Cardiovascular disease burden in patients with urological cancers: The new discipline of uro-cardio-oncology.

Cancer remains a major cause of mortality worldwide, and urological cancers are the most common cancers among men. Several therapeutic agents have been used to treat urological cancer, leading to improved survival for patients. However, this has been accompanied by an increase in the frequency of survivors with cardiovascular complications caused by anticancer medications. Here, we propose the novel discipline of uro-cardio-oncology, an evolving subspecialty focused on the complex interactions between cardiovascular disease and urological cancer. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the various cardiovascular toxicities induced by different classes of antineoplastic agents used to treat urological cancers, including androgen deprivation therapy, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and chemotherapeutics. In addition, we discuss possible mechanisms underlying the cardiovascular toxicity associated with anticancer therapy and outline strategies for the surveillance, diagnosis, and effective management of cardiovascular complications. Finally, we provide an analysis of future perspectives in this emerging specialty, identifying areas in need of further research.

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for left ventricular function in patients with heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: To evaluate the effect of exercise rehabilitation on the left ventricular (LV) function in patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase were searched until May 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) providing data on changes in LV function, comparing exercise to no-exercise controls with HF of any type, were included. RESULTS: A total of 16 studies including 1443 participants were included. LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) was significantly improved in the exercise group [mean differences (MD), -2.67; 95 % confidence interval (CI) (-4.88, -0.46); P=0.02], but left atrial volume index (LAVI), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), E/e' E/A, end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and LV mass were unaltered compared to the non-exercise group. High intensity interval training (HIIT) or with moderate exercise (MT) led to improvement in LVEDD [MD, 3.62; 95 %CI (2.55, 4.69); P<0.00001], but not LAVI, E/e' and E/A. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses showed that the location, the type of HF and study duration may be the source of heterogeneity in LVEF. Age appears to be a source of heterogeneity in EDV and ESV. The Egger test indicated no significant publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise can partially improve LV function in patients with HF, with improvements appearing to be dependent on study quality, the type of HF, and race. However, there are some indicators that do not seem to improve or are even worse than the control group. Among all exercise modalities, HIIT shows the greatest benefit for HF patients.

Combining nanoflares biosensor and mathematical resolution technique for multi-class mycotoxin analysis in complex food matrices.

A multi-functional nanoflares biosensor of spherical gold nanoparticle (Au NP) modified by fluorophore-labeled oligonucleotides (ONS) was designed for ultra-sensitive multi-target mycotoxin analysis in food. Au NP was densely modified with multiplex highly oriented hairpins of oligonucleotides (ONS), each ONS was hybridized to a reporter with a distinct fluorophore label and specifically affiliative to its corresponding mycotoxin target. The fluorescent signals of reporters were pre-quenched by Au NP based on ONS hairpin structures and recovered when exposed to ONS's targets. Excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence detection was performed in EX and EM wavelength of 200-800 nm. Heavily overlapping spectra of fluorophores, mycotoxins and backgrounds were resolved by alternative trilinear decomposition (ATLD) algorithm, pure spectra of specific fluorophore responding to mycotoxin target can be extracted out for quantitative analysis. Four mycotoxins (Aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, Fumonisins B1, ochratoxin A) were simultaneously quantified at extremely low level with limit of detection <0.02 µg kg-1, the average recovery accuracies were higher than 91.7 % in various matrices of cereals, nuts, edible oils. This study realized an important breakthrough of the application of nanoflares biosensor and maybe promising to be as an alternative strategy for onsite mycotoxins monitoring of food.

Comparison of Conduits Fabricated by Fresh and Predegenerated Skeletal Muscles for Peripheral Nerve Repairing.

