[Construction of a model based on multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy for predicting pathological complete response after neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer].

Objective: To investigate the value of transanal multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy (TMFP) in predicting pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy (nCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and to establish a predictive model for providing clinical guidance regarding the treatment of LARC. Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, cohort study, we collected data on 110 LARC patients from four hospitals between April 2020 and March 2023: Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University (50 patients), Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University (41 patients), Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (16 patients), and Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University (three patients). The patients had all received TMFP after completing standard nCRT. The variables studied included (1) clinicopathological characteristics; (2) clinical complete remission (cCR) and efficacy of TMFP in determining pCR after NCRT in LARC patients; and (3) hospital attended, sex, age, clinical T- and N-stages, distance between the lower margin of the tumor and the anal verge, baseline and post-radiotherapy serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9 concentrations, chemotherapy regimen, use of immunosuppressants with or without radiotherapy, radiation therapy dosage, interval between surgery and radiotherapy, surgical procedure, clinical T/N stage after radiotherapy, cCR, pathological results of TMFP, puncture method (endoscopic or percutaneous), and number and timing of punctures. Single-factor and multifactorial logistic regression analysis were used to determine the factors affecting pCR after NCRT in LARC patients. A prediction model was constructed based on the results of multivariat analysis and the performance of this model evaluated by analyzing subject work characteristics (ROC), calibration, and clinical decision-making (DCA) curves. pCR was defined as complete absence of tumor cells on microscopic examination of the surgical specimens of rectal cancer (including lymph node dissection) after NCRT, that is, ypT0+N0. cCR was defined according to the Chinese Neoadjuvant Rectal Cancer Waiting Watch Database Study Collaborative Group criteria after treatment, which specify an absence of ulceration and nodules on endoscopy; negative rectal palpation; no tumor signals on rectal MRI T2 and DWI sequences; normal serum CEA concentrations, and no evidence of recurrence on pelvic computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Of the 110 patients, 45 (40.9%) achieved pCR after nCRT, which was combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in 34 (30.9%). cCR was diagnosed before puncture in 38 (34.5%) patients, 43 (39.1%) of the punctures being endoscopic. There were no complications of puncture such as enterocutaneous fistulae, vaginal injury, prostatic injury, or presacral bleeding . Only one (2.3%) patient had a small amount of blood in the stools, which was relieved by anal pressure. cCR had a sensitivity of 57.8% (26/45) for determining pCR, specificity of 81.5% (53/65), accuracy of 71.8% (79/110), positive predictive value 68.4% (26/38), and negative predictive value of 73.6% (53/72). In contrast, the sensitivity of TMFP pathology in determining pCR was 100% (45/45), specificity 66.2% (43/65), accuracy 80.0% (88/110), positive predictive value 67.2% (45/67), and negative predictive value 100.0% (43/43). In this study, the sensitivity of TMFP for pCR (100.0% vs. 57.8%, χ2=24.09, P<0.001) was significantly higher than that for cCR. However, the accuracy of pCR did not differ significantly (80.0% vs. 71.8%, χ2=2.01, P=0.156). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that a ≥4 cm distance between the lower edge of the tumor and the anal verge (OR=7.84, 95%CI: 1.48-41.45, P=0.015), non-cCR (OR=4.81, 95%CI: 1.39-16.69, P=0.013), and pathological diagnosis by TMFP (OR=114.29, the 95%CI: 11.07-1180.28, P<0.001) were risk factors for pCR after NCRT in LARC patients. Additionally, endoscopic puncture (OR=0.02, 95%CI: 0.05-0.77, P=0.020) was a protective factor for pCR after NCRT in LARC patients. The area under the ROC curve of the established prediction model was 0.934 (95%CI: 0.892-0.977), suggesting that the model has good discrimination. The calibration curve was relatively close to the ideal 45° reference line, indicating that the predicted values of the model were in good agreement with the actual values. A decision-making curve showed that the model had a good net clinical benefit. Conclusion: Our predictive model, which incorporates TMFP, has considerable accuracy in predicting pCR after nCRT in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. This may provide a basis for more precisely selecting individualized therapy.

Stable color-tunable Ca3Y(GaO)3(BO3)4:Bi3+/Tb3+/Eu3+ phosphors for application in n-UV-pumped wLEDs.

For further development of light sources, white light-emitting diodes (wLEDs) have attracted widespread attention as promising next-generation light sources fabricated via the combination of phosphors and LED chips. However, latent defects, such as chemical/thermal instability, low color rendering index (CRI) and high correlated color temperature (CCT), of current mainstream wLEDs seriously hinder their further large-scale implementation. Herein, in order to overcome these limitations, single-phase color-tunable gaudefroyite (Ca3Y(GaO)3(BO3)4 (CYGB)) tridoped with Bi3+/Tb3+/Eu3+ ions was synthesized for the first time and detailed characterisation was performed via high-temperature solid-state reaction and structural/spectral analyses, respectively. Radius difference percentage calculations and Rietveld refinements indicate that dopants occupy both Y3+ and Ca2+ sites but preferably the Y3+ site over the Ca2+ site due to the same valence state. Through subtly regulating the (co)doping contents and skillfully utilizing the energy transfer (ET) strategy from the allowed transition of blue light-emitting Bi to the forbidden transition of green/red light-emitting Tb/Eu, the color hue (including white light) of highly efficient PL can be easily tuned according to the need. Meanwhile, composition/content-optimized white light-emitting CYGB:2%Bi/10%Tb/12%Eu also shows splendid chemical/thermal stability. Finally, as a proof-of-concept experiment, the CYGB:2%Bi/10%Tb/12%Eu phosphor-converted wLED (pc-wLED) was fabricated and encapsulated via the up-to-date remote 'capping' method, which imparted attractive performances. Altogether, the stable CYGB:Bi/Tb/Eu phosphor is a promising candidate for application in lighting/display fields.

Structure and luminescence properties of single-component melilite Sr2MgSi2O7:Ce/Tb/Sm for n-UV wLEDs.

Phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (pc-wLEDs) have attracted attention in the field of solid-state lighting. Selection and study of suitable single-phase phosphor and packaging modes are currently the main research hotspots. Herein, color-tunable photoluminescence (PL) and thermally stable tri-doped Melitite Sr2MgSi2O7:Ce/Tb/Sm are systematically studied via structural and static/dynamic spectral analyses. All dopants could only be accommodated in the Sr site due to similar ionic radii. Previous studies have concluded that green and red PL could be obtained from singly doped Tb and Sm phosphors with excellent reproduction, and color tunable PL can be achieved from Ce/Tb co-doped phosphors. The forbidden 4f-4f transitions of Tb/Sm cause low efficiency and Ce/Tb co-doping cannot achieve white light emissions. Alternatively, co-doping allowed 5d-4f transition sensitizer with emissions in the UV-blue region (i.e., Ce), color-tunable PL (including the white light); high efficiency of Sr2MgSi2O7:Ce/Tb/Sm could be achieved via energy transfer (ET) from Ce → Tb → Sm. The impossibly direct ET from Ce → Sm is associated with the side metal-metal charge transfer (MMCT) effect. Due to chemically nonequivalent substitutions, two positive Ce(Tb,Sm)Sr and one negative V''Sr were created to maintain the whole charge balance. To reduce the defects and allow more dopants to enter into the Sr site, Na+ was added as a charge balancer to enhance PL efficiency. Furthermore, an alkaline-earth-metal-ions blending strategy via partial replacement of Sr with Ba was investigated to regulate PL owing to the change in crystal field splitting. PL blue-shifted by Ba-co-doping, which could increase the degree of overlapping and enhance ET efficiency. As a proof-of-concept experiment, the pc-wLED fabricated via a combination of the optimal Sr(Ba)2MgSi2O7:Ce/Tb/Sm/Na and an n-UV LED chip based on a remote 'capping' packaging mode shows excellent performances, indicating its strong potential application in the field of solid-state lighting.

[The value of transanal multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy in determining the response degree of rectal cancer following neoadjuvant therapy: a prospective multicenter study].

Objective: To verify the feasibility and accuracy of the transanal multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy (TMFP) technique in determining the residual status of cancer foci after neoadjuvant therapy (nCRT) in rectal cancer. Methods: Between April 2020 and November 2022, a total of 78 patients from the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University, the Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University, the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University with advanced rectal cancer received TMFP after nCRT participated in this prospective multicenter trial. There were 53 males and 25 females, aged (M(IQR)) 61 (13) years (range: 35 to 77 years). The tumor distance from the anal verge was 5 (3) cm (range: 2 to 10 cm). The waiting time between nCRT and TMFP was 73 (26) days (range: 33 to 330 days). 13-point transanal puncture was performed with a 16 G tissue biopsy needle with the residual lesion as the center. The specimens were submitted for independent examination and the complications of the puncture were recorded. The consistency of TMFP and radical operation specimen was compared. The consistency of TMPF with clinical remission rates for the diagnosis of complete pathological remission was compared by sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and accuracy. Statistical analysis between groups was performed using the χ2 analysis, and a paired χ2 test was used to compare diagnostic validity. Results: Before TMFP, clinical complete response (cCR) was evaluated in 27 cases. Thirty-six cases received in vivo puncture, the number of punctures in each patient was 13 (8) (range: 4 to 20), 24 cases of tumor residue were found in the puncture specimens. The sensitivity to judgment (100% vs. 60%, χ2=17.500, P<0.01) and accuracy (88.5% vs. 74.4%, χ2=5.125, P=0.024) of TMFP for the pathologic complete response (pCR) were significantly higher than those of cCR. Implement TMFP based on cCR judgment, the accuracy increased from 74.4% to 92.6% (χ2=4.026, P=0.045). The accuracy of the in vivo puncture was 94.4%, which was 83.3% of the in vitro puncture (χ2=1.382, P=0.240). Overall, the accuracy of TMFP improved gradually with an increasing number of cases (χ2=7.112, P=0.029). Conclusion: TMFP is safe and feasible, which improves the sensitivity and accuracy of rectal cancer pCR determination after nCRT, provides a pathological basis for cCR determination, and contributes to the safe development of the watch and wait policy.

[Development of a nomogram for predicting the risk of colorectal advanced adenomas].

Objective: To explore the risk factors of colorectal advanced adenomas (AA) and construct a nomogram to predict the risk of colorectal AAs. Methods: Clinical data of patients were retrospectively collected who underwent their first colonoscopy from January 2017 to December 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and were pathologically confirmed harboring colorectal polyps. A credible random split-sample method was used to divide data into training and validation cohorts (split ratio=7∶3). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify the predictors of colorectal advanced adenomas, and a nomogram was developed based on the above results. The validation cohort was used for internal validation of the nomogram. The discriminatory value of the nomogram was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The consistency between actual outcomes and predicted probabilities was evaluated by the calibration curve. The clinical validity of the model was evaluated by the decision analysis curve (DCA). Results: A total of 1 936 patients with colorectal polyps were eligible. Including 1 356 patients in the training cohort (840 males and 516 females), and 580 patients in the validation cohort (379 males and 201 females), with the mean ages of (57.4±9.8) and (57.6±9.7) years, respectively. There were 1 502 (77.6%) patients without AAs and 434 [22.4%,1-9 mm 73(16.8%) cases、>9-<20 mm 271(62.5%) cases、≥20 mm 90(20.7%) cases] patients with AAs. The regression analysis found that age (OR=1.018, 95%CI:1.003-1.033), fatty liver (OR=1.870, 95%CI:1.274-2.744), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (OR=1.378, 95%CI:1.159-1.637), fecal occult blood test (FOBT) (OR=2.597, 95%CI:1.857-3.631), and location of adenomas [proximal (OR=2.869, 95%CI:1.727-4.764), distal (OR=2.791, 95%CI:1.721-4.527)] were identified as predictors of colorectal AAs. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.664 (95%CI:0.630-0.698) in the training cohort and 0.640 (95%CI:0.587-0.693) in the validation cohort. The calibration curve showed good consistency between the predicted and actual risk, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) test P value was 0.830 and 0.150 in the training cohort and the validation cohort. DCA demonstrated that the nomogram had a better clinical application value. Conclusions: A nomogram with five predictors, including age, fatty liver, LDL, FOBT, and location of adenomas, helped predict the risk of colorectal AAs in patients with polyps and implemented colorectcal cancer stratified screening strategy for colonoscopy in the high-risk population.

