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Abstract As the primary variable load of bridges, vehicle load is an important parameter for bridge health monitoring. However, traditional Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) systems and the commonly used method of placing sensors on the bridge are challenging to apply in load monitoring for many small and medium-sized bridges. Therefore, this paper proposes a bridge vehicle load identification method based on traffic surveillance video data. Leveraging the surveillance video data on the bridge, without introducing additional hardware devices, the displacement of target points is detected through sub-pixel level image detection algorithms, enabling non-contact measurement of bridge structural response through imaging. A spatiotemporal relationship model of structural displacement, vehicle load, and load distribution is established to solve for vehicle load. Finally, model bridge tests under various loading conditions and engineering practice experiments are conducted to validate the feasibility of the method. The results of the model bridge tests show that the structural displacement measured using traffic video measurement has a deviation of less than 10% compared to the measurements obtained using contact displacement sensors (LVDT), and it can accurately reflect the displacement characteristics of the structure. The results of the field tests demonstrate that the average estimation deviation for heavy vehicle loads ranging from 12 to 18 tons is approximately 18%, meeting the engineering requirements. The proposed method can provide load statistical information for the extensive health monitoring of small and medium-sized bridges and offer a new technical pathway for obtaining bridge load information.

Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) leads to an increasing incidence of liver injury year by year, and patients are at a significantly higher risk of developing cirrhosis or even liver failure. No drugs have emerged to specifically treat this disease. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms and causative hub genes of type 2 diabetes combined with MASLD. The data were obtained through the GEO platform for bioinformatics analysis and validated by in vitro experiments to find the causative targets of type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with MASLD, which will provide some theoretical basis for the development of future therapeutic drugs. GSE23343 and GSE49541 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with MASLD for functional enrichment analysis. And STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to construct Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) and hub gene networks. And GO (gene ontology, GO) analysis and KEGG (Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes, KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed on target genes. A total of 185 co-expressed DEGs were obtained by differential analysis, and 20 key genes involved in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes were finally screened. These 20 key genes were involved in 529 GO enrichment results and 20 KEGG enrichment results, and were mainly associated with ECM–receptor interaction, Focal adhesion, Human papillomavirus infection, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. A total of two target genes (SPP1, collagen IV) were found to be highly correlated with type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with MASLD. Real time PCR results showed that there was a significant difference in SPP1 and collagen IV mRNA expression among the three groups (P

AIM: To observe the imaging characteristics of the affected eyes of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy(CSC)of different ages and their asymptomatic fellow eyes.METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 76 cases(88 eyes)of CSC patients diagnosed in the ophthalmology department of our hospital from April to September, 2023 and 35 cases(35 eyes of asymptomatic fellow eyes of patients with unilateral CSC)were selected for the study. According to age, they were divided into young and middle-aged groups(50 years old). The imaging features of the affected eyes of CSC patients of different ages and their asymptomatic fellow eyes were observed.RESULTS: The subfoveal choroidal thickness(SFCT)of CSC eyes in the young and middle-aged patients(487.30±83.33 μm)was significantly greater than that of the middle-aged group(414.17±96.02 μm, P

Increased astrocytic lactoferrin (Lf) expression was observed in the brains of elderly individuals and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Our previous study revealed that astrocytic Lf overexpression improved cognitive capacity by facilitating Lf secretion to neurons to inhibit β-amyloid protein (Aβ) production in APP/PS1 mice. Here, we further discovered that astrocytic Lf overexpression inhibited neuronal loss by decreasing iron accumulation and increasing glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression in neurons within APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, human Lf (hLf) treatment inhibited ammonium ferric citrate (FAC)-induced ferroptosis by chelating intracellular iron. Additionally, machine learning analysis uncovered a correlation between Lf and GPX4. hLf treatment boosted low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) internalization and facilitated its interaction with heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70), thereby inhibiting HSC70 binds to GPX4, and eventually attenuating GPX4 degradation and FAC-induced ferroptosis. Overall, astrocytic Lf overexpression inhibited neuronal ferroptosis through two pathways: reducing intracellular iron accumulation and promoting GPX4 expression via inhibiting chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA)-mediated GPX4 degradation. Hence, upregulating astrocytic Lf expression is a promising strategy for combating AD.