ABSTRACT: Reconstruction of peripheral nerve injury remains a challenge for clinical medicine. Previous reports have confirmed that external oblique muscle-fabricated nerve conduit (EMC) could effectively be used to promote peripheral nerve regeneration. In this study, we compared between conduits fabricated from fresh muscle and conduits fabricated from predegenerated muscle for the repair of peripheral nerve defects in a mouse sciatic nerve transection model. We found that the number, diameter, and myelin sheath thickness of the myelinated nerve fibers of the regenerative nerve in the EMC group were larger than those of the predegenerated-EMC (P-EMC) group eight weeks after surgery. The sciatic function index and gastrocnemius wet-weight mass ratio in the EMC group were higher than those in the P-EMC group. The Bcl-2/Bax ratio and the number of Schwann cell nucleus in the proximal nerve stumps in the EMC group were greater than those in the P-EMC group. In conclusion, our results confirmed that the use of fresh skeletal muscle nerve conduit increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and promoted the survival of Schwann cells of the proximal nerve stump compared with that of predegenerated skeletal muscle nerve conduits, thus achieving better functional recovery after sciatic nerve defect.

Specificity and Targeting of Optical Molecular Probe FITC-CSPLNTRFC on Breast Cancer Cells Bcap-37 / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the specificity and targeting abilities of FITC-CSPLNTRFC peptide FITC-BCSP1 optical molecular probe on breast cancer cells Bcap-37. Methods Probe FITC-BCSP1 and negative control probe FITC-svBCSP1 were prepared by solid phase synthesis. MTT assay was used to determine the toxicity of the two probes on breast cancer cells Bcap-37. The specificity of the binding of FITC-BCSP1 probe to Bcap-37 cells was identified by flow cytometry and fluorescent inversed microscopy. The specificity and targeting abilities of FITC-BCSP1 probe for transplantation tumor in Bcap-37 cells tumor-bearing nude mice model were tested by optical molecular imager. Results The purity of the synthesized probe was more than 98%, identified by mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography. FITC-BCSP1 and FITC-svBCSP1 probes had no effect on proliferation and activity of Bcap-37 cells at the concentrations of 50-300 mol/L (IR%≤30%). FCM results showed that the percentage of FITC-BCSP1-labeled cells in Bcap-37 cells was significantly higher than that in other cells (all P < 0.001), and the percentage of FITC-BCSP1-labeled Bcap-37 cells was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.001). It was observed under inverted fluorescence microscope that there were a large number of fluorescent cells in FITC-BCSP1-labeled Bcap-37 cells, with a positive rate of 100%, while the positive rate of FITC-svBCSP1 group was only 1%. In vivo assay with Bcap-37 cells tumor-bearing nude mice model showed that FITC-BCSP1 probe could be specifically enriched in the transplantation tumor tissue. Conclusion The optical molecular probe FITC-BCSP1 has good specificity and targeting abilities on breast cancer cells and can be used in the early diagnosis of breast cancer.

A Novel Protein Drug, Novaferon, as the Potential Antiviral Drug for COVID-19

BackgroundNovaferon, a novel protein drug approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in China, exhibits potent antiviral activities. We aimed to determine the anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects of Novaferon in vitro, and conducted a randomized, open-label, parallel group study to explore the antiviral effects of Novaferon for COVID-19. MethodsIn laboratory, the inhibition of Novaferon on viral replication in cells infected with SARS-CoV-2, and on SARS-CoV-2 entry into healthy cells was determined. Antiviral effects of Novaferon were evaluated in COVID-19 patients with treatment of Novaferon, Novaferon plus Lopinavir/Ritonavir, or Lopinavir/Ritonavir. The primary endpoint was the SARS-CoV-2 clearance rates on day 6 of treatment, and the secondary endpoint was the time to the SARS-CoV-2 clearance in COVID-19 patients ResultsNovaferon inhibited the viral replication in infected cells (EC50=1.02 ng/ml), and protected healthy cells from SARS-CoV-2 infection (EC50=0.1 ng/ml). Results from the 89 enrolled COVID-19 patients showed that both Novaferon and Novaferon plus Lopinavir/Ritonavir groups had significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 clearance rates on day 6 than the Lopinavir/Ritonavir group (50.0% vs.24.1%, p = 0.0400, and 60.0% vs.24.1%, p = 0.0053). Median time to SARS-CoV-2 clearance were 6 days, 6 days, and 9 days for three groups respectively, suggesting a 3-dayreduction of time to SARS-CoV-2 clearance in both Novaferon and Novaferon plus Lopinavir/Ritonavir groups compared with Lopinavir/Ritonavir group. ConclusionsNovaferon exhibited anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects in vitro and in COVID-19 patients. These data justified the further evaluation of Novaferon.

