Biomedical subjects

Ning Wu

Publications and source records attributed to Ning Wu.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

The effects of Ligustrazine on the expression of bFGF and bFGFR in bone marrow in radiation injured mice.

To study the expression of the bFGF and its receptor in the mouse bone marrow by treatment with acute radioactive injury and Ligustrazine, 56 mice were divided into 3 groups: normal group, radiation-injured group and Ligustrazine group. After irradiation by 6.0 Gy 60Co gamma-ray, each mouse was orally given 0.1 ml Ligustrazine twice a day for 13 days in Ligustrazine group, and each mouse in radiation injured group was orally given equal amount of saline. On the 3rd, 7th, 14th day after irradiation, bone marrow mono-nuclear cells (BMMNC) were counted, and the expression levels of bPGF and bFGFR in bone marrow were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry analysis respectively. On the 3rd, 7th, 14th day after irradiation, expression of bFGF in bone marrow were significantly lower than in normal group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Expressions of bFGF and bFGFR were much higher in Ligustrazine treated group than that in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Ligustrazine potentiate the expression of bFGF and bFGFR in bone marrow MNC to recover the bone marrow hematopoiesis inductive microenvironment, which is one of the mechanisms by which Ligustrazine rebuild the bone marrow hematopoiesis after acute radioactive injury.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

The problem of assessment bias when measuring the hospice effect on nursing home residents' pain.

This study examined the observed differential documentation of pain on nursing home (NH) resident assessments (minimum data sets [MDS]) when dying residents were and were not enrolled in hospice. We studied 9,613 NH residents who died in 6 states in 1999 and 2000. Documented pain was compared among three groups of residents who were categorized by their hospice exposure. At the time of their last MDS completion, residents in hospice were more likely to receive opioids for their moderate to severe pain than were non-hospice residents and residents enrolled in hospice after the last MDS assessments. However, hospice residents were twice as likely as non-hospice residents and 1.3 times as likely as residents who eventually enrolled in hospice to have pain documented. These counterintuitive findings suggest that there is differential documentation of pain on the MDS when hospice is involved in care, perhaps because of superior pain assessment by hospice.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

[Application of spiral CT and post-image processing technique in the staging of central lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To assess image processing techniques including multiplanar reconstruction (MPR), volume rendering technique (VRT) and spiral CT angiography (SCTA) in the staging of central lung cancer (CLC), with transverse image, pathology and findings on the operation table as comparison. METHODS: Forty-six suspected CLC received spiral CT examination, on basis of prospective randomization, by a Picker 6 000 scanner. Contrast medium was injected at a rate of 4 ml/s with a power injector. The study volume done in a single breath-hold was from the aortic arch to the inferior pulmonary veins, using 3-mm collimation, pitch of 1.0 and reconstruction at 1-mm interval. Six patients were excluded after operation. Transverse CT scans, MPR and VR images were studied in a double-blind way by 3 experienced radiologists, with the findings compared with the surgical and pathological results. RESULTS: Post-processing image was more accurate than transverse CT scan in T categories (95.7% vs 82.6%), chi(2) = 4.039, P = 0.044. Four cases of N3 category on transverse CT scans were not proved by surgical or pathological results. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rates in N categories were 75.0% (12/16), 26.9% (7/26) and 45.2% (19/42). The accuracy rate of staging was 58.7% (27/46) by transverse CT scans and 67.4% (31/46) by post-processing images (chi(2) = 0.746, P = 0.338). CONCLUSION: Post-processing image is more accurate than transverse image in T categorizing.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Forest gap characteristic in a coniferous-Picea likiangensis forest in the Yulong Snow Mountain Natural Reserve, Yunnan Province, China].

In this paper, some important parameters related to the gap disturbance regimes in a coniferous-Picea likiangensis forest in the Yulong Snow Mountain Natural Reserve, Yunnan Province were described. The results showed that expanded gaps occupied 42.5%, and canopy gaps occupied 28.8% of the land area in the forest. The frequency of gap disturbance was 35 gaps per hectares. There were 25% of small (gap area < 50 m2), 41% of middle (gap area 50-100 m2), and 34% of large (gap area > 100 m2) forest gaps. The most important manner of gap formation was the breakage at trunk base and its middle, and the secondly important manner was rotten. Gap maker in the forest was more than 80% of Picea likiangensis. The probability of making gaps was the greatest, when the big trees in the canopy layer got DBH 40-50 cm and height 15-25 m. Gaps formed by 1-2 gap makers was of 68.8%, and by 5 gap makers was seldom. The most of gap makers were 6 in a gap of the forest. The density of the seedlings in gap gradually increased with the forest gap from large to small.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗

PubMed2002

Crystal structures of inhibitor complexes reveal an alternate binding mode in orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase.

