Background Abnormality of intraocular pressure (IOP) leads to ocular shape change and functional damage.Previous study on the influence factors of IOP mostly focus on eye tissue,but the research of systemic affecting factor is lack.Objective This study was to survey the distribution of IOP and its association with the systemic factors in Chinese population.Methods A cross-section study was designed in this study.The subjects were enrolled from the government employees physical check-up cohort in Guangzhou.IOP was measured using non-contact tonometry.The height,weight and blood pressure were measured based on a presupposed standard protocol.Fundus and slit lamp examinations were performed by trained ophthalmologists.Frequency-doubled perimetry was carried out in the subjects with the suspicious optical disc abnormality,and abnormal perimetry result and operated eye were rejected in the survey.The operative history was learned by questionnaire.Stata 11.0 was used for the data analysis.Results Total 7763 subjects finished all the examination,including 4213 male and 3550 female.Four hundred and fifteen subjects were excluded due to previous intraocular surgery and glaucoma,and the clinical data of the right eyes of 7348 subjects who were eligible for the protocol were brought into statistical analysis.The mean IOP was (15.6±2.8) mmHg in the subjects,and that in the male and female subjects was (15.6±2.8) mmHg and (15.7±2.8) mmHg,respectively,showing a statistically significant difference (t =2.415,P =0.016).A good consistence was found in the IOP between the right eyes and the left eyes (r=0.830,P＜0.001).The IOP value in the subjects presented with a near normal distribution.IOP value was gradually decreased with the increase of age.Multivariate regression suggested a negative correlation between IOP and age or gender (P＜0.001) as well as a positive correlation between IOP and body weight index (BMI),systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure (P ＜0.001).Conclusions Similar to other studies in East Asia population,IOP is associated with age,gender,BMI,systolic and diastolic blood pressure in this survey.

OBJECTIVETo know about the status of hypertension among Mongolian and Han aged older than 55 years living in pastoral area of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

METHODSStratified sampling method was adopted and 9146 people aged 55 years or older were selected, blood pressure measurement and related information were collected, prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rates of hypertension were analyzed.

RESULTSThe hypertension crude prevalence rate of Mongolian and Han subjects was 54.10% (standardized prevalence rate was 53.93%), in which, the Mongolian and Han subjects crude hypertension prevalence rate was 52.96% and 54.73% respectively (standardized prevalence rate was 53.44% and 55.08% respectively), and there was no statistically significant (P = 0.104). Among the male gender, awareness rate, treatment rate and control rate of hypertension was 61.03%, 46.73% and 11.87% respectively. Among the female gender, awareness rate, treatment rate and control rate of hypertension was 67.58%, 56.55% and 14.03% respectively. Among Mongolian and Han subjects, difference of hypertension prevalence of different age groups was statistically significant (P values were 0.032 and 0.000), Among Mongolian subjects, difference of hypertension awareness of different age groups was statistically significant (P = 0.000). Among Han subjects, difference of hypertension awareness rates, treatment rates, and control rates of different age groups were statistically significant (P values were 0.000, 0.047 and 0.043).

CONCLUSIONHypertension prevalence rate among Han and Mongolian people older than 55 years living in pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is high while the awareness, treatment and control rates of hypertension are rather low.

Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and mechanisms of Compound Astragalus Recipe (CAR) for regulating cellular immune in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG).

METHODSSixty MG patients were equally assigned to two groups randomly, the test group administered with CAR and the control group with prednisone for 3 months. Changes of patients' symptoms and adverse reactions were observed. The peripheral lymphocyte subsets distribution was examined by flow cytometry, and the levels of immunoglobulins and complements in the peripheral blood were measured by immuno-turbidimetry before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total effective rate in the test group after 12-week treatment reached 80% (24/30), while that of the control group reached 83.3% (25/30), difference between them showed no statistical significance (P > 0.05). CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were lowered significantly in both groups, but the decrement of CD4+/CD8+ ratio in the test group was more significant than that in the control group, showing significance between groups (P < 0.05). While CD8+ in the test group after treatment was significantly increased as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05), but with no significant difference in comparing with that in the control group (P > 0.05). Serum levels of IgM and IgA in MG patients were significantly higher than normal range (P < 0.01). Levels of C3 and C4 were significantly increased in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05). Moderate high level of ALT and AST revealed transiently at the 2nd week in 5 patients of the control group, while no adverse reaction was found in the test group.

