COVID-19 vaccines and adverse events of special interest: A multinational Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) cohort study of 99 million vaccinated individuals

BACKGROUND

The Global COVID Vaccine Safety (GCoVS) Project, established in 2021 under the multinational Global Vaccine Data Network™ (GVDN®), facilitates comprehensive assessment of vaccine safety. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of adverse events of special interest (AESI) following COVID-19 vaccination from 10 sites across eight countries.

METHODS

Using a common protocol, this observational cohort study compared observed with expected rates of 13 selected AESI across neurological, haematological, and cardiac outcomes. Expected rates were obtained by participating sites using pre-COVID-19 vaccination healthcare data stratified by age and sex. Observed rates were reported from the same healthcare datasets since COVID-19 vaccination program rollout. AESI occurring up to 42 days following vaccination with mRNA (BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273) and adenovirus-vector (ChAdOx1) vaccines were included in the primary analysis. Risks were assessed using observed versus expected (OE) ratios with 95 % confidence intervals. Prioritised potential safety signals were those with lower bound of the 95 % confidence interval (LBCI) greater than 1.5.

RESULTS

Participants included 99,068,901 vaccinated individuals. In total, 183,559,462 doses of BNT162b2, 36,178,442 doses of mRNA-1273, and 23,093,399 doses of ChAdOx1 were administered across participating sites in the study period. Risk periods following homologous vaccination schedules contributed 23,168,335 person-years of follow-up. OE ratios with LBCI > 1.5 were observed for Guillain-Barré syndrome (2.49, 95 % CI: 2.15, 2.87) and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (3.23, 95 % CI: 2.51, 4.09) following the first dose of ChAdOx1 vaccine. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis showed an OE ratio of 3.78 (95 % CI: 1.52, 7.78) following the first dose of mRNA-1273 vaccine. The OE ratios for myocarditis and pericarditis following BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1 were significantly increased with LBCIs > 1.5.

CONCLUSION

This multi-country analysis confirmed pre-established safety signals for myocarditis, pericarditis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Other potential safety signals that require further investigation were identified.

Clinical application of CT-based radiomics model in differentiation between laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and squamous cell hyperplasia

Objective

To evaluate the clinical application of the CT-based radiomics prediction model for discriminating SCC and SCH.

Methods

A total of 254 clinical samples were selected from 291 patients with larynx-occupying lesions who underwent primary surgery. All lesions were validated via histopathological examination at The Second Hospital of Jilin University between June 2004 and December 2019. All patients were randomly allocated to the training (n = 177) and validation (n = 77) cohorts. After the acquisition of CT images, manual 3D tumor segmentation was performed using the CT images of the arterial, venous, and non-contrast phases via ITK-SNAP software. Subsequently, radiomics features were extracted using A.K. software. Based on the above features, three different diagnostic models (CTN, CTA+CTV, and CTN+CTA+CTV) were constructed to classify squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and squamous cell hyperplasia (SCH). Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves were measured to evaluate the diagnostic characteristics and clinical safety of the proposed three prognostic models.

Results

In the radiomic prediction Model 1 (CTN), the area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the training cohorts in differentiating SCC and SCH were 0.883, 0.785, 0.645, 1.000, 1.000, and 0.648, while in the testing cohorts, these values were 0.852, 0.792, 0.66, 1.000, 1.000, and 0.652, respectively. In the radiomic prediction Model 2 (CTA+CTV), the AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV values of the training cohorts were 0.965, 0.91, 0.916, 0.9, 0.933, and 0.875, respectively, while in the testing cohorts, the corresponding values were 0.902, 0.805, 0.851, 0.733, 0.833, and 0.759, respectively. In the radiomic prediction Model 3(CTN+CTA+CTV), the AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV values of the training cohorts were 0.985, 0.944, 0.953, 0.929, 0.953, and 0.929, while in the testing cohorts, the corresponding values were 0.965, 0.857, 0.894, 0.8, 0.875, and 0.828, respectively.

Conclusion

The radiomic prediction Model 3, based on the arterial-venous-plain combined scan phase of CT, achieved promising diagnostic performance, expected to be regarded as a preoperative imaging tool in classifying SCC and SCH to guide clinicians to develop individualized treatment programs.

Low-dimensional nanomaterials as an emerging platform for cancer diagnosis and therapy

The burden of cancer is increasing, being widely recognized as one of the main reasons for deaths among humans. Despite the tremendous efforts that have been made worldwide to stem the progression and metastasis of cancer, morbidity and mortality in malignant tumors have been clearly rising and threatening human health. In recent years, nanomedicine has come to occupy an increasingly important position in precision oncotherapy, which improves the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term prognosis of cancer. In particular, LDNs with distinctive physicochemical capabilities have provided great potential for advanced biomedical applications, attributed to their large surface area, abundant surface binding sites, and good cellular permeation properties. In addition, LDNs can integrate CT/MR/US/PAI and PTT/PDT/CDT/NDDS into a multimodal theranostic nanoplatform, enabling targeted therapy and efficacy assessments for cancer. This review attempts to concisely summarize the classification and major properties of LDNs. Simultaneously, we particularly emphasize their applications in the imaging, diagnosis, and treatment of cancerous diseases.

[A multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial comparing ergometrine with oxytocin and oxytocin alone for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage at cesarean section]

Objective: To compare oxytocin combined with ergometrine with oxytocin alone in terms of primary prophylaxis for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) at the time of cesarean section (CS). Methods: This was a multicenter double-blind randomized controlled interventional study comparing ergometrine combined with oxytocin and oxytocin alone administered at CS. From December 2018 to November 2019, a total of 298 parturients were enrolled in 16 hospitals nationwide. They were randomly divided into experimental group (ergometrine intra-myometrial injection following oxytocin intravenously; 148 cases) and control group (oxytocin intra-myometrial injection following oxytocin intravenously; 150 cases) according to 1∶1 random allocation. The following indexes were compared between the two groups: (1) main index: blood loss 2 hours (h) after delivery; (2) secondary indicators: postpartum blood loss at 6 h and 24 h, placental retention time, incidence of PPH, the proportion of additional use of uterine contraction drugs, hemostatic drugs or other hemostatic measures at 2 h and 24 h after delivery, the proportion requiring blood transfusion, and the proportion of prolonged hospital stay due to poor uterine involution; (3) safety indicators: nausea, vomiting, dizziness and other adverse reactions, and blood pressure at each time point of administration. Results: (1) The blood loss at 2 h after delivery in the experimental group [(402±18) ml] was less than that in the control group [(505±18) ml], and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). (2) The blood loss at 6 h and 24 h after delivery in the experimental group were less than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the incidence of PPH, the proportion of additional use of uterine contraction drugs, hemostatic drugs or other hemostatic measures at 2 h and 24 h after delivery, the proportion requiring blood transfusion, and the proportion of prolonged hospital stay due to poor uterine involution (all P>0.05). (3) Adverse reactions occurred in 2 cases (1.4%, 2/148) in the experimental group and 1 case (0.7%, 1/150) in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The systolic blood pressure within 2.0 h and diastolic blood pressure within 1.5 h of drug administration in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05), but the blood pressure of the two groups were in the normal range. Conclusion: The use of ergometrine injection in CS could reduce the amount of PPH, which is safe and feasible.

[Quality of life and risk factors in patients with herpes zoster]

Objective: To evaluate the quality of life and influencing factors of patients with herpes zoster (HZ) seen in hospitals. Methods: Based on Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI) and Five-level EuroQol Five-dimensional Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), a cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the pain severity and quality of life of 332 HZ cases seen in 22 hospitals of Lu'an City (Anhui Province), Zibo City (Shandong Province) and Tongchuan City (Shaanxi Province) from October to December 2021. The censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) model was used to analyze the related factors affecting the changes of patients' health utility values. Results: The 45.5% of 332 HZ cases were male. The median (Q₁,Q₃) age was 59 (50, 68) years. 59.64% of them assessed by ZBPI had moderate to severe pain in the past 24 hours (worst pain score≥5), and that of PHN cases was 84.8%(39/46). 77.7% (258/332), 77.4% (257/332) and 74.1% (246/332) of all patients reported that pain interfered with sleep, mood and general activities, respectively. Aging [β_40-49y (95%CI)=-0.11 (-0.15, -0.08); β_50-59y (95%CI)=-0.03 (-0.05, 0.00); β_60-69y (95%CI)=-0.09 (-0.12, -0.06); β_70-90y(95%CI)=-0.16 (-0.19, -0.12)], working status (unemployed) [β_farmer (95%CI)=0.15 (0.13, 0.18); β_retirees(95%CI)=0.21 (0.18, 0.24); β_employee (95%CI)=0.13 (0.10, 0.16) ], complications[β_PHN (95%CI)=-0.08 (-0.13, -0.04); β_{other complications} (95%CI)=-0.12 (-0.15, -0.08)], within 30 days after onset [β(95%CI)=-0.01 (-0.03, 0.01)] and treatment [β_{other complications} (95%CI)=-0.09 (-0.11, -0.06)] were related factors for the decline of health utility value (all P values <0.05). Conclusions: More than half of the patients with HZ had moderate to severe pain in the past 24 hours, which had a serious negative impact on the physical and mental health of the patients. Elderly patients, acute patients and patients with complications had lower health utility values and worse health status. We suggest that eligible people be vaccinated with HZ vaccine as soon as possible.

[Novel MFN2, BSCL2 and LRSAM1 variants in a cohort of Chinese patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease]

Objective: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) comprises a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous inherited neuropathies with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 2500. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and mutational characteristics of Chinese CMT patients with MFN2, BSCL2 and LRSAM1 variants. Methods: In this study, genetic analysis was performed in 206 Chinese patients at Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2012 to March 2020 with clinical diagnosis of CMT, and reported variants of MFN2, BSCL2 and LRSAM1 related to CMT2. Results: We reported ten MFN2 mutations in ten unrelated patients (7 male, 3 female), two of whom had positive family history. Three novel mutations were detected including c.475-2A>G (splicing); c.687dupA (p.E230Rfs*16) and c.558dupT (p.S186fs). We reported three BSCL2 mutations of four unrelated patients, including c.461C>G (p.S154W), c.461C>T(p.S154L), and novel variants of c.1309G>C (p.A437P) and c.845C>T (p.A282V). Furthermore, two novel variants of LRSAM1, including c.1930G>T (p.G644C) and c.1178T>A (p.L393Q) were detected in two unrelated patients. Conclusion: Mutational spectrum of MFN2-, BSCL2-and LRSAM1-related CMT disease is expanded with the identification of novel variants in Chinese patients.

Recent Advance in Tumor Microenvironment-Based Stimuli-Responsive Nanoscale Drug Delivery and Imaging Platform

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in the development, progression, and metastasis of cancer, and the extremely crucial feature is hypoxic and acidic. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), extracellular matrix (ECM), mesenchymal cells, blood vessels, and interstitial fluid are widely recognized as fundamentally crucial hallmarks for TME. As nanotechnology briskly boomed, the nanoscale drug delivery and imaging platform (NDDIP) emerged and has attracted intensive attention. Based on main characteristics of TME, NDDIP can be classified into pH-sensitive delivery and imaging platforms, enzyme-sensitive delivery and imaging platforms, thermo-sensitive delivery and imaging platforms, redox-sensitive delivery and imaging platforms, and light-sensitive delivery and imaging platforms. Furthermore, imageology is one of the significant procedures for disease detection, image-guided drug delivery, and efficacy assessment, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US), and fluorescence imaging. Therefore, the stimuli-responsive NDDIP will be a versatile and practicable tumor disease diagnostic procedure and efficacy evaluation tool. In this review article, we mainly introduce the characteristics of TME and summarize the progress of multitudinous NDDIP as well as their applications.

A prospective study on vulvovaginal candidiasis: multicentre molecular epidemiology of pathogenic yeasts in China

BACKGROUND

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is frequent in women of reproductive age, but very limited data are available on the epidemiology in cases of VVC in China.

OBJECTIVES

The current study has been conducted to reveal the prevalence, species distribution of yeast causing VVC and molecular genetics of Candida albicans in China.

METHODS

Vaginal swabs were collected from 543 VVC outpatients recruited in 12 hospitals in China between September 2017 and March 2018. They were preliminarily incubated on Sabouraud dextrose agar and then positive subjects of which were then transmitted to our institute for further identification. CHROMagar™ was used to isolate Candida species, and all isolates were finally identified by DNA sequencing. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to analyse phylogenetic relationships of the various C. albicans isolates.

RESULTS

Eleven different yeast species were identified in 543 isolates, among which C. albicans (84.7%) was the most frequent, followed by C. glabrata (8.7%). We obtained 117 unique diploid sequence types from 451 clinical C. albicans isolates and 92 isolates (20.4%) belonged to a New Clade. All the strains appearing in the New Clade were from northern China and they were isolated from non-recurrent VVC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that C. albicans are still the main cause of VVC in China and the majority of C. albicans isolates belongs to Clade 1 with DST 79 and DST 45 being two most common. Moreover, the New Clade revealed in our study seems to be specific to northern China.

Prediction of squamous cell carcinoma cases from squamous cell hyperplasia in throat lesions using CT radiomics model

Objectives:

To differentiate squamous cell hyperplasia (SCH) (benign) from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) malignant) using textural features extracted from CT images and thereby, facilitate the preoperative medical diagnosis and treatment of throat cancers without the need for sample biopsies.

Methods:

In total, 100 throat cancer patients were selected for this retrospective study. The cases were collected from the Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China, from June 2017 to January 2019. The patients were separated into a training and validation cohort consisting of 70 and 30 cases, respectively. The Artificial Intelligence Kit software (A.K. software) was used to extract the radiomics features from the CT images. These features were further processed using the minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) methods to obtain a subset of optimal features. The radiomics model was validated based on area-under-the-curve (AUC) values, accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity using the R-studio software.

Results:

The diagnostic accuracy, specificity, PPV, NPV, and AUC values obtained for the training cohort was 0.91, 0.9, 0.93, 0.9, and 0.96 CT angiography (CTA), 0.93, 0.93, 0.95, 0.90, and 0.96 computed tomography normal (CTN), and 0.92, 0.87, 0.91, 0.96, and 0.96 CT venogram (CTV). These values were subsequently confirmed in the validation cohort.

