Bu zhong Yiqi Decoction ameliorates mild cognitive impairment by improving mitochondrial oxidative stress damage via the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi Decoction(BZYQD) is a traditional formula commonly used in China, known for its effects in tonifying Qi and raising Yang. It can relieve symptoms of cognitive impairment such as forgetfulness and lack of concentration caused by qi deficiency, which is common in aging and debilitating. However, much of the current research on BZYQD has been focused on its impact on the digestive system, leaving its molecular mechanisms in improving cognitive function largely unexplored.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Cognitive decline in the aging central nervous system is intrinsically linked to oxidative damage. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of BZYQD in treating mild cognitive impairment caused by qi deficiency, particularly through repair of mitochondrial oxidative damage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A rat model of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was established by administering reserpine subcutaneously for two weeks, followed by a two-week treatment with BZYQD/GBE. In vitro experiments were conducted to assess the effects of BZYQD on neuronal cells using a H2O2-induced oxidative damage model in PC12 cells. The open field test and the Morris water maze test evaluated the cognitive and learning memory abilities of the rats. HE staining and TEM were employed to observe morphological changes in the hippocampus and its mitochondria. Mitochondrial activity, ATP levels, and cellular viability were measured using assay kits. Protein expression in the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway was analyzed in tissues and cells through western blotting. Levels of 8-OH-dG in mitochondria extracted from tissues and cells were quantified using ELISA. Mitochondrial morphology in PC12 cells was visualized using Mito Red, and mitochondrial membrane potential was assessed using the JC-1 kit.

RESULTS

BZYQD treatment significantly improved cognitive decline caused by reserpine in rats, as well as enhanced mitochondrial morphology and function in the hippocampus. Our findings indicate that BZYQD mitigates mtDNA oxidative damage in rats by modulating the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway. In PC12 cells, BZYQD reduced oxidative damage to mitochondria and mtDNA in H2O2-induced conditions and was associated with changes in the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway.

CONCLUSION

BZYQD effectively counteracts reserpine-induced mild cognitive impairment and ameliorates mitochondrial oxidative stress damage through the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway.

The value of transthoracic echocardiography and chest X-ray in locating the tip of central venous catheter in dialysis patients: a comparative study with computed tomography imaging

To determine the tip position of the central venous catheter (CVC) in patients with dialysis, the guidelines recommend that it be determined using chest radiography (CXR) after catheterization, without fluoroscopy. However, some researchers have proposed that transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) can replace CXR, but this has not been widely adopted. This study aimed to determine which of the two aforementioned methods is more suitable for locating the tip position of the CVC. This prospective study included 160 patients who underwent hemodialysis at our hospital from March 2021 to December 2022. After inserting the CVC through the internal jugular vein, we used transthoracic echocardiography and CXR to determine the tip of the CVC and compared the results with those of computed tomography (CT). In the comparison between TTE and CXR for locating the CVC tip, we obtained three main findings. (1) TTE was associated with fewer misdiagnosed cases than CXR. (2) TTE provided higher sensitivity (similar sensitivity in position 2), specificity, positive/negative predictive values, and accuracy than CXR. (3) When comparing the receiver operating characteristic curves of TTE and CXR, the area under the curve (95% confidence interval) for the former was larger. Additionally, we made anatomical discoveries: the "hyperechoic triangle" recognized by TTE was equivalent to the entrance of the superior vena cava into the right atrium shown by transesophageal transthoracic echocardiography. TTE is more suitable than CXR as the first examination for CVC tip localization, as it improves diagnostic accuracy and reduces X-ray radiation damage.

[Clinical and imaging features of acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion in children]

Objective: To explore the clinical and imaging features of acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion(AESD) in children. Methods: For the case series study, 21 children with AESD from Peking University First Hospital, Provincial Children's Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, and Shanxi Children's Hospital who were diagnosed and treated from October 2021 to July 2023 were selected. Clinical data were collected to summarize their clinical information, imaging, and laboratory tests, as well as treatment and prognostic characteristics. Descriptive statistical analysis was applicated. Results: Of the 21 cases with AESD, 11 were males and 10 were females, with the age of onset of 2 years and 6 months (1 year and 7 months, 3 years and 6 months). Of the 21 cases, 18 were typical cases with biphasic seizures. All typical cases had early seizures within 24 hours before or after fever onset. Among them, 16 cases had generalized seizures, 2 cases had focal seizures, and 7 cases reached the status epilepticus. Of the 21 cases, 3 atypical cases had late seizures in biphasic only. The late seizures in the 21 cases occurred on days 3 to 9. The types of late seizures included focal seizures in 12 cases, generalized seizures in 6 cases, and both focal and generalized seizures in 3 cases. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) test on days 3 to 11 showed reduced diffusion of subcortical white matter which was named "bright tree sign" in all cases. The diffuse cerebral atrophy predominantly presented in the front-parietal-temporal lobes was found in 19 cases between day 12 and 3 months after the onset of the disease. Among 21 cases, 20 had been misdiagnosed as autoimmune encephalitis, central nervous system infection, febrile convulsions, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia-epilepsy syndrome. All the cases received high-dose gammaglobulin and methylprednisolone pulse therapy with poor therapeutic effect. By July 2023, 18 cases were under follow-up. Among them, 17 cases were left with varying degrees of neurologic sequelae, including 11 cases with post-encephalopathic epilepsy; 1 recovered completely. Conclusions: AESD is characterized by biphasic seizures clinically and "bright tree sign" on DWI images. Symptomatic and supportive treatments are recommended. The immunotherapy is ineffective. The prognosis of AESD is poor, with a high incidence of neurological sequelae and a low mortality.

Multi-scale time-resolved electron diffraction: A case study in moiré materials

Ultrafast-optical-pump - structural-probe measurements, including ultrafast electron and x-ray scattering, provide direct experimental access to the fundamental timescales of atomic motion, and are thus foundational techniques for studying matter out of equilibrium. High-performance detectors are needed in scattering experiments to obtain maximum scientific value from every probe particle. We deploy a hybrid pixel array direct electron detector to perform ultrafast electron diffraction experiments on a WSe2/MoSe2 2D heterobilayer, resolving the weak features of diffuse scattering and moiré superlattice structure without saturating the zero order peak. Enabled by the detector's high frame rate, we show that a chopping technique provides diffraction difference images with signal-to-noise at the shot noise limit. Finally, we demonstrate that a fast detector frame rate coupled with a high repetition rate probe can provide continuous time resolution from femtoseconds to seconds, enabling us to perform a scanning ultrafast electron diffraction experiment that maps thermal transport in WSe2/MoSe2 and resolves distinct diffusion mechanisms in space and time.

Tongue texture may contribute to the assessment of malignant risk of thyroid nodules

In the present study, it was aimed to evaluate whether there is an objective tongue image indicator that could be used to evaluate malignant risk of thyroid nodules through a cross sectional study. From December 2018 to December 2020, the TFDA-1 digital tongue-face diagnostic instrument was used to collect the tongue images. TDAS 2.0 software was used for tongue image analysis. A standardized database was constructed by combining patient physical examination results and tongue image analysis results. The relationship between tongue image index and TI-RADS classification of thyroid nodules was tested. A total of 5,900 cases were collected and 4,615 cases were included in the present study after excluding 154 cases due to incomplete information, 1,221 cases with thyroid nodules were separated into 417 cases TI-RADS 2 group, 693 cases in TI-RADS 3 group and 111 cases in TI-RADS 4 group. Without considering confounding factors, tongue image indexes zhiCon, zhiASM, zhiENT, zhiMEAN, zhiClrB, zhiClrR, zhiClrG, zhiClrI, zhiClrL and zhiClrY were significantly different among the three groups (P<0.05). Excluding the influence of age, sex, body mass index, smoking and drinking, the results of one-way variance linear trend analysis showed that the values of zhiCon, zhiENT and zhiMEAN increased with the increasing TI-RADS category, while the values of zhiASM decreased with the increase of TI-RADS category. Tongue texture index may be helpful for differentiating the benign and malignant of thyroid nodules.

