A web-based review of global health programs in U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical schools.

PURPOSE: There is no current centralized database of structured global health programs at U.S. medical schools and no published review in the past decade. This study aims to describe the prevalence, characteristics, and requirements of non-degree, longitudinal, structured global health programs in U.S. allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In July 2021, the authors performed a web-based review of existing structured global health programs for the 154 U.S. allopathic medical schools and 35 U.S. osteopathic medical schools established prior to 2019. RESULTS: Of 189 institutions examined, 74 (39%) had online information about a structured global health program. Forty-three (53%) programs reported coursework requirements, 44 (54%) required a global health experience, and one program required demonstration of language or cultural knowledge. More internally administered programs required experiential work, while more externally administered programs required didactic work. There were few differences in program requirements between allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a 75% increase over the past ten years in the number of U.S. allopathic medical schools with websites for structured global health programs. There appeared to be little standardization in their structure and requirements. The findings support the need for a web-based central repository for updated information regarding medical school global health curricula.

[Efficacy of Weitan Waifu patch on the postsurgical gastroparesis syndrome of gastrointestinal cancer: a multi-center trial].

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of the Weitan Waifu patch on the postsurgical gastroparesis syndrome (PGS) of gastrointestinal cancer. Methods: The multi-center, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted with superiority design. Patients with PGS of gastrointestinal cancer diagnosed in 4 AAA hospitals and the abdominal symptom manifested as cold syndrome by Chinese local syndrome differentiation were recruited. These patients were randomly divided into two groups according to 1∶1 proportion. Placebo or Weitan Waifu patch was applied in control group or intervention group, respectively, based on the basic treatments, including nutrition support, gastrointestinal decompression, promoting gastric dynamics medicine.Two acupuncture points (Zhongwan and Shenque) were stuck with placebo in control group or patch in treatment group. The intervention course was 14 days or reached the effective standard. Results: From July 15, 2013 to Jun 3, 2015, 128 participants were recruited and 120 eligible cases were included in the full analysis set (FAS), and 60 cases in each group. 88 cases were included in the per-protocol set (PPS), including 45 cases in the treatment group and 43 cases in the control group. In the FAS, the clinical effective rate in the treatment group was 68.3%, significantly superior than 41.7% of the control group (P=0.003). The medium time of effective therapy in the treatment group was 8 days, significantly shorter than 10 days in the control group (P=0.017). In the FAS, 3 adverse events occurred in the treatment group, including mild to moderate decrustation, pruritus and nausea. The incidence rate of adverse events was 5.0% (3/60) and these symptoms were spontaneously remitted after drug withdrawal. No severe adverse events were observed in the control group. There was no significant difference between these two groups (P=0.244). Conclusion: Weitan Waifu patch is a safely and effectively therapeutic method for patients with PGS (cold syndrome) of gastroenterological cancer. Trial registration: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register, ISRCTN18291857.

Agriculture facilitated permanent human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau after 3600 B.P.

Our understanding of when and how humans adapted to living on the Tibetan Plateau at altitudes above 2000 to 3000 meters has been constrained by a paucity of archaeological data. Here we report data sets from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau indicating that the first villages were established only by 5200 calendar years before the present (cal yr B.P.). Using these data, we tested the hypothesis that a novel agropastoral economy facilitated year-round living at higher altitudes since 3600 cal yr B.P. This successful subsistence strategy facilitated the adaptation of farmers-herders to the challenges of global temperature decline during the late Holocene.

Solid-state fermentation of cornmeal with the basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum for degrading starch and upgrading nutritional value.