Conclusion:

The radiomics-based prediction model proposed in this study successfully differentiated between SCH and SCC throat cancers using CT imaging, thereby facilitating the development of accurate preoperative diagnosis based on specific biomarkers and cancer phenotypes.

[The correlation between tissue oxygen saturation and postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients with one lung ventilation]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between tissue oxygen saturation during one lung ventilation and postoperative neuro cognitive dysfunction (PND) in elderly patients in thoracic surgery. Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight elderly patients who underwent selective lobectomy from August 2017 to September 2018 in the Forth Hospital of Hebei Medical University were enrolled. The patients were divided into PND group (n=34) and non-PND group (n=94) according to whether PND occurred 3 days after surgery. Tissue oxygenation was monitored at bilateral forebrain, brachioradialis muscle and quadriceps. Cognitive function was assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at baseline and the third day after the operation. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction was diagnosed if postoperative MoCA decreased at least 2 scores compared with preoperative baseline value. Outcomes included the incidence of PND, the incidence of tissue oxygen desaturation during one lung ventilation, postoperative complications within 30 days and length of postoperative in-hospital stay. Logistic regression was used to screen independent risk factors of PND. Results: The incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction was 26.6% (34/128). The two groups had no significant difference in the incidence of non-neurogenic complications (new occurred arrhythmia, pulmonary infection, pulmonary embolism, acute renal insufficiency, sepsis, deep vein thrombosis, all P>0.05). However, the length of postoperative in-hospital stay of PND group was 7.0 (6.0, 8.5) d, which was longer than that of non-PND group [6.0 (5.0, 8.0) d]. There was significant difference (U=2.394, P=0.017) . There was no correlation between the two groups within the minimum of SmtO(2) in upper limbs (OR=0.988, 95%CI: 0.954-1.024, P=0.519) and the range of desaturation (OR=1.010, 95%CI: 0.979-1.042, P=0.514) , as well as the minimum of SmtO(2) in legs (OR=0.996, 95%CI: 0.961-1.032, P=0.832) and the range of desaturation (OR=0.997, 95%CI: 0.971-1.025, P=0.851) . Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the high ASA grade (OR=2.617, 95%CI: 1.112-6.157, P=0.029) and the minimum of cerebral oxygen saturation during one lung ventilation (OR=0.931, 95%CI: 0.880-0.986, P=0.014) were independent risk factors of PND. There was no statistical correlation between muscle oxygen saturation and PND. Conclusion: Cerebral desaturation during one lung ventilation increased the risk of PND in elderly patients, while the muscle desaturation has no statistical correlation with PND.

Improved Stability and Photothermal Performance of Polydopamine-Modified Fe3 O4 Nanocomposites for Highly Efficient Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Photothermal Therapy

Magnetic nanomaterials are a promising class of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, their poor stability and low relaxivity are major challenges hindering their clinical applications. In this study, magnetic theranostic nanoagents based on polydopamine-modified Fe₃ O₄ (Fe₃ O₄ @PDA) nanocomposites are fabricated for MRI-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) cancer treatments. Their high transverse relaxivity of 337.8 mM^-1 s^-1 makes these Fe₃ O₄ @PDA nanocomposites a promising T₂ -weighted MRI contrast agent for cancer diagnosis and image-guided cancer therapy. Due to the good photothermal effect of polydopamine (PDA), the tumors of 4T1 tumor-bearing mice are completely excised by PTT. Most importantly, the PDA shell also improves the stability of the Fe₃ O₄ @PDA nanocomposites, which contributes to their excellent, long-term performance in MRI and PTT applications. Their good stability, high T₂ relaxivity, robust biocompatibility, and satisfactory treatment effect give these Fe₃ O₄ @PDA nanocomposites great potential for use in cancer theranostics.

Altered exosomal miR-181d and miR-30a related to the pathogenesis of CVB3 induced myocarditis by targeting SOCS3

OBJECTIVE

MicroRNAs are a group of gene expression regulators and some of which have been confirmed to be associated with acute viral myocarditis (VM). This study aims to find new biomarkers for VM diagnosis and explore the roles of miRNAs during the pathogenesis of VM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

23 patients with acute myocarditis and 12 controls were included in this research. The expression of 10 candidate miRNAs in the serum exosome was examined by qRT-PCR. The direct targets were predicted using bioinformatics tools and then confirmed by dual luciferase assay and immunoblotting. Levels IL-6 of cell culture supernatants were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Six weeks old male mice were injected intraperitoneally with Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) and then treated by miRNA inhibitors through tail vein injection.

RESULTS

Five miRNAs were found to have disturbed expression in the exosome and may have the potential to be used as biomarker for VM diagnosis. Meanwhile, the expression of miR-30a and -181d was also altered in the cells after CVB3 infection. We identified SOCS3 as a direct target of miR-30a and -181d. Furthermore, during CVB3 infection, up-regulated miR-30a and -181d are related to enhanced IL-6 level via modulating SOCS3 expression. miRNA inhibitors injection increased mice survival rate after CVB3 infection.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-30a and -181d contribute to the over-activated inflammatory response to viral infection of the heart during coxsackievirus infection.

MiR-378 promotes the cell proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer by inhibiting FOXG1

OBJECTIVE

To identify the functioning mode of miR-378 on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and provide therapeutic targets for NSCLC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Expression levels of miR-378 in human NSCLC tissue samples and NSCLC-derived cell lines were measured by using quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Cell proliferation capacity was assessed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and colony formation assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were identified by flow cytometry. Downstream target gene was confirmed by using luciferase and Western blotting assays.

RESULTS

MiR-378 was significantly elevated in NSCLC tissues when compared with para-carcinoma tissues (n=42). Decreased-miR-378 could attenuate cell proliferation capacity, as well as promoted cell apoptosis and induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. FOXG1 was chosen as the target gene of miR-378 by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, restoration of miR-378 could impair the tumor suppression role of downregulated-miR-378 on NSCLC growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased-miR-378 exerted tumor-suppressive effects on NSCLC growth via targeting FOXG1 in vitro, which provided an innovative and candidate target for diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC.

The protective effect of ligustrazine on rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via activating PI3K/Akt pathway

The study was to investigate the effects of ligustrazine on rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and to explore the potential mechanism. Transient focal cerebral ischemia Wistar rat model was established through middle cerebral artery occlusion. The cerebral I/R injury rats were treated with intraperitoneal injection of ligustrazine (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg). Human amniotic epithelial cells (HAECs) were treated with ligustrazine (1, 10, 100 μM) and PI3K inhibitor wortmannin (100 μM), following oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) treatment. The expression levels of protein kinase B (PKB or AKT), phospho-Akt (p-Akt), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and phosphor-eNOS (p-eNOS) in HAECs and brains of rats were measured by Western blot. The levels of nitric oxide (NO) in HAECs were measured by Griess method using NO^2-/NO^3- Assay Kit. Infarct volume and neurological deficits were evaluated 24 h after reperfusion. The levels of NO, p-Akt/Akt, and p-eNOS/eNOS in HAECs were significantly reduced after OGD, but ligustrazine treatment increased the levels of those factors in a dose-dependent manner, while those increases were reversed by PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. Similarly, p-Akt/Akt and p-eNOS/eNOS in brain tissue of rats with I/R were significantly reduced compared with control group (p < 0.05), but ligustrazine treatment increased the levels of p-Akt and p-eNOS in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05), while those increases were also reversed by using wortmannin. Ligustrazine also improved the damage of rat brain tissue caused by I/R, but wortmannin reversed the improvement. Ligustrazine plays a neuroprotective role in rats with cerebral I/R injury through the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway.

