Ensemble species distribution modeling and multilocus phylogeography provide insight into the spatial genetic patterns and distribution dynamics of a keystone forest species, Quercus glauca.

BACKGROUND: Forests are essential for maintaining species diversity, stabilizing local and global climate, and providing ecosystem services. Exploring the impact of paleogeographic events and climate change on the genetic structure and distribution dynamics of forest keystone species could help predict responses to future climate change. In this study, we combined an ensemble species distribution model (eSDM) and multilocus phylogeography to investigate the spatial genetic patterns and distribution change of Quercus glauca Thunb, a keystone of East Asian subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. RESULTS: A total of 781 samples were collected from 77 populations, largely covering the natural distribution of Q. glauca. The eSDM showed that the suitable habitat experienced a significant expansion after the last glacial maximum (LGM) but will recede in the future under a general climate warming scenario. The distribution centroid will migrate toward the northeast as the climate warms. Using nuclear SSR data, two distinct lineages split between east and west were detected. Within-group genetic differentiation was higher in the West than in the East. Based on the identified 58 haplotypes, no clear phylogeographic structure was found. Populations in the Nanling Mountains, Wuyi Mountains, and the southwest region were found to have high genetic diversity. CONCLUSIONS: A significant negative correlation between habitat stability and heterozygosity might be explained by the mixing of different lineages in the expansion region after LGM and/or hybridization between Q. glauca and closely related species. The Nanling Mountains may be important for organisms as a dispersal corridor in the west-east direction and as a refugium during the glacial period. This study provided new insights into spatial genetic patterns and distribution dynamics of Q. glauca.

Untargeted Metabolomics Approach for the Differentiation between Panax vietnamensis var. vietnamensis and Panax vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus.

Panax vietnamensis var. vietnamensis (PVV) and Panax vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus (PVF) both belong to Panax vietnamensis species and are chemically and morphologically similar, making it hard to distinguish for the consumer. Herein, 42 PVF and 12 PVV samples were collected in Quang Nam and Lai Chau Province, respectively, and subsequently characterized by ITSr-DNA sequence data to verify their origins. Next, untargeted metabolomics combined with multivariate statistical analysis was developed to differentiate PVV and PVF. The metabolic profiles of PVV and PVF were found to be distinct and classified well using Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) in the training set. Among them, seven ginsenosides were of high abundance in PVV, while six were of high abundance in PVF. Next, the test set was used to validate 13 putative differential markers found in the training set, illustrating a complete match with the expression patterns of these ginsenosides in the training set. Finally, PLS-DA and linear Support Vector Machine models both indicated distinct ginsenoside profiles of PVV and PVF without misclassification in the test set. Conclusively, the developed untargeted metabolomics approach might serve as a powerful tool for the authentication of PVV and PVF at the metabolome level.

Preparation of ß-cyclodextrin covalent organic framework-immobilized poly(glycidyl methacrylate) nanoparticle-coated open tubular capillary electrochromatography column for chiral separation.

A new enantioselective open-tubular capillary electrochromatography was developed employing poly(glycidyl methacrylate) nanoparticles/ß-cyclodextrin covalent organic frameworks chemically immobilized on the inner wall of the capillary as a stationary phase. A pretreated silica-fused capillary reacted with 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane followed by poly(glycidyl methacrylate) nanoparticles and ß-cyclodextrin covalent organic frameworks through a ring-opening reaction. The resulting coating layer on the capillary was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The electroosmotic flow was studied to evaluate the variation of the immobilized columns. The chiral separation performance of the fabricated capillary columns was validated by the analysis of the four racemic proton pump inhibitors including lansoprazole, pantoprazole, tenatoprazole, and omeprazole. The influences of bonding concentration, bonding time, bonding temperature, buffer type and concentration, buffer pH, and applied voltage on the enantioseparation of four proton pump inhibitors were investigated. Good enantioseparation efficiencies were achieved for all enantiomers. In the optimum conditions, the enantiomers of four proton pump inhibitors were fully resolved within 10 min with high resolutions of 9.5-13.9. The column-to-column and inter- to intra-day repeatability of the fabricated capillary columns through relative standard deviation were found better than 9.54%, exhibiting satisfactory stability and repeatability of the fabricated capillary columns.

Practical Strategy for Arsenic(III) Electroanalysis without Modifier in Natural Water: Triggered by Iron Group Ions in Solution.

