Mechanisms of anaerobic treatment of sulfate-containing organic wastewater mediated by Fe0 under different initial pH values

The anaerobic treatment of sulfide-containing organic wastewater (SCOW) is significantly affected by pH, causing dramatic decrease of treatment efficiency when pH deviates from its appropriate range. Fe0 has proved as an effective strategy on mitigating the impact of pH. However, systematic analysis of the influence mechanism is still lacking. To fill this gap, the impact of different initial pH values on anaerobic treatment efficiency of SCOW with Fe0 addition, the change of fermentation type and methanogens, and intra-extracellular electron transfer were explored in this study. The results showed that Fe0 addition enhanced the efficacy of anaerobic treatment of SCOW at adjusted initial pH values, especially at pH 6. Mechanism analysis showed that respiratory chain-related enzymes and electron shuttle secretion and resistance reduction were stimulated by soluble iron ions generated by Fe0 at pH 6, which accelerated intra-extracellular electron transfer of microorganisms, and ultimately alleviated the impact of acidic pH on the system. While at pH 8, Fe0 addition increased the acetogenic bacteria abundance, as well as optimized the fermentation type and improved the F420 coenzyme activity, resulting in the enhancement of treatment efficiency in the anaerobic system and remission of the effect of alkaline pH on the system. At the neutral pH, Fe0 addition had both advantages as stimulating the secretion of respiratory chain and electron transfer-related enzymes at pH 6 and optimizing the fermentation type pH 8, and thus enhanced the treatment efficacy. This study provides important insights and scientific basis for the application of new SCOW treatment technologies.

A retrospective study on adverse events of intravenous administration of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications in 83,778 patients

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the rate of adverse events (AEs) caused by intravenous administration of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications retrospectively and to explore practical measures for prevention and treatment of them.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study enrolled 83,778 contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations using sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles intravenously performed during 11 years. Age, gender, and target organs of all CEUS patients were recorded. For cases of AEs, their medical history and laboratory results were also collected. The process of AEs was assessed and categorized. Besides, the management of AEs were recorded.

RESULTS

Twenty patients had sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles-related AEs. The AE rate was 0.024%. No significant difference was observed between patients with AEs and the whole group for age and sex distribution. All AEs happened in liver examinations. Among them, 7 (35%) were mild, 8 (40%) were moderate, and 5 (25%) were severe. They were categorized into 15 allergic-like reactions and 5 physiologic reactions. The manifestations of mild and moderate AEs mainly include urticaria, chills, and mild hypoxia, which could be eased by simple management. Severe cases had anaphylactic shock, generalized convulsions, and diffuse erythema with hypotension respectively. They need close monitoring and oxygen inhalation with anti-shock and anti-anaphylactic treatment. Most cases started within 30 min and recovered within 1 day.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravenous administration of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications was safe with rare AEs. AEs were more likely to happen in abdominal applications than superficial ones. A well-designed emergency plan should be available for clinical use of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles to reduce AEs and to deal with AEs properly.

CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

Intravenous administration of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications reported few AEs and could be considered safe but severe AEs are life-threatening. We analyzed the influence factors of AEs and propose some methods for prevention and treatment of them, which can further improve the safety of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in clinical practice.

KEY POINTS

• The AE rate of sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles in abdominal and superficial applications was 0.024%. • Patients were more likely to have AEs in abdominal applications than superficial ones. • Severe AEs are life-threatening and need prompt identification and treatment. • We summarized some detailed suggestions for clinical prevention and treatment of AEs.

[Definition of severe pulmonary tuberculosis: a scoping review]

Objective: To clarify the definition of severe pulmonary tuberculosis and its inclusion criteria by summarizing and analyzing the studies of severe pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Methods: A systematic search of Medline (via PubMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Web of Science, Epistemonikos, Embase, CNKI, WanFang database, and CBM database was conducted to collect studies published between 2017 and 2022 on patients with severe pulmonary TB. Searches were performed using a combination of subject terms and free words. The search terms included: tuberculosis, severe, serious, intensive care, critical care, respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation, hospitalization, respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, pulmonary heart disease, and pneumothorax. The definitions and inclusion criteria for severe pulmonary TB in the included studies were extracted. Results: A total of 19 981 studies were identified and 100 studies were finally included, involving 8 309 patients with severe pulmonary TB. A total of 8 (8.00%) studies explicitly mentioned the definition of severe pulmonary TB, and 53 (53.00%) studies clearly defined the inclusion criteria for patients with severe pulmonary TB. A total of 5 definitions and 30 inclusion criteria were extracted. A total of 132 dichotomous variables and 113 continuous variables were included in the outcome indicators related to patients with severe pulmonary TB of concern in the studies. Conclusions: The definition and diagnostic criteria for severe TB are unclear, and there is an urgent need to develop a clear definition and diagnostic criteria to guide clinical practice.

