Correlation analysis of smell and taste loss with COVID-19 outbreak trend based on big data of internet / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To analyze the correlation between loss of smell/taste and the number of real confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide based on Google Trends data, and to explore the guiding role of smell/taste loss for the COVID-19 prevention and control. Methods: "Loss of smell" and "loss of taste" related keywords were searched in the Google Trends platform, the data were obtained from Jan. 1 2019 to Jul. 11 2021. The daily and newly confirmed COVID-19 case number were collected from World Health Organization (WHO) since Dec. 30 2019. All data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 23.0 software. The correlation was finally tested by Spearman correlation analysis. Results: A total of data from 80 weeks were collected. The retrospective analysis was performed on the new trend of COVID-19 confirmed cases in a total of 186 292 441 cases worldwide. Since the epidemic of COVID-19 was recorded on the WHO website, the relative searches related to loss of smell/taste in the Google Trends platform had been increasing globally. The global relative search volumes of "loss of smell" and "loss of taste" on Google Trends was 10.23±2.58 and 16.33±2.47 before the record of epidemic while 80.25±39.81 and 80.45±40.04 after (t value was 8.67, 14.43, respectively, both P<0.001). In the United States and India, the relative searches for "loss of smell" and "loss of taste" after the record of epidemic were also much higher than before (all P<0.001). The correlation coefficients between the trend of weekly new COVID-19 cases and the Google Trends of "loss of smell" in the global, United States, and India was 0.53, 0.76, and 0.82 respectively (all P<0.001), the correlation coefficients with Google Trends of "loss of taste" was 0.54, 0.78, and 0.82 respectively (all P<0.001). The lowest and highest point of loss of smell/taste search curves of Google Trends in different periods appeared 7 to 14 days earlier than that of the weekly newly COVID-19 confirmed cases curves, respectively. Conclusions: There is a significant positive correlation between the number of newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide and the amount of keywords, such as "loss of smell" and "loss of taste", retrieved in Google Trends. The trend of big data based on Google Trends might predict the outbreak trend of COVID-19 in advance.

Application of Radiopharmaceuticals in Targeted Tumor Therapies / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Radiopharmaceuticals are radionuclide preparations or radiolabelled compounds used for clinical diagnosis or treatment. The targeted radionuclide therapy uses molecular carriers with high affinity for tumor cells to target radionuclides into specific tumor tissues to treat tumors. Compared with traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it is more selective. With the development of nuclear medicine, the popularization of SPECT/CT, PET/CT, the discovery of new targets and the development of new radiopharmaceuticals, the targeted therapy with radiopharmaceuticals is playing an increasingly important role in the clinical treatment of tumors. This review briefly describes the classification, composition and characteristics of radiopharmaceuticals; the application of radioimmunodrugs targeting tumor-associated antigen in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer; the clinical application of receptor-mediated radionuclide drugs in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors, prostate cancer and breast cancer, and the research progress of radiopharmaceuticals based on gene modification in targeted tumor therapies. Finally, the application prospects and challenges of radiopharmaceuticals in cancer treatment are summarized in order to provide some references for the development and clinical application of radiopharmaceuticals for targeted tumor therapy.

The Regulatory Mechanism and Role of CircRNA in Tumors / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that form closed rings in structure. They contain a high content in eukaryotic transcripts, and are characterized by richness, stability, high conservatism and tissue specificity. In recent years, it has been gradually revealed that circRNA can bind to some miRNAs or proteins and participate in the regulatory mechanisms of biogenesis and molecular functions, including the regulation of miRNAs molecular sponge, protein translation, gene transcription and RNA splicing. With the application of high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics, circRNA has gradually become a new research hotspot in the field of non-coding RNA due to its special properties. The latest research evidence shows that circRNA plays a key role in the occurrence and development of tumors, and is inextricably linked with cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis, indicating that targeting circRNA will be attractive treatment strategies and potential biomarkers. In this paper, the characteristics and mechanism of circRNA were briefly described, the mechanism of action and regulation of circRNAs in human tumors were summarized, and the strategies and development prospects of circRNA in tumor research were further discussed. In sum, circRNA plays an important role in early diagnosis, precise treatment and prognosis prediction of tumors.

