Association between age of life adversity and insulin resistance in girls with precocious puberty / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the association between early life adversity(ELA) and the triglycerideglucose (TyG) index for an indicator of insulin resistance among girls with precocious puberty, so as to provide scientific basis for effective prevention and intervention measures.@*Methods@#From July 2020 to September 2021, girls with precocious puberty were recruited from the childrens health clinic of Anhui Provincial Childrens Hospital. Among them, 150 girls with complete blood indicators and questionnaire information were included. Both parental reports and child selfreports were combined to assess ELA exposure. Fasting blood samples were collected to evaluate thetyg index. According to the ELA score classification, girls were classified into 3 groups for 0, 1 and >2, multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to examine the association between ELA exposure and TyG index in girls with precocious puberty.@*Results@#Precocious pubertal girls subjectively reported high rates of ELA exposure, with an average ELA score of (1.07±1.17) and an average TyG level of (7.99±0.49). A single adverse association was found that the exposure of girls with precocious puberty to a lack of warm nurturing was significantly positively correlated with the TyG index (β=0.26, 95%CI=0.03-0.50, P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that girls in the ELA≥2 group had a 0.24 increase in TyG levels compared to girls who did not experience ELA (β=0.24, 95%CI=0.04-0.43). After controlling for covariates such as child age, mothers age, fathers age, physical activity, screen time, birth weight, birth method (including natural and cesarean sections), perceived stress, BMI standardized Zscore, and parental assessment SDQ score, The association remained significant after controlling for covariates and was independent of BMI (β=0.25, 95%CI=0.04-0.46)(P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#Cumulative early life adversity in girls with precocious puberty is significantly positively correlated with the TyG index. It should early identify the girls exposed to high ELA for precocious puberty and timely intervent to improve their glucose metabolism function.

Hygienic status of central air conditioning ventilation systemsin public places in urban areas of Ma'anshan City / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the hygienic status of the central air conditioner ventilation system in public places in urban areas of Ma'anshan City, Anhui Province, so as to provide insights into formulation of supervision and management interventions.@*Methods@#A total of 15 public places with the central air conditioner ventilation system were randomly sampled from main urban areas in Ma'anshan City in 2022. Sampling and detection were performed following the standard GB/T 18204.5—2013 Examination methods for public places Part 5: Central air conditioning ventilation system, including total number of bacteria and total number of fungus on the inner surface of wind pipes, total number of bacteria and fungus, particulate matter (PM10) and β-hemolytic streptococci in the air supply system, and Legionella pneumophila in the cooling water, and the detection indicators were assessed following the WS 394—2012 Guideline for hygiene of the central air conditioner ventilation system in public places. The eligible rate of samples, the detection rate of L. pneumophila were analyzed.@*Results@#A total of 368 samples were collected from 15 public places, and the qualified rate was 50.54%, no places had all eligible measurement indicators. The qualified rates of total bacteria and fungus numbers on the inner surface of wind pipes were 52.67% and 59.33%. The qualified rates of total bacterium number, total fungus number, PM10 and β-hemolytic streptococci were 12.00%, 28.00%, 90.00% and 96.00% in the air supply system. The qualified rates of samples in administrative workplaces, hotels, bathing places and malls (supermarkets) were 32.50%, 59.24%, 61.09% and 68.92%, the qualified rates of total bacteria on the inner surface of air ducts were 8.33%, 72.46%, 66.67% and 61.90%, and the qualified rates of total fungus numbers in air supply were 0, 21.70%, 33.30% and 71.40%, respectively, with statistical significance (P<0.05). A total of 18 cooling water samples were collected, and L. pneumophila was detected in three samples (16.67%).@*Conclusions@#Poor hygiene is seen in the central air conditioning ventilation systems in public places in main urban areas of Ma'anshan City. High attention needs to be paid to contamination of bacterium, fungus and L. pneumophila, and expansion of supervision coverage and improved supervision intensity are recommended.

