Next-generation sequencing identified that RET variation associates with lymph node metastasis and the immune microenvironment in thyroid papillary carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To date, although most thyroid carcinoma (THCA) achieves an excellent prognosis, some patients experience a rapid progression episode, even with differentiated THCA. Nodal metastasis is an unfavorable predictor. Exploring the underlying mechanism may bring a deep insight into THCA. METHODS: A total of 108 THCA from Chinese patients with next-generation sequencing (NGS) were recruited. It was used to explore the gene alteration spectrum of THCA and identify gene alterations related to nodal metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The Cancer Genome Atlas THCA cohort was further studied to elucidate the relationship between specific gene alterations and tumor microenvironment. A pathway enrichment analysis was used to explore the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: Gene alteration was frequent in THCA. BRAF, RET, POLE, ATM, and BRCA1 were the five most common altered genes. RET variation was positively related to nodal metastasis in PTC. RET variation is associated with immune cell infiltration levels, including CD8 naïve, CD4 T and CD8 T cells, etc. Moreover, Step 3 and Step 4 of the cancer immunity cycle (CIC) were activated, whereas Step 6 was suppressed in PTC with RET variation. A pathway enrichment analysis showed that RET variation was associated with several immune-related pathways. CONCLUSION: RET variation is positively related to nodal metastasis in Chinese PTC, and anti-tumor immune response may play a role in nodal metastasis triggered by RET variation.

Metagenomic sequencing expedites diagnosis of disseminated BCG in an infant with BRAFV600E mutation.

INTRODUCTION: Disseminated bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) disease is a rare but serious BCG complication in children. Early diagnosis and timely interventions are essential to improve prognosis. However, its manifestations can closely mimic those of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), which usually leads to a high rate of misdiagnoses. Herein we report the first case of successful application of biopsy tissue metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the differential diagnosis of disseminated BCG disease and LCH. CASE STUDY: A 5-month-old female infant was transferred to our center for the treatment of paroxysmal cough, intermittent hematochezia and trunk rash. Examination on admission showed moderate anemia, erythropenia, thrombocytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly. The immunohistochemistry of her intestinal biopsy samples showed CD1a (+) and Langerin (+). Genetic testing of both peripheral blood and bone marrow samples suggested BRAFV600E mutation. Hence, she was initially diagnosed with LCH. However, no improvement was observed after a course of systemic chemotherapy. The left axillary lymph node and colonic mucosal biopsy specimens were sent for mNGS which resulted in sequence reads of Mycobacterium bovis-BCG. Triple antimycobacterial therapy was started according to the diagnosis. RESULTS: The diagnosis of this case was corrected as disseminated BCG disease by mNGS. Currently, she is doing well clinically and continues to follow-up at our outpatient clinic. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggests that mNGS is a valuable tool in the differential diagnosis of disseminated BCG disease and LCH, which can improve the early diagnosis rate of disseminated BCG disease.

Diagnostic Efficacy of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Patients with Spinal Infections: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: Early diagnosis of spinal infections remains challenging, and emerging metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology holds promise in addressing this issue. The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of mNGS in spinal infections. Patients and Methods: A total of 78 cases with suspected spinal infections were enrolled in this study, all of whom underwent laboratory, histopathological and mNGS examinations upon admission. Lesion samples were obtained by surgical or C-arm-guided puncture. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of culture and mNGS were calculated for statistical analysis. Results: With histopathological results as the reference, the included 78 patients were categorized into 50 cases in the spinal infection group and 28 cases in the aseptic group. The sensitivity (84%) and negative predictive value (77.14%) of mNGS were significantly higher than those of culture (32% and 44.26%, respectively), whereas no significant differences were observed in terms of specificity and positive predictive value. In the subgroup analysis for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the sensitivity of mNGS (90.91%) and T-spot (90.91%) was significantly higher than that of culture (0). Additionally, mNGS demonstrated markedly higher specificity (100%) compared to T-spot (85.07%). Conclusion: This study underscores the substantial advantages of mNGS in terms of diagnostic accuracy and bacterial coverage for spinal infections. The findings provide compelling clinical evidence that supports the enhanced diagnostic efficacy of mNGS.

Lumbar Spine Infection with Eikenella corrodens Presented as Abdominal Pain: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Eikenella corrodens is a part of the inherent flora on the surface of human mucosa. It usually does not cause disease unless the patient has been bitten, injured or surgically infected. Lumbar spine infection caused by Eikenella corrodens usually presents with conventional symptoms such as low back pain and fever. Herein, we report a case of lumbar intervertebral space infection with Eikenella corrodens presented as abdominal pain. Case Presentation: A 38-year-old man with no medical history of note presented with abdominal pain. Initially, local doctors suspected that the patient had abdominal disease. However, abdominal diseases were ruled out and only lumbar spine infection was confirmed. Then, the patient was misdiagnosed as lumbar tuberculosis. Finally, anaerobic culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing confirmed the Eikenella corrodens, which was rarely involved in lumbar intervertebral space infection. The patient recovered after operation and antibiotic therapy. Conclusion: This case indicated a rare symptom of lumbar spine infection, abdominal cramping, which is caused by Eikenella corrodens. Blood culture had low sensitivity as a diagnostic method for Eikenella corrodens, but lesion sample culture or metagenomic next-generation sequencing had high sensitivity for early diagnosis.

A fungal-modified material with high uranium (VI) adsorption capacity and strong anti-interference ability.

With open-chain polyether as the bridge chain, a new fungal-modified material with diamidoxime groups was prepared by a series of uncomplex synthesis reaction. The orthogonal experiment obtained its optimized adsorption conditions as follows: the initial pH value of 6.5, the initial uranyl concentration of 40 mg L-1, the contact time of 130 min, and the a solid-liquid ratio of 25 mg L-1. The maximum adsorption capacity of target material was 446.20 mg g-1, and it was much greater than that of the similar monoamidoxime material (295.48 mg g-1). The linear Langmuir (R2 = 0.9856) isotherm models and the linear pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9931) fit the experimental data of uranium (VI) adsorption better, indicating the adsorption mechanism should mainly be the monolayer adsorption and chemical process. In addition, the relevant experiments exhibited the prepared material had the good reusability, which reached 84.25% of the maximum capacity after five cycles, and the excellent anti-interference performance. The above features suggest the modified fungus material will have the good application prospect in the future.

Presentation of Boerhaave's syndrome as an upper-esophageal perforation associated with a right-sided pleural effusion: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous esophageal rupture or Boerhaave's syndrome is a rare and acute disease with a high incidence of misdiagnosis and mortality. Here, we aimed to explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of spontaneous esophageal rupture, and to analyze the causes of misdiagnosis during the treatment of spontaneous esophageal rupture. CASE SUMMARY: The clinical features of the patient with spontaneous esophageal rupture misdiagnosed earlier as pleural effusion were retrospectively analyzed and the reasons for misdiagnosis are discussed based on a current review of the literature. The patient was admitted to a local hospital due to shortness of breath accompanied by vomiting and abdominal distension for five hours. Based on the computed tomography (CT) scan analysis, clinically, right pleural effusion was diagnosed. However, the patient was unwilling to undergo right closed thoracic drainage. The patient also had intermittent fevers against infection, and during the course of treatment, he complained of chest pain, following which, he was transferred to our hospital. Grapefruit-like residue drainage fluid was observed. Re-examination of the chest CT scans suggested the presence of spontaneous perforation in the upper left esophagus. Therefore, the patient underwent an urgent esophageal hiatus repair. Unfortunately, the patient died of infection and respiratory failure due to progressive dyspnea after surgery. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous esophageal rupture is a rare disease associated with high fatality. The patients do not present typical clinical symptoms and the disease progresses rapidly. This case report highlights the importance of a dynamic review of chest CT scan, not only for the initial identification of segmental injury but also for prioritizing subsequent treatment strategies. Moreover, we have presented some clues for clinicians to recognize and diagnose spontaneous esophageal rupture at rare sites (upper-esophageal segment) through this case report of spontaneous esophageal rupture that caused the patient's death. We have also summarized the reasons for the misdiagnosis and lessons learned.

A Nomogram for Predicting In-Stent Restenosis Risk in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Population-Based Analysis.

Objective: In-stent restenosis (ISR) is a fatal complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). An early predictive model with the medical history of patients, angiographic characteristics, inflammatory indicators and blood biochemical index is urgently needed to predict ISR events. We aim to establish a risk prediction model for ISR in CAD patients undergoing PCI. Methods: A total of 477 CAD patients who underwent PCI with DES (drug-eluting stents) between January 2017 and December 2020 were retrospectively enrolled. And the preoperative factors were compared between the non-ISR and ISR groups. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multi-factor logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. The prediction model was evaluated using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis, the Hosmer-Lemeshow 2 statistic, and the calibration curve. Results: In this study, 94 patients developed ISR after PCI. Univariate analysis showed that post-PCI ISR was associated with the underlying disease (COPD), higher Gensini score (GS score), higher LDL-C, higher neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and higher remnant cholesterol (RC). The multi-factor logistic regression analysis suggested that remnant cholesterol (odds ratio [OR] = 2.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.40-3.11], P < 0.001), GS score (OR = 1.01, 95% CI [1.00, 1.02], P = 0.002), medical history of COPD (OR = 4.56, 95% CI [1.98, 10.40], P < 0.001), and monocyte (OR = 1.30, 95% CI [1.04, 1.70], P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for ISR. A nomogram was generated and displayed favorable fitting (Hosmer-Lemeshow test P = 0.609), discrimination (area under ROC curve was 0.847), and clinical usefulness by decision curve analysis. Conclusion: Patients with certain preoperative characteristics, such as a history of COPD, higher GS scores, higher levels of RC, and monocytes, who undergo PCI may have a higher risk of developing ISR. The predictive nomogram, based on the above predictors, can be used to help identify patients who are at a higher risk of ISR early on, with a view to provide post-PCI health management for patients.

Fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots for high selective detecting p-nitrophenol through FRET mechanism.

A facile, friendly and one-step hydrothermal protocol was used to synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) by utilizing hexamethylenetetramine and ethanediamine as the carbon and nitrogen sources. It demonstrated good water solubility and fluorescence properties were stable, whether in acidic or alkaline. Quantum yield (QY) of N-CDs was 8.3% at an excitation wavelength of 325 nm with maximum emission at 425 nm. The fluorescence of N-CDs achieved very high fluorescence quenching of 60% in the detection of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) in aqueous medium via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanisms. Under optimum conditions, fluorescence probs of N-CDs had strong selectivity to p-NP, and the fluorescence intensity was linearly proportional to p-NP concentration from 0.5 to 70.0 µM with a detection limit of 0.201 µM. The corresponding cell experiments were also performed, indicating that the prepared N-CDs possessed low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility. Meanwhile, the N-CDs can be used for the determination of p-NP in river water and industrial wastewater.

A receptor-like protein from Nicotiana benthamiana mediates VmE02 PAMP-triggered immunity.

Plants use their innate immune system to defend against phytopathogens. As a part of this, pattern triggered-immunity is activated via pattern recognition receptor (PRR) detection of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Although an increasing number of PAMPs have been identified, the PRRs for their recognition remain largely unknown. In the present study, we report a receptor-like protein RE02 (Response to VmE02) in Nicotiana benthamiana, which mediates the perception of VmE02, a PAMP previously identified from the phytopathogenic fungus Valsa mali, using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), co-immunoprecipitation, pull-down and microscale thermophoresis assays. We show that silencing of RE02 markedly attenuated VmE02-triggred cell death and immune responses. RE02 specifically interacted with VmE02 in vivo and in vitro, and it displayed a high affinity for VmE02. Formation of a complex with the receptor-like kinases SOBIR1 and BAK1 was essential for RE02 to perceive VmE02. Moreover, RE02-silenced plants exhibited enhanced susceptibility to both the oomycete Phytophthora capsici and the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, while overexpression of RE02 increased plant resistance to these pathogens. Together, our results indicate that the PAMP VmE02 and the receptor-like protein RE02 represent a new ligand-receptor pair in plant immunity, and that RE02 represents a promising target for engineering disease resistance.

High-Efficient Generation of H2O2 by Aluminum-Graphite Composite through Selective Oxygen Reduction for Degradation of Organic Contaminants.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an effective green oxidant, which has been widely applied for environmental remediation. Here, we prepared a novel aluminum-graphite (Al-Gr) composite, which was capable of high-efficient production of H2O2 through selective O2 reduction via a two-electron pathway. We discovered the production of H2O2 at a wide pH range, which could be enhanced by optimizing Al-Gr synthesis conditions. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) addition could promote the formation of a welding interface and porous structure between Al and Gr in the Al-Gr composite, which enhanced the galvanic corrosion of Al0, the selectivity of oxygen reduction via the two-electron pathway, and the mass transfer of O2 in the Al-Gr/O2 system. The formation of Al4C3 could be regulated by sintering temperature and sintering time, which could promote the intergranular corrosion of Al0 and enhance the mass transfer of O2 by reaction with water to generate the porous structure in the Al-Gr composite. The concentration of H2O2 reached 777.5 mg/L at an initial pH of 9.0, an Al-Gr dosage of 8 g/L, and an O2 gas flow rate of 400 mL/min. The possible mechanisms of Al-Gr synthesis and H2O2 production in the Al-Gr/O2 system were proposed. The Al-Gr composite was effective for the in situ production of H2O2, which could be further decomposed into a hydroxyl radical (•OH) by Al0 in the Al-Gr composite. This composite could be used not only to decolorize the Rhodamine B dye but also to degrade various organic contaminants in different water matrices, indicating its environmental significance.

Catalytic activation of O2 by Al0-CNTs-Cu2O composite for Fenton-like degradation of sulfamerazine antibiotic at wide pH range.

In this study, a novel Al°-CNTs-Cu2O composite, capable of activating O2 to generate H2O2 and further to reactive oxygen species (ROSs) at a wide pH range, was synthetized, characterized and applied for the degradation of sulfamerazine. In the activation of O2 by Al°-CNTs-Cu2O composite, H2O2 was generated from the reaction of O2 with Al°-CNTs, which could be catalytically decomposed into O2- and OH by Cu2O, the formed Cu(II) could be rapidly reduced to Cu2O by Al°-CNTs in composite, which made Al°-CNTs-Cu2O composite reusable and decreased the leaching of copper ions into solution. The removal efficiency of SMR and TOC was 73.91 % and 56.80 %, respectively at initial pH = 5.8, T = 20 °C, O2 flow rate = 100 mL/min, Al°-CNTs-Cu2O dosage = 2 g/L, SMR = 50 mg/L, and reaction time = 60 min. The removal efficiency of SMR kept almost unchanged and the concentration of copper ions in solution was below 0.5 mg/L. The Al°-CNTs-Cu2O/O2 process could be used as a novel catalyst for the degradation of refractory organic contaminants in water and wastewater by Fenton-like process at a wide pH range through the in situ generation of H2O2.

Effect of lncRNA­BC200 on proliferation and migration of liver cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

In recent years, the important role of long non­â€‹coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development of liver cancer has received increasing attention. The abnormal expression level of long non­coding RNAs has been associated with the occurrence and development of liver cancer. However, the role and molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs in the development and progression of liver cancer are not fully understood. The present study aimed to clarify the function and molecular mechanism of lncRNA brain cytoplasmic 200 (BC200) in liver cancer. In the present study, it was found that BC200 expression level was higher in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues than that in adjacent tissues. Cell function was examined by constructing BC200 knockout (KO) and BC200­overexpression in vitro models. It was found that BC200 affected the proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells. Interestingly, it was found that BC200 affected the expression of c­Myc protein but did not affect the mRNA expression level of c­MYC. BC200 KO cells exhibited a reduced protein expression level of Bax protein and an increased protein expression level of Bcl­xL. Conversely, BC200 overexpression reduced the expression of Bcl­xL protein and increased the expression of Bax protein. Importantly, it was found that BC200 affected the formation of subcutaneous tumors in nude mice. In conclusion, the present results suggested that lncRNA BC200 may play an important role in liver cancer.

Preparation and uranium (VI) biosorption for tri-amidoxime modified marine fungus material.

