[Prevalence and clinical characteristics of blood eosinophilia in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of peripheral blood eosinophilia (EOS) in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods: From July 2014 to June 2016, AECOPD patients in the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, were retrospectively stratified into two groups according to two standards of eosinophilic exacerbations (the peripheral blood eosinophil count ≥2% or ≥3% on admission). Demography, clinical symptoms, laboratory results, length of stay, total hospitalization expenses, and defined daily expenses were compared between groups. Results: A total of 559 cases with AECOPD were finally recorded, the prevalence of eosinophilia was 43.1% (241 cases by EOS≥2%) and 27.2% (152 cases by EOS≥3%), respectively. According to either standard, there were no significant differences in sexes, age, course of disease (P>0.05), and there were no significant differences in global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD) grades, parameters of pulmonary function, modified british medical research council (mMRC) scores, rate of antibiotic use, systemic glucocorticoids administration, and average daily expenses (P>0.05). According to 2% standard, leucocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, hs-CRP were lower than non-eosinophilic patients [(5.9±2.0)×10(9)/L vs (8.2±4.0)×10(9)/L, (3.9±1.6)×10(9)/L vs (6.5±3.8)×10(9)/L, (0.446±0.169)×10(9)/L vs (0.501±0.276)×10(9)/L, (25.8±35.9) vs (46.2±55.6) mg/L, all P<0.01]; basophils, lymphocytes were higher than non-eosinophilic patients [(0.043±0.025)×10(9)/L vs (0.029±0.021) ×10(9)/L, (1.3±0.6) ×10(9)/L vs (1.1±0.6) ×10(9)/L, both P<0.01]; length of stay, total hospital expense were shorter (or lower) than non-eosinophilic patients [(10.6±5.0) vs (11.6±5.8) d, (11 851±7 491) vs (14 254±10 751) RMB, both P<0.05]. According to 3% standard, leucocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, hs-CRP were lower than non-eosinophilic patients (all P<0.05), and basophil were higher than non-eosinophilic patients (P<0.01), but no significant differences were observed in lymphocytes, length of stay and total hospital expense (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Eosinophilia is of relative high prevalence in AECOPD patients, and basophil in eosinophilic patients is higher than non-eosinophilic patients.

Structural discontinuity induced surface second harmonic generation in single, thin zinc-blende GaAs nanowires

We investigate optical second harmonic generation (SHG) from individual self-catalyzed zinc-blende (ZB) GaAs nanowires (NWs), where the polarimetry strongly depends on the NW diameter. We report a direct observation on the SHG induced by surface nonlinear susceptibilities in a single, ultra-thin GaAs NW. By considering the contributions from both optical field and structural discontinuities in our theoretical model, we can well explain the optical SHG polarimetry from NWs with different diameters. We also show that the optical in-coupling coefficient arising from the depolarization electromagnetic field can determine the polarization of the SHG. The results open perspectives for further geometry-based studies on the origin and control of SHG in small nanostructures.

Expression and clinical significance of ARTN and MMP-9 in endometrial carcinoma

The aim of this study was to detect the differential expression of Artemin (ARTN) and matrix metallopeptidase protein 9 (MMP-9) in endometrial carcinoma (EC) and to assess their clinical significance in order to provide insight into the pathological mechanism of tumor infiltration and metastasis in EC. A total of 48 patients who had undergone surgery for EC at the School of Medicine and Affiliated Hospital of HeBei University of Engineering between July 2015 and July 2016 were included in the study. The 48 patients were classified into 3 groups according to tumor stage: 27 patients with EC stage I, 12 patients with EC stage II and 9 patients with EC stage III. The samples collected from each patient included fresh normal endometrial tissue, endometrial simple hyperplastic tissue and endometrial atypical hyperplastic tissue. The transcription levels of ARTN and MMP-9 mRNA in each group were investigated using RT-PCR. The expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 protein in each group were examined using Western blotting. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 proteins and EC tissue type. RT-PCR and Western blotting assays revealed that the expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 were increased in normal endometrial tissue, simple hyperplastic tissue, atypical hyperplastic tissue and EC of stages I, II and III. The differences noted were statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Furthermore, Western blot analysis indicated that the expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 proteins in lymphatic metastatic tissues were higher than those in non-lymphatic metastatic tissues (P less than 0.05). The expression levels in the infiltration tissues of the deep muscular layer were higher than those noted in the light muscular layer (P less than 0.05). The expression levels of ARTN and MMP-9 proteins were positively correlated (P less than 0.05). The data suggest that ARTN and MMP-9 are involved in the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of EC, and play a synergistic role in the development of EC and lymphatic metastasis.

