Objective To analyze the nucleotide sequences and genetic polymorphisms of UL138 gene of low passage human cytomegalovirus ( HCMV) strains isolated from infants in Guangzhou province. Methods The low passage strains of HCMV were isolated from urine samples of 10 infants with HCMV in-fection in Guangzhou province and identified by multiplex PCR.The UL138 genes were amplified, cloned and identified with sequencing.The sequences were analyzed together with the homologous sequences of 10 clinical isolates published in GenBank.The sequences of UL138 genes were analyzed by using bioinformatics softwares for investigation of the post-translational modification sites, isoelectric points and second structures of UL138 proteins.Results Three low passage strains of HCMV ( D2, D3 and D52) were isolated from in-fants with congenital HCMV infection.The complete sequences of UL138 genes of the three strains were sub-mitted to GenBank after sequencing identification with the GenBank accession numbers of DQ180375, DQ180387 and DQ180359, respectively.The UL138 gene sequences of the three clinical isolates were high-ly conservative.Among the 841 base pairs of the UL138 gene sequences, mutations were identified in 16 sites with base substitution, no any insertion and deletion mutation was found.The 16 mutations resulted in 7 amino acid changes.No additional or deleted sites were found with regard to the post translational modifi-cation sites of UL138 protein in all clinical isolates except the Toledo strain.The isoelectric point of UL138 protein was 6.51 for all clinical isolates.Conclusion The UL138 genes and the deduced amino acid se-quences of HCMV strains isolated from infants in Guangzhou were highly conservative, regardless of the poly-morphism of UL138 gene.This study paved the way for further investigation on HCMV infection and its path-ogenic mechanism.

Objective Although principal components analysis profiles greatly facilitate the visualization and interpretation of the multivariate data,the quantitative concepts in both scores plot and loading plot are rather obscure.This article introduced three profiles that assisted the better understanding of metabolomic data.Methods The discriminatory profile,heat map,and statistic profile were developed to visualize the multivariate data obtained from high-throughput GC-TOF-MS analysis.Results The discriminatory profile and heat map obviously showed the discriminatory metabolites between the two groups,while the statistic profile showed the potential markers of statistic significance.Conclusion The three types of profiles greatly facilitate our understanding of the metabolomic data and the identification of the potential markers.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are most commonly seen in all the occupational non-fatal injuries and illnesses for workers,especially those who are involved in labor-intensive industries.Participatory ergonomics is frequently used to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.This paper gives an overview of a historical perspective on the use of participatory ergonomics approach in reducing the health effects of labor-intensive industries.Progress,barriers and facilitators on the organization,implementation and evaluation of participatory ergonomics programs are studied.Participatory ergonomics seems a successful method to develop,prioritize measures to prevent MSDs.Participatory ergonomics can help industries reduce musculoskeletal injuries and disorders,improve workplace condition and promote health conditions of the workers.

Objective To express UL148 RNA of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) clinical strains in vitro and to study its functions. Methods Urine of a newborn with HCMV infection was inocula-ted into human embryo lung cells. HCMV clinical strain was isolated and identified by multiplex PCR. UL148 gene was amplified and cloned into pGEM-T-Easy plasmid after double enzyme digestion. A recombi-nant plasmid was constructed and located at the downstream of the T7 promoter. The recombinant plasmid was identified by electrophoresis of the recombinant plasmid,PCR product and double enzyme product. Se-quencing analysis was used for final confirmation. UL148 was transcribed into RNA by 32P labeling. Post-translational modification sites were analyzed by bioinformatics method based on UL148 sequence characteris-tics. Results The clinical strain of HCMV was obtained in vitro. Electrophoresis and sequencing analysis confirmed the successful construction of the recombinant plasmid. UL148 RNA was transcribed in vitro by T7RNA polymerase. Post-translational modification sites showed that UL148 gene contained one cell adhe-sion sequence, one legume lectins beta-chain signature, two N-myristoylation sites, one casein kinase Ⅱphosphorylation site,seven protein kinase C phosphorylation sitse, one cAMP/cGMP-dependent protein ki-nase phosphorylation site, two N-glycosylation sites and one transmembrane region. Conclusion UL148 gene might encode a viral adhesion molecule involving in the signal transduction in host cells.