Abstract Background Food systems instantiate the complex interdependencies across humans, physical environments, and other organisms. Applying One Health approaches for agri-food system transformation, which adopts integrated and unifying approaches to optimize the overall health of humans, animals, plants, and environments, is crucial to enhance the sustainability of food systems. This study develops a potential assessment tool, named the global One Health index-Food Security (GOHI-FS), aiming to evaluate food security performance across countries/territories from One Health perspective and identify relevant gaps that need to be improved for sustainable food systems. Methods We comprehensively reviewed existing frameworks and elements of food security. The indicator framework of GOHI-FS was conceptualized following the structure-process-outcome model and confirmed by expert advisory. Publicly available data in 2020 was collected for each indicator. The weighting strategy was determined by the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process. The data for each indicator was normalized and aggregated by weighted arithmetic mean. Linear regressions were performed to evaluate the associations of GOHI-FS with health and social-economic indicators. Results The GOHI-FS includes 5 first-level indicators, 19 second-level indicators and 45 third-level indicators. There were 146 countries/territories enrolled for evaluation. The highest average score of first-level indicators was Nutrition (69.8) and the lowest was Government Support and Response (31.3). There was regional heterogeneity of GOHI-FS scores. Higher median scores with interquartile range (IQR) were shown in North America (median: 76.1, IQR: 75.5–76.7), followed by Europe and Central Asia (median: 66.9, IQR: 60.1–74.3), East Asia and the Pacific (median: 60.6, IQR: 55.5–68.7), Latin America and the Caribbean (median: 60.2, IQR: 57.8–65.0), Middle East and North Africa (median: 56.6, IQR: 52.0–62.8), South Asia (median: 51.1, IQR: 46.7–53.8), and sub-Saharan Africa (median: 41.4, IQR: 37.2–46.5). We also found significant associations between GOHI-FS and GDP per capita, socio-demographic index, health expenditure and life expectancy. Conclusions GOHI-FS is a potential assessment tool to understand the gaps in food security across countries/territories under the One Health concept. The pilot findings suggest notable gaps for sub-Saharan Africa in numerous aspects. Broad actions are needed globally to promote government support and response for food security.

Activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) contributes to energy dissipation and metabolic health. Although mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists have been demonstrated to improve metabolism under obesity, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We aimed to evaluate the role of BAT MR in metabolic regulation. After 8 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding, BAT MR KO (BMRKO) mice manifested significantly increased bodyweight, fat mass, serum fasting glucose, and impaired glucose homeostasis compared with littermate control (LC) mice, although insulin resistance and fasting serum insulin were not significantly changed. Metabolic cage experiments showed no change in O2 consumption, CO2 production, or energy expenditure in obese BMRKO mice. RNA sequencing analysis revealed downregulation of genes related to fatty acid metabolism in BAT of BMRKO-HFD mice compared with LC-HFD mice. Moreover, H&E and immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that BMRKO exacerbated HFD-induced macrophage infiltration and proinflammatory genes in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). BMRKO-HFD mice also manifested significantly increased liver weights and hepatic lipid accumulation, an increasing trend of genes related to lipogenesis and lipid uptake, and significantly decreased genes related to lipolytic and fatty acid oxidation in the liver. Finally, the level of insulin-induced AKT phosphorylation was substantially blunted in eWAT but not liver or skeletal muscle of BMRKO-HFD mice compared with LC-HFD mice. These data suggest that BAT MR is required to maintain metabolic homeostasis, likely through its regulation of fatty acid metabolism in BAT and impacts on eWAT and liver.

IntroductionLow temperature is the most common method used to maintain the freshness of Phlebopus portentosus during long-distance transportation. However, there is no information regarding the nutritional changes that occur in P. portentosus preserved postharvest in low temperature.MethodsIn this study, the changes in flavor quality and bioactive components in fruiting bodies stored at 4 °C for different storage periods were determined through LC/MS and GC/MS analyses. Sampling was performed at 0, 3, 5, 7, and 13 days storage.Results and DiscussionBased on the results, the metabolites present in caps and stipes were different at the same period and significantly different after 7 days of storage. A total of 583 and 500 different metabolites were detected in caps and stipes, respectively, and were mainly lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, organic oxygen compounds and others. Except for prenol lipids and nucleotides, the expression levels of most metabolites increased with longer storage time. In addition, geosmin was identified as the major contributor to earthy-musty odors, and the level of geosmin was increased when the storage time was short.ConclusionThe variations in these metabolites might cause changes in flavor quality and bioactive components in P. portentosus. Variations in these metabolites were thoroughly analyzed, and the results revealed how storage processes affect the postharvest quality of P. portentosus for the first time.

BackgroundCytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) is the standard treatment for patients with peritoneal cancer (PC). Following CRS-HIPEC, patients may also face risks caused by whole body hyperthermia. This study analyzed the incidence of temperature increases following CRS-HIPEC and identified the attendant risk factors.MethodsA retrospective analysis was carried out among 458 patients who received CRS-HIPEC at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between August 2018 and January 2021. The patients were divided into two groups according to post-HIPEC axillary temperature (≥38°C), with the demographics and the laboratory test results subsequently analyzed and compared, and the risk factors pertaining to temperature increases analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.ResultsDuring CRS-HIPEC, 32.5% (149/458) of the patients with a temperature increase had an axillary temperature of not lower than 38°C, and 8.5% (39/458) of the patients with hyperpyrexia had an axillary temperature of not lower than 39°C. Female gender, gynecological malignancies, type of chemotherapy drug, increased postoperative neutrophil percentage, and a sharp drop in postoperative prealbumin were associated with the incidence of a temperature increase and axillary temperatures of >38°C. Among these factors, the type of chemotherapy drug was identified as an independent risk factor for a temperature increase during CRS-HIPEC.ConclusionBy determining the risk factors pertaining to temperature increases during CRS-HIPEC, medical staff can identify the attendant risks among the patients and thus take preventive measures in a timely manner to maintain the patient’s body temperature at a stable level. This suggests that further clinical research should be conducted to build a risk-prediction model for temperature increases following CRS-HIPEC.

Profiling intestinal gases and their responses to dietary changes can reveal the products and functions of the gut microbiota and their influence on human health. High-fat foods (HFF) can alter the gut microbiota and its metabolites, posing a potential health risk. However, little is known about the effects of HFF on intestinal gas distribution. Therefore, in this study, we used human fecal microorganisms as strains, an in vitro three-chamber colon model and an intestinal gas array sensor as tools. We performed in vitro fermentation using HFF as the fermentation substrate to reveal the effects of HFF on the kinetics of intestinal gas production and changes in the gut microbiota and its metabolites. We found that dietary fatty acids stimulated the production of H2S and volatile organic compounds in the colon, promoted Firmicutes abundance, and decreased Bacteroidetes abundance. These results highlight the potential role of HFF in altering the gut microbiota and intestinal gas, which can lead to health hazards.

Low-gluten rice is part of a special diet for chronic kidney disease patients, but its digestive mechanism in the gastrointestinal tract is unclear. In this study, low-gluten rice (LGR), common rice (CR), and rice starch (RS) were used as experimental samples, and their digestion and bacterial fermentation were simulated using an in vitro gastrointestinal reactor to investigate the mechanism of the effect of LGR on human health. The starch digestibility of CR was higher than that of LGR, with statistically significant differences. LGR has growth-promoting and metabolic effects on Akkermansia muciniphila. Among the beneficial metabolites, the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from LGR reached 104.85 mmol/L, an increase of 44.94% (versus RS) and 25.33% (versus CR). Moreover, the concentration of lactic acid reached 18.19 mmol/L, an increase of 60.55% (versus RS) and 25.28% (versus CR). Among the harmful metabolites, the concentration of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) in LGR was 0.29 mmol/L and the concentration of ammonia was 2.60 mmol/L, which was 79.31% and 16.15% lower than CR, respectively. A significant increase in the concentration of the beneficial intestinal bacteria Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium occurred from LGR. The 16s rDNA sequencing showed that the abundance of the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes increased and the abundance of the Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria decreased. Thus, LGR has positive effects on digestion and gut microbiota structure and metabolism in humans.

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1672⁃6731.2020.06.016

Abstract Background To evaluate the impact of follicle-flushing during oocyte collection on embryo development potential retrospectively. Methods A total of 1714 cases, including 133 who experienced retrieval difficulty (repeated follicle-flushing) on the day of oocyte retrieval (difficulty group) and the control 1581 cases (control group), were assessed in this retrospective study. The number of oocytes recovered, two pro-nuclei fertilization (2PN-fertilization), day 3 good-quality embryo and day 5/6 blastocyst utilization rates were compared between the difficulty group and control group correspondingly. Embryo implantation, clinical pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were further analyzed between the two groups in the fresh day− 3 embryo transfer cycles. Results The number of oocytes recovered in the difficulty group (9.08 ± 4.65) were significantly reduced compared with the control group (12.13 ± 5.27),P

