Search

With an increasing number of children with developmental disabilities entering inclusive preschools, preschool teachers face more behavioral problems in class. Preschool teachers typically attempt to address mealtime behavior problems of children with and without developmental disabilities simultaneously in class. This study used qualitative research to identify the stress triggers of preschool teachers addressing the mealtime behavior problems of children with developmental disabilities. Five preschool teachers attended semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that most children with developmental disabilities had problems with eating only preferred foods, using eating utensils appropriately during mealtime, becoming distracted from eating, and becoming frustrated with the classroom routine. Although solving these problems triggered stress in the preschool teachers, their stress was mainly in response to the children’s parents, other children’s imitation of inappropriate mealtime behaviors, and classroom schedule time management. Most of the preschool teachers stated that they had insufficient support. Preschool teachers require specialized information and strategies for improving the mealtime behaviors of children with developmental disabilities.

In order to establish the general method for fast extracting the colony DNA from Staphylococcus aureus for PCR amplification, and compare the effects of different extraction methods on the extraction of colony DNA, the colonies of Staphylococcus aureus were treated by the boiling method, freeze-thaw method and microwave method, and the DNA was extracted. Then, through observing the effect of PCR amplification, the shortest time for obtaining DNA by the three methods and the concentration of DNA extracted after 10 s of treatment were compared. The results showed that all the three methods could successfully extract the colony DNA from Staphylococcus aureus, and were universal to the common Staphylococcus aureus. These three methods could extract the colony DNA in only 10 s, without time dependence. After 10 s of treatment, the concentration of DNA extracted by the boiling method was significantly higher than that by the freeze-thaw method and microwave method. In summary, the boiling method, freeze-thaw method and microwave method all had better results for the extraction of colony DNA from the common Staphylococcus aureus. By comparison, the boiling method was more recommended for the extraction of colony DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to find new drugs combined with the sensitive targets to solve the problem of drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria, by constructing the overexpression strain of the outer membrane protein ompC of Escherichia coli, the killing effect of gentamicin on it was tested and compared with that of the wild-type Escherichia coli. Then, the relationship between the protein expression level of ompC and the killing effect of gentamicin was explored by vising the immunoblot assay, and the over-expression strain MIC was further determined. The results showed that the overexpression of ompC could significantly enhance the sensitivity of Escherichia coli to gentamicin, and after the overexpression of ompC, the minimum inhibitory concentration of the strain W3110-pCA24N (ompC) was 8 ug • mL-1, which was significantly lower than that of the strain W3110-pCA24N (wild type) (being 16 ug • mL-1). The gentamicin was more intaken into the cells of Escherichia coli, which enhanced the bactericidal effect of gentamicin. Therefore, the outer membrane protein was expected to be a new candidate target of drug sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Chymase has been shown to function in the enzymatic production of angiotensin II (AngII) and the activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to determine the potential role of chymase in cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary artery remodeling and PAH. Methods Hamsters were exposed to cigarette smoke; after 4 months, lung morphology and tissue biochemical changes were examined using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, radioimmunoassay and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results Our results show that chronic cigarette smoke exposure significantly induced elevation of right ventricular systolic pressures (RVSP) and medial hypertrophy of pulmonary arterioles in hamsters, concurrent with an increase of chymase activity and synthesis in the lung. Elevated Ang II levels and enhanced TGF-β1/Smad signaling activation were also observed in smoke-exposed lungs. Chymase inhibition with chymostatin reduced the cigarette smoke-induced increase in chymase activity and Ang II concentration in the lung, and attenuated the RVSP elevation and the remodeling of pulmonary arterioles. Chymostatin did not affect angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in hamster lungs. Conclusions These results suggest that chronic cigarette smoke exposure can increase chymase activity and expression in hamster lungs. The capability of activated chymase to induce Ang II formation and TGF-β1 signaling may be part of the mechanism for smoking-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling. Thus, our study implies that blockade of chymase might provide benefits to PAH smokers.

Abstract Background Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been proposed to be involved in pulmonary fibrosis, but its role in this process has not been fully understood. To investigate the role of AGE formation in pulmonary fibrosis, we used a bleomycin (BLM)-stimulated rat model treated with aminoguanidine (AG), a crosslink inhibitor of AGE formation. Methods Rats were intratracheally instilled with BLM (5 mg/kg) and orally administered with AG (40, 80, 120 mg/kg) once daily for two weeks. AGEs level in lung tissue was determined by ELISA and pulmonary fibrosis was evaluated by Ashcroft score and hydroxyproline assay. The expression of heat shock protein 47 (HSP47), a collagen specific molecular chaperone, was measured with RT-PCR and Western blot. Moreover, TGFβ1 and its downstream Smad proteins were analyzed by Western blot. Results AGEs level in rat lungs, as well as lung hydroxyproline content and Ashcroft score, was significantly enhanced by BLM stimulation, which was abrogated by AG treatment. BLM significantly increased the expression of HSP47 mRNA and protein in lung tissues, and AG treatment markedly decreased BLM-induced HSP47 expression in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). In addition, AG dose-dependently downregulated BLM-stimulated overexpressions of TGFβ1, phosphorylated (p)-Smad2 and p-Smad3 protein in lung tissues. Conclusion These findings suggest AGE formation may participate in the process of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and blockade of AGE formation by AG treatment attenuates BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats, which is implicated in inhibition of HSP47 expression and TGFβ/Smads signaling.

Objective  This study aimed to evaluate the application of ultrasound for the localization of the tip position of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in newborn infants. Study Design  This study was a retrospective analysis on ultrasonic localization for PICC placement conducted in our department over the past 2 years. Ultrasonic localization was performed immediately after PICC placement in all neonatal patients. Successful PICC placement was confirmed if the PICC tip position was located at the inferior/superior cavoatrial junction. Chest X-ray localization was performed on 32 infants immediately after ultrasound examination to compare the accuracy of ultrasound localization. Results  Of the 186 patients, 174 (93.5%) had successful PICC placement on the first attempt. In 11 (5.9%) patients, the catheter tip was placed beyond the ideal location as follows: too deep (in the right atrium) in 4 patients, too shallow in 4 patients, and malpositioned in 3 patients. Both the sensitivity and the specificity of ultrasound for identifying PICC tip localization were 100%. Complications occurred in 2.7% of this group of patients. Conclusion  Ultrasonic localization of the PICC tip position is a timely, accurate, and reliable method and can identify the catheter tip with high accuracy. This method could be widely applied in neonatal wards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]