[HIV self-testing and related factors in men who have sex with men in Shijiazhuang].

Objective: To understand HIV self-testing and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shijiazhuang. Methods: From August to September 2020, convenient sampling was used to recruit MSM in Shijiazhuang. Online questionnaires were used to collect information about their demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors and HIV self-testing. logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors associated with HIV self-testing. Results: In the 304 MSM respondents, 52.3% (159/304) had HIV self-testing in the past 6 months, and 95.0% (151/159) used fingertip blood HIV detection reagent. Self-purchase was the main way to obtain HIV testing reagents (45.9%, 73/159), followed by supply from MSM social organization (44.7%, 71/159). The reasons for having HIV self-testing were non-specific testing time (67.9%, 108/159) and privacy protection (62.9%,100/159), the reasons for having no HIV self-testing included inability of using (32.4%, 47/145), being unaware of HIV self-testing reagent (24.1%, 35/145), and worry about inaccurate self-testing results (19.3%, 28/145). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being 18-29 years old (aOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.20-5.94), obtaining free HIV self-testing kits in recent 6 months (aOR=8.61, 95%CI: 4.09-18.11) and making friends through Internet and social software (aOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.48-4.88) were positive factors for having HIV self-testing. Conclusion: HIV self-testing is a more flexible and convenient way to detect HIV in MSM, and the promotion of HIV self-testing in MSM should be strengthened to further increase the HIV detection rate in this population.

[Susceptible mechanisms of pulmonary mucormycosis in diabetic patients].

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare pulmonary fungal infectious disease. Domestic and international studies have shown that diabetes is the most common underlying condition of this disease, especially with poor glycemic control and diabetic ketoacidosis. The susceptible mechanisms of pulmonary mucormycosis in diabetic patients are closely related to hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis-induced internal environment alterations. The detailed pathogenesis includes respiratory epithelial cell damage, vascular endothelial injury, immune cell dysfunction, coagulation abnormalities, iron-rich, and high keto-acid environment in diabetic patients. Pulmonary mucormycosis always presents atypical manifestations with rapid progress and poor prognosis in patients with diabetes. This article reviews the recent research progress in the susceptible mechanisms of pulmonary mucormycosis in patients with diabetes.

[Research advances on the promotive healing effect of hydrogel dressing for diabetic foot wound].

In recent years, the number of diabetic patients has gradually increased, and the number of patients with diabetic foot has also increased. Diabetic foot has a high rate of disability and death, seriously affects the patients' quality of life, shortens life expectancy, and brings heavy social burden. The current treatment methods for diabetic foot are insufficient. The concepts and methods of tissue engineering provide new thoughts and means for the treatment of diabetic foot. This article introduces the pathogenesis of diabetic foot wounds, the factors leading to non-healing of diabetic foot, the applications of functional hydrogel dressings in the treatment of diabetic foot and their technical methods of functional hydrogel dressings for treating skin wounds in diabetic animals, and the future development direction of functional hydrogel dressing for treating diabetic foot wounds is prospected.

[Willingness on acceptance of peer-referral strategies for promoting HIV testing in men who have sex with men in Shijiazhuang].

Objective: To understand the willingness to accept peer-referral strategies for promoting HIV testing and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shijiazhuang. Methods: A total of 544 MSM were recruited using convenient sampling and sharing two-dimensional code of online questionnaire througth MSM social organizations in Shijiazhuang from August to September in 2018. The anonymous online survey were taken by login through the website "jinshuju.com" (https://im.jinshuju.com/users/sign_in). The information collected included: the demographic and behavioral characteristics, the attitude to HIV testing for partners, and the willingness to accept peer-referral strategies for promoting HIV testing. The socio-demographic characteristics were analyzed by χ2 test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the related factors associated with willingness. The SAS 9.4 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 521 MSM completed the survey. Among them 59.50% (310/521) were willing to advise their partners to receive HIV testing, and 90.02% (469/521) were willing to accept the partners' advice of HIV testing. Higher HIV testing frequency for once a year (aOR=2.72,95%CI:1.42-5.20); for once a half year (aOR=5.72, 95%CI:2.97-11.02); for ≥1 time a quarter (aOR=8.76,95%CI:4.56-16.83), enquiring their partners' HIV status (aOR=1.94, 95%CI: 1.15-3.28) and STD history of their partners (aOR=1.83, 95%CI:1.06-3.14) before having sex were the factors positively associated with the willingness to advise partners to receive HIV testing. Discussing HIV testing with partners (aOR=4.43,95%CI:1.87-10.54) was the factor positively associated with the desire to accept the advice of HIV testing from partners, but feeling emotional hurt by the suggestion of HIV testing (aOR=0.35,95%CI:0.15-0.82) was the factor negatively associated with the willingness to accept the advice of HIV testing from partners. Conclusion: To improve the willingess of MSM to advise their partners to receive HIV testing and strengthen self-protection awareness and equal communication skills are essential for the success of peer-referral strategies for promoting HIV testing among MSM.

[Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 outbreak in Gaocheng district of Shijiazhuan].

Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 outbreak in Gaocheng district of Shijiazhuan. Methods: Data and epidemiological survey reports of COVID-19 cases in the outbreak were collected from China's Infectious Disease Information System, Shijazhuang Municipal Center for Diseases Prevention and Control and official information published by the National Health Commission of China. The data were analyzed, using the descriptive epidemiological method. Results: From January 2nd to February 14th, 2021, a total of 1 033 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in Shijiazhuang. The attack rate was 9.36/100 000. The cases were distributed in 14 counties, and most cases (859/1 033, 83.16%) were reported in Gaocheng, and the disease spread to 5 provinces. The cases in Xiaoguo village (299 cases), Liujiazhuo village (107 cases) and Nanqiaozhai village (162 cases) of Zengcun township in Gaocheng accounted for 54.99% of the total cases in Shijiazhuang. The attack rates in the villages mentioned above were 7 412.00/100 000, 10 348.16/100 000 and 6 612.24/100 000, respectively. The ratio of urban cases to rural cases was 1∶15.53. The male to female ratio of the cases was 1∶1.34. The average age of the cases was 40.49 years. The incidence peaks occurred on January 3rd (9.97%, 103 cases) and on January 9th (9.10%, 94 cases). A total of 307 clusters occurred, in which 228(74.27%) occurred in households and 48 (15.64%) occurred in schools or child care settings. But the clusters related with church ceremony had the highest case numbers (82.67 cases/time), followed by wedding feast or feast celebrating the first month of newborn (28.29 cases/time). About 33.02% (313/948) of symptomatic cases only visited the village doctors or private clinics and had no medical care seeking history before the outbreak. Conclusions: The COVID-19 epidemic in Gaocheng of Shijiazhuang was a typical one in rural area. The rapid and hiding transmission of the outbreak was mainly due to the poor health service seeking of the rural residents and the frequent mass gathering.

Differentiated activities of decorin and biglycan in the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the activities of decorin and biglycan in the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). DESIGN: Three-month-old inducible biglycan (BgniKO) and decorin/biglycan compound (Dcn/BgniKO) knockout mice were subjected to the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery to induce PTOA. The OA phenotype was evaluated by assessing joint structure and sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) staining via histology, surface collagen fibril nanostructure and calcium content via scanning electron microscopy, tissue modulus via atomic force microscopy-nanoindentation, as well as subchondral bone structure and meniscus ossification via micro-computed tomography. Outcomes were compared with previous findings in the inducible decorin (DcniKO) knockout mice. RESULTS: In the DMM model, BgniKO mice developed similar degree of OA as the control (0.44 [-0.18 1.05] difference in modified Mankin score), different from the more severe OA phenotype observed in DcniKO mice (1.38 [0.91 1.85] difference). Dcn/BgniKO mice exhibited similar histological OA phenotype as DcniKO mice (1.51 [0.97 2.04] difference vs control), including aggravated loss of sGAGs, salient surface fibrillation and formation of osteophyte. Meanwhile, Dcn/BgniKO mice showed further cartilage thinning than DcniKO mice, resulting in the exposure of underlying calcified tissues and aberrantly high surface modulus. BgniKO and Dcn/BgniKO mice developed altered subchondral trabecular bone structure in both Sham and DMM groups, while DcniKO and control mice did not. CONCLUSION: In PTOA, decorin plays a more crucial role than biglycan in regulating cartilage degeneration, while biglycan is more important in regulating subchondral bone structure. The two have distinct activities and modest synergy in the pathogenesis of PTOA.

Nrf2 mediates the neuroprotective effect of isoflurane preconditioning in cortical neuron injury induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) involved in the protective effect of isoflurane (Iso) preconditioning in oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced cortical neuron injury. METHODS: Primary mouse cortical neurons were divided into Control, ML385 (an Nrf2 inhibitor), Iso, Iso + ML385, OGD, ML385 + OGD, Iso + OGD, and Iso + ML385 + OGD groups. Lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH) release and oxidative stress indexes were quantified. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to detect cell viability, Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining to measure cell apoptosis, dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) method to test reactive oxygen species (ROS), and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting to evaluate genes and protein expression. RESULTS: Iso preconditioning reduced LDH release and inhibited cell cytotoxicity in OGD-induced cortical neurons, which was abolished by ML385. Iso preconditioning increased the Nrf2 nuclear translocation in cortical neurons. Meanwhile, Iso decreased the OGD-induced apoptosis with the down-regulations of Bax and Caspase-3 and the up-regulation of Bcl-2, which was reversed by ML385. OGD enhanced the level of ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA) in cortical neurons, but reduced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), which were aggravated in ML385 + OGD group and mitigated in Iso + OGD group. No observable difference was found between OGD group and Iso + ML385 + OGD group regarding apoptosis-related proteins and oxidative stress-related indexes. CONCLUSION: Iso preconditioning up-regulated Nrf2 level to play its protective role in OGD-induced mouse cortical neuron injury.

[Analysis of pregnancy outcome after fertility-preserving treatment among women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial carcinoma].

Objective: To analyze the pregnancy outcome, influencing factors and recurrence of fertility-preserving therapy for women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) or endometrial carcinoma (EC). Methods: The multi-center retrospective study included 107 women with AEH or EC for fertility-preserving therapy in 10 hospitals from January 1st, 2009 to December 31st, 2018. The clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate and recurrence of 66 patients with urgent child-bearing requirements after fertility-preserving treatment were analyzed. Results: (1) Among the 66 AEH and EC women with urgent child bearing requirements, 24 women chose spontaneous pregnancy, the clinical pregnancy rate was 54.2% (13/24) and the live birth rate was 41.7% (10/24), the median time from fertility-preserving therapy withdrawal to clinical pregnancy was 5.5 months. Forty-two women chose assisted reproductive technology (ART), the clinical pregnancy rate was 59.5% (25/42) and the live birth rate was 35.7% (15/42), the median time from fertility-preserving therapy withdrawal to clinical pregnancy was 19.5 months. The time from fertility-preserving therapy withdrawal to pregnancy in women receiving ART was significantly longer than that in women with spontaneous pregnancy (P=0.048). (2) Age and intrauterine adhesions were independent factors affecting the clinical pregnancy rate (P<0.05). (3) Among 107 patients with AEH or EC, the recurrence rate was 27.1% (29/107). Among the 42 cases who chose ART, 9 of them recurred before ART treatment, who received the fertility-preserving therapy again and then ART treatment, 8 women got clinical pregnancy,5 of them delivered at least a live birth. Conclusions: Women with AEH or EC could achieved satisfactory clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate after fertility-preserving therapy. Age and intrauterine adhesions are independent factors affecting clinical pregnancy rate. The women with recurrent AEH or EC could be treated with fertility-preserving therapy again and get a satisfactory pregnancy outcome.

Ferromagnetic frustration in ternary nitride ZnFe3N.

As a new antiperovskite nitride, ZnFe3N was synthesized and characterized by almost completely substituting iron atoms at corner positions of γ'-Fe4N. The magnetic interactions of the system with the space group Pm3[combining macron]m are fully investigated. The critical behavior was investigated based on the measured magnetic data around the ferromagnetic phase transition temperature. In this work, the values of critical exponents (ß, γ and δ) were obtained systematically using the Kouvel-Fisher method in the critical region. The Widom scaling law (δ = 1 + γß-1) and the scaling equation (m = f±(h)) were used to reveal the reliability of these values. The values of the critical exponents (ß = 0.325, γ = 1.228, and δ = 4.778) are different from those predicted by the three-dimensional (3D) Heisenberg model and mean-field model, and are very close to those of the 3D-Ising model. Combined with ESR analysis, the spin clusters induced by changes in chemical bonds are considered to be the cause for the existence of an anisotropic short-range ordered state in this ferromagnetic system.

[Clinical features of patients with Behcet's uveitis].

Objective: To characterize the clinical features of patients with Behcet's uveitis. Methods: Retrospective case series study. Medical records of patients who were diagnosed as Behcet's uveitis in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1998 and November 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Information about the clinical manifestation, complication, best corrected visual acuity (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) and medication was collected. The correlation of visual acuity and the disease course, as well as inflammation relapse times before and after biological agents applied was analyzed. Chi square test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were applied for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 132 patients (233 eyes) with Behcet's uveitis were included, among which 104 (78.8%) were male and 28 (21.2%) were female, with statistically significant difference (χ(2)=43.76, P<0.01). The average age at the onset of uveitis was (28.9±8.7) years, with most patients at 21-40 years (102 cases, 77.3%). Oral aphthae (132 cases, 100.0%) were the most frequent extraocular manifestations, followed by dermatologic lesions (103 cases, 78.0%), genital ulcers (90 cases, 68.2%), arthritis (44 cases, 33.3%) and positive pathergy test (39 cases, 29.5%). Ocular involvement was bilateral in 76.5% (101 cases) of the patients, and panuveitis was the most common type (110 cases, 83.3%). Complications were seen in 80.7% (188/233) of the eyes, with cataract (58.8%, 137/233) and macular edema (59.1%, 114/193) being the most common anterior and posterior segment complications, respectively. At the eighth year of uveitis, best corrected visual acuity decreased to less than 0.3 in 20.9% (9/43) of the eyes, and more than 1.0 in 39.5% (17/43) of the eyes. A combination of glucocorticoids and immune modulators remained the first line therapy (97.0%, 128/132) for Behcet's uveitis. For 16 refractory cases, an addition of biological agents significantly reduced the inflammation relapse [0.5 (0.0, 1.5) times per year vs. 4.0 (1.0, 5.5) times per year, Z=-2.81, P=0.005]. Conclusions: Behcet's uveitis mainly affects working-age males and manifests as bilateral panuveitis. Complications are commonly seen in uveitic eyes. Patients' visual acuity is significantly impaired. A combination of glucocorticoids and immune modulators is effective for most patients, but for refractory cases, an addition of biological agents provides better effects. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56: 217-223).

Predator prey interactions between predatory gastropod Reishia clavigera, barnacle Amphibalanusamphitriteamphitrite and mussel Brachidontesvariabilis under ocean acidification.

Since the response to ocean acidification is species specific, differences in responses between predator and prey will alter their interactions, hence affect the population dynamics of both species. Changes in predator prey interactions between a predatory muricid gastropod Reishia clavigera and its prey, the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite amphitrite and mussel Brachidontes variabilis under three pCO2 levels (380, 950, and 1250 µatm) were investigated. The searching time for barnacles increased and the ability to locate them decreased at higher pCO2 levels. The movement speed and the prey consumption rate, however, were independent of pCO2. There was no preference towards either B. variabilis or A. amphitrite amphitrite regardless of pCO2. Exposure experiments involving multiple generations are suggested to assess transgenerational effects of ocean acidification and the potential compensation responses before any realistic predictions on the long term changes of population dynamics of the interacting species can be made.

Long noncoding RNA CASC2c inhibited cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma by inactivated ERK1/2 and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

PURPOSE: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in tumorigenesis, but their biological functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Alternative splicing of five exons results in three transcript variants of cancer susceptibility 2 (CASC2): the lncRNAs CASC2a, CASC2b, and CASC2c. CASC2a/b have been found to have crucial regulatory functions in a number of malignancies, but few studies have examined the effects of CASC2c in cancers. The objective of the study was to investigate the role of CASC2c in the proliferation and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. METHODS: This study first investigated the expression levels of CASC2c in tumor tissues, corresponding non-tumor tissues and cells using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The function and underlying molecular mechanism of CASC2c in human HCC were investigated in QGY-7703 cell line, as well as in gastric cancer (GC) cell and colorectal cancer (CRC) cell. RESULTS: In the present work, we observed that CASC2c was significantly down-regulated in HCC tissues and cells. Moreover, its overexpression remarkably inhibited the growth, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and promoted their apoptosis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CASC2c overexpression decreased p-ERK1/2 levels in HCC, GC, and CRC cells. Interestingly, while overexpression of CASC2c decreased ß-catenin expression in HCC and GC cells, it increased that in CRC cells. CONCLUSION: The lncRNA-CASC2c has a vital role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, and may serve as a biomarker or therapeutic target in cancer treatment via down-regulation of the ERK1/2 and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathways.

Strategy of the Causes of Death of Dependents.

