[A survey on the current situation of serum vitamin A and vitamin D levels among children aged 2-<7 years of 20 cities in China].

Objective: To investigate serum vitamin A and vitamin D status in children aged 2-<7 years in 20 cities in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 2 924 healthy children aged 2-<7 years were recruited from September 2018 to September 2019 from 20 cities in China, categorized by age groups of 2-<3 years, 3-<5 years, and 5-<7 years. The demographic and economic characteristics and health-related information of the enrolled children were investigated. Body weight and height were measured by professional staff members. The serum vitamin A and vitamin D levels were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Chi-square test and Logistic regression were applied to analyze the association between vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency as well as their underlying impact factors. Results: The age of the 2 924 enrolled children was 4.33 (3.42, 5.17) years. There were 1 726 males (59.03%) and 1 198 females (40.97%). The prevalences of vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency in enrolled children were 2.19% (64/2 924) and 3.52% (103/2 924), respectively, and the insufficiency rates were 29.27% (856/2 924) and 22.20% (649/2 924), respectively. Children with both vitamin A and vitamin D deficiencies or insufficiencies were found in 10.50% (307/2 924) of cases. Both vitamin A (χ2=7.91 and 8.06, both P=0.005) and vitamin D (χ2=71.35 and 115.10, both P<0.001) insufficiency rates were higher in children aged 3-<5 and 5-<7 years than those in children aged 2-<3 years. Vitamin A and vitamin D supplementation in the last 3 months was a protective factor for vitamin A and D deficiency and insufficiency, respectively (OR=0.68 and 0.22, 95%CI 0.49-0.95 and 0.13-0.40, both P<0.05). The rates of vitamin A and D insufficiency was higher in children with annual household incomes <60 000 RMB than in those with annual household incomes ≥60 000 RMB (χ2=34.11 and 10.43, both P<0.01). Northwest and Southwest had the highest rates of vitamin A and vitamin D insufficiency in children aged 2-<7 yeas, respectively (χ2=93.22 and 202.54, both P<0.001). Conclusions: Among 20 cities in China, children aged 2-<7 years experience high rates of vitamin A and vitamin D insufficiency, which are affected by age, family economic level, vitamin A and vitamin D supplementation, and regional economic level. The current results suggest that high level of attention should be paid to vitamin A and vitamin D nutritional status of preschool children.

Effects of coated sodium butyrate on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and caecal short-chain fatty acids of growing Pekin ducks.

1. A dose‒response experiment with six supplemental levels of coated sodium butyrate (CSB) (0, 250, 500, 750, 1,000, and 1,250 mg/kg) was conducted to investigate its effects on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and caecal short-chain fatty acids of growing Pekin ducks aged 14 to 35 d. A total of 288 male 14-d-old Pekin ducks were randomly allocated to six dietary treatments. Each treatment had eight replicate pens of six ducks per pen.2. The daily weight gain, daily feed intake, and feed/gain of ducks from 14 to 35 d of age were not influenced by increasing CSB levels. The relative weight and length of the duodenum, jejunum, and caecum increased linearly or quadratically as supplemental CSB increased (P < 0.05).3. For the ileum and caecum, the villus height and height/crypt depth increased linearly or quadratically, and the villus crypt depth decreased linearly as the supplemental CSB increased (P < 0.05). As supplemental CSB increased, the goblet cell numbers of the ileum increased and decreased and changed quadratically (P < 0.05), but caecal goblet cell number increased quadratically (P < 0.05). Increasing the CSB level linearly or quadratically elevated the concentrations of propionic acid and butyric acid in the caecum (P < 0.05).4. It was concluded that CSB can be used as a safe and effective feed additive to promote the intestinal integrity of growing ducks by improving intestinal morphology and increasing the concentration of caecal short-chain fatty acids.

Near-infrared light and glucose dual-responsive cascading hydroxyl radical generation for in situ gelation and effective breast cancer treatment.

