Comprehensive molecular characterisation of the complete mitogenome of Ergasilus tumidus and phylogenetic relationships of Copepoda inferred from mitogenomes.

Although parasitic copepods of the genus Ergasilus von Nordmann, 1832 are globally distributed parasites of fish, their phylogenetic relationships with other Copepoda are not clear, and the characteristics of their mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are not thoroughly understood. The objective of this study was to address these knowledge gaps by sequencing the complete mitogenome of Ergasilus tumidus Markevich, 1940. The complete mitogenome (GenBank Acc. No. OQ596537) was 14,431 bp long and it comprised 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, two tRNAs, and two control regions (CRs). Phylogenetic analyses, conducted using concatenated nucleotide and amino acid sequences of 13 protein-coding genes, produced two partially incongruent topologies. While the order Calanoida was consistently resolved as the sister lineage to the other three orders, topological instability was observed in the relationships of the orders Cyclopoida, Siphonostomatoida and Harpacticoida. Siphonostomatoida clustered with Cyclopoida in the nucleotide-based phylogeny, but with Harpacticoida in the amino acid-based phylogeny. The latter topology conforms to the widely accepted relationships, but we speculate that the former topology is more likely to be the correct one. Our study provides a complete mitogenome sequence of E. tumidus, which helps us better understand the molecular evolution of the genus Ergasilus. Additionally, we suggest a different perspective on the controversial phylogenetic relationships among Siphonostomatoida, Cyclopoida and Harpacticoida, diverging from previously accepted views.

Discovery of sesquiterpene from Youngia japonica with antitumor effect.

Fourteen sesquiterpenes, including one undescribed sesquiterpene lactone, were isolated from Youngia japonica, and their structures were identified by NMR, HRESIMS, ECD and calculated ECD. Cytotoxic activities of all isolates against A549, HeLa, and 4 T1 cell lines were detected by CCK8 assay. Among them, 2 showed obvious cytotoxic activity against A549 cells. Subsequently, the production of ROS, and apoptosis of A549 cells treated with 2 were evaluated. The result showed that 2 distinctly increased the ROS level, and induced the apoptosis of A549 cells. Further anticancer mechanism studies showed that 2 increased the expression of cleaved caspase 3. Taken together, our results demonstrated that 2 might become potential leading compounds for the treatment of lung cancer.

Four undescribed coumarin derivatives, with ten amides from the roots of Ficus hirta and their cytotoxic activities.

Four undescribed coumarin derivatives, ficusalt A (1) and ficusalt B (2), a pair of racemic coumarins, (±) ficudimer A (3a/3b), along with ten known amides, were isolated from the roots of Ficus hirta. Their structures were elucidated by several spectroscopic data analyses, including HRESIMS, NMR, and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The cytotoxic activities of all compounds against HeLa, HepG2, MCF-7, and H460 cell lines were detected using the MTT assay. Among these, 5 showed the highest activity against HeLa cells. Subsequently, the apoptotic, anti-invasive, and anti-migration effects of 5 on HeLa cells were determined by flow cytometer, transwell invasion assay, and wound-healing assay, respectively. The result suggested that 5 distinctly induced the apoptosis in HeLa cells and inhibited their invasion and migration. Further studies on anticancer mechanisms were conducted using Western blotting. As a result, 5 increased the cleavage of PARP and the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax. Moreover, 5 notably upregulated the phosphorylation of p38 and JNK, whereas inhibited the expression of p-ERK and p-AKT. Our results demonstrated that 5 could be a potential leading compound for further application in the treatment of cervical cancer.

The psychological outcomes of COVID-19 affected the pandemic-after risk perceptions of nurse clinicians: a latent profile analysis.

Background: Risk perception among nurses after the COVID-19 pandemic is a crucial factor affecting their attitudes and willingness to work in clinics. Those with poor psychological status could perceive risks sensitively as fears or threats that are discouraging. This article aimed to determine whether psychological outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and insomnia, following the COVID-19 pandemic were differentially related to the risk perceptions of nurses working in clinics and increased perceived risk. Method: The participants were 668 nurse clinicians from five local hospitals. Risk perceptions and psychological outcomes were measured by adapted questionnaires via the Internet. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified subgroups of individuals who showed similar profiles regarding the perceived risks in nursing. Multinomial regression and probit regression were used to examine the extent to which sociodemographic and psychological outcomes predicted class membership. Results: LPA revealed four classes: groups with low-, mild-, moderate-, and high-level risk perceptions. Membership of the high-level risk perception class was predicted by the severity of psychological outcomes. Anxiety significantly accounted for a moderate increase in risk perceptions, while the symptoms of insomnia, depression, and PTSD accelerated the increase to the high level of risk perception class. Conclusions: By classifying groups of nurse clinicians sharing similar profiles regarding risk perceptions and then exploring associated predictors, this study shows the psychological outcomes after COVID-19 significantly impacted pandemic-associated risk perceptions and suggests intervening in nurses' psychological outcomes while simultaneously focusing on work-related worries is important following the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support Between Resilience and Anxiety 1 Year After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Disparity Between High-Risk and Low-Risk Nurses in China.

Introduction: One year after the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, China has made substantial progress in the prevention and control of the pandemic, while the epidemic situation remains grim in China since virus may easily survive with the falling temperature in winter. The present study aimed to compare the prevalence and associated factors of anxiety between high-risk and low-risk nurses 1 year after the COVID-19 outbreak, and examine the association between resilience and anxiety and its underlying mechanisms. Method: Connor-Davidson Resilience scale, Perceived Social Support Scale and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale were administrated to 701 nurses from Jiangsu Province, China, 1 year after the COVID-19 outbreak. The mediating effect was examined by Mackinnon's four-step procedure, while the moderated mediation model was tested by Hayes PROCESS macro. Results: The findings presented the prevalence of anxiety among nurses was 21.4% 1 year after the COVID-19 pandemic. High-risk nurses presented a higher prevalence of anxiety (24.5 vs. 19.3%) than low-risk nurses. Age and professional title were significantly associated with anxiety only in high-risk nurses (all P < 0.05). Perceived social support mediated the association between resilience and anxiety and the indirect effect was stronger for high-risk nurses than low-risk nurses. Conclusion: Anxiety remains prevalent among nurses 1 year after the COVID-19 outbreak, and resilience plays a protective role against anxiety. Programs that enhance resilience and social support should be designed and special attention should be paid to nurses from high-risk units.

SUV39H1 is a New Client Protein of Hsp90 Degradated by Chaetocin as a Novel C-Terminal Inhibitor of Hsp90

Hsp90 is often overexpressed with activated form in cancer cells, and many key cellular proteins are dependent upon the Hsp90 machinery (these proteins are called “client protein”). Nowadays, more client proteins and more inhibitors of Hsp90 are being discovered. Chaetocin has been identified as an inhibitor of histone methyl transferase SUV39H1. Herein, we find that Chaetocin is an inhibitor of Hsp90 which binds to the C-terminal of Hsp90α. Chaetocin inhibited a variety of Hsp90 client proteins including AMl1-ETO and BCL-ABL, the mutant fusion-protein in the K562 and HL-60 cells. SUV39H1 mediates epigenetic events in the pathophysiology of hematopoietic disorders. We found that inhibition of Hsp90 by Chaetocin and 17-AAG had ability to induce degradation of SUV39H1 through proteasome pathway. In addition, SUV39H1 interacted with Hsp90 through co-chaperone HOP.These results suggest that SUV39H1 belongs to a client protein of Hsp90. Moreover, Chaetocin was able to induce cell differentiation in the two cells in the concentration range of Hsp90 inhibition. Altogether, our results demonstrate that SUV39H1 is a new client protein of Hsp90 degradated by Chaetocin as a novel C-terminal inhibitor of Hsp90. The study establishes a new relationship of Chaetocin and SUV39H1, and paves an avenue for exploring a new strategy to target SUV39H1 by inhibition of Hsp90 in leukemia.

