Preoperative evaluation and surgical technique of functional and cosmetic aspects in zygomatic complex fracture patients

The zygomatico-maxillary complex functions as the principle buttress of the face and is the cornerstone to an individual’s aesthetic appearance. Its fracture not only creates cosmetic deformities owing to its position and facial contour, but can also cause disruption of ocular and mandibular functions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality, efficacy and impact of internal fixation of zygomatic complex fractures on functional and cosmetic outcomes. A prospective study was carried out on 100 patients who were divided according to the classification and the severity of injury. Subjective evaluation was submitted based on the patient’s perception of signs and symptoms in the preoperative and postoperative periods. Intraoperative and postoperative assessment of bone reduction quality was made according to the type of the fracture and related difficulties; also, the difference between these groups was observed as functional and esthetic outcome. To optimize the treatment of zygomatic bone fractures, a pre-designed questionnaire was used for subjective evaluation of symptoms and treatment outcome. In 70% of cases, ophthalmologic consultation was taken and was most common in type VII fractures (100% cases). Neurosensory disturbance was the most common finding (60%), followed by diplopia (56R%), pain upon mouth opening (54%) and malar depression (50%). Out of all possible 400 fracture sites in 100 patients of zygomatic complex fractures, 266 (66.5%) fractures were detected by clinical examination, in contrast to 330 (82.5%) on radiological examination, which were highest at zygomatic-maxillary buttress (93%) followed by infraorbital rim (91%) and almost equal among fronto-zygomatic site (72%) and zygomatic arch (74%). The scores from the questionnaire for annoyance were significantly higher for paraesthesia (23%) than for trismus (10%), pain (8.5%), or deformity (8.25%). Residual deformity and pain significantly influenced the total satisfaction. Conclusively, there are many treatment modalities available for zygomatic complex fractures, and the preferred methods should be selected on the basis of fracture type, fracture severity, pre-operative signs and symptoms. Regarding the requirements of fracture site exposure and actual fixation, one priority should be to minimize postoperative complications, morbidity and residual deformities.

Vertebral fracture in postmenopausal Chinese women: a population-based study

In a random sample of postmenopausal Chinese women, the prevalence of radiographic vertebral fractures increased from 13% between ages 50 and 59 to over 50% after age 80 years. A model with seven clinical risk factors predicted the probability of vertebral fractures as well with as without BMD and better than a model with only three risk factors. More than half an hour of outdoor activity per day might correlate with lower risk of vertebral fracture in this population.

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to describe the prevalence and develop a model for prediction of radiographic vertebral fractures in a large random sample of postmenopausal Chinese women.

METHODS

We enrolled 1760 women from an age-stratified random sample of postmenopausal women in Beijing, China. The presence of vertebral fracture was assessed by semi-quantitative grading of lateral thoracolumbar radiographs, risk factors by interview, bone mineral density (BMD) of the proximal femur and lumbar spine by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and markers of bone turnover from a fasting blood sample. Associations of these factors were analyzed in logistic models and discrimination by areas of receiver operating characteristics curves (AUC).

RESULTS

The prevalence of vertebral fracture, ranged from 13.4% ages 50 to 59 years old to 58.1% at age 80 years or older. Older age, a history of non-vertebral fracture, lower femoral neck BMD T-score, body mass index (BMI), height loss, housework, and less than half an hour of outdoor activity were significantly associated with increased probability of having a vertebral fracture. A model with those seven factors had a similar AUC with or without BMD and performed better than a simple model with three factors.

CONCLUSION

This study is from a true random sample of postmenopausal women in urban China with high response rate. The prevalence of vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women in Beijing increases from 13% under age 60 to over 50% by age 80 years. A model with seven clinical risk factors with or without BMD is better than simple models and may guide the use of spine x-rays to identify women with vertebral fractures. More than half an hour of outdoor activity might correlate with lower risk of vertebral fracture in this population.