A general therapeutic strategy to treat breast cancer is attractive as different subtypes of breast cancers often exhibit distinct response to existing cancer therapeutics. To this end, we prepare a catalyst couple of glucose oxidase (GOx) and gallic acid-ferrous (GA-Fe) nanocomplexes, a type of near-infrared (NIR) absorbing Fenton catalyst, to enable NIR-trigger in-situ gelation and enhanced chemodynamic/starvation therapy that appears to be effective for different types of breast cancer cells. In this system, GOx is mixed with GA-Fe in a solution of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) and poly (ethylene glycol) double acrylate (PEGDA). Upon intratumoral injection and NIR laser exposure, such GA-Fe show rapid temperature increase, which would simultaneously increase the catalytic efficiencies of GA-Fe and GOx. The cascade production of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) from glucose is then initiated to enable polymerization of DMAA and PEGDA to form a hydrogel at the injection site within the tumor. The continuous production of cytotoxic •OH together with glucose depletion by the intratumorally fixed catalyst couple would further confer effective destruction of breast cancer tumors by such chemodynamic/starvation therapy. Our work presents a hydrogel-based therapeutic strategy for local treatment of solid tumors with high tumor destruction efficacy and low systemic toxicity.

[Low power seven-step two-lobe holmium laser enucleation of the prostate technique for surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the seven-step two-lobe holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) technique with low power laser device, and to introduce the detailed operating procedures, key points, short-term outcomes of this modified HoLEP technique. METHODS: From March 2016 to November 2017, 90 patients underwent HoLEP in Peking University Third Hospital. The patients were divided into two groups: high-power group (32 patients) were performed with traditional Gilling's three-lobe enucleation using high power (90 W) laser; Low-power group (58 patients) were performed with seven-step two-lobe enucleation using low power (40 W) laser. The main steps of the low power seven-step two-lobe HoLEP phase included: (1) The identification of the correct plane between adenoma and capsule at 5 and 7 o'clock laterally to the veru montanum; (2) The connection of the bilateral plane by making a adenoma incision at the proximal point of veru montanum; (3) The extension of the dorsal plane under the whole three lobes between adenoma and capsule towards the bladder neck; (4) The separation of the middle lobe from two lateral lobes by making two retrograde incisions separately from apex 5 and 7 o'clock towards the bladder neck; (5) The enucleation of the middle lobe adenoma by extending the dorsal plane through into the bladder; (6) The prevention of the apex mucosa by making a circle incision at the apex of the prostate; (7) The en-bloc enucleation of the two lateral lobe adenomas by extending the lateral and ventral plane between adenoma and capsule from 5 and 7 o'clock to 12 o'clock conjunction and through into the bladder. RESULTS: The mean patient age was (66.25±5.37) years vs. (68.00±5.18) years; The mean body mass indexes were (24.13±4.06) kg/m2 vs. (24.57±3.50) kg/m2; The mean prostate specific antigen values were (3.23±2.47) µg/L vs. (6.00±6.09) µg/L; The average prostatic volumes evaluated by ultrasound was (49.03±20.63) mL vs. (67.55±36.97) mL. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in terms of perioperative and follow up data, including operative time; enucleation efficiencies; hemoglobin decrease; blood sodium and potassiumthe change postoperatively; catheterization duration and hospital stay; the international prostate symptom scores and quality of life scores pre- and post-operatively. There was 1 transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) conversion in high-power group and 1 transfusion in low-power group during the operations. The follow-up one month after operation showed no severe stress incontinence in both the groups, whereas 3 cases ejaculatory dysfunctions in high-power group versus 1 case in low-power group were observed; Other surgeryrelated complications included: 2 cases postoperative hemorrhage (Clavien II and Clavien IIIb) in high-power group, 2 cases postoperative temperature more than 38 °C (Clavien I) and 1 case dysuria following catheter removal (Clavien I) in low-power group. CONCLUSION: Low power laser device can be applied safe and effectively for HoLEP procedure using the seven-step two-lobe HoLEP technique. The outcomes comparable with high power laser HoLEP can be achieved.

[Clinical study of "point-line-surface-volume" four dimensional holmium laser enucleation of prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia].

