[Application of frailty index for comprehensive geriatric assessment in the elderly in China]

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the suitability of frailty index for comprehensive geriatric assessment(FI-CGA)in the elderly in China, and evaluate the application of FI-CGA in China.

METHODS

A comprehensive geriatric assessment was conducted among 118 old adults receiving health examination, and frailty index was calculated. Clinical frailty scale(CFS)was also used to evaluate the frail status of the old adults. The correlation between FI-CGA value and CFS level of the old adults was analyzed.

RESULTS

The mean value of FI-CGA was 0.19 ± 0.07, and the average level of CFS was 3.11 ± 1.46. Women had higher mean value of FI-CGA and higher CFS level than men(FI-CGA= 0.20 ± 0.02 for women, 0.19 ± 0.07 for men; CFS =3.40 ± 0.55 for women, 3.10 ± 1.48 for men), but the differences had no significance(t=0.270, 0.452, P=0.788, 0.652). The FI-CGA value and CFS level increased with age(F=10.437, 5.651, P=0.000, 0.001); and there was a positive correlation between FI-CGA value and CFS level(r=0.615, P=0.000).

CONCLUSION

FI-CGA is an effective model for the quantitative evaluation of the frail status of the elderly, and can be used in the clinical practice of geriatric medicine.

Culture substrates made of elastomeric micro-tripod arrays for long-term expansion of human pluripotent stem cells

Elastomeric micro-tripod arrays were used as novel substrates for culturing and long-term expansion of human pluripotent stem cells.

Understanding the electronic and phonon transport properties of a thermoelectric material BiCuSeO: a first-principles study

Using the first-principles pseudopotential method and Boltzmann transport theory, we give a comprehensive understanding of the electronic and phonon transport properties of a thermoelectric material BiCuSeO.

Morphological analysis of cerium oxide stabilized nanoporous gold catalysts by soft X-ray ASAXS

Soft X-ray SAXS and ASAXS reveal nanostructural properties and temperature induced morphological changes in catalyst materials. The stabilizing effect of cerium oxide deposits on the gold catalyst and the morphological properties of the cerium oxide were determined.

Pachytene Chromosome Preparation in Populus deltoides Marsh

A technique that produces large numbers of good quality pachytene chromosome preparations has been developed for Populus. Anthers at the pachytene stage of meiosis are used as materials. There are two main modifications in our method relative to the traditional squashing method that address the challenges the thick cytoplasm observed during the pachytene phase of meiosis presents. One is the temperature during squashing, i.e., the slide is placed on a 52°C heater for squashing. The other is the removal of the cover slip using 45% acetic acid. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

[Clinical and imaging features of abdominal rhabdomyosarcoma of non-organ origin in children]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and imaging features of abdominal rhabdomyosarcoma of non-organ origin in children. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and imaging features of 12 pediatric patients with abdominal rhabdomyosarcoma confirmed by surgery and pathology at our hospital. Results: There were 9 boys and 3 girls, with an average age of (5.47±3.92) years old (range, 1 to 15). According to Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) staging system, they were of stage Ⅲ to stage Ⅳ, and most were of embryonal type. Tumors of 7 cases were located in the pelvic cavity, 2 cases in the abdominal cavity, 1 in the retroperitoneal space, 1 in both the abdominal and pelvic cavities and 1 across the retroperitoneal space, and abdominal and pelvic cavities. Gray-scale ultrasound showed moderate inhomogeneous echo structure and color Doppler flow imaging showed rich blood flow signals. CT plain scan showed masses of iso- or low-density, and the contrast-enhanced scan showed lesions with inhomogeneous enhancement. The enhancement in delay scan was more obvious and the peripheral enhancement was more significant than central enhancement. Conclusions: Childhood abdominal rhabdomyosarcoma of non-organ origin may arise from the peritoneum, be commonly seen in boys younger than 10 years old, more likely located in the pelvic cavity, and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common histological variant seen in childhood. Ultrasound and CT imaging can provide useful information for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of this tumor.

[The expression of p27Kip1 and β-catenin in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-related parathyroid tumors]

Objective: To explore tissue expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27^Kip1 and β-catenin in multiple endocrine neoplasia type1 (MEN1)-related parathyroid tumors (MHPT). Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the expression of p27^Kip1 and β-catenin in parathyroid glands from 31 subjects with MHPT collected at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2002 to 2013. Five normal parathyroid glands were used as control. Results: In MHPT subjects, nuclear expression of p27^Kip1 was absent in 4 (12.9%), weak in 10 (32.3%) and moderated staining in 17 parathyroid specimens (54.8%), respectively. While, in normal subjects, the nuclear expression of p27^Kip1 was observed in all subjects and was stronger than that from MHPT subjects (P=0.001). As to the expression of β-catenin, normal parathyroid showed a distinct to moderate membrane staining, a moderate to weak cytoplasmic staining and negative nuclear staining. Similarly, MHPT exhibited a marked to moderate membrane (P=0.087), a moderated to weak cytoplasmic (P=0.357), and negative nuclear β-catenin staining. Conclusions: The expression of p27^Kip1 is reduced or absent in MHPT tissue, and no nuclear expression of β-catenin is observed in the tumors, which suggesting p27^Kip1, but not β-catenin nuclear accumulation, play a role in the development of the tumors.