[Post-ischemic treatment of nalmefene hydrochloride attenuated lung ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats via the Sirt1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway with inhibition of ferroptosis]

Objective: To study the effect and mechanism of post-ischemic treatment of nalmefene in alleviating the lung ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting ferroptosis through activation of the Sirt 1/Nrf 2/HO-1 axis. Methods: A total of 60 rats were randomly divided into six groups equally (n=10): the sham group, the model group(I/R), the nalmefene group, the nalmefene+EX527 group, the nalmefene+ML385 group, the nalmefene+Fe-citrate group (nalmefene+Fe group). The sham group without drug treatment was not treated with ischemia-reperfusion. The pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion model was established by occlusion of the left pulmonary hilum in the model group without drug treatment. After ischemic treatment, the nalmefene group was injected with nalmefene (15 μg/kg) via the tail vein at 5 minutes before reperfusion. The nalmefene+EX527 group, the nalmefene+ML385 group, and the nalmefene+Fe group were injected intraperitoneally with EX527 (5 mg/kg), ML385 (30 mg/kg), Fe-citrate(15 mg/kg), respectively, 2 h before moulding and then injected with nalmefene (15 μg/kg) via the tail vein at 5 minutes before reperfusion. All rats were sacrificed three hours after reperfusion, and the specimens from the upper lobe of the left lung tissue were preserved. The degree of lung tissue injury and the wet/dry weight ratio were assessed in each group of rats. Fe 2+, MDA, TNF-α, and IL-6 content, GSH activity and the expression levels of Sirt1, Nrf2, HO-1, ACSL4 and GPX4 were determined. Results: Compared with the sham group, the wet/dry weight ratio, lung tissue injury score, ACSL 4 expression level, Fe 2+, TNF-α, IL-6 and MDA content, Sirt 1, Nrf 2, HO-1 messenger RNA and protein expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.01), while GPX 4 expression level and GSH activity were significantly decreased in the model group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, wet/dry weight ratio, lung tissue injury score, ACSL 4 expression level, Fe 2+, TNF-α, IL-6, and MDA content decreased significantly (P<0.01), Nrf 2, HO-1 messenger RNA and protein, GPX 4 expression, and GSH activity were significantly increased in the nalmefene group and the nalmefene+EX527 group (P<0.01). Sirt 1 messenger RNA and protein expression increased significantly in the nalmefene (P<0.01) and the nalmefene+EX527 groups (P>0.05). In the nalmefene+ML385 group, the wet/dry weight ratio, lung tissue injury score, TNF-α and IL-6 content were decreased significantly (P<0.01), while Sirt 1 messenger RNA and protein expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.01), but there were no significant changes in Nrf 2, HO-1 messenger RNA and protein expression levels, ACSL 4 and GPX 4 expression levels, Fe 2+, MDA content, and GSH activity (P>0.05). In the nalmefene+Fe group, wet/dry weight ratio, lung-injury score, TNF-α, IL-6, MDA content were decreased significantly (P<0.01), messenger RNA and protein expression levels of Sirt 1, Nrf 2, HO-1, and GSH activity were increased significantly (P<0.01), but there were no significant changes in Fe 2+content, ACSL 4 and GPX 4 expression levels (P>0.05). Compared with the nalmefene group, in the nalmefene+EX527 group, the nalmefene+ML385 group and the nalmefene+Fe group, wet/dry weight ratio, lung tissue damage score, ACSL 4 expression level, TNF-α, IL-6 and MDA content were significantly increased (P<0.01), the expression level of GPX 4 and GSH activity were significantly decreased (P<0.01). The expression levels of Sirt 1, Nrf 2, HO-1 messenger RNA and protein were significantly decreased in the nalmefene+EX527 group (P<0.01). The expression levels of Nrf 2, HO-1 messenger RNA and protein decreased significantly in the namemefene+ML385 group (P<0.01), but there was no significant change in Sirt 1 messenger RNA and protein expression level (P>0.05). Sirt 1, Nrf 2, HO-1 messenger RNA-protein expression levels did not change significantly in the nalmefene+Fe group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Post-ischemic treatment with nalmefene hydrochloride may alleviate pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting ferroptosis through activation of the Sirt 1/Nrf 2/HO-1 axis.

Effects of cadmium exposure on metabolism, antioxidant defense, immune function, and the hepatopancreas transcriptome of Cipangopaludina cathayensis

Cadmium (Cd) is a common contaminant in aquatic environments. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying Cd toxicity in the freshwater snail Cipangopaludina cathayensis (Heude, 1890). This study to investigate the toxic effects of Cd on the standard metabolism, antioxidant activities, immune function, and hepatopancreas transcriptome profiles of C. cathayensis. C. cathayensis was exposed to 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg/L Cd for 3 h, with results showing that Cd significantly inhibited oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion and disrupted the respiratory metabolism of C. cathayensis. In addition, the O:N ratio dropped below 7, indicating that C. cathayensis may rely exclusively on proteins as an energy source under Cd stress. To understand how Cd impacts the antioxidant activities, immune function, and transcriptional profiles, C. cathayensis were exposed to 0.5 (low exposure, L14) or 1.5 (high exposure, H14) mg/L Cd for 14 days. Our results indicate that Cd exposure leads to oxidative stress and immunosuppression, with the latter effect being larger for exposure to higher Cd concentrations. A total of 2172 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by transcriptome analysis of the hepatopancreas, of which 885 were upregulated and 1287 were downregulated. Gene ontology and KEGG analyses revealed that the DEGs in the H14 group are enriched for energy generation terms and the "oxidative phosphorylation" pathway, respectively. Therefore, up-regulation of energy metabolism may be an adaptive strategy under Cd stress. Moreover, several genes involved in antioxidant activity were downregulated, whereas genes related to reactive oxygen species generation were upregulated. In addition, many immunity-related genes were identified within the DEGs, indicating that Cd toxicity may affect immune defense. Further, DEGs in the H14 group were enriched for disease-associated pathways. Taken together, our results indicate that Cd exposure leads to metabolic disorders, oxidative stress, and immunosuppression and thus may potentially contribute to disease outbreaks.

Cardiovascular safety of celecoxib in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

To assess the cardiovascular safety of celecoxib compared to non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs or placebo.

Methods

We included randomized controlled trials of oral celecoxib compared with a non-selective NSAID or placebo in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. We conducted searches in EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Study selection and data extraction were done by two authors independently. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane’s risk-of-bias Tool for Randomized Trials. The effect size was presented as a risk ratio with their 95% confidence interval.

Results

Until July 22^nd, 2021, our search identified 6279 records from which, after exclusions, 21 trials were included in the meta-analysis. The overall pooled risk ratio for Antiplatelet Trialists Collaboration cardiovascular events for celecoxib compared with any non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs was 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.80–1.00). The pooled risk ratio for all-cause mortality for celecoxib compared with non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs was 0.81 (95% confidence interval: 0.66–0.98). The cardiovascular mortality rate of celecoxib was lower than non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (risk ratio: 0.75, 95% confidence interval: 0.57–0.99). There was no significant difference between celecoxib and non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs or placebo in the risk of other cardiovascular events.

Conclusion

Celecoxib is relatively safe in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients, independent of dose or duration. But it remains uncertain whether this would remain the same in patients treated with aspirin and patients with established cardiovascular diseases.

[Discussion on relationship between autophagy and endometriosis based on pathogenesis of "dampness and stasis"]

Endometriosis(EMs) is a stubborn gynecological disease caused by persistent immune-inflammatory effects, and is known as &quot;benign tumor&quot; because of its similar characteristics to malignant tumors. National physician master Professor BAN Xiu-wen believes that the spread of damp-evil is the pathologic foundation for inflammatory response of ectopic endometrium; accumulation of blood stasis is the pathological product of continuous inflammatory attacks, and the combination of dampness and stasis is the main pathogenesis for refractory EMs. Modern researches have shown that immune-inflammatory effect is the key mechanism for development of EMs, and is closely related to cell autophagy, all of which have made it become the hot spots in research of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of EMs. Therefore, with immune-inflammatory effect as the breakthrough point in this research, and with reference to the related research of autophagy, the correlation between &quot;combination of dampness and stasis&quot; and abnormal autophagy-induced immune inflammatory response in ectopic endometrium was discussed, to provide guidance for the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine and modern research.

