[The role of ATA (2015) guidelines, superb microvascular imaging, and spectral Doppler in differentiation between malignant and benign thyroid nodules]

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasound patterns of 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines, color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), superb microvascular imaging (SMI), and spectral Doppler in the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Method:The study included 254 thyroid nodules confirmed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or histopathologic examination. All nodules were detected by ultrasonography, SMI, CDFI and spectral Doppler respectively. Blood flow detection technologies (CDFI and SMI) were used to classify flow distribution characteristics of thyroid nodules according to Kim's grading criteria. The optimal threshold drawing from ROC curve is calculated to obtain the cut-off value of spectral Doppler.Result:①For benign solid nodules with peripheral flow distribution and malignant solid nodules with central blood flow distribution, the display rates of SMI are higher than those of the CDFI, the differences were statistically significant (P< 0.05). ②There was a significance difference in detecting benign and malignant nodules using spectral Doppler (P< 0.05). ③The specificity and accuracy of combinative modality 2015 ATA+SMI was significantly higher than that of ATA, SMI, and spectral Doppler. There was no significant difference between ATA+SMI and ATA+SMI+spectral Doppler for the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.Conclusion:SMI had a better detection rate of blood vessels than CDFI and contribute a certain value in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The combination of 2015 ATA and SMI can improve diagnostic value in the differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

[An analysis of coping styles and subjective well-being among nurses in the emergency treatment room of grade A tertiary hospitals in a province of China]

Objective: To investigate the coping styles and subjective well-being of nurses in the emergency treatment room of grade A tertiary hospitals in a province of China, and to explore the relationship between coping styles and subjective well-being. Methods: In January 2016, 189 nurses in the emergency treatment room were selected from 9 grade A tertiary hospitals in a province of China by random sampling. The general data, coping styles, and subjective well-being of these nurses were analyzed using the general questionnaire, coping style questionnaire, and Campbell index of well-being scale, respectively. Results: The total score of subjective well-being of nurses in the emergency treatment room was 7.54, and the subjective well-being was significantly different between the nurses with different professional titles and between those with different education levels (F=3.46 and 3.47, both P<0.05). The score of illusion coping style differed significantly across the nurses of different ages (F=5.17, P<0.05) , the scores of self-reproach, illusion, and withdrawal coping styles differed significantly across the nurses with different nursing years (F=3.99, 5.30, and 4.97, all P<0.05) , and the score of illusion coping style differed significantly across the nurses with different education levels (F=5.09, P<0.05). Most (71.9%) of the nurses in the emergency treatment room adopted the mature coping style. Subjective well-being was positively correlated with problem-solving, help-seeking, and rationalization (r=0.232, 0.018, and 0.167, all P<0.05) and negatively correlated with withdrawal (r=-0.146, P<0.05) . Conclusion: Most nurses in the emergency treatment room adopt the mature coping style. Their subjective well-being and coping style vary with different ages, nursing years, professional titles, and education levels, and the subjective well-being is relatively low.

Age Estimation and Age-related Facial Reconstruction of Xinjiang Uygur Males by Three-dimensional Human Facial Images

OBJECTIVES

To search age-correlated facial features and construct an age estimation model based on the three-dimensional （3D） facial images of Xinjiang Uygur males, and to structure individual face images of old age and young age.

METHODS

Pretreatment was performed to collect 105 3D facial images of Xingjiang Uygur males aged between 17-57 years by Artec Studio software. The facial images were transferred to high-density 3D dot matrix data by FaceAnalysis software, and each image could be represented with 32 251 vertexes. Central correction of the facial images was done and all the data were aligned to a standard coordinate frame by generalized Procrustes analysis （GPA）. The age estimation model was established by partial least square regression （PLSR）. Furthermore, the changes of age-correlated facial features were presented on the heat map of average face, and the reconstruction of facial images at different ages was performed based on this model.

