Versatile One-Pot Synthesis of Polysubstituted Cyclopent-2-enimines from α,β-Unsaturated Amides: Imino-Nazarov Reaction

The imino-Nazarov cyclization of the polysubstituted pentan-1,4-diene-3-imines was realized. To this aim, a one-pot procedure involving reductive alkenyliminylation of α,β-unsaturated secondary amides with potassium organotrifluoroborates, followed by acid-catalyzed imino-Nazarov cyclization of the polysubstituted pentan-1,4-diene-3-imine intermediates, was studied systematically. This mild, operationally simple, flexible, and high-yielding protocol efficiently affords polysubstituted pentan-1,4-diene-3-imines, cyclopentenimines, and α-amino cyclopentenones, which are useful scaffolds in organic synthesis. The substituent effect at the C2 position of the polysubstituted pentan-1,4-diene-3-imines was studied by means of density-functional theory calculations. Results suggested that the electron-donating group facilitates the imino-Nazarov cyclization process.

[Reflection on rescue and treatment of mass burn casualties in 21st century]

The rescue and treatment of mass burn casualties is a test for both the burn treatment level and the disaster emergency response ability of a country or a region. In recent years, burn disasters happened occasionally around the world despite of the improvement of safety level in production and the awareness of fire prevention. On one hand, mass burn casualty events caused catastrophic damages to human health. On the other hand, they also promoted the development of burn treatment and disaster medicine. This paper may provide some references for further improving the management of mass burn casualties in the future by reviewing several typical cases of burn disaster rescue and treatment in the world since the 21st century.

[Clinical characteristics and economic burden of influenza among children under 5 years old, in Suzhou, 2011-2017]

Objective: To understand the clinical characteristics and economic burden of influenza-like illness (ILI) children aged 0-59 months in the outpatient settings in Suzhou, China, 2011-2017. Methods: From March 2011 to February 2017, we conducted a prospective surveillance program on ILI for children aged less than 5 years at Soochow University Affiliated Children's Hospital. Through standard questionnaires and follow-up survey via telephone, we collected information regarding the demographic characteristics, medical history, clinical symptoms and both direct and indirect costs associated with influenza, of the patients. We then compared clinical characteristics and economic burden of influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B infections among children with ILI. Results: We enrolled 6 310 patients with ILI from March 2011 to February 2017 and collected all their throat swabs. 791 (12.9%) of the swabs showed positive for influenza virus, including 88 (11.1%) subtype influenza A/H1N1, 288 (36.4%) subtype influenza A/H3N2, and 415(52.5%) type influenza B. The proportions of cough, rhinorrhea, wheezing, vomiting and convulsion in influenza-positive children were higher than those influenza-negative children. Except for the prevalence rates of cough (χ(2)=9.227, P=0.010), wheezing (χ(2)=7.273, P=0.026) and vomiting (χ(2)=8.163, P=0.017), other clinical symptoms appeared similar between the three viral subtypes. Among all the ILI children, the average total cost per episode of influenza was 688.4 Yuan (95%CI: 630.1-746.7) for influenza-negative children; 768.0 Yuan (95%CI: 686.8-849.3) for influenza-positive children and 738.3 Yuan (95%CI: 655.5-821.1) for influenza B. Children with influenza A/H1N1 spent much more than those with influenza A/H3N2 or influenza B in the total cost (χ(2)=7.237, P=0.028). Conclusion: Children infected influenza showed higher prevalence rates of cough, rhinorrhea, wheezing, vomiting and convulsion than those without influenza. Influenza A/H1N1 subtype caused heavier economic burden than the other two influenza subtypes.

Lumbar spondylolisthesis is a risk factor for osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a case-control study

Objective

This study aimed to identify the risk factors for vertebral compression fractures in patients with osteoporosis.

Methods

A total of 864 patients with osteoporosis were enrolled in a retrospective study from February 2010 to June 2016. Patients with diseases, such as pathological fractures, high-energy direct injury to the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae, and severe spinal deformity, were excluded. The patients were divided into two groups: those with vertebral compression fractures (288) and those with no vertebral compression fractures (576). Information on the patients’ age, sex, lumbar bone mineral density (BMD), trauma, body mass index, previous history of vertebral compression fractures, and spondylolisthesis was recorded. Logistic regression analysis and the chi-square test were applied for comparisons.

Results

Univariate logistic regression analysis and chi-square test results showed no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index, type 2 diabetes, previous history of vertebral fracture, and trivial trauma between the groups. Multivariate analysis showed significant associations between spondylolisthesis and BMD. Logistic regression analysis showed that spondylolisthesis and BMD were risk factors for vertebral compression fractures.

Conclusions

Lumbar spondylolisthesis is an independent risk factor for vertebral compression fractures in patients with osteoporosis. Therefore, patients with osteoporosis and lumbar spondylolisthesis require more attention.

Bioactive Indolocarbazoles from the Marine-Derived Streptomyces sp. DT-A61

Nine new indolocarbazoles (1-9) were isolated from the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. DT-A61. Among them compounds 1-8 featured a hydroxy group at the C-3 or C-9 position. All purified compounds were identified by 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configurations of 4-6, 8, and 9 were determined by electronic circular dichroism spectroscopic data. Compound 7 exhibited significant activity against human prostate PC-3 cancer cells with an IC₅₀ value of 0.16 μM. Compounds 1, 5, 6, and 9 showed moderate inhibition against the same cell line with IC₅₀ values of 8.0, 3.6, 3.1, and 5.6 μM. Compound 2 displayed a notable inhibitory effect against Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK2) with an IC₅₀ value of 5.7 nM, which was similar to the positive control staurosporine (IC₅₀ 7.8 nM).

