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Mu-Lan Xu,1,2,&ast; Xiang-Bo Wu,1,&ast; Ying Liang,3,&ast; Ning Li,1 Xu Hu,1 Xiao-Dong Lin,1 Miao-Qiao Sun,1 Chun-Qiu Dai,1 Dan Niu,1 Yan-Rong Zhang,1 Hui Cao,1 Chen-Guang Zhao,1 Xiao-Long Sun,1 Hua Yuan1 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xi-Jing Hospital, Air Force Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shenshan Medical Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shanwei, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Health Statistics, Air Force Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hua Yuan; Xiao-Long Sun, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xi-Jing Hospital, Air Force Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), No. 15, Changle West Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710032, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-29-84775437 ; +86-29-84775439, Email yuanhua@fmmu.edu.cn; xlsun@fmmu.edu.cnBackground: Neuropathic pain (NP) is a common and severe problem following spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its relationship with functional outcome remains unclear.Methods: A retrospective explorative analysis was performed on SCI patients admitted to a tertiary academic medical center between January 2018 and June 2022. The candidate predictor variables, including demographics, clinical characteristics and complications, were analyzed with logistic and linear regression. Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) scores at discharge and mean relative functional gain (mRFG) of SCIM were as outcome parameters.Results: A total of 140 SCI patients included for the final analysis. Among them, 44 (31.43%) patients were tetraplegics, and 96 (68.57%) patients were paraplegics; 68 (48.57%) patients developed NP, and 72 (51.43%) patients did not. Logistic and linear regression analyses of SCIM at discharge both showed that NP [OR=3.10, 95% CI (1.29,7.45), P=0.01; unstandardized β=11.47, 95% CI (4.95,17.99), P< 0.01; respectively] was significantly independent predictors for a favorable outcome (SCIM at discharge ≥ 50, logistic regression results) and higher SCIM total score at discharge (linear regression results). Besides, NP [unstandardized β=15.67, 95% CI (8.94,22.41), P< 0.01] was also independently associated with higher mRFG of SCIM scores. Furthermore, the NP group had significantly higher mRFG, SCIM total scores and subscales (self-care, respiration and sphincter management, and mobility) at discharge compared to the non-NP group. However, there were no significant differences in mRFG, SCIM total score or subscales at discharge among the NP subgroups in terms of locations (at level pain, below level pain, and both) or timing of occurrence (within and after one month after SCI). This study also showed that incomplete injury, lumbar-sacral injury level and non-anemia were significantly independent predictors for a favorable outcome, and higher mRFG of SCIM scores (except for non-anemia).Conclusion: NP appears independently associated with better functional recovery in SCI patients, suggesting the bright side of this undesirable complication. These findings may help to alleviate the psychological burden of NP patients and ultimately restore their confidence in rehabilitation.Keywords: spinal cord injury, neuropathic pain, functional outcome, SCIM, mRFG, retrospective study

Traumatic injury to the spinal cord can lead to significant, permanent disability. Mammalian spinal cords are not capable of regeneration; in contrast, adult zebrafish are capable of such regeneration, fully recovering motor function. Understanding the mechanisms underlying zebrafish neuroregeneration may provide useful information regarding endogenous regenerative potential and aid in the development of therapeutic strategies in humans. DELTEX proteins (DTXs) regulate a variety of cellular processes. However, their role in neural regeneration has not been described. We found that zebrafish dtx2 , encoding Deltex E3 ubiquitin ligase 2, is expressed in ependymo-radial glial cells in the adult spinal cord. After spinal cord injury, the heterozygous dtx2 mutant fish motor function recovered quicker than that of the wild-type controls. The mutant fish displayed increased ependymo-radial glial cell proliferation and augmented motor neuron formation. Moreover, her gene expression, downstream of Notch signaling, increased in Dtx2 mutants. Notch signaling inactivation by dominant-negative Rbpj abolished the increased ependymo-radial glia proliferation caused by Dtx2 deficiency. These results indicate that ependymo-radial glial proliferation is induced by Dtx2 deficiency by activating Notch-Rbpj signaling to improve spinal cord regeneration and motor function recovery.

Background: A sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is a rare malignant fibroblastic soft tissue tumor that rarely occurs in intra-abdominal organs. A case of a SEF in the pancreatic head is reported herein, including its clinical manifestations, preoperative imaging features, gross specimen and pathological findings., Case Summary: A 33-year-old male patient was admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital in December 2023 due to a one-year history of intermittent upper abdominal pain and the discovery of a pancreatic mass. The patient underwent an enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen, which revealed a well-defined, round mass with clear borders and calcifications in the pancreatic head. The mass exhibited progressive, uneven mild enhancement, measuring approximately 6.6 cm × 6.3 cm. The patient underwent laparoscopic pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Postoperative pathological examination revealed that the lesion was consistent with a SEF. At the 3-month postoperative follow-up, the patient did not report any short-term complications, and there were no signs of tumor recurrence., Conclusion: SEFs are rare malignant fibrous soft tissue tumors. SEFs rarely develop in the pancreas, and its preoperative diagnosis depends on imaging findings, with confirmation depending on pathological examination and immunohistochemistry. Currently, only four cases of pancreatic SEF have been reported in studies written in English. This case is the first reported case of a pancreatic SEF by a clinical physician., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Notch signaling is a conserved pathway crucial for nervous system development. Disruptions in this pathway are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and brain tumors. Hairy/E(spl) (HES) genes, major downstream targets of Notch, are commonly used as markers for Notch activation. However, these genes can be activated, inhibited, or function independently of Notch signaling, and their response to Notch disruption varies across tissues and developmental stages. MIB1/Mib1 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that enables Notch receptor activation by processing ligands like Delta and Serrate. We investigated Notch signaling disruption using the zebrafish Mib1 mutant line, mib1 ta52b , focusing on changes in the expression of Hairy/E(spl) ( her ) genes. Our findings reveal significant variability in her gene expression across different neural cell types, regions, and developmental stages following Notch disruption. This variability questions the reliability of Hairy/E(spl) genes as universal markers for Notch activation, as their response is highly context-dependent. This study highlights the complex and context-specific nature of Notch signaling regulation. It underscores the need for a nuanced approach when using Hairy/E(spl) genes as markers for Notch activity. Additionally, it provides new insights into Mib1's role in Notch signaling, contributing to a better understanding of its involvement in Notch signaling-related disorders.