Objective: To investigate application value of "point-line-surface-volume" four dimensional holmium laser enucleation of prostate (HoLEP) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: From December 2016 to November 2017, the clinical data of 60 cases of BPH with the treatment of "Point-line-surface-volume" four dimensional HoLEP at Department of Urology, Peking University Third Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The age was (73.8±8.0) years (range: 60 to 96 years), body mass index was (23.2±3.6) kg/m(2) (range: 14.9 to 31.1 kg/m(2)), volume of prostate was (64.5±36.9) ml (range: 15.5 to 197.9 ml). All the cases were operated by the same chief surgeon expert in endoscopic surgery. First of all, taking verumontanum as the anchor point, crossing point between the outer 45° line of verumontanum and middle line of the lateral lobe and verumontanum was made as the breakthrough point. The "blasting and paddling" method was used to find prostatic surgery capsule, and the two sides of the capsule plane were connected in front of the verumontanum. Secondly, the plane was maintained by the "fan tunnel" method, and the middle lobe and the lateral lobes were divided at the 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock positions. The glands of the middle lobe were first removed and pushed into the bladder. Then, on the anteroinferior inclined coronal plane through 12 o'clock point right above of verumontanum, the urethral mucosa was cut apart in a semi-curved shape in advance. Bilateral semi-curved incision confluenced above the verumontanum, and extend to the bladder neck to form an inverted Y-shaped groove which completely divided the bilateral lobes. Finally, the bilateral lobes were enucleated respectively, and glands in the bladder were removed by tissue morcellator. Clinical data included operative time, hemoglobin decrease, catheterization duration, postoperative hospital stay, preoperative and postoperative international prostate symptom score and quality of life (QOL) score. The efficiency of enucleation was calculated as prostatic volume divided by enucleation time (not including morcellation time). The efficiency of morcellation was calculated as prostatic volume divided by morcellation time. Paired t-test was used to compare the indexes before and after surgery. Results: All the operations of 60 cases were sumlessful, one of which prostate tissue was removed by conversion to transurethral resection prostate due to malfunction of tissue morcellator. The operative time was (115.2±52.9) minutes (range: 25 to 276 minutes). The enucleation efficiency was (0.81±0.35) ml/minutes (range: 0.17 to 1.58 ml/minutes). The morcellation efficiency was (6.60±4.28) ml/minutes (range: 0.89 to 17.42 ml/minutes). The hemoglobin was decreased by (15.9±12.3) g/L (range:-10 to 57 g/L). Meanwhile, catheterization duration was (5.2±2.9) days (range: 0.8 to 19.8 days), and postoperative hospital stays were (5.0±1.5) days (range: 1.9 to 11.9 days). Preoperative and postoperative IPSS scores (10.92±6.98 vs. 23.37±7.49, t=10.357, P=0.000) and QOL scores (1.75±1.62 vs. 4.53±1.47, t=9.373, P=0.000) were significantly different. Postoperative complications included: 4 cases of fever (greater than 38.5 ℃), 1 case of acute epididymitis, 1 case of bladder mucosal injury, and 1 case of active bleeding need blood transfusion therapy. Conclusion: "Point-line-surface-volume" four dimensional HoLEP is an effective and safe minimally invasive method in the treatment of BPH.

[Transurethral flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser resection for tumors of renal pelvis: 6 cases report and literature review].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the experience of flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser resection in treatment of renal pelvic carcinoma and to evaluate its value in treatment of renal pelvic carcinoma. METHODS: The clinical data of 6 patients with renal pelvic carcinoma treated in Peking University Third Hospital from January 2015 to January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The 6 patients were treated by the same experienced urologist and by flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser resection of renal pelvic tumors under general anesthesia. Regarding the intensity of the holmium laser, 10-30 W was generally used with settings of 0.5-1.5 J and 10-20 Hz. In general, a 200 µm end-firing holmium laser fiber was used. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) technique was applicated to search for tumors and check whether the excision was satisfactory. Routine "second flexible ureteroscopy" was performed after 4-6 weeks, and suspected lesions were referred for a biopy, then vaporized and cauterized. The ureteroscopy was examined every 6 months after operation, and color Doppler ultrasound, computed tomography urography (CTU) or magnetic resonance urography (MRU) were performed at the same time. The urine tumor cells were examined for 3 days before the operation, and the urine tumor markers, such as urinary nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) were tested. For cases with highisk urothelial carcinoma and normal renal function, and 6 cycles of systemic adjuvant chemotherapy were performed after operation. RESULTS: All of the cases were successfully treated. The data were as follows: the operation time 77.5 min (45-115 min), the blood loss 10 mL (5-20 mL), and hospital stay after surgery 3 days (2-5 days). After 13-34 months' followp, two patients had recurrent tumor recurrence and underwent resection operation. Two patients received systemic adjuvant chemotherapy after operation. Case 5 was histopathologically high grade urothelial carcinoma, and 6 cycles of systemic chemotherapy were given after operation. Local recurrence occurred during chemotherapy, and then endoscopic operation was performed, and no recurrence occurred in the follow-up for 12 months after reoperation. In case 6, the pathology was low grade urothelial carcinoma, but the case was multiple tumors in the right renal calyx and the lower calyx. Then 6 cycles of systemic chemotherapy were given, and no recurrence was found in the followp for 13 months. CONCLUSION: Transurethral flexible ureteroscopic holmium laser resection is relatively safe for the treatment of renal pelvic carcinoma. It is suitable for special cases of solitary kidney and renal dysfunction, as well as for patients with low risk urinary tract epithelial tumors, but the recurrence rate is high, and the indications need to be strictly controlled. Patients with high-risk urothelial carcinoma who underwent endoscopic resection are advised to receive systemic adjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) regimen after surgery, in order to increase the overall survival rate. Systemic chemotherapy combined with endoscopic operation may become a new treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

