BACKGROUND: Diseases and maternal poor habits before conception and during pregnancy have been considered as the definite risk factors for premature delivery and one of the results with better repeatability in the studies on the pathogenesis, whether parental socioeconomic status is related to the occurrence of premature birth?OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of parental socioeconomic status with premature birth.DESIGN: A case-control study with the parents who has premature infants or normal infants as subjects.SETTING: Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical College of Qingdao University;Woman's Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao Municipal Haici Medicine Group; Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Qingdao Municipal Eighth People's Hospital PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of premature infants (n=227) were recruited from Qingdao Municipal Maternity and Children Health Institute and the Eighth People's Hospital, Qingdao, premature birth were confirmed according to the diagnostic standards; the control infants (n=750) were also recruited from the same place, they were delivered at pregnancy of from 38 to 42 weeks with birth mass of 3 000-4 000 g. Two groups were matched in sexual constitution and the birthday of within the same week.METHODS: Parents of two groups were asked to fill the self-made questionnaire. Maternal obstetric factors were referring to the perinatal booklet and infant birth record; meanwhile parental socio-economic status, daily-life behaviours and sociodemographic character were also investigated. Multivariate non-conditioned logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship of correlative factors.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parental school education, occupation, the annual family income, as well as bad living and behavioral habits.RESULTS: According to the real state, data of 227 premature infants and 750 normal control infants were analyzed finally. Maternal delivery age of ＞ 35 years old (≤ 25 years old in normal control group), working as a teacher or unemployment (worker in control group), smoking and drinking during pregnancy, father's occupation as peasant (worker in control group), with a long smoking history, lower parental education (not lower than junior college education in control group) and family income less than 35 thousand Yuan (more than 35 thousand Yuan in control group) were proved to be the significant risk factors for premature birth (OR =1.629-15.701).CONCLUSION: Maternal employment as a teacher with father as a peasant, together with lower family income and lower parental education are connected with premature delivery.

Rhamnolipid biosurfactant is mainly produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa that is the opportunistic pathogenic strain and not suitable for future industrial development. In order to develop a relatively safe microbial strain for the production of rhamnolipid biosurfactant, we constructed engineered Escherichia coli strains for rhamnolipid production by expressing different copy numbers of rhamnosyltransferase (rhlAB) gene with the constitutive synthetic promoters of different strengths in E. coli ATCC 8739. We further studied the combinatorial regulation of rhlAB gene and rhaBDAC gene cluster for dTDP-1-rhamnose biosynthesis with different synthetic promoters, and obtained the best engineered strain-E. coli TIB-RAB226. Through the optimization of culture temperature, the titer of rhamnolipd reached 124.3 mg/L, 1.17 fold higher than that under the original condition. Fed-batch fermentation further improved the production of rhamnolipid and the titer reached the highest 209.2 mg/L within 12 h. High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis showed that there are total 5 mono-rhamnolipid congeners with different nuclear mass ratio and relative abundance. This study laid foundation for heterologous biosynthesis of rhanomilipd.
Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; Batch Cell Culture Techniques ; Decanoates ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Glycolipids ; biosynthesis ; Hexosyltransferases ; genetics ; Industrial Microbiology ; methods ; Multigene Family ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Rhamnose ; analogs & derivatives ; biosynthesis ; Surface-Active Agents ; metabolism

Objective To express virus-like particles(VLP) of enterovirus 71 (EV71) in Han-senula polymorpha.Methods The coding sequences of P1 and 3CD genes of EV71 were optimized accord-ing to codon usage bias of Hansenula polymorpha for achieving high expression , and then cloned into the ex-pression vector PMV of Hansenula polymorpha .The recombinant expression vector PMV-P1-3CD was trans-formed into Hansenula polymorpha AU 0501 .The transformants were stably cultured in selective medium (Yeast Nitrogen Base) and screened for strains with positive P1 and 3CD genes by PCR.Then an induced cultivation on the recombinant strains were performed in a medium supplemented with methanol to a final concentration of 1.0%and the expressed products were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot assays to select high expression strains .The high expression strains were cultured in 30 L fermentor and its fermenta-tion products were analyzed by electronic microscope after purification .Results EV71 recombinant expres-sion strains were successfully constructed .The results of SDS-PAGE showed that the expressed products had obvious VP3, VP1, VP0 protein bands with molecular weights of 26×103, 33×103 and 35×103, respective-ly, which were consistent with the expected molecular weight of the fusion proteins .Western blot demonstra-ted that the expressed products could be specifically recognized by the polyclonal antibody against EV 71-VP1 at 33 ×10 3 , indicating its high immunoreactivity .ELISA confirmed that the expression level of EV 71 fermen-tation products was reached to 200 mg/L.Electronic microscope analysis showed that the VLP of recombi-nant EV71 were 24-30 nm in diameter with normal structure .Conclusion The virus-like particles of human enterovirus 71 are successfully expressed in Hansenula polymorpha , which provides a foundation for the fur-ther development of EV 71 VLP vaccine .

