Case report: A rare case of omental extrarenal rhabdoid tumor and review of the literature.

Extrarenal rhabdoid tumor of the greater omentum is extremely rare, with only sporadic reports and limited documentation of its ultrasonographic findings. Here, we report a case of an extrarenal rhabdoid tumor of the greater omentum in a 16-year-old girl and review the relevant literature. It was found that the disease mainly occurred in female children and adolescents, and mainly manifested as lower abdominal pain and a large abdominal cystic or solid hemorrhagic mass. The clinical characteristics include a high degree of malignancy and mortality. Ultrasound shows some malignant features, but it is not specific; thus, it is easy to be misdiagnosed in the clinic.

A Novel Enzootic Nasal Tumor Virus Circulating in Goats from Southern China.

Enzootic nasal tumor virus (ENTV) has two types, ENTV-1 in sheep and ENTV-2 in goats, respectively. In China, the incidence of ENTV-2 related diseases has increased year by year. In this study, we reported an outbreak of ENTV-2 in a commercial goat farm in Qingyuan city, Guangdong province, southern China. A full-length genome of ENTV-2 (designated GDQY2017), with 7479 base pairs, was sequenced. Although GDQY2017 shared the highest nucleotide identity with a Chinese ENTV-2 isolate (ENTV-2CHN4, GenBank accession number KU258873), it possesses distinct genome characteristics undescribed, including a non-continuous 21-nucleotide insertion in the gag gene and a non-continuous 12-nucleotide deletion in the env gene. Notably, most of these indel nucleotide sequences were originated from a Chinese jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) isolate (GenBank accession number DQ838494). In the gag and env genes, GDQY2017 was phylogenetically related to those Chinese ENTV-2 isolates and a Chinese JSRV isolate (DQ838494). For GDQY2017-like viruses, more surveillance work should be made to explain their pathogenicity in goat herds. To our knowledge, this study represents the first to demonstrate the circulating pattern of ENTV-2 in Guangdong province, China, which will help to better understand the epidemiology and genetic diversity of ENTV-2.

Emergence of reticuloendotheliosis virus in pigeons in Guangdong Province, Southern China.

Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), an important immunosuppressive pathogen, has many hosts, including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and wild birds. Clinically, REV may lead to increased susceptibility to other pathogens, resulting in serious tissue damage (especially tumors) and the death of its host. In this study, we encountered a disease outbreak resulting in a large number of deaths of pigeons in Guangdong Province, Southern China. Histopathological analysis revealed apparent tumor-like lesions in multiple organs of pigeons. PCR assays for detection of tumor-associated pathogens (REV, avian leukosis virus, and Marek's disease virus) in poultry revealed the presence of REV sequences only. Moreover, fowlpox virus (FPV) with an insertion of REV long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences was also considered, but it was excluded using a specific PCR assay. To gain more genetic information, two full-length REV genome sequences were determined and found to have the highest nucleotide sequence similarity (99.9 %) and the closest genetic relationship to a vaccine strain (MD-2) and had a more distant genetic relationship (94.3 %) to a duck-origin strain (ATCC-VR775). To confirm the presence of REVs in pigeons, specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens and healthy pigeons were inoculated with microfiltered tumor tissue homogenates and were found to be susceptible to infection with REV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of REV in pigeons, and the data suggest that pigeons may be the natural host of REV.

[Comparison of the basic characters of speech-evoked auditory brainstem response between school-age children and young adults].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the basic characters of the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR) between young adults and school-age children. METHODS: Speech-ABR of thirty eight normal hearing subjects including eighteen school-age children and twenty young adults were recorded. The speech syllable/da/as stimulus sound was transmitted to right ear by insertion the earphones in speech-ABR test. RESULTS: Response waves of speech-ABR in school-age children were similar to those in young adults, which contained the onset response (peak V and A), the transition (peak C), the frequency following responses (peak D, E and F) and the offset response (peak O). Both the latency and amplitude showed no significant difference in all waves between young adults and school-age children, except the latency of wave O and amplitude of wave F. The latency of O wave in school-age children (47.80 ± 0.38) ms were significantly shorter than that in adults (48.10 ± 0.40) ms (t = 2.330,P = 0.026). The amplitude of F wave in school-age children (-0.21 ± 0.15) µV were significantly larger than that in adults (-0.12 ± 0.08) µV (t = 2.146,P = 0.043). CONCLUSION: Both the latency and amplitude of the speech ABR in school age children at 6 - 11 years old show the great similarity with the young adults, which indicate that the ability of speech processing of brainstem in children has completely reached maturity.

