BACKGROUND:Lumbar fusion is a conventional effective measure to treat spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis or with deformity. Bilateral pedicle screw fixation is recognized as the standard treatment for various spinal disorders, and has biomechanical and clinical advantages. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of bilateral pedicle screw fixation in the repair of lumbar disc herniation to restore disc height from the angle of imaging. METHODS: Clinical data of 42 patients with lumbar disc herniation were retrospectively analyzed. They al received bilateral pedicle screw fixation. Pain was evaluated before implantation, immediately and 1 month after implantation using Japanese Orthopaedic Association score of lower back pain and visual analog scale score. X-ray including anteriorposterior and lateral films of lumbar spine and MRI were used. CT was utilized to verify screw placement conditions and complications. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 42 patients were folowed up for 3-6 months. Compared with pre-implantation, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score and visual analog scale score were significantly improved immediately after implantation (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in Japanese Orthopaedic Association score between 1 month and immediately after implantation (P > 0.05). The height of intervertebral discs was significantly higher immediately and 1 month after implantation than pre-implantation (P < 0.01). The symptoms were lessened after fixation in al cases, and their qualities of life elevated. At 1 month, X-ray films and CT images revealed that no screw loosening, breakage or displacement occurred. The height of intervertebral discs was perfectly restored. No adverse events appeared in patients. These data indicate that bilateral pedicle screw fixation for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation can effectively restore the height of intervertebral discs, improve clinical symptoms and have biological and clinical superiority.

Infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is characterized by a progressive depletion of CD4 T lymphocytes, which leads to dysfunction of the immune system. Although a variety of mechanisms may contribute to the gradual T cell decline that occurs in HIV-infected patients, abnormal apoptosis of infected or bystander T lymphocytes is an important event leading to immunodeficiency. The HIV envelope glycoprotein plays a crucial role in HIV associated apoptosis through both death receptor-mediated and mitochondria-dependent pathways. This review summarizes current knowledge of Env-mediated T lymphocyte apoptosis.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI),and to identify the risk factors in primary schoolchildren from Shanghai through the population-based field investigation combined with the tuberculosis infection enzyme-linked immunospot assay(T-SPOT.TB)assay.Methods The children in grade 4 and 5 were enrolled from four primary schools in Pudong new district and Yangpu district of Shanghai.Questionnaire interview was applied to investigate the soeiodemographic and clinical information related to LTBI.The T-SPOT.TB assay was used to detect LTBI in the enrolled subjects.Univaitate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the risk factors associated with LTBI among the primary schoolchildren.Results Totally 472 schoolchildren were enrolled in the present study,with 439(93.0%)being vaccinated with bacillus calmette-guerin (BCG) and ten (2.1%) having contact history with tuberculosis (TB) patients.Among the 472 eligible subjects,16(3.4%) children were T-SPOT.TB positive,who had no clinical symptoms andsigns relevant to TB and were defined as LTBI.The LTBI prevalence in BCG vaccinated and unvaccinated children were 2.7% and 12.1%,respectively (OR:6.972;95%CI:1.834-26.500);those in TB contacts and children without TB contact history were 30.0% and 2.8%, respectively (OR: 16. 38; 95% CI: 3. 692-72. 700). Conclusions The prevalence of LTBI among senior schoolchildren in Shanghai is 3.4%. BCG vaccination is protective for children from LTBI, while daily contacts with TB patients increases the risk of LTBI in schoolchildren.

Objective To evaluate the application of different assays for detection of human papillomavirus(HPV)in diagnosis of high grade cervical lesions.Methods Two hundred subjects with abnormal thinprep liquid-based cytology test(TCT)Resultswere selected for HPV DNA detection by hybrid capture 2(HC-Ⅱ) and Methodsbased on PCR including flow-through hybridization and gene chip (HybriMax),real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(FQ-PCR)and flow fluorescent hybridization assay.Cytopathological Resultswere used as gold standards to evaluate the test performance of the above assays for diagnosing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN)≥Ⅱ. SPSS 13.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results HPV DNA positive rates of 200 samples by HybriMax,FQ-PCR,flow fluorescent hybridization assay and HC-Ⅱ were 72.5%(145/200),71.5%(143/200),70.0%(140/200)and 69.0%(138/200),respectively,and the differences were not statistically si(g)nificant(x2 =0.252,0134,0.012 and 0.027,P ＞ 0.05).The sensitivity,Youden index and negative predictive value of the above assays were statistically different(x2 =7.923,7.819 and 8.108,P ＜0.05).Conclusion HC-Ⅱ is superior to PCR Methodsin diagnosis of CIN Ⅱ and above.

Isoprene is an important precursor of synthetic rubber material. In our previous study, metabolic engineered Escherichia coli strain (BW-01) was constructed and used to produce isoprene. Based on the theory of protein budget, using synthetic biology strategies including the increased copy number of genes and rare codons, we regulated the expression of key enzyme to improve isoprene production in Escherichia coli strain. Under shake-flask conditions, isoprene productivity of the engineered strain (BW-07) increased by 73% compared with BW-01, reached 761.1 mg/L. It provides a reference for further studies.
Butadienes ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Dosage ; Hemiterpenes ; biosynthesis ; Industrial Microbiology ; Metabolic Engineering ; Mevalonic Acid ; Pentanes ; Synthetic Biology

