[Progress of researches on symbionts in the management of mosquito-borne infectious diseases].

Mosquitoes are the main vectors of many infectious diseases, including malaria and yellow fever, which seriously threaten human health across the world. In addition to the use of chemical insecticides, genetic control is a new attempt to currently available interventions used for mosquito vector control. In terms of ecological safety, however, symbiotic control as a novel approach has been proposed for mosquito control. Since there are multiple symbiotic microflora inhabiting in a variety of tissues of mosquitoes, including the digestive tract, they may affect the transmission of mosquito-borne infectious diseases through affecting the lifespan, reproductive competence, and vector competence of the host. In this review, the interactions between symbionts in mosquitoes were summarized, and the research progress of mosquito-associated symbionts in the management of mosquitoborne infectious diseases was reviewed.

Retrospective Analysis of 61 Cases of Children Died of Viral Pneumonia.

ABSTRACT: Objective To retrospectively analyze the forensic pathological postmortem examination and clinical data of children who died of viral pneumonia in identification of cause of death cases and to discuss the clinical characteristics and pathological features of viral pneumonia in children, in order to provide reference to pathological diagnosis of viral pneumonia in children caused by 2019 novel coronavirus （2019-nCoV） infection. Methods Postmortem examination data from 61 cases of children whose causes of death were identified as viral pneumonia in recent years were collected from the Center of Forensic Identification, Southern Medical University. The gender, age, clinical symptoms and pathological features were comparatively analyzed. Results Among the 61 cases of children who died of viral pneumonia, most were within 2 years old （83.61%）, and a large proportion died within 2 weeks after the onset of the disease （91.80%）. Gross changes in postmortem examination included respiratory mucosal hyperemia, pleural effusion, pulmonary swelling, variegated pulmonary pleura and serosa, as well as focal pulmonary hemorrhage and pulmonary edema. A large proportion of sick children had enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes （83.61%） and thymic dysplasia （21.31%）. Histopathological changes included edema of alveoli and interstitial substance, pneumorrhagia，shedding of alveolar epithelial cells, serous and （or） fibrous exudation in the alveoli, formation of viral inclusions, formation of transparent membranes, infiltration of inflammatory cells that mainly consisted of macrophages and lymphocytes in interstitial substance and alveoli. Viral infections often affected the heart and gastrointestinal tract. Conclusion The clinical symptoms of children with viral pneumonia are difficult to notice, and because the immune systems of children are not fully developed and they have poor immunity, they can easily become severely ill and even die. Analyzing the forensic autopsies and the histopathological characteristics could provide reference for pathological diagnosis of viral pneumonia.

Underwater spatially, spectrally, and temporally resolved optical monitoring of aquatic fauna.

A continuous-wave (CW) Scheimpflug underwater multi-spectral lidar system was constructed to monitor aquatic fauna with spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution. Utilizing a 1 W 414 nm diode laser and a detection set-up with a reflective grating, measurements of shrimp pleopod movements at fixed range, and the swimming of small fish trapped in a clear tube were performed in a 5 m ×0.6 m ×0.6 m water tank. The spatial resolution is about 5 mm, the spectral resolution is 10 nm (from 400 nm to 700 nm), and with proper binning of the CCD, a read-out repetition rate up to 150 Hz can be reached. The experimental results demonstrate that the underwater Scheimpflug lidar system has great potential for detailed monitoring of the small aquatic fauna in oceanic environments.

[Cognitive status and its relationship with serum neuropeptide Y in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].