CONCLUSIONOne of the mechanisms for CAR in playing its immuno-modulate effect may be its regulation on lymphocyte subsets distribution and humoral immune function.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; Child ; Complement System Proteins ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; blood ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Phytotherapy ; Young Adult

This paper aimed to study the effect nitrogen supplying on biomass accumulation and root respiration dynamic change of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and reveal the metabolic pathway of root respiration impact the biomass accumulating of G. uralensis. Six groups of one-year-old G. uralensis were fertilized with total nutrition containing various nitrogen concentration (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 mmol x L(-1)) every week. At the end of every month, from June to October, the volume respiration rate and biomass of different classes of root samples were determined, and the correlation between root respiration and biomass was analyzed. The results indicated a negative correlation between volume respiration rate and biomass, nitrogen supply significantly affected both root respiration and biomass of G. uralensis by reducing root respiration and increasing root biomass. Under 8 mmol x L(-1) nitrogen supplying, there existed the optimal inhibition of root respiration, which has increased biomass of G. uralensis.
Biomass ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Kinetics ; Nitrogen ; pharmacology ; Oxygen Consumption ; drug effects ; Plant Roots ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Seasons ; Time Factors

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics and distribution of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly populations from Mongolian and Han nationalities living in the pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China.Methods According to the MCI clinical diagnostic criteria from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th revised edition (DSM-Ⅳ ) by American Psychiatric Association,the individuals under study were at the age of 55 or over,with Mongolian or Han ethnicities and living in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia.Results The crude MCI morbidity rates of Mongolian and Han of the study populations in the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was 19.48％ (1782/9146)and the standardization morbidity was 18.98％.The crude MCI morbidity rates of both Mongolian and Han cthnicities were 17.46％ (the standardization morbidity was 16.99％) and 20.60％ (the standardization morbidity was 19.98％ ),respectively.There showed a significant positive correlation between the crude morbidities and age,also significantly increasing with the latter.In the Mongolian population,the morbidity increased from 12.17％ at the age 55-59 to 27.78％ at 85 while in the Han population,the morbidity increased from 15.50％ at the age 55-59 to 23.53％ at 85.In both the populations of Mongolian and Han,there was a statistically difference found between the morbidities of MCI ( x2=13.229,P=0.000).The morbidity was higher in Hans than in the Mongolians.However,there was no statistically significant difference noticed between the morbidities of MCI in the Mongolian males and females ( x 2 =2.376,P =0.123 ).There was statistically significant difference found between the morbidities of MCI in the Han males and females,with females having higher risk than males (x2=24.470,P=0.000).Conclusion The morbidity of MCI in the elderly Mongolian and Han populations from the pastoral area of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China was considered to be quite high and correlated to age and gender.

The resolution recognization sites of transposon Tn4430 of Bacillus thuringiensis was inserted into cloning vector pRSET B and pUC19, resulting recombinant plasmids pBMB1201 and pBMB1202. Both of the mini res fragments, BamHI/HindIII fragment in pBMB1201 and EcoRI/HindIII fragment in pBMB1202, were ligated to the 3.3 kb EcoRI/HindIII fragment of shuttle vector pHT3101, which contained the ori. Ec, ampr and emr antibiotic resistant genes, resulting recombinant plasmid pBMB1203. After deleted the BamHI and EcoRI sites which located ouside the two res sites, resolution vector pBMB1204 was resulted. There are multiple cloning sites between two copies of resolution sites which have the same direction. The plasmid replication origin ori44, which come from B. thuringiensis sub sp. kurstaki strain YBT-1520, was inserted into the multiple cloning sites of pBMB1204 and then resolution shuttle vector pBMB1205 was obtained. With spectinomycin resistant gene as target, it was found that the resolution rate is 100% and the stability of the resolved plasmid is 93%. Using this shuttle vector, antibiotic resistance markers and other non-B. thuringiensis DNA can be selectively eliminated after the selection of transformants by antibiotic resistance marker. This vector is very useful to solve the gene safety problem while has no effect on target gene expression.
Bacillus thuringiensis ; genetics ; DNA Transposable Elements ; Genetic Vectors ; Plasmids ; Replicon

