Objective To explore the polymorphism of nef gene and conservation level of functionally important domains of nef as well as their influences on HIV-1 disease progression of HIV-1 B'infected individuals in northern China.Methods 30 long term nonprogressors(LTNPs)and 42 typical progressors (TPs)were selected.Provirus DNA was extracted from whole blood sample.The full nef gene was amplified by nested-PCR.PCR product was sequenced directly after purification.Phylogenetic analysis and amino acid sequence mutation was applied on nef sequences to explore the differences between LTNPs and TPs.Results At position 15,the S15R/K/N substitution was detected.The frequency of TPs(64.29%)wsa higher than LTNPs(33.33%,P<0.01,0R=3.60);R21K/E/H/I.Q,TPs and LTNPs mutation frequency was 59.52%and 93.33%(P<0.005,OR=0.11);At position 39,K39R/E/N was only detected in TPs(23.81%,P<0.005).Conclusion No significant deletion or defect associated with disease progression wsa detected in nef gene of HIV-1 B'.But it suggested that K/E/H/I/Q mutation at 21 st amino acid of nef associated the disease nonprogression.R/K/N at 15 th amino acid of nef and R/E/N mutation at 39th amino acid of nef associated the disease progression in.HIV-1 B'.All domaias of nef amino acids sequences were comparatively conservative.

Objective To evaluate the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats.Methods Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 3 months,weighing 250-300 g,were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =16 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S),group I/R and I/R+ GSK-3β inhibitor LiCl group (group LiCl).The animals were anesthetized with intraperitoneal 10％ chloral hydrate 300 mg/kg.Spinal cord ischemia was induced by 45 min occlusion of the abdominal aorta followed by reperfusion.In I/R and LiCl groups,normal saline 5 ml and LiCl 15 mg/kg were injected,respectively,via the caudal vein at 30 min before ischemia.The animals were sacrificed at 48 h of reperfusion and the lumbar segment (L4-6) of spinal cords was removed for microscopic examination and for determination of neuronal apoptosis in the anterior horn of the spinal cord (by TUNEL),and the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6),IL-8 and IL-10 was detected (by immunohistochemistry).The apoptosis rate was calculated.Results Compared with group S,the apoptosis rate was significantly increased,IL-6 and IL-8 expression was upregulated,and IL-10 expression was down-regulated in I/R and LiCl groups.Compared with group I/R,the apoptosis rate was significantly decreased,IL-6 and IL-8 expression was down-regulated,IL-10 expression was up regulated,and the pathological damage was attenuated in LiCl group.Conclusion Activated GSK-3β is involved in the development of spinal cord I/R injury possibly by promoting synthesis and release of inflammatory factors in rats.

Experimental acute serum sickness was produced in 20 rabbits By a sensitizing injection with bovine serum albumin (BSA) through the auricular vein. Five days after the sensitization, ten of the 20 animals were given a total body irradiation of 300 r from a 60Co sourse. No radiation was given to the other 10 animals which served as controls. Blood samples were taken from the rabbits of both groups before and 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 10, 12, 14, and 16 days after antigen injection. After the sera were seperated, the concentrations of the circulating immune complexes were determined with the PEG complement consumption test. It was found that the dynamic curves of the concentrations of the circulating immune complexes of the two groups were essentially similar. This result strongly suggests that total body irradiation of gamma rays given five days after the sensitization of an antigen exerts no influence on the formation of the circulating immune complexes though acute radiation sickness is well established.

