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Hui-Hui Yang,1,* Jie Dou,1,* Ruo-Ling Guo,1 Jie Gao,1 Hui-Zhe Li,2 Kun Wang,2 Tian-Hua Hou,2 Tie-Jun Wei,2 Jing-Tao Guo,2 Jian-Wei Liu,3 Dong-Lei Luo2 1Chengde Medical University, Chengde, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, Chengde Central Hospital/Second Clinical College of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cardiothoracic Interventional Vascular Surgery, Chengde Central Hospital/Second Clinical College of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dong-Lei Luo, Department of Cardiology, Chengde Central Hospital/Second Clinical College of Chengde Medical, Chengde, People’s Republic of China, Email dongleiluocn@aliyun.com Jian-Wei Liu, Department of Cardiothoracic Interventional Vascular Surgery, Chengde Central Hospital/Second Clinical College of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, People’s Republic of China, Email Ljw2112@126.comObjective: The study aimed to explore the clinical diagnostic significance of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and neck circumference (NC) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Chengde Central Hospital from September 2021 to June 2023, enrolling 791 patients with suspected CHD who underwent selective coronary angiography (CAG). Patients were categorized into CHD and non-CHD groups based on the severity of arterial narrowing. Subsequently, the diagnostic value of Lp(a) combined with NC in patients with CHD was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Based on the results of multivariate logistic regression, a nomogram was constructed, and its clinical applicability was validated using decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC).Results: Multivariate logistic regression proved that high Lp(a) and high NC are risk factors for CHD, with OR of 1.836 (95% CI: 1.282– 2.630) and 1.383 (1.0.978– 1.955), respectively. Patients in the high NC or Lp(a) group exhibited a higher prevalence of multi-vessel disease. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the predictive model combining high Lp(a) and high NC was 0.710 (95% CI: 0.670– 0.751) and also demonstrated good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test P value=0.494). The DCA and CIC confirmed the clinical utility of the nomogram developed to predict CHD based on the combination of high Lp(a) and high NC.Conclusion: The levels of Lp(a) and NC exhibit a significant correlation with the presence of CHD, and their combined assessment holds specific clinical value in the diagnosis of CHD.Keywords: coronary heart disease, lipoprotein(a), neck circumference, sensitivity, specificity

Jie Gao,1,&ast; Jie Dou,1,&ast; Hui-Hui Yang,1 Ruo-Ling Guo,1 Chao Jiang,1 Gary Tse,2– 4 Tong Liu,2 Jian-Wei Liu,5 Dong-Lei Luo6 1Chengde Medical University, Chengde, 067000, People’s Republic of China; 2Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ionic-Molecular Function of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cardiology, Tianjin Institute of Cardiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Nursing and Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, 999077, People’s Republic of China; 4Epidemiology Research Unit, Cardiovascular Analytics Group, PowerHealth Limited, Hong Kong, 999077, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Cardiothoracic Interventional Vascular Surgery, Chengde Central Hospital/Second Clinical College of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Cardiology, Chengde Central Hospital / Second Clinical College of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, 067000, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dong-Lei Luo, Department of Cardiology, Chengde Central Hospital / Second Clinical College of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, 067000, People’s Republic of China, Email dongleiluocn@aliyun.com Jian-Wei Liu, Department of Cardiothoracic Interventional Vascular Surgery, Chengde Central Hospital/Second Clinical College of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China, Email Ljw2112@126.comPurpose: To investigate the clinical application value of diagonal earlobe crease (DELC) in patients with chest pain for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to construct a risk model by multivariate logistic regression.Patients and Methods: Our trial enrolled prospectively and consecutively 706 chest pain patients with suspected CHD between January 2021 to June 2023 from Chengde Central Hospital. According to coronary angiography results, they were categorized into the CHD (n=457) and non-CHD groups (n=249).Results: The trial demonstrated a significant positive relationship between DELC and CHD. Independent risk factors were sex, age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, LP (a), Cys C, and DELC, whilst HDL-C was a protective factor, for CHD. Patients with-DELC were older than those in the without-DELC arm (P< 0.001) and had a higher proportion of males than females (61.6% vs 50.0%, P=0.026). After multifactorial correction, independent risk factors for CHD included DELC (OR=1.660, 95% CI:1.153 to 2.388, P=0.006), age (OR=1.024, 95% CI:1.002 to 1.045, P=0.030), gender (OR=1.702, 95% CI:1.141 to 2.539, P=0.009), hypertension (OR=1.744, 95% CI:1.226 to 2.482, P=0.002), diabetes mellitus (OR=2.113, 95% CI:1.404 to 3.179, P< 0.001), LP(a) (OR=1.010, 95% CI:1.003 to 1.017, P=0.005), Cys C (OR=3.549, 95% CI:1.605 to 7.846, P=0.002). The Hosmer and Lemeshow (H-L) test (P=0.818) suggests a high goodness of fit, and the area under the ROC curve was calculated to be 0.721 (95% CI:0.682 to 0.760, P< 0.001), which demonstrates that the model has a superior diagnostic value for CHD.Conclusion: DELC is an independent risk factor for CHD after adjusting for sex, age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking index, LP (a), Cys C, and HDL-C. Our model can be used clinically for assessing the risk of CHD.Keywords: coronary heart disease, diagonal earlobe crease, coronary angiography, model