A short-term analysis of the modification process of the plaque microbial community before and after treatment in children with S-ECC / 口腔疾病防治

Objective @# To explore from the perspective of microorganisms the changes in plaque microbial community of children with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) before and 3 months after dental treatment. Meanwhile to show the effect of treatment on the maintenance of long- term caries-free state. @*Methods@# S-ECC children completed dental treatment under general anesthesia. We collected plaque from caries-free dental surfaces before treatment (caries, C) and at the postoperative follow-up review time points of 7 days (C-7D), 1 month (C-1 M), and 3 months (C-3 M). We included caries-free children (caries free, CF) as the control group to analyze the dynamic modification process of the plaque microbial community in the short-term pre- and postdental treatment.@*Results@#Species clustering analysis showed that the compositions of the microbial communities of the S-ECC and CF groups were highly similar. The α diversity index was not statistically significant (P>0.05). From the analysis of the relative abundance, Leptotrichia spp. and Aggregatibacter spp. decreased after treatment compared with before treatment (P<0.05). Streptococcus sanguinis in the C-7D group increased compared with that in the C group and gradually decreased within 3 months. Veillonella spp., Actinomyces spp., Allprevotella spp., Capnocytophaga spp., and Streptococcus mutans differed between the C and CF groups (P<0.05), Streptococcus mutans did not differ significantly between the C-7D and C-1 M groups and the CF group after treatment, while C-3 M showed an increase compared with the CF group (P<0.01). @*Conclusion@#The rapid change in the structure of the flora of children with S-ECC after treatment. The plaque microbial community structure in a caries-free state gradually starts to be established 1-3 months after treatment. There is a "core microbiota" in the oral plaque community that jointly maintains microecological stability. Veillonella spp., Allprevotella spp. and Streptococcus mutans have potential as possible microbial markers.

Experience and enlightenment of generic drug substitution promotion policy in drug use in typical foreign countries / 中国卫生政策研究

Objective:From the link of drug use to improve China's generic drug substitution promotion policy to provide suggestions.Methods:Literature research method was used to explore the ideas and typical measures of promoting generic drug substitution in Europe,the United States,Japan and other countries.Combined with the existing problems in the process of generic drug substitution in China,specific suggestions were put forward to improve the promotion policy of generic drug substitution in the process of drug use in China.Results and conclusions:Through the experience research of Europe,the United States,Japan and other countries,it is found that typical countries outside the region have formed the idea of"accepting generic drugs-scientific and reasonable substitution-continuous feedback and improvement"in the process of promoting generic drug substitution.It is suggested that China incorporate the opinions of doctors and patients into the generic drug substitution decision-making,establish generic drug substitution rules based on risk,strengthen the real-world data research and monitoring and evaluation of generic drug substitution,strengthen the disclosure of generic drug information and policy publicity,further improve the promotion policy of generic drug substitution in the drug use process in China,and promote the alternative use of generic drugs.

Analysis of factors associated with the structure of the gut microbial community in HIV/AIDS patients in some areas of Henan province / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To investigate the related factors associated with the structure of the gut microbial community in HIV infection/AIDS cases (HIV/AIDS) in Henan province. Methods: The convenience sampling method was used to select 122 cases who were receiving Antiviral Treatment (ART) or ART-naive in Henan. Whole blood and stool specimens were collected. Genomic DNA of stool samples was extracted, and the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene were sequenced using Illumina NovaSeq 6000 high-throughput sequencing system. The analysis was performed mainly at the genus level, and the 30 genera with the highest abundance were selected as a measure of the gut microbial community structure. The correlation between community structure and related factors was analyzed using redundancy analysis and Envfit function. Results: 122 cases were finally completed sequencing and analysis, the average BMI was (23.62±2.78) kg/m2 and the average age was (47±13) years. Among them, male accounted for 66.39% (81/122), and heterosexual transmission route constituted the largest ratio, accounting for 51.64% (63/122). 36 cases were treatment naive (29.51%, 36/122). The top five dominant genera of the total population (122 cases) were Prevotella, Roseburia, Megamonas, Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium and the top five dominant genera of the ART population (86 cases) were Prevotella, Megamonas, Bacteroides, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium. The top five dominant genera of the ART-naive population (36 cases) appeared as Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Bacteroides and Megamonas. In the total population, ART (P<0.001) was the most significant factors of community structure. Other significant factors were: duration of diagnosis (P=0.009), viral load (P=0.022) and anti-HCV (P=0.018). ART was positively correlated with Megamonas and negatively correlated with Prevotella, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium, while the other three factors of duration of diagnosis, viral load and anti-HCV were positively correlated with Prevotella, Roseburia and Faecalibacterium and negatively correlated with Megamonas. In the ART-naive population, duration of diagnosis (P=0.003) were the factors significantly associated with community structure. Duration of diagnosis was positively correlated with Roseburia, Faecalibacterium, Megamonas and Prevotella and negatively correlated with Bacteroides. Conclusion: ART and duration of diagnosis were factors significantly associated with gut microbial community structure and had a significant impact on multiple high-abundance genera.

