A vaccine against coccidioidomycosis is justified and attainable.

Coccidioides is a fungal pathogen of humans which can cause a life-threatening respiratory disease in immunocompetent individuals. Recurrent epidemics of coccidioidal infections in Southwestern United States has raised the specter of awareness of this soil-borne microbe, particularly among residents of Arizona and Southern California, and has galvanized research efforts to develop a human vaccine against coccidioidomycosis. In this review, we discuss the rationale for such a vaccine, examine the features of host innate and acquired immune response to Coccidioides infection, describe strategies used to identify and evaluate vaccine candidates, and provide an update on progress toward development of a vaccine against this endemic pathogen.     

含银介孔二氧化硅-壳聚糖复合材料的制备与性能研究

目的探讨含银介孔二氧化硅-壳聚糖复合材料(Ag/MSN-Chi)的制备方法及其微观表征、细胞毒性、吸水性能、抗菌性能及止血性能。 方法以正硅酸乙酯为前驱体，十六烷基三甲基溴化铵为致孔剂，采用离子交换法在介孔二氧化硅纳米粒子(MSN)中引入银离子，制备出具有抗菌作用的新型有序的含银介孔二氧化硅纳米粒子(Ag/MSN)材料。再利用烷基化壳聚糖负载Ag/MSN，制备出Ag/MSN-Chi。根据所用材料不同将实验分为实验组和空白对照组，实验组又分为3个亚组：MSN组、Ag/MSN组、Ag/MSN-Chi组，空白组为不加任何材料的阳性对照。计算MSN和Ag/MSN的比表面积、孔容、孔径和Ag/MSN与Ag/MSN-Chi的电荷。并通过吸水实验、体外凝血实验、抗菌实验对MSN、Ag/MSN和Ag/MSN-Chi的细胞毒性、吸水性能、止血性能及抗菌性能进行评价，计算细胞相对存活率、吸水率、凝血酶原时间(PT)、凝血活酶时间(APTT)及抑菌率。取健康成年新西兰大白兔18只，随机分成3组：对照组(采用医用纱布处理)、Ag/MSN组(采用Ag/MSN处理)、Ag/MSN-Chi组(采用Ag/MSN-Chi处理)，每组6只，建立肝创伤出血模型，计算止血时间。数据比较采用方差分析和t检验。 结果MSN的比表面积为(523.8±12.4) m²/g、孔容为(1.2±0.4) m³/g、孔径为(3.5±0.9) nm；Ag/MSN的比表面积为(521.6±11.7) m²/g、孔容为(1.15±0.5) m³/g、孔径为(3.6±0.7) nm，2种材料的比表面积、孔容、孔径比较差异均无统计学意义(t＝0.224、0.135、0.015，P值均大于0.05)。经测量，Ag/MSN的Zeta电位为－19.7 mV，Ag/MSN-Chi的Zeta电位为10.27 mV，表明Ag/MSN表面电荷从负值变为正值。Ag/MSN-Chi组、Ag/MSN组和MSN组与小鼠成肌细胞共培养1、4、7 d的细胞相对存活率比较，差异均无统计学意义(F＝2.61、4.72、3.52, P值均大于0.05)。Ag/MSN组吸水率分别与MSN组和Ag/MSN-Chi组比较，差异均无统计学意义(t＝0.482、1.159，P值均大于0.05)。经检测，Ag/MSN-Chi组、Ag/MSN组、MSN组和空白对照组的PT比较，差异无统计学意义(F＝10.28，P>0.05)；Ag/MSN-Chi组、Ag/MSN组、MSN组和空白对照组APTT分别为(20.9±2.1)、(28.5±3.4)、(31.4±2.6)、(38.7±2.5) s，4组比较差异有统计学意义(F＝8.70，P<0.05)；Ag/MSN-Chi组、Ag/MSN组、MSN组APTT分别与空白对照组比较，差异均有统计学意义(t＝9.443、4.186、3.506，P值均小于0.05)；Ag/MSN-Chi组APTT与Ag/MSN组比较，差异有统计学意义(t＝3.294，P<0.05)。MSN组在培养0.5、2、4、6、24 h 5个时间点抑菌率比较差异无统计学意义(F＝5.437，P>0.05)；培养0.5 h，Ag/MSN组和Ag/MSN-Chi组抑菌率分别为(99.7±5.2)%、(97.1±5.4)%，与培养0.5 h MSN组抑菌率(11.2±5.8)%比较，差异均有统计学意义(t＝19.678、18.775, P值均小于0.05)；培养24 h，Ag/MSN组和Ag/MSN-Chi组抑菌率分别为(73.2±5.1)%和(72.9±6.9)%，与MSN组(11.8±5.7)%比较，差异均有统计学意义(t＝13.904、11.825, P值均小于0.05)。Ag/MSN-Chi组、Ag/MSN组和对照组止血时间分别为(12.3±1.5)、(17.2±3.4)、(28.1±3.8) s，3组比较差异有统计学意义(F＝5.892，P<0.05)；Ag/MSN-Chi组和Ag/MSN组止血时间分别与对照组比较，差异均有统计学意义(t＝9.473、5.236, P值均小于0.05)；且Ag/MSN-Chi组与Ag/MSN组止血时间比较，差异有统计学意义(t＝3.230，P<0.05)。 结论Ag/MSN-Chi在不增加细胞毒性的基础上具有有较好的吸水性能、止血性能及抗菌性能。     

