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Protein S -nitrosylation mediates a large part of nitric oxide's influence on cellular function by providing a fundamental mechanism to control protein function across different species and cell types. At steady state, cellular S -nitrosylation reflects dynamic equilibria between S -nitrosothiols (SNOs) in proteins and small molecules (low-molecular-weight SNOs) whose levels are regulated by dedicated S -nitrosylases and denitrosylases. S -Nitroso-CoA (SNO-CoA) and its cognate denitrosylases, SNO-CoA reductases (SCoRs), are newly identified determinants of protein S -nitrosylation in both yeast and mammals. Because SNO-CoA is a minority species among potentially thousands of cellular SNOs, SCoRs must preferentially recognize this SNO substrate. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism by which cellular SNOs are recognized by their cognate enzymes. Using mammalian cells, molecular modeling, substrate-capture assays, and mutagenic analyses, we identified a single conserved surface Lys (Lys-127) residue as well as active-site interactions of the SNO group that mediate recognition of SNO-CoA by SCoR. Comparing SCoR K127A versus SCoR WT HEK293 cells, we identified a SNO-CoA-dependent nitrosoproteome, including numerous metabolic protein substrates. Finally, we discovered that the SNO-CoA/SCoR system has a role in mitochondrial metabolism. Collectively, our findings provide molecular insights into the basis of specificity in SNO-CoA-mediated metabolic signaling and suggest a role for SCoR-regulated S -nitrosylation in multiple metabolic processes., (© 2019 Stomberski et al.)

Objective: The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence of fibular fractures as an associated injury in tibial plateau fractures according to CT scan. We also attempt to introduce a new morphological sub-classification on this associated injury and to analyze the correlation between this classification and tibial plateau fractures., Methods: We selected cases with fibular fractures from all the tibial plateau fracture patients. The cases were further divided into 2 groups: unicondylar group and bicondylar group. On the basis of our new classification system of fibular fracture, all the included cases were divided into 5 subgroups., Results: Finally, a total of 150 cases associated with fibular fractures in 502 tibial plateau fracture cases were identified from our institution database. The incidence of fibular head fracture in tibial plateau fractures was 29.88% (150/502). Seventy-one cases (47.3%) were involved one condyle, and 79 cases (52.7%) involved both. It shows significant difference in the subgroup of avulsion fracture with horizontal fracture line (Type A) which is ratio of 16.9% in unicondylar group and 1.27% in bicondylar group., Conclusion: A new classification of this associated injury describing the morphology of the fracture fragments may improve operative planning., (© 2019 The Authors. Orthopaedic Surgery published by Chinese Orthopaedic Association and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Aim: To investigate whether there is an optimal time in the menstrual cycle to obtain the best image quality of uterine zonal structures with high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)., Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight normal volunteers with regular menstrual cycles underwent pelvic 3 T high-resolution T2-weighted three-dimensional (3D) turbo spin echo (TSE) with variable flip angle MRI examinations during the menstrual phase (MP), follicular phase (FP), peri-ovulatory phase (OP), and luteal phase (LP). Two radiologists blinded evaluated the boundary sharpness of the three zonal structures of the uterine corpus and cervix on mid-sagittal images using a three-point Likert-scale. The signal intensity (SI) on T2-weighted sequences of each zonal structure was measured and the ratio between the SI of adjacent structures was calculated. Paired Wilcoxon's test and repeated measurement analysis of variance were used to investigate the differences among the four phases., Results: No variation during the menstrual cycle was found in 10.5% (4/38) of volunteers and their boundaries were all well-defined. The OP exhibited the clearest boundaries of the corpus zonal structures. For the endometrium to junctional zone, mean scores of boundary sharpness from high to low were 3 (OP), 2.97 (FP), 2.76 (LP), 2.74 (MP); that for the junctional zone to myometrium were 2.76 (OP), 2.42 (FP), 2.32 (LP), 2.11 (MP); which were consistent with the SI ratio results. The results for the cervix showed no statistical difference during the menstrual cycle (p>0.05), and was well-defined throughout., Conclusions: The OP is recommended as the best phase to investigate zonal-related uterine corpus diseases due to the best contrast. For cervical diseases, imaging could be performed when necessary at any time point, due to the limited influence of menstrual phases on cervical zone delineation., (Copyright © 2018 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is protective against kidney injury, but the molecular mechanisms of this protection are poorly understood 1,2 . Nitric oxide-based cellular signalling is generally mediated by protein S-nitrosylation, the oxidative modification of Cys residues to form S-nitrosothiols (SNOs). S-nitrosylation regulates proteins in all functional classes, and is controlled by enzymatic machinery that includes S-nitrosylases and denitrosylases, which add and remove SNO from proteins, respectively 3,4 . In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the classic metabolic intermediate co-enzyme A (CoA) serves as an endogenous source of SNOs through its conjugation with nitric oxide to form S-nitroso-CoA (SNO-CoA), and S-nitrosylation of proteins by SNO-CoA is governed by its cognate denitrosylase, SNO-CoA reductase (SCoR) 5 . Mammals possess a functional homologue of yeast SCoR, an aldo-keto reductase family member (AKR1A1) 5 with an unknown physiological role. Here we report that the SNO-CoA-AKR1A1 system is highly expressed in renal proximal tubules, where it transduces the activity of eNOS in reprogramming intermediary metabolism, thereby protecting kidneys against acute kidney injury. Specifically, deletion of Akr1a1 in mice to reduce SCoR activity increased protein S-nitrosylation, protected against acute kidney injury and improved survival, whereas this protection was lost when Enos (also known as Nos3) was also deleted. Metabolic profiling coupled with unbiased mass spectrometry-based SNO-protein identification revealed that protection by the SNO-CoA-SCoR system is mediated by inhibitory S-nitrosylation of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) through a novel locus of regulation, thereby balancing fuel utilization (through glycolysis) with redox protection (through the pentose phosphate shunt). Targeted deletion of PKM2 from mouse proximal tubules recapitulated precisely the protective and mechanistic effects of S-nitrosylation in Akr1a1 -/- mice, whereas Cys-mutant PKM2, which is refractory to S-nitrosylation, negated SNO-CoA bioactivity. Our results identify a physiological function of the SNO-CoA-SCoR system in mammals, describe new regulation of renal metabolism and of PKM2 in differentiated tissues, and offer a novel perspective on kidney injury with therapeutic implications.

