Selection on the promoter regions plays an important role in complex traits during duck domestication.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the key factors that underlie complex traits during domestication is a great challenge for evolutionary and biological studies. In addition to the protein-coding region differences caused by variants, a large number of variants are located in the noncoding regions containing multiple types of regulatory elements. However, the roles of accumulated variants in gene regulatory elements during duck domestication and economic trait improvement are poorly understood. RESULTS: We constructed a genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics map of the duck genome and assessed the evolutionary forces that have been in play across the whole genome during domestication. In total, 304 (42.94%) gene promoters have been specifically selected in Pekin duck among all selected genes. Joint multi-omics analysis reveals that 218 genes (72.01%) with selected promoters are located in open and active chromatin, and 267 genes (87.83%) with selected promoters were highly and differentially expressed in domestic trait-related tissues. One important candidate gene ELOVL3, with a strong signature of differentiation on the core promoter region, is known to regulate fatty acid elongation. Functional experiments showed that the nearly fixed variants in the top selected ELOVL3 promoter in Pekin duck decreased binding ability with HLF and increased gene expression, with the overexpression of ELOVL3 able to increase lipid deposition and unsaturated fatty acid enrichment. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents genome resequencing, RNA-Seq, Hi-C, and ATAC-Seq data of mallard and Pekin duck, showing that selection of the gene promoter region plays an important role in gene expression and phenotypic changes during domestication and highlights that the variants of the ELOVL3 promoter may have multiple effects on fat and long-chain fatty acid content in ducks.

[Risk factors for delayed bleeding after intestinal polypectomy in children]. / å„¿ç«¥è‚ æ¯è‚‰åˆ‡é™¤æœ¯åŽè¿Ÿå‘æ€§å‡ºè¡€çš„å±é™©å› ç´ åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of delayed bleeding after intestinal polypectomy in children, and to provide a theoretical basis for clinical surgical intervention of intestinal polyps. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 2 456 children with intestinal polyps who underwent endoscopic high-frequency electrocoagulation loop resection in the Endoscopy Center of Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2014 to December 2021. According to the presence or absence of delayed bleeding after surgery, they were divided into bleeding group with 79 children and non-bleeding group with 2 377 children. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for delayed bleeding. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to investigate the value of various indicators in predicting delayed bleeding. RESULTS: Of all 2 456 children, 79 (3.22%) experienced delayed bleeding, among whom 5 children with severe delayed bleeding underwent emergency colonoscopy for hemostasis and 74 received conservative treatment, and successful hemostasis was achieved for all children. There were significant differences between the bleeding and non-bleeding groups in age, body mass index, constipation rate, location of lesion, time of endoscopic procedure, resection method (P<0.05). Children with a diameter of polyps of 6-10 mm and >20 mm were more likely to develop delayed bleeding after resection (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that endoscopic operation time, polyp diameter, and resection method were significantly associated with delayed bleeding (P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the endoscopic operation time, polyp diameter, and resection method had a good value in predicting delayed bleeding after intestinal polypectomy, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.706, 0.688, and 0.627, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic high-frequency electrocoagulation loop resection has a lower incidence of delayed bleeding in children with intestinal polyps, and the endoscopic operation time, polyp diameter, and resection method are closely associated with the occurrence of postoperative delayed bleeding.

