[Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid in treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection]

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection. Computer-based online searching of CNKI, VIP, SinoMed, Wanfang, ChiCTR, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, and Web of Science was performed to retrieve the randomized controlled trial(RCT) regarding Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection. In addition, manual searching of gray literature was conducted. After two evaluators independently selected articles, extracted data, and evaluated the quality of methodology included in the studies, Meta-analysis was carried out in RevMan 5.4 and trial sequential analysis(TSA) in TSA 0.9.5.10 Beta. GRADE profiler 3.6.1 was employed to evaluate the evidence quality. A total of 21 RCTs were included in this study, involving 2 651 patients(1 330 patients in the observation group and 1 321 patients in the control group). Meta-analysis showed that compared with conventional western medicine alone, Compound Qinlan Oral liquid improved the total response rate(RR=1.15, 95%CI[1.12, 1.19], P<0.000 01) without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions(RR=0.77, 95%CI[0.47, 1.25], P=0.16). The results of subgroup analysis are described as follows:(1) Compared with conventional western medicine alone, Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid improved the total response rate(RR=1.10, 95%CI[1.05, 1.14], P<0.000 01) and shortened the time to symptom relief(SMD=-0.76, 95%CI[-1.02,-0.51], P<0.000 01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(RR=1.16, 95%CI[0.54, 2.47], P=0.71).(2) Compared with conventional western medicine alone, Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid + conventional western medicine improved the total response rate(RR=1.20, 95%CI[1.15, 1.25], P<0.000 01), decreased traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome scores(MD=-0.58, 95%CI[-0.75,-0.41], P<0.000 01), shortened the time to symptom relief(SMD=-2.44, 95%CI[-3.09,-1.80], P<0.000 01) and physical sign improvement(MD=-2.57, 95%CI[-4.11,-1.04], P=0.001), lowered the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines(SMD=-2.16, 95%CI[-2.61,-1.70], P<0.000 01), improved respiratory function indicators(SMD=1.48, 95%CI[1.00, 1.96], P<0.000 01), and enhanced the humoral immunity(MD=0.94, 95%CI[0.69, 1.18], P<0.000 01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(RR=0.57, 95%CI[0.29, 1.09], P=0.09). TSA showed that the cumulative Z curve of total response rate crossed the traditional threshold and TSA threshold, further confirming the clinical efficacy of Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid. The GRADE graded the evidence of the above outcome indicators as low or extremely low, and yielded weak recommendation. Compared with conventional western medicine alone, Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid can improve the total effective rate and reduce the time to symptom relief. The combination of Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid and conventional western medicine can improve the total response rate, mitigate the symptoms and improve the physical signs, reduce inflammation, and improve respiratory function and immunity of the patients with acute upper respiratory tract infection. In view of the limited number and quality of the included studies, the above conclusions still require high-quality RCT to provide evidence support.

[Application of near-infrared autofluorescence imaging-based convolution neural network in recognition of parathyroid gland]

Objective: To investigate the application value of near-infrared autofluorescence imaging-based convolution neural network (CNN) for automatic recognition of parathyroid gland. Methods: The data of 83 patients who underwent thyroid papillary cancer surgery in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University from August 2020 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and a total of 725 autofluorescence images of parathyroid gland were collected during the surgery. Meanwhile, non-parathyroid fluorescence imaging videos in the operation area of 10 patients were also collected, and 928 non-parathyroid fluorescence images were captured from those videos. The fluorescence images of parathyroid and non-parathyroid glands were directly used as input features for deep learning to construct ResNet 34, VGGNet 16 and GoogleNet models for automatic parathyroid identification. The ability of different models to identify parathyroid glands was tested by indicators such as accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, precision, receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC). In addition, 30 fluorescence images of parathyroid and 35 fluorescence images of non-parathyroid glands in 13 patients with papillary thyroid cancer from March to May 2022 were collected to prospectively test the best performing CNN model. Results: Among the 83 patients, there were 25 males and 58 females, with the mean age of (46.7±12.4) years. In the binary classification (parathyroid gland and non-parathyroid gland), the ResNet 34 model performed the best in different CNN models, the accuracy, specificity, sensitivity and precision of the identification test set were 97.6%, 96.3%, 99.3% and 95.5%, and the AUC reached 0.978 (95%CI: 0.956-0.991). In the prospective test, the prediction accuracy of the ResNet 34 model reached 93.8%, and the AUC was 0.938 (95%CI: 0.853-0.984). Conclusion: The near-infrared autofluorescence imaging-based deep CNN has good application value in the automatic recognition of parathyroid gland, and can be used to assist the recognition and protection of parathyroid gland in thyroid cancer surgery.

[Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of Chaihuang Granules in treatment of upper respiratory tract infection in children]

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chaihuang Granules in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection in children. The databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chaihuang Granules for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection in children, and supplemented by manual searching of gray literature. Two investigators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software, trial sequential analysis was conducted using TSA 0.9.5.10 Beta software, and evidence quality evaluation was carried out using GRADE profiler 3.6.1 software. Eighteen RCTs involving 2 459 patients(1 262 in the treatment group and 1 197 in the control group) were included. Meta-analysis showed that compared with conventional therapy alone, Chaihuang Granules significantly improved the total effective rate(RR=1.18, 95%CI[1.15, 1.22], P<0.000 01), reduced the disappearance time of symptoms/signs(MD=-1.39, 95%CI[-1.66,-1.12], P<0.000 01), improved cytokine levels(MD=-2.40, 95%CI[-3.80,-1.00], P=0.000 8), improved humoral immune levels(MD=0.75, 95%CI[0.60, 0.90], P<0.000 01), and reduced the recurrence rate(MD=-2.11, 95%CI[-2.98,-1.25], P<0.000 01). However, the incidence of adverse reactions was not increased(RR=0.94, 95%CI[0.59, 1.49], P=0.78). Subgroup analysis showed that:(1) both Chaihuang Granules used alone(RR=1.19, 95%CI[1.11, 1.27], P<0.000 01) and in combination with other therapies(RR=1.18, 95%CI[1.14, 1.22], P<0.000 01) effectively improved the total effective rate.(2) In terms of symptoms/signs disappearance time, Chaihuang Granules effectively reduced the duration of fever(MD=-1.18, 95%CI[-1.78,-0.58], P=0.000 1), cough with sputum(MD=-1.82, 95%CI[-2.38,-1.25], P<0.000 01), cough(MD=-1.31, 95%CI[-1.89,-0.74], P<0.000 01), sore throat(MD=-1.57, 95%CI[-2.25,-0.89], P<0.000 01), and lung rales(MD=-1.49, 95%CI[-2.06,-0.92], P<0.000 01).(3) Regarding cytokine levels, Chaihuang Gra-nules effectively improved the levels of interleukin(IL)-2(MD=-0.94, 95%CI[-1.16,-0.72], P<0.000 01), IL-6(MD=-4.71, 95%CI[-6.39,-3.03], P<0.000 01), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)(MD=-2.07, 95%CI[-2.43,-1.71], P<0.000 01).(4) In terms of cellular immune levels, Chaihuang Granules effectively improved the levels of CD3~+(MD=4.11, 95%CI[1.53, 6.69], P=0.002), CD4~+(MD=4.21, 95%CI[1.69, 6.73], P=0.001), CD8~+(MD=-2.65, 95%CI[-3.93,-1.37], P<0.000 1), and CD4~+/CD8~+(MD=0.25, 95%CI[0.14, 0.37], P<0.000 1).(5) In terms of humoral immune levels, Chaihuang Granules effectively improved the levels of IgA(MD=0.44, 95%CI[0.23, 0.64], P<0.000 1), IgM(MD=0.31, 95%CI[0.15, 0.46], P=0.000 1), and IgG(MD=2.02, 95%CI[1.60, 2.43], P<0.000 01). Trial sequential analysis showed that the cumulative Z-curve of the total effective rate crossed the boundary value, further confirming its clinical efficacy. The GRADE evidence quality evaluation showed that the evidence quality of the above outcome indicators was low or very low, and the recommendation strength was weak. Compared to conventional therapy alone, Chaihuang Granules can effectively improve the total effective rate of treatment, alle-viate symptoms and signs of upper respiratory tract infection in children, improve inflammatory conditions, enhance immune function, and reduce the recurrence rate. Due to the limited quality of the included studies, high-quality RCT is still needed to provide evidence support for the above conclusions.

