[Analysis of the therapeutic effect of aspiration thrombectomy for early carotid stent thrombosis]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and the efficacy of thrombus aspiration in patients with early intrastent thrombosis (EST) following carotid artery stenting (CAS). Methods: This study is a retrospective case series, collecting clinical data of five patients who developed EST after CAS in the Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2021 to September 2023.All patients were male, with an age of (64.0±11.9) years (range:48 to 77 years), accounting for 2.0% (5/244) of CAS procedures during the same period.Among them, three patients did not receive standard dual antiplatelet therapy before the procedure, and one had an inadequate ADP inhibition rate (45.6%).Four patients received XACT carotid stents, while one received a Wallstent carotid stent.All five patients showed significant residual stenosis ranging from 43% to 55% after CAS.Emergency thrombus aspiration was performed in all cases, and data regarding perioperative conditions, vascular patency, and clinical outcomes were collected. Results: The interval between CAS and the occurrence of EST ranged from 3 hours to 14 days.The main clinical symptoms included sudden onset of consciousness disorders and contralateral limb weakness.None of the patients received preoperative intravenous thrombolysis, and thrombus aspiration was performed during the procedure to restore vascular patency.Four cases underwent balloon angioplasty during the procedure, and two cases utilized overlapping stents.Two patients experienced intraoperative embolization of thrombus to the C2 segment.In one case, the embolized thrombus was retrieved using an intracranial thrombectomy stent, while in another case, it was aspirated using a guiding catheter.Postoperatively, all patients had a thrombolysis in cerebral infarction grade of 3, and symptoms improved in four cases.One patient showed no improvement in symptoms, and MRI revealed extensive new infarction in the right frontal and insular regions, adjacent to the right lateral ventricle.Regular follow-up examinations after discharge did not reveal restenosis or embolism within the stent.The follow-up period ranged from 7.6 to 21.2 months, with modified Rankin scale scores of 0 to 1 point in four cases and 2 points in one case, indicating good recovery in all patients. Conclusions: Acute intrastent thrombosis is a rare complication after carotid artery stenting.The combined use of percutaneous thrombus aspiration and endovascular techniques, such as balloon angioplasty and stent overlapping, can rapidly restore vessel patency with favorable outcomes.However, further large-scale clinical studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of these treatments for acute intrastent thrombosis.

Intracellular tacrolimus concentration correlates with impaired renal function through regulation of the IS-AHR-ABC transporter in peripheral blood mononuclear cells

BACKGROUNDS

Tacrolimus (TAC) concentration in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is regarded as a better predictor of its immunosuppressive effect than the TAC concentration in whole blood. However, whether the exposure of TAC in PBMCs or WB was altered in post-transplant recipients with renal impairment remains unclear.

METHODS

We investigated the relationship of trough TAC concentration in WB and PBMCs with renal functions in post-transplant recipients. The pharmacokinetic profiles of TAC in PBMCs and WB in the two chronic kidney disease (CKD) rat models were examined using UPLC-MS/MS. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to analyze the expression of proteins and mRNAs related to TAC metabolism and transport, respectively. In addition, the effects of uremic toxins on human PBMCs were investigated using whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA sequencing [RNA-seq]).

RESULTS

We observed a decrease in the trough TAC concentration in PBMCs in the recipients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 90 mL/min, compared with those of recipients with eGFR > 90 mL/min, but there was no difference in blood based on TAC concentrations (C0Blood). In a 150-patient post-transplant cohort, no significant relationship was observed between PBMCs and WB concentrations of TAC, and the eGFR value was correlated with TAC C0PBMCs but not with TAC C0Blood. In two CKD rat models, the TAC pharmacokinetic profile in the PBMCs was significantly lower than that in the control group; however, the blood TAC pharmacokinetic profiles in the two groups were similar. Transcriptome results showed that co-incubation of human PBMCs with uremic toxins upregulated the expression of AHR, ABCB1, and ABCC2. Compared to control rats, plasma IS increased by 1.93- and 2.26-fold and the expression of AHR, P-gp, and MRP2 in PBMCs was higher in AD and 5/6 nephrectomy (NX) rats, without modifying the expression of other proteins related to TAC exposure.

CONCLUSION

The pharmacokinetics of TAC in PBMCs changed with a decline in renal function. Uremic toxins accumulate during renal insufficiency, which activates AHR, upregulates the expression of P-gp and MRP2, and affects their intracellular concentrations. Our findings suggest that monitoring TAC concentrations in PBMCs is more important than monitoring WB concentrations in post-transplant recipients with renal impairment.

Vancomycin relieves tacrolimus-induced hyperglycemia by eliminating gut bacterial beta-glucuronidase enzyme activity

Up to 40% of transplant recipients treated long-term with tacrolimus (TAC) develop post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). TAC is an important risk factor for PTDM, but is also essential for immunosuppression after transplantation. Long-term TAC treatment alters the gut microbiome, but the mechanisms of TAC-induced gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of PTDM are poorly characterized. Here, we showed that vancomycin, an inhibitor of bacterial beta-glucuronidase (GUS), prevents TAC-induced glucose disorder and insulin resistance in mice. Metagenomics shows that GUS-producing bacteria are predominant and flourish in the TAC-induced hyperglycemia mouse model, with upregulation of intestinal GUS activity. Targeted metabolomics analysis revealed that in the presence of high GUS activity, the hydrolysis of bile acid (BAs)-glucuronic conjugates is increased and most BAs are overproduced in the serum and liver, which, in turn, activates the ileal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and suppresses GLP-1 secretion by L-cells. The GUS inhibitor vancomycin significantly eliminated GUS-producing bacteria and inhibited bacterial GUS activity and BAs levels, thereby enhancing L-cell GLP-1 secretion and preventing hyperglycemia. Our results propose a novel clinical strategy for inhibiting the bacterial GUS enzyme to prevent hyperglycemia without requiring withdrawal of TAC treatment. This strategy exerted its effect through the ileal bile acid-FXR-GLP-1 pathway.

[Clinical efficacy of entecavir combined with Biejiajian pills and its influence on TCM syndrome scores during the treatment of chronic hepatitis B with hepatic fibrosis and blood stasis syndrome]

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of entecavir combined with Biejiajian pills and its influence on TCM syndrome scores during the treatment of chronic hepatitis B with hepatic fibrosis and blood stasis syndrome by prospective, randomized and controlled study. Methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis B with hepatic fibrosis and blood stasis syndrome were selected as the research subjects and randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. Entecavir plus Biejiajian pills or entecavir plus a simulant of Biejiajian pills were given for 48 weeks. The changes in liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and TCM syndrome scores before and after treatment were compared between the two groups to analyze the correlation. The data between groups were analyzed by t-test/Wilcoxon rank sum test or χ(2) test. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between TCM syndrome scores and LSM values. Results: After 48 weeks of treatment, the LSM values of the two groups were significantly lower than those of the baseline (P < 0.001), liver fibrosis was significantly improved, and the LSM values of the treatment group were lower than those of the control group [(8.67 ± 4.60) kPa and (10.13 ± 4.43) kPa, t = -2.011, P = 0.049]. After 48 weeks of treatment, the TCM syndrome scores of the two groups were significantly reduced compared with the baseline (P < 0.001), and the clinical symptoms were significantly relieved, and the total effective rates of the improvement of the TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were 74.19% and 72.97%, respectively, but the differences between the groups were not statistically significant (χ(2) = 0.013, P = 0.910). Correlation analysis showed that there was no obvious trend between TCM syndrome scores and LSM values. There were no serious adverse reactions associated with the drug during the observation period of this study. Conclusion: Based on antiviral treatment with entecavir, regardless of whether it is combined with the Biejiajian pill, it can effectively reduce the LSM value, improve liver fibrosis, reduce TCM syndrome scores, and alleviate symptoms in patients with chronic hepatitis B with liver fibrosis and blood stasis syndrome. Compared with entecavir alone, the combined Biejia pill has greater efficacy in improving liver fibrosis and a favorable safety profile, meriting its implementation and widespread application.

A control-based observer approach for estimating energy intake during pregnancy

Gestational weight gain outside of Institute of Medicine guidelines poses a risk to both the mother and her unborn child. Behavioral interventions such as Healthy Mom Zone (HMZ) that aim to regulate gestational weight gain require self-monitoring of energy intake, which is often significantly under-reported by participants. This paper describes the use of a control systems approach for energy intake estimation during pregnancy. It relies on an energy balance model that predicts gestational weight based on physical activity and energy intake, the latter treated as an unmeasured disturbance. Two control-based observer formulations relying on Internal Model Control and Model Predictive Control, respectively, are presented in this paper, first for a hypothetical participant, then on data collected from four HMZ participants. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method, with generally best results obtained when estimating energy intake over a weekly time period.

[Correlation between pelvic relapses of rectal cancer after radical and R0 resection: A regression model-based analysis]

Objective: To propose a new staging system for presacral recurrence of rectal cancer and explore the factors influencing radical resection of such recurrences based on this staging system. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, clinical data of 51 patients with presacral recurrence of rectal cancer who had undergone surgical treatment in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital between January 2008 and September 2022 were collected. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) primary rectal cancer without distant metastasis that had been radically resected; (2) pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer confirmed by multi-disciplinary team assessment based on CT, MRI, positron emission tomography, physical examination, surgical exploration, and pathological examination of biopsy tissue in some cases; and (3) complete inpatient, outpatient and follow-up data. The patients were allocated to radical resection and non-radical resection groups according to postoperative pathological findings. The study included: (1) classification of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer according to its anatomical characteristics as follows: Type I: no involvement of the sacrum; Type II: involvement of the low sacrum, but no other sites; Type III: involvement of the high sacrum, but no other sites; and Type IV: involvement of the sacrum and other sites. (2) Assessment of postoperative presacral recurrence, overall survival from surgery to recurrence, and duration of disease-free survival. (3) Analysis of factors affecting radical resection of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer. Non-normally distributed measures are expressed as median (range). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. Results: The median follow-up was 25 (2-96) months with a 100% follow-up rate. The rate of metachronic distant metastasis was significantly lower in the radical resection than in the non-radical resection group (24.1% [7/29] vs. 54.5% [12/22], χ²=8.333, P=0.026). Postoperative disease-free survival was longer in the radical resection group (32.7 months [3.0-63.0] vs. 16.1 [1.0-41.0], Z=8.907, P=0.005). Overall survival was longer in the radical resection group (39.2 [3.0-66.0] months vs. 28.1 [1.0-52.0] months, Z=1.042, P=0.354). According to univariate analysis, age, sex, distance between the tumor and anal verge, primary tumor pT stage, and primary tumor grading were not associated with achieving R0 resection of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer (all P>0.05), whereas primary tumor pN stage, anatomic staging of presacral recurrence, and procedure for managing presacral recurrence were associated with rate of R0 resection (all P<0.05). According to multifactorial analysis, the pathological stage of the primary tumor pN1-2 (OR=3.506, 95% CI: 1.089-11.291, P=0.035), type of procedure (transabdominal resection: OR=29.250, 95% CI: 2.789 - 306.811, P=0.005; combined abdominal perineal resection: OR=26.000, 95% CI: 2.219-304.702, P=0.009), and anatomical stage of presacral recurrence (Type III: OR=16.000, 95% CI: 1.542 - 166.305, P = 0.020; type IV: OR= 36.667, 95% CI: 3.261 - 412.258, P = 0.004) were all independent risk factors for achieving radical resection of anterior sacral recurrence after rectal cancer surgery. Conclusion: Stage of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer is an independent predictor of achieving R0 resection. It is possible to predict whether radical resection can be achieved on the basis of the patient's medical history.

A Pharmacokinetic Drug-Drug Interactions Study between Entecavir and Hydronidone, a Potential Novel Antifibrotic Small Molecule, in Healthy Male Volunteers

INTRODUCTION

Hepatic fibrosis is an inevitable process of hepatic sclerosis, malignancy, and insufficiency, and hydronidone is an innovative antifibrosis drug. This study focus on the pharmacokinetic interaction of hydronidone and entecavir in healthy Chinese male subjects.

METHODS

An open-label, three-period, multiple-dosage, self-controlled clinical trial was executed in 12 healthy male subjects. In period 1, the subjects took hydronidone 60 mg, q8h, for 7 days. In period 2, they were given entecavir 0.5 mg once daily for 9 days. Then, hydronidone and entecavir were given in combination for 6 days (days 20-26). Blood samples were taken up to 24 h post-dosing, while pre-dose blood samples were drawn on days 7, 19, and 26.

RESULTS

The area under the curve (AUC)_{0-t_ss} of entecavir slightly increased from 15.56 ± 2.67 to 16.17 ± 2.77 ng h/ml with coadministration with hydronidone, while the other pharmacokinetic parameters of hydronidone and entecavir were comparable between monotherapy and combination therapy. The geometric mean ratios (GMRs) [90% confidence intervals (CIs)] of C_{max_ss}, AUC_{0-t_ss}, and AUC_{0-∞_ss} of entecavir after coadministration compared with entecavir alone were 107.21% (97.04-118.45%), 103.85% (100.94-106.83%), and 110.81% (97.19-126.33%), respectively. And the GMRs and 90% CIs of C_max,ss, AUC_{0-t_ss}, and AUC_{0-∞_ss} for combination therapy compared with the hydronidone monotherapy group were 102.72% (84.21-125.29%), 106.52% (97.06-116.90%), and 108.86% (96.42-122.89%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no drug-drug interaction between hydronidone and entecavir in healthy male volunteers. However, multiple doses of hydronidone have a risk with increasing exposure to entecavir in vivo, which needs to be further clarified.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2200059683 (retrospectively registered).

Pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence evaluation of omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate dry suspensions in healthy Chinese volunteers

Omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate dry suspension are effective treatments for acid-related disorders. This study compared the bioequivalence and safety of the two formulations of omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate powder and assessed how CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms affect pharmacokinetics (PK). A single-center, randomized, single-dose, 2-sequence and 2-period crossover method was performed in forty healthy Chinese subjects. Blood samples were collected after a single dose for PK (AUC0-∞, AUC0-t, and Cmax) analysis. The concentrations of Omeprazole in human plasma were determined by HPLC-MS/MS. Besides, the gene polymorphisms of CYP2C19 were assessed by Sanger sequencing. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval) [GMR (95% CI)] of Test/Reference preparation for Cmax: 95.2% (88.48%, 102.43%), AUC0-t: 97.47% (94.4%, 101.02%), AUC0-∞: 97.68% (94.27%, 101.21%) were within the range of 80.00-125.00%. The non-parametric test showed no statistical difference in Tmax between the two groups (p > 0.05). All drugs were well tolerated, no severe adverse reactions occurred, and no significant differences in adverse events between the two drugs. For CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms, the results showed that of 40 subjects, 12 subjects were extensive metabolizers, 24 were intermediate metabolizers, and 4 were poor metabolizers, the frequency of metabolic genotypes were 30%, 60%, and 10%. And the allele distributions for CYP2C19 were *1, *2, and *3 at 60%, 38.75%, and 1.25%. Both the CYP2C19 alleles and metabolic genotypes were consistent with other studies in Chinese. The results of PK parameters showed that different genotypes of CYP2C19 lead to significant differences in t1/2, AUC0-t, AUC0-∞ and Cmax, but no significant differences in Tmax in each group. At the same time, we confirmed that the PK parameters of the test and reference had no differences between the males and females. This study has shown that the pharmacokinetic parameters of the two formulations are not significantly different, which showed bioequivalence and exemplary safety. CYP2C19 gene polymorphism significantly differed in the PK parameters of omeprazole sodium bicarbonate powder.

Effects of intestinal microbiota on pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine a in rats

BACKGROUND

Intestinal microbiota has been confirmed to influencing the pharmacokinetic processes of a variety of oral drugs. However, the pharmacokinetic effects of the gut microbiota on cyclosporine A, a drug with a narrow therapeutic window, remain to be studied.

METHOD

Twenty-one rats were randomly divided into three groups: (a) control group (CON), (b) antibiotic treatment group (ABT) and (c) fecal microbe transplantation group (FMT). The ABT group was administrated with water containing multiple antibiotics to deplete microorganisms. FMT was with the same treatment, followed by oral administration of conventional rat fecal microorganisms for normalization.

RESULT

The bioavailability of CSA increased by 155.6% after intestinal microbes were consumed by antibiotics. After intestinal microbiota reconstruction by fecal transplantation, the increased bioavailability was significantly reduced and basically returned to the control group level. Changes in gut microbiota alter the protein expression of CYP3A1, UGT1A1 and P-gp in liver. The expressions of these three proteins in ABT group were significantly lower than those in CON and FMT groups. The relative abundance of Alloprevolleta and Oscillospiraceae UCG 005 was negatively correlated with CSA bioavailability while the relative abundance of Parasutterella and Eubacterium xylanophilum group was negatively correlated with CSA bioavailability.

CONCLUSION

Intestinal microbiota affects the pharmacokinetics of CSA by regulating the expression of CYP3A1, UGT1A1 and P-GP.

Mechanism study of CoS2/Fe(III)/peroxymonosulfate catalysis system: The vital role of sulfur vacancies

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation methods have attractive advantages in advanced oxidation process (AOPs) due to their powerful ability of directly or indirectly generating various reactive oxygen species (ROS). Herein, trace amount of Fe(III) ions were added into the commercial-CoS₂/PMS system to improve the CoS₂/PMS decomposition for organics removal. The organics removal efficiency could reach >90% towards methylene blue (MB), diclofenac sodium (DCF), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and bisphenol A (BPA) in the CoS₂/Fe(III)/PMS system, with the kinetic apparent rate constant k_obs of 0.141, 0.206, 0.247 and 0.091 min^-1, respectively. The synergistic effect between Fe(III) ions and sulfur-vacancies on CoS₂ for PMS degradation were revealed for the first time in cobalt sulfides/PMS system. Quenching experiments and ESR analysis proved that ¹O₂ was the major ROS and was produced mainly by the hydrolysis of SO₅^•-. Besides, the high degradation efficiency was obtained by the contribution of SO₄^•- and ^•OH. Electron spin-resonance spectroscopy (ESR), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Raman spectrum data revealed that the addition of Fe(III) ions could optimize the intensity of sulfur vacancies on the CoS₂ surface, which hindered the PMS reduction ability of Co(II), but accelerated the PMS oxidation to form ¹O₂. The degradation path of MB was analyzed by liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS). The mechanism studies speculated that the sulfur vacancies of CoS₂ provided the binding sites for Fe(III) ions with Co(II), which facilitated the PMS activation by Co(III).

[Advances in high-content screening applications in toxicology research]

The toxicity data of chemicals and drugs increases rapidly, while the animal experimental-based tests method could not meet the current demand of health risk assessment. The high-throughput screening techniques based on in vitro alternative models, integrating with computational methods and information technology to establish toxicity tests strategy promises to address this problem. High-content screening (HCS) technology uses automated microscopy and quantitative image platforms to perform multi-parameter and high-throughput phenotypic analysis via a visualization and quantification manner, and to quickly and effectively assess toxicity and prioritization of chemicals, which promotes the development of in vitro toxicity tests and computational toxicology. HCS technology has been included as an important tool for Toxicity Testing in the 21^st Century (Tox21) and chemical risk prioritization. Its applications have been widely utilized in the research field of toxicity tests and chemical toxicity mechanisms. In this review, we describe the development of HCS technology, technical points, toxicological applications, and the future directions and challenges of HCS, so as to provide references for the toxicity testing technology and risk assessment methodology.

[Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of methylated genes in burn scar tissue]

Objective: To investigate the methylated genes in burn scar tissue by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and to discover molecular markers and therapeutic targets of scar formation. Methods: An observational research method was used. Datasets were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus Database of America. The GSE136906 (n=6) and GSE137134 (n=6) datasets in the same batch were screened out for mRNA sequencing and methylation sequencing respectively, and the dataset GSE108110 (n=9) was incorporated into support vector machine and modeling analysis. The Limma software package was used to identify the differentially expressed genes and differentially methylated genes between scar tissue after burn and normal tissue. WGCNA was used to select the module with strong correlation with clinical features of scar tissue and large number of genes. Functional enrichment analysis of the genes in the module was performed to find genes with abnormal methylation. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to judge diagnostic efficacy of genes with abnormal methylation for scar, and support vector machine (SVM) was used to verify. Results: A total of 10 modules were identified, and the brown module with large number of genes was highly correlated to burn scar tissue formation. The genes in the brown module were mainly concentrated in "regulation of androgen receptor signaling pathway", "cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction", "positive regulation of insulin secretion", and so on. The model showed 35 genes with abnormal methylation status. The ROC curve (area under the curve>0.9) and SVM modeling (accuracy=93.3%) indicated that CCR2, LMO7, STEAP4, NNAT, and TCF7L2 genes had good diagnostic performance for scar. Conclusions: CCR2, LMO7, STEAP4, NNAT, and TCF7L2 can be used as potential targets for burn scar treatment.

[Application of fecal DNA methylation biomarkers detection in gastric cancer screening]

Objective: Explore the feasibility of fecal gene methylation for screening gastric cancer and its relationship with clinical characteristics of gastric cancer patients. Methods: One hundred and fifty-six stool samples of patients in general surgery or digestive department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from August 2018 to December 2019 were collected, detailed clinical information of gastric cancer patients were recorded. All patients and normal controls were divided into two sets including train sets (n=52)and test sets (n=104). Stool DNA was extracted for detection of methylation (SDC2, SFRP2, RASSF2 and TERT). Meanwhile, hemoglobin in stool samples were detected by immunoassays. A logistic regression model was built to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of single fecal DNA biomarker in detecting gastric cancer by Ct values of each stool-based DNA biomarker; Based on Akaike information criterion (AIC), the gastric cancer early screening model was constructed with each biomarker and the combinations, and evaluate the performance of the model in the test sets. Results: The accuracy of each stool biomarkers and their ranks were showed as SDC2(71.2%)>TERT(67.3%)=RASSF2(67.3%)>Hb(63.5%)>SFRP2(61.5%). By stepwise regression analysis, a combination composed of the methylation of SDC2 and TERT, fecal occult blood testing was well-behaved in the screening of gastric cancer.This combination showed a sensitivity of 66.7% for gastric cancer in train sets and test sets at the specificity of 78.9%. In different stages and parts of gastric cancer samples, the combination of this marker has the highest sensitivity in stage I gastric cancer(78.6%) and gastric body cancer(75.0%). Conclusion: The methylation of SDC2, SFRP2, TERT, RASSF2 has higher accuracy rate in the screening of gastric cancer, which is a potential fecal biomarker of gastric cancer.

Non-symbolic and symbolic number lines are dissociated

People use mental number lines for both symbolic numerals and numerosity, but little is known about how these two mental number lines are related. The current study investigated the association in effect size, directionality of the mental number line, and development between symbolic and non-symbolic mental number lines to determine if they were related to or independent from each other. We collected data from numerosity- and digit-matching tasks that used the following numbers: 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, and 29. Tasks were performed by college undergraduates and the fifth-grade primary school students. The results showed that none of the effects for non-symbolic numbers was related to any of the effects for symbolic numbers, and vice versa, in both adults and children. Another notable finding was that the correlation between the SNARC (spatial-numerical association of response code) effect size and mathematical ability was negative in the adult group. These results are consistent with the dissociated processes hypothesis and suggest that mental number lines are notation-dependent. As shown by the SNARC effect, the mental number line might result in interference in the current task by an automatically activated spatial notation-dependent representation of numbers.

[Guidance of magnetic resonance imaging for target area delineation of postoperative presacral recurrence of rectal cancer]

Objective: Presacral recurrence of rectal cancer have altered the adjacent structures of original pelvic organs due to the previous radical surgery of rectal cancer, and the boundary between recurrent tumor tissues and pelvic internal structures is not clear. Conventional CT examination has poor soft tissue resolution, which makes it difficult to accurately delineate the target area of radiotherapy. This study aimed to explore the guiding role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in delineating the target area of presacral recurrence after radical resection of rectal cancer. Methods: A descriptive case series research method was adopted. From May 2014 to May 2019, the clinical data of 30 patients with presacral recurrence after radical resection of rectal cancer were collected, who were admitted to Peking University People's Hospital, confirmed by pathology or discussed by multidisciplinary team (MDT), with complete MRI, CT and case information. According to the gross tumor volume (GTV) with presacral recurrence outlined in CT and MRI images, including presacral recurrent lesions (GTVT) and metastatic lymph nodes (GTVN), the GTV volume was calculated, and the tumor boundary and diameter were measured. The differences between MRI and CT were compared. Results: The volume of GTVT-CT was larger than that of GTVT-MR in all the 30 patients. The median volume of GTVT-CT was 67.86 (range 5.12-234.10) cm(3), which was significantly larger than 43.02 (range 3.42-142.50) cm(3) of GTVT-MR with statistically significant difference (Z=-4.288, P<0.001). The mean volume of GTVN outlined by CT and MRI was (0.43±0.11) cm(3) and (0.40±0.10) cm(3) respectively without statistically significant difference (t=1.550, P=0.132). The mean values of boundary and radial line of the presacral lesions on CT images were all longer than those on MRI images. The vertical diameter of GTVT on CT and MRI images was (6.66±2.92) cm and (5.17±2.40) cm (t=5.466, P<0.001); the anterior boundary was (3.24±2.51) cm and (2.69±2.48) cm (t=4.685, P<0.001); the anteroposterior diameter was (4.92±2.02) cm and (4.04±1.57) cm (t=6.210, P<0.001); the left boundary was (3.05±1.00) cm and (2.64±0.78) cm (t=2.561, P=0.016); the right boundary was 2.66 (0.00-4.23) cm and 1.82 (-1.10-3.59) cm (Z=-3.950, P<0.001); the transverse diameter was (5.01±1.78) cm and (3.82±1.29) cm (t=4.648, P<0.001), respectively, whose differences were all statistically significant. MRI was superior to CT in judging the involvement of anterior organs, such as intestine, prostate, bladder and the posterior sacrum. Fifteen patients received radiotherapy according to the target area guided by MRI and 10 patients obtained clinical symptom relief. Conclusion: Compared with CT, the GTV of postoperative presacral recurrence of rectal cancer outlined in MRI images is smaller, and MRI can determine the boundary between tumor and surrounding normal tissues more precisely, so it can show the invasion range of tumor more accurately and guide the accurate implementation of radiotherapy.

[Clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with presacral recurrent rectal cancer]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors in patients with presacral recurrent rectal cancer (PRRC). Methods: PRRC was defined as recurrence of rectal cancer after radical surgery involving posteriorly the presacral soft tissue, the sacrum/coccyx, and/or sacral nerve root. The diagnosis is confirmed with clinical symptoms (pain of pelvis/back/lower limb, bloody stools, increased frequency of defecation, and abnormal secretions), physical examination of perineal or pelvic masses, radiological findings, colonoscopy with histopathological biopsy, and the evaluation by multi-disciplinary team (MDT). Inclusion criteria: (1) primary rectal cancer undergoing radical surgery without distant metastasis; (2) PRRC was diagnosed; (3) complete inpatient, outpatient and follow-up data. According to the above criteria, clinical data of 72 patients with PRRC in Peking University People's Hospital from January 2008 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinicopathological features and follow-up data were summarized. Cox proportional hazard models was used to analyze the prognostic factors of PRRC. Results: Among 72 patients, 45 were male and 27 were female with a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1.0. The median age at recurrence was 58 (34 to 83) years and the median interval from surgery to recurrence was 2.0 (0.2 to 17.0) years. The main symptom was pain in 48.6% (35/72) of patients. In addition, gastrointestinal symptoms were found in 25.0% (18/72) of patients. The presacral recurrent sites were presacral fascia in 36 (50.0%) patients, lower sacrum (S3~S5 or coccyx) in 25 (34.7%) patients, and higher sacrum (S1~S2) in 11 (15.3%) patients. Forty-seven (65.3%) patients underwent radical surgery (abdominal resection, abdominoperineal resection, sacrectomy, abdominosacral resection), 12 (16.7%) underwent non-radical surgery (colostomy, cytoreductive surgery), and 13 (18.1%) did not undergo any surgery but only receive palliative chemoradiotherapy and nutritional support treatment. Thirty-three (45.8%) patients received radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine, irinotecan, etc.). All the patients received follow-up, and the median follow-up time was 19 (2 to 72) months. The median overall survival time was 14 (1 to 65) months. The 1- and 3-year overall survival rates were 67.1% and 32.0%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that age at recurrence (P=0.031) and radical resection (P<0.001) were associated with prognosis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that radical resection was independent factor of good prognosis (RR=0.140, 95%CI: 0.061-0.322, P<0.001). Conclusions: Patients tend to develop presacral recurrent rectal cancer within 2 years after primary surgery. The main symptom is pain. Patients undergoing radical resection have a relatively good prognosis.

[Comparison of clinical efficacy among different surgical methods for presacral recurrent rectal cancer]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and prognosis of three surgical methods for presacral recurrent rectal cancer (PRRC). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out. Case inclusion criteria: (1) primary rectal cancer without distant metastasis and undergoing radical surgery; (2) patients undergoing radical surgery after the diagnosis of PRRC; (3) complete inpatient, outpatient and follow-up data. Clinical data of 47 patients meeting the above criteria who underwent operation at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Peking University People's Hospital from January 2008 to December 2017 were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. Of the 47 patients, 31 were male and 16 were female; the mean age was 57 years old; 9 (19.1%) were low differentiation or signet ring cell carcinoma, 38 (80.9%) were medium differentiation; 19 (40.4%) received neoadjuvant therapy. According to operative procedure, 22 patients were in the abdominal/abdominoperineal resection group, 15 in the sacrectomy group and 10 in the abdominosacral resection group. The operative data, postoperative data and prognosis were compared among the three groups. Survival curve was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test was used to compare survival difference among three groups. Results: There were no significant differences in baseline data among three groups (all P>0.05). All the 47 patients completed the radical resection successfully. The mean operation time was (4.7±2.1) hours, the median intraoperative blood loss was 600 ml, and the median postoperative hospitalization time was 17 days. Fifteen cases (31.9%) had perioperative complications, of which 3 cases were grade III-IV. There was no perioperative death. The mean operative time was (7.4±1.6) hours in the abdominosacral resection group, (4.9±1.6) hours in the abdominal/abdominoperineal resection group, and (3.0±1.1) hours in the sacroectomy group, with a significant difference (F=25.071, P<0.001). There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospitalization days and perioperative complications among the three groups (all P>0.05). The median follow-up period of all the patients was 24 months, 12 cases (25.5%) developed postoperative dysfunction. The incidence of postoperative dysfunction in the abdominosacral resection group was 5/10, which was higher than 4/15 in the sacrectomy group and 3/22 (13.6%) in the abdominoperineal resection group with statistically significant difference (χ(2)=9.307, P=0.010). The 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates were 86.1% and 40.2% respectively. The 1-year overall survival rates were 86.0%, 86.7% and 83.3%, and the 3-year overall survival rates were 33.2%, 40.0% and 62.5% in the abdominal/abdominoperineal resection group, sacrectomy group and abdominosacral resection group, respectively, whose difference was not statistically significant (χ(2)=0.222, P=0.895). Conclusions: Abdominal/abdominoperineal resection, sacrectomy and abdominosacral resection are all effective for PRRC. Intraoperative function protection should be concerned for patients undergoing abdominosacral resection.

[Empirical and experiential analysis of pre-hospital coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic emergency care resource allocation and usage in Jinan]

OBJECTIVE

To find effective methods to improve the distribution and usage efficiency of pre-hospital epidemic emergency care resource (PEECR) by analyzing the PEECR allocation and usage in Jinan City during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic.

METHODS

Correlation significance test between the COVID-19 epidemiology sample and the PEECR allocation sample was conducted to estimate whether they came from the same population in Jinan from January 24 to June 30, 2020. The data used in empirical analysis were collected from the Health Commission of Shandong Province's daily epidemic information announcement (definite case increment, suspected case increment, suspected case stock, medical observation stock, close contact increment) and interview with some epidemic branch centers in Jinan City (vehicle using increment). Experiential analysis was used to analyze the waste of PEECR usage.

RESULTS

All the 5 COVID-19 epidemiology samples and the PEECR allocation sample came from different population. There was no correlation between the vehicle using increment and definite case increment, suspected case increment, suspected case stock, close contact increment (all P < 0.05), there was a weak correlation between the vehicle using increment and medical observation stock [the correlation coefficient was 0.048, ∈ (0.0, 0.2), P = 0.550]. There was systematic difference between PEECR indicator and COVID-19 epidemiology indicator. The waste in practice was also amplified by improper usage such as unsophisticated allocation, low effectiveness in primary units and unvalid emergency calling.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) A primary screening system should be established in control center to decrease the waste of efficiency. (2) Communities and units should improve overall epidemic dealing ability to assist emergency system. (3) The medical treatment ability and protection resource should be increased in normal pre-hospital care.

