Abstract In typical dynamic soil-structure interaction (SSI) problems, the dynamic response a structure can be affected by the existence of some nearby structures, which is sometimes referred to as the dynamic structure-soil-structure interaction (SSSI). This effect is especially important in the earthquake engineering design of adjacent nuclear power plants, as the safety risk is relatively high. However, the current understanding on the SSSI of nuclear power plants is still insufficient. In this work, we use the finite element method to investigate the SSSI of two nuclear power plants located at a specific distance under earthquake excitation. Four nuclear-power-plant-soil systems are designed to account for the SSI and SSSI respectively, where the soil properties are obtained from drilling data. The effect of the SSSI on the nuclear power plants is studied by comparing the dynamic responses of four nuclear power plants-soil systems in vertical and horizontal directions, in which both layered soils and local weak interlayer soils are considered. The results of numerical study show that the presence of one nuclear power plant has a favorable effect on the seismic response of an adjacent nuclear power plant, such as reducing the displacement response, but this effect is limited. In addition, the SSSI effect is related to not only the soil properties, but also the direction of ground motion. Furthermore, the existence of soft soil layers complicates the SSSI effect. The results provide important insights for the construction and expansion of nuclear power plants.

Inflammatory cytokines are known to be involved in acute ischemic stroke (AIS), while the relationship of multiple inflammatory cytokines with mental disorders in AIS is less reported. This research intended to explore the longitudinal variation of common inflammatory cytokines and their correlation with anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment in AIS patients. Six inflammatory cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay among 175 AIS patients at admission (baseline) and on the day (D)1, D3, and D7 after admission. Anxiety, depression, and cognition were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Mini-Mental State Examination at discharge, respectively. Anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment rates were 32.6, 39.4, and 19.4%, respectively. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-17A increased from baseline to D1, then decreased from D1 to D7 (all P<0.001), while IL-10 presented an opposite trend (P<0.001). Interestingly, TNF-α on D1 and D3, IL-6 on D3, IL-8 on D3 and D7, and IL-17A on D1, D3, and D7 correlated with higher anxiety rate (all P<0.05). TNF-α on D1, D3, and D7, IL-8 at baseline, D1, D3, and D7, IL-17A on D1 and D7 correlated with increased depression rate (all P<0.05). In addition, IL-1β on D1 and IL-17 at baseline, D1, D3, and D7 correlated with elevated cognitive-impairment rate (all P<0.05). Inflammatory cytokines were dysregulated after disease onset, and their longitudinal change correlated with psychological issues in AIS patients.

Resumo: Antecedentes: Com o contínuo aumento da prevalência da doença de Alzheimer (DA), a reconciliação medicamentosa no tratamento de pacientes portadores da doença é também iminente. Objetivo: Explorar o papel e a importância da reconciliação medicamentosa no tratamento de DA. Métodos: 100 pacientes com mais de 65 anos de idade com diagnóstico de DA foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: tratamento convencional (CON) e mudança medicamentosa (MED). A relação das prescrições médicas de todos os indivíduos foi obtida dentro das 24 horas após a admissão, usando-se os critérios Beers, os critérios STOPP / START, e a Farmacopéia Chinesa foi usada como intervenção no grupo MED. A reconciliação medicamentosa foi realizada em 2 semanas, 1 mês e 2 meses após a admissão hospitalar. O número de medicamentos prescritos, a quantidade de medicamentos, a taxa de erro de medicação, o efeito terapêutico, as reações adversas a medicamentos e os níveis de satisfação dos familiares e cuidadores principais foram comparados entre os dois grupos. Resultados: Após a intervenção, os tipos e a quantidade de medicação no grupo MED foram menores em comparação com o grupo CON, juntamente com uma taxa de erro de medicação reduzida. A pontuação do mini-exame do estado mental (MEEM) e a proporção de pacientes bem nutridos no grupo MED foram maiores do que no grupo CON. Observou-se também que o escore da habilidade física de autocuidado e a proporção de pacientes com deglutição alterada foram menores quando comparados ao grupo CON. A incidência de reações adversas a medicamentos no grupo MED foi menor do que no grupo CON. Por outro lado, o índice de satisfação foi superior ao do grupo CON. Conclusão: A reconciliação medicamentosa pode reduzir os erros de medicação em pacientes com DA.

ABSTRACT Background: With the continuous increase of Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is also imminent to treat patients with AD for medication reconciliation. Objective: To explore the role and value of medication reconciliation in AD treatment. Methods: 100 patients over 65 years of age diagnosed with AD were randomly separated into two groups: conventional treatment and medication reforming. The list of medical orders of all subjects was obtained within 24 hours after admission with Beers criteria, STOPP/START criteria, and Chinese Pharmacopoeia used as the MED intervention criteria. Medication reconciliation was performed at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after hospital admission. The number of medications prescribed, the quantity of the medication, medication error rate, therapeutic effect, adverse drug reactions, and satisfaction levels of family members and main caregivers were compared between the two groups. Results: After the intervention, the types and amount of medication in the MED group were less compared to the CON group along with a reduced medication deviation rate. The Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score and the proportion of well-nourished patients in the MED group were higher than those in the CON group. It was also observed that the physical self-care ability score and the proportion of patients with abnormal swallowing were lower when in comparison with the CON group. The incidence of adverse drug reactions in the MED group was lower than that in the CON group. However, the satisfaction rate was higher than that in the CON group. Conclusion: Medication reconciliation can reduce the medication deviation in AD patients.