Background: Function-preserving pancreatectomy can improve the long-term quality of life of patients with benign or low-grade malignant tumors, such as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and mucinous cystic neoplasms. However, there is limited literature on laparoscopic spleen-preserving total pancreatectomy (L-SpTP) due to technical difficulties., Case Summary: Patient 1 was a 51-year-old male diagnosed with IPMN based on preoperative imaging, showing solid nodules in the pancreatic head and diffuse dilation of the main pancreatic duct with atrophy of the distal pancreas. We performed L-SpTP with preservation of the splenic vessels, and the postoperative pathology report revealed IPMN with invasive carcinoma. Patient 2 was a 60-year-old male with multiple cystic lesions in the pancreatic head and body. L-SpTP was performed, and intraoperatively, the splenic vein was injured and required ligation. Postoperative pathology revealed a mucinous cystic tumor of the pancreas with low-grade dysplasia. Both patients were discharged on postoperative day 7, and there were no major complications during the perioperative period., Conclusion: We believe that L-SpTP is a safe and feasible treatment for low-grade malignant pancreatic tumors, but more case studies are needed to evaluate its safety, efficacy, and long-term outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: There are no competing interests., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between mutated genes and clinical features in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET)., Methods: The clinical data of 69 patients with ET from October 2018 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to driver mutation type, patients were divided into JAK2 group, CALR group and triple-negative group. The sex, age, cardiovascular risk factors, thrombosis, splenomegaly, routine blood test and coagulation status of patients in three groups were analyzed., Results: Among 69 ET patients, 46 cases were associated with JAK2 mutation, 14 cases with CALR mutation, 8 cases with triple-negative mutation, and one with MPL gene mutation. There were no significant differences in age and sex among the three groups ( P >0.05). The highest thrombotic rate was 26.09% (12/46) in JAK2 group, then 12.5% (1/8) in triple-negative group, while no thrombotic events occurred in CALR group. The incidence of splenomegaly was the highest in JAK2 group (34.78%), while no splenomegaly occurred in triple-negative group. The white blood cell (WBC) count in JAK2 group was (9.00±4.86)×10 9 /L, which was significantly higher than (6.03±2.32)×10 9 /L in CALR group ( P <0.05). The hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) in JAK2 group were (148.42±18.79) g/L and (0.44±0.06)%, respectively, which were both significantly higher than (131.00±15.17) g/L and (0.39±0.05)% in triple-negative group ( P <0.05). The platelet (PLT) in JAK2 group was (584.17±175.77)×10 9 /L, which was significantly lower than (703.07±225.60)×10 9 /L in CALR group ( P <0.05). The fibrinogen (Fg) in JAK2 and triple-negative group were (2.64±0.69) g/L and (3.05±0.77) g/L, respectively, which were both significantly higher than (2.24±0.47) g/L in CALR group ( P <0.05, P <0.01). The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) in triple-negative group was (28.61±1.99) s, which was significantly decreased compared with (31.45±3.35) s in CALR group ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: There are differences in blood cell count and coagulation status among ET patients with different driver gene mutations. Among ET patients, JAK2 mutation is most common. Compared with CALR group, the thrombotic rate, WBC and Fg significantly increase in JAK2 group, while PLT decrease. Compared with triple-negative group, the incidence of splenomegaly and HCT significantly increase. Compared with CALR group, Fg significantly increases but APTT decreases in triple-negative group.

Aims: Efficiency of neural stem cells (NSCs) therapy for brain injury is restricted by astrogliosis around the damaged region, in which JAK2/STAT3 signaling plays a key role. The SOCS3 that can directly inhibit JAK/STAT3 pathway. Here, we investigated the effects of a fusion peptide that combined kinase inhibitory region (KIR) of SOCS3 and virus trans-activator of transcription (TAT) on biological behavior of cultured NSCs under inflammatory conditions., Methods: NSCs were isolated from embryonic brain of SD rats, TAT-KIR was synthesized, and penetration rate was evaluated by flow cytometry (FACS). CCK8, immunostaining, and FACS were used to detected of TAT-KIR on the proliferation of NSCs. The expressions of GFAP and β tubulin III positive cells induced by IL6 with/without TAT-KIR were examined by immunostaining and Western blotting to observe the NSCs differentiation, and the effect of TAT-KIR on signaling cross talk was observed by Western blotting., Results: Penetration rate of TAT-KIR into primary cultured NSCs was up to 94%. TAT-KIR did not affect the growth and viability of NSCs. It significantly reduced the NSCs proliferation that enhanced by IL-6 stimulation via blocking the cell cycle progression from the G0/G1 to S phase. In addition, TAT-KIR attenuated astrocytic differentiation and kept high level of neuronal differentiation derived from IL-6-induced NSCs. The fate of NSCs differentiation under inflammatory conditions was affected by TAT-KIR, which was associated with synchronous inhibition of STAT3 and AKT, while promoting JNK expression., Conclusion: TAT-KIR mimetic of SOCS3 could be a promising approach for brain repair via regulating the biological behaviors of exogenous NSCs., (© 2022 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains the primary complication of distal pancreatectomies. We aimed to review whether staple line reinforcement with continuous lockstitches would lead to decreased grade B and C pancreatic fistula in patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy., Methods: This retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients scheduled to undergo distal pancreatectomy at a large tertiary hospital. A comparison was conducted between lockstitch reinforcement and non-reinforcement for remnant closure during distal pancreatectomies from August 2016 to February 2021. Propensity score matching was applied to balance the two groups with covariates including abdominal and back pain, diabetes mellitus, and estimated blood loss. The primary outcome was POPF rate., Results: A total of 153 patients were enrolled in the study (89 lockstitch reinforcements, 64 non-reinforcements), of whom 128 patients (64 per group) were analyzed after propensity score matching (1:1). The total POPF rate was 21.9%. POPF was identified in 12.5% (8/64) of the patients who underwent resection with lockstitch reinforcement and 31.2% (20/64) of the patients without reinforcement (odds ratio 0.314, 95% confidence interval 0.130-0.760, P=0.010). No deaths occurred in either group. Neither the major complication rate nor the length of hospital stay after surgery differed between the groups., Conclusions: Compared with the use of stapler alone, staple line lockstitch reinforcement for remnant closure during distal pancreatectomy could reduce the POPF rate. Further multicenter randomized clinical trials are required to confirm these results., 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., (Copyright © 2022 Tian, Luo, Sun, Lu, Huang and Guo.)

We report an unusual case presented as acute gastrointestinal perforation and large confluent pulmonary cavities. A 23-year-old male was admitted to the emergency department with complaints of abdominal pain for 1 month, which exacerbated for 1 day. He also reported a 3-month history of diarrhea and productive cough. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed multiple large confluent cavities in the lung, along with massive free gas in the abdomen suggesting gastrointestinal perforation. Exploratory laparotomy was performed and affected bowel segment was resected. His sputum examination was positive for both acid-fast staining and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex gene (Xpert) testing. Pathology of small intestine revealed micro-abscess formation and was positive for acid-fast bacilli. A final diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and intestinal tuberculosis was made.