Objective: To investigate the UL148 gene function of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) low passage clinic isolate and new strategies for anti-HCMV treatment, the DNA-based external guide sequences (EGSs) were designed to inhibit UL148 RNA expression. Methods: UL148 RNA secondary structure was analyzed by RNA structure technique, an appropriate region was chosen for DNA-based EGS57 synthesis, targeted the UL148 RNA. The M1RNA and UL148 RNA were generated by PCR for transcription in vitro. The UL148 RNA and M1RNA were transcribed in vitro under the function of T7 RNA polymerase. The UL148 was labelled by ³²P. The cleavage reactions were carried out by mixing up EGS, M1RNA with UL148 RNA for 1 h. The products were separated by urea denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and detected with Typhoon Phosphor Imager. Results: UL148 RNA ranged from 58 to 72 sites was the binding position, and 57 was a cleavage site. EGS57 was designed and synthesized. EGS57 was combined with UL148 RNA to form the natural substrate of M1RNA. UL148 RNA and M1RNA were synthesized through T7 RNA polymerase catalyzing, and the products were conformed. After cleaving reactions, DNA-based EGS57 was shown to be able to cleave UL148 RNA efficiently in vitro by a complex with M1RNA. Conclusions UL148 RNA was cleaved efficiently by EGS57, and the cleaving site was conformed as expectation. It will provide the gene silent tool effectively for further study the function of UL148 gene.

OBJECTIVETo observe autophagy induced by starvation in non-small cell lung cancer A459 and 95D cells.

METHODSA549 and 95D cells in logarithmic growth in 1640 medium were cultured in Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS) for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 h. Autophagosome formation in the cell culture was observed by MDC fluorescent staining, and the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin1 in the cells were detected using Western blotting.

RESULTSCompared with the control cells, the cells with prolonged starvation showed increased MDC-positive cells and autophagosome formation. The expression of Beclin-1 and the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio also increased as the starvation prolonged, reaching the peak levels at 3 h and 4 h, respectively.

CONCLUSIONAutophagy can be induced by starvation in A549 and 95D cells in correlation with the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3 and Beclin-1. These cell models of nutritional deficiency-induced autophagy may allow for a better understanding of the role of autophagy in the development of non-small cell lung cancer.

Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Autophagy ; Beclin-1 ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo quantitatively analyze the temporal and spatial pattern of RhoA expression in injured spinal cord of adult mice.

METHODSA spinal cord transection model was established in adult mice. At 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 112 days after the surgery, the spinal cords were dissected and cryosectioned for RhoA/NF200, RhoA/GFAP, RhoA/CNPase or RhoA/IBA1 double fluorescent immunohistochemistry to visualize RhoA expressions in the neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia. The percentages as well as the immunostaining intensities of RhoA-positive cells in the parenchymal cells were quantitatively analyzed.

RESULTSRhoA was weakly expressed in a few neurons and oligodendrocytes in normal spinal cord. After spinal cord injury, the percentage of RhoA-positive cells and RhoA expression intensity in the spinal cord increased and peaked at 7 days post injury (dpi) in neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, followed by a gradual decrease till reaching a low level at 112 dpi. In the microglia, both the RhoA-positive cells and RhoA expression intensity reached the maximum at 14 dpi and maintained a high level till 112 dpi.

CONCLUSIONTraumatic spinal cord injury can upregulate RhoA expression in the neurons as well as all the glial cells in the spinal cord. RhoA expression patterns vary with post-injury time, location and among different parenchymal cells in the injured spinal cord.

Animals ; Astrocytes ; metabolism ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Microglia ; metabolism ; Neuroglia ; metabolism ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; metabolism ; rho GTP-Binding Proteins ; metabolism

Objective:To explore the association of the impaired cognition and the deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) in normal cognitive (NC) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Methods:From December 2018 to January 2021, 305 subjects (113 males, 192 females; age (64.0±7.7) years) who completed neuropsychological tests and MRI in Shanghai Sixth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and 18F-florbetapir (AV45) PET imaging in Huashan Hospital, Fudan University were retrospectively analyzed. The subjects were divided into MCI group and NC group based on neuropsychological tests, and each group was further divided into Aβ-positive and Aβ-negative based on PET imaging results. Independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to analyze the data. Results:There were 118 subjects in MCI group and 187 subjects in NC group. The Aβ-positive rate in MCI group (37.3%, 44/118) was higher than that in NC group (26.2%, 49/187; χ2=4.19, P=0.041). The assessment performances of MCI group in general cognitive function, memory function, language function and executive function were inferior to those of NC group ( t values: from -10.63 to -6.31, z values: from -11.01 to -6.03, all P<0.001). The Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Long Delay Recall (AVLT-LDR) score of Aβ-positive subjects was lower than that of Aβ-negative subjects in MCI group (1.00(0.00, 3.00) and 3.00(1.00, 4.00); z=-2.49, P=0.013). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic (MoCA-B) score of Aβ-positive subjects was lower than that of Aβ-negative subjects in NC group (25.29±2.67 and 26.36±2.42; t=-2.61, P=0.010). Conclusion:Compared to Aβ-negative subjects, MCI patients with Aβ-positive perform worse on memory tests, and NC subjects with Aβ-positive perform worse on general cognitive function.

