[Introduction and development of modern western medicine into Chaoshan (Chaozhou-Shantou)area]

Shantou was opened officially in 1861. Willian Gauld, a doctor of British Presbyterian arrived in Shantou in 1863 topractisemedicine and missionary work, and set up the Medical Missionary Hospital. Since then, western medicine began to enter the Chaoshan area. Hereafter, the American Baptists, the Japanese Hakuai Society and the French Catholic Church also entered successively into the Chaoshan area, and the hospitals of western medicine were founded. At the same time, local organizations and individuals of the Chaoshan area also established western medical institutions. Chaoshan people had certain resistance to the transmission of Western medicine, which was obviously less than other places of the mainland. The reasons included not only the church hospital taking some measures to win the people's support, providing human health services, as well as the superiority of western medicine itself, but also the shortage of doctors and medicine in the Chaoshan area and thepeople's tolerance for foreign things. In addition to the provision of medical services in the hospital, the church hospital also set up medical education and trained a group of local medical talents. Although western medicine served as the pioneer of western religion into the Chaoshan area, it also brought advanced medical ideals, technology, equipment, and medical system, laying down the foundation for the development of western medicine in Chaoshan area.

[Effects of seawater immersion on the inflammatory response and oxygen free radical injury of rats with superficial partial-thickness scald at early stage]

Objective: To study the effects of seawater immersion on the inflammatory response and oxygen free radical injury of rats with superficial-thickness scald at early stage. Methods: Seventy Wistar rats were divided into healthy control group (HC, n=7), pure scald group (PS, n=21), scald+ fresh water immersion group (SF, n=21), and scald+ seawater immersion group (SS, n=21) according to the random number table. Rats in group HC did not receive any treatment, while 5% total body surface area superficial partial-thickness scald was made on the back of rats in the latter three groups. Rats in group PS lived freely immediately post burn, while wounds on the back of rats in groups SF and SS were immersed into fresh water and seawater, respectively. Serum and full-thickness skin tissue in the center of wounds on the back of 7 rats in groups PS, SF, and SS at post immersion (injury) hour (PIH) 2, 4, and 6 were collected, respectively, while serum and full-thickness skin tissue at the same position of the 7 rats in group HC were collected at PIH 6 of rats in other groups. Morphology of skin tissue was observed with HE staining; tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) content in serum and skin tissue was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; superoxide dismutase (SOD) content in serum and skin tissue was determined by hydroxylamine method; malondialdehyde content in serum and skin tissue was determined by thiobarbituric acid method. Data were processed with analysis of variance of factorial design, one-way analysis of variance, Welch test, LSD test, and Tamhane test. Results: (1) Epidermal cells of skin tissue of rats in group HC arranged in order and continuously, and the dermis tissue and accessory structures were clear and complete. The skin layer and epidermis of wounds of rats in group PS had no significant change, but the edema of epidermis and dermis and infiltration of inflammatory cells enhanced over time at PIH 2, 4, and 6. The horny layer of epidermis of wounds of rats in group SF reduced, and the edema of epidermis and dermis and infiltration of inflammatory cells enhanced over time at PIH 2, 4, and 6; some epidermal cells disintegrated at PIH 6. The horny layer of epidermis of wounds of rats in group SS significantly reduced, along with the increase in disintegration of epidermal cells, the significant enhancement of edema of epidermis and dermis, and infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells over time at PIH 2, 4, and 6. (2) Compared with (247±27) pg/mL in group HC, the serum content of TNF-α of rats in group PS significantly increased at PIH 2 and 4 [respectively (675±122) and (367±54) pg/mL, P<0.05 or P<0.01] but significantly decreased at PIH 6 [(147±27) pg/mL, P<0.01]; the serum content of TNF-α of rats in group SF significantly decreased at PIH 6 [(90±24) pg/mL, P<0.01]; the serum content of TNF-α of rats in group SS significantly increased at PIH 2, 4, and 6 [respectively (1 646±58), (2 086±114), and (2 951±58) pg/mL, with P values below 0.01]. Compared with (364±123) U/mL in group HC, the serum content of SOD of rats in group PS significantly increased at PIH 2 and 4 [respectively (489±13) and (447±14) U/mL, with P values below 0.05]; the serum content of SOD of rats in group SF significantly decreased at PIH 6 [(282±13) U/mL, P<0.05]; the serum content of SOD of rats in group SS significantly increased at PIH 2 [(461±23) U/mL, P<0.05] but significantly decreased at PIH 4 and 6 [respectively (226±8) and (205±10) U/mL, with P values below 0.01]. Compared with that in group HC, the serum content of malondialdehyde of rats in groups PS, SF, and SS significantly increased at PIH 2, 4, and 6 (with P values below 0.01). (3) Compared with that in group HC, the TNF-α content in wound tissue of rats in groups PS and SS significantly increased at PIH 2, 4, and 6 (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the TNF-α content in wound tissue of rats in group SF significantly increased at PIH 2 and 4 (with P values below 0.01). Compared with that in group HC, the SOD content in wound tissue of rats in groups PS and SF significantly increased at PIH 2, 4, and 6 (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the SOD content in wound tissue of rats in group SS significantly increased at PIH 2 and 4 (with P values below 0.01). Compared with that in group HC, the malondialdehyde content in wound tissue of rats in groups PS, SF, and SS significantly increased at PIH 2, 4, and 6 (with P values below 0.01). Conclusions: Seawater immersion can enhance the inflammatory response and oxygen free radical injury of wounds and the whole body of rats with superficial partial-thickness scald at early stage.

