Objective To study the dosimetry of mono isocenter irradiation technique in radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods Conventional and mono isocenter irradiation techniques were used to simulate irradiation of the phantom and nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with Siemens primus linear accelerator equipped with asymmetric collimators. Dose uniformity?isodose distribution and field overlap were measured at the plane of junction with TLD and film dosimeter on the phantom. The reproducibility of the set up was tested on patients with verification films. Results For an applied dose of 1?Gy, TLD dosimetry showed that the mean dose at the junction of fields were 1.01 ?Gy for the mono isocenter technique as compared to 1.09 1.13?Gy for the conventional technique. An ideal isodose distribution at the junction with mono isocenter technique was found by film dosimetry. The reproducibility of the set up was obviously better for the mono isocenter technique, with less field overlap (1mm) and set up deviation (0.5?mm) than those (6 14?mm and 3?mm) of the conventional technique. Conclusions This investigation of junction dosimetry confirms the potential advantage of the mono isocentric technique. Not only does it lead to superior dosimetry in the plane of junction but also associates with a better reproducibility of the set up.

Objective To investigate the adverse effects of taurine on rabbit corneal endothelial cells. Methods Six rabbits (12 eyes) were selected, and 6 histologic sections were prepared from each of the eyes. Rabbit corneal endothelial cells were cultured by explant culture method. Cells were innoculated on a 12-well tissue culture plate, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% taurine solutions were added respectively (cells from the right and left eyes of the same rabbit were added the same concentration of taurine solution), and blank control was established. The growth of corneal endothelial cells was observed by inverted microscopy, and cell morphology on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th day of culture was observed with Wright staining. Results Corneal endothelial cells cultured with 2%, 4% and 6% taurine solutions and those of blank control formed endothelial cell layers after culture for one week, and the cells exhibited hexagonal or round-like morphology. Corneal endothelial cells cultured with 8% taurine solution appeared to be undergrowth with small cell body on the 4th day, and cell death occurred on the 8th day. Corneal endothelial cells cultured with 10% taurine solution turned out to be undergrowth with small cell body on the 2nd day, and cell death had occurred. The same growth velocity and cell morphology were observed in the corneal endothelial cells from the right and left eyes of the same rabbit. Conclusion Taurine with concentration between 2% and 6% has no adverse effects on the growth of rabbit corneal endothelial cells.

Peptide cyclization, a pivotal approach to modifying linear precursors of proteins and pepticles, has been used to enhance their biological activities and serum stabilities. Recently, sortase A (SrtA) from Staphyloccus aureus becomes a promising new technology for efficiently incorporating site specific modifications into proteins, conjugating the cell surface and cyclizing the linear peptides. In this study, we constructed two recombinant expression systems, one with chitin binding domain and the other with six-histidine tag and chitin binding domain on the N-terminal of SrtA, separately. The results of enzymatic kinetics indicate that the two recombinant tags do not impair the transpeptidase activity of SrtA compared with the standard reaction reported under the same reaction condition. The two synthesized peptides with N-ternimal three glycines and C-terminal penta-amino acid motif, LPETG, were cyclized using immobilized and recycled SrtA. The SrtA-based cyclization promises to represent a simple method for easy and efficient enzymatic synthesis of large cyclic peptides.
Aminoacyltransferases ; metabolism ; Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Cyclization ; Cysteine Endopeptidases ; metabolism ; Enzymes, Immobilized ; metabolism ; Kinetics ; Peptides ; metabolism ; Peptides, Cyclic ; biosynthesis ; Staphylococcus aureus ; enzymology

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sub-acute oral effect of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles on the oxidation/antioxidation biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines in blood, liver, intestine, and colon in rats. METHODS: Twenty four 4-week-old clean-grade Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly devided into 4 groups by body weight (n=6, control, low, middle, and high), in which the rats were orally exposed to TiO₂ nanoparticles at doses of 0, 2, 10 and 50 mg/kg body weight/day for 28 consecutive days separately. Food intake, body weight and abnormal behaviors during the experiment were recorded. The rats were euthanized on the 29th day. The blood was collected via abdominal aortic method and centrifuged to collect the serum. Tissues from liver, intestine and colon were collected and homogenated. Then enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and microwell plate methods were used to detect oxidation/antioxidation biomarkers including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total mercapto (T-SH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), malomdialdehvde (MDA) and inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the serum, liver, intestine and colon in the rats. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, no significant differences in body weight, food intake and organ coefficients were observed in all the three groups after TiO₂ gavage. No significant changes in GSH, GSH-Px, T-SH, and IL-6 were observed. Compared with the control group, significant increase of SOD activity in serum in high dose group, signi-ficant increase of GSSG concentration in intestine in middle and high dose group and significant increase of MDA concentration in liver in low and high dose group were observed. Compared with the control group, a significant increase of TNF-α in liver in middle and high dose group was observed. CONCLUSION TiO₂ nanoparticle can increase antioxidant enzymes activities in blood, increase oxidative biomarkers in liver and intestine, increase inflammatory cytokines in liver in rats after a 28-day sub-acute orally administration. Among blood, liver, intestine, and colon, liver is most sensitive to the toxicity induced by TiO₂ nanoparticles, followed by intestine, blood, and colon in sequence.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Biomarkers ; Cytokines ; Nanoparticles ; Oxidative Stress ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Titanium

