Baseline predictors of short-term visual outcomes after intravitreal conbercept injection for neovascular age-related macular degeneration / Preditores iniciais de desfechos visuais de curto prazo com injeção intravítrea de combercepte para degeneração macular neovascular relacionada à idade

ABSTRACT Purpose: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. We aimed to identify baseline predictors of visual prognosis after intravitreal conbercept injection for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 58 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration who were treated with intravitreal injections of conbercept 0.5 mg in routine clinical practice. Basic information such as age, sex, intraocular pressure, and disease course was collected. Best-corrected visual acuity, mean retinal sensitivity, and optical coherence tomography findings were recorded at baseline and 6 months after treatment. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of best-corrected visual acuity at 6 months after treatment. Results: After the 6-month treatment, the mean best-corrected visual acuity improved from 1.10 ± 0.42 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) to 0.41 ± 0.18 logMAR, the mean retinal sensitivity increased from 5.13 ± 0.86 dB to 7.32 ± 1.21 dB, the mean central retinal thickness decreased from 440.38 ± 61.05 μm to 260.01 ± 24.86 μm, and the total number of hyperreflective dots and the number of hyperreflective dots in each retina layer were significantly reduced as compared with those before treatment (all p<0.05). Twenty-two patients showed improved vision, and 36 had unimproved vision. Multivariate analyses revealed that the number of subretinal hyperreflective dots, the state of external limiting membrane, baseline best-corrected visual acuity, and age were independent predictors of best-corrected visual acuity (all p<0.05). Conclusion: Poor recovery of patients after intravitreal conbercept injection may be related to the number of subretinal hyperreflective dots, the state of external limiting membrane, baseline best-corrected visual acuity, and age, which may be used as predictors of short-term visual outcomes and should be fully evaluated before operation.

RESUMO Objetivo: A degeneração macular neovascular relacionada à idade é a principal causa de perda de visão em idosos. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar os preditores iniciais que afetam o prognóstico visual após a injeção intravítrea de combercepte para degeneração macular neovascular relacionada à idade. Métodos: Esta é uma revisão retrospectiva de 58 pacientes com degeneração macular neovascular relacionada à idade que foram tratados com injeções intravítreas de 0,5 mg de combercepte na prática clínica de rotina. Foram coletadas informações básicas, tais como idade, sexo, pressão intraocular e evolução da doença. A melhor acuidade visual corrigida, as sensibilidades retinianas médias e varreduras de tomografia de coerência óptica foram registradas no início do estudo e 6 meses após o tratamento. Foi efetuada uma análise de regressão logística para determinar os preditores independentes da melhor acuidade visual corrigida 6 meses após o tratamento. Resultados: Após 6 meses de tratamento, a média da acuidade visual melhor corrigida melhorou de 1,10 ± 0,42 para 0,41 ± 0,18 logMAR; as sensibilidades retinianas médias aumentaram de 5,13 ± 0,86 para 7,32 ± 1,21 dB; a espessura retiniana central média diminuiu de 440,38 ± 61,05 para 260,01 ± 24,86 μm; e os pontos hiper-reflexivos, tanto em números totais quanto em cada camada de retina, foram significativamente reduzidos em comparação com os valores de antes do tratamento (todos com p<0,05). Houve 22 pacientes com visão melhorada e 36 pacientes com visão não melhorada. As análises multivariadas mostraram que o número de pontos hiper-reflexivos sub-retinianos, o estado da membrana limitante externa, a melhor acuidade visual corrigida inicial e a idade foram preditores independentes para a melhor acuidade visual corrigida (todos com p<0,05). Conclusão: A má recuperação de pacientes após a injeção de combercepte intravítreo pode estar relacionada ao número de pontos hiper-reflexivos sub-retinianos, ao estado da membrana limitante externa, à acuidade visual corrigida inicial e à idade, parâmetros que podem ser usados como preditores de resultados visuais de curto prazo e devem ser totalmente avaliados antes da cirurgia.