[Chlorination of Naproxen: Removal, Transformation and Risk Assessment]

The by-products produced during chlorination of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) have created widespread public concern. Chlorination of a typical PhAC, naproxen (NAP), was studied. NAP chlorination parameters, intermediates identification, chlorination mechanism, and risk assessment during chlorination process have also been discussed. The results showed that NAP chlorination could fit well with the fist-order kinetics. The rate of removal and rate constants of NAP chlorination decreased with increasing initial NAP concentration and ammonium dosage, while these values increased with increasing initial free chlorine concentration. Acidic condition of the solution could significantly promote NAP chlorination. Five intermediates were identified by HPLC-MS/MS, and the mechanism of NAP chlorination was also put forward. Vibrio fischeri toxicity analysis and ESCOAR prediction indicated that higher toxicity intermediates were produced during NAP chlorination, which pose a potential threat to drinking water safety.

The impact of renal function on the prognostic value of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND

The impact of renal function on the prognostic value of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) remains unclear in coronary artery disease (CAD). This study sought to investigate the value of using NT-proBNP level to predict prognoses of CAD patients with different estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted from a single registered database. 2087 consecutive patients with CAD confirmed by coronary angiography were enrolled. The primary endpoint was allcause mortality.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up time was 26.4 ± 11.9 months and death events occurred in 197 cases. The NT-proBNP levels increased with the deterioration of renal function, as well as the optimal cutoff values based on eGFR stratification to predict endpoint outcome (179.4 pg/mL, 1443.0 pg/mL, 3478.0 pg/mL, for eGFR ≥ 90, 60-90 and < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively). Compared with the routine cut-off value or overall optimal one, stratified optimal ones had superior predictive ability for endpoint in each eGFR group (all with the highest Youden's J statistics). And the prognostic value became weaker as eGFR level decreased (eGFR ≥ 90 vs. 60-90 vs. < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, odds ratio [OR] 7.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-33.9 vs. OR 4.8; 95% CI 2.7-8.5 vs. OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.5-6.2).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that NT-proBNP exhibits different predictive values for prognosis for CAD patients with different levels of renal function. Among the assessed values, the NT-proBNP cut-off value determined using renal function improve the accuracy of the prognosis prediction of CAD. Moreover, lower eGFR is associated with a higher NT-proBNP cut-off value for prognostic prediction.

Pulmonary immune cells and inflammatory cytokine dysregulation are associated with mortality of IL-1R1 -/-mice infected with influenza virus (H1N1)

Respirovirus infection can cause viral pneumonia and acute lung injury (ALI). The interleukin-1 (IL-1) family consists of proinflammatory cytokines that play essential roles in regulating immune and inflammatory responses in vivo. IL-1 signaling is associated with protection against respiratory influenza virus infection by mediation of the pulmonary anti-viral immune response and inflammation. We analyzed the infiltration lung immune leukocytes and cytokines that contribute to inflammatory lung pathology and mortality of fatal H1N1 virus-infected IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1) deficient mice. Results showed that early innate immune cells and cytokine/chemokine dysregulation were observed with significantly decreased neutrophil infiltration and IL-6, TNF-α, G-CSF, KC, and MIP-2 cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of infected IL-1R1^-/- mice in comparison with that of wild type infected mice. The adaptive immune response against the H1N1 virus in IL-1R1^-/- mice was impaired with downregulated anti-viral Th1 cell, CD8+ cell, and antibody functions, which contributes to attenuated viral clearance. Histological analysis revealed reduced lung inflammation during early infection but severe lung pathology in late infection in IL-1R1^-/- mice compared with that in WT infected mice. Moreover, the infected IL-1R1^-/- mice showed markedly reduced neutrophil generation in bone marrow and neutrophil recruitment to the inflamed lung. Together, these results suggest that IL-1 signaling is associated with pulmonary anti-influenza immune response and inflammatory lung injury, particularly via the influence on neutrophil mobilization and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production.

Cyclizidine-Type Alkaloids from Streptomyces sp. HNA39

Eight new cyclizidine-type alkaloids (1-8) and one known alkaloid (9) were identified from the chemical investigations of a marine-derived actinomycete, Streptomyces sp. HNA39. Among these alkaloids, compounds 3, 7, and 8 contain a chlorine atom, and the known alkaloid, (+)-ent-cyclizidine (9), is now first reported as a natural product. Their structures were elucidated by extensive NMR-spectroscopic analysis and HRESIMS data. The absolute configurations of all of the compounds were established by ECD calculations. Cytotoxicity evaluations of all of the compounds showed that compound 2 exhibited significant activity against the PC3 and HCT116 human-cancer-cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 0.52 ± 0.03 and 8.3 ± 0.1 μM, respectively. Interestingly, compounds 2, 5, 7, and 8 exhibited moderate inhibition against the ROCK2 protein kinase with IC₅₀ values from 7.0 ± 0.8 to 42 ± 3 μM.

[Preemptive analgesia with loxoprofen sodiumorally in extraction of impacted teeth]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness of preemptive analgesia with loxoprofen sodium orally, which was a kind of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, in extractions of mandibular impacted third teeth.

METHODS

There were questionnaires about postoperative pain for patients whose mandibular impacted third teeth were extracted from July 2017 to August 2017 in First Clinical Division of Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. All the patients did their routine clinical examinations and imaging examinations. After their mandibular impacted third teeth were extracted, the questionnaires were sent to them. The questionnaires were filled in by the patients on their own and returned one week later. There were 120 questionnaires that were sent and 105 questionnaires returned, of which 98 questionnaires were filled in completely. According to the inclusive criteria and exclusion criteria, 66 questionnaires were totally selected in this study. According to the time when the patients took their loxoprofen sodium orally firstly, the patients were divided into 3 groups. The first group was for patients who didn't take loxoprofen sodium during their extractions (non-medicine group). The second group was for patients who took 60 mg loxoprofen sodium 30 min before their extractions (preoperative group). The third group was for patients who took 60 mg loxoprofen sodium 30 min after their extractions (postoperative group). The operation time among the 3 groups was analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis method. The postoperative time points were 2, 4, 12,24 and 48 h after operation. The scores of visual analogue scales (VAS) for postoperative pain in each group at different postoperative time points were analyzed by Friedman method. At each postoperative time point, VAS scores in the different groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis me-thod. The numbers of the patients taking loxoprofen sodium home and drug adverse reactions were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The operation time of the 3 groups was 15.0 (5.0,30.0) min and had no significant differences (P=0.848).VAS scores of non-medicine group 2,4, 12,24 and 48 h after operation were 1.75 (0.1,10.0), 6.25 (1.5,10.0), 2.00 (0.1,8.0), 2.00 (0.1,6.0) and 0.5 (0.1,5.5) separately and had significant differences (P<0.001).The VAS score at 4 h after operation was higher than the VAS scores at other time points after operation (P<0.005). Four hours after the operations, the VAS scores of preoperative group [2.0 (0.1,10.0)] and postoperative group [2.0 (0.1,5.0)] were lower significantly than those of non-medicine group [6.25 (1.5,10.0)] (P<0.001).The numbers of the patients taking loxoprofen sodium home were 9(40.9%) in non-medicine group,5(21.8%) in preoperative group and 7(33.3%) in postoperative group. The number of the patients who had drug adverse reactions in preoperative group (n=3,13.0%) and in postoperative group (n=4,19.0%) was less than the number of the patients who had drug adverse reactions in non-medicine group (n=8,36.4%).

CONCLUSION

There were two protocols of preemptive analgesia with loxoprofen sodium orally in extractions of mandibular impacted third teeth, which were taking 60 mg loxoprofen sodium orally 30 min before the extractions and taking 60 mg loxoprofen sodium orally 30 min after the extractions. Both of the two preemptive analgesia protocols could decrease the postoperative pain significantly.

Enhanced asymmetric transmissions attributed to the cavity coupling hybrid resonance in a continuous omega-shaped metamaterial

In this paper, the infinite-length metallic bar is folded to a continuous omega-shaped resonator and then arranged as a bi-layer metamaterial, which presents a hybrid resonance and a Fabry-Perot-like cavity mode. The asymmetric transmission (AT) for linearly polarized light is powerfully enhanced at a near-infrared regime by strongly coupling the hybrid resonance to the cavity, with the maximum value of the high-efficiency AT effect reaching 0.8 at around 1364 nm. At this near-infrared band, such a high-efficiency AT effect has never been realized previously by a bi-layer metamaterial. More importantly, we demonstrate that our design is robust to the misalignments, which greatly decreases the difficulties in sample fabrications. Accordingly, the proposed omega-shaped metamaterial provides potential applications in designing polarization filters, polarization switches, and other nano-devices.

[Clinical characteristics of high-grade B-cell lymphomas with rearrangement of MYC, bcl-6 and bcl-2]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic features of patients with high-grade B-cell lymphomas (HGBL) that have rearrangements of MYC, bcl-6 and bcl-2. Methods: One hundred and fifty-eight B-cell lymphomas patients from Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital from January 2016 to April 2017 were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with double color split-apart probes. Results: Among 158 B-cell lymphomas, 3 cases with MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 rearrangements were identified, 1 of which also had CCND1/IgH translocation. All three patients were of older age, with poor prognostic parameters, multiple organs involvements, elevated LDH and advanced-tumor stage. Two of the three patients were treated with high-intensity chemotherapy and had no remission with an overall survival of 9 months and 11 months respectively. One patient had follow-up with no treatment. Histologically, all three cases showed a spectrum of morphologic features. Although initially categorized as lymphoblastic lymphoma, diffuse large lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma respectively, two cases were associated with germinal center B-cell (GCB) immunophenotype and 1 case with non-GCB immunophenotype. They had a high proliferation index as assessed by immunostaining for Ki-67 (60%-90%). Conclusions: MYC(+) bcl-2(+) bcl-6(+) HGBL is an aggressive disease with multiple organ involvement, high serum LDH levels, advanced stage disease, poor prognosis and shorter patient survival. The diagnosis should be made by histopathology combined with FISH analysis. Its separation from other types of B cell large cell lymphoma is of clinical importance.

Observation of New Properties of Secondary Cosmic Rays Lithium, Beryllium, and Boron by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

We report on the observation of new properties of secondary cosmic rays Li, Be, and B measured in the rigidity (momentum per unit charge) range 1.9 GV to 3.3 TV with a total of 5.4×10^{6} nuclei collected by AMS during the first five years of operation aboard the International Space Station. The Li and B fluxes have an identical rigidity dependence above 7 GV and all three fluxes have an identical rigidity dependence above 30 GV with the Li/Be flux ratio of 2.0±0.1. The three fluxes deviate from a single power law above 200 GV in an identical way. This behavior of secondary cosmic rays has also been observed in the AMS measurement of primary cosmic rays He, C, and O but the rigidity dependences of primary cosmic rays and of secondary cosmic rays are distinctly different. In particular, above 200 GV, the secondary cosmic rays harden more than the primary cosmic rays.

Experimental verification of asymmetric transmission in continuous omega-shaped metamaterials

A bi-layer continuous omega-shaped metamaterial was proposed and fabricated to measure the asymmetric transmission (AT) effect of a linearly polarized light at near-infrared region.

The effect of graphene on surface plasmon resonance of metal nanoparticles

Two transparent graphene–metal nanoparticle (NP) hybrid schemes, namely Au NPs covered by graphene layers and Au NPs encapsulated by graphene layers, are presented and the effect of graphene on the localized surface plasmon resonance of metal NPs is systematically investigated.

A convenient approach to difluoromethylated all-carbon quaternary centers via Ni(ii)-catalyzed enantioselective Michael addition

A Ni(ii)-catalyzed enantioselective Michael addition of 2-acetyl azarenes with β-difluoromethyl substituted nitroalkenes was successfully realized, which afforded chiral CF₂H-containing compounds in good enantioselectivities (up to 93% ee). This protocol provides a new convenient approach to all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers featuring a CF₂H group.

Ni(ii)-catalyzed enantioselective Michael addition afforded compounds with all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers featuring a CF₂H group in good enantioselectivities.

A novel 6-quinoxalinamine-based fluorescent probe for real-time detection of palladium(ii) ions in pure water and bio-imaging

A novel fluorescent probe LK based on a quinoxalinamine derivative exhibited excellent selectivity toward Pd²⁺ and could be used for bio-imaging.

Development of a replicon cell line-based high throughput antiviral assay for screening inhibitors of Zika virus

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an important emerging human pathogen associated with microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome and meningoencephalitis. Developing rapid and reliable HTS assay is important for ZIKV drug discovery. Here, we constructed a dicistronic ZIKV replicon (ZIKV-Pac-Rluc-Rep) that contained the Renilla luciferase (Rluc) reporter gene separated from the puromycin N-acetyl-transferase (Pac) selectable marker by a short peptide cleavage site. A clonal replicon cell line stably expressing high level of ZIKV replicon was established by selection with puromycin. By optimizing cell number, compound concentration and incubation time, a robust replicon cell-based HTS assay was developed with a calculated Z' value of >0.5. The fully optimized assay was further validated using several known flavivirus replication inhibitors. Altogether, the replicon cell-based HTS assay developed in this study will facilitate the discovery of antiviral compounds against ZIKV.

Observation of the Identical Rigidity Dependence of He, C, and O Cosmic Rays at High Rigidities by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

We report the observation of new properties of primary cosmic rays He, C, and O measured in the rigidity (momentum/charge) range 2 GV to 3 TV with 90×10^{6} helium, 8.4×10^{6} carbon, and 7.0×10^{6} oxygen nuclei collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) during the first five years of operation. Above 60 GV, these three spectra have identical rigidity dependence. They all deviate from a single power law above 200 GV and harden in an identical way.

Functional characterization of the promoter of carbonyl reductase 1 gene in porcine endometrial cells

Prostaglandins (PGs) play a critical role in porcine reproduction, of which prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) exert antiluteolytic and luteolysis actions, respectively. As a rate-limiting enzyme, carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) catalyzes the conversion of PGE2 to PGF2α. A high ratio of PGE2:PGF2α is beneficial to the establishment and maintenance of porcine pregnancy. PG is essential for the establishment of pregnancy which resembles the proinflammatory response and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is involved in the process. Bioinformatic analysis has shown that NF-κB is a possible factor bound to two cis-regulatory elements in CBR1 promoter. In this study, we cloned the 2997 bp (-2875/+122) of the promoter, and constructed six 5'-deleted dual-luciferase reporter recombinant vectors. In endometrial cells, the region of P2 (-1640/+7) exhibited the greatest transcriptional activity at driving luciferase expression, but not significantly different from that of P1 (-2089/+7). The activity of P1, P2, and P3 (-1019/+7) was highly significantly higher than that of others (P<0.01), suggesting that two positive regulatory elements were likely present in the regions of -1640/-1019 and -1019/-647. The results also showed that the -1640/-647 region was indispensable for the promoter. The results of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) demonstrated that the NF-κB subunit p65 binds to one site around -1545/-1531. Using four reference genes, we found that the over-expression of p65 enhanced the expression of CBR1 (P<0.05) in porcine endometrial epithelial cells, while knockdown of the p65 did not down-regulate the CBR1 expression. These results indicated that NF-κB (p65) could bind to the special element of CBR1 gene promoter in porcine endometrial epithelial cells in vitro. The binding site of NF-κB was a positive regulator for the CBR1 gene promoter, but was not necessary for the basic expression.

Magnetic and transport properties of a layered compound Ce2Te5

Ce₂Te₅ single crystals were successfully grown using RbCl/LiCl flux method. The structure of Ce₂Te₅ can be viewed as a combination of CeTe₂ and CeTe₃. The experimental results of magnetic susceptibility [Formula: see text], isothermal magnetization M(H), electrical resistivity [Formula: see text], and heat capacity C(T) show two clear anomalies at 5.1 and 2.3 K, which correspond to a ferrimagnetic and a possible antiferromagnetic transition, respectively. Both of [Formula: see text] and C(T) confirm a third transition at 0.9 K. The resistivity shows a huge anisotropy with the current applied in [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] directions. Our experimental results prefer the scenario that the three consecutive transitions in Ce₂Te₅ are attributed to two different kinds of origin, which are independent and responsible for the magnetic orders observed in CeTe₂ and CeTe₃.

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of the porcine hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis

Previous studies have suggested that DNA methylation in both CpG and CpH (where H = C, T or A) contexts plays a critical role in biological functions of different tissues. However, the genome-wide DNA methylation patterns of porcine hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary (HPO) tissues remain virtually unexplored. In this study, methylomes of HPO tissues were profiled to investigate their differences and similarities. We found that HPO methylomes displayed tissue-specific methylation patterns in both CpG and CpH contexts. At gene locations, the methylation and density of CpGs was negatively linked at transcription start sites but positively linked at transcription end sites. The densities of CpGs and CpHs at CpG island (CGI) locations were negatively correlated with their methylation. Moreover, the methylation interactions between CGIs and genes showed similar pattern in the CpG context but tissue-specific pattern in the CpH context. CpGs located in CGIs, upstream regions and exons were protected from methylation dynamics, whereas CGI shores, CGI shelves and intergenic regions were more likely to be targets of methylation changes. The methylation dynamics enriching in a tissue-specific manner appeared to maintain and establish the biological functions of HPO tissues. Our analyses provided valuable insights into the tissue-specific methylomes of porcine HPO tissues.

Novel NBAS mutations and fever-related recurrent acute liver failure in Chinese children: a retrospective study

Background

Underlying causes in Chinese children with recurrent acute liver failure (RALF), including liver crises less than full acute liver failure, are incompletely understood. We sought to address this by searching for genes mutated in such children.

Methods

Five unrelated Chinese boys presenting between 2012 and 2015 with RALF of unexplained etiology were studied. Results of whole exome sequencing were screened for mutations in candidate genes. Mutations were verified in patients and their family members by Sanger sequencing. All 5 boys underwent liver biopsy.

