[Microglia differential genes and their functions in paraquat-induced Parkinson's disease-like in mice's brains based on single-cell RNA sequencing].

Objective: To analyze the differential genes and related signaling pathways of microglia subpopulations in Parkinson's disease (PD) -like mouse brains induced by paraquat (PQ) based on single-cell RNA sequencing, and provide clues to elucidate the mechanism of PQ-induced PD-like changes in the brain of animals. Methods: In September 2021, six male 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group and experimental group (three mice in each group) . The mice were injected with saline, 10.0 mg/kg PQ intraperitoneally, once every three days, and 10 consecutive injections were used for modeling. After infection, the brains of mice were taken and 10×Genomics single-cell RNA sequencing was performed. Microglia subpopulations were screened based on gene expression characteristics, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed. The differential genes of microglia subpopulations between the experimental group and control group were further screened, and functional enrichment analysis was performed using bioinformatics tools. Mouse microglia (BV2 cells) were treated with 0, 60, 90 µmol/L PQ solution, respectively. And real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR experiments were conducted to validate the expressions of differential genes hexokinase 2 (Hk2) , ATPase H+ Transporting V0 Subunit B (Atp6v0b) and Neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) . Results: Cluster 7 and Cluster 20 were identified as microglia subpopulations based on the signature genes inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase d, Inpp5d (Inpp5d) and transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (Tgfbr1) , and they reflected the microglia-activated M2 phenotype. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the characteristic genes of identified microglia subpopulations were enriched in endocytosis. In terms of molecular function, it mainly enriched in transmembrane receptor protein kinase activity and cytokine binding. The up-regulated genes of Cluster 7 were mainly enriched in lysosomal pathway, endocytosis pathway, and down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in neurodegenerative disease and other signaling pathways. The up-regulated genes of Cluster 20 were mainly enriched in signaling pathways related to PD, and down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathways, neurological development, synaptic function and other signaling pathways. The results of real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expressions of Hk2 mRNA and Atp6v0b mRNA increased and the expression of Nrg1 mRNA decreased in the 90 µmol/L PQ-treated BV2 cells compared with the 0 µmol/L, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Microglia are activated in the PQ-induced PD-like mouse model and polarized toward the M2 phenotype. And their functions are associated with lysosomal (endocytosis) , synaptic functions and the regulation of PD-related pathways.

[Prediction, analysis and application of learning curve of tooth preparation for all ceramic crowns of maxillary central incisors].

OBJECTIVE: To predict the learning curve of tooth preparation for all ceramic crowns of maxillary central incisors on phantom head simulators for graduate students participating in standardized dental resident training based on the modified Wright learning curve model, then to analyze and applicate the learning curve. METHODS: Twelve graduate students participating in standardized dental resident training were selected to prepare the resin maxillary central incisors on phantom head simulators for all ceramic crowns 4 times. The results of preparation were evaluated by 3 prosthetic experts with at least 10 years' experience focusing on the reduction, contour, taper, shoulder, finish line, margin placement, adjacent tooth injury, and preparation time for tooth preparation. The learning rate of tooth preparation was calculated by scores of tooth preparation of 4 times. The learning curve of tooth preparation was predicted based on the modified Wright learning curve model. According to the criteria of standardized training skill examinations for dental residents in Beijing, 80 was taken as the qualified standard score. The minimum training times for tooth preparation to satisfy the qualified standard score (80) was calculated, to analyze the characteristics of learning curve and evaluate the effectiveness of tooth preparation. RESULTS: The scores of 4 tooth preparation were 64.03±7.80, 71.40±6.13, 74.33±5.96, and 75.98±4.52, respectively. The learning rate was (106±4)%, which showed the learning curve an upward trend. There were no significant differences between the qualified standard score and the predicted scores of tooth preparation from the 5th preparation to the 13th preparation (P > 0.05). The predicted score of the 14th preparation was higher than the qualified standard score (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The trend of the learning curve of tooth preparation for all ceramic crowns of maxillary central incisors on phantom head simulators for graduate students participating in standardized dental resident training is upward, which predicts the minimum training times higher than the qualified standard score is 14 times.

[Analysis of the international application of healthy life expectancy].

