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Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of full-visualization single-channel endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (PE-PLIF) in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases, and to explore the application skills and significance of endoscopic spinal canal decompression and interbody fusion. Methods From January 2021 to December 2022, 50 patients who underwent PE-PLIF in The Affiliated Huai ‘an No.1 Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were selected retrospectively. A total of 56 lower lumbar segments were treated with spinal canal decompression and interbody fusion. The expandable cage implantation technique was used for spinal canal decompression, intervertebral fusion, and percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score of low back pain and lower limb pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI), and modified MacNab scoring system were used to evaluate the clinical efficacy before and after operation. Results The VAS scores of low back pain were 5.2±1.1, 2.2±0.7, 1.5±0.6, 1.3±0.7, 1.0±0.9 before operation, 1 day, 3 months, 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up, respectively. The VAS scores of lower limb pain were 7.2±1.0, 2.0±1.0, 0.5±0.3, 0.3±0.2, 0.3±0.2, respectively. The ODI was 66.3±7.4, 16.6±5.0, 12.4±3.6 and 10.7±3.3 before operation, 3 months, 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up, respectively. The VAS score and ODI score decreased after operation, and the differences were statistically significant compared with those before operation (P

Background and objective Studies have shown that elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration can lead to poor prognosis in patients with small cell lung cancer and lung adenocarcinoma, but its relationship with the prognosis of patients with lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (L-LCNEC) is not clear. This study aims to explore the influence of L-LCNEC preoperative serum LDH concentration and postoperative LDH concentration change trend on the disease-free survival (DFS) of patients after surgery, so as to judge the clinical prognosis of L-LCNEC provides new ideas. Methods Collected the clinical data. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off value, while the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard model were used to analyze data. Results DFS was shortened in patients with high serum LDH concentration before operation and increased LDH concentration after operation (P

Background and objective Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a poor prognosis in all types of lung cancer. This study evaluated the relationship between pretreatment serum apolipoprotein levels and prognosis in patients with SCLC, seeks a new index can guide diagnosis and treatment of SCLC. Methods This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 122 patients with SCLC. The clinical results of patients with serum apolipoprotein levels within 2 weeks before treatment were collected, including apolipoprotein AI (ApoA-I), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and the ratio of apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein AI (ApoB/ApoA-I). Patients' progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) are the main outcome indicators. The best critical to determine the index's value by X-tile tool. For survival analysis, Kaplan-Meier method was used for analysis, and Cox regression analysis method was used for single factor analysis and multifactor analysis. Results Compared with patients with low ApoA-I levels, patients with high ApoA-I levels (ApoA-I>1.12 g/L) had better OS (21.5 mon vs 12.3 mon, P=0.007) and PFS (7.3 mon vs 5.5 mon, P=0.017). In contrast, patients with higher ApoB/ApoA-I levels had worse median OS than patients with lower ApoB/ApoA-I levels (13.4 mon vs 20.7 mon, P=0.012). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that ApoA-I was an independent prognostic factor affecting PFS in SCLC patients (HR=0.67, 95%CI: 0.45-0.99, P=0.043). ApoB/ApoA-I is an independent risk factor for OS in patients with SCLC (HR=1.98, 95%CI: 1.21-3.23, P=0.007). Conclusion Serum ApoA-I level and ApoB/ApoA-I level before treatment can be important prognostic factors for SCLC, which is helpful to judge the prognosis of patients.

In recent years, lung cancer has become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. There is increasing evidence that many lipids and lipid analogs are key regulators of tumorigenesis, and factors that affect blood lipid levels such as smoking, diet, and obesity may be associated with cancer risk. With the deepening of research on the relationship between lipids and tumorigenesis, exploring the correlation between blood lipids and lung cancer risk and prognosis has become a research hotspot. This article reviews the research progress of the relationship between blood lipid levels and the risk of lung cancer, blood lipid levels and the prognosis of lung cancer patients, and the adjustment of blood lipid drugs and the prevention and treatment of lung cancer.

