Objective To analyse the key influential factors for research performance of medical colleges and provide evidenes for further research management. Methods A questionnaire suvery was carried out in Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine.Through stratified cluster sampling,those who assumed all ranks of projects from 2001 to 2006 in Basic Medical College and some affiliated hospitals were investigated.Two hundred and sixty questionnaires were sent out and 211(81.2%) were reclaimed.Delphi and comprehensive analysis were used to measure the research performance,and multi-Logistic regression was employed to analyze the influential factors for research performance.Results The key influential factors for research performance included research team,research investment,age of researchers,international exchanges and communications,and extra working hours for research.Conclusion To improve the research performance of medical colleges,it is most important to strengthen research team development,expand research investment,promote acedemic exchanges and communications,and initiate dedicated spirit for research work.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on the secretory function of islet cells in rabbits.MethodsTwenty adult New Zealand white rabbits of both sexes,weighing 2.5-3.0kg,were randomly divided into 2 groups ( n =10 each):sham operation group (group S) and CPB group.The rabbits were anesthetized with 3％ pentobarbital sodium 30 mg/kg.Blood samples were collected from the left femoral artery at 5 min after anesthesia (T1),immediately before CPB (T2 ),immediately after aortic clamping (T3 ),and at 5,35 and 75 min after aortic unclamping (T4-6) in the two groups for determination of levels of blood glucose,insulin and glucagons.Insulin resistance index was calculated.ResultsCompared with group S,the blood glucose concentration and levels of insulin and glucagons and insulin resistance index at T3-6 were significantly increased in group CPB ( P ＜ 0.05).ConclusionAlthough increase in blood glucose enhances the secretion of insulin in islet β cells,hyperglycemia cannot be compensated completely by the increased insulin during CPB in rabbits.The increase in blood glucose may be related to islet α cell resistance.

Posterior pedicle fixation-based dynamic stabilization is now densely studied in the non-fusion spine surgery.The method is characterized by the motion preservation of segmental lumbar,avoidance of the stress change after fusion surgery,and adjacent disc degeneration.Posterior pedicle fixation-based dynamic stabilization systems have undergone fast development and are now used for the treatment of degenerative lumbar spine disease.As an innovation of traditional fusion surgery,the clinical evaluation of its efficacy has become a focus of study among spine surgeons.In this paper,we review the recent progress in the clinical efficacy of posterior pedicle fixation-based dynamic stabilization.

OBJECTIVETo provide quantitative foundation for the diagnosis of atlanto-axial rotatory subluxation by analyzing the various imaging features of normal atlanto-axial joints in neutral position and rotary functional position on the MSCT images.

METHODSForty-one normal volunteers were examined by CT on the atlanto-axial joint in neutral position and rotary functional position. By the observation and measurement of atlanto-dental interval (ADI), lateral atlanta-dental space (LADS), VBLADS and rotating angle of atlas on dentate (RAAD), the imaging manifestations and anatomical characteristics were analyzed and compared. In order to compare VBLADS and RAAD and make a correlation analysis between different age groups, 51 normal volunteers were divided into two groups: age younger than 45 years old group and age older than or equal to 45 years old group.

RESULTSThe dens in neutral position deviated in an angle range of (3.22±0.89)°. The articular facets of lateral atlantoaxial joint in rotary functional position had rotatory displacement and the range of the relative rotation angle was (33.85± 2.79)°. Through the correlation analysis of matching data, it could be concluded that there was no correlation between atlantoaxial relative rotation angle and VBLADS within a certain range. There were statistically differences of atlantoaxial relative rotation angle in rotary functional position between two groups.

CONCLUSIONMSCT imaging in rotary functional position can clearly show the anatomical structure and rotation function of a normal atlanto-axial joint, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis of atlanto axial rotatory subluxation.