Objectives: To analyze the factors affecting the patency rate of microsurgical single-stitch longitudinal intussusception vasoepididymostomy and to explore the possible causes of failure. Methods: The clinical data of 87 patients with epididymal obstructive azoospermia who underwent microsurgical vasoepididymostomy from January 2015 to February 2018 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. We observed the patency rate postoperatively and evaluated several factors that possibly related to the patency rates. Preoperative examinations included peripheral blood chromosomes, Y chromosome microdeletions, sex hormones, seminal plasma, etc. After admission, microsurgical single-stitch longitudinal intussusception vasoepididymostomy was performed. During the follow-up, the semen was evaluated to assess the patency rate and the time to patency. Results: The patient's age ranged from 21 to 42 years and the mean age was(25±3) years. Infertility lasted for 1-8 years and the mean infertility time was(2.2±1.1) years. The longitudinal intussusception vasoepididymostomy was successfully completed in 80 patients , 5 cases gave up the anastomosis surgery because of multiple segment obstruction of the vas deferens, complete obstruction of the epididymis or testicular obstruction. Two cases underwent crossed vasovasostomy( sperm was present in the ejaculate in 1 case postoperatively). Of all the patients, 72 were successfully followed up. The follow-up time was 3-29 months, with an average of (12.0±1.7)months. Excluding 3 cases of follow-up time less than 12 months who still had no sperm in the ejaculate, 69 patients' data were in cluded in the final statistics, of which 50 cases with return of sperm in the ejaculate, the overall patency rate was 72.5%(50/69), concentration of sperm was 0.1-137.2 million/ml, and the mean concentration was(29±21) million/ml; with the progressive motile sperm rate ranging from 0-57.9%, the mean rate was(29.9±21.1)%. The patency rates of motile sperm and immobile sperm found in epididymal fluid during surgery were 82.2%(37/45) and 54.2%(13/24), respectively. The patency rate of bilateral and unilateral anastomoses was 77.6%(45/58) and 45.5%(5/11), respectively; the patency rate of caput anastomosis was 47.8%(11/23), and 84.8%(39/46) for corpus or caudal anastomosis. 17 patients achieved natural pregnancy postoperatively, the rate was 34.0%(17/50). Conclusions: The therapeutic effect of microsurgical single-stitch longitudinal intussusception vasoepididymostomy is satisfactory. The motile spermatozoa in epididymal fluid, bilateral surgery and corpus or caudal anastomosis can improve the patency rate postoperatively.

There are great challenges in developing efficient adsorbents to replace the currently used and energy-intensive cryogenic distillation processes for olefin/paraffin separation, owing to the similar physical properties of the two molecules. Here we report an ultramicroporous metal-organic framework [Ca(C 4 O 4 )(H 2 O)], synthesized from calcium nitrate and squaric acid, that possesses rigid one-dimensional channels. These apertures are of a similar size to ethylene molecules, but owing to the size, shape and rigidity of the pores, act as molecular sieves to prevent the transport of ethane. The efficiency of this molecular sieve for the separation of ethylene/ethane mixtures is validated by breakthrough experiments with high ethylene productivity under ambient conditions. This material can be easily synthesized at the kilogram scale using an environmentally friendly method and is water-stable, which is important for potential industrial implementation. The strategy of using highly rigid metal-organic frameworks with well defined and rigid pores could also be extended to other porous materials for chemical separation processes.

Recently, layered perovskites attracted great attention for its excellent stability and light-emitting property. However, most of them rely on the toxic element lead and their emission quantum yields are generally low. Here, a unique hollow two-dimensional perovskite was developed in which the organic hexamethylene diamines (C 6 H 18 N 2 2+ ) strongly coupled with distorted tin bromide anions (SnBr 6 4- ). This toxic-free low-dimensional tin perovskite exhibits a broadband emission in the visible region with a high luminescence quantum yield of 86%. First-principles calculation indicate the broadband emission is associated with the recombination of self-trapped excitons. And the emission is related to the geometry of tin bromide anions. An ultraviolet light-pumped white light emitting diode with excellent color-rendering index of 94 was fabricated using it together with a commercially available blue phosphor.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Solis Mos (Novus International Inc., St. Charles, MO) on milk aflatoxin M 1 (AFM1) content, lactation performance, plasma biochemical parameters, and ruminal fermentation in dairy cows exposed to long-term aflatoxin B 1 (AFB1) challenge. Forty dairy cows were grouped according to days in milk (33 ± 7 d; mean ± SD) and milk production (33.9 ± 3.1 kg) and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: control (no additive), 20 μg of AFB1/kg of diet dry matter (AF), addition of Solis Mos at 0.25% of diet dry matter (SM), and MIX (AF + SM). The experiment lasted 9 wk, including an adaptation period during the first week. Dry matter intake, milk yield, and milk composition were measured on d 6 and 7 of each week. Milk AFM1, plasma biochemical parameters, and ruminal fermentation variables were analyzed on the last days of wk 1 and 9. No differences were observed in dry matter intake, milk yield, percentages of milk protein, milk fat, and lactose, and somatic cell counts across the treatments. Addition of adsorbent in the AFB1-contaminated diet significantly reduced the milk AFM1 concentrations (0.19 vs. 0.13 μg/kg) and transfer rates (1.38 vs. 0.89%). Dairy cows fed an AFB1-contaminated diet had lower superoxide dismutase activity, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase, and levels of IgG and IgA, and higher levels of malondialdehyde in the plasma. Inclusion of Solis Mos in the diet increased the plasma superoxide dismutase activity, total antioxidant capacity, and IgG levels, and decreased the malondialdehyde level. Neither AFB1 nor Solis Mos affected the plasma levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, or IgM. Long-term inclusion of adsorbent Solis Mos in the diet did not affect lactation performance or liver function, but it reduced milk AFM1 concentrations and oxidative stress and improved the immunological condition and ruminal fermentation in lactating dairy cows exposed to long-term AFB1 challenge., (Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report a multi-step synthetic method to obtain ultrathin silver nanowires (Ag NWs) from an aqueous solution with a ∼17 nm diameter average, and where some of them decreased down to 9 nm. Carefully designed seed screening processes including LED irradiation at high temperature for a short time, and then continuous H2O2 etching, and relative growth mechanisms of high-yield five-twinned pentagonal seeds and ultrathin Ag NWs in aqueous environment are detailed. Then, a rapid and simple multiphase interfacial assembly method particularly suitable for the separation of ultrathin Ag NWs from various by-products was demonstrated with a clear mechanism explanation. Next, a unique optical interaction between light and individual AG NWs, as well as feature structures in the AG NWs film, was investigated by a micro-domain optical confocal microscope measurement in situ together with a theoretical explanation using modal transmission theory. That revealed that the haze problem of AG NWs films was not only arising from the interaction between light and individual or crossed Ag NWs but was also greatly dependent on a weak coupling effect of leaky modes supported by adjacent Ag NWs with large distances which had not been considered before. We then provided direct experimental evidence and concluded how to obtain haze-free films with 100% transparency in the whole visible range based on ultrathin Ag NWs. This breakthrough in diameter confinement and purification of Ag NWs is a highly expected step to overcome the well-focused light diffusion and absorption problems of Ag NWs-based devices applied in various fields such as flexible electronics, high-clarity displays, visible transparent heaters, photovoltaics and various optoelectronic technologies.

