Status of fungal sepsis among preterm infants in 25 neonatal intensive care units of tertiary hospitals in China / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and the risk factors of fungal sepsis in 25 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) among preterm infants in China, and to provide a basis for preventive strategies of fungal sepsis. Methods: This was a second-analysis of the data from the "reduction of infection in neonatal intensive care units using the evidence-based practice for improving quality" study. The current status of fungal sepsis of the 24 731 preterm infants with the gestational age of <34+0 weeks, who were admitted to 25 participating NICU within 7 days of birth between May 2015 and April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. These preterm infants were divided into the fungal sepsis group and the without fungal sepsis group according to whether they developed fungal sepsis to analyze the incidences and the microbiology of fungal sepsis. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidences of fungal sepsis in preterm infants with different gestational ages and birth weights and in different NICU. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to study the outcomes of preterm infants with fungal sepsis, which were further compared with those of preterm infants without fungal sepsis. The 144 preterm infants in the fungal sepsis group were matched with 288 preterm infants in the non-fungal sepsis group by propensity score-matched method. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of fungal sepsis. Results: In all, 166 (0.7%) of the 24 731 preterm infants developed fungal sepsis, with the gestational age of (29.7±2.0) weeks and the birth weight of (1 300±293) g. The incidence of fungal sepsis increased with decreasing gestational age and birth weight (both P<0.001). The preterm infants with gestational age of <32 weeks accounted for 87.3% (145/166). The incidence of fungal sepsis was 1.0% (117/11 438) in very preterm infants and 2.0% (28/1 401) in extremely preterm infants, and was 1.3% (103/8 060) in very low birth weight infants and 1.7% (21/1 211) in extremely low birth weight infants, respectively. There was no fungal sepsis in 3 NICU, and the incidences in the other 22 NICU ranged from 0.7% (10/1 397) to 2.9% (21/724), with significant statistical difference (P<0.001). The pathogens were mainly Candida (150/166, 90.4%), including 59 cases of Candida albicans and 91 cases of non-Candida albicans, of which Candida parapsilosis was the most common (41 cases). Fungal sepsis was independently associated with increased risk of moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (adjusted OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.04-2.22, P=0.030) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (adjusted OR 2.55, 95%CI 1.12-5.80, P=0.025). Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure (adjusted OR=2.50, 95%CI 1.50-4.17, P<0.001), prolonged use of central line (adjusted OR=1.05, 95%CI 1.03-1.08, P<0.001) and previous total parenteral nutrition (TPN) duration (adjusted OR=1.04, 95%CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001) were all independently associated with increasing risk of fungal sepsis. Conclusions: Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis are the main pathogens of fungal sepsis among preterm infants in Chinese NICU. Preterm infants with fungal sepsis are at increased risk of moderate to severe BPD and severe ROP. Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure, prolonged use of central line and prolonged duration of TPN will increase the risk of fungal sepsis. Ongoing initiatives are needed to reduce fungal sepsis based on these risk factors.

Targeting immunometabolism by active ingredients derived from traditional Chinese medicines for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis / 中草药·英文版

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common inflammatory arthropathy word wild, is a systemic autoimmune disease that mainly affects the synovium of joints with a high disability rate. Metabolic mis-regulation has emerged as a fundamental pathogenesis of RA linked to immune cell dysfunction, while targeting immunometabolism provides a new and effective approach to regulate the immune responses and thus alleviate the symptom of RA. Recently, natural active compounds from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have potential therapeutic effects on RA and regulating immunometabolism. In this review, in addition to updating the connection between cellular metabolism and cell function in immune cells of RA, we summarized that the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of the potential natural compounds from TCM by targeting metabolic reprogramming of immune cells, and discusses them as a rich resource for providing the new potential paradigm for the treatment of RA.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on three-dimensional convolutional neural networks ensemble model combined with genetic algorithm / 生物医学工程学杂志

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a common neurodegenerative disease, is still unknown. It is difficult to determine the atrophy areas, especially for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at different stages of AD, which results in a low diagnostic rate. Therefore, an early diagnosis model of AD based on 3-dimensional convolutional neural network (3DCNN) and genetic algorithm (GA) was proposed. Firstly, the 3DCNN was used to train a base classifier for each region of interest (ROI). And then, the optimal combination of the base classifiers was determined with the GA. Finally, the ensemble consisting of the chosen base classifiers was employed to make a diagnosis for a patient and the brain regions with significant classification capability were decided. The experimental results showed that the classification accuracy was 88.6% for AD

