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Chronic prostatitis is a process of kidney deficiency and blood stasis mixed with various pathological factors involving the essence chamber, which is manifested as kidney deficiency and blood stasis. Based on the concept of the "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis of medication, Xiongji Formula is applied to the treatment of chronic prostatitis, due to its "simultaneous holistic and local action" and effects of tonifying the kidney yang and assisting the systemic yang, acting on the brain, heart and kidney as a whole, and meanwhile activating blood circulation, eliminating blood stasis and restoring the function of the essence chamber. This paper discusses the etiology and pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis with kidney deficiency and blood stasis in Chinese medicine, expounds the significance of "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis of medication, and explores the specific value and clinical application of Xiongji Formula.

Light is the main source for plants to obtain energy.Asarum forbesii is a typical shade medicinal plant, which generally grows in the shady and wet place under the bushes or beside the ditches.It can grow and develop without too much light intensity.This experiment explores the effects of shading on the growth, physiological characteristics and energy metabolism of A.forbesii, which can provide reference and guidance for its artificial planting.In this experiment, A.forbesii was planted under 80%, 60%, 40%, 20% and no shade.During the vigorous growth period, the photosynthetic physiological characteristics such as fluorescence parameters, photosynthetic parameters, photosynthetic pigment content and ultrastructure, as well as the content of mitochondrial electron transport chain(ETC) synthase and nutrients were measured.The results showed that the photosynthetic pigment content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and net photosynthesis rate(P_n) decreased with the decrease of shading.Under 20%-40% shading treatment, the plants had damaged ultrastructure, expanded and disintegrated chloroplast, disordered stroma lamella and grana lamella, and increased osmiophi-lic granules and starch granules.The activities of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase(NADH), succinate dehydrogenase(SDH), cytochrome C oxidoreductase(CCO) and adenosine triphosphate(ATP) synthasewere positively related to light intensity.With the reduction of shading, the content of total sugar and protein in nutrients increased first and then decreased, and the content was the highest under 60% shade.In conclusion, under 60%-80% shading treatment, the chloroplast and mitochondria had more complete structure, faster energy metabolism, higher light energy-conversion efficiency, better absorption and utilization of light energy and more nutrient synthesis, which was more suitable for the growth and development of A.forbesii.

According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition), Eupolyphaga Steleophaga is prepared from female Eupolyphaga sinensis. To explore the quality difference between male and female E. sinensis, the present study determined indexes in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, anticoagulant activity, and content of primary metabolites, amino acids, and trace elements in male and female E. sinensis before and after sexual maturity. The results showed that the content of ash, water, extract, and aflatoxin of the larvae and female adults of E. sinensis met the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards, while the content of ash and extract of male adults failed to meet the standards. After sexual maturity, the content of water-soluble proteins, crude fat, and extract of female E. sinensis was higher than that of the other three groups(P<0.05). Although the content of total protein, total amino acid(TAA), essential amino acid(EAA), non-essential amino acid(NEAA), branched-chain amino acid(BCAA), functional amino acid(FAA), and delicious amino acid(DAA) of male adults was higher than that of the other groups(P<0.05), the anticoagulant activity was the weakest(P<0.05). Before sexual maturity, the content of Fe in E. sinensis larvae was significantly higher than that in adults(P<0.05). The content of K and Mg in female larvae was the highest, while the content of Ca was the lowest(P<0.05). The content of Cu in male adults was higher than that in the other three groups(P<0.05). In conclusion, except for male adults, the larvae and female adults of E. sinensis meet the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards. There is no difference in the internal quality of male and female E. sinensis larvae. It is recommended to collect female adults as much as possible. Male adults are rich in proteins and amino acids with high fibrinolytic activities, which can be developed in the future.