Background:Rhodiola rosea L. has long been used as traditional medicines in Europe and Asia to treat a variety of common conditions and diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, cognitive dysfunctions, cancer, and stroke. Previous studies reported that Rhodiola rosea L. and its components (RRC) improve ischemia stroke in animal models. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis for preclinical studies to evaluate the effects of RRC and the probable neuroprotective mechanisms in ischemic stroke.Methods: Studies of RRC on ischemic stroke animal models were searched in seven databases from inception to Oct 2021. The primary measured outcomes included the neural functional deficit score (NFS), infarct volume (IV), brain water content, cell viability, apoptotic cells, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) level and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level. The secondary outcome measures were possible mechanisms of RRC for ischemic stroke. All the data were analyzed via RevMan version 5.3.Results: 15 studies involving 345 animals were identified. Methodological quality for each included studies was accessed according to the CAMARADES 10-item checklist. The quality score of studies range from 1 to 7, and the median was 5.53. Pooled preclinical data showed that compared with the controls, RRC could improve NFS (Zea Longa (p < 0.01), modified neurological severity score (mNSS) (p < 0.01), rotarod tests (p < 0.01), IV (p < 0.01), as well as brain edema (p < 0.01). It also can increase cell viability (p < 0.01), Bcl-2 level (p < 0.01) and reduce TNF-α level (p < 0.01), TUNEL-positive cells (p < 0.01), apoptotic cells (p < 0.01).Conclusion: The findings suggested that RRC can improve ischemia stroke. The possible mechanisms of RRC are largely through antioxidant, anti-apoptosis activities, anti-inflammatory, repressing lipid peroxidation, antigliosis, and alleviating the pathological blood brain barrier damage.

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) have been proved to play pivotal roles in a variety types of tumors. However, there is no convincible evidence disclosing the functions of RBPs in thyroid cancer (THCA) thoroughly and systematically. Integrated analysis of the functional and prognostic effect of RBPs help better understanding tumorigenesis and development in thyroid and may provide a novel therapeutic method for THCA. In this study, we obtained a list of human RBPs from Gerstberger database, which covered 1,542 genes encoding RBPs. Gene expression data of THCA was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 567), from which we extracted 1,491 RBPs’ gene expression data. We analyzed differentially expressed RBPs using R package “limma”. Based on differentially expressed RBPs, we constructed protein-protein interaction network and the GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were carried out. We found six RBPs (AZGP1, IGF2BP2, MEX3A, NUDT16, NUP153, USB1) independently associated with prognosis of patients with thyroid cancer according to univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. The survival analysis and risk score analysis achieved good performances from this six-gene prognostic model. Nomogram was constructed to guide clinical decision in practice. Finally, biological experiments disclosed that NUP153 and USB1 can significantly impact cancer cell proliferation and migration. In conclusion, our research provided a new insight of thyroid tumorigenesis and development based on analyses of RBPs. More importantly, the six-gene model may play an important role in clinical practice in the future.

AIM: To investigate the effects of posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) in the treatment of pathological myopia. METHODS: The study included 52 eyes in 43 patients with pathological myopia who underwent PSR (PSR group), and 52 eyes in 36 age- and myopia-matched patients who did not undergo such treatment as control group. Axial length, refraction error, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and macular scans by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were recorded at baseline, 6mo, 1, 3 and 5y after the surgery, and the complications were noted. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in axial length, refractive error, or BCVA between the PSR group and the control group at baseline. At the end of the follow-up, the mean axial length was 29.79±1.26 mm in the PSR group, which was significantly shorter than that in the control group (30.78±1.30 mm) (P＜0.01), and the mean refractive error was -16.86±2.53 D in the PSR group, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (-19.18±2.12 D) (P＜0.01). A statistically significant difference in BCVA was found between the PSR group (0.51 ±0.25 logMAR) and the control group (0.62 ±0.26 logMAR) at the postoperative 5-year follow-up (P＜0.01). There were no serious complications during the 5-year follow-up period. CONCLUSION: PSR can prevent axial elongation and myopia progression in eyes with pathological myopia.