[A correlation analysis of the ankle CT and ankle fracture classification]

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the CT features of ankle fracture and to analyze the relationship between the CT images and the most commonly used ankle fracture classification.

METHODS

With 369 cases of adult ankle fractures analyzed retrospectively, the CT images 1 cm above the ankle joint and its characteristics, the Danis-Weber classification of ankle fracture were studied, and so was the relationship between CT images and the fracture classification.

RESULTS

There were 8 forms of CT images. With a, b, and c referred to the fibular fracture, posterior malleolar fracture and interosseous tibiofibular ligament (IOL) rupture respectively. 369 CT imges had 40 cases of 0 degree injury (fibula, posterior malleolus, IOL all intact); 60 cases of Ia degree injury (fibular fracture, posterior malleolus and IOL intact), 3 cases of Ib degree injury (fibula intact, posterior malleolus fracture, IOL intact), 26 cases of Ic degree injury (fibula and posterior malleolus intact, IOL rupture); 163 cases of IIab degree injury (fibula and posterior malleolus fractures, IOL intact), 6 cases of IIac degree injury (fibular fracture, posterior malleolus intact, IOL rupture), 61 cases of IIbc degree injury (fibula intact, posterior malleollar fracture, IOL rupture); 10 cases of III degree injury (fibular fracture, posterior malleollar fracture and IOL rupture). According to the Danis-Weber classification, there were 18 cases of type A, 238 cases of type B, 94 cases of type C, and 19 cases without fibular fracture. The prevalence of IOL rupture were 0, 5.9%, and 88.3% in types A, B, and C respectively. There was a correlation between the CT image and Danis-Weber classification, the incidence of IOL rupture was changed with the severity of Danis-Weber classification, and the difference was statistically significant after the rank correlation test (Spearman R=0.781, P<0.001). IOL rupture not determined by the fracture classification was found with the CT images and the incidence was 5.9%.

CONCLUSION

Cross-sectional CT images 1 cm above the ankle joint can clearly determine the IOL injury preoperatively with a good correlation with the Danis-Weber fracture classification, IOL rupture unrecognized with the fracture classification can also be noticed with the CT image.

[Research advances in diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases in clinical practice, and the spectrum of NAFLD includes nonalcoholic simple fatty liver, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and liver cirrhosis. Some patients may even progress to hepatocellular carcinoma. At present, the gold standard for the diagnosis of NAFLD is liver biopsy, but since this is an invasive examination and has high costs, its application is limited in clinical practice. More and more studies have focused on noninvasive diagnostic methods for NAFLD, including serological markers, fatty liver predictive model, and imaging examinations. Emerging diagnostic techniques, including genomics, proteomics, glycomics, and metabolomics, also play an important role in the diagnosis of NAFLD.

[Tetracycline-inducible replications of wild-type and an adefovir-dipivoxil-resistant hepatitis B virus in human liver cells]

OBJECTIVE

To establish cell lines with inducible replications of wild-type or rtE218G, an adefovir-dipivoxil-resistant HBV mutant.

METHODS

Tetracycline transactivator (tTA) was stably transfected into human liver cell line HepG2.1.2 folds of full-length of wild-type or rtE218G-mutated HBV genomes were cloned into the pTRE vector and cotransfected into the tTA-expressing cells with a linear selection marker for hygromycin, respectively. After hygromycin screening, clones with the highest levels of tetracycline-inducible HBV replications were selected. The obtained cell lines were further used to evaluate the in vitro sensitivity of rtE218G mutant to adefovir-dipivoxil.