Expressions of BMAL1 and CerbB-2 genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To study the expressions of BMAL1 and CerbB-2 genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and their related mechanisms. 【Methods】 Plasmid transfection, MTT, RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the proliferation of NPC cells, the expressions of BMAL1 and CerbB-2 genes and proteins, and the expression of NF-κB signaling pathway. 【Results】 The MTT results showed that BMAL1 and CerbB-2 could affect the proliferation of NPC cells. RT-PCR results showed that BMAL1 gene was significantly down-regulated in NPC (CK: 2.24±0.22, NPC: 0.63±0.11, P<0.01), while CerbB-2 gene expression was significantly up-regulated (CK: 0.89±0.13, NPC: 2.65±0.25, P<0.01). The p50 and p65 genes in the NF-κB signaling pathway were up-regulated in NPC cells (p50, CK: 0.48±0.12, NPC: 1.45±0.25; p65, CK: 0.52±0.12, NPC: 2.33±0.35, P<0.01). The results of Western blotting were consistent with gene expression, which further confirmed the reliability of the results. 【Conclusion】 This study reveals that BMAL1 and CerbB-2 regulate the invasion and metastasis of NPC cells through the inflammatory pathway NF-κB, providing further theoretical support for the treatment and prevention of NPC.

Expression of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-10 in lung cancer / 解剖学报

Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate the expression of the polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-10 (ppGalNAc-T10) protein in lung and breast and colon cancer. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to analyse ppGalNAc-T10 expressions in 110 lung cancer tissues, 100 breast cancer tissues and 110 colon cancer tissues. Meanwhile, different cancer has 10 cases of normal tissues as control. Results The expression of ppGalNAc-T10 in normal lung tissue was higher compared with that in lung cancer organizations, and ppGalNAc-T10 positive expression was found to be significantly associated with invasion depth of tumor (P < 0. 01). PpGalNAc-T10 protein expression in breast and colon cancer was no significantly difference than that in non-tumor breast and colon tissue. Conclusion PpGalNAc-T10 expression is a useful marker in lung cancer.

Causes of misdiagnosis in assessing tubal patency by transvaginal real-time three-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the causes of misdiagnosis in assessing tubal patency by transvaginal real-time three-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography (TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy), in order to improve the diagnostic efficiency of TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy. METHODS A total of 162 oviducts of 83 infertility patients were examined by TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy. These results were compared with the gold standard for laparoscopic dye studies, and the misdiagnosed cases were analyzed. RESULTS TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy revealed that 68 oviducts were unobstructed and 94 obstructed. The results for the 144 oviducts were in line with the gold standard, while those for 18 oviducts were not. The accuracy rate of the TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy was 88.9%, and the misdiagnosis rate was 11.1%. The main causes of misdiagnosis included contrast medium countercurrent and diffusion, oviduct spasm, abnormal shape or position of the oviduct, pelvic adhesion, and poor imaging operation. CONCLUSION TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy can well-evaluate tubal patency, and understand and improve the cause of misdiagnosis. Furthermore, the diagnostic efficiency of TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy can still be further improved.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Este estudo tem como objetivo investigar as causas do diagnóstico equivocado na avaliação da patência tubária por meio da ultrassonografia de contraste histerosalpingo em tempo real transvaginal (TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy), a fim de melhorar a eficiência diagnóstica das TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy. MÉTODOS Um total de 162 ovidutos em 83 pacientes da infertilidade foi examinado por TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy. Esses resultados foram comparados com o padrão ouro para estudos de tintura laparoscópica, e os casos diagnosticados erroneamente foram analisados. RESULTADOS TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy revelaram que 68 ovidutos foram desobstruídos e 94 ovidutos foram obstruídos. Os resultados para os 144 ovidutos estavam em consonância com o padrão ouro, enquanto que aqueles para os 18 ovidutos, não. A taxa de acurácia do TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy foi de 88,9%, e a taxa de erro de diagnóstico foi de 11,1%. As principais causas de erro de diagnóstico incluíram contraponto e difusão do meio de contraste, espasmo do oviduto, forma ou posição anormal do oviduto, adesão pélvica e má operação de imagem. CONCLUSÃO TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy pode bem avaliar a patência tubária, e compreender e melhorar a causa do erro de diagnóstico. Além disso, a eficiência diagnóstica do TVS RT-3D-HyCoSy ainda pode ser melhorada.

