We used a minirhizotron method to investigate spatial and temporal dynamics of fine roots (diameter </=2 mm) in five Chinese temperate forests: Mongolian oak forest, aspen-birch forest, hardwood forest, Korean pine plantation and Dahurian larch plantation. Fine root dynamics were significantly influenced by forest type, soil layer, and sampling time. The grand mean values varied from 1.99 to 3.21 mm cm(-2) (root length per minirhizotron viewing area) for the fine root standing crop; from 6.7 to 11.6 mum cm(-2) day(-1) for the production; and from 3.2 to 6.1 mum cm(-2) day(-1) for the mortality. All forests had a similar seasonal "sinusoidal" pattern of standing crop, and a "unimodal" pattern of production. However, the seasonal dynamics of the mortality were largely unsynchronized with those of the production. The minimum values of standing crop, production and mortality occurred in March for all forests, whereas the maximum values and occurrence time differed among forest types. The standing crop, production and mortality tended to decrease with soil depth. The different spatiotemporal patterns of fine roots among the forests highlight the need for forest-specific measurements and modeling of fine root dynamics and forest carbon allocation.

Vibrio alginolyticus is an opportunistic pathogen that occasionally causes life-threatening infections in individuals and results in great losses in marine aquacultures of crustaceans and fish. Recently, antibiotic-resistant strains of the bacterium from clinical and environmental sources have been reported with increasing frequency. However, few reports were involved in the antibiotic resistance of this bacterium at molecular levels. In the present study, Western blotting was utilized to investigate altered OM proteins of V. alginolyticus in response to six types of antibiotics: erythromycin, kanamycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, nalidixic acid, and chloromycetin. Seventeen OM proteins have been reported here for the first time to be related to antibiotic resistance. They were porins OmpU, OmpN, putative OmpU and LamB; transport proteins VA0802, VA2212 (FadL) and VPA0860; TolC family TolC and VA1631; lipoprotein VA0449; OmpA family VPA1186 and VA0764; iron-regulated proteins OmpV, VPA1435, and VA2602; and receptor protein OmpK; hypothetical protein VA1475. Importantly, VA2212 was up-regulated in response to the five antibiotics except nalidixic acid, and VPA1186 was down-regulated in response to the six antibiotics in antibiotic-stressed bacteria. They might be potentially universal targets for designing the new drugs that inhibit multi-resistant bacteria. These findings suggested that parallel investigations into a bacterium responding to several types of antibiotics would be helpful not only for the further understanding of antibiotic-resistant mechanisms but also for the screening of valuable targets of new drugs controlling antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

BACKGROUND:: The attenuated live varicella vaccine had been shown to be effective in preventing varicella and reducing the disease burden in the United States. However, little work has been done on investigating vaccine effectiveness in China where 3 varicella vaccines are available. Although the vaccines contain the same strain of virus, the vaccines licensed in China were from manufacturers different from the one licensed in the United States. We conducted a matched case-control study to assess the effectiveness of the 3 varicella vaccines in use in China. METHODS:: In 2005, we enrolled 1000 cases from Guangzhou, China and 1000 controls matched by age and place of residence. The cases were children clinically diagnosed with acute onset of a diffuse maculopapulovesicular rash without other apparent cause. We interviewed the legal guardians of the participants for demographic information and disease history after obtaining informed consent. We collected information on vaccination status from electronic vaccination records. RESULTS:: The 3 varicella vaccines in China (Varilrix from GlaxoSmithKline, Changchun and Shanghai from Changchun and Shanghai Institutes of Biologic Products, respectively) had similar effectiveness: Varilrix 86.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 72.6, 93.2), Changchun 79.5% (95% CI: 58.1, 90.0), and Shanghai 92.6% (95% CI: 68.9, 98.2). Vaccine effectiveness was higher during the first year after vaccination than during the subsequent 5 years, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS:: The varicella vaccines in China are highly effective in preventing clinical varicella. Further studies on laboratory-confirmed cases are needed to verify the change of vaccine-induced immunity over time.