The stability of care preferences following acute illness: a mixed methods prospective cohort study of frail older people

Background

Patient preferences are integral to person-centred care, but preference stability is poorly understood in older people, who may experience fluctuant illness trajectories with episodes of acute illness. We aimed to describe, and explore influences on the stability of care preferences in frail older people following recent acute illness.

Methods

Mixed-methods prospective cohort study with dominant qualitative component, parallel data collection and six-month follow up. Study population: age ≥ 65, Rockwood Clinical Frailty score ≥ 5, recent acute illness requiring acute assessment/hospitalisation. Participants rated the importance of six preferences (to extend life, improve quality of life, remain independent, be comfortable, support ‘those close to me’, and stay out of hospital) at baseline, 12 and 24 weeks using a 0–4 scale, and ranked the most important. A maximum-variation sub-sample additionally contributed serial in-depth qualitative interviews. We described preference stability using frequencies and proportions, and undertook thematic analysis to explore influences on preference stability.

Results

90/192 (45%) of potential participants consented. 82/90 (91%) answered the baseline questionnaire; median age 84, 63% female. Seventeen undertook qualitative interviews. Most participants consistently rated five of the six preferences as important (range 68–89%). ‘Extend life’ was rated important by fewer participants (32–43%). Importance ratings were stable in 61–86% of cases. The preference ranked most important was unstable in 82% of participants.

Preference stability was supported by five influences: the presence of family support; both positive or negative care experiences; preferences being concordant with underlying values; where there was slowness of recovery from illness; and when preferences linked to long term goals. Preference change was related to changes in health awareness, or life events; if preferences were specific to a particular context, or multiple concurrent preferences existed, these were also more liable to change.

Conclusions

Preferences were largely stable following acute illness. Stability was reinforced by care experiences and the presence of family support. Where preferences were unstable, this usually related to changing health awareness. Consideration of these influences during preference elicitation or advance care planning will support delivery of responsive care to meet preferences. Obtaining longer-term data across diverse ethnic groups is needed in future research.

Biomechanical effect of asymmetric mandibular prognathism treated with BSSRO and USSRO on temporomandibular joints: a three-dimensional finite element analysis

Asymmetric mandibular prognathism is a clinically common skeletal dentomaxillofacial deformity. Unilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (USSRO) is an effective alternative procedure to bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSRO) for some patients. However, the biomechanical effect of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of USSRO has not been fully studied. This study aims to evaluate the stress distribution changes in the TMJ of asymmetric mandibular prognathism treated with BSSRO/USSRO, to validate the clinical feasibility of USSRO. Nineteen patients with mandibular prognathism patients who were treated with BSSRO (n=12) and USSRO (n=7) had preoperative and postoperative computed tomographic scanning. Preoperative and postoperative 3-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) of functional TMJ movements were made on one BSSRO patient and one USSRO patient. In all patients, the ANB angle and mandibular deviation were significantly improved postoperatively. There was no significant difference in the postoperative ANB angle and mandibular deviation between the BSSRO group and the USSRO group. In two preoperative FEA models, the maximum stresses of non-deviation side TMJ structures were greater than the deviation side during functional movements. The unbalanced stress distribution was corrected postoperatively in both BSSRO/USSRO FE models. Both BSSRO/USSRO can improve the ANB angle and mandibular deviation. The bilateral TMJ structure in patients with asymmetric mandibular prognathism had unbalanced stress, which could be significantly improved with the USSRO as effectively as BSSRO.

MiR-29a promotes osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells via targeting HDAC4

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of miR-29a in regulating the differentiation mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For the first step, the changes of expression of miR-29a during the process of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiation into osteoblast were detected. Then, we infected the MSCs with mimics or inhibitors of miR-29a to explore the roles of miR-29a in the differentiation. Further, the prediction and verification of the possible target genes of miR-29a were achieved by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

MiR-29a was up-regulated during the process of MSCs differentiation into osteoblasts. Overexpression or inhibition of miR-29a using mimics or inhibitors had no significant effect on cell proliferation. Furthermore, the differentiation was enhanced when miR-29a was artificially overexpressed in vitro, whereas silencing of miR-29a attenuated this process. It was evidenced by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, matrix mineralization, and increased expression of osteoblast-specific genes. Furthermore, we determined that the gene HDAC4 might be a direct target of miR-29a.

CONCLUSIONS

In the current study, miR-29a promotes osteogenesis via suppressing HDAC4, indicating that targeting miR-29a may be feasible in the management of osteoporosis.

Accuracies of genomic prediction for twenty economically important traits in Chinese Simmental beef cattle

Genomic prediction has been widely utilized to estimate genomic breeding values (GEBVs) in farm animals. In this study, we conducted genomic prediction for 20 economically important traits including growth, carcass and meat quality traits in Chinese Simmental beef cattle. Five approaches (GBLUP, BayesA, BayesB, BayesCπ and BayesR) were used to estimate the genomic breeding values. The predictive accuracies ranged from 0.159 (lean meat percentage estimated by BayesCπ) to 0.518 (striploin weight estimated by BayesR). Moreover, we found that the average predictive accuracies across 20 traits were 0.361, 0.361, 0.367, 0.367 and 0.378, and the averaged regression coefficients were 0.89, 0.86, 0.89, 0.94 and 0.95 for GBLUP, BayesA, BayesB, BayesCπ and BayesR respectively. The genomic prediction accuracies were mostly moderate and high for growth and carcass traits, whereas meat quality traits showed relatively low accuracies. We concluded that Bayesian regression approaches, especially for BayesR and BayesCπ, were slightly superior to GBLUP for most traits. Increasing with the sizes of reference population, these two approaches are feasible for future application of genomic selection in Chinese beef cattle.

