Blood service in the Tibetan regions of Garzê and Aba, China: a longitudinal survey

BACKGROUND

Garzê and Aba form the second largest Tibetan-inhabited area of China. Blood services have never been reported for this region before.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the current situation and analyse whether a safe and adequate blood supply has been developed in both Garzê and Aba.

METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal survey covering the period 2011-2016. The subjects of interest were recruited from non-remunerated voluntary donation, blood testing, clinical transfusion practices and infrastructure of local blood service systems.

RESULTS

The donation rate and blood collection volume were below the average levels of both the Sichuan Province and mainland China. Component therapy was widely used, but inappropriate usage of whole blood existed. A lack of national specific standards for people on the plateaus led to local blood transfusions being conducted without full clinical assessment. Endemic and frequently occurring disease, such as hydatid disease and gastrointestinal disease, were inevitable risks for blood utilisation and safety. The potential influence of religious belief and traditions, like 'male-leaving marriages', of Tibetans on donor recruitment and blood safety requires further research.

CONCLUSIONS

A relatively safe and complete blood service system has been developed in this region. However, there is still an urgent need for comprehensive and effective support from the government in terms of policies and finance. As an epidemic area of hydatid disease and sexually transmitted disease, this region needs to emphasise public health measures, such as blood safety and inappropriate usage of blood products.

Transcriptomic analysis of the larva Taenia multiceps

Taenia multiceps is an adult worm affiliated to Taeniidae family, Platyhelminthes phylum. The larvae of the parasite (Coenurus cerebralis) parasitic in the brain and spinal cord in domestic and wild ruminants or humans can led to a fatal central nervous system (CNS) disease. The aims of the present study were to define the transcriptome profiles of the larvae of T. multiceps by RNA-Seq approach, and to generate large functional gene datasets that could be used to predict the key molecular pathways linked to this cestode. Our results generated a total of 39,094,890 clean reads that were assembled from the sequence data in 90,833 contigs. Briefly, 70,253 unigenes with a mean length of 1492bp were formed. Based on a sequence similarity search against the databases (NR, Swissport, GO, COG, KEGG) using BLASTX with an E-value cutoff of 10^-5, 40,465 of unigenes were identified as coding sequences (CDS) and 3261 were scanned by ESTScan. The present study carried out the transcriptome of the larval stage of T. multiceps, which provides a solid foundation for further studies in molecular biology and biochemistry as well as identification of candidate genes used in diagnosis and vaccine development.

A Simple Extraction Method of Young's Modulus for Multilayer Films in MEMS Applications

Based on the first resonance frequency measurement of multilayer beams, a simple extraction method has been developed to extract the Young's modulus of individual layers. To verify this method, the double-layer cantilever, as a typical example, is analyzed to simplify the situation and finite element modeling (FEM) is used in consideration of the buckling and unbuckling situation of cantilevers. The first resonance frequencies, which are obtained by ANSYS (15.0, ANSYS Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA) with a group of thirteen setting values of Young's modulus in the polysilicon layer are brought into the theoretical formulas to obtain a new group of Young's modulus in the polysilicon layer. The reliability and feasibility of the theoretical method are confirmed, according to the slight differences between the setting values and the results of the theoretical model. In the experiment, a series of polysilicon-metal double-layer cantilevers were fabricated. Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) (Lyncée Tech, Lausanne, Switzerland) is used to distinguish the buckled from the unbuckled. A scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) (Polytech GmbH, Berlin, Germany) system is used to measure the first resonance frequencies of them. After applying the measurement results into the theoretical modulus, the average values of Young's modulus in the polysilicon and gold layers are 151.78 GPa and 75.72 GPa, respectively. The extracted parameters are all within the rational ranges, compared with the available results.

Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3/MicroRNA-21 Feedback Loop Contributes to Atrial Fibrillation by Promoting Atrial Fibrosis in a Rat Sterile Pericarditis Model

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background—

Postoperative atrial fibrillation is a frequent complication in cardiac surgery. The aberrant activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) contributes to the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) promotes atrial fibrosis. Recent studies support the existence of reciprocal regulation between STAT3 and miR-21. Here, we test the hypothesis that these 2 molecules might form a feedback loop that contributes to postoperative atrial fibrillation by promoting atrial fibrosis.

Methods and Results—

A sterile pericarditis model was created using atrial surfaces dusted with sterile talcum powder in rats. The inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, transforming growth factor-β, and tumor necrosis factor-α, along with STAT3 and miR-21, were highly upregulated in sterile pericarditis rats. The inhibition of STAT3 by S3I-201 resulted in miR-21 downregulation, which ameliorated atrial fibrosis and decreased the expression of the fibrosis-related genes, α-smooth muscle actin, collagen-1, and collagen-3; reduced the inhomogeneity of atrial conduction; and attenuated atrial fibrillation vulnerability. Meanwhile, treatment with antagomir-21 decreased STAT3 phosphorylation, alleviated atrial remodeling, abrogated sterile pericarditis–induced inhomogeneous conduction, and prevented atrial fibrillation promotion. The culturing of cardiac fibroblasts with IL-6 resulted in progressively augmented STAT3 phosphorylation and miR-21 levels. S3I-201 blocked IL-6 induced the expression of miR-21 and fibrosis-related genes in addition to cardiac fibroblast proliferation. Transfected antagomir-21 decreased the IL-6–induced cardiac fibroblast activation and STAT3 phosphorylation. The overexpression of miR-21 in cardiac fibroblasts caused the upregulation of STAT3 phosphorylation, enhanced fibrosis-related genes, and increased cell numbers.

Conclusions—

Our results have uncovered a novel reciprocal loop between STAT3 and miR-21 that is activated after heart surgery and can contribute to atrial fibrillation.

Transformation of dissolved organic matter in concentrated leachate from nanofiltration during ozone-based oxidation processes (O3, O3/H2O2 and O3/UV)

In this study, the transformation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in nanofiltration concentrated leachate during three ozone-based oxidation processes (i.e., O₃, O₃/H₂O₂ and O₃/UV) was investigated. The transformation characteristics of DOM were evaluated by gel filtration chromatography (GFC), XAD-8 resin fractionation, excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Compared with O₃-alone process, the removal efficiencies of COD, TOC, and color were improved in O₃-combined processes (i.e., O₃/H₂O₂ and O₃/UV) approximately by 10-15%, 7-15%, and 15-20%, respectively. Humic acid (HA) was completely degraded and preferentially reacted with the oxidants during ozonation processes. HA was first converted into fulvic acid (FA), and then the majority of these intermediates were further converted to hydrophilic fraction (HyI). The GFC results indicated that the broader molecular weight distribution of DOM was observed, and high molecular weight DOM (i.e., 0.45 μm-100 kDa) was successfully converted to low molecular weight organics in the range of 1-10 kDa after ozonation reactions. The EEM spectra also showed that HA and FA were effectively converted into HyI after ozonation for 90 min. It is suggested that ozone-based oxidation processes could effectively change the DOM distribution and fluorescence features of concentrated leachate.

[Impact of blood pressure control on coronary flow reserve in hypertensive patients]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impacts of blood pressure control on coronary flow reserve (CFR) in hypertensive patients.

METHODS

A total of 236 patients without significant coronary stenosis (defined as <50% luminal narrowing which was confirmed by coronary angiography or coronary artery CT scan) between January 2011 to July 2015 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. CFR was measured in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) during adenosine triphosphate-induced hyperemia by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Patients were divided into hypertension group (n=173) and non-hypertension group (n=63). The hypertension patients were further divided into ideally controlled (n=31, defined as SBP <120 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and DBP <80 mmHg), controlled (n=82, defined as SBP 120 to 139 mmHg and DBP <90 mmHg) and uncontrolled groups (n=60, defined as SBP≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic DBP≥90 mmHg) based on their blood pressure after systematic antihypertensive therapy and CFR values were compared among the 4 groups. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the independent determinants of CFR in patients with hypertension.

RESULTS

Compared with non-hypertension group, the CFR was significantly lower in controlled (3.27±0.71 vs. 2.87±0.56, P<0.001) and uncontrolled groups (3.27±0.71 vs. 2.61±0.71, P<0.001), but was similar in ideally controlled group (3.27±0.71 vs. 3.21±0.85, P=0.68). Furthermore, the CFR was significantly lower in uncontrolled group than that of the other two hypertension groups and was significantly lower in controlled group than that of ideally controlled group. Higher blood pressure (β=-0.17, P=0.03) and age(β=-0.02, P=0.03) were independent predictors of lower CFR in patients with hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher blood pressure is an independent predictor of decreased CFR in patients with hypertension. Hypertensive patients with ideally controlled blood pressure have similar CFR level as patients without hypertension.

[Effects of pH and Complexing Agents on Sb(Ⅴ) Adsorption onto Birnessite and Ferrihydrite Surface]

Effects of pH and complexing agents on Sb (Ⅴ) adsorption onto birnessite and ferrihydrite surface were investigated.The results indicated that birnessite and ferrihydrite had strong ability to adsorb Sb (Ⅴ).The removal efficiencies of Sb (Ⅴ) by birnessite and ferrihydrite were dependent on the initial pH in solution.The removal efficiency of Sb (Ⅴ) increased with the decrease of solution pH.At pH 5.0,the removal efficiencies,adsorption rate and adsorption capacity were better than those at pH 7.0 or 9.0.The adsorption process of Sb (Ⅴ) on birnessite and ferrihydrite could be well described by the pseudo-second-order model.The Langmuir model best described the adsorption behavior of Sb (Ⅴ) by birnessite and ferrihydrite at pH 5.0.The presence of citric acid or EDTA had significant effect on Sb (Ⅴ) adsorption onto birnessite and ferrihydrite.

[Novel compound heterozygous TBC1D24 mutations in a boy with infantile focal myoclonic epilepsy and literature review]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and genetic characteristics of patients with TBC1D24 gene mutations. Method: The clinical data of a patient with novel TBC1D24 compound heterozygous mutations from Children's Hospital of Fudan University were collected, the related literature was searched from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, National Center from Biotechnology Information and Pubmed (up to April 2016) by using search terms "TBC1D24" "epilepsy" . The clinical features, electroencephalogram (EEG) and prognosis of the patients with TBC1D24 gene mutations were studied. Result: The patient was a boy with non-consanguineous healthy parents.He had an acute episode of focal continuous myoclonus lasting a few hours with consciousness preserved at the age of 3 months.Myoclonic jerks alternatively affected the eyelids, either the right or left limbs, sometimes triggered by fever or fatigue.The frequency was once 3-7 days.At the age of 6 months he was found to have myoclonus seizures with onset from a unilateral eyes lid and limb lasting 10 more minutes and subsequently affected four extremities or the trunk.They occurred once 3-4 months with perserved consciousness and lasted from several hours to up to ten more hours.They mostly disappeared during sleep.He had ataxia and mild mental retarding.Paroxysmal anomalies were not found on ictal traces.A novel compound heterozygous mutation of TBC1D24 gene, c. 730G>A, p.A244T and c. 1571G>C, p.R524P were found in the patient.Further study showed that c. 730G>A mutation was inherited from his father and c. 1571G>C from his mother. These two were not reported in public databases and predicted deleterious by Mutation Taster and polyphen-2.Literature relevant to TBC1D24 published all around the world was reviewed, no Chinese cases with TBC1D24 gene mutations had been reported. The total of 24 cases including the present case with TBC1D24 gene mutation were reported.Among them, 11 cases had compound heterozygous mutations and 13 cases had homozygous mutations.Ten mutations were identified, including 1 termination mutation, 1 frameshift mutation and 8 missense mutations. Conclusion: TBC1D24 gene mutational analysis should be performed on patients with early-onset focal continuous myoclonus, if the etiology was unclear.

Research Advances in Pituitary Adenoma and DNA Methylation

DNA methylation is closely related to the genesis and development of pituitary adenoma. Studies have shown that high methylation in the promoter region of potassium voltage-gated chanel,shaker related subfamily,beta member 2,O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase,echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 2 ,ras homolog family member D ,homeobox B1 ,NNAT, and P16 inhibits the expression of these genes and regulates of the proliferation of pituitary adenoma. DNA methylation is also closely related to invasive pituitary adenoma. Therefore,further study on molecular mechanism of DNA methylation of pituitary adenoma will offer a new strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of pituitary adenoma.

The role of obestatin in roux-en-Y gastric bypass-induced remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex and multifactorial disease that is generally characterized by insulin resistance and loss of β-cell function that develops in adulthood. To date, more than 6% of the world's population is affected by T2DM. The main treatments of T2DM are dietary and lifestyle changes. However, only dependent on behaviour modification and oral hypoglycemics, many patients are unable to maintain glycemic control. Emerging evidence indicates that up to 80% of patients with T2DM undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) experience complete remission of their T2DM and the majority of remissions occur almost immediately following the operation. Obestatin is a 23-amino-acid peptide, which is not only thought to suppress food intake and decrease gastric emptying but also found to exert survival effects in pancreatic β cells, increase glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, and reduce insulin resistance and inflammation. In addition, some researchers demonstrated that obestatin is a nutritional marker reflecting body adiposity and insulin resistance. Although results from previous studies were conflicting, the peripheral blood concentrations of obestatin were changed after RYGB. Therefore, regulation of obestatin level may be another mechanism for RYGB-induced remission of T2DM. In this article, we review briefly the effect of RYGB on T2DM in humans and offer an overview of the published data on the effects of RYGB on obestatin level in patients with T2DM. Furthermore, the possible roles of obestatin in the remission of T2DM following RYGB are also reviewed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in the three developmental stages of Trichinella spiralis

Trichinella spiralis, an intracellular parasitic nematode, can cause severe foodborne zoonosis, trichinellosis. The life cycle of T. spiralis consists of adult (Ad), muscle larvae (ML) and newborn larvae (NBL). The protein profiles in different developmental stages of the parasite remain unknown. In the present study, proteins from lysates of Ad, ML and NBL were identified by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). A total of 4691 proteins were identified in all the developmental stages, of which 1067 proteins were differentially expressed. The number of up-regulated proteins in NBL was higher than that of the other two groups. The protein profiles from Ad, ML and NBL were compared in pairs. The identified proteins were involved in various functions of T. spiralis life cycle, including sexual maturity, metabolism, utilization of carbohydrates, lipids and nucleotides, and other crucial developmental processes that occur at distinct stages. Further investigation of the transcriptional levels of major sperm protein, serine protease, zinc finger protein, etc. from the different protein profiles using quantitative RT-PCR showed identical results to the iTRAQ analysis. The differentially expressed proteins that are involved in developmental regulation and host-parasite interactions should be further studied.

Cloning and characterization of thioredoxin peroxidases from Trichinella spiralis

The intracellular parasitic nematode, Trichinella spiralis, can initiate a high level of oxidative stress, especially during rapid growth and generative propagation phases. Thioredoxin peroxidases (TPXs) protect helminths against oxidative stress, but none has been identified in T. spiralis. Here, 3 members of the TPX family were cloned from T. spiralis muscle larvae (ML). The lengths of TsTPX ORFs were 747bp, 588bp and 594bp, respectively, and the deduced proteins predicted to contain AhpC-TSA and 1-cys Prx_C domains. Interestingly, qRT-PCR data showed that TsTPX genes were expressed in all three developmental stages of T. spiralis. The TsTPX2 and TsTPX3 genes were up-regulated in day 3 adults (Ad3) compared with newborn larvae (NBL) and ML (P<0.05); expression levels of the TsTPX1 gene in ML were higher compared with Ad3 and NBL amounts (P<0.05). After prokaryotic expression, the reactivity of rTsTPX proteins was assessed by Western-blotting: only rTsTPX1 was specifically recognized by T. spiralis infection sera from pigs. Enzyme catalytic experiments showed that rTsTPX proteins could deoxidize H₂O₂ in the presence of DTT, with the catalytic ability increasing with protein concentration and time.

MicroRNA-143 promotes apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells by caspase-3 activation via targeting Bcl-2

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor. In recent years, although a lot of research in the mechanism of osteosarcoma development and metastasis had been done, the molecular mechanisms are still elusive. MicroRNAs (miRs), as small noncoding RNA sequences, are dysregulated in various diseases, including cancer, negatively modulating the target genes expression by posttranscriptional repression. MicroRNA-143 (miR-143) has been reported to be reduced in cancers, including pituitary, colorectal, prostate cancer and cervical. We were aimed to detect the effects of miR-143 on osteosarcoma cell invasion and migration as well as to indicate the potential molecular mechanisms by which miR-143 regulated osteosarcoma. After miR-143 transfection, the cancer cells migration and invasion were examined. And Western blot, RT-PCR, flow cytometry and immunochemistry assays were performed to analyze the role of miR-143 in osteosarcoma progression. The results suggested that miR-143 expressed lessly in osteosarcoma cell lines and could suppress cell migration and invasion in U2-OS and MG-63 cells. To our knowledge, it was the first time to target Bcl-2 directly to explore the underlying mechanism by which miR-143 performed its role to induce apoptosis in tumor cells, thus improving osteosarcoma progression. The present study indicated that miR-143 could inhibit Bcl-2 expression, causing Caspas3 activation, thus inducing apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells. MiR-143 may therefore sreve as a potential biomarker for osteosarcoma, and the regulation of its expression might be a novel therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma treatment.

Fluorescence quenching effects of antibiotics on the main components of dissolved organic matter

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater can be characterized using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix and parallel factor (EEM-PARAFAC) analysis. Wastewater from animal farms or pharmaceutical plants usually contains high concentration of antibiotics. In this study, the quenching effect of antibiotics on the typical components of DOM was explored using fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC analysis. Four antibiotics (roxarsone, sulfaquinoxaline sodium, oxytetracycline, and erythromycin) at the concentration of 0.5∼4.0 mg/L and three typical components of DOM (tyrosine, tryptophan, and humic acid) were selected. Fluorescence quenching effects were observed with the addition of antibiotics. Among these four antibiotics, roxarsone (2.9∼20.2 %), sulfaquinoxaline sodium (0∼32.0 %), and oxytetracycline (0∼41.8 %) led to a stronger quenching effect than erythromycin (0∼8.0 %). From the side of DOM, tyrosine and tryptophan (0.5∼41.8 %) exhibited a similar quenching effect, but they were higher than humic acids (0∼20.2 %) at the same concentration of antibiotics. For humic acid, a significant quenching effect was observed only with the addition of roxarsone. This might be the first report about the fluorescence quenching effect caused by antibiotics. The results from this study confirmed the interference of antibiotics on the fluorescence intensity of the main components of DOM and highlighted the importance of correcting fluorescence data in the wastewater containing antibiotics.

Intermittent fever and developmental retardation as initial manifestations in a pediatric Crohn's disease patient: A case report and literature review

Pediatric Crohn's disease (CD) patients often have developmental retardation and malnutrition. Compared with adult patients, most of pediatric CD patients could not be diagnosed at the early stage. Infliximab and enteral nutritional therapy, which could induce and maintain clinical remission, are both effective and safe in pediatric CD patients. Operations are indicated in cases of intestinal obstruction, intestinal fistula and other complications. Enteral nutritional therapy could induce mucosal healing, maintain remission, improve nutrition and promote growth and development in pediatric CD patients. More attention should be paid to developmental retardation and malnutrition in pediatric CD patients, with or without intestinal presentations.

Y-STR genetic screening by high-resolution melting analysis

Currently, the widely used automated capillary electrophoresis-based short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping method for genetic screening in forensic practice is laborious, time-consuming, expensive, and technically challenging in some cases. Thus, new molecular-based strategies for conclusively identifying forensically relevant biological evidence are required. Here, we used high-resolution melting analysis (HRM) for Y-chromosome STR genotyping for forensic genetic screening. The reproducibility of the melting profile over dilution, sensitivity, discrimination power, and other factors was preliminarily studied in 10 Y-STR loci. The results showed that HRM-based approaches revealed more genotypes (compared to capillary electrophoresis), showed higher uniformity in replicate tests and diluted samples, and enabled successful detection of DNA at concentrations as low as 0.25 ng. For mixed samples, the melting curve profiles discriminated between mixed samples based on reference samples with high efficiency. The triplex Y-chromosome STR HRM assay was performed and provided a foundation for further studies such as a multiplex HRM assay. The HRM approach is a one-step application and the entire procedure can be completed within 2 h at a low cost. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that the HRM-based Y-STR assay is a useful screening tool that can be used in forensic practice.

Predictive factors for residual disease in hysterectomy specimens after conization in early-stage cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

To identify predictive factors for residual disease in hysterectomy specimens after a loop electrical excision procedure (LEEP) or cold knife conization in early-stage cervical cancer.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective review was undertaken of the clinical records and pathology reports of 108 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with early invasive cervical cancer stage IA1 to IB1 by cold knife conization or LEEP, and underwent subsequent hysterectomy or radical hysterectomy at the Gynae-oncology Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital between 2000 and 2012. Residual disease was defined as the presence of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2-3 or invasive carcinoma in hysterectomy specimens. Clinicopathological factors associated with residual disease were analyzed. Risk factors for the prediction of residual disease were identified by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Residual disease was found in 32 (29.7%) patients. Stage, tumour size, depth of invasion, lymphovascular space invasion, ectocervical margin, endocervical margin, and combined ectocervical and endocervical margin were significantly associated with residual disease in hysterectomy specimens on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, depth of invasion (odds ratio 2.1, p=0.033) and combined margin status (odds ratio 10.8, p≤0.001) were independent risk factors for residual disease. In a subgroup analysis using depth of invasion ≤5mm and a negative combined margin, none (0%) of the 52 patients who met the criteria had residual disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Conization (combined ectocervical and endocervical) margin and tumour depth of invasion are independent predictors of residual disease in hysterectomy specimens. A negative conization margin and depth of invasion ≤5mm are associated with low risk of residual disease in patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

Analysis of mutations of two Gitelman syndrome family SLC12A3 genes and proposed treatments using Chinese medicine

OBJECTIVE

To determine the gene location of two Gitelman syndrome (GS) family SLC12A3 genes and explore treatments using Chinese medicine (CM) prescriptions.

METHODS

In order to locate the two GS mutations, samples were collected from 11 people from two different pedigrees for direct genetic sequencing and comparison of the 26 exons of SLC12A3. Furthermore, the change of serum potassium was monitored throughout the therapy and those two probands undertook a sequential superposition of Western medicine (including potassium, Panangin and potassium-sparing diuretics) with CM prescription based on Buyang Huanwu Decoction () and Sijunzi Decoction (). The treatment included three stages, oral potassium chloride for the first 2 weeks (stage 1), potassium-sparing diuretic and Panangin with potassium chloride for the next 2 weeks (stage 2), CM along with the medicine in stage 2 for the final 2 weeks (stage 3).

RESULTS

The three mutations occurring in proband 1 from pedigree I were Thr60Met, 965-1_976del13ins12 (small indels mutation) and Ala122Ala (homozygous silent mutation). Likewise, three mutations, Asn359Lys, Thr382Met and Arg913Gln, appeared in the proband 2 from pedigree II. The serum potassium levels increasing from baseline to sequential stages were 1.63 mmol/L (baseline), 2.5 mmol/L (stage 1), 3.1 mmol/L (stage 2) and 3.9 mmol/L (stage 3) in the proband 1, and 2.8 mmol/L (baseline), 3.1 mmol/L (stage 1), 3.5 mmol/L (stage 2) and 4.3 mmol/L (stage 3) in the proband 2, respectively. The symptoms (numbness of limbs, weakness, palpitations, etc.) of both probands were all alleviated.

CONCLUSIONS

The mutations of both GS pedigrees can be defined as compound heterozygous mutations, most of which are known as missense mutations. Applying CM could be an appropriate choice for future intervention of GS.

[Analysis on Diversity of Denitrifying Microorganisms in Sequential Batch Bioreactor Landfill]

A denitrification functional microorganism gene clone library (amoA, nosZ) and the PCR-RFLP technology was constructed to investigate the microbial diversity of denitrifying microorganisms in the late period of stabilization of sequential batch bioreactor landfill. The results indicated that: the bacterial diversity of ammonia oxidizing bacteria in the aged refuse reactor was very high, and most of them were unknown groups, also, all bacteria were unculturable or had not been isolated. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that the dominant ammonia oxidizing bacteria were presumably Nitrosomonas of 6-Proteobacteria. The diversity of denitrifying bacteria in fresh refuse reactor was abundant, which mainly included Thauera and Thiobacillus of 6-Proteobacteria. As Thauera sp. has the denitrification characteristics under the condition of aerobic while Thiobacillus denitrificans has the autotrophic denitrification characteristics, it was speculated that aerobic denitrification and autotrophic denitrification might be the main pathways for nitrogen removal in the fresh refuse reactor at the late period of stabilization. Additionally, another group in the gene clone library of denitrifying bacteria may be classified as Bradyrhizobiaceae of alpha-Proteobacteria.

Synthesis of Ag nanoparticles decorated MnO2/sulfonated graphene composites with 3D macroporous structure for high performance capacitors electrode materials

3D porous Ag–MnO₂/SG composites with high rate performance and low charge transfer resistance was synthesized.

A morphology controllable synthesis of 3D graphene nanostructures and their energy storage applications

A morphology-controllable synthesis of 3D sulfonated graphene (SG) architectures were carried out.

Effects of albendazole combined with TSII-A (a Chinese herb compound) on optic neuritis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in BALB/c mice

Background

Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A. cantonensis) infection can lead to optic neuritis, retinal inflammation, damage to ganglion cells, demyelination of optic nerve and visual impairment. Combined therapy of albendazole and dexamethasone is a common treatment for the disease in the clinic, but it plays no role in vision recovery. Therefore, it has been necessary to explore alternative therapies to treat this disease. Previous studies reported the neuro-productive effects of two constituents of Danshen (a Chinese herb)-tanshinone II-A (TSII-A) and cryptotanshinone (CPT), and this study aims to evaluate the impacts of TSII-A or CPT combined with albendazole on optic neuritis caused by A. cantonensis infection in a murine model.

Methods

To assess the effects of TSII-A or CPT combined with albendazole on optic neuritis due to the infection, mice were divided into six groups, including the normal control group, infection group and four treatment groups (albendazole group, albendazole combined with dexamethasone group, albendazole combined with CPT group and albendazole combined with TSII-A group). The infection group and treatment groups were infected with A. cantonensisand the treatment groups received interventions from 14 dpi (days post infection), respectively. At 21 dpi, the visual acuity of mice in each group was examined by visual evoked potential (VEP). The pathologic alteration of the retina and optic nerve were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM).

Results

Infection of A. cantonensis caused prolonged VEP latency, obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the retina, damaged retinal ganglions and retinal swelling, followed by optic nerve fibre demyelination and a decreasing number of axons at 21 dpi. In treatment groups, albendazole could not alleviate the above symptoms; albendazole combined with dexamethasone lessened the inflammation of the retina, but was futile for the other changes; however, albendazole combined with CPT and albendazole combined with TSII-A showed obvious effects on the recovery of prolonged VEP latency, destruction and reduction of ganglion cells, optic nerve demyelination and axon loss. Compared with albendazole-CPT compound, albendazole combined with TSII-A was more effective.

Conclusions

The current study demonstrates that albendazole combined with TSII-A plays a more effective role in treating optic neuritis caused by A. cantonensis in mice than with dexamethasone, as applied in conventional treatment, indicating that albendazole combined with TSII-A might be an alternate therapy for this parasitic disease in the clinic.

Clinical significance of serum procalcitonin level monitoring on early diagnosis of severe pneumonia on children

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the method for early diagnosis of severe pneumonia on children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-six children with severe pneumonia were enrolled from Department of Pediatrics and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of our hospital and divided into two groups according to parasitological detection: bacterial pneumonia group consisting of 34 children patients and non-bacterial pneumonia group of 32 children patients. In the meanwhile, 37 healthy children, who were confirmed without infection through physical examination, were also enrolled and grouped in into normal control group. Peripheral venous blood of all children was collected to detect their procalcitonin (PCT).

RESULTS

PCT level of patients in bacterial pneumonia group was significantly higher than that in the non-bacterial pneumonia group and control group, and difference had statistical significance (p < 0.01); serum PCT level on patients in bacterial pneumonia group before and after treatment had statistical significance (p < 0.01); serum PCT level on patients in non-bacterial pneumonia group before and after treatment had no statistical significance (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

PCT was a very important biomarker for the diagnosis of bacterial infection and also a sensitive indicator for the distinction of child bacterial pneumonia and non-bacterial pneumonia. It had significant clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis value.