The oral bacterial microbiota facilitates the stratification for ulcerative colitis patients with oral ulcers

BACKGROUND

Clinically, a large part of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is complicated by oral lesions. Although previous studies proved oral microbial dysbiosis in IBD patients, the bacterial community in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of those IBD patients combined with oral ulcers has not been profiled yet.

METHODS

In this study, we enrolled four groups of subjects, including healthy controls (CON), oral ulcer patients (OU), and ulcerative colitis patients with (UC_OU) and without (UC) oral ulcers. Bio-samples from three GI niches containing salivary, buccal, and fecal samples, were collected for 16S rRNA V3-V4 region sequencing. Bacterial abundance and related bio-functions were compared, and data showed that the fecal microbiota was more potent than salivary and buccal microbes in shaping the host immune system. ~ 22 UC and 10 UC_OU 5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) routine treated patients were followed-up for six months; according to their treatment response (a decrease in the endoscopic Mayo score), they were further sub-grouped as responding and non-responding patients.

RESULTS

We found those UC patients complicated with oral ulcers presented weaker treatment response, and three oral bacterial genera, i.e., Fusobacterium, Oribacterium, and Campylobacter, might be connected with treatment responding. Additionally, the salivary microbiome could be an indicator of treatment responding in 5-ASA routine treatment rather than buccal or fecal ones.

CONCLUSIONS

The fecal microbiota had a strong effect on the host's immune indices, while the oral bacterial microbiota could help stratification for ulcerative colitis patients with oral ulcers. Additionally, the oral microbiota had the potential role in reflecting the treatment response of UC patients. Three oral bacteria genera (Fusobacterium, Oribacterium, and Campylobacter) might be involved in UC patients with oral ulcers lacking treatment responses, and monitoring oral microbiota may be meaningful in assessing the therapeutic response in UC patients.

Statins for treatment of fatty liver disease: Recent advances

Fatty liver disease (FLD), a common liver disease, is caused by genetic, environmental, and metabolic factors. It is mainly divided into alcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. FLD will gradually progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer if there is no timely intervention. Statins, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, can significantly decrease serum cholesterol levels by inhibiting the activity of HMG-CoA reductase. Thus, they are widely used to treat hypercholesterolemia in clinical practice. Some studies have reported that statins may exert anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, and anti-fibrosis effects, suggesting their benefits on FLD. Herein, we review the existing evidence about use of statins for the treatment of FLD to further guide the rational use of statins in patients with FLD.

Influence of Alkali Metal Doping and BN Substitution on the Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Graphyne: A Theoretical Perspective

The electronic and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of BN-substituted graphynes and the corresponding alkali-doped hybrid systems have been determined using density functional theory. When the carbon atoms in the graphyne are replaced by BN pairs, the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) gap (E_gap) increases to some extent, and the static first hyperpolarizabilities (β₀) of the novel systems hardly increase. However, when an alkali atom is introduced on the surface of BN-substituted graphyne, the doping effect can effectively modulate the electronic and NLO properties. Doping the alkali atom can significantly narrow the wide E_gap of BN-substituted graphynes in the range of 1.03-2.03 eV. Furthermore, the doping effect brings considerable β₀ values to these alkali-doped systems, which are 52-3609 au for Li-doped systems and 3258-211 053 au for Na/K-doped ones. The result reveals that the β₀ values of alkali-doped complexes are influenced by the atomic number of alkali metals and the proportion of BN pairs. The nature of the excellent NLO responses of alkali-doped complexes can be understood by the low excitation energy of the crucial excited state and the analysis of the first hyperpolarizability density. Besides, these alkali-doped complexes have a deep-ultraviolet working region. Therefore, the combined effect of alkali metal doping and BN substitution can be an excellent strategy to design novel high-performance NLO materials based on graphyne.

