[Effect of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification on corneal endothelium and prognosis of diabetic patients with cataract with different nuclear hardness].

Objective: To assess the impact of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification on corneal endothelial characteristics and prognosis among patients with type 2 diabetes and age-related cataracts, considering varying nuclear hardness. Methods: This non-randomized controlled trial involved 161 patients (161 eyes) with type 2 diabetes undergoing cataract extraction at Weifang Eye Hospital between March 2020 and December 2022. The cohort comprised 73 males and 88 females, with an average age of (65.9±5.23) years. Based on patient preference, 101 individuals underwent conventional phacoemulsification (group A), while 60 chose femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification (group B). Patients were further stratified based on Emery-Little grade of lens nuclei into A1/B1 (grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ), A2/B2 (grade Ⅲ), and A3/B3 (grade Ⅳ) subgroups. The study compared effective phacoemulsification time (EPT), cumulative energy release of phacoemulsification (CDE), central corneal thickness (CCT), endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagon cell ratio (HEX) before and after surgery at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months. Results: The intraoperative EPT of patients in groups A and B were (6.52±4.93) and (5.63±4.31)s, respectively, and the CDE were 11.57%±5.21% and 10.68%±6.02%, respectively. The differences between them were not statistically significant (all P>0.05).There were no significant differences in EPT and CDE between groups A1 and B1 (all P>0.05), and there were statistically significant differences between groups A2 and B2, A3 and B3 (all P<0.05).The postoperative CCT was increased in both groups.There were no statistically significant differences in CCT between A1 and B1 groups at different time after surgery (all P>0.05), and there were statistically significant differences in CCT between A2 and B2, A3 and B3 groups at 1 day and 1 week after surgery (all P<0.05), and group B was significantly lower than group A.There was no significant difference between 1 month and 3 months after surgery (P>0.05).ECD was reduced in both groups.There was no statistically significant difference in ECD at different time of operation between A1 and B1 groups (all P>0.05), while there was statistically significant difference in ECD at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after operation in A2 and B2, A3 and B3 groups (all P<0.05). Group B was significantly better than group A. There was no significant difference in coefficient of variation and HEX between the two groups at different time after surgery (P>0.05). Conclusion: Femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification demonstrates benefits in preserving corneal endothelial cells, reducing early postoperative corneal edema, and minimizing corneal injury in type 2 diabetes patients with cataracts of high nuclear hardness.

[Determination of 4-methyl-2-pentanol in workplace air by solvent desorption-gas chromatography].

Objective: To establish a method for the determination of 4-methyl-2-pentanol in the air of workplace by gas chromatography. Methods: In January 2022, 4-methyl-2-pentanol in the air of workplace was collected by activated carbontube, eluted with dichloromethane-methanol (95∶5, V/V), separated by capillary column and determined by gas chromatogram. Results: The limit of detection for 4-methyl-2-pentanol was 0.04 µg/ml. The linear range of 4-methyl-2-pentanol was 0.16-1616.60 µg/ml, with the regression equation of y=1.94x-5.48, and the coefficient correlation was 0.99958, and the minimum detection concentration was 0.03 mg/m(3) (collected sample volume was 1.50 L). The within-run precisions were 1.08%-1.75% and the between-run precisions were 1.41%-2.52%. The desorption rates were 95.15%-99.91%. The samples could be stored at least 3 days at room temperature and 7 days at 4 ℃ without significant loss. Conclusion: The method has the advantages of good precision, high sensitivity and simple operation. It is suitable for the determination of 4-methyl-2-pentanol in the air of workplace.

