[Infection status and Molecular types of Rhinovirus among Cases of Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Luohe City, Henan Province, from 2017 to 2022]

Objective: To understand the infection status and molecular types of rhinovirus (RV) among cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) in Luohe City, Henan Province, from 2017 to 2022. Methods: From October 2017 to June 2022, clinical and epidemiological data were collected from 2 270 cases of ARIs at Luohe Central Hospital in Henan Province. Throat swab specimens were obtained from these cases. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to screen for RV-positive specimens. Subsequently, the positive samples were subjected to nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) to amplify the full-length VP1 region. Using the MEGA software, along with 169 RV reference strains recommended by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine RV types. Results: Among the 2 270 cases of ARIs, there were 1 283 male cases (56.52%). The median age (Q1, Q3) was 3 (1, 6) years, with the population under 5 years old accounting for 68.59% (1 557/2 270). RV was detected in 137 cases (6.04%), of which 68 cases (49.64%) showed co-detection with other viruses, with the most common being co-detection with enterovirus, accounting for 14.60% (20/137). The RV detection rates in the age groups of 0~4 years, 5~14 years, 15~59 years, and≥60 years were 6.42% (100/1 557), 4.69% (21/448), 3.80% (6/158), and 9.35% (10/107), respectively, with no statistically significant differences (χ2=5.310, P=0.150). The overall detection rates of RV before (2017-2019) and during (2020-2022) the COVID-19 pandemic showed no statistically significant difference (χ2=1.823, P=0.177). A total of 109 VP1 sequences were obtained, including 62 types. Among them, RV-A, RV-B, and RV-C had 42, 3, and 17 types respectively. Conclusion: RV is one of the predominant pathogens in ARIs cases in Luohe City, Henan Province, from 2017 to 2022. Multiple types of RV co-circulate without any apparent dominant type.

[Analysis of safety and factors influencing the surgical efficacy of benign biliary stenosis treated with autologous gastric flap repair with the vascular tip]

Objective: To investigate the complication rate and risk factors associated with using autologous gastric flap tissue with a vascular tip to treat benign biliary strictures. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of 92 patients with benign biliary stenosis who applied autologous gastric flap tissue to repair the stenosis at the PLA General Hospital from January 2006 to May 2022. Among them, there were 40 males and 52 females, aged from 25 to 79 (50.5±12.9) years. The perioperative clinical data of the patients were recorded(Body Mass Index、preoperative platelets et.), and a multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing postoperative complications. Long-term follow-up was conducted to evaluate the long-term efficacy of autologous gastric flap tissue with vascular tissues for benign biliary stenosis surgery. Results: The incidence of recent postoperative complications in patients was 26.1%, and univariate analysis showed that preoperative bile-intestinal anastomosis, positive intraoperative bile bacterial culture, low preoperative hemoglobin, and low preoperative platelet count were significantly associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications after biliary stenosis repair with a vascularized gastric flap (P<0.05). Multifactorial analysis showed that low preoperative platelets (OR=0.990, 95%CI: 0.982-0.998, P=0.015), low preoperative hemoglobin (OR=4.953, 95%CI: 1.405-15.010, P=0.012) and positive intraoperative bile bacterial culture (OR=19.338, 95%CI: 3.618-103.360, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for the development of postoperative complications. The excellent long-term follow-up rate of patients was 92.0%. Conclusions: The procedure of repairing benign biliary stenosis with a vascularized gastric flap preserves the function of the sphincter of Oddi and reconstructs the normal physiological passage of the bile duct. This procedure is safe and feasible and provides a reliable option for the surgical treatment of bile duct injury and bile duct stenosis.