A system for detecting high impact-low frequency mutations in primary tumors and metastases.

Tumor complexity and intratumor heterogeneity contribute to subclonal diversity. Despite advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics, detecting rare mutations in primary tumors and metastases contributing to subclonal diversity is a challenge for precision genomics. Here, in order to identify rare mutations, we adapted a recently described epithelial reprograming assay for short-term propagation of epithelial cells from primary and metastatic tumors. Using this approach, we expanded minor clones and obtained epithelial cell-specific DNA/RNA for quantitative NGS analysis. Comparative Ampliseq Comprehensive Cancer Panel sequence analyses were performed on DNA from unprocessed breast tumor and tumor cells propagated from the same tumor. We identified previously uncharacterized mutations present only in the cultured tumor cells, a subset of which has been reported in brain metastatic but not primary breast tumors. In addition, whole-genome sequencing identified mutations enriched in liver metastases of various cancers, including Notch pathway mutations/chromosomal inversions in 5/5 liver metastases, irrespective of cancer types. Mutations/rearrangements in FHIT, involved in purine metabolism, were detected in 4/5 liver metastases, and the same four liver metastases shared mutations in 32 genes, including mutations of different HLA-DR family members affecting OX40 signaling pathway, which could impact the immune response to metastatic cells. Pathway analyses of all mutated genes in liver metastases showed aberrant tumor necrosis factor and transforming growth factor signaling in metastatic cells. Epigenetic regulators including KMT2C/MLL3 and ARID1B, which are mutated in >50% of hepatocellular carcinomas, were also mutated in liver metastases. Thus, irrespective of cancer types, organ-specific metastases may share common genomic aberrations. Since recent studies show independent evolution of primary tumors and metastases and in most cases mutation burden is higher in metastases than primary tumors, the method described here may allow early detection of subclonal somatic alterations associated with metastatic progression and potentially identify therapeutically actionable, metastasis-specific genomic aberrations.

Effect of tea saponins on milk performance, milk fatty acids, and immune function in dairy cow.