Network differentiation: A computational method of pathogenesis diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine based on systems science

Resembling the role of disease diagnosis in Western medicine, pathogenesis (also called Bing Ji) diagnosis is one of the utmost important tasks in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In TCM theory, pathogenesis is a complex system composed of a group of interrelated factors, which is highly consistent with the character of systems science (SS). In this paper, we introduce a heuristic definition called pathogenesis network (PN) to represent pathogenesis in the form of the directed graph. Accordingly, a computational method of pathogenesis diagnosis, called network differentiation (ND), is proposed by integrating the holism principle in SS. ND consists of three stages. The first stage is to generate all possible diagnoses by Cartesian Product operated on specified prior knowledge corresponding to the input symptoms. The second stage is to screen the validated diagnoses by holism principle. The third stage is to pick out the clinical diagnosis by physician-computer interaction. Some theorems are stated and proved for the further optimization of ND in this paper. We conducted simulation experiments on 100 clinical cases. The experimental results show that our proposed method has an excellent capability to fit the holistic thinking in the process of physician inference.

Assessment of the anti-rheumatoid arthritis activity of Gastrodia elata (tian-ma) and Radix aconitic lateralis preparata (fu-zi) via network pharmacology and untargeted metabolomics analyses

AIM

Gastrodia elata and Radix aconiti lateralis preparrata are respectively named as Tian-Ma and Fu-Zi (TF) in Chinese. We explored the active components against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from an extensively used couplet of Chinese herbs, Gastrodia elata and Radix aconiti lateralis preparata (TF) via untargeted metabolomics and network pharmacological approaches.

METHODS

Water extracts of TF were mixed at ratios 1:1, 3:2 and 2:3 (w/w). Ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was then utilized as metabolomics screening. Human Metabolome (http://www.hmdb.ca/) and Lipidmaps (http://www.lipidmaps.org/) databases were used to annotate detected compounds. Further identification of vital genes and important pathways associated with the anti-RA properties of the TF preparations was done via network pharmacology, and verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS

Four key compounds involved in unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and isoflavonoid biosynthesis were identified through metabolomics analyses. Three key components of TF associated with anti-RA activity were linoleic acid, daidzein, and daidzin. Results of RT-qPCR revealed that all 3 tested TF couplets (1:1, 3:2, and 2:3) markedly suppressed the transcription of PTGS2. These results were consistent with our network pharmacological predictions.

CONCLUSIONS

The anti-RA properties of Tian-Ma and Fu-Zi are associated with the inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism pathway.

[Progress on genotyping of norovirus]

Norovirus are now recognized as one of the main pathogens causing acute gastroenteritis in both developed and developing countries. However, norovirus are easily mutated and recombined, and have many genotypes. In early studies, norovirus were amplified and identified by amino acid sequence of VP1 region. It was found that norovirus were easily mutated and recombined in or near the overlapping regions of polymerase and capsid. A two regions genotyping method was positively proposed internationally. Depending on the 2 times standard deviation standard method for two regions identification, norovirus polymerase regions can be divided into 10 gene groups and 76 genotypes including 2 tentative gene groups and 16 tentative genotypes. The VP1 region can be divided into 12 gene groups and 53 genotypes including 2 tentative gene groups and 5 tentative genotypes. However, the tentative gene groups and genotypes need to be further identified and reclassified. In this article, characteristics of norovirus sequences, principles of different genotyping methods, methods of sequence amplification, on-line genotyping tools and the latest studies in norovirus genotypes are reviewed and introduced.

SNHG16 promotes cell proliferation and migration through sponging miR-132 in melanoma

Melanoma, which originates from the transformation of normal melanocytes, is one of the three main types of skin cancer. We aimed to explore the functions of SNHG16 and miR-132 in melanoma. CCK-8, Transwell assays were used to measure the viability and migration, respectively. Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between the expression of SNHG16, miR-132 and LAPTM4B in melanoma tissues. SNHG16 was overexpressed, and miR-132 was low expressed in melanoma tissues and cell lines. Moreover, overexpression of SNHG16 was associated with poor prognosis of melanoma patients. The expression of SNHG16 had a negative connection with the expression of miR-132, and it had a positive relationship with the expression of LAPTM4B in melanoma tissues. Knockdown of SNHG16 or overexpression of miR-132 inhibited SK-MEL-2 cell proliferation and migration. In addition, we confirmed that SNHG16 directly binding to miR-132 promotes the expression of LAPTM4B, facilitating the tumorigenesis of melanoma. SNHG16 promotes the expression of LAPTM4B by sponging miR-132, thereby acting as an oncogene in melanoma. This study demonstrated that the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA signal cascade existed in melanoma, which may help elucidate the tumorigenesis and development mechanism of melanoma.

[Clinical cure strategies for hepatitis B: direct-acting antiviral drugs]

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) play a critical role for the therapy of chronical hepatitis B. DAAs can decrease the production of viral progeny of hepatitis B virus (HBV), breaking the viral dynamic equilibrium between: (1) virion production from hepatocytes and clearance from circulation; (2) replenishment and decay of covalently closed circular (ccc)DNA pool inside infected hepatocytes. Nucleos(t)ide analogues can potently shift the first balance to undetectable viremia in the blood, but have limited or no effect on the second one, thus making it imperative to develop new agents targeting additional step(s) of HBV life cycle. We herein briefly introduce the DAAs currently in development by classifying them as agents affecting the replenishment or the decay of cccDNA pool.

Comprehensive Analysis of Transcriptomics and Metabolomics between the Heads and Tails of Angelica Sinensis: Genes Related to Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis Pathway

BACKGROUND

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the heads and tails of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (AS) is used in treating different diseases due to their different pharmaceutical efficacies. The underline mechanisms, however, have not been fully explored.

OBJECTIVE

Novel mechanisms responsible for the discrepant activities between AS heads and tails were explored by a combined strategy of transcriptomes and metabolomics.

METHODS

Six pairs of the heads and tails of AS roots were collected in Min County, China. Total RNA and metabolites, which were used for RNA-seq and untargeted metabolomics analysis, were respectively isolated from each AS sample (0.1 g) by Trizol and methanol reagent. Subsequently, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and discrepant pharmaceutical metabolites were identified for comparing AS heads and tails. Key DEGs and metabolites were quantified by RT-qPCR and targeted metabolomics experiment.

RESULTS

Comprehensive analysis of transcriptomes and metabolomics results suggested that five KEGG pathways with significant differences included 57 DEGs. Especially, fourteen DEGs and six key metabolites were related to the metabolic regulation of Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (PB) pathway. Results of RT-qPCR and targeted metabolomics indicated that higher levels of expression of crucial genes in PB pathway, such as PAL, CAD, COMT and peroxidase in the tail of AS, were positively correlated with levels of ferulic acid-related metabolites. The average content of ferulic acid in tails (569.58±162.39 nmol/g) was higher than those in the heads (168.73 ± 67.30 nmol/g) (P.

Transcriptome-metabolome analysis of fatty acid of Bamei pork and Gansu Black pork in China

To study the difference in transcriptome level of fatty acid metabolism pathway in Bamei pork and the difference of pork quality caused by the difference. In this study, Bamei pigs breeding in Huzhu farm of QingHai province were selected as the test object, compared with Gansu Black pigs. Four indexes of nutmeg acid (DX1), palmitic acid (DX2), stearic acid (DX3) and linoleic acid (DX4) were set. The expression profiles of fat metabolism related genes between the two groups samples were analysed by GCMS metabolomics and transcriptomics, then coexpression network analysis were conducted to obtain phenotypic related genes. The results showed that the metabolic levels of DX3 and DX4 were significantly higher than those of other fatty acids. Among these differences, the ENSSSCG00000024681 (G1) and ENSSSCG00000036883 (G2) genes play important regulatory roles in fatty acid metabolism, and the upregulated expression of their gene obviously affects the level of fatty acid metabolism, thereby affecting the quality and taste of pork. In addition, we found that there was a good correlation between the same lines, and the genetic traits of the hybrid lines of Bamei pig and Black pig are more inclined to Bamei pig. In the independent fatty acid metabolism, "Mg²⁺"and flavin adenine dinucleotide are more active, which plays an important role in energy utilization. Therefore, we can be inferred that the metabolism of stearic acid and linoleic acid are important fatty acids for pork quality. It also further confirms that the research method of combined omics is of great significance for the study of species traits and gene functions.