AIMS: The objective of this research was to study the ability of the basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum to degrade starch and upgrade nutritional value of cornmeal during solid-state fermentation (SSF). METHODS AND RESULTS: On the basal medium that consisted of cornmeal and salt solution, alpha-amylase activity of G. lucidum reached its maximum value of 267 U g(-1) of culture on day 20 after inoculation. Prolongation of fermentation time from 10 to 25 days increased significantly the degradation rate of starch and ergosterol yield (a kind of physiologically active substances of G. lucidum, also as an indicator of mycelial biomass) (P < 0.01). Supplementation of glucose, sucrose or maltose to the basal medium also caused a significant increase in either the degradation rate of starch or the ergosterol yield as compared with control (P < 0.01). Among five kinds of nitrogen sources supplemented, yeast extract, casamino acid and peptone were more effective than (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3, and yeast extract gave the highest degradation rate of starch and ergosterol yield, followed by peptone. Through orthogonal experiments, the theoretical optimum culture medium for SSF of this fungus was the following: 100 g cornmeal, ground to 30-mesh powder, moistened with 67 ml of nutrient salt solution supplemented with 3 g yeast extract and 7.5 g glucose per litre. CONCLUSIONS: Under the optimum culture condition, the degradation rate of starch reached its maximum values of 70.4%; the starch content of the fermented product decreased from 64.5 to 25.3%, while the reducing sugar content increased from 4.2 to 20.6%. SSF also produced a significant increase (P < 0.01) from 11.0 to 16.5% in protein content. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: After SSF by G. lucidum, the digesting and absorbing ratio of cornmeal was strikingly increased and some active substances originated from G. lucidum remained in the fermented product. This implied that cornmeal could be processed into many kinds of special functional foods by SSF of G. lucidum.

[The tissue culture of medicinal plant Trichosanthes kirilowii and its protein analysis].

We reported preliminary results of rapid propagation, callus induction and regeneration of Trichosanthes Kirilowii, and its protein analysis. Pre-existing meristerms regenerate shoots very rapidly when grown on MS medium containing 0.5 or 1.0 mg/L 6-BA; calli could be induced from leaf sections when put on MS medium containing 4.0 mg/L 6-BA + 0.2 mg/L IAA; shoots regenerated successfully 30 days after calli induction and the differentiation ratio was one shoot out of every four leaf sections; and all shoots gave rise to roots after removing onto MS medium containing 0.1 mg/L NAA and 100% survived when transplanted into soil. Very excitingly, these plants produced small tubers in one month, where satisfactory expression of TCS protein was detected by Western blot analysis.

CDNA cloning of chloroplast omega-3 fatty acid desaturase from Capsicum annuum and its expression upon wounding.

A clone for a plastid omega-3 fatty acid desaturase (FAD) was isolated from a leaf cDNA library of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The nucleotide sequence of a 1,317 bp open reading frame in the CachFAD showed 80.9% homology with that of tobacco plant. It codes for a polypeptide of 438 amino acids with molecular mass of 50.5 kDa and a pI of 8.14. The CachFAD had a putative transit peptide for targeting the chloroplast. Genomic Southern hybridization indicated that it exists as small gene family. Northern hybridization revealed that its mRNA was present in leaves, but not in roots. Transcript levels in the leaves upon wounding increased rapidly to reach the first peak between 1-3 h, decreased thereafter and slightly increased at 24 h after wounding. The levels of linolenic acid (18:3) in wounded leaves also reached the first peak at 6 h, decreased thereafter and reached the second peak at 18 h. These results indicated that wounding not only enhanced the accumulation of the CachFAD mRNA but also increased the conversion of linoleic acid (18:2) to linolenic acid (18:3) in leaf lipids of hot pepper.

Rehmannia glutinosa inhibits tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 secretion from mouse astrocytes.

We investigated whether an aqueous extract of Rehmannia glutinosa steamed root (RGAE) inhibits secretion of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) from primary cultures of mouse astrocytes. RGAE dose-dependently inhibited the TNF-alpha secretion by astrocytes stimulated with substance P (SP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). IL-1 has been shown to elevate TNF-alpha secretion from LPS-stimulated astrocytes while having no effect on astrocytes in the absence of LPS. We therefore investigated whether IL-1 mediated inhibition of TNF-alpha secretion from astrocytes by RGAE. Treatment of RGAE to astrocytes stimulated with both LPS+SP decreased IL-1 secretion. Moreover, incubation of astrocytes with IL-1 antibody abolished the synergistic cooperative effect of LPS+SP. These results suggest that RGAE may inhibits TNF-alpha secretion by inhibiting IL-1 secretion and that RGAE has an anti-inflammatory activity in the central nervous system curing some pathological disease states.

Isolation and characterization of the catalase gene from Rhizobium sp. SNU003, a root nodule symbiont of Canavalia lineata.