Solvothermal reactions of 3-(4-pyridyl)-benzoic acid (Hpba) with a series of transition metal ions yielded isostructral metal-organic frameworks [M(pba) 2 ]·2DMA (MCF-52; M = Ni 2+ , Co 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , or mixed Zn 2+ /Cd 2+ ; DMA = N , N -dimethylacetamide) possessing two-dimensional fence-like coordination networks based on mononuclear 4-connected metal nodes and 2-connected organic ligands. Variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of these materials revealed huge positive and negative thermal expansions with |α| > 150 × 10 -6 K -1 , in which the larger metal ions give the larger thermal expansion coefficients, because the increased space not only enhance the ligand vibrational motion and hinged-fence effect, but also allow larger changes of steric hindrance between the layers. In addition, the solid-solution crystal with mixed metal ions further validates the abundant thermal expansion mechanisms of these metal-organic layers.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and related risk factors of prostate diseases in traffic policemen. Methods: A total of 848 traffic policemen who took part in the physical examination among August and September in 2016 were selected as research subjects, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect their information including smoking, alcohol drinking, biological and physiological indicators, as well as prostate disease etc. The relationship between the prevalence of prostate diseases and related risk factors was analyzed by Non-conditional Logistic Regression. Results: The total prostate disease prevalence rate was 40.2% in the study subjects, and there is statistical significance ( P <0.05) of differences between prostate disease group and non disease group in age, work age, smoking, drinking and field work. Single factor analysis showed that age, work age, smoking, and field work are independent risk factors of prostate disease ( P <0.05) . Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that increasing age ( OR 1.03) , smoking ( OR 1.92) and field work time ( OR 1.47) significantly increased the risk of prostate disease in male police after age, smoking, drinking, BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, blood lipids and other indicators were adjusted. Conclusion: age, smoking and field work time are risk factors of prostate diseases in the traffic police. There is great significance in publicizing the harmful effects of smoking and reducing the duration of field work.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) associated cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers and ranked as the eighth most common killer for Chinese women. A dozen of HPV vaccines are being developed in China without a solid China-specific distribution of carcinogenic HPV types, thus, we performed this systematic review to explore the China-specific spectrum of high-risk types causing cancer., Methods: Studies on HPV infection among Chinese women were searched. All retrieved articles were screened and reviewed by a standardized algorithm. Distribution of carcinogenic HPV types and age-specific prevalence were analyzed using random-effects model., Results: A total of 303 articles were included in the final analysis. The top 10 common HPV types detected in ICC patients, in descending order of frequency, were HPV 16 (62.5%), 18 (12.4%), 58 (8.6%), 52 (5.7%), 33 (4.6%), 31 (3.5%), 55 (2.4%), 68 (2.4%), 53 (2.2%) and 45 (2.0%) respectively. Similar spectrum was found in women with precancer. The prevalence of HPV infection peaked between 20 and 24 years with a rate of 24.3%, thereafter declined substantially and stabilized at middle-ages. Compared to women living in the developed provinces, the second peak was observed among women aged 45-55 years in less developed regions., Conclusion: In general, the spectrum of HPV types in women with precancer/cancer and the pattern of age-specific prevalence were consistent with that of elsewhere worldwide. However, some distinguished characteristics could also be concluded, and these imprinting should be considered and integrated when developing vaccines and strategy for disease control in China., (Copyright © 2018 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, we introduce a combustion method which is rapid, low cost, mass-producing and environmentally friendly to produce nanoporous graphene. After loading a graphene oxide aerogel (GOA)/paper (GOP) on a preheated hot plate (as the heat source, with a temperature as low as 200 °C) under an ambient environment, in a few seconds, the GOA/GOP would self-combust and change into reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with nanopores mainly concentrated in the 0.4-2.0 nm range and a large specific surface area of 536 m 2 g -1 . Supercapacitors fabricated with the synthesized porous RGO (P-RGO) showed a high specific capacitance of 245 F g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 , and a retention rate of about 96.9% after 12 000 cycle tests with respect to the initial specific capacitance with a scan rate of 10.0 A g -1 . The production yield of this method was as high as 77.0%., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The cucumber moth, Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepipdoptera: Pyralidae) is an economically important insect pest of cucurbits and is widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Herein, we obtained entire mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of D. indica using polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing method. The complete mitogenome of D. indica is 15,367bp long, including 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) and an A+T rich element. Both the AT skew and GC skew are slightly negative in the newly sequenced mitogenome. All of the 12 PCGs initiate with canonical start codon (ATN), except for coxI that initiate with CGA. The A+T rich element of D. indica is 467bp long and contains many features common to Pyraloidea insects. In addition, we reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among the eight superfamiles of lepidopterans by employing Neighbor joining (NJ) and Maximum likelihood (ML) methods, and both yielded identical topologies. The phylogeny results supported the monophyly of lepidopteran superfamilies. Furthermore, phylogenetic tree showed that D. indica belongs to the Pyraloidea superfamily., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Insulin resistance (IR) plays a central role in the development of several metabolic diseases, which leads to increased morbidity and mortality rates, in addition to soaring health-care costs. Deep sea water (DSW) and fucoidans (FPS) have drawn much attention in recent years because of their potential medical and pharmaceutical applications. This study investigated the effects and mechanisms of combination treatment of DSW and FPS in improving IR in HepG2 hepatocytes induced by a high glucose concentration. The results elucidated that co-treatment with DSW and FPS could synergistically repress hepatic glucose production and increase the glycogen level in IR-HepG2 cells. In addition, they stimulated the phosphorylation levels of the components of the insulin signaling pathway, including tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1, and serine phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β. Furthermore, they increased the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC, which in turn decreased the intracellular triglyceride level. Taken together, these results suggested that co-treatment with DSW and FPS had a greater improving effect than DSW or FPS alone on IR. They might attenuate IR by targeting Akt/GSK-3β and AMPK pathways. These results may have some implications in the treatment of metabolic diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Pore size is one of the most important parameters of adsorbents, and mesoporous materials have received intense attention for large guests. Here, a series of mesoporous coordination polymers underlying a new framework prototype for fast expansion of pore size is reported and the profound effect of pore size on adsorption heat transformation is demonstrated. Three isostructural honeycomb-like frameworks are designed and synthesized by combining ditopic linear metal oxalate chains and triangular tris-pyridine ligands. Changing the ligand bridging length from 5.5 to 8.6 and 9.9 Å gives rise to effective pore diameter from 20 to 33 and 37 Å, surface area from 2096 to 2630 and 2749 m 2 g -1 , and pore volume from 1.19 to 1.93 and 2.36 cm 3 g -1 , respectively. By virtue of the unique and tunable isotherm shape of mesopores, exceptionally large working capacity up to 1.19 g g -1 or 0.38 g cm -3 for adsorption heat transformation can be achieved using R-134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluroethane) as a working fluid., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: Humour is a powerful resource in medical education. The purpose of this study is to investigate what students and teachers think about the use of humour. What challenges do teachers face in using humour and how they address them are also the subject of the present study., Design: Separate cross-sectional questionnaire surveys., Setting: Tongji Medical College and Tongji Hospital in China., Participants: 327 students at Tongji Medical College and 165 physician teachers at Tongji Hospital in China., Main Outcome Measures: The primary study outcome was assessed by proportion., Results: 87% of student and teacher respondents agreed with using humour in the didactic setting. They felt humour fostered a positive didactic atmosphere. Interesting clinical case was the most frequently used humour type by teachers and considered the most effective by students. Lack of humorous materials related to the lecture subject was the main challenge to humour use cited by teachers. Collecting humorous materials in teacher's daily work and life, observing teachers with a reputation for successfully using humour, and efficiently using the internet-enhanced humour use ability., Conclusion: The present study confirms that most medical students and physician teachers support the use of humour in medical didactics, with particular strategies aiding its use and positive impact., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial cells in response to cytokines displays anti-inflammatory activity by preventing the adherence, migration and activation of neutrophils. The molecular mechanism by which NO operates at the blood-endothelium interface to exert anti-inflammatory properties is largely unknown. Here we show that on endothelial surfaces, NO is associated with the sulfhydryl-rich protein tissue transglutaminase (TG2), thereby endowing the membrane surfaces with anti-inflammatory properties. We find that tumor necrosis factor-α-stimulated neutrophil adherence is opposed by TG2 molecules that are bound to the endothelial surface. Alkylation of cysteine residues in TG2 or inhibition of endothelial NO synthesis renders the surface-bound TG2 inactive, whereas specific, high affinity binding of S-nitrosylated TG2 (SNO-TG2) to endothelial surfaces restores the anti-inflammatory properties of the endothelium, and reconstitutes the activity of endothelial-derived NO. We also show that SNO-TG2 is present in healthy tissues and that it forms on the membranes of shear-activated endothelial cells. Thus, the anti-inflammatory mechanism that prevents neutrophils from adhering to endothelial cells is identified with TG2 S-nitrosylation at the endothelial cell-blood interface.