[Study on the relationship between job stress, job burnout and turnover intention of nurses in the operating room of a provincial top three hospital]

Objective: To explore the relationship between job stress, job burnout and turnover intention of operating room nurses in a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province. Methods: From January 2016 to January 2019, the operating room nurses with an average daily operation volume of more than 200 operating rooms in a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province were selected as the research objects. The work pressure, job burnout and turnover intention of nurses were investigated with the Chinese nurses' job stressor scale, job burnout table and turnover intention table. Pearson related factors were used to analyze job stress, job burnout and turnover intention Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing turnover intention. A total of 98 questionnaires were distributed and 98 questionnaires were returned, with a recovery rate of 100%. Results: The average score of job stress, job burnout and turnover intention were 85.49±5.42, 36.17±3.52 and 14.99±3.32, respectively. There were differences in the scores of work stress among different age, working years, education background and establishment groups (P<0.05) . The scores of job burnout among nurses with different working years, education background, professional title, salary and establishment were different (P< 0.05) ; the scores of turnover intention of nurses in different age, working years, professional title, salary and establishment group were different (P<0.05) ; salary, job burnout and occupational pressure were the influencing factors of turnover intention (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The operating room nurses have high work pressure and job burnout is an important factor leading to high turnover intention.

Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies for COVID-19 Based on "The Diagnosis and Treatment Program for Coronavirus Disease-2019" from Chinese Authority

In December 2019, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) broke out in Wuhan and other places. Seven versions of the Diagnosis and Treatment Program for Coronavirus Disease-2019 successively issued by the Chinese government have designated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a necessary medical strategy. Based on the changes in TCM diagnosis and treatment strategies in these seven versions of Diagnosis and Treatment Program for Coronavirus Disease-2019, this paper collected data reported by the Chinese government media; analyzed the understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation, treatment methods, and prescriptions of COVID-19 by TCM and evaluated the clinical efficacy of TCM strategies. COVID-19 is associated with TCM disease of pestilence, and its pathogenesis can be summarized as an "epidemic pathogen invading the body, followed by entering the internal organs and transforming into heat, resulting in pathogen trapping in the interior and healthy qi collapsing, and deficiency of qi and yin". Pathological processes should be emphasized in syndrome differentiation. The manifestations of qi deficiency and yin deficiency are exhibited during the recovery period. TCM strategies represented by Qing Fei Pai Du Tang have shown apparent advantages in improving symptoms, promoting virus clearance, and shortening hospitalization, as well as surprising efficacy of zero patient progressing from mild to severe cases in a TCM cabin hospital. Clinical data illustrate the effectiveness of TCM strategies proposed by the Chinese government. This major epidemic may bring new opportunities for TCM development.

DNA Methylation: A Potential Biomarker of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious public health concern worldwide. By 2040, 4.41 million people are estimated to expire annually due to COPD. However, till date, it has remained difficult to alter the activity or progress of the disease through treatment. In order to address this issue, the best way would be to find biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for COPD. DNA methylation (DNAm) may be a potential biomarker for disease prevention, diagnosis, and prognosis, and its reversibility further makes it a potential drug design target in COPD. In this review, we aimed to explore the role of DNAm as biomarkers and disease mediators in different tissue samples from patients with COPD.

Gan Shen Fu Fang ameliorates liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the inflammatory response and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation

BACKGROUND

Liver fibrosis is a common health problem worldwide and there is still a lack of effective medicines. The Chinese herbal medicine, Gan Shen Fu Fang (GSFF) is composed of salvianolic acid B and diammonium glycyrrhizinate. In this study, we observed the effects of GSFF on liver fibrosis in vivo and in vitro in an attempt to provide some hope for the treatment.

AIM

To observe the effects of GSFF on liver fibrosis in vivo and in vitro and investigate the mechanism from the perspective of the inflammatory response and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation.

METHODS

Common bile duct-ligated rats were used for in vivo experiments. Hepatic stellate cells-T6 (HSC-T6) cells were used for in vitro experiments. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson staining, biochemical assays, hydroxyproline (Hyp) assays, enzyme-linked immunoasorbent assay and western blotting were performed to evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis, liver function, the inflammatory response and ERK phosphorylation. The CCK8 assay, immunofluorescence and western blotting were applied to test the effect of GSFF on HSC-T6 cell activation and determine whether GSFF had an effect on ERK phosphorylation in HSC-T6 cells.

RESULTS

GSFF improved liver function and inhibited liver fibrosis in common bile duct-ligated rats after 3 wk of treatment, as demonstrated by histological changes, hydroxyproline assays and collagen I concentrations. GSFF alleviated inflammatory cell infiltration and reduced the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interlukin-1β] and NF-κB. In addition, GSFF decreased ERK phosphorylation. In vitro, GSFF inhibited the viability of HSC-T6 cells with and without transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) stimulation and decreased the synthesis of collagen I. GSFF had the greatest effect at a concentration of 0.5 μmol/L. GSFF inhibited the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), a marker of HSC activation, in HSC-T6 cells. Consistent with the in vivo results, GSFF also inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK and downregulated the expression of NF-κB.

CONCLUSION

GSFF inhibited liver fibrosis progression in vivo and HSC-T6 cell activation in vitro. These effects may be related to an alleviated inflammatory response and downregulated ERK phosphorylation.

[Differences in efficacy between drug-eluting beads transbronchial arterial chemoembolization combined with systemic chemotherapy and systemic chemotherapy alone for unresectable lung squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the differences in efficacy between drug-eluting beads transbronchial arterial chemoembolization (DEB-BACE) combined with systemic chemotherapy and systemic chemotherapy alone for unresectable lung squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Totally 60 cases of unresectable lung squamous cell carcinoma undergoing systemic chemotherapy in Yancheng Third People Hospital were retrospectively selected as the research object. According to patients' wishes, they were divided into chemotherapy-only group (group A) and combined treatment group (group B). Group A received gemcitabine combined with cisplatin chemotherapy. DEB-BACE was applied in the first half, and systemic chemotherapy was administered in the second half (starting 3 d after BACE). The first half and the second half of the chemotherapy dose were 1/2 of the drug dose in the chemotherapy alone group. The short-term efficacy, incidence of toxic side effects, peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets, serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, and survival time were compared between the two groups. Results: After 2 cycles of treatment, the total effective rates of group A and group B were 50.0% (15/30) and 76.7% (23/30) (P<0.05), the incidence of nausea and vomiting (63.3% vs 20.0%), decreased appetite (76.7% vs 43.3%), hair loss (86.7% vs 40.0%), and bone marrow suppression (40.0% vs 10.0%) in group A were higher than in group B (all P<0.05). After 2 cycles of treatment, the levels of CD3(+), CD4(+)and CD4(+)/CD8(+)in the two groups were higher than before treatment (group A: 47.7%±6.6% vs 52.3%±7.7%, 31.5%±4.9% vs 34.7%±5.8%, 1.05±0.24 vs 1.18±0.32; group B: 49.2%±7.0% vs 62.0%±14.0%,29.2%±5.5% vs 42.2%±7.3%, 1.07±0.26 vs 1.39±0.42; all P<0.05), while the level of CD8(+)was lower than before treatment (group A: 30.4%±5.4% vs 24.5%±4.8%; group B: 29.5%±4.1% vs 21.1%±4.5%; all P<0.05). The CD3(+), CD4(+), and CD4(+)/CD8(+) levels in group A were lower than those in group B (P<0.05), while CD8(+)level was higher than in group B (P<0.05). After 2 cycles of treatment, the VEGF levels in the two groups were lower than before treatment (group A: (423±85) vs (352±64) ng/L; group B: (404±114) vs (296±66) ng/L; P<0.05), and the VEGF level in group A was higher than that in group B (P<0.05). The 1-year survival rates of groups A and B were 54.9% and 77.9%, and the 2-year survival rates were 17.2% and 41.7% (Log rank χ(2)=4.750, P=0.029). Conclusion: DEB-BACE combined with systemic chemotherapy is superior to systemic chemotherapy in the treatment of unresectable lung squamous cell carcinoma. It can reduce toxic and side effects, improve immune function and prolong survival time, which is worthy of clinical application.