The preparation, characterization, and uranium (VI) adsorption properties of tri-amidoxime modified marine fungus material (ZZF51-GPTS-EDA-AM/ZGEA) were investigated in this study. ZGEA was synthesized by four steps of condensation, nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic addition, and nitrile amidoxime and characterized by a series of methods containing FT-IR, TGA, SEM, and BET. Contrasted with uranium (VI) adsorption capacity of original fungus mycelium (15.46 mg g-1) that of the functional material (584.60 mg g-1) was great under the optimal factors such as uranium (VI) ion concentration 40 mg L-1, solid-liquid ratio 50 mg L-1, pH of solution 5.5, and reaction time 120 min. The above data were obtained by the orthogonal method. The cyclic tests showed that ZGEA had good regeneration performance, and it could be recycled at least five adsorption-desorption processes. The thermodynamic experimental adsorption result fitted Langmuir and Freundlich models, which explored monolayer and double layers of uranium (VI) adsorption mechanism, and the kinetic adsorption results were in better consistent with the pseudo-second-order and pseudo-first-order dynamic models (R2 > 0.999).

Preparation of hollow magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer and its application in silybin recognition and controlled release.

In this study, a new type of drug delivery carrier, the hollow magnetic silybin molecularly imprinted polymer (HMMIP) with a unique core-shell structure where the hollow magnetic core Fe3O4 was wrapped by mesoporous silica and imprinted layer, was prepared from methacrylic acid (MAA, functional monomer), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA, cross-linker), and silybin (a drug template) by reverse atom radical transfer polymerization method (RATRP), and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET). Its adsorption performance was evaluated by the isotherm/kinetic models and the selectivity for silybin with 15.40 mg g-1 of adsorption capacity and 2.13 of selectivity factor α, respectively. The drug release experiment showed the prepared polymer had the properties of silybin sustained release agent, because it could last to release silybin for 36 h in the medium of pH 2.0 at physiological temperature. In addition, the resuability experiment indicated the imprinted material had the good stability and reproducibility. So HMMIP should be of the potential value applied in drug delivery in the future.

In situ generation of H2O2 using MWCNT-Al/O2 system and possible application for glyphosate degradation.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as a green oxidant, has been widely applied into advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the degradation of toxic organic pollutants. The in situ generation of H2O2 can not only improve the storage and transportation safety of H2O2 but also reduce the capital and operation costs. In the present work, a novel system, i.e., multi-walled carbon nanotube­aluminum (MWCNT-Al) composite was used to in situ generate H2O2 through micro-electrolysis. The MWCNT-Al composite was characterized and optimized. The accumulation concentration of H2O2 reached 947 mg/L at the initial pH of 9.0, the MWCNT-Al composite dosage of 8 g/L and oxygen gas flow rate of 400 mL/min after 60 min. The in situ generation of H2O2 was achieved by MWCNT-Al/O2 system, mainly owing to the direct contact between Al0 and MWCNT in MWCNT-Al composite, which accelerated the transfer of electrons from Al0 to O2, as well as the excellent electrocatalytic activity of MWCNT toward the two-electron reduction of oxygen. When H2O2 in situ generation technology was used in peroxone process (O3/H2O2 process) to degrade glyphosate in aqueous solution, the removal efficiency of TOC and total phosphorus was 68.35% and 73.27%, respectively. Finally, the possible mechanism of in situ generation of H2O2 in MWCNT-Al/O2 system was temporarily proposed.

Synthesis, recognition characteristics and properties of l-3-n-butylphthalide molecularly imprinted polymers as sorbent for solid-phase extraction through precipitation polymerization.