[Influencing factors of futile recanalization after endovascular therapy in acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusions]

Objective: To analyze the influencing factors of futile recanalization after endovascular therapy (EVT) in acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusions (AIS-LVO). Methods: AIS-LVO patients who underwent EVT with successful recanalization between January 2019 and December 2021 in Neurovascular Center of Changhai Hospital of Naval Medical University were retrospectively selected. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 3 months after EVT was used as the prognostic evaluation index, and patients with mRS scores≤2 were classified as the meaningful recanalization group and mRS scores 3-6 as the futile recanalization group. The risk factors, National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (ASPECT) score, core infarct volume, etc. in both groups were analyzed, and the influencing factors of futile recanalization after EVT were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Continuous variables that do not conform to the normal distribution are represented by [M(Q1,Q3)]. Results: A total of 368 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were collected, including 228 males and 140 females, and aged 68 (61, 77) years. There are 196 patients and 172 patients in the meaningful recanalization and futile recanalization groups, respectively, with the rate of futile recanalization 3 months after EVT of 46.74% (172/368). Comparing the general information and risk factors between the two groups found that the age of patients in the futile recanalization group [71 (65, 79) years] was higher than that in the meaningful recanalization group [65 (59, 72) years]. The baseline NIHSS score [18 (14, 22)] and the rate of not achieving modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia grade 3 (mTICI 3) reperfusion (36.1%) were higher in the futile recanalization group than those in the meaningful recanalization group [12 (7, 17) and 19.9%]. The baseline GCS score [11 (9, 13)] was lower in the futile recanalization group than that in the meaningful recanalization group [14 (11, 15)]. The core infarct volume in the futile recanalization group [28 (7, 65) ml] was larger than that in the meaningful recanalization group [6 (0, 17) ml]. The ASPECT score [7 (5, 9)] was lower in the futile recanalization group than that in the meaningful recanalization group [9 (7, 10)]. In addition, the proportion of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, general anesthesia, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was higher in the futile recanalization group (all P<0.05). The time from symptom onset to puncture and from symptom onset to reperfusion was longer in the futile recanalization group (both P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment (TOAST) classification and the site of occluded blood vessels between the two groups (both P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that age ≥80 years(OR=1.935,95%CI: 1.168-3.205), baseline NIHSS score (OR=1.999,95%CI: 1.202-3.325), GCS score (OR=2.299,95%CI: 1.386-3.814), previous stroke history (OR=1.977,95%CI: 1.085-3.604), general anesthesia (OR=1.981,95%CI: 1.143-3.435), not achieving grade 3 recanalization (OR=2.846, 95%CI: 1.575-5.143), ASPECT score<6 (OR=2.616, 95%CI: 1.168-5.857), and core infarct volume>70 ml (OR=2.712, 95%CI: 1.130-6.505) were risk factors for futile recanalization. Conclusion: Age≥80 years, previous stroke history, baseline NIHSS score≥20, GCS score≤8, general anesthesia, ASPECT score<6, core infarct volume>70 ml, and failure to achieve Grade 3 recanalization are independent influencing factors for futile recanalization after endovascular therapy in AIS-LVO patients.

[A prospective study of position selection combined with autologous blood intrathoracic infusion in the treatment of postoperative persistent air leakage with an unexpanded lung]

We prospectively studied 17 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax or giant emphysematous bulla at Rizhao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2020 to March 2022. All patients underwent thoracoscopic interventional therapy, had experienced continued air leakage for 3 days with closed thoracic drainage postoperatively, had an unexpanded lung on CT, and/or failed to intervention with position selection combined with intra-pleural thrombin injection(referred to as "position plus1.0"). They were all treated with position selection combined with autologous blood (100 ml) and thrombin (5 000 U) intra-pleural injection(referred to as "position plus 2.0").The success rate of the "position plus 2.0" intervention was 16/17, and the recurrence rate was 3/17. There were four cases of fever, four cases of pleural effusion, one case of empyema, and no other adverse reactions. This study has shown that the "position plus 2.0" intervention is safe, effective, and simple for patient with persistent air leakage failed to intervention with"position plus 1.0" after thoracoscopic treatment of pulmonary and pleural diseases related to bulla.

Combined Estimation of B1 and T1 for Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI by Accounting for Incomplete Spoiling of Transverse Magnetization

OBJECTIVE

The variable flip angle (VFA) method for longitudinal relaxation time (T1) measurement is inherently sensitive to inaccuracies in the radiofrequency transmit field (B1) and incomplete spoiling of transverse magnetization. The objective of this study is to devise a computational method that addresses the problems of incomplete spoiling and B1 inhomogeneity in the estimation of T1 using VFA method.

APPROACH

Using an analytical expression of the gradient echo signal with account of incomplete spoiling, we first showed that ill-posedness in the simultaneous estimation of B1 and T1 can be lifted with the use of flip angles larger than the Ernst angle. We then devised a nonlinear optimization method based on this signal model of incomplete spoiling for simultaneous estimation of B1 and T1.

MAIN RESULTS

We evaluated the proposed method on a graded-concentration phantom to show that the derived T1 estimates offers an improvement over the regular VFA method and compares well with reference values measured by inversion recovery. Reduction of the number of flip angles from 17 to 5 yielded consistent results indicating that the proposed method is numerically stable. T1 estimates derived from in-vivo brain imaging were consistent with literature values for gray and white matter tissues.

SIGNIFICANCE

Contrary to the common notion that B1 correction in the VFA method for T1 mapping should be performed separately, we show that combined estimation of B1 and T1 is feasible by the proposed method simply with the acquisition of 5 flip angles, as demonstrated on both phantom and in-vivo imaging data.

Berberine regulates glucose metabolism in largemouth bass by modulating intestinal microbiota

This study examined the role of intestinal microbiota in berberine (BBR)-mediated glucose (GLU) metabolism regulation in largemouth bass. Four groups of largemouth bass (133.7 ± 1.43 g) were fed with control diet, BBR (1 g/kg feed) supplemented diet, antibiotic (ATB, 0.9 g/kg feed) supplemented diet and BBR + ATB (1g/kg feed +0.9 g/kg feed) supplemented diet for 50 days. BBR improved growth, decreased the hepatosomatic and visceral weight indices, significantly downregulated the serum total cholesterol and GLU levels, and significantly upregulated the serum total bile acid (TBA) levels. The hepatic hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, GLU-6-phosphatase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activities in the largemouth bass were significantly upregulated when compared with those in the control group. The ATB group exhibited significantly decreased final bodyweight, weight gain, specific growth rates and serum TBA levels, and significantly increased hepatosomatic and viscera weight indices, hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate carboxylase activities, and serum GLU levels. Meanwhile, the BBR + ATB group exhibited significantly decreased final weight, weight gain and specific growth rates, and TBA levels and significantly increased hepatosomatic and viscera weight indices and GLU levels. High-throughput sequencing revealed that compared with those in the control group, the Chao one index and Bacteroidota contents were significantly upregulated and the Firmicutes contents were downregulated in the BBR group. Additionally, the Shannon and Simpson indices and Bacteroidota levels were significantly downregulated, whereas the Firmicutes levels were significantly upregulated in ATB and BBR + ATB groups. The results of in-vitro culture of intestinal microbiota revealed that BBR significantly increased the number of culturable bacteria. The characteristic bacterium in the BBR group was Enterobacter cloacae. Biochemical identification analysis revealed that E. cloacae metabolizes carbohydrates. The size and degree of vacuolation of the hepatocytes in the control, ATB, and ATB + BBR groups were higher than those in the BBR group. Additionally, BBR decreased the number of nuclei at the edges and the distribution of lipids in the liver tissue. Collectively, BBR reduced the blood GLU level and improved GLU metabolism in largemouth bass. Comparative analysis of experiments with ATB and BBR supplementation revealed that BBR regulated GLU metabolism in largemouth bass by modulating intestinal microbiota.

[Effectiveness and safety of medical glue assisted argon plasma coagulation union giant emphysematous bulla volume reduction via thoracoscope on the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax with subpleural bullae]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a new treatment protocol that combined "medical glue assisted argon plasma coagulation"(hereinafter called "APC plus") and "giant emphysematous bulla volume reduction"(hereinafter called "one thoracoscope plus one needle") via medical thoracoscopy on the spontaneous pneumothorax patients whose chest high resolution CT (HRCT) showed multiple subpleural bullae (SPB) and at least one SPB≥4 cm in diameter. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 46 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax with multiple SPB(at least one SPB≥4 cm in diameter), 42 males and 4 females, aged from 31 to 79 (68.5±10.3) years,from June 2018 to December 2021 in Rizhao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The time of air leakage discontinuance, the disappearance rate and reduction degree of target subpleural blebs one week after operation, the degree of reduction and the incidence of postoperative complications were observed. Two-year follow-up after operation was carried out to assess the recurrence rate and its short- and long-term complications. Results: Among the 46 patients, SPB disappeared or nearly disappeared in 39 cases (84.78%), decreased in number or reduced in volume in 5 cases (10.87%), and remained unchanged in 2 cases (4.35%) after the intervention of "APC Plus"; 40 patients stopped leaking within 1 week and 6 cases stopped leaking over a week. Eleven patients finished the 3-year follow-up, 13 finished 2-year follow-up and 6 finished 1-year follow-up, with only 1 relapse. No serious complications occurred in all these 46 patients. Conclusion: "APC plus" combining with "one thoracoscope plus one needle" is safe and effective in the treatment of pneumothorax patients with multiple subpleural bullae of varying sizes.

Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Asthma and the Risk of Stroke

Introduction

Asthma and stroke share many risk factors. Previous meta-analysis has indicated that asthma is associated with an increased risk of stroke. However, this study were limited by the small number of articles included and the lack of subgroup analyses of different stroke types and different populations. This meta-analysis aimed to synthesize evidence systematically to investigate the impact of asthma on stroke.

