The biodiversity of the taxol-producing endophytic fungi,advantage of taxol production by microbe fermentation,isolation of endophytic fungi,and the separation,purification and determination of taxol in fermentation liquid were reviewed.The pathways to improve the production of taxol by endophytic fungi were also comprehensively discussed.

The incidence of thyroid dysfunction has increased year by year; the degree of public concern about thyroid disease also has been growing; the accuracy and comparability of results given by thyroid hormone assays from clinical laboratories face new challenges .This paper reviewed the clinical significance and measurements of thyroid hormones , also summarized the outcome of IFCC Working Group on Standardization of Thyroid Function Tests .It is expected to bring manufacturers′and clinical laboratories′attention to the importance of standardization/harmonization; and they could collaborate with each other .

BACKGROUND:There are many methods for dental impression disinfection, including ultraviolet disinfection method, spraying, immerses disinfection method, argon plasma jet and radio frequency glow discharge on the argon gas ionization disinfection method. At present, there is stil lack of studies addressing the disinfection effect after gargling with mouthwash.
OBJECTIVE:To detect the kil ing effect on bacteria and fungi from the dental impressions, which are taken after gargling with cetylpyridinium chloride gargle and stable chlorine dioxide gargle, respectively.
METHODS:One hundred patients were randomly divided into cetylpyridinium chloride gargle group and stable chlorine dioxide gargle group. They were told to gargle with clean water for 1 minute, and then impressions were taken to remove the models with sterile cotton swab sampling in neutralizing agent which were sent to laboratory for bacteria and fungi culture. After 1 hour, the patients were asked to gargle with the different mouthwashes for 1 minute again, and then sterile cotton swab sampling was done at the same position for bacteria and fungi culture. The number of colonies was recorded, and the kil ing effects on kil ing bacteria and fungi on the surface of the impressions before and after gargling with different mouthwashes were observed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The number of bacteria and fungi before gargal had no significance difference before gargling. After gargling, the number of bacteria and fungi on the model was significantly lower than before (P<0.001). Two groups did not appear with any adverse reactions, and patients felt refreshed and comfortable after gargling with mouthwash. To gargle with mouthwash before taking impressions can control the number of bacteria and fungi on the samples effectively, thereby achieving the aim of control ing the mutual infections between the doctor and the patients effectively.

Objective To analyze the related risk factors of neonatal Streptococcus agalactiae infection and sensitivity of antibac‐terials ,in order to provide for provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of neonatal infection .Methods A total of 1 200 neonatal blood ,gastric juice ,pus specimens ,and maternal reproductive tract specimens were collected from Jan .2013 to Dec .2013 for bacterial culture and drug sensitive test .And clinical data about types of neonatal diseases ,maternal infection status ,mode of de‐livery ,medication in late pregnancy ,situation of neonatal death were retrospectively analyzed .Results A total of 80 cases of neo‐nates were infected by Streptococcus agalactiae ,,and the neonates diagnosed with septicemia ,omphalitis ,premature birth ,intrau‐terine infection and aspiration pneumonia were accounted for 8 .75% ,10 .00% ,15 .00% ,22 .50% and 43 .75% ,respectively .The positive rate of Streptococcus agalactiae infection in mother′s reproductive tract specimens was 51 .25% ,and the results of drug sensitive test were consistent with those of neonates .9 cases of cesarean section ,accounted for 11 .25% ;71 cases of natural child‐birth ,accounted for 88 .75% .In the 80 strains of Streptococcus agalactiae ,the sensitivity of vancomycin ,linezolid ,penicillin and ceftriaxone were all 100 .00% ,and resistance rates of Streptococcus agalactiae to erythromycin ,clindamycin and levofloxacin were higher ,and were 77 .50% ,57 .50% and 33 .75% respectively .Conclusion Maternal Streptococcus agalactiae carriers and mode of delivery may be risk factors for neonatal Streptococcus agalactiae infection .Obstetricians should pay attention to routine screening of Streptococcus agalactiae in perinatal pregnant women ,the laboratory should improve the efficacy in detecting Streptococcus aga‐lactiae and provide the results of antibacterials resistance of Streptococcus agalactiae immediately ,in order to provide references for clinical rational drug use .

Objective:To investigate the stiffness characteristic of triple-negative human breast cancer at different size in a implantation nude female mice model using shear wave elastography(SWE) and to compare the clinical pathologic features of tumors with elasticity variables.Methods:Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were injected into 30 nude female mice and 27 transplanted tumors were successfully found in nude female mice. Ultrasound and SWE were longitudinally performed on maximum diameter plane of 21 tumours in 21 nude mice. The elastic parameters of maximal elasticity(Emax), mean elasticity (Emean) and standard deviation of elasticity(Esd) were recorded. The mice were divided into 3 groups according to the tumor size. They were group A with tumor size less than or equal to 5 mm, group B with tumor size greater than 5 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm, group C with tumor size larger than 10 mm and smaller than or equal to 15 mm. Compared with pathology, the relationships between Ki67 of transplanted tumor and elastic parameters were analyzed.Results:As the transplanted tumors increased, the values of Emax, Esd, Ki67 all increased. The lesions maximal size, Emax, Esd, Ki67 were significant higher in group B ( P<0.001, P=0.006, P=0.002, P=0.026) and group C ( P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.028) than group A. The other parameters were not significantly different among the groups(all P>0.05). The size of transplanted tumors was significantly and positively correlated with Emax ( rs=0.673, P=0.001), Esd ( rs=0.661, P=0.001), and Ki67 ( rs=0.509, P=0.018). Conclusions:SWE Emax and Esd can reflect the tumor tissue stiffness change and biological activity during the tumor growth.