Solation, Purification and Identification of Antioxidant Compositions in Melilotus officinalis L / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from Melilotus officinalis(L.) and their anti-oxidant activities. METHODS: DPPH Assay and β-carotene bleaching assay were used for screening the fraction of anti-oxidant activity in the 70% ethanol extract of Melilotus officinalis(L.). The isolation and purification were performed by silica,Sephadex LH-20 and preparative columns. The structures of the obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data. Then their anti-oxidant activities were evaluated. RESULTS: The ethyl acetate fraction from Melilotus officinalis(L.) showed the most significant anti-oxidant activity. Thirteen compounds were isolated and identified as kaempferol(1), luteolin(2), quercetin(3), hesperidin(4), rutin(5), apigenin(6), salicylic acid(7), coumarin(8), scoparone(9), 7-methoxycoumarin(10), fumaric acid(11), caffeic acid(12), and p-hydroxybenzoate-4-O-α-D-mannopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnoside(13).Compounds 2, 4, 7 and 12 exhibited strong scavenging activities against DPPH free radical with the IC50 values of 25.89, 14.09, 28.03, and 23.04 μg•mL-1, respectively; compounds 4, 7, 12 and 13 exhibited strong scavenging activities against ABTS free radical with the IC50 values of 10.48, 23.77, 22.79, and 25.20 μg•mL-1, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compounds 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 are isolated from this plant for the first time. Compound 13 is a new compound not reported in the literature; compounds 2, 4, 7, and 12 have strong ability to scavenge DPPH free radicals; compounds 4, 7, 12, and 13 have strong ability to scavenge ABTS free radicals.

Metabolite characterization of Penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose in rat biofluids by HPLC-QTOF-MS / 中草药·英文版

Objective: To understand the in vivo metabolic fate of 1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (PGG) naturally existed in many medicinal herbs and food plants such as Rhus chinensis, Paeonia suffruticosa, Paeonia lactiflora and Mango. Methods: The metabolites of PGG in rat biofluids were characterized using high performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS). Results: Ten metabolites in urine, five metabolites in feces and two metabolites in plasma, were observed when the rats were administrated with a single intravenous injection of PGG (20 mg/kg). Conclusion: PGG is firstly metabolized to gallic acid, then gallic acid undergoes sulfation, glucuronidation and methylation by rat liver. The determination of metabolites and the proposed metabolic pathway of PGG in vivo will be benefit to gain deeper insights into its pharmacological activities.

Clinical application of a self-developed bone dust collector in mastoid cavity obliteration following mastoidectomy / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective@#To introduce a self-developed bone dust collector designed by the authors and evaluate its efficiency in mastoid obliteration following mastoidectomy.@*Methods@#Consecutive patients, from April 2017 to March 2018, who prepared to receive mastoidectomy were randomly divided into two groups, and in each group the bone dust was harvested by self-developed bone dust collector or by conventional used method respectively in mastoidectomy. The amount of the harvested bone dust and the time consumed in the collecting procedure were compared between two groups. The infection of the bone dust after mastoid obliteration was also evaluated during follow up.@*Results@#33 patients were recruited in bone dust collector group, and 31 patients in conventional method group.There is no significance of difference between two groups in sex ratio, age and pneumatization of mastoid cells (P>0.05 for all). The median amount of bone dust harvested by bone dust collector was significantly larger than that collected by conventional method (1.8 g vs 1.1 g, P<0.05). The median time spent in bone dust collector group was significantly shorter than that spent in conventional method group (4 minutes vs 6 minutes, P<0.05). No bone dust infection was found in the follow-up in all patients.@*Conclusion@#The present self-developed bone dust collector is a easy and useful apparatus which can significantly improve the efficiency of collecting bone dust in mastoidectomy.

The influence of the drug pair of Baizhu-Fuzi on the survival time of nude mice which have bone metastasis of breast cancer and the TGF-β1 and PTHrP in their serum / 中成药

AIM To observe the drug pair Baizhu-Fuzi's protection on the breast cancer nude mice with bony metastasis and to explore the mechanism of bone metastasis.METHODS Nude mouse models of breast cancer with bone metastasis were developed through injection of breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231BO into the left ventricle.Nude mice were randomly divided into group A and group B.Group A were subdivided into model group,zoledronic acid group and the drug pair of Baizhu-Fuzi group;and Group B were subdivided into sham-operation group,model group,zoledronic acid group and Baizhu-Fuzi group were subsequently administered with the intervention accordingly.The nude mice in group A had their surviving time and the weight changes observed;and those in group B had the degree of bone metastasis examined.Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) method for quantitative determination of osteoclast in bone metastasis,and ELISA method were employed to check the content of TGF-β1 and PTHrP in serum.RESULTS Compared to the model group,Baizhu-Fuzi group displayed distinctly longer survival time (P ＜ 0.05),reduced rate of weight loss 6 weeks after modeling (P ＜ 0.05),significantly declined degree of bone metastasis (P ＜ 0.01),and significantly decreased quantity of TRAP (+) cell (P ＜ 0.05) and serum TGF-β1 and PTHrP (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION The drug pair,Baizhu-Fuzi's influence in TGFβ signal path control and PTHrP expression reduction may contribute to the weight loss management,prolonged survival time,osteolytic bone defect rectification in mouse models of breast cancer with bone metastasis.