Epidemiological and clinical features of 291 cases with coronavirus disease 2019 in areas adjacent to Hubei, China: a double-center observational study

BackgroundThe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Hubei and other areas are different. We aim to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patient with COVID-19 in Hunan which is adjacent to Hubei. MethodsIn this double-center, observational study, we recruited all consecutive patients with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 from January 23 to February 14, 2020 in two designated hospitals in Hunan province, China. Epidemiological and clinical data from patients electronic medical records were collected and compared between mild, moderate and severe/critical group in detail. Clinical outcomes were followed up to February 20, 2020. Findings291 patients with COVID-19 were categorized into mild group (10.0%), moderate group (72.8%) and severe/critical group (17.2%). The median age of all patients was 46 years (49.8% were male). 86.6% patients had an indirect exposure history. The proportion of patients that had been to Wuhan in severe/critical group (48.0% vs 17.2%, p=0.006) and moderate group (43.4% vs 17.2%, p=0.007) were higher than mild group. Fever (68.7%), cough (60.5%), and fatigue (31.6%) were common symptoms especially for severe and critical patients. Typical lung imaging finding were bilateral and unilateral ground glass opacity or consolidation. Leukopenia, lymphopenia and eosinopenia occurred in 36.1%, 22.7% and 50.2% patients respectively. Increased fibrinogen was detected in 45 of 58 (77.6%) patients with available results. 29 of 44 (65.9%) or 22 of 40 (55.0%) patients were positive in Mycoplasma pneumonia or Chlamydia pneumonia antibody test respectively. Compared with mild or moderate group, severe/critical group had a relative higher level of neutrophil, Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio, h-CRP, ESR, CK, CK-MB, LDH, D-dimer, and a lower level of lymphocyte, eosinophils, platelet, HDL and sodium (all p<0.01). Most patients received antiviral therapy and Chinese Medicine therapy. As of February 20, 2020, 159 (54.6%) patients were discharged and 2 (0.7%) patients died during hospitalization. The median length of hospital stay in discharged patients was 12 days (IQR: 10-15). InterpretationThe epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Hunan is different from patients in Wuhan. The proportion of patients that had been to Wuhan in severe/critical group and moderate group were higher than mild group. Laboratory and imaging examination can assist in the diagnosis and classification of COVID-19 patients.

Skeletal muscle-derived cells repair peripheral nerve defects in mice.