[Primary ovarian squamous cell carcinoma: clinicopathological features and prognostic analysis of fifteen cases]

Objective: To assess the clinical features and treatment outcomes in patients with primary ovarian squamous cell carcinoma (POSCC). Methods: Fifteen patients with primary ovarian squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed from January 2009 to December 2018 in Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences were collected. The expression of p16, hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH6 and PMS2 in POSCC was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the status of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) by RNAscope test. Results: Squamous cell carcinoma with different degrees of differentiation was found in 15 cases, including three cases with high differentiation and 12 cases with medium to low differentiation. There were four cases with in situ squamous cell carcinoma, four cases with teratoma, one case with endometrial carcinoma/atypical hyperplasia, and one case with endometriosis. p16 was expressed in five cases (5/15), indicating coexisting high-risk HPV infection. There was no high-risk HPV infection in the remaining 10 cases, and p16 staining was negative. There was no deficient mismatch repair protein in all cases. The overall survival time (P=0.038) and progression free survival (P=0.045) of patients with high-risk HPV infection were longer than those without HPV infection. Conclusions: POSCC is more commonly noted in postmenopausal women and often occurs unilaterally. Elevated serological indexes CA125 and SCC are the most common finding. Morphologically, the tumors show variable degrees of differentiation, but the current data suggest that the degree of differentiation cannot be used as an independent prognostic index. High-risk HPV infection may be associated with the occurrence of POSCC, and that the prognosis of POSCC patients with HPV infection is better than that of patients without infection.

Remarkable static and dynamic nonlinear optical responses of Al13-TCNQ/F4-TCNQ complexes: a quantum chemical study

Al13-TCNQ/F4-TCNQ complexes, which exhibit excellent stability and first hyperpolarizabilities, can be considered as candidates for UV and IR NLO materials.

An overview on interactions between natural product-derived β-glucan and small-molecule compounds

β-Glucans are widely found in plants and microorganisms, which has a variety of functional activities. During production and application, interactions with other components have a great influence on the structure and functional properties of β-glucan. In this paper, interactions (including non-covalent interaction and free-radical reaction) between natural product derived β-glucan and ascorbic acid, polyphenols, bile acids/salts, metal ion or other compounds were summarized. Besides, the mechanism and influence factors of interactions between β-glucan and small-molecule compounds, and their effects on the functional properties of β-glucan were detailed. This review aims to develop an understanding and practical suggestions on interactions between β-glucan and small-molecule compounds, which is expected to provide a useful reference for processing and application.

Tuning the electronic and nonlinear optical properties of black phosphorus quantum dots by introducing electron-donating/withdrawing molecules (TTF/TCNQ)

Black phosphorous quantum dots can exhibit excellent nonlinear optical properties after adsorbing organic molecules (TTF and TCNQ).

[Different criteria of metabolically healthy obesity and its effects on the prevalence]

The problem of obesity is getting serious. However, recent studies have shown that obesity is not necessarily harmful to health, thus the concept of metabolically healthy obesity is proposed. So far, no standard definition/criterion had been set up for metabolically healthy obesity. Through searching related literature on metabolically healthy obesity worldwide, different diagnostic criteria were reviewed, and compared with the difference of prevalence as well. The aim of the study is to provide reference for the precise prevention of obesity in China.

Human mesenchymal stem cell microvesicles for treatment of Escherichia coli endotoxin-induced acute lung injury in mice

We previously found that human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) or its conditioned medium restored lung protein permeability and reduced alveolar inflammation following Escherichia coli endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in an ex vivo perfused human lung in part through the secretion of soluble factors such as keratinocyte growth factor (KGF). Recently, MSC were found to release microvesicles (MVs) that were biologically active because of the presence of mRNA or miRNA with reparative properties. MVs are circular fragments of membrane released from the endosomal compartment as exosomes or shed from the surface membranes. These studies were designed to determine if MVs released by human bone marrow derived MSCs would be effective in restoring lung protein permeability and reducing inflammation in E. coli endotoxin-induced ALI in C57BL/6 mice. The intratracheal instillation of MVs improved several indices of ALI at 48 hours. Compared to endotoxin-injured mice, MVs reduced extravascular lung water by 43% and reduced total protein levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid by 35%, demonstrating a reduction in pulmonary edema and lung protein permeability. MVs also reduced the influx of neutrophils and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 levels in the BAL fluid by 73% and 49%, respectively, demonstrating a reduction in inflammation. KGF siRNA-pretreatment of MSC partially eliminated the therapeutic effects of MVs released by MSCs, suggesting that KGF protein expression was important for the underlying mechanism. In summary, human MSC-derived MVs were therapeutically effective following E. coli endotoxin-induced ALI in mice in part through the expression of KGF mRNA in the injured alveolus.

