[Investigation and analysis of oral health resources allocation status in Yunnan Province].

Objective: To investigate and analyze the allocation status of oral health resources in Yunnan Province at the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan, providing a scientific basis for the rational resource allocation and formulation regional oral health plan for government health administrative departments. Methods: With the method of general survey, a cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the allocation of material and human resources of all kinds of stomatological medical institutions registered in the health administrative departments in Yunnan before January 1, 2020. The general situation of oral health resources was analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis. Results: There were 2 712 stomatological medical institutions in Yunnan, 634 public and 2 078 non-public included. The largest number was in Kunming (1 167) and the least in Diqing (19). There were 9 018 dental chairs in total, among which 2 584 in public and 6 434 in non-public. Kunming had the largest number of chairs (3 612) and Nujiang had the least (57). There were 702 oral and maxillofacial surgical beds, all of which were distributed in public. There were 15 148 stomatological personnel, including 3 667 in public and 11 481 in non-public. The average ratio of stomatologist to population was 1∶6 615. Dehong (1∶6 620) was close to this average level, while Kunming (1∶2 283) and Yuxi (1∶4 936) were lower than the average and the other 13 states (cities) were higher. The population ratio of licensed stomatologist was only 1∶9 110. The average ratio of stomatologist to nurses was 1∶0.94. Honghe (1∶1.05), Kunming (1∶1.00), Yuxi (1∶1.18) and Qujing (1∶0.94) was better than or reached the average level, while the other 13 states (cities) were lower than this average. And this ratio in public comprehensive medical institutions was only 1∶0.38. Conclusions: The distribution of oral health resources in Yunnan was unbalanced between public and non-public institutions and among states (cities), mainly distributed in economically developed states (cities) and non-public institutions. For the oral health in Yunnan Province, the workforce was insufficient and the structure was unreasonable, and the proportion of nurses was seriously insufficient in public comprehensive medical institutions.

CXCR3 mediates chondrocyte injury through regulating nitric oxide.

OBJECTIVE: As a common joint disease, osteoarthritis exhibits increasing trend in recent years. C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) is a kind of chemokine with the characteristic of recruiting inflammatory cells. Its function in osteoarthritis has not been clarified. This study aims to explore the role of CXCR3 in cartilage injury by affecting unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample was obtained from osteoarthritis patients to test CXCR3 expression by Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Chondrocyte apoptosis model was established in vitro induced by interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). CXCR3 level was downregulated by using siRNA. Cell apoptosis was determined by using transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. UPR pathway related factors C/EBP homology protein (CHOP) and glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) protein expressions were tested by using Western blot. RESULTS: CXCR3 protein level significantly increased in osteoarthritis patients (2.66 ± 0.25 vs. 1.00 ± 0.05, p<0.05). CXCR3 siRNA significantly reduced nitrate level in chondrocytes induced by IL-ß (35.22 ± 1.76 vs. 17.82 ± 0.89, p<0.05) without affecting cell apoptosis (1.13 ± 0.05 vs. 0.859 ± 0.04, p>0.05). CXCR3 siRNA markedly downregulated nitrate level in chondrocytes (50.63 ± 2.53 vs. 30.63 ± 1.63, p<0.05) and alleviated cell apoptosis induced by SNP (1.98 ± 0.10 vs. 1.25 ± 0.06, p<0.05). UPR pathway C/EBP homology protein (CHOP) and glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) participated in the process of chondrocyte apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathway CHOP and GRP78 are involved in CXCR3 receptor attenuating chondrocyte apoptosis induced by SNP.

Development and significance of SCAR marker QG12-5 for Canarium album (Lour.) Raeusch by molecular cloning from improved RAPD amplification.

Sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) is a valuable molecular marker for the genetic identification of any species. This marker is mainly derived from molecular cloning of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). We have previously reported the use of an improved RAPD technique for the genetic characterization of different samples of Canarium album (Lour.) Raeusch (C. album). In this study, DNA fragments were amplified using improved RAPD amplified from different samples of C. album. The amplified DNA fragment was excised, purified from an agarose gel and cloned into a pGM-T vector; subsequently, a positive clone, called QG12-5 was identified by PCR amplification and enzymatic digestion and sequenced by Sanger di-deoxy sequencing method. This clone was revealed consisting of 510 nucleotides of C. album. The SCAR marker QG12-5 was developed using specifically designed PCR primers and optimized PCR conditions. This SCAR marker expressed seven continuous "TATG" [(TATG)n] tandem repeats, which was found to characterize C. album. Subsequently, this novel SCAR marker was deposited in GenBank with accession No. KT359568. Therefore, we successfully developed a C. album-specific SCAR marker for the identification and authentication of different C. album species in this study.

