qGL3.4 controls kernel size and plant architecture in rice.

Kernel size and plant architecture play important roles in kernel yield in rice. Cloning and functional study of genes related to kernel size and plant architecture are of great significance for breeding high-yield rice. Using the single-segment substitution lines which developed with Oryza barthii as a donor parent and an elite indica cultivar Huajingxian74 (HJX74) as a recipient parent, we identified a novel QTL (quantitative trait locus), named qGL3.4, which controls kernel size and plant architecture. Compared with HJX74, the kernel length, kernel width, 1000-kernel weight, panicle length, kernels per plant, primary branches, yield per plant, and plant height of near isogenic line-qGL3.4 (NIL-qGL3.4) are increased, whereas the panicles per plant and secondary branches per panicle of NIL-qGL3.4 are comparable to those of HJX74. qGL3.4 was narrowed to a 239.18 kb interval on chromosome 3. Cell analysis showed that NIL-qGL3.4 controlled kernel size by regulating cell growth. qGL3.4 controls kernel size at least in part through regulating the transcription levels of EXPANSINS, GS3, GL3.1, PGL1, GL7, OsSPL13 and GS5. These results indicate that qGL3.4 might be beneficial for improving kernel yield and plant architecture in rice breeding.

Anti-Larval and Anti-Algal Natural Products from Marine Microorganisms as Sources of Anti-Biofilm Agents.

Bacteria growing inside biofilms are more resistant to hostile environments, conventional antibiotics, and mechanical stresses than their planktonic counterparts. It is estimated that more than 80% of microbial infections in human patients are biofilm-based, and biofouling induced by the biofilms of some bacteria causes serious ecological and economic problems throughout the world. Therefore, exploring highly effective anti-biofilm compounds has become an urgent demand for the medical and marine industries. Marine microorganisms, a well-documented and prolific source of natural products, provide an array of structurally distinct secondary metabolites with diverse biological activities. However, up to date, only a handful of anti-biofilm natural products derived from marine microorganisms have been reported. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that some promising antifouling (AF) compounds from marine microbes, particularly those that inhibit settlement of fouling invertebrate larvae and algal spores, can be considered as potential anti-biofilm agents owing to the well-known knowledge of the correlations between biofilm formation and the biofouling process of fouling organisms. In this review, a total of 112 anti-biofilm, anti-larval, and anti-algal natural products from marine microbes and 26 of their synthetic analogues are highlighted from 2000 to 2021. These compounds are introduced based on their microbial origins, and then categorized into the following different structural groups: fatty acids, butenolides, terpenoids, steroids, phenols, phenyl ethers, polyketides, alkaloids, flavonoids, amines, nucleosides, and peptides. The preliminary structure-activity relationships (SAR) of some important compounds are also briefly discussed. Finally, current challenges and future research perspectives are proposed based on opinions from many previous reviews.

Resting-state connectome-based support-vector-machine predictive modeling of internet gaming disorder.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD), a worldwide mental health issue, has been widely studied using neuroimaging techniques during the last decade. Although dysfunctions in resting-state functional connectivity have been reported in IGD, mapping relationships from abnormal connectivity patterns to behavioral measures have not been fully investigated. Connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM)-a recently developed machine-learning approach-has been used to examine potential neural mechanisms in addictions and other psychiatric disorders. To identify the resting-state connections associated with IGD, we modified the CPM approach by replacing its core learning algorithm with a support vector machine. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired in 72 individuals with IGD and 41 healthy comparison participants. The modified CPM was conducted with respect to classification and regression. A comparison of whole-brain and network-based analyses showed that the default-mode network (DMN) is the most informative network in predicting IGD both in classification (individual identification accuracy = 78.76%) and regression (correspondence between predicted and actual psychometric scale score: r = 0.44, P < 0.001). To facilitate the characterization of the aberrant resting-state activity in the DMN, the identified networks have been mapped into a three-subsystem division of the DMN. Results suggest that individual differences in DMN function at rest could advance our understanding of IGD and variability in disorder etiology and intervention outcomes.

[Progress in goat genome studies].

The goat genome is the research basis for the protection and utilization of goat resources, which is important for breeding and improving goat breeds. At present, with the continuous improvement of goat reference genome, various important research progress in goat origin, evolution and adaptability has been achieved. In this review, we summarize the research progress in the goat genome in detail, encompassing goat genome structure, genome map (genetic, physical and comparative maps), goat high throughput sequencing and SNP chip development. We aim to provide a theoretical foundation for the development of goat genome selection.

Probabilistic diffusion tractography and graph theory analysis reveal abnormal white matter structural connectivity networks in drug-naive boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is characterized by core symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that these behavioral disturbances are associated with abnormal functional connectivity among brain regions. However, the alterations in the structural connections that underlie these behavioral and functional deficits remain poorly understood. Here, we used diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and probabilistic tractography method to examine whole-brain white matter (WM) structural connectivity in 30 drug-naive boys with ADHD and 30 healthy controls. The WM networks of the human brain were constructed by estimating inter-regional connectivity probability. The topological properties of the resultant networks (e.g., small-world and network efficiency) were then analyzed using graph theoretical approaches. Nonparametric permutation tests were applied for between-group comparisons of these graphic metrics. We found that both the ADHD and control groups showed an efficient small-world organization in the whole-brain WM networks, suggesting a balance between structurally segregated and integrated connectivity patterns. However, relative to controls, patients with ADHD exhibited decreased global efficiency and increased shortest path length, with the most pronounced efficiency decreases in the left parietal, frontal, and occipital cortices. Intriguingly, the ADHD group showed decreased structural connectivity in the prefrontal-dominant circuitry and increased connectivity in the orbitofrontal-striatal circuitry, and these changes significantly correlated with the inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms, respectively. The present study shows disrupted topological organization of large-scale WM networks in ADHD, extending our understanding of how structural disruptions of neuronal circuits underlie behavioral disturbances in patients with ADHD.

Transarterial infusion with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin for the treatment of unresectable pancreatic cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and the safety of transarterial infusion (TAI) with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer (PC). After celiac arteriogram and super-mesenteric arteriography, 1000 mg/m gemcitabine and 100 mg/m oxaliplatin were infused through 4- or 5-Fr catheters in arteries supplying blood to the tumor. In cases in which the blood-supplying artery could be selectively catheterized, the infusion was performed through a 3-Fr catheter placed in the tumor-supplying artery. Therapeutic courses were repeated every 4 weeks. The tumor response, the overall survival, and adverse effects were monitored. Thirty-two patients with unresectable PC were enrolled in this study, including 20 male and 12 female patients. A total of 105 cycles of TAI (mean=3.3 cycles/patient) were performed. Of 32 patients, partial remission was achieved in eight (25.0%), stable disease in 13 (40.6%), and progressive disease in 11 (34.4%). The overall response rate was 25.0%. The median survival time was 10.0 months (range=4-21 months). Grade III-IV toxicity, vomiting, occurred with a rate of 21.9%. Grade I-II neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, peripheral nerve toxicity, elevated serum transaminases levels, and serum total bilirubin were observed. TAI with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin is well tolerated and highly effective in patients with unresectable PC.

Damage to pig bile duct caused by intraluminal brachytherapy using a (125)I ribbon.

BACKGROUND: Stent occlusion by tumor ingrowth or overgrowth is the main cause of jaundice recurrence after metal stent insertion in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ). The application of intraluminal brachytherapy (ILBT) in patients with MOJ results in local control of malignant tumors, which prolong stent patency. PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety of ILBT in pig bile ducts using ribbons of iodine-125 ((125)I) seeds. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixteen healthy pigs were randomly assigned to four groups of four pigs each. A (125)I seed ribbon was implanted into the common bile duct of each animal through an incision in the duct wall, and was fixed by suturing. The four groups of animals were sacrificed at 15, 30, 60, and 120 days after ribbon implantation, respectively. Serum bilirubin concentrations, alanine aminotransferase concentrations, and white blood cell counts before and after implantation were compared within each group. Pathological changes to the bile duct wall were observed using a light microscope. Morphological changes in biliary epithelial cells and organelles were observed with electron microscopy. RESULTS: (125)I ribbons were successfully implanted in all animals without surgery-related death. We found no significant difference in pre- and post-implant serum bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, or white blood cell counts. Light and electron microscopy showed that the most severe bile duct damage occurred in the 15-day group, which exhibited necrosis and detachment of numerous epithelial cells, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Repair and proliferation of the bile duct epithelium began 30 days after implantation and was nearly complete at 60 days. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the safety of ILBT using a (125)I ribbon in the pig bile duct. (125)I seed ribbons may be used in the treatment of MOJ in humans.

