Objective Analyzing the impact of teachers' background characteristics on the Students' evaluation to improve the quality of teaching from the angle of the teachers professional development. Methods Based on the data of students' evaluation of teaching of Shanghai medical college of Fudan University from 2008 to 2011, the article analyzed the teachers' gender, age, job title, diploma, and other relevant background characteristics. Excell2007 was used to build dataset and the data was analyzed statistically by software of SPSS 11.0 and expressed with x±s. The statis-tical method of one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the teachers with different genders, education backgrounds, ages and professional titles, showing statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Results comparative analysis showed that no statistically significant differences existed in fac-ulty teaching evaluation scores among the teachers of different genders or different education back-grounds(P=0.613 9、0.891 0). There were however significant differences in teaching evaluation of teachers of diverse ages and professional ranks(P=0.017 3 and P=0.032 5). Conclusions According to the analysis results of faculty teaching evaluations, associate professors' teaching evaluation scores were lower than intermediate grade teachers', and the score of the teachers between the age of 41 to 45 was lower than that of the teachers between the age of 36 to 40. Therefore individual variations and various social backgrounds of teaching faculties should be taken into consideration and the corre-sponding countermeasures for the professional development of teachers should been put forward. In addition, the cultivation of new teachers, young and middle-aged teachers should be strengthened, and the proportion of teaching evaluation in the Performance Appraisal should be increased.

Objective To study effect of excessive iodine intake on sodium-iodide symporter(NIS)mRNA and protein expression of breast in lactating rats.Methods60 Wistar rats,having been weaned for one month,were randomly divided into three groups according to their body weights,I.e,①normal iodine(NI,30 rats);②ten fold high iodine(10 HI,15 rats);③one hundred fold high iodine(100 HI,15 rats).Eating food containing iodine of 300μg/L and drinking water of iodine at 5,1845,20 295μg/L,respectively.After fed for 3 months,the rats mated and had offspring,and urine and milk iodine of lactating rats were determined by As-Ce-catalytic spectrophotometric method.Their marmnary glands were sampled at lactation day 10.Then NIS mRNA expression by RT-PCR was determined and NIS protein by immunohistochemistry(SABC)was observed.Results The urine iodine of 10 HI group(3597.5μg/L)and 100HI group(25 404.3μg/L)increased obviously compared with that of NI group(344.7μg/L).The milk iodine of 10HI group(27.1×103μg/L)and 100HI group(191.0×1μg/L)was higher than that of NI group(6.0×103μg/L),but the increased fold of milk iodine was not paralleled with that of urine iodine.Difference of NIS mRNA expression was significant(F=24.19,P＜0.01)among the groups,and the NIS mRNA expression in 10HI(1.250±0.034)and 100HI(1.272±0.039)group were less than that in NI (1.532±0.044)group(P＜0.01).The breast NIS mRNA expression in lactating rats(1.532±0.044)was significantly higher than that in unlactating rats(0.879±0.018,P＜0.01).With the increasing iodine uptake,NIS protein expression decreased.Conclusions The NIS mRNA and protein in rat breasts is down-regulated by excessive iodine intake.So increasing extent of milk iodine concentration is inhibited,which is important to prevent off-spring from getting excessive iodine intake from parental generation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the change of Th17/Treg cell in patients with psoriasis arthritis (PA) and its clinical significance.

METHODSThe levels of IL-17 and TGF-β1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) in PA patients (n=35) and healthy controls(n=30). The frequencies of Th17 and Treg in the peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTSCompared with the healthy controls, Th17/Treg in peripheral blood were significantly increased (p<0.05), Th17-related cytokine IL-17 significantly increased (p<0.05), and TGF-β1 significantly decreased (p<0.05) in the PA patients.

CONCLUSIONTh17/Treg cell and the related cytokines IL-17 and TGF-β1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of PA.

Aged ; Arthritis, Psoriatic ; blood ; immunology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-17 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology ; Th17 Cells ; immunology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of atorvastatin on C-reactive protein (CRP) induced Toll-Like receptor 4 (TLR4)expression on CD14+ monocyte, and the production of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9), and to study the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of statins.

