ObjectiveTo explore the prevalence of thyroid nodules and metabolic syndrome,and to analyze the correlation between thyroid nodules and the components of metabolic syndrome.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 8 217 people in our hospital health check-up center.Height,body weight,blood pressure,blood glucose,lipid profile,and liver function were measured and ultrasonic scanning of thyroid was performed.Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to criteria of CDS/2004.Results ( 1 ) The prevalence of thyroid nodules was 42.1％.The prevalence in women (49.6％) was significantly higher than that in men( 38.4％,P＜0.01.),and it was progressively increased with aging in both sexes.(2) The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 21.7％.The prevalence in men( 28.5％ ) was significantly higher than that in women( 12.8％,P＜0.01 ),and was increased with age until 70 years old.( 3 ) Body mass index,systolic pressure,diastolic pressure,blood glucose,triglyceride in subject with thyroid nodules (TN) were higher than those in subjects without ( non-TN,P＜0.05 ).No difference in the levels of HDL-C was found between cases with TN and non-TN ( P＞0.05 ).(4) Logistic regression analysis revealed that the existence of thyroid nodules was significantly associated with overweight/obesity ( OR =1.263,95 ％ CI 1.134-1.407 ) after adjusting age and sex.Conclusion( 1 ) The prevalences of thyroid nodules and metabolic syndrome are high,and both prevalence increase with advancing age.(2) Obesity or overweight might be a risk factor for the development of thyroid nodules.

To investigate the effects of traditional Chinese compound recipe Yiqi Zengmin (YQZM) formula on expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in skeletal muscle of rats with type 2 diabetes induced by high-fat diet combined with low-dose-streptozotocin injection.

Objective:To study the efficacy and drug-related adverse reactions of long-term appli-cation of biological anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) to patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of AS patients who were followed-up for more than 5 years in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of Peking University Shenzhen Hospital. The patients treated with bDMARDs alone or combined with traditional antirheumatic drugs were included as the treatment group, while those who did not receive biological or non-biological antirheumatic therapy were included as the control group. The data collected included clinical sym-ptoms, inflammatory biomarkers, imaging results, drug applications and drug-related adverse reactions, etc. The counting data were tested by χ2 test, the measurement data in normal distribution was tested by t test, and the measurement data that not normally distributed was tested by Mann-Whitney U test. Paired test was used for statistical processing before and after treatment. Results:We collected the data of 114 eligible patients, including 64 in the treatment group and 50 in the control group. There were no significant differences in baseline data between the 2 groups, including mean follow-up time, course of disease, age, sex ratio, HLA-B27 positive rate, morning stiffness duration, night pain, peripheral arthritis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and imaging. After 5 years, patients in the treatment group had shorter morning stiffness [(3±7) min vs (26±37) min, t=4.827, P<0.01], lower nighttime pain rates [(3/64, 4.8%) vs (29/50,58.0%), χ2=38.329, P<0.01], lower ESR level [(14±14) mm/1 h vs (20±18) mm/1 h, t=2.102, P=0.038], lower CRP level [(7±8) mg/L vs (14±19) mg/L, t=2.431, P=0.017], and lower progression rate of sacroiliac arthritis [(18/64, 28.1%) vs (35/50, 70.0%), χ2=19.786, P<0.01], than the control group. The main drug-related adverse reactions in the treatment groupincluded reversible leucopenia, elevated transaminase level, redness and swelling at the injection site. Conclusion:Biologics treatment for more than 3 consecutive years can effectively control the clinical symptoms of most AS patients, reduce inflammatory indicators and delay the imaging progression of the sacroiliac joint. Without treatment, the imaging progress of the sacroiliac joint in AS patients could be 70% after 5 years.

