Health impacts of a cold wave and its economic loss assessment in China's high-altitude city, Xining.

OBJECTIVE: Amidst climate change, extensive research has centered on the health impacts of heatwaves, yet the consequences of cold spells, particularly in cooler, higher-altitude regions, remain under-explored. METHODS: Analyzing climatic data and non-accidental mortality in Xining, China's second-highest provincial capital, from 2016 to 2020, this study defines cold spells as daily mean temperatures below the 10th, 7.5th, or 5th percentiles for 2-4 consecutive days. A time-stratified case-crossover approach and distributional lag nonlinear modeling were used to assess the link between cold spells and mortality, calculating attributable fractions (AFs) and numbers (ANs) of deaths. The study also examined the impact of cold spells over different periods and analyzed the value of a statistical life (VSL) loss in 2018, a year with frequent cold spells. Stratified analyses by sex, age, and education level were conducted. RESULTS: A significant association was found between cold spells and non-accidental mortality, with a relative risk of 1.548 (95% CI: 1.300, 1.845). The AF was 33.48%, with an AN of 9,196 deaths during the study's cold period. A declining trend in mortality risk was observed from 2019-2020. The 2018 VSL was approximately 2.875 billion CNY, about 1.75% of Xining's GDP. Higher risks were noted among males, individuals aged ≥ 65, and those with lower education levels. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the vulnerability and economic losses of high-altitude cities to cold spells. Implementing interventions such as improved heating, educational programs, and community support is vital for mitigating these adverse health effects.

An exploratory study on the association of multiple metals in serum with preeclampsia.

Background: Individual metal levels are potential risk factors for the development of preeclampsia (PE). However, understanding of relationship between multiple metals and PE remains elusive. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore whether eight metals [zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg)] in serum had a certain relationship with PE. Methods: A study was conducted in Dongguan, China. The concentrations of metals in maternal serum were assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Data on various factors were collected through a face-to-face interview and hospital electronic medical records. The unconditional logistic regression model, principal component analysis (PCA) and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) were applied in our study. Results: The logistic regression model revealed that the elevated levels of Cu, Pb, and Hg were associated with an increased risk of PE. According to PCA, principal component 1 (PC1) was predominated by Hg, Pb, Mn, Ni, Cu, and As, and PC1 was associated with an increased risk of PE, while PC2 was predominated by Cd and Zn. The results of BKMR indicated a significant positive cumulative effect of serum metals on PE risk, with Ni and Cu exhibiting a significant positive effect. Moreover, BKMR results also revealed the nonlinear effects of Ni and Cd. Conclusion: The investigation suggests a potential positive cumulative impact of serum metals on the occurrence of PE, with a particular emphasis on Cu as a potential risk factor for the onset and exacerbation of PE. These findings offer valuable insights for guiding future studies on this concern.

Single-use flexible bronchoscopes vs traditional reusable flexible bronchoscopes: a prospective controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Single-use flexible bronchoscopes(SFB) eliminate the risk of bronchoscopy-related infection compared with traditional reusable flexible bronchoscopes(RFB). At present, there is no comparative study between SFB and RFB in the aspects of biopsy and interventional therapy. This study aims to explore whether SFB can perform complex bronchoscopic procedures such as transbronchial biopsies just like RFB. METHODS: We conducted a prospective controlled study. A total of 45 patients who required bronchoscopic biopsy in our hospital from June 2022 to December 2022 were enrolled. The patients were divided into the SFB group and the RFB group, and routine bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage, and biopsy were performed respectively. Data on the time of routine bronchoscopy, the recovery rate of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), biopsy time, and bleeding volume were collected. Then we used the two-sample t-test and the χ2 test to assess the performance differences between SFB and RFB. We also designed a questionnaire to compare the performance between SFB and RFB by different bronchoscope operators. RESULTS: The routine examination time of SFB and RFB was 3.40 ± 0.50 min and 3.55 ± 0.42 min, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.308). The recovery rate of BALF was (46.56 ± 8.22) % in the SFB group and (47.00 ± 8.07) in the RFB group, without a significant difference between the two groups(P = 0.863). The biopsy time was similar(4.67 ± 0.51 min VS 4.57 ± 0.45 min) in both groups, with no significant difference(P = 0.512). The positive biopsy rate was 100% in both groups, with no significant difference. Overall, the bronchoscope operators were generally satisfied with SFB. CONCLUSION: SFBs are non-inferior to RFBs in routine bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage, and biopsy. It is suggested that SFBs have a wider clinical application.

