Microbial genome reduction and modification are important strategies for constructing cellular chassis used for synthetic biology. This article summarized the essential genes and the methods to identify them in microorganisms, compared various strategies for microbial genome reduction, and analyzed the characteristics of some microorganisms with the minimized genome. This review shows the important role of genome reduction in constructing cellular chassis.
Genes, Essential ; genetics ; Genetic Engineering ; Genome, Microbial ; genetics ; Synthetic Biology ; methods

The quality of sleep has a great relationship with health and working efficiency. The result of sleep stage classification is an important indicator to measure the quality of sleep, and it is also an important way to diagnose and treat sleep disorders. In this paper, the method of detrended cross-correlation analysis (DCCA) was used to analyze sleep stage classification, sleep electroencephalograph signals, which were extracted from the MIT-BIH Polysomno graphic Database randomly. The results showed that the average DCCA exponent of the awake period is smaller than that of the first stage of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleeps. It is well concluded that the method of studying the sleep electroencephalograph with this method is of great significance to improve the quality of sleep, to diagnose and to treat sleep disorders.
Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Sleep Stages

OBJECTVEThis study evaluates the expression of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-lα in rat periodontitis model exposed to normoxia and chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) environments. The possible correlation between periodontitis and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) was also investigated. Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into four groups: normoxia control, normoxia periodontitis, hypoxia control, and hypoxia periodontitis groups. The periodontitis models were established by ligating the bilateral maxillary second molars and employing high-carbohydrate diets. Rats in hypoxia control and hypoxia periodontitis groups were exposed to CIH treatment mimicking a moderately severe OSAHS condition. All animals were sacrificed after eight weeks, and the clinical periodontal indexes were detected. The levels of IL-18 and HIF-1α in serum and gingival tissues were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The correlation between attachment loss (AL) and the levels of IL-18 and HIF-lα in hypoxia periodontitis group was evaluated.

RESULTSThe levels of IL-18 and HIF-lα in hypoxia periodontitis group were significantly higher than that in normoxia periodontitis and hypoxia control groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, the levels of IL-18 and HIF-lα in serum (r-0.792, r=0.753, P<0.05) and gingival tissues (r-0.817, r=0.779, P<0.05) were positively correlated with AL.

CONCLUSIONCIH could aggravate the destruction of periodontal tissues, which is correlated with IL-18 and HIF-lα levels.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gingiva ; Hypoxia ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; Interleukin-18 ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serum ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

Objective To explore the influence of perioperative factors on postoperative pulmonary infection in patients with esophageal cancer.Methods According to the inclusion criteria in the present study, clinical data of 150 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for esophageal cancer in our hospital was retrospectively analyzed.In accordance with whether the occurrence of pulmonary infection or not, 32 patients were regarded as pulmonary infection group and 118 patients were designated as no-pulmonary infection group.The dosage of anesthesia drug, intubation time, single lung ventilation time, operation time, anesthesia time, extubation time, intraoperative blood loss, crystal transshipment, colloid transshipment, intraoperative total amount of rehydration, anesthesia methods and one-lung ventilation way were recorded.The indexes of anesthesia factors were compared between the two groups.Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to predict the risks of postoperative pulmonary infection for anesthesia factors.Results Total sufentanil and propofol dose, single lung ventilation time, operation time, anesthesia time, extubation time and the percentage of uninterrupted expansion of lung, nose sputum suction catheter and pethidine postoperative analgesia in pulmonary infection group were respectively significantly higher than that of non-pulmonary infection group (all P<0.05).There were no statistical differences of dosage of midazolam and atracurium, intubation time, intraoperative blood loss, crystalloid volume, colloid volume, the total infusion volume, anesthesia methods and intraoperative one-lung ventilation mode between the two groups.Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that each increase of sufentanil total dose of 7.5 μg (OR=1.65, 95%CI 1.24-2.85), each increase of 10 min in single lung ventilation time (OR=2.14, 95%CI 1.32-3.62), each increase of 20 min in anesthesia time (OR=1.87, 95%CI 1.46-3.15), nose sputum suction catheter (OR=2.03, 95%CI 1.27-3.46)as well as pethidine postoperative analgesia (OR=3.44, 95%CI 2.25-5.13) were all risk factors for postoperative pulmonary infection (P<0.05).Conclusion Appropriate amount of sufentanil usage reduces single lung ventilation time and anesthesia time as well as implementing fiber bronchoscope for sputum suction, and postoperative use of self-control vein analgesia can decrease the incidence of postoperative pulmonary infection in esophageal cancer patients.

