Indoor Allergen Levels and Household Distributions in Nine Cities Across China.

OBJECTIVE: Chinese allergic subjects have high levels of sensitization to house dust mite (HDM) and other indoor allergens. This study quantifies common indoor allergen levels in Chinese households. METHODS: Dust samples were collected from nine cities. Major allergens Der p 1 and Der f 1 from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae, and specific antigens of Blomia tropicalis, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Acarus siro, and cockroach species Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: HDM allergens were found in dust samples from bedding in 95% of the Chinese households. The median levels varied from <0.006 to 9.2 µg/g of dust, depending on the city. The percentages of households having HDM allergen levels associated with the risk of developing allergy sensitization and asthma were 65% and 25%, respectively. Specific antigens of the storage mite and cockroach were only found in samples from the southern and tropical regions of China. Levels of mite allergens were generally higher in samples from bedding compared to samples from the living room, even for storage mites, whereas levels of cockroach antigens were higher in the living room samples. CONCLUSION: HDM allergens are present in bedding dust samples from most Chinese households. Cities in southern and central China have relatively high levels of HDM major allergens compared to cities in northern and western China. Antigens of storage mites and cockroaches are not as common as HDM allergens.

Spatial and temporal variation of heavy metal risk and source in sediments of Dongting Lake wetland, mid-south China.

Surface sediments of Dongting Lake wetland were collected from ten sites to investigate variation trend, risk and sources of heavy metal distribution in dry seasons of 2011∼2013. The three-year mean concentrations (mg/kg) of Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, Hg and As were 91.33, 36.27, 54.82, 4.39, 0.19 and 25.67, respectively, which were all higher than the corresponding background values. Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were used for the assessment of pollution level of heavy metals. The pollution risk of Cd, Hg and As were great and that of Cr needed urgent attention because of its obvious increase. Pollution load index (PLI) and geographic information system (GIS) methods were conducted to assess spatial and temporal variation of heavy metal contamination. Results confirmed an increased contamination contribution inflow from Xiang River. Multivariate statistical analyses were applied to identify contribution sources of heavy metal, which showed anthropogenic origin mainly from mining, smelting, chemical industry and agricultural activity.

Pleistocene Chinese cave hyenas and the recent Eurasian history of the spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta.

The living hyena species (spotted, brown, striped and aardwolf) are remnants of a formerly diverse group of more than 80 fossil species, which peaked in diversity in the Late Miocene (about 7-8 Ma). The fossil history indicates an African origin, and morphological and ancient DNA data have confirmed that living spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) of Africa were closely related to extinct Late Pleistocene cave hyenas from Europe and Asia. The current model used to explain the origins of Eurasian cave hyena populations invokes multiple migrations out of Africa between 3.5-0.35 Ma. We used mitochondrial DNA sequences from radiocarbon-dated Chinese Pleistocene hyena specimens to examine the origin of Asian populations, and temporally calibrate the evolutionary history of spotted hyenas. Our results support a far more recent evolutionary timescale (430-163 kya) and suggest that extinct and living spotted hyena populations originated from a widespread Eurasian population in the Late Pleistocene, which was only subsequently restricted to Africa. We developed statistical tests of the contrasting population models and their fit to the fossil record. Coalescent simulations and Bayes Factor analysis support the new radiocarbon-calibrated timescale and Eurasian origins model. The new Eurasian biogeographic scenario proposed for the hyena emphasizes the role of the vast steppe grasslands of Eurasia in contrast to models only involving Africa. The new methodology for combining genetic and geological data to test contrasting models of population history will be useful for a wide range of taxa where ancient and historic genetic data are available.

Research on medical data security sharing scheme based on homomorphic encryption.

With the deep integration of "AI + medicine", AI-assisted technology has been of great help to human beings in the medical field, especially in the area of predicting and diagnosing diseases based on big data, because it is faster and more accurate. However, concerns about data security seriously hinder data sharing among medical institutions. To fully exploit the value of medical data and realize data collaborative sharing, we developed a medical data security sharing scheme based on the C/S communication mode and constructed a federated learning architecture that uses homomorphic encryption technology to protect training parameters. Here, we chose the Paillier algorithm to realize the additive homomorphism to protect the training parameters. Clients do not need to share local data, but only upload the trained model parameters to the server. In the process of training, a distributed parameter update mechanism is introduced. The server is mainly responsible for issuing training commands and weights, aggregating the local model parameters from the clients and predicting the joint diagnostic results. The client mainly uses the stochastic gradient descent algorithm for gradient trimming, updating and transmitting the trained model parameters back to the server. In order to test the performance of this scheme, a series of experiments was conducted. From the simulation results, we can know that the model prediction accuracy is related to the global training rounds, learning rate, batch size, privacy budget parameters etc. The results show that this scheme realizes data sharing while protecting data privacy, completes the accurate prediction of diseases and has a good performance.

