Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic diseases, mainly including type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Treatment for type 1 and part of type 2 often involves regular insulin injection. However, this treatment neither precisely controls the blood sugar levels, nor prevents the diabetes complications. Transplantation of islets of Langerhans offers an attractive strategy for diabetes therapies, but its wide application has been limited by donor shortage and immunological rejection after transplantation. Stem cells with strong proliferation capacity and multipotential may be potential cell sources in diabetes therapies. For this, adult stem cells are interesting because of absence of teratoma formation and ethnical problems. Adult pancreatic stem cells (PSCs) really exist and could produce insulin-secreting cells both under the condition of pancreatic injury and in vitro culture, but lack of effective markers to enrich PSCs hampers the studies of exploring the expanding and differentiating conditions in vitro. Some other adult stem cells, such as hepatic stem cells, marrow stem cells or intestine stem cells, were also suggested to transdifferentiate into insulin-producing cells under special culture conditions in vitro or by genetic modifications. Moreover, transplanting these adult stem cells-derived insulin-secreting cells into the diabetic mouse could cure diabetes. Thus, adult stem cells would supply the abundant beta-cell sources for cell replacement therapy of diabetes.
Adult Stem Cells ; cytology ; transplantation ; Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Differentiation ; Diabetes Mellitus ; therapy ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; cytology

Objective To investigate and compare the clinical values of serum procalcitonin (PCT)and high sensitivity C-reac-tive protein (hs-CRP)levels for predicting the blood culture positivity in the patients with sepsis.Methods 132 adult patients with sepsis were enrolled in this study.Blood cultures were performed before the antibacterial therapy.The white blood cell (WBC) count,absolute neutrophil count(ANC),levels of PCT and hs-CRP were determined.The application value of PCT and hs-CRP for predicting the positive blood culture results were evaluated.Results The median serum PCT levels in the blood culture positive group and the blood culture negative group were 7.92 ng/mL and 0.95 ng/mL respectively,the difference had statistical signifi-cance(P <0.01).The receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curves showed that PCT had a higher predictive accuracy for blood culture positivity compared with hs-CRP,the area under the curve (AUC)was 0.810(P =0.001)and 0.690(P =0.274),respec-tively.The combined detection of PCT and hs-CRP for predicting the blood culture positive results was similar to the performance of PCT alone,AUC as 0.885 (P =0.001 ).The median cut point of PCT was 0.91 ng/mL,the sensitivity of PCT for predicting blood culture positivity was 90%.This sensitivity remained unchanged when PCT cut point was1.14ng/mL.Using the PCT cut points of 0.91 and 1.14 enabled reducing the submitted blood cultures by 51% and 56% respectively.Conclusion Compared with hs-CRP,serum PCT level could better predict the blood culture positivity in the patients with sepsis.

Pancreas is an important mixed gland having both endocrine and exocrine functions, and has been proven regeneration after injury. To explore the cell lineage tracing methods in pancreas in vivo and the regenerate cells source, we used pseudo-type retrovirus to transfect adult mouse pancreas which had been partially pancreatectomized by rubbing the kerf using a cotton stick saturated with retrovirus suspension then injecting 100 microL retrovirus suspension into pancreas, injecting 100 microL retrovirus by caudal vein, or interperitoneally injecting retrovirus respectively. The results showed that the method of rubbing the kerf then injection of retrovirus suspension into pancreas could more effectively mark the pancreatic cells than the caudal vein injection and the intraperitoneal injection did in vivo. Furthermore, this study also found that some acinus cells could accept injury stimulus signals to regenerate through resuming mitosis after pancreatic injury. This study establishes a cell lineage tracing method in pancreas in vivo using retrovirus and offers a clue for gene therapy of pancreatic diseases using retrovirus vectors.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Lineage ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Pancreas ; cytology ; physiology ; surgery ; Pancreatectomy ; methods ; Regeneration ; Retroviridae ; genetics

Blackboard writing undertakes the dual task of knowledge transmission and classroom culture inheritance. Well-designed blackboard writing will not only help students to better memorize, understand and construct knowledge framework, but also create a serious but lively classroom atmosphere, strengthen the soul of moral education in the classroom, leading to improved quality of education. Taking the practice of blackboard writing in teaching the Biochemistry course as an example, the authors categorized the blackboard writing approaches according to the teaching objectives to be achieved, and discussed the necessity and application scope of each type of blackboard writing approach in the multimedia era. Our goal was to make blackboard writing, a conventional teaching approach, play an important role in the new era of classroom education.
Humans ; Students ; Writing

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are the cornerstone courses of talent training in the field of life science. Taking these course as an example, this study explored reconstructing the knowledge framework, developing teaching cases, sharing teaching resources, innovating teaching means and establishing ideological education patterns. Supported by the scientific research achievements with discipline characteristics and online teaching platform, this research explored and practiced an integrated curriculum reform mode. This mode is guided by scientific research and education, based on the course development, and driven by communication and cooperation. A shared space of "exchange, practice, openness and informatization" was developed to achieve free and independent integration of undergraduate and graduate teaching motivated by learning knowledge, resulting in an effective student training.
Humans ; Curriculum ; Students ; Learning ; Molecular Biology/education* ; Biochemistry/education*