On September 16, 2020, the combination of mining activities and constant rainfall triggered a long runout landslide in Jianshanying area, Guizhou Province, China, causing a landslide of approximately 80x104 m³ of rock and soil to slide down and form a debris flow. The maximum movement distance of the landslide reached 1 km, with a maximum height difference of about 300 m. Many houses and two roads were destroyed, fortunately without causing casualties. In this study, detailed field investigation combined with the UAV aerial photography were conducted to obtain the geological setting and the digital elevation model of the landslide region. Subsequently, the dynamic model DAN3D was utilized to study the dynamic characteristics and deposit distribution of the Jianshanying landslide. Simulated results were found to match the actual situation well, and the Frictional-Voellmy rheology was identified as an accurate tool for simulating the long runout landslide. Based on the numerical parameters determined from the inversion work, the sliding process and possible travel distance of the potential landslide were simulated. The findings from this study will be helpful aid in predicting landslide runout in high-altitude regions, particularly for the residents in the potential danger zone of the Jianshanying landslide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baicalin, a kind of flavonoid substance derived from the root part of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which is the main active ingredient of the plant. The pharmacological effect of baicalin is extensive and it shows great potential in its anti-inflammatory effect, and its main mechanisms include regulating intestinal flora, inhibiting NF-KB nuclear transposing, increasing the expression of related microRNA, inhibiting autophagy, and regulating Treg/Th17 balance. This article reviewed the research progress of baicalin on the anti-inflammatory mechanism at home and abroad, which provides a basis for its clinical application and further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessment of the level of consciousness of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness is the basis for making appropriate diagnosis and treatment strategies. It is difficult to make an accurate evaluation only based on the physical examination of nervous system on bedside, and the rate of misdiagnosis is extremely high. With the help of neuroimaging and neuroelectrophysiological monitoring technology, the detection rate of potential consciousness and accuracy of prognosis prediction can be significantly improved. The neuroelectrophysiology technology based on electroencephalography has many advantages such as high cost performance, high temporal resolution, long recording time and so on. This article summarizes the clinical application status and progress of neuroelectrophysiological monitoring technology to provide reference for clinical and scientific research in prolonged disorders of consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To observe the efficacy and safety of ginger-partitioned moxibustion combined with ringheaded thumb-tack needle stimulation in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients with malignant tumors., Methods: Patients with malignant tumors and suffering from chemotherapy were randomly divided into control group (35 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and observation group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped off). The patients of the control group were treated by orally taking ondansetron hydrochloride tablets 8 mg/time, 3 times a day for 3 d, and those of the observation group treated by ginger-partitioned moxibustion combined with ringheaded thumb-tack needle stimulation of Zusanli(ST36), Neiguan(PC6), Tianshu(ST25), Zhongwan(CV12) and Guanyuan(CV4) once a day for a total of 3 d, based on the treatment of the control group. The patients' gastrointestinal reaction degree after the 1 st , 2 nd and the 3 rd day of treatment were recorded. The Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score (0-100 points) was used for assessing the patients' quality of life. The TCM syndrome score (4 grades：no, mild, medium and severe, i.e. 0, 2, 4 and 6 points) was given according to the patients' severity of symptoms of spleen (stomach) qi deficiency (nausea and vomiting, abdominal distension after eating, belching, loss of appetite, weakness and laziness to speak, fatigue, and loose stool). The safety of the treatment was assessed by examining the patients' blood routine, liver function and kidney function, and the adverse reactions including blisters, allergies, burns and fainting during acupuncture treatment., Results: After the 2 nd and 3 rd day of treatment, the patients conditions of vomiting and nausea in the observation group were significantly better than those of the control group ( P <0.05). The TCM syndrome score and KPS score were significantly decreased in comparison with those of pre-treatment in both groups ( P <0.05), and the TCM syndrome score was obviously lower in the observation group than in the control group ( P <0.05). No significant differences were found between the two groups in the KPS score after the treatment , and in the levels of white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (HGB), platelets (PLT), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine(Cr), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)., Conclusions: The use of ginger-partitioned moxibustion combined with ringheaded thumb-tack needle stimulation is safe for CINV patients, and can effectively relieve nausea and vomiting and alleviate digestive symptoms.

