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In this study MYB family related transcription factor (TF) was cloned and characterized from Bambusa emeiensis and tentatively named as “BeMYB680”. We selected the TFs from bamboo because of its potentials for future improvement in terms of transgenic plants. Bamboo is fast-growing species and provides a very good podium because of its adoptable genomics to harsh climatic conditions. The BeMYB680 was sequenced (Liuhe Gene Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing) and submitted to NCBI GenBank under accession No. (MG763924). BeMYB680 have 1146bp open reading frame (ORF) that encodes a protein of 381 amino acids. Transactivation analysis and subcellular localization assay revealed that BeMYB680 is a transcriptional activator and localized in the nucleus. BeMYB680 was up-regulated when treated with ABA, PEG, NaCl, and H2O2; while down-regulated with Na2SO4 indicating its key role in abiotic stresses particularly to the best of our knowledge it is first time to clone BeMYB680 form Bambusa emeiensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to compare the clinical features of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDRTB) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) and the genotypic characteristics of these Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. A total of 90 non-HIV-infected patients having MDRTB ( n = 80, not including XDRTB, 88.9%) and XDRTB ( n = 10, 11.1%) were identified from 2000 to 2007. Genotypes of the 39 available isolates were evaluated by spoligotyping and the 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units–variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) scheme. Patients with XDRTB were more likely to have previous history of TB and cavitary lung lesions than patients with MDRTB ( P < 0.05). Among the 39 isolates for spoligotyping analysis, the Beijing genotype was the most common ( n = 21, 53.8%). Four (44.4%) isolates of XDRTB and 17 (56.7%) isolates of MDRTB belonged to Beijing family genotypes. There was no significant difference in the anti-tuberculosis drug resistance rates between Beijing and non-Beijing genotype isolates or in the clinical features of infected patients. In conclusion, significant differences in clinical manifestations existed among patients with XDRTB and MDRTB. The clinical features of patients infected with the Beijing genotype and the drug resistance profile of the Beijing genotype isolates were similar to those for the non-Beijing family genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to verify the relationship between blood pressure and cerebral blood flow velocity in sub-clinical natural population, 1294 middle-aged and old Beijing rural residents were investigated in autumn 2002. For all subjects, systolic blood flow velocities (Vs) in common carotid artery (CCA), internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) were detected with trans-cranial Doppler. Key factors such as anthropometry, medication use, blood pressure and blood biochemical analysis were investigated at the same time. After controlling for age, gender, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, smoking and body mass index, multivariate analysis showed that systolic blood pressure (SBP) correlated positively with Vs at MCA and slight negatively correlated with at CCA. As blood pressure rose by 10 mm Hg, the Vs at MCA increased by 1.63 cm/s. Duration of hypertension (HD) negatively correlated with Vs at MCA (P<0.01). The Vs at MCA in early-stage and chronic hypertensive patients were 92.9±1.9 and 84.1±2.3 cm/s, respectively. Antihypertensive treatment could modify the Vs at MCA towards a normal level by lowering blood pressure. In conclusion, the effect of hypertension on cerebral blood flow is complex. Vs at MCA positively correlated with SBP, but negatively related to HD. Antihypertensive treatment might be helpful to keep cerebral blood flow at a normal level.Journal of Human Hypertension (2006) 20, 742–748. doi:10.1038/sj.jhh.1002068; published online 29 June 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study to investigate the seasonal variation and spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at two different functional sites in Beijing, China. The total PAHs concentrations showed a seasonal variation factor of 22.25 and 34.41 for suburban and urban sampling locations, respectively, which suggested that coal combustion for domestic heating was the main reason for elevated concentration of airborne PAHs in winter. Compared to PAHs levels of other cities, the annual PAHs concentrations in this study was approximately two times higher than that in Macao and one order of magnitude and even higher than that in Malaysia and Italy.

Background Previous surveys on depression in China focused on prevalence estimates without providing a detailed epidemiological profile. Method Face-to-face household interviews were conducted with a multi-stage household probability sample of 2633 adults (age ⩾18 years) in Beijing and 2568 in Shanghai between November 2001 and February 2002. The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess major depressive episode (MDE) according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV criteria. Result The lifetime prevalence and 1-year prevalence estimates of DSM-IV/CIDI MDE were 3.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.8-4.4%] and 1.8% (95% CI 1.2-2.4%) respectively. No significant gender difference was found in these estimates. Respondents born in 1967 or later were at elevated lifetime risk compared with respondents born in earlier cohorts. The mean age of onset was 30.3 years. Among those reporting 1-year MDE, 15.7, 51.8, 25.3 and 6.4% reported mild, moderate, severe and very severe symptoms respectively; 4.8, 2.6 and 3.2% reported suicidal ideation, plans, and recent attempts in the same year respectively. Respondents with 1-year MDE reported a mean of 27.5 days out of role owing to their depression in the year before interview. Significant co-morbidity was found between MDE and other mental disorders [odds ratio (OR) 22.0] and chronic physical disorders (OR 3.2). Only 22.7% of respondents with 1-year MDE sought treatment. Conclusions The low prevalence and insignificant gender difference, but not patterns of onset, course, co-morbidity, and impairment, distinguish the epidemiological profile of MDE in metropolitan China from those in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate air pollution is a severe environmental problem in China, affecting visibility, air quality, climate and human health. However, previous studies focus mainly on large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. In this study, an Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor was deployed in Baoji, a middle size inland city in northwest China from 26 February to 27 March 2014. The non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM 1 ) was dominated by organics (55%), followed by sulfate (16%), nitrate (15%), ammonium (11%) and chloride (3%). A source apportionment of the organic aerosol (OA) was performed with the Sofi (Source Finder) interface of ME-2 (Multilinear Engine), and six main sources/factors were identified and classified as hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA), cooking OA (COA), biomass burning OA (BBOA), coal combustion OA (CCOA), less oxidized oxygenated OA (LO-OOA) and more oxidized oxygenated OA (MO-OOA), which contributed 20%, 14%, 13%, 9%, 23% and 21% of total OA, respectively. The contribution of secondary components shows increasing trends from clean days to polluted days, indicating the importance of secondary aerosol formation processes in driving particulate air pollution. The formation of LO-OOA and MO-OOA is mainly driven by photochemical reactions, but significantly influenced by aqueous-phase chemistry during periods of low atmospheric oxidative capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is rarely reported to be associated with acupuncture practices. We performed a retrospective outbreak investigation of a unique outbreak of 33 extrapulmonary M. tuberculosis infections related to acupuncture point injection therapy (AIT) among clients who visited a private traditional Chinese medicine clinical centre in China. The lumps, abscesses and ulcers occurred mostly on the neck, shoulders, waist, knees and hips, localized at acupuncture point meridian sites. These symptoms appeared from January to November 2011, with a peak cluster of infections in September 2011 (nine cases). M. tuberculosis Beijing strain was isolated and confirmed by DNA sequencing. All diagnosed patients were treated empirically with appropriate antibiotic treatment, and their condition improved. Our study indicated that this outbreak was most likely resulted from contaminated AIT. Drafting standard guidelines for AIT is urgently needed, and routine medical supervision should be provided, including obligating health providers to perform routine physical examinations that include testing for infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]