Background: The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the use of morcellation may cause fibroids or pelvic dissemination and metastasis of uterine sarcoma; therefore, the use of morcellation is limited in the USA. A large sample study is necessary to assess the proportion of uterine malignant tumors found in patients with laparoscopic myomectomy., Methods: A national multicenter study was performed in China. From 2002 to 2014, 33,723 cases were retrospectively selected. We calculated the prevalence and recorded the clinical characteristics of the patients with malignancy after morcellation application. A total of 62 cases were finally pathologically confirmed as malignant postoperatively. Additionally, the medical records of the 62 patients were analyzed in details., Results: The proportion of postoperative malignancy after morcellation application was 0.18% (62/33,723) for patients who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy. Nearly 62.9% (39/62) of patients had demonstrated blood flow signals in the uterine fibroids before surgery. And, 23 (37.1%) patients showed rapid growth at the final preoperative ultrasound. With respect to the pathological types, 38 (61.3%) patients had detectable endometrial stromal sarcoma, 13 (21.0%) had detectable uterine leiomyosarcoma, only 3 (3.2%) had detectable carcinosarcoma, and 5 (8.1%) patients with leiomyoma had an undetermined malignant potential., Conclusions: The proportion of malignancy is low after using morcellation in patients who undergo laparoscopic myomectomy. Patients with fast-growing uterine fibroids and abnormal ultrasonic tumor blood flow should be considered for malignant potential, and morcellation should be avoided.

The pore size and framework flexibility of hosts are of vital importance for molecular recognition and related applications, but accurate control of these parameters is very challenging. We use the slight difference of metal ion size to achieve continuous hundredth-nanometer pore-size adjustments and drastic flexibility modulations in an ultramicroporous metal-organic framework, giving controllable N 2 adsorption isotherm steps, unprecedented/reversed loading-dependence of H 2 adsorption enthalpy, quadrupole-moment sieving of C 2 H 2 /CO 2 , and an exceptionally high working capacity for C 2 H 2 storage under practical conditions (98 times that of an empty cylinder). In situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements and multilevel computational simulations revealed the importance of pore-surface pockets, which utilize their size and electrostatic potential to smartly recognize the molecular sizes and quadruple moments of gas molecules to control their accessibility to the strongest adsorption sites.

Objectives: We investigated the relationship between the expression of tumor necrosis factor-inducible gene 6 (TSG-6) with inflammation and integrity of the bladder epithelium in the bladder tissues of patients with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) and the mechanism of action using a rat model of BPS/IC., Materials and Methods: Expression of TSG-6 and uroplakin III was determined by immuno- histochemistry of bladder biopsy samples from control human subjects and patients with verified BPS/IC. Our rat model of BPS/IC was employed to measure the perfusion of bladders with hyaluronidase, and assessment of the effect of TSG-6 administration on disease progression. Treatment effects were assessed by measurement of metabolic characteristics, RT-PCR of TGR-6 and interleukin-6, bladder histomorphology, and immunohistochemistry of TGR-6 and uroplakin III., Results: The bladders of patients with BPS/IC had lower expression of uroplakin III and higher expression of TSG-6 than controls. Rats treated with hyaluronidase for 1 week developed the typical signs and symptoms of BPS/IC, and rats treated with hyaluronidase for 4 weeks had more serious disease. Administration of TSG-6 reversed the effects of hyaluronidase and protected against disease progression., Conclusion: Our results indicate that TSG-6 plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the bladder epithelial barrier.

One new tirucallane-type nortriterpenoid Nortirucallane A (1), together with Chrysoeriol (2) and Isorhamnetin (3), was isolated from the methylene chloride part of Lonicerae japonicae flos. Their structures were elucidated by the detailed analysis of comprehensive spectroscopic data. Compound 3 was isolated from the genus of Lonicera for the first time. The significance of 1 for the study of phytochemical taxonomy was discussed.

Mesoporous Zn 4 O(-COO) 6 -based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), including UMCM-1, MOF-205, MUF-7a, and the newly synthesized MOFs, termed ST-1, ST-2, ST-3, and ST-4 (ST = ShanghaiTech University), have been systematically investigated for ultrahigh capacity methane storage. Exceptionally, ST-2 was found to have the highest deliverable capacity of 289 cm 3 STP /cm 3 (567 mg/g) at 298 K and 5-200 bar, which surpasses all previously reported records held by porous materials. We illustrate that the fine-tuned mesoporosity is critical in further improving the deliverable capacities at ultrahigh pressure.

Background: To understand the epidemiology and disease burden of norovirus (NoVs) gastroenteritis in China, a systematic review was conducted., Methods: Studies on acute gastroenteritis (AGE) caused by NoVs from mainland China, published before 2017 were searched. All retrieved articles were screened and reviewed by a standardized algorithm. NoVs detection rates as well as strain variations by ages, seasonal variations and geographic locations were analyzed using random-effects model., Results: A total of 225 articles were included in the final analysis. Similar detection rates at 21.0% and 19.8% were obtained from the North and the South, respectively. NoVs infection occurred year round, with a peak between October and January in the North and between August and November in the South. High detection rates (∼29%) of NoVs were found in adults and the elderly and in children aged 6-35 months (∼22%). The predominant strains were GII.4 (70.4%), followed by GII.3 (13.5%)., Conclusion: NoVs cause significant disease burden in China which warrants development of vaccines against NoVs, particularly for children and the elderly who are vulnerable to gastroenteritis diseases. To achieve a broad protection, continual monitoring NoV epidemics and strain variations for selection of proper vaccine strains is critical., (Copyright © 2017 The British Infection Association. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Chinese people are generally unfamiliar with the concept of advance care planning or advance directives (ACP/ADs), which raises dilemmas in life-support choice and can even affect clinical decision making. To understand and address the issues involved better, we investigated the awareness of ACP/ADs in China, as well as people's attitudes toward medical autonomy and end-of-life care., Design: A multicenter cross-sectional survey, conducted from August 1 to December 31, 2016., Setting: Twenty-five hospitals located in 15 different provinces throughout mainland China., Participants: Pairs of adult patients without dementia or malignancies, and a family member., Measurements: Participants self-filled anonymous questionnaires, and the data collected were analyzed to relate patients' sociodemographic characteristics to their awareness of ACP/ADs and attitudes to health care autonomy and end-of-life care., Results: Among 1084 patients who completed the questionnaire, 415 (38.3%) had heard about ACP/ADs. Having been informed about ACP/ADs, 995 (91.8%) were willing to find out their true health status and decide for themselves; 549 (50.6%) wanted to institute ACP/ADs. Regarding end-of-life care, 473 (43.6%) chose Do Not Resuscitate, and 435 (40.1%) wished to forgo life-support treatment if irreversibly moribund. Patients predominantly (481, 44.4%) chose general hospital as their preferred place to spend their last days of life; only 114 (10.5%) favored a special hospice facility. Patients' main concerns during end-of-life care were symptom control (35.1%), followed by functional maintenance and quality of life (29.8%), and prolonging life (18.9%). More highly educated patients had significantly greater awareness of ACP/ADs than less well educated ones (χ 2  = 59.22, P < .001) and were more willing to find out the truth for themselves (χ 2  = 58.30, P ≤ .001) and make medical decisions in advance (χ 2  = 55.92, P < .001). Younger patients were also more willing than older ones to know the truth (χ 2  = 38.23, P = .001) and make medical decisions in advance (χ 2  = 18.42, P = .018), and were also more likely to wish to die at home (χ 2  = 96.25, P < .001). Only 212 patients' family members (19.6%) wanted life-support treatment for themselves if irreversibly moribund, whereas 592 (54.6%) would want their relative to receive such procedures in the same circumstances; a similar discrepancy was evident for end-of-life invasive treatment (18.3% vs 42.7%)., Conclusions: Awareness about ACP/ADs in China is still low. Providing culturally sensitive knowledge, education, and communication regarding ACP/ADs is a feasible first step to promoting this sociomedical practice., (Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Transplantation of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAM-MSCs) seems to be a promising strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the clinical therapeutic effects of hAM-MSCs and their mechanisms of action in AD remain to be determined. Here, we used amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin1 (PS1) double-transgenic mice to evaluate the effects of hAM-MSC transplantation on AD-related neuropathology and cognitive dysfunction. We found that hAM-MSC transplantation into the hippocampus dramatically reduced amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) deposition and rescued spatial learning and memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Interestingly, these effects were associated with increasing in Aβ-degrading factors, elevations in activated microglia, and the modulation of neuroinflammation. Furthermore, enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG) and enhanced synaptic plasticity following hAM-MSC treatment could be another important factor in reversing the cognitive decline in APP/PS1 mice. Instead, the mechanism underlying the improved cognition apparently involves a robust increase in hippocampal synaptic density and neurogenesis that is mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In conclusion, our data suggest that hAM-MSCs may be a new and effective therapy for the treatment of AD.

