Enhancing saltiness perception in bone broth: the additive effect of oil and optimization of sodium-reduction formula for consumer acceptability.

BACKGROUND: Excessive NaCl intake in liquid and semi-solid food (e.g. soup, hot pot base, sauce) poses a high risk to human health, and reducing NaCl intake is a major concern for global health. RESULTS: Using the generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) method, the study verified the possibility of sodium reduction through oil addition. The compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and hedonic rejection threshold (HRT) were determined. The gLMS results showed that the saltiness intensity of samples containing 0.36% NaCl and 2.29% sunflower seed oil was significantly higher than that of samples containing only 0.36% NaCl (P < 0.05). CAT and HRT results indicated that by adding 3.59% sunflower oil, the NaCl content could be reduced to a minimum of 0.14% without causing sensory rejection in bone broth samples. The quantitative descriptive analysis method was used to determine the effects of NaCl and oil concentrations on the sensory attributes of bone broth samples. Furthermore, it was used to analyze the consumer acceptability drivers in combination with the hedonic scale to optimize the formulation of reduced-salt bone broth products. Notably, sample E (0.36% NaCl, 2.29% fat) not only had a significant salt reduction effect with a 20% decrease in NaCl, but also had improved overall acceptability. CONCLUSION: This study provides theoretical guidance for designing salt-reduction cuisine within the catering and food industries, including bone broth and hot pot bases. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Whole genome sequence of mulberry crinivirus, a new member of the genus Crinivirus.

The whole genome sequence of mulberry crinivirus (MuCV), a novel member of the genus Crinivirus (family Closteroviridae) identified in mulberry (Morus alba L), was determined. The virus possesses a bipartite genome. RNA1 contains 8571 nucleotides (nt) with four open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1a encodes a putative polyprotein with papain-like protease, methyltransferase, and RNA helicase domains. ORF1b putatively encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is probably expressed via a + 1 ribosomal frameshift. RNA2 consists of 8082 nt, containing eight ORFs that are similar in size and position to orthologous genes of other criniviruses. Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp amino acid sequences of criniviruses placed MuCV in group 1.

Occurrence and Pathogenicity of Hop Stunt Viroid Infecting Mulberry (Morus alba) Plants in China.

To investigate the presence of hop stunt viroid (HSVd) in mulberry (Morus alba) plants in China, HSVd was detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using dsRNAs extracted from symptomatic or asymptomatic mulberry leaf samples collected from a mulberry field located in Zhenjiang, China, as a template and the primer pairs for HSVd detection. The primer pairs were designed based on the conserved sequence of 25 HSVd variants deposited in the GenBank database. Four out of a total of 53 samples were HSVd-positive, confirming that HSVd is present in mulberry plants in China. The consensus full-length nucleotide (nt) sequence of two HSVd variants determined by sequencing the HSVd variants in these four HSVd-positive samples consisted of 296 nt and shared the highest nt identity of 96.8% with that from plum in Turkey but relatively low identity with those from mulberry in Iran (87.3 to 90.8%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that these HSVd variants clustered together with those of the HSVd-hop group. Analysis of the infectivity and pathogenicity to hosts by the constructed Agrobacterium-mediated dimeric head-to-tail HSVd cDNA infectious clones demonstrated that one of the HSVd variants identified in this study infects the natural host, mulberry plants, and also infects experimental plants, cucumber, and tomato. It probably induces stunting symptoms in HSVd-infected tomatoes but does not induce symptoms on mulberry leaves or in cucumbers. Although HSVd infecting mulberry has been found in Iran, Italy, and Lebanon, this is the first study to report this viroid in naturally infected mulberry plants in China.