First filter feeding in the Early Triassic: cranial morphological convergence between Hupehsuchus and baleen whales.

Modern baleen whales are unique as large-sized filter feeders, but their roles were replicated much earlier by diverse marine reptiles of the Mesozoic. Here, we investigate convergence in skull morphology between modern baleen whales and one of the earliest marine reptiles, the basal ichthyosauromorph Hupehsuchus nanchangensis, from the Early Triassic, a time of rapid recovery of life following profound mass extinction. Two new specimens reveal the skull morphology especially in dorsal view. The snout of Hupehsuchus is highly convergent with modern baleen whales, as shown in a morphometric analysis including 130 modern aquatic amniotes. Convergences in the snout include the unfused upper jaw, specialized intermediate space in the divided premaxilla and grooves around the labial margin. Hupehsuchus had enlarged its buccal cavity to enable efficient filter feeding and probably used soft tissues like baleen to expel the water from the oral cavity. Coordinated with the rigid trunk and pachyostotic ribs suggests low speeds of aquatic locomotion, Hupehsuchus probably employed continuous ram filter feeding as in extant bowhead and right whales. The Early Triassic palaeoenvironment of a restrictive lagoon with low productivity drove Hupehsuchus to feed on zooplankton, which facilitated ecosystem recovery in the Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna at the beginning of the Mesozoic.

Microplastics removal and characteristics of a typical multi-combination and multi-stage constructed wetlands wastewater treatment plant in Changsha, China.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an important source of microplastics (MPs) entering the aquatic environment. As environmental awareness increases, WWTPs are gradually using constructed wetlands (CWs) in the depth treatment stage. There were few studies related to MPs removal efficiency of CWs, especially in multi-stage and multi-combinations CWs. Therefore, we studied MPs characteristics and removal in a typical CWs WWTP in Changsha, comparing the MPs removal efficiencies of different processes in a WWTP, focusing on the MPs abundance variation in different stages CWs. Result showed that the MPs removal efficiency of Phase Ⅰ was 87.72% and that of Phase II was 80.65%. Approximate estimates showed that the daily discharge of MPs reached 7.20 * 108 items. The MPs removal efficiency of vertical flow CWs was 25.71%. The MPs removal efficiencies of secondary and tertiary horizontal subsurface flow CWs (HSSFCWs) were 32.00% and 21.43%. The MPs removal efficiencies of secondary and tertiary surface flow CWs were 23.53% and 12.50%. The MPs removal efficiencies of three bio-ponds were -23.08%, -12.90%, and -27.27%. Combined system of bio-pond + CWs reduced the MPs removal efficiency. The most dominant shape of MPs in wastewater was fibers. The most common MPs were polyethylene and polystyrene. The primary treatment in the Changsha WWTP had the highest MPs removal efficiency. Results of this investigation showed the multi-combination and multi-stage CWs WWTP can remove most of MPs in influent, which greatly reduced the amount of MPs discharged into the aquatic environment through WWTP and provided data for analyzing the distribution of MPs in the aquatic environment.

Ancient Mitogenomes Suggest Stable Mitochondrial Clades of the Siberian Roe Deer.

The roe deer (Capreolus spp.) has been present in China since the early Pleistocene. Despite abundant fossils available for detailed morphological analyses, little is known about the phylogenetic relationships of the fossil individuals to contemporary roe deer. We generated near-complete mitochondrial genomes for four roe deer remains from Northeastern China to explore the genetic connection of the ancient roe deer to the extant populations and to investigate the evolutionary history and population dynamics of this species. Phylogenetic analyses indicated the four ancient samples fall into three out of four different haplogroups of the Siberian roe deer. Haplogroup C, distributed throughout Eurasia, have existed in Northeastern China since at least the Late Pleistocene, while haplogroup A and D, found in the east of Lake Baikal, emerged in Northeastern China after the Mid Holocene. The Bayesian estimation suggested that the first split within the Siberian roe deer occurred approximately 0.34 million years ago (Ma). Moreover, Bayesian skyline plot analyses suggested that the Siberian roe deer had a population increase between 325 and 225 thousand years ago (Kya) and suffered a transient decline between 50 and 18 Kya. This study provides novel insights into the evolutionary history and population dynamics of the roe deer.

