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.

Objective An experiment study on the femoral head plastic operation to prevent and treat aseptic necrosis of the femoral head. Methods 60 Chinese white rabbits were equally random divided into 4 groups. The four groups except A group were made a globose defect and filled with 95% alcohol tampon for 30 minutes. The B group was natural repair group. The C group was filled with bone cement after being made defect. The D group was filled with bone cement added barium sulfate agent after being made defect. After 12 weeks, all rabbits in four groups were killed. The specimens were random divided into two parts. The articular cartilage was observed and measured immediately. The other specimen was determined with histological examination and extreme anti-pressure rigidity test . Result The femoral heads of bone cement group and the femoral heads of contrast agent bone cement group kept their outline all the time through the articular cartilage observation. After 12 weeks the cartilage thickness of natural repair group (511.74 ± 69.00) was thinner than the other three groups [ control group ( A group ) (511.74 ± 69 00 );Bone cement group ( C group) (468. 36 ± 82. 99 ); Bone cement group contrast agent ( D group ) ( 515.61 ±64. 65 ) ], and it had significant difference ( P < 0. 05, P < 0. 01 ). The rigidity of natural repair group [ (676. 57 ±50. 92) N/mm] had significant difference with that of the other three groups[ A group( 884. 66±52. 29)N/mm;C group(1178.40 ± 170.45) N/mm;D group(928.60 ± 104.42) N/mm] ( P <0.05, P<0. 01 ). Conclusions Femoral head plastic operation was simple and it could release pain. And femoral head outline could be kept integrity. It would be a new operation which was used to treat young patients in Ficat Ⅱ～Ⅲ period to postpone or substitute total hip replacement.

To study the role of anti- C. albicans IgY and serum in protection of C. albicans infection of several animal models. To develop three animal models of C. albicans infection: a burned rat model of C. albicans infection, a mouse model of vaginal candiasis and a immunosuppression mouse model of C. albicans infection. And we compared the contribution of anti- C. albicans IgY and serum to the clearance of the C. albicans in three animal models of C. albicans infection. Anti- C. albicans IgY can protect against C. albicans infection in a burned rat model of C. albicans infection and a mouse model of vaginal candidiasis. The serum can effectively protect the mice from disseminated candidiasis in a immunosuppression mouse model. Humoral immunity component involving anti- C. albicans IgY and serum protect against C. albicans infection in a burned rat model of C. albicans infection ,a mouse model of vaginal candidiasis and a immunosuppression mouse model of C. albicans infection.

Objective To explore the possibility of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)and epidermal growth factor(EGF)combined with striatal conditioned medium promoting the directional differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMMSCs)into dopaminergie neurons.Methods 1.Separation and culture of BMMSCs:BMMSCs were harvested from healthy adult Wistar rats for serial subcultivation.2.Preparation of Striatal conditioned medium:newborn Wistar rats within 24 hours were selected,and their brain tissues were removed to prepare striatal conditioned medium.3.Induced differentiation of BMMSCs:the 5th passage BMMSCs were collected and pre-induced in low glucose-Dulbecco's modified eagle medium(L-DMEM)containing bFGF and EGF.Twenty-four hours later,pre-induction liquor was replaced with striatal conditioned medium for further induced differentiation.4.Result assessment:the morphological changes of stem cells were observed under inverted phase microscope.The expression of neuron specific enolage(NSE)and tyrosine hydmxylage(TH)were identified by immunocytochemical technique.Results The cell body of rat BMMSCs contracted into round and spindle shape after induction by bFGF and EGF combined with striatal conditioned medium.Partial neuron-like cells with prominence could be found.Immunocytochemieal detection showed that the percentages of NSE and TH positive cells were(72.70±14.81)% and(34.50±15.93)%,respectively.Conclusion BMMSCs can be induced directionally into dopaminergiC neurons by bFGF and EGF combined with striatal conditioned medium in vitro.

OBJECTIVETo calculate the effects of malnutrition on economic productivity in China.

METHODSPROFILES was used to quantify the function consequences of malnutrition in term of protein energy malnutrition, iron deficiency and iodine deficiency.

RESULTSProductivity gained due to improved iodine nutrition. The reduction in the TGR in 1992 to 2001 increased the net present value of further economic productivity by yen 142 billion. Reduction of the TGR rate to 5% over next 10 years would result in future productivity gains with value of yen 40 billion. Productivity gain due to reductions in child stunting would result in future economic productivity gains with the value of yen 101 billion. Reducing stunting further over the next 10 years would gain yen 20 billion. Productivity gain due to reduction of iron deficiency anemia reduced by 30% over the next 10 years would gain worth yen 107 billion and if childhood anemia reduced by 30% over next 10 years would gain yen 348 billion.

