The egg ribonuclease SjCP1412 accelerates liver fibrosis caused by Schistosoma japonicum infection involving damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).

Schistosomiasis, a parasite infectious disease caused by Schistosoma japonicum, often leads to egg granuloma and fibrosis due to the inflammatory reaction triggered by egg antigens released in the host liver. This study focuses on the role of the egg antigens CP1412 protein of S. japonicum (SjCP1412) with RNase activity in promoting liver fibrosis. In this study, the recombinant egg ribonuclease SjCP1412, which had RNase activity, was successfully prepared. By analysing the serum of the population, it has been proven that the anti-SjCP1412 IgG in the serum of patients with advanced schistosomiasis was moderately correlated with liver fibrosis, and SjCP1412 may be an important antigen associated with liver fibrosis in schistosomiasis. In vitro, the rSjCP1412 protein induced the human liver cancer cell line Hep G2 and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells apoptosis and necrosis and the release of proinflammatory damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). In mice infected with schistosomes, rSjCP1412 immunization or antibody neutralization of SjCP1412 activity significantly reduced cell apoptosis and necroptosis in liver tissue, thereby reducing inflammation and liver fibrosis. In summary, the SjCP1412 protein plays a crucial role in promoting liver fibrosis during schistosomiasis through mediating the liver cells apoptosis and necroptosis to release DAMPs inducing an inflammatory reaction. Blocking SjCP1412 activity could inhibit its proapoptotic and necrotic effects and alleviate hepatic fibrosis. These findings suggest that SjCP1412 may be served as a promising drug target for managing liver fibrosis in schistosomiasis japonica.

Preventing Disused Bone Loss through Inhibition of Advanced Glycation End Products.

Bone loss occurs in astronauts during long-term space flight, but the mechanisms are still unclear. We previously showed that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were involved in microgravity-induced osteoporosis. Here, we investigated the improvement effects of blocking AGEs formation on microgravity-induced bone loss by using the AGEs formation inhibitor, irbesartan. To achieve this objective, we used a tail-suspended (TS) rat model to simulate microgravity and treated the TS rats with 50 mg/kg/day irbesartan, as well as the fluorochrome biomarkers injected into rats to label dynamic bone formation. To assess the accumulation of AGEs, pentosidine (PEN), non-enzymatic cross-links (NE-xLR), and fluorescent AGEs (fAGEs) were identified in the bone; 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was analyzed for the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the bone. Meanwhile, bone mechanical properties, bone microstructure, and dynamic bone histomorphometry were tested for bone quality assessment, and Osterix and TRAP were immunofluorescences stained for the activities of osteoblastic and osteoclastic cells. Results showed AGEs increased significantly and 8-OHdG expression in bone showed an upward trend in TS rat hindlimbs. The bone quality (bone microstructure and mechanical properties) and bone formation process (dynamic bone formation and osteoblastic cells activities) were inhibited after tail-suspension, and showed a correlation with AGEs, suggesting the elevated AGEs contributed to the disused bone loss. After being treated with irbesartan, the increased AGEs and 8-OHdG expression were significantly inhibited, suggesting irbesartan may reduce ROS to inhibit dicarbonyl compounds, thus suppressing AGEs production after tail-suspension. The inhibition of AGEs can partially alter the bone remodeling process and improve bone quality. Both AGEs accumulation and bone alterations almost occurred in trabecular bone but not in cortical bone, suggesting AGEs effects on bone remodeling under microgravity are dependent on the biological milieu.

Disturbance of serum lipid metabolites and potential biomarkers in the Bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis in young mice.