Body Composition Analysis of 10 Years versus 5 Years of Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Patients with Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to investigate the association of extended adjuvant endocrine therapy with disease-free survival (DFS), muscle mass, muscle strength, and visceral adipose tissue in patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer and the effect of extended endocrine therapy on body composition. Patients and Methods. Patients (N = 90) with nonmetastatic breast cancer aged between 60 and 65 years old were prospectively recruited in this study, compromising a cohort of subjects rece iving 5 years or 10 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy. Patients' DFS was compared between these two groups. Patients' body composition including muscle and fat using CT scans, muscle strength, and gait speed was evaluated in these two groups. RESULTS: Dietary behavior was recorded with the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Patients' age, body weight, and body mass index (BMI) did not differ between the two groups. An extended adjuvant endocrine therapy into 10 years could translate into DFS benefit (123.8 vs. 102.2 months, P=0.038). Patients receiving 10 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy had less skeletal muscle and more visceral fat compared with patients receiving 5 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy. The skeletal muscle index was 50.3 ± 1.6 cm2/m2 versus 46.5 ± 1.3 cm2/m2 in the 10 years or 5 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy group (P=0.042). The visceral fat was 28.9 ± 2.9 cm2/m2 versus 55.0 ± 3.2 cm2/m2 in the 10 years or 5 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy group (P=0.011). The muscle strength, gait speed, and FFQ results in the two groups not reaching statistical difference. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, breast cancer patients with 10 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy had DFS benefit, but with more muscle loss and adipose tissue deposits compared to patients receiving 5 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy.

Associations between the indoor microbiome, environmental characteristics and respiratory infections in junior high school students of Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Pathogens are commonly present in the human respiratory tract, but symptoms are varied among individuals. The interactions between pathogens, commensal microorganisms and host immune systems are important in shaping the susceptibility, development and severity of respiratory diseases. Compared to the extensive studies on the human microbiota, few studies reported the association between indoor microbiome exposure and respiratory infections. In this study, 308 students from 21 classrooms were randomly selected to survey the occurrence of respiratory infections in junior high schools of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Vacuum dust was collected from the floor, chairs and desks of these classrooms, and high-throughput amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA and ITS) and quantitative PCR were conducted to characterize the absolute concentration of the indoor microorganisms. Fifteen bacterial genera in the classes Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria were protectively associated with respiratory infections (p < 0.01), and these bacteria were mainly derived from the outdoor environment. Previous studies also reported that outdoor environmental bacteria were protectively associated with chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, but the genera identified were different between acute and chronic respiratory diseases. Four fungal genera from Ascomycota, including Devriesia, Endocarpon, Sarcinomyces and an unclassified genus from Herpotrichillaceae, were protectively associated with respiratory infections (p < 0.01). House dust mite (HDM) allergens and outdoor NO2 concentration were associated with respiratory infections and infection-related microorganisms. A causal mediation analysis revealed that the health effects of HDM and NO2 were partially or fully mediated by the indoor microorganisms. This is the first study to explore the association between environmental characteristics, microbiome exposure and respiratory infections in a public indoor environment, expanding our understanding of the complex interactions among these factors.

Indoor microbiome, environmental characteristics and asthma among junior high school students in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Indoor microbial diversity and composition are suggested to affect the prevalence and severity of asthma by previous home microbiome studies, but no microbiome-health association study has been conducted in a school environment, especially in tropical countries. In this study, we collected floor dust and environmental characteristics from 21 classrooms, and health data related to asthma symptoms from 309 students, in junior high schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The bacterial and fungal composition was characterized by sequencing 16s rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and the absolute microbial concentration was quantified by qPCR. In total, 326 bacterial and 255 fungal genera were characterized. Five bacterial (Sphingobium, Rhodomicrobium, Shimwellia, Solirubrobacter, Pleurocapsa) and two fungal (Torulaspora and Leptosphaeriaceae) taxa were protective for asthma severity. Two bacterial taxa, Izhakiella and Robinsoniella, were positively associated with asthma severity. Several protective bacterial taxa including Rhodomicrobium, Shimwellia and Sphingobium have been reported as protective microbes in previous studies, whereas other taxa were first time reported. Environmental characteristics, such as age of building, size of textile curtain per room volume, occurrence of cockroaches, concentration of house dust mite allergens transferred from homes by the occupants, were involved in shaping the overall microbial community but not asthma-associated taxa; whereas visible dampness and mold, which did not change the overall microbial community for floor dust, was negatively associated with the concentration of protective bacteria Rhodomicrobium (ß = -2.86, p = 0.021) of asthma. The result indicates complex interactions between microbes, environmental characteristics and asthma symptoms. Overall, this is the first indoor microbiome study to characterize the asthma-associated microbes and their environmental determinant in the tropical area, promoting the understanding of microbial exposure and respiratory health in this region.