Effects of Hevea brasiliensis Intercropping on the Volatiles of Pandanus amaryllifolius Leaves.

Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. is a special tropical spice crop resource with broad development prospects. It is widely cultivated under a Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex A. Juss.) Muell. Arg. canopy to improve the comprehensive benefits to Hevea brasiliensis plantations in Hainan Provence, China. However, the effects of intercropping with Hevea brasiliensis on the component number and relative contents of volatile substances in different categories in the Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves are still unknown. Therefore, a Hevea brasiliensis and Pandanus amaryllifolius intercropping experiment was set up to clarify the differences between several cultivated patterns on volatile substances in the Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves, and the key regulatory factors of volatile substances. The results showed that the soil pH was significantly decreased, while soil bulk density, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available phosphorus contents were significantly increased under the intercropping pattern. The component numbers of esters in volatile substances were increased by 6.20%, while the component numbers of ketones were decreased by 4.26% under the intercropping pattern. Compared with the Pandanus amaryllifolius monoculture, the relative contents of pyrroles, esters and furanones were significantly increased by 8.83%, 2.30% and 8.27%, respectively, while the relative contents of ketones, furans and hydrocarbons were decreased by 1.01%, 10.55% and 9.16% under the intercropping pattern, respectively. The relative contents of pyrroles, esters, furanones, ketones, furans and hydrocarbons were associated with changes in soil pH, soil available phosphorus content and air temperature. The results indicated that the reduction in soil pH and enhancement in soil-available phosphorus may be the main reasons for promoting the relative content of pyrroles and reducing the relative content of hydrocarbons under an intercropping pattern. Overall, Hevea brasiliensis intercropping with Pandanus amaryllifolius could not only improve soil properties, but also significantly increase the relative contents of the main volatile substances in Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves, which could provide a theoretical basis for the application and promotion of high-quality production patterns of Pandanus amaryllifolius.

Development of alkaline phosphatase-scFv and its use for one-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for His-tagged protein detection.

A histidine (His)-tag is composed of six His residues and typically exerts little influence on the structure and solubility of expressed recombinant fusion proteins. Purification methods for recombinant proteins containing His-tags are relatively well-established, thus His-tags are widely used in protein recombination technology. We established a one-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for His-tagged recombinant proteins. We analyzed variable heavy and light chains of the anti-His-tag monoclonal antibody 4C9 and used BLAST analyses to determine variable zones in light (VL) and heavy chains (VH). VH, VL, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) regions were connected via a linker sequence and ligated into the pGEX-4T-1 expression vector. Different recombinant proteins with His tags were used to evaluate and detect ALP-scFv activity. Antigen and anti-His-scFv-ALP concentrations for direct ELISA were optimized using the checkerboard method. ZIKV-NS1, CHIKV-E2, SCRV-N, and other His-tag fusion proteins demonstrated specific reactions with anti-His-scFv-ALP, which were accurate and reproducible when the antigen concentration was 50 µg mL-1 and the antibody concentration was 6.25 µg mL-1. For competitive ELISA, we observed a good linear relationship when coating concentrations of recombinant human anti-Müllerian hormone (hAMH) were between 0.78 and 12.5 µg mL-1. Our direct ELISA method is simple, rapid, and accurate. The scFv antibody can be purified using a prokaryotic expression system, which provides uniform product quality and reduces variations between batches.

Associations of maternal blood mercury with preeclampsia and birth outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic substance, and its harmful effects on maternal and infant health have been reported. Yet, the associations of Hg exposure with preeclampsia (PE) and adverse birth outcomes are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of maternal Hg exposure on PE and birth outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study with 84 participants in China. Logistic models were used to estimate odds ratios for PE risk and birth outcomes according to maternal blood Hg levels, adjusting for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Elevated blood Hg levels were associated with increased risks of mild PE (aOR, 7.03; 95% CI, 1.61, 30.62; P < 0.01) and severe PE (aOR, 47.55; 95% CI, 5.27, 429.05; P < 0.05). We also found that increased blood Hg levels were associated with low birth weight (aOR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.00, 1.25; P < 0.05) and preterm birth (PTB) (aOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08, 1.38; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provided evidence that elevated blood Hg levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of PE. In addition, our findings support that increased blood Hg levels might be associated with low birth weight and PTB.

