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Objective To demonstrate the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) mechanisms by determining the biochemical changes. To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of moxibustion in RA-model rats using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) metabolomics approach. Methods A total of 24 rats were divided into three groups as follows: normal control group, model group and moxibustion group. Rats in model group and moxibustion group were set up collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. Rats in moxibustion group were treated by moxibustion. After 3 weeks of intervention, right ankle joint, serum and articular synovium samples were collected. Right ankle joint samples were used for histopathological evaluation between 3 groups to get the pathological changes of tissues and cells. Serum and articular synovium samples were used to analyze the changed metabolites of moxibustion on RA rats by the GC–MS based metabolomics. Results Treatment of moxibustion not only significantly increased the weight of CIA rats, reduced the swelling of hind paw, arthritic scores, IL-1β, TNF-α but also improved histopathological evaluation in right ankle joint samples. Sixteen significantly altered metabolites were found in RA rats as potential biomarkers of arthritis. Thirteen metabolites, significantly adjusted by moxibustion to help relieve arthritis, were selected out as biomarkers of antiarthritic mechanism of moxibustion, which were mainly involved in phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. Conclusions We have indicated moxibustion treatment is able to resist inflammation in CIA rats effectively. Using GC–MS metabolomics technique, we detect novel metabolites in the moxibustion antiarthritic process, which may aid in advanced understanding of arthritis and therapeutic mechanism of moxibustion.

Background Turner syndrome (TS) has a variety of different karyotypes, with a wide range of phenotypic features, but the specific karyotype may not always predict the phenotype. TS with Y chromosome mosaicism may have mixed gonadal dysgenesis, and the mosaicism is related to the potential for gonadoblastoma. Case summary In this case report, we report two cases of TS with different karyotypes and gonadal dysgenesis. Patient 1 had obvious virilization, and was positive for the SRY gene, but her karyotype in peripheral blood lymphocytes was 45X. Patient 2 had a mosaic karyotype, 45X/46X, dic (Y:Y) (p11.3:p11.2), and the proportion of Y-bearing cells was 50% in peripheral blood lymphocytes, but the patient had normal female external genitalia and streaky gonads, with no genital virilism. Different tissues in the same TS individual may exhibit different ratios of mosaicism. The gonadal determination and differentiation of mosaic TS are primarily dependent on the predominant cell line in the gonads. Conclusion In TS patients with virilization, it is necessary to test at least two to three tissues to search for cryptic Y material.

Background Limited data is available on retinal vessel morphology in the north China. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of retinal vascular abnormalities (RVAs) and investigate their associations with the self-reported diagnosis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascsular diseases (CCVds) in a rural adult population of northeast China. Methods A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted, using the cluster random sampling method. One eye of each participant was photographed with a non-mydriatic fundus camera. RVAs including focal and general arteriolar narrowing (FAN and GAN), arteriovenous nicking (AVN), arteriolar sheathing (AS), and retinopathy were evaluated. Data on self-reported diagnosis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and status of smoking and alcohol drinking were obtained from questionnaires. Results Among the 6267 participants with an age ≥ 50 years, photographs were obtained of 99.2%, with quality sufficient to perform retinal evaluations in 82.5%. The prevalence of FAN, AVN, AS, retinopathy and GAN were 9.1, 8.9, 5.0, 6.6 and 6.2%, respectively. All the retinal lesions were associated with hypertension (all P Conclusions The overall prevalence of retinal microvascular abnormalities in this population was relatively higher than that reported in other regions of the world. Retinopathy is associated with the self-reported diagnosis of stroke while AVN was associated with the self-reported diagnosis of CHD, but the remaining retinal lesions were not consistently associated with CCVds. Thus, an examination of retinal microvascular characteristics may offer clues to CCVds and could be a potentially novel biomarkers for CCVds risk.

Kennedy’s disease (KD), also known as X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), is caused by the expansion of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats in the first exon of the androgen receptor (AR) gene. KD is a late-onset neural-endocrinal disease that is characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord. In addition, partial androgen insensitivity is an important manifestation of KD. Here, we report two Chinese KD pedigrees that reveal the clinical and genetic manifestations and fully elaborate the endocrinal characteristics of KD patients. The proband in pedigree 1 was referred to an endocrinologist for gynaecomastia and sexual dysfunction. A gene analysis of this patient revealed that there were 53 CAG repeats in the AR gene. A family survey identified an additional two KD patients in pedigree 1. The proband in pedigree 2 was diagnosed by a neurologist and did not have gynaecomastia or sexual dysfunction. A family survey identified an additional subclinical patient, and both patients exhibited partial androgen insensitivity at a hormonal level. We therefore suggest that a family survey and hormone tests should be routinely performed in KD patients and that physicians should increase their understanding of the different symptoms of KD to achieve correct diagnoses in affected patients.