Thermotolerant hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzymes from Eupenicillium parvum 4-14 display high efficiency upon release of ferulic acid from wheat bran

AIMS

To characterize the hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzymes from novel fungi, and evaluate the potential of novel enzyme system in releasing ferulic acid (FA) from biomass resource.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzyme-producing fungus 4-14 was isolated from soil by Congo red staining method, and identified as Eupenicillium parvum based on the morphologic and molecular phylogenetic analysis. The optimum temperature of fungal growth was 37°C. Hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzymes were produced by this fungus in solid-state fermentation (SSF), and their maximum activities were 554, 385, 218, 2·62 and 5·25 U g(-1) for CMCase, xylanase, β-glucosidase, FPase and FAE respectively. These enzymes displayed the best catalytic ability at low pH values (pH 4·5-5·0). The optimum temperatures were 70°C, 70°C, 75°C and 55°C for CMCase, β-glucosidase, xylanase and FAE respectively. CMCase, xylanase and FAE were stable at different pHs or high temperature (60°C). Enzymatic hydrolysis experiment indicated that the maximum (76·8 ± 4)% of total alkali-extractable FA was released from de-starched wheat bran by the fungal enzyme system.

CONCLUSIONS

High activities of thermotolerant CMCase, β-glucosidase, xylanase and FAE were produced by the newly isolated fungus E. parvum 4-14 in SSF. The fungal enzyme system displayed high efficiency at releasing FA from wheat bran.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study provides a new fungal strain for researches of novel hemicellulolytic and cellulolytic enzymes and will improve the bioconversion and utilization of agricultural by-products.

Search for Electronic Recoil Event Rate Modulation with 4 Years of XENON100 Data

We report on a search for electronic recoil event rate modulation signatures in the XENON100 data accumulated over a period of 4 yr, from January 2010 to January 2014. A profile likelihood method, which incorporates the stability of the XENON100 detector and the known electronic recoil background model, is used to quantify the significance of periodicity in the time distribution of events. There is a weak modulation signature at a period of 431_{-14}^{+16} day in the low energy region of (2.0-5.8) keV in the single scatter event sample, with a global significance of 1.9σ; however, no other more significant modulation is observed. The significance of an annual modulation signature drops from 2.8σ, from a previous analysis of a subset of this data, to 1.8σ with all data combined. Single scatter events in the low energy region are thus used to exclude the DAMA/LIBRA annual modulation as being due to dark matter electron interactions via axial vector coupling at 5.7σ.

Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 acts as oncogene in NSCLC by regulating the Wnt signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to explore the role of long non-coding RNA NEAT1 (NEAT1) in mediating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell migration and invasion, as well as the underlying regulatory mechanisms.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The NEAT1 expression in NSCLC tissues and cell lines was measured using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The relationships between NEAT1 expression and clinicopathological parameters were examined by chi-square test. Overall survival curves were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Effects of NEAT1 on cell growth, invasion and migration were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 assay and transwell assay, respectively. Western blotting was used to address the impact of NEAT1 on Wnt/β‑catenin signaling.

RESULTS

We observed that the expression of NEAT1 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines were much higher than that in normal control, respectively. High NEAT1 expression was statistically associated with poor differentiation, Lymph node metastasis and advanced TMN stage (all p < 0.05). According to the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, NSCLC patients with high NEAT1expression had a significantly shorter overall survival than those with high NEAT1 expression(p < 0.001). Moreover, the downregulation of NEAT1 expression significantly inhibited the NSCLC cells proliferation, migration, and invasiveness. Finally, we found that decreased expression of NEAT1 inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data for the first time showed that NEAT1 contribute to the tumorigenesis and development of NSCLC by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting that NEAT1 may provide a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of NSCLC patients.