[Clinical characteristics of 267 children with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease: a multicenter study]. / 267ä¾‹å„¿ç«¥å—œé ¸ç²’ç»†èƒžæ€§èƒƒè‚ é“ç–¾ç— ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾åˆ†æžï¼šä¸€é¡¹å¤šä¸­å¿ƒç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the clinical manifestations, endoscopic findings, histopathological changes, treatment, and prognosis of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (EGID) in children, with the aim of enhancing awareness among pediatricians about this condition. METHODS: Data of 267 children with EGID were prospectively collected from January 2019 to July 2022 at Jiangxi Children's Hospital, Hunan Children's Hospital, and Henan Children's Hospital. The age of onset, symptoms, physical signs, laboratory examination results, endoscopic findings, histopathological changes, and treatment outcomes were observed. RESULTS: Among the 267 children with EGID, the majority had mild (164 cases, 61.4%) or moderate (96 cases, 35.6%) clinical severity. The disease occurred at any age, with a higher prevalence observed in school-age children (178 cases). The main symptoms in infants were vomiting and hematemesis, while in toddlers, vomiting and bloody stools were prominent. Abdominal pain and vomiting were the primary symptoms in preschool and school-age children. Nearly half (49.4%) of the affected children showed elevated platelet counts on hematological examination, but there was no significant difference in platelet counts among children with mild, moderate, and severe EGID (P>0.05). Endoscopic findings in EGID children did not reveal significant specificity, and histopathological examination showed no specific structural damage. Among them, 85.0% (227 cases) received acid suppression therapy, 34.5% (92 cases) practiced dietary avoidance, 20.9% (56 cases) received anti-allergic medication, and a small proportion (24 cases, 9.0%) were treated with prednisone. Clinical symptoms were relieved in all patients after treatment, but three cases with peptic ulcers experienced recurrence after drug discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: Mild and moderate EGID are more common in children, with no specific endoscopic findings. Dietary avoidance, acid suppression therapy, and anti-allergic medication are the main treatment methods. The prognosis of EGID is generally favorable in children.

[Specific changes in gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid levels in infants with cow's milk protein allergy]. / ç‰›å¥¶è›‹ç™½è¿‡æ•å©´å„¿è‚ é“èŒç¾¤ç‰¹å¼‚æ€§å˜åŒ–åŠçŸ­é“¾è„‚è‚ªé ¸æ°´å¹³åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the changes in gut microbiota and levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in infants with cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA), and to clarify their role in CMPA. METHODS: A total of 25 infants diagnosed with CMPA at Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from August 2019 to August 2020 were enrolled as the CMPA group, and 25 healthy infants were selected as the control group. Fecal samples (200 mg) were collected from both groups and subjected to 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technology and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze the changes in gut microbial composition and metabolites. Microbial diversity was analyzed in conjunction with metabolites. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the CMPA group showed altered gut microbial structure and significantly increased α-diversity (P<0.001). The abundance of Firmicutes, Clostridiales and Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased, while the abundance of Sphingomonadaceae, Clostridiaceae_1 and Mycoplasmataceae was significantly increased in the CMPA group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Metabolomic analysis revealed reduced levels of acetic acid, butyric acid, and isovaleric acid in the CMPA group compared to the control group, and the levels of the metabolites were positively correlated with the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria such as Faecalibacterium and Roseburia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CMPA infants have alterations in gut microbial structure, increased microbial diversity, and decreased levels of SCFA, which may contribute to increased intestinal inflammation.

Transcriptional regulation of NDUFA4L2 by NFIB induces sorafenib resistance by decreasing reactive oxygen species in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sorafenib is one a first-line therapeutic drugs for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, only 30% of patients benefit from sorafenib due to drug resistance. We and other groups have revealed that nuclear factor I B (NFIB) regulates liver regeneration and carcinogenesis, but its role in drug resistance is poorly known. We found that NFIB was more upregulated in sorafenib-resistant SMMC-7721 cells compared to parental cells. NFIB knockdown not only sensitized drug-resistant cells to sorafenib but also inhibited the proliferation and invasion of these cells. Meanwhile, NFIB promoted the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and facilitated tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Knocking down NFIB synergetically inhibited tumor growth with sorafenib. Mechanically, gene expression profiling and subsequent verification experiments proved that NFIB could bind with the promoter region of a complex I inhibitor NDUFA4L2 and promote its transcription. Transcriptional upregulation of NDUFA4L2 by NFIB could thus inhibit the sorafenib-induced reactive oxygen species accumulation. Finally, we found that NFIB was highly expressed in HCC tissues, and high NFIB expression level was associated with macrovascular invasion, advanced tumor stage, and poor prognosis of HCC patients (n = 156). In summary, we demonstrated that NFIB could transcriptionally upregulate NDUFA4L2 to enhance both intrinsic and acquired sorafenib resistance of HCC cells by reducing reactive oxygen species induction.