Analysis of specialized nursing on respiratory functions in thoracotomy patients

To analyze the nursing effect on the respiratory function of thoracotomy patients, sixty thoracotomy hospitalized patients were studied. The subjects were divided into a normal group (A) and an observation group (B). The patients in group A received routine nursing only, while those in group B received chest physiotherapy as well as routine nursing. Afterwards, the respiratory function indicators of the two groups were compared and a data analysis was performed. The results showed that the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) value of the patients in group B was greater than that of the patients in group A while the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) value in group B was smaller than that in group A, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (p less than 0.05). The vital capacity under normal circumstances and forced breathing of group B were greater than that of group A and the difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.05). The incidence of complications (atelectasis, respiratory infections, pleural effusion) was statistically significant between the two groups (p less than 0.05). The degree of autonomic respiratory dysfunction in group B was lower than that in group A, and there was a significant difference (p less than 0.05), suggesting that the respiratory function in patients receiving chest physiotherapy improved significantly.

Precise characterization of self-catalyzed III-V nanowire heterostructures via optical second harmonic generation

We demonstrate the utility of optical second harmonic generation (SHG) polarimetry to perform structural characterization of self-assembled zinc-blende/wurtzite III-V nanowire heterostructures. By analyzing four anisotropic SHG polarimetric patterns, we distinguish between wurtzite (WZ), zinc-blende (ZB) and ZB/WZ mixing III-V semiconducting crystal structures in nanowire systems. By neglecting the surface contributions and treating the bulk crystal within the quasi-static approximation, we can well explain the optical SHG polarimetry from the NWs with diameter from 200-600 nm. We show that the optical in-coupling and out-coupling coefficients arising from depolarization field can determine the polarization of the SHG. We also demonstrate micro-photoluminescence of GaAs quantum dots in related ZB and ZB/WZ mixing sections of core-shell NW structure, in agreement with the SHG polarimetry results. The ability to perform in situ SHG-based crystallographic study of semiconducting single and multi-crystalline nanowire heterostructures will be useful in displaying structure-property relationships of nanodevices.

[Value of albumin in diagnosis of neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of albumin (Alb) in the diagnosis of neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD). Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 90 children with NICCD who visited Children's Hospital of Fudan University from January 2007 to December 2014, and according to the content of Alb, these children were divided into Alb < 30 g/L (LA) group with 20 children and Alb ≥30 g/L (NA) group with 70 children. The clinical manifestations, results of laboratory examination, results of blood tandem mass spectrometry and urine gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gene detection results were compared between the two groups. The t-test and the chi-square test were used for statistical analysis.. Results: There were significant differences between the LA group and the NA group in splenomegaly degree (3.28±1.95 cm vs 1.92±1.06 cm, P = 0.030), aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio [3.15 (0.38-5.93) vs 2.14 (0.26-6.67), P = 0.010], activated partial thromboplastin time (53.27±11.68 s vs 45.06±9.79 s, P = 0.003), and international normalized ratio (1.92±1.35 vs 1.29±0.33, P = 0.001). The SLC25A13 mutation I 851_854del4 was associated with Alb (χ² = 4.76, P = 0.025). Conclusion: As for the children with Alb < 30g/L who are highly suspected of having NICCD, SLC25A13 gene detection and blood/urine mass spectrometry should be performed as early as possible, in order to initiate intervention treatment as soon as possible, prevent and treat complications, and improve prognosis.