Research progress on paraspinal muscles' changes in lumbar disorders and after posterior lumbar surgery / 中国医师杂志

There are many reasons which can lead to lumbar disorders, such as intervetebral disc, vertebral body, facet joint, nerve, tendon, paraspinal muscle and so on. However there are many studies focus on the structures of intervertebral disc and vertebral body, while researches on paraspinal muscle are relatively few. In fact, the paraspinal muscle plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the lumbar spine. In recent years, the paraspinal muscle have been examined from morphology, electrophysiology, physical experiment, biopsy and so on, hoping to find out some myogenic factors of lumbar disorders, and to provide reference for improving the prognosis of lumbar posterior surgery. This article reviews the research progress on paraspinal muscles' changes in lumbar disorders and after posterior lumbar surgery.

Addition and Subtraction Therapy of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang and Lizhongtang for Stable Angina and Effect on Inflammatory Factors and Endothelial Function / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To discuss the efficacy of addition and subtraction therapy of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang and Lizhongtang for stable angina (SAP) with syndrome of Yin-cold stagnation and investigate its effects on inflammatory factors and endothelial function. Method:One hundred and thirty- eight patients were randomly divided into control group (69 cases) and observation group (69 cases) by random number table. During the study period, there were 3 drop-out cases, 3 excluded cases, and 63 completed cases in the control group. There were 3 drop-out cases, 1 excluded case, and 65 completed cases in the observation group. Basic therapy was given in both groups. Patients in both groups got metoprolol tartrate tablets, 50 mg/time, 2 times/days. Aspirin enteric-coated tablets, 100 mg/time, 1 time/day. Trimetazidine dihydrochloride tablets, 1 tablet/time, 3 times/days In case of angina pectoris attacks, nitroglycerin tablets under the tongue, 0.25-0.5 mg, for every 5 minutes until the angina is relieved. And they also got treatment to control blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure. Based on the above treatment, the patients in control group additionally received Guanxin Suhe pills, chewed for administration, 1 pill/time, twice a day. The patients in observation group additionally received addition and subtraction therapy of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang and Lizhongtang, 1 dose/day. The course of treatment was 12 weeks in both groups. One week before treatment and one week after treatment, the number of times and duration of anginal attacks and dosage of nitroglycerin were recorded. Before treatment and after treatment, electrocardiogram was checked, and scores of Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and syndrome of Yin-cold stagnation were graded; levels of serum phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), homocysteine (Hcy), D-dimer (D-D), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin (ET-1) were detected. Result:The number of times of angina attacks and Nitroglycerin consumption in observation group were less than those in control group (P<0.01), and the duration of angina attacks was shorter than that in control group (P<0.01). Score of syndrome of Yin-cold stagnation in observation group was lower than that in control group (P<0.01), and score of SAQ was higher than that in control group (P<0.01). Levels of Lp-PLA2, D-D, Hcy, IL-6, hs-CRP, TNF-α and ET-1 in observation group were lower than those in control group (P<0.01), and level of NO was higher than that in control group (P<0.01). The efficacy shown in electrocardiogram was also better than that in control group (Z=2.043, P<0.05； Z=2.003, P<0.05). Conclusion:On the basis of routine treatment of western medicine, addition and subtraction therapy of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang and Lizhongtang can further alleviate symptoms, reduce ischemic attack, improve the quality of life in patients with SAP and syndrome of Yin-cold stagnation. It has anti-inflammatory effect and can improve the function of blood vessels and stabilize plaque, showing better clinical effects and electrocardiographic results than Western medicine alone.