三氧化二锑诱导急性早幼粒细胞白血病细胞凋亡的研究

目的 研究锑剂三氧化二锑（Sb2O3)对早幼粒细胞白血病细胞株NB4凋亡的诱导作用，以寻求早幼粒细胞白血病治疗的新方法。方法 采用细胞生长曲线，形态学及硝基四氮唑蓝（NBT）还原试验，判定NB4细胞的生长，分化及功能。采用细胞周期分析和DNA电泳研究细胞凋亡。结果 Sb2O3能诱导早幼粒白血病细胞凋亡，且具有时间，剂量依赖性。结论 Sb2O3能有效地诱导早幼粒白血病细胞凋亡，提示锑剂诱导细胞半亡的疗法，有望成为临床治疗早幼粒细胞白血病的新方法。     

Nutritional effects on host response to lung infections with mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice

In cystic fibrosis, a recessive genetic disease caused by defects in the cystic fibrosis conductance regulator (CFTR), the main cause of death is lung infection and inflammation. Nutritional deficits have been proposed to contribute to the excessive host inflammatory response in both humans and Cftr-knockout mice. Cftr-knockout mice and gut-corrected Cftr-knockout mice expressing human CFTR primarily in the gut were challenged with Pseudomonas aeruginosa-laden agarose beads; they responded similarly with respect to bronchoalveolar lavage cell counts and levels of the acute-phase cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), and IL-6. Wild-type mice fed the liquid diet used to prevent intestinal obstruction in Cftr-knockout mice had inflammatory responses to P. aeruginosa-laden agarose beads similar to those of wild-type mice fed an enriched solid diet, so dietary effects are unlikely to account for differences between wild-type mice and mice with cystic fibrosis. Finally, since cystic fibrosis patients and Cftr-knockout mice have an imbalance in fatty acids (significantly lower-than-normal levels of docosahexaenoic acid), the effects of specific supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid of wild-type and Cftr-knockout mice on their inflammatory responses to P. aeruginosa-laden agarose beads were tested. There were no significant differences (P = 0.35) in cumulative survival rates between Cftr-knockout mice and wild-type mice provided with either the liquid diet Peptamen or Peptamen containing docosahexaenoic acid. In conclusion, diet and docosahexaenoic acid imbalances alone are unlikely to explain the differences in the host response to lung infections with mucoid P. aeruginosa between mice with cystic fibrosis and their wild-type counterparts.     

Interferon-gamma is an autocrine mediator for dendritic cell maturation

Maturation of dendritic cells (DC) is critical for efficient antigen presentation and initiation of an immune response. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is an important Th1 cytokine. In this study, we investigated the role of IFN-gamma in DC maturation using either IFN-gamma receptor deficient- or IFN-gamma overexpression-models. We showed that immature DC generated in vitro from bone marrow (BM) progenitor cells produced low level of IFN-gamma. After LPS stimulation, DC produced more IFN-gamma, and IFN-gamma productions were at comparable levels among C57BL/6 mice-derived DC (C57BL/6 DC), wild-type 129 mice-derived DC (129 DC) and IFN-gamma receptor deficient 129 mice-derived DC (IFN-gammaR-/-DC). We found that IFN-gammaR-/-DC exhibited decreased expression of CD54, CD86, reduced capacity to secrete IL-1beta and IL-12p70, and impaired capacity to stimulate alloreactive T cells and to drive Th1 differentiation. Transfection of IFN-gamma gene into DC promoted DC to express higher CD40, CD54, CD80, CD86, CCR7 and I-Ab, secrete more IL-1beta and IL-12p70, and more potently activate both CD4 and CD8 T cells. These data suggest that IFN-gamma signaling pathway is important for the maturation of DC in an autocrine fashion.     

