Objective To study the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARA). Methods Clinical data from 682 patients with SARS were retrospectively analyzed. Results The patients ranged from 13 to 76 years old, 387 male and 295 female. A total of 356 patients (52.2) had a history of close contact with diagnosed SARS patients, and 113 (25.1%) had been to hospital ever. The most common symptom was fever (99.3%), followed by cough (44.4%), shortness of breath (12.2% ), diarrhea (8.9%). 596 patients (87.4%) had normal or decreased white blood cell counts. Serum ALT and CPK levels were elevated in 112 patients (16.4%)and 17 patients (2.5%) respectively. Infiltrates on chest radiography were seen in all patients, with 69.8% involved both lungs. Six patients (0.9%) died of SARS. Conclusion SARS is infectious. Hospital is an important place where SARS transmits. Fever, cough and infiltrative changes on chest radiography are mainly symptoms and signs.

Objective To evaluate the outcomes of maxillary protraction in the treatment of skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusions in early mixed dentition. Methods Fourteen patients with skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusions in early mixed dentition were treated with maxillary protraction for one year with oral active appliance bonded face mask.Cephalometric records were analyzed to assess the changes of maxillo-facial structure of the hard tissue before and after treatment. Results The anterior crossbite was unlocked in all the patients,and the maxilla moved downwards and forwards.Point A moved forwards,and angle SNA and ANB significantly increased.The mandible rotated downward and backward,and the Wits values significantly increased,which led to the correction of a skeletal class Ⅲ relationship.Maxillary length and protrusion significantly increased,and facial profile improved obviously. Conclusion Maxillary protraction works well in the treatment of skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusions in early mixed dentition,and can reduce the chances of later orthognathic surgery.

In temporomandibular disorders (TMD), pain takes place when neuropeptides stimulate synovial tissue to produce several cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, which activate neurons and glia of synovial membrane at the bilaminar regions of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It has been reported that, after neurogenic differentiation, the synovial mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs), deriving from TMJ, possess the same cytological features as the neuronal cells. This study examined the ability of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) to stimulate SMSCs and neurogenic SMSCs secreting inflammatory cytokines during TMD, evaluated the mutual effects of inflammatory cytokines and neuropeptides and tested the analgesic effect of hyaluronic acid (HA). The levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in SMSCs and neurogenic SMSCs in the presence of neuropeptides were measured by ELISA. SP and CGRP produced by SMSCs and neurogenic SMSCs were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The results showed that the expression of SP and CGRP was significantly enhanced in the neurogenic SMSCs in response to IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, and the effect was remarkably inhibited by HA. IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, in return, could be enhanced in the neurogenic SMSCs upon stimulation by SP and CGRP. Neuropeptides and inflammatory cytokines might work mutually on the TMD pain. The HA-mediated analgesic effect may be implicated in the inhibition of SP and CGRP expression in neurogenic SMSCs.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the triterpenoids from root of Achyranthes bidentata in Henan.

METHODSephadex, normal-and reversed-phase column chromatographies were applied for the isolation and purification. The structure determinations were performed by means of physiochemical properties, MS and NMR data analyses.

RESULTSeven compounds were isolated from the water soluble fraction in root of A. bidentata, and determined as achyranthoside A (1), achyranthoside E (2), momordin Ib (3), chikusetsusaponin IVa (4), chikusetsusaponin IVa methyl ester (5), chikusetsusaponin V (6), chikusetsusaponin V methyl ester (7).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1 and 2 were isolated from the natural resources for the first time.

Achyranthes ; chemistry ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Objective To investigate the molecular characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Guizhou Province. Methods Using a convenience sampling strategy, 8 583 samples were collected in Guizhou and an investigation was conducted including face-to-face questionnaire interview and HIV testing. Results 1 511 cases failed in HIV suppression (viral load, VL>1 000 copies/ml). 1 410 cases (93.31%) were successfully genotyped with HIV pol gene, among which 51.42% were genotyped as CRF01_AE, 26.67% as CRF07_BC and 16.1% as CRF08_BC. Conclusion The subtype changes caused by HIV gene mutation should precede the changes of main transmission routes of HIV through the analysis in recent years. Timely monitoring the changes of HIV subtypes can be one of the main bases for the prevention and control of AIDS.