The aim was to investigate the cytolytic activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) induced by dendritic cells (DC) derived from human cord blood in vitro. Human cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMNC) were cultured in vitro with addition of various cytokines. DC was confirmed by morphology, immune phenotype and capacity of stimulating MLR (mixed lymphocyte reaction). CTL were generated through the co-culture of autologous T lymphocytes and DC. (51)Cr-release assays were performed for the measurement of cytotoxicity of CTL. The results showed that distribution of the subgroups of T lymphocytes in CBMNC was similar to that in adult peripheral blood. The percentage of CD1a-expressing cells in CBMNC was very low, merely (0.41 +/- 0.09)%. During culture, DC became larger and more irregular in shape. Spiny dendrites or multiple cell processes in morphology emerged on the surface of DC. Among the cell populations at 15 days of culture, there were (28.4 +/- 3.55)% of CD1a-expressing cells, (63.67 +/- 23.33)% of CD86-positive, (8.7 +/- 1.49)% of CD83-positive and (32.5 +/- 1.53)% of HLA-DR-positive cells. DC derived from CBMNC is capable of stimulating the proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes in MLR. CTL derived from autologous T lymphocytes induced by dendritic cells pulsed with lysates of HL-60 cells, possessed specific cytolytic effects against HL-60 cells. In conclusions, relatively high percentage of CD1a-expressing cells can be generated in culture system of this study. DC derived from cord blood is able to induce the production of anti-leukemic CTL in vitro.
Antigens, CD1 ; analysis ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Fetal Blood ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Leukemia ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology

Objective Toanalyzethepersonnelallocationandbasicqualitystructureofmiddle-levelcadresinCDCsof ZhejiangProvince.Methods DatawerecollectedfromthenationalbasicinformationsystemofCDCs.Anddescriptive statistics,chi-square test and Kruskal -Wallis H test were used to analyze the differences of middle -level cadres'personnelallocationandbasicqualityamongthreelevelsofCDCs.Results Theallocationratioofmiddle-levelcadresin management departments was 25.58%,27.32% and 23.58% for provincial level,city level and county level of CDCs respectively,which was 74.42%,72.68% and 76.42% in management departments respectively.There were significant differences in ages,working years,education levels,majors and titles across different levels of CDCs (P<0.05 ).And there were significant differences in education levels across counties with different economic levels (P<0.05 ). Conclusion Thepersonnelallocationofmiddle-levelcadreswithexcellentbasicqualityindifferentlevelsofCDCsin Zhejiang Province was reasonable.

Objective To analyze the present post setting situation of CDCs in Zhejiang Province, and to provide evidence for further improvement and standardization of post setting. Methods The data of post setting were collected by questionnaires from all levels of CDCs in Zhejiang Province. The compliance and rationality of post setting structure were evaluated by national and provincial normative policy documents. Results Ninety seven CDCs had implemented the post setting. Professional technical posts had the highest proportion (above 80%) among three kinds of posts. As the approved proportions of posts classification and professional titles were approved by the local government, there were differences between different levels of CDCs. The approved proportion of ground skilled posts and management posts between municipal and county CDCs had a relatively higher degree of dispersion, and the CVs of ground skilled posts and management posts of municipal CDCs were 72.3% and 65.6%, and the CVs of county CDCs were 101.6% and 82.1%. In terms of the approved professional titles structural proportion, the degree of dispersion appeared to be higher in senior titles and primary titles approved proportion of municipal CDCs (CV=29.1%, 28.5%), while the degree of dispersion was higher in senior titles and vice-senior titles of county CDCs (CV=58.9%, 21.8%) . Meanwhile, the approved proportions of senior titles in municipal and county CDCs were lower with the averages of 32.2% and 17.0%. The posts of infectious disease prevention and control and laboratory detection were accounting for the majority posts in municipal and county CDCs with average percentages of 47.8% and 45.1% . Conclusion The present situation of post structural proportion meets the relevant requirements generally. However, there are some phenomena of non-standard approved proportion of ground skilled posts and management posts and low senior titles approved proportion. Meanwhile, the percentage of infectious disease prevention and control and laboratory detection posts appears to be lower in county CDCs.