Background: Headache attacks are prevalent symptoms in emergency and critical care nurses. Prior evidence supports the analgesic effects of essential oils on headache symptoms. However, few empirical studies have examined how essential oil may further improve the relief of related symptoms. If essential oils are effective in headache relief, nurses' quality of life and care quality may also be improved., Purpose: This study was designed to examine the effects of inhaling essential oil on (1) headache-related disability, (2) headache-related quality of life, and (3) perceived care quality in emergency and critical care nurses., Methods: A cluster randomized control trial and crossover experimental design were adopted. The participants, all nurses with headaches working in emergency and critical care units (N = 49) in a medical center in northern Taiwan, were cluster randomized to Group A and B. Group A wore a necklace with essential oil (100% Lavandula angustifolia 0.1 ml + 100% citrus bergamia 0.1 ml) for 28 days (intervention period), stopped wearing the necklace for 7 days (wash-out), and then wore the necklace without essential oil for 28 days (control period). Group B underwent the control period (28 days) first, followed by the wash-out (7 days) and then the intervention period (28 days). Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaires that was administered three times (at day 0, day 28, day 63). The questionnaire included a demographic and headache-related datasheet, headache diary, Headache Disability Index, Migraine-Specific Questionnaire version 2.1 (role restrictive, role preventive, and emotion function), SERVQUAL (Service Quality), DASS-21, and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Repeated measures ANOVA (RM-ANOVA) and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to analyze data., Results: Headache-related quality of life showed significant improvement in the role restrictive (β = 9.77, p = .008) and role preventive (β = 10.03, p = .018) domains. However, headache-related disability and care quality showed no significant differences (p > .05), indicating that inhaling essential oil had a positive effect on quality of life., Conclusions: The findings of this study support that using a necklace with essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia and citrus bergamia 1:1) for 28 days effectively improves quality of life, especially in the domain of role function, in nurses working in emergency and critical care units. Additional empirical studies may be developed in the future to promote the benefits of using essential oils to ease pain.

Background: Supportive care is a primary method for treating dengue fever. Understanding the symptoms of dengue fever and its related nursing diagnosis is crucial for nurses as references for individual care. This research study was motivated by the few literature reviews available on this topic., Purpose: This study was developed to elucidate the symptoms experienced by hospitalized patients with dengue fever and to compare the consistency between symptoms and nursing diagnoses., Methods: A retrospective descriptive research method was employed. The data were collected from the electronic medical records of patients in the data pools of two regional hospitals in Kaohsiung City. A total of 105 patient records were acquired covering the period 2014-2016. IBM SPSS Statistics v22 was used to examine the descriptive statistics of patient attributes and symptoms of dengue fever using averages and percentages and the inferential statistics of symptoms, hospitalization days, and nursing diagnosis using the Chi-square test and Kappa consistency coefficient., Results: The average age of inpatients was 51.0 ± 27.3 years and the average length of hospital stays was 6.1 ± 3.6 days. The common symptoms were fever and headache. The consistency between nursing diagnosis and symptoms ranged up to 45.4%, including hyperthermia, acute pain, nausea, risk of ineffective gastrointestinal perfusion, and risk of bleeding. Inconsistency of nursing diagnosis was found to be 27.3%, including anxiety, deficient fluid volume, and risk of falls. The rate of undiagnosed symptoms was found to be 27.3%, including diarrhea, risk of infection, and impaired oral mucous membrane., Conclusions / Implications for Practice: The reasons for the inconsistency between symptoms and nursing diagnoses may relate to insufficient nursing knowledge of dengue fever and inadequate nursing diagnosis education resulting in insufficient clinical experience / poor judgment amongst nursing staff. The findings of this study suggest the need for continuity of education to make the use of a dengue-fever-symptom checklist more widespread in patient care.

Trauma that is rooted in extremely stressful events is an important factor affecting human health. Patients who have experienced trauma may present in a variety of different ways in healthcare settings. One of these ways is the exhibiting of strong emotional or behavioral reactions triggered by traumatic memories. Caring for patients affected by known or unknown trauma is a significant challenge for healthcare providers. The core of trauma-informed care includes understanding trauma; respecting, empathizing and responding to the needs and reactions of patients with trauma; and providing care in a manner that prevents re-traumatization. In this article, the impact of trauma on overall health is introduced followed by a presentation of trauma triggers in the healthcare context, underscoring the importance of prioritizing care for patients with a history of trauma. Lastly, the concept and principles of trauma-informed care are incorporated into healthcare practice, providing specific, practical application strategies for healthcare providers to use in clinical settings. Trauma-informed healthcare practice relies on healthcare providers and organizations working together. The principles include the self-awareness and self-care of healthcare providers, awareness of the patient's trauma reaction, ensuring patient safety, building trust and transparency in care, working collaboratively with the patient and the healthcare team, and providing choices and empowerment during the care process. This article provides a reference to healthcare providers for providing friendly and high-quality care to patients with trauma.

