Distribution and ecological risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides in sediments from four lakes of Heilongjiang Province,China

There is growing concern for the lake environment because polluted sediments may cause ecotoxicological effects. In the current study, persistent organochlorine compounds (OCPs), including hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and cyclodienes, were analyzed in core sediments taken from Huoshaohei Lake, Xihulu Lake, Wanghua Lake and Keqin Lake, Heilongjiang Province, China. The total OCPs concentrations ranged from 0.92 to 7.09, 0.15 to 9.95, 0.19 to 1.84 and 0.06 to 3.52 ng/g, respectively. The most dominant pollutants were the HCHs, high proportions of γ-HCH isomer indicating the recent input of lindane. The ratios of α-HCH/γ-HCH of four lakes are all lower than that in technical HCH mixtures indicating that there was input of lindane in the past several years, and the mean ratios of (DDE+DDD)/DDTs are all <0.5, suggesting recent release of DDT compounds. Compared with the corresponding ecological environmental quality guidelines from Ingersoll and base on the model of risk based corrective action environmental health risk assessment, the sediments from the four lakes poses a lower potential hazard to human health and the environment but still should be taken into account.     

海藻糖对肝脏缺血再灌注损伤的保护作用及机制研究

目的探讨海藻糖是否对肝脏缺血再灌注损伤具有保护作用及其相关机制。方法C57BL/6J小鼠数字随机分为无缺血组、缺血再灌注组、海藻糖处理组和生理盐水对照组,缺血90 min后于再灌注的0h和6h,收集血液和肝组织,通过分离血清测丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)肝功能指标及肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β)和白细胞介素-2(IL-2)炎症因子水平和肝组织病理改变研究海藻糖在肝脏缺血再灌注损伤中的作用;AML12小鼠肝细胞系构建缺糖缺氧-复糖复氧细胞模型,分为实验组和对照组,实验组根据给予的海藻糖浓度不同分为低剂量组和高剂量组,对照组无海藻糖,收集细胞,流式细胞仪检测凋亡水平以研究海藻糖对肝脏缺血再灌注损伤诱导的细胞凋亡的影响,蛋白印迹法检测Caspase-3、Cleaved Caspase-3和Bcl-2蛋白水平以研究海藻糖在肝脏缺血再灌注损伤诱导的细胞凋亡中的分子机制。结果体内动物实验显示肝脏缺血再灌注后,缺血再灌注组ALT、AST及TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-2等肝功能指标及炎症因子水平升高(P<0.05),且肝组织发生坏死;而在给予海藻糖处理后,ALT、AST、TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-2等水平较生理盐水对照组降低且肝组织坏死面积也减少(P<0.05)。体外细胞实验显示与对照组相比,实验组肝细胞凋亡水平下降;且实验组活化的促凋亡蛋白Cleaved Caspase-3水平下降、抗凋亡蛋白Bcl-2水平升高。结论在体内和体外条件下海藻糖对肝脏缺血再灌注损伤有保护作用,其机制可能是通过抑制肝脏缺血再灌注损伤诱导的炎症发生和抑制Caspase-3的活化并促进Bcl-2的表达,减轻细胞凋亡,从而保护肝脏缺血再灌注损伤。     

PBL教学模式对高职护生学习积极主动性及学习投入的影响

[目的]评价PBL教学模式在高职护理专业教学中对学生学习积极主动性及学习投入的影响情况。[方法]将中国医科大学高等职业技术学院2010级三年制护生分成两组,即以问题为基础的学习(PBL)组和以授课为基础的学习(LBL)组进行教学,评估考试成绩,并对护生的学习积极主动性及学习投入情况进行评价。[结果]两组考试成绩无差异;PBL组在学习驱动力、控制学习、扎实学习维度评分及学习积极主动性总分高于LBL组,差异有统计学意义;PBL组在奉献维度评分及学习投入总分高于LBL组,差异有统计学意义。[结论]在保证护生理论知识充分掌握的前提下,PBL教学模式相对于传统的教学模式而言,能够更有效地调动学生学习的积极性、主动性,有助于提升学生学习的投入程度。     

Changing etiology of liver failure in 3,916 patients from northern China: a 10-year survey

Purpose

To investigate the etiological characteristics of patients with liver failure in the past 10 years.

Methods

Clinical and investigational data in hospitalized patients with liver failure admitted from 2002 to 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Standard definitions and criteria were used to assess disease etiology.

Results

Of these 3,916 patients, 3,429 (87.6 %) had acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), 114 (2.9 %) acute liver failure (ALF), and 373 (9.5 %) subacute liver failure. Viral infection was the most common cause of liver failure in the 3,295 patients (84.1 %). Hepatitis of unknown etiology was deemed responsible for 371 cases of liver failure (9.5 %). Drug-induced liver injury, alcoholic hepatitis, and autoimmune hepatitis led to 120 cases (3.1 %), 109 cases (2.8 %), and 19 cases (0.5 %), respectively. The most common cause of ACLF was HBV infection (87.3 %), while the main causes of acute and subacute liver failure were hepatitis of unknown etiology (39.4 %), viral infection (36.6 %), and drug-induced liver injury (19.3 %). Our data showed that the incidence of liver failure caused by HBV gradually decreased from 86.5 % in 2002 to 69.2 % in 2011. However, the incidence of hepatitis of unknown etiology, drug-induced liver injury, and alcoholic hepatitis was increased.