Incidence of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke and the association with smoking and smoking cessation: a 10-year multicentre prospective study in China

OBJECTIVES

To examine the effects of cigarette smoking and smoking cessation on the incidence of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke in a multicentre prospective cohort study among Chinese.

STUDY DESIGN

A multicentre population-based prospective cohort study.

METHODS

The incidence of, and deaths from, stroke were monitored among 26,607 participants (12,560 men and 14,047 women) who were enrolled in 1986 and free from stroke until 2000. Cox's proportional hazard model was performed to obtain the hazard ratio (HR) of cigarette smoking for stroke risk after adjustment for major confounders.

RESULTS

After an average of 9.5 years of follow-up, 1108 subjects developed stroke. The excess risk of all types of stroke (total stroke) among male current smokers [HR 1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-1.67] was mainly due to a significantly elevated risk of ischaemic stroke (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.17-1.90). A significantly increased risk for total stroke and ischaemic stroke was observed among men who smoked >15 cigarettes/day and men who had smoked for >25 years. The rate of smoking cessation was very low among Chinese men (7.2%) and women (1.5%). Smoking cessation did not appear to reduce the risk of haemorrhagic stroke, but may reduce the risk of ischaemic stroke; however, the possibility that this result was due to chance cannot be excluded (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.26-2.08).

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed that cigarette smoking is a major determinant for the incidence of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke in Chinese men, and emphasizes the need for improved strategies to help people quit smoking.

Generation of 150 MW, 110 fs pulses by phase-locked amplification in multicore photonic crystal fiber

We use seven-core Yb-doped large-mode-area (LMA) photonic crystal fiber (PCF) to demonstrate phase-locked amplification of 0.7 W, 1 MHz, 1.9 ps laser pulses delivered by an LMA-PCF-laser-LMA-PCF-preamplifier system. Compression of the 24 W output of the multicore LMA-PCF amplifier with a grating compressor yields 110 fs pulses with a peak power up to 150 MW.

Hybrid multicore photonic-crystal fiber for in-phase supermode selection

We examine a hybrid multicore photonic-crystal fiber, where the cores are separated by high-index solid rods and the microstructure cladding is built on a hexagonal lattice of air holes in silica. Antiresonant reflection from high-index solid rods is shown to assist the field confinement in the cores of such a fiber. When the cores are doped with a laser-active material, the maximum gain is achieved for the in-phase supermode, which translates into a high-quality Gaussian-like beam profile in the far field.

Regulation of epithelial sodium channels by cGMP/PKGII

Airway and alveolar fluid clearance is mainly governed by vectorial salt movement via apically located rate-limiting Na(+) channels (ENaC) and basolateral Na(+)/K(+)-ATPases. ENaC is regulated by a spectrum of protein kinases, i.e. protein kinase A (PKA), C (PKC), and G (PKG). However, the molecular mechanisms for the regulation of ENaC by cGMP/PKG remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we studied the pharmacological responses of native epithelial Na(+) channels in human Clara cells and human alphabetagammadelta ENaCs expressed in oocytes to cGMP. 8-pCPT-cGMP increased amiloride-sensitive short-circuit current (I(sc)) across H441 monolayers and heterologously expressed alphabetagammadelta ENaC activity in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, 8-pCPT-cGMP (a PKGII activator) but not 8-Br-cGMP (a PKGI activator) increased amiloride-sensitive whole cell currents in H441 cells in the presence of CFTRinh-172 and diltiazem. In all cases, the cGMP-activated Na(+) channel activity was inhibited by Rp-8-pCPT-cGMP, a specific PKGII inhibitor. This was substantiated by the evidence that PKGII was the sole isoform expressed in H441 cells at the protein level. Importantly, intratracheal instillation of 8-pCPT-cGMP in BALB/c mice increased amiloride-sensitive alveolar fluid clearance by approximately 30%, consistent with the in vitro results. We therefore conclude that PKGII is an activator of lung epithelial Na(+) channels, which may expedite the resolution of oedematous fluid in alveolar sacs.

