Hepatitis B is a serious infectious disease worldwide, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the direct cause of this disease. In recent years, as an essential part of its evolutionary process, HBV mutation has been extensively studied domestically and globally. However, the study on the conserved sequences in HBV sequences is still in its infancy. In this study, we applied multiple EM for motif elicitation (MEME) algorithm to discover HBV motif and proposed a new metric, conservative index (CI), to carry out phylogenetic analysis based on HBV sequences. Then, the constructed phylogenetic tree was subjected to reliability assessment. The results demonstrated that the new metric CI combined with the MEME algorithm can effectively help to discover motifs in HBV sequences and construct a phylogenetic tree based on them and to analyze the evolutionary relationship between HBV sequences; in addition, the possible ancestral sequences of samples may be obtained by conservative analysis. The proposed method is valuable for the exploratory study on large HBV sequence data sets.
Computational Biology ; Conserved Sequence ; Evolution, Molecular ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Nucleotide Motifs ; Phylogeny ; Reproducibility of Results

Feeding Methods ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mastication ; Syphilis ; etiology

OBJECTIVETo discuss the results and significance of the detection of the CFTR gene mutation in azoospermia patients with congenital unilateral absence of the vas deferens (CUAVD).

METHODSWe collected peripheral blood samples from 6 azoospermia patients with CUAVD for detection of the CFTR gene mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms. We analyzed the genome sequences of the CFTR gene in comparison with the website of the UCSC Genome Browser on Human Dec. 2013 Assembly.

RESULTSMissense mutation of c. 592G > C in exon 6 was found in 1 of the 6 azoospermia patients with CUAVD and splicing mutation of c. 1210-12T[5] was observed in the noncoding region before exon 10 in 2 of the patients, both with the V470 haplotype in exon 11.

CONCLUSIONMutations of the CFTR gene can be detected in azoospermia patients with CUAVD and the detection of the CFTR gene mutation is necessary for these patients.

Azoospermia ; genetics ; Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator ; genetics ; Exons ; Humans ; Male ; Male Urogenital Diseases ; genetics ; Mutation, Missense ; genetics ; Vas Deferens ; abnormalities

Hepatitis B is one of the most serious global threats to human health. Phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) can reveal the evolutionary relationship between HBV sequences and thus provide a basis for the prediction and treatment of hepatitis B and other aspects. In this study, we performed sequence analyses on the HBV sequences of five clinical HBV samples and the HBV sequences retrieved from the GenBank, EMBL, and DDBJ to construct a phylogenetic tree and analyze sequence structures. The experimental results revealed that the C gene of one cloned sequence had a recombinant structure of HBV B/ C subtype. Moreover, the phylogenetic results proved the existence of a newly found subtype HBV/B6 in Xishuangbanna of Yunnan Province, China. The experimental conclusion represents certain value for phylogenetic studies of HBV in Yunnan ethnic minority groups.
DNA, Recombinant ; genetics ; Genes, Viral ; genetics ; Genotyping Techniques ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; genetics ; Humans ; Phylogeny

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects of daidzein (DD) on ventricular remodeling in rats with myocardial hypertrophy induced by pressure overload and its mechanism.

METHODMyocardial hypertrophy model of rats induced by pressure overload was prepared by constricting abdominal aorta. The operated rats were randomly divided into sham operated control group, aorta-constricted model group and three DD groups (30, 60, 120 mg kg(-1)). Four weeks later, the heart-weight (HW), left ventricular weight (LVW), the ratio of HW/BW and LVW/BW (LVI) and the cardio-myocyte diameters (MD) after dyeing by HE colar were measured. The hydroxyroline, nitric oxide (NO) and the activity of nitric oxide synthetase (NOS) and Na+ -K+ -ATPase, Ca2+ -ATPase in left ventricle were quantified with spectrophotometry and the angiotension II (Ang II) in left ventricle and serum was messured with radioimmunoassay.

RESULTAfter treatment of the left ventricular with DD, vs aorta-contricted model group, NO content, cNOS and Na+ -K+ -ATPase, Ca2+ -ATPase activity were significantly increased, the content of AngII in left ventricle and serum and iNOS activity and the ratio of HW/BW, LVI, MD were significantly reduced.

CONCLUSIONDD has protective effects on ventricular remodeling in rats with myocardial hypertrophy induced by pressure overload and its mechanism may be related to raising NO content and reducing the level of Ang II.

Angiotensin II ; blood ; metabolism ; Animals ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Phytoestrogens ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects

As a common computer keyboard and a mouse can't meet the requirements of some special occasions, this paper introduces the design of a controlling switch set based on RS-232 for capturing the image at the medical image workstation. Its working principles, circuit, assembly together with its associated software controller are given in detail. The control switch set features easy manufacturing, low cost and a good reliability.
Equipment Design ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; instrumentation ; methods ; Software Design

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlations between diagnostic information and therapeutic efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with decision tree model analysis.

