[Human papillomavirus infection and sinonasal inverted papilloma]

Sinonasal inverted papilloma is the most common seen benign disease of nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses area characterized by great recurrence rate and malignancy tendency. The infection of human papillomavirus is considered as a risk factor playing a role underneath the mechanism. However, the association between the infection of HPV and the recurrence or malignancy of SNIP remains controversial. By summarizing the existing research results, this paper further explores the association between HPV infection and SNIP.

[Application of uterine lower part breakwater-like suture operation in placenta previa]

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of uterine lower posterior wall breakwater-like suture technique in controlling the intraoperative bleeding of placenta previa. Methods: From June 2016 to June 2017, 47 patients were diagnosed placenta previa in Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Posterior wall breakwater-like suture technique was used preferentially, as for cases with poor myometrium layer, lower anterior wall stitch suture was used at the same time. Bilateral descending branches of uterine artery ligation and Cook balloon compression of uterine lower segment was conducted when necessary. The clinic data of the 47 cases were analyzed. Results: Thirty cases (63.8, 30/47) were diagnosed placenta inccreta or percreta by ultrasound or MRI preoperatively. Senventeen cases were diagnosed as placenta accreta (36.2%, 17/47) . Thirty-four cases had the previous history of cesarean section. The average cervical canal length of 47 patients was (2.8±0.9) cm. There were 19 cases (40.4%,19/47) with 1 time posterior wall breakwater-like sutured and 16 cases (34.0%,16/47) with 2 or 3 times posterior wall breakwater-like sutured; 12 cases (25.5%,12/47) were treated with anterior wall stitch suture simultaneously.Ten cases (21.3%, 10/47) underwent uterine artery ligation, 17 cases (36.2%, 17/47) underwent COOK balloon compression on the staxis surface of lower segment. None of them had postpartum hemorrhage or performed internal iliac artery embolization. The median blood loss in the operation was 700 ml, the percentiles 25 was 500 ml, and the percentiles 75 was 1 200 ml. The blood loss ≥1 000 ml in 18 (38.3%, 18/47) patients,and the most serious one was 2 500 ml. The median blood transfusion volume (including allogenetic transfusion and autotransfusion) was 450 ml, the percentiles 25 was 228 ml, and the percentiles 75 was 675 ml. The average vaginal bleeding volume was (150±63) ml first day after operation. The mean hospitalization time was (4.7±1.0) days. The mean gestational weeks of pregnancy termination was (36.1±1.5) weeks, and the mean birth weight of newborns was (2 817±492) g. Apgar score:1-minute 7.8±1.1, 5-minute 8.9±0.8. No neonatal death, 16 cases were transferred to neonatal ICU (34.0%, 16/47) mainly for premature delivery and low birth weight. No complication was found in 6 months post-operation. Conclusions: Uterine posterior wall breakwater-like suture technique is a simple, safe and effective way in controlling intraoperative bleeding of placental previa.Lower anterior wall stitch suture could effectively stop bleeding and restore the normal uterine shape. Combined application of various methods could significantly reduce the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage and hysterectomy, and improve maternal and fetal prognosis.

Contrasting Mechanisms of Spontaneous Adsorption at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces of Nanoparticles Constituted of and Grafted with pH-Responsive Polymers

Elucidating the mechanisms responsible for spontaneous adsorption of nanoparticles (NPs) at interfaces is important for their application as emulsifiers, bubble stabilizers, or foaming agents. In order to investigate the key factors that control the spontaneous adsorption of NPs at liquid-liquid interfaces, we synthesized seven different types of NPs from pH-responsive polymers poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA) and poly(2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) via surfactant-free emulsion polymerization or via "grafting from" polystyrene (PS) NPs. The dynamic interfacial tension (IFT) measurements at the toluene-water (Tol-H₂O) interface reveal that when PDEAEMA and PDMAEMA are grafted from the surface of PS NPs the solubility of the grafted pH-responsive polymers in toluene is the key factor determining the NPs' interfacial adsorption. Under acidic conditions (pH < 6.0), PDEAEMA and PDMAEMA are protonated and show no solubility in toluene, and as a result, the grafted NPs do not adsorb at the Tol-H₂O interface. Oppositely, under basic conditions (pH > 7.0), PDMAEMA dissolves in toluene and therefore the PDMAEMA-grafted NPs can adsorb at the Tol-H₂O interface. Interestingly, when NPs are constituted of PDEAEMA, they can adsorb spontaneously at the Tol-H₂O interface under acidic conditions (pH < 6.0) but not under basic conditions (pH > 7.0). In this case, the key factor determining the NPs' spontaneous adsorption at the Tol-H₂O interface is the degree of softness of the NPs rather than the solubility of PDEAEMA in toluene. Furthermore, we found that the adsorption of NPs constituted of PDEAEMA- (pH 2.0-6.0) and PDMAEMA-grafted PS NPs (pH 7.0-10.0) at the Tol-H₂O interface is a combination of diffusion-controlled and energy-barrier-controlled. The opposite trends observed for the interfacial attachment Δ E and activation energies E_a for the "constituted of" and "grafted from" NPs with pH suggest an opposite mechanisms of adsorption at the Tol-H₂O interface. Finally, the synthesized NPs prove to be effective emulsifiers, where the phase of the Pickering emulsions can be changed dynamically by pH adjustment.

[Predict response to decitabine in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and related neoplasms]

目的

探索预测骨髓增生异常综合征（MDS）及相关肿瘤地西他滨治疗反应的临床及分子学指标。

方法

回顾性分析109例接受地西他滨治疗的MDS及相关肿瘤患者临床资料，采用二代测序检测MDS常见突变基因的突变情况，分析患者临床特征及基因突变与地西他滨临床反应的关系。

结果

地西他滨中位疗程数为4（2~11）个，共74例（67.9%）患者获得治疗反应，其中30例（27.5%）获得完全缓解（CR）；35例（32.1%）患者无反应。单因素分析结果显示，国际预后积分系统（IPSS）中危2+高危、复杂核型、单体核型、7号染色体异常及1个疗程后PLT倍增的患者可获得更高的CR率。66.7%（14/21）的复杂核型患者、58.8%（10/17）的单体核型患者及66.7%（10/15）的TP53基因突变患者获得CR；TP53基因突变常合并复杂核型及单体核型；多因素分析显示TP53突变、1个疗程后PLT倍增及复杂核型是预测地西他滨治疗获得CR的独立预后因素，其中TP53突变是最强的预测因子（OR=4.39，95%CI 1.20~16.06，P=0.026）。

结论

TP53基因突变、1个疗程后PLT倍增及复杂核型可预测地西他滨完全缓解。

Inhibition of heat stress-related apoptosis of chicken myocardial cells through inducing Hsp90 expression by aspirin administration in vivo

1. This experiment investigated the anti-apoptosis effects and the mechanism of aspirin action in the heat shock response of chicken myocardial cells in vivo, via changes in the heat stress (HS) protein Hsp90 and the rate of apoptosis. Broiler chickens were administered aspirin (1 mg/kg body weight) 2 h before exposure to HS, and then exposed to 40 ± 1°C for 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 24 h. 2. The induction and consumption of the HS factor heat shock factor (HSF)-1, and reductions of HSF-2 and HSF-3 induced by HS led to a delay in Hsp90 expression. HSF-1, 2 and 3 regulation of hsp90 expression in turn inhibited the synthesis and activation of protein kinase β (Akt), which resulted in a significant increase in caspase-3 at 2 and 10 h, caspase-9 from 1 to 7 h (except at 5 h), and the heat-stressed apoptosis of the myocardial cells. 3. Administration of aspirin changed the expression patterns of HSF-1, 2 and 3 such that the expression of Hsp90 protein was significantly upregulated (by 2.3-4.1 times compared with that of the non-treated cells). The resultant increase in Akt expression and activation, compared with the HS group, inhibited caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities and reduced the myocardial cells apoptosis rate (by 2.14-2.56 times). 4. Aspirin administration could inhibit heat-stressed apoptosis of myocardial cells in vivo and may be closely associated with its promotion of HS response of chicken hearts, especially Hsp90 expression.

Genetic polymorphism in cytochrome P450 2E1 and alcoholic pancreatitis sus-ceptibility: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The association between cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) polymorphism and the risk of alcoholic pancreatitis is contentious. This meta-analysis aimed to demonstrate the association between CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI, or DraI polymorphisms and the susceptibility of alcoholic pancreatitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched for sources and background in Pubmed, Medline, Web of science and CNKI (Chinese national knowledge infrastructure), using the following keywords: "cytochrome P450 2E1" or "CYP2E1", "polymorphism" or "genotype", in combination with "alcoholic pancreatitis". All meta-analyses were performed with Stata 12.0. Subgroup analyses on ethnicity and type of alcoholic pancreatitis were conducted as well.   Results: Eleven articles, which met the inclusion criteria, included 595 patients with alcoholic pancreatitis, and 1767 controls. For the general population, our analysis suggested no obvious association between CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI or DraI polymorphisms and the risk of alcoholic pancreatitis. However, in the non-Asian subgroup, significant associations were found between the risk for alcoholic pancreatitis and CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism [dominant model: odds ratio (OR) =1.92, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.25-2.95, p =0.003; allelic contrast model: OR =1.99, 95 % CI: 1.35-2.92, p <0.001. There was not a significant association found within the Asian group. Meanwhile, the susceptibilities of chronic alcoholic pancreatitis were significantly increased for dominant and allelic contrast models of CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism [OR =1.62, 95 % CI: 1.12-2.34; p =0.011; OR =1.62, 95 % CI: 1.17-2.24, p = 0.004, respectively] but not for acute alcoholic pancreatitis for all population.

CONCLUSIONS

CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism may increase the risk of alcoholic pancreatitis in the non-Asian population. Additionally, the CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI polymorphism may increase the susceptibility for chronic alcoholic pancreatitis for all population. HIPPOKRATIA 2018, 22(2): 60-67.

Association between bedtime and self-reported illness among college students: a representative nationwide study of China

OBJECTIVE

This study was to examine the association between bedtime and self-reported illness among Chinese college students.

METHODS

Participants were 11,942 students, who were identified through a multistage survey sampling process. Sleep and illness status were obtained by self report. Both unadjusted and adjusted methods were considered in the analyses.

RESULTS

The logistic regression model found that late bedtime was positively associated with self reported short and long-term illness (OR: 3.70 and 1, 79) after adjusting for demographic characteristics, short sleep duration, and mental disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to find a positive relationship between late bedtime and self reported illnesses in China or elsewhere. The findings underscore the importance of educating college students about the importance of sleep.

Preliminary study of the homologous recombination repair pathway in mouse spermatogonial stem cells

The present study was designed to detect DNA repair response through the homologous recombination pathway in mouse spermatogonial stem cells. Mouse spermatogonial stem cells (mSSCs) were obtained from the adult DBA/2 mouse testes by MACS sorting. mSSCs and mice animals were divided into four groups (30 min, 2, 24 h, control) and treated with ionizing irradiation while the control group received pseudo-irradiation. Proteins involved in the homologous recombination pathway (γH2AX, ATM, RAD51, CtIP, and RPA2) were assessed in mSSCs both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the non-homologous end-joining or homologous recombination (NHEJ/HR) reporter plasmids were transfected into mSSCs to assess NHEJ/HR pathway activity after DNA double-strand break (DSB). γH2AX, a classical DNA DSB marker, was absent in mSSCs both in vivo and in vitro after DSB repair, but was highly expressed in other tissue stem cells. In addition, ATM and phosphorylated ATM (p-ATM) were involved in DNA damage response (DDR) in mSSCs. p-ATM foci were overexpressed immediately after irradiation (30 min and 2 h), but gradually decreased over the repair time. The HR pathway-related proteins, CtIP and RPA2 were negatively regulated after treatment in Western blot (WB). NHEJ/HR reporter plasmid transfection indicated that the HR pathway played a minor role in mSSCs during DDR, consistent with the WB findings. This study demonstrates that mSSCs may have a unique response to DNA damage since crucial proteins involved in HR pathway were negatively regulated after DSB. In addition, the expression level of p-ATM, but not γH2AX, was increased after DSB, suggesting that DNA damage repair in mSSCs might be a γH2AX-independent response. Furthermore, the HR pathway may play a minor role during DDR in mSSCs.

Antiferromagnetic Order in Epitaxial FeSe Films on SrTiO_{3}

Single monolayer FeSe film grown on a Nb-doped SrTiO_{3}(001) substrate shows the highest superconducting transition temperature (T_{C}∼100  K) among the iron-based superconductors (iron pnictides), while the T_{C} value of bulk FeSe is only ∼8  K. Although bulk FeSe does not show antiferromagnetic order, calculations suggest that the parent FeSe/SrTiO_{3} films are antiferromagnetic. Experimentally, because of a lack of a direct probe, the magnetic state of FeSe/SrTiO_{3} films remains mysterious. Here, we report direct evidence of antiferromagnetic order in the parent FeSe/SrTiO_{3} films by the magnetic exchange bias effect measurements. The magnetic blocking temperature is ∼140  K for a single monolayer film. The antiferromagnetic order disappears after electron doping.

IRX3 is a genetic modifier for birth weight, adolescent obesity and transaminase metabolism

OBJECTIVE

IRX3 expression has been functionally associated in obesity-associated long-distance susceptibility loci, but the effect of the IRX3 genetic variants on human obesity and obesity-related metabolism remains uncertain.

METHODS

To determine the genetic role of IRX3, we conducted a molecular epidemiological analysis using three haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs8053360, rs3751723 and rs12445085) and one nonsynonymous SNP (rs1126960) at the IRX3 locus in 333 junior and senior high school students from a northeast Chinese population.

RESULTS

We identified significant associations between IRX3 SNPs and birth weight, body mass index (BMI), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and AST/ALT ratio. The rs8053360 CC and rs1126960 GG genotypes were associated with increased birth weight and BMI, especially in females. Individuals with the rs12445085 TT genotype had significantly higher levels of AST and ALT, whereas individuals with the rs1126960 GG genotype had a significantly lower AST/ALT ratio than did individuals with other genotypes. However, no significant relationships were found between any of the IRX3 SNPs and metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

IRX3 genetic variants associate with birth weight, BMI and AST/ALT-related transaminase metabolism, supporting the role of IRX3 as an obesity-associated susceptibility gene.

Liquid-like thermal conduction in intercalated layered crystalline solids

As a generic property, all substances transfer heat through microscopic collisions of constituent particles ¹ . A solid conducts heat through both transverse and longitudinal acoustic phonons, but a liquid employs only longitudinal vibrations^2,3. As a result, a solid is usually thermally more conductive than a liquid. In canonical viewpoints, such a difference also serves as the dynamic signature distinguishing a solid from a liquid. Here, we report liquid-like thermal conduction observed in the crystalline AgCrSe₂. The transverse acoustic phonons are completely suppressed by the ultrafast dynamic disorder while the longitudinal acoustic phonons are strongly scattered but survive, and are thus responsible for the intrinsically ultralow thermal conductivity. This scenario is applicable to a wide variety of layered compounds with heavy intercalants in the van der Waals gaps, manifesting a broad implication on suppressing thermal conduction. These microscopic insights might reshape the fundamental understanding on thermal transport properties of matter and open up a general opportunity to optimize performances of thermoelectrics.

Validation of the Chinese version of EORTC QLQ-BN20 for patients with brain cancer

This is a single centre study in mainland China aiming to evaluate the reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Chinese version of EORTC QLQ-BN20, designed by The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Group to evaluate the life quality of patients with brain tumour, cancer or metastases. One hundred and eighty-eight patients with primary or secondary brain cancer from Hunan Provincial Tumor Hospital during September 2013 to June 2014 completed the Chinese EORTC QLQ-C30/BN20 questionnaires developed by translation, back translation and cultural adaptation. Results were statistically analysed using SPSS17.0. The internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient) was between .753 and .869, the correlation coefficients among items and its own dimension were bigger than .4, and all items had a better correlation with its own dimension. The Spearman was used to analyse the correlation of each dimension between EORTC QLQ-BN20 and EORTC QLQ-C30, and the result showed that individual dimensions were moderately correlated, other dimensions were weakly correlated. In conclusion, the Chinese version of EORTC QLQ BN20 questionnaire had great relevance, reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity. It provides a valuable tool for the assessment of health-related quality of life in clinical studies of Chinese patients with primary or secondary brain cancer.

Body Surface Laplacian Mapping of Bioelectrical Activity

A method is described to process and interpret multi-channel bioelectrical signals. The bioelectrical signals were recorded noninvasively over the body surface of human subjects at 120 sites. The body surface Laplacian maps were then constructed from the multi-channel bioelectrical potential measurement. The method was evaluated by means of computer simulations, and applied to imaging cardiac electrical activity. The present investigation suggests body surface Laplacian mapping provides an important means in interpreting bioelectrical signals.

[Willingness and influencing factors related to "centralized slaughtering, fresh poultry listing and marketing" strategy among the household chefs in Guangzhou]

Objective: To study the willingness and influence factors related to "centralized slaughtering, fresh poultry listing and marketing" strategy, among the household chefs, and provide reference for government to adjust and optimize the strategy on avian influenza prevention. Methods: According to the geographical characteristics and regional functions, 6 'monitoring stations' were selected from 12 residential districts of Guangzhou, respectively. Another 21 meat markets which selling live poultry, were selected in each station and 5 household chefs of each market were invited to attend a face to face interview. Basic information, personal cognitive, willingness and influencing factors to the policy were under study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods were used. Results: A total of 664 household chefs underwent the survey and results showed that the rate of support to the "centralized slaughtering, fresh poultry listing and marketing" strategy was 44.6% (296/664). Results from the multi-factor logistic regression showed that those household chefs who were males (OR=1.618, 95% CI: 1.156-2.264, P=0.005), having received higher education (OR=1.814, 95% CI: 1.296-2.539, P=0.001), or believing that the existence of live poultry stalls was related to the transmission of avian influenza (OR=1.918, 95% CI: 1.341-2.743, P<0.001) were factors at higher risk. These household chefs also intended to avoid the use of live poultry stalls (OR=1.666, 95%CI: 1.203-2.309, P=0.002) and accept the "centralized slaughtering, fresh poultry listing and marketing" strategy. Conclusion: Detailed study on this subject and, setting up pilot project in some areas as well as prioritizing the education programs for household chefs seemed helpful to the implementation of the 'freezing-fresh poultry' policy.

Unidirectional Spin-Wave-Propagation-Induced Seebeck Voltage in a PEDOT:PSS/YIG Bilayer

We clarify the physical origin of the dc voltage generation in a bilayer of a conducting polymer film and a micrometer-thick magnetic insulator Y_{3}Fe_{5}O_{12} (YIG) film under ferromagnetic resonance and/or spin wave excitation conditions. The previous attributed mechanism, the inverse spin Hall effect in the polymer [Nat. Mater. 12, 622 (2013)NMAACR1476-112210.1038/nmat3634], is excluded by two control experiments. We find an in-plane temperature gradient in YIG which has the same angular dependence with the generated voltage. Both vanish when the YIG thickness is reduced to a few nanometers. Thus, we argue that the dc voltage is governed by the Seebeck effect in the polymer, where the temperature gradient is created by the nonreciprocal magnetostatic surface spin wave propagation in YIG.

Modeling the Interfacial Energy of Surfactant-Free Amphiphilic Janus Nanoparticles from Phase Inversion in Pickering Emulsions

Determining the interfacial energy of nanoparticles is very challenging via traditional methods that first require measuring the contact angle of several liquids of a sessile drop on pellets or capillary rise in powder beds. In this work, we propose an alternative way to model the interfacial energy of nanoparticles directly from emulsion phase inversion data in Pickering emulsions. This could establish itself as a universal and facile way to determine the polarity of nanoparticles relative to a series of standard particles without the need to measure contact angles. Pickering emulsions of several oils in water were generated with a series of snowman-like Janus nanoparticles (JNPs), whose polarity gradually increased with the size of the more polar lobe. Depending on the oil to water ratio and the JNPs lobe size, oil-in-water (o/w) or water-in-oil (w/o) Pickering emulsions were obtained and the affinity of the JNPs to either water or oil can be inferred from the evolution of the emulsion phase inversion curves with these parameters. We further demonstrate that by adopting a simple model for the work of adhesion of JNPs with the water and oil phases, one can quantitatively calculate the relative interfacial energy change of the JNPs with the liquid. In addition, a knowledge of the interfacial energy of nanoparticles is useful for employing these in suspension polymerization to create surface nanostructured materials. The o/w and w/o Pickering emulsions obtained from monomers, such as styrene, could be polymerized, resulting in colloidosomes or hollow-like materials. The hollow materials exhibited a rather high volume storage capacity for the aqueous phase for extended periods of time, which could be released upon microwaving, making them ideal for use in long-term storage applications of various water-soluble actives.

[Clinical features of community-acquired bloodstream infection due to Gram-negative bacilli in patients with liver cirrhosis]

Objective: o investigate the features of pathogenic bacteria for community-acquired bloodstream infection due to Gram-negative bacilli in patients with liver cirrhosis and optimal therapeutic strategy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients with liver cirrhosis who were admitted to 302 Hospital of PLA due to community-acquired bloodstream infection from January 2010 to December 2015, and a statistical analysis was performed for their clinical features, pathogenic bacteria, and results of drug sensitivity test. The Pearson chi-square test was used for comparison of rates, and the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for comparison of ranked data. Results: A total of 240 patients (including 178 male patients) with liver cirrhosis caused by various reasons were enrolled, with a mean age of 51.7 ± 11.1 years, an overall clinical remission rate of 80.42%, and an ineffective/mortality rate of 19.58%. The patients who used sensitive antibiotics within 12 hours after the onset of community-acquired bloodstream infection achieved a significantly higher improvement rate than those who used such drugs at more than 12 hours after onset (88.2% vs 58.1%, P < 0.001). The improvement rate achieved by the application of sensitive antibiotics at more than 12 hours after onset decreased with the increase in the Child-Pugh grade (P < 0.05). A total of 245 strains of Gram-negative bacilli were isolated, among which the six most common ones were 135 strains of Escherichia coli (55.1%), 62 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (25.3%), 16 strains of Aeromonas (6.5%), 4 strains of non-typhoidal Salmonella (1.6%), 3 strains of Enterobacter cloacae (1.2%), and 2 strains of Acinetobacter baumannii (0.8%). These Gram-negative bacilli had the highest sensitivity to meropenem (98.5%), followed by imipenem (97.9%), amikacin (97.5%), piperacillin/tazobactam (94.7%), cefmetazole (93.7%), and cefoperazone/sulbactam (93%). Different bacteria had different sensitivities to antibiotics. Conclusion: Once community-acquired bloodstream infection occurs in patients with liver cirrhosis, highly sensitive antibiotics should be used as early as possible. Cefoperazone/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, and meropenem can be used as first-line empirical antibiotics, and drug combination should be considered when necessary.

Protective influence of rosiglitazone against testicular ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Testicular torsion is a urology urgent disease which causes testicular injury and potential sterility. In this study, we explored the protective influence of rosiglitazone on testicular ischaemia-reperfusion damage. There were 28 male Sprague Dawley rats in total, which were assigned randomly to four groups. Group A was blank control one; group B was testicular injury one; group C was rosiglitazone one; group D was rosiglitazone antagonist one. The testicles were counter-rotated after 2 hr and then underwent orchiectomy 24 hr later. We found that testicular tissue structure of rats was seriously damaged in groups B and D. However, group C had better testicular architecture. Similar findings were also shown for lipid peroxidation by evaluating the MDA activity (p < .05). Unlike group B or group D, the levels of inflammation by evaluating the MPO activity, the levels of TNF-a, IL-1 and IL-6 and the expressions of ICAM-1 were prominently lower in group C (p < .05) as well. So our researches demonstrated that rosiglitazone significantly decreased the amount of responsive oxygen radical and regulated inflammatory responses. Rosiglitazone had a protective influence against testicular ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats and possibly depended on its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant traits.

[Expression of high-mobility group box-Ⅰ and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in status epilepticus]

Objective: To investigate the expression changes of high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and the 2B receptor of N- methyl -D- aspartate receptor (NR2B) in status epilepticus (SE). Methods: (1) Primary hippocampal neurons from SD rats with 16 to 18 days of fetal age were cultured in vitro for 7 days, and exposed to Mg(2+) free media for 3 hours. Those cultured neurons were randomly divided into control group and intermittent hypoxia group. (2) SD rats with similar weight were selected and randomly divided into control group and SE model group. The rat model with SE was established by an intraperitoneal injection of lithium chloride-piloearpine (LI-PILO). Real-time PCR technique was used to detect the expression of HMGB1 and NR2B mRNA. Results: In Sombati's cell model cultured in normal concentration of oxygen, the HMGB1 mRNA expression levels were 0.005 01±0.000 54, 0.026 76±0.003 75, 0.003 52±0.000 33, and the NR2B mRNA expression levels were 0.008 84±0.000 69, 0.012 23±0.000 90, 0.029 11±0.000 71, respectively, at 2, 4 and 6 h; compared with the expressions of HMGB1 and NR2B mRNA at the same time points of Sombatis cell model groups, the differences were also significant (all P<0.05). After the successful establishment of epilepsy model, the HMGB1 mRNA expression levels were 0.000 11±0.000 09, 0.000 18±0.000 01, 0.000 11±0.000 01, and the NR2B mRNA expression levels were 0.196 12±0.009 41, 0.232 11±0.006 27, 0.272 48±0.005 84, respectively, at 6, 8 and 10 h; compared with the expressions of HMGB1 and NR2B mRNA at the same time points of control groups, the differences were all significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion: HMGB1 mRNA expression levels increase at 2, 4 h, decrease at 6 h in the Sombati's cell model in normal oxygen culture, while increase at 6, 8 h, and decrease at 10 h in LI-PILO induced rat model with SE; the NR2B mRNA relative expression increases with time in both the Sombati's cell model in normal oxygen culture and rat model of SE.

Permanent neonatal diabetes caused by abnormalities in chromosome 6q24

BACKGROUND

Methylation defects at chromosome 6q24 usually induce transient neonatal diabetes mellitus. There are few reports of permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus caused by abnormalities of 6q24. We report the first case of permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus to be associated with confirmed methylation defects at chromosome 6q24.

CASE REPORT

A baby girl, small for her gestational age, was found to have high blood glucose 1 day after birth, with no systematic congenital anomalies. She showed no remission of diabetes and has hitherto been reliant on insulin (now aged of 5.5 years), which supports a diagnosis of permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus. The single nucleotide polymorphism array and highly polymorphic short tandem repeat analysis identified paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 6, and a genome-wide analysis ruled out mutations in coding and non-coding regions.

CONCLUSION

This report expands the varieties of neonatal diabetes known to be induced by methylation defects at chromosome 6q24, and suggests that the diagnostic evaluation of permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus should be expanded to include testing for 6q24.

[A comparison between the revision of Atlanta classification and determinant-based classification in acute pancreatitis]

Objective: To compare the performance of the revision of Atlanta classification (RAC) and determinant-based classification (DBC) in acute pancreatitis. Methods: Consecutive patients with acute pancreatitis admitted to a single center from January 2001 to January 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified into mild, moderately severe and severe categories based on RAC and were simultaneously classified into mild, moderate, severe and critical grades according to DBC. Disease severity and clinical outcomes were compared between subgroups. The receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to compare the utility of RAC and DBC by calculating the area under curve (AUC). Results: Among 1 120 patients enrolled, organ failure occurred in 343 patients (30.6%) and infected necrosis in 74 patients(6.6%). A total of 63 patients (5.6%) died. Statistically significant difference of disease severity and outcomes was observed between all the subgroups in RAC and DBC (P<0.001). The category of critical acute pancreatitis (with both persistent organ failure and infected necrosis) had the most severe clinical course and the highest mortality (19/31, 61.3%). DBC had a larger AUC (0.73, 95%CI 0.69-0.78) than RAC (0.68, 95%CI 0.65-0.73) in classifying ICU admissions (P=0.031), but both were similar in predicting mortality(P=0.372) and prolonged ICU stay (P=0.266). Conclusions: DBC and RAC perform comparably well in categorizing patients with acute pancreatitis regarding disease severity and clinical outcome. DBC is slightly better than RAC in predicting prolonged hospital stay. Persistent organ failure and infected necrosis are risk factors for poor prognosis and presence of both is associated with the most dismal outcome.

[The social marketing models and policy advices for HIV rapid testing initiated by non-govermental organization]

Currently, a growing number of community-based organizations are providing rapid HIV testing service in various forms, some people with specific needs also purchase HIV rapid test papers through online sales channels, those imply that the demand of HIV self-test is in increasing year by year.In this paper, aims to understand the current situation of HIV rapid test led by CBOs and the approach, strategies and results of social marketing by means of expert interviews and site visits. Hope to illustrate the current situation, and make recommendations for future work.

The addition of protein-bound amino acids in low-protein diets improves the metabolic and immunological characteristics in fifteen- to thirty-five-kg pigs

This study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of AA form (crystalline vs. protein bound) in low-protein diets on growth, metabolic, and immunological characteristics of pigs. A total of 80 barrows (PIC 327 × 1050; 15.57 ± 0.13 kg BW and 48 ± 2 d of age), housed in 4 pigs per pen with 5 pens per treatment, were assigned to 4 dietary treatments of 17, 15, and 13% CP and 13% CP plus casein for 28 d. The crystalline AA were supplemented to meet the requirement of indispensable AA in pigs. Results showed that pigs fed the 13% CP diet or the 13% CP plus casein diet had lower ( < 0.01) ADG and ADFI and a greater ( < 0.01) feed:gain ratio than pigs fed the 17% CP or 15% CP diets over the 4-wk study period. Compared with other diets, pigs fed the 13% CP diet had decreased concentrations of plasma urea nitrogen, albumin ( < 0.01), and mRNA expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 (), nuclear factor kappa B (; < 0.05), and Toll-interacting protein (; < 0.01) in the ileum and also increased activity of plasma glutamate-pyruvate transaminase ( < 0.05) and concentrations of IL-1β ( < 0.05) and tumor necrosis factor-α ( < 0.01); however, these characteristics were partly normalized by feeding the 13% CP plus casein diet. Furthermore, the plasma concentration of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; < 0.01) and mRNA expressions of protein kinase B (), mammalian target of rapamycin (), and ribosomal protein S6 kinase () in longissimus muscle were increased ( < 0.05) in pigs fed the 13% CP plus casein diet relative to pigs fed the 17% CP or 15% CP diets. In summary, reducing dietary CP level from 17% to 15% had no effect on growth, metabolic, and immunological characteristics of 15- to 35-kg pigs. A further reduction of dietary CP level up to 13% would lead to poor growth performance, but metabolic and immunological characteristics were partly normalized using protein-bound AA to replace synthesized AA in the 13% CP diet.