N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), are widely conserved signal molecules present in quorum-sensing systems of many Gram-negative bacteria. AHLs molecules mediate the expression of virulence genes of a range of bacterial pathogens. Recently, it has been reported that AiiA protein, which widely exists in Bacillus species, can inactivate the AHLs by hydrolyzing the lactone bond of AHLs, thus attenuate the diseases caused by the expression of virulence genes of bacterial pathogens. Bacillus thuringiensis, a type of Gram-positive bacteria, has been used extensively as a microbial insecticide in the last few decades. However, most of important insecticidal B. thuringiensis strains have not been exploited for bacterial disease control because they usually do not produce antibiotics that are effective against bacteria and fungi. The discovery of AiiA protein in B. thuringiensis shows the application potential of B. thuringiensis on biocontrol against bacterial diseases. In this study, in order to construct the B. thuringiensis recombinant strain that has high expression of AiiA protein, the promoter of insecticidal crystal protein coding gene cry3Aa of B. thuringiensis was selected. The promoter of gene cry3Aa is a non-sporulation promoter, it promotes the transcription earlier and longer than the promoters of other cry genes. The promoter of AiiA protein coding gene aiiA was replaced with the promoter of gene cry3Aa by overlapping PCR, resulting fusion gene pro3A-aiiA. The gene pro3A-aiiA was inserted into shuttle vector pHT304 at site BamH I / Sph I , resulting recombinant plasmid pBMB686. The plasmid pBMB686 was introduced into B. thuringiensis acrystalliferous strain BMB171, the resulting strain BMB686 had a higher and more stable expression level of protein AiiA comparing with the parental strain BMB171. Furthermore, the strain BMB686 exhibited stronger ability of AHLs inactivation and much more effective restraint to the potato's soft rot disease caused by Erwinia carotovora than those of the parental strain BMB171. From these results, it was concluded that the B. thuringiensis strain harvesting the fusion gene pro3A-aiiA may be utilized in the future to control bacterial diseases which are mediated by the AHL quorum-sensing signals.
Acyl-Butyrolactones ; metabolism ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Daucus carota ; microbiology ; Endotoxins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hemolysin Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Metalloendopeptidases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Models, Genetic ; Pectobacterium carotovorum ; pathogenicity ; Plant Diseases ; microbiology ; prevention & control ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

To identify the pathogen of an outbreak of pneumouia in pig-farm,we used biochemical identification,pathoge nicity test in mice,PCR identification by 16S rRNA,and phylogenetic tree analysis for the identification.Results showed that the pathogen was an Achromobacter xylosoxidans with certain virulence and named TLSY-1.This TLSY-1 was the most simi lar to KF879922.1,and affinity rate were 99.9％ by homology analysis.This result identified that TLSY-1 is a new pneumonia pathogens in piglets.

Objective To assess the value of real-time intraoperative neuronavigation integrated with ultrasound in the resection of deep-seated brain tumor. Methods Thirty patients with deep-seated brain tumor were treated with microneurosurgery guided with real-time ultrasound integrated with the Brain Lab IGSonic navigation. During the ultrasound based operation, the degree of brain shift and the tumor border was timely observed, and then the tumor was resected totally. Results Guiding with navigation integrated ultrasound, we noticed the brain shift with various degrees happening in 30 patients,and the border of tumor was exposed and the tumor was resected totally without serious complications.Conclusions Intraoperative ultrasound integrated with navigation is a reliable guidance which can accurately re-localize the border of deep-seated brain tumor even when the tumor is shifting, timely delineate the reformatted images from ultrasound and totally resectcd the tumor, thus decrease the surgical time and increase the safety of surgical procedure.

The comparative efficacy of 2 anthelmintics (ivermectin and levamisole) against Baylisascaris transfuga migrating and encapsulated larvae was studied in mice. A total of 60 BALB/c mice inoculated each with about 1,000 embryonated B. transfuga eggs were equally divided into 6 groups (A-F) randomly. Mice of groups A and B were treated with ivermectin and levamisole, respectively, on day 3 post-infection (PI). Mice of groups A-C were killed on day 13 PI. Similarly, groups D and E were treated with ivermectin and levamisole, respectively, on day 14 PI, and all mice of groups D-F were treated on day 24 PI. The groups C and F were controls. Microexamination was conducted to count the larvae recovering from each mouse. The percentages of reduction in the number of migrating larvae recovered from group A (ivermectin) and B (levamisole) were 88.3% and 81.1%, respectively. In addition, the reduction in encapsulated larvae counts achieved by ivermectin (group D) and levamisole (group E) was 75.0% and 49.2%, respectively. The results suggested that, to a certain extent, both anthelmintics appeared to be more effective against migrating larvae than encapsulated larvae. However, in the incipient stage of infection, ivermectin may be more competent than levamisole as a larvicidal drug for B. transfuga.
Animals ; Anthelmintics/*administration & dosage ; Ascaridida Infections/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Ascaridoidea/*drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Ivermectin/*administration & dosage ; Larva/drug effects ; Levamisole/*administration & dosage ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Rodent Diseases/drug therapy/parasitology ; Treatment Outcome