Study on the efficacy and safety of foldable capsular vitreous body in the severe retinal detachment eyes.

BACKGROUND: This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the implantation of foldable capsular vitreous body (FCVB) in severe retinal detachment eyes. METHODS: A retrospective study in retinal detachment eyes was performed at Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University. A standard three-port pars plana vitrectomy was performed, and the FCVB was triple folded and implanted into the vitreous cavity. The silicone oil (SO) was then injected into the capsule of the FCVB to support the retina and eye. During the follow-up period, The treated eyes were examined by ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, and tonometry. B-scan ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and computed tomography (CT), were also performed. RESULTS: From May 2020 to November 2021, 31 cases with severe retinal detachment were enrolled in the study. The postoperative follow-up time gradient ranged from 1 to 72 weeks, At various observation time points during the 72 weeks after surgery, The postoperative IOP was maintained at around 10 mmhg at various time points, with a slight decrease compared to the preoperative IOP (14.2 ± 4.6 mmHg n = 18), and was statistically significant. 9 of 31 patients had clear refractive media, both fundus and OCT showed retinal reattachment, OCT showed the 200 µm thick FCVB capsule support retina. The remaining 22 patients with unclear refractive media, B-scan showed arcuate hyperechoes in front of the retina. There was also no significant difference in visual acuity compared to preoperative. The FCVB was well positioned in the vitreous cavity, and no serious complications such as endophthalmitis, glaucoma, silicone oil emulsification, product exposure, or sympathetic uveitis were found. CONCLUSIONS: FCVB has retinal support with certain ability to maintain IOP and eye morphology and avoid eye removal in patients with severe retinal detachment during the 72-week observation period.

An Efficient System for Ds Transposon Tagging in Brachypodium distachyon.

Transposon tagging is a powerful tool that has been widely applied in several species for insertional mutagenesis in plants. Several efforts have aimed to create transfer-DNA (T-DNA) insertional mutant populations in Brachypodium distachyon, a monocot plant used as a model system to study temperate cereals, but there has been a lack of research aimed at using transposon strategies. Here, we describe the application of a maize (Zea mays) Dissociation (Ds) transposon tagging system in B distachyon The 35S::AcTPase cassette and Ds element were constructed within the same T-DNA and transformed into B distachyon plants. The Ds element was readily transposed to other chromosomes or to the same chromosome under the function of Activator (Ac) transposase. Through homologous chromosome synapsis, recombination, and segregation, the Ds element separated from the Ac element. We selected stable Ds-only plants using G418 and GFP assays and analyzed 241 T0 lines, some of which were highly efficient at producing Ds-only progeny. Through thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR, we isolated 710 independent Ds flanking sequences from Ds-only plants. Furthermore, we identified a large collection of mutants with visible developmental phenotypes via this transposon tagging system. The system is relatively simple and rapid in comparison to traditional T-DNA insertion strategies, because once efficiency lines are obtained they can be reused to generate more lines from nontransposed plants without the use of time-consuming tissue culture steps.

Monitoring of Gas Emboli During Hysteroscopic Surgery: A Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have demonstrated a high frequency of gas emboli during hysteroscopy, but guidelines for the prevention, early detection, and intervention of gas embolism during hysteroscopic procedures are still lacking. This study aimed to gain a clearer understanding of risk factors and specific signs and symptoms associated with gas emboli. METHODS: This prospective study enrolled 120 women scheduled for hysteroscopy using 5% glucose as distension medium. The gas bubbles were monitored sequentially in internal iliac vein, common iliac vein, inferior vena cava, superior vena cava, heart, and pulmonary artery under the gray-scale imaging of Doppler ultrasound. The frequency, extent, and the hemodynamic and respiratory effects of gas emboli were evaluated. The interventions and outcomes were recorded. The risk factors associated with gas emboli, and their relationship with the frequency and extent of gas emboli, were assessed. RESULTS: In our study, evidence of gas emboli under Doppler ultrasound monitoring was observed in 44 (36.7%) patients. The operation was continued and finished as soon as possible for patients presenting with stable vital signs or transient hemodynamic and respiratory changes, which resolved spontaneously without intervention. The operation was paused for patients presenting with significant hemodynamic changes or loss of consciousness, and the operation was resumed shortly after resumption of stable vital signs following symptomatic treatment. All patients in our study finished the operation and recovered without developing serious complications. Data analysis showed prolonged procedure duration and increased bleeding volume were both positively correlated with the frequency and extent of gas emboli. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated a high frequency of gas emboli during hysteroscopy. Doppler ultrasonic monitoring combined with a clearer understanding of specific signs, symptoms, and risk factors will facilitate early detection and intervention of gas emboli during hysteroscopy.

Safflower yellow inhibits angiotensin II-induced adventitial fibroblast proliferation and migration.

Safflower yellow (SY) has been widely used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of ischemic cardiocerebrovascular disease. Recent studies have indicated that SY has a reverse effect on vascular remodeling (VR). However, its detailed mechanisms require further study to provide more scientific evidence for the clinical treatment of VR. This study aims to investigate the effects of SY on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix in rat aortic adventitial fibroblasts (AFs). The proliferation and migration rates of AFs treated with Ang II for 24 h were higher than those of untreated AFs; and increases in the expression of p-ERK1/2, AP-1, collagen I, and collagen III were observed. Treatment with SY significantly downregulated cell proliferation, migration, and the expression of p-ERK1/2, AP-1, collagen I, and collagen III. We also found that the cell percentage of apoptosis of AFs treated with Ang II for 24 h was lower than those of untreated AFs. After treatment with SY, the percentage of apoptosis was increased. SY exhibits anti-proliferative, anti-migratory, and pro-apoptotic activities in rat aortic AFs, perhaps through the Ang II/ERK/AP-1 signaling pathway. The present findings may provide new clues regarding the potential function of SY to treat or prevent VR.

Association between the weight-adjusted waist index and the odds of type 2 diabetes mellitus in United States adults: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To examine the association between the weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) and the odds of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)among U.S. adults. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning six years (2007-2018) were utilized, encompassing 31001 eligible participants. Weighted multivariate logistic regression models and smoothed fit curves were employed to assess the association between WWI and the odds of T2DM, as well as dose-response relationships in the overall population and the odds of T2DM in various subgroups. Results: In the fully adjusted continuous model, each one-unit increase in WWI was associated with a 1.14-fold increase in the odds of T2DM within the entire study population (2.14 [1.98,2.31], P < 0.0001). In the fully adjusted categorical model, when using the lowest tertile of WWI (T1) as the reference group, the second tertile (T2) and the third tertile (T3) were associated with a 0.88-fold (1.88 [1.64,2.17], P < 0.0001) and a 2.63-fold (3.63 [3.11,4.23], P < 0.0001) increase in the odds of T2DM. These findings indicated a positive correlation between WWI values and the odds of T2DM, aligning with the results of the smoothed-fitted curves. In the analysis of subgroups, in addition to maintaining consistency with the overall population results, we found interactions between age and hypertension subgroups. Conclusion: In conclusion, WWI was found to be positively associated with the odds of T2DM in U.S. adults.

Functional conservation and diversification of class E floral homeotic genes in rice (Oryza sativa).

Mutant analyses in different eudicotyledonous flowering plants demonstrated that SEPALLATA-like MADS-box genes are required for the specification of sepals, petals, stamens and carpels, and for floral determinacy, thus defining class E floral organ identity genes. SEP-like genes encode MADS-domain transcription factors and constitute an angiosperm-specific gene clade whose members show remarkably different degrees of redundancy and sub-functionalization within eudicots. To better understand the evolutionary dynamics of SEP-like genes throughout the angiosperms we have knocked down SEP-like genes of rice (Oryza sativa), a distant relative of eudicots within the flowering plants. Plants affected in both OsMADS7 and OsMADS8 show severe phenotypes including late flowering, homeotic changes of lodicules, stamens and carpels into palea/lemma-like organs, and a loss of floral determinacy. Simultaneous knockdown of the four rice SEP-like genes OsMADS1, OsMADS5, OsMADS7 and OsMADS8, leads to homeotic transformation of all floral organs except the lemma into leaf-like organs. This mimics the phenotype observed with the sep1 sep2 sep3 sep4 quadruple mutant of Arabidopsis. Detailed analyses of the spatial and temporal mRNA expression and protein interaction patterns corresponding to the different rice SEP-like genes show strong similarities, but also gene-specific differences. These findings reveal conservation of SEP-like genes in specifying floral determinacy and organ identities since the separation of eudicots and monocots about 150 million years ago. However, they indicate also monocot-specific neo- and sub-functionalization events and hence underscore the evolutionary dynamics of SEP-like genes. Moreover, our findings corroborate the view that the lodicules of grasses are homologous to eudicot petals.