Chitosan loaded with silica foliar spraying material (NCSI) was prepared using natural biomass chitosan and organic silicon and was applied to Lindao 16, Nanjing 2728, Zhenghan 10, and Nongken 58 at the rice filling stage to study the effects on arsenic (As) absorption in rice. The results showed that under a 100 μmol·L -1 pentavalent arsenic[As(Ⅴ)] hydroponic environment, foliar spraying of 30 mL NCSI on leaves promoted the accumulation of As in leaves and reduced the accumulation of As in roots and grains. Among them, the As contents of Nanjing 2728, Zhenghan 10, and Nongken 58 grains were decreased by 14.44%, 21.66%, and 10.85%, respectively, compared with those of the blank group on the 3 rd day after spraying NCSI. Meanwhile, foliar spraying of NCSI improved the activities of CAT and SOD in rice leaves and increased the GSH content, indicating that the spraying of NCSI alleviated the stress of As on rice, improved the tolerance of rice to As, and reduced the toxicity of As to rice. The main mechanism of foliar application of NCSI to reduce As accumulation in rice grains may have been that NCSI induced GSH production in leaves, reducing more As(Ⅴ) to trivalent arsenic[As(Ⅲ)], thereby promoting As chelating in leaves and inhibiting As migration to grains. Therefore, foliar spraying of NCSI can be used as a foliar control technology to solve the problem of excessive As in rice and provide a scientific basis for the safe production of rice in China.

AbstractObjective: To analyze the DNA methylation gene mutations of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), and preliminarily explore its clinical features., Methods: Next-generation sequencing technology was used to detect 31 MPN-related genes in 105 cases of MPN patients ［40 cases of polycythaemia vera (PV), 65 cases of essential thrombocythemia (ET)］, and to analyze the relationship between DNA methylation gene mutations and clinical features., Results: 15 mutation types were detected in 105 patients (88 mutations in total), and the total mutation detection rate was 87.6% (92/105). A total of 23 mutations in 4 DNA methylation genes (TET2, DNMT3A, IDH1, IDH2) were detected in 22 patients. The mutation rate of DNA methylation genes was 21.0%, mainly in the form of double mutations, including JAK2 V617F and TET2 (n=10), JAK2 V617F and DNMT3A (n=4), CALR and TET2 (n=2), JAK2 V617F and IDH1 (n=1). Compared with MPN patients without DNA methylation gene mutations, the proportion of women with DNA methylation gene mutations and the white blood cell count (WBC) were significantly higher (P<0.05). Compared with MPN patients with triple-negative driver genes, the proportion of women with DNA methylation gene mutations, age, WBC, platelet count (PLT), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were significantly higher (P<0.05). The remaining difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The MPN10 score, the incidence of thrombotic events, and the proportion of medium-risk and high-risk patients with DNA methylation gene mutations were significantly higher than those of MPN patients without DNA methylation gene mutations (P<0.05)., Conclusion: The mutation rate of DNA methylation genes was 21.0%, mainly coexisting in the form of double mutations. The proportion of women with DNA methylation gene mutations in MPN patients and WBC is high, the symptom load is heavy, the incidence of thrombosis is high, and the proportion of medium-high-risk patients is high, suggesting that their prognosis may be poor.

DNA hypermethylation is an epigenetic modification that plays a critical role in the oncogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Aberrant DNA methylation represses the transcription of promotors of tumor suppressor genes, inducing gene silencing. Realgar (α-As 4 S 4 ) is a traditional medicine used for the treatment of various diseases in the ancient time. Realgar was reported to have efficacy for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). It has been demonstrated that realgar could efficiently reduce DNA hypermethylation of MDS. This review discusses the mechanisms of realgar on inhibiting DNA hypermethylation of MDS, as well as the species and metabolisms of arsenic in vivo., (© 2020. The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this study, a series of 3-(3-pyridyl)-oxazolidone-5-methyl ester derivatives was synthesized and characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and LC-MS. The conducted screening antibacterial studies of the new 3-(3-pyridyl)-oxazolidone-5-methyl ester derivatives established that the methyl sulfonic acid esters have broad activity spectrum towards Staphylococcus aureus , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Among them, compound 12e has the most potent activity, with an MIC of 16 μg/mL against B.subtilis, and could reduce the instantaneous growth rate of bacteria. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were also simulated for compound 12e to predict the specific binding mode of this compound. In addition, anthelmintic activity of these compounds was also evaluated against adult Indian earthworms ( Pheretima posthuman ). The results showed that compound 11b had the best effect. These results above can provide experimental reference for the development of novel antibacterial and anthelmintic drugs.

The abnormality of platelet function plays an important role in the pathogenesis and evolution of blood stasis syndrome (BSS). The explanation of its mechanism is a key scientific issue in the study of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and treatment. System biology technology provides a good technical platform for further development of platelet multi-omics, which is conducive to the scientific interpretation of the biological mechanism of BSS. The article summarized the pathogenesis of platelets in BSS, the mechanism of action of blood activating and stasis resolving drugs, and the application of genomics, proteomics, and metabonomics in platelet research, and put forward the concept of "plateletomics in BSS". Through the combination and cross-validation of multi-omics technology, it mainly focuses on the clinical and basic research of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; through the interactive verification of multi-omics technology and system biology, it mainly focuses on the platelet function and secretion system. The article systematically explains the molecular biological mechanism of platelet activation, aggregation, release, and other stages in the formation and development of BSS, and provides a new research idea and method for clarifying the pathogenesis of BSS and the mechanism of action of blood activating and stasis resolving drugs., (© 2021. The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome of blood stasis refers to blood stagnation in meridians and viscera, with the main symptoms of pain, mass, bleeding, purple tongue, and unsmooth pulse. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are among the major chronic diseases seriously harming the health of the Chinese. Among the coronary heart disease and stroke patients, most demonstrate the blood stasis syndrome. Platelet is considered to be one of the necessary factors in thrombosis, which closely relates to the TCM syndrome of blood stasis and the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The clinical and laboratory research on platelet activation and aggregation has been paid more and more attention. Its purpose is to treat and prevent blood stasis syndrome. In this study, the authors analyzed the research on the dysfunctions of platelets in blood stasis syndrome, biological basis of TCM blood stasis syndrome, and the effect of blood-activating stasis-resolving prescriptions on platelets, aiming at providing a reference for exploring the mechanism of platelet intervention in the treatment of TCM blood stasis syndrome and the pathways and targets of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of the syndrome.