Effects of vibration training on upper limbs of volleyball players / Efeitos do treinamento vibratório sobre os membros superiores dos jogadores de voleibol / Efectos del entrenamiento con vibraciones en las extremidades superiores de los jugadores de voleibol

ABSTRACT Introduction: The research on vibration training has experienced a period of development in many projects, such as badminton, handball, long jump, and volleyball. However, there is still no quantitative research evaluation of its effects on the development of shoulder, elbow, and upper limb muscle strength in volleyball athletes. It is believed that a specific training protocol with vibration may bring benefits to sensory-motor performance and muscle strength implementation in volleyball athletes. Objective: To study the effects of vibration training on upper limb function in volleyball players. Methods: Literature, experimental, and mathematical-statistical research methods were used to explore the relationship between vibration training under the muscle strength of the upper limbs and their joints. Results: The vibration training with an amplitude of 2mm, at a vibration frequency between 30Hz and 45Hz, the frequency of vibration training presented inversely proportional to the effect of vibration training. Conclusion: Vibration training showed the benefits of motor coordination and increased muscle strength in volleyball players. An appropriate vibration training strategy can maximize athletes' skills, such as body coordination, flexibility, and jumping ability. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução: A pesquisa sobre o treinamento por vibração experimentou um período de desenvolvimento sendo aplicada em muitos projetos como badminton, handebol, salto em distância e voleibol. Entretanto, ainda não há uma avaliação quantitativa da pesquisa sobre seus efeitos em ombro, cotovelo e sobre o desenvolvimento de força muscular nos membros superiores dos atletas de voleibol. Acredita-se que um protocolo de treino específico com vibração possa trazer benefícios ao desempenho sensório-motor e implementação de força muscular nos atletas de voleibol. Objetivo: Estudar os efeitos do treinamento por vibração sobre a função dos membros superiores dos jogadores de vôlei. Métodos: Utilizou-se métodos de pesquisa bibliográfica, experimental e estatística matemática para explorar a relação entre o treinamento vibratório sob a força muscular dos membros superiores e suas articulações. Resultados: O treinamento vibratório com amplitude de 2mm, numa frequência de vibração entre 30Hz e 45Hz, a frequência do treinamento vibratório apresentou-se inversamente proporcional ao efeito do treinamento vibratório. Conclusão: O treinamento vibratório mostrou benefícios de coordenação motora e aumento de força muscular nos jogadores de voleibol. Uma estratégia adequada de treinamento por vibração pode maximizar as habilidades dos atletas, tais como coordenação corporal, flexibilidade e habilidade de salto. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: La investigación sobre el entrenamiento con vibraciones ha experimentado un periodo de desarrollo aplicándose en muchos proyectos como el bádminton, el balonmano, el salto de longitud y el voleibol. Sin embargo, todavía no hay una evaluación cuantitativa de la investigación sobre sus efectos en el hombro, el codo y en el desarrollo de la fuerza muscular en las extremidades superiores de los atletas de voleibol. Se cree que un protocolo de entrenamiento específico con vibración puede aportar beneficios al rendimiento sensomotor y a la implementación de la fuerza muscular en los atletas de voleibol. Objetivo: Estudiar los efectos del entrenamiento con vibraciones sobre la función de las extremidades superiores en jugadores de voleibol. Métodos: Se utilizaron métodos de investigación literarios, experimentales y estadísticos matemáticos para explorar la relación entre el entrenamiento con vibración bajo la fuerza muscular de los miembros superiores y sus articulaciones. Resultados: El entrenamiento vibratorio con amplitud de 2mm, en una frecuencia de vibración entre 30Hz y 45Hz, la frecuencia del entrenamiento vibratorio se presentó inversamente proporcional al efecto del entrenamiento vibratorio. Conclusión: El entrenamiento con vibraciones mostró beneficios de coordinación motora y aumento de la fuerza muscular en jugadores de voleibol. Una estrategia adecuada de entrenamiento con vibraciones puede maximizar las habilidades de los atletas, como la coordinación corporal, la flexibilidad y la capacidad de salto. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