Genetic affinities of central China populations.

Hunan locates in the south-central part of China, to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting. According to the historical records, the peopling of Hunan by modern human ancestors can ascend to 40 thousand years ago. Thus, to trace the ancient maternal components can offer further insight into the origin of south-central China. In this study, we investigated the mitochondrial DNA of 114 individuals from Hunan Province (including 34 Han, 40 Tujia and 40 Miao). Hypervariable regions I and II of the mtDNA control region were sequenced, and the relative diagnostic variations in coding region according to the updated worldwide phylogeny tree were selected and typed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis or direct sequencing. All individuals were classified into specific (sub)haplogroups. By comparison with the surrounding populations, southern China-prevalent haplogroups were detected with relative higher frequency in the Tujia and Miao ethnic populations, such as haplogroup B, with more than 20%, lacking in the Han population, which illustrated its southern origin characters. In addition, we also detected northern of East Asia prevalent haplogroups with a relative higher frequency in Tujia populations than in the Miao and Yao ethnic groups, implying a gene flow from Han populations. However, the language-clustering tendency was supported by our principal component analysis and further genetic estimation results. Han and ethnic groups in central China exhibited specific ancestors related to their closer language affinity, although there was extensively genetic admixture between Han and ethnic groups.

Detection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) of shrimp by means of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to an envelope protein (28 kDa).

The vp28 gene encoding an envelope protein (28 kDa) of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was amplified from WSSV-infected tiger shrimp that originated from Malaysia. Recombinant VP28 protein (r-28) was expressed in Escherichia coli and used as an antigen for preparation of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Three murine MAbs (6F6, 6H4 and 9C10) that were screened by r-28 antigen-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were also able to recognize viral VP28 protein as well as r-28 on Western blot. Three non-overlapping epitopes of VP28 protein were determined using the MAbs in competitive ELISA; thus, an antigen-capture ELISA (Ac-ELISA) was developed by virtue of these MAbs. Ac-ELISA can differentiate WSSV-infected shrimp from uninfected shrimp and was further confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. Approximately 400 pg of purified WSSV sample and 20 pg of r-28 could be detected by Ac-ELISA, which is comparable in sensitivity to PCR assay but more sensitive than Western blot in the detection of purified virus. Hemolymph and tissue homogenate samples collected from a shrimp farm in Malaysia during December 2000 and July 2001 were also detected by Ac-ELISA and PCR with corroborating results.

[Obtaining transgenic rice plants and their progenies using Agrobacterium tumefaciens].

Rice (Oriza sativa L.) suspension cells of Taipei 309 were co-cultivated with A. tumefaciens stran EHA101 harbouring binary vector pBYT2 for 3 days in the presence of vir inducer, 100 mumol/L acetosyringone (AS). After 2 months of continuous selection, 17 stable hygromycin-resistant, GUS-positive calli were recovered from 364 suspension cell clusters co-cultivated with A. tumefaciens. 10 putative transgenic R0 plants obtained from 8 tansformed calli and their progenies were analyzed for the integration and expression of foreign genes. Southern blot analysis of R0 and R1 generations indicated that foreign genes had been stably integrated in the genome of transgenic rice and sexually transmitted. One of the transgenic lines showed 5 copies of T-DNA integration, while the others had only one copy. Histochemical staining observation and fluorometric assay of GUS activity in transgenic rice cells and plants showed ubiquitin promoter from maize was highly effective in driving the expression of gus reporter gene in transgenic rice cells. GUS protein and its activity were also investigated through ndPAGE-X-Gluc staining assay, and it was found that the GUS protein in transgenic rice cells was smaller in size than the standard GUS protein (Sigma Co. G0786) but as large as that from E.coli HB101 (pBI121). This study suggested that Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of plant is an efficient and reliable method to introduce foreign genes into rice.