Decreased Adiponectin Levels Are a Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline in Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective: Spinal cord injury (SCI) has become popular in recent years, and cognitive decline is a common complication. Adiponectin is a common protein hormone involved in the course of many diseases, but its relationship with SCI has not yet been elucidated. The purpose of our prospective study is to explore whether adiponectin can be used as a biomarker of cognitive decline in SCI.

Expression of ANGPTL4 in Nucleus Pulposus Tissues Is Associated with Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Objective: Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4), encoding a glycosylated secreted protein, has been reported to be closely related to many kinds of diseases, including diabetes, tumor, and some musculoskeletal pathologies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis. The aim of the current study is to investigate the role of ANGPTL4 in intervertebral disc degeneration and analyze the association of ANGPTL4 expression with Pfirrmann grades.

Methods: A total of 162 nucleus pulposus tissues were collected from lumbar intervertebral disc herniation patients undergoing interforaminal endoscopic surgery.

Structural insights to heterodimeric cis-prenyltransferases through yeast dehydrodolichyl diphosphate synthase subunit Nus1.

The polyprenoid glycan carriers are produced by cis-prenyltransferases (cis-PTs), which function as heterodimers in metazoa and fungi or homodimers in bacteria, but both are found in plants, protista and archaea. Heterodimeric cis-PTs comprise catalytic and non-catalytic subunits while homodimeric enzymes contain two catalytic subunits. The non-catalytic subunits of cis-PT shows low sequence similarity to known cis-PTs and their structure information is of great interests.

[Application effect of Oncomelania hupensis snail crushers in batch detection].

Objective: To evaluate the application effect of Oncomelania hupensis snail crusher in batch detection.

Methods: The O. hupensis snail crushers and triangular flasks for cercariae shedding were made.

[Comparison of fecal examinations and worm collection results in an investigation of Ascaris lumbricoides infection].

Objective: To explore the relationship between fecal examinations and worm collection results in a community investigation of Ascaris lumbricoides infection.

Methods: A total of 1 019 residents in Zhangxi Village, Nanchang County, Jiangxi Province were investigated with the Kato-Katz technique and worm collection after deworming.

Results: Among 1 019 residents investigated, the actual prevalence of A.

[Relationship of schistosome infection with environment and behavioral characteristics of residents in Jingzhou area].

Objective: To understand the relationship of schistosome infection with environment and the behavioral characteristics of residents in Jingzhou area.

Methods: The schistosomiasis patients (positive in stool examinations) were investigated with the questionnaire at home. The content of questionnaire included the hygienic and environmental situation, the behavioral characteristics of the residents, and the treatment of schistosomiasis patients.

Chemotherapy-based control of ascariasis and hookworm in highly endemic areas of China: field observations and a modeling analysis.

Objective: Our objective was to systematically evaluate chemotherapy-based control of ascariasis and hookworm infection and make predictions of the effectiveness of repeated mass treatment at different levels of coverage in highly endemic areas of China.

Methods: Field surveys were carried out to acquire the ascariasis and hookworm prevalence and intensity (mean worm burden) at baseline, one month and one year later. We calculated model parameters based on the survey data, then incorporated them into a quantitative framework to predict the prevalence and intensity one year later.

[Environmental distribution and disposal measures of infected Oncomelania snails in Jingzhou City].

A survey of Oncomelania snail distribution was carried out with the systematic sampling method in combination with the environmental sampling method. A questionnaire survey was performed to find out the sites where stool examination-positive patients were infected. The results showed that there were 1 721 infected snail spots in Jingzhou City.

[Effect of modified crushing-cercariae escaping method on detection of infected Oncomelania snails in field].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a modified crushing-cercariae escaping method on the detection of infected Oncomelania snails in the field.

Methods: A snail survey was carried out in Jingzhou City in the spring of 2011, and the villages were randomly divided into several groups, the coincidence rates, detection rates and the labour cost of the modified crushing-cercariae escaping method and crushing method were compared.

Results: A total of 14 snail spots were surveyed, and the coincidence rate of the two methods was 100%.

Random repeated cross sectional study on breeding site characterization of Anopheles sinensis larvae in distinct villages of Yongcheng City, People's Republic of China.

Background: Characterizing the breeding site of Anopheles sinensis is of major importance for the transition from malaria control to elimination in China. However, little information is available especially regarding the characteristics and influencing factors of breeding sites of An. sinensis in Yongcheng City, a representative region of unstable malaria transmission in the Huang-Huai River region of central China.

[Application and evaluation on five health education patterns of integrated control for parasitic diseases].