Fine needle aspirating and cutting is superior to Tru-cut core needle in liver biopsy.

BACKGROUND: Liver biopsy is the "gold standard" for evaluating liver disorders, but controversies over the potential risk of complications and patient discomfort still exist. Using a 21G fine needle, we developed a new biopsy procedure, fine needle aspirating and cutting (FNAC). Our procedure obtains enough tissue for pathological examination and meanwhile, reduces the risk of biopsy complications. The present study was to determine the safety and efficiency of 21G FNAC compared with 18G Tru-cut core needle (TCN) in liver tumor biopsies. METHODS: Ninety-four patients with unresectable malignant tumors were included in this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups: 18G TCN and 21G FNAC. The total positive rate (TPR) and safety of both groups were compared. RESULTS: TPR was not different between the two groups. Liver puncture track subcapsular hemorrhage and arteriovenous shunt were reported with 18G TCN but not with 21G FNAC. The incidence of pain caused by biopsy was higher for the 18G TCN group compared to the 21G FNAC group (P<0.05). About 82.6% of the patients in the 18G TCN group had a sample length >0.5 cm, but 52.1% in the 21G FNAC group (P<0.05). More than 50% of patients in both groups had sufficient tissue for immunohistochemical examination. CONCLUSIONS: TPR is not different between the 21G FNAC and 18G TCN biopsy procedures, but the safety of 21G FNAC is superior to that of 18G TCN. Tissues obtained by either of these two procedures are sufficient for a pathological diagnosis.

Barbel regeneration and function divergence in red-tail catfish (Hemibagrus wyckioides) based on the chromosome-level genomes and comparative transcriptomes.

Catfish (Siluriformes) are one of the most diverse vertebrate orders and are characterized by whisker-like barbels, which are important sensory organs in most of teleosts. However, their specific biological functions are still unclear. Red-tail catfish (Hemibagrus wyckioides) is well-known catfish species with four pairs of barbels, of which the maxillary barbels reach two-thirds of the body length. In this study, a 776.58 Mb high-quality chromosome-level genome was assembled into 29 chromosomes. Comparative genome data indicated that the barbeled regeneration gene ccl33 has expanded into 11 tandemly duplicated copies. Transcriptome data revealed the functional differentiation of different barbels and suggested that the maxillary barbel might be necessary for water temperature perception. Taste receptor genes were also characterized in teleosts with different food habits. Selection pressures were revealed to affect the sugar-based solute transport domain of the sweet taste receptor gene t1r2 in carnivorous fishes. In addition, the bitter taste receptor gene t2r200 was found to be lost from the genomes of four catfish species. Therefore, our study provides a genomic foundation for understanding the regeneration and functional differentiation of barbels in red-tail catfish and also reveals novel insights into the feeding evolution of fish species with different feeding habits.

The efficacy of TACE combined sorafenib in advanced stages hepatocellullar carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The long-term survival in hepatocellullar carcinoma (HCC) patients after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) remains dismal due to local and/or regional recurrence as well as distant metastasis. The efficacy of sorafenib in advanced HCC has been demonstrated and brought great hope. Recently, the use of sorafenib in combination with TACE for BCLC stage B and C HCC patients was recommended. However, data on this dual-modality treatment is little, and its advantage over TACE alone has not been addressed. The present study sought to understand the efficacy of the combination of TACE and sorafenib in the treatment of advanced HCC. METHODS: Between June 2008 and Feb 2011, 45 patients with advanced HCC were enrolled and treated with sorafenib in combination with TACE according to an institutional protocol of the Zhongshan hospital, Fudan University. The control group of 45 other HCC patients with similar characteristics treated with TACE alone in the same period of time in our institute were selected for retrospective comparison of the treatment outcomes especially overall survival time. Adverse reactions induced by sorafenib were observed and recorded. RESULTS: The median overall survival time of the combined treatment group was 27 (95% Confidence Interval: 21.9-32.1) months, and that of TACE alone group was 17 months (95% Confidence Interval: 8.9-25.0) months (P = 0.001). Patients required significantly less frequent TACE for their symptomatic treatment after the initiation of sorafenib therapy. The most common adverse events associated with sorafenib were hand-foot skin reaction, rash and diarrhea. Of CTCAE grade IV or V toxicity was observed. CONCLUSION: TACE combined sorafenib significantly prolonged median overall survival time of patients with advanced HCC.

Morphology extraction of fetal ECG using temporal CNN-based nonlinear adaptive noise cancelling.

OBJECTIVES: Noninvasive fetal electrocardiography (FECG) offers many advantages over alternative fetal monitoring techniques in evaluating fetal health conditions. However, it is difficult to extract a clean FECG signal with morphological features from an abdominal ECG recorded at the maternal abdomen; the signal is usually contaminated by the maternal ECG and various noises. The aim of the work is to extract an FECG signal that preserves the morphological features from the mother's abdominal ECG recording, which allows for accurately estimating the fetal heart rate (FHR) and analyzing the waveforms of the fetal ECG. METHODS: We propose a novel nonlinear adaptive noise cancelling framework (ANC) based on a temporal convolutional neural network (CNN) to effectively extract fetal ECG signals from mothers' abdominal ECG recordings. The proposed framework consists of a two-stage network, using the ANC architecture; one network is for the maternal ECG component elimination and the other is for the residual noise component removal of the extracted fetal ECG signal. Then, JADE (one of the blind source separation algorithms) is applied as a postprocessing step to produce a clean fetal ECG signal. RESULTS: Synthetic ECG data (FECGSYNDB) and clinical ECG data (NIFECGDB, PCDB) are used to evaluate the extraction performance of the proposed framework. The statistical and visual results demonstrate that our method outperforms the other state-of-the-art algorithms in the literature. Specifically, on the FECGSYNDB, the mean squared error (MSE), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), correlation coefficient (R) and F1-score of our method are 0.16, 7.94, 0.95 and 98.89%, respectively. The F1-score on the NIFECGDB reaches 98.62%. The value of the F1-score on the PCDB is 98.62%. CONCLUSION: As opposed to the existing algorithms being restricted to fetal QRS complex detection, the proposed framework can preserve the morphological features of the extracted fetal ECG signal well, which could support medical diagnoses based on the morphology of the fetal ECG signal.

The regulation mechanism of different hair types in inner Mongolia cashmere goat based on PI3K-AKT pathway and FGF21.

There is genetic diversity of hair types in the Inner Mongolia cashmere goat population. Previous studies have found that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and PI3K-AKT signal pathways may be related to different hair types in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the PI3K-AKT signal pathway on different hair types, the expression of mRNA and protein expression sites of FGF21 in the hair follicles of cashmere goats with different hair types, so as to lay a foundation for understanding the molecular mechanism of different hair types and the role of skin hair follicle development. In this experiment, the skin tissues of long hair type (LHG) and short hair type (SHG) of Inner Mongolia cashmere goat were collected in three key periods of secondary hair follicle growth, namely, anagen (September), catagen (December), and telogen (March). The relative expression of FGF21 and PI3K-AKT signal pathway candidate gene mRNA in different periods and different hair types was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative technique (qRT-PCR), and the expression site of FGF21 protein was located by immunohistochemical technique. Through qRT-PCR, it was found that the relative expression of FGF21, FGFR1, AKT3, BRCA1, PKN3, SPP1, and GNG4 was significantly different between LHG and SHG. The expression of FGF21 in the skin of LHG was significantly higher than that of SHG in the three periods. Through immunohistochemical test, it was found that FGF21 protein was mainly expressed in primary hair follicle connective tissue sheath, primary hair follicle outer root sheath, secondary hair follicle outer root sheath, and sebaceous glands. It was also found that the expression of LHG skin tissue in the outer root sheath of primary hair follicles was higher than that of SHG in three periods. In summary, it is suggested that the PI3K-AKT signal pathway may play an important role in the formation of different hair types in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats.

There is genetic diversity of hair types in Inner Mongolia cashmere goat population. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the PI3K-AKT signal pathway on different hair types, the expression of mRNA and protein expression sites of FGF21 in the hair follicles of cashmere goats with different hair types, so as to lay a foundation for understanding the molecular mechanism of different hair types. It was found that the relative expression of FGF21, FGFR1, AKT3, BRCA1, PKN3, SPP1, and GNG4 was significantly different between LHG and SHG. It was found that FGF21 protein was mainly expressed in primary hair follicle connective tissue sheath, primary hair follicle outer root sheath, secondary hair follicle outer root sheath, and sebaceous glands. It was also found that the expression of LHG skin tissue in the outer root sheath of primary hair follicles was higher than that of SHG in three periods. So, it is suggested that the PI3K-AKT signal pathway and FGF21 may play an important role in the formation of different hair types in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats.