Background: The gap between the expectation and the development of role competency is a dilemma that nurse practitioners (NPs) face in clinical settings., Purpose: This study was designed to explore the perceived importance and actual practice of the role competencies of NPs and to compare the differences between the ideal and practical domains as well as related factors., Methods: This cross-sectional design study used Q-sort to collect data. A 56-item "Nurse Practitioner Role Capacity Questionnaire" was used as the research tool. Two questionnaires: Perceptions of Important Role Competencies and Actual Execution of Role Competencies were distributed to NPs twice, at times that were 2 weeks apart. A total of 40 participants were recruited, including 21(52.5%) internal medicine NPs and 19 (47.5%) surgical medicine NPs., Results: The significant differences that were identified in this study between the perceived importance and actual practice of role competencies were, by domain: medical assistance (t = -5.62, p < .001), clinical research (t = 4.14, p < .001), professional consultation (t = 2.29, p = .027), and direct care (t = 2.21, p = .033). The correlative factors for these differences were: education level (t = -2.17, p = .036) and membership in the Nurse Practitioner Association (t = -2.36, p = .017). NPs with higher levels of education and with membership in the Nurse Practitioner Association earned higher scores for self-expectation in important clinical competency., Conclusions: NPs face discrepancies in their role expectations, in important part due to their role as providers of medical assistance in clinical practical settings. NPs need to learn and demonstrate the roles and functions of advanced nursing practice to enhance nursing professionalism profoundly.

Child abuse is a sensitive research topic. Improving the health of the victims of abuse through research, rights protection, and preemption of harm are important and debatable ethical issues. The ethical considerations related to research into child abuse cover two dimensions: 1) using children as subjects and 2) concerns regarding the physical and mental health of children who are targeted by related research. This paper focuses on several common ethical issues in the field of child abuse research, starting from the formulation of the research problem, sampling, data collection, and results reporting. Ethical issues include obtaining informed consent, assuring the autonomy of maltreated children and adults with childhood abuse histories, ensuring a sense of control and safety during data collection, and establishing the role of researchers as mandated reporters. As a researcher, rigorous research design and methodology and self-preparation on the issue of childhood trauma and abuse are essential in order to reduce the risk of harm to victims. This paper is intended to provide suggestions for researchers and institutional review board committees to assess the ethics of conducting research on sensitive issues.

Background: Physical abuse is the most common type of child maltreatment reported in Taiwan. The action of non-abusing caregivers is key to ending this maltreatment and to preventing future victimization in the home., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the decision-making process used by non-abusing caregivers to take action after finding that children under their care were being physically abused at home., Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted and purposive, snowball sampling was used to recruit 11 non-abusing caregivers of children less than 18 years of age who were experiencing physical abuse at home. Data were collected using semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data analysis was performed using a constant comparison method that was based on grounded theory principles and techniques., Results: The participants adopted a process that shifted over time from passive observation to active participation in dealing with children under their care being physically abused at home. The three main categories and five subcategories in this process are (1) inaction (shirking parental responsibility and rationalizing spouse's use of corporal punishment); (2) obscure action (family harmony first; strategic solutions); and (3) action (bottom line for asking for help). In this study, the decision-making process was influenced by personal, family, and sociocultural factors., Conclusions / Implications for Practice: The decision of the non-abusing caregivers in this study whether or not to take action was influenced by situational factors, which led to various consequences for their children. Non-abusing caregivers should be provided with coping strategies and resources to help them make decisions that protect the best interests of the physically abused child.

Background: Child physical abuse impacts the physical and psychological health of survivors. Healing child abuse is an essential process that helps survivors reorganize the meaning of the trauma and pursue a normal life. Considering the trauma of child physical abuse within the social context allows the experiences of individual survivors to be reflected in their process of healing., Purpose: To explore the social interaction and construction process of healing experienced by survivors of child physical abuse., Methods: A qualitative research design using grounded theory was applied. Purposive and theoretical sampling was used to recruit survivors of childhood physical abuse who had experienced healing. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were used and data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding., Results: The process of healing child physical abuse in this study was a process of sprouting and twining. Three core categories emerged: thriving, relationships, and ethics. The healing process was analogous to a seed growing in poor soil, sprouting out from the ground, and striving to live by seeking support. The survivors constantly established interactive relationships with their selves and with others and struggled to keep family bonds grounded and growing within the frame of ethics., Conclusions / Implications for Practice: The healing process of sprouting and twining for child physical abuse survivors in Taiwan integrates thriving, relationships, and ethics. Professionals working with child-physical-abuse survivors must recognize conflicts in ethics. Strategies should be developed to assist survivors to cope with the impact of childhood trauma in order to facilitate the healing process.