Different Proteins Regulated Apoptosis, Proliferation and Metastasis of Lung Adenocarcinoma After Radiotherapy at Different Time

Introduction

The biological changes after irradiation in lung cancer cells are important to reduce recurrence and metastasis of lung cancer. To optimize radiotherapy of lung adenocarcinoma, our study systematically explored the mechanisms of biological behaviors in residual A549 and XWLC-05 cells after irradiation.

Methods

Colony formation assay, cell proliferation assay, cell migration assay, flow cytometry, BALB/C-nu mice xenograft models and Western blot of pan-AKT, p-Akt380, p-Akt473, PCNA, DNA-PKCS, KU70, KU80, CD133, CD144, MMP2 and P53 were used in our study to assess biological changes after irradiation with 0, 4 and 8 Gy at 0–336 hr after irradiation in vitro and 20 Gy at transplantation group, irradiated transplantation group, residual tumor 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days groups in vivo.

Results

The ability of cell proliferation and radiosensitivity of residual XWLC-05 cells was better than A549 cells after radiation in vivo and in vitro. MMP-2 has statistical differences in vitro and in vivo and increased with the migratory ability of cells in vitro. PCNA and P53 have statistical differences in XWLC-05 and A549 cells and the changes of them are similar to the proliferation of residual cells within first 336 hr after irradiation in vitro. Pan-AKT increased after irradiation, and residual tumor 21-day group (1.5722) has statistic differences between transplantation group (0.9763, p=0.018) and irradiated transplantation group (0.8455, p=0.006) in vivo. Pan-AKT rose to highest when 21-day after residual tumor reach to 0.5 mm². MMP2 has statistical differences between transplantation group (0.4619) and residual tumor 14-day group (0.8729, p=0.043). P53 has statistical differences between residual tumor 7-day group (0.6184) and residual tumor 28 days group (1.0394, p=0.007). DNA-PKCS has statistical differences between residual tumor 28 days group (1.1769) and transplantation group (0.2483, p=0.010), irradiated transplantation group (0.1983, p=0.002) and residual tumor 21 days group (0.2017, p=0.003), residual tumor 0 days group (0.5992) and irradiated transplantation group (0.1983, p=0.027) and residual tumor 21 days group (0.2017, p=0.002). KU80 and KU70 have no statistical differences at any time point.

Conclusion

Different proteins regulated apoptosis, proliferation and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma after radiotherapy at different times. MMP-2 might regulate metastasis ability of XWLC-05 and A549 cells in vitro and in vivo. PCNA and P53 may play important roles in proliferation of vitro XWLC-05 and A549 cells within first 336 hr after irradiation in vitro. After that, P53 may through PI3K/AKT pathway regulate cell proliferation after irradiation in vitro. DNA-PKCS may play a more important role in DNA damage repair than KU70 and KU80 after 336 hr in vitro because it rapidly rose than KU70 and KU80 after irradiation. Different cells have different time rhythm in apoptosis, proliferation and metastasis after radiotherapy. Time rhythm of cells after irradiation should be delivered and more attention should be paid to resist cancer cell proliferation and metastasis.

[Analysis on influencing factors for acute gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by norovirus in Beijing, 2014-2018]

Objective: To analyze the influencing factors of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by norovirus in Beijing from 2014 to 2018. Methods: Data of acute gastroenteritis events caused by norovirus in Beijing from April 2014 to March 2018 were collected. Unconditional logistic regression model was conducted to identify the risk factors of the outbreaks. Results: A total of 765 acute gastroenteritis epidemics caused by norovirus were reported in Beijing, in which 85.88% (657/765) were cluster events and 14.12% (108/765) were outbreaks. Among the outbreaks, 70.37% (76/108) were reported in 2017; 84.26% (91/108) were reported in winter and spring; 88.89% (96/108) were reported in kindergartens, primary or secondary schools; 81.48% (88/108) were through person-to-person transmission; 93.52% (101/108) were caused by norovirus GⅡ infection. The risk of outbreaks in suburban and out suburb area were 1.84 times (95%CI: 1.13-3.02) and 3.78 times (95%CI: 1.62-8.82) as high as that in urban area, respectively. The risks of outbreaks in primary, secondary schools and other institutions were 6.26 times (95%CI: 3.53-11.10), 14.98 times (95%CI: 6.23-36.01) and 8.71 times (95%CI: 3.07-24.71) as high as that in kindergartens, respectively. The risk of outbreak in which patients having lower hospital visiting rate than the median rate of all events was 2.29 times than that in the context of having higher hospital visiting rate (95%CI:1.42-3.68). The risk of foodborne outbreak was 14.55 times as high as that transmitted through person-to-person (95%CI: 3.15-67.07). Conclusion: Measures such as strengthening the prevention and control of norovirus outbreaks in suburbs, primary schools, secondary schools and other institutions, promoting patients to visit the hospital actively, improving the management of foodborne events and kitchen workers should be taken to reduce the incidence of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by norovirus.

Copy number variation of ZNF280AY across 21 cattle breeds and its association with the reproductive traits of Holstein and Simmental bulls

The mammalian Y chromosome gene families in the ampliconic region are expressed predominantly or exclusively in the testis, and their copy number variations (CNV) are significantly associated with male reproductive traits, suggesting they have important roles in spermatogenesis and testicular development. ZNF280AY (zinc finger protein 280A, Y-linked) is a member of the zinc finger protein family and has been identified as a bovid-specific Y-chromosome gene. The current study applied a reliable quantitative real-time PCR method to estimate the CNV of ZNF280AY in 715 bulls across 21 cattle breeds and to further investigate the association of the CNV of ZNF280AY with bull reproductive traits and ZNF280AY mRNA expression levels in adult testis. The results revealed that the median copy number of ZNF280AY was 47, and the copy number varied from 11 to 154, showing significant CNV between and within the investigated cattle breeds. In addition, all 715 bulls were classified into Y1, Y2, and Y3 lineage groups based on a rapid genotyping method described previously. Pairwise comparisons indicated that bulls belonging to the Y1 lineage had a significantly lower median copy number (40) than bulls belonging to the Y2 (52) and Y3 lineages (57). Association analysis revealed that the CNV of ZNF280AY was correlated negatively with the percentage of normal sperm and sperm concentration in Holstein bulls, whereas no significant correlation was observed with ejaculation volume, total sperm count, sperm motility, postthaw motility (PTM), and scrotal circumference in Holstein and Simmental bulls. Furthermore, no correlation was observed between ZNF280AY copy number and ZNF280AY mRNA expression levels in the testis. The current study suggests that the CNV of the ZNF280AY gene family is associated with male reproductive traits and may serve as a valuable marker for early bull fertility selection in Holstein breeding programs.

Different training durations and styles of tai chi for glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials

Background

Physical activity is an important part of the diabetes management plan. However, the effects caused by different training durations and styles of Tai Chi have not been evaluated. We conducted an updated systematic review of the effects of Tai Chi on patients with type 2 diabetes based on different training durations and styles.

Methods

We performed a search for Chinese and English studies in 8 databases. Two reviewers independently selected the eligible trials and conducted a critical appraisal of the methodological quality.