The Relationship Between Preeclampsia and Arsenic Concentration in the Peripheral Blood.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific disorder, which is one of the leading causes of maternal, fetal, and neonatal death, particularly in developing countries. Arsenic (As), which is commonly found in soil and groundwater, has been associated with various complications of pregnancy, such as spontaneous abortion, hypertension, and stillbirth. Hence, the study was used to explore the relationship between PE and blood concentration of As in this study. Blood concentration of As during pregnancy was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results shown that the mean blood concentration of As was gradually increased from the control group to the severe PE group (P < 0.0001). Elevated blood concentration of As was associated with the prevalence of PE (OR = 12.81, 95% CI: 2.43-67.39 and 27.55, 1.75-433.43 for middle and high vs. low). Furthermore, elevated blood concentration of As was associated with the severity of PE. Additionally, we observed that blood concentration of As was associated with the hypoproteinemia (P = 0.001, rs = 0.37). Blood concentration of As was negatively corelated with the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (P = 0.040, rs = - 0.23) and positively corelated with the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (P = 0.044, rs = 0.23). Overall, our results indicated that the blood concentration of As can significantly predict the occurrence of PE. Additionally, we provided evidence that blood concentration of As may affect the occurrence of hypoproteinemia. These findings may provide some ideas for the prevention of PE and pregnancy complications.

Nanobead-Based Screening Method for Antibody Pairing of Dengue Virus Nonstructural Protein-1.

Dengue fever is a classic mosquito viral disease. Dengue virus non-structural protein-1 as a membrane-associated homologous dimer anchored to the surface of infected cells and also secreted into the blood. The nonstructural protein-1 levels are related to disease severity, and the presence of nonstructural protein-1 secreted from cells to the serum of people infected with the dengue virus is an early marker of infection. Paired antibodies are key in the establishment of rapid detection technology. In this study, the prepared recombinant nonstructural protein-1 protein of dengue virus serotype 3 was purified by the prokaryotic expression, and prepared monoclonal antibodies by cell fusion. A method for paired antibody screening was established based on the N-hydroxy succinimide-nanobeads and the prepared monoclonal antibodies. A simple and rapid point-of-care system integrating the paired antibodies and lateral flow assay was established to verify the screened antibody pairs. The results confirmed that the antibody pair screening method based on N-hydroxy succinimide-nanobeads is feasible.

Genome wide methylation analysis to uncover genes related to recurrent pregnancy loss.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) refers to two or more consecutive spontaneous abortion before 24 weeks of gestation, representing 1% of couples of childbearing age. Epigenetic factors including dysregulation of DNA methylation of some genes may play a role in RPL. OBJECTIVE: To identify RPL related genes modulated by DNA methylation expressed in decidua and blood. METHODS: Three decidua samples each from RPL patients and normal controls were recruited to perform genome-wide bisulfite sequencing (GWBS) and transcriptome sequencing. Based on the above results, 22.52 kb of differential methylation regions (DMRs) from 17 genes were verified by bisulfite sequencing PCR at specific region (Hi-MethylSeq) in another 15 decidua (7RPL vs. 8 Controls) and 13 blood (5RPL vs. 8 Controls) samples. RESULTS: 23 genes showed significantly differential cytosine methylation status and distinct expression level between PRL patients and healthy controls synergistically. Three signaling pathways were found to be shared between genes with both hypomethylated differential methylation regions (DMR) and upregulated differential gene expression (DGE). The results from Hi-MethylSeq showed that the hypermethylation of SGK1 in both blood and decidua samples in RPL patients, which was consistent to its lower expression in endometrium reported earlier. SGK3 and CREB5 also showed modulated methylation level in RPL decidua. CONCLUSION: Our finding supported that aberrant methylation of SGK1 and CREB5 could be a cause of the dysregulation of these gens in the endometrium, which is one of cause of reproductive failure. The function of SGK3 in reproduction system deserves further investigation.

[Preparation and application of anti-Mullerian hormone immunomagnetic beads].

