Expression and characteristic of synthetic human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) in transgenic tobacco plants.

To improve the accumulation of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) in transgenic tobacco, a highly effective vector was constructed and transformed via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The hEGF content in transgenic tobacco was up to 0.3% of the total soluble protein.

A survey on acupuncture for giving up heroin and treatment of the withdrawal syndrome.

This paper summarizes the study of acupuncture for giving up heroin and treatment of withdrawal syndrome in China from 1995 to 2003, which includes the selection of acupoints, the evaluation of the therapeutic effects, studies of acupoints and application of relevant instruments, as well as treatment of the withdrawal syndromes of heroin with acupuncture. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion is definite and indispensable, especially at the time when there is no specific remedy for heroin addition.

Molecular characterization of L-amino acid oxidase from king cobra venom.

An L-amino acid oxidase from Ophiophagus hannah snake venom (Oh-LAAO) was purified by successive gel filtration, ion-exchange and heparin chromatography. Oh-LAAO did not induce platelet aggregation; however, it had potent inhibitory activity on platelet aggregation induced by ADP and U46619, but showed no effect on platelet aggregation induced by thrombin, mucetin, ristocetin and stejnulxin. By RT-PCR and 5'-RACE methods, the complete Oh-LAAO cDNA was cloned from the venom gland total RNA preparations.

Assessment of personal noise exposure of overhead-traveling crane drivers in steel-rolling mills.

Background: Noise is widespread occupational hazard in iron and steel industry. Overhead-traveling cranes are widely used in this industry, but few studies characterized the overhead-traveling crane drivers' noise exposure level so far. In this study, we assessed and characterized personal noise exposure levels of overhead-traveling crane drivers in two steel-rolling mills.

Evaluation of individual susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss in textile workers in China.

The authors applied noise exposure and audiometry information collected on 156 Chinese textile workers to develop a method of identifying individuals susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss. They estimated noise-induced hearing threshold shift (NIHTS) by averaging the adjusted hearing thresholds at 3, 4, and 6 kHz of both ears, and they fitted a quadratic model to describe the dose-response relationship between cumulative noise exposure and NIHTS. The residual between the actual NIHTS and the model-predicted NIHTS indicated susceptibility.

Isolation and cloning of a metalloproteinase from king cobra snake venom.

A 50 kDa fibrinogenolytic protease, ohagin, from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah was isolated by a combination of gel filtration, ion-exchange and heparin affinity chromatography. Ohagin specifically degraded the alpha-chain of human fibrinogen and the proteolytic activity was completely abolished by EDTA, but not by PMSF, suggesting it is a metalloproteinase. It dose-dependently inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP, TMVA and stejnulxin.

Regulatory role of PopN and its interacting partners in type III secretion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The type III secretion system (T3SS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa plays a significant role in pathogenesis. We have previously identified type III secretion factor (TSF), which is required for effective secretion of the type III effector molecules, in addition to the low calcium signal. TSF includes many low-affinity high-capacity calcium binding proteins, such as serum albumin and casein.

[The difference of nerve growth factor and ciliary neurotrophic factor between the sensitive and motor fibres regeneration].

Objective: To investigate the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) to promoting the sensitive and motor fibres regeneration.

Methods: Thirty two Sprague-Dawley rats with 10 mm gap of sciatic nerve were operated and bridged with the new double channel nerve conduit in rhomboid shape. They were randomly divided into two groups, with each in twelve animals.

[Relationship between sample size and variation of means for personal noise exposure in weaving workers].

Objective: To explore the relationship between sample size and variance of means for personal noise exposure in weaving workers as to contributing evidence for establishing personal noise exposure measurement guideline.

Methods: A personal noise exposure measurement database from a group of weaving workers was used in the randomized re-sampling data analysis. The sampling cases were one number selecting from one to fifteen at each randomized re-sampling procedure.

A novel signal transduction system and feedback loop regulate fructan hydrolase gene expression in Streptococcus mutans.

The fruA gene of Streptococcus mutans encodes for a secreted fructan hydrolase (fructanase), an established virulence determinant required for releasing D-fructose from levan- and inulin-type fructans. Expression of fruA is under the control of carbon catabolite repression and is induced by growth in fructans. In this report, we identified an operon in S.

TBLR1 regulates the expression of nuclear hormone receptor co-repressors.

Background: Transcription is regulated by a complex interaction of activators and repressors. The effectors of repression are large multimeric complexes which contain both the repressor proteins that bind to transcription factors and a number of co-repressors that actually mediate transcriptional silencing either by inhibiting the basal transcription machinery or by recruiting chromatin-modifying enzymes.

Results: TBLR1 [GenBank: NM024665] is a co-repressor of nuclear hormone transcription factors.

[Measurement of personal noise exposure in a cold rolling mill].

Objective: To measure and evaluate the personal noise exposure of cold rolling mill workers by using noise dosimeter.

Methods: According to job category and work type, all workers were divided into 11 groups. 3 to 5 day shift (8:00 to 16:00) workers from each group were selected as subjects for personal noise exposure measurement.

Characterization of cis-acting sites controlling arginine deiminase gene expression in Streptococcus gordonii.

The arginine deiminase system (ADS) is responsible for the production of ornithine, CO2, ammonia, and ATP from arginine. The ADS of the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii plays major roles in physiologic homeostasis, acid tolerance, and oral biofilm ecology. To further our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of the ADS (arc) operon, the binding of the ArcR transcriptional activator, which governs expression of the ADS in response to arginine, was investigated by DNase I protection and gel mobility shift assays.

aph(3')-IIb, a gene encoding an aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme, is under the positive control of surrogate regulator HpaA.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa harbors a chromosomal aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene, aph(3')-IIb, which confers P. aeruginosa resistance to several important aminoglycoside antibiotics, including kanamycin A and B, neomycin B and C, butirosin, and seldomycin F5. The aph(3')-IIb gene has been found to be regulated by an AraC-type transcriptional regulator (HpaA) encoded by a gene located upstream of the aph(3')-IIb gene.

Effect of nerve growth factor on changes of myelin basic protein and functional repair of peripheral nerve following sciatic nerve injury in rats.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on changes of myelin basic protein (MBP) and functional repair of sensory and motor nerve following sciatic nerve injury.

Methods: The sciatic nerves of rats were injured by sectioning with shaver,and divided into 3 groups: NGF group (Group A), group of normal saline solution (Group B), untreated group (Group C). The time point of observation was at the 4th week after operation.

Experimental study on the apoptosis of the astrocytes and the oligodendrocytes induced by Ca(2+) reperfusion.

Objective: To investigate the apoptosis rules of the astrocytes and oligodendrocytes induced by Ca(2+) reperfusion.

Methods: The apoptosis of purified cultured astrocytes and oligodendrocytes induced by Ca(2+) reperfusion and the relationship between the development of the cell apoptosis and post-reperfusion time was observed.

Results: Both the astrocytes and oligodendrocytes were obviously in a time-dependent fashion, and the apoptosis ratios of the oligodendrocytes (39.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa mediated apoptosis requires the ADP-ribosylating activity of exoS.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that primarily infects immunocompromised individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis. Using a tissue culture system, invasive strains of P. aeruginosa were discovered to induce apoptosis at high frequency in HeLa and other epithelial and fibroblast cell lines.