics formula. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Under the same load, the strain and stress of each measurement point in the titanium mesh fusion group ware smaller than those in the bone cage fusion group and the PEEK fusion group, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). (2) Under the same load, the strain and stress of each test point in the bone cage fusion group were larger than those in the PEEK fusion group, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). (3) These results confirm that simulated C5 discectomy in vitro, posterior pedicle screw fixation and implantation of different fusion cages have different changes of stress and strain. The selection of appropriate interbody fusion cage can reduce the effect of stress concentration on adjacent segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a prediction equation for estimation physical activity level(PAL) based on the average daily steps in Chinese adults and to verify its prediction power., Methods: A total of 800 adults with no restriction on physical activity were recruited. Excluding those who wore Actigragh WGT3X-BT accelerometer continuously for less than 3 days, 743 subjects(324 males, 419 females, mean age 31.4 years) were finally included. Daily steps, time of low intensity physical activity(LPA), moderate physical activity(MPA) and vigorous physical activity(VPA) and physical activity energy expenditure(PAEE) were measured by the accelerometer. The method of external validation was adopted. The measured PAL calculated by basal metabolic rate(BMR) measured by indirect thermography(IC) and total energy expenditure(TEE) measured by doubly labeled water method was used as the gold standard. The consistency of the prediction formula was verified by Bland-Altman analysis and the accuracy was verified by the accurate., Results: The prediction equation was developed: PAL=1.17 + 0.000028 Steps. In the external verification, the mean difference was 0.05, the 95% consistency limit was(-0.26, 0.36), and the accuracy was 73%, indicating a good consistency., Conclusion: The prediction formula of PAL for Chinese adults based on the steps has good performance and can be applied to the management of physical activity and the prevention of obesity in Chinese adults.

The mixed dentition stage is the period between primary and permanent dentition. The following biological processes are complicated and variable: jaw growth, development of inherited permanent teeth embryo, physiological absorption of primary teeth, restoration of surrounding alveolar bones, and growth and function establishment of soft tissues. For the normal development of the jaw, the establishment of the good occlusion relationship, development, and function of soft tissue is very important, whether or not the primary teeth are normally replaced by the permanent teeth in the mixed dentition stage. The eruption space is linked to the normal replacement of primary and permanent teeth. The presence of a mixed dentition space results in the incidence and progression of malocclusion and impacts the normal growth and development of the occlusion, jaw, and face. Space management in the mixed dentition stage is a crucial means to prevent and reduce malocclusion. The following were discussed and analyzed: the possible space problems, why the size of the space was affected, the content that needs to be assessed, and the methods of space management in the mixed dentition that can be used to unify and standardize the management of mixed dentition. This paper was developed to serve as a guide for regulated space management during the mixed dentition period.

Objective: To explore the correlation of plasma N-acetyl-neuraminic acid level with Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score and clinical outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)., Methods: We consecutively enrolled 708 consecutive patients (401 male and 307 female, mean age 63.6±10.6 years) undergoing coronary angiography in our hospital between October, 2018 and July, 2019, including 597 patients with ACS and 111 without ACS (control group). The patients with ACS group were divided into high ( n =104), moderate ( n =425) and low ( n =68) risk groups according to their TIMI risk scores. All the participants were examined for plasma Neu5Ac level using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and underwent coronary angiography with their Gensini scores calculated. The patients with ACS were followed up after discharge for a mean of 15 months for the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (Mace). Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors of Mace in these patients., Results: Plasma Neu5Ac levels were significantly higher in ACS group than in the control group ( P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that plasma Neu5Ac level could assist in the diagnosis of ACS (0.648 [0.597-0.699]) with a sensitivity of 39.2% and a specificity of 86.5% at the cutoff value of 288.50 ng/mL. In the ACS patients, plasma Neu5Ac level was significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the moderate-risk and low-risk groups ( P < 0.05) and could assist in the diagnosis of a high risk (0.645 [0.588-0.703]) with a sensitivity of 42.3% and a specificity of 80.1% at the cutoff value of 327.50 ng/ mL. Plasma Neu5Ac was positively correlated with age, serum uric acid, creatinine, lipoprotein a, Ddimer, C-reactive protein, MB isoform of creatine kinase and Gensini score and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein level. During the followup, 80 ACS patients experienced Mace, who had significantly higher plasma Neu5Ac level than those without Mace ( n =517). Logistic regression analysis showed that plasma Neu5Ac level and a history of previous stroke were independent risk factors for the occurrence of Mace., Conclusions: Plasma Neu5Ac level can provide assistance in the diagnosis and risk stratification of ACS and is an independent risk factor for prognosis of ACS patients.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of paeoniflorin on dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) mice. Methods C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, 600 mg/(kg.d) mesalazine treatment group, (12.5, 25, 50) mg/(kg.d) paeoniflorin treatment group, with 10 mice in each. All mice were treated with 30 g/L DSS for 5 days except the control group. Meanwhile, the mice in the other groups were orally administrated corresponding drugs for 10 days, while the mice in the control and model groups were given equivalent volumes of distilled water. Body mass, fecal characteristics and hematochezia of the mice were observed and recorded daily, and then disease activity index (DAI) was evaluated and calculated. Pathological changes in the colon were observed by HE staining. The levels of anti-flagellin antibody, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the serum were measured by ELISA. The expression levels of Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and nuclear factor kappa-Bp65 (NF-κBp65) in the colon tissues were evaluated by Western blot analysis and the activation of lymphocytes in mesenteric lymph node (MLN) was detected by flow cytometry. Results Compared with the control group, DAI scores in the model group were significantly raised, the colon length was significantly shortened, and the epithelium and intestinal gland disappeared. In addition, the serum levels of anti-flagellin antibody, IL-6, TNF-α and the protein levels of TLR5, MyD88, NF-κBp65 in the colon significantly increased, and the activation of T lymphocytes in MLN went up in the model group. All symptoms above were alleviated in the mesalazine and paeoniflorin groups compared with the model group. Conclusion Paeoniflorin can attenuate UC in mice by inhibiting the expression of flagellin and TLR5, and the activation of T cells.