[The efficacy and safety of intravenous sucrose iron therapy for recurrent iron deficiency anemia].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous iron supplementation in patients with recurrent iron deficiency anemia (IDA) . Methods: This retrospective analysis of 90 patients with recurrent IDA from May 2012 to December 2021 was conducted, comparing the efficacy and safety of the intravenous iron therapy group and the oral iron therapy group. Results: Among the 90 patients with recurrent IDA, 20 were males and 70 were females, with a median age of 40 (range: 14-85) years. A total of 60 patients received intravenous iron supplementation and 30 received oral iron supplementation. The hematologic response rates in the intravenous iron group were significantly higher than those in the oral iron group at 4 and 8 weeks after treatment [80.0% (48/60) vs 3.3% (1/30) and 96.7% (58/60) vs 46.7% (14/30), all P<0.001, respectively]. The median increase in hemoglobin levels was also significantly higher in the intravenous iron group than in the oral iron group [38 (4, 66) g/L vs 7 (1, 22) g/L at week 4 and 44.5 (18, 80) g/L vs 19 (3, 53) g/L at week 8, all P<0.001]. The intravenous iron group had a significantly higher proportion of patients who achieved normal hemoglobin levels than the oral iron group (55.0% vs 0 and 90% vs 43.3%, all P<0.001, respectively). Iron metabolism indicators were tested before and after 8 weeks of treatment in 26 and 7 patients in the intravenous and oral iron groups, respectively. The median increase in serum ferritin (SF) levels in the intravenous iron group 8 weeks after treatment was 113.7 (49.7, 413.5) µg/L, and 54% (14/26) of these patients had SF levels of ≥100 µg/L, which was significantly higher than the median increase in SF levels in the oral iron group [14.0 (5.8, 84.2) µg/L, t=4.760, P<0.001] and the proportion of patients with SF levels of ≥100 µg/L (P=0.013). The incidence of adverse reactions was 3.3% (2/60) in the intravenous iron group, which was significantly lower than that in the oral iron group [20.0% (6/30), P=0.015]. Conclusion: Intravenous iron supplementation is more effective for hematologic response, faster hemoglobin increase, and higher iron storage replenishment rates compared with oral iron supplementation in patients with recurrent IDA, and it is well tolerated by patients.

[The effect of on-demand glucocorticoid strategy on the occurrence and outcome of p-ALG-associated serum sickness in aplastic anemia].

Objective: To investigate the effect of on-demand glucocorticoid strategy on the occurrence and outcome of porcine anti-lymphocyte globulin (p-ALG) -associated serum sickness in aplastic anemia (AA) . Methods: The data of AA patients who received in the Anemia Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Haematology Hospital, CAMS & PUMC from January 2019 to January 2022 were collected. Among them, 35 patients were enrolled in the on-demand group, with the glucocorticoid strategy adjusted based on the occurrence and severity of serum sickness; 105 patients were recruited in the usual group by matching the age and disease diagnosis according to 1∶3 ratio in patients who received a conventional glucocorticoid strategy in the same period. The incidences, clinical manifestations, treatment outcomes of serum sickness, and glucocorticoid dosage between the two groups were analyzed. Results: The incidences of serum sickness in the on-demand group and the usual group were 65.7% and 54.3% (P=0.237) , respectively. The median onset of serum sickness was the same [12 (9, 13) d vs the 12 (10, 13) d, P=0.552], and clinical symptoms and signs, primarily joint, and/or muscle pain, fever, and rash were similar. Severity grades were both dominated by Grades 1-2 (62.8% vs 51.4%) , with only a few Grade 3 (2.9% vs 2.9%) , and no Grades 4-5. No significant difference in the serum sickness distribution (P=0.530) . The median duration of serum sickness was the same [5 (3, 7) d vs 5 (3, 6) d, P=0.529], and all patients were completely cured after glucocorticoid therapy. In patients without serum sickness, the average dosage of prophylactic glucocorticoid per patient in the usual group was (469.48 ±193.57) mg (0 in the on-demand group) . When compared to the usual group, the average therapeutic glucocorticoid dosage per patient in the on-demand group was significantly lower [ (125.91±77.70) mg vs (653.90±285.56) mg, P<0.001]. Conclusions: In comparison to the usual glucocorticoid strategy, the on-demand treatment strategy could significantly reduce glucocorticoid dosage without increasing the incidence of serum sickness; in addition, the duration of serum sickness and the incidence of above Grade 2-serum sickness were similar.