Objective To investigate the mechanism of different HLA-G isoform mRNA patterns in different cells alters its cell membrane expression.Methods RT-PCR was used to analyze HLA-G isoform mRNA(HLA-Gl-6)of ovarian cancer cell lines HO-8910,HO-8910PM and OVCAR-3,leukemia cell lines Jurkat,K562,HIJ60,MUTIZ-1,and the chorioeareinoma cell lines JEG-3,JAR.HLA-G between cellular membrane and intracellular expression were analyzed by flow cytometry.Results All HLA-G mRNA isoforms were observed in the positive control cell line JEG-3,but none in the negative control cell line JAR.HLA-G1 isoform mRNA was expressed in HO-8910,HO-8910PM,OVCAR-3,MUTZ-1 and Jurkat cells.HLA-G2 mRNA was not detected in any cell line but JEG-3.HLA-G3 mRNA was found in HO-8910,HO-8910PM,K562,HIJ60,MUTZ-1,OVCAR-3 and Jurkat cells.HO-8910,HO-8910PM,HIJ60,Jurkat cells expre8sed HLA-G4 mRNA.Only the Jurkat cells expressed HLA-G5 mRNA.FACS results showed that JEG3 and HO-8910PM cells membrane expressed HLA-G,however,the intraeellular HLA-G expression was detected in all tested cells except the negative control cell JAR.Conclusion Only the HLA-G1 isoform could be exDressed on cell membrane in particular cell lines. Other isoforms including HLA-C2,-G3,-G4,-G5 and HLA-G6 could not reach cell snrface.

With the development of recombinant DNA technology, genetically altered mouse models for human cancers are critical to the investigation and characterization of oncogene and tumor suppressor gene expression and function and the associated cancer phenotype. Recently, the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis becomes a new “hot spot” in cancer researches. And the genes involved in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis play an increasingly important role in the field of tumor researches. This review is about the progress of the research in transgenic tumor models and focuses on genes regulating tumor angiogenesis associated with transgenic mice model.

Objective:To explore the expression and biological functions of miR-346 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods:63 cases nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue and 34 cases nasopharyngeal non-cancer tissues were collected,the miR-346 expression were detected by Real-time PCR between nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue and nasopharyngeal non-cancer tissues,6 strains of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and 1 strain of normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cell immortalized NP69.Two cell lines with middle expression levels in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells lines were selected,and transfected into miR-346 inhibitor,the control group (NC group) were with negative control plasmid transfection,miR-346 expression in two groups were detected by Real-time PCR,the proliferation,apoptosis were detected by Brdu-ELISA and flow cytometry,the migration and invasion were detected by Transwell Chambers experiments.Results:Compared with the nasopharyngeal non-cancer tissues,the miR-346 expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues was significantly increased (P =0.000);compared with the normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells NP69.the miR-346 expression in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines was significantly increased (P＜0.05).The CNE-1 and CNE-2 were chose,after the miR-346 inhibitor transfection,the miR-346 expression were significantly lower compared with NC group,the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).The proliferation of two kinds of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-1 and CNE-2 were restrained after transfection,the difference showed statistically significant 3 days after transfection (P ＜ 0.05).The apoptosis increased significantly,and the migration cell numbers and invasion cell numbers decreased significantly compared with NC group,the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.05).Conclusion:miR-346 is overexpression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma,down-regu-lation of miR-346 inhibits the proliferation,migration,invasion,promotes the apoptosis,miR-346 may act as a oncogene and play an important role in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimizing the ultrasonic-assisted extraction technology of pigment from Coreopsis tinctoria. The results showed that the flavonoids were the main constituents of the pigment Based on single factor experiments, a four-factor-level experiment design were developed by box-benhnhen central composite design method with causal factors of ultrasonic temperature, ultrasonic time, ratio of liquid to raw material, the concentrations of ethanol in solvent and the extract absorbance value for the response. The interactive effects of four crucial technological parameters were assessed by response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum ultrasonic-assisted extraction conditions were as follow: ultrasonic temperature was 70 °C, ultrasonic time was 60 min, the concentrations of ethanol in solvent was 72.25% and the ratio of liquid to raw material was 32.05:1 mL . g-1. Under the optimum extraction technology conditions, the absorbance value was 0. 936. The conditidns are suitable for the extraction process regression analysis and parameter optimization.
Coreopsis ; chemistry ; Ethanol ; Flavonoids ; isolation & purification ; Pigments, Biological ; isolation & purification ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; Regression Analysis ; Solvents ; Temperature ; Time Factors ; Ultrasonics

Cephalosporins are widely used antibiotics owing to their broad activity spectra and low toxicity. Many of these medically important compounds are made chemically from 7-aminodeacetoxycephalosporanic acid. At present, this intermediate is made by synthetic ring-expansion of the inexpensive penicillin G to form G-7-ADCA, followed by enzymatic removal of the side chain to obtain 7-ADCA. The chemical synthetic process is expensive, complicated and environmentally unfriendly. Environmentally compatible enzymatic process is favorable compared with chemical synthesis. In our previous research, metabolic engineered Escherichia coli strain (H7/PG15) was constructed and used as whole-cell biocatalyst for the production of G-7-ADC with penicillin G as substrate. The whole-cell biocatalysis was studied by single factor experiment, including the composition of substrates and the conversion conditions (OD600, pH, concentration of penicillin G, MOPS, glucose, time and FeSO4). After optimization, 15 mmol/L of G-7-ADCA was obtained. The process is convenient, efficient and economic. This work would facilitate the industrial manufacturing and further product research.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; biosynthesis ; Biocatalysis ; Cephalosporins ; biosynthesis ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Metabolic Engineering