Search

Remifentanil combined with sevoflurane is a standard protocol for obstetric general anesthesia (GA).In this study, we performed a randomized clinical trial to evaluate whether remifentanil has an effect on the median effective concentration (EC50) of sevoflurane and compare anesthetic outcomes of them in cesarean section with Supreme™ laryngeal mask airway (SLMA) under narcotrend monitoring. Ninety parturients with singleton births undergoing elective cesarean delivery (CD) with initial inhaled 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) sevoflurane for anesthesia maintenance were assigned to three groups randomly and evenly: Group A (0.05 µg·kg-1·min-1 remifentanil combined with sevoflurane), Group B (0.1 µg·kg-1·min-1 remifentanil combined with sevoflurane), and Group C (normal saline combined with sevoflurane). Narcotrend was used to monitor the depth of anesthesia during the operation, with the level of anesthesia depth controlled within the D-E stage. The EC50 of sevoflurane was determined by Dixon's sequential method. The Narcotrend index, amount of bleeding, neonatal Apgar score, and corresponding treatment measures in the three groups were recorded.The results showed that the estimated EC50 of sevoflurane for obstetric GA was 0.80 MAC (95% CI: 0.63-0.95 MAC) in group A, 0.82 MAC (95% CI: 0.63-0.96 MAC) in group B, and 0.80 MAC (95% CI: 0.63-0.95 MAC) in group C. There was no statistically significant difference in the estimated EC50 of sevoflurane, time to wakefulness, Apgar score, amount of intraoperative bleeding, and postoperative bleeding within 24 hours between the three groups (all P0.05).The addition of remifentanil at 0.05-0.1 µg·kg-1·min-1 did not change the EC50 of sevoflurane and anesthetic quality. The concentration of inhaled anesthetics can be minimized with Narcotrend monitoring.Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000034512.

Objective. This study aimed to uncover biologically significant RNAs in nucleus pulposus tissues of human intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) by integrated transcriptional profiling. Methods. From the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, three IVDD-related microarray profiling datasets were retrieved and assessed by intragroup data repeatability test. Then, differentially expressed circRNAs, lncRNAs, mRNAs, and miRNAs were screened in nucleus pulposus tissues between IVDD and control samples via the limma package. Coexpression networks were separately conducted via weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Based on the feature RNAs in the IVDD-related modules, IVDD-related circRNA-miRNA-mRNA and lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks were conducted. The differentially expressed mRNAs in the two networks were analyzed by protein-protein interaction (PPI) and functional enrichment analyses. Results. By the intragroup data repeatability test, outlier samples were removed. Abnormally expressed RNAs were separately identified in nucleus pulposus between IVDD and controls. Via WGCNA, IVDD-related coexpression modules were constructed and the feature circRNAs, lncRNAs, mRNAs, and miRNAs were identified. Then, the circRNA- and lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks were built for IVDD. These mRNAs in the network exhibited complex interactions. Moreover, they were involved in distinct IVDD-related biological processes and pathways such as transcription, cell proliferation, TNF, TGF-β, and HIF signaling pathways. Conclusion. This study revealed biologically significant noncoding RNAs and their complex regulatory networks for IVDD.

Background Although abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein can be used to predict the outcome of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and diagnose TBM, normal CSF protein remains a concern in patients with TBM. This retrospective study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics associated with normal CSF protein, to resolve the dilemma of CSF protein in the management of childhood TBM. Methods Between January 2006 and December 2019, consecutive child patients (≤15 years old, a diagnosis of TBM, and tested for CSF protein) were included for analysis. CSF protein was tested on a chemistry analyzer using the pyrogallol red-molybdate method. Abnormal CSF protein was defined as >450 mg/L. Patient characteristics were collected from the electronic medical records. Then, characteristics associated with normal CSF protein were estimated in the study, using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 125 children who met the criteria were enrolled during the study period. Twenty-nine patients had a normal CSF protein and 96 had an abnormal CSF protein. Multivariate analysis (Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test: χ2=2.486, df = 8, p = .962) revealed that vomiting (age- and sex-adjusted OR = 0.253, 95% CI: 0.091, 0.701; p = .008) and serum glucose (>5.08 mmol/L; age- and sex-adjusted OR = 0.119, 95% CI: 0.032, 0.443; p = .002) were associated with the normal CSF protein in childhood TBM. Conclusion In suspected childhood TBM, patients without vomiting or having low serum glucose are easy to present with normal CSF protein. Hence, when interpreting the level of CSF protein in children with such characteristics, a careful clinical assessment is required.KEY MESSAGESIn suspected childhood tuberculous meningitis, patients without vomiting or having low serum glucose are easy to present with normal CSF protein. Hence, when interpreting the level of CSF protein in children with such characteristics, a careful clinical assessment is required.

The environmental pollution, evolution of resistance, and risks to human and aquatic animal health associated with pesticide application have attracted much attention globally. Herein, we tested the capacity of diallyl trisulfide (DAT) from garlic essential oil to control the destructive stored-product pest, Sitotroga cerealella. The effects of DAT on the total content of cuticular chitin and structure of adults S. cerealella were evaluated. This study was the first to investigate changes in chitin structure in adults due to exposure to DAT through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results of these analyses revealed that the cuticular chitin content of pests decreased after DAT treatment. DAT treatment also reduced thermal stability and crystallinity of chitin. These findings indicate that DAT is a potent biopesticide that is active against the moth, and establishes the basis for its use as an IPM and alternative to chitin synthesis inhibitors.

BackgroundPrimary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterised by aberrant B cell hyperactivation, whose mechanism is partially understood.MethodsWe performed whole transcriptome sequencing of B cells from three pSS patients and three matched healthy controls (HC). Differentially expression genes (DEGs) were confirmed with B cells from 40 pSS patients and 40 HC by quantitative PCR and western blot. We measured the proliferation potential and immunoglobulins production of siRNA-transfected or plasmid-transfected B cells stimulated with cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) or anti-IgM. We also explored Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) signalling to reveal the potential mechanism of B cell hyperactivation in pSS.ResultsWe identified 77 upregulated and 32 downregulated DEGs in pSS B cells. We confirmed that epithelial stromal interaction (EPST1) expression in pSS B cells was significantly higher than that from HCs. EPSTI1-silencing B cells stimulated with CpG were less proliferated and produced lower level of IgG and IgM comparing with control B cells. EPSTI1-silencing B cells expressed lower level of p-p65 and higher level of IκBα, and B cells with overexpressed EPSTI1 showed higher level of p-p65 and lower level of IκBα. Finally, IκBα degradation inhibitor Dehydrocostus Lactone treatment attenuated p65 phosphorylation promoted by EPSTI1.ConclusionElevated EPSTI1 expression in pSS B cells promoted TLR9 signalling activation and contributed to the abnormal B cell activation, which was promoted by facilitating p65 phosphorylation and activation of NF-κB signalling via promoting IκBα degradation. EPSTI1 might be implicated in pSS pathogenesis and was a potential therapeutic target of pSS.

Dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) is a frequent event in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but little is known whether it is a bystander or an actual player on residual HCC metastasis during liver microenvironment remodeling initiated by hepatectomy. Methods: The differently expressed miRNAs and mRNAs were identified from RNA-seq data. Western blot, qRT-PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical were used to detect the expression of miRNA and mRNA in cell lines and patient tissues. The biological functions were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation, proximity ligation and luciferase reporter assay were used to explore the specific binding of target genes. The expression of HGF/ERBB3 signaling was detected by Western blot. Results: In this study, HGF induced by hepatectomy was shown to promote metastasis of residual HCC cells. miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p were confirmed to play inhibitory roles on HCC metastasis. And ERBB3 was found to be the common target of miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p. HCC cells with lower levels of miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p or higher level of ERBB3 were often more sensitive to response HGF stimuli and to facilitate metastatic colonization both in vitro and in vivo experimental systems. Furthermore, HGF reinforced ERBB3 expression by NF-κB transcriptional activity in a positive feedback loop. Of particular importance, HCC patients with lower levels of miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p or higher level of ERBB3 had significantly shorter OS and PFS survivals after surgical resection. Conclusion: miR-17-5p and miR-20a-5p could suppress postoperative metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via blocking HGF/ERBB3-NF-κB positive feedback loop and offer a new probable strategy for metastasis prevention after HCC resection.

Triacylglycerol lipase (TGL) is an essential lipid metabolism enzyme that also plays a critical role in energy metabolism; however, how it regulates other life processes is unknown. To investigate the functional role of TGL in moth reproduction, males Sitotroga cerealella were used as a model. The TGL gene was cloned and analysed. The results showed that the open reading frame of TGL was 1968 bp long and contained three conserved regions. TGL gene expression was higher in the larval and early adult stages than in the pupal stage, with the highest levels observed in the fat body, testis and accessory glands during the early adult stage. Moreover, after TGL in male adults was silenced through RNAi, the protein content in male accessory glands remained unchanged, and the spermatophore transferred into females mated with TGL -silenced males became small and empty; meanwhile, the number of apyrene sperm in the spermatophore was significantly reduced due to the reduction of apyrene sperm in males, which eventually led to the significant reduction of egg laying amount. All of the findings suggest that TGL regulates the amount of sperm in male moths as well as the morphology and quality of spermatophores transferred to females after mating with treated males, implying that TGL is critical for Sitotroga cerealella’s reproductive process.

Transparent e-skin that can fully mimic human skin with J-shaped mechanical-behavior and tactile sensing attributes have not yet been reported. In this work, the skin-like hydrogel composite with J-shaped mechanical behavior and highly transparent, tactile, soft but strong, flexible, and stretchable attributes is developed as structural strain sensing element for e-skin. Piezo-resistive polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogel is used as supporting matrix to endow high transparency, softness, flexibility, stretch-ability and strain sensing capability desired for e-skin. Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber with a wavy configuration is designed as reinforcement filler to provide the tunable strain-limiting effect. As a result, the as-prepared UHMWPE fiber/PAAm composite e-skin presents unique "J-shape" stress-strain behavior akin to human skin. And the PAAm composite can switch from supersoft to highly stiff in the designed strain range up to 100% with a prominent tensile strength of 48.3 MPa, which enables it to have the high stretch-ability and excellent load-bearing ability, simultaneously. Moreover, finite element model is developed to clarify the stress distribution and damage evolution for the UHMWPE fiber/PAAm composite during the tensile process. The PAAm composite exhibits not only an excellent strain sensing performance with a long-term reliability up to 5000 loading-unloading cycles but also an extraordinary softness and mechanical strength with a low initial modulus of 6.7 kPa, which is matchable with soft human epidermis. Finally, the e-skin is used for demonstrations in monitoring various human activities and protecting structural integrity in designed strain ranges. The strategy for reinforcing piezo-resistive hydrogel with wavy-shaped UHMWPE fibers proposed here is promising for the development of transparent, flexible, soft but strong e-skin with a tunable strain-limiting effect akin to human skin.

Background Propofol (PPF) ameliorates ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in multiple organs by reducing apoptosis and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study aims to explore the mechanism of PPF in attenuating myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). Materials and Methods Rat MIRI model was established, and PPF pre-treatment was performed 10 min before I/R. H9c2 cardiomyocytes treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) were used to establish an in vitro model. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate HOTAIR and miR-17-5p expression levels. Flow cytometry was employed to detect the apoptosis of H9c2 cells. The interaction between HOTAIR and miR-17-5p was determined by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter gene analysis, and RNA immunoprecipitation experiments. STAT3 and p-STAT3 expressions were detected by Western blot. Results PPF pre-treatment significantly reduced creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in the serum of the rats with MIRI. PPF pre-treatment remarkably up-regulated HOTAIR expression and down-regulated miR-17-5p expression in both in vivo and in vitro models. HOTAIR adsorbed miR-17-5p to repress the expression of miR-17-5p. PPF pre-treatment markedly inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by I/R or H/R. HOTAIR knockdown could partially reverse the protective effects of PPF on MIRI. HOTAIR could activate STAT3 signaling via repressing miR-17-5p expression. Conclusion PPF protects the MIRI by modulating the HOTAIR/miR-17-5p/STAT3 axis.

