Limosilactobacillus reuteri peptidoglycan alleviates aflatoxin B1-induced toxicity through adsorbing toxins and improving growth, antioxidant status, immunity and liver pathological changes in chicks.

1. The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of a peptidoglycan produced by Limosilactobacillus reuteri against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) induced toxicity in vitro and in vivo in broiler chicks.2. Toxin adsorption experiments were carried out firstly in vitro. These experiments indicated that the absorption efficiency of the peptidoglycan for AFB1 was 64.3-75.9%.3. In the in vivo experiments, Hy-Line Brown chicks were fed a diet containing AFB1 at 71.43 µg/kg with and without peptidoglycan supplementation at concentrations of 100, 200, or 300 g/kg feed from 0-42 d of age.4. The peptidoglycan supplementation in AFB1-contaminated diets resulted in significant improvements in terms of average daily gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, white blood cell count, haemoglobin content, glutathione peroxidase activity, immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgG, IgM and Newcastle disease virus antibody titres (p < 0.05) and diminished liver steatosis.5. In conclusion, peptidoglycan supplementation alleviated AFB1-induced toxicity through adsorbing toxins and improving growth performance, antioxidant ability, immunity and liver pathological changes in chicks. The optimal supplemental dose was 200 mg/kg in feed.

[Predictive value of plasma PCSK9 levels in acute myocardial infarction patients without reperfusion therapy for recurrence of cardiovascular events within 1 year].

Objective: To assess whether acute-phase plasma PCSK9 levels predict recurrent cardiovascular (CV) events in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients without receiving reperfusion therapy. Methods: Plasma PCSK9 levels were measured during the acute phase (≤24 hours) in 882 patients who did not undergo reperfusion therapy from the China PEACE-Prospective AMI Study (2012-2014). Associations of acute-phase PCSK9 tertiles with patient characteristics and recurrent CV events at 1 year were assessed using multivariable logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: Female gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36-5.98), premature coronary heart disease (CHD) (OR 2.82, 95%CI 1.43-5.53), higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (OR 1.69, 95%CI 1.35-2.13), and higher triglycerides (OR 1.93, 95%CI 1.10-3.38) were associated with higher baseline PCSK9 levels. Patients with PCSK9 levels in the highest tertile (versus lowest) did not have an increased risk of 1-year recurrent CV events (HR 0.77, 95%CI 0.44-1.34). Conclusion: Acute-phase plasma PCSK9 levels are associated with levels of inflammation and triglycerides, premature CHD, and gender in AMI patients without reperfusion therapy, however it do not predict recurrent CV events at 1 year.

[Awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in 640 000 adults in eastern China].

Objective: To understand the awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in residents aged 35-75 years in eastern China, analyze the treatment mode for antihypertensive agents while identifying those factors affecting awareness, treatment and control. Methods: The data collected in eastern China from the China Patient-Centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events (PEACE) Million Persons Project were used to obtain the information about the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the residents and the antihypertensive medication treatment mode in this area. Multilevel mixed-effects model was used to explore the association of the demographic characteristics of hypertension patients with the rates of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension. Results: A total of 640 539 participants aged 35-75 years, mean age (56.9±9.6) years, were included in the analysis, women accounted for 59.7% and 318 741 (49.8%) of the participants suffered from hypertension. Among those hypertensive patients, 46.5% were aware of their condition, 38.1% were taking prescribed antihypertensive medications, and 11.1% had achieved the control of hypertension, the differences were significant among provinces, between urban area and rural area and among different demographical groups. Calcium-channel blockers was the most commonly used medication (45.1%), and 78 735 hypertension patients (86.2%) took only one type of medication. Older age, higher household income, higher level of education, and histories of myocardial infarction, stroke and diabetes were associated with higher awareness, treatment and control of hypertension (P<0.05). Conclusions: The rates of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were low in residents in eastern China. The differences in hypertension management were significant among provinces and between urban area and rural area. Further efforts are needed to enhance the system of hypertension prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment.

[Effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on pain of patients in expansion process of skin soft tissue dilator on forehead by water injection].

Objective: To explore the effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on pain of patients in expansion process of skin soft tissue dilator on forehead by water injection. Methods: From June 2016 to June 2017, 100 patients in expansion process of skin soft tissue dilator on forehead by water injection meeting the inclusion criteria were admitted to Outpatient Department of Orthopedic Surgery of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. There were 43 men and 57 women among the patients, aged 27 to 55 years, and the prospective randomized controlled study was performed on them. The patients were divided into TEAS nursing group and routine nursing group according to the random number table, with 50 patients in each group. Patients in routine nursing group were performed with routine nursing in every water injection in outpatient department and 2 days later. On the basis of routine nursing, patients in TEAS nursing group were performed with TEAS treatment by responsible nurses in each water injection in outpatient department. The Shangxing, Diwei, and Hegu points were positioned accurately, and electrical stimulation was performed on the 3 points simultaneously by pulse acupuncture treatment instrument, with 30 minutes each time. Two days after every water injection of outpatient department, TEAS nursing was performed at home by patients and their family members under remote guidance of the responsible nurses, with 2 times each day and 30 minutes each time. Besides, follow-up was done by phone by the responsible nurses everyday. The nursing of patients in the 2 groups lasted the whole expansion process. After the expansion process, the overall pain degree and the most severe pain degree of patients during expansion process were scored by numerical rating scale, and the overall comfort degree and its dimensions of patients during expansion process were scored by the responsible nurses every day by simplified Comfort Status Scale. Data were processed with independent sample t test and chi-square test. Results: During expansion process, the overall pain score degree and the most severe pain degree score of patients in TEAS nursing group were (5.4±1.2) and (6.5±1.0) points, which were significantly lower than (6.1±1.3) and (7.5±1.4) points of patients in routine nursing group (t=-2.62, -4.00, P<0.05 or P<0.01). During expansion process, the physiological dimension, sociocultural dimension, psychological spirit dimension, environmental dimension, and total score of the overall comfort degree of patients in TEAS nursing group were (9.6±2.9), (20.1±2.8), (29.1±1.9), (22±3), and (80±6) points, significantly higher than (5.7±2.1), (16.8±2.8), (26.0±2.8), (21±4), and (69±8) points of patients in routine nursing group (t=8.03, 6.35, 7.60, 2.11, 10.64, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: TEAS with appropriate intensity, frequency, and duration can alleviate the pain of patients during expansion process of skin soft tissue dilator on forehead by water injection and improve their comfort degree.

[Analysis of the influence of iron overload in glucose metabolism in thalassemia major patients].

Objective: This study aimed at determining the characteristics of the glucose homeostasis and its relationship with iron overload of the patients with ß-thalassemia major (ß-TM). Method: From Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital between January 2014 and December 2015, a total of 57 transfusion-dependent ß-TM patients with 5-18 years old were enrolled in this study and fasting blood glucose(FBG) and insulin level, serum ferritin (SF), serum iron, transferrin, total iron binding capacity, unsaturated iron binding capacity were determined.Insulin resistance index (IRI), insulin sensitivity index and ß-cell function index (BFI) were also estimated. Besides, in 36 patients cardiac T2* and liver T2* were estimated. Result: (1) Four patients(7%) with ß-TM were diagnosed diabetes mellitus, and 14(24%) had impaired fasting glucose. (2) The incidence of abnormal glucose metabolism was significantly different according to levels of SF and degrees of the cardiac iron overload(χ(2)=9.737, P<0.05; χ(2)=17.027, P<0.05). It rose while the level of SF increased and the degree of cardiac iron overload aggravated. (3) The incidence of abnormal glucose level was not significantly different in cases with different degree of liver iron overload.The severe group of liver iron overload had significantly higher levels of INS, HOMA-ßFI, HOMA-ISI, HOMA-ßFI than the non-severe group (Z=-2.434, -2.515, F=8.658, all P<0.05), while no differences were found in the level of FBG, HOMA-ßFI between two groups. (4) The result of logistic regression analysis indicated that the cardiac T2* was a significant predictor for the incidence of abnormal glucose metabolism in TM patients (P=0.035, OR=1.182%, 95%CI=1.048 to 1.332). Conclusion: The high prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism in ß-TM patients was mainly closely related with the internal iron overload, especially in organs.The cardiac T2* was an independent risk factor for the incidence of abnormal glucose metabolism in TM patients.

TEM characterization of dislocations in TiB2 particles after hypervelocity impact.

Characteristic of dislocations in TiB2 particles associated with hypervelocity impact craters in 65 vol.% TiB2/Al composite were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two kinds of dislocation networks in as-impacted TiB2 particles were identified. One is hexagonal dislocation networks including 1/3〈1̄21̄0〉, 〈0001〉, 1/3〈1̄21̄3〉 type dislocations on {0001}, {101̄0}, and {123̄0} planes. Another one is the hexagonal dislocation networks including 1/3〈112̄0〉, 〈0001〉, and 1/3〈112̄3〉 type dislocations on {0001}, {101̄0}, and {11̄00} planes. Formation of dislocation network should be contributed to the parallel sets of "a" type dislocations (1/3〈112̄0〉 or 1/3〈1̄21̄0〉 type dislocations) reacting with parallel sets of "b" type dislocations (〈0001〉 type dislocations) to form "c" type dislocations (1/3〈112̄3〉 or 1/3〈1̄21̄3〉 type dislocations). Moreover, dislocations reaction processes do not result in an energy reduction, and are called quasi-equilibrium configurations. Formation of dislocations may result from high temperature or pressure generated by hypervelocity impact. During the cooling from high temperature and unloading from high pressure, dislocations in TiB2 particles rearranged and transformed to dislocation networks to lower the defect energy.