Dietary Effects of Lipid and Protein Levels on Growth, Feed Utilization, Lipid Metabolism, and Antioxidant Capacity of Triploid Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

This study investigated the dietary effects of lipid and protein levels on growth performance, feed utilization, body composition, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant capacity of triploid rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. A 3 × 2 two-factor design was conducted with three crude lipid levels of 4%, 9%, and 14% (L4, L9, and L14) and two crude protein levels of 44%, 49% (P44, P49). Therefore, a total of six diets were prepared as P44/L4, P44/L9, P44/L14, P49/L4, P49/L9, and P49/L14. Triploid rainbow trout (initial body weight 65.0 ± 0.1 g) were fed one of the six diets for 80 days. The results showed that weight gain (WG), protein retention (PR), and protein efficiency rate (PER) significantly increased with increasing the dietary lipid level at the same crude protein level, while feed conversion ratio (FCR) and hepatosomatic index significantly decreased (P < 0.05). At the same lipid level, there was no difference in WG, FCR, PR, PER between 44% and 49% crude protein group (P > 0.05). The P49/L14 group had the highest WG (374.6%) and lowest FCR (1.25), while P44/L14 group had the highest PER (1.80) and PR (25.06%) with similar WG and FCR to P49/L14 group. The crude lipid contents in whole fish were significantly higher in the L14 group than those in the L4 and L9 groups (P < 0.05). Muscle n-3 PUFAs, n-6 PUFAs, and PUFAs levels were positively correlated with dietary lipid level, while n-6 PUFAs was negatively correlated with dietary protein level. Dietary protein, dietary lipid, and their interaction significantly affected hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, aspartate aminotransferase, lipase (LPS), and fatty acid synthase (FAS) activities (P < 0.05). In both P44 and P49 groups, LPS and FAS activities increased with increasing the dietary lipid level. MDA content significantly decreased in the P44 group and increased in the P49 group with increasing the dietary lipid level (P < 0.05). As dietary protein level increased, serum total cholesterol level increased, while hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity decreased. With increasing the dietary lipid level, total superoxide dismutase, catalase, total nitric oxide synthase, and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities showed an increasing trend, while the opposite was true for alanine aminotransferase activity. In conclusion, based on growth performance and feed utilization, dietary protein level of 44% and dietary lipid level of 14% (measured value, 43.71% and 13.62%) were suggested for young triploid rainbow trout.

Esophageal wall thickness on CT scans: can it predict the T stage of primary thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma?

BACKGROUND: CT is the most commonly used method to stage esophageal cancer (EC). However, the reported CT T-staging criteria for EC are controversial. PURPOSE: To determine and validate the optimal esophageal wall thickness (EWT) threshold on CT to distinguish lesions with different T stages in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. METHODS: One thousand, one hundred-two consecutive patients with histopathologically confirmed ESCC between July 2014 and April 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent a preoperative CT examination and surgical treatment. The maximal EWT of the lesions on CT was measured. Patients were divided into pT1, pT2, pT3 and pT4 subgroups according to the pathologic stage. We employed the support vector machine, where linear kernels were leveraged to determine the optimal threshold to classify samples with different T stages. 90% of samples from each subgroup were randomly selected as the training set, while the remainder comprised the testing set. RESULTS: The mean EWTs of the pT1, pT2, pT3 and pT4 subgroups were 4.9 ± 2.6 mm, 8.1 ± 2.3 mm, 12.4 ± 3.6 mm, and 18.6 ± 4.4 mm, respectively. Differences in the EWT between the four subgroups or between adjacent subgroups were significant (p < 0.001), and esophageal wall became thicker with increasing pT stage. We utilized MATLAB 2020a to implement the SVM model and ran the code 10 times. The accuracy of the model was 60.29 ± 2.33%. The thresholds between samples from pT1/pT2, pT2/pT3 and pT3/pT4 lesions were 5.5 ± 0.3 mm, 10.8 ± 0.8 mm and 15.9 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Possibility of predicting T stage of ESCC by EWT on CT scans was limited to 60% by model examination with large sample size.