AIM: To investigate the effects of posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) combined with vitrectomy for myopic foveoschisis. METHODS: Thirty-nine highly myopic eyes of 39 patients with myopic foveoschisis underwent PSR combined with vitrectomy. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction error, and the foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were recorded before and after the surgery, and complications were noted. RESULTS: The follow-up period was 12mo, and the main focus was on the results of the 12-month follow-up visit. The mean preoperative BCVA was 0.96±0.43 logMAR. At the final follow-up visit, the mean BCVA was 0.46±0.28 logMAR, which significantly improved compared with the preoperative one (P=0.003). The BCVA improved in 33 eyes (84.62%), and unchanged in 6 eyes (15.38%). At the end of follow-up, the mean refractive error was -15.13±2.55 D, and the improvement was significantly compared with the preoperative one (-17.53±4.51 D) (P=0.002). Twelve months after surgery, OCT showed complete resolution of the myopic foveoschisis and a reat¬tachment of the fovea in 37 eyes (94.87%) and partial resolution in the remained two eyes (5.13%). The foveal thickness was obviously reduced at 12-month follow-up visit (196.45±36.35 μm) compared with the preoperative one (389.32±75.56 μm) (P=0.002). There were no serious complications during the 12mo follow-up period. CONCLUSION: PSR combined with vitrectomy is a safe and effective procedure for myopic foveoschisis with both visual and anatomic improvement.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy on Parkinson's disease (PD) using Meta-analysis. Methods Taking transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS, Parkinson's disease or PD and randomized controlled trial as retrival words, search related articles during 1999 to 2013 from databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, VIP, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Intrastructure (CNKI). Finally 16 articles (4 in Chinese and 12 in English) were included for Meta-analysis according to high-frequency stimulation (HFS > 1 Hz) and low-frequency stimulation (LFS ≤ 1 Hz) respectively. Results A total pf 455 PD patients were enrolled and divided into TMS group (N = 236) and control group (N = 219). After HFS and LFS therapies, the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score in TMS group was significantly different from control group (WMD = -5.010, 95%CI: -7.370— -2.650, P = 0.000; WMD = -6.140, 95%CI: -8.750— -3.530, P = 0.000). After HFS therapy, the UPDRS Ⅲ motor (WMD = -4.380, 95%CI: -8.260— -0.500; P = 0.003) and activities of daily living (ADL) scores (WMD = -3.740, 95%CI: -4.660— -2.820; P = 0.000) in TMS group were significantly different from that in control group. There were no significant differences in UPDRS Ⅲ motor score with LFS therapy (WMD = -2.160, 95%CI: -5.010— -0.690; P = 0.370) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score with HFS therapy between 2 groups (WMD = 0.260, 95%CI: -0.660—1.180; P = 0.580). Conclusions Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy can ameliorate partial symptoms of Parkinson's disease for enhancing the quality of life, however, the improvement for mental disability was not found. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2015.04.010

Background: Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a refractory glaucoma. The management of NVG is very difficult, and it is more difficult when combined with vitreous hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ranibizumab plus combined surgery for NVG with vitreous hemorrhage. Methods: A total of 26 eyes of 26 NVG patients with vitreous hemorrhage were recruited in this study. The patients aged from 36 to 63 years with a mean age of 51.97 ± 7.60 years. The mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was 46.38 ± 5.75 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) while being treated with the maximum medical therapy. The mean best-corrected visual acuities converted to logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR BCVA) was 2.62 ± 0.43. All the patients underwent intravitreal injection of 0.5 mg (0.05 ml) ranibizumab combined with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), pars plana lensectomy (PPL) with a preserved anterior capsule, panretinal photocoagulation (PRP), and trabeculectomy (intravitreal ranibizumab [IVR] + PPV + PPL + PRP + trabeculectomy). The IOP and logMAR BCVA were the main outcome measures in this study. Results: The follow-up period was 12 months. The mean postoperative IOPs were 26.38 ± 3.75 mmHg, 21.36 ± 3.32 mmHg, 18.57 ± 3.21 mmHg, and 16.68 ± 2.96 mmHg, respectively at 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 12 months after PPV + PPL + PRP + trabeculectomy. At the last follow-up, the mean IOP was significantly lower than the preoperative one (t = 6.612, P = 0.001). At 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 12 months after PPV + PPL + PRP + trabeculectomy, the mean logMAR BCVA were 1.30 ± 0.36, 1.29 ± 0.37, 1.29 ± 0.39, and 1.26 ± 0.29, respectively. At the last follow-up, the mean logMAR BCVA was significantly improved, and the difference was statistically significant compared with preoperative one (t = 6.133, P = 0.002). The logMAR BCVA improved in 22 eyes (84.62%), and remained stable in 4 eyes (15.38%). The neovascularization in the iris and the angle regressed significantly in all patients 7 days after ranibizumab injection. No serious complications occurred during 12 months of the study. Conclusions: IVR + PPV + PPL + PRP + trabeculectomy can control IOP well and improve BCVA without severe complication for NVG patients with vitreous hemorrhage.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) uncommonly metastasizes to the gingiva, which always means a poor outcome. We reported a rare HCC case with multiple metastases to gingiva, lungs, and brain. A 60-year-old man was initially diagnosed as HCC with metastases to double lungs. He was subjected to a transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) (5-fluorouracil, 750 mg) and two cycles of intravenous chemotherapy (gemcitabine 1.8 g at days 1 and 8, oxaliplatin 200 mg at day 2, every 4 weeks). However, the volume of liver tumor still increased. A bean-size gingival nodule growing with occasional bleeding was also found. TACE (5-fluorouracil 750 mg, perarubicin 40 mg, cisplatin 20 mg) was performed again and an oral sorafenib therapy (400 mg, twice per day) was adopted. The disease maintained relatively stable for about 6 months until a second obvious progress. The gingival nodule was then palliatively excised and identified as a poorly differentiated metastatic HCC by histopathological examination. Best supportive treatments were made since the performance score was too bad. Finally, cerebral metastases occurred and the patient died of systemic failure. Upon review of previous reports, we discussed risk factors, clinical and pathological characteristics, treatments, and prognosis of gingival metastasis by HCC.