The crystal structures of the enzyme orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum complexed with its product UMP and the inhibitors 6-hydroxyuridine 5'-phosphate (BMP), XMP, and CMP are reported. A mutant version of the protein, in which four residues of the flexible phosphate-binding loop (180)Gly-Gly(190) were removed and Arg(203) was replaced by alanine, was also analyzed. The XMP and CMP complexes reveal a ligand-binding mode that is distinct from the one identified previously with the aromatic rings located outside the binding pocket. A potential pathway for ligand binding is discussed.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

PubMed2002

Mapping the active site-ligand interactions of orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase by crystallography.

The crystal structures of orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylases from four different sources have been published recently. However, the detailed mechanism of catalysis of the most proficient enzyme known to date remains elusive. As the ligand-protein interactions at the orotate binding site are crucial to the understanding of this enzyme, we mutated several of the residues surrounding the aromatic part of the substrate, individually and in combination. The ensuing effects on enzyme structure and stability were characterized by X-ray crystallography of inhibitor, product, or substrate complexes and by chemical denaturation with guanidine hydrochloride, respectively. The results are consistent with the residues K42D70K72D75B being charged and forming an 'alternate charge network' around the reactive part of the substrate. In addition to exerting charge-charge repulsion on the orotate carboxylate, Asp70 also makes a crucial contribution to enzyme stability. Consequently, orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylases seem to require the presence of a negative charge at this position for catalysis as well as for correct and stable folding.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Does receipt of hospice care in nursing homes improve the management of pain at the end of life?

OBJECTIVES: To compare analgesic management of daily pain for dying nursing home residents enrolled and not enrolled in Medicare hospice. DESIGN: Retrospective, comparative cohort study. SETTING: Over 800 nursing homes in Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, New York, and South Dakota. PARTICIPANTS: A subset of residents with daily pain near the end of life taken from a matched cohort of hospice (2,644) and nonhospice (7,929) nursing home residents who had at least two resident assessments (Minimum Data Sets (MDSs)) completed, their last between 1992 and 1996, and who died before April 1997. The daily pain subset consisted of 709 hospice and 1,326 nonhospice residents. MEASUREMENTS: Detailed drug use data contained on the last MDS before death were used to examine analgesic management of daily pain. Guidelines from the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) were used to identify analgesics not recommended for use in managing chronic pain in long-term care settings. The study outcome, regular treatment of daily pain, examined whether patients received any analgesic, other than those not recommended by AMDA, at least twice a day for each day of documented daily pain (i.e., 7 days before date of last MDS). RESULTS: Fifteen percent of hospice residents and 23% of nonhospice residents in daily pain received no analgesics (odds ratio (OR) = 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.45-0.74). A lower proportion of hospice residents (21%) than of nonhospice residents (29%) received analgesics not recommended by AMDA (OR = 0.65, 95% CI =0.52-0.80). Overall, acetaminophen (not in combination with other drugs) was used most frequently for nonhospice residents (25% of 1,673 prescriptions), whereas morphine derivatives were used most frequently for hospice residents (30% of 1,058 prescriptions). Fifty-one percent of hospice residents and 33% of nonhospice residents received regular treatment for daily pain. Controlling for clinical confounders, hospice residents were twice as likely as nonhospice residents to receive regular treatment for daily pain (adjusted odds ratio = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.68-2.56). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that analgesic management of daily pain is better for nursing home residents enrolled in hospice than for those not enrolled in hospice.The prescribing practices portrayed by this study reveal that many dying nursing home residents in daily pain are receiving no analgesic treatment or are receiving analgesic treatment inconsistent with AMDA and other pain management guidelines. Improving the analgesic management of pain in nursing homes is essential if high-quality end-of-life care in nursing homes is to be achieved.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

[Abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes in non-Hodgkin lymphoma: the nodal distribution in Chinese patients].