Whether Fire-needle Therapy Benefits Plaque Psoriasis: A Multicenter, Randomized, and Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effectiveness and safety of fire-needle therapy, an external approach of Chinese medicine in treating plaque psoriasis.@*METHODS@#This study was a two-parallel-arm randomized controlled trial. A total of 151 participants with plaque psoriasis were randomly assigned to the fire-needle therapy group (treatment group, 76 cases) or the control group (75 cases) at a 1:1 allocation ratio using SAS software. All participants received Oral Huoxue Jiedu Decoction (, HXJDD) and applied externally vaseline cream twice a day. Participants in the treatment group received fire-needle therapy once weekly for 4 weeks plus HXJDD and vaseline cream applied the same as the control group. The primary outcome measure was Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, and the secondary outcomes were Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQL), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), as well as Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome score and photos of target lesions. The indices were evaluated before and after treatment.@*RESULTS@#Sixty-eight patients in each group completed the study. The treatment group has not yet achieved significant improvement in PASI score (P>0.05) compared to the control group. However, significant differences were found between the two groups in relieving CM syndrome (P<0.05) and improving quality of life (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Fire-needle appears to be safe and may have benefit for psoriasis, the short-term treatment and small sample size limit the conclusions of this study. Further rigorous randomized controlled trials with longer treatment are recommended.

Early prognosis of Alzheimer's disease based on convolutional neural networks and ensemble learning / 生物医学工程学杂志

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a typical neurodegenerative disease, which is clinically manifested as amnesia, loss of language ability and self-care ability, and so on. So far, the cause of the disease has still been unclear and the course of the disease is irreversible, and there has been no cure for the disease yet. Hence, early prognosis of AD is important for the development of new drugs and measures to slow the progression of the disease. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a state between AD and healthy controls (HC). Studies have shown that patients with MCI are more likely to develop AD than those without MCI. Therefore, accurate screening of MCI patients has become one of the research hotspots of early prognosis of AD. With the rapid development of neuroimaging techniques and deep learning, more and more researchers employ deep learning methods to analyze brain neuroimaging images, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for early prognosis of AD. Hence, in this paper, a three-dimensional multi-slice classifiers ensemble based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and ensemble learning for early prognosis of AD has been proposed. Compared with the CNN classification model based on a single slice, the proposed classifiers ensemble based on multiple two-dimensional slices from three dimensions could use more effective information contained in MRI to improve classification accuracy and stability in a parallel computing mode.

Applications of generative adversarial networks in medical image processing / 生物医学工程学杂志

In recent years, researchers have introduced various methods in many domains into medical image processing so that its effectiveness and efficiency can be improved to some extent. The applications of generative adversarial networks (GAN) in medical image processing are evolving very fast. In this paper, the state of the art in this area has been reviewed. Firstly, the basic concepts of the GAN were introduced. And then, from the perspectives of the medical image denoising, detection, segmentation, synthesis, reconstruction and classification, the applications of the GAN were summarized. Finally, prospects for further research in this area were presented.

Clinical Study on Modified Xiaoqinglong Decoction with Bladder Meridian Ginger Treatment for Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease of External Cold and Internal Fluid / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of modified Xiaoqinglong Decoction with bladder ginger treatment in treating acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) of external cold and internal fluid. Methods Totally 150 cases of AECOPD were divided into Western medicine group, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine group, and observation group, with 50 cases in each group. Western medicine group received routine treatment, such as controlled oxygen therapy, anti-infection, triple inhalation, relieve spasm and asthma, cough and phlegm, correct water and electrolyte balance. On the basis of routine treatment, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine group received modified Xiaoqinglong Decoction, one dosage per day, twice a day, orally. On the basis of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine group, observation group received scraping the bladder at the back of the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang, putting 20–30 g fresh mashed ginger, for 15–20 min. All treatment lasted for 14 d. TCM symptom scores, the main symptoms of remission time and lung function before and after treatment in the three groups were compared. Results The differences in main symptoms scores (cough, expectoration, wheezing, shortness of breath) and total scores of the observation group were higher than Western medicine group and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine group (P<0.05). The main symptoms remission time of the observation group was much shorter than Western medicine group and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine group (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the FEV1,FEV1/FVC and MMEF of the three groups after treatment showed an upward trend (P<0.05). The FEV1, FEV1/FVC and MMEF in observation group were significantly higher than Western medicine group and integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine group (P<0.05). Conclusion Modified Xiaoqinglong Decoction combined with bladder ginger for the treatment of AECOPD of external cold and internal fluid has definite curative effect, and can significantly improve TCM symptoms and pulmonary function.

