The change of blood alcohol concentration in vivo and its influencing factor analysis / 中国法医学杂志

Objective To explore the changes of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and its influencing factors in alcohol consumption, and establish a mathematical model of BAC metabolism. Methods The BAC was measured by using the gas chromatograph and the internal standard curve method, and the data was analyzed by SPSS20.0 and R and the mathematical model was established. Results On average women BAC elimination rate is 9.54mg/100mL/h, the average male BAC elimination rate is 12.19mg/100mL/h, women elimination rate less than men, and BAC elimination rate is related to gender of medium and related to the weight of strong, has nothing to do with age. According to the results of the mixed effects model, the mixed effect model can predict the BAC accurately, the mean absolute error (MAE) is 1.60mg/100mL, and the data is analyzed by the decision tree method, and MAE is 9.99mg/100mL. Conclusion BAC elimination rate was associated with sex and weight after drinking, and the random-effect mixing model could be accurately inferred by time, alcohol consumption, sex and weight.

Construction of the recombinant varicella zoster virus carrying 3xflag gene / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

Objective To construct the recombinant varicella zoster virus (VZV)carrying 3xflag gene,3xflag was added to the VZV open reading frame 7 (ORF7)using GalK-based homologous recombination.Methods GalK and 3xflag gene fragments with 50 bp VZV ORF7 homologous arms were amplified by PCR.The obtained fragments were purified and transferred to the competent cells of VZV bacterial artificial chromosome (SW102-VZVWTBAC). The clones of VZV ORF7 with 3xflag (SW102-VZV ORF7-3xflag-BAC)were obtained by homologous recombination and selection from medium containing GalK and replaced GalK. The recombinant plasmids were extracted and transfected into ARPE-19 cells.The effect of VZV ORF7-3xflag on ARPE-19 cells was observed.Results The clones of VZV ORF7 with 3xflag (SW102-VZV ORF7-3xflag-BAC)were obtained.The virus patches with green fluorescence were observed three days after SW102-VZVWTBAC and SW102-VZV ORF7-3xflag-BAC were transfected into ARPE-19 cells.Western blot showed that ORF7 expression was effectively enhanced with 3xflag.Conclusion The recombinant VZV carrying 3xflag gene was obtained,which suggests that GalK-based homologous recombination is convenient,efficient and accurate in manipulating the gene virus of interest.

Desenvolvimento de comprimidos de liberação prolongada de nimesulida contendo ferrita para avaliação do trânsito gastrintestinal por meio de técnica biomagnética / Development of prolonged release tablets of nimesulide containing ferrite for evaluation of gastrointestinal transit by means of biomagnetic technique