Methods

We searched Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science and EMBASE databases and manually identified eligible studies (inception dates to December 25, 2021) that analyzed the association between asthma and stroke. We conducted quality assessment to evaluate the risk of bias of studies and sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of results.

Results

We included 8 cohort studies and 10 cross-sectional studies comprised 3,011,016 participants. We found patients with asthma had a higher risk of stroke than patients without asthma [relative risk (RR): 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21–1.47]. Moreover, asthma significantly increased the risk of ischemic stroke (RR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.06–1.47) without increasing the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (RR: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.87–1.34). Asthma increased the risk of stroke in both men (RR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.10–1.32) and women (RR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.12–1.48) with no significant difference between the sexes. We also found that patients with inactive asthma, child-onset asthma, or no smoking history did not have an increased risk of stroke.

Conclusions

These results supported the finding that asthma could significantly increase the risk of stroke, but this impact was not consistent in different populations.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=290745, identifier: CRD42021290745.

Association Between Asthma and All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies

Background

Asthma and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share many risk factors. Previous meta-analyses indicated that asthma is associated with an increased risk of CVD and all-cause mortality, but these studies were limited by unstandardized search strategies and the number of articles included.

Objective

We sought to systematically synthesize evidence investigating the impact of asthma on all-cause mortality and CVD morbidity and mortality.

Methods

We searched in PubMed and EMBASE for observational cohort studies (inception dates to November 10, 2021) that had both asthma groups and control groups. We also manually searched the reference lists of correlative articles to include other eligible studies. Data for associations between asthma and all-cause mortality and CVD morbidity and mortality were needed.

Results

We summarized the findings from 30 cohort studies comprising 4,157,823 participants. Asthma patients had increased CVD morbidity [relative risk (RR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16–1.40] and increased CVD mortality (RR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.14–1.38). Asthma patients also had increased risk of all-cause mortality (RR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.07–1.77). In subgroup analyses, female asthma patients had a higher risk of CVD morbidity and all-cause mortality than male asthma patients, and late-onset asthma patients had a higher risk of CVD morbidity than early-onset asthma patients.

Conclusion

Asthma patients have increased risk of all-cause mortality and CVD morbidity and mortality. This information reminds clinicians to be aware of the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality in asthma patients.

Systematic Review Registration

http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD 42021290082.

Cryo-EM structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 50S ribosomal subunit bound with clarithromycin reveals dynamic and specific interactions with macrolides

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Clarithromycin (CTY), an analog of erythromycin (ERY), is more potent against multidrug-resistance (MDR) TB. ERY and CTY were previously reported to bind to the nascent polypeptide exit tunnel (NPET) near peptidyl transferase center (PTC), but the only available CTY structure in complex with D. radiodurans (Dra) ribosome could be misinterpreted due to resolution limitation. To date, the mechanism of specificity and efficacy of CTY for Mtb remains elusive since the Mtb ribosome-CTY complex structure is still unknown. Here, we employed new sample preparation methods and solved the Mtb ribosome-CTY complex structure at 3.3Å with cryo-EM technique, where the crucial gate site A2062 (E. coli numbering) is located at the CTY binding site within NPET. Two alternative conformations of A2062, a novel syn-conformation as well as a swayed conformation bound with water molecule at interface, may play a role in coordinating the binding of specific drug molecules. The previously overlooked C–H hydrogen bond (H-bond) and π interaction may collectively contribute to the enhanced binding affinity. Together, our structure data provide a structural basis for the dynamic binding as well as the specificity of CTY and explain of how a single methyl group in CTY improves its potency, which provides new evidence to reveal previously unclear mechanism of translational modulation for future drug design and anti-TB therapy. Furthermore, our sample preparation method may facilitate drug discovery based on the complexes with low water solubility drugs by cryo-EM technique.

[Effect of splenectomy on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development among patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension: a multi-institutional cohort study]

Objective: To identify whether splenectomy for treatment of hypersplenism has any impact on development of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) among patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatitis. Methods: Patients who underwent splenectomy for hypersplenism secondary to liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension between January 2008 and December 2012 were included from seven hospitals in China, whereas patients receiving medication treatments for liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension (non-splenectomy) at the same time period among the seven hospitals were included as control groups. In the splenectomy group, all the patients received open or laparoscopic splenectomy with or without pericardial devascularization. In contrast, patients in the control group were treated conservatively for liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension with medicines (non-splenectomy) with no invasive treatments, such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, splenectomy or liver transplantation before HCC development. All the patients were routinely screened for HCC development with abdominal ultrasound, liver function and alpha-fetoprotein every 3 to 6 months. To minimize the selection bias, propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match the baseline data of patients among splenectomy versus non-splenectomy groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the overall survival and cumulative incidence of HCC development, and the Log-rank test was used to compare the survival or disease rates between the two groups. Univariate and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the potential risk factors associated with development of HCC. Results: A total of 871 patients with liver cirrhosis and hypertension were included synchronously from 7 tertiary hospitals. Among them, 407 patients had a history of splenectomy for hypersplenism (splenectomy group), whereas 464 patients who received medical treatment but not splenectomy (non-splenectomy group). After PSM,233 pairs of patients were matched in adjusted cohorts. The cumulative incidence of HCC diagnosis at 1,3,5 and 7 years were 1%,6%,7% and 15% in the splenectomy group, which was significantly lower than 1%,6%,15% and 23% in the non-splenectomy group (HR=0.53,95%CI:0.31 to 0.91,P=0.028). On multivariable analysis, splenectomy was independently associated with decreased risk of HCC development (HR=0.55,95%CI:0.32 to 0.95,P=0.031). The cumulative survival rates of all the patients at 1,3,5,and 7 years were 100%,97%,91%,86% in the splenectomy group,which was similar with that of 100%,97%,92%,84% in the non-splenectomy group (P=0.899). In total,49 patients (12.0%) among splenectomy group and 75 patients (16.2%) in non-splenectomy group developed HCC during the study period, respectively. Compared to patients in non-splenectomy group, patients who developed HCC after splenectomy were unlikely to receive curative resection for HCC (12.2% vs. 33.3%,χ²=7.029, P=0.008). Conclusion: Splenectomy for treatment of hypersplenism may decrease the risk of HCC development among patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

Identification and analysis of lipid droplet-related proteome in the adipose tissue of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) under fed and starved conditions

Fat accumulation in the mesenteric adipose tissue is a serious problem in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) culture. Lipid droplet-related proteins (LDRPs) are involved in the formation, degradation, and biological functions of lipid droplets. In this study, we aimed to provide reference proteomics data to study lipid droplet regulation in fish. We isolated LDRPs from the mesenteric adipose tissue of grass carp (1-year-old) after normal feeding and 7 days of starvation, and identified and analysed them using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technology. Short-term starvation had no significant effect on the body weight, condition factor, visceral index, hepatopancreas index, intraperitoneal fat index, adipose tissue triglyceride content, and adipocyte size of grass carp. Nine hundred and fifty proteins were identified and annotated using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases; they are involved in a variety of metabolic and signalling pathways, including amino acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism, and the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway. There were 296 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), with 143 up-regulated and 153 down-regulated proteins. Three proteins involved in triglyceride and fatty acid syntheses and two proteins involved in autophagy were up-regulated, and six proteins involved in lipid catabolism were down-regulated. These results indicate that under short-term starvation, lipid droplets in the adipose tissue of grass carp may maintain their shape by promoting fat production and inhibiting lipolysis, and autophagy may be one of the main strategies for coping with short-term energy deprivation.

Comparison of Aspiration versus Stent Retriever Thrombectomy as the Preferred Strategy for Patients with Acute Terminal Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There is no consensus on endovascular treatment for terminal ICA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the comparative safety and efficacy of preferred aspiration thrombectomy and stent retriever thrombectomy for revascularization in patients with isolated terminal ICA occlusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with terminal ICA occlusion treated with aspiration thrombectomy or stent retriever thrombectomy in our center, from September 2013 to November 2018. To minimize the case bias, propensity score matching was performed. The primary outcomes were successful reperfusion defined by expanded TICI grades 2b-3 at the end of all endovascular procedures and puncture-to-reperfusion time.

RESULTS

A total of 109 consecutive patients with terminal ICA occlusion were divided into the aspiration thrombectomy group (40 patients) and the stent retriever thrombectomy group (69 patients), and 30 patients were included in each group after propensity score matching. The proportion of complete reperfusion was significantly higher in the aspiration thrombectomy group (OR 4.75 [95% CI, 1.10-1.38]; P = .002). The median puncture-to-reperfusion time in the aspiration thrombectomy group was shorter than that in the stent retriever thrombectomy group (38  versus 69 minutes; P = .001). Fewer intracerebral hemorrhage events were recorded in the aspiration thrombectomy group (OR 0.29 [95% CI, 0.09-0.90]; P = .028). No significant differences were observed for good outcomes (OR 1.92 [95% CI, 0.86-4.25]) and mortality (OR 0.84 [95% CI, 0.29-2.44]) at 90 days.

CONCLUSIONS

For the treatment of terminal ICA occlusion, aspiration thrombectomy was technically superior to stent retriever thrombectomy in the absence of a balloon guide catheter in achieving successful reperfusion with shorter puncture-to-reperfusion time and procedure-related adverse events.

[Evaluation of quality of life in patients with Graves orbitopathy and its influencing factors]

Objective: To evaluate life quality of Graves orbitopathy (GO) patients using Graves orbitopathy quality-of-life questionnaire (GO-QOL) and explore the influence factors of the quality of life of GO patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University including 145 newly diagnosed GO patients. All the patient answered the GO-QOL and underwent ophthalmic and endocrine assessments. The main outcome measures were the scores on GO-QOL 2 subscales: visual functioning and appearance. Based on the classification in the guideline of European Group on Graves Orbitopathy (EUGOGO), the patients were divided into two groups: mild and moderate to severe groups. Then the scales between these two groups were compared and influencing factors were analyzed. Finally, the floor and ceiling effects were assessed. Results: The GO-QOL scores for the subscales of visual functioning and appearance were 70.91±27.83 and 61.29±26.37 respectively in 145 GO patients. Visual functioning and appearance were lower in moderate to severe group (62.71±28.77 and 57.52±26.49, respectively) than in mild group (85.58±18.77 and 68.02±24.99, respectively).The GO-QOL scores for the visual functioning subscale were significantly correlated with age (P=0.002), clinical active score (P=0.011) and the degree of diplopia (P=0.00, R(2)=0.373). The GO-QOL scores for the appearance were significantly correlated with sex (P=0.05) and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels (P=0.001, R(2)=0.231). No significant ceiling or floor effects were observed for either subscale of the GO-QOL. Conclusions: With the aggravation of the disease, the quality of life of GO patients is getting worse and worse. The main influencing factors of the quality of life of GO patients include age, gender, diplopia, clinical active score and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. Close attention needs to be paid to the quality of life of GO patients.

[Natural history of colorectal cancer: a Meta-analysis on global prospective cohort studies]

Objective: To acknowledge the availability and rates of annual transition of outcomes during the progression and regression stages of colorectal cancer (CRC) and related diseases, by pooling global follow-up studies on the natural history of CRC. Methods: Till March, 2017, data was collected through systematic literature review over multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane and Chinese Biology Medicine (CBM) disc. Information regarding the characteristics, classification system of health states, related outcomes and incidence rates on CRC or high-risk adenoma for the surveillance cohorts of the studies, were extracted and summarized. Both Meta and sensitivity analyses were performed on those outcomes if they appeared in more than 3 studies, using the random effects model. Annual transition rate with 95%CI was used to estimate each of the outcomes, Quality of the studies was assessed, using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: A total of 29 cohort studies were included, with the mean follow-up period as 5.7 years. All studies except one, focused on adenoma-carcinoma pathway and reported the outcome parameters of adenomas by different risk, and some reported the findings on different sizes (n=6) of adenomas. These cohorts were divided into three groups (normal status, with low-risk or high-risk adenoma) according to the status of baseline endoscopic pathologic findings. Their available outcome parameters, corresponding number of involved articles, aggregated sample size and pooled annual transition rates were presented. Six parameters were obtained in the normal cohorts, including those from normal to low-risk adenoma (16 articles, 58 235, 0.030: 0.024-0.037), to high-risk adenoma (17 articles, 62 089, 0.003: 0.002-0.004), to diminutive adenoma (<5 mm, 4 articles, 1 277, 0.021: 0.013-0.029), to small adenoma (6-9 mm, 4 articles, 1 277, 0.006: 0.001-0.010), to large adenoma (≥10 mm, 7 articles, 3 531, 0.002: 0.000-0.003) and to CRC (19 articles, 104 836, 0.000 3: 0.000 2-0.000 5). Three parameters were obtained in low-risk adenoma in cohorts with polypectomy findings, including recurrence (9 articles, 4 788, 0.109: 0.062-0.157) from low-risk adenoma after polypectomy to high-risk adenoma (10 articles, 5 736, 0.009: 0.004-0.013) and to CRC (12 articles, 11 347, 0.000 6: 0.000 4-0.000 8). Three parameters were obtained on high-risk adenoma from cohorts with polypectomy findings, including recurrence (12 articles, 7 030, 0.038: 0.028-0.048) from high-risk adenoma after polypectomy to low-risk adenoma (8 articles, 2 489, 0.133: 0.081-0.185) and CRC (14 articles, 14 899, 0.002: 0.001-0.003). Except for normal to low-risk adenomas, results from the sensitivity analysis for the other parameters showed stable. Of the included studies, two presented incidence rates of CRC in different clinical stages and the another two were focusing on the parameters related to serrated pathway. Conclusions: Globally, follow-up studies reported data on natural history of colorectal cancer is of paucity. Compared to the "adenoma-carcinoma" pathway, transition parameters of the serrated lesion pathway are more limited. This Meta-analysis provided convincing evidence for optimizing the strategies regarding follow-up program on the disease, using the baseline endoscopic findings from global CRC Screening Program. These results also offered strong data-related support for Chinese population- specific interventional model on colorectal cancer.

Lipid droplets participate in modulating innate immune genes in Ctenopharyngodon idella kidney cells

Lipid droplets (LDs) are increasingly being recognized as important immune modulators in mammals, in additional to their function of lipid ester deposition. However, the role of LDs in fish immunity remains poorly understood. In this study, the function of LDs in the innate immune response of Ctenopharyngodon idella kidney (CIK) cells, which are the equivalent of myeloid cells in vertebrates, was investigated. LD number and TG content significantly increased in the CIK cells following exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan (PGN), and polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (Poly [I: C]) for 24 h, accompanied by increases in the relative expression of several innate immune genes. However, fatty acid compositions of the triglycerides were not changed after treatment with these three pathogenic mimics. LPS, PGN, and Poly (I: C) did not alter the relative expressions of lipogenic (FAS, SCD, and DGAT) and lipid catabolic (PPARα, ATGL, and CPT-1) genes. However, these treatments did increase the mRNA levels of lipid transportation genes (FATP/CD36, ACSL1, and ACSL4), and also decreased the non-esterified fatty acid level in the medium. To further explore the role of LDs in the immune response, CIK cells were incubated with different concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 μM) of exogenous lipid mix (LM; oleic acid [OA]:linoleic acid [LA]:linolenic acid [LNA] = 2:1:1), and were then transferred to a lipid-free medium and incubated for 24 h. LD size and number increased with the increase in lipid levels, and this was accompanied by increased expression of innate immune genes, including MyD88, IRF3, and IL-1β, which were expressed at their highest levels in 300 μM exogenous lipid mix. Interestingly, after incubating with different fatty acids (LM, OA, LA, LNA, arachidonic acid [ARA], and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]; 300 μM), ARA and DHA were more potent in inducing LD formation and innate immune gene expression in the CIK cells. Finally, atglistatin, an ATGL inhibitor, effectively attenuated the expression of most genes upregulated by ARA or DHA, suggesting that lipolysis may be involved in the regulation of immune genes at the transcriptional level. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate that LDs are functional organelles that could act as modulators in the innate immune response of CIK cells. Additionally, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched LDs play a unique role in regulating this process.

Lipid accumulation in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) fed faba beans (Vicia faba L.)

Feeding faba beans (Vicia faba L.) to grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) increases muscle compactness but decreases growth and motility. The lipid metabolism of grass carp was examined to assess potential effects of feeding faba beans on physiological properties using a total of 180 fish. The treatment group was fed faba beans for 120 days and a commercial diet for another 30 days. The control group received a commercial diet for 150 days. Fish were sampled every month. Weight gain was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control. Hardness, springiness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and gumminess of the dorsal muscle increased significantly with the feeding faba beans from 30 to 120 days, which was not reversed by the subsequent feeding of commercial diet. Fat accumulation increased significantly in the treatment group as suggested by the condition factor, viscera index, hepatopancreatic index, and intraperitoneal fat index (IPFI), hepatopancreas, and muscle fat content but was not affected by subsequent feeding with the commercial diet. Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in the experimental diet group. In the hepatopancreas and intraperitoneal fat IPF, monounsaturated fatty acids showed significantly higher content in faba bean feeding fish, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acid content showed the reversed pattern. In the hepatopancreas, the activities of the lipogenic enzymes malate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were higher in the treatment than in the control group. Moreover, the treatment group showed lower mRNA levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1. Overall, our results clearly demonstrate increasing lipid accumulation in the viscera of faba bean-fed grass carp.