Objective: To reveal the underlying relationships between Chinese medicine (CM) syndromes and ultrafiltration (UF) in the treatment of heart failure based on a metabonomic approach., Methods: Seventeen acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients were enrolled, and their CM syndromes before and after UF were collected. In addition, their venous plasma collected before and after UF was used for liquid chromatographmass spectrometer-based metabonomic analysis. Both reversed phase liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography were used to analyze the plasma samples. Partial least-squares to latent structure-discriminant analyses were used for data analysis., Results: An obvious difference was observed pre- and post-treatment. A total of 17 potential biomarkers associating with alterd syndromes with UF including hypoxanthine, 1-methylhistidine, phytosphingosine, O-decanoyl-R-carnitine, etc. were screened out, showing a significant change after UF. The major adjusted metabolic pathways were purine metabolism, histidine metabolism, leucine and isoleucine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, carnitine shuttle, sphingolipid metabolism and phospholipid metabolism., Conclusions: Metabonomic approach is a useful tool to identify potential biomarkers of altered syndromes link to UF and could provide a theoretical basis for further research on the therapeutic mechanism of UF combined with CM.

Background: "Shoulder" pancreatic cancer, defined as tumor located at the confluence where the splenic vein meets the portal vein, has specific adjacent anatomies. It's difficult to resect this type of tumor with adequate regional lymphadenectomy., Methods: We described a new concept of "shoulder" pancreatic cancer, and retrospectively analyzed eleven consecutive cases from September 2019 to April 2020, to assess the safety and efficacy of the retrograde artery first approach in minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy. The primary outcome was set as radical (R0) resection rate., Results: All of the 11 cases achieved R0 resection, with a median of 8 (range 5-32) lymph nodes harvested, given the ratio of embraced splenic vein in 72.7% of the cases, splenic artery embracement in 45.5%, and SMV-PV wall invasion in 27.3%. The maximum tumor size on pathology was 35 (range 20-65) mm. The median operative time was 260 (range 155-470) min, and the median estimated blood loss was 200 (range 50-1000) ml. One case needed intraoperative transfusion. One grade B postoperative pancreatic fistula occurred accompanied with abdominal infection, while the rest of cases recovered uneventful. The median postoperative length of stay was 9 (range 6-20) days., Conclusions: "Shoulder" pancreatic cancers are clinically significant. Retrograde artery first approach is a potentially safe and effective alternative to achieve a radical resection margin for shoulder pancreatic cancers in minimally invasive era. More evidences are needed in the future.

Background: Hazy weather significantly increase air pollution and affect light intensity which may also affect medicinal plants growth. Syringa oblata Lindl. (S. oblata), an effective anti-biofilm medicinal plants, is also vulnerable to changes in plant photoperiods and other abiotic stress responses. Rutin, one of the flavonoids, is the main bioactive ingredient in S. oblata that inhibits Streptococcus suis biofilm formation. Thus, the present study aims to explore the biosynthesis and molecular basis of flavonoids in S. oblata in response to different light intensity., Results: In this study, it was shown that compared with natural (Z 0 ) and 25% ~ 35% (Z 2 ) light intensities, the rutin content of S. oblata under 50% ~ 60% (Z 1 ) light intensity increased significantly. In addition, an integrated analysis of metabolome and transcriptome was performed using light intensity stress conditions from two kinds of light intensities which S. oblata was subjected to: Z 0 and Z 1 . The results revealed that differential metabolites and genes were mainly related to the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. We found out that 13 putative structural genes and a transcription factor bHLH were significantly up-regulated in Z 1 . Among them, integration analysis showed that 3 putative structural genes including 4CL1, CYP73A and CYP75B1 significantly up-regulated the rutin biosynthesis, suggesting that these putative genes may be involved in regulating the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, thereby making them key target genes in the whole metabolic process., Conclusions: The present study provided helpful information to search for the novel putative genes that are potential targets for S. oblata in response to light intensity.

Background: Intrahepatic subcapsular hematoma (ISH) is an extremely rare, life-threatening complication after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Only few cases have been reported. Herein, we reported a rare giant ISH after LC and summarized all of the reported cases., Case Presentation: A 32-year old woman with recurrent acute cholecystitis for one year, underwent elective LC without intra-operative complications and was discharged 2 days after operation. On the next day after discharge, she developed severe right upper abdominal pain and was sent to our emergency department. The computed tomography scan showed a 10.9 × 12.5 × 6.6 cm ISH in the right liver without free fluid and the hemoglobin dropped to 86 g/l from 127 g/l. Postoperative hemorrhagic shock and a giant ISH after LC were diagnosed. After fluid resuscitation, the hemodynamic was still unstable and the hemoglobin kept dropping. An emergency laparoscopic exploration was performed and the ISH was confirmed, however no active bleeding point was found. A drainage tube was placed under liver for early warning of rupture. Patient was discharged home 10 days after readmission., Conclusions: Giant ISH is an extremely rare, life-threatening complication after LC. This case showed that the need to consider this rare complication in patients suffering abdominal pain after LC and timely and correct diagnosis and treatment were crucial to saving the lives of the patients.

The fragmentation pathways of the three ginkgolides (ginkgolides A, ginkgolides B, ginkgolides C) have been studied with high resolution and high mass accuracy using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry in negative ion mode in this paper. The results indicate that the three ginkgolides have similar fragmentation pathways, including four kinds of common cleavage pathways and one common characteristic ion. In high quality regions, the typical fragmentation pathways of the three ginkgolides are lactone ring opening with continuous loss of CO, CO₂,and loss of H₂O. In low quality regions, the common characteristic fragment ion of the three ginkgolides at m/z 72.993 6 is formed by C rings cleavage. Also, the common fragment ions of ginkgolides A and ginkgolides B at m/z 141.018 8, 125.023 8, 113.024 0, 97.029 1 are formed by A rings cleavage. The study of fragmentation pathways could be adopted for the structural identification of the ginkgolides and their metabolites., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

BiOBr nanosheets are important photocatalytic nanomaterials. However, their biological effects remain to be explored. In this study, we investigated the antifungal effect of BiOBr nanosheets on Candida albicans. Strikingly, the nanosheets strongly inhibited the growth of C. albicans [IC 50 =(96±4.7) mg/L], hyphal development and biofilm formation. Compareed to the antifungal effect of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, the inhibitory effect of the nanosheets on fungal pathogen was attributed to cetyltrimethylammonium bromide adsorbed by the nanosheets. Thermal gravity analysis and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide release experiment indicated that only 0.42% cetyltrimethylammonium bromide on BiOBr nanosheets was released. Taken together, this study uncovers the contribution of surfactant released from the nanosheets to their antifungal activity.

