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Objective: The present study aimed to explore the potential causal relationship between childhood asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in European and East Asian populations with Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis., Methods: Based on summary data from genome-wide association studies, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with childhood asthma were used as instrumental variables. The MR analysis employed the inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger regression and weighted median method to estimate the causal effect between childhood asthma and COPD in European and East Asian populations. Cochran's Q test, MR-PRESSO method and MR-Egger intercept were used to detect heterogeneity, outliers and horizontal pleiotropy, respectively. Leave-one-out analysis applied to assess the effect of removing individual SNP on the estimate of causal association., Results: The MR analysis showed no genetic causal relationship between childhood asthma and COPD. The results of Cochran's Q test, MR-PRESSO and MR-Egger regression indicated the absence of heterogeneity, outliers and horizontal pleiotropy, respectively. Leave-one-out analysis showed no significant difference in the statistical results after exclusion of single SNPs., Conclusions: The MR analysis revealed that there is no causal relationship between childhood asthma and COPD at the genetic level in both European and East Asian populations. Additionally, due to the presence of shared confounding factors and pathogenic genes, further research is needed to comprehensively assess the relationship between childhood asthma and COPD., Competing Interests: None., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Context: Patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) at a late stage often suffer from severe abdominal pain due to the invasion of celiac plexus, and the analgesics they receive often have intolerable side effects. Endoscopic, ultrasound-guided, celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-guided CPN) can have a good therapeutic effect., Objective: The study intended to evaluate the ability of two nursing cooperation patterns to reduce patients' pain, decrease operation times, increase operational efficiency, and increase nurses' satisfaction, for patients with advanced PC and abdominal pain who received EUS-guided CPN., Design: The research team designed a retrospective controlled study., Setting: The study took place at the Shenzhen People's Hospital of the Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University in Shenzhen, China, and at the Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China., Participants: Participants were 40 patients with advanced PC who received EUS-guided CPN at one of the two hospitals between January 2019 and January 2020., Intervention: Twenty participants at Changhai Hospital received the traditional nursing cooperation pattern and became the control group, and 20 participants at the Shenzhen People's Hospital received the new nursing cooperation pattern and became the intervention group., Outcome Measures: The study measured clinical data, nursing measures, diagnostic significance, and key points for the two patterns as well as compared the effects of the new nursing cooperation method to that of traditional nursing. If the measurement data met the requirements for normality, the team used the two independent sample t-test for the intergroup comparisons. If normality wasn't satisfied, the team used medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) for expression and the rank sum test for the intergroup comparisons. Counting data were expressed using the constituent ratio, and team used the chi-square test for comparisons between groups. P < .05 was considered to be statistically significant., Results: The operations were successful, and no complications occurred. No significant difference existed in the pain scores between the control group and the intervention group (P > .05), while a significant difference occurred in the nurses' operation times and satisfaction. Not only were the scores for operation times for the control group (97) and the intervention group (59) significantly different, but also the nurses' satisfaction was significantly higher for the intervention group postintervention, at 83.35 ± 5.25, than for the control group, at 62.25 ± 8.18 (P < .001). Such a new nursing cooperation method could assist in patient's rehabilitation and increase nurses' satisfaction., Conclusions: The new nursing cooperation method for patients with advanced PC and abdominal pain undergoing EUS-guided CPN can reduce operation time and improve nurses' satisfaction.

Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None disclosed.

The present study focuses on the associations of serum immunoglobulin with disease activity, relapse/recurrence and renal involvement in Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) children. 1683 Chinese children with HSP were recruited from January 2015 to January 2021. Laboratory data of blood samples and urine tests were collected. Renal biopsy was performed by the percutaneous technique. Patients' histories associated with HSP onset were obtained by interviews and questionnaires. (1) IgA and IgE were dramatically elevated in HSP patients as compared to their normal values and subject to a 1.75-3.09 fold and a 1.97-2.61 fold increase, respectively. (2) No significant correlation of the disease activity with IgA and IgE was determined, respectively. (3) The serum IgA levels were significantly lower in patients with relapse/recurrence than that in patients without relapse/recurrence, which may be attributed to the transmission of IgA-mediated immune complexes from blood to vessel walls. (4) No significant correlation was found between serum IgA, IgE levels and the pathological classification. HSP children have marked disorders of serum immunoglobulin profiles, characterized by significant increases in IgA and IgE. The detection of serum IgA may be applicable to predict relapse/recurrence of HSP whereas not associated with disease activity and renal involvement., (© 2022 The Scandinavian Foundation for Immunology.)