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effect of matrine on the proliferation of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and explore the possible molecular mechanism., Methods: Cultured human NSCLC A549 cells were treated with 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2.0 g/L matrine for 24, 48 or 72 h. CCK-8 assay was used for measuring the changes in A549 cell viability. The morphological changes of the cells were observed under a fluorescence microscope, and flow cytometry was employed for analyzing the cell apoptosis. The effects of matrine and the PI3K specific inhibitor LY294002 (10 nmol/L) on AKT pathway and autophagy-related proteins in A549 cells were investigated using Western blotting., Results: Matrine significantly inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner ( P &lt; 0.05). At the concentration of 1.6 g/L or higher, matrine caused obvious cell shrinkage and fragmentation and significantly increased floating cells; autophagy vacuoles could be observed in the cells after acridine orange staining. Within the concentrations range of 0.8-1.6 g/L, matrine time- and dosedependently increased the cell apoptosis. Treatment of the cells with 1.6 g/L matrine and 10 nmol/L LY294002 resulted in significantly lowered expressions of p-AKT and p-mTOR proteins and increased the expression of light chain 3B (LC 3B), an autophagy-related protein, as compared with those in the control cells ( P &lt; 0.05)., Conclusions: We demonstrate that matrine inhibits the proliferation and induces autophagy and apoptosis of A549 cells by deactivating AKT pathway, suggesting the potential of matrine as an anti-cancer agent for lung cancer.

Objective To investigate the role of transforming growth factor β1/nicinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase/reactive oxygen species (TGF-β1/NOX4/ROS) signaling pathway in the invasion and migration of cervical cancer cells. Methods The cultured SiHa, CaSki, HeLa, C4-I and C33A cervical cancer cells were treated with 5 ng/mL TGF-β1 for 4 hours or 8 hours. ROS levels in these cervical cancer cells were detected using 2', 7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining combined with flow cytometry. After the transfection of NOX4 small interfering RNA (NOX4-siRNA) into HeLa cells or using of NOX4 signaling pathway inhibitor diphenylidene iodine chloride (DPI), NOX4 protein expression was measured by Western blotting, and the effect of TGF-β1 on migration and invasion ability of cervical cancer cells were analyzed by Transwell TM assay. Results TGF-β1 significantly up-regulated NOX4 protein expression, increased ROS production in HPV-positive cervical cancer cells (SiHa, CaSki, HeLa and C4-I) and promoted the migration and invasion abilities of cervical cancer cells. Silencing the NADPH oxidase gene or using the NOX4 pathway inhibitor DPI could reverse this effect. Conclusion TGF-β1 can activate NOX4/ROS signaling pathway to enhance the invasion and migration abilities of cervical cancer cells.

