[Exploratory analysis of gut microbiota differences in patients with bronchial asthma of different inflammatory types].

Objective: To observe the characteristics and differences of gut microbiota in asthma patients with different inflammatory types through metagenomic analysis. Methods: Adults aged ≥18 years who visited the Respiratory Clinic of Peking University Third Hospital from August 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022 and were primarily diagnosed with asthma were selected as the study subjects. Finally, 29 patients with stable asthma were included. Fresh fecal samples were collected and the fecal DNA was extracted for high-throughput 16sRNA sequencing of gut microbiota. The diversity and community structure of gut microbiota in different groups of asthma patients were compared, and the species differences were analyzed through random forest and LEfSe analysis. Results: There were sex-based differences in asthma patients with different types of inflammation, and the proportion of female patients was higher in neutrophilic asthma patients (χ2=4.14, P=0.042). There was no significant intergroup difference in the alpha diversity of gut microbiota among asthma patients with different inflammatory types, but there were significant differences in the microbiome. Patients with neutrophilic asthma had higher relative abundance of Bacillales (P=0.029) and Oscillospiraceae (P=0.015). In species LEfSe analysis, patients with eosinophilic asthma had a higher relative abundance of fungi. Conclusion: There are intergroup differences in the gut microbiota of asthma patients with different inflammation types, and fungi are biomarkers that distinguish the differences in gut microbiota between patients with eosinophilic asthma and neutrophilic asthma.

[Treatment of intrauterine adhesions in rats with hypoxia-cultured BMSC-derived exosomes].

Objective: To perform intrauterine adhesion modeling, and to investigate the repair effect of hypoxic treated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) and their derived exosomes (BMSC-exo) on endometrial injury. Methods: BMSC and their exosomes BMSC-exo extracted from rats' femur were cultured under conventional oxygen condition (21%O2) or hypoxia condition (1%O2). Intrauterine adhesion modeling was performed on 40 healthy female SD rats by intrauterine injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide after curettage. On the 28th day of modeling, 40 rat models were randomly divided into five groups, and interventions were performed: (1) NC group: 0.2 ml phosphate buffered solution was injected into each uterine cavity; (2) BMSC group: 0.2 ml BMSC (1×106/ml) with conventional oxygen culture was injected intrauterine; (3) L-BMSC group: 0.2 ml of hypoxic cultured BMSC (1×106/ml) was injected intrauterine; (4) BMSC-exo group: 0.2 ml of BMSC-exo cultured with conventional oxygen at a concentration of 500 µg/ml was injected into the uterine cavity; (5) L-BMSC-exo group: 0.2 ml hypoxic cultured BMSC-exo (500 µg/ml) was injected intrauterine. On the 14th and 28th day of treatment, four rats in each group were sacrificed by cervical dislocation after anesthesia, and endometrial tissues were collected. Then HE and Masson staining were used to observe and calculate the number of glands and fibrosis area in the endometrium. The expressions of angiogenesis related cytokines [vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and CD31], and fibrosis-related proteins [collagen-Ⅰ, collagen-Ⅲ, smooth muscle actin α (α-SMA), and transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1)] in endometrial tissues were detected by western blot. Results: (1) HE and Masson staining showed that the number of endometrial glands in L-BMSC group, BMSC-exo group and L-BMSC-exo group increased and the fibrosis area decreased compared with NC group on the 14th and 28th day of treatment (all P<0.05). Noteworthily, the changes of L-BMSC-exo group were more significant than those of BMSC-exo group (all P<0.05), and the changes of BMSC-exo group were greater than those of BMSC group (all P<0.05). (2) Western blot analysis showed that, compared with NC group, the expressions of collagen-Ⅲ and TGF-ß1 in BMSC group, L-BMSC group, BMSC-exo group and L-BMSC-exo group decreased on the 14th and 28th day of treatment (all P<0.05). As the treatment time went on, the expressions of fibrosis-related proteins were different. Compared with BMSC group, the expressions of collagen-Ⅲ, α-SMA and TGF-ß1 in the BMSC-exo group and L-BMSC group decreased on the 28th day (all P<0.05). Moreover, the expressions of collagen-Ⅲ and TGF-ß1 in L-BMSC-exo group were lower than those in BMSC-exo group on the 28th day (all P<0.05). And the expressions of collagen-Ⅰ, α-SMA and TGF-ß1 in L-BMSC-exo group were lower than those in L-BMSC group on the 28th day (all P<0.05). (3) The results of western blot analysis of VEGFA and CD31 showed that, the expressions of VEGFA and CD31 in BMSC group, L-BMSC group, BMSC-exo group and L-BMSC-exo group increased on the 14th and 28th day of treatment compared with NC group (all P<0.05). Treatment for 28 days, the expressions of VEGFA and CD31 in BMSC-exo group and CD31 in L-BMSC group were higher than those in BMSC group (all P<0.05). Moreover, the expressions of VEGFA and CD31 in L-BMSC-exo group were higher than those in BMSC-exo group and L-BMSC group on the 28th day (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Treatment of BMSC and their exosomes BMSC-exo with hypoxia could promote endometrial gland hyperplasia, inhibit tissue fibrosis, and further repair the damaged endometrium in rats with intrauterine adhesion. Importantly, hypoxic treatment of BMSC-exo is the most effective in intrauterine adhesion rats.

