p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K), an important member of AGC family, is a kind of multifunctional Ser/Thr kinases, which plays an important role in mTOR signaling cascade. The p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase is closely associated with diverse cellular processes such as protein synthesis, mRNA processing, glucose homeostasis, cell growth and apoptosis. Recent studies have highlighted the important role of S6K in cancer, which arose interests of scientific researchers for the design and discovery of anti-cancer agents. Herein, the mechanisms of S6K and available inhibitors are reviewed.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Humans ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; chemistry ; Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence of needlestick and sharps injuries among the medical staff in an upper first-class hospital and its risk factors and to provide a basis for the infection control department of hospital and health administration department to establish the policies for safe injection.

METHODSA questionnaire survey was conducted in 800 healthcare professionals in an upper first-class hospital in Nanjing, China to investigate the incidence of needlestick and sharps injuries in the past year. A total of 641 persons completed the questionnaire, including 239 doctors, 348 nurses, and 54 other healthcare workers. The obtained data were subjected to chi-square test and logistic analysis.

RESULTSNeedlestick and sharps injuries occurred in 373 of 641 healthcare professionals, with an incidence rate of 58.19%. There were significant differences in the incidence of needlestick and sharps injuries among the medical staff of different types or in different departments (P < 0.01). The syringe needles, glass, scalp infusion needles, and suture needles were the major medical apparatus that caused needlestick and sharps injuries; the incidence rate of injury caused by suture needles in doctors (48.21%) was significantly higher than that in nurses (6.72%) (P < 0.01), and the incidence rates of injuries caused by syringe needles, scalp infusion needles, and glass in nurses (71.15%, 59.68%, and 49.04%) were significantly higher than those in doctors (46.43%, 6.25%, and 16.96%) (P < 0.01); compared with nurses, the doctors had higher incidence rates of injuries due to body fluid or tissue sample collection, wound flushing, suture, and cutting (P < 0.05); compared with doctors, the nurses had higher incidence rates of injuries due to injection, intravenous infusion, heparin cap sealing, intravenous infusion line connection, and venous or arterial blood collection (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNeedlestick and sharps injuries are common in medical staff. The results of the study on risk factors provide a basis for the infection control department of hospital and health administration department to establish the policies for safe injection.

Accidents, Occupational ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; Female ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Needlestick Injuries ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo determine the incidence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers in Jiangsu Province and to identify the risk factors.

METHODSMulti-stage stratified sampling and cluster sampling methods were used to randomly select 1490 farmers from the south (Z village), centre (Y village) and north (X village) of Jiangsu Province. The database was established by EpiData 3.1. SPSS 17.0 and SAS 9.13 were used to do chi-square test, trend chi-square test, single factor and multi-factor logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSAmong 1490 farmers, 121 people had work-related acute pesticide poisoning in the past year. The incidence rate in Jiangsu Province was 8.1%. 118 farmers (97.5%) were mild pesticide poisoning.3 farmers (2.5%) were moderate pesticide poisoning. The incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning in X village of North Jiangsu Province (13.5%, 68/505) is obviously higher than that in Y village of Central Jiangsu Province (4.8%, 19/399) and Z village of South Jiangsu Province (5.8%, 34/586), and the difference is statistically significant (χ(2) = 29.60, P < 0.01). The incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning in female (10.4%, 58/557) is obviously higher than that in male (6.8%, 63/933), and the difference is statistically significant (χ(2) = 6.26, P < 0.05). There are lack of safety guidance, unsafety application methods (without alternate row spraying, without backward application, without down-wind application) and risk behaviors in the spraying (without read labels, preparing pesticides without gloves, wiping sweat with hand (s), equipment leakage, body pollution by pesticide, working when feeling sick, without bath after work). If farmers have risk behaviors above, the incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning will be obviously higher than farmers who receive safety guidance and have no such dangerous behaviors, and all the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.05). The group of 24 ∼ 34 years old has the highest risk of work-related acute pesticide poisoning (OR = 7.15).

CONCLUSIONThe incidence rate of work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers in Jiangsu Province was higher. Effective measures are needed to prevent and reduce the occurrence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning. We can teach the farmers who spray pesticides about safety guidance, safety application methods and avoiding risky behaviors.

Adult ; Aged ; Agricultural Workers' Diseases ; epidemiology ; Agriculture ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) exposure on the behaviors and hippocampal oxidative stress and ATPase in rats and the molecular mechanism of neurobehavioral toxicity of B[a]P.