Objective:To analyze the correlation between cognitive function and serum NPY levels in OSAHS patients, and to explore biomarkers for evaluating cognitive function in adult patients with OSAHS. To verify the validity of MoCA in evaluating cognitive function in OSAHS patients.Method:72 patients with OSAHS and 16 healthy controls were included. Subjects were tested for PSG, MoCA, and MMSE; ELISA was used to detect serum NPY levels in subjects. After 14 days, 10 patients in the control group were randomly selected for re-testing of MoCA to detect the internal consistency, test-retest reliability and simultaneous validity of MoCA.Result:The cognitive dysfunction of OSAHS patients was manifested in visual spatial ability, language and attention. Serum NPY levels were negatively correlated with MoCA scores (r=-0.105), and the correlation was not significant. The internal consistency of the MoCA detected by the Cronbach coefficient α is reliable (0.690), and when "directional ability" deleted,the reliability increases (0.705); In addition, both of test-retest reliability (r=0.884, P=0.001) and simultaneous validity (r=0.701,P<0.01) of MoCA were reliable.Conclusion:MoCA in evaluating the cognitive function of adult with OSAHS is reliable, stable and effective, and when "directional ability" deleted,the reliability increases . The cognitive dysfunction of OSAHS patients is manifested in visual spatial ability, language and attention, which is obvious with the disease of severity; serum NPY levels can reflect the severity of OSAHS; there is no significant negative correlation between serum NPY level and MoCA total score. Whether it can be used to evaluate cognitive function in OSAHS patients needs further verification.

Metformin reduces SATB2-mediated osteosarcoma stem cell-like phenotype and tumor growth via inhibition of N-cadherin/NF-kB signaling.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of SATB2 in stem cell-like properties of osteosarcoma and identify new strategies to eliminate cancer stem cells of osteosarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Osteosarcoma cancer stem cells were derived by sarcosphere generation or chemo drug enrichment. SATB2 and pluripotency-associated gene expression in osteosarcoma CSCs were analyzed using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. The sphere formation assay, cell counting kit-8 assay and anti-chemotherapy proteins were used to measure the effects of altered SATB2, N-cadherin expression or metformin treatment in CSCs. Nude mice were injected with SATB2-deficient U2OS/MTX cells to assess the role of SATB2 in osteosarcoma growth and chemoresistance in vivo. Bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify SATB2 downstream target genes and immunochemistry to determine the correlation between SATB2 expression and patient outcome. Western blotting and luciferase reporter assays were used to examine the effects of N-cadherin and SATB2 inhibition on the NF-kB pathway. RESULTS: SATB2 was upregulated in osteosarcoma stem cells. Knockdown of SATB2 decreased sarcosphere formation, cell proliferation and stem cell-like gene expression in vitro, meanwhile reduced tumor growth and chemoresistance in vivo. High SATB2 expression in osteosarcoma patient samples was associated with poor clinical outcome. N-cadherin was one critical downstream target gene of SATB2 that mediated the stem cell-like phenotype. Reduction of SATB2 or N-cadherin resulted in NF-kB inactivation, which led to impaired osteosarcoma sphere formation and tumor cell proliferation. Metformin treatment of osteosarcoma cells enhanced the effects of chemotherapy via suppression of N-cadherin. CONCLUSIONS: SATB2 plays an important role in regulating osteosarcoma stem cell-like properties and tumor growth. The combination of conventional chemotherapy and metformin may be a promising therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma patients.

Intrinsically patterned two-dimensional materials for selective adsorption of molecules and nanoclusters.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have been studied extensively as monolayers, vertical or lateral heterostructures. To achieve functionalization, monolayers are often patterned using soft lithography and selectively decorated with molecules. Here we demonstrate the growth of a family of 2D materials that are intrinsically patterned. We demonstrate that a monolayer of PtSe2 can be grown on a Pt substrate in the form of a triangular pattern of alternating 1T and 1H phases. Moreover, we show that, in a monolayer of CuSe grown on a Cu substrate, strain relaxation leads to periodic patterns of triangular nanopores with uniform size. Adsorption of different species at preferred pattern sites is also achieved, demonstrating that these materials can serve as templates for selective self-assembly of molecules or nanoclusters, as well as for the functionalization of the same substrate with two different species.

E2F, HSF2, and miR-26 in thyroid carcinoma: bioinformatic analysis of RNA-sequencing data.

