Reduced survival of adult Culex pipiens infected with Rift Valley fever virus

The effect of Rift Valley fever (RVF) viral infection on the survival of female Culex pipiens was examined. In 3 experiments in which mosquitoes ingested RVF virus, there was a 44% decrease in survival to days 14-16 for transmitting vs. nontransmitting mosquitoes, and a 48% decrease in survival for individuals with disseminated vs. nondisseminated infections. These results were corroborated by other experiments in which survival of mosquitoes intrathoracically inoculated with RVF virus was compared with that of those inoculated with diluent. In both the per os and inoculation tests, uninfected mosquitoes survived significantly longer than infected mosquitoes. Even though mosquitoes with disseminated infections had a lower survival rate than did uninfected mosquitoes, dissemination and transmission rates were similar at days 7 and 14-18 after the infectious bloodmeal. This suggests that nondisseminated individuals were developing disseminated infections and becoming capable of transmitting virus between days 7 and 14-18 at approximately the same rate older transmitters were dying. The decreased survival associated with RVF viral infection should be considered in predictive models of this disease.     

中孕期非整倍体染色体异常血清学筛查不同方案比较

目的：对中孕期非整倍体染色体异常血清学筛查不同方案的检出率进行探讨。方法选取513名2009年9月~2013年3月在攀枝花市妇幼保健院产科进行常规产前筛查的孕妇血清样本,分别采用化学发光法和时间分辨荧光免疫法对孕妇血清进行二联、三联、四联检查,比较阳性率及假阳性率。结果二联化学发光法检测唐氏综合征(DS)高危假阳性率为9.10豫,三联为7.36豫,四联为6.28豫,假阳性率呈递减趋势(字2=5.119,P约0.05);二联化学发光法筛查18-三体高危假阳性率(0.63豫)低于三联(0.82豫),差异有统计学意义(字2=4.776,P约0.05)。三联时间分辨荧光免疫法筛查DS、18-三体假阳性率(4.01豫、0.34豫)较二联(8.93豫、0.61豫)均明显降低(字2=6.992、4.776,P约0.05)。二联化学发光法检测DS、18-三体假阳性率分别为9.10豫、0.63豫,时间分辨荧光免疫法则分别为8.93豫、0.61豫,两种检测方法比较,差异无统计学意义(字2=1.787、0.000,P跃0.05);而三联时间荧光分辨法检测DS、18-三体假阳性率(4.01豫、0.34豫)均低于三联化学发光法(7.36豫、0.82豫),差异有统计学意义(字2=5.382、4.783,P约0.05)。结论化学发光法的检测系统发现筛查效率二联、三联及四联方案呈递增趋势。时间分辨荧光免疫法检测系统发现筛查效率三联高于二联方案,时间荧光分辨法三联筛查优于化学发光法。     

Calculation of aortic valve area by Doppler echocardiography: a direct application of the continuity equation

The continuity equation suggests that a ratio of velocities at two different cardiac valves is inversely proportional to the ratio of cross-sectional areas of the valves. To determine whether a ratio of mitral/aortic valve orifice velocities is useful in determining aortic valve area in patients with aortic stenosis, 10 control subjects and 22 patients with predominant aortic stenosis were examined by Doppler echocardiography. The ratio of (mean diastolic mitral velocity)/(mean systolic aortic velocity), (Vm)/(Va), and the ratio of (mitral diastolic velocity-time integral)/(aortic systolic velocity-time integral), (VTm)/(VTa), were determined from Doppler spectral recordings. Aortic valve area determined at catheterization by the Gorlin equation was the standard of reference. High-quality Doppler recordings were obtained in 30 of 32 subjects (94%). Catheterization documented valve areas of 0.5 to 2.6 (mean 1.1) cm2. There was good correlation between Doppler-determined (Vm)/(Va) and Gorlin valve area (r = .90, SEE = 0.23 cm2); a better correlation was noted between (VTm)/(VTa) and Gorlin valve area (r = .93, SEE = 0.18 cm2). The data demonstrate the usefulness of Doppler alone in the determination of aortic valve area in adults with absent or mild aortic or mitral regurgitation and no mitral stenosis. Although the use of mean velocity and velocity-time integral ratios requires accurate measurement of mitral and aortic velocities, it does not require squaring of these velocities or measurement of the cross-sectional area of flow.     

Proliferation of rat granulosa cells during the periovulatory interval

Granulosa cell proliferation during luteinization and terminal differentiation has historically been assumed to decline rapidly after an ovulatory stimulus. In contrast, terminal differentiation in other cell types has recently been associated with a transient increase in proliferation, suggesting that this may occur in the ovarian follicle. The goal of the current study was to test the hypothesis that an ovulatory stimulus to rats results in additional granulosa cell proliferation before cell cycle arrest. Immature rats were given a single injection of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to initiate periovulatory events. The proportion of granulosa cells in S phase did not change until 12 h after hCG, although the majority of the post-hCG proliferation was localized to cumulus granulosa cells for up to 10 h after hCG. The expression of cyclin D2 mRNA did not decline until 12 h after hCG, although both cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)4 and Cdk6 mRNA increased at 6 h. Protein levels of cyclin D2 and Cdk4 did not change as a result of hCG, whereas cyclin E increased 6 h after hCG. Kinase activity of Cdk2 dropped markedly by 4 h after hCG, but a slight increase in activity was evident 6-8 h after hCG. These data suggest that cumulus granulosa cells continue to proliferate for up to 10 h after an ovulatory stimulus, possibly via cyclin E/Cdk2. It is concluded that proliferation is maintained in granulosa cells in the proximity of the oocyte during luteinization of the rat follicle.     