Significant progress has been made in nanomaterial-modified electrodes for highly efficient electroanalysis of arsenic(III) (As(III)). However, the modifiers prepared using some physical methods may easily fall off, and active sites are not uniform, causing the potential instability of the modified electrode. This work first reports a promising practical strategy without any modifiers via utilizing only soluble Fe3+ as a trigger to detect trace-level As(III) in natural water. This method reaches an actual detection limit of 1 ppb on bare glassy carbon electrodes and a sensitivity of 0.296 µA ppb-1 with excellent stability. Kinetic simulations and experimental evidence confirm the codeposition mechanism that Fe3+ is preferentially deposited as Fe0, which are active sites to adsorb As(III) and H+ on the electrode surface. This facilitates the formation of AsH3, which could further react with Fe2+ to produce more As0 and Fe0. Meanwhile, the produced Fe0 can also accelerate the efficient enrichment of As0. Remarkably, the proposed sensing mechanism is a general rule for the electroanalysis of As(III) that is triggered by iron group ions (Fe2+, Fe3+, Co2+, and Ni2+). The interference analysis of coexisting ions (Cu2+, Zn2+, Al3+, Hg2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, SO42-, NO3-, Cl-, and F-) indicates that only Cu2+, Pb2+, and F- showed inhibitory effects on As(III) due to the competition of active sites. Surprisingly, adding iron power effectively eliminates the interference of Cu2+ in natural water, achieving a higher sensitivity for 1-15 ppb As(III) (0.487 µA ppb-1). This study provides effective solutions to overcome the potential instability of modified electrodes and offers a practical sensing platform for analyzing other heavy-metal anions.

A case of dimethylformamide poisoning caused by skin contact / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

In this paper, the clinical data of a case of accidental poisoning of dimethylformamide in a traffic accident was analyzed. The patient was trapped in the driving room, his limbs were soaked in dimethylformamide for a long time, and dimethylformamide was inhaled at the same time. After 4 days of treatment in a local hospital, he was transferred to the Department of Poisoning & Occupational Diseases, Emergency Medicine of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University for treatment. The main clinical manifestation of the patient was liver damage and intractable abdominal pain, which was cured by active treatment.

Combined arthroscopic release with corticosteroid hydrodilatation versus corticosteroid hydrodilatation only in treating freezing-phase primary frozen shoulder: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: There has been no ideal treatment for freezing-phase frozen shoulder to rapidly relieve pain and improve joint mobility. No any other team directly compared the effectiveness of combination of arthroscopic release and corticosteroid hydrodilatation with corticosteroid hydrodilatation only in treatment of freezing-phase frozen shoulder. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with freezing-phase frozen shoulder were randomly assigned to combined arthroscopic release with corticosteroid hydrodilatation (group A) or corticosteroid hydrodilatation only (group B). Clinical states were examined at baseline and periodically (Weeks 1, 4, 12, 24 and 1 year) after intervention by passive ROM; visual analog scale (VAS); UCLA and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score. RESULTS: The passive ROM, VAS, UCLA and DASH scores always improved along the time points (all p < 0.01). The passive abduction (pAB), passive forward flexion (pFL), passive external rotation (pER), passive internal rotation (pIR) were better in group A than in group B at Week 1, 4, 12, 24 (all p < 0.01). At 1 year post-operation, the pFL and pIR were better in group A than in group B (all p < 0.01). VAS scores of group A were similar with those of group B (all p > 0.01), the differences between group A and group B were all lower than minimal clinically important difference (MCID). At Week 12, the UCLA sores and DASH scores were 26.8 ± 3.8, 14.2 ± 2.0 in group A versus 22.3 ± 3.4, 22.5 ± 3.1 in group B (all p < 0.01). At Week 24 post-operation, there were 32.7 ± 2.0, 9.8 ± 1.5 in group A versus 26.3 ± 3.6, 17.5 ± 3.5 in group B (all p < 0.01). At 1 year post-operation, there were 34.5 ± 0.8, 1.7 ± 1.5 in group A versus 32.1 ± 2.3, 8.8 ± 2.8 in group B (all p < 0.01), the differences of UCLA scores between group A and group B at Week 24 was higher than the MCID. There were no complications such as infection, nerve or vascular injury. CONCLUSIONS: Combined arthroscopic release with corticosteroid hydrodilatation would yield better results in passive ROM and function than corticosteroid hydrodilatation only. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900024235, July 2, 2019 (Retrospectively registered).

Clinical analysis of pipeline dredging agent poisoning: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pipeline dredging agents are new household deep cleaning products used to dredge blockages in kitchen and bathroom pipeline caused by grease, hair, vegetable residue, paper cotton fibre, and other organic substances. Pipeline dredging agents are corrosive chemicals that can cause poisoning through corrosive damage to the digestive tract; however, this has not been reported clinically. Therefore, this report emphasises that oral pipeline dredging agent poisoning can cause corrosive damage to the digestive tract and may have serious health consequences. CASE SUMMARY: A 68-year-old man consumed liquor (200 mL) at approximately 13:00 on April 22, 2021. At approximately 16:00, his family found him unresponsive with blackened lips, blood spots in the corners of the mouth, and blood stains on the ground, as well as an empty bottle of a pipeline dredging agent. One hour later, he was admitted to the emergency department of a local hospital. Considering the empty bottle, he was suspected to have sustained severe corrosive damage to the digestive tract and was transferred to our department at 23:15 on April 22, 2021. He developed dysphagia and intermittent fever and experienced difficulty in opening his mouth throughout his hospital stay. The patient's condition gradually stabilised. However, he suddenly developed respiratory failure on day 12, and endotracheal intubation and ventilator-assisted ventilation were performed. However, the patient died after 1.5 h despite emergency rescue efforts. CONCLUSION: Pipeline dredging agents are highly corrosive and may cause corrosive damage to the digestive tract and asphyxia upon consumption.

In-situ electronic structure redistribution tuning of single-atom Mn/g-C3N4 catalyst to trap atomic-scale lead(II) for highly stable and accurate electroanalysis.

Constructing catalysts with simple structures, uniform effective sites, and excellent performance is crucial for understanding the reaction mechanism of target pollutants. Herein, the single-atom catalyst of Mn-intercalated graphitic carbon nitride (Mn/g-C3N4) was prepared. It was found that the intercalated Mn atoms acted as strong electron donors to effectively tune the electronic structure distribution of the in-situ N atoms, providing a large number of negative potential atomic-scale sites for catalytic reactions. In the detection, the in-situ N atom established an electron bridge for the transient electrostatic trapping of free Pb(II), which induced Pb-N-Mn coordination bonding. Even in g-C3N4-loaded Mn nanoparticles, the N atom was again confirmed to be the interaction site for coupling with Pb. And the MnII-N4-C/MnIV-N4-C cycle actively participated in the electrocatalysis of Pb(II) was confirmed. Moreover, Mn/g-C3N4 achieved highly stable and accurate detection for Pb(II) with a sensitivity of 2714.47 µA·µM-1·cm-2. And excellent reproducibility and specific detection of real water samples made the electrode practical. This study contributes to understanding the changes in the electronic structure of chemically inert substrates after single-atom intercalation and the interaction between contaminants and the microstructure of sensitive materials, providing a guiding strategy for designing highly active electrocatalytic interfaces for accurate electroanalysis.

Comparison of efficacy of two different silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses after T-PRK.

AIM: To compare the efficacy between two different silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (T-PRK). METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 89 patients (178 eyes) who underwent T-PRK at the Qingdao Eye Hospital from October to December 2019 were selected. One random eye wore a Senofilcon A bandage contact lens after surgery, and the other eye a Balafilcon A bandage contact lens. Pain scores, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), spherical equivalent (SE), corneal epithelial healing status, epithelial thickness, bandage lenses deposits, lenses movement, and ocular surface conditions were measured and compared. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups in UCVA, SE, corneal epithelial healing status, corneal epithelial thickness, tear river heights and tear film rupture time at each follow-up visit. However, postoperative pain scores in the Senofilcon A group were significantly lower than those of the Balafilcon A group (F intergroups=67.833, P<0.001; F time=383.773, P<0.001; F interaction=57.344, P<0.001). The duration of pain in eyes in the Senofilcon A group was shorter than that of the Balafilcon A group (t=-3.326, P=0.001). The surface deposition scores and movement scores of Senofilcon A bandage lenses on the first and fourth days after surgery were lower than those of Balafilcon A bandage lenses (Z=-5.385, -6.782, P<0.001; Z=-8.336, -8.906, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Both Senofilcon A and Balafilcon A bandage lenses have good efficacy after T-PRK. Senofilcon A lenses are associated with less pain and more comfort compared to Balafilcon A.