Objective: To investigate the expressions of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and BPH complicated with histological inflammation and their significance., Methods: According to the results of HE staining, we divided 60 cases of BPH treated by transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) into a BPH group (n = 23) and a BPH with inflammation group (n = 37). We analyzed the clinical data of the patients and determined the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-17 and IL-8 by immunohistochemistry, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and Western blot, respectively., Results: Compared with the BPH patients complicated with inflammation, the BPH group showed significantly lower International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) (29.1 ± 6.2 vs 21.6 ± 3.7), quality of life score (QoL) (5.4 ± 1.3 vs 4.4 ± 1.6), postvoid residual urine volume (RUV) (［198.6 ± 15.5］ vs ［98.2 ± 19.3］ ml), prostate volume (［69.2 ± 24.1］ vs ［49.8 ± 16.5］ ml), PSA level (［7.4 ± 1.9］ vs ［2.8 ± 0.8］ μg/L) and serum c-reactive protein content (CRP) (［5.1±2.0］ vs ［1.5±0.6］ mg/L), but a higher maximum urine flow rate (Qmax) (［4.7 ± 2.1］ vs ［8.2 ± 1.8］ ml/s) (all P<0.05). The former group had a significantly higher incidence rate of urinary retention than the latter (32.4% ［12/37］ vs 8.69% ［2/23］), mRNA expressions of IL-17 (0.303 ± 0.076 vs 0.042 ± 0.019) and IL-8 (0.536 ± 0.059 vs 0.108 ± 0.025), and protein expressions of IL-17 (0.88 ± 0.10 vs 0.34 ± 0.05) and IL-8 (1.07 ± 0.08 vs 0.43 ± 0.04) (all P<0.05)., Conclusions: The expressions of IL-17 and IL-8 are upregulated in the prostatic tissue of the BPH patients with inflammation, which may play a significant role in the development and progression of BPH.

Background: Using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI), we sought to investigate the underlying etiology of intracranial stenosis in young patients., Methods: We retrospectively studied 122 Chinese young adult patients (from 18 to 45 years old, mean age 36.2±7.5 years) with unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis based on a prospectively established HRMRI database. The eccentricity, degree of stenosis, and remodeling types of MCA lesions were analyzed. The MCA lesions were classified as eccentric (presumed atherosclerosis) or concentric stenosis (presumed non-atherosclerosis). The clinical data and vessel wall properties were compared between the patients >35 years old and the patients ≤35 years old., Results: Eccentric stenosis was observed in 98 (80.3%) patients and concentric stenosis in 24 (19.7%) patients. The patients with eccentric stenosis were older (37.5±6.8 vs. 31.4±8.4 years old, P<0.001) and more likely had atherosclerosis risk factors (56.1% vs. 25.0%, P=0.006). The patients >35 years old had higher prevalence (90.1% vs. 66.7%, P=0.001) of eccentric stenosis and atherosclerosis factors (60.6% vs. 35.3%, P=0.006) than the patients ≤35 years old. Most of the patients with concentric stenosis were ≤35 years old (17/24, 70.8%) and were female (16/24, 66.7%). Binary Logistic analysis suggested smoking (OR =3.171; 95% CI, 1.210-8.314) and remodeling ratio (OR =1.625; 95% CI, 1.001-2.636) were independent predictive factors for symptomatic stenosis., Conclusions: Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of intracranial stenosis in Chinese young patients. Non-atherosclerosis disease is an important etiology in young female, especially in the patients aged 35 years old or younger., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

The organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites efficiently enhance the infrared absorption of small molecules. It is suggested that the quantum wells of perovskites enable the electrons of the perovskites to be excited by light in the infrared region. The exploration has opened a new path for chemical sensing through infrared spectroscopy.

We have developed a mild, convenient and efficient synthesis of highly functionalized (Z)-β-enamino ketones from readily available 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline imines and ynones through an aza-Michael/hydrolysis cascade reaction. This method is also suitable for the preparation of (Z)-β-enamino esters using alkynoates as starting materials. Complex fully substituted pyrroles can be constructed from the obtained (Z)-β-enamino ketones. It is an attractive alternative approach for the preparation of highly functionalized enamino ketones, esters and pyrroles.

T-wave alternans (TWA) is a potent arrhythmia substrate under the conditions of acute myocardial ischemia. Abnormal intracellular calcium cycling contributes to the genesis of cardiac alternans. Ryanodine receptor (RyR) is a pivotal Ca 2+ cycling protein central to Ca 2+ signaling in the heart. Here, we investigated the potential role of RyR in cardiac alternans and ventricular arrhythmias in acute myocardial ischemia. Transmembrane action potentials were simultaneously recorded from epicardium and endocardium together with a transmural ECG and isometric contraction force in the arterially perfused left ventricular wedge preparations. Calcium alternans were induced by incremental frequency of field stimulation in rat ventricular myocytes. TWA, mechanical alternans and ventricular arrhythmias were reproducibly induced by rapid pacing in the acute ischemic wedge preparations. Compared with control group, calcium alternans ratio and spontaneous calcium release were increased in acute ischemic myocytes. Verapamil, a phenylalkylamine calcium channel blocker, can successfully abolish spontaneous calcium release, TWA, and ventricular arrhythmias. The inhibition effect of verapamil could be diminished by low concentration of ryanodine (10 nmol/L). However, nifedipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, could not block TWA or arrhythmias. Moreover, verapamil, but not nifedipine, significantly decreased ROS production in ischemic myocytes. Collectively, our results indicate that verapamil can significantly inhibit the development of cardiac alternans and ventricular arrhythmias in acute myocardial ischemia, and the mechanism was related to the inhibition of RyR and the protective function to oxidative stress., Competing Interests: None.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and potential of PCS as the anti-fatigue functional food. PCS was prepared by water extracting-alcohol precipitating method, and its chemical compositions of monosaccharide were analyzed. Then, acute toxicity and anti-fatigue activity of PCS were evaluated. PCS is composed of Rha, Arab, Xyl, Man, Glu, and Gal, its molar ratio is 0.17: 0.30: 0.26: 0.35: 1.00: 0.57. No mortality and general symptoms of toxicity were observed in the PCS treated mice (7.5, 15, and 20g/kg body weight), the body weight and food consumption were not significantly changed compared with the normal control group. The relative weights of main organ, and biochemical indicators also did not markedly change. PCS can significantly prolong the duration of the swimming time to exhaustion in mice, decrease BUN, LA levels, increase LDH activities, and the contents of HG in the PCS treated mice. The dose of 400mg/kg body weight is the optimal dose for anti-fatigue activity both in male and female mice. In conclusion, PCS is a promising traditional natural-based therapeutic remedy for relieving fatigue with high safety., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Primary blepharospasm (BPS) is a focal dystonia characterized by involuntary blinking and eyelid spasms. The pathophysiology of BPS remains unclear. Several neuroimaging studies have suggested dysfunction of sensory processing and sensorimotor integration, but the results have been inconsistent. This study aimed to determine whether patients with BPS exhibit altered functional brain connectivity and to explore possible correlations between these networks and clinical variables. Twenty-five patients with BPS and 25 healthy controls were enrolled. We found that the patient group exhibited decreased connectivity within the sensory-motor network (SMN), which involved regions of the bilateral primary sensorimotor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), right premotor cortex, bilateral precuneus and left superior parietal cortex. Within the right fronto-parietal network, decreased connections were observed in the middle frontal gyrus, dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus. Regarding the salience network (SN), increased connectivity was observed in the left superior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus. These findings suggest the involvement of multiple neural networks in primary BPS.