Prognostic value of PD-L1 expression level in metastatic renal cell carcinoma / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To explore the prognostic value of PD-L1 expression level in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).Methods:The clinicopathological and survival data of patients with mRCC in our hospital from Jan 2014 to Apr 2016 were retrospectively analyzed including 46 males and 15 females. The median age of these patients was 56 years(range: 29-75 years), with 41 patients ≤60 years and 20 patients >60 years. The baseline data before the systemic therapy showed 36 patients(59.0%)had 1 metastatic organ and 25 patients (41.0%) had equal or more than 2 organs to be metastasized. Among them, 17 patients(27.9%)had lung metastasis and 54 patients(88.5%)had liver metastasis. Abnormal baseline LDH occurred in 4 patients and 52 patients had normal LDH. Favorite and intermediate risk patients categorized by MSKCC risk stratification accounted for 59.6%(34 patients)and 40.4%(23 patients), respectively. Six patients(9.8%)experienced distant metastasis at initial diagnosis, with 4 of them undergoing primary site resection, and the other 55 patients undergoing radical nephrectomy. PD-L1 expression was detected by the immunohistochemical staining method. PD-L1 staining rate ≥1% detected on the tumor cell membrane was defined as positive expression. The correlation between PD-L1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics were compared. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare the differences about DFS and OS under different factors. Cox proportional hazards regression model is used for multivariable analysis of survival data.Results:The detailed pathological types of the 61 patients with renal cell carcinoma were classified as 53 clear cell carcinomas, 3 papillary carcinomas, 1 collecting duct carcinoma, 2 translocation renal cell carcinomas and 2 being unclassified. There were 4, 20, 19 and 9 patients categorized as WHO/ISUP nuclear grade 1, 2, 3 and 4, and 26, 12, 20 and 2 patients were categorized as T 1, T 2, T 3 and T 4 stage, respectively. Five patients had regional lymph node metastasis(N+), and the other 56 patients had no regional lymph node metastasis(N-). The numbers of patients categorized as stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ diseases according to TNM staging system were 20, 11, 21 and 8, respectively. The total PD-L1 positive rate was 24.6%(15/61). The corresponding PD-L1 expression rate of patients with WHO/ISUP nuclear grade 1-4 were 0(0 patient), 5.0%(1 patient), 31.6%(6 patients)and 44.4%(4 patients), respectively; With the increasing WHO/ISUP nuclear grade, the positive rate of PD-L1 gradually escalated with a linear correlation ( P=0.006). The PD-L1 expression of the normal and abnormal LDH group were 19.2%(10 patients)and 75.0%(3 patients), respectively, with significant difference( P=0.035). Univariate analysis of disease-free survival time(DFS)showed that the prognostic factors include PD-L1( P=0.045), age group( P=0.014), WHO/ISUP nuclear grade( P<0.001), T stage( P=0.015), N stage( P=0.026)and TNM stage( P=0.005). However multivariate analysis only suggested WHO/ISUP nuclear grade as the independent prognostic factors for DFS( HR=1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9, P=0.018). Either in univariate or multivariate analysis, PD-L1 was not a prognostic factor for overall survival (OS)of mRCC patients(univariate analysis: P=0.154; multivariate analysis: P=0.902). The independent prognostic factors of OS include WHO/ISUP nuclear grade( HR=3.0, 95% CI 1.1-8.0, P=0.033)and MSKCC risk stratification( HR=5.9, 95% CI 1.2-29.7, P=0.03). Conclusions:This study showed that the higher the WHO/ISUP nuclear grade of patients with mRCC, the higher the positive rate of PD-L1. PD-L1 expression was not the independent prognostic factor for DFS or OS of mRCC.

