Fire acupuncture for anti-LGI1 antibody autoimmune encephalitis: a case report.

Autoimmune encephalitis, a class of encephalitis, is clinically characterized by multifocal or diffuse brain injury, including aberrant mental behavior, convulsions, and near-event memory impairment. In this article, we describe a female patient with autoimmune encephalitis who tested positive for leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI1) antibodies and had hippocampal inflammatory edema in the lesion area. During the first 3 months of her illness, the patient primarily experienced memory loss, the onset of rigid twitching in her extremities that lasted for 1 min while in remission, and incontinence. After gamma globulin administration, methylprednisolone shock, and other symptomatic therapies during hospitalization, the patient's psychiatric symptoms and seizures improved considerably; however, she did not fully recover her memory. After receiving fire acupuncture for 6 months, the patient's understanding, orientation, and calculation skills improved considerably. Her memory and mental state were also improved at the follow-up visit. In this case, the use of fire acupuncture for the treatment of autoimmune encephalitis resulted in favorable outcomes with important benefits for conditions affecting the central nervous system; however, more convincing data are required to support the effectiveness of this treatment method.

Downregulated KIF3B Induced by miR-605-3p Inhibits the Progression of Colon Cancer via Inactivating Wnt/ß-Catenin.

Colon cancer is a common malignant disease with high morbidity and mortality, and miRNA dysfunction has been confirmed as an important reason for cancer development. Several studies have verified miR-605-3p as a tumor inhibitor while its roles in colon cancer remain uncertain. In this study, the specimen of the patients and the cell lines of colon cancer were used to observe the expression of miR-605-3p, and the CCK-8, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry assay were used to observe the functions of miR-605-3p in colon cancer cells. The downstream factors of miR-605-3p were predicted by TargetScan and then were verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, western blot was used to investigate the effect of miR-605-3p on Wnt/ß-catenin signal pathway. The result showed that miR-605-3p was extremely downregulated in the pathological tissues and tumor cells, and miR-605-3p could effectively induce the apoptosis and impede the proliferation and invasion of the tumor cells. It was found that KIF3B was a target of KIF3B; decreased KIF3B could reverse the effects of miR-605-3p on colon cancer. Besides, the inactivated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway was also observed in colon cells when miR-605-3p was upregulated, and the phenomenon could be rescued by KIF3B upregulation. In conclusion, miR-605-3p could inactivate the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway induced via promoting KIF3B expression.

Suppressive effects of RASAL2 on renal cell carcinoma via SOX2/ERK/p38 MAPK pathway.

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with poor prognosis. Ras protein activator like 2 (RASAL2) protein has been previously demonstrated to serves as a tumor suppressor in a variety of malignancies. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of RASAL2 in RCC. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed to measure mRNA and protein expression in RCC tissues, whilst immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to evaluate protein expression in RCC cells. A Cell Counting Kit-8 and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine staining were applied to determine cell viability, and Transwell assays were conducted to measure RCC cell invasion and migration. RASAL2 expression was identified to be downregulated in RCC tissues, which associate negatively with RCC pathological grade. Sox2 expression, in addition to ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, were demonstrated to be increased in RCC tissues. In RCC cells, RASAL2 overexpression decreased the expression of Sox2 and the activation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK. Physiologically, RASAL2 overexpression decreased RCC cell viability, invasion and migration. The expression of metalloproteinase-2/9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 were also identified to be decreased and increased by RASAL2 overexpression, respectively. By contrast, RASAL2 knockdown exerted opposite effects on RCC cells compared with those observed following RASAL2 overexpression. RASAL2 expression decreased RCC cell viability, migration and invasion, which was demonstrated to be associated with the inactivation of SOX2/ERK1/2/p38 MAPK signaling. These results suggest that RASAL2 may potentially serve as a potential target for the development of novel therapeutic intervention strategies against RCC.

Aluminum chelates supported by ß-quinolyl enolate ligands: synthesis and ROP of ε-CL.

Treatment of tautomers of ß-quinolyl ketone-enaminones with AlMe3 afforded ß-quinolyl enolato dialkylaluminium complexes LAlMe2 (L = [(2-C9H6N)-CH[double bond, length as m-dash]C(R)-O-], R = CH3 (), (t)Bu (), Ph (), o-tolyl (), p-tolyl (), p-OMePh ()), respectively. reacted with benzyl alcohol to generate the corresponding LAl(OBn)2 complex . Complexes and were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analyses and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. All complexes were tested as catalyst precursors for ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL). The results indicated that LAlMe2 () exhibited good activity towards the ROP of ε-CL in the presence of benzyl alcohol at 80 °C, and LAl(OBn)2 exhibited higher catalytic activity in the absence of alcohol than for the ROP of ε-CL. However, both polymerizations were less controlled. Kinetic studies showed that the polymerization reaction catalyzed by and proceeded with first-order dependence on the monomer and took place through coordination-insertion.

A three-dimensional cadmium(II) coordination polymer: poly[[[µ-4,4'-(propane-1,3-diyl)dipyridine-κ(2)N:N](µ-3,3'-thiodipropionato-κ(3)O,O':O)cadmium(II)] monohydrate].

In the title coordination polymer, {[Cd(C6H8O4S)(C13H14N2)]·H2O}n, the Cd(II) atom displays a distorted octahedral coordination, formed by three carboxylate O atoms and one S atom from three different 3,3'-thiodipropionate ligands, and two N atoms from two different 4,4'-(propane-1,3-diyl)dipyridine ligands. The Cd(II) centres are bridged through carboxylate O atoms of 3,3'-thiodipropionate ligands and through N atoms of 4,4'-(propane-1,3-diyl)dipyridine ligands to form two different one-dimensional chains, which intersect to form a two-dimensional layer. These two-dimensional layers are linked by S atoms of 3,3'-thiodipropionate ligands from adjacent layers to form a three-dimensional network.

[17 cases of mucosal antral cyst with main symptoms of eye pain].

OBJECTIVE: To draw the attention to mucosal antral cyst, thus reduce the probability of missed diagnosis and missed treatment by retrospectively analyzing 17 cases of eye pain patients with no obvious nasal symptoms in our department from January 2003 to September 2011. METHOD: All patients were performed ophthalmologic examination including eye position, eyesight, refraction, visual field, intraocular pressure and fundus examination, and the results showed that all of them had no eye disease. After excluding the deviation of nasal septum, concha bullosa and Haller gas room, CT scanning of paranasal sinus showed the maxillary sinus cyst. The patients were operated by nasal endoscope through joint path of middle meatus or inferior meatus and given antibiotics after operation. The nasal cavity packing was removed 24 hours postoperatively and the patients were discharged from hospital a week later. All the patients continued using intranasal corticosteroids and were followed up for half a year to observe whether the eye pain disappeared or recurred, when various processing was given to the surgical cavity with the help of nasal endoscope. RESULT: Among the 17 cases, 14 cases of eye pain disappeared after the operation, and the remaining 3 patients got symptomatic relief without recurrence during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Mucosal antral cyst can cause eye pain. After excluding eye disease, once we diagnosed patients for mucosal antral cyst and the routine application of corticosteroids treatment was proved to be invalid, we should take operation treatment as early as possible, regardless of the size and location of the cysts.

Genome-wide association study dissects the genetic architecture of oil biosynthesis in maize kernels.

Maize kernel oil is a valuable source of nutrition. Here we extensively examine the genetic architecture of maize oil biosynthesis in a genome-wide association study using 1.03 million SNPs characterized in 368 maize inbred lines, including 'high-oil' lines. We identified 74 loci significantly associated with kernel oil concentration and fatty acid composition (P < 1.8 × 10(-6)), which we subsequently examined using expression quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, linkage mapping and coexpression analysis. More than half of the identified loci localized in mapped QTL intervals, and one-third of the candidate genes were annotated as enzymes in the oil metabolic pathway. The 26 loci associated with oil concentration could explain up to 83% of the phenotypic variation using a simple additive model. Our results provide insights into the genetic basis of oil biosynthesis in maize kernels and may facilitate marker-based breeding for oil quantity and quality.

Chitosan enhanced gene delivery of cationic liposome via non-covalent conjugation.

Two new types of stable ternary complexes were formed by mixing chitosan with DOTAP/pDNA lipoplex and DOTAP with chitosan/pDNA polyplex via non-covalent conjugation for the efficient delivery of plasmid DNA. They were characterized by atomic force microscopy, gel retarding, and dynamic light scattering. The DOTAP/CTS/pDNA complexes were in compacted spheroids and irregular lump of larger aggregates in structure, while the short rod- and toroid-like and donut shapes were found in CTS/DOTAP/pDNA complexes. The transfection efficiency of the lipopolyplexes showed higher GFP gene expression than DOTAP/pDNA and CTS/pDNA controls in Hep-2 and Hela cells, and luciferase gene expression 2-3-fold than DOTAP/pDNA control and 70-120-fold than CTS/pDNA control in Hep-2 cells. The intracellular trafficking was examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Rapid pDNA delivery to the nucleus enchanced by chitosan was achieved after 4 h transfection.

[Analysis on effect of endoscopic nasal cavity surgery expansion in 108 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of endoscopic nasal cavity enlarging surgery for the alleviation of nasal obstruction. METHODS: One hundred and eight patients with deviation of the nasal septum (DNS) and chronic hypertrophic rhinitis (CHR) were included in this study. Individualized operations were performed. DNS patients were treated by three line tension relaxing correction or nasal septum plasty. CHR patients were treated by inferior turbinate out fracture in combination with plasma radiofrequency ablation for reducing the volume of nasal soft tissue, sub-mucoperiosteal partial resection of the inferior turbinate or partial inferior turbinectomy. RESULTS: All patients were followed for 3-12 months after surgery with an effective improvement in 97.2%. Symptoms of headache or complications of rhinitis sicca were not found. CONCLUSIONS: Being careful to keep the physiological function of nasal mucosa, the integrity of the nasal septum, appropriate expansion of the nasal cavity volume, and restore ventilation with bilateral symmetry of the nasal cavity, satisfactory relief of nasal obstruction can be achieved.

µ-Aqua-κO:O-di-µ-4-methyl-benzoato-κO:O'-bis-[(4-methyl-benzoato-κO)(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')nickel(II)].

In the title dinuclear complex, [Ni(2)(C(8)H(7)O(2))(4)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)(H(2)O)], each Ni(II) atom is six-coordinated by three carboxylate O atoms from three 4-methyl-benzoate ligands, two N atoms from two 1,10-phenanthroline ligands, and one µ(2)-bridging aqua ligand. The dimeric complex is located on a crystallographic twofold axis and each Ni atom displays a distorted octa-hedral coordination geometry. The crystal structure is stabilized via intra-molecular hydrogen bonding of the bridging water mol-ecule and the uncoordinated carboxyl-ate O atoms, and by C-H⋯O and π-π stacking inter-actions [centroid-centroid distances between neighbouring phenanthroline ring systems and between the benzene ring of a 4-methyl-benzoate unit and a phenanthroline ring system are 3.662 (2) and 3.611 (3) Å, respectively].