The soy sauce samples established a model for its flavour quality evaluation. Initially, 39 types of flavour compounds, organic acids and free amino acids in six different types of soy sauce were identified and determined by HS-SPME GC/MS and HPLC. The model was developed based on the principal component analysis method for assessing and ranking of flavour quality of soy sauce. Using the principal component analysis which simplifies complex information, our correlative evaluation model was established, tested by comparing the traditional sensory evaluation method, providing a new methodology for objective evaluation of the flavour quality of soy sauce.

Proteinase inhibitors play an important role in plant resistance of insects and pathogens. In this study, we characterized the serine proteinase inhibitor SaPIN2b, which is constitutively expressed in Solanum americanum trichomes and contains two conserved motifs of the proteinase inhibitor II (PIN2) family. The recombinant SaPIN2b (rSaPIN2b), which was expressed in Escherichia coli, was demonstrated to be a potent proteinase inhibitor against a panel of serine proteinases, including subtilisin A, chymotrypsin and trypsin. Moreover, rSaPIN2b also effectively inhibited the proteinase activities of midgut trypsin-like proteinases that were extracted from the devastating pest Helicoverpa armigera. Furthermore, the overexpression of SaPIN2b in transgenic tobacco plants resulted in enhanced resistance against H. armigera. Taken together, our results demonstrated that SaPIN2b is a potent serine proteinase inhibitor that may act as a protective protein in plant defense against insect attacks.

Transverse sinus stenosis (TSS) is common among patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. No previous studies have reported on double-track sign detected on axial Gd-enhanced T1WI in TSS. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the double-track sign in the detection of TSS.We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 383 patients with transverse sinus thrombosis (TST) and 30 patients with normal transverse sinus from 5 participating hospitals in china from January 2008 to June 2014. 167 feasible transverse sinuses included in this study were categorized into TSS (n = 76), transverse sinus occlusion (TSO) (n = 52) and transverse sinus normal (TSN) groups (n = 39) according to imaging diagnosis on digital subtraction angiography (DSA) or magnetic resonance venography (MRV). Double-track sign on axial Gd-enhanced T1WI was compared among the three groups. Sensitivity and specificity of double-track sign in detection of TSS were calculated, with final imaging diagnosis of TSS on DSA or MRV as the reference standard.Of 383 patients with TST recruited over a 6.5-year period, 128 patients were enrolled in the study, 255 patients were excluded because of insufficient clinical data, imaging finding and delay time, and 30 matched patients with normal transverse sinus were enrolled in the control group. Therefore, double-track sign assessment was conducted in 167 available transverse sinuses of 158 patients. Of the 76 sinuses in TSS group, 51 had double-track sign. Of the other 91 sinuses in TSO and TSN groups, 3 had a false-positive double-track sign. Thus, double-track sign on axial Gd-enhanced T1WI was 67.1% (95% CI 55.3-77.2) sensitive and 96.7% (95% CI 89.9-99.1) specific for detection of TSS.The double-track sign on axial Gd-enhanced T1WI is highly specific and moderate sensitive for detection of TSS. Nevertheless, it could be a direct sign and might provide an early clue for TSS.