Clinical significance of MDM2 protein expression and gene amplification in atypical lipomatous tumour/well-differentiated liposarcoma / 临床与实验病理学杂志

Purpose This study was to investigate the clinical significance of MDM2 protein expression and gene amplification in atypical lipomatous tumour/well-differentiated liposarcoma (ALT/WDL).Methods MDM2 protein expression and gene amplification were detected by immunohistochemistry of EliVision two-step method and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in 58 cases of ALT/WDL.Results Immunohistochemical staining showed that the positive rate of MDM2 was 79.3％,MDM2 gene amplification rate by FISH assay was 96.5％.There was statistically significant differences between immunohistochemistry and FISH (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion MDM2 protein expression and MDM2 gene amplification provide the basis for diagnosis of ALT/WDL.However,a positive rate of MDM2 by immunohistochemistry is nearly 80％,so we recommand to carry out immunohistochemical MDM2 protein detection in most conditions without FISH which can help in the diagnosis of most cases of ALT/WDL.

Research Progress of Acupuncture-moxibustion for Post-traumatic Brain Syndrome / 上海针灸杂志

Post-traumatic brain syndrome is a common disease in neurosurgery department, referring to a variety of neurological symptoms after brain traumas. Currently, research shows that this disease involves the fields of neurologic anatomy, pathology, trauma mechanics, neurobiochemistry, cerebral hemodynamics, etc, and the treatment majorly includes medication, hyperbaric oxygen, and psychotherapy, but they don't work so well. In primary hospitals, the convenient, low-cost and safe acupuncture-moxibustion therapy should be paid more attention. By retrieving literatures during the latest 10 years, this article has concluded that the acupuncture-moxibustion treatments for this disease covered acupuncture, auricular acupoint therapy, bloodletting therapy, and moxibustion, and the action mechanisms were mostly the improvement of cerebral circulation and cerebral metabolism, and the change of neurotransmitters and cytokines. The improvement of cerebral circulation and increase of cerebral blood flow can be taken as the future direction in the research on acupuncture-moxibustion for this disease. However, in the treatment of post-traumatic brain syndrome with acupuncture-moxibustion, it still requires the standardization of acupuncture and the objectification of evaluation indexes.

Clinical analysis on EGFR gene mutation and ALK gene rearrangement in patients with pneumonia-type lung adenocarcinoma / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the characteristics and clinical significance of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) gene mutation and anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK) gene rearrangement in the patients with pneumonia-type lung adenocarcinoma.Methods A total of 154 cases of lung adenocarcinoma definitely diagnosed by histopathology in Xinqiao Hospital from January to August 2016 servedas the research subjects and divided into pheumonia-type lung carcinoma(PTLC,30 cases) and non-pneumonia-type lung carcinoma(non-PTLC,124 cases) according to the imaging manifestations.The EGFR gene detection was performed in 154 cases,among them 87 cases simultaneously conducted the ALK gene rearrangement detection.The EGFR mutation rate andALK gene rearrangement rate were compared between PTLC and non-PTLC,and their clinical characteristics differences were investigated.Results The mutation rate of EGFR,which PTLC occurred less frequently than non-PTLC in lung adenocarcinoma (20.0 ％ vs.47.6 ％,P＜0.05).The age,smoking history,sex,tumor family history,ALK gene rearrangement and TNM stage had no statistical differences between the two groups(P＞0.05).The total mutation rate of EGFR gene was 42.2％ (65/154).The smoking history and sex were related with the EGFR gene mutation,while the age and tumor family history had no obvious relation with EGFR gene mutation.The total ALK gene rearrangement rate was 11.5 ％.The smoking history,tumor family history,sex and age had no obvious relation with the ALK gene rearrangement.Among 87 cases of EGFR and ALK simultaneous gene detection,the co-existence of EGFR gene mutation and ALK rearrangement was not found.Conclusion Imaging findlings of patients with PTLC,it should be conducted to detection that EGFR gene mutation and ALK gene rearrangenment,in order to formulate comprehensive management scheme in the patients with advanced tumor.