Phenotypic and Genetic Characterization of Botrytis cinerea Population from Kiwifruit in Sichuan Province, China

Botrytis cinerea (anamorph of Botryotinia fuckeliana) causes gray mold on numerous plants, including kiwifruit. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of the Botrytis cinerea population from kiwifruit in Sichuan Province, China. In all, 176 isolates were collected from kiwifruit orchards from eight geographic regions in Sichuan. All isolates were identified as B. cinerea sensu stricto based on the combined datasets, including morphological criteria, determination of the Bc-hch allele, and phylogenetic analysis of the genes RPB2, G3PDH, and HSP60. Three colony types (i.e., sclerotial, mycelial, and conidial) were observed on potato dextrose agar after 2 weeks, with sclerotial isolates, the predominant category, accounting for 40.91%. No obvious differences in microscopic characteristics were observed among the three types. Three genotypes of transposable elements were identified in the B. cinerea population: boty, flipper, and transposa types. The most prevalent genotype from different geographic populations of B. cinerea was transposa; in contrast, the flipper genotype accounted for only 3.98% of the total population, whereas the vacuma genotype was absent. According to MAT locus amplification, 87 and 89 isolates are MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 type, respectively, and the two mating types were found to be balanced overall in the population. Forty-eight representative isolates were all able to cause gray mold to some extent, and disease severities were significantly different between the cultivars Hongyang and Hort16A (P < 0.01). Disease severity was significantly greater on young leaves than on mature leaves (P < 0.01). No significant relationship was found between pathogenicity and geographical region, colony type, or transposon distribution. The results obtained in the present study suggest a relatively uniform species diversity of Botrytis but rich phenotypic and genetic differentiation within the B. cinerea population on kiwifruit in China. Utilizing resistant cultivars and rain-shelter cultivation instead of fungicides may be an effective approach to delaying pathogen variability.

Smad4-dependent regulation of type I collagen expression in the muscle of grass carp fed with faba bean

Smad4 is the key regulator in the transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)/Smads signal pathway, and is also the crux of the regulation of type I collagen expression in mammals. In fish, however, the relationship between Smad4 and type I collagen is still unknown. Given the widely accepted importance of type I collagen in fish muscle hardness, we seek to explore this issue by analyzing the expressions of the TGF-β1/Smads pathway molecules and type I collagen in the muscle of crisp grass carp fed with faba bean, which shows increased muscle hardness. The study found that (1) in the process of feeding the grass carp with faba bean, the mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-β1, Smad2 and Smad4 all increased along with the increase of type I collagen expression (Col1α1 and Col1α2); (2) one day after the injection of Smad4 over-expression vector, both mRNA and protein expressions of Col1α1 and Col1α2 significantly increased, reaching the maximum on the 2nd and 5th day, respectively; (3) one day after the injection of Smad4 RNAi interference vector, the mRNA and protein expressions of Col1α1 and Col1α2 decreased, reaching the minimum on the 5th day. These results revealed that Smad4 is the major regulator of type I collagen in the muscle of grass carp fed with faba bean. This study would provide an important mechanistic basis for nutritional regulation of type I collagen in the muscle of fish.

[The efficacy comparation of adenoidectomy with acupuncture and tympanonstomy in children secretory otitis media]

Objective:This study aims to the comparative study of AT+A (adenoidectomy with acupuncture) and AT+T (adenoidectomy with tympanonstomy tube) to monitor and compare the therapeutic effect and prognosis of secretory otitis media in children. The study make a summary and give the clinical suggestions as well.Method:We collected and analyzed 280 outpatients of children secretory otitis media from March 2015 to March 2016.Among them,172 cases took the adenoidectomy with acupuncture and 108 cases took the adenoidectomy with tympanonstomy tube. This research used the therapeutic effect indicators,middle ear effusion time and one year follow-up to evaluate the pros and cons of two surgery methods in different areas.Result:The patients of both groups had relatively good therapeutic effect which promoted with time. There were no significant difference between AT+A and AT+T in tympanic membrane. While AT+T group acted better than AT+A group in pure tone average and tympanum figure. The middle ear effusion time of AT+T group was significantly shorter than AT+A group. In one year follow-up, there were no difference in hearing loss between two groups.But AT+T group performed better in recurrence rate, infection rate and total rate.Conclusion:Since the adenoidectomy with tympanonstomy tube method has a lot of advantages over adenoidectomy with acupuncture,it's better to use AT+T in severechildren secretory otitis media when situation is available.

The caudal part of the posterior insula of rats participates in the maintenance but not the acquisition of morphine conditioned place preference

The heterogeneous insular cortex plays an interoceptive role in drug addiction by signaling the availability of drugs of abuse. Here, we tested whether the caudal part of the multisensory posterior insula (PI) stores somatosensory‐associated rewarding memories. Using Sprague Dawley rats as subjects, we first established a morphine‐induced conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm, mainly based on somatic cues. Secondly, an electrolytic lesion of the caudal portion of the PI was carried out before and after the establishment of CPP, respectively. Our data demonstrated that the caudal PI lesions disrupted the maintenance, but not the acquisition of morphine‐induced CPP. Lesion or subtle disruption of the PI had no major impact on locomotor activity. These findings indicate that the caudal portion of the PI might be involved in either the storage or the retrieval of morphine CPP memory.

[Relationship between inflammatory markers and the risk of colorectal cancer in Kailuan male cohort]

Objective: To investigate whether elevated levels of high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) and neutrophil (NE) at baseline are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in Kailuan male cohort. Methods: Since May 2006, males from Kailuan cohort were included in this study. Information on demographics, medical history, anthropometry, hsCRP and NE were collectedat baseline for all subjects. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) of association between baseline hsCRP and NE and colorectal cancer risk. Results: By December 31, 2015, a total of 73 869 participants were enrolled in this study. During the follow-up, 336 incident colorectal cancer cases were identified. All participants were divided into three groups according to the level of hsCRP (<1 mg/L, 1-3 mg/L and >3 mg/L). The cumulative incidence of colorectal cancer were 456/10(5,) 510/10(5) and 746/10(5) in these 3 groups, respectively (χ(2)=10.79, P=0.005). Compared with participants with lower hsCRP levels (<1 mg/L), individuals with the highest hsCRP (>3 mg/L) levels had significant increased risks of colorectal cancer (HR=1.38, 95%CI: 1.05-1.81, P=0.020)after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, drinking, BMI, diabetes and income. Furthermore, subjects were divided into two groups according to the level of NE (≤ 4.08×10(9)/L and > 4.08×10(9)/L). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models indicated that there is no statistical significance of association between NE and colorectal cancer. Conclusions: Elevated levels of hsCRP at baseline might increase the risk of colorectal cancer in males.

[Risk factors of endometriosis associated ovarian carcinoma in women aged 45 years and older]

Obiective: To explore the risk factors of endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC) in women with ovarian endometriosis aged 45 years and older in China. Methods: The medical records of total 1 038 women aged 45 years and older with a surgicopathological diagnosis of ovarian endometriosis treated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from December 1994 to December 2014 were reviewed. Histology evaluation determined ovarian endometriosis with (n=30) or without (n=1 008) ovarian cancer. Results: (1) There were 30 (2.9%, 30/1 018) cases confirmed as having EAOC. Clear cell carcinoma (63.3%, 17/30) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma (23.3%, 7/30) were commonly observed subtypes and 70.0% of EAOC patients were at stage Ⅰ. (2) Compared women with ovarian endometriosis in the same age group, patients with EAOC were older (50.8 vs 48.5 years, P=0.002). There were more in postmenopausal status at diagnosis of EAOC (P<0.01). There were more found with a mass ≥8 cm (P<0.01). Women with EAOC had higher prevalence of coexisting endometrial disorders (P=0.003). No differences were found in preoperative CA(125) value and infertile or nulliparous women (P>0.05). Conclusions: For women with ovarian endometriosis aged 45 years and older, the subgroup of patients characterized by postmenopausal status and ovarian endometrioma (≥8 cm) have a higher risk of EAOC. Active intervention or intensive follow-up should be considered for this population group, especially for those concurrent with endometrial disorders.

[Experimental study of autologous fibroblast cell transplantation in the treatment of vocal fold scar]

Objective:To study the change characteristics of vocal cords scar after the implantation of autologous fibroblast cells into the vocal cords. Method:Forty New Zealand rabbits were used for the production of vocal fold scar model by creating a unilateral vocal fold wounds, we take the skin tissues of each rabbits and cultured them via enzyme digestion method to obtain autologous fibroblast cells. The models were separated into the experimental group and the control group, the third generation fibroblast cells with CM DIL labeled were then injected into the surrounding area of the vocal fold scar in the experimental group, the survival situation of the injected cells were observed by fluorescence microscopy after 1 week, histological examination was performed after 1 months to observe the morphological changes of vocal fold scar tissues, RT-PCR method was used to measure the expression variation of typeⅠcollagen and type Ⅲ collagen in the vocal cords and the normal vocal cords, respectively. Result:After 1 week of autologous fibroblast transplantation into the vocal folds, the fluorescence labeled cells were observed.1 month after transplantation, the collagen protein in the vocal fold scar tissues was similar to that in the normal vocal folds，the expression of typeⅠcollagen and type Ⅲ collagen in vocal fold scars is similar to those in the normal vocal folds. Conclusion:Autologous fibroblast migration into the vocal cords can survive well inside the vocal cords, and the vocal scar can be recovered to normal vocal cord structure after transplantation of autologous fibroblast cells.

