[Network Meta-analysis of peroral Chinese patent medicines for activating blood and resolving stasis in treatment of endometriosis].

Network Meta-analysis was performed to systematically compare the efficacy of different Chinese patent medicines for activating blood and resolving stasis in the treatment of endometriosis and to provide evidence-based references for clinical medication regimens. The relevant randomized controlled trials(RCTs) involving Chinese patent medicines combined with conventional treatment(experimental group) vs conventional treatment(control group) were retrieved from Chinese and English literature databases. The bias risk assessment tool recommended in Cochrane handbook 5.3 was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. The result data of each outcome index was extracted for network Meta-analysis in Stata 15.0. A total of 44 RCTs were included in this study, involving 4 345 patients and 9 Chinese patent medicines. The network Meta-analysis revealed the following trends.(1)In terms of reducing the visual analogue scale(VAS) scores, Dan'e Fukang Plaster+conventional treatment>Xuefu Zhuyu Capsules+conventional treatment>Gongliuxiao Capsules+conventional treatment.(2)In terms of reducing cancer antigen CA125, Xiaojin Capsules+conventional treatment>Shaofu Zhuyu Granules+conventional treatment>Dan'e Fukang Plaster+conventional treatment.(3)In terms of reducing estradiol(E_2), Gongliuxiao Capsules+conventional treatment>Xiaojin Capsules+conventional treatment>Sanjie Zhentong Capsules+conventional treatment.(4) In terms of reducing recurrence rate, Guizhi Fuling Capsules+conventional treatment>Xuefu Zhuyu Capsules+conventional treatment>Dan'e Fukang Plaster+conventional treatment. The peroral Chinese patent medicines for activating blood and resolving stasis combined with conventional treatment have better efficacy in the treatment of endometriosis than conventional treatment. However, considering the low quality of the included literature, large-scale high-quality clinical trials are needed in the future research.

Factorial analysis of variables affecting bone stress adjacent to the orthodontic anchorage mini-implant with finite element analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Mini-implants are now widely accepted as anchorage for orthodontic tooth movement because of the convenience of the placement procedure, their comparative low cost, and the fact that they can be immediately loaded after surgery. In this study, we incorporated a finite element approach and factorial analysis to determine the biomechanical effects of exposure length of the mini-implant, the insertion angle, and the direction of orthodontic force. METHODS: Twenty-seven finite element models were constructed to simulate the biomechanical response of the alveolar bone adjacent to the mini-implant. Factorial analysis was performed to investigate the comparative influence of each factor. RESULTS: The simulation results showed that the exposure length of the mini-implant had a statistically significant influence on bone stress, with a contribution of 82.35%. Increased exposure length resulted in higher bone stress adjacent to the mini-implant. Whereas all factors investigated had a statistically significant influence on cancellous bone stress, the stress values associated with cancellous bone were much less than those of cortical bone. CONCLUSIONS: Increased exposure lengths resulted in higher bone stresses adjacent to the mini-implant. The percentage of contribution of the insertion angle of the mini-implant (6.03%) was also statistically significant but much less than that of the exposure length (82.35%). The direction of orthodontic force had no significant effect on cortical bone stress.

Notes on the genus Messageria Bavay amp; Dautzenberg, 1904, with descriptions of a new species and a new subspecies (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda: Cyclophoroidea: Alycaeidae).

In this study, the systematic status of Messageria Bavay Dautzenberg, 1904 is discussed. It is recognized as an alycaeid genus, rather than as a subgenus or a junior synonym of Helicomorpha Mllendorff, 1890 (Diplommatinidae) as previously thought. Additionally, a new species, Messageria sinica n. sp. from Guizhou, and a new subspecies, Messageria scalarioides donghiana n. ssp. from Guangxi are described. Messageria scalarioides donghiana n. ssp. is morphologically different from the nominate subspecies by the larger shell and wider lower whorls and umbilicus. Messageria sinica n. sp. is morphologically different from the type species by having larger shell and distinct intermediate ribs.

Reduction of mandible fractures with direct bonding technique and orthodontic appliances: two case reports.

Intermaxillary fixation (IMF) with the arch bars or looped wires has been widely used to treat mandible fractures. However, manipulation of these appliances takes time and the medical staff is endangered by wire stabbing injuries. A modified method, the direct bonding technique combined with orthodontic appliances, simplifies the IMF concept to overcome these problems. It is faster, safer and easier to apply while the response of patients, with respect to treatment results, ease of the living and oral hygiene is more favorable. This report presents two cases of mandible fractures treated according to this protocol which resulted in good outcomes as expected.

[Effects of plantation on aggregate distribution and stability of lateritic red soil in south subtropical China]. / 南亚热带人工林种植对赤红壤团聚体分布及稳定性的影响.

We examined the stability of soil aggregates in five typical plantations, i.e., Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis plantation, Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation, Pinus massoniana plantation, Mytilaria laosensis plantation and Castanopsis hystrix plantation, in the south subtropical China by the Elliott wet sieving and Le Bissonnais (LB) methods. The results showed that the content of water stability aggregate (WR>0.25) was more than 62.2% after wet sieving. The mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD) of aggregates were 1.58-3.71 mm and 0.57-2.02 mm, respectively, which were the largest in C. lanceolata plantation and the smallest in E. urophylla × E. grandis plantation. Percentage of aggregate destruction (PAD) of five kinds of plantations ranged from 4.6% to 31.5%. The transfer matrix method was used to evaluate the soil aggregates, with the aggregate stability index (ASI) following the order of C. lanceolata plantation > C. hystrix plantation > M. laosensis plantation > P. massoniana plantation > E. urophylla × E. grandis plantation. Under the three treatments of LB method, the FW treatment was the most destructive to the stability of soil aggregates, indicating that dissipation played a major role in the disintegration of soil aggregates. The WS treatment had the least damage to the aggregates. The effect of slow wetting (SW) treatment was between the fast wetting (FW) and wet stirring (WS). Both the MWD and GMD values followed the order of WS>SW>FW, which gradually decreased with the increases of soil depth. The GMD value of aggregates under FW treatment by LB method of five plantations was significantly positively correlated with ASI, MWD and GMD of wet sieving method, indicating that the traditional wet sieving method had a good correlation with FW treatment and was feasible to determine the stability of soil aggregates in the subtropical red soil. Based on the aggregate stability indices of MWD, GMD, PAD and ASI, C. lanceolata plantation was more conducive to the improvement of soil aggregation level, with more stable soil structure than the other four plantations.

TSHR rs2288496 associated with thyroid hormone and predict the occurrence of lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer.

This study aimed to evaluate the association of potential functional tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) in BRAF and TSHR with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Two tagSNPs (rs6464149 and rs7810757) in BRAF and six tagSNPs (rs17630128, rs2075179, rs7144481, rs2371462, rs2268477, and rs2288496) in TSHR were genotyped in 300 cases of PTC and 252 healthy controls. There was no difference in the genotype frequencies of BRAF and TSHR between PTC patients and control subjects, suggesting no contribution of BRAF or TSHR polymorphisms to the susceptibility to PTC. We observed that a tagSNP located in the 3' untranslated region of TSHR, rs2288496, could affect the incidence of lymph node metastasis (LNM). The variant TC and TC + CC genotypes conferred an increased risk of LNM (for TC vs. TT: odds ratio (OR) = 2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-3.77; P= 0.030; for TC + CC vs. TT: OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.04-3.39, P= 0.038). Moreover, subjects carrying variant genotypes had higher TSH levels and lower thyroxine (T4) and Anti-TG levels compared with those in subjects carrying common genotypes. Our findings showed that PTC patients carrying the TSHR rs2288496 TC and CC variants were associated with higher TSH level and lower T4 and Anti-TG levels and were prone to developing LNM. To confirm these results, additional studies and functional experiments, especially in other ethnic populations, are needed.

[Construction and characteristics of a recombinant strain apx II C- /apx I A+ of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 7].

An Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae apx II C mutant was constructed by transconjugation and counterselection method. Briefly, a transconjugation plasmid pEHA1 was constructed, and transformed into donor strain Escherichia coli 32155. After mixed the donor cells with A . pleuropneumoniae acceptor cells, the mixture was cultivated for about 5 hours and plated on solid medium containing chloromycetin. Then the Cm(R) positive clones were picked and inoculated into liquid medium in the absence of any antibiotic. Cultures were pelleted, plated on sucrose plates and incubated overnight. Finally, Sucrose-resistant colonies (Suc(R)) were selected and considered as mutant. The mutant was verified by PCR, heredity stability, exotoxin secretion and sequence analysis, suggested that the construction of the mutant was sucessful. The biological characteristics of this mutant strain was further investigated. Compared with parental strain, the results indicated that the mutant hold the same growth rate in vitro and reduced virulence on mice. Altogether, this mutation system will facilitate development of live attenuated vaccines and research on functions of novel genes of A. pleuropneumoniae.

Attachment of periodontal ligament cells to chlorhexidine-loaded guided tissue regeneration membranes.

BACKGROUND: Early exposure of a guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membrane in the oral cavity results in bacterial contamination, which may lead to failure or incomplete regeneration. Incorporation of antimicrobial agents in GTR membranes may be valuable to control membrane-associated infection during GTR therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the incorporation of chlorhexidine into various GTR membranes improves the attachment of periodontal ligament cells in the presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. METHODS: The possible effects of chlorhexidine on the viability of primary human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells were determined using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), which measures cellular metabolic activity. An expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane, glycolide fiber membrane, and collagen membrane were loaded with chlorhexidine and characterized. Attachment of PDL cells to the chlorhexidine-loaded membranes with or without A. actinomycetemcomitans was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. RESULTS: Relative cellular viability of PDL cells was reduced to approximately 50% when 15 microg/ml (0.0015%) of chlorhexidine was used. Chlorhexidine released from the coated GTR membranes inhibited the growth of A. actinomycetemcomitans. At the concentration used in this study, chlorhexidine incorporated into the GTR membranes did not interfere with the attachment of PDL cells. The inhibitory effects of A. actinomycetemcomitans on cellular attachment were reduced using chlorhexidine-loaded membranes, including ePTFE, glycolide fiber, and collagen membranes. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that incorporation of chlorhexidine into GTR membranes is beneficial in reducing bacterial effects on cellular attachment. The future application of chlorhexidine-loaded membranes during GTR therapy may be of value.

Pretreatment circulating monocyte count associated with poor prognosis in patients with oral cavity cancer.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the pretreatment total and differential leukocyte counts can predict the prognosis of patients with oral cavity cancer. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis of patients treated between 2004 and 2011, medical records of 202 patients with oral cavity cancer were evaluated. RESULTS: Patients with oral cavity cancer, the peripheral total white blood cell (WBC) count, monocyte, and neutrophil counts and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio increased with the advancement of clinical stage. In contrast, the lymphocyte count decreased. Further, total WBC, monocyte, and neutrophil counts were increased in those with pathologic stage T4 and poor tumor differentiation, and the monocyte count was also increased in those with lymph node metastasis. Moreover, the pretreatment circulating monocyte count was an independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSION: A higher pretreatment circulating monocyte count can be considered as a useful prognostic marker in patients with oral cavity cancer.

Polymorphism of angiotensin I-converting enzyme gene is related to oral cancer and lymph node metastasis in male betel quid chewers.

OBJECTIVES: Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), a type I cell surface zinc metallopeptidase, is differentially expressed in several malignancies and plays a role in tumor cell proliferation, tumor cell migration, angiogenesis, and metastatic behavior. We aimed to investigate the effects of ACE gene (rs1799752) variants on oral cancer risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) 32 was used to measure ACE gene polymorphisms in 88 patients with oral precancerous lesion (OPL), 186 33 patients with oral cancer, and 120 control subjects without any oral lesions. All study subjects were male 34 betel quid chewers. RESULTS: Patients with oral cancer or OPL had a higher frequency of the DD genotype than the control patients did. Oral cancer patients with the DD genotype had a significantly higher prevalence of lymph node metastases than patients with the II/ID genotype did. After adjusting for age, smoking, drinking, and betel quid chewing status, we found that individuals with the DD genotype of the ACE gene had a 5.46-fold and 3.13-fold higher risk of developing oral cancer or OPL, respectively, than those with the II genotype did. Furthermore, oral cancer patients with the DD genotype of the ACE gene had a 2.16-fold higher likelihood of lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the ACE gene polymorphisms may be associated with increased susceptibility to OPL and oral cancer and lymph node metastasis from oral cancer.

Genetic polymorphism of interleukin-16 influences susceptibility to HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese population.

AIM: Interleukin-16 (IL16) as a multifunctional cytokine, plays a key role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as well as tumour growth and progression. Recently, genetic polymorphisms of IL16 have been reported to be associated with susceptibility to a range of cancers. This study was undertaken to investigate the IL16 gene polymorphisms and determine whether these genetic factors are related to the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a Chinese population. METHODS: We analyzed three polymorphisms of the IL16 gene (rs11556218T/G, rs4072111C/T and rs4778889T/C) in 206 patients with HBV-related HCC, 270 chronic hepatitis B patients and 264 healthy controls, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method and DNA sequencing technology. RESULTS: IL16 polymorphisms were not associated with risk of HCC when compared with healthy controls. However, IL16 polymorphisms were significantly associated with susceptibility to HBV-related HCC when using chronic hepatitis B patients as controls. The rs11556218T/G TG and GG genotypes were associated with significantly increased risk of HBV-related HCC compared with the TT genotype (OR = 1.96 and OR = 3.33). The data also revealed that subjects with the G allele appeared to have higher susceptibility to HBV-related HCC than those with the T allele (OR = 2.10). Under the dominant model genotype TG+GG appeared to be associated with an increased risk of HBV-related HCC (OR = 2.18). The rs4072111C/T TT genotype was associated with a significantly increased risk of HBV-related HCC compared with the CC genotype (OR = 6.67). Polymorphisms of the IL16 gene were significantly associated with susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B when using healthy subjects as controls. The rs11556218T/G TG and GG genotypes were associated with significantly decreased risk of chronic hepatitis B compared with the TT genotype (OR = 0.49 and OR = 0.29). The data also revealed that subjects with the G allele appeared to have lower susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B than those with the T allele (OR = 0.46). Under the dominant model genotype TG + GG appeared to have lower susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B (OR = 0.44). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the genotypes and allele of IL16 SNPs were associated with chronic HBV infection and HCC. However, further investigation with a larger sample size and haplotype analysis with other SNPs may be required to validate the genetic effects of the IL16 polymorphisms on chronic HBV infection and HCC.

A novel nano-micro structured octacalcium phosphate/protein composite coating on titanium by using an electrochemically induced deposition.

In this study, a novel nano-micro structured octacalcium phosphate/protein (OCP/protein) composite coating has been successfully constructed on titanium substrate by using an electrochemically induced deposition technique. The structure and composition of the composite coating were investigated by XRD, XPS, SEM and FTIR. It is shown that the composite coating consists of OCP and protein with a highly ordered and hierarchically porous structure in nano-micro scale, similar to the naturalbone structure. The nanoindentation experiment proves a good mechanical property for the OCP/protein composite coating on titanium substrate. In the osteoblast cell culture in vitro, the cell adhesion for the OCP/protein composite coating is observed to be greatly improved.

[Study on immunogenicity of the N-terminal polypeptide of RTX toxin I of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae].

ApxI is one of the most important virulence factors of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP). To study the immunogenicity of the ApxI, the complete coding sequence (3146bp) and its 5'-terminal 1140 bp fragment of the apxIA gene were separately cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a, and expressed in the E. coli BL21 (DE3) with induction by IPTG. The expression products, rApxIA and rApxIAN, were present in a form of inclusion bodies and showed the same immunological reactivity as natural ApxI (nApxI) in Western-blot analysis. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally immunized with the rApxIA, rApxIAN and nApxI respectively. The serum antibody levels of the rApxIAN immunized mice were significantly lower than those immunized with rApxIA or nApxI in an ApxI-specific ELISA, but serum neutralization test demonstrated that immunized mice with rApxIAN, rApxIA and nApxI could generate similar levels of antibodies neutralizing the hemolytic activity of the natural ApxI. The rApxIAN was able to elicite 80% protection rate against APP serovar 1 and 100% against serovar 2 when challenged at a dose of one LD50 after 2 weeks of boost immunization.