Objective To observe the effect of heat needle treatment on the inflammatory reaction in the damaged tissues of rats with the third lumbar transverse process syndrome. Methods Ninety Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, namely normal group, model group, drug group, heat needle group, conventional acupuncture group and warming acup-moxibustion group, 15 rats in each group. The rat model of the third lumbar syndrome was established by embedding gelatin sponge. Two weeks later, the rats in various groups were given corresponding treatment respectively. Before treatment and on the 7th, 14th and 28th day of treatment, the blood samples were collected from jugular vein, and then the serum inflammatory cytokines of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). On the 28th day of treatment, all of the rats were sacrificed, the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1βand IL-6 mRNA in the muscle tissue were detected by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the pathological changes in local muscle tissue were observed by HE staining method. Results The serum contents of the inflammatory cytokines of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the model group and treatment groups after modeling were significantly higher than those in the normal group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the contents of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in various treatment groups were decreased significantly as compared with those in the model group, and the decrease was most obvious in the heat needle group. The expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA in muscle tissues of drug group, heat needle group, conventional acupuncture group and warming acup-moxibustion group were lower than those of the model group (P < 0.05), and the heat needle group had the lowest levels. HE staining results showed that heat needle group had milder inflammatory reaction and better muscle fiber structure than the model group. Conclusion Heat needle treatment can improve the local inflammatory response and promote the repair of tissue damage through decreasing the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines of TNF-α, IL-1βand IL-6.

Dabigatran etexilate mesylate(DE)and tadalafil(TD)are BCS class II drugs with poor water solubility. 〓 In this study coamorphization technique was used to improve their solubilities/dissolutions and hence to enhance their oral absorptions. The coamorphous DE-TD were prepared by solvent-evaporation method and characterized by PXRD, DSC, FTIR and TGA. In addition, dissolution behavior and physical stability were also investigated. Only halo pattern and a single Tg of 119 °C was observed on the PXRD and DSC of the co-evaporated product, respectively, indicating the formation of coamorphous DE-TD. FTIR result suggested that a hydrogen bond was probably formed between N-H group of DE and C==O group of TD. In comparison to crystalline counterparts, coamorphous DE-TD showed a significantly improved intrinsic dissolution rate and prolonged supersaturation time in intrinsic dissolution and supersaturation dissolution studies, respectively. No crystallization was observed under affecting factors testing(30 days)as well as long-term and accelerated stability testing(90 days)for the prepared coamorphous DE-TD under 25°C/60%RH or 40°C/75%RH, while amorphous DE crystalized at 10 days under 25 ℃/75% RH.

Objective:To investigate the prognostic value of infarct size (IS) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:A total of 104 patients with acute STEMI who underwent primary PCI treatment in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from February 2017 to November 2018 were included in the present study. All patients underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) within one week after primary PCI treatment. The subjects were followed up for two years. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) included new onset congestive heart failure and/or recurrent nonfatal myocardial infarction and/orcardiac death. The optimal IS cutoff value for MACE was determined by receiver operating character (ROC) curve. Based on the IS cutoff value, the patients were divided into the high IS group and the low IS group. Clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared. A cox regression model was used to analyze the prognostic value of IS in acute STEMI patients treated with primary PCI for the adverse events.Results:The IS cutoff value determined by ROC curve was 13.55%. 50 patients were in the high IS group (IS≥13.55%) and 54 patients were in the low IS group (IS<13.55%). More female patients [14 cases (28.0%) vs. 6 cases (11.1%)] were in the IS group, and a higher proportion of patients in the high IS group had anterior myocardial infarction [27 cases (54.0%) vs. 16 cases (29.6%)] or microvascular obstruction [32 cases (64.0%) vs. 16 cases (29.6%)]. White blood cell counts [11.25(8.90, 13.38) ×10 9/L vs. 9.25(7.58, 11.00) ×10 9/L], troponin I levels [50.63(16.56, 76.30)μg/L vs. 16.58(2.66, 38.42)μg/L] and brain natriuretic peptide levels [178.10(79.70, 281.95)μg/L vs. 79.60(42.83, 183.90)μg/L] in the high IS group were higher than those in the low IS group ( P<0.05), and left ventricular ejection fraction [(45.15±10.65)% vs. (51.95±12.91)%] in the high IS group was lower than that in the low IS group ( P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that IS was independently associated with the risk of cardiac death in patients with acute STEMI two years after primary PCI( P=0.033, HR=1.075, 95% CI1.006-1.148). Every 1% increase in IS was associated with a 7.5% increase in cardiac death. Conclusions:Infarct size, measured by CMR within one week after primary PCI, is strongly associated with cardiac death in patients with acute STEMI two years after primary PCI. IS could be used as an index for the prognosis of patients with acute STEMI.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors for hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and the predictive value of Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR).Methods:Consecutive patients with AIS received IVT in Zhengzhou People’s Hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. HT was defined as no intracranial hemorrhage was found on the first imaging examination after admission, and new intracranial hemorrhage was found on the imaging examination 24 h after IVT or when symptoms worsened. sHT was defined as HT and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score increased by ≥4 compared to admission or required surgical treatment such as intubation and decompressive craniectomy. The baseline clinical and laboratory data of the patients were collected, and NLR, lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet to neutrophil ratio (PNR) were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors of HT and sHT, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive value of NLR for HT and sHT after IVT. Results:A total of 196 patients were included (age 65.37±13.10 years, 124 males [63.3%]). The median baseline NIHSS score was 4 (interquartile range: 2-10). Twenty patients (10.2%) developed HT, and 12 (6.1%) developed sHT. Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in age, baseline NIHSS score, creatinine, NLR, and stroke etiology type between the HT group and the non-HT group (all P<0.05); there were statistically significant differences in age, NLR, PNR, creatinine, baseline NIHSS score, and stroke etiological type between the sHT group and the non-sHT group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NLR was an independent predictor of HT (odds ratio [ OR] 1.375, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.132-1.670; P=0.001) and sHT ( OR 1.647, 95% CI 1.177-2.304; P=0.004) after IVT. The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve for predicting HT by NLR was 0.683 (95% CI 0.533-0.833; P=0.007), the optimal cutoff value was 5.78, the sensitivity and specificity were 55.0% and 84.1%, respectively. The area under the curve for predicting sHT by NLR was 0.784 (95% CI 0.720-0.839; P=0.001), the optimal cutoff value was 5.94, the sensitivity and specificity were 66.67% and 84.24%, respectively. Conclusions:A higher baseline NLR is associated with an increased risk of HT and sHT after IVT in patients with AIS, and can serve as a biomarker for predicting HT and sHT after IVT.