Results

Seventeen trials were included. Tai Chi was found to have reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) [SMD = − 0.54, 95% CI (− 0.91, − 0.16), P = 0.005] and HbA1c [SMD = − 0.68, 95% CI (− 1.17, − 0.19), P = 0.006] overall, compared with a control group. Considering the subgroup analysis, the pooled results showed that 24 movements or Yang-style Tai Chi did not significantly reduce FBG after a duration of ≤3 months [SMD = − 0.46, 95% CI (− 1.42, 0.50), P = 0.35] or > 3 months [SMD = − 0.50, 95% CI (− 1.49, 0.49), P = 0.32], nor did it reduce HbA1c [SMD = − 1.22, 95% CI (− 2.90, 0.47), P = 0.16] after a duration > 3 months in all studies. However, other styles of Tai Chi significantly reduced FBG [SMD = − 0.90, 95% CI (− 1.28, − 0.52), P < 0.00001] and HbA1c [SMD = − 0.90, 95% CI (− 1.28, − 0.52), P < 0.00001] after a duration > 3 months, while no significant reduction in FBG [SMD = − 0.34, 95% CI (− 0.76, 0.08), P = 0.12] or HbA1c [SMD = − 0.34, 95% CI (− 0.76, 0.08), P = 0.12] was found after a duration ≤3 months.

Conclusions

Tai Chi seems to be effective in treating type 2 diabetes. Different training durations and styles result in variable effectiveness. The evidence was insufficient to support whether long-term Tai Chi training was more effective.

Efficacy of erlotinib and celecoxib for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A retrospective study

This study evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of erlotinib and celecoxib (EC) for treating Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (ANSCLC) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild type.Totally, 75 subjects with ANSCLC and EGFR wild type were included. They all underwent EC treatment. The outcome measurements consisted of progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), progress disease (PD), and disease control rate (DCR). Additionally, adverse events were also documented.Two-year CR, PR, SD, PD, and DCR were 4.0%, 6.7%, 42.6%, 46.7%, and 53.3% respectively. The median PFS was 3.4 months, the median OS was 10.0 months. Additionally, acceptable toxicities were recorded in this study.The results showed that EC may be efficacious for patients with ANSCLC and EGFR wild type only, and acceptable toxicity among the Chinese Han population.

LncRNA MALAT1 promotes colorectal cancer development by sponging miR-363-3p to regulate EZH2 expression

LncRNA MALAT1 is reported to play a potential role in human cancers. Hence, we investigated the effects of MALAT1 on colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo, and further validated whether MALAT1 affected colorectal cancer development and EZH2 expression via regulating miR-363-3p. The fresh colorectal cancer tissues, adjacent non-tumor tissues, FHC, LOVO, SW620, CL40 and HCT116 cells were analyzed in this study. MALAT1, miR-363-3p and EZH2 expression levels were assessed using qRT-PCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were also measured. Binding effects between MALAT1 and miR-363-3p, or miR-363-3p and EZH2 3'UTR were detected by dual luciferase assay. We observed that MALAT1 was highly expressed in colorectal cancer tissues and cells, and MALAT1 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation as well as expression levels of EZH2 by upregulated miR-363-3p in cell models and in vivo. Moreover, miR-363-3p functions as a downstream target of MALAT1, meanwhile EZH2 was a target of miR-363-3p, suggesting MALAT1 might regulate miR-363-3p and/or EZH2 expression. Collectively, we concluded that MALAT1 functioned as a ceRNA to promote colorectal cancer development and EZH2 expression through sponging miR-363-3p in vitro and in vivo.

[Systematic review on the characteristics of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by sapovirus]

Objective: To understand the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of outbreaks on acute gastroenteritis caused by sapovirus (SaV) worldwide. Methods: Literature about the outbreaks on acute gastroenteritis caused by SaV were retrieved from the databases including WanFang, CNKI, PubMed and Web of Science after evaluation. Time, geography, setting and population distributions of outbreaks, transmission mode, SaV genotype and clinical characteristics of the patients were analyzed. Results: A total of 34 papers about SaV were included, involving 146 outbreaks occurred between October 1976 and April 2016. In these papers, 138 outbreaks were reported on the related months. All these outbreaks occurred in northern hemisphere. SaV outbreaks occurred all year around, but mainly in cold season, the incidence was highest in December (25 outbreaks) and lowest in in August (2 outbreaks). Most outbreaks were reported by Japan, followed by Canada, the United States of America and the Netherlands. There were 141 outbreaks for which the occurring settings were reported, child-care settings were most commonly reported setting (48/141, 34.04%), followed by long-term care facility (41/141, 29.08%) and hospital (16/141, 11.35%). Clinical symptoms of 1 704 cases in 31 outbreaks were reported, with the most common symptom was diarrhea (1 331/1 704, 78.12%), followed by nausea (829/1 198, 69.20%), abdominal pain (840/1 328, 63.25%), vomiting (824/1 704, 48.36%) and fever (529/1 531, 34.53%). Genotypes of SaV were determined for 119 outbreaks. GⅠ(51/119, 42.86%) and GⅣ (45/119, 37.82%) were predominant. The outbreaks of GⅣ SaV increased suddenly in 2007, and the outbreaks of GⅠ SaV mainly occurred in 2008 and during 2011-2013. Conclusions: SaV outbreaks were reported mainly by developed countries, with most outbreaks occurred in cold season, in child-care settings and long term care facility. GⅠ and GⅣ were the most common genotypes of SaV. Prevention and control of SaV outbreak in China seemed relatively weak, and it is necessary to conduct related training and to strengthen the SaV outbreak surveillance in areas where service is in need.

Vessel traffic safety in busy waterways: A case study of accidents in western shenzhen port

Throughout the world, busy waterways near large ports witness heavy vessel traffic in recent decades. The waterways are characterized by high risk in terms of loss of life, property, and pollution to environment. To facilitate maritime safety management with satisfactory efficiency and efficacy, the authors propose a framework of safety indexes to evaluate the risk level in busy waterways according to the accident severity, fatality rate and special indicators of maritime transportation. The safety indexes consist of Safety Evaluation Index (SEI) and Safety Warning Index (SWI), and are derived from the proposed risk criteria of Chinese vessel traffic. As a case study, data on vessel traffic accidents reported in the Western Shenzhen Port, South China from 1995 to 2015 are analyzed. The actual risk level of this area during the period is calculated under the framework. The implementation of the safety indexes indicate that the risk criteria and safety indexes are practicable and effective for the vessel traffic management. The methodology based on long-term accident data can significantly support the risk analysis in the macroscopic perspective for busy ports and waterways, such that SWI can act as threshold to trigger actions, while SEI can act as an indicator to measure safety status.

[Numerical simulation study of type B aortic dissection using patient-specific reverse engineering and fluid-structure interaction]

Objective: To construct computational fluid model of type B aortic dissection using patient-specific reverse engineering and fluid-structure interaction, and evaluate the application of computational fluid model on aortic remodeling of type B aortic dissection. Methods: Consecutive computed tomographic angiograph data was acquired from a patient with type B aortic dissection at initial diagnosis, 1 week and 6 years after endovascular repair of primary tear entry and 3 months after endovascular repair of distal tear erosion. Three-dimensional model of aortic dissection was reversely reconstructed by Mimics, and then the model was smoothened by Geomagic. Computational fluid dynamic numerical simulation was performed in ANSYS by the means of two-way fluid-structure interaction, and the relation between blood dynamic characteristic and thrombosed remodeling of type B aortic dissection was evaluated. Results: The computational fluid model of type B aortic dissection using patient-specific reverse engineering and fluid-structure interaction method was successfully constructed. Local peak of blood pressure on the convex surface of junction at aortic arch and descending aorta was found. The wall stress was much higher at the false lumen than that at the true lumen, and the peak of wall stress converged on the edge and tear entry of false lumen. After the exclusion of proximal tear entry, the blood streamline was decreased significantly and flowed reversely. Blood flow in the remaining false lumen was retrograded from the entry at left iliac artery and formed turbulence at the top of false lumen, which was benefit for dissection thrombus remodeling. The higher pressure at the false lumen was associated with the new formation of aortic aneurysm at the distal tear. Conclusion: The computational fluid model of aortic dissection based on patient-specific reverse engineering and fluid-structure interaction method can successfully reveal the relatively truly blood dynamic and wall pressure characteristic of type B aortic dissection.

