Objective To investigate the gender difference in the smile aesthetic features in aged Han Chinese with normal occlusion and its clinical significance.Methods Fifty-six aged Han Chinese (male:28,female:28,aged 60-66 years)with normal occlusion were included in this study.Smiling images of the resting-position and mandibular postural position were obtained in an anteriorposterior view.The CoSmileMAA1.0 software was used to evaluate the indices associated with the smile-aesthetic features,and its clinical significance was analyzed.Results Significant differences were noted in the nasal ala width,upper lip length,lip clearance,angle oris width in resting-position/ smiling position together with the changes of lip clearance,angle oris width,distance of inferior margin of upper lip to cutting edge of the maxillary incisor teeth,distance of superior border of lower lip to cutting edge of the maxillary incisor teeth,smile line ratio and type of smile (all P＜0.05).When the subjects were smiling,the changes of lip clearance was greater in females than in males [(10.7±1.9)mm vs.(11.3±1.6)mm,P＜0.05],the changes of angle oris width was greater in males than in females [(14.1±1.6)mm vs.(13.4±1.3)mm,P＜0.05],and the smile line ratio was less in males than in females [(0.9±0.2) vs.(1.1±0.5),P＜0.05],which indicate that the females had more attractive smile in aged Han Chinese with normal occlusion than males.The type of smile was mainly high smile in elderly females and median smile in elderly males [53.6％ (15 cases) and 60.7％ (17 cases),x2 =6.43,P＜0.05].Conclusions Significant gender difference is noted in the smile-aesthetic features in aged Han Chinese with normal occlusion.Modulation of maxillary incisor teeth length and smile line ratio can contribute to the aesthetic appearance of smiling.

Aiming at the new problems in orthodontics teaching and employment,this study aims to explore a more suitable undergraduate teaching mode of Orthodontics,and reform the teaching of Orthodontics for five-year program students in department of stomatology of Xi'an Medical University.During the teaching of Orthodontics,teachers use the aesthetic principles that students have learned to integrate into the orthodontics teaching,and guide students to analyze,understand and master orthodontic knowledge based on the principles of aesthetics.After the course,students give good feedback on the teaching reform,and their scores of basic knowledge and case analysis of Orthodontics theoretical examination have been improved.This teaching reform is very helpful for students to learn,understand and master the knowledge of orthodontics.It helps to improve classroom teaching effect,improve students' interest in learning,and adapt to the needs of discipline and industry development,so it is worth studying and promoting.

Objective To investigate the core competency of grass-roots nurses in Jiangsu Province,and to provide references for training grass-roots nurses.Methods The Competency Inventory for Registered Nurse(CIRN)was used to investigate 593 grass-roots nurses in Jiangsu Province.Results The overall score of importance judgement for core competency was 4.45±0.73.The overall execution frequency was 4.26±0.69.There were significant differences in the importance judgment of clinical care,interpersonal relationship,leadership,and professional development among nurses with different job titles(P＜0.05).There were significant differences in the execution frequency of clinical care,interpersonal relationship,ethical/legal practice,critical thinking and scientific research among nurses with different job titles (P＜0.05).There were certain differences in the importance judgment and the execution frequency for core competency among nurses with different job titles and nurses from different institutions.Conclusion The score for grass-roots nurses' core competency in Jiangsu Province was not high and unbalanced.There were differences between the importance judgment and the execution frequency.Hospital managers should take appropriate measures to address existing problems and improve the grass-roots nursers' core competency according to different characteristics.

OBJECTIVETo examine the expression profile and immunofluorescence localization of the major egg antigen p40 of Schistosoma japonicum (Sjp40) during granuloma formation in the liver of infected New Zealand white rabbits.

METHODSNew Zealand white rabbits were infected with S. japonicum cercariae, and the livers were harvested at 29 and 45 days post-infection (dpi). The total RNA of the liver tissues was extracted for expression profiling of Sjp40 by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) with GAPDH of S. japonicum as the endogenous reference gene. The expression of Sjp40 in the liver were detected by Western blotting using anti-Sjp40 monoclonal antibody (mAb) 9G7 or anti-Toxoplasma gondii tSAG1 mAb Y3A8 (control) as the primary antibody. Paraffin sections of the liver were prepared for observing egg granuloma formation using HE staining and for indirect immunofluorescence assay of Sjp40 location in the trapped eggs and egg granulomas.

RESULTSThe level of Sjp40 mRNA in the eggs trapped in rabbit livers was significantly higher at 45 dpi than that at 29 dpi (P<0.05), and Western blotting confirmed the presence of Sjp40 protein in the rabbit livers at both 29 and 45 dpi. Immunofluorescence assay demonstrated localized expression of Sjp40 in the immature eggs in the rabbit liver at 29 dpi, but at 45 dpi fluorescence was detected in clusters of mature eggs containing miracidium and in the surrounding egg granulomas.

CONCLUSIONSThe transcriptional levels of Sjp40 significantly increased with the maturation of eggs trapped in the rabbit livers. Sjp40 protein spread from the eggs to the surrounding egg granuloma at 45 dpi when acute liver granulomatous lesions occur, suggesting that Sjp40 plays a key role in egg granulomas formation in the livers of infected New Zealand white rabbits.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antigens, Helminth ; metabolism ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Granuloma ; parasitology ; Helminth Proteins ; metabolism ; Liver ; parasitology ; RNA, Messenger ; Rabbits ; Schistosoma japonicum ; Schistosomiasis japonica