Stabilized soliton self-frequency shift and 0.1- PHz sideband generation in a photonic-crystal fiber with an air-hole-modified core

Fiber dispersion and nonlinearity management strategy based on a modification of a photonic-crystal fiber (PCF) core with an air hole is shown to facilitate optimization of PCF components for a stable soliton frequency shift and subpetahertz sideband generation through four-wave mixing. Spectral recoil of an optical soliton by a red-shifted dispersive wave, generated through a soliton instability induced by high-order fiber dispersion, is shown to stabilize the soliton self-frequency shift in a highly nonlinear PCF with an air-hole-modified core relative to pump power variations. A fiber with a 2.3-microm-diameter core modified with a 0.9-microm-diameter air hole is used to demonstrate a robust soliton self-frequency shift of unamplified 50-fs Ti: sapphire laser pulses to a central wavelength of about 960 nm, which remains insensitive to variations in the pump pulse energy within the range from 60 to at least 100 pJ. In this regime of frequency shifting, intense high- and low-frequency branches of dispersive wave radiation are simultaneously observed in the spectrum of PCF output. An air-hole-modified-core PCF with appropriate dispersion and nonlinearity parameters is shown to provide efficient four-wave mixing, giving rise to Stokes and anti-Stokes sidebands whose frequency shift relative to the pump wavelength falls within the subpetahertz range, thus offering an attractive source for nonlinear Raman microspectroscopy.

Longitudinal study of blood pressure and stroke in over 37,000 People in China

As part of a longitudinal study performed in urban China, 37,655 subjects were evaluated for stroke risk factors, including having their blood pressure measured in a standard fashion. The cohort was followed for 3.5 years during which time 427 subjects experienced incident strokes--221 ischemic, 203 hemorrhagic, and 3 undefined. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly related to risk of stroke and stroke type. Associations were stronger for systolic than diastolic blood pressure. These results emphasize the importance of systolic blood pressure, as opposed to diastolic, as a risk factor for stroke. In this study, the risk of stroke is increased by about 25% with each 10 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure.

Prevention of stroke in urban China: a community-based intervention trial

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Stroke has been the second leading cause of death in large cities in China since the 1980s. Meanwhile, the prevalences of hypertension and smoking have steadily increased over the last 2 decades. Therefore, a community-based intervention trial was initiated in 7 Chinese cities in 1987. The overall goal of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at reducing multiple risk factors for stroke. The primary study objective was to reduce the incidence of stroke by 25% over 3.5 years of intervention.

METHODS

In May 1987 in each of 7 the cities, 2 geographically separated communities with a registered population of about 10 000 each were selected as either intervention or control communities. In each community, a cohort containing about 2700 subjects (>/=35 years old) free of stroke was sampled, and a survey was administered to obtain baseline data and screen the eligible subjects for intervention. In each city, a program of treatment for hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes was instituted in the intervention cohort (n approximately 2700) and health education was provided to the full intervention community (n approximately 10 000). A follow-up survey was conducted in 1990. Comparisons of intervention and control cohorts in each city were pooled to yield a single summary.