X-ray-induced reproductive dysfunction and differentially expressed piRNAs in male mice

The effects of X-ray radiation on spermatogenesis, sperm motility, and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in mice were analyzed. Male C57BL/6 J mice were divided into control and two irradiation groups ( n = 9 mice/group). After irradiation of their reproductive regions, the mice were fed for 3 days (irradiation group 1) or 7 days (control and irradiation group 2). The sperm viability, motility, velocity, and motion curve were analyzed. After piRNA expression profiling, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was conducted for validation. Ionizing radiation led to vessel dilation and congestion, fewer spermatogenic cells, and reduced sperm production compared to the control. At 3 and 7 days postirradiation, the sperm count (grade d) increased while sperm viability and sperm lateral head displacement decreased. At 7 days, the sperm abnormality rate was higher compared to the control. Many piRNAs were differentially expressed after irradiation, including decreased and increased expression of mmu_piR_009082 and mmu_piR_020217, respectively. Downregulated piRNAs were involved in Rap1 signaling, non-homologous end-joining, hedgehog signaling, oxytocin signaling, and cholinergic synapse. Upregulated piRNAs participated in pathways including proteoglycans in cancer, phosphatidylinositol signaling, cGMP-PKG signaling, and stem cell pluripotency regulation. X-ray irradiation inhibited spermatogenesis and increased abnormal sperm rate in mice. piRNA-related signaling pathways may be involved in this process.

[Screening of the SETX gene in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients of Chinese origin]

Objective: To investigate all coding regions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related gene Senataxin (SETX) in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients of Chinese origin. Methods: From January 2010 to December 2014, the peripheral venous blood samples and clinical data were collected from 311 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) and 311 healthy controls who were of Chinese ancestry from the Department of Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital.Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral venous blood of all participants using standard methods. The coding regions of SETX were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and screened for mutations using next-generation sequencing technology. The online software SIFT and PolyPhen-2 were used to analyze the conservation of an altered amino acid and predict the potential pathogenicity of identified mutations. The SPSS 22.0 software was used to analyze the clinical feature of all participants. Results: Tenkinds of rare and one novel nonsynonymous mutations were identified and were absent in 311 controls. Twelve (3.86%) patients carried one SETX gene mutation. Five (1.61%) out of above-mentioned 12 patients carried highly pathogenic mutations including p. Pro1868Leu (c.5603G>A), p. Pro1331Leu (c.3992G>A), p. Glu756Val (c.2267T>A), p. Leu564Val (c.1690A>C), and p. Asn144Ser (c.431T>C). Patients carried SETX mutations were not different from other patients in onset age. Conclusion: Mutations in SETX are likely to be a pathogenesis for Chinese sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

[Analysis of the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of multifocal motor neuropathy]

Ten patients diagnosed with multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) were recruited in the Department of Neurology at Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 1, 2009 to August 31, 2015. The clinical and electrophysiological features were analyzed retrospectively. All patients complained of progressive asymmetric limb weakness, which was more severe in distal than in proximal. Five presented muscle atrophy. None had sensory disturbances. All suffered diminished or disappeared tendon reflex, whereas Babinski signs were negative. Multi-focal conduction block (CB) was confirmed by nerve conduction studies (NCS) in all patients and 7 showed spontaneous potentials in needle electrode electromyography. Abnormal sensory nerve conduction was seen in 3 patients. Laboratory test revealed anti-ganglioside GM1 antibody in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 6 cases and elevated CSF protein in 7 cases. Limb weakness alleviated greatly in 9 cases after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment. But the other one reported poor response, who had long course of disease, serious limb weakness and obvious muscle atrophy. Motor nerve damage is the most important manifestation of MMN and sensory nerve damage may also appear. NCS is essential to the diagnosis of this disease, with CB as the characteristic electrophysiological feature. IVIg is an effective treatment.

[Characteristics of repetitive nerve stimulation in 53 cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]

Objective: To investigate the feature of repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and correlation between RNS and clinical features and electromyography (EMG) findings of the corresponding muscle. Methods: Needle EMG and RNS were performed in 53 patients with ALS, who were recruited into Department of Neurology of Chinese PLA general hospital during April to December in 2016. Decrement of the compond muscle action potential (CMAP) in response to RNS of different nerves and stimulus frequencies was compared. The effects of gender, age of onset, disease duration, region of onset, ALS functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R) and rate of disease progression (ΔFS) on the decrement were analyzed. Results: 49.1% of patients with ALS had decremental responses to low frequency RNS (LF-RNS) in accessory nerve, which was lower in ulnar nerve (4.3%) and common peroneal nerve (2.6%). Decremental responses of accessory nerve at 3 Hz were observed in 49.1% of patients with ALS, more frequent than 30.2% at 1 Hz. None of the patients had increased responses to high frequency RNS. Patients with upper-limb-onset, longer disease duration and lower ALSFRS-R tended to have more frequent decrement of CMAP in response to RNS. The decrement with LF-RNS of accessory nerve was in concert with neurogenic damage of sternocleidomastoid muscle with needle EMG (r=0.365, P=0.007). There were 3 patients who had decremental responses to LF-RNS in accessory nerve without clinical involvement and neurogenic damage of sternocleidomastoid muscle. Conclusions: There is significant decrement of CMAP in response to LF-RNS of accessory nerve in patients with ALS, which may reveal neuromuscular junction (NMJ) impairment. It may indicated a dying-back pattern of disease progression which derived from motor neuron terminal or NMJ to neuronal soma that some patients with ALS have decremental responses in RNS without clinical involvement and neurogenic damage of sternocleidomastoid muscle.

[An analysis of characteristics of nerve conduction in 154 cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]

Objective: To analyze the features of nerve conduction in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and explore the correlation between compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude and disease duration and revised amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R). Methods: Standard motor and sensory nerve conduction studies were performed in 154 patients with ALS. The following parameters were collected including CMAP amplitude, distal motor latency (DML), motor conduction velocity, sensory conduction velocity and sensory nerve action potential amplitude. Regression study was done to explore the correlation between CMAP amplitude and disease duration and ALSFRS-R. Results: Motor nerve conduction abnormalities were presented in a majority of the patients with prolonged DML in the tibial nerve, median nerve and ulnar nerve as the most common form (61.06%-81.42%), followed by decreased CMAP amplitude (30.12%-53.98%), decreased MCV (12.05%-16.81%) and absence of CMAP (2.65%-9.73%). Sensory nerve conduction abnormalities were detected in a small proportion of patients and the decreased SCV, decreased SNAP amplitude and absence of SNAP in the sural nerve, median nerve and ulnar nerve were found in 1.22%-2.73%, 0-1.82% and 0-1.22% patients respectively. No correlation was found between CMAP of the common peroneal nerve, tibial nerve, median nerve and ulnar nerve and the disease duration (P>0.05), while significant positive correlation was established between CMAP amplitude of the median nerve and ulnar nerve and ALSFRS-R (r=0.273, P=0.016; r=0.357, P=0.001). Conclusions: Motor nerve conduction is abnormal in a majority of ALS patients with prolonged DML as the most common form, while abnormal sensory nerve conduction is only found in a few of ALS patients. CMAP amplitude of the median nerve and ulnar nerve might be of certain clinical value in evaluating the severity of ALS.