Objective: To observe the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation in Ménière's disease patients with chronic imbalance. Methods: Forty-five Ménière's disease patients with chronic imbalance treated in vertigo specialist clinic of Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University from December 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled. Patients were divided randomly into two groups, 23 patients in experimental group and 22 patients in control group. Both groups received routine outpatient treatment, and the experimental group received an additional vestibular rehabilitation for 8 weeks. All patients were evaluated with dizziness handicap inventory （DHI） at baseline and 8-week follow-up, and the incidence of fall was calculated. The occurrence of adverse events during the study was also recorded. Results: There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups （ P >0.05）. During the study, 1 patient were lost to follow-up and 2 patients dropped out. A total of 42 patients completed the study. Intentionality analysis was performed on lost follow-up patients. After 8 weeks of the treatment, there were significant statistically differences in difference values of DHI and DHI-F scores（ d₁ =-30.22±3.78, d₂ =-13.09±4.85, t =-2.799, P <0.05; d₁ =-12.43±1.46, d₂ =-4.55±2.17, t =-3.043, P <0.05）, while no significant difference was showed in the difference values of DHI-P and DHI-E scores（ P >0.05）. There was no significant difference in incidence of fall between two groups（ P >0.05）, but the incidence of experimental group decreased significantly compared with that before treatment（4.35% vs 34.78%, χ² =4.973, P <0.05）. No serious adverse event was reported in the two groups. Conclusion: Vestibular rehabilitation can improve the balance function and reduce risk of fall in Ménière's disease patients with chronic imbalance. Therefore, it is worthy of clinical application., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.)

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on improving liver injury by observing the changes of cysteine protease (Caspase) associated with hepatocyte apoptosis based on cisplatin (DDP) induced liver injury model mice., Methods: Forty KM mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, acupuncture group and moxibustion group, with 10 mice in each group. The liver injury model was replicated by intraperitoneal injection of DDP. In the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group, acupuncture and moxibustion were performed at"Dazhui"(GV14), and bilateral "Ganshu"(BL18), "Shenshu"(BL23), and "Zusanli"(ST36), respectively, once per day for 5 d. General condition of mice in each group were observed;The activities of AST, ALT and GLDH in mice serum were detected by biochemical method. ELISA and Western blot assay were used to detect Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 contents and protein expression in the liver tissues of each group of mice, respectively., Results: Compared with the control group, the general condition of the mice in the model group was poorer, and the Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 contents and protein expressions in liver tissues and the activities of AST, ALT and GLDH in serum were increased ( P <0.05). Compared with the model group, the general condition of the mice in the acupuncture and moxibustion groups improved, and the Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 contents and protein expressions in liver tissues and activities of AST, ALT and GLDH in serum were decreased ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: Acupuncture and moxibustion can reduce liver injury due to DDP chemotherapy by modulating the expression of apoptotic factors Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 in liver tissues of DDP model mice and improving liver function, which may be one of the mechanisms of the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion to ameliorates liver injury after DDP chemotherapy.

Aqueous-phase chemical processing, as an essential formation pathway of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), has attracted widespread attention from within atmospheric chemistry fields. Due to the complicated reaction nature, reaction mechanisms, and product characteristics of aqueous-phase chemical processing, its contribution to the SOA budget is still not fully understood. In this work, we investigate how the initial concentration (0.03-3 mmol·L -1 ) of 4-ethylguaiacol affects SOA formation of aqueous·OH photochemical oxidation. We use soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SP-AMS) to monitor SOA mass yield and oxidation character, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ion chromatography (IC) to measure products and organic acids. Additionally, we use ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and high-performance liquid spectrometry (HPLS) to track the formation of light-absorbing products such as humic-like substances (HULIS). Our research indicated that the range of the O/C ratio of EG-aqSOA measured by the SP-AMS exhibited increasing trends with increased reaction time 0.42-0.61 (0.03 mmol·L -1 ), 0.49-0.84 (0.3 mmol·L -1 ), and 0.49-0.63 (3 mmol·L -1 ). Dimers (C 16 H 18 O 2 + , m/z 302) via SP-AMS were obviously higher under a higher initial concentration, thereby demonstrating that the oligomerization reaction proceeded more easily. The absorption at 250 nm recorded by UV-vis was distinctly enhanced, which might be attributed to new light-absorbing products with absorbance at 250 nm. Furthermore, the HULIS concentration increased with reaction time, in accordance with enhancement of absorbance in the 300-400 nm region, thus suggesting that aqueous-phase processing formed brown carbon. Small organic acids, including formic acid, malic acid, and oxalic acid, were detected by IC in all reaction solutions, with the highest concentration being for formic acid. GC/MS detected ketone, an OH monomer, and dimers in the aqSOA, which further indicates that functionalization and oligomerization took place.