Chest pain and "normal" coronary arteries--role of small coronary arteries

To study the mechanism of chest pain in patients with insignificant epicardial coronary artery disease, 50 patients underwent great cardiac vein (GCV) flow, oxygen content and lactate determinations at rest and during pacing, and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) measurements at rest and after pacing. Twenty-four patients having typical chest discomfort during pacing demonstrated significantly lower increase in flow from baseline (36 +/- 18% versus 86 +/- 24%, p less than 0.001) and decrease in coronary resistance (-17 +/- 12% versus -43 +/- 7%, p less than 0.001) compared with 26 patients without pacing-induced chest pain, despite no significant difference in myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) between the 2 groups. Lactate consumption at a heart rate (HR) of 150 beats/min was significantly less (28.3 +/- 21.5 versus 51.3 +/- 35.8 mM X ml/min, p less than 0.001) and the increase in LVEDP from rest to after pacing was significantly greater (5 +/- 2 versus 1 +/- 2 mm Hg, p less than 0.001) in the chest pain group. After administration of ergonovine, 0.15 mg intravenously, to 46 of these patients, 31 had typical pain either at rest (1 patient) or during pacing. This group had significantly lower increase in flow (38 +/- 20% versus 107 +/- 38%, p less than 0.001), and decrease in coronary resistance (-16 +/- 12% versus -45 +/- 11%, p less than 0.001) compared with the 15 patients not having chest pain, despite no significant difference in MVO2 between the 2 groups. Patients with chest pain also had lower lactate consumption at a HR of 150 beats/min (39.2 +/- 23.6 versus 65.3 +/- 46.3 mM X ml/min, p less than 0.01), greater arterial-GCV oxygen difference (12.5 +/- 1.3 versus 11.6 +/- 1.0 ml O2/100 ml, p less than 0.05), and a more marked increase in LVEDP from rest to after pacing (11 +/- 3 versus 5 +/- 2 mm Hg, p less than 0.001). Quantitative coronary arteriography demonstrated no significant luminal narrowing of the epicardial coronary arteries in response to ergonovine. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that some patients with chest pain and angiographically normal epicardial coronary arteries have dynamic abnormalities of the small coronary arteries or coronary microcirculation that cause abnormal vasodilator reserve or vasoconstriction, resulting in myocardial ischemia and angina pectoris.     

Factors affecting the transduction of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells: long-term expression of a human adenosine deaminase gene in mice

An amphotropic retroviral vector, LgAL(delta Mo + PyF101) containing a human adenosine deaminase (ADA) cDNA was used to optimize procedures for the lasting genetic modification of the hematopoietic system of mice. The highest number of retrovirally infected cells in the hematopoietic tissues of long-term reconstituted mice was observed after transplantation of bone marrow (BM) cells that had been cocultured in the presence of both interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-3. A significantly lower number was detected when IL-1 alpha was omitted from such cocultures. The yield of cells that generate spleen colony-forming cells (CFU-S) in the BM of lethally irradiated recipients (MRA-CFU-S) significantly improved on inclusion of the adherent cell fraction of cocultures in the transplant. Retroviral integration patterns in MRA-CFU-S-derived spleen colonies showed that an MRA-CFU-S can produce many CFU-S during BM regeneration. Expression of hADA was detected in the circulating white blood cells of long-term reconstituted animals, demonstrating that the LgAL(delta Mo + PyF101) vector is capable of directing the sustained expression of hADA, and in approximately 35% of the transduced MRA-CFU-S-derived spleen colonies. These results should facilitate the development of gene therapy protocols for the treatment of severe combined immunodeficiency caused by a lack of functional ADA.     

Sex Differences in Prevalence of Emergency Department Patient Substance Use

Purpose

Substance use and misuse is prevalent in emergency department (ED) populations. While the prevalence of substance use and misuse is reported, sex-specific trends in ED populations have not been documented. We set out to determine the sex-specific prevalence of ED patient substance use during this current epidemic.

孟根乌森乌日乐对小鼠的急性毒性研究

目的：了解孟根乌森乌日乐的急性毒性作用剂量及给药后的急性毒性反应和死亡分布情况,确定孟根乌森乌日乐的半数致死量（ LD50）。方法用孔氏综合法（改进寇氏法）分为14．30,9．28,6．04,3．92,2．55,1．66 g? kg－16个剂量组,以0．4 mL／10 g的量灌胃给药1次。实验后观察14 d,记录体重变化及不良反应情况。结果孟根乌森乌日乐小鼠半数致死量为5．1597 g? kg－1（95％CI：3．6652～7．2637 g? kg－1）。14 d内未出现明显不良反应症状且体重有增长趋势。结论孟根乌森乌日乐的急性毒性实验的半数致死量为临床用药量的100倍,提示单次口服较为安全。