A case of lower limb ulcer caused by hydroxyurea in treating primary thrombocytosis.

Hydroxyuria is a common medication for treating blood system diseases, but ulcers in the lower limbs caused by this medication are often rare and not often suspected. We reported an elderly patient with lower limb ulcers caused by hydroxyurea treatment for primary thrombocytosis. When hydroxide is used, close observation of skin lesions and prompt handling of any skin disruption should prevent ulcers.

Polysorbate 80 as a possible allergenic component in cross-allergy to docetaxel and fosaprepitant: A literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Patients had allergies to both fosaprepitant and docetaxel with similar signs and symptoms. To explore the possible causes of allergy and whether there is cross-allergy between fosaprepitant and docetaxel, we conducted a literature review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. METHODS: A systematic search of the following databases was performed: Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and Taylor & Francis. The final search was on 12 November 2022. Two investigators independently selected eligible studies and extracted data according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessed the methodological quality of included studies. Any disagreement was resolved by a third researcher. RESULTS: The main cause of fosaprepitant and docetaxel allergy is polysorbate 80. Fosaprepitant and docetaxel have similar allergic symptoms, mainly facial flushing (19.0%, 18.5%); erythema/dermatitis (17.2%, 1.9%); fluid retention (17.2%, 22.2%); and dyspnea, bronchospasm, shortness of breath and coughing (15.5%, 16.7%). Hypotension (1.7%, 7.4%) and decreased oxygen saturation (1.7%, 1.9%) are rare. The treatments for both allergies are similar: stop injection, oxygen, glucocorticoid, antihistamines and symptomatic treatments. CONCLUSION: Polysorbate 80 is the same allergenic component of docetaxel and fosaprepitant. The symptoms and treatments caused by the two drugs are similar. Most allergic reactions are not serious. Medications containing the same allergy ingredient need to be used with caution for patients with severe allergies to polysorbate 80.

The Pan-Genomic Analysis of Corynebacterium striatum Revealed its Genetic Characteristics as an Emerging Multidrug-Resistant Pathogen.

Corynebacterium striatum is a Gram-positive bacterium that is straight or slightly curved and non-spore-forming. Although it was originally believed to be a part of the normal microbiome of human skin, a growing number of studies have identified it as a cause of various chronic diseases, bacteremia, and respiratory infections. However, despite its increasing importance as a pathogen, the genetic characteristics of the pathogen population, such as genomic characteristics and differences, the types of resistance genes and virulence factors carried by the pathogen and their distribution in the population are poorly understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted a pan-genomic analysis of 314 strains of C. striatum isolated from various tissues and geographic locations. Our analysis revealed that C. striatum has an open pan-genome, comprising 5692 gene families, including 1845 core gene families, 2362 accessory gene families, and 1485 unique gene families. We also found that C. striatum exhibits a high degree of diversity across different sources, but strains isolated from skin tissue are more conserved. Furthermore, we identified 53 drug resistance genes and 42 virulence factors by comparing the strains to the drug resistance gene database (CARD) and the pathogen virulence factor database (VFDB), respectively. We found that these genes and factors are widely distributed among C. striatum, with 77.7% of strains carrying 2 or more resistance genes and displaying primary resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, lincomycin, macrolides, and streptomycin. The virulence factors are primarily associated with pathogen survival within the host, iron uptake, pili, and early biofilm formation. In summary, our study provides insights into the population diversity, resistance genes, and virulence factors ofC. striatum from different sources. Our findings could inform future research and clinical practices in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of C. striatum-associated diseases.

Secondary Mycobacterium abscessus Infection after Debridement in Child with Dog Bite: a Case Report.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there have been increasing reports related to infection caused by Mycobacterium abscessus (MAB). As one of the most common mycobacterium iatrogenic infections, it is characterized by pulmonary infection. However, only a few reports of MAB-related skin and soft tissue infections are available. This study reported a 3-year-old child admitted to our hospital for a dog bite with MAB infection after debridement. METHODS: The diagnosis of MAB in this child was made after detecting the bacteria in the wound secretion based on secretion culture in clinical laboratory. RESULTS: The result of the first bacterial isolation and culture of wound secretion was negative. However, the results were positive two days later and was diagnosed as MAB infection for samples of the purulent secretions collected by puncture and aspiration during debridement from the red and swollen regions of the thigh. The drug sensitivity results suggested that the child was sensitive to cefoxitin. However, she was resistant to amikacin, linezolid, minocycline, imipenem, tobramycin, moxifloxacin, clarithromycin, and doxycycline. The combined treatment strategy was used for managing MAB infection with a good effect. CONCLUSIONS: The management of MAB soft tissue infection has limitations, like poor tolerance, toxicity, and mul¬ti-drug interaction. The combined treatment strategy is important for MAB infection, and monitoring adverse re-actions and toxicity is the key.