The distribution of different virulence grass carp reovirus strains in some neglected tissues

Grass carp reovirus (GCRV) is the causative agent of hemorrhagic disease in infected grass carp. During an outbreak, a mortality rate of up to 85% can be experienced, thus leading to substantial economic losses. The current understanding of disease pathogenesis is limited, with the distribution and dynamics of replication amongst different GCRV strains in vivo largely unknown. We determined distribution of different GCRV strains in infected grass carp, especially in some neglected tissues, such as the gill, brain, blood and so on. The results showed elevated viral RNA copy numbers in the blood, with some tissues such as the kidney, heart, brain, and bladder exhibiting even higher viral loads following infection with the virulent GCRV-CL strain. Even more interesting is that the brain exhibited the highest viral load, with a copy number of 800,000 following GCRV-CL infection. Overall, this study provides further insight into GCRV viral load distributions following infection and potentially identified some new viral tropism sites to provide a foundation for further studies aimed at characterizing GCRV viral pathogenesis.

Proteomic Profiling of De Novo Protein Synthesis in Starvation-Induced Autophagy Using Bioorthogonal Noncanonical Amino Acid Tagging

Autophagy is an intracellular degradation process activated by stress factors such as nutrient starvation to maintain cellular homeostasis. There is emerging evidence demonstrating that de novo protein synthesis is involved in the autophagic process. However, up-to-date characterizing of these de novo proteins is technically difficult. In this chapter, we describe a novel method to identify newly synthesized proteins during starvation-mediated autophagy by bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), in conjunction with isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomics. l-azidohomoalanine (AHA) is an analog of methionine, and it can be readily incorporated into the newly synthesized proteins. The AHA-containing proteins can be enriched with avidin beads after a "click" reaction between alkyne-bearing biotin and the azide moiety of AHA. The enriched proteins are then subjected to iTRAQ™ labeling for protein identification and quantification using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). By using this technique, we have successfully profiled more than 700 proteins that are synthesized during starvation-induced autophagy. We believe that this approach is effective in identification of newly synthesized proteins in the process of autophagy and provides useful insights to the molecular mechanisms and biological functions of autophagy.

Identification of a PRX variant in a Chinese family with congenital cataract by exome sequencing

BACKGROUND

Congenital cataract is a common cause of childhood vision impairment or blindness with genetic and clinical heterogeneity. The aim of this study was to identify the disease-associated gene in a Chinese family with congenital cataract.

METHODS

A four-generation Chinese family with three enrolled patients suffering from congenital cataract was studied. Detailed family history and clinical data of all the members were collected and recorded. Exome sequencing was applied in the proband to screen potential genetic variants, and then Sanger sequencing was used to verify the variant within the family.

RESULTS

A heterozygous variant, c.3673G > A (p.V1225M), in the periaxin gene (PRX) was identified in three patients and two asymptomatic individuals of the family. The variant was absent in the other three unaffected family members and in 3290 ethnically matched in-house controls from BGI-Shenzhen.

CONCLUSIONS

By utilizing both exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing, we identified a missense variant in the PRX gene that is possibly associated with disease in this family. Our finding may broaden the spectrum of genes associated with congenital cataract, and may provide insights into lens development, pathogenic mechanism, future clinical genetic diagnosis and therapy of congenital cataract.

Serum Cyr61 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

To determine the sensitivity and specificity of serum Cyr61 as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and to assess the association between serum Cyr61 level and CRC clinicopathological status.

METHODS

We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure serum Cyr61 in patients with CRC, patients with colorectal adenomas, and healthy controls. We also analyzed the relationship between serum Cyr61 and clinicopathological features of CRC patients. The levels of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were quantified using the Roche Cobas 6000 Analyzer. The sensitivity and specificity of Cyr61, CEA, CA19-9 and CEA + CA19-9 were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

RESULTS

The serum level of Cyr61 was significantly increased in CRC patients compared with colorectal adenoma patients and healthy controls (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the area under the ROC curve for Cyr61 was 0.935 (95 % confidence interval 0.902-0.968), higher than that for CEA + CA19-9 (0.827, 95 % confidence interval: 0.783-0.871). Use of a Cyr61 cutoff value of 92.0 pg/mL allowed distinguishing CRC patients and healthy controls with a sensitivity of 83 % and a specificity of 97 %. Among CRC patients, an elevated level of serum Cyr61 was significantly associated with more advanced TNM stage (p < 0.0042), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.0088), and vascular invasion (p = 0.0027).

