[Copy number variations of CCND1 gene and chromosome 11 centromere in acral melanoma].

Objective: To study the correlation between the copy number variations of CCND1 gene and chromosome 11 and their associations with clinicopathologic features in acral melanoma. Methods: Thirty-three acral melanoma cases diagnosed at the Department of Pathology of Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China from January 2018 to August 2021 were collected. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect the copy number of CCND1 gene and centromere of chromosome 11. The relationship between the copy numbers of CCND1 and chromosome 11 centromere, and the correlation between CCND1 copy number and clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed. Results: There were 15 male and 18 female patients, with an age ranging from 22-86 years. 63.6% (21/33) of the patients had an increased CCND1 gene copy number. 21.2% (7/33) of patients with increased CCND1 copy number had an accompanying chromosome 11 centromere copy number increase. 27.3% (9/33) of the cases had a low copy number of CCND1 gene, and 4 of them (4/33, 12.1%) were accompanied by chromosome 11 centromere copy number increase. 36.4% (12/33) of the cases had a high copy number of CCND1 gene, and 3 (3/33, 9.1%) of them were accompanied by chromosome 11 centromere copy number increase. No cases with CCND1 low copy number increase showed CCND1/CEP11 ratio greater than 2.00. The 11 cases with CCND1 high copy number increase showed CCND1/CEP11 ratio greater than or equal to 2.00. However, there was no significant correlation between CCND1 copy number increase and any of the examined clinicopathologic features such as age, sex, histological type, Breslow thickness, ulcer and Clark level. Conclusions: CCND1 copy number increase is a significant molecular alteration in acral melanoma. In some cases, CCND1 copy number increase may be accompanied by the copy number increase of chromosome 11. For these cases the copy number increase in CCND1 gene may be a result of the copy number change of chromosome 11.

[Colorectal cancer with ß-catenin protein expression deficiency: a clinicopathological analysis].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and molecular characteristics of ß-catenin-deficient colorectal cancer. Methods: The clinical, pathological and molecular features of 11 colorectal cancers with ß-catenin protein loss diagnosed at the 960th Hospital of People's Liberation Army of China, from January 2012 to November 2022 were analyzed. Results: Among the 11 patients, 3 were males and 8 were females. Their age ranged from 43 to 74 years, with the median age of 59 years. Six were in the left colon and 5 were in the right colon. One of the 11 cases had lymph node metastasis, 10 cases were well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, and 1 was mucinous adenocarcinoma. Eight cases were of TNM stage T4, 2 of T1 stage and 1 of Tis stage. ß-catenin protein was not detected using immunohistochemistry. Sanger sequencing revealed the presence of fragment-deletion mutation in exon 3 of CTNNB1 gene, resulting in loss of ß-catenin protein expression. Conclusion: ß-catenin deficiency is present in a small number of colorectal cancers and may be associated with exon 3 mutations of CTNNB1 gene.

[Identification the key factor of pulmonary fibrosis following silica nanoparticles exposure based on bioinformatics analysis].

Objective: To investigate the main mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis following silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) exposure through constructing the macrophage-fibroblast model in vitro, which simulated the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: In January 2021, human mononuclear leukemia cells (THP-1) were treated with 0, 25, 50, 100 µg/ml SiNPs for 24 h. The supernatant of THP-1 cells was collected and applied to human embryonic lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5) which divided into control and low, medium and high dose groups at the logarithmic growth stage for 24 h. MRC-5 cell viability was detected by CCK8. The hydroxyproline (Hyp), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression were detected in the supernatants of MRC-5. The changed proteins were detected by liquid-phase mass spectrometry in high dose group. GeneCard database were applied to identity the differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins in high dose group. Gene Ontology (GO) was performed to identity the key biological process in differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins of high dose group. The String database was used to construct the protein-protein interactions (PPI) network of differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins. The APP of CytoHubba was applied to calculate the key protein of differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins in PPI network. Correlation coefficients between key differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins were calculated using Pearson correlation analysis. Western blotting was applied to detect the expression of key proteins of differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins in different groups. Results: CCK8 results showed that MRC-5 cell viability was increasing in low, medium and high dose groups compared with control group (P<0.05). The expression levels of Hyp and IL-1ß in different group were increased compared with control group, the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were increased in high dose group compared with control group (P<0.05). GeneCard database identified 26 differential pulmonary fibrosis proteins, which were mainly involved in extracellular matrix hydrolysis, cell inflammatory response, tissue repair, cell proliferation, inflammation response by GO analysis. The APP of CytoHubba was calculated that matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) played an important role in PPI network. The results of correlation analysis showed that MMP9 was correlated with the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), TIMP1 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (r=0.97, 0.98, 0.94, 0.93, P<0.05). Western blotting results showed that TIMP1 protein expression was increased in low, medium and high dose groups, while MMP9 protein expression was increased only in high dose group (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Differential expression proteins related with pulmonary fibrosis in MRC-5 cells mainly regulate biological processes of extracellular matrix hydrolysis, tissue repair, and cellular inflammation response following SiNPs exposure. MMP9 and TIMP1 may be the key proteins, which affected the fibrosis process in vitro pulmonary fibrosis model.

