Hybrid Autologous Costal Cartilage Grafting for Augmentation Rhinoplasty in Asian Patients.

BACKGROUND: Autologous costal cartilage has been used for augmentation rhinoplasty in Asia for many years. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of hybrid grafting of costal cartilage for dorsal augmentation, septal reconstruction, and tip augmentation for Asian patients. METHODS: A surgical technique was introduced and patients having rhinoplasty using this technique from April 2020 to March 2021 were retrospectively studied. In this technique, costal cartilage was meticulously carved or diced and grafted in various ways mainly based on the anatomic characteristics of nasal skin and subcutaneous soft tissues as well as bone and cartilage framework. The surgical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and complications retrieved from the documented medical records were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients having rhinoplasty with the proposed technique were followed up from 6 months to 12 months. As for cosmetic outcomes, 21 patients were graded as good, 3 patients were graded as fair, and only 1 patient was graded as poor. Those patients who were not graded as good had over-rotated tips, insufficient dorsal augmentation, or asymmetry of nostrils and soft tissue contracture. The overall patient satisfaction was as high as 96.0%. Local infection occurred in 1 patient and hematoma was not observed. Warping and visibility of costal cartilage were not observed in any patients. Slight displacement of diced cartilages was found in 2 patients near the radix 1 week postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid autologous costal cartilage grafts can be used for both tip refinement and dorsal augmentation for East Asian patients and achieve an outcome of a natural-looking nose with minimal complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Analysis of microplastics in soils on the high-altitude area of the Tibetan Plateau: Multiple environmental factors.

Microplastics (MPs), a class of emerging contaminants, are ubiquitous in the environment, but limited information is known about them in remote terrestrial environment at high-altitude areas with inconvenient traffic and sparsely populated. In this study, 54 soil samples were collected from various land use patterns (greenhouse, ordinary farmland, grassland, and bare land) in western area of the Tibetan Plateau to determine the influence of land use type, altitude, meteorological parameters, and distance from the road edge on MP distribution. The MP abundance ranged from 0 (not detected) to 190 items/kg, with an average number of 64.8 items/kg. The concentration of MPs was slightly negatively correlated with altitude because of less human activities in high-altitude areas (especially agricultural activities). The random forest (RF) models showed that altitude was the most important driving factor that affected the MP distribution. Small-sized MPs were more abundant at higher altitudes than at low ones, and the special natural environment of the high-altitude areas (tall vegetation scarcely, UV, and strong wind speed) may be conducive to the degradation of MPs in surface soils. The special source of MPs in non-agricultural soils was associated with traffic behavior: parking and rest behavior beside roads at high altitude areas, which filled an important source of MPs in the plateau area. This study emphasized the need to investigate the effects of traffic activities on MPs in remote areas at high altitudes.

Aberrantly Expressed Small Noncoding RNAome in Keloid Skin Tissue.

The skin is an organ that protects against injury and infection but can be damaged easily. Wound healing is a subtle balance which, if broken, can lead to keloid formation. Small noncoding (nc) RNAs can be of "housekeeping," for example, ribosomal RNAs and transfer RNAs, or "regulatory," for example, microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), and P-element-induced Wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA (piRNA) types. We examined five types of small ncRNAs [miR, piRNA, snoRNA, small nuclear (sn) RNA, and repeat-associated small interfering RNA (rasiRNA)] in keloid skin tissue (KST) using sequencing and real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. All comparisons were made in relation to expression in normal skin tissue (obtained by abdominoplasty). The expression of three piRNAs was upregulated, and the expression of six piRNAs was downregulated in KST. The expression of 12 snoRNAs was upregulated, and the expression of two snoRNAs was downregulated in KST. The expression of two snRNAs was downregulated in KST. The expression of 18 miRs was upregulated, and the expression of three miRNAs was downregulated in KST. The expression of one rasiRNA was upregulated, and the expression of one rasiRNA was downregulated in KST. We revealed the differential expression of small ncRNAs in KST, which may aid the development of new treatment for keloids.