A catalase gene from Rhizobium sp. SNU003, a root nodule symbiont of Canavalia lineata, was cloned and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The Rhizobium DNA of about 280 bp was amplified using two PCR primers synthesized from the conserved sequences of the type I catalase gene. The nucleotide sequence of the amplified fragment revealed three regions that were conserved in the catalase, showing it as being part of the catalase gene. A genomic Southern hybridization using this fragment as a probe showed that the 5.5 kb PstI, 1.8 kb EcoRI, and 0.7 kb StyI fragments hybridized strongly with the probe. The Rhizobium genomic library constructed into the EMBL3 vector was screened, and one catalase clone was selected. The nucleotide sequence of the 5.5 kb PstI fragment from the clone revealed an open reading frame of 1455 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 485 amino acids with a molecular mass of 54,958 Da and a pI of 6.54. The predicted amino acid sequence of the catalase is 66.3% identical to that of Bacteroides fragilis, but was only 53.3% identical to the Rhizobium meliloti catalase.

Isolation and characterization of mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) from Capsicum annuum L.

A cDNA clone for a mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) was isolated and characterized from red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The clone consisted of 941 bp containing one open reading frame (ORF) of 687 bp, 34 bp/220 bp of 5'/3'-untranslated region. Amino acid sequence of the ORF showed the highest homology (86%) with that of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. It encodes for a polypeptide of 228 amino acids with a molecular mass of 25.5 kDa and a pI value of 8.39. Genomic Southern hybridization suggested that more than one copy are present. Northern hybridization showed that the MnSOD transcript was more abundant in stems than in leaves and roots. When seedlings were treated with arsenate (0.1-10 mM), the MnSOD transcript level increased slightly at 0.1 mM and then dropped, while the Cu/ZnSOD transcript level increased at 1 mM, and also dropped at higher concentrations.

Isolation and characterization of cytosolic copper/zinc superoxide dismutase from Capsicum annuum L.

A cDNA clone for a cytosolic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD) was isolated and characterized from red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The clone consisted of 735 bp containing one open reading frame (ORF) of 459 bp, 46 bp of 5'- and 230 bp of 3'-untranslated region. The nucleotide sequence of the ORF showed 93% homology with that of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia and tomato. It encodes a polypeptide of 154 amino acids with a molecular weight of 15,300. Genomic Southern hybridization suggested that only one copy is present. During cold treatment at 4 degrees C, its expression was maintained at a similar level regardless of illumination.

A ribosome-inactivating protein from Amaranthus viridis.

An antiviral protein purified from the leaves of Amaranthus viridis was named amaranthin. The in vivo antiviral activity of amaranthin was confirmed in tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection test on Nicotiana glutinosa leaves. The molecular mass of the amaranthin was estimated about 30 kDa by SDS-PAGE and the pI was measured as 9.8 by isoelectric focusing (IEF) analysis. Cytotoxicity of the amaranthin using in vitro translation inhibition assay was similar to that of pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) with IC50 of 25 pM. Depurination activity (N-glycosidase activity) against animal rRNA was also confirmed.

Organization of the genes encoding chalcone synthase in Pisum sativum.

To analyze the regulation of defense-related genes by signal molecules produced by phytopathogens, we isolated genes that encode chalcone synthase (CHS) in Pisum sativum. We have obtained seven independent genomic clones that contain at least seven classes of CHS genes, identified by the hybridization analysis to CHS cDNA and by the restriction mapping analysis. Two of the genomic clones (clone 5 and 6) each contain two CHS genes in a tandem repeat. The nucleotide sequence analysis of CHS genomic clone 5 revealed that PsCHS1 and PsCHS2 were corresponding genes of the CHS cDNA clones, pCC6 and pCC2, respectively, as reported earlier. Both genes are interrupted by a single intron of 88 nucleotides with identical sequences, although exonic sequences and 5'-flanking sequences are divergent. Nucleotide sequences of the introns in five other classes of CHS genes showed that three classes had an intron of 87 nt with a striking homology to each other, but that the intron of the other two classes of CHS genes showed heterogeneity both in size and nucleotide sequence. 5'-upstream regions of PsCHS1 and PsCHS2 did not show sequence homology except the 31 bp identical sequence that contains the CCTACC motif resembling the box-1 sequence. Both PsCHS1 and PsCHS2 genes are shown to be induced by fungal elicitor by a primer extension analysis and a transient transformation analysis using pea protoplasts prepared from suspension cultured-cells.