Molecular identification of late and terminal Pleistocene Equus ovodovi from northeastern China.

The extant diversity of horses (family Equidae) represents a small fraction of that occurring over their evolutionary history. One such lost lineage is the subgenus Sussemionus, which is thought to have become extinct during the Middle Pleistocene. However, recent molecular studies and morphological analysis have revealed that one of their representatives, E. ovodovi, did exist in Siberia during the Late Pleistocene. Fossil materials of E. ovodovi have thus far only been found in Russia. In this study, we extracted DNA from three equid fossil specimens excavated from northeastern China dated at 12,770-12,596, 29,525-28,887 and 40,201-38,848 cal. yBP, respectively, and retrieved three near-complete mitochondrial genomes from the specimens. Phylogenetic analyses cluster the Chinese haplotypes together with previously published Russian E. ovodovi, strongly supporting the assignment of these samples to this taxon. The molecular identification of E. ovodovi in northeastern China extends the known geographical range of this fossil species by several thousand kilometers to the east. The estimated coalescence time of all E. ovodovi haplotypes is approximately 199 Kya, with the Chinese haplotypes coalescing approximately 130 Kya. With a radiocarbon age of 12,770-12,596 cal. yBP, the youngest sample in this study represents the first E. ovodovi sample dating to the terminal Pleistocene, moving the extinction date of this species forwards considerably compared to previously documented fossils. Overall, comparison of our three mitochondrial genomes with the two published ones suggests a genetic diversity similar to several extant species of the genus Equus.

Different maternal lineages revealed by ancient mitochondrial genome of Camelus bactrianus from China.

Domestic Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) used to be one of the most important livestock species in Chinese history, as well as the major transport carrier on the ancient Silk Road. However, archeological studies on Chinese C. bactrianus are still limited, and molecular biology research on this species is mainly focused on modern specimens. In this study, we retrieved the complete mitochondrial genome from a C. bactrianus specimen, which was excavated from northwestern China and dated at 1290-1180 cal. years before present (yBP). Phylogenetic analyses using 18 mitochondrial genomes indicated that the C. bactrianus clade was divided into two maternal lineages. The majority of samples originating from Iran to Japan and Mongolia belong to subclade A1, while our sample together with two Mongolian individuals formed the much smaller subclade A2. Furthermore, the divergence time of these two maternal lineages was estimated as 165 Kya (95% credibility interval 117-222 Kya), this might indicate that several different evolutionary lineages were incorporated into the domestic gene pool during the initial domestication process. Bayesian skyline plot (BSP) analysis suggest a slow increase in female effective population size of C. bactrianus from 5000 years ago, which corresponds to the beginning of domestication of C. bactrianus. The present study also revealed that there were extensive exchanges of genetic information among C. bactrianus populations in regions along the Silk Road.

Paleogenome Reveals Genetic Contribution of Extinct Giant Panda to Extant Populations.

Historically, the giant panda was widely distributed from northern China to southwestern Asia [1]. As a result of range contraction and fragmentation, extant individuals are currently restricted to fragmented mountain ranges on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, where they are distributed among three major population clusters [2]. However, little is known about the genetic consequences of this dramatic range contraction. For example, were regions where giant pandas previously existed occupied by ancestors of present-day populations, or were these regions occupied by genetically distinct populations that are now extinct? If so, is there any contribution of these extinct populations to the genomes of giant pandas living today? To investigate these questions, we sequenced the nuclear genome of an ∼5,000-year-old giant panda from Jiangdongshan, Tengchong County in Yunnan Province, China. We find that this individual represents a genetically distinct population that diverged prior to the diversification of modern giant panda populations. We find evidence of differential admixture with this ancient population among modern individuals originating from different populations as well as within the same population. We also find evidence for directional gene flow, which transferred alleles from the ancient population into the modern giant panda lineages. A variable proportion of the genomes of extant individuals is therefore likely derived from the ancient population represented by our sequenced individual. Although extant giant panda populations retain reasonable genetic diversity, our results suggest that this represents only part of the genetic diversity this species harbored prior to its recent range contractions.