As Formas Farmacêuticas de Liberação Prolongada (FFLP) têm sido uma alternativa eficaz na terapia, pois proporcionam maior adesão do paciente ao tratamento em função da redução da frequência de dosagem ao longo do dia, sendo sua principal característica, a modulação da liberação/dissolução do fármaco. Entretanto, esta etapa pode ser influenciada por diferentes fatores, dentre eles: os físico-químicos relacionados ao fármaco; os farmacêuticos, principalmente relacionados aos excipientes empregados e às técnicas de obtenção da forma farmacêutica (FF) e os fisiológicos do trato gastrintestinal (TGI), como por exemplo, o pH dos líquidos do TGI, o tempo de esvaziamento gástrico, a motilidade intestinal, entre outros. Desse modo, a avaliação do trânsito da FF no TGI, após a sua administração, permite uma melhor compreensão dos fatores que podem afetar as etapas de liberação/dissolução do fármaco in vivo. Dentre as técnicas empregadas com esse objetivo, destacam-se: a cintilografia e os métodos biomagnéticos. A Biosusceptometria de Corrente Alternada (BAC) é um método biomagnético que tem se mostrado promissor para este tipo de estudo, por ser não invasivo, portátil, livre de radiação ionizante, e por apresentar acurácia e versatilidade. Diante do exposto, o presente trabalho teve como objetivos, desenvolver e caracterizar sob o aspecto biofarmacotécnico in vitro, um sistema de liberação prolongada contendo nimesulida (fármaco-modelo) e marcador magnético (ferrita), visando obtenção de ferramenta para avaliação do trânsito gastrintestinal por meio de técnica biomagnética. Para isto foram desenvolvidas quatro formulações de comprimidos de liberação prolongada contendo nimesulida, ferrita e diferentes concentrações de hidroxipropilmetilcelulose (HPMC): NF1 (30% HPMC); NF2 (23% HPMC); NF3 (17% HPMC) e NF4 (10% HPMC). Essas foram avaliadas quanto ao comportamento de dissolução por meio de ensaios com aparato 4 e avaliação da cinética e da eficiência de dissolução (ED%). Posteriormente, estudos biomagnéticos, in vitro e in vivo, foram conduzidos com emprego da técnica de BAC para a formulação selecionada. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que as 04 formulações desenvolvidas apresentaram porcentagens de dissolução distintas em função das diferentes concentrações de HPMC (NF1 = 13,2%; NF2 = 40,1%; NF3 = 72,5% e NF4 = 91,5%). A formulação NF4, com menor concentração de HPMC, foi escolhida para os estudos por meio de BAC em função dos resultados de ED% (54,3%) e por apresentar comportamento mais próximo de uma formulação de liberação prolongada. Em relação aos resultados de BAC in vitro, destaca-se que a formulação NF4 (10%HPMC) apresentou aumento de área magnética de forma independente do pH do meio, sugerindo que a hidratação/intumescimento da HPMC independe do pH. Em relação à avaliação do trânsito intestinal (estudo in vivo) foram obtidos os seguintes dados: Tempo médio de Residência Gástrica (TTR) - 89 minutos; Tempo médio do Trânsito Orocecal (TTO) - 313 minutos e Tempo médio do Trânsito Intestinal (TTI) - 224 minutos. Os dados de BAC in vivo permitiram observar que o aumento de área magnética atingiu um platô em cerca de 80 minutos após a administração da formulação NF4. A comparação dos dados de BAC in vitro e BAC in vivo, relacionados ao trânsito gastrintestinal, indica que a formulação NF4, após apresentar o ápice de intumescimento, foi capaz de manter sua estrutura permanente ao longo do TGI, favorecendo assim a liberação modulada do fármaco. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a formulação desenvolvida foi eficiente para avaliar e caracterizar o trânsito no TGI por meio da técnica de BAC e também permitiram uma estimativa do comportamento do fármaco em relação a solubilidade em cada porção do TGI, proporcionando assim uma ferramenta adequada para avaliação do trânsito do TGI e desenvolvimento de FFLP

Extended Release (ER) dosage forms have been an effective alternative in therapy, since they provide greater patient adherence to treatment as a function of the reduction of the frequency of dosing throughout the day, its main characteristic being the release / dissolution modulation of the drug. However, this stage can be influenced by different factors, among them: the physical and chemical related to the drug; the pharmacists, mainly related to the excipients employed and the techniques of obtaining the form dosage and the physiological ones of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), as for example, the pH of the liquid of the GI tract, gastric emptying time, intestinal motility, among others. Thus, assessment of dosage forms transit in GI tract after its administration allows a better understanding of the factors that may affect the drug release / dissolution steps in vivo. Among the techniques used for this purpose, the following stand out: scintigraphy and biomagnetic methods. Alternating Current Biosensiometry (ACB) is a biomagnetic method that has shown promise for this type of study, since it is non-invasive, portable, free of ionizing radiation, and because of its accuracy and versatility. In view of the above, the aim of this work was to develop and characterize a sustained release system containing nimesulide (study drug) and magnetic marker (ferrite) under the in vitro biopharmaceutical aspect, aiming to obtain a tool to evaluate the GI tract transit through means of biomagnetic technique. For this, four formulations of extended release tablets containing nimesulide, ferrite and different concentrations of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC): NF1 (30% HPMC) were developed; NF2 (23% HPMC); NF3 (17% HPMC) and NF4 (10% HPMC). These were evaluated for dissolution behavior by apparatus 4, assays and kinetics and dissolution efficiency (ED%). Subsequently, biomagnetic studies, in vitro and in vivo, were conducted using the ACB technique for the selected formulation. The results showed that the formulations developed showed different percentages of dissolution as a function of the different concentrations of HPMC (NF1 = 13.2%, NF2 = 40.1%, NF3 = 72.5% and NF4 = 91.5%). The NF4 formulation, with a lower concentration of HPMC, was chosen for the ACB studies as a function of ED% results (54,3%) and because of the behavior of a sustained release formulation. In relation to the in vitro ACB results, the NF4 formulation (10% HPMC) showed an increase in magnetic area independently of the pH of the medium, suggesting that the HPMC hydration / swelling is independent of pH. In relation to intestinal transit evaluation (in vivo study) the following data were obtained: Mean Time of Gastric Residency (TTR) - 89 minutes; Mean Time of Orocecal Transit (OCTT) - 313 minutes and Mean Time of lntestinal Transit (TTI) - 224 minutes. ACB data in vivo showed that the increase in magnetic area reached a plateau in about 80 minutes after administration of the NF4 formulation. Comparison of in vitro ACB and ACB data in vivo, related to gastrointestinal transit, indicates that the NF4 formulation, after showing the swelling apex, was able to maintain its permanent structure throughout the GI tract, thus favoring the modulated release of the drug. The obtained results demonstrated that the developed formulation was efficient to evaluate and characterize the transit in the GI tract by means of the ACB technique and allowed a prediction of the behavior of the drug in relation to the solubility in each portion of the GI tract, thus providing a suitable tool for evaluation of the GI tract transit and the development of sustained release formulation