Computational hemodynamics of portal vein hypertension in hepatic cirrhosis patients

Portal vein hypertension generally occurs in liver diseases like hepatic cirrhosis. It causes hemodynamic changes that are closely related to liver disease. At advanced stages of hepatic cirrhosis, portal vein hypertension leads to the atrophy of the right lobe of the liver and the hypertrophy of the left lobe through a process that has not yet been fully explained. Based on the hemodynamic changes that are known to occur, we hypothesize that liver volume is related to the distribution of blood flowing from the splenic vein (SV) that carries hepatotrophic factors from the spleen and pancreas. We studied blood flow in the portal vein system to validate this hypothesis through in vitro experimentation and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis involving both simplified and patient-specific models based on four healthy subjects and two patients with liver cirrhosis. The results confirmed the hypothesis that right-lobe atrophy is significantly influenced by the distribution of blood from the SV. Moreover, the patients with liver cirrhosis had a significantly larger mass fraction of spleen-derived blood in the left portal vein branch (LPV) than healthy subjects, a result consistent with right-lobe atrophy and left-lobe hypertrophy.

[Association between long term systolic blood pressure variability index and cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly people]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between different long term systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) and cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly people.

METHODS

A total of 101 510 employees from the Tangshan Kailuan Group participated in the 2006-2007 annual physical examination, 5 440 cases were selected by simple randomly sampling method. After excluding participants who did not underwent 2012-2013 examination and without complete blood pressure and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, 3 002 participants (1 627 males, (50.86±9.93) years old) with integrated data were included into the study. The long term SBPV was calculated by standard deviation(SD), maximum-minimum difference(MMD), average real variability (ARV) of mean systolic blood pressure measured in 2006-2007, 2008-2009, 2010-2011 and 2012-2013. Participants were grouped by the quartile of the different SBPV index. Multiple linear regressions analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the long term SBPV and cognitive function status.

RESULTS

(1) The score of MMSE was 28.03±2.65. (2) The observation population was divided into four groups according to quartiles of different SBPV, respectively. The MMSE scores of SD<5.53 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)group, SD 5.53-8.90 mmHg group, SD 8.91-12.79 mmHg group and SD>12.79 mmHg group were 28.21±2.18, 28.26±3.09, 28.10±2.40 and 27.56±2.79, respectively(P<0.05). The MMSE scores of MMD<12.00 mmHg group, MMD 12.00-20.00 mmHg group, MMD 20.01-30.00 mmHg group and MMD>30.00 mmHg were 28.27±2.17, 28.25±3.09, 27.99±2.42 and 27.49±2.81, respectively(P<0.05). The MMSE scores of ARV<6.67 mmHg group, ARV 6.67-10.22 mmHg group, ARV 10.23-15.56 mmHg group and ARV>15.56 mmHg group were 28.27±2.20、28.28±3.20、28.00±2.42、27.57±2.65, respectively(P<0.05). (3) Adjusted for age, gender, baseline systolic blood pressure, body weight index, total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, C reactive protein, smoke, drink, physical activity , the step-wise regressions analysis showed that SD(B=-0.129, P<0.05), MMD(B=-0.131, P<0.05), ARV(B=-0.125, P<0.05) had significant negative linear relationship with the MMSE score in the objects not taking the anti-hypertension drugs, and SD(B=-0.329, P<0.05), MMD(B=-0.314, P<0.05), but not ARV(B=-0.233, P>0.05), had significant negative linear relationship with the MMSE score in the objects taking the anti-hypertension drugs.

CONCLUSION

The long term SBPV indexes (SD, MMD, ARV ) are negatively correlated with the MMSE score in middle-aged and elderly people not taking the anti-hypertension drugs, and SD, MMD are negatively correlated with the MMSE score in people taking the anti-hypertension drugs. Clinical Trail Registry: Chinese Clinical Trail Registry, ChiCTRTNC-11001489.

[Influencing factors of orthostatism brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and ankle brachial index in the elderly]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the distribution and influencing factors of orthostatism brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity(baPWV) and ankle brachial index(ABI) in the elderly.

METHODS

Participants were selected with random sampling from ≥60 years old retired workers, who underwent 2010 to 2011 health check-up in the Tangshan Kailuan Hospital, Kailuan Linxi Hospital, Kailuan Zhaogezhuang Hospital. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of orthostatism and supine baPWV and ABI in the elderly.

RESULTS

(1) A total of 2 464 participants were included, and 1 601 participants (1 065 males(66.5%) and (67.5±6.1) years old) with integral data were analyzed. Orthostatism baPWV was (3 885.4±1 503.5)cm/s and Supine baPWV was (1 761.2±371.4)cm/s.Orthostatism ABI was 1.54±0.21 and supine ABI was 1.10±0.12. Orthostatism baPWV increased with increasing age, while orthostatism ABI decreased with aging(trend test, both P<0.01)in <65, 65-69, 70-74, and ≥75 years old participants.(2) Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the age(β=0.19, P<0.01), lower limbs orthostatism systolic blood pressure(β=0.18, P<0.01), lower limbs supine systolic blood pressure (β=0.14, P<0.01), orthostatism heart rate (β=0.30, P<0.01), supine heart rate (β=0.23, P<0.01), body mass index (β=-0.18, P<0.01) were associated with orthostatism baPWV, and female(β=-0.055, P=0.01), upper limb orthostatism systolic blood pressure (β=-0.834, P<0.01), lower limbs orthostatism systolic blood pressure (β=0.708, P<0.01), lower limbs supine systolic blood pressure (β=0.099, P<0.01) and fasting blood glucose(β=-0.085, P<0.01) were associated with orthostatism ABI.

CONCLUSIONS

Orthostatism baPWV and ABI were significantly higher than those of supine's. Age, lower limbs orthostatism and supine systolic blood pressure, orthostatism and supine heart rate, body mass index were associated with orthostatism baPWV. Female, upper limb orthostatism systolic blood pressure, lower limbs orthostatism, supine systolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose were associated with orthostatism ABI in the elderly.

Meta-analysis of Liver Resection Versus Nonsurgical Treatments for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors with Liver Metastases

PURPOSE

Studies have reported limited evidence of the benefits and harms of various regimens, such as liver resection and medical therapy, for the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) with liver metastases. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of liver resection versus nonsurgical treatments in patients with pNET.

METHODS

Relevant studies published in English were retrieved from the computerized databases Medline, Embase, and Cochrane. A meta-analysis was performed to investigate the differences in the efficacy of liver resection and nonsurgical treatments based on the evaluation of 30-day mortality, symptom relief rate, median survival time, and 2-, 3-, or 5-year survival using a random-effects model. Studies were independently reviewed by two investigators. Data from eligible studies were extracted, and the meta-analysis was performed using the comprehensive meta-analysis program version 2.

RESULTS

A total of seven studies were included in the analysis. The results demonstrated that liver resection was significantly associated with a higher rate of symptom relief, longer median survival time, higher 2- or 3-year survival rates, as well as a higher 5-year survival rate. There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality among patients with pNETs who were treated by liver resection and nonsurgical therapy or survival between functional and nonfunctional pNETs. No publication bias was detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Liver resection has a favorable prognostic outcome in terms of higher postoperative symptom relief rates and longer survival rates. Further randomized, controlled trials with longer follow-up periods are required to confirm the advantages of liver resection for pNETs.

Identification of the trehalose-6-phosphate synthase gene family in winter wheat and expression analysis under conditions of freezing stress

Trehalose plays an important role in metabolic regulation and abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Trehalose contents are potentially modulated by trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS), which is a key enzyme in the trehalose biosynthetic pathway. Using available wheat expressed sequence tag sequence information from NCBI and two wheat genome databases, we identified 12 wheat TPS genes and performed a comprehensive study on their structural, evolutionary and functional properties. The estimated divergence time of wheat TPS gene pairs and wheat-rice orthologues suggested that wheat and rice have a common ancestor. The number of TPS genes in the wheat genome was estimated to be at least 12, which is close to the number found in rice, Arabidopsis and soybean. Moreover, it has been reported earlier in other plants that TPS genes respond to abiotic stress, however, our study mainly analysed the TPS gene family under freezing conditions in winter wheat, and determined that most of the TPS gene expression in winter wheat was induced by freezing conditions, which further suggested that wheat TPS genes were involved in winter wheat freeze-resistance signal transduction pathways. Taken together, the current study represents the first comprehensive study of TPS genes in winter wheat and provides a foundation for future functional studies of this important gene family in Triticeae.

[Effects of hormone treatment, light and temperatures on sprouting characteristics of Bupleurum chinense]

Seeds of Bupleurum chinense cultivar, Zhongchai No. 1, were sowed in plastic pots which used the arable layer soil as the nursery bed and putted in the artificial climate incubator at various temperatures (15, 20, 25, 15-25 degrees C) and light (8,12 h) to germinate, respectively. The lower constant temperature (15 degrees ) and the higher constant temperature (25 "C) were not conducive to the sprouting characteristics of B. chinese. While they were able to enhance root activity to some extent; The seeding growth of B. chinese was significantly better in the variable temperature than correspondence in the constant temperature, significantly. The emergence speed, emergence index, vigor index and root activity of Bupleurum were improved under the 12 h of light-time, but the germination rate was not improved. The sprouting of Bupleurum's seeds could be improved to some extent by soaking with hormone, such as gibberellin, cytokinin, salicylic acid. Gibberellin promoted seeds' sprouting and seedings's root activity of Bupleurum, while salicylic acid increased the root activity of seeding. There is a significant influence of light, temperatures and hormone treatment on the germination of Zhongchai No. 1 seeds, and all three are remarkably interacted; It is beneficial to promote seed germination by the temperature (20 + 5) degrees C, lighting (8 h) and gibberellin concentration (10 x 10(-6)).

