Crystallization of Dimensional Isomers in Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Dimensional isomers, defined in reticular chemistry as frameworks consisting of identical molecular building blocks but extended in two or three dimensions (2D or 3D), are an important type of framework isomers that have never been isolated. Herein, we report the crystallization of dimensional isomers in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for the first time. By polymerization of the same molecular building blocks at different temperatures, both 2D and 3D COFs were successfully constructed due to the temperature-induced conformational changes of precursors from planar to tetrahedral. In addition, the non-fluorescent 2D COF can be gradually converted into the fluorescent 3D COF by increasing the temperature under solvothermal conditions. Therefore, it is reasonable to crystallize the dimensional isomers of reticular materials by controlling the conformation of molecular building blocks, and more examples can be expected. Since the obtained dimensional isomers show different properties and functions, this work will definitely motivate us to design reticular materials for target applications in the future.

Locating Hydrogen Positions for COF-300 by Cryo-3D Electron Diffraction.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have wide-ranging applications, and their host-guest interactions play an essential role in the achievement of COF functions. To investigate these host-guest interactions, it is necessary to locate all atoms, especially hydrogen atoms. However, it is difficult to determine the hydrogen atomic positions in COFs because of the complexities in synthesizing high-quality large single crystals. Three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D ED) has unique advantages for the structural determination of nanocrystals and identification of light atoms. In this study, it was demonstrated for the first time that the hydrogen atoms of a COF, not only on the framework but also on the guest molecule, can be located by 3D ED using continuous precession electron diffraction tomography (cPEDT) under cryogenic conditions. The host-guest interactions were clarified with the location of the hydrogen atoms. These findings provide novel insights into the investigation of COFs.

Propofol alleviates neuropathic pain in chronic constriction injury rat models via the microRNA-140-3p/Jagged-1 peptide/Notch signaling pathway.

Chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve was used to establish neuropathic pain (NP) models in rats. CCI rats were then treated with propofol (Pro) and their paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) and paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) were measured. In addition, the expression patterns of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and IL-10 were detected. CCI rats treated with propofol were further injected with antagomiR-140-3p to verify the role of miR-140-3p in propofol's analgesic actions. In addition to confirming the relationship between miR-140-3p and JAG1, the expression patterns of JAG1 itself were detected. Propofol-treated CCI rats were also injected with Ad-JAG1 (adenovirus-packaged JAG1 overexpression vector and Ad-NC) to test the role of JAG1 in propofol's analgesic mechanism of action. Finally, the levels of JAG1 and Notch pathway-related proteins were detected RESULTS: Propofol was found to alleviate NP, including thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical pain threshold. Propofol could also ameliorate neuroinflammation by up-regulating the expression of IL-10 and inhibiting the release of TNF-α and IL-1ß. Mechanically, propofol enhanced the amount of miR-140-3p in CCI rats via the regulation of JAG1. Down-regulation of miR-140-3p, or up-regulation of JAG1, could reduce the protective effect of propofol against NP. Propofol inhibited the activation of Notch signaling via miR-140-3p/JAG1 to realize its analgesic effect CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that propofol inhibits inflammatory responses and the Notch signaling pathway via miR-140-3p/JAG1 to alleviate NP. These data provide evidence to support a potential clinical therapy for NP.

Cage Based Crystalline Covalent Organic Frameworks.

The first two cage based crystalline covalent organic frameworks, cage-COF-1 and cage-COF-2, were constructed from a prism-like three-aldehyde-containing molecular cage. The cage contains two horizontal phloroglucinol and three vertical triazine moieties forming three identical V-shaped cavities. By reacting with p-phenylenediamine and 4,4'-biphenyldiamine, the two cage-COFs were formed with a hexagonal skeleton and possess a unique structure. Due to the pillared cage nodes, the linkers are hanging with their π-surfaces but not C-H sites exposed to the pore, and enjoy certain rotational dynamics as suggested by 13C CP/MAS NMR. The antidirection of the diimine linkages leads to rippled layers which pack in unique ABC mode through alternate stacking of the cage twosided faces in both AB and AC layers. Such packing forms trigonal channels along c axis which are interconnected in ab plane due to the large open space created across the hanging linkers, resembling the porous characteristics of 3D COFs. The cage-COFs have a permanent porosity and can adsorb CO2 facilitated by the intrinsic cage cavities that serve as prime adsorption sites. The unprecedented cage-COFs not only merge the borderline of 2D and 3D COFs but also bridge porous organic cages to extended crystalline organic frameworks.