Healthy life expectancy is based on life expectancy to further identify the healthy component, moving the assessment threshold from the mortality to the whole life cycle, receiving more and more attention worldwide. Nowadays, it has become one of the core indicators of national major strategy and plan. As a comprehensive indicator of health measurement, healthy life expectancy is complicated and multi-dimensional. Different social and cultural backgrounds have different understandings of health and choose different measurement dimensions. Overall, although high-income countries have different choices in their national health plan, healthy life expectancy without activity restriction is by far the most widely used indicator. This paper reviewed the concept and application of healthy life expectancy systematically, drawing on international practical experience to provide reference for the establishment of a healthy life expectancy indicator system in line with the Chinese national conditions.

[Expression level of Wilms' tumor 1 gene and its correlation with clinical features in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms].

Objective: To investigate the expression level of WT1 gene in patients with classical Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and its correlation with clinical features. Methods: A retrospective study included 252 patients with newly diagnosed MPN in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2015 to March 2023, including 128 males and 124 females, aged［M（Q1，Q3）］62 (53, 69) years. The WT1-positive group (n=93) and the WT1-negative group (n=159) were split based on the level of WT1 gene expression, and the variations in clinical indicators between the two groups were compared. Its levels of expression in each subtype and its relationships to thrombotic events and clinically significant variables were analyzed. As of March 31, 2023, the follow-up period [M (Q1, Q3)] was 12.0(6.5,21.0)months. The risk factors of thrombosis in MPN patients were analyzed by using the logistic regression analysis. Results: The WT1 gene expression level in the overall bone marrow samples of 252 patients with newly diagnosed MPN was 0.30% (0.10%, 1.10%). The expression level in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) patients was 1.45% (0.41%, 3.24%), which was higher than 0.15% (0.02%, 0.32%), 0.37% (0.16%, 1.09%) in essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV) patients (both P<0.05). Positive correlations were found between WT1 gene expression levels and JAK2V617F gene mutation load, RDW, MPV (r=0.478, 0.346, 0.236, all P<0.01). While negative correlations between WT1 gene expression levels and PLT, LYM, PTTA, LDH were found (r=-0.339, -0.170, -0.206, -0.388, all P<0.01). Patients in the WT1-positive group exhibited a higher percentage of somatic symptoms, splenomegaly, positive JAK2V617F gene mutation, and higher levels of RDW, LDH, NEUT, and MPV compared to the WT1-negative group. In contrast, the proportion of triple-negative (negative for all three hot mutations of JAK2V617F, CALR and MPL) was lower, and the levels of PLT, LYM and PTTA were lower (all P<0.05). The thrombotic event rates of WT1-positive group and WT1-negative group were 32.3% (30/93) and 32.1% (51/159), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.883). Logistic regression analysis showed that male (OR=2.41,95%CI:1.02-5.71,P=0.046) and positive JAK2V617F gene mutation (OR=3.96,95%CI:1.50-10.42,P=0.005) were risk factors for thrombotic events in ET patients. Conclusions: WT1 gene expression is elevated in PMF patients and correlated with indicators of disease progression and transformation in MPN patients. It can be utilized as an auxiliary diagnostic indicator for classical MPN staging but is not correlated with the incidence of thrombotic events. Male and positive JAK2V617F gene mutation are risk factors for thrombotic events in ET patients.

[Definition of severe pulmonary tuberculosis: a scoping review].

Objective: To clarify the definition of severe pulmonary tuberculosis and its inclusion criteria by summarizing and analyzing the studies of severe pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Methods: A systematic search of Medline (via PubMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Web of Science, Epistemonikos, Embase, CNKI, WanFang database, and CBM database was conducted to collect studies published between 2017 and 2022 on patients with severe pulmonary TB. Searches were performed using a combination of subject terms and free words. The search terms included: tuberculosis, severe, serious, intensive care, critical care, respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation, hospitalization, respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ failure, pulmonary heart disease, and pneumothorax. The definitions and inclusion criteria for severe pulmonary TB in the included studies were extracted. Results: A total of 19 981 studies were identified and 100 studies were finally included, involving 8 309 patients with severe pulmonary TB. A total of 8 (8.00%) studies explicitly mentioned the definition of severe pulmonary TB, and 53 (53.00%) studies clearly defined the inclusion criteria for patients with severe pulmonary TB. A total of 5 definitions and 30 inclusion criteria were extracted. A total of 132 dichotomous variables and 113 continuous variables were included in the outcome indicators related to patients with severe pulmonary TB of concern in the studies. Conclusions: The definition and diagnostic criteria for severe TB are unclear, and there is an urgent need to develop a clear definition and diagnostic criteria to guide clinical practice.