Results

NBAS was the only candidate gene mutated in more than one patient (biallelic mutations, 3 of 5 patients; 5 separate mutations). All NBAS mutations were novel and predictedly pathogenic (frameshift insertion mutation c.6611_6612insCA, missense mutations c.2407G > A and c.3596G > A, nonsense mutation c.586C > T, and splicing-site mutation c.5389 + 1G > T). Of these mutations, 3 lay in distal (C-terminal) regions of NBAS, a novel distribution.

Unlike the 2 patients without NBAS mutations, the 3 patients with confirmed NBAS mutations all suffered from a febrile illness before each episode of liver crisis (fever-related RALF), with markedly elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities 24-72 h after elevation of body temperature, succeeded by severe coagulopathy and mild to moderate jaundice.

Conclusions

As in other countries, so too in China; NBAS disease is a major cause of fever-related RALF in children. The mutation spectrum of NBAS in Chinese children seems different from that described in other populations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12876-017-0636-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Epidemiology and outcomes of bloodstream infections in 177 severe burn patients from an industrial disaster: a multicentre retrospective study

OBJECTIVES

To determine the characteristics of bloodstream infections (BSIs) and to evaluate the impact of BSIs on mortality in severe burn patients.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was conducted in 20 tertiary hospitals. A total of 185 patients who experienced a massive dust explosion in eastern China were included.

RESULTS

After exclusion, 177 patients were analysed. The median total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 95% (interquartile range 85%-98%). Inhalation injuries occurred in 97.2%. The overall 90-day mortality was 35% (62/177). During the study period, 120 (67.8%) patients developed 253 episodes of BSI with 323 unique causative pathogens. Sixty-six episodes were polymicrobial infections. Catheter-related BSIs (CRBSIs) accounted for 41.5% of the episodes. Acinetobacter baumannii (19.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.9%) and Candida (12.7%) were the most common organisms. Antimicrobial resistance was found in 63.5% of the isolates, particularly in Gram-negative bacteria. Patients who developed BSIs had a greater illness severity at admission to the intensive care unit, and worse outcomes. After adjusting for demographics, severity of illness and treatment characteristics in a multivariate logistic model, there was a trend toward BSI increasing the risk of 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 3.4; 95% CI 0.9-12.9; p=0.069). In subgroup analyses, CRBSIs (adjusted OR 5.7; 95% CI 1.3-24.9; p=0.021 versus no BSI) and polymicrobial BSIs (adjusted OR 6.1; 95% CI 1.3-28.1; p=0.020 versus no BSI) had greater risk of 90-day mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

A strikingly high rate of BSIs was observed in severe burn patients. Gram-negative organisms and fungi were the leading causes. CRBSIs and polymicrobial BSIs were associated with high mortality.

Performances of Different Fragment Sizes for Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing in Pigs

Background

Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) has been widely used to profile genome-scale DNA methylation in mammalian genomes. However, the applications and technical performances of RRBS with different fragment sizes have not been systematically reported in pigs, which serve as one of the important biomedical models for humans. The aims of this study were to evaluate capacities of RRBS libraries with different fragment sizes to characterize the porcine genome.

Results

We found that the MspI-digested segments between 40 and 220 bp harbored a high distribution peak at 74 bp, which were highly overlapped with the repetitive elements and might reduce the unique mapping alignment. The RRBS library of 110–220 bp fragment size had the highest unique mapping alignment and the lowest multiple alignment. The cost-effectiveness of the 40–110 bp, 110–220 bp and 40–220 bp fragment sizes might decrease when the dataset size was more than 70, 50 and 110 million reads for these three fragment sizes, respectively. Given a 50-million dataset size, the average sequencing depth of the detected CpG sites in the 110–220 bp fragment size appeared to be deeper than in the 40–110 bp and 40–220 bp fragment sizes, and these detected CpG sties differently located in gene- and CpG island-related regions.

Conclusions

In this study, our results demonstrated that selections of fragment sizes could affect the numbers and sequencing depth of detected CpG sites as well as the cost-efficiency. No single solution of RRBS is optimal in all circumstances for investigating genome-scale DNA methylation. This work provides the useful knowledge on designing and executing RRBS for investigating the genome-wide DNA methylation in tissues from pigs.

Characterization and Expression Analysis of Attacins, Antimicrobial Peptide-Encoding Genes, from the Desert Beetle Microdera punctipennis in Response to Low Temperatures

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute the insect innate immune defense system. AMP production is usually induced by microbes. However, mounting evidence links insect immune reaction to cold hardiness.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed at characterizing two attacins, MpAtt1 and MpAtt2, from the desert beetle Microdera punctipennis in Coleoptera and investigating the expression profiles of the two genes in response to cold stress.

RESULTS

Full lengths MpAtt1 and MpAtt2 cDNAs were obtained from low temperature transcriptomic data. The newly identified attacins show characteristics different from those previously reported in other insects. MpAtt1 and MpAtt2 encode precursor proteins of 151 and 166 amino acid residues, respectively. These two attacins show 28.1% identity at amino acid level, and 38.3% identity at nucleotide level. Phylogenetic tree shows that the Mp attacins and the other Coleoptera attacins diverge earlier than Diptera and Lepidoptera attacins in evolution. The results of real-time quantitative PCR showed that MpAtt1 and MpAtt2 are highly expressed in hindgut plus Malpighian tube, and MpAtt1 also highly expressed in fat body. The mRNA levels of MpAtt1 and MpAtt2 were increased when the insects were treated at 4 degree C and a4 degree C, but the responsiveness to -4 degree C was lower than to 4 degree C.

CONCLUSION

The cold inducible expression of attacin genes from the desert beetle M. punctipennis from the aspect of antimicrobial peptide synthesis supports the hypothesis that the insect immune system is stimulated during cold exposure.