[Needle electromyography features and values of paraspinal muscle parameters in assessment of respiratory function of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]

Objective: To analyze the features of needle electromyography (EMG) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and explore the correlation between EMG parameters of the tenth thoracic paraspinal muscle and disease duration, rate of disease progression, forced vital capacity (FVC) and revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R). Methods: Standard EMG was recorded from unilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle and/or tongue muscles, upper and lower limbs muscles and the tenth thoracic paraspinal muscle in 112 patients with definite ALS between March 2012 and June 2013 in the Department of Neurology at Chinese PLA General Hospital. Parameters studies included spontaneous potentials, duration and amplitude of motor unit potentials (MUP), pattern of recruitment. Results: EMG revealed diffuse neurogenic changes in each case. Fibrillation potential or positive sharp waves were found in some muscles in all of patients, and both of them were found in most of the cases. Fasciculation potentials (FPs) were found in 8 patients and accompanied with fibrillation potential and positive sharp waves in 5 of them. Complex repetitive discharges (CRDs) were found in only 1 patient. Duration and amplitude of MUP was prolonged and increased in ALS patients, and the rate of high amplitude and decreased recruitment pattern were 35.71% and 72.32%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed an association of the FVC loss with the drop of ALSFRS-R and peak amplitude of the tenth thoracic paraspinal muscle. Conclusions: The abnormal spontaneous activity with high frequency are fibrillation potentials and/or positive sharp waves. However, FPs is observed in a small number of patients and CRDs is rarely seen in ALS. The ALSFRS-R and peak amplitude of thetenth thoracic paraspinal muscle may be of certain clinical value in estimating the severity of disease especially the respiratory dysfunction in ALS patients.

Dynamics of morphological evolution in experimental Escherichia coli populations

Here, we applied a two-stage clonal expansion model of morphological (cell-size) evolution to a long-term evolution experiment with Escherichia coli. Using this model, we derived the incidence function of the appearance of cell-size stability, the waiting time until this morphological stability, and the conditional and unconditional probabilities of morphological stability. After assessing the parameter values, we verified that the calculated waiting time was consistent with the experimental results, demonstrating the effectiveness of the two-stage model. According to the relative contributions of parameters to the incidence function and the waiting time, cell-size evolution is largely determined by the promotion rate, i.e., the clonal expansion rate of selectively advantageous organisms. This rate plays a prominent role in the evolution of cell size in experimental populations, whereas all other evolutionary forces were found to be less influential.

Roles of the Laodelphax striatellus Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule in Rice stripe virus infection of its insect vector

The arthropod Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) mediates pathogen-specific recognition via an extensive protein isoform repertoire produced by alternative splicing. To date, most studies have focused on the subsequent pathogen-specific immune response, and few have investigated the entry into cells of viruses or endosymbionts. In the present study, we cloned and characterized the cDNA of Laodelphax striatellus Dscam (LsDscam) and investigated the function of LsDscam in rice stripe virus (RSV) infection and the influence on the endosymbiont Wolbachia. LsDscam displayed a typical Dscam domain architecture, including 10 immunoglobulin (Ig) domains, six fibronectin type III domains, one transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmic tail. Alternative splicing occurred at the N-termini of the Ig2 and Ig3 domains, the complete Ig7 domain, the transmembrane domain and the C-terminus, comprising 10, 51, 35, two and two variable exons, respectively. Potentially LsDscam could encode at least 71 400 unique isoforms and 17 850 types of extracellular regions. LsDscam was expressed in various L. striatellus tissues. Knockdown of LsDscam mRNA via RNA interference decreased the titres of both RSV and Wolbachia, but did not change the numbers of the extracellular symbiotic bacterium Acinetobacter rhizosphaerae. Specific Dscam isoforms may play roles in enhancing the infection of vector-borne viruses or endosymbionts.

Annual economic burden of hepatitis B virus-related diseases among hospitalized patients in twelve cities in China

A nationwide survey of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated economic burden has not previously been performed in China. The purpose of this study was to examine the direct, indirect, and intangible costs of HBV-related diseases within the span of one year. A random sample was taken from specialty and general hospitals across 12 cities in six provinces of China. Intangible costs were estimated based on willingness to pay or open-ended answers provided by patients. The results showed that 27 hospitals were enrolled, with a sample population of 4726 patients (77.7% response rate). The average annual costs were $4454.0 (direct), $924.3 (indirect), and $6611.10 (intangible), corresponding to 37.3%, 7.7%, and 55.1% of the total costs, respectively. The direct medical fees were substantially greater than the non-medical fees. Annual indirect costs were divided into outpatient ($112.9) and inpatient ($811.40) loss of income. The intangible costs of chronic HBV were notably higher than either the direct or indirect costs, consistent with the social stigma in China. The comparison amongst individual cities for the average ratio of direct to indirect costs revealed that the sizes of ratios were negatively correlated with the socioeconomic status of the regions. This study suggested that as a whole in China, the HBV-related diseases caused a heavy financial burden which was positively associated with disease severity. Although the intangible costs coincided with a high prevalence of discrimination against CHB patients in Chinese society, our study may serve as future reference for detailed exploration.

Epidemiological characteristics of motor neuron disease in Chinese patients

BACKGROUND

The epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of motor neuron disease (MND) in Chinese patients are ill known.

METHODS

A registered study of 461 MND patients was conducted across 10 facilities in 7 Chinese cities from February 2009 to March 2010.

RESULTS

Patients were classified as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (84.4%), progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) (4.1%), progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) (10.4%), or primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) (0.9%). MND was predominant in men (men/women; 1.6:1.0). Mean onset age was 52.6 years, with the highest incidence being observed between 51 and 60 years. Notably, 26.0% of MND patients were employed in forestry, fishery, or animal husbandry industries. Ten cases (2.7%) reported family history of MND, and 54.2% exhibited cervical onset. MND was also associated with head/neck trauma. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation was the most common supportive therapy.

CONCLUSION

As a novel comprehensive report of a Chinese population, this study reveals that epidemiological characteristics of MND patients were similar to those observed in international populations. MND is age-related, male gender predominant, and may be associated with both environmental and genetic risk factors.