A case of occupational allyl alcohol inhalation poisoning / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Allyl alcohol is an intermediate widely used in industrial production activities, which has caused many occupational damage in China. In this paper, the data of a case of skin damage and clinical cure of inhalation pneumonia caused by occupational allyl alcohol exposure were analyzed and summarized. The patient accidentally inhaled large amounts of allyl alcohol at work and had skin exposure, which was mainly manifested as aspiration pneumonia, respiratory failure, eye damage and skin bullae. After short-term hormone shock therapy, mechanical ventilation, infection prevention, local treatment and other comprehensive treatment, the patient was clinically cured. This case suggests that chemical pneumonia and respiratory failure may be caused by inhalation of allyl alcohol, and skin bullae may be caused by skin contact. Early treatment and hormone use should be emphasized.

Investigation and case analysis of an occupational chronic benzene poisoning accident / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

This article investigated an occupational chronic benzene poisoning incident that occurred in a sealing material factory in Hebei Province in September 2019, analyzed the clinical data of workers, to explore the causes of occupational chronic benzene poisoning, and summarize the diagnosis and treatment characteristics and treatment outcome. According to GBZ 68-2013 "Diagnosis of Occupational Benzene Poisoning", a total of 12 cases of occupational chronic benzene poisoning were diagnosed among the 20 workers, including 2 cases of occupational chronic mild benzene poisoning, 7 cases of moderate benzene poisoning, and 3 cases of severe benzene poisoning. Both mild and moderate poisoning patients had recovered after treatment. Severely poisoned patients had recovered more slowly, and the white blood cell count was still 2.0×10(9)-3.0×10(9)/L during the 1-year follow-up. This benzene poisoning incident was caused by illegal operations. The responsibility of the employer, the supervision of the administrative agency, and the awareness of personal protection of employees should be strengthened to avoid or reduce the occurrence of poisoning incidents and ensure the health of workers.

Usage of Chinese Herbs in Cancer Patients in Southern China: A Survey / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the use of Chinese medicine (CM) in cancer patients in southern China.@*METHODS@#A total of 1,950 cancer patients finished questionnaires in four provinces in southern China. The survey included socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of participants, dosage forms, efficacy, and side effects.@*RESULTS@#The study results showed that cancer patients with higher education (>12 years) were more likely to accept the treatment of Chinese herbs. There were 54.61% (1,065 cases) of patients chose Chinese herbs for the initial treatment and 14.46% (282 cases) chose Chinese herbs as monotherapy. Most patients (54.51%, 1,063 cases) continuously used CM for more than 6 months, and a few of them (212 cases) used CM for up to 3 years. All kinds of dosage forms of CM had been used, including CM decoction, CM patent prescription and CM injection. Concerning the efficacy in the view of patients, 40.31% (786 cases) believed that it would be effective to take Chinese herbs before they starting the anti-cancer treatment, and the percentage increased to 81.08% after 1-month CM treatment. The effect of Chinese herbs was mainly demonstrated by symptom relief and improvement of quality of life, and 8.31% (162 cases) of patients experienced control of tumor growth and decreased tumor markers. Furthermore, only 14.31% (279 cases) participants reported that they experienced side effects during CM treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#This large scale investigation reflects the current situation of domestic CM usage objectively and comprehensively, which might provide new ways for cancer treatment.

Dichocarpum hagiangense-a new species and an updated checklist of Ranunculaceae in Vietnam.

Dichocarpum hagiangense from Ha Giang province, northern Vietnam is described and illustrated. Diagnostic features of the new species are a short rhizomatous stem, (2-)3-foliolate or simple leaves, and pink-purple flowers. The described species is distinct from closely allied D. trifoliolatum in having longer sepals, shape and obcordate apex of petal limbs, shorter flower stem, number and tooth shape of basal leaves; it differs from D. basilare and D. carinatum in having stem leaf, retuse apex and longer of central leaflet, number and (2-)3-foliated (or simple) of leaf. With the support of molecular data, the new species was clearly distinguished from other species in the Dichocarpum group by eight autapomorphic characters in nrITS sequence. A key to all species of Dichocarpum is provided. We suggest the IUCN conservation status of D. hagiangense to be "Critically Endangered". A newest checklist of the family Ranunculaceae in Vietnam is updated.