[Age dependent changes in mandarin speech perception in normal hearing people]

Objective:To investigate if and when the mandarin speech perception ability deteriorates with age in adults with audiometrically normal hearing sensitivity.Method:The participant group included 75 normal hearing adults sampled from across the entire range of adulthood, of which there are 20 males and 55 femals. The participants were divided into 5 groups with 15 participants per age group: 20-30 years, 31-40 years, 41-50 years, 51-60 years, and 61-70 years. We applied speech perception test using Mandarin Hearing in Noise Test.Result:The speech perception scores were significantly different among the five groups in 0 dB and -5 dB conditions (P<0.001), but they weren't significantly different among the five groups in quiet, 10 dB and 5 dB (P>0.005).There was a significant negative correlation between speech perception and age in -5 dB conditions.Conclusion:When the background noise becomes more severe even for participants with audiomerically normal hearing, it was shown that speech perception declined with age.

MicroRNA-370 suppresses the retinal capillary endothelial cell growth by targeting KDR gene

BACKGROUND

Ocular neovascularization (NV) is the one of the major causes of blindness in many ocular diseases. Currently, the administration of anti-VEGF agents has been widely accepted for the clinical management of these devastating diseases. However, the short effective duration and the non-responsive rate due to the protein nature of the anti-VEGF antibodies warrants further investigations to explore alternative angiogenic suppressants. Evidence suggested that microRNA-370 could inhibit the formation of vessels. However, the exact mechanism has not yet been clarified.

AIM

To investigate the regulatory role of microRNA-370 in the growth and apoptosis of retinal capillary endothelial cells and association between microRNA-370 and kinase insert domain-containing receptor (KDR) gene.

METHODS

The effects of miRNA-370 on cell cycle and apoptosis, as well as the expression of cycle- and apoptosis-related genes, were determined using MTT, TUNEL assay, qRT-PCR, and Western blot. The direct target of miRNA-370 was confirmed using 3' untranslated region (UTR) luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

The miRNA-370 induced growth inhibition and apoptosis of retinal capillary endothelial cell while the inhibition of miRNA-370 reversed these effects. miRNA-370 upregulated the expression of CyclinD1, p21, p27, FasL, and Bim. Furthermore, miR-370 directly reduced the expression of KDR by targeting its 3'untranslated region.

CONCLUSION

MicroRNA-370 inhibits the expression of KDR gene resulting in retinal capillary endothelial cell growth inhibition and apoptosis, which could be of value in the treatment of retinal neovascularization (Tab. 1, Fig. 5, Ref. 27).

[Clinical and genetic characteristics of children with Leigh syndrome]

Objective: To investigate the clinically and genetic characteristics of children with Leigh syndrome. Method: Patients with clinically diagnosed Leigh syndrome(LS)in the department of Neurology, Beijing Children's Hospital from January 2013 to February 2016 underwent the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) detecting with next generation sequencing (NGS) technology. The clinical data of gene confirmed cases were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The differences in the onset age, clinical manifestations, lactic acid level and MRI results between the mtDNA variation and nDNA variation were compared and analyzed.t test, Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis. Result: Thirty-five cases were diagnosed by gene detection, including 20 males and 15 females. The median onset age was 1 year (ranging from the neonatal period to 4.4 years old). The age of onset within 2 years accounted for 74%(26 cases). The onset age of initial symptoms, including developmental delay, developmental regression, and seizures, were 6 (4, 12) months, 12 (8, 14) months, and 6 (1, 23) months respectively. The onset age of ptosis, extrapyramidal symptoms and ataxia were 26 (18, 44) months, 28 (23, 40) months and 28 (19, 35) months, respectively. There were significant differences in the onset age between the three groups (H=21.919, P=0.01). Within the 35 cases, 29 were manifested with developmental delay (83%), 26 with dystonia (74%), 18 with growth retardation, 15 with myasthenia, 13 with developmental regression, 11 with dysphagia, 10 with feeding difficulties, 4 with skeletal dysplasia, and 2 with digestive tract symptoms; nystagmus and respiratory abnormalities were observed in 9 cases respectively; extrapyramidal symptoms, peripheral nerve injury, ptosis, seizures were observed in 8 cases respectively; and ataxia, ophthalmoplegia and hypertrichiasis were found in 5 cases respectively.The blood lactic acid was measured in 32 LS patients, within which 23 cases (72%) had increased results; 8 out of 11 cases who underwent were cerebrospinal fluid lactic acid test had increased results. The results of neuroimaging revealed that all the patients were involved in the brainstem and (or) basal ganglia, of whom 27 (77%) had brainstem involvement, 24 (69%) had basal ganglia involvement. Thirteen out of 14 patients who had medulla oblongata involvement had nDNA variation; while 7 out of 8 patients with cerebellar involvement had nDNA variation. Genetic etiology was confirmed in all patients, among whom there were 17 cases (49%) with mtDNA mutation, including 8993T>C/G (n=5), 14487T>C (n=4), 13513G>A (n=2), 9176T>C, 10158T>C, 3697G>A, 10191T>C, 14459A>G and 11777C>A (n=1) respectively. Remaining 18 cases(51%) had nDNA mutation, including SURF1 gene(n=10), PDHA1 gene(n=3) and one case each of NDUFV1, NDUFAF6, NDUFAF5, NDUFS1 and COQ7 genes. In this study, 27 types of mutations were founded, 15 of which had not been previously reported. Respiratory chain gene mutations have been found in 31 cases(89%); 3 cases had PDHc gene mutations, and 1 case had other mutation. Conclusion: LS usually occurs in infants. The most common primary symptoms are age-dependent abnormal movements, ocular symptoms, and seizures. Respiratory chain defects is the most common causes of LS.SURF1 is the most common variation, followed by 8993T>C/G, 14487 T>C and 13513G>A mutation.