We report here an unexpected catalyst-free [2 + 2 + 2] annulation reaction which allows access to novel complex dimeric β-carboline derivatives in a single step. Various substituted ynones could react with dihydro-β-carboline imines to deliver interesting [2 + 2 + 2] annulation products in moderate to good yields. Alkynoates can also be tolerated in this system.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Oviductus ranae (OR) is a traditional animal-based Chinese medicine, which has been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia since 1985 edition. Although its medicinal application has been widely acknowledged, there is little available information on its potential toxicity., Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to investigate the acute, sub-acute, and genetic toxicities of OR., Materials and Methods: In acute toxicity evaluation, OR was administered orally to mice at doses of 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0g/kg BW for one time. Mortality, clinical signs, and body weight were observed for 14 days after treatment. In sub-acute toxicity evaluation, OR was administered orally to rats once a day for 28 consecutive days at doses of 1.75, 3.50, and 7.00g/kg BW. Animals were observed for general behaviors, mortality, food intake, and body weight changes. At the end of treatment, relative organ weight, pathology, hematological and biochemical parameters were monitored. In genotoxicity evaluation, bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test) was performed by treating OR with four different Salmonella typhimurium strains at doses of 8, 40, 200, 1000, and 5000μg/plate without or with S-9 mix, respectively. The genotoxicity of OR was also evaluated by micronucleus and sperm malformation assays in mice at doses of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0g/kg BW, respectively., Results: The results of acute toxicity study showed that the LD 50 value of OR is higher than 20.0g/kg BW in mice. Death and abnormal clinical symptoms were not found during the period of experiment. In sub-acute toxicity, we found that the no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAEL) of OR in rats is up to 7.00g/kg BW. No statistically significant or toxicologically relevant defferences in body weight, food intake, relative organ weight, pathology, hematological and biochemical parameters were observed, when compared with control group. Results of Ames test, micronucleus and sperm malformation assays indicated that OR has no mutagenicity in vitro at a limited dose of 5000μg/plate, and dose not induce micronuclei and sperm malformation in mice at the dose of up to 10.0g/kg BW in mice., Conclusions: In conclusion, OR is a tranditional Chinese medicine with high safety., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The ability to measure the orbital angular momentum (OAM) distribution of vortex light is essential for OAM applications. Although there have been many studies on the measurement of OAM modes, it is difficult to quantitatively and instantaneously measure the power distribution among different OAM modes, let alone measure the phase distribution among them. In this work, we propose an OAM complex spectrum analyzer that enables simultaneous measurements of the power and phase distributions of OAM modes by employing the rotational Doppler effect. The original OAM mode distribution is mapped to an electrical spectrum of beat signals using a photodetector. The power and phase distributions of superimposed OAM beams are successfully retrieved by analyzing the electrical spectrum. We also extend the measurement technique to other spatial modes, such as linear polarization modes. These results represent a new landmark in spatial mode analysis and show great potential for applications in OAM-based systems and optical communication systems with mode-division multiplexing., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Luminescent porous coordination polymers (PCPs) are emerging as attractive oxygen-sensing materials, but they are mostly based on single-wavelength luminometry. Here, we report a special mixed-lanthanide strategy for self-referenced ratiometric oxygen sensing. A series of isostructural, pure-lanthanide, or mixed-lanthanide PCPs, MCF-53(Tb/Eu x ), were synthesized by solvothermal reactions. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that MCF-53(Tb/Eu x ) is composed of complicated two-dimensional coordination networks, which interdigitate to form a three-dimensional supramolecular structure retaining one-dimensional ultra-micropores. MCF-53(Tb/Eu x ) can undergo multiple single-crystal to single-crystal structural transformations upon desorption/adsorption of coordinative and lattice guest molecules, and the lanthanide metal ions are partially exposed on the pore surface at the guest-free state. Tb(III) ions are not luminescent and only act as separators between Eu(III) ions, and the Tb(III)/Eu(III) mixing ratio can tune the relative emission intensities, luminescence lifetimes of the Eu(III) phosphorescence, and the ligand fluorescence, giving rise to not only ratiometric photoluminescence oxygen sensing but also tunable emission-color-changing ranges.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of functional appliance on upper airway in adolescent patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion based on cone-beam CT (CBCT)., Methods: Thirty adolescent patients (male:female=1:1) with skeletal Class II malocclusion and their 30 counterparts with skeletal Class I malocclusion were selected. Skeletal Class II malocclusion patients were treated with Activator for 12 months on average, meanwhile skeletal Class I malocclusion patients were treated with fixed appliance without extraction. Cone-beam CT (CBCT) films were taken before and 12 months after treatment. Films of skeletal Class II malocclusion patients were measured (items about skeletal and upper airway, and the outline of upper airway depicted with 3D reconstruction) and compared with the reference standards and the measurements of their counterpart patients with skeletal Class I malocclusion. Independent t test was performed in inter-group comparison and paired t test was performed in inner-group comparison using SAS 8.0 software package., Results: Before treatment, patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion showed decreased SNB and APDI value, increased ANB, Wits, and OJ compared with standard value and value of skeletal Class I malocclusion patients. In addition, decreased MPW and PAS value, and downsized volume of upper airway and transverse diameter minimum were found in skeletal Class II malocclusion patients. After treatment with Activator, patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion showed increased MPW and PAS value, and enlarged volume of upper airway and transverse diameter minimum. All values of skeletal items of patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion showed trends to get close to the reference standards and the values of skeletal Class I malocclusion patients. There was no significant difference between different genders of the two groups., Conclusions: Patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion have constructed upper airways. Treatment with Activator can increase the MPW and PAS values and enlarge volume of upper airway and transverse diameter minimum. Functional appliance can ameliorate the narrowness of upper airway for skeletal Class II patients.