Adult ; Aged ; Atlanto-Axial Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; methods ; Rotation

Objective To investigate the efficiency of biology function of ITIH4 gene silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) on ovarian cancer.Methods The four pairs ITIH4 gene siRNA interference fragments(ITIH4-546,ITIH4-795,ITIH4-917 and ITIH4-1568) were designed respectively,and transfected into HO8910pm cells with ITIH4 mRNA high expression by liposomal method transiently.Quantitative PCR method was used to detect the ITIH4 mRNA expression in HO8910pm cells transfected with interference fragment.The ITIH4 917 was selected as the best silencing effect of siRNA interference fragment and then the recombinant plasmid expression vector pGPU6/GFP/Neo-shRNA-ITIH4-917 was constructed and transfected into HO8910pm cells.The stably transfected cells-pGPU6/GFP/Neo-shRNA-ITIH4-917-HO8910pm cells was obtained by screening of aminoglycoside antibiotics (G418).The experiment was divided into three groups,namely ITIH4-917 transfection group,the HO8910pm cell group transfected with pGPU6/GFP/Neo-shRNA plasmid (empty vector group),and the HO8910pm cell group transfected with pGPU6/GFP/Neo-shRNA-ITIH4-NC the plasmid (negative control group).Fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription(RT)PCR and western blot were used to detect the ITIH4 mRNA and protein expression.The cell proliferation,the cell cycle,colony formation of cells,cells migration and invasion in vitro were determined by using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT),flow cytometry,colony formation assay and transmembrane (transwell) small chamber method [value represented by absorbance (A)],respectively.Results The fluorescent quantitative PCR results showed that the ITIH4 mRNA expression levels in ITIH4-917 HO8910pm cells was significantly lower than that in the control cells,the relative copy number was only 0.26 ± 0.15.Also the relative copy number of ITIH4 mRNA in ITIH4-917 transfection group cells was 0.34 ±0.10,it significantly lower than that in empty vector group (1.87 ±0.12,P =0.008) and negative control group (1.58 ±0.21,P =0.032) ; Western blot results showed that the ITIH4 relative expression levels of the protein in ITIH4-917 HO8910pm group cells,empty vector group and negative control group were 0.51,1.64 and 1.74,respectively,there were statistically significant differences (0.51 vs.1.64,P =0.012; 0.51 vs.1.74,P =0.014).MTT colorimetric assay showed that the proliferation of ITIH4-917 HO8910pm group cells was significantly faster than that in the empty vector group and negative control group,and there were statistically significant differences among them (P =0.001).The S ± G2/M phase cell ratio in ITIH4-917 HO8910pm group cells was 54.2％,which was significantly higher than that in the empty vector group or negative control group (26.3％ and 31.3％,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05).The colony formation rate (55.7 ± O.7) ％ in ITIH4-917 HO8910pm group cells was also significantly higher than that in empty vector group (29.7 ±0.9) ％ (P =0.037) and negative control group (31.4 ± 0.3) ％ (P =0.043).Migration and invasion experiments showed that cell migration in ITIH4-917 HO8910pm group cells was 0.40 ± 0.18,whicht was significantly higher than that in the negative control group or empty vector (0.30 ±0.03,P =0.031 ;0.25 ±0.03,P =0.028,respectively).Although the invasive ability of ITIH4-917 HO8910pm group cells (1.31 ±0.34) was higher than that in the control cells (1.05 ±0.68) and empty vector group (1.14 ±0.08),while there were not significant difference (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion It would be to promote the cell doubling time and increase the migration capability in HO8910pm cells that ITIH4 expression was down-regulating by ITIH4 mRNA interference.