Background: Tai chi has been increasingly applied in osteoporosis patients. However, systematic reviews of the efficacy of this practice have been few and of limited scope., Purpose: This study reviews previous experimental research work using tai chi as an intervention in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and to appraise the reported research designs used, tai chi methods used, and outcomes., Methods: A systematic review method was used to search 14 databases for articles published between January 1980 and July 2013. Searched keywords included: "tai chi," "osteoporosis," and "postmenopausal women". The 2,458 articles initially identified were reduced to 4 valid articles based on considerations of criteria and repeatability. The 4 valid articles used either a randomized clinical trial (RCT) or a controlled clinical trial (CCT). They were further analyzed and synthesized in terms of common variables such as balance, muscle strength, and quality of life., Result: Three of the 4 studies identified significant pretest / posttest differences in physiological aspects of quality of life in participants but did not obtain consistent results in terms of the psychological aspects. While reports identified a significant and positive tai chi effect on balance, they all used different measurements to do so. Only one of the four studies identified significant improvement in muscle strength. Therefore, this review could not identify clear support for the effectiveness of tai chi on balance or muscle strength., Conclusions: This review did not definitively support the positive effects of tai chi on balance, muscle strength, and quality of life in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The designs used in the tai chi interventions may be referenced for future studies. We suggest that future studies use data triangulation rather than a single-item tool to validate the research in order to cross-verify the same information. This may strengthen the research and increase the credibility and the validity of related findings.

Background: Aging and age-related health problems are major issues of concern for community health services. Yoga is an exercise with both physiological and psychological effects on aging. Although many studies have assessed the effectiveness of yoga in the elderly, little information is available in the literature to support empirical conclusions., Purpose: This review synthesizes and characterizes findings related to the effects of yoga on depression and quality of sleep in the elderly., Methods: Researchers used keywords including yoga, elderly, aged / older adult, depression, sleep, and quality to search 6 electronic databases for relevant studies published prior to March 2013. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen identified study abstracts. The Jadad scale appraised the quality of identified studies., Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Five studies found significant changes in participant depression symptoms after doing yoga. Three studies found significant effects on the quality of sleep of participants after 6 months of doing yoga., Conclusion: Yoga significantly reduced the depressive symptoms of elderly participants and improved their quality of sleep after 6 months. Findings were similar for elderly living in institutions and in the community. However, the majority of participants in the assessed studies were women characterized by a high level of social participation and proactive participation in health promotion activities. Future studies should broaden the scope of research to address different aging populations and use long-term cohort observations in order to better elicit the effectiveness of yoga and to develop strategies to introduce yoga into daily activities.

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous transhepatic balloon dilation for the removal of common bile duct stone., Methods: Sixty-eight cases with common bile duct stone treated with percutaneous transhepatic balloon dilation in our department from July 2008 to April 2011 were analyzed retrospectively.Record CA19-9, total bilirubin, indirect bilirubin and albumin before the procedure, 1 week and 1 month later. Check if immediate complications occurs, including hemorrhage, perforation, pancreatitis and cholangitis. During the following up for 2 years, stone recurrence, reflux cholangitis and other long-term complications were observed. Analyze the changes of indicators between preoperative and postoperative and the correlation., Results: All of the 68 patients were treated successfully.53 patients underwent one procedure, and 15 patients received twice or more times of procedures. CA19-9, TBIL and IBIL decreased significantly 1 week later and 1 month later compared with those before the procedure, while ALB was opposite.Incidences of biliary tract infection, hemorrhage, and pancreatitis were 4.4% (3/68), 2.9% (2/68) and 1.5% (1/68) respectively.No severe complications occurred, including perforation of gastrointestinal or biliary tract.Incidences of recurrent stone and reflux cholangitis were 14.7% (10/68) and 5.9% (4/68) in two years after the procedure., Conclusion: Percutaneous transhepatic balloon dilation is a safe and effective procedure for patients with common bile duct stone. For the cases which could not be handled with endoscopic procedures, it provides a new therapeutic approach.

