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Abstract To study the basic mechanical behavior and the reloading reinforcement characteristics of fractured coal, conventional triaxial loading tests with different fissure angle were first carried out. On this basis, conventional triaxial loading and unloading tests were conducted to investigate the reloading reinforcement characteristics of fractured coal. The results reveal that when the fissure angle was small, the stress–strain curve exhibited the multi-peak phenomena. As the fissure angle increased, the stress drop phenomenon in the peak region was weakened. With the increase of the fissure angle, the peak stress of the specimens increased and then decreased, while the elastic modulus showed an overall increasing trend, demonstrating the controlling effect of the crack angle. Meanwhile, the cyclic loading exhibited a certain enhancement effect on the strength of the fractured coals when the specimens was unloaded near the crack closure stress. The findings can provide a better understanding of the failure mechanism and reloading reinforcement characteristics of fractured coal.

ObjectiveThe homeostasis of the immune system is influenced by the gut microbiota. Previous studies have reported dysbiosis in the gut microbiota of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. To investigate potential alterations in gut microbiota and metabolites in newly diagnosed and untreated MG patients, we conducted a case-control study.MethodsFecal samples were collected from 11 newly diagnosed and untreated MG patients as well as 11 age-and sex-matched healthy controls. These samples underwent analysis for gut microbiota using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, while fecal metabolome was analyzed using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry system (LC-ESI-MS/MS).ResultsThe microbial community richness (observed species) and diversity (Shannon and Simpson indices) were significantly lower in the MG group compared to the control group. Microbiota composition analysis revealed significant differences between the MG and control groups at phylum, family, and genus levels. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis showed a substantial decrease in abundance of the genus Faecalibacterium within the MG group. Fecal metabolome analysis identified three up-regulated metabolites involved in amino acid metabolism (taurine, creatinine, L-carnitine), one up-regulated metabolite involved in lipid metabolism (oleic acid), with correlation analysis indicating a positive association between Faecalibacterium abundance and creatinine levels.ConclusionOur findings suggest that dysbiosis already exists in newly diagnosed and untreated MG patients, implying that dysbiosis within the gut microbiota may be an initiating factor contributing to MG pathogenesis. Furthermore, F. prausnitzii may hold promise as a probiotic for treating MG.

Objective To explore the association of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs228942, rs228941 and rs743777) in interleukin-2 receptor β subunit (IL-2Rβ) gene with the susceptibility and severity of myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods There were 480 MG patients and 487 normal controls enrolled in this study, and their three SNPs (rs228942, rs228941 and rs743777) in IL - 2Rβ gene were evaluated through SNPscanTM technique. Subgroups were classified by gender, age of onset, anti - acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR-Ab), thymus status, maximal involvement after 2 years of onset and maximal Oosterhuis score. Frequencies of alleles and genotypes were compared between MG group and control group, between MG subgroups and control group, and among subgroups under codominant, log - additive and overdominant models. Results The frequency of T allele of rs228942 in MG group was significantly higher than that in control group (χ2 = 4.692, P = 0.030, OR = 1.242, 95%CI: 1.021-1.511). There was significant difference in the frequency of rs228942 genotype between MG group and control group under log-additive model (P = 0.036, OR = 1.230, 95%CI: 1.010-1.480). The rs278942/rs228941 GT haplotype frequency in MG group was higher than that in control group (χ2 = 4.286, P = 0.038), while GG haplotype frequency in MG group was lower than that in control group ( χ2 = 5.333, P = 0.021). The frequencies of T allele of rs228942 was significantly higher in MG subgroups of onset age 15-50 years (χ2 = 7.474, P = 0.006, OR = 1.380, 95%CI: 1.095-1.740), non-thymoma (χ2 = 4.700, P = 0.030, OR = 1.261, 95%CI: 1.022-1.555) and maximal generalized involvement ( χ2 = 4.715, P = 0.030, OR = 1.287, 95% CI:1.025-1.617) than those in control group. Multivariate forward Logistic regression analysis found that onset age 15-50 years (OR = 9.026, 95%CI: 4.225-19.284; P = 0.000), onset age > 50 years (OR = 9.956, 95%CI:4.475-22.149; P = 0.000), thymoma (OR = 2.578, 95%CI: 1.393-4.773; P = 0.003) and positive AChR-Ab (OR = 1.946, 95%CI: 1.179-3.214; P = 0.009) were the independent risk factors for maximal involvement, while genotypes were not. Conclusions The rs228942 polymorphisms of IL-2Rβ gene may be associated with the susceptibility of MG, but not with the severity of MG. The rs228941 and rs743777 polymorphisms were not found to be associated with the susceptibility and severity of MG. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2016.10.006