[Advances in research on echinococcus shiquicus tapeworm]

Echinococcosis is an age-old disease that causes serious damage to the animal husbandry and the human health perennially. As a newly discovered species of Echinococus, E. shiquicus has the potential public health significance and could be a potential parasitic zoonosis. In this review, its etiology, life cycle, epidemiology, detection and diagnoses, public health etc. are discussed or summarized. Also, a series of comparisons among E. granulosus, E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus are made.

[A case report of cutaneous plasmacytosis]

A collection of plasma cells in the skin can represent a broad spectrum of disease entities. Secondary syphilis, primary cutaneous plasmacytoma, primary cutaneous plasmacytosis, cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia and nodular amyloidosis are considered possible differential diagnoses. The primary cutaneous plasma cell disorders can range from malignant to benign plasma cell neoplasms. The malignant conditions are neoplastic diseases having monoclonal proliferations, rapid progression and fatal outcome while the benign plasma cell disorders usually show polyclonality, chronicity and benign process, including plasmacytosis. We present a case of cutaneous plasmacytosis. The patient was a 34-year-old man, presented with disseminated reddish-brown plaques and nodules on the right side of the hips, inguinal groove, and the thigh. Histopathologically, mature plasma cells perivascular infiltrates were observed mainly in the dermis. Polyclonality of infiltrating plasma cells with coexistence of both kappa and gamma chain-positive cells demonstrated with immunohistochemistry, as well as CD20+++, CD38++++, CD79a++++, CD138++, Ki67<30%. The diagnosis, cutaneous plasmacytosis, was established by the pertinent laboratory findings. Primary cutaneous plasmacytosis was an uncommon reactive lymphoplasmacytic disorder of uncertain etiology. Cutaneous plasmacytosis is a rare disease characterized by peculiar multiple eruptions and hyper gamma globulinemia. It has been mainly described in patients of Japanese descent, with only few reports in Caucasians and Chinese, although information concerning the disorder was limited to individual case reports. Cutaneous plasmacytosis is a rare disorder, which is characterized by multiple red to dark-brown nodules and plaques on the trunk and usually associated with polyclonal hyper gamma globulinaemia. Primary cutaneous plasmacytosis or cutaneous plasmacytosis was thought to be a reactive process with unknown etiology. Histologically, lesions contain dense perivascular infiltration of mature polyclonal plasma cells without any atypia, in the dermis and subcutaneous fat. The clinical course is chronic and benign without spontaneous remission. Available treatments for cutaneous plasmacytosis include psoralen ultraviolet A radiotherapy, systemic chemotherapy and intralesional steroid injection. The patient with cutaneous plasmacytosis in this report was treated with tacrolimus ointment and psoralen ultraviolet A.

[Effectiveness of self-management behavior intervention on type 2 diabetes based on self-determination theory]

OBJECTIVE

To provide autonomy support from three dimensions based on self-determination theory (SDT), i.e. professional support, peer support, family support, and to investigate whether this intervention can improve diabetes self-management behavior and glycemic control of diabetic patients, and to analyze the influencing factors of the effect.

METHODS

Using convenient sampling method, three communities were selected respectively in Beijing. Each community selected health service stations with similar conditions as different intervention groups. The diabetic patients managed by the station who were eligible for inclusion were recruited into this intervention group. The community stations were divided into three groups. The routine intervention group only issued knowledge manuals and conducted health management according to the requirements of basic public health services. Peer support groups were divided into small groups and carried out doctor-led group activities. Based on doctor-led peer support activities, the doctors and peers were trained to provide autonomy support based on self-determination theory, and their family members were trained in the form of manuals to provide autonomy support, forming a concerted support of the three dimensions. Activity processes and materials were also designed based on SDT. The intervention duration was 3 months, and the main evaluation indexes were HbA1c and patients' self-management behaviors, skills, knowledge, and self-efficacy scores.

RESULTS

Before and after the intervention, the HbA1c of routine intervention group were 7.40%±1.37%, 7.30%±1.18%. The HbA1c of peer support group before and after the intervention were 7.33%±1.15% and 7.13%±1.27%. The HbA1c of autonomy support group before and after the intervention were 7.42%±1.22% and 6.78%±0.80%. Before and after the intervention, the self-management score in routine intervention group was 10.54±2.28 and 10.80±2.15, the score in peer support group was 11.09±1.89 and 11.40±1.78, the score in autonomy support group was 10.34±1.99 and 11.10±1.65, respectively. The HbA1c and self-management score increased higher in autonomy support group than in the other two groups. After intervention, the control rate in autonomy support group was higher than in the other two groups. According to the multi-factor analysis, the value of HbA1c after intervention was positively related to the baseline HbA1c, and negatively related to self-management behavior. The value in autonomy support group was higher than in routine intervention group. Baseline self-management behavior, self-efficacy, knowledge, skill, family support, autonomy support, peer support and age were positively correlated with the change of behavior.

CONCLUSION

self-management behavior intervention based on self-determination theory can effectively promote self-management behavior and glycemic control of diabetic patients, and the effect is better than single peer support activities.

[Pigmented extramammary Paget's disease accompanied with condyloma acuminatum: a case report]

Pigmented extramammary Paget's disease (PEMPD) is an uncommon intraepithelial adenocarcinoma and a rare variant of Paget's disease, characterized as a superficial pigmented scaly macule clinically and an increased number of melanocytes scattered between the Paget's cells histologically. So it may be confused clinically and histologically with melanocytic tumors, dermatitis and other dermatoses. Different therapeutic attitudes are required in this case of adenocarcinoma in situ as opposed to melanoma and dermatitis. Condyloma acuminatum (CA) is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by human papilloma virus infection, which is also called as genital warts. In this article, we first reported a case of a 65-year-old Chinese man who had pigmented extramammary Paget's disease complicated with CA. This patient presented with verrucous papules on the scrotum for 3.5 years, infiltrative erythema with itch on the mons pubis for 3 years, and scrotum and penis involved gradually for 4 months. Physical examination showed a 8 cm×10 cm dark red patch on the upper part of the scrotum, penis and mons pubis, as well as few maculopapules and nodules. Histopathologic examination of the lesion on the scrotum revealed a focus of Paget's disease, characterized by the presence of large round cells with abundant pale or granular/dusty cytoplasm, pleomorphic vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli (Paget's cells), while the histology of the verrucous lesion was consistent with CA. Immunohistochemistry was performed, which showed diffuse positive staining with CK, CEA, PAS, CK20, EMA, CK7, and Ki-67 (40%), HER2 in Paget's cells and negative with P53, P16, CK5/6, S100, MelanA, HMB45, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and gross cystic disease flid protein 15 (GCDFP15). Human papillomavirus-11 (HPV-11) was positive by genotyping using gene amplification in the lesion of scrotum. According to clinical features and laboratory findings, a diagnosis of PEMPD complicated with CA was made. Local excision of the lesion was performed and sent for histological examination, with all margins clear of tumor. Both aforementioned diseases often occur in the vulva. Even so, it has been rarely reported coexisting of the above two diseases, of which the clinical significance and association are also unclear. In this article, we also reviewed the literature relating to PEMPD, and on this basis, the profile of this disease is discussed including its pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and advances. Due to PEMPD occasionally accompanied with an underlying carcinoma, it's essential to make an accurate diagnosis. Besides, review of the literature reveals that pigmented variant of Paget's disease could be initially misdiagnosed as melanocytic tumors and other dermatoses unless the entity is considered in the differential diagnosis and additional confirmatory studies are performed.

[Study on prevalence of physical activity in rural residents in four counties (districts) of Shanxi and Chongqing]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of physical activity and its influencing factors in rural residents in Shanxi and Chongqing. Methods: In four counties (districts) of Shanxi and Chongqing, local residents aged ≥18 who lived there for more than one year and had no plan to migrate to other areas in 2 years were surveyed through face to face questionnaire interviews to collect the information about their daily physical activity time, sedentary time, related knowledge and attitude, and others. Results: The physical inactivity rate of the residents was 14.9%, and 88.7% of residents never took daily physical activity. The average sedentary time was (3.91±2.06) hours. The results of multivariate analysis showed that education level, per capita monthly income and activity degree were the factors influencing physical inactivity. Conclusion: The proportion of people who never took daily physical activity in the survey area was higher than the average level in rural areas in China, so measures should be taken to improve the overall rate of physical activity. For people who have exercise willingness, but have no practice, and those who have already increased their physical activities, targeted guidance is needed on the basis of strengthened health education.