The metabolic responses of HepG2 cells to the exposure of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol

As the number of reported deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination incidents increased steadily over the past decades, there has been a widespread interest in understanding the cellular mechanisms of the toxicological effects of DON using in vitro systems and omics technologies. The present investigation was conducted to understand the metabolomic changes in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) exposed to 10 μM DON for short term (4 h) and long term (12 h) periods, using a non-targeted metabolomics approach. Our results revealed a remarkable metabolic shift from short term to long term exposure to DON in HepG2 cells. Our metabolomics data also confirmed the role of DON induced oxidative stress in DON toxicity. Coupled with pattern recognition and pathway analysis, effects of DON on redox homeostasis, energy balance, lipid metabolism, and potential toxicological mechanisms were discussed, which would facilitate further studies on the risk assessment of the dietary mycotoxin DON.

[Occupational stress and early health effects in migrant workers in an electronics manufacturing service enterprise]

Objective: To investigate occupational stress in migrant workers in an electronics manufacturing service enterprise and the association between occupational stress and early health effects, such as job burnout, depressive tendency, and insomnia. Methods: In August 2015, stratified random cluster sampling was used to select 1 097 migrant workers in an electronics manufacturing service enterprise. The Job Demand-Autonomy Questionnaire and effort-reward imbalance questionnaire were used to investigate occupational stress with the types of high workload and effort-reward imbalance, and Burnout Inventory, depression scale, and self-management sleep questionnaire were used to investigate the early health effects of occupational stress. Results: In these migrant workers, the detection rates of occupational stress with the types of high workload and effort-reward imbalance were 69.8%(766/1 097) and 11.9%(131/1 097). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the workers who had occupational stress with the types of high workload and effort-reward imbalance had significantly higher risks of job burnout and depressive tendencies than those who did not have these two types of occupational stress (P<0.01). The workers who had occupational stress with the type of effort-reward imbalance had a significantly higher ability to predict the risks of job burnout and depressive tendencies than those who had occupational stress with the type of high workload (P<0.01) , as well as a significantly higher risk of insomnia than those who did not have this type of occupational stress (P<0.01). Conclusion: Occupational stress is the major influencing factor for early health effects, such as job burnout, depressive tendency, and insomnia, in the migrant workers in this electronics manufacturing service enterprise. The workers who have occupational stress with the type of effort-reward imbalance have higher risks of job burnout and depressive tendencies than those who have occupational stress with the type of high workload.

Expansion and Functional Divergence of AP2 Group Genes in Spermatophytes Determined by Molecular Evolution and Arabidopsis Mutant Analysis

The APETALA2 (AP2) genes represent the AP2 group within a large group of DNA-binding proteins called AP2/EREBP. The AP2 gene is functional and necessary for flower development, stem cell maintenance, and seed development, whereas the other members of AP2 group redundantly affect flowering time. Here we study the phylogeny of AP2 group genes in spermatophytes. Spermatophyte AP2 group genes can be classified into AP2 and TOE types, six clades, and we found that the AP2 group homologs in gymnosperms belong to the AP2 type, whereas TOE types are absent, which indicates the AP2 type gene are more ancient and TOE type was split out of AP2 type and losing the major function. In Brassicaceae, the expansion of AP2 and TOE type lead to the gene number of AP2 group were up to six. Purifying selection appears to have been the primary driving force of spermatophyte AP2 group evolution, although positive selection occurred in the AP2 clade. The transition from exon to intron of AtAP2 in Arabidopsis mutant leads to the loss of gene function and the same situation was found in AtTOE2. Combining this evolutionary analysis and published research, the results suggest that typical AP2 group genes may first appear in gymnosperms and diverged in angiosperms, following expansion of group members and functional differentiation. In angiosperms, AP2 genes (AP2 clade) inherited key functions from ancestors and other genes of AP2 group lost most function but just remained flowering time controlling in gene formation. In this study, the phylogenies of AP2 group genes in spermatophytes was analyzed, which supported the evidence for the research of gene functional evolution of AP2 group.