L-3-n-butylphthalide molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized using l-3-n-butylphthalide as template molecule, acrylamide as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linking agent, and acetone as the porogenic solvent through precipitation polymerization. The non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) were prepared with the same procedure, but with the absence of template molecule. The optimum preparation conditions of the MIPs such as the functional monomer, the porogenic solvent, the molar ratio of the template to the functional monomer and the molar ratio of the template to the cross-linker were investigated in detail. Prior to the polymerization, the molecular simulation with the computer-aided design was used to help choose a suitable polymerization porogen for the molecularly imprinted pre-assembled system and study the interactions between l-NBP and the functional monomers. The synthesized polymers were characterized with FTIR and SEM to observe their structures as well as the morphologies, and their adsorption properties were respectively evaluated by static and dynamic adsorption as well as selectivity experiments. Scatchard analyses revealed that there were high and low affinity sites formed in the MIPs, which elucidated good affinity to l-NBP in the ethanol system. The adsorption capacity of the MIPs for l-NBP was 3.561 mg g(-1), with an imprinting factor (α) of 2.321 when compared with that of the NIPs. Scatchard analysis illustrated that the binding sites with affinity for l-3-n-butylphthalide molecules were formed in the prepared MIPs.

Predicting one-year mortality in peritoneal dialysis patients: an analysis of the China Peritoneal Dialysis Registry.

This study aims to investigate basic clinical features of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, their prognostic risk factors, and to establish a prognostic model for predicting their one-year mortality. A national multi-center cohort study was performed. A total of 5,405 new PD cases from China Peritoneal Dialysis Registry in 2012 were enrolled in model group. All these patients had complete baseline data and were followed for one year. Demographic and clinical features of these patients were collected. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze prognostic risk factors and establish prognostic model. A validation group was established using 1,764 new PD cases between January 1, 2013 and July 1, 2013, and to verify accuracy of prognostic model. Results indicated that model group included 4,453 live PD cases and 371 dead cases. Multivariate survival analysis showed that diabetes mellitus (DM), residual glomerular filtration rate (rGFR), , SBP, Kt/V, high PET type and Alb were independently associated with one-year mortality. Model was statistically significant in both within-group verification and outside-group verification. In conclusion, DM, rGFR, SBP, Kt/V, high PET type and Alb were independent risk factors for short-term mortality in PD patients. Prognostic model established in this study accurately predicted risk of short-term death in PD patients.

[Upper eyelid reconstruction with forehead skin flap with base at the supraorbital artery region].

OBJECTIVE: In order to find an ideal method to reconstruct the upper eyelid defect resulted from trauma or inflammation, we explored the possibility of using forehead skin flap with the base at the supraorbital artery region and combined with free mucous membrane transplanting. METHODS: This article was a retrospective case senes analysis. Nine cases of upper eyelid defect have been collected from September 2003 to July 2008 in Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. We designed a forehead skin flap with the base at the opposite side supraorbital artery region transferring from the subcutaneous tunnel and combined with free mucous membrane transplanting to reconstruct the defected eyelid. We also made a forehead muscle in auxiliary to achieve upper eyelid elevating function. We followed up 1 to 5 years by Clinical observation and questionnaire survey from fuction, appearance and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: All of these nine forehead skin flaps were survived. These flaps had stable blood supply, similar texture and color as well as fine feeling. The postoperative complications included 1 case of upper eyelid dysraphism, 1 case of skin hypertrophy, 2 cases of pedicle overstaffed, all these complications have been repaired in half a year after the operation. We followed up 1 to 5 years, every patient had got a good repair effect. CONCLUSION: The forehead skin flap with the base at the supraorbital artery region is an ideal flap supply for repairing upper eyelid defect.

Cu(II): a "signaling molecule" of the mangrove endophyte Fusarium oxysporum ZZF51?

We previously reported the isolation of Cu-fusaric acid (Cu-FA) complex from the mangrove endophyte Fusarium oxysporum ZZF51. In this study, we explored the mechanism of Cu-FA production in the strain ZZF51 by comparing with that of another endophyte Fusarium sp. B2, which produced FA but not Cu-FA in the same culture condition. The results allowed us to hypothesize that Cu(2+) may act as a "signaling molecule" to awaken the silent FA biosynthetic genes in ZZF51, inducing intracellular production of FA followed by chelation with Cu(2+). This signaling network was triggered specifically by Cu(2+) and may be interfered by other metal ions.

5α-Pregna-1,20-dien-3-one.

The title compound, C(21)H(30)O, was isolated from the soft coral Sinularia sp. The mol-ecule contains four alicyclic rings, all trans-fused, among which three six-membered rings are in different distorted chair conformations while a five-membered ring assumes an envelope form.