Association of alcohol consumption with prognosis of ischemic stroke by subtype in different follow-up periods: a hospital-based study in China.

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for stroke. However, there are no available data on the effect of alcohol consumption on the long-term outcome of ischemic stroke in China. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association of alcohol consumption with the prognosis of ischemic stroke by subtype in different follow-up periods after stroke. METHODS: This 12-month follow-up study recruited 3830 acute ischemic stroke patients from Tianjin, China, between 2016 and 2018. Patients were categorized into two groups according to their consumption of alcohol. Differences in mortality, recurrence, and dependency rates at 3 and 12 months after stroke were compared between both groups. RESULTS: The mortality, recurrence, and dependency rates at 12 months after stroke were significantly higher in patients who previously consumed alcohol than in those without previous alcohol consumption (all P < 0.005). A similar trend was observed for mortality rate at 3 months after stroke (P < 0.001). The risk of death at 3 months after an atherothrombotic stroke decreased by 63.4% (relative risk [RR], 0.366; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.144-0.935) among patients who previously consumed alcohol compared with those who never consumed alcohol. Moreover, for patients with small artery disease classified according to the Trial of ORG 10,172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST), the recurrence and dependency rates at 12 months after stroke decreased by 49.2% (RR, 0.508; 95% CI, 0.259-0.996) and 49.5% (RR, 0.505; 95% CI, 0.258-0.990), respectively, among patients who consumed alcohol. CONCLUSIONS: Previous alcohol consumption decreased the risk of death at 3 months after stroke among patients with atherothrombotic stroke according to the TOAST classification. Furthermore, for patients with small artery disease (according to TOAST classification), alcohol consumption significantly decreased the risk of recurrence and dependency at 12 months after stroke. This study highlights an urgent need to quantify the association of alcohol consumption with outcomes after stroke in China to improve stroke prognosis.

The MIK region rather than the C-terminal domain of AP3-like class B floral homeotic proteins determines functional specificity in the development and evolution of petals.

In core eudicots, euAP3-type MADS-box genes encode a PISTILLATA (PI)-derived motif, as well as a C-terminal euAP3 motif that originated from a paleoAP3 motif of an ancestral APETALA3 (AP3)-like protein through a translational frameshift mutation. To determine the functional and evolutionary relevance of these motifs, a series of point mutation and domain-swap constructs were generated, involving CsAP3, a paleoAP3-type gene from the basal angiosperm Chloranthus spicatus encoding a truncated paleoAP3 motif, and AtAP3, a euAP3-type gene from the core eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana. The chimeric constructs were expressed in A. thaliana under the control of the AP3 promoter or the CaMV 35S promoter in an ap3 mutant or wild-type background, respectively. Significant recovery of AP3 function was obtained in both complementation and ectopic expression experiments whenever the region upstream of the C-terminal motifs (MIK region) from A. thaliana was taken, even when the PI-derived motif and the truncated paleoAP3 motif of CsAP3 substituted for the corresponding sequences from AtAP3. However, no or very weak complementation or gain-of-function was seen when the MIK region was from CsAP3. Our data suggest that changes in the MIK region rather than mutations in the C-terminal domain were of crucial importance for the evolution of the functional specificity of euAP3-type proteins in stamen and petal development.

[Clinical observation of wrist-ankle needle therapy combined with patient controlled intravenous analgesia for pain after laparoscopic surgery for eccyesis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect difference between wrist-ankle needle therapy combined with patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) and simple PCIA for pain after laparoscopic surgery for eccyesis. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients were assigned into an observation group and a control group by random number table, 49 cases in each one. General static inhalation combined anesthesia was used in the two groups. Simple PCIA for pain was applied in the control group. Wrist-ankle needle therapy at bilateral ankle area 1 and 2 combined with PCIA were implemented in the observation group. The pain state of cut was recorded by visual analogue scale (VAS) 1 h, 2 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h and 48 h after surgery. The total effective rates and adverse reaction rates within 48 h after surgery were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The VAS scores 6 h, 12 h and 24 h after surgery in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.01), and the scores in the other time points were not statistically different (all P>0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 98.0% (48/49), which was better than 83.7% (41/49) of the control group (P<0.05). The adverse reaction rate of the observation group was 12.2% (6/49), and that of the control group was 69.4% (34/49), with statistical difference (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Wrist-ankle needle therapy combined with PCIA can effectively relieve pain after laparoscopic surgery for eccyesis, and reduce adverse reaction rate after surgery.

[Gene Polymorphism 24 Rare Blood Group Antigens of 11 RBC Blood Group Systems in Manchu Population of Harbin Area in China].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the 24 kinds of antigen gene polymorphism chara-cteristics in 11 RBC blood group systems of Manchu population blood donor in Harbin Area of China, so as to better perform the clinical blood transfusion and to avoid adverse transfusion reactions. METHODS: Twenty-four antigen genes (GYPB (S/S), Duffy, Kell, Dombrock, Diego, Kidd, Scianna, Colton, Lutheran, Yt, Mur) were assessed by the polymerase chain reaction sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) in 11 blood type systems, including Fya, Fyb; K, K; Doa, Dob; Dia, Dib; JKa, JKb; Sc1,Sc2; Coa, Cob; Lua, Lub; Yta, Ytb; Kpa, Kpb; Mur, Mur2 among 200 Manchus in Harbin. RESULTS: The gene frequency of blood type system in Harbin Manchu GYPB (S/S) was as follows: S=0.0625, s=0.9325; the gene frequency of duffy blood type system: Fya=0.0525, Fyb=0.9475; Gene frequency of Dombrock type system was as follows: Doa=0.1250, Dob=0.8750; Gene frequency of Diego type system: Dia=0.0275, Dib=0.9725; the gene frequency of Kidd blood type system: JKa=0.5650, JKb=0.4350; the gene frequency of Mur blood type system: Mur1 = 0.0050, Mur2 = 0.9950; the Kell, Scianna, Colton, Lutheran and Yt type blood type system displayed a monomorph distribution and the genotype was kkKpbKpb,Sc1Sc1,CoaCoa, LubLub, YtaYta, respectively. CONCLUSION: The distribution of GYPB(S/s),Duffy,Dombrock, Diego, Kidd and Mur blood type system in Harbin Manchu has been found to be characterized by polymorphism, and the distribution of kell, scianna, colton, lutheran and ye blood type system has been found to be characterized by oligomorphism. The gene destribution of dombrock and Kidd blood group systems is unique in Harbin Manchu.

[Genetic Polymorphism of HPA 1-17 Alloantigen System in Heilongjiang Menggu Population].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the polymorphisms of the human platelet antigen (HPA) gene of Han and Menggu population of Heilongjiang province in China, to determine platelet antigen system with clinical significance by judging the rate of incompatibility of HPA, as well as to establish a database of donors HPA including the Han nationality and the minority nationality. METHODS: The samples of unrelated healthy Menggu population (100 cases) people were selected from Heilongjiang province in China, and 123 cases in healthy Han population in Heilongjiang as control were collected. The technique of PCR-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) was used for genotyping of 34 alleles in HPA1-17 gene. The gene frequency and genotype frequency were separately calculated, and the allele frequency distribution in Menggu population was compared with the results from Han population. RESULTS: In the Han population, monomorphic HPA-4,HPA-7-14,HPA-16, 17 were found in the samples, none of HPA-b was found in these samples. For HPA-1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, aa homozygosity was predominant. In the Menggu population, monomorphic HPA 1, HPA 5, 6, HPA 7-14, HPA 16,17 were found in the samples, none of HPA-b was found in these samples. For HPA 2, 4 aa homozygosity was predominant. HPA-3, 15 had the greatest heterozygosity in 2 population. HPA-1a and HPA-3a frequency of Menggu population were significantly different from that of Han population in Heilongjiang. CONCLUSION: Distribution of the allele polymorphism of HPA 1-17 in Heilongjiang Han population is similar to that in Menggu population, and it shows its own characteristics. When the local HPA genotyped database of platelet donors in Heilongjiang is established, the count of Menggu donor should be increased.