In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism of thyroid carcinoma (THCA) using bioinformatics. RNA-sequencing data of THCA (N = 498) and normal thyroid tissue (N = 59) were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Next, gene expression levels were calculated using the TCC package and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the edgeR package. A co-expression network was constructed using the EBcoexpress package and visualized by Cytoscape, and functional and pathway enrichment of DEGs in the co-expression network was analyzed with DAVID and KOBAS 2.0. Moreover, modules in the co-expression network were identified and annotated using MCODE and BiNGO plugins. Small-molecule drugs were analyzed using the cMAP database, and miRNAs and transcription factors regulating DEGs were identified by WebGestalt. A total of 254 up-regulated and 59 down-regulated DEGs were identified between THCA samples and controls. DEGs enriched in biological process terms were related to cell adhesion, death, and growth and negatively correlated with various small-molecule drugs. The co-expression network of the DEGs consisted of hub genes (ITGA3, TIMP1, KRT19, and SERPINA1) and one module (JUN, FOSB, and EGR1). Furthermore, 5 miRNAs and 5 transcription factors were identified, including E2F, HSF2, and miR-26. miR-26 may participate in THCA by targeting CITED1 and PLA2R1; E2F may participate in THCA by regulating ITGA3, TIMP1, KRT19, EGR1, and JUN; HSF2 may be involved in THCA development by regulating SERPINA1 and FOSB; and small-molecule drugs may have anti-THCA effects. Our results provide novel directions for mechanistic studies and drug design of THCA.

Effects of atorvastatin combined with trimetazidine on myocardial injury and inflammatory mediator in unstable angina patients during perioperative of percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of atorvastatin combined with trimetazidine on periprocedural myocardial injury and serum inflammatory mediators in unstable angina pectoris (UAP) patients following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 90 patients with UAP treated with conventional medications and PCI were recruited and were randomly divided into the control group and the experimental group. The control group had 42 patients were treated with atorvastatin alone, while the experimental group had 48 cases treated with atorvastatin combined with trimetazidine. All the patients were checked the preoperative 24h and postoperative 24h PCI concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interlukin-10 (IL-10). RESULTS: At the pre-PCI stage, every serum factors was no significant difference. 24 hours after the PCI intervention, the occurence of abnormal cTnI level in the experimental group was remarkable reduced than the control group. In the experimental group, the serum levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ significantly decreased (p < 0.05); while IL-10 was increased. In the control group, all the mediators were increased significantly except the hs-CRP (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No unexpected symptom was found in patients with large dose atorvastatin combined with large dose trimetazidine. The administration of conventional medications together with the atorvastatin plus trimetazidine were able to reduce the prevalence of postoperative myocardial injury.

Body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio cannot predict male semen quality: a report of 1231 subfertile Chinese men.

There were controversial results between obesity-associated markers and semen quality. In this study, we investigated the correlations between age, obesity-associated markers including body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist circumference (WC), the combination of age and obesity-associated markers, semen parameters and serum reproductive hormone levels in 1231 subfertile men. The results showed that BMI, WC, WHR and WHtR were positively related to age, and there were also positive relations between BMI, WHR, WC and WHtR and between sperm concentration (SC), total sperm count (TSC), progressive motility (PR), sperm motility and per cent of normal sperm morphology (NSM). However, age, each of obesity-associated markers and the combination of obesity-associated markers and age were unrelated to any of semen parameters including total normal-progressively motile sperm count (TNPMS). Age, BMI, WHR, WC and WHtR were negatively related to serum testosterone and SHBG levels. However, only serum LH and FSH levels were negatively related to sperm concentration, NSM and sperm motility. In a conclusion, although age and obesity have significant impacts on reproductive hormones such as testosterone, SHBG and oestradiol, semen parameters related to FSH and LH could not be influenced, indicating that obesity-associated markers could not predict male semen quality.

