Brucella ; isolation & purification ; Brucellosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans

Humans ; Accidents, Traffic ; Cause of Death ; Technology

Thermophilic bacteria strain YBJ-1 was isolated from hot spring samples collected from Yangbajing, Tibet. The 16sr DNA sequence of YBJ-1 (1511bp in length) shares 98% identity with that of Thermus scotoductus strain ITI-252T. The full-length ORF of amylase gene of YBJ-1 (amyT) was amplified by PCR technique and cloned into T-vector. The complete sequence of amyT is 1767bp in length, coding for 588 amino acids. The deduced amino acids share 99% similarity with alpha-cyclodextrinse of Bacillus sterothermophilus, 96% with maltogenic amylse of Thermus. sp IM6501, and 81% with neopullulanase of Bacillus sterothermophlus.
Amylases ; genetics ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Culture Media ; Open Reading Frames ; genetics ; Thermus ; enzymology ; genetics ; isolation & purification

A bacteria strain DY3 with high endoglucanse activity was isolated from deep sea sediment sample ES0109. The 16S rDNA sequence of DY3 exhibits identity of 99% with those of the same genus bacteria Pseudoalteromonas citrea and Pseudoalteromonas elyakovii . The celX gene of DY3 obtained by PCR method is 1479bp in length and encodes a protein of 492 amino acids. The protein encoded by celX gene exhibits 95% sequence identity with endoglucanase CelG from Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis. There are two modules in the deduced amino acids sequence, a catalytic domain of glycosyl hydrolases family 5 at the N terminal and a carbohydrate binding domain at the C terminal which was linked to catalytic domain by a short linker. The optimal temperature of CelX is 40 degrees C and the optimal pH was between 6 and 7.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; Cellulase ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Pseudoalteromonas ; enzymology ; genetics ; Sequence Alignment

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the surgical results of selective thoracic fusion (STF) for scoliosis associated with syringomyelia.

METHODSFrom January 2001 to January 2009, 93 cases of scoliosis associated with syringomyelia were retrospectively reviewed. There were 11 cases who underwent STF and were followed up more than 2 years, which included 8 female and 3 male, the mean age was 14.9 years (9 - 21 years). Curve type, coronal and sagittal Cobb angle, apical vertebral rotation apical vertebral translation, flexibility, trunk shift were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 9 double curves and 2 triple curves, the Lenke type of thoracolumbar/lumbar curve included Lenke A in 2 cases, Lenke B in 7 cases and Lenke C in 2 cases. The average coronal Cobb angle of thoracic curve before and after surgery were 62.6° and 19.0° respectively, and the average correction rate was 69.6%. The average coronal Cobb angle of thoracolumbar/lumbar curve before and after surgery were 36.1° and 11.6° respectively, and the average spontaneous correction rate was 67.9%. The followed up time ranged from 24 to 48 months (mean 29.5 months), the average loss of correction rate was 6.8%. Only one trunk decompensation was noted at final follow-up. Pedicle screw nut loosening occurred in one patient and this patient underwent revision surgery, no neurological complication was noted at final follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSSTF could be safely performed in scoliosis associated with syringomyelia. Thoracolumbar/lumbar curve in these patients has similar spontaneous correction ability compared with idiopathic scoliosis patients. The satisfactory result could be achieved according to the STF criteria for IS.

Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Scoliosis ; complications ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Syringomyelia ; complications ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of human spastic paraplegia 21 protein (SPG21) on the replication of hepatitis B virus(HBV) and its regulatory mechanism.

METHODSHBV infectious clone pHBV1.3 and its promoter pHBV-Luc were transfected respectively into HepG2 cells with SPG21 of different concentrations, HBsAg and HBeAg in the supernatants were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), expression of HBV core mRNA and protein were detected by RT-PCR and western blot, covalently closed circular DNA(ccc DNA) levels were measured by real-time PCR, and HBV promoter activity was measured by luminometer fluorescence detector.

RESULTSExpression of HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV core protein and cccDNA were upregulated by SPG21 as well as HBV promoter activity in a dose-dependent approach. The activity of HBV promoter increased to 1.63, 3.09 and 4.66 times in HepG2 cells treated with 50mug/ml, 100mug/ml and 200mug/ml SPG21 respectively during 48 hour-treated ( P less than 0.05), as compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONSSPG21 can enhance the replication of HBV in HepG2 cells.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; metabolism ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatitis B virus ; metabolism ; physiology ; Humans ; Transfection ; Virus Replication

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic efficacy of dietary boron supplement on retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in rats, so as to provide experimental evidence for clinical management of osteoporosis with boron.