Oblique and Asymmetric Klein Tunneling across Smooth NP Junctions or NPN Junctions in 8-Pmmn Borophene

The tunneling of electrons and holes in quantum structures plays a crucial role in studying the transport properties of materials and the related devices. 8-Pmmn borophene is a new two-dimensional Dirac material that hosts tilted Dirac cone and chiral, anisotropic massless Dirac fermions. We adopt the transfer matrix method to investigate the Klein tunneling of massless fermions across the smooth NP junctions and NPN junctions of 8-Pmmn borophene. Like the sharp NP junctions of 8-Pmmn borophene, the tilted Dirac cones induce the oblique Klein tunneling. The angle of perfect transmission to the normal incidence is 20.4∘, a constant determined by the Hamiltonian of 8-Pmmn borophene. For the NPN junction, there are branches of the Klein tunneling in the phase diagram. We find that the asymmetric Klein tunneling is induced by the chirality and anisotropy of the carriers. Furthermore, we show the oscillation of electrical resistance related to the Klein tunneling in the NPN junctions. One may analyze the pattern of electrical resistance and verify the existence of asymmetric Klein tunneling experimentally.

Autologous grafts of double-strut fibular cortical bone plate to treat the fractures and defects of distal femur: a case report and review of literature

We reported a 23-year-old man who was involved in a high-speed motorcycle accident. He sustained a closed fracture at the right distal femur. The primary fracture happened on February 2008. He underwent open reduction and internal fixation with cloverleaf plate. And one hundred days after the surgery, the proximal screws were pulled-out, but the bone union was not achieved. Treatment consisted of exchanging the cloverleaf plate with a locking compression plate and using an auto-iliac bone graft to fill the nonunion gap. In July 2009, the patient had a sharp pain in the right lower limb. The X-ray revealed that the plate implanted last year was broken, causing a nonunion at the fracture site. Immediately the plate and screws were removed and an intramedullary nail was inserted reversely from the distal femur as well as a 7 cm long bone from the right fibula was extracted and longitudinally split into two pieces to construct cortical bone plates. Then we placed them laterally and medially to fracture site, drilled two holes respectively, and fastened them with suture. We carried on auto-iliac bone grafting with the nonunion bone grafts. The follow-up at 15 months after operation showed that the treatment was successful, X-ray confirmed that there was no rotation and no angular or short deformity. We briefly reviewed the literature regarding such an unusual presentation and discussed in details the possible etiology and the advantages of autologous double-strut fibular grafts to cope with such an intractable situation.

Effects of different exercise durations on Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway activation in mouse skeletal muscle

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute exercise stress on the nuclear factor-erythroid2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) transactivation, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) cytosolic protein and Nrf2 nucleoprotein expressions, Nrf2 target genes mRNA expressions, and glutathione redox (GSH/GSSG) ratio level; with a particular focus on the changes in Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway activation following different durations of exercise. Wild-type mice (C57BL/6J, two months old) were separated into one-hour and six-hour treadmill running groups, as well as a non-exercise control group (n = 10 in each group). Measurements of Nrf2/ARE transactivation, Nrf2 nucleoprotein expressions, Keap1 cytosolic protein expression, Nrf2 target genes' mRNA expressions (superoxide dismutase-1 [SOD1], superoxide dismutase-2 [SOD2], γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase-modulatory [GCLm], γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase-catalytic [GCLc], glutathione reductase [GR], glutathione peroxidase-1 [Gpx1], catalase [CAT], and hemoxygenase-1 [Ho-1]), and GSH/GSSG ratio were carried out immediately after exercise. The results showed significant increases in Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway activation and the mRNA expressions of six measured enzymes in skeletal muscle after six hours of exercise; while in the one-hour exercise group, there was no change in Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway activation and only two enzymes' mRNA expressions were increased. It is suggested that the changes in Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway activation and its target genes' mRNA expressions were dependent on the exercise duration, with longer duration associated with higher responses.

Dynamic compression combined with SOX-9 overexpression in rabbit adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells cultured in a three-dimensional gradual porous PLGA composite scaffold upregulates HIF-1α expression