CONCLUSION

Cyr61 has potential as a serum biomarker for the diagnosis of CRC and for assessment of the clinicopathological status of CRC.

Integrated Microfluidic Aptasensor for Mass Spectrometric Detection of Vasopressin in Human Plasma Ultrafiltrate

We present a microfluidic aptamer-based biosensor for detection of low-molecular-weight biomarkers in patient samples. Using a microfluidic device that integrates aptamer-based specific analyte extraction, isocratic elution, and detection by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, we demonstrate rapid, sensitive and label-free detection of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in human plasma ultrafiltrate. AVP molecules in complex matrices are specifically captured by an aptamer that is immobilized on microbeads via affinity binding in a microchamber. After the removal of unbound, contaminating molecules through washing, aptamer-AVP complexes are thermally disrupted via on-chip temperature control. Released AVP molecules are eluted with purified water and transferred to a separate microchamber, and deposited onto a single spot on a MALDI plate via repeated, piezoelectrically actuated ejection, which enriches AVP molecules over the spot area. This integrated on-chip sample processing enables the quantitative detection of low-abundance AVP by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in a rapid and label-free manner. Our experimental results show the detection of AVP in human plasma ultrafiltrate as low as physiologically relevant picomolar concentrations via aptamer-based selective preconcentration, demonstrating the potential of our approach as a rapid (~ 1hr), sensitive clinical AVP assay.

[Comparison of balloon catheter dilatation and silicon intubation as the secondary treatment for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction after failed primary probing]

OBJECTIVE

To determine the success rates and compare the results of balloon catheter dilation and nasolacrimal intubation as treatment for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction after failed probing, stratified by category of age and type of obstruction.

METHODS

It was a prospective, randomized, clinical trial that enrolled 189 children (245 eyes) aged between 6 months to 48 months who had a history of failed nasolacrimal duct probing. All eyes underwent either balloon catheter nasolacrimal duct dilation or nasolacrimal duct intubation randomly. The eyes were divided into 2 age categories: category 1 (6-24 months) and category 2 (>24 months) and into 2 types of obstructions: simple obstruction and complex obstruction. Treatment success was defined as absence of epiphora, mucous discharge, or increased lacrimal lake at the outcome visit 6 months after surgery. Complications were also compared.

RESULTS

In 124 eyes treated with balloon catheter dilatation, 112 were successful (90.3%) comparing with 106 successful eyes (87.6%) in 121 eyes treated with nasolacrimal duct intubation. The risk ratio for success between intubation and balloon dilation was 0.971, and the 95% confidence interval was 0.95-1.22. Within each age category, the success rate varied but did not show significant difference: In those under 24 months, success rate was 89.7% in 97 eyes treated with intubation, and 91.9% in 99 eyes treated with balloon dilation (RR, 0.976; 95% CI, 0.590-0.956). In those above 24 months, success rate was 79.1% in 24 eyes treated with intubation, and 84.0% in 25 eyes treated with balloon dilation (RR, 0.942; 95%CI, 0.813-1.387). In the group of simple obstruction, success rate was 96.5% in 87 eyes treated with intubation, and 93.1% in 88 eyes treated with balloon dilation (RR, 1.036; 95% CI, 0.967-1.105). In the group of complex obstruction, Success rate was 64.7% in 34 eyes treated with intubation, and 86.1% in 36 eyes treated with balloon dilation. The success rate of balloon dilatation showed slightly higher than that of intubation (RR, 0.751; 95% CI, 0.590-0.956). There were 59 eyes showed complications in intubation group, while only 2 eyes in balloon dilation group.