PURPOSE:: To determine whether family medical history as a risk factor for six common diseases is related to patients' perceptions of risk, worry, and control over getting these diseases. METHODS:: We used data from the cluster-randomized, controlled Family Healthware Impact Trial (FHITr). At baseline, healthy primary care patients reported their perceptions about coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and breast, ovarian, and colon cancers. Immediately afterward, intervention group participants used Family Healthware to record family medical history; this web-based tool stratified familial disease risks. Multivariate and multilevel regression analyses measured the association between familial risk and patient perceptions for each disease, controlling for personal health and demographics. RESULTS:: For the 2330 participants who used Family Healthware immediately after providing baseline data, perceived risk and worry for each disease were strongly associated with family history risk, adjusting for personal risk factors. The magnitude of the effect of family history on perceived risk ranged from 0.35 standard deviation for ovarian cancer to 1.12 standard deviations for colon cancer. Family history was not related to perceived control over developing diseases. Risk perceptions seemed optimistically biased, with 48-79% of participants with increased familial risk for diseases reporting that they were at average risk or below. CONCLUSIONS:: Participants' ratings of their risk for developing common diseases, before feedback on familial risk, parallels but is often lower than their calculated risk based on family history. Having a family history of a disease increases its salience and does not change one's perceived ability to prevent the disease.

Prolonged vinorelbine exposure is correlated with improved antineoplastic effects, as evidenced by increased response rate in patients receiving continuous infusion. The administration of slow release pegylated liposomal vinorelbine formulation might mimic the pharmacokinetics of a continuous infusion, thus improving antitumor efficacy. But it is hard to prepare pegylated liposome vinorelbine using DSPE-PEG (an extensively used peglipid) because it could induce accelerated drug release. To resolve this problem, "post insertion" technology was employed to prepare pegylated liposome vinorelbine formulations, which involved the incubation of vinorelbine-containing vesicles with DSPE-PEG micellar solutions. HPLC analysis revealed that after incubation at 60 degrees C for 60min, approximately 100% DSPE-PEG could be inserted into the outer monolayer of the vesicles. Moreover, the grafting of peglipid did not induce the release of entrapped vinorelbine irrespective of intraliposomal anions. Drug release experiments indicated that "post insertion" formulations were more able to retain entrapped drugs than "co-dissolving" formulations. The same phenomenon was observed when both series of formulations were injected in normal BDF1 mice to compare pharmacokinetic profiles. In L1210 ascitic model, a "post insertion" formulation with a PEG grafting density of approximately 0.5% exhibited the strongest antineoplastic effects, thus it was chosen to be further evaluated in s180/KM and RM-1/BDF1 models, in which the formulation was still more therapeutically active than conventional formulations. In conclusion, using "post insertion" technology, the potential interaction between DSPE-PEG and vinorelbine could be prevented, thus making it possible to develop pegylated vinorelbine formulations.

To construct PLGA scaffold-nucleus pulposus cells composite using tissue engineering methods and to investigate the in vivo performance of the composite in a canine model. Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were isolated from the lumbar intervertebral discs of beagle dog. NP cells were cultured and expanded in vitro and seeded onto a 3-D porous poly (L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffold. The composite was tested in 18 beagle dogs which were randomly divided into 3 groups: nucleotomy alone (A); nucleotomy with PLGA implantation(B), and nucleotomy with PLGA scaffold/NP cells composite implantation (C). X-ray and MRI scan were performed pre- and postoperatively. Evaluation of disc height, segment stability, biomechanics, and immunohistochemical analysis were performed. Dog NP cells could attach and showed proliferation activity within the PLGA scaffold in vitro and in vivo. The disc height, segmental stability and T2-weighted signal intensity on MRI were well preserved in group C dogs with engineered composite. PHK-26 positive cells were found within the area of the nucleus pulposus 8 weeks post operatively. The NP cell-PLGA scaffold composite can prevent or delay the degenerate process after nucleotomy in the canine model. This hybrid composite might be a promising construct for intervertebral disc regeneration.

