The epitope-G1 gene of Bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) glycoprotein was synthesised by PCR and cloned into expression vector pPIC9K to construct recombinant plasmid pPIC9K-G1. Then the pPIC9K-G1 was linearized and transformed into Pichia pastoris GS 115. The recombinant P. pastoris strains were selected by a G418 transformation screen and confirmed by PCR. After being induced with methanol, an expressed protein with 26 kDa molecular weight was obtained, which was much bigger than the predicted size (15.54 kDa). Deglycosylation analysis indicated the recombinant G1 was glycosylated. Western blot and ELISA tests, as well as rabbit immunization and specificity experiments indicated that the target protein had both higher reaction activity and higher immunocompetence and specificity. The recombinant G1 protein could be used as a coating antigen to develop an ELISA kit for bovine ephemeral fever diagnosis.

There are 250 species of Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae) in the world. This genus distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Alkaloids are the major and representative ingredients in these plants including quinolines, isoquinolines, and amide alkaloids, with such biological activities as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-virus, anti-platelet aggregation, anti-bacteria and anti- oxidant. These species have been used for a long time to treat toothache, urinary and venereal diseases, lumbago and rheumatism. This review summarizes the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities from the Z. sppplants, in an effort to the systematic research and application of the alkaloids of this genus.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Zanthoxylum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVEThe present study is concerning qualitative and quantitative detection of Poria cocos quality based on FT-near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics.

METHODThe Poria cocos polysaccharides contents were determined by UV. Transmission mode was used in the collection of NIR spectral samples. The pretreatment method was first derivation and vector normalization. Then principal component analysis (PCA) was used to build classification model and partial least square (PLS) to build the calibration model.

RESULTThe results showed that conventional criteria such as the R, root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) are 0.944 0, 0.072 1 and 0.076 2, respectively. The misclassified sample is 0 using the qualitative model built by PCA.

CONCLUSIONThe prediction models based on NIR have a better performance with high precision, good stability and adaptability and can be used to predict the polysaccharose content of Poria cocos rapidly, which can provide a fast approach to discriminate the different parts of Poria cocos.

Fungal Polysaccharides ; analysis ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Poria ; chemistry ; Principal Component Analysis ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the application value of correspondence analysis in ecological study.

METHODSWe adopted correspondence analysis method to analyze the relationship between the amount of food intake in some cities in China and the male gastric carcinoma mortality.

RESULTSAccording to scatter plots of row and column points, there were regional differences among the male gastric carcinoma mortality in different cities of China.

CONCLUSIONThe scatter plot of row and column points indicated directly that there were regional differences among the male gastric carcinoma mortality in different cities of China. Males from the Southern part of the country ate more rice and salt, less wheaten food and fewer light vegetables than those from the northern parts, suggesting that there might be some carcinogenic factors in some food stuff involved.

Carcinoma ; etiology ; mortality ; China ; epidemiology ; Diet Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Stomach Neoplasms ; etiology ; mortality

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety analy-sis of moxifloxacin versus levofloxacin in the treatment of elderly patients with community acquired pneumonia ( CAP ) . Methods Sixty -two elderly patients with CAP were randomly divided into treatment group ( n=32 ) and control group ( n=30 ) .Patients in treatment group were treated with moxifloxacin 400 mg by intravenous transfusion , qd with changes for orally administration 400 mg qd after improvement.Patients in control group were treated with levofloxacin 500 mg by intravenous transfusion , qd with changes for orally administration 100 mg tid after improvement.The total course of administration was less than 2 weeks. The clinical efficacy , total course of administration , pathogenic bacteria clearance rate and safety were evaluated between the two groups . Results The total efficacy was not significant different between the two groups ( P>0.05 ) , but the cure rate in treatment group was significant higher than that in control group ( P<0.05 ) .The total course of drug administration of treatment group was shorter than control group (P<0.05).The pathogenic bacteria clearance rate was 93.75% and 83.33%for treatment and control group respectively which indicated that treatment group was significant higher ( P<0.05 ) .And the drug related
toxicity was not statistically different between the two groups ( P>0.05 ) .Conclusion Both moxifloxacin and levoflo-xacin were effective and safe in the treatment of elderly patients with community acquired pneumonia .And moxifloxacin had higher pathogenic bacteria clearance effects .