Raltitrexed increases radiation sensitivity of esophageal squamous carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Radiation therapy remains an important therapeutic modality, especially for those patients who are not candidates for radical resection. Many strategies have been developed to increase the radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer, with some success. METHODS: This study was conducted to determine whether raltitrexed can enhance radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). ESCC cell lines 24 h were incubated with raltitrexed or DMSO with or without subsequent irradiation. Cell Counting Kit assay-8 assay and clonogenic survival assay were used to measure the cell proliferation and radiosensitization, respectively. Flow cytometry was utilized to examine cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution in different groups. Immunofluorescence analysis was performed to detect deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) double-strand breaks. In addition, the expression levels of proteins that are involved in radiation induced signal transduction including Bax, Cyclin B1, Cdc2/pCdc2, and Cdc25C/pCdc25C were examined by western blot analysis. RESULTS: The results indicated that raltitrexed enhanced radiosensitivity of ESCC cells with increased DNA double-strand breaks, the G2/M arrest, and the apoptosis of ESCC cells induced by radiation. The sensitization enhancement ratio of 1.23-2.10 was detected for ESCC cells with raltitrexed treatment in TE-13 cell line. In vitro, raltitrexed also increased the therapeutic effect of radiation in nude mice. CONCLUSION: Raltitrexed increases the radiosensitivity of ESCC. This antimetabolite drug is promising for future clinical trials with concurrent radiation in esophageal cancer.

Performance analysis of adaptive optics with a phase retrieval algorithm in orbital-angular-momentum-based oceanic turbulence links.

Recently, orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams have been applied in underwater optical communication (UWOC) to build a high-capacity communication link. However, a wave-front-sensitive OAM beam suffers significant distortion due to oceanic turbulence (OT), resulting in considerable intermodal crosstalk that degrades the UWOC performance. Herein, we propose and demonstrate an adaptive optics (AO)-based correction approach with a phase retrieval algorithm (PRA) to compensate for the distorted OAM beams induced by OT. In a simulation, an OT model with the random phase screen method is utilized. Two PRAs, the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm (GSA) and the hybrid input-output algorithm (HIOA), are utilized to reconstruct the distorted phase-front of the OAM beam. The simulation results illustrate that the PRA-based AO approach can effectively compensate for the distorted OAM beam and improve the bit error rate performance in an oceanic channel. Additionally, the compensation performance of HIOA-based AO is superior to that of GSA-based AO in terms of convergence performance. This work verifies the feasibility and validity of a PRA-based AO approach in underwater turbulence optical communication and provides new insights into the OAM underwater communication system.

Adaptive turbulence compensation with a hybrid input-output algorithm in orbital angular momentum-based free-space optical communication.

Atmospheric turbulence is a major challenge for practical orbital angular momentum (OAM)-based free-space optical (FSO) communication systems that causes intermodal crosstalk and degrades the performance of the system. Herein, we propose a hybrid input-output algorithm (HIOA)-based adaptive optics (AO) system to compensate for distorted OAM beams. The principle and parameters of the HIOA-based AO system in an OAM-based FSO system are analyzed, and the performance is discussed. The simulation results indicate that the HIOA-based AO system can effectively correct distorted OAM beams and that the HIOA improves the compensation performance and convergence speed compared to the traditional Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm. Moreover, we analyze the compensation performance based on different probe beams. Using an OAM beam with state l=1 as a probe beam can yield better correction effects than a Gaussian beam. This work verifies the feasibility of using an HIOA for adaptive turbulence compensation and provides new insights into OAM communication systems.