Hormonal dysfunction is a known consequence of moderate and severe TBI. This study determined the incidence, time course, and clinical correlates of acute post-TBI gonadotroph and somatotroph dysfunction. Patients had daily measurement of serum LH, FSH, testosterone, estradiol, growth hormone, and IGF-1 for up to 10 days post-injury. Values below the 5th percentile of a healthy cohort were considered abnormal as were non-measurable GH values. Outcome measures were frequency and time course of hormonal suppression, injury characteristics and Glasgow Outcome Scale. The cohort consisted of 101 patients (82% males; mean age 35 years; GCS</=8 in 87%). In men, 100% had at least one low testosterone value and 93% of all values were low; in premenopausal women, 43% had at least one low estradiol value and 39% of all values were low. Non-measurable GH levels occurred in 38% of patients while low IGF-1 levels were observed in 77% of patients but tended to normalize within ten days. Multivariate analysis revealed associations of younger age with low FSH and low IGF-1, acute anemia with low IGF-1, and older age and higher BMI with low GH. Hormonal suppression was not predictive of GOS. These results indicate that within 10 days of complicated mild, moderate and severe TBI, testosterone suppression occurs in all men and estrogen suppression in over 40% of women. Transient somatotroph suppression occurs in over 75% of patients. Although this acute neuroendocrine dysfunction may not be TBI-specific, low gonadal steroids, IGF-1 and GH may be important given their putative neuroprotective functions.

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), are a fast-growing urban pest of significant public health importance in the United States and many other countries. Yet, there is very little field research on the ecology of this pest due to its near absence in the United States and most developed nations for several decades. We investigated characteristics of the bed bug infestation and dispersal in a 223-unit high-rise apartment building through visual inspections, intercepting devices, and resident and staff interviews between December 2008 and April 2009. The following results were obtained: 1) 101 apartments (45% of the high-rise building complex) experienced bed bug infestations (within 41 mo of the first confirmed introduction), 2) 78% of the bed bugs trapped were nymphs, 3) an average of six bed bugs were detected dispersing through apartment entry doors every 4 wk, 4) adult bed bugs were 9 times more likely to disperse than nymphs, 5) 53% of apartments adjacent to infested apartments also were infested, and 6) 50% of the interviewed residents who had infestations were unaware of the bed bugs in their apartments. In addition to active dispersal, several passive bed bug dispersal mechanisms were observed: bringing bed bug-infested furniture into the building, travel, resident turnover, resident visits, and use of a bed bug-infested wheelchair in building common areas. These findings validate an urgent need for public education, early detection, and adoption of more effective bed bug monitoring and intervention programs to curb the exploding problem of bed bug infestations.

As an essential signaling modulator, Src gene appears to be necessary for increased expression of the prolactin receptor, normal downstream signaling, and alveolar cell organization. In this study, we detected the polymorphism of Src gene by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing methods in 985 individuals from three Chinese cattle breeds. Three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (g.14062C>T ss161151834, g.17302G>A ss161151835, g.18107T>C ss161151836) were detected. Least squares analysis showed that cows with g.14062C>T-CC genotypes and g.18107T>C-TT genotypes had the highest protein rate, while the cows with g.17302G>A-GG genotype had higher 305 d milk yield (p < 0.05), fat yield (p < 0.01) and protein yield (p < 0.01) than the ones with genotypes g.17302G>A-GA. These results revealed the statistical significant effects of three SNPs of the Src gene on the milk production traits in Chinese Holstein. In addition, based on the nine genotypes constructed from 27 combined haplotypes, the association analysis between combined haplotypes and milk production traits was carried out. Statistic results showed that the cows with combined haplotypes H2H4(CCGATT) had the highest fat rate and the highest protein rate and the cows with combined haplotypes H1H8(TCGATC) and H3H7(TCGGCC) had greater 305 d mild yield than H1H2(CCAATC)(P < 0.05). Our finding demonstrated that the Src gene possibly contributed to conducting association analysis and can be recognized as genetic marker in milk production traits and other performance for animal breeding and genetics.

Estrogenic activities and main causative fractions in three representative sections of Yangtze River (Nanjing section) were determined. The results showed that significant vitellogenin (VTG) and 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) induction and gonad atrophy were observed. Estradiol equivalents of actual water samples from Jiangxinzhou section, Sanchahe section and Daqiao section were 0.3651, 0.1301 and 0.5060 ng L(-1), respectively. Polar contaminants were responsible for the estrogenic activities in Jiangxinzhou section and Daqiao section while mid-polar and nonpolar contaminants resulted in majority of the estrogenic activity in Sanchahe section. To Jiangxinzhou section, Sanchahe section and Daqiao section, good positive correlations between VTG and E(2) (the correlation coefficients were 0.737, 0.690 and 0.817, respectively) and good inverse correlations between VTG and gonado-somatic index (GSI; the correlation coefficients were -0.838, -0.540 and -0.794, respectively) were obtained, whereas the correlations between E(2) and GSI were relatively poor (the correlation coefficients were only -0.557, -0.620 and -0.509, respectively).