Construction of in vitro high-throughput screening system for activin receptor-like kinases 4, 5 and 7 inhibitors / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To establish an in vitro screening system for activin receptor-like kinase 4,5 and 7 (ALK4,ALK5 and ALK7) inhibitors.METHODS The insect expression systems for kinase domain of ALK4,5,7 and Smad2/3 proteins were established using the Bac to Bac baculovirus expression system.The desired proteins were expressed in Sf9 insect cells and purified by GST affinity.The screening system was composed of the kinase,Smad3 protein,ATP as well as the compound.The impact of the compound on the activities of ALK kinase domains was examined by measuring the amount of remnant ATP in the system as ALKs catalyzed the phosphorylation of Smad3 protein and consumed ATP during the process.The screening conditions were optimized,and validation of the screening system was conducted using known ALKs inhibitors.RESULTS All the reconstructed Bacmids were identified to be correct by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion.All the proteins were expressed in Sf9 insect cells after transfection,and purified proteins were achieved by GST affinity purification.For the screening system,the optimized kinase concentration and Smad3 concentration were 10 mg· L-1 and the optimized ATP concentration was 10 nmol·L-1.The Z'factor for ALK4,ALK5,and ALK7 kinase inhibitors screening system was 0.71,0.51 and 0.74,respectively.The well-known ALK inhibitor SB431542 inhibited the catalytic activities of ALK4,ALK5,and ALK7 with IC50 values of 22,188 and 91 nmol· L-1,respectively.CONCLUSION The in vitro screening system for ALK4,ALK5 and ALK7 inhibitors is successfully established.

Expression and purification of autotoxin in sf9 insect cells / 中国生化药物杂志

Objective Production of autotoxin protein in sf9 insect cells with biological activity. Methods Autotaxin cDNA was cloned into pFastBacTMHTA from melanoma cell by extraction of total RNA using TRIzol method and RT-PCR. Bacmid-ATX is isolated from transformed competent bacterial DH10 which carries Bac genomic sequences and transfected into sf9 using lipofectamine 2000. Recombinant ATX virus was amplified in sf9 and further used for infection and expression of ATX protein. Two step purification product using HistrapTMHP and Hiload 16/600 Suerdex 200pg was determined for lysophospholipase D (lysoPLD) activity. Results Correct insertion of PCR fragment is confirmed by BamH I/Xho I digestion and sequencing. ATX virus can infect sf9 and induced enzymatic activity. Column purification and SDS-PAGE resulted 95% in purity and 6mg/liter in yield with significant lysoPLD activity. Conclusion ATX Baculovirus was successfully constructed that can infect sf9 cells and express active lysoPLD. Production of active ATX can be used for crystalography studies and screening for small pharmaceutical inhibitors.

misMM: An Integrated Pipeline for Misassembly Detection Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing and Its Validation with BAC End Library Sequences and Gene Synteny