[Evaluation of a portable device based on peripheral arterial tone in the detection of obstructive sleep apnea].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of a wrist-worn device (Watch-PAT 200) in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: Forty-three adult subjects with suspected OSAHS simultaneously had a standard in-laboratory polysomnogram (PSG) and wore the Watch-PAT 200 during a full-night recording. PSG sleep and respiratory events were scored according to standard criteria. The PSG recordings were blindly manually analyzed, while Watch-PAT data were scored automatically based on the algorithm developed previously. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was (42.2 ± 12.2) years (x(-) ± s), and mean body mass index was (28.0 ± 3.9) kg/m(2). Mean PSG apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was (34.9 ± 29.9) events per hour, and mean PAT-AHI was (36.0 ± 29.2) events per hour. There was a significant correlation between PAT AHI and AHI by PSG (r = 0.931, P < 0.01). A Bland-Altman plot of PAT AHI and PSG AHI was also used to assess the accuracy of Watch-PAT 200. At lower levels of AHI, PAT tended to overestimate disease severity, while at higher levels of AHI, Watch-PAT underestimated severity. To assess sensitivity and specificity of Watch-PAT, constructed receiver operator characteristic curves using a variety of AHI threshold values (5, 15 and 30 events per hour). For AHI ≥ 5 events per hour as threshold value, the Watch-PAT diagnosing rate was 93%, and sensitivity as well as specificity were 94.7% and 80.0%. The misdiagnosis rate and missed diagnosis rate were 20.0% and 5.3%. Optimal combinations of sensitivity and specificity for the AHI threshold values (15 and 30 events per hour) were 82.6% and 100.0%, 95.0% and 95.7% respectively. CONCLUSION: The Watch-PAT 200 may offer an accurate, robust, and reliable ambulatory method for the detection of OSAHS, with minimal patient discomfort.

[Elicitation of mismatch negativity and its influence from stimuli deviant in the healthy youth].

OBJECTIVE: To work out the elicitation plan, obtain the mismatch negativity (MMN) and get out the laboratory normal value as well as to study the influence to MMN from the deviation of auditory stimuli. METHODS: Hearing test of the tone burst stimulation was performed on 21 healthy young volunteers according to oddball stimulation sequence. Each subject was performed two kinds of auditory stimuli including frequency deviant stimuli and intensity deviant stimuli, and of each one included three series of stimulation. MMN was gained by subtracting the ERP of deviant stimuli from the ERP of standard stimuli. The latency and amplitude of each MMN were recorded, and then the effect of the deviant extent for MMN was analyzed. RESULTS: By this setup the MMN of normal young people was recorded and normal value of latency and amplitude of MMN were got. In the group of frequency deviant stimuli, the MMN latency [(155.81 +/- 29.08) ms], if the frequency was up to 2000 Hz, was shorter than that when the frequency deviance was 1000 Hz [(182.89 +/- 45.85) ms, (183.32 +/- 43.33) ms] (P = 0.033, 0.030); when the deviant extent were the same, the latency had no obvious difference if changing the frequency of the standard and deviant stimuli (P = 0.973); the MMN amplitude of three groups [(3.85 +/- 2.22) microV, (2.90 +/- 2.05) microV, (2.66 +/- 2.12) microV] had no obvious difference among them (P > 0.05). In the group of intensity deviant stimuli, the MMN latency [(157.04 +/- 34.87) ms], if the frequency was up to 20 dB, was shorter (P = 0.025, 0.017) than that when the intensity deviance was 10 dB [(184.46 +/- 38.05) ms, (186.24 +/- 42.36) ms]. When the deviant extent were the same, the latency had no obvious difference (P = 0.882) if changing the intensity of the standard and deviant stimuli but only group 4 and group 6 [(3.41 +/- 1.64) microV, (2.37 +/- 1.47) microV] were different in evidence (P = 0.031) while the others had no obvious difference (P = 0.524, 0.122). CONCLUSIONS: MMN was only related to the difference between standard stimuli and deviant stimuli, but there was no relationship between MMN and the notice, which indicate that MMN could objectively reflect the capability of brain to detect the change of stimuli. MMN is the representation of brain high-level sensory function.

[Method of measuring sound localization for 4-year-old children on the horizontal plane.].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effective way to test 4-year-old children's ability of sound localization in the horizontal plane. METHODS: Using minimum audible angle (MAA) measure procedure on the basis of conditioned play audiometry, sound localization test was conducted for 4-year-old children at 0 degrees , +/- 45 degrees , +/- 90 degrees , +/- 135 degrees and 180 degrees standard positions in the horizontal plane. RESULTS: The outcome of sound localization test for 4-year-old children separately were: MAA (0 degrees ) = (3.80 +/- 0.71) degrees , MAA (-45 degrees ) = (7.70 +/- 1.27) degrees , MAA (45 degrees ) = (7.10 +/- 1.39) degrees , MAA (-90 degrees ) = (8.15 +/- 2.38) degrees , MAA (90 degrees ) = (7.61 +/- 2.47) degrees , MAA (-135 degrees ) = (8.85 +/- 2.70) degrees , MAA (135 degrees ) = (8.30 +/- 1.42) degrees , MAA (180 degrees ) = (5.20 +/- 1.27) degrees . The MAA of eight standard positions were less than 10 degrees , and the MAA (0 degrees ) was the smallest one. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that MAA test procedure on the basis of conditioned play audiometry could be used to evaluate the ability of sound localization in 4-year-old children.

Passage number affects the pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells as judged by tetraploid embryo aggregation.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the number of passages affected the developmental pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells as measured by the attainment of adult fertile mice derived from embryonic stem (ES) cell/tetraploid embryo complementation. Thirty-six newborns were produced by the aggregation of tetraploid embryos and hybrid ES cells after various numbers of passages. These newborns were entirely derived from ES cells as judged by microsatellite DNA, coat-color phenotype, and germline transmission. Although 15 survived to adulthood, 17 died of respiratory failure, and four were eaten by their foster mother. From the 15 mice that reached adulthood and that could reproduce, none arose from ES cells at passage level 15 or more. All 15 arose from cells at passages 3-11. Our results demonstrate that the number of passages affects the developmental pluripotency of ES cells.