Immunological CD4+ T-cell recovery and prognostic influencing factors in elderly HIV/AIDS patients of different genders after antiviral therapy / 中国热带医学

@#Objective　To investigate the prognostic influencing factors and recovery of CD4+ T lymphocytes in elderly HIV/AIDS patients after antiviral therapy by analyzing basic data and clinical follow-up data of elderly HIV/AIDS patients. Methods　The clinical data of 3 618 elderly AIDS patients aged ≥50 yeas who received antiretroviral therapy (ART) at HIV ART sites in Liuzhou City from 2005-2015 were collected. The data, including basic information, CD4+ T cell count, WHO clinical stage, infection route and follow-up, were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the differences in patient survival, multivariate Cox regression to analyze the independent influencing factors influencing the risk of death, and to compare the recovery of CD4+ T cell counts during follow-up of patients of different genders. Results　During the follow-up period, the 5-year cumulative survival rate up to the observation endpoint was 0.82 (female) and 0.66 (male). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors affecting the effect of antiviral treatment were age (OR=1.909, 95%CI:1.474-2.464, P<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (OR=0.744, 95%CI: 0.574-0.965, P=0.026), opportunistic infections (OI) (OR=1.223, 95%CI:1.028-1.454, P=0.023), gender (OR=0.692, 95%CI:0.503-0.952, P=0.023) and baseline CD4+ T lymphocytes count (OR=0.563, 95%CI:0.429-0.739, P<0.001). Recovery of CD4+ T lymphocyte counts showed when baseline CD4+ T lymphocyte counts were less than 200 cells/mm3, older women with HIV/AIDS had higher CD4+ T lymphocytes than men at all times of ART treatment (P<0.05). Conclusions　Older women have a higher survival rate than older men after five years of antiviral therapy. Age, BMI, gender, OI and baseline CD4+T lymphocyte count may be important indicators that affect the survival of elderly HIV/AIDS patients. Older women showed better recovery of CD4+ T lymphocytes than older men during the 4-year follow-up period after ART.

Ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticles inhibit the migration and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells by enhancing autophagy / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：探讨超微氧化铁纳米粒子（ultrasmall iron oxide nanoparticle，USIONP）对人肝细胞癌HepG2细胞迁移和侵袭的影响及其可能的机制。方法：采用粒径分析仪和透射电镜分别分析USIONP的水合粒径和核心粒径，Zeta电位和胶体稳定性实验分析USIONP的分散性及其稳定性以鉴定USIONP的成功制备；用不同质量浓度USIONP（0、50、100、200 μg/ml）或200 μg/ml USIONP+5 mmol/L 3-MA（自噬抑制剂）联合处理HepG2细胞，CCK-8法检测HepG2细胞的增殖活力，Transwell法检测细胞的迁移和侵袭能力，WB实验检测自噬标志物Beclin1、LC3、p62的表达，2’,7’-二氯二氢荧光素二醋酸（DCFH-DA）法测定细胞内活性氧（ROS）水平，铁离子比色法检测细胞内铁离子水平。结果：USIONP的平均水合粒径为（37.86±12.90） nm、核心粒径约10 nm，Zeta电位为–23.8 mV，有良好的水溶分散性，证实了USIONP的成功制备。随USIONP质量浓度升高和处理时间延长，HepG2细胞的增殖活力明显降低（均P<0.05）；与对照组相比，200 μg/ml USIONP处理HepG2细胞24 h后，迁移、侵袭细胞数量均显著减少（均P<0.05），而3-MA能够部分抵消上述影响（均P<0.05）。与对照组相比，100、200 μg/ml USIONP处理组的HepG2细胞中Beclin1和LC3Ⅱ蛋白相对表达水平均显著升高（均P<0.05），而p62蛋白表达水平下降（均P<0.05）；200 μg/ml USIONP可显著提高细胞内ROS水平与铁离子水平，而加入3-MA可阻断其作用（均P<0.05）。结论：USIONP能促进HepG2细胞发生自噬，而自噬通路激活后降解USIONP释放铁离子和导致细胞ROS水平升高，从而抑制HepG2细胞的迁移和侵袭。

