[HbA1c comparison and diagnostic efficacy analysis of multi center different glycosylated hemoglobin detection systems].

Objective: Compare and analyze the results of the domestic Lanyi AH600 glycated hemoglobin analyzer and other different detection systems to understand the comparability of the detection results of different detectors, and establish the best cut point of Lanyi AH600 determination of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the diagnosis of diabetes. Methods: Multi center cohort study was adopted. The clinical laboratory departments of 18 medical institutions independently collected test samples from their respective hospitals from March to April 2022, and independently completed comparative analysis of the evaluated instrument (Lanyi AH600) and the reference instrument HbA1c. The reference instruments include four different brands of glycosylated hemoglobin meters, including Arkray, Bio-Rad, DOSOH, and Huizhong. Scatter plot was used to calculate the correlation between the results of different detection systems, and the regression equation was calculated. The consistency analysis between the results of different detection systems was evaluated by Bland Altman method. Consistency judgment principles: (1) When the 95% limits of agreement (95% LoA) of the measurement difference was within 0.4% HbA1c and the measurement score was≥80 points, the comparison consistency was good; (2) When the measurement difference of 95% LoA exceeded 0.4% HbA1c, and the measurement score was≥80 points, the comparison consistency was relatively good; (3) The measurement score was less than 80 points, the comparison consistency was poor. The difference between the results of different detection systems was tested by paired sample T test or Wilcoxon paired sign rank sum test; The best cut-off point of diabetes was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results: The correlation coefficient R2 of results between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument in 16 hospitals is≥0.99; The Bland Altman consistency analysis showed that the difference of 95% LoA in Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Jiangsu Province (reference instrument: Arkray HA8180) was -0.486%-0.325%, and the measurement score was 94.6 points (473/500); The difference of 95% LoA in the Tibetan Traditional Medical Hospital of TAR (reference instrument: Bio-Rad Variant II) was -0.727%-0.612%, and the measurement score was 89.8 points; The difference of 95% LoA in the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT) was -0.231%-0.461%, and the measurement score was 96.6 points; The difference of 95% LoA in the Taihe Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT) was -0.469%-0.479%, and the measurement score was 91.9 points. The other 14 hospitals, Lanyi AH600, were compared with 4 reference instrument brands, the difference of 95% LoA was less than 0.4% HbA1c, and the scores were all greater than 95 points. The results of paired sample T test or Wilcoxon paired sign rank sum test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument Arkray HA8180 (Z=1.665,P=0.096), with no statistical difference. The mean difference between the measured values of the two instruments was 0.004%. The comparison data of Lanyi AH600 and the reference instrument of all other institutions had significant differences (all P<0.001), however, it was necessary to consider whether it was within the clinical acceptable range in combination with the results of the Bland-Altman consistency analysis. The ROC curve of HbA1c detected by Lanyi AH600 in 985 patients with diabetes and 3 423 patients with non-diabetes was analyzed, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.877, the standard error was 0.007, and the 95% confidence interval 95%CI was (0.864, 0.891), which was statistically significant (P<0.001). The maximum value of Youden index was 0.634, and the corresponding HbA1c cut point was 6.235%. The sensitivity and specificity of diabetes diagnosis were 76.2% and 87.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Among the hospitals and instruments currently included in this study, among these four hospitals included Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in Jiangsu Province (reference instrument: Arkray HA8180), Tibetan Traditional Medical Hospital of TAR (reference instrument: Bio-Rad Variant Ⅱ), the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT), and the Taihe Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine in Anhui Province (reference instrument: Huizhong MQ-2000PT), the comparison between Lanyi AH600 and the reference instruments showed relatively good consistency, while the other 14 hospitals involved four different brands of reference instruments: Arkray, Bio-Rad, DOSOH, and Huizhong, Lanyi AH600 had good consistency with its comparison. The best cut point of the domestic Lanyi AH600 for detecting HbA1c in the diagnosis of diabetes is 6.235%.