Background: In China, coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) secondary to Kawasaki disease (KD) tend to have an increased occurrence. We hypothesize that Chinese children with KD may possess several unique CAA risks, and the predictive efficacy of multiple scoring systems in Chinese patients are still to be further studied., Methods: Two hundred and three KD patients were recruited. Using multivariable analysis, independent predictors of CAAs were combined into a scoring system. Subsequently, CAA risks of our patients were evaluated by the newly established scoring system and eight other published scoring systems., Results: Seventeen (8.37%) KD patients were identified as CAAs. The newly established scoring system contained the following 5 independent predictors: days of illness at initial treatment ≥7, redness and swelling of extremities, hematocrit ≤33%, percentage of monocytes ≥8.89%, and procalcitonin ≥0.5 ng/mL. The AUC value of newly established scoring system was 0.685 with a sensitivity of 41.18% and a specificity of 84.41%, higher than Harada score, Egami score, Kobayashi score, Sato score, San Diego score, Formosa score, and Tang score, whereas lower than Hua score., Conclusions: Days of illness at initial treatment ≥7 and procalcitonin are unique predictors of CAAs in newly established scoring system. Taking into account different identification criteria and analytical methodologies, there is still some heterogeneity among different scoring systems., Impact: The newly established scoring system contains the five independent predictors. Days of illness at initial treatment ≥7 and PCT are unique predictors of CAAs in our study, compared with 8 other systems. The AUC value of newly established scoring system is 0.685, similar to Hua score. There is some heterogeneity among different scoring systems., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Introduction: Serum ferritin (SF) is an acute-phase reactant in inflammatory diseases. Our aim was to analyze the clinical implications of SF in Kawasaki disease (KD)., Methods: 244 KD children were divided into 6 subgroups. SF, inflammatory mediators and blood cell counts were detected., Results: (1) SF dramatically increased in the acute phase of KD and maintained after IVIG therapy; (2) SF increased in IVIG-nonresponsive KD patients (AUC = 0.705; sensitivity: 57.10%; specificity: 82.90%); SF positively correlated with the internal diameter of the coronary artery (AUC = 0.603; sensitivity: 92.30%; specificity: 37.70%); (3) SF increased in 4 patients with the macrophage activation syndrome (MAS)/MAS tendency (979.03 ±474.19 μg/l)., Conclusions: SF is implied to be a helpful biomarker for forecasting IVIG-nonresponsive KD, coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) and MAS tendency., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Termedia & Banach.)

Objective: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis and suspected to be triggered by several potential infections in which procalcitonin (PCT) experiences an increase to some extent. However, whether PCT can serve as a useful candidate for differentiating KD from sepsis, and even for predicting incomplete KD, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) nonresponsiveness and coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) remains unclear., Methods: A total of 254 Chinese KD children were enrolled and divided into 6 subgroups, including complete KD, incomplete KD, IVIG-responsive KD, IVIG-nonresponsive KD, KD with CAAs and KD without CAAs. Blood samples were collected from all subjects within 24-h pre- and 48-h post-IVIG infusion, respectively. PCT, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and blood cell counts were detected. In addition, both 261 children with sepsis and 251 healthy children sex- and age-matched with KD children were enrolled in the same period., Results: (1) PCT experienced the highest increase in sepsis patients before antibiotic therapy, followed by acute KD patients and the healthy controls. (2) The proportion of KD patients with a PCT concentration below 0.25 ng/ml was 11 folds higher than that of sepsis patients. (3) PCT had a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 30.3% at a cutoff value of > 0.15 ng/ml to predict IVIG nonresponsiveness, and the proportion of IVIG-nonresponders with a PCT concentration of 0.25-0.50 ng/ml was 2 folds higher than that of IVIG-responders., Conclusions: The PCT concentrations below 0.25 ng/ml may be useful for discriminating KD from sepsis, and moreover, the PCT concentrations of 0.25-0.50 ng/ml may be helpful in predicting IVIG nonresponsiveness., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: The present study focuses on the associations of streptococcal infection with the clinical phenotypes, relapse/recurrence and renal involvement in Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) children., Methods: Two thousand seventy-four Chinese children with HSP were recruited from January 2015 to December 2019. Patients' histories associated with HSP onset were obtained by interviews and questionnaires. Laboratory