[Clinical efficacy of adaptive biofeedback training combined with oral administration of compound polyethylene glycol 4000-electrolyte powder in the treatment of children with outlet obstruction constipation: a prospective randomized controlled trial]. / 自适应式生物反馈疗法联合口服复方聚乙二醇4000ç”µè§£è´¨æ•£æ²»ç–—å„¿ç«¥å‡ºå£æ¢—é˜»åž‹ä¾¿ç§˜çš„å‰çž»æ€§éšæœºå¯¹ç §ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical efficacy, advantages, and disadvantages of adaptive biofeedback training combined with oral administration of compound polyethylene glycol 4000-electrolyte powder in the treatment of children with outlet obstruction constipation (OOC). METHODS: A total of 168 children with OOC were enrolled in this prospective study. All the subjects were randomly divided into a test group and a control group based on the order of visiting time, 84 in each group. The test group was treated with adaptive biofeedback training combined with oral administration of compound polyethylene glycol 4000-electrolyte powder, and the control group was treated with oral administration of compound polyethylene glycol 4000-electrolyte powder alone. Eleven children in the test group and two children in the control group withdrew from the study since they could not finish the whole treatment course. Finally, 73 children in the test group and 82 children in the control group were included in this analysis. As clinical outcomes, the total score of clinical symptoms and overall response rate were compared between the two groups at weeks 4 and 8 of treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the total score of clinical symptoms between the two groups at beginning of treatment and at week 4 (P>0.05), while the test group had a significantly lower total score of clinical symptoms than the control group at week 8 (P<0.05). At week 4, there was no significant difference in overall response rate between the two groups (P>0.05), while the test group had a significantly higher overall response rate than the control group at week 8 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Adaptive biofeedback training combined with oral administration of compound polyethylene glycol 4000-electrolyte powder is significantly associated with improvement of clinical outcomes in the treatment of children with OOC.

Comparison of the prognostic value of SYNTAX score and clinical SYNTAX score on outcomes of Chinese patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have validated the capability of SYNTAX score (SS) and clinical SYNTAX score (CSS) in the prediction of clinical outcomes in patients who have undergone PCI; however, studies on comparison of these two scoring systems in Chinese population have been sparse. METHODS: To study the ability of SS and CSS in prediction of clinical outcomes of Chinese patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We retrospectively calculated SS and CSS for 547 Chinese patients from a single center who underwent PCI. Patients were stratified into tertiles according to their SS and CSS. We compared the 2-year clinical outcomes in these patients stratified separately by SS and CSS tertiles. RESULTS: The incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebro-vascular events (MACCE) was the highest in patients with SSHIGH (13.5%), comparing to 6.8% in SSMED and 0% in SSLOW (p < 0.0001). The Cox multivariable analysis showed that the SS and CSS were both strong independent predictors for MACCE [1.100 (1.069-1.133), 1.017 (1.010-1.025), both p < 0.0001]. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed the areas-under-the-curves for all-cause death by CSS was slightly larger comparing to SS but not significantly (AUC SS, 0.64; AUC CSS, 0.71; p = 0.23). CONCLUSION: We concluded that both the SS and CSS were capable of risk stratification of clinical outcomes in all-comers population as well as in low and moderate risk Chinese patients undergoing PCI with CSS showing slightly better advantage.

Effect of minimally invasive surgery on the sleep quality and work ability of patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of minimally invasive surgical treatment on the sleep quality and work ability of patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: Fifty-one patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery in the Sleep Respiratory Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Center of the West China Fourth Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2017 to January 2019 were selected as study subjects. All subjects completed polysomnography monitoring (PSG), an Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and a work ability index (WAI) before and 1 year after the minimally invasive surgery so that the changes could be compared. RESULTS: (1) The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), microarousal index (MAI), ESS, longest duration of apnea, and longest duration of hypoventilation in OSAHS patients decreased, while the lowest blood oxygen saturation (LsaO2) increased after minimally invasive surgery. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). (2) The WAI questionnaire score increased from (37.76 ± 4.46) to (40.00 ± 4.53) after minimally invasive surgery (P < 0.05). (3) The change in the WAI questionnaire score after minimally invasive surgery was influenced by the occupational category and the change in ESS. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive surgical treatment shows significant benefit in improving the sleep quality and working ability of patients with OSAHS.

Acquired tamoxifen resistance is surmounted by GW8510 through ribonucleotide reductase M2 downregulation-mediated autophagy induction.

Tamoxifen resistance is a major roadblock in the treatment of patients with breast cancer. Ribonucleotide reductase M2 (RRM2) was found to be involved in acquired resistance of breast cancer cells (BCCs) to tamoxifen. Here, we used GW8510, which has been identified as a potential RRM2 inhibitor, to evaluate the effect of RRM2 inhibition on reversing resistance of BCCs to tamoxifen and investigate its mechanisms. We showed that RRM2 overexpression played a key role in the development of acquired tamoxifen resistance in BCCs through downregulation of autophagy level. Combination treatment with tamoxifen and GW8510 significantly inhibited survival of the tamoxifen-resistant BCCs through induction of autophagic cell death compared to either of the two drugs. Furthermore, combination of tamoxifen and GW8510 resulted in marked growth inhibition of tamoxifen-resistant BBC xenograft tumor in vivo compared to tamoxifen or GW8510 alone. In conclusion, tamoxifen in combination with GW8510 can overcome acquired tamoxifen resistance in BCCs and may be a rational therapeutic approach against breast cancer with high RRM2 expression.

[Efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula versus nasal continuous positive airway pressure in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in neonates: a Meta analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy versus nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in neonates. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine disc, Wanfang Database, CNKI, and Weipu Database were searched for the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of HFNC versus nCPAP in the treatment of neonatal RDS published up to April 1, 2020. RevMan5.3 software was used to perform a Meta analysis of the eligible RCTs. RESULTS: A total of 12 RCTs were included, with 2 861 neonates in total, among whom 2 698 neonates (94.30%) had a gestational age of ≥28 weeks and 163 (5.70%) had a gestational age of <28 weeks. For primary respiratory support, the HFNC group had a significantly higher rate of treatment failure than the nCPAP group (RR=1.86, 95%CI: 1.53-2.25, P<0.001), but there were no significant differences between the two groups in the rate of invasive mechanical ventilation (P=0.40) and the rate of use of pulmonary surfactant (P=0.77). For post-extubation respiratory support, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the treatment failure rate, reintubation rate, and total oxygen supply time (P>0.05). For primary respiratory support and post-extubation respiratory support, the HFNC group had a significantly lower incidence rate of nasal injury than the nCPAP group (P<0.001), and there were no significant differences between the two groups in the mortality rate and incidence rates of the complications such as air leak syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and necrotizing enterocolitis (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current clinical evidence, HFNC has a higher failure rate than nCPAP when used as primary respiratory support for neonates with RDS, and therefore it is not recommended to use HFNC as the primary respiratory support for neonates with RDS. In RDS neonates with a gestational age of ≥28 weeks, HFNC can be used as post-extubation respiratory support in the weaning phase.

[Complications of upper gastrointestinal foreign body in children and related risk factors].

OBJECTIVE: To study the complications of upper gastrointestinal foreign body in children and related risk factors. METHODS: Clinical data were collected from 772 children with upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies who were treated at the outpatient service or were hospitalized from January 2014 to December 2018. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for the development of complications in children with upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies. RESILTS: The upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies were taken out by electronic endoscopy for the 772 children. There were 414 boys and 358 girls, with a median age of 2.8 years. Children under 3 years old accounted for 59.5%. The foreign bodies were mainly observed in the esophagus (57.5%) and the stomach (28.9%), with a retention time of ≤24 hours in 465 children (60.2%) and >24 hours in 307 children (39.8%). The types of upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies mainly included round metal foreign bodies (37.2%), long foreign bodies (24.7%), sharp foreign bodies (16.2%), batteries (14.4%), corrosive substances (4.8%), and magnets (2.7%). As for the severity of complications, 47.7% (368 children) had mild complications, 12.7% (98 children) had serious complications, and 39.6% (306 children) had no complications. The logistic regression analysis showed that an age of <3 years, underlying diseases, location of foreign body, type of foreign body, and a retention time of >24 hours were risk factors for the development of complications in these children (OR=2.141, 7.373, 6.658, 8.892, and 6.376 respectively, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An understanding of the above high-risk factors for the complications of upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies is helpful to choose appropriate intervention methods and thus reduce the incidence of serious complications.