Stabilizing Effects on a Cd Polluted Coastal Wetland Soil using Calcium Polysulphide

In this study, different dosages of calcium polysulphide (CaS_x) were used as an amendment to investigate effects on the immobilizing of Cd in a wetland soil by pot experiment. In addition to chemical analysis (pH and bioavailable Cd concentration), changes in soil enzyme activities, microbial carbon utilization capacity, metabolic and community diversity were examined to assess dynamic impacts on soil environmental quality and toxicity of Cd resulting from ameliorant dosing. Soil pH increased immediately upon CaS_x amendment compared to the unamended control (CK), and then declined slowly to a level lower than CK. Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable Cd concentration was determined to characterize the bioavailability of Cd in the soil. The CaS_x dose-dependent effect observed that with increasing CaS_x dosage, the immobilizing efficiency decreased. Soil urease and catalase activity assays and Biolog EcoPlate assay indicated that early stage addition of CaS_x significantly inhibited soil microbial activities. However, mid and late stage time periods showed the inhibition effects were alleviated, and the microbial activities could be recovered in 1% and 2% CaS_x treatments. Moreover, with increasing incubation time, microbial community diversity and richness were significantly recovered in 1% and 2% CaS_x treatments compared to the CK. No considerable changes were observed in the 5% CaS_x treatment. Conclusively, the 1% CaS_x amendment was an efficient and safe dosage for the stabilization of Cd contaminated wetland soil. This study contributes to the development of in situ remediation ameliorants and technologies for heavy metal polluted wetland soils.

Serum hepatitis B surface antigen correlates with fibrosis and necroinflammation: A multicentre perspective in China

The kinetics of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during the natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been studied, but the factors affecting them remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the factors affecting HBsAg titres, using data from multicentre, large-sized clinical trials in China. The baseline data of 1795 patients in 3 multicentre trials were studied, and the patients were classified into 3 groups: hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic HBV infection (n = 588), HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (n = 596), and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (n = 611). HBsAg titres in the different phases were compared, and multiple linear progression analyses were performed to investigate the implicated factors. HBsAg titres varied significantly in different phases (P = .000), with the highest (4.60 log10 IU/mL [10%-90% confidence interval: 3.52 log10 IU/mL-4.99 log10 IU/mL]) in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection. In all phases, age and HBV DNA were correlated with serum HBsAg level. In HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients, a negative correlation between HBsAg titres and fibrosis stage was observed. Alanine amonitransferase or necroinflammatory activity was also correlated with HBsAg titres in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients. In conclusion, decreased HBsAg titres may be associated with advancing fibrosis in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients or increased necroinflammation in those with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. Our findings may help clinicians better understand the kinetics of HBsAg and provide useful insights into the management of this disease.

Liposome Lipid-Based Formulation Has the Least Influence on rAAV Transduction Compared to Other Transfection Agents

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are considered ideal vehicles for human gene therapy. Meanwhile, non-viral strategies, such as transfection agents (TAs), have also shown promise to deliver genetic materials, such as siRNA. Transduction with the rAAV vector is performed concurrently with transfection with plasmid DNA or RNA. In the present study, we report that various TAs inhibited rAAV-mediated transgene expression at diverse levels. Overall, cationic polymers and dendrimers dramatically blocked rAAV transduction, while lipid-based liposomes displayed the least effect. The inhibitory effect was dependent on the dose of TAs and the timing of infection, suggesting that the early stages of viral infection were involved. In addition, the present results indicate that the transgene expression of rAAV vectors was significantly increased by liposome-mediated transfection with adenoviral helper genes. At the same time, this was dramatically inhibited by liposome-mediated transfection with the trichosanthin gene encoding a type I ribosome-inactivating protein isolated from traditional Chinese medicine. Furthermore, liposomes also have little effect on rAAV-mediated transgene expression in vivo. Taken together, these findings suggest liposome as the best choice of TAs, which should be used in combination with rAAV-mediated gene therapy.

Using Atomic Force Microscopy to Predict Tumor Specificity of ICAM1 Antibody-Directed Nanomedicines

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful tool to detect in vitro antibody-antigen interactions. To date, however, AFM-measured antibody-antigen interactions have yet to be exploited to predict in vivo tumor specificity of antibody-directed nanomedicines. In this study, we have utilized AFM to directly measure the biomechanical interaction between live triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and an antibody against ICAM1, a recently identified TNBC target. For the first time, we provide proof-of-principle evidence that in vitro TNBC cell-ICAM1 antibody binding force measured by AFM on live cells more precisely correlates with in vivo tumor accumulation and therapeutic efficacy of ICAM1 antibody-directed liposomes than ICAM1 gene and surface protein overexpression levels. These studies demonstrate that live cell-antibody binding force measurements may be used as a novel in vitro metric for predicting the in vivo tumor recognition of antibody-directed nanomedicines.

[Efficacy of Weitan Waifu patch on the postsurgical gastroparesis syndrome of gastrointestinal cancer: a multi-center trial]

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of the Weitan Waifu patch on the postsurgical gastroparesis syndrome (PGS) of gastrointestinal cancer. Methods: The multi-center, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted with superiority design. Patients with PGS of gastrointestinal cancer diagnosed in 4 AAA hospitals and the abdominal symptom manifested as cold syndrome by Chinese local syndrome differentiation were recruited. These patients were randomly divided into two groups according to 1∶1 proportion. Placebo or Weitan Waifu patch was applied in control group or intervention group, respectively, based on the basic treatments, including nutrition support, gastrointestinal decompression, promoting gastric dynamics medicine.Two acupuncture points (Zhongwan and Shenque) were stuck with placebo in control group or patch in treatment group. The intervention course was 14 days or reached the effective standard. Results: From July 15, 2013 to Jun 3, 2015, 128 participants were recruited and 120 eligible cases were included in the full analysis set (FAS), and 60 cases in each group. 88 cases were included in the per-protocol set (PPS), including 45 cases in the treatment group and 43 cases in the control group. In the FAS, the clinical effective rate in the treatment group was 68.3%, significantly superior than 41.7% of the control group (P=0.003). The medium time of effective therapy in the treatment group was 8 days, significantly shorter than 10 days in the control group (P=0.017). In the FAS, 3 adverse events occurred in the treatment group, including mild to moderate decrustation, pruritus and nausea. The incidence rate of adverse events was 5.0% (3/60) and these symptoms were spontaneously remitted after drug withdrawal. No severe adverse events were observed in the control group. There was no significant difference between these two groups (P=0.244). Conclusion: Weitan Waifu patch is a safely and effectively therapeutic method for patients with PGS (cold syndrome) of gastroenterological cancer. Trial registration: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register, ISRCTN18291857.