[Relationship between preoperative inflammatory indexes and prognosis of patients with rectal cancer and establishment of prognostic nomogram prediction model].

Objective: To compare the prognostic evaluation value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in rectal cancer patients. Nomogram survival prediction model based on inflammatory markers was constructed. Methods: The clinical and survival data of 585 patients with rectal cancer who underwent radical resection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiao tong University from January 2013 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cut-off values of NLR, PLR, LMR, and SII were determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The relationship between different NLR, PLR, LMR and SII levels and the clinic pathological characteristics of the rectal cancer patients were compared. Cox proportional risk model was used for univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Nomogram prediction models of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with rectal cancer were established by the R Language software. The internal validation and accuracy of the nomograms were determined by the calculation of concordance index (C-index). Calibration curve was used to evaluate nomograms' efficiency. Results: The optimal cut-off values of preoperative NLR, PLR, LMR and SII of OS for rectal cancer patients were 2.44, 134.88, 4.70 and 354.18, respectively. There was statistically significant difference in tumor differentiation degree between the low NLR group and the high NLR group (P<0.05), and there were statistically significant differences in T stage, N stage, TNM stage, tumor differentiation degree and preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level between the low PLR group and the high PLR group (P<0.05). There was statistically significant difference in tumor differentiation degree between the low LMR group and the high LMR group (P<0.05), and there were statistically significant differences in T stage, N stage, TNM stage, tumor differentiation degree and preoperative CEA level between the low SII group and the high SII group (P<0.05). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the age (HR=2.221, 95%CI: 1.526-3.231), TNM stage (Ⅲ grade: HR=4.425, 95%CI: 1.848-10.596), grade of differentiation (HR=1.630, 95%CI: 1.074-2.474), SII level (HR=2.949, 95%CI: 1.799-4.835), and postoperative chemoradiotherapy (HR=2.123, 95%CI: 1.506-2.992) were independent risk factors for the OS of patients with rectal cancer. The age (HR=2.107, 95%CI: 1.535-2.893), TNM stage (Ⅲ grade, HR=2.850, 95%CI: 1.430-5.680), grade of differentiation (HR=1.681, 95%CI: 1.150-2.457), SII level (HR=2.309, 95%CI: 1.546-3.447), and postoperative chemoradiotherapy (HR=1.837, 95%CI: 1.369-2.464) were independent risk factors of the DFS of patients with rectal cancer. According to the OS and DFS nomograms predict models of rectal cancer patients established by multivariate COX regression analysis, the C-index were 0.786 and 0.746, respectively. The calibration curve of the nomograms showed high consistence of predict and actual curves. Conclusions: Preoperative NLR, PLR, LMR and SII levels are all correlated with the prognosis of rectal cancer patients, and the SII level is an independent prognostic risk factor for patients with rectal cancer. Preoperative SII level can complement with the age, TNM stage, differentiation degree and postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy to accurately predict the prognosis of rectal cancer patients, which can provide reference and help for clinical decision.

