[Research progress of non-coding RNA involved in glycolysis regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma].

Liver cancer is a common tumor of digestive system. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common type of liver cancer, which has a high degree of malignancy and ranks among the top causes of cancer-related death in the world. Metabolic reprogramming is considered to be an important marker of carcinogenesis. Glucose metabolism is one of the main ways for cells to produce energy. Glycolysis, as the basic reaction of glucose metabolism, plays an important role in cell metabolism. Therefore, the regulation of glycolysis is of great significance to the proliferation and evolution of tumors. More and more non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) have been proved to play an important role in the regulation of tumor glycolysis. This article reviews the role of ncRNA in the regulation of HCC glycolysis and its related mechanisms. At the same time, the prospect of targeted therapy for HCC based on the related mechanisms of glycolysis regulation is put forward.

Circulating exosomal miR-16-5p and let-7e-5p are associated with bladder fibrosis of diabetic cystopathy.

Diabetic cystopathy (DCP) is a prevalent etiology of bladder dysfunction in individuals with longstanding diabetes, frequently leading to bladder interstitial fibrosis. Research investigating the initial pathological alterations of DCP is notably scarce. To comprehend the development of fibrosis and find effective biomarkers for its diagnosis, we prepared streptozotocin-induced long-term diabetic SD rats exhibiting a type 1 diabetes phenotype and bladder fibrosis in histology detection. After observing myofibroblast differentiation from rats' primary bladder fibroblasts with immunofluorescence, we isolated fibroblasts derived exosomes and performed exosomal miRNA sequencing. The co-differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMis) (miR-16-5p and let-7e-5p) were screened through a joint analysis of diabetic rats and long-term patients' plasma data (GES97123) downloaded from the GEO database. Then two co-DEMis were validated by quantitative PCR on exosomes derived from diabetic rats' plasma. Following with a series of analysis, including target mRNAs and transcription factors (TFs) prediction, hubgenes identification, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction and gene enrichment analysis, a miRNA-mediated genetic regulatory network consisting of two miRNAs, nine TFs, and thirty target mRNAs were identified in relation to fibrotic processes. Thus, circulating exosomal miR-16-5p and let-7e-5p are associated with bladder fibrosis of DCP, and the crucial genes in regulatory network might hold immense significance in studying the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of fibrosis, which deserves further exploration.

Risk factors for the long-term prognosis and recurrence of HIV-negative cytomegalovirus retinitis in North China.

AIM: To demonstrate the clinical features, the risk factors, the visual prognosis and the recurrence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis (CMVR) in HIV-negative patients. METHODS: HIV-negative patients with CMVR were involved in this study. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), CMV-DNA load in aqueous and/or serum samples, treatment, follow-up time, recurrence and complications were recorded. Ocular characteristics were evaluated by fundus photographs. Association between ocular factors and visual prognosis were analyzed by regression analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-five eyes of 16 patients were included. All 25 eyes underwent intravitreal injections of anti-viral agents. The mean logMAR BCVA improved from 0.94±0.98 (0.98-0.78) initially to 0.77±0.73 (0.82-0.68) at last visit, but not significantly. After antiviral treatment, the aqueous CMV DNA load significantly reduced to (3.42±1.47)×102 copies/mL (P=0.001), compared with (2.51±3.11)×105 copies/mL at baseline. Macular involvement (R 2=0.475, P=0.049) and initial visual acuity (R 2=0.475, P=0.017) were significantly associated with the poor visual prognosis (BCVA<20/400). The extent of retinal lesions (R 2=0.064, P=0.04) was significant associated with the risk of recurrence of CMVR. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal injection of anti-viral agents offers a safe and effective treatment for CMVR. Macular involvement and initial visual acuity significantly associate with visual prognosis. The extent of retinal lesions is significantly associated with the recurrence of CMVR. These ocular factors can be used as predictive risk factors for long term visual prognosis in HIV-negative CMVR patients.

Serum neuron-specific enolase, magnetic resonance imaging, and electrophysiology for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes of neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity. Effective indicators for the early diagnosis of brain injury after HIE and prognosis are lacking. This study aimed to examine the predictive value of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), alone and in combination, for the neurological outcomes in neonates with HIE. METHODS: Newborns with HIE born and treated at the Third Affiliated Hospital of An-Hui Medical University were consecutively included in this prospective cohort study (June 2013 to December 2020). Encephalopathy was classified as mild, moderate or severe according to Samat and Sarnat. All patients were assessed serum 1-day NSE and 3-day NSE levels after birth. The children were classified by neurological examination and Bayley Scales of Infant Development II at 18 months of age. ROC analysis was used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the neurodevelopment outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 50 HIE neonates were enrolled (normal group: 32 (64.0%), moderate delay: 5 (10.0%), severe delay: 30(26.0%)) according to Bayley II scores. Serum 3-day NSE levels increased with worsening neurodevelopment outcomes (normal: 20.52 ± 6.42 µg/L vs. moderate: 39.82 ± 5.92 µg/L vs. severe: 44.60 ± 9.01 µg/L, P < 0.001). The MRI findings at 4-7 days after birth were significantly different among the three groups (P < 0.001). Forty-two (84.0%) children had abnormal aEEG. The combination of the three abnormalities combined together had 100% sensitivity, 97.70% specificity, 98.25% PPV, and 99.98% NPV. CONCLUSIONS: MRI, aEEG, and 3-day NSE can predict the neurological prognosis of newborns with HIE without hypothermia treatment. Their combination can improve the predictive ability for long-term neurobehavioral prognosis.

Clinical characteristics of ocular toxocariasis in adults in north China.

AIM: To investigate the clinical features of adult patients with ocular toxocariasis (OT) in north China and to diagnose adults OT patients in early stage. METHODS: Clinical data of 24 adults with OT were retrospectively analyzed. Slit lamp photographs and fundus photographs and other imaging examinations of all the patients were reviewed. A questionnaire concerning the pet ownership and place of residence was completed to investigate the possible infection origin. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed on the demographic data, clinical features, funduscopic findings and ELISA results. RESULTS: Among the 24 patients diagnosed with OT by Toxocara IgG antibody in intraocular fluid, 16 (66.7%) eyes were right eye. The onset age of 12 eyes (50.0%) was between 30 and 40 years old, and 21 (87.5%) eyes were of peripheral granuloma type. The most common sign was vitreous opacity. Granulomas were detected in all the eyes, and 20 (83.3%) patients resided in rural area. In 4 patients, the concentration of anti-Toxocara antibody both in anterior humor and in vitreous humor were detected, and the results showed the concentration in vitreous humor was much higher than aqueous humor. CONCLUSION: Our study analyzes the clinical manifestation of OT in adults, which may have been under-recognized before. Eye side, residence, and detection of granuloma may help us in diagnosis of OT in patients with monocular vitreous opacity. For adult patients with presumed OT, negative results of anti-Toxocara antibody in anterior humor cannot rule out the possibility of OT, further detection of vitreous humor is suggested for final diagnosis.

Neonatal myofibrillar myopathy type II associated with biallelic UNC-45B gene novel mutation and perinatal myasthenia as the core phenotype: A case report.

Myofibrillar myopathy (MFM) is characterized by phenotypic heterogeneity; decreased function of the myosin-directed chaperone, UNC-45B protein, leads to MFM II, which is characterized by slow progressive proximal myasthenia. Currently, only two studies have reported 11 cases worldwide. This study aimed to conduct genetic research and etiological analysis of a neonatal case of perinatal myasthenia who eventually died due to autonomic dyspnea. The case involved a newborn female admitted for weak cries and groaning. Physical examination revealed shallow and irregular spontaneous breathing, difficulty feeding, hip flexion and knee flexion in both lower limbs, hypotonia (level 1), less translation action, and inability to resist gravity. The child died at 23 days after birth. Gene testing, mutation analysis, and crystal structure analysis were conducted. Cell culture and plasmid construction were conducted, followed by western blot analysis. Pathological changes, including Z-line breakage, were observed in the muscle biopsies of different tissues. Gene testing showed that UNC-45B had a novel compound heterozygous mutation (c.2357T>A/p.Met786Lys, c.2591A>C/p.His864Pro), and in vitro functional experiments showed that the variants could lead to a decrease in protein expression. This study expands the UNC-45B mutation and phenotype spectrum by reporting an MFM II case in a Chinese patient for the first time.

Integrated network analysis to explore the key mRNAs and lncRNAs in acute myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most severe cardiovascular event in the world. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying AMI remained largely unclear. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were reported to play important roles in human diseases. In the present work, we analyzed a public dataset GSE48060 to confirm key lncRNAs and mRNAs in AMI. We observed 4835 mRNAs and 442 lncRNAs were significantly differently expressed in AMI. Then, we for the first time constructed PPI networks and lncRNA co-expression networks in AMI. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks revealed several mRNAs such as RHOA, GNB1, GNG, RAC1, FBXO32, DET1, MEX3C and HECTD1 functioned as key regulators in AMI. LncRNA co-expression network analysis showed 8 lncRNAs (CA5BP1, LOC101927608, BZRAP1-AS1, EBLN3, FGD5-AS1, HNRNPU-AS1, LINC00342, and LOC101927204) played key roles in AMI. Gene ontology (GO) analysis demonstrated these differently expressed lncRNAs were associated with more signaling pathways, such as regulating transcription, protein amino acid phosphorylation, signal transduction, development. Taken together, our research unveiled a series of key lncRNAs and mRNAs in AMI. Several lncRNAs, including CA5BP1, LOC101927608, BZRAP1-AS1, EBLN3, FGD5-AS1, HNRNPU-AS1, LINC00342, and LOC101927204 were identified as key lncRNAs. PPI networks were constructed to reveal key mRNAs in AMI. These results provided useful information for exploring novel molecular target therapy for AMI.

Identification of Key lncRNAs Associated With Atherosclerosis Progression Based on Public Datasets.

Atherosclerosis is one of the most common type of cardiovascular disease and the prime cause of mortality in the aging population worldwide. However, the detail mechanisms and special biomarkers of atherosclerosis remain to be further investigated. Lately, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has attracted much more attention than other types of ncRNAs. In our work, we found and confirmed differently expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in atherosclerosis by analyzing GSE28829. We performed the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) by analyzing GSE40231 to confirm highly correlated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis were utilized to assess the potential functions of differential expressed lncRNAs in atherosclerosis. Co-expression networks were also constructed to confirm hub lncRNAs in atherosclerosis. A total of 5784 mRNAs and 654 lncRNAs were found to be dysregulated in the progression of atherosclerosis. A total of 15 lncRNA-mRNA co-expression modules were identified in this study based on WGCNA analysis. Moreover, a few lncRNAs, such as ZFAS1, LOC100506730, LOC100506691, DOCK9-AS2, RP11-6I2.3, LOC100130219, were confirmed as important lncRNAs in atherosclerosis. Taken together, bioinformatics analysis revealed these lncRNAs were involved in regulating the leukotriene biosynthetic process, gene expression, actin filament organization, t-circle formation, antigen processing, and presentation, interferon-gamma-mediated signaling pathway, and activation of GTPase activity. We believed that this study would provide potential novel therapeutic and prognostic targets for atherosclerosis.

Growth differentiation factor 15 is associated with left atrial/left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence suggesting that growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) appears to be associated with stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). AF-related thromboembolic stroke is predominantly attributed to the thrombus from the left atrium (LA) or left atrial appendage (LAA). HYPOTHESIS: GDF-15 is related to LA/LAA thrombus in nonvalvular AF (NVAF) patients. METHODS: A total of 894 patients with NVAF without anticoagulation therapy were included in this study. All patients routinely underwent transesophageal echocardiography for detection of LA/LAA thrombus. GDF-15 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression models were used to test for association. RESULTS: LA/LAA thrombus was detected by transesophageal echocardiography in 69 (7.72%) patients with AF. The GDF-15 levels in the patients with LA/LAA thrombus were significantly higher than those without LA/LAA thrombus (log10 GDF-15: 2.989 ± 0.023 ng/L vs 2.831 ± 0.007 ng/L; P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that GDF-15 was an independent risk factor for LA/LAA thrombus (odds ratio [per quarter]: 1.799, 95% confidence interval: 1.381-2.344, P < 0.001) after adjusting for potential clinical risk factors. The optimal cutoff point for GDF-15 predicting LA/LAA thrombus was 809.9 ng/L (sensitivity, 75.3%; specificity, 61.5%), determined by ROC curve. The area under the curve was 0.709 (95% confidence interval: 0.644-0.770, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated GDF-15 indicated a significantly increased risk for LA/LAA thrombus in NVAF patients. Thus, GDF-15 might be a potentially useful adjunct in discriminating LA/LAA thrombus in NVAF patients.

The mobile monitoring of black carbon and its association with roadside data in the Chinese megacity of Shanghai.