Because the work of administrative and logistics personnel in public hospitals is difficult to quantify and evaluate, its performance reform is difficult. A large public hospital in Wuhan has explored and established a distribution incentive mechanism that combines department performance appraisal, individual classification and grading, and secondary distribution within the department. Taking into account the completion of performance appraisal indicators of the national tertiary public hospital in the department, the results of the institutional " Excellent Management Team Ranking" , personal job grades, working years and other factors, a relatively mature and operable system has been formed, which could provide reference for the performance reform of other hospitals.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-type glutamate receptors in the central nucleus of the amygdale (CeA) in food and water intake.

METHODSMale Sprague-Dawley rats with stainless steel cannulae implanted unilaterally into the CeA were used. The prototypic NMDA receptor agonist NMDA, or the selective NMDA receptor antagonist D(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (D-AP-5) was microinjected into the CeA of satiated and euhydrated rats.

RESULTSIntra-CeA injection of 8.50, 17.00, or 34.00 nmol NMDA did not alter food intake but significantly increased water intake 0-1 h after the injection (F(3,32)=3.191, P=0.037) independent of food intake. Without affecting the food intake, injection of 6.34, 12.70, or 25.40 nmol D-AP-5 into the CeA significantly decreased water intake 0-1 h after the injection (F(3,28)=3.118, P=0.042) independent of food intake.

CONCLUSIONNMDA receptors in the CeA may participate in the control of water intake rather than food intake.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate ; pharmacology ; Amygdala ; drug effects ; Animals ; Drinking ; drug effects ; Eating ; drug effects ; Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists ; pharmacology ; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Injections, Intraventricular ; Male ; N-Methylaspartate ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; agonists ; antagonists & inhibitors

Objective To study the effect of deep inspiration breath-hold(DIBH)technique on the heart dose in whole breast irradiation(WBI)for left breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery, and to investigate the anatomical factors for heart dose. Methods Fifteen patients with left breast cancer who received WBI after breast-conserving surgery and met breathing control requirements were prospectively enrolled as subjects. Simulated CT scans were performed during free breathing(FB)and DIBH. The WBI plans were optimized based on DIBH images.The position,volume,and radiation doses to the heart and lung were compared between the status of FB and DIBH. Correlation of heart dose with various anatomical factors was analyzed in FB status. Between-group comparison of categorical data was made by nonparametric Wilcoxon rank test.A two-variable correlation analysis was made by the Pearson method.Results There was no significant difference in heart volume between the status of FB and DIBH(P=0.773).The volume of both lungs was significantly larger in DIBH status than in FB status(P=0.001). The mean and maximum doses and V5-V40for the heart,left anterior descending coronary artery,left ventricle,right ventricle,and left lung were significantly lower in DIBH status than in FB status(all P<0.05). The greater DIBH increased the lung volume,the greater the mean heart dose decreased. In FB status,the left breast volume,heart-to-lung volume ratio,distance between the inferior margins of breast and heart,and maximum heart margin distance showed a linear correlation with heart dose. Particularly, the heart-to-lung volume ratio and maximum heart margin distance were independently correlated with heart dose. Conclusions DIBH technique in WBI for left breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery significantly reduces heart and lung doses compared with FB. Changes in lung volume are the basis for improving the relative anatomical location of the heart. The heart-to-lung volume ratio and maximum heart margin distance may provide a reference for DIBH technique.