BACKGROUND: Altered metabolic pathways have recently been considered as potential drivers of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) for the study of drug therapeutic targets. However, our understanding of the metabolite profile during IPF formation is lacking. METHODS: To comprehensively characterize the metabolic disorders of IPF, a mouse IPF model was constructed by intratracheal injection of bleomycin into C57BL/6J male mice, and lung tissues from IPF mice at 7 days, 14 days, and controls were analyzed by pathology, immunohistochemistry, and Western Blots. Meanwhile, serum metabolite detections were conducted in IPF mice using LC-ESI-MS/MS, KEGG metabolic pathway analysis was applied to the differential metabolites, and biomarkers were screened using machine learning algorithms. RESULTS: We analyzed the levels of 1465 metabolites and found that more than one-third of the metabolites were altered during IPF formation. There were 504 and 565 metabolites that differed between M7 and M14 and controls, respectively, while 201 differential metabolites were found between M7 and M14. In IPF mouse sera, about 80% of differential metabolite expression was downregulated. Lipids accounted for more than 80% of the differential metabolite species with down-regulated expression. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of differential metabolites was mainly enriched to pathways such as the metabolism of glycerolipids and glycerophospholipids. Eight metabolites were screened by a machine learning random forest model, and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) assessed them as ideal diagnostic tools. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we have identified disturbances in serum lipid metabolism associated with the formation of pulmonary fibrosis, contributing to the understanding of the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.

Effects of advanced glycation end products on osteocytes mechanosensitivity.

Osteocytes are extremely sensitive to mechanical loading and govern bone remodeling process. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have the capacity to induce osteocyte apoptosis. In order to investigate the effects of AGEs on the mechanosensitivity of osteocytes, the osteocytic-like cells (MLO-Y4) were treated with low (50 µg/ml) and high (400 µg/ml) concentrations of AGEs for 1day and exposed to 15 dyne/cm2 of fluid shear stress. Then the F-actin cytoskeleton, prostaglandin E2(PGE2), Nitric oxide (NO), the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway activity mRNA expressions were detected for osteocytes mechanical response changes; osteocalcin (OCN) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) were detected for the regulation on bone remodeling function of osteocytes. The results showed that AGEs accumulation inhibited the sense of osteocytes to external mechincal loading, promoted shear-induced NO and PGE2 release, suppressed the mechanosensitivity of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, and furthermore promoted OCN and RANKL/OPG mRNA expressions. These indicated AGEs had an adverse impact on the mechanosensitivity of osteocytes, and led to a negative effect on their regulation of bone remodeling process under mechanical stimulation. This work provides a new perspective to interpret the alteration mechanism of osteocytes mechanosensitivity and provides a novel clue for exploring the mechanism of osteoporosis.

Role of Different Blood Purification Nursing Models in Uremic Patients: A Preliminary Report.

BACKGROUND Accumulation of uremic toxins is closely associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD)-related complications such as cerebrovascular accidents and cardiovascular diseases. Clinical nursing is accepted as a critical clinical prognosis factor for hospitalized patients. The present study was designed to compare the effects of different blood purification nursing models on clinical outcomes in patients with uremia. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 68 patients with uremia were selected and divided to control and intervention groups. The patients in the control group received traditional nursing model care, while the patients in intervention group received comprehensive high-quality nursing care for 6 months. RESULTS After 6 months of treatment, the quality of life, anxiety, and depression were obviously ameliorated in both groups. The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), parathyroid hormone (PTH), creatinine, ß2-microglobulin (ß2-MG), total cholesterol (TC), albumin (ALB), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), 8-isoprostane, and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were all significantly improved in both groups of patients, but the intervention group exhibited better results than the control group. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrated that comprehensive high-quality nursing care rectified the metabolic disorders and inhibited systematic inflammatory factors, and oxidative stress, which may be responsible for better amelioration of quality of life in patients with uremia.

Analysis of CGG repeats in FMR1 in Chinese women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure.

Excessive triple CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene have been widely associated with premature ovarian failure. The number of AGG interruptions and length of uninterrupted CGG repeats have been correlated with repeat instability on transmission. In this study, FMR1 CGG repeats and AGG interruption status were determined by triplet-primed PCR in 117 premature ovarian failure patients and 82 matched controls. A possible relationship between CGG repeats or AGG interruption and serum FSH concentrations in patients and controls was evaluated. One patient had a premutation allele (73 repeats) (1/117), while no such mutations were observed in controls (0/82). Other patients and all controls had CGG repeats in the normal range. There was no significant difference in the incidence of intermediate mutations of CGG repeats between patients and controls and no relationship between CGG repeats with serum FSH concentrations. Interestingly, more individuals with premature ovarian failure carried no AGG interruptions than the controls (4.27% versus 1.83%) but statistical significance was not reached. This small case-control study failed to find associations between CGG repeat sizes or AGG interruptions in FMR1 and premature ovarian failure in Chinese women. Further study with large sample size is warranted.