CONCLUSIONS

Both balloon catheter dilation and nasolacrimal duct intubation could alleviate the clinical signs of persistent nasolacrimal duct obstruction with a similar percentage of patients. In the complex obstruction group, balloon catheter dilation showed better efficacy than nasolacrimal duct intubation.

Dynamic Modeling of a Laminated Composite- Material Flexible Robot Arm Made of Short Beams

High-precision assembly tasks are often performed by compact industrial robots with small work envelopes. The end-effector positional accuracy of compact robots can be accurately predicted by considering the links of the robot arm as short beams. In this study, a general procedure to derive a dynamic model for a revolute flexible robot arm, which takes into consideration the rotary inertia and shear deformation effects, is presented. Only the last link of the arm is considered to be flexible and assumed to be fabri cated from laminated composite materials.

Hamilton's principle is used to derive the equations of motion. A displacement finite element model based on the Timoshenko beam theory is implemented to approximate the solution. The digital simulation studies predict the deflections at the end effector and examine the combined effects of rotary inertia and shear deformation. Further more, the improvement in the dynamic response of the robot arm resulting from the fabrication of the manipula tor from laminated composite materials is demonstrated.

A study on the role of apoptotic human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in bleomycin-induced acute lung injury in rat models

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine whether normal human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and apoptotic human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells play any role in the lung repair following bleomycin-induced lung injury in rat models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were obtained from the umbilical cord following caesarian section from healthy normal babies. Plasmin deprivation method was used for culture of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and flow cytometry was used to identify cell surface antigen and activity of stem cells and apoptosis. The animal model of acute lung injury was established by a one-off intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (BLM) (5 mg/kg) and then normal stem cells and apoptotic stem cells were separately injected. Alveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue were collected for further analysis prior to the injury and at days 3, 7, 14 after administration of BLM. The number of neutrophils in the broncho alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was counted; Bicinchoninic Acid (BCA) method was used for estimation of total protein content in alveolar lavage fluid; biochemical assay was used for estimation of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity; hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining of lung tissue was used for histopathology analysis; reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was used for the determination of interferon-gamma (INF-γ) and mRNA changes of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in lung tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for the determination of cytokines TNF-α in the lung tissue.

RESULTS

Apoptotic human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were more effective in reducing lung neutrophil infiltration and total protein leakage in rat models of acute lung injury (ALI). There was also an improvement in the degree of vascular permeability, reduction in the level of proinflammatory cytokines, INF-γ gene level and boost in anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 levels which also helps in more effectively reducing the degree of injury in ALI.

CONCLUSIONS

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation may have a bright future in the clinical setting for the treatment of ALI/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Apoptotic human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells may have more effective than normal human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of acute lung injury.

Bulking agents - an analysis of 500 cases and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is common, impacts women's quality of life and generates high costs. Physiotherapy is the first line therapy and if it fails, suburethral slings are currently the gold standard in SUI surgery. Bulking agents injected periurethrally might be a beneficial alternative, but there is a paucity of data on bulking therapy. Aim of the current-study was to analyze the efficacy and safety of bulking agents in the setting of a tertiary referral center prospectively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the last 13 years 514 elderly women with SUI were treated by injection therapy with either collagen, hyaluronic acid, ethylene vinyl alcohol or polyacrylamide hydrogel. Subjective and objective outcomes were recorded at the 12 month post-operative appointment using the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to describe their incontinence severity, standardized Pad-Test, and urethral pressure profile.

RESULTS

Demographic data were equally distributed in all four groups of agents used. Sixty-one patients were lost to follow-up (10.6%). Statistically significant changes were found for maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP), pad weight, and VAS before and after bulking for the four agents used. Pad-Test was negative in 73.2% of patients after bulking therapy. Subjective assessment showed improvements in general health and role limitations. The overall complication rate poly- was low for all agents.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study shows an improvement of incontinence after bulking therapy applying subjective and objective outcomes in an elderly population. In contrast to earlier reports, side effects due to injections were few and mild. We can advocate bulking therapy for the.