The inception, achievements, and implications of the China GAVI Alliance Project on Hepatitis B Immunization

The China GAVI Hepatitis B Immunization Project was initiated in 2002 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between GAVI and the Government of China. The Project was one of the three (China, India, and Indonesia) GAVI-initiated special projects done to support countries too large to receive full GAVI support for hepatitis B vaccine and safe injections. The Project in China was designed by the Chinese Government and partners to deliver free hepatitis B vaccine and safe injections to all newborns in the 12 Western Provinces and Poverty Counties in 10 Provinces of Central China (1301 Counties with approximately 5.6 million births per year), eliminating the gap in immunization coverage between wealthier and poorer regions of China. The project budget (USD 76 million) was equally shared by GAVI and the Chinese Government. Initially planned for 5 years, two no cost extensions extended the project to 2011. Although China produced hepatitis B vaccine, before the project the vaccine was sold to parents who were also charged a "user fee" for the syringe and vaccine administration. Basic Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccines such as BCG, DTP, Polio, and measles vaccines were provided free to parents, although they were charged a user fee. Vaccines were sold by China CDC Offices at provincial, prefecture, county level and township hospitals, and village doctors received a substantial portion of their income from the sale of hepatitis B and other vaccines. The result of charging for hepatitis B vaccine was that coverage was relatively high in Eastern and wealthier counties in Central China (~80-90%), but was much lower (~40%) in Western China and Poverty Counties where parents could not afford the vaccine. The Project was administered by the China MOH and China CDC EPI program, and two Project Co-managers, one from the Chinese Government and the other an international assignee, were chosen. The project had an oversight Operational Advisory Group composed of the Chinese Government, WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI. The initial targets of the project as delineated in the initial MOU for the Project areas (HepB3 coverage will reach 85% at the county level, >75% of newborns at the county level will receive the first dose of hepatitis B within 24h of birth, and all immunization injections will be with auto disable [AD] syringes) were substantially exceeded. The differential in vaccine coverage between wealthier and poorer parts of China was eliminated contributing to a great improvement in equity. With additional contributions of the Chinese Government the Project was accomplished substantially under budget allowing for additional catch up immunization of children under 15 years of age. More than 5 million health workers were trained in how to deliver hepatitis B vaccine, timely birth dose (TBD), and safe injections, and public awareness of hepatitis B and its prevention rose significantly. TBD coverage was expedited by concurrent efforts to have women deliver in township clinics and district hospitals instead of at home. The effective management of the Project, with a Project office sitting within the China EPI and an Operational Advisory Group for oversight, could serve as a model for other GAVI projects worldwide. Most importantly, the carrier rate in Chinese children less than 5 years of age has fallen to 1%, from a level of 10% before the inception of the Project. Liver cancer, one of the major cancer killers in China (250,000-300,000 annual estimated deaths), will dramatically decline as immunized cohorts of Chinese children age. While hepatitis C and non-alcoholic liver disease also exist in China and can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis, the majority of liver disease in China is hepatitis B related and therefore preventable. The authors believe that China's success in preventing hepatitis B is one of the greatest public health achievements of the 21st century. Work remains to be done in several key areas. There are still pockets of home births in rural provinces where a TBD is difficult to deliver, and China is strengthening its policy of screening pregnant women for HBsAg and delivering HBIG plus vaccine to newborns of HBV carrier mothers. Approximately 10% of the adult population of China remain chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus and cannot be helped by the vaccine, so prevention of liver cancer and cirrhosis in those groups remains a future challenge for China.

Lack of Epstein-Barr virus infection in Chinese myasthenia gravis patients

OBJECTIVE

There are three recent contradictory reports on the incidence of Epstein-Barr virus in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis, with all studies carried out in Caucasian patients. The current study evaluated whether Epstein-Barr virus infection had a role in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis in a cohort of 30 Chinese patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Serial paraffin sections of thymic hyperplasia obtained from myasthenia gravis patients were analyzed for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA -1 and Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Epstein-Barr virus(+) cervical lymph nodes from lymphoma patients and Epstein-Barr virus(-) thymus specimens obtained during cardiac surgery served as the positive and negative control groups, respectively.

RESULTS

All the 30 myasthenia gravis specimens were negative for both Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA -1 and Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 tests. However, we obtained well-characterized membrane and cytoplasmic immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization staining for both Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 and Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA -1, respectively, in the positive control samples.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results therefore do not support a role of thymic Epstein-Barr virus infection in myasthenia gravis pathogenesis and calls for an integration of methodological and interpretation issues in detecting Epstein-Barr virus incidence in myasthenia gravis patients.

The expression and clinical significance of GTP-binding RAS-like 3 (ARHI) and microRNA 221 and 222 in prostate cancer

Globally, prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among men and there is no biomarker for defining tumour invasion and progression. Guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP)-binding RAS-like 3 (ARHI) is a tumour suppressor gene that has been found to be downregulated in the prostate cancer cell line PC-3. MicroRNA 221 and 222 have been shown to regulate ARHI expression negatively. This study evaluated tissue samples from patients with prostate cancer (n = 35) that were designated as aggressive or non-aggressive according to their Gleason grade. Expression of ARHI and microRNA 221 and 222 was measured by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The level of ARHI mRNA was significantly lower in aggressive compared with non-aggressive prostate cancer tissue samples. In contrast, microRNA 221 and 222 levels were significantly higher in aggressive compared with non-aggressive prostate cancer tissue samples. Whether ARHI and microRNA 221 and 222 could be considered as biomarkers for disease progression in prostate cancer requires further investigation.

Evaluation of the Clinical Significance of Classification of Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Instability Using Double-Contrast Computed Tomography Arthrography

This study evaluated the clinical significance of traumatic anterior shoulder instability (TASI) classification using double-contrast computed tomography (CT) arthrography. Patient were randomly assigned to two groups: group 1 ( n = 62); and group 2 ( n = 63). TASI symptom severity in group 1 was assessed using physical signs of shoulder trauma and conventional X-ray, CT and magnetic resonance imaging; these patients received either conservative management (with physical rehabilitation) or standard surgery. Group 2 underwent double-contrast CT arthrography to classify TASI; its findings formed the basis of subsequent management. At 24 months post-therapy, significant improvements in clinical outcomes were observed in group 2: Constant scores were higher and Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index scores were lower. At 24 months, recurrence rates were 21.0% (13/62) in group 1 and 7.9% (5/63) in group 2. Findings suggested that TASI classification using double-contrast CT arthrography provided meaningful information thereby improving treatment efficacy.

Application of constructed wetland for urban lake water purification: trial of Xing-qing Lake in Xi'an city, China

A comprehensive review of the current water pollution status in China has indicated that the urban lakes in Chinese cities have suffered from serious pollution and are in high risk of eutrophication, although the pollution sources have been largely controlled. The objective of this study lies in exploring a long term restoration of the aquatic ecosystem in Chinese city lakes using treatment wetland, an environmentally friendly and cost-effective technology. Trials from a subsurface horizontal flow constructed wetland (CW) have demonstrated that the treatment wetland can be used for a purpose such as lake water quality control. Average removal of 84.2% for COD, 53.8% for NH(3)-N, 47.9% for TN, 73.3% for TP and 86.6% for SS can be achieved. Relatively, low removal of nitrogen lies in the lack of nitrification and denitrification process. Accordingly, improved configuration of the treatment wetland system has been proposed and discussed. Finally, the importance of the integrated constructed wetland especially for the application of urban lake water treatment is highlighted.