data of urine tests, blood sample and infectious agents were collected. Renal biopsy was performed by the percutaneous technique., Results: (1) Streptococcal infection was identified in 393 (18.9%) HSP patients, and served as the most frequent infectious trigger. (2) Among the 393 cases with streptococcal infection, 43.0% of them had arthritis/arthralgia, 32.1% had abdominal pain and 29.3% had renal involvement. (3) 26.1% of HSP patients relapsed or recurred more than 1 time within a 5-year observational period, and the relapse/recurrence rate in streptococcal infectious group was subjected to a 0.4-fold decrease as compared with the non-infectious group. (4) No significant differences in renal pathological damage were identified among the streptococcal infectious group, the other infectious group and the non-infectious group., Conclusions: Streptococcal infection is the most frequent trigger for childhood HSP and does not aggravate renal pathological damage; the possible elimination of streptococcal infection helps relieve the relapse/recurrence of HSP.

Objective: Rituximab (RTX) is widely used in the treatment of connective tissue disease (CTD) because it can target and eliminate pathogenic B cells. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the common complications of CTD; however, the clinical benefits of RTX in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) are still controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of RTX in CTD-ILD patients., Methods: We performed a systematic online query in PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase up to February 2020. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies on the use of RTX and conventional treatment in CTD-ILD patients were comprehensively reviewed and investigated., Results: In total, 6 studies, including 242 participants, were analysed. The pooled results showed that RTX is superior to conventional treatment methods in improving forced vital capacity and modified Rodnan skin scores (MRSS) in patients with systemic sclerosis (P＜0. 05), but there was no statistically significant difference between RTX and conventional treatment method in the improvement of lung diffusion function. The risk of adverse effects declined in the RTX therapy groups compared with the conventional therapy groups in terms of infection and the blood system., Conclusion: The pooled results of this meta-analysis indicated that RTX is well tolerated, and RTX is able to improve or stabilize pulmonary function in CTD-ILD patients., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Accurate classification of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) is essential for clinical decision-making and long-term management in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. To date, there are several echocardiographic criteria of CAA assessment., Materials and Methods: The Japanese Ministry of Health (JMH) criteria and the Z-score criteria from 2004 American Heart Association guidelines were adopted and their detective efficacies for CAAs were compared in 251 Chinese patients with KD Z scores were calculated by 6 published methods., Results: According to the JMH criteria, 19 (7.57%) KD patients were classified as CAAs during the acute KD episode. However, the detective number of CAAs was highest and had a 0.68-fold increase by the Dallaire et al method with a Z-score cut point of ≥2.5 as compared with the JMH criteria; in contrast, more than 78.95% of patients with CAAs identified by the JMH criteria had a coronary artery Z score ≥2.5. All 6 different Z-score methods had satisfactory accuracies with a range from 93.23% to 97.61% in screening CAAs. For the 19 patients with CAAs identified by the JMH criteria, their Z scores presented the widest variation calculated by the McCrindle et al method., Conclusions: The JMH criteria underestimate the prevalence of CAAs as compared with the Z-score criteria. Quantitative assessment of coronary artery luminal dimensions, normalized as Z scores adjusted for body surface, should be recommended. The larger coronary artery luminal dimensions vary, the more heterogeneous Z scores calculated by different methods have., (© 2020 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: Several studies have demonstrated that C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) stimulates osteoblastic proliferation seemly via antagonizing the expression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 in vitro. The main aim of the present study is to probe whether the post-receptor pathways of FGF-23 participate in osteogenesis caused by CNP., Methods: Osteoblasts were cultured in the absence or presence of CNP: 0, 10, and 100 ​pmol/L, for 24 ​h, 48 ​h and 72 ​h, respectively., Results: The findings of the present study indicated that osteoblastic proliferation was directly promoted by exogenous CNP in a dose-dependent manner; osteoblastic FGF-23 was significantly down-regulated by CNP at 24 ​h post-treatment; RAF-1, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), and P38 were substantially suppressed by CNP in a dose- and time-dependent manner; and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 was not changed on the premise of the down-regulated FGF-23 in osteoblasts treated with CNP., Conclusion: CNP may promote osteogenesis via inhibiting ERK and P38, rather than STAT-1, in the downstream of FGF-23/RAF-1 pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2021 Medical University of Bialystok. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Quercetin is one of the main flavonoids in the human diet and mainly found in different plant tissues, including seeds, flowers, leaves, stems, and roots. However, its biological function in plant tissues, especially in seeds, is unknown. In this study, the seed germination and subsequent seedling growth of Apocynum pictum and A. venetum under osmotic stress (400 mmol L -1 mannitol) supplemented with 5 μmol L -1 quercetin were evaluated after 7, 14, and 21 days of germination. Results showed that quercetin improved the germination percentage and seed vigor, as indicated by the higher germination energy, shoot length, root length, dry weight, fresh weight, and chlorophyll content in A. pictum and A. venetum seedlings under the mannitol compared with those under the mannitol alone. Quercetin decreased H 2 O 2 and O 2 - production and cell membrane damage, and mostly increased the gene expression of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, chalcone synthase and flavonol synthase in A. pictum and A. venetum seedlings under the mannitol compared with those under the mannitol alone. In addition, the germination energy of A. pictum was 21.57% higher than that of A. venetum, and the gene expression of key enzymes in quercetin biosynthesis in A. pictum was mostly higher than that in A. venetum after 1 and 7 days of germination. These results indicated that quercetin was an effective anti-osmotic agent that alleviated the adverse effect of mannitol-induced osmotic stress on seed germination and seed vigor, and A. pictum seeds were more osmotic resistant than A. venetum seeds., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the heads and tails of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (AS) is used in treating different diseases due to their different pharmaceutical efficacies. The underline mechanisms, however, have not been fully explored., Objective: Novel mechanisms responsible for the discrepant activities between AS heads and tails were explored by a combined strategy of transcriptomes and metabolomics., Methods: Six pairs of the heads and tails of AS roots were collected in Min County, China. Total RNA and metabolites, which were used for RNA-seq and untargeted metabolomics analysis, were respectively isolated from each AS sample (0.1 g) by Trizol and methanol reagent. Subsequently, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and discrepant pharmaceutical metabolites were identified for comparing AS heads and tails. Key DEGs and metabolites were quantified by RT-qPCR and targeted metabolomics experiment., Results: Comprehensive analysis of transcriptomes and metabolomics results suggested that five KEGG pathways with significant differences included 57 DEGs. Especially, fourteen DEGs and six key metabolites were related to the metabolic regulation of Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (PB) pathway. Results of RT-qPCR and targeted metabolomics indicated that higher levels of expression of crucial genes in PB pathway, such as PAL, CAD, COMT and peroxidase in the tail of AS, were positively correlated with levels of ferulic acid-related metabolites. The average content of ferulic acid in tails (569.58±162.39 nmol/g) was higher than those in the heads (168.73 ± 67.30 nmol/g) (P., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Apocynum venetum , which belongs to Apocynaceae, is widely distributed throughout salt-barren zones, desert steppes, and alluvial flats of the Mediterranean area and Northwestern China. Apocynum venetum has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine because of its anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, and bactericidal effects. However, the absence of genetic information on Apocynum venetum  is an obstacle to understanding its stress resistance or medicinal function. This work was aimed at generating a full-length transcriptome of Apocynum venetum  using Pacific Bioscience (PacBio) Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing technology. A total of 18,524 unigenes were obtained, and 18,136 unigenes were successfully annotated. The raw data were uploaded to SRA database, and the BioProject ID is PRJNA650225. The above data will provide the basis for further exploration and understanding of the molecular mechanism in stress resistance or medicinal function of Apocynum venetum ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships which have, or could be perceived to have, influenced the work reported in this article., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Lignin was isolated from wheat straw via organosolv process and further transferred to monophenolic compounds via oxidative conversion. Wheat straw