This study investigated the effects of tea saponins (TSP) on milk performance, milk fatty acids, and blood immune function in dairy cows. A total of 20 early-lactation Holstein cows (days in milk = 66.4 ± 16.8 d; parity = 1.75 ± 0.91; and milk yield = 36.3 ± 7.32 kg/d; mean ± standard deviation) were randomly divided into 4 homogeneous treatment groups, with TSP added at 0, 20, 30, and 40 g/d per head, respectively. All cows had 2 wk of adaptation and 6 wk of treatments. Feed, milk, and blood were sampled and analyzed weekly. At the end of the experimental period (wk 6), the dry matter intake and yields of energy-corrected milk, milk, and milk protein, fat, and lactose in the cows fed TSP showed a quadratic response, with the lowest values in cows fed TSP at 40 g/d. The milk fat content of cows fed TSP increased linearly. Significant interactions for treatment by week were found in milk C16:1 cis-9 and C18:1 cis-9, with the highest values at wk 2, 3, and 4 in the cows fed TSP at 40 g/d. The levels declined quickly after 4 wk of feeding to values similar to those for other TSP treatments and the control at wk 5 and 6. Plasma malondialdehyde concentration decreased as the supplement level of TSP increased. The concentration of superoxide dismutase increased as the supplement level of TSP increased. The plasma concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α increased as the supplement level of TSP increased. In summary, this study showed that an intermediate dose of TSP (20 and 30 g/d) had no significant effect on feed intake, but the supplementation of 40 g/d TSP decreased feed intake, resulting in a lower milk yield. The energy-corrected milk of cows fed 40 g/d TSP declined at first but increased after 3 wk of feeding, indicating the potential adaptation to high doses of TSP supplements in dairy cows. The supplementation of TSP could reduce oxidative stress in cows and improve the immunity of dairy cows during 6 wk of feeding.

Coffee, tea, and the risk of hip fracture: a meta-analysis.

UNLABELLED: The present meta-analysis shows no clear association between coffee consumption and the risk of hip fractures. There was a nonlinear association between tea consumption and the risk of hip fracture. Compared to no tea consumption, drinking 1-4 cups of tea daily was associated with a lower risk of hip fracture. INTRODUCTION: Prospective cohort and case-control studies have suggested that coffee and tea consumption may be associated with the risk of hip fracture; the results have, however, been inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between coffee and tea consumption and the risk of hip fracture. METHODS: We performed systematic searches using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and OVID until February 20, 2013, without limits of language or publication year. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were derived using random-effects models throughout all analyses. We conducted categorical, dose-response, heterogeneity, publication bias, and subgroup analyses. RESULTS: Our study was based on 195,992 individuals with 9,958 cases of hip fractures from 14 studies, including six cohort and eight case-control studies. The pooled RRs of hip fractures for the highest vs. the lowest categories of coffee and tea consumption were 0.94 (95% CI 0.71-1.17) and 0.84 (95% CI 0.66-1.02), respectively. For the dose-response analysis, we found evidence of a nonlinear association between tea consumption and the risk of hip fracture (p(nonlinearity) < 0.01). Compared to no tea consumption, 1-4 cups of tea per day may reduce the risk of hip fracture by 28% (0.72; 95% CI 0.56-0.88 for 1-2 cups/day), 37% (0.63; 95% CI 0.32-0.94 for 2-3 cups/day), and 21% (0.79; 95% CI 0.62-0.96 for 3-4 cups/day). CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant association between coffee consumption and the risk of hip fracture. A nonlinear association emerged between tea consumption and the risk of hip fracture; individuals drinking 1-4 cups of tea per day exhibited a lower risk of hip fractures than those who drank no tea. The association between 5 daily cups of tea, or more, and hip fracture risk should be investigated.

Neuroprotective effects of LBP on brain ischemic reperfusion neurodegeneration.

AIM: The present study was conducted to investigate whether LBP had a protective effect on cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury and to determine the possible mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Kunming (KM) mice were used to make the model cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). The behavioral test was used to measure neurological deficit scores for evaluation of ischemic reperfusion damage of brain. The change of electroencephalograph (EEG) was monitored by Model SMUP-E Bio-electric Signals Processing System. The infarction area of brain was assessed in brain slices with 2% solution of 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC). Spectrophotometric assay was used to determine the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) of the brain. RESULTS: The results showed that LBP at doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg markedly decreased the neurological deficit scores and the infarction area in MCAO/R mice. At the same time, LBP significantly decreased MDA content, and increased SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, LDH activities in ischemic reperfusion brain. CONCLUSIONS: These suggest that LBP might act as a potential neuroprotective agent against the cerebral reperfusion-induced injury in the brain through reducing lipid peroxides, scavenging free radicals, and improving the energy metabolism.