Efficacy of non-surgical periodontal treatment on patients with coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is defined as one of the most common cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Periodontitis is one of the risk factors for CAD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases were carefully and thoroughly retrieved until October 2021. On the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, eligible articles were selected strictly to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Using Cochran's Q statistic, Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 16, data were extracted, and a comprehensive analysis was carried out. RESULTS: Six RCTs of 619 patients were included in this study, including 360 in the intervention group (IG) and 259 in the control group (CG). Meta-analysis showed significant difference for C-reactive protein (CRP) (1.20mg/L, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.27, p < 0.00001) after non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT), but showed no significant difference for interleukin-6 (IL-6) (1.19mg/L, 95% CI: -1.03 to 3.40, p=0.29), flow-mediated dilation (FMD) (-1.64%, 95% CI: -4.95 to 1.67, p=0.33), triacylglycerol (TG) (-0.02mg/dL, 95% CI: -0.31 to 0.27, p=0.90), total cholesterol (TC) (0.04mg/dL, 95% CI: -0.25 to 0.33, p=0.90), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (0.00mg/dL, 95% CI: -0.29 to 0.29, p=0.99) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (0.11mg/dL, 95% CI: -0.18 to 0.40, p=0.46). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of NSPT on the reduction of CRP in patients of CAD with periodontitis is significant. NSPT can be considered as an important preventive strategy for major cardiovascular events in CAD.

[Impact of different referral timing on the pregnancy outcomes of severe pre-eclampsia in the referral system].

Objective: To explore the impact of different referral timing on postponing early-onset pre-eclampsia (PE), postponing severe pre-eclampsia (SPE), reducing SPE severe complications and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes by analyzing the pregnancy outcomes of SPE patients who were referred from primary hospitals to tertiary referral center in the referral system. Methods: The clinical data of 159 SPE patients who were referred from primary hospitals, treated and then terminated their pregnancy in Peking University Third Hospital from January 2020 to October 2021, were observed and analyzed in this clinical observational study. According to the clinical stage of PE at the time of referral, they were divided into four groups: 38 cases were referred after onset of SPE severe complications (SPE-C group), 72 cases were referred after onset of SPE (a-SPE group), 15 cases were referred after onset of PE (a-PE group) and 34 cases were referred after detection of PE early warning-signs (Warn-s group). And then these 159 cases were divided into different color groups according to the project management system for high-risk pregnant women. Patients of Red color (highest risk) and Orange color (higher risk) were required to be referred to tertiary hospitals (Red-Orange group, 113 cases), and patients of Yellow color (high risk) could be treated under tertiary hospitals (Yellow group, 46 cases). The maternal and neonatal outcomes of different referral timings were analyzed and compared. Results: (1) Pregnancy outcomes of different referral timings grouped by PE clinical stage at the time of referral: the later the referral timing, the higher the rate of SPE severe complications, the shorter the interval from referral to termination of pregnancy. The rate of SPE severe complications in the SPE-C group was significantly higher than those of the other three groups, and the interval from referral to termination of pregnancy in the SPE-C group was significantly shorter than those of the other three groups (all P<0.05). The referral gestational age of Warn-s group was earlier than those of the other three groups (all P<0.05). The average gestational ages for onset of SPE, termination of pregnancy, and onset of SPE severe complications were all after 34 gestational weeks, and were later than those of a-SPE group and SPE-C group; the rates of SPE onset before 34 gestational weeks, SPE severe complications onset before 34 gestational weeks, terminating pregnancy before 34 gestational weeks, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization, and pregnancy giving up before 28 gestational weeks were lower than those of a-SPE group and SPE-C group, the length of NICU stay was shorter than those of a-SPE group and SPE-C group, and its rate of take-home-babies was 100%, significantly higher than those in a-SPE group and SPE-C group (all P<0.05). The gestational ages for onset of SPE and termination of pregnancy in a-PE group were later than those in a-SPE group and SPE-C group, the rates of SPE onset before 34 gestational weeks, terminating pregnancy before 34 gestational weeks, and NICU hospitalization were lower than those of a-SPE group and SPE-C group, the length of NICU stay was shorter than those of a-SPE group and SPE-C group (all P<0.05). (2) Pregnancy outcomes of different referral timings grouped by the color classification of PE clinical characteristics: among the 159 cases of SPE, 113 cases (71.1%, 113/159) were in the Red-Orange group which were required to be referred to tertiary hospitals, and 46 cases (28.9%, 46/159) were in the Yellow group,which were not in the range of referral requirements, but actually referred to the tertiary hospital and eventually developed SPE. Gestational ages for onset of SPE, termination of pregnancy, and onset of SPE severe complications in the Yellow group were later than those of the Red-Orange group, while the rates of SPE onset before 34 gestational weeks, SPE severe complications onset before 34 gestational weeks, terminating pregnancy before 34 gestational weeks, NICU hospitalization, and pregnancy giving up before 28 gestational weeks were lower than those of the Red-Orange group, the length of NICU stay was shorter than that of the Red-Orange group, and its rate of take-home-babies was higher than that in the Red-Orange group (all P<0.05). (3) Analysis of different clinical referral timings in the Yellow group: among these 159 SPE patients, 46 cases (28.9%, 46/159) would be excluded from the range of referral requirements which belonged to the Yellow color grade, but 6 cases still developed SPE severe complications (4 cases in Warn-s group and 2 cases in a-PE group), 17 cases were terminated pregnancy before 34 weeks of gestation (12 cases in Warn-s group and 5 cases in a-PE group), and 23 cases developed SPE before 34 weeks of gestation (17 cases in Warn-s group and 6 cases in a-PE group). (4) Multivariate analysis: referral after detection of PE early warning signs was the independent protective factor for postponing the onset of SPE severe complications (P<0.05). Referral after detection of PE early warning signs and referral after onset of PE were both protective factors for postponing the onset of SPE and early-onset PE (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Different referral timing in the referral system is one of the key points that affect the maternal and neonatal outcomes of SPE. Referral after detection of PE early warning signs and timely referral after onset of PE would reduce early-onset PE, postpone the onset of SPE and reduce the severe complications of SPE. The clinical development and evolution of PE is really complicated, and referral based on specific clinical situations is better than referral based on fixed mode.

Targeted mutation of barley (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan synthases reveals complex relationships between the storage and cell wall polysaccharide content.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L) grain is comparatively rich in (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan, a source of fermentable dietary fibre that protects against various human health conditions. However, low grain (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan content is preferred for brewing and distilling. We took a reverse genetics approach, using CRISPR/Cas9 to generate mutations in members of the Cellulose synthase-like (Csl) gene superfamily that encode known (HvCslF6 and HvCslH1) and putative (HvCslF3 and HvCslF9) (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan synthases. Resultant mutations ranged from single amino acid (aa) substitutions to frameshift mutations causing premature stop codons, and led to specific differences in grain morphology, composition and (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan content. (1,3;1,4)-ß-Glucan was absent in the grain of cslf6 knockout lines, whereas cslf9 knockout lines had similar (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan content to wild-type (WT). However, cslf9 mutants showed changes in the abundance of other cell-wall-related monosaccharides compared with WT. Thousand grain weight (TGW), grain length, width and surface area were altered in cslf6 knockouts, and to a lesser extent TGW in cslf9 knockouts. cslf3 and cslh1 mutants had no effect on grain (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan content. Our data indicate that multiple members of the CslF/H family fulfil important functions during grain development but, with the exception of HvCslF6, do not impact the abundance of (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan in mature grain.

Antifungal activity screening for mint and thyme essential oils against Rhizopus stolonifer and their application in postharvest preservation of strawberry and peach fruits.

AIMS: With a goal to identify specific essential oils that can control postharvest Rhizopus rot on strawberry and peach fruits, we performed screening for 26 essential oils based on their antifungal activity against Rhizopus stolonifer in vitro and investigated the underlying mechanism. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mentha spicata (Ms), Mentha piperita (Mp), Thymus vulgaris CT carvacrol (Tc) and Thymus vulgaris CT thymol (Tt) exhibited strong inhibition on R. stolonifer growth in the screening. These essential oils increased plasma membrane permeability of R. stolonifer and resulted in the outflow of intercellular electrolyte, nucleic acid, protein and soluble sugar. Morphology of R. stolonifer mycelia was greatly altered by these essential oils. Hyphae treated by these essential oils exhibited high accumulation of superoxide anion and malonaldehyde. Combination of these essential oils in commercial package reduced Rhizopus rot on strawberry and peach fruits, with Mp showing the strongest efficiency. CONCLUSION: Ms, Mp, Tc and Tt essential oils inhibited R. stolonifer growth by targeting its plasma membrane and reduced Rhizopus rot on strawberry and peach fruits. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides potential applications of natural plant extract, as alternatives to tradition fungicides, to control postharvest decay on fruits and vegetables.