RESULTS

HepG2-off23, a HepG2-derived cell line with stable tTA expression was established. PTRE-based plasmids carrying wild-type HBV (pTRE-HBV-WT) or rtE218G mutant (pTRE-HBV-E218GHBV) were constructed. After stable transfection of the HBV constructs into HepG2-off23 cells, cell lines with robust and tetracycline-inducible replications of wild-type HBV (HepG2-tetHBV-WT) and rtE218G-mutated HBV (HepG2-tetHBV-E218G) were selected. In the two cell lines, high levels of viral core protein and DNA replication could be detected after 144 hours of culture, which could be potently inhibited when tetracycline was added into the medium. At the presence of 1 000 ng/ml of tetracycline, HBV replication intermediates were hardly detected by Southern blotting experiments. HBV mutant with rtE218G could independently confer resistance to adefovir in vitro. IC50 for HBV rtE218G mutant of adefovir was (6.49±0.09) μmol/L, which was significantly higher than that for wild type virus (2.49±0.05) μmol/L.

CONCLUSION

Wild-type and the rtE218G HBV mutant could be expressed and efficiently regulated by tetracycline in the established new cell lines. These cell lines could be useful tools for the HBV virology and anti-HBV drug screening studies.

Hybrid Pixel-Waveform (HPWF) Enabled CdTe Detectors for Small Animal Gamma-Ray Imaging Applications

This paper presents the design and preliminary evaluation of small-pixel CdTe gamma ray detectors equipped with a hybrid pixel-waveform (HPWF) readout system for gamma ray imaging applications with additional discussion on CZT due to its similarity. The HPWF readout system utilizes a pixelated anode readout circuitry which is designed to only provide the pixel address. This readout circuitry works in coincidence with a high-speed digitizer to sample the cathode waveform which provides the energy, timing, and depth-of-interaction (DOI) information. This work focuses on the developed and experimentally evaluated prototype HPWF-CdTe detectors with a custom CMOS pixel-ASIC to readout small anode pixels of 350 μm in size, and a discrete waveform sampling circuitry to digitize the signal waveform induced on the large cathode. The intrinsic timing, energy, and spatial resolution were experimentally evaluated in this paper in conjunction with methods for depth of interaction (DOI) partitioning of the CdTe crystal. While the experimental studies discussed in this paper are primarily for evaluating HPWF detectors for small animal PET imaging, these detectors could find their applications for ultrahigh-resolution SPECT and other imaging modalities.

[A systematic review and Meta-analysis on influencing factors related to the quality of sleep among community population aged 60 and older, in China]

Objective: To systematically evaluate the influencing factors on quality of sleep among community elderly population aged ≥60 years in China. Methods: Literature review was conducted using databases of PubMed, EMbase, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang to collect data regarding influencing factors on quality of sleep. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis were performed to pool the eligible studies. Results: Sixteen cross-sectional studies were included. Data from both qualitative and quantitative analysis showed that the elderly population who had ever married (OR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.52-0.98) or lived with other people (OR=0.78, 95%CI: 0.70-0.87) had better quality of sleep but it was worse when with chronic diseases (OR=2.24, 95%CI: 1.39-3.61). The effects of age and sex on the quality of sleep in the elderly was not yet conclusive. Studies on life style, social support and psychological factors appeared scarce. Conclusion: The protective factors on quality of sleep among community elderly population aged ≥60 years in China appeared as: ever had married or lived with others while chronic diseases were risk factors in reducing the quality of sleep.

[Clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of metanephric adenoma: a report of sixteen cases]

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of metanephric adenoma (MA).

METHODS

The clinicopathological data of 16 cases with MA diagnosed and treated in Peking University First Hospital from 2004 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed, and the clinical characteristics, pathologic parameters, differential diagnosis, treatment options and prognosis of MA were analyzed with literature review.

RESULTS

The patients included 10 females and 6 males. The age of patients ranged from 14 to 83 years (mean=33.7 years). The partial nephrectomy was carried out for most patients. All cases were located in renal codex with 3 growing into the renal sinus. Histologically, the tumor was composed of tubules, papillary or glomeruloid structures and psammoma bodies were focally seen. Immunohistochemical study showed that all the cases expressed vimentin, and 94% cases expressed CD57, 63% WT1, 75% AE1/AE3, 19% cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and 13%α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), and negative expressions for MA included CD10, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and CD56. Follow-up information from 1 to 125 months was available in all the patients; and none of the patients showed any evidence of recurrence and metastasis.