In this research,we explored the effect of three groups of water treatments,including severe drought(the corresponding water content of cultivated substrate 5%-10%),moderate drought(45%-50%) and control(85%-90%),and different drought stress time(15,30,45 d) on the glandular trichome density(TD),stomatal density(SD) and volatile exudates of Schizonepeta tenuifolia.The results showed that there were two kinds of glandular trichomes on the surface of S. tenuifolia leaves: peltate and capitate glandular trichomes. The density of capitate glandular trichomes(CTD) was higher than that of peltate glandular trichomes(PTD). Both CTD and PTD on the abaxial surface of leaf were higher than those on the adaxial surface. Under severe drought stress,the CTD and SD were higher than the other two treatments. Under the same stress time,the biomass and leaf surface area of S. tenuifolia decreased with the deepening of stress degree. As the stress time prolonged,the surface area of leaves and biomass gradually increased,and the TD and SD decreased. The most abundant compound in volatile exudates of S. tenuifolia was pulegone. Under drought stress,the relative content of pulegone decreased,and the relative content of other monoterpenoids such as D-limonene and menthone increased. The n-hexadeconic acid and 2-methyl-1-hexadecanol were detected only at the stress of 15 d,while menthone was detected at the stress of 30 d and45 d. Drought stress affected the leaf growth and secondary metabolism of S. tenuifolia.

Objective: We studied the cloning and expression of lasB encoding solvent-resistant protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PT121. The recombinant protease was then characterized and applied in peptide synthesis., Methods: The PCR primers were designed to acquire the open read frame (ORF) of lasB according to similar protease gene (pseudolysin) reported in the literature. Inducible expression plasmid pET22b-lasB' was constructed and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant protease was then characterized and applied in peptide synthesis., Results: The protease PT121 was defined as metalloproteinase M4 family according to sequence blast. Gene sequence analysis shows that lasB encodes signal peptide, pro-peptide and mature peptide. Mature protein contains 301 residues with molecular weight of 33 kDa. One-step preparation of the recombinant proteases PT121 was optimized by breaking cell wall. The specific activity of protease PT121 reached up to 7700U/mg, and it was stable similar with wild type PT121 from P. aeruginosa PT121 in temperature, pH and organic solvent. The synthesis rate of various dipeptides in 50% DMSO was effective, especially productivity of aspartame precursor reached up to 91%., Conclusions: Successful hetero-expression of protease PT121 lays the foundation of studying mechanism of catalysis and molecular evolution.

Objective: To study the prevalent characteristics in children with hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in the Kunming area in 2010., Methods: The clinical data of 13286 outpatient and inpatient children with HFMD in Kunming Children's Hospital between January and December, 2010, including 8 death cases, 715 serious cases and 12563 non-serious cases, were retrospectively studied., Results: Human enterovirus was detected in 8200 children (61.72%). Children infected with EV71 and CoxA16 accounted for 29.49% (2418/8200) and 53.21% (4363/8200), respectively. Seventy-five children (0.91%) were found to have a mixed infection of the two viruses. Other types of human enterovirus were detected in 1344 children (16.39%). There were significant differences in the total positive rate of human enterovirus in the four quarters of the year (P<0.01). The total positive rate in the second quarter represented the highest proportion (71.56%), and the number of patients was also highest, accounting for 52.94% of the total number of patients in the whole year. EV71 infection was common in the serious case group while CoxA16 was found to be the main pathogen in the non-serious case group. Serious cases were common in children under three years old. In the positive EV71 cases, the viral load of EV71 was not statistically different between the death cases, serious and non-serious cases., Conclusions: In 2010, children with HFMD in the Kunming area were mainly infected with CoxA16. Serious cases of HFMD were more common in those who were infected with EV71, and the majority of serious infections were suffered by children who were less than three years old. The viral load was not associated with disease severity. The highest morbidity rate was in the second quarter of the year.

Objective: To investigate the types and frequency of gene mutations in children with thalassemia in Kunming, Yunan Province., Methods: A biochemical screening for thalassemia was performed by testing RBC fragility, MCV and hemoglobin electrophoresis on 1338 children from Kunming, Yunnan Province. Genetic diagnosis was performed on the children with α-thalassemia by gap-PCR and on the children with β-thalassemia by PCR-RDB., Results: The positive rate of the biochemical screening for thalassemia was 11.36% (152 cases). The positive rate of genetic diagnosis was 8.59% (115 cases). Of the 115 cases, α-thalassemia was found in 43 cases, β-thalassemia in 68 cases and α-combined-β thalassemia in 4 cases.--SEA/αα accounted for 47%, -α4.2/αα accounted for 21%, and HbH disease accounted for 14%. Six genotypes were found in 68 cases of β-thalassemia and the mutation frequency of βE was the highest (32%), followed by CD41-42 (24%), CD17 (23%), IVS-II654 (10%), CD71-72 (10%), and -28 (1%)., Conclusions: The frequency of gene mutations for thalassemia is high in children from Kunming, Yunnan Province. Premarital and prenatal screenings and genetic diagnosis for thalassemia should be carried out in this area.