Progress on Determination and Analysis of Zopiclone in Biological Samples / 法医学杂志

As a new hypnotic, zopiclone is widely used in clinical treatment. There are many methods for determination of zopiclone, including spectrophotometry, chromatography and chromatography mass spectrum, etc. Present paper reviews different kinds of biological samples associated with zopiclone, ex-traction and purification methods, and determination and analysis methods, which aims to provide refer-ences for the relevant research and practice.

Effect of phacoemulsification on ocular surface and corneal endothelial cells in cataract patients with diabetes mellitus / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

·AIM:To study the effects of phacoemulsification on ocular surface and corneal endothelial cells in cataract patients with diabetes mellitus.·METHODS:This study used a retrospective analysis of the clinical data to compare curative effect, the research object was 98 cases ( 98 eyes ) of cataract patients with phacoemulsification from January 2016 to December 2016 in our hospital. Patients were divided into the observation group and the control group according to whether diabetes merged. The observation group had 50 cases of cataract patients with diabetes, the control group had 48 cases of pure cataract patients. Two groups of patients underwent phacoemulsification surgery and transparent corneal incision, surgeries were completed by the same doctor, no xeroma before surgery. Preoperative glycemic control was normal for diabetic patients, no changes in eye fundus. Observation of ocular surface at postoperative 1, 3, 7d and 1mo was taken. Dry eye symptoms, lacrimal film breakup time ( BUT ) , corneal fluorescein staining ( FL ) score, SchirmerⅠtest ( SⅠt ) and corneal endothelial cell density were compared.·RESULTS: Dry eye symptom score of the two groups before and after operation had significant difference;data of the observation group at postoperative 7d and 1mo was significantly higher than that of the control group, there was statistical significance (P<0. 05), there was no significant difference at 1 and 3d after operation (P>0. 05 ). BUT of the two groups before and after surgery showed significant difference; data of the observation group at 7d and 1mo after operation was significantly lower than that of the control group, there was statistical significance ( P<0. 05 ); at 1 and 3d after operation there was no significant difference (P>0. 05). The FL score of the two groups before and after surgery had significant difference, and at 3, 7d and 1mo after operation, data of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group, there was statistical significance ( P< 0. 05 ); there was no significant difference at postoperative 1d (P>0. 05). The two groups' before and after surgery SⅠt had significant difference, at 1, 3, 7d and 1mo after operation, data of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group, there was statistical significance (P< 0. 05 ). Corneal endothelial cell density showed apparent difference of the two groups before and after surgery;at 1, 3, 7d and 1mo after operation, data of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group, there was statistical significance ( P<0. 05).· CONCLUSION: Phacoemulsification has significant effects on tear film break-up time, SⅠt and dry eye symptoms in patients with diabetes mellitus, which may be related to the impaired repair ability of diabetic patients.

RNA interference of HERC4 inhibits proliferation, apoptosis and migration of cervical cancer Hela cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of silencing HERC4 on the proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of cervical cancer cell line Hela and the possible molecular mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three HERC4-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were transfected into Hela cells, and HERC4 expression in the cells was examined with Western blotting. CCK-8 assay, annexin V-FITC/PI assay, and wound healing assay were used to assess the effect of HERC4 silencing on the proliferation, apoptosis and migration ability of Hela cells. The expression levels of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 in the cells were detected using Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Transfection of siRNA-3 resulted in significantly decreased HERC4 protein expression (P<0.01). HERC4 silencing by siRNA-3 markedly suppressed the proliferation and migration of Hela cells, increased the apoptosis rate (P<0.01) and reduced the expression levels of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Silencing of HERC4 efficiently inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Hela cells in vitro, and the underlying mechanisms may involve the down-regulation of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2.</p>