Whole transcriptome analysis and critical gene regulatory network analysis during Schistosoma japonicum infection and praziquantel treatment in mice / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-microRNA (miRNA)-messenger RNA (mRNA) interactions and identify the critical gene regulatory network during Schistosoma japonicum infections and praziquantel treatment using whole transcriptome sequencing. Methods A total of 110 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group, the infection group and the treatment group. Mice in the infection treatment and the control group were infected with S. japonicum cercariae via the abdomen, and liver specimens were sampled from 10 mice 3, 6, 8 weeks post-infection. Praziquantel treatment was given to mice in the treatment group 8 weeks post-infection, and liver specimens were sampled from 10 mice 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 weeks post-treatment. Total RNA was isolated from mouse liver specimens, and the transcriptome library was constructed for highthroughput whole transcriptome sequencing. The significant differentially expressed genes were subjected to functional annotations, Gene Ontology (GO) terms enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Correlation analysis of liver specimens was performed using R Corrplot and Himsc functions, and the lncRNAmiRNA-mRNA interaction network analysis was performed using R MixOmics and Himsc functions. Results There were 1 176 differentially expressed miRNAs, 5 270 differentially expressed mRNAs, and 2 682 differentially expressed lncRNAs between the infection group and the control group, 1 289 differentially expressed miRNAs, 7 differentially expressed mRNAs, and 69 differentially expressed lncRNAs between the treatment group and the infection group, and 1 210 differentially expressed miRNAs, 4 456 differentially expressed mRNAs, and 2 016 differentially expressed lncRNAs between the treatment group and the control group. Correlation analysis showed a higher correlation of gene expression between the treatment group and the control group. Principal component analysis showed obvious separate clustering between the infection group and the treatment group. The differentially expressed genes with significant relevance were significantly enriched in 24 GO terms, including arachidonic acid metabolic process, xenobiotic catabolic process, unsaturated fatty acid metabolic process, xenobiotic metabolic process, long-chain fatty acid metabolic process, and 8 KEGG metabolic pathways, including cholesterol metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, retinol metabolism, and steroid hormone biometabolism. Conclusions There were 23 mRNAs including Cyp2b9 and 14 lncRNAs including Rmrpr in the core position of the gene regulatory network, which may play a critical role in S. japonicum infections and praziquantel treatment, and 9 miRNAs including miR-8105 may serve as potential molecular markers for diagnosis of S. japonicum infections.

Scalp acupuncture combined with suspension training for balance dysfunction in patients with stroke: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of scalp acupuncture combined with suspension training on balance ability and motor function in stroke patients with balance dysfunction.@*METHODS@#A total of 105 stroke patients with balance dysfunction were randomly divided into a combined group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a scalp acupuncture group (35 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a suspension training group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped off). The scalp acupuncture group was treated with scalp acupuncture at bilateral suboccipital lateral line, parietal midline, upper 1/5 line of anterior oblique line of parietal and temporal and line 1 of the parietal lateral line on the opposite side of hemiplegia. The suspension training group was treated with suspension training. The combined group was treated with suspension training at the same time of scalp acupuncture. All the treatment was given once a day, 30 min each time, 5 days a week, for a total of 6 weeks. The Berg balance scale (BBS) score, balance tester and Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) score were used to evaluate the motor function and balance ability before treatment, 3 and 6 weeks into treatment. The clinical efficacy was evaluated in the 3 groups.@*RESULTS@#The scores of BBS and FMA in each group at 3 and 6 weeks into treatment were higher than those before treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#Scalp acupuncture combined with suspension training could improve the balance ability and motor function in stroke patients with balance dysfunction, and the curative effect is better than simple scalp acupuncture and simple suspension training.