GO/iron series systems enhancing the pH shock resistance of anaerobic systems for sulfate-containing organic wastewater treatment

In this study, the effect of pH shock during the treatment of sulfate-containing organic wastewater was investigated using an anaerobic fermentation system reinforced with graphene oxide (GO)/iron series systems. The results show that the anaerobic system with the GO/iron series systems exhibited enhanced resistance to pH shock. Among them, the GO/Fe⁰ system had the strongest resistance to pH shock, the systems of GO/Fe₃O₄ and GO/Fe₂O₃ followed close behind, while the blank system performed the worst. After pH shock, the COD_Cr removal rate, SO₄²⁻ removal rate, and gas production of the GO/Fe⁰ group were significantly improved compared with those of the control group by 51.0%, 65.3%, and 34.6%, respectively, while the accumulation of propionic acid was the lowest. Further, detailed microbial characterization revealed that the introduction of the GO/iron series systems was beneficial to the formation of more stable anaerobic co-metabolic flora in the system, and the relative abundance of Geobacter, Clostridium, Desulfobulbus and Desulfovibrio increased after acidic and alkaline shock.

In this paper, we studied the pH shock resistance mechanism of GO/iron series from the perspectives of the treatment effect, changes in effluent pH and VFA, and microbial co-metabolic stability, providing a reference for the practical application.

[Anatomical study and clinical application of in situ reduction and fixation of anterior medial fenestration approach of femoral head fracture]

Objectives: To explore the feasibility of anterior medial fenestration approach in situ reduction and fixation in the treatment of PipkinⅠ and Ⅱ femoral head fractures,and to explore the clinical effect of this operation. Methods: Hips of two anti-corrosion adult specimens treated with formalin were dissected, then anatomical structures and directional characteristics of anterior medial main muscles,ligaments,blood vessels and nerves were observed.The anterior medial fenestration approach was performed on bilateral hips of four fresh frozen specimens to determine pulling direction of stripped muscles and ligaments required during operation,and to observe and analyze vascular and nerve traction protection directions exposed in the approach.Determine extent of exposure to the approach and assess feasibility of this approach.The clinical data of 12 patients with Pipkin Ⅰ and Ⅱ femoral head fractures who underwent in situ reduction and fixation of anterior medial fenestration at Department of Orthopaedics,Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University from February 2016 to April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 3 males and 9 females with an age of 48.5 years(range:37 to 59 years).There were 8 cases of Pipkin type Ⅰ and 4 cases of Pipkin type Ⅱ.The operation time,blood loss,fracture healing time,last Thompson-Epstein evaluation and Harris score were observed. Results: Anterior medial fenestration approach to expose the femoral head in 4 bilateral hips with a total of 8 sides of fresh frozen specimens.The upper boundary of observation fenestration was pubic body (anterior acetabulum),and the outer upper boundary was iliacus and psoas muscle.The lateral boundary is rectus femoris and femoral vessels,the lower boundary was transverse branch of the medial femoral circumflex artery and vein.The medial boundary was pubis muscle,short adductor muscle and long adductor muscle.Pubofemoral and iliofemoral ligament were seen in fenestration. Four quadrants in front of femoral head in fenestration can be seen after cutting switch capsule active hip joint. In 12 patients with femoral head fracture,the operation time was 107.5 minutes(range:90 to 135 minutes),and the intraoperative bleeding volume was 115.0 ml(range:85 to 150 ml).The patients were followed up for 18.6 months(range:12 to 28 months).The fracture healing time of 12 patients was 144.2 days(range:120 to 180 days).The curative effect was evaluated according to Thompson-Epstein standard at the last follow-up:excellent in 6 cases,good in 4 cases and fair in 2 cases.At the last follow-up,the Harris score of hip joints was 85.1(range:75 to 93). Conclusions: Anterior medial fenestration in situ reduction and fixation surgery is feasible for the treatment of Pipkin Ⅰ and Ⅱ femoral head fractures. The short and midterm follow-up reveal satisfactory effect.

Transcriptome profiling reveals morphogenesis-related candidate genes and pathways in the chick embryonic small intestine

1. A better understanding of intestinal development is essential for the intestinal health of poultry. Intestinal villification starts on embryo day E15 and is generally completed before hatching (E21). The development of lymphoid organs in the intestine starts during embryogenesis. However, transcriptional information on the processing of intestinal morphogenesis and immune development during chick embryogenesis is limited.2. In this work, RNA-sequencing was performed using 12 biological replicates to investigate Hy-Line brown chick embryonic small intestinal transcription at E15 and E21. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between E15 and E21 were identified. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, based on the DEGs, were performed to identify key GO terms in the biological process category and key KEGG pathways. PPI networks were constructed based on the DEGs in the key pathways to screen hub genes. The embryonic small intestinal morphology and IgA distribution were observed by histological processing. The serum levels of IgA and lysozyme were measured by ELISA.3. A total of 76.38 Gb of high-quality RNA-sequencing data were generated and uploaded. A total of 2,676 DEGs, between E15 and E21, were identified. Structural development and villification of the small intestine at E15 tended to proceed via the expression of nervous system development-related genes. A combination of the histological and serological results with the transcriptome data indicated that the identified genes and pathways may be strong candidates for intestinal morphogenesis-regulation.4. The small intestine appears to have developed a relatively complete morphology and transport, metabolism, digestion and immunity functions by E21. This work provided a transcriptome profile of the chick embryonic small intestine and provided insights into the intestinal development and health of poultry.

