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Background/Aims@#Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disease characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction. However, the majority of previous neuroimaging studies focus on brain structure and connections but seldom on the inter-hemispheric connectivity or structural asymmetry. This study uses multi-modal imaging to investigate the abnormal changes across the 2 cerebral hemispheres in patients with IBS. @*Methods@#Structural MRI, resting-state functional MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging were acquired from 34 patients with IBS and 33 healthy controls. The voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity, fractional anisotropy, fiber length, fiber number, and asymmetry index were calculated and assessed for group differences. In addition, we assessed their relevance for the severity of IBS. @*Results@#Compared with healthy controls, the inter-hemispheric functional connectivity of patients with IBS showed higher levels in bilateral superior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and angular gyrus, but lower in supplementary motor area. The statistical results showed no significant difference in inter-hemispheric anatomical connections and structural asymmetry, however negative correlations between inter-hemispheric connectivity and the severity of IBS were found in some regions with significant difference. @*Conclusions@#The functional connections between cerebral hemispheres were more susceptible to IBS than anatomical connections, and brain structure is relatively stable. Besides, the brain areas affected by IBS were concentrated in default mode network and sensorimotor network.
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Background/Aims@#Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disease characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction. However, the majority of previous neuroimaging studies focus on brain structure and connections but seldom on the inter-hemispheric connectivity or structural asymmetry. This study uses multi-modal imaging to investigate the abnormal changes across the 2 cerebral hemispheres in patients with IBS. @*Methods@#Structural MRI, resting-state functional MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging were acquired from 34 patients with IBS and 33 healthy controls. The voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity, fractional anisotropy, fiber length, fiber number, and asymmetry index were calculated and assessed for group differences. In addition, we assessed their relevance for the severity of IBS. @*Results@#Compared with healthy controls, the inter-hemispheric functional connectivity of patients with IBS showed higher levels in bilateral superior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and angular gyrus, but lower in supplementary motor area. The statistical results showed no significant difference in inter-hemispheric anatomical connections and structural asymmetry, however negative correlations between inter-hemispheric connectivity and the severity of IBS were found in some regions with significant difference. @*Conclusions@#The functional connections between cerebral hemispheres were more susceptible to IBS than anatomical connections, and brain structure is relatively stable. Besides, the brain areas affected by IBS were concentrated in default mode network and sensorimotor network.
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Objective To evaluate the value of serum kaliuretic peptide (KP) in predicting atrial fibrillation (AF) and its prognosis,by detecting serum KP levels in patients with severe sepsis.Methods Fifty-six patients with severe sepsis in Integrated Intensive Care Unit of Shajing Hospital of Shenzhen Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University from January 2014 to August 2015 were collected as the case group.In addition 20 cases health checkup for the same period were collected as the control group.Serum KP were determined in all patients in the case group every day for 1 week after admission,meanwhile the APACHE-Ⅱ score was undertook,then according to heart guardianship and electrocardiogram whether occurrence of AF the case group were divided into AF group and non AF group.According to survival after 28 days again divided into survival group and death group,the relationship of serum KP with AF and the prognosis were analyzed.Serum KP was detected on the day of physical examination in the control group.Results (1) The incidence of AF was 32.1％(18/56) in 56 patients with severe sepsis.(2)Serum KP in admission to hospital in case group was significantly higher than that in the control group((234.2±73.5) pmol/L vs.(169.6±65.4) pmol/L;t =3.47,P =0.001).Serum KP in admission to hospital in AF group was significandy higher than that in the non AF group((306.0±35.6) pmol/L vs.(200.2±61.2) pmol/L;t =6.79,P =0.001).Serum KP in AF group before 1 day of the occurrence AF was significantly higher than of the admission to hospital ((339.2± 30.5) pmol/L vs.(306.0±35.6) pmol/L;P=0.007),serum KP on the day of occurrence AF was significantly higher than before 1 days of the occurrence AF((390.6±47.8) pmol/L vs.(339.2±30.5) pmol/L;P=0.006),there was no difference between the serum KP after 1 days of occurrence AF and on the day of occurrence AF(P=0.246),but began to gradually declining.Serum KP and APACHE-Ⅱ score in death group on admission to hospital were significantly higher than survival group((301.1±42.0) pmol/L vs.(199.8±61.5) pmol/L,(26.1±2.8) points vs.(19.9±4.3) points;t =6.44,5.67;P＜0.001).(3) Linear correlation analysis showed that serum KP on admission to hospital was positively correlated with the occurrence of AF(r=0.679,P=0.010).According to AF grouping,serum levels of KP on admission to hospital draw ROC curve,the serum KP of AUC was 0.908(95％ CI:0.831-0.984),when the KP value was 351.5 pmol/L,the sensitivity of the occurrence AF was 89.9％,specificity of 97.4％.(4)Linear correlation analysis showed that serum KP on admission to hospital was positively correlated with death(r=0.659,P =0.010),according to prognostic grouping,serum KP on admission to hospital and APACHE-Ⅱ score ROC curve was drew,the serum KP of AUC was 0.893 (95％ CI:0.811-0.974),when the KP value was 338.5 pmol/L,the sensitivity of death was 78.9％,specificity of 97.3％.Conclusion Early serum KP level can be used as an indicator to predict AF and prognosis in the patients with severe sepsis.