As next-generation sequencing technologies have advanced, enormous amounts of whole-genome sequence information in various species have been released. However, it is still difficult to assemble the whole genome precisely, due to inherent limitations of short-read sequencing technologies. In particular, the complexities of plants are incomparable to those of microorganisms or animals because of whole-genome duplications, repeat insertions, and Numt insertions, etc. In this study, we describe a new method for detecting misassembly sequence regions of Brassica rapa with genotyping-by-sequencing, followed by MadMapper clustering. The misassembly candidate regions were cross-checked with BAC clone paired-ends library sequences that have been mapped to the reference genome. The results were further verified with gene synteny relations between Brassica rapa and Arabidopsis thaliana. We conclude that this method will help detect misassembly regions and be applicable to incompletely assembled reference genomes from a variety of species.

Establishment of Abcb1 knock out rat and Abcb1 humanized rat models / 中国比较医学杂志

Objective To knock out the Abcb1 gene of rat,and establish the Abcb1 humanized rat model based on the Abcb1 knock out rat.Methods The animal model was established using BAC and CRISPR/Cas9 technology,and was analyzed by PCR, RT-PCR and real-time PCR.Results Establishing a rat model expressing human Abcb1 stably by transfer the 153 kb BAC containing human Abcb1 promoter and cDNA into rat genome, and establishing the Abcb1 knock out rat at the same time.Establishing the Abcb1 humanized model by crossing these two strains together.The expression pattern of Abcb1 in Abcb1 humanized rat is different from the wild type rat.The Abcb1 humanized model express not only the human Abcb1 gene but also has similar expression pattern as human.Conclusions The Abcb1 knock out rat and the Abcb1 humanized rat were successfully established, and this model is close to human concerning about the drug metabolism related to Abcb1.

Construction and identification of KIF18A protein baculovirus expression system / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective KIF18A is a protein that has close relation with mitotic regulation and tumor development.This study aimed to establish KIF18A protein expression system in baculovirus,which may help to realize high efficient synthesis of KIF1 8A protein in vitro.Methods Transfer vector was constructed with molecular cloning method,and recombinant baculovirus were obtained through gene transposition.KIF18A protein was expressed by transforming recombinant baculovirus into infected insect Sf-9 cells to realize the synthesis efficiency.Results It was confirmed by DNA sequencing,microscopic observation and Western Blot that the KIF18A protein expression system in baculovirus was successfully established.Conclusions Conditions for transfer vector and recombinant virus transfection are defined,and high efficient KIF18A protein baculovirus expression system are successfully constructed.

Expression of soluble H1N1 haemegglutinin in two distinct insect baculovirus expression systems / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To express functional haemegglutinin(HA)protein in two different bacularvirus expression systems.Methods The whole open reading frame of A/Sichuan/1/2009(H1N1)HA was obtained by synthesis,and the HA protein were expressed in insect cells by two different bacularvius expression systems:BaculoGold system and Bac-to-Bac system. Soluble HA protein was identified by Western blot and haemegglutination test. Results The correct full length of HA gene was obtained and cloned into pAcGP67B and pFAST Bacl vectors,respectively.After 3 rounds of virus amplifyjng by re-infection of Sf9 cells,the HA protein was detected in supematant of BaculoGold system and in intracellular of Bac-to-Bac system which is much better than the former.Purified HA protein was positive not only identified by Western blot,but also detected by haemegglutinin test. Conclusion Functional HA protein was successfully expressed in two distinct bacularvirus expression systems,of which the Bac-to-Bac bacularvirus expression system is more suitable for expression of A/Sichuan/1/2009(H1N1)HA protein.

Preparation of the Coxsackievirus A16 VP1 subunit vaccine and detection of its immunogenicity / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To prepare VP1 protein vaccine of Coxsackievirus A16(CA16) and evalu-ate immunngenicity the subunit vaccines of Coxsackievirus (VP1), and to establish foundation for studying CA16 vaccine. Methods CA16 VP1 was amplified by RT-PCR and cloned into pFastBac HT A plasmid, recombinated with Bacmid DNA by transposition reaction and then transfected Sf9 cell, mixed with adjuvant AI(OH)_3. After immunization BALB/c mice, evaluating immune effectiveness after booster injections 2 weeks. Results The expressed protein was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot, mice immunized with CA16 (VP1) both induced specific IgG antibody and neutralization antibody. The best immunization antigen was 20 μg, IgG antibody was 1: 1600, neutralization antibody was 1:250, typical Th1/Th2 immune response was determined by lymphocyte proliferation assay and cytokine analysis. Conclusion The CA16 VP1 gene was cloned successfully and expressed in Sf9 insect cells, CA16 VP1 protein vaccine induced both humoral and cellular immune response, to lay solid foundation for further study on CA16 vaccine.