During mouse oocyte meiotic maturation, actin filaments play multiple roles in meiosis such as spindle migration and cytokinesis. FASCIN is shown to be an actin-binding and bundling protein, making actin filaments tightly packed and parallel-aligned, and FASCIN is involved in several cellular processes like adhesion and migration. FASCIN is also a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic disease. However, little is known about the functions of FASCIN in oocyte meiosis. In the present study, we knocked down the expression of FASCIN, and our results showed that FASCIN was essential for oocyte maturation. FASCIN was all expressed in the different stages of oocyte meiosis, and it mainly localized at the cortex of oocytes from the GV stage to the MII stage and showed a similar localization pattern with actin and DAAM1. Depletion of FASCIN affected the extrusion of the first polar body, and we also observed that some oocytes extruded from the large polar bodies. This might have resulted from the defects of actin assembly, which further affected the meiotic spindle positioning. In addition, we showed that inhibition of PKC activity decreased FASCIN expression, indicating that FASCIN might be regulated by PKC. Taken together, our results provided evidence for the important role of FASCIN on actin filaments for spindle migration and polar body extrusion in mouse oocyte meiosis.

Aim and Objective: Integrating multi-omics data to identify driver genes and key biological functions for tumorigenesis remains a major challenge. Method: A new computational pipeline was developed to identify the Driver Mutation-Differential Co-Expression (DM-DCE) modules based on dysfunctional networks across 11 TCGA cancers. Results: Functional analyses provided insight into the properties of various cancers, and found common cellular signals / pathways of cancers. Furthermore, the corresponding network analysis identified conservations or interactions across different types of cancers, thus the crosstalk between the key signaling pathways, immunity and cancers was found. Clinical analysis also identified key prognostic / survival patterns. Conclusion: Taken together, our study sheds light on both cancer-specific and cross-cancer characteristics systematically.

Inspired by chameleons' structural color regulation capability, a simple, but effective, swelling method is proposed for the first time to prepare an ionic polyacrylamide (PAAm) organogel for simultaneous tactile sensing and interactive color changing. The PAAm organogel obtained by swelling the PAAm scaffold in the dimethyl sulfoxide solution of organic electrochromic material (OECM) shows an extremely large stretchability with an elongation of 1600%, a supersoftness with a compressive modulus of 7.2 kPa, an excellent transmittance up to 90%, and a very fast response time of 0.5 s combined with the characteristic of interactive color changing. The PAAm organogel also suggests a universal design ability to tailor coloration spectra for tactile sensors via simply changing the type and content of OECM. The tactile sensor based on a PAAm organogel is capable of serving as a wearable device for precisely tracing human body motion performance and directly visualizing the stress distribution via interactive color changing capability. It is demonstrated that the swelling method proposed here is a simple and practical strategy to prepare ionic organogels with both piezo-resistive and electrochromic effects.

Lysine was attached to phenylbutyric acid (PBA) to form PBA-α-Lys and PBA-ω-Lys as PBA prodrugs for treating chemotherapy-associated mucositis. Pharmacokinetic studies were conducted in Wistar rats for determining the systemic bioavailability of both prodrugs and the released PBA. The systemic bioavailability of PBA after oral administration of PBA-α-Lys or PBA-ω-Lys was higher than from i.v. administration, indicating that first pass effect is responsible for the transformation from the prodrugs to the parent drug. Lack of stability in the intestine made PBA-α-Lys unsatisfied as an oral prodrug of PBA. Oral administration of PBA-ω-Lys, on the other hand, led to a slow PBA-releasing profile in circulation. Although the AUC(subscript 0→t) of systemic released PBA from oral administration of PBA-ω-Lys was lower than from oral administration of PBA per se, MRT(subscript inf) was 5 times longer (9.64±2.16 vs 1.81±0.28 hr), t(subscript 1/2) was 4 times longer (6.18±2.09 hr vs 1.50±0.17 hr), and AUMC(subscript inf) was 2 folds higher (168.7±67.7 hr(superscript *)hr(superscript *)μg/mL vs 88.8±12.4 hr(superscript *)hr(superscript *)μg/mL). In conclusion, oral administration of PBA-ω-Lysine exhibited a sustained PBA-releasing pharmacokinetic profile in rats. The bioavailability of PBA released in inflammatory tissues and anti-mucositis activity need to be further investigated for the evaluation of PBA-ω-Lysine as an effective targetable anti-mucositis agent.

Background Delay in diagnosis and treatment worsens the disease and clinical outcomes, which further enhances the transmission of tuberculosis (TB) in the community. Therefore, this study aims to assess treatment delay and its associated factors among childhood pleural TB patients in China. Methods Between January 2006 and December 2019, consecutive patients aged ≤15 years with definite or possible pleural TB were included for analysis. Treatment delay duration was defined as the time interval from the onset of symptoms to treatment initiation and was stratified into two categories: Results A total of 154 children with pleural TB were included, with a mean age of 12.4 ± 3.3 years. The median treatment delay was 30 days (interquartile range, 10–60 days) and 51.3% (n = 79) of patients underwent a treatment delay. Multivariate analysis revealed that heart rate (≤92 beats/min, age-adjusted OR = 2.503, 95% CI: 1.215, 5.155) and coefficient of variation of red cell distribution width (RDW-CV, ≥12.9%, age-adjusted OR = 4.705, 95% CI: 2.048, 10.811) were significant risk factors for treatment delays in childhood pleural TB. Conclusion Our findings suggested that a significant treatment delay occurs among children with pleural TB in China. Patients with a low heart rate or a high RDW-CV experienced delays in the initiation of anti-TB therapy. Therefore, well awareness of the associations between clinical characteristics and treatment delay may improve the management of children with pleural TB and enable us to develop preventive strategies to reduce the treatment delay.

Preeclampsia (PE), a serious complication of pregnancy, is associated with abnormal trophoblast cell differentiation and autophagy. Herein, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the function of ligustrazine (2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, TMP), a constituent of the traditional Chinese plant medicine Ligusticum wallichii, in PE. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was applied to induce a PE rat model, followed by tail vein injection of TMP or lentiviral vector overexpressing microRNA-16-5p (miR-16-5p). Human trophoblast cell line JEG3 was cultured in vitro to construct a PE cell model, followed by t he treatment with different concentrations of TMP, miR-16-5p mimic/inhibitor, or shRNA (shRNA) against insulin growth factor-2 (IGF-2) (sh-IGF-2). Formation of autophagosomes and autophagy-related proteins were then examined. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays were applied to measure trophoblast cell viability and migration. The binding affinity between miR-16-5p and IGF-2 was verified by dual luciferase report assay. After TMP treatment, autophagosome formation was reduced in trophoblast cells of placental tissue of PE rats, along with downregulation of autophagy-related proteins Light Chain 3 (LC3)-II/LC3-I, Beclin1 (BECN1), and SQSTM1. Moreover, TMP repressed JEG3 cell autophagy, promoted viability and migration concentration-responsively. MiR-16-5p was upregulated in PE, and TMP inhibited miR-16-5p expression. Besides, miR-16-5p downregulated IGF-2 expression to promote cell autophagy and inhibit the viability and migration of JEG3 cells. Further, in vivo experiments validated that TMP impeded PE progression in rats by regulating the miR-16-5p/IGF-2 axis. In summary, TMP inhibits trophoblast cell autophagy and promotes its viability and migration in PE rat model through regulating the miR-16-5p/IGF-2 axis.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as important mediators of intercellular communication in response to cartilage damage. In this study, we sought to characterize the inhibitory role of microRNA (miR)-31 encapsulated in synovial MSC (SMSC)-derived EVs in knee osteoarthritis (OA). The expression of miR-31, lysine demethylase 2A (KDM2A), E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1), and pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) was validated in cartilage tissues of knee OA patients. Following SMSC-EV extraction and identification, chondrocytes with the miR-31 inhibitor were added with SMSC-EVs, whereupon the effects of miR-31 on proliferation and migration of chondrocytes were assessed. The interaction among miR-31, KDM2A, E2F1, and PTTG1 in chondrocyte activities was probed in vitro, along with an in vivo mouse knee OA model. We identified downregulated miR-31, E2F1, and PTTG1 and upregulated KDM2A in cartilage tissues of knee OA patients. SMSC-EV-packaged miR-31 potentiated chondrocyte proliferation and migration as well as cartilage formation by targeting KDM2A. Mechanistically, KDM2A bound to the transcription factor E2F1 and inhibited its transcriptional activity. Enrichment of E2F1 in the PTTG1 promoter region activated PTTG1 transcription, accelerating chondrocyte proliferation and migration. SMSC-EVs and EVs from miR-31-overexpressed SMSCs alleviated cartilage damage and inflammation in knee joints in vivo. SMSC-EV-encapsulated miR-31 ameliorates knee OA via the KDM2A/E2F1/PTTG1 axis., Graphical Abstract, With the purpose of identifying the role of SMSC-secreted EVs containing miR-31 in knee OA, clinical samples, commercially purchased cell lines, and animals were used in a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments. The experimental data uncovered that SMSC-EV-encapsulated miR-31 ameliorates knee OA via the KDM2A/E2F1/PTTG1 axis.

Leptin is well acknowledged as an anorexigenic hormone that plays an important role in feeding control. Hypothalamic GABA system plays a significant role in leptin regulation on feeding and metabolism control. However, the pharmacological relationship of leptin and GABA receptor is still obscure. Therefore, we investigated the effect of leptin or combined with baclofen on the food intake in fasted mice. We detected the changes in hypothalamic c‐Fos expression, hypothalamic TH, POMC and GAD67 expression, plasma insulin, POMC and GABA levels to demonstrate the mechanisms. We found that leptin inhibit fasting‐induced increased food intake and activated hypothalamic neurons. The inhibitory effect on food intake induced by leptin in fasted mice can be reversed by pretreatment with baclofen. Baclofen reversed leptin's inhibition on c‐Fos expression of PAMM in fasted mice. Therefore, these results indicate that leptin might inhibit fasting‐triggered activation of PVN neurons via presynaptic GABA synaptic functions which might be partially blocked by pharmacological activating GABA‐B. Our findings identify the role of leptin in the regulation of food intake.

The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier, 1789) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is primarily a pest of stored products, that feeds inside the grain as larvae inducing significant economic loss in various stored commodities. Our previous studies proved that garlic essential oil and its active substances inhibit oviposition in moths. To further explore the effect on reproductive behavior and accurately interpret the results in terms of effective control of the moth population, moths were treated with diallyl trisulfide (DATS), an active substance of garlic essential oil, at a dose of 0.015 µL/L in air (LC20, sub-lethal concentration). The results showed that fecundity and the proportion of viable eggs significantly decreased when the moths were treated with LC20 DATS. Furthermore, female circadian mating rhythms and calling periodicity changed significantly after treatment. Compared with controls, the peak in mating occurred approximately 1 h earlier on the first day after DATS treatment, while it was significantly later on days 2 and 3. Moreover, mating frequency declined in presence of DATS compared with the controls. The percentage of females engaging in calling behavior decreased significantly with time, to less than 50%, 2 days after treatment, while a high calling percentage (>80%) was recorded for control moths on all 4 days. In addition, DATS had an inhibitory effect on the mating duration of S. cerealella. Moreover, a significant reduction was observed in the amount of sex pheromones extracted 8 h and 9 h after treatment. Our findings suggested that DATS has the potential to manipulate the moth population at LC20 and would be an efficient alternative to synthetic insecticides for the control of pests having low toxicity to non-target organisms and ecosystems.

Inhibition of bone regeneration by wear debris is the main cause of peri-prosthetic osteolysis. Here, we investigated the effect of icariin on cell proliferation, apoptosis, osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization of osteoblasts in an in vitro model of titanium (Ti) particle-induced osteolysis. In the present study, MC3T3-E1 cells were pretreated with 10-8 M icariin for 4 h and then incubated with Ti particles (0.1 mg/mL). The results showed that Ti particles inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells, whereas icariin pretreatment blocked the effect of Ti particles. In addition, we found that icariin stimulation alone increased ALP activity, accelerated matrix mineralization and upregulated the levels of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteocalcin (OCN) and miR-21-5p; whereas, Ti particles alone exerted the opposite effects. Icariin partly reversed the effect of Ti particles on cell differentiation and mineralization. Twenty hours after transfection with antagomiR-21-5p or antagomiR-NC, the cells were pretreated with icariin for 4 h and then incubated with Ti particles. Further studies showed that partial knockdown of miR-21-5p abolished the promotion effect of icariin on osteoblast differentiation and matrix mineralization in Ti particle-stimulated MC3T3-E1 cells. In conclusion, miR-21-5p may be a potential pro-osteogenesis regulator and icariin may protect against Ti particle-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation and mineralization through upregulation of miR-21-5p.