The Awareness and Knowledge Regarding Sarcopenia among Healthcare Professionals: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is a prevalent and costly disease associated with serious negative health outcomes, and its prevalence will further grow as the percentage of elderly rises. Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in the prevention, identification and management of sarcopenia and in promoting the well-being of elders. Awareness and knowledge are the prerequisite and basis for these actions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the review was to summarize available publications to identify the healthcare professionals' awareness and knowledge about sarcopenia, and to identify knowledge gaps that interventions could address. DESIGN: The scoping review will be performed based on the Scoping Review guidelines published by JBI in Australia. METHODS: Six electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and CNKI were searched systematically. Two researchers independently screened the retrieved articles and extracted the information. RESULTS: A total of 6 studies were identified, including 5 quantitative studies and 1 qualitative study. These studies mainly were conducted in Australia, Netherlands and Brazil, and none from Asia. The awareness and knowledge of healthcare professionals about sarcopenia varied in different studies. With exception of one study conducted in oncology clinicians, other studies suggested that awareness and knowledge among healthcare professionals was incomplete and limited. CONCLUSION: The relatively few studies indicated that healthcare professionals had low awareness and limited knowledge of sarcopenia, which could influence and hinder the diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia in practice. Future researches should develop a rigorously tested and valid sarcopenia knowledge assessment tool and researches conducted in larger samples are needed.

[Prevalence and transmission of pyrazinamide-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Hunan Province,China].

Objective: To provide a scientific reference for the prevention and treatment of pyrazinamide-resistant tuberculosis (PZA-R TB), we analyzed the prevalence and risk factors of pyrazinamide-resistant tuberculosis in Hunan province and described the genotyping and clustering characteristics of the pyrazinamide-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PZA-R MTB) isolates. Methods: The drug susceptibility test results of first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs including isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFP), streptomycin (SM), ethambutol (EMB) and pyrazinamide (PZA), and the characteristics of patients were collected from 3 862 tuberculosis patients in Hunan Chest Hospital (Institute of Tuberculosis Control and Prevention) from January 2016 to December 2018. The prevalence of PZA-R TB was calculated and risk factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Two hundred and twelve Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates selected from June 2017 to June 2018 were genotyped using the 24-loci MIRU-VNTR system. The genetic difference value (h), and the Hunter-Gaston index (HGI) were used to evaluate the resolution and variation for the 24 loci. MIRU-VNTR results were analyzed using BioNumerics 5.0 software to conduct cluster analysis. Clustered isolates were further analyzed by pncA gene sequencing. Results: The rate of PZA-R TB among tuberculosis patients and MDR patients was 14.7%(566/3 862) and 60.5%(511/844), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that patients who were INH mono-resistance and MDR had a higher risk of developing PZA resistance, compared with TB patients who were pan-sensitive to anti-TB drugs (INH, RFP, SM, and EMB). The adjusted OR value (95%CI) was 13.08(5.67-30.18), 298.41(164.88-540.08), respectively, and P values were all less than 0.01. Clustering analysis showed that 65 strains formed 19 clusters, the clustering rate was 30.7%(65/212). Of 19 clusters, eight clusters had at least two isolates with identical pncA mutation types within each cluster. In eight clusters, cluster 4, 6, 16 had four, three, and two patients who lived in the same county, respectively, thus providing probable epidemiological links for the recent transmission of PZA-R Mycobacterium tuberculosis. At least 47.6%(101/212) of PZA drug-resistant TB patients were suggestive of primary drug resistance caused by transmission. Conclusions: The prevalence of PZA-R TB was severe in Hunan province. PZA susceptibility testing should be performed for isolates resistant to any first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs, especially for MDR-MTB isolates. Nearly half of tuberculosis patients were suggestive of primary drug resistance caused by transmission. The prevention and treatment strategy of PZA-R TB should focus on the standardized treatment and management of patients as well as control of the source of infection.

Whole-genome resequencing reveals genetic structure and introgression in Pudong White pigs.

Pudong White (PDW) pigs, historically originating from Shanghai, are the only Chinese indigenous pigs characterised by their completely white coats, with the exception of Rongchang pigs. However, there is limited information concerning their overall genetic structure or relationship with other breeds, especially the East Chinese (ECN) and European pigs. To uncover the genetic structure, selection signatures, and potential exotic introgression in PDW pigs, we sampled 15 PDW pigs using whole-genome sequencing (~20×). We then conducted in-depth population genetic analyses in 320 pigs from 27 global pig groups, namely, European wild boars, Chinese wild boars, and outgroup. Neighbour-joining tree and principal component analysis confirmed that PDW pigs belonged to the ecotype of ECN pigs. Both f3, D-statistics, and structure analysis showed that PDW pigs shared apparent alleles with Large White (LW) pigs. Three statistics, rIBD, a haplotype heat map and copy number variation, further indicated that PDW pigs shared apparent alleles with LW pigs at the KIT Proto-Oncogene, Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (KIT) and PARG-MARCHF8 loci, suggesting that the lineage of European pigs in PDW originated from LW pigs. After further detecting the KIT mutations in different pig breeds, PDW was confirmed to have the same duplication region 1, duplication region 2, and the splicing mutation on intron 17 of KIT as LW pigs that determine the white coat colour phenotype in European white pigs. We hypothesised that LW pigs were imported to China ∼110-160 years ago according to the admixture time estimate and then crossed with ECN pigs, resulting in the introgression of the KIT alleles that produce the white coat colour phenotype in the PDW pig breed. To our knowledge, this study presents the first thorough description of the genetic structure of PDW pigs via whole-genome resequencing data; moreover, the results provide a basis for the national project for the conservation of this unique Chinese local population.

[Effects of three kinds of proximal pedicled flaps of hand for relaying repair of degloving injuries of fingertips and the soft tissue defects in the donor sites].

Objective: To investigate the effects of the dorsal branch of digital artery pedicled flap combined with V-Y advancement flap for repair of degloving injury of fingertip and reverse dorsal metacarpal recurrent artery pedicled island flap for relaying repair of the soft tissue defects in the donor sites of the proximal dorsum. Methods: A total of 21 patients with degloving injuries of fingertips at the 2nd to 5th fingers were hospitalized in the Department of Hand Surgery of the Second Hospital of Tangshan from June 2016 to January 2019, including 14 males and 7 females aged 24-60 years. The retrospective clinical follow-up study was conducted. The areas of wounds after debridement ranged from 2.0 cm×1.5 cm to 3.5 cm×2.2 cm. The dorsal branch of digital artery pedicled flaps with dorsal branch of the proper digital nerve and dorsal digital nerve were designed in the proximal dorsum of the affected fingers to repair dorsal wounds in the distal dorsum of the affected fingers, and the sizes of the flaps ranged from 1.6 cm×1.5 cm to 2.6 cm×2.4 cm. The V-Y advancement flaps in the palmar side of the affected fingers were designed to repair palmar wounds in the distal segment of the affected fingers, and the sizes of the flaps ranged from 0.8 cm×0.6 cm to 2.0 cm×1.5 cm. The reverse dorsal metacarpal recurrent artery pedicled island flaps were used to repair the soft tissue defects in the donor sites of proximal dorsum, the sizes of the flaps ranged from 1.8 cm×1.7 cm to 2.8 cm×2.6 cm, and the donor sites of the flaps in back of hand were sutured directly. The survivals after the operation and the blood supply and appearance during follow-up of the three flaps were observed. At the final follow-up, the static two-point discrimination distance of the three flaps was measured, the satisfaction degree of patients for the appearance of hand was evaluated based on Michigan Hand Function Questionnaire, and the total active range of motion of the injured finger joints was assessed by the trial standard for the evaluation of the functions of the upper limbs of the Hand Surgery Society of the Chinese Medical Association. Results: All the flaps survived after operation. Tension blisters appeared on the surface of one dorsal branch of digital artery pedicled flap, and the wound healed after removing the stitch at the pedicle and changing dressings. During follow-up of 6-20 months, with an average of 12 months, the three kinds of flaps had good appearance, soft texture, and similar color with surrounding tissue, and with only linear scars in donor sites of the dorsal hand. At the final follow-up, the static two-point discrimination distances of V-Y advancement flaps, dorsal branch of digital artery pedicled flaps, and reverse dorsal metacarpal recurrent artery pedicled island flaps were 4-7 mm, 5-10 mm, and 8-15 mm, respectively. Sixteen patients were strongly satisfied with the appearance of hand, and the remaining five patients were satisfied with the appearance of hand. The total active range of motion of the injured finger joints was evaluated as excellent in 17 cases, good in 4 cases. Conclusions: The operation is simple and reliable for dorsal branch of digital artery pedicled flap combined with V-Y advancement flap to repair the degloving injury of fingertip, and reverse dorsal metacarpal recurrent artery pedicled island flaps to repair the soft tissue defects in the donor sites of the proximal dorsum, and the appearance and function of the affected fingers recover well, with minimal injury.

[Preliminary study of the clinical value of colposcopy in diagnosing vagina invasion in cervical cancer].

Objective: To explore the preliminary clinical values of colposcopy in the diagnosis of vaginal invasion in cervical cancer. Methods: A retrospective review of the clinical records of patients (31 cases) with cervical cancer treated in Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from April 2015 to August 2019. For those with early-stage cervical cancer and the vagina invasion being difficult to be determined, those with advanced cervical cancer and the scope of vaginal invasion being difficult to be judged, and those with obvious vaginal tumor and underexposed cervix or inconspicuous cervical lesion and the primary location needing to be identified, colposcopy-guided vaginal and cervix biopsy were performed before treatment. Results: (1) Image characteristics of colposcopy and pathological diagnosis: among 31 cases, 30 of them had the similar images of vagina and cervix. The images were dense acetowhite and (or) thick mosaic, coarse punctate and atypical vessels. Lugol's staining was uniformly bright yellow or brown. Pathological biopsy of vaginal wall: 27 cases were metastatic carcinoma, 3 cases were vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN) Ⅱ-Ⅲ. One case showed dense acetowhite epithelium and atypical vessels image in cervix and thin acetowhite epithelium in upper 1/3 vagina which disappeared in two minutes; the results of vaginal biopsy was chronic inflammation. (2) Vaginal invasion diagnosed by colposcopy: among 31 cases, 14 of them without invasion of uterine side, vaginal invasion was judged as followed by colposcopy, being consistent with biopsy: 1 case of chronic vaginitis, 2 cases VaINⅡ, 1 case VaINⅢ, 6 cases upper 1/3 vagina invasion, 4 cases lower 1/3 vagina invasion. Among 10 cases with invasion of uterine side, vaginal invasion were identified by colposcopy, being consistent with biopsy: 4 cases upper 1/3 vagina invasion and 6 cases upper 1/2 vagina invasion. Five cases who had clinical diagnosis of vaginal cancer were diagnosed as cervical cancer with vaginal invasion by colposcopy, being consistent with biopsy. Two cases with no obvious lesions of cervix and vagina were diagnosed as cervical cancer with vaginal invasion by colposcopy, being consistent with cervical and vaginal biopsy: 1 case with stage Ⅳ (transfer to the left supraclavicular lymph node) and 1 case with stage Ⅱ a1. Conclusions: Colposcopy and multi-point biopsy have complementary diagnostic value for the cervical cancer cases that the invasion and scope of vagina are difficult to be determined by physical examination and (or) imaging examination. Thus the range of vaginal resection for patients underwent operation and the lower boundary of pelvic radiation field for those underwent radiotherapy could be fixed, so as to make the treatment much more individualized and humanized; the indications need further discussion.

[Evaluation of human milk feeding in hospitalized very low and extremely low birth weight infants].

Objective: To investigate the current situation of human milk (HM) feeding in hospitalized very low and extremely low birth weight infants. Methods: The study retrospectively extracted the data of 601 infants with birth weight <1 500 g, and admitted within 24 hours after birth to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2016 to December 2018. The infants were grouped into exclusive mother's-own-milk (MOM) group, donor human milk (DHM) group (partial or none MOM), and mixed (HM and formula) feeding group according to the feeding strategy. Qualitative and quantitative variables in the three groups were compared with One-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, Chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Kappa and McNemar test were used for consistency testing. Results: Among the 601 infants (309 boys and 292 girls), 6 (1.0%) infants had never been fed with MOM. The gestational age and birth weight were (29.3±1.9) weeks and 1 260(1 115, 1 400) g in 601 infants. A total of 8 (1.3%) infants were grouped into MOM group, 542 (90.2%) were grouped into DHM group, and 51 (8.5%) were grouped into mixed feeding group. The percentage of enteral feedings with MOM in the stage of hospitalization 1-7 d, 8-14 d and 15-28 d were 73.6% (42.9%, 86.7%), 97.5% (78.6%, 100.0%) and 99.3% (93.0%, 100.0%), respectively (H=414.95, P<0.01), and the pairwise comparison suggested that the stage of hospitalization 1-7 d was the lowest (adjusted both P<0.05). The average weight adjusted daily dose of MOM were 9.7 (4.3, 18.2), 59.1 (26.5, 93.5) and 116.0 (60.3, 142.6) ml/(kg·d) in the stage of hospitalization 1-7 d, 8-14 d and 15-28 d, respectively (H=759.75, P<0.01), and the pairwise comparison suggested that the stage of hospitalization 1-7 d was the lowest (adjusted both P<0.05). The weight adjusted daily dose of MOM in exclusive MOM group, DHM and Mixed feeding group were 95.2 (40.0, 117.2), 82.9(53.6, 103.1) and 55.7 (16.6, 97.5) ml/(kg·d), respectively (H=10.78, P=0.005).Additionally, the percentage and weight adjusted daily dose of MOM showed a general consistency of 0.703 (P>0.05, Kappa=0.408). Conclusions: The rate of exclusive MOM feeding is low, especially during the first 7 days of hospitalization. The percentage of total enteral feedings with MOM and the average weight adjusted daily dose of MOM can well evaluate the situation of HM feeding during hospitalization quantitively.

[Diffuse pulmonary meningotheliomatosis: a case report and literature review].

Objective: To analyze the clinical features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of diffuse pulmonary meningotheliomatosis (DPM), a rare subtype of minute pulmonary meningothelial-like nodules (MPMN), so as to improve the understanding of this disorder. Methods: The clinical data of a patient diagnosed as DPM admitted in department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital in August 2016 were reported and the related literatures were reviewed. With "pulmonary meningothelial-like nodules" , "minute pulmonary meningothelial-like nodules" or "diffuse pulmonary meningotheliomatosis" as the search terms, and the search time before November 1st 2017 for Wanfangdata, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and PubMed.Twenty-five articles were retrieved, among which 6 English (all case reports) articles were found with the search term "diffuse pulmonary meningotheliomatosis" involving 10 cases, and the other 19 articles (1 Chinese, 18 English) about MPMN mainly discussed non-DPM cases,including 13 case reports and 6 pathological/genetic studies. Results: A 68-year old female was admitted to the hospital because of intermittent cough and expectoration for more than 3 years and aggravation for 3 weeks. Her pulmonary CT showed diffuse minute nodules distributed randomly throughout both lungs, and did not improve after treatment with oral Moxifloxacin for 2 weeks. A video-assisted thoracoscopic biopsy was performed. The specimens showed MPMN and no other lesions, which confirmed the final diagnosis of DPM. She was followed without any medication therapy and her pulmonary CT showed stabilization of the lesions one year later. DPM was considered as a rare type of MPMN. A total of 11 cases were analyzed, including 10 cases reported in the literature. The patients included 1man and 10 women, aged 51 to 75 years, with an average age of (64±8) years. Among the 11 patients, 8 denied a history of smoking or of occupational exposure, 7 presented with dyspnea, shortness of breath, or fatigue, and 8 had mild abnormalities of pulmonary function test. The pulmonary CT of all the patients showed randomly distributed, diffuse bilateral small solid or ground-glass nodules, with the diameters less than 5 millimeters, some of which were cavitated. Only 1 patient had pulmonary thromboembolism, while the other 10 did not have any other lung diseases. All the patients were histologically diagnosed, 8 by open lung biopsies, 2 by transbronchial lung biopsy, and 1 by CT-guided fine needle aspiration. Three patients were followed for 12-92 months and the lung lesions were all stable. Conclusions: As a rare subtype of MPMN, DPM lacks specificity of clinical manifestations, and presents with diffuse bilateral small solid or ground-glass nodules, distributed randomly throughout both lungs. An early correct diagnosis depends on biopsy.

[Clinical analysis of 128 cases of cervical lesion diagnosed by multi-point biopsy of colposcopy and endocervical curettage].

Objective: To investigate the clinical values of colposcopy and cervical biopsy and/or endocervical curettage (ECC) in the diagnosis of cervical lesion. Methods: Clinical data of 128 cases of cervical lesion diagnosed by Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from January 23, 2014 to October 11, 2016 were collected and retrospectively analyzed, all patients underwent colposcopy and cervical biopsy and/or ECC. Results: Among them, the age between 30 to 50 years old were 70 cases, whose transformation zone types of Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 28 cases (40.0%), 23 cases (32.9%) and 19 cases (27.1%), respectively. The age older than 50 years were 45 cases, whose transformation zone types of Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 1 case (2.2%) and 44 cases (97.8%), respectively. Among the 128 cases of cervical lesions, diagnostic results of colposcopy showed that the chronic inflammation were 57 cases, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)Ⅰwere 35 cases, CINⅡor CINⅡ~Ⅲ were 8 cases, CIN Ⅲ were 5 cases and cervical cancer were 23 cases. Alternatively, the pathological results showed that the chronic inflammation were 81 cases, CINⅠwere 17 cases, CINⅡor CINⅡ~Ⅲ were 7 cases, CIN Ⅲ were 5 cases and cervical cancer were 18 cases, respectively. Among the 81 cases of chronic inflammation diagnosed by pathology, 52 cases (64.2%) were consistent with the diagnostic results of colposcopy. Among the 17 cases of low grade squamous epithelial cell lesion (LSIL) diagnosed by pathology, 10 cases were in agree with the diagnostic results of colposcopy. Among the 12 cases of high-grade squamous epithelial cell lesion (HSIL) diagnosed by pathology, 9 cases were concordant with the diagnostic results of colposcopy. Among the 18 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed by pathology, 17 cases were consistent with the diagnostic results of colposcopy. Conclusions: The type of transformation zone is positively correlated with the age, and it can help to choose biopsy and therapeutic manner. The diagnostic accuracies of HSIL and early stage of cervical cancer by multi-point biopsy of colposcopy and/or ECC are high. The cervical lesions which are difficultly found by direct visualization can be identified by colposcopy, and thus provides objective evidence to determine the therapeutic manner for patients with stage ⅡA of cervical cancer.

[An analysis of assessment results of prevention and control of occupational hazards in a city].

Objective: To investigate the current status of prevention and control of occupational hazards in a city in 2017, to understand the capability to prevent and control occupational hazards and the level of occupational health supervision and management, and to propose measures to urge employers to assume the main responsibility for the prevention and control of occupational diseases. Methods: An analysis of the main factors influencing the prevention and control of occupational hazards in the city was performed to screen out six semi-quantitative assessment indicators (including the training of the main responsible persons and occupational health management personnel in companies) and four qualitative assessment indicators (including the coverage of supervision and inspection of occupational hazards performed by the district safety supervision department) , which could be used to measure the prevention and control effects of regional occupational hazards. Each indicator was scored. The typical investigation method was used to do data review and on-site inspection of 170 companies, 17 district-level occupational health supervision departments, and 16 sub-district (township) occupational health supervision departments in the city from October to December, 2017. The prevention and control of occupational diseases in each district was scored, and the completion rate and completion situation of each indicator in the city were analyzed. Results: The mean score of prevention and control of occupational hazards in the city was 84.9. The scores of two districts were relatively high, being 88.9 and 88.7, respectively; the scores of 9 (52.9%) districts were higher than 85. The pass rate of training for the main responsible persons and occupational health management personnel in companies in the city was 95.9%, the pass rate of occupational health training for workers was 84.7%, the pass rate of occupational health examination for workers was 96.5%, the pass rate for the inspection of occupational hazardous factors in workplaces was 95.3%, the pass rate for notifying occupational hazards in workplaces is 95.9%, and the pass rate for applying the warning signs of occupational hazards in workplaces was 76.5%. Conclusion: The awareness of the importance of prevention and control of occupational hazards in all districts of the city has been increased, but the effectiveness of occupational health training for workers needs to be strengthened. The supply and demand of occupational health technical services are still not matched, and the ways and methods of occupational health supervision and inspection need to be improved.

[Relationship between Electrical Conductivity and Decomposition Rate of Rat Postmortem Skeletal Muscle].

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the relationship among electrical conductivity （EC）, total volatile basic nitrogen （TVB-N）, which is an index of decomposition rate for meat production, and postmortem interval （PMI）. To explore the feasibility of EC as an index of cadaveric skeletal muscle decomposition rate and lay the foundation for PMI estimation. METHODS: Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were sacrificed by cervical vertebrae dislocation and kept at 28 ℃. Muscle of rear limbs was removed at different PMI, homogenized in deionized water and then skeletal extraction liquid of mass concentration 0.1 g/mL was prepared. EC and TVB-N of extraction liquid were separately determined. The correlation between EC (x1) and TVB-N (x2) was analyzed, and their regression function was established. The relationship between PMI (y) and these two parameters were studied, and their regression functions were separately established. RESULTS: The change trends of EC and TVB-N of skeletal extraction liquid at different PMI were almost the same, and there was a linear positive correlation between them. The regression equation was x2=0.14x1-164.91(R²=0.982). EC and TVB-N of skeletal muscle changed significantly with PMI, and the regression functions were y=19.38x1³-370.68x1²+2 526.03 x1-717.06(R²=0.994), and y=2.56x2³-48.39x2²+330.60x2-255.04(R²=0.997), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: EC and TVB-N of rat postmortem skeletal muscle show similar change trends, which can be used as an index for decomposition rate of cadaveric skeletal muscle and provide a method for further study of late PMI estimation.

[Relationship between the Change Rules of Volatile Organic Compounds in Rat Muscle and Postmortem Interval].

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between the change rules of volatile organic compounds （VOCs） in rat muscle and postmortem interval （PMI）. METHODS: A total of 120 healthy rats were divided randomly into 12 groups （10 for each group）. After the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, the bodies were kept at （25±1） ℃. Rat muscle samples were separately obtained at 12 PMI points, including 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 d. The VOCs in rat muscles were collected, detected and analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction （HS-SPME） coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometer （GC-MS）. RESULTS: In total, 15 species of VOCs were identified, including 9 aromatic compounds, 3 sulfur compounds, 2 aliphatic acids and 1 heterocyclic compound. The species of VOCs increased with PMI： no species were detected within 1 day, 3 species were detected on day 2, 9 on day 3, 11 on day 4, 14 from day 5 to 7, and 15 from day 8 to 10. Total peak area of 15 species of VOCs was significantly correlated to PMI （adjusted R²=0.15-0.96）： the regression function was y=-17.05 x²+ 164.36 x-246.36 （adjusted R²=0.96） from day 2 to 5, and y=2.24 x+101.13 （adjusted R²=0.97） from day 6 to 10. CONCLUSIONS: The change rules of VOCs in rat muscle are helpful for PMI estimation.

[Effects of exposure to ambient particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on oxidative stress biomarkers in the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on systemic oxidative stress biomarkers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. METHODS: A panel of forty-five diagnosed and stable COPD patients, whose residences were within 5 kilometers from Peking University Health Science Center (PKUHSC), were recruited and followed up twice between November 2014 and May 2015. The lung function index percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to predicted value (FEV1%pred), was measured to reflect the severity of COPD patients. The systemic oxidative stress biomarkers malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in their urine samples were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Concentrations of ambient air pollutants and levels of meteorological factors were measured continuously through the air pollution-monitoring station located in PKUHSC. PM2.5 samples, which were used for measuring the concentrations of PAHs, were collected by PM2.5 high volume air sampler. We constructed linear mixed-effects models, including single-pollutant model, 2-pollutant models and stratification analysis, to estimate the effects of air pollutants on urinary MDA and 8-OHdG after adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: In our COPD-patient panel, the associations between ultrafine particles (UFP) and PAHs and urinary MDA were statistically significant at lag2 (P<0.05). For an interquartile range (IQR) increase in UFP and PAHs, respective increases of 28% (95%CI: 4%-57%) and 36% (95%CI: 4%-77%) in urinary MDA were observed, and the effects became stronger after adjusting for the concentration of black carbon (BC). The COPD patients were divided into 2 groups stratified by FEV1%pred. Most air pollutants had stronger effects of systemic oxidative stress in the COPD patients of FEV1%pred≥50%. In this group, we observed that an IQR increase in UFP was associated with a 98% (95%CI: 38%-186%) increase in urinary MDA, and an IQR increase in BC, UFP and PAHs were associated with respective increases of 87% (95%CI: 32%-166%), 69% (95%CI: 24%-130%) and 156% (95%CI: 66%-294%) in urinary 8-OHdG. We didn't find significant associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and urinary oxidative stress biomarkers. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that exposure to air pollutants, especially UFP and PAHs, was responsible for exacerbation of systemic oxidative stress in COPD patients. Most air pollutants had stronger effects of systemic oxidative stress in mild to moderate COPD patients.