METHODSA total of 120 male SD rats (21 days old) were randomly and equally assigned to five groups: blank control group, vegetable oil (solvent control) group, and 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg B[a]P exposure groups. The rats in B[a]P exposure groups were injected intraperitoneally with B[a]P once a day for 4 consecutive weeks. Then, Morris water maze and shuttle box were used to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of rats; colorimetric assay was used to measure the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, and Ca(2+)/Mg(2+)-ATPase and the content of malonaldehyde (MDA) in the hippocampus; the concentration of Ca(2+) in the hippocampus was measured by fluorescent labeling.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group and solvent control group, the B[a]P exposure groups exhibited significant increases in escape latency, active avoidance response latency, and passive avoidance response latency and significant decreases in number of platform crossings and active avoidance response frequency in the last test (P < 0.05 for all comparisons), with a dose-effect relationship. In addition, the B[a]P exposure groups had significantly lower activities of SOD, Na(+)/K(+)-AT-Pase, and Ca(2+)/Mg(2+)-ATPase and significantly higher MDA level and Ca(2+) concentration than the blank control group and solvent control group (P < 0.05 for all comparisons), with a dose-effect relationship.

CONCLUSIONThe neurobehavioral toxicity of B[a]P may be related to increased oxidative stress and decreased activities of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)/Mg(2+)-ATPase in the hippocampus of rats.

Animals ; Benzo(a)pyrene ; toxicity ; Ca(2+) Mg(2+)-ATPase ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the diagnostic value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

METHODSTwenty healthy volunteers and fifty patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy underwent DTI in the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Ningbo University from January 2014 to April 2015. Healthy volunteers served as controls. Fifty patients were divided into three groups (group A , B, C) according to cervical MRI scan standard. Group A (17 cases) had only the dura mater spinalis compressed; Group B (23 cases) showed the cervical spinal cord compressed, but no high signal in it; Group C (10 cases) had the cervical spinal cord compressed with high signal in the same level. The average apparent diffusion coefficients(ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA)values in these examinee were analyzed and all subjects were performed fiber tracking.

RESULTSThere was no statistically significant differences in ADC and FA values in C2/C3, C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6, C6/C7 of control group (P>0.05). The average ADC and FA values in control group were (0.875 +/- 0.096) x10(3) mm2/s and 0.720 +/- 0.051, respectively; compared with group A,there was no statistically significant difference; compared with group B and C, there was significant difference; comparison among group A, B, C, there was significant differences.

CONCLUSIONDTI can early and accurately quantify the changes of microstructure in cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Fiber tracking can show the damage range of spinal cord lesions.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cervical Vertebrae ; diagnostic imaging ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Spondylosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the risk factors on cases regarding work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers of Jiangsu province.Methods A population-based,1 ∶ 2 matched case-control study was carried out,with 121 patients as case-group paired by 242 persons with same gender,district and age less then difference of 3 years,as controls.Cases were the ones who had suffered from work-related acute pesticide poisoning.A unified questionnaire was used.Data base was established by EpiData 3.1,and SPSS 16.0 was used for both data single factor and multi-conditional logistics regression analysis.Results Results from the single factor logistic regression analysis showed that the related risk factors were:lack of safety guidance,lack of readable labels befores praying pesticides,no regression during application,using hand to wipe sweat,using leaking knapsack,body contaminated during application and continuing to work when feeling ill after the contact of pesticides.Results from multi-conditional logistic regression analysis indicated that the lack of safety guidance (OR=2.25,95％ CI:1.35-3.74),no readable labels befores praying pesticides (OR=1.95,95％ CI:1.19-3.18),wiping the sweat by hand during application (OR=1.97,95％CI:1.20-3.24)and using leaking knapsack during application (OR=1.82,95％ CI:1.10-3.01) were risk factors for the occurrence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning.Conclusion The lack of safety guidance,no readable labels befores praying pesticides,wiping the sweat by hand or using leaking knapsack during application were correlated to the occurrence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning.

