[The relationship between rapid eye movement electromyogram activity and sleep stability in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the types of electromyogram (EMG) activity and sleep stability during rapid eye movement (REM) in patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder(RBD). Methods: One hundred and three patients with RBD who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from January 2017 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The general situation, clinical symptoms, sleep and emotion questionnaires and nocturnal PSG data were collected. According to the different proportions of tonic and phasic EMG activity, the group with a higher proportion of tonic EMG than phasic EMG was defined as the tonic dominant group, and the group with a higher proportion of phasic EMG than tonic was defined as the phasic dominant group. The sleep instability index was calculated according to the ratio of the number of transitions from sleep to wakefulness to the total sleep time of each sleep stage. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the relationship between REM EMG activity and sleep instability index. Results: A total of 35 idiopathic RBD (iRBD) patients were included, aged(54.5±18.2)years, with 17 males and 18 females. There were 27 RBD with Parkinson's disease (PD), with an average age of (59.4±7.9)years, including 17 males and 10 females. Additionally, there were 41 RBD patients with narcolepsy, aged (21.2±13.2)years, consisting of 22 males and 19 females. Both iRBD and RBD patients with PD had lower objective total sleep time, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, wake time after sleep onset and the percentage of N3 sleep compared to RBD with episodic sleep disorder (all P<0.05). N1-W index[M(Q1, Q3),10.6 (6.5, 16.9)/h vs 7.3 (4.7, 10.5)/h], N2-W index [4.0 (2.2, 5.6)/h vs 2.3 (1.5, 3.9)/h], NREM-W index [ (5.8±2.9)/h vs (4.5±3.2)/h] and REM-W index[ 3.9 (1.9, 7.3)/h vs 2.7 (1.0, 4.0)/h] in the phasic dominant group were higher than those in the tonic dominant group. After adjusting for confounding factors, the effect of phasic EMG dominant group on REM-W was higher than that in the tonic dominant group (ß=2.05, 95%CI: 0.09-3.26, P=0.012). Conclusion: In RBD patients, the phasic EMG activity has a significant impact on sleep stability, especially on REM sleep stability.

[Investigation on occupational burnout among medical staff of tuberculosis control in Beijing].

Objective: To understand the occupational burnout status of tuberculosis prevention and treatment medical staff in Beijing, and analyze the influencing factors of different degrees of occupational burnout. Methods: From April to May 2021, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted among the medical staff of tuberculosis prevention and control in Beijing and 16 districts under its jurisdiction. A total of 313 questionnaires were issued, 311 were recovered, and 311 were valid, with an effective recovery rate of 99.36%. The General Information Questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory Generalized Scale (MBI-GS) were used to collect social demographic data and the occurrence of occupational burnout, analyze the occurrence degree of occupational burnout, and identify the influencing factors of the occurrence degree of occupational burnout by using the orderly multiple logistic regression model. Results: Among 311 tuberculosis prevention and control medical staff, the total detection rate of occupational burnout was 62.70% (195/311), and the detection rates of mild, moderate and severe occupational burnout were 22.19% (69/311), 38.59% (120/311) and 1.93% (6/311), respectively. Orderly multiple logistic regression analysis showed that medical staff in prevention and control positions (OR=1.616, 95% CI: 1.030-2.534, P=0.037) and not meeting expectations for title promotion (OR=2.969, 95%CI: 1.675-5.262, P<0.001), and not getting along well with colleagues (OR=2.177, 95%CI: 1.362-3.480, P=0.001) were the main factors affecting the occurrence and severity of occupational burnout among tuberculosis prevention and treatment medical staff. Conclusion: The main manifestations of tuberculosis prevention and control medical staff in Beijing are mild to moderate occupational burnout. It is suggested to pay attention to the occupational needs of different positions of tuberculosis prevention and control medical staff, cultivate professional achievement, carry out psychological counseling, and reduce the degree of occupational burnout.