Identification of Genes Related to Hair Follicle Cycle Development in Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goat by WGCNA.

Cashmere goat from Inner Mongolia is an excellent local breed in China, and the related cashmere product is a kind of precious textile raw material with high price. Cashmere is generated from secondary hair follicles, which has obvious annual periodicity and includes three different stages: anagen, catagen, and telogen. Therefore, we investigated skin transcriptome data for 12 months using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to explore essential modules, pathways, and genes responsible for the periodic growth and development of secondary hair follicles. A total of 17 co-expression modules were discovered by WGCNA, and there is a strong correlation between steelblue module and month (0.65, p = 3E-09), anagen (0.52, p = 1E-05), telogen (-0.6, p = 8E-08). Gene expression was generally high during late anagen to catagen (June to December), while expression was downregulated from telogen to early anagen (January-May), which is similar to the growth rule of hair follicle cycle. KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of the genes of steelblue module indicated that genes are mainly enriched in Cell cycle, Wnt signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway and other important signal pathways. These genes were also significantly enriched in GO functional annotation of the cell cycle, microtubule movement, microtubule binding, tubulin binding, and so on. Ten genes (WIF1, WNT11, BAMBI, FZD10, NKD1, LEF1, CCND3, E2F3, CDC6, and CDC25A) were selected from these modules, and further identified as candidate biomarkers to regulate periodic development of hair follicles using qRT-PCR. The Wnt signaling pathway and Cell cycle play an important role in the periodic development of hair follicles. Ten genes were identified as essential functional molecules related to periodic development of hair follicle. These findings laid a foundation for understanding molecular mechanisms in biological functions such as hair follicle development and hair growth in cashmere goats.

Identification of the Key Genes Associated with Different Hair Types in the Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goat.

The Inner Mongolia cashmere goat is an excellent local breed in China. According to the characteristics of wool quilts, the Inner Mongolia cashmere goat can be divided into three types: a long-hair type (hair length of >22 cm), a short-hair type (hair length of ≤13 cm), and an intermediate type (hair length of >13 cm and ≤22 cm). It is found that hair length has a certain reference value for the indirect selection of other important economic traits of cashmere. In order to explore the molecular mechanisms and related regulatory genes of the different hair types, a weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was carried out on the gene expression data and phenotypic data of 12-month-old Inner Mongolia cashmere goats with a long-hair type (LHG) and a short-hair type (SHG) to explore the coexpression modules related to different coat types and nine candidate genes, and detect the relative expression of key candidate genes. The results showed that the WGCNA divided these genes into 19 coexpression modules and found that there was a strong correlation between one module and different hair types. The expression trends of this module's genes were different in the two hair types, with high expression in the LHG and low expression in the SHG. GO functions are mainly concentrated in cellular components, including intermediate filaments (GO:0005882), intermediate filament cytoskeletons (GO:0045111), and cytoskeletal parts (GO:0044430). The KEGG pathway is mainly enriched in arginine as well as proline metabolism (chx00330) and the MAPK signaling pathway (chx04010). The candidate genes of the different hair types, including the KRT39, KRT74, LOC100861184, LOC102177231, LOC102178767, LOC102179881, LOC106503203, LOC108638293, and LOC108638298 genes, were screened. Through qRT-PCR, it was found that there were significant differences in these candidate genes between the two hair types, and most of them had a significant positive correlation with hair length. It was preliminarily inferred that these candidate genes could regulate the different hair types of cashmere goats and provide molecular markers for hair growth.

Accuracy of Genomic Selection for Important Economic Traits of Cashmere and Meat Goats Assessed by Simulation Study.

Genomic selection in plants and animals has become a standard tool for breeding because of the advantages of high accuracy and short generation intervals. Implementation of this technology is hindered by the high cost of genotyping and other factors. The aim of this study was to determine an optional marker density panel and reference population size for using genomic selection of goats, with speculation on the number of QTLs that affect the important economic traits of goats. In addition, the effect of buck population size in the reference population on the accuracy of genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) was discussed. Based on the previous genetic evaluation results of Inner Mongolia White Cashmere Goats, live body weight (LBW, h 2 = 0.11) and fiber diameter (FD, h 2 = 0.34) were chosen to perform genomic selection in this study. Reasonable genome parameters and generation transmission processes were set, and phenotypic and genotype data of the two traits were simulated. Then, different sizes of the reference population and validation population were selected from progeny. The GEBVs were obtained by six methods, including GBLUP (Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction), ssGBLUP (Single Step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction), BayesA, BayesB, Bayesian ridge regression, and Bayesian LASSO. The correlation coefficient between the predicted and realized phenotypes from simulation was calculated and used as a measure of the accuracy of GEBV in each trait. The results showed that the medium marker density Panel (45 K) could be used for genomic selection in goats, which can ensure the accuracy of the GEBV. The reference population size of 1,500 can achieve greater genetic progress in genomic selection for fiber diameter and live body weight in goats by comparing with the population size below this level. The accuracy of the GEBV for live body weight and fiber diameter was better when the number of QTLs was 100 and 50, respectively. Additionally, the accuracy of GEBV was discovered to be good when the buck population size was up to 200. Meanwhile, the accuracy of the GEBV for medium heritability traits (FDs) was found to be higher than the accuracy of the GEBV for low heritability traits (LBWs). These findings will provide theoretical guidance for genomic selection in goats by using real data.

[Features of blood supply and results of transarterial infusion and embolization in spinal metastases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the features of blood supply and results of transarterial infusion and embolization in spinal metastases. METHODS: Forty-one patients with spinal metastasis received transarterial infusion and embolization between March 2001 and June 2008. The inclusion criteria were: The metastatic lesion caused back pain; The metastatic lesion involved vertebra at or below T3 level. There were 29 males and 12 females with a mean age of 56.0 (33 - 71) years. Epirubicin was used as the chemotherapeutic agent. Lipoid Ultra-Fluid, Contour SE or gelfoam particles were used as embolitic material. RESULTS: The technical success of therapy was achieved in 52 vertebrae (100%) including 14 thoracic, 35 lumbar and 3 sacral vertebrae. 105 arteries were used for infusion and embolization (16 intercostal arteries, 78 lumbar arteries, 4 iliolumbar arteries, 4 branches of iliac arteries, and 3 median sacral arteries). Lipoid Ultra-Fluid (2 - 8 ml) was used in 15, Contour SE (300 approximately 500 microm, 20 - 100 mg) in 20, and gelfoam particles in 33 arteries. Three days after treatment, complete pain relief (CR) was achieved in 17 patients, partial pain relief (PR) in 20, and moderate pain relief (MR) in 4, with an effective rate of 90.2%. Two weeks after treatment, CR was achieved in 17 patients, PR in 21, and MR in 3, with an effective rate of 92.7%. No adverse nervous system effect occurred. 16 patients developed swelling and pain of normal tissues which were alleviated after symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSION: Transarterial infusion and embolization is an effective therapy in relieving pain resulting from spinal metastases.

Screening the key genes of hair follicle growth cycle in Inner Mongolian Cashmere goat based on RNA sequencing.

Inner Mongolian Cashmere goat is an excellent local breed selected for the dual-purpose of cashmere and meat. There are three lines of Inner Mongolian Cashmere goat: Erlangshan, Alashan and Aerbasi. Cashmere is a kind of precious textile raw material with a high price. Cashmere is derived from secondary hair follicle (SHF), while hair is derived from primary hair follicle (PHF). The growth cycle of SHF of cashmere goat is 1 year, and it can be divided into three different stages: anagen, catagen and telogen. In this study, we tried to find some important influence factors of SHF growth cycle in skin tissue from Inner Mongolian Cashmere goats by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Three female Aerbasi Inner Mongolian Cashmere goats (2 years old) were used as experimental samples in this study. Skin samples were collected in September (anagen), December (catagen) and March (telogen) at dorsal side from cashmere goats. Results showed that over 511 396 044 raw reads and 487 729 890 clean reads were obtained from sequence data. In total, 51 different expression genes (DEGs) including 29 downregulated genes and 22 upregulated genes were enriched in anagen-catagen comparing group. The 443 DEGs contained 117 downregulated genes and 326 upregulated genes that were enriched in catagen-telogen comparing group. In telogen-anagen comparing group, 779 DEGs were enriched including 582 downregulated genes and 197 upregulated genes. The result of gene ontology (GO) annotation showed that DEGs are in different growth cycle periods, and enriched GO items are mostly related to the transformation of cell and protein. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment result indicated that metabolic process has a great impact on SHF growth cycle. Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed genes, GO enrichment and KEGG enrichment, we found that FGF5, FGFR1 and RRAS had an effect on the hair follicle growth cycle. The results of this study may provide a theoretical basis for further research on the growth and development of SHF in Inner Mongolian Cashmere goats.