[Application of failure mode and effect analysis in reducing the risk of nosocomial infection].

Objective: To explore the effect of failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) in the management of nosocomial infection, and provide reference for the effective prevention and control of nosocomial infection. Methods: Using FMEA to identify, analyze, evaluate and screen out the high-risk events of nosocomial infection in January 2020, from which two hospital level priority improvement projects of hand hygiene compliance and blood-borne occupational exposure were determined. After risk control and intervention measures, the effects before and after improvement were compared. Results: Except for the lack of incentive mechanism and insufficient communication between medical and nursing teams, the differences in hand hygiene compliance and blood-borne occupational exposure risk priority coefficients before and after the implementation of FMEA were statistically significant (P<0.05) . After the implementation of FMEA, the hand hygiene compliance was 74.92% (79375/105953) , which was significantly higher than 68.40% (58361/85328) before the implementation of FMEA, and the difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=996.55, P<0.01) . The incidence of blood-borne occupational exposure after the implementation of FMEA was 3.85% (80/2080) , which was lower than the 6.16% (123/1998) before the implementation of FMEA, and the difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=11.49, P<0.01) . Conclusion: FMEA has a good effect in nosocomial infection management. It can identify and evaluate the risk of nosocomial infection prospectively, so as to control the risk effectively.

A novel, rapid and simple method for detecting brucellosis based on rapid vertical flow technology.

AIMS: To prevent the spread of brucellosis, a simple and rapid vertical flow technology (RVFT) for the detection of antibodies targeting brucellosis was developed. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, Brucella sp. lipopolysaccharide was purified and used to detect brucellosis antibodies. Sheep IgG was used as a negative control. Colloidal gold-labeled recombinant staphylococcus aureus protein A was sprayed on a fibreglass membrane to prepare immunogold pads. Rapid vertical flow technology was used to detect Brucella in 1668 Sheep, 2743 bovine, 674 red deer and 420 human samples. The results indicated that the accuracy of this assay can reach 98%. CONCLUSIONS: The established RVFT uses a single multifunctional buffer that can be used to detect antibodies in serum, plasma, whole blood and other biological samples while preserving the advantages of lateral-flow immunoassays. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This technology would be of great use in primary medical units and veterinary stations, and it is of great significance for the control of epidemic diseases.

[Correlation between elevation of brachial artery pulse pressure increased and coronary heart disease in different genders].

Objective: To explore the relationship between elevation of brachial pulse pressure and coronary heart disease in different genders. Methods: A total of 5 116 inpatients with suspected stable coronary heart disease were consecutively enrolled from December 2011 to June 2017 in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College, and divided into coronary heart disease group (n=3 694) and non-coronary heart disease group (n=1 422). The clinical data of all inpatients were collected. A binary logistic regression model of coronary heart disease in different genders were separately established. Results: The morbidity of hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, ischemic stroke and elevated pulse pressure were all higher in the coronary heart disease group than those in the non-coronary heart disease group (all P<0.05). The area under curve (AUC) of pulse pressure in the male group was 0.540, with an optimal diagnostic threshold of 50 mmHg. The AUC of pulse pressure in the female group was 0.612, with an optimal diagnostic threshold of 60 mmHg. Besides hypertension, type 2 diabetes, increase of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, ischemic stroke, smoking, and aging, elevated pulse pressure was also an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease in both male and female groups (all P<0.05). Additionally, the risk of elevated pulse pressure for coronary heart disease was higher in female group than that of male group (odds ratio (OR): 1.741 vs 1.284, P<0.05). Conclusion: Elevated pulse pressure may be a new risk factor for coronary heart disease, and its risk for coronary heart disease is higher in women than in men.