Molecular cytogenetic characterization of a new wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium partial amphiploid resistant to powdery mildew and stripe rust

A partial amphiploid, TE253, derived from crosses between the common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Yannong 15 and Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey was characterized by cytogenetic observations, disease resistance tests and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). Mitotic observations showed that most plants of TE253 had 56 chromosomes, but a few had 54 or 55 chromosomes. The chromosomes in most pollen mother cells of plants with 2n = 56 formed 28 bivalents. Univalents (0.89 per cell) and tetravalents (0.087 per cell) occasionally occurred at meiotic metaphase I, showing a high degree of cytogenetic stability. After inoculation with the powdery mildew and stripe rust pathogens, Yannong 15 was highly susceptible, whereas TE253 and Th. intermedium were immune to both diseases. This indicated that the resistance of TE253 to powdery mildew and stripe rust was derived from Th. intermedium. GISH analysis using St-genomic DNA from Pseudoroegneria strigosa (M. Bieb) A. Löve as a probe and ABD-genomic DNA from Chinese Spring wheat as a blocker demonstrated that TE253 consisted of 2 St-genome chromosomes, 8 J(S)-genome chromosomes, 2 SAT J chromosomes and 2 J-St translocated chromosomes. Line TE253 is a new partial amphiploid with resistance to both powdery mildew and stripe rust and can be used as a source of resistance genes in wheat improvement.

Investigation of drug loading and in vitro release mechanisms of insulin-lauryl sulfate complex loaded PLGA nanoparticles

Insulin, a water soluble peptide hormone, was hydrophobically ion-paired with sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS) at the stoichiometric molar ratio of 6:1. The obtained insulin-SDS complex precipitation was subsequently formulated in biodegradable poly (D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles by a modified spontaneous emulsion solvent diffusion method. Compared with a conventional method for free insulin encapsulation, direct dissolution of SDS-paired insulin in the non-aqueous organic phase led to an increase in drug recovery from 42.5% to 89.6%. The more hydrophobic complex contributes to the improved affinity of insulin to the polymer matrix, resulting in a higher drug content in the nanoparticles. The drug loading was investigated by determining initial burst release at the first 30 min. The results showed that 64.8% of recovered drug were preferentially surface bound on complex loaded nanoparticles. The in vitro drug release was characterized by an initial burst and subsequent delayed release in dissolution media of deionized water and phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Compared with that in PBS, nanoparticles in deionized water medium presented very low initial burst release (15% vs. 65%) and incomplete cumulative release (25% vs. 90%) of the drug. In addition, dialysis experiments were performed to clarify the form of the released insulin in the dissolution media. The results suggested that the ion-pair complex was sensitive to ionic strength, insulin was released from the particular matrix as complex form and subsequently suffered dissociation from SDS in buffer saline. Moreover, the in vivo bioactivity of the SDS-paired insulin and nanoparticulate formulations were evaluated in mice by estimation of their blood sugar levels. The results showed that the bioactivity of insulin was unaltered after the ion-pairing process.

Fluorescence evolution of leachates during treatment processes from two contrasting landfills

Landfill leachates are composed of a complex mixture of organic matter, including a wide range of potentially fluorescent organic compounds. The fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (FEEM) of leachates during treatment processes is investigated. Particular attention is paid to the fluorescence evolution of leachates during treatment processes. Two typical types of landfill, landfill A (a direct municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill) and landfill B (disposal of bottom ashes from MSW incinerators), in a city in Southern China were selected. The results show that two characteristic and intense excitation-emission peaks located at Ex/Em = 310-330 nm/395-410 nm (peak alpha) and Ex/Em = 250-260 nm/450-460 nm (peak alpha') are observed. As the aromatic chemicals, capable of emitting fluorescence, are more recalcitrant to biodegradation than aliphatic chemicals, enhancement of the dissolved organic carbon normalized fluorescence intensities is demonstrated during treatment processes of leachate A and leachate B. This is confirmed by the variation of ultraviolet absorptivity of leachates at 254 nm. Peak alpha' and peak alpha are attributed to a mixture of xenobiotic organic compounds with low molecular weight and relatively stable aromatic fulvic-like matters with high molecular weight, respectively. Humic substances are more resistant to biodegradation than xenobiotic organic compounds, so a significant reduction in the Ialpha'/Ialpha values (fluorescence intensity ratios of peak alpha' and peak a) of leachate A was observed during treatment processes. However, no evident variation for the Ialpha/Ialpha values of leachate B was found during treatment processes owing to the low concentrations of xenobiotic organic compounds in leachate B after incineration.

Optimized preparation of insulin-lauryl sulfate complex loaded poly (lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles using response surface methodology

Insulin-lauryl sulfate (INS-SDS) complex loaded poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles were prepared by spontaneous emulsion solvent diffusion method. To improve the insulin entrapment efficiency (E.E), a five-level-two-factor central composite design and surface response methodology (RSM) was used to determine the optimum levels of PLGA/INS complex weight ratio and PVA/ acetone volume ratio, two important variables during nanoparticles fabrication. A quadratic model to express the E.E as a function of the two studied factors was developed. Only 10 experimental runs were necessary and the obtained model was adequate (P < 0.05). By partial derivative resolution of regression model, the optimum weight ratio of PLGA/INS complex and volume ratio of PVA/acetone was determined as 25/1 and 10/1, respectively. This preparing condition resulted E.E of insulin as high as 91% during nanoparticles production. Validation of the model was accomplished by experiments carried out on optimized formulation conditions. The experimental results were in good agreement with those predicted by the model. The results indicated that RSM represents an effective and potential technique for formulation optimization.

Factors Affecting Stability ofZ-Ligustilide in the Volatile Oil ofRadix Angelicae SinensisandLigusticum Chuanxiongand Its Stability Prediction

The purpose of this investigation is to obtain a suitable vehicle for Z-ligustilide in the volatile oil of Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Ligusticum Chuanxiong in which it is stable enough for the application in pharmaceutics, to investigate its degradation laws, and to predict its shelf-life at 25 degrees C. Factors including temperature, light, pH value, co-solvents and antioxidants can all influence the stability of Z-ligustilide, thereinto antioxidants could markedly improve its stability in aqueous solution by almost 35%. The suitable vehicle for Z-ligustilide contains 1.5% tween-80, 0.3% Vitamin C, and 20% propylene glycol (PG). Furthermore, the degradation rates of Z-ligustilide were found to conform to a rate equation following Weibull probability distribution within a range of degradation ratio, and the equation could be expressed as follow: ln ln (1/1-alpha) = ln k + m ln t. Where alpha is degradation ratio; t is time; m and k are constants relating to the degradation rate. The degradation rate will get greater as the increasing of parameter k. According to the degradation law obtained from the equation, the drug shelf-life (10% of active ingredient degraded, T90) in this vehicle was predicted to be more than 1.77 years at 25 degrees C through Arrehenius equation and accelerating experiments. The present investigation was undertaken to propose a kinetic treatment that may be applicable to any type of degradation of the active ingredient of pharmaceutical formulation, and also could provide a good foundation for the new drug development of Z-ligustilide, especially for injection formulation.

Genetic differentiation of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) in China

The population genetic structures of Culex pipiens Linnaeus were evaluated in China over a 2000 km transect that encompasses the two subspecies, C. p. pallens and C. p. quinquefasciatus. Four polymorphic allozyme loci were investigated in 1376 mosquitoes sampled from 20 populations across four provinces. These loci were not statistically dependent with no apparent heterozygote deficit or excess. On a regional scale (intra-province), a low (Fst=0.007-0.016) and significant genetic differentiation was found, with no clear geographical pattern. On a wider scale (inter-province), the genetic differentiation was higher (Fst=0.059), and an isolation by distance emerged. The results are compared with previous population genetic surveys of this mosquito species in different geographic areas over the world. The overall pattern suggests that Culex pipiens requires considerable distance (500-1000 km) to show isolation by distance, irrespective of the subspecies (C. p. pipiens, C. p. quinquefasciatus and C. p. pallens) or the geographic location.