Objective: Central precocious puberty (CPP) is a rare condition that causes early sexual development in children. Although the cure is effective, the etiology of central precocious puberty is unclear., Methods: In total, 10 girls with central precocious puberty and same number of age-matched female controls were enrolled. Plasma samples were collected from each participant and subjected to untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics. Student's t -tests were employed to compare the mean of each metabolite and lipid. Furthermore, orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis was conducted and the variable importance in the projection was calculated to identify differentially expressed metabolites or lipids. Subsequent bioinformatics was conducted to investigate the potential function of differentially expressed metabolites and lipids., Results: Fifty-nine differentially expressed metabolites were identified based on the criteria used (variable importance in the projection >1 and a P value < 0.05). Kyoto Encyclopedia Genes and Genome (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed metabolites were enriched in four pathways: beta-alanine metabolism, histidine metabolism, bile secretion, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. As for the lipidomics, 41 differentially expressed lipids were observed and chain length analysis and lipid saturation analysis yielded similar results. Significant differences between the two groups were only observed in (O-acyl) ω-hydroxy fatty acids (OAHFA)., Conclusion: The present study showed that antibiotic overuse, increased meat consumption, and obesity may have potential roles in the development of central precocious puberty in girls. Several metabolites have diagnostic value but further research is required., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Zhao, Zhang, Zhang, Li, Guo and Shi.)

Objective: To investigate the effects of novel bioactive glasses (BG) including PSC with high phosphorus component and FBG with fluorine-doped element on promoting remineralization of artificial dentin caries., Methods: (1) BGs were used in this study as follows: PSC (10.8%P 2 O 5 -54.2%SiO 2 -35.0%CaO, mol.%) were synthesized using phytic acid as the phosphorus precursor through sol-gel method. FBG (6.1%P 2 O 5 -37.0%SiO 2 -53.9%CaO-3.0%CaF 2 , mol.%) and 45S5(6.0%P 2 O 5 -45.0%SiO 2 -24.5%CaO-24.5%Na 2 O, mol.%) were synthesized by traditional melt method. (2) The above BGs were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 24 hours. Then X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to analyze the formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals. (3) Prepared 1 mm thick dentin slices were soaked in 17% ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) for 1 week to demineralize the dentin. Then the dentin slices treated by BG were soaked in SBF for 1 week. Field emission scanning electron micro-scopy (FE-SEM) was used to observe the surface morphology of the dentin slices. (4) Four cavities were prepared to 1 mm depth in each 2 mm thick dentin slice, then were treated with lactic acid for 2 weeks to form the artificial dentin caries. Wax, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), PSC and FBG were used to fill four cavities as blank control group, MTA group, PSC group and FBG group respectively. Then the spe-cimens were soaked in SBF for 4 weeks. The changes of depth and density of demineralized dentin were analyzed using Micro-CT before filling and after 2 and 4 weeks filling., Results: (1) PSC and FBG promoted mineral formation on the surfaces of the demineralized dentin. And the speed was faster and crystallinity was higher in PSC group than the FBG and 45S5 groups. (2) The increased mineral density of artificial dentin caries in PSC group were (185.98 ± 55.66) mg/cm 3 and (213.64 ± 36.01) mg/cm 3 2 and 4 weeks after filling respectively, which were significantly higher than the control group [(20.38 ± 7.55) mg/cm 3 , P =0.006; (36.46 ± 10.79) mg/cm 3 , P =0.001]. At meanwhile, PSC group was also higher than MTA group [(57.29 ± 10.09) mg/cm 3 ; (111.02 ± 22.06) mg/cm 3 ], and it had statistical difference ( P =0.015; P =0.006). The depth of remineralized dentin in PSC group were (40.0 ± 16.9) μm and (54.5 ± 17.8) μm 2 and 4 weeks respectively, which were also statistically different from the control group ( P =0.010; P =0.001). There were no statistical differences between the control group and MTA group. The above effects of FBG group were between PSC and MTA., Conclusion: PSC has advantages in the speed, quality and depth of mineral deposition in the demineralized layer of artificial dentin caries. It would be expected to be an ideal material to promote the remineralization of dentin caries.

Aim: To investigate the characteristics of near-work-related esotropia and the clinical efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BTXA) injection therapy on it., Methods: A total of 107 patients aged 15-57y with near-work-related esotropia were taken as the BTXA-treated group, and 30 other peers without near-work-related esotropia were included in the control group. All participants were refractive corrected to analyse the clinical characteristics of near-work-related esotropia. All subjects were examined including Worth4 spot examination, stereoscopic vision, strabismus angle, accommodative convergence to accommodation ratio (AC/A), far and near positive and negative convergence, positive and negative fusion range, positive and negative relative accommodation. Clinical efficacy was evaluated at a period of 10mo follow-up., Results: The distant and near stereopsis were found in 84.9% and 77.5% of patients in the BTXA-treated group, respectively. In the control group, all patients had distant and near stereopsis. The incidence of taking off one's glasses to see close objects was significantly higher in the BTXA-treated group than in the control group ( P <0.05). The BTXA-treated group showed a smaller range of in-fusion (9.84±5.72)° than the control group (22.04±8.71)° ( P <0.05). The near esotropia angle of the BTXA-treated group (17.08±11.98) Δ was significantly smaller than the distant esotropia angle (19.07±11.68) Δ ( P <0.05). Ten months after injection, the diplopia and esotropia of most patients underwent improvements after treatment ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: This study reveals that the accommodation function and the habit of near work without wearing spectacles are associated with near-work-related esotropia, while the length of time for near work and the onset time are independent of near-work-related esotropia. Additionally, BTXA injection therapy plays a vital role in relieving diplopia and restoring eye position., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