CONCLUSION

The benign tumor characteristics of MA are not obvious for preoperative imaging diagnosis, and the diagnosis of MA should be based on the unique pathological features. Positive immunostain of CD57 is a useful indicator for MA diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The partial nephrectomy surgical treatment can achieve good clinical cure with good prognosis.

[Reliability and validity of a newly developed tool to be used for the comprehensive geriatric assessment on community elderly]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the reliability and validity of a comprehensive geriatric assessment tool set for community elderly.

METHODS

A sample of 574 community elderly (231 males, 343 females) aged 60 to 94 years, were included in the study. Split-half reliability and Chronbach' s α coefficient were used to test the reliability, with Face validity tested by Delphi method. Construct validity was tested, using the Factor Reliability.

RESULTS

The split-half reliability coefficient appeared as 0.706. The Chronbach' s α coefficient was 0.652 for the whole questionnaire. The authority coefficient was 0.876, and the Kendall coefficient was 0.408 (P<0.001). Six factors were identified through factor analysis and the factor loading matrix showed that the construct validity was good.

CONCLUSION

The tool was recognized as a reliable and validated measure for the comprehensive assessment on community elderly.

[Clinical analysis of the character and prognostic factors of 23 cases of mantle cell lymphoma]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients.

METHODS

The clinical data of 23 MCL patients were retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemical stain was performed to detect the protein expressions of Mcl-1, pNF-κB p65 and 14-3-3ζ of MCL patients to analyze its prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Among 23 MCL patients, there were 17(73.9%) patients with IPI 0-2 (low risk group) and 6(26.1%) patients with IPI 3-4. Only the rate of 2y-progression-free survival (PFS) of group IPI 0-2 was superior to that of group IPI 3-4 patients (47.1% vs 0, P=0.049); There were 16 (69.5%) patients with MIPI < 5.7, whose rates of overall response rate (ORR), 2y overall survival (OS) and PFS were better than those of the ones with MIPI ≥ 5.7(ORR: 81.3% vs 33.3% P=0.032; OS: 68.8% vs 16.7% P=0.041; PFS: 50% vs 0, P=0.040 respectively). The rates of ORR, 2y-OS and 2y-PFS (100.0%, 80.0% and 70.0%) of patienets received regimen R+CHOP(E) were all superior to those (38.5%, 30.8% and 7.7%) of ones received regimen CHOP(E) (P=0.002, P= 0.024, P=0.003, respectively). Among 12 patients, 2 out of 6 cases with Mcl-1 positive expression achieved good response (CR+PR) and 2y-OS, 1 case 2y-PFS; All 6 cases with Mcl-1 negative expression achieved good response (CR+PR) and 2y-OS, 5 cases 2y-PFS. 3 out of 6 cases with pNF-κB p65 positive expression achieved good response (CR+PR) and 2y-OS, 1 case 2y-PFS; 5 out of 6 cases with pNF-κB p65 negative expression achieved good response (CR+ PR) and 2y-OS/PFS. 5 out of 8 cases with 14-3-3ζ positive expression achieved good response (CR+PR), 4 cases 2y-OS, and 3 cases 2y-PFS. 3 out of 4 cases with 14-3-3ζ negative expression achieved CR, 4 cases 2y-OS, and 3 cases 2y-PFS.

CONCLUSION

MCL patients had high heterogeneity. MIPI has better prognostic significance than IPI. R+CHOP(E) as first line treatment improved the rates of OS/PFS. The expressions of Mcl-1, pNF-κB p65 and 14-3-3ζ proteins in MCL might be related to prognosis.

[Study on incidence and risk factors of fall in the elderly in a rural community in Beijing]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the incidence of fall in the old farmers of Miyun county in Beijing.

METHODS

The old farmers who lived in Jugezhuang and Fengjiayu townships of Miyun county were selected for a questionnaire survey to collect the information about the incidence of fall and their health status.