Reflection and Refraction of the L-O Mode 5 kHz Saturn Narrowband Emission by the Magnetosheath.

The reflection-by-sheath mechanism of 5 kHz narrowband emissions (NB) at Saturn is confirmed by Cassini observations during several crossings of the magnetopause, which show that the 5 kHz NB can be prevented from escaping Saturn's magnetosphere. The L-O mode 5 kHz NB remained visible in areas of low plasma density but disappeared in regions of high plasma density. In three cases, NB disappeared immediately after the crossings of Saturn's magnetopause. A possible reflected NB event observed near the magnetosheath is discussed. This mechanism can help explain the 5 kHz NB observed at low latitudes outside the Enceladus plasma torus and their upper frequency limit variations. This mechanism significantly improves the current understanding of the 5 kHz NB.

Saturn Anomalous Myriametric Radiation, a New Type of Saturn Radio Emission Revealed by Cassini.

A new radio component namely Saturn Anomalous Myriametric Radiation (SAM) is reported. A total of 193 SAM events have been identified by using all the Cassini Saturn orbital data. SAM emissions are L-O mode radio emission and occasionally accompanied by a first harmonic in R-X mode. SAM's intensities decrease with increasing distance from Saturn, suggesting a source near Saturn. SAM has a typical central frequency near 13 kHz, a bandwidth greater than 8 kHz and usually drifts in frequency over time. SAM's duration can extend to near 11 hr and even longer. These features distinguish SAM from the regular narrowband emissions observed in the nearby frequency range, hence the name anomalous. The high occurrence rate of SAM after low frequency extensions of Saturn Kilometric Radiation and the SAM cases observed during compressions of Saturn's magnetosphere suggest a special connection to solar wind dynamics and magnetospheric conditions at Saturn.

[Benefits and risks of prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent in patients with stable coronary artery disease and diabetes].

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT>1 year) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes who were event-free at 1 year after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES) in a large and contemporary PCI registry. Methods: A total of 1 661 eligible patients were selected from the Fuwai PCI Registry, of which 1 193 received DAPT>1 year and 468 received DAPT ≤1 year. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2, 3 or 5 bleeding, MACCE was defined as a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction or stroke. Multivariate Cox regression analysis and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) Cox regression analysis were performed. Results: After a median follow-up of 2.5 years, patients who received DAPT>1 year were associated with lower risks of MACCE (1.4% vs. 3.2%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.412, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.205-0.827) compared with DAPT ≤1 year, which was primarily caused by the lower all-cause mortality (0.1% vs. 2.6%; HR 0.031, 95%CI 0.004-0.236). Risks of cardiac death (0.1% vs. 1.5%; HR 0.051, 95%CI 0.006-0.416) and definite/probable ST (0.3% vs. 1.1%; HR 0.218, 95%CI 0.052-0.917) were also lower in patients received DAPT>1 year than those received DAPT ≤ 1 year. No difference was found between the two groups in terms of BARC type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding (5.3% vs. 4.1%; HR 1.088, 95%CI 0.650-1.821). Conclusions: In patients with stable CAD and diabetes who were event-free at 1 year after PCI with DES, prolonged DAPT (>1 year) provides a substantial reduction in ischemic cardiovascular events, including MACCE, all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, and definite/probable ST, without increasing the clinically relevant bleeding risk compared with ≤ 1-year DAPT. Further well-designed, large-scale randomized trials are needed to verify the beneficial effect of prolonged DAPT in this population.

Photoluminescence and magnetism integrated multifunctional black phosphorus probes through controllable PO bond orbital hybridization.

Biological probes with integrated photoluminescence and magnetism characteristics play a critical role in modern clinical diagnosis and surgical protocols combining fluorescence optical imaging (FOI) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. However, traditional magnetic semiconductors can easily generate a spin splitting at the Fermi level and half-metallic electronic occupation, which will sharply reduce the radiation recombination efficiency of photogenerated carriers. To overcome this intrinsic contradiction, we propose a controllable oxidation strategy to introduce some particular PO bonds into black phosphorus nanosheets, in which the p orbital hybridization between P and O atoms not only provides some carrier recombination centers but also leads to a room-temperature spin polarization. As a result, the coexistence of photoluminescence and magnetism is realized in multifunctional black phosphorus probes with excellent biocompatibility. This work provides a new insight into integrating photoluminescence and magnetism together by intriguing atomic orbital hybridization.

