Objective:To investigate middle school students' parent-related fears of poor performance on im- portant examinations in the United Stated and China.Methods:The“Failure Outcome Expectancy (FOE)”inventory was used to measure students' perceptions of test anxiety in a sample of 1,215 public middle school students,ages 14and 15.Results:The findings indicated that students in different countries reported similar trends in the reasons for their parent-related test anxiety including student worries with respect to confidence about admission to higher institu- tions,and student contributions to parental annoyances in relation to academic achievement.However,cross-cultural differences revealed that Chinese students reported significantly expectations,or the potential for annoying their par- ents than American students.American students reported a significantly stronger preoccupation about their capacity to face challenges in life than Chinese students.Additionally,gender differences were more significant in the western culture of the United States than in China.American female students reported stronger perceptions on seven items of parent-related causes of their test anxiety than Chinese female students.Chinese male students reported stronger pre- occupation only on two items than their American counterpart.Conclusion:Chinese and American students have similar trends in the reasons for their parent-related test anxiety.There are also culture difference and gender differ- ence in this problem.

Adult ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Air Pollution, Indoor ; statistics & numerical data ; Hong Kong ; Noise, Occupational ; statistics & numerical data ; Restaurants ; statistics & numerical data ; Temperature

Objective To investigate the potential of chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML) cell line KCL22 in indu-cing leukemia in NOD-SCID mice for setting up a basis for constructing a CML mouse transplantation tumor model. Methods 2 ×107 KCL22 cells in logarithmic growth phase were injected via the tail vein into experimental NOD-SCID mice whereas PBS was injected to the mice of control group.General condition of the mice of both groups was observed.Wright staining was used to observe the changes of blood and bone marrow smears.PCR was conducted to detect the transcription level of BCR-ABL, and histology with HE staining was used to evaluate the tumor cell invasion in the liver and spleen. Results Four weeks after the injection of KCL22 cells, the mice in experimental group showed physical signs of decreased reactivity, depression, swollen hindlimb muscles and petechia on the hindlimb femur.Peripheral white blood cells ( WBC) began to increase after 5 weeks, with a significantly increased quantity compared with the control group (P<0.05).Imma-ture granulocytes could be seen in blood and bone marrow smears, and tumor cell infiltration was found in the liver and spleen.BCR-ABL was highly expressed in bone marrow cells.Survival time of the experimental mice without therapy was 70 days, significantly shorter than that in the control group ( >90 days) (P<0.05).Conclusions A NOD-SCID mouse model of CML transplantation tumor is successfully established with leukemia KCL22 cells.

Objective To construct BCR-ABL SH3-T79Y mutant recombinant adenovirus vectors and investigate its effects on apoptosis of K562/G01 cells.Methods SH3-T79Y mutant was amplified by overlapping PCR with pMig210 as template and cloned into recombinant adenovirus vectors .After identifying , packaging and amplifying , the recombinant adenovirus vectors containing SH 3-T79Y mutant was collected .Recombinant adenovirus vectors were transferred into K562/G01 cells.Then transfection efficiency was determinated , changes of cell morphology were observed by Wright 's staining , cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry , BCR-ABL and CrkL phospho-rylation was detected by Western blot .Results The vectors were successfully constructed .Transfection efficiency was more than 80%after transferring into K562/G01 cells for 72 h;there was obvious apoptosis phenomenon , cell apoptosis significantly increased to 32.46% compared with the control groups ( P<0.05 ) , BCR-ABL and CrkL phosphorylation significantly decreased and so did the expression of BCR-ABL( P<0.05 ) .Conclusions Success-fully constructed the SH 3-T79 Y mutant recombinant adenovirus vectors and it may promote the apoptosis of K 562/G01 cells by inhibiting BCR-ABL and CrkL phosphorylation .

Objective To develope a new Real-time quantitative PCR assay using SYBR green as fluorescence reporter, which is rapid, specific, sensitive, cheap and accurate for the detection of mycoplasma pneumoniae(MP), and evaluated its clinical application value.Methods The sequence of the 23S rRNA gene in MP type strain FH was selected as amplified regions, and specific primers were designed.Then the related plasmids were extracted as standards,and the absolute quantitative standard curve was established.The sensitivity ,specificity of the fluorescence quantitative PCR assay was compared with the nest-PCR and kit;To calculate correlation coefficient, coincidence rate and kappa coefficient, clinical samples were detected using above-mentioned methods and cultivation,respectively.Results The detection sensitivity of the new real-time PCR and nest-PCR was 10 copies of FH DNA,while the kit 100 copies.In the specificity tests,the MP sample was positive,while mycoplasma hominis and other four bacteria were all negative.We applied this real-time PCR assay ,nest-PCR, kit and cultivation to 182 clinical specimens, and the detection rates were 55.49％, 52.75％, 47.25％ and 39.01％ ,respectively.The total consistency rate and Kappa coefficient of the new real-time PCR method and nest-PCR were 89.6％ ,0.790, respectively;while those of the new method and cultivation were 83.5 ％ ,0.678, respectively.The total consistency rate and Kappa coefficient of the new real-time PCR method and the kit were 89.6％ ,0.792,respectively;and the correlation coefficient of these two methods was 0.923,P ＜ 0.001.Conclusion Compared with other methods, the new real-time PCR assay could be used to detect mycoplasma pneumoniae quickly and economically, with high sensitivity and specificity ,revealing great utility value on varied instrumentation platforms.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of IFNα combined with mannan peptide in treatment of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B ( CHB ). Methods Eighty HBeAg-positive CHB patients with HBV DNA quantity ranging from 10 to 10 eopies/mL were enrolled and randomized into the treatment group and the control group ( n = 40 for each ). Patients in treatment group were given daily subcutaneous injection of IFNα-2b 5,000,000 U for 52 weeks, and received mannan peptide 10 mg per intravenous injection or 2. 5 mg per intramuscular injection for a total of 2 to 3 treatment courses (12 weeks for each). The control group received only IFNα-2b treatment. Liver function, serum markers of hepatitis B, HBV DNA quantity and blood tests were performed before the treatment and at 2, 4, 8, 16, 26 and 52-week during the treatment; and the adverse effects were recorded. Results The rates for ALT normalization, negative HBsAg, negative HBeAg, HBeAg seroconversion and negative HBV DNA were 91. 8% , 17. 5% , 52. 5% , 27. 5 % and 47. 5% at 52nd week in the treatment group, while those in the control group were 80. 0% , 12. 5% , 30. 0% , 10. 0 % and 25. 0% , respectively. There were significant differences in HBeAg-negative, HBeAg-seroeonversion and HBV DNA-negative rates between two groups (χ2 = 4. 178, 4.021 and 4.381, P < 0. 05 ) , and these indexes in the treatment group were increased to 57. 5% , 30. 0% and 50. 0 respectively at 52nd week after drug withdraw. White blood cells began to be elevated at 4th week and were restored to the normal levels at 8th week in the treatment group, while the count in the control was lower than the normal value even at 52nd week of the treatment with the average of (3.45±1. 18)×109/L. Conclusion Alpha-interferon combined with mannan peptide therapy is effective for patients with HBeAg-positive CHB, which may restore the declined peripheral WBC counts induced by interferon and improve the compliance.