Apolipoprotein E2 inhibits mitochondrial apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through ERK1/2/CREB/BCL-2 signaling.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein E2 (ApoE2) is a pleiotropic protein that influences several aspects of cancer metabolism and development. Evading apoptosis is a vital factor for facilitating cancer cell growth. However, the role and mechanism of ApoE2 in regulating cell apoptosis of pancreatic cancer remain unclear. METHODS: In this study, we firstly detected the mRNA and protein expressions of ApoE2 in PANC-1 and Capan-2 cells by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. We then performed TUNEL and flow cytometric analyses to explore the role of recombinant human ApoE2, pCMV6-ApoE2 and siApoE2 in the apoptosis of PANC-1 and Capan-2 cells. Furthermore, we investigated the molecular mechanism through which ApoE2 affected apoptosis in PANC-1 cells using immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, Western blotting and co-immunoprecipitation analysis. RESULTS: ApoE2 phosphorylated ERK1/2 and inhibited pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis. In addition, our data showed that ApoE2/ERK1/2 altered the expression and mitochondrial localization of BCL-2 via activating CREB. ApoE2/ERK1/2/CREB also increased the total BCL-2/BAX ratio, inhibited the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and the depolarization of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, blocked the leakage of cytochrome-c and the formation of the apoptosome, and consequently, suppressed mitochondrial apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: ApoE2 regulates the mitochondrial localization and expression of BCL-2 through the activation of the ERK1/2/CREB signaling cascade to evade the mitochondrial apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. ApoE2 may be a distinct prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

LncRNA HOXA-AS3 Promotes the Progression of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension through Mediation of miR-675-3p/PDE5A Axis.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) seriously threatens the elder people. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in multiple diseases. However, the study of the lncRNAs in the occurrence of PAH is just beginning. For this, we sought to explore the biological function of lncRNA HOXA cluster antisense RNA 3 (HOXA-AS3) in PAH. Hypoxia (HYP) was used to mimic in vitro model of PAH. Gene and protein expressions in cells were detected by q-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. In addition, cell proliferation and viability were tested by CCK-8 and MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Wound healing was used to detect cell migration. Furthermore, the connection of HOXA-AS3, miR-675-3p, and phosphodiesterase 5A (PDE5A) was verified by dual-luciferase report assay. HOXA-AS3 and PDE5A were upregulated in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) in the presence of HYP, while miR-675-3p was downregulated. Moreover, knockdown of HOXA-AS3 suppressed the growth and migration of HPASMCs, but induced the apoptosis. Overexpression of miR-675-3p achieved the same effect. MiR-675-3p inhibitor or overexpression of PDE5A notably reversed the inhibitory effect of HOXA-AS3 knockdown on PAH. Finally, HOXA-AS3 could sponge miR-675-3p, and PDE5A was directly targeted by miR-675-3p. HOXA-AS3 increased the development of PAH via regulation of miR-675-3p/PDE5 axis, which could be the potential biomarker for treatment of PAH.

Association between fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of hypertension among Chinese adults: a longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: Fruit and vegetable intake has been inversely associated with the risk of hypertension; however, there is inconsistent evidence on the long-term association. Given this gap in the literature, it is necessary to identify evidence from large prospective studies, especially in China, where insufficient evidence exists. Thus, we examined the association of fruit and vegetable intake with incident hypertension in Chinese adults. METHODS: We conducted analyses among 5659 Chinese adults aged 18-64 years, free of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and hypertension in the 2006 wave of the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed using consecutive 24-h recalls. Incident hypertension was identified from the 2011 wave of the survey. RESULTS: A total of 866 participants developed incident hypertension. The relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of hypertension were 0.74 (0.55-0.99), 0.65 (0.48-0.88), 0.68 (0.50-0.92), and 0.73 (0.53-0.99) comparing each quintile group of fruit and vegetable intake with the lowest quintile group. These associations attenuated for the change of intake but remained significant for the fourth quintile, of which the RR (95% CI) was 0.65 (0.47-0.89). The magnitude of association was stronger among those who were younger, female, overweight and had prehypertension. When examined separately, fruit intake was more strongly and significantly associated with lowering BP than vegetable intake. Adding body mass index to the models attenuated all associations. CONCLUSIONS: Greater long-term intake and increased intake of fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of developing hypertension in Chinese adults.

A unified method of detecting core-periphery structure and community structure in networks.

The core-periphery structure and the community structure are two typical meso-scale structures in complex networks. Although community detection has been extensively investigated from different perspectives, the definition and the detection of the core-periphery structure have not received much attention. Furthermore, the detection problems of the core-periphery and community structure were separately investigated. In this paper, we develop a unified framework to simultaneously detect the core-periphery structure and community structure in complex networks. Moreover, there are several extra advantages of our algorithm: our method can detect not only single but also multiple pairs of core-periphery structures; the overlapping nodes belonging to different communities can be identified; different scales of core-periphery structures can be detected by adjusting the size of the core. The good performance of the method has been validated on synthetic and real complex networks. So, we provide a basic framework to detect the two typical meso-scale structures: the core-periphery structure and the community structure.

Epsc Involved in the Encoding of Exopolysaccharides Produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 Act to Boost the Drought Tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria that stimulates plant growth, and enhances resistance to pathogens and tolerance of salt stress. Instead, the mechanistic basis of drought tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana induced by FZB42 remains unexplored. Here, we constructed an exopolysaccharide-deficient mutant epsC and determined the role of epsC in FZB42-induced drought tolerance in A. thaliana. Results showed that FZB42 significantly enhanced growth and drought tolerance of Arabidopsis by increasing the survival rate, fresh and dry shoot weights, primary root length, root dry weight, lateral root number, and total lateral root length. Coordinated changes were also observed in cellular defense responses, including elevated concentrations of proline and activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase, decreased concentrations of malondialdehyde, and accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in plants treated with FZB42. The relative expression levels of drought defense-related marker genes, such as RD29A, RD17, ERD1, and LEA14, were also increased in the leaves of FZB42-treated plants. In addition, FZB42 induced the drought tolerance in Arabidopsis by the action of both ethylene and jasmonate, but not abscisic acid. However, plants inoculated with mutant strain epsC were less able to resist drought stress with respect to each of these parameters, indicating that epsC are required for the full benefit of FZB42 inoculation to be gained. Moreover, the mutant strain was less capable of supporting the formation of a biofilm and of colonizing the A. thaliana root. Therefore, epsC is an important factor that allows FZB42 to colonize the roots and induce systemic drought tolerance in Arabidopsis.

MHC II-, but not MHC II+, hepatic Stellate cells contribute to liver fibrosis of mice in infection with Schistosoma japonicum.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are considered as the main effector cells in vitamin A metabolism and liver fibrosis, as well as in hepatic immune regulation. Recently, researches have revealed that HSCs have plasticity and heterogeneity, which depend on their lobular location and whether liver is normal or injured. This research aimed to explore the biological characteristics and heterogeneity of HSCs in mice with Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) infection, and determine the subpopulation of HSCs in pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis caused by S. japonicum infection. Results revealed that HSCs significantly increased the expressions of MHC II and fibrogenic genes after S. japonicum infection, and could be classified into MHC II+ HSCs and MHC II- HSCs subsets. Both two HSCs populations suppressed the proliferation of activated CD4+T cells, whereas only MHC II- HSCs displayed a myofibroblast-like phenotype. In response to IFN-γ, HSCs up-regulated the expressions of MHC II and CIITA, while down-regulated the expression of fibrogenic gene Col1. In addition, praziquantel treatment decreased the expressions of fibrogenic genes in MHC II- HSCs. These results confirmed that HSCs from S. japonicum-infected mice have heterogeneity. The MHC II- α-SMA+ HSCs were major subsets of HSCs contributing to liver fibrosis and could be considered as a potential target of praziquantel anti-fibrosis treatment.

Evaluating segmental liver function using T1 mapping on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI with a 3.0 Tesla.

BACKGROUND: Assessing the liver function provides valuable information to evaluate surgical risk and plan accordingly. Current studies focus on whole liver function evaluation. However, assessment of segmental liver function is equally important in the clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI can evaluate the liver function of each segment by using T1 mapping at 3 Tesla MRI. METHODS: One hundred three patients were classified into one of 4 groups: a normal liver function (NLF) group (n = 38), a liver cirrhosis with Child-Pugh A (LCA) group (n = 33), a liver cirrhosis with Child-Pugh B (LCB) group (n = 21), and a liver cirrhosis with Child-Pugh C (LCC) group (n = 11). All patients underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI scans. T1 relaxation times were measured on the liver superimposing T1 mapping images. Reduction rate (△%) of T1 relaxation time of the liver parenchyma were calculated. RESULTS: After 20 min of Gd-EOB-DTPA enhancement, the T1 relaxation time of all liver segments in the LCC group were different from those in all the other groups, and more liver segments from the LCB and LCA groups different from the NLF group (p < 0.05). For the LCB group, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of different liver segments for hepatobiliary phase (HBP) were 0.654-0.904 on T1 relaxation time, and 0.709-0.905 on △%. For the LCC group, the AUCs of different liver segments for HBP were 0.842-0.997 on T1 relaxation time, and 0.887-0.990 on △%. CONCLUSIONS: For LCB patients, segmental liver function evaluation is possible using Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI T1 mapping. For LCC patients, all liver segments can be used to evaluate liver function and both T1 relaxation time and the △% of T1 relaxation time have good diagnostic performance.

Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI T1 mapping for assessment of liver function in rabbit fibrosis model: comparison of hepatobiliary phase images obtained at 10 and 20 min.

OBJECTIVES: To compare hepatobiliary phase (HBP) images obtained at 10 and 20 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI for assessment of liver function in rabbit fibrosis model on 3.0 T MR imaging. METHODS: 34 animals were separated into three groups: 5 for a control group, 14 for a mild fibrosis group, and 15 for a severe fibrosis group based on pathological proof. T1 relaxation times (T1rt) were measured on T1 mapping and reduction rates of T1rt (rrT1rt) were calculated. HBP images were obtained at 10 and 20 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA enhancement. Indocyanine green retention rates at 15 min (ICG R15) were performed for all animals. RESULTS: T1rt on pre-enhancement imaging showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) among all groups. T1rt on 10 min HBP and 20 min HBP showed significant difference (p < 0.05) among all groups. T1rt and rrT1rt in three groups showed no-significant difference (p > 0.05) between 10 min HBP and 20 min HBP. T1rt on both 10 and 20 min HBP showed significant correlation with ICG R15 (p < 0.05); rrT1rt on both 10 min HBP and 20 min HBP showed significant inverse correlation with ICG R15 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Comparing 10 min HBP and 20 min HBP T1 mapping after Gd-EOB-DTPA enhancement, our results suggest that 10 min HBP T1 mapping is feasible for quantitatively assessing liver function.

Effect of steam explosion-assisted extraction on phenolic acid profiles and antioxidant properties of wheat bran.

BACKGROUND: The majority of phenolic acids in wheat bran are bound to the cell walls. Hence, a high proportion of phenolic acids cannot be extracted with conventional extraction methods. This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of steam explosion pre-treatment in increasing the extractability of phenolic compounds from wheat bran. RESULTS: Bound phenolic acids (BPA) can be released by steam explosion-assisted extraction. Within the experimental range, soluble free phenolic acids (FPA) and soluble conjugated phenolic acids (CPA) increased gradually with residence time and temperature. After steam explosion at 215 °C for 120 s, the total FPA and CPA reached 6671.8 and 2578.6 µg GAE g(-1) bran, respectively, which was about 39-fold and seven-fold higher than that of the untreated sample. Ferulic acid, the major individual phenolic acids in bran, increased from 55.7 to 586.3 µg g(-1) for FPA, and from 44.9 to 1108.4 µg g(-1) for CPA. The antioxidant properties of FPA and CPA extracts were significantly improved after treated. Correlation analysis indicated that the antioxidant capacity was in close relationship with phenolic content in FPA and CPA. CONCLUSION: Steam explosion pre-treatment could be effectively used to release of BPA and enhance the antioxidant capacity of wheat bran. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hypolipidaemic effects of oat flakes and ß-glucans derived from four Chinese naked oat (Avena nuda) cultivars in Wistar-Lewis rats.

BACKGROUND: ß-Glucan is widely considered to be the major ingredient responsible for the hypolipidaemic effects of oat. Determination of the ß-glucan content in naked oat cultivars in China has been largely performed for breeding and food processing. Since oat is generally consumed as oat flakes in China, evaluation of the bioactivity of oat flakes might be more direct and comprehensive than determination of the internal ß-glucan. However, the hypolipidaemic activity of oat flakes processed from Chinese oat cultivars has rarely been reported. RESULTS: The nutritional components of four naked oat cultivars were analysed before they were processed to oat flakes. The hypolipidaemic effects of oat flakes and the extracted ß-glucans were tested on rats fed a high-fat diet for 30 days. Oat flakes and ß-glucans of different origins showed different preventative effects on hyperlipidaemia. Among the four cultivars, ß-glucan of 'Bayou-1' showed the greatest hypolipidaemic effect. However, oat flake processed from 'Dingyou-7' showed the best bioactivity to mediate the increase of serum lipid. CONCLUSION: The hypolipidaemic effect of oat might not only depend on ß-glucan, but might also be related to other components. 'Dingyou-7' might be suitable for oat flake processing because of its superior bioactivity.

