[Analysis on job burnout status and its influencing factors of grassroots public health service personnel in Huaian city].

Objective: To analyze the status of job burnout among the community and township public health workers, and to provide scientific basis for formulating comprehensive prevention and control measures. Methods: A census sampling method was used to investigate the job burnout by using the self-made general demographic data questionnaire and the MBI-GS in HuaiAn. Results: A total of 1074 valid questionnaires were collected, and the total physical examination rate of job burnout was 58.7%, 51.3% were mild burnout, 7.4% were highly burnout. Multivariate ordered logistic regression analysis showed that sex (OR=1.32), chronic disease (OR=1.92)、and daily working hours greater than 7 h (OR=1.40)、township health center (OR=1.31) were independent risk factors for occupational burnout. The age "≥51" (OR=0.45)、"41~" (OR=0.58) are the independent protective factors for the occurrence of job burnout. Conclusion: Job burnout detection rate was high in the staff of essential public health service, sex, daily working hours, health status, age and work unit are the main factors influencing job burnout.

Methionine synthase A2756G polymorphism and lymphoma risk: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The association between methionine synthase (MS) A2756G polymorphism and lymphoma risk was studied with conflicting results. The present meta-analysis aimed to investigate the overall association between MS A2756G polymorphism and lymphoma risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed and Embase databases until March 30, 2017, for articles that assessed the association between MS A2756G polymorphism and lymphoma risk. Statistical analyses were performed using the Revman 5.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 14 articles involving 4,156 cases and 6,407 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Combined analysis revealed no association between this polymorphism and lymphoma susceptibility (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.74-1.16, p = 0.50 for GG vs. GA+AA). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed decreased lymphoma risk with the MS A2756G gene polymorphism among Caucasians in GG+GA vs. AA and G vs. A models, but not among Asians. Subgroup analysis by disease type suggested that GG homozygous and G alleles were not associated with risks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), the subtype of NHL including the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS: The results in this meta-analysis suggest no association between the MS A2756G polymorphism and lymphoma risk; however, the GG homozygous and G alleles could decrease the lymphoma risk in Caucasians.

Gene expression profiling of epithelial ovarian cancer reveals key genes and pathways associated with chemotherapy resistance.

The aim of this study is to analyze gene expression data to identify key genes and pathways associated with resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and to improve clinical treatment strategies. The gene expression data set was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus and included 12 chemotherapy-resistant EOC samples and 16 chemotherapy-sensitive EOC samples. A differential analysis was performed to screen out differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A functional enrichment analysis was conducted for the DEGs using the database for annotation, visualization, and integration discovery. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed with information from the human protein reference database. Pathway-pathway interactions were determined with a test based on the hypergeometric distribution. A total of 1564 DEGs were identified in chemotherapy-sensitive EOC, including 654 upregulated genes and 910 downregulated genes. The top three upregulated genes were HIST1H3G, AKT3, and RTN3, while the top three downregulated genes were NBLA00301, TRIM62, and EPHA5. A Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed that cell adhesion, biological adhesion, and intracellular signaling cascades were significantly enriched in the DEGs. A KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the calcium, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and B cell receptor signaling pathways were significantly over-represented in the DEGs. A PPI network containing 101 interactions was acquired. The top three hub genes were RAC1, CAV1, and BCL2. Five modules were identified from the PPI network. Taken together, these findings could advance the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying intrinsic chemotherapy resistance in EOC.

Effects of Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles on Nucleation and Crystal Growth in the Vitrified VS55 During Warming.

　　BACKGROUND：Magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs), once excited by radiofrequency (RF) energy, could heat uniformly and rapidly the vitrified biospecimens. However, there are few studies about the impact of mNPs on crystallization kinetics of vitrified samples. OBJECTIVES: The present work aims to investigate the nucleation and crystal growth in the vitrification solution VS55 with mNPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ferrotec EMG308 superparamagnetic nanoparticles (10 ± 2.5 nm in diameter) coated with an anionic surfactant was used in this study with Fe2+ concentration around 10 mg/ml. The thermal range and the kinetics of nucleation and crystal growth are conducted by DSC and cryomicroscope through different thermal treatments. RESULTS: The fusion heat of VS55+ mNPs is lower than that of VS55 around the rubbery region (-110 to -82 degree C), which suggests the suppression of ice nuclei formation at this temperature range by mNPs. Upon slow cooling especially, much more nuclei in vitrified VS55 forms than that in vitrified VS55+mNPs. The activation energy Ea of VS55 is lower than that of VS55+mNPs (41.6 kJ/mol vs 46.2 kJ/mol) during devitrification. The presence of mNPs helps to form more stable glass. And these results are consistent with the observations by cryomicroscope. CONCLUSION: The presence of mNPs suppresses ice nuclei formation, especially at slow cooling conditions, and stabilize the cryoprotective solution. The findings can assist the design of magnetic nanoparticles with functional surface coating.