Aim: To induce the expression of structure protein VP1 and its C terminus of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype SAT2 in E.coli and analyze their reactivities with FMDV positive antiserum., Methods: The plasmid pGEM-SAT2P1 carrying the VP1 coding region of FMDV serotype SAT2 isolated from South African was used as template for RT-PCR to get the coding fragment of VP1 and its C terminus. The fragments were then cloned into expression vector pET-30a(+) to get recombinant plasmids pET-SAT2VP1 and pET-SAT2VP1C. The recombinant plasmids were transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3)pLysS and induced by IPTG to express VP1 and its C terminus protein. The expressed VP1 and its C terminus were then purified by Ni-NTA His Bind Resin affinity chromatography and analyzed by Western blot. New Zealand rabbits were immunized to prepare polyclonal antibodies against VP1 and VP1C. The antisera were obtained and polyclonal antibody was characterized by ELISA., Results: SDS-PAGE demonstrated that VP1and its C terminus expressed in the E.coli transformants had a molecular weight of 33000 and 19000 and contained in the inclusion body. Purified VP1 and its C terminus was obtained by Ni-NTA His Bind Resin affinity chromatography and a single clear band appeared in the SDS-PAGE gel. Western blot analysis showed that the purified VP1 and VP1 C terminus could react with bovine antiserum against the same serotype FMDV without cross-reactivity with the negative bovine serum., Conclusion: Rabbit polyclonal antibodies against VP1 and VP1C were successfully prepared, the titers of which were above 1:12800 and had obvious specificity.

Aim: To induce the expression of FMDV receptor integrin beta6 subunit ligand-binding domain in E.coli and prepare the rabbit polyclonal antibody against it., Methods: The fragment coding beta6 ligand-binding domain was amplified by PCR and doubly digested with BamH Iand Xho I. Then it was cloned into expression vector pGEX-4T-1 to obtain recombinant plasmid pGEX-4T-1-beta6LBD. After pGEX-4T-1-beta6LBD was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) and induced by IPTG, the expression of fusion proteins was identified by SDS-PAGE, with inclusion body prepared and fusion protein purified. Then new Zealand rabbits were immunized to prepare polyclonal antibody against beta6LBD. GST-beta6LBD antiserum was obtained and the specificity of polyclonal antibody was detected by Western blot., Results: SDS-PAGE demonstrated that the fusion protein GST-beta6LBD was expressed with the expected molecular weight at 42 000. A single clear band of GST-beta6LBD fusion protein appeared in SDS-PAGE gel after purification. The titer of the polyclonal antibody was above 1:12 800 and it is of high specificity., Conclusion: The successful preparation of rabbit anti pig beta6LBD polyclonal antibody with high affinity and specificity will lay a foundation for further research into the function of integrin beta6 in FMDV infection.

Aim: To clone and express the ligand binding domain (LBD) cDNA of porcine integrin beta3 as foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) receptor and prepare its polyclonal antibody., Methods: The LBD cDNA of porcine beta3 was obtained from the lung tissue of pig infected with FMDV by RT-PCR, and the recombinant plasmid pGEM/beta3LBD was constructed. After digested with BamH I/Xho I, the beta3LBD fragment was subcloned into prokaryotic expression vector pGEX 4T-1. The recombinant expression plasmid pGEX/beta3LBD was constructed and transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3). The recombinant porcine beta3LBD protein was expressed after IPTG induction and purified from total protein of BL21(DE3). The rabbits from New Zealand were immunized with the purified fusion protein to prepare polyclonal antibody, which was identified by Western blot and ELISA., Results: The 507 bp cDNA of porcine beta3LBD encoded a polypeptide of 169 amino acids. The similarity of nucleotide sequence beta3LBD between pigs and cattle, human being, chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, horses, dogs, Norway rats, mice, chickens was 90.3%, 92.3%, 92.1%, 91.3%, 90.5%, 90.3%, 87.8%, 85.2%, 79.5%, respectively. The beta3LBD gene of mammals exhibited high sequence homology. The recombinant beta3LBD protein was expressed efficiently as inclusion body after IPTG induction and was approximately 44000. The titer of the polyclonal antibody against the purified beta3LBD protein was about 1:12 800 by ELISA., Conclusion: The gene cloning and expression of beta3LBD and the preparation of its polyclonal antibody lay a foundation for further research into the interaction of FMDV with beta3 subunit of porcine integrin.

Objective: To construct the recombinant plasmid and standard curve for detection of epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRv III) by real-time quantitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and establish the RT-PCR assay for accurate detection of EGFRv III., Methods: To amplify the DNA sequences of exon 1 and exon 8 to exon 9 of EGFR separately and fuse the above sequences by overhang extension PCR. Then constructing the recombinant plasmid of EGFRv III by highly specific primers with the fused sequence as its template. The recombinant plasmid of EGFRv III was then sent for sequence analysis. The gradient diluted recombinant plasmid were used as the template to amplify the EGFRv III by RT-PCR with TaqMan probe and then applied it in 32 laryngeal carcinoma tissues., Results: The recombinant plasmid of EGFRv III was successfully constructed. The gradient diluted recombinant plasmid could be used in RT-PCR for quantitative analysis of EGFRv III. In all, 5 tumor samples expressing EGFRv III were detected, with its positive rate of about 15.6%. The expression of EGFRv III was tumor specific with only one exception for extraordinarily low expression of EGFRv III in macroscopically normal laryngeal mucosas adjacent to the tumor., Conclusions: RT-PCR with TaqMan probe was good at sensitivity, specificity, quantification and linear function. It can be a standard method for quantitative detection for EGFRv III. Expression of EGFRv III was detected in laryngeal carcinoma tissues with relatively low level. Whether EGFRv III was a suitable target for biological therapy in laryngeal carcinomas remained to be discussed.

Aim: To prepare the monoclonal antibodies against VP1 protein of type AsiaI foot-and mouth disease virus (FMDV) and identify the characterization., Methods: Three cell of hybridization that strains secreted monoclonal antibody(mAb) against type AsiaI FMDV were produced by fusing mouse myeloma cells (Sp2/0) with spleen cells from BALB/c immunized with the purified recombinant VP1 protein., Results: The three hybridized cell lines reacted with cattle type AsiaI FMDV, the titres of ascetic fluids of the three mAbs ranged from 1:10(5) to 1:10(6) indirect ELISA showed. Among the three mAbs,1B8 belonged to IgG1, 5E1 and 5E2 pertained to IgG2a. Besides, the three strain antibodies stably excreted antibodies and reacted with type AsiaI FMDV., Conclusion: VP1 protein of FMDV could replace FMDV can be use to replace FMDV to prepare mAbs.

Receptors play a crucial role in determining the pathogenesis and tissue tropism of virus. Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) has been showed to use four integrins, alphavbeta1, alphavbeta3, alphavbeta6 and alphavbeta8 as receptors to initiate infection. In this study, the porcine integrin alphav gene was cloned by RT-PCR from the lung tissue of healed pig infected experimently with FMDV, and compared its nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence with the av gene of other animals. The 3141bp cDNA of bovine integrin alphav encodes a polypeptide of 1046 amino acids consisting of a 30-residue putative signal peptide, a 955-residue ectodomain, a 29-residue transmembrane domain, and a 32-residue cytoplasmic domain. The ectodomain contains 11 potential N-linked glycosylation sites (NXT/NXS), 2 calcium binding domains (DX[D/N] XDGXXD) and 18 cysteine residues. The nucleotide sequence similarities of integrin alphav between pig and cattle, human, rheses monkey, house mouse, chicken, dog are 93.3%, 91.5%, 91.4%, 85.6%, 73.2% and 89.9% respectively; and the amino acid sequence similarities are 96.3%, 94.6%, 94.1%, 90.8%, 81.6% and 93.8%, respectively. The alphav gene of cattle and pig exhibited the highest sequence homology. It is possible that host tropism of FMDV may related to divergence in receptors among different species.

The full-length genomic sequence of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) Asia1/YNBS/58 strain was determined by RT-PCR and compared with other 17 reference strains. The results showed that the complete genome of Asia1/YNBS/58 was 8164nt long including a 1061-nt 5' untranslated region (UTR), a 6990-nt open reading frame (ORF), and a 113-nt 3'UTR. The homology analysis indicated that the UTR regions and non-structural proteins were more conserved than the structural proteins in FMDV. VP1 exhibited the lowest conservation and VP4 was exceptionally conserved. The VP1-, VP2-, and VP3-based phylogenetic trees were divided into distinct clusters according to different serotypes, while the other gene-based phylogenetic trees exhibited some degree of intercross among serotypes. This study is the first description of the full-length genomic sequence of FMDV Chinese serotype Asia1.

