ObjectiveTo assess the value of the Beijing version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment ( MoCA) in community dwelling older adults residing in Shenyang,China.MethodsThe stratified random sampling method was used to investigate the population over 60 years old in 4 communities of Shenyang in the year 2011.Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Beijing version of MoCA were administered to all participants.258 old people finished the assessment.ResultsThe internal consistency of the MoCA Beijing version was good,yielding a Cronbach alpha of 0.836.The correlation between the MoCA Beijing version and the MMSE was good(r=0.623,P＜0.001 ).Only 15.1％ participants had an education of over 12 years,but 26.3％ participants had an education of 6 years or less.Only 3 items of MoCA Beijing version ( naming lion,forward digit span,recall daisy)showednosignificantdifferencebetweenpersonswithandwithoutover 6yearsofeducation.ConclusionsThe results indicates that the Beijing version of MoCA have good reliability and validity.This study shows that an education of 6 years or less might be the proper population to add the one point in China,and the cutoff-point of 26 for normal is too high for Chinese population.

Objective To obtain high-yield and easy-purification severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV) S1 protein with biological activity and to study the activity of S1 protein and its antibody further.Methods SARS-CoV S1 gene was inserted into yeast expression vector pMET?A by ligation reaction.The recombinant plasmid was verified by enzyme digestion and sequencing,followed by being transformed into yeast host strain PMAD11 with electroporation.After induced with methanol,the S1 gene expression was verified with overlay assay and Western blotting.Results The positive clones of S1 gene into pMET?A were approved by restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing.The expression of S1 protein was confirmed subsequently by overlay assay and Western blotting.Conclusion SARS-CoV S1 gene has been cloned and expressed in yeast p.methanolica,which can provide experimental data for next study on the activity of this protein and its antibody during SARS-CoV infection.

Objective:To predict and analyze the secondary structure and B cell epitopes of Izumo protein.Methods: The secondary structure and flexible regions of Izumo protein were predicted by the methods of Chou-Fasman,Gamier-Robson and Karplus-Schulz.Moreover,hydrophilicity plot,surface probability plot and antigenic index of Izumo protein were predicted by the methods of Kyte-Doolitde,Emini and Jameson-Wolf,respectively.Results: Izumo protein contained moreαhelix regions.There were several centers ofαhelix in the regions of 6-17,30-40,88-99,103-120,153-160,173-188,249-260,283-297,334-338 and 339-346 of Izumo protein,and several centers of βsheet in the regions of 21-25,198-200,245-248 and 320-323.Moreover,many distinct B cell epitopes in Izumo protein possibly localized in the regions of 3642,62-66,94-99,118-122,129-132,151-154,161-164,173-177,205-208,212-216,256-265,271-276,283-288,314-318 and 336-350.Conclusion:These results are helpful for identification of the dominant B cell epitopes and the functional domains of Izumo protein.

Objective: To observe the morphologic changes of pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) cells in Wistar rats at different altitudes, and clarify the mechanism of stress reaction to hypoxia in ACTH cells. Methods: Wistar rats were divided into three groups and moved to different altitudes (1700 m, 3100 m, 4050 m). After 12 days, changes of ACTH cells were observed by using immunohistochemisty, image analysis and electron microscopy. Results:The ratio (R) of immunoreactive cell area to scanned area and mean optical density (A) increased at higher altitude with statistically different R values between groups of 1700 m and 4050 m (P

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of geniposide on treating experimental CP rats.

METHODThe animal model of CP was made with rats by injecting hemorrhoid injection. Rats in experiment group were randomly devided into model group, Qianliekang tablets group (2 g x kg(-1)) and geniposide high, middle, low dose groups (20, 10, 5 mg x kg(-1)). Subsequently, the state of all rats, prostate index, WBC and lecithine corpuscle, LDH5/LDH1, and prostatic histopathological changes were observed. Count of total cellular score (TCS) and quantitation of inflammatory cell, fibroblasts, glandular organ, calculation of glandular cavity area, and their changes of morphology were analyzed.

RESULTCompared with model group, the prostate index, WBC and LDHS/LDH1 of the rats in Qianliekang tablets group, high dose geniposide group and middle dose geniposide group were significantly decreased, while the quantities of lecithine corpuscle were remarkably increased (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Compared with model group, the number of inflammatory cells and fibroblasts in Qianliekang tablets group, high dose geniposide group were decreased, and the quantity of glandular organ and area of glandular cavity in these groups were increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONGeniposide of high and middle dose can reduce leucocytes infiltration, restrain the hyperplasia of fibrous tissue, and recover the secretion function of prostate. It show that geniposide is significantly potential to cure rats which are exposed to chronic prostatitis.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Chronic Disease ; drug therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Iridoids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Prostate ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prostatitis ; blood ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To investigate the effect of thymosin ?1 (T?1) on cellular immune function in gastric cancer patients through observing its treatment on the differentiation of T-lymphocyte subsets from screened peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Methods PBMCs were obtained by centrifugation of blood samples from 18 healthy subjects and 32 patients with gastric cancer,and then cultured in the presence of culture medium with addition of T?1 at 50,10 and 1 ?g/ml for 2 d. T lymphocyte subsets (such as CD4+,CD8+ and CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ T cells) and Th1/Th2 multiplex cytokines were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). Results After PBMCs isolated from healthy people and patients were incubated with or without T?1,there was no significant change in percentage of CD4+,CD8+ peripheral lymphocyte subsets and ratio of CD4+/CD8+. There was no obvious change in the percentage of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ T lymphocyte subsets in the normal control,but a significant increase was observed in the cells from patients with gastric cancer after treatment (P

Probiotics can improve the microecological balance of the body and have special effects in promoting nutrient absorption, controlling intestinal infections, and regulating immune function. However, there are problems such as difficult colonization in the gastrointestinal environment and low oral bioavailability. Bacterial biofilms are organized bacterial cells that adhere to an abiotic or biotic surface and are enclosed in extracellular polymeric substances of exopolysaccharides (EPS), extracellular DNA (eDNA), proteins and lipids, with a three-dimensional spatial structure. Probiotics with the help of bacterial biofilms have obvious advantages over planktonic bacteria in stress resistance, combating pathogens and modulating the host's immune function, which provides a new research idea for the development of probiotics. This paper expounded on the advantages of probiotics with the help of bacterial biofilms, and focused on introducing substances that could promote the formation of probiotic biofilms and the mechanisms, and the safety of probiotic biofilms. Currently, research on probiotic biofilms is still in its infancy, and this paper is expected to provide references for future research in this field.
Bacteria ; Biofilms ; Extracellular Polymeric Substance Matrix ; Probiotics

Numerous studies have reported that the resistance of biofilm bacteria to antibiotics can be up to 10-1 000 fold higher than that of planktonic bacteria. Bacterial biofilms are reported to be responsible for more than 80% of human microbial infection, posing great challenges to the healthcare sector. Many studies have reported that plant extracts and their active ingredients can inhibit the formation and development of bacterial biofilms, including reducing biofilm biomass and the number of viable bacteria in biofilms, as well as eradicating mature biofilms. This review summarized the plant extracts and their active ingredients that are inhibitory to bacterial biofilms, and analyzed the underpinning mechanisms. This review may serve as a reference for the development of plant drugs to prevent and treat biofilm infections.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Bacteria ; Biofilms ; Humans ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Quorum Sensing