Objective: To observe the difference in the therapeutic effects on infantile herpetic angina among the treatments with western medication, acupuncture and the combined therapy of acupuncture and western medication., Methods: One hundred and twenty children of herpetic angina were randomized into a western medication group, an acupuncture group and a combined therapy group, 40 cases in each one. Besides the basic treatment with symptomatic support, in the western medication group, ribavirin granules were prescribed for oral administration, 10 mg/kga day, three times a day, for 3 days. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied at Fengchi (GB 20), Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Xiaguan (ST 7), Jiache (ST 6), Dicang (ST 4), Shaoshang (LU 11) and Shangyang (LI 1), once a day, for 3 days. In the combined therapy group, the treatments as the western medication group and the acupuncture group were used, in which, the oral administration with ribavirin granules and acupuncture were adopted for 3 days. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared after treatment and the follow-up visit was conducted since the 4th day at the end of treatment to compare the antifebrile time, herpes relieving time and the use frequency of ibuprofen oral liquid in the children among the three groups., Results: After treatment, the total effective rate was 95.0% (39/40) in the combined therapy group, was 62.5% (25/40) in the western medication group and was 80.0% (32/40) in the acupuncture group. The result in the combined therapy group was better than those in the acupuncture group and the western medication group, indicating the significant differences (both P <0.05). The antifebrile time and the herpetic relief time in the combined therapy group were earlier than those in the acupuncture group and the western medication group, indicating the significant differences (both P <0.05). The use frequency of ibuprofen oral liquid in the combined therapy group was lower than those in the acupuncture group and the western medication group, indicating the significant difference (both P <0.05)., Conclusions: The combined therapy with acupuncture and western medication relieve fever and herpes much more quickly and reduces the use frequency of ibuprofen oral liquid as compared with the simple use of acupuncture or western medication in the treatment of infantile herpetic angina, which achieve the much better therapeutic effects.

Objective To explore the impact of IL-1β on the proliferation of astrocytes and the expression of the inwardly rectifying potassium channel 4.1 (Kir4.1) in astrocytes. Methods Astrocytes were isolated from cerebral cortex of newborn SD rats and cultured in the presence of IL-1β or IL-1β combined with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra). The effect of IL-1β on the cell cycle of astrocytes was measured with flow cytometry; the level of Kir4.1 mRNA was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. The level of Kir4.1 protein was detected by Western blotting. Results IL-1β promoted astrocyte proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. After astrocytes were treated with IL-1β (10 ng/mL) for 24 hours, the levels of Kir4.1 mRNA and protein significantly decreased, but IL-1Ra significantly inhibited IL-1β-induced decrease of Kir4.1. The downregulation of Kir4.1 mRNA and protein expressions could be partially reverted when IL-1β was removed. Conclusion IL-1β could promote the proliferation of cultured astrocytes, and IL-1β may be a key factor influencing the expression of Kir4.1 in astrocytes.

Objective: To explore the influence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the activation of astrocytes and the expression of the inwardly rectifying K(+) channel Kir4.1., Methods: Astrocytes were separated from the cerebral cortex of newborn SD rats and cultured in the presence of LPS or LPS combined with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). The cell vitality was detected by MTT assay; the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was analyzed by immunocytochemistry; the production of IL-1β was tested by ELISA; the expression of Kir4.1 and IL-1β mRNAs were determined by quantitative real-time PCR., Results: LPS promoted the activation of astrocytes in a time- and dose-dependent manner. LPS significantly increased the production of IL-1β and the expression of IL-1β mRNA, while decreased the expression of Kir4.1 mRNA in cultured astrocytes. Compared with the LPS group, IL-1ra could effectively reversed the above two results., Conclusion: The cultured astrocytes could be activated by LPS; LPS-induced downregulation of Kir4.1 mRNA in cultured astrocytes might be related with the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β.