Aim: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is known to activate the vascular large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels and has protective effects on the cardiovascular system. However, the underlying mechanisms through which DHA activates BK channels remain unclear. In this study, we determined such mechanisms by examining the effects of different concentrations of DHA on BK channels in freshly isolated rat coronary arterial smooth muscle cells (CASMCs) using patch clamp techniques. Methods and Results: We found that BK channels are the major potassium currents activated by DHA in rat CASMCs and the effects of DHA on BK channels are concentration dependent with a bimodal distribution. At concentrations of <1 μM, DHA activated whole-cell BK currents with an EC 50 of 0.24 ± 0.05 μM and the activation effects were abolished by pre-incubation with SKF525A (10 μM), a cytochrome P450 (CYP) epoxygenase inhibitor, suggesting the role of DHA-epoxide. High concentrations of DHA (1-10 μM) activated whole-cell BK currents with an EC 50 of 2.38 ± 0.22 μM and the activation effects were unaltered by pre-incubation with SKF525A. Single channel studies showed that the open probabilities of BK channels were unchanged in the presence of low concentrations of DHA, while significantly increased with high concentrations of DHA. In addition, DHA induced a dose-dependent increase in cytosolic calcium concentrations with an EC 50 of 0.037 ± 0.01 μM via phospholipase C (PLC)-inositol triphosphate (IP 3 )-Ca 2+ signal pathway, and inhibition of this pathway reduced DHA-induced BK activation. Conclusion: These results suggest that DHA can activate BK channels by multiple mechanisms. Low concentration DHA-induced BK channel activation is mediated through CYP epoxygenase metabolites, while high concentration DHA can directly activate BK channels. In addition, DHA at low and high concentrations can both activate BK channels by elevated cytosolic calcium through the PLC-IP 3 -Ca 2+ signal pathway.

Delayed diagnosis of HIV infection is associated with advanced immunosuppression and increased risk of onward transmission. Little data exists regarding factors associated with diagnostic delays among patients presenting with advanced HIV disease in China. Medical records of patients with HIV/AIDS hospitalized at a 2000-bed tertiary hospital in Beijing, China between 1997 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic and clinical data of patients newly diagnosed with HIV at the hospital were abstracted. Patient characteristics, disease parameters, and the time interval between the first medical visit and the visit leading to HIV diagnosis were compared among three periods: 1997-2002, 2003-2008 and 2009-2012. Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis and logistic regression analyses were used as appropriate. A quarter of patients (72/279) were newly diagnosed with HIV at the hospital, consisting of 11, 29 and 32 patients in 1997-2002, 2003-2008 and 2009-2012 respectively. The median time delay between the first medical visit and the visit leading to HIV diagnosis decreased over time from 91 days among patients diagnosed before 2002, to 75 days between 2003 to 2008, and 39 days after 2009 (p = 0.036). However, the median CD4+T cell count at diagnosis was 26 cells/μL [interquartile range 3-132 cells/μL] in 1997-2002, and remained unchanged across time intervals. Forty-one (57%) patients had AIDS-defining conditions and Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia was the most common opportunistic infection (31 cases). These results reveal persistent missed opportunities for timely HIV testing among patients with advanced disease. Strategies for promoting early HIV testing in healthcare settings are needed in China.

Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) on coronary arterial large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel function in coronary smooth muscle cells (SMCs) of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats., Methods: The effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on coronary BK channel open probabilities were determined using the patch clamp technique. The mRNA and protein expressions of BK channel subunits were measured using qRT-PCR and Western blots. The coronary artery tension and coronary SMC Ca2+ concentrations were measured using a myograph system and fluorescence Ca2+ indicator., Results: Compared to nondiabetic control rats, the BK channel function was impaired with a reduced response to EPA and DHA in freshly isolated SMCs of diabetic rats. Oral administration of n-3 PUFAs had no effects on protein expressions of BK channel subunits in nondiabetic rats, but significantly enhanced those of BK-β1 in diabetic rats without altering BK-α protein levels. Moreover, coronary ring tension induced by iberiotoxin (a specific BK channel blocker) was increased and cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations in coronary SMCs were decreased in diabetic rats, but no changes were found in nondiabetic rats., Conclusions: n-3 PUFAs protect the coronary BK channel function and coronary vasoreactivity in diabetic rats as a result of not only increasing BK-β1 protein expressions, but also decreasing coronary artery tension and coronary smooth muscle cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations., (© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: To investigate the composition of potassium channels in normal rat coronary smooth muscle cells (CASMCs) and the activation effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)., Methods: CASMCs were isolated by enzyme digestion.Effects of different types of potassium channel blockers and/or DHA on potassium channels currents were studied by whole-cell patch clamp technique., Results: Potassium currents were significantly increased with 5 μmol/L DHA perfusion (P<0.05). The current density was increased from (52.80±6.68) pA/pF to (110.09±13.39) pA/pF (P<0.05) after DHA perfusion when the stimulation voltage was 100 mV.Compared with baseline, potassium currents were significantly decreased by various inhibitor perfusion (tetraethylammonium: (49.63±5.75) pA/pF vs. (13.96±2.18) pA/pF; ibritoxin: (50.67±7.89) pA/pF vs. (26.53±4.68) pA/pF; TRAM-34: (52.60±7.02) pA/pF vs. (46.05±7.60) pA/pF; apamin: (51.97±3.83) pA/pF vs. (44.89±5.04) pA/pF; 4-aminopyridine: (51.19±3.44) pA/pF vs. (29.92±2.81) pA/pF; glyburide: (49.67±1.77) pA/pF vs. (49.61±1.87) pA/pF, all P<0.05). In presence of different inhibitors, potassium channel current densities were increased after DHA perfusion except tetraethylammonium (tetraethylammonium: ( 12.79±1.89) pA/pF; ibritoxin: (67.08±5.54) pA/pF; TRAM-34: (117.91±21.79) pA/pF; apamin: (108.33±7.06) pA/pF; 4-aminopyridine: (127.73±20.56) pA/pF; glyburide: (121.53±13.83) pA/pF, all P<0.05 compared with baseline)., Conclusions: Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel and voltage-gated potassium channel are the major constituents of potassium channels in CASMCs.DHA can activate potassium channels in CASMCs, mainly the large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel, thus dilate coronary arteries.