Objective: To evaluate the potential of recombinant 38000 protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (38000 protein) as a tuberculosis-specific tuberculin for screening M. tuberculosis infection., Methods: A total of 1342 subjects (706 men and 636 women, age 18-60 years) from several communities in Kazuo County and Xidaziying Town, Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, and Hongdong County, Linfen, Shanxi Province were enrolled from September 2004 to February 2005. The skin tests were performed with double-blinded and the intradermal injections were administered on both forearms with 0.1 ml solution of PPD and 38000 protein at the right side and the left side, respectively. The vertical and transverse diameters of induration or erythema were measured following 24 h for 38000 protein and 48 h for PPD, respectively. The diameters of the the skin test reactions were defined as the means of the vertical and transverse diameters, and positive skin reactions were identified when the diameter was greater than or equal to 5 mm. The comparison of the positive rate was performed via chi(2) test and the consistency of positive skin test reactions between 38000 protein and TB-PPD was analyzed through calculating Kappa coefficients., Results: The positive rate was 55.1% (740/1342) and 28.6% (384/1342) for PPD and 38000 protein, respectively; the difference being significant (chi(2) = 190.6, P < 0.01). The consistency of positive skin test reactions between 38000 protein and PPD was low due to a negative Kappa coefficient. The positive rates induced by PPD and 38000 protein tended to increase with age except for the 33-37 year group. For a given age group, the positive rate of PPD was much higher than that of 38000 protein. The subjects without BCG scar had a lower positive rate for 38000 protein (24.3%, 137/566) than those with BCG scar (31.9%, 247/776) (chi(2) = 4.7, P < 0.05). The subjects with tuberculosis contact history had a higher positive rate for 38000 protein (74.4%, 32/43) than those without tuberculosis contact history (27.1%, 352/1299). Subjects without tuberculosis contact history had a lower positive rate for 38000 protein (27.1%, 352/1299) than that of PPD (54.0%, 702/1299), all of which showed significant difference (chi(2) test values changed from 4.7 to 192.1, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). For those with a tuberculosis contact history, no significant difference in the positive rate was found between 38000 protein (74.4%, 32/43) and PPD (88.4%, 38/43) (chi(2) = 1.9, P > 0.05). Nor was significant difference found in the positive rate of 38000 protein between male subjects (28.5%, 201/706) and female subjects (28.8%, 183/636). The diameter of the positive reactions induced by 38000 protein and PPD ranged from 5 - 9 mm and from 5 - 14 mm, respectively., Conclusion: Our findings show that 38000 protein may be useful as a tuberculosis-specific skin test antigen for screening Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents in Agrimonia pilosa., Method: The compounds were isolated and purified by various column chromatographic methods and elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences., Result: Nine flavonoids were obtained and identified as tiliroside (1), kaempferol 3-O-alpha-L-rhampyranoside (2), quercetin 3-O-alpha-L-rhampyranoside (3), quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), kaempferol (6), apigenin (7), luteolin (8), quercetin (9)., Conclusion: Compounds 1-3, 5, 6 and 8 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Aim: To prepare a novel functional mouse anti-human CD40 monoclonal mAb., Methods: Female BALB/c mice of 6-8 weeks old were immunized with CD40 transfectant (L929-CD40) as immunogen. The spleen B cells of the mice were fused with Sp2/0. The hybridoma cells were screened with CD40 transfectant (L929-CD40) by FCM. Fast-strip analysis was performed to identify Ig subclass of this mAb. The epitope recognized by this mAb was detected by Bio/5C11 competitive assay. The proliferation and cell cycle of tumor cells in vitro were studied by MTT assay and PI staining respectively., Results: One hybridoma cell line named 2B6 was obtained, which had the property of secreting anti-human CD40 monoclonal antibody continuously and steadily. This mAb specifically recognized human CD40 molecule and promoted the proliferation of tumor cells in vitro., Conclusion: One hybridoma cell line which can secret a novel functional mouse anti-human CD40 mAb has been developed successfully. This mAb can specifically recognize human CD40 and influence the growth of tumor cells in vitro.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of external tissue expansion in the repair of massive skin and soft tissue defects., Methods: From August 1998 to January 2004, 10 patients with massive skin and soft tissue defects ( the area ranging from 10 cm x 4 cm to 24 cm x 15 cm) , including 7 with wounds in the leg, 2 with wounds in knee region, and 1 with wounds in the forearm, were enrolled in the study. All patients were subjected to external tissue expansion together with external skeletal fixation for 2 -3 weeks, then the wounds were closed with suturing or supplemented with skin flaps., Results: The defects were closed completely after external expansion in 4 cases, and in other 5 cases the wounds were significantly decreased in area, and the residual wounds were covered with free skin grafting. In I case the wound could only be reduced in size, and the residual wound was closed with a local flap. Follow-up from 1 to 12 months showed that the wounds were closed with normal cutaneous sensation and good appearance., Conclusion: External skin expansion is a simple, economical method for repair of massive skin soft-tissue defect, which can significantly be reduced or entirely closed.

