Effect of sodium hyaluronate in treating fungal corneal ulcer

AIM: To retrospectively analyze the effects of sodium hyaluronate in treating fungal corneal ulcer.<p>METHODS: Since June, 2006, there were 178 patients(178 eyes)with fungal corneal ulcer receiving medical treatment in our hospital. Among them, 81 patients(81 eyes)as the control group received the traditional antifungal treatment with the natamycin and fluconazole being the major medicine, from June 2006 to June 2008. While, 97 patients(97 eyes)as the treatment group received sodium hyaluronate treatment based on traditional antifungal treatment during the period of June 2008 to March 2010. Effects of two therapeutic methods were compared and analyzed. <p>RESULTS: Of the 97 cases in the treatment group, the average hospital stay was: 14.15±4.23d, with 90 cases(92.8%)cured, 5 cases(5.2%)improved, 2 cases(2.1%)ineffective, the final visual acuity of 51.6% patients better than 0.3. Of the 81 cases in the control group, average hospital stay was: 17.26±6.23d, with 69 cases(85.2%)cured, 7 cases(8.6%)improved, 5 cases(6.2%)ineffective, the final visual acuity of 39.5% patients better than 0.3. After statistical analysis, the average hospital stay, the cure rate, the effective rate and the final visual acuity in both groups showed statistically significant difference(<i>P</i><0.05). The average hospital stay of the treatment group was shorter than that of the control group, while the cure rate and effective rate and the final visual acuity was better than that of the control group.<p>CONCLUSION: Sodium hyaluronate can promote fungal corneal ulcer healing, improve the cure rate and reduce the formation of corneal scar

Effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on behavior and structural changes in myelin in experimental rat autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Purpose: To investigate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) transplantation on behavior and structural changes in myelin of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in rats.Methods: Wistar rats were randomly assigned to normal control, EAE, placebo injection treatment, and MSCs treatment. EAE, placebo injection treatment and MSCs treatment groups were further divided into six groups, i.e., 1-day, 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, 21-day, and 28-day post-onset. Changes in the diseasestatus of the rats and structural changes in myelin at different time points were assessed with silver staining.Results: Behavioral changes peaked between 13 to 17 days post-immunization (71.90 % incidence), while disease symptoms peaked between 3 and 5 days after onset, were sustained for about 7 days, and then eased gradually thereafter. The highest therapeutic scores and the entire course of the disease in EAE and placebo treatment groups were not significantly different (p &gt; 0.05). However, in MSC treatment group, these parameters were significantly lower than in the above two groups (p &lt; 0.05). In EAE and placebo treatment groups, myelin sheath lesions were obvious from day 3 to 7 but on day 14, the number of myelin sheath fragments decreased significantly. Recovery at different time points was also better than those in EAE and placebo treatment groups.Conclusion: MSC transplantation shortens the course of EAE, and also reduces its severity. Thus, it has some prospects for use in the management of EAE.Keywords: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, Autoimmune encephalomyelitis, Transplantation, Myeli

A New Business Model of Electronic Commerce with Innovative Strategies

There are a lot of problems that make the business of electronic stores very difficult, especially for those firms that lack the required expertise and resources for running an electronic business. This study proposes a new business model of electronic commerce (EC), which aims to tackle those problems and help enterprises run electronic stores well. This model applies the franchise system of chain store, a very successful modern business model, to the management of electronic stores to take advantage of the chain’s competitive power by integrating individual affiliate sites as a whole. There are eight components in the model. Implementation strategies of the model, which are quite different from those generic strategies commonly used in implementing business models, are also proposed. The feasibility of the model and its implementation strategies were validated using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT), the case study, and the questionnaire survey approaches. Finally, practical implications for applying the model are discussed, and directions for further study are also suggested

1-Benzoyl-3-chloro­azepan-2-one

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C13H14ClNO2, inter­molecular C—H⋯O inter­actions link the mol­ecules into a two-dimensional network

3-Chloro­azepan-2-one

In the title compound, C6H10ClNO, an inter­mediate for the production of lysine, there are intra­molecular C—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds

Hydrogen Generation from Al-NiCl2/NaBH4 Mixture Affected by Lanthanum Metal

The effect of La on Al/NaBH4 hydrolysis was elaborated in the present paper. Hydrogen generation amount increases but hydrogen generation rate decreases with La content increasing. There is an optimized composition that Al-15 wt% La-5 wt% NiCl2/NaBH4 mixture (Al-15 wt% La-5 wt% NiCl2/NaBH4 weight ratio, 1 : 3) has 126 mL g−1 min−1 maximum hydrogen generation rate and 1764 mL g−1 hydrogen generation amount within 60 min. The efficiency is 88%. Combined with NiCl2, La has great effect on NaBH4 hydrolysis but has little effect on Al hydrolysis. Increasing La content is helpful to decrease the particle size of Al-La-NiCl2 in the milling process, which induces that the hydrolysis byproduct Ni2B is highly distributed into Al(OH)3 and the catalytic reactivity of Ni2B/Al(OH)3 is increased therefore. But hydrolysis byproduct La(OH)3 deposits on Al surface and leads to some side effect. The Al-La-NiCl2/NaBH4 mixture has good stability in low temperature and its hydrolytic performance can be improved with increasing global temperature. Therefore, the mixture has good safety and can be applied as on board hydrogen generation material

Trace amounts of copper induce neurotoxicity in the cholesterol-fed mice through apoptosis

AbstractEvidence has been gathered to suggest that trace amounts of copper induce neurotoxicity by interaction with elevated cholesterol in diet. Copper treatment alone showed no significant learning and memory impairments in behavioral tasks. However, copper-induced neurotoxicity was significantly increased in mice given elevated-cholesterol diet. Trace amounts of copper decreased the activity of SOD and increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain of cholesterol-fed mouse. Copper also caused an increase in amyloid precursor protein (APP) mRNA level and the activation of caspase-3 in the brain of cholesterol-fed mice. The apoptosis-induced nuclear DNA fragmentation was detected in the brain of those mice by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling staining. These findings suggest that trace amounts of copper induce neurotoxicity in cholesterol-fed mice through apoptosis caused by oxidative stress

Biochemical, haematological and histopathological studies of extract of Ageratum conyzoides L. in Sprague Dawley rats

This study was conducted to evaluate the safety potential of the leaf extract of Ageratum conyzoides Linnaeus in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats using biochemical, haematological and histological indices of toxicity. Four groups of seven male SD rats per group were used for the study. To group A was administered 0.25% CMC-Na/ kg body weight and was used as the control group, while groups B, C and D were respectively administered with 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg body weight of the ethanolic leaf extract of A. conyzoides by gastric intubation for 14 days. Animals were subsequently anaesthetized, blood samples were collected for biochemical and haematological assays; organs were isolated and weighed, while the liver, kidney and spleen were processed for histopathological studies. Aspartate amino transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and alkaline phosphatase were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the groups treated with 1000 and 1500 mg/kg body weight of the extract. Furthermore, there was a significant (p < 0.05) elevation in white blood cell count, mean platelet volume and % platelet distribution width. Histopathological studies indicated various degrees of hepatocellular necrosis in all the treated groups accompanied by significant increases in the weight of liver and spleen. The results showed that the ethanolic leaf extract of A. conyzoides significantly alters the biomarkers of cardiac and skeletal muscle disorders, and higher doses could induce liver cell injury