Objective To explore the influencing factors of insulin resistance among children in the mountainous area. Methods One middle school and 2 primary schools in Longquan city were randomly selected,47 classes of schoolchildren aged 1 0 -1 5 years were selected.Weight,height,waist circumstance (WC),blood pressure,blood glucose (FBG), serum insulin (FINS),triglycerides (TG),high -density lipoprotein (HDL -C)and total cholesterol (TC)were determined.Influencing factors of insulin resistance were analyzed by univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 2 1 25 students were enrolled in this study.The 75th percentile of HOMA -IR was 2.59 respectively. The univariate analysis showed that HOMA -IR was significantly associated with HDL -C,TG,non HDL -C,BMI,WC, SBP,DBP and FPG (P <0.05).The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that WC (OR =1 .07,95%CI =1 .06 -1 .09),FPG (OR =2.29,95%CI =1 .78 -2.94),HDL -C (OR =0.34,95%CI =0.21 -0.56)and TG (OR =1 .43, 95%CI =1 .1 4 -1 .78)were the risk factors of insulin resistance.Conclusion WC,FPG,TG may be the risk factors of insulin resistance among children in the mountainous area,while HDL -C is the protective factor.

Objective To study the clinicopathological characteristics and the prognostic factors in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. Methods Clinical and pathological data of 178 cases with hypopharyngeal cancer from January 2000 to December 2006 were studied. Results Of the 178 hypopharyngeal cancer,the median survival time was 42.8 months ( 1 - 127 months).Total 3- and 5-year survival rates were 47％ and 35％,respectively.The 5-year survival rates of stage Ⅰ + Ⅱ,stage Ⅲ and stage Ⅳ were 76.2％,46.7％ and 29.6％,respectively. The second primary carcinoma occurred in 14.0％ patients (25/178),of them 18 patients with synchronous carcinoma and 7 patients with metachronous carcinoma.The independent risk factors associated with the prognosis of these patients were T staging,N staging,clinical staging,performance status (PS),smoking index and treatment model (all P ＜0.01). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that smoking index,staging of tumor and treatment were independent risk factors of prognosis.The rate of larynx function preservation was increasing with years from 2000 to 2006.Conclusions Surgery plus radiotherapy is the most important treatment for the patients with hypopharyngeal cancer.Tumor stage and treatment model are important predictors of survival in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the dynamic expressions of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 1 mRNA at different stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development and their use in clinical diagnosis.

METHODSHepatoma models were developed with 2-FAA using male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Morphological changes of the rat liver histological preparations (H and E stained) were studied. The fragment of TGF-beta 1 gene obtained was amplified by nested RT-PCR. Dynamic change of TGF-beta 1 level was quantitatively analyzed by ELISA. The distribution of TGF-beta 1 in the cells and its gene expression were detected in human HCC tissues.

RESULTSThe progressive increases of hepatic TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 1 mRNA were observed in rat hepatocytes which progressed from granular degeneration, atypical hyperplasia and finally to HCC development induced by 2-FAA. The expression levels in HCC tissues were significantly higher than those in the normal and degenerative ones. TGF-beta 1 was shown in rat hepatocytes by immunohistochemistry. Plasma TGF-beta 1 was detected in 89.5% of all the patients with HCC, but it was detected in 93.3% of them who had an AFP less than 400 microg/L. TGF-beta 1 mRNA showed a stronger expression in HCC tissues. TGF-beta 1 mRNA was found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all HCC patients with extrahepatic metastasis.