Impact of family and caregiver factors on development and behaviours in maltreated young children.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of developmental and emotional/ behavioural concerns in maltreated children and to examine the impact of adverse family/caregiver risk factors on these outcomes. Method: We analysed family demographic and baseline data of 132 maltreated children and their caregivers from a family support programme in Singapore. We examined the associations of 3 main risk factors (i.e., caregiver mental health, educational attainment, and family socio-economic status [SES]) with developmental/behavioural outcomes using multivariable logistic regression, controlling for caregiver relationship to the child. Caregiver mental health was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) tools. Developmental/behavioural outcomes were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3), ASQ-Social-Emotional (ASQ-SE), and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). Results: The children ranged in age, from 2 months to 3 years 11 months (median age 1.7 years, interquartile range [IQR] 0.9-2.6). Among caregivers, 86 (65.2%) were biological mothers, 11 (8.3%) were biological fathers, and 35 (26.5%) were foster parents or extended family members. Low family SES was associated with communication concerns on the ASQ-3 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.04, 95% CI 1.08-8.57, P=0.04). Caregiver mental health concerns were associated with increased behavioural concerns on the CBCL (AOR 6.54, 95% CI 1.83-23.33, P=0.004) and higher scores on the ASQ-SE (AOR 7.78, 95% CI 2.38-25.38, P=0.001). Conclusion: Maltreated children with caregivers experiencing mental health issues are more likely to have heightened emotional and behavioural concerns. Those from low SES families are also at increased risk of language delay, affecting their communication.

Profile of hospitalised maltreated children aged 0 to 3 years and their families.

INTRODUCTION: Maltreatment adversely affects children's health and development. Knowledge of child maltreatment in early childhood is limited. We studied the demographic factors and health issues in children aged 0-3 years who were hospitalised for maltreatment. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, health and demographic information was extracted from the electronic medical records of children hospitalised in KK Women's and Children's Hospital between January 2018 and June 2019. High-risk groups were children with developmental delay (DD), missed vaccination (MV), low outpatient attendance, high dependency unit (HDU) or intensive care unit (ICU) admission and Child Protection Service (CPS) referral. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test was used for categorical variables. Mann-Whitney U test was used for skewed quantitative variables. RESULTS: Among the 101 children included in the study, the most common type of abuse and alleged perpetrator were physical abuse and parents, respectively. In addition, 35.6% of the children had pre-existing health conditions before hospitalisation, 58.4% had new health conditions diagnosed during hospitalisation requiring follow-up and 26.7% had maltreatment-related injuries. One-fifth of the children had DDs and another one-fifth had MVs. About 20% of them had defaulted all outpatient appointments. High-risk children mostly lived in rented housing. Their mothers mostly had primary education or lower. Most children admitted to ICU or HDU were <6 months old (8/12 [66.7%] vs. 6-24 months 3/12 [25%] vs. 24-47 months 1/12 [8.3%], P = 0.001). A higher number of children with DD were referred to CPS (63.2%, P = 0.049) than to other agencies. CONCLUSION: Maltreated children have significant health needs that are not fully met through routine surveillance practices. They are at risk of defaulting their hospital appointment. It is imperative that families at risk of child maltreatment are identified early and their needs holistically evaluated, with care coordinated within the hospital-community support system.

Second heart field and the development of the outflow tract in human embryonic heart.

The second heart field (SHF) is indicated to contribute to the embryonic heart development. However, less knowledge is available about SHF development of human embryo due to the difficulty of collecting embryos. In this study, serial sections of human embryos from Carnegie stage 10 (CS10) to CS16 were stained with antibodies against Islet-1 (Isl-1), Nkx2.5, GATA4, myosin heavy chain (MHC) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) to observe spatiotemporal distribution of SHF and its contribution to the development of the arterial pole of cardiac tube. Our findings suggest that during CS10 to CS12, SHF of the human embryo is composed of the bilateral pharyngeal mesenchyme, the central mesenchyme of the branchial arch and splanchnic mesoderm of the pericardial cavity dorsal wall. With development, SHF translocates and consists of ventral pharyngeal mesenchyme and dorsal wall of the pericardial cavity. Hence, the SHF of human embryo shows a dynamic spatiotemporal distribution pattern. The formation of the Isl-1 positive condense cell prongs provides an explanation for the saddle structure formation at the distal pole of the outflow tract. In human embryo, the Isl-1 positive cells of SHF may contribute to the formation of myocardial outflow tract (OFT) and the septum during different development stages.

Central calcaneal osteotomy for correction of flexible pes planovalgus deformity.

BACKGROUND: Lateral column lengthening procedures have been extensively reported either as primary procedures or adjuncts to combined soft tissue procedures and osteotomies for the correction of the pes planovalgus deformity. There is also considerable debate as to the ideal procedure that is not followed by recurrence and obviates the need for revision surgeries and minimizes complications. We describe a technique and present the clinical results of lateral column lengthening that provides a powerful correction to restore normal foot alignment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 26 feet in 21 patients with a mean age of 35.4 years (range, 12-75) over an average follow-up period of 71 months (range, 12-147) who underwent reconstructive surgery for flexible pes planovalgus foot. The reconstructive procedures included a central calcaneal osteotomy in all patients, a medial column stabilization procedure, flexor digitorium transfer (FDL), and a gastrocnemius or Achilles tendon lengthening. Clinical evaluation was carried out with the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scores. Standard weight-bearing anterior posterior (AP) and lateral radiographs before surgery and at follow-up were analyzed for radiographic parameters of correction. RESULTS: The median AOFAS score increased from 50 to 90. Two patients reported dissatisfaction with the result. There were no nonunions nor complications related to hardware. Radiographic improvement of the talonavicular coverage angle was a 74% change from baseline value. All radiographic parameters improved (P < .001) except the lateral talocalcaneal angle (P = .48). No secondary subsidence of the arch was observed within the follow-up time. CONCLUSION: Correction of flexible pes planovalgus deformity with a central calcaneal osteotomy was an effective, reproducible method to restore normal foot alignment and good function. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

A study on the influencing factors and response strategies for young teachers from Taiwan to teach in universities in China: a push-pull-mooring model perspective.

Introduction: A growing number of Taiwanese teachers are choosing to teach at universities in mainland China, but their jobs are not always stable. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors infuencing young teachers from Taiwan to teach in universities in China. Methods: Twenty-seven young teachers from Taiwan with master's or doctoral degrees who were willing to apply to work at universities in China and who were already teaching in China were invited to conduct in-depth interviews to collect research data.The interview data were coded and analyzed according to the Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) Model. Results and discussion: The results showed that the understanding of mainland Chinese universities among young Taiwanese teachers is not entirely consistent. Taiwanese teachers who previously studied in mainland China have a more comprehensive understanding of mainland Chinese universities, and some teachers have gained a superfcial understanding through academic exchanges between the two sides and information shared by friends.However,still,7% of the teachers have no understanding at all. Most young Taiwanese teachers indicate that they do not understand the talent recruitment policies of mainland Chinese universities. The push factors that infuence young teachers from Taiwan to teach at mainland universities are: Oversupply of teachers in Taiwan, poor environment for higher education in Taiwan, poor articulation of the cross-strait academic system, and four aspects of teacher retirement and re-employment in Taiwan. The pull factors are: Benefcial policies, salary, living environment, educational advantages and cultural dissemination in 5 areas. Mooring factors are divided into 3 aspects: personal factors, environmental factors and social factors.

Hairy gene homolog increases nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell stemness by upregulating Bmi-1.