METHODSThe monocytes were isolated from blood of healthy volunteers by the Ficoll density gradient and stimulated by CRP with different doses (5, 25, 50, 100 microg/ml) and different exposure time (6, 12, 24, 48 h). Cells were also incubated with atorvastatin of different doses (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 micromol/L) in the presence of CRP 50 microg/ml. The protein expression of TLR4 was measured by flow cytometry, mRNA expression of TLR4 and of myeloid differentiation protein (MD2)was detected by quantitative PCR. TNFalpha, IL-6, MMP-9 concentrations in supernatants of cultured medium were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS(1) Compared with the un-stimulated control group, enhanced TLR4 protein expression was already detected at a concentration of 5 microg/ml of CRP and increased in a dose-dependent manner (32.22 +/- 2.80)%, (49.94 +/- 5.58)%, (74.82 +/- 3.24)% and (90.82 +/-2.88)% at 5, 25, 50 and 100 microg/ml CRP. (2) TLR4 protein expression on 50 microg/ml CRP stimulated cells also increased in a time-dependent manner (29.80 +/- 2.70)%, (47.44 +/- 4.41)%, (81.71 +/- 2.92)% and (50.57 +/- 3.34)% after 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h. (3) When monocytes were incubated with CRP 50 microg/ml and atorvastatin (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 micromol/L), protein expression [(68.17 +/- 1.71)%, (52.43 +/- 1.38)%, (27.72 +/- 4.55)%, (17.46 +/- 3.20)%, (9.99 +/- 2.81)%] and mRNA expression (82.72%, 67.34%, 48.16%, 30.88%, 13.85%) of TLR4 as well as mRNA expression of MD2 (81.78%, 71.04%, 47.85%, 27.06%, 18.30%) were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. (4) Level of TNFalpha, IL-6 and MMP-9 in supernatants was significantly reduced by atorvastatin (2.5 micromol/L) compared with control group (P < 0.01). When monocyte incubated with CRP 50 microg/ml and atorvastatin 10.0 micromol/L, the level of TNFalpha, IL-6, MMP-9 decreased to (25.8 +/- 2.5) microg/ml, (128.2 +/- 14.7) pg/ml, (65.2 +/- 12.3) ng/ml, respectively.

CONCLUSIONCRP increased the protein expression of TLR4 on CD14+ monocyte in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Atorvastatin can inhibit the signal transduction of TLR4 and reduce proinflammatory cytokines release induced by CRP on CD14 monocyte, and this might be one of the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of atorvastatin.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Heptanoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; Monocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Pyrroles ; pharmacology ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; metabolism

Timely reporting, effective analyses and rapid distribution of surveillance data can assist in detecting the aberration of disease occurrence and further facilitate a timely response. In China, a new nationwide web-based automated system for outbreak detection and rapid response was developed in 2008. The China Infectious Disease Automated-alert and Response System (CIDARS) was developed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention based on the surveillance data from the existing electronic National Notifiable Infectious Diseases Reporting Information System (NIDRIS) started in 2004. NIDRIS greatly improved the timeliness and completeness of data reporting with real time reporting information via the Internet. CIDARS further facilitates the data analysis, aberration detection, signal dissemination, signal response and information communication needed by public health departments across the country. In CIDARS, three aberration detection methods are used to detect the unusual occurrence of 28 notifiable infectious diseases at the county level and to transmit that information either in real-time or on a daily basis. The Internet, computers and mobile phones are used to accomplish rapid signal generation and dissemination, timely reporting and reviewing of the signal response results. CIDARS has been used nationwide since 2008; all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in China at the county, prefecture, provincial and national levels are involved in the system. It assists with early outbreak detection at the local level and prompts reporting of unusual disease occurrences or potential outbreaks to CDCs throughout the country.

Objective Take alkaline ashing method as golden standard to explore the accuracy of chloric acid digestion method in determination of human milk iodine. Methods Sixty one breast milk samples collected in Hexi district of Tianjin was measured by the method for determination of iodine in foodstuff by As3+-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry (referred to as the alkaline ashing method) published in 2008 and the method for determination of iodine in urine by As3+-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry(referred to as acid digestion) published in 1999, respectively. were highly correlated(r = 0.960, t = 26.3, P < 0.01), and the regression equation was (Y) = - 28.1 + 0.808X, in which X was independent variable, that is the results of alkaline ashing method; (Y) was dependent variable, that is the estimated data of chloric acid digestion method. The average difference of the results measured by the two methods was 68.3 μg/L, and the results from chloric acid digestion was 38.9% which lower than that of alkaline samples were diluted by 3,4 and 5-fold and then digested by chloric acid, the liquid clarification rates were 80.3% ashing and chloric acid digestion method were, respectively, 165.4, 110.0 μg/L. Conclusions Compared with alkaline ashing method, the results determined by chloric acid digestion method are significantly lower. It is suggested that there are systemic errors in chloric acid digestion method, which means that alkaline ashing method can not be replaced by the chloric acid digestion method.

BACKGROUNDParaquat (PQ; 1, 1'-dimethyl-4, 4'-bipyridinium), a widely used herbicide that is structurally similar to the known dopaminergic neurotoxicant MPTP (1-methyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine), has been suggested as a potential etiologic factor for the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Aging is an accepted risk factor for idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that paraquat could induce PD-like nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration in aging C57BL/6 mice.

METHODSSenile male C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with either saline or PQ at 2-day intervals for a total of 10 doses. Locomotor activity and performance on the pole test were measured 7 days after the last injection and animals were sacrificed one day later. Level of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites levels in the striatum were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD), and numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons were estimated using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSLocomotor activities were significantly decreased and the behavioral performance on the pole test were significantly impaired in the PQ treated group. Level of DA and its metabolites levels in the striatum were declined by 8 days after the last injection. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that PQ was associated with a reduction in numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons.

CONCLUSIONSLong-term repeated exposes to PQ can selectively impair the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system of senile mice, suggesting that PQ could play an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Our results also validate a novel model of PD induced by exposure to a toxic environmental agent.

Aging ; pathology ; Animals ; Corpus Striatum ; drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dopamine ; analysis ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Motor Activity ; drug effects ; Paraquat ; toxicity ; Parkinson Disease, Secondary ; chemically induced ; Substantia Nigra ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of the sera of rabbits fed with Tongxinluo on the expression and secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in U937 monocyte-derived macrophages.

METHODSAtherosclerosis was induced in rabbits by high-cholesterol feeding, and the serum was obtained from the rabbits after administration of the aqueous solution of Tongxinluo or simvastatin by gavage. U937 monocyte-derived macrophages were incubated with the sera at different concentrations for 24 hours, and the changes in MMP-9 and TIMP-1 gene expression and secretion were detected by RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

RESULTSThe serum of rabbits fed with Tongxinluo concentration-dependently inhibited the expression and secretion of MMP-9 in U937 macrophages, but did not affect TIMP-1 expression or secretion.

CONCLUSIONTongxinluo may stabilize the atherosclerotic plaques by inhibiting the expression and secretion of MMP-9.

Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; blood ; etiology ; Cholesterol, Dietary ; administration & dosage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rabbits ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serum ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; U937 Cells

The key to killing target cells by immunotoxin depends on the specific recognition of antibody to target cell and the cytotoxic effect of toxin. The comparative study of the killing effects of two anti-T immunotoxins, CD5:Ricin and CD5:rRA, on target cells was performed. The elimination rate of immunotoxins was analysed by flow cytometry and MLR. The effect of immunotoxins on the proliferation of hematopoiesis was evaluted by CFU-GM. The results showed that (1) CD5(+) T cells were eliminated and CD25(+) CD3(+) activated T cells were concentration-dependently inhibited by the two immunotoxins in the range of 10(-9) - 10(-11) mol/L; (2) both immunotoxins significantly inhibited the mixed lymphocyte reaction, and the inhibiting effect of CD5:rRA to T cell proliferation was markedly lower than that of CD5:Ricin in the range of 10(-10) - 10(-11) mol/L; (3) the combination of CD5:rRA with 10 mmol/L NH(4)Cl increased the T cell elimination rate; and (4) the two immunotoxins and the combination of NH(4)Cl and CD5:rRA did not suppressed proliferation of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors in the range of concentrations with killing effect. It was concluded that T cell and activated T cell could be eliminated effectively by immunotoxins, the proliferation of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor was not inhibited significantly.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of multiple displacement amplification (MDA) to apply in the non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

METHODSMaternal blood was obtained from 20 pregnant women at 7 to 25 weeks of gestation. After the discontinuous density gradient centrifugation with Percoll, the fetal nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) were stained with Kleihauer test. All positive NRBCs were collected by micromanipulator and then performed with MDA. Sex and short tandern repeat (STR) analysis were determind from a small aliquot of the reaction. The origin of NRBCs was verified and prenatal diagnosis of DMD was made at the same time.

RESULTSThe product length of MDA was >15 kb, while primer extension preamplification (PEP) is only about 1 kb. We completed non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis of 6 fetus at high risk of DMD using MDA. The results were all coincident with amniotic fluid control.

CONCLUSIONThe MDA method which provides a highly uniform representation across the genome, representing the entire genome with minimal amplification bias, shows good application prospects.

Erythroblasts ; metabolism ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Fetal Diseases ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Humans ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods