TRPV1 analgesics disturb core body temperature via a biased allosteric mechanism involving conformations distinct from that for nociception.

Efforts on developing transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) drugs for pain management have been hampered by deleterious hypo- or hyperthermia caused by TRPV1 agonists/antagonists. Here, we compared the effects of four antagonists on TRPV1 polymodal gating and core body temperature (CBT) in Trpv1+/+, Trpv1-/-, and Trpv1T634A/T634A. Neither the effect on proton gating nor drug administration route, hair coverage, CBT rhythmic fluctuations, or inflammation had any influence on the differential actions of TRPV1 drugs on CBT. We identified the S4-S5 linker region exposed to the vanilloid pocket of TRPV1 to be critical for hyperthermia associated with certain TRPV1 antagonists. PSFL2874, a TRPV1 antagonist we discovered, is effective against inflammatory pain but devoid of binding to the S4-S5 linker and inducing CBT changes. These findings implicate that biased allosteric mechanisms exist for TRPV1 coupling to nociception and CBT regulation, opening avenues for the development of non-opioid analgesics without affecting CBT.

The influence of different sources of anticipated instrumental support on depressive symptoms in older adults.

Objective: This study investigated how anticipated instrumental support sources and intergenerational support influence depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults. Methods: We employed binary logistic regression on data from 7,117 adults aged ≥60 in the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, controlling for gender, marital status, and self-rated health. Results: 38.89% of respondents exhibited depressive symptoms. Anticipated support from spouse and children, spouse only, children only, or other sources showed 52, 25, 46, and 40% lower odds of depression, respectively, compared with no anticipated support. Those providing financial support had 36% higher odds of depression than those without exchanges. However, those receiving financial support, receiving instrumental support, and receiving and providing financial and emotional support had 19, 14, 23, and 24% lower odds of depression. Conclusion: Different anticipated instrumental support sources and intergenerational support influenced depression odds in older adults, suggesting potential benefits in promoting such support systems.

How Nitrogen and Sulfur Doping Modified Material Structure, Transformed Oxidation Pathways, and Improved Degradation Performance in Peroxymonosulfate Activation.

Current research has widely applied heteroatom doping for the promotion of catalyst activity in peroxymonosulfate (PMS) systems; however, the relationship between heteroatom doping and stimulated activation mechanism transformation is not fully understood. Herein, we introduce nitrogen and sulfur doping into a Co@rGO material for PMS activation to degrade tetracycline (TC) and systematically investigate how heteroatom doping transformed the activation mechanism of the original Co@rGO/PMS system. N was homogeneously inserted into the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) matrix of Co@rGO, inducing a significant increase in the degradation efficiency without affecting the activation mechanism transformation. Additionally, S doping converted Co3O4 to Co4S3 in Co@rGO and transformed the cooperative oxidation pathway into a single non-radical pathway with stronger intensity, which led to a higher stability against environmental interferences. Notably, based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we demonstrated that Co4S3 had a higher energy barrier for PMS adsorption and cleavage than Co3O4, and therefore, the radical pathway was not easily stimulated by Co4S3. Overall, this study not only illustrated the improvement due to the heteroatom doping of Co@rGO for TC degradation in a PMS system but also bridged the knowledge gap between the catalyst structure and degradation performance through activation mechanism transformation drawn from theoretical and experimental analyses.

Utilizing Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Monitoring and Analytical Characterization of Microplastics in Polychaete Worms.

Microplastics (the term for plastics at sizes of <5 mm) might be introduced into the environment from domestic or agricultural activities or from the breakdown of plastic pieces, particles, and debris that are bigger in size. Their presence in the aquatic environment has caused accumulation problems, as microplastics do not easily break down and can be digested by some aquatic organisms. This study was conducted to screen and monitor the level of microplastic pollution in polychaete worms using pyrolysis−gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The study was conducted in Setiu Wetlands, Malaysia from November 2015 to January 2017 at five-month intervals and covered all monsoon changes. Results from physical and visual analyses indicated that a total number of 371.4 ± 20.2 items/g microplastics were retrieved from polychaete for all seasons, in which, the majority comprised transparent microplastics (49.87%), followed by brown with 138.3 ± 13.6 items/g (37.24%), 21.7 ± 1.9 items/g for blue (5.84%), and 12.9 ± 1.1 items/g for black (3.47%), while the remaining were green and grey-red colors. Statistical analysis using Kruskal−Wallis showed insignificant differences (p > 0.05) between the sampling station and period for the presence of a microplastics amount. Most of the microplastics were found in fiber form (81.5%), whereas the remaining comprised fragment (18.31%) and film (0.19%) forms. Further analysis with Py-GC/MS under a selective ion monitoring mode indicated that pyrolytic products and fragment ions for a variety of polymers, such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, and polymethylmethacrylate, were detected. This study provides an insightful application of Py-GC/MS techniques for microplastics monitoring, especially when dealing with analytical amounts of samples.

Why the cooperation of radical and non-radical pathways in PMS system leads to a higher efficiency than a single pathway in tetracycline degradation.

Current research focused on developing multiple active species in peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system to degrade contaminants, but deepening concern lacks over why cooperation of those active species facilitated a faster degradation. Here, we employed Co3O4, rGO and Co3O4@rGO composite to activate PMS for tetracycline (TC) degradation, and detected crucial factors toward highest performance of Co3O4@rGO/PMS system. Batch experiments exhibited a satisfactory TC degradation efficiency under Co3O4@rGO/PMS, complete degraded 50 mg/L TC within 20 min. Analytical tests discovered that radical active species generated by Co3O4/PMS and non-radical species by rGO/PMS were successfully co-existed in Co3O4@rGO/PMS system, significantly improving the performance of TC removal. Subsequently, a combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculation and intermediates analysis revealed that, in Co3O4@rGO/PMS system, the cooperation rather than independent effect of radical and non-radical active species expanded TC degradation pathways, enhancing the degradation performance. Furthermore, decent adaptability, stability, and recyclability toward affecting factors variation of Co3O4@rGO/PMS demonstrated it as a potent and economical system to degrade TC. Overall, this study developed a novel Co3O4@rGO/PMS system with a cooperative oxidation pathway for highly efficient TC removal, and managed to clarify why this oxidation pathway achieved high efficiency through a combination of theoretical and experimental method.

One case of bloodstream infection caused by Ureaplasma urealyticum / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective To analyze a case of bloodstream infection caused by Ureaplasma urealyticum after abortion in Anxi County Hospital, so as to provide basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods　The diagnosis of Ureaplasma urealyticum in this patient with bloodstream infection was retrospectively analyzed. The basic clinical data and laboratory diagnosis data were collected, including the characteristics of blood culture curve, Wright staining of culture medium, drug sensitivity of Mycoplasma liquid identification, colony characteristics of solid medium, and the conclusion of targeted DNA sequencing. Through the comprehensive analysis of the above data, the rapid diagnosis of this case can be realized by optimizing the detection and diagnosis process. Results　The clinical manifestations of this patient were fever of 38.5 ℃, CRP:14.85 mg/L, WBC:14.33×109/L, NET: 85.40%, PCT: 0.12 ng/mL, IL-6: 665.6 pg/mL, positive after 3 days of blood culture, no bacteria were found in Gram stain, and sand-like purple bacteria were observed after adding Wright's stain. After inoculation in blood agar, Mycoplasma solid and liquid medium, no colonies were grown in blood agar, after 48 h and 5 d. On Mycoplasma A7 agar, the edge of brown fried egg colony was striature, and it could be identified as Ureaplasma urealyticum with the Mycoplasma ID & AST panel, which was resistant to quinolones and spectinomycin, but sensitive to macrolides, tetracyclines and lincomycin. Subsequent targeted DNA sequencing results were also confirmed for Ureaplasma urealyticum. Before receiving the report, clinical experience treatment with ceftriaxone metronidazole was used to fight infection with negative bacilli and anaerobic bacteria. Mycoplasma was not treated with targeted treatment. After 3 days, the patient's body temperature returned to normal, inflammation index decreased, and the patient asked to be discharged. Conclusions　At present, there are few reports of bloodstream infection caused by Ureaplasma urealyticum, and the lack of clinical understanding can easily lead to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. In order to improve the detection rate of Mycoplasma in blood culture, it is necessary to optimize the detection procedure of blood culture and provide accurate diagnosis and treatment basis for clinical practice. However, it is clear from this case that Mycoplasma bloodstream infection cases are self-limited infection and can recover by themselves without targeted treatment in patients with normal immunity. Therefore, it is very important to protect the immunity of patients.

Endothelial METTL3 (Methyltransferase-Like 3) Inhibits Fibrinolysis by Promoting PAI-1 (Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1) Expression Through Enhancing Jun Proto-Oncogene N6-Methyladenosine Modification.

OBJECTIVE: METTL3 (methyltransferase-like protein 3)-mediated N6-methyladenosine modification is the most abundant RNA modification on eukaryote mRNAs and plays a crucial role in diverse physiological and pathological processes. However, whether N6-methyladenosine modification has function in thrombosis is unknown. This study aims to determine the role of METTL3 in the endothelial cells-mediated thrombosis. Approach and Results: RNA-sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR revealed that the expression of PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) was downregulated in METTL3 knockdown human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In vitro experiments showed that METTL3 suppressed fibrinolysis. Mechanically, RNA methylation sequencing and meRIP-quantitative real-time PCR showed that METTL3 catalyzed N6-methyladenosine modification on 3' UTR of JUN mRNA. Western blotting analysis showed that METTL3 promoted JUN protein expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that JUN bound to the PAI-1 promoter in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Furthermore, mice challenged with lipopolysaccharide resulted in higher METTL3 expression in vessels. Endothelial-specific knockdown of Mettl3 decreased expression of active PAI-1 in plasma and attenuated fibrin deposition in livers and lungs during endotoxemia. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that METTL3-mediated N6-methyladenosine modification plays a crucial role in fibrinolysis and is an underlying target for the therapy of thrombotic disorders.

Transfer characteristic of fluorine from atmospheric dry deposition, fertilizers, pesticides, and phosphogypsum into soil.

Fluorine (F) is widely dispersed in the environment and frequently used in industry and agriculture with a high migration ability. Thus, it is essential to understand the leaching characteristic of F in soil from industry and agriculture sources. Several sources of F pollutants in soil, including fertilizers, pesticides, phosphogypsum, and atmospheric deposition, were selected to investigate leaching characteristics of F in soil by leaching experiments. The addition of phosphate fertilizer and compound fertilizer (N:P:K = 20:10:15) enhanced the leachability of F in soil and the proportion of F leached out from soil treated by these fertilizers were 0.25% and 0.24%, respectively. However, unanticipated lower leachability of F appeared in compound fertilizer (N:P:K = 17:17:17), nitrogen fertilizer, dipterex, fluoroglycofen, fluopimomide, simulative dry deposition (YF3), and phosphogypsum loaded soils compared with additive-absent treatment. Although phosphogysum had a high F concentration, minimum proportion of F released (0.18%) was observed in phosphogypsum-coverd soil. The amounts of F leaching-out from surface soils (0-25 cm) treated with nitrogen fertilizer decreased 1.03 kg ha-1 comparing with blank control. Soil with phosphate fertilizer leached 5.47 kg F ha-1 a year, having the highest environment risk to deeper soil and groundwater. However, phosphogypsum and dry deposition of airbone F chemical had few effects on F leaching in soil. F-containing materials from agricultural process may leach more F from surface soils than industrial sources.

Effect of age on reversible lens opacity and Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase expression induced by chloral hydrate in mice / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To investigate the effect of age on the expression of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase and acute reversible lens opacification induced by chloral hydrate in mice. <p>METHODS: Acute reversible lens opacification was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 4% chloral hydrate(400mg/kg)in 3-month-old(young group)and 24-month-old(old group)C57BL/6 mice. The lens opacification was graded at 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 150min after chloral hydrate injection. The histopathological changes of lens were observed by hematoxylin eosin staining, and the expression of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase in lens was detected by immunohistochemistry. <p>RESULTS: The development of lens opacity is similar in young and old mice after chloral hydrate injection. The lens opacification in the young group appeared earlier, thicker and lasted longer than the old group. HE staining showed that many vesicles appeared in the cortex below lens epithelial cells(LECs), and the structure of superficial lens fiber cells were disordered after chloral hydrate injection. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase was positive in LECs and fibers. The expression of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase in LECs were weak before chloral hydrate injection and up-regulated 45min after chloral hydrate injection in young and old groups. The up-regulation of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase was stronger in the old group than in the young group. <p>CONCLUSION: Age may play a role in the acute reversible lens opacification induced by chloral hydrate in mice. The expression of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase is involved in lens opacity induced by chloral hydrate.

[Spatiotemporal variation of reference evapotranspiration in Shanxi Province, China]. / 山西省参考作物蒸散量的时空变化特征.

Based on data of daily precipitation, temperature, sunshine hours, relative humidity, wind speed and vapor pressure of 70 meteorological stations from 1960 to 2019 in Shanxi Province, the Penman-Monteith model was applied to calculate the reference evapotranspiration (ET0). The spatiotemporal variations of ET0 as well as the ET0 in different climatic zones and at different altitudes were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that the mean annual ET0 decreased from west to east in 1960-2019. A jumping point was detected in 1982, with the mean annual ET0 increased both in 1960-1982 and 1983-2019. The monthly and ten-day changes of ET0 showed single peak curves. The variation of ET0 in different climatic zones was as follows: ET0 in temperate and semi-arid areas was higher than that in warm temperate and semi-humid areas and warm temperate and semi-arid areas in spring, summer, autumn and the whole year, while in winter, the highest ET0 was in warm temperate and semi-humid areas. ET0 varied with altitudes, with ET0 in <660 m altitude areas being higher than that in other altitudes in summer, autumn, winter and the whole year.

Interaction of Microglia and Astrocytes in the Neurovascular Unit.

The interaction between microglia and astrocytes significantly influences neuroinflammation. Microglia/astrocytes, part of the neurovascular unit (NVU), are activated by various brain insults. The local extracellular and intracellular signals determine their characteristics and switch of phenotypes. Microglia and astrocytes are activated into two polarization states: the pro-inflammatory phenotype (M1 and A1) and the anti-inflammatory phenotype (M2 and A2). During neuroinflammation, induced by stroke or lipopolysaccharides, microglia are more sensitive to pathogens, or damage; they are thus initially activated into the M1 phenotype and produce common inflammatory signals such as IL-1 and TNF-α to trigger reactive astrocytes into the A1 phenotype. These inflammatory signals can be amplified not only by the self-feedback loop of microglial activation but also by the unique anatomy structure of astrocytes. As the pathology further progresses, resulting in local environmental changes, M1-like microglia switch to the M2 phenotype, and M2 crosstalk with A2. While astrocytes communicate simultaneously with neurons and blood vessels to maintain the function of neurons and the blood-brain barrier (BBB), their subtle changes may be identified and responded by astrocytes, and possibly transferred to microglia. Although both microglia and astrocytes have different functional characteristics, they can achieve immune "optimization" through their mutual communication and cooperation in the NVU and build a cascaded immune network of amplification.

Estimation of the dietary intake and risk assessment of food carcinogens (3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP) in soy sauces by Monte Carlo simulation.

Quantifiable levels of 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) were found in domestically manufactured soy-based sauces. Selected commercial foods in the Malaysian market (n = 43) were analyzed for their 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP contents using a validated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique. The 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP contents of the analyzed food samples varied from not detectable levels to 0.1223 ± 0.0419 mg kg-1 and not detectable levels to 0.025 ± 0.0041 mg kg-1, respectively. High concentrations of 3-MCPD, exceeding Malaysia's maximum tolerable limit of 0.02 mg kg-1, were found in chicken seasoning cubes (mean = 0.0898 ± 0.0378 mg kg-1). Monte Carlo simulation-based health risk assessment revealed that 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP intakes in the 50th, 95th, and 99th percentiles were lower than 4 µg kg-1 bw day-1, the limit recommended by JECFA in 2016. Hence, it was concluded that the exposure of Malaysian citizens to chloropropanols through soy sauce consumption does not present a health risk.

Unique synergistic antiviral effects of Shufeng Jiedu Capsule and oseltamivir in influenza A viral-induced acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate the synergistic effects and interactive mechanisms of Shufeng Jiedu Capsule (SFJDC) combined with oseltamivir in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) induced by the influenza A virus (IAV). METHODS: The extraction of SFJDC was analyzed by UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry. Human bronchial epithelial cells were isolated from COPD (DHBE) bronchial tissues, co-cultured with IAV for 24 h, and were subsequently treated with SFJDC and/or oseltamivir. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay. A rat model of COPD with IAV infection was established and treated with SFJDC and/or oseltamivir. Interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by ELISA. Additionally, mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3 inflammasome pathway were measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: SFJDC and/or oseltamivir, at their optimal concentrations, had no significant cytotoxicity against DHBEs. The levels of NLRP3-inflammasome-associated components were significantly elevated after cells were inoculated with IAV, whereas the mRNA and protein levels of these components were significantly decreased after treatment with SFJDC and/or oseltamivir in vitro. Moreover, in vivo, the combination of SFJDC and oseltamivir improved survival rates, attenuated clinical symptoms, induced weight gain, alleviated lung damage, and significantly reduced IL-1ß and IL-18 levels in serum and BALF, as well as reduced the expression levels of NLRP3-associated components and viral titers in lung homogenates. CONCLUSION: SFJDC combined with oseltamivir treatment significantly attenuated IAV-induced airway inflammation and lung viral titers. Hence, our findings may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for IAV-induced respiratory infection.

Ganoderic acid A protects lens epithelial cells from UVB irradiation and delays lens opacity / 中国天然药物

A contributory role of oxidative stress and protection by antioxidant nutrients have been suspected in cataract formation. Ganoderic acid A (GAA), an effective lanostane triterpene, is widely reported as an antioxidant. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential effects of GAA on cataract formation. After lens epithelial cells (LECs) were exposed to UVB radiation for different periods, cell viability, apoptosis-related protein levels, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were monitored. We found that cell viability, the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and SOD activity were increased, while Cleaved caspase-3 levels and MDA activity were decreased compared with those in UVB-impaired LECs after GAA treated. Furthermore, GAA activated PI3K/AKT in UVB-impaired LECs and effectively delayed the occurrence of lens opacity in vitro. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that GAA exhibited protective functions in SRA01/04 cells and rat lenses against UVB-evoked impairment through elevating cell viability and antioxidant activity, inhibiting cell apoptosis, activating the PI3K/AKT pathway and delaying lens opacity.

Evaluation of Grain Boundary Network and Improvement of Intergranular Cracking Resistance in 316L Stainless Steel after Grain Boundary Engineering.

For understanding the improvement of intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) propagation in grain boundary engineering (GBE)-processed metals exposed to a simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) environment, characteristics of the grain boundary network of 316L stainless steel before and after GBE were investigated and compared, including proportions both in length and in number of ∑3n boundaries, sizes, and topology of grain clusters (or twin-related domains), and connectivity of random boundaries. The term through-view random boundary path (TRBP) was proposed to evaluate the random boundary connectivity. A TRBP is a chain of end-to-end connected crack-susceptible boundaries that passes through the entire mapped microstructure. The work provides the following key findings: (I) the length fraction of ∑3n boundaries was increased to approximately 75% after GBE, but the number fraction was only approximately 50%; (II) a connected non-twin boundary network still existed in the GBE sample due to the formation of grain clusters; (III) the GBE sample exhibited a higher resistance to IGSCC; and (IV) as the twin boundary fraction increased, the number of TRBPs decreased and the normalized length of the minimum TRBP increased monotonically, leading to a higher resistance to IGSCC.

Prevalence and associated factors for pterygium in rural people aged 50 years and above in Funing County,Jiangsu Province / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective To investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors for pterygium among people aged 50 years and above in Funing County,Jiangsu Province.Methods A cluster random sampling method was performed,the subjects aged 50 years or above were randomly selected from 30 survey sites in Funing County,Jiangsu Province.Questionnaires,visual acuity tests,the examinations of eye surface,anterior segment,fundus examinations were conducted.Pterygium was diagnosed and graded clinically by slit lamp examination.The risk factors were acquired from questionnaires and analyzed by the multivariate logistic regression analysis.This study protocol was approved by Ethic Committee of Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University (NO.2010-05).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to entering study cohort.Results A total of 6 145 persons aged 50 years and above were enumerated,and actually 5 947 (96.8％) participants were examined.Among them,1 950 cases were diagnosed as pterygium in either eye and 1 228 cases were diagnosed as pterygium in binoculus,which was equivalent to the 32.79％ [95％ confidence interval(CI):31.60％-33.98％] of pterygium in either eye and 20.65％ (95％ CI:19.62％-21.68％) in bilateral pterygium.Among 2467 male subjects,838 were diagnosed as pterygium (33.97％,95％ CI:32.10％-35.84％).Among 3480 female subjects,1 112 were diagnosed as pterygium (31.95％,95％ CI:30.40％-33.51％).There was no significant difference in the prevalence of pterygium between genders (P =0.135).Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that,older age (50 ～ ＜60 years:odds ratio [OR] =1.00;60 ～ ＜70 years:OR=1.54,P＜0.001;70 ～ ＜80 years,OR=1.83,P＜0.001;≥80 years:OR=1.99,P＜0.001),low educational level (no education:OR =1.00;＜primary:OR =0.87,P =0.031;primary education:OR =0.72,P =0.002;≥ secondary education:OR =0.63,P =0.002),farmer occupations (OR =1.34,P =0.020),and long outdoor work time (OR =1.13,P =0.026) were independent risk factors for pterygium.Gender,marriage,income,hypertension,diabetes,smoking and alcohol use history were not associated with pterygium (all at P＞0.05).Conclusions The prevalence of pterygium in Funing County is 32.79％ in people aged 50 years and above.The high prevalence of pterygium may be associated with older age,low education level and long outdoor work time.

Meta-analysis of prevalence of pterygium among people aged over 40 in China / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective To evaluated the prevalence of pterygium among people aged ≥40 in China by using Meta analysis.Methods A literature retrieval was performed in China biology medicine disc (CBMdisc),China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI),VIP database,WanFang database,PubMed,excerpta medica database (EMBASE),Web of Science from 1990 to 2016 according to designed searching strategy.Tailored quality evaluation standard of epidemiological research was used to evaluate the study quality of each included study.Stata 13.0 software was used to estimate the prevalence of pterygium,subgroup analysis of age,sex and region was also carried out.Results Thirty-six studies were involved in this Meta analysis,including 8 English researches and 28 Chinese researches.The random effect model was used to merge 36 research data.The prevalence of pterygium among people aged over 40 in China was 13.4％ [95％ confidence interval (CI):10.6％-16.5％].Subgroup analysis results showed that the prevalence of pterygium increased with age.The prevalence of pterygium in rural region was 15.3％ (95％ CI:12.1％-18.8％),which was higher than 4.0％ (95％ CI:2.4％-6.1％) in urban region.The prevalence of pterygium among rural people aged ≥ 40 was 12.1％ (95％ CI:8.6％-16.2％),which was lower than 14.7％ (95％ CI:10.5％-19.5％) among rural people aged ≥50.The highest prevalence of pterygium in different age and sex subgroups was in the west region of China,followed by the east region of China and the lowest was in the central region of China.Conclusion The prevalence of pterygium among people aged ≥ 40 in China was high.Over the past decade,the prevalence of pterygium were different among different ages,and places of residence.

Three-dimensional geometrical and topological characteristics of grains in conventional and grain boundary engineered 316L stainless steel.