RESULTS

With age, the average faces showed a series of changes including the nasolabial sulcus deepening, cheek sinking, cheekbone protruding and eye corner drooping. The Pearson correlation coefficient （r） between estimated age and chronological age was 0.71. The mean absolute deviation （MAD） of age estimation was 6.37 years. The results of age estimation in >30-40 years group showed a best accuracy （MAD=4.27 years）, and the deviations increased with age after 40 years. The composite facial images represented a significant result with age on facial morphological features and aging.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study reveal the age-correlated facial features and aging markers in Uygur population, which help to construct a reliable age estimation model.

In Situ Active Poling of Nanofiber Networks for Gigantically Enhanced Particulate Filtration

Enhancing the filtration efficiency of air filtering material without increasing its airflow resistance is a major challenge and of great significance. In this work, we report a type of active-poled nanofiber onto which in situ active poling is applied. It results in significantly enhanced filtration efficiency as well as dust holding capacity while keeping the airflow resistance constant. Owing to the in situ applied electric field, the nanofibers as well as the particulates are polarized. As a result, at a poling voltage of 2 kV, the removal efficiency and the quality factor for PM_2.5 are enhanced by 17% and 130%, respectively. More importantly, the dust holding capacity represents a 3.5-fold enhancement over normal nanofibers. The approach reported in this work has the potential of being practically utilized in air purification purposes because it can bring about not only promoted filtration performance but also lowered noise and reduced power consumption.

[Association between obesity and DNA methylation among the 7-16 year-old twins]

Objective: On whole-genome scale, we tried to explore the correlation between obesity-related traits and DNA methylation sites, based on discordant monozygotic twin pairs. Methods: A total of 90 pairs of 6-17 year-old twins were recruited in Chaoyang district, Yanqing district and Fangshan district in Beijing in 2016. Information on twins was gathered through a self-designed questionnaire and results: from physical examination, including height, weight and waist circumference of the subjects under study. DNA methylation detection was chosen on the Illumina Human Methylation EPIC BeadChip. R 3.3.1 language was used to read the DNA methylation signal under quality control on samples and probes. Ebayes function of empirical Bayes paired moderated t-test was used to identify the differential methylated CpG sites (DMCs). VarFit function of empirical Bayes paired moderated Levene test was used to identify the differentially variables CpG sits (DVCs) in obese and normal groups. Results According to the obesity discordance criteria, we collected 23 pairs of twins (age range 7 to 16 years), including 12 male pairs. A total of 817 471 qualified CpG loci were included in the genome-wide correlation analysis. According to the significance level of FDR set as <0.05, no positive sites would meet this standard. When DMC CpG site cg05684382, with the smallest P value (1.26E-06) as on chromosome 12, the DVC CpG site cg26188191 with the smallest P value (6.44E-06) appeared in CMIP gene on chromosome 16. Conclusions: In this study, we analyzed the genome-wide DNA methylation and its correlation with obesity traits. After multiple testing corrections, no positive sites were found to have associated with obesity. However, results from the correlation analysis demonstrated sites cg05684382 (chr: 12) and cg26188191 (chr: 16) might have played a role in the development of obesity. This study provides a methodologic reference for the studies on discordance twins related problems.

[Efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil in treating neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: a multicenter, prospective, self-control study in Guangzhou City]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Method: From September 2014 to February 2017, NMOSD patients with seropositive aquaporin4-IgG was enrolled through a multicenter, prospective study, and the annual recurrence rate (ARR), Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and MMF-related side effects before and after MMF treatment were compared. Results: Ninety patients were enrolled in the study. After being treated for a median of 12 months (1-30 months), the median ARR decreased from 1.1 pre-MMF to 0 post-MMF (P<0.001), and the median EDSS score decreased from 4.0 pre-MMF to 3.0 post-MMF (P<0.001). The EDSS score reduced significantly after 90 days' treatment (P<0.05). The main adverse events included the deranged liver enzymes (19%, 17/90), respiratory infection (11%, 10/90), urinary tract infection (6%, 5/90), varicella-zoster infection (6%, 5/90), anemia (6%, 5/90), leucopenia (6%, 5/90), diarrhea (2%, 2/90), hair loss (1%, 1/90); 11% (10/90) patients experienced severe adverse events, and 6% (5/90) patients discontinued MMF. Conclusions: MMF could significantly reduce the ARR and EDSS score of NMOSD. However, awareness on side effects should be raised.