Three-Dimensional Heterogeneity of Cerebellar Interposed Nucleus-Recipient Zones in the Thalamic Nuclei / 神经科学通报·英文版

The cerebellum is conceptualized as a processor of complex movements and is also endowed with roles in cognitive and emotional behaviors. Although the axons of deep cerebellar nuclei are known to project to primary thalamic nuclei, macroscopic investigation of the characteristics of these projections, such as the spatial distribution of recipient zones, is lacking. Here, we studied the output of the cerebellar interposed nucleus (IpN) to the ventrolateral (VL) and centrolateral (CL) thalamic nuclei using electrophysiological recording in vivo and trans-synaptic viral tracing. We found that IpN stimulation induced mono-synaptic evoked potentials (EPs) in the VL but not the CL region. Furthermore, both the EPs induced by the IpN and the innervation of IpN projections displayed substantial heterogeneity across the VL region in three-dimensional space. These findings indicate that the recipient zones of IpN inputs vary between and within thalamic nuclei and may differentially control thalamo-cortical networks.

Two methods of treatment for skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion on airway changes before and after clinical research / 口腔疾病防治

Objective @# To investigate the changes in the sagittal diameter of the upper airway before and after the treatment of skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion in adults with microimplant anchorage and class Ⅲ intermaxillary elastics and to provide a reference for clinical treatment. @*Methods @#A total of 35 adult patients with skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion were selected to be treated with the straight-wire technique. Microimplant group, 15 cases (group A): patients with severe skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion (vertical high angle) were treated with the straight-wire technique combined with microimplant anchorage; class Ⅲ intermaxillary elastics group, 20 cases (group B): Patients with mild or moderate skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion (vertical low angle and average angle) were treated with the straight-wire technique combined with class Ⅲ intermaxillary elastics, and cephalometric radiographs obtained before and after treatment in the upper airway in the two groups were measured and analyzed.@*Results @#Changes in cranial and maxillofacial measurements after correction: in group A, (sella-nasion-supramental angle) the SNB angle decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and (subspinale-nasion-supramental angle) the ANB angle increased significantly (P < 0.05). In group B, the SNB angle decreased significantly (P < 0.05), while (subspinale-nasion-subspinale angle) the SNA angle、ANB angle and anterior skull base plane-mandibular plane angle (Sn-MP) angle increased significantly (P < 0.05). Changes in sagittal diameter of the upper airway measurements after corrections: In group A, the width of the glossopharyngeal segment of the upper airway (TB-TPPW) decreased significantly (P < 0.05). In group B, first segment width of the upper airway behind the hard palate (PNS-R) increased significantly (P < 0.05). After correction, the decreased SNB and increased ANB in group A was higher than that in group B, and the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.05）. The decreased of TB-TPPW in upper airway of group A was greater than that of group B, and the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.05）.@* Conclusions @#In the treatment of skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusion with microimplant anchorage, the sagittal diameter of the glossopharyngeal segment of the upper airway has a negative impact.

Three-Dimensional Heterogeneity of Cerebellar Interposed Nucleus-Recipient Zones in the Thalamic Nuclei / 神经科学通报·英文版

The cerebellum is conceptualized as a processor of complex movements and is also endowed with roles in cognitive and emotional behaviors. Although the axons of deep cerebellar nuclei are known to project to primary thalamic nuclei, macroscopic investigation of the characteristics of these projections, such as the spatial distribution of recipient zones, is lacking. Here, we studied the output of the cerebellar interposed nucleus (IpN) to the ventrolateral (VL) and centrolateral (CL) thalamic nuclei using electrophysiological recording in vivo and trans-synaptic viral tracing. We found that IpN stimulation induced mono-synaptic evoked potentials (EPs) in the VL but not the CL region. Furthermore, both the EPs induced by the IpN and the innervation of IpN projections displayed substantial heterogeneity across the VL region in three-dimensional space. These findings indicate that the recipient zones of IpN inputs vary between and within thalamic nuclei and may differentially control thalamo-cortical networks.

Efficacy of short-term moderate or high-dose statin therapy for the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in high-risk patients with chronic kidney disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