Objective To study the contents of puerarin in decoction with different compatibility ratios of Astragali Radix and Puerariae Lobatae Radix; To verify the rationality of compatibility ratios of Huangqi Gegen Decoction and Yu y e Decoction; To provide references for clinical medication. Methods Different compatibility ratios of Astragali Radix and Puerariae Lobatae Radix were set as 0:1, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4. SinoChrom ODS-BP (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) was used as the chromatographic column to detect the contents of puerarin;methanol-0.1% phosphoric acid (35:65) was used as the mobile phase with 0.5 mL/min flow rate; sample volume was 20 μL; the wavelength was 250 nm. Results The regression equation of puerarin was Y=66 449.269 1X-175 665.663 1 (r=0.999 6) in the range of 5 to 300 μg/mL, showing a good linear relationship. The repeatability, stability and recovery rate were fine as well. The contents of puerarin were (2.506 7±0.025 8)%, (2.526 7±0.071 2)%, (2.863 3± 0.086 4)%, (2.956 7±0.119 6)%, (2.835 0±0.078 7)%, (2.480 0±0.072 4)%, (2.530 0±0.064 8)%, and (2.183 3±0.128 9)% in different compatibility ratios of Astragali Radix and Puerariae Lobatae Radix with 0:1, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4, respectively. Conclusion When the compatibility ratios of Astragali Radix and Puerariae Lobatae Radix are 2:1. 3:1, and 4:1, the contents of puerarin in decoction are the highest. This study verifies that the compatibility ratios of Astragali Radix and Puerariae Lobatae Radix in classical prescriptions are rational, which can be the optimal compatibility ratios in clinic.

OBJECTIVETo ascertain the karyotype of a girl with moderate mental retardation and growth retardation, perform correlation analysis between chromosomal variation and phenotype, and investigate the application and superiority of array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) in clinical cytogenetic diagnosis.

METHODSG-banded chromosome analysis, array-CGH, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) were used to ascertain the karyotype of the patient and her relatives.

RESULTSG-banding analysis of the patient showed a derivative chromosome 10 with an extra fragment on its long arm terminal, both her father and grandmother had an apparently balanced translocation t(4;10)(q25;q26). Array-CGH revealed that the breakpoint on chromosome 4 was located at 4q26. In addition, a microdeletion of about 0.54 Mb del(10)(q26.3) was identified from the patient. FISH and RQ-PCR confirmed that the del(10)(q26.3) was also present in both her father and grandmother.

CONCLUSIONNo recognizable phenotype was associated with del(10)(q26.3). The abnormal phenotypes presented in the patient may be ascribed to the 4q26-q35.2 triplication. Further more, compared with conventional cytogenetic analysis, array-CGH is of high resolution and high accuracy.

Child, Preschool ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 10 ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4 ; genetics ; Comparative Genomic Hybridization ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Intellectual Disability ; genetics ; Karyotyping ; Male ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Trisomy ; genetics

Brucella is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes infection in domestic animal and humans,mainly parasitizing in cells and macrophages of hosts.Brucella can lead to abortion and sterility in animals.Meanwhile,it also causes arthralgia,weakness,undulat fever,hepatosplenomegaly and other symptoms in humans.Brucella relies on immune escape mechanism in the confrontation with the host.It can help Brucella "camouflage" to evade the identification of the immune system of the hosts and replicate within cells to persist to establish a long-term infection in the host.As a result of the existence of this mechanism,the treatment of Brucella infection is quite difficult.Type Ⅳ secretion system (T4SS) is a key virulence factor and it is essential for Brucella to survive in host cells.The effector proteins secreted by T4SS can help regulate the immune response against Brucella.In this article,we reviewed the studies on related proteins of the type Ⅳ secretion system of Brucella and its immune response,especially the relationship between the secretions of effector proteins mediated by VirB operon and immunity of the host.

OBJECTIVETo study the preventive and therapeutic effects of recombinant IFN-alpha2b for nasal spray on SARS-CoV infection in Macaca mulata (rhesus monkey).

METHODSTen rhesus monkeys were divided into two groups, 5 in interferon group, and 5 in control group. Before and after SARS-CoV attack, the virus was detected in samples such as pharyngeal swab in all the two groups by Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and virus isolation was performed.

RESULTSAfter virus attack, the level of SARS-CoV-specific IgG and neutralizing antibody were induced by SARS-CoV in the interferon group was weaker than in control group. Hematology items showed no apparent changes after virus attack in treated group. Through pathological examination, the morphology of the lung tissues of two Macaques in the treated group was normal, while the other three displayed the interstitial pneumonia with the thickened septum and infiltration with mononuclear cells. Among which, one monkey showed part of thickened septum fused with each other. These lesions in the interferon treated animals were similar to those seen in the animals in control group, but with smaller scope of pathological changes. No significant abnormity was detected in other organs.

CONCLUSIONRecombinant IFN-alpha2b could effectively interdict or weaken SARS-CoV injury in monkeys.

Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Lung ; drug effects ; pathology ; virology ; Macaca mulatta ; Male ; Monkey Diseases ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; virology ; Random Allocation ; Recombinant Proteins ; SARS Virus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; virology ; Vero Cells