[Three cases of acute chlorfenapyr poisoning].

This paper reported 3 cases of poisoning caused by chlorfenagyr. Chlorfenapyr poisoning has gradually increased in clinical practice. The early stage after poisoning is digestive tract symptoms, followed by sweating, high fever, changes in consciousness, changes in myocardial enzymology, etc. Its main mechanism of intoxication is uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. Since there is no specific antidote after poisoning, the fatality rate of chlorfenapyr poisoning remains high. The therapeutic measures are early gastrointestinal decontamination, symptomatic and supportive treatments, and early blood purification may be an effective treatment.

[Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of Behçet's syndrome in China].

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is classified among variable vessel vasculitis with unknown etiology and extensively heterogeneous clinical features. It is easily missed or misdiagnosed due to the lack of a specific laboratory diagnosis index. Based on the evidence and guidelines from China and other countries, the Chinese Rheumatology Association developed the standardization of diagnosis and treatment of BS. The purposes are: (1) To standardize the detection and interpretation of key indicators for BS; (2) To standardize rational management for BS patients with topical and systemic organ involvement to reduce complications and improve outcomes.

[Exploration of thrombus histological composition and clinical effect in mechanical thrombectomy of acute ischemic stroke].

Objective: To explore histological composition of thrombus and clinical effect in mechanical thrombectomy of acute ischemic stroke. Methods: From March 2017 to August 2017 at the Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences of Soochow University, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to quantitatively analyze the composition of thrombus in 58 cases with acute ischemic stroke. The differences in components of thrombus with different TOAST classifications were compared, meanwhile, clinical data such as surgical process and prognosis were also analyzed. Results: (1) Baseline data: the age of arteriosclerosis was significantly lower than that of cardiogenic (P<0.05). There was statistically significant differences in onset to admission between the two types of stroke of other undetermined etiology (SUE) and Cardioembolism (CE) (P<0.05). (2) Histological composition of thrombus: there were no significant differences in fibrin and red blood cells (RBC) between the two types of SUE and CE thrombus (P>0.05). There were more RBC in LAA thrombus and more fibrin in CE thrombus (P<0.05). (3) Intraoperative data: the time of admission to recanalization of type LAA was longer than that of type CE (P<0.05). (4) Prognosis: there was no significant difference in the good prognosis between the two types of SUE and CE (P>0.05). It is the same between the types of LAA and CE (P>0.05). Conclusions: LAA thrombus contains more RBC, and cardiogenic thrombus contains more fibrin. Cryptogenic thrombus has the same composition with cardioembolism. The results may help to choose appropriate recanalization technique in different TOAST stroke and have guiding significance for the secondary prevention of SUE stroke.

[Respiratory protection provided by N95 filtering facepiece respirators and disposable medicine masks against airborne bacteria in different working environments].

Objective: To determine the relative protection provided by N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) and disposable medicine masks (DMM) against airborne bacteria in different working environments. Methods: The field study was performed with 12 subjects wearing an N95 filtering facepiece respirator and a disposable medicine mask for 1h, respectively. Airborne microorganisms and bacteria samples from both the external (Ce) and the inner (Ci) surface of N95 FFR and DMM are collected. The Ce: Ci ratio was used to calculate the bacterial filtering proportion. Bacterial filtering efficiency (BFE) was measured using the JWL-2A Sampler. Results: The bacterial filtration efficiency of N95 FFR and DMM were 99.93% and 91.53%, respectively. There was significant difference between the two materials (P<0.05). In summer, airborne bacterial concentration was higher than that in winter. In the same season, airborne bacterial concentration in hospital environment is higher than that in campus. The higher the airborne bacterial concentration, the greater bacterial contaminated on the external surface of the used masks. To all masks used in different working environment, bacterial contamination on the external surface was much greater than the inner surface (P<0.01). Compared to N95 FFR, DMM had slighter bacterial contamination on the external surface and greater bacterial contamination on the inner surface. However, this difference was not significant (P>0.05). The bacterial filtering proportion of N95 FFR is higher than DMM. These differences were significant in samples tested in summer (P<0.05) , but were not significant in samples tested in winter (P>0.05). Conclusion: Bacterial filtering efficiency of N95 respirator is superior to medicine mask, and this advantage become more obvious in high airborne bacterial concentration levels.

Investigating the association between XRCC1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to gastric cancer.

We carried out a hospital-based case-control study to investigate the role of XRCC1 gene Arg399Gln, Arg280His, and Arg194Trp polymorphisms in susceptibility to gastric cancer. A total of 214 gastric cancer patients and 247 control subjects were recruited between March 2013 and March 2015, and polymorphism genotype frequencies were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Using the chi-square test, we detected statistically significant differences in age (chi-square = 22.25, P < 0.001), gender (chi-square = 6.74, P = 0.01), and family history of cancer (chi-square = 4.73, P = 0.03) between the case and control groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the XRCC1 Arg194Trp TT genotype conferred increased susceptibility to gastric cancer compared to the CC genotype [odds ratio (OR) = 2.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28-4.49]. Moreover, individuals carrying the T allele of this variant were found to be at moderately increased risk of this disease (OR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.16-2.09). However, the XRCC1 Arg399Gln and Arg280His polymorphisms were shown to have no influence on the development of gastric cancer. In conclusion, we suggest that the XRCC1 gene Arg194Trp polymorphism is associated with gastric cancer susceptibility in the Chinese population.

[Performance evaluation of two N95 filtering-facepiece respirators on decomposition products of sulfur hexafluoride].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the filtration efficiency of two N95 filtering-facepiece respirators (FFRs) for the decomposition products of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). METHODS: Two types of N95 FFRs (the particulate and the acid-proof respirators) were selected in this study. The decomposition products of SF6, including particles, hydrogen fluoride (HF) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) , were measured under experimental condition by using TSI PortaCount Plus, fluorine ion-selective electrodes and spectrophotometer separately. The filtration efficiency was then calculated and compared. RESULTS: Both two models of N95 respirators had lowest filtration efficiency larger than 95% for particles under airflow ranged from 10 to 95 L/min. When exposed to different concentrations of HF (low: 0.00~1.99 mg/m(3), middle: 2.00~3.99 mg/m(3), high: >4 mg/m(3)) , the acid-proof N95 respirator was more effective than the particulate respirator (P<0.05) with a filtration efficiency of 98.83%, 99.08%, and 99.03% versus 48.44%, 45.71%, and 47.31%. For four SO2 concentration ranges (0.00~2.49 mg/m(3), 2.50~4.99 mg/m(3), 5.00~9.99 mg/m(3), and >10.00 mg/m(3)) , the acid-proof respirator showed a high filtration efficiency within exposure to 1.5 hours: 95.73%, 98.67%, 98.14%, and 97.78%, respectively, when exposure duration extended to 4 hours, the filtration efficiency of the acid-proof respirator decreased to 91.97%, 82.28%, 70.12%, and 58.56%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both the particulate and the acid-proof N95 FFRs met national standards on the particulate filtration efficiency. The acid-proof N95 respirator demonstrates to be more effective in filtering HF and SO2 than the particulate respirator. The filtration efficiency could decrease to an unsafe condition under longer exposure duration, timely replacement of respirator is recommended at the workplace.

Amyloid-ß induces NLRP1-dependent neuronal pyroptosis in models of Alzheimer's disease.

Increasing evidence has shown the aberrant expression of inflammasome-related proteins in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain; these proteins, including NLRP1 inflammasome, are implicated in the execution of inflammatory response and pyroptotic death. Although current data are associated NLRP1 genetic variants with AD, the involvement of NLRP1 inflammasome in AD pathogenesis is still unknown. Using APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice, we found that cerebral NLRP1 levels were upregulated. Our in vitro studies further showed that increased NLRP1-mediated caspase-1-dependent 'pyroptosis' in cultured cortical neurons in response to amyloid-ß. Moreover, we employed direct in vivo infusion of non-viral small-interfering RNA to knockdown NLRP1 or caspase-1 in APPswe/PS1dE9 brain, and discovered that these NLRP1 or caspase-1 deficiency mice resulted in significantly reduced neuronal pyroptosis and reversed cognitive impairments. Taken together, our findings indicate an important role for NLRP1/caspase-1 signaling in AD progression, and point to the modulation of NLRP1 inflammasome as a promising strategy for AD therapy.