Phytohormones regulate the non-redundant response of ω-3 fatty acid desaturases to low temperatures in Chorispora bungeana.

To explore the contributions of ω-3 fatty acid desaturases (FADs) to cold stress response in a special cryophyte, Chorispora bungeana, two plastidial ω-3 desaturase genes (CbFAD7, CbFAD8) were cloned and verified in an Arabidopsis fad7fad8 mutant, before being compared with the microsomal ω-3 desaturase gene (CbFAD3). Though these genes were expressed in all tested tissues of C. bungeana, CbFAD7 and CbFAD8 have the highest expression in leaves, while CbFAD3 was mostly expressed in suspension-cultured cells. Low temperatures resulted in significant increases in trienoic fatty acids (TAs), corresponding to the cooperation of CbFAD3 and CbFAD8 in cultured cells, and the coordination of CbFAD7 and CbFAD8 in leaves. Furthermore, the cold induction of CbFAD8 in the two systems were increased with decreasing temperature and independently contributed to TAs accumulation at subfreezing temperature. A series of experiments revealed that jasmonie acid and brassinosteroids participated in the cold-responsive expression of ω-3 CbFAD genes in both C. bungeana cells and leaves, while the phytohormone regulation in leaves was complex with the participation of abscisic acid and gibberellin. These results point to the hormone-regulated non-redundant contributions of ω-3 CbFADs to maintain appropriate level of TAs under low temperatures, which help C. bungeana survive in cold environments.

Quality of life in patients with breast cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this systematic review were to assess the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on breast cancer (BC) patients' quality of life (QOL), to compare the different regimens of NAC on BC patients' QOL, to compare NAC versus adjuvant chemotherapy on BC patients' QOL and to identify predictors of QOL on patients with BC receiving NAC. DESIGN: The design used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. DATA SOURCES: Cinahl, Embase, Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane library and PsycINFO were searched through 27 December 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: The inclusion criteria were included: patients with BC receiving NAC, outcome measures related to QOL and published in English. The exclusion criteria were included: duplicates or overlapping participants, not original research, data or full text not available and qualitative study. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two independent reviewers used standardised methods to search, screen and code included studies. The risk of bias in individual studies was evaluated with Cochrane collaboration's tool for assessing risk bias, Newcastle Ottawa Score or Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool. This systematic review performs narrative synthesis based on several different themes. RESULTS: The initial search resulted in 2994 studies; 12 of these studies fulfilled inclusion criteria. There was no significant difference in the QOL of BC before and after NAC, but patients experienced adverse reactions and depression during chemotherapy. Different regimens of NAC have different effects on patients' QOL. Patients with NAC had more severe physical discomfort than those with adjuvant chemotherapy. However, BC patients' QOL can be improved by intervening on social or family support, and these predictors, including chronotype, QOL before NAC and depression. CONCLUSIONS: More original research is needed in future to understand the profile and predictors of QOL in patients with BC on NAC, which will help clinicians and patients make decisions and deal with NAC-related issues.

Anti-damage effect of theaflavin-3'-gallate from black tea on UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells by photoprotection and maintaining cell homeostasis.

Keratinocytes are rich in lipids and are the main sensitive cells to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Theaflavins are the core functional components of black tea and are known as the "soft gold" in tea. In this study, ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiation caused apoptosis and necrosis of human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT). EGCG and the four theaflavins had anti-UVB damage activity, among which theaflavin-3'-gallate (TF3'G) had the best activity. The results of biophysical and molecular biology experiments showed that TF3'G has anti-damage effects on UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells through the dual effects of photoprotection and maintenance of cell homeostasis. That is, TF3'G preincubation could absorb UV rays, reduce the accumulation of aging-related heterochromatin (SAHF) formation, increase mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulate NF-κB inflammation pathways, inhibit the formation of cytotoxic aggregates, and protect biological macromolecules Structure, etc. The accumulation of conjugated π bonds and the balance benzoquinone are the core functional structure of TF3'G with high efficiency and low toxicity. The study indicates that TF3'G has the potential to inhibit the photoaging and intrinsic aging of skin cells.

Apelin/Apelin receptor: A new therapeutic target in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrinopathy, and it accounts for 75% of non-ovulatory infertile in women of childbearing age. It is clear that obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia coexist in PCOS. Apelin, as an endogenous ligand of the previously orphan receptor, is an adipokine that secreted by adipose tissue. Apelin and apelin receptors are expressed in many tissues and organ to regulate their physiological functions. Studies have shown that Apelin/apelin-receptor also expressed in ovary such as follicles, granulosa cells. Furthermore, Apelin/apelin-receptor play roles in vascular establishment and hormone metabolism in ovary. These indicate that the Apelin/apelin-receptor play an important role in the development of follicle. Apelin/apelin-receptor are increased in ovary of PCOS, which are associated with abnormal ovarian hormones and function. These are important causes of menstrual cycle disorders and anovulation. Moreover, apelin now appears clearly as a new player in energy metabolism. Apelin can regulate glucose and lipid metabolism but also modulate insulin secretion. And plasma apelin concentrations are elevated in obesity and type 2 diabetes patients. Interestedly, obesity and type 2 diabetes are also companied with polycystic ovary syndrome patients. We speculate apelin/apelin-receptor may play a vital role in pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome, but the underlying mechanisms remain under exploration. Here, we review apelin/apelin-receptor, as a new therapeutic target, have effects on ovarian function and energy metabolism in polycystic ovary syndrome.

MiR-330-3p contributes to INS-1 cell dysfunction by targeting glucokinase in gestational diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: High-expressed miR-330-3p in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients was reported. However, the role and mechanism of miR-330-3p in GDM are rarely reported. In this research, we aim to investigate the effects of miR-330-3p on GDM. METHODS: MiR-330-3p expression in the GDM patients' blood was determined by q-PCR. Blood glucose of blood samples was detected using blood glucose detection kits. Glucokinase (GCK) was confirmed to be a target gene of miR-330-3p by bioinformatics and luciferase analysis. Correlations between miR-330-3p with GCK and blood glucose were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. After INS-1 cells were treated with glucose and transfected with mimic, inhibitor or siGCK, GCK expression was detected by western blot, and q-PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, cell counting kit-8 and Annexin-V/propidium iodide were conducted to examine the expression of insulin, cell viability and apoptosis. RESULTS: MiR-330-3p was high-expressed in GDM patients' blood, while GCK was low-expressed. The miR-330-3p expression level positively correlated with blood glucoseand and it was highly expressed in glucose-treated INS-1 cells (11 and 22 mmol/L), while miR-330-3p expression negatively correlated with GCK expression. GCK expression was inhibited by miR-330-3p mimic and enhanced by the miR-330-3p inhibitor. MiR-330-3p mimic inhibited INS-1 cells' insulin expression, cell viability and induced apoptosis. Yet miR-330-3p inhibitor and siGCK exhibited opposite effects which miR-330-3p mimic and GCK played on INS-1 cells. In addition, siGCK reversed the effect of miR-330-3p inhibitor on INS-1 cells. CONCLUSION: Our findings proved that miR-330-3p targeting GCK lead to the dysfunction of INS-1 cells in GDM, and could become a therapeutic target for GDM treatment.

A Cryophyte Transcription Factor, CbABF1, Confers Freezing, and Drought Tolerance in Tobacco.