ABSTRACT: Objective To discuss the methods and strategies to identify the causes of dependents' deaths, as well as provide the experiences that can be used for reference and scientific basis for the forensic identification of the potentially growing deaths of the same kind in the future. Methods The 13 cases concerning death of dependents accepted by Sun Yat-sen University Forensic Center were collected, and the basic information of the dependents were statistically described. The nutritional status, environmental condition and medical care condition were evaluated according to dietary energy, living space, environment and medical treatment condition. Results Among the 13 dependents, there were 11 males and 2 females, with the oldest 74 and the youngest 9 and dwelling time was from 0.4 to 5.6 years. Forensic pathological examination showed that 13 dependents had infectious diseases and 11 were severely dystrophic. There were no fatal mechanical injuries or poisoning in dependents. Molecular pathological screening of 4 cases revealed no pathogenic variants of sudden death susceptible genes. The poor status of the diet, nutrition, living environment and medical care of these dependents were discovered. The direct cause of death of all 13 dependents was identified to be disease. The lack of nutrition, poor living environment and lack of medical care were thought to play a dominant role in causing the deaths of 12 dependants. Conclusion The death identification should follow the judicial procedure. In identification of the causes of death and analysis of the proportion of the affecting factors resulting in death, all factors, including nutrition,environment, medical care, injury and diseases, need to be considered.

High quality nursing of children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure.

Children with severe pneumonia often have heart failure. This study explored the clinical effect of high quality nursing intervention on children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure. In the study, 96 children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure were selected and randomly divided into a conventional nursing group (n=48) and a high quality nursing group (n=48). Based on the conventional nursing, the children in one group were given high quality nursing, and comprehensive nursing was carried out in aspects such as respiratory tract, medication, psychology and diet. Then, the heart rate, respiratory rate, heart failure correction time, hospitalization time, cost and nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the heart rate of the high quality nursing group was 145.37±8.72 times/min and the respiratory rate was 45.65±6.08 times/min, which were significantly lower than those of the conventional nursing group (P less than 0.05). The correction time of heart failure was about 32 h in the high quality nursing group, and the length and cost of hospitalization were significantly lower than those in the conventional nursing group (P less than 0.05). The nursing satisfaction of the patients' family members in the high quality nursing group was also higher (P less than 0.05). This study shows that high quality nursing can promote the recovery of children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure, and is worth popularizing widely in clinics.

[Effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from different sources on glucolipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic patients with dyslipidemia].

Objective: To determine the effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from different sources on glucolipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic patients with dyslipidemia. Methods: We recruited participants from the diabetes specialist clinic at the Guanlin hospital in Yixing city, Jiangsu Province from February 2017 to March 2017. A total of 180 subjects were randomly assigned to 3 g/day fish oil (FO), perilla oil (PO), or fish oil mixed with linseed oil (FLO) for 6 months. The basic conditions and fasting venous blood sample were obtained from each study subject at baseline, after 6 months of intervention. Serum glucose and lipid metabolism were investigated. Results: A total of 156 subjects aged (62.6±8.6) years completed the final follow-up after 6 months (FO,54 subjects; PO,52 subjects; FLO,50 subjects). Among them,59 patients (37.8%) were male. Serum glucose, glycated hemoglobin, C peptide, insulin and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance were not significantly different among the three groups after 6 months. Serum triglyceride decreased, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in FO [1.33 (1.05,1.93) mmol/L, (1.36±0.29) mmol/L, respectively] compared with PO [1.71 (1.23, 2.17) mmol/L, (1.23±0.22) mmol/L, respectively] and FLO [1.51 (1.12, 2.22) mmol/L, (1.29±0.30) mmol/L, respectively] (P<0.05). Serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B decreased in PO [(2.60±0.57) mmol/L,(0.96±0.23) g/L, respectively] compared with FO [(2.89±0.76) mmol/L, (1.07±0.30) g/L, respectively] (P<0.05). Serum lipoprotein(a) decreased in FLO [130.7 (63.3,270.6) mg/L] compared with FO [137.4 (58.7,333.2) mg/L] (P<0.05). Serum free fatty acid decreased in FLO [(0.43±0.15) mmol/L] compared with PO [(0.53±0.22) mmol/L] (P<0.05). Conclusion: The effects of ω-3 PUFA from different sources on glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetic patients with dyslipidemia are similar. Each of them has a good application prospect in improving lipid metabolism.

A multicentre randomised controlled trial of the effect of intra-operative dexmedetomidine on cognitive decline after surgery.

