Research Progress on the Application of Human Oral Microbiome in Forensic Individual Identification.

The oral cavity is the second largest microbial bank in humans after the intestinal canal, colonizing a large number of microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa. The great number of microbial cells, good DNA stability, and individual has a unique microbial community, these characteristics make the human microbiome expected to become a new biomarker for forensic individual identification. This article describes the characteristics of human oral microorganisms and microbial molecular markers in detail, analyzes the potential application value of microorganisms in forensic individual identification, and reviews the research progress of human oral microorganisms in forensic individual identification.

LncRNA GAS5 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition and viability of glioma cells by targeting microRNA-106b and regulating PTEN expression.

LncRNA growth arrest special 5 (GAS5) and microRNA-106b (miR-106b) have been reported to be involved in the regulation of gliomas. However, their precise mechanisms in regulating the progression and development of gliomas remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the interaction between GAS5 and miR-106b, and their influence on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gliomas cells. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were applied for measuring expression of protein and mRNA, respectively. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of cells were measured by MTT, wound healing, and transwell assays, respectively. Dual luciferase reporter assay was applied for confirming the binding site between miR-106b and GAS5, miR-106b and PTEN. Significant higher expression of miR-106b, and lower expression of GAS5 and PTEN in the glioma tissues were observed. The binding sites between GAS5 and miR-106b, miR-106b and PTEN were identified. GAS5 could regulate the expression of PTEN through targeting miR-106b, and further influence EMT process, and the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gliomas cells. Meanwhile, PTEN could remarkably inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells. The influence of PTEN on glioma cells and EMT was similar to GAS5. GAS5 could regulate the EMT process, and the migration of gliomas cells through miR-106b targeting PTEN. Therefore, our findings may provide a new thought for the study of pathogenesis and treatment of glioma.

[Methods of eliminating putrefaction in TCM surgery].

Eliminating putrefaction is a characteristic therapy in TCM surgery. It is more inclusive, reliable and safer nowadays after development for thousands of years. From the 20(th) century, with the development of science and technology, personal injury resulting from heavy metals has drawn more and more attention. Many drugs with heavy metal ingredients such as arsenic, mercury and lead were forbidden in clinical practice. This therapy had played an important role in Chinese medical history and it should not be abandoned as refraining from treatment with a necessary method for fear of a slight risk. With a long history, various methods of eliminating putrefaction have been developed by doctors, especially doctors in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The thoughts and experience of those doctors are still well worth learning and researching.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathways play an important role in right ventricular hypertrophy of tetralogy of Fallot.

BACKGROUND: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common malformation of children with an incidence of approximately 10% of congenital heart disease patients. There can be a wide spectrum to the severity of the anatomic defects, which include ventricular septal defect, aortic override, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and right ventricular hypertrophy. We examined the relationship between right ventricular hypertrophy in patients with TOF and the gene expression of factors in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal pathway. METHODS: To gain insight into the characteristic gene(s) involved in molecular mechanisms of right ventricular hypertrophy in TOF, differential mRNA and micro RNA expression profiles were assessed using expression-based micro array technology on right ventricular biopsies from young TOF patients who underwent primary correction and on normal heart tissue. We then analyzed the gene expression of the MAPK signal pathway using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in normals and TOF patients. RESULTS: Using the micro RNA chip V3.0 and human whole genome oligonucleotide microarray V1.0 to detect the gene expression, we found 1068 genes showing altered expression of at least two-fold in TOF patients compared to the normal hearts, and 47 micro RNAs that showed a significant difference of at least two-fold in TOF patients. We then analyzed these mRNAs and micro RNAs by target gene predicting software Microcosm Targets version 5.0, and determined those mRNA highly relevant to the right ventricular hypertrophy by RT-PCR method. There were obvious differences in the gene expression of factors in the MAPK signal pathway when using RT-PCR, which was consistent to the results of the cDNA microarray. CONCLUSION: The upregulation of genes in the MAPK signal pathway may be the key events that contribute to right ventricular hypertrophy and stunted angiogenesis in patients with TOF.

[Selection of imperial doctors by the Qing court in 1880].

In the 6(th) year of the Guangxu Period (1880), Queen Mother Ci Xi was in poor health and the court looked for famous doctors everywhere. Eight doctors were selected by governors and sent to Beijing. After a 3-month long assessment, XUE Fuchen, WANG Shouzheng and MA Wenzhi were selected to help with the treatment of Queen Mother Ci Xi's disease. The Queen Mother was cured and doctors were rewarded twice in the 2(nd) and the 3(rd) year. Giving up medicine, XUE Fuchen and WANG Shouzheng took advantage of this opportunity to participate in politics, but did not realize their aspirations in the end. MA Wenzhi refused to be an official with the excuse of health problems and received the permission to go home, where he worked for patients, wrote medical books and finally became a famous medical scholar.

Fast algorithm for calculation of inhomogeneity gradient in magnetic resonance imaging data.

PURPOSE: To develop and implement a new approach for correcting the intensity inhomogeneity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The algorithm is based on the assumption that intensity inhomogeneity in MR data is multiplicative and smoothly varying. Using a statistically stable method, the algorithm first calculates the partial derivative of the inhomogeneity gradient across the data. The algorithm then solves for the gradient field and fits it to a parametric surface. It was tested on both simulated and real human and animal MRI data. RESULTS: The algorithm is shown to restore the homogeneity in all images that were tested. On real human brain images the algorithm demonstrated superior or comparable performance relative to some of the commonly used intensity inhomogeneity correction methods such as SPM, BrainSuite, and N3. CONCLUSION: The proposed algorithm provides an alternative method for correcting the intensity inhomogeneity in MR images. It is shown to be fast and its performance is superior or comparable to algorithms described in the published literature. Due to its generality, this algorithm is applicable to MR images of both humans and animals.