HIF-1α P582S and A588T polymorphisms and digestive system cancer risk-a meta-analysis.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) influences cancer progression and metastasis through various mechanisms, and HIF-1α polymorphisms are reportedly associated with many cancers; however, the associations of HIF-1α P582S and A588T polymorphisms with the risk of digestive system cancer remain inconclusive. To understand the role of HIF-1α P582S and A588T genotypes in digestive cancer development, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis involving 1,517 cases and 3,740 controls. Overall, the P582S polymorphism was not significantly associated with digestive system cancers in all genotypes. By contrast, the A588T polymorphism was significantly associated with digestive system cancers in the dominant model (TT/AT vs. AA: OR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.21, 8.25; P heterogeneity < 0.001). In subgroup analysis for cancer types, the two polymorphisms were only associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer (P582S: SS vs. PP: OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.31, 4.81; SS vs. PP/PS: OR = 8.73, 95% CI: 1.33, 57.1; A588T: TT vs. AA: OR = 9.30, 95% CI: 1.12, 77.6; P heterogeneity = 0.478; TT vs. AA/AT: OR = 3.14, 95% CI: 1.99, 4.97; P heterogeneity = 0.098; TT/AT vs. AA: OR = 8.65, 95% CI: 1.05, 71.6; P heterogeneity = 0.418). According to the source of ethnicity, the P582S and the A588T polymorphisms are both significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer among Caucasians in the homozygote model (SS vs. PP: OR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.24, 4.691; P heterogeneity = 0.010; TT vs. AA: OR = 98.6, 95% CI: 4.37, 2,224; P heterogeneity = 0.040) and the recessive model (SS vs. PP/PS: OR = 9.48, 95% CI: 1.12, 80.3; P heterogeneity < 0.001; TT vs. AA/AT: OR = 82.7, 95% CI: 3.79, 1,802; P heterogeneity = 0.041). Our findings suggest that the HIF-1α A588T polymorphism is significantly associated with higher cancer risk and the P582S polymorphism is significantly associated with pancreatic cancer risk. Furthermore, the effect of both polymorphisms on digestive system cancer is more pronounced among Caucasians than that among Asians.

Meat consumption is associated with esophageal cancer risk in a meat- and cancer-histological-type dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of meat intake and esophageal cancer risk, with subgroup analyses based on meat type and histological type of cancer. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between meat intake and risk of esophageal cancer. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library (April 2013) for cohort and case-control studies that assessed meat intake and esophageal cancer risk. Random-effect or fixed-effect models were used to pool relative risks (RRs) from individual studies with heterogeneity and publication bias analyses carried out. Seven cohort and 28 case-control studies were included. RESULTS: The summary RRs for esophageal cancer for the highest versus lowest consumption categories were 1.19 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.98-1.46) for total meat, 1.55 (95 % CI 1.22-1.96) for red meat, 1.33 (95 % CI 1.04-1.69) for processed meat, 0.72 (95 % CI 0.60-0.86) for white meat, 0.83 (95 % CI 0.72-0.96) for poultry, and 0.95 (95 % CI 0.76-1.19) for fish. When striated by histological subtype, positive associations were seen among esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and red meat, white meat and poultry, and esophageal adenocarcinoma with total meat and processed meat. CONCLUSIONS: Meat consumption is associated with esophageal cancer risk, which depends on meat type and histological type of esophageal cancer. High intake of red meat and low intake of poultry are associated with an increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. High meat intake, especially processed meat, is likely to increase esophageal adenocarcinoma risk. And fish consumption may not be associated with incidence of esophageal cancer.

Double counting heart rate - Littmann sign in electrocardiogram.

This report highlights necessity of correctly and quickly identifying Littmann sign. Littmann sign is not common in clinical practice, which is easily overlooked by most physicians, leading to delays in the treatment of hyperkalemia. A 68 year old patient with hyperkalemia was found to have inconsistent heart rate displayed on electrocardiogram monitoring with cardiac auscultation and synchronous electrocardiogram in the early stages of onset. Hyperkalemia was highly suspected by the Littmann sign. After completing arterial blood gas analysis, hyperkalemia was identified and active potassium lowering treatment was immediately initiated. The Littmann syndrome disappeared, and the patient eventually recovered.

Molecular footprints of domestication and improvement in soybean revealed by whole genome re-sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Artificial selection played an important role in the origin of modern Glycine max cultivars from the wild soybean Glycine soja. To elucidate the consequences of artificial selection accompanying the domestication and modern improvement of soybean, 25 new and 30 published whole-genome re-sequencing accessions, which represent wild, domesticated landrace, and Chinese elite soybean populations were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 5,102,244 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 707,969 insertion/deletions were identified. Among the SNPs detected, 25.5% were not described previously. We found that artificial selection during domestication led to more pronounced reduction in the genetic diversity of soybean than the switch from landraces to elite cultivars. Only a small proportion (2.99%) of the whole genomic regions appear to be affected by artificial selection for preferred agricultural traits. The selection regions were not distributed randomly or uniformly throughout the genome. Instead, clusters of selection hotspots in certain genomic regions were observed. Moreover, a set of candidate genes (4.38% of the total annotated genes) significantly affected by selection underlying soybean domestication and genetic improvement were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Given the uniqueness of the soybean germplasm sequenced, this study drew a clear picture of human-mediated evolution of the soybean genomes. The genomic resources and information provided by this study would also facilitate the discovery of genes/loci underlying agronomically important traits.

[Transposon expression and potential effects on gene regulation of Brassica rapa and B. oleracea genomes].

Transposons or transposable elements (TEs) are ubiquitous and most abundant DNA components in higher eukaryotes. Recent sequencing of the Brassica rapa and B. oleracea genomes revealed that the amplification of TEs is one of the main factors inducing the difference in genome size. However, the expressions of TEs and the TE effects on gene regulation and functions of these two Brassica diploid species were unclear. Here, we analyzed the RNA sequencing data of leaves, roots, and stems from B. rapa and B. oleracea. Our data showed that overall TEs in either genome expressed at very low levels, and the expression levels of different TE categories and families varied among different organs. Moreover, even for the same TE category or family, the expression activities were distinct between the two Brassica diploids. Forty-one and nine LTR retrotransposons with the transcripts that read into their adjacent sequences have the distances shorter than 2 kb and 100 bp compared to the downstream genes. These LTR retrotransposon readout transcriptions may produce sense or antisense transcripts of nearby genes, with the effects on activating or silencing corresponding genes. Meanwhile, intact LTRs were detected at stronger readout activities than solo LTRs. Of the TEs inserted into genes, the frequencies were ob-served at a higher level in B. rapa than in B. oleracea. In addition, DNA transposons were prone to insert or retain in the intronic regions of genes in either Brassica genomes. These results revealed that the TEs may have potential effects on regulating protein coding genes.

[Survey on seroepidemiological status and vaccine coverage of hepatitis B among children in Chaoyang district of Beijing in 2010].

OBJECTIVE: To explore seroepidemiological status and vaccine coverage of hepatitis B in children aging under 15 years old in Chaoyang district of Beijing. METHODS: A total of 1602 children aging under 15 years old, residents or floating population who had lived here more than six months, were randomly selected by multistage cluster sampling, from Chaoyang district of Beijing in year 2010. The demographic information and vaccine coverage of hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) were collected by self-designed questionnaire.5 ml blood was collected from each subject and the serum HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were detected by Abbott microparticle enzyme-linked immunoassay. Those whose HBsAg was positive were then tested HBeAg and anti-HBe. The positive rate of hepatitis B indicators and coverage rate of HepB in different population were compared. RESULTS: The positive rate of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were 0.56% (9/1602), 64.17% (1028/1602) and 2.12% (34/1602), respectively; while the age standardized rates were separately 0.57%, 66.36% and 1.98%; and the gender-adjusted rates were 0.56%, 64.23% and 2.12% respectively. The positive rate of anti-HBs was statistically significant (χ(2) = 165.445, P = 0.000). The positive rate of anti-HBs was up to 90.73% (235/259) among 1-2 years old children, followed by 76.22% (141/185) among 13 - 15 years old children, 67.21% (166/247) among 3 - 4 years old children, 61.22% (150/245) among 9 - 10 years old children, 60.68% (142/234) among 11 - 12 years old children, 49.05% (103/210) among 5 - 6 years old children and 40.99% (91/222) among 7 - 8 years old children. The average coverage rate of HepB was 90.44% (1371/1516), separately 93.76% (661/705) in residents and 87.55% (719/811) in floating population. The difference was statistically significant (χ(2) = 16.829, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: HBsAg positive rate in children under 15 years old in Chaoyang district of Beijing dropped to less than 1% and the coverage rate of HepB had reached over 90%. It is suggested that we should pay more attention to increase the coverage rate of HepB among floating children under 15 years old.

[Study on family aggregation and risk factors of hepatitis B virus transmission in Chaoyang district, Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the family aggregation and risk factors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission in Chaoyang district of Beijing. METHODS: A total of 5266 families were randomly selected for the multi-stage cluster sampling study in Chaoyang district of Beijing in 2010. The family members who aged between 1 and 70 years old and lived constantly in Beijing for over half a year, were recruited as subjects. There were 14 491 subjects in total, including temporary residents who did not have Beijing household account, except foreigners. 5 ml venous blood was drawn from every subject. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect the basic information of the population and the risk factors of the hepatitis B transmission. Microparticle enzyme-linked immunoassay was applied to test five indicators of hepatitis B. Negative binomial distribution test was used among the HBsAg positive families to calculate the family aggregation rate of hepatitis B. Single factor analysis and multi-factor logistic regression model were used to analyze the risk factors of HBV transmission. RESULTS: In all, 308 out of 5266 families had HBsAg positive members, accounting for 5.85%.383 out of 14 410 subjects were HBsAg positive, rating at 2.66%. The HBsAg positive rate among subjects under 14 years old was the lowest, at 0.56% (9/1603); and the positive rate among subjects aging between 35 and 44 years old was the highest, at 4.27% (47/1029). Negative binomial distribution test showed that the family aggregation rate of HBV infection was 7.66% (χ² = 15.10, P < 0.05). The analysis of family aggregation of HBsAg positive showed that 17.39% (8/46) of the transmission was from father to child, 13.04% (6/46) was from mother to child, 30.44% (14/46) was between couples, and another 39.13% (18/46) was between siblings or other relatives. Both single factor analysis and multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that hepatitis B positive family members (OR = 5.40, 95%CI: 5.24 - 5.55), hepatitis B positive friends and colleagues (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.11 - 1.99) and blood donation and transfusion history (OR = 1.96, 95%CI: 1.76 - 2.15) were the risk factors of HBV infection. CONCLUSION: HBV transmission showed family aggregation in Beijing, however, the risk factors needed further studies.

[Prevalence of hepatitis B in Chaoyang district, Beijing in 2010].

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of hepatitis B infections and carrier status among general population in Chaoyang district, Beijing in 2010. METHODS: From May to December 2010, 14 491 subjects over 12 months old were selected by multistage random cluster sampling method from residents in Chaoyang district, Beijing. Five millilitre venous blood specimens were collected from these subjects to test hepatitis B virus antigens and antibodies. Status of hepatitis B infections were analyzed in different age, sex and registered permanent residence groups. RESULTS: The overall positive rate of surface antigen (HBsAg) was 2.66% (383/14 410). The lowest rate of 0.56% (9/1603) was found in the 1 to 14 years old group and the 35 to 44 years old group had the highest rate of 4.27% (92/2154). The rate in subjects younger than 24 years old was 1.03% (31/2986). The overall positive rate of surface antibody (anti-HBs) was 40.21% (5798/14 421). The highest positive rate of anti-HBs (80.59%, 407/505) was found in the 1 to 4 years old group. The overall positive rate of core antibody (anti-HBc) was 30.26% (4364/14 424). The overall hepatitis B virus infection rate was 30.32% (4364/14 393). For male and female groups, the positive rates of HBsAg were 2.93% (179/6108) and 2.44% (202/8287) respectively (χ² = 3.32, P > 0.05); anti-HBs were 41.93% (2563/6113) and 38.96% (3231/8293) respectively (χ² = 12.88, P < 0.01); and anti-HBc were 31.39% (1919/6114) and 29.39% (2438/8295) respectively (χ² = 6.65, P = 0.01). For local residents group and mobile population group, the positive rates of HBsAg were 2.46% (283/11 510) and 3.60% (98/2719) respectively (χ² = 11.08, P < 0.01); anti-HBs were 37.11% (4293/11 568) and 53.07% (1445/2723) respectively (χ² = 233.51, P < 0.01); and anti-HBc were 30.83% (3567/11 570), and 28.41% (774/2724) respectively (χ² = 6.08, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The positive rate of HBsAg in population younger than 24 years old has reached a relatively low level. The mobile population has significantly higher positive rate of HBsAg than local residents, indicating the need for enhancing prevention and control measures for hepatitis B for the mobile population and local residents over 25 years old.

[Study on the cellular and humoral immunity effect of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell hepatitis B vaccine in adults].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cellular and humoral immunity effect of 10 µg and 20 µg recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell hepatitis B vaccine in adults by randomized double-blind controlled trials. METHOD: A total of 642 adults aged 18 - 45 years old, non-vaccinated against hepatitis B, and hepatitis B five blood indicators negative were selected as the study subjects. The study subjects were randomly divided into two groups and each group had 321 subjects. The subjects were given 10 µg and 20 µg recombinant CHO hepatitis B vaccination respectively by 0, 1st, 6th month schedule. Blood sample was collected from each study subject one month after the second dose vaccination. The anti-HBs level was detected by Abbott chemiluminescence detection method (I2000) to evaluate humoral immunity status. Of all the study objects, 153 cases were randomly selected by the Excel random function. Their blood samples were collected and Lymphocyte were separated to detect the IL-4 and IFN-γ levels in vitro by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) method to evaluate the cellular immunity status. RESULTS: The anti-HBs seroconversion rates in 10 µg and 20 µg dose group were 88.8% (285/321) and 95.3% (306/321) respectively, and 95%CI were 85.4% - 92.2% and 93.0% - 97.6% respectively. The spot forming cell (SFC) of IL-4 of the 20 µg-dose group (x(-) = 20.31) were significantly higher than the 10 µg-dose group (x(-) = 8.19, t = 3.27, P < 0.01). With the increasing of anti-HBs titer, the SFC of IL-4 also went up significantly. There was a positive correlation between SFC of IL-4 and anti-HBs (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.538, P < 0.0001). No significant difference was found for IFN-γ SFC in two groups (10 µg group: x(-) = 1.49; 20 µg group: x(-) = 0.86; t = 1.83, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The humoral and cellular immune effects of 20 µg recombinant CHO hepatitis B vaccine are better than that of the 10 µg recombinant CHO hepatitis B vaccine.20 µg recombinant CHO hepatitis B vaccine should be chosen as the adult's hepatitis B prevention vaccine.

[Clinical observation on visual quality in patients implanted with monofocal and multifocal aspheric intraocular lenses].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the visual quality in patients implanted with aspheric diffractive multifocal intraocular lens. METHODS: Prospective nonrandomized controlled study. One hundred cataract eyes in 50 patients were included. Patients received AcrySof IQ ReSTOR IOL (SN6AD3) or AcrySof IQ IOL (SN60WF) implantation. The follow up period was 6 months. The mean of uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCDVA), best corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UCNVA), best distance-corrected near visual acuity (BCNVA) and intermediate uncorrected visual acuity in patients with SN6AD3 and SN60WF was compared preoperatively and postoperatively in all patients. Photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity function with and without glare were tested at 6 months after operation. Aberrations were recorded postoperatively. Subjective outcomes were assessed by VF-14 questionnaire. The chi-square test was applied to compare categorical variables and the paired-samples t test was used to compare the measure data. RESULTS: Postoperatively, there were no significant differences between groups in spherical equivalent (SE) (t = 0.233, P = 0.876), UCDVA (t = 1.018, P = 0.265) or BCNVA (t = 0.679, P = 0.501). The BCDVA in the monofocal IOL group was better than that in the multifocal IOL group (t = 2.388, P = 0.021). UCNVA improved remarkably after the implantation of multifocal IOL (t = 11.311, P = 0.000). The intermediate UCVA in the monofocal IOL eyes was butter than that in the multifocal IOL at 60 cm (t = 2.414, P = 0.020). The total aberration (F = 5.169, P = 0.041), total low grade (F = 4.973, P = 0.036) and total high grade total aberrations (F = 4.640, P = 0.048) were higher in the multifocal IOL group. There was no difference between these two groups in the defocus (F = 0.862, P = 0.358), astigmatism (F = 3.893, P = 0.052), spherical aberration (F = 1.743, P = 0.055), coma (F = 2.724, P = 0.105) and trefoil (F = 3.014, P = 0.109). Contrast sensitivity in eyes with multifocal IOL was lower than that in eyes with monofocal IOL, especially under mesopic conditions without glare at 6 c/d (t = 2.16, P = 0.041) at 3 c/d (t = 2.329, P = 0.029) and 6 c/d under mesopic conditions with glare (t = 2.087, P = 0.048). Most patients were satisfied with their IOL implantation. Percentage of patients wearing spectacle for distance vision were less than 4% in all groups. Percentage in patients wearing spectacle for near vision in SN60WF and SN6AD3 groups was 60% and 16%, respectively. Percentage of overall spectacle wear was 64% and 24% in patients wearing SN60WF and SN6AD3, respectively. On the questionnaire, patients in multifocal IOL group complained with double vision, trouble in night vision and halo; while patients in monofocal IOL group noted more about near blur. CONCLUSION: Compared with monofocal lenses, multifocal IOL provide greater depth of focus so that better near vision, higher percentage of spectacle independence and satisfactory visual function, are obtained but the contrast sensitivity decreases slightly.

The effect of micro-incision and small-incision coaxial phaco-emulsification on corneal astigmatism.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of micro-incision (2.2 mm) and small-incision (2.6 mm or 3.0 mm) coaxial phaco-emulsification on surgically induced astigmatism (SIA). METHODS: Cataract patients (n = 83, 129 eyes) were randomized into three groups: 43 eyes in the 2.2-mm incision group, 42 eyes in the 2.6-mm group and 44 eyes in the 3.0-mm group. Torsional phaco-emulsification was followed by intraocular lens implantation via the Monarch II injector with the C cartridge (Alcon Laboratories Inc., Fort Worth, TX, USA). Corneal astigmatism, SIA and uncorrected distance visual acuity were assessed 30 and 90 days after cataract surgery. RESULTS: At 30 and 90 days postoperative, SIA of the 3.0-mm group was greater than SIA of the 2.2-mm and 2.6-mm groups (P < or = 0.015), but SIA was similar between the 2.2-mm group and the 2.6-mm group. Timewise, mean SIA at 30 days was greater than SIA at 90 days in the 3.0-mm group (P = 0.04), while SIA did not change with time for the 2.2-mm and 2.6-mm groups. Postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity tended to be better with the smaller incisions, but this trend did not reach statistical significance (P > or = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Incision size contributed to postoperative corneal astigmatism. When incision size was reduced from 3.0 mm to 2.6 mm, SIA was reduced and refractive stabilization was faster. Reduction of incision size from 2.6 mm to 2.2 mm offered no greater reduction of SIA when using the C cartridge; however, the D cartridge (designed for 2.2-mm incisions) should be evaluated.