[Application of preventive flap-placement of terminal ileostomy in laparoscopic radical resection of low rectal cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the value of preventive flap placement of terminal ileostomy in laparoscopic radical resection of low rectal cancer. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in the patients (n=63) who received preventive terminal ileostomy in laparoscopic radical resection of low rectal cancer in our institution from April 2016 to March 2018, including 33 patients who underwent ileostomy with flap-placement (flap group), and 30 patients who underwent ileostomy with stent (stent group). Clinical data were collected from both groups and statistically analyzed. Results: All patients were successfully completed laparoscopic radical resection with preventive ileostomy. All patients of stent group received stoma-closure surgery one month later after rectal resection. There were significantly statistical differences in operating time of ileostomy (28.9±4.3 vs 36.3±2.3, t=11.73, P<0.001) and overall stoma-related complications (1 vs 7, χ(2)=4.155, P=0.042), but no difference in anastomosis leakage, operating time of stoma-reversal, parastomal infection, parastomal hernia and parastomal prolapse. Conclusions: Preventive flap placement of terminal ileostomy represents a secure and feasible approach to laparoscopic low rectal cancer resection. Patients can be released from the discomfort of removing the stent and may suffer fewer stoma-related complications.

Infection-related complications during treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: Comprehensive studies on neutropenia and infection-related complications in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are lacking. Patients and methods: We evaluated infection-related complications that were grade ≥3 on National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 3.0) and their risk factors in 409 children with newly diagnosed ALL throughout the treatment period. Results: Of the 2420 infection episodes, febrile neutropenia and clinically or microbiologically documented infection were seen in 1107 and 1313 episodes, respectively. Among documented infection episodes, upper respiratory tract was the most common site (n = 389), followed by ear (n = 151), bloodstream (n = 147), and gastrointestinal tract (n = 145) infections. These episodes were more common during intensified therapy phases such as remission induction and reinduction, but respiratory and ear infections, presumably viral in origin, also occurred during continuation phases. The 3-year cumulative incidence of infection-related death was low (1.0±0.9%, n = 4), including 2 from Bacillus cereus bacteremia. There was no fungal infection-related mortality. Age 1-9.9 years at diagnosis was associated with febrile neutropenia (P = 0.002) during induction and febrile neutropenia and documented infection (both P < 0.001) during later continuation. White race was associated with documented infection (P = 0.034) during induction. Compared with low-risk patients, standard- and high-risk patients received more intensive therapy during early continuation and had higher incidences of febrile neutropenia (P < 0.001) and documented infections (P = 0.043). Furthermore, poor neutrophil surge after dexamethasone pulses during continuation, which can reflect the poor bone marrow reserve, was associated with infections (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The incidence of infection-related death was low. However, young age, white race, intensive chemotherapy, and lack of neutrophil surge after dexamethasone treatment were associated with infection-related complications. Close monitoring for prompt administration of antibiotics and modification of chemotherapy should be considered in these patients.

[Clinical effect of preservation of the left colonic artery in laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the value and feasibility of preservation of the left colonic artery (LCA) in laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal cancer. Methods: The clinical data of 97 patiens who received laparoscopic anterior resection of rectal cancer from 2009.3 to 2015.3 were randomly divided into two groups, including 52 cases with preservation of LCA and 45 cases without preservation of LCA. The operation time, quantity of bleeding, number of lymph nodes removed around the root of inferior mesenteric artery (IMA), the rate of lymph node metastasis around the root of IMA, the incidence of transverse colostomy and anastomotic leak were compared between the two groups. Results: All 97 operations were successfully completed by laparoscopic operation. There were significantly statistical differences in operation time, quantity of bleeding and transverse colon stoma between two groups(P<0.05), but no difference in the number of lymph nodes removed and the rate of lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: The preservation of the left colonic artery in laparoscopic anterior resection of rectal cancer can preserve more supplying vessels for anastomosis and prevent anastomotic leak.

FOXM1 overexpression is associated with cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer and mediates sensitivity to cisplatin in A549 cells via the JNK/mitochondrial pathway.