Precision Measurement of the Boron to Carbon Flux Ratio in Cosmic Rays from 1.9 GV to 2.6 TV with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the boron to carbon flux ratio (B/C) is important in understanding the propagation of cosmic rays. The precise measurement of the B/C ratio from 1.9 GV to 2.6 TV, based on 2.3 million boron and 8.3 million carbon nuclei collected by AMS during the first 5 years of operation, is presented. The detailed variation with rigidity of the B/C spectral index is reported for the first time. The B/C ratio does not show any significant structures in contrast to many cosmic ray models that require such structures at high rigidities. Remarkably, above 65 GV, the B/C ratio is well described by a single power law R^{Δ} with index Δ=-0.333±0.014(fit)±0.005(syst), in good agreement with the Kolmogorov theory of turbulence which predicts Δ=-1/3 asymptotically.

Optical force enhancement and annular trapping by plasmonic toroidal resonance in a double-disk metastructure

Optical forces can be enhanced by surface plasmon resonances with various interesting characteristics. Here, we numerically calculated the optical forces enhanced by a new kind of toroidal dipolar resonance in a double-disk metastructure. The results show that this kind of optical force is competitive with ordinary plasmonic forces and typically can reach-182.5pNμm²mW^-1. Influences of geometric parameters are discussed for the enhancement characteristic of optical force. Finally, we make a contrastive investigation on the optical trapping characteristic on a 5-nm-diameter nanoparticle, and show that the unique annular trapping region can be utilized for nanoscale applications.

[Comparision of Different Methods of Area Measurement in Irregular Scar]

OBJECTIVES

To determine a measurement standard of irregular scar area by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different measurement methods in measuring same irregular scar area.

METHODS

Irregular scar area was scanned by digital scanning and measured by coordinate reading method, AutoCAD pixel method, Photoshop lasso pixel method, Photoshop magic bar filled pixel method and Foxit PDF reading software, and some aspects of these methods such as measurement time, repeatability, whether could be recorded and whether could be traced were compared and analyzed.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the scar areas by the measurement methods above. However, there was statistical difference in the measurement time and repeatability by one or multi performers and only Foxit PDF reading software could be traced back.

CONCLUSIONS

The methods above can be used for measuring scar area, but each one has its advantages and disadvantages. It is necessary to develop new measurement software for forensic identification.

Increased miR-155-5p expression in dermal mesenchymal stem cells of psoriatic patients: comparing the microRNA expression profile by microarray

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have pleiotropic immuno-modulatory effects and pro-angiogenic ability, leading to the presumption that MSCs may be involved in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, including psoriasis. In a previous study, we reported the specific gene expression profile of dermal MSCs from psoriasis. Inflammation- and angiogenesis-related genes, such as lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha transcription factor (LITAF), dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1 (DUSP1), vascular endothelial growth factor α (VEGFα), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-5 (IGFBP5), are abnormally expressed in psoriatic dermal MSCs. As a key regulator of gene expression, miRNA are involved in a wide variety of biological processes; in fact, several miRNAs have been implicated in the development and progression of inflammatory or autoimmune disorders. In this study, we compared the miRNA expression profiles of dermal MSCs from patients with psoriasis to those in MSCs from normal individuals by microarray, and found that the pro-inflammatory miRNA miR-155 was significantly overexpressed in psoriatic MSCs (2.44 fold, P < 0.001). Additionally, the expression of miR-155 target gene TAB2 (8.47 ± 1.55 vs 6.38 ± 2.10, P < 0.01,) and the downstream gene iNOS (5.26 ± 2.58 vs 3.73 ± 1.89, P < 0.05) was found to be inhibited in psoriatic dermal MSCs by real-time PCR. Therefore, we speculated that the elevation in miR-155 levels may be an indicator of, or a key regulatory pathway in, the pathogenesis of psoriasis, resulting in functionally impaired dermal MSCs.

Discovery of differentially expressed genes in cashmere goat (Capra hircus) hair follicles by RNA sequencing

The mammalian hair follicle (HF) is a unique, highly regenerative organ with a distinct developmental cycle. Cashmere goat (Capra hircus) HFs can be divided into two categories based on structure and development time: primary and secondary follicles. To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the primary and secondary HFs of cashmere goats, the RNA sequencing of six individuals from Arbas, Inner Mongolia, was performed. A total of 617 DEGs were identified; 297 were upregulated while 320 were downregulated. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the main functions of the upregulated genes were electron transport, respiratory electron transport, mitochondrial electron transport, and gene expression. The downregulated genes were mainly involved in cell autophagy, protein complexes, neutrophil aggregation, and bacterial fungal defense reactions. According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database, these genes are mainly involved in the metabolism of cysteine and methionine, RNA polymerization, and the MAPK signaling pathway, and were enriched in primary follicles. A microRNA-target network revealed that secondary follicles are involved in several important biological processes, such as the synthesis of keratin-associated proteins and enzymes involved in amino acid biosynthesis. In summary, these findings will increase our understanding of the complex molecular mechanisms of HF development and cycling, and provide a basis for the further study of the genes and functions of HF development.

Antiproton Flux, Antiproton-to-Proton Flux Ratio, and Properties of Elementary Particle Fluxes in Primary Cosmic Rays Measured with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

A precision measurement by AMS of the antiproton flux and the antiproton-to-proton flux ratio in primary cosmic rays in the absolute rigidity range from 1 to 450 GV is presented based on 3.49×10^{5} antiproton events and 2.42×10^{9} proton events. The fluxes and flux ratios of charged elementary particles in cosmic rays are also presented. In the absolute rigidity range ∼60 to ∼500  GV, the antiproton p[over ¯], proton p, and positron e^{+} fluxes are found to have nearly identical rigidity dependence and the electron e^{-} flux exhibits a different rigidity dependence. Below 60 GV, the (p[over ¯]/p), (p[over ¯]/e^{+}), and (p/e^{+}) flux ratios each reaches a maximum. From ∼60 to ∼500  GV, the (p[over ¯]/p), (p[over ¯]/e^{+}), and (p/e^{+}) flux ratios show no rigidity dependence. These are new observations of the properties of elementary particles in the cosmos.