Objective To investigate the disinfectant-resistant gene qacA in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the First Affiliated Hhospital of Chongqing Medical University. Methods A total of 126 S. aureus strains were isolated. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 4 representative monovalent and bivalent disinfectants were determined. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to analyze the prevalence of qacA gene in these strains. Disk diffusion method was used to identify methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).Results Of the 126 S. aureus strains, 12 were positive for qacA gene. The prevalence of qacA in these strains was 9.5%. The prevalence of qacA gene in MRSA was 17.3%. Conclusions qacA gene is prevalent in the clinical isolates of S. aureus.

Objective To explore morphologic variations and their spatial correlation among Oncomelania hupensis populations from the mainland of China. Methods Twenty-seven snail populations from ten provinces were collected. The morphologic indices of shells and geographic distances between the snail spots were measured respectively, and the morphologic variations among snail populations and the correlations between morphologic variations and geographical distances were analyzed. Results The median of Euclidean distances was 3.24 (95% CI: 2.88-3.81) among 20 snail populations of O.h.hupensis including a snail population from Guangxi Province, and was 3.15 (95% CI: 2.86-3.76) excluding the Guangxi snail population; the median was 1.69 (95% CI: 1.33-2.27) among 6 populations of O.h.robertsoni. Whether including a snail population from Guangxi Province or not, the median among O.h.robertsoni was less than that among O.h.hupensis (P0.05). The correlation coefficient was 0.2655 for O.h.hupensis including a snail population from Guangxi Province, 0.2567 not including it; and was 0.3121 for ribbed-shell population. Conclusions Morphologic variation among O.h.hupensis is bigger than that among O.h.robertsoni, and morphologic variation among ribbed-shell populations is bigger than that among smooth-shell populations. There is significant spatial structure among ribbed-shell snail populations of Oncomelania hupensis distributed in the mainland of China.

[ ABSTRACT] AIM: To investigate the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies to human adenovirus type 5 (AdHu5) , human adenovirus type 26 (AdHu26) and chimpanzee adenovirus type 68 (AdC68) in the patients with chro-nic hepatitis B ( CHB) and the patients with primary liver cancer ( PLC) , and to provide guidance for developing safe and effective biotherapy vectors against CHB and PLC.METHODS:The blood samples from 196 patients with CHB and 193 patients with PLC were examined to assess the presence of neutralizing antibodies against AdHu5, AdHu26 and AdC68 by adenovirus neutralization assays.RESULTS:The seroprevalence rates of neutralizing antibodies to AdHu5, AdHu26 and AdC68 in the CHB patients were 84.7%, 58.2%and 39.8%, respectively.Among the patients with PLC, the prevalence rates of neutralizing antibodies were as follows:AdHu5, 75.1%;AdHu26, 66.8%;AdC68, 32.1%.CONCLUSION:The prevalence rates and titers of neutralizing antibodies against AdC68 were the lowest among the 3 adenoviruses.There-fore, AdC68 serves as more suitable biological therapy vectors for CHB and PLC than AdHu5 and AdHu26.

Objective To establish a method for measuring serum cotinine by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC/MS/MS) and provide an assay that can be applied to theevaluation of the level of smoke exposure and to the risk analysis of smoking related diseases.Methods Blood samples were collected from 94 apparently healthy subjects from October to December in 2010 and centrifuged,and the sera were separated.Serum samples were mixed with [ D3 ] -cotinine ( as the internal standard) and treated with acetonitriles to precipitate protein.After centrifugation,the supernatants were transferred and evaporated under a stream of nitrogen until dryness and reconstituted with mobile phase.Then the residuals were analyzed by LC/MS/MS system with multiple reaction monitor model; the concentration of cotinine were quantified by the isotope internal standard method and the stand curve was employed with a series of calibration.To estimate the precision of the method,five frozen serum pools were repeatedly analyzed in five runs,and every pool was analyzed in triplicate.In addition,the recovery rates were analyzed with the serum sample added with different levels of standard.The stability of cotinine in serum preserved at room temperature,4 ℃ and - 80 ℃,respectively.Finally,the levels of cotinine of 94 healthy subjects were measured to evaluate the distribution of cotinine with different smoke statuses.Results Serum cotinine measured by ID-LC/MS/MS was separated well with few interferences.The correlation coefficients between the peak area ratios and cotinine concentrations were higher than 0.9993.The values of within-run coefficients of variation (CV) of five frozen serum pools (0.68,48.42,94.34,250.95 and 287.04 μg/L) were 2.19％,0.78％,0.75％,0.65％ and 0.67％,respectively.The values of total CV were 4.71％,1.40％,1.98％,1.10％ and 1.03％,respectively.The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation ( LOQ ) were 0.013 and 0.050 μg/L,respectively.The analytical recoveries ranged from 99.22％ to 102.67％.The samples could maintain stability within 2 d at room temperature,7 d at 4 ℃ and 3 months at -80 ℃ resulting the accuracy of measurements from 99.28％ to 100.87％ and the CV＜5％.The levels of cotinine of 94 healthy subjects were measured and shown skewed and leptokurtic distribution.The concentrations of twenty smokers,fourteen former smokers and sixty non-smokers were 116.40 (63.17 -241.12),0.67 (0.15 - 0.95 ) and 0.22 (0.15 - 0.42 ) μg/L,respectively.Furthermore,the level of cotinine of former smokers (Z =-2.12,P ＜0.05) and smokers (Z =-6.67,P ＜0.001) were statistically higher than non-smokers.Conclusions An ID-LC/MS/MS method for serum cotinine detection has been established.It is hoped that the method will be applied to the assessment of smoke exposure and its association with the risks of smoking related diseases since it is simple,specific,precise,sensitive and accurate.