Objective: To explore the application of BIOMED- 2 standardized immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangement system in the diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM), and the significance of clonality analysis by multiplex-PCR amplifications., Methods: A total of 167 cases of MM bone marrow samples from 2009 to 2013, and 20 cases of reactive plasmacytosis used as the controls were included in this study. Multiplex-PCR amplifications were performed and the Ig gene rearrangements were analyzed using BIOMED-2 standardized clonality analysis system., Results: ① Of 167 MM cases, 107 showed IgH VH-JH rearrangement, 33 showed IgH DH-JH rearrangement, and 30% showed IgH DH-JH rearrangement in 60 IgH VH-JH rearrangement negative MM cases. The difference was statistically significant between IgH VH-JH rearrangement positive and negative cases (14.0% vs 30.0%, P=0.032). The total positive rate of IgH VH-JH, IgH DH-JH and IgK was 94.6%. The 20 reactive plasmacytosis (RP) cases showed negative Ig gene rearrangement. 2 of 167 MM cases, 9 (5.4%) showed clonal IgH rearrangement by agarose electrophoresis were confirmed as polyclonality by capillary electrophoresis. ③ Of 53 MM cases who have been detected by Ig gene rearrangement system and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for IgH simultaneously, 36 showed IgH rearrangement, 26 showed FISH IgH positive, and the difference was statistically significant (67.9% vs 49.1%, P=0.049)., Conclusion: Combined detection of IgH VH- JH, IgH DH- JH and IgK could improve the positive rate of MM clonality dramatically, and measurement of IgH DH-JH rearrangement was more important in the IgH VH- JH negative cases. Ig gene rearrangement system was a faster and more sensitive method than FISH IgH. Application of BIOMED- 2 standardized immunoglobulin (Ig) gene rearrangement system is of significance for MM diagnosis.

Objective: To evaluate the renal function of 298 liver cirrhosis cases among the patient population of Beijing Ditan Hospital., Methods: The medical database of Beijing Ditan Hospital was retrospectively searched for patients with liver cirrhosis (compensated and decompensated). Patients were excluded from the study according to the presence of concomitant serious diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and malignancies.The consistency of renal insufficiency was evaluated by the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or serum creatinine (SCr) level, which were applied to the simplified modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) equation.The renal function was compared between groups stratified according to compensated/decompensated status, sex, and age.The factors affecting renal insufficiency were screened.Measurement data were compared using the t-test and count data were compared using the chi-square test.Multiple sets of data were compared using analysis of variance.Correlations were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the confounding variables were controlled with the Mantel-Haenszel method., Results: A total of 298 hospitalized patients with liver cirrhosis were included in the study, among which 41 had compensated cirrhosis and 257 had decompensated cirrhosis.Twenty patients (6.7%) with renal insufficiency were identified by SCr measurement and 62 patients (20.8%) were identified by eGFR, and the number identified was significantly different between the two groups (x2=42.00, P less than 0.05).Fifty-six (21.8%) patients had decompensated cirrhosis and 6 (14.6%) patients had decompensated cirrhosis with renal dysfunction; the eGFR levels for these two groups were (117.75 +/- 32.60) ml/min/(1.73 m2)-1 and (112.72 +/- 24.01) ml/min/(1.73 m2) respectively and the difference was not statistically significant (P more than 0.05).The incidence of renal dysfunction among female patients was 22.7% (17/75), and the incidence among male patients was 20.2% (45/223); the eGFR levels for these two groups were (110.07 +/- 26.60) ml/min/(1.73 m2)1 and (112.49 +/- 33.05) ml/min/(l.73 m2) respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P more than 0.05).The rate of renal dysfunction among patients aged 20 to 40 years-old, more than 40 to 60 years-old, and more than 60 years years-old was 5.7% (4/70), 22.5% (40/178), and 36.0%(18/50) respectively; the eGFR values for these two groups were (123.43 +/- 24.42) ml min/(l.73 m2), (111.18+/- 33.57) ml/min/(1.73 m2), and (98.20 +/- 27.04) ml/min/(1.73 m2), and the differences were not statistically significant (P less than 0.05).After stratification of the study population by age, the patient sex and the cirrhosis stage were not significantly different (P more than 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age as a risk factor of hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and renal dysfunction (P less than 0.05)., Conclusion: The simplified MDRD equation can help clinicians determine whether patients have kidney injury.Development of renal dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis is not associated with patient sex and cirrhosis stage, but is precisely correlated with patient age.

The study aims at cloning the CDS fragment of erk2 gene cDNA in Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goat and analyzing its tissue-specific expression, erk2 gene cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR. The nucleotide sequence was analyzed by Blast and amino acid sequence was analyzed by online softwares SMART and Psite. The tissue-specific expression pattern of erk2 was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of erk2 in testis of goat was detected by Immunohistochemistry. The cloned erk2 gene cDNA (GenBank Accession No. JX569765) was 1 083 bp in length, including a complete ORF encoding 360 amino acids residues. The amino acid sequence shares 100% identity with the Bos Taurus ERK2 (Bos Taurus BC133588.1). Analysis by SMART suggests that the encoded protein contained a "TEY" structure and an S-TKc domain possessing serine/threonine kinase catalytic activity. Analysis with Psite indicates one cAMP-/cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation site, 3 protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, 5 casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, 2 protein kinases ATP-binding region signatures and one serine/threonine protein kinases active-site signature in this protein. Analysis by Psort (k-NN prediction) suggestes that this protein most probably is localized in cytoplasm. The results of quantitative RT-PCR show that the expression of erk2 mRNA was higher in heart, skin and breast, whereas lower in spleen and kidney. ERK2 protein was detected in testis by immunohistochemistry.