B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (Bmi-1) is overexpressed in various cancer types. We found that Bmi-1 mRNA levels were elevated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines. In immunohistochemical analyses, high Bmi-1 levels were observed in not only 5 of 38 non-cancerous nasopharyngeal squamous epithelial biopsies, but also in 66 of 98 NPC specimens (67.3%). High Bmi-1 levels were detected more frequently in T3-T4, N2-N3 and stage III-IV NPC biopsies than in T1-T2, N0-N1 and stage I-II NPC samples, indicating that Bmi-1 is upregulated in advanced NPC. In 5-8F and SUNE1 NPC cells, stable depletion of Bmi-1 using lentiviral RNA interference greatly suppressed cell proliferation, induced G1-phase cell cycle arrest, reduced cell stemness and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Likewise, knocking down Bmi-1 inhibited NPC cell growth in nude mice. Both chromatin immunoprecipitation and Western blotting assays demonstrated that Hairy gene homolog (HRY) upregulated Bmi-1 by binding to its promoter, thereby increasing the stemness of NPC cells. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR analyses revealed that HRY expression correlated positively with Bmi-1 expression in a cohort of NPC biopsies. These findings suggested that HRY promotes NPC cell stemness by upregulating Bmi-1, and that silencing Bmi-1 can suppress NPC progression.

Yellow nail syndrome accompanied by minimal-change nephrotic syndrome: A case report.

BACKGROUND: In most cases of yellow nail syndrome (YNS), the classic triad of yellow nails, lymphedema and respiratory manifestations rarely manifest simultaneously. Therefore, diagnosis is delayed or frequently missed. CASE SUMMARY: We report a 62-year-old YNS patient presenting with bilateral pleural, pericardial and peritoneal effusions who, 2 mo later, developed minimal-change nephrotic syndrome. After treatment with vitamin E, clarithromycin and prednisone for 3 mo, effusions in the chest, pericardium and abdominal cavity decreased while urine protein levels returned to within normal ranges. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should consider the possibility of YNS for patients presenting with multiple serous effusions and nephrotic syndromes.

Analysis of influencing factors of subjective career unsuccessfulness of vocational college graduates from the Department of Navigation in China.

The marine talent cultivation and output in higher vocational colleges is an important support to build a strong maritime country and ensure the steady development of the shipping business industry. Vocational colleges should ensure effective career preparation and career guidance education for their students, and train them to acquire the professional abilities to work and adapt effectively and quickly in the future. Some studies show that many crew members experience a decline in job satisfaction, a low sense of achievement, and a series of negative subjective career feelings. Even more, some crew members have poor work performance or unsuccessful career development behaviors such as career change or resignation. This study examined the causes and influencing factors of these circumstances and might be a reference for schools to strengthen the quality of their training programs in the future. In-depth interviews with 12 vocational marine navigation college graduates were conducted, and grounded theory was used to code and analyze the collected interview information. Four types of influencing factors were identified: adaptation preparation, career adaptability, adaptation action, and the situational factor. The adaptation preparation factor could be categorized into psychology, determination, lack of certificates, and simple work; the career adaptability factor could be categorized into boring work, busyness, a big gap between expectations and reality, danger, promotion difficulty, poor interpersonal relationships, high pressure, and maladaptation to the surroundings; the adaptation action factor could be categorized into passive fatigue, lack of training, competition, confidence, and planning; while the situational factor could be categorized into the impact of the epidemic, low social status, lack of support from family, and advantages of living on land. To help the marine navigation students better adapt to their jobs and avoid subjective career unsuccessfulness, higher vocational colleges need to strengthen students' mental health education, consolidate knowledge and skills training, encourage students to obtain more vocational competency certificates, enhance their interpersonal communication skills, do effective career planning, pay attention to physical exercise and safety awareness training, and adopt other career management and counseling suggestions.

Linguistic emergence from a networks approach: The case of modern Chinese two-character words.

The models of linguistic networks and their analytical tools constitute a potential methodology for investigating the formation of structural patterns in actual language use. Research with this methodology has just started, which can hopefully shed light on the emergent nature of linguistic structure. This study attempts to employ linguistic networks to investigate the formation of modern Chinese two-character words (as structural units based on the chunking of their component characters) in the actual use of modern Chinese, which manifests itself as continuous streams of Chinese characters. Network models were constructed based on authentic Chinese language data, with Chinese characters as nodes, their co-occurrence relations as directed links, and the co-occurrence frequencies as link weights. Quantitative analysis of the network models has shown that a Chinese two-character word can highlight itself as a two-node island, i.e., a cohesive sub-network with its two component characters co-occurring more frequently than they co-occur with the other characters. This highlighting mechanism may play a vital role in the formation and acquisition of two-character words in actual language use. Moreover, this mechanism may also throw some light on the emergence of other structural phenomena (with the chunking of specific linguistic units as their basis).

Astroglial CB1 Cannabinoid Receptors Mediate CP 55,940-Induced Conditioned Place Aversion Through Cyclooxygenase-2 Signaling in Mice.

Cannabinoids (CBs), such as phytocannabinoids, synthetic CBs, and endogenous CBs, can be neuroprotective, rewarding, or aversive. The aversive effects of CBs may hinder their medical and recreational applications. It is unknown which type of CB receptors mediates the direct aversive effects of synthetic CB CP 55,940 which is an analog of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the major psychoactive component of marijuana. In this study, we address this question by taking the advantage of systematic type 1 CB receptor (CB1R) knockout mice and conditional reinstatement of this receptor only in astrocytes. We show that CP 55,940 at a concentration of 1 mg/kg induces conditioned place aversion (CPA) and the CPA effect of CP 55,940 is mediated by the astroglial CB1Rs. Inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) eliminates CP 55,940-induced CPA in mice that only express CB1Rs in astrocytes. These findings conclude that CPA effect of CP 55,940 is mediated by the astroglial CB1Rs through COX-2 signaling, suggesting that selective COX-2 inhibition or precise isolation of astroglial CB1R activity may be the strategy for treating aversive response of medical and recreational administrations of marijuana.

TRESK channel contributes to depolarization-induced shunting inhibition and modulates epileptic seizures.

Glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission controls excitation and inhibition of postsynaptic neurons, whereas activity of ion channels modulates neuronal intrinsic excitability. However, it is unclear how excessive neuronal excitation affects intrinsic inhibition to regain homeostatic stability under physiological or pathophysiological conditions. Here, we report that a seizure-like sustained depolarization can induce short-term inhibition of hippocampal CA3 neurons via a mechanism of membrane shunting. This depolarization-induced shunting inhibition (DShI) mediates a non-synaptic, but neuronal intrinsic, short-term plasticity that is able to suppress action potential generation and postsynaptic responses by activated ionotropic receptors. We demonstrate that the TRESK channel significantly contributes to DShI. Disruption of DShI by genetic knockout of TRESK exacerbates the sensitivity and severity of epileptic seizures of mice, whereas overexpression of TRESK attenuates seizures. In summary, these results uncover a type of homeostatic intrinsic plasticity and its underlying mechanism. TRESK might represent a therapeutic target for antiepileptic drugs.

Rectoseminal vesicle fistula after radical surgery for rectal cancer: Four case reports and a literature review.

BACKGROUND: A rectoseminal vesicle fistula (RSVF) is a rare complication after anterior or low anterior proctectomy for rectal cancer mainly due to anastomotic leakage (AL). Limited literature documenting this rare complication is available. We report four such cases and review the literature to investigate the etiology, clinical manifestations, and the diagnostic and treatment methods of RSVF in order to provide greater insight into this disorder. CASE SUMMARY: Four cases of RSVF were presented and summarized, and a further 12 cases selected from the literature were discussed. The main clinical symptoms in these patients were pneumaturia, fever, scrotal swelling and pain, anal pain, orchitis, diarrhea, dysuria, epididymitis and fecaluria. Imaging methods such as pelvic X-ray, computed tomography (CT), sinus radiography, barium enema and other techniques confirmed the diagnosis. CT was the imaging modality of choice. In cases presenting with reduced levels of AL, minimal surrounding inflammation, and controlled infection, the RSVF was conservatively treated by urethral catheterization, antibiotics administration and parenteral nutrition. In cases of severe RSVF, incision and drainage of the abscess or fistula and urinary or fecal diversion surgery successfully resolved the fistula. CONCLUSION: This study provides an extensive analysis of RSVF, and outlines, summarizes and examines the causes, clinical manifestations, diagnostic procedures and treatment options, in order to prevent misdiagnosis and treatment errors.

