North American Journal of Medicine and Science
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Quality Control of Chinese Medicine Based on Technology Innovation
Get PDFWith the aim to promote the establishment of international standardization of Chinese medicine (CM), the key scientific techniques, including the selection of the markers, preparation of reference chemical compounds, and the optimization of evaluation methods for standardization of quality control of CM, were discussed and explored in the present paper. A systematic strategy was used to develop the quality control of several CMs attributed to “Huo xue hua yu” and “Fu zheng gu ben”. The key techniques and approaches being used included computational clustering analysis of chromatographic data, biochromatographic technique for identification of biological active compound, the combination of different separation techniques for preparation of reference compound, the application of Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) technique for raw herbal sample preparation, and the optimization of quality control analytical techniques. The results showed that the strategy is feasible for the quality control of CM
Studies of Cell Cycle-associated Proteins in a Case of Giant Cell Granuloma of Mandible
Get PDFCentral Giant Cell Granuloma (CGCG) is a localized benign osteolytic lesion with variably aggressive nature. Due to the rarity of this disease, only a few studies with a limited number of cases have been reported, the results of which are controversial. Hence, there is not much data on the possible mechanisms underlying its aggressive biological behavior. In our study, immunohistochemistry was performed on a 50-year old female diagnosed with a giant cell granuloma of the mandible. We attempted to examine the expression profile and cellular distribution of cell cycle-associated proteins: cyclin D1, p53, PCNA, MIB-1 and facor XIIIa. Our results demonstrated that high-level expression of cyclin D1 was predominant in the nuclei of 85% of giant cells whereas cyclin D1 staining was noticed in only 20% of mononuclear cells. Expression of PCNA and MIB-1, on the other hand, was observed in 70% and 40% of mononuclear cells respectively, with less than 10% positive staining present in the giant cells. P53 protein did not appear to be over-expressed in either mononuclear or giant cells, and factor XIIIa was detected only in isolated stromal fibroblasts. These results support the hypothesis that over-expression of cyclin D1 in giant cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of CGCG, and the differential expression pattern of cyclin D1 and PCNA may be involved in the formation of multinucleated giant cells.[N A J Med Sci. 2009;2(2):48-50.
Leading Causes of Death for Older Asian Americans
Get PDFAsian Americans are the fastest growing population in US, but data describing their disease burden are limited. For most US health statistics, Asian Americans are grouped into a single race category. We use a unique data file to identify causes of death for persons aged 65 or older in six Asian American ethnic subgroups (Chinese, Indians, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Vietnamese). Causes of death classified by the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD–10) are ranked according to the number of deaths assigned to each cause. There are a total of 76,866 death records included in this study. The 10 leading causes of death account for 85% of all deaths for Asian Americans and the top 3 causes (heart disease, cancer, and stroke) account for 68%. The rankings and relative cause-specific mortalities varied significantly across the six Asian ethnic groups. Indians had the highest relative burden of heart disease (41.6% of all deaths), followed by Filipinos (35.6%), then the other four Asian ethnic groups (~30%). Cancer, the second leading cause of death, accounted for about 26% of all deaths for Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese, 21% for Filipinos and 18% for Indians. Influenza and pneumonia, chronic lower respiratory disease, diabetes, accidents (unintentional injuries), and kidney disease also ranked among the top 10 causes, but the specific ranks vary across ethnic populations. Differences in the ranking are also evident by age and sex. Because of significant heterogeneity among Asian American ethnic groups, it is more informative to calculate ethnicity-specific rankings of causes of death
Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) Deliver Big Breakthroughs in Identifying Type 2 Diabetes Susceptibility Genes in the General Population
Get PDFA striking epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a major public health problem worldwide. Current medical therapies can mitigate this disorder, but rarely provide a cure, leaving patients exposed to many debilitating and life-threatening complications. Although T2D is a multifactorial disease that involves interactions between many genetic and environmental factors, genetics is believed to play an important part in the development of T2D. Linkage analyses have identified several specific gene loci in a handful of families with diabetes that segregates as an autosomal dominant trait termed maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY-1,-2,-3,-4,-5, -6). But for the common (>95%) form of T2D in the general population, much remains unknown about its genetic determinants
Self-reported Evaluation of Psychosocial Effects of Fluorosis among Inhabitants Living in a Rural Fluorosis Epidemic Area in China: Psychosocial Effects of Dental Fluorosis
Get PDFObjective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychosocial effects of fluorosis on the patients in the fluorosis epidemic area. Methods: In the rural fluorosis epidemic areas in Hebei province of China, 416 inhabitants were randomly selected to be examined using Dean’s Index (DI). Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF) was used in 178 recruited participants who were also involved in a psychosocial questionnaire investigation. Demographic information and six five-point subscales about “Attitude to Teeth”, “Index of Well-Being”, “Index of General Affect”, “Interaction Anxiousness Scale” (IAS), “Self-Esteem Scale” (SES) and “Impact on Behavior” were included in the questionnaire. SPSS12.0 software was used to analyze the data
Transcranial Electrical Acupuncture Stimulation (TEAS) on the Treatment of Autism
Get PDFMany studies suggested that acupuncture or electrical acupuncture may improve the symptoms of autism. However, the efficacy of the treatment is not satisfied. To improve the existing methodology of acupuncture in treating autism, a concept of transcranial electrical acupuncture stimulation (TEAS) is proposed based on the primary clinical experiences and literature reviews
Vascular Risk Factors and the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: Some New Findings
Get PDFParkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease of the elderly.1 PD is a debilitating disorder manifested by bradykinesia, resting tremor, muscular rigidity, gait disturbances, and postural reflex impairment.1 The underlying pathologic lesion is the loss of the pigmented neurons of the substantia nigra, and selected brain stem dopaminergic cell groups. However, the causes of PD are not well known. The loss of substantia nigra neurons results in depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine in these areas. There is evidence that genetic factors play a key role in an early-onset PD.2,3 Studies of twins have provided strong evidence for an important role of environmental factors in the etiology of typical PD.2 The development of PD involves an interaction between genes and environmental factors.2 Thus, its prevention is likely to be at least partly possible. In order to determine interventions that would prevent or delay the onset of PD, modifiable risk factors for the disease have to be identified first. These risk factors could then be used as targets for intervention, and also population-based health education and intervention programs could be developed. Vascular risk factors, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes, are major risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) and maybe also for stroke. In recent years, several prospective studies have assessed the association of vascular risk factors and the risk of PD. In this review, we summarize current results about the role of vascular risk factors in the development of PD risk
Amplification of Complete HIV-1 Envelope Genes from Purified CD4+ T Cell Populations
Get PDFPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of full-length HIV-1 envelope genes directly from uncultured clinical samples or from plasma of HIV patients using RT-PCR or from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) DNA extracts of HIV patients is difficult. As HIV mainly infected CD4 positive cells, this paper first describes a sensitive method for the amplification of full-length HIV-1 envelope genes from purified CD4+ cells, and compares this method with other, less effective, procedures. This method were suitable for amplification of HIV-1 envelope genes directly from clinical samples especially from those of low viral load
MRI of Autistic Brain Structure and Function
Get PDFAutism is a complex development disorder defined by particular behaviors, with symptoms generally seen in three areas: deficient sociability, rigid behavior, and impaired communication skills. Early neuroimaging research focused on identifying anatomical differences between the brains of autistic versus non-autistic individuals. More recent work has emphasized the identification of functional brain areas involved in specific cognitive and social behaviors. Over the past decade, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has played a key role in quantifying characteristics of brain structures that possibly play roles in autism. MRI has proven extremely successful in providing functional information about brain activation and the functional connectivity of different brain regions, information that may help shed light on the neurophysiological complexities of autism etiology. [N A J Med Sci. 2009;2(2):44-47.
Being a Father and a Doctor
Get PDFWhen your 18 year old daughter becomes seriously ill, should you help the medical team or be uninvolved in her care? This is the dilemma I confronted in June 2008. My daughter was suffering from mysterious symptoms. It all started on a Tuesday morning the week of her 18th birthday. We were driving to my office together and she said something odd “Dad, my vision is blurry” Diana always had normal vision unlike her myopic Dad and brother. Fortunately, the ophthalmologist in our building was available that morning so she went for an exam that showed no significant abnormalities. Then she started to develop severe back pain. She appeared very restless and uncomfortable and started to cry. I suggested she go to the emergency room or see her pediatrician.........