[Expression of Oct4 and Sox2 and their clinical significance in tongue squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate Oct4 and Sox2 protein expression in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) and the relationships between the expressions of Oct4 and Sox2 and clinical pathological characteristics and survival of patients. Methods: The paraffin imbedded tissue specimens of 51 patients with histologically confirmed TSCC were included. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the protein expression of Oct4 and Sox2 in 51 TSCC tissue samples. The protein expression levels of Oct4 and Sox2 and their relationships with both clinicopathological features and survival of patients with TSCC were evaluated. Results: In 51 TSCC cases,positive expressions of Oct4 and Sox2 were mainly located in the nucleus of tumor cells. The expression of Oct4 was strongly positive in 27 cases (53%), weakly positive in 16 (31%) and negative in 8 (16%), whereas that of Sox2 was strongly positive in 25 cases (49%), weakly positive in 22 (43%) and negative in 4 (8%). Oct4 and Sox2 expression levels were significantly correlated with the histological grade of TSCC (P=0.004, P=0.006, respectively), not correlated with age, gender, T stage, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption status (P>0.05), but Oct4 expression level was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.001). Sox2 expression level was not associated with lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). The expression of Sox2 was significantly correlated with Oct4 (P<0.001). Oct4 and Sox2 expression was associated with poor overall survival of patients with TSCC (P=0.001, P=0.002, respectively), cases with higher Oct4 and Sox2 expression had the poorest overall survival (P<0.001). Sox2 expression and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors of overall survival in patients with TSCC (P=0.02, P=0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Sox2 had independent prognostic effects on overall survival, suggesting that Sox2 expression may be an usefull indicator for predicting the prognosis of patients with TSCC.

CEP131 indicates poor prognosis and promotes cell proliferation and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma

Centrosomal proteins have been implicated in the progression of human diseases. CEP131 plays important roles in centrosome duplication and genome stability, but its role in cancers remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that CEP131 expression was increased in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), compared to the paracarcinoma tissues, at both mRNA and protein levels. High CEP131 expression was closely associated with tumor size (P=0.020), tumor capsule (P=0.043), TNM stage (P=0.007) and tumor differentiation (P=0.019). Furthermore, patients with high expression of CEP131 were accompanied with worse overall and disease-free survivals in our and TCGA cohorts consisting of a total of 802 cases. The prognostic value of CEP131 was further confirmed by stratified survival analysis. Multivariate cox regression model indicated that CEP131 was an independent factor for overall survival (hazard ratio=1.762, 95% confident interval: 1.443-2.151, P<0.001). In vitro data demonstrated that nucleophosmin (NPM) physically bound to CEP131 and maintained its protein stability. Overexpression of CEP131 in HCC cell lines enhanced cell proliferation and migration, whereas the knockdown of CEP131 led to the opposite phenotypes. Further studies demonstrated that CEP131 exhibited oncogenic activity via activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings suggest CEP131 serves as a potential prognostic biomarker in HCC, and functions as an oncogene in this deadly disease.