Circulating tumour cells as a biomarker for diagnosis and staging in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Current diagnosis and staging of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has important limitations and better biomarkers are needed to guide initial therapy. We investigated the performance of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) as an adjunctive biomarker at the time of disease presentation.

METHODS

Venous blood (VB) was collected prospectively from 100 consecutive, pre-treatment patients with PDAC. Utilising the microfluidic NanoVelcro CTC chip, samples were evaluated for the presence and number of CTCs. KRAS mutation analysis was used to compare the CTCs with primary tumour tissue. CTC enumeration data was then evaluated as a diagnostic and staging biomarker in the setting of PDAC.

RESULTS

We found 100% concordance for KRAS mutation subtype between primary tumour and CTCs in all five patients tested. Evaluation of CTCs as a diagnostic revealed the presence of CTCs in 54/72 patients with confirmed PDAC (sensitivity=75.0%, specificity=96.4%, area under the curve (AUROC)=0.867, 95% CI=0.798-0.935, and P<0.001). Furthermore, a cut-off of ⩾3 CTCs in 4 ml VB was able to discriminate between local/regional and metastatic disease (AUROC=0.885; 95% CI=0.800-0.969; and P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

CTCs appear to function well as a biomarker for diagnosis and staging in PDAC.

[Effect of the use of antibiotics controlled by clinical pharmacist in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis]

Objective: To analyze the effect of the use of antibiotics intervened by clinical pharmacist in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) patients. Method: This was a prospective clinical study with a historical control group.The group 1 was the control group which was not intervened for antibiotics use from January 2010 to November 2012. The group 2 was the intervention group treated from December 2012 to June 2016. Group 1 was divided into group 1a which included newly-onset diabetes patients and group 1b which included long standing diabetes patients. Group 2 was divided into the similar group 2a and group 2b.Clinical pharmacist supervised the implementation of terms to restrict the use of antibiotics.Changes of the rate of antibiotics use, the length of time of antibiotics use, hospital stay, the cost of antibiotics, etc.were compared. Result: In group 1a and group 2a, the rate of antibiotics use was 85%(107/126) and 31%(58/190)(χ(2)=25.787), the length of time of antibiotics use was 11(7-18)d and 6(4-10)d (U=1 507), the hospital stay was 23(18-27)and 20(6-24)d(U=8 177) , the cost of antibiotics was 1 615(1 000-2 970)and 1 080(504-1 932) yuan ( U=1 783), the differences had statistical significance(P<0.05). In group 1b and group 2b, the rate of antibiotics use was 97% (33/34) and 48% (23/48)(χ(2)=14.222), the length of time of antibiotics use was 8(6-12)d and 5(4-7)d (U=180), the hospital stay was 15(10-21)and 12(8-16)d (U=580), the cost of antibiotics was 2 200(1 356-3 100)and 1 600(705-2 200) yuan (U=223), the differences had statistical significance(P<0.05). Conclusion: Clinical pharmacist intervened use of antibiotics was effective in reducing the use of antibiotics and financial burden.

Dietary supplementation with tributyrin prevented weaned pigs from growth retardation and lethal infection via modulation of inflammatory cytokines production, ileal expression, and intestinal acetate fermentation

Weanling pigs, with an underdeveloped intestine and immature immune system, are usually subjected to depressed feed intake, growth retardation, and postweaning diarrhea. The aim of this study was to determine 1) the growth response of weaned pigs to supplemental tributyrin (TB) and 2) the potential effects and mechanisms of TB in modulating immune responses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged piglets. A total of 240 piglets (Duroc × Large White × Landrace) were weaned at 21 d of age to a control (basal diet), supplemented with antibiotics (AB; +AB), supplemented with TB (+TB), or with supplemental AB and TB (+AB+TB) diets, with 10 replicate pens (6 piglets/pen) per diet. At 49 d of age, male pigs from the control and +TB groups were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (25 μg/kg BW) or saline ( = 6) and sacrificed at 4 h after injection to collect blood, intestine, and digesta samples for biochemical analysis. There were higher ( < 0.05) feed intake and lower ( < 0.05) percentage of negative growth piglets in the +TB groups than in the control group during the first week after weaning. For piglets without LPS challenge, there were higher ( < 0.05) ileal fibroblast growth factor 19 () mRNA abundance and total bile acid concentrations in the +TB groups than in the control group, whereas downregulated ( < 0.05) expression was observed in the +TB groups after LPS challenge. Lipopolysaccharide challenge in the control group increased ( < 0.05) plasma tumor necrosis factor α and IL-6 concentrations and colonic amount and decreased ( < 0.05) colonic goblet cells and colonic and cecal acetate concentrations, with no differences ( > 0.05) observed between +TB groups following LPS challenge. Taken together, dietary supplementation with TB prevented growth retardation through stimulating the appetite of weaned pigs and protected piglets against lethal infection via modulation of inflammatory cytokines production, ileal expression, and intestinal acetate fermentation.