Fe3O4 nanoparticles enhance the sonodynamic therapy effect of chlorin e6 on glioma U251 cells / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：探讨四氧化三铁（Fe3O4）纳米粒子（PION）作为药物载体增强二氢卟吩e6（chlorin e6，Ce6）在胶质瘤中的增效作用。方法：采用高温降解法和相转移法制备PEG-Fe3O4@Ce6复合纳米粒子（PION@E6），用水合粒径分析、透射电镜、胶体稳定性分析、紫外可见光吸收光谱等方法对PION@E6进行鉴定。CCK-8法检测胶质瘤U251细胞的增殖活性，流式细胞术检测细胞的凋亡水平，DCFH-DA探针法检测细胞中活性氧（reactive oxygen species，ROS）的水平。构建BALB/c-nu裸鼠胶质瘤U251细胞移植瘤模型，动物活体荧光成像术及磁共振成像（MRI）观察PION@E6及Ce6在移植瘤中的潴留时间，比较PION@E6声动力治疗组及Ce6声动力治疗组的第28天生存情况及肿瘤体积。结果：PION@E6的核心粒径为10 nm、水合粒径为（37.86±12.90）nm，具有良好的水溶性和稳定性；吸收光谱及XRD图谱显示Ce6已经负载到Fe3O4纳米粒子上。与Ce6声动力组比较，PION@E6声动力组U251细胞的增殖活性显著下降（P<0.05），细胞凋亡率显著升高（均P<0.05），细胞中ROS水平显著升高（P<0.05）。荷瘤裸鼠胶质瘤U251细胞移植瘤治疗实验结果显示，与Ce6声动力治疗组比较，PION@E6声动力治疗组裸鼠移植瘤组织中潴留时间显著延长（P<0.05），存活的裸鼠数显著增多，移植瘤体积显著缩小（P<0.01）。结论：Fe3O4纳米粒子对Ce6介导的胶质瘤U251细胞声动力治疗具有明显的增效作用。

SAD-B modulates epileptic seizure by regulating AMPA receptors in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and in the PTZ-induced epileptic model

α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors are the predominant mediators of glutamate-induced excitatory neurotransmission. It is widely accepted that AMPA receptors are critical for the generation and spread of epileptic seizure activity. Dysfunction of AMPA receptors as a causal factor in patients with intractable epilepsy results in neurotransmission failure. Brain-specific serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (SAD-B), a serine-threonine kinase specifically expressed in the brain, has been shown to regulate AMPA receptor-mediated neurotransmission through a presynaptic mechanism. In cultured rat hippocampal neurons, the overexpression of SAD-B significantly increases the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). Here, we showed that SAD-B downregulation exerted antiepileptic activity by regulating AMPA receptors in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and in the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced epileptic model. We first used immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry analysis to demonstrate that SAD-B expression was increased in the epileptic rat brain. Subsequently, to explore the function of SAD-B in epilepsy, we used siRNA to knock down SAD-B protein and observed behavior after PTZ-induced seizures. We found that SAD-B downregulation attenuated seizure severity and susceptibility in the PTZ-induced epileptic model. Furthermore, we showed that the antiepileptic effect of SAD-B downregulation on PTZ-induced seizure was abolished by CNQX (an AMPA receptor inhibitor), suggesting that SAD-B modulated epileptic seizure by regulating AMPA receptors in the brain. Taken together, these findings suggest that SAD-B may be a potential and novel therapeutic target to limit epileptic seizures.

