[A multicenter study of reference intervals for 15 laboratory parameters in Chinese children]

Objective: To establish comprehensive laboratory reference intervals for Chinese children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter study. From June 2013 to December 2014, eligible healthy children aged from 6-month to 17-year were enrolled from 20 medical centers with informed consent. They were assessed by physical examination, questionnaire survey and abdominal ultrasound for eligibility. Fasting blood samples were collected and delivered to central laboratory. Measurements of 15 clinical laboratory parameters were performed, including estradiol (E2), testosterone(T), luteinizing hormone(LH), follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH), alanine transaminase(ALT), serum creatinine(Scr), cystatin C, immunoglobulin A(IgA), immunoglobulin G(IgG), immunoglobulin M(IgM), complement (C3, C4), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), uric acid(UA) and creatine kinase(CK). Reference intervals were established according to central 95% confidence intervals for reference population, stratified by age and sex. Results: In total, 2 259 children were enrolled. Finally, 1 648 children were eligible for this study, including 830 boys and 818 girls, at a mean age of 7.4 years. Age- and sex- specific reference intervals have been established for the parameters. Reference intervals of sex hormones increased gradually with age. Concentrations of ALT, cystatin C, ALP and CK were higher in children under 2 years old. Serum levels of sex hormones, creatinine, immunoglobin, CK, ALP and urea increased rapidly in adolescence, with significant sex difference. In addition, reference intervals were variable depending on assay methods. Concentrations of ALT detected by reagents with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate(PLP) were higher than those detected by reagents without PLP. Compared with enzymatic method, Jaffe assay always got higher results of serum creatinine, especially in children younger than 9 years old. Conclusion: This study established age- and sex- specific reference intervals, for 15 clinical laboratory parameters based on defined healthy children.

[Minimally invasive tarsal sinus incision combined with manipulative reduction and internal fixation for calcaneal fractures of Sanders typeⅡ and Ⅲ]

Objective: To evaluate the method and curative effect of plate fixation or percutaneous screws for the treatment of calcaneal fractures of Sanders type Ⅱ and Ⅲ via a minimally invasive sinus tarsi incision combined with a variety of manipulative reduction methods. Methods: Twenty-one patients with closed calcaneal fractures treated in the Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2014 to January 2016 were collected. There were 15 men and 6 women, with an average age of 39.3 years(from 25 to 63 years). According to the Sanders classification, 16 cases were type Ⅱ and 5 were type Ⅲ.All cases were treated with internal fixation with plate and percutaneous screws via the mini-open sinus tarsi approach following reduction of the posterior articular surface of the subtalar joint and calcaneal length, width and height.Statistical analysis was performed on calcaneal width and Böhler angle, Gissane angle preoperatively and postoperatively (3 days and 3 months). All data were analyzed by ANOVA, functional recovery was evaluated according to the Ankle and Hind-foot Score of American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS). Results: Twenty one patients were followed up for a mean duration of 13.4 months(6 to 24 months). All cases gained primary incision healing, without complications such as skin necrosis, wound infection, tenosynovitis of peroneus longus and brevis muscles, or fracture displacement and hardware failure.Bone union was achieved at an average of 10.5 weeks(9 to 11 weeks). No obvious malunion occurred by the last follow-up. Compared to preoperative, calcaneal width(F=25.62, 38.90) were significantly improved 3 days and 3 months after surgery, Böhler angle(F=440.24, 272.42) and Gissane angle(F=91.86, 43.74) were normal, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared to 3 days after surgery, calcaneal width, Böhler angle and Gissane angle kept normal 3 months after surgery, there were no statistically differences (F=0.26, 1.35, 2.60, all P>0.05). By the AOFAS scoring, 10 cases were rated as excellent, 7 were good and 4 were fair. Conclusions: Fixation with plate and percutaneous screws via the mini-open sinus tarsi approach is an effective treatment for Sanders types Ⅱ and Ⅲ calcaneal fractures, which with the advantages of small wound, simple operation, reliable fixation, no incision complication, especially suitable for elderly patients and the patients with severe injury of local soft tissue.

Trichostatin A and nuclear reprogramming of cloned rabbit embryos

To investigate the influence of histone deacetylases on nuclear reprogramming after nuclear transfer, we treated the cloned embryos with a histone deacetylase inhibitor, Trichostatin A (TSA). In the present study, global changes in acetylation of histone H3-lysine 14, histone H4-lysine 12, and histone H4-lysine 5 were studied in rabbit in vivo fertilized embryos, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos, and TSA-treated SCNT embryos. From the pronuclear to the morula stage, the deacetylation-reacetylation changes in acetylation of histone H3-lysine 14 and histone H4-lysine 12 occurred in both fertilized embryos and TSA-treated cloned embryos; however, the distribution pattern in untreated cloned embryos failed to display such changes. More interesting, the signal of acetylation of histone H4-lysine 12 in cloned embryos was detected in both the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm, whereas TSA-treated cloned embryos showed the same staining pattern as fertilized embryos and the staining was limited to the inner cell mass. The histone acetylation pattern of TSA-treated SCNT embryos appeared to be more similar to that of normal embryos, indicating that TSA could improve nuclear reprogramming after nuclear transfer.

Phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase is regulated by protein kinase C, cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate, and protein phosphatase modulators during meiosis resumption in rat oocytes

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, protein kinase C (PKC), cAMP, and okadaic acid (OA)-sensitive protein phosphatases (PPs) have been suggested to be involved in oocyte meiotic resumption. However, whether these protein kinases and phosphatases act by independent pathways or interact with each other in regulating meiosis resumption is unknown. In the present study, we aimed to determine the regulation of meiosis resumption and MAP kinase phosphorylation by PKC, cAMP, and OA-sensitive PPs in rat oocytes using an in vitro oocyte maturation system and Western blot analysis. We found that ERK1 and ERK2 isoforms of MAP kinases existed in a dephosphorylated (inactive) form in germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD)-incompetent and GVBD-competent germinal vesicle intact (GVI) oocytes as well as GVBD oocytes at equivalent levels. These results indicate that MAP kinases are not responsible for the initiation of normal meiotic resumption in rat oocytes. However, when GVBD-incompetent and GVBD-competent oocytes were incubated in vitro for 5 h, MAP kinases were phosphorylated (activated) in GVBD-competent oocytes, but not in meiotic-incompetent oocytes, suggesting that oocytes acquire the ability to phosphorylate MAP kinase during acquisition of meiotic competence. We also found that both meiosis resumption and MAP kinase phosphorylation were inhibited by PKC activation or cAMP elevation. Moreover, these inhibitory effects were overcome by OA, which inhibited PP1/PP2A activities. These results suggest that both cAMP elevation and PKC activation inhibit meiosis resumption and MAP kinase phosphorylation at a step prior to OA-sensitive protein phosphatases. In addition, inhibitory effects of cAMP elevation on meiotic resumption and MAP kinase phosphorylation were not reversed by calphostin C-induced PKC inactivation, indicating that cAMP inhibits both meiotic resumption and MAP kinase activation in a PKC-independent manner.

Viable rabbits derived from reconstructed oocytes by germinal vesicle transfer after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

Abnormal oocyte spindle due to the improper function of ooplasm is associated with female infertility of advanced maternal age. A possible way to overcome this problem is to transfer an oocyte germinal vesicle (GV) which contains genetic materials of a patient with a history of poor embryo development to the cytoplast from a donor oocyte. Here we demonstrate that GV transfer is feasible using a rabbit model. When the GVs were transferred to auto- or hetero-cytoplasts of GV stage oocytes, around 80% of the reconstructed oocytes could mature in vitro and 7.1-9.4% of the oocytes developed to blastocyst stage after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Transfer of 93 fertilized eggs reconstructed via GV transfer into six recipients resulted in two live offspring. Results of this experiment indicate that GV transfer can potentially become a new approach in treatment of infertility because of advanced maternal age.

Analysis of voice of healthy aged persons with narrow band spectrum analyzer

The purpose of this study is to measure the fundamental frequency (F0) and voice range of healthy aged persons. A total of 160 subjects without laryngeal or pulmonary complaints were involved in this study. The results were as follows. 1) F0: Results of the analysis indicated that the mean F0 of 70 to 74 years aged persons are higher than that of the other groups for male. There was, however, no significant difference among the groups for female. 2) Voice range: We found that the natural voice range for male decreases with increase of age, while the falsetto voice range increases. The natural voice range and falsetto voice range of females decrease with increase of age.

Low levels of zinc in hair and blood, pica, anorexia, and poor growth in Chinese preschool children

Zinc concentrations in plasma and hair were measured in 703 children, aged between 1 and 6 yr, and correlated with parameters of physical development. In the first group of 187 children brought to the Child Health Clinic for routine observation there was a positive correlation of hair zinc content and height for age, with an increased prevalence of low hair zinc content in children of shorter stature. A second group of 303 children in nurseries and kindergartens in Beijing exhibited a hair zinc content of 92 micrograms/g, and 34% of these had very low zinc values below 70 micrograms/g. The third group consisted of 213 children who were brought into the outpatient clinic for a variety of complaints, including pica, anorexia, and poor growth; these had significantly lower values of zinc in hair and plasma than well-nourished children and responded to zinc supplementation with improvement of growth and the disappearance of pica and anorexia. These results suggest that the diet consumed by the population studied may be marginal or inadequate in its content of available zinc.