Ancient DNA from Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) of South-Western China Reveals Genetic Diversity Loss during the Holocene.

The giant panda was widely distributed in China and south-eastern Asia during the middle to late Pleistocene, prior to its habitat becoming rapidly reduced in the Holocene. While conservation reserves have been established and population numbers of the giant panda have recently increased, the interpretation of its genetic diversity remains controversial. Previous analyses, surprisingly, have indicated relatively high levels of genetic diversity raising issues concerning the efficiency and usefulness of reintroducing individuals from captive populations. However, due to a lack of DNA data from fossil specimens, it is unknown whether genetic diversity was even higher prior to the most recent population decline. We amplified complete cytb and 12s rRNA, partial 16s rRNA and ND1, and control region sequences from the mitochondrial genomes of two Holocene panda specimens. We estimated genetic diversity and population demography by analyzing the ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences alongside those from modern giant pandas, as well as from other members of the bear family (Ursidae). Phylogenetic analyses show that one of the ancient haplotypes is sister to all sampled modern pandas and the second ancient individual is nested among the modern haplotypes, suggesting that genetic diversity may indeed have been higher earlier during the Holocene. Bayesian skyline plot analysis supports this view and indicates a slight decline in female effective population size starting around 6000 years B.P., followed by a recovery around 2000 years ago. Therefore, while the genetic diversity of the giant panda has been affected by recent habitat contraction, it still harbors substantial genetic diversity. Moreover, while its still low population numbers require continued conservation efforts, there seem to be no immediate threats from the perspective of genetic evolutionary potential.

Expression of angiogenic growth factors VEGF, bFGF and ANG1 in colon cancer after bevacizumab treatment in vitro: A potential self-regulating mechanism.

The present study aimed to examine changes in the expression of angiogenic growth factors in vascular endothelial cells isolated from colon cancer after bevacizumab treatment in vitro, and to explore a potential mechanism of their self-regulation as a possible mechanism for antiangiogenic therapy failure in clinics. Vascular endothelial cells were isolated from tumors of colon cancer patients and transfected with recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or pGIPZ-VEGF RNA interference in order to upregulate or downregulate VEGF expression. Changes in VEGF expression and its correlation with the expression of angiogenesis-related factors, including basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and angiopoietin 1 (ANG1), after treatment with bevacizumab in vitro, were investigated. The results showed that in cells with VEGF overexpression, bFGF and ANG1 were downregulated, whereas in cells in which VEGF was knocked down, upregulation of bFGF and ANG1 was detected. In cells treated with bevacizumab, a significant upregulation of VEGF and downregulation of bFGF and ANG1 were observed. Our data indicate that after bevacizumab treatment, a potential self-regulating mechanism of angiogenic growth factors in colon cancer-derived endothelial cells is activated, which may explain why current antiangiogenic therapy with bevacizumab has limited effects in prolonging the survival of colon cancer patients.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Cunninghamia lanceolata.

We determined the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Cunninghamia lanceolata (GenBank accession: NC_021437.1) in this study. The total length of the chloroplast genome is 135 334 bp. The GC content is 35%. A total of 119 genes are successfully annotated, including 35 tRNA (20 tRNA species), 3 rRNA (3 rRNA species) and 81 protein-coding genes (81 PCG species). Twelve protein-coding genes (rps16, ycf3, rpoC1, atpF, rps12, ndhB, rpl2, rpl16, petD, petB, ndhA, rps15) contain one or two introns. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis showed that this newly characterized Cunninghamia lanceolata chloroplast genome will provide essential data for further study on phylogenetic resolution, biodiversity for the genus Cunninghamia and Taxodiacea.

[Repair soft-tissue defect in forefoot with reversed lateral soleus muscle flap].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize clinical application results of repair soft tissue defect in forefoot with a reversed lateral soleus muscle flap on peroneal artery pedicle. METHODS: From January 2005 to January 2013, 8 patients with soft-tissue defect on forefoot were underwent reconstruction with a reversed lateral soleus muscle flap on peroneal artery pedicle. There were 6 males and 2 female, aged from 16 to 48 years with an average of 26.8 years old. The reversed lateral soleus muscle flap was transposed to the forefoot defect area, then immediate coverage of the muscle flaps were performed by a meshed split-thickness free skin graft. The donor site was closed directly. The muscle flap survey was observed after the repair of the forefoot. RESULTS: All muscle flaps had survived completely. No clinical vascular deficiency was found on muscle flaps postoperatively. One case occurred recipient area sustained insignificant superficial infection, one patient developed distal muscle flap small skin graft necrosis, and spontaneous heal by 2 weeks' change dressing. Follow-up period was ranged form 2.5 to 5.5 years with an average of 3.5 years postoperatively. A good contour was confirmed at the recipient area. According to Cedell questionnaire, 6 patients obtained good results and 2 fair. CONCLUSIONS: When the local skin flap or muscle flap application is limited, lateral soleus muscle flap survey is satisfactory after repair and very suitable for repair of soft tissue defect of forefoot.