[Assessment of Height Prediction Model Based on SNPs Loci]

OBJECTIVES

To establish a height prediction model of Chinese Han male based on the reported 547 height-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） loci in Europeans, and assess its accuracy for height estimation.

METHODS

The DNA typing was analyzed in 59 Han male samples of Shandong province by Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0 chip and HiSeq 4000 sequencing platform. Prediction model was established using 547 height-associated SNPs loci as predictors and weight allele sums （WAS） as computing method. The accuracy of height prediction model was analysed using receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve and area under curve （AUC）.

RESULTS

There was no height-associated SNPs locus was found by genome-wide association studies. In present study, height prediction model was established by WAS and obtained an AUC of 0.67 （95% CI: 0.53-0.90）.

CONCLUSIONS

It has reference value for predicting the height of Han male in Shandong province by WAS model based on 547 SNPs loci, while it is still necessary to further promote the accuracy of the prediction model by screening more height-associated SNPs loci with population heterogeneity.

[Analysis of 118 cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo after trauma]

Objective:The aim of this study is to retrospective analysis the clinic features of 118 cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo after trauma. Method:Analyzes clinic features of injury in 118 cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo after trauma, and classified and localized the craniocerebral trauma. The 118 cases were tested with different positioning tests in the sequence of Dix hallpike test and rolling test. Then, proper otolith manual reduction was given. Result:In 118 cases of BPPV after trauma including 35 cases of skull fracture, 6 cases of concussion, 17 cases of scalp hematoma, 28 cases of scalp laceration, 14 cases of mild brain contusion and 18 cases of head combined injury. The distributions of head injury were 57 at front temporal, 24 at top, 22 at occipital and 15 at maxillofacial region. The latency of BPPV after head injury varies from 1day to 1month. The incidence of 3-7 day after head injury was the highest, followed by 7-14 days, 0-3 days, and the lowest incidence rate of 14 day to 1 month. Canal type 118 BPPV patients after head injury accounting for up to 57.6% of the horizontal semicircular canal accounted for 33.1%, mixed 9.3%. Conclusion:The patients with front temporal trauma and skull fracture were prone to have BPPV. The peak incidence of BPPV was 3-14 days after head injury. The most common type of BPPV was PC BPPV, and the HC BPPV was the second type. A good curative effect can be manipulative reduction after trauma BPPV..

Investigations of high order plasmonic resonance features of the nano hyper ring

A novel silver hyper ring and its complex nanostructures are designed and its plasmonic properties are investigated numerically. It is found that these hyper ring structures have relative stable optical features. The absorption cross section of the structure changes slightly when the direction and polarization of incident light is adjusting. For the complex structure, the position of each resonance peak does not present obvious change when the relative position of the inner hyper ring and outside larger ring changes. The result of the investigation has great significance for the production of practical nanostructures and the improvement of possible applications.

A WRKY Transcription Factor Regulates Fe Translocation under Fe Deficiency

Iron (Fe) deficiency affects plant growth and development, leading to reduction of crop yields and quality. Although the regulation of Fe uptake under Fe deficiency has been well studied in the past decade, the regulatory mechanism of Fe translocation inside the plants remains unknown. Here, we show that a WRKY transcription factor WRKY46 is involved in response to Fe deficiency. Lack of WRKY46 (wrky46-1 and wrky46-2 loss-of-function mutants) significantly affects Fe translocation from root to shoot and thus causes obvious chlorosis on the new leaves under Fe deficiency. Gene expression analysis reveals that expression of a nodulin-like gene (VACUOLAR IRON TRANSPORTER1-LIKE1 [VITL1]) is dramatically increased in wrky46-1 mutant. VITL1 expression is inhibited by Fe deficiency, while the expression of WRKY46 is induced in the root stele. Moreover, down-regulation of VITL1 expression can restore the chlorosis phenotype on wrky46-1 under Fe deficiency. Further yeast one-hybrid and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments indicate that WRKY46 is capable of binding to the specific W-boxes present in the VITL1 promoter. In summary, our results demonstrate that WRKY46 plays an important role in the control of root-to-shoot Fe translocation under Fe deficiency condition via direct regulation of VITL1 transcript levels.