[Effect of periodontal initial therapy on the serum level of lipid in the patients with both periodontitis and hyperlipidemia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of periodontal initial therapy on the serum level of lipid in the patients with both periodontitis and hyperlipidemia. METHODS: Twenty patients with both hyperlipidemia and moderate to severe chronic periodontitis were enrolled in this study. Periodontal parameters [plaque index (PLI), bleeding on probing (BOP), bleeding index (BI), probing depth (PD) and attachment level (AL)] were evaluated prior to and 3 months after periodontal initial therapy. Simultaneously, the patients' serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-lipoprotein cholesterol, low-lipoprotein cholesterol were also measured. RESULTS: (1) Three months after periodontal therapy, the periodontal infection and inflammation in patients reduced comparing with baseline. The PD, PLI, BI, and BOP decreased significantly (the PD, PLI, BI, and BOP reduced from 3.98+/-0.12 to 2.39+/-0.13, 1.23+/-0.10 to 0.84+/-0.08, 2.63+/-0.14 to 1.48+/-0.08 and 94.26+/-1.84 to 33.57+/-2.06, respectively; P<0.05), and the attachment level increased significantly after periodontal treatment (AL decreased from 5.17+/-0.21 to 3.92+/-0.16, P<0.05). (2) The total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in these patients also reduced significantly (reducing 0.25 mmol/L and 0.20 mmol/L respectively, P<0.05) at 3 month after periodontal therapy comparing with baseline. At the same time, high-lipoprotein cholesterol levels in these patients increased significantly (increasing 0.18 mmol/L, P<0.05). Eight out of 20 patients showed their serum levels of lipid down to the normal levels. CONCLUSION: Our observation indicated that periodontal initial therapy could reduce the serum lipid levels of patients with both periodontitis and hyperlipidemia, which might be helpful for decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease such as coronary heart disease.

Fabrication and in vitro drug release study of microsphere drug delivery systems based on amphiphilic poly-alpha,beta-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-aspartamide]-g-poly(L-lactide) graft copolymers.

Biodegradable amphiphilic graft copolymers with different compositions were synthesized by grafting poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) sequences onto a water-soluble poly-alpha,beta-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-aspartamide] (PHEA) backbone. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the graft polymers was determined by fluorescence probe technique. Using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, the graft polymers were proved to have low cytotoxicity. Based on the specific physicochemical property of the graft copolymers, submicron sized microsphere drug delivery systems were prepared by a very convenient "ultrasonic dispersion method", which did not involve toxic organic solvents. The drug-loaded microspheres had a regular spherical shape with a narrow size distribution. A hydrophobic drug, prednisone acetate, was encapsulated into polymeric microspheres and the in vitro drug release was studied.

[High resolution measurement of concentrations and fluxes of heavy metals in pore waters by DGT].

Three sediment cores were collected from the Daliao River system in May 2006. The physico-chemical characteristics and heavy metal contents of sediment cores were analyzed. The vertical profiles of metals in pore water were measured by diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) and centrifugal methods separately. The sequence of the concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr and Cu in sediment is Cr > Cu > Co > Cd. The concentrations measured by DGT were lower than that measured by centrifugal method. The average ratios of DGT measured concentrations (cDGT) to the concentrations measured by centrifugal method of Cd, Co, Cr and Cu were 0.389, 0.328, 0.863 and 0.403, respectively. This suggested that the release rates of these metals from solid phase to solution followed the sequence of Cr > Cu > Cd > Co. The fluxes of Cd, Co Cr and Cu were 1.12 x 10(-7) - 3.28 x 10(-7) nmol/(cm2 x s), 2.48 x 10(-7) - 10.40 x 10(-7) nmol/(cm2 x s), 8.80 x 10(-6) - 12.65 x 10(-6) nmol/(cm2 x s) and 6.14 x 10(-6) - 13.93 x 10(-6) nmol/(cm2 x s), respectively. The result showed that the release of Cd and Cu was mainly influenced by organic matter (OM), while Fe oxides, Mn oxides and OM were major factors controlling the transfer of Cr. The redox potential may be the major factor influencing the release of Co element.

Parallel profiling of active transcription factors using an oligonucleotide array-based transcription factor assay (OATFA).

Cell/tissue-specific gene expression are tightly regulated by various combinations of multiple transcription factors (TFs). Here, we present an oligonucleotide array-based transcription factor assay (OATFA), which allows the simultaneous assay of multiple active TFs. In this proof-of-principle work, both purified TFs and cell extracts were analyzed using OATFA and further antibody-based validation confirmed the chip data. This method could simplify the assay of multiple TFs and may facilitate high-throughput profiling of large numbers of TFs.

One-tube nested RT-PCR enabled by using a plastic film and its application for the rapid detection of SARS-virus.

A general strategy based on the use of a plastic film that allows reverse transcription and nested-PCR in a single closed-tube has been developed. The reaction mixture for the second PCR amplification is quarantined in the cap of the reaction tube during the first round amplification by a piece of plastic film, and later introduced into the PCR amplicons from the first round reaction by centrifugation without opening the reaction tube. The main advantages of our method are its high sensitivity, specificity, simplicity, cost effectiveness, low risk of contamination and the ease in establishment of conditions for nested-PCR. The method has been successfully applied to the detection of the genomic RNA from SARS-CoV, the detection limit of this method is comparable to that of the conventional two-tube nested PCR system. This method could be easily adapted to the detection of other targets.