OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for the approval of Chinese medicines’patent application in the United States. METHODS:The requirements of patent eligibility in the United States were interpreted;two important patent cases(“Mayo case”and“Myriad case”)were analyzed in recent years,and the effects of“patent eligibility guideline”on Chinese medicines’patent ap-plication in the United States were also analyzed;the suggestions were put forward according to the situation of Chinese medicines’ patent application. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS:Patent eligibility required that patent protection objects should be included in ob-ject range which could be vested patent right stated in patent law. The analysis of“Mayo case”“Myriad case”and patent eligibility guideline indicated that if related Chinese medicines’patent was to obtain patent approval in the United States,notable difference between the medicine and natural products as well as the order of nature must be clearly stated;technical attributes should be em-phasized,and different patent application ideas were adopted for different types of invention in order to guarantee patent eligibility. At present,small number of Chinese medicine’s patent in the United States come from China,and relevant enterprises should liber-ate themselves from the misperception that Chinese medicines do not hold patent eligibility. Hence,it is suggest that the first claim in the patent should not be too definite in Chinese medicines’patent application,afford more comprehensive application,strength-en patent protection of classic Chinese medicine recipe and stress patent eligibility.

Trophozoites of Giardia lamblia were axenically cultivated with modified TYI-S-33 medium contained 500 ?g/ml metronidazole(12h LC50).The morphology of drug-treated trophozoites was observed with light and electron micro-scopes at 2,4,8,12 h respectively.The light microscopy revealed that the trophozoites treated with MTZ showed swollen,detached from the wall of the culture tube,and were with vacuoles in the cytoplasm.Movement of the flagella become slowly or stopped.Electronic microscopy showed that the trophozoites were swollen and deformed;lots of vacuoles were seen in the cytoplasm;the contents of cytoplasm were depleted and the nuclei deformed.This study indicated that MTZ has injured the morphology of G.lamblia.

BACKGROUND:Apoptosis of islet cel s is closely related to the long-term hyperglycemia-and hyperlipemia-induced injuries. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of Shizidaiping formula on the apoptosis and insulin secretion in MIN6 cel s under the high glucose and lipid environment, and to explore the protective effect of Shizidaiping formula and the related apoptosis mechanism. METHODS:MIN6 cel s were divided into normal, model, melbine, low-, medium-and high-dose Shizidaiping formula groups. The cel activity was examined by cel counting kit-8, the insulin secretion was measured by ELISA, the rate of apoptosis was measured by Annexin V-FITC&PI and the expression levels of MEK1/2, ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 were examined by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Shizidaiping formula significantly improved MIN6 cel activity under high glucose and lipid condition (P<0.05), decreased early cel apoptosis, increased the level of insulin stimulated by low glucose in cel supernatant (P<0.05), and improved the expression levels of MEK1/2, ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 (P<0.05). These results suggest that Shizidaiping formula can protect islet cel s from hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia damage by improving the activity of MIN6 cel s, reducing the insulin secretion and inhibiting the apoptosis of pancreaticβcel s in MIN6 cel s.

Objective To evaluate prenatal diagnosis value of echocardiography in pathological types,differential diagnosis and accompanied malformations of fetal persistent truncus arteriosus(PTA).MethodsTwenty-four cases of PTA selected from 1 392 cases were analysed,who were definitely diagnosed to be suffered from cardiovascular malformation by fetal echocardiography.The ultrasound findings,pathological results and followed up were analysed.According to Van Praagh classification,the type IV PTA was excluded in this study which was classified into pulmonary artery atresia.Results The total PTA were 24 cases,in which 10 cases of A1 type,3 cases of A2 type,9 cases of A3 type,and 2 cases of A4 type.Nine cases of PTA accompanied other cardiac anomalies,and 1 case of PTA accompanied both cardiac anomalies and extracardial malformations.Two PTA cases were born,one was A1 type underwent surgical intervention,and the other was died due to multiple organ-failure.Fourteen PTA cases were termination and 7 cases were confirmed by pathology.Seven women pregnant again,of which 5 cases were born while only one was diagnosed atrial septal defect after birth,2 pregnant women were still during follow-up.Eight PTA cases follow-up were lost.Conclusions A1 type and A3 type of PTA have high incidence in fetus.Accompanied cardiac anomalies is certainly related to different types.Combination of multiple ultrosund techniques can diagnose PTA prenatally,make accurate classification and detect accompanying malformations,which is of great significance to offer proper pregnancy counselling and postpartum treatment.