Objective: To explore the strategy of health education in demonstration plots for controlling the infections of soil-transmitted helminthes (STH) and Clonorchis sinensis.

Methods: Health education patterns including "raining", "irrigating", "spraying", "spring", "drop irrigating" patterns were conducted in demonstration zones. Before and after the health education, the questionnaire designed referring to the standard of KAP was carried out in residents and students.

[Establishment and application of ascariasis transmission mathematical models in China].

Objective: To establish ascariasis transmission mathematical models and apply them to predict field status.

Methods: Cuiping District in Sichuan Province, Jinxian County in Jiangxi Province and Yueyang County in Hunan Province were selected as the investigation sites. The Ascaris lumbricoides infection rates and mean worm burdens of baseline, 1 month and 1 year later after deworming were acquired by field surveys.

[Effect of control on infections of soil-transmitted helminthes in demonstration plots of China for 3 years].

Objective: To explore the control strategies so as to provide the demonstration for controlling the infection of soil-transmitted helminthes (STH).

Methods: The program applied the strategies of health education intervention first, control of infection sources as the second, and carried out the treatment for the target people depending on their prevalence. Infection rates of STH, the awareness of relevant hygiene knowledge, practice in hygiene way, the usage of harmless toilets and safe water were compared with the baseline.

[Development and prospect of surveillance network of schistosomiasis in China].

The surveillance network of schistosomiasis in China can be roughly divided into three parts, namely repetitive cross-sectional sample survey, regional surveillance, and fixed longitudinal surveillance. The result of the network provides an important basis for decision-making to realize the endemic situation of schistosomiasis, to develop and evaluate the control planning and its effects in various stages. However, there still exist some problems in the surveillance network of schistosomiasis, such as relatively backward of the surveillance technology, low utilization of data, lack of an effective monitoring network evaluation system and so on.

The abundance and host-seeking behavior of culicine species (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles sinensis in Yongcheng city, People's Republic of China.

Background: The knowledge of mosquito species diversity and the level of anthropophily exhibited by each species in a region are of great importance to the integrated vector control. Culicine species are the primary vectors of Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus and filariasis in China. Anopheles sinensis plays a major role in the maintenance of Plasmodium vivax malaria transmission in China.

[The accessibility for anthelmintic administration by different supply patterns in mass deworming].

Questionnairing was performed in selected fields. Data were collected including the number of people who were getting/taking medicines, reasons for not getting/taking medicines, and a comparison was made on the rates of getting/taking drugs among three patterns of medicine supply. In the mode of drug-receiving at public expense, the rates of getting drugs and taking drugs were 98.

Optimization of medium composition for the production of alkaline beta-mannanase by alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. N16-5 using response surface methodology.

In this work, a 2(2) factorial design was employed combining with response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the medium compositions for the production of alkaline beta-mannanase by alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. N16-5 isolated previously from sediment of Wudunur Soda Lake in Inner Mongolia, China. The central composite design (CCD) used for the analysis of treatment combinations showed that a second-order polynomial regression model was in good agreement with experimental results, with R (2) = 0.

[Torulopsis glabrata neomycin-resistant mutant abolishes pyruvate production with enhancement of glucose consumption rate].

To further increase the rate of glucose consumption by multi-vitamin auxotrophic yeast Torulopsis glabrata. A neomycin-resistant mutant N07, with the activity of F1-ATPase decreased roughly 35% but glucose consumed per cell was increased 38% than that of parent strain, was breed based on analysis of energy metabolic pathway. The typical inhibitors of F1F0-ATPase, DCCD, NaN3 and neomycin, depressed the F1-ATPase activity of parental strain but no effect on that of mutant strain.

[The decrease of the activity of electron transfer chain of Torulopsis glabrata enhanced pyruvate productivity].

Torulopsis glabrata CCTCC M202019 was mutated by ethidium bromide to screen for respiratory-deficient mutants. Seven mutants that produced pyruvate higher than that of the parent were subjected to the tests of the capability assimilating fermentable substrate (glucose) and non-fermentable substrates (glycerol and acetate) to characterize true respiratory-deficient mutants. Mutants RD-16, RD-17 and RD-18 were unable to assimilate acetate or glycerol and were therefore identified as respiratory-deficient mutants.

[In-depth interviews on late stage schistosomiasis patients about factors related to prevention and treatment in the rural areas].

Objective: To explore factors related to current prevention and treatment of Advanced cases on schistosomiasis.

Methods: In-depth interviews were introduced to the qualitative study on 61 Advenced cases of schistosomiasis in Dongting Lake regions. Sampling was accidentally and judgmentally performed.