PURPOSE: To estimate surgical coverage of cataract-related vision impairment and blindness and visual acuity outcomes in operated eyes in rural China in 2014 with comparisons with the 2006 Nine-Province Survey. DESIGN: Population-based, cross-sectional study. METHODS: Geographical cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting residents from a rural county or semi-rural district within 9 provinces: Beijing, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Hebei, Ningxia, Chongqing, and Yunnan. Persons 50 years of age or older were enumerated through household visits and invited to examination sites for visual acuity testing and ocular examination. Surgical coverage and visual acuity outcomes in 2014 were compared with data from the 2006 survey. RESULTS: Among 51 310 examined persons, surgical coverage among those presenting with cataract-related severe visual impairment or blindness (

Assembled monolithic structure is a common structure in the process of housing industrialization, among which the composite plate is an indispensable element. The thickness of the precast slab of composite plate is small so special measures have to be adopted to prevent the excessive deformation even destruction occurred during hoisting or transport. A novel removable stiffness increasing device for precast slab is presented in this paper. The device consists of steel truss, upper steel plate and steel base plate and can effectively improve the performance of the slab during hoisting and transport. The device has the advantages of simple construction and no special equipment is necessary. The device can be removed after being hoisted and saving cost. The performance of the slab with the device during hoisting and transport is analyzed and appropriate shape parameters are suggested.

Metastasis is the most lethal attribute of human malignancy. High-level expression of survivin is involved in both carcinogenesis and angiogenesis in cancer. Previous studies indicate that a mutation of the threonine residue at position 34 (Thr34Ala) of survivin generates a dominant-negative mutant that induces apoptosis, inhibits angiogenesis, and suppresses highly metastatic breast carcinoma in mouse models. We investigated the efficacy of gene therapy with a survivin dominant-negative mutant and possible factors related to lymph node metastasis. The metastasis rate was compared between each group in order to find a survivin-targeted therapy against lymphangiogenesis in its earliest stages. We established lymph node metastasis models and treated animals with H22 tumors with Lip-mSurvivinT34A (Lip-mS), Lip-plasmid (Lip-P), or normal saline (NS). Eight days after the last dose, five randomly chosen mice from each group were sacrificed. We detected the apoptotic index, microvessel density (MVD), lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD), and the expression of VEGF-D with immunohistochemistry. After the remaining animals were sacrificed, we compared the tumor-infiltrated lymph nodes in each group. Administration of mSurvivinT34A plasmid complexed with cationic liposome (DOTAP/chol) resulted in the efficacious inhibition of tumor growth and lymph node metastasis within the mouse H22 tumor model. These responses were associated with tumor cell apoptosis, and angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis inhibition. Our results suggested that Lip-mSurvivinT34A induced apoptosis and inhibited tumor angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, thus suppressing tumor growth and lymphatic metastasis. The mSurvivinT34A survivin mutant is a promising strategy of gene therapy to inhibit lymphatic metastasis.

Modified Housner model is presented in the paper for seismic analysis of aqueducts on rigid buttress. Invective mass is attached to walls of aqueducts rigidly instead of springs with low stiffness, which ensures vibrating frequencies can be computed. The coefficient α of invective mass is introduced to adjust the enlargement brought by the rigid attachment. The value of the efficient for aqueducts with different height-width ratio is determined by tentative calculation. Modified Housner model inherits the merit and avoids shortcoming of conventional Housner model. Finally the modified model is verified by an example and the accuracy of the model is proved to meet requirement of practical seismic analysis.

Behavior of circular pressure tunnel lining is analyzed by reinforced concrete finite element method (RCFEM) and following characteristics are found: the maximum width dose not occur at the highest head; cracking hydraulic head increases while surrounding rock have larger deformation modulus, but the maximum crack width do not vary apparently; crack width in lining can be controlled effectively while inner reinforcement is more than outer reinforcement and there are steel bars in the middle of lining; lining bears less forces actually after cracking than linear calculation because of the loss of stiffness; the reinforcement of lining is determined by the crack width control requirement, but existing formula of crack width are not appropriate for lining of tunnel. On the basis of above characteristics, RCFEM is suggested for lining design. The key of the method is that crack width is calculated by FEM directly and amount and distribution of steel bars are determined by allowed maximum crack width. Finally, by an example, the process of lining reinforcement designation by RCFEM is illustrated and the reasonableness of the stress limitations of steel bar is verified.