[Study on application of posterior tibial slope angle in anterior cruciate ligament].

Posterior tibial slope angle (PTSA) is a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and has attracted a lot of attention, but its mechanism of action and diagnosis are still not systematically studied in the field of sports medicine. In this paper, we believe that PTSA should be measured by full-length lower extremity films and combined with multiple imaging data for comprehensive assessment to reduce errors. A large PTSA may increases risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury, so patients with more than 12 degrees of PTSA should be treated by preserving meniscus as much as possible during ACL reconstruction and combining with tibial osteotomy if necessary, which could effectively prevent risk of ligament re-injury. At the same time, gait analysis has an important reference value for preoperative pathogenic pattern and postoperative rehabilitation function, so the author believes that it will have a guiding significance for the development of individualized rehabilitation strategy based on PTSA, in order to achieve the best treatment effect.

Overlapping Epstein-Barr virus encephalitis and autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy.

We describe three cases of overlapping Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) Encephalitis and Autoimmune Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Astrocytopathy (GFAP-A). The three cases all presented with initial symptoms of fever, headache, coma, and posture tremor of the upper limbs, then followed by limb weakness and dysuria. All of the three cases were on ventilators. Case 1 and 2 improved dramatically after intravenous methylprednisoloneand immunoglobulin treatment. However, case 3 presented dyspneic, and died from gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The GFAP-A triggered by EBV intracranial infection could initially masquerade as EBV encephalitis only, and the detection of GFAP antibody is essential for differentiation.

Ultrasonic visualization technique for anatomical and functional analyses of the sciatic nerve in rats.

Background and objective: Ultrasound has been widely used in the diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of peripheral nerve diseases in the clinic, but there is still a lack of feasibility analysis in rodent models of neurological disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the cross-sectional area of the sciatic nerve of different genders and body weights and to explore the effectiveness and reliability of an ultrasound-guided block around the sciatic nerve in living rats. Methods: Using ultrasound imaging anatomy of the sciatic nerve of rats, the cross-sectional area of the sciatic nerve in rats of different genders from 6 to 10 weeks old was calculated, and then analyzed its correlation with body weight. Further analyses were conducted through behavioral and cadaveric studies to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasound-guided perineural injection of the sciatic nerve in rats. Results: We first reported that the sciatic nerve cross-sectional area of rats was increased with age (F = 89.169, P < 0.001), males had a higher sciatic nerve cross-sectional area than females (F = 60.770, P < 0.001), and there was a positive correlation with body weight (rMale = 0.8976, P < 0.001; rFemale = 0.7733, P < 0.001). Behavioral observation of rats showed that the lower extremity complete block rate was 80% following the administration of drugs around the sciatic nerve under ultrasound guidance and staining with methylene blue occurred in all sciatic nerves and surrounding muscles and fascia using 20 ultrasound-guided injections. Conclusions: Ultrasound visualization technology can be used as a new auxiliary evaluation and intervention therapy for animal models of peripheral nerve injury, and will provide overwhelming new references for the basic research of neurological diseases.

Ketamine exerts dual effects on the apoptosis of primary cultured hippocampal neurons from fetal rats in vitro.

Ketamine, a noncompetitive N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is widely used in pediatric clinical practice. The neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects of ketamine on brain neurons during development remain controversial. The reason may be related to the different concentrations of ketamine used in practice and the small range of concentrations used in previous studies. In this study, cultured hippocampal neurons were treated with ketamine in a wide range of concentrations to comprehensively observe the effects of different concentrations of ketamine on neurons. We demonstrated that low concentrations of ketamine (10 µM, 100 µM and 1000 µM) promoted neuronal survival (p < 0.05) and reduced neuronal apoptosis (p < 0.05) compared with those of the control group. High concentrations of ketamine (2000 µM, 2500 µM and 3000 µM) reduced neuronal survival (p < 0.05) and promoted neuronal apoptosis (p < 0.05). The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 reduced neuronal apoptosis induced by high concentrations of ketamine (2500 µM) (p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that ketamine exerts a dual effect on the apoptosis of primary cultured fetal rat hippocampal neurons in vitro and that the neurotoxic effects of ketamine are related to activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Re-recognition of BMPR1A-related polyposis: beyond juvenile polyposis and hereditary mixed polyposis syndrome.