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution of abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes involved in non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Chinese patients. METHODS: CT images of 241 non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients with abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes involved were reviewed. Of them, 96 patients whose clinical and image data fulfilled the requirements of the analysis were included: 1. Positive abdominal and/or pelvic nodular lesion in untreated patients examined by CT (n = 74). 2. New lesions in abdominal or pelvic lymph nodes who never had any nodular lesion by previous abdominal and/or pelvic CT (n = 14). 3. Treated patients who did not have abdominal and/or pelvic CT before, showed regression of initial disease for at lease 6 months after chemotherapy and patients showing abdominal and/or pelvic nodal lesions (n = 8) were assessed. In accordance with Clinical Schema for the Lymphoid System, these patients were divided into 3 histology subtypes: indolent (IL; n = 31), aggressive (AL; n = 61) and very aggressive (VAL; n = 2) lymphoma. The remaining 2 cases were unclassified (UCL). Both abdominal and pelvic CT scans were undertaken in 46 patients, abdominal CT only in 47 patients and pelvic CT only in 3 patients. Enhanced CT with i.v. contrast was obtained in 80 patients. The anatomic sites involved were designated as retroperitoneal (i.e. paraaortic), mesenteric, abdominal (i.e. celiac, paracardiac, gastrohepatic, and hepatic hilar, etc), retrocrural, subdiaphragmatic, common iliac, internal iliac, external iliac, and inguinal nodes, respectively. RESULTS: The lesions were located in the retroperitoneum, with an incidence of 83% for both IL and AL. These were predominantly seen superior and inferior to the renal hila, with incidences of 72.0% (18/25) in IL and 67.3% (33/49) in AL. Pelvic lymph nodes came the next, with incidences of 41.9% (126/301 sites of IL and AL), 57.5% (50/87 sites) in IL and 35.5% (76/214 sites) in AL. Mesenteric lymph nodes stood third with incidences of 37.1% (33/89 IL and AL), 43.3% (13/30) in IL and 33.9% (20/59) in AL. There was only one statistically significant evidence that the external iliac lymph nodes were much more commonly seen in IL than in AL (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In Chinese patients, retroperitoneal, iliac, and mesenteric nodes are the most commonly involved lymph nodes in NHL. The involved retroperitoneal lymph nodes are predominantly located superior and inferior to the renal hila. The anatomic distribution of abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes in NHL of Chinese patients is different from that of the western countries.

Abdomen↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mediastinal lymphangiohemangioma communicating with the left innominate vein.

The CT manifestation of lymphangiohemangioma in a 17-year-old boy is reported. A mass composed of the central malformed, dilated venous channels and peripheral unenhanced soft tissue was revealed in the anterior mediastinum. The venous feeding enhancement of the mass is very characteristic. The diagnosis of lymphangiohemangioma was made by pathologic study of the surgical specimen.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lung nodule detection on chest CT: evaluation of a computer-aided detection (CAD) system.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the capacity of a computer-aided detection (CAD) system to detect lung nodules in clinical chest CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 210 consecutive clinical chest CT scans and their reports were reviewed by two chest radiologists and 70 were selected (33 without nodules and 37 with 1-6 nodules, 4-15.4 mm in diameter). The CAD system (ImageChecker CT LN-1000) developed by R2 Technology, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) was used. Its algorithm was designed to detect nodules with a diameter of 4-20 mm. The two chest radiologists working with the CAD system detected a total of 78 nodules. These 78 nodules form the database for this study. Four independent observers interpreted the studies with and without the CAD system. RESULTS: The detection rates of the four independent observers without CAD were 81% (63/78), 85% (66/78), 83% (65/78), and 83% (65/78), respectively. With CAD their rates were 87% (68/78), 85% (66/78), 86% (67/78), and 85% (66/78), respectively. The differences between these two sets of detection rates did not reach statistical significance. In addition, CAD detected eight nodules that were not mentioned in the original clinical radiology reports. The CAD system produced 1.56 false-positive nodules per CT study. The four test observers had 0, 0.1, 0.17, and 0.26 false-positive results per study without CAD and 0.07, 0.2, 0.23, and 0.39 with CAD, respectively. CONCLUSION: The CAD system can assist radiologists in detecting pulmonary nodules in chest CT, but with a potential increase in their false positive rates. Technological improvements to the system could increase the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of pulmonary nodules and reduce these false-positive results.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