Skeletal muscle-derived cells have strong secretory function, while skeletal muscle-derived stem cells, which are included in muscle-derived cells, can differentiate into Schwann cell-like cells and other cell types. However, the effect of muscle-derived cells on peripheral nerve defects has not been reported. In this study, 5-mm-long nerve defects were created in the right sciatic nerves of mice to construct a peripheral nerve defect model. Adult female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups. For the muscle-derived cell group, muscle-derived cells were injected into the catheter after the cut nerve ends were bridged with a polyurethane catheter. For external oblique muscle-fabricated nerve conduit and polyurethane groups, an external oblique muscle-fabricated nerve conduit or polyurethane catheter was used to bridge the cut nerve ends, respectively. For the sham group, the sciatic nerves on the right side were separated but not excised. At 8 and 12 weeks post-surgery, distributions of axons and myelin sheaths were observed, and the nerve diameter was calculated using immunofluorescence staining. The number, diameter, and thickness of myelinated nerve fibers were detected by toluidine blue staining and transmission electron microscopy. Muscle fiber area ratios were calculated by Masson's trichrome staining of gastrocnemius muscle sections. Sciatic functional index was recorded using walking footprint analysis at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after operation. The results showed that, at 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, myelin sheaths and axons of regenerating nerves were evenly distributed in the muscle-derived cell group. The number, diameter, and myelin sheath thickness of myelinated nerve fibers, as well as gastrocnemius muscle wet weight and muscle area ratio, were significantly higher in the muscle-derived cell group compared with the polyurethane group. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-surgery, sciatic functional index was notably increased in the muscle-derived cell group compared with the polyurethane group. These criteria of the muscle-derived cell group were not significantly different from the external oblique muscle-fabricated nerve conduit group. Collectively, these data suggest that muscle-derived cells effectively accelerated peripheral nerve regeneration. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval No. 040) on September 28, 2016.

Peptide specifically binding to human medullary breast carcinoma Bcap-37 cells selected by phage display in vivo and its property as well as combination effect / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the property and the combination effect of the peptide specifically binding to human medullary breast cancer Bcap-37 cells by using phage display in vivo and to provide molecular targeting probe for early diagnosis of breast cancer.Methods:The human medullary breast carcinoma Bcap-37 cells tumor-bearing nude mice model was prepared and three rounds in vivo were performed by using Ph.D.-C7CTM phage display peptide library. The distribution of screened phages in tumors and normal tissues was detected by using immunohistochemistry. The affinity of monoclonal phage to Bcap-37 cells was identified by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The positive monoclonal phage DNA was taken and sequenced, and the sequence with high repetition rate was selected to synthesize peptide by using chemical methods. Optical molecular probe was prepared and fluorescence molecular imaging was used to test its specificity and targeting ability for breast transplantation tumor of tumor-bearing nude mice in vivo.Results:The recovery rate of phage in the third round screening in vivo was 107.2 times than that in the first round. Immunohistochemical results showed that the phages binding to the tumor tissues were increased successively with the increasing screening rounds in vivo. The number of phages binding to tumor tissues was more than that binding to normal tissues (lung, skeletal muscle, liver and kidney). The absorbancy ( A) value of section scanning image in the tumor tissues was higher than that in the normal tissues, and the difference was statistically significant different ( P < 0.05). ELISA results showed that 22 phages (affinity≥2) among the 50 randomly selected monoclonal phage were positive. After DNA sequencing analysis of the positive monoclonal phage, 4 repeat amino acid sequences were obtained. The fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled (FITC)-CSPLNTRFC with the highest repetition rate was synthesized for FITC-CSPLNTRFC peptide. Bcap-37 cells tumor-bearing nude mice model assay in vivo showed that FITC-CSPLNTRFC peptide could significantly enriched in the breast xenograft tissues. Conclusion:CSPLNTRFC peptide specifically binding to human medullary breast cancer Bcap-37 cells can be screened out successfully by using phage display in vivo, which will be helpful to vitro studies on the early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Positron emission computed tomography/single photon emission computed tomography in Parkinson disease / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder. Its main pathological mechanism is the selective degeneration and deletion of dopaminergic neurons in the dense part of the substantia nigra and the damage of dopaminergic neurons caused by the abnormal deposition of a Lewy body, leading to a decreased dopamine level. Positron emission computed tomography (PET)/single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a molecular imaging technology that can directly or indirectly reflect changes in molecular levels by using a specific tracer. With the research and development on the tracers of related enzymes for labeling dopamine transporter and dopamine receptor and for being involved in dopamine formation, this imaging technology has been applied to all aspects of PD research. It not only contributes to clinical work but also provides an important theoretical basis for exploring the pathological mechanism of PD at a molecular level. Therefore, this review discusses the application value of PET/SPECT in PD in terms of early diagnosis, disease severity evaluation, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, and pathological mechanism.