The Analysis of Drug-Resistant Gene Mutations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by GeneChip in Lianyungang, China.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) has raised major global health concerns, especially for that caused by drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). The control of TB was hampered by time-consuming and insensitive diagnostic methods. GeneChip analysis is a rapid method for screening and identifying the gene mutations of M. tuberculosis. However, there was little relevant information about GeneChip analysis of M. tuberculosis in China. METHODS: To compare the performance of GeneChip analysis in the diagnosis of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis with traditional drug susceptibility testing (DST), 1,747 sputum specimens from 2014 to 2016 in Lianyungang of China were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: GeneChip analysis showed that the gene mutation site of M. tuberculosis to RFP resistance was 46.37% in rpoB 531 (TCG→TTG), and INH resistance was 69.89% in katG 315 (AGC→ACC). There was not significant different between GeneChip analysis and DST in detecting the resistance of M. tuberculosis to RPF or INH. CONCLUSIONS: GeneChip analysis could be regarded as a rapid and recommended method for early screening and identifying the drug resistance of M. tuberculosis.

Automated real-time detection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis on a lab-on-a-disc by Recombinase Polymerase Amplification.

With the emergence of multi- and extensive-drug (MDR/XDR) resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), tuberculosis (TB) persists as one of the world's leading causes of death. Recently, isothermal DNA amplification methods received much attention due to their ease of translation onto portable point-of-care (POC) devices for TB diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to devise a simple yet robust detection method for M. tb. Amongst the numerous up-and-coming isothermal techniques, Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) was chosen for a real-time detection of TB with or without MDR. In our platform, real-time RPA (RT-RPA) was integrated on a lab-on-a-disc (LOAD) with on-board power to maintain temperature for DNA amplification. Sputa collected from healthy volunteers were spiked with respective target M. tb samples for testing. A limit of detection of 102 colony-forming unit per millilitre in 15 min was achieved, making early detection and differentiation of M. tb strains highly feasible in extreme POC settings. Our RT-RPA LOAD platform has also been successfully applied in the differentiation of MDR-TB from H37Ra, an attenuated TB strain. In summary, a quantitative RT-RPA on LOAD assay with a high level of sensitivity was developed as a foundation for further developments in medical bedside and POC diagnostics.

The Diagnostic Performance of Urine Flow Cytometer UF1000i for Urinary Tract Infections.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infectious diseases in clinic. Urine flow cytometry is receiving more and more attention due to its rapid forecast of UTIs. METHODS: The Urine Flow Cytometer UF1000i has a series of software programs to quantify bacteria (BACT) and white blood cells (WBC), and describe the scatter diagram of bacteria. The UTIs were predicted based on the cutoff values with the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves of BACT and WBC counts. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of UF1000i for UTIs, the sensitivity and specificity of 889 urine samples were determined in comparison to the results of urine culture. Meanwhile the bacterial morphology indication of the UF1000i was evaluated in order to help doctors choose antibiotics. The angle of the scatter cloud with the x-axis was used to classify the infected bacteria as bacilli (< 30°) or cocci (≥ 30°). RESULTS: The best cutoff value of BACT counts for predicting UTIs was 119 per µL, and the sensitivity and specificity were 95.5% and 88.7%, respectively. While the best cutoff value of WBC counts was 81.5 per µL, and the sensitivity and specificity were 77.6% and 76.7%, respectively. In addition, the best cutoff values for females were 583 BACT per µL and 137.5 WBC per µL. They were much higher than for males (118 BACT per µL and 91 WBC per µL). The coincidence of the bacterial morphology information between the UF1000i software indication and the bacterial actual morphology identified by urine culture was 83% (bacilli) and 68% (cocci), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Data demonstrated that the performance of BACT counts for UTIs is superior to WBC counts. In addition, the bacterial morphology could preliminarily be predicated by the scatter diagram. Since the urine flow cytometer UF1000i can provide the data of both BACT counts and the scatter diagram, the urine flow cytometry was regarded as a suitable method for screening UTIs. Moreover, it would be better to take gender into consideration when setting the best cutoff value for diagnosis of UTIs in clinic.

Analysis on the local structures for 3d1 impurities (Ti3+ and V4+ ) in KTiPO4.

Making use of the perturbation formulae for 3d1 ions (Ti3+ and V4+ ) under orthorhombically compressed octahedra, the spin Hamiltonian parameters (g factors: gx , gy , gz and hyperfine structure constants: Ax , Ay , Az ) and local structures of the 3d1 impurity centres C1 , C2 , and C3 in KTiOPO4 crystals are theoretically analyzed in a consistent way. The remarkable local distortions (i.e., the relative axial compression ratios 11.2%, 7.0%, and 5.5% along Z axis and the relative planar bond length variation ratios 15.9%, 7.0%, and 6.0%) are obtained for the [Ti2O6 ]9- cluster on Ti2 site and [VO6 ]8- clusters on Ti1 and Ti2 sites, respectively, in view of the Jahn-Teller effect. The above local orthorhombic distortion parameters in the impurity centres are found to be more significant than the host Ti1 and Ti2 sites in pure KTiOPO4 . The sequences (C1  > C2  > C3 ) of the local orthorhombic distortion parameters ρ and τ are in accordance with those of the axial and perpendicular anisotropies Δg and δg of g factors, respectively.

[Application of multi-group structural equation model in comparative study of HBM related to recreational physical activity among population with high risk of chronic diseases and healthy people].

OBJECTIVE: To explore mechanism of health beliefs by application of health belief model (HBM) and structural equation modeling (SEM) with regard to recreational physical activity (PA), to identify the differences of among population with high risk of chronic diseases and healthy people, and to provide the specific interventions of recreational physical activity and reference for health relevant policy-making in the future. METHODS: A total of 2 736 residents with high risk of chronic diseases and 1 514 healthy people were involved. A questionnaire survey, physical examination and biochemical examination were conducted. The questionnaire based on HBM had acceptable validity and reliability. The proposed model based on the total sample size of the two groups was developed using the structural equation modeling and multi-comparison in the ways of appearance and parameters were also validated. RESULTS: The median amount of recreational (PA) among population with high risk of chronic diseases and healthy people were 0.0 thousand-step equivalent with quartile of (0.0, 4.6) and 0.0 thousand-step equivalent with quartile of (0.0, 4.0) respectively. The results of SEM suggested that the direct effects of perceived objective barriers (ß=-0.245), perceived subjective barriers (ß=-0.057), cues to action (ß=-0.043) and self-efficacy (ß=0.117) on recreational (PA) were significant. Self-efficacy was the most important mediator. The multi-group comparisons indicated that the models of the two groups had the same appearance but the parameters between them were significant (δ χ2=27.4, P<0.05). The multi-group structural equation model (MSEM) indicated that two paths from cues to action and from perceived subjective barriers to recreational (PA) were not statistically significant among the population with high-risk of chronic diseases. In the two groups, one path coefficient from perceived objective barriers to subjective barriers (P=0.007) was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The recreational (PA) levels of both groups were lower. Health beliefs on recreational (PA) of the two groups played different roles and some paths were also different. Therefore, specific interventions and strategies should be developed for different people. For residents with high risk of chronic diseases, much more attention should be paid to reduce the objective and subjective barriers of recreational physical activity and to improve self-efficacy so as to delay or prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases and then to improve the quality of life of this kind of population.

[Efficacy and safety of low-dose levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system in Chinese women: a multicenter, single-arm, open labeled interventional trial].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, bleeding profile and safety of low-dose levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS 8) in Chinese healthy women of childbearing age. Methods: A multi-center, open-label, single-arm clinical trial conducted at 16 centres in China enrolled 773 healthy women of childbearing age (mean age 31.6 years old, range 18 to 40 years old) , who demanded contraception, from April 2006 to June 2013. All women placed LNG-IUS 8 for 3 years and then been followed up at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36 months. The efficacy variables including pregnancy rate and expulsion rate were analyzed using life table, while observing adverse events (AE) to evaluate the safety. The bleeding profile happened during the study was assessed using 90-day reference intervals (World Health Organization criteria) . Results: Eight pregnancies occurred among 773 women, resulting in a overall Pearl index of 0.42 per 100 women years. The 3-year cumulative pregnancy rate was 0.37 per 100 women years and the 3-year cumulative expulsion rate was 1.99 per 100 women years. The number of women with bleeding/spotting reduced and the bleeding/spotting days declined over time. Totally 219 AE were reported related to LNG-IUS 8 placements. The most common AE were vaginal bleeding (8.2%, 63/773) and the ovarian cyst (6.2%, 52/773) . LNG-IUS 8 had an improving effect on dysmenorrhea that the percentage of women with dysmenorrhea as well as the days of dysmenorrhea decreased over time. The percentage of women satisfied or very satisfied with LNG-IUS 8 was 87.2% (622/713) . Conclusion: LNG-IUS 8 is highly effective and safe for Chinese healthy women of childbearing age.

Cigarette smoking increases bronchial mucosal IL-17A expression in asthmatics, which acts in concert with environmental aeroallergens to engender neutrophilic inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Mild asthmatics who smoke cigarettes may develop unstable disease and neutrophilic infiltration of the airways, features more usually associated with severe asthmatic disease. The mechanisms giving rise to this response remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To address the hypothesis that smoking increases bronchial mucosal production of IL-17A which acts on bronchial epithelial cells directly and in concert with other environmental stimuli to induce the production of IL-6 and neutrophil chemotaxins. METHODS: IL-17A, IL-8, IL-6, neutrophils and eosinophils were detected and quantified by immunohistochemistry in endobronchial biopsy sections from smoking and non-smoking asthmatics. Human tracheal epithelial cells (HTEpC) were cultured with IL-17A in the presence/absence of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and aeroallergens lacking intrinsic protease activity, and IL-6 and IL-8 production measured in vitro. RESULTS: Expression of IL-17A, IL-6 and IL-8 and neutrophil numbers was significantly elevated in the bronchial mucosa of the asthmatic smokers compared to the non-smokers. Expression of IL-17A correlated with that of IL-8 and neutrophil numbers. In the smoking asthmatics, eosinophil numbers also correlated with expression of IL-8 and IL-17A. Exposure of HTEpC cells to both CSE and IL-17A increased expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in a concentration-dependent and synergistic manner. Co-stimulation with CSE, IL-17A and aeroallergens further increased IL-6 and IL-8 production synergistically. CONCLUSIONS: The data support the hypothesis that asthmatic smokers develop neutrophilic inflammation of the airways propagated at least partly by smoke-induced production of IL-17A which together with smoke and other environmental stimuli acts on airways epithelial cells to induce neutrophil chemotaxins.

[Effects of up-regulation of cathepsin S by HBx gene on HepG2 cell].

Objective: To explore the expression of cathepsin S (Cat S) and Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) in HBeAg(-) and HBeAg(+ ) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and discuss the effects of Cat S and HBx interaction on HepG2 cell. Methods: Seventy HCC tissue specimens were collected from the surgical resection which were confirmed by pathology in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. The tissue samples were separated into two groups: HBeAg(-) group and HBeAg(+ ) group according to the serology of HBeAg. The expression of Cat S and HBx in the para-carcinoma tissue and the HCC tissue was determined by immunohistochemical staining. The recombinant plasmid of pcDNA3.1-HBx and empty plasmid were constructed and transfected transiently into HepG2 cell. Cells were harvested, and Western blot assay was performed to detectthe protein expression of Cat S and HBx. The cell proliferation was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, wound healing assay and transwell migration assay. Results: Immunohistochemical staining showed that Cat S expression was up-regulated in HBeAg(+ ) HCC cancer tissues, compared with HBeAg(-)HCC cancer tissues (52.67%±0.33% vs 41.23%±0.52%, P<0.05). HBx expression was up-regulated in HBeAg(+ ) HCC cancer tissues (92.89%), but not in HBeAg(-)HCC cancer tissues. Compared with HepG2 control group, cells in HepG2-HBx group had significantly higher protein level of Cat S and HBx, more obvious proliferation and migration (21.98%±1.69% vs 58.23%±1.47%) and invasion (24.12%±1.15%vs 64.25%±1.42%) (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The expression of HBx and Cat S had a linear positive correlation in liver tissues, and increased expression of HBx can promote the cell proliferation of HepG2-HBx cell line.

[Corneal astigmatism among 2 085 age-related cataract patients before surgery].