Objective To prepare human anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) immunomagnetic beads and HRP-labeled antibodies and establish a rapid double-antibody sandwich ELISA based on nanometer magnetic beads. Methods The expression vector of human AMH protein was constructed, and the recombinant AMH protein was expressed and purified. BALB/c mice were immunized with the recombinant protein to prepare the polyclonal antibody. Spleen cells were fused with myeloma Sp2/0 cells by PEG. Hybridoma cell lines which could stably secret monoclonal antibodies against AMH were screened out by ELISA. Monoclonal antibodies were produced from the ascites fluid of mice injected intraperitoneally with hybridoma cells and evaluated by Western blotting. Polyclonal antibodies purified from protein A were coupled to nano-magnetic' beads and used as capture antibodies, while HRP-labeled monoclonal antibody was prepared by sodium periodate method and used as probe antibody. A double antibody sandwich ELISA based on the nano-magnetic beads was established and optimized. Results A monoclonal antibody with good specificity for AMH was obtained,' and its subtype was IgG2b. The titers of purified polyclonal antibodies and monoclonal antibodies were up to 1:51 200. The capture antibody coupled with magnetic beads and the probe antibody labeled with HRP kept their good activity. The established method could detect AMH antigen within 1 hour and the detection limit was 50 ng/mL. Conclusion The prepared AMH immunomagnetic beads can be used for the fast and visualized detection of recombinant AMH.

[Clinical Significance of Screening Thalassemia with High- Throughput Sequencing].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of high-throughput sequencing (NGS) in screening the thalassemia genes. METHODS: The peripheral blood of 2 858 cases of pre-pregnancy and pregnancy from October 2014 to October 2016 randomly were collected in department of obstetrics, the third people's hospital in Dongguan city. Peripheral blood was used for the blood routine examination, hemoglobin electrophoresis, traditional thalassaemia gene screening and NGS. RESULTS: The rate of missed diagnosis for α-thalassemia and ß-thalassemia using NGS was 0.87% and 1.59%, respectively. Meanwhile, the missed rate of screening for α-thalassemia and ß-thalassemia by traditional screening models was 26.77% and 2.38%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of α-thalassemia and ß-thalassemia screened by NGS was 0.994 and 0.991, respectively, however, the area under the ROC curve of screening for α-thalassemia and ß-thalassemia by the traditional screening model was 0.866 and 0.988, respectively. The sensitivity, rate of missed diagnosis, Youden index and negative predictive value of screening for α-thalassemia and ß-thalassemia using NGS all were superior to those using traditional screening. CONCLUSION: Compared with the traditional screening model, the NGS screening for thalassemia genes shows a high accuracy, moreover can avoid missed diagnosis resulted from screening by conventional method, suggesting that the NCS possesses the accurate and diagnostic value for screening of thalassemia and can widely apply to clinical practise so as to provid the guarantee for early diagnosis of thalassemia.

Prenatal Diagnosis and Molecular Analysis of a Large Novel Deletion (- -JS) Causing α0-Thalassemia.

α-Thalassemia (α-thal) is a very common single gene hereditary disease caused by large deletions or point mutations of the α-globin gene cluster in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Here, we report for the first time, a novel large α-thal deletion in a Chinese family from Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China (PRC), which removes almost the entire α2 and α1 genes from the α-globin gene cluster. Thus, it was named the Jiangsu deletion (- -JS) on the α-globin gene cluster causing α0-thal. Heterozygotes for this deletion showed an α-thal trait phenotype with reduced mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (Hb) (MCH) levels. The sequencing results showed that a 2538 bp deletion (NG_000006.1: g.35801_38338) existed in this novel genotype on the basis of -α4.2 (leftward), indicating a deletion of about 6.8 kb from the α-globin cluster. In addition, a 29 bp sequence was inserted into the deletion during the recombination events that led to this deletion. Through pedigree analysis, we knew that the proband inherited the novel allele from his mother.

Physicochemical properties and in vitro antioxidant activities of polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. pulp.

A water-soluble polysaccharide from Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (jackfruit) pulp (JFP-Ps) was purified and its physicochemical properties were investigated. The in vitro antioxidant activities of JFP-Ps was evaluated by measuring DPPH and OH radicals scavenging activities, as well as reducing power. The results showed that JFP-Ps contained 79.12% of total sugar, 5.83% of protein, 15.65% of uronic acid, and 15 kinds of amino acids with high levels of Asp, Glu, Val, Leu and Lys. JFP-Ps was mainly composed of Rha, Ara, Gal, Glc, Xyl and GalA, with an average molecular weight of 1668kDa. FT-IR results showed the bands at the range of 1200-850cm-1 suggested the presence of carbohydrates in JFP-Ps. The results of antioxidant activities showed that JFP-Ps exhibited strong DPPH and OH radical scavenging activities, with a relatively lower reducing power, suggesting that JFP-Ps can be exploited as effective natural antioxidant applications in medical and food industries.

