A quantitative study on human water contact was carried out in an endemic area of schistosomiasis japonica. The information relating to frequency, duration and intensity of each activities was obtained from 390 persons (93% of all) aged 5-59 and 10 days of each season in 1987 was surveyed by using systematic sampling. Socioeconomic investigation and stool examination were also performed on the same population. It is found that cutting grass and fishing are the most important activities, as well as swimming and bathing. The accumulated index ofexposure is high in spring and summer, low in autumn and rare in winter. The peak contact is 8-12 o'clock in the morning. The reasons of contact are different between males and females. And the peak contact is at teen aged youth. Studies on water contact and socioeconomic factors show that there are more contacts in peasants than in those with other occupations. Rich farmers who has more savings contact less. The contacts seem more frequent in those whose family water supply is from infected water. The stepwise regression analysis shows that the most important factor relating to the infection of schistosomiasis japonica are index B of exposure (accumulation of duration ? intensity). The infected water supply of family and education were two other factors relating to the infection.

High resolution melting (HRM), based on melting curve analysis, requires not only saturating dyes that fluoresce in the presence of double-stranded DNA, but also higher resolution detection equipment. The melting curve is a novel method for sequence matching, genotyping and mutation scanning. The technology is simple, accurate, rapid, closed-tube, low-cost, and high-throughput, which make it gain more and more applications. This review article presents the basic principles, key factors and both the advantage and limitations of HRM. The potential application is discussed in the study of molecular identity of traditional Chinese medicine.
DNA Mutational Analysis ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; classification ; Genotyping Techniques ; methods ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nucleic Acid Denaturation

High resolution melting (HRM), based on melting curve analysis, requires not only saturating dyes that fluoresce in the presence of double-stranded DNA, but also higher resolution detection equipment. The melting curve is a novel method for sequence matching, genotyping and mutation scanning. The technology is simple, accurate, rapid, closed-tube, low-cost, and high-throughput, which make it gain more and more applications. This review article presents the basic principles, key factors and both the advantage and limitations of HRM. The potential application is discussed in the study of molecular identity of traditional Chinese medicine.

Authentications of Chinese herbal medicine have a critical effect in Chinese clinical medicine. DNA molecular marker, as an important component for true or false authentication, is more and more widely used in iden-tification of Chinese medicinal materials. At the same time, many new methods for authentication of Chinese medici-nal materials are continuously emerging. But the systematically comparative analysis of these new methods is lack. The present study taking Lonicera japonica as an example, systematically compared principles, characteristics, ex-periment methods, detection time and the application scope of express sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR), polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR), DNA barcoding and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and put forward corresponding improve-ment opinions. This study can help to screen appropriate approach for rapid authentication of L. japonica and offer demonstrating to other Chinese herbal medicines.

Background Glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is determined to have a neurotrophy effect and promoting effect to the growth of axon.GDNF has been applied in ophthalmology.Research showed that artemin,a new member of GDNF family,has a better function in protection of neuron,but seldom relevant document of distruibution of artemin in retina is found so far.Objective The aim of the present study is to investigate the distribution and expression of artemin in normal rat retinal neuron cells and retinal ganglion cells,and imitate diabetic environment to observe the expression of artemin at the condition of high glucose.Methods Retinal tissue was isolated from clean neonatal SD rats and cultured by expand culture method in DMEM/F12 containing 10% fetal bovine serum.40 mmol/L of glucose was added in medium in the seventh day after culture for 12 hours as experimental group.The expression and location of artemin in retina were tested by real-time PCR and cell immunofluorescence assay.Use of experimental animals followed the Management Regulation of experimental animals of Jiangsu Province.Results Cultured cells showed the typical cell body and processes in the seventh day.Cultured retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) presented the red fluorescence for Thy1.1 antibody,and multiple fluorescence label revealed that RGCs exhibited the green fluorescence for artemin antibody and red fluorescence for Thy1.1 antibody,indicating artemin protein was positively expressed in cultured RGCs.The numbers of positive cells for Thy1.1 antibody was (442±9)/high field in normal culture group and (263±7) /high field in 40mmol/L glucose culture group,showing a significant difference between them (P＜0.05).The expression of artemin mRNA in normal culture group and in 40 mmol/L glucose culture group,was showing a considerably difference between them(P＜0.05).Conclusion Artemin can be expressed in cultured retinal neuron cells and RGCs in rats.High glucose environment down-regulate the expression of artemin.This study proved a new idea for protecting RGCs against damage.

Total elbow arthroplasty was initially used to manage the rheumatoid arthritis of elbow. With the developement of technology in recent decades, the indication of total elbow arthroplasty include the trauma associated unstable joint, traumatic arthritis and distal humerus fractures in elderly. But the high risk of complications, which includes infection, ulnar nerve deficit and tricep insufficiency, is still an unsolved issue. The most widely used approach nowadays is the Bryan-Morrey approach, while some authors also report triceps on approach recently. This article is an overview in approaches and biomechanical researches of total elbow arthroplasy by reviewing the domestic and overseas involved literatures.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Elbow ; adverse effects ; methods ; Humans ; Muscles ; physiopathology ; Recovery of Function ; Ulnar Nerve ; injuries

A FatB unigene was obtained from the transcriptome dataset of Lonicera japonica Thunb. Full-length FatB cDNA was cloned from buds of Lonicera japonica Thunb., Lonicera japonica Thunb. var. chinensis (Wats.) Bak., Lonicera hypoglauca Miq. and Lonicera dasystyla Rehd. using RT-PCR technology, and named as LJFatB, LHFatB, LJCFatB and LDFatB. The results of bioinformatic analysis showed that LJFatB, LJCFatB, LHFatB and LDFatB and Arabidopsis thaliana AtFatB had a closely relationship. Nucleotide sequences and protein secondary structure of LJFatB, LJCFatB, LHFatB and LDFatB are different and their proteins had conserved FatB substrate binding sites and catalytic activity sites. Transcriptive level of LJFatB, LJCFatB, LHFatB and LDFatB in bud was not significantly different. Therefore, LJFatB, LJCFatB, LHFatB and LDFatB could have the same biological function as AtFatB.

Aim To investigate the effect of CD44 anti-body-A3 D8 on the expression of IL-3 Rα and down-stream PI3K/Akt in NB4 cells. Methods The ex-pression of IL-3 Rα mRNA was detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR, the IL-3Rα protein expression and changes of PI3 K/Akt signal pathway in NB4 cells treated with A3D8 were analyzed by Western blot. An-nexin-V-FITC/PI double staining flow cytometry was u-tilized to detect the apoptotic cells. The inhibitor of PI3 K/Akt signaling LY294002 combined with A3 D8 was used to inhibit the PI3K/Akt in NB4 cells. Re-sults After treated with A3 D8 , both the transcription-al level and translational level of IL-3 Rα were remark-ably reduced, and the PI3K/Akt pathway was inhibi-ted. LY294002 improved the inhibitory and apoptotic effects of A3D8 on NB4 cells. Conclusion CD44 antibody A3 D8 can downregulate the expression of IL-3Rα and inhibit the downstream PI3K/Akt pathway.

Aim: To compare the stability of Endostar~(TM) and endostatin under different temperatures and pH using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis( PAGE) and Western blot and to compare the activity of Endostar kept at 4 ℃ and 37 ℃ by inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation. Methods: Endostar and endostatin expressed by Phicha pastoris were kept at 4 ℃, and 37 ℃ for 96 hours, respectively. The electrophoresis of the samples was detected by reduced and non-reduced PAGE. The results were further confirmed by Western blot with rabbit anti-Endostar polyclonal antibody. The inhibitory effect of Endostar stored at different temperatures on HUVEC was also exam-ined by cell-based assay. Results: Single band at 20 kD was detected in all lanes of SDS-PAGE gel loaded with endostatin and Endostar samples under reducing condition. In acidic native PAGE with three different pH values, endostatin showed a smear characteristic, whereas Endostar showed a unique band in acidic non-continuous native PAGE. Although the smear phenomenon was also observed under two conditions of constant native elec-trophoresis, the major band of Endostar could be detected. Similar electrophoretic behavior was found for endosta-tin and Endostar stored at both 37 ℃ and 4 ℃ . Western blot showed similar results to those by PAGE. Furthermore, Endostar stored at these two temperatures also had identical inhibitory effect on proliferation of HUVEC. Conclusion: Endostar and endostatin exhibit similar thermostability at regular conditions, but Endostar was more stable than endostatin expressed in P. pastoris under acidic condition.

Objective To investigate the expression of human β defensin-2(hβD-2)in the eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue in patients with adenomyosis and in women with normal endometrium.Methods Twenty-five hysteromyoma patients with adenomyosis(AM) and 25 hysteromyoma patients without endometriosis (EMS) were selected and divided into three groups:AM ectopic endometrium group,AM eutopic endometrium group and control group( endometrial tissue in patients with hysteromyoma).The level of mRNA expressions of hβD-2,interleukin-1β ( IL-1β ),interleukin-6 ( IL-6 ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was investigated quantitatively using Real Time PCR (RT-PCR) and the corresponding protein level was detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Comparing the expression of hβD-2,IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α genes among the three groups,there was no significant difference between ectopic endometrium group and eutopic endometrium group and there was also no significant difference between eutopic endometrium group and the control group.( P ＞ 0.05 ).The expression of hβD-2 and IL-1β were 0.0320 (0.0095 ～ 0.0690 ) and 0.0427 ( 0.0038 ～ 0.0975 ) in the ectopic endometrium group,and they were 0.0034(0.0025 ～0.0424) and 0.0080(0.0040 ～0.0251 ) in the control group,respectively.They were both significantly higher in ectopic endometrium group than in the control group (P ＜ 0.05 ).In the ectopic endometrium group hβD-2 expression was positively correlated with the level of TNF-α ( r =0.857,P =0.014 ),and it had no correlation with both IL-1β and IL-6 ( r =0.750,P =0.052 ; r =0.464,P =0.464; respectively)Conclusion HβD-2 might not play an important role in the formation of adenomyosis.It may be related to no significant up-regulation of inflammatory factors in ectopic lesion tissue.