Value of Three-Dimensional Ultrasound in Differentiating Malignant From Benign Breast Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Currently, the aim of differentiating malignant from benign breast tumors and diagnosing early breast cancer is more accurately fulfilled with the addition of ultrasound (US) scans. Some studies have shown that three-dimensional (3D) imaging opens a new diagnostic window because of a better and more detailed impression of the spatial arrangement of focal breast masses. Therefore, we carried out this study to assess the efficacy of 3D-US diagnostic techniques for the detection of breast cancer using systemic analyses. We searched the MEDLINE, Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for using 3D-US for the diagnosis of breast cancer. The terms used were "three-dimensional ultrasound", "breast neoplasms", "sensitivity and specificity", and "accuracy". Patients were adults. The quality of the studies was checked according to Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies criteria. We calculated the diagnostic accuracy rates and developed a meta-analysis to synthesize the results. Twelve studies of diagnostic tests were selected, which were of moderate to high quality. The pooled sensitivity was 0.923 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.896-0.945), and the pooled specificity was 0.872 (95% CI, 0.849-0.893). The meta-analysis detected a threshold effect and heterogeneity between studies. The pooled positive likelihood ratio was 6.965 (95% CI, 5.242-9.255), the negative likelihood ratio was 0.106 (95% CI, 0.079-0.142), and the diagnostic odds ratio was 84.239 (95% CI, 52.237-135.84). This meta-analysis indicates that 3D-US has acceptable diagnostic accuracy rates in differentiating malignant from benign breast tumors.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment methods, and prognosis of metastatic papillary renal cell car-cinoma (pRCC). Methods: The clinical data of metastatic pRCC patients treated at the Department of Kidney Cancer and Melanoma, Pe-king University Cancer Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. The prognosis of these patients was stratified through international metastatic renal cell carcinoma database consortium (IMDC) model. Survival and influencing factors were further analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional risk regression model. Results: From January 2003 to March 2018, 93 patients (median age, 50.0 years) were diagnosed with metastatic pRCC: 89 (95.7%) typeⅡcases and 4 (4.3%) typeⅠcases. The median follow-up dura-tion was 23.1 months, with 90, 44, and 14 patients having received first-line, second-line, and third-line treatments, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) of the 93 patients was (31.5±5.9) months [95% confidence interval (CI): 19.9-43.1], while the median OS of patients with low-, intermediate-, and high-risk (classified as per the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Con-sortium [IMDC]) were (100.0±32.8), (38.3±8.2), and (16.4±1.2) months, respectively (high-risk vs. low/intermediate-risk, P<0.001; low-risk vs. intermediate-risk, P=0.015). The median progression free survival (PFS) with first-line treatment was (6.6±0.5) months. And the median PFS of the corresponding three groups stratified by IMDC score were (17.5±5.7), (7.1±2.3), and (5.2±1.5) months, respectively (high-risk vs . low-risk, P=0.002; high-risk vs . intermediate-risk, P=0.01). Conclusions: Metastatic pRCC is noted to have unique biologi-cal characteristics. The IMDC model can be used to predict the efficacy of first-line treatment using tyrosine kinase inhibitors as well as the prognosis of metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma in such patients.

Association of meteorological factors and air NO2 and O3 concentrations with acute exacerbation of elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

We studied the combined effect of air pollutant concentrations and meteorological factors [e.g., temperature and atmospheric pressure (AP)] on the acute exacerbation of coronary obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 277 older patients with COPD (240 men and 37 women; average age, 75.3 ± 9.3 years). Average air pollutant concentrations, AP, temperature, and relative humidity corresponding to each of the 7 days before the date of hospitalisation were identified as the case and the two other weekly averages, 4 and 8 weeks prior to admission, were considered the controls. During the warming-up season, COPD exacerbation more likely occurred on days of temperature increase or AP decrease than on other days. Increments in CO, NO2 and O3 concentrations were significantly associated with 5%, 11% and 4% increases in COPD exacerbation risks, respectively. During the cooling-down season, increments in PM10 concentrations were significant risk factors; the exacerbation likely occurred on days of temperature decreases than on other days. Air pollution with increased NO2, CO, O3 and PM10 concentrations and continual temperature changes (colder during cooling-down seasons or hotter during warning-up seasons) were associated with acute exacerbation of COPD in older patients.

Effects of FBI-1 silencing on proliferation and apoptosis of triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 / 生理学报

This work aimed to observe the effects of short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-silenced FBI-1 (factor that binds to the inducer of short transcripts of human immunodeficiency virus-1) on proliferation and apoptosis of triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis were applied to detect the mRNA and/or protein expression of FBI-1, Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved-Caspase 3 and Survivin. RNA interference method was used to silence FBI-1 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. CCK-8 and colony formation assay were employed to detect the cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was employed for examining cell apoptosis. In vivo tumorigenicity of MDA-MB-231 cells was detected by tumor transplantation in nude mice