Three cyclotides were isolated from the whole plant of Viola yedoensis in this study. The two, vary peptide E and cycloviolacin Y5, were previously reported, and a novel cycloviolacin VY1 was characterized according to the interpretation of MS/MS fragmentation of peptides which were produced from the reduced and alkylated parent peptide with the digestion of Endo Lys-C, trypsin and chymotrypsin, separately. The stability of remarkable resistance to proteolytic degradation by trypsin and chymotrypsin, and that of thermal denaturation was confirmed again. Besides, the IC50 value of cycloviolacin VY1 against influenza A H1N1 virus was (2.27 +/- 0.20) microg x mL(-1). It is the first cyclotide reported with anti-influenza A H1N1 virus activity in vitro assay.
Antiviral Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cyclotides ; pharmacology ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; drug effects ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Viola ; chemistry

Objective To study the effect of ulinastatin on no reflow or slow flow in the infarct related artery in patient with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary interventional therapy (PCI).Methods 180 STEMI patients were divided into the control group (n=100) and the ulinastatin treatment group (n=80).The control group received conventional PCI treatment and the treatment group received conventional PCI treatment plus ulinastatin. The level of serum inflammatory factors IL-6,IL-10,superoxide converting enzyme,the infarct related coronary artery reperfusion TIMI flow grade (TFG) and myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG),the results of postoperative cardiac ultrasound examination and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results Compared with the control group,the level of IL-6 was decreased,while the levels of IL-10 and superoxide converting enzyme were increased significantly in the ulinastatin treatment group(P<0.05).The TFG and TMPG of the infarct related vessels were increased significantly in the ulinastatin treatment group. The left ventricular end diastolic diameter[(54.6 ± 5.2 mm vs. (50.4±4.6) mm,P=0.046)]and left ventricular ejection fraction [(58.4±10.2) % vs. (62.2±9.8) % P=0.048] showed statistical difference between the two groups.Compared to the control,the major cardiovascular event rate of the treatment group during hospitalization (1% vs. 5%, P=0.038), after one month (1.2% vs. 3%,P=0.046) and 6 months (3% vs 12%,P=0.018) were all significantly lower .There was no significant difference in mortality between the 2 groups.Conclusion Ulinastatin may lower the incidence of no flow and slow flow after emergency PCI,improve heart function and the lower the rates of MACE.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects of dynamic fixation and rigid fixation in the management of degenerative lumbar spondylosis.

METHODSThe hospitalized patients with degenerative lumbar spondylosis, including degenerative lumbar instability, lumbar spondylolisthesis and lumbar stenosis from January 2002 to December 2006 formed the subjects of our study. According to the inclusion criteria, 100 patients (male 58, female 42) were selected. The cases were divided into rigid fixation group (A) and dynamic fixation group (B), with 50 cases in each. The average age was (56 +/- 6) years old of group A, and (57 +/- 9) years old of group B. Standing plain radiography, computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were taken in all the cases. The observation index included incidence of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), breakage of implant, fusion rate, lumbo-pelvic parameters and visual analogue scales (VAS) scores.

RESULTSSix cases developed ASD in group A (12.0%), and 1 case in group B (2%). Implant breakage happened in 2 cases in group A (4.0%), while none in group B. There was 1 case of pseudo-articular formation in group A (2.0%), but none in group B. Lumbar lordosis (LL) was corrected with (14.2 +/- 2.2) degrees in group A, and (20.2 +/- 3.7) degrees in group B (P = 0.031). Sacral slope (SS) was corrected with (12.6 +/- 4.3) degrees in group A and (15.8 +/- 6. 5) degrees in group B (P = 0.052). Pelvic tilt (PT) was corrected with (8.3 +/- 2.7) degrees in group A and (4.5 +/- 2.2) degrees in group B (P = 0.014). Pelvic incidence was corrected with (2.0 +/- 0.1) degrees in group A and (0.9 +/- 0.1) degrees in group B (P = 0.008). The VAS score decreased significantly in both groups within the first 2 years after operation. But as time going, the patients with rigid fixation felt pain gradually, and the pain was more severe than in patients with dynamic fixation.

CONCLUSIONDynamic fixation could prevent ASD and implant failure effectively.

Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Spinal Diseases ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome