[Analysis of clinical epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus in children in a hospital of pediatric in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2023].

Objective: To explore the clinical epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus in children in Hubei Province from 2020 to 2023. Method: A single-center and cross-sectional study was used to analyze the clinical data of 3 271 children with respiratory syncytial virus infection in Wuhan Children's Hospital affiliated to Huazhong University of Science and Technology from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. Nonparametric rank sum test and χ2 test were used for comparative analysis. Results: From July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023, a total of 25 583 children were included in the analysis, of which 3 271(12.8%) children infected RSV. The detection rate was 16.3% in 2020-2021, 14.7% in 2021-2022 and 9.1% in 2022-2023. The detection rate decreased year by year (χ2=222.054, P<0.05). From 2020 to 2023, there was an anti-seasonal epidemic of RSV in spring and autumn. The detection rate of RSV in infants under 1 year old was the highest, but the median ages of RSV positive children increased (H=140.575, P<0.05). Pneumonia was the main clinical manifestation of RSV respiratory tract infection. Conclusion: The epidemiological characteristics of RSV in children in Hubei Province were different from those before. From 2020 to 2023, the detection rate of RSV decreased year by year. Besides winter, the prevalence of RSV could also be seen in spring and autumn. The median age of children infected with RSV increased after the epidemic. Pneumonia was the main clinical manifestation after RSV infection.

[Environmental influences on food allergy].

Food allergy is an abnormal immune response triggered by food allergens, resulting in symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, gastroesophageal reflux, pruritus, dyspnea, and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock and mortality. The prevalence of food allergy varies within the population, with a significantly higher incidence observed among children compared to adults. This escalating trend in pediatric food allergy has emerged as a prominent concern jeopardizing children's well-being, thus prompting extensive investigations within the realm of global public health. Over the past three decades, there has been a progressive increase in the global prevalence of food allergy, accompanied by a heightened severity of allergic manifestations. Environmental factors have been identified as crucial determinants in this escalating phenomenon. Extensive research has demonstrated the pivotal role played by the environment in both the onset and progression of food allergies. The present article aims to consolidate the effects of diverse environmental factors on food allergy, elucidating their underlying mechanisms. Emphasis is placed on delineating the impact of distinct environmental factors on food allergy, thereby furnishing valuable insights for comprehending the risk factors associated with this condition. Furthermore, this comprehensive analysis contributes to the advancement of scientific strategies for the prevention and management of food allergy, promoting the development and advancement of preventive medicine.

[Long-term outcome of EVAHEART I implantable ventricular assist device for the treatment of end stage heart failure: clinical 3-year follow-up results of 15 cases].

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of the implantable ventricular assist system EVAHEART I in clinical use. Methods: Fifteen consecutive patients with end-stage heart failure who received left ventricular assist device therapy in Fuwai Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were enrolled in this study, their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Cardiac function, liver and kidney function, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, 6-minute walk distance and quality of life were evaluated before implantation and at 1, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after device implantation. Drive cable infection, hemolysis, cerebrovascular events, mechanical failure, abnormally high-power consumption and abnormal pump flow were recorded during follow up. Results: All 15 patients were male, mean average age was (43.0±7.5) years, including 11 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, 2 cases of ischemic cardiomyopathy, and 2 cases of valvular heart disease. All patients were hemodynamically stable on more than one intravenous vasoactive drugs, and 3 patients were supported by preoperative intra aortic balloon pump (IABP). Compared with before device implantation, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) was significantly decreased ((80.93±6.69) mm vs. (63.73±6.31) mm, P<0.05), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), total bilirubin and creatinine were also significantly decreased ((3 544.85±1 723.77) ng/L vs. (770.80±406.39) ng/L; (21.28±10.51) µmol/L vs. (17.39±7.68) µmol/L; (95.82±34.88) µmol/L vs. (77.32±43.81) µmol/L; P<0.05) at 1 week after device implantation. All patients in this group were in NYHA class Ⅳ before implantation, and 9 patients could recover to NYHA class Ⅲ, 3 to class Ⅱ, and 3 to class Ⅰ at 1 month after operation. All patients recovered to class Ⅰ-Ⅱ at 6 months after operation. The 6-minute walk distance, total quality of life and visual analogue scale were significantly increased and improved at 1 month after implantation compared with those before operation (P<0.05). All patients were implanted with EVAHEART I at speeds between 1 700-1 950 rpm, flow rates between 3.2-4.5 L/min, power consumption of 3-9 W. The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 100%, 87%, and 80%, respectively. Three patients died of multiple organ failure at 412, 610, and 872 d after surgery, respectively. During long-term device carrying, 3 patients developed drive cable infection on 170, 220, and 475 d after surgery, respectively, and were cured by dressing change. One patient underwent heart transplantation at 155 d after surgery due to bacteremia. Three patients developed transient ischemic attack and 1 patient developed hemorrhagic stroke events, all cured without sequelae. Conclusion: EVAHEART I implantable left heart assist system can effectively treat critically ill patients with end-stage heart failure, can be carried for long-term life and significantly improve the survival rate, with clear clinical efficacy.

[Prevalence and risk factors of osteoarthritis in patients with type 2 diabetes in Beijing, China from 2015 to 2017].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prevalence and related factors of osteoarthritis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and provided a scientific basis for the prevention of the comorbidity. METHODS: The data were obtained from the database of all designated medical institutions in Beijing from 2015 to 2017. Data of the adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were collected for descriptive analysis, and a Logistic regression model was used to explore the related factors of osteoarthritis in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: A total of 1 046 264 diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus adult patients were included in our study, with an average age of 63.07 years, and 50.78% were males. Among the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, there were 341 561 cases with osteoarthritis, and the prevalence of osteoarthritis was 32.65%. The prevalence of females (38.05%) was higher than that of males (27.41%), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Osteoarthritis occurred in all age groups among the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with the highest prevalence of osteoarthritis in the age group of 65-69 years (36.76%), and the lowest prevalence in the age group ≤44 years (14.3%). Before the age of 70, the prevalence increased with age. Further analysis of related factors for osteoarthritis in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus showed that female (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.61-1.63), age (OR=1.01, 95%CI: 1.01-1.01), had other comorbidities (OR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.18-1.21), used hypoglycemic drugs (OR=0.79, 95%CI: 0.78-0.80), having the cardiovascular disease (OR=1.13, 95%CI: 1.11-1.15), having cerebrovascular disease (OR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.23-1.28), and having nephropathy (OR=1.61, 95%CI: 1.51-1.71) were associated with the osteoarthritis in the type 2 diabetic mellitus patients. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that the prevalence of osteoarthritis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is high in Beijing area. Health education and disease monitoring should be strengthened in middle-aged and elderly patients. Screening for comorbidities should be carried out as soon as possible, with the focus on menopausal women.

[Establishment and validation of prognosis predictive model using m6A RNA methylation regulators in children acute myeloid leukemia].

Objective: To figure out the association between the expression of m6A RNA methylation regulators and the prognosis of children AML, and provide genetic markers for monitoring the progression and recurrence of AML. Methods: Twenty two m6A RNA methylation regulators were firstly analyzed using the data from Therapeutically Applicable Research To Generate Effective Treatments(TARGET) database and The Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx) database, Wilcoxon rank test was performed to analyze the differentially expression of m6A RNA methylation regulators between the AML and normal tissue, 296 AML children were divided into training cohort and validation cohort by simple random sampling method, Lasso regression was used to screen out the risk factors and the multivariate Cox regression was applied for establishing prognosis predicting model in training cohort. Kaplan-Meier survival curve, time-dependent ROC curve and multivariate Cox regression were used to estimate the efficiency of risk score calculated by predictive model in validation cohort. Results: Twenty one m6A genes were up regulated in AML compared to Normal patients. Five m6A RNA methylation regulators(ZC3H13, YTHDC2, HNRNPA2B1, METTL3, METTL5) were included in final predicting model. Risk score could independently predict the survival of AML patients in training cohort(HR:2.72, 95%CI: 1.54-4.81, P=0.000 6) and validation cohort(HR:2.01, 95%CI:1.14-3.50, P=0.016). Low-risk patients had better prognoses than high-risk patients both in training cohort(P=0.001 9) and validation cohort(P=0.023). Conclusion: This prognosis predicting model constructed by m6A RNA methylation regulators could independently predict the survival prognosis in AML children, and should be helpful for clinical therapy.

[Clinical application value of transthoracic echocardiography during perioperative period in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation].

Objective: To observe the changes of parameters derived from transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) before and after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, and to evaluate the clinical value of TTE in the perioperative period of LVAD implantation. Methods: This is a retrospective study. The data of patients who underwent LVAD implantation in Fuwai Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The TTE parameters, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and total bilirubin (TBil) before and 1 month after LVAD implantation were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 12 male patients undergoing LVAD implantation were included in this study. The mean age was (43.3±8.6) years. The left atrial volume index ((41.4±12.8)ml/m2 vs. (74.9±30.7)ml/m2, P<0.001), left ventricular end-diastolic volume index ((152.1±35.3)ml/m2 vs. (205.5±35.7)ml/m2, P<0.001), left ventricular end-systolic volume index ((112.5±27.9)ml/m2 vs. (155.1±29.1)ml/m2, P<0.001), right atrial diameter index ((23.7±3.5)mm/m2 vs. (27.2±5.8)mm/m2, P=0.023), right ventricular internal diameter at end-diastole ((24.6±2.7)mm vs. (30.0±4.8)mm, P<0.001), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion ((11.5±2.9)mm vs. (14.6±2.8)mm, P=0.007), systolic pulmonary arterial pressure ((29.2±4.8) mmHg vs. (55.1±19.3) mmHg, P<0.001, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) were significantly reduced at 1 month post LVAD implantation as compared to before LVAD implantation. The aortic sinus diameter ((33.8±4.7)mm vs. (31.6±5.1)mm, P=0.007), left ventricular ejection fraction ((26.3±3.0)% vs. (23.8±4.4)%, P=0.016), right ventricular fractional area change ((31.0±8.6)% vs. (23.8±5.5)%, P=0.004) at 1 month post LVAD implantation were significantly higher than before LVAD implantation. The degree of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation decreased, and the inspiratory collapse rate of inferior vena cava increased (all P<0.05). NT-proBNP ((1 418.4±812.6)ng/L vs. (5 097.5±3 940.4)ng/L, P=0.004) and TBil ((12.4±5.4)µmol/L vs. (27.5±14.0)µmol/L, P=0.001) decreased significantly at 1 month post LVAD implantation. Conclusions: TTE results show that LVAD could effectively relieve left ventricular load and improve right ventricular function. TTE can monitor the cardiac structural and functional changes during the perioperative period of LVAD implantation, and provide the imaging evidence for clinical evaluation of the therapeutic effect of LVAD.

Association of FLAIR vascular hyperintensity and acute MCA stroke outcome changes with the severity of leukoaraiosis.

PURPOSE: The clinical significance of FLAIR vascular hyperintensity (FVH), a marker of collateral circulation in ischaemic stroke, remains controversial. We hypothesised that the association between FVH and outcomes varies with the severity of leukoaraiosis (LA), another marker of collaterals, and that their combined significance may vary with time. METHODS: We included 459 consecutive patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke. Proximal and distal FVHs were distinguished based on location. LA was divided into two grades, according to Fazekas scores of 0-2 and 3-6. Symptom-to-MRI time was divided into two categories: ≤ 14 days and ≥ 15 days. RESULTS: We found no difference in FVH proportion according to LA grade. Multivariate analysis revealed that LA and FVH status were independently associated with unfavourable outcomes (modified Rankin scale ≥ 2) in patients with symptom-to-MRI times ≤ 14 days (P = 0.008), but not in those with symptom-to-MRI times ≥15 days (P = 0.61). In the group with symptom-to-MRI times ≤14 days, patients with LA 3-6 and FVH(+) (OR, 3.044; 95% CI, 1.116-8.305) were more likely to have unfavourable clinical outcomes compared with patients with LA 0-2 and FVH(+) but not compared with those with LA 0-2 and FVH(-) or LA 3-6 and FVH(-). In addition, FVH location did not influence the relationship between FVH and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The association between FVH and outcomes was influenced by the degree of LA in the acute but not in the subacute and chronic stages of MCA infarction. FVH predicts clinical outcomes independently only in those with more extensive LA.

Serum soluble RAGE level inversely correlates with left ventricular hypertrophy in essential hypertension patients.

Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) acts as a decoy to prevent interaction between RAGE and its pro-inflammatory ligands. sRAGE levels have been found to decrease in chronic inflammatory diseases, including hypertension. However, few data have been reported concerning the association between serum sRAGE levels and hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Fasting blood samples were obtained from 209 essential hypertensive patients, and sRAGE levels were measured using a commercially available double-sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. All patients underwent complete transthoracic echocardiographic examination. LVH was defined as a left ventricular mass index >115 g/m(2) for men and >95 g/m(2) for women. Eighty-one hypertensive patients (38.76%) were categorized in the LVH(+) group. Age (P = 0.009), hypertension duration (P = 0.013), triglyceride levels (P = 0.028), and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.026) were higher, and sRAGE and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower in the LVH(+) group compared with the LVH(-) group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sRAGE level [odds ratio (OR) = 0.916; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.864-0.984; P = 0.003], hypertension duration (OR = 1.024; 95%CI = 1.003-1.052; P = 0.027), and triglyceride level (OR = 1.017; 95%CI = 1.005-1.039; P = 0.018) were independent predictors of LVH in hypertensive patients. In conclusion, serum sRAGE level was inversely associated with LVH in hypertensive patients.

[The clinical and imaging features of 118 patients with spontaneous cerebral arterial dissections presenting with ischemic stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical and radiologic features of patients with spontaneous cerebral arterial dissections (CADs) presenting with ischemic stroke and to explore the effect of gender and age on those features. METHODS: Patients admitted to our stroke center diagnosed as ischemic stroke secondary to CADs from August 2008 to April 2015 were prospectively registered. Patients aged between 15 to 80 years old, who had acute brain infarcts within the territory of a major cerebral artery affected by a dissection confirmed by the neuroradiological examinations, were enrolled in the study. The followings were the exclusion criteria: (1) there were any potential causes for the brain infarcts other than CADs; (2) CADs were the results of a definite cause; (3) the clinical data were incomplete. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients were enrolled in the study with the mean age of (44.2±12.8) years old. There were 87 men (73.7%) and 67 patients (56.8%) aged under 45 years old. Smoking (41.5%), hypertension (25.4%) and hypercholesterolemia (21.2%) were the three leading risk factors for stroke. Hypercholesterolemia was more common in the male patients (25.3% vs 9.7%, P=0.021), whereas hypertension (39.2% vs 14.9%, P=0.005) and diabetes (25.5% vs 4.5%, P=0.002) were more common in the patients aged 45 years or older. Headache or neck pain before or at the onset of stroke was more common in the female patients (67.7% vs 34.5%, P=0.002). A total of 71 patients were found with CADs of the anterior circulation, while 47 patients with that of the posterior circulation. The involvement of the intra and extracranial arteries were documented in 59 and 59 patients, respectively. The middle cerebral artery (MCA) was the most common site in the intracranial dissection and more MCA dissections were observed in the male patients (46.3% vs 11.1%, P=0.016). The dissection of intracranial carotid artery was more common in patients aged under 45 years old (38.7% vs 0, P<0.001). Lumen status of CADs often presented as stenosis (43.2%) and occlusion (41.2%), while less aneurysm (5.9%) and aneurysm with stenosis (9.3%) were observed. Aneurysm was found to be more common in patients aged 45 years or older (11.8% vs 1.5%, P=0.042). CONCLUSION: Chinese patients with spontaneous CADs presenting with ischemic stroke have unique clinical and imaging features, which correlated with age and gender.

[Influencing factors of visual hallucinations in patients with Parkinson's disease and its relationship with sleep disorders].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of visual hallucinations in patients with Parkinson's disease(PD), and to analyze the relationship between visual hallucinations and sleep disorders. METHODS: We recruited 187 patients with PD(H-Y Ⅰ-Ⅲ) from outpatient department in Beijing Hospital. The patients were investigated for general information and the use of medicine. The patients were divided into visual hallucination(VH) group and non-hallucination(non-VH) group. A comparison study was conducted between two groups. We investigated the sleep disorders of PD patients according to Non Motor Symptom Quest(NMSquest) and Parkinson's disease sleep scale(PDSS). Logistic stepwise multiple regression procedures were used to determine the best predictive model of visual hallucinations in patients with PD. RESULTS: (1) 42 cases(22.5%) of PD patients were accompanied by visual hallucinations; (2) the VH group and non-VH group had no difference in age, sex, duration of illness, the scores of Minimum Mental State Examination(MMSE) and levodopa equivalent doses (LED). The scores of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS) Ⅰ, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety(HAMA) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAMD) in VH group were significantly higher than those in non-VH group[3.5(2, 5) vs 2 (1, 3); 10(6.75, 15) vs 8(5, 11); 11(7.75, 17) vs 9(5, 13); P<0.05]; (3) the incidences of vivid dreams and REM sleep behavior disorder(RBD) in VH group were significantly higher than those in non-VH group(61.9% vs 40.7%, 71.4% vs 47.6%, P<0.05). There were no significant differences in incidences of excessive daytime sleepiness and restless legs between two groups(P>0.05). The score of PDSS in VH group was significantly lower than that in non-VH group[111(92.75, 128.25) vs 123(109, 135), P<0.05]; (4) the Logistic stepwise multiple regression revealed that vivid dreams(P=0.045) and the score of PDSS(P=0.006) were the independent influencing factors for VH in PD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of VH in PD with H-Y staging Ⅰ-Ⅱ is 22.5%. The presence of vivid dreams and severe sleep disorder are independently associated with VH in PD.

Association of heat shock protein 70 expression with rat myocardial cell damage during heat stress in vitro and in vivo.

To investigate the mechanism of sudden death as a result of stress-induced damage to heart tissue and myocardial cells and to investigate the cardioprotective role of Hsp70 during heat stress, the distribution and expression of Hsp70 was evaluated in the heart cells of heat-stressed rats in vivo and heat-stressed H9c2 cells in vitro. After exposure to heat stress at 42°C for different durations, we observed a significant induction of CK, CK-MB, and LDH as well as pathologic lesions characterized by acute degeneration, suggesting that cell damage occurs from the onset of heat stress. Immunocytochemistry showed that Hsp70 was distributed mainly in the cytoplasm of myocardial cells in vivo and in vitro. Hsp70-positive signals in the cytoplasm were more prominent in intact areas than in degenerated areas after 60 min of heat stress. Hsp70 protein levels in myocardial cells in vitro decreased from the beginning to the end of heat stress. Hsp70 protein levels in rat heart tissues in vivo decreased gradually with prolonged heat stress, with a slight increase at the beginning of heat stress. These results indicate that Hsp70 plays a role in the response of cardiac cells to heat stress and that decreased Hsp70 levels are associated with damage to rat myocardial cells in vitro and in vivo. Significant differences were found in hsp70 mRNA, which began to increase after 20 min of heat stress in vitro and after 40 min in vivo. This indicates that hysteresis is involved in mRNA expression after heat stress in vivo.

Phase-space dynamics of ionization injection in plasma-based accelerators.

The evolution of beam phase space in ionization injection into plasma wakefields is studied using theory and particle-in-cell simulations. The injection process involves both longitudinal and transverse phase mixing, leading initially to a rapid emittance growth followed by oscillation, decay, and a slow growth to saturation. An analytic theory for this evolution is presented and verified through particle-in-cell simulations. This theory includes the effects of injection distance (time), acceleration distance, wakefield structure, and nonlinear space charge forces, and it also shows how ultralow emittance beams can be produced using ionization injection methods.

Confirmation of soybean plastid rRNAs by formaldehyde denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis.

Owing to their prokaryotic origin, plastid rRNAs are mainly 23s/16s/5s rRNAs. We present a novel plant RNA isolation method in this paper. Also, not only the eukaryotic 28s (26s, 25s)/18s rRNAs but the prokaryotic 26s/23s rRNAs as well were demonstrated in a single sample for the first time by formaldehyde denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis.

Evaluation of Hsp47 expression in heat-stressed rat myocardial cells in vitro and in vivo.

The aim of the present study was to identify the correlation between expression of heat shock protein 47 (Hsp47) and stress injury in heat-stressed myocardial cells and to compare variations in Hsp47 expression in rat myocardial cells exposed to different heat stress for varying periods in vitro and in vivo. Exposure to heat stress at 42°C resulted in similar induction patterns of the heart damage-related enzyme aspartate aminotransferase in the supernatants of H9c2 cells and in the serum of rats. Histological analysis revealed that both H9c2 cells and heart tissues displayed cellular degeneration in response to different periods of heat stress. Hsp47 was constitutively expressed in the cytoplasm of H9c2 cells at all time points during heat stress, which was consistent with observations in heart fibers in vivo. Immunoblotting analysis revealed no significant difference between the expression of Hsp47 in H9c2 cells and heart tissue. However, the expression of hsp47 mRNA in response to heat stress was significantly increased in H9c2 cells at 60 min (P < 0.01) and 100 min (P < 0.01), which was comparable to that at 100 min (P < 0.01) in the rat heart. Thus, Hsp47 was elevated significantly after hyperthermia at the mRNA level but not at the protein level both in vitro and in vivo. The results suggest that Hsp47 turnover may increase during heat stress or that Hsp47 consumption exceeds its production.

Treatment of seawater immersion-complicated open-knee joint fracture.