Screening and Identification of the Peptides Specifically Binding to Human Non-small Cell Lung Cancer NCI-H1299 Cells / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common histological type of lung cancer, and one of the malignant tumor with the highest mortality. As the main part of the optical molecular imaging probe, peptide can realize the early screening and diagnosis of tumor and improve the survival rate of patients. The aim of this study was to screen the small-molecule peptide that highly binds to NSCLC NCI-H1299 cells using in vivo phage display technology and to identify their binding specificity by in vitro experiment.@*METHODS@#To prepare a tumor-bearing nude mouse model of NCI-H1299 cells, after 3 rounds of in vivo screening with Ph.D.-C7CTM Peptide Library, phage clones were randomly picked, using immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to identify the affinity of phage clones to NCI-H1299 cells. The positive monoclonal phages DNA was extracted and sequenced to obtain the amino acid sequence of the peptides. The peptides with the highest repetition rate was chemically synthesized and labeled with fluorescein (FITC) to prepare optical molecular probe. We preliminary identified the specificity of the probe binding to lung cancer cells by in vitro experiment.@*RESULTS@#After three rounds of in vivo screening, the phages enrichment rate was 341.3 times compared with the first round. Immunohistochemical staining showed that with the increase of screening times, the phages binding to tumor tissues continued to increase, and the binding amount was significantly higher than normal tissues; ELISA results showed that 20 clones among the 30 randomly selected phage clones were positive. After sequencing, the peptide with the highest repetition rate was synthesized and named NSP1; Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay (MTT) and would healing assay showed that NSP1 will not affect cell proliferation and migration. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence showed specific binding of NSP1 to NCI-H1299 cells.@*CONCLUSIONS@#We successfully obtained the peptide NSP1 that specifically binds to lung cancer NCI-H1299 cells by in vivo phage display, which provide a theoretical basis for NSCLC early diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Surgical outcome and patient satisfaction after Z-epicanthoplasty and blepharoplasty.

AIM: To evaluate surgical outcomes of modified Z-epicanthoplasty with blepharoplasty that we previously reported from the patient's perspective using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient satisfaction scores. METHODS: A total of patients (n=180) who underwent the surgery between January 2013 and June 2016 were randomly selected. Standardized patient satisfaction forms (total score, 40) and validated PROMs questionnaires (total score, 12) were sent to patients for completion. PROMs assesses the severity of scarring, pain and asymmetry, as well as functional and appearance issues. RESULTS: All patients were female, ranging from 18 to 35 years old (mean=24). The response rate was 73.3% (n=132). The majority of patients reported good or excellent outcomes based on PROM analysis. Patients reported minimum or non-visible scarring at both the double eyelid surgical scar (85.6%) and the inner canthus (80.3%). Issues concerning function and appearance were minimal as 80.3% reported satisfaction with both domains. Notably, the majority of patients reported either a high or very high satisfaction rate to yield a mean score of 104 out of 120 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Integration of our modified Z-epicanthoplasty with blepharoplasty produces good outcomes based on PROM results, which shows a positive linear relationship with patient satisfaction scores.

99Tcm-MIBI Gated Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in Evaluating Coronary Microangiopathy in Patients with Diabetic Mellitus / 中国医学影像学杂志