[The preliminary study of metallic stent implantation in combination with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal vein tumor thrombus].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical efficiency of metallic stent implantation in combination with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumor thrombus. METHODS: 22 cases of HCC patients with portal vein tumor thrombus were devided into 2 groups: 10 patients (group A) recieved stent implantation in combination with conformal radiation therapy, 12 patients (group B) recieved stent implantation and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. The adverse reactions, and liver function before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. The stent patency rate at 4, 6 and 12 months and the survival rate at 3, 6 and 12 months were followed up. Comparison of liver function was analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank test. Comparison of stent patency rate curves and survival curves was analyzed by Log rank test. RESULTS: The portal vein catheterization was successful in all the patients. The stents were successfully implanted by transhepatic portal vein approach, and portal vein stenosis was re-opened. There was no abdominal hemorrhage in all the patients, but there were symptoms of abdominalgia, fever, nausea, vomiting and flatulence of varying degrees after interventional operation, and these symptoms were relieved by symptomatic treatment in one week. All patients in group A completed the treatment. I-II degree gastrointestinal tract reactions occurred in 3 cases, I-II degree myelosuppression occurred in 2 cases, and they were all completely relieved after treatment. The stent patency rate at 4, 6 and 12 months was 90%, 70%, 30% in group A; and 50%, 25% , 16.7% in group B (P < 0.05). The survival rate at 3, 6 and 12 months was 100%, 80% , 30% in group A and 91.7%, 41.7%, 16.7% in group B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Stent implantation combined with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy is a good treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus and causes less damage to liver.

Underdevelopment of optic radiation in children with amblyopia: a tractography study.

PURPOSE: To detect the abnormalities of the optic radiation (OR) in children with amblyopia by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography. DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial. METHODS: Fourteen children with amblyopia and 14 normally sighted children underwent DTI scanning. After the ORs were reconstructed by using tractography algorithm, voxels through which the anterior parts of ORs passed were determined for their values of fractional anisotropy (FA). The paired t test was applied to compare their mean FA values of right OR and left OR in the control group. For the amblyopia group, analysis of variance was conducted to determine the effect of laterality and vision status on the FA values. In addition, the voxel numbers of anterior and posterior parts of both ORs were calculated. The Student t test was used to compare the average FA of bilateral ORs and voxel numbers between the two groups. RESULTS: Comparison demonstrated left-higher-than-right asymmetry in both amblyopic children and normal children. We found no significant difference of average FA between the amblyopic group (0.4832 +/- 0.0225) and control group (0.4770 +/- 0.0273). Voxel numbers of the anterior parts of both ORs were not significantly different between the two groups, whereas voxel numbers of their posterior parts in the controls were more than that of amblyopic children. CONCLUSION: Tractography showed more voxels in the posterior ORs of normal children than in the amblyopic children, indicating that normal children have better development of the ORs. The underdevelopment of the ORs might reflect the dysfunction of visual cortex in children with amblyopia.

Detection of abnormal visual cortex in children with amblyopia by voxel-based morphometry.

PURPOSE: To detect the abnormalities of gray matter in children with amblyopia by voxel-based morphometry (VBM). DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial. METHODS: Thirteen children with amblyopia and 14 normally sighted children underwent magnetic resonance (MR) examination. The two groups were age-matched with a mean age of 5.8 years. In the amblyopia group, five children had strabismus amblyopia, and eight had anisometropic amblyopia. We analyzed the original 3-dimensional T1 brain images using the VBM module within the widely used analysis software package SPM2 (Welcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, London, United Kingdom). After normalization, segmentation, and smoothing of the images, comparison between amblyopic and control groups was derived for the gray matter of the entire brain using parametric statistics. RESULTS: The results of VBM analysis indicated that the amblyopic group had decreased gray matter density in the middle frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus of the left hemisphere, and the bilateral calcarine cortices. The radii of these regions ranged from 12 to 36 voxels. These abnormalities were consistent with morphologic changes in brain regions related to visual function. CONCLUSIONS: Using MR and VBM analysis, we detected morphologic changes in the visual cortex of children with amblyopia, which may indicate developmental abnormalities of visual cortex during the critical growth period.