OBJECTIVETo study the selective dilatation effects of iptakalim (Ipt) on basilar and pulmonary arterioles, and endothelial cell function of these arterioles in hypoxic rats.

METHODSSD male rats were divided into 2 groups:control and hypoxic group fed in normobaric hypoxic environment (O2 7.8%, 8 h). Arteriole rings about (204 + 5) pm were isolated and the tension of hypoxic arterioles pre-contracted by 6 nmol/L endothelin-1 (ET-1) was observed with wire myograph system model (DMT 610 m). The relaxing response of hypoxic arterioles induced by different concentration of Ipt were detected and endothelial activity was also tested by acetylcholine.

RESULTS10(5) mol/L acetylcholine (ACh)-mediated vasodilatation of basilar and pulmonary arterioles was greatly reduced in the hypoxic group than those in control group (P < 0.05). Compared with normal group, a novel ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener Ipt at the concentration ranging from 10(-11) mol/L to 10(3) mol/L, caused stronger dose dependent vasodilatation on hypoxic pulmonary arterioles, and there was no significant difference between control and hypoxic basilar arterioles.

CONCLUSIONThe endothelial function of basilar and pulmonary arterioles was damaged under hypoxic state, and Ipt selectively increased dilatation effects on hypoxic pulmonary arterioles, but not on hypoxic basilar arterioles which could improve high altitude pulmonary edema pathological state and be the novel drug in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

Acetylcholine ; pharmacology ; Altitude ; Altitude Sickness ; physiopathology ; Animals ; Arterioles ; drug effects ; Dilatation ; Endothelin-1 ; pharmacology ; Hypoxia ; KATP Channels ; drug effects ; Male ; Propylamines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Vasodilation ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology

Objective To evaluate the impact of three to four cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) on the survival of patients with N2-N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods The clinical data of 915 patients with T1-4N2-3M0 NPC from 2007 to 2010 were retrospectively analyzed.A total of 179 patients treated with 3-4 cycles of NACT (NACT≥3 group) were matched with 358 patients treated with 2 cycles of NACT (NACT=2 group) and 179 patients treated without NACT (NACT =0 group,concurrent chemoradiotherapy group) for age,N stage,pathological subtype,and NACT regimen.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall survival (OS),disease-free survival (DFS),recurrence-free survival (RFS),and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates,the log-rank test was used for survival difference analysis and univariate prognostic analysis,and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis.Results For the NACT≥ 3,NACT =2,and NACT =0 groups,the 5-year OS rates were 89.4％,81.6％,and 73.7％,respectively (P=O.000),the 5-year DFS rates were 83.2％,69.8％,and 64.2％,respectively (P=O.000),the 5-year RFS rates were 86.0％,76.0％,and 69.3％,respectively (P=0.001),and the 5-year DMFS rates were 86.6％,76.0％,and 68.3％,respectively (P=0.000).Three to four cycles of NACT was an independent protective factor for OS,DFS,RFS,and DMFS in patients with N2-N3 NPC.Conclusion Three to four cycles of NACT can significantly improve the survival of patients with N2-N3 NPC.

Objective To study the effects of ?2-adrenergic receptor gene Arg16Gly polymorphism on blood lipid and apolipoprotein ratio and its role in blood lipid and apolipoprotein ratio mediated by high carbohydrate/low fat (HC/LF) diet in healthy young persons.Methods Fifty-six healthy young volunteers had regular diet for 7 d followed by HC/LF diet for 6 d.Twelve-hour fasting venous blood samples were collected on days 1,8 and 14 to measure blood lipid and apolipoprotein (apo) AI and B100 levels,and to calculate ratios of TG/HDL-C,log (TG/HDL-C),TC/HDL-C,LDL-C/HDL-C and apoAI/apoB100.DNA was isolated from genome.Arg16Gly polymorphism was analyzed by PCR-RFLP.Results No significant difference was found in the baseline lipid and apolipoprotein ratio in subjects with AA genotype and G carriers before and after regular or HC/LF diet.The ratios of TG/HDL-C (P=0.017),log (TG/HDL-C) (P=0.031),and apoAI/apoB100 (P=0.006) were significantly higher,while those of TC/HDL-C (P=0.001) and LDL-C/HDL-C (P