LncRNA SNHG15 promotes the proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma via sponging miR-141-3p to upregulate KLF9

OBJECTIVE

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to exert an oncogenic or anti-tumor function in malignant tumors. LncRNA SNHG15 is verified to be an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer. In this paper, we mainly investigate the potential influence of SNHG15 on the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

SNHG15 levels in NPC tissues and cell lines were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Correlation between SNHG15 level and prognosis of NPC patients was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Regulatory effects of SNHG15 on proliferative, colony formation abilities, and apoptosis of SUNE1 and CNE1 cells were assessed through a series of functional experiments. Potential miRNAs binding SNHG15 and the downstream gene of the microRNA (miRNA) were predicted by bioinformatics method, which was confirmed by Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay and Western blot.

RESULTS

SNHG15 was upregulated in NPC tissues and cells. High level of SNHG15 indicated worse survival in NPC patients. Knockdown of SNHG15 markedly suppressed proliferative ability and induced apoptosis in SUNE1 and CNE1 cells. It is verified that miR-141-3p was the direct target binding SNHG15, and KLF9 was the downstream gene of miR-141-3p. SNHG15 was demonstrated to be a ceRNA to upregulate KLF9 by competitively binding miR-141-3p.

CONCLUSIONS

SNHG15 is upregulated in NPC tissues, and this aggravates the progression of NPC by absorbing miR-141-3p to upregulate KLF9.

Quantitative characterisation of the ring normal modes. Pyridine as a study case

In the present work, the vibrational normal modes (NM) of pyridine were revisited. Quantum Chemical calculations were performed to help understand the true nature of some ring related vibrational normal modes (RNM) and how they may be correlated with the electronic structure on the ring. The 27 vibrational normal modes were decomposed into the molecular internal coordinates, and the interest was focused on 7 of them, involving the in-plane ring motion. The electronic structure was analysed through frontier Molecular Orbitals (MO), maps of Molecular Electrostatic Potential surfaces (MEPs) and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis in a dynamic manner, wherein, each vibration was scanned. The present investigation is aimed to provide the Reader with a quantitative characterisation of the RNMs of pyridine.

[Study on the influence of sleeve height and implant length on accuracy of static computer-assisted implant surgery]

Objective: To evaluate the influence of the sleeve lengths and implant lengths on accuracy of static computer-assisted implant surgery (sCAIS). Methods: Twenty-eight models of bilateral mandibular single tooth loss were included. Fifty-five implants were placed under the guidance of sCAIS (Straumann Bone Level 4.1 mm×10 mm). According to the height of metal sleeve of static guide plate, 55 implants were divided into 11 groups (free hand group, 1 mm group, 2 mm group, 3 mm group, 4 mm group, 5 mm group, 6 mm group, 7 mm group, 8 mm group, 9 mm group, 10 mm group), with 5 implants in each group. Eight research models were included. Group with 5 mm sleeve guides were used to place implants of different length, (Straumann Bone Level width 4.1 mm, height was 8 mm, 10 mm and 14 mm), 5 implants in each group. Eighteen patients with mandibular single tooth loss were included in the Department of Oral Implantology, Tianjin Stomatological Hospital from October 2018 to June 2019. There were 10 males and 8 females, 18-46(33.7±7.9) years old. A total of 18 implants were implanted and divided into 3 groups (free hand group, 3 mm group and 5 mm group) with 6 implants in each group. Digital software was used to compare the implant positions before and after implantation. Non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test or one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the results. Results: There was no significant difference in implant vertical deviation between different sleeve height groups (1-10 mm) and free hand group, but the neck deviation in free hand group[(1.04±0.13) mm] was significantly higher than that in different sleeve height groups (1-10 mm) (P<0.05). The tip deviations of free hand group, 1 mm group and 2 mm group [(1.32±0.43), (0.83±0.10) and (0.78±0.11) mm, respectively] was significantly higher than that of 10 mm group [(0.31±0.14) mm](P<0.05). The angle deviation of free hand group and 1 mm group (3.99°±0.85° and 2.59°±0.69°), respectively] was significantly higher than that of 10 mm group (0.61°±0.03°) (P<0.05). The tip deviations of implants in the 14 mm group [(0.83±0.22) mm] was significantly higher than that in the 8 mm and 10 mm groups [(0.44±0.07) and (0.49±0.06) mm, respectively]. Clinical studies showed that there was no significant difference in neck deviation, tip deviation and angle deviation between 3 mm group and 5 mm group (P>0.05), but deviations were significantly lower than those in free hand group (P<0.05). Conclusions: The length of the sleeves has significant influence on the accuracy of the surgical guide. There was no significant difference in accuracy of the implant guide with 3 mm or 5 mm metal sleeves. The vitro study has some limitations and needs further systematic research.

The effect of in-hospital high-dose vs. low-dose intensive statin in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome

Background

Statins remain a standard treatment for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. We aimed to determine the association between different dosages of in-hospital statins and the prognoses among patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

NSTE-ACS patients were retrospectively enrolled from January 2010 to December 2014 from five centres in China. Patients receiving either atorvastatin or rosuvastatin during their hospitalizations were included. All the patients were categorized into high-dose statin group (40mg atorvastatin or 20mg rosuvastatin) or low-dose statin group (20mg atorvastatin or 10mg rosuvastatin). In-hospital events and long-term all-cause death was recorded.

Results

Of the 7,008 patients included in the study, 5,248 received low-dose intensive statin (mean age: 64.28±10.39; female: 25.2%), and 1,760 received high-dose intensive statin (mean age: 63.68±10.59; female: 23.1%). There was no significant difference in in-hospital all-cause death between the two groups (adjusted OR, 1.27; P=0.665). All-cause death was similar between the two groups during the long-term follow-up period (30-day: adjusted HR, 1.28; P=0.571; 3-year: adjusted HR, 0.83; P=0.082). However, there was a robust association between the high-dose statin and the reduction in in-hospital dialysis (adjusted OR, 0.11; P=0.030).

Conclusions

The in-hospital high-dose intensive statin is not associated with lower risks of in-hospital or follow-up all-cause death in NSTE-ACS patients undergoing PCI. Considering the robust beneficial effect of in-hospital dialysis, an individualized high-dose intensive statin can be rational in specified populations.

Univariate and multivariate analyses

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): The Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou City athe China Youth Research Funding

MiR-155 regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells through targeting SOCS3

OBJECTIVE

Reduced expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is associated with a variety of tumors. The elevated miR-155 expression is associated with the onset of pancreatic cancer. Bioinformatics analysis revealed a targeted relation between miR-155 and the 3'-UTR of SOCS3. This study investigated whether miR-155 regulates SOCS3 expression and affects the biological effects of pancreatic cancer cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

QRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-155 and SCOS3 mRNA in tumor tissues and paracancerous tissues of patients with pancreatic cancer. The dual luciferase reporter gene assay validated the target interaction between miR-155 and SOCS3. Pancreatic cancer cell line SW1990 cells were divided into miR-NC group and miR-155 inhibitor group followed by an analysis of the expressions of SOCS3, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3, cell apoptosis by flow cytometry, and cell proliferation by EdU staining.

RESULTS

Compared with adjacent tissues, miR-155 expression was increased in tumor tissues of patients with pancreatic cancer, and SOCS3 expression was decreased. There was a targeted regulatory relationship between miR-155 and SOCS3 mRNA. Compared with HPDE6-C7 cells, miR-155 expression in pancreatic cancer SW1990 and Capan-1 cells was increased, and SOCS3 expression was decreased. Transfection of miR-155 inhibitor significantly increased SOCS3 expression in pancreatic cancer SW1990 cells, decreased the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3, increased cell apoptosis, and decreased cell proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased miR-155 expression and decreased SOCS3 expression are related to the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. miR-155 inhibits the proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells by inhibition of SOCS3 expression.

miR-490-3p modulates the progression of prostate cancer through regulating histone deacetylase 2

OBJECTIVE

microRNAs (miRNAs) were regarded as critical participators for human cancers progression including prostate cancer (PCa) and have the potential to be used as treatment targets for cancers. Herein, we validated a tumor-suppressive miRNA, miR-490-3p, which may suppress PCa progression. Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) is a protein that aberrantly expressed in several cancers. However, the role of HDAC2 in the progression of PCa has not been fully elucidated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Expression of miR-490-3p and HDAC2 in PCa was investigated. The effects of miR-490-3p or HDAC2 expression on PCa cell behaviors were analyzed. Association between miR-490-3p and HDAC2 was analyzed by luciferase activity reporter assay and Western blot assay.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that miR-490-3p functioned as a tumor-suppressive role in PCa progression. We found miR-490-3p expression was decreased in PCa cell lines. Down-regulation of miR-490-3p promoted the growth, migration, invasion but inhibited apoptosis of PCa cells. HDAC2 was validated as a direct target of miR-490-3p and promoted the progression of PCa cells. Further studies showed that HDAC2 could reverse the effects of miR-490-3p on growth, migration, invasion and apoptosis of PCa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data highlighted the key role of miR-490-3p in the progression of PCa. Thus, miR-490-3p may be a novel cancer-specific therapeutic.

MiR-150 alleviates EMT and cell invasion of colorectal cancer through targeting Gli1

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "MiR-150 alleviates EMT and cell invasion of colorectal cancer through targeting Gli1, by H. Fan, X. Liu, W.-W. Zheng, Z.-H. Zhuang, C.-D. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2017; 21 (21): 4853-4859-PMID: 29164577" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/13726.

Comparisons of different classification algorithms while using text mining to screen psychiatric inpatients with suicidal behaviors

OBJECTIVE

To compare the performance of methods based on text mining to screen suicidal behaviors according to chief complaint of the psychiatric inpatients.

METHODS

Electronic Medical Records of inpatients with mental disorders were collected. Text mining method was adopted to screen suicidal behaviors. The performances of different combinations of six algorithms and two term weighting factors were compared under various training set sizes, which were assessed by precision, recall, F1-value and accuracy.

RESULTS

A total of 3600 psychiatric inpatients (1800 with suicidal behaviors and 1800 without suicidal behaviors) were included in this study. In chief complaints of suicidal inpatients, "suicide", "notion" and "suspicion" were the commonest statements, appearing 1228, 705 and 638 times respectively. In contrast, "excitement", "instability" and "impulsion" appeared more frequently in chief complaints of patients without suicidal behaviors (599, 599, 534 times respectively). The performance of each algorithm was generally improved with the increasing training set sizes and tended to be stable when the number of training cases reached 1000, where most of them could achieve satisfactory accuracy values (>0.95). Results of testing set showed that SVM, Random Forest and AdaBoost weighted by TF had better generalization ability. The F1 values were 0.9889 for SVM, 0.9838 for random forest and 0.9828 for AdaBoost, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed the feasibility of filtering suicidal inpatients with small amounts of representative terms. SVM, Random Forest and AdaBoost weighted by TF have better performance in this task. Our findings provided a practical way to automatically classify patients with or without suicidal behaviors before admission to hospital, which potentially led to considerable savings in time and human resources for identification of high-risk patients and suicide prevention.

Stable expression ratios of five pyroptosis-inducing cytokines in the spleen and thymus of mice showed potential immune regulation at the organ level

BACKGROUND

The immune system is one of the most complex regulatory systems in the body and is essential for the maintenance of homeostasis. Despite recent breakthroughs in immunology, the regulation of the immune system and the etiology of autoimmune diseases such as lupus remain unclear. Systemic lupus erythematosus is a systemic autoimmune disease with abnormally and inconsistently expressed pro-inflammatory cytokines. Pyroptosis is a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death that is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. The thymus and spleen are important immune organs involved in systemic lupus erythematosus. Therefore, this study investigated the difference in expression of pyroptosis-inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines between the spleen and thymus in lupus model mice and in control mice, to describe immune regulation at the organ level.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate differences in the expression of pyroptosis-inducing cytokines in the spleen and thymus and to explore immune regulatory networks at the organ level.