lignin (WSL) with purity at 91.4 wt% was acquired in the presence of heterogeneous and recyclable catalyst of Amberlyst-45. WSL was characterized by infrared spectrometer (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) including 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectra. The results showed that WSL possesses typical syringyl (S), guaiacyl (G), and p -hydroxyphenyl (H) units, and it is mainly composed of S and G units. The product distribution was dependent on the composition of WSL. Derivatives from S and G units were found to be the main products. The oxidative conversion of WSL was performed by varying oxidant and catalyst. Both the formation of monophenolic compounds and aromatic aldehydes were enhanced by combining oxidants and catalysts. The composite catalyst composed of NaOH/NaAlO 2 was effective for the oxidation of WSL in the presence of nitrobenzene and atmospheric pressure air. The total yield of monophenolic compounds reached up 18.1%, and yields at 6.3 and 5.7% for syringaldehyde and vanillin were achieved, respectively., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) are prominent during the acute Kawasaki disease (KD) episode and represent the major contributors to the long-term prognosis. Several meta-analysis and published scoring systems have identified hepatic dysfunction as an independent predictor of CAA risks. The medical records of 210 KD children were reviewed. Blood samples were collected from all subjects at 24 h pre-therapy and 48 h post-therapy, respectively. Liver function test (LFT) and inflammatory mediators were detected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the reliable biomarkers predicting whether CAAs existed or not in KD patients. 90.95% of KD patients had at least 1 abnormal LFT. Hypoalbuminemia was the most prevalent type of hepatic dysfunction, followed by elevated aspartate aminotransferase, low TP, low A/G and hyperbilirubinemia, respectively. The elevated inflammatory mediators (procalcitonin and C-reactive protein) and moderate dose of aspirin played a synthetic role in hepatic dysfunction secondary to KD. However, LFT presented no significant differences between infectious and noninfectious conditions. By a multivariate analysis, a lower albumin/globulin ratio (A/G, OR 13.50, 95% CI 3.944-46.23) served as an independent predictor of CAAs and had a sensitivity of 56.25%, and a specificity of 61.11% at a cutoff value of < 1.48. In conclusion, hepatic dysfunction is a common complication during the acute KD episode, characterized by elevated serum liver enzymes, hypoalbuminemia and hyperbilirubinemia. Systemic inflammation and aspirin, rather than infectious agents, are both the major contributors of hepatic dysfunction secondary to KD. A lower A/G serves as an independent predictor of CAAs.

The matrix protein 1 (M1) is the most abundant structural protein in influenza A virus particles. It oligomerizes to form the matrix layer under the lipid membrane, sustaining stabilization of the morphology of the virion. The present study indicates that M1 forms oligomers based on a fourfold symmetrical oligomerization pattern. Further analysis revealed that the oligomerization pattern of M1 was controlled by a highly conserved region within the C-terminal domain. Two polar residues of this region, serine-183 (S183) and threonine-185 (T185), were identified to be critical for the oligomerization pattern of M1. M1 point mutants suggest that single S183A or T185A substitution could result in the production of morphologically filamentous particles, while double substitutions, M1-S183A/T185A, totally disrupted the fourfold symmetry and resulted in the failure of virus production. These data indicate that the polar groups in these residues are essential to control the oligomerization pattern of M1. Thus, the present study will aid in determining the mechanisms of influenza A virus matrix layer formation during virus morphogenesis., (© 2015 The Authors. Cellular Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Objective: Metastasis of lung cancer is the leading cause of disease progression and treatment failure. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) are related to the metastasis of lung cancer via regulating the degradation of extracellular matrix. This study was to observe the impacts of cisplatin (DDP) on the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in Lewis lung cancer, and explore their correlations and roles in metastasis., Methods: Lewis lung cancer model was established in C57BL/6 mice. DDP group was given intraperitoneal DDP injection, and compared with normal control and tumor-bearing groups. The expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were determined by ELISA in serum and detected by immunohistochemistry in tumor tissues., Results: The inhibition rates of tumor growth and metastasis were 41.2% and 39.0% in DDP group, respectively. The positive rates of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were 100% in tumor-bearing group, and their serum concentrations were significantly higher in tumor-bearing group than in normal