[Bibliometric analysis on relations between cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction]

Objective: To understand the current situation and trend on the relations between erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) through analyzing the epidemiologic research data. Methods: We conducted a literature search on the Scopus for potentially relevant epidemiologic studies on ED and CVD published from 1957 to October, 28, 2016. Age of the article, types, regions, citation, and co-authorship of the documents were recorded. Results: A total number of 412 pieces of literature were published in the past six decades, with original articles the most common types of ED and CVD. ED and CVD associated epidemiologic topics had an annual increase in number, and remained stable in the past decade, with occident countries as the United States and Italy taking the lead in this area. Clinical and epidemiological studies were the hottest areas, with most authors sharing a co-authorship. Conclusion: Our results suggested that inter-disciplinary cooperation with emphasize on clinical application were the effective starting points for ED and CVD associated epidemiologic studies.

Strong Light-Matter Interactions in Single Open Plasmonic Nanocavities at the Quantum Optics Limit

Reaching the quantum optics limit of strong light-matter interactions between a single exciton and a plasmon mode is highly desirable, because it opens up possibilities to explore room-temperature quantum devices operating at the single-photon level. However, two challenges severely hinder the realization of this limit: the integration of single-exciton emitters with plasmonic nanostructures and making the coupling strength at the single-exciton level overcome the large damping of the plasmon mode. Here, we demonstrate that these two hindrances can be overcome by attaching individual J aggregates to single cuboid Au@Ag nanorods. In such hybrid nanosystems, both the ultrasmall mode volume of ∼71  nm^{3} and the ultrashort interaction distance of less than 0.9 nm make the coupling coefficient between a single J-aggregate exciton and the cuboid nanorod as high as ∼41.6  meV, enabling strong light-matter interactions to be achieved at the quantum optics limit in single open plasmonic nanocavities.

[Analysis of prodromal phase and prodromal events in anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis]

Objective: To analyze prodromal phase and prodromal events of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. Methods: Clinical data of 179 patients hospitalized and diagnosed during 2010-2016 including adults and children in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Beijing Children's Hospital were collected.Patients with prodromal phase or prodromal events were selected.A retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics including prodromal phase or prodromal events, course of disease, brain imaging, laboratory results and therapeutic effect was performed. Results: Prodromal phase was presented in 31.8% (57/179) of patients.Most common symptoms included fever (73.7%) and headache (68.4%). Prodromal phase was prolonged in 6 patients, the longest being 64 days.Among those 6 patients (10.5%), headache and fever were the only symptoms throughout disease courses in 3 cases.Prodromal events were reported in 6.1% (11/179) of patients, including 5 patients after HSV1 encephalitis, 1 after Japanese encephalitis, and 2 after resection of melanocytic nevi. Conclusions: Anti-NMDAR encephalitis can be preceded with prolonged prodromal phase.In some patients prodromal symptoms are the only clinical presentation.Clinical features of those atypical cases suggest that infection may be the precipitating factor.Viral encephalitis including HSV1 encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis may be prodromal events in some cases.

Large optical Stark shifts in single quantum dots coupled to core-shell GaAs/AlGaAs nanowires

Nanowire quantum dots (NW-QDs) can be used for future compact and efficient optoelectronic devices. Many efforts have been made to control the QD states by inserting the QDs in doped structures and applying an electric field in a nanowire system. In this paper, we use down-conversion and up-conversion photoluminescence excitations to explore the optical and electronic properties of single quantum dots in GaAs/AlGaAs core-shell nanowires. We investigate a large optical Stark shift in this system as a new method to tune the QD states. When the tunable laser lies within the spectral bandwidth of ZB/WZ GaAs (780 nm-860 nm), we observe an extremely large optical Stark shift of 1.3 nm (0.5 nm) with increasing excitation power at a resonant wavelength of 800 nm (840 nm) in GaAs states. The ability to in situ control the energy states of self-catalyzed NW-QDs should open a new way for quantum light sources and nonlinear optics in a nanowire system.