High correlation of specific IgE sensitization between birch pollen, soy and apple allergens indicates pollen-food allergy syndrome among birch pollen allergic patients in northern China.

BACKGROUND: Birch pollen sensitization and associated pollen-food syndrome among Chinese allergic patients have not been investigated. METHODS: Sera from 203 allergic patients from the northern part of China and collected during February to July 2014 were investigated. Specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) against birch pollen extract Bet v and major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 were measured using the ADVIA Centaur. The presence of major apple allergen Mal d 1 and soy bean allergen Gly m 4 specific IgE was measured by ImmunoCAP 100. RESULTS: Among the 203 sera, 34 sera (16.7%) had specific IgE to Bet v and of these, 28 sera (82.4%) contained Bet v 1-specific IgE. Among the 28 sera with Bet v 1-specific IgE, 27 sera (96.4%) contained Mal d 1-specific IgE and 22 sera (78.6%) contained Gly m 4-specific IgE. Of the 34 Bet v-positive sera, 6 sera (17.6%) contained no specific IgE for Bet v 1, Mal d 1, or Gly m 4. Almost all Bet v-positive sera were donated during the birch pollen season. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of birch allergy among patients visiting health care during pollen season can be as high as 16.7% in Tangshan City. The majority of Chinese birch allergic patients are IgE-sensitized to the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 as well as to the major apple allergen Mal d 1 and soy bean allergen Gly m 4. A relatively high number of patients (17.6%) are IgE-sensitized to birch pollen allergen(s) other than Bet v 1. The high prevalence of specific IgE to Mal d 1 and Gly m 4 among Bet v 1-sensitized patients indicates that pollen-food allergy syndrome could be of clinical relevance in China.

[Treatment of the mid and distal segment humeral fractures through modified posterior approach].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize clinical result of the modified posterior approach for the treatment of the mid and distal segment humeral fractures. METHODS: Between January 2006 and December 2010, 26 patients with the mid and distal segment humeral fractures were treated with the open reduction and plate fixation by the modified posterior approach including 17 males and 9 females with an average of (37.1±1.5) years old ranging from 24 to 50 years old. The time from humeral fractures to operation were from 8 hours to 6 days with an average of (3.3±0.6) d. The elbow function were assessed by Morrey-Bryan. RESULTS: There was no procedure related complications occurred. No neurologic injury and wound infection after operation occurred. All patients were followed up from 22 to 48 months with an average of (30.1±1.6) months. The humeral fractures were confirmed healing. The clinical results of Morrey and Bryan were excellent in 19 cases (94.6±1.8), good in 7 cases (86.5±1.2). CONCLUSIONS: The modified posterior approach avoided injury of triceps muscle and improved postoperative triceps function. The technique may be particularly useful in the treatment of the mid and distal segment humeral fractures.

[Molecular cloning, expression, purification and properties of isocitrate lyase gene from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv].

OBJECTIVE: To obtain recombinant protein with enzymatic activities of isocitrate lyase (ICL). METHODS: The icl gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv strain genomic DNA and cloned into pET28-a(+) vector. The recombinant protein was expressed in E.coli BL21 (DE3). Enzyme activity of the protein was assayed after purifying with Ni-NTA resin. RESULTS: The recombinant ICL was purified in a highly active state with a specific activity of about 7.657 x 10(2) micromol x mg(-1) x min(-1). The pH curve indicated that recombinant ICL activity was optimal at pH 7.4. The LC/MS spectrometry showed a 50 603.347 molecular mass of recombinant ICL. The CD spectrum showed that the percentages for alpha- helix, beta- sheet, beta- turn, and random coil were 43.8%, 31.9%, 3.4%, and 20.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The icl gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv was successfully cloned and expressed. The enzymatic properties demonstrated the purified recombinant protein had activities of ICL. This work can facilitate immunologic research and the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.