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Children with intestinal failure (IF) have frequent catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). This study aimed to analyze the clinical presentation and laboratory parameters of CRBSIs in children with IF.This 6-year retrospective study was conducted among IF children with CRBSIs at an intestinal rehabilitation center in China. Clinical data were collected, including data of temperature and gastrointestinal symptoms. Blood/catheter culture, fecal tests, and calculation of inflammatory index were performed, which were obtained within 1 week since CRBSI onset.Fifty children with 87 CRBSIs were identified, of which there were 17 suspected and 70 confirmed cases. Seventy-two pathogens were cultured from 70 positive blood cultures: 63% were Gram-positive organisms, 23% were Gram-negative organisms, and 11% were fungal organisms. Overall, 48.6% were enteric organisms; 47.2% of bacterial pathogens were consistent between fecal and blood cultures. Moreover, 46.3% fecal routines showed abnormalities including increased white blood cells, occult blood positive and the presence of fat droplets. The consistent symptom at onset of CRBSIs was fever and gastrointestinal symptoms including increased stool output, abdominal distension, or both. C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were elevated, i.e., 16.5 mg/L [interquartile range (IQR) 8.7-44.7] and 0.48 ng/mL (IQR 0.2-1.76), respectively.IF children had a high rate of CRBSIs, of which larger proportions were due to Gram-positive and enteric organisms. Fever and/or gastrointestinal symptoms, combined with elevated CRP and PCT, is conducive to the early diagnosis of CRBSIs in IF patients.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in residents of Shanghai and analyze the risk factors of DR. METHODS: This study involved 7233 patients with diabetes in 2016. The demographic data of the participants were collected using a questionnaire survey. Physical examination, laboratory tests, and ophthalmological examinations were conducted. Two professional ophthalmologists diagnosed and graded DR by fundus examination and then combined the results with fundus images. The unconditional multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors. RESULTS: In total, 6978 patients with type 2 diabetes in Shanghai with a mean age of 68.33±8.40y were recruited, including 2975 males (42.6%) and 4003 females (57.4%). Overall, 1184 patients were diagnosed with DR, with a prevalence rate of 16.97%. Regression analysis showed that duration of diabetes (OR 1.061, 95%CI 1.049-1.073), high systolic blood pressure (SBP; OR 1.071, 95%CI 1.037-1.106), increased glycosylated hemoglobin level (OR 1.234, 95%CI 1.162-1.311), high blood glucose level (OR 1.061, 95%CI 1.023-1.099), increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR; OR 1.132, 95%CI 1.053-1.217) and mean platelet volume (MPV; OR 1.077, 95%CI 1.016-1.142) were risk factors of DR. Conversely, hematocrit (HCT; OR 0.971, 95%CI 0.954-0.988) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV; OR 0.980, 95%CI 0.965-0.994) were protective factors. CONCLUSION: The prevalence rate of DR in Shanghai is 16.97%. The duration of diabetes, high SBP, increased glycosylated hemoglobin, NLR, and MPV were determined as risk factors of DR.

Oxygen electrocatalytic activities in transition-metal atoms and/or heteroatom-doped carbon nanostructures are strongly dependent on their conductivity and electron configurations. Herein, this study reports Mn3O4/self-growth carbon nanotubes induced by a transition metal cobalt hybrid as the efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc–air batteries. The positive effect posed by the hierarchical structure and heteroatom doping provides an extra electronic state, eventually enhancing the oxygen adsorption and charge transfer during oxygen electrochemical reactions. The assembled rechargeable zinc–air battery achieves a high power density of 128 mW cm−2 and an excellent cycle stability of over 160 h at 5 mA cm−2. This study provides a feasible approach for designing efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for broad applications in the field of energy conversion technology.

Achieving a profound understanding of the reaction kinetics of a catalyst by modulating its electronic structure is significant. Herein, we present a scalable approach to achieving a spatially partial substitution of S into NiMoO4. The increase in active components in a true Ni3+ oxidation state as a result of optimizing the coordination environment greatly improved urea oxidation activity.