[Immunoregulatory role of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)-treated dendritic cells in allergic airway inflammation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism and immunoregulatory role of 1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D(3) [1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)]-treated dendritic cells (DCs) in allergic airway inflammation. METHODS: Mouse bone marrow-derived DCs were treated by 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3) for 72 h. The expression levels of different Notch ligands: Jagged1, Jagged2, Delta1, Delta3, and Delta4 in these DCs were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Mouse spleen CD4+ T cells were cultured with 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DCs or 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DCs blocked by polyclonal antibody of Jagged1 or Jagged2 (control group) for 48 h. The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells in CD4+ T cells was detected by flow cytometry (FCM). Ten mice underwent intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) to be sensitized and then divided into 2 groups to inhale 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DC suspension and PBS-DC suspension respectively for 6 successive days. Then the mice were killed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained to detect the eosinophil count and the levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-13, and interferon (IFN)-gamma, and pathological examination of lung was conducted. Spleens were taken out to isolate the CD4+ T cells, and immunolabeling and FCM were used to detect the percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expression levels of Jagged1 and Jagged2 in the 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DCs were (0.376 +/- 0.029) and (0.786 +/- 0.034), and (0.564 +/- 0.018) and (0.632 +/- 0.026) respectively, all significantly higher than those of the control group [(0.146 +/- 0.032) and (0.124 +/- 0.025), and (0.267 +/- 0.012) and (0.098 +/- 0.012) respectively, all P < 0.01)]. The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells in the CD4+ T cells cultured with 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DCs was (22.49% +/- 0.56%), significantly higher than that of the a PBS control group [(6.67% +/- 0.60%), P < 0.01]. The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells in CD4+ T cells after cultured with 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DC blocked by polyclonal antibody of Jagged2 was (6.56% +/- 1.89%), significantly lower than that of the un-blocked control group [(20.37% +/- 1.64%), P < 0.01]. The levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IFN-gamma, and eosinophil count in the BALF of the 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DC group were (33 +/- 5) pg/ml, (134 +/- 23) pg/ml, (91 +/- 11) pg/ml, and undetectable (< 12.5 pg/ml), and (236 +/- 29) x 10(3)/ml, all significantly lower than those of the PBS-DC group [(55 +/- 7) pg/ml, (332 +/- 49) pg/ml, (152 +/- 19) pg/ml, and (23 +/- 6) pg/ml, and (588 +/- 56) x 10(3)/ml, all P < 0.01]. The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells in the spleens of the 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DC group was (14.69% +/- 1.14%), significantly higher than that of the PBS-treated DC group [(2.38% +/- 0.14%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Treatment of the DCs with 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3) inhibits the allergic inflammation in the airway, maybe via the induction of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells by 1, 25 (OH)(2)D(3)-treated DCs through Jagged2-mediated Notch signal pathway.

[Etiological analysis of enteric infectious diseases during Beijing Olympic Games].

OBJECTIVE: To understand pathogen patterns of enteric infectious diseases and its impact on this pattern due to aggregation of a great deal of foreign visitors during Beijing Olympic Games. METHODS: The diarrheal patient's rectal swabs and stool specimens were collected from Olympic stadium and hospitals of four districts, including Dongcheng, Xicheng, Haidian and Chaoyang. Enteric multiple pathogens were detected from the total 45 specimens. The culture method was used for the enteric bacteria, ELISA and RT-PCR for the enteric viruses. Molecular typing of Salmonella Enteritidis isolation was completed by PFGE. RESULTS: It was found that 26 out of 45 cases were positive with 57.8 percent for pathogen detection, and 24 were identified as enteric pathogenic bacteria, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni, two as norovirus. There were mixed infections of two pathogenic bacteria for three cases. Ten kinds of pathogens were detected from foreign cases, while five kinds from Chinese cases. A total of 5 PFGE patterns were identified in 10 Salmonella Enteritidis isolates from national and foreign diarrheal cases, which were concentrative in some extent. CONCLUSION: Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni were found to be the primary bacterial pathogens during the Olympic Games. Enteric virus infection existed in summer diarrhea.