[Prognostic nutritional index application value for acute-on-chronic liver failure co-infection].

Objective: To explore the predictive value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in concurrently infected patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Methods: 220 cases with ACLF diagnosed and treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2011 to December 2016 were selected. Patients were divided into an infection and non-infection group according to whether they had co-infections during the course of the disease. Clinical data differences were compared between the two groups of patients. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to screen out influencing factors related to co-infection. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of PNI for ACLF co-infection. The measurement data between groups were compared using the independent sample t-test and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test. The enumeration data were analyzed using the Fisher exact probability test or the Pearson χ(2) test. The Pearson method was performed for correlation analysis. The independent risk factors for liver failure associated with co-infection were analyzed by multivariate logistic analysis. Results: There were statistically significant differences in ascites, hepatorenal syndrome, PNI score, and albumin between the infection and the non-infection group (P < 0.05). Among the 220 ACLF cases, 158 (71.82%) were infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The incidence rate of infection during hospitalization was 69.09% (152/220). The common sites of infection were intraabdominal (57.07%) and pulmonary infection (29.29%). Pearson correlation analysis showed that PNI and MELD-Na were negatively correlated (r = -0.150, P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis results showed that low PNI score (OR=0.916, 95%CI: 0.865~0.970), ascites (OR=4.243, 95%CI: 2.237~8.047), and hepatorenal syndrome (OR=4.082, 95%CI : 1.106~15.067) were risk factors for ACLF co-infection (P < 0.05). The ROC results showed that the PNI curve area (0.648) was higher than the MELD-Na score curve area (0.610, P < 0.05). The effectiveness of predicting infection risk when PNI was combined with ascites and hepatorenal syndrome complications was raised. Patients with co-infections had a good predictive effect when PNI ≤ 40.625. The sensitivity and specificity were 84.2% and 41.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Low PNI score and ACLF co-infection have a close correlation. Therefore, PNI has a certain appraisal value for ACLF co-infection.

Effect of phosphorus doping on the luminescence intensity of Si-NC in SiO/Si multilayers.

The application of silicon nanocrystals (Si-NC) is somewhat limited due to their low luminescence intensity. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate methods for enhancing the luminescence intensity of Si-NC. In this study, phosphorus (P)-doped Si-NC with two different doping methods were prepared by electron beam thermal evaporation: in-situ doping (during synthesis) and ex-situ doping (after synthesis). The photoluminescence (PL) intensity and crystallinity of Si-NC can be enhanced through phosphorus doping. Moreover, a comparison between two different methods of Si-NC doping reveals that the luminescence intensity of in-situ P-doped Si-NC is superior to that of ex-situ P-doped Si-NC, which is increased by an order of magnitude compared to the PL intensity of undoped Si-NC.

[Observational study on perioperative outcomes of pelvic exenteration].

Objective: To investigate the surgical indications and perioperative clinical outcomes of pelvic exenteration (PE) for locally advanced, recurrent pelvic malignancies and complex pelvic fistulas. Methods: This was a descriptive study.The indications for performing PE were: (1) locally advanced, recurrent pelvic malignancy or complex pelvic fistula diagnosed preoperatively by imaging and pathological examination of a biopsy; (2)preoperative agreement by a multi-disciplinary team that non-surgical and conventional surgical treatment had failed and PE was required; and (3) findings on intraoperative exploration confirming this conclusion.Contraindications to this surgical procedure comprised cardiac and respiratory dysfunction, poor nutritional status,and mental state too poor to tolerate the procedure.Clinical data of 141 patients who met the above criteria, had undergone PE in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2018 to September 2022, had complete perioperative clinical data, and had given written informed consent to the procedure were collected,and the operation,relevant perioperative variables, postoperative pathological findings (curative resection), and early postoperative complications were analyzed. Results: Of the 141 included patients, 43 (30.5%) had primary malignancies, 61 (43.3%) recurrent malignancies, 28 (19.9%) complex fistulas after radical resection of malignancies,and nine (6.4%)complex fistulas caused by benign disease. There were 79 cases (56.0%) of gastrointestinal tumors, 30 cases (21.3%) of reproductive tumors, 16 cases (11.3%) of urinary tumors, and 7 cases (5.0%) of other tumors such mesenchymal tissue tumors. Among the 104 patients with primary and recurrent malignancies, 15 patients with severe complications of pelvic perineum of advanced tumors were planned to undergo palliative PE surgery for symptom relief after preoperative assessment of multidisciplinary team; the other 89 patients were evaluated for radical PE surgery. All surgeries were successfully completed. Total PE was performed on 73 patients (51.8%),anterior PE on 22 (15.6%),and posterior PE in 46 (32.6%). The median operative time was 576 (453,679) minutes, median intraoperative blood loss 500 (200, 1 200) ml, and median hospital stay 17 (13.0,30.5)days.There were no intraoperative deaths. Of the 89 patients evaluated for radical PE surgery, the radical R0 resection was achieved in 64 (71.9%) of them, R1 resection in 23 (25.8%), and R2 resection in two (2.2%). One or more postoperative complications occurred in 85 cases (60.3%), 32 (22.7%)of which were Clavien-Dindo grade III and above.One patient (0.7%)died during the perioperative period. Conclusion: PE is a valid option for treating locally advanced or recurrent pelvic malignancies and complex pelvic fistulas.