Objective To analyze the effect of special risk exposures during periconception period on birth defects of newborns.Methods From Jul.to Dec.2013,the multi-stage stratified random sampling method was adopted.Women of childbearing age between 15 and 49 who were pregnant during 2010 to 2013 in Shaanxi Province were selected as study subjects for investigation on special risk factors exposed during periconception period.The Logistic regression model was adopted to analyze the association between newborns' birth defects and special risk exposures.Results The study included 30 010 women of childbearing age and 29 550 newborns with 572 (193.57/ 10 000) cases of birth defects.After adjusting for demographic factors,the risk factors for birth defects were drinking [OR=2.29,95％ CI (1.22,4.29)] and passive smoking [OR=1.25,95％ CI (1.02,1.53)] during periconception.There was a higher risk of birth defects when exposure to medicine [OR =1.64,95％ CI (1.04,2.61)],pesticides [OR =2.41,95％ CI (1.09,5.35)],biological risk factors [OR-1.64,95％ CI (1.05,2.56)],physical risk factors [OR=1.15,95％ CI (1.13,2.34)] and chemical risk factors [OR =2.36,95％ CI (1.36,4.11)] 3 months both before and after pregnancy.Similarly,after adjusting for demographic factors and behaviors,we found that birth defects were related to antibiotics,salicylates,and antitussive,which could increase the risk of birth defects (P＜0.05).Conclusion Exposure to passive smoking and drinking during periconception and exposure to medicines and pesticides,as well as biological,physical and chemical risk factors 3 months before and after pregnancy could increase the risk of birth defects in newborns.

Objective:To improve the sensitivity and the linear range of electrochemical immunosensor to detect Schistosoma japonicum (S.japonicum) antibody.Methods:Carbon inks and silver/silver chloride inks were printed on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) board to make a two-electrode test strip,where carbon was the working electrode and S.japonicum soluble egg antigen (SEA) was fixed at one end of working electrode by different methods; silver/silver chloride electrode was used as control.We tested the valency of the antibody by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in an electrochemistry workstation,and conducted comparison with the results of ELISA.Two new immunosensing electrodes have been developed,based on glutaraldehyde cross-linked (GA) or chitosan-glutaraldehyde cross-linked (Chit-GA) transducer fixing S.japonicum antigen.We tested the titer of the antibody by means of CV and DPV.Results:Our experimental S.japonicum antigen (50 μg/L) is the optimal test concentration for the GA sensor,and 10 μg/L for Chit-GA sensors.The immune reaction time of both electrodes is all essentially complete in 1 minute.The linear range for S.japonicura antibody in human positive serum sample detection by the glutaraldehyde cross-linked immunosensor is 1∶1000 to 1∶400,and by the chitosan-glutaraldehyde cross-linked immunosensor is 1∶1000 to 1∶500.As the concentration of dilution ratio of S.japonicum antibody in human positive serum sample increased,the test value of DPV increased proportionally.Conclusion:GA sensor and Chit-GA cross-linked S.japonicum sensors have high sensitivity and broad linear range response,and both exhibited a good linear relationship between the DPV signal and the test antibody titer.

The xylose reductase of Pichia stipitis is one of the most important enzymes. It can be used to build up recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain for utilizing xylose and producing ethanol. Intercellular redox imbalance caused by NADPH preference over NADH for Pichia stipitis xylose reductase (PsXR) has been considered to be one of the main factors for poor ethanol productivity. Some key amino acids of PsXR, which affect the activity or coenzyme preference, were investigated in our previous study. In this study, Lys21 were rational designed for site-directed mutagenesis to alter coenzyme specificity of PsXR from NADPH and NADH into single NADH. The wild gene and mutagenesis genes were ligated into pET28b, and were transferred into E.coli BL21(DE3). After induced by IPTG, the xylose reductases were purified. Purified mutants K21A (Lys21-->Ala), K21R(Lys21-->Arg) were characterized by steady-state kinetic analysis. The results showed that the coenzyme dependence of K21A was completely reversed to NADH.
Aldehyde Reductase ; metabolism ; Amino Acid Substitution ; genetics ; Coenzymes ; pharmacology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ethanol ; pharmacology ; Lysine ; genetics ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; NAD ; metabolism ; NADP ; metabolism ; Pichia ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombination, Genetic ; Xylose ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the epidemiological characteristics and to define some preventive strategies for fall injury (FI). METHODS: The medical records of patients admitted following a fall from a certain height between August 1996 and July 1997 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 138 patients were assessed, with a mortality of 31.2%. The male-to-female ratio was 3.5:1. The persons between 20 and 59 years old were the main victims (81.8%), of which 52.2% were related with their work altitude. The remaining adults fall because of, accidents in daily life, suicide attempts, drug abuse, alcohol, or criminal behavior. There were significant differences between the death group and the survival group in the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) and the Injury Severity Score (ISS) value (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Six children fall from balconies, open windows or roofs. There were significant differences for the height of fall and RTS value in aged group than those in children, adolescents, and adults (P<0.001, 0.005, 0.05; and P<0.05, 0.01, 0.05, respectively). The mortality of FI was significantly correlated to the height of fall (r=0.897, P<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Male adults are the main victims, especially the workers at high altitudes. The mortality of FI is significantly correlated to the height of fall. The preventive strategies developed through analyzing the risk factors of fall in different age groups might reduce the injuries and deaths following fall.