Effects of dietary oat proteins on cholesterol metabolism of hypercholesterolaemic hamsters.

BACKGROUND: The aim of present study was to investigate the hypocholesterolaemic effects of oat proteins (OP) in hamsters fed with a hypercholesterolaemic diet. The hamsters were divided into five groups and fed with the experimental diets containing oat, OP, oat ß-glucan (OG), or OP+OG for 30 days. RESULTS: OP and the OG significantly lowered the concentrations of plasma low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and liver total cholesterol (TC), and increased the excretion of faecal bile acid and TC. Plasma and liver TC in the OP+OG group were significantly lower than those in the OP or OG groups. Both OP and OG increased the activity of liver cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), while its activity in the OP+OG group was strongly increased compared with the OP or OG groups. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that dietary OP could improve hypercholesterolaemia, while dietary OP and OG together would have better hypocholesterolaemic effects.

Multiple Factors Drive Replicating Strand Composition Bias in Bacterial Genomes.

Composition bias from Chargaff's second parity rule (PR2) has long been found in sequenced genomes, and is believed to relate strongly with the replication process in microbial genomes. However, some disagreement on the underlying reason for strand composition bias remains. We performed an integrative analysis of various genomic features that might influence composition bias using a large-scale dataset of 1111 genomes. Our results indicate (1) the bias was stronger in obligate intracellular bacteria than in other free-living species (p-value=0.0305); (2) Fusobacteria and Firmicutes had the highest average bias among the 24 microbial phyla analyzed; (3) the strength of selected codon usage bias and generation times were not observably related to strand composition bias (p-value=0.3247); (4) significant negative relationships were found between GC content, genome size, rearrangement frequency, Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) functional subcategories A, C, I, Q, and composition bias (p-values<1.0×10(-8)); (5) gene density and COG functional subcategories D, F, J, L, and V were positively related with composition bias (p-value<2.2×10(-16)); and (6) gene density made the most important contribution to composition bias, indicating transcriptional bias was associated strongly with strand composition bias. Therefore, strand composition bias was found to be influenced by multiple factors with varying weights.

The cholesterol-lowering effects of oat varieties based on their difference in the composition of proteins and lipids.

BACKGROUND: The aim of present study is to investigate the hypocholesterolemic effects of the oat components other than the ß-glucan in rats fed with a hypercholesterolemic diet. METHODS: Four-week-old male Wister rats were divided into 6 groups of 7 rats each with similar mean body weights and serum cholesterol concentrations. Rats were fed with the experimental diets containing 10% oats flour for 30 days. Food intake was recorded and monitored everyday to ensure the similar contents of protein, starch, lipid and cellulose in all groups. The lipids levels in serum, liver, and faeces were determined. RESULTS: The plasma total cholesterol concentrations in different oat groups were significantly reduced compared with the control group, and the effects were different among oat groups. The decrease extent of plasma total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations increased with the increase of the proteins and lipids contents. Moreover, liver total cholesterol and cholesterol ester contents were markedly decreased. The fecal bile acids concentrations in the oat groups were significantly increased. Oat proteins had lower Lysine/Arginin (0.59 ~ 0.66) and Methionin/Glycine (0.27 ~ 0.35) ratio than casein (Lysine/Arginin, 2.33; Methionin/Glycine, 1.51). Oat lipids contained higher contents of total Vitamin E and plant sterols than that in soybean oil. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that dietary oat improved hypercholesterolemia by increasing the excretions of fecal bile acids, and this improvement was not only related to ß-glucan, but also attributed to the lipids and proteins. Oat proteins decreased serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol contents due to their low Lysine/Arginin and Methionin/Glycine ratio. The co-existence of oleic acid, linoleic, vitamin E, or plant sterols accounted for the hypocholesterolemic properties of oat lipids.

Aroma Characteristics of Green Huajiao in Sichuan and Chongqing Area Using Sensory Analysis Combined with GC-MS.