A Novel SPAST Mutation Results in Spastin Accumulation and Defects in Microtubule Dynamics.

BACKGROUND: Haploinsufficiency is widely accepted as the pathogenic mechanism of spastic paraplegia type 4 (SPG4). However, there are some cases that cannot be explained by reduced function of the spastin protein encoded by SPAST. OBJECTIVES: To identify the causative gene of autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia in three large Chinese families and explore the pathological mechanism of a spastin variant. METHODS: Three large Chinese hereditary spastic paraplegia families with a total of 247 individuals (67 patients) were investigated, of whom 59 members were recruited to the study. Genetic testing was performed to identify the causative gene. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the effects of the mutant proteins in vitro. RESULTS: In the three hereditary spastic paraplegia families, of whom three index cases were misdiagnosed as other types of neurological diseases, a novel c.985dupA (p.Met329Asnfs*3) variant in SPAST was identified and was shown to cosegregate with the phenotype in the three families. The c.985dupA mutation produced two truncated mutants (mutant M1 and M87 isoforms) that accumulated to a higher level than their wild-type counterparts. Furthermore, the mutant M1 isoform heavily decorated the microtubules and rendered them resistant to depolymerization. In contrast, the mutant M87 isoform was diffusely localized in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, could not decorate microtubules, and was not able to promote microtubule disassembly. CONCLUSIONS: SPAST mutations leading to premature stop codons do not always act through haploinsufficiency. The truncated spastin may damage the corticospinal tracts through an isoform-specific toxic effect.

Spatial characteristics of microplastics in the high-altitude area on the Tibetan Plateau.

Microplastics (MPs) have been widely detected in the environments, yet the sources of MPs in freshwater of remote areas at high altitude were not well understood. This study investigated the abundance and distribution of MPs in water bodies and sediments at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). MPs were detected in all samples (47 water and 33 sediment samples) with the mean abundance of 624.70 ± 411.39 items/m3 in water and 41.52 ± 22.31 items/kg in sediment. In descending order, the highest MP oncentrations were found in turbid rivers＞agricultural channel water＞lakes＞ordinary rivers. The results showed that MP abundance was associated with the water quality (especially COD) on the QTP, and it was negatively correlated with altitude due to less human activities (especially agricultural activities) at high altitude areas. In addition, more abundant MPs with small sized was found in the higher altitudes than low ones. Determining the effects of different environments on the distribution and degradation of MPs in the high altitude area of the QTP, this study emphasized the attention to be given to this emerging pollutant in the high altitude remote areas.

Interaction of climate change, potentially toxic elements (PTEs), and topography on plant diversity and ecosystem functions in a high-altitude mountainous region of the Tibetan Plateau.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) generated from mining activities have affected ecological diversity and ecosystem functions around the world. Accurately assessing the long-term effects of PTEs is critical to classifying recoverable areas and proposing management strategies. Mining activities that shape geographical patterns of biodiversity in individual regions are increasingly understood, but the complex interactions on broad scales and in changing environments are still unclear. In this study, we developed a series of empirical models that simulate the changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functions in mine-affected regions along elevation gradients (1500-3600 m a.s.l) in the metal-rich Qilian Mountains (∼800 km) on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (China). Our results confirmed the crucial role of PTEs dispersal, topography, and climatic heterogeneity in the diversification of plant community composition. On average, 54% of the changes in ecosystem functions were explained by the interactions among topography, climate, and PTEs. However, merely 30% of the changes were correlated with a single driver. The changes in species composition (explained variables = 94.8%) in the PTE-polluted habitats located in the warm and humid low-elevation deserts and grasslands were greater than those occurring in the dry alpine deserts and grasslands. The ecosystem functions (soil characteristics, nutrient migration, and plant biomass) experienced greater changes in the humid low-elevation grasslands and alpine deserts. Our results suggest that the processes driven by climate or other factors can result in high-altitude PTE-affected habitat facing greater threats.

Rutheniumethynyl-Triarylamine Organic-Inorganic Mixed-Valence Systems: Regulating Ru-N Electronic Coupling by Different Aryl Bridge Cores.

Four rutheniumethynyl-triarylamine complexes 1-4 with different aryl bridge cores were prepared. The solid structures of complexes 2-4 were fully confirmed by X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. Two consecutive one-electron oxidation processes of complexes 1-4 were attributed to the ruthenium and nitrogen centers, as revealed by cyclic voltammetry and square-wave voltammogram. Results also showed decreasing potential difference ΔE of complexes 1, 3, and 4, with the largest value for 2. Upon chemical oxidation of complexes 1-4 by 1.0 eq oxidation reagents FcPF6 or AgSbF6 , the mixed-valence complexes, except for 2+ , show characteristic broad NIR absorptions in the UV-vis-NIR spectroscopic experiments. NIR multiple absorptions were assigned to NAr2 →RuCp*(dppe) intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) and metal-to-ligand charge transfer transitions by TDDFT calculations. Coupling parameter (Hab ) from Hush theory revealed that increasing electronic communication in 1+ , 3+ , and 4+ . Electron density distribution of the HOMO for neutral molecules (1, 3, and 4) and spin density distribution of the corresponding single-oxidized states (1+ , 3+ , and 4+ ) increases progressively on the bridge as the size of the aromatic system increases, proving incremental contributions from bridge cores during oxidation.

Vegetation response to climate zone dynamics and its impacts on surface soil water content and albedo in China.

Extensive research has focused on the response of vegetation to climate change, including potential mechanisms and resulting impacts. Although many studies have explored the relationship between vegetation and climate change in China, research on spatiotemporal distribution changes of climate regimes using natural vegetation as an indicator is still lacking. Further, limited information is available on the response of vegetation to shifts in China's regional climatic zones. In this study, we applied Mann-Kendall, and correlation analysis to examine the variabilities in temperature, precipitation, surface soil water, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), and albedo in China from 1982 to 2012. Our results indicate significant shifts in the distribution of Köppen-Geiger climate classes in China from 12.08% to 18.98% between 1983 and 2012 at a significance level of 0.05 (MK). The percentage areas in the arid and continental zones expanded at a rate of 0.004%/y and 0.12%/y, respectively, while the percentage area in the temperate and alpine zones decreased by -0.05%/y and - 0.07%/y. Sensitivity fitting results between simulated and observed changes identified temperature to be a dominant control on the dynamics of temperate (r2 = 0.98) and alpine (r2 = 0.968) zones, while precipitation was the dominant control on the changes of arid (r2 = 0.856) and continental (r2 = 0.815) zones. The response of the NDVI to albedo infers a more pronounced radiative response in temperate (r = -0.82, p < .01) and alpine (r = -0.476, p < .05) compared to arid and continental zones. Furthermore, we identified more pronounced monthly increasing trends in NDVI and soil water, corresponding to weak changes in albedo during vegetation growing periods. Our results suggest that climate zone shifting has considerable impacts on the vegetation in China and will have larger ecological impacts through radiative or non-radiative feedback mechanisms in future warming scenarios.

Methylation Landscape of RUNX3 Promoter Region as a Predictive Marker for Th1/Th2 Imbalance in Bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND The methylation status of RUNX3 promoter region, its impact on RUNX3 gene expression, and Th1/Th2 imbalance are unknown in bronchiolitis. This study aimed to explore the predictors of bronchiolitis developing into asthma. MATERIAL AND METHODS The methylation status of RUNX3 promoter was assessed using Illumina HiSeq platform method. The relative RUNX3 mRNA levels in PBMCs were measured by qRT-PCR. Serum IL-4 and IFN-γ concentrations were measured by ELISA. RESULTS A series of sites with significantly higher levels of methylation as compared to their corresponding controls were identified, including 24 sites in group Ba vs. group Cn, 13 sites in group Ba vs. group Ca, 7 sites in group Ba vs. group Bn, 16 sites in group Bn vs. group Cn, 11 sites in group Ca vs. group Cn, and 23 sites in group B vs. group C; P<0.05. The relative mRNA levels in group Ba were significantly lower than those in groups Cn, Ca, Bn; P<0.05. The serum IL-4 concentrations in group Ba were significantly higher than those in group Cn; P<0.05. The serum IFN-γ concentrations in group Ba were significantly lower than those in groups Cn, Ca, Bn; P<0.05. Correlation analysis showed that differentially methylated RUNX3 promoter region sites were significantly negatively correlated with levels of relative RUNX3 mRNA and IFN-γ, and were significantly positively correlated with IL-4 levels. CONCLUSIONS The methylation status of RUNX3 promoter region plays a role in Th1/Th2 imbalance by silencing RUNX3 gene expression, which can serve as predictive marker for the development of bronchiolitis into asthma.

[Expression and clinical significance of runt-related transcription factor 3 in children with bronchiolitis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mRNA level of runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) in children with bronchiolitis and its clinical significance in bronchiolitis. METHODS: A total of 54 young children with bronchiolitis were enrolled as the bronchiolitis group, among whom 28 with atopic constitution were enrolled in the atopic bronchiolitis group and 26 with non-atopic constitution were enrolled in the non-atopic bronchiolitis group. A total of 48 healthy young children were enrolled as the healthy control group, among whom 24 with atopic constitution were enrolled in the atopic healthy control group and 24 with non-atopic constitution were enrolled in the non-atopic healthy control group. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA level of RUNX3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). RESULTS: The bronchiolitis group had a significantly lower mRNA level of RUNX3 than the healthy control group, and the atopic bronchiolitis group had a significantly lower mRNA level of RUNX3 than the non-atopic bronchiolitis, atopic healthy control, and non-atopic healthy control groups (P<0.05). The bronchiolitis group had a significantly higher serum level of IL-4 than the healthy control group, and the atopic bronchiolitis group had a significantly higher serum level of IL-4 than the non-atopic healthy control group (P<0.05). The bronchiolitis group had a significantly lower serum level of IFN-γ than the healthy control group, and the atopic bronchiolitis group had a significantly lower serum level of IFN-γ than the non-atopic bronchiolitis, atopic healthy control, and non-atopic healthy control groups (P<0.05). The correlation analysis showed that the mRNA level of RUNX3 was negatively correlated with the serum level of IL-4 and was positively correlated with the serum level of IFN-γ (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of RUNX3 gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells has a certain value in identifying children with atopic constitution at high risk of asthma among children with bronchiolitis.

Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from pigs in southwestern China.

The genetic diversity of Toxoplasma gondii varies in different geographical regions. Isolates of T. gondii in South America, for example, are genetically and biologically divergent from those in North America and Europe, where the population structure is highly clonal and composed mainly of 3 distinct lineages, i.e., Types I, II, and III. However, little is known of the T. gondii genotypes in the People's Republic of China. Toxoplasma gondii infection in pigs causes significant economic loss and presents a risk for human infection. We conducted a survey to determine the genetic diversity of this parasite in slaughtered pigs from Yunnan Province, southwestern China. In total, 412 DNA samples were extracted from hilar lymph nodes and livers of pigs from slaughterhouses in Yunnan Province in southwest China, 56 of which were found to be positive for the T. gondii SAG3 gene. These positive DNA samples were typed at 10 genetic markers, including 9 nuclear loci, i.e., SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, and an apicoplast locus Apico. Of these, 5 isolates were genotyped with complete data for all loci. Only 1 genotype (ToxoDB 9) was identified, previously reported as a widespread lineage from pigs, cats, and human patients in China. The results indicate that this genotype may be the major T. gondii lineage in China and possibly all of eastern Asia. This is the first report of genetic typing of T. gondii isolates from pigs in China's southwestern Yunnan Province, the results of which have implications for the prevention and control of T. gondii infections in humans and other animals.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in rats in southern China.

Toxoplasma gondii is widely distributed in humans and other animals, including wild rats throughout the world, but little is known of the prevalence of T. gondii in rats in China. The seroprevalence of T. gondii in rats ( Rattus norvegicus and Rattus flavipectus ) was investigated in Guangzhou, southern China, between November 2009 and January 2010. In total, 217 rat serum samples were collected; antibodies to T. gondii were detected by the modified agglutination test (MAT), and 7 (3.2%) were found positive (titers ≥ 1:40). The seroprevalence was higher (3.4%) in R. norvegicus than in R. flavipectus (3.0%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). All 7 positive rats were female; no T. gondii antibodies were detected in males. This is the first extensive survey of T. gondii infection in rats in southern China, and the results have public health implications in this region.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs from southern China.

The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pigs was examined in China's southern Guangdong Province from March 2008 through May 2009. A total of 1,022 serum samples was collected from 12 administrative cities and assayed for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. The seroprevalence ranged from 0 to 58.1% and the average T. gondii antibody-positive prevalence was 27.0% (276/1,022), with breeding boars having the highest level at 39.6% (38/96) followed by breeding sows at 36.9% (52/141). The results of the present survey indicate that T. gondii infection is a significant health problem in pigs and represents a public health concern in southern China.

Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from pigs in China.

Toxoplasma gondii genetic diversity varies in different geographical regions. In South America, T. gondii isolates are highly diverse, whereas in North America and Europe, the parasite is highly clonal, with 3 distinct lineage types (I, II, III). However, little is known of the T. gondii genotypes in the People's Republic of China. Because pork is considered the principal meat source for T. gondii infection in China, we conducted a survey to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of this parasite in pigs from central China. In total, 434 DNA samples were extracted from the hilar lymph nodes of sick pigs in Hubei and Henan provinces in central China, and 34 were T. gondii B1 gene-positive. These T. gondii -positive DNA samples were typed at 10 genetic markers, including 9 nuclear loci, i.e., SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, and an apicoplast locus Apico. Of these, 16 isolates could be genotyped with complete data for all loci. Two genotypes were present; one was the clonal type I lineage and the other was previously identified as a widespread lineage from many hosts in China. These results indicate that these 2 genotypes may be the major lineages in China. This is the first report of genetic typing of T. gondii isolates from pigs in central China. The results have implications for the prevention and control of T. gondii infections in humans and other animals.

Toxoplasma gondii microneme protein 6 (MIC6) is a potential vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis in mice.

Infection with the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii causes serious public health problems and is of great economic importance worldwide. Microneme proteins which are responsible for adhesion and invasion have been implicated as vaccine candidates. In this study, we constructed a DNA vaccine expressing microneme protein 6 (MIC6) of T. gondii, and evaluated the immune response it induced in Kunming mice. The gene sequence encoding MIC6 was inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pVAXI. We immunized Kunming mice intramuscularly. After immunization, we evaluated the immune response using lymphoproliferative assay, cytokine and antibody measurements, and the survival times of mice challenged lethally. The results showed that the group immunized with pVAX-MIC6 developed a high level of specific antibody responses against T. gondii lysate antigen (TLA), a strong lymphoproliferative response, and significant levels of IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 production, compared with the other groups immunized with empty plasmid or phosphate-buffered saline, respectively. These results demonstrate that pVAX-MIC6 induces significant humoral and cellular Th1 immune responses. After lethal challenge, the mice immunized with the pVAX-MIC6 showed an increased survival time (13.3+/-1.2 days) compared with control mice died within 7 days of challenge. Our data demonstrate, for the first time, that MIC6 triggered a strong humoral and cellular response against T. gondii, and that the antigen is a potential vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis, worth further development.