Improving the artificial diet for adult of seven spotted ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) with orthogonal design

In this study, an orthogonal array design with 16 factors at two levels (216) was performed to develop an artificial diet rearing the adults of seven spotted ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata. The parameters of weight gain and survival rate of adults, preoviposition period, fecundity and hatching rate of diet-fed adults were monitored. The 16 factors were included: pork liver, infant formula, sucrose, olive oil, yolk, corn oil, yeast powder, cholesterol, casein, casein hydrolysate, vitamin powder, 65% juvenile hormone III, protein powder, vitamin E, honey and pumpkin. Results indicated that pork liver, sucrose, yolk, yeast powder, juvenile hormone, pumpkin and honey were the main ingredients of the artificial diet contributing to weight gain and survival rate of adults, preoviposition period, fecundity and hatching rate. A follow-up fed with a selection of improved formulas confirmed the validity of the optimization as predicted by the orthogonal array analysis, indicating the usefulness of this method for selecting artificial diets for C. septempunctata. The weight gain and fecundity of adults reared on the improved artificial diet were 87.46 and 62.70% of those reared on Aphis craccivora; the survival rate and hatch rate were similar between the diet-fed and aphid-fed, while the preoviposition period was significantly shorter for C. septempunctata fed on the diet than on A. craccivora. The latter formula was superior to any formerly developed formulas and may thus have potential for the improved artificial diet mass rearing of C. septempunctata.

Comparison of traditional Chinese medicine education between mainland China and Australia-a case study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze and compare the curriculum and delivery of a Chinese and Australian university-level Chinese medicine program.

METHODS

A review of PubMed and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure for relevant educational papers was undertaken. Online and paper documents available at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CDUTCM) were read and analyzed. In addition, in-depth interviews with academics from the two universities were conducted during 2014 to 2015.

RESULTS

The two Chinese medicine programs share the common goal of providing health services to the local community, but differ in some aspects when the curricula are compared. Areas such as student profile, curriculum structure, teaching approaches and education quality assurance were found to be different. The UTS program adopts a "flipped learning" approach with the use of educational technology aiming at improving learning outcomes. On the other hand, the CDUTCM has better clinical facilities and specialist physician resources.

CONCLUSION

A better understanding of the different curricula and approaches to Chinese medicine education will facilitate student learning and educational outcomes.

[Analysis of gene mutation of early onset epileptic spasm with unknown reason]

Objective: To summarize the gene mutation of early onset epileptic spasm with unknown reason. Method: In this prospective study, data of patients with early onset epileptic spasm with unknown reason were collected from neurological department of Children's Hospital of Fudan University between March 2016 and December 2016. Patients with known disorders such as infection, metabolic, structural, immunological problems and known genetic mutations were excluded. Patients with genetic disease that can be diagnosed by clinical manifestations and phenotypic characteristics were also excluded. Genetic research methods included nervous system panel containing 1 427 epilepsy genes, whole exome sequencing (WES), analysis of copy number variation (CNV) and karyotype analysis of chromosome. The basic information, phenotypes, genetic results and the antiepileptic treatment of patients were analyzed. Result: Nine of the 17 cases with early onset epileptic spasm were boys and eight were girls. Patients' age at first seizure onset ranged from 1 day after birth to 8 months (median age of 3 months). The first hospital visit age ranged from 1 month to 2 years (median age of 4.5 months). The time of following-up ranged from 8 months to 3 years and 10 months. All the 17 patients had early onset epileptic spasm. Video electroencephalogram was used to monitor the spasm seizure. Five patients had Ohtahara syndrome, 10 had West syndrome, two had unclear classification. In 17 cases, 10 of them had detected pathogenic genes. Nine cases had point mutations, involving SCN2A, ARX, UNC80, KCNQ2, and GABRB3. Except one case of mutations in GABRB3 gene have been reported, all the other cases had new mutations. One patient had deletion mutation in CDKL5 gene. One CNV case had 6q 22.31 5.5MB repeats. Ten cases out of 17 were using 2-3 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and the drugs had no effect. Seven cases used adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and prednisone besides AEDs (a total course for 8 weeks). Among them, five cases had no effect and two cases were seizure free recently. A case with GABRB3 (C.905A>G) had seizure controlled for 3 mouths. A case with ARX (C.700G>A) had seizure controlled for 6 mouths. Conclusion: The early onset epileptic spasm with unknown reason is highly related to genetic disorders. A variety of genetic mutations, especially new mutations were found. Genetic heterogeneity of epileptic spasm is obvious.

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.

[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.

[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.

[Correlation Study on Syndrome Types of Chinese Medicine in Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding Patients and Serum Sex Hormones]

Objective To observe the correlation between serum sex hormone levels and different syndrome types of Chinese medicine (CM) in dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) patients. Methods Totally 532 DUB patients were classified into 10 different syndrome types according to syndrome typing theories of CM, including Gan-depression transforming heat syndrome, Shen deficiency blood sta- sis syndrome, Shen-yin deficiency syndrome, Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome, qi and yin deficiency syndrome, qi and blood deficiency syndrome, Pi deficiency syndrome, qi stagnation blood stasis syndrome, damp-heat syndrome, yin deficiency blood heat syndrome. Besides, 6 serum levels of sex hormone were measured including follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) , luteinizing hormone (LH) , estradiol (E₂) , progesterone (P) , testerone (T) , and prolactin (PRL) in patients with different syndrome types. Correlation study between syndrome types and sex hormones were performed using Logistic regression analysis. Results The distributions of DUB in CM were sequenced from high to low as uterine bleeding, menostaxis, preceded menstrual cycle, intermenstrual bleeding, and menorrhagia. The distributions of syndrome types were sequenced from high to low as yin deficiency blood heat syndrome, qi and blood deficiency syndrome, qi stagnation blood stasis syndrome, Shen-yin deficiency syndrome, Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome, Gan-depression transforming heat syndrome, Pi deficiency syndrome, Shen deficiency blood stasis syndrome, qi and yin deficiency syndrome, damp-heat syndrome. PRL level was positively correlated with Gan-depression transforming heat syndrome in the ratio of 1. 117 (P <0. 05). FSH level was positively correlated with Shen-yin deficiency syndrome in the ratio of 1. 327 (P <0. 05). LH level was positively correlated with Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome in the ratio of 1.342 (P <0.05). Conclusions DUB patients with various syndrome types of CM had different levels of sex hormones, with certain-laws manifested. Positive correlation existed between PRL level and Gan-depression transforming heat syn- drome, FSH level and Shen-yin deficiency syndrome, LH level and Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome.

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.

Acupuncture Treatment of Lateral Elbow Pain: A Nonrandomized Pilot Study

In planning for a large-scale multicenter trial to evaluate the effect of acupuncture for the treatment of lateral elbow pain, a pilot study was conducted. This was a prospective, investigator- and patient-blinded, nonrandomized, placebo controlled trial. Subjects were evaluated at baseline, before fourth, seventh, and ninth treatment, and at a two-week posttreatment follow-up. The treatment group received unilateral acupuncture at LI 10 and LI 11 at the affected side with manual needle manipulation; the control group received sham-laser acupuncture at the same acupoints. Measures included (i) disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) questionnaire, (ii) pain-free grip strength (PFGS), and (iii) a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. Significant differences in DASH score, PFGS, and VAS between treatment and control group were found at the ninth treatment (n = 20 for each group, P < 0.05). Only DASH showed significant differences compared to the control for all the measurement time points after treatment commenced and appears to be a sensitive and appropriate primary outcome measure for the future multisite trial. Results from this pilot study provided relevant information about treatment efficacy, credibility of control treatment, and sensitivity of different outcome measures for the planning of the future trial.

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.