Heat-shock-induced glucose transporter 4 in the slow-twitch muscle of rats.

In this study, lipoic acid and heat shock treatments were applied to C(2)C(12) myotubes and Sprague-Dawley rats to investigate changes in the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in 4 different skeletal muscle groups. The results of western blotting indicated that treatment of lipoic acid for 24 h, heat-shock and combined lipoic acid and heat-shock which all increased the level of HSP70 substantially in C(2)C(12) myotubes. However, either lipoic acid or heat-shock did not increase the level of GLUT4 in C(2)C(12) myotubes. In an in vitro migration assay, lipoic acid increased wound migration only when it was applied for 3 h. Moreover, our in vivo results revealed that lipoic acid did not increase HSP70 and GLUT4 in all 4 different skeletal muscles. Furthermore, heat-shock increased HSP70 in all 4 different muscle groups, and heat-shock treatment alone increased the GLUT4 in the soleus muscle only, suggesting that the GLUT4 increased by heat-shock was slow-twitch muscle specific. Collectively, our results indicated that heat-shock is critical factor that modulates GLUT4 and HSP70 in the skeletal muscle of rats.

RNA is favourable for analysing EGFR mutations in malignant pleural effusion of lung cancer.

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a useful specimen allowing for the evaluation of EGFR status in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, direct sequencing of genomic DNA from MPE samples was found not to be sensitive for EGFR mutation detection. To test whether EGFR analysis from RNA is less prone to interference from nontumour cells that have no or lower EGFR expression, we compared three methods (sequencing from cell-derived RNA versus sequencing and mass-spectrometric analysis from genomic DNA), in parallel, for EGFR mutation detection from MPE samples in 150 lung adenocarcinoma patients receiving first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Among these MPE samples, EGFR mutations were much more frequently identified by sequencing using RNA than by sequencing and mass-spectrometric analysis from genomic DNA (for all mutations, 67.3 versus 44.7 and 46.7%; for L858R or exon 19 deletions, 61.3 versus 41.3 and 46.7%, respectively). The better mutation detection yield of sequencing from RNA was coupled with the superior prediction of clinical efficacy of first-line TKIs. In patients with acquired resistance, EGFR sequencing from RNA provided satisfactory detection of T790M (54.2%). These results demonstrated that EGFR sequencing using RNA as template greatly improves sensitivity for EGFR mutation detection from samples of MPE, highlighting RNA as the favourable source for analysing EGFR mutations from heterogeneous MPE specimens in NSCLC.

Cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the second internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA for three species of Eimeria from chickens in Taiwan.

Coccidiosis of chickens caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria (Coccidia: Eimeriidae) is an enteric disease that results in great economic losses throughout the world, including Taiwan. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific for the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA), three species of Eimeria, E. tenella, E. maxima, and E. acervulina have been successfully characterised from chickens in Taiwan. The sizes of PCR products from various isolates representing these three species were between 370 and 580 base pairs (bp). After cloning and sequencing of the PCR products, high nucleotide sequence identity (96.8-100%) was observed within a species. In addition, ITS-2 nucleotide sequences for E. tenella had higher homology (98.5-99.3%) than E. maxima (81.6-96.5%) when compared with appropriate sequences deposited in GenBank. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a 412-bp ITS-2 sequence for E. acervulina from chickens.

A new cross-reactive idiotype-defined family in the phthalate humoral immune response of mice. I. Linkage of VH-Xmp to IgCH allotype locus and mapping with respect to other known VH genes.