Improvements on a patient-specific dose estimation system in nuclear medicine examination.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a patient-specific dose estimation system in nuclear medicine examination. A dose deposition routine to store the deposited energy of the photons during their flights was embedded in the widely used SimSET Monte Carlo code and a user-friendly interface for reading PET and CT images was developed. Dose calculated on ORNL phantom was used to validate the accuracy of this system. The ratios of S value for (99m)Tc, (18)F and (131)I computed by this system to those obtained with OLINDA for various organs were ranged from 0.93 to 1.18, which were comparable to that obtained from MCNPX2.6 code (0.88-1.22). Our system developed provides opportunity for tumor dose estimation which cannot be known from the MIRD. The radiation dose can provide useful information in the amount of radioisotopes to be administered in radioimmunotherapy.

Computer-aided sperm analysis: past, present and future.

Computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) system has been accepted and used commonly as a routine semen analysis instrument in hospital clinical laboratories worldwide. However, technicians in clinical laboratories have little informed knowledge about the principles of CASA system and the sources of analysis errors. In this review, we focus on the concept of CASA, the development course of CASA technology, the clinical application of CASA systems and the factors influencing the accuracies of results, such as frame rate, sperm counting chambers affiliated to the CASA system, algorithms and sperm concentration. These factors and lack of internal quality control may result in huge errors of the CASA between systems and laboratories. It is therefore necessary to perform the standardisation and quality control for CASA.

Survey and genetic variation of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei sparganum in frogs and snakes from Guangxi of southern China.

The prevalence of sparganum infection in wild frogs (Rana rugulosa and R. temporaria) and snakes (Enhydris chinensis) was investigated in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of Southern China from June 2013 to August 2013. The results showed that 30.37% (65/214) of the caught wild frogs and 50% (3/6) of examined snakes were found to be infected with plerocercoids (spargana) of the genus Spirometra. To investigate the genetic variation of the collected spargana, three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions, namely cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 3 (cox1 and cox3), NADH dehydrogenase subunits 4 (nad4) were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. The sequences of cox1, cox3 and pnad4 are 444, 387 and 585 bp in length, respectively. The base composition of cox1, cox3 and pnad4 were generally AT rich with a mean of 62.7%, 67.2% and 64.9%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum parsimony (MP) indicated that all the Spirometra sparganum isolates in Guangxi represented S. erinaceieuropaei.

Comparison of the semen analysis results obtained from two branded computer-aided sperm analysis systems.

The study evaluated the comparability of two branded computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) systems commonly used in andrology laboratories in China. The same semen sample was analysed using two branded CASA systems (WLJY-9000 and CFT-9200) by one well-trained technician. Results of semen analysis obtained from two branded CASA systems were then compared. The accuracy of counting results of CASA systems was evaluated using latex bead solutions with known concentrations of (35 ± 5) × 106 ml⁻¹ and (18 ± 2.5) × 106 ml⁻¹. There were significant differences in all parameters (P < 0.01) except for LIN and WOB. The counting results of CFT-9200 were close to the standard solutions [(38.86 ± 3.79) × 106 ml⁻¹ and (19.03 ± 1.99) × 106 ml⁻¹], while those of WLJY-9000 were underestimated [(28.53 ± 2.06) × 106 ml⁻¹ and (14.62 ± 0.95) × 106 ml⁻¹]. But the coefficient of variation of WLJY-9000 was lower than that of CFT-9200 (7.22%, 6.50% vs. 9.82%, 10.46%). It is concluded that factors such as parameter settings and evaluation algorithms could significantly affect the results obtained from these two branded CASA systems. Great attention should also be paid to the quality control in semen analysis with CASA.

Non-invasive pulsed cavitational ultrasound for fetal tissue ablation: feasibility study in a fetal sheep model.

OBJECTIVES: Currently available fetal intervention techniques rely on invasive procedures that carry inherent risks. A non-invasive technique for fetal intervention could potentially reduce the risk of fetal and obstetric complications. Pulsed cavitational ultrasound therapy (histotripsy) is an ablation technique that mechanically fractionates tissue at the focal region using extracorporeal ultrasound. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using histotripsy as a non-invasive approach to fetal intervention in a sheep model. METHODS: The experiments involved 11 gravid sheep at 102-129 days of gestation. Fetal kidney, liver, lung and heart were exposed to ultrasound pulses (< 10 µs) delivered by an external 1-MHz focused ultrasound transducer at a 0.2-1-kHz pulse-repetition rate and 10-16 MPa peak negative pressure. Procedures were monitored and guided by real-time ultrasound imaging. Treated organs were examined by gross and histological inspection for location and degree of tissue injury. RESULTS: Hyperechoic, cavitating bubble clouds were successfully generated in 19/31 (61%) treatment attempts in 27 fetal organs beneath up to 8 cm of overlying tissue and fetal bones. Histological assessment confirmed lesion locations and sizes corresponding to regions where cavitation was monitored, with no lesions found when cavitation was absent. Inability to generate cavitation was primarily associated with increased depth to target and obstructing structures such as fetal limbs. CONCLUSION: Extracorporeal histotripsy therapy successfully created targeted lesions in fetal sheep organs without significant damage to overlying structures. With further improvements, histotripsy may evolve into a viable technique for non-invasive fetal intervention procedures.

Vortex phase diagram of the layered superconductor Cu0.03TaS2 for H is parallel to c.

The magnetization and anisotropic electrical transport properties have been measured in high quality Cu(0.03)TaS(2) single crystals. A pronounced peak effect has been observed, indicating that high quality and homogeneity are vital to the peak effect. A kink has been observed in the magnetic field, H, dependence of the in-plane resistivity ρ(ab) for H is parallel to c, which corresponds to a transition from activated to diffusive behavior of the vortex liquid phase. In the diffusive regime of the vortex liquid phase, the in-plane resistivity ρ(ab) is proportional to H(0.3), which does not follow the Bardeen-Stephen law for free flux flow. Finally, a simplified vortex phase diagram of Cu(0.03)TaS(2) for H is parallel to c is given.

Extent of prophylactic postoperative radiotherapy after radical surgery of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to assess if the entire mediastinum (M), the bilateral supraclavicular area (S), and the left gastric area (L) should be all included in the irradiation volume. The clinical data of 204 patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who had undergone prophylactic postoperative radiotherapy after radical surgery were retrospectively reviewed. They were classified into four groups: group A, 26 patients with irradiated M alone; group B, 139 patients with irradiated M + S; group C, 10 patients with irradiated M + L; and group D, 29 patients with irradiated M + S + L. The 5-year disease-free survival rates were 36% in group A, 31% in group B, 40% in group C and 44% in group D (chi2=3.05, P =0.39), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the irradiated extent was not a significant influential factor (hazard ratio=0.84, 95% confidence interval, 0.69-1.03, P =0.10). None of 43 patients without the L irradiated and with disease in the upper and middle upper thirds (defined in middle third but with upper third invaded), and one of 83 patients without the L irradiated and with disease in the middle third only thoracic esophagus were shown to have abdominal lymph node metastasis. Supraclavicular lymph node metastasis in patients in the lower and middle lower thirds (defined in middle third but with lower third invaded) were, respectively, 1/43 and 1/18 whether the S was irradiated or not. It seems unnecessary that the L be irradiated when the primary site is in the upper, middle, and middle upper thirds of the thoracic esophagus after radical surgery. Similarly, S may be unnecessarily irradiated in the lower and middle lower thirds.

Is flow cytometry really adapted to the determination of sperm concentration?