Dynamics of transcriptome changes during subcutaneous preadipocyte differentiation in ducks.

BACKGROUND: Pekin duck is an important animal model for its ability for fat synthesis and deposition. However, transcriptional dynamic regulation of adipose differentiation driven by complex signal cascades remains largely unexplored in this model. This study aimed to explore adipogenic transcriptional dynamics before (proliferation) and after (differentiation) initial preadipocyte differentiation in ducks. RESULTS: Exogenous oleic acid alone successfully induced duck subcutaneous preadipocyte differentiation. We explored 36 mRNA-seq libraries in order to study transcriptome dynamics during proliferation and differentiation processes at 6 time points. Using robust statistical analysis, we identified 845, 652, 359, 2401 and 1933 genes differentially expressed between -48 h and 0 h, 0 h and 12 h, 12 h and 24 h, 24 h and 48 h, 48 h and 72 h, respectively (FDR < 0.05, FC > 1.5). At the proliferation stage, proliferation related pathways and basic cellular and metabolic processes were inhibited, while regulatory factors that initiate differentiation enter the ready-to-activate state, which provides a precondition for initiating adipose differentiation. According to weighted gene co-expression network analysis, pathways positively related to adipogenic differentiation are significantly activated at the differentiation stage, while WNT, FOXO and other pathways that inhibit preadipocyte differentiation are negatively regulated. Moreover, we identified and classified more than 100 transcription factors that showed significant changes during differentiation, and found novel transcription factors that were not reported to be related to preadipoctye differentiation. Finally, we manually assembled a proposed regulation network model of subcutaneous preadipocyte differentiation base on the expression data, and suggested that E2F1 may serve as an important link between the processes of duck subcutaneous preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time we comprehensively analyzed the transcriptome dynamics of duck subcutaneous preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. The current study provides a solid basis for understanding the synthesis and deposition of subcutaneous fat in ducks. Furthermore, the information generated will allow future investigations of specific genes involved in particular stages of duck adipogenesis.

Cloning, molecular characterization, and tissue differential expression of connective tissue growth factor (ctgf) of grass carp.

Connective tissue growth factor (ctgf) is involved in the proliferation, migration, adhesion of cell, and the constituent of extracellular matrix, which plays an important role in embryogenesis, angiogenesis, wound repair, and fibrosis diseases. In this study, the cDNA sequence of grass carp ctgf gene was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method; then, the characteristics of this gene and the predicted protein sequence were analyzed by bioinformatics methods, and the tissue differential expression pattern was detected by the quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that the grass carp ctgf gene has a full-length of 2223 bp, encoding 343 amino acids. The deduced CTGF protein is a hydrophilic and secretary protein with a molecular mass of 37,978.2 Da and an isoelectric point of 8.22. The signal peptide locates between residue positions 1 and 22 of the polypeptide chain. The protein contains α-helix, ß-strand, and loops. The CTGF protein of grass carp shows a homology of 98%, 96%, 91%, and 91% with Wuchang bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), zebrafish (Danio rerio), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus). The grass carp ctgf gene expressed significantly higher in blood and spleen than that in other tissues (P < 0.05). The low expression tissues included the heart, gill, skin, muscle, kidney, brain, and intestinal, and the lowest expression tissue was the liver. The results are consistent with the function of this gene.