[Evaluation of Bupleuri Radix resources in Qingchuan based on DTOPSIS and grey related degree]

In order to select high quality and suitable Bupleuri Radix varieties in Qingchuan, and establish a new comprehensive method to evaluation the quality of Bupleuri Radix, 12 characters of 14 samples were evaluated by DTOPSIS and grey related degree. The results showed that varieties No. 8 and No. 10 had high quality. DTOPSIS and grey related degree gave the uniformity result, and the biggest difference of value of Ci in DTOPSIS method was 46. 33% , but the biggest difference of the weighting correlation number( r (i)) in grey related degree was only 13.10%. The DTOPSIS combined with grey related degree can evaluate the quality of Bupleuri Radix comprehensively and objectively.

MECP2 promotes cell proliferation by activating ERK1/2 and inhibiting p38 activity in human hepatocellular carcinoma HEPG2 cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and currently represents the leading cause of death amongst cirrhotic patients, but the mechanisms remain unknown. In this experiment, we investigated the expression of Methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in HCC, the effect of MeCP2 on the proliferation of human HCC HepG2 cells, and the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways. The results showed that MeCP2 expression levels was higher in human HCC tissue than normal hepatocellular tissue, and MeCP2 siRNA reduced the proliferation of HCC HepG2 cells by decreasing cell activity and cell division in vitro. After MeCP2 siRNA treatment, the proportion of G1/G0 phase cells increased, but the proportion of S and G2/M phase cells decreased, indicative of G1/G0 cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, the proportions of early and late apoptosis in HCC HepG2 cells were enhanced after MeCP2 siRNA treatment. It was also found that activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and p38 signaling pathways were involved in the proliferation of HepG2 cells. After MeCP2 siRNA treatment, p-ERK1/2 levels decreased, but p-p38 levels increased. Our findings demonstrated that MeCP2 promoted the proliferation of human HCC HepG2 cells with activation of ERK1/2 signaling pathways, suggesting a novel mechanism for pharmacological study of treatment for human HCC.

[Analysis and management of the biliary complications after liver transplantations]

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the relevant factors of biliary complications after liver transplantation and to investigate the value of comprehensive management for the complications.

METHODS

The data of 366 patients undergoing liver transplantation from October 2000 to March 2012 was analyzed retrospectively, and the risk factors were analyzed by univariate analysis and Stepwise Logistic regression. The cases with biliary leak were administered thorough drainage. The cases with anastomotic biliary stricture were administered sacculus dilatation through percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) and endoscopicretrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). If necessary, some cases were placed biliary tract brackets. The patients with nonanastomotic biliary stricture were treated with PTC plus choledochoscope.

RESULTS

All the 366 patients were followed up for 58.5 (10 to 129) months. Biliary complications after liver transplantation were diagnosed in 42 cases among these patients. The incidence for biliary complications was 11.5%. The univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the second warm ischemia period and the blood loss and the damage of blood supply and the diameter of biliary anastmosis were significantly associated with biliary complications after liver transplantations (Wald = 9.474 to 17.208, P < 0.05). Twelve cases with biliary leak were cured through abdominal and nasobiliary drainage. Twenty-two cases with anastomotic biliary stricture were administered sacculus dilatation through ERCP or PTC and were cured, including 6 cases were placed biliary tract brackets. Among 8 cases with nonanastomotic biliary stricture, 6 cases were cured through PTC associating with choledochoscope. One case was treated second liver transplantation and another case got worse.

CONCLUSIONS

Ischemic injury and the diameter of anastmosis are risk factors for biliary complications after liver transplantations. The interventional management of biliary stricture and bile leakage after liver transplantation is safe and effective.

HBV recurrence lowered by lamivudine/HBIG combination therapy in liver transplant patients: ten-year experience

BACKGROUND

Lamivudine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) are widely used to treat patients with hepatitis B recurrence after liver transplantation. However, the outcomes are inconclusive. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of combined therapy on patients with hepatitis B recurrence after liver transplantation.

METHODS

Twenty-two patients with hepatitis B recurrence after liver transplantation from August 2000 to October 2011 were enrolled in this study. Of these patients, 16 received lamivudine plus HBIG (combination therapy group) and 6 were treated with lamivudine alone (lamivudine-treated group). The clinical features were matched in the two groups. HBV recurrence parameters, HBsAg clearance rate, patient survival rate, and survival time were compared.

RESULTS

The average time of follow-up was 47.2 months (range 13-99). Significant difference was noted in the HBsAg clearance rate in the lamivudine-treated and combination therapy groups (50% vs 93.8%, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the time of HBV recurrence, patient survival rate and survival time between lamivudine-treated and combination therapy groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Compared with lamivudine monotherapy, combination therapy significantly increased the HBsAg clearance rate in patients with HBV recurrence after liver transplantation.

Regulation of Olig2 during astroglial differentiation in the subventricular zone of a cuprizone-induced demyelination mouse model

The mammalian subventricular zone (SVZ) is the largest germinative zone of the adult brain. Progenitor cells generated from the SVZ play important roles during the remyelination process. To determine the functional role of Olig2 in regulating astroglial differentiation in the mouse SVZ, we used the cuprizone mouse model to investigate demyelination. We found that cuprizone administration significantly enhanced the expression of Olig2 and increased astroglial differentiation in the SVZ, as compared with control. Moreover, cytoplasmic translocation of Olig2 occurred after demyelination. In vitro studies further revealed that supplementation of culture media with growth factors enhanced the oligodendroglial differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), whereas serum alone promoted astroglial differentiation and cytoplasmic translocation of Olig2. Additionally, the expression levels of bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 4 (BMP2 and BMP4) and inhibitor of DNA binding 2 and 4 (Id2 and Id4) were greatly elevated during astroglial differentiation. BMP inhibition by noggin suppressed the astroglial differentiation of OPCs. Our results indicate that Olig2 may serve as a key regulator during the directional differentiation of progenitor cells after demyelination. The BMP signaling pathway may contribute to the cytoplasmic translocation and altered expression of Olig2 during the remyelination process. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in remyelination.

Intestinal microbiota and innate immunity-related gene alteration in cirrhotic rats with liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

The present study investigated the alteration of intestinal microbiota, innate immunity-related genes, and bacterial translocation in rats with cirrhosis and liver transplantation.

METHODS

Specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 4 groups: (1) normal controls (N); (2) liver cirrhosis (LC); (3) normal control groups with liver transplantation (LTN); and (4) liver cirrhosis with liver transplantation (LTC). We examined plasma endotoxin, bacterial tacslocation, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profile of intestinal mucosa-associated bacteria, abundance of key bacterial populations, and expression of innate immunity-related gene.

RESULTS

The LTC and LC group, showed higher endotoxin levels (1.08±0.73 EU/mL and 0.74±0.70 EU/mL, respectively) than the N group (0.27±0.13 EU/mL; P<.05). the incidence of bacterial translocation (BT) to liver and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and the number of total bacteria were increased significantly in the LTC and LC groups compared with the N group (P<.05). The counts of Lactobacilli and Bacteroides were lower, whereas Enterobacteria were higher in the LC than the N group (P<.05). Mucins (MUC2, MUC3) and Toll-like receptors (TLR2, TLR4) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were significantly higher in the LC and LTC groups than the N group (P<.05). The marked difference between the groups in the overall structure of the bacterial community was also generated by DGGE profiles.

CONCLUSION

Liver cirrhosis disturbs intestinal microbiota and innate immunity-related genes, which contributes to endotoxemia and bacterial translocation. These had not completely recovered in cirrhotic rats until 1 month after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Seedling and Slow Rusting Resistance to Leaf Rust in Chinese Wheat Cultivars

Identification of resistance genes is important for developing leaf rust resistant wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars. A total of 102 Chinese winter wheat cultivars and advanced lines were inoculated with 24 pathotypes of Puccinia triticina for postulation of leaf rust resistance genes effective at the seedling stage. These genotypes were also planted in the field for characterization of slow rusting responses to leaf rust in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 cropping seasons. Fourteen leaf rust resistance genes-Lr1, Lr2a, Lr3bg, Lr3ka, Lr14a, Lr16, Lr17a, Lr18, Lr20, Lr23, Lr24, Lr26, Lr34, and LrZH84-either singly or in combinations, were postulated in 65 genotypes, whereas known resistance genes were not identified in the other 37 accessions. Resistance gene Lr26 was present in 44 accessions. Genes Lr14a and Lr34 were each detected in seven entries. Lr1 and Lr3ka were each found in six cultivars, and five lines possessed Lr16. Lr17a and Lr18 were each identified in four lines. Three cultivars were postulated to possess Lr3bg. Genes Lr20, Lr24, and LrZH84 were each present in two cultivars. Each of the genes Lr2a and Lr23 may exist in one line. Fourteen genotypes showed slow leaf rusting resistance in two cropping seasons.