Comparison of patients with different cervical spine bone ages before and after arch expansion treatment based on cone-beam computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: The changes of maxillary basal arch width, molar angle, palatal suture width and nasal cavity width were analyzed in patients with different cervical bone ages before and after maxillary rapid arch expansion treatment, providing more reference for orthodontic design and treatment in the future. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 45 patients with maxillary lateral, insufficient development that underwent arch expansion treatment in Jiaxing Second Hospital between February 2021 and February 2022 were selected for the study. Patients were retrospectively grouped based on the cervical vertebra bone age, and divided into the pre-growth (15 cases), mid-growth (15 cases) and post-growth groups (15 cases). All patients had oral cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and lateral cranial radiographs taken before and after the treatment. Maxillary basal arch width, palatal suture width, nasal cavity width and molar angle were measured and analyzed using paired samples t-test, ANOVA and least significant difference test (LSD-T). RESULTS: The maxillary basal arch width, palatal suture width, nasal cavity width and molar angle in the three groups were significantly changed after arch expansion treatment (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in all measurement indexes between patients in the pre-growth and the mid-growth groups (p>0.05), but there was statistically significant difference between patients in the pre-growth and the late-growth groups (p<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in all measurement indexes between the middle-growth and the late-growth group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Rapid expansion of arch can be used to enlarge the width of palatal suture, maxillary basal arch, and nasal cavity in adolescent patients of different bone ages. With the increase of cervical bone age, the bony effect of expansion of arch gradually decreases, while the dental effect increases. Appropriate overcorrection should be made during arch expansion in late growth and excessive tooth tilt should be avoided to conceal bony width irregularities.

[Effect of methylene blue labeling on therapeutic effect and prognosis of gastric cancer patients in D2 radical gastrectomy under laparoscope].

Objective: To investigate the effect of methylene blue tracing on the effect of surgical resection and the prognosis of gastric cancer patients in D2 radical surgery under laparoscope. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 160 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent surgical treatment in Xinxiang Central Hospital, the 4th Clinical College of Xinxiang Medical College from January 2016 to January 2019 were selected for retrospective analysis. Among them, 84 patients underwent laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer combined with methylene blue labeling operation (labeling group), and the other 76 patients underwent only laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer (control group). The difference of intraoperative and postoperative recovery, lymph node dissection, and postoperative 3-year cumulative survival rate between the two groups were analyzed. Results: The age of patients in the labeled group and the control group were (64.9±7.8) and (66.0±8.3) years old, respectively (P=0.389); And the male patients accounted for 61.9% (52 cases) and 55.3% (42 cases), respectively (P=0.394); The operation time in the labeled group was (218.5±19.6) min, which was shorter than that in the control group (230.1±17.4) min (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the labeled group and the control group in the amount of bleeding during operation, the time of anal exhaust after operation, the time of eating after operation, the time of hospitalization after operation, and the average diameter of lymph nodes (P>0.05). The total number of dissected lymph nodes, D1 lymph nodes and D2 lymph nodes in the labeled group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P values<0.05). The operative complication rate in the labeled group was 11.9% (10 cases), which was lower than that in the control group (25.0%, 19 cases) (P=0.032); There was no statistical significance in 3-year cumulative survival rates of patients between the labeled group (61.9%) and the control group (52.6%) (χ2=3.46,P=0.065). Conclusion: The use of methylene blue tracing in laparoscopic D2 radical surgery for gastric cancer is beneficial to reduce the operation time, improve the lymph node clearance rate, and reduce surgical complications.

Three first records of stick insects attacking plants (Inseect: Phasmida) in Tibet / Três primeiros registros de insetos-pau atacando plantas (Inseect: Phasmida) no Tibet

Abstract Except for a few stick insects that are economically valuable, most species be considered to be forest pests, so it is extremely important to obtain plant host-use information of more stick insects. In this paper, the plant hosts of three species of stick insects were recorded for the first time. We also discovered these stick insects can feed upon the flowers or leaves of plants. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Hypericum choisianum Wall. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) attacked Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) and Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finally, we were lucky enough to also obtain photographs of them mating and feeding.

Resumo Exceto por alguns insetos-pau que são economicamente valiosos, a maioria das espécies pode ser considerada praga florestal, por isso é extremamente importante obter informações sobre o uso de hospedeiros de plantas de mais insetos-pau. Neste artigo, as plantas hospedeiras de três espécies de bicho-pau foram registradas pela primeira vez. Também descobrimos que esses bichos-pau podem se alimentar de flores ou folhas de plantas. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) atacou a parede de Hypericum choisianum. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) atacou Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) e Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae orientaled) atacou Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finalmente, tivemos a sorte de também obter fotos deles se acasalando e se alimentando.