[Empirical therapy of bloodstream infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae]

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinical outcomes and costs associated with carbapenems and β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BLBLIs) for the empirical treatment of patients with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive Enterobacteriaceae bloodstream infections (BSIs).

METHODS

The medical records of individuals diagnosed with ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae BSIs between January 2014 and June 2015 at Changhai Hospital were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the empirical therapy (carbapenems group and BLBLIs group). Propensity score matching in a 1∶1 ratio was used to match the patients from two groups. Clinical outcomes and costs were compared before and after matching.

RESULTS

One hundred and fifty-eight patients were analyzed, 93 in the carbapenems group and 65 in the BLBLIs group. Before matching, the two groups were significantly different in department distribution, tumor rate, deep vein catheter rate, urinary catheter rate, nasogastric tube rate, and mechanical ventilation rate (all P<0.05), and the carbapenems group had longer total length of stay (LOS) and post-BSI LOS (26.0 vs 18.0 d, P=0.029 and 12.0 vs 10.0 d, P=0.044) , higher hospital cost and daily hospital cost (84 120 vs 39 000 ￥, P<0.001 and 3 451 vs 2 574 ￥, P=0.002). After matching, the two groups had no significant differences in covariates such as sex, age, department distribution, pathogens, comorbidities, invasive interventions, LOS before BSI, multiple admissions, surgical rate during hospitalization and delayed antimicrobial therapy (all P>0.05). Finally, there were no differences between two groups in mortality, post-BSI LOS, total LOS, hospital cost and antimicrobial cost (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

BLBLIs may provide a reasonable carbapenem-sparing option for the empirical treatment of ESBL producers.

[Impact of extended-spectrum β-lactamase on clinical outcome and medical cost in patients with bloodstream infection due to Klebsiella pneumoniae]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) on clinical outcome and medical cost in patients with bloodstream infection (BSI) due to Klebsiella pneumoniae.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in patients admitted into Changhai Hospital between January 2013 and December 2014, who suffered from BSI due to Klebsiella pneumoniae during hospitalization. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether Klebsiella pneumoniae produced ESBL (ESBL positive group and ESBL negative group). They were matched with propensity score matching method in a 1∶1 ratio and then multiple regression model was used to analyze the impact of ESBL on clinical outcome and medical cost. Clinical outcome was evaluated by 30-day mortality post BSI; medical cost was evaluated by total length of stay (LOS), post-BSI LOS, total hospital cost and antimicrobial cost.

RESULTS

Before matching, the two groups were significantly different in age, nosocomial infection rate, LOS before BSI and surgical rate during hospitalization (all P<0.05). The ESBL-positive group had higher 30-day mortality post BSI (21.3% vs 8.7%, P=0.054), and higher total LOS [25.0(12.0, 33.0) vs 16.0(10.0, 23.0) d, P=0.015], post-BSI LOS [16.0(9.0, 26.0) vs 10.0(5.0, 16.0) d, P=0.006], total hospital cost [69 409(40 605, 198 021) vs 45 683(28 448, 67 000) ￥, P<0.001] and antimicrobial cost [10 279(4 815, 25 500) vs 3 783(1 596, 11 879) ￥, P<0.001]. After matching, the two groups had no significant differences in clinical characteristics such as sex, age, nosocomial infection rate, LOS before BSI, APACHEⅡ score, Charlson Comorbidity Index, underlying diseases and surgical rate during hospitalization (all P>0.05). Multiple regression analysis indicated that ESBL could significantly increase the total LOS, post-BSI LOS, total hospital cost and antimicrobial cost (all P<0.001), but did not increase the 30-day mortality post BSI (P=0.910).

CONCLUSIONS

ESBL can significantly increase the medical cost in patients with BSI due to Klebsiella pneumoniae but does not increase the 30-day mortality post BSI.

Hair follicle transcriptome profiles during the transition from anagen to catagen in Cashmere goat (Capra hircus)

Previous molecular genetic studies of the goat hair life cycle have focused primarily on a limited number of genes and proteins. To identify additional genes that may play important roles in hair follicle cycle regulation, Illumina sequencing technology was used to catalog differential gene expression profiles in the hair growth cycle (anagen to catagen) of goat, comparing the primary hair follicle with the secondary hair follicle. There were 13,769 and 12,240 unigenes assembled from the reads obtained from primary hair follicle and secondary hair follicle, respectively. Genes encoding keratin proteins and keratin-associated proteins were the most highly expressed. A total of 5899 genes were differentially expressed in anagen vs catagen primary hair follicles, with 532 genes up-regulated and 5367 genes down-regulated. A total of 5208 genes were differentially expressed in anagen vs catagen secondary hair follicle, including 545 genes that were up-regulated and 4663 genes that were down-regulated. Numerous hair growth genes are expressed in the goat hair follicle, of which 73 genes showed co-up-regulation in both hair follicles during the anagen stage. Many of these up-regulated genes, such as STC2, VEGFR, and ROR2, are known to be transfactors in the process of cell differentiation and in the cell cycle. The differential gene expression profiles between primary hair follicles and secondary hair follicles obtained provide a foundation for future studies examining the network of gene expression controlling hair growth cycle in Cashmere goat.

LITAF, HHEX, and DUSP1 expression in mesenchymal stem cells from patients with psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease, in which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been hypothesized to play an important role in abnormal localized inflammation and vascular proliferation observed in skin lesions. Previous studies have revealed abnormal gene expression patterns, DNA methylation status, and cytokine secretion of MSCs in psoriatic skin lesions, as well as some gene expression abnormalities related to inflammation and angiogenesis. We further verified the gene and protein expressions of inflammation-related lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha transcription factor (LITAF), dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1 (DUSP1), and angiogenesis-related hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX) in MSCs derived from the skin lesions of psoriasis patients. The gene expression of LITAF, DUSP1, and HHEX in dermal MSCs was measured at the mRNA level using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and the corresponding protein expression levels were analyzed by western blotting analysis. The gene and protein expression levels of LITAF, HHEX, and DUSP1 in dermal MSCs were significantly lower in psoriasis patients compared to controls. Amplification and western blotting results were consistent with our previously reported gene chip data. Our results suggest that dermal MSCs in psoriatic skin lesions may be involved in the development, progression, and regulation of localized inflammatory abnormalities by reducing the expression of LITAF, HHEX, and DUSP1, which are related to inflammation and angiogenesis.