Aim: To measure the level of serum soluble CD40 (sCD40) in patients with acute hepatitis, hepatitis gravis and primary carcinoma of the liver, and to evaluate the relationship of sCD40 with biochemical marks and disease prognosis., Methods: Patients with acute hepatitis (n=49) hepatitis gravis (n=22) and primary carcinoma of the liver (n=13) were studied, and serum sCD40 was determined in these patients and compared with that of healthy controls (n=44) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The binding capacity of serum sCD40 to its ligand CD40L was detected by flow cytometry (FCM) in vitro., Results: Concentration of sCD40 was significantly higher in patients with liver disease than that in healthy controls (P<0.001), but no significant difference was found between the three types of liver disease (P=0.475). In the hepatitis gravis group, sCD40 concentration in dead patients was higher compared with that in the survivals (P<0.05). Level of sCD40 in patients with acute hepatitis was correlated with serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartic transaminase (AST). The serum sCD40 could bind CD40L in vitro., Conclusion: These data suggest that sCD40 is an important serological marker in liver disease to evaluate acute injury of hepatocytes, and it shows a relevance with the prognosis of hepatitis gravis. The highly elevated level of sCD40 suggest the involvement of CD40 and its ligand CD40L in liver disease.

Objective: To determine the effect of dobutamine, a beta-adrenergic agonist, on the alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) in acute lung injury (ALI)., Methods: Thirty two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four equal groups: normal control group; ALI group, infused with endotoxin to induce ALI; dobutamine control group, receiving sustained intravenous injection of dobutamine at the dose of 5 microg/kg/min, and dobutamine treatment group, receiving sustained intravenous injection of dobutamine at the dose of 5 microg/kg/min after the administration of endotoxin. Experiment began 45-60 minutes after the circulation was stable. Blood pressure was measured and blood gas analysis was conducted at the beginning of the experiment and one hour later. Perfusion fluid with (125)I-albumin with the radioactivity of 1.5 microCi/ml was perfused into the lung. One hour after the mechanical ventilation the mice were killed and their lungs were taken out. Alveolar fluid was taken out to calculate the AFC by single nuclide tracer technique. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of alpha, beta, and gamma-rat epithelial sodium channel (rENaC) mRNA., Results: (1) The AFC of ALI group was 14.0 +/- 1.2%, significantly lower than that of the normal control group (21.0 +/- 3.9%, P < 0.05). (2) The AFC of the dobutamine control group was 26.6 +/- 1.6%, significantly higher than that of the normal control group (P < 0.05). and the AFC of the dobutamine treatment group was 20.0 +/- 3.9%, significantly higher than that of the ALI group (P < 0.05). (3) The expression of a-rENaC mRNA was 1.40 +/- 0.40 in the ALI group and was 1.38 +/- 0.13 in the dobutamine treatment group, both significantly higher than those in the dobutamine control group (1.01 +/- 0.14) and in the normal control group (0.44 +/- 0.11, all P < 0.05). The expression of beta-rENaC mRNA was 0.70 +/- 0.8 in the ALI group was 0.71 +/- 0.17 in the dobutamine treatment group, both significantly higher than those in the dobutamine control group (0.58 +/- 0.12) and in the normal control group (0.44 +/- 0.11, all P < 0.05). There were not significant differences in expression of alpha and beta-rENaC mRNA between the normal control group and dobutamine control group, and between the ALI group and dobutamine treatment group (both P > 0.05). (4) The gamma-rENaC mRNA expression was 0.90 +/- 0.19 in the dobutamine control group and was 0.97 +/- 0.15 in the dobutamine treatment group, both significantly higher than that in the normal control group (0.69 +/- 0.10) and in the ALI group (0.70 +/- 0.32) (all P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Able to upregulate the gamma-rENaC expression and improve the AFC in acute lung injury, beta-adrenergic agonist may be beneficial to reduce lung edema in ALI patients.

To study the virulence-related genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we used suppression subtractive hybridization to clone the differential genomic genes between Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence strain H37Rv and attenuated strain H37Ra. All of 54 different genes were cloned, sequenced and analyzed by Southern-blotting. Two different DNA fragments in H37Ra are new genes so far, and get the new Genbank number AY534505 and AY560011. Eight different DNA fragments in H37Rv were obtained. One is the fragment of a gene coding virulence factor mce; one fragment belongs to the gene coding for purC synthenzyme; one for PE family protein; the other 4 fragments for putative gene; and the last one is a non-coding fragment. PCR analysis indicated that 2 of the different genes were present exclusively in the clinical virulent strain and in H37Rv, but not in the clinical avirulent strain and in H37Ra. The novel differential genes may provide an important clue for studying the mechanism of M. tuberculosis pathogenesis.

Aim: To develop a one-step purification method of anti-gp130 monoclonal antibody (mAb) B-S12 from mouse ascites., Methods: After filtrated by centrifugation, the ascites sample was loaded on a cation exchange column and purified by using ion-strength gradient elution buffer. The effects of pH of the loading buffer and ion strength gradients of the elution buffer on the purity of antibody obtained were investigated. The antibody's biological activity was tested by MTT colorimetry., Results: It was shown that the mAb B-S12 with a purity of over 90% could be achieved by using 20 mmol/L HEPES buffer (pH 4.0) as loading buffer and 0-1.0 mol/L NaCl as elution buffer. The total recovery rate of the mAb was 52%. The purified antibody could stimulate the proliferation of XG-2 cell line., Conclusion: The established one-step purification method was simple and suitable for purification of mAb B-S12.

Objective: To establish a method for the rapid identification of Mycobacterium bovis BCG., Methods: A genomic region designated RD1 was found to be deleted from BCG strains, but present in other strains of Mycobacterium bovis and other members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium africanum, and Mycobacterium microti. With this information, a multiplex PCR method, developed to detect the deletion of RD1, was used to differentiate BCG strains from other strains of Mycobacterium bovis and other members of MTC., Results: RD1 was shown to be absent in 5 BCG vaccine strains and 2 BCG strains isolated from an infant who died of systemic disseminated infection induced by BCG vaccination, but it was present in 3 Mycobacterium bovis standard strains, 6 Mycobacterium bovis strains isolated from diseased cows, deer or patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and other MTC strains including Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv and H(37)Ra strains, 48 Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and 3 Mycobacterium africanum standard strains., Conclusion: The multiplex PCR method is simple, rapid, and specific for the identification of BCG among strains of MTC, and is applicable in clinical laboratories.

Objective: To investigate the effect of stromal cell derived factor-1alpha(SDF-1alpha) expression and its receptor CXCR4 on the biological behavior of multiple myeloma (MM) cells and on the expression of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1)., Methods: FACS analysis was used to study the expression of ICAM-1 (CD(54)) and CXCR4 on the surface of MM cells. Chemotaxis assay through transwell bore polycaronate and ELISA assay were employed to monitor the soluble ICAM-1 level., Results: (1) Fresh MM cells expressed variable levels of functional CXCR4 [(50.4 +/- 27.3)%], which was correlated with the in vitro ability of transwell migration of MM cells [(23.6 +/- 17.2)%, P < 0.01]. (2) SDF-1alpha could up-regulate the expression of ICAM-1 on MM cells. Furthermore, the serum level of sICAM-1 was correlated with the expression of CXCR4 on MM cells., Conclusion: SDF-1alpha/CXCR4 plays an important role on the biological behavior of MM cells via mediating the effect of adhesion molecules.