Wounding increased the extracellular Adenosine 5ʹ-triphosphate (eATP) level of kidney bean leaves. Treatment with wounding or exogenous ATP increased the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, activities of catalase and polyphenol oxidase, and malondialdehyde content in both the treated and systemic leaves. Pre-treatment with ATP-degrading enzyme, apyrase, to the wounded leaves reduced the wound-induced local and systemic increases in H2O2 content, activities of catalase and polyphenol oxidase, and malondialdehyde content. Application of dimethylthiourea (DMTU) and diphenylene iodonium (DPI) to the wounded and ATP-treated leaves, respectively, reduced the wound- and ATP-induced local and systemic increases in H2O2 content, activities of catalase and polyphenol oxidase, and malondialdehyde content. Moreover, the wound- and ATP-induced systemic increases of these physiological parameters were suppressed when DMTU or DPI applied to leaf petiole of the wounded and ATP-treated leaves. These results suggest that eATP at wounded sites could mediate the wound-induced local and systemic responses by H2O2-dependent signal transduction. Wounding triggered physiological responses which were related to eATP. eATP initiates a systemic signal, which require the accumulation of H2O2 in local and systemic tissues

As a part of our ongoing search for bioactive compounds from the dried latex of Euphorbia resinifera (Euphorbium), a new rearranged tirucallane triterpene with a spiro [5,6] ring system, euphorol K (1), and a novel euphane triterpene hydroperoxide, euphorol J (2), together with a known compound, kansuinone (3) have been isolated. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive analyses of their spectroscopic, circular dichroism (CD) measurement and theoretical calculation (ECD) methods. The cytotoxicity of all compounds against MCF-7, U937 and C6 cancer cell lines was evaluated. Compounds 1−3 exhibited various degrees of cytotoxic effect against MCF-7.

Achieving a profound understanding of the reaction kinetics of a catalyst by modulating its electronic structure is significant. Herein, we present a scalable approach to achieving a spatially partial substitution of S into NiMoO

To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture combined with moxibustion in the treatment of urinary incontinence after stroke due to deficiency of kidney-Sixty patients with urinary incontinence after stroke due to kidney-After the treatment, compared with those before the treatment, the average numbers of daily and night urinary incontinence of the two groups were significantly reduced (The combination of electroacupuncture, moxibustion and traditional Chinese medicine is effective in treating urinary incontinence after stroke due to deficiency of kidney

The slow kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remain the primary problem impeding the commercialization of zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, we demonstrate a hybrid composite consisting of multivalent CoSx nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes catalytically active-nickel (NCNTs/Ni) as an advanced ORR/OER electrocatalyst with excellent electrocatalytic activity. The Co-N bonds in the hybrid catalyst effectively enhance interfacial charge transfer, resulting in synergetic effects for enhanced oxygen electrochemistry. The optimized hybrid, CoSx/NCNTs/Ni-2, affords excellent performance in an alkaline ZAB, achieving a high-power density of 131 mW cm−2, and the voltage gap remained at only 0.87 V after 200 h of continuous charge–discharge at 5 mA cm−2. This study provides a facile strategy for the construction of bifunctional hybrids with non-precious metals for potential application in ZABs and other sustainable energy conversion devices.

Although excess excitation energy (EEE) can damage the photosynthetic apparatus and deregulate many cellular processes, some studies have reported that EEE can be used by plants to optimize the resistance to pathogen infection. Here, we investigated whether the EEE-induced resistance to pathogen infection might be mediated by mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX). The present work showed that exposure of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves to short-term excess light or treatment of Arabidopsis leaves with the electron transport inhibitor, DBMIB (2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone), restricted the growth of virulent biotrophic bacteria, Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pst) DC3000. Exposure to short-term excess light or DBMIB treatment also enhanced the level of the capacity of the cyanide-resistant respiration of the infected leaves. The lack of AOX1a gene in the AtAOX1a anti-sense line attenuated the excess light- or DBMIB-induced resistance toward Pst DC3000. These results indicate that AOX may play a role in regulating the EEE-induced resistance to virulent pathogen infection.