A new class of electrophilic monofluoromethylselenolation reagents, Se-(fluoromethyl) benzenesulfonoselenoates, has been developed. They can be readily prepared from sodium benzenesulfinates, Se powder and ClCFH 2 in one step under mild reaction conditions. Se-(fluoromethyl) benzenesulfonoselenoates are efficient electrophilic monofluoromethylselenolation reagents for a wide range of nucleophiles including indole, 6-azaindole, pyrrole, thiophene, electron-rich arene, aryl boronic acid and alkyne. The monofluoromethylselenolation approach features mild and environmentally friendly reaction conditions, good tolerance of various functional groups, and broad substrate scope., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

We present 14 simultaneous Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO)-Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of Jupiter's Northern X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) aurorae from 2016 to 2019. Despite the variety of dynamic UV and X-ray auroral structures, one region is conspicuous by its persistent absence of emission: the dark polar region (DPR). Previous HST observations have shown that very little UV emission is produced by the DPR. We find that the DPR also produces very few X-ray photons. For all 14 observations, the low level of X-ray emission from the DPR is consistent (within 2-standard deviations) with scattered solar emission and/or photons spread by Chandra's Point Spread Function from known X-ray-bright regions. We therefore conclude that for these 14 observations the DPR produced no statistically significant detectable X-ray signature., (© 2022. The Authors.)

A new chemistry of azo compounds, that is, addition of free radicals generated in situ to access various acyl hydrazides, has been developed. The protocol provides a novel strategy for the synthesis of valuable acyl hydrazides. The transformation features mild reaction conditions, good tolerance of functional groups, and a broad substrate scope. In view of the importance of acyl hydrazides in functional materials and medicinal chemistry, this approach would find broad applications.

An efficient Pd-catalyzed C(sp 3 )-H selective iodination of 8-methylquinolines is reported herein for the first time. Because of the versatility of organic iodides, the method offers a facile access to various C8-substituted quinolines. By slightly switching the reaction conditions, an efficient C(sp 3 )-H acetoxylation of 8-methylquinolines has also been enabled. Both approaches feature mild reaction conditions, good tolerance of functional groups, and a broad substrate scope.

The biofilm formation is a dynamic process of bacterial growth,and the extracellular components can encase these microorganisms,making them more resistant to antibiotics and host immune attack.The formation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial biofilms will be a major challenge for the treatment and control of clinical infections. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common clinical pathogen.Hypervirulent K.pneumoniae and carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae can cause serious infectious diseases,and the formation of its biofilm will aggravate this situation.In-depth research on the formation of K.pneumoniae biofilm and its regulatory mechanism can shed light on clinical anti-infection treatment and control.This article mainly reviews the latest research progress in the effects of fimbriae,polysaccharides,quorum sensing systems,and efflux pumps on the formation of K.pneumoniae biofilm and their regulatory mechanisms.

Five-carbon (C5) structural units are the fundamental building blocks of many natural products. An unprecedented palladium-catalyzed three-component dehydrogenative cascade coupling of indoles, 2-methylbut-2-ene, and carboxylic acids has been developed. The approach enables the straightforward introduction of a C3'-bonded five-carbon structural unit with a tertiary alcohol quaternary carbon center into indoles. The protocol employs 2-methylbut-2-ene as the C5 source and is featured by a broad substrate scope, atom and step economies, and high chemo- and regioselectivies.

Reported herein is an intramolecular dehydrogenative coupling of two inert aryl C-H bonds for the synthesis of aporphine analogues. The process represents a novel tool for the preparation of aporphines via palladiun-catalyzed C-H bond activation. The present reaction is compatible with various functional groups, and the coupling products have been further applied for the synthesis of natural products aporphine and zenkerine.

Objective: To investigate the causes,prevention and treatment of femoral artery puncture related complications caused by the application of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in the resection of pelvic and sacral tumors. Methods: Clinical data of 23 patients with femoral artery puncture related complications who received REBOA in the resection of pelvic and sacral tumors from August 2010 to August 2018 at the Musculoskeletal Tumor Center,Peking University People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.There were 8 males and 15 females,with the an age of (37.0±16.2) years (range:15 to 65 years).Arterial access via the Seldinger technique for REBOA was obtained in the right common femoral artery of 18 cases,and in the left of 6 cases.An arterial sheath with a diameter of 11 to 12 F(1 F≈0.33 mm) was used for the patient.The occurrence and treatment of postoperative complications were analyzed. Results: Acute femoral arterial thrombosis occurred in 18 patients,which was managed by open repair 48 hours postoperatively.Among the 349 patients admitted before 2015 who received hemostasis by compression after femoral artery sheath removal,12 patients (3.4%) developed acute femoral artery thrombosis.While the 476 patients admitted after 2015 who used a vascular stapler to close the femoral artery wound,6 patients (1.3%) developed acute femoral artery thrombosis.One case of retroperitoneal hematoma and 1 case of femoral pseudoaneurysm were found and surgically fixed.Postoperative follow-up was (40±18) months (range:13 to 108 months).Three cases with chronic lower extremity ischemia were confirmed by Doppler ultrasonography during 1 to 5 years follow-up.Two of them had minimal symptoms and denied further treatment,while the other one received femoral-femoral artery bypass surgery to restore distal flow for pain and numbness relief. Conclusions: Acute femoral arterial thrombosis was the most common femoral artery puncture.Technique refinement of REBOA,the use of percutaneous suture device and close follow-up can reduce the approach-specific complications,and help to detect and treat the complications timely,which may popularize the clinical application of REBOA.