Pcgf6, a polycomb group protein, regulates mesodermal lineage differentiation in murine ESCs and functions in iPS reprogramming

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins comprise evolutionary conserved factors with essential functions for embryonic development and adult stem cells. PcG proteins constitute two main multiprotein polycomb repressive complexes (PRC1 and PRC2) that operate in a hierarchical manner to silence gene transcription. Functionally distinct PRC1 complexes are defined by Polycomb group RING finger protein (Pcgf) paralogs. So far, six Pcgf paralogs (Pcgf1-6) have been identified as defining components of different PCR1-type complexes. Paralog-specific functions are not well understood. Here, we show that Pcgf6 is the only Pcgf paralog with high expression in undifferentiated embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Upon differentiation Pcgf6 expression declines. Following Pcgf6 kockdown (KD) in ESCs, the expression of pluripotency genes decreased, while mesodermal- and spermatogenesis-specific genes were derepressed. Concomitantly with the elevated expression of mesodermal lineage markers, Pcgf6 KD ESCs showed increased hemangioblastic and hematopoietic activities upon differentiation suggesting a function of Pcgf6 in repressing mesodermal-specific lineage genes. Consistant with a role in pluripotency, Pcgf6 replaced Sox2 in the generation of germline-competent induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Furthermore, Pcgf6 KD in mouse embryonic fibroblasts reduced the formation of ESC-like colonies in OSKM-driven reprogramming. Together, these analyses indicate that Pcgf6 is nonredundantly involved in maintaining the pluripotent nature of ESCs and it functions in iPS reprogramming.

Dynamics of Th17 associating cytokines in Cryptosporidium parvum-infected mice

Cryptosporidium parvum commonly inhabits the intestinal tract of animals and humans and can cause acute watery diarrhea and weight loss. However, host immune responses to Cryptosporidium infections are not fully understood. IL-17 (also called IL-17A) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine of Th17 cells that plays a role in the host response to Cryptosporidium baileyi infection. The present study examined levels of IL-17-specific messenger RNA (mRNA) and Th17 associating cytokines in C. parvum-infected immune-suppressed BALB/c mice using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Levels of IL-17 protein were determined by ELISA. The results showed that levels of IL-17 mRNA and Th17 cell-related cytokines, namely TGF-β, IL-6, STAT-3, RORγt, IL-22, TNF-α, and IL-23, were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and spleen. IL-17 protein levels in GALT were also significantly increased (P < 0.05) after infection. The present study suggested that Th17 cells play a role in host-C. parvum interaction. These results could inform future studies of the immune response against C. parvum infection in transient immunosuppressed populations.

Emergence of a new GII.17 norovirus variant in patients with acute gastroenteritis in Jiangsu, China, September 2014 to March 2015

From September 2014 to March 2015, 23 outbreaks of norovirus (NoV) acute gastroenteritis occurred in Jiangsu, China. Partial sequencing of the NoV capsid gene suggested that 16 of the 23 outbreaks were related to a new GII.17 variant. This variant was first detected in sporadic specimens in October 2014, and became predominant in February 2015. Analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and complete capsid including the protruding domain P2 sequences confirmed this GII.17 variant as distinct from previously identified GII variants.

Development and cross-species transferability of unigene-derived microsatellite markers in an edible oil woody plant, Camellia oleifera (Theaceae)

Camellia oleifera is an important edible oil woody plant in China. Lack of useful molecular markers hinders current genetic research on this tree species. Transcriptome sequencing of developing C. oleifera seeds generated 69,798 unigenes. A total of 6949 putative microsatellites were discovered among 6042 SSR-containing unigenes. Then, 150 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were evaluated in 20 varieties of C. oleifera. Of these, 52 SSRs revealed polymorphism, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 2 to 15 and expected heterozygosity values from 0.269 to 0.888. The polymorphic information content varied from 0.32 to 0.897. Cross-species transferability rates in Camellia chekangoleosa and Camellia japonica were 90.4 and 78.8%, respectively. The 52 polymorphic unigene-derived SSR markers serve to enrich existing microsatellite marker resources for C. oleifera and offer potential for applications in genetic diversity evaluation, molecular fingerprinting, and genetic mapping in C. oleifera, C. chekangoleosa, and C. japonica.