The active sites on oxygen electrocatalyst and the number of inherent active species are important factors affecting the performance of Zn-air battery. Constructing multiphase interfaces is an effective strategy to increase the number of active species for oxygen electrocatalysts. In this work, the number of intrinsic active species of spinel oxygen electrocatalyst was increased and its catalytic activity was enhanced by the synergistic action of bimetallic center three interfaces and heteroatom-doped carbon nanostructures. The resulting NiCo2O4/NCNTs/NiCo as catalyst exhibits superior activity toward ORR (E1/2 = 0.83 V, JL = −5.38 mA cm−2) and OER (Ej10 = 1.58 V). Further, the obtained catalyst work as a cathode assembles as Zn-air battery with a high open-circuit potential of 1.51 V and excellent cycle stability (586 h). Theoretical results indicate that the desorption of *OH species is the rate-determining step for ORR, the multiphase interfaces in the NiCo2O4/NCNTs/NiCo will provide additional electrons due to the upward shift of antibonding orbitals relative to the Fermi level. Consequently, it boosts the oxygen adsorption and charge transfer and accelerate the reaction kinetics. This work emphasizes the synergistic effect between multiphase interfaces in transition metal composite catalysts and opens up a promising way for the preparation of efficient and stable transition metal electrocatalysts.

Masses of W Ursae Majoris-type (W UMa) binaries play a critical role in investigating stellar dynamical evolutionary status. In this paper, we combine the PARSEC (PAdova and TRieste Stellar Evolution Code) with the Roche geometric model to provide a method to determine the masses of W UMa systems. To verify the validity of this method, we compile a sample of 140 spectrum binaries from the literature, which includes 76 W- and 64 A-subtype systems with reliable physical parameters. We find that the average fractional difference and the standard deviation (σM) of the residuals for W-subtype and A-subtype approximately amount to 15.66% and 0.1218, 16.03% and 0.2094, respectively. Meanwhile, we also perform detailed analyses in accordance with the orbital period, the effective temperatures and the mass ratio. We find that the method is more applicable to determine masses for W UMa systems with low effective temperature and short period.

Iron accumulates progressively in the brain with age; however, the cause is unknown. We hypothesized that iron accumulation may be associated with the age-induced changes in the expression of iron metabolism proteins in the brain. Here, we systematically investigated iron content and the expression of two major iron importers, transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and divalent metal transporter (DMT1), two iron exporters, ferroportin 1 (Fpn1) and ceruloplasmin (CP), and hepcidin, along with the pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's (PD) and Alzheimer's diseases (AD) in the brain of young (3 months), adult (12 months), and aged (24 months) rats. We demonstrated that age has a region-specific effect on iron transport proteins along with iron content in the cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and substantia nigra. We also found an age-dependent increase in hyperphosphorylated tau, total beta-amyloid, and neurotoxic oligomeric aggregates in the cortex and hippocampus as well as an increase in α-synuclein and a decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in the substantia nigra. Our findings suggest that the age-dependent increase in brain iron may be partly due to the age-induced increase in DMT1 expression, rather than TfR1 and Fpn1 expression, and also imply that the increased brain iron is associated with expression of the pathological hallmarks of AD and PD.

At present, the traditional teaching mode of troop’s distance network education, like TV University and Correspondence University, is unable to meet the noncommissioned officers’ job requirements that demand new skilled talent. In accordance with the development of new military combat units and the demand on the training of new military talents, efforts must be made in the development, integration and restructure of traditional subjects and specialties in military academies, while constructing those close to information based combat and exercise with the aim to keep perfecting the teaching mechanism of noncommissioned officers’ post-oriented education. Command and Control major in military colleges which chiefly cultivates noncommissioned officers focuses principally on single subject in distance network teaching and professional disciplines website, as a result that the shared resources is low, and it lacks similar knowledge and interdisciplinary relation with other discipline. In this thesis, the course ontology of Command and Control major was constructed to make the recourses shared in this academic domain by making use of the ontology technology. Also, the Micro Course group in Command and Control domain was established.

This article embarks from the production of student card which combines the vlookup and index functions, and discusses the application of case teaching in Excel lookup and reference functions. Teachers guide students to analyze, discuss and practice the case in the process of teaching. And students take the initiative to explore and collaborate, so as to achieve the teaching goal and realize the teaching that benefits teachers as well as students.

Three new sesquiterpenes of canusesnol K (1), canusesnol L (2) and 12, 15-dihydroxycurcumene (3), along with five known ones (4-8), were isolated from the heartwood extract of Pterocarpus santalinus. Their structures were established by extensive analyses of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HSQC, HMBC and NOESY, and HRESI-MS. The absolute configurations of the new compounds were established with Modified Mosher's method. The cytotoxic activities of all these compounds against HepG2 (human liver cancer), MCF-7 (human breast cancer), MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer), and Hela (human cervical carcinoma) cancer cell lines were evaluated. Compound 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity toward MDA-MB-231 cell lines.