A direct and efficient palladium-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenative fluoroalkoxylation of benzaldehydes is reported here for the first time. The method features mild reaction conditions, good tolerance of functional groups, and a broad substrate scope. The protocol employs the transient directing group strategy, thereby avoiding the additional installation and removal of directing groups, endowing the method with great advantages of atom and step economy. The approach should find broad applications in drug synthesis and discovery processes.

An efficient and unprecedented strategy for the synthesis of 1,4-enediones from saturated ketones has been developed via palladium-catalyzed oxidative dehydrogenation. The protocol employs molecular oxygen as the sole oxidant and represents an atom- and step-economic process. The approach showed broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and complete E -stereoselectivity. The reaction mechanism has been investigated through deuterium-labeling experiments and intermediate experiments.

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is a deacetylase important for antioxidant protection, cell longevity, and aging. We hypothesized that SIRT3 improve oxidative resistance of aged cells and improve cell therapy in aged patients. In vitro , the proliferation and oxidative resistance of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) significantly declined with age. The expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), increased after transfection of SIRT3 in hMSCs from older donors (O-hMSCs). The protein level of Forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) in nucleus increased after SIRT3 overexpression. The antioxidant capacity of O-hMSCs increased after SIRT3 overexpression. 3-Amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT, CAT inhibitor) or diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC, SOD inhibitor) that was used to inhibit CAT or SOD activity significantly blocked the antioxidant function of SIRT3. When two inhibitors were used together, the antioxidant function of SIRT3 almost disappeared. Following myocardial infarction and intramyocardial injections of O-hMSCs in rats in vivo , the survival rate of O-hMSCs increased by SIRT3 transfection. The cardiac function of rats was improved after SIRT3-overexpressed O-hMSC transplantation. The infarct size, collagen content, and expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 decreased. Besides, the protein level of vascular endothelial growth factor A and vascular density increased after cell transplantation with SIRT3-modified O-hMSCs. These results indicate that damage resistance of hMSCs decline with age and SIRT3 might protect O-hMSCs against oxidative damage by activating CAT and MnSOD through transferring FOXO3a into nucleus. Meanwhile, the therapeutic effect of aged hMSC transplantation can be improved by SIRT3 overexpression.

The water quality of a small watershed will directly affect the water quality safety of the entire watershed. The Lidu small watershed of the Fulin District in Chongqing was selected for this study. The characteristics of runoff and the microbial community in the receiving water body were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology. The effects of the physical and chemical factors of the water body on the microbial diversity in the water body were also investigated. The results showed that the small watershed of Lidu was an important source of nitrite and dissolved organic carbon for the receiving water. There was no significant difference in the microbial richness and diversity of the water flowing through different pollution sources in the small watershed, and the microbial diversity index was negatively correlated with the total phosphorus ( r -0.79--0.84, P ≤ 0.01) and phosphate ( r -0.71--0.80, P ≤ 0.01) of the water. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria (37.33% ±14.69%) accounted for the largest proportion of runoff flowing through the agricultural area, followed by Proteobacteria (32.53% ±7.18%), Cyanobacteria (14.65% ±22.64%), Bacteroidetes (8.50% ±3.67%), and others. Proteobacteria (43.67% ±10.80%) accounted for the largest proportion of runoff flowing through the industrial area, followed by Bacteroidetes (25.33% ±11.97%), Actinobacteria (24.17% ±14.66%), Firmicutes (2.53% ±0.72%), and others. At the genus level, hgcI&#95;clade (19.08% ±13.46%) accounted for the largest proportion of runoff flowing through the agricultural area, followed by CL 500-29 &#95;marine&#95;group (7.40% ±4.44%), Limnohabitans (7.05% ±3.14%), and others. Flavobacterium (20.40% ±12.37%) accounted for the largest proportion of runoff flowing through the industrial area, followed by hgcI&#95;clade (15.30% ±11.11%), Acinetobacter (9.33% ±11.50%), and others. The Flavobacterium in the runoff water may be related to the input of industrial sources in the watershed. Nitrous nitrogen, total phosphorus, phosphate, pH, and Zn 2+ were the main environmental factors that affected the microbial community in the small watershed. They can explain the variance of microbial community 0.26, 0.21, 0.20, 0.15, and 0.14, respectively. DOC, nitrate nitrogen, and heavy metal ions such as Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Mn 2+ , and As 3+ were also related to the proportion of some microorganisms in the water.

Difluoromethylselenoester compounds, another important kind of organoselenium compounds, are reported herein for the first time. They can be efficiently synthesized from aldehydes and BnSeCF 2 H. The synthetic method features mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, good tolerance of functional groups, and importantly, no metal is involved in the reaction.

We report herein an efficient, economical, and scalable trifluoromethylthiolation of aldehydes to generate trifluoromethylthioesters via a visible light-promoted radical process. The transformation features cheap reagents, simple operation, a broad substrate scope, and especially no metal involved in the reaction. Trifluoromethylthiolations of several complex aldehyde-containing bioactive compounds have been realized; thus the approach has the potential to be an important tool for the late-stage functionalization of advanced synthetic intermediates and bioactive molecules, and should have many applications in medicinal chemistry.