Conclusions

HBV infection is the main cause of liver failure in China. However, the incidence of HBV-related liver failure has gradually decreased in the past 10 years. Hepatitis of unknown etiology has replaced HBV infection as the most common apparent cause of acute liver failure.     

重型颅脑损伤并严重多发性创伤的救治研究

目的探讨重型颅脑损伤并严重多发性创伤有效可靠的救治方法,以提高治愈率,降低死亡率。方法回顾性总结分析我院自2007年6月—2012年6月收治的GCS 3～8分重型颅脑损伤并严重多发性创伤病人的临床资料。结果本组71例,恢复良好28例(39.4%)、中残11例(15.5%)、重残15例(21.1%)、植物生存1例(1.4%)、死亡16例(22.5%)。结论迅速查明伤情,早期诊断,妥善处理合并伤,迅速解除脑受压,多科室良好的协作,早期维持患者生命体征,是成功救治的关键。     

A Shrinkage Method for Testing the Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium in Case‐Control Studies

Testing for the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) is often used as an initial step for checking the quality of genotyping. When testing the HWE for case‐control data, the impact of a potential genetic association between the marker and the disease must be controlled for otherwise the results may be biased. Li and Li [2008] proposed a likelihood ratio test (LRT) that accounts for this potential genetic association and it is more powerful than the commonly used control‐only χ² test. However, the LRT is not efficient when the marker is independent of the disease, and also requires numerical optimization to calculate the test statistic. In this article, we propose a novel shrinkage test for assessing the HWE. The proposed shrinkage test yields higher statistical power than the LRT when the marker is independent of or weakly associated with the disease, and converges to the LRT when the marker is strongly associated with the disease. In addition, the proposed shrinkage test has a closed form and can be easily used to test the HWE for large datasets that result from genome‐wide association studies. We compare the performance of the shrinkage test with existing methods using simulation studies, and apply the shrinkage test to a genome‐wide association dataset for Alzheimer's disease.     

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide as a mediator of vas deferens smooth muscle relaxation

Cystathionine-lyase and cystathionine-synthase, both H(2)S-synthesizing enzymes, were functionally expressed in the vas deferens of rat, mice, and human. Endogenous H(2)S mediated vas deferens smooth muscle relaxation.     

Radical abdominal trachelectomy for cervical malignancies: surgical, oncological and fertility outcomes in 62 patients

Objective

To report our experience of radical abdominal trachelectomy for patients with cervical malignancies.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing fertility-sparing radical abdominal trachelectomy for cervical malignancies at our institution from 04/2004 to 09/2010.

Results

Sixty-four patients with cervical malignancies underwent laparotomy for planned radical abdominal trachelectomy. Two patients needed immediate completion of radical hysterectomy due to unfavorable intraoperative findings. Median age was 29.5 years (range, 11-41). Histology included 8 (12.9%) with adenocarcinoma, 50 (80.65%) with squamous carcinoma, 1 (1.61%) with adenosquamous carcinoma and 3 (4.84%) with botryoid sarcoma. Median number of nodes evaluated was 25 (range, 12-53); Ten (16.13%) patients with pathologic risk factors received adjuvant therapy. Fourteen of 36 IB1 cases had tumor size > 2 cm. No recurrences were observed at a median follow-up of 22.8 months. Five (8.06%) patients developed postoperative cervical stenosis — all occurred before we started to routinely install T-IUDs during the procedure. Thirty-eight patients completed the survey which aimed to understand what factors influenced these patients' reproductive outcomes. For various reasons, only 10 patients attempted to conceive and 2 of them succeeded. One of them delivered by cesarean section after 39 weeks and the other is currently pregnant.

Conclusions

Radical abdominal trachelectomy seems to be a reasonable option for selected patients whose tumors are no larger than 4 cm when conducted by experienced gynecologic oncologists. The main perioperative complication is postoperative cervical stenosis, which could be effectively prevented by installation of a tailed T-IUD during the surgery. Social, familial and physical factors can largely influence the patients' reproductive outcomes. The issues of reproductive concerns and quality of life require further investigation.     

'Golden tongue' syndrome caused by Ramichloridium schulzeri

A 54-year-old woman entered the hospital for induction chemotherapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia. On hospital day 23, while the patient was neutropenic, an erosive lesion appeared on the left side of the tongue. During the next several days the lesion extended over the dorsum of the tongue and was golden orange. Surface scrapings were obtained; the involved site underwent a biopsy and was cultured. Branching septate mycelia of varying diameters were seen on microscopic examination of direct mounts and a biopsy specimen of the tongue. Eight to ten colonies of a fungus grew out in culture. The fungus was golden orange on Sabouraud's glucose agar and brown-gray on corn-meal agar, and was identified as Ramichloridium schulzeri. The lesion regressed during the next two weeks while the patient received amphotericin B therapy and showed an increased granulocyte count. This case seems to be the first authenticated infection caused by this uncommonly encountered soil saprophyte.