METHODSThirty-two SD rats were randomized into normal control group (8 rats) and osteoporotic group (24 rats), and osteoporosis was induced in rats of the latter group by intragastric retinoic acid administration at the daily dose of 80 mg/kg for 15 consecutive days. The osteoporotic rats were subdivided into control group (8 rats) without treatment, boron treatment group (8 rats) and estradiol treatment group (8 rats). After 30 days of treatment, the serum contents of Ca, P, boron and the activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in the rats were assayed, the bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole body, lumbar vertebrae and tibia were determined, and the morphological changes of the femurs were observed.

RESULTSThe serum contents of Ca and P in the rats of the 4 groups differed scarcely, but the content of boron in boron treatment group was markedly higher than that in the other three groups. In the osteoporotic control group, the activities of serum AKP and TRAP, the masses of spongy bone and cortical bone of the femurs, and the quantity of the osteoclasts were increased, with the BMD of the lumbar vertebrae and tibia decreased, suggesting osteoporotic conditions. The mean trabecular plate density and thickness, trabecular bone volume and cortical bone volume of the femurs in the osteoporotic rats treated with boron or estradiol were significantly increased, but the active osteoclast quantity in the spongy bone and serum TRAP activities were obviously decreased, and the bone quality was comparable with that of the normal group. In addition, the serum AKP activity and the active osteoblast quantity in the spongy bone were obviously increased in boron treatment group.

CONCLUSIONThe dietary boron supplement can increase the serum content of boron of osteoporotic rats to stimulate bone formation and inhibit bone resorption, producing therefore obvious therapeutical effect against osteoporosis.

Acid Phosphatase ; blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; blood ; Animals ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Boron ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Femur ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Isoenzymes ; blood ; Osteoporosis ; blood ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase ; Time Factors ; Tretinoin

This paper is to report the study of the pharmacokinetics of a fusion protein TAT-haFGF(14-154) for human acidic fibroblast growth factor and transcriptional activator protein in rat plasma, and the investigation of their penetration across blood-brain barrier in mice and rats, in order to provide a basis for clinical development and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine concentration of TAT-haFGF(14-154) in rat plasma and in mouse brain homogenate; and immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the distribution in brain. The concentration-time curve fitted two-compartment open model which was linear kinetics elimination after a single intravenous injection of TAT-haFGF(14-154) in rat at the dose of 300 microg x kg(-1). The half life time was 0.049 +/- 0.03 h for distribution phase and 0.55 +/- 0.05 h for elimination phase, and the weight was 1/C2. The result showed that TAT-haFGF(14-154) could be detected in the brain by ELISA and immunohistochemistry, the elimination of TAT-haFGF(14-154) in rat was swift, and TAT-haFGF(14-154) could penetrate across the blood-brain barrier, distribute in pallium and hippocampus and locate in the nucleus.
Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; Cell Nucleus ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; metabolism ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Gene Products, tat ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Mice ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness of unilateral versus bilateral pedicle screw fixation in lumbar spinal fusion.

METHODSStudies on comparison between unilateral and bilateral pedicle screw fixation in lumbar spinal fusion were identified from Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL (Third Quarter 2011), ScienceDirect, OVID, SpringerLink and The China Biological Medicine Database, and searched several related journals by hand. The included trials were screened out according to the criterion of inclusion and exclusion. The quality of included trials was evaluated. Data were extracted by two reviewers independently. RevMan 5.1.1 was used for data analysis.

RESULTSSeven studies involving 480 patients were included, 246 in unilateral group, and 234 in bilateral group. The results of meta-analysis indicated that statistically significant difference were observed between the two fixation procedures in mean operation time (MD = -24.39, 95%CI: -33.16 to 15.61, P < 0.01), the amount of bleeding (MD = -118.73, 95%CI: -143.43 to -94.03, P < 0.01). There were no difference in inpatient stay, fusion rate, complication rate and excellent and good rate.

CONCLUSIONSBoth unilateral and bilateral pedicle screw fixation are effective in lumbar spinal fusion. To compare with bilateral fixation, unilateral fixation can shorten operation time, reduce amount of bleeding and medical expenses. And there is a similar effect of inpatient stay, fusion rate, complication rate and excellent and good rate.

Bone Screws ; Humans ; Internal Fixators ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; virology ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Viral Load