Prevalence of pollen-induced allergic rhinitis with high pollen exposure in grasslands of northern China.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of epidemiologic and physician-diagnosed pollen-induced AR (PiAR) in the grasslands of northern China and to study the impact of the intensity and time of pollen exposure on PiAR prevalence. METHODS: A multistage, clustered and proportionately stratified random sampling with a field interviewer-administered survey study was performed together with skin prick tests (SPT) and measurements of the daily pollen count. RESULTS: A total of 6043 subjects completed the study, with a proportion of 32.4% epidemiologic AR and 18.5% PiAR. The prevalence was higher in males than females (19.6% vs 17.4%, P = .024), but no difference between the two major residential and ethnic groups (Han and Mongolian) was observed. Subjects from urban areas showed higher prevalence of PiAR than rural areas (23.1% vs 14.0%, P < .001). Most PiAR patients were sensitized to two or more pollens (79.4%) with artemisia, chenopodium, and humulus scandens being the most common pollen types, which were similarly found as the top three sensitizing pollen allergens by SPT. There were significant regional differences in the prevalence of epidemiologic AR (from 18.6% to 52.9%) and PiAR (from 10.5% to 31.4%) among the six areas investigated. PiAR symptoms were positively associated with pollen counts, temperature, and precipitation (P < .05), but negatively with wind speed and pressure P < .05). CONCLUSION: Pollen-induced AR (PiAR) prevalence in the investigated region is extremely high due to high seasonal pollen exposure, which was influenced by local environmental and climate conditions.

Application of Multiple Kits in Special Parentage Testing Cases.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the genetic polymorphism of 21 autosome STR loci in Han population of Shandong Province and the cases with loci mutation or allelic loss typed by Goldeneye® DNA identification system 25A. METHODS: Totally 40 autosome STR loci types of 273 unrelated individuals in Han population of Shandong Province were typed by Goldeneye® DNA identification system 25A and 22NC, and the genetic polymorphism of 21 STR loci in those was analysed. Meanwhile, six cases with loci mutation were analysed by adding the tests with Goldeneye® DNA identification system 22NC, 20Y and 17X. Another three cases with allelic loss were tested by AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® Plus PCR and analysed by gene sequencing. RESULTS: The genetic parameters of 21 autosome STR loci in Han population of Shandong Province were obtained. When STR loci were added up to 40, five of those with loci mutation met the identification requirements, and the results of X-STR or Y-STR types were consistent with that of STR loci. There was another duo case with one suspected loci mutation, biological source of six STR loci genotypes could not be found in the genotypes of supposed father. The Y-STR genotype of two individuals was identical that indicated both of them came from same paternal line. However, the fatherhood was excluded according to the autosome STR loci system. For two cases with allelic loss on D18S51, base mutation or loss were found in the primer binding domain of mother and child by gene sequencing. Another mother-child case with allelic loss on D13S317 was certified by AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® Plus PCR kit. CONCLUSIONS: The 21 autosome STR loci in Han population of Shandong Province have high polymorphism, which can be used in routine cases of paternity identification. For some duo cases with loci mutation, Goldeneye® DNA identification system 25A cannot satisfy the identification requirements, thus more autosome STR loci should be added properly. For the cases with allelic loss, the problem can be resolved by gene sequencing or using different merchant kits.

Renal clear cell carcinoma: diffusion tensor imaging diagnostic accuracy and correlations with clinical and histopathological factors.

AIM: To investigate whether diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to assess renal clinical histopathology, including the nuclear grade (NG), cell density (CD), and the presence of ki-67. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients were enrolled in the study and were confirmed at surgical histopathology to have clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC). For DTI, a coronal echo-planar imaging sequence was performed (1400 ms repetition time, 76 ms echo time, diffusion direction=6, number of excitations=4; b=0 and 800 s/mm2, 6 mm section thickness with no intersection gap). CD and the presence of ki-67 were compared between the different NGs. Correlations between apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), E1, fractional anisotropy (FA), CD, and ki-67 were evaluated. RESULTS: ADC, E1, and FA values are important tools used to identify NG. The cut-off values were 1.003×10-3 mm2/s, 1.277×10-3 mm2/s, and 0.218 mm2/s, respectively. The difference between high- and low-grade CD was significant (t=-4.50, p<0.05). Similarly, a significant difference between high and low grade was also found in ki-67 (t=-4.03, p<0.05). ADC, E1, and FA values were decreased with increased CD; a significant negative correlation was found (r=-0.796, -0.865, and -0.996, respectively). Significant negative correlations between ADC, E1, and FA values, and ki-67 were found (r=-0.739, -0.826, and -0.876, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: DTI can be used to non-invasively assess CCRCC.

Analysis of the 19 Y-STR and 16 X-STR loci system in the Han population of Shandong province, China.

The sex-linked short tandem repeats (STR), Y-STR and X-STR, are important for autosomal STRs in forensic paternity testing. We evaluated the forensic parameters of 19 Y-STRs and 16 X-STRs in the Han population of Shandong province, China. A Goldeneye 20Y kit (DYS391, DYS389I, DYS390, DYS389II, DYS348, DYS456, Y-GATA-H4, DYS447, DYS19, DYS392, DYS393, DYS388, DYS439, DYS635, DYS448, DYS460, DYS458, DYS437, DYS385 a/b) was used to analyze the forensic parameters of 534 unrelated males. A Goldeneye17X system (DXS6795, DXS9902, DXS8378, HPRTB, GATA165B12, DXS7132, DXS7424, DXS6807, DXS6803, GATA172D05, DXS6800, DXS10134, GATA31E08, DXS10159, DXS6789, DXS6810, amelogenin) was used to analyze 97 unrelated males and 214 females. In addition, we used the kits to examine 5 cases with abnormal amelogenin test results, as well as a male child with agenosomia typed by autosomal STR. We found 203 Y-STR haplotypes with allele frequencies ranging from 0.0019 to 0.7959, and GD ranging from 0.3429 to 0.9667. Expect in DXS6803, the allele frequencies of the other 15 X-STR loci showed no differences between females and males. PDF ranged from 0.5504 to 0.9638, while PDM ranged from 0.3176 to 0.8377. With the exception of DXS6803 and DXS6810, the allele frequencies of other X-STR loci were in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in females. One amelogenin negative case was characterized as a deletion of Y-DYS458. This paper provided data regarding the genetic polymorphism of Y-STRs and X-STRs in the Han population, and demonstrated the importance of Y-STR and X-STR in forensic autosomal STR analysis.

[Texture analysis based on contrast-enhanced MRI can predict treatment response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer].

Objective: To investigate whether texture analysis based on contrast-enhanced MRI can predict pathological complete response of locally advanced breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC). Methods: Forty-seven patients with breast cancer undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy from January 2015 to February 2016 were divided into pathological complete response (pCR) group or non-pathological complete response (non-pCR) group based on surgical pathology. Their parameters of texture analysis based on MRI before neoadjuvant chemotherapy and after 2 cycles of treatment were analyzed. Parameters(Energy, Entropy, Inertia, Correlation, Inverse Difference Moment)before and after 2 cycles of NAC between pCR and non-pCR groups were compared using Student t or Wilcoxon rank sum test. The diagnostic performance of different parameters was judged by the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The post-NAC value was significantly different from that of pre-NAC (all P<0.05). Pre-treatment parameters (Energy, Entropy, Inertia, Correlation, Inverse Difference Moment) were 78.58×10(-5)(55.64×10(-5), 135.23×10(-5)), 10.06 ± 1.02, 7 993.91±2 428.10, (4.76±0.99) ×10(-5) and (18.10±4.13) ×10(-3) in pCR group, and 76.84×10(-5) (48.68×10(-5), 154.15×10(-5)), 10.28±1.26, 7 184.77 (4 938.03, 9 974.04), (5.21±2.01) ×10(-5) and (17.68±5.87) ×10(-3) in non-pCR group. No significant difference was found between both groups. (P>0.05 for all). At the end of the second cycle of NAC, parameters(Energy, Entropy, Inertia, Correlation, Inverse Difference Moment) were (542.11±361.04) ×10(-5,) 7.95±1.28, 16 765.08±97 06.56, (0.43±0.07) ×10(-5,) and (12.18±9.82) ×10(-3) in pCR group, and 133.00×10(-5) (79.80×10(-5,) 239.00×10(-5)), 9.29±1.46, 7 916.64(6 418.89, 10 934.40), (0.38±0.08) ×10(-5) and (14.80±5.06) ×10(-3) in non-pCR group. At the end of the second cycle of NAC, there was significant difference in the parameters (Energy, Entropy, Inertia, Correlation) and Δparameters (ΔEnergy, ΔEntropy, ΔInertia, ΔInverse Difference Moment) between both groups (P<0.05 for all). The area under curve (AUC) of post-treatment ΔEntropy was 0.81, which was the largest one among parameters. Sensitivity of ΔEntropy for predicting pCR was 75.0% and specificity was 85.7%, respectively. Conclusion: Texture analysis based on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI can predict early treatment response in primary breast cancer.

Rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of the target of rapamycin complex 1, disrupts intestinal barrier integrity in broiler chicks.

To uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying the intestinal barrier integrity, this study determined whether the rapamycin (RAPA)-sensitive target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) pathway was involved in this process. Three groups of 4-day-old male chicks were randomly subjected to one of the following treatments for 6 days: high-dose RAPA [a specific inhibitor of TORC1; an intraperitoneal injection of 1.0 mg/kg body weight (BW), once daily at 09:00 hours], low-dose RAPA (0.4 mg/kg BW) and RAPA vehicle (control). Results showed that the RAPA treatment increased mortality, while decreasing villus height (p < 0.01), claudin 1 expression, content of immunoglobulin A (IgA), extent of TORC1 phosphorylation (p < 0.05), ratio of villus height to crypt depth (p < 0.01), and population of IgA-positive B cells in intestinal mucosa, particularly for the jejunum. Some aspects of these responses were dose dependent and appeared to result from weight loss. Together, RAPA exerts the expected inhibition of small intestinal development and IgA production in birds, suggesting the important role of TORC1 in gut barrier integrity.

[Analyzing the status of depression and anxiety of new registered tuberculosis outpatients and correlations with social support influence factors].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of depression and anxiety and the related factors among new registered tuberculosis (TB) outpatients. Methods: Questionnaire survey was conducted in 1 105 new registered TB patients from sixteen districts of Beijing city during Jan to Jun, 2015. Structured self-administered questionnaire including gender, age, education, occupation, history of smoking and drinking information was designed by epidemiological and psychiatric experts from Beijing Research Institute for Tuberculosis Control. Meanwhile the TB patients status including depression, anxiety and social supporting were investigated by using Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). The survey data was then analyzed. A total of 1 132 questionnaires were issued and 1 119 were recovered including 1 105 valid questionnaires, and the effective rate was 98.7%. Results: There were 742 males and 363 females among 1 105 new registered TB patients. Age ranged from 16 to 65 years, the mean age was (35.7±13.8) years old. The total standard scores of SDS and SAS were (45.00±12.40) and (39.46±10.03) points, obviously higher than those in national norms (all P<0.05). The detection rates of depression and anxiety were 29.8% (329/1 105) and 13.5% (149/1 105). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that TB patients with female (OR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.32-2.30), over 35 years (OR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.39-2.39), annual household income <50 000 ï¿¥ (OR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.19-2.06), rarely talking to someone about their worries (OR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.05-1.90) had high risk of depression (all P<0.05). Annual household income<50 000 ï¿¥ (OR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.17-2.43), rarely talking to someone about their worries (OR=1.80, 95% CI: 1.19-2.74) also had high risk of anxiety (all P<0.05). The medians scores in social support, subjective support, objective support and support utilization were 38(32, 43), 22(18, 26), 8(6, 10) and 7 (6, 9) points, respectively, and these scores were negatively related to depression and anxiety. Conclusion: Depression and anxiety prevalence in TB patients are obviously higher than those in normal people, and there are many factors that can cause or contribute to depression and anxiety.

Risk analysis of duo parentage testing with limited STR loci.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the Goldeneye 20A system (containing 19 short tandem repeats) can avert the shortage of duo parentage tests. Among routine cases typed by the Identifiler system, we identified 42 motherless cases, 2 fatherless cases, and 34 trio cases containing 1 locus mismatch and 4 motherless cases with 2 locus mismatches. One true trio case was rejected by fatherhood testing because of the omission of the mother's genotype and because the genotype of the putative father matched that of the child. All of the cases were retyped by the Goldeneye 20A system with the mother's or father's sample. In total, 39 motherless cases were verified by one mutation, 3 motherless cases were rejected for paternity, and 4 motherless cases with 2 locus mismatches were ruled out by fatherhood testing. After adding the father's genotype, 1 motherless case was confirmed by a single-locus mutation, whereas another case was rejected by motherhood testing. The mutation and exclusion rates detected with the Goldeneye 20A system accorded with the corresponding rates identified in the Identifiler system. The trio case also rejected fatherhood without the mother's genotype, and we found only 2 locus mismatches. Neither the Identifiler system nor the Goldeneye 20A system compensates for the absence of genetic information from the mother or father.

Estimation of egg freshness using S-ovalbumin as an indicator.

The aim of this research was to study S-ovalbumin as a reference index for the freshness of commercial shell eggs in terms of equivalent egg age. The S-ovalbumin content, yolk index, albumen pH, and Haugh units were determined at the storage temperature of 25 and 37°C, respectively, using 85 fresh-laid eggs. A correlation analysis showed a high correlation coefficient of S-ovalbumin content to storage time as well as to the 3 frequently used freshness indices (Haugh unit, yolk index, and albumen pH). Furthermore, a prediction model of equivalent egg age at 25°C was established using S-ovalbumin content as an index on the basis of the correlation analysis. This study confirmed the possibility of using S-ovalbumin as a reference index to express commercial shell egg freshness as equivalent egg age.

Thiophene and diaminobenzo- (1,2,5-thiadiazol)- based DAD-type near-infrared fluorescent probe for nitric oxide: A theoretical research.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe (LS-NO) for the real-time detection of nitric oxide (NO) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was developed recently. The probe used oligoglycol morpholine-functionalized thiophene as strong electron donors and diaminobenzene (1,2,5-thiadiazole) as a weak electron acceptor and NO trapping group. It could detect exogenous and endogenous NO in the lysosomes of living cells with high sensitivity and specificity. To further understand the fluorescent mechanism and character of the probes LS-NO and LS-TZ (after the reaction of the probe LS-NO with NO), the electron transfer in the excitation and emitting process within the model molecules DAD-NO and DAD-TZ was analyzed in detail under the density functional theory. The calculation results indicated the transformation from diaminobenzene (1,2,5-thiadiazole) as a weak electron acceptor to triazolo-benzo-(1,2,5-thiadiazole) as a strong electron acceptor made LS-NO an effective "off-on" near-infrared NO fluorescent probe.

[Analysis on medical care seeking of local and non-local pulmonary tuberculosis patients reported in Beijing, 2016-2021].

Objective: To analyze the medical care seeking of local and non-local pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients in Beijing from 2016 to 2021 and provide evidence for TB prevention and control in Beijing. Methods: The reported pulmonary TB data from 2016 to 2021 were collected from tuberculosis management information system and standard code management system of Chinese information system for disease control and prevention. The map data were obtained from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research. Excel 2016, SPSS 19.0, Python 3.9 and ArcGIS 10.6 softwares were used for data analysis and visualization for the inter-provincial mobility and inter-district mobility of pulmonary TB patient's medical care seeking in Beijing. Results: Among the reported pulmonary TB patients in Beijing from 2016 to 2021, 35.27%(24 307/68 926) were from 30 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The top 5 provinces with pulmonary TB patients medical care seeking in Beijing were Hebei (39.58%,9 620/24 307), Shanxi (8.82%,2 145/24 307), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (8.66%,2 105/24 307), Heilongjiang (6.95%,1 690/24 307) and Henan (6.88%,1 672/24 307). Patients from these 5 provinces accounted for 70.89% (17 232/24 307) of total pulmonary TB patients from other provinces. The pulmonary TB patients from other provinces mainly flowed to Tongzhou district of Beijing, accounting for 46.72% (11 356/24 307). These pulmonary TB patients mainly visited grade Ⅲ (A) hospitals, such as Beijing Chest Hospital of Capital Medical University with the highest proportion of 44.76% (10 880/24 307). Among pulmonary TB patients with current residence in Beijing, those sought medical care in other districts accounted for 55.06% (24 566/44 619). The outflow and inflow of TB cases' medical care seeking occurred in 16 districts of Beijing. The median proportion of cross district medical care seeking in 16 districts was 59.30% (56.05%, 65.13%). The inflow of the medical care seeking in Tongzhou, Haidian and Xicheng district was greater than the outflow, and the outflow was greater than the inflow in the other 13 districts. The pulmonary TB patients in Beijing mainly went to Beijing Chest Hospital in Tongzhou for medical care seeking, accounting for 42.18%(18 822/44 619). Conclusions: The proportions of non-local pulmonary TB patients seeking medical care in Beijing from 2016 to 2021 and local pulmonary TB patients seeking medical care in other districts in Beijing were high, and the hospitals where non-local pulmonary TB patients and local pulmonary TB patients sought medical care respectively belonged to grade Ⅲ (A) and municipal designated medical institutions of TB.

Broadband antireflection and absorption enhancement by forming nano-patterned Si structures for solar cells.

In this letter, we report the antireflection and light absorption enhancement by forming sub-wavelength nano-patterned Si structures via nano-sphere lithography technique. It is found that the surface reflection can be significantly suppressed in a wide spectral range (400-1000 nm) and the weighted mean reflection is less than 5%. Meanwhile, the broad band optical absorption enhancement is achieved consequently. Heterojunction solar cells are prepared by depositing ultrathin amorphous Si film on the nano-patterned Si structures, the short circuit current density increases to 37.2 mA/cm(2)and the power conversion efficiency is obviously improved compared to the reference cell on flat Si substrate.

Identification and functional studies of HLA-A0201 restricted CTL epitopes in the X protein of hepatitis B virus.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes in the X protein (HBx) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) may play a key role in the viral control and liver damage. The aim of this study was to identify and study the function of HLA-A0201 restricted CTL epitopes in HBx of HBV genotypes B and C that are epidemic in China. Four nonapeptides signed HBx1: VLCLRPVGA, HBx2: CLFKDWEEL, HBx3: VLHKRTLGL, and HBx4: HLSLRGLPV were predicated by computational analysis and manually confirmed by defining the peptide supermotif, extended motif, and quantitative motif. Synthesized peptides were examined for their affinity and binding stability with HLA-A0201. After being analyzed by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and cytolytic activity assays, the HBx2 epitope was selected for a construction of HLA-A0201-peptide tetramers. The tetramer staining method was used to analyze peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from HBV-infected patients at different disease stages (chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatoma). Compared with CTL epitopes in the HBV envelope or polymerase, HBx2 is also a potential HLA-A0201 restricted CTL epitope, what may have a clinical implication.

Active immunization with glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide vaccine influences brain function and behaviour in rats.

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is involved in the aetiology of obesity induced by overnutrition, and blocking GIP activity may be valuable to anti-obesity treatment. However, GIP and GIP receptor are closely related to various brain functions which have caused very little data to be published concerning this cerebral functionality after blocking GIP activity. Here, we showed that active vaccination of mature rats with GIP immunoconjugates [GIP-keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH)] was associated with changes in body weight. Furthermore, we also observed significant changes in brain function and behaviour. Data indicated that GIP-KLH-immunized rats showed decreased spontaneous activity in the open field test, decreased cerebral glucose utilization assessed by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), and increased apoptosis and proliferation of hippocampal granule cells marked by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) or proliferating cell nuclear antigen method. In conclusion, we have shown that vaccine-induced antibodies inhibited GIP activity in vivo and led to significant changes in brain function and behaviour, which underscore the need to address any potential problems GIP-targeted immunotherapy may involve in further research.

Leucine alters immunoglobulin a secretion and inflammatory cytokine expression induced by lipopolysaccharide via the nuclear factor-κB pathway in intestine of chicken embryos.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been shown to be involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced immune responses in many mammal cells. Here, we suggest that the mTOR pathway is involved in the intestinal inflammatory responses evoked by LPS treatment in chicken embryos. The intestinal tissue from Specific pathogen free chick embryos was cultured in the presence of LPS for 2 h. Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) concentrations, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of cytokines, and protein levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), mTOR and p70 ribosomal S6 kinase (p70S6K) were determined. The results showed that LPS treatment increased sIgA concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. The mRNA levels of interleukine (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 were upregulated by LPS treatment (P<0.05). Lipopolysaccharide increased the phosphorylation of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 MAPK and NF-κB (P<0.05) while decreasing the phosphorylation level of mTOR (P<0.05). Supplementation of leucine at doses of 10, 20 and 40 mM dose-dependently decreased sIgA production. Leucine supplementation at 40 mM restored the phosphorylation level of mTOR and p70S6K while suppressing the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB (P<0.05) and partially down-regulating the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and JNK. The transcription of IL-6 was significantly decreased by leucine supplementation. These results suggested that leucine could alleviate LPS-induced inflammatory responses by down-regulating NF-κB signaling pathway and evoking mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway, which may involve in the regulation of the intestinal immune system in chicken embryos.

[Spatial-temporal analysis on pulmonary tuberculosis in Beijing during 2005-2015].

Objective: To analyze the spatial distribution and identify the high risk areas of pulmonary tuberculosis at the township level in Beijing during 2005-2015. Methods: Data on pulmonary tuberculosis cases was collected from the tuberculosis information management system. Global autocorrelation analysis, local indicators of spatial association and Kulldorff's Scan Statistics were applied to map the spatial distribution and detect the space-time clusters of the pulmonary tuberculosis cases during 2005-2015. Results: Spatial analysis on the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis at the township level demonstrated that the spatial autocorrelation was positive during the study period. The values of Moran's I ranged from 0.224 3 to 0.291 8 with all the P values less than 0.05. Hotspots were primarily distributed in 8 towns/streets as follows: Junzhuang, Wangping, Yongding and Tanzhesi in Mentougou district, Yancun in Fangshan district, Wangzuo town in Fengtai district, Tianqiao street in Xicheng district and Tianzhu town in Shunyi district. Spatiotemporal clusters across the entire study period were identified by using Kulldorff's spatiotemporal scan statistic. The primary cluster was located in Chaoyang and Shunyi districts, including 17 towns/streets, as follows: Cuigezhuang, Maizidian, Dongfeng, Taiyanggong, Zuojiazhuang, Hepingjie, Xiaoguan, Xiangheyuan, Dongba, Jiangtai, Wangjing, Jinzhan, Jiuxianqiao, Laiguangying, Sunhe towns/streets in Chaoyang district, Houshayu and Tianzhu town in Shunyi district, during January to December 2005. Conclusion: Incidence rates of pulmonary tuberculosis displayed spatial and temporal clusterings at the township level in Beijing during 2005-2015, with high risk areas relatively concentrated in the central and southern parts of Beijing.

Adjuvant effects of bacillus Calmette-Guerin DNA or CpG-oligonucleotide in the immune response to Taenia solium cysticercosis vaccine in porcine.

The immune stimulation properties of CpG-oligonucleotides (CpG-ODN) containing a central unmethylated CpG motif could be useful for vaccination against parasite infection. However, the high cost of synthetic CpG-ODN has limited its use in veterinary vaccines. In this study, we investigated whether genomic DNA derived from Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG-DNA) could be used as an effective adjuvant to enhance the immunogenicity and the protective capacity of recombinant cC1 antigen (rcC1) against pig cysticercosis. Pigs were vaccinated with rcC1 plus CpG-containing DNA adjuvants (BCG-DNA or CpG-ODN) or rcC1 alone. Immunization with rcC1 alone induced a Th1-biased response, whereas coadministration of rcC1 with BCG-DNA or CpG-ODN increased levels of IgG2, IFN-gamma, percentage of CD8+ and specific proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Four weeks after the last immunization, pigs were infected with Taenia solium eggs. A high level of protection (81%) was induced by rcC1 immunization that was not significantly increased by the CpG-containing DNA. These data indicate that coadministration of rcC1 plus BCG-DNA or CpG-ODN significantly enhanced Th1 response but did not improve the level of the protection induced.

Prolactin receptor as a candidate gene for prolificacy of small tail han sheep.

DNA polymorphism of the ovine prolactin receptor gene (PRLR) was investigated and used to study its effect on litter size in sheep. By means of PRLR gene sequence homology between sheep and human, three primer pairs were designed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification within intron 1 and exon 10 of the PRLR gene in sheep. In these parts of the gene the single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected by PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) in 314 Small Tail Han ewes. These poly-morphisms were used to study the associations with litter size. The results indicated that there were three genotypes (AA, AB and BB) detected by three primer pairs. For three primer pairs the frequency of allele A was 0.96, 0.79, 0.68; and the frequency of allele B was 0.04, 0.21, 0.32, respectively. The frequency of genotype AA was 0.93, 0.62, 0.51; the frequency of genotype AB was 0.06, 0.34, 0.34; the frequency of genotype BB was 0.01, 0.04, 0.15, respectively. The Small Tail Han ewes with genotype BB or AB had 0.64-0.76 or 0.44-0.54 more lambs than those with genotype AA, respectively. These results preliminarily showed that the prolactin receptor locus is either a major gene that influences the prolificacy in Small Tail Han sheep or is in close linkage with such a gene.