UNLABELLED: The Forkhead box M1 transcription factor (FoxM1) is essential for DNA replication and mitosis, and has important role in cell proliferation and apoptosis. To assess the role of FoxM1 in chemoresistance, we investigated FoxM1 protein expression and the correlation between FoxM1 expression, sensitivity to cisplatin-based therapy, and the survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We generated a cisplatin-resistant lung cancer cell line (A549/CDDP) that showed elevated expression levels of FoxM1 protein and mRNA relative to those of the parental A549 cells. We investigated the effect of the knockdown or overexpression of FoxM1 on the sensitivity to cisplatin and the possible signaling transduction pathways in these cells. Our results revealed that the positive expression rate of FoxM1 in NSCLC was associated with chemosensitivity to cisplatin and a poor prognosis. When the expression of FoxM1 was inhibited by RNA interference, the sensitivity to cisplatin was enhanced. Inversely, in FoxM1-overexpressing cell models, we observed a reduced sensitivity to cisplatin. Moreover, we showed that the downregulation of FoxM1 enhanced cisplatin-induced A549/CDDP cell apoptosis through the activation of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)/mitochondrial pathway. These results suggest that FoxM1 plays a critical role in chemoresistance to cisplatin and that FoxM1 depletion may be a promising approach to lung cancer therapy. KEYWORDS: FoxM1, cisplatin, drug resistance, non-small cell lung cancer, A549, JNK/mitochondrial pathway.

An investigation and comparison of the effectiveness of different exercise programmes in improving glucose metabolism and pancreatic ß cell function of type 2 diabetes patients.

BACKGROUND: Moderately intensive aerobic exercise can improve glucose metabolism and pancreatic ß cell function in diabetic patients. To date, there is no evidence to support the long-term effectiveness of home-based exercise interventions on these outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effectiveness of two moderately intense exercise programmes on glucose metabolism and pancreatic ß cell function in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial of 120 T2DM patients (with a mean age of 55.54 ± 9.09 years) was conducted. Patients were assigned by block randomisation to either an aerobic exercise group (AEG), an accumulated million steps group (AMSG), or a control group (CG); each consisting of 40 patients. Glucose metabolism and pancreatic ß cell function of patients were measured at three time intervals for 1 year. RESULTS: There was no difference in baseline scores, and respective compliance rates for the AEG and AMSG were 94.4% and 99.2%. After generalised estimating equation analysis, the AMSG results for glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were significantly lower than those of the CG. The insulinogenic index-acute insulin response (BIGTT-AIR ) of both exercise groups was significantly higher than that of the CG. The AMSG group improved their overall HbA1c and BIGTT-AIR results compared with the AEG group after 3 months exercise programme (T1 ) and 12 months of implementation (T2 ). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that regardless of the type of exercise intervention, it is potentially beneficially effective for glucose metabolism and pancreatic ß cell function in T2DM patients. The AMSG had better glucose metabolism and pancreatic ß cell function compared with those in the AEG. Nurses can easily integrate exercise interventions into T2DM patient care plans.

Higher normal range of fasting plasma glucose still has a higher risk for metabolic syndrome: a combined cross-sectional and longitudinal study in elderly.

INTRODUCTION: It is well known that higher fasting plasma glucose (FPG) is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This relationship still exists even the FPG is within the normal range. However, most of these studies did not exclude subjects who were on medications which would affect the results of the studies. At the same time, there is no longitudinal study done to validate this correlation, especially in elderly. In this study, the relationships between normal FPG and MetS were evaluated. METHOD: We randomly selected 57,517 subjects who were ≥ 60-years old from health screening centre. In the first part of study, subjects were enrolled in the cross-sectional study to find out the optimal cut-off value of FPG with higher chances to have MetS. In the second part of current study, subjects with MetS at baseline were excluded from the same study group, and performed a median 5.3-year longitudinal study. RESULTS: There were 18,287 subjects enrolled in this study. In the first part of study, the cross-sectional study, optimal cut-off values of FPG were determined by the ROC curve and the sensitivity for these cut-off values were 56.6% in men and 60.9% in women, respectively. The result showed that lower FPG is healthier than the higher (log-rank test, p < 0.001). During the follow-up period, 5039 subjects showed hazard ratios of 2.09 for men and 1.884 for women developing future MetS. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first longitudinal design in elderly and showed that older subjects with higher FPG proved to have higher risk of Mets even the FPG is still within its normal range.

Associations between genetic variants and the severity of metabolic syndrome in subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) includes obesity, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and dysglycemia. Subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) exhibit features of MetS. The etiology of MetS is complex, involving both environmental and genetic factors. In this study, we examined the role of specific candidate genetic variants on the severity of MetS in T2D subjects. A total of 240 T2D subjects aged 35-64 years were recruited. Waist circumstance, plasma triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, and blood pressure were measured to define MetS. Subjects were divided into 4 groups according to MetS components. Target genes involved in fibrotic and inflammatory processes, insulin and diabetes, cell growth and proliferation, and hypertension were genotyped. A total of 13 genes and 103 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed to evaluate their genetic association with MetS severity in T2D subjects. Univariate ordinal logistic regression using a dominant model (homozygous for the major allele vs carriers of the minor allele) revealed 6 SNP markers within 4 genes with genotypes associated with MetS risk. For the SNP genotypes of rs362551 (SNAP25), rs3818569 (RXRG), rs1479355, rs1570070 (IGF2R), and rs916829 (ABCC8), heterozygotes showed a lower risk of MetS compared with the reference group. In addition, the CC genotype was comparable to the TT genotype for rs3777411. There was no gender-specific effect. In conclusion, our results suggest that among the Han Chinese population, several SNPs increase the risk of severe MetS in T2D subjects. Further study in a large population should be conducted.

Partial Protection from Metabolic Syndrome in Chronic Hepatitis C Elderly Subjects Due to Lower Triglyceride Level.

BACKGROUND: In Taiwan, persons over 65 years old have higher prevalence of hepatitis C. Among these patients, around 50% have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Since cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are main causes of death in this age group, in this cross-sectional study, we tried to evaluate the effects of NAFLD and hepatitis C on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: In total, 25 116 subjects over 65 years old who presented for routine health check-ups were enrolled. From the results of seropositivity for hepatitis C and abnormal echogenicity, they were classified into four groups: normal (N), subjects with only hepatitis C (C), subjects with only abnormal echogenicity (E) and subjects with both hepatitis C and abnormal echogenicity (CE). RESULTS: Subjects in both groups E and CE had higher abnormal MetS components than group C. Among all five components, triglyceride (TG) was the one having the highest odds ratio (OR) in determining the incidence of MetS in groups C and E. Finally, compared to group N, both groups E and CE had significantly higher OR for having MetS. However, after adjusting for confounding factors, only the significance between groups E and N remained. In other words, higher MetS was noted in group E compared to group N and there was no difference in incidence of MetS between group CE and group N. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic hepatitis C is a protective factor against having MetS and this effect might be due to lower TG level in the elderly. Further studies are warranted for the underlying mechanisms.

Metabolic syndrome in normoglycaemic elderly men.

OBJECTIVE: Type-2 diabetes is mainly the metabolic defect involving multiple organs. To conclude their intricate relationships, the term 'ominous octet' had been proposed to denote this phenomenon. In this study, we enrolled older men without any medications for MetS components to further elucidate the relationships between normoglycaemic state and MetS. METHODS: We enrolled male subjects with FPG less than 100 mg/dl and aged 65 and older undergoing routine health check-ups in Taiwan. After excluding subjects taking medications that might affect the components of MetS, a total of 6679 men were eligible for the analysis. Study subjects were further grouped into FPG tertiles (< 91 mg/dl, 92-95 mg/dl and > 95 mg/dl for tertil 1, tertil 2 and tertil 3, respectively). RESULTS: There was a significant trend between the FPG and percentages of subjects having MetS (p = 0.009). The relationships between the MetS components were higher in FPG 2 and FPG 3 than FPG 1. In simple correlation, all of the MetS and LDL-C were positively correlated with FPG level and multiple regression further confirmed the same result except for HDL-C that became non-significant. Subjects in FPG3 had significantly higher ORs (ORs = 1.19) for having MetS than those in FPG1. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, higher FPG still had higher risk of having MetS in normoglycaemic range in elderly male. More strict FPG level control may be valuable in CVD prevention and warrants further investigations.

Mice with alopecia, osteoporosis, and systemic amyloidosis due to mutation in Zdhhc13, a gene coding for palmitoyl acyltransferase.

Protein palmitoylation has emerged as an important mechanism for regulating protein trafficking, stability, and protein-protein interactions; however, its relevance to disease processes is not clear. Using a genome-wide, phenotype driven N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-mediated mutagenesis screen, we identified mice with failure to thrive, shortened life span, skin and hair abnormalities including alopecia, severe osteoporosis, and systemic amyloidosis (both AA and AL amyloids depositions). Whole-genome homozygosity mapping with 295 SNP markers and fine mapping with an additional 50 SNPs localized the disease gene to chromosome 7 between 53.9 and 56.3 Mb. A nonsense mutation (c.1273A>T) was located in exon 12 of the Zdhhc13 gene (Zinc finger, DHHC domain containing 13), a gene coding for palmitoyl transferase. The mutation predicted a truncated protein (R425X), and real-time PCR showed markedly reduced Zdhhc13 mRNA. A second gene trap allele of Zdhhc13 has the same phenotypes, suggesting that this is a loss of function allele. This is the first report that palmitoyl transferase deficiency causes a severe phenotype, and it establishes a direct link between protein palmitoylation and regulation of diverse physiologic functions where its absence can result in profound disease pathology. This mouse model can be used to investigate mechanisms where improper palmitoylation leads to disease processes and to understand molecular mechanisms underlying human alopecia, osteoporosis, and amyloidosis and many other neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding and amyloidosis.

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Podosphaera fusca on Herba eupatorii in China.

Herba eupatorii, one of the most important Chinese medicinal herbs, belongs to the Asteraceae family. In June 2012, a previously unknown disease, tentatively identified as powdery mildew, was observed on H. eupatorii growing in Shangqiu, in eastern Henan Province, China. Symptoms began as white mycelium partially covering upper leaf surfaces; as the disease progressed, it spread to cover entire leaf surfaces. The infected leaves became yellow and necrotic at advanced stages of infection. Specimens consisting of infected leaves were maintained at the Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory at Shangqiu Normal University. Microscopic observations of the morphology of the fungus revealed oval primary conidia measuring 18 to 27 × 15 to 22 µm. A long unbranched germ tube that germinated laterally from the ends of conidia was observed in some samples. Conidiophores were cylindrical, simple unbranched, and composed of a basal cell with a swollen base and three to six barrel-shaped conidia formed in chains, measuring 112 to 180 × 9 to 12 µm. Mycelial appressoria were nipple-shaped. Chasmothecia were not observed in the collected samples. To verify the identity of the fungus, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA was amplified with ITS1 and ITS4 primers (3) and sequenced. The sequences were deposited as GenBank Accession No. JX546297. Comparison with sequences in the GenBank database revealed that the ITS sequence was 100% homologous with the sequence of Podosphaera fusca on Calendula officinalis (AB525914) (2) and Syneilesis palmata (AB040349) (1). The ITS sequence analysis verified that the causal agent was P. fusca, which is reported to be a cosmopolitan powdery mildew fungus, parasitic on numerous plant species in the Asteraceae family. Koch's postulates were completed by inoculating healthy H. eupatorii plants with a conidial suspension (prepared in distilled water) of 105 conidia/ml collected from infected plants. Five plants were sprayed until the suspension ran off the leaves, while five additional plants were sprayed with distilled water as a control. Plants were maintained in a climate cell under the following conditions: day, 24°C, 16 h; night, 20°C, 8 h; 85% humidity. After 10 days, inoculated plants developed symptoms similar to those observed in the field, whereas control plants remained healthy. Further examination showed that the inoculated plants were infected by P. fusca. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. fusca affecting H. eupatorii in China. Because there are no fungicides labeled for use on this plant, the appearance of powdery mildew caused by P. fusca could result in substantial production loss of H. eupatorii. References: (1) T. Hirata et al. Can. J. Bot. 78:1521, 2000. (2) S. Takamatsu et al. Persoonia 24:38, 2010. (3) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. M. A. Innis et al., eds. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990.

Effect of intracanal dentine wettability on human dental pulp cell attachment.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of intracanal dentine wettability on human dental pulp cell (HDPC) attachment after application of endodontic irrigants. METHODOLOGY: Twenty extracted human premolar teeth with straight canals were sectioned at the apical and coronal thirds of each root, and the remaining mid-root portions were bisected longitudinally. After polishing, the specimens were divided into two groups for wettability and cell attachment measurements, respectively. The intracanal surface wettability was assessed by atomic force microscopy after a rinse of H(2) O (control), 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and MTAD (n = 5). Additionally, HDPCs were seeded onto the irrigated root canal dentine and the cell attachment was evaluated by calcein-CAM and propidium iodide (PI) dying under fluorescence microscope (n = 5). Data were analysed by means of one-way anova and LSD test. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, 5.25% NaOCl, 17% EDTA and MTAD treatment significantly increased surface wettability (P < 0.001). The rank order of adhesion force was MTAD >17% EDTA >5.25% NaOCl > H(2) O. The highest average numbers of viable HDPCs were observed on the root canals irrigated with MTAD, followed by the 17% EDTA group (P < 0.001), and the lowest average numbers of viable cells were detected in the 5.25% NaOCl and H(2) O groups. CONCLUSIONS: Surface wettability was affected by the irrigants. Increasing in wettability produced higher levels of HDPC attachment to irrigated dentine.

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Golovinomyces cichoracearum on Sonchus asper in China.

Sonchus asper is an exotic annual herb belonging to the Asteraceae family. Crude extracts of S. asper leaves have antiphlogistic and antibacterial properties. In May 2011, severe infection of powdery mildew was observed on S. asper in Henan Province, a central area of China. Symptoms began as small, nearly circular white spots that later enlarged and coalesced. As the disease progressed, white mycelia covered the entire plant, including the inflorescence. The voucher specimens are kept at the Key Laboratory of Plant-Microbe Interaction, Shangqiu Normal University. Conidiophores were erect, 108 to 220 × 10 to 12 µm, and composed of a cylindrical foot cell followed by two to three short cells. Nipple-shaped appressoria were formed on ectophytic mycelia. Conidia were hyaline and cylindrical, without distinct fibrosin bodies, and ranging from 29 to 42 × 19 to 24 µm. Long, unbranched germ tubes were formed from the ends of the conidia. These morphological characteristics suggested that the powdery mildew fungus is the anamorph of Golovinomyces cichoracearum (1,2). Chasmothecia were not observed in the collected samples. To confirm the identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA was amplified with ITS1 and ITS4 primers (4) and sequenced. The ITS sequence obtained was assigned Accession No. JQ010848 in GenBank, and had 99% similarity to two ITS sequences from different G. cichoracearum accessions (HM449077 and AY739111). The ITS sequence analysis further verified that the causal agent of the powdery mildew on S. asper was G. cichoracearum. Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculating five healthy plants of S. asper with a conidial suspension (105 conidia/ml) from the infected plants, with five noninoculated plants serving as control. Inoculated plants developed the original powdery mildew symptoms after 10 days, whereas control plants remained healthy. G. cichoracearum (synonym Erysiphe cichoracearum) is a cosmopolitan powdery mildew fungus, parasitic on numerous plant species in the Asteraceae family. It was reported to be infecting S. asper in Bulgaria (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of G. cichoracearum infections on S. asper in China. S. asper is one of the most important Chinese herbal medicines. The sudden appearance of powdery mildew caused by G. cichoracearum on this plant could result in substantial production loss of S. asper unless fungicide applications are employed. References: (1) U. Braun. Beih. Nova Hedwigia 89:1, 1987. (2) R. T. A. Cook and U. Braun. Mycol. Res. 113:616, 2009. (3) G. Negrean and C. M. Denchev. Mycologia Balcanica, 2004, 1:63. (4) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. M. A. Innis et al., eds. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990.

[Effect of hydroxyapatite based agents on the bonding properties of universal adhesives].

Objective: To study the effect of hydroxyapatite (HA) based agents on the bonding properties of universal adhesive with different application modes, and to provide evidence for the use of adhesives after desensitization treatment. Methods: Sixty impacted third molars were extracted and selected (acquired from Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University). Four third molars were used to prepare 1 mm thick dentin disks and treated with 1% citric acid to simulate sensitive tooth models. The dentin surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) after treating with no desensitization (control group), desensitized by HA based toothpaste Biorepair and Dontodent Sensitive respectively (desensitizing toothpaste A group and B group), or HA paste treatment (desensitizing paste group ) (n=2 per group). The remaining teeth were selected to expose the mid-coronal dentin and establish dentin sensitivity models. Then, the specimens were divided into 4 former groups and received corresponding treatment. Each group was randomly divided into 2 subgroups, and intermediately strong universal adhesive (G-Premio Bond) was applied on the desensitized dentin by either etch-and-rinse mode or self-etch mode. Resin-dentin slice specimens (n=4 per subgroup), microtensile specimens (n=20 per subgroup) and slice specimens (n=6 per subgroup) were prepared. The microstructure and nanoleakage of the adhesive interfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microtensile strength (bond strength) and fracture mode were tested and recorded. The water permeability of the adhesive interface was observed by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Results: SEM showed that desensitizing toothpaste and desensitizing paste could partially or entirely occlude most of the dentin tubules. For the etch-and-rinse mode, the bond strength of specimens treated with toothpaste A [(40.98±4.60) MPa], toothpaste B [(40.89±4.64) MPa] and HA paste [(41.48±3.65) MPa] was significantly higher than that of the control group [(38.58±4.28) MPa] (F=3.89,P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in bond strength among the 4 subgroups for self-etch modes (F=0.48,P>0.05). After desensitization, the bond strength of the control group and desensitizing groups in the self-etch mode was significantly higher than that in the etch-and-rinse mode (P<0.05). The overall fracture modes were mixed failure and interfacial failure in the control group and desensitizing groups. SEM showed speckled silver-stained particles deposited along the bottom of the hybrid layer on the bond interface of etch-and-rinse mode, and there were few silver-stained particles deposited on the bond interface of self-etch mode. LSCM showed continuous linear penetration in the hybrid layer of etch-and-rinse mode subgroups and discontinuous linear penetration in the hybrid layer of self-etch mode subgroups. Conclusions: HA based desensitizers have no adverse effect on the bond strength of intermediately strong universal adhesive and show good bonding performance accompanied with the self-etch mode.

Association between retinoid-X receptor-gamma genetic polymorphisms and diabetic retinopathy.

Retinoid-X receptor (RXR) is one of the members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. It forms heterodimers with many nuclear receptors, such as the peroxisome proliferative-activated receptor, which has been proposed to be involved in diabetic complications, including retinopathy. A recent study revealed that RXR-alpha has antioxidant properties and is associated with diabetic retinopathy. We found that the RXR-gamma gene is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. We also hypothesized that the RXR-gamma gene has a role in the development of diabetic retinopathy. We examined 213 diabetic patients, who were divided into retinopathy or no retinopathy groups. Nine selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the RXR-gamma gene were evaluated. The diabetic retinopathy group had longer diabetes duration, higher body mass indexes, and higher systolic blood pressure, as well as higher concentrations of fasting plasma glucose, blood urine nitrogen, and creatine. One SNP--rs3818569 of the RXR-gamma gene was found to be associated with increased risk for diabetic retinopathy in both allele and genotype frequencies (P = 0.0023 and 0.0057, respectively). Analysis with multivariate logistic regression revealed that the dominant RXR-gamma GG genotype is a risk factors for the development of diabetic retinopathy (odds ratio = 2.388; 95% confidence interval = 1.17-4.875). We conclude that the RXR-gamma rs3818569 SNP is associated with diabetic retinopathy development in the Taiwanese population.