[Isolation and biological characteristics on Yersinia pestis phage YP060]

OBJECTIVE

To isolate and identify the characteristics of Yersinia pestis phage YP060 from mice nests in Yunnan plague focus.

METHODS

Phage YP060 was isolated from Yunnan plague focus by double-layer agar plate method with attenuated vaccine Yersinia pestis strain EV76 as the host bacterium. Phage particle was observed under the electron microscope while biological properties of phage YP060 including lytic capacity, host spectrum, optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI), one-step growth curve, sensitivity to temperature, pH, ultraviolet ray and chloroform etc. were identified.

RESULTS

The particles of phage YP060 presented tadpoles-like features, with optimal multiplicity of infection as 0.1. Latent period and burst period appeared as 50 min and 80 min, respectively. The phage endured the temperature between 30-50 ℃, and it contained a stronger lysis activities in a range of pH 5 to 10. Phage YP060 was sensitive to ultraviolet rays but insensitive to chloroform while presented special lysic ability to Yersinia pestis.

CONCLUSION

Yersinia pestis phage YP060 was isolated for the first time from mice nests in plague natural focus in China. Our findings related to narrow host spectrum and stronger lysis activities.

Progress on Post Traumatic Epilepsy and Its Forensic Evaluation

Post traumatic epilepsy （PTE） refers to the epileptic seizures after traumatic brain injury. Organic damage can be found by imaging examination, and abnormal electroencephalogram can be detected via electroencephalogram examination which has the similar location of the brain injury. PTE has the characteristics of low incidence, absence of case reports, and easy to exaggerate the state of illness, which add difficulties to the forensic identification. This paper reviews the status of epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical treatment and forensic identification for PTE.

Correlation between serum IL-16 and atopic dermatitis

This study aims to investigate the correlation between allergic sensitization of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients and their serum interleukin (IL)-16 levels. AD patients, healthy volunteers, and patients with psoriasis (N = 80, 35, 20, respectively) were tested for serum IL-16 and total and specific IgE levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, along with eosinophil counts. Serum allergen-specific IgE levels were determined, and skin-prick testing conducted in a subgroup of 45 AD patients. Based on specific IgE levels, AD patients were categorized into non-sensitized group 1 and sensitized group 2. Furthermore, they were sorted as non-sensitized group A and sensitized group B based on skin-prick results. Next, the serum IL-16 and total IgE levels in these subgroups were determined. Compared to levels in healthy volunteers and psoriasis patients, the serum IL-16 levels in AD patients were significantly higher (P < 0.001). Additionally, total serum IgE levels were significantly correlated with serum IL-16 levels and eosinophil counts. However, no correlation was observed between serum IL-16 levels and eosinophil counts. The serum IL-16 and total IgE levels in group 2 were also significantly elevated (P < 0.001) in contrast to those in group 1. Although we did not observe any significant difference between serum IL-16 levels in groups A and B, the total serum IgE level in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.001). Thus, allergic sensitivity in AD patients correlates with total serum IgE as well as serum IL-16; the correlation with IL-6 is weaker.

[Effects of iron chelation therapy on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in myelodysplastic syndrome patients with iron overload]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of iron chelation therapy on hematopoietic reconstitution and related complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

METHODS

Various clinical parameters were analyzed retrospectively in 57 MDS patients with iron overload who received allo-HSCT. According to the level of serum ferritin (SF) before transplantation divided patients into two groups: the effective treatment group (SF<1 000 μg/L) and iron overload group (SF≥1 000 μg/L).