Objective:To understand the current situation and influencing factors of depression among residents in Chongqing, and to explore the relationship between depression and administration satisfaction of the standardized residency training.Methods:Stratified random cluster sampling was used to select 372 residents currently participating the standardized residency training in Chongqing. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) and administration satisfaction of residency training questionnaire were used to conduct a cross-sectional survey on the depression status and satisfaction of residents in Chongqing. SPSS 21.0 software package was used for partial correlation analysis and binary logistic regression analysis to explore the relationship between depression and administration satisfaction of the standardized residency training.Results:Among the 372 residents, 218 had mild depression and above (58.60%). There was a significant difference in the incidence of depression among residents of different ages, educational background, marital status, working hours and administration satisfaction of residency training ( χ2 = 23.02, 17.35, 12.24, 21.70, 95.20; P = 0.028, 0.027, 0.016, 0.041, <0.001 respectively). Partial correlation analysis showed that there was a negative correlation between the total score of depression and the five aspects of the administration satisfaction (total score, instructors, training base, managers and training income) ( r=-0.52, -0.45, -0.47, -0.45, -0.40, all P<0.01). In the binary logistic regression analysis of depression and satisfaction,the satisfaction had a negative impact on depression, and its B value was -1.71, and OR value was 0.18, P<0.001. Conclusion:The incidence of depression among residents in Chongqing is high. Age, educational background, marital status, working hours and administration satisfaction are related to the degree of depression. And the higher the degree of depression, the lower the administration satisfaction of residents. Relevant departments should pay attention to the mental health of residents and improve the quality of standardized residency training.

Objective:To study the willingness of the medical staff of tertiary hospitals to be dispatched to work for a long time at the district hospitals under the " municipal trusteeship of district-ownership hospitals" mode, and explore the key factors that affect their long-term willingness, for references of optimizing the incentive system of the model.Methods:A questionnaire was designed as guided by the two-factor theory. In May 2019, a typical sample survey was made to investigate 103 medical staff of two tertiary hospitals in Beijing on their willingness to be dispatched to hospitals of district ownership. The survey covered such aspects as their basic personal information, hygiene factors(family responsibility, interpersonal connections expansion, mobilization and encouragement of leaders, etc.), and incentive factors(personal career development, greater potential giving play to their own talents, self-achievement, etc.). Descriptive analysis and univariate hypothesis testing were used to compare the differences of the dispatch willingness of staff of different characteristics. Meanwhile, an ordinal multinomial logistic regression model was built to analyze the influence factors of long-term dispatch willingness of these staff along with individual in-depth interviews.Results:The medical staff when they were dispatched to work at the entrusted hospitals for a long time, were concerned mostly with top six factors. These factors refered to a reasonable incentive(rewards)mechanism, family responsibility, colleague evaluation of the entrusted hospital, interpersonal connections expansion, personal career development, and potential unlocking. Those staff with dispatch experience had higher willingness to be dispatched than those without( P <0.05). The former saw higher of their personal career development resulting from the dispatch(3.91 points), while the latter saw higher their post-dispatch salary incentive mechanism(3.95 points). Compared with common medical staff, medium and high level management staff were more willing to be dispatched for a long time( H=14.536, P<0.001). Leadership mobilization in hygiene factors and personal career development in incentives factors were the key drivers for the long-term willingness of medical staff to be dispatched( P<0.05). Conclusions:The willingness of medical staff to be dispatched for a long time needs to be strengthened in the " municipal trusteeship of district-ownership hospitals" mode. Managers of the district-ownership hospitals should take into full consideration, the needs of different categories and levels of medical staff dispatched, guarantee the remuneration and performance pay of these staff, and enable their career track planning, hence mobilizing their incentives, and increase their willingness to work at such hospitals for a long time.

We studied structural and immunological properties of the SARS-CoV M (membrane) protein, based on comparative analyses of sequence features, phylogenetic investigation, and experimental results. The M protein is predicted to contain a triple-spanning transmembrane (TM) region, a single N-glycosylation site near its N-terminus that is in the exterior of the virion, and a long C-terminal region in the interior. The M protein harbors a higher substitution rate (0.6% correlated to its size) among viral open reading frames (ORFs) from published data. The four substitutions detected in the M protein, which cause non-synonymous changes, can be classified into three types. One of them results in changes of pI (isoelectric point) and charge, affecting antigenicity. The second changes hydrophobicity of the TM region, and the third one relates to hydrophilicity of the interior structure. Phylogenetic tree building based on the variations of the M protein appears to support the non-human origin of SARS-CoV. To investigate its immunogenicity, we synthesized eight oligopeptides covering 69.2% of the entire ORF and screened them by using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) with sera from SARS patients. The results confirmed our predictions on antigenic sites.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Cluster Analysis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunoassay ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; genetics ; Oligopeptides ; Phylogeny ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Viral Matrix Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; immunology

Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) analysis has pioneered genome-wide gene discovery and expression profiling. In order to establish a gene expression index in the rice cultivar indica, we sequenced and analyzed 86,136 ESTs from nine rice cDNA libraries from the super hybrid cultivar LYP9 and its parental cultivars. We assembled these ESTs into 13,232 contigs and leave 8,976 singletons. Overall, 7,497 sequences were found similar to existing sequences in GenBank and 14,711 are novel. These sequences are classified by molecular function, biological process and pathways according to the Gene Ontology. We compared our sequenced ESTs with the publicly available 95,000 ESTs from japonica, and found little sequence variation, despite the large difference between genome sequences. We then assembled the combined 173,000 rice ESTs for further analysis. Using the pooled ESTs, we compared gene expression in metabolism pathway between rice and Arabidopsis according to KEGG. We further profiled gene expression patterns in different tissues, developmental stages, and in a conditional sterile mutant, after checking the libraries are comparable by means of sequence coverage. We also identified some possible library specific genes and a number of enzymes and transcription factors that contribute to rice development.
Arabidopsis ; genetics ; DNA, Complementary ; metabolism ; Databases as Topic ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Gene Library ; Genome, Plant ; Genomics ; methods ; Multigene Family ; Open Reading Frames ; Oryza ; genetics ; Quality Control ; Software

Objective : This study aims to explore the general rules of profile⁃based forehead protrusion value and appearance in Anhui province, and the results will provide guidance for clinical orthodontic works on matching lateral forehead protrusion and the lower third of the face in the future. Methods : A total of 262 patients were included in this cross⁃sectional study. The materials for the study were the lateral cephalometric radiographs and standard 90⁃degree profile photographs taken from the subjects at the same time. The Frankfurt horizontal( FH) plane was used to calibrate the head position parallel to the ground. The samples were grouped according to genders, ages and dentoskeletal classifications. The measurement points of forehead protrusion in profile included hairline point and soft tissue nasion point. The point where the parallel line connecting two points was tangent to the forehead contour was defined as the most convex point. The value of forehead protrusion in profile was expressed by the distance between two parallel lines. The forehead morphology was studied by tracing the forehead on lateral photographs. P-values < 0. 05 were considered statistically significant. Results : The lateral forehead protrusion of female was larger than that of male, and the difference between male and female decreased gradually from children (P < 0. 001), adolescents (P < 0. 001) to adults. The shape of the forehead differed between the two sexes. Female forehead is round, protruding part in the middle, the overall appearance like an arc; Male forehead was more straight, the most convex point was generally located near the eyebrow arch. Conclusion Gender is an important factor influencing profile forehead protrusion and appearance. The difference between male and female forehead protrusion decreases with age. But the shape remains different.

Objective:To explore the effect of a Chinese medicinal composition ( Xiadanqi) on the prevention of radon exposure induced injuries of lung in vitro and in vivo. Methods:Mice were randomly divided into three groups of blank control group, radon-exposed group alone and radon-exposed group intervened with Chinese medicinal composition. The pathological changes of lung tissues in each group after 120 WLM were observed by HE and Masson staining, and the expressions of α-SMA protein and Vimentin protein in lung tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. The levels of oxidative stress in lung tissue of each group were detected with SOD and MDA kits. At the same time, a radon exposed cell model and a radon exposure + Xiadanqi intervention cell model were constructed using an ecological radon chamber. The cell adhesion abilities of different groups were detected by an adhesion kit. The cell migration ability of each group was determined by the transwell migration experiment. The expression of E-cadherin and Vimentin protein was detected by Western blot. Results:Compared with the radon exposure group, the concentration of MDA was decreased ( t=4.43, P<0.05), the activity of SOD was increased ( t=3.22, P<0.05), and α-SMA and Vimentin protein expressions were decreased ( t=3.08, 7.57, P<0.05) in lung tissue of mice intervened with 2 mg/g Xiadanqi. In vitro, compared with radon exposure group, the migration ability was reduced ( t=4.78, 13.01, P<0.05), the cell adhesion property was enhanced ( t=3.41, 12.55, P<0.05), the expression of E-cadherin protein was increased ( t=2.96, 19.57, P<0.05), and the expression of Vimentin protein was obviously reduced ( t=21.00, 33.32, P<0.05) in radon-exposed cells with the treatment of Chinese medicine (150 μg/ml and 200 μg/ml). Conclusions:The Chinese medicinal composition ( Xiadanqi) has a certain radioprotective effect on radon exposure induced injury by reducing oxidative stress, attenuating EMT and fibrosis, and thus it may be applied as a protective agent for radon induced injury.