Objective: To investigate the expression levels of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) tissue and the adjacent normal epithelial tissue., Method: Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and Western-blot were used to detect the expression of TLR2 mRNA and protein levels in the tumors and adjacent normal epithelial tissues in 22 patients with LSCC, while vocal cord polyps were used as control., Result: RT-PCR demonstrated that TLR2 mRNA expressed obviously in both of tumor and adjacent tissue, but rarely in control. The expression levels of TLR2 mRNA in tumor is higher than that in adjacent normal epithelial tissue (t=4.279, P<0.01). It's expression intensity was closely related to LSCC clinical stage (F=5.496, P<0.05)and lymph node metastasis status (N stage of tumor) (F = 4.271, P<0.05). The protein levels of TLR2 were consistent with mRNA expression., Conclusion: Both mRNA and protein levels of TLR2 were obviously elevated in LSCC, which were associated closely with tumor clinical stage and lymph node metastasis. It is indicated that TLR2 may play an important role by multiple mechanism in laryngeal carcinoma process.

Background and Objective: Whether pemetrexed plus platinum (PP) regimen is superior to gemcitabine plus platinum (GP) regimen for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PP versus GP regimens for patients with NSCLC., Methods: We searched relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journals Full-text Database, and traced the related references to obtain the information that has not been found. We made quality assessment of qualified RCTs assessed by the exclusion and inclusion criteria and used RevMan 5.0 provided by the Cochrane Collaboration to perform meta-analysis., Results: Four RCTs involving 2,235 patients were identified. There were no statistical differences between PP and GP regimens in one-year survival rate (OR=1.09, 95%CI: 0.91-1.29), the efficiency of disease (OR=1.00, 95%CI: 0.40-2.52), but overall survival (MD=0.26, 95%CI: 0.21-0.30), alopecia (OR=0.51, 95%CI: 0.39-0.66) and hematologic toxicity were significantly different., Conclusions: The clinical efficiency of PP and GP regimens for advanced NSCLC was similar, but the side effects were different. The toxicity of PP regimen has the tendency to be more tolerable.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a term representing a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of octadecadienoic acid with a conjugated double bond system. Conjugated linoleic acid has attracted a great deal of interest among nutritionists because it is a natural fat component that appears to have a number of health improvement properties. The cis-9, trans-11-CLA is the major CLA isomer found in dairy products accounting for 75% to 90% of the total CLA in milk fat. A capillary gas chromatographic method equipped with a flame ionization detector for the analysis of the cis-9, trans-11-CLA in milk fat was developed. The cis-9, trans-11-CLA was extracted with hexane-isopropanol, methylated with methanol-sodium methylate and cis-9, trans-11-CLA was separated and quantified using gas chromatography. Retention time of the peaks was used for qualitative analysis, while external standard method was used for quantitative analysis. The recovery of the cis-9, trans-11-CLA was 100.26%. The relative standard deviation was 1.9% (n = 6). This method presented is advantageous for high precision, high sensitivity analysis with smaller sample size and simpler pretreatment. It would be of significance for analyzing the contents of other fatty acids in the milk and milk products.

Shepp-Logan head phantom is the classical model of simulation computing in Computerized Tomography. This paper proposes a new method--considering 3D Shepp-Logan head phantom as the basic reference model to carry on simulation experiment and algorithms performance evaluating in three-dimension medical image reconstruction field. The paper introduces the design and the implementation of 3D Shepp-Logan head phantom as well the computing of projection data at first, and then describes the simulation process of the three-dimension medical image. The numerical experiment gives the three-dimension medical image reconstruction simulations based on 3D Shepp- Logan head phantom. The result of this experiment indicates the accuracy of model computing and the feasibility of our this method.

Objective: To analyze the chemical constituents of essential oils from Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa cultivated in Sichuan., Method: Chemical constituents were analyzed by GC-MS., Results: 47 chemical compounds were identified and the total content of the identified constituents in the essential oils was 99.02%. The percentage of each constituent was given., Conclusion: Ligustilide (22.8%) and Butylidene phthalide (19.5%) are the main constituents.