Three first records of stick insects attacking plants (Inseect: Phasmida) in Tibet / Três primeiros registros de insetos-pau atacando plantas (Inseect: Phasmida) no Tibet

Except for a few stick insects that are economically valuable, most species be considered to be forest pests, so it is extremely important to obtain plant host-use information of more stick insects. In this paper, the plant hosts of three species of stick insects were recorded for the first time. We also discovered these stick insects can feed upon the flowers or leaves of plants. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Hypericum choisianum Wall. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) attacked Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) and Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finally, we were lucky enough to also obtain photographs of them mating and feeding.

Exceto por alguns insetos-pau que são economicamente valiosos, a maioria das espécies pode ser considerada praga florestal, por isso é extremamente importante obter informações sobre o uso de hospedeiros de plantas de mais insetos-pau. Neste artigo, as plantas hospedeiras de três espécies de bicho-pau foram registradas pela primeira vez. Também descobrimos que esses bichos-pau podem se alimentar de flores ou folhas de plantas. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) atacou a parede de Hypericum choisianum. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) atacou Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) e Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae orientaled) atacou Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finalmente, tivemos a sorte de também obter fotos deles se acasalando e se alimentando.

Three first records of stick insects attacking plants (Inseect: Phasmida) in Tibet

Abstract Except for a few stick insects that are economically valuable, most species be considered to be forest pests, so it is extremely important to obtain plant host-use information of more stick insects. In this paper, the plant hosts of three species of stick insects were recorded for the first time. We also discovered these stick insects can feed upon the flowers or leaves of plants. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Hypericum choisianum Wall. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) attacked Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) and Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finally, we were lucky enough to also obtain photographs of them mating and feeding.

Resumo Exceto por alguns insetos-pau que são economicamente valiosos, a maioria das espécies pode ser considerada praga florestal, por isso é extremamente importante obter informações sobre o uso de hospedeiros de plantas de mais insetos-pau. Neste artigo, as plantas hospedeiras de três espécies de bicho-pau foram registradas pela primeira vez. Também descobrimos que esses bichos-pau podem se alimentar de flores ou folhas de plantas. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) atacou a parede de Hypericum choisianum. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) atacou Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) e Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae orientaled) atacou Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finalmente, tivemos a sorte de também obter fotos deles se acasalando e se alimentando.

[Molecular mechanism of miR-369-3p regulating hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting ACTN4].

Objective: To investigate the effect of miR-369-3p targeting ACTN4 expression on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot were used to detect the expression levels of miR-369-3p and ACTN4 in hepatocarcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues. MiR-369-3p mimics, miR-negative control (NC), si-ACTN4, and si-NC were transfected into hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97H cells by liposome method. Cell proliferation was detected by 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-dipheny-ltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle and apoptotic rates. The dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the targeted regulation of ACTN4 by miR-369-3p. Western blot was used to detect the expressions of cyclin D1, p21, Bcl-2 and Bax. Results: The expression level of miR-369-3p in liver cancer tissue was lower than that in adjacent tissues [(0.46±0.04) vs (1.00±0.08), P<0.001)], while the expression level of ACTN4 was higher than that in adjacent tissues [mRNA (3.12±0.29) vs (1.01±0.09); protein (0.61±0.06) vs (0.25±0.03), P<0.001]. Overexpression of miR-369-3p significantly decreased the cell viability[(0.71±0.06) vs (1.26±0.11), P<0.001)], increased cell apoptosis rate [(20.16±2.11)% vs (6.25±0.64)%, P<0.001], increased the proportion of cells in G(1) phase [(31.14±3.36)% vs (51.56±5.23)%, P<0.001], decreased the proportion of cells in S phase [(32.44±3.56)% vs (14.33) ±1.45)%, P<0.001], increased the levels of p21 and Bax protein (P<0.001), and decreased the levels of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 protein (P<0.001). Inhibition of the expression of ACTN4 significantly reduced the cell viability [(0.78±0.07) vs (1.24±0.12), P<0.001], increased the apoptosis rate [(6.58±0.66)% vs (18.32±1.82)%, P<0.001], increased the proportion of cells in G(1) phase [(48.69±4.21)% vs (30.33±3.01)%, P<0.001], decreased the proportion of cells in S phase [(36.21±3.42)% vs (18.54±1.61)%, P<0.001], increased the protein levels of p21 and Bax (P<0.001), and decreased the levels of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 protein (P<0.001). Compared with the miR-369-3p+ pcDNA group, overexpression of ACTN4 increased the proliferation ability of hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97H cells at 72 hours of culture[(1.12±0.11) vs (0.68±0.06), P<0.001], significantly reduced the proportion of cells in G(1) stage [(38.81±3.24)% vs (51.80±4.57)%, P<0.001], significantly increased the proportion of S-phase cells [(31.65±3.11)% vs (15.69±1.44)%, P<0.001], decreased cell apoptosis rate [(13.86±1.37)% vs (22.69±2.24)%, P<0.001], increased protein expressions of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 (P<0.001), decreased the protein expressions of p21 and Bax (P<0.001). Conclusion: MiR-369-3p can induce cell cycle arrest in G(1) phase, inhibit the proliferation and promote apoptosis of liver cancer cells by regulating the expression of ACTN4.