[Dynamics of F1 antibody responses to Yersinia pestis infection in Rhombomys opimus]

Objective: To observe the dynamics of antibody response in great gerbils infected with Yersinia pestis in experiment. Method: A total of 211 great gerbils were captured in the southern margin of plague natural focus of Junggar Basin of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 2011. Among them, there were 167 great gerbils without infection of Y. pestis and 44 great gerbils infected by Y.pestis. Y.pestis No. 2504 was employed for this experimental strain, which was strong toxic strain with negativity in the reduction experiment of nitrate. 35 great gerbils without the infection of Y. pestis were divided randomly and averagely into 7 groups including 6 experimental groups and 1 control group. Great gerbils in the 1st to 6th experimental groups were exposed first with 1 × 10(6)-1 × 10(11) CFU/ml of bacterial fluid with 10 times of gradient dilution; groin areas of great gerbils in the control group were injected subcutaneously with physiological saline; and the amount of infection was all 1 ml. 17 great gerbils infected with Y. pestis and the first detection of F1-antibody titer in 1∶256-1∶4 096 were grouped according to F1-antibody titer: group 1∶4 096 (n=4), group 1∶2 048 (n=4), group 1∶1 024 (n=3), group 1∶512 (n=3) and group 1∶256 (n=3); and blood in caudal regions was collected in asepsis for the detection of F1-antibody, with a total of 5 times. 9 great gerbils which were selected from the remaining great gerbils infected with Y. pestis and detected F1-antibody negative 2 times were exposed 1×10(6) CFU/ml of bacterial fluid for the second infection, with the amount of infection being 1 ml. Blood in caudal regions of great gerbils after the first and second infection were collected for the detection of plague F1-antibody on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 15th, 30th, 60th, 90th and 120th day after infection. Declined regression models for great gerbils' antibodies were established with unary linear regression equation; declined change diagrams for the antibodies were drawn to observe the declined F1-antibody after great gerbils were exposed to Y. pestis. Results: In great gerbils with the first infection of Y. pestis, antibodies were detected in the 1 × 10(6)-1 × 10(8) CFU/ml of group on the 30th, 15th and 15th day, respectively; the positive rates of antibody were 1/4, 3/4 and 4/5, respectively; the group 1×10(7) and 1× 10(8) CFU/ml reached to the highest antibody titer with 1∶256 on the 120th day; antibodies were revealed in the group 1×10(9), 1×10(10) and 1×10(11) CFU/ml from the 5th to 7th day when the seroconversion of all antibodies was observed; group 1×10(11) CFU/ml reached to the highest antibody titer on the 120th day with 1∶4 096. In the great gerbils with the second exposure to Y.pestis, positive antibodies were detected on the 3rd day with the positive rate being 2/9; and the highest antibody titer with 1∶2 048 was noted on the 90th day. Unary linear regression equation of declined F1 antibody of great gerbils was y=0.045x- 0.321 (F=115.40, P< 0.001), and the shortest duration for F1-antibody titer declining from 1∶4 096 to 0 was 140 d and the longest duration 200 d. Conclusion: Great gerbils infected with the high concentration of Y. pestis fluid show shorter duration in producing F1-antibody, the antibody positive rate is also higher, and the highest antibody titer can reach 1∶4 096. The great gerbils could hold the plague F1 antibodies for a long time which was about 140 to 200 days from the highest titer.

[Experimental observation on the histopathological and ultrastructural pathology of Great Gerbils (Rhombomys opimus) in the Junggar Basin by subcutaneous injecting of Yersinia pestis]