Involvement of Colonizing Bacillus Isolates in Glucovanillin Hydrolysis during the Curing of Vanilla planifolia Andrews.

Vanilla beans were analyzed using biochemical methods, which revealed that glucovanillin disperses from the inner part to the outer part of the vanilla bean during the curing process and is simultaneously hydrolyzed by ß-d-glucosidase. Enzymatic hydrolysis was found to occur on the surface of the vanilla beans. Transcripts of the ß-d-glucosidase gene (bgl) of colonizing microorganisms were detected. The results directly indicate that colonizing microorganisms are involved in glucovanillin hydrolysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the colonizing microorganisms mainly belonged to the Bacillus genus. bgl was detected in all the isolates and presented clustering similar to that of the isolate taxonomy. Furthermore, inoculation of green fluorescent protein-tagged isolates showed that the Bacillus isolates can colonize vanilla beans. Glucovanillin was metabolized as the sole source of carbon in a culture of the isolates within 24 h. These isolates presented unique glucovanillin degradation capabilities. Vanillin was the major volatile compound in the culture. Other compounds, such as α-cubebene, ß-pinene, and guaiacol, were detected in some isolate cultures. Colonizing Bacillus isolates were found to hydrolyze glucovanillin in culture, indirectly demonstrating the involvement of colonizing Bacillus isolates in glucovanillin hydrolysis during the vanilla curing process. Based on these results, we conclude that colonizing Bacillus isolates produce ß-d-glucosidase, which mediates glucovanillin hydrolysis and influences flavor formation.

Bacillus vanillea sp. nov., Isolated from the Cured Vanilla Bean.

A Gram-positive bacterium, designated strain XY18(T), was isolated from a cured vanilla bean in Hainan province, China. Cells were rod-shaped, endospore producing, and peritrichous flagella. Strain XY18(T) grew at salinities of 0-8 % (w/v) NaCl (optimally 1-4 %), pH 4.0-8.0 (optimally 5.0-7.0 %) and temperature range 20-45 °C (optimally 28-35 °C). The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0, and iso-C17:0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain XY18(T) was a member of the genus Bacillus, and closely related to B. amyloliquefaciens NBRC 15535(T) and B. siamensis PD-A10(T), with 99.1 and 99.2 % sequence similarity, respectively. However, the DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain XY18(T) and B. amyloliquefaciens NBRC 15535(T) was 35.7 %. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain XY18(T) was 46.4 mol%, significantly differed from B. siamensis PD-A10(T) (41.4 %), which was higher than the range of 4 % indicative of species. On the basis of polyphasic taxonomic study, including phenotypic features, chemotaxonomy, and phylogenetic analyses, strain XY18(T) represents a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus vanillea sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XY18(T) (=CGMCC 8629 = NCCB 100507).

Volatile organic compound emissions from different stages of Cananga odorata flower development.

Headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used to identify the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the different flower development stages of Cananga odorata for the evaluation of floral volatile polymorphism as a basis to determine the best time of harvest. Electronic nose results, coupled with discriminant factor analysis, suggested that emitted odors varied in different C. odorata flower development stages, including the bud, display-petal, initial-flowering, full-flowering, end-flowering, wilted-flower, and dried flower stages. The first two discriminant factors explained 97.52% of total system variance. Ninety-two compounds were detected over the flower life, and the mean Bray-Curtis similarity value was 52.45% among different flower development stages. A high level of volatile polymorphism was observed during flower development. The VOCs were largely grouped as hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, phenols, acids, ketones, and ethers, and the main compound was ß-caryophyllene (15.05%-33.30%). Other identified compounds were ß-cubebene, D-germacrene, benzyl benzoate, and α-cubebene. Moreover, large numbers of VOCs were detected at intermediate times of flower development, and more hydrocarbons, esters, and alcohols were identified in the full-flowering stage. The full-flowering stage may be the most suitable period for C. odorata flower harvest.

Synthesis and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study of novel 4-acyloxypodophyllotoxin derivatives modified in the A and C rings as insecticidal agents.

