[The effect of a combined nanoparticulate/calcium hydroxide medication on the biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis in starvation phase].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of Ca(OH)2 with a silver nanoparticle suspension to eliminate the biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in starvation phase. METHODS: The biofilm models of E．faecalis in the starvation phase were built in vitro with 256 extracted human single-rooted teeth, and the methods of plate culture count and crystal violet biofilm assay were applied to determine the effect of the inhibition of different intracanal medicament (silver nanoparticle with calcium hydroxide, silver nanoparticle alone, calcium hydroxide alone ) to the biofilm of E. faecalis in starvation phase at 1 and 7 days. The negative control group was treated with sterile water only. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS 13.0 software package. RESULTS: The inhibitory effect of Ca（OH）2+nanosilver on the biofilms of E. faecalis was found more significant than that of silver nanoparticle alone and calcium hydroxide alone at 1 and 7 days, and silver nanoparticle alone was more effective than calcium hydroxide alone. No difference in antimicrobial properties was observed between the two time points in the Ca(OH)2+silver nanoparticle group and silver nanoparticle group, while higher antimicrobial efficacy was observed in the Ca(OH)2 group after 7 days than 1 day. CONCLUSIONS: Silver nanoparticle with calcium hydroxide has an obvious inhibitory effect on the biofilm of E.faecalis in the starvation phase.

The 90-day prognostic value of copeptin in acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

The aim of the study was to assess the 90-day prognostic value of copeptin in a group of Chinese patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). In this study, all consecutive patients with first-ever ICH from 2010 to 2012 were recruited to participate in the study. On admission, plasma copeptin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Hemphill ICH scores were assessed on admission blinded to plasma copeptin levels. For the assessment of functional outcome at 90 days, Modified Rankin Scale was used. During the study period, 271 patients were diagnosed as ICH and were included in the analysis. The median GCS score on admission was 11 points. Patients with an unfavorable outcomes and non-survivors had significantly increased plasma copeptin levels on admission (P < 0.001 for both). Copeptin was an independent prognostic marker of functional outcome and death [odds ratio 3.45 (95 % confidence intervals: 1.85-6.99) and 3.66 (2.42-8.28), respectively, P < 0.001 for both, adjusted for age, the hematoma volume and other predictors] in patients with ICH. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, copeptin could improve the Hemphill score in predicting 90-day functional outcome [area under the curve (AUC) of the combined model, 0.83; 95 % CI 0.74-0.90; P < 0.001] and mortality (AUC of the combined model, 0.88; 95 % CI 0.82-0.93; P < 0.001). In conclusion, our study suggests that copeptin levels are a useful tool to predict unfavorable functional outcome and mortality 90 days after ICH and have a potential to assist clinicians.

[Effects of grazing on spatial distribution relationships between constructive and dominant species in Stipa breviflora desert steppe].

The effects of grazing on spatial distribution relationships of constructive species (Stipa breviflora) and dominant species (Cleistogenes songorica and Allium polyrhizum) in the desert steppe were analyzed by different analysis methods. The results showed that the landscape characteristic of S. breviflora + C. songorica + A. polyrhizum community was mainly affected by soil properties and inherent properties of populations. The spatial distribution variability influenced by continuous grazing (CG) was in order of A. polyrhizum > C. songorica > S. breviflora. The influence of CG upon the density of S. breviflora and A. polyrhizum was notable, while little influence upon the density of C. songorica was observed. S. breviflora density increased with the increasing C. songorica density in CG area, whereas it increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing C. songorica density in enclosed area (CK). S. breviflora density decreased with the increasing A. polyrhizum density in CG and CK area. It was concluded that there was density effect for plant interspecific relationships which could disappear with the presence of outside interference. Plant interspecific relationships were multiple with the difference in populations or interference conditions.

[Pricking blood therapy combined with ultraviolet irradiation for treatment of acute herpes zoster].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical therapeutic effect and the safety of pricking blood therapy combined with ultraviolet irradiation for treatment of acute herpes zoster. METHODS: One hundred and thirty cases were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 65 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with pricking blood therapy combined with ultraviolet irradiation. Firstly, the affected parts were heavily taped with a plum-blossom needle and then cupping. After the cup was removed, with the body surface-dividing field method, ultraviolet irradiation was given at the skin injury area and the nerve root area corresponding to paraspinal vertebra, and the control group was treated with Aciclovir and other western medicine. Seven days constituted one course. Their therapeutic effects and adverse reactions were observed. RESULTS: After treatment of 7 days, the cured rate of 76.9% and the total effective rate of 90.8% in the observation group were significantly higher than 38.5% and 66.2% in the control group, respectively (both P < 0.01); the incidence rate of post herpetic neuralgia of 3.1% in the observation group was significantly lower than 12.3% in the control group (P < 0.05); after treatment, the scores for pain, rash and sleep decreased significantly in the two groups (all P < 0.01), more significantly decreased in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05); the pain-relieving time, herpes-stopping time, scab-forming time and the cured time in the cured patients of the observation group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The pricking blood therapy combined with ultraviolet irradiation has rapid therapeutic effect, effectively shortens duration of illness, decreases the incidence rate of post herpetic neuralgia and it is a safe remedy for treatment of herpes zoster.