Endophytic Bacillus subtilis P10 from Prunus cerasifera as a biocontrol agent against tomato Verticillium wilt.

Endophytic bacteria serve key roles in the maintenance of plant health and growth. Few studies to date, however, have explored the antagonistic and plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties of Prunus cerasifera endophytes. To that end, we isolated endophytic bacteria from P. cerasifera tissue samples and used a dual culture plate assay to screen these microbes for antagonistic activity against Verticillium dahliae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Fusarium oxysporum, F. graminearum, and F. moniliforme. Of the 36 strains of isolated bacteria, four (strains P1, P10, P16, and P20) exhibited antagonistic effects against all five model pathogens, and the P10 strain exhibited the strongest antagonistic to five pathogens. This P10 strain was then characterized in-depth via phenotypic assessments, physiological analyses, and 16s rDNA sequencing, revealing it to be a strain of Bacillus subtilis. Application of a P10 cell suspension (1×108 CFU/mL) significantly enhanced the seed germination and seedling growth of tomato in a greenhouse setting. This P10 strain further significantly suppressed tomato Verticillium wilt with much lower disease incidence and disease index scores being observed following P10 treatment relative to untreated plants in pot-based experiments. Tomato plants that had been treated with strain P10 also enhanced defense-related enzymes, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity upon V. dahliae challenge relative to plants that had not been treated with this endophytic bacterium. The results revealed that the P10 bacterial strain has potential value as a biocontrol agent for use in the prevention of tomato Verticillium wilt.

Hemogram-based decision tree for predicting the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to build a hemogram-based decision tree to evaluate the association between current probability of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and prediction of future hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk. METHODS: A total of 40 395 elder participants (≥60 years) were enrolled in a standard health examination program in Taiwan from January 1999 to December 2014. A decision tree classification of the presence or absence of MetS at baseline, using age, sex and hemogram (white blood cell, hemoglobin and platelet) as independent variables, was conducted for the randomly assigned training (70%) and validation (30%) groups. Participants without MetS at baseline (n = 25 643) were followed up to observe whether they developed MetS, hypertension, type 2 diabetes or CVD in the future. RESULTS: Modest accuracy of the decision tree in the training and validation groups with area under the curves of 0.653 and 0.652, respectively, indicated an acceptable generalizability of results. The predicted probability of baseline MetS was obtained from decision tree analysis. Participants without MetS at baseline were categorized into three equally sized groups according to the predicted probability. Participants in the third tertile had significantly higher risks of future MetS (hazard ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval 1.25-1.58); type 2 diabetes (1.46, 1.17-1.83); hypertension (1.14, 1.01-1.28); and CVD (1.21, 1.01-1.44), compared with those in the first tertile. CONCLUSIONS: Execution of hemogram-based decision tree analysis can assist in early identification and prompt management of elderly patients at a high risk of future hypertension, type 2 diabetes and CVD.

Band-selective Holstein polaron in Luttinger liquid material A0.3MoO3 (A = K, Rb).

(Quasi-)one-dimensional systems exhibit various fascinating properties such as Luttinger liquid behavior, Peierls transition, novel topological phases, and the accommodation of unique quasiparticles (e.g., spinon, holon, and soliton, etc.). Here we study molybdenum blue bronze A0.3MoO3 (A = K, Rb), a canonical quasi-one-dimensional charge-density-wave material, using laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our experiment suggests that the normal phase of A0.3MoO3 is a prototypical Luttinger liquid, from which the charge-density-wave emerges with decreasing temperature. Prominently, we observe strong renormalizations of band dispersions, which are recognized as the spectral function of Holstein polaron derived from band-selective electron-phonon coupling in the system. We argue that the strong electron-phonon coupling plays an important role in electronic properties and the charge-density-wave transition in blue bronzes. Our results not only reconcile the long-standing heavy debates on the electronic properties of blue bronzes but also provide a rare platform to study interesting excitations in Luttinger liquid materials.