[Research progress on the occurrence and prevention of low back pain in naval officers and soldiers].

Low back pain (LBP) is a common occupational disease among naval officers and soldiers. This article reviewed the incidence of LBP in naval personnel in different positions in recent years, and analyzed the causes combined with the operating environment and occupational characteristics of personnel in different positions in order to clarify the causes of LBP in naval officers and soldiers in different positions and improve their awareness of the disease. Moreover, this study aims to help naval officers and soldiers to take protective measures in training life to reduce the incidence of LBP.

MicroRNA analysis in model species based on evolutionary rates.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are major post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. In an attempt to gain insights into miRNAs at the macroevolutionary level, we performed a systematic analysis of miRNAs in six model organisms based on their evolutionary rates. First, we calculated their miRNA evolutionary rates, and found that they did not correlate with the complexity of the organisms. A correlation between evolutionary rates and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the miRNA sequence suggested that slow-evolving miRNAs in humans tolerate more SNPs than miRNAs with similar evolutionary rates in other species. However, fast-evolving miRNAs had lower SNP densities in humans than in the fruit fly. We also found that evolutionary rates were correlated with the proportion of parasite or clustered miRNAs. This correlation exhibited a different pattern in zebrafish, which may be related to significant genome duplication in the early vertebrates. The minimized free energy of the miRNA stem-loop structure was not correlated with the evolutionary rates of any species in our analysis. After evaluating relative miRNA expression levels, we observed that newly emerged miRNAs in complex species would integrate into the gene network at a faster pace and be functionally important; therefore, miRNAs may have accelerated human evolution.

Modified busulfan and cyclophosphamide conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a modified busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BU/CY) conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. METHODS: A total of 45 patients with hematologic malignancies were treated using stem cell transplantation between March 2007 and June 2012. All the patients received a modified BU/CY conditioning regimen before transplantation. The outcomes of the patients were followed up including mortality, survival, relapse, and complications. RESULTS: The median of follow-up duration was 527 days. All the patients who received modified BU/CY conditioning regimen achieved hematopoietic recovery successfully. Among the patients, 24 were survived without complications, 5 had relapsed hematologic malignancies, and 16 died. The median time to leucocyte engraftment was 14 days and to platelet engraftment was 12 days. Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD; grades I-IV) occurred in 15 patients (30%). The cumulative incidence of grades I aGVHD was 22.2% (10 patients), grades II was 6.7% (3 patients), and grades III-IV was 4.4% (2 patients). Among 40 appreciable patients, 8 (20%) developed chronic GVHD. The incidence rate of hemorrhagic cystitis and veno-occlusive disease were 15.5% and 2.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The modified BU/CY conditioning regimen for allo-HSCT is effective and safe for the treatment of hematologic malignancies.

Differential expression of two antifreeze proteins in the desert beetle Anatolica polita (Coleoptera: Tenebriondae): seasonal variation and environmental effects.

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) can inhibit and modify the growth of ice crystals. Two antifreeze protein genes, Apafp752 and Apafp914, were cloned from the desert beetle Anatolica polita (Coleoptera: Tenebriondae), and they shared 61.3 percent similarity at the amino acid level. Apafp752 also contained one variation in the most conserved TCT motif of beetle AFPs. Apafp752 and Apafp914 mRNAs had similar seasonal expression pattern. Both were stimulated by cold stress, but they expressed slightly differentially with Apafp752 being more sensitive to cold stress than Apafp914, and no more sensitive to desiccation stress than Apafp914. The thermal hysteresis activity (THA) in the beetle's hemolymph followed approximately the patterns of mRNA seasonal expression and expression upon environmental stress, with a time lag. Summer adults of the desert beetle also express mRNA of Apafp752 and Apafp914, and exhibit some hemolymph THA, suggesting other likely function of these proteins beyond antifreeze.

Effects of lead on hepatic antioxidant status and transcription of superoxide dismutase gene in pigs.

Ninety-six castrated boars (Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire) were randomly divided into four groups, each of which was replicated three times with eight pigs. The groups received the same basal diet supplemented with 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg lead, respectively. The malondialdehyde and glutathione levels, antioxidant enzymes activities, and zinc/copper superoxide dismutase (Zn/Cu SOD) mRNA content in the liver were determined to evaluate the lead hepatic intoxication caused by the lead. Results showed the increased lipid peroxides level and the reduced glutathione content, along with a concomitant decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Moreover, the level of hepatic Zn/Cu SOD mRNA was also significantly reduced. We suggest potential mechanism for lead intoxication in liver as follows: lead causes parallel decrease in Zn/Cu SOD mRNA and activities of antioxidant enzymes, leading to the declined ability of scavenging free radicals with excessive production of lipid peroxides, which seriously damages the hepatic structure and function.

Effects of beta-glucan obtained from the Chinese herb Astragalus membranaceus and lipopolysaccharide challenge on performance, immunological, adrenal, and somatotropic responses of weanling pigs.

A total of 108 crossbred piglets (7.75 +/- 0.24 kg of BW) weaned at 28 d was used to study the interactive effects of beta-glucan obtained from the Chinese herb Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge on performance, immunological, adrenal, and somatotropic responses of weaned pigs. The treatments were in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement; main effects were level of Astragalus membranaceus glucan (AMG; 0, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg; as-fed basis) and presence of immunological challenge (with or without LPS). The experiment included six replicate pens per treatment and three pigs per pen. Lipopolysaccharide challenges were conducted on d 7 and 21 of the trial. Blood samples were obtained from the vena cava from one pig per pen at 3 h after LPS challenge to determine plasma responses. Weight gain and feed:gain ratio were unaffected by glucan. However, there was a quadratic effect on feed intake (P < 0.05): pigs fed 500 mg of glucan/kg had the highest feed intake. Immunological challenge with LPS decreased weight gain (P = 0.02). An interaction (P = 0.01 to 0.09) between AMG and LPS was observed for glucose, IL-1beta, PGE2, and cortisol. Astragalus membranaceus glucan had a quadratic effect on the plasma concentrations of glucose, IL-1beta, PGE2, and cortisol (P < 0.05) after both LPS challenges. Plasma concentrations of glucose, IL-1beta, PGE2, and cortisol (P < 0.05) were all increased in LPS-challenged pigs compared with the control pigs after both LPS challenges. The IGF-I concentrations were less for LPS-challenged pigs than for unchallenged pigs. The lymphocyte proliferation response of peripheral blood induced by 5 microg of concanavalin A/mL (P < 0.01) and IL-2 bioactivity (P < 0.05) increased linearly with increasing addition of glucan. Pigs challenged with LPS had greater T-lymphocyte proliferation (P = 0.06) and IL-2 bioactivity (P = 0.07) than unchallenged pigs after the first immunological challenge but not after the second. In conclusion, although glucan did not improve pig performance under the conditions of the present experiment, when included at 500 mg/kg, it decreased the release of inflammatory cytokine and corticosteroid and improved the lymphocyte proliferation response of weanling piglets via enhanced IL-2 bioactivity.