Objective: To understand the histopathological and ultrastructural pathology changes of great gerbils in the Junggar Basin to Yersinia pestis infection. Methods: Forty captured great gerbils from the Junggar Basin that tested negative for anti-F1 antibodies were infected. The Y. pestis strain 2504, isolated from a live great gerbil in the natural plague foci of the Junggar Basin in 2005 with a median lethal dose (LD(50)) of <10 CFU/ml, was used in this study. Forty great gerbils were divided into seven infection groups and were subcutaneously infected with 7.4×10(5), 7.4×10(6), 7.4×10(7), 7.4×10(8), 7.4×10(9), 7.4×10(10), or 3.0×10(11) CFU/ml of 2504. One milliliter of physiological saline was injected in the noninfected group as a control. We collected the liver, spleen, heart, and lung from all animals for histopathologic and ultrastructural pathology examination. Results: Great gerbils in the 7.4×10(8)-3.0×10(11) CFU/ml groups did not survive and exhibited pathological changes and altered ultrastructural pathology. The liver tissue of infected great gerbils showed spotty necrosis and fatty degeneration, intranuclear canaliculi with increased hepatocytes, and uneven distribution of organelles. Additionally, reactive proliferation of lymphoid tissue in the spleen, blood sinusoid lacunae with neutrophil infiltration, and phagocytosed bacteria in phagocyte cells were observed. Myocardial fiber hypertrophy and interstitial indistinction, nuclear matrices decreased in cardiac myocytes, and loose arrangement of myogenic fibers in myocardial cells were also observed. Angiectasia, capillary congestion, and tissue necrosis were found in the lung. No significant difference in histopathological and ultrastructural pathology in the parenchymal organ was observed between the 7.4×10(5)-7.4×10(7) CFU/ml groups and the 7.4×10(8)-3.0×10(11) CFU/ml groups, and no specific death caused by Y. pestis infection was apparent in the 7.4×10(5)-7.4×10(7) CFU/ml groups. Conclusion:Y. pestis infection altered tissue and ultrastructural pathology in the parenchyma apparatus of great gerbils. In particular, the liver and spleen appeared to be the primary site of Y. pestis infection in great gerbils.

[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.

Evaluation of paeonol-loaded transethosomes as transdermal delivery carriers

Paeonol shows effective anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. However, because of its poor solubility in water and high volatility at room temperature, the application of this drug is restricted in the clinic. The objective of this research was to develop a biocompatible paeonol formulation with improved stability, skin delivery and pharmacokinetic efficiency. In this paper, paeonol-loaded vesicles were prepared using an ethanol injection method. Nano-vesicles were characterized for their physical properties and encapsulation efficiency (EE). Drug permeation behavior in vitro and deposition quantity in porcine ear skin were measured with a Valia-Chien (V-C) diffusion device. Additionally, a validated and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to analyze paeonol concentrations in rat plasma after transdermal administration. The results showed that the particle-size order of the nano-vesicles was the following: transethosomes (122.5±7.5nm)<transfersomes (256.5±8.9nm). Compared to the paeonol transfersomes, the transethosomes had a higher EE (85.5±5.2%), and they showed a spherical morphology with a smooth surface when viewed under a transmission electron microscope (TEM). In an in vitro permeation study, the paeonol transethosomes showed an enhanced transdermal flux of 95.7±8.8μg/cm²/h and a higher deposition quantity in porcine ear skin compared to the transfersomes. A one-compartment first-order absorption model could be used to describe the pharmacokinetics of paeonol in rats after transdermal administration. The AUC of the paeonol transethosomes was approximately 1.57- and 3.52-fold higher than those of the transfersomes and a saturated solution of paeonol in 35% ethanol, respectively. The results demonstrated that the paeonol transethosomes had a narrow size distribution, high encapsulation efficiency, and long residence in the plasma. This formulation remarkably enhanced the bioavailability of paeonol.

[Expression of PD-1/PD-L1 in lung adenocarcinoma and correlation with epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status]

Objective: To investigate the expression of programmed cell death-1(PD-1) and programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1) in lung adenocarcinoma in correlation with clinical pathological parameters, especially with regard to different epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status. Methods: One hundred and nine cases of lung adenocarcinoma were collected during the period from Aug. 2010 to Jan. 2016, including 51 cases of EGFR wild type and 58 cases of EGFR mutations. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect PD-1/PD-L1 protein expression. Chi-square test was used to analyze the correlation between PD-1 and PD-L1 expression, and in correlation with clinicopathological parameters. All statistical analyses run by SAS 9.1 software. Results: The positive rates of PD-1 and PD-L1 expression were 68.8% (75/109) and 27.5% (30/109), respectively, with significant correlation between the two (P<0.05). PD-1 and PD-L1 expression rates were higher in 51 cases with EGFR wild type status (74.5% and 39.2%) than those in 58 EGFR mutation cases (63.8% and 17.2%); PD-1 expression was significantly associated with age (P<0.05); that of PD-L1 was closely correlated with histological type, tumor size, lymph node metastasis and EGFR status (P<0.05). Conclusions: PD-1 and PD-L1 expression profiles and their correlation with EGFR mutations are different from those with native EGFR. PD-L1 overexpression is closely correlated with larger tumor size and lymph node metastasis, suggesting it is a high-grade marker for lung adenocarcinoma.