A study of blood alcohol levels among drunk drivers in mauritius and literature review.

This study was conducted to assess the trends of drunk driving offences in Mauritius, and the relationship with motor vehicle accidents. It is well known that driving under the influence of alcohol increases the risk of motor vehicle accidents. Data obtained from police road safety unit (1999–2001) and forensic science laboratory (1992–2000) were analyzed. More than 85% of drunk drivers had BAC above 0.08%. In 2003, the permissible blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit had been lowered from 0.08 to 0.05. This article provides a summary of the evidence regarding the benefits of reducing the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for driving. Although moderate alcohol intake (20 grams ethanol; two standard drinks or less) may not violate BAC laws, it still carries significant risk of motor-vehicle accidents.

Abnormally High Blood Ethanol Concentration of Heart Blood : A Case Report and Review of Literatures / 대한법의학회지

A 48 years old man was sent to hospital through emergency room immediately after head injuries. He was arrived at hospital being dead and autopsy was done sixty hours later after insult. Multiple skull fractures and brain parenchymal contusions, subarachnoid hemorrhage, stem hemorrhage were noted, and these injuries were considering as a cause of death. Interestingly, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) using cardiac blood was very high (0.738%) in this case. Here in, we report abnormally high BAC in heart blood which is not a cause of death and we review the general aspects about alcohol concentration interpretation.

Construction of the Bac-to-Bac System of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedroviru / 中国病毒学

To construct the Bac-to-Bac expression system of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), a transfer vector was constructed which contained an Escherichia coli (E. coli) mini-F replicon and a lacZ: attTN7: lacZ cassette within the upstream and downstream regions of the BmNPV polyhedrin gene. B. mori larvae were cotransfected with wild-type BmNPV genomic DNA and the transfer vector through subcutaneous injection to generate recombinant viruses by homologous recombination in vivo. The genomic DNA of budded viruses extracted from the hemolymph of the transfected larvae was used to transform E. coli DH10B. Recombinant bacmids were screened by kanamycin resistance, PCR and restriction enzyme (REN) digestion. One of the bacmid colonies, BmBacJS13, which had similar REN profiles to that of wild-type BmNPV, was selected for further research. To investigate the infectivity of BmBacJS13, the polyhedrin gene was introduced into the bacmid and the resultant recombinant (BmBacJS13-ph) was transfected to BmN cells. The budded viruses were collected from the supernatant of the transfected cells and used for infecting BmN cells. Growth curve analysis indicated that BmBacJS13-ph had a similar growth curve to that of wild-type BmNPV. Bio-assays indicated that BmBacJS13-ph was also infectious to B. mori larvae.

Genomic gain and loss of cervical cancer using BAC Chip / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: Cervical cancer has long been linked to the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), and the oncoproteins E6 and E7 disrupt the functions of tumour suppressor genes, resulting in genetic alteration. It was shown that loss of heterozygosity at 6p is a common genetic alteration in cervical cancer. However, the molecular genetics of cancer have only recently been understood, and for the development of cervical cancer additional genetic alterations in host cell genes are required. The present study has identified the differential changes of the cervical cancer-associated genetic alterations by a genome-wide array based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH). METHODS: We analyzed 15 cases of cervical cancer from St. Mary's hospital of The paraffin-fixed tissue samples were microdissected under microscope and DNA was extracted by the procedures of proteinase K digestion and chloroform extraction. Array-based CGH and genomic PCR were carried out with statistical analyses such as hierarchical clustering and Gene Ontology. The BAC array used in this study consisted of 1,440 human BACs, the space among the clones were approximately 2.08 megabase (Macrogen, Seoul, Korea). RESULTS: All of 15 cases of cervical cancer showed specific gains and losses. The analysis limit of average gains and losses was 53%. A significant positive correlation was found between 1p36.32, 3p14.2, 3q27.1, 7p21.1, 8q24.3 and 11q13.1 changes through the cervical carcinogenesis. The high-level of gain regions, BAC clones encoded GSDMDC1, RECQL4, TP73, ABCF3, ALG3, HDAC9, ESRRA and RPS6KA4 genes. Frequently gained BAC clones encoded genes were PRSS8, FUS, COL18A1, PCOLN3, MAFG and ASPSCR1. The genes encoded by frequently lost BAC clones were PTPRG, GRM7, ZDHHC3, EXOSC7, LRP1B and NR3C2. Also, hierarchical clustering of the expression data readily distinguished genomic alterations in cervical cancer. A subset of cellular processes from each gene was clustered by Gene Ontology database. CONCLUSION: Using Array-CGH, genomic alterations related to cervical cancer were identified to determine whether induction of chromosomal imbalances occurs prior to carcinogenesis. The high resolution of array-CGH combined with human genome database would give a chance to find out possible target genes present in the gained or lost clones.