The current study aimed to select suitable remedies for seawater immersion-complicated open-knee joint fracture by exploring the effects of different treatment methods. Forty adult rabbits weighing 2.20 ± 0.25 kg were divided equally into internal fracture fixation group (A), seawater-immersed group with primary internal fixation (B), seawater-immersed group with secondary internal fixation (C), and seawater-immersed group with external fixation (D), using the random-digit table method. Open-femoral internal condylar fracture models were established. Group A was left untreated for 2 h, whereas the other three groups were subjected to seawater immersion for 2 h. Afterwards, groups A and B underwent debridement and steel plate and screw internal fixation. Group C underwent debridement and external fixation, which was followed by secondary steel plate and screw internal fixation after the wound healed. Group D underwent transarticular arthrodesis. Wound infection, joint functional rehabilitation, and radiological and histopathological changes in fracture healing in each group were assessed. The results showed that delayed internal fixation effectively reduces the infection rate of seawater immersion-complicated open fracture and benefits joint function rehabilitation.

Association of Hsp60 expression with damage to rat myocardial cells exposed to heat stress in vivo and in vitro.

To investigate the protective role of Hsp60 against stress damage and its role in the sudden death of stressed animals, changes in the levels of Hsp60 protein and hsp60 mRNA of myocardial cells in vivo and in vitro were studied. In addition, the relationship between Hsp60 expression and heat-induced damage was also studied. Rats were exposed to a temperature of 42° ± 1°C for 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100 min. More than 50% of the rats died suddenly within 100 min. With increasing heat stress duration, hsp60 mRNA levels significantly increased in both in vivo and in vitro rat myocardial cells; however, a similar trend was not observed for Hsp60 protein levels. Although the changes observed in Hsp60 expression in myocardial cells in vitro were inconsistent with those of rat heart tissues in vivo, Hsp60 expression levels were consistent with the histopathological damage observed in myocardial cells both in vivo and in vitro. Differences in Hsp60 expression may reflect the degree of injury sustained by myocardial cells in vivo and in vitro. As a mitochondrial protein, Hsp60 represents a potential biomarker of heat stress, and may protect against heat stress induced myocardial cellular damage both in vivo and in vitro.

Generating high-brightness electron beams via ionization injection by transverse colliding lasers in a plasma-wakefield accelerator.

The production of ultrabright electron bunches using ionization injection triggered by two transversely colliding laser pulses inside a beam-driven plasma wake is examined via three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The relatively low intensity lasers are polarized along the wake axis and overlap with the wake for a very short time. The result is that the residual momentum of the ionized electrons in the transverse plane of the wake is reduced, and the injection is localized along the propagation axis of the wake. This minimizes both the initial thermal emittance and the emittance growth due to transverse phase mixing. Simulations show that ultrashort (~8 fs) high-current (0.4 kA) electron bunches with a normalized emittance of 8.5 and 6 nm in the two planes, respectively, and a brightness of 1.7×10(19) A rad(-2) m(-2) can be obtained for realistic parameters.

Re-analysis of expression profiles for revealing new potential candidate genes of heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (HF) is characterized by diminished cardiac output and pooling of blood in the venous system. AIM: We used the GSE1145 microarray data to identify potential genes that related to heart failure to construct a regulation network. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the network, some of transcription factors (TFs) and target genes have been proved to be related to heart failure in previous study. The gene MYC, RELA, HIF1A, NFκB1 and SMAD3 are as hub nodes in our transcriptional network and have a close relationship with heart failure. RESULTS: The study did not address regulation network but researched for the significant pathways related to chronic heart failure. Besides, RELA and NFκB1 interfere with each other in response to HF. CONCLUSIONS: It is demonstrated that transcriptional network analysis is useful in identification of the candidate genes in heart failure.

A generic plant RNA isolation method suitable for RNA-Seq and suppression subtractive hybridization.

A recently developed revolutionary approach to transcriptomics, RNA-Seq, and suppression subtractive hybridization are powerful tools for gene expression research. However, currently, the difficulty of isolating high-quality RNAs from plant tissues bearing abundant complex polysaccharides, polyphenolics, and secondary metabolites is a serious problem that not only limits the application of these technologies but also hinders studies dealing with RNA in general. We have developed a consistent protocol to prepare highly intact and pure RNAs from tissues of a variety of field-grown plant species, with high yields, in 2 to 3 h. Additionally, this method can be readily applied to mammalian, yeast, and bacterial cells.