METHODS

Two groups of lupus mice and two groups of control mice were utilized for this study. Using the thymus and spleen of experimental animals, mRNA expression levels of five pyroptosis-inducing cytokines (interleukin 1β, interleukin 18, NLRP3, caspase-1 and TNF-α) were determined via quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, tissue distribution of these cytokines was investigated via immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

All five pyroptosis-inducing inflammatory cytokines showed higher expression in the spleen than in the thymus (p < 0.05). Moreover, the spleen/thymus expression ratios of all five pyroptosis-inducing cytokines were not statistically different between the four experimental groups. Expression of all five cytokines exhibited a stable ratio (spleen/thymus ratios). This distinctive stable spleen/thymus ratio was consistent in all four experimental groups. The stable spleen/thymus ratios of the five inflammatory cytokines were as follows: interleukin 1β (2.02 ± 0.9), interleukin 18 (2.07 ± 1.06), caspase-1 (1.93 ± 0.66), NLRP3 (3.14 ± 1.61) and TNF-α (3.16 ± 1.36). Immunohistochemical analysis showed the cytokines were mainly expressed in the red pulp region of the spleen and the medullary region of the thymus, where immune-activated cells aggregated.

CONCLUSION

The stable spleen/thymus expression ratios of pyroptosis-inducing cytokines indicated that immune organs exhibit strictly regulated functions to maintain immune homeostasis and adapt to the environment.

Analysis of Protein Synthesis in Cucumber Leaves after Inoculation with Corynespora cassiicola: A Proteomic Approach

Cucumber target leaf spot (TLS) disease caused by Corynespora cassiicola has become one of the most important fungal foliar diseases of cultivated cucumbers. However, the defense mechanisms of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus) against C. cassiicola are still poorly understood. Here, proteins from resistant cucumber plants were analyzed using iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification) method. A total of 286 differentially expressed proteins were identified (p < 0.05, ratio > 1.2 or < 0.83) 6 and 24 h after pathogen inoculation in the resistant cultivar Jinyou 38 (the data are available via ProteomeXchange; identifier, PXD012903). Some of the early responses to C. cassiicola infection were revealed, and four factors related to the resistance of cucumber plants to TLS were discovered. First, the proteomic approach revealed modulation of signaling pathways in resistant cucumber plants in response to C. cassiicola infection. Second, the plant immune system recognizes the pathogen and initiates expression of immune response proteins, including those related to plant defense, stress response, signal transduction, cell metabolism, and redox regulation. Third, C. cassiicola activates common stress response pathways; in particular, mildew resistance locus O (MLO) proteins were found to play a crucial role in the TLS prevention. Fourth, rapid activation of the carbohydrate and secondary metabolic pathways, modification and reinforcement of cell walls, and adjustment of the apoplastic environment to the highly stressful conditions were crucial in the cucumber resistance to TLS. Overall, our data contribute to the understanding of interactions between plants and their pathogens and provide new insight into molecular processes involved in the resistance of cucumber plants to disease.

[Effect of intravenous granisetron combined and acupuncture point injection at PC6(Neiguan) with 0.9% sodium chlorideon postoperative nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopy]

Objective: To observe the effects of intravenous granisetron and acupuncture point injection at PC6(Neiguan) with 0.9% sodium chloride on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Methods: Qualified cases were collected according to prospective randomized controlled clinical trial design. 94 cases patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery without postoperative intravenous analgesia were selected from February 2017 to November 2018 in Beijing Aerospace General Hospital and The Affiliated Hangzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The patients were randomly divided into three groups: bilateral PC6 sham injection of 0.9% sodium chloride+ intravenous granisetron(group A, n=31); bilateral acupuncture point injection at PC6 of 0.9% sodium chloride+ intravenous 0.9% sodium chloride(group B, n=33); bilateral acupuncture point injection at PC6 of 0.9% sodium chloride+ intravenous granisetron(group C, n=30). The indexes including age, body mass index(BMI), type of surgery, surgery time, anesthesia time, liquid intake and output volume, the time from the completion of the operation to the removal of the tracheal catheter, the time from the completion to follow the instruction, respiratory depression, restlessness, arrhythmias and other adverse reactions during anesthesia recovery were recorded. Evaluated the nausea and vomiting according to the visual analogue scales (nausea visual analog scale, NVAS) 12 hours after the operation. Not only the dose and the related frequency of antiemetic drugs for rescue, but also the time of the first anal exsufflation and the pain 24 hours after the operation were recorded. Detected the concentration of motilin (MTL), when the operation started/awake after extubation/12 hours after the operation Results: The incidence of nausea and vomiting 12 hours after the operation in group A, B and C was 35.5%, 33.3%, 10.0%. The difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=0.654, P<0.05). The motilin after 12 hours of operation in group A, B and C was (564±76),(559±84),(472±69) ng/L. The difference was statistically significant (F=14.033, P<0.05). The incidence of nausea and vomiting and the motilin after 12 hours of operation in group C were lower than group A and B. The time for the first anal exsufflation in group A, B and C was (19±8),(19±7),(14±8)h.The difference was statistically significant (F=4.523, P<0.05). The time for the first anal exsufflation in group C was earlier than group A and B. Conclusion: Either intravenous granisetron or acupuncture point injection at PC6 of 0.9% sodium chloride can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting after gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Intravenous granisetron combined with acupuncture point injection at PC6 of 0.9% sodium chloride has better effect and promotes the first anal exsufflation time, which is conducive to the rapid postoperative recovery of patients.