Study on IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 gene expression in liver of young rats with intermittent hypoxia / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:Using the model of young rats with intermittent hypoxia, to study the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in liver, and to provide objective evidence for the possible existence of growth retardation in children with OSAHS. Method:Divided 24 rats randomly into three groups, as control group and the mild and severe hypoxia group. Normally fed control group, without treatment, the other two groups were kept in the cabin has been simulated mild and severe intermittent hypoxia conditions of OSAHS in children. 8-hour day cycle of intermittent hypoxia, a total of 35 days. To the last day, animals were sacrificed and fresh liver tissues were fixed in liquid nitrogen, stored in the -80°C refrigerator, then took the molecular biology experiment of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the liver. Result:The expression of IGF-1 mRNA in liver, semi-quantitative analysis showed that the difference of mRNA expression of IGF-1 among the three groups was statistically significant (P<0.05), pairwise comparison, mild hypoxia group was higher than control and severe group, there were significant differences (P<0.05), the control group and severe hypoxia had no significant difference (P>0.05). The expression of IGFBP-3 mRNA in liver showed that, differences between the three groups was not significant (P>0.05). IGF-1 expression in liver tissue analysis showed that, differences between the three groups was statistically significant (P<0.05), pairwise comparisons, its expression in the control group was lower than mild hypoxia group and severe group, there were significant differences (P<0.05), mild hypoxia and severe hypoxia group had no significant difference (P>0.05). IGFBP-3 expression in liver tissue analysis showed that, differences between the three groups was statistically significant (P<0.05), pairwise comparisons, the control group was higher than mild and severe hypoxic group, there were significant differences (P<0.05), mild hypoxia and severe hypoxia group had no significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion:IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the liver of mild hypoxia group, severe hypoxic group and control group showed that their transcription levels and the severity of hypoxia had no significant correlation.

Study on accumulation of polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extracts contents of Dendrobium officinale leaves / 中国中药杂志

This paper revealed the accumulation regularity of polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extracts contents of Dendrobium officinale leaves, which have provided basis for the development and utilization of the leaves. The polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extracts contents of three D. officinale strains leaves collected in different growing periods were determined by phenol-sulfric acid method and hot-dip method respectively. The results showed that the content of polysaccharides in leaves was 4.45% -12.17%, and was about a quarter in stems. The alcohol-soluble extracts content in leaves was 7.45% - 29.34%, and was 1.5 times that of stems. The quality variation of polysaccharides in leaves was closely related to the phenophase. The leaves with lower level of metabolism in three stages: winter, early germination stage and deciduous period, which led to lower content of polysaccharides. The leaves at the vigorous growth stage with higher content of polysaccharides. The alcohol-soluble extracts were closely associated to the formation and germination of buds. The content of alcohol-soluble extracts peaked before sprout, and promoted the growth of new shoots.

Clinical evaluation of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation for uncontrolled primary congenital glaucoma / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

?AlM: To investigate the outcome and safety of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation treatment in uncontrolled primary congenital glaucoma ( PCG) . ? METHODS: Twenty - two eyes in 22 children with uncontrolled PCG were reviewed retrospectively and underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation treatment from January 2011 to December 2014. Main checking index included intraocular pressure ( lOP ) before and after operation, corneal diameter and complications. ?RESULTS: Preoperative mean age was 3. 74±2. 24y, and 2. 59 ± 1. 78y apart from the last operation. Postoperative average lOP was 35. 22 ± 6. 36mmHg. Average corneal diameter was 12. 79 ± 0. 75mm. Mitomycin C ( 0. 3 - 0. 5mg/mL ) was used in all operations for 3-5min. Glaucoma valves were implanted in the temporal or nose above the equator sclera. Postoperative lOP was 11. 4±4. 45mmHg at 1wk, and 16. 73± 7. 23mmHg after 12mo. As lOP ?CONCLUSlON:Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in uncontrolled PCG is a safe and viable treatment.

Construction of cDNA expression library of watermelon for isolation of ClWRKY1 transcription factors gene involved in resistance to Fusarium wilt.

Full-length cDNAs are very important for genome annotation and functional analysis of genes. The number of full-length cDNAs from watermelon remains limited. Here we report first the construction of a full-length enriched cDNA library from Fusarium wilt stressed watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) cultivar PI296341 root tissues using the SMART method. The titer of primary cDNA library and amplified library was 2.21 × 106 and 2.0 × 1010 pfu/ml, respectively and the rate of recombinant was above 85%. The size of insert fragment ranged from 0.3 to 2.0 kb. In this study, we first cloned a gene named ClWRKY1, which was 1981 bp long and encoded a protein consisting of 394 amino acids. It contained two characteristic WRKY domains and two zinc finger motifs. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that ClWRKY1 expression levels reached maximum level at 12 h after inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum. The full-length cDNA library of watermelon root tissues is not only essential for the cloning of genes which are known, but also an initial key for the screening and cloning of new genes that might be involved in resistance to Fusarium wilt.