STAT1/2 is involved in the inhibition of cell growth induced by U0126 in HeLa cells

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade plays an important role in cell life. Herein we show that small interfering RNAs targeting MAPK1 can inhibit HeLa cell growth and induce apoptosis along with up-regulation of signal transducers and activator 1 and 2 (STAT1/2). However, across-talk between the ras-raf-ERK1/2 signalling cascade and the JAK-STAT pathway remain largely unknown. Using MEK inhibitor U0126 and JAK-2 inhibitor AG490, we analyzed the relationship between ERK1/2 and STAT1/2 in HeLa cells. U0126 inhibited HeLa cell growth, arrested the cell cycle at G1/G0, and induced cell apoptosis, and AG490 partially reversed the effects of U0126. U0126 induced up-regulation of ERK1/2 and down-regulation of phosphorylated ERK1/2, increased STAT1 and STAT2 expression in a dose-dependent manner, and activated STAT1/2 via their phosphorylation. AG490 markedly inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT2 and slightly increased that of ERK1/2 inhibited by U0126. We suggest that STAT1/2 is involved in the inhibition of cell growth induced by U0126 in HeLa cells.

Coagulation function in patients with pancreatic carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The coagulation function in patients with pancreatic carcinoma is abnormal and the reason is not very clear. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the coagulation function in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.

METHODS

From June 2004 to December 2007, 132 patients received diagnosis and treatment in our hospital. The coagulative parameters including the prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen levels were collected and studied retrospectively.

RESULTS

The average fibrinogen levels in patients with pancreatic carcinoma, (476.21 +/- 142.05) mg/dl, were significantly higher than in patients with cholangiolithiasis, (403.28 +/- 126.41) mg/dl (P < 0.05). In patients with pancreatic carcinoma, the levels of fibrinogen in the group with jaundice were significantly higher than in patients without jaundice (P < 0.05). In patients who received Pancreaticoduodenectomy, Whipple's operation, the level of fibrinogen in the group with local invasiveness was significantly higher than in the group without invasiveness. The group with lymphatic metastasis had higher levels than the group without lymphatic metastasis (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference of intraoperative blood loss between patients with vitamin K, (748.27 +/- 448.51) ml, and those without vitamin K, (767.31 +/- 547.89) ml (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The level of fibrinogen in patients with pancreatic carcinoma was elevated. The elevated fibrinogen level may be associated with invasiveness and lymphatic metastasis. Using vitamin K in perioperation management did not reduce intraoperative blood loss.

Synergistic effects of cyclic strain and Th1-like cytokines on tenascin-C production by rheumatic aortic valve interstitial cells

Tenascin-C (TN-C) is a key component of extracellular matrix (ECM) and its expression process is poorly understood during rheumatic heart valvular disease (RHVD). In this study, we found that interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and TN-C concentrations in patients with RHVD were significantly higher than in normal controls. More IFN-gamma receptors and TNF receptors were found being expressed on rheumatic aortic valves interstitial cells than on non-rheumatic ones and their expression was patients' sera dependent. Antibodies neutralizing IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha could attenuate patients' sera-induced TN-C transcription by isolated rheumatic aortic valves interstitial cells. By application with different protein kinase inhibitors, we found that combined with cyclic strain, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma induced TN-C transcription through the RhoA/ROCK signalling pathway. At the same time, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase was involved in TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma induced TN-C transcription. TNF-alpha also increased TN-C mRNA level by additional PKC and ERK 1/2 activation. Our finding revealed a new insight into ECM remodelling during RHVD pathogenesis and new mechanisms involved in the clinical anti-IFN-gamma and anti-TNF-alpha therapy.

Molecular mapping of leaf rust resistance gene LrZH84 in Chinese wheat line Zhou 8425B

Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina, is one of the most widespread diseases in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. With the objective of identifying and mapping new genes for resistance to leaf rust, F(1), F(2) plants and F(3) lines from a cross between resistant line Zhou 8425B and susceptible line Chinese Spring were inoculated with Chinese P. triticina races THTT and MBHP in the greenhouse. A total of 793 pairs of SSR primers were used to test the parents and resistant and susceptible bulks. Seven polymorphic chromosome 1B markers were used for genotyping the F(2) and F(3) populations. Zhou 8425B carried a single dominant resistance gene, temporarily designated LrZH84, linked to SSR markers gwm582 and barc8 with genetic distances of 3.9 and 5.2 cM, respectively. The Xbarc8 allele co-segregated with Lr26 in the F(3) population. The Xgwm582 allele associated with LrZH84 was identified as a leaf rust resistance gene and shown to be present in the Predgornaia 2 parent of Zhou 8425B. The seedling reaction pattern of LrZH84 was different from those of lines with Lr26, Lr33, Lr44 and Lr46, all of which are located in chromosome 1B. It was concluded that LrZH84 is likely to be a new leaf rust resistance gene.

Seedling and Slow Rusting Resistance to Stripe Rust in Chinese Common Wheats

Identification of seedling and slow stripe rust resistance genes is important for gene pyramiding, gene deployment, and developing slow-rusting wheat cultivars to control the disease. A total of 98 Chinese lines were inoculated with 26 pathotypes of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici for postulation of stripe rust resistance genes effective at the seedling stage. A total of 135 wheat lines were planted at two locations to characterize their slow rusting responses to stripe rust in the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 cropping seasons. Genes Yr2, Yr3a, Yr4a, Yr6, Yr7, Yr9, Yr26, Yr27, and YrSD, either singly or in combinations, were postulated in 72 lines, whereas known resistance genes were not identified in the other 26 accessions. The resistance genes Yr9 and Yr26 were found in 42 and 19 accessions, respectively. Yr3a and Yr4a were detected in two lines, and four lines may contain Yr6. Three lines were postulated to possess YrSD, one carried Yr27, and one may possess Yr7. Thirty-three lines showed slow stripe rusting resistance at two locations in both seasons.

Molecular mapping of stripe rust resistance gene YrCH42 in Chinese wheat cultivar Chuanmai 42 and its allelism with Yr24 and Yr26

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (PST), is one of the most devastating diseases in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. The objectives of this study were to map a stripe rust resistance gene in Chinese wheat cultivar Chuanmai 42 using molecular markers and to investigate its allelism with Yr24 and Yr26. A total of 787 F2 plants and 186 F3 lines derived from a cross between resistant cultivar Chuanmai 42 and susceptible line Taichung 29 were used for resistance gene tagging. Also 197 F2 plants from the cross Chuanmai 42xYr24/3*Avocet S and 726 F2 plants from Chuanmai 42xYr26/3*Avocet S were employed for allelic test of the resistance genes. In all, 819 pairs of wheat SSR primers were used to test the two parents, as well as resistant and susceptible bulks. Subsequently, nine polymorphic markers were employed for genotyping the F2 and F3 populations. Results indicated that the stripe rust resistance in Chuanmai 42 was conferred by a single dominant gene, temporarily designated YrCH42, located close to the centromere of chromosome 1B and flanked by nine SSR markers Xwmc626, Xgwm273, Xgwm11, Xgwm18, Xbarc137, Xbarc187, Xgwm498, Xbarc240 and Xwmc216. The resistance gene was closely linked to Xgwm498 and Xbarc187 with genetic distances of 1.6 and 2.3 cM, respectively. The seedling tests with 26 PST isolates and allelic tests indicated that YrCH42, Yr24 and Yr26 are likely to be the same gene.

Molecular tagging of stripe rust resistance gene YrZH84 in Chinese wheat line Zhou 8425B

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (PST), is one of the most damaging diseases in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). With the objective of identifying and tagging new genes for resistance to stripe rust, F1, F2 and F3 populations from the cross Zhou 8425B/Chinese Spring were inoculated with Chinese PST isolate CYR32 in the greenhouse. A total of 790 SSR primers were used to test the parents and resistant and susceptible bulks. The resulting seven polymorphic markers on chromosome 7BL were used for genotyping F2 and F3 populations. Results indicated that Zhou 8425B carries a single dominant resistance gene, temporarily designated YrZH84, closely linked to SSR markers Xcfa2040-7B and Xbarc32-7B with genetic distances of 1.4 and 4.8 cM, respectively. In a seedling test with 25 PST isolates, the reaction patterns of YrZH84 were different from those of lines carrying Yr2 and Yr6. It was concluded that YrZH84 is probably a new stripe rust resistance gene.

Surface modification and functionalization through the self-assembled monolayer and graft polymerization

The modification of a surface at the molecular level with precise control of the building blocks generates an integrated molecular system. This field has progressed rapidly in recent years through the use of self-assembled monolayer (SAM) interfaces. Recent developments on surface-initiated chemical reactions, functionalization, and graft polymerization on SAM interfaces are emphasized in the present review. A number of surface modifications by grafting are reviewed. The grafting of polyaniline on a glass surface, previously modified with a silane self-assembled monolayer (SAM), is examined in detail for both planar and 3-D systems, such as fibers, nanoparticles, and even polymer patterned surfaces. We also discuss the graft polymerization of water-soluble polymers on the surface of silicon nanoparticles, which generate stable aqueous colloidal solutions and have numerous applications. Finally, we compare and review some surface-modification techniques on the surfaces of polymers, such as two-solvent entrapment, polymer blending, and chemical grafting, which improve their biocompatibility.