Objective To study the amino acid mutations in neutralizing antibody 2F5 and 4E10 conserved epitopes ELDKWA and NWFDIT of HIV-1 membrane proximal external region(MPER)in 92 HIV-infected individuals and AIDS patients in China,and to provide a basis for the neutralizing antobodies immunotherapy and a design of vaccines. Methods Nest-PCR methods were used to amplity genes of the HIV-1 env gp41 region.The amplified fragments were sequenced by double-deoxygen terminal method and translated into amino acids for analysis.The mutations of 2F5 and 4E10 neutralizing epitopes were identified by comparison with the epitopes reference data in HIV-1 Sequence Database.Results There were mutations on both 2F5 and 4E10 neutralizing epitopes.2F5 conserved neutralizing epitopes major mutations tocused on E662A(14.1%),K665S(17.4%),A667K(16.3%),and 4E10 conserved neutralizing epltopes major mutations included N671S(13.0%),D674S(3.3%),T676S(16.3%).The mutation rates of 2F5 and 4E10 epitopes were significanfly different between CRF_B'C-clade and B'-clade(P<0.05).The mutata rates of CRF_B'C-clade were higher than that of CRFOI_AE-clade in 2F5 epitopes(P<0.05).The mutation rates of B'-clade in 4E10 eiptopes showed significant difference in slow progressors,HIV-infected individuals and AIDS patients,respectively(P<0.05).Conclusion The HIV-1 patients in China are demonstrated diversified mutations in 2F5 and 4E10 neutralizing epitopes.The mutation degrees of amlno acids in conserved neutralizing epitopes are different in different subtypes.There may be a correlation between neutralizing epitopes mutations of 4E10 with disease progression.

This paper is composed with the cardiac sound measurement and analysis system for in-home use of heart abnormality monitoring. The heart sound acquiring system is composed of a traditional chest-piece, earphone, microphone, and IC recorder. The recorded data is transmitted to a computer by USB interface for analysis based on the cardiac sound characteristic waveform (CSCW) method, which is extracted from an analytical model of single degree-of-freedom (SDOF). Furthermore, the characteristic parameters [T1, T2, T11, T12] are defined by the time intervals between the crossed points of the CSCW and a threshold value (THV), which are related to the first sound and the second sound and are used for discriminating normal and abnormal heart sounds. Also, an easy-understanding graphical representation for these parameters is considered, so that, even for an inexperienced user, he or she is able to monitor his or her cardiac status easily. Finally, a case study on the abnormal/normal cardiac sounds is demonstrated to validate the usefulness and efficiency of this proposed system and the cardiac sound characteristic waveform method.
Algorithms ; Heart Auscultation ; Heart Sounds ; physiology ; Humans ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Software Design ; Stethoscopes

Objective To investigate the effects of perioperative parecoxib sodium on serum surfactant protein A and inflammatory response in elderly patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic pneumonectomy,Methods Sixty-two ASA Ⅰ or Ⅱ elderly patients,aged 65-78 years,weighing 51-79 kg,scheduled for elective video-assisted thoracoscopic pneumonectomy under general anesthesia,were randomly divided into 3 groups:0.3 mg/kg parecoxib sodium group (group P1,n=21),0.6 mg/kg parecoxib sodium group (group P2,n =21) and control group (group C,n =20).The patients were given intravenous parecoxib sodium of 0.3 mg/kg immediately before induction of anesthesia and at 12 h after operation in group P1,and also parecoxib sodium of 0.6mg/kg immediately before induction of anesthesia and at 12 h after operation in group P2,while the equal volume of normal saline was given in group C.Blood samples were taken from the central vein before the induction of anesthesia(T0),after operation(T1),12 h after operation(T2) and 24 h after operation(T3).The concentration of serum surfactant protein A (SP-A),TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 were determined by ELASA.The incidence of pulmonary complications at 72 h after operation were also recorded.Results Compared with T0,the concentration of serum SP-A,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 increased significantly in all groups at T1-T3 (P＜0.05).Compared with C group,the concentration of serum SP-A,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 in groups P1 and P2 decreased significantly at T1-T3 (P＜0.05),there were no significant differences between groups P1 and P2.The incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications had no statistically significant differences between the three groups.Conclusion Parecoxib sodium can significantly reduce the concentration of serum SP-A and alleviate the inflammatory response in elderly patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic pneumonectomy.