Peri-operative dexmedetomidine can reduce rates of delirium immediately after surgery. We aimed to assess the effect of dexmedetomidine on cognition up to six postoperative months and its association with changes in serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor on the third and seventh postoperative days. We randomly allocated 535 patients aged 65 years or more undergoing scheduled gastro-intestinal laparotomy to: intra-operative dexmedetomidine, 0.5 µg.kg-1 bolus followed by 0.4 µg.kg-1 .hr-1 infusion (n = 269), or placebo (n = 266). Dexmedetomidine reduced the rate of cognitive impairment: on the third postoperative day, 40/269 vs. 65/266, p = 0.006; on the seventh postoperative day, 31/269 vs. 49/266, p = 0.03 and at one postoperative month, 42/250 vs. 61/248, p = 0.04. Cognitive impairment at seven postoperative days was associated with changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations on the third and seventh postoperative days; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.63, p < 0.001 and 0.58, p = 0.016, respectively. Intra-operative dexmedetomidine reduced cognitive decline up to one postoperative month in elderly patients undergoing scheduled laparotomy, which was associated with changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Molecular identification of Kalicephalus isolated from snakes in Hunan province, subtropical China.

Parasite classification and identification are central to controlling parasitosis. Traditional methods for identifying parasite species are based on morphological features, but these are time-consuming and inaccurate, especially for cryptic species. The purpose of the present study was to select molecular markers to promote the development of molecular systematic for parasites. The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) falls in between 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rDNA sequences, including ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences. Previous studies have demonstrated that rDNA ITS sequences provide useful genetic markers for identifying parasitic nematodes. With the ultimate goal of controlling parasite transmission, we identified Kalicephalus belonging to three species using ITS rDNA genes. The ITS genes (750-797 bp) of 21 Kalicephalus belonging to 3 species were cloned and sequenced. Intra- and interspecific identities were 98.4% and 80%-89%, respectively. The phylogenetic tree reconstructed with the neighbour-joining (NJ) method revealed that congener Kalicephalus form the same branch, which is far apart from other branches of other nematodes. This is consistent with morphological classifications, demonstrating the accuracy of our molecular method. This is the first report stating that ITS genes can be used to classify Kalicephalus, and it lays the foundation for identification, molecular epidemiology, and phylogenetics of Kalicephalus and related parasitic nematodes.

Molecular identification of Kalicephalus isolated from snakes in Hunan province, subtropical China

@#Parasite classification and identification are central to controlling parasitosis. Traditional methods for identifying parasite species are based on morphological features, but these are time-consuming and inaccurate, especially for cryptic species. The purpose of the present study was to select molecular markers to promote the development of molecular systematic for parasites. The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) falls in between 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rDNA sequences, including ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences. Previous studies have demonstrated that rDNA ITS sequences provide useful genetic markers for identifying parasitic nematodes. With the ultimate goal of controlling parasite transmission, we identified Kalicephalus belonging to three species using ITS rDNA genes. The ITS genes (750–797 bp) of 21 Kalicephalus belonging to 3 species were cloned and sequenced. Intra- and interspecific identities were 98.4% and 80%–89%, respectively. The phylogenetic tree reconstructed with the neighbour-joining (NJ) method revealed that congener Kalicephalus form the same branch, which is far apart from other branches of other nematodes. This is consistent with morphological classifications, demonstrating the accuracy of our molecular method. This is the first report stating that ITS genes can be used to classify Kalicephalus, and it lays the foundation for identification, molecular epidemiology, and phylogenetics of Kalicephalus and related parasitic nematodes.

Unveiling the Superconducting Mechanism of Ba_{0.51}K_{0.49}BiO_{3}.

The mechanism of high superconducting transition temperatures (T_{c}) in bismuthates remains under debate despite more than 30 years of extensive research. Our angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies on Ba_{0.51}K_{0.49}BiO_{3} reveal an unexpectedly 34% larger bandwidth than in conventional density functional theory calculations. This can be reproduced by calculations that fully account for long-range Coulomb interactions-the first direct demonstration of bandwidth expansion due to the Fock exchange term, a long-accepted and yet uncorroborated fundamental effect in many body physics.Furthermore, we observe an isotropic superconducting gap with 2Δ_{0}/k_{B}T_{c}=3.51±0.05, and strong electron-phonon interactions with a coupling constant λ∼1.3±0.2. These findings solve a long-standing mystery-Ba_{0.51}K_{0.49}BiO_{3} is an extraordinary Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductor, where long-range Coulomb interactions expand the bandwidth, enhance electron-phonon coupling, and generate the high T_{c}. Such effects will also be critical for finding new superconductors.