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and distribution of corneal astigmatism before surgery among age-related cataract patients in the Hubei area. Methods: Retrospective study. From January 1, 2012 to July 31, 2016, IOL Master measurements of all qualified cataract surgery candidates were retrospectively collected. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to assess the degree, distribution and type of corneal astigmatism. Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test was used to evaluate the normal distribution of variables. One-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied for the comparison of variance for normally and non-normally distributed quantitative data among different age groups. Spearman's rank test was used to assess the relationship between age and corneal astigmatism. Results: The mean age of the 2 085 patients (3 586 eyes) involved was (73.1±9.43) years old, with more women (58.3%) than men. The mean value of corneal curvature was 44.33 D (95%CI: 44.28-44.39), and the mean corneal astigmatism was 1.06 D (range, 0.05 D to 6.74 D). K-S test indicated the distribution of corneal curvature was normal (P=0.18), while corneal astigmatism did not obey the normal distribution (P<0.01). Corneal astigmatism was between 0.25 D and 1.25 D in 67.7% of the eyes, >1.25 D in 29.7%, and<0.25 D in 4.2%. Corneal astigmatism degree increased with the age increase (P<0.01). There was no statistical difference in corneal astigmatism between women and men (P=0.075). However, women had steeper corneal curvatures than men with statistical difference (P<0.01). Corneal astigmatism with the rule was observed in 29.0% of the eyes, while astigmatism against the rule was found in 53.0%. And astigmatism against the rule increased with age. Conclusion: Corneal astigmatism mostly distributes between 0.25 D and 1.25 D in age-related cataract patients who lived in Hubei. Corneal astigmatism degree increased with age, and the dominant type was astigmatism against the rule. There was no difference in astigmatism between men and women patients aged 50 years and above, but in 70- to 79-year-old patients, women had a higher astigmatism degree than men. The corneal curvature of women was steeper than men in general and in each age group. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 522-527).

Morphological characterization and molecular mapping of an irradiation-induced Speckled mutant in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Speckled (Spc), an X-ray-induced lethal mutant of Bombyx mori, exhibits a mosaic dark-brown-spotted larval epidermis in both sexes and egg-laying problems only in females. Here, we report the morphological characterization and molecular mapping of the Spc mutant. Morphological investigations revealed that the epidermal ultrastructure of the small, dark-brown spots was more dense than that of the white regions in both Spc/+ mutants and wild type, and that the lethality of the Spc/Spc mutants occurred during early embryogenesis. Furthermore, the ovarioles and ovipositor were disconnected in approximately 85.5% of Spc/+ females, a further 2.5% had a connection between the ovarioles and ovipositor that was too narrow to lay eggs. The remaining females showed a normal connection similar to that of the wild type. We successfully narrowed down the location of the Spc mutation to a region on chromosome 4 that was ∼1041 kb long. Gene-prediction analysis identified 25 candidate genes in this region. Chromosome structure analysis indicated that a ∼305 kb deletion was included in the mapping region. Temporal and spatial reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analysis showed that several genes in the mapped region are associated with the Spc mutant. Although the genes responsible for the Spc mutation were not definitively identified, our results further the current understanding of the complex mechanism underlying the multiple morphological defects in Spc mutants.

Quality of life and emotional distress in patients and burden in caregivers: a comparison between assisted peritoneal dialysis and self-care peritoneal dialysis.

PURPOSE: Assisted peritoneal dialysis (PD) involving caregivers allows more patients to get started on home-based dialysis with good clinical outcomes, but evidence on patient-reported and caregiver-reported outcomes is lacking. This study aimed to compare assisted PD versus self-care PD on quality of life (QoL) and psychosocial outcomes for patients and caregivers. The effect of PD modality [automated PD (APD); continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD)] in relation to self-care or assisted care was also examined. METHODS: A cross-sectional sample of 231 PD patients [142 self-care (57 APD/85 CAPD) and 89 assisted care PD (45 APD/44 CAPD)], 72 caregivers of assisted PD patients and 39 family members of self-care PD patients completed the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF), World Health Organisation Quality of Life Instrument-brief and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Caregivers and family members completed the Lay Care-Giving for Adults Receiving Dialysis questionnaire and Zarit Burden Interview. RESULTS: Case-mix-adjusted comparisons indicated comparable QoL in all dimensions with the exception of physical SF-12 (p = .001) and the KDQOL effects of kidney disease in favour of self-care PD. Levels of anxiety (9.72 ± 4.90; 8.25 ± 5.22) and depression (8.63 ± 3.80; 6.35 ± 4.76) were equivalent in assisted PD and self-care PD, respectively. Assisted PD caregivers reported more task-orientated duties (p = .007), yet levels of perceived burden were equal to those reported by family members of self-care PD. CONCLUSION: Our findings of mostly comparable patient and caregiver outcomes in assisted PD and self-care PD suggest that caregiver burden and QoL should not be a barrier to using assisted PD.