Diaoyutai area of western Liaoning province is located at the northwest margin of the North China Craton. The petrology and mineralogy characteristics of Diaoyutai granitic rock bodies were analyzed in this paper. The granites type and the mineral inclusions in the host mineral plagioclase were determined by lithology observation, EDS images, BSE result and element percentage composition. This mineralogy study will contribute to the revolution of the North China Craton crust.

Reinforced concrete eccentric frame-shear wall structure has been widely used in engineering. However, this structure is mainly used for high-rise structure, and it is difficult to obtain accurate earthquake response of structure through experimental study. Therefore, simulation software needs to be used for study on seismic performance of high-rise structures. This paper produces useful conclusions for the project through shaking table test and the simulation of seismic performance provided by ANSYS finite element analysis software.

Huperzine A (HupA), a natural inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase derived from a plant, is a licensed anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug in China and a nutraceutical in the United States. In addition to acting as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, HupA possesses neuroprotective properties. However, the relevant mechanism is unknown. Here, we showed that the neuroprotective effect of HupA was derived from a novel action on brain iron regulation. HupA treatment reduced insoluble and soluble beta amyloid levels, ameliorated amyloid plaques formation, and hyperphosphorylated tau in the cortex and hippocampus of APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic AD mice. Also, HupA decreased beta amyloid oligomers and amyloid precursor protein levels, and increased A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease Domain 10 (ADAM10) expression in these treated AD mice. However, these beneficial effects of HupA were largely abolished by feeding the animals with a high iron diet. In parallel, we found that HupA decreased iron content in the brain and demonstrated that HupA also has a role to reduce the expression of transferrin-receptor 1 as well as the transferrin-bound iron uptake in cultured neurons. The findings implied that reducing iron in the brain is a novel mechanism of HupA in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Biopharmaceutics classification system of Chinese materia medica (CMMBCS) emphasizes characteristic of the multi-component environment based on the drug solubility and permeability. In this study, the in situ closed-loop method combined with LC-MS technique was utilized to study the intestinal absorption and metabolism of Puerariae Lobatae Radix decoction (PLRD), providing selection basis for intestinal permeability components in CMMBCS. A total of 36 components were identified from PLRD. Among them, 17 components could be detected in the plasma sample, indicating that 17 components could be absorbed into blood, so these 17 components could be used as intestinal permeability evaluation components in CMMBCS. The other 19 components were not detected in the plasma sample, suggesting that they may not be absorbed or metabolized by the gut wall enzymes.

We utilize the PAdova and TRieste Stellar Evolution Code (PARSEC) combined with photometric observations to determine a guaranteed mass of AL Cas and re-examine its related physical parameters. Multicolor-photometric observations of AL Cas have been performed in 2016 and 2017. We use the Wilson-Devinney (W-D) code to analyze the light curves and find that AL Cas is probably an A-subtype contact binary (f = 35.7±0.9%) with a mass ratio q = 0.6399±0.0230 and an effective temperature difference ΔT = 78 K. The mass-radius relation of a higher luminosity component for AL Cas is obtained by two methods: depending on calculation of the Roche lobe (DCRL method) and depending on calculation of the W-D code (DCWD method). Using this relationship with the PARSEC model, we investigate the component masses of AL Cas as M 1 = 1.19±0.23 M ⊙ with M 2 = 0.76±0.18 M ⊙ by the DCRL method and M 1 = 1.22±0.26 M ⊙ with M 2 = 0.78±0.20 M ⊙ by the DCWD method. By means of the photometric studies, we examine the related physical properties of AL Cas with the latest findings. We update the orbital period (P orb = 0.50055593 d) of AL Cas according to six new times of light minimum together with those collected from the literature. Meanwhile, the (O – C)2 curve analysis suggests that the orbital period of AL Cas has a cyclic variation with a period of 81.25 yr and an amplitude of 0.01415 d. This cyclic change would be caused by the light-travel time effect from a third body. A similar mass of the third body (M 3 sin i′ = 0.279 M ⊙) is derived from our two methods.