Protein refolding using urea gradient size exclusion chromatography (UGSEC) is a new version of conventional SEC refolding, which incorporates urea gradient into the SEC. Operating factors, mainly the urea gradient length and the final urea concentration in the gradient, are discussed in detail. Recent applications of UGSEC, including refolding of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor by UGSEC, is shown as an example.

We report the work of developing a hand-held (or miniaturized), low-cost, stand-alone, real-time-operation, narrow bandwidth multispectral imaging device for the detection of early stage pressure ulcers.

We investigated the influence of addition of cyclodextrin (CD) on the cloud point of poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) aqueous solution. Both beta-CD and randomly methylated beta-cyclodextrin (RM-beta-CD) raised the cloud point of PDMAEMA solution; by contrast, the addition of alpha-CD or gamma-CD did not affect the cloud point of PDMAEMA solution. The inclusion complexation between side group of PDMAEMA and RM-beta-CD was confirmed by NMR experiments. The cloud point of PDMAEMA solution was raised gradually with the increase of concentration of RM-beta-CD. On the basis of inclusion complexation equilibrium, we deduced an equation, which clearly described the relationship between cloud point and concentration of RM-beta-CD. This analysis will provide an important theoretic guide for other related research. In comparison with copolymerization with another monomer, such a supramolecular approach avoids a series of synthesis and facilitates fine-tuning of cloud point.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Paxillin is a central protein within the focal adhesion and serves as a critical transducer of signals from fibronectin. Although abnormal expression of fibronectin and paxillin is often observed during the development of human malignancies, the relationship between paxillin and cell invasion in gastric cancer is still unclear. The current study was designed to investigate the potential role and mechanisms of fibronectin in tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin and in the invasiveness of gastric cancer cells. METHODS: Expression of paxillin in human gastric cancer samples was examined by immunohistochemical staining. A gastric cancer cell line, AGS, was stimulated by fibronectin with gradient concentrations, and expression of paxillin and phosphorylation of paxillin tyrosine 118 (tyr118) was detected by immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. The invasiveness of AGS cells was measured by the modified Boyden chamber assay. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting paxillin was used to establish the role of paxillin (tyr118) in the process of cell invasion enhanced by fibronectin. siRNA targeting focal adhesion kinase (FAK) was used to verify the effect of FAK tyrosine 397 (tyr397) on phosphorylation of paxillin (tyr118). RESULTS: Positivity for paxillin staining in human gastric cancer was associated with tumor stage. AGS cell showed dose dependence on fibronectin for invasiveness and phosphorylation of paxillin (tyr118). Invasiveness and phosphorylation of paxillin (tyr118) in AGS cells reached their peak when the concentration of fibronectin reached 100 nmol/L. siRNA targeting paxillin decreased the phosphorylation of paxillin (tyr118) and the invasiveness of AGS cells significantly as compared with controls. Blockage of FAK (tyr397) can inhibit phosphorylation of paxillin (tyr118) stimulated by fibronectin. CONCLUSIONS: Fibronectin promotes paxillin (tyr118) phosphorylation and invasiveness of AGS cells. Paxillin silencing by RNA interference inhibits the cell invasiveness stimulated by fibronectin. Paxillin is a key factor in the fibronectin-stimulated invasiveness of AGS cells.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a RP-HPLC method for quantitative determination of norisoboldine in Radix Linderae and to provide valuable data for quality control of Radix Linderae. METHOD: The separation was performed on a Phenomenex Gemini C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) at 25 degrees C using a gradient elution of mobile phase A (0.5% formic acid, adjusted pH 2.25 with triethylamine) and mobile phase B (acetonitrile). The detection wavelength was 280 nm. RESULT: The calibration curve showed a good linearity (r = 0.999 9) within test ranges of 0.015-1.509 microg. The average recovery was 99.58% with RSD 1.4%. CONCLUSION: The developed method is simple, accurate and reliable with good repeatability. It is suitable for quality evaluation of Radix Linderae.