[A model of specialized outpatient nursing care in assisted reproduction clinics based on wisdom medicine of the integrated healthcare system: Application and results].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the content and mode of extended specialized outpatient nursing care (SONC) in assisted reproduction clinics in the joint efforts of the level-Ⅲ grade-A hospital and lower-level hospitals. METHODS: We enrolled 300 infertility patients for this study, 150 from the hospitals of our Integrated Healthcare System (IHCS) and the other 150 from other local hospitals, the former receiving extended SONC based on wisdom medicine of the IHCS (the experimental group), and the latter conventional SONC (the control group). At the end of the treatment cycle, we compared the frequency of clinic visits, knowledge of relevant requirements (such as the procedure of consultation, timely completion of examinations, timely initiation of the treatment cycle, and correct execution of doctor's advice), and scores on the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire and quality of life (QOL) between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed a significantly lower frequency of clinic visits (P < 0.05), better knowledge of relevant requirements (P < 0.05), higher confrontation score (P < 0.05), lower resignation score (P < 0.05), and higher QOL score (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SONC based on wisdom medicine of IHCS in the assisted reproduction clinic is conducive to synchronization of thinking, sharing of knowledge and information, seamless connection between upper- and lower-level hospitals, and hence the provision of homogenous nursing care.

[Trend in the prevalence of prostate cancer in Shihezi, Xinjiang from 2009 to 2017].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the trend in the prevalence and mortality of prostate cancer in Shihezi, Xinjiang from 2009 to 2017 and provide some evidence for the prevention and control of the malignance. METHODS: We collected the data on the cancer registries in the Shihezi area between 2009 and 2017, calculated the incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer, and analyzed the annual percent change (APC) and prevalence trend of the disease. RESULTS: The crude incidence rate, age-standardized incidence rate by Chinese standard population (ASIRC), age-standardized incidence rate by world standard population (ASIRW) and cumulative incidence rate of prostate cancer (in 0－74-year-olds) in Shihezi between 2009 and 2017 were 16.94, 10.33, 8.98 and 2.29 per 100 000, respectively. The crude mortality rate, age-standardized mortality rate by Chinese standard population (ASMRC), age-standardized mortality rate by world standard population (ASMRW) and cumulative incidence rate (in 0－74-year-olds) were 9.03, 5.39 and 4.72 and 0.49 per 100 000, respectively. Both the incidence and mortality rates showed an increasing trend from 2009 to 2017, with an APC of 16.69% (P < 0.05) and 19.71% (P < 0.05), respectively. From 2011 to 2017, the increase rates of incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in the >60-year-olds were 86.20% and 89.30%, with the peak values shifted from the 70－74 to the 80－84 years old males. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in Shihezi showed an increasing trend from 2009 to 2017, chiefly in the males aged over 60 years, with the peak value moving towards an older age.

[Effect of fresh Gastrodia elata on gut microbiota in mice].

Gastrodia elata B1.,a traditional Chinese medicine,was frequently applied as a cure for headache or migraine. Its effects include suppressing hyperactive liver,calming endogenous wind,dredging collateralsand relieving spasm. There has been a proportion that G. elata should be added to The List of Substances That Are Traditionally Both Food and Chinese Medicinal Materials. The dry G. elata was commonly used in clinic,which have some fundamental study on efficacy and mechanism. However,fresh G. elata,which was added to herbal cuisine very often,lacks corresponding research. The interaction of diet,microbiota and human is a hot issue and lots of scholars are focusing on it. This research sequenced the 16 S rRNA of mouse cecal contents on Mi Seq platform to understand the effect of taking fresh G. elata. As the results showing,multiple probiotics grew after taking fresh G. elata extract,including Ruminiclostridium,Butyricicoccus,and Parvibacter. To contrast,some pathogens or potential pathogens,such as Escherichia/Shigella,Parasutterella,decreased. This manifests that fresh G. elata performs a positive regulation on mouse gut microbiota,especially the low-dose fresh G. elata extraction could restructure the microbiota apparently. Our result reveals that microbiota might be a new target for G. elata extract and provides an important basis for further research on the interaction between gut microbiota and pharmacological activity of G. elata.

[Therapeutic effect of total triterpenoids of Chaenomeles speciosa combined with omeprazole on gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin in rats].

