0.05).There was a significant positive correlation between serum osteocalcin and ESR in female patients with RA aged less than 50 years (P

The use of optimal regulatory sequences for simultaneous expression of the transgenes might play a significant role in engineering plants with increased disease and insect resistance.The plant expression vector pOMS-GUS,which contained the GUS gene under the control of a chimeric promoter based upon the mannopine synthase(mas)promoter and the octopine synthase(ocs)enhancer,was constructed.Used as control,another vector pMAS-GUS,carried the GUS gene driven by only the mas promoter.The two vectors were introduced into tobacco plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.Fluorometric assays for GUS activity and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)analysis revealed that GUS gene expressed weakly with untreated transgenic tobacco while the level of GUS activity increased steadily after 1 h subjected to wounding.The expression of the mas and ocs/mas promoters was induced a further 1.8-fold and 5.7-fold,respectively.SA(1 mmol/L)or MJ(250 ?mol/L)treatment also caused a large induction of the ocs/mas chimeric promoter;And the application of SA in combination with MJ(1 mmol/LSA & 250 ?mol/L MJ)produced an additive effect that exceeded the wounding response.The results showed that the ocs/mas chimeric promoter is a strong inducible promoter that can be activated by various stresses.The chimeric promoter should have utility in development of disease and insect resistant transgenic crops.

Objective To assess the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms of FcεRIαgene and atopic dermatitis. Methods Genomic DNA samples were extracted from peripheral blood of 97 patients with atopic dermatitis and 283 normal human controls. The polymorphism at the distal promoter region of FcεRIα gene was determined by PCR-ligase detection reaction assay followed by gene sequencing. Results A G/T polymorphism was observed at position rs61828219 in the promoter region of FcεRIα gene, while all the tested individuals were homozygous for T/T at position rs12135235 and A/A at position rs36233780 in the promoter region of FcεRIα gene. The mutation frequency at position rs61828219 was 1.04% and 2.17% in patients with AD and normal human controls, respectively (both P ＞ 0.05). Conclusions In the Chinese Han population, there is a G/T polymorphism at position rs61828219 in FcεRIα gene promoter region, which is unlikely related to the development of AD; however, no polymorphism is detected at position rs12135235 or rs36233780.

Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Silicosis ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Glioma ; pathology ; Humans ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; pathology

Objective To investigate the validity and reliability of Item Erectile Function Scale (I-EF) for neurogenic erectile dysfunc-tion (ED). Methods 104 patients with spinal cord injury were assessed with I-EF. They were measured with pudendal somatosensory ner-vous evoked potential (SEP), bulbocavernosus reflex potential time (BCR) and nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) detection. 34 patients ac-cepted medicine for ED, and were assessed with I-EF after treatment. 21 patients with medium ED were assessed by 2 testers, and retested 2-4 weeks later. Results The patients who recorded their potential of SEP and BCR got the scores of Q1, Q2 above 7, and the absence with the scores of 3. Those found NPT 1-3 times got the score of Q3 above 7, and the absence with the scores of 3. The incidence of reflex erec-tions and NPT were more in complete suprasacral ones than in complete sacral ones (P<0.05). There was significant improvement after med-ication in patients with mild to medium ED (P<0.05). The interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.93 between testers and 0.90 between test-retest. Conclusion I-EF can be used to assess neurogenic erectile dysfunction for rehabilitation.

As one of the major geriatric syndromes,frailty exerts adverse effects on life expectancy and quality of life of the elderly.Because of its importance,a number of methods and tools have been introduced for the assessment of frailty.Malnutrition,as an independent risk factor,interacts with frailty and is involved in its progression.This article reviews recent studies on frailty and malnutrition.

The introduction of problem-based learning techniques into the teaching of anatomy has been subject to great contro- versies.This paper debates the rationale behind this concept using the example of the curriculum of Harvard Medical School.The anatomy curriculum is covered during the eight first weeks of the medical studies,and is an original combination of discussions of clinical cases in small groups,and work in gross anatomy,histology and radiology laboratories.The lectures are reduced to the minimum and emphasize general concepts.

Objective:To explore the relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/dele‐tion (I/D) polymorphism and familial essential hypertension (EH) .Methods :Fluorescent in situ hybridization stai‐ning DNA sequencing test was used to detect ACE gene I/D genotype frequency and allele frequency in 46 familial EH patients (familial EH group) ,64 EH patients without family history (non‐familial EH group) and 43 healthy people (healthy control group) .Results:In healthy control group ,non -familial EH group ,familial EH group ACE gene DD genotype frequency was 11.6% ,32.3% and 37.0% ;distribution frequency of D allele was 33.7% , 52.3% and 57.6% respectively .Compared with healthy control group ,there were significant rise in ACE gene DD genotype and D allele frequency in familial EH group and non -familial EH group (P<0.05 or <0.01) ,but there were no significant difference between familial EH group and non‐familial EH group (P>0.05) .Conclusion:ACE gene DD genotype and D allele may be genetic predisposing genes of patients with essential hypertension ,and there is no significant difference in genetic constituent ratio between familial EH patients and non‐familial EH patients .