Background: Bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 1A (BMPR1A) is responsible for two individual Mendelian diseases: juvenile polyposis syndrome and hereditary mixed polyposis syndrome 2, which have overlapping phenotypes. This study aimed to elucidate whether these two syndromes are just two subtypes of a single syndrome rather than two isolated syndromes. Methods: We sequenced the BMPR1A gene in 186 patients with polyposis and colorectal cancer, and evaluated the clinicopathological features and phenotypes of the probands and their available relatives with BMPR1A mutations. Results: BMPR1A germline mutations were found in six probands and their three available relatives. The numbers of frameshift, nonsense, splice-site, and missense mutations were one, one, two, and two, respectively; two of the six mutations were novel. Typical juvenile polyps were found in only three patients. Two patients had colorectal cancer rather than any polyps. Conclusions: Diseases in BMPR1A germline mutation carriers vary from mixed polyposis to sole colorectal cancer, and typical juvenile polyps do not always occur in these carriers. The variety of phenotypes reflected the features of BMPR1A-mutation carriers, which should be recognized as a spectrum of one syndrome. Genetic testing may be a good approach to identifying BMPR1A-related syndromes.

A low-frequency multiple-band sound insulator without blocking ventilation along a pipe.

It is challenging to insulate sound transmission in low frequency-bands without blocking the air flow in a pipe. In this work, a small and light membrane-based cubic sound insulator is created to block acoustic waves in multiple low frequency-bands from 200 to 800 Hz in pipes. Due to distinct vibration modes of the membrane-type faces of the insulator and co-action of acoustic waves transmitting along different paths, large sound attenuation is achieved in multiple frequency-bands, and the maximum transmission loss reaches 25 dB. Furthermore, because the sound insulator with a deep subwavelength size is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the pipe, it does not block ventilation along the pipe.

SPTBN1 attenuates rheumatoid arthritis synovial cell proliferation, invasion, migration and inflammatory response by binding to PIK3R2.

BACKGROUND: As an autoimmune systemic disorder, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) features chronic inflammation as well as synovial infiltration of immune cells. This study was designed with the purpose of discussing the hidden mechanism of SPTBN1 and exploring favorable molecular-targeted therapies. METHODS: With the application of RT-qPCR and western blot, the expressions of SPTBN1 and PIK3R2 before or after transfection were estimated. Besides, Cell Counting Kit-8, Edu, wound healing, transwell, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and TUNEL were adopted for the evaluation of the viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, inflammatory response, and apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS). In addition, the interaction of SPTBN1 and PIK3R2 was testified by applying immunoprecipitation (IP) and western blot was utilized for the assessment of migration-, apoptosis-, and PI3K/AKT signal-related proteins. RESULTS: It was discovered that SPTBN1 declined in RA synovial cells and its overexpression repressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation of RA-FLSs but promoted apoptosis. IP confirmed that SPTBN1 could bind to PIK3R2 in FLSs. To further figure out the hidden mechanism of SPTBN1 in RA, a series of functional experiments were carried out and the results demonstrated that the reduced expressions of MMP2, MMP9, IL-8, IL-1ß, IL-6, and Bcl2 as well as increased levels of Bax and cleaved caspase3 in SPTBN1-overexpressed RA-FLSs were reversed by PIK3R2 depletion, revealing that SPTBN1 repressed the migration and inflammation and promoted the apoptosis of RA-FLSs via binding to PIK3R2. Results obtained from western blot also revealed that PIK3R2 interference ascended the contents of p-PI3K and p-AKT in SPTBN1-overexpressed RA-FLSs, implying that SPTBN1 repressed PI3K/AKT signal in RA via PIK3R2. DISCUSSION: SPTBN1 alleviated the proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation in RA via interacting with PIK3R2.

Overexpression of DUOX2 mediates doxorubicin resistance and predicts prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX) family is frequently observed in cancers and associated with their development and progression. However, the expression, role, and clinical significance of the NOX family members in pancreatic cancer remain unexplored. METHODS: The expression levels of the 7 NOX family genes were analyzed in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and gene alterations were explored using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data portal. Clinical significance analyses of the NOX family genes were conducted among pancreatic cancer patients. The expression and prognostic value of dual oxidase 2 (DUOX2) were then validated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in an independent validation cohort. The function of DUOX2 was analyzed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and its effect on the chemosensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. RESULTS: Results showed that NOX1, NOX2 (CYBB), NOX4, DUOX1, and DUOX2 were upregulated, while NOX3 and NOX5 were downregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with nontumor tissues. Genomic alteration analysis demonstrated that deregulation of NOX family genes was partially caused by genomic alterations. Survival analyses showed that only DUOX2 was associated with overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) of pancreatic cancer patients. The DUOX2 gene was observed to be markedly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer. In the GSEA results for pancreatic cancer patients, DUOX2 was significantly associated with oxidoreductase activity acting on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen (NADH) or NADPH and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltansferase (UDP) glycosyltransferase activity. Knockdown of DUOX2 in pancreatic cancer cells increased their sensitivity to doxorubicin. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of DUOX2 is correlated with prognosis and recurrence in pancreatic cancer patients and acts as a good marker for pancreatic cancer course prediction; furthermore, DUOX2 might be a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer patients.

Ornithinimicrobium laminariae sp. nov., isolated from the kelp Laminaria japonica.

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-sporulating, yellow-pigmented and rod or cocci-shaped bacterium, designated Arc0846-15T, was isolated from the kelp Laminaria japonica. Strain Arc0846-15T was found to grow at 16-35 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 6.0-9.5 (optimum, 7.0) and in the presence of 0-6 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2 %). Cells were positive for catalase and negative for oxidase activity. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, revealed that the nearest phylogenetic neighbour strains of strain Arc0846-15T were Ornithinimicrobium murale 01 Gi-040T (96.2 %), Ornithinimicrobium kibberense K22-20T (96.1 %) and Ornithinimicrobium humiphilum HKI 0124T (95.2 %). Based on phylogenomic analysis, the average nucleotide identity values between strain Arc0846-15T and the neighbour strains were 69.8, 69.7 and 69.8 %, respectively; the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain Arc0846-15T and its three closest neighbour strains were 18.8, 19.1 and 19.3 %, respectively. The predominant menaquinone was MK-8 (H4). The dominant cellular fatty acids were C17 : 1 ω8c, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C17 : 0. The polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, glycolipid, one unidentified aminolipid and four unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain Arc0846-15T was 61.6 mol% based on the whole genome sequence. Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, strain Arc0846-15T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Ornithinimicrobium, for which the name Ornithinimicrobium laminariae sp. nov. is proposed, with Arc0846-15T (=KCTC 49655T=MCCC 1K06093T) as the type strain.

An equation to estimate 24-hour total urine protein excretion rate in patients who underwent urine protein testing.

BACKGROUND: The urine protein-creatinine ratio (UPCR) in a spot first-morning urine sample is used to estimate 24-h urine proteinuria (24hUP) in patients who underwent urine protein testing. UPCR cannot be directly compared with 24-h proteinuria. Thus, an equation to estimate 24-h total protein excretion rate, using age, gender, and the UPCR may improve its bias and accuracy in patients who underwent urine protein testing. METHODS: We simultaneously measured 24-h urine protein and the same day's first-morning spot urine from patients with kidney disease. Generalized linear and no-linear models, using age, gender, and UPCR, were constructed to estimate for 24-h urine protein and the best model (NJ equation) was selected to estimated 24 hUP (e24hUP). RESULTS: A total of 5435 paired samples (including a training cohort of 3803 patients and a validation cohort of 1632 patients) were simultaneously measured for UPCR and 24-h urine protein. In the training cohort, the unadjusted UPCR obviously underestimated 24-h urine protein when UPCR ≤1.2 g/g (median bias - 0.17 g/24 h) and overestimated 24-h urine protein when UPCR > 1.2 g/g (median bias 0.53 g/24 h). In the validation cohort, the NJ equation performed better than the unadjusted UPCR, with lower root mean square error (0.81 vs. 1.02, P < 0.001), less bias (median difference between measured and estimated urine protein, - 0.008 vs. 0.12), improved precision (interquartile range of the differences, 0.34 vs. 0.50), and greater accuracy (percentage of estimated urine protein within 30% of measured urine protein, 53.4% vs. 32.2%). Bland-Altman plot indicated that the agreement of spot and daily estimates was less pronounced with 24 hUP > 2 g than lower values. CONCLUSIONS: The NJ e24hUP equation is more accurate than unadjusted UPCR to estimate 24 hUP in patients with kidney disease and could be used for laboratory application.

Systematic review of the firefly genus Emeia Fu, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2012 (Coleoptera, Lampyridae) from China.

The Luciolinae genus Emeia Fu, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2012 is reviewed. Phylogenetic relationships based on cox1 DNA barcoding sequences from 42 fireflies and 2 outgroup species are reconstructed. The dataset included three main Lampyridae subfamilies: Luciolinae, Photurinae and Lampyrinae, and Emeia was recovered within Luciolinae. A new species, Emeiapulchra Zhu & Zhen sp. nov., is described from the wetland of Lishui, Zhejiang, China. Emeiapulchra is sister species to E.pseudosauteri from Sichuan, which is supported by morphological characters and a phylogeny based on DNA barcoding sequences. The two species are separated geographically as shown on the distribution map. A key to species of Emeia using males is provided.

Shewanella nanhaiensis sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from sediment of South China Sea, and emended descriptions of Shewanella woodyi, Shewanella hanedai and Shewanella canadensis.

A Gram-stain-negative, motile, facultative anaerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain NR704-98T, was isolated from marine sediment of the northern South China Sea. Cells were positive for oxidase and catalase activity. Growth was observed at 4-30 °C (optimum 20-25 °C), at pH 6-9 (pH 7) and with 0.5-7 % NaCl (2 %). The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that the nearest phylogenetic neighbours of strain NR704-98T were Shewanella woodyi MS32T (97.9 %), Shewanella hanedai 281T (97.1 %), Shewanella sediminis HAW-EB3T (96.8 %) and Shewanella canadensis HAW-EB2T (96.7 %). Based on the results of phylogenomic analysis, the average nucleotide identity and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain NR704-98T and the previously mentioned type strains of species of the genus Shewanella were in the range of 74.9-93.1 % and 20.6-51.4 %, respectively. The respiratory quinones were Q-7 and Q-8. The predominant fatty acids (>10 %) of strain NR704-98T were C16 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and iso-C15 : 0. Phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified aminophospholipids and five unidentified lipids were detected in strain NR704-98T. Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, strain NR704-98T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Shewanella, for which the name Shewanella nanhaiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NR704-98T (=KCTC 82799T=MCCC 1K06091T).

Comparative Mitogenomes of Two Coreamachilis Species (Microcoryphia: Machilidae) along with Phylogenetic Analyses of Microcoryphia.

The order Microcoryphia, commonly known as bristletails, is considered as the most primitive one among living insects. Within this order, two species, Coreamachilis coreanus and C. songi (Machilidae: Machilinae), display the following contrasting reproductive strategies: parthenogenesis occurs in C. coreanus, whereas sexual reproduction is found in C. songi. In the present study, the complete mitogenomes of C. coreanus and C. songi were sequenced to compare their mitogenome structure, analyze relationships within the Microcoryphia, and assess adaptive evolution. The length of the mitogenomes of C. coreanus and C. songi were 15,578 bp and 15,570 bp, respectively, and the gene orders were those of typical insects. A long hairpin structure was found between the ND1 and 16S rRNA genes of both species that seem to be characteristic of Machilinae and Petrobiinae species. Phylogenetic assessment of Coreamachilis was conducted using BI and ML analyses with concatenated nucleotide sequences of the 13 protein-coding genes. The results showed that the monophyly of Machilidae, Machilinae, and Petrobiinae was not supported. The genus Coreamachilis (C. coreanus and C. songi) was a sister clade to Allopsontus helanensis, and then the clade of ((C. coreanus + C. songi) + A. helanensis) was a sister clade to A. baii, which suggests that the monophyly of Allopsontus was not supported. Positive selection analysis of the 13 protein-coding genes failed to reveal any positive selection in C. coreanus or C. songi. The long hairpin structures found in Machilinae and Petrobiinae were highly consistent with the phylogenetic results and could potentially be used as an additional molecular characteristic to further discuss relationships within the Microcoryphia.

Insight into the Phylogenetic Relationships among Three Subfamilies within Heptageniidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) along with Low-Temperature Selection Pressure Analyses Using Mitogenomes.

We determined 15 complete and two nearly complete mitogenomes of Heptageniidae belonging to three subfamilies (Heptageniinae, Rhithrogeninae, and Ecdyonurinae) and six genera (Afronurus, Epeorus, Leucrocuta, Maccaffertium, Stenacron, and Stenonema). Species of Rhithrogeninae and Ecdyonurinae had the same gene rearrangement of CR-I-M-Q-M-ND2, whereas a novel gene rearrangement of CR-I-M-Q-NCR-ND2 was found in Heptageniinae. Non-coding regions (NCRs) of 25-47 bp located between trnA and trnR were observed in all mayflies of Heptageniidae, which may be a synapomorphy for Heptageniidae. Both the BI and ML phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of Heptageniidae and its subfamilies (Heptageniinae, Rhithrogeninae, and Ecdyonurinae). The phylogenetic results combined with gene rearrangements and NCR locations confirmed the relationship of the subfamilies as (Heptageniinae + (Rhithrogeninae + Ecdyonurinae)). To assess the effects of low-temperature stress on Heptageniidae species from Ottawa, Canada, we found 27 positive selection sites in eight protein-coding genes (PCGs) using the branch-site model. The selection pressure analyses suggested that mitochondrial PCGs underwent positive selection to meet the energy requirements under low-temperature stress.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Choroterpes (Euthralus) yixingensis (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) and its mitochondrial protein-coding gene expression under imidacloprid stress.

As one of the most common benthic invertebrates in freshwater, mayflies are very sensitive to changes in water quality and have high requirements for the water environment to allow their nymphs to successfully live and grow. Neonicotinoids, such as imidacloprid, can enter fresh water and pollute the aquatic environment. The present study had two goals: (1) investigate imidacloprid effects on mayfly larvae Choroterpes (Euthralus) yixingensis, and (2) contribute to the phylogenetic status of Ephemeroptera that has always been controversial. Nymphs were collected from Jinhua, China and exposed to different concentrations imidacloprid (5, 10, 20, and 40 µg/L) in the laboratory. Survival of C. yixingensis nymphs decreased as a function of time and imidacloprid concentration with only ~ 55% survival after 72 h exposure to 40 µg/L imidacloprid. After culture under 40 µg/L imidacloprid for 24 h, the steady state transcript levels of mitochondrial COX3, ND4 and ND4L genes were reduced to just 0.07 ± 0.11, 0.30 ± 0.16, and 0.28 ± 0.13 as compared with respective control values (P < 0.01). Steady state transcript levels of ND4 and ND4L were also significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05), suggesting that the steady state transcript pattern of these genes in mayfly nymphs can change in response to different levels of environmental contamination. Hence, the mitochondrial protein-coding genes of mayflies could potentially be developed as biomarkers for water ecotoxicity monitoring in the future. In addition, we used the mitochondrial genome sequence of C. yixingensis for an assessment of the phylogenetic tree of Ephemeroptera. The monophyly of Leptophlebiidae was supported and showed that Leptophlebiidae was a sister group to the clade (Baetidae + Caenidae).

Novel tRNA gene rearrangements in the mitochondrial genomes of praying mantises (Mantodea: Mantidae): Translocation, duplication and pseudogenization.

Gene rearrangements have been found in several mitochondrial genomes of Mantodea, located in the gene blocks CR-I-Q-M-ND2, COX1-K-D-ATP8 and ND3-A-R-N-S-E-F-ND5. We have sequenced one mitogenome of Amelidae (Yersinia mexicana) and six mitogenomes of Mantidae to discuss the mitochondrial gene rearrangement and the phylogenetic relationship within Mantidae. These mitogenomes showed rearrangements of tRNA genes except for Asiadodis yunnanensis and Hierodula zhangi. These novel gene rearrangements of Mantidae were primarily concentrated in the region of CR-I-Q-M-ND2, including gene translocation, duplication and pseudogenization. For the occurrences of these rearrangements, the tandem duplication-random loss (TDRL) model and slipped-strand mispairing model were suitable to explain. Large non-coding regions (LNCRs) located in the region of CR-I-Q-M-ND2 were detected in most Mantidae species, whereas some LNCRs had high similarity to the control region (CR). Both BI and ML phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of Mantidae and the paraphyly of Mantinae. The phylogenetic results with the gene order and the location of NCRs acted as forceful evidence that specific gene rearrangements and special LNCRs may be synapomorphies for several groups of mantises.

Delayed diagnosis of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome due to pathological information loss or mistake in family/personal history.

OBJECTIVE: To report Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) cases with non-definitive clues in the family or personal history and finally diagnosed through pathological examination and STK11 gene mutation test. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: PJS was suspected in 3 families with tortuous medical courses. Two of them had relatives departed due to polyposis or colon cancer without pathological results, and the other one had been diagnosed as hyperplastic polyposis before. Diagnosis of PJS was confirmed by endoscopy and repeated pathological examinations, and the STK11 mutation test finally confirmed the diagnosis at genetic level, during which 3 novel mutation were detected (536C > A, 373_374insA, 454_455insGGAGAAGCGTTTCCCAGTGTGCC). CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of PJS is important and may be based on a family history with selective features among family members, and the pathological information is the key. The novel mutations also expand the STK11 variant spectrum.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Annamanum lunulatum (Coleoptera: Lamiinae) and its phylogeny.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Annamanum lunulatum is 15,610 bp in length, which contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, and the A + T-rich region. The arrangement of genes is identical to all know longhorn beetles mitochondrial genomes. The overall AT content of the mitochondrial genome is 75.3%, whereas the AT content of A + T-rich region is 84.3%. In ML and BI phylogenetic analyses, A. lunulatum is a sister clade to Blepephaeus succinctor, and the monophyly of Lamiinae is supported.

Comparative study on the efficacy of peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis in patients with end-stage diabetic nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic nephropathy is a serious threat to human health, and its incidence is on the rise. End-stage diabetic nephropathy (ESDN) requires extra investigation due to its complexity and severity, as well as serious concurrent diseases. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) in the treatment of ESDN. METHODS: Clinical data of 84 patients with ESDN admitted to our hospital from June 2016 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into an HD group that received hemodialysis and a PD group that received peritoneal dialysis. Their general conditions, biochemical indicators, residual renal function and incidence of complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: (1) No significant difference in diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, body weight, or urine output was detected between the two groups at the beginning of dialysis (P>0.05). (2) Compared to the PD group, the HD group had significantly lower total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) (P<0.05), and significantly higher total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) after treatment (P<0.05). (3) The two groups also showed significant difference in residual renal function after treatment (P<0.05). (4) The HD group had significantly higher systolic pressure than the PD group after treatment (P<0.05). And more cases of infection were observed in the PD group than the HD group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Both HD and PD are used for treatment of ESDN, and can achieve similar calcium and phosphorus control. Compared to HD, PD has less adverse effect on hemodynamics and better preserves residual renal function, but is more likely to cause malnutrition and disorders of lipid metabolism. Therefore, choice of dialysis method should be based on specific conditions of each patient.

Six complete mitochondrial genomes of mayflies from three genera of Ephemerellidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) with inversion and translocation of trnI rearrangement and their phylogenetic relationships.

As a small order of Pterygota (Insecta), Ephemeroptera has almost 3,500 species around the world. Ephemerellidae is a widely distributed common group of Ephemeroptera. However, the relationship among Ephemerellidae, Vietnamellidae and Teloganellidae is still in dispute. In this study, we sequenced six complete mitogenomes of three genera from Ephemerellidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera): Ephemerella sp. Yunnan-2018, Serratella zapekinae, Serratella sp. Yunnan-2018, Serratella sp. Liaoning-2019, Torleya grandipennis and T. tumiforceps. These mitogenomes were employed to reveal controversial phylogenetic relationships among the Ephemeroptera, with emphasis on the phylogenetic relationships among Ephemerellidae. The lengths of the six mayfly mitogenomes ranged from 15,134 bp to 15,703 bp. Four mitogenomes of Ephemerella sp. Yunnan-2018, Serratella zapekinae, Serratella sp. Yunnan-2018 and Serratella sp. Liaoning-2019 had 22 tRNAs including an inversion and translocation of trnI. By contrast, the mitogenomes of T. tumiforceps and T. grandipennis had 24 tRNAs due to an extra two copies of inversion and translocation of trnI. Within the family Ephemerellidae, disparate gene rearrangement occurred in the mitogenomes of different genera: one copy of inversion and translocation trnI in the genera Ephemerella and Serratella, and three repeat copies of inversion and translocation of trnI in the genus Torleya. A large non-coding region (≥200 bp) between trnS1 (AGN) and trnE was detected in T. grandipennis and T. tumiforceps. Among the phylogenetic relationship of the Ephemeroptera, the monophyly of almost all families except Siphlonuridae was supported by BI and ML analyses. The phylogenetic results indicated that Ephemerellidae was the sister clade to Vietnamellidae whereas Teloganellidae was not a sister clade of Ephemerellidae and Vietnamellidae.