RESULTS

A total of 2 397 old farmers, including 967 males and 1 430 females, were surveyed. Fall occurred in 347 old farmers(14.5%). The difference in the incidence of fall was significant between males(9.6%)and females(17.8%). A total of 282 falls occurred in courtyards, 45 falls occurred in field/hilly areas. Among the falls occurred, 216(27.2%)led to injuries. The most common site of injuries was hip(45 falls). Logistic regression analysis showed that physical exercise and high income were protective factors, but difficult standing up and walking, visual problem and stroke were the risk factors. In the males, the special risk factor was mid cognitive impairment, and in the females, the special risk factor was urinary incontinence, but afternoon nap was a protective factor.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of fall in the rural community was relatively high with distinct area distribution, which has caused serious influence on the mental and physical health of the elderly.

Isolation, identification, and optimal cultivation of a marine bacterium antagonistic to Magnaporthe grisea

In this paper, a plate confrontation method was used to isolate bacteria antagonistic to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea from samples collected from China's Dalian Bay. The antagonist strain LM-031 was obtained. We studied this strain's morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics and analyzed its 16S rDNA sequence. We compared the effects of different culture conditions (type of media, carbon and nitrogen source, incubation temperature and time, and initial pH value) on the inhibitory effect against M. grisea. Strain LM-031 was preliminarily identified as Bacillus pumilus and was found to strongly inhibit M. grisea, especially when grown on BPY medium at an initial pH 7 for 72 h at 30°C. The optimum carbon and nitrogen sources for growth were lactose and peptone, respectively. The most suitable carbon and nitrogen sources for production of active substances were glucose and NH4Cl, respectively. Our results show that development and utilization of B. pumilus LM-031 has great potential for biological control of M. grisea.

[Children's intelligence quotient following general anesthesia for dental care: a clinical observation by Chinese Wechsler young children scale of intelligence]

OBJECTIVE

It has been demonstrated that anesthetics exposure may lead to neurocognitive impairment in developing brain of animal models. However, for the limitation that the animal models cannot fully mimic the dose and duration in clinical settings especially for dental general anesthesia, the clinical significance of anesthetics exposure on developing central nervous system remains undetermined. Therefore, we conducted the current study in order to observe the fluctuation of intelligence quotient (IQ) after the administration of dental general anesthesia comparing to that before surgery. We conducted the current study in order to observe the fluctuation of intelligence quotient (IQ) after the administration of dental general anesthesia compared with that before surgery.

METHODS

Thirty two patients, ASA I, who were exposed to dental general anesthesia in Department of Pediatric Dentistry Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, aged 4 to 6.5 years, were enrolled in this prospective study. Patients with severe learning difficulties or communication disorders were excluded. Written and informed consent was obtained from each patients' family which was fully explained of the purpose and method of study. Their intelligence quotients were evaluated with the Chinese Wechsler young children scale of intelligence (Urban version) before and 2 weeks after dental anesthesia. They were treated by experienced pediatric dentists and the sevoflurane, propofol and nitrous oxide were used for general anesthesia by anesthetist. Articaine hydrochloride and epinephrine tartrate injections were used for their pulp treatment or extraction. The examiners and scorers for IQ had technical training in the test administration. All the patients were tested by the same examiner and with standardized guide language. Each subtest was scored according to the tool review. Verbal IQ and performance IQ consisted of relevant 5 subtests and full scale IQ. Statistical analyses were performed by SPSS 18.0. All the scores of subtests and 3 types of IQ were expressed as mean±standard deviation. Paired two-tailed t test was applied and P<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

RESULTS

The results of intelligent assessment from 28 subjects were collected. The anesthetic time was (163.4±32.6) min and the number of treated teeth was 12.1±2.3, mean age (4.60±0.41) years; age range=4.04 to 5.44 years. Among the patients, there were 13 girls and 15 boys. There was no significant difference in gender distribution. The postoperative full IQ (128.46±10.85) was higher than that before surgery (124.64±11.46, P= 0.017). We found that the elevation of performance IQ, to a large extent, contributed to this change in full IQ (P= 0.007). Correspondingly, there was no statistical difference in the verbal IQ, which was 119.68±11.74 to 120.21±15.61 (P=0.854).

CONCLUSION

Dental general anesthesia has no negative effect on the intelligence of preschool children, who were treated under general anesthesia by sevoflurane, propofol and nitrous oxide for 2 to 4 hours. The full IQ and performance IQ were slightly enhanced after treatment which can be explained by the memory effect.