Purpose To evaluate the clinical guiding value of 99Tcm-methoxyisobutylisonitrile gated myocardial perfusion imaging (99Tcm-MIBI G-MPI) in diagnosing the coronary microangiopathy in patients with diabetic mellitus.Materials and Methods Sixty patients with clinical confirmed coronary microvascular angina were selected and assigned into two groups,with 26 patients (with diabetes mellitus) in group A and 34 patients in group B (without diabetes mellitus).The region,extent and range of coronary microangiopathy was detected by 99Tcm-MIBI G-MPI,and the difference of myocardial ischemia between the two groups was statistically analyzed.Results The ratio of abnormal myocardial perfusion in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (96.15％ vs.73.53％,x2=5.43,P＜0.05);the total number of abnormal coronary branches in group A was significantly larger than that in group B (82.67％ vs.62.67％,P＜0.05);the total number abnormal perfusion segments in group A was significantly larger than that in group B (P＜0.05),and the abnormal perfusion segments number of anterior wall,septum,apical region and inferior wall in group A was significantly larger than that ingroup B (P＜0.05);the rate of abnormal perfusion at single coronary supplying region in group A was significantly lower than that in group B (P＜0.05).Conclusion 99Tcm-MIBI G-MPI is of great clinical significance for diagnosing coronary microangiopathy and evaluating myocardial ischemia in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Effect of Dermabrasion and ReCell® on Large Superficial Facial Scars Caused by Burn, Trauma and Acnes△.

Objective To explore the effects of dermabrasion combined with ReCell® on large superficial facial scars caused by burn, trauma and acnes.Methods Nineteen patients with large superficial facial scars were treated by the same surgeon with dermabrasion combined with ReCell®. According to the etiology, patients were classified into post-burning group (n=5), post-traumatic group (n=7) and post-acne group (n=7). Fifteen patients completed the follow-ups, 5 patients in each group. Healing time, complication rate, the preoperative and 18-month-post-operative assessments using Patient Satisfaction Score (PSS), Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), and Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) of each group were analyzed to compare the effect of the combined therapy on outcomes.Results The healing time of post-burning group (19.6±4.0 days), post-traumatic group (15.8±2.6 days), and post-acne group (11.4±3.1 days) varied remarkably (F=7.701, P=0.007). The complication rates were 60%, 20%, and 0 respectively. The post-operative POSAS improved significantly in all groups (P<0.05), where the most significant improvement was shown in the post-acne group (P<0.05). The post-operative PSS and VSS improved only in the post-traumatic group and post-acne group (all P<0.05), where the more significant improvement was also shown in the post-acne group (P<0.05).Conclusions The combined treatment of dermabrasion and ReCell® has remarkable effect on acne scars, moderate effect on traumatic scars and is not suggested for burn scars. POSAS should be applied to assess the therapeutic effects of treatments for large irregular scars.

Recent Developments on Quantitative Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic Techniques / 分析化学

Due to its exquisite sensitivity, excellent molecular specificity and reduced photobleaching, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy has wide potential applications in the fields of food and drug analysis, environmental monitoring and biological detection. However, SERS is only a qualitative or semi-quantitative detection technique at the present stage, and has not yet been widely recognized as a routine quantitative technique. This review discusses the pros and cons of the quantitative surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic techniques developed so far in the literature, and looks forward to the future trend in this field.

Development of genetically stable recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains using combinational chromosomal integration / 生物工程学报

Chromosomal integration enables stable phenotype and therefore has become an important strategy for breeding of industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. pAUR135 is a plasmid that enables recycling use of antibiotic selection marker, and once attached with designated homologous sequences, integration vector for stable expression can be constructed. Development of S. cerevisiae strains by metabolic engineering normally demands overexpression of multiple genes, and employing pAUR135 plasmid, it is possible to construct S. cerevisiae strains by combinational integration of multiple genes in multiple sites, which results in different ratios of expressions of these genes. Xylose utilization pathway was taken as an example, with three pAUR135-based plasmids carrying three xylose assimilation genes constructed in this study. The three genes were sequentially integrated on the chromosome of S. cerevisiae by combinational integration. Xylose utilization rate was improved 24.4%-35.5% in the combinational integration strain comparing with that of the control strain with all the three genes integrated in one location. Strain improvement achieved by combinational integration is a novel method to manipulate multiple genes for genetic engineering of S. cerevisiae, and the recombinant strains are free of foreign sequences and selection markers. In addition, stable phenotype can be maintained, which is important for breeding of industrial strains. Therefore, combinational integration employing pAUR135 is a novel method for metabolic engineering of industrial S. cerevisiae strains.