In order to study the roles of integrin beta6 in Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus infection, pig integrin beta6 was firstly molecularly cloned from RNA of the tongue and lung of recovered pig infected experimentally with foot-and-mouth-disease virus (FMDV), and was compared with the beta6 gene of other animals available in GenBank at nucleotide and amino acid leves. GeneBank association number of the beta6 gene is EF432729. Pig integrin beta6 gene (2367bp) encodes a polypeptide of 788 amino acids consisting of 9 potential N-linked glycosylation sites, 3 Glycosaminoglycan attachment sites, a cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation site, 10 Protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, 2 EGF-like domains and 2 cysteine-rich regions. Pig integrin beta6 subunit has a 26-residue putative signal peptide, a 681-residue ectodomain, a 29-residue transmembrane domain, and a 52-residue cytoplasmic domain. 11 mutant nucleotides were found in beta6 gene coding region and 9 amino acids were changed. The nucleotide sequence similarity of integrin beta6 gene between rheses monkey, mouse, Norway rat, dog, guinea pig, human, bovine, sheep is 79.5%, 84.9%, 85.4%, 85.2%, 88.7%, 90.1%, 91.9% and 91.9%, and the amino acid sequence similarity is 93.5%, 88.2%, 88.5%, 88.3%, 91.0%, 92.8%, 93.3% and 93.4% respectively. This study will lay a foundation for understanding the interactions of FMDV with receptors.

The complete gene encoding the structural protein of FMDV(VP1) was subcloned into expression vector pPROex-HT, resulting in the fusion expression plasmid pPROexHT-VP1. After transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) and induced by IPTG, the fusion protein was expressed in high level. Western blot was performed to confirm that the expressed fusion protein could specifically react with antiserum against FMDV. Based on the fusion protein further purified, a novel indirect ELISA (VP1-ELISA) was developed to detect FMDV antibody in pigs. Comparison between VPl-ELISA and the government standard kit (liquid phase block ELISA) showed the two methods had 96.25 percent agreement by detecting 80 serum samples, indicating that the indirect VP1-ELISA was specific and sensitive.

Objective: To investigate the effects of curcumin (Cur) and erythromycin (EM) on multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal of K562/A02 cell line and their mechanism., Methods: MTT assay was employed to determine the sensitivity of Cur, EM-treated K562/A02 cells to adriamycin (ADM). Flow cytometry was used to measure intracellular mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of daunorubicin (DNR). P-gp expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. RT-PCR technique was used to examine the mdr1 mRNA level., Results: IC(50) of ADM in K562/A02 cells was decreased when treated with Cur or EM, and the reversal times (RvT) was 4.9, 3.7 respectively. The RvT reached to 11.3 when treated with Cur (2.5 microg/ml) combined with EM (120 microg/ml). The DNR MFI in K562/A02 cells was significantly lower than that in K562 cells (P < 0.01), and was increased significantly when treated with Cur (2.5 microg/ml) or EM (120 microg/ml) (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between DNR MFI of K562/A02 cells treated with Cur (2.5 microg/ml) or EM (120 microg/ml). Immunohistochemistry showed that P-gp expression was significantly higher in K562/A02 cells than in K562 cells (P < 0.01), and was reduced in K562/A02 cells treated with each (P < 0.01), though being still higher than that in K562 cells (P < 0.01). P-gp expression of K562/A02 cells treated with each drug for 5 days were lower than that for 3 days (P < 0.01), and lowered further when treated with Cur and EM together (P < 0.01). Mdr1 mRNA level in K562/A02 cells was higher than in K562 cells (P < 0.01), and was decreased when treated with each of the drugs (P < 0.01). The mdr1 mRNA level of K562/A02 cells treated with Cur (2.5 microg/ml) plus EM (120 microg/ml) was decreased most significantly than that treated with other group of drugs. After 5 day treatment the mdr1 mRNA level of K562/A02 cells with Cur (2.5 microg/ml) was lower than that with EM 120 microg/ml (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Either Cur or EM can partly reverse the multidrug resistance of K562/A02 cells and decrease the expression and function of P-gp in a time-dependent way. MDR reversing effect of Cur combined with EM is stronger than that of Cur or EM alone.