Simultaneous determination of diallyl trisulfide and diallyl disulfide in rat blood by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

A simple, rapid and sensitive method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of diallyl trisulfide (DATS) and diallyl disulfide (DADS) in rat blood by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The analytes were prevented from degradation by addition of acetonitrile and extraction with hexane before gas chromatographic separation. Two calibration curves for DATS were linear over the range of 10-500 ng/mL and 0.2-20 microg/mL, with typical r values of 0.9989 and 0.9993, respectively. Similarly, two calibration curves for DADS were linear in the concentration range of 50-5000 ng/mL and 1-30 microg/mL, with typical r values of 0.9989 and 0.9983, respectively. The limit of detection was less than 10 ng/mL for DATS and 50 ng/mL for DADS, and the assay was highly reproducible, considering the intra-, inter-day relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) below 12%. The developed procedure was successfully applied for the evaluation of the pharmacokinetics of garlic oil following iv administration at a single dose (10 mg) of garlic oil in rats. The results show that the developed method is suitable for pharmacokinetic and therapeutic purposes of DATS and DADS.

Real-time quantitative assay of HCV RNA using the duplex scorpion primer

A novel real-time quantitative method for detecting HCV in serum was established in which the duplex scorpion primer was used to provide a unimolecular probing mechanism for hybridizing the highly conserved 5' noncoding region (5' NCR) of the HCV genome specifically. Through methodological evaluation, we found this new method had a wide linearity, high sensitivity, repeatability and specificity. Compared to the commercial TaqMan method, this method was found to be more sensitive and less costly, and the final results were obtained more quickly. Therefore, it could be applied to diagnose and monitor HCV infection in clinical practice.

The enhancement of cell adherence and inducement of neurite outgrowth of dorsal root ganglia co-cultured with hyaluronic acid hydrogels modified with Nogo-66 receptor antagonist in vitro

Hyaluronic acid hydrogels modified with polyclonal anti-Nogo-66 receptor antibody were developed in order to promote regeneration in the injured CNS. These modified hydrogels were intended not only to deliver antibodies, but also to serve as a scaffold for neural regeneration following their implantation into injured tissue. Since unmodified hyaluronic acid-hydrogels do not support cell attachment, the gels were modified with polyclonal anti-Nogo-66 receptor with the aim of altering the surface properties of the gels in such a way as to improve neuronal adherence and survival. After evaluating the immobilization efficiency of the system, chicken dorsal root ganglia and dorsal root ganglia cells were planted on the surface of the modified gels to determine cell viability. Dorsal root ganglia were also cultured close to the gels in order to assay the inducement of neurite outgrowth. In dorsal root ganglia and cell viability assay, dorsal root ganglia and neuron cells could adhere to the modified hydrogels and survive well, but it did not happen to unmodified hydrogels. After 72 h, these attached cells were stained positively with immuno-staining for neurofilament. Neurite outgrowth inducement assay showed that the number and length of dorsal root ganglia neurites on the side toward modified hydrogels were significantly more than that on the opposite side (both P<0.01). The results reveal that hyaluronic acid-hydrogels modified with anti-Nogo-66 receptor can support neural cell attachment and survival in vitro. Furthermore, this system can greatly induce neurite outgrowth. The results also indicate that this modified hydrogels have potential to repair injury in the CNS.

A mutation in SART3 gene in a Chinese pedigree with disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis

BACKGROUND

Disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis (DSAP) is an uncommon autosomal dominant chronic disorder of keratinization, characterized by multiple superficial keratotic lesions surrounded by a slightly raised keratotic border. Thus far, although two loci for DSAP have been identified, and the genetic basis and pathogenesis of this disorder have not been elucidated.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the locus of DSAP and identify the candidate gene(s) of the disease.

METHODS

Genome-wide scan and linkage analysis were performed in a six-generation Chinese family with DSAP. The coding exons of the candidate genes were sequenced to analyse and detect the nucleotide variations.

RESULTS

Linkage analysis showed that the maximum two-point lod score of 5.56 was obtained with the marker D12S79 at a recombination fraction theta of 0.00. Haplotype analysis defined the critical region for DSAP between D12S330 and D12S1612 on 12q24.1-24.2. By sequence analysis, we found a Val591Met mutation in SART3 in all affected individuals of the family.

CONCLUSION

SART3 is a candidate gene for DSAP, and is possibly involved in the pathogenesis of DSAP.

[Selection of beta-glucanase-producing Trichoderma köningii T199 and its fermentation conditions]

A mutant strain T199 producing about 8 times as much beta-glucanase as its parent strain trichoderma köningii T3 was obtained by treatment with ultraviolet light and N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Fermentation was conducted in 250 mL flask, each containing 30 mL of medium consisted of 5% corn cob powder, 3% wheat bran and 1.4% nitrogen source No. 10 ((NH4)2SO4 10%, Peptone 20%, Yeast extract 15%). The optima culture conditions were as below: initial pH 5.0, 30 degrees C, shaking speed 280 r/min, and cultivation time 5 d. Enzyme activity toward CMC-Na, lichenin, laminarin and barley beta-glucan at pH 5.0 and 60 degrees C for 10 min were 300, 1100, 12 and 1600 IU/mL, respectively. The optima pH and temperature for enzyme action toward barley beta-glucan were pH 5.0 and 70 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme was stable under below 50 degrees C and at pH 4.5-6.5.

[The epoxidation of cis-propenylphophonic acid to fosfomycin by Pencillium sp]

One strain of Penicillium sp. F5, found from soil sample, was able to stereo-specific epoxidation of cis-propenylphosphonic acid(PPOH) to fosfomycin[(-)-(1R, 2S)-1, 2-epoxypropylphosphonic acid, FOM] during the cultivation. The product (FOM) was identified by thin layer chromatography and microbiological assay. Under the culture conditions of 28 degrees C pH7.5 and 280 r/min, 0.3% concentration of PPOH, reached a level of 2.2 mg/ml of FoM and the yield was 41%. When the PPOH concentration was 0.6%, the yield was 8%.

[Purification and characterization of an endo-beta-1, 4-mannanase from Bacillus subtilis BM9602]

An extracellular neutral endo-beta-mannanase(endo-beta-1, 4-D-mannan mannanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.78)of Bacillus subtilis BM9602 was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose DE22 chromatography with 45.5 fold and 5.9% yield. It's molecular weight and pl value were 35 kD by SDS-PAGE and 4.5 by isoelectric focusing, respectively. The enzyme was the most active at pH 5.8. The optimum temperature of the enzyme activity was 50 degrees C. The enzyme was stable at pH 6.0-8.0 and below 50 degrees C. The activity of the enzyme was inhibited by Hg2+, Ag+ strongly. For various substrates, such as locust bean gum, guar gum, sesbania gum and konjac gum, Km and Vmax value of the enzyme were 3.8, 14.9, 11.3, 2.4 mg/mL, and 24.5, 86.5, 38.4, 19.8 mumol.min-1.mg-1, respectively. The enzyme hydrolize various plant beta-mannans, with valuable oligosaccharides and without monosaccharide.