[Examples of Professor MA Kun's treatment of infertility caused by uterine fibroids using method of tonifying kidney and activating blood].

Uterine fibroids are a prevalent factor that impacts fertility in women of reproductive age. This study discusses the theoretical foundation and formula principles of Professor MA Kun's clinical treatment for infertility caused by uterine fibroids. The kidney stores essence and is responsible for reproduction, while blood serves as a vital material basis for women's physiological functions. Kidney deficiency is the fundamental pathogenesis of infertility, and imbalances in kidney Qi and essence or deficiencies in kidney Yin and Yang can result in blood stasis. Blood stasis plays a significant role throughout this condition by impeding the flow of blood, which is crucial for nourishing Qi. Therefore, both kidney deficiency and blood stasis are key factors contributing to infertility caused by uterine fibroids. Professor MA Kun treats infertility caused by uterine fibroids using an approach that involves tonifying the kidneys and activating blood circulation based on changes in Qi and blood during the menstrual cycle as well as follicular growth processes. By identifying stage-specific evidence, appropriate treatments can be applied accordingly. During menstruation when the uterus opens and menstrual blood flows out, promoting follicular development through nourishing kidney Yin and activating blood circulation becomes essential. In later stages of menstruation, additional measures are taken to remove blood stasis, alleviate symptoms, disperse knots, attack pathogens while simultaneously replenishing vital energy. During intermenstrual periods when Yin holds greater importance than Yang, tonifying the kidneys and activating blood circulation helps facilitate smooth discharge of eggs by promoting transformation between Yin and Yang energies. Premenstrual period to warm kidney Yang to promote pregnant egg implantation, and at the same time to dredge the liver and regulate Qi, Qi elimination stagnation, complementary in the line, with the symptoms of additional subtractions. Clinical effect is remarkable, for the reference of colleagues.

Facile fabrication of carbon nanotube hollow microspheres as a fiber coating for ultrasensitive solid-phase microextraction of phthalic acid esters in tea beverages.

The efficient extraction of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) is challenging due to their extremely low concentration, complicated matrices and hydrophilicity. Herein, hollow microspheres, as an ideal coating, possess significant potential for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) due to their fascinating properties. In this study, multiwalled carbon nanotube hollow microspheres (MWCNT-HMs) were utilized as a fiber coating for the SPME of PAEs from tea beverages. MWCNT-HMs were obtained by dissolving the polystyrene (PS) cores with organic solvents. Interestingly, MWCNT-HMs well maintain the morphology of the MWCNTs@PS precursors. The layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of MWCNTs on PS microsphere templates was achieved through electrostatic interactions. Six PAEs, di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP), were selected as target analytes for assessing the efficiency of the coating for SPME. The stirring rate, sample solution pH and extraction time were optimized by using the Box-Behnken design. Under optimal working conditions, the proposed MWCNT-HMs/SPME was coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) to achieve high enrichment factors (118-2137), wide linearity (0.0004-10 µg L-1), low limits of detection (0.00011-0.0026 µg L-1) and acceptable recovery (80.2-108.5%) for the detection of PAEs. Therefore, the MWCNT-HM coated fibers are promising alternatives in the SPME method for the sensitive detection of PAEs at trace levels in tea beverages.

Evidence-based guideline for clinical diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults (version 2023) / 中华创伤杂志

The acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults have a higher rate of neurological injury and early death compared with atlas or axial fractures alone. Currently, the diagnosis and treatment choices of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults are controversial because of the lack of standards for implementation. Non-operative treatments have a high incidence of bone nonunion and complications, while surgeries may easily lead to the injury of the vertebral artery, spinal cord and nerve root. At present, there are no evidence-based Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults. To provide orthopedic surgeons with the most up-to-date and effective information in treating acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field of spinal trauma to develop the Evidence-based guideline for clinical diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults ( version 2023) by referring to the "Management of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults" published by American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) in 2013 and the relevant Chinese and English literatures. Ten recommendations were made concerning the radiological diagnosis, stability judgment, treatment rules, treatment options and complications based on medical evidence, aiming to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults.