Energy circulation in geospace lies at the heart of space weather research. In the inner magnetosphere, the steep plasmapause boundary separates the cold dense plasmasphere, which corotates with the planet, from the hot ring current/plasma sheet outside. Theoretical studies suggested that plasmapause surface waves related to the sharp inhomogeneity exist and act as a source of geomagnetic pulsations, but direct evidence of the waves and their role in magnetospheric dynamics have not yet been detected. Here, we show direct observations of a plasmapause surface wave and its impacts during a geomagnetic storm using multi-satellite and ground-based measurements. The wave oscillates the plasmapause in the afternoon-dusk sector, triggers sawtooth auroral displays, and drives outward-propagating ultra-low frequency waves. We also show that the surface-wave-driven sawtooth auroras occurred in more than 90% of geomagnetic storms during 2014-2018, indicating that they are a systematic and crucial process in driving space energy dissipation.

Background: Majeed syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disorder first described in 1989. The syndrome starts during infancy with recurrent relapses of osteomyelitis typically associated with fever, congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA), and often neutrophilic dermatosis. Mutations in the LPIN2 gene located on the short arm of chromosome 18 have been identified as being responsible for Majeed syndrome., Case Presentation: We report an 8-month-old boy, who presented with recurrent fever, mild to moderate anemia, and severe neutropenia. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were elevated. Molecular testing identified a paternal splicing donor site variant c.2327 + 1G > C and a maternal frameshift variant c.1691&#95;1694delGAGA (Arg564Lysfs*3) in LPIN2., Conclusions: Only a few cases with LPIN2 mutation have been reported, mainly in the Middle East with homozygous variants. Our patient exhibited a mild clinical phenotype and severe neutropenia, different from previous reports.

A new strategy for the synthesis of conjugated (E,E)-dienones and (E,E)-dienals via a palladium-catalyzed aerobic γ,δ-dehydrogenation of enones and enals has been developed. The method can be employed in the direct and efficient synthesis of various (E,E)-dienones and (E,E)-dienals, including non-substituted α-, β-, and γ- and/or δ-substituted (E,E)-dienones and (E,E)-dienals. The protocol is featured by the ready accessibility and elaboration of the starting materials, good functional group compatibility, and mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, the reaction is of complete E,E-stereoselectivity and uses molecular oxygen as the sole clean oxidant., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An unprecedented cross-dehydrogenative-coupling (CDC) reaction of saturated aldehyde β-C-H with arenes to form cinnamaldehydes via the cleavages of four C-H bonds has been developed. The reaction possesses complete E-stereoselectivity for the C═C double bond. The protocol is featured by atom and step economy, mild reaction conditions, and convenient operation.

Chinese herbal medicines( CHMs) are a class of preparations made from natural plants that pose health beneficial properties as well as illness prevention functions. Thanks to a panel of salutary features,such as comprehensive immunological enhancement and inhibition of pathogenic bacteria,negligible side-effects,inappreciable drug-resistance,CHMs have been taken as one of the costeffective candidates for antibiotics substitutions. Through probiotics fermentation,the enzymatic hydrolysis of matrixes of CHMs enables easier release of the active ingredient as well as endows less toxicity of the preparations derived. During fermentation,the macromolecule or polymers forms of the active ingredient can be cut down to smaller molecule,which favors the transmembrane transport and improve adsorption of the active ingredients by the tissues. Other than the enzymatic benefits,probiotics can produce metabolites that inhibit pathogenic bacteria propagation,which may function synergically with the inhibitory effects of the CHMs preparations to fight the target pathogens. In addition,the oligosaccharide like components of CHMs can promote the growth of probiotics in intestinal environment which may largely facilitate the gut health. To summarize,the fermentation of CHMs using probiotics brings about the biochemical reactions and elevates the health beneficial effects by synergy of the microbial and herbal activities. It has been proved to be one of promising approaches as to antibiotic substitutions,particularly in livestock and poultry breeding industries. This review covered the recent progress of CHMs fermentation on the aspects of microbial strains,patterns of fermentation and active substances from fermentation of CHMs and their potency,respectively.

Objective: The incidence of rectal carcinoma (RC) has been increasing recently, and becomes the second most common digestive tumors besides gastric cancer, with a rise in the incidence of RC in younger populations. The early diagnosis and treatment are thus critical for the improvement of survival rate and life quality of patients. Stomatin-like protein 2 (SLP-2) is a type of membrane factor, which is generally found highly expressed in various tumors. Collagen and calcium-binding EGF domain (CCBE1) belongs to lymphatic tube genesis factor. The regulatory role of SLP-2 gene on CCBE1 expression in RC tumor and adjacent lymphatic tube tissues, however, has not been studied., Patients and Methods: 52 RC patients were recruited, and tumor and adjacent lymphatic tube tissues were collected. Real-time PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were used to analyze SLP-2 and CCBE1 expressions. Human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) were cultured in vitro and were assigned to control, scramble, and SLP-2 siRNA group. MTT assay was used to detect cell proliferation, while caspase 3 activity was detected., Results: SLP-2 and CCBE1 levels were significantly elevated in tumor lymphatic tissues, compared to that in adjacent tissues. Statistically positive correlation between SLP-1 and CCBE2 was found (p<0.05). The downregulation of SLP-2 by siRNA inhibited cell proliferation, elevated caspase3 activity, and decreased CCBE1 expression (p<0.05 compared to control group)., Conclusions: SLP-2 is up-regulated in RC lymphatic tissues, and is positively correlated with the level of CCBE1, which provides the academic the basis for the development of medicine targeting SLP-2 in the anti-rectal carcinoma therapy.