control group (P<0.05). Serum concentrations of MMP-9 and TIMP-1, and positive rate of MMP-9 were all significantly lower in DDP group than in tumor-bearing group (P<0.05). Serum concentration of MMP-9 and positive rates of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were positively correlated to tumor weight (r=0.665, 0.749 and 0.615, all P<0.05) and lung metastasis (r=0.668, 0.545 and 0.664, all P<0.05). MMP-9 expression was positively correlated to TIMP-1 expression both in serum and tumor (r=0.617 and 0.695, all P<0.05). The ratio of sMMP-9/TIMP-1 became a constant in normal distribution, with a mean of 1.72., Conclusions: Both MMP-9 and TIMP-1 are highly expressed in Lewis lung cancer, correlated to tumor invasion and metastasis. DDP may suppress tumor metastasis via down-regulating the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in serum and tumor.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between muscle segment homeobox gene-1 (MSX1) and the genetic susceptibility of nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) in Hunan Hans., Methods: One microsatellite DNA marker CA repeat in MSX1 intron region was used as genetic marker. The genotypes of 387 members in 129 NSCLP nuclear family trios were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Then transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and Logistic regression analysis were used to conduct association analysis., Results: TDT analysis confirmed that CA4 allele in CL/P and CPO groups preferentially transmitted to the affected offspring (P = 0.018, P = 0.041). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the recessive model of inheritance was supported, and CA4 itself or CA4 acting as a marker for a disease allele or haplotype was inherited in a recessive fashion (P = 0.009)., Conclusions: MSX1 gene is associated with NSCLP, and MSX1 gene may be directly involved either in the etiology of NSCLP or in linkage disequilibrium with disease-predisposing sites.

Objective: To investigate muscle segment homeobox 1 (MSX1) microsatellite marker distribution and the relationship between MSX1 gene and the genetic susceptibility of nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) in Hunan Hans., Methods: One microsatellite DNA marker CA repeat in MSX1 intron region was used as genetic markers. The genotypes of 129 patients with NSCLP and 108 controls were analyzed by the techniques of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Then case-control study was used to conduct association analysis., Results: The allele frequencies of the CA repeat microsatellite DNA in Hunan Han normal population were in good agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The polymorphism information content and heterozygosity of CA repeat microsatellite DNA were 0.50 and 0.50 respectively. The allele CA4 frequency in CL/P and CPO group was significantly higher than that of normal controls (P<0.05). The genotype CA4,4 frequency was significantly higher in CL/P and CPO group than that in normal controls (P<0.05)., Conclusion: The microsatellite DNA marker CA repeat in MSX1 is a good genetic marker. MSX1 gene is significantly associated with NSCLP in Hunan Hans.

In the title compound, poly[mu(5)-pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylato-cadmium(II)], [Cd(C(6)H(2)N(2)O(4))](n) or [Cd(pdc)](n), where pdc is the pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate anion, the Cd(II) atom is six-coordinated by five carboxylate O atoms and one N atom from five different pdc ligands in a distorted octahedral CdO(5)N coordination geometry. Two Cd(II) atoms are bridged by carboxylate groups of the pdc ligands to create a dimeric unit. The dimeric units are further connected by the pdc ligands to generate an interesting two-dimensional structure.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between D17S579 microsatellite marker allelic polymorphisms in retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RARA) gene and the genetic susceptibility to nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) in Hunan Hans., Methods: PCR and denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) were used to detect the polymorphism of RARA gene marked by D17S579 among 140 patients with NSCL/P, 82 males and 58 females, aged 3 months-14 years, and 132 healthy persons, 68 males and 64 females, aged 6 months-14 years, who underwent physical examination., Results: The A6 allele frequency of the NSCL/P patients was 8.93%, significantly higher than that of the healthy persons (4.17%, P = 0.026). The A9 allele frequency the NSCL/P patients was 13.21%, significantly higher than that of the healthy persons (5.68%, P = 0.003). There were not significant differences in the frequencies of different alleles between the patients with family history and the patients without family history (chi2 = 2.710, P = 0.978)., Conclusion: The A6 and A9 alleles in D17S579 microsatellite marker of RARA gene may be correlated with the development of NSCL/P in Hunan Hans. There is no association between the family history and RARA polymorphism in the NSCL/P patients.