一种自动优选标准型股骨柄的方法

髋关节置换手术中采用标准型假体时,术前只能大致选取假体,术中还要预备多个假体,往往手术时间增长。为了解决这一问题,本文提出一种利用计算机优选标准型髋关节假体的方法。从X线片中获取患者股骨解剖数据。利用这些解剖数据和股骨近端截面平均数据库三维重建患者股骨近端,重建出的股骨近端模型使优选标准假体成为可能。理论分析表明,该方法切实可行。     

Association of genetic polymorphism in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene with endometrial hypoplasia in infertile women

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) polymorphisms and endometrial hypoplasia in infertile women. METHODS: The study was conducted in 105 primary infertile patients with endometrial hypoplasia diagnosed by pathology and the thickness of endometrium by B-mode ultrasound and 85 controls who were not pregnant and had normal fertility. The -675 4G/5G polymorphism in the PAI-1 gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymerphim analysis. RESULTS: The frequencies of 4G/4G genotype and 4G allele of the PAI-1 gene were higher in the patient group (48.6% and 66.2%) than in the normal controls (22.4% and 47.1%) (P < 0.01). ThePAI-1 4G/4G genotype was significantly associated with endometrial hypoplasia in the infertile patients (OR=4.9, 95% CI: 2.10-10.12). CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that the 4G/5G polymorphism of the PAI-1 gene was associated with endometrial hypoplasia in infertile patients.     

A new haplogroup pattern displayed in Fujian Han in China

Human Y-chromosomal binary polymorphisms have been considered to preserve the paternal genetic legacy and provide evidence on human evolution and the genetic relationships among and demographic history of different populations. To reveal the genetic origin and immigration of the Fujian Han, 13 binary markers on the Y chromosome were used to screen Fujian Han by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. The results indicated that the M₉G marker was highly prevalent (96.20%), suggesting a significant genetic drift. In addition, M₁₂₂C frequency was only 22.78%, and M₄₅A and M₁₀₃T were default. The distinctive haplogroup frequencies (H₁, H₅, and H_6/7/8) imply that the haplogroup pattern is a relatively ancestral and interim type. Received: October 13, 2001 / Accepted: December 3, 2001     

Association of Opioid Use Disorder With 2016 Presidential Voting Patterns: Cross-sectional Study in New York State at Census Tract Level

BackgroundOpioid overdose-related deaths have increased dramatically in recent years. Combating the opioid epidemic requires better understanding of the epidemiology of opioid poisoning (OP) and opioid use disorder (OUD).ObjectiveWe aimed to discover geospatial patterns in nonmedical opioid use and its correlations with demographic features related to despair and economic hardship, most notably the US presidential voting patterns in 2016 at census tract level in New York State.MethodsThis cross-sectional analysis used data from New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System claims data and the presidential voting results of 2016 in New York State from the Harvard Election Data Archive. We included 63,958 patients who had at least one OUD diagnosis between 2010 and 2016 and 36,004 patients with at least one OP diagnosis between 2012 and 2016. Geospatial mappings were created to compare areas of New York in OUD rates and presidential voting patterns. A multiple regression model examines the extent that certain factors explain OUD rate variation.ResultsSeveral areas shared similar patterns of OUD rates and Republican vote: census tracts in western New York, central New York, and Suffolk County. The correlation between OUD rates and the Republican vote was .38 (P<.001). The regression model with census tract level of demographic and socioeconomic factors explains 30% of the variance in OUD rates, with disability and Republican vote as the most significant predictors.ConclusionsAt the census tract level, OUD rates were positively correlated with Republican support in the 2016 presidential election, disability, unemployment, and unmarried status. Socioeconomic and demographic despair-related features explain a large portion of the association between the Republican vote and OUD. Together, these findings underscore the importance of socioeconomic interventions in combating the opioid epidemic.     

雷尼替丁与复方丹参联合治疗急性胰腺炎35例疗效分析

目的：观察雷尼替丁与复方丹参联合治疗急性胰腺炎的疗效。方法：对确诊急性胰腺炎65例随机分成治疗组35例,对照组30例,分别用常规治疗,常规治疗加雷尼替丁与复方丹参静滴,连用4－7天,评价其疗效。结果：治疗组与对照组显效率分别为85.71%、43.3%,两组差异显著,P＜0.05。结论：两药联合应用不仅可减轻本病的炎症病变,且可改善心肌细胞营养状况。