Objective: Strabismus with diplopia is the main orbital complication of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). This study was to analyze clinical findings, treatment and outcomes of such cases. Methods: Retrospective case series. Twenty-three cases were divided into 3 groups based on the disease severity: group A, partial transection of the medial rectus muscle, group B, complete transection of the medical rectus, group C, transection of the medial rectus combined with the other orbital injuries. Complete ophthalmology examinations, including eye alignment, eye motility, force duction test, force generation test, general eye exam, and medical imaging (orbital CT or MRI), were performed for each case. The treatment included botulinum toxin (Botox) injection to the lateral rectus muscle, transposition of the vertical rectus muscle, and orbital surgery if needed. Results: In group A with Botox injection, all the cases achieved single vision in primary position, but still remained some adduction weakness. In group B treated by vertical transposition surgery combined with Botox, 22% of the cases got single vision in primary gaze. In group C, even with more efforts of treatment, the cases with orbital injury can only get cosmetic improvement, and diplopia and adduction dysfunction were found in most cases. Conclusions: Due to the variety of the complications of FESS, force duction test is a crucial exam to detect the direction and severity of synechia in the orbit, which will give solid information to surgery approach as well as prognosis. Botox injection at early stage will minimize the contraction of antagonist lateral rectus, helping to postpone the transposition surgery which may cause anterior segment ischemia when performed right after the medial rectus transection injury. Botox may even reduce the synechia by minimizing the scarring process. Partial vertical rectus transposition combined with muscle resection may effectively correct the eye misalignment in primary gaze and improve eye motility. The prognosis of FESS induced orbital complications is quite related with the severity of the injury. Botox combined with surgery may help medial rectus transection cases to achieve single vision in primary gaze, but when there is any other orbital injury, treatment may only improve cosmetic appearance. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 917-923) .

This study applied a grey predicting model to predict the trend of cotton fiber quality for next 5 and 10 years in the Yellow River Valley (YeRV), the Yangtze River Valley (YaRV) and the Northwest Inland Region (NWIR) based on the data set from the fiber quality traits of candidate cultivars in National Cotton Variety Regional Trials during 2005-2014. The temporal and spatial distributions of cotton trails in the three major cotton producing regions were analyzed. The results showed that the overall fiber quality of the Regional Cotton Variety Trials was improved during 2005-2014. Fiber length showed excellence and the distribution of threshold increased to 27.0-32.0 mm, and the fiber length of most cultivars reached 29 or 30 mm. Fiber strength also showed an increase trend. The proportion of high level (31.0 cN·tex -1 ) cultivars in YaRV was as high as 61.1% in 2011. Micronaire was significantly different among the three major cotton producing regions. In YeRV, micronaire was increased from class B 2 (4.3-4.9) to class C 2 (≥5.0). In YaRV, it maintained in a high level of class C 2 ; while it performed excellent in class A (3.7-4.2) and B 2 (4.3-4.9) in NWIR. As a comprehensive fiber quality trait, spinning consistency index decreased from NWIR, YaRV to YeRV, and was ranged from 130 to 149, which was suitable for 40-50 spun yarn and accounted for about 80.0% over the total. We concluded that NWIR had the best fiber quality, followed by YaRV and YeRV in recent ten years. In the near future, fiber quality in the regional cotton variety trails would slightly increase in YaRV, but significantly decrease in YeRV and NWIR. These changes should be highly concerned for breeders, the committee of National Cotton Variety Regional Trials and approval of management department in China.

Background: Recently identified porcine circovirus-like virus P1 has the smallest DNA viral genome. In this study, we identified the viral genes and their corresponding mRNA transcripts., Results: The RNAs of P1, synthesized in porcine kidney cells, were examined with northern blotting and PCR analyses. Eight virus-specific RNAs were detected. Four mRNAs (open reading frames (ORFs) 1, 2, 4, and 5) are encoded by the viral (-) strand and four (ORFs 3, 6, 7, and 8) are encoded by the viral (+) strand. All proteins encoded by the ORFs of the P1 virus are less than 50 amino acids in length, except that encoded by ORF1 (113 amino acids)., Conclusions: We show a very complex viral transcription pattern in P1-infected cells.

Here, we present the first report of a novel rearranged porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) strain named BIV, isolated from both in vitro and in vivo sources. The complete circular genome of BIV is 896 nucleotides in length. The data will help us to update current knowledge of the replication of PCV2 viruses in cell culture and of their molecular evolution, as well as their diagnosis.

We report here for the first time the genome sequence of a rearranged porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) strain, CH-IVT1, isolated from PCV2-infected PK-15 cells. The complete circular genome of the CH-IVT1 is 605 nucleotides (nt) in length. The finding will help us to understand the molecular evolution of PCV2 and the relationship between PCV2 and PCV-associated diseases.

We first report here the genome sequences of 4 rearranged porcine circovirus type 2 strains, JSTZ, ZJQDH1, ZJQDH2, and JSHM, isolated from porcine sera in China. The complete circular genomes of these isolates are 578, 483, 574, and 772 nucleotides in length, respectively. They are predicted to be defective interfering particles of porcine circovirus type 2. The findings will help us to understand molecular evolution of porcine circovirus type 2 and the relationship between porcine circovirus type 2 and diseases.