Arthroscopic osteochondral autografts with wenyang yisui recipe for repairing cartilage lesions of the knee / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Wenyang Yisui Recipe is developed based on Yougui Pills according to many years of clinical practice. The clinical application of Wenyang Yisui Recipe in the treatment of early knee osteoarthritis as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment has achieved favorable clinical effect. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of Wenyang Yisui Recipe combined with arthroscopic osteochondral autografts in the treatment of cartilage lesions of the knee. METHODS: Eighty-three patients under arthroscopic osteochondral autografts for cartilage lesions of the knee were enrolled, including 49 males and 34 females, aged 40 to 67 years old, with an average of (50.2±4.8) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 to 27 months, with an average of (12.3±5.2) months. According to the Doll’s method, all the patients were divided into study group and control group. The patients in the study group received arthroscopic osteochondral autografts, followed by oral Wenyang Yisui Recipe, 300 mL per day in two divided doses, beginning at 2 days postoperatively for 2 continuous weeks as a session, three sessions in total. The control group only undertook arthroscopic osteochondral autografts. The Lysholm score and visual analogue scale score were used for assessing the knee function and pain, respectively, before surgery and 3 months after surgery. The study protocol was implemented in line with the relevant ethical requirements of Wang Jing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in February 2014 (approval No. 221). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All patients were followed up for 3 months after surgery. The study group was superior to the control group in the improvement of knee joint pain and swelling score at 3 months after surgery, and the intergroup difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The visual analogue scale score was significantly better in the study group than the control group at 3 months after surgery (P < 0.001). The visual analogue scale scores in the two groups were both improved at 3 months after surgery (P < 0.001). Therefore, arthroscopic osteochondral autografts combined with oral Wenyang Yisui Recipe can significantly ameliorate knee pain and function, with definite clinical effects.

The differences in homeostasis model assessment values in type 2 diabetic patients with different lengths of history of diabetes

ABSTRACT Objective Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterized by the progressive deterioration of pancreatic islet β-cell function over time and insulin resistance. Knowing more about the differences in pancreatic islet function in T2DM patients who have had diabetes for different lengths of time can help improve therapy for T2DM. Subjects and methods We conducted a cross-sectional study to compare islet β-cell function and insulin resistance in T2DM patients (n = 3,254) who had had diabetes for different lengths of time and those in normal controls (n = 794) using ANOVA and LSD analysis. Results We found that compared with that in normal controls, HOMA-β in T2DM patients with a history of diabetes of less than 1 year was lower (approximately 52% of that of normal controls, p = 0.003), while HOMA-IR in these patients was higher (approximately 50% of that of normal controls, p = 0.007). Compared with that in other diabetic patients, HOMA-β in patients with a history of diabetes of more than 30 years was the lowest. HOMA-IR in patients with a history of diabetes of between 20 and 30 years was lower than that in other diabetic patients (p < 0.05). Conclusions There were obvious decreases in HOMA-β and increases in HOMA-IR in T2DM patients with a history of diabetes of less than 1 year compared with those in normal controls. Therefore, early screening and intervention for T2DM might help improve islet function and delay the progression of diabetes.

Extraction and Separation of Boron in Anhydrite and Gypsum Minerals and Its Isotopic Measurement by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry / 分析化学

The anhydrite and gypsum are the main sulfate minerals during evaporation of seawater or lake.They record the information about relative hydrogeology and the composition of mother liquor.Boron is diffluent element, and often occurs in all kinds of evaporites.Presently, the boron isotope has been applied widely in mineral deposits forming, geochemistry and palaeoenvironment.However, there is little research about characteristic of boron isotope in anhydrite and gypsum minerals, because of the low content of boron and micro-solubility in water and hydrochloric acid.This study developed a method of extracting and purifying boron in anhydrite and gypsum by phase transformation and ion-exchange.Firstly, the samples were mixed with ammonium hydrogen carbonate to transform the calcium sulfate to calcium carbonate.And diluted hydrochloric acid (1 mol/L) was added to resolve calcium carbonate.The percent conversion was about 85%in the first stage, and up to complete resolution by repeating this process.Secondly, boron specific ion-exchange resin ( Amberlite IRA 743 ) was used to gather the boron ions fully and further refined the samples with more than 1 μg of boron by anionic and cationic resin mixed by Ion Exchange Ⅱ and Dowex 50 W × 8.Finally, according to the modified method by He, the values of boron isotope were determined by TIMS.The boron content is analytically pure gypsum was 3.501 ± 0.128 μg/g ( n=12 , RSD=3.6%) and the average recovery was 100.47%.Besides, the δ11B value of analytically pure gypsum added with NIST SRM 951 was 17.98‰±0.21‰ (n=3, RSD=1.2%).This method has good repeatability and can meet the requirements of boron isotopic measurement of anhydrite and gypsum.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Engyodontium album and comparative analyses with Ascomycota mitogenomes