RESULTS

①30/57 cases were received iron chelation treatment, 27/57 patients didn' t received iron chelating therapy before transplantation. 19/30 cases were in the effective treatment group, and the median SF level before transplantation was 561 (223-846) μg/L. 11/30 cases were in the iron overload group, and the median SF level before transplantation was 1 262 (1 100-2 352) μg/L. The median SF level was 1 540 (1 320-3 112) μg/L of 27 patients didn't received iron chelating therapy before transplantation. ② The rate of fully-engraftment in the effective treatment group and iron overload group was 19 cases (100.0% ) and 34 cases (89.5% ), myeloid reconstitution of 12(10-18) and 12(11-30) days respectively (P=0.441), and platelet reconstitution of 13(12-30) and 15 (10-32) days respectively (P=0.579). ③The infection risk rate of the effective treatment group was less than iron overload group [36.8% (7/19) vs 82.4% (28/34), P=0.002]. ④The incidence of aGVHD in effective treatment group was less than iron overload group [26.3%(5/19) vs 64.7%(22/34), P= 0.010]. All patients of the effective treatment group were Ⅰ/Ⅱ degree. 16 cases were Ⅰ/Ⅱ degree and 6 cases were Ⅲ/Ⅳ degree in the iron overload group. ⑤ 6 cases of iron overload group accepted iron chelation treatment early post-transplantation, and SF level decreased from 2 870 (2 205-3 580) μg/L to 1 270 (1 020-1 650) μg/L. ⑥The difference of median disease-free survival time between the effective treatment group and iron overload group was not statistically significant [28.9 (0.3-89.5) months vs 21.2(0.1-81.0) months, χ(2)=3.751, P=0.053].

CONCLUSIONS

Iron overload obviously increased transplant-related complications, and effective iron chelation therapy before transplantation significantly decreased the incidence of infection and degree of aGVHD, thereby reduced the non-relapse mortality in patients with MDS.

Serum levels of S-100β correlate with the clinical status and severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates

The clinical significance of serum S-100β levels in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), as a reference index to assess HIE severity, was evaluated in this study. On the basis of our strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, relevant high-quality case-control studies reporting the association between HIE and S-100β protein were selected from electronic database searches. The STATA version 12.0 software was used for the statistical analyses. The database search initially retrieved 93 studies (37 in English and 56 in Chinese), and following a multistep screening process, 13 high-quality studies were eventually included in our meta-analysis. The 13 case-control studies included a total of 646 HIE neonates and 381 healthy controls. The results of this meta-analysis revealed that serum S-100β levels in mild, moderate, and severe HIE neonates were significantly higher than those in healthy controls, and the differences were statistically significant. Importantly, the serum S-100β levels increased incrementally with HIE severity. Our results support the hypothesis that S-100β is an important biological indicator of HIE and serum S-100β levels can be used as a reference index to assess HIE severity.

Transcription factor WRKY46 modulates the development of Arabidopsis lateral roots in osmotic/salt stress conditions via regulation of ABA signaling and auxin homeostasis

The development of lateral roots (LR) is known to be severely inhibited by salt or osmotic stress. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying LR development in osmotic/salt stress conditions are poorly understood. Here we show that the gene encoding the WRKY transcription factor WRKY46 (WRKY46) is expressed throughout lateral root primordia (LRP) during early LR development and that expression is subsequently restricted to the stele of the mature LR. In osmotic/salt stress conditions, lack of WRKY46 (in loss-of-function wrky46 mutants) significantly reduces, while overexpression of WRKY46 enhances, LR development. We also show that exogenous auxin largely restores LR development in wrky46 mutants, and that the auxin transport inhibitor 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) inhibits LR development in both wild-type (WT; Col-0) and in a line overexpressing WRKY46 (OV46). Subsequent analysis of abscisic acid (ABA)-related mutants indicated that WRKY46 expression is down-regulated by ABA signaling, and up-regulated by an ABA-independent signal induced by osmotic/salt stress. Next, we show that expression of the DR5:GUS auxin response reporter is reduced in roots of wrky46 mutants, and that both wrky46 mutants and OV46 display altered root levels of free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and IAA conjugates. Subsequent RT-qPCR and ChIP-qPCR experiments indicated that WRKY46 directly regulates the expression of ABI4 and of genes regulating auxin conjugation. Finally, analysis of wrky46 abi4 double mutant plants confirms that ABI4 acts downstream of WRKY46. In summary, our results demonstrate that WRKY46 contributes to the feedforward inhibition of osmotic/salt stress-dependent LR inhibition via regulation of ABA signaling and auxin homeostasis.

Transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the coconut leaf beetle, Brontispa longissima

The coconut leaf beetle, Brontispa longissima, is a destructive pest of palm plants. Although its ecological and biological characteristics are well understood, its genetic information remains largely unknown. To advance our understanding of its molecular ba-sis of biology and ecology, we sequenced and analyzed its whole transcriptome by using high-throughput Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. Approximately 8.08 Gb of clean reads were generated in a single run, which were assembled by using Trinity into 41,652 unigenes with an average length of 932 bp. By sequence similarity searches for known proteins, 23,077 (55.4%) unigenes were annotated by BLASTx searches against the NCBI non-redundant protein database. Of the unigenes assembled, 18,153 and 13,733 were assigned to Gene Ontology and Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins, respectively. In addition, 10,415 unigenes were mapped onto 247 pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database. These transcriptomic resources will facilitate gene identification and elucidate the molecular mechanisms of biological and ecological aspects under-lying this palm pest, in order to design a new control strategy.

Transcriptomic identification of chemoreceptor genes in the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Olfaction is crucial for insects' survival because it enables them to recognize various environmental information. It is primarily mediated by a large family of chemoreceptors, including olfactory receptors (ORs), gustatory receptors (GRs), and ionotropic receptors (IRs). Here, we assembled the transcriptome of the economically important pest of palms, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, to reveal its chemoreceptor gene repertoire. About 8.08 Gbp data were generated using a HiSeq platform and their assembly led to a total of 24,439 unigenes. Among the transcripts, 12,523 (51.24%) showed significant similarity (E-value <10(-5)) to known proteins in the National Center for Biotechnology Information Nr database. From these sequences, 18 candidate genes of ORs were identified. Nine putative transcripts were homologous to GR genes, while 9 were similar to IR genes. The expression profiles of all identified chemoreceptor genes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR in antenna, head, thorax, abdomen, and legs of both sexes. Most chemoreceptor genes were antenna-enriched. This study demonstrated a successful application of a transcriptome for discovering a large number of divergent chemoreceptor genes of a non-model organism. The findings provide a valuable sequence resource and gene tissue distribution information for systematic functional analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying chemoreception in this pest.

Intermedin protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in hyperlipidemia rats

Hyperlipidemia is a well-established risk factor for the development of coronary atherosclerosis, while intermedin (IMD) has been identified as a novel calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide family member involved in cardiovascular protection. However, whether IMD protects against hyperlipidemia-associated myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury is unknown. We established a hyperlipidemia model using Sprague-Dawley rats, and created a MI/R condition by ligating the cardiac left circumflex artery. The possible pathophysiological role of IMD and its physiological function in MI/R was further studied. The level of IMD significantly decreased in hyperlipidemia rats (P < 0.05). After MI/R, the IMD level was increased both in the plasma and myocardial tissue of hyperlipidemia rats compared to the sham-operated rats (P < 0.001). As evaluated by the activity of LDH, CK-MB, MDA and SOD, additional IMD was revealed to alleviate MI/R heart injury in hyperlipidemia rats (P < 0.05). By regulating the process of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammatory reaction, IMD could perform an important role in cardio-protection, especially against hyperlipidemia-associated MI/R injury. Additional IMD could protect cardiac myocytes against MI/R injury via reduction of apoptosis and inflammation in the hyperlipidemia rat model, and thus, it may play a potential role as a novel therapeutic target for cardiac ischemic injury in hyperlipidemic patients.

Protective effect of ischaemic preconditioning in total knee arthroplasty

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the genomic response induced by ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) in muscle biopsies taken from the operative leg of total knee arthroplasty patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The gene expression profile GSE21164 was extracted from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Patients undergoing primary knee arthroplasty were randomized to control and treatment (IPC) groups. Muscle biopsies were taken from the quadriceps muscle of the operative knee at the immediate onset of surgery (T0) and at 1 hour into surgery (T1). Limma package of R language was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between control and treatment group. To find out specific genes, DEGs at T0 were compared with DEGs at T1. Scansite was used to find out the binding domain for specific DEGs. Functional enrichment analysis was done by DAVID.

