[Effect of diurnal temperature range on the number of elderly inpatients with ischemic stroke in Hunan Province].

Objective: To study the effect of diurnal temperature range on the number of elderly inpatients with ischemic stroke in Hunan Province. Method: Demographic and disease data, meteorological data, air quality data, population, economic and health resource data of elderly inpatients with ischemic stroke were collected in 122 districts/counties of Hunan Province from January to December 2019. The relationships between the diurnal temperature range and the number of elderly inpatients with ischemic stroke were analyzed by using the distributed lag non-linear model, including the cumulative lag effect of the diurnal temperature range in different seasons, extremely high diurnal temperature range and extremely low diurnal temperature range. Results: In 2019, 152 875 person-times were admitted to the hospital for ischemic stroke in the elderly in Hunan Province. There was a non-linear relationship between the diurnal temperature range and the number of elderly patients with ischemic stroke, with different lag periods. In spring and winter, with the decrease in diurnal temperature range, the risk of admission of elderly patients with ischemic stroke increased (Ptrend<0.001, Ptrend=0.002);in summer, with the increase in diurnal temperature range, the risk of admission of elderly patients with ischemic stroke increased (Ptrend=0.024);in autumn, the change in the diurnal temperature range would not cause a change in admission risk (Ptrend=0.089). Except that the lag effect of the extremely low diurnal temperature range in autumn was not obvious, the lag effect occurred in other seasons under extremely low and extremely high diurnal temperature ranges. Conclusion: The high diurnal temperature range in summer and the low diurnal temperature range in spring and winter will increase the risk of admission of elderly patients with ischemic stroke, and the risk of admission of elderly patients with ischemic stroke will lag under the extremely low and extremely high diurnal temperature ranges in the above three seasons.

SSH3 promotes malignant progression of HCC by activating FGF1-mediated FGF/FGFR pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of silencing SSH3 on the expression of FGF/FGFR pathway-related genes FGF1, FGFR1, and FGFR2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line, so as to further understand the role of SSH3 in proliferation and apoptosis of HCC cells. PATIENTS AND METHODS: TWe first detected SSH3 expression in 51 pairs of tumor tissue specimens and adjacent tissues collected from HCC patients through quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and analyzed the interplay between SSH3 expression and clinical characteristics of HCC patients. In vitro, after SSH3-silenced human HCC cell line was constructed by lentiviral transfection, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), cell cloning assay, and flow apoptosis methods were conducted to explore the HCC cell functions. Finally, whether SSH3 exerts its biological characteristics through the FGF/FGFR pathway and the mutual regulation mechanism between SSH3 and FGF1 were further uncovered. RESULTS: It was found that SSH3 expression was remarkably higher in tumor tissues of HCC patients than that in normal tissues. Meanwhile, in comparison to patients with low expression of SSH3, patients with high expression of SSH3 had higher pathological grade and larger tumor size. In addition, after silencing SSH3, HCC cell proliferation ability was attenuated while the apoptosis ability was enhanced in comparison to the control group. Moreover, the protein levels of FGF1/FGFR pathway-related genes FGF1, FGFR1, and FGFR2 were markedly inhibited by the downregulation of SSH3. Meanwhile, cell recovery experiment demonstrated that the overexpression of FGF1 reversed the impact of SSH3 silencing on the proliferation and apoptosis of HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, SSH3 is capable of accelerating the malignant progression of HCC by activating FGF1-mediated FGF/FGFR pathway, thus becoming a new molecular target for HCC therapy.

[Association of parameters of crossbreeding effect for traits of growth and meat-production with average band-sharing of RAPD markers in commercial crosses of Duroc, Landrace and large white pigs].

Parameters of crossbreeding effect have been estimated for average daily gain (ADG), dressing percentage (DRP), backfat thickness (BFT), percent of hind legs (HLP), and average band-sharing of RAPD markers, by using individual records of growth and meatproduction and genotypes of RAPD analysis in crosses of Duroc, Landrace and Large White pigs from 1996 through 1998. The results indicate that significant individual and maternal genetic effects exist for all the 4 traits of growth and meat-production (P < 0.05). Effects of individual heterosis and maternal heterosis have also been found to be significant for ADG (P < 0.05), but not significant for DRP, BFT, and HLP (P > 0.05). Maternal genetic effect is positive and the effects of individual heterosis and maternal heterosis are negative for RAPD-marker ABS. Correlation analysis reveals that the total correlation, which includes all parameters at a time, is low and not significant. The partial correlation, however, is more reasonable than total correlation, which consider 1 parameter each time, or 2 in case of heterosis. All 3 partial correlations between ADG and RAPD-marker ABS are significantly greater or smaller than zero (P < 0.05), among which the correlation for individual genetic effect is very significant (P < 0.01). It is therefore concluded that the efficiency of predicting heterosis is low by simply applying total correlation. Alternatively, estimation of parameters of crossbreeding effect for both economic traits and DNA markers provides a way of efficiently predicting heterosis for it dramatically increases the correlation between markers and traits of economical importance. Increasing QTL coverage (percent of markers linked to QTL) will as well contribute to improved accuracy of predicting heterosis. It is also implied from the partial correlations that, while genomic similarity of crosses increases, individual genetic effect would increase, but that of individual heterosis and maternal heterosis would decreases.

[A preliminary study of developmental genetics of polymorphic serum esterase in domestic fowls].

Polymorphism of serum esterase was examined in 3 Super-Y 2000 broiler breeding populations differing in developmental stages (i.e. day 120, 180 and 300) using vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results indicated that both Es-1 and Es-2 loci exhibited polymorphism. Two to three polymorphic enzyme bands were detected at zone Es-1, and one band at zone Es-2 after electrophoresis. It was first discovered in this work that obvious developmental difference in products of Es-1 alleles existed with female birds, polymorphic bands of which disappeared after onset of lay. An individual tracing experiment conducted in a Super-Y 380 commercial layer population and an extensive experiment carried out in 2 ISA B380 parent CD stocks supported the previous finding. It could thus be inferred that phenotype "O" (no band at Es-1) discovered in hens was not genetically controlled by the recessive allele Es-1(0), which itself did not exist, but might be an evidence of gene regulation at laying period. For female birds, expression of Es-1 alleles was active before sexual maturity, and depressed after onset of lay, to meet their physiological need of high level of blood esterase for laying. It could also be inferred that this developmental difference in serum esterase polymorphism might be a common phenomenon in all avian species. If this hypothesis were true, the synthesis of esterase inside avian bodies could be a desirable model for investigating expression, and regulation of expression, of genes in avian populations.

[Epidemiological studies on primary Sjogren's syndrome].

2,066 adult people of a Beijing suburb village were surveyed for primary Sjogren's syndrome, using questionnaire and serological tests in each case as the primary screening tool. 16 cases were discovered by Copenhagen criteria indicating a prevalence rate of 0.77% and 7 cases with a prevalence rate of 0.33% by Fox criteria. Similar study was done in 100 non-connective tissue diseases in-patients. 4 cases were discovered by Copenhagen criteria and one case by Fox criteria. In 126 definite cases of primary Sjogren's syndrome, the longest time interval between first onset of symptoms and firm establishment of diagnosis was 20 years with an average of 7.8 years indicating most cases were wrongly diagnosed or highly neglected.