The mitotic checkpoint gene (CHFR) (Checkpoint with Forkhead-associated and Ring finger domains is a G2 phase/mitosis checkpoint and tumor-suppressor gene. Recent studies have reported the relationship of CHFR promoter methylation with clinicopathological significance of gastric cancer. However, the results remain unclear due to small size of sample. We pooled 15 studies including 827 gastric cancer patients and conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the clinicopathological significance of CHFR promoter methylation in gastric cancer. Our data revealed that the frequency of CHFR promoter methylation was higher in gastric cancer than in normal gastric tissue, Odd Ratio (OR) was 10.12 with 95% CI 5.17–19.79, p < 0.00001. Additionally, the rate of CHFR promoter methylation was significantly increased in high grade of gastric cancer compared to low grade, OR was 1.64 with 95% CI 1.00–2.68, p = 0.05. CHFR methylation was significantly associated with the positive lymph node metastasis, OR was 1.56 with 95% CI 1.05–2.32, p = 0.03. We concluded that CHFR could serve as a biomarker for diagnosis of gastric cancer, and a drug target for development of gene therapy in gastric cancer. CHFR promoter methylation is associated with tumor poor differentiation and lymph node metastasis.

The angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier, is a serious stored-grain pest worldwide. In previous studies, we demonstrated that diallyl trisulfide (DATS), one of active substances from garlic essential oil, inhibited oviposition of S. cerealella, but the mechanism for this inhibition remains unclear. We suspected that DATS-regulated gene expression changes in S. cerealella may be a reason for the modulation of fertility and reproductive behaviors of the moth. Comparative transcriptomes of female S. cerealella were built by RNA-sequencing to detect differences between DATS exposure and background air with special lights on the key genes related to the fecundity. A total of 304 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in female moth after exposure to DATS, of which 120 were up-regulated, and 184 were down-regulated. Sixty-two of these DEGs encoding proteins involved in growth and development of eggs and regulation of hormones and mating behavior were identified, and of these, 49 were annotated as chorion protein. Meanwhile, quantitative real-time PCR verified that DEG data were reliable for further transcriptional analysis. Additionally, the results of ovarian dissection and oviposition activity bioassay suggest that DATS has negative effects on ovarian development and fecundity of S. cerealella. Our comprehensive sequence resource with desirable quality enriched the genomic platform of S. cerealella, and the DEGs that were identified will facilitate understanding of the molecular mechanism of ovipositional inhibition by DATS.

To determine the necessity of circumferential decompression and fusion in patients with severe multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy with circumferential cord compression.This prospective study involved 51 patients with severe multilevel circumferential cervical myelopathy underwent two-stage circumferential procedure between July 2008 and June 2010. VAS scores, satisfaction surveys and JOA scores and imaging studies were obtained. Twenty-three patients (45.1%) underwent two-stage surgery (group A); the other 28 patients (54.9%) were satisfied with the outcomes after first-stage surgery, and the second-stage surgery was avoided (group B). Age, sex and symptom duration did not differ between the groups.Patients were followed up for 3-5 years (mean, 42.5 months). In group A, VAS and JOA scores significantly improved from 63.3 and 7.9 to 38.3 and 10.4, respectively, at 3 months after the first-stage operation and 10.2 and 12.7, respectively, at 3 months after the second-stage operation. In group B, the VAS and JOA scores significantly improved from 62.7 and 7.9 to 31.1 and 11.2 respectively, at 3 months and 18.2 and 12.4, respectively at 6 months. Patient satisfaction rate significantly increased from 43.5% after the first-stage operation to 82.6% after the second-stage operation in group A. In group B, this rate was 89.3%. In group A, cervical spine lordosis increased from 12.8° preoperatively to 18.5° (p .0001) and 19.1° (p .05) at 3 months after the first-stage and second-stage operations, respectively. In group B, lordosis significantly increased from 12.5° preoperatively to 18.8° at 3 months. The total complication rate did not significantly differ from the rates after a single surgery (either anterior or posterior).Only 45.1% patients required surgery via both approaches. Therefore, a two-stage procedure is a rational choice and safe procedure. If outcomes are unsatisfactory after the first-stage operation, a second-stage operation can be performed.

To identify important druggable targets and immunological determinants associated with the overall survival (OS) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, we interrogated 279 Chinese HCC samples, mostly in early stage, with the NanoString platform assessing the expression of 1,173 genes involved in cell-growth signaling pathways, cellular machineries and tumor immunity. A prognostic model was constructed using 17 genes with bootstrap-corrected C-index of 0.81 for the OS. Among the genes associated with worse OS, cell-growth related druggable targets CHK1 and EZH2 were selected for in vitro and in vivo tumor growth studies. HCC cell line clonogenic assays and mice xenograft models demonstrated that the combinatorial application of CHK1 inhibitor and EZH2 inhibitor resulted in significant suppression of HCC tumor growth. On the tumor immunity front, we discovered that genes enriched in regulating CD8+ T cells and activating NK cells contributed to prolonged OS. Our findings provide potential rationale for investigating combinatorial targeted therapies and immunotherapies in specific subsets of early-stage HCC with distinct gene expression characteristics. Funding: This work was supported by National Natural Science Fund of China (Grant numbers: No.81672330; No. 81871916; No. 81472218), Talent Development Program of Zhongshan Hospital (2015ZSYXGG), and by Genentech Inc., a member of the Roche Group. Declaration of Interest: Chun Sun, Bonnie Liu, Kwame Okrah, Xu Cao, Jian-Jun Guo, Shi-Jing Fu, Su-Chun Li, Hang-jun Dai, Mark R. Lackner, Astrid Kiermaier, Shih-Min A. Huang and Gang Cheng are employees of F. Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech Inc. All other authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval: This study was approved, and the collection of written informed consent forms was waived, by the institutional review board of SZH under the condition that all samples were anonymized in this study.