Clinical analysis on EGFR gene mutation and ALK gene rearrangement in patients with pneumonia-type lung adenocarcinoma / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the characteristics and clinical significance of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) gene mutation and anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK) gene rearrangement in the patients with pneumonia-type lung adenocarcinoma.Methods A total of 154 cases of lung adenocarcinoma definitely diagnosed by histopathology in Xinqiao Hospital from January to August 2016 servedas the research subjects and divided into pheumonia-type lung carcinoma(PTLC,30 cases) and non-pneumonia-type lung carcinoma(non-PTLC,124 cases) according to the imaging manifestations.The EGFR gene detection was performed in 154 cases,among them 87 cases simultaneously conducted the ALK gene rearrangement detection.The EGFR mutation rate andALK gene rearrangement rate were compared between PTLC and non-PTLC,and their clinical characteristics differences were investigated.Results The mutation rate of EGFR,which PTLC occurred less frequently than non-PTLC in lung adenocarcinoma (20.0 ％ vs.47.6 ％,P＜0.05).The age,smoking history,sex,tumor family history,ALK gene rearrangement and TNM stage had no statistical differences between the two groups(P＞0.05).The total mutation rate of EGFR gene was 42.2％ (65/154).The smoking history and sex were related with the EGFR gene mutation,while the age and tumor family history had no obvious relation with EGFR gene mutation.The total ALK gene rearrangement rate was 11.5 ％.The smoking history,tumor family history,sex and age had no obvious relation with the ALK gene rearrangement.Among 87 cases of EGFR and ALK simultaneous gene detection,the co-existence of EGFR gene mutation and ALK rearrangement was not found.Conclusion Imaging findlings of patients with PTLC,it should be conducted to detection that EGFR gene mutation and ALK gene rearrangenment,in order to formulate comprehensive management scheme in the patients with advanced tumor.

Observations on the Efficacy of Acupuncture plus Bloodletting Therapy for Post-stroke Sensory Disturbance / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus bloodletting therapy for post-stroke limb sensory disturbance.Methods Ninety patients with post-stroke limb sensory disturbance were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 45 cases each. The treatment group received acupuncture plus bloodletting therapy and the control group, acupuncture alone. The disease and motor function were scored in the two groups before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the disease score and the motor function score in the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the disease score and the motor function score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). The total efficacy rate was 91.1% in the treatment group and 66.7% in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). Conclusions Acupuncture plus bloodletting therapy is an effective way to treat post-stroke sensory disturbance. It can improve the clinical symptoms and motor function in the patients.

Expression of Maspin in invasive fungal rhinosinusitis / 中国耳鼻咽喉头颈外科

OBJECTIVE To explore the expression of Maspin in invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (IFRS) and the value of Maspin in the diagnosis of IFRS. METHODS Forty two cases of fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) were set as the experimental group, which included 12 cases of IFRS and 30 cases of noninvasive fungal rhino-sinusitis (NIFRS). At the same time, 30 cases of chronic rhino-sinusitis were set as control group. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression of Maspin. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the expression of Maspin in FRS group decreased statistically (t=-3.367, P<0.05). The IFRS group, compared with other two groups, had the lowest expression of Maspin (t=-3.390, P<0.05; t=-4.143, P<0.05). By using Maspin score of 5.70 as the cut-off point, the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of IFRS was 91.7% and 88.3% respectively. CONCLUSION The expression of Maspin is very low in IFRS group. Down-regulation of Maspin expression may be a potential indicator for diagnosis of IFRS.

Clinical significance of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test combining TCT test to detect early cervical dysplasia / 实用医学杂志

Objective To investigate the value of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test combining liquid-based cytology test in cervical cancer screening. Methods A total of 377 samples from Wenzhou People's Hospital from June 2014 to September 2015 were collected and screened by HPV E6/E7 mRNA test combining with liquid-based cytology test , and the results was compared with the findings from the gold criteria of histology and pathology. Results The combination of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test and liquid-based cytology test can enhance the testing sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity of the combination of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test and liquid-based cytology test for the diagnosis of LSIL was 94.41%, and that for the diagnosis of HSIL was 96.36%. Based on the gold criteria of histology and pathology , the sensitivity , specificity , positive-predictive value and negative predictive value of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test for the diagnosis of HSIL was 90%, 60.67%, 48.53% and 92.49%respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive-predictive value and negative- predictive value of liquid-based cytology test for the diagnosis of HSIL was 72.73%, 75.28%, 54.79% and 87.01% respectively. Conclusions The sensitivity of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test is superior to that of liquid-based cytology test , while the specificity of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test is inferior to that of liquid-based cytology test. The negative predictive value of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test is more meaningful than that of liquid-based cytology test. The combination of HPV E6/E7 mRNA test and liquid-based cytology test can enhance the testing sensitivity , but it does not increase the specificity.