Resumo: Antecedentes: Com o contínuo aumento da prevalência da doença de Alzheimer (DA), a reconciliação medicamentosa no tratamento de pacientes portadores da doença é também iminente. Objetivo: Explorar o papel e a importância da reconciliação medicamentosa no tratamento de DA. Métodos: 100 pacientes com mais de 65 anos de idade com diagnóstico de DA foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: tratamento convencional (CON) e mudança medicamentosa (MED). A relação das prescrições médicas de todos os indivíduos foi obtida dentro das 24 horas após a admissão, usando-se os critérios Beers, os critérios STOPP / START, e a Farmacopéia Chinesa foi usada como intervenção no grupo MED. A reconciliação medicamentosa foi realizada em 2 semanas, 1 mês e 2 meses após a admissão hospitalar. O número de medicamentos prescritos, a quantidade de medicamentos, a taxa de erro de medicação, o efeito terapêutico, as reações adversas a medicamentos e os níveis de satisfação dos familiares e cuidadores principais foram comparados entre os dois grupos. Resultados: Após a intervenção, os tipos e a quantidade de medicação no grupo MED foram menores em comparação com o grupo CON, juntamente com uma taxa de erro de medicação reduzida. A pontuação do mini-exame do estado mental (MEEM) e a proporção de pacientes bem nutridos no grupo MED foram maiores do que no grupo CON. Observou-se também que o escore da habilidade física de autocuidado e a proporção de pacientes com deglutição alterada foram menores quando comparados ao grupo CON. A incidência de reações adversas a medicamentos no grupo MED foi menor do que no grupo CON. Por outro lado, o índice de satisfação foi superior ao do grupo CON. Conclusão: A reconciliação medicamentosa pode reduzir os erros de medicação em pacientes com DA.

ABSTRACT Background: With the continuous increase of Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is also imminent to treat patients with AD for medication reconciliation. Objective: To explore the role and value of medication reconciliation in AD treatment. Methods: 100 patients over 65 years of age diagnosed with AD were randomly separated into two groups: conventional treatment and medication reforming. The list of medical orders of all subjects was obtained within 24 hours after admission with Beers criteria, STOPP/START criteria, and Chinese Pharmacopoeia used as the MED intervention criteria. Medication reconciliation was performed at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after hospital admission. The number of medications prescribed, the quantity of the medication, medication error rate, therapeutic effect, adverse drug reactions, and satisfaction levels of family members and main caregivers were compared between the two groups. Results: After the intervention, the types and amount of medication in the MED group were less compared to the CON group along with a reduced medication deviation rate. The Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score and the proportion of well-nourished patients in the MED group were higher than those in the CON group. It was also observed that the physical self-care ability score and the proportion of patients with abnormal swallowing were lower when in comparison with the CON group. The incidence of adverse drug reactions in the MED group was lower than that in the CON group. However, the satisfaction rate was higher than that in the CON group. Conclusion: Medication reconciliation can reduce the medication deviation in AD patients.

Abstract Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl., Orchidaceae, is a Chinese medicinal plant which can be effective for some diseases such as hepatitis, nephritis, pneumonia. Its active ingredient is kinsenoside. The mechanisms of kinsenoside on the liver-protective effect have not been fully explored until today. The present study was aimed to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of kinsenoside on acute alcoholic liver injury. The protected activity of kinsenoside (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) were investigated on acute alcoholic liver injury in mice. Male C57BL/6 J mice were fed with non-fat feed for 30 days and oral administrated 14 ml/kg bw of ethanol (50%) on the 31st day. The activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase, serum alanine aminotransferase, triacylglyceride and very low density lipoprotein were determined in serum. The hepatic levels of oxidative stress as glutathione, malondialdehyde were measured in liver homogenates. The levels of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) were measured by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, histopathological observations were carried out on the separated livers of mice. It was suggested that the trends of acute hepatic injury and fatty degeneration induced by alcohol were reduced in the ethanol group after kinsenoside treatment. Compared to ethanol groups, triacylglyceride, malondialdehyde, very low density lipoprotein, reduced glutathione, serum alanine aminotransferase and serum aspartate aminotransferase levels of kinsenoside (20, 40 mg/kg) groups were decreased (p < 0.05). Meanwhile kinsenoside significantly decreased the level of protein CYP2E1. In conclusion, kinsenoside enhances antioxidant capacity of mice and antagonizes alcohol-induced lipid metabolism disorders. Besides, kinsenoside inhibits alcohol-caused hepatocyte apoptosis, reduces oxidative stress, and relieves hepatocyte death, which may be a mechanism of kinsenoside in the treatment of alcoholic liver.

Abstract Surveillances and interventions on antibiotics use have been suggested to improve serious drug-resistance worldwide. Since 2007, our hospital have proposed many measures for regulating surgical prophylactic antibiotics (carbapenems, third gen. cephalosporins, vancomycin, etc.) prescribing practices, like formulary restriction or replacement for surgical prophylactic antibiotics and timely feedback. To assess the impacts on drug-resistance after interventions, we enrolled infected patients in 2006 (pre-intervention period) and 2014 (post-intervention period) in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai. Proportions of targeted pathogens were analyzed: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE), imipenem-resistant Escherichia coli (IREC), imipenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (IRKP), imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (IRAB) and imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (IRPA) isolates. Rates of them were estimated and compared between Surgical Department, ICU and Internal Department during two periods. The total proportions of targeted isolates in Surgical Department (62.44%, 2006; 64.09%, 2014) were more than those in ICU (46.13%, 2006; 50.99%, 2014) and in Internal Department (44.54%, 2006; 51.20%, 2014). Only MRSA has decreased significantly (80.48%, 2006; 55.97%, 2014) (p < 0.0001). The percentages of VRE and IREC in 3 departments were all <15%, and the slightest change were also both observed in Surgical Department (VRE: 0.76%, 2006; 2.03%, 2014) (IREC: 2.69%, 2006; 2.63%, 2014). The interventions on surgical prophylactic antibiotics can be effective for improving resistance; antimicrobial stewardship must be combined with infection control practices.

To facilitate the biodegradation of diesel oil, an oil biodegradation bacterial consortium was constructed. The alkane hydroxylase (alkB) gene of Pseudomonas putida GPo1 was constructed in a pCom8 expression vector, and the pCom8-GPo1 alkB plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α. The AlkB protein was expressed by diesel oil induction and detected through SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The culture of the recombinant (pCom8-GPo1 alkB/E. coli DH5α) with the oil biodegradation bacterial consortium increased the degradation ratio of diesel oil at 24 h from 31% to 50%, and the facilitation rates were increased as the proportion of pCom8-GPo1 alkB/E. coli DH5α to the consortium increased. The results suggested that the expression of the GPo1 gene in E. coli DH5α could enhance the function of diesel oil degradation by the bacterial consortium.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of serum HA and LN as serum markers for predicting significant fibrosis in CHB patients. METHODS: Serum HA and LN levels of 87 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 19 blood donors were assayed by RIA. Liver fibrosis stages were determined according to the Metavir scoring-system. The diagnostic performances of all indexes were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Serum HA and LN concentrations increased significantly with the stage of hepatic fibrosis, which showed positive correlation with the stages of liver fibrosis (HA: r = 0.875, p < 0.001; LN: r = 0.610, p < 0.001). There were significant differences of serum HA and LN levels between F2-4 group in comparison with those in F0-F1 group (p < 0.001) and controls (p < 0.001), respectively. From ROC curves, 185.3 ng/mL as the optimal cut-off value of serum HA for diagnosis of significant fibrosis, giving its sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, LR+, LR- and AC of 84.2%, 83.3%, 90.6%, 73.5%, 5.04, 0.19 and 83.9, respectively. While 132.7 ng/mL was the optimal cut-off value of serum LN, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, LR+, LR- and AC were 71.9%, 80.0%, 87.2%, 60.0%, 3.59%, 0.35% and 74.7, respectively. Combinations of HA and LN by serial tests showed a perfect specificity and PPV of 100%, at the same time sensitivity declined to 63.2% and LR+ increased to 18.9, while parallel tests revealed a good sensitivity of 94.7%, NPV to 86.4%, and LR- declined to 0.08. CONCLUSIONS: Serum HA and LN concentrations showed positive correlation with the stages of liver fibrosis. Detection of serum HA and LN in predicting significant fibrosis showed good diagnostic performance, which would be further optimized by combination of the two indices. HA and LN would be clinically useful serum markers for predicting significant fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B, when liver biopsy is contraindicated.

The identification of expressed genes involved in sexual precocity of the mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is critical for a better understanding of its reproductive development. To this end, we constructed a cDNA library from the rapid developmental stage of testis of E. sinensis and sequenced 3,388 randomly picked clones. After processing, 2,990 high-quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were clustered into 2,415 unigenes including 307 contigs and 2,108 singlets, which were then compared to the NCBI non-redundant (nr) protein and nucleotide (nt) database for annotation with Blastx and Blastn, respectively. After further analysis, 922 unigenes were obtained with concrete annotations and 30 unigenes were found to have functions possibly related to the process of reproduction in male crabs - six transcripts relevant to spermatogenesis (especially Cyclin K and RecA homolog DMC1), two transcripts involved in nuclear protein transformation, two heat-shock protein genes, eleven transcription factor genes (a series of zinc-finger proteins), and nine cytoskeleton protein-related genes. Our results, besides providing valuable information related to crustacean reproduction, can also serve as a base for future studies of reproductive and developmental biology.