Abscisic acid responsive element binding factors (ABFs) play crucial roles in plant responses to abiotic stress. However, little is known about the roles of ABFs in alpine subnival plants, which can survive under extreme environmental conditions. Here, we cloned and characterized an ABF1 homolog, CbABF1, from the alpine subnival plant Chorispora bungeana. Expression of CbABF1 was induced by cold, drought, and abscisic acid. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that CbABF1 was located in the nucleus. Further, CbABF1 had transactivation activity, which was dependent on the N-terminal region containing 89 residues. A Snf1-related protein kinase, CbSnRK2.6, interacted with CbABF1 in yeast two-hybrid analysis and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. Transient expression assay revealed that CbSnRK2.6 enhanced the transactivation of CbABF1 on ABRE cis-element. We further found that heterologous expression of CbABF1 in tobacco improved plant tolerance to freezing and drought stress, in which the survival rates of the transgenic plants increased around 40 and 60%, respectively, compared with wild-type plants. Moreover, the transgenic plants accumulated less reactive oxygen species, accompanied by high activities of antioxidant enzymes and elevated expression of stress-responsive genes. Our results thus suggest that CbABF1 is a transcription factor that plays an important role in cold and drought tolerance and is a candidate gene in molecular breeding of stress-tolerant crops.

Integrated regulation triggered by a cryophyte ω-3 desaturase gene confers multiple-stress tolerance in tobacco.

ω-3 fatty acid desaturases (FADs) are thought to contribute to plant stress tolerance mainly through linolenic acid (C18:3)-induced membrane stabilization, but a comprehensive analysis of their roles in stress adaptation is lacking. Here, we isolated a microsomal ω-3 FAD gene (CbFAD3) from a cryophyte (Chorispora bungeana) and elucidated its functions in stress tolerance. CbFAD3, exhibiting a high identity to Arabidopsis AtFAD3, was up-regulated by abiotic stresses. Its functionality was verified by heterogonous expression in yeast. Overexpression of CbFAD3 in tobacco constitutively increased C18:3 in both leaves and roots, which maintained the membrane fluidity, and enhanced plant tolerance to cold, drought, and salt stresses. Notably, the constitutively increased C18:3 induced a sustained activation of plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase, thereby, changing the stress-induced Ca2+ signaling. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging system, which was positively correlated with the level of C18:3, was also activated in the transgenic lines. Microarray analysis showed that CbFAD3-overexpressing plants increased the expression of stress-responsive genes, most of which are affected by C18:3, Ca2+, or ROS. Together, CbFAD3 confers tolerance to multiple stresses in tobacco through the C18:3-induced integrated regulation of membrane, Ca2+, ROS, and stress-responsive genes. This is in contrast with previous observations that simply attribute stress tolerance to membrane stabilization.

Pain management of pancreatic cancer patients with high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy.

This study was performed to evaluate cancer pain control of high-Intensity focused ultrasound ablation (HIFU) and to manage the HIFU treatment pain in advanced pancreatic cancer patients with analgesics. We collected 71 locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients treated with HIFU from 2013 March to 2014 January in our hospital. The cancer pain (pre-HIFU and two weeks after HIFU) and HIFU treatment pain were evaluated respectively. The numeric rating scale (NRS) was used as the tool of pain evaluation. The related factors with pains were analyzed. The 70.42% cancer painless rate before HIFU was improved to 92.96% (P<0.05) 2 weeks after HIFU in 71 advanced pancreatic cancer patents without analgesics adjustment. The HIFU treatment pain occurred in 42 of 71 treated patients (59.15 %). The average duration was 3.93 days and pain score was 3.22. HIFU can improve cancer pain relief further in the advanced pancreatic cancer patients with third ladder analgesics, meanwhile HIFU treatment pain can be managed easy because of its short duration and low pain score.

The efficacy of a new high intensity focused ultrasound therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: To compare the survival benefit and safety of the low power cumulative and traditional high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed 38 patients with locally advanced, inoperable, stage III pancreatic patients received HIFU treatment between January 2008 and April 2014 in the Department of Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine. 11 of them received the low power cumulative HIFU treatment, while other 27 received the traditional HIFU treatment. The HIFU device used was the FEP-BY02 (Yuande Biomedical Engineering Co. Ltd, Beijing, China). Serum biochemistry and adverse events were assessed before and after treatment. All the patients were followed up until death. The survival rate and adverse events of two groups were compared. RESULTS: In 38 patients, the baseline characteristics including gender, age, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score, tumor location of two groups were generally well balanced (P > 0.05). The median overall survival (OS) for low power cumulative HIFU group was 10.3 months (95% CI, 6.3-14.3 months), which is significantly longer than traditional HIFU group with 6.0 months (95% CI, 5.2-6.8 months) (P = 0.018). In low power cumulative HIFU group, the 6-month and 12-month survival rates were higher than traditional group, 100% v.s 44.4%, 11.1% v.s 36.4%, respectively. The adverse events in both groups include abdominal pain, fever, C-reactive protein (CRP) elevated. The incidence was lower in low power cumulative HIFU group, however, without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The low power cumulative HIFU treatment showed a statistical significance in survival benefit with better safety profile compared to the traditional HIFU treatment in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Hydrocarbon degraders establish at the costs of microbial richness, abundance and keystone taxa after crude oil contamination in permafrost environments.