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is rare and difficult to treat for its high relapse rate. The authors report a case of PTCL of the skin, regarding which clinical and pathological features, treatment, and prognosis were discussed. A 66-year-old woman was admitted with complaints of enlarging erythematous noduloplaques on the right anterior tibial skin for one year and similar lesions on the left for 6 months. Surgical resection of right leg lesion and biopsy of enlarged inguinal lymph nodes histologically indicated a PTCL of the nasal type. The patient was treated by CHOP plus bortezomib, reached complete remission just after two courses of chemotherapy and then received another two as consolidation. The patient remained in remission for 11 months until local relapse. As for cutaneous lesions, detailed lymph node examination and prompt tissue biopsy are judicious choices prior to any medical management. The chemotherapy consisting of bortezomib and CHOP is safe and efficient in PTCL of the skin.

Biogeography-based optimization (BBO) is a relatively new bioinspired heuristic for global optimization based on the mathematical models of biogeography. By investigating the applicability and performance of BBO for integer programming, we find that the original BBO algorithm does not perform well on a set of benchmark integer programming problems. Thus we modify the mutation operator and/or the neighborhood structure of the algorithm, resulting in three new BBO-based methods, named BlendBBO, BBO_DE, and LBBO_LDE, respectively. Computational experiments show that these methods are competitive approaches to solve integer programming problems, and the LBBO_LDE shows the best performance on the benchmark problems.

Activation of the innate immune system before the invasion of pathogens is a promising way to improve the resistance of plant against infection while reducing the use of agricultural chemicals. Although several elicitors were used to induce the resistance of potato plant to microbial pathogen infection, the role of curdlan oligosaccharide (CurdO) has not been established. In the current study, the defense responses were investigated at biochemical and proteomic levels to elucidate the elicitation effect of CurdOs in foliar tissues of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. McCain G1). The results indicate that the CurdOs exhibit activation effect on the early- and late-defense responses in potato leaves. In addition, glucopentaose was proved to be the shortest active curdlan molecule based on the accumulation of H₂O₂ and salicylic acid and the activities of phenylalanine amino-lyase, β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase. The 2D-PAGE analysis reveals that CurdOs activate the integrated response reactions in potato cells, as a number of proteins with various functions are up-regulated including disease/defense, metabolism, transcription, and cell structure. The pathogenesis assay shows that the ratio of lesion area of potato leaf decreased from 15.82%±5.44% to 7.79%±3.03% when the plants were treated with CurdOs 1 day before the infection of Phytophthora infestans. Furthermore, the results on potato yield and induction reactions indicate that the defense responses induced by CurdOs lasted for short period of time but disappeared gradually.

Mature pepper (Capsicum sp.) fruits come in a variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, brown, and white. To better understand the genetic and regulatory relationships between the yellow fruit phenotype and the capsanthin-capsorubin synthase gene (Ccs), we examined 156 Capsicum varieties, most of which were collected from Northwest Chinese landraces. A new ccs variant was identified in the yellow fruit cultivar CK7. Cluster analysis revealed that CK7, which belongs to the C. annuum species, has low genetic similarity to other yellow C. annuum varieties. In the coding sequence of this ccs allele, we detected a premature stop codon derived from a C to G change, as well as a downstream frame-shift caused by a 1-bp nucleotide deletion. In addition, the expression of the gene was detected in mature CK7 fruit. Furthermore, the promoter sequences of Ccs from some pepper varieties were examined, and we detected a 176-bp tandem repeat sequence in the promoter region. In all C. annuum varieties examined in this study, the repeat number was three, compared with four in two C. chinense accessions. The sequence similarity ranged from 84.8% to 97.7% among the four types of repeats, and some putative cis-elements were also found in every repeat. This suggests that the transcriptional regulation of Ccs expression is complex. Based on the analysis of the novel C. annuum mutation reported here, along with the studies of three mutation types in yellow C. annuum and C. chinense accessions, we suggest that the mechanism leading to the production of yellow color fruit may be not as complex as that leading to orange fruit production.