The three-dimensional microstructures of a conventional 316L stainless steel and the same material after grain boundary (GB) engineering have been measured by serial sectioning coupled with electron backscatter diffraction mapping. While it is well known that GB engineered materials are differentiated from conventional materials because of the proportion of coincidence site lattice boundaries, the size of their twin-related domains, and their reduced random boundary connectivity, this work provides a quantitative comparison of the geometrical and topological characteristics of grains in 316L stainless steel before and after GB engineering. Specifically, the numbers of grain faces, triple lines, and quadruple unions per grain have been measured and compared. In addition, the distributions of grain sizes, surface areas, and grain boundary areas have been measured and compared. The results show that, in many ways, the three-dimensional geometrical and topological characteristics of the grains in the GB engineered and conventional materials are similar. In both materials, the distributions of the geometrical parameters are well represented by a log-normal distribution. Comparatively, the GB engineered microstructure has grains that, on average, have both fewer faces and higher (specific) surface areas that deviate more from an ideal equiaxed shape, but there are several eccentric or non-compact shaped grains that have a huge number of faces and extremely large surface area in the GB engineered material. All of these characteristics are likely to be a result of the increased number of twins in the GB engineered microstructure. These eccentric grains would have a positive influence on increasing the resistance to intergranular degradation.

Expression and significance of monoacylglycerol Oacyltransferase 2 (MOGAT2) in pterygium / 眼科新进展

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (MOGAT2) in the tissues of pterygium.Methods Immunohistochemistry staining methods were adopted to detect the expression of MOGAT2 in 54 patients of pterygia (primary in 50 patients and recurrence in 4 patients)and 18 patients of normal conjunctival tissues.The semi-quantitative integration method was used to analyze the strength of immunohistochemical expression,and the results were compared and statistically analyzed,and the relationship between the expression of MOGAT2 in the pterygium group and the factors such as age,sex,and clinical pathological stage was analyzed.Results Immunohistochemical staining showed that,in 54 patients of pterygium,MOGAT2 was strongly expressed in 8 patients,positive expression in 29,weakly positive expression in 8 and negative expression in 9,while in 18 normal conjunctival tissues,strongly positive expression of MOGAT2 was found 1 patient,positive expression in 6,weakly positive expression in 3,negative expression in 8,respectively.Rank-sum test showed that the difference in MOGAT2 expression in the pterygium and normal conjunctiva tissues was statistically significant(Z =-2.403,P =0.016).There was no significant difference in the expression of MOGAT2 between the different age and the sex patients with pterygium (all P ＞ 0.05),and there was no significant correlation of MOGAT2 expression with education,occupation,income,protection in outdoor work,smoking,drinking,blood sugar,blood pressure,primary and recurrence pterygium,but significant correlation with the clinical stage of pterygium,that is,MOGAT2 expression in advanced pterygium was overexpressed when compared with tumor tissues in quiescent stage (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion MOGAT2 is highly expressed in pterygium tissues,and the expression in advanced pterygium was significantly upregulated,of which is related to the formation and development of pterygium.

Taraxerol Induces Cell Apoptosis through A Mitochondria-Mediated Pathway in HeLa Cells.

OBJECTIVES: Taraxerol acetate has potent anti-cancer effects via the induction of apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of cell migration. However, whether taraxerol induced apoptosis and its underlying mechanisms of action is not clear. In the present study, we assess the effects of taraxerol on the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and determine the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol and activation of caspases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, we mainly investigated the effect of taraxerol on HeLa cells. We tested cell viability by the MTT assay and morphologic changes, analyzed apoptosis by DAPI staining and flow cytometry. We also determined reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) using a Microplate Reader. In addition, the apoptotic proteins were tested by Western blot. RESULTS: Taraxerol enhanced ROS levels and attenuated the MMP (Δψm) in HeLa cells. Taraxerol induced apoptosis mainly via the mitochondrial pathway including the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol and activation of caspases 9 and 3, and anti-poly (ADPribose) polymerase (PARP). Taraxerol could induce the down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein Bax. It suppressed the PI3K/ Akt signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that taraxerol induced cell apoptosis through a mitochondria-mediated pathway in HeLa cells. Thus, taraxerol might be a potential anticervical cancer candidate.