The effects of temperature shock on the treatment of high-concentration organic wastewater by an Fe0/GO-anaerobic system

Temperature changes are inevitable during the actual operation of anaerobic systems. Adding an Fe⁰/GO composite is shown to improve microbial activity and alleviate the adverse effects caused by temperature shock.

Gen-editing to model Short QT syndrome type 5 using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Aims

Short QT syndrome (SQTS), a disorder associated with characteristic electrocardiogram QT-segment abbreviation, predisposes afflicted patients to sudden cardiac death. Despite some progress in assessing the organ level pathophysiology and genetic changes of the disorder, the understanding of the human cellular phenotype and discovering of an optimal therapy has lagged due to a lack of appropriate human cellular models of the disorder. The aim of this study was to establish a cellular model of SQTS type 5 using human-induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) and gene-edited cell line using CRISPR/CAS9.

Methods and results

This study recruited one patient with short QT syndrome type 5 carrying a mutation in CACNb2 gene as well as one healthy control subject. We generated hiPSCs from their skin fibroblasts, and differentiated hiPSCs into cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) for physiological. Isogenic control hiPSC-CMs generated by the CRISPR/CAS9 technique were also used for the study.

The hiPSC-CMs from the patient showed a reduced calcium current (ICa-L) density and shortened action potential duration (APD) compared with healthy control hiPSC-CMs and isogenic hiPSC-CMs. Furthermore, they demonstrated abnormal rhythmic activities. Carbachol increased the arrhythmic events in SQTS significantly but not in healthy and isogenic control cells. Gene and protein expression profiling showed a decreased CACNb2 expression in SQTS cells. Quinidine prolonged the APD and abolished arrhythmic activity.

Conclusions

Patient-specific hiPSC-CMs are able to recapitulate single-cell phenotype features of SQTS type 5 and provide novel opportunities to further elucidate the cellular disease mechanism and test drug effects.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Perioperative Nursing of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer Treated with a Nanoknife

To summarize the experience of 40 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with irreversible electroporation ablation (IRE), their experiences with surgical nurses, and to explore the best nursing methods before and during IRE ablation. Preoperative visits were conducted to assess the condition of patients, and psychological counseling was subsequently given to them. All material and medication required for the operation were prepared in advance, and placed in appropriate locations. All 40 patients were treated successfully. The mean time of IRE ablation was 63.33±12.26 (range, 37-87) minutes, and mean blood loss was 2.09±0.49 (range: 1.0-2.8) mL. There were no ablation-related deaths. Skillful mastery of nanoknife usage and troubleshooting methods, intensive observation of patients' vital signs during ablation, and active cooperation with surgeons can ensure successful ablation and can reduce the influence of improper nursing during ablation on patients' prognosis.

[Study on the correlation between dietary N-glycolylneuraminic acid intake and chronic inflammation state of body]

Objective: To explore the correlation between dietary N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) intake and chronic inflammation state of body. Methods: A total of 306 samples of 102 types of food were purchased from a supermarket in Xiamen in September 2019, including grains, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, beans, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. The content of Neu5Gc in food was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 500 healthy freshmen from Xiamen University were selected by using a simple random sampling method. The food frequency questionnaire was used to investigate the food intake in the past year. The food intake was corrected by 3 consecutive 24-hour recalls, and the amount of Neu5Gc intake was calculated. The concentration of anti-Neu5Gc antibody, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum was detected. Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between Neu5Gc intake and anti-Neu5Gc antibody, CRP and IL-6 levels. Results: Neu5Gc was mainly found in red meat and liquid dairy products. The contents of Neu5Gc in beef, lamb and pork were (30.32±2.84), (20.39±4.73) and (5.58±1.04) mg/kg, respectively, and in liquid milk and yogurt were (10.87±1.54) and (6.91±0.24) mg/L, respectively. The M (P₂₅, P₇₅) intake of Neu5Gc for all participants was 4.62 (2.20, 8.60) mg/d. The M(P₂₅, P₇₅) intake of Neu5Gc for males about 6.60(2.83, 10.20) was higher than that for females about [3.84 (1.84, 6.35) mg/d] (P<0.001). The M (P₂₅, P₇₅) of serum anti-Neu5Gc, CRP and IL-6 levels were 3.07 (2.17, 4.14) μg/ml, 0.37 (0.22, 0.87) mg/ml and 61.82 (12.23, 315.30) pg/ml, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the intake level of Neu5Gc was positively correlated with serum anti-Neu5Gc antibody, CRP and IL-6 levels, with r_s values about 0.222, 0.102 and 0.126, respectively (all P values <0.05). Conclusion: Dietary Neu5Gc intake is mainly from red meat and liquid dairy products, and its intake level is positively correlated with chronic inflammatory state of body.

Combination of highly efficient microflora to degrade paint spray exhaust gas

Spray paint exhaust gas contains recalcitrant volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX). Treating BTX with a biofilter often achieves unsatisfactory results because the biofilter lacks efficient microbial community. In this work, three strains for BTX degradation were isolated and identified as Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis by using 16S rRNA sequencing technology. A consortium of highly efficient microbial community was then constructed on a stable biofilm to treat BTX in a biofilter. A relatively suitable ratio of P. putida, B. cereus and B. subtilis was obtained. An efficiency of over 90% was achieved in the biofilter with VOC concentration of 1000 mg/m3 through inoculation with the microbial community after only 10 days of operation. Thus, fast start-up of the biofilter was realised. Analysis of intermediate products by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated that BTX was degraded into short-chain aldehydes or acids via ring opening reactions.

Synthesis of nanoparticle-assembled Zn3(VO4)2 porous networks via a facile coprecipitation method for high-rate and long-life lithium-ion storage

A simple coprecipitation route followed by a calcination process was developed to prepare 2D hierarchical Zn₃(VO₄)₂ porous networks formed by the crosslinkage of monolayered nanoparticles. As a promising anode for lithium ion batteries, the electrochemical performance of Zn₃(VO₄)₂ was investigated. At a current density of 1.0 A g^-1, the Zn₃(VO₄)₂ porous networks could register a high reversible discharge capacity of 773 mA h g^-1 and the capacity retention was 94% after 700 cycles. Moreover, a remarkable reversible discharge capacity of 445 mA h g^-1 was achieved at a current density of 5 A g^-1 after 1200 cycles. Even at a higher current density of 10.0 A g^-1, a high reversible capacity of 527 mA h g^-1 could be delivered, which still remained at 163 mA h g^-1 after 1200 cycles. This superior performance is attributed to the unique 2D porous networks with a stable structure. This work shows a new avenue for facile, cheap, green, and mass production of zinc vanadate oxides with 2D porous hierarchical networks for next-generation energy conversion and storage devices.

Design of Langmuir probe diagnostic system for the upgraded lower tungsten divertor in EAST tokamak

In order to achieve long-pulse H-mode plasma scenario over 400 s with high heating power in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) device, the lower graphite divertor will be upgraded into a tungsten (W) divertor with active water cooling, which consists of the W/Cu monoblock units and the W flat-tile units as the divertor plasma facing components. As a fundamental diagnostic tool, the divertor Langmuir probe (Div-LP) diagnostic system will be upgraded accordingly. This paper presents the design of two kinds of new Div-LP systems, which are planned to be utilized on the W/Cu monoblock units and the W flat-tile units for the upgraded lower tungsten divertor, respectively, including their structures and preliminary poloidal and toroidal layouts. The Div-LP diagnostic system can measure the plasma parameters with the schemes of triple-probe, double-probe, and single-probe, to obtain the spatial and temporal distribution of plasma behavior on the divertor targets, which is useful for the discharge control and operation in EAST. In addition, the thermal analysis of the two kinds of probe assemblies is also carried out by using the three-dimensional finite element code ANSYS, which is aimed to get the optimal designs to withstand the long-pulse and high-power operation in EAST future experiments.

[Comparison of external fixation with or without limited internal fixation for open knee fractures]

Objective: To explore the characteristics and methods of different fixation methods and prevention of open knee joint fracture. Methods: The data of 86 cases of open knee joint fracture admitted from January 2002 to December 2015 in Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University were analyzed retrospectively.There were 65 males and 21 females aged of 38.6 years. There were 38 cases treated with trans articular external fixation alone, 48 cases were in the trans articular external fixation plus auxiliary limited internal fixation group. All the patients were treated according to the same three stages except for different fixation methods. Observation of external fixation and fracture fixation, fracture healing, wound healing and treatment, treatment and related factors of infection control and knee function recovery. χ(2) test was used to analyze data. Results: Eleven patients had primary wound healing, accounting for 12.8%. Seventy-five patients had two wounds healed, accounting for 87.2%. Only 38 cases of trans articular external fixator group had 31 cases of articular surface reduction, accounting for 81.6%; Five cases of trans articular external fixator assisted limited internal fixation group had 5 cases of poor reduction, accounting for 10.4%; There was significant difference between the two groups (χ(2)=44.132, P<0.05). Take a single cross joint external fixation group, a total of 23 cases of patients with infection, accounted for 60.5% of external fixation group; trans articular external fixation assisted limited internal fixation group there were 30 cases of patients with infection, accounting for the assistance of external fixator and limited internal fixation group 62.5%; There was significant difference between the two groups(χ(2)=0.035, P>0.05). Five cases of fracture nonunion cases of serious infection, patients voluntarily underwent amputation. The Lysholm Knee Scale: In the external fixation group, 23 cases were less than 50 points, accounting for 60.5%, 15 cases were more than 50 points, accounting for 39.5%, external fixation and limited internal fixation group 20 cases were less than 50 points, accounting for 41.7%, 28 cases were more than 50 points, accounting for 58.3%; There was significant difference between the two groups(χ(2)=1.279, P>0.05). Conclusions: Prevention and control of infection is a central link in the treatment of open fracture of the knee. Trans articular external fixator plus limited internal fixation is an important measure to treat open fracture of the knee-joint.

[Clinical outcome of totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for mitral valve replacement: a series of 634 cases]

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the clinical outcome of totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for mitral valve replacement.

METHODS

Clinical data of 634 cases undergoing totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for mitral valve replacement from May 2004 to February 2016 in Department of Thoracoscopic Cardiacsurgery, Shanghai Yodak Cardiothoracic Hospital was analyzed retrospectively. There were 292 male and 342 female patients, aged from 17 to 68 years with a mean of (45±13) years. All the 634 patients had moderate-severe mitral valve stenosis and (or) incompetence, 263 patients had moderate-severe tricuspid valve incompetence, 356 patients had atrial fibrillation, 46 patients had left atrium thrombosis. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established with right femoral artery and a single 2 stage venus cannula in the right atrium. The ascending aorta was cross-clamped and the myocardium was protected by coronary perfusion with cold crystalloid cardioplegia. Totally thoracoscopic mitral valve replacement were performed.

RESULTS

Thirteen cases had incision expanded and 8 cases had conversions to sternotomy. Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp time were (89±18) minutes and (51±12) minutes, respectively. Operation time was (3.1±1.2) hours. Mechanical ventilation time and intensive care unit stay were (17±6) hours and (27±8) hours, respectively. Postoperation drainage quantity was (390±70) ml. The hospital days was (9.2±2.1) days. There were 5 cases in-hospital deaths. Postoperative complications occurred in 42 cases (6.6%), including 18 cases of right hemoneumothorax, 12 cases of reoperation for bleeding, 3 cases of perivalvular leakage (reoperation was done in 1 patient), 3 cases of low cardiac output syndrome, 2 cases of acute renal failure, 2 cases of inferior vena cava injury, 1 case of right femoral artery thrombosis and liver injury, respectively. The mean duration of follow-up was (58±9) months in 608 cases, with a follow-up rate of 96.7% (608/629). Three patients had died during the period of follow-up caused by congestive heart failure (2 patients) and stroke (1 patient). Late complication among 605 survivors were 37 cases, including 32 cases of moderate tricuspid valve insufficiency, 3 cases of stroke, 1 case of perivalvular leakage and infective endocarditis, respectively.There was no reoperation during the period of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery for mitral valve replacement is safe and effective, with unique superiority and clinical feasible.

Synthesis of porous ZnS, ZnO and ZnS/ZnO nanosheets and their photocatalytic properties

Porous ZnS, ZnO and ZnS–ZnO nanosheets (NSs) are obtained by annealing ZnS(en)_0.5 (en = ethylenediamine) NSs under suitable conditions in air.

Edge multi-energy soft x-ray diagnostic in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

A multi-energy soft x-ray (ME-SXR) diagnostic has been built for electron temperature profile in the edge plasma region in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) after two rounds of campaigns. Originally, five preamplifiers were mounted inside the EAST vacuum vessel chamber attached to five vertically stacked compact diode arrays. A custom mechanical structure was designed to protect the detectors and electronics under constraints of the tangential field of view for plasma edge and the allocation of space. In the next experiment, the mechanical structure was redesigned with a barrel structure to absolutely isolate it from the vacuum vessel. Multiple shielding structures were mounted at the pinhole head to protect the metal foils from lithium coating. The pre-amplifiers were moved to the outside of the vacuum chamber to avoid introducing interference. Twisted copper cooling tube was embedded into the back-shell near the diode to limit the temperature of the preamplifiers and diode arrays during vacuum vessel baking when the temperature reached 150 °C. Electron temperature profiles were reconstructed from ME-SXR measurements using neural networks.

Characterization of OsPM19L1 encoding an AWPM-19-like family protein that is dramatically induced by osmotic stress in rice

The plant-specific AWPM-19-domain proteins play important roles in plant development and stress responses. In the current study, OsPM19L1 encoding Oryza sativa AWPM-19-like protein 1 was isolated from rice. Tissue-specific gene expression analysis revealed that OsPM19L1 was highly expressed in the leaf sheath of rice. Interestingly, expression of OsPM19L1 was high at the early stage of panicle development and decreased thereafter. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that OsPM19L1 was dramatically induced by 20% PEG stress (>600-fold), exogenous abscisic acid (>350-fold), salt and cold stress. Subcellular localization assay suggested that the OsPM19L1-GFP (green fluorescent protein) fusion protein was localized in the membrane system in rice cells. Moreover, under stress conditions, OsPM19L1 expression was enhanced in an ABI5-Like1 (ABL1) deficiency rice mutant, abl1, suggesting that ABL1 negatively regulates OsPM19L1 gene expression. Thus, OsPM19L1 appears to be closely associated with stress tolerance through ABA-dependent pathway in rice.

Molecular alterations of the WWOX gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene is a candidate tumor suppressor gene. However, its exact mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of the WWOX gene in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Tissues were collected from 65 NPC patients. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed on NPC tissues to determine the expression of WWOX in NPC. The status of WWOX promoter methylation was analyzed by methylation-specific PCR. Moreover, a PCR-based loss of heterozygosity (LOH) assay was conducted to detect the presence of WWOX deletion in NPC. The expression of WWOX in NPC tissues was significantly downregulated compared with that in non-tumorous tissues (P<0.05). The low expression of WWOX was significantly correlated with clinical TNM stage (P<0.05). In addition, methylation of WWOX was detected in 27 (87%) of 31 WWOX protein negative tissues, suggesting that methylation of the WWOX promoter may regulate its expression. We found that a relatively high percentage of LOH was observed in NPC tissues. A significant inverse correlation between WWOX expression and methylation of its promoter was found in NPC tissue (rs=-0.582, P=0.001). However, LOH was not correlated with WWOX expression and methylation of its promoter. Our results show that WWOX gene alteration is an early genetic alteration and may contribute to tumorigenesis of NPC. WWOX may be an important prognostic marker in NPC.

The JAK2/STAT3 and mitochondrial pathways are essential for quercetin nanoliposome-induced C6 glioma cell death

The formulation of quercetin nanoliposomes (QUE-NLs) has been shown to enhance QUE antitumor activity in C6 glioma cells. At high concentrations, QUE-NLs induce necrotic cell death. In this study, we probed the molecular mechanisms of QUE-NL-induced C6 glioma cell death and examined whether QUE-NL-induced programmed cell death involved Bcl-2 family and mitochondrial pathway through STAT3 signal transduction pathway. Downregulation of Bcl-2 and the overexpression of Bax by QUE-NL supported the involvement of Bcl-2 family proteins upstream of C6 glioma cell death. In addition, the activation of JAK2 and STAT3 were altered following exposure to QUE-NLs in C6 glioma cells, suggesting that QUE-NLs downregulated Bcl-2 mRNAs expression and enhanced the expression of mitochondrial mRNAs through STAT3-mediated signaling pathways either via direct or indirect mechanisms. There are several components such as ROS, mitochondrial, and Bcl-2 family shared by the necrotic and apoptotic pathways. Our studies indicate that the signaling cross point of the mitochondrial pathway and the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in C6 glioma cell death is modulated by QUE-NLs. In conclusion, regulation of JAK2/STAT3 and ROS-mediated mitochondrial pathway agonists alone or in combination with treatment by QUE-NLs could be a more effective method of treating chemical-resistant glioma.

Brachial artery waveforms for automatic blood pressure measurement

Theoretically the auscultatory method using Korotkoff sounds is more related to the maximum artery closure status, while the oscillometric method is more related to the overall artery closure status under the cuff. Therefore, the latter is less accurate than the former. This work introduces a new method, which is more accurate than the oscillometric method and suitable for automatic devices. To monitor the maximum artery closure status, a piezoelectric film sensor is attached to the skin just above the brachial artery and under the central section of the cuff where maximum cuff pressure is transferred to the arm. Using the waveform features obtained by this sensor, measurement errors of 0.7±2.5 and 1.27±4.53 mmHg were obtained for the systolic and diastolic pressure, respectively. These reflect small deviations from auscultatory clinical data.

Agonists at GPR119 mediate secretion of GLP-1 from mouse enteroendocrine cells through glucose-independent pathways

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The G protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) mediates insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) release from intestinal L cells. While GPR119-mediated insulin secretion is glucose dependent, it is not clear whether or not GPR119-mediated GLP-1 secretion similarly requires glucose. This study was designed to address the glucose-dependence of GPR119-mediated GLP-1 secretion, and to explore the cellular mechanisms of hormone secretion in L cells versus those in β cells.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

GLP-1 secretion in response to GPR119 agonists and ion channel modulators, with and without glucose, was analysed in the intestinal L cell line GLUTag, in primary intestinal cell cultures and in vivo. Insulin secretion from Min6 cells, a pancreatic β cell line, was analysed for comparison.

KEY RESULTS

In GLUTag cells, GPR119 agonists stimulated GLP-1 secretion both in the presence and in the absence of glucose. In primary mouse colon cultures, GPR119 agonists stimulated GLP-1 secretion under glucose-free conditions. Moreover, a GPR119 agonist increased plasma GLP-1 in mice without a glucose load. However, in Min6 cells, GPR119-mediated insulin secretion was glucose-dependent. Among the pharmacological agents tested in this study, nitrendipine, an L-type voltage-dependent calcium channel blocker, dose-dependently reduced GLP-1 secretion from GLUTag cells, but had no effect in Min6 cells in the absence of glucose.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Unlike that in pancreatic β cells, GPR119-mediated GLP-1 secretion from intestinal L cells was glucose-independent in vitro and in vivo, probably because of a higher basal calcium tone in the L cells.