Multicenter study of autoverification methods of hematology analysis

This study was designed to establish and validate a set of autoverification methods for hematology analysis. One thousand and twenty-four samples were selected from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital and 999 from Beijing Hospital, China. False positive, false negative and autoverification pass rates were verified and the rules were then adjusted and confirmed according to the verification results. After confirmation, at least 10,000 sample cases were selected from Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, Beijing Hospital and China Armed Police General Hospital and checked automatically. The differences in the autoverification pass rate and average report delivery time before and after the application of the autoverification methods were compared between the three hospitals. Preliminary validation results showed that the false negative rates of the Shanghai Ruijin Hospital and Beijing Hospital were less than 2%. The false positive rates of these two hospitals were high, close to 18%. After rule adjustment, the false negative rate was basically the same as before adjustment, but the false positive rate declined obviously while the pass rate of autoverification improved significantly. The autoverification pass rates of the three hospitals were 76.4%, 85.1% and 84.2%, respectively. The turnover time (TAT, time from receipt of sample to report of the result) of the three hospitals decreased by 4.1 min, 8.8 min and 10.2 min, respectively. Autoverification systems using a Mindray BC-6800 auto hematology analyzer and labXpert were confirmed as being effective in reducing TAT and enhancing working efficiency on the premise of ensuring low false negative rate.

[Clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of metanephric adenoma: a report of sixteen cases]

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of metanephric adenoma (MA).

METHODS

The clinicopathological data of 16 cases with MA diagnosed and treated in Peking University First Hospital from 2004 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed, and the clinical characteristics, pathologic parameters, differential diagnosis, treatment options and prognosis of MA were analyzed with literature review.

RESULTS

The patients included 10 females and 6 males. The age of patients ranged from 14 to 83 years (mean=33.7 years). The partial nephrectomy was carried out for most patients. All cases were located in renal codex with 3 growing into the renal sinus. Histologically, the tumor was composed of tubules, papillary or glomeruloid structures and psammoma bodies were focally seen. Immunohistochemical study showed that all the cases expressed vimentin, and 94% cases expressed CD57, 63% WT1, 75% AE1/AE3, 19% cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and 13%α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), and negative expressions for MA included CD10, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and CD56. Follow-up information from 1 to 125 months was available in all the patients; and none of the patients showed any evidence of recurrence and metastasis.

CONCLUSION

The benign tumor characteristics of MA are not obvious for preoperative imaging diagnosis, and the diagnosis of MA should be based on the unique pathological features. Positive immunostain of CD57 is a useful indicator for MA diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The partial nephrectomy surgical treatment can achieve good clinical cure with good prognosis.

Expression and significance of miR-21 in multiple myeloma patients

The aim of the present study is to examine the expression level of peripheral mir-21 in multiple myeloma (MM) patients and to determine its clinical significance. MM patients (30), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) patients (14), and normal controls (20) were recruited to determine the serum level of β2-MG, IgA and IgM, IgG, λ, κ, TP, ALB, Hb, LDH, and Ca(2+). Gene expression of mir-21 was quantified by SYBR green real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. We found that the expression level of serum mir-21 in the MM group was significantly higher than the MGUS group and the NC group (P < 0.01). According to the ISS installment, the level of mir-21, lgG, κ, and ALB in the MM group in stage I differed from that in stages II and III. The level of IgA, β2-MG in stage III was higher as compared with stage I and II (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01).The levels of mir-21, κ, (κ+λ), IgG, (IgG + IgA + IgM), and β2-MG in MM patients were positively correlated with ALB (P < 0.01). Based on the results, miR-21 plays an important role as an oncogene. Mir-21 may be important in the occurrence, development, and disease prognosis of MM.

Runoff characteristics and non-point source pollution analysis in the Taihu Lake Basin: a case study of the town of Xueyan, China

Non-point source pollution is a significant environmental issue in small watersheds in China. To study the effects of rainfall on pollutants transported by runoff, rainfall was monitored in Xueyan town in the Taihu Lake Basin (TLB) for over 12 consecutive months. The concentrations of different forms of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and chemical oxygen demand, were monitored in runoff and river water across different land use types. The results indicated that pollutant loads were highly variable. Most N losses due to runoff were found around industrial areas (printing factories), while residential areas exhibited the lowest nitrogen losses through runoff. Nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N) were the dominant forms of soluble N around printing factories and hotels, respectively. The levels of N in river water were stable prior to the generation of runoff from a rainfall event, after which they were positively correlated to rainfall intensity. In addition, three sites with different areas were selected for a case study to analyze trends in pollutant levels during two rainfall events, using the AnnAGNPS model. The modeled results generally agreed with the observed data, which suggests that AnnAGNPS can be used successfully for modeling runoff nutrient loading in this region. The conclusions of this study provide important information on controlling non-point source pollution in TLB.