CONCLUSIONTGF-beta 1 may participate in hepatocyte canceration. The overexpression of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 1 mRNA could be useful markers for early diagnosis and predicting prognosis of HCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; prevention & control ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; blood

BACKGROUNDPrevious studies showed that the prognostic factors for superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder varied with the findings of different cohorts. Few multivariate analyses of prognostic factors for superficial bladder tumors have been reported in China and bladder preservation as a prognostic index of superficial bladder tumors is limited and scarce in Chinese patients. This study was conducted to analyze a group of risk factors for prognostic outcomes for patients with primary superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

METHODSBetween January 1980 to December 2000, 198 patients [172 men and 26 women; mean age (52.98 +/- 11.28) years] with primary superficial transitional cell carcinoma who were pathologically classified as Ta or T1 in Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital (Changsha, China) were enrolled in this study. Surgical methods included local resection and electric coagulation of bladder tumors, transurethral resection of bladder tumors and partial cystectomy. After initial surgical treatment, patients were followed through a cystoscopy every three months during the first two years and every six months thereafter in the design of retrospective cohort. Survival analysis was performed to analyze risk factors of the prognostic outcomes for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Canonical correlation analysis was conducted to present and interpret synthetically the multi-correlation between all kinds of prognostic outcomes and risk factor in multiply dimensions.

RESULTSThe average follow-up period was (6.65 +/- 4.74) years. Assessments at three, five, and 10 years showed recurrence rates, respectively, of (28.32 +/- 3.45)%, (35.31 +/- 3.83)%, and (42.48 +/- 4.40)%; progression rates of (8.89 +/- 2.14)%, (15.16 +/- 2.94)%, and (23.88 +/- 4.19)%; bladder-preservation rates of (94.68 +/- 1.74)%, (93.87 +/- 1.91)%, and (91.51 +/- 2.49)%; metastasis rates of (8.25 +/- 2.05)%, (11.24 +/- 2.47)%, and (28.94 +/- 4.93)%; and cancer-related survival rates of (95.02 +/- 1.62)%, (90.70 +/- 2.45)%, and (77.14 +/- 4.88)%. The main risk factors for recurrence were histological grade, blood transfusion during surgery and the duration of symptoms. Progression was affected by blood transfusion during surgery, histological grade, the number of re-examinations, and the length of the recurrence-free period. Metastasis was associated with tumor multifocality, hydronephrosis, microscopic growth pattern, and the recurrence-free period. Cancer-related survival was influenced by microscopic growth pattern and the recurrence-free period. Bladder preservation involved only the recurrence-free period. The comprehensive results from canonical correlation analysis showed that the main prognostic outcomes were cancer-related survival, metastasis and progression respectively, while the dominate risk factors were histological grade, tumor multifocality and blood transfusion.

CONCLUSIONSThe risk factors were different for each prognostic outcome of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. This is helpful for predicting the prognosis of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and designing therapeutic and follow-up strategies for this cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; mortality ; pathology ; Cohort Studies ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; mortality ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Transfusion Reaction ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology

When study on epidemiological causation is carried out,logistic regression has been commonly used to estimate the independent effects of risk factors.as well as to examine possible interactions among individual risk factor by adding one or more product terms to the regression model.In logistic or Cox's regression model.the regression coefficient of the product term estimates the interaction on a muhiplicative scale while statistical significance indicates the departure from multiplicativity.Rothman argues that when biologic interaction iS examined,we need to focus on interaction as departure from additivity rather than departure from multiplicativity.He presents three indices to measure interaction on an additive scale or departure from additivity.using logarithmic models such aS logistic or Cox's regression model.In this paper,we use data from a case-control study of female lung cancer in Hong Kong to calculate the regression coefficients and covariance matrix of logistie model in SPSS.We then introduce an Excel spreadsheet set up by Tomas Andersson to calculate the indices of interaction on an additive scale and the corresponding confidence intervals.The results can be used as reference by epidemiologists to assess the biologic interaction between factors.The proposed method is convenient and the Excel spreadsheet is available online for free.