A synonymous mutation in IGF-1 impacts the transcription and translation process of gene expression.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is considered to be a crucial gene in the animal development of bone and body size. In this study, a unique synonymous mutation (c.258 A > G) of the IGF-1 gene was modified with an adenine base editor to observe the growth and developmental situation of mutant mice. Significant expression differences and molecular mechanisms among vectors with different alanine synonymous codons were explored. Although modification of a single synonymous codon rarely interferes with animal phenotypes, we observed that the expression and secretion of IGF-1 were different between 8-week-old homozygous (Ho) and wild-type (WT) mice. In addition, the IGF-1 with optimal codon combinations showed a higher expression content than other codon combination modes at both transcription and translation levels and performed proliferation promotion. The gene stability and translation initiation efficiency also changed significantly. Our findings illustrated that the synonymous mutation altered the IGF-1 gene expression in individual mice and suggested that the synonymous mutation affected the IGF-1 expression and biological function through the transcription and translation processes.

MiR-223 alleviates thrombus and inflammation in thromboangiitis obliterans rats by regulating NLRP3.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to observe the regulatory effects of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-223 on thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) rats, and to explore the potential regulatory mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Online database TargetScan was used to predict the downstream regulatory targets of miR-223. A total of 45 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups, including sham operation group (Sham group), Model group, and miR-223 agonist group (miR-223 mimic group). TAO model was successfully established in rats through the injection of lauric acid via the femoral artery. The content of serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and endothelin (ET) was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The pathological changes in the left hind limb were detected via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Moreover, the expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1ß in the tissues of the rat left hind limb were determined via immunohistochemistry. In addition, the protein expression of Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in tissues was determined using Western blotting. RESULTS: TargetScan database predicted that NLRP3 was the downstream target gene of miR-223. Compared with the Sham group, Model group exerted significantly higher content of serum TXB2 and ET, severe lesions in the rat left hind limb, as well as significantly increased expressions of IL-6 and IL-1ß and protein expression of NLRP3 in tissues of the rat left hind limb (p<0.05). Besides, compared with the Model group, miR-223 mimic group showed remarkably lower content of serum TXB2 and ET, improved lesions in the rat left hind limb, as well as decreased expressions of IL-6 and IL-1ß and protein expression of NLRP3 in the tissues of the rat left hind limb (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-223 agonist can alleviate thrombus and inflammatory response in TAO rats. The possible underlying mechanism may be related to targeted regulation on NLRP3 inflammasome expression.

[Short-term efficacy of robotic-assisted total mesorectal excision with and without lateral lymph node dissection for mid-low advanced rectal cancer: a propensity score matching analysis].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of robotic-assisted lateral lymph node dissection for mid-low advanced rectal cancer. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Inclusion criteria: (1) age between 18 and 80 years old; (2) rectal adenocarcinoma diagnosed by pathology; (3) without distant metastasis by preoperative CT or MRI; (4) patients underwent robotic-assisted total mesorectal resection (TME). Exclusion criteria: (1) conversion to open surgery; (2) multiple primary tumors; (3) patients underwent combined multiple organ resection. According to the above criteria, 137 patients undergoing robotic-assisted mid-low rectal cancer resection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from December 2016 to April 2019 were enrolled. Ninety-seven cases underwent robotic-assisted total mesorectal excision (TME group) and 40 underwent robotic-assisted total mesorectal resection with lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) (TME+LLND group, pelvic LLND was performed with neurovascular guidance to retain pelvic autonomic nerves in the order of the left side the first and then the right side). The propensity score matching of 1:1 was performed with R software, based on age, sex, BMI, ASA classification, distance from tumor to the anal verge, preoperative chemoradiotherapy history, preoperative abdominal surgery history, the size of tumors and TNM stage. The operative indicators, postoperative recovery, pathology and postoperative complications within 30 days were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 72 cases were successfully matched (36 in each group), and there were no statistically significant differences in baseline data between the two groups (all P>0.05). The operation time of TME+LLND group was significantly longer than that of TME group [275.0 (180-405) minutes vs. 220.0 (140-320) minutes, Z=-3.680, P<0.001], while there were no statistically significant differences in blood loss during operation, time to postoperative first flatus, postoperative hospital stay, total hospital cost, tumor differentiation, and distal resection length of margin (all P>0.05). Circumferential resection margin was all negative in both groups. The number of harvested lymph modes in the TME+LLND groups was higher than that in the TME group [26 (18-37) vs. 14 (9-36), Z=-6.407, P<0.001]. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences in postoperative morbidity and Clavien-Dindo classification of complication within 30 days between the two groups (both P>0.05). Conclusions: Although robotic lateral lymph node dissection requires longer operation time, it is a feasible, safe and effective procedure.

[The application of energy adjustment models in nutritional epidemiology].

The energy adjustment models in nutritional epidemiological studies could substantially reduce the confounding effect of total energy intake from the intake of dietary components, and it could explore the real relationship between the intake of dietary component and research outcomes. Four energy adjustment models were introduced in this article, including the standard multivariate model, multivariate nutrient residual model, energy partition model, and multivariate nutrient density model. The four energy adjustment models were applied to analyze the association between the intake of saturated fatty acids and the risk of all-cause mortality based on the data of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The consistent results of different energy adjustment models could indicate that the four models could better control the confounding effect of total energy intake.

The MTase15 regulates reproduction in the wing-dimorphic planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

S-Adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferases (SAMMTases) modulate important cellular and metabolic activities in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Here, we functionally characterized an SAMMTase gene (MTase15) in the migratory brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, which is the most notorious rice pest in Asia. The cDNA sequence of MTase15 is 2764 nt in length with an open reading frame of 1218 nt encoding 405 amino acid residues. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that MTase15 was readily detected from egg to adult stages and extensively distributed in various body parts of adult females and males, with slightly high levels in ovary and testis, respectively. In addition, MTase15 was transcriptionally regulated by the insulin signalling pathway in BPH. RNA-interference-mediated knockdown of MTase15 (dsMtase15) resulted in deficiencies in vitellogenin synthesis and oogenesis, and female infertility. Males with Mtase15 knockdown retained the capability of producing sperms with normal viability, but less sperm was transferred to wild-type (wt) females during copulation, and eggs laid by these wt females arrested embryogenesis. These findings not only assign a functional role to MTase15, but also provide a link between the insulin signalling pathway and epigenetic regulation in BPH reproduction.

Five-year outcomes of sparing level IB in node-positive, human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma: A safety and efficacy analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The conformality of modern intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) allows avoidance of the submandibular glands (SMG) in select patients, potentially improving late xerostomia. This study explores the safety and efficacy of this approach in select oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) patients. METHODS: Patients with T1-2N+ human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated OPC treated with definitive IMRT at one institution from 2009 to 2014 were identified. Patients were divided into 3 groups: bilateral level IB targeted (A, n = 16), a single level IB targeted (B, n = 61), and bilateral IB spared (C, n = 9). Outcomes were reviewed to identify the rate of level IB regional recurrence. Odds ratios were calculated for xerostomia between groups. RESULTS: Level Ib was targeted in 93 instances (54.1%) and avoided in 79 instances (45.9%). Mean SMG doses were significantly lower when level IB was spared compared to when targeted (37.5 Gy vs 67.5 Gy; P < 0.0001). Median doses to oral cavity decreased with increasing level Ib sparing (40.7 Gy [A] vs 35.4 Gy [B] vs 30.7 [C]; P = 0.002). The rate of late grade ≥2 xerostomia was significantly lower in patients with bilateral 1b sparing (53% in A vs 0% in C; P = 0.007). Sparing 1b unilaterally resulted in a non-significant decrease in late grade ≥2 xerostomia (P = 0.181). No regional failures were identified in levels IB (median follow up = 59.3 months). CONCLUSION: Sparing level IB is safe in T1-2N+ HPV+ OPC. Avoiding level Ib translates into significantly lower SMG and oral cavity doses. Larger studies are needed to validate these findings and the impact of this technique.

Telmisartan inhibits Ang II-induced MMP-9 expression in macrophages in stabilizing atheromatous plaque.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of telmisartan on matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression in macrophages induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) and its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THP-1 cells were adopted for research, and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) was utilized to induce THP-1 cells to be transformed into macrophages, with Ang II as a stimulating factor and telmisartan as a therapeutic drug. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were applied to detect cell viability and toxicity. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to measure the MMP-9 release level. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Western blotting were conducted to detect the expressions of MMP-9 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein, respectively. The mechanism of action was further studied, and the activity of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2)/macrophage-expressed gene 1 (mPEG1) pathway was determined via PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: The 1 mM Ang II could remarkably activate the synthesis and release of MMP-9 as well as the COX2/mPEG1 pathway in macrophages. However, telmisartan could effectively repress the Ang II-induced MMP-9 synthesis and release in the macrophages, and suppress the COX2/mPEG1 pathway in the macrophages activated by Ang II. CONCLUSIONS: Telmisartan can inhibit the activation of MMP-9 in the macrophages by suppressing the COX2/mPEG1 pathway.

[Establishment of DNA Genetic Marker Identification System for Plant Evidence].

OBJECTIVES: To establish a species identification system based on DNA genetic markers for plant evidence. METHODS: Two hundred common plants in Shanghai were collected and identified by morphological characteristics. The primers of gene segments rbcL, matK, and ITS were designed and amplified. The PCR amplicon was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. After the sequencing, the universality and the identification capacity of the three markers were evaluated. RESULTS: The success rate of amplification was in order of rbcL （99.5%） > matK （92.5%） > ITS （86.0%）. The identification capacity of the combination of rbcL and matK was better than that of rbcL or matK, by which most plant species could be identified to the genus or higher. ITS was not suitable to be a unique marker because of its unstable result, but it still could be a powerful supplement. The identification capacity of the combination of rbcL, matK and ITS was higher than that of rbcL and matK, by which most plant species could be identified to the genus or lower. CONCLUSIONS: The identification system with the combination of rbcL, matK and ITS as markers has excellent universality for plant evidence, which can distinguish most plant species to the genus or lower.

Effects of tetramethylpyrazine phosphate on pancreatic islet microcirculation in SD rats.

PURPOSES: Abnormal islet microcirculation impetus the insulin production and accelerates progression of Type 1 and 2 diabetes. In this study, we investigated whether tetramethylpyrazine phosphate (TMPP), a vasoactive substance, could regulate the islet microcirculation and insulin concentration and improve glycaemia in SD rats. METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into two groups, the control and TMPP groups. Each group was further divided into three subgroups according to the intravenous injection of either saline, 15 or 30% glucose. The non-radioactive microsphere technique was adopted to measure the organ blood flow. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) blocker L-NAME was used to address whether NO was involved in mediating the vasoactive effects of TMPP. RESULTS: In the TMPP group, TMPP increased the PBF (pancreatic blood flow), IBF (islet blood flow), and fIBF (fraction of islet blood flow out of pancreatic blood flow) by 57, 76 and 47%, respectively, after 30% glucose infusion, compared with the control, indicating that TMPP could regulate islet microcirculation. Furthermore, TMPP induced a 66% elevation of IBF and 37% of fIBF in the 30% glucose subgroups than the 15% ones. In 30% glucose-treated subgroups, TMPP improved the blood glucose concentration by 10%, compared with the control (19.3 ± 0.64 vs 17.32 ± 0.56 mmol/l, P < 0.05), without influencing the insulin secretion. Blocking NO formation prevented the enhanced PBF and IBF, evoking by TMPP with 30% glucose. CONCLUSIONS: TMPP can regulate the pancreatic islet microcirculation and possess a hypoglycemia effect after glucose infusion through affecting the islet microcirculation.

[Research progress of oral anticoagulants in patients with liver diseases].