[The clinical feature and outcomes of severe aplastic anemia patients suffered from bacteremia following antithymocyte globulin]

Objective: To assess the clinical feature and outcomes of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients suffered from bacteremia following antithymocyte globulin (ATG). Methods: A total of 264 cases hospitalized in our hospital between Jan 2000 and July 2011 were enrolled into this study. We evaluated the associated pathogens of bacteremia, analyzed the risk factors by Logistic regression and estimated the overall survival (OS) by Kaplan-Meier method for the cohort of patients. Results: Bloodstream infections occurred in 49 patients, with a median age of 20 (4-62) years, including 38 cases with very SAA (VSAA) and 11 SAA patients. The median time of bacteremia was 13 (2-233) days following ATG administration. The most common microbiologically were Enterobacteriaceae (28.4% ), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20.9% ) and Klebsiella pneumonia (14.9% ). Almost half (46.9% ) of these bacteria were resistant to most or all available antibacterial classes. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that VSAA, infections during previous week before ATG treatment were risk factors for bacteremia. The 3 and 6 months response rates (10.6% and 17.0% ) were poor in the patients with bloodstream infections, which were significantly lower than those patients without infections (35.6% and 55.6%, respectively, both P<0.001). The estimated 5-year OS were 36.4% (95%CI 21.3% to 51.5%) and 74.5% (95%CI 68.4% to 80.7%) in the two groups, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusions: ①VSAA has higher risk of bacteremia than SAA; ②Infections during previous week before ATG administration was a risk factor for bacteremia; ③ The outcomes of SAA or VSAA patients suffered from bacteremia following ATG was poor.

Mass Transfer Behavior of Plant Tissues During Osmotic Dehydration

Biological structures and behavior of biomaterials are difficult to describe in quantitative terms. In a process such as osmotic dehydration of plant tissues, these complex structures pose a challenging factor in the optimization process and design of equipment. The structure and properties of the tissues affect the mass transfer phenomena occurring in plant tissues during osmotic dehydration. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to classify the mass transfer behavior of different plant materials during osmotic dehydration. The method of classification was based on the description of the material behavior according to easily measurable parameters. These parameters were water loss and solids gain. By fitting an inverse polynomial model to the kinetics data, rates and fluxes of mass transfer were calculated. Two methods of classification were developed based on the rates and fluxes of mass transfer. The method based on fluxes accommodated for the different geometries of the samples. The two methods were combined to calculate the value of, which is the ratio of the bulk flow transport to diffusion transport at the interface of the solution at time 0. The seven kinds of fresh fruit materials that were analyzed were divided into three classes. Their mass transfer behaviors were then described in quantitative terms as either “fast”, “average” or “slow”. These methods of classification have provided description of the behavior of various plant tissues during osmotic dehydration.

[Application of gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of inner ear to observe bilateral inner ears hydrops in patients with unilateral Meniere's disease]

Objective:Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery,Xinhua Hospital,Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine,Shanghai Jiaotong University Ear Institute,Shanghai,200092,China This study was designed to study the correlation between endolympahatic hydrops image results and auxiliary examinations by magnetic resonance imaging after intratympanic administration of gadolinium in both ears in unilateral Meniere's disease patients.Meanwhile,the contralateral endolympahatic hydrops of the "asym ptomatic " ear in patients with unilateral Meniere's was also observed.Method:Thirty-one patients with unilateral Meniere's disease were enrolled in this study.All the patients underwent pure tone audiometry,electrocochleography(ECochG),cervical-vestibular evoked myogenic potentials(cVEMP) before intratympanic gadolinium contrast agents injected.All the patients underwent three-dimensional fast fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequence magnetic resonance imaging(3D-FLAIR MRI) after intratympanic gadolinium contrast agents injected 24 hours.The images were graded in accordance with the severity of endolympatic hydrops.Spearman correlation analysis was performed between the scores of the images and results of auxiliary examination results.Meanwhile,Student's t test was performed for the significance test of the age,duration of the disease and the hearing level of the affected ears between the group with contralateral endolympatic hydrops and the group without contralateral endolympatic hydrops.Result:Pure tone average and the degree of the cochlear hydrops(r=0.383,P <0.05),the SP/AP ratio and the degree of the cochlear hydrops(r=0.496,P<0.01),and interaural amplitude difference and the degree of the vestibular hydrops(r=0.635,P<0.01) showed a significant correlation.The duration of the disease[(6.7±6.3) years vs(2.9±3.1) years,P <0.05] and the hearing level of the affected ear[(70.3±7.4)dB vs(52.5±3.8)dB,P <0.05)] showed a significant difference between the group with contralateral endolympatic hydrops and the group without contralateral endolympatic hydrops.Conclusion:Pure tone average and the degree of the cochlear hydrops,-SP/AP ratio and the degree of the cochlear hydrops,and interaural amplitude difference and the degree of the vestibular hydrops also showed a significant correlation,which suggesting that MRI image can reflect the auditory-vestibular function in patients with Meniere's disease.Endolympatic hydrops and hearing loss are closely related,but not necessarily result in Meniere's disease symptoms.Patients with longer duration of the disease and worse hearing in the affected ears are more likely to develop bilateral endolympatic hydrops.