Ai-Yue Zhao,1 Yi-Jun J Dai,1 Jian-Feng Lian,2 Yan Huang,1 Jian-Guang Lin,1 Yang-Bin Dai,1 Tian-Wen Xu1 1Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Quanzhou Children’s Hospital, Quanzhou 362000, China Background: Yes-associated protein (YAP), a key player of the Hippo pathway, has been identified to have more and more important roles in tumorigenesis and may be an important biomarker for cancer therapy. YAP is important for bladder cancer cell migration, metastasis, and drug resistance; however, its function in bladder cancer stem cells remains unknown. Purpose: The aim of this work was to examine the expression and role of YAP in bladder cancer stem cells. Materials and methods: We identified that the expression level of YAP was significantly enriched in bladder cancer stem cells compared to noncancer stem cell population. Moreover, the effect of YAP on stem cell self-renewal was examined in bladder cancer cells by siRNA silencing approach. In addition, we showed that YAP is required for aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in bladder cancer cells. Results: RNAseq analysis and quantitative real-time PCR results showed that silencing of YAP inhibited the expression of ALDH1A1 gene. Conclusion: Collectively, our findings for the first time elucidated that YAP serves as a cancer stem cell regulator in bladder cancer, which provided a promising therapy strategy for patients with bladder cancer. Keywords: bladder cancer, YAP, ALDH1, cancer stem cells

Rationale Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a rare non-familial polyposis syndrome characterized by multiple gastrointestinal polyps with the ectodermal triad. To date, many complications of CCS have been reported in the literature, but perianal condyloma acuminatum with malignant transformation has not been included. Patient concerns This report presents the case of a 52-year-old Chinese man who presented with diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. He developed skin pigmentation and atrophy of the fingernails and toenails. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy, capsule endoscopy, and enteroscopy revealed diffuse polyps along the entire digestive tract. Histopathological examination revealed polyps of different pathological types dominated by hamartoma. Physical examination revealed a crissum cauliflower-like neoplasm (2.5 × 2.0 cm). After perianal tumor resection, pathology suggested that this was a perianal condylomatous lesion with malignant transformation, as well as well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Diagnoses These clinical features and endoscopic findings were consistent with CCS which associated with perianal condyloma acuminatum with malignant transformation. Intervention Clinical remission was achieved with glucocorticoid, azathioprine, and nutritional support. Outcome At the 4-year follow-up, the patient had no diarrhea or loss of appetite, had gained 13 kg in weight, and the perianal tumor had not recurred. Lessons No previous report has described CCS in a patient with perianal condyloma acuminatum with malignant transformation. As both conditions are related to immune disorders, their occurrence may be correlated.

The angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella, is one of the most serious stored-grain pests worldwide. Control of this moth may be achieved by interfering with olfactory pathways to disrupt male-female communication with sex pheromones, using plant volatiles like garlic or its active substances. Here, three odorant-binding protein (OBP) genes [namely Si. cerealella general OBP 1 (ScerGOBP1), ScerGOBP2 and Si. cerealella pheromone-binding protein (ScerPBP)] were cloned from Si. cerealella antennae, and quantitative real-time PCR showed that these genes were predominantly expressed in adult antennae. ScerPBP expression was male-biased, but ScerGOBP1 and ScerGOBP2 were similar between sexes. The results of competitive binding assays indicated that a garlic substance, diallyl trisulphide (DATS), had similar or even higher binding affinity to ScerPBP than Si. cerealella sex pheromone, 7Z, 11E-hexadecadien-1-ol acetate (HDA). In olfactometer bioassays, DATS significantly reduced the response of adults to HDA when they were exposed to air filled with HDA and DATS. Surprisingly, ScerGOBP2, which is postulated to be involved in the detection of general odours, displayed higher affinity with HDA than did ScerPBP, indicating that ScerGOBP2 may also have a role in pheromone perception. These data suggest that DATS may interfere with recognition of female-produced sex pheromone, disrupting female and male mating behaviour and resulting in a new idea for controlling stored grain pests.

A hydroponic study was conducted to determine the effects of selenium (Se: 0, 3, 6 μmol L –1 ) on senescence-related oxidative stress in garlic plants grown under two sulfur (S) levels. We evaluated the yields of plants harvested at 160 and 200 days after sowing. Plants grown under a low Se dose (0.3 μmol L –1 ) at low S level showed higher yields (12.0% increase in fresh weight yield, 13.7% increase in dry weight yield) than the controls, despite a decrease in chlorophyll concentration. Compared with control plants, the Se-treated plants showed lower levels of lipid peroxidation. The Se-treated plants also showed higher activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase, but lower superoxide dismutase activities. Changes in F v / F m values and proline contents were affected more strongly by S than by Se. On the basis of our results, we can conclude that Se plays a key role in the antioxidant systems in garlic seedlings. It delays senescence by alleviating the peroxide stress, but it can be toxic at high levels. A high S level may increase tolerance to high Se concentrations through reducing Se accumulation in plants.

We prospectively compared posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) used in adult isthmic spondylolisthesis (IS) after surgical reduction with pedicle screws. Between January 2009 and December 2010, 66 adult patients with single-level IS were randomly assigned to two groups treated using the PLIF technique (PLIF group, n = 34) and the TLIF technique (TLIF group, n = 32). Both groups were followed up for an average of 30.5 months (range 24–48 months). Clinical outcomes were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and Japanese orthopedic association (JOA) scores. Radiographic outcomes included percentage of vertebral slippage, focal lordosis and disk height. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared between the two groups. The average operative time and blood loss during surgery were significantly more in PLIF group than in TLIF group. Spondylolisthesis, disk height and focal lordosis were significantly improved postoperatively in both groups. There was no obvious difference in clinical outcomes, as assessed using the VAS, ODI and JOA scores, and radiographic outcomes. In PLIF group, there were two cases of neuropathic pain after surgery. After instrumented reduction of adult IS, either PLIF or TLIF can provide good clinical and radiological outcomes. With a single cage, TLIF was superior to PLIF in terms of surgical time and blood loss, but these differences may not be clinically relevant.