Three first records of stick insects attacking plants (Inseect: Phasmida) in Tibet.

Except for a few stick insects that are economically valuable, most species be considered to be forest pests, so it is extremely important to obtain plant host-use information of more stick insects. In this paper, the plant hosts of three species of stick insects were recorded for the first time. We also discovered these stick insects can feed upon the flowers or leaves of plants. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Hypericum choisianum Wall. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) attacked Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) and Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finally, we were lucky enough to also obtain photographs of them mating and feeding.

[Effect of iron deficiency level on oral iron absorption].

Objective: To study the effect of iron deficiency level for oral iron absorption in iron deficient patients. Methods: 37 non-pregnant female patients who were diagnosed with iron deficiency and 13 healthy females who completed their physical examination at the outpatient department of the Anemia Center of the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital from July 2018 to June 2020 were included. Hepcidin and C2-C0 of oral iron absorption test were analyzed in different iron deficiency and serum ferritin level. Results: The median of Hepcidin in IDA, ID/IDE and healthy control group were 4.9 (2.17-32.86) , 26.98 (11.02-49.71) and 69.89 (42.23-138.96) µg/L (P<0.001) , respectively. Hepcidin level of IDA group was lower than that of ID/IDE group (adjusted P=0.005) and healthy control (adjusted P<0.001) . Hepcidin level of ID/IDE group had no significant difference compared with healthy control (adjusted P=0.22) . The mean of C2-C0 in IDA, ID/IDE and healthy control group were (35.30±21.68) , (37.90±14.06) and (23.57±10.14) µmol/L (P=0.130) , respectively. Multilinear regression analysis showed C0, SF, sTFR and HGB were independent factors for Hepcidin in iron deficient patients, with an equation of Hepcidin=-31.842-0.642*C0+2.239*SF+1.778*sTFR+0.365*HGB-0.274*RET-HB. We didn't find independent factor of C2-C0. Conclusion: The degree of iron deficiency had an effect on oral iron absorption. Patients of ID/IDE group absorbed iron more slowly than patients of IDA group. Iron deficient patients with normal gastrointestinal function absorbed more iron by oral administration when they were in a more serious iron deficient stage. Hepcidin was a better parameter to distinguish iron absorption level among different iron deficient patients than C2-C0 of oral iron absorption test.

[Epidemiological and molecular characteristics of human brucellosis in Qinghai province, 2005-2019].

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of human brucellosis in Qinghai province from 2005 to 2019 and provide basic data for brucellosis prevention and control. Method: The data about human brucellosis in Qinghai from 2005 to 2019 were collected from the information system of China CDC to describe the spatial, population and time distributions of human brucellosis cases in Qinghai. The isolated strains were identified and typed with traditional methods, BCSP31-PCR, AMOS-PCR and multi-locus variablenumber tandem repeat (MLVA-16). Results: A total of 577 human brucellosis cases were reported in Qinghai from 2005 to 2019, the average prevalence rate was 0.07 per 100 000 person, there were statistic differences among different years. The disease occurred all the year around, but mainly during March-October. The 577 cases were distributed in 31 counties (cities/districts) from 6 autonomous prefectures (cities). The prevalence rats of five counties were high, i.e. Menyuan Hui autonomous county (22.88%, 132/577), Tianjun county (10.57%, 61/577)、Xining city (10.57%, 61/577), Henan Mongol Autonomous County (10.51%, 58/577) and Haiyan county (9.53%, 55/577). Age of the cases ranged from 8 years to 82 years, and the male to female ratio of the cases was 1.8∶1 (374/203). The prevalence rate in herdsman (47.83%, 276/577) was highest among different occupational populations. Ten isolates were all Brucella melitensis strains, belonging to biovar 3, and clustering analysis indicated that the 10 strains had 5 genotypes, in which 2 were distinct, the remaining 3 were same. MLVA-16 analysis indicated that the 10 strains had close relationship with 26 B. melitensis strains isolated in Qinghai previously. Conclusions: The prevalence of brucellosis increased in Qinghai in recent years, we should strengthen the population based brucellosis surveillance and reporting. MLVA-16 indicated the gene diversity of the Brucella strains, suggesting that MLVA-16 can be used for genetic diversity analysis and molecular epidemiology survey to improve brucellosis surveillance.