Enantioseparation of Timolol on a Novel ß-Cyclodextrin Derivative Chiral Stationary Phase in HPLC.

A novel chiral stationary phase was prepared by bonding a novel ß-cyclodextrin derivative on silica gel, and it was used for the separation of timolol in high efficiency liquid phase. In the reverse mode, the factors such as the proportion of chiral additives, flow rate, column temperature, repeatability and stability were investigated. The optimum chromatographic conditions are as follows: column temperature was 25°C, flow rate was 0.6 mL min(-1) and mobile phase was methanol-25 mM KH2PO4 (80/20, v/v). The chiral column has good reproducibility (Rs = 4.49, 4.51 and 4.40, respectively) and a certain degree of stability (Rs = 4.49, 3.01 and 0.72, respectively). This chiral stationary phase presented good chiral recognition performance toward timolol with good resolution (Rs = 4.49).

Brachypodium distachyon T-DNA insertion lines: a model pathosystem to study nonhost resistance to wheat stripe rust.

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (PST), is one of the most destructive diseases and can cause severe yield losses in many regions of the world. Because of the large size and complexity of wheat genome, it is difficult to study the molecular mechanism of interaction between wheat and PST. Brachypodium distachyon has become a model system for temperate grasses' functional genomics research. The phenotypic evaluation showed that the response of Brachypodium distachyon to PST was nonhost resistance (NHR), which allowed us to present this plant-pathogen system as a model to explore the immune response and the molecular mechanism underlying wheat and PST. Here we reported the generation of about 7,000 T-DNA insertion lines based on a highly efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. Hundreds of mutants either more susceptible or more resistant to PST than that of the wild type Bd21 were obtained. The three putative target genes, Bradi5g17540, BdMYB102 and Bradi5g11590, of three T-DNA insertion mutants could be involved in NHR of Brachypodium distachyon to wheat stripe rust. The systemic pathologic study of this T-DNA mutants would broaden our knowledge of NHR, and assist in breeding wheat cultivars with durable resistance.

Preparation and enantioseparation characteristics of a novel ß-cyclodextrin derivative chiral stationary phase in high-performance liquid chromatography.

A novel cyclodextrin (CD) derivative mono(6(A)-N-allylamino-6(A)-deoxy)per-3-chlorine-4-methyl-phenylcarbamoylated-ß-CD was synthesized and chemically immobilized onto the surface of γ-mercaptopropyl-functionalized silica gel step by step. The products were all purified and characterized and then got a substance with definitional structure. This chiral stationary phase (CSP) of 3-chlorine-4-methyl-phenylcarbamoylated-ß-CD bonded on silica gel exhibited excellent separation capability for several chiral compounds in high-performance liquid chromatography. In the enantiomeric separations of five racemates with a mixture of methanol and aqueous KH2PO4 buffer as the mobile phase, this CSP presented good chiral recognition performance.

Indirect chiral separation of tryptophan enantiomers by high performance liquid chromatography with indirect chemiluminiscence detection.

In recent years, the study of chiral compounds in vivo has received much attention. In this study, a novel method based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with chemiluminescence (CL) detection was developed for the separation of tryptophan (Trp) enantiomers. o-Phthalaldehyde and N-acetyl-l-cysteine were used as chiral derivatization reagents for Trp before it can be detected by HPLC-CL method. The separation was carried out on an ODS column using a mobile phase composed of methanol-0.01mol/L phosphate buffer (40/60, v/v). Under the optimum conditions, satisfactory results were obtained, including complete separation, good relative standard deviations and low detection limits. The applicability of the proposed method has been validated by determining Trp in biological samples. Linear responses (r>0.9990) were observed over the range of 2.5×10(-7) to 1.2×10(-5)g/mL of Trp enantiomers, with quantitation limit of 2.5×10(-7)g/mL. The assay method shows good specificity to Trp enantiomers, and thus it will have great potential application in clinical diagnosis. The mean extraction efficiency of Trp enantiomers in mice plasma samples were 98.48% and 97.40%, respectively. The mean relative standard deviation (RSD) of Trp enantiomers were <3%.