Abstract Engyodontium album is a widespread pathogen that causes different kinds of dermatoses and respiratory tract diseases in humans and animals. In spite of its perniciousness, the basic genetic and molecular background of this species remains poorly understood. In this study, the mitochondrial genome sequence of E. album was determined using a high-throughput sequencing platform. The circular mitogenome was found to be 28,081 nucleotides in length and comprised of 17 protein-coding genes, 24 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. The nucleotide composition of the genome was A+T-biased (74.13%). Group-II introns were found in the nad1, nad5, and cob genes. The most frequently used codon of protein-coding genes was UAU. Isoleucine was identified as the most common amino acid, while proline was the least common amino acid in protein-coding genes. The gene-arrangement order is nearly the same when compared with other Ascomycota mitogenomes. Phylogenetic relationships based on the shared protein-coding genes revealed that E. album is closely related to the Cordycipitaceae family, with a high-confidence support value (100%). The availability of the mitogenome of E. album will shed light on the molecular systematic and genetic differentiation of this species.

Research of design and manufacturing technology of titanium personalized orthodontic bracket / 口腔疾病防治

Objective @# A titanium personalized orthodontic bracket is designed and manufactured using the technology of computed tomography (CT), computer aided design (CAD), finite element analysis (FEA), and selective laser melting (SLM) to well match the patient tooth so as to realize mold-free manufacturing. @*Methods@#A model of a titanium personalized orthodontic bracket which is built by CT scanning machine and Pro/E software, is imported into Ansys software to carry out finite element simulation analysis with nonlinear contact method. Then, the titanium personalized orthodontic bracket is proposed after the model data above is imported to SLM molding equipment via titanium powder melted with layer by layer using a high-speed scanning galvanometer. @*Results @#The maximum equivalent stress of the titanium personalized orthodontic bracket is distributed uniformly and reasonably, the titanium personalized orthodontic bracket formed by SLM molding equipment can provide high accuracy and there is a high similarity between the bottom of the orthodontic bracket and the tooth surface shape.@*Conclusion @#The combination of CT, CAD, FEA, SLM technology can fulfill model-free manufacturing of the personalized orthodontic bracket and thus shorten the manufacturing cycle.

Mitochondrial abnormality in major depressive disorder: Research advances / 国际药学研究杂志

Majordepressive disorder(MDD)is an important public health problem affecting 350 million people worldwide. With the increasing pressure in life and work, the morbidity of MDD has risen year by year, which is estimated to reach 10% of the total population in 2020. MDD will become the world's second top common disease. Due to the unclear mechanism and multiple signaling pathways, the MDD treatments have reached an impass. Only 30% of the MDD patients have received effective treatments. In order to provide new ideas for depression research, this paper reviews the recent achievements on the relationship between mitochondrial abnormalities and depression, including mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial oxidative damage, and mitochondrial defects.

Clinical application of bupivacaine in non-catheter infiltration anesthesia during vitrectomy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

·AIM: To evaluate the effect of bupivacaine in non-catheter infiltration anesthesia during vitretomy operation.·METHODS:Fifty-eight patients (58 eyes) with vitreous retinal surgery were selected. Patients were randomly divided into observation group ( 28 eyes ) and control group ( 30 eyes ) . The observation group were received non-catheter infiltration anesthesia. The control group were received traditional Sub- Tenon's block ( STB ) . Degree of pain, basic vital signs, the duration of anesthesia and analgesia grade were recorded and compared between two groups.·RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the 11-point numeric rating scale ( NRS - 11 scoring ) of anesthesia process, sclera incision, intraocular operation and the end of operation between two groups (P>0. 05). The difference were not significant in heart rate and blood pressure between two groups(P>0. 05). There was statistically significant difference in the duration of anesthesia between two groups (P<0. 05).·CONCLUSION: Both groups can provide the same anesthetic effect. Compared to STB, non - catheter infiltration anesthesia takes short time, and it is a safe and effective anesthesia methods. In addition, compare to the mixture of bupivacaine and lidocaine injection, bupivacaine injection can provide the same anesthetic effect.