Green huajiao has a unique flavor and is widely used in cooking as an edible spice. In this study, the intensity of overall aroma and aroma attributes of seven green huajiao samples from the Sichuan and Chongqing regions were evaluated using a dynamic dilution olfactometer and ranking descriptive analysis (RDA) technology. The volatile compounds and major aroma components were determined by GC-MS in combination with odor activity value (OAV) analysis. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was further used to identify the key aromas contributing to the aroma sensory attributes. Seven green huajiao samples were categorized into three groups: (1) huajiao samples from Liangshan have a strong intensity of pungent, floral and herbal aromas and a medium-high intensity of sweet aroma, and the key contributing aroma compounds were α-pinene, sabinene, ß-pinene, myrcene, ocimene and linalool; (2) huajiao samples from Panzhihua and Hongya have a strong intensity of citrusy, lemony and minty aromas, and the key contributing aroma compound was linalool; and (3) the huajiao sample from the Chongqing region was categorized into a separate group and was characterized by a medium-high intensity of green, minty and sweet aromas, and the main aroma compounds are ocimene, citronellal and α-terpineol. These results provide useful basic data for evaluating the aroma quality and analyzing the key aroma characteristics of green huajiao in the Sichuan and Chongqing regions.

An assessment of the sensory drivers influencing consumer preference in infant formula, assessed via sensory evaluation and GC-O-MS.

Consumer partiality for food products is related to purchase and consumption behavior, and are influenced by sensory preferences. The sensory and chemical drivers behind consumer preference in the infant formula (IF) were analyzed. A total of 31 aroma-active compounds were identified, playing an important role in the production of off-flavors (especially fishy). Combined with the correlation analysis, the key aroma substances affecting the sensory attributes of IF were initially identified. A21, A22, B9 represented the key substances responsible for producing milky and creamy, while A2, A5, A11, A12, B5, C15, H5 primarily produced fishy. In addition, the two sensory attributes namely milky and creamy, and the T-sweet were more strongly correlated with consumer preference. Therefore, it can be concluded that consumers are more interested in the main flavor of the product than the off-flavor. These findings will inform the quality control of IF and the maintenance of sensory quality.

A cohort study on myasthenia gravis patients in China.

Clinical classification and age distribution in myasthenia gravis (MG) cases seem different between Oriental and Caucasian populations, but there have rarely been any clinical studies on MG patients from mainland China. The goal of the current study was to perform a comprehensive survey of myasthenia gravis in a hospital in China, establishing contemporary cohort data and clinical features. 1,108 unselected patients with MG attending the 309th Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China were studied during a 36-month period from July 2008 to June 2011. The sex ratio was 1:1 (F:M). 62.5 % of patients presented as adolescents and adults. Ocular MG cases accounted for 65.6 % childhood MG patients. A positive response was observed in 96.8 % of the patients for neostigmine tests, whereas a positive decremental response to low frequency repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) was observed in 77.4 % of the patients. The highest stimulating positive rate was 65.3 % in stimulated facial nerve. Thymoma was significantly increased in those patients with severe MG, especially in the cohort involving the respiratory muscles (p < 0.001). The study revealed higher frequency of ocular and childhood MG compared to other studies in USA and European countries, which can be a result of optimum case ascertainment, increased disease duration, or application of complex diagnostic tests. The relative increase in the prevalence of ocular myasthenia can be attributed to the impact of an aging population.

Enhanced recovery in the management of mild gallstone pancreatitis: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to establish enhanced recovery protocols for the management of mild gallstone pancreatitis. METHODS: Sixty consecutive patients were divided into enhanced recovery and traditional recovery (TR) groups in a randomized observational study. The basic enhanced recovery elements included early laparoscopic cholecystectomy, restrictive endoscopic intervention, and early oral nutrition. The incidence of complications, readmission, length of stay, and total medical cost were analyzed during the hospital course. RESULTS: The length of hospital stay and medical cost were significantly lower in the enhanced recovery group in comparison to the TR group: 5.9 days vs. 10.6 days (P < 0.01) and ¥10,023 vs. ¥15,035 (P < 0.01). The complications and readmission rates in the two groups were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of enhanced recovery protocols is feasible in the management of mild gallstone pancreatitis. The utilization of these protocols can achieve shorter hospital stays and reduced costs, with no increase in either the re-admission or peri-operative complication rates.