Although previous studies have indicated that statin therapy can effectively prevent the development of CIN, this observation remains controversial, especially in high-risk patients. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of statin pretreatment for preventing the development of CIN in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and to determine its effectiveness in various subgroups. We searched the online databases PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. RCTs that involved the comparison of the short-term moderate or high-dose statin pretreatment with placebo for CIN prevention in CKD patients undergoing angiography were included. The primary outcome was CIN prevalence. Seven RCTs comprising 4256 participants were investigated in this analysis. The risk of developing CIN in patients pretreated with statins was significantly lower than that in patients pretreated with placebo (RR=0.57, 95%CI=0.43-0.76, p=0.000). The SCr values of the statin group, when analyzed 48h after angiography were lower than those of the placebo group ((SMD=-0.15, 95% CI=-0.27 to -0.04, p=0.011). In the subgroup analysis, statin pretreatment could decrease the risk of CIN in CKD patients with DM (RR=0.54, 95% CI=0.39-0.76, p=0.000), but not in CKD patients without DM (RR=0.84, 95% CI=0.44-1.60, p=0.606). The efficacy of atorvastatin for preventing CIN was consistent with that observed with the use of rosuvastatin. The risk ratios (RR) were 0.51 (95% CI=0.32-0.81, p=0.004) and 0.60 (95% CI=0.41-0.88, p=0.009), respectively. Our study demonstrated that statin pretreatment could prevent the development of CIN in CKD patients. However, subgroup analysis demonstrated that statin pretreatment, despite being effective in preventing CIN in patients with CKD and DM, was not helpful for CKD patients without DM. Rosuvastatin and atorvastatin exhibited similar preventive effects with respect to CIN.

The protective effect of dexmedetomidine in a rat ex vivo lung model of ischemia-reperfusion injury

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (Dex) in a rat ex vivo lung model of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods: An IL-2 ex vivo lung perfusion system was used to establish a rat ex vivo lung model of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Drugs were added to the perfusion solution for reperfusion. Lung injury was assessed by histopathological changes, airway pressure (Res), lung compliance (Compl), perfusion flow (Flow), pulmonary venous oxygen partial pressure (PaO2), and lung wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) were measured, respectively. Results: The introduction of Dex attenuated the post-ischemia-reperfusion lung damage and MDA level, improved lung histology, W/D ratio, lung injury scores and SOD activity. Decreased mRNA and protein levels of GRP78 and CHOP compared with the IR group were observed after Dex treatment. The effect of Dex was dosage-dependence and a high dose of Dex (10 nM) was shown to confer the strongest protective effect against lung damage (P<0.05). Yohimbine, an α2 receptor antagonist, significantly reversed the protective effect of Dex in lung tissues (P<0.05). Conclusion: Dex reduced ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat ex vivo lungs.

Screening for, andVariants in a Cohort of Chinese Patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>SH3TC2, PMP2, and BSCL2 genes are related to autosomal recessive (AR) Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease type 1, autosomal dominant (AD)-CMT1, and AD-CMT2, respectively. Pathogenic variants in these three genes were not well documented in Chinese CMT patients. Therefore, this study aims to detect SH3TC2, PMP2, and BSCL2 pathogenic variants in a cohort of 315 unrelated Chinese CMT families.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 315 probands from 315 unrelated Chinese CMT families were recruited from the Department of Neurology of Third Xiangya Hospital and Xiangya Hospital. We screened for SH3TC2 pathogenic variants in 84 AR or sporadic CMT probands, PMP2 pathogenic variants in 39 AD or sporadic CMT1 probands, and BSCL2 pathogenic variants in 50 AD or sporadic CMT2 probands, using polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. All these patients were out of 315 unrelated Chinese CMT families and genetically undiagnosed after exclusion of pathogenic variants of PMP22, MFN2, MPZ, GJB1, GDAP1, HSPB1, HSPB8, EGR2, NEFL, and RAB7. Candidate variants were analyzed based on the standards and guidelines of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Clinical features were reevaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>We identified three novel heterozygous variants such as p.L95V (c.283C>G), p.L1048P (c.3143T>C), and p.V1105M (c.3313G>A) of SH3TC2 gene and no pathogenic variants of PMP2 and BSCL2 genes. Although evaluation in silico and screening in the healthy control revealed that the three SH3TC2 variants were likely pathogenic, no second allele variants were discovered. According to the standards and guidelines of ACMG, the heterozygous SH3TC2 variants such as p.L95V, p.L1048P, and p.V1105M were considered to be of uncertain significance.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SH3TC2, PMP2, and BSCL2 pathogenic variants might be rare in Chinese CMT patients. Further studies to confirm our findings are needed.</p>

Early assessment of radiation-induced parotid damage with T2 ? mapping / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To monitor the dynamic changes of radiation-induced parotid damage using T2 ? mapping.Methods Thirty-four patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)were enrolled.All patients underwent T1 WI,T2 WI and T2 ? mapping for bilateral parotid glands at pre-RT (2 weeks before radiotherapy),mid-RT (5 weeks after the beginning of radiotherapy)and post-RT (4 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy).Parotid MR parameters,mean radiation dose and xerostomia degrees of the patients at different time points were recorded.Furthermore,nine healthy volunteers were enrolled,who undergone T2 ? mapping twice with an interval of 4 weeks in order to analyze the reproducibility of T2 ? value.Results From pre-RT to mid-RT and post-RT,parotid volume decreased [atrophy rates,(25.34±11.33)％ and (25.74±9.93)％,respectively]and T2 ? values decreased [change rates,(-5.63±8.86)％ and (-4.81±10.67)％, respectively]significantly (all P < 0.01 ).Parotid normalized T1 signal intensity decreased significantly from pre-RT to post-RT [change rate,(-7.43±10.61)％,P =0.007],and the change rate was correlated inversely with mean radiation dose significantly (r =-0.646, P <0.001).Parotid volume and T2 ? value changed correspondingly with xerostomia degrees of the patients during radiotherapy.Parotid MR parameters showed excellent reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient,0.843 -0.993).Conclusion The dynamic changes of radiation-induced parotid damage in patients with NPC can be noninvasively evaluated by routine MRI and T2 ? mapping.

Early assessment of radiation-induced parotid damage with T2 ? mapping / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To monitor the dynamic changes of radiation-induced parotid damage using T2 ? mapping.Methods Thirty-four patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)were enrolled.All patients underwent T1 WI,T2 WI and T2 ? mapping for bilateral parotid glands at pre-RT (2 weeks before radiotherapy),mid-RT (5 weeks after the beginning of radiotherapy)and post-RT (4 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy).Parotid MR parameters,mean radiation dose and xerostomia degrees of the patients at different time points were recorded.Furthermore,nine healthy volunteers were enrolled,who undergone T2 ? mapping twice with an interval of 4 weeks in order to analyze the reproducibility of T2 ? value.Results From pre-RT to mid-RT and post-RT,parotid volume decreased [atrophy rates,(25.34±11.33)％ and (25.74±9.93)％,respectively]and T2 ? values decreased [change rates,(-5.63±8.86)％ and (-4.81±10.67)％, respectively]significantly (all P < 0.01 ).Parotid normalized T1 signal intensity decreased significantly from pre-RT to post-RT [change rate,(-7.43±10.61)％,P =0.007],and the change rate was correlated inversely with mean radiation dose significantly (r =-0.646, P <0.001).Parotid volume and T2 ? value changed correspondingly with xerostomia degrees of the patients during radiotherapy.Parotid MR parameters showed excellent reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient,0.843 -0.993).Conclusion The dynamic changes of radiation-induced parotid damage in patients with NPC can be noninvasively evaluated by routine MRI and T2 ? mapping.

Characteristics of Long-term Nonprogressors and Viremia Controllers Infected with HIV-1 via Contaminated Blood Donations or Transfusions Conducted 20 Years Earlier / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

To characterize long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs) and viremia controllers (VCs), infected with HIV-1 through contaminated blood donation or transfusion between 1992 and 1996 in Henan, China. LTNPs and VCs were defined by CD4+T lymphocyte (CD4) count and viral load (VL). Of 29,294 patients infected with HIV-1 via contaminated blood donation or transfusion that had conducted for more than 20 years, 92 were LTNPs/VCs. There were 70 LTNPs (0.24%), 43 VCs (0.15%), and 48 LTNPs+VCs- (0.16%). VCs had a significantly lower CD4 nadir, compared to LTNPs and LTNPs+VCs-, and no significant differences for the highest VL and HIV-1 DNA. Cases P4 and P5 were LTNPs, while their VL reached approximately 4.3 log copies/mL. P6 was a VC, but with CD4 < 500 cells/μL constantly. Data from the LTNPs/VCs cohort provided valuable information, future research is needed.