FACE (free air carbon dioxide enrichment) technology may provide a means by which the environment around growing plants can be modified to realistically simulate the concentration of atmospheric CO2 in the future. The plant growth and its yield of plant species can be enhanced under FACE. Identification of genomic regions influencing the response of yield and its components to elevated CO2 will be useful for understanding the genetics of active response to changed CO2 environment and developing higher yield cultivars, which will be adapted to future enriched atmospheric CO2 environment. A mapping population of 65 indica (IR24) chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) in japonica (Asominori) background and their parents were used to detect QTLs for yield and its components, e. g. number of fertile tillers per plant (FT), 1000-grain weight (TGW), number of grains per panicle (GP) and grain yield per plant (GY) under FACE (200 micromol CO2/mol above current levels) and current CO2 concentration (Ambient, about 370 micromol CO2/mol) in the field experiment. The results showed that, GY, GP and FT of two parents under FACE were significant greater than that under Ambient. The transgressive segregation of the four traits was observed in the CSSLs population under both FACE and Ambient. A total of 20 QTLs for the four traits were detected on chromosome 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 12 with LOD (Log10-likelihood ratio) of QTLs ranging from 2.5 to 5.7. Three QTLs were detected under both FACE and Ambient. However,other QTLs were detected only under one level of CO2, which indicated that these loci were sensitive to CO2 concentration. Additionally, two QTLs qFT12 and qGP4 were found for the QTL x Environment (QE) interaction effects. It is suggested that there is a high possibility to improve the yield of rice under elevated CO2 through marker-assisted selection.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) of urban and rural residents in Beijing, China. A quantitative comparison was made based on the data collected from this epidemiological survey. We also identify some of the most typical risk factors associated with PACG., Methods: Glaucomatous screening examination was applied to specific age group populations (aged 40 and older) in the defined district of Beijing and its remote rural county, from June to October, 2001. There are 4451 subjects in all, 1980 rural subjects and 2471 urban subjects, 1939 males and 2512 females. The screen and diagnostic methods used in this survey included van Herick methods and gonioscopy examination to estimate the peripheral depth of the anterior chamber, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, refraction status, stereoscopic fundus photography, and threshold-related visual field tests. Subjects regarded as suspected glaucoma and glaucoma patients are reexamined with standard glaucomatous examination., Results: The response rate of rural and urban population is 79.6% (1980/2488), 87.1% (2471/2836), respectively. The prevalence of PACG (in aged 40 years or older population) resulted from this survey was 1.2% (95% CI 0.9% - 1.5%). However, the prevalence was different between urban and rural residents, 1.1% (95% CI 0.8% - 1.4%) vs. 1.6% (95% CI 1.2% - 2.0%). The prevalence of PACG in female was more than that in male, 1.7% (95% CI 1.3% - 2.1%) vs.0.8% (95% CI 0.5% - 1.1%). A drastic increase in prevalence of PACG with age increase was identified in both survey sites, however, this increase in rural subjects (aged 60-69 years group) occurred ten years earlier than those from urban subjects (aged more than 70 years group). Compared to urban residents, rural residents showed higher prevalence of unilateral low vision (39.3% vs. 20.6%) and blindness (28.6% vs. 14.7%). This survey also confirmed that, as people aging, refraction status became hyperopia, the depth of peripheral anterior chamber became narrow. In the different age groups, female and male groups, the changes of refraction status and the depth of peripheral anterior chamber paralleled the prevalence of PACG., Conclusions: The prevalence of PACG was obviously different in different groups. This could due to several factors including gender, age, change of refraction status and chamber angle as well.