CONCLUSIONThese interventions have huge economic payoff. That is likely to exceed their costs many times over.

Adult ; Child ; Child Development ; China ; Commerce ; Cost of Illness ; Costs and Cost Analysis ; Economics ; Humans ; Iodine ; deficiency ; Iron ; deficiency ; Malnutrition ; economics ; Models, Theoretical

OBJECTIVETo estimate the benefits of reductions in underweight and Vitamin A deficiency for child survival in China that might be expected as a result of lowering the prevalence of these conditions.

METHODSProfiles, a process of nutrition policy analysis was used to quantify the functional consequences of malnutrition in terms of child survival.

RESULTSUnderweight: The actual reduction in underweight between 1992 and 2001 (from 15.7% to the current 10.1%) resulted in saving of 176,000 child lives. As estimated, without improvements, 612,000 children will die due to underweight between 2001 and 2010, 281,000 (46%) of them living in western provinces. Reducing underweight prevalence from 10.1% to 8% could overall save 62,000 lives. The reduction of underweight prevalence in the west alone might save 56,000 lives. Vitamin A in China as a whole, vitamin A deficiency accounts, as estimated, for 7.5% of deaths of children 6-59 months old, representing 206,000 deaths over the past ten years. Halving the prevalence over the period would save 49,000 child lives. The higher prevalence and higher mortality rates in western provinces mean that even with only 28% of the Chinese population, over half of child deaths there are related to vitamin A.

Body Weight ; Child ; Child Welfare ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Forecasting ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Malnutrition ; complications ; epidemiology ; Models, Theoretical ; Mortality ; trends ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Survival Analysis ; Vitamin A Deficiency ; complications ; epidemiology ; therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor worldwise. The incidence rate of HCC is high and is easy to metastasis and recurrence, which seriously affects human health. Traditional chemical drugs have some challenges such as toxicity, side effects, and multidrug resistance, thus it is urgent to find new drugs and effective targets. Here we synthesized a novel chemical, protonic bis-phenanthroline (H-BP), and the antitumor effect was investigated in the study. The results showed that H-BP could selectively inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and cause HCC apoptosis. And also, in HCC tumor-bearing mice, H-BP could effectively prevent the growth of tumor mass, even completely eliminate the tumor at medium dose (5 mg·kg^-1) and high dose (10 mg·kg^-1), and meanwhile H-BP has no significant effect on the body weight of mice. The experimental protocol was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Southwest University, and the experimental operation was strictly carried out in accordance with the ethical principles of animal use and care. Mechanism studies showed that H-BP induced HCC apoptosis was related to down-regulation the expression of pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2), a oncogene transcription factor, resulting in the down-regulation of PLAGL2 downstream proteins hypoxia inducible factor and β-catenin. This study not only introduces the dimerization method to form novel compounds that will provide a new approach for drug design, but also suggests that PLAGL2 may be an effective target in tumor therapy.

Coumarins are a group of important natural compounds, and have been found to have multi-biological activities such as anti-HIV, anti-tumor, anti-hypertension, anti-arrhythmia, anti-osteoporosis, assuaging pain, preventing asthma and antisepsis. One of which is its anti-tumor effect and that is a research focus on. Therefore, we believe that it is necessaryto carry out further studies on the effect of coumarins compounds in anti-tumor. Investigation should emphasize on improving techniques for extraction and separation, searching the effective precursory compound, and synthesizing and screening out courmarin derivatives with high activity and low toxicity. Here the recent research progress in anti-tumor effect of coumarins compounds is reviewed.
Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Anti-HIV Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Coumarins ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathological characteristics and the prognostic factors in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer.

METHODSClinical and pathological data of 178 cases with hypopharyngeal cancer from January 2000 to December 2006 were studied.

RESULTSOf 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.

CONCLUSIONSSurgery 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.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVEThe study was conducted to reveal the distribution of genetic polymorphism of four Y chromosome specific short tandem repeat (Y-specific STR) loci in Li ethnic groups in Hainan Island, China.

METHODSFour tetranucleotide STR loci were simultaneously amplified with fluorescently labeled primers, and genotypes were determined with an automated DNA sequencer.

RESULTSAmong 230 unrelated males, the alleles at the four Y-specific STR loci were composed of some complex repeat structure. 4,5,4,5 alleles were observed in loci DYS3891, DYS390, DYS391, DYS393 respectively. A set of human allele ladders for the typing of the four Y-specific STRs was obtained in Li ethnic population. Gene diversity index (D) and haplotype diversity data were estimated for the four Y-STRs.

CONCLUSIONThe preliminary study indicates a reference population for detecting male migration events and should be useful in population genetics and forensic applications.

China ; Chromosomes, Human, Y ; genetics ; DNA ; chemistry ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA