[Exploring the factors affecting music-related quality of life in post-lingual deaf adults with cochlear implants]

Objective: To observe the feelings of listening to music and the importance of music in the daily life of post-lingual deaf adults with cochlear implants, and to explore the relevant influencing factors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study. From January 2021 to August 2021,the Music-Related Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate the music needs and music experiences of 63 post-lingual deaf adults who met the inclusion criteria, including 27 males and 36 females, aged (40.7±12.3) years, at the time of surgery (36.8±13.1) years, and with a preoperative hearing aid ineffective time of (3.9±5.8) years. Indicators analyzed included age, duration of ineffective preoperative hearing aid wear, preoperative music preference, duration of postoperative cochlear implant use, current hearing aid modality, and auditory rehabilitation outcomes. Whether the six factors mentioned above constituted an influence on the subjects' music listening was investigated using SPSS 25.0 statistical software. Results: All of the observations in the scale were correlated with a single factor. The two sub-dimensions of music experience section were related to the effect of auditory rehabilitation. In the importance section, the effect of auditory rehabilitation was the influential factor of the dimension of "participation importance", and the preoperative enjoyment of music was the relevant influential factor of the dimension of "perceived importance". There was a significant difference between the groups when they were grouped by the above factors (P value<0.05), while there was no statistically significance between the groups when they were grouped by other factors (P value>0.05). Conclusions: Post-lingual deaf adults show the need and attempt to listen to music after cochlear implantation. The effectiveness of auditory rehabilitation and the degree of music preference preoperatively are two important factors that influence music listening in implant recipients. Once the level of auditory communication has been restored to a certain degree, it is important to pay more attention to the needs of music for implant recipients and train them in time, especially for those with music preferences preoperatively.

Anti-Angiogenetic and Anti-Lymphangiogenic Effects of a Novel 2-Aminobenzimidazole Derivative, MFB

Background and Purpose

Benzimidazoles have attracted much attention over the last few decades due to their broad-spectrum pharmacological properties. Increasing evidence is showing the potential use of benzimidazoles as anti-angiogenic agents, although the mechanisms that impact angiogenesis remain to be fully defined. In this study, we aim to investigate the anti-angiogenic mechanisms of MFB, a novel 2-aminobenzimidazole derivative, to develop a novel angiogenesis inhibitor.

Experimental Approach

MTT, BrdU, migration and invasion assays, and immunoblotting were employed to examine MFB’s effects on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced endothelial cell proliferation, migration, invasion, as well as signaling molecules activation. The anti-angiogenic effects of MFB were analyzed by tube formation, aorta ring sprouting, and matrigel plug assays. We also used a mouse model of lung metastasis to determine the MFB’s anti-metastatic effects.

Key Results

MFB suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and endothelial tube formation of VEGF-A-stimulated human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) or VEGF-C-stimulated lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). MFB suppressed VEGF-A and VEGF-C signaling in HUVECs or LECs. In addition, MFB reduced VEGF-A- or tumor cells-induced neovascularization in vivo. MFB also diminished B16F10 melanoma lung metastasis. The molecular docking results further showed that MFB may bind to VEGFR-2 rather than VEGF-A with high affinity.

Conclusions and Implications

These observations indicated that MFB may target VEGF/VEGFR signaling to suppress angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. It also supports the role of MFB as a potential lead in developing novel agents for the treatment of angiogenesis- or lymphangiogenesis-associated diseases and cancer.

A Structural Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease and Animal Coronaviral Main Protease Reveals Species-Specific Ligand Binding and Dimerization Mechanism

Animal coronaviruses (CoVs) have been identified to be the origin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, and probably SARS-CoV-2 that cause severe to fatal diseases in humans. Variations of zoonotic coronaviruses pose potential threats to global human beings. To overcome this problem, we focused on the main protease (M^pro), which is an evolutionary conserved viral protein among different coronaviruses. The broad-spectrum anti-coronaviral drug, GC376, was repurposed to target canine coronavirus (CCoV), which causes gastrointestinal infections in dogs. We found that GC376 can efficiently block the protease activity of CCoV M^pro and can thermodynamically stabilize its folding. The structure of CCoV M^pro in complex with GC376 was subsequently determined at 2.75 Å. GC376 reacts with the catalytic residue C144 of CCoV M^pro and forms an (R)- or (S)-configuration of hemithioacetal. A structural comparison of CCoV M^pro and other animal CoV M^pros with SARS-CoV-2 M^pro revealed three important structural determinants in a substrate-binding pocket that dictate entry and release of substrates. As compared with the conserved A141 of the S1 site and P188 of the S4 site in animal coronaviral M^pros, SARS-CoV-2 M^pro contains N142 and Q189 at equivalent positions which are considered to be more catalytically compatible. Furthermore, the conserved loop with residues 46-49 in animal coronaviral M^pros has been replaced by a stable α-helix in SARS-CoV-2 M^pro. In addition, the species-specific dimerization interface also influences the catalytic efficiency of CoV M^pros. Conclusively, the structural information of this study provides mechanistic insights into the ligand binding and dimerization of CoV M^pros among different species.

[Postoperative rehabilitation effect and influence factors of adult prelingual deafness with cochlear implant]

Objective: To investigate whether pre-lingual deafness adult caused by inadequate auditory compensation in childhood can benefit from cochlear implants and the related influencing factors. Methods: A total of 26 prelingual deafness as experimental group [11 males and 15 females, the age of operation was (24.5±5.7) years] and 13 postlingual deafness as control group [5 males and 8 females, the age at the time of operation was (42.2±11.4) years] were recruited. Objective assessment included hearing threshold and speech recognition rate tests while wearing cochlear implants. Subjective assessment used Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire to assess hearing-related quality of life of subjects. The changes of hearing ability in the prelingual deafness group before and after operation and the differences with the postlingual deafness group were compared, and the correlation between speech recognition ability and the age diagnosed as severe or profound deafness, the age of hearing aid invalid, and duration of wearing cochlear implant were analyzed as factor indicators. All statistical results were analyzed by SAS 9.4 software. Results: In terms of objective indicators, the speech recognition rate of pre-lingual deafness was significantly lower than that of post-lingual deafness [(35.4±28.0)% vs (80.9±8.0)%,t=7.67, P<0.001], while there was no statistical difference in hearing threshold between the two groups [(34.8±4.0) dB HL vs (33.1±3.7) dB HL, t=1.30, P>0.05]. The indicators in the subjective questionnaire showed that the prelingual deafness group was only weaker in advanced sound perception, confidence and total mean score than the post-lingual deafness group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in other aspects(P>0.05), meanwhile, all indicators of the prelingual deafness group were significantly improved compared with the preoperative level (P<0.001). There was a moderate positive correlation between the hearing quality and the speech recognition rate in the prelingual deafness group(r=0.51, P=0.008). The regression analysis showed that the invalid age of hearing aid was the exact influencing factor of speech recognition rate. Conclusions: Certain prelingual deaf adults can adapt to cochlear implants and obtain different degrees of auditory assistance. Compared with the improvement of objective auditory ability assessment, the patient who received cochlear implantation gain more improvement in auditory related quality of life subjectively. The ineffective age of preoperative hearing aid is an important factor, which needs to be aroused sufficient preoperative attention.

Tafenoquine and its derivatives as inhibitors for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has severely affected human lives around the world as well as the global economy. Therefore, effective treatments against COVID-19 are urgently needed. Here, we screened a library containing Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds to identify drugs that could target the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^pro), which is indispensable for viral protein maturation and regard as an important therapeutic target. We identified antimalarial drug tafenoquine (TFQ), which is approved for radical cure of Plasmodium vivax and malaria prophylaxis, as a top candidate to inhibit M^pro protease activity. The crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro in complex with TFQ revealed that TFQ noncovalently bound to and reshaped the substrate-binding pocket of M^pro by altering the loop region (residues 139–144) near the catalytic Cys145, which could block the catalysis of its peptide substrates. We also found that TFQ inhibited human transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). Furthermore, one TFQ derivative, compound 7, showed a better therapeutic index than TFQ on TMPRSS2 and may therefore inhibit the infectibility of SARS-CoV-2, including that of several mutant variants. These results suggest new potential strategies to block infection of SARS-CoV-2 and rising variants.

Development of Novel Rhodacyanine-Based Heat Shock Protein 70 Inhibitors

BACKGROUND

A growing body of evidence suggests that Hsp70, which is overexpressed in human breast tumors, plays a role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression in breast cancer as well as in its aggressive phenotypes. Hsp70 constitutes a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of this disease.

METHOD

We developed a new series of rhodacyanine-based Hsp70 inhibitors, represented by compounds 1 and 6, in which the cationic pyridin-1-ium or thiazol-3-ium ring of existing Hsp70 inhibitors (e.g., JG-40 and JG-98) was replaced by a corresponding benzo-fused N-heterocycle.

RESULTS

Several lines of evidence suggest that these benzo-fused derivatives may exert their antitumor activities, in part, by targeting Hsp70. These putative inhibitors displayed differential antiproliferative efficacy against breast cancer cells (IC50 as low as 0.25 µM) versus nontumorigenic MCF-10A breast epithelial cells (IC50 ≥ 5 µM). This was correlated with the corresponding Hsp70 expression levels. Using a protein refolding assay, we confirmed that these agents effectively inhibited the chaperone activity of Hsp70. Moreover, these inhibitors effectively suppressed the expression of well-known oncogenic client proteins of Hsp70's, including FoxM1, HuR, and Akt, which paralleled their antiproliferative efficacy. Supporting the established role of Hsp70 in regulating protein refolding, these derivatives induced autophagy, as manifested by the conversion of LC3B-I to LC3B-II. Notably, these putative Hsp70 inhibitors did not cause a compensatory elevation in Hsp90 expression, contrasting with the previously reported effects of Hsp90 inhibitors on Hsp70 upregulation.

CONCLUSION

Together with the finding that compounds 1 and 6 showed improved microsomal stability, these results suggest the translational potential of these putative Hsp70 inhibitors to foster new strategies for cancer therapy. However, whether these benzo-fused rhodacyanines act on kinases or other targets remains unclear, which is currently under investigation.

[Effect of sedation weaning pattern on withdrawal syndrome in pediatric intensive care unit]

Objective: To investigate the sedation weaning strategies in critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and to explore the effect of different sedative weaning patterns on withdrawal syndrome. Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study was conducted from April 1, 2016 to April 30, 2017. One hundred and twelve patients who required mechanical ventilation and benzodiazepines and (or) opioids for at least 5 consecutive days in PICU of Shanghai Children's Medical Center were enrolled. Twenty patients (17.9%) had an intermittent weaning pattern, defined as a 50% or greater increase in daily benzodiazepine and (or) opioid dose after the start of weaning, and the remaining 92 cases (82.1%) had a steady weaning pattern. The demographic and clinical features, duration and dose of sedative and analgesics, and the incidence of withdrawal syndrome were evaluated. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison about clinical features between different weaning pattern groups and children with withdrawal syndrome or not. Logistic regression was used to explore the risk factors of withdrawal syndrome. Results: Among the 112 patients, 46 (41.1%) had withdrawal syndrome. The patients with the intermittent weaning pattern had a high score of pediatric risk of mortality Ⅲ (PRISM-Ⅲ) (10.0 (3.5, 12.0) vs. 6.0 (2.0, 10.0), U=654.50, P=0.043) and were prone to re-intubation (35.0% (7/20) vs. 7.6% (7/92), P=0.003). The patients with withdrawal syndrome had longer duration of sedation (19.5 (16.8, 24.3) vs. 10.0 (7.0, 17.3) days, U=743.50, P<0.01), higher incidence of intermittent weaning pattern (32.6% (15/46) vs. 7.6% (5/66),χ(2)=11.58, P=0.001), longer PICU hospitalization (19.0 (15.8, 25.3) vs. 12.0 (8.8, 17.0) days, U=755.00, P<0.01) and higher cost (89 (57,109) vs. 53 (32, 79) thousand yuan, U=804.00, P<0.01). Logistic regression showed that intermittent weaning pattern (odds ratio (OR)=4.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39-16.91, P=0.013), perioperative period of liver transplantation (OR=6.97, 95%CI 1.25-39.04, P=0.027) and a cumulative dose of midazolam ≥ 34.7 mg/kg (OR=8.12, 95%CI 3.09-21.37, P<0.01) were risk factors of withdrawal syndrome. Conclusions: Withdrawal syndrome is more likely to occur in children who are intermittently weaned from sedation. Steady weaning strategy may help prevent iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome.

[Application of recurrent neural network in prognosis of peritoneal dialysis]

OBJECTIVE

Deep learning models, including recurrent neural network (RNN) and gated recurrent unit (GRU), were used to construct the clinical prognostic prediction models for peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients based on routine clinical data. The performance of the RNN and GRU were compared with logistic regression (LR), which is commonly used in medical researches. The possible underlining clinical implications based on the result from the GRU model were also investigated.

METHODS

We used the clinical data from the PD center of Peking University Third Hospital as the data source. Both the baseline data at the beginning of dialysis, and the follow-up and prognostic data of the patients were used by the RNN and GRU prediction models. The hyper-parameters were tuned based on the 10-fold cross-validation. The risk prediction performance of each model was evaluated via area under the receiver operation characteristic curve (AUROC), recall rate and F1-score on the testset.

RESULTS

A total of 656 patients with the 261 occurrences of death were included in the experiment. The total number of all diagnostic records were 13 091. The results on the testset showed that the AUROC of the LR model, RNN model, and GRU model was 0.701 4, 0.786 0, and 0.814 7, respectively. The predictive performances of the GRU and RNN models were significantly better than that of the LR model. The performances of the GRU and RNN models assessed by recall rate and F1-score were also significantly better than that of the LR model, in which the GRU model reached the best performance. In addition, the recall rates were different among different causes of death or by different prediction time windows.

CONCLUSION

The recurrent neural network model, especially the GRU model, is more effective in predicting PD patients' prognosis as compared with the LR model. This new model may be helpful for clinicians to provide timely intervention, thus improving the quality of care of PD.

[Association between family history and the risk of hypertension in rural districts of Hanzhong in Shaanxi province]

Objective: To understand the prevalence of hypertension and quantitative relationship between family history and the risk of hypertension among rural residents living in Hanzhong District, Shaanxi province. Methods: A multistage random sampling survey was conducted. Data on the characteristics related to hypertension were collected and physical examination was conducted. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between family history and hypertension. Results: A total number of 2 817 rural residents aged 18-80 with complete information were recruited. The crude prevalence of hypertension was 33.7%. Results from the logistic regression analysis showed that the OR was 2.06 (95% CI: 1.70-2.50) between family histories with or without hypertension. When the first-degree relatives were with the degrees of family history of hypertention as Ⅰ, Ⅱ or Ⅲ, the OR values of hypertension appeared as 1.83 (95% CI: 1.47-2.27), 2.94 (95% CI: 2.09-4.13) and 4.48 (95% CI: 2.17-9.27) respectively. Either father or mother having the positive family history of hypertension, the corresponding OR values appeared as 2.50 (95% CI: 1.84-3.40), 1.61(95% CI: 1.22-2.12) seen in mothers. However, when both father and mother having the family history of hypertention, the OR value was seen 2.82 (95%CI: 1.76-4.51) in the mothers. Conclusion: Family history appeared as a risk factor for hypertension. The number of first-degree relatives with positive family history showed a dose-response relationship to the occurrence of hypertension. Family history in both father or mother might further affect the incidence of hypertension.

[The technique of retaining part of the external auditory canal posterior wall with epitympanoplasty in soft wall reconstruction treating middle ear cholesteatoma]

Objective:To investigate the surgical treatment of cholesteatoma of the middle ear. Method:A retrospective analysis of patients from June 2013 to July 2016 diagnosed as cholesteatoma. 137 ears were divided into A group (retaining part of the external auditory canal posterior wall with epitympanoplasty in soft wall reconstruction for 75 ears) and B group (canal wall down mastoidotympanoplasty for 62 ears). the extent and damage of cholesteatoma were observed, comparing the time of dry ear and epithelial postoperative, the incidence of complications such as dizziness and hearing changes. Result:compared with B group, the postoperative dry ear time, epithelial time and hearing improvement in the A group were obviously improved, and the incidence of vertigo after operation was decreased, and the anatomical and physiological functions of the external auditory canal were protected. Conclusiont:The technique of retaining part of the external auditory canal posterior wall with epitympanoplasty in soft wall reconstruction is conductive to the removal of lesions and normal anatomical and physiological protection to external auditory canal, can prevent the forming of the abstraction pocket effectively and the recurrence of cholesteatoma, has clinical and practical value.

[Application of surgical cricothyrotomy in emergency and complicated airway management]

Objective:To explore the feasibility of intercricothyrotomy in emergency airway management. Method:Characteristics of 27 cases underwent surgical cricothyrotomy were analyzed. Result:The main causes of emergency were severe trauma of head and neck, larynx stenosis, interspaces infection of the floor of the mouth and submaxillary space, etc; all the patients were divided into 2 groups : surgical cricothyrotomy as the first choice (group A,16/27) and surgical cricothyrotomy after conventional tracheotomy (group B,11/27); The average time of opening airway for group A was much shorter than group B ［(58.12±24.41)s, (739.09±245.29)s,respectively, P<0.01)］; Bleeding in group A (14 cases) was much less than group B (13 cases) ［(2.36±1.16)ml, (4.65±4.31)ml,respectively, P<0.01］; Except 1 cases died from primary disease, 4 cases with laryngeal stenosis underwent laryngeal dilation with T type expansion tube and 2 cases of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, the average time with tracheal tube of the remaining 20 patients was (12.35±7.29)d, no postoperative complications such as larynx or tracheal stenosis were found. All of them were successfully extubation. Conclusion:Surgical cricothyrotomy procedure is fast and safe with simple and convenient that can be used as the preferred method of rapid airway opening when a critical respiratory tract was difficult to manage.

[Audiological basis of continuing to wear hearing aids in the contralateral ear of young children after cochlear implantation]

Objective: To study the accuracy of preoperative-ASSR in predicting behavioral thresholds of children at low age with profound hearing loss and to evaluate the feasibility of using hearing aids in non-operating ear after the cochlear implantation.Method: Children aged less than 2 years old at the time of surgery were selected as study subjects.The preoperative ASSR response threshold in 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 kHz were recorded.The play audiometry test was used to get the non operative ear behavioral thresholds of the children after three years old. Altogether 179 children with good cooperation and reliable results were enrolled in this study. The results of behavioral thresholds were made a comparison with the results of ASSR response threshold with corresponding frequency before operation for statistical analysis.Result: The behavioral threshold is better than corresponding ASSR response threshold with significant differences(P<0.01). Prediction rates of ASSR response threshold corresponding to behavioral thresholds from 0.5 kHz to 4.0 kHz are 49.7%, 70.9%, 59.2% and 60.9%.There are cases at all frequencies where ASSR showed no reaction but a behavioral thresholds were detected. The proportions of undrawn ASSR reaction at each frequency were 83.3%,75.5%,64.9%,45.1%.Conclusion: In profound hearing loss, the deviation between preoperative ASSR response thresholds and postoperative behavioral thresholds exists, especially in low frequency. No ASSR reaction in clinic cannot represent that there is no measurable hearing threshold. We suggest children at low age continue to wear hearing aids in the non operative ear after cochlear implantation. Whether to give up hearing aids should be judged after gaining the behavioral audiometry to avoid missing the bimodal opportunity.

[The long-term benefits of cochlear implantation for children and their families]

Objective:To study the auditory language ability of children with artificial cochlea after entering normal schools as well as the school life conditions and to evaluate the long-term comprehensive benefits of surgery on children along with their families. Method:The questionnaire was designed referring to the categories of auditory performance (CAP), the speech intelligibility rating (SIR), and family burden scale of diseases (FBS), with the questions involving four aspects of the general conditions, the auditory language ability, the school life conditions and the family conditions. Altogether 50 families were participated. Children who had applied artificial cochlea for at least two years and studied in normal schools were selected as the studying objects. The follow-up questionnaire was conducted on the parents. The differences were compared in the auditory language ability and the school life conditions, grouped by gender, age at surgery, parents' educational level, residence, service time of artificial cochlea and parent-child time in general. Meanwhile, the differences of 15 family conditions were compared before and after surgery. Result:The variable factors were of no obvious statistical significance in the comparison among groups of the auditory language ability (P>0.05); In the comparison of the school life conditions, there were significant differences in the number of making friends when grouped by parent-child time (P<0.05), there wes no statistical significance in the comparison among groups of the remaining various factors (P>0.05); In the comparison of family conditions before and after surgery, the rest of the indexes were of significant differences (P<0.05), there was no significant differences in the economic burden and social time of parents (P>0.05). Family conditions improved evidently after surgery. Conclusiont:Under the circumstances of different variable factors, after 2 years of rehabilitation, children are able to acquire better auditory language ability, and adjust themselves to the school life, finishing their studies, still there is a deficiency in the aspect of organizational competence in comparison to age-matched children. In addition, with children's recovery and attending schools, parents' mental stress is significantly reduced, family life returns to normal, and family atmosphere becomes harmonious. Not only can the artificial cochlea help rid children of disability, but also it can be of obvious benefits to their families.

Changes in astrocyte functional markers and β-amyloid metabolism-related proteins in the early stages of hypercholesterolemia

Cholesterol is an essential substance for maintaining normal structure and function of the brain. But unfortunately, a long-term high-cholesterol diet can lead to a variety of pathological changes of the brain such as β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation, Tau hyperphosphorylation, reactive gliosis, neuroinflammation, neuronal death and synaptic degeneration. These pathological changes have complex internal relations with one other, causing memory impairment and participating in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, early hypercholesterolemia-induced events that lead to brain deterioration are not clear. To address this, 6-month-old female mice were fed a 3% cholesterol diet for 8weeks, followed by behavioral, biochemical and neuropathological analyses. The high-cholesterol-fed mice did not show neuronal and synaptic impairment or cognitive deficits compared with mice given a normal diet, but astrocytes were mildly activated with increased expression of functional markers including apolipoprotein E and aquaporin 4 in the hippocampus. Hippocampal interleukin-1β expression slightly increased, but interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α did not change significantly compared with those in the control group. Levels of Aβ, and its precursor protein, were unaffected, but levels of presenilin 1 and insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), that initiate Aβ generation and degradation, respectively, increased in the hippocampus of the model mice. In addition, Tau phosphorylation levels were not different between the control and model groups. These results suggest that changes in astrocyte functional markers and Aβ metabolism proteins, which contribute to maintaining brain cholesterol and Aβ homeostasis, are early events in the process of hypercholesterolemia-related neuropathological changes.

The comparative reproductive biology of a tetraploid species, Hedychium villosum, and its diploid progenitor H. tenuiflorum (Zingiberaceae)

The evolutionary advantages of polyploidy may result from a number of changes in floral traits and breeding system, which may enable polyploids to exploit new habitats and become widespread. In this study, we comparatively investigated the floral biology of the tetraploid species Hedychium villosum and its diploid progenitor H. tenuiflorum, to assess reproductive divergence between the two species. The results showed that flowers of the tetraploid species last longer and produce more nectar than did diploid species. The flowering times of the two species did not overlap at all. Observations of floral visitors in natural populations demonstrated that butterflies and hawkmoths were effective pollinators of both species, but there was a significant difference in butterfly and hawkmoth assemblages between the two species. The hand-pollination experiments and pollen tube growth experiments suggested that diploid H. tenuiflorum was self-incompatible, while tetraploid H. villosum was completely self-compatible. H. villosum has a much wider distribution range and occupies more diverse habitats than H. tenuiflorum. Polyploidisation may enable tetraploid H. villosum to exploit new habitats previously unavailable to diploid H. tenuiflorum.

Correlation between mitochondrial TRAP-1 expression and lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer

AIM: To evaluate the effect of mitochondrial tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein-1 (TRAP-1) on the lymph node metastasis (LNM) in Chinese colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and develop potential LNM-associated biomarkers for CRC using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis.

METHODS: Differences in mitochondrial TRAP-1 gene expression between primary CRC with LNM (LNM CRC) and without LNM (non-LNM CRC) were assessed in 96 Chinese colorectal carcinoma samples using quantitative RT-PCR analysis, Western blotting, and confirmed with immunohistochemical assay. The relationship between clinicopathological parameters and potential diagnostic biomarkers was also examined.

RESULTS: TRAP-1 was significantly upregulated in LNM CRC compared with non-LNM CRC, which was confirmed by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemical assay. The expression of TRAP-1 in two different metastatic potential human colorectal cancer cell lines, LoVo and HT29, was analyzed with Western blotting. The expression level of TRAP-1 was dramatically higher in LoVo than in HT29. Overexpression of TRAP-1 was significantly associated with LNM (90.2% in LNM group vs 22% in non-LNM group, P < 0.001), the advanced tumor node metastasis stage (89.1% in LNM group vs 26.9% in non-LNM group, P < 0.001), the increased 5-year recurrence rate (82.7% in LNM group vs 22.6% in non-LNM group, P < 0.001) and the decreased 5-year overall survival rate (48.4% in LNM vs 83.2% in non-LNM group, P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that TRAP-1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence and survival of CRC patients (Hazard ratio of 2.445 in recurrence, P = 0.017; 2.867 in survival, P = 0.028).

CONCLUSION: Mitochondria TRAP-1 affects the lymph node metastasis in CRC, and may be a potential biomarker for LNM and a prognostic factor in CRC. Over-expression of TRAP-1 is a predictive factor for the poor outcome of colorectal cancer patients.

Effects of annealing on the ferromagnetism and photoluminescence of Cu-doped ZnO nanowires

Room temperature ferromagnetic Cu-doped ZnO nanowires have been synthesized using the chemical vapor deposition method. By combining structural characterizations and comparative annealing experiments, it has been found that both extrinsic (CuO nanoparticles) and intrinsic (Zn(1-x)Cu(x)O nanowires) sources are responsible for the observed ferromagnetic ordering of the as-grown samples. As regards the former, annealing in Zn vapor led to a dramatic decrease of the ferromagnetism. For the latter, a reversible switching of the ferromagnetism was observed with sequential annealings in Zn vapor and oxygen ambience respectively, which agreed well with previous reports for Cu-doped ZnO films. In addition, we have for the first time observed low temperature photoluminescence changed with magnetic properties upon annealing in different conditions, which revealed the crucial role played by interstitial zinc in directly mediating high T(c) ferromagnetism and indirectly modulating the Cu-related structured green emission via different charge transfer transitions.

mer-(3,5-Dichloro-2-oxidobenzaldehyde thio-semicarbazonato-κS,N,O)(methanol-κO)(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')nickel(II)

In the title compound, [Ni(C₈H₅Cl₂N₃OS)(C₁₂H₈N₂)(CH₃OH)], the Ni^II atom is octa­hedrally coordinated by one N, one O and one S atom from a 3,5-dichloro-2-oxidobenzaldehyde thio­semicarbazonate ligand, another O atom from methanol and another two N atoms from 1,10-phenanthroline. The crystal structure is constructed by N—H⋯Cl, N—H⋯N, C—H⋯S and O—H⋯S hydrogen bonds.

Optical pulse propagation in a Fabry-Perot etalon: analytical discussion

The phase modulation and dispersion property of a Fabry-Perot etalon are investigated analytically. It is demonstrated that within the resonant dispersion region in the etalon transmission spectrum, effective time delay of light pulse propagation can be achieved, and the maximum delay period can be simply related to the mirror reflectivity and optical length of the etalon. With a much simplified model, the influences of etalon parameters on the transmitted Gaussian pulse are evaluated, and simple relations regarding pulse distortion and energy loss are obtained to illustrate the temporal properties of the etalon.

[Cluster analysis of Dendrobium by RAPD and design of specific primer for Dendrobium candidum]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the genetic relationship of Dendrobium and design a specific primer to differentiate Dendrobium candidum effectively.

METHOD

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used to analyze the genetic relationships of 26 species of Dendrobium and one species of Ephemerantha. Dendrogram was constructed by UPGMA. According to the sequence of DNA fragment selected, Sangon 18 primer had been extended from 3' extreme to 20 bp in order to form a specific primer.

RESULT AND CONCLUSION

This primer can be used to distinguish Dendrobium candidum from other Dendrobium effectively. Such a technique provides a new way for the identification of Chinese traditional medicines.

Analysis of the bifurcation diagram of a hybrid bistable system with feedback controls of chaos

Based on the dynamic equation of a hybrid bistable system with a delayed feedback, we have studied changes of the bifurcation diagram of its output oscillation under chaos suppression and delayed feedback control of chaos, respectively, and the physical origin of these changes. The result clearly shows that, in this case, the input intensity of the system is replaced by a smaller effective input intensity. So the bifurcation diagram is shifted to its right side, and a certain part of the chaotic oscillation becomes periodic oscillation.

[Effects of 7 d head-down tilt (-20 degrees) immobilization on pharmacokinetics of gentamicin in rabbits]

OBJECTIVE

To observe pharmacokinetic changes under simulated weightlessness in relevant to body flood flow changes.

METHOD

Gentamicin was selected as probe drug in the present study, and rabbits exposed to Head-Down Tilt (HDT, -20 degrees) immobilization were selected as simulated weightlessness animal model. Seven rabbits were treated inf. with 3 mg/kg of gentamicin sulfate pre-HDT and 7 d after HDT. Gentamicin blood samples within 4 h after administration were analyzed by TDxFLx.

RESULT

The distribution of gentamicin postponed significantly: a significant decrease in alpha from (0.1838 +/- 0.1076) min-1 before HDT to (0.0591 +/- 0.0334) min-1 after HDT; a significant increase in t1/2 alpha from (5.30 +/- 3.55) min to (15.04 +/- 7.49) min; a significant decrease in k12 from (0.1025 +/- 0.0721) min-1 to (0.0181 +/- 0.0161) min-1, a increase trend in V(C) and V(D). After HDT, CL(S) of gentamicin increased from (2.2 +/- 0.5) ml min-1 kg-1 to (2.7 +/- 0.3) ml min-1 kg-1.

CONCLUSION

Simulated weightlessness might induce pharmacokinetic changes.

[Counteracting effect of Chinese herbs-compounds on "blood stasis" induced by bed rest]

Objective. To observe the improved effect of syndromes of blood stasis by taking Chinese medicine during bed-rest simulated weightlessness. Method. Ten subjects were randomly divided into two groups: Chinese medicine group and control group. Both of them were exposed to HDBR -6 degrees for a week. The Chinese medicine group took Chinese medicine during the bed rest, and the control group took sugar water. Result. Syndromes of blood stasis of Chinese medicine group had a significant relief. And some physiological parameters, such as blood pressure, pulse graph, and amount of urine, maintained the level of pre-bed rest. While the control group was more severe than the Chinese medicine group in syndromes of blood stasis. Conclusion. Chinese medicine can be a measure in preventing the effect of weightlessness.

[Counteracting effect of Chinese herbs on "insufficiency of spleen qi" induced by simulated weightlessness]

Objective. To observe the counteracting effect of a Chinese herb-compound on "insufficiency of spleen qi" induced by simulated weightlessness. Methods. Animal and human experiment were carried out to the Chinese herb-compound (Dangshen, Baizhu, Fuling etc). Result. This compound protected the tail suspended rats from atrophy of spleen, thymus, soleus and gastrocnemius muscles, prevented excessive decrease of body weight effectively; at the same time it relieved the symptoms of the subjects greatly. Conclusion. It demonstrated that the compound decreased the "insufficiency of spleen qi" of both animals and human subjects.

[Comparison between two anti-motion sickness drugs]

Objective. To test the validity of an animal model in selecting anti-motion sickness drugs, and compare the effects of two drugs. Method. Anti-motion sickness effects of two drugs (Cyclizine and Scopolamin-d-amphetamin compound) were observed in rats with motion sickness (MS) induced by rotatory stimulation and the amount of Kaolin ate by rats was taken as an evaluation criterion. Result. The consumption of Kaolin by the rats decreased significantly after administration of both drugs, and the effect of Scopolamin-d-amphetamin compound was better than those of Cyclizine under the same condition. Conclusion. It suggests that the rat model of motion sickness is practical and useful in studying anti-motion sickness drugs.

Binding of proteins to copolymers of varying hydrophobicity

Hydrophobic interactions between proteins and amphiphilic polyelectrolytes were studied by frontal analysis continuous capillary electrophoresis (Gao et al., Analytical Chemistry, 1997, Vol. 69, pp. 2945-2951). Binding isotherms were obtained for beta-lactoglobulin and for bovine serum albumin interacting with a series of alternating copolymers of maleic acid and alkyl-vinyl ethers of varying hydrophobicity. Although binding between proteins and copolymers increases with increasing alkyl chain length, a minimum alkyl chain length of 3-4 methylenes is required for significant hydrophobic interactions to occur. These copolymers, like other polyamphiphiles, can form intrapolymer micelles, and the extent of such micellization decreases with increasing degree of carboxylate ionization. Binding results obtained at different pHs suggest that competition exists between intrapolymer micelle formation and protein-polymer hydrophobic interactions.

Expression of c-fos oncogenes in adrenal cortex of the rat with renal hypertension

This study was conducted using immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of the prooncogen c-fos in the corticoadrenal of the rat with renal hypertension. A model of renal hypertension was established through narrowing a renal artery of the rat. An antiserum against FOS oncoprotein was used to immunohistochemically detect the activated cells of the corticoadrenal. In the experimental group, C-FOS-immunoreactive (ir) nuclei proved to be present in the zona glomerulosa. Few labeled nuclei were seen in the lateral part of the zona fasciculata. An increasing number of C-FOS-ir nuclei was demonstrated in the intermediate part of the zona fasciculata. The highest concentration of the labeled nuclei was found in the inner part of the zona fasciculata. Scattered FOS-ir nuclei existed in the zona reticularis. The labeled nuclei were often round or oval in shape, and different in size. Only were a few labeled nuclei seen in the sham-operated group and no FOS-ir nuclei in normal control group. The result suggested that all three zones of the corticoadreal were modified subsequent to induction of renal hypertension.

Dynamic changes of lung lymph flow and the release of lysosomal enzyme from the lungs after severe steam inhalation injury in goats

Chronic lung lymph fistulae were produced in six goats according to Winn's and Stothert's methods with our modification to define the pathophysiology of pulmonary oedema after severe steam inhalation injury. Arterial blood gas, lung lymph flow (QLym), lymph/plasma total protein concentration ratio (L/P), and beta-glucuronidase (beta-G) in plasma and lung lymph were monitored for 24 h post-injury. The pathological changes in the lung tissues were also determined at the end of the study. It was found that directly after injury, QLym increased steadily to a peak value at 6 h, followed by declining values at 18 and 24 h. L/P decreased promptly during the 60 min after injury and then also steadily increased to a peak value at 4 h (P less than 0.05). A significant increase in plasma beta-G was only observed at 4 h post-burn. However, lung lymph beta-G activities and lymph beta-G transport increased immediately after injury, reaching a peak at 4 h (5 and 12 times above baseline values, respectively, P less than 0.01). Significant hypoxaemia and hypocapnia occurred at 2 h post-burn and deteriorated progressively throughout the study. There were obvious pulmonary interstitial and alveolar oedema microscopically. This study demonstrates that the increase in transvascular fluid and protein flux after steam inhalation injury is mainly due to increased pulmonary microvascular permeability. Nevertheless, a hydrostatic pressure effect can not be completely excluded, especially in the first hour post-burn. Lysosomal enzyme release is considered to be one of the important factors which damage lung microvascular elements and induce an increase in their permeability.

Interactions among Flooding, Freezing, and Ice Encasement in Winter Wheat

Exposure of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to various combinations of flooding and freezing stresses induces much greater damage than the individual stresses. Cold-hardened plants flooded for 1 week or exposed to -6 degrees C for 1 week show 100% survival, while survival of plants exposed to both stresses simultaneously is reduced by 20 to 30%, and cold hardiness decreases by several degrees. The level of nonstructural carbohydrates increases in crown tissue during cold acclimation, but decreases when the plants are exposed to flooding or to -6 degrees C for 1 week. The respiratory capacity of crown tissue segments declines when the plants are stressed. Uptake of (86)Rb by the roots of intact seedlings declines after exposure to either freezing or flooding, whereas passive efflux of amino acids is observed after freezing but not following flooding. This study has shown that detectable stress-induced metabolic changes occur in winter wheat before the applied stress is severe enough to reduce survival.