In Zhengxiangbaiqi, the Sanmianjing Formation of Middle Permian exposes most completely. The Lithology is mainly clastic rocks, in the lower part of the section, there are 60m gray middle-thick-bedded limestone. Based on detailed measurement of the Elitu Pasture Ⅱ, indoor research, identifications with microscope, paleontology and sequence stratigraphy studies, explored sedimtentary facies and sedimentary paleoenvironment of the Sanmianjing formation. The lower part and the upper part of Sanmianjing formation might be deposited in a shore setting with a high energy, and the middle part might be formed in an epicontinental sea with a relative low-energy. Fossils and sedimentary facies further enrich the biological face of the section, and prove new informations for contrasting between different stratigraphic and plaeoenvironment. This study proved principal geological data for further research on palaeogeography, oil and gas exploration.

The late Mesozoic granitoids widely distributed in the northwestern Jiaodong Terrane are important markers of cratonic destruction and lithospheric thinning of the eastern North China Craton (NCC). Here we investigate the Late Jurassic Linglong and Luanjiahe granites and report zircon U–Pb emplacement ages of 157–159 Ma. These rocks also contain abundant late Archean, Paleoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, early Paleozoic and Triassic inherited zircons, suggesting the involvement of continental crustal materials from both the NCC and Yangtze Craton in magma tectonics. The rocks investigated in this study show high Na2O + K2O and low MgO and are peraluminous, with enrichment in LREEs and LILEs (Rb, Ba, U, and Sr) and depletion in HFSEs (Nb, Ta, P, and Ti). They also display low eHf(t) values and high Sr/Y ratios, comparable to adakitic rocks, suggesting that the Linglong and Luanjiahe granitoids formed under relatively high pressure conditions and were likely derived from the partial melting of the thickened lower crust of the NCC. The Guojialing granodiorites were emplaced in the early Cretaceous (129 Ma), and also contain abundant late Archean and Paleoproterozoic inherited zircons. The rocks possess high CaO, TFe2O3 and MgO, and are metaluminous, with enrichment in LREEs and LILEs and depletion in HFSEs. They are also characterized by high Sr/Y ratios, and have higher eNd(t) and eHf(t) values than the Late Jurassic granitoids, suggesting the involvement of mantle components in the magmatic source. We correlate the magma tectonics with the processes accompanying the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the NCC and the associated asthenospheric upwelling.

The mechanisms of neuroprotection induced by hypoxic preconditioning (HP) and the effects of HP on iron metabolism proteins in the brain have not been fully elucidated. Based on the accumulated information, we hypothesized that HP would be able to affect the expression of iron metabolism proteins in the brain and that the changes in the expression of these proteins induced by HP might be partly associated with the HP-induced neuroprotection. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that HP could induce a significant increase in the expression of HIF-1alpha as well as iron uptake (TfR1 and DMT1) and release (Fpn1) proteins and thus increase transferrin-bound iron (Tf-Fe) and non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) uptake and iron release, and also a progressive increase in cellular iron content in the cultured neurons. We concluded that HP has the ability to speed iron transport rate and proposed that the increase in iron transport rate and cellular iron in neurons might be one of the mechanisms involved in neuroprotection in the HP neurons. We also demonstrated that Fpn1 expression was significantly affected by HIF-1alpha, implying that the gene encoding this iron efflux protein is hypoxia-inducible.

The optimal preparation condition of V2O5/TiO2 catalyst was investigated by the orthogonal experimental method. Five factors were chosen including A(molar ratio of NH4VO3 to oxalic acid),B(aging time of solution),C(active component content),D(impregnation temperature) and E(impregnation time). Every factor had four levels. The levels of A were1:2, 1:1, 3:2 and 2:1. The levels of B were 12h, 14h, 16h and 18h. The levels of C were 2%, 4%, 6% and 8%. The levels of D were 45°C, 55°C, 65°C, 75°C. The levels of E were 2h, 3h, 4h and 5h.The orthogonal experiment table was L16(45). Then the de-NOx rate of V2O5/TiO2 catalysts was tested in SCR catalytic reactor. The results showed that the influence of chosen factors decreased in the following order: C> B> E> D> A. The optimal plan of preparation experiments, obtained from the orthogonal experiment, is C3B1E3D3A4. So the optimal condition of preparation experiments are that active component content is 6%，aging time of solution is 12h，impregnation time is 4h，impregnation temperature is 65°C，molar ratio of ammonium metavanadate and oxalic acid is 2:1.