THERMOLUMINESCENCE OF NEWLY DEVELOPED HIGHLY SENSITIVE α-Al2O3:C BY THE VERTICAL GRADIENT FREEZING METHOD

A highly sensitive α-Al2O3:C crystal was directly grown by the vertical gradient freezing (VGF) method using Al2O3 and graphite powder as the raw materials. The main thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of α-Al2O3:C detectors grown by the VGF method and TLD-500K detectors were compared. The α-Al2O3:C grown by the VGF method shows good dosimetric properties, such as high TL sensitivity (152 times higher than that of the TLD-100 at heating rate of 1°C/s), an extremely low residual signal of 0.03%, a minimum measurable dose of 0.12 μGy and an excellent linear response within the dose range studied from 1 μGy to 10 Gy. The α-Al2O3:C detectors grown by the VGF method have a higher sensitivity and a better linear response compared to the TLD-500K detectors. Both kinds of α-Al2O3:C can be used in an unannealed form and to measure the very low dose in environmental monitoring and personnel dosimetry.

Differential tissue expression of erythroblast macrophage protein in a MRL/lpr mouse model of lupus

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to observe the expression features of erythroblast macrophage protein (EMP) between the tissues of MRL/lpr mice, a mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and control mice.

METHODS

We examined the serum ANA in both mice groups through indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). Expression features of EMP in bone marrow, liver, renal, spleen, brain, and lung tissues of the MRL/lpr mice and control mice groups were followed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR). Meanwhile, the expression of EMP was located through immunohistochemical (IHC) studies and the expressive cell identified through double immunofluorescent labeling.

RESULTS

IIF showed that lupus mice have strong positive fluorescence, but no significant fluorescence was observed in control mice. Q-PCR detection revealed that EMP was expressed in the marrow, liver, renal, spleen, lung, and brain tissues of lupus mice. The highest levels were observed in the bone marrow, but there was no statistical difference between these tissues. EMP mRNA expression in the liver (t = 2.747, p = 0.01) and bone marrow (t = 3.853, p = 0.008) of lupus mice was significantly higher than in the control mice. However, no differences in EMP mRNA expression were observed in the renal, spleen, lung, and brain tissues between the lupus and control mice (p > 0.05). In addition, the IHC results showed that EMP protein is ubiquitously expressed in all of the tissues of the lupus and control mice. The positive expression rate in the bone marrow and liver tissues of the lupus mice was higher than in the control mice, but without an obvious difference in the other tissues. The double IF staining method shows that EMP protein was expressed in macrophages in the tissues of the lupus mice and the control mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed that EMP is ubiquitously expressed in macrophages at all of the tissues of the lupus and control mice. However, the expression of EMP in bone marrow and liver tissues of lupus mice was higher than in the control mice, which indicates that EMP may be important in the development of SLE.