Rehmannia glutinosa oligosaccharide induces differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocyte-like cells

The aim of this study was to observe the effect of Rehmannia glutinosa oligosaccharide (RGO) on differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into cardiomyocyte-like cells . Rat MSCs were isolated, treated, and grouped as follows: RGO treatment group, 5-azacytidine (5-aza) treatment group, RGO + 5-aza treatment group, and control group. Following a four-week induction period, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels in MSCs were quantified by chemiluminescence, and the levels of myocardial enzymes creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB) were measured using a dry chemistry analyzer. The cTnI- and connexin 43 (Cx43)-positive MSC population was identified by immunofluorescence, and expression levels of cTnI and Cx43 were analyzed by western blots. Following induction, cTnI, CK, and CK-MB levels were significantly higher in the RGO + 5-aza group as compared with the RGO and 5-aza groups (P < 0.05). In addition, fluorescence intensity of cTnI and Cx43 was higher in the RGO + 5-aza group as compared with the RGO and 5-aza groups. No cTnI- or Cx43-positive cells were detected in the control group. Western blot analysis further confirmed that cTnI and Cx43 were not expressed in the control group, while cTnI and Cx43 was higher in the RGO + 5-aza group than in the RGO and 5-aza groups. These results suggest that MSCs can be induced by RGO to differentiate into cardiomyocyte-like cells in vitro, and that RGO in combination with 5-aza enhance differentiation of MSCs.

[Advances in the research of BRAF(V600E) gene mutation correlated with papillary thyroid carcinoma]

The increase in the incidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a serious threat to public health. V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B(BRAF)(V600E) gene mutation is not only the common genetics factors, but also is the early event in process of thyroid carcinogenesis. We mainly illustrate the mechanism of BRAF(V600E) gene in genesis and development of PTC and the correlation of BRAF(V600E) gene mutation and the clinicopathological characteristics of PTC. Finally, we briefly summarize some scientific achievements about tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeted for BRAF(V600E) gene and their clinical prospect in terms of translation medicine concept. In summary, BRAF(V600E) gene is expected to be a new molecular marker of PTC, which will take a new hope for individualized precise treatment for patients with PTC.

[Correlation between high risk type human papillomavirus E6/E7 mRNA and cervical cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the correlation between the positive rate of high risk human papillomavirus(HPV)mRNA E6/E7 and cervical cancer, and provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.

METHODS

A total of 100 cervical cancer cases and 100 healthy controls were selected in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2015. The fluorescence quantitative PCR and pathological examination on HPV E6/E7 mRNA were carried out. The correlation between HPV E6/E7 mRNA and cervical squamous epithelial lesions were analyzed.

RESULTS

In case group, the positive rate of HPV E6/E7 mRNA was 76.0%(76/100). In control group, the positive rate was 13.0%(13/100). The positive rate in case group was significantly higher than that in control group, and the difference was statistically significant(χ(2)=24.522, P<0.001). The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the two groups were compared, and the difference was not significant(P>0.05). The positive rate of HPV E6/E7 mRNA was significantly higher than high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(SIL)rate(26.1%), low-grade SIL rate(17.6%)and atypical squamous cell hyperplasia rate(6.7%), the difference was statistically significant(χ(2)=7.615, P= 0.001; χ(2) =9.114, P=0.001; χ(2)=18.241, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The detection rate of HPV E6/E7 mRNA in cervical cancer patients was high. And with the increased severity of cervical squamous epithelial lesions, the positive rate of HPV E6/E7 mRNA increased.