A cross-reactive idiotype family was previously identified from a very large library of phthalate-specific hybridoma clones. The prototype of this idiotype family is the hybridoma, 2E9, secreting an IgM antibody with phthalate specificity. A portion of both primary and secondary anti-phthalate antibodies elicited in all BALB/c mice tested expresses the 2E9 cross-reactive idiotype. This idiotype has now been found in the anti-phthalate antibodies of several other inbred strains of mice (A/HeHa, DBA/2, and C3Hf/HeHa) tested but not in C57BL/6 mice. Anti-phthalate antibodies elicited from congenic mice BC.8, which express the same IgCH allotype as BALB/c mice but possess C57BL/6 genetic background, contain the 2E9 cross-reactive idiotype, whereas this idiotype is not expressed on the anti-phthalate antibodies derived from another congenic mouse CB.20, which expresses a C57BL/6 IgCH allotype and a genetic background of the BALB/c strain. These results indicate that the gene controlling the 2E9 idiotype is closely linked to the IgCH allotype locus. The 2E9 cross-reactive idiotype was also found in all of the F1 mice (BALB/c X C57BL/6) tested, and the level of expression of this idiotype in the F1 mice was quantitatively equivalent to the allotype/idiotype homozygous mice. The expression of the 2E9 idiotype in the phthalate repertoire has been followed in 12 different wild mouse populations. As expected, the 2E9 idiotype was observed in a large proportion of the wild mouse strains. Surprisingly, several examples of nonconcordance in the expression of idiotype and allotype were observed in these mice. One likely explanation for the linkage breakdown is a crossing over of the heavy chain constant and variable region gene complexes. In the SM/J inbred strain of mice, where such a crossover has occurred, nonconcordance between allotype and 2E9 idiotype expression was demonstrated. By using the recombinant inbred BXD strains of mice, the VH gene encoding the 2E9 idiotype has been mapped with respect to other known VH gene families. Relative to other VH genes the VH-Xmp is situated very close to the IgCH gene region.

Cross-reactive idiotype family observed in the phthalate-specific B cell repertoire of adult BALB/c mice: diversity of IgM compared with IgG monoclonal anti-phthalate antibodies.

A highly conserved clonotype has been identified within the repertoire of B cells specific for the negatively charged hapten phthalate. The prototype of this phthalate-specific clonotype is a primary-response hybridoma (2E9) that produces a mu,kappa anti-phthalate antibody. The 2E9 monoclonal antibody was found to share idiotypic determinants with several other independently-derived mu,kappa and gamma 1,kappa anti-phthalate monoclonal antibodies and with a significant proportion of conventional anti-phthalate antibodies derived from all of the BALB/c mice immunized with phthalate-keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Competitive RIA analysis of the 2E9 idiotypic relatedness between primary and secondary response antibodies was consistent with the hypothesis that the primary response mu,kappa antibodies represent a conserved germ-line product, whereas the secondary response to gamma 1,kappa antibodies reflect somatic variants of the 2E9 clonotype. Further analysis with a site-specific anti-idiotype reagent suggests that the idiotypic differences between mu,kappa and gamma 1,kappa monoclonal antibodies occur at positions outside of the combining site. Fine specificity analysis of the monoclonal antibodies expressing the 2E9 cross-reactive idiotype (CRI) also supports this hypothesis. Seven to 35% of the anti-phthalate antibodies after a single immunization with phthalate-KLH and 1 to 10% of the antibodies after a second immunization express the 2E9 CRI. The 2E9 CRI was also found in several other strains of mice, and its expression was associated exclusively with anti-phthalate antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies specific for the mouse IgG1 allotypic determinants: reactivity with inbred and outbred mice.

C57BL/6J mice were immunized with an affinity purified monoclonal antibody (IgG1) derived from BALB/c mice and their spleen cells were fused with the mouse myeloma X63.Ag8.653. Two monoclonal antibodies (3A9, gamma 1,kappa and 1C10, gamma 1,kappa) derived from separate fusions were originally found to react with BALB/c monoclonal antibodies expressing a gamma 1 heavy chain isotype but not with other heavy chain isotypes. The results from strain distribution reactivity patterns indicate that these antibodies recognize determinants coded by the allotype locus designated Igh-4a. In a survey of 22 different inbred or congenic strains of mice, no additional polymorphism associated with this locus has been detected. However, allelic polymorphism of the gamma 1 heavy chain allotype does exist in the wild mouse population. The 3A9 and 1C10 antibodies recognize the same determinants (i.e., specificity 1) associated with Igh-4a allotype.

A filtration double antibody radioimmunoassay that simplifies and semi-automates the isolation of immune precipitates.

A semi-automation of fluid phase double antibody radioimmunoassay has been developed. The immune precipitate that was formed in 96-well microtitration plates was harvested and washed on microfibre filters using a Titertek cell harvester. A disc transfer system originally designed for use with the harvester was used as a quick and easy method of transferring the filter discs containing immune precipitate into vials for counting. The results of radioimmunoassay using the microtitration plate-filtration and conventional tube-centrifugation method are essentially identical. The microtitration plate-filtration radioimmunoassay has the following advantages over the conventional tube-centrifugation method: (1) there is no centrifugation required; (2) handling of microtitration plate is easier than the tubes in racks; and (3) it requires much less time to perform the assay.