Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) is a specific receptor of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) expressed in endothelial cells. It is a type Ⅱ single-chain transmembrane protein and belongs to C-type lectin family. LOX-1 leads to the injury of endothelial cells by mediating oxLDL, and plays a role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, hypertension, thrombosis. This article reviews the association between LOX-1 and atherosclerosis.

In order to offer the theoretical basis of preventing and treating rickets as well as providing information on scientific feeding, a case-control study of 300 infants, less than 24 months of age diagnosed by multiple means was undertaken to investigate the risk factors of infantile rickets in Beijing urban districts. The results showed that the occurrence of infantile rickets was related to maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy, certain birth circumstance, insufficient sunlight exposure and unsuitable feedings. Thus,a concerted policy of systematic management involving early prevention and treatment should be emphasized.

Weanling rats were divided randomly into two groups: taurine (0.6%) Supplemented group (ST) and taurine-free group (TF) . The water maze was used to measure the effect of the taurine on the ability of learning and remembrance of the rats. Cell culture method was used to investigate the effect of taurine and zinc on fibrocellular proliferation. The results indicated that the ability of learning and remembrance of ST rats were significantly higher than that of the TF rats. The rats of ST group had significantly higher weight of whole brain, cerebral and cerebellum, cerebral zinc, copper, iron and free animo acids than those of the TF. The results of cell culture tests showed that fibroblast could grow very well in 10% calf serum medium even taurine was not added to the medium. However, they would not grow as well as when low level taurine was added.The response was a dose-dependent manner, reaching the maximum at 800?M. But cells viability decreases to 80% of the controls at 51mM taurine. Nevertheless, if a combination of tau-rine and zinc was added, there was a striking inhibitive effect on cell proliferation and showed dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that taur-ine-Zn/taurine might act as a regulator in human cell proliferation.From the above results, it is suggested that taurine may play an important role in brain development.

Objective To identify the factors related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) prognosis in a retrospective study.Methods One hundred and six patients were evaluated with ALS enrolled in our hospital from January 1994 to December 2004.The patients were monitored with a standard evaluation form,which recorded clinical features,function rating scale (FRS) and forced vital capacity (FVC) every 3 or 6 months from visit to death or having tracheostomy.Results Mean age at onset was (52.1±10.5) years.According to revised El Escorial diagnostic criteria (EEDC),52 patients had definite ALS,37 probable ALS,17 possible ALS.The median survival time from symptom onset was 35 months (95% CI 30-40 months).In the univariate analysis,survival was significantly related to lesion site,lag time from onset to diagnosis and predicted FVC at diagnosis (Log rank 6.84,43.30,4.78,all P < 0.05).In the Cox multivariate model,lag time from onset to diagnosis was significantly related to survival (Wald 20.221,hazard ratio 0.351,P<0.05).Age,sex,EEDC classification,FRS at diagnosis were not related to survival.Conclusion Lag time from onset to diagnosis is a strong predictor of survival,which suggests that progression rate is highly related to survival and further study is needed.

Objective To investigate the progression rate and prognosis of spinal decompression surgery after the onset of symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS).Methods A total of 329consecutive patients with deftnite or probable ALS were enrolled in the study.The patients were recorded with clinical features,history of spinal surgery,etc. Some of the patients were monitored every 3 months from visit to death or tracheostomy.Results Of 329 typical sporadic ALS,we found cervical spondylosis in 156(47.4%)patients,among whom 19(5.8%)underwent decompressive spinal surgery.No differences were noted regarding age at symptom onset,Sex and ALSFRS-R at time of diagnosis between ALS patients who underwent spinal surgery and other ALS patients.But the time from symptom onset to diagnosis was significantly longer in patients with spinal surgery((23.0±6.5)months vs(13.7±7.9)months,t=4.800,P=0.000).In the folow-up study,there were no differences in the rate of disease progression and survival between 2 groups.Conclusions All patients have inevitably progressed after spinal surgery.Although the surgery does not obviously fasten disease progression rate and shorten survival,it prolongs the time from disease onset to diagnosis,therefore should be handled with caution in patients with concurrent ALS and cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Wheezing is the most common respiratory disease in children.In recent years,the incidence of childhood wheezing showed an upward trend,the hot topic in the current study is how to draw up a rational and effective treatment to reduce wheezing.This paper summarized the latest research progress of pathogenic factors,clinical classifi-cation,pathogenesis and prevention strategies in childhood wheezing.It aimed to provide a theoretical basis for early diagnosis and individual treatment for children with wheezing diseases.

In cooperation with a District Health Station of Beijing, 13 nurseries were selected for the study of the practice of diet planning. At the beginning, the health workers of the selected nurseries -were gathered together at the station to attend a short-term class. Lectures were given on the basic knowledge of child nutrition, the methods of dietary survey and diet planning, i.e. using the proper amount of the cheaper but more nutritive foods to make essentially balanced diets according to the RDA. The health workers of the nurseries meet and comunicate once a month at the health station to calculate the monthly food consumption and the average daily intake of the nutrients of the children in the past month and to make plan for the next month. The body weight of the children were measured every month and the height at three months intervals. The data collected in 12 months were summarized. The results indicated that the yearly average intake of most nutrients by the children increased and their collective growth level in weight and height increased correspondingly during the one year period of diet planning without any increase of the boarding expense of the children.