High-level black carbon (BC) pollution is associated with traffic emissions in metropolitan areas with high vehicle density. Mobile monitoring was conducted to assess the in-vehicle BC exposure on three backbone ring roads (inner, middle, and outer ring roads) on October 14 and October 18, 2015 in Shanghai. Ambient BC monitoring was also simultaneously conducted in three fixed roadside stations from October 14 to October 20, 2015. Results of the mobile monitoring showed median BC personal exposure concentrations ranging from 5.0 µg m-3 on the inner ring road to 13.5 µg m-3 on the outer ring road. The ambient BC concentrations during the entire observation period showed an arithmetic mean and a standard deviation of 3.5 ± 2.9 µg m-3. The correlation analysis of urban roadside monitoring (Caoxi Road and South Zhongshan Road) and personal data showed a high and significant correlation. The results of this study highlight the critical level of BC pollution in Shanghai and facilitate the development of evidence-based public health interventions and control strategies to prevent the adverse health effects of BC pollution.

Association of the Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene T786C Polymorphism with In-Stent Restenosis in Chinese Han Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Treated with Drug-Eluting Stent.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Many studies have reported that genetic variants correlate with higher risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) or in-stent restenosis (ISR) after bare metal stent (BMS) implantation. However, there is limited data assessing the impact of these variants on ISR in patients treated with drug-eluting stent (DES). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of genetic risk factors on ISR in Chinese Han patients treated with DES. METHODS: A total of 425 patients with a diagnosis of CAD who underwent successful revascularization in native coronary arteries with DES were included in this retrospective study. Genotyping was performed on six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene (eNOS), the angiotensin converting enzyme gene (ACE), the angiotensin II type 1 receptor gene (AT1R), the transforming growth factor beta gene (TGF-ß), and the vascular endothelial growth factor gene (VEGF). Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) was performed during the follow-up period to detect ISR. Logistic regression models were used to test for association. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients (12.7%) developed ISR during the follow-up period. Of the six analyzed SNPs, the frequency of the C allele of T786C polymorphism in eNOS was significantly higher in the ISR group (22.2%) compared to the non-ISR group (12.7%) (p<0.01). In the ISR group, the frequency of the TT, TC, and CC genotypes was 61.1%, 33.3%, and 5.6%, respectively, and in the non-ISR group, the frequencies were 76.8%, 21.0%, and 2.2%, respectively. The multivariable analysis adjusted for potential confounders and revealed that the T786C polymorphism increased the risk of ISR in both additive and dominant models with odds ratios of 1.870 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.079-3.240, p = 0.03) and 2.045 (95% CI: 1.056-3.958, p = 0.03), respectively. CONCLUSION: The eNOS T786C polymorphism was associated with ISR in Chinese Han patients treated with DES. Genotyping may be helpful to identify patients with higher risks of ISR after DES implantation.

Estimation of Cancer Burden Attributable to Infection in Asia.

BACKGROUND: Some infectious agents have been shown to be human carcinogens. The current study focused on estimation of cancer burden attributable to infection in different regions of Asia. METHODS: By systematically reviewing previous studies of the infection prevalence data of 13 countries in Asia and relative risks of specific cancers, we calculated the population attributable fraction of carcinogenic infections. Using data from GLOBOCAN 2012, the overall country-specific and gender-specific number of new cancer cases and deaths resulting from infection were estimated. RESULTS: Across 13 principal Asian countries, the average prevalence and range was 6.6% (0.5% in Japanese women to 15.0% in Vietnamese men) for hepatitis B virus (HBV), 2.6% (0.3% in Iran to 5.1% in Saudi Arabia) for hepatitis C virus (HCV), 7.9% (2.8% in Pakistan to 17.7% in China) for human papillomavirus (HPV), and 61.8% (12.8% in Indonesia to 91.7% in Bangladesh) for Helicobacter pylori (HP). The estimated total number of cancer cases and deaths caused by infection in these 13 countries were 1 212 026 (19.6% of all new cancer cases) and 908 549 (22.0% of all deaths from cancer). The fractions of cancer incidence attributable to infection were 19.7% and 19.5% in men and women, respectively. The percentages of cancer deaths attributable to infection were 21.9% and 22.1% in men and women, respectively. Among the main infectious agents, HP was responsible for 31.5% of infection-related cancer cases and 32.8% of infection-related cancer deaths, followed by HBV (28.6% of new cases and 23.8% of deaths), HPV (22.0% of new cases and 27.3% of deaths), and HCV (12.2% of new cases and 10.6% of deaths). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one quarter of all cancer cases and deaths were infection-associated in Asia, which could be effectively prevented if appropriate long-term controls of infectious agents were applied.