Mechanism of rat osteosarcoma cell apoptosis induced by a combination of low-intensity ultrasound and 5-aminolevulinic acid in vitro

We investigated the killing effect of low-intensity ultrasound combined with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) on the rat osteosarcoma cell line UMR-106. Logarithmic-phase UMR-106 cells were divided into a control group, ultrasound group and 5-ALA group. The cell apoptotic rate, production of reactive oxygen species, and the change in mitochondrial membrane potential were analyzed by flow cytometry; ultrastructural changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Using low-intensity ultrasound at 1.0 MHz and 2.0 W/cm(2) plus 5-ALA at a concentration of 2 mM, the apoptotic rate of the sonodynamic therapy group was 27.2 ± 3.4% which was significantly higher than that of the control group, ultrasound group, and 5-ALA group (P < 0.05). The production of reactive oxygen species was 32.6 ± 2.2% and the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential was 39.5 ± 2.5%. The 33342 staining showed nuclear condensation and fragmentation in the ultrasound group and 5-ALA group. Structural changes in the cell membrane, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, and other organelles observed by transmission electron microscopy included formation of apoptotic bodies. The killing effect of low-intensity ultrasound combined with 5-ALA on UMR-106 cells was significant. Cell apoptosis played a vital role in the killing effect, and the mitochondria pathway contributed to the apoptosis of UMR-106 cells.

Mechanical force-induced specific MicroRNA expression in human periodontal ligament stem cells

It remains unclear how the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) might respond to mechanical stretch. To investigate specific miRNA expression in stretched PDLSCs, we used a Flexcell® FX-5000™ tension system to achieve external mechanical stimulation. Then, a custom-designed microarray assay was performed to investigate and describe the genome-wide differential expression of miRNAs in normal and stretched PDLSCs. Finally, we implemented integrative miRNA target prediction and network analysis approaches to construct an interaction network of the key miRNAs and their putative targets. We found that stretching induced morphological changes and increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), osteocalcin (OCN), and bone sialoprotein (BSP) expression in PDLSCs. The microarray data showed that 53 miRNAs were differentially expressed with stretching. With an interaction network, we examined the connections between 10 selected key miRNAs and their putative target genes, which were related to mechanical force. The results from the interaction network provided a basis for postulating the functional roles of miRNAs in PDLSCs.

Oncogenic and tumor suppressive roles of microRNAs in apoptosis and autophagy

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small and non-coding endogenous RNAs ∼22 nucleotides (nt) in length, have been known to regulate approximately 30 % of human gene expression at the post-transcriptional and translational levels. Accumulating data have demonstrated that certain miRNAs could exert an oncogenic and/or tumor suppressive function and might play essential roles in the regulation of apoptosis and autophagy in cancer. In this review, we summarize that certain oncogenic and tumor suppressive miRNAs could modulate apoptotic pathways in different types of cancer. Subsequently, we demonstrate that other miRNAs might play regulatory roles in the autophagic pathways of cancer. A limited number of oncogenic/tumor suppressive miRNAs could regulate apoptosis and autophagy, respectively, and cooperatively. Taken together, these findings would provide a new clue to elucidate more apoptotic and/or autophagic mechanisms of miRNAs for designing potential novel therapeutic strategies in cancer.

In silico analysis and experimental validation of active compounds from fructus Schisandrae chinensis in protection from hepatic injury

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore mechanisms by which fructus Schisandrae chinensis (Wuweizi) is able to reveal its protective capacity against hepatocyte injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Identification of candidate small molecular compounds was performed by text-mining, extraction and isolation, reverse-docking, network construction, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In vitro cytological examination and western blotting were used to validate efficacy of selected compounds.

RESULTS

We analyzed chemical composition of fructus Schisandrae chinensis and constructed protein-protein networks of key targets. Networks of miRNA-protein were constructed. Molecular docking and MD simulation results supported good interaction between selected compound 11/12 and GBA3/SHBG. Further in vitro examination divulged molecular mechanisms involved.

CONCLUSIONS

In silico analysis and experimental validation together demonstrated that compound 11/12 of fructus Schisandrae chinensis targetted GBA3/SHBG in hepatocytes. Hopefully this will shed light on exploration of its complex molecular mechanisms.