Losartan promotes myocardial apoptosis after acute myocardial infarction in rats through inhibiting Ang II-induced JAK/STAT pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pro-apoptotic effect of Losartan on myocardial cells after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Before intervention, a total of 48 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the Sham group (n=12), AMI group (n=12), 5 mg/kg Losartan group (n=12) and 1 mg/kg AG-490 group (n=12). The rats in the Sham group and AMI group received gavage with normal saline, those in the Losartan group received gavage with Losartan for 7 d and those in the AG-490 group were intravenously injected with AG-490 at 30 min before the operation. At 4 d after drug administration, the anterior descending coronary artery was ligated to establish the AMI model in the AMI group and Losartan group, while the same operation was performed, and the anterior descending coronary artery was only threaded in the Sham group. The rats were sacrificed at 24 h after operation. Then, the myocardial apoptosis was detected via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and the protein expressions of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), the B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and the Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) were detected via immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Moreover, the myocardial cells of rats were incubated with angiotensin II (Ang II) at the same concentration at different time points and blocked with Losartan. Finally, the changes in protein expressions of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, Bax, and Bcl-2 were detected via Western blotting. RESULTS: Losartan treatment could increase the number of apoptotic myocardial cells after AMI in rats. In Losartan group, the protein expressions of JAK2, STAT3, and Bcl-2 declined, while the protein expression of Bax was increased, and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was also increased, which are consistent with the conditions under the treatment with the JAK-STAT pathway inhibitor AG-490. With the prolonged time of stimulation (5 min, 30 min, 2 h, and 24 h) in myocardial cells using 1.0×10-6 mol/L Ang II, the protein expressions of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 were increased and reached the peak at 24 h. After the application of Losartan, the increased protein expressions of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 returned to normal levels, and the protein expression of Bax was increased, while that of Bcl-2 was decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Losartan promotes myocardial apoptosis after AMI in the rats through inhibiting the Ang II-induced JAK/STAT pathway.

[Correlation analysis between intracranial air and electrode implantation accuracy in DBS].

Objective: To analyze the correlation between intracranial air and electrode displacement after deep brain stimulation. Compared the accuracy of the electrodes on both sides while bilateral intracranial air. Methods: A total of 133 patients with bilateral DBS from February 2017 to February 2019 in neurosurgery department of the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command were included. A total of 266 electrodes were implanted, including 160 sides of subthalamic nucleus, 2 sides of ventromedial nucleus of thalamus and 104 sides of Globus pallidus interior. All patients underwent three-dimensional reconstruction of the head 2 hours after operation and 1 week after operation, which was fused with the preoperative surgical plan.The volume of the intracranial air is obtained by summing up the CT layer-by-layer measurements after surgery. The distance between the implanted electrode and the preoperative target on the X and Y axes in the target plane is measured.Values were expressed as means±SEM,and the t test was performed. Bivariate correlation analysis using linear correlation analysis.P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the fusion error of the electrode between 2 hours and 1 week after surgery on the X-axis. But there was significant difference on the Y-axis. The difference between intracranial air volume and two fusion errors was not linearly correlated on X axis, but linearly positively correlated on Y axis. Conclusion: Intracranial air volume is an important factor affecting the accuracy of DBS surgery. The larger intracranial air volume, the larger the displacement of electrodes on Y axis.