Background: Hypoparathyroidism-deafness-renal dysplasia (HDR) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder primarily caused by haploinsufficiency of GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) gene mutations, and hearing loss is the most frequent phenotypic feature. This study aimed at identifying the causative gene mutation for a three-generation Chinese family with HDR syndrome and analyzing auditory phenotypes in all familial HDR syndrome cases., Methods: Three affected family members underwent otologic examinations, biochemistry tests, and other clinical evaluations. Targeted genes capture combining next-generation sequencing was performed within the family. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the causative mutation. The auditory phenotypes of all reported familial HDR syndrome cases analyzed were provided., Results: In Chinese family 7121, a heterozygous nonsense mutation c.826C>T (p.R276*) was identified in GATA3. All the three affected members suffered from sensorineural deafness and hypocalcemia; however, renal dysplasia only appeared in the youngest patient. Furthermore, an overview of thirty HDR syndrome families with corresponding GATA3 mutations revealed that hearing impairment occurred earlier in the younger generation in at least nine familial cases (30%) and two thirds of them were found to carry premature stop mutations., Conclusions: This study highlights the phenotypic heterogeneity of HDR and points to a possible genetic anticipation in patients with HDR, which needs to be further investigated.

Objective: To explore the influence of collagen/fibroin scaffolds containing silver nanoparticles on dermal regeneration of full-thickness skin defect wound in rat. Methods: Eighty-one collagen/fibroin scaffolds containing silver nanoparticles (with the mass concentration of silver nanoparticles as 10 mg/L) and 81 collagen/fibroin scaffolds without silver nanoparticles were produced respectively with freeze-drying method and enrolled as silver nanoparticles scaffold group (SNS) and control scaffold group (CS). Nine scaffolds in each group were cultured with human fibroblasts. At post culture hour (PCH) 2, 12, and 24, the human fibroblasts adherent to the scaffolds ( n =3) in two groups were counted. Four full-thickness skin defect wounds were reproduced on the back of each one of the 36 SD rats. The rats were divided into groups SNS (wounds were transplanted with collagen/fibroin scaffolds containing silver nanoparticles) and CS (wounds were transplanted with collagen/fibroin scaffolds without silver nanoparticles) according to the random number table, with 18 rats in each group. In post surgery week (PSW) 1, 2, and 4, 6 rats in each group were sacrificed respectively for general observation, observation of histological structure, inflammatory cell infiltration, and collagen deposition with HE staining, count of CD68 positive cells with immunohistochemical staining, and mRNA expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 with real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Data were processed with analysis of variance of factorial design, t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) At PCH 2, 12, and 24, the numbers of human fibroblasts adherent to the scaffolds in the two groups were close (with t values from 1.77 to 2.60, P values above 0.05). (2) In PSW 1, no obvious symptom of infection was observed in wound or wound edge of rats in group SNS with obvious vascularization of scaffolds, while obvious symptoms of infection were observed in wounds of rats in group CS with some scaffolds exfoliated. In PSW 2, the scaffolds were firmly attached to the wounds of rats in group SNS, while obvious contracture was observed in the wounds of rats in group CS with a lot of scaffolds exfoliated. In PSW 4, the scaffolds covered the wounds of rats in group SNS with obvious epithelization on the surface of the scaffolds, while all the scaffolds exfoliated, leaving obvious contracture of residual wounds of rats in group CS. (3) In PSW 1 and 2, compared with those in group CS, more collagen secretion and tissue regeneration and less inflammatory cell infiltration in the scaffolds were observed in the wounds of rats in group SNS. In PSW 4, obvious epithelization was observed in the wounds of rats in group SNS, while inflammatory cell infiltration was observed without obvious epithelization in the wounds of rats in group CS. (4) In PSW 1, the number of CD68 positive cells in the wounds of rats in group SNS [(54±10) /mm(2)] was similar to that in group CS [(78±7) /mm(2,) t =1.52, P >0.05]. In PSW 2 and 4, the numbers of CD68 positive cells in the wounds of rats in group SNS [(154±10) and (77±7) /mm(2)] were significantly less than those in group CS [(268±16) and (136±13) /mm(2,) with t values respectively 7.31 and 3.83, P values below 0.01] respectively. (5) Except for the expression in PSW 4 ( t =1.23, P >0.05), the mRNA expressions of IL-6 in the wounds of rats in group SNS in PSW 1 and 2 were significantly lower than those in group CS (with t values respectively 13.12 and 4.65, P values below 0.01). Except for the expression in PSW 1 ( t =3.08, P <0.05), the mRNA expressions of IL-10 in PSW 2 and 4 in the wounds of rats in the two groups were similar (with t values respectively 2.14 and 0.49, P values above 0.05). Conclusions: Besides good biocompatibility, collagen/fibroin scaffolds containing silver nanoparticles have obvious effect in modulating inflammation, thus they can accelerate dermal regeneration induced by collagen/fibroin scaffolds for wound repair.

The majority of men with spinal cord injury (SCI) suffer from different types and degrees of erectile dysfunction (ED). The impact of SCL on erectile function depends on the severity and location of the injury. Some patients can restore the residual sexual potential in the period of SCI recovery. Treatments of ED in men with SCI include psychotherapy, medication of oral PDE5 inhibitors, intracavernous injection of vasoactive drugs, transurethral medication, application of the vacuum erectile device and penile ring, penile prostheses, sacral neuromodulation, etc., among which PDE5 inhibitors remain the first option and usually give good clinical results for those with higher SCI. However, intracavernous injection of vasoactive drugs and combined treatment are preferable for those with lower SCI.

The biological properties of Piper sarmentosum render it a potential substitute for antibiotics in livestock feed. This study evaluated the effects of P. sarmentosum extract (PSE) on the growth performance, antioxidant capability and immune response of weaned piglets. Eighty 21-d-old weaned piglets were selected and randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments with five replicates of four pigs each. The dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet supplemented with 0 (T0), 50 (T50), 100 (T100) or 200 (T200) mg/kg PSE. The feeding trial lasted 4 weeks. The results revealed that the T50 group had the highest average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) throughout the feeding trial (p < 0.05). Additionally, the T50 group had higher (p < 0.05) serum glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) and lower (p < 0.05) serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels than the T0 group at 4 weeks post-weaning (p < 0.05). Serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) decreased, while serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) increased by PSE supplementation at 4 weeks post-weaning (p < 0.05). PSE supplementation upregulated the mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β and downregulated the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the ileal mucosal layer of piglets (p < 0.05). In summary, our study findings revealed that PSE supplementation improved the antioxidant capability, and reduced inflammation, which may be beneficial to weaned piglet health., (Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