De novo SNP discovery and genetic linkage mapping in poplar using restriction site associated DNA and whole-genome sequencing technologies

BACKGROUND

Restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), a next-generation sequencing technology, has greatly facilitated genetic linkage mapping studies in outbred species. RAD-seq is capable of discovering thousands of genetic markers for linkage mapping across many individuals, and can be applied in species with or without a reference genome. Although several analytical tools are available for RAD-seq data, alternative strategies are necessary for improving the marker quality and hence the genetic mapping accuracy.

RESULTS

We demonstrate a strategy for constructing dense genetic linkage maps in hybrid forest trees by combining RAD-seq and whole-genome sequencing technologies. We performed RAD-seq of 150 progeny and whole-genome sequencing of the two parents in an F1 hybrid population of Populus deltoides × P. simonii. Two rough references were assembled from the whole-genome sequencing reads of the two parents separately. Based on the parental reference sequences, 3442 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified that segregate in the ratio of 1:1. The maternal linkage map of P. deltoides was constructed with 2012 SNPs, containing 19 linkage groups and spanning 4067.16 cM of the genome with an average distance of 2.04 cM between adjacent markers, while the male map of P. simonii consisted of 1430 SNPs and the same number of linkage groups with a total length of 4356.04 cM and an average interval distance of 3.09 cM. Collinearity between the parental linkage maps and the reference genome of P. trichocarpa was also investigated. Compared with the result on the basis of the existing reference genome, our strategy identified more high-quality SNPs and generated parental linkage groups that nicely match the karyotype of Populus.

CONCLUSIONS

The strategy of simultaneously using RAD and whole-genome sequencing technologies can be applied to constructing high-density genetic maps in forest trees regardless of whether a reference genome exists. The two parental linkage maps constructed here provide more accurate genetic resources for unraveling quantitative trait loci and accelerating molecular breeding programs, as well as for comparative genomics in Populus.

Gly71Arg UGT1A1 polymorphism is associated with breast cancer susceptibility in Han Chinese women

Breast cancer is among the most common causes of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between prolonged estrogen exposure and increased risk of breast cancer. Uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase 1-1 (UGT1A1) plays a significant role in the detoxification of estrogens. Two major genetic polymorphisms have been identified in the UGT1A1 locus. UGT1A1*28 has been previously linked to increased risk of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to elucidate the possible correlation between UGT1A1*6, a single nucleotide polymorphism causing a Gly71Arg substitution, and breast cancer susceptibility. Forty-six women diagnosed with breast cancer, 15 patients with gastrointestinal cancer, and 13 healthy women were recruited to this study. The genotype in the polymorphic UGT1A1 locus was determined by DNA sequencing. The frequency of each genotype was compared among the three groups. The frequency of the UGT1A1*6 allele was significantly higher in breast cancer and gastrointestinal cancer patients than that in healthy females (both P < 0.05). No significant associations were observed between the UGT1A1*6 polymorphism and estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, HER-2 expression status, menstrual status, or metastasis (all P > 0.05). Therefore, the UGT1A1*6 polymorphism was deduced to be a risk factor for breast cancer in women of Han Chinese ethnicity. UGT1A1 may serve as a therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and other estrogen-related diseases.

Current epidemiological profile and features of traumatic spinal cord injury in Heilongjiang province, Northeast China: implications for monitoring and control

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective hospital-based study.

OBJECTIVES

Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is considered to be an important public health problem worldwide. Only a few studies concerning the regional epidemiological characteristics of TSCI have been published in China. The purpose is to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of TSCI in Heilongjiang province in northeast China.

SETTING

The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University and the Fifth Hospital of Harbin City, Heilongjiang province.

METHODS

Information of 232 patients who suffered from TSCI was gathered from their charts between January 2009 and December 2013. Information on sociodemographic variables was collected from each chart, including the patient's age, sex, occupation, injury time, causes and extent of injury.

RESULTS

The average age of patients with TSCI was 45.35±14.35 years. The male/female ratio was 4:1. The incidence of TSCI increased gradually with age and peaked in the 46- to 60-year-old age category. The most common occupation was farm laborer (35.34%). Motor vehicle collisions, followed by falls, were found to be the leading cause of TSCI. Furthermore, the majority of TSCI patients (76.29%) suffered a cervical injury.

CONCLUSION

The present study reveals that TSCI is an issue in the province, and it should not be ignored. Our results provide preliminary evidence and theoretical basis for developing an integrated control program for TSCI.