CX3CR1 participates in pulmonary angiogenesis in experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome mice through inhibiting AKT/ERK signaling pathway and regulating NO/NOS release.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a kind of pulmonary microvascular disease and occurs in 15%-30% cirrhosis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pulmonary CX3CR1 on angiogenesis and associated mechanisms in HPS animal models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CX3CR1GFP/GFP mice were constructed by replacing CX3CR1 with GFP. Common bile duct ligation (CBDL) mouse model was established with surgery. Release of nitric oxide (NO) was evaluated. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed to examine the inflammation of lung tissues. CD31 expression was detected with immunohistochemistry assay. Western blotting was used to evaluate the expression of CX3CL1, CX3CR1, phosphorylated-AKT (p-AKT), phosphorylated-ERK (p-ERK). Quantitative Real Time-PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was used to examine VEGF, PDGF, iNOS, eNOS, and HO-1 expression. RESULTS: CX3CR1-deficiency (CX3CR1GFP/GFP-sham or CX3CR1GFP/GFP-CBDL mice) significantly reduced NO release compared to wide type (WT)-mice or WT-CBDL mice (p<0.05). CX3CR1-deficiency significantly alleviated inflammation compared to wide type (WT)-mice or WT-CBDL mice (p<0.05). CX3CR1-deficiency significantly reduced CD31 expression compared to WT-sham and WT-CBDL mice, respectively (p<0.05). CX3CR1 also participated in anti-angiogenesis efficacy of Bevacizumab. CX3CR1-deficiency significantly down-regulated the ratio of p-AKT/AKT and p-ERK/ERK and inhibited the secretion of VEGF and PDGF compared to WT-mice (p<0.05). CX3CR1-deficiency significantly reduced iNOS, eNOS, and HO-1 expression compared to WT-mice (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CX3CR1 deficiency reduced VEGF and PDGF production, inhibited p-AKT, and p-ERK activation and down-regulated iNOS, eNOS, and HO-1 expression. Therefore, CX3CR1 participates in pulmonary angiogenesis in the experimental HPS mice via inhibiting AKT/ERK signaling pathway and regulating NO/NOS release. These findings would provide a potential insight for clarifying the pathological mechanisms of HPS.

[Epidemiological characteristics of Brucella species isolated from different regions of the world using the MLVA genotyping].

Objective: To study the molecular-epidemiological characteristics of Brucella species isolated from different countries, using the multiple locus tandem-repeat (MLVA) analysis. Methods: Eleven variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) loci were selected. VNTR strains of Brucella isolated from 48 different countries in 1953-2013, were analyzed by using the BioNumerics software. Unweighted Paired Arithmetic Average method was used to cluster and draw phylogenetic tree as well as the minimum spannin. Results: The evolutionary relationship of Brucella phylogenetic tree was consistent with the classical biological typing method. However, the Brucella suis biovar 5 strains were different from the other Brucella suis biovars 1, 2, 3 and 4. Brucella ceti strains were divided into two parts and different from each other. Worldwide epidemics of brucellosis were emerged from 2005 to 2008 under the MLVA11 Orsay analysis. China has been a brucellosis-prone regions, with Brucella melitensis as the main epidemic Brucella species, followed by Brucella abortus. Brucella suis was mainly identified in the southern provinces, but Brucella canis was mainly found in dogs. No human cases were found. Conclusion: Molecular-epidemiological characteristics of the Brucella strains were related to factors as time, region and hosts of isolation, which are important to setting up prevention and control programs on brucellosis.

Knockdown of HJURP inhibits non-small cell lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by repressing Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

OBJECTIVE: Holliday junction-recognizing protein (HJURP) was found to be upregulated in several tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the effect of HJURP on NSCLC remains unknown. The objective of the present study was to explore the clinical significance of HJURP and its function in regulating the progression of NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Reverse Transcriptions-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PC) and Western blot were performed to detect the expression levels of HJURP in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The association of HJURP expression level with various important clinicopathological parameters was evaluated. Then, the effects of HJURP expression on tumor cell behavior in vitro were analyzed by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU assays, colony formation, flow cytometry, and transwell assays. The protein levels of related proteins of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway were determined using the Western blot assay. RESULTS: Our study showed that HJURP was significantly upregulated in both NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The higher expression of HJURP was associated with advanced TNM stage, distant metastasis, and poor prognosis. Our data from in vitro assays confirmed that the knockdown of HJURP suppressed NSCLC cells proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progress, and induced cells apoptosis. Notably, through Western blot analysis, we found that HJURP suppression remarkably decreased ß-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-myc expression level in NSCLC cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide clues regarding the role of HJURP as a tumor promoter in NSCLC via the activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, indicating HJURP may be a promising therapeutic target for NSCLC.