Objective: To investigate the mechanisms of docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) on activating large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BK channels) in normal rat coronary smooth muscle cells., Methods: Normal coronary smooth muscle cells were isolated by enzyme digestion from Sprague-Dawley rats. BK currents were recorded by patch clamp in whole cell and single channel configurations, respectively. The effects of DHA on cytosolic calcium concentrations were examined by recording the changes of fluorescence intensity ratios., Results: DHA (1 μmol/L) could activate BK channels. Open probabilities (NP0) of BK channels at test potential 60 mV, and calcium concentrations in external solution at 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 3, 10, 50 and 100 μmol/L were 0.002 7±0.000 4, 0.006 0±0.001 4, 0.097 2±0.010 6, 0.137 9±0.032 9, 0.468 7±0.163 7, 2.097 1±0.310 4 and 3.120 4±0.242 7, respectively (P<0.05, n=4). Before DHA perfusion, the fluorescence intensity ratio was 0.51±0.01, and the ratios were 0.53±0.02 and 0.55±0.01 after 0.001 and 0.01 μmol/L DHA perfusion, respectively (P>0.05, n≥5). The ratios were 0.64±0.01, 0.65±0.01, 0.70±0.01, 0.69±0.01, 0.68±0.01 and 0.67±0.02 after 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 5 and 10 μmol/L DHA perfusion, respectively, and EC50 was (0.04±0.02) μmol/L(P<0.05, n≥4). They were all higher than that before DHA perfusion. After incubating with phospholipase C (PLC) blocker U73122 and inositol triphosphate (IP3) blocker 2-APB, the ratios were 0.52±0.01 and 0.49±0.02 on the setting of 0.1 μmol/L DHA, respectively. Compared with control group(0.64±0.01), the ratios decreased after incubating with blockers (P<0.05, n≥4)., Conclusions: Docosahexaenoic acids can activate large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels by the pathway of PLC-IP3-Ca(2+) to increase cytosolic calcium concentration in normal coronary smooth muscle cells, dilate the coronary vessels and bestow protective effects on cardiovascular system.

Twenty-two 2-aryl-9-methyl-3,4-dihydro-β-carbolin-2-ium bromides along with four 9-demethylated derivatives were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic analysis. By using the mycelium growth rate method, the compounds were evaluated for antifungal activities in vitro against six plant pathogenic fungi, and structure-activity relationships (SAR) were derived. Almost all of the compounds showed obvious inhibition activity on each of the fungi at 150 μM. For all of the fungi, 10 of the compounds showed average inhibition rates of >80% at 150 μM, and most of their EC50 values were in the range of 2.0-30.0 μM. SAR analysis showed that the substitution pattern of the N-aryl ring significantly influences the activity; N9-alkylation improves the activity, whereas aromatization of ring-C reduces the activity. It was concluded that the present research provided a series of new 2-aryl-9-alkyl-3,4-dihydro-β-carbolin-2-iums with excellent antifungal potency and structure optimization design for the development of new carboline antifungal agents.

We isolated and purified a novel virulent Pseudoalteromonas bacteriophage PHq0 and the host bacterium Pseudoalteromonas BQ0 from seawater collected in a coastal area of the Yellow Sea of China. (36°06′N, 120°32′E). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the phage had an icosahedral head of 50 nm in diameter with a long tail of 100 nm. The one-step growth curve showed the latent period of about 15 min, a rise period of 15 min, and a burst size of about 363 virions. The genome of phage PHq0 was found to consist of a linear, double-stranded 33,399-bp DNA molecule with a GC content of 40.29 % and 56 putative open reading frames (ORFs). Among these genes, 23 conserved domains were detected by BLASTP, 17 were functionally known, leaving 39 unknown putative genes, BLASTP results show that 57.14 % of the 56 predicted ORFs were not found to have any matches of putative functions or conserved domains in the BLASTP database which should be classified as a new member of the Siphoviridae family. The phage PHq0 genome adds a new Siphoviridae-family phage genome for marine bacteriophages which will provide useful basic information for further molecular research on interaction mechanism between bacteriophages and their hosts.

A novel Pseudoalteromonas marina bacteriophage, PH101, specifically infecting Pseudoalteromonas BH101 was isolated from the water sample of the Yellow Sea of China using the agar overlay method. 16S rDNA sequence identification was used to identify the host bacteria. Efficiency of infection, multiplicity of infection value, morphological characterization, one-step growth curve, and host range of the bacteriophage were determined. Purified PH101 genomic DNA was extracted and its genome was completely sequenced and analyzed. The phage morphology showed that PH101 belongs to the Myoviridae family with a head of 60 nm in diameter and a tail of 40 nm with a tail fiber of 10-20 nm. Microbiological characterization demonstrated that phage PH101 is stable at a wide range of temperatures (0-70 °C) and showed acid and alkaline resistance (pH 3-12). The one-step growth curve showed a latent period of about 20 min, a rise period of 20 min, and a burst size of about 31.6 virions. The genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis shows that phage PH101 was a novel bacteriophage which was found to consist of a linear, double-stranded 131,903-bp DNA molecule with a GC content of 37.36 % and 228 putative open reading frames without RNA, which were classified into seven functional groups, including phage structure, adsorption, packaging, gene transfer protease, terminase, DNA binding, and regulation.

Introduction: Achieving effective ventilation is challenging for anesthesia care providers and emergency medical personnel, as difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation frequently occur. The aim of this study was to determine whether video-laryngoscopes equipped with a ventilation feature can produce effective ventilation., Methods: An intubation mannequin with its trachea connected to a model lung with compliance 50 (normal compliance: C50) and 20 mL/cm H2O (low compliance: C20) was used. Ventilation was established via a ventilation catheter (inner diameter 3.5 mm, 50 cm length) extending to the tip of the video-laryngoscope blade. Three different views of the vocal cords (grade 1, vocal cords fully visualized; grade 2, partial vocal cord visualization; grade 3, only epiglottis visualized) were tested. Ventilation was provided by jet ventilator (Jet). The Jet was operated at 10, 15, and 20 psi (Jet10, Jet15, and Jet20). Effective tidal volume (V(T)) was defined as a V(T) greater than anatomical dead space (150 mL)., Results: In C50, Jet15 and Jet20 generated effective V(T) in all vocal cord views (for Jet15: grade 1, 663 ± 33 mL; grade 2, 363 ± 25 mL; and grade 3, 198 ± 9 mL; for Jet20: grade 1, 1,005 ± 114 mL; grade 2, 484 ± 38 mL; grade 3, 268 ± 8 mL, respectively). In C20, Jet15 and Jet20 generated effective V(T) in grades 1 and 2 (Jet15: grade 1, 288 ± 8 mL; grade 2, 160 ± 20 mL; grade 3, 81 ± 7 mL; Jet20: grade 1, 421 ± 20 mL; grade 2, 222 ± 16 mL; grade 3, 111 ± 8 mL, respectively). Jet10 achieved effective V(T) in grade 1 and 2 (grade 1, 354 ± 6 mL; grade 2, 223 ± 37 mL, respectively) in C50 and grade 1 (163 ± 12 mL) in C20., Conclusions: Video-laryngoscopes equipped with a ventilation feature provided effective V(T) in simulated clinical scenarios. Further clinical study is required to validate these findings., (Copyright © 2014 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Objective: To summarize the diagnosis and management of metastatic pancreatic solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPTs)., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with metastatic pancreatic SPTs who were admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from November 2001 to September 2013., Results: A total of 187 patients with pancreatic SPTs were admitted. Four patients had liver metastasis, and all four were female patients aged 20-72 years old. Each patient with metastases underwent surgical resection with good postoperative recovery. The mean follow-up period was 30 months (range, 1-64 months). None of the patients had obvious recurrence or distant metastasis., Conclusions: Pancreatic SPT with liver metastasis is very rare, and surgical resection is an effective treatment option. The principle of surgical treatment is to resect the primary and metastatic lesions as completely as possible. The affected patients require long-term postoperative follow-up., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To select specific DNA aptamer for determining ketamine by FluMag-SELEX., Methods: Based on magnetic beads with tosyl surface modification as solid carrier and ketamine as target, a random ssDNA library with total length of 78 bp in vitro was compounded. After 13 rounds screening, DNA cloning and sequencing were done. Primary and secondary, structures were analyzed. The affinity, specificity and Kd values of selected aptamer were measured by monitoring the fluorescence intensity., Results: Two ssDNA aptamers (Apt#4 and Apt#8) were successfully selected with high and specific abilities to bind ketamine as target with Kd value of 0.59 and 0.66 μmol/L. The prediction of secondary structure was main stem-loop and G-tetramer. The stem was the basis of stability of aptamer's structure. And loop and G-tetramer was the key of specific binding of ketamine., Conclusion: FluMag-SELEX can greatly improve the selection efficiency of the aptamer, obtain the ketamine-binding DNA aptamer, and develop a new method for rapid detection of ketamine.