Chromosomal Information of 1,144 Korean BAC Clones

We sequenced 1,841 BAC clones by terminal sequencing, and 1,830 of these clones were characterized with regard to their human chromosomal location and gene content using Korean BAC library constructed at the Korean Science (KCGS). Sequence analyses of the 1,830 BAC clones was performed for chromosomal assignment: 1,144 clones were assigned to a single chromosome, 190 clones apparently assigned to more than one chromosome, and 496 clones to no chromosome. Evaluating gene content of the 1,144 BAC clones, we found that 706 clones represented 1,069 genes of which 415 genes existed in the BAC clones covering the full sequence of the gene, 180 genes covering a 50%~99%, and 474 genes covering less than 50% of the gene coverage. The estimated covering size of the KBAC clones was 73,379 kilobases (kb), in total corresponding to 2.3% of haploid human genome sequence. The identified BAC clones will be a public genomic resource for mapped clones for diagnostic and functional studies by Korean scientists and investigators worldwide.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis Using Third Generation Cephalosporins Can Reduce the Risk of Early Rebleeding in the First Acute Gastroesophageal Variceal Hemorrhage: A Prospective Randomized Study

Bacterial infection may be a critical trigger for variceal bleeding. Antibiotic prophylaxis can prevent rebleeding in patients with acute gastroesophageal variceal bleeding (GEVB). The aim of the study was to compare prophylactic third generation cephalosporins with on-demand antibiotics for the prevention of gastroesophageal variceal rebleeding. In a prospective trial, patients with the first acute GEVB were randomly assigned to receive prophylactic antibiotics (intravenous cefotaxime 2 g q 8 hr for 7 days, prophylactic antibiotics group) or to receive the same antibiotics only when infection became evident (on-demand group). Sixty-two patients in the prophylactic group and 58 patients in the on-demand group were included for analysis. Antibiotic prophylaxis decreased infection (3.2% vs. 15.5%, p=0.026). The actuarial rebleeding rate in the prophylactic group was significantly lower than that in the ondemand group (33.9% vs. 62.1%, p=0.004). The difference of rebleeding rate was mostly due to early rebleeding within 6 weeks (4.8% vs. 20.7%, p=0.012). On multivariate analysis, antibiotic prophylaxis (relative hazard: 0.248, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.067-0.919, p=0.037) and bacterial infection (relative hazard: 3.901, 95% CI: 1.053-14.448, p=0.042) were two independent determinants of early rebleeding. In conclusion, antibiotic prophylaxis using third generation cephalosporins can prevent bacterial infection and early rebleeding in patients with the first acute GEVB.

Construction of Chromosome-Specific BAC Libraries from the Filamentous Ascomycete Ashbya gossypii

It is clear that the construction of large insert DNA libraries is important for map-based gene cloning, the assembly of physical maps, and simple screening for specific genomic sequences. The bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) system is likely to be an important tool for map-based cloning of genes since BAC libraries can be constructed simply and analyzed more efficiently than yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) libraries. BACs have significantly expanded the size of fragments from eukaryotic genomes that can be cloned in Escherichia coli as plasmid molecules. To facilitate the isolation of molecular-biologically important genes in Ashbya gossypii, we constructed Ashbya chromosome-specific BAC libraries using pBeloBAC11 and pBACwich vectors with an average insert size of 100 kb, which is equivalent to 19.8X genomic coverage. pBACwich was developed to streamline map-based cloning by providing a tool to integrate large DNA fragments into specific sites in chromosomes. These chromosome-specific libraries have provided a useful tool for the further characterization of the Ashbya genome including positional cloning and genome sequencing.