The current lack of complete understanding of the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant barrier to its early diagnosis and treatment. Cell cycle arrest plays an important role in the protection of renal tubular epithelial cells and maladaptive repair following AKI. G1 phase cell arrest serves as a protective mechanism following AKI, avoiding replication of damaged DNA. Insulinlike growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) are closely associated with G1 cell cycle arrest during the very early phase of cellular damage and can serve as an ideal biomarker to predict AKI. However, sustained cell cycle arrest after severe AKI may result in cell senescence and maladaptive repair, with typical characteristics of the development of cell cycle arrest in the gap 2 (G2) or mitotic (M) phase. Markers of cell cycle arrest signal and spread the "alarm" from the site of injury to adjacent cells in an autocrine or paracrine manner, giving rise to abnormal amplification and release of profibrogenic factors, activation of pericytes/perivascular fibroblasts, and eventually fibrosis. Therefore, cell cycle regulation has become a potentially new target for the prevention and treatment of AKI. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of the cell cycle following AKI and the markers of cell cycle arrest that enable the early detection of AKI. We also discuss how to prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by regulating cell cycle arrest., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the characteristics of events of bus on fire in 6 years in the mainland of China. Methods: Events of bus on fire happened between January 2009 and December 2014 were retrieved through Baidu search engine, Chinese Journals Full - text Database, and PubMed database in the search strategy with " bus" and " fire" or " arson" as keywords combined with the name of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities of the mainland of China. The occurrence time, region, cause of fire, casualties of each event were recorded, and the correlative analysis was conducted. Data were processed with Microsoft Excel software. Results: Totally 287 events of bus on fire were retrieved, among which 49 events happened in 2009, 36 events happened in 2010, 35 events happened in 2011, 37 events happened in 2012, and respectively 65 events happened in 2013 and 2014. The events of bus on fire most frequently happened in June and July, respectively 49 and 39 events. Among the distribution of occurrence regions of events of bus on fire, there were 78 events (27.18%) in east China, 52 events (18.12%) in northeast China, 41 events (14.29%) both in north China and south China. Among the causes of events of bus on fire, spontaneous combustion of bus ranked in the first (267 events, accounting for 93.03%), followed by arson (13 events, accounting for 4.53%). Among the 13 events of bus on fire caused by arson, 7 events happened between 16: 00 and 20: 00, and 3 events happened between 8: 00 and 10: 00. Totally 27 events of bus on fire (9.41%) were with casualties, among which 13 events (48.15%) were caused by spontaneous combustion of bus, 10 events (37.04%) were caused by arson, and 4 events (14.81%) were caused by traffic accidents. Arson caused the most severe casualties (at least 88 deaths and 287 injuries), followed by spontaneous combustion of bus (at least 35 deaths and 140 injuries) and traffic accidents (at least 9 deaths and 20 injuries). Conclusions: Events of bus on fire happened more frequently in recent years in the mainland of China, and the frequencies were much higher especially in June and July. Most events were caused by spontaneous combustion of bus, followed by arson. Most of the events of bus on fire caused by arson happened in the morning and evening rush hours of urban traffic, and althouth the occurrence rate was not high, the casualties were most severe.

The effect of Shen'an granules on the Wnt signaling pathway in renal tissues of mouse models of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy was investigated in the present study. A total of 62 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the normal control (A group), model (B group), losartan (C group), low-dose Shen'an granules (D group), and high-dose Shen'an granules (E group) groups. The mouse model of diabetic nephropathy was established by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (150 mg/kg). The animals were treated with drugs for 8 weeks, and blood creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (CHOL) were measured prior to and after treatment. PAS staining was performed for observation of glomerular microstructure by light microscope, and western blot analysis was performed to detect Wnt1 protein and β-catenin protein. The results indicated that the quantification of 24-h microalbuminuria, and levels of blood creatinine, urea nitrogen, TG, and CHOL were significantly lower in the high- and low-dose Shen'an granules groups than those in the model group (p<0.05). The expression levels of Wnt1 protein and β-catenin protein in the high- and low-dose Shen'an granules groups were significantly lower than those in the model group (p<0.05). In conclusion, proteinuria, renal dysfunction, and dyslipidemias are closely associated with the abnormal activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in the mouse model of diabetic nephropathy. The mechanism by which Shen'an granules regulate proteinuria, renal function, and blood lipids may be associated with inhibition of the abnormally activated Wnt signaling pathway.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Maydis stigma (corn silk) has a long history of use as a traditional herbal medicine or functional food in China and many other countries and has been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopea. However, little data about its potential toxicity is available., Aim of the Study: In this study, we evaluated the subchronic toxicity and genotoxicity of the flavonoid-rich extract from Maydis stigma (FMS) in mice., Materials and Methods: In the subchronic toxicity study, the FMS was administered orally to mice at doses of 2.50, 5.00 and 10.00g/kg/day for 28 consecutive days. At the end of experiment, general clinical signs, mortality, haematological, biochemical and histopathological parameters were examined. The genotoxicity of FMS was also evaluated by the micronucleus assay and the sperm malformation assay., Results: All animals survived until the scheduled necropsy, and no statistically significant or toxicologically relevant differences were observed in any of the FMS-treatment groups, compared with the control group. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was determined as 10.00g/kg/day. Based on the results of the micronucleus assay and the sperm malformation assay, no evidence of genotoxicity was found either in somatic cells or germ cells even at an experimental upper limit dose (10.00g/kg/day)., Conclusions: The results of the present studies might support the safe use of FMS as a functional food, food additive and natural remedy., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction, their hemodynamic parameters usually change when they are from recumbent to passive leg raising. The authors designed this study to investigate the relationship between hemodynamic parameters measured by impedance cardiography (ICG) and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF). We recruited 49 subjects with HFPEF in the study, and all the subjects were separated into 2 groups: the patients whose hemodynamic parameters rose after passive leg raising were in group 1 (n = 26) and the patients whose hemodynamic parameters did not rise after passive leg raising were in group 2 (n = 23). Our study then compared the 6MWD, left ventricular ejection fraction, and plasma NT-pro-brain natriuretic peptide between the 2 groups. Group 1 had significantly longer 6MWD than group 2 (515.38 ± 24.97 vs 306.39 ± 20.20 m; P = 0.043). Hemodynamic parameters measured by ICG significantly correlated with 6MWD in both groups. Patients whose hemodynamic parameters rose in response to passive leg raising were more likely to have better exercise capacity. Hemodynamic variation in response to passive leg raising measured by ICG may be more sensitive in predicting exercise capacity of patients with HFPEF.

In the present study, the seroprevalence, risk factors and genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in masked palm civet were investigated in tropical China. A total of 500 serum were collected from five administrative farms in tropical China, and assayed for T. gondii antibodies by modified agglutination test (MAT). The brain samples of 20 aborted fetuses were examined by semi-nested-PCR, and positive aborted fetuses (50%) were necropsied to collect the brain tissue for molecular and bioassay examinations. Genomic DNA was extracted from the 29 brain tissues of infected mice and T. gondii B1 gene was amplified using multilocus PCR-RFLP. Overall, 27.6% (95% CI: 23.682-31.518) of the animals was positive for T. gondii antibodies. Ages of masked palm civet was considered as a main risk factor associated with T. gondii infection. 4 DNA samples (13.8%) were positive for the T. gondii B1 gene. Three samples belong to ToxoDB#9, and one belongs to genotype the type II variant (ToxoDB genotype#3). Our results indicated that ToxoDB Genotype#9 has a distribution in masked palm civet that could be potential reservoirs for T. gondii transmission, which may pose a threat to human health., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Human amniotic membrane mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) are considered ideal candidate stem cells for cell-based therapy. In this study, we assessed whether hAMSCs transplantation promotes neurological functional recovery in rats after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). In addition, the potential mechanisms underlying the possible benefits of this therapy were investigated. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to SCI using a weight drop device and then hAMSCs, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were immediately injected into the contused dorsal spinal cord at 2 mm rostral and 2 mm caudal to the injury site. Our results indicated that transplanted hAMSCs migrated in the host spinal cord without differentiating into neuronal or glial cells. Compared with the control group, hAMSCs transplantation significantly decreased the numbers of ED1 + macrophages/microglia and caspase-3 + cells. In addition, hAMSCs transplantation significantly increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the injured spinal cord, and promoted both angiogenesis and axonal regeneration. These effects were associated with significantly improved neurobehavioral recovery in the hAMSCs transplantation group. These results show that transplantation of hAMSCs provides neuroprotective effects in rats after SCI, and could be candidate stem cells for the treatment of SCI.