At present, most of the studies on the relationship between El Nino Southern Oscillation and agricultural futures focus on perceptual analyses and directly data analysis, and these discussions are usually limited to futures price. This article uses EMD algorithm to decompose Wheat futures prices and denoised ENSO index, and finally gets the negative relationship between El Nino Southern Oscillation and wheat Futures prices. Then, this article conducts the comparative analysis of operation performance based on El Niño Southern Oscillation, finding that this mode of operation can greatly increase yields, which further explains the practical significance of ENSO. In order to explore the impact of El Nino Southern Oscillation on wheat futures yields, use classic GARCH models, transform ENSO index into virtual variables, respectively introduce them into the mean value equation and conditional variance equation. After analysis, the conclusion shows that the impact is mainly on the volatility of return rate, which reminds traders of considering risk management first.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognosis and survival of pediatric subjects with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) and investigate the independent risk factors affecting their prognosis.This was a retrospective case series of all pediatric subjects suffering from CIPO and treated at the Pediatric Surgical ward of Xinhua Hospital between January 2006 and January 2016.The overall mortality was 19/48 (39.6%). Because of delayed CIPO diagnosis, many subjects underwent a variety of surgical procedures. The rate of additional surgical procedures was high (35/48, 72.9%), but the number of surgical procedures, parenteral nutrition, and megacystis did not affect mortality. Mycotic infection was significantly associated with mortality, while onset at

To explore the cataract surgical rate (CSR) of Shanghai from 2006 to 2012 and examine its influencing factors.As of 2003, a cataract surgery registration form had been filled by physicians after every cataract surgery in Shanghai. The local eye disease prevention team then entered the relevant information into the Shanghai Cataract Operations Database. Based upon this database, CSR of Shanghai was calculated. And the number of cataract surgeries was compared between Shanghai urban and suburban districts as well as among different medical institutions.The overall CSR in Shanghai increased from 1741 in 2006 to 2313 in 2012. In 2012, CSR in urban districts reached 6013 while it stood at 460 and 584 in inner and outer suburb districts respectively. The number of hospitals performing cataract surgery in urban districts was much more than that in suburbs. And the average number of cataract surgeries per hospital per year in suburbs was only one third of that (748 cases) in urban areas. The number of cataract surgeries at in private hospitals increased rapidly during the past 7 years. The number of 1921 cases was nearly twice as many as that at tertiary hospitals in 2012. Phacoemulsification surgery was the most popular surgical choice for cataract removal, accounting for 98.40% of total cataract surgeries in 2012.Until 2012, CSR in Shanghai dropped below the target of World Health Organization (WHO). A low level of CSR in suburbs is a major influencing factor for the overall level of CSR in Shanghai.

Neuroinflammation is closely related to brain iron homeostasis. Our previous study demonstrated that lipopolysaccharides (LPS) can regulate expression of iron-regulatory peptide hepcidin; however, the mechanism is undefined. Here, we demonstrated that intracerebroventricular injection of LPS in rat brain upregulated hepcidin and downregulated ferroportin 1 in the cortex and substantia nigra. LPS increased hepcidin expression in neurons only when they were co-cultured with BV-2 microglia, and the upregulation was suppressed by IL-6 neutralizing antibody in vitro. In addition, IL-6 but not IL-1α, IL-1β, or tumor necrosis factor-alpha increased hepcidin expression and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation in cortical neurons and MES23.5 dopaminergic neurons. These effects were blocked by the STAT3 inhibitor, stattic. Our results show that neurons are the major source of increased hepcidin expression in response to LPS challenge but microglia play a key mediator role by releasing IL-6 and recruiting the STAT3 pathway. We conclude that LPS upregulates hepcidin expression in neurons via microglia and the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway.