Summary The adult CNS has poor ability to replace degenerated neurons following injury or disease. Recently, direct reprogramming of astrocytes into induced neurons has been proposed as an innovative strategy toward CNS repair. As a cell population that shows high diversity on physiological properties and functions depending on their spatiotemporal distribution, however, whether the astrocyte heterogeneity affect neuronal reprogramming is not clear. Here, we show that astrocytes derived from cortex, cerebellum, and spinal cord exhibit biological heterogeneity and possess distinct susceptibility to transcription factor-induced neuronal reprogramming. The heterogeneous expression level of NOTCH1 signaling in the different CNS regions-derived astrocytes is shown to be responsible for the neuronal reprogramming diversity. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that region-restricted astrocytes reveal different intrinsic limitation of the response to neuronal reprogramming., Highlights • Region-restrict astrocytes (ACs) exhibit obvious heterogeneity • Region-restrict ACs show distinct susceptibility to neuronal reprogramming • AC heterogeneity does not affect the maturation of induced neurons • Notch1 is involved in the neuronal reprogramming diversity of region-restrict ACs, Su and colleagues show that astrocytes derived from cortex, cerebellum, and spinal cord exhibit biological heterogeneity and possess distinct susceptibility to transcription factor-induced neuronal reprogramming. The heterogeneous expression level of Notch1 signaling in the different CNS regions-derived astrocytes is shown to be responsible for the neuronal reprogramming diversity.

The aim of this study was to explore the role of combined pretreatment serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as potential prognostic factors in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. We investigated pretreatment serum CA19-9 and NLR in 59 metastatic pancreatic cancer patients, determined the patients’ thresholds by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and assessed their prognostic values by Kaplan–Meier curve and Cox regression models. Results of multivariate analysis showed high CA19-9, high NLR, and high score (the scoring system of CA19-9 and NLR) were significantly correlated with overall survival. Area under the curve of the scoring system was higher than that of CA19-9 or NLR. Combined pretreatment serum CA19-9 and NLR is a better prognostic biomarker of metastatic pancreatic cancer patients than CA19-9 or NLR alone.

Background Primary liver cancer (PLC) is the third largest contributor to cancer mortality in the world. PLC is a heterogeneous disease that encompasses several biologically distinct subtypes including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (CHC). CHC is a distinct, albeit rare, subtype of PLC and is comprised of cells with histopathological features of both HCC and ICC. Several studies have focused on the mutation and expression landscapes of HCC and ICC. However, studies of CHC were rare. Objective The aim of the current study was to identify genetic and gene expression alterations in the carcinogenesis and development of CHC and ICC in the Chinese population. Unraveling both similar and differing patterns among these subtypes may help to identify personalized medicine approaches that could improve patient survival. Methods Whole genome sequencing (WGS), whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA-seq were performed on 10 ICC and 10 CHC samples, matched with adjacent non-tumor liver tissue specimens. Comparative analysis was performed using HCC datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Results Mutational and transcriptional landscapes of CHC and ICC were clearly delineated. TP53 and CTNNB1 were identified as exhibiting mutations in CHC. ARID1A , PBRM1 , and IDH1 were frequently mutated in ICC. RYR3 , FBN2 , and KCNN3 are associated with cell migration and metastasis and might be driver genes in CHC. KCNN3 was identified as also exhibiting mutations in ICC. The ECM-receptor interaction pathway associated fibrogenic hepatic progenitor cell differentiation and liver fibrosis may play an important role in carcinogenesis of PLC. Chromatin remodeling and chromosome organization are key processes in carcinogenesis and development in PLC. P53 related pathways showed alterations in CHC and HCC. Inflammation may be a key factor involved in ICC carcinogenesis. Conclusion CHC and ICC are different subtypes of PLC. This study discusses predominantly the molecular genetic details of PLC subtypes and highlights the need for an accurate diagnosis and treatment of specific PLC subtypes to optimize patient management.

Recently, the safety of low water activity (aw) foods started to become a major concern. It has been observed that microorganisms may not grow in low-aw foods but can survive for rather long periods of time, representing significant risk. Most researchers have been concentrating on the role of water activity. However, little is known about the effect of water mobility on influencing the survival of Salmonella in low-aw foods. In this study, water mobility of skim milk powder was manipulated using ultra-high pressure to change tertiary structure, thus changing water–protein interactions. Skim milk powder with different levels of water mobility at similar aw level were obtained to evaluate how aw and water mobility influenced the survival of Salmonella enteric in low-aw foods. Results showed that aw could influence the survival of S. enteric and the lower the aw, the higher the survival. Water mobility had little influence on the survival of S. enteric when aw was 0.33 and 0.53. However, it influenced its survival when aw was increased to 0.81. The survival population of S. enteric was higher in the sample with low water mobility.

Objective To compare the safety of procedure in patients receiving right internal mammary artery (RIMA) versus radial artery (RA) as the second arterial graft during left internal mammary artery bypass surgery. Methods A literature search was performed, and observational studies comparing RA and RIMA as a second arterial conduit were included. The end points included in-hospital mortality, sternal wound infection (SWI), myocardial infarction (MI), reoperation for bleeding, stroke and low cardiac output syndrome. Sensitivity analysis was performed, and publication bias was assessed. Results Analysis of nine studies comprising 1,738 RIMA patients and 1,906 RA patients showed a similar risk of in-hospital mortality (relative risk [RR] 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64 to 1.98) between two groups. The risk of SWI in RIMA patients was significantly higher than that in RA patients (RR 3.19, 95% CI 1.64 to 6.20). The risk of the rest end points did not differ. Conclusions The postoperative risk seems to be similar between RIMA group and RA group, except the higher risk of SWI in RIMA patients. The surgeon relies on his own experience with these two arterial grafts and assessment of the patient profile to decide the choice of the second arterial conduit.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of nesprin-1 protein in MSCs and its effects on the differentiation of rat bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Surface-associated antigens of MSCs were detected by flow cytometry. MSC differentiation was induced by treatment with 10 μmol/l 5-azacytidine. Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized prior to thoracotomy and subsequent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery to establish a model of myocardial infarction. Two weeks following myocardial infarction, DAPI-marked MSCs were injected into the infarcted region in the experimental group, while DMEM was injected into the infarcted region of the control group. Characteristics of the putative cardiac-myogenic cells were evaluated using immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent analysis. The messenger RNA expression levels of cardiac-myogenic specific genes; desmin, α-actinin and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of nesprin-1 protein in MSCs was identified by immunofluorescence and western blot analysis, prior to and following MSC differentiation. Following differentiation, the MSCs appeared spindle-shaped with irregular processes and were positive for CD90 and CD29, but negative for CD45. Cardiomyocyte-like cells were positive for desmin, α-sarcomeric actin and cTnI. Nesprin protein was detected in the nuclear membrane via immunofluorescence, and following MSC differentiation into cardiomyocyte-like cells, the expression of nesprin protein was significantly higher (*P=0.03