Erratum to "Organic zinc supplementation in early-lactation dairy cows and its effects on zinc content and distribution in milk and cheese" (JDS Commun. 2:110-113).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2020-0070.].

Phosphorylation and glycosylation isoforms of bovine κ-casein variant E in homozygous Swedish Red cow milk detected by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Variations in the phosphorylation and glycosylation patterns of the common κ-casein (CN) variants A and B have been explored, whereas studies on variant E heterogeneity are scarce. This study reports for the first time the detailed phosphorylation and glycosylation pattern of the κ-CN variant E in comparison with variants A and B. Individual cow milk samples representing κ-CN genotype EE (n = 12) were obtained from Swedish Red cows, and the natural posttranslational modifications of its κ-CN were identified and quantified by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry. In total, 12 unique isoform masses of κ-CN variant E were identified. In comparison, AA and BB milk consisted of 14 and 17 unique isoform masses, respectively. The most abundant κ-CN E isoform detected in the EE milk was the monophosphorylated, unglycosylated [1P 0G, ∼70%; where P indicates phosphorylation from single to triple phosphorylation (1-3P), and G indicates glycosylation from single to triple glycosylation (1-3G)] form, followed by diphosphorylated, unglycosylated (2P 0G, ∼12%) form, resembling known patterns from variants A and B. However, a clear distinction was the presence of the rare triphosphorylated, nonglycosylated (3P 0G, ∼0.05%) κ-CN isoform in the EE milk. All isoforms detected in variant E were phosphorylated, giving a phosphorylation degree of 100%. This is comparable with the phosphorylation degree of variants A and B, being also almost 100%, though with very small amounts of nonphosphorylated, glycosylated isoforms detected. The glycosylation degree of variant E was found to be around 17%, a bit higher than observed for variant B (around 14%), and higher than variant A (around 7%). Among glycosylation, the glycan e was the most common type identified for all 3 variants, followed by c/d (straight and branched chain trisaccharides, respectively), and b. In contrast to κ-CN variants A and B, no glycan of type a was found in variant E. Taken together, this study shows that the posttranslational modification pattern of variant E resembles that of known variants to a large extent, but with subtle differences.

[Characteristics of CD8+ T cell infiltration in colorectal cancer and their correlation with prognosis].

Objective: As cytotoxic T cells, CD8+ T lymphocytes can kill tumor cells by releasing perforin and other effector molecules, but the correlation between their infiltration level and the prognosis of colorectal cancer varies in previous studies. This study aims to explore the distribution of CD8+T cells in tumor center and invasive margin of colorectal cancer, and to analyze their correlation with the prognosis of patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinicopathological features of 221 patients with colorectal cancer from the colorectal cancer pathological database of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between 2009 and 2012. Case inclusion criteria: (1) colorectal cancers confirmed by postoperative pathology; (2) patients with follow-up data. Exclusion criteria: (1) multiple primary cancers; (2) inflammatory bowel disease, Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis; (3) no available paraffin slides; (4) patients receiving preoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy. A total of 221 patients met the criteria. Immunohistochemical staining was used to count the CD8+ T cells in tumor center and invasive margin in the paraffin slides. Meanwhile the relative expression of CD8B gene in 22 fresh freeze samples of colorectal cancer was detected. Then the correlation of the expression with CD8+T cell density was examined. The patients were divided into high and low infiltration groups according to the level of CD8+T cells. Log-rank test was applied to compare the overall survival of the two groups of patients, and Cox regression analysis was used to adjust the prognostic significance of CD8+T cell infiltration. Results: There were 118 males and 103 females. In 221 slides, CD8+T cells infiltrating in invasive margin were more than those in tumor center [median (range): 37(0-141) / field vs. 14(0-106) / field, Z=-11.985, P<0.001], and the number of CD8+T cell in the tumor center was positively correlated with those in invasive margin (r=0.610, P<0.001). The number of CD8+ T cell in tumor center was positively correlated with the relative expression of CD8B gene (r=0.524, P=0.012). Survival analysis showed that the overall survival of the high infiltration group was better than that of the low infiltration group both in tumor center and invasive margin (median survival: 84.1 months vs. 73.5 months, P<0.001; 84.2 months vs. 75.9 months, P=0.002). Cox regression analysis revealed that high CD8+T cell infiltration in tumor center was an independent protective factor of overall survival (HR=0.369, 95% CI: 0.168-0.812, P=0.013). Conclusions: The infiltration level of CD8+T cells in tumor center is lower than that in invasive margin, and they are positively correlated. The level of CD8+ T cell infiltration in tumor center is related to overall survival and can be used as a potential pronostic marker.

Organic zinc supplementation in early-lactation dairy cows and its effects on zinc content and distribution in milk and cheese.

This study investigated the effects of organic zinc (Zn) supplementation in early-lactation dairy cows on Zn content and distribution in raw milk and mozzarella cheese. Thirty-four multiparous dairy cows in early lactation were randomly assigned to 2 groups: basal diet (control; CON) and basal diet supplemented with a Zn AA complex (CZ). After feeding the diets for 8 wk, raw milk was collected for manufacturing mozzarella cheese. Total Zn content and Zn distribution in raw milk and cheese were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results showed that milk fat content was significantly increased in the CZ group compared with the CON group. No significant differences in fat, protein, and moisture contents of cheese were observed between the 2 groups. Zinc contents in milk (4.25 vs. 3.85 mg/L) and cheese (38.65 vs. 27.20 mg/kg) were significantly higher in the CZ group than in the CON group. Little Zn was lost in stretch water (<0.04 mg/L) and brine (<0.01 mg/L) during the cheese-making process. Most of the Zn was detected in casein (87.3% vs. 88.4%) of the raw milk, and then in the whey (10.6% vs. 9.88%) and fat (2.07% vs. 1.77%). Organic Zn supplementation in early-lactation cows increased Zn content in raw milk and mozzarella cheese, and Zn remained stable during cheese making.

[Analysis on clinical efficacy, safety and economy of Shaobei injection and elastic band ligation in the treatment of grade II or III hemorrhoids].

Objective: Currently, various treatments such as hemorrhoidectomy, ligation and sclerotherapy injection can be applied in grade II or III hemorrhoids. This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy, safety and economy between Shaobei injection and elastic band ligation in treating patients with grade II or grade III hemorrhoids. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was used. Clinical data of 60 patients with grade II or grade III hemorrhoids at Department of Anorectal Surgery of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University between January 2019 and October 2019 were collected. Patients were divided into two groups according to surgical methods. Patients in the Shaobei group received Shaobei injection (n=28), and those in the ligation group received elastic band ligation (n=32). Inclusion criteria: (1) diagnosis of grade II or III hemorrhoid; (2) application of Shaobei injection or elastic band ligation; (3) age between 18-75 years old. Exclusion criteria: (1) comorbidity with anal fissure, anal fistula, anal sinusitis or other perianal diseases; (2) patients with mental disorder or poor compliance; (3) incomplete clinical or follow-up data. Recurrent rate, postoperative pain, anal edema, anal distension, total cost of hospitalization, length of hospitalization, and postoperative life quality EQ-5D-3L score were compared between the two groups at postoperative 6-month. Results: No significant difference was observed in the baseline data (including Nystrom hemorrhoid symptom score) between the two groups (all P>0.05), except gender ratio [male proportion: Shaobei 75% (21/28) vs. ligation 37.5%(12/32), χ(2)=8.485, P=0.004]. No significant difference in recurrent rate was found between the two groups [14.3% (4/28) vs. 9.4% (3/32), χ(2)=0.035, P=0.851]. Compared to the ligation group, Shaobei group showed less pain at postoperative day 1 [VAS median (range): 2 (1-6) vs. 3 (1-7), Z=2.814, P=0.005] and postoperative day 7 [VAS median (range): 0 (0-2) vs. 1 (0-4), Z=3.149, P=0.002]; lower anal edema ratio at postoperative day 1 [10.7% (3/28) vs. 34.4% (11/32), Z=4.673, P=0.037]; lower anal distension ratio at postoperative day 1 [7.1% (2/28) vs. 28.1% (9/32), Z=4.391, P=0.048]; less hospitalization cost [(6343.5±1444.1) yuan vs. (10 587.1± 1719.0) yuan, t=12.515, P<0.001] and shorter postoperative hospital stay [median (range): 1 (1-5) days vs. 3 (1-6) days, Z=5.879, P<0.001]. The EQ-5D-3L scores of two groups were significantly improved six months after treatment [Shaobei group: (0.90±0.16) vs. (0.73±0.14); ligation group: (0.91±0.13) vs. (0.74±0.10); both P<0.001], while there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (t=0.130, P=0.897). No complications such as massive hemorrhage, infection, iatrogenic anal fistula, rectal stricture and local induration occurred after the injection. Conclusions: Shaobei injection is effective and safe in treating grade II or III hemorrhoids. Compared with elastic band ligation, it can reduce morbidity of complications and hospitalization expenses.

Short communication: Influence of intramuscular injection of vitamin B12 in early-lactation dairy cows on Mozzarella cheese quality and vitamin B12 stability.

The current study explored the effect of intramuscular injection of vitamin B12 (VB12) in early-lactation dairy cows on subsequent low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese quality and VB12 levels during cheese processing and storage. Twenty-four peripartum dairy cows were blocked based on parity and milk yield and randomly assigned into 2 treatments: basal diet (CON) and basal diet with an intramuscular injection of 10 mg of VB12 per cow per week (VB12). Raw milk was collected to determine VB12 content and then used to make low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese 8 wk after injection. The VB12 content of raw milk and cheese was determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We found that VB12 content was significantly increased in milk (15.43 vs. 3.30 ng/mL) and fresh cheese (3.72 ng/g vs. undetectable) from the VB12 group compared with the CON group. However, approximately 70% of VB12 was lost in the whey during cheese making, and no VB12 was detectable in either cheese treatment after 8 wk of storage. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in fat and protein contents in the cheese between the 2 groups. For cheese color, the b* value increased and the a* value decreased slightly in fresh VB12 cheese. Functional properties of stretchability, flowability, and meltability of VB12 cheese were initially comparable to that of CON cheese, but higher flowability and meltability was observed in VB12 cheese after 8 wk of storage. In summary, intramuscular injection of VB12 in early-lactation dairy cows increases the content of VB12 in milk and fresh cheese with no adverse effect on cheese quality, but substantial VB12 is lost during cheesemaking and declines rapidly during storage.

Short communication: Effects of dietary N-carbamoylglutamate supplementation on the milk amino acid profile and mozzarella cheese quality in mid-lactating dairy cows.

N-Carbamoylglutamate (NCG) is an enhancer of Arg, which is a functional AA and could prevent cardiovascular disease and improve immunity. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementing NCG in diets of lactating cattle on the NCG concentration and AA composition of raw milk and on mozzarella cheese quality. Thirty multiparous cows with a mean body weight of 669 kg (standard deviation = 71) and days in milk of 176 (standard deviation = 55) were blocked based on parity and milk production and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: basal diet (CON) and basal diet supplemented with 40 g of NCG per day per cow (NCG). After 8 wk of treatment, raw milk samples were collected from the 2 groups for AA analysis and mozzarella cheese-making. Furthermore, the NCG concentration and distribution in milk and mozzarella cheese were detected. The AA concentration in milk was greater and the NCG concentration in raw milk was approximately 6 times greater in the NCG group than in the CON group. No NCG was detected in cheese from the CON group, and very little NCG (<1.0 µg/kg) of cheese was detected in the NCG group. Most of the dietary NCG was transferred into whey, stretch water, and brine during cheese production. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups on cheese texture and color except that hardness was lower in the NCG group. Overall, the results indicated that dietary supplementation of NCG could improve the NCG and AA concentrations in raw milk without affecting the quality of cheeses such as mozzarella.

Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of 91 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang, China: a retrospective, multi-centre case series.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have focused on initial clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is the mainly revealing situation in Wuhan, Hubei. AIM: This study aims to reveal more data on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients outside of Wuhan, Zhejiang, China. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective case series. METHODS: Eighty-eight cases of laboratory-confirmed and three cases of clinically confirmed COVID-19 were admitted to five hospitals in Zhejiang province, China. Data were collected from 20 January 2020 to 11 February 2020. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of all 91 patients, 88 (96.70%) were laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with throat swab samples that tested positive for SARS-Cov-2, three (3.30%) cases were clinically diagnosed. The median age of the patients was 50 (36.5-57) years, and female accounted for 59.34%. In this sample, 40 (43.96%) patients had contracted the disease from local cases, 31 (34.07%) patients had been to Wuhan/Hubei, eight (8.79%) patients had contacted with people from Wuhan, and 11 (12.09%) patients were diagnosed after having flown together in the same flight with no passenger that could later be identified as the source of infection. In particular within the city of Ningbo, 60.52% cases can be traced back to an event held in a temple. The most common symptoms were fever (71.43%), cough (60.44%) and fatigue (43.96%). The median of incubation period was 6 (interquartile range 3-8) days and the median time from the first visit to a doctor to the confirmed diagnosis was 1 (1-2) days. According to the chest computed tomography scans, 67.03% cases had bilateral pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Social activity cluster, family cluster and flying alongside with persons already infected with COVID-19 were how people got infected with COVID-19 in Zhejiang.

Long noncoding RNA ILF3-AS1 regulates myocardial infarction via the miR-212-3p/SIRT1 axis and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a serious cardiac disease due to its high incidence and mortality worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to play an essential role in the pathological progress of various cardiovascular diseases. ILF3-AS1 is a newly identified lncRNA, and many studies have demonstrated that ILF3-AS1 affects the development of various malignancies. However, the biological function of ILF3-AS1 and its underlying mechanism in MI are still unknown. In the present study, the function of ILF3-AS1 and the possible mechanisms against hypoxia-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: H9c2 cells were exposed to hypoxia (1% O2) to mimic the in vitro model of MI. The levels of lncRNA ILF3-AS1 and microRNA miR-212-3p were measured by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Transfection was performed to upregulate the levels of ILF3-AS1 and miR-212-3p. Western blot assays were carried out to measure protein expression. The relationship between ILF3-AS1 and miR-212-3p was verified by Dual-Luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: We found that ILF3-AS1 was downregulated by hypoxia. Overexpression of ILF3-AS1 resulted in the relief of hypoxia-induced damage to H9c2 cells by rescuing cell viability, migration, and invasion and suppressing apoptosis, while downregulation of ILF3-AS1 had the opposite effects. Moreover, ILF3-AS1 could negatively regulate miR-212-3p expression, and upregulation of ILF3-AS1 could alleviate hypoxic injury via downregulation of miR-212-3p. Moreover, miR-212-3p negatively regulated SIRT1 expression. Further investigations revealed that ILF3-AS1 activated PI3K/Akt signaling and that application of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 could abrogate the protective effects of ILF3-AS1 against hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we concluded that ILF3-AS1 provides protection against hypoxia-induced injury via the PI3K/Akt pathway, which may provide clues for the treatment of patients with MI.

Transcriptomic changes in the nasal epithelium associated with diesel engine exhaust exposure.

BACKGROUND: Diesel engine exhaust (DEE) exposure causes lung cancer, but the molecular mechanisms by which this occurs are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: To assess transcriptomic alterations in nasal epithelium of DEE-exposed factory workers to better understand the cellular and molecular effects of DEE. METHODS: Nasal epithelial brushings were obtained from 41 diesel engine factory workers exposed to relatively high levels of DEE (17.2-105.4 µg/m3), and 38 unexposed workers from factories without DEE exposure. mRNA was profiled for gene expression using Affymetrix microarrays. Linear modeling was used to identify differentially expressed genes associated with DEE exposure and interaction effects with current smoking status. Pathway enrichment among differentially expressed genes was assessed using EnrichR. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to compare gene expression patterns between datasets. RESULTS: 225 genes had expression associated with DEE exposure after adjusting for smoking status (FDR q < 0.25) and were enriched for genes in pathways related to oxidative stress response, cell cycle pathways such as MAPK/ERK, protein modification, and transmembrane transport. Genes up-regulated in DEE-exposed individuals were enriched among the genes most up-regulated by cigarette smoking in a previously reported bronchial airway smoking dataset. We also found that the DEE signature was enriched among the genes most altered in two previous studies of the effects of acute DEE on PBMC gene expression. An exposure-response relationship was demonstrated between air levels of elemental carbon and the first principal component of the DEE signature. CONCLUSIONS: A gene expression signature was identified for workers occupationally exposed to DEE that was altered in an exposure-dependent manner and had some overlap with the effects of smoking and the effects of acute DEE exposure. This is the first study of gene expression in nasal epithelial cells of workers heavily exposed to DEE and provides new insights into the molecular alterations that occur with DEE exposure.

Microarray analyses of the dorsal root ganglia support a role for innate neuro-immune pathways in persistent pain in experimental osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Following destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM), mice develop experimental osteoarthritis (OA) and associated pain behaviors that are dependent on the stage of disease. We aimed to describe changes in gene expression in knee-innervating dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after surgery, in order to identify molecular pathways associated with three pre-defined pain phenotypes: "post-surgical pain", "early-stage OA pain", and "persistent OA pain". DESIGN: We performed DMM or sham surgery in 10-week old male C57BL/6 mice and harvested L3-L5 DRG 4, 8, and 16 weeks after surgery or from age-matched naïve mice (n = 3/group). RNA was extracted and an Affymetrix Mouse Transcriptome Array 1.0 was performed. Three pain phenotypes were defined: "post-surgical pain" (sham and DMM 4-week vs 14-week old naïve), "early OA pain" (DMM 4-week vs sham 4-week), and "persistent OA pain" (DMM 8- and 16-week vs naïve and sham 8- and 16-week). 'Top hit' genes were defined as P < 0.001. Pathway analysis (Ingenuity Pathway Analysis) was conducted using differentially expressed genes defined as P < 0.05. In addition, we performed qPCR for Ngf and immunohistochemistry for F4/80+ macrophages in the DRG. RESULTS: For each phenotype, top hit genes identified a small number of differentially expressed genes, some of which have been previously associated with pain (7/67 for "post-surgical pain"; 2/14 for "early OA pain"; 8/37 for "persistent OA pain"). Overlap between groups was limited, with 8 genes differentially regulated (P < 0.05) in all three phenotypes. Pathway analysis showed that in the persistent OA pain phase many of the functions of differentially regulated genes are related to immune cell recruitment and activation. Genes previously linked to OA pain (CX3CL1, CCL2, TLR1, and NGF) were upregulated in this phenotype and contributed to activation of the neuroinflammation canonical pathway. In separate sets of mice, we confirmed that Ngf was elevated in the DRG 8 weeks after DMM (P = 0.03), and numbers of F4/80+ macrophages were increased 16 weeks after DMM (P = 0.002 vs Sham). CONCLUSION: These transcriptomics findings support the idea that distinct molecular pathways discriminate early from persistent OA pain. Pathway analysis suggests neuroimmune interactions in the DRG contribute to initiation and maintenance of pain in OA.

[Efficacy analysis of Altemeier and Delorme procedures for the rectal prolapse].