Human telomerase RNA gene (TERC) gain and polysomy of chromosome 3 in cervicovaginal liquid-based pap preparations: a fluorescence in situ hybridization study

PURPOSE. This study investigated human telomerase RNA gene (TERC) gain and polysomy of chromosome 3 in cervicovaginal liquid-based pap preparations in Guilin, China, and assessed the relationship between FISH findings and clinical diagnoses. METHODS. Slides prepared from 63 liquid-based preparations with cytologic diagnoses of negative for squamous intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM n = 9), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS, n = 18), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL, n = 14), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL, n = 9), and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA, n = 13) were analyzed for TERC gain and polysomy of chromosome 3 using a commercially available two-color FISH probe. The results of the cytologic analysis and those of concurrent or subsequent biopsies, when available, were compared with the FISH findings. The Mann-Whitney test was used to assess associations between FISH findings and diagnoses. RESULTS. TERC gain and polysomy of chromosome 3 were significantly associated with the cytologic diagnosis (p? 0.001). Patients with HSIL or SCCA cytology diagnoses had a significantly higher percentage of cells with TERC gain and polysomy of chromosome 3 than did patients with NILM, ASCUS or LSIL cytologic diagnoses. Those abnormal cases with CIN1 histological diagnosis had a significantly lower percentage of cells with TERC gain and polysomy of chromosome 3 than did patients with a CIN2, CIN3 and SCCA histological diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS. TERC gain and polysomy of chromosome 3 may be important associated genetic events in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma. FISH is a potential tool for the diagnoses of uterine cervix disease.

Polymorphisms in E-cadherin (CDH1) result in a mis-localised cytoplasmic protein that is associated with Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

Patients with Crohn's disease have defects in intestinal epithelial permeability that are inadequately explained by known inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility genes. E-cadherin (CDH1) plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier and its cellular localisation is disrupted in patients with Crohn's disease.

AIM

To determine if polymorphisms in the CDH1 gene are associated with Crohn's disease and to determine the function associated with these polymorphisms.

METHODS

The hypothesis was tested using a candidate gene approach using 20 Tag SNPs derived from the HapMap and Crohn's disease trios. Functional studies were carried out using HapMap cell lines and polarised epithelial cell lines (MDCK-1 and Caco2).

RESULTS

Here we show that CDH1 is associated with Crohn's disease in 327 trios (rs10431923 excess transmission of "TT" genotype; p = 0.0020) and is replicated in the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium CD data set (TT risk allele; OR 1.2, p = 0.005). Patients with the Crohn's disease risk haplotype (rs12597188, rs10431923 and rs9935563; GTC allelic frequency 21%; p = 0.000016) exhibited increased E-cadherin cytoplasmic accumulation in their intestinal epithelium which may be explained by the presence of a novel truncated form of E-cadherin. Accordingly, expression of this truncated E-cadherin in cultured polarised epithelial cells resulted in abnormal intracellular accumulation and impaired plasma membrane localisation of both E-cadherin and beta-catenin.

CONCLUSION

The mis-localisation of E-cadherin and beta-catenin may explain the increased permeability seen in some patients with Crohn's disease. Thus, the polymorphisms identified in CDH1 are important for understanding the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and point to a defect in barrier defence.

Endogenous and synthetic agonists of GPR119 differ in signalling pathways and their effects on insulin secretion in MIN6c4 insulinoma cells

Background and purpose:

GPR119 is a G protein-coupled receptor that is preferentially expressed in islet cells and mediates insulin secretion. Oleoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine and oleoylethanolamide (OEA) act as endogenous ligands for this receptor, whereas PSN375963 and PSN632408 are two recently reported synthetic agonists. In this study, we explored mechanisms underlying GPR119-induced insulin secretion. In addition, we assessed the potential utility of the synthetic agonists as tools for exploring GPR119 biology.

Experimental approach:

We examined natural and synthetic GPR119 agonist activity at GPR119 in MIN6c4 and RINm5f insulinoma cells. We evaluated insulin secretion, intracellular calcium [Ca²⁺]_i, ion channel involvement and levels of cAMP.

Key results:

We report that increases in insulin secretion induced by OEA were associated with increased cAMP and a potentiation of glucose-stimulated increases in [Ca²⁺]_i. We also demonstrate that ATP-sensitive K⁺ and voltage-dependent calcium channels were required for GPR119-mediated increases in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In contrast to OEA, the synthetic GPR119 agonist PSN375963 and PSN632408 have divergent effects on insulin secretion, cAMP and intracellular calcium in MIN6c4 cells.

Conclusions and implications:

The endogenous ligand OEA signals through GPR119 in a manner similar to glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and its receptor with respect to insulin secretion, [Ca²⁺]_i and cAMP. In addition, PSN375963 and PSN632408 substantially differ from OEA and from one another. These studies suggest that the commercially available synthetic agonists, although they do activate GPR119, may also activate GPR119-independent pathways and are thus unsuitable as GPR119-specific pharmacological tools.