Precision Measurement of the Helium Flux in Primary Cosmic Rays of Rigidities 1.9 GV to 3 TV with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

Knowledge of the precise rigidity dependence of the helium flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. A precise measurement of the helium flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1.9 GV to 3 TV based on 50 million events is presented and compared to the proton flux. The detailed variation with rigidity of the helium flux spectral index is presented for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at rigidities larger than 100 GV. The rigidity dependence of the helium flux spectral index is similar to that of the proton spectral index though the magnitudes are different. Remarkably, the spectral index of the proton to helium flux ratio increases with rigidity up to 45 GV and then becomes constant; the flux ratio above 45 GV is well described by a single power law.

From non- to super-radiating manipulation of a dipolar emitter coupled to a toroidal metastructure

Toroidal dipolar response in a metallic metastructure, composed of double flat rings, is utilized to manipulate the radiation pattern of a single dipolar emitter (e.g., florescent molecule/atom or quantum dot). Strong Fano-type radiation spectrum can be obtained when these two coupling dipoles are spatially overlapped, leading to significant radiation suppression (so-called nonradiating source) attributed to the dipolar destructive interference. Moreover, this nonradiating configuration will become a directionally super-radiating nanoantenna after a radial displacement of the emitter with respect to the toroidal flat-ring geometry, which emits linearly polarized radiation with orders of power enhancement in a particular orientation. The demonstrated radiation characteristics from a toroidal-dipole-mediated dipolar emitter indicate a promising manipulation capability of the dipolar emission source by intriguing toroidal dipolar response.

Toroidal dipolar response by a dielectric microtube metamaterial in the terahertz regime

Due to metal losses in plasmonic metamaterials, high-refractive-index dielectrics are promising to improve optical performances of their metallic counterparts. In this paper, a LiTaO(3) microtube metamaterial is numerically investigated to explore the toroidal dipolar resonance based on the multipole expansion theory. The local field strength probed on the central axis of the microtube is greatly enhanced for the toroidal dipolar mode, forming a strong hot spot concentrated in the deep-subwavelength scale. Furthermore, we also show the influences of geometrical parameter on the quality (Q) factor of the toroidal mode. The high Q factor and strongly concentrated field strength in the toroidal microtube metamaterial offer application potentials such as sensing, energy havesting, particle trapping, and nonlinear optical effects.

Mapping quantitative trait loci for five forage quality traits in a sorghum-sudangrass hybrid

The identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting forage quality traits enables an understanding of the genetic mechanism of these loci. The aim of the present study was to detect QTLs for the whole-plant protein content (WP), whole-plant fat content (WF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and whole-plant ash content (WA) using a population of 184 F2 individuals from a cross between sorghum Tx623A and sudangrass Sa. Correlation analysis was performed between the five forage quality traits. WP was found to be positively correlated with WF, NDF, and ADF. Furthermore, NDF was positively correlated with ADF but negatively correlated with WA. A genetic map with 124 SSR markers was constructed for QTL mapping. A total of 12 QTLs associated with the five forage quality traits were detected. Of these QTLs, qNDF3, qNDF8, and qADF8 explained more than 10% of the phenotypic variation. Additionally, although all of the QTLs exhibited additive and dominant effects, they mainly exhibited dominant effects. Our results provide important information for marker-assisted selection breeding of sorghum-sudangrass hybrids.

Precision Measurement of the Proton Flux in Primary Cosmic Rays from Rigidity 1 GV to 1.8 TV with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

A precise measurement of the proton flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1 GV to 1.8 TV is presented based on 300 million events. Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the proton flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. We present the detailed variation with rigidity of the flux spectral index for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at high rigidities.

QTL mapping of forage yield and forage yield component traits in Sorghum bicolor x S. sudanense

The sorghum-sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor x S. sudanense) is an important forage crop. However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms related to forage yield and the 4 forage yield component traits in this forage crop. In this study, a linkage map was constructed with 124 assigned SSR markers using an F2 mapping population derived from the crossing of sorghum Tx623A and sudangrass Sa. Nine quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected for forage yield and the 4 forage yield component traits using inclusive composite interval mapping. Five fresh weight QTLs were identified and contributed >50% of the total phenotypic variance. Of these QTLs, all showed additive and dominant effects, but most exhibited mainly dominant effects. These results will provide useful information for improvements in sorghum-sudangrass hybrid breeding.

Impact of BMMSCs from different sources on proliferation of CD34⁺ cells

There are significant differences on the biological characteristics of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs), immunological response, and antigen-presenting functions between patients with psoriasis and normal subjects, but there are no significant differences in aborted fetuses. We examined the differences in BMMSCs between aborted fetuses and patients with psoriasis in this study. Bone marrow from normal subjects, aborted fetuses, and patients with psoriasis were obtained using a MidiMACS machine. Density gradient centrifugation method was used to isolate the bone marrow mononuclear cells of patients with psoriasis and aborted fetus and the cells were cultivated. Bone marrow CD34(+) cells from normal subjects were isolated. MTT colorimetric detection was used to test the proliferation activity of bone marrow CD34(+) cells. The purity of bone marrow CD34(+) cells and BMMSCs was determined by flow cytometry. The BMMSC culture supernatant fluid of patients with psoriasis and aborted fetuses showed no statistically significant difference with bone marrow CD34(+) cell proliferation in normal subjects (P > 0.05).