It has been reported that flow cytometry can be used as a reference procedure to determine sperm concentrations in quality control schemes in andrology laboratories, but there are no convincing quality control data. To understand comprehensively whether flow cytometry can be used to determine sperm concentration, sperm concentrations of 85 human semen samples were detected using three different methods, namely flow cytometry, computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) and manual counting with a cell-VU chamber. The bead concentrations of both low [(18+/-2.5)x10(6)/mL] and high [(35+/-5)x10(6)/mL] pre-calibrated standard latex bead solutions were also determined with flow cytometry. The results showed that bead concentrations of both low and high pre-calibrated standard latex bead solutions counted five times with flow cytometry were (21.37+/-0.85)x10(6)/mL and (45.95+/-1.76)x10(6)/mL, respectively. Coefficient variances (CVs) and relative errors (REs) were 4%, 15.51% and 3.84%, 31.3% for low and high latex bead solutions, respectively. The overall correlation between values measured with flow cytometry and values measured with the cell-VU chamber and the CASA system was significant. However, flow cytometry overestimated the sperm concentration by 109% compared to the results with the cell-VU chamber. Moreover, for the azoospermic samples analysed, the sperm concentration was estimated at 0.12 (range from 0.04 to 0.24)x10(6)/mL. In conclusion, the data demonstrated that flow cytometry can result in an overestimation of both bead counting and sperm concentration, suggesting that flow cytometry is an inappropriate method for sperm counting, especially in the case of azoospermia.

Preliminary investigations on the standardisation and quality control for the determination of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity in seminal plasma.

The present study was designed to assess the effects of centrifugation velocity, standing time after dilution, freezing-thawing and chymotrypsin on the determination of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT) activities in seminal plasma, and to establish an instruction for the standardisation and quality control for the determination of gamma-GT within the same laboratory and among different laboratories. The gamma-GT level and sperm concentration of each of 72 samples of seminal plasma obtained by centrifugation at 1000 g for 10 min or 3000 g for 15 min were assayed. In addition, gamma-GT activities in diluted seminal plasma with different standing time and in samples with or without chymotrypsin were measured. The results showed that there was a significant difference of gamma-GT levels in seminal plasma obtained by centrifugation at different velocities (P < 0.001), and that gamma-GT activities in seminal plasma measured after standing for 30 min after dilution were notably lower than those measured immediately after dilution (P < 0.001). However, the data indicated that both chymotrypsin and freezing-thawing had no apparent effect on the determination of seminal gamma-GT. In conclusion, standing time after dilution and centrifugation velocity should be standardised, and frozen seminal plasma could serve as quality control products for the determination of gamma-GT activity among different laboratories.

The effect of chymotrypsin on the determination of total alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma and the correlation between alpha-glucosidase level and semen parameters.

To evaluate the effect of chymotrypsin on the examination of alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma, thirty-nine samples of fresh liquefied semen with or without chymotrypsin and forty-eight samples of fresh un-liquefied semen with chymotrypsin were determined for the total alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma. The total alpha-glucosidase level of each sample was assayed by the method of glucose oxidase. The correlations between alpha-glucosidase level and semen parameters, including semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, grade a and b motility and total motility, were analyzed with SPSS 11.0 software. The results showed that chymotrypsin had no effect on seminal alpha-glucosidase activity determination. Chymotrypsin could improve the liquefaction for un-liquefied semen, and there was no significant difference of alpha-glucosidase activity between liquefied and un-liquefied semen samples. There were significantly positive correlations between seminal alpha-glucosidase activity (U/ml) and sperm concentration (r = 0.338, p = 0.015) and between total alpha-glucosidase activity (U/ejaculate) and semen volume (r = 0.677, p = 0.000). However, there was no significant correlation between alpha-glucosidase level (U/ml) and semen volume, pH, sperm motility or grade a and b motility (r = -0.234 approximately 0.077, p = 0.099 approximately 0.993). The data indicated that chymotrypsin could be added into the un-liquefied semen samples for alpha-glucosidase activity determination, and there were different correlations between seminal alpha-glucosidase level and various semen parameters.