Clinical guideline for diagnosis and treatment of adult ankylosing spondylitis combined with thoracolumbar fracture (version 2023) / 中华创伤杂志

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with spinal fractures with thoracic and lumbar fracture as the most common type shows characteristics of unstable fracture, high incidence of nerve injury, high mortality and high disability rate. The diagnosis may be missed because it is mostly caused by low-energy injury, when spinal rigidity and osteoporosis have a great impact on the accuracy of imaging examination. At the same time, the treatment choices are controversial, with no relevant specifications. Non-operative treatments can easily lead to bone nonunion, pseudoarthrosis and delayed nerve injury, while surgeries may be failed due to internal fixation failure. At present, there are no evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with thoracic and lumbar fracture. In this context, the Spinal Trauma Academic Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of adult ankylosing spondylitis combined with thoracolumbar fracture ( version 2023) by following the principles of evidence-based medicine and systematically review related literatures. Ten recommendations on the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, classification and treatment of AS combined with thoracic and lumbar fracture were put forward, aiming to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of such disorder.

Guideline for postoperative rehabilitation treatment following vertebral augmentation for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (version 2022) / 中华创伤杂志

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) can lead to lower back pain and may be even accompanied by scoliosis, neurological dysfunction and other complications, which will affect the daily activities and life quality of patients. Vertebral augmentation is an effective treatment method for OVCF, but it cannot correct unbalance of bone metabolism or improve the osteoporotic status, causing complications like lower back pain, limited spinal activities and vertebral refracture. The post-operative systematic and standardized rehabilitation treatments can improve curative effect and therapeutic efficacy of anti-osteoporosis, reduce risk of vertebral refracture, increase patient compliance and improve quality of life. Since there still lack relevant clinical treatment guidelines for postoperative rehabilitation treatments following vertebral augmentation for OVCF, the current treatments are varied with uneven therapeutic effect. In order to standardize the postoperative rehabilitation treatment, the Spine Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized relevant experts to refer to relevant literature and develop the "Guideline for postoperative rehabilitation treatment following vertebral augmentation for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (2022 version)" based on the clinical guidelines published by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) as well as on the principles of scientificity, practicality and advancement. The guideline provided evidence-based recommendations on 10 important issues related to postoperative rehabilitation treatments of OVCF.

Transcriptomic analysis of the ΔPaLoc mutant of Clostridioides difficile and verification of its toxicity / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: Comparative analyses of wild-type Clostridioides difficile 630 (Cd630) strain and pathogenicity locus (PaLoc) knockout mutant (ΔPaLoc) by using RNA-seq technology. Analysis of differential expression of Cd630 wild-type strain and ΔPaLoc mutant strain and measurement of its cellular virulence changes. Lay the foundation for the construction of an toxin-attenuated vaccine strain against Clostridioides difficile. Methods: Analysis of Cd630 and ΔPaLoc mutant strains using high-throughput sequencing (RNA-seq). Clustering differentially expressed genes and screening differentially expressed genes by DESeq software. Further analysis of differential genes using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. Finally, cytotoxicity assays of ΔPaLoc and Cd630 strains were performed in the African monkey kidney epithelial cell (Vero) and the human colonic cell (Caco-2) lines. Results: The transcriptome data showed that the ΔPaLoc mutant toxin genes tcdA and tcdB were not transcribed. Compared to the wild-type strain, CD630_36010, CD630_020910,CD630_02080 and cel genes upregulated 17.92,11.40,8.93 and 7.55 fold, respectively. Whereas the hom2 (high serine dehydrogenase), the CD630_15810 (spore-forming protein), CD630_23230 (zinc-binding dehydrogenase) and CD630_23240 (galactitol 1-phosphate 5-dehydrogenase) genes were down-regulated by 0.06, 0.075, 0.133 and 0.183 fold, respectively. The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that the differentially transcribed genes in ΔPaLoc were enriched in the density-sensing system, ABC transport system, two-component system, phosphotransferase (PTS) system, and sugar metabolism pathway, as well as vancomycin resistance-related pathways. Cytotoxicity assays showed that the ΔPaLoc mutant strain lost its virulence to Vero and Caco-2 cells compared to the wild-type Cd630 strain. Conclusion: Transcriptional sequencing analysis of the Cd630 and ΔPaLoc mutant strains showed that the toxin genes were not transcribed. Those other differential genes could provide a reference for further studies on the physiological and biochemical properties of the ΔPaLoc mutant strain. Cytotoxicity assays confirmed that the ΔPaLoc mutant lost virulence to Vero and Caco-2 cells, thus laying the foundation for constructing an toxin-attenuated vaccine strain against C. difficile.

Silencing miR-181b-5p upregulates PIAS1 to repress oxidative stress and inflammatory response in rats with alcoholic fatty liver disease through inhibiting PRMT1.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to probe the function of microRNA-181b-5p (miR-181b-5p)/protein inhibitor of activated STAT1 (PIAS1)/protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) axis in the progression of alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD). METHODS: A rat model of AFLD was established and treated with altered miR-181b-5p, PIAS1 or PRMT1 expression constructs to identify their effects on liver function, serum inflammation, liver tissue oxidative stress, hepatocyte apoptosis and pathological changes of liver tissue in rats using a series of assays. miR-181b-5p, PIAS1 and PRMT1 levels were detected, and the targeting relationship between miR-181b-5p and PIAS1 was confirmed. RESULTS: MiR-181b-5p and PRMT1 were elevated while PIAS1 was reduced in AFLD rat liver tissues, miR-181b-5p inhibition, PIAS1 overexpression or PRMT1 inhibition improved liver function, attenuated inflammation, oxidative stress, pathological changes and hepatocyte apoptosis in AFLD rat liver tissues. The impacts of miR-181b-5p inhibition on AFLD rats were reversed by PIAS1 silencing. PIAS1 was confirmed as a target gene of miR-181b-5p, and miR-181b-5p regulated PRMT1 expression through binding to PIAS1. CONCLUSION: Inhibiting miR-181b-5p can promote the expression of PIAS1, thereby inhibiting PRMT1 and ultimately improving AFLD.

GAT1 Gene, the GATA Transcription Activator, Regulates the Production of Higher Alcohol during Wheat Beer Fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Uncoordinated carbon-nitrogen ratio in raw materials will lead to excessive contents of higher alcohols in alcoholic beverages. The effect of GAT1 gene, the GATA transcription activator, on higher alcohol biosynthesis was investigated to clarify the mechanism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae regulating higher alcohol metabolism under high concentrations of free amino nitrogen (FAN). The availability of FAN by strain SDT1K with a GAT1 double-copy deletion was 28.31% lower than that of parent strain S17, and the yield of higher alcohols was 33.91% lower. The transcript levels of the downstream target genes of GAT1 and higher alcohol production in the double-copy deletion mutant suggested that a part of the effect of GAT1 deletion on higher alcohol production was the downregulation of GAP1, ARO9, and ARO10. This study shows that GATA factors can effectively regulate the metabolism of higher alcohols in S. cerevisiae and provides valuable insights into higher alcohol biosynthesis, showing great significance for the wheat beer industry.

Identification of Core Regulatory Genes and Metabolic Pathways for the n-Propanol Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The n-propanol produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a remarkable effect on the taste and flavor of Chinese Baijiu. The n-propanol metabolism-related genes were deleted to evaluate the role in the synthesis of n-propanol to ascertain the key genes and pathways for the production of n-propanol by S. cerevisiae. The results showed that CYS3, GLY1, ALD6, PDC1, ADH5, and YML082W were the key genes affecting the n-propanol metabolism in yeast. The n-propanol concentrations of α5ΔGLY1, α5ΔCYS3, and α5ΔALD6 increased by 121.75, 22.75, and 17.78%, respectively, compared with α5. The n-propanol content of α5ΔPDC1, α5ΔADH5, and α5ΔYML082W decreased by 24.98, 8.35, and 8.44%, respectively, compared with α5. The contents of intermediate metabolites were measured, and results showed that the mutual transformation of glycine and threonine in the threonine pathway and the formation of propanal from 2-ketobutyrate were the core pathways for the formation of n-propanol. Additionally, YML082W played important role in the synthesis of n-propanol by directly producing 2-ketobutyric acid through l-homoserine. This study provided valuable insights into the n-propanol synthesis in S. cerevisiae and the theoretical basis for future optimization of yeast strains in Baijiu making.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals the key regulatory genes for higher alcohol formation by yeast at different α-amino nitrogen concentrations.

Higher alcohols are important flavor substance in alcoholic beverages. The content of α-amino nitrogen (α-AN) in the fermentation system affects the formation of higher alcohols by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, the effect of α-AN concentration on the higher alcohol productivity of yeast was explored, and the mechanism of this effect was investigated through metabolite and transcription sequence analyses. We screened 12 most likely genes and constructed the recombinant strain to evaluate the effect of each gene on high alcohol formation. Results showed that the AGP1, GDH1, and THR6 genes were important regulators of higher alcohol metabolism in S. cerevisiae. This study provided knowledge about the metabolic pathways of higher alcohols and gave an important reference for the breeding of S. cerevisiae with low-yield higher alcohols to deal with the fermentation system with different α-AN concentrations in the brewing industry.

Epidemiological characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury in China in 2018 / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To analyze the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury in China in 2018.Methods:Multi-stage stratified cluster sampling was used to randomly select hospitals capable of treating patients with spinal cord injury from 3 regions，9 provinces and 27 cities in China to retrospectively investigate eligible patients with traumatic spinal cord injury admitted in 2018. National and regional incidence rates were calculated. The data of cause of injury，injury level，severity of injury，segment and type of fracture，complications，death and other data were collected by medical record questionnaire，and analyzed according to geographical region，age and gender.Results:Medical records of 4，134 patients were included in this study，with a male-to-female ratio of 2.99∶1. The incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury in China in 2018 was 50.484 / 1 million （95% CI 50.122-50.846）. The highest incidence in the Eastern region was 53.791 / 1 million （95% CI 53.217-54.365）. In the whole country，the main causes of injury were high falls （29.58%），as well as in the Western region （40.68%），while the main causes of injury in the Eastern and Central regions were traffic injuries （31.22%，30.10%）. The main injury level was cervical spinal cord in the whole country （64.49%），and the proportion of cervical spinal cord injury in the Central region was the highest （74.68%），and the proportion of lumbosacral spinal cord injury in the Western region was the highest （32.30%）. The highest proportion of degree of injury was incomplete quadriplegia （55.20%），and the distribution pattern was the same in each region. A total of 65.87% of the patients were complicated with fracture or dislocation，77.95% in the Western region and only 54.77% in the Central region. In the whole country，the head was the main combined injury （37.87%），as well as in the Eastern and Central regions，while the proportion of chest combined injury in the Western region was the highest （38.57%）. A total of 32.90% of the patients were complicated with respiratory complications. There were 23 patients （0.56%） died in hospital，of which 17（73.91%） died of respiratory dysfunction. Conclusions:The Eastern region of China has a high incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury. Other epidemiological features include high fall as the main cause of injury cervical spinal cord injury as the main injury level，incomplete quadriplegia as the main degree of injury，head as the main combined injury，and respiratory complications as the main complication.

Effect of Gastrodiae Rhizoma Powder on Prevention of Dementia and Oxidation Resistance in Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To study whether long-term administration of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder can improve the learning and memory ability of APPswe/PSldE9 double transgenic (APP/PS1) Alzheimer' s disease(AD) model mice and delay the progress of AD whether these effects are related to the regulation of antioxidant stress pathway in Kelch-like epoxylopropylamine-related protein 1(Keap1)-nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase(HO)-1, and further explore the neuroprotective mechanism of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder and its role in the prevention and treatment of AD. Method::APP/PS1 double transgenic mice model, the mice consisted of five groups: normal, normal administration group, model group, Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder prevention group, Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder treatment group.The mice in the normal administration group and the Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder prevention group were given the same dose of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder (1.5 g·kg-1) daily at the age of 8 weeks.The normal group and model group were given the same amount of normal saline at the same time, until 24 weeks old, Morris water maze was used to test the learning and memory ability of mice, and the treatment group was treated with Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder at 22 weeks old.The mice were given the same dose of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder (1.5 g·kg-1) every day for 2 weeks.The number of crossing platform, escape latency and platform residence time of mice were detected by Morris water maze from 24 weeks old to 24 weeks old.RNA, Real-time PCR was extracted from mouse hippocampus to detect the mRNA level of Nrf2, HO-1, Keap1, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, Keap1 protein in mouse hippocampus. Result::Compared with normal group, the water maze test showed that the learning and memory ability of model group was lower than that of the model group (P<0.01), and the learning and memory ability of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder prevention group and Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder treatment group was significantly higher than that of model group (P<0.01). Compared with normal group, the levels of Nrf2, HO-1 and protein in the hippocampus in model group decreased in varying degrees (P<0.05). Compared with model group, Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder prevented Nrf2, in the hippocampus of mice in model group.The level of HO-1 in mRNA and protein increased in different degrees (P<0.05, P<0.01). Levels of Nrf2, HO-1 mRNA in Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder treatment group was significantly higher than that in Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of Nrf2, HO-1 protein.There was no significant difference in mRNA and protein levels of Keap1 among different groups. Conclusion::Morris water maze test and other results showed that Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder could improve the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice, and it may enhance the expression of downstream antioxidant genes by regulating Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.And then improve the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice.

Clinical guideline for surgical treatment of symptomatic chronic osteoporotic vertebral fractures / 中华创伤杂志

According to the pathological characteristics of symptomatic chronic thoracic and lumbar osteoporotic vertebral fracture (SCOVF), the different clinical treatment methods are selected, including vertebral augmentation, anterior-posterior fixation and fusion, posterior decompression fixation and fusion, and posterior correction osteotomy. However, there is still a lack of a unified understanding on how to choose appropriate treatment method for SCOVF. In order to reflect the new treatment concept and the evidence-based medicine progress of SCOVF in a timely manner and standardize its treatment, the clinical guideline for surgical treatment of SCOVF is formulated in compliance with the principle of scientificity, practicability and advancement and based on the level of evidence-based medicine.

Identification by comparative transcriptomics of core regulatory genes for higher alcohol production in a top-fermenting yeast at different temperatures in beer fermentation.

Undesirable flavor caused by excessive higher alcohols restrains the development of the wheat beer industry. To clarify the regulation mechanism of the metabolism of higher alcohols in wheat beer brewing by the top-fermenting yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae S17, the effect of temperature on the fermentation performance and transcriptional levels of relevant genes was investigated. The strain S17 produced 297.85 mg/L of higher alcohols at 20 °C, and the production did not increase at 25 °C, reaching about 297.43 mg/L. Metabolite analysis and transcriptome sequencing showed that the metabolic pathways of branched-chain amino acids, pyruvate, phenylalanine, and proline were the decisive factors that affected the formation of higher alcohols. Fourteen most promising genes were selected to evaluate the effects of single-gene deletions on the synthesis of higher alcohols. The total production of higher alcohols by the mutants Δtir1 and Δgap1 was reduced by 23.5 and 19.66% compared with the parent strain S17, respectively. The results confirmed that TIR1 and GAP1 are crucial regulatory genes in the metabolism of higher alcohols in the top-fermenting yeast. This study provides valuable knowledge on the metabolic pathways of higher alcohols and new strategies for reducing the amounts of higher alcohols in wheat beer.

A bone filling mesh container for treating senile osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures combined with intravertebral cleft sign / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is an effective method for osteoporotic thoracic vertebral compression fracture, but bone cement leakage is easy to occur in patients with intravertebral cleft. OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic efficacy of bone-filling mesh containers in elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures combined with intravertebral cleft sign. METHODS: From October 2017 to July 2018, 62 patients aged from 60 to 80 years with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures combined with intravertebral cleft sign were admitted at the Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University. Among them, 31 cases were treated with unilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty (control group), and the other 31 cases were treated with bone-filling mesh containers (study group). The leakage of bone cement, the time of operation and the times of fluoroscopy were recorded in the two groups. The visual analogue scale score and Oswestry disability index score were compared between the two groups before and 7, 30, 60 days after treatment. The height changes of injured vertebrae were evaluated by X-ray before treatment and 7 days after treatment. The quality of life was evaluated by the MOS item short from health survey (SF-36) before and 60 days after treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The time of operation and the times of fluoroscopy in the study group were less than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and the leakage rate of bone cement in the study group was lower than that in the control group (6％ vs. 39％, P < 0.05). (2) The visual analogue scale score and Oswestry disability index score of the two groups were significantly improved at 7, 30 and 60 days after treatment. The visual analogue scale scores of the study group were lower than those of the control group at different time points after treatment (P < 0.05). There was no difference in Oswestry disability index scores between the two groups at different time points after treatment (P> 0.05). (3) The height of injured vertebrae 7 days after treatment in both groups was significantly higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05), and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). (4) The quality of life of the two groups was significantly improved at 60 days after treatment (P < 0.05), but there was no difference between the two groups (P> 0.05). These findings indicate that compared with unilateral vertebroplasty with bone cement injection, bone-filling mesh containers with bone cement injection could reduce the incidence of cement leakage, relieve pain and increase the height of injured vertebrae in elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture combined with intravertebral cleft sign.

A study on epidemic model of hepatitis B virus in migrant workes in Guizhou minority areas / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To research the prevalence model of hepatitis B virus in the minority areas of Guizhou and to provide reference for the prevention and control virus of hepatitis B virus. Methods Using multi-stage cluster simple random sampling, four villages were selected from Leishan and Libo counties in minority areas of Guizhou. Questionnaires were investigated by trained investigators and serum hepatitis B virus five-item test results were collected from the subjects. Results A total of 1 629 participants were surveyed, the outcome showed that migrant workers’ infection rate of hepatitis B was 44.8%, and the carrying rate of HBsAg was 8.4%. The positive rates of anti-HBs and anti-HBc were 28.0% and 25.6% respectively. The infection model rate of migrant workers was 19.8%, which was lower than that of non-migrant workers (23.2%) (P>0.05).The detection rate of susceptible model in migrant workers (52.2%) was higher than that in non-migrant workers (43.4%), while the detection rate of immune mode migrant workers (28.0%) was lower than that in non-migrant workers (33.4%),which the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). After adjusted related factors by multivariate Logistic regression analysis model, migrant workers were still the influencing factors of vulnerability model (OR=1.568, 95% CI:1.206-2.039) compared with non-migrant workers. Conclusion There was a high susceptibility to hepatitis B virus among migrant workers in minority areas of Guizhou, In order to reduce the infection and prevalence of hepatitis B virus, we should strengthen the immunization of hepatitis B vaccine to migrant workers and to improve their specific immunity.

Flavobacterium zaozhuangense sp. nov., a new member of the family Flavobacteriaceae, isolated from metolachlor-contaminated soil.

Strain ZZ-8T, a Gram-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-motile, yellow-pigmented, rod-shaped bacterium, was isolated from metolachlor-contaminated soil in China. The taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain ZZ-8T is a member of the genus Flavobacterium and shows high sequence similarity to Flavobacterium humicola UCM-46T (97.2%) and Flavobacterium pedocola UCM-R36T (97.1%), and lower (< 97%) sequence similarity to other known Flavobacterium species. Chemotaxonomic analysis revealed that strain ZZ-8T possessed MK-6 as the major respiratory quinone; and iso-C15:0 (28.5%), summed feature 9 (iso-C17:1 w9c/C16:0 10-methyl, 22.9%), iso-C17:0 3-OH (17.0%), iso-C15:0 3-OH (8.9%), iso-C15:1 G (8.6%) and summed feature 3 (C16:1 w7c/C16:1 w6c, 5.7%) as the predominant fatty acids. The polar lipids of strain ZZ-8T were determined to be lipids, a glycolipid, aminolipids and phosphatidylethanolamine. Strain ZZ-8T showed low DNA-DNA relatedness with F. pedocola UCM-R36T (43.23 ± 4.1%) and F. humicola UCM-46T (29.17 ± 3.8%). The DNA G+C content was 43.3 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, chemotaxonomic data and DNA-DNA hybridization, strain ZZ-8T is considered a novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium zaozhuangense sp. nov. (type strain ZZ-8T = KCTC 62315 T = CCTCC AB 2017243T) is proposed.

Paeoniflorin inhibits the growth of bladder carcinoma via deactivation of STAT3.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most common urinary cancers. The present study aims to investigate whether Paeoniflorin (Pae) can exert inhibitory effects on BCa. The results showed that Pae inhibited proliferation of human BCa cell lines in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Pae and cisplatin (Cis) synergistically inhibited the growth of tumours in RT4-bearing mice. Pae treatment neutralized the body loss induced by Cis. Moreover, Pae induced apoptosis in RT4 cells and increased the activities of caspase3, caspase8 and caspase9. Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (p-STAT3) level were decreased in Pae-treated RT4 cells and Pae-treated tumour-bearing mice. Furthermore, STAT3 transcriptional target B-cell lymphoma-2 was decreased in Pae-treated RT4 cells. Interestingly, Pae prevented translocation of STAT3 to the nucleus in RT4 cells. Collectively, Pae inhibits the growth of BCa, at least in part, via a STAT3 pathway.

Serum tenascin-C predicts severity and outcome of acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Tenascin-C is a matricellular protein related to brain injury. We studied serum tenascin-C in acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and examined the associations with severity and outcome following the acute event. METHODS: Tenascin-C samples were obtained from 162 patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke and 162 healthy controls. Poor 90-day functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score > 2. Early neurological deterioration (END) and hematoma growth (HG) were recorded at 24 h. RESULTS: Patients had higher tenascin-C levels than controls. Tenascin-C levels were positively correlated with hematoma volume or National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at baseline. Elevated tenascin-C levels were independently associated with END, HG, 90-day mortality and poor functional outcome. Moreover, tenascin-C levels significantly predicted END, HG and 90-day outcomes under receiver operating characteristic curves. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in serum tenascin-C level is associated with an adverse outcome in ICH patients, supporting the potential role of serum tenascin-C as a prognostic biomarker for hemorrhagic stroke.

Serum levels of Dickkopf-1, sclerostin and vascular endothelial growth factor A and their correlation with ankylosing spondylitis progression / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: The incidence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) presents a trend of rising year by year, accompanied by a higher disability. Therefore, fully understanding the related factors to the development of AS is of great significance to develop a rational treatment scheme.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression levels of Dickkopf-1 and sclerostin in Wnt signaling pathway as well as vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in the AS patients, and to evaluate their correlation with AS progression.METHODS: AS patients and healthy volunteers were recruited, and their baseline data and medical history were collected. The expression levels of Dickkopf-1, sclerostin, VEGF-A and C-reactive protein in the peripheral blood were detected; the AS progression was evaluated by Bath AS Disease Activity Index and Bath AS Functional Index; the imaging performance was assessed by modified Stroke AS Spine Score; the correlation of Dickkopf-1, sclerostin and VEGF-A with AS progression, imaging performance and inflammatory reaction was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: No significant differences were found in the expression levels of Dickkopf-1, sclerostin and VEGF-A between two groups (P > 0.05). The AS patients without syndesmophyte and with higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level appeared with an significant increase in the Dickkopf-1 level (P < 0.05),which was significantly related to sclerostin level (r=0.592, P=0.000). The As patients with the history of smoking,increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, as well as higher Bath AS Disease Activity Index and Bath AS Functional Index presented with a higher level of VEGF-A. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, syndesmophyte and sclerostin level were the independent factors affecting the Dickkopf-1 level (P ≤ 0.001); the history of smoking, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein were the independent factors affecting VEGF-A (P < 0.005). These results suggest that in AS patients, the Dickkopf-1 level is related to syndesmophyte and systemic inflammatory response, while the history of smoking affects VEGF-A level. Therefore, all above indicators can be used to evaluate osteophyte formation and bone mass loss.