Influence of partial masseter muscle resection along with reduction of mandibular angle.

UNLABELLED: The mandibular angle plays an important role in determining the Asian human facial attractiveness. Currently, mandibular angle osteotomy is often reported as the correction of square face appearance due to its prominence. However, no previous study has documented the long-term outcome of partial masseter muscle resection along with reduction of mandibular angle. OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to investigate the outcome and complications of partial masseter muscle resection along with reduction of mandibular angle in long-term follow-up. METHOD: One hundred fifty-one patients were subjected to the computed tomography scan before and 3 years after surgery. Morphometrical analysis was conducted on all parameters for clinical evaluation, so as to reveal the change of masseter muscle, the postsurgical result, and the complication. RESULTS: All patients were satisfied with the optimal outcome of the reduction of mandibular angle and masseter muscle. Morphometrical analysis indicated that the volume of masseter muscle changed statistically significantly before and after surgery (reduced 21.31 ± 7.64% on left, 20.77 ± 7.45% on right). Complications included swelling and low lip numbness, yet no patients reported infection or facial nerve injury. CONCLUSION: Partial masseter muscle resection along with reduction of mandibular angle can improve the appearance of the patients greatly, and only a few complications occurred.

Peripheral nerve repair with epimysium conduit.

Autologous tissues such as skeletal muscle have high biocampatibility and can effectively promote nerve regeneration compared to other biological and artificial materials; however, the reasonable and effective application of skeletal muscle requires further study. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the possibility of preparing a hollow nerve conduit, termed the epimysium conduit (EMC), using thin crimps of epimysium with skeletal muscle fibers and evaluate its effectiveness in repairing peripheral nerve defects. We prepared nerve conduits containing lumen with the external oblique muscle of the CAG-EFGP transgenic mice using microsurgical techniques for bridge repair of a 5-mm long sciatic nerve defect in wild-type mice. Systematic histological and functional assessments of the regenerated nerves were performed 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. EMC was found to effectively repair the sciatic nerve defect with significantly greater effectiveness than artificial conduits; however, the repair effect of EMC was lower than that of autologous nerve grafting for some parameters. In addition, our findings showed that some EMC-derived cell components migrated into the region of the regenerated nerves and contributed to reconstruction. Based on these findings, we conclude that a hollow conduit prepared with epimysium and a few skeletal muscle fibers is ideal for repairing peripheral nerve defects, and the cell components in the grafts contribute to nerve regeneration and structural remodeling, which provides an alternative option for the emergency primary repair of peripheral nerve defects in clinical practice.

[Zygomatic reduction with midface L-shaped osteotomy and its effect on the maxillary sinus].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the result of zygomatic reduction with midface L-shaped osteotomy through intraoral approach. METHODS: From June 2006 to Aug. 2009, 67 cases received zygomatic reduction with midface L-shaped osteotomy through intraoral approach. 52 cases underwent CT scan before operation and 12 months after operation. The images were analyzed by software GE AW 4.1 for evaluation of clinical effect, maxillary sinus change and complication. SAS 6.12 software was applied for one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Satisfactory results were achieved in all the patients. The volume of maxillary sinus at left and right side was (21233.96 +/- 4455.04) mm3, and (22020.64 +/- 3663.82) mm3, respectively before operation: (17840.91 +/- 4381.03) mm3 and (18511.85 +/- 3466.24) mm3 respectively 12 months after operation, showing a significant difference between them (P<0.05). No infection or dental pulp necrosis happened. CONCLUSIONS: Good results can be achieved with intraoral L-shaped osteotomy for zygomatic reduction. Exposure of maxillary sinus would not cause any complication.