[Airway oxidative stress and inflammation markers in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases(COPD) patients are linked with exposure to traffic-related air pollution: a panel study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution on airway oxidative stress and inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) patients. METHODS: A panel of forty-five diagnosed COPD patients were recruited and followed with repeated measurements of biomarkers reflecting airway oxidative stress and inflammation in exhaled breath condensate (EBC), including nitrate and nitrite, 8-isoprostane, interleukin-8 and acidity of EBC (pH), between 5(th) September in 2014 and 26(th) May in 2015. The associations between air pollution and biomarkers were analyzed with mixed-effects models, controlling for confounding covariates. RESULTS: The concentration of PM2.5, black carbon, NO2 and number concentration of particles with diameter less than 100 nm (PNC100), and particles in size ranges between 100 nm to 200 nm (PNC100-200) during the first follow-up were (156.5±117.7), (10.7±0.7), (165.9±66.0)µg/m(3) and 397 521±96 712, 79 421±44 090 per cubic meter, respectively; the concentration were (67.9±29.6), (3.4±1.3), (126.1±10.9) µg/m(3) and (295 682±39 430), (24 693±12 369) per cubic meter, respectively during the second follow-up. The differences were of significance, with t value being 3.10, 4.42, 2.61, 4.02, 5.12, respectively and P value being 0.005,<0.001, 0.016, <0.001 and <0.001, respectively. In our COPD-patient panel, per interquartile range (IQR) increase in PNC100-200, we observed an increase of 65% (95% CI: 8%-152%) in nitrate and nitrite in EBC reflecting airway oxidative stress. For an IQR increase in PM2.5, black carbon and PNC100-200, respective increases of 0.17 ng/ml (95% CI: 0.02-0.33), 0.12 ng/ml (95% CI: 0.01-0.24) and 0.13 ng/ml (95% CI:0.02-0.24) in interleukin-8 in EBC reflecting airway inflammation were also observed. An IQR increase in ozone was also associated with a 0.24 (95%CI: 0.05-0.42) decrease in pH of EBC reflecting increased airway inflammation. No significant association observed between air pollution and 8-isoprostane in EBC in COPD patients. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that short-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution was responsible for exacerbation of airway oxidative stress and inflammation in COPD patients.

Peierls transition in sodium under high pressure: a first-principles study.

We have used first-principles calculations to investigate the electronic structure of the new oP8 phase of sodium which was experimentally reported recently (Gregoryanz et al 2008 Science 320 1054). Our results show the transition from I-43d to oP8 structure, which happens at room temperature, can also happen at 0 K. The I-43d structure will change to the oP8 structure at about 155 GPa and 0 K, rather than the CsIV structure at 190 GPa and 0 K, as the previous studies (Neaton et al 2001 Phys. Rev. Lett. 86 2830) predicted. It is also found that the oP8 structure forms a new nonequilateral triangle Na(3) structure and mainly distributes charge accumulation in the voids of the structure, rather than within the Na(3) triangles. Electronic density of states analysis shows that the oP8 structure opens a deeper pseudogap close to the Fermi level through symmetry breaking of the structure compared with that of the I-43d structure. Together with its unusual charge density distribution, it is found that the Peierls mechanism works for the transition to the oP8 structure. Differing from previous results about the Peierls mechanism of light alkali metals, the unit which produces a one-dimensional charge density wave is the Na(3) cluster instead of the pairing mechanism.

Effects of high pressure on the luminescent properties of nanocrystalline and bulk Y2O3:Eu3+.

High pressure-induced spectral changes in a 20-nm cubic nanocrystalline yttria doped with europium and its corresponding bulk were studied in the range of 550-750 nm, corresponding to the 5D0 --> 7Fd (J = 0-4) transitions. The results demonstrate that the bulk Y2O3 underwent phase transition from the cubic phase to the monoclinic phase as the pressure increased to 15 GPa, while the 20-nm nanocrystals did not. This can be concluded from the fact that the 5D0 --> 7F0 line and the three 5D0 --> 7F1 sublines originating from the cubic phase disappeared, while another group of 5D0 --> 7F0 and 5D0 --> 7F1 lines appeared. In addition, the relative intensity of the peak around 630 nm to that around 611 nm varied obviously as the pressure surpassed 15 GPa. The variations in the nanocrystals were more sluggish in comparison to those in the bulk, indicating that the nanocrystalline yttria had improved compressibility, which is attributed to an increased surface energy in nanocrystals. The local environment surrounding luminescent Eu3+ in the nanocrystals and the bulk both became more disordered with the increase of the pressure. The phase transition from the cubic to the monoclinic is irreversible.

The targeted expression of interleukin-2 in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

To improve the safety and efficiency of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) gene therapy, we explored the use of a liver-specific promoter and a tumor-specific enhancer to achieve regular IL-2 gene expression for treatment of HCC. The human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) enhancer [E(AFP)] and the albumin promoter [P(ALB)] were amplified from human genomic DNA. We used eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA-3 for the delivery of the IL-2 gene because this plasmid is a non-transient, fast-selection expression vector. A recombinant plasmid was constructed including the selectable marker neoR gene and the human IL-2 gene derived by the E(AFP) - P(ALB). The liver-predominant expression pattern of the IL-2 gene was observed in the medium of the transfected cells. When human HCC cell lines displaying different levels of AFP and non-hepatocyte tumor cell lines were transfected with the recombinant plasmid, IL-2 was expressed highly in AFP and albumin-positive HCC cells, but low in nonhepatocyte tumor cells. Moreover, the expression level of IL-2 gene was positively proportional to the level of AFP expression in the transfected cells.