The Differential and Dynamic Progression of Hepatic Inflammation and Immune Responses During Liver Fibrosis Induced by Schistosoma japonicum or Carbon Tetrachloride in Mice.

Liver fibrosis can result from various causes and could progress to cirrhosis and cancer; however, there are no effective treatments due to that its molecular mechanism is unclear. liver fibrosis model made by Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) infection or Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intraperitoneal injection is a conventional model used in liver fibrosis-related studies for mechanism or pharmaceutical research purposes. But the differences in the pathological progression, immune responses and the underlying mechanism between the two liver fibrosis model have not been carefully compared and characterized, which hinders us from correctly understanding and making better use of the two models. In the present study, the pathological changes to the liver, and the cytokines, inflammatory factors, macrophages, and lymphocytes subsets involved were analyzed in the liver fibrosis model of S. japonicum infection or CCl4 intraperitoneal injection. Additionally, the pathological progression, immune responses and the underlying injury mechanism in these two models were compared and characterized. The results showed that the changing trend of interleukin-13 (IL-13), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß), inflammatory factors, and M1, M2 macrophages, were consistent with the development trend of fibrosis regardless of whether liver fibrosis was caused by S. japonicum or CCl4. For lymphocyte subsets, the proportions of CD3+ T cells and CD4+ T cells decreased gradually, while proportion of CD8+ T cells peaked at 6 weeks in mice infected with S. japonicum and at 12 weeks in mice injected with CCl4. With prolonged S. japonicum infection time, Th1 (CD4+IFN-γ+) immunity converted to Th2 (CD4+IL-4+)/Th17 (CD4+IL-17+) with weaker regulatory T cell (Treg) (CD4+CD25+FOXP3+) immunity. However, in liver fibrosis caused by CCl4, Th1 cells occupied the dominant position, while proportions of Th2, Th17, and Treg cells decreased gradually. In conclusion, liver fibrosis was a complex pathological process that was regulated by a series of cytokines and immune cells. The pathological progressions and immune responses to S. japonicum or CCl4 induced liver fibrosis were different, possibly because of their different injury mechanisms. The appropriate animal model should be selected according to the needs of different experiments and the pathogenic factors of liver fibrosis in the study.

Evaluation of 99mTC-ECD SPECT/CT brain Imaging with NeuroGam analysis in Moyamoya disease after surgical revascularization.

To evaluate the clinical value of NeuroGam software in assessing the brain foci perfusion changes by TC-ECD single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) brain imaging in patients with Moyamoya Disease (MMD).Seventy-two patients with MMD who underwent superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass combined with encephalo-duro-myo-synangiosis (EDMS) surgical revascularization were included. Baseline and follow-up TC-ECD SPECT/CT brain scans were performed on all patients at least twice before and after operation. Pre- and post-SPECT dicom images were reoriented into Talairach space using NeuroGam Software package. Additional visual analysis was performed. Differences mean pixel value between pre- and post- operation brain perfusion were assessed with paired t test and McNemar test.Significant differences in the number of hypoperfusion foci were found between visual assessment and NeuroGam aided assessment. More hypoperfusion foci were found by NeuroGam software aided assessment in the frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital lobe, thalamus, basal ganglia and cerebellum before and after surgery (P < .0001). According to NeuroGam software assessment, the perfusion of frontal, parietal, temporal lobe, anterior and middle cerebral regions on the operative side significantly improved before and after surgery (t = -3.734, t = -3.935, t = -5.099, t = -4.006, t = -5.170, all P < .001). However, no significant differences were found in the occipital lobe (t = -1.962, P = .054), thalamus (t = 1.362, P = .177), basal ganglia (t = -2.394, P = .019), and cerebellum (t = 1.383, P = .171) before and after surgery.The NeuroGam software provides a quantitative approach for monitoring surgical effect of MMD in a variable time (3-12 months after surgery). It could discover the perfusion changes that are neglected in conventional visual assessment.