First Report of Myrothecium roridum Causing Leaf Spot of Anubias barteri var. nana in Mainland China

Anubias barteri var. nana (belonging to family Araceae) is one of the most popular ornamental plants for aquaria. It has slow growth and small attractive ornamental leaves. It originated from West Africa, was first described in 1860 by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott (1), and is now commercially planted widely in southern China. A new disease of A. barteri var. nana was observed on leaves. Approximately 30% of the plants in an ornamental nursery in Baiyun district, Gaungzhou, China (113°22'45.15″ E, 23°23'41.15″ N) in July 2013 were found to be infected. The pathogen caused necrotic spots that progressed to form holes on leaves of the infected plants, negatively affecting their ornamental market value. Eventually the diseased plant died. White fungal fruiting bodies and black sporodochia were observed on the surfaces of the symptomatic leaves. A single-spore isolate (myr5) was obtained from the concentric lesions and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA). The floccose fungal colonies were white to buff, and black conidiomata were often visible on the surface after 25 days of incubation. The conidia had rounded ends and the average size of conidia was 5.98 ± 0.15 × 2.24 ± 0.08 μm. The rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of isolate myr5 was amplified by PCR using ITS1 and ITS4 primer pairs. The amplified product was sequenced and deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KJ572115) and showed 99% identity to Myrothecium roridum isolates BBA 71015 (AJ302001) and BBA 67679 (AJ301995) (unpublished), and 100% identity to the isolate myr2-2 from Dieffenbachia picta 'Camilla' in Taiwan (2). On the basis of morphological and molecular characterization, the fungus causing leaf spot on A. barteri var. nana plants was identified as M. roridum Tode ex Fr (2,3). To confirm the etiology of the disease, Koch's postulates was performed in a greenhouse (28 ± 2°C) using 3-day-old cultures of isolate myr5 and fungal spore suspensions of 1 × 10⁵ conidia ml^-1 containing 0.05% of Tween 20. Sixteen healthy leaves, two each from eight plants, were infiltrated on two different parts close to the midribs with 100 μl of the fungal spore using needleless syringes. Water infiltration was used as the control treatment. Water-soaked brown lesions appeared on leaves 7 days after inoculation, followed by the development of dark concentric rings within the necrotic areas on the surface of the inoculated leaves after 15 days of incubation. These symptoms were similar to those in the naturally infected aquarium plants. No symptoms were observed on any of the water micro-infiltrated plants. The fungus was re-isolated from the inoculated plants, but not from control plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Myrothecium leaf spot caused by M. roridum on A. barteri var. nana in mainland China. References: (1) W. Crusio. Primitiae Africanae XII 79 (14):1-48, 1979. (2) C. F. Hong et al. Plant Dis. 97:1253, 2013. (3) M. Tulloch. Mycol. Pap. 130:1-42, 1972.

Effects of feeding lutein on production performance, antioxidative status, and milk quality of high-yielding dairy cows

This experiment was conducted to determine the influences of supplementing different levels of an additive containing lutein in the diet of Chinese Holstein lactating cows on production performance, antioxidative plasma metabolites, and milk quality. This study was performed on 60 multiparous Holstein dairy cows in peak lactation. The cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 homogeneous treatments, with lutein preparation (extracted from marigolds; effective lutein content was 2%) added at levels of 0, 100, 150, and 200 g/d per head, with the actual available amounts being 0, 2, 3, and 4 g of lutein/d per head, respectively. The experiment lasted for 13 wk, with the first week for adaptation. Milk yield and milk compositions were recorded weekly, and milk concentrations of lutein, dry matter intake, and antioxidative blood index were analyzed in the first, fourth, seventh, and thirteenth week of the study. The results showed that adding lutein in the diet had no effect on dry matter intake compared with the control group; however, it slowed down the trend of decline in milk yield, and had a linear incremental effect on milk yield with increasing concentration of lutein. Dietary lutein tended to quadratically increase the percentage of milk fat, and linearly increased milk lactose concentration, with the highest value when treated at 200 g of lutein preparation/d per head, and decreased somatic cell count, with the lowest values when treated with 150 and 200 g of lutein preparation/d per head. The concentration of lutein in milk linearly increased with the incorporation of the additive, with a value of 0.59, 0.70, 1.20, and 1.50 μg/100mL when treated with 0, 100, 150, and 200 g/d, respectively. Total plasma antioxidant capacity tended to linearly increase in cows fed lutein preparation, whereas plasma superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities did not differ significantly. In conclusion, addition of lutein in the diet could improve the production performance and health status of dairy cows.