Background: One effect of solid tumors is severe hypoxia of local tissues. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is highly expressed in a variety of human tumor tissues; its induction and activity are closely related to growth of solid tumors. Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a transcription factor that regulates hypoxia signal transduction and plays a central role in tumor hypoxia regulation. However, whether and how changes in HO-1 activity affect HIF-1 gene expression has not been reported previously., Methods: Hypoxia-inducible models were established using gastric cancer cell lines (SGC-7901) in a hypoxia incubator. Cells were placed in four groups: Group A, transfected by plasmid harboring HO-1 shRNA; Group B, transfected with scrambled shRNA vector; Group C, treated with hemin; and Group D, exposed to hypoxia only. Expressions of HO-1 and HIF-1 mRNAs were quantified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Expressions of HO-1 and HIF-1 proteins were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting., Results: mRNA and protein levels of HO-1 and HIF-1 in the control group were significantly higher than in Group A (P < 0.01), but lower than in Group C (P < 0.01). Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that HIF-1 was identified as the direct HO-1 target gene., Conclusion: While affected by HIF-1, HO-1 up-regulation promotes the expression of HIF-1 and the down-regulation of HO-1 suppresses the expression of HIF-1 gene.

Ruminants are an important reservoir of Escherichia coli O157:H7. To reduce E coli O157:H7 excretion by these animals could play a key role in prevention and control of human infections. In the present study, the authors used 12 three-month-old goats to evaluate the efficacy of intranasal administration of the Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot protein. These goats were inoculated on days 0 and 21 and infected with 10(10) colony-forming units (cfu) of E coli O157:H7 by oral inoculation on day 36. Faecal shedding was monitored daily for two weeks. All of six goats immunised with recombinant protein elicited significant Stx2b-Tir-Stx1b-Zot-specific serum IgG antibodies, and three of them also showed production of antigen-specific IgA in faeces. The immunised goats showed much less shedding of E coli O157:H7 after challenge. These results demonstrate the potential for the use of Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot protein in mucosal vaccine formulations to prevent colonisation and shedding of E coli O157:H7 in goats.

The porcine boca-like virus (Pbo-likeV) was recently discovered in Swedish pigs with post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). In this study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for rapid, specific and sensitive detection of Pbo-likeV. A set of four primers specific for six regions of Pbo-likeV VP1/2 genes was designed with the online software. The reaction temperature and time were optimized to 65 °C and 60 min, respectively. LAMP products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis or by visual inspection of a color change due to addition of fluorescent dye. The developed method was highly specific for detection of Pbo-likeV, and no cross-reaction was observed with other swine viruses, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), porcine parvovirus (PPV) and classic swine fever virus (CSFV) found commonly in China. The lower detection limit of the LAMP assay was approximately 10 copies per reaction, and it was 100 times more sensitive than that of conventional PCR. Furthermore, the efficiency of LAMP for detection Pbo-likeV in clinical samples was comparable to PCR and sequencing. These results showed that the LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, sensitive and specific technique for detection of Pbo-likeV, and the procedure of LAMP does not rely on any special equipment. It has capacity for the detection of Pbo-likeV both in the laboratory and on farms., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the research was to investigate the antiendotoxin effects of Sinomenine, Fangchinoline, Stachydrine, Chuanxionggzine, Oxymartrine and Evodiamine. Endothelial cells were challenged with 1 μg/mL LPS for 3 h then treated respectively with six alkaloids at three concentrations (1, 5 and 10 μg/mL). The cells were incubated at 37°C in a cell incubator for 21 h. The supernatants were collected and analyzed the levels of interleukin-1α (IL-1α), thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and E-selectin by ELISA kits. The results revealed that Sinomenine, Oxymartrine and Evodiamine inhibited the production of IL-1α; Stachydrine, Chuanxionggzine and Evodiamine inhibited the secretion of TXB(2); Sinomenine and Oxymartrine down-regulated ET-1 expression; Fangchinoline and Evodiamine decreased the level of E-selectin. All these changes were significant. Taken together, the data suggested that six alkaloids may effectively reduce inflammatory response via these cytokines.

The type III secretion system of Escherichia coli O157:H7 is involved in colonization of mammalian hosts by the organism. The translocated intimin receptor (Tir) is inserted into the mammalian host cell plasma membrane in a hairpin loop topology with the central loop of the molecule exposed to the host cell surface and accessible for interaction with an LEE-encoded bacterial outer membrane adhesin called intimin. Shiga toxin type 1 and 2 produced by E. coli O157:H7 are responsible for hemolytic uremic syndrome and able to promote intestinal colonization. Zonula occludens toxin (Zot) is a single polypeptide chain encoded by the filamentous bacteriophage CTXφ of Vibrio cholerae. Zot binds a receptor on intestinal epithelial cells and increases mucosal permeability by affecting the structure of epithelial tight junctions. Because of these properties, Zot is a promising tool for mucosal drug and antigen (Ag) delivery. In the current study, we constructed a novel fusion protein carrying both of the immunogenic B subunits derived from the two toxins, Tir and Zot, designated Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot, expressed in the E. coli BL21 and harvested the purified protein by a simple GST·Bind Resin chromatography method. We used a streptomycin-treated mouse model to evaluate the efficacy of subcutaneous vs. intranasal administration of the vaccine. Following immunization, mice were infected with E. coli O157:H7 and feces were monitored for shedding. Immune responses against Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot, Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B and control agent (GST/PBS) were also monitored. Subcutaneous immunization of mice with Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot induced significant Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot-specific serum IgG antibodies but did not significantly induce any antigen-specific IgA in feces, whereas intranasal immunization elicited significant Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot-specific serum IgG antibodies with some animals developing antigen-specific IgA in feces. Mice that were immunized intranasally with Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot showed dramatically decreased E. coli O157:H7 shedding compared to those of Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B and control agent following experimental infection. Mice immunized subcutaneously with Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot or Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B both showed reduced shedding in feces, moreover, Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot did better. These results demonstrate the perspective for the use of Stx2B-Tir-Stx1B-Zot to prevent colonization and shedding of E. coli O157:H7., (Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: To observe the effect of moxibustion of Baihui (GV 20) on the hemodynamics of internal carotid artery in health subjects so as to study its underlying mechanism of moxibustion in the treatment cerebrovascular disorders., Methods: Thirty healthy male volunteer students between 20 and 22 years in age were enrolled into this study. Qm (mean blood flow), Vm) (mean velocity of blood flow), Vmax (maximal velocity of blood flow), Vmin (minimal velocity of blood flow), Wv (pulse wave velocity), Zcv (characteristic impedance), Rv (peripheral resistance), DR (dynamic resistance), CP (critical pressure) and DP (difference of pressure) of the right and left common carotid arteries were measured before and after moxibustion of GV20 (5-10 min each time, once daily, 5 times altogether) by using CBA CV-300 Cerebrovascular Hemodynamics Detector., Results: Following moxibustion of GV20, Qm, Vm and Vmin of both right and left common carotid arteries increased significantly (P < 0.01); while Rv and DR of the brain artery lowed evidently (P < 0.05); The rest indexes had no significant changes (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Moxibustion of Baihui (GV 20) can significantly raise the velocity of blood flow of the common carotid artery and low the resistance of blood vessels.