Fluorescence Turn-On Detection of Ascorbic Acid Using a Self-Assembled Lanthanide Polymer Nanoparticle.

Ascorbic acid (AA), or vitamin C, is an important reactive biological molecule in vivo, and an abnormal level of AA is associated with many diseases. Therefore, the rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of AA levels is of significance in cases of medical assay and diagnosis. Compared with other nanoparticles, lanthanide coordination polymer nanoparticles (Ln-CPs) have been demonstrated as the excellent biomolecule sensing platforms due to their unique optical properties and intrinsic porosities. In this work, the cerium coordination polymer nanoparticles ATP-Ce-Tris were synthesized in a simple and quick way. The synthesized ATP-Ce-Tris nanoparticle shows the characteristic peak of Ce3+ located at 365 nm, which is corresponding to the 4f→5d transition of Ce3+. In the presence of Fe3+, the fluorescence of ATP-Ce-Tris quenched, and the following added ascorbic acid (AA) makes it restoring effectively. Based on this, we constructed a fluorescence probe with excellent sensitivity for AA sensing in a wide linear relationship from 0.05 to 500 µM. The detection limit was as low as 18 nM (signal-to-noise ratio of three), which is one or two orders of magnitude lower than those of reported sensors. The proposed sensing systems also exhibits excellent sensitivity for AA detection in human serum sample, exploiting a valuable platform for AA analysis in clinic diagnostic and drug screening.

[Regulatory mechanism for lncRNAs in skeletal muscle development and progress on its research in domestic animals].

Skeletal muscle is an essential tissue to maintain the normal functions of an organism. It is also closely associated with important economic performance, such as carcass weight, of domestic animals. In recent years, studies using high-throughput sequencing techniques have identified numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with myogenic functions involved in regulation of gene expression at multiple levels, including epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. These lncRNAs target myogenic factors, which participate in all processes of skeletal muscle development, including proliferation, migration and differentiation of skeletal muscle stem cells, proliferation, differentiation and fusion of myocytes, muscle hypertrophy and conversion of muscle fiber types. In this review, we summarize the functional roles of lncRNAs in regulation of myogenesis in humans and mice, describe the methods for the analysis of lncRNA function, discuss the progress of lncRNA research in domestic animals, and highlight the current problems and challenges in lncRNA research on livestock production. We hope to provide a useful reference for research on lncRNA in domestic animals, thereby further identifying the molecular regulatory mechanisms in skeletal muscle growth and development.

Identification of prostate cancer LncRNAs by RNA-Seq.

PURPOSE: To identify prostate cancer lncRNAs using a pipeline proposed in this study, which is applicable for the identification of lncRNAs that are differentially expressed in prostate cancer tissues but have a negligible potential to encode proteins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used two publicly available RNA-Seq datasets from normal prostate tissue and prostate cancer. Putative lncRNAs were predicted using the biological technology, then specific lncRNAs of prostate cancer were found by differential expression analysis and co-expression network was constructed by the weighted gene co-expression network analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1,080 lncRNA transcripts were obtained in the RNA-Seq datasets. Three genes (PCA3, C20orf166-AS1 and RP11-267A15.1) showed a significant differential expression in the prostate cancer tissues, and were thus identified as prostate cancer specific lncRNAs. Brown and black modules had significant negative and positive correlations with prostate cancer, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The pipeline proposed in this study is useful for the prediction of prostate cancer specific lncRNAs. Three genes (PCA3, C20orf166-AS1, and RP11-267A15.1) were identified to have a significant differential expression in prostate cancer tissues. However, there have been no published studies to demonstrate the specificity of RP11-267A15.1 in prostate cancer tissues. Thus, the results of this study can provide a new theoretic insight into the identification of prostate cancer specific genes.