Rhizoremediation of a dioxin-like PCB polluted soil by alfalfa: Dynamic characterization at temporal and spatial scale

This study investigates the temporal and spacial dissipation dynamics of a dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB 77) in the rhizosphere of alfalfa. A three-chamber rhizobox was designed to compare the PCB 77 dissipation efficiency in the rhizosphere, near-rhizosphere, and far-rhizosphere zones. Culture-independent techniques, including quantitative PCR (qPCR), Biolog-ECO plate, and denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) were employed to investigate the variation of bacterial quantity, metabolic diversity and community structure in the alfalfa-rhizobium symbiosis rhizosphere at different rhizoremediation stages. PCB dissipation rates in different rhizosphere zones were in the order: rhizosphere (90.9%) > near-rhizosphere (80.5%) > far-rhizosphere (31.7%). The number of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene copies in the rhizosphere zone in the polluted treatment reached the highest value of all the treatments. Microbial metabolic diversity, as indicated by average well color development (AWCD) in both rhizosphere and near-rhizosphere zones, had recovered from the PCB 77 pollution. The soil bacterial community diversity improved greatly in the rhizosphere of alfalfa, with some new species appeared in the rhizosphere and near-rhizosphere zones. In conclusion, the dissipation of PCB 77, the quantity of total soil bacteria, soil microbial metabolic diversity, and soil microbial community structure were significantly improved in rhizosphere and near-rhizosphere zones of alfalfa.

The effect of cation doping on the morphology, optical and structural properties of highly oriented wurtzite ZnO-nanorod arrays grown by a hydrothermal method

Undoped and C-doped (C: Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cr³⁺) ZnO nanorods were synthesized by a hydrothermal method at temperatures as low as 60 °C. The effect of doping on the morphology of the ZnO nanorods was visualized by taking their cross section and top SEM images. The results show that the size of nanorods was increased in both height and diameter by cation doping. The crystallinity change of the ZnO nanorods due to each doping element was thoroughly investigated by an x-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD patterns show that the wurtzite crystal structure of ZnO nanorods was maintained after cation addition. The optical Raman-active modes of undoped and cation-doped nanorods were measured with a micro-Raman setup at room temperature. The surface chemistry of samples was investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Finally, the effect of each cation dopant on band-gap shift of the ZnO nanorods was investigated by a photoluminescence setup at room temperature. Although the amount of dopants (Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Co²⁺) was smaller than the amount of Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Cr³⁺ in the nanorods, their effect on the band structure of the ZnO nanorods was profound. The highest band-gap shift was achieved for a Co-doped sample, and the best crystal orientation was for Mn-doped ZnO nanorods. Our results can be used as a comprehensive reference for engineering of the morphological, structural and optical properties of cation-doped ZnO nanorods by using a low-temperature synthesis as an economical mass-production approach.

Ribosomal proteins: insight into molecular roles and functions in hepatocellular carcinoma

Ribosomes, which are important sites for the synthesis of proteins related to expression and transmission of genetic information in humans, have a complex structure and diverse functions. They consist of a variety of ribosomal proteins (RPs), ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and small nucleolar RNAs. Owing to the involvement of ribosomes in many important biological processes of cells, their major components, rRNAs and RPs, have an important role in human diseases, including the initiation and evolvement of malignancies. However, the main mechanisms underlying the involvement of ribosomes in cancer remain unclear. This review describes the crucial role of ribosomes in various common malignant tumors; in particular, it examines the effects of RPs, including S6, the receptor for activated C-kinase and RPS15A, on the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

[Association of the expression of leptin and leptin receptor with bone metastasis in pulmonary adenocarcinoma]

Objective: To explore the association of expression of leptin and leptin receptor (LR) with bone metastasis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Methods: One hundred and sixteen pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients who had complete clinicopathological data and definite pathological diagnosis in our hospital from January 2008 to January 2010 were selected. They were divided into the metastasis (n= 58) and non-metastasis (control, n=58) groups. The expressions of leptin and LR were identified by immunohistochemistry. The differences between expressions of leptin and LR in primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma tissues and metastasis, and between the groups with and without bone metastasis were analyzed. We also analyzed the correlation of leptin and LR expressed in primary adenocarcinoma and bone metastatic tissues, and the relationship between their expression levels and bone metastasis free survival (BMFS). Results: Among 58 patients of the metastasis group, the cases of high, moderate and low expressions of leptin were 36, 15 and 7, respectively, and the cases of high, moderate and low expressions of LR were 32, 17 and 9, respectively. Among the 58 patients of control group, the cases of high, moderate and low expressions of leptin were 19, 24 and 15, respectively, and those of LR were 17, 16 and 25, respectively. The expressions of leptin and LR in primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma tissues of metastasis group were significantly different from those of the control group (P=0.006, P=0.002, respectively). The expressions of leptin and LR in primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma tissues of the bone metastasis group were also significantly different from those of the non-bone metastasis group (P=0.029, P=0.032, respectively). The high/moderate expression rates of leptin and LR in the bone-metastatic tissues reached 91.4% (32/35) and 88.6% (31/35), respectively. The results showed that the expressions of leptin and LR in primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma tissues were positively related with their expressions in bone metastatic tissue (r = 0.612). The median bone metastasis free survival (BMFS) of the bone metastasis groups with high, moderate and low expressions of leptin were 14, 21 and 47 months, respectively, and the median BMFS of high, moderate and low expressions of LR in the bone metastasis group were 13, 19 and 27 months, respectively. The expressions of leptin and LR in pulmonary adenocarcinoma were significantly associated with BMFS (P<0.001, P=0.006, respectively). Conclusions: The expressions of leptin and LR are significantly up-regulated in primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma tissues and bone metastatic tissues, and are negatively correlated with BMFS. These two molecules may be used as effective predictors of bone metastasis in pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

[A report of atypical hypomyelinating leukodystrophy with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum caused by a de novo mutation in tubulin beta 4A (TUBB4A) gene and literature review]

Objective: To explore the clinical symptoms and neuroimaging features of a patient with atypical hypomyelinating leukodystrophy with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum (H-ABC) caused by a novel TUBB4A mutation. Methods: We analyzed the clinical data, imaging features and the result of genetic testing of a case diagnosed as atypical H-ABC. Results: The initial symptoms were progressive spasticity, mild cerebellar ataxia and mild cognitive impairment. MRI showed regional blurring of slight high signal on T(2)-weight and FLAIR image in white matter of the bilateral midbrain ventral, internal capsule, posteior horn of lateral ventricle and centrum semiovale, with normal bilateral cerebellar and caudoputamen nucleus. Compared with normal subjects of the same age and gender, hypometabolism was found by (18)F-FDG-PET in brainstem, cerebellar and caudoputamen nucleus in the patient. Genetic testing revealed a de novo pathogenic exome missense heterozygous mutations c. 70G>A in TUBB4A, which was not reported in the human gene mutation database (HGMDpro) and was assessed to be a pathogenic mutation by pathogenic mutation prediction software. Conclusions: The diversity of TUBB4A gene mutations may cause different functional and/or structural impairment in subcortical white matter, cerebellar and caudoputamen nucleus, leading to atypical symptoms and neuroimaging features. Genetic testing for pathogenic mutation in TUBB4A gene is a key for the diagnosis of H-ABC.