Objective To investigate the differential expression of P57kip2 and CDK5 in neural tube defects t(NTD) from the normal ,and provide the clue for the research of the molecular mechanism of the normal neurula formation .Methods A cDNA mi-croarray containing 1 100 known genes was used to compare differences in P57kip2 and CDK5 gene expression between the normal control group and the retinoic acid(RA)-induced NTD group on embryonic(E) day 9 .5 and 10 .5 .Two differentially expressed genes were randomly selected from the two groups for Northern blotting to verify the results of the cDNA microarray .Results Compared the differences of between P57kip2 and CDK5 in normal and E9 .5 d ,E10 .5 d ,E9 .5 d-NTD ,E10 .5 d-NTD ,P57kip2 and CDK5 expression was significantly up-regulated in the before and after the formation of the normal neurulation ,but them showed a downward trend in retinoic acid (RA)-induced NTD(including two phase E9 .5 d and E10 .5 d) .Conclusion P57kip2 and CDK5 in-volved in the physiological process of NTD ,and provide the useful clue for the research of the molecular mechanism of the normal neurula formation .

Objective To imitate the development process of new drugs with rutin as the model and to do multidiscipli-nary experiments of preparation and pharmacodynamics of rutin tablets .Methods Thin-layer chromatography was used to i-dentify rutin in Pagodatree flower bud .High-performance liquid chromatography was used for quantitative determination of ru-tin in Pagodatree flower bud and rutin products .The vasodilatation effect of rutin was investigated .The preparation of rutin tablets was completed .Results and Conclusion We completed the identification of Pagodatree flower bud ,extraction and puri-fication of rutin from Pagodatree flower bud ,the assay of rutin ,the pharmaco-dynamics study and the formulation of rutin tab-lets .The experiments helped the postgraduates to be familiar with the research process of new drugs and to improve their ex-perimental operation skills .

Objective:To explore the relative genes that may influence kidney aging and verify the expression of clock gene Arntl in aging kidney. Methods:The differentially expressed genes between C57BL/6 male aging mice (24 months old) group and young mice (3 months old) group were identified by whole transcriptome sequencing, and the enriched biological pathways and key proteins were analyzed by bioinformatics methods. RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to verify the mRNA and protein expression of Arntl.Results:(1) A total of 119 differentially expressed genes were screened between aging mice group and young mice group by whole transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in biological processes such as rhythmic process, circadian rhythm and circadian regulation of gene expression (all P<0.001). Protein-protein interaction analysis results showed that Nfil3, Hspa8, Arntl, Hlf, Rorc, Per3 and Npas2 and so on, were the key proteins in these differentially expressed genes. The results of RT-qPCR confirmed that the expression differences of clock genes Arntl, Nfil3, Npas2 and Per3 between aging mice group and young mice group were consistent with sequencing results (all P<0.05). (2) Compared with C57BL/6 young mice group and SAMR1 rapidly aging mice, the protein expression of Arntl in aging mice group and SAMP8 rapidly aging mice had downward trends. Conclusions:Clock genes and their circadian biological pathways may play an important role in the process of renal aging. The expression of Arntl in aging kidney has a downward trend.