[Treatment of osteochondritis lesion in the knee with reduction and fixation under arthroscopy].

OBJECTIVE: To study clinical results of reduction and fixation under arthroscopy for the treatment of osteochondrotical lesion in the knee. METHODS: From December 2012 to December 2013, 4 patients with the knee joint osteochondritis lesion and free bone fragments were treated with arthroscopy to detect the stripped cartilage, and then the cartilages were reduced with small incision and fixed by cartilage nail. There were 3 males and 1 female, with age of 15, 15, 20 and 27 years old. The durations of the disease were 1 d, 5 d, 1 month and 1 year. All the patients had swelling and effusion in the knee joint, and the floating patellar test was positive. CT examination showed bone defects and loose bodies. The Lysholm, VAS, and Tegner scale were used to evaluate the knee joint functions before and after operation. RESULTS: All the patients underwent successful surgery. Postoperative CT showed good location of the cartilage without loss of reduced bone and cartilage. All the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 10 to 13 months, with a mean of 12 months. In one patient, arthroscopy examination was conducted for a second time to examine the connection of the fracture part to the surrounding cartilage, and it showed that the internal fixator was not absorbed. The Lysholm, VAS and Tegner scale of all patients were better than those before operation. CONCLUSION: Treatment of osteochondritis lesion with the fixation of absorbable cartilage nails may reconstruct the integrity of articular surface and recover the stability of joints, and it is an effective treatment method.

[Optimal sequence algorithm of divided period appointment consultation service sequence for re-visiting patients in the department of stomatology].

PURPOSE: An optimal sequence algorithm model of divided period appointment consultation service was built through optimal sequence algorithm. METHODS: Re-visiting patients in the department of stomatology in a tertiary hospital were enrolled as the research objects in this study. Information about the diagnose term of common diseases, tooth positions treated, doctor's consultation hours were collected. After calculating the mean consultation hours of each disease based on the statistical analysis, the appointment consultation service sequence of re-visiting patients in the department of stomatology was optimized in accordance with the rule of "providing priority service to those requiring short consultation hours" by referencing to the theoretical model of parallel machine. RESULTS: The total waiting hours of patients after optimizing the appointment consultation sequence was decreased by 35.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal sequence algorithm can optimize divided period consultation sequence, effectively shorten waiting hours and improve patients' medical experience.

[Screening of key genes and inflammatory signalling pathway involved in the pathogenesis of HLA-B27-associated acute anterior uveitis by gene expression microarray].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genes and signalling pathways located upstream of the inflammatory processes in human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27-associated acute anterior uveitis by gene expression microarray. METHODS: Experimental study. HLA-B27-positive and-negative monocytes isolated from human peripheral blood were stimulated with Vibrio cholera lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Gene expression microarrays were used to identify the differentially expressed genes. Differentially expressed (DE) genes were testified by real-time PCR and analyzed by a series of bioinformatics-based techniques such as Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. RESULTS: Gene expression microarray analysis revealed marked differences between HLA-B27-positive acute anterior uveitis (AAU) and HLA-B27-negative healthy control peripheral monocytes in the genes that were upregulated in response to LPS stimulation with 1105 genes and 25 genes respectively. Gene Ontology enrichment and pathway analysis indicated that genes participating in protein transport and folding were essential to the inflammatory process. The LPS receptor-Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 induced TLR signalling pathway and pathway related to Vibrio cholerae infection were located upstream of the network and contribute to the overall response. Among the DE genes, PIK3CA, PIK3CB, AKT3, and MAPK1 might play critical roles in inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Equivalent LPS stimulation induces a different response in HLA-B27-positive peripheral monocytes compared to normal control, suggesting that the TLR pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of HLA-B27-associated AAU.

[Population-attributable risk estimates for breast cancer in Chinese females].