OBJECTIVETo explore the character of inorganic elements in Polygonum multiflorum.

METHODThe contents of elements such as Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cu, Mn, Mg, Fe, Na, Ni, P, Se, Sr, Ti and Zn in nine P. multiflorum samples were determined by means of ICP-AEC. The results were used for the development of element distrubution diagram. The principal component analysis and one-way ANOVA of SPSS were applied for the study of characteristic elements in P. multiflorum.

RESULTThe contents of Al, Ca, K, Mg, Sr,Ti in wild P. multiflorum were remarkable higher than those in cultured P. multiflorum, and there was no significant difference between cultured and wild in the other elements. Five principal components which accounted for over 90% of the total variance were extracted from the original data. The analysis results show that Al, B, Ba, Fe, Na, Ni, Ti, Ca and Sr may be the characteristic elements in P. multiflorum. The element distrubution diagram of the sample from Tianyang was remarkable different comparing with the others.

CONCLUSIONThe principal component analysis could be used in data processing in inorganic elements.

Elements ; Polygonum ; chemistry ; Principal Component Analysis ; methods

The hom gene encoding for homoserine dehydrogenase was amplified from the genomic DNA of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032.After the kanamycin-resistant gene(Km)cassette from plasmid pET28a was inserted into the center of hom,the hom::Km cassette was then electroporated into the competent cell of C.glutamicum ATCC 13032.And kanamycin-resistant clones were obtained.PCR was performed to confirm whether the Km gene was integrated into the hom gene of these clones and the recombinant strains of hom-disrupted were screened out.Fermentation results showed that the lysine yield of the hom-disrupted strain C.g-hom::Km-8 reached 4.7 g/L,which was 6.7 times that of C.glutamicum ATCC 13032.

In order to isolate genes related with the osmoadaptation and glycerol metabolism of Candida glycerinogenes, a transformation system based on the dominant selectable marker Zeocin and restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) was established. Effects of seven restriction enzymes on transformation efficiency of C.glycerinogenes were tested. Transformation conditions were optimized in the presence of Hind III. Under the optimal conditions of OD_ 600 ≈1.3, voltage of 1.5 kV, 2.0?10~9 competent cells/mL, 100 units of Hind III added, the transformation efficiency was up to 129 trnaformants/?g DNA. 58% of transformants were stable on nonselective medium. These results suggest that REMI technique would be beneficial to the genetic transformation of C.glycerinogenes.

A method to determine dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in fermentation broth was developed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). DHA was separated on a Alltima C18(5?m,250?4.6mm). The mobile phase was 0.5% methanol solution (pH adjusted to 3.0 with H3PO4), the flow-rate was 1.0 ml/min and the detective wavelength was 200 nm. The detection limits of DHA was 0.1 g/L～10.0 g/L. 6.2 g/L DHA in the fermentation broth was detected by HPLC, which was in agreement with the result by spectrophotometric method.The method was applicable for DHA determination in the fermentation process.

More than 20 strains capable of producing dihydroxyacetone from glycerol were isolated from 4 different natural environment samples by using two detection methods. The strain 6-8 which could grow on medium containing glycerol as sole carbon source had a higher converting capability. Under a better culture, the highest DHA production of the strain 6?8 reached 6.4 g/L. In addition to general morphological and bio-chemical characteristics, the strain 6?8 was identified by 16S rDNA sequence and systematic analysis. The results showed that 16S rDNA sequence of the strain 6-8 had similarity of 99.7% with Acinetobacter sp. suggesting that the strain 6-8 is one of subspecies of Acinetobacter sp.