RESULTS

Of the genes queried on the Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 microarray, we identified 263 (T0) and 266 (T1) DEGs compared to the control group. Down-regulation of DEGs related with regulation neuron apoptosis was observed at T1. The most significant function of DEGs at T0 was related with neurological system process. The most specific DEG was FAM125B at T0 and T1 time points. Its common binding domain was SH3.

CONCLUSIONS

The protective effect of IPC was associated with altered expression of genes involved in neurological system process and regulation of neuron apoptosis. The dynamic expression of FAM125B can be a supervised marker during the surgery. IPC may be of potential benefit in this and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Biodegradable and redox-responsive chitosan/poly(L-aspartic acid) submicron capsules for transmucosal delivery of proteins and peptides

The development of peptides and proteins is hampered by their rapid clearance in liver and other body tissues by proteolytic enzymes, so these drugs are difficult to administer except for the injection. Here, we designed and fabricated a novel biodegradable and redox-responsive submicron capsules through the layer-by-layer technique with poly(L-aspartic acid) and chitosan for transmucosal delivery of proteins and peptides. TEM graphs reveal that the intact submicron capsules were obtained and the shell of submicron capsules was about 40 nm. The mucoadhesion test indicates that the adsorption amount of the mucin could achieve up to 96.2 μg per 2 mg. The cell viability test shows that all types of submicron capsules had good cytocompatibility and the cell viability was above 90 %. As a drug model, the insulin could be loaded in the submicron capsules, and the loading efficiency was about 5 %. The release amount of insulin could be regulated by the levels of GSH. Therefore, the mucoadhesive submicron capsules as vehicles have a potential for the mucosal delivery (e.g. nasal and buccal) of therapeutic peptide and protein drugs.

Alterations in the mortality and growth cycle of cervical cancer cells treated with electroporation at different electric strengths

OBJECTIVE

To explore the biological effects of electric fields of various strengths on Hela cells.

METHODS

Electroporation experiments were performed using Hela cells. Changes in cell mortality, cell vitality, cell cycle, and apoptosis status were examined. In addition, temperature changes in the surrounding tissue were measured.

RESULTS

Cell proliferation was markedly inhibited after treatment with field strengths of 2-2.5 kV/cm. The expression of caspase-3 increased significantly in cells treated with field strengths of 1.5-2.5 kV/cm. Field strengths of 1.75-2.5 kV/cm produced complete cancer cell ablation. G2 phase frequency increased significantly after treatment with field strengths of 2-2.5 kV/cm. During this process, the maximum temperature increase in the pulsed electric field was 4.9 -/+ 1.17 degrees C under free air convection.

CONCLUSIONS

IRE can be used alone for the treatment of cancer, and its thermal effect is negligible. Cell death was caused by the effects of IRE and apoptosis. The tumor cells must be destroyed completely, or the altered cell cycle may lead to tumor recurrence and accelerated growth.

A hip simulator study of metal-on-metal hip joint device using acetabular cups with different fixation surface conditions

In vitro wear data for hip joint devices reported in the literature vary in a wide range from one simulator study to another sometimes for the same type of device tested under identical physiological testing conditions. We hypothesized that non-bearing surface condition of the testing components could be an important factor affecting the simulator wear results. To confirm this hypothesis, fifteen 50 mm metal-on-metal hip resurfacing devices with identical bearing specifications were tested in a ProSim hip wear simulator for 5 million cycles. The heads were standard Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) heads; whilst the pairing acetabular cups were identical to the standard BHR cup except their different back surface conditions, including: (a) off-the-shelf products after removing the hydroxyapatite (HA) coating; (b) semi-finished products without HA coating; and (c) purposely-made cups without cast-in beads and HA coating. Results showed that the different back surfaces of the cups used indeed caused significantly large variations in the gravimetrically measured wear loss. We postulated that materials loss from the non-bearing surface of the testing components could contribute to the gravimetrically measured wear loss during a wear simulator test both directly and indirectly. The results presented in this paper pertain to In vitro wear simulator study and have little clinical relevance to the performance of any implant in vivo.