There is considerable interest in how the fate of adipose-derived stem cells is determined. Physical stimuli play a crucial role in skeletogenesis and in cartilage repair and regeneration. In the present study, we investigated the comparative and interactive effects of dynamic compression and SRY-related high-mobility group box gene-9 (SOX-9) on chondrogenesis of rabbit adipose-derived stem cells in three-dimensional gradual porous PLGA (polylactic-co-glycolic acid) composite scaffolds. Articular cartilage is stratified into zones delineated by characteristic changes in cellular, matrix, and nutritive components. As a consequence, biochemical and biomechanical properties vary greatly between the different zones, giving the tissue its unique structure and, thus, the ability to cope with extreme loading. The effects on development of the cartilage were examined using a combination of computational modeling to predict alterations in biophysical stimuli, detailed morphometric analysis of 3D digital representations. In addition, early chondrogenic differentiation was assessed via real-time PCR of mRNA expression levels for bone- and cartilage-specific gene markers. Our findings define the important role of dynamic compression combined with SOX-9 overexpression during in vitro generation of tissue-engineering cartilage and suggest that a 3D gradual porous PLGA composite scaffold may benefit articular cartilage tissue engineering in cartilage regeneration for better force distribution.

Dynamic compression promotes proliferation and neovascular networks of endothelial progenitor cells in demineralized bone matrix scaffold seed

Neovascularization is required for bone formation and successful fracture healing. In the process of neovascularization, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role and finish vascular repair through reendothelialization to promote successful fracture healing. In this study, we found that dynamic compression can promote the proliferation and capillary-like tube formation of EPCs in the demineralized bone matrix (DBM) scaffold seed. EPCs isolated from the bone marrow of rats have been cultured in DBM scaffolds before dynamic compression and then seeded in the DBM scaffolds under dynamic conditions. The cells/scaffold constructs were subjected to cyclic compression with 5% strain and at 1 Hz for 4 h/day for 7 consecutive days. By using MTT and real-time PCR, we found that dynamic compression can significantly induce the proliferation of EPCs in three-dimensional culture with an even distribution of cells onto DBM scaffolds. Both in vitro and in vivo, the tube formation assays in the scaffolds showed that the loaded EPCs formed significant tube-like structures. These findings suggest that dynamic compression promoted the vasculogenic activities of EPCs seeded in the scaffolds, which would benefit large bone defect tissue engineering.

Treatment of volatile organic compounds in a biotrickling filter under thermophilic conditions

The objectives of this research were to investigate the potential to biologically treat volatile organic compounds emitted by the forest products industry at thermophilic conditions and to examine the microbial community developed at high temperatures. Three biotrickling filters were run in parallel at temperatures ranging from 40 degrees C (mesophilic control) to 70 degrees C. The first phase involved treatment of methanol, for a 3-month run, and the second phase involved a 260-day run on the treatment of alpha-pinene. Methanol removal rates over 100 g m(-3) h(-1) where achieved at temperatures up to 70 degrees C. Alpha-pinene removal was achieved at temperatures up to 60 degrees C with optimal treatment occurring at 55 degrees C at rates up to 60 g m(-3) h(-1). The time for acclimation increased with increasing temperature and was longer for pinene than for methanol. Filter performance was also able to quickly recover from a shutdown period of up to 2 weeks due to the robustness of the microbial communities as determined by DNA fingerprinting analysis. The high-temperature communities treating methanol or pinene were more similar to each other than the mesophilic communities (i.e., 40 degrees C). The mesophilic methanol community had a high degree of functional redundancy, while the mesophilic pinene community was more unique and very distinct from the others. These results show that biofiltration at high temperatures is achievable and opens up a range of possibilities for applying biofiltration to hot gas streams.

Oldest playable musical instruments found at Jiahu early Neolithic site in China

Excavations at the early Neolithic site of Jiahu in Henan Province, China have produced what may be the earliest complete, playable, tightly-dated multinote musical instruments. Jiahu was occupied from 7000 BC to 5700 BC, considerably antedating the well known Peiligang culture. Here we describe six exquisitely made complete flutes which were found in radiocarbon-dated excavation layers, along with fragments of perhaps 30 more. The flutes are made from the ulnae of the red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis Millen) and have 5, 6, 7 and 8 holes. The best preserved flute has been played and tonally analysed. In addition to early musical artefacts, the archaeological record at Jiahu contains important information on the very foundations of Chinese society. We describe the archaeological characteristics of the Jiahu site, details concerning its dating, its place in the prehistory of the Chinese Neolithic, the ethnicity of its population and the results of a tonal analysis of a nearly 9,000-year-old musical instrument found there.