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In this study ,we aim to identify the protein interaction site of microneme protein 2 (MIC2) and aldolase in Toxoplasma gondii .The tryptophan (Trp ,W) at site 767 of carboxyl terminus of MIC2 (MIC2C) was mutated into alanine (Ala ,A) by site-directed mutagenesis to construct plasmid MIC2C W/A/pGEX-4T-1 .The mutant protein GST-MIC2C W/A was expressed in E .coli upon IPTG induction .Glutathione sepharose beads were incubated with GST-MIC2C W/A and GST-MIC2C respectively ,then incubated with tachyzoite lysates ,and bound proteins were eluted using sample buffer .Eluants were resolved by SDS-PAGE and Western blot .A protein band specifically recognized by anti-aldolase antibody was detected in prod-ucts coming from GST pull-down of GST-MIC2C ,but not in pull-down products coming from GST-MIC2C W/A .With muta-tion of MIC2C W767 to A ,MIC2 protein lost the binding ability to aldolase .Tryptophan (W767 ) was the protein interaction site of MIC2 and aldolase in T .gondii .
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ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical effect of post bladder sparing surgery intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with intravesical chemotherapy for the treatment of T1G3 bladder urothelial carcinoma.MethodsSeventy-four T1G3 bladder cancer patients were enrolled in this study.After bladder sparing surgery,22 patients received intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with intravesical chemotherapy,while the other 52 patients were treated with intravesical chemotherapy only.There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in sex,age,the size and number of bladder tumor and newly diagnosed cases (P ＞0.05).Twenty-two patients were treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy of piarubicin or epirubicin (40 -60 mg)+ cisplatin (60 -80 mg) 2 or 3 weeks after bladder sparing surgery,3 times as a cycle,repeat every 4 - 6 weeks.All the patients received the same protocol of intravesical chemotherapy.With a median follow-up of 32 months,effects of combination therapy group were compared with intravesical chemotherapy group in the aspects of tumor-specific death rates,recurrent rate,progressive rate,recurrent interval and the adverse reactions.ResultsThe tumor-specific death rates of combination therapy group and intravesical chemotherapy group were 0％ (0/22) and 13.5％ (7/52),respectively.There was no difference between the 2 groups (P =0.096).The recurrent rates were 13.6％ (3/22) and 46.2％ ( 24/52 ) ； The progressive rates were 0％ (0/22) and 21.2％ (11/52).There were significant differences between the 2 groups in recurrent rate (P =0.000) and progressive rate (P =0.048 ).The recurrent intervals of the 2 groups were 15 months and 6.5 months.During the interval of intra-arterial chemotherapy cycle,12 patients suffered 1 -2 degree nausea and vomit,2 patients suffered hypoleukemia,2 patients suffered neutropenia,4 patients'liver function was impaired and 1 patient's renal function was impaired.All the adverse reactions were minimal and reversible.ConclusionsIntra-arterial chemotherapy combined with intravesical chemotherapy is effective in preventing T1 G3 bladder cancer from recurrence and metastasis after bladder sparing surgery.The adverse reactions of this protocol were minimal and reversible.
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Objective To confirm the transmission of Toxoplasma gondii by semen and to investigate the impact of vaginal status on the transmission of T. gondii in female rabbits. Methods Sixteen male rabbits were infected with T. gondii by intraperitoneal injection each with 1 ×105 RH tachyzoites. Eight rabbits died in 8-14 d after infection.Artificial vagina was used to collect semen from male rabbits weekly before and after infection for 8 weeks. If more than 2 portions of semen from 8 survived male rabbits were collected after infection, the collected semen was mixed weekly for later use. Twenty-seven female rabbits were divided into 4 groups: group 1 with normal vagina (7 rabbits), group 2with wounded vagina (7), group 3 with trichomonas vaginitis (7) and group 4 with colpomycosis infection (6). Tachyzoites were found in mixed semen digested by trypsinase, and were used for endovaginal artificial insemination to female rabbits by uterine cavity tube once a week for 8 consecutive weeks. 2-3 d after every insemination, 2 ml blood was collected from helix vein of each rabbit, and stored at -40 ℃ for use. Anti-T. gondii antibody was examined by ELISA and the B1 gene of T. gondii was detected by PCR. Results Anti-T. gondii antibody was detected in some rabbits (2, 3, 1, and 1 rabbits from each of the groups respectively) on the 16th day after the first insemination. The positive rate of ELISA was 25.9%. The amplification of B1 gene (200 bp) by PCR appeared positive from the blood samples on the 3rd day after the first insemination and the last positive one was proved on the 51th day after the first insemination.Number of positive samples was 2, 1, 3 and 1 in the 4 groups respectively, with an overall PCR positive rate of 18.5%.Only 3 of the 27 rabbits were positive by both ELISA and PCR. Conclusions T. gondii can be transmitted by semen and the health status of vagina shows no impact on it.
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Pingyangmycin gelatin microspheres(PYM-GMS) was prepared by optimal double-phase emulsified condensation polymerization for the interventional Chemoembolization with carotid artery therapy, and its release characteristics were studied in vivo and in vitro. The results of three ways of administration(vein drop, artery perfusion and artery embolization) were compared. The experiment indicates that the diameter of PYM-GMS is more appropriate for the application in external carotid artery embolization with PYM-GMS, which significantly reduces the circulating drug level and the dosage, prolongs the time period of higher drug concentration, achieves the purpose of sustained release and targeted tumor therapy.