Association between the pre-mir-218 polymorphism and cancer risk in the Chinese population: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several recent studies have explored associations between pre-mir-218 polymorphism (rs11134527) and cancer risk. However, published data are still inconclusive. To obtain a more precise estimation of the relationship in the Chinese population, we carried out a meta-analysis for the first time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through retrieval from the PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and the Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, a total of four studies were analyzed with 3,561 cases and 3,628 controls for SNP pre-mir-218 rs11134527. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) to explore the strength of associations. RESULTS: The results showed that the rs11134527 polymorphism was associated with decreased cancer risk in GG versus AA and GG versus AA+AG models tested ( GG vs AA: OR=0.82, 95%CI: 0.71-0.94; GG vs AA+AG: OR=0.84, 95%CI: 0.74-0.96), and significantly decreased cervical cancer risk was observed in GG versus AA and GG versus AA+AG models (GG vs AA: OR=0.79, 95%CI: 0.66-0.94; GG vs AA+AG: OR=0.80, 95%CI: 0.68-0.94). However, no significant association between the rs11134527 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma risk was observed in all comparison models tested (AG vs AA: OR=0.94, 95%CI: 0.79-1.11; GG vs AA: OR=0.88, 95%CI: 0.70-1.10; GG+AG vs AA: OR=0.92, 95%CI: 0.79-1.08; GG vs AA+AG: OR=0.91, 95%CI: 0.75-1.11). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that pre-miR-218 rs11134527 polymorphism may have some relation to cancer development in Chinese. However, well-designed studies with larger sample size and more detailed data are needed to confirm these conclusions.

[Refractive and biometric changes in adolescent guinea pig eyes in development and recover stages of form-deprivation myopia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in refraction and vitreous length during form-deprivation and visual re-exposure in guinea pig eyes. METHODS: It was an experimental study. Ninety-six guinea pigs with age of three weeks were randomly divided into form-deprivation and normal control groups (n = 48 in each group). The form-deprivation group was further divided into 4 subgroups (n = 12 in each subgroup) which underwent monocular form-deprivation for 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks, respectively. At the end of each time point, the form-deprived eyes in all animals were visually re-exposed and followed for 3 (n = 6) and 7 days (n = 6). The control group was also divided into four subgroups (n = 12 in each subgroup) to match the time-points of the form-deprivation group. During form-deprivation and recovery, vitreous length and refraction in each group was measured and compared. RESULTS: There was significant difference in vitreous length (F = 6.108, 28.222, 19.195) and refraction (F = 12.504, 15.003, 6.829) when compared deprived eyes with contralateral eyes 2, 4, or 6 weeks after form-deprivation (P < 0.05). Difference in refraction between deprived eyes and contralateral eyes was -2.36 D, -3.64 D and -3.68 D at 2, 4, 6 week, respectively. Difference in vitreous length was 0.08 mm, 0.19 mm and 0.22 mm. During visual re-exposure, form-deprived eyes changed into hyperopia as compared with contralateral eyes. At day 3 point, there was no significant difference in refraction and vitreous length between form deprived eyes and contralateral eyes in 1 week and 2 weeks groups (F = 0.032, 0.280; P > 0.05). After 7 days recovery, vitreous length and refraction in deprived eyes almost backed to level of contralateral eyes in 1 and 2 weeks groups. At day 3 point, there was significant difference of refraction and vitreous length between form-deprived eyes and contralateral eyes in 4 weeks group and 6 weeks group. After 7 days recovery, there was significant difference in vitreous length for 4 weeks group and there was significant difference in both refraction and vitreous length for 6 weeks group (F = 4.108, 6.317; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Form-deprivation causes myopic changes in deprived eyes, during visual re-exposure the refraction recovers and the extent depends on the length of form-deprivation. The recovery rate is faster during the first 3 days and then slower after 3 days. The mechanism of form-deprivation myopia in guinea pig eyes is similar to that of myopia in juvenile human beings.

[Small interfering RNA-mediated islet neogenesis associated protein gene silencing inhibits the proliferation of INS-1 islet cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated islet neogenesis associated protein (INGAP) gene silencing on the proliferation of islet cells. METHODS: Different siRNAs targeting INGAP gene were designed and transfected into INS-1 islet cells, and the expression levels of INGAP mRNA and protein following the transfection were detected using RT-PCR, flow cytometry and Western blotting. The proliferation of the transfected INS-1 cells was evaluated using MTT assay. RESULTS: Compared with those in the irrelevant siRNA, empty vector control, and un-transfected groups, the expression levels of INGAP mRNA and protein in the cells transfected with siRNA6 were reduced significantly. The cell proliferation rate significantly increased after transfection with siRNA6 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: siRNA targeting INGAP can effectively down-regulate INGAP expression and inhibit the proliferation of INS-1 cells.