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the contribution of known identified risk factors to breast cancer incidence and mortality in China, and provide evidence to support the prevention and control of breast cancer for Chinese females. METHODS: We calculated the proportion of breast cancer attributable to specific risk factors. Data on exposure prevalence were obtained from Meta-analyses and large-scale national surveys of representative samples of the Chinese population. Data on relative risks were obtained from Meta-analyses and large-scale prospective studies. Cancer mortality and incidence were taken from the Third National Death Survey and from cancer registries in China. RESULTS: The first 5 risk factors of breast cancer in China were benign breast disease (RR = 2.62), family history of breast cancer (RR = 2.39), smoking (RR = 1.86), overweight (RR = 1.60) and age at menarche (RR = 1.54). The proportion of breast cancer deaths attributable to reproductive factors, lifestyle factors, benign breast disease, the use of external hormone and family history of breast cancer was 27.84%, 23.55%, 15.09%, 3.60% and 2.49%, respectively. The total population attributable fraction (PAF) was 55.95% for risk factors in our study. Overall, we estimated that 79 862 breast cancer cases and 22 456 deaths were attributed to the five risk factors in China in 2005. CONCLUSIONS: The prevention and control of unhealthy lifestyle factors may significantly reduce the number and death of breast cancer in China.

[Nitrate storage and transport within a typical karst aquifer system in the paralleled ridge-valley of east Sichuan].

In order to investigate the nitrate storage and transport in the karst aquifer system, the hydrochemical dynamics of Qingmuguan underground river system was monitored online by achieving high-resolution data during storm events and monthly data in normal weather. The principal component analysis was employed to analyze the karst water geochemistry. Results showed that nitrate in Jiangjia spring did not share the same source with soluble iron, manganese and aluminum, and exhibited different geochemical behaviors. Nitrate was derived from land surface and infiltrated together with soil water, which was mainly stored in fissure, pore and solution crack of karst unsaturated zone, whereas soluble iron, manganese and aluminum were derived from soil erosion and directly recharged the underground river through sinkholes and shafts. Nitrate transport in the karst aquifer system could be ideally divided into three phases, including input storage, fast output and re-inputting storage. Under similar external conditions, the karstification intensity of vadose zone was the key factor to determine the dynamics of nitrate concentrations in the groundwater during storm events. Nitrate stored in the karst vadose zone was easily released, which would impair the aquatic ecosystem and pose seriously threats to the local health. Thus, to strengthen the management of ecological system, changing the land-use patterns and scientifically applying fertilizer could effectively make a contribution to controlling mass nutrient input from the surface.

[Prelimilary Study on Manipulative Resetting Pictures of Shang ke hui zuan (Collected Compilation of Traumatology)].

Shang ke hui zuan (Collected Compilation of Traumatology) written by Hu Ting-guang, a famous doctor in the Qing Dynasty, is a comprehensive traumatology book, which records 16 manual reduction pictures with a five-word verse in each one and 9 seven-word verses in Chapter 3 supplementing the former and vice versa. Vivid pictures and brief verses matched with each other are convenient to imitate and recite, and play a vital role in promotion of inheritance and transmission of manual reduction technique on traumatology.

[Study on pictures in Waike Xinfa Yaojue].

Collecting 265 pictures, Waike Xinfa Yaojue (written in Qing Dynasty) is the extant ancient surgical book with most pictures. Pictures could be divided into four kinds, i.e. disease and symptoms, meridians, pulse taking and taboos. Pictures on disease and symptoms account for the largest number and appeared most often and those pictures are also with special subject characteristics and of great importance to the diagnosis of surgical diseases. Pictures in ancient medical books played an important role in academic heritage.

Genome-wide association study identifies a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia in Han Chinese at 11p11.2.

To identify susceptibility loci for schizophrenia, we performed a two-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) of schizophrenia in the Han Chinese population (GWAS: 746 individuals with schizophrenia and 1,599 healthy controls; validation: 4,027 individuals with schizophrenia and 5,603 healthy controls). We identified two susceptibility loci for schizophrenia at 6p21-p22.1 (rs1233710 in an intron of ZKSCAN4, P(combined) = 4.76 × 10(-11), odds ratio (OR) = 0.79; rs1635 in an exon of NKAPL, P(combined) = 6.91 × 10(-12), OR = 0.78; rs2142731 in an intron of PGBD1, P(combined) = 5.14 × 10(-10), OR = 0.79) and 11p11.2 (rs11038167 near the 5' UTR of TSPAN18, P(combined) = 1.09 × 10(-11), OR = 1.29; rs11038172, P(combined) = 7.21 × 10(-10), OR = 1.25; rs835784, P(combined) = 2.73 × 10(-11), OR = 1.27). These results add to previous evidence of susceptibility loci for schizophrenia at 6p21-p22.1 in the Han Chinese population. We found that NKAPL and ZKSCAN4 were expressed in postnatal day 0 (P0) mouse brain. These findings may lead to new insights into the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.