Expression of Autophagy-Associated Protein in Rat Muscle Tissues after Antemortem and Postmortem Injury.

ABSTRACT: Objective To study the expression of the three autophagy-associated proteins, BECN1, LC3 and p62, after the injury of the skeletal muscle of rats and to explore its application in differentiation between antemortem and postmortem injury. Methods The 72 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the undamaged control group, the antemortem injury group （0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 16 h and 24 h） and postmortem injury group （0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h and 4 h）. A model of the injured right hind limb of rats was constructed. The expressions of the autophagy-associated proteins, BECN1, LC3-2/LC3-1 and p62, in the control group, the antemortem injury group and postmortem injury group were detected by Western blotting method. The data were respectively centralized and standardized and the orthogonal partial least square-discrimination analysis （OPLS-DA） identification model of antemortem and postmortem injury groups was constructed. Results The expression of BECN1, p62 protein and LC3-2/LC3-1 after the injury of the skeletal muscle of the rats showed different degrees of changes, but the differences among the 3 groups had no statistical significance. Antemortem and postmortem injury groups can be distinguished by centralizing and standardizing the expression levels of autophagy protein BECN1 and the ratio of LC3-2/LC3-1. The principal components extracted from OPLS-DA model of antemortem injury and postmortem injury had a relatively good interpretation of the model （Rx2=0.563, Ry2=0.439）, but it were less predictive （Q2=0.366）. Conclusion The expression of BECN1 and the ratio of LC3-2/LC3-1 in injured local tissue of the rat skeletal muscle can be used for the differentiation of antemortem injury group and postmortem injury group.

Revised Phylogeny of the Cellulose Synthase Gene Superfamily: Insights into Cell Wall Evolution.

Cell walls are crucial for the integrity and function of all land plants and are of central importance in human health, livestock production, and as a source of renewable bioenergy. Many enzymes that mediate the biosynthesis of cell wall polysaccharides are encoded by members of the large cellulose synthase (CesA) gene superfamily. Here, we analyzed 29 sequenced genomes and 17 transcriptomes to revise the phylogeny of the CesA gene superfamily in angiosperms. Our results identify ancestral gene clusters that predate the monocot-eudicot divergence and reveal several novel evolutionary observations, including the expansion of the Poaceae-specific cellulose synthase-like CslF family to the graminids and restiids and the characterization of a previously unreported eudicot lineage, CslM, that forms a reciprocally monophyletic eudicot-monocot grouping with the CslJ clade. The CslM lineage is widely distributed in eudicots, and the CslJ clade, which was thought previously to be restricted to the Poales, is widely distributed in monocots. Our analyses show that some members of the CslJ lineage, but not the newly identified CslM genes, are capable of directing (1,3;1,4)-ß-glucan biosynthesis, which, contrary to current dogma, is not restricted to Poaceae.

Therapeutic effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on mastitis experimentally induced by lipopolysaccharide in lactating goats.

Escherichia coli is a cause of subclinical and clinical mastitis in dairy cattle and goats, and sometimes causes severe clinical disease that may result in death of the animal. Previous investigation showed that ginsenoside Rg1 extracted from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (Araliaceae) has an anti-inflammatory effect on the sepsis induced by E. coli lipopolysaccharide via competitive binding to toll-like receptor 4. We hypothesized that intravenous injection of Rg1 had therapeutic effect on mastitis experimentally induced by intramammary infusion of lipopolysaccharide in lactating goats. In this study, 9 lactating goats were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 groups: (1) lipopolysaccharide intramammary infusion + saline intravenous injection, (2) lipopolysaccharide intramammary infusion + Rg1 intravenous injection, and (3) saline intramammary administration + saline intravenous injection. Because no adverse clinical signs were observed after intramammary infusion of saline and intravenous injection of Rg1 in a preliminary experiment, and available qualified goats were limited in this study, this treatment was not included in this study. One udder half of each goat received intramammary infusion of lipopolysaccharide (50 µg/kg of body weight; groups 1 and 2) or saline solution (group 3), and the other half was infused with 2 mL of saline solution at h 0. Afterward, intravenous injections of saline solution (groups 1 and 3) or Rg1 (2.5 mg/kg of body weight; group 2) were administered at h 2 and 4 post-lipopolysaccharide challenge. Blood and milk samples were collected 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 48, and 72 h post-lipopolysaccharide challenge, and clinical signs were monitored hourly after lipopolysaccharide challenge within the first 10 h and at the same time points as blood samples. The results showed that Rg1 treatment downregulated rectal temperature, udder skin temperature, udder girth, milk somatic cell count, and N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosaminidase and upregulated milk production, lactose, and recovered blood components, such as white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, total proteins, albumin, and globulin. Considering the positive therapeutic effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced mastitis in goats presented in this study as well as the anti-inflammatory activity found previously, the botanical Rg1 deserves further study as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of E. coli mastitis in dairy animals.