To improve the oil yield of Chuanxiong volatile oils and keep their quality same as that of oils prepared by steam distillation (SD) for short), a new technology of coupling water extraction and rectification (WER for short) was applied to isolate Chuanxiong volatile oils. The oil yield, as well as GC-MS chromatogram of the volatile oils extracted by WER and SD were compared. The oil yield of WER (0.50%) was that of SD (0.20%). There were 21 common constituents in the two kinds of volatile oils, which occupied 98.94% of the oils extracted by SD, 98.80% of that by WER, respectively. Moreover, the relative percentage of the common constituents was almost the same. The results indicate that WER could not only increase the oil yield of Ligusticum chuanxiong, but also keep the quality of the oils accord with that extracted by SD.

Objective: Oesophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are extremely rare. The preoperative diagnosis is complicated by lack of specificity and the clinical features of patients with oesophageal GISTs need to be fully studied. Methods: We have reviewed retrospectively the medical records of those patients who are treated surgically for oesophageal GISTs in our two hospitals. Results: Eight oesophageal GISTs were identified among the 63 oesophageal mesenchymal tumours in our two hospitals in the past 30 years. Of the eight patients, the male:female ratio was 5:3; the median age of the patients was 57 years (range 49-71 years). Dysphagia was the most common symptom, and all cases were diagnosed postoperatively. The tumours were resected by enucleation or oesophagectomy. The median follow-up was 59 months, ranging from 14 to 202 months, with four of the patients succumbing to the disease, among them two with recurrence and another two with metastasis. Conclusions: Our study indicates that oesophageal GIST is rather rare, and it has relatively high recurrence and mortality rates, especially for patients with large tumours (larger than 9cm). At present, surgical resection and postoperative diagnosis remain the mainstay for treatment of patients with oesophageal GISTs in China.

'Feedback' signals from mammalian extrastriate visual cortices are reported to exert primarily an excitatory influence on the classical receptive field (CRF) of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1). However, given the much larger CRFs of neurons in extrastriate visual cortices it is not yet understood how feedback signals influence the spatial integration of visual signals by V1 neurons. To investigate this, we reversibly inactivated one of the 'form-processing' extrastriate visual cortices, the postero-temporal visual (PTV) cortex, and examined changes in responses of V1 neurons to drifting grating patches up to 28 degrees in diameter. We found that during inactivation of PTV cortex the magnitude of the responses to CRF-confined stimuli and that to large stimuli inducing maximum suppression (i.e. minimum responses) was significantly reduced, while the spatial extent of the CRF remained largely unaffected. As a result, the relative strength of the surround suppression increased marginally. This effect was apparent in both simple and complex cells. It was also strong and consistent in cells located in supragranular and infragranular layers. For those cells exhibiting some relief from surround suppression or 'counter-suppression' when large stimuli patches were applied, the effect on counter-suppression was heterogeneous. Overall, the relative integrated responses to the 28 degrees grating patches were also decreased when PTV cortex was inactivated. Thus, a substantial reduction in the CRF response and the largely unaffected spatial extent of the CRF as well as a weak surround effect observed in the present study are consistent with a multiplicative scaling effect.

This work aimed to evaluate a method to detect the residual ricin in animal tissues. Immunoprecipitation and Sandwich ELISA were used to detect ricin in the tissues of intoxicated mice. The monoclonal antibodies (Mab) 4C13 and 3D74 were used to assay the whole ricin molecules via Sandwich ELISA. Mab 4C13 was conjugated with Sepharose 4B to capture ricin or ricin A chain (RTA) by immunopreciptation. Mice i.v. injected with ricin at the dosage of 5 mug/mouse were killed at different time-points after intoxication. The serum, liver, kidney, lung and intestine were harvested. High levels of ricin were found in serum and liver samples at each poisoning time point by Sandwich ELISA, suggested the possibility of determining ricin intoxication by detecting residual ricin in the serum. However, this method turned out to be ineffective for examining ricin in the kidney, lung and intestine of poisoned mice. While the same tissue samples of intoxicated mice were analyzed by immunopreciptation, positive bands were found. This indicated that some components in the kidney, lung, and intestine could bind with ricin and interfere in its binding activity with the coated antibody. Immunoprecipitation could be used to measure the existence of ricin in these samples.