Chemotherapy frequently results in neurocognitive deficits that include impaired learning and memory. Thus, it is important to prevent or ameliorate the persistence of cognitive impairment. Compound K was employed to examine the ameliorating effect on chronic treatment with cyclophosphamide. Eight week-old ICR mice were given 80 mg/kg cyclophosphamide, cyclophosphamide combined with compound K (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) or saline injections once per week for 4 weeks. Passive avoidance test and Y maze were used to evaluate memory and learning ability. Immunohistochemical staining for progenitor cell and immature neurons was used to assess changes in neurogenesis. Compound K (10 mg/kg) is able to ameliorate the decrease of neurogenesis in the hippocampus caused by cyclophosphamide. These results suggest that compound K might be a potential strategy to ameliorate or repair the disrupted hippocampal neurogenesis induced by the side effect of chemotherapy agent., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the influence of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and modified radical mastectomy (MRM) on the psychological state of breast cancer patients., Methods: Patients receiving MRM or BCS, and fulfilling the study criteria, were recruited. Patients were required to complete a self-reporting inventory (SCL- 90) on admission and 6 months after surgery and a self-rating depression scale (SDS) when discharged from hospital and 6 months after surgery., Results: A total of 70 patients received MRM and 50 BCS. Compared with the national standard, patients suffered to some extent psychological problems on admission, at discharge from hospital and at 6 months after surgery. Patients received BCS had a higher score of SDS compared with those with MRM when discharged from hospital. However, 6 months after surgery, SDS score increased in MRM and decreased in the BCS group, so the difference was significant., Conclusion: The short-term psychological state of patients receiving BCS is worse than that with MRM but superior to MRM 6 months postoperatively. BCS imposed less influence on long term psychological state of breast cancer patients compared with MRM.

Aims: This study examined the biotransformation pathway of ginsenoside Rb(1) by the fungus Esteya vermicola CNU 120806., Methods and Results: Ginsenosides Rb(1) and Rd were extracted from the root of Panax ginseng. Liquid fermentation and purified enzyme hydrolysis were employed to investigate the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rb(1) . The metabolites were identified and confirmed using NMR analysis as gypenoside XVII and gypenoside LXXV. A mole yield of 95·4% gypenoside LXXV was obtained by enzymatic conversion (pH 5·0, temperature 50°C). Ginsenoside Rd was used to verify the transformation pathway under the same reaction condition. The product Compound K (mole yield 49·6%) proved a consecutive hydrolyses occurred at the C-3 position of ginsenoside Rb(1) ., Conclusions: Strain CNU 120806 showed a high degree of specific β-glucosidase activity to convert ginsenosides Rb(1) and Rd to gypenoside LXXV and Compound K, respectively. The maximal activity of the purified glucosidase for ginsenosides transformation occurred at 50°C and pH 5·0. Compared with its activity against pNPG (100%), the β-glucosidase exhibited quite lower level of activity against other aryl-glycosides. Enzymatic hydrolysate, gypenoside LXXV and Compound K were produced by consecutive hydrolyses of the terminal and inner glucopyranosyl moieties at the C-3 carbon of ginsenoside Rb(1) and Rd, giving the pathway: ginsenoside Rb(1) → gypenoside XVII → gypenoside LXXV; ginsenoside Rd→F(2) →Compound K, but did not hydrolyse the 20-C, β-(1-6)-glucoside of ginsenoside Rb(1) and Rd., Significance and Impact of the Study: The results showed an important practical application on the preparation of gypenoside LXXV. Additionally, this study for the first time provided a high efficient preparation method for gypenoside LXXV without further conversion, which also gives rise to a potential commercial enzyme application., (© 2012 The Authors Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Background: In 1990, Jiang Hua introduced a new method using one-stage reconstruction with free abductor hallucis muscle transfer for dynamic reanimation of established unilateral facial paralysis. The authors present their experience with this procedure and analyze the postoperative complications and long-term functional and aesthetic outcomes., Methods: From March of 1990 to March of 2010, 45 patients underwent the free abductor hallucis muscle transfer procedure in the authors' department. Forty-one were followed up for 54.6 months (range, 28 months to 17 years). The Toronto Facial Grading System and Facial Nerve Function Index were used to evaluate facial nerve function at 2 years after surgery and last follow-up. Complications and function of the donor foot were analyzed., Results: No postoperative mortality was found. Complications occurred in four of 41 patients, including muscle loss, infection, hematoma, and hypertrophic scar. The others obtained satisfactory symmetric faces in the static state and in voluntary contraction of the transferred muscles. Mean values for the Toronto Facial Grading System (50.6±7.8) and the Facial Nerve Function Index (65.7±11.4 percent) were significantly higher at 2 years postoperatively in comparison with preoperative status (21.2±5.3 and 19.5±3.6 percent, respectively) (p<0.05). Long-term outcomes (Toronto Facial Grading System, 54.8±6.9; Facial Nerve Function Index, 79.4±9.6 percent) were awarded higher values than early outcomes shown at 2 years postoperatively (p<0.05)., Conclusions: Free abductor hallucis muscle transfer is safe and effective in dynamic reanimation of longstanding unilateral facial paralysis. Favorable long-term results demonstrate that the authors' technique is an alternative method for facial reanimation., Clinical Question/level of Evidence: Therapeutic, IV.