The aim of this paper was to observe the combination therapy with total triterpenoids of Chaenomeles speciosa and omeprazole on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats, and explore its possible mechanism. Rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, omeprazole monotherapy(3.6 mg·kg~(-1)) group, total triterpenoids of C. speciosa monotherapy(100 mg·kg~(-1)) group, total triterpenoids of C. speciosa and omeprazole combination therapy(100 mg·kg~(-1)+3.6 mg·kg~(-1)) group. Except for the normal group, the other groups were given indomethacin(20 mg·kg~(-1)) by oral once a day for 7 consecutive days. Then the treated groups were given corresponding drugs by gavage, once a day for 14 consecutive days. The next day after the last administration, half of the rats in each group were measured the gastric mucosal blood flow, gastric juice volume and serum TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-4 and IL-10. After the remaining rats in each group were underwent pyloric ligation 4 hours after the last administration, the gastric endocrine volume, pH value and total acidity of gastric secretion were measured, then histological analysis was performed, MPO activity, cAMP content and histomorphological analysis were conducted. Real-time PCR was applied to detect the mRNA expressions of gastric tissue TNF-α,IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, VEGFA, A_(2A)R; the protein expressions of VEGFA, A_(2A)R, PKA, p-PKA, CREB, p-CREB, EGF, EGFR, p-EGFR, MUC6, TFF2 in gastric tissue were detected by Western blot. The results indicated that total triterpenoids of C. speciosa and omeprazole combination therapy might significantly increase gastric mucosal blood flow, gastric mucus volume, reduce gastric endocrine volume, secretion acidity and mucosal damage, decrease the levels of TNF-α,IL-1ß and IL-6, increase the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 in blood and gastric tissue, inhibit the activity of MPO, increase the content of cAMP in gastric tissue, up-regulate the mRNA expressions of VEGFA, A_(2A)R and protein expressions of VEGFA, A_(2A)R, PKA, p-PKA, CREB, p-CREB, EGF, EGFR, p-EGFR, MUC6, TFF2 in gastric tissue, elevate p-PKA/PKA, p-CREB/CREB and p-EFGR/EFGR. Moreover, the combination therapy with total triterpenoids of C. speciosa and omeprazole was more obvious than those of two monotherapies. These aforementioned findings suggested that the combination therapy with total triterpenoids of C. speciosa and omeprazole on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer have significant therapeutic effect on indomethacin induced gastric ulcer in rats, its mechanism might be related to regulating A_(2A)R/AKT/CREB, A_(2A)R/VEGFA, EGF/EGFR and MUC6/TFF2 signaling pathways, inhibiting pro-inflammatory factors, increasing gastric mucosal blood flow, up-regulating mucosal cell proliferation factors and promoting mucosal protective factors.

Attributable causes of colorectal cancer in China.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the 4th common cancer in China. Most colorectal cancers are due to modifiable lifestyle factors, but few studies have provided a systematic evidence-based assessment of the burden of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality attributable to the known risk factors in China. METHODS: We estimated the population attributable faction (PAF) for each selected risk factor in China, based on the prevalence of exposure around 2000 and relative risks from cohort studies and meta-analyses. RESULTS: Among 245,000 new cases and 139,000 deaths of colorectal cancer in China in 2012, we found that 115,578 incident cases and 63,102 deaths of colorectal cancer were attributable to smoking, alcohol drinking, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and dietary factors. Low vegetable intake was the main risk factor for colorectal cancer with a PAF of 17.9%. Physical inactivity was responsible for 8.9% of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. The remaining factors, including high red and processed meat intake, low fruit intake, alcohol drinking, overweight/obesity and smoking, accounted for 8.6%, 6.4%, 5.4%, 5.3% and 4.9% of colorectal cancer, respectively. Overall, 45.5% of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality were attributable to the joint effects of these seven risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, low vegetable intake, low fruit intake, and high red and processed meat intake were responsible for nearly 46% of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in China in 2012. Our findings could provide a basis for developing guidelines of colorectal cancer prevention and control in China.