Under the guidance of three-dimensional images, and the superposition of special material step by step, three-dimensional entity model can be generated. It is a new technology which has been developing rapidly in recent years. Now 3-D printing products has penetrated into every aspect of our lives, at the same time, with the progressing of 3-D imaging technology and materials engineering, 3-D printing technology are gradually applying to medical practice, including the orthopaedics, treatment of congenital heart disease and valve replacement. There are few researches about the 3-D printing technology in the application of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), so the paper is to preliminary explore the application of 3-D printing in PCI from three aspects of technology teaching, doctor-patient communication and surgical planning.

PBL teaching method can cultivate students’ ability to analyze the existing problems, find out more problems and resolve the problems finally, and it is important to improve students’ comprehensive quality. The experimental teaching innovation of Histology and Embryology is summarized in this article, which turned induction, practice and examination, the three stages of experimental teaching into" Problem-Based learning", thus making the teaching effect much better.

Objective Panax ginseng is a well-known Chinese traditional medicine functional in “invigorating qi”,and saponins are one of its main effective fractions.Our study investigates the effect of total saponins of panax ginseng(TSPG)on human hematopoiesis at early stage and its possible regulative mechanism to clarify the hematonic mechanism of Panax ginseng. Methods The techniques of culturing hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro,bioassay of hematopoietic growth factor(HGF),immunocytochemistry and nucleic acid in situ hybridization were used to study the effect of TSPG on IL-3’s expression in hematopoietic stromal cell and its possible mechanism. Results TSPG directly added into culture system in vitro can markedly increase the colony forming yields of CFU-Mix;the different conditioned culture media prepared with TSPG can promote the proliferation and differentiation of CFU-Mix;the protein and mRNA expression of IL-3 in BMSC and cells of EcV304,THP induced by TSPG has been much intensified.Conclusion TSPG may regulate hematopoiesis at early stage by activating IL-3's gene expression in hematopoietic stromal cell,which is the most important element in hematopietic inductive microenvironment(HIM).

In order to evaluate the diagnostic value of determing the serum strotium levelfor the drowning diagnosis,we carried out this study.The results of our expe-rirnental study are summarized as follows:(1).The blood Sr level determinationcould be used as a confirmatory test of drowning merely at the early stage(wi-thin 5 min)of drowning;(2).It could give some help for diagnosing the case ofdrowning submerged in water within 24 hours.It was showed that the durationof submersion has influence upon the postmortem blood Sr level.The blood Srlevel was measured in two submerged cases in medico-legal practice.One died ofdrowning and the another was postmortem sbmersion after electrocusion.It is inter-esting that the results of blood Sr determination of human being were more acc-urate than experimental animals.Therefore,we consider that the further studyabout this project is required.

With regard to the nature of meridians, the authors have presented the hypothesis of dual reflex in 1977. This means that acupunture can invoke some effects not only through CNS (long reflex), but through the connection of peripheral nerve terminals to transmit messages (short reflex). In this experiment, rats were anaesthetized by rethane. The superficial peroneal nerve (SPN) and the deep peroneal nerve (DPN) were found out and cut off in order to break off their connection to CNS. With electrical stimulation of SPN, the action potential (AP) on the DPN was recorded at the same time. AP was induced only in a few cases (5.7%). But, after electroacupuncture was reapplied to Zusanli (ST-39) point for 30 rain, we stimulated SPN with electricity. This showed that APs were recorded on DPN in 17 among 27 rats (58.6%). Since some tissues around Zusanli point involve both SPN and DPN, the results suggest that messages are transmitted between nerve terminals under certain condition and that impluses on a nerve stem may stimulate another nerve terminal. This might be the essence of propagated sensation along the channels.

The Chinese character of "phlegm" went though a process of evolution from "涕"、"沫"、"汁"、"饮"、"涎",to "淡",and finally "痰".Studies show that there is no"痰" in Inner Canon of Huangdi,but "淡"、"惔"、"澹" which are not related with phlegm;while mucus coughed up from the body is referred to as "涕"、"沫"、"汁"、"涎",and fluid retention as "饮"、"沫"、"汁".During Han and Jin Dynasty,it was called "涕"、"涎沫"、"淡饮".The character "痰" first appeared in Sui Dynasty and was separated from "饮".Since Tang Dynasty,the definition of phlegm has been established as the mucus excreted from the body or accumulated within the body,diseases and syndrome manifestations caused by fluid retention and the mode of thinking on complicated diseases and syndrome manifestations.