Performance, intestinal microflora, and amino acid digestibility altered by exogenous enzymes in broilers fed wheat- or sorghum-based diets

The objective of the current study was to compare the effects of dietary enzymes and nutrient restriction on performance and bone mineralization in birds fed wheat- or sorghum-based diets. A total of 720 d-old male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 8 treatments, with 6 replicates per treatment and 15 birds per replicate. Birds were reared in floor pens from 0 to 35 d. The study used a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement with 2 grains (sorghum or wheat) and 4 diets: positive control (no enzyme and ME, digestible Lys, Ca, and P sufficient, negative control (NC; no enzyme and reduced ME [-100 kcal/kg], digestible AA [-2%], Ca [-0.12 percentage points], and available P [-0.18 percentage points in the starter phase and -0.22 percentage points in the grower phase]), NC + nonstarch polysaccharide-degrading enzymes + phytase (500 phytase units [FTU]; NCCP), and NC + phytase (1,000 FTU; NCP). From 0 to 35 d, birds fed wheat-based diets had greater G:F (4.5%), BW gain (9.2%), breast meat yield (6.8%), and tibia ash (2.0%) compared with birds fed sorghum-based diets. Across grain types, the NCCP treatment improved BW gain ( < 0.001), feed intake ( < 0.001), G:F ( < 0.05), and livability ( < 0.001) compared with the NC treatment. Birds fed NCP had greater BW gain ( < 0.001), feed intake ( < 0.001), G:F ( < 0.001), and livability ( < 0.001) compared with birds fed NC. Birds fed the NCP diet had greater BW gain ( < 0.001), toe ash ( < 0.01), and tibia ash ( < 0.001) compared with birds fed the NCCP diet. There was a grain × diet interaction for feed intake ( < 0.01), BW gain ( < 0.001), tibia ash ( < 0.01), and tibia breaking strength ( < 0.05). The influence of enzymes was more pronounced in sorghum-based diets than in wheat-based diets. Birds fed wheat-based diets had greater ileal digestibility of His, Met, Val, Phe, Ile, Leu, Trp, Glu, Pro, Ala, Tyr, and Cys compared with those fed sorghum-based diets ( < 0.05). Across grain types, NCP had greater apparent ileal digestibility of Met, Lys, Ser, Pro, Gly, and Cys than NC ( < 0.05). The results suggest that wheat is superior to sorghum for broilers, as expected, but that enzyme supplementation has the capability to restore the compromised bird performance due to feeding sorghum. In addition, compared with nonstarch polysaccharide-degrading enzymes and phytase (500 FTU/kg feed) added in concert, phytase supplemented at 1,000 FTU/kg resulted in a further improvement of some of the performance and bone mineralization parameters in male broilers fed sorghum-based diets.

Bone marrow sFRP5 level is negatively associated with bone formation markers

Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (sFRP5) level in bone marrow environment is inversely correlated with bone formation markers, suggesting that it decreases bone mass by inhibiting bone formation. Besides, it functions in a local fashion when regulating bone metabolism. sFRP5 may be a target when developing anti-osteoporotic agents.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between bone marrow sFRP5 level and bone turnover state.

METHODS

Eighty-three total knee arthroplasty patients were enrolled in this study. Data were collected prospectively and reviewed retrospectively. Lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD), marrow adipose tissue (MAT) sFRP5 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level, sFRP5 concentrations in marrow fluid and serum, concentrations of bone formation and resorption markers were measured for each participant.

RESULTS

Marrow fluid sFRP5 concentration was positively correlated with both MAT sFRP5 expression (p = 0.040) and serum sFRP5 concentration (p = 0.043). Significantly positive correlation existed between MAT sFRP5 expression level and BMD (p < 0.05). Marrow fluid sFRP5 concentration had a moderate but not significant positive association with BMD. MAT sFRP5 was negatively related to serum bone formation markers including N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP) (p = 0.011), osteocalcin (OC), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Marrow fluid and serum sFRP5 concentrations also had mild negative correlations with bone formation markers but reached no significance. There was no significant correlation between bone resorption marker β-crosslaps (β-CTX) and sFRP5. The mRNA expression level of MAT sFRP5 was positively related with those of MAT leptin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), and adiponectin, and its correlation with leptin was statistically significant (p = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Bone marrow sFRP5 level is closely correlated with BMD and bone formation markers. sFRP5 may be a potential negative regulator of bone mass by inhibiting bone formation. It may exert its effects on bone metabolism in a paracrine, rather than endocrine manner.