The Effect of Antiglaucoma Medication on Cultured Human Conjunctival Epithelial Cells

PURPOSE: To investigate the toxicity of a short-term application of timolol maleate, dorzolamide, and benzalkonium chloride (BAC) on human conjunctival epithelial cells in vitro. METHODS: Chang's conjunctival epithelial cell line was treated for 5 min, 15 min, 30 min, and 60 min with various concentrations of timolol, dorzloamide, or BAC, and then examined 4 hrs or 24 hrs later. Cell viabilities were assessed by MTT assay. The expressions of various cytokines by timolol maleate, dorzolamide, and BAC treatment in human conjunctival epithelial cells were evaluated using ELISPOT. RESULTS: BAC significantly decreased survival of conjunctival epithelial cells in a dose and time dependent manner compared with timolol and dorzolamide. Inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-8, were highly expressed in conjunctival epithelial cells treated with timolol, dorzolamide, and BAC. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that increased expression of inflammatory markers, IL-6 and IL-8 might explain the ocular surface disorder in patients receiving antiglaucoma medication.

The Antibiotic Effect of BAC-STAT LASIK Ring in LASIK

PURPOSE: An attempt was made to determine if the pre-LASIK operative BAC-STAT LASIK Ring plays a role in reducing postoperative infection. METHODS: Candidates for this study were 72 eyes of 36 patients, scheduled to undergo LASIK operation. Eyes were divided into two groups: right eyes with preoperative BAC-STAT bacteriostatic LASIK Ring (BAC-STAT LASIK Ring: American Optisurgical Inc., Lake Forest, California, U.S.A.) and one minute of irrigation (experimental group), and left eyes with only preoperative BSS irrigation (control group). The authors tried to demonstrate a difference of identified pathogens between the two groups after a growth of bulboconjunctival lesion in blood agar plate (BAP), MacConkey agar plate (MCA), Thioglycolate medium broth (TG), and Ogawa egg medium. RESULTS: Among the patients receiving only BSS irrigation, pathogens were identified in eight eyes before surgery and in four eyes after surgery in BAP and MCA medium. Among the patients receiving BAC-STAT LASIK Ring and irrigation, pathogens were identified in nine eyes before surgery and in three eyes after surgery in BAP and MCA culture medium. In addition, among the control population, pathogens were found in 21 eyes both before and after surgery in TG culture medium. However, among the experimental population, pathogens were grown in 23 eyes before surgery but in only 14 eyes after surgery. No growth of pathogens was reported in all patients before and after surgery in a 4-week Ogawa egg culture medium. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that preoperative BAC-STAT LASIK Ring insertion followed by irrigation decreases the incidence of postoperative infection.

The knowledge, practice of mothers and community health workers on antenatal care in Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province

The knowledge and practice of mothers and CHWs will strengthen quality of antenatal care. Objectives: To describe knowledge, practice of mothers and practice of CHWs on antenatal care in Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province in 2003. Methods: 150 mothers and 16 CHWs were included in a cross-sectional study using interviews and check lists. Results: (a) The knowledge of mothers on antenatal care including: the necessary of antenatal check up is 63.1%; vaccination of tetanus: 61.3%; use acid folic and iron: 37.3%; good nutrition: 58.7%. (b) The practice of mothers on prenatal care: get antenatal check up 3 times or more are 70.7%; vaccination of tetanus is 98.7% but the pregnant women who completed two doses get up 90.7%. The mothers had been provided iron supplementation is 64%. 62% of mothers had been supplied a good nutrition during pregnancy. 36.7% pregnancies had decrease in working time and 36% had withdrawn from work just before delivery. (c) The quality and practice skills of CHWs is no attained yet according to the National Standard on RH servies, in particular all pregnant women had not tested for proteinuria. Conclusion: It is needed to strengthen knowledge, practice of mothers and practice of CHWs on antenatal care according to the National standard on RH servies.