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a potent growth and differentiation factor for B cells which play a vital role in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG). IL-4 exerts its function by binding to three types of IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) complexes. IL-4Rα is the key component of the IL-4R complex. We hypothesize that polymorphism of IL-4Rα gene may be associated with the susceptibility and severity of MG. A Chinese cohort of 480 MG patients and 487 healthy controls were recruited. Polymorphisms of IL-4Rα gene were determined with SNPscan™ methods and compared between MG and control groups, as well as among MG subgroups. Rs2107356 and rs1805010 were found to be associated with adult thymoma associated MG, and rs1801275 was found to be associated with adult non-thymoma AChR-Ab positive MG. We did not found association between IL-4Rα polymorphism and the severity of MG. Genetic variations of IL-4Rα were found associated with the susceptibility of MG in Chinese Han population.

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Introduction: The acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who are not ready to quit smoking immediately have an extremely low rate of cessation. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of intensive personalized '5As+5Rs'intervention (IPANR intervention) on smoking cessation in this population.Methods: A parallel-group randomized controlled trial was carried out, which compared IPANR intervention with routine 5Rs (control) at Fu Xing Hospital, Capital Medical University, Bei Jing, China. Three hundred and twenty hospitalized ACS smokers who were not ready to quit were randomly distributed to IPANR intervention group comprising three individual counseling during hospitalization and 15 intensive follow-up sessions (weekly during months 1, 2, 3, and monthly thereafter until month 6) or 5Rs group in a 1:1 fashion by 8 cardiologists who were blinded to the allocation sequence. Primary end point was carbon monoxide-confirmed continuous abstinence rate (CAR) through week 9 to week 12. Secondary outcome included abstinence rate at 24 weeks.Results: Overall, 97.5% (312/320) participants completed the trial. An intention-to-treat analysis showed statistically significant advantage of IPANR compared with control group at 4 weeks CAR (27.5% vs. 17.5%, RR = 1.571, 95% CI = 1.032-2.392, p = 0.032, number needed to treat (NNT) = 10), and abstinence rate at 24 weeks (23.8% vs.15.0%, RR 1.583, 95% CI = 0.998-2.512, p = 0.048, NNT: 11.36). At 24 weeks, cigarettes smoked per day by the patients who failed to quit were significant lower in IPANR group than 5Rs group (13.21 ± 8.23 vs. 17.45 ± 10.71; p < 0.001).Conclusions: The IPANR initiated during hospitalization, is a feasible and effective approach for smoking cessation in ACS patients not ready to quit immediately.Implications: Smoking has a major impact on acute stages of ACS for recurrent ischemic events and long-term outcomes. However, there are few evidence-based treatments for smokers who are not ready to quit. This study described a cessation intervention initiated during hospitalization and included 15 intensive follow-up aimed at enabling ACS smokers who were not ready to quit immediately to deliver adequate motivational and behavior change counseling. Given its effectiveness demonstrated in this prospective study, this intervention in hospitalized ACS smokers might have the potential to substantially improve the cessation rate of ACS patients who are not ready to quit smoking immediately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of polysaccharide (BRP) from the root of Bupleurum Chinese DC. and Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. on cardiomyocyte cells. Methods: Response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was performed to optimize the extraction conditions for BRP. The effect of BRP on cardiomyocyte cell apoptosis was evaluated in H9c2 cells treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay, while oxidative stress levels in H9c2 cells, including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and creatine kinase (CK) were determined using commercial kits following the manufacture's instruction. mRNA expressions (caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9 and Fas) were determined by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: The obtained optimal extraction conditions for BRP was as follows: extraction time (1.43 h), ratio of water to the raw material (30 mL/g) and extraction times (2 times). BRP (200, 400, 600 and 800 µg/mL) significantly increased the cell viability of H2O2 induced H9c2 cells (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, respectively). BRP (200, 400 and 800 µg/mL) significantly decreased LDH and CK levels (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, respectively). However, BRP increased levels of SOD (200, 400 and 800 µg/mL, p < 0.05) and CAT (400 and 800 µg/mL, p < 0.05) in H9c2 cells. BRP significantly downregulated mRNA expressions of Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9 and Fas (200, 400 and 800 µg/mL, p < 0.01) in H9c2 cells induced by H2O2. Conclusion: BRP protects cardiomyocyte against apoptosis via inhibition of oxidative stress and mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis, and thus, may be potential therapeutic agent for the management of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]