Elastocapillary self-assembled neurotassels for stable neural activity recordings

Implantable neural probes that are mechanically compliant with brain tissue offer important opportunities for stable neural interfaces in both basic neuroscience and clinical applications. Here, we developed a Neurotassel consisting of an array of flexible and high-aspect ratio microelectrode filaments. A Neurotassel can spontaneously assemble into a thin and implantable fiber through elastocapillary interactions when withdrawn from a molten, tissue-dissolvable polymer. Chronically implanted Neurotassels elicited minimal neuronal cell loss in the brain and enabled stable activity recordings of the same population of neurons in mice learning to perform a task. Moreover, Neurotassels can be readily scaled up to 1024 microelectrode filaments, each with a neurite-scale cross-sectional footprint of 3 × 1.5 μm², to form implantable fibers with a total diameter of ~100 μm. With their ultrasmall sizes, high flexibility, and scalability, Neurotassels offer a new approach for stable neural activity recording and neuroprosthetics.

Why hasn't this woman been screened for breast and cervical cancer? - Evidence from a Chinese population-based study

OBJECTIVE

Less than half of eligible Chinese rural women have been screened for breast and cervical cancer. The objective of this study was to describe individual-level reasons for attending or not attending 'two cancers' screening using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

The study sample was from the Health Services Survey in 2013 in Jiangsu, China. A total of 6520 rural women aged 36-65 years answered the questions on 'two cancers' screening participation and were included in the final analysis, which consisted of univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

In the results of multivariate logistic regression, factors significantly associated with having 'two cancers' screening included educational level (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.65-0.92), per capita household income (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.58-0.73), availability of female medical faculty in township facilities (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.28-0.42), quality of life (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.58-0.90), being nulliparous (OR = 3.21, 95% CI = 1.96-5.26), and multiparous (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.68-2.16).

CONCLUSION

To reduce inadequate screening service utilization of breast and cervical cancer in rural areas, efforts should be made not only to target the vulnerable rural women with lower income, lower educational level, and lower health conditions but also to further improve access to female primary-care providers. Strategies are also urgently needed to focus on nulliparous and multiparous women.

Pyrosequencing-based analysis of the complex microbiota located in the gastrointestinal tracts of growing-finishing pigs

The commensal gut microbial communities play an important role in the health and production efficiency of growing-finishing pigs. This study aimed to analyse the composition and diversity of the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract sections (stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, colon and rectum) of growing-finishing pigs. This analysis was assessed using 454 pyrosequencing targeting the V3–V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Samples were collected from 20, healthy pigs aged 24 weeks and weighing 115.9 ± 5.4 kg. The dominant bacterial phyla in the various gastrointestinal tract sections were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. At the genus level, Prevotella, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcus, unclassified Ruminococcaceae and Oscillospira were more abundant in the large intestine than in the stomach and the small intestine. Unclassified Peptostreptococcaceae and Corynebacterium were more abundant in the small intestine than in the stomach and the large intestine. Shuttleworthia, unclassified Veillonellaceae and Mitsuokella were more abundant in the stomach than in the small and large intestines. At the species level, M. el.s.d.enii and M. multacida were predominant in the stomach. In addition, P. stercorea, P. copri, C. butyricum, R. flavefaciens and R. bromii were significantly more abundant in the large intestine than in the stomach and the small intestine. B. pseudolongum and B. thermacidophilum were significantly more abundant in the small intestine than in the stomach and the large intestine. Principal coordinates analysis showed that the overall composition of the pig gastrointestinal microbiota could be clustered into three groups: stomach, small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) and large intestine (caecum, colon and rectum). Venn diagrams illustrated the distribution of shared and specific operational taxonomic units among the various gastrointestinal tract sections.

PROPERTIES OF THERMOLUMINESCENT CARDS WITH HIGH SENSITIVE GR-200A LiF:Mg,Cu, P DETECTORS FOR HARSHAW AUTOMATIC READER

New DML TL cards with GR-200A detectors were developed. The TL sensitivity remains stable and the detectors were sealed firmly during the encapsulation process. The sensitivity, detection threshold, residual signal, reusability, dose response and Teflon capsule resistance of DML cards with two GR-200A detectors with diameter 3.6 mm and thickness 0.38 mm placed in positions 2 and 3 were evaluated. The detection thresholds were 0.61 μSv for the detector at position 2 and 1.15 μSv for the detector at position 3. The residual signals were 0.40% for the detector at position 2 and 0.57% for the detector at position 3. The 10 repeated readings of the same 10 irradiated cards were found within 1% for the two detectors on the cards. The DML cards demonstrate very high sensitivity, low background and good stability and can be used for very low dose ranges in personnel dosimetry and in environmental monitoring.

[Expression of eosinophils and IL-33 levels in peripheral blood of patients with allergic rhinitis]

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the count of eosinophils(EOS) in peripheral blood and the serum levels of IL-33, and to discuss the relations among serum levels of IL-33, the count of EOS, visual analog scale (VAS) in different groups.Method:According to different treatments, the patients are divided into three groups: the untreated allergic rhinitis (AR) group (group A), the AR group who had been treated subcutaneous imunotherapy (SCIT) for at least a year (group B) and the AR complicated with allergic asthma group who had been treated subcutaneous imunotherapy (SCIT) for at least a year (gourp C). All subjects were conducted blood cell analysis, and EOS were counted. The serum levels of IL-33 were measured by enzyme linked immune (ELISA), and the obtained date were analysed by GraphPad.Prism 5.0 and SPSS 22.0.AR patients were asked to fill out VAS and were assessed nasal symptoms.Result:The serum levels of IL-33 in the group A were higher than that in other subjects (P<0.05).The serum levels of IL-33 in the group B showed no significant difference between the group B and the group C (P> 0.05).The serum levels of IL-33 in the group B were higher than that in the control group (P<0.05).The serum levels of IL-33 in the group C were higher than that in the control group (P<0.05).The count of EOS in the group A were higher than that in other subjects, and there is no difference between with each other (P> 0.05).The VAS in the group A were higher than that in the group B (P<0.05) and there is no significant difference between the group A and the group C (P<0.05).There is no difference between the group B and the group C(P<0.05).After at least one-year SCIT, the symptoms of AR patients were obviously relieved, such as consciously rhinobyon, rhinorrhea, sneezing and so on. Spearman test showed the serum levels of IL-33 in the AR patients has a weak correlation with the count of eosinophils (P> 0.05, r=0.287).Conclusion:SCIT is an effective treatment for AR patients. role on AR, which can alleviate the symptoms of patients, also can reduce the levels of IL-33 and the count of EOS in peripheral blood.

[Comparative analysis of anatomic and non-anatomic hepatectomy for single small hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion]

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of anatomic hepatectomy and non-anatomic hepatectomy in the treatment of single small Hepatocellular carcinoma with MVI. Methods: The clinical data of 84 patients with single small Hepatocellular carcinoma with MVI in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital between January 2008 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients undergoing anatomical hepatectomy were enrolled in the AR group, and the patients undergoing non-anatomic hepatectomy were enrolled in the NR group. The efficacy and survival rate of the two groups were compared. Results: (1) Operation time, numbers of patients with volume of intraoperative blood loss ≥300 ml and number of patients with blood transfusion were (170±41)minutes, 8, 7 in the AR group and (148±35)minutes, 19, 18 in the NR group, respectively, with statistically significant differences between the 2 groups (P<0.05). (2) The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year overall survival rate were 85.7%, 68.6%, 57.1% in the AR group and 79.6%, 53.1%, 42.9% in the NR group, respectively. The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year progression-free survival rate were 80.0%, 62.9%, 51.4% in the AR group and 71.4%, 49.0%, 38.8%, in the NR group, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the 2 groups both in the overall survival rate and the progression-free survival rate (P<0.05). (3) Prognostic factors analysis of HCC patients with MVI: result of univariate analysis showed that maximum diameter of tumor and surgical procedures were relative factors affecting overall survival and progression-free survival of HCC patients with MVI, AFP level was relative factors affecting progression-free survival of HCC patients with MVI, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Result of multivariate analysis showed that maximum diameter of tumor between 3.0 and 5.0 cm and non-anatomic liver resection were independent factors affecting poor overall survival and progression-free survival of HCC patients with MVI, and AFP≥20 μg/L and total bilirubin ≥20 μmol/L were independent factors affecting poor progression-free survival of HCC patients with MVI, with a statistically significant differences (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Anatomic hepatectomy for patients with single small hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion has better clinical efficacy and safety.