Quality assessment of clinical research on liver cancer treated by intra-arterial infusion of Chinese medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the methodological quality of clinical research on Chinese medicine (CM) applied by intra-arterial infusion in treating primary liver cancer (PLC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, and three Chinese databases, including Chinese BioMedical Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and China Academic Journal (VIP) were searched. Chinese articles were also searched manually in 16 journals. Two reviewers independently selected studies, the quality of literatures were assessed according to the Cochrane Collaboration method of quality assessment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 14 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Only three of these articles described the randomization method used. None of the studies was blinded. All of the articles didn't report the calculation of the sample size. Only six studies mentioned adverse reactions. All of the studies were of grade C according to the Cochrane Collaboration method. Six studies reported results of survival, and only two of these reported better efficacy in the treatment groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The quality of studies concerned intra-arterial infusion of CM in treating with PLC was poor and the exact effect of these medicines still need evaluation. Well designed RCTs with large sample sizes, adequate follow-up data and reliable methods of assessment are needed to better appraise the real effect of CMs in the treatment of PLC patients.</p>

Observation on the clinical efficacy of shoulder pain in post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome treated with floating acupuncture and rehabilitation training / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the efficacy difference in the treatment of shoulder pain in post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome among floating acupuncture, oral administration of western medicine and local fumigation of Chinese herbs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety cases of post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (stage I) were randomized into a floating acupuncture group, a western medicine group and a local Chinese herbs fumigation group, 30 cases in each one. In the floating acupuncture group, two obvious tender points were detected on the shoulder and the site 80-100 mm inferior to each tender point was taken as the inserting point and stimulated with floating needling technique. In the western medicine group, mobic 7.5 mg was prescribed for oral administration. In the local Chinese herbs fumigation group, the formula for activating blood circulation and relaxing tendon was used for local fumigation. All the patients in three groups received rehabilitation training. The floating acupuncture, oral administration of western medicine, local Chinese herbs fumigation and rehabilitation training were given once a day respectively in corresponding group and the cases were observed for 1 month. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and Takagishi shoulder joint function assessment were adopted to evaluate the dynamic change of the patients with shoulder pain before and after treatment in three groups. The modified Barthel index was used to evaluate the dynamic change of daily life activity of the patients in three groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>With floating acupuncture, shoulder pain was relieved and the daily life activity was improved in the patients with post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome, which was superior to the oral administration of western medicine and local Chinese herbs fumigation (P < 0.01). With local Chinese herbs fumigation, the improvement of shoulder pain was superior to the oral administration of western medicine. The difference in the improvement of daily life activity was not significant statistically between the local Chinese herbs fumigation and oral administration of western medicine, the efficacy was similar between these two therapies (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The floating acupuncture relieves shoulder pain of the patients with post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome promptly and effectively, and the effects on shoulder pain and the improvements of daily life activity are superior to that of the oral administration of western medicine and local Chinese herbs fumigation.</p>

Simulated microgravity conditions and carbon ion irradiation induce spermatogenic cell apoptosis and sperm DNA damage / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of simulated microgravity and carbon ion irradiation (CIR) on spermatogenic cell apoptosis and sperm DNA damage to the testis of male Swiss Webster mice, and assess the risk associated with space environment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sperm DNA damage indicated by DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and high DNA stainability (HDS) was measured by sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA). Apoptosis of spermatogenic cells was detected by annexin V-propidium iodide assay. Bax (the expression levels of p53) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were measured by immunoblotting; p53 and PCNA were located by immunohistology.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HDS, DFI, apoptosis index, and the expression levels of p53 and Bax were detected to be significantly higher in the experimental groups (P<0.05) compared with those in the control group; however, the PCNA expression varied to a certain degree. p53- and PCNA- positive expression were detected in each group, mainly in relation to the spermatogonic cells and spermatocytes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The findings of the present study demonstrated that simulated microgravity and CIR can induce spermatogenic cell apoptosis and sperm DNA damage. Sperm DNA damage may be one of the underlying mechanisms behind male fertility decline under space environment. These findings may provide a scientific basis for protecting astronauts and space traveler's health and safety.</p>