RESULTS

A total of 18 786 subjects were recruited to the intervention cohort and 18 876 to the control cohort from 7 cities. After 3.5 years, 174 new stroke cases had occurred in the intervention cohort and 253 in the control cohort. The 3.5-year cumulative incidence of total stroke was significantly lower in the intervention cohort than the control cohort (0.93% versus 1.34%; RR=0.69; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.84). The incidence rates of nonfatal and fatal stroke, as well as ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, were significantly lower in the intervention cohort than the control cohort. The prevalence of hypertension increased by 4.3% in the intervention cohort and by 7.8% in the control cohort. The average systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased more in the control cohort than in the intervention cohort. Among hypertensive individuals in the intervention cohort, awareness of hypertension increased by 6.7% and the percentage of hypertensives who regularly took antihypertensive medication increased 13.2%. All of these indices became worse in the control cohort. The prevalence of heart diseases and diabetes increased significantly in the both cohorts (P<0.01). The prevalence of consumption of alcohol increased slightly, and that of smoking remained constant in both cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

A community-based intervention for stroke reduction is feasible and effective in the cities of China. The reduction, due to the intervention, in the incidence of stroke in the intervention cohort was statistically significant after 3.5 years of intervention. The sharp reduction in the incidence of stroke may be due to the interventions having blunted the expected increase in hypertension that accompanies aging as well as to better and earlier treatment of hypertension, particularly borderline hypertension. Applied health education to all the residents of the community may have prevented some normotensive individuals from developing hypertension and improved overall health awareness and knowledge.

[Modulation of norepinephrinergic control of hypothalamus preoptic areas on hibernation bouts in ground squirrels (Citellus dauricus)]

In our previous work, it was shown that hibernation could be enhanced by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, 200 micrograms) into the lateral cerebral ventricle of ground squirrels by destructing norepinephrine (NE) nerve terminals in brain areas including hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, hippocampus and periaqueductal gray matter of middle brain. In order to identify the specific area contributing for the modulation of NE system on hibernation, small doses of 6-OHDA (4 micrograms) were microinjected bilaterally into medial preoptic hypothalamus (MPA), lateral preoptic hypothalamus (LPA) and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH). The results showed: (1) Depletion of NE on MPA may facilitate hibernation. (2) Little effect was seen by microinjection of 6-OHDA into LPA. (3) The effect of 6-OHDA on VMH was similar to that on MPA, through the mechanism remains to be investigated.

A case-control study on the environmental risk factors of Parkinson's disease in Tianjin, China

Using a case-control method, we studied the role of environmental risk factors and viral infection in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD) in China. Ninety-three PD patients and 186 controls were investigated with a questionnaire and from most of them, blood was taken to test the antibody levels of four virus (measles, rubella, HSV-1, CMV) IgG. The study result showed that positive family history, living near rubber plants, drinking river-water were associated with an increased risk of developing PD. In contrast, living in small cities, drinking well-water, drinking hard-liquor frequently, were associated with a decreased risk for PD. PD cases and controls did not differ with respect to other factors investigated including smoking and viral infection. These findings suggest that some environmental factors may be related to the development of PD, but further standardized studies will be required to confirm our results.

[Delayed hemothorax after chest injuries. Report of 31 cases]

Thirty-one patients with delayed hemothorax were treated. The time from trauma to hemothorax formation ranged from 2 to 30 days. The patients with chest injuries accompanied by multiple rib fracture, potential vascular injuries and foreign body retention the thoracic cavity were observed closely. The diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment were discussed.

Regional anesthesia for microsurgery in China: a review

Between June 1968 and December 1985, a total of 1185 microsurgical operations were performed at the No. 6 Municipal Hospital, Shanghai. These included 500 reimplantations of amputated hands or fingers, 271 free transfers of toes, 96 free transfers of fibula, 63 free transfers of muscle, 34 reconstructions of hands, and 88 ENT procedures. The anesthetic methods used were brachial plexus block 401 (33.8%), cervical epidural block 232 (19.6%), general anesthesia 193 16.3%), double catheter lumbar and cervical epidural block 149 (12.6%), brachial plexus plus lumbar epidural block 123 (10.4%), lumbar epidural block alone 64 (5.4%), and acupuncture 22 (1.9%). Anesthesia in microsurgical operations must provide good operating conditions for very prolonged periods, devoid of any vasospasm and preferably with a degree of vasodilatation to facilitate vascular anastomosis.