Patients with liver disease are at an increased risk of both embolism and bleeding. The optimal anticoagulation strategy remains unclear when associated with venous thromboembolic disease. Moreover, currently approved oral anticoagulant drugs undergo metabolism and elimination in the liver with varying degrees of hepatic dysfunction. Thus, impaired liver function may lead to increased risk of bleeding, making anticoagulant therapy more intricate. This article summarizes the risk of bleeding and thrombosis in patients with liver disease, and the clinical research progress of oral anticoagulants in patients with liver disease to facilitate evidence for choosing oral anticoagulants therapy when required.

Structure similarity-guided image binarization for automatic segmentation of epidermis surface microstructure images.

Partitioning epidermis surface microstructure (ESM) images into skin ridge and skin furrow regions is an important preprocessing step before quantitative analyses on ESM images. Binarization segmentation is a potential technique for partitioning ESM images because of its computational simplicity and ease of implementation. However, even for some state-of-the-art binarization methods, it remains a challenge to automatically segment ESM images, because the grey-level histograms of ESM images have no obvious external features to guide automatic assessment of appropriate thresholds. Inspired by human visual perceptual functions of structural feature extraction and comparison, we propose a structure similarity-guided image binarization method. The proposed method seeks for the binary image that best approximates the input ESM image in terms of structural features. The proposed method is validated by comparing it with two recently developed automatic binarization techniques as well as a manual binarization method on 20 synthetic noisy images and 30 ESM images. The experimental results show: (1) the proposed method possesses self-adaption ability to cope with different images with same grey-level histogram; (2) compared to two automatic binarization techniques, the proposed method significantly improves average accuracy in segmenting ESM images with an acceptable decrease in computational efficiency; (3) and the proposed method is applicable for segmenting practical EMS images. (Matlab code of the proposed method can be obtained by contacting with the corresponding author.).

WASH has a critical role in NK cell cytotoxicity through Lck-mediated phosphorylation.

Natural killer (NK) cells are important effector cells of the innate immune system to kill certain virus-infected and transformed cells. Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP) and SCAR homolog (WASH) has been identified as a member of WASP family proteins implicated in regulating the cytoskeletal reorganization, yet little is known about its function in lymphocytes. Here we demonstrate that WASH is crucial for NK cell cytotoxicity. WASH was found to colocalize with lytic granules upon NK cell activation. Knockdown of WASH expression substantially inhibited polarization and release of lytic granules to the immune synapse, resulting in the impairment of NK cell cytotoxicity. More importantly, our data also define a previously unappreciated mechanism for WASH function, in which Src family kinase Lck can interact with WASH and induce WASH phosphorylation. Mutation of tyrosine residue Y141, identified here as the major site of WASH phosphorylation, partially blocked WASH tyrosine phosphorylation and NK cell cytotoxicity. Taken together, these observations suggest that WASH has a pivotal role for regulation of NK cell cytotoxicity through Lck-mediated Y141 tyrosine phosphorylation.

The first report of detecting the blaSIM-2 gene and determining the complete sequence of the SIM-encoding plasmid.

An imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain HN39 that harbours a blaSIM-2-carrying plasmid pHN39-SIM, was isolated from a patient with craniocerebral infections in China. The SIM-2 protein differs from SIM-1 by a single amino acid substitution Gly198Asp. pHN39-SIM is a novel 282-kb megaplasmid and it possesses the replication and partition systems of an unknown incompatibility group. pHN39-SIM carries a total of ten separate accessory modules especially including a novel 38.8-kb multidrug resistance region. In addition to the known transposable elements ISPst3, a Tn5563a remnant, IS1071, Tn5046, ΔTn4662a and ΔTn512, harboured in these accessory modules are six novel ones ISPa59 to ISPa62, In1208 and Tn6284. The multidrug resistance region is composed of Tn6284 generated from the insertion of an In4-family integron In1208 into Tn5046, and a Tn4662a-derived element with the insertion of ΔTn512 connected with two other genes. In1208 carries not only blaSIM-2 but several additional genes accounting for resistance to erythromycin, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, streptomycin, quaternary ammonium compounds, sulphonamides and mercury.