In continuation of our program aimed at the discovery and development of natural-product-based insecticidal agents, we have synthesized three series of novel 4-acyloxy compounds derived from podophyllotoxin modified in the A and C rings, which is isolated as the main secondary metabolite from the roots and rhizomes of Podophyllum hexandrum . Their insecticidal activity was preliminarily evaluated against the pre-third-instar larvae of Mythimna separata in vivo. Compound 9g displayed the best promising insecticidal activity. It revealed that cleavage of the 6,7-methylenedioxy group of podophyllotoxin will lead to a less active compound and that the C-4 position of podophyllotoxin was the important modification location. A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was developed by genetic algorithm combined with multiple linear regression (GA-MLR). For this model, the squared correlation coefficient (R(2)) is 0.914, the leave-one-out cross-validation correlation coefficient (Q(2)(LOO)) is 0.881, and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) is 0.024. Five descriptors, BEHm2, Mor14v, Wap, G1v, and RDF020e, are likely to influence the biological activity of these compounds. Among them, two important ones are BEHm2 and Mor14v. This study will pave the way for further design, structural modification, and development of podophyllotoxin derivatives as insecticidal agents.

[A preliminary study on the occlusal contact changes during retention in adolescent patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes of the occlusal contact characteristics in adolescent patients during 12 months after active orthodontic treatment. METHODS: Twenty adolescent patients with Hawley retainers after active orthodontic treatment were divided into none occlusal interference group and occlusal interference group. The occlusion of the patients was examined with T-Scan II system directly after the appliance removal (T1) and after an average retention period of 12 months (T2). The changes of occlusal contact characteristics were observed. RESULTS: The disclusion time during protrusion, left and right lateral movements reduced significantly. The average disclusion time decreased [from (1.07 ± 0.87), (0.91 ± 0.47), (0.76 ± 0.43) s to (0.43 ± 0.25), (0.67 ± 0.41), (0.50 ± 0.27) s] significantly (P < 0.05). The occlusal interference disappeared in 4 patients and 1 patient with occlusal interference showed masticatory muscle symptom. The dynamic occlusion [from (1.25 ± 1.11), (0.84 ± 0.15), (0.52 ± 0.49) s to (0.35 ± 0.15), (0.36 ± 0.15), (0.33 ± 0.11) s] improved significantly (P < 0.05) in none occlusal interference group after retention and no statistical differences were found in the occlusal interference group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The overall dynamic occlusion improved after retention in patients with retainers. The presence of occlusal interference affected the self-improvement process and increased the chance of the disorders of stomatognathic system, such as mandibular abnormal movements. Therefore, functional occlusion evaluation and final detailing were needed before appliance removal.

[Influence of interventional radiotherapy for severe postpartum hemorrhage on postpartum menorrhea].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the influence of interventional radiotherapy for treating severe postpartum hemorrhage on postpartum menorrhea. METHODS: From Mar. 1995 to Feb. 2002, 18 cases of severe postpartum hemorrhage treated with arterial embolization served as the interventional group. Twenty parturients without postpartum complication were recruited as control group. The continuance of lochia, recovery of menorrhea between the two groups were compared. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E(2)) of the non-lactating women in the two groups were assayed during the 3rd-5th days of the first menstrual cycle. RESULTS: Continuance times of lochia were (33.9 +/- 2.0) days, and (36.2 +/- 3.1) days in interventional group and control group, respectively. Recovery times of menorrhea were (75 +/- 17) days, and (95 +/- 16) days in interventional group and control group. The quantity of the postpartum menorrhea was 1.3 +/- 0.1 times of that before delivery in interventional group, 1.3 +/- 0.2 times of that in control group. The number of menstrual cycle before recovery to normal menorrhea was 2 cycles in interventional group, 1.9 cycles in control group. Postpartum menstrual cycle was (33.9 +/- 2.2) days in interventional group, (33.2 +/- 1.6) days in control group. Serum FSH, LH, E(2) of the non-lactating women during the 3rd approximately 5th days of the first menstrual cycle were (5.2 +/- 1.1) U/L, (7.5 +/- 1.6) U/L, (262 +/- 14) pmol/L in interventional group, (4.3 +/- 2.1) U/L, (6.3 +/- 1.3) U/L, (280 +/- 12) pmol/L in control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No obvious influence of interventional radiotherapy for postpartum hemorrhage on postpartum menorrhea was observed.