The adult mammalian CNS has a limited capacity to regenerate after traumatic injury. In this study, a combinatorial strategy to promote axonal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) was evaluated in adult rats. The rats were subjected to a complete transection in the thoracic spinal cord, and multichannel scaffolds seeded with activated Schwann cells (ASCs) and/or rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were acutely grafted into the 3-mm-wide transection gap. At 4 weeks post-transplantation and thereafter, the rats receiving scaffolds seeded with ASCs and MSCs exhibited significant recovery of nerve function as shown by the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) score and electrophysiological test results. Immunohistochemical analyses at 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation revealed that the implanted MSCs at the lesion/graft site survived and differentiated into neuron-like cells and co-localized with host neurons. Robust bundles of regenerated fibers were identified in the lesion/graft site in the ASC and MSC co-transplantation rats, and neurofilament 200 (NF) staining confirmed that these fibers were axons. Furthermore, myelin basic protein (MBP)-positive myelin sheaths were also identified at the lesion/graft site and confirmed via electron microscopy. In addition to expressing mature neuronal markers, sparse MSC-derived neuron-like cells expressed choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) at the injury site of the ASC and MSC co-transplantation rats. These findings suggest that co-transplantation of ASCs and MSCs in a multichannel polymer scaffold may represent a novel combinatorial strategy for the treatment of spinal cord injury.

Objective. To explore the safety and efficacy of transpseudarthrosis osteotomy with interbody fusion in the treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) patients with kyphotic spinal pseudarthrosis by a single posterior approach. Methods. Twelve consecutive patients with spinal pseudarthrosis underwent transpseudarthrosis osteotomy and interbody fusion with a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage by a single posterior approach. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and complications were recorded. Radiographic and clinical results were assessed preoperatively and at the final follow-up. Results. The average operative time was 201.9 min and the mean blood loss was 817.5 ml. The visual analogue scale (VAS) improved significantly from 6.7 preoperatively to 1.1 at the final follow-up. The average correction of the segmental kyphosis at the level of the pseudarthrosis was 22.3°. Bony fusion was achieved in all patients, and there was no obvious loss of correction at follow-up. Conclusion. Transpseudarthrosis osteotomy at the level of the pseudarthrosis can be safely performed and surgical repair of pseudarthrosis with interbody fusion by a single posterior approach was feasible.

The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella, is a serious pest of stored grains worldwide. Presently, the best effective control against the moth is to disrupt the sexual communication between sexes. Sexual communication in moths includes two processes in which females produce and release pheromones from the sex pheromone gland and males detect and respond to them with a relatively sophisticated olfactory system in their antennae. To better understand these processes, we studied the ultrastructure of antennal and ovipositor sensilla of S. cerealella and determined the location of the female sex pheromone gland. Seven types of antennal sensilla were identified on both sexes: sensilla trichodea, sensilla chaetica, sensilla coeloconica, sensilla styloconica, sensilla auricillica, sensilla squamiformia and Bӧhm bristles. Of these sensilla, the sensilla trichodea were significantly more abundant on male antennae than on those of females, suggesting that these sensilla may detect the sex pheromones. On the ovipositor, only sensilla chaetica of various lengths were found. The sexual gland was an eversible sac of glandular epithelium that was situated dorsally in the intersegmental membrane between the 8th and 9th abdominal segments. These results will lead to a better understanding of mate finding with sex pheromones for this worldwide pest species.

The human plasma protein binding of water soluble flavonoids in the peels of five spices of citrus fruits was studied by ultrafiltration combined with HPLC. The flavonoids were extracted separately by hot and cold water, and higher total flavonoid contents were detected in the former extracts than the latter ones. All the extracts show significant scavenging abilities to both ABTS and DPPH free radicals, which indicates the health benefits of the water extracts of citrus fruits peels. For DPPH radical, the IC50 values of hot extract follow as Navel orange (NO)≈Mandarin orange (MO)< Lemon (LE)< Lo tangerine (LO)< Pomelo (PO), while the rank is NO< PO

Current diagnosis with computed tomography (CT) imaging relies heavily on doctors’ clinical experience and it is difficult to accurately identify and localize lesions from thousands of CT images. Therefore, computer-aided diagnosis with automatic lesion extraction will be helpful for doctors in the diagnosis of liver diseases. In this paper, we proposed a new method for automatic liver lesion extraction from CT images by combining DRLSE (distance regularized level set evolution) and region growing. The method was applied in abdominal CT images with a single liver cancerous lesion and multiple hemangioma lesions at different locations. The results demonstrated the feasibility of our method for automatic lesion extraction with improved diagnostic accuracy and time efficiency.

Background context Surgical reduction and posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) is commonly used to recover segmental imbalance in degenerative spondylolisthesis. However, whether intentional reduction of the slipped vertebra during PLIF is essential in aged patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis remains controversial. Purpose We compared the outcomes of surgical reduction and fusion in situ among aged patients who underwent PLIF for degenerative spondylolisthesis. Study design A prospective randomized clinical trial on the surgical treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis patients aged older than 70 years. Patient sample Between January 2006 and December 2009, 73 patients aged 70 years or older with single-level degenerative spondylolisthesis requiring surgical treatment were included in this study. Outcome measures Clinical outcomes were assessed using the visual analog scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores. Radiographic outcomes included percentage of vertebral slippage, focal lordosis, and disc height. Methods The 73 patients were randomly assigned to two groups treated using surgical reduction (Group A, n=36) and fusion in situ (Group B, n=37). Both groups were followed up for an average of 33.2 months (range, 24–54 months). The clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results Surgical complications were similar in the two groups. The average operative time and blood loss during surgery did not insignificantly differ (p>.05) between the two groups. Spondylolisthesis, disc height, and focal lordosis were significantly improved postoperatively in both groups. There was no obvious difference in clinical outcomes, as assessed using the visual analog scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores, although the radiographic outcomes were considerably better in Group A than in Group B. Conclusions Posterior lumbar interbody fusion with pedicle screws fixation, with or without intraoperative reduction, provides good outcomes in the surgical treatment of aged patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis. Better radiological outcomes by intentional reduction do not necessarily indicate better clinical outcomes.