Synergistic antitumor efficacy of suicide/ePNP gene and 6-methylpurine 2'-deoxyriboside via Salmonella against murine tumors

Some anaerobes and facultative anaerobes have been used in tumor-specific gene therapy by reason of their selective growth in tumors. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the anticancer efficacy of attenuated Salmonella typhimurium as a carrier to deliver the Escherichia coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase (ePNP) gene for GDEPT (gene-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy). A live attenuated purine-auxotrophic strain of S. typhimurium (SC36) was used to carry the pEGFP-C1-ePNP vector that contains a green fluorescent protein (GFP) and an ePNP gene under the control of the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. The function of the ePNP expression vector was confirmed in vitro using the enzymic conversion of 6-methylpurine 2'-deoxyriboside (MePdR) into 6-methylpurine. We also observed a high bystander effect induced by the ePNP/MePdR system with a very low proportion (1%) of ePNP-positive cells. The killing effect and increased apoptosis induced by SC/ePNP (SC36 carrying the ePNP expression vector) infection were detected by cytotoxicity assay and PI staining flow cytometry analysis, in combination with MePdR administration. Furthermore, SC/ePNP was administered orally into mice bearing melanomas or pulmonary tumors, and its anti-tumor effect was evaluated. When the tumor was huge (500 mm(3)) at the beginning of MePdR administration, SC/ePNP plus MepdR significantly inhibited tumor growth by about 59-80% and prolonged survival of mice. Complete tumor regression and long-term cure were achieved by MePdR administration, even when the tumor was large (100 mm(3)) at the beginning of MePdR treatment. Our data support a hopeful view that tumor-targeting SC36 could improve antitumor efficacy of the ePNP/MePdR system due to its preferential accumulation and anticancer activity in tumors.

Statistical methods for expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) mapping

Traditional genetic mapping has largely focused on the identification of loci affecting one, or at most a few, complex traits. Microarrays allow for measurement of thousands of gene expression abundances, themselves complex traits, and a number of recent investigations have considered these measurements as phenotypes in mapping studies. Combining traditional quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping methods with microarray data is a powerful approach with demonstrated utility in a number of recent biological investigations. These expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies are similar to traditional QTL studies, as a main goal is to identify the genomic locations to which the expression traits are linked. However, eQTL studies probe thousands of expression transcripts; and as a result, standard multi-trait QTL mapping methods, designed to handle at most tens of traits, do not directly apply. One possible approach is to use single-trait QTL mapping methods to analyze each transcript separately. This leads to an increased number of false discoveries, as corrections for multiple tests across transcripts are not made. Similarly, the repeated application, at each marker, of methods for identifying differentially expressed transcripts suffers from multiple tests across markers. Here, we demonstrate the deficiencies of these approaches and propose a mixture over markers (MOM) model that shares information across both markers and transcripts. The utility of all methods is evaluated using simulated data as well as data from an F(2) mouse cross in a study of diabetes. Results from simulation studies indicate that the MOM model is best at controlling false discoveries, without sacrificing power. The MOM model is also the only one capable of finding two genome regions previously shown to be involved in diabetes.

The Mcs7 quantitative trait locus is associated with an increased susceptibility to mammary cancer in congenic rats and an allele-specific imbalance

Identification of high-penetrance breast cancer genes such as Brca1 has been accomplished by analysing familial cases. However, these genes occur at low frequency and do not account for the majority of genetic risk. Identification of low-penetrance alleles that occur commonly in populations may benefit from unbiased genome-wide screening. One such approach uses linkage studies in rodent models to identify homologous human candidates. The Wistar Kyoto (WKy) rat is resistant to mammary carcinomas induced with 7,12-dimethybenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), whereas the Wistar Furth (WF) strain is susceptible. Previous genome-wide linkage studies in crosses of these strains identified three WKy resistance quantitative trait loci, Mcs5, Mcs6 and Mcs8, and one predicted to increase susceptibility, Mcs7. The Mcs7 region on rat chromosome 10 (RNO10) is orthologous to human 17q, a common site of genetic aberrations in breast cancer. Here, we establish the independent phenotype conferred by Mcs7 using congenic rats carrying the WKy Mcs7 locus on a WF background. Tumor multiplicity was significantly higher ( approximately 50%) in DMBA-treated congenics homozygous and heterozygous for the WKy allele at the Mcs7 locus, compared to controls. We also investigated allelic imbalance (AI) in mammary carcinomas from (WKy x WF)F1 rats and Mcs7 heterozygous congenics. Of the four known WKy Mcs loci tested, only Mcs7 displayed AI. The pattern of AI in carcinomas from both F1 and Mcs7 congenic rats was similar, suggesting a WF allelic loss. Together, these data suggest that one or more breast cancer-related genes are located within the dominantly acting WKy allele at the Mcs7 locus.

Unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation for β-thalassemia major: an experience from China

Although related bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is effective for thalassemia, less than 30% of patients have sibling donors. Here, we report unrelated BMT in nine thalassemic children using a high-resolution HLA typing technique to identify donors. HLA mismatches between donors and recipients were 0, 1 and 2 in 2, 5 and 2 cases, respectively. The results showed that white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin all returned to normal at various time points, and blood transfusion was eliminated from 13 to 62 days after transplantation. Full engraftment was achieved in eight patients while ABO blood types were replaced with that of donors in five of the six ABO mismatched recipients. Acute skin GVHD was found in seven patients and acute liver GVHD in one. One patient with acute intestinal GVHD eventually developed chronic GVHD. One patient died of pulmonary hemorrhage in spite of having a fully functional graft. We conclude that this is the first successful application of unrelated BMT for thalassemia major in Chinese people and that the results will certainly expand donor resources and greatly enhance the survival and quality of life of thalassemic patients.