Medicolegal Identification of Medical Malpractices in Orthopaedic Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the characteristics of medical malpractices in orthopaedic surgeries, to explore principles and methods in medical legal identification, and to provide basic data for uniform medicolegal standard for the future medical identification. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 cases of medical malpractices in orthopaedic surgery, among the 364 cases archived in Medicolegal Expertise Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University during 2002-2015. RESULTS: In the 100 cases of orthopedic medical malpractices, with 104 hospitals involved in, 95 cases were judged with medical errors and the other 9 cases with no error. The top 3 reasons for errors were （1） inadequate observation or estimation of diseases （27.9%）, （2） intraoperative improper operation （17.3%）, and （3） delayed or missed diagnosis and treatment （12.5%）. The consequences of medical malpractices were mostly disability （61%）, followed by prolonged diseases （31%） and death （8%）. With regard to the causal relationship between medical errors and consequences, 95 cases （91.4%） were with causality and the other 9 cases （8.6%） with no causality. Specifically, 56 cases （53.9%） were with medical errors as the secondary causes accounting for 25% causative potency, and 20 cases （19.2%） were with medical errors as the major causes accounting for 75% causative potency. CONCLUSIONS: It is pivotally important for determining the causative potency of medical errors to analyse the causes of damages in orthopaedic surgery and to distinguish subjective factors from objective ones of medical errors.

Time-resolved photoion imaging spectroscopy: Determining energy distribution in multiphoton absorption experiments.

We propose an approach to determine the excitation energy distribution due to multiphoton absorption in the case of excited systems following decays to produce different ion species. This approach is based on the measurement of the time-resolved photoion position spectrum by using velocity map imaging spectrometry and an unfocused laser beam with a low fluence and homogeneous profile. Such a measurement allows us to identify the species and the origin of each ion detected and to depict the energy distribution using a pure Poisson's equation involving only one variable which is proportional to the absolute photon absorption cross section. A cascade decay model is used to build direct connections between the energy distribution and the probability to detect each ionic species. Comparison between experiments and simulations permits the energy distribution and accordingly the absolute photon absorption cross section to be determined. This approach is illustrated using C60 as an example. It may therefore be extended to a wide variety of molecules and clusters having decay mechanisms similar to those of fullerene molecules.

RIGID GRAPH COMPRESSION: MOTIF-BASED RIGIDITY ANALYSIS FOR DISORDERED FIBER NETWORKS.

Using particle-scale models to accurately describe property enhancements and phase transitions in macroscopic behavior is a major engineering challenge in composite materials science. To address some of these challenges, we use the graph theoretic property of rigidity to model mechanical reinforcement in composites with stiff rod-like particles. We develop an efficient algorithmic approach called rigid graph compression (RGC) to describe the transition from floppy to rigid in disordered fiber networks ("rod-hinge systems"), which form the reinforcing phase in many composite systems. To establish RGC on a firm theoretical foundation, we adapt rigidity matroid theory to identify primitive topological network motifs that serve as rules for composing interacting rigid particles into larger rigid components. This approach is computationally efficient and stable, because RGC requires only topological information about rod interactions (encoded by a sparse unweighted network) rather than geometrical details such as rod locations or pairwise distances (as required in rigidity matroid theory). We conduct numerical experiments on simulated two-dimensional rod-hinge systems to demonstrate that RGC closely approximates the rigidity percolation threshold for such systems, through comparison with the pebble game algorithm (which is exact in two dimensions). Importantly, whereas the pebble game is derived from Laman's condition and is only valid in two dimensions, the RGC approach naturally extends to higher dimensions.