METHODSThree hundred and ninety seven patients came from 9 clinical centers were randomly divided into the Western medicine (WM) group (n=194) treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and slow-acting antirheumatic drug and the Chinese medicine (CM) group (n=203) with basic therapy and syndrome-differentiation dependant TCM treatment. TCM and WM diagnostic information were collected. The ACR 20 was used for efficacy evaluation and the information of patients before treatment was analyzed by SAS 8.2 statistical package. Through single-factor exploratory analysis, odds ratio of efficacy and variable was calculated taken P < 0.2 as the including criteria for data mining analysis with decision tree model. All data were classified into the training set (75%) and verifying set (25%) with efficacy as the variable for layering to make further verification of the data-mining analysis.

RESULTSTwenty variables were included in the CM group and 26 in the WM group in the data-mining model. In the former, 9 variables were positively correlated to the efficacy, including degree of arthralgia, tenderness and morning stiffness, number of swollen joint, and joint with tenderness, levels of IgM, rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and total assessment from doctor; and disease duration and degree of nocturnal polyuria were negatively correlated to that. While in the latter, 8 were positively correlated to the efficacy, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), sour and weak waist and knees, white fur in tongue, joint ache and stiffness, swollen joint, and total assessment from doctor and patient, and red tongue with yellow fur and leucocyte count negatively correlated to it. Data mining with decision tree analysis revealed that different combinations of morning stiffness, slight red tongue, joint tenderness and nocturnal polyuria in the CM group, and those of white fur in tongue, CRP level, leucocyte count and morning stiffness in the WM group showed different efficacy, which were also verified in the randomly chosen verifying set.

CONCLUSIONTo analyze the correlations between diagnostic information and therapeutic efficacy with decision tree analysis is conformed to the theory of TCM in applying treatment according to syndrome differentiation individually, thus it would contribute to elevate the accuracy of therapy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Decision Trees ; Diterpenes ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Epoxy Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phenanthrenes ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Treatment Outcome

Vaccination is the primary strategy for the prevention and control of pandemic influenza. Because influenza virus is highly variable across strains, universal influenza vaccines need to be developed to address this problem. This review describes the research progress in conserved epitopes of influenza virus, the advances in the research and development of universal influenza vaccines based on the relatively conserved sequences of NP, M2e, HA2, and headless HA, the mechanisms of cross-protection, and the methods to improve cross-protection.
Animals ; Cross Reactions ; Humans ; Orthomyxoviridae ; immunology ; Species Specificity ; Viral Proteins ; immunology ; Viral Vaccines ; genetics ; immunology

Halomonas sp.BYS-1 was a moderately halophilic bacteria strain isolated from activated sludge,It could grow on MM with NaCl concentration from 0.1～2.6 mol/L and phenyl acetic acid as sole carbon souce. When BYS-1 grew in the media with different concentrations of NaCl, there was no obvious change in its intracellular Na+ contents , it accumulated K+, glutamic acid and betaine as osmoprotectants. Its intracellular contents of K+,glutamic acid and betaine increased by 1.9,2.4 and 13.6 times, respectively, when the concentration of NaCl increased from 0.1 mol/L to 2mol/L.

Objective To prepare controlled release microspheres of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)& calcium alginate and observe their effect on proliferation of human umbilical vein endo- thelial cells(HUVEC)in order to provide theoretical basis for controlled release of VEGF facilitating an- giogenesis of tissue engineering bone.Methods VEGF-calcium alginate microspheres were prepared by using the needle extrusion/external gelation method to investigate physicochemical character and in vitro release of VEGF.According to the different ingredients added into the culture medium,the seconda- ry cultured HUVEC were divided into four groups,ie,control group,microsphere group,VEGF group and VEGF-calcium alginate microsphere group,in which the proliferation of the cultured HUVEC was ob- served with cell counting method,MTT method and flow cytometry.Results The calcium alginate mi- crospheres were revealed as spherical shape and evenly distributed,with mean grain diameter of(560?50)?m,carrying capacity of 0.72 ng/mg and the encapsulation efficiency of 54%.Smooth controlled re- lease in VEGF-alginate microspheres lasted for more than 10 days.Proliferation of the cultured HUVEC was accelerated the most in VEGF group at the beginning but in EGF-calcium alginate microsphere group at midanaphase compared with other groups,with statistical difference(P＜0.05).There was no statis- tical difference upon cell counting,cell activity and time point of cell cycle between control group and mi- crosphere group.Conclusion VEGF-sodium alginate microapheres can continue activity of VEGF,re- lease VEGF for over 10 days and promote proliferation cultured HUVEC for a long time.