Effect of improper diets on blood viscosity in SD rats in high-salt and fat diet and alcohol abuse simulation model / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of composite factors, like long-term high-salt & fat diet and alcohol abuse on blood viscosity and blood pressure in rats, and compare with a model induced by high molecular dextran, in order to build a chronic hyperviscosity aminal model which is similar to human hyperviscosity in clinic and lay a foundation for efficacy evaluation on traditional Chinese medicines.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Male SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group, the high molecular dextran (HMD) group and the high salt & fat and alcohol (HSFA) group. The HMD group was given normal diet and water for 23 day and then 10% HMD through tail vein for 5 days. The HSFA group was fed with high salt and high fat diets every day and alcohol for 20 h x d(-1) for 13 weeks. After the modeling, whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity were measured in the 5th, 8th and 11th week. Blood pressure was measured in the 5d, 7h, and 10th week. Red cell count (RBC) and hematocrit (HCT) were measured in the 11th week. PAgT, Fb, ET-1, NO, PGI, TXA2 contents of the normal group and the HSFA group were measured in the 13th week, and IECa21 content was measured with flow cytometry. Result: After the modeling, the HMD group was in good conditions with glossy hairs and active behaviors. The HSFA group was depressed with withered hairs and less activities. During the 5th-11th weeks, the HMD group and the HSFA group showed higher values in high and low shear whole blood viscosity (WBV) than the normal control group. The plasma viscosity (PV) of HMD rats was significantly increased only in the 5th week, and that of HSFA rats significantly increased in the 8"' and 11th week, particularly in the 11'h week. In the 111h week, the HSFA group showed significant increases in RBC and HCT. After the modeling, the blood pressure of HMD rats showed no significant changes, but the blood pressure of HSFA rats significantly increased during 7' and 101h weeks, particularly in the 10"' week. In the 13th week, PAgT, IECa2+, Fb, ET-1 of HSFA rats significantly increased, but with decreases in NO and PGI2.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Long-term high salt & fat and alcohol diets can cause abnormal blood viscosity in rats. WBV significantly increased since the 5th week in rats, and PV increased since the 8th week. The mechanism for increasing BV may be: (1) increases in RBC, HCT, and IECa2+, (2) PAgT increase, (3) Fb content increase, or (4) TXA2/PGI2, ET-1/NO imbalance. Although the modeling time with the method is longer than that with the HMD method, the model is more stable and moderate, and could lead to abnormal increases in WBV and PV; Whereas the HMD method only induced transient increase in plasma viscosity and abnormal increase in SBP. The model is more similar to traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and pathogenesis, with higher value for studies on efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines.</p>

Preliminary study on efficacy and mechanism of Atractylodes Macrocephelae Rhizoma extracts in metabolic hyperlipidemia rats / 中国中药杂志

Hyperlipidemia is a major factor causing coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is a major indicator for measuring lipid levels. However, there is no an effective medicine that can obviously increase HDL-C at present. According to previous laboratory studies, atractylodes macrocephalae extracts could significantly increase HDL-C level. In this study, the metabolic hyperlipidemia rat model was established by feeding high-sugar and fat diets and alcohol-drinking to explore the effect and mechanism of atractylodes macrocephalae extracts on hyperlipidemia rats. According to the findingins, different doses of atractylodes macrocephalae extracts could reduce the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, ACAT and increase the contents of LCAT, HDL-C. Particularly, the atractylodes macrocephalae extracts (100 mg · kg(-1) group showed increase in HDL-C by about 50% and significant declines in HMG-CoA reductase, TC, TG. In conclusion, Atractylodes Macrocephelae Rhizoma extracts could effectively regulate the dyslipidemia of hyperlipidemia rats, especially on HDL-C. Its mechanism may be related to reduction in cholesterol synthesis by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase in livers and increase in lipid metabolism and transport by regulating LCAT and ACAT levels.

Knowledge-based iterative reconstruction technique: effect of different reconstruction settings on noise reduction and image quality in hepatic contrast-enhanced CT at different radiation dose levels / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To evaluate the effects of different reconstruction settings of knowledge-based iterative reconstruction technique (IMR) on noise reduction and image quality in hepatic contrast-enhanced CT(CECT) at different radiation dose levels.Methods Patients who underwent hepatic CECT because of their diseases were enrolled in this prospective study.According to random number table,patients were randomly assigned to two groups (standard dose group,SD-group,n=29; low dose group,LD-group,n=25).All patients underwent both non-enhanced CT and triphasic CECT scan including hepatic arterial phase (HAP),portal-venous phase (PVP) and delayed phase.PVP images of SD-group were acquired with tube voltage of 120 kVp and tube current-time products of 250 mAs,and 80 kVp and 500 mAs for LD-group.PVP images were reconstructed with both filtered back projection (FBP) and IMR techniques.Settings applied in IMR reconstructions consisted of body routine (BR) and body soft tissue (BST) with three levels (L1 to L3),and image series included:L1BR,L2BR,L3BR,L1BST,L2BST and L3BST.Subjective assessment of image quality including low contrast detectability (LCD),image distortion (ID) and diagnostic confidence (DC) as well as objective image quality including image noise,signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) were compared between groups.Effective radiation dose was recorded.Objective image quality and subjective image quality were compared by using Friedman H test and ANOVA,respectively.In addition,Student t test was used to compare effective radiation doses between groups.Results In SD-group,IMR settings of L2BST,L3BST scored highest in LCD with median score of 4;L3BST and L2BST scored lowest in ID with median score of 3,while FBP and L1BR scored highest with median score of 4; L1BR,L2BR and L1BST scored highest in DC with median score of 4,while L3BST scored lowest with median score of 3.In LD-group,the distribution of all reconstruction settings scores in LCD and ID were similar to those in SD-group; however,L1BST scored highest with median score of 4,and FBP scored lowest with median score of 2 in DC.There were statistical differences in LCD,ID and DC among all the reconstruction settings for both groups (P＜0.05).In terms of FBP technique,the image noise,SNR and CNR were (9.8±2.0)HU,13.3±3.3 and 6.0±1.9 in SD-group,and (16.2±4.1)HU,12.9±3.3 and 6.6± 2.3 in LD-group,respectively.In SD-group,image noise exhibited a trend of decrease from L1BR to L3BST [from (4.5±0.9) HU to (3.2±0.2)HU],while SNR,CNR trended to increase (SNR:from 21.4±1.4 to 24.6±4.6; CNR:from 9.4±2.2 to 10.9±2.9,respectively).The image noise,SNR and CNR in LD-group showed the same trends as SD-group [image noise:from (5.8±0.2)HU to (3.9±0.6)HU; SNR:from 26.3±4.5 to 33.1±6.9; CNR:from 13.6±4.0 to17.4±5.1,respectively].In both groups,there were statistically differences in image noise,SNR and CNR among all IMR settings and FBP (F values were 15.50 to 131.39,P＜0.01).The effective radiation dose of the LD-group was significantly lower than that of the SD-group [(4.19±0.22) versus (7.32±0.58) mSy,t=15.27,P＜0.01).Conclusions IMR can reduce image noise and improve image quality in hepatic CECT at both standard and low dose levels.L1BR,L2BR and L1BST are the most optimized reconstruction settings for the standard dose protocol,while L1BST performs best for the low dose protocol.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel ELF-97-based Fluorescent Probe for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection / 分析化学

A novel 2-( 2’-hydroxy-5’-chlorophenyl )-6-chloro-4 ( 3 H )-quinazolinone ( ELF-97 )-based fluorescent probe (P1) for hydrogen peroxide was prepared from 5-chlorosalicylaldehyde, 4-(bromomethyl) phenylboronic acid and 2-amino-5-chlorobenzamide, and its structure was characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and HRMS. Weak fluorescence intensity was observed at 425nm when the solution of probe P1 was excited by 360 nm UV light. After addition of H2 O2 , however, emission peak at 425 nm disappeared while strong peak emission at 515 nm appeared with the same excitation wavelength ( 360 nm ) . The fluorescence intensity at 515 nm was dependent on the concentration of H2 O2 in the linear response range of 5-45 μmol/L. The detection limit of H2O2 was 0. 1 μmol/L (S/N=3) and the recovery rates of added H2O2 in milk were in the range of 94 . 0%-106 . 0%. Probe P1 was potential to become a useful tool for rapid detection of hydrogen peroxide.