Oil spills from pipeline ruptures are a major source of terrestrial petroleum pollution in cold regions. However, our knowledge of the bacterial response to crude oil contamination in cold regions remains to be further expanded, especially in terms of community shifts and potential development of hydrocarbon degraders. In this study we investigated changes of microbial diversity, population size and keystone taxa in permafrost soils at four different sites along the China-Russia crude oil pipeline prior to and after perturbation with crude oil. We found that crude oil caused a decrease of cell numbers together with a reduction of the species richness and shifts in the dominant phylotypes, while bacterial community diversity was highly site-specific after exposure to crude oil, reflecting different environmental conditions. Keystone taxa that strongly co-occurred were found to form networks based on trophic interactions, that is co-metabolism regarding degradation of hydrocarbons (in contaminated samples) or syntrophic carbon cycling (in uncontaminated samples). With this study we demonstrate that after severe crude oil contamination a rapid establishment of endemic hydrocarbon degrading communities takes place under favorable temperature conditions. Therefore, both endemism and trophic correlations of bacterial degraders need to be considered in order to develop effective cleanup strategies.

High-intensity focused ultrasound treatment for intra-abdominal desmoid tumors: a report of four cases.

Desmoid tumors are rare clonal fibroblastic proliferations that can arise at abdominal or extra-abdominal sites. Complete surgical resection is the primary treatment for resectable desmoid tumors, but a high rate of local recurrence has been reported even after complete resection. For patients with a recurrent tumor, the goals of treatment are to control the recurrence, maintain quality of life, and prolong survival. Radiofrequency ablation, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other medical therapies can be used as alternative methods, but there are considerable controversies over the roles of these methods in the management of desmoid tumors. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a minimally invasive and effective method for treatment of solid tumors. We used HIFU to treat four patients with intra-abdominal desmoid tumors from June 2011 to September 2013. Post-procedural pain was seen in all patients. One patient had an intra-abdominal abscess and another suffered a slight injury to the femoral nerve. The patients were followed up for 19-46 months (mean 34 months) until April 2015. The tumor in one patient disappeared, and no tumor progression was observed in the other patients.

Analysis of differentially expressed genes under UV-B radiation in the desert plant Reaumuria soongorica.

Reaumuria soongorica is one of the typical desert plants that present excellent tolerance to adverse environments. However, its molecular response to UV-B radiation remains poorly understood. To test the response and tolerance mechanisms of R. soongorica to the increasing UV-B radiation, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were investigated between the control and UV-B radiation groups. A total of 2150 DEGs were detected between the two groups, of which 561 were up-regulated and 1589 were down-regulated. For functional analysis, DEGs were divided into three groups: (i) Chloroplast-localized proteins, including photosynthesis-associated proteins, ribulose-phosphate-3-epimerase, and ATP-dependent Clp protease. Their transcripts were inhibited, implying that the normal function of chloroplast was affected by UV-B radiation. (ii) Proteins involved in signaling transduction, such as phototropins and GTP-binding proteins. The transcriptional alternation of phototropins may reduce the penetration of UV-B radiation by regulating phototropism, stomatal opening, and chloroplast relocation. The down regulation of GTP-binding proteins may inhibit replication of potentially damaged DNA through preventing cell division; and (iii) proteins for lipid transfer and flavonoids biosynthesis. The up-regulation of these genes suggested that lipid transfer and flavonoids may have a protective function in response to UV-B radiation. Thus, UV-B radiation may lead to the disruption of chloroplasts function. The induction of genes for signal transduction and protective proteins may be a strategy for responding to UV-B radiation in R. soongorica.

Influence of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment to the pancreatic function in pancreatic cancer patients.

