Multimodality imaging in diagnosing lipomatous atrial septal hypertrophy with atrial septal defect: a case report.

Background: Lipomatous atrial septal hypertrophy (LASH) with atrial septal defect (ASD) is a rare congenital anomaly. Although LASH is a histologically benign cardiac lesion characterized by excessive fat deposition in the interatrial septum that spares the fossa ovale, it has been associated with supraventricular arrhythmias or sick sinus syndrome. Application of multimodal imaging is crucial for accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment of LASH with ASD, and follow-up. Case summary: A 68-year-old female patient presented with recurrent chest tightness and palpitation. Multimodal imaging revealed the characterizations of LASH and ASD. Two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography showed a "dumbbell"-shaped involvement of the cephalad and caudal regions with sparing of a single secundum ASD. The septum with a brightness feature is an uncommon condition characterized by the deposition of unencapsulated fat cells in the atrial septum. Real-time four-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography reflected the lipomatous hypertrophy of the atrial septum and an oval-shaped ASD. Cardiac computer tomography angiography later confirmed this finding. The patient achieved a good clinical response with an ASD percutaneous occlusion guided by intracardiac echocardiography (ICE). Conclusion: This case demonstrates a LASH combined with ASD. Multimodality imaging can provide an accurate diagnosis and may guide the procedure for precise occlusion.

[Preparation and quality standard of standard decoction of Scrophulariae Radix pieces].

The standard decoction of Chinese herbal decoction pieces is a standard reference substance to measure whether different dosage forms of Chinese medicine are basically consistent with those of clinical decoction,and provides new ideas and methods for effectively solving the problems of uneven quality in Chinese medicine dispensing granules. In this study,a systematic method for evaluating the quality of Scrophulariae Radix decoction was established from the perspective of " standard decoction",providing reference for the quality control of the Scrophulariae Radix dispensing granules. 15 batches of Scrophulariae Radix decoction pieces from different origins were collected,and 15 batches of standard decoctions were prepared according to the standardized process with water as solvent.Harpagide and harpagoside were used as quantitative detection indicators to determine the content,calculate the transfer rates and determine the extraction rate. The high performance liquid chromatography( HPLC) was used to establish a standard decoction fingerprint analysis method. The results showed that the transfer rates of harpagide and harpagoside in 15 batches of Scrophulariae Radix pieces standard decoction were( 70. 84±13. 39) % and( 48. 56±6. 40) % respectively; the extraction rate was( 57. 47±5. 89) %. Nine peaks were identified in the HPLC fingerprint,and the similarity was higher than 0. 97 between the fingerprints of 15 batches of standard decoction and the control fingerprint. In this study,the preparation process of standard decoction of Scrophulariae Radix pieces conformed to the traditional decoction preparation method. The sources of the samples were representative,and the established fingerprint method was stable and feasible,which can provide reference for the preparation and quality control of Scrophulariae Radix dispensing granules.

[Impact of Phosphogypsum Wastes on the Wheat Growth and CO2 Emissions and Evaluation of Economic-environmental Benefit].

Phosphogypsum is a phosphorus chemical waste which has not been managed and reused well, resultantly, causing environmental pollution and land-occupation. Phosphogypsum wastes were used as a soil amendment to assess the effect on wheat growth, yield and CO2 emissions from winter wheat fields. Its economic and environmental benefits were analyzed at the same time. The results showed that wheat yield was increased by 37.71% in the treatment of phosphogypsum of 2 100 kg x hm(-2). Compared with the control treatment, throughout the wheat growing season, CO2 emission was accumulatively reduced by 3% in the treatment of phosphogypsum waste of 1050 kg x hm(-2), while reduced by 8% , 10% , and 6% during the jointing stage, heading date and filling period of wheat, respectively; while CO2 emission was accumulatively reduced by 7% in the treatment of phosphogypsum waste of 2 100 kg x hm(-2) throughout the wheat growing season, as reduced by 11% , 4% , and 12% during the reviving wintering stage, heading date and filling period of wheat, respectively. It was better for CO2 emission reduction in the treatment of a larger amount of phosphogypsum waste. In the case of application of phosphogypsum waste residue within a certain range, the emission intensity of CO2 ( CO2 emissions of per unit of fresh weight or CO2 emissions of per unit of yield) , spike length, fresh weight and yield showed a significantly negative correlation--the longer the ear length, the greater fresh weight and yield and the lower the CO2 emissions intensity. As to the carbon trading, phosphogypsum utilization was of high economic and environmental benefits. Compared with the control, the ratio of input to output changed from 1: 8.3 to 1: 10.7, which in the same situation of investment the output could be increased by 28.92% ; phosphogypsum as a greenhouse gas reducing agent in the wheat field, it could decrease the cost and increase the environmental benefit totally about 290 yuan per unit of ton. The results demonstrated phosphogypsum wastes could obviously decrease the CO2 emission from field soil and had a great potential to control agricultural greenhouse gases. Hopefully it has an important application perspective for the low-carbon, ecological and sustainable agricultural development.

[Construction of a dual-luciferase co-expression vector and its characteristics in vitro and in vivo].

A novel dual luciferase expression vector was designed and its expression characteristics were studied in vitro and in vivo. Firstly, the Gluc and Fluc genes were connected via the TaV 2A sequence by overlaping PCR, and inserted into the expression vector pAAV2neoCAG, obtaining the recombinant plasmid pAAV2neoCAG-Gluc-2A-Fluc. Then pAAV2neoCAG-Gluc-2A-Fluc was transfected into BHK21 cells and the activity of Gluc and Fluc in the supernatant and cell lysates were assayed respectively. Results showed that both Gluc and Fluc were expressed successfully. The Gluc was mainly detected in the culture media while the Fluc was mostly within cells. The activity of Gluc in the supernatant increased gradually with time while the Fluc activity in cells almost kept stable. To investigate the expression of pAAV2neoCAG-Gluc-2A-Fluc in vivo, the plasmid was hydrodynamically injected into BALB/c mice through tail vein. The Gluc activity was assayed in a small volume of blood taken by tail vein at different time points. Results showed that Gluc was expressed stably at least 7 days. Live bioluminescence imaging technology was used to compare the expression characteristics of Gluc and Fluc. Whole body imaging was seen when coelenterazine, a specific substrate for Gluc, was injected, and the imaging signals decreased rapidly within 10 minutes. Liver imaging was showed when Flue specific substrate named D-Luciferin was injected, and the imaging remained stable at least for half an hour. The dual luciferase expression vector pAAV2neoCAG-Gluc-2A-Fluc combines the advantages of the secreted report gene Gluc and the non-secreted report gene Fluc, and will provide a new tool for cell labeling and tracing.

[Preparation and bioactivity evaluation of streptavidin-tagged human interleukin-15 fusion protein].

OBJECTIVE: To obtain streptavidin-tagged human interleukin-15 (SA/hIL15) fusion protein and evaluate its bioactivity. METHODS: pET24a-6His-SA-hIL-15 and pET32a-hIL-15-SA-6His plasmids were constructed and expressed in BL 21(DE3) host bacteria to generate the fusion protein. The recombinant fusion protein IL-15/SA was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and refolded, and the efficiency of surface modification of the fusion protein on biotinylated cells was examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. CCK-8 method was used to evaluate the effect of IL-15/SA fusion protein in inducing the proliferation of human peripheral-blood lymphocyte (PBL) cells stimulated by PHA. RESULTS: The recombinant SA-hIL-15 and hIL15-SA fusion proteins were highly expressed in BL21(DE3) at about 20% of the total bacterial proteins. The purified hIL15-SA fusion protein exhibited a bifunctionality by promoting the proliferation of PBL cells activated by PHA and high-affinity binding to biotinylated cell surface mediated by SA, with a cell surface modification efficiency exceeding 95%. SA-hIL-15 showed a 4-fold higher hIL15 bioactivity than hIL15-SA. CONCLUSION: SA/hIL-15 bifunctional fusion protein has been successfully obtained to facilitate the future development of hIL-15-surface-modified cancer cell vaccine.

Xiaoxuming decoction and stroke: a literature-based study.

Xiaoxuming decoction, an ancient traditional Chinese medical prescription for treatment of stroke, has somehow lost its clinical application since Tang Dynasty. Based on the historic record of this prescription, mechanisms of composition and clinical and experimental studies, the authors attempt to evaluate the standing of Xiaoxuming decoction as a remedy for stroke.