Dosage compensation effect, which exists widely in eukaryotes with sexual reproduction, is an essential biological process that equalizes the level of gene expression between genders based on sex determination. In Drosophila, the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex mediates dosage compensation by acetylating histone H4 lysine K16 on nucleosome of some specific sites on the male X chromosome, globally upregulates twofold expression of active X-linked genes from the single X chromosome, and makes up for the shortage that the male has only one single X chromosome in male Drosophila. Up to date, the structure of basic components of MSL complex, which consists of at least five protein subunits and two non-coding RNAs, has already been revealed, and the interaction sites among these components have also been generally identified. Furthermore, abundant researches on recognition mechanism of the complex have been published. In contrast, many studies have revealed that mammalian dosage compensation functions by silencing gene expression from one of the two X chromosomes in females. The main components of mammalian MSL complex have already been identified, but the knowledge of their function is limited. Up to now, research of MSLs in teleosts is scarcely studied. This review summarizes the similarities and differences among dosage compensation mechanisms of nematodes, fruit flies and mammals, introduces the recent research advances in MSL complex, as well as molecular mechanism of dosage compensation in fruit fly, and finally addresses some problems to be resolved. Meanwhile, the diversity of msl3 gene in fishes is found by synteny analysis. This information might provide insightful directions for future research on the mechanisms of dosage compensation in various species.

Background: C3a, a complement component stimulates hepatocyte proliferation. In this study, we investigated whether a functional peptide from its C terminal, YAAALGLAR (C3aP), enhanced liver function after steatotic liver transplantation in a rat model., Methods: Livers of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats fed a high-fat diet for 2 months were used as donors. Their liver parenchyma displayed over 60% macrovesicular steatosis upon histopathologic examination. Weight and age-matched isogeneic SD rats were used as recipients of orthotopic liver transplantations (OLTs). Before OLT, the donor livers were perfused with University of Wisconsin solution supplemented with 10 mg/L C3aP. Postoperatively, 0.1 mL of 100 microg/mL C3aP was administered daily intraperitoneally to the experimental group. Recipients without C3aP intraperitoneal administration were the control group. We examined the survival rates, histopathologic changes, and hepatic functions of recipients., Results: Six of the 10 control recipients died within 3 days posttransplantation; however, among the experimental group, 8 of 10 recipients survived beyond 7 days. Histopathologic examination showed that at day 3 posttransplantation, hepatocyte steatosis was notably reversed in the experimental group with cells undergoing active mitosis. In contrast, massive parenchymal necrosis was observed among the control group without notable hepatocyte proliferation. Furthermore, serum enzyme levels among the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group at day 3 postoperatively., Conclusion: C3aP stimulated hepatocyte proliferation and reversed fatty degradation of hepatocytes, thus enhancing hepatic function and prolonging the survival of recipients of steatotic liver transplantations., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Research on the application feasibility of SNP genotyping for forensic identification by microarrays., Methods: Oligonucleotide microarrays which could detect 34 different SNPs were used. After hybridization and washing, the arrays were scanned and fluorescence intensities analyzed using Microarray software. Population studies on 34 SNP loci were carried out in a sample of 109 unrelated Chinese Han individuals using oligonucleotide microarrays for genotype detection. The method was also applied to cases., Results: According to the results of population studies, no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium could be found. Among the 34 loci, 3 SNPs were low informative, 4 were medium informative and 27 were high informative. The combination discrimination power (CDP) of the 31 optimal polymorphic SNPs was 0.9999999999979. The matching probability was 2.13 x 10(-12). The average exclusion probability in paternity testing for duos was 0.9609. The average exclusion probability in paternity testing for trios was 0.9970., Conclusion: The data and case application demonstrated that SNP typing by oligonucleotide probe microarrays was a useful technique for paternity testing and individual identification. Combined with the 28 SNPs loci distributed on HLA-DRB1 and ABO genes, the combination discrimination power (CDP) was 0.9999999999999910. The matching probability was 9.02 x 10(-15). The average exclusion probabilities in duos and in trios were 0.9894 and 0.9992, respectively. It may be concluded that the 59 SNPs loci yield the same power in forensic identification as CODIS STRs currently used.

Cytochrome P4501A1 plays a major role in the bioactivation of a number of tobacco procarcinogens. Glutathione S-transferase( GSTM1), a member of the class of GST gene family, has been shown to be polymorphic because of gene deletion resulting in a failure to express the GSTM1 gene in 50% approximately 60% of individuals. Some CYP1 A1/GSTM1 null genotype combinations seem to predispose the lung, esophagus, and oral cavity of smokers to an even higher risk for cancer or DNA damage, requiring, however, confirmation. An easy and reliable oligonuleotide microarray approach validated through direct sequencing method is developed in order to accurately detect single nucleotide polymorphisms of CYP1 A1 gene and discriminate the presence and absence of GSTM1 gene. The m1 (Msp I) and m2 (Ile462Val) polymorphisms of CYP1 A1 gene and GSTM1 null genotype were also determined in a random population of 84 healthy, unrelated volunteers with developed microarray-based method. Of 84 cases, 47.6% were calssified as GSTM1 null, close to the published data. It's interesting that there lack three genotypes of m1 -m2 locus in the population: TT-AG, TT-GG and TC-GG. However, according to the data of the genotype frequencies independently happened at both m1 and m2 site, the combination frequencies of above three genotypes are 11.4%, 2.6%, and 3.1% respectively. Therefore we assume that the haplotypes of m1 -m2 are only T-A, C-A and C-G, but not T-G, as it were,there is no recombination happened between m1 site and m2 site. The frequencies of three haplotypes of T-A, C-A and C-G, calculated through corresponding genotypes, are 69.6%, 7.7% and 22.6% respectively.

Objective: To investigate the effects of chitosan on the biological activities of the fibroblasts derived from different tissues., Methods: The biological activities of the fibroblasts derived from different tissues were evaluated with a MTT method for fibroblast proliferation, photic and electronic microscope for morphologic and subcellular structure, 3H-proline uptake method for collagen secretion and ELISA box for the secretion of TGF-beta 1, FGF-AB, and IL-8., Results: This study showed that the chitosan inhabited the proliferation of the fibroblasts and the secretion of the TGF-beta 1, FGF-AB and collagen of the fibroblasts with a dose-depended manner in the normal skin, hypertrophic scar and keloid groups, but it stimulated the IL-8. However, there were no significant differences among the three groups (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: The chitosan could inhibit the growth, proliferation, biosynthesis and secretion of the fibroblasts, and it may be used to treat different scars.