Present study was designed to investigate the pancreatic endocrine and exocrine function damage after High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) therapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. It was a retrospective analysis of blood glucose and amylase changes in 59 advanced pancreatic cancer patients treated with HIFU from 2010 February to 2014 January. The mean glucose and amylase before HIFU treatment were 6.02mmol/L and 59.17 U/L respectively. After HIFU treatment, it was shown that the mean glucose and amylase levels were 5.66mmol/L and 57.86/L respectively. There was no statistical significance between them. No acute pancreatitis was observed. The endocrine and exocrine function of pancreatic cancer patients was not damaged by HIFU treatment. HIFU treatment for the pancreatic cancer patients seems to be safe.

Crude oil treatment leads to shift of bacterial communities in soils from the deep active layer and upper permafrost along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline route.

The buried China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline (CRCOP) across the permafrost-associated cold ecosystem in northeastern China carries a risk of contamination to the deep active layers and upper permafrost in case of accidental rupture of the embedded pipeline or migration of oil spills. As many soil microbes are capable of degrading petroleum, knowledge about the intrinsic degraders and the microbial dynamics in the deep subsurface could extend our understanding of the application of in-situ bioremediation. In this study, an experiment was conducted to investigate the bacterial communities in response to simulated contamination to deep soil samples by using 454 pyrosequencing amplicons. The result showed that bacterial diversity was reduced after 8-weeks contamination. A shift in bacterial community composition was apparent in crude oil-amended soils with Proteobacteria (esp. α-subdivision) being the dominant phylum, together with Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. The contamination led to enrichment of indigenous bacterial taxa like Novosphingobium, Sphingobium, Caulobacter, Phenylobacterium, Alicylobacillus and Arthrobacter, which are generally capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The community shift highlighted the resilience of PAH degraders and their potential for in-situ degradation of crude oil under favorable conditions in the deep soils.

Thrombotic risk factors in patients undergoing chemotherapy via peripherally inserted central catheter.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk factors for venous thrombosis in patients undergoing chemotherapy via peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). METHODS: Data regarding age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking history, diagnosis, medical history, family history of thrombosis, haemoglobin level, and white blood cell (WBC) and platelet counts were prospectively collected from consecutively recruited patients. Patients were evaluated using six thrombotic risk-assessment scales prior to PICC. Assessments of the general venous system and the catheterized vein and limb were made. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was diagnosed by colour Doppler ultrasonography. Thrombosis risk factors were identified by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Thrombosis occurred in 12/188 patients (6.38%). Age >60 years, BMI >25 kg/m(2) and WBC >11.4 × 10(9)/l were identified as independent risk factors for thrombosis. The incidence of thrombosis was 16.6% (12/72) in patients with one or more risk factors, and 55.5% (five of nine) in those with two or more risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Age >60 years, BMI >25 kg/m(2) and WBC >1.4 × 10(9)/l are major risk factors for thrombosis in Chinese patients undergoing PICC chemotherapy.

The octadecanoid signaling pathway participates in the chilling-induced transcription of ω-3 fatty acid desaturases in Arabidopsis.

The jasmonate signaling pathway is known to be involved in various stress responses in plants, but little is known specifically on the role of the octadecanoid pathway in the regulation of ω-3 fatty acid desaturase (FAD) genes in response to low temperature. To uncover this problem, the expression level of three ω-3 FAD genes (AtFAD3, AtFAD7, and AtFAD8) and the content of linolenic acid (C18:3) in both wild type (WT) and mutant (or WT suppressed) plants disrupted in the octadecanoid pathway were analyzed under normal conditions and the chilling treatment (4 °C), respectively. As compared with WT plants, chilling-induced organ-specific expressions of ω-3 FAD genes significantly changed when the octadecanoid pathway was blocked or suppressed, and presented either the "suppressed increase" or the "enhanced decrease" tendency. Meanwhile, chilling-induced increases in the content of C18:3 found in WT plants, obviously reduced in both leaves and roots, and even turned to a decrease in stems when the octadecanoid pathway was disrupted. Overall, the transcription of ω-3 FAD genes and the proportion of C18:3 in the whole plant both of aos mutants and salicylic acid (SA)-treated plants under chilling stress were evidently lower than those of WT plants, except the expression of AtFAD3 gene in leaves. All these findings indicate that the octadecanoid pathway does participate in the chilling-induced transcription of ω-3 FAD genes in Arabidopsis.