Predictors for the mortality of malignant tumor patients with invasive candidiasis / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective:To evaluate the predictors for the mortality of patients with malignant tumor and invasive candidiasis in order to contribute to the strategies of prognosis improvement. Methods:This retrospective study includes patients with malignant tumor and invasive candidiasis who were hospitalized during 2013 to 2015. Their clinical characteristics, medication treatment, types of tumor, and mortality rate were collected and analyzed. Categorical data were analyzed by the Fisher's exact test. Factors with a P value<0.05 were included in the multivariate Logistic regression model to determine the independent risk factors. Results:A total of 125 patients with malignant tumor with invasive candidiasis were included. The major pathogen was still Candida albicans, which caused 42.4％of the infections, followed by Candida glabrate (21.6％), Candida parapsilosis (16.8％), and Candida tropicalis (10.4％). Abdominal candidia-sis (51.2％) was the most common type of infection. The crude mortality rate for invasive candidiasis was 26.4％. Azotemia, more than two indwelling catheters, delayed antifungal treatment, and combination with bacterial infections were the independent risk factors for the death of patients with malignant tumor and invasive candidiasis as compared with the survival group. Surgery within 30 days before diagnosing candidiasis was confirmed to be a protective factor for prognosis. Conclusion:Invasive candidiasis among patients with malignant tumor induced a high mortality rate. The data on the predictors for death may be valuable in developing strategies for prognosis improvement.

Low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer in Tianjin: a preliminary clinical analysis of baseline screening and follow-up results / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective:To explore the efficacy of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) baseline and follow-up scans of lung cancer screening and to analyze lung nodules and other thoracic lesions detected from baseline and follow-up. Methods:A total of 650 sub-jects were enrolled in the LDCT lung cancer screening program, and investigators mainly focused on the analysis of 548 subjects who participated in the follow-up scan. The investigators recorded the nodules and other lesions of baseline screening, compared them with the follow-up images, and recorded their progress. Results:A total of 101 subjects were positive in the baseline screening, with a positivity rate of 18.4%. Six cases of lung cancer were confirmed by pathology, with a detection rate of 0.92%(6/650). The detection rate of lung cancer in female non-smokers (1.59%) was higher than that in male smokers (1.04%) without significant difference (P=0.624). Detected in the follow-up scan were 19 cases of new nodule-positive subjects. The positive rate for new nodules was 3.5%(19/548). The difference between the three-and two-dimensional levels was statistically significant. Conclusion:The effect of LDCT screen-ing for early lung cancer is significant. The detection rate in female non-smokers was not significantly higher than that in male smok-ers. Thus, LDCT lung cancer screening is equally significant for both sexes. The computer-aided detection (CAD) volume measurement technique is better to evaluate the progress of nodules during the follow-up interval.

Effects of Yucca Extract on Feed Efficiency, Immune and Antioxidative Functions in Broilers

Effects of yucca extract (YE) on feed efficiency, immune and antioxidative function in Arbor Acres broilers were studied. One hundred and twenty-eight fourteen-day-old broiler chickens were randomly divided into four treatments with four replicates of 8 birds each. These four diets were formulated by adding 0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg YE to the basal diet. The results showed that: diets supplemented with 100 and 200 mg/kg YE increased average body weight gain, feed efficiency, IgG, IgM, T-AOC, CAT and SOD levels, and have positive effects on inducing immune organs' maturation. In addition, 100 mg treatment mainly improved the feed efficiency whereas 200 mg treatment mainly acted on immunity and anti-oxidation. In conclusion, YE can be used as a feed additive due to its capability to improve feed efficiency, immune and antioxidative function in broilers.