Azithromycin enhances the favorable results of paclitaxel and cisplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Although new chemotherapeutic drugs have been applied constantly, their efficacy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still not satisfactory. In recent years, epidemiological investigations have shown that lung cancer may be induced by chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) infection, since stable high titers of Cpn antibodies, especially IgA, are a hallmark of chronic infections. Azithromycin is commonly used for the treatment of Cpn infections; however, there are only few reports regarding the application of azithromycin (A) combined with paclitaxel and cisplatin (TP) for advanced NSCLC. Considering that patients with NSCLC have a higher rate of Cpn infection, we proposed to employ azithromycin for Cpn infection in chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of azithromycin on chemotherapy for NSCLC. A total of 86 patients with stage III-IV NSCLC were randomly divided into TP and ATP groups; the characteristics of patients in the two groups showed no significant differences. The TP group was treated with paclitaxel and cisplatin, and the ATP group was treated with azithromycin combined with TP for at least 4 weeks, followed by evaluation and comparison of efficacy, side effects and patients' quality of life before and after chemotherapy between the two groups. Testing for Cpn infection revealed a significant difference in the case number before and after therapy in the ATP group (P < 0.01) compared with the TP group (P > 0.05), and a statistical difference was observed (P < 0.01) between the ATP and TP groups after treatment. The changes in quality of life of patients after two different chemotherapy regimens were statistically significant (P < 0.05), but there was a significant difference in only cognitive function after treatment. The changes in symptom scores of patients after the two different chemotherapy regimens were statistically significant (P < 0.05), but there was a significant difference in only shortness of breath and cough after treatment. Kaplan-Meier estimate was utilized to describe the survival function of patients in the two groups. The median survival time was 12.0 months for the TP group and 13.0 months for the ATP group. One-year survival rates of the TP and ATP groups were 45.0 and 75.0%, respectively, which were significantly different (P < 0.05). Our study of azithromycin+paclitaxe l+cisplatin on stage III-IV NSCLC patients achieved favorable results in terms of side effects and overall survival.

Magnetic bistability and controllable reversal of asymmetric ferromagnetic nanorings.

Magnetization reversals through the formation of a vortex state and the rotation of an onion state are two processes with comparable probabilities for symmetric magnetic nanorings with a radius of about 50 nanometers. This magnetic bistability is the manifestation of the competition between the exchange energy and the magnetostatic energy in nanomagnets. The relative probability of the two processes in symmetric nanorings is dictated by the ring geometry and cannot be altered after fabrication. In this work, we report a novel type of nanorings--asymmetric nanorings. By tuning the asymmetry, we can control the fraction of the vortex formation process from about 40% to nearly 100% by utilizing the direction of the external magnetic field. The observed results have been accounted for by the dependence of the domain-wall energy on the local cross-section area for which we have provided theoretical calculations.

Isoaspartate in chrondroitin sulfate proteoglycans of mammalian brain.

Mammalian brain contains a high mass protein (HMAP) that is unusually rich in atypical L-isoaspartyl (isoAsp) linkages. HMAP has now been purified from bovine brain by anion exchange, hydroxylapatite, and size exclusion chromatography. It is self-aggregating, acidic, and soluble in 5% trichloroacetic acid. Treatment with chondroitinase ABC eliminates the self-aggregation of HMAP and generates several distinct core proteins with estimated masses of 350-450 (doublet), 180, and 100 kDa, indicating that it is composed mainly of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). Most of the isoAsp resides in the 350-450-kDa core protein, which was identified by immunoblotting as phosphacan, a CSPG abundant in adult brain. The regional distribution and developmental profile of HMAP in rat brain support this identification. The 180-kDa core protein contains a tenascin-R-related molecule, consistent with recent observations that phosphacan forms a tight complex with tenascin-R. The average phosphacan molecule in adult brain contains at least seven isoAsp sites. Molecular heterogeneity due to isoAsp may explain some of the complex binding properties phosphacan exhibits with its natural ligands. Formation of isoAsp may be important in the roles that phosphacan and other CSPGs play in development of the nervous system.

Chlorhexidine swabbing applications under various conditions of use in preventive oral care for persons with disabilities.

A sample of 44 adults with severe disabilities completed a randomized single-blind cross-over study testing chlorhexidine swabbing under various conditions: with/without prior dental prophylaxis, reduced frequency of application (2 vs. 5 times per week), and prolonged use (42 weeks). All subjects received therapeutic doses of 10 mL 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (Peridex, Procter & Gamble) and 10 mL 0.05% NaF applied with a Toothette (Sage Products). Clinical effectiveness of chlorhexidine swabbing compared with placebo was previously reported. In the present study, while initial benefits were observed to be independent of dental prophylaxis, significant reductions in periodontal scores were sustained by a combination of dental prophylaxis and swabbing protocol, at reduced frequency of application and over prolonged time. High levels of acceptance and compliance by subjects/caregivers were maintained. Subjects/caregivers reported improvements in dental health as well as in attitude, quality of life, and smile. Chlorhexidine swabbing at maintenance frequency, combined with periodic dental prophylaxis, may offer an effective and pragmatic long-term preventive regimen for persons with disabilities.

[Determination of syrigin in zengzhi granule by HPLC].

On Zorbax Sil column with a mobile phase of chloroform-isooctane-methyl alcohol-acetic acid (30: 13: 4: 3), the content of syrigin in Zengzhi granules was determined by HPLC at 270nm. The results show that the recovery is 102.52 +/- 1.98% and RSD 1.93%. The content of syrigin is 0.0543 +/- 0.0005mg/g.