Optimized Exon-Exon Junction Library and its Application on Rodents' Brain Transcriptome Analysis

ABSTRACT Background: Alternative splicing (AS), which plays an important role in gene expression and functional regulation, has been analyzed on genome-scale by various bioinformatic approaches based on RNA-seq data. Compared with the huge number of studies on mouse, the AS researches approaching the rat, whose genome is intermedia between mouse and human, were still limited. To enrich the knowledge on AS events in rodents' brain, we perfomed a comprehensive analysis on four transcriptome libraries (mouse cerebrum, mouse cerebellum, rat cerebrum, and rat cerebellum), recruiting high-throughput sequencing technology. An optimized exon-exon junction library approach was introduced to adapt the longer RNA-seq reads and to improve mapping efficiency. Results: In total, 7,106 mouse genes and 2,734 rat genes were differentially expressed between cerebrum and cerebellum, while 7,125 mouse genes and 1,795 rat genes exhibited varieties on transcript variant level. Only half of the differentially expressed exon-exon junctions could be reflected at gene expression level. Functional cluster analysis showed that 32 pathways in mouse and 9 pathways in rat were significantly enriched, and 6 of them were in both. Interestingly, some differentially expressed transcript variants did not show difference on gene expression level, such as PLCβ1 and Kcnma1. Conclusion: Our work provided a case study of a novel exon-exon junction strategy to analyze the expression of genes and isoforms, helping us understand which transcript contributes to the overall expression and further functional change.

Signatures of positive selection in LY96 gene in vertebrates.

As a secreted glycoprotein that binds to the extracellular domain of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), Lymphocyte Antigen 96 (LY96), also called myeloid differentiation 2 (MD2), is required for the activation of TLR4 by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and plays an important role in innate immunity, which is the first line of defence against microbial infections. Previous studies have proposed that mammalian toll-like receptors (TLRs) have evolved under diversifying selection due to their role in pathogen detection. Given the fact that LY96 is highly functionally linked to TLR4, it would be interesting to test whether LY96 is under the intense pressure of natural selection. To investigate the natural selection hypothesis, we compared the coding sequences from 13 vertebrates and evaluated the molecular evolution of LY96 gene in these species. Result shows that natural selection at exon 4 has indeed played a role in shaping the function of LY96 in the course of evolution. In addition to the study of Nakajima, we found the two branch nodes with Ka/Ks ratios greater than 1: the one leading to cow and pig and the other to rabbit and the primates.

Plant regeneration and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Achyranthes bidentata using cotton EREBP gene

The aim of this work was to study the plant regeneration and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Achyranthes bidentata using cotton EREBP gene. Results showed that the callus induction rate of stems from A. bidentata was the highest (100%) and bud was in approximately 70% of calli from stems. However bud differentiation rate of the callus from leaves and petioles was very low. Compared with ceftriaxone, 200mg/L cefotaxime could completely control Agrobacterium tumefaciens and had relatively less toxic action on the stems of A. bidentata. In addition, the induction rate of callus resistant to hygromycin was the highest when infected for 3 min and co-cultivated for 3 d. Six positive transgenic plants transformed with pCAMBIA1304-GhEREB2 expression vector were obtained and confirmed by PCR. The expression of target gene GhEREB2 was detected in five transgenic plants by RT-PCR. In brief, an efficient system of genetic transformation and plant regeneration was established for A. bidentata.

Thin slice three dimentional (3D) reconstruction versus CT 3D reconstruction of human breast cancer.

Background & objectives: With improvement in the early diagnosis of breast cancer, breast conserving therapy (BCT) is being increasingly used. Precise preoperative evaluation of the incision margin is, therefore, very important. Utilizing three dimentional (3D) images in a preoperative evaluation for breast conserving surgery has considerable significance, but the currently 3D CT scan reconstruction commonly used has problems in accurately displaying breast cancer. Thin slice 3D reconstruction is also widely used now to delineate organs and tissues of breast cancers. This study was aimed to compare 3D CT with thin slice 3D reconstruction in breast cancer patients to find a better technique for accurate evaluation of breast cancer. Methods: A total of 16-slice spiral CT scans and 3D reconstructions were performed on 15 breast cancer patients. All patients had been treated with modified radical mastectomy; 2D and 3D images of breast and tumours were obtained. The specimens were fixed and sliced at 2 mm thickness to obtain serial thin slice images, and reconstructed using 3D DOCTOR software to gain 3D images. Results: Compared with 2D CT images, thin slice images showed more clearly the morphological characteristics of tumour, breast tissues and the margins of different tissues in each slice. After 3D reconstruction, the tumour shapes obtained by the two reconstruction methods were basically the same, but the thin slice 3D reconstruction showed the tumour margins more clearly. Interpretation & conclusions: Compared with 3D CT reconstruction, thin slice 3D reconstruction of breast tumour gave clearer images, which could provide guidance for the observation and application of CT 3D reconstructed images and contribute to the accurate evaluation of tumours using CT imaging technology.