[Occurrence of radiation-induced injury in vagina after radical radiotherapy of cervical cancer and its affecting factors].

Objective: To investigate the occurrence and degree of radiation-induced injury in vagina after radical radiotherapy of cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 282 cases of patients with cervical cancer were collected from November 2016 to September 2017. All of the above patients underwent radical radiotherapy from 2008 to 2017 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. The patients' International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging (2009) , brachytherapy dose, whether receive synchronous chemotherapy or not, age and body mass index (BMI) for the occurrence and severity of vaginal radiation injury at different time periods were analyzed by cross-sectional survey method. The single factor would be analyzed by the method of Chi-square test and the multiple factors would be analyzed by logistic regression method to checkout. Results: Of the 282 patients, the incidence of radiation-injury in vaginal was 84.4% (238/282) , with the incidence rate of degree Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ radiation injury were respectively 50.7% (143/282), 29.8% (84/282) and 3.9% (11/282; χ(2)=153.375, P<0.05) , and there was no degree Ⅳ. Until the end of the follow-up time, the incidence of radiation-induced injury in vaginal after completing the treatment within 1 year, 1-2 years,>2-<5 years and ≥5 years were respectively 80.0% (24/30) , 87.2% (102/117) , 88.2% (60/68) and 77.6% (52/67; χ(2)=4.231, P=0.238) . There were 30 cases be followed within 1 year after treatment, the incidence rate of degreeⅠ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ of radiation injury in vagina was 60.0% (18/30) , 20.0% (6/30) and 0, respectively (χ(2)=28.636, P<0.05). There were 117 cases be followed between 1-2 years after treatment, the incidence rate of degreeⅠ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ vaginal radiation-induced injury were 54.7% (64/117) , 29.9% (35/117) and 2.6% (3/117) , respectively (χ(2)=77.198, P<0.05) . There were 68 cases be followed between >2-<5 years after treatment, the incidence rate of degree Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ vaginal radiation-induced injury were 51.5% (35/68) ,33.8% (23/68) and 2.9% (2/68) , respectively (χ(2)=39.525, P<0.05) . There were 67 cases be followed ≥5 years after treatment, the incidence rate of degree Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ vaginal radiation injury were 38.8% (26/67) , 29.9% (20/67) and 9.0% (6/67) , respectively (χ(2)=16.395, P<0.05) . The single-factor analysis result indicated that the brachytherapy dose had an obvious effect on vaginal radiation-induced injury (χ(2)=5.344, P=0.021) ; however, other factors, such as age, BMI, FIGO stages and synchronous chemotherapy, had no obvious effect on vaginal radiation-induced injury (all P>0.05) . The multifactor analysis indicated that the brachytherapy dose was an independent factor affecting the occurrence of vaginal radiation-induced injury (P=0.043) . Conclusion: After the radical radiotherapy of cervical cancer, the vaginal radiation-induced injury is associated with the dose of brachytherapy.

[Clinicopathologic characteristics of pseudomyxoma peritonei].

Objective: To analyze the relationship between clinicopathologic characteristics of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and its prognosis. Methods: Fifty-two cases of PMP collected from 2012 to 2017 at Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University were reviewed using the diagnostic criteria of WHO 2010. The histopathologic features, including original location, neural invasion and calcification were observed; and the relationship with prognosis was analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining for CK7, CK20 and CDX2 was performed on all cases. ER, PR, and p16 were additionally performed on those without clear origin. Results: Patients' mean age was 52.0 years, and included 29 males and 23 females. Thirty-two cases were derived from appendix; among them, 23 were low grade and 29 were high grade. Signet ring-cells, neural invasion and calcification were detected in 15, 12 and 9 cases respectively. Neural invasion was associated with adverse prognosis (P=0.025) and signet ring cell morphology (P<0.01). Prognosis was not related to gender, age, original location or grade. Conclusion: Neural invasion is not uncommon in PMP and predicts a bad prognosis.