Identification of a novel cytochrome P450 gene, CYP321E1 from the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) and RNA interference to evaluate its role in chlorantraniliprole resistance

Insect cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) play an important role in catalysis of many reactions leading to insecticides resistance. Our previous studies on transcriptome analysis of chlorantraniliprole-resistant development in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella revealed that up-regulation of cytochrome P450s are one of the main factors leading to the development of chlorantraniliprole resistance. Here, we report for the first time a novel cytochrome P450 gene CYP321E1, which belongs to the cytochrome P450 gene family CYP321. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses indicated that CYP321E1 was expressed at all developmental stages of P. xylostella but was highest in the fourth-instar larvae; furthermore, the relatively high expression was observed in the midgut of the fourth-instar larvae, followed by fat bodies and epidermis. The expression of CYP321E1 in P. xylostella was differentially affected by three representative insecticides, including alphamethrin, abamectin and chlorantraniliprole. Among them, the exposure to chlorantraniliprole resulted in the largest transcript level of this cytochrome P450 gene. The findings suggested potential involvement of CYP321E1 in chlorantraniliprole resistance of P. xylostella. To assess the functional link of CYP321E1 to chlorantraniliprole resistance, RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated gene silencing by double stranded RNA (dsRNA) injecting was used. Results revealed that injection delivery of dsRNA can greatly reduce gene expression after 24 h. As a consequence of RNAi, a significant increment in mortality of larvae injected CYP321E1 dsRNA was observed after 24 h of exposure to chlorantraniliprole. These results strongly support our notion that this novel cytochrome P450 gene plays an important role in chlorantraniliprole detoxification in the diamondback moth and is partly responsible for its resistance.

Reconsideration of the relevance of mild wedge or short vertebral height deformities across a broad age distribution

Based on an evaluation of vertebral fracture prevalence on lateral radiographs across all age groups in a large cohort, mild or wedge-shaped vertebral body changes identified among adults should be managed as osteoporosis or at least considered as a risk factor for osteoporotic fracture, since they are rare among young subjects.

INTRODUCTION

Radiographic assessment of vertebral fractures is limited by the inability to distinguish mild fractures from congenital mild wedge deformities or vertebrae of short vertebral height. We attempted to quantify the expected background prevalence of these deformities by measuring vertebral fracture prevalence across all age groups in a large hospital-based retrospective Chinese cohort.

METHODS

We reviewed eligible lateral chest radiographs from patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital during 2011 using the Genant semiquantitative method for vertebral fracture assessment (T4-L2). We evaluated fracture prevalence among subjects by sex, 10-year age group, and fracture severity grades subjectively. We further analyzed characteristics of subjects with mild (grade I) fractures to estimate the relative contribution of congenital mild wedge deformities.

RESULTS

A total of 10,720 subjects (5,396 men and 5,324 women) with lateral chest radiographs were evaluated. Subjects ranged in age from 0.5 to 97 years with a mean of 51.8 ± 17.4 years (men 52.8 ± 17.6 years; women 50.8 ± 17.2 years). When stratified by 10-year age groups, the prevalence of vertebral fractures was relatively low until about 40 years of age, after which prevalence increased for both genders. Fractures (13 fractures for 9 males and 6 fractures for 5 females) seen in subjects younger than 40 years of age were almost exclusively mild grade fractures. No fractures were identified in subjects younger than 20 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS

Mild or wedge-shaped vertebral body changes on lateral radiographs are rare among young subjects, indicating that when mild vertebral deformities are found among adults, they are likely to be the product of aging and not congenital variation. Clinically, therefore, mild vertebral body changes should be managed as osteoporosis or at least considered as a risk factor for osteoporotic fracture.