BACKGROUND: Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been widely used as medical implants and drug vehicle. Due to various factors involved in the degradation process, it is rather difficult to simulate the mass loss properties of PLGA.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mass loss properties of PLGA films, and observe the correlation between the stimulation and the factual measurement.DESIGN: Repeated measuring experiment. SETTING: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology.MATERIALS: PLGA 50:50, 70:30 and 75:25 with weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 63 000, 115 000 and 400 000 were purchased from Shandong Key Laboratory of Medical Polymer Materials, and 1,4-dioxane (analytically pure) was purchased from Tianjin No.1 Chemical Reagent Factory and used as solvent.METHODS: The experiments were carried out in the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Dalian University of Technology from April to July in 2006.①PLGA were dissolved in 1, 4-dioxane according to the mass ratio of 50:50, 70:30 and 75:25, and the solution were cast into 10 mm×10 mm×1 mm polymer films.②PLGA films were immersed in Hank's simulated body fluid (Ph 7.4) at 37 ℃, and then taken out every week (every 5 days for PLGA 50:50). The samples were washed and dried to measure the changes of number and Mw using gel permeation chromatography. Degradation velocity was also worked out. Meanwhile the mass loss properties of PLGA films were measured using electronic balance. Furthermore, an improved Monte Carlo method was applied to carry out the correlation analysis with experiment data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①degradation rates of PLGA with different ratios of lactic acid and glycolic acid.②the correlation coefficient between simulation results and experiment data.RESULTS: ①The degradation rates for PLGA at 50:50, 70:30 and 75:25 were 0.058 5, 0.016 6 and 0.010 1 /d (based on Mn), or 0.061 0, 0.017 5 and 0.008 5 /d (based on Mw), respectively.②Correlation coefficients between simulation results and experiment data for PLGA 50:50, 70:30 and 75:25 were 0.973 6, 0.987 4 and 0.990 3 correspondingly. CONCLUSION:The numerical simulation results for the mass loss properties of PLGA fit the experiment data well.

Bulk erosion type biodegradable materials play an important role in pharmaceutics.However,the instability of carriers affects drug delivery systems critically,and complicates their drug release kinetics.Among these problems,how degradation and erosion affect drug release patterns becomes a focus.Mathematical models facilitate to understand complex pharmaceutical drug release patterns,and are easily applied in structure design of drug delivery systems and to predict their drug release kinetics.This paper reviews the degradation and erosion patterns,drug release mechanisms,and the recent research of mathematical models.

Aim Vascular endothelial cell growth inhibitor(VEGI) is a recently discovered novel member of the TNF superfamily,which is expressed predominantly in endothelial cells.As an endothelial cell-specific negative regulator of angiogenesis,the relationship between structure and function of VEGI is not understood at present.Methods In order to explore the functional key amino acids of VEGI,four mutants of VEGI(E45→R,G47→A,Y111→F,Y111→T) were construced by site-directed mutagenesis,and recombinant proteins were generated from E.coli.Four mutant proteins behaved similar to the wild type VEGI in various physico-chemical assays.The proliferation of HUVEC and chick choriallantic membrane assay were performed to study the activity of four mutants.Results The mutant E45→R significantly decreased the biological activity,and the mutant G47→A caused a slight drop on activity,but the mutants Y111→F,Y111→T almost completely abolished biological activity.Conclusion It suggests that Y111 is an important residue in biological activity,which may play a direct role in receptor recognition.Moreover,the tyrosine ring and hydroxy group of the amino acid are important determinant of biological activity.Additionally,E45 also plays an important role in biological activity of VEGI.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; immunology ; metabolism ; Animals ; Herpes Simplex ; immunology ; virology ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; immunology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immediate-Early Proteins ; immunology ; metabolism ; Viral Proteins ; immunology ; metabolism

To investigate formation mechanism of secologanic acid sulfonates in sulfur-fumigated buds of Lonicera japonica, secologanic acid was enriched and purified from the sun-dried buds of L. japonica by various column chromatography on macroporus resin HPD-100, silica gel and ODS. The stimulation experiments of sulfur-fumigation process were carried out using secologanic acid reacted with SO2 in the aqueous solution. The reaction mechanism could be involved in the esterification or addition reaction. The present investigation provides substantial evidences for interpreting formation pathway of secologanic acid sulfonates in sulfur-fumigated buds of L. japonica.
Alkanesulfonates ; chemistry ; Carboxylic Acids ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Flowers ; chemistry ; drug effects ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; drug effects ; Models, Chemical ; Molecular Structure ; Sulfur ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Sulfur Dioxide ; chemistry ; Water ; chemistry