In the early days, the standards for body height and weight of man were usually derived from the anthropometric data of retrospective studies, and the growth standards for children were also constructed from data of the same nature. The population thus measured consisted of the so-called "normals", i.e. excluding the anatomical abnormals and those with apparent chronic diseases. It is evident that the body size, particularly the height, of most of the boys and girls measured might not have attained their optimal stage.It is well recognized now that, within the limits of heredity, the body size of man is strongly influenced by the environment in which he lives, and the nutritive value of the diet plays an important role on growth. So, in nowadays, in the construction of growth standards, emphasis is placed on measuring children living under favorable conditions and in optimal nutritional state.Chin and co-workers published (1957) their data of measurement of nearly 3,000 carefully selected children, from birth to 7 years with known backgrounds as stated above. This seems, therefore, to be the most suitable material for constructing a growth standard for preschool children.The method of construction is as follows: Chin's growth curves of height and weight and the corresponding S.D. curves were smoothed out in order to obtain the "ideal" growth curves of the children measured. From such smooth curves, the corrected average value of heights and weights of each age group were read off. The distances between each two age groups were all 1 month from birth to 7 years.For the convenience of evaluating the growth level of an individual child, the following scheme is proposed: it consists of 6 levels, namely: Level A (high): (M + 2S) and aboveB (middle high); (M + 2S) - (M + 1S)C (upper middle); (M + 1S) -(M)D (lower middle); (M) -(M-1S)E (middlelow); (M - 1S)-(M-2S)F (low); (M-2S) and belowWhere M is the mean value of height or weight, and S is the corresponding S.D. value.By using these figures, a "Table of the growth levels of children from birth to age 7" is constructed. Such a table may be used for the evaluation of the growth levels of both individual child and the "collective growth level" of a group of institutional children, i.e. in nurseries or kindergartens. To complete the later procedure, the percentages of the number of children who fall in each level (irrespective of sex and age) are calculated on the basis of the total number of children measured in an institution. By summing up the percentage value of levels A, B, and C (the sum is used as an index) one may easily judge the "collective growth level" of the group of children in such an institution.

In this study the nutritive value of 4 kinds of weaning foods containing soyflour were measured by chemical and animals experiments. The 4 experimental weaning foods were:1.This formula was developed by the Institute of Health collaborating the First Food Factory of Beijing. It was produced by the Factory and the trade name is "Baobao Le" The soybean was processed by the infra-red light.2.This formula was recommended by UNICEF (Formula No. 5). Soybean flour was treatded with the extruded method.3.This formula was the same as No. 2 (UNICEF Formula No. 5). In which the soybean was wet-heat treated. No. 2 and 3 samples were produced by Wu Xi Light Industry College.4.This formula was developed by the Institute of Shanghai Food Industry as formula D. Puffed soybean flour was used.The 2 control foods were:5.This formula was based on formula "5410". The sample was made by the First Food Factory of Beijing (trade name, "Nutritive Baby Powder").6.Infant Milk Powder, produced by the Child Milk Factory of Shuang Cheng Xian, Hei Long Jiang Province, cow's milk powder was used as the main source of protein. The protein content of the products were:No. 1 and 4, 19.0%, equal to the protein requirement for weaning foods; No.2 and 3, 15.8%, lower than No.1 and 4; Infant Milk Powder, 15.1%; Nutritive Baby Powder, 17.0%.From the results of the animal experiment on weaning rats with respect to growth, after 9 weeks of feeding, the average body weight of control group 5 and 6 increased by 185.8 and 180.5g respectively, which were significantly higher than 146.7 and 150.4g of the experimental groups No. 1 and 4. While the increased body weight of No. 1 and 4 were higher than group 2 and 3 (79.8g and 113.1g respectively). The increase of body lengths were of the same order of the 6 groups as that in body weight.Blood hemoglobin values were all normal (control groups 13.4 and 13.9g per 100 ml; experimental groups 13.9, 14.2, 13.0 and 13.0g).The weight of pancreas in the 4 experimental groups were all normal. It showed that the activity of trypsin inhibitor had been destroyed. Weights of thyroid of the rats were all within the normal range except group 1,2,3, which were a little bit heavier. Potassium iodide was.added into formula 1,2 and 3, to prevent hyperthyroidism but since potassium iodide is easily to evaporate, so it would be perferable to use potassium iodate instead.The above results indicated that the growth promoting effect of the 4 weaning foods is lower than the two baby powder, but they are good weaning foods for baby after six months. "Baobao Le" and formula No 6 are much better.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the current situation and epidemiological features of syphilis among inpatients in our hospital since 2003.METHODS This study was retrospective.The data were obtained from the inpatients′ files from Jan 2003 to May 2006,All patients with syphilis were analyzed with epidemiological methods.RESULTS Of the 127 586 inpatients screened for syphilis,740(0.58%) were positive,in which 13 were congenital syphilis,371 were latent syphilis and 356 were dominant syphilis.The yearly syphilis positive rate steadily increased,especially the proportion of latent syphilis,being higher among male(0.70%) than female(0.49%)(OR=1.47).The syphilis positive rate of the elder was higher than that of the younger.The syphilis occurred in all departments and all age groups.CONCLUSIONS There is a need for a routine syphilis screening among all inpatients in order to prevent the misdiagnosis of syphilis among them,especially for the latent syphilis.This could be benefit for the latent syphilis patients to get treatment earlier and minimize the spreading of syphilis.