A multi-taxon analysis of European Red Lists reveals major threats to biodiversity.

Biodiversity loss is a major global challenge and minimizing extinction rates is the goal of several multilateral environmental agreements. Policy decisions require comprehensive, spatially explicit information on species' distributions and threats. We present an analysis of the conservation status of 14,669 European terrestrial, freshwater and marine species (ca. 10% of the continental fauna and flora), including all vertebrates and selected groups of invertebrates and plants. Our results reveal that 19% of European species are threatened with extinction, with higher extinction risks for plants (27%) and invertebrates (24%) compared to vertebrates (18%). These numbers exceed recent IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) assumptions of extinction risk. Changes in agricultural practices and associated habitat loss, overharvesting, pollution and development are major threats to biodiversity. Maintaining and restoring sustainable land and water use practices is crucial to minimize future biodiversity declines.

Transcriptomics analysis unveils key potential genes associated with brain development and feeding behavior in the hypothalamus of L-citrulline-fed broiler chickens.

High ambient temperature is a major environmental stressor affecting poultry production, especially in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Nutritional interventions have been adopted to combat thermal stress in poultry, including the use of amino acids. L-citrulline is a nonessential amino acid that is involved in nitric oxide generation and thermoregulation, however, the molecular mechanisms behind L-citrulline's regulation of body temperature are still unascertained. This study investigated the global gene expression in the hypothalamus of chickens fed either basal diet or L-citrulline-supplemented diets under different housing temperatures. Ross 308 broilers were fed with basal diet (CON) or 1% L-citrulline diet (LCT) from day-old, and later subjected to 2 environmental temperatures in a 2 by 2 factorial arrangement as follows; basal diet-fed chickens housed at 24°C (CON-TN); L-citrulline diet-fed chickens housed at 24°C (LCT-TN); basal diet-fed chickens housed at 35°C (CON-HS), and L-citrulline diet-fed chickens housed at 35°C (LCT-HS) from 22 to 42 d of age. At 42-days old, hypothalamic tissues were collected for mRNA analyses and RNA sequencing. A total of 1,019 million raw reads were generated and about 82.59 to 82.96% were uniquely mapped to genes. The gene ontology (GO) term between the CON-TN and LCT-TN groups revealed significant enrichments of pathways such as central nervous system development, and Wnt signaling pathway. On the other hand, GO terms between the CON-HS and LCT-HS groups revealed enrichments in the regulation of corticosteroid release, regulation of feeding behavior, and regulation of inflammatory response. Several potential candidate genes were identified to be responsible for central nervous system development (EMX2, WFIKKN2, SLC6A4 Wnt10a, and PHOX2B), and regulation of feed intake (NPY, AgRP, GAL, POMC, and NMU) in chickens. Therefore, this study unveils that L-citrulline can influence transcripts associated with brain development, feeding behavior, energy metabolism, and thermoregulation in chickens raised under different ambient temperatures.

Johnius sasakii, a new species of croaker (Perciformes: Sciaenidae) with a key to Johnius from East Malaysia, Borneo.

A new sciaenid fish, Johnius sasakii sp. nov. from the East Malaysian coastal waters of Sabah and Sarawak, Borneo is described herein. Johnius sasakii sp. nov. can be separated from the close congeners, Johnius heterolepis and Johnius carouna by having less gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (mode number 9 vs. 10 for J. heterolepis; 11 for J. carouna). It can be distinguished from J. heterolepis with the higher modal number of gill rakers on the upper limb of first gill arch (5 vs. 4), shorter anal-fin base length (9% vs. 10% of SL) and first anal-fin ray length (1012% vs. 1213% of SL) respectively. Furthermore, J. sasakii sp. nov. can be further differentiated from J. carouna by its shorter second anal-fin spine length 710% SL (usually 810%) vs. 1114% SL (usually 1112%) and slightly deeper body depth 2529% SL (usually 2628%) vs. 2328% SL (usually 2426%). Meanwhile, J. sasakii sp. nov. can be easily differentiated from J. macrorhynus by a present of molariform teeth on inner rows of jaws and stumpy gill rakers. Johnius (Johnius) sasakii sp. nov. can be clearly distinguished from species of the subgenus J. (Johnieops) by the lack of enlarged outer row teeth on upper jaw. A Kimura 2-parameter genetic distance comparison of 450 bp sequences of mitochondrial 16S rRNA and 488 bp nuclear gene S7 showed that J. sasakii sp. nov. are highly differentiated from J. heterolepis (16S: 10.4%, S7: 5.8%), J. carouna (16S:19.3%, S7:8.4%); and J. macrorhynus (16S: 16.7%, S7: 8.1%) respectively. The study highlights that the genetic approach from mtDNA and nDNA can contribute to the confirmation of taxonomic status of sympatric species in genus Johnius.

Fabrication and characterization of a pro-angiogenic hydrogel derived from the human placenta.

Various hydrogels derived from the xenogeneic extracellular matrix (ECM) have been utilised to promote the repair and reconstruction of numerous tissues; however, there are few studies on hydrogels derived from allogeneic specimens. Human placenta derived hydrogels have been used in the therapy of ischaemic myocardium; however, their physicochemical properties and effects on cellular behaviour remain elusive. As the human placenta retains pro-angiogenic growth factors, it is hypothesized that the placenta hydrogels possess the potential to improve angiogenesis. In this study, a soluble decellularized human placenta matrix generated using a modified method could be stored in a powder form and could be used to form a hydrogel in vitro. Effective decellularization was evaluated by analysing the DNA content and histology images. The placenta hydrogel exhibited a fibrous porous morphology and was injectable. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that the placenta hydrogel contained both collagen and sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). In addition, immunofluorescence imaging and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the placenta hydrogel retained pro-angiogenic growth factors, including VEGF and bFGF, and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1). Further in vitro and in vivo analyses confirmed that the placenta hydrogel exerted better pro-angiogenic effects than a collagen type I hydrogel. Histological data also showed that the placenta hydrogels did not elicit a grave inflammatory response. In conclusion, the results suggest that placenta hydrogels may be deemed an attractive scaffold for regenerative medicine applications, especially in promoting vessel formation.

Association Between Genetic Polymorphisms of Metabolic Enzymes and Azathioprine-Induced Myelosuppression in 1,419 Chinese Patients: A Retrospective Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between genetic polymorphisms of azathioprine-metabolizing enzymes and adverse reactions of myelosuppression. To this end, a retrospective analysis was performed on 1,419 Chinese patients involving 40 different diseases and 3 genes: ITPA (94C>A), TPMT*3 (T>C), and NUDT15 (415C>T). Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to collect the relative cases, and the correlation between azathioprine and myelosuppression was evaluated by adverse drug reaction criteria. The mutation rates of the three genes were 29.32, 3.73, and 21.92% and grades I to IV myelosuppression occurred in 54 (9.28%) of the 582 patients who took azathioprine. The highest proportion of myelosuppression was observed in 5 of the 6 (83.33%) patients carrying the NUDT15 (415C>T) TT genotype and 12 of the 102 (11.76%) patients carrying the NUDT15 (415C>T) CT genotype. Only the NUDT15 (415C>T) polymorphism was found to be associated with the adverse effects of azathioprine-induced myelosuppression (odds ratio [OR], 51.818; 95% CI, 5.280-508.556; p = 0.001), which suggested that the NUDT15 (415C>T) polymorphism could be an influencing factor of azathioprine-induced myelosuppression in the Chinese population. Epistatic interactions between ITPA (94C>A) and NUDT15 (415C>T) affect the occurrence of myelosuppression. Thus, it is recommended that the genotype of NUDT15 (415C>T) and ITPA (94C>A) be checked before administration, and azathioprine should be avoided in patients carrying a homozygous NUDT15 (415C>T) mutation. This study is the first to investigate the association between genetic polymorphisms of these three azathioprine-metabolizing enzymes and myelosuppression in a large number of cases with a diverse range of diseases.

Five new species of Western Atlantic stardrums, Stellifer (Perciformes: Sciaenidae) with a key to Atlantic Stellifer species.

Five new species of Stellifer are described from the Caribbean Sea and tropical southwestern Atlantic. Among the previously recognized stelliferine genera, Stellifer is unique by having a pair of variably developed appendages on the posterior margin of the anterior gas chamber, which is lacking in Bairdiella, Corvula, Elattarchus, Odontoscion and Ophioscion. However, recent genetic studies indicated that Stellifer and Ophioscion are not monophyletic. The genus Ophioscion Gill, 1863 is recognized herein as a junior synonym of Stellifer Oken, 1817. Of the five new species described, Stellifer cervigoni n. sp., S. collettei n. sp., and S. musicki n. sp. have a pair of knob-like diverticula along the posterior margin of the anterior gas chamber, which is absent in S. macallisteri n. sp., and S. menezesi n. sp. Stellifer cervigoni n. sp. is found along the southern Caribbean coast of Colombia and Venezuela; it can be distinguished from other species by having a jet-black roof of mouth and inner opercular lining. Stellifer collettei n. sp. is found from Surinam to southeastern Brazil, while S. musicki n. sp. is endemic to northern Brazil. Stellifer macallisteri n. sp. has an oblique, terminal mouth and it is found in Colombia, Venezuela and Dominican Republic. Stellifer menezesi n. sp. has a subterminal mouth and is found from northeastern to southeastern Brazil. These results bring the number of valid species of Stellifer in the Atlantic to 18, and a key to the identification of these species is included.

Displacement and stress distribution of the maxilla under different surgical conditions in three typical models with bone-borne distraction: a three-dimensional finite element analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The present study compared the skeletal effects of surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) with different surgeries in three representative finite element (FE) models. STUDY DESIGN: According to the ossification level of midpalatal suture, three FE models, with different elasticity moduli of sutures (E = 1 MPa, 500 MPa, and 13,700 MPa) were constructed, to represent three age groups of patients. Within each model, four groups were set up according to different surgeries: group I (control group without surgery), II (paramedian osteotomy), III (pterygomaxillary separation), and IV (paramedian osteotomy and pterygomaxillary separation). An expansion force of 100 N and 1 mm displacement were applied via a bone-borne distraction to simulate the expansion process. RESULTS: By analyzing these models, the maximum displacement of maxilla was observed in group IV, with E = 1 MPa model exhibiting the most displacement (28.5â€¯× 10-6 mm), followed by group II (21.4â€¯× 10-6 mm). Group IV showed a unique backward-downward rotation with minimum stress distributions in three models (9 MPa, 131 MPa, and 140 MPa, respectively), and group II exhibited comparable low stress distributions (12 MPa, 151 MPa, and 230 MPa, respectively). Lowest stress was found in E = 1 MPa model, compared with the other two models. CONCLUSION: There is no need to perform surgeries when the midpalatal suture is open, and surgery guidelines are the same for partial and complete fusion sutures. Furthermore, exclusive use of partial paramedian osteotomy is sufficient enough to reduce stress and expand the posterior part of maxilla, and it is less invasive.

Johnius taiwanensis, a new species of Sciaenidae from the Taiwan Strait, with a key to Johnius species from Chinese waters.

A new sciaenid fish, Johnius taiwanensis, is described from the southeast coast of mainland China from Zhejiang to Guangdong, Hong Kong, and west coast of Taiwan. Johnius taiwanensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from other Johnius species by having a grayish dorsal half of body divided by a clear line from a whitish ventral half, and a black spot at the dorsal half of pectoral-fin axil, appearing as a distinct dot at the most dorsal point of the pectoral-fin base. First dorsal fin black tipped, other fins pale to dusky but never darkly pigmented. The species lacks distinctly enlarged teeth on upper and lower jaws. Body scales ctenoid, moderately large, with five or six rows between first dorsal-fin origin and lateral line. It is one of the most abundant sciaenids found in the shallow coastal waters (20 m) of southeast mainland China and the west coast of Taiwan. It has often been misidentified as J. macrorhynus in the region. Phylogenetic analysis from all 27 sciaenid species found in Chinese waters based on the complete COI and 16S rRNA gene sequences confirmed that the genus Johnius is monophyletic and J. taiwanensis is placed as a sister species of J. trewavasae. Acoustic analysis has shown that J. taiwanensis produces a unique sound among fishes in Taiwan coastal waters.

Production and Characterization of Composite Chitosan Hydrogel Containing Extracellular Matrix Particles for Tissue Engineering Applications.

Chitosan-based hydrogels have been extensively used for tissue regeneration due to the excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. For lack of endogenous extracellular biomacromolecules, its application is obviously limited. Because of robust biological activity, porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) has been considered as promising candidates to increase the bioactivity of hydrogels. Herein, a facile method for the fabrication of SIS powders (SISP)/chitosan chloride (CSCl)-ß-glycerol phosphate (GP)-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) hydrogel was developed. FTIR imaging results demonstrated that SISP and CSCl could be well mixed to form porous three-dimensional SISP/CSCl composite, which underwent sol-gel phage transition from solution to non-flowing hydrogel at 37 °C. Interestingly, the sustained release of VEGF and b-FGF within the composite hydrogel was determined and no initial burst release was observed. SISP/CSCl composite supported the survival and proliferation of NIH 3T3 cells in vitro and good biocompatibility in the SD rats subcutis up to 8 weeks. Furthermore, incorporated with SISP into CSCl delayed the degradation of SISP in vivo, as characterized by histological and High-Frequency Ultrasound (HFUS) measurement. Thus, all the findings suggested that the newlydeveloped injectable and thermosensitive SISP/CSCl composite was a promising and attractive candidate for soft tissue regeneration in the minimally-invasive way.

Delimitation of Tigertooth Croaker Otolithes Species (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) from the Western Arabian Gulf Using an Integrative Approach, with a Description of Otolithes arabicus sp. nov.

Two species, Otolithes ruber and Otolithes cuvieri, are currently recognized in the sciaenid genus Otolithes. Recent findings suggest that Otolithes ruber likely has multiple genetically and morphologically distinct lineages and one of them, Otolithes sp. West Indian Ocean II group (WIO II group), has been previously identified in the Arabian Gulf. In this study, the specimens of Otolithes sp. collected from the western Arabian Gulf were examined using an integrative approach by combining mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene, morphological characteristics, and otolith-shape analyses. Three groups were found to have small within-group and large between-group genetic distance: the Otolithes sp. Western Arabian Gulf (WA) group, and the Otolithes sp. WIO II groups type A and type B. Accordingly, three primary species hypotheses were proposed. Evidence from conventional morphological comparisons, multivariate statistical analysis, geometric morphometric landmark analysis on morphological characteristics, and otolith shape analysis based on wavelet transformation all favor the hypothesis that the Otolithes sp. WA group is a distinct lineage. For this new species, the name Otolithes arabicus sp. nov. is proposed. A detailed description of Otolithes arabicus sp. nov. and a key to identifing species in the genus Otolithes are also provided. However, the primary species hypotheses for Otolithes sp. West Indian Ocean II group type A and type B cannot be fully supported because of partial congruence, which may result from recent divergence.

Research progress of less invasive surfactant application in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Intratracheal surfactant administration is the only specific treatment for respiratory distress syndrome and usually requires endotracheal intubation, positive pressure and/or mechanical ventilation which are harmful to the immature lung.One of these alternative methods is less invasive surfactant application (LISA) via a thin endotracheal catheter during spontaneous breathing with continuous positive airway pressure.Use of LISA allows administration of surfactant while avoiding intubation and positive pressure.Observational studies have fostered expectations of a positive effect of LISA on serious complications of preterm infants and the need for mechanical ventilation.However, there is still a controversy about indications, premedication and serious complications of preterm infants while using LISA.This article reviews the controversies of LISA technology in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome.

Analysis of short 3 term survival rate and morbidity of extremely preterm infants / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To assess survival rates and major complications of extremely preterm infants( EPI) discharged from the hospital,in order to provide some evidence for the treatment of such cases in the future. Methods A retrospective study Was performed by revieWing the clinical data of 299 infants at gestational age(GA)﹤28 Weeks Who Were admitted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit( NICU)of Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics from January 1st 2011 to December 31st,2017. The survival rates and major morbidities of EPI according to different GA Were compared by trend Chi－squaΥe and t test. Results A total of 299 cases of EPI Were included in the study,With a mean GA of 26. 5 Weeks(22 +3 －27 +6 Weeks)and mean birth Weight of 958. 5 g(360－1 550 g). From 2011 to 2017, the number of hospitalized EPI increased gradually( from 21 cases in 2011 to 79 cases in 2017),especially in EPI of loWer GA(GA﹤25 Weeks)Which increased from 4 cases in 2011－2014 to 26 cases in 2015－2017. The rates of sur﹣vival infants With GA﹤28 Weeks Were 78. 6%(235／299 cases),including 18. 2%(2／11 cases)at GA≤23 Weeks, 52. 6%(10／19 cases)at 24 Weeks,75. 8%(25／33 cases)at 25 Weeks,78. 5%(62／79 cases)at 26 Weeks and 86. 6%(136／157 cases)at 27 Weeks,respectively,Which shoWed that survival rates increased With the groWth of GA( χ2 ﹦31. 3,P﹦0. 000). Major morbidities among the survival infants Were severe retinopathy of prematurity(ROP,stageⅢor above according to international classification and received treatment)[16. 2%(38／235 cases)],bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD,supplemental oxygen use at a postmenstrual age of 36 Weeks)[15. 3%(36／235 cases)],late－onset sepsis(LOS)[24. 7%(58／235 cases)],intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH),grade 3 or 4)or periventricular leukoma﹣lacia(PVL)[9. 4%(22／235 cases)],necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC),stage≥Ⅱof Bell,criteria)[3. 0%(7／235 cases)],and decreased With increased gestational age(χ2 ﹦18. 450,19. 773,15. 024,all P﹦0. 000). Rates of ROP, BPD and LOS in EPI With GA﹤25 Weeks Were 41. 7%(5／12 cases),58. 3%(7／12 cases)and 66. 7%(8／12 cases), respectively,Which Were much higher than those of EPI With GA 25－28 Weeks[14. 8%(33／223 cases),13. 0%(29／223 cases),22. 4%(50／223 cases)](all P﹤0. 05). Conclusions From 2011 to 2017,the number of hospitalized EPI increased gradually and the rate of survival rose With every 1－Week increase in GA,While major morbidities Were reduced accordingly. EPI of GA﹤25 Weeks had a greater risk of mortality and major morbidities.

Design and performance of a terahertz absorber based on patterned graphene.

Modern terahertz (THz) technology offers the advantage of enhanced target detection ability with high spatial and temporal resolutions in the THz band, which makes it a formidable threat to stealth targets. Consequently, THz absorbers have outstanding potential as an electromagnetic countermeasure. In this Letter, we design, fabricate, and characterize a THz absorber based on patterned graphene. We present the transfer, photolithography, and etching processes involved in graphene patterning, as well as the experimental measurements of the fabricated absorber. Our simulations show that with an increase in the Fermi energy, the performance of the designed absorber gradually improves and, finally, decreases slightly. Further, the absorption bandwidth first broadens and then narrows slightly. The effective bandwidth with absorption ≥90% ranges from 1.54 to 2.23 THz, with the relative bandwidth (RBW) reaching about 36.6%. Although the measured RBW (from ∼12% to ∼14% and then to ∼8%) slightly deviates from the simulated one, the position of the resonant frequency is well matched between theory and experiment. Moreover, we illuminate the absorption mechanism using the theory of destructive interference. This Letter can significantly contribute to the design, manufacture, and application of patterned graphene-based THz absorbers.

Influence of Guiqiyiyuan Ointment on the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in rat lung tissues injured by heavy ion radiation-induced bystander effect / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To explore the influence of Guiqiyiyuan Ointment on the expressions of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in the lung and kidney of the rats damaged by heavy ion (12C6+) radiation-induced bystander effect.Methods The Wistar male rats were equally and randomly divided into seven groups,normal control group (NCG),radiation alone group (RAG) and Chinese medicine group (CMG),with the latter two groups being redivided into 6,12 and 24h groups according to the executing time.The Chinese medicine groups were given Guiqiyiyuan Ointment by gavage for two weeks in advance.The normal control group and the radiation alone groups were given the equal normal saline.Afterwards,the right lung of the rats in the radiation alone groups and Chinese medicine groups were radiated by 2Gy 12C6+ ion once.The rats in normal control group were not radiated.All groups of rats were executed 6,12,and 24h after radiation.The protein and mRNA expressions of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in the right lung,left lung and left kidney were examined with immunohistochemistry and Q-PCR.Results Compared with the normal control group,the mRNA expressions of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in the right lung,left lung and left kidney in the radiation alone groups obviously increased 6 and 24h after radiation.While the protein expressions of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in the radiation alone group obviously increased only 24h after radiation (P＜0.01).Compared with the radiation alone groups,the expressions of protein and mRNA ofcaspase-3 and caspase-9 were obviously down-regulated in the Chinese medicine groups (P＜0.01).Conclusion By controlling the up-regulation of the expression ofcaspase-3 and caspase-9,Guiqiyiyuan Ointment can prevent the lung and kidney cell apoptosis and alleviate the damage caused by heavy ion radiation-induced bystander effect in vivo.

Disabling tremor induced by long-term use of sodium valproate and lamotrigine: Case report.

RATIONALE: Sodium valproate (VPA) and lamotrigine (LTG) are widely used antiepileptic drugs, disabling postural, and action tremors after using LTG with VPA were reported in 1993. However, in this study, we describe a patient in whom disabling resting-type tremor induced by 2-year use of VPA and LTG. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 50-year old man was referred to department of neurology because of involuntary upper limbs resting-type tremor with high amplitude that had begun 6 months previously and progressively worsened, and he could not work on the day of visit. Furthermore, he had been treated with VPA, LTG, and benzhexol for 2 years as he suffered from twitch of eyelids and facial region, and amantadine, monolithic compound preparation (flupentixol and melitracen) were added in the last 2 months because of tremor and anxiety. However, the treatment had no benefit on improving involuntary movements of the patient. DIAGNOSES: Drug-induced disabling tremor was diagnosed. INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES: LTG, amantadine, and VPA were withdrawn, the remaining 2 drugs, benzhexol and compound preparation (flupentixol and melitracen), were continued to use, and the patient improved in 2.5 months after discontinuation of 3 drugs. There was no recurrence at 6 months follow-up. LESSONS: Considering the wide and long-term utilization of VPA and LTG, healthcare providers should be aware of them as a possible cause of tremor. When necessary, an attempt of discontinuing the suspected drugs should be made to confirm the diagnosis, instead of symptomatic treatment, especially when the adverse event was severe and fatal.

Expressions of Rock2 and Wnt11 in esophageal cancer cell lines and their implications / 医学研究生学报

Objective Early clinical symptoms of esophageal cancer are often not obvious , so a deeper insight into tumor markers is very important for the early diagnosis of esophageal cancer .This study was to investigate the expressions of Rock 2 and Wnt11 in the specific esophageal cancer cell lines Eca-109 and HEEC and the relationship of the signal transduction pathway of proteins with the development of esophageal cancer . Methods Esophageal cancer cell lines Eca-109 and HEEC were cultured and the expression levels of Rock2 and Wnt11 in the cell lines were determined by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot . Results The mRNA expressions of Rock2 and Wnt11 were significantly increased in the Eca-109 as compared with those in the HEEC cell line (4.955± 0.539 vs 1.000±0.000, P<0.01;2.925±0.230 vs 1.000±0.000, P<0.01), and so were the protein expressions of Rock 2 and Wnt11 (955.000±21.628 vs 778.844±102.193, P<0.05;2175.316±145.623 vs 1312.233±50.734, P<0.05). Conclusion The up-regula-ted expressions of Rock 2 and Wint11 may be the markers of the metastasis of esophageal squamous cancer .

CXCL13 chemokine as a promising biomarker to diagnose neurosyphilis in HIV-negative patients.

BACKGROUND: Chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) is believed to play a role in the recruitment of B cells in the central nervous system during neuroinflammation. Neurosyphilis is a group of clinical syndromes of the central nervous system caused by Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) infection. The relationship between CXCL13 and neurosyphilis still needs further study. In our study, CSF and serum CXCL13 concentrations were detected among 40 neurosyphilis patients, 31 syphilis/non-neurosyphilis patients, 26 non-syphilis/other central nervous system diseases patients. Serum CXCL13 concentrations were detected in 49 healthy persons. All enrolled persons were HIV-negative. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the threshold value that could distinguish neurosyphilis from syphilis. RESULTS: We found that the CSF CXCL13 concentrations and CXCL13 quotient (QCXCL13) were significantly increased in neurosyphilis patients compared to syphilis/non-neurosyphilis (χ(2) = 21.802, P < 0.001) and non-syphilis patients (χ(2) = 7.677, P = 0.002). ROC curve analyses revealed that CSF CXCL13 concentrations and QCXCL13 could serve as valuable biomarkers for differentiating neurosyphilis from non-neurosyphilis/syphilis. CONCLUSIONS: The CSF CXCL13 and QCXCL13 could serve as valuable biomarkers for differentiating neurosyphilis from non-neurosyphilis/syphilis in HIV-negative patients.

Preparation and characterization of pro-angiogenic gel derived from small intestinal submucosa.

Gels derived from decellularized small intestinal submucosa (SIS) have been used to repair ischemic myocardium and deliver protein drug. However, their material properties and effects on cell behavior are not well understood, in part because of the difficulty of gelling in vitro. In this study, soluble SIS matrix, which was easily handled and could effectively gel, was successfully prepared using a modified method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the SIS gel contained not only collagen but also sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs). Interestingly, the sustained release of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor within the SIS gel was detected, and no initial burst release was observed. The SIS gel was more capable of evoking neovascularization than collagen type I gel, as determined by tube formation experiments in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, the mouse aortic ring assay, and animal experiments. The upregulated expression of kinase insert domain receptor (KDR), Notch1, and Ang2, the key genes in angiogenesis that were evaluated in HUVECs seeded on the SIS gel, confirmed that angiogenesis bioactive factors contained in the SIS gel are indeed active and effective. The SIS gel significantly promoted neovascularization compared to the collagen type I gel in vivo. Histology revealed adequate host tissue response in engraftment both types of gels. Together, these data demonstrate that the SIS gel is a promising and attractive candidate for tissue engineering, especially in promoting vessel formation. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The material properties of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) gel and the effect of these properties upon cell behavior are not well understood, in part due to the difficulty of gelling in vitro. In this study, soluble SIS matrix, which was easily handled and gelled was prepared using modified method. The material properties and biocompatibility of SIS gel were explored. The sustained release of growth factors from this gel was observed along with its degradation in vitro. The results demonstrate that the SIS gel promote angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. The SIS gel biological properties suggest that the constituent ECM molecules released from the gel remain activity. These findings suggested that the SIS gel was a promising candidate for tissue engineering, especially in promoting vessel formation.

Relation between cervical squamous cancer lesion among Uighur and Han ethnic women in Xinjiang with expression of PI3K,ERK,IGF-1R and ER protein / 重庆医学

Objective To observe the expression levels of PI3K ,ERK ,IGF‐1R and ER in cervicitis and cervical squamous cancer tissues among Uighur and Han ethnic patients and their correlation .Methods The 90 paraffin embedding samples of cervici‐tis tissue( 46 cases for Han and 44 cases for Uighur) and 224 paraffin embedding samples of cervical squamous cancer tissue (36 ca‐ses for Han and 188 cases for Uighur) were collected and detected the protein expression levels by using immunohistochemistry .Re‐sults The positive expression rates of IGF‐1R and PI3K in cervical squamous cancer were 58 .04% and 92 .41% respectively ,which were higher than 13 .33% and 57 .78% in cervicitis tissue ,the positive expression rates of ER and ERK in cervical squamous cancer were 22 .32% and 68 .30% respectively ,which were lower than 63 .33% and 95 .56% in cervicitis tissue ;the positive expression rate of IGF‐1R and PI3K of cervical squamous cancer in Han and Uighur were 69 .44% ,88 .89% and 55 .85% ,93 .09% respective‐ly ,which were higher than 15 .22% ,54 .35% and 11 .36% ,61 .36% of cervicitis tissue ;the positive expression rate of ER and ERK of cervical squamous cancer in Han and Uighur were 13 .89% ,83 .33% and 23 .94% ,65 .43% respectively ,which were lower than 65 .22% ,93 .48% and 61 .36% ,97 .73% of cervicitis tissue respectively ;the expression of ERK in Uighur cervical squamous carci‐noma tissue was 65 .43% ,which was lower than 83 .33% in Han ,the difference was statistically significant (P<0 .01) .Conclusion PI3K ,ERK ,IGF‐1R and ER protein expression positive or deficiency is closely related to the occurrence of cervical cancer ,which may serve as the important biological indicators for detecting cervical cancer ,and the ethnic difference of ERK protein expression exists in cervical cancer .