Objective: To evaluate the quality of life after Altemeier and Delorme procedures for rectal prolapse patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Clinical data of patients with full-thickness rectal prolapse undergoing surgical treatment in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University from February 2013 to January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who had no preoperative imaging data, who suffered from internal rectal intussusception, or who did not undergo Altemeier and Delorme operations were excluded. Sixty-seven patients were enrolled, including 32 males with median age of 20.5 (13, 34) years and 35 females with median age of 65.0 (50, 77) years. According to different procedures, patients were divided into the Altemeier group (48 cases) and the Delorme group (19 cases), who received standard Altemeier and Delorme operations respectively. The maximal prolapse length of preoperative squat position, the Longo constipation score, Wexner incontinence score, EQ-5D-5L score, postoperative complications and recurrence rate were analyzed and compared between two groups. Results: The maximal prolapse length of preoperative squat position in Altemeier group and Delorme group was (7.3±3.3) cm and (4.9±2.1) cm respectively with significant difference (t=2.907, P=0.005). The operations in both groups were successfully completed. The operation time and postoperative hospital stay of Altemeier group were longer than those of Delorme group [(112.3±47.0) minutes vs. (80.7±35.4) minutes, t=2.637, P=0.010; (11.3±5.0) days vs. (8.6±3.0) days, t=2.177, P=0.033]. The median follow-up period was 26 (13, 45) months. In the last follow-up, compared to pre-operation, the Longo constipation score [9.0 (6.0, 14.0) vs 4.0 (1.0, 6.5), Z=-4.989, P<0.001], Wexner incontinence score [0 (0, 5.5) vs. 0 (0, 2.0), Z=-3.325, P<0.001] and EQ-5D-5L score [45.0 (40.0, 57.5) vs. 80.0 (70.0, 87.5), Z=-5.587, P<0.001] were all improved obviously in the Altemeier group, meanwhile Longo constipation score [6.0 (5.0, 14.0) vs. 3.0 (1.0, 7.0), Z=-2.186, P=0.029], Wexner incontinence score [0 (0, 12.0) vs. 0 (0, 4.0), Z=-2.325, P=0.020] and EQ-5D-5L score [50.0 (35.0, 60.0) vs. 75.0 (65.0, 90.0), Z=-3.360, P=0.001] in the Delorme group were all improved obviously as well. The postoperative morbidity of complication between the two groups was not significantly different [10/48 (20.8%) vs. 4/19 (21.1%), χ(2)=0.049, P=0.826]. Sixteen patients (28.0%) relapsed after operation, including 10 patients in the Altemeier group and 6 patients in the Delorme group, without statistically significant difference (P=0.134). Conclusions: Both the Altemeier and Delorme procedures are effective treatments for rectal prolapse, which can improve the postoperative quality of life. Delorme procedure has the advantages of shorter operation time and faster postoperative recovery in patients with mild prolapse.

MiRNA-seq reveals that miR-124-3p inhibits adipogenic differentiation of the stromal vascular fraction in sheep via targeting C/EBPα.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding 20-25 nt RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by posttranscriptional repression of messenger RNA. There have been few investigations on the profiles and functions of miRNAs in ovine subcutaneous fat; their roles in the metabolism and deposition of subcutaneous fat also remain unclear. In this study, small RNA libraries were constructed for 2 important Chinese local sheep breeds, Small-tailed Han Sheep, and Shanxi Meat Sheep Dam Line, and used for high-throughput sequencing. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, revealing the effect of miR-124-3p on adipogenic differentiation by targeting C/EBPα. Our results provide both a comprehensive understanding of miRNA expression patterns in sheep subcutaneous fat and an insight into the specific roles of miRNAs in adipogenesis.

Gas Phase Ion Chemistry to Determine Isoaspartate in a Peptide Backbone.

Proof of concept evidence is presented for a new method for the determination of isoaspartate, an important post-translational modification. Chemical derivatization is performed using common reagents for the modification of carboxylic acids and shown to yield suitable diagnostic information with regard to isomerization at the aspartate residue. The diagnostic gas phase chemistry is probed by collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry, on the timescale of the MS experiment and semi-quantitative calibration of the percentage of isoaspartate in a peptide sample is demonstrated. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.