Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid autoantibodies (anti-TGAb and anti-TPOAb) in cord blood of infants of mothers complicated with hypothyroidism and the influencing factors of neonatal thyroid function. Methods Clinical data of 67 singleton pregnant women complicated with hypothyroidism in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Thyroid function and its autoantibody levels in maternal, cord blood and neonatal serum at 5-7 d after birth were compared. Umbilical TSH level and its affecting factors were also investigated. The results of TSH was expressed as median (25th-75th percentile). Results (1) Umbilical TSH levels were elevated in 9. 0% (6/67) of all infants born to mothers complicated with hypothyroidism. (2) No correlation was found in TSH levels between cord blood and venous blood in neonates 5-7 d after birth. Umbilical TSH levels were significantly higher in infants born vaginally than in those born abdominally [10. 20(6. 10-12. 80) mU/L vs 5. 86(4.02-7.74) mU/L,P=0.001]. Higher umbilical TSH levels were also detected in those complicated with fetal distress and preterm birth compared with those withoutere [fetal distress: (10. 36(6. 61-13. 37) mU/L and 6. 89(4. 18-9. 70) mU/L, P = 0. 046; preterm birth: 8. 90(7. 60-10. 33) mU/L and 6.84(4.17-9. 80) mU/L,P=0. 046,0. 049)]. (3) The anti-TGAb levels in cord blood were positively correlated with that in neonatal serum at 5-7 d after birth (r=0. 960, P = 0. 000), and the same was true for anti-TGPOAb levels (r= 0. 975, P = 0. 000). Maternal thyroid autoantibody levels (anti-TGAb and anti-TPOAb) had significant effect on umbilical antibody levels (P = 0. 003 and 0. 000, respectively), but not on the neonatal TSH levels (P>0. 05). Conclusions Umbilical TSH levels are affected by many delivery factors which may limit its prediction role on congenital hypothyroidism. However, there is an increased risk of elevated umbilical TSH, anti-TGAb and anti-TPOAb levels among these patients which may increase the risk of congenital hypothyroidism. Further follow up of these infants is warranted.

Objective To understand the mental health status of officers and soldiers (OSs) in a Chinese army unit,and analyze its relationship with Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection.Methods Cross sectional extraction of 1293 male soldiers from a certain unit of Chinese army in September 2015,aged 17-37 years old,average age 20.5 ± 3.2.Using the symptom self rating scale (SCL-90) to conduct a psychological evaluation,comparison between the evaluation results and the Chinese military norm was conducted to understand the mental health status of OSs in the unit.13C-urea breath test was used to detect H.pylori infection,and the relationship between the positivity rate of various factors,the SCL-90 score and H.pylori infection were analyzed.Ninety OSs who had desire to eradicate H.pylori serves as the experimental group,and 90 H.pylori-infected OSs as control group.The experimental group received quadruple-drug eradication therapy,control group received no drug treatment.SCL-90 scores before and after the treatment were compared,and SCL-90 scores after treatment in the experimental group and those in the control group were also compared for analyzing the relationship between the OSs psychological status and H.pylori infection.Results The SCL-90 score of the OSs was lower than the norm of Chinese army,and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).The psychological screening positive rate was higher in H.pylori-positive OSs than H.pylori-negative those and the positive rates of psychological screening factors somatization,interpersonal sensitivity,hostility and paranoid were higher in H.pylori-positive OSs than in H.Pylorinegative those,and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).After the eradication of H.pylori in the experimental group these factor scores were lower than those before eradication.Compared with control group SCL-90 scores,soldiers somatization,interpersonal sensitivity,anxiety,hostility,paranoid factor score in experimental group after treatment were lower,the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.05).Conclusion The mental health is better in OSs in this unit,the negative mental status is obvious in H.pylori-infected OSs than in H.pylori-negative those,and to eradicate H.pylori can improve their psychological state.

Objective To observe the effect of core stability training on lumbar disc herniation using changes in surface-electromyography signals from the core muscles.Methods Sixty patients with lumbar disc herniation were equally divided into an experimental group who were given the core stability training in addition to their regular physical therapy and a control group given the regular physical therapy only.The total course of treatment was 8 weeks.Each patient was assessed before the experiment and after 4 and 8 weeks of the intervention using the numeric rating scales of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association,the Oswestry disability index and integrated electromyogram (iEMG),root mean square (RMS) and medium frequency (MF) of the electromyographic signals from the rectus abdominis,obliqus externus abdominis,erector spinae,lumbar multifidus and gluteus medius muscles.Results No significant differences between the two groups were observed in any of the measurements before or after four weeks of the treatment.After 4 and 8 weeks of treatment,both groups had significant improvements in all of the measurements compared with before the experiment.Between 4 and 8 weeks the experimental group showed significant improvement in all of the measurements which was not matched in the control group.By the end of the treatment,all of the measurements of the experimental group were,on average,significantly better than those of the control group.Conclusions Both core stability training and regular physical therapy have similar effects on patients with lumbar disc herniation in the short term.However,continued core stability training improves the ability of core muscles and relieves pain and dysfunction better than prolonged regular physical therapy.

Objective To observe among stroke survivors the timing of muscle activation at the stance phase during walking using the surface electromyography ( sEMG) combined with 3D gait analysis. Methods Twenty stroke survivors assessed as at Brunnstrom stages Ⅲ, Ⅳ and Ⅴ were assigned to groups designated Ⅲ, Ⅳ and V. sEMG and 3D gait analysis were used to assess the activation timing of the bilateral rectus femoris ( RF) and biceps femoris ( BF) , the tibialis anterior ( TA) and the gastrocnemius medialis ( GM) . The activation timing and the dura-tion of activation of the muscles were compared among the 3 groups, as well as with those of healthy muscles. Results The onset time of the RF on the affected side was significantly later than on the healthy side, while that of the GM was significant earlier. The durations of BF and GM activation on the affected side were significantly shorter than on the unaffected side in group III. The onset times of the TA and GM on the affected side were significantly ear-lier than on the healthy side in group IV, as was the onset time of the TA of the affected side in group V. The average RF and BF onset times on the affected side in group Ⅳ were significantly earlier than in group Ⅲ. The onset time of the TA on the unaffected side and the average BF onset time on the affected side in group Ⅴ were significantly later than in group IV. The onset time of the RF and TA on the unaffected side in group Ⅳ and the onset time of the GM on the affected side were significantly later than in group III, while the onset time of the BF and TA on the affected side was significantly earlier. The average duration of BF activation on the unaffected side in group Ⅳ was significant-ly shorter than that of group Ⅲ. The average duration of TA activation on the unaffected side in group Ⅴ was signifi-cantly shorter than that of group IV. The duration of RF activation on the affected side in group Ⅴ was significantly shorter than that in group Ⅲ, and the same was true of the RF, BF, TA and GM activation times on the healthy side. Conclusions There are significant differences in the onset and duration of muscle activation when stroke survivors at different stages of recovery walk. Some muscles are activated too early and others are over-activated. These abnormali-ties gradually disappear with the recovery of motor function.

The nucleocapsid protein (N protein) has been found to be an antigenic protein in a number of coronaviruses. Whether the N protein in severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is antigenic remains to be elucidated. Using Western blot and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), the recombinant N proteins and the synthesized peptides derived from the N protein were screened in sera from SARS patients. All patient sera in this study displayed strong positive immunoreactivities against the recombinant N proteins, whereas normal sera gave negative immunoresponses to these proteins, indicating that the N protein of SARS-CoV is an antigenic protein. Furthermore, the epitope sites in the N protein were determined by competition experiments, in which the recombinant proteins or the synthesized peptides competed against the SARS-CoV proteins to bind to the antibodies raised in SARS sera. One epitope site located at the C-terminus was confirmed as the most antigenic region in this protein. A detailed screening of peptide with ELISA demonstrated that the amino sequence from Codons 371 to 407 was the epitope site at the C-terminus of the N protein. Understanding of the epitope sites could be very significant for developing an effective diagnostic approach to SARS.
Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epitopes ; chemistry ; immunology ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid Proteins ; chemistry ; immunology ; Peptide Fragments ; chemical synthesis ; Plasmids ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism

In order to develop clinical diagnostic tools for rapid detection of the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) and to identify candidate proteins for vaccine development, the C-terminal portion of the nucleocapsid (NC) gene was amplified using RT-PCR from the SARS-CoV genome, cloned into a yeast expression vector (pEGH), and expressed as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) and Hisx6 double-tagged fusion protein under the control of an inducible promoter. Western analysis on the purified protein confirmed the expression and purification of the NC fusion proteins from yeast. To determine its antigenicity, the fusion protein was challenged with serum samples from SARS patients and normal controls. The NC fusion protein demonstrated high antigenicity with high specificity, and therefore, it should have great potential in designing clinical diagnostic tools and provide useful information for vaccine development.
Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Vectors ; Genome, Viral ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Yeasts ; genetics