Objective To investigate the potential of polylactic acid glycolic acid copolymer (PLGA) composite ordered multi tunnel collagen scaffold in fabricating a biomimetic artificial nerve graft to repair the sciatic nerve defects in rats.Methods The ordered multi tunnel collagen scaffold was prepared by vacuum freeze-drying and directional drawing method to simulate the epineurium;the outer conduit was prepared by PLGA to simulate the epineurium;and then,the ordered multi tunnel collagen scaffolds were loaded in the PLGA conduit (5∶1) under a stereomicroscope to develop a novel biomimetic artificial nerve.Sixty-four rats were randomly divided into four groups:artificial nerve group,PLGA group,peripheral nerve group,and non-graft control group (n=16);rats in the artificial nerve group,PLGA group,and peripheral nerve group were repaired with artificial nerve graft,hollow PLGA conduit and allogeneic sciatic nerve to bridge the sciatic nerve defect,while the sciatic nerve with the gap in rats of the control group was without any grafting.After 11 weeks of operation,the hind limbs of rats in each group were detected by behavioral test,electrophysiological examination and Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing method.The changes of muscle tissues (gastrocnemius) were observed by hematoxylin staining and TMR-α-BTX staining,and the regenerated axons were observed by immunohistochemical staining with NF200 and the regenerative spinal anterior horn motor neurons were observed by Nissl fluorescence staining 12 weeks after operation.Results After 11 weeks of operation,the recoveries of the motor functions (the distance between the injured hindlimb and forelimb,the rotation angle of the injured foot) in the peripheral nerve group,artificial nerve group,PLGA group and control group were significantly deteriorated in turn,and the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.05).Electrophysiological examination showed that the recovery effect of peripheral nerve group was the best in both latency and amplitude of the compound muscle action potential,followed by artificial nerve group.The latency of PLGA group was the longest and the amplitude of compound action potential was the smallest;significant differences were noted between each two groups (P2＜0.05).At 12 weeks after operation,the wet weight ratio of muscle fibers,area of muscle fibers and neuromuscular junction area were significantly different between each two groups (P＜0.05);the degree of gastrocnemius atrophy in the artificial nerve group was significantly improved than that in the PLGA group,but not yet reached the level of peripheral nerve group.NF200 immunohistochemical staining showed that a large number of NF200-positive axons were seen in the grafts of the artificial nerve group,but the number was slightly smaller than that of the peripheral nerve group;the number of regenerated axons in the PLGA group was the smaller and mainly distributed near the proximal side.In the PLGA group,only (19.33 ±6.73)％ regenerated spinal anterior horn motor neurons were labeled with Fluoro-Gold,while the positive rates of Fluoro-Gold in the artificial nerve group and peripheral nerve group were (42.67±7.45)％ and (50.13±4.33)％;the differences between each two groups were statistically significant (P＜0.05).Conclusion The biomimetic artificial nerve made of PLGA conduit and ordered multi tunnel collagen scaffold can efficiently reconstruct the defected peripheral nerve with guiding axonal regeneration and promoting functional restoration in rats;however,its effect is poor than peripheral nerve grafting.

Objective To understand the comparability of the detection results of four items (ALT ,AST , GGT ,ALP) of liver enzymology in 11 clinical laboratories in Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and offer reference for improving mutual recognition of the results .Methods Eleven clinical labora-tories of XPCC organized the result comparability tests of 4 items of liver enzymology twice in 2017 ,and the samples with 5 batches were completed in each comparability test .One set of detection system in each labora-tory was used as comparability system according to comparability scheme .The detection results were analyzed through Robust Z Score and the evaluation criterion was :|Z|≤2 "satisfied";2< |Z|<3"warning";|Z|≥3 "not satisfied".Results The detection results of all 10 batch samples in 4 clinical laboratories showed |Z|≤2 in 2 comparability tests .In the first comparability test ,the detection results of 5 batch samples for 4 items were |Z|≤2 in 5 laboratories .In the second comparability test ,the detection results of 5 batch samples for 4 i-tems were |Z|≤2 in 8 laboratories ,but the ALT results of 5 batch samples in 1 laboratory showed positive deviation(Z≥3)and the GGT results of 5 batch samples in the other laboratory showed negative deviation (Z≤ -3) .Conclusion The 11 clinical laboratories in XPCC should continuously improve quality management system and make sure that the mutual recognition of the detection results of 4 items of liver enzymology is effective .