To evaluate the influence of Fuzhenghuayu decoction on fibrotic liver tissue and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) using a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver cirrhosis rat model system.Sixty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following groups: normal (non-model, non-drug intervention), CCl4 liver fibrosis model, and CCl4 liver fibrosis model Fuzhenghuayu drug intervention at low dose (0.75 g/kg/d) and high dose (1.5 g/kg/d). The drug intervention was administered via oral-gastric irrigation once daily for 6 times per week over a 6-week period. Four rats from each group were sacrificed at the end of week 2, 4, and 6 for serum and liver tissue collection. Liver fibrosis was evaluated by histology, and expression of a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) was determined by immunohistochemistry. Liver function was assessed by measuring levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin (TBil). Between-group comparisons were made by completely random design and ANOVA with Bonferroni correction.At the end of weeks 2, 4 and 6, all four groups showed significantly different levels of ALT, AST, and TBil; in addition, the model group and drug intervention groups had significantly higher levels of ALT, AST, and TBil than the control group, the drug intervention groups showed significantly lower levels of ALT, AST, and TBil than the model group (P less than 0.01 or less than 0.05), and the differences between the low dose and high dose groups reached statistical significance (P less than 0.01 or less than 0.05). At the end of weeks 2, 4 and 6, the model group and drug intervention groups had significantly higher area ratio of liver fibrosis than the normal group (F = model: 18.68, low dose: 49.95, high dose: 82.44, P less than 0.01), but the two drug intervention groups had significantly less area ratio of liver fibrosis than the model group (P less than 0.05) and the high dose group showed the most robust decrease. In addition, the model group and drug intervention groups showed higher expression of a-SMA than the normal group (F = model: 18.68, low dose: 49.95, high dose: 82.44, P less than 0.01), but two drug intervention groups had significantly less a-SMA than the model group (F = model: 46.32, low dose: 40.30, high dose: 58.42, P less than 0.05) and the high dose group showed the most robust decrease.The Fuzhenghuayu decoction reduces the numbers of activated HSCs, thereby leading to down-regulated a-SMA expression and reduced degree of liver fibrosis; these effects may represent the mechanism by which this drug suppresses hepatic fibrosis.

The aim of this paper is to compare the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake efficiency of three kinds of poly(b-benzyl-L-amino) block-poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles (PXA-PEG-NPs) using Calu-3 cells, and select one as a nasal drug delivery vector for curcumin (Cur). Poly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate) block-poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles (PBLG-PEG-NPs), poly(gamma-benzyl-L-lysine) block-poly(ethyleneglycol) nanoparticles (PZLL-PEG-NPs) and poly(gamma-benzyl-L-aspartate) block-poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles (PBLA-PEG-NPs) were prepared by emulsion-solvent evaporation method. MTT assays were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of PXA-PEG-NPs against Calu-3 cells. The cellular uptake of nanoparticles was visualized by an inverted fluorescence microscope and quantified by a flow cytometer. The results indicated that even at high concentration of 2 mg x mL(-1) the three nanoparticles had no cytotoxicity on Calu-3 cells. Compared to the curcumin solution, the three curcumin-loaded PXA-PEG-NPs showed significantly higher cellular uptake efficiency on Calu-3 cells (at equal concentration of curcumin with 5 microg x mL(-1) Cur solution), PBLG-PEG-NPs group was the highest. The cellular uptake increased with incubation time, and has positive correlation with nanoparticle concentration. In brief, PXA-PEG-NPs are conducive to delivery Cur into cells, and PBLG-PEG-NPs might be provided as a good nasal drug delivery carrier.

To explore changes of serum adiponectin and insulin resistance in patients with endometrial cancer and to evaluate the clinical significance and correlation.The serum levels of adiponectin and fasting insulin were determined by ELISA, electro-chemilluminometry and radioimmunoassay in 35 patients with endometrial cancer [all patients divided into two groups, A1 group belonged to without postmenopausal when first visiting (n = 20), A2 group belonged to postmenopausal when first visiting (n = 15)] and 30 cases of health control. The result of homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index was calculated.The levels of adiponectin in A1 group was lower than that of health control group [(6.7 ± 1.1) versus (10.0 ± 1.4) ng/L, P0.05], and HOMA-IR was higher than that of health control group (3.5 ± 1.8 versus 1.1 ± 0.7, P0.05). While there were not significant difference between A2 group and health control group (P0.05). Adiponectin and insulin resistance was negatively correlated (r = -0.389, P0.05).Adiponectin reducing and insulin resistance in reproductive age patients may be the independent factors to promote endometrial cancers.

Background Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is quite rare and is distinguished by incomplete penetrance presentation as early-onset relapsing pancreatitis, usually beginning in childhood. HP is now known to be commonly relevant to mutations in the PRSS1 (gene-encoding cationic trypsinogen), SPINK1 (serine protease inhibitor, Kazal type 1), CFTR (cystic fibrosis), carboxypeptidase A1 (CPA1), and chymotrypsin C (CTRC) genes as reported in some Caucasian studies. HP has a variable spectrum of severity and may develop complications. Methods & results We describe the clinical course of 3 preschool children, hospitalized with postprandial abdominal pain, whose laboratory tests showed high serum amylase. Similar episodes of abdominal pain led to readmission, and the patients recovered quickly after using symptomatic therapy. The condition of the first boy, who developed a pancreatic tail pseudocyst and splenic infarction, was especially complicated. The boy underwent 2 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies and stenting, along with a surgical procedure that completely relieved his symptoms for 3 months. The 3 patients and their parents were given genetic testing. All of the patients carried 1 or more gene mutations inherited from their mothers, fathers, or both parents; however, none of the parents were affected. Conclusion For children with repeated pancreatitis, clinicians should consider HP in the differential diagnosis. It is reliable to perform gene sequencing on suspicious patients and their parents. Multidisciplinary and comprehensive treatment should be recommended to manage HP and its complications. Cholangiopancreatography and stenting is a relatively minimally invasive approach when compared with surgery and can be tried as an early intervention. Surgical procedures should be reserved for patients with complications.

The control of blindness in children is a high priority within the VISION 2020 initiative. To determine the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children from Shanghai Blind Children School (SBCS) can provide useful information on childhood blindness in Shanghai.A cross-sectional investigation of students in SBCS was conducted in May 2010. The World Health Organization/Prevention of Blindness (WHO/PBL) eye examination record system for children with low vision and blindness was used. The results were further compared with the findings of two previous investigation studies conducted in 1986 and 2004, respectively in SBCS.Of the 146 children observed, 80 children (54.8%) were blind (best corrected best visual acuity less than 0.05), 27 children (18.5%) had severe visual impairment (best corrected visual acuity less than 0.1 but better than or equal to 0.05), and 34 children (23.3%) had moderate visual impairment (best corrected visual acuity less than 0.3 but better than or equal to 0.1). The major affected anatomic sites in the 107 children with severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) were retina (47.7%), whole globe (16.8%), optic nerve (13.1%) and lens (9.3%). The leading causes of SVI/BL were retinopathy of prematurity (ROP, 25.2%), followed by retinal dystrophy (15.9%), optic nerve atrophy (9.3%) and microphthalmos (9.3%). The two leading etiologic categories of SVI/BL were perinatal/neonatal (36.4%) and congenital/hereditary groups (29.0%). The leading cause of moderate visual impairment was aphakia after cataract surgery (congenital cataract, 44.1%). Compared with the findings in two previous investigations in SBCS, the proportion of ROP in visual impairing diseases increased, while the proportion of disorders of the lens (cataract and aphakia) significantly decreased.The leading cause of childhood blindness in SBCS nowadays is ROP. It is projected that without improvement in perinatal medical care that ROP will continue to be a major cause of childhood blindness.

This paper presents an approach to GPU-based ray-casting of a shader model 3.0 compatible graphics card. In addition, a software toolkit is designed using the proposed algorithm to make the full benefit of GPU by extending VTK. Experimental results suggest that remarkable speedups are observed using GPU-based algorithm, and high-quality renderings can be achieved at interactive framerates above 60 fps. The toolkit designed provides a high level of usability and extendibility.

Try to induce liver-derived dendritic cells proliferation by plasmid-IL-3 and CD40L genes in mice in vivo.Rapid tail-vein injection of large amounts of plasmid-carrying genes was performed to transfect genes in mice livers. Liver nonparenchymal cells were isolated by Percoll gradient centrifugation. Dendritic cell markers were detected and dendritic cells were sorted out by flow cytometry. Morphology of dendritic cells was studied microscopically (with Giemsa staining) and under scanning electron microscopy.Liver nonparenchymal cells dramatically increased in the liver lobules, portal and periportal areas in the treated group, but not in the control group. B220+/DEC205+ dendritic cells were detected and sorted by flow cytometry. There were more B220+/DEC205+ dendritic cells (16.0%) in the experiment group than those in the control group (1.1%). Morphologically, the sorted B220+/DEC205+ cells showed irregular shaped nuclei, paucity of cytoplasmic granules and extensive cytoplasmic processes.B220+/DEC205+ dendritic cells were expanded in vivo in mice livers by rapid tail-vein injection of plasmid-carrying genes encoding IL-3 and CD40L in a large amount. Inducing liver dendritic cell proliferation in vivo provides a more convenient way for studying the biology of these cells.