Effects of Multiple Cleaning and Disinfection Interventions on Infectious Diseases in Children: A Group Randomized Trial in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the effectiveness of multiple cleaning and disinfection interventions in the homes and kindergartens, in reducing gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses of children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From October 2010 to September 2011, we performed a prospective, controlled study in China. 408 children under 5 years old were recruited and group randomized into intervention and control groups. Families and kindergartens in the intervention group were provided with antibacterial products for hand hygiene and surface cleaning or disinfection for one year. Each child's illness symptoms and sick leave were recorded every day.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 393 children completed the study, with similar baseline demographics in each of the 2 groups. Except for abdominal pain, the odds of symptoms (fever, cough and expectoration, runny nose and nasal congestion, diarrhea), illness (acute respiratory illness and gastrointestinal illness), and sick leave per person each month were significantly reduced by interventions. The rates of fever, diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, gastrointestinal illness and sick leave per person per year were significantly decreased as well.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Not only the acute respiratory and gastrointestinal illness but the sick leave rate in children were significantly reduced by multiple interventions.</p>

Impact of simulated acid rain on soil microbial community function in Masson pine seedlings

Background Accompanying its rapid economic development and population growth, China is the world's third largest acid rain region, following Europe and North America. The effects of acid rain on forest ecosystem were widely researched, including the growth, the nutrient of the leaf and soil, and so on. However, there are few reports about the effects of acid rain on the soil microbial diversity. This study investigated the effects of acid rain on soil microbial community function under potted Masson pine seedlings (Pinus massoniana Lamb). Results After 7 months of treatment with simulated acid rain, the low acid load treatment (pH 5.5) stimulated soil microbial activity, and increased soil microbial diversity and richness, while the higher levels of acid application (pH 4.5, pH 3.5) resulted in lower soil microbial activity and had no significant effects on soil microbial diversity and richness. Principal component analysis showed that there was clear discrimination in the metabolic capability of the soil microbial community among the simulated acid rain and control treatments. Conclusion The results obtained indicated that the higher acid load decreased the soil microbial activity and no effects on soil microbial diversity assessed by Biolog of potted Masson pine seedlings. Simulated acid rain also changed the metabolic capability of the soil microbial community.

BAFF promotes regulatory T-cell apoptosis and blocks cytokine production by activating B cells in primary biliary cirrhosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic and slowly progressive cholestatic liver disease of autoimmune etiology. A number of questions regarding its etiology are unclear. CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in self-tolerance and, for unknown reasons, their relative number is reduced in PBC patients. B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) is a key survival factor during B-cell maturation and its concentration is increased in peripheral blood of PBC patients. It has been reported that activated B cells inhibit Treg cell proliferation and there are no BAFF receptors on Tregs. Therefore, we speculated that excessive BAFF may result in Treg reduction via B cells. To prove our hypothesis, we isolated Tregs and B cells from PBC and healthy donors. BAFF and IgM concentrations were then analyzed by ELISA and CD40, CD80, CD86, IL-10, and TGF-β expression in B cells and Tregs were measured by flow cytometry. BAFF up-regulated CD40, CD80, CD86, and IgM expression in B cells. However, BAFF had no direct effect on Treg cell apoptosis and cytokine secretion. Nonetheless, we observed that BAFF-activated B cells could induce Treg cell apoptosis and reduce IL-10 and TGF-β expression. We also showed that BAFF-activated CD4+ T cells had no effect on Treg apoptosis. Furthermore, we verified that bezafibrate, a hypolipidemic drug, can inhibit BAFF-induced Treg cell apoptosis. In conclusion, BAFF promotes Treg cell apoptosis and inhibits cytokine production by activating B cells in PBC patients. The results of this study suggest that inhibition of BAFF activation is a strategy for PBC treatment.