[Analysis of 9 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with legionnaires disease]

OBJECTIVE

To study the characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with legionnaires disease (LD) to avoid misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment.

METHOD

Nine cases of pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with LD were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULT

The clinical and chest X-ray manifestations varied, and no characteristics were found in these cases. Because cross antibodies existed between Legionella pneumophila and other causal bacteria, it was found difficult to differentiate LD, pulmonary tuberculosis and other causal bacteria infection. Efficacy of erythromycin combined with rifampicin, and decrease of serum titres of Legionella pneumophila four times after treatment were found helpful for definite diagnosis of LD.

CONCLUSION

Only paying much attention to LD, and detecting the serum antibody as early as possible can provide evidence for diagnosing of the disease.

[Treatment of congenital glaucoma with trabeculotomy]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the method of localization of Schlemm's canal during trabeculotomy to evaluate the successful rate of trabeculotomy.

METHOD

The author treated 38 cases (46 eyes) of congenital glaucoma with trabeculotomy. Harms trabeculotomy knife was introduced into the Schlemm's canal through the cutting end of an external collecting channel. The follow-up period was over 6 months in 37 eyes.

RESULTS

The intraocular pressure, C/D ratio were significantly improved after surgery compared to the preoperative ones (P < 0.05). But no significant differences were found in the corneal diameter, the depth of the anterior chamber, the length of ocular axis before and after surgery (P > 0.05). The intraocular pressure of 27 eyes (73.0%) was less than or equal to 2.8 kPa (1 kPa = 7.5 mmHg), showing good control of glaucoma.

CONCLUSION

During trabeculotomy, the trabeculotomy knife introduced in to the Schlemm's canal through an external collecting channel is a better and accurate method of localization of Schlemm's canal. The method is relatively simple, reliable and has certain value in clinical application.

Study on the antimutagenic effect of pine needle extract

The micronucleus test and sister-chromatic exchange (SCE) test were used to research the antimutagenic effect of pine needle extract. The results showed that the mutagenic effect of cyclophosphamide (CP) was inhibited by the pine needle extract. The micronucleus frequencies (MNF) of mouse bone marrow and human lymphocytes from peripheral blood were decreased with the effect of the extract (the dose was 2000 mg/kg or 5 mg/ml); the frequency of SCE in human lymphocytes was also reduced significantly, which indicated that the MNF and the SCE frequencies were negatively correlated with the dose of pine needle extract (r = -0.9782, -0.9587, -0.9765, respectively). This suggested that the pine needle extract was an effective antimutagen and it is important to choose the proper doses of pine needle extract for antitumor effect.

An activated sludge-based biosensor for rapid IC50 estimation and on-line toxicity monitoring

The RODTOX (Rapid Oxygen Demand and TOXicity tester), an activated sludge-based respirographic biosensor, is a device for on-line monitoring of the short-term biochemical oxygen demand (stBOD) and potential toxicity of incoming wastewater on the basis of on-line interpretation of respirograms resulting from pulse additions of either calibration substrate or sample. The principle of toxicity detection is based on the comparison of calibration respirograms before and after receiving a potential toxicant. In this paper, the results of the RODTOX as an on-line toxicity monitor are presented. In addition, a simple and fast procedure to estimate the IC50 of a toxicant has been developed, and its validity and good repeatability demonstrated. The performance of this procedure is compared with that of the Microtox test.

Mitomycin C-induced meiotic crossing-over on the interstitial segments in the Chinese hamster heterozygous for a reciprocal translocation

Using Chinese hamsters heterozygous for T(2;10)3Idr and T(1;3)8Idr reciprocal translocations, the authors studied mitomycin C (MMC)-induced crossing-over on the interstitial segments. Marker chromosomes with unequal-length chromatids resulting from crossing-over were clearly detectable, and the frequencies of such marker chromosomes were constant among individual males which were heterozygous for the same reciprocal translocation. The frequency of MMC-induced crossing-over on the interstitial segments increased roughly with increase in dose. These findings, therefore, indicated that marker chromosomes with unequal-length chromatids in translocation heterozygotes may be a useful indicator for detection of the cytogenetic effects of environmental mutagens on germ cells.