Objective: To study the mechanism of bcl-2 involvement in multidrug resistance in human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell subline H446/DDP., Methods: After the construction of pLXSN-bcl-2, in which the full length of bcl-2 cDNA amplified from total RNA of H446/DDP cells was integrated into the mammalian expression vector pLXSN, allowing transcription of a bicistronic mRNA, and the synthesis in vitro of 20-mer ODNs targeting the coding region of bcl-2 mRNA and the scrambled ODNs used as the control, the cationic lipid DOTAP was used to transfect them into H446 and H446/DDP cells, respectively. When H446 cells were transfected with mammalian expression vector pLXSN, the cells were divided into 3 groups, including cells transfected with the recombinant pLXSN-bcl-2, cells transfected with the vector pLXSN and cells untransfected (control); when H446 cells and H446/DDP cells were transfected with PS-ODNs, the cells were divided into 3 groups, including cells transfected with AS-PS-ODNs, cells transfected with NS-PS-ODNs and cells untransfected (control), respectively. After transfection, Western blot were carried out to detect the expression level of bcl-2 in the control cells and the transfected cells, respectively. Meanwhile flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect cell apoptosis in the control cells and the transfected cells., Results: (1) The data from Western blot showed that compared with the control H446 cells (gray-scale value 0.103 +/- 0.005), the expression level of bcl-2 in the pLXSN-bcl-2 transfected H446 cells (gray-scale value 0.854 +/- 0.016) was increased significantly (P < 0.01); and the apoptosis from DNA content analysis decreased significantly in the pLXSN-bcl-2 transfected H446 cells [(20.9 +/- 0.2)%] compared with that of the control H446 cells [(31.1 +/- 0.2)%] by DNA content analysis (P < 0.01). (2) The results from Western blot showed that bcl-2 expression in the AS-PS-ODNs transfected H446/DDP cells (gray-scale value 0.695 +/- 0.014) was significantly reduced compared with that of the control H446/DDP cells (gray-scale value 0.942 +/- 0.018), although not totally reduced to the level of the control H446 cells (P < 0.01); and the data from DNA content analysis indicated that the sensitivity of the AS-PS-ODNs transfected H446/DDP cells to 5 microg/ml DDP-induced apoptosis was strongly increased as compared with that of the control H446/DDP cells (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Targeting to inhibit antiapoptotic mitochondrial gene Bcl-2 expression may be one of the important therapeutic approaches to overcoming chemoresistance in human SCLC.

Objective: To investigate the changing of T4 5'-and 5-deiodinase within rat brain under various iodin-nutritional states., Methods: Animal model of iodine-deficiency rat was performed and the rats were divided into 4 groups by the intake of iodine-nutrition, and then killed at an age of 20 days. The thyroid hormones level in serum was measured by ELISA and the activity of T(4) 5'-and 5-deiodinase within brain was analyzed., Results: In less-iodine (LI) group,TT4 and FT4 were accounting for 3.5% of the neutral-iodine (NI) group's, and FT3 was 174.0% of NI group's (P < 0.05). In NI group,TT4 and FT4 were 114.5% and 127.7% of NI group's (P < 0.05). In high-iodine (HI) group, TT4 and FT4 were 61.86% and 62.0% of NI group's, and FT3 was 184.9% of NI group's (P < 0.05). In LI group, the activity of T4 5'-deiodinase tissue of per gram (1.95 +/- 0.32) ngT3.microgT4(-1).h was significantly higher than that of NI group (P < 0.05), and the activity of 5-deiodinase (1.38 +/- 0.21) ngrT3.microg T4(-1).h(-1) is significantly less than that of NI group (1.59 +/- 0.23) (P < 0.05). In HI group the activity of T4 5'-and 5-deiodinase tissue of per gram (1.12 +/- 0.19 and 1.73 +/- 0.36) ngrT3.microgT4(-1).h(-1)was significantly less than that of NI group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The activity of T4 5'-deiodinase in iodine deficiency heightens and that in iodine excess is debased, the activity of T4 5-deiodinase in iodine deficiency and in iodine excess is debased.