The first multicenter and randomized clinical trial of herbal Fufang for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

UNLABELLED: This multicenter and randomized clinical trial showed that daily oral herbal formula Xian Ling Gu Bao (XLGB) was safe in postmenopausal women over a 1-year treatment. Those patients (n ∼ 50) treated with XLGB at the conventional dose demonstrated a statistically significant increase in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine at 6 months and a numerically increased BMD at 12 months. INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of a herbal formula XLGB in postmenopausal women (ChiCTR-TRC-00000347). METHODS: One hundred eighty healthy postmenopausal women (≥60 years old) with BMD T-score ≤ -2.0 (lumbar spine or femoral neck) were recruited from four clinical centers to receive low-dose (conventional dose) XLGB (L-XLGB group, 3 g/day, n = 61) or high-dose XLGB (H-XLGB group, 6 g/day, n = 58) or placebo (CON group, n = 61). Women received daily calcium (500 mg) and vitamin D (200 IU) supplementation. Primary endpoints were lumbar spine BMD and safety; secondary endpoints were femoral neck BMD and bone turnover markers measured at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Of 180 women recruited, 148 completed the study. The compliance in each group was comparable. Prominent adverse events were not observed in either group. In the L-XLGB group at 6 months, lumbar spine BMD by DXA increased significantly from baseline (+2.11% versus CON +0.58%, p < 0.05), but femoral neck BMD did not; at 12 months, BMD in the L-XLGB group decreased from 6-month levels yet remained higher than baseline, but without difference from the CON group. There was no dose-dependent response. Bone turnover marker levels declined during the first 6 months after XLGB treatment. There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of side effects among treatment and control groups. CONCLUSION: XLGB over 1-year treatment at the conventional dose demonstrated safe and only a statistically significant increase in BMD at lumbar spine at 6 months in postmenopausal women.

Introducing traditional Chinese nursing: a review of concepts, theories and practices.

AIM: This paper discussed the basic concepts, theories and practices of traditional Chinese nursing (TCN) to enrich our understanding of relevant concepts and ways to contribute to human health. BACKGROUND: Advantages of TCN include health education based on theories and techniques of traditional Chinese medicine. It focuses mainly on mobilizing humans' capacity for self-adjustment and self-rehabilitation to make a dynamic balance between yin and yang, qi and blood and zang and fu. It has played a significant role in the fields of primary nursing, geriatric nursing, hospice, family nursing, etc., in China. METHOD: PubMed, CINAHL, Ovid Medline (English) and the Wang Fang (Chinese) databases were searched for literature on a range of keywords relating to traditional Chinese medicine and nursing. Forty references (13 English and 27 Chinese) were finally selected for review. CONCLUSION: Practices of nursing care in traditional Chinese medicine are based mainly on the theories of yin-yang and the five elements. There are two prime characteristics in the theoretical system of TCN: holism and nursing determination based on syndrome differentiation. The distinctive content include prevention, daily care of patients, dietary nursing, etc. TCN, with its characteristics of little damage, little pain, ease of operation and low cost, is appropriately used in primary health care in China. By combining Western and Eastern philosophies and approaches to nursing, life phenomena can be better understood, and more ways to promote health can be exploited. Scientists are beginning to use Western research methods to establish effectiveness. Many common interventions would not, however, be considered safe in Western nursing practice without more evidence and consideration of health and safety issues.

Race, neighbourhood characteristics and disparities in chemotherapy for colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Studies have found significant race/ethnic and age differences in receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy for stages III colon and II/III rectal cancers. Little is known about the role of neighbourhood factors in these disparities. METHODS: The 4748 Black and White patients from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry were diagnosed with stages III colon and II/III rectal cancers between 2000 and 2004. Neighbourhood poverty, segregation (% Black residents) and rurality were linked to each patient using census tract identifiers. Multilevel analyses explored the role of neighbourhood characteristics and the nested association of patient race within categories of neighbourhoods in receipt of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Odds of receiving chemotherapy for urban and suburban patients were 38% (95% CI 1.09 to 1.74) and 53% (95% CI 1.20 to 1.94) higher than for rural patients. However, odds of receiving chemotherapy for urban Black patients were 24% (95% CI 0.62 to 0.94) lower than for their White counterparts. Receipt of chemotherapy did not significantly differ between Blacks and Whites residing in suburban or rural areas. CONCLUSION: Black-White disparities in receipt of chemotherapy among Georgia colorectal cancer patients were confined to urban patients. Disparities in receipt of this treatment for rural patients were found irrespective of patient race. Our findings highlight geographic areas where targeted interventions might be needed.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway contributes to the control of behavioral excitement.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway mediates neuronal plasticity in the CNS. The mood stabilizers lithium and valproate activate the ERK pathway in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus and potentiate ERK pathway-mediated neurite growth, neuronal survival and hippocampal neurogenesis. Here, we examined the role of the ERK pathway in behavioral plasticity related to facets of bipolar disorder. Mice with ERK1 ablation acquired reduced phosphorylation of RSK1, an ERK substrate, in prefrontal cortex and striatum, but not in hippocampus or cerebellum, indicating the ablation-induced brain region-specific ERK signaling deficits. ERK1 ablation produced a behavioral excitement profile similar to that induced by psychostimulants. The profile is characterized by hyperactivity, enhanced goal-directed activity and increased pleasure-related activity with potential harmful consequence. ERK1-ablated mice were hyperactive in multiple tests and resistant to behavioral despair in the forced swim test. These mice displayed more home-cage voluntary wheel running activities, rearings in a large arena and open-arm visits in an elevated plus maze. Treatments with valproate and olanzapine, but not lithium reduced baseline activities in ERK1-ablated mice. All three treatments attenuated amphetamine-induced hyperactivity in ablated mice. These data indicate a profound involvement of ERK1 signaling in behavioral excitement and in the behavioral action of antimanic agents. The extent to which ERK pathway perturbation contributes to the susceptibility, mood switch mechanism(s) and symptom pathophysiology of bipolar disorder requires further investigation. Whether there is a shared mechanism through which mood stabilizers produce their clinical actions on mood, thought and behavioral symptoms of mania also requires further investigation.

Effect of compounds of Galla chinensis on remineralisation of initial enamel carious lesions in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of compounds of Galla chinensis on the remineralisation of initial enamel carious lesions in vitro. METHODS: Sixty bovine enamel blocks with early lesions were prepared and randomly divided into six treatment groups. The lesions were subjected to a pH-cycling regime for 12 days. Each daily cycle included 4x1min applications with one of six treatments; 1000ppm F aq. (as NaF, positive control); deionized water (negative control); or 4000ppm aqueous solutions of four G. chinensis extracts (GCEs); GCE, GCE-B, GCE-B1, or GCE-B2. Surface enamel microhardness was measured on the enamel blocks before and after demineralisation, and after pH-cycling, and percentage surface microhardness recovery (%SMHR) was calculated. The enamel specimens were then sectioned (thickness ca. 80microm) and examined by polarized light microscopy. RESULTS: All samples rehardened significantly compared to baseline. Fluoride had a significantly greater effect than all other treatments. In the GCEs groups, %SMHR was significantly greater than DDW for the GCE, GCE-B and GCE-B1 groups. There was no significant difference between the GCE-B2 group and DDW. Polarized light microscopy showed that the thickness of the surface layer increased obviously in all specimens including NaF group, GCE group, GCE-B group and GCE-B1 group. Negative birefringent band appeared in the lesions body and the depth of the lesions was obviously reduced. CONCLUSION: The present study has demonstrated the potential of three GCEs (GCE, GCE-B and GCE-B1) to effect net rehardening of artificial carious lesions under dynamic pH-cyclic conditions.

A protein interaction map of Drosophila melanogaster.

Drosophila melanogaster is a proven model system for many aspects of human biology. Here we present a two-hybrid-based protein-interaction map of the fly proteome. A total of 10,623 predicted transcripts were isolated and screened against standard and normalized complementary DNA libraries to produce a draft map of 7048 proteins and 20,405 interactions. A computational method of rating two-hybrid interaction confidence was developed to refine this draft map to a higher confidence map of 4679 proteins and 4780 interactions. Statistical modeling of the network showed two levels of organization: a short-range organization, presumably corresponding to multiprotein complexes, and a more global organization, presumably corresponding to intercomplex connections. The network recapitulated known pathways, extended pathways, and uncovered previously unknown pathway components. This map serves as a starting point for a systems biology modeling of multicellular organisms, including humans.

[Effects of baicalin on hepatocyte apoptosis induced by TNF-alpha and act D in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of baicalin on rat hepatocyte apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factora (TNF-alpha) and actinomycin D (Act D) in vitro. METHODS: Hepatocytes were cultured with different concentrations of baicalin and the cell apoptosis was induced by TNF-alpha and Act D in vitro. After culturing for 24 h, the activity of hepatocysts was examined by MTT assay and the function of hepatocytes for secreting albumin was detected by bromocresolum Viride method. Agarose gelelectrophoresis and flow cytometric analysis were used to determine the apoptotic cells. RESULTS: The actively of the hepatocyte (A) and content of albumin (ALB) in the supernatant of cultured cells in the groups of 0.2 microgram.ml-1 and 2.0 micrograms.ml-1 of baicaline were significantly higher than those in apoptotic model group (A: P < 0.01; ALB: P < 0.01); respectively Even the ALB value in the group of 0.2 microgram.ml-1 baicalin was higher that of black control group (P < 0.01); The clear "ladder-like" streak-band of DNA fragments was found only in the apoptosis model group by the agarose gel electrophoresis. The flow cytometry showed that all the apoptosis rates in the three baicalin groups were lower than that of the apoptotic model group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Baicaline can restrain rat hepatocyte apoptosis induced by TNF-alpha and ActD in vitro.

[Study on human leukemia cell apoptosis inducing effect of fraction C of Naja naja Actra Venom].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect and mechanism of fraction C isolated from Naja naja Actra Venom (FCNNAV) in inducing apoptosis of human leukemia cells. METHODS: Light microscope, transmission electron microscope, DNA electrophoresis, flow cytometry and RT-PCR assay were used to observe the changes of human leukemia cells in morphology and biochemistry, and Bcl-2/Bax expression after exposing to FCNNAV. RESULTS: FCNNAV could induce HL60 cells apoptosis demonstrated by the typical morphological and biochemical changes. Flow cytometry showed that J6-1, K562, HL60 and fresh leukemia cells apoptosis could be induced by FCNNAV, and the apoptosis rate was dose-dependent. RT-PCR detection showed the Bcl-2 gene expression of HL60 cells was down-regulated by FCNNAV, whereas the Bax expression was unaffected. CONCLUSION: FCNNAV could induce apoptosis of human leukemia cells and this effect is related to down-regulation of Bcl-2 gene expression level.

Microbiological quality and production of botulinal toxin in film-packaged broccoli, carrots, and green beans.

The production of toxin by a 10-strain mixture of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum in fresh produce packaged in polyethylene films with different oxygen permeability was determined. Broccoli florets, shredded carrots, and green beans inoculated with approximately 10(2) C. botulinum spores per g were placed in bags (1.4 kg per bag) composed of four films with different oxygen transmission rates (OTRs). Broccoli was packaged in bags with OTRs of 3 (7,000 cm3/m2/24 h) and 4 (16,000 cm3/m2/24 h), and green beans were packaged in bags with OTRs of 2 (6,000 cm3/m2/24 h) and 4. Broccoli and green beans in bags were compressed and heat-sealed. Shredded carrots were packaged in bags with OTRs of 1 (3,000 cm3/m2/24 h) and 3 and vacuum-sealed. Produce was stored at 4, 13, and 21 degrees C for up to 27 (broccoli) or 28 (carrots and green bean) days and analyzed periodically. At each sampling time, gas composition within the bags, pH of the produce microbial population (total aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, yeasts, and molds), and the presence or absence of botulinal toxin were determined. Packaging material affected the quality of vegetables, especially broccoli stored at 4 and 13 degrees C. For example, broccoli was scored as "good" after 22 days at 4 degrees C when it was packaged in film with higher gas permeability (OTR of 4), whereas broccoli appeared to be in "poor" condition when packaged in film with lower gas permeability (OTR of 3). With the exception of lactic acid bacteria, packaging material did not noticeably influence the growth of microorganisms. Lactic acid bacteria grew better in broccoli packaged in bags with an OTR of 3 than in those with an OTR of 4 at all temperatures. Botulinal toxin was detected in broccoli packaged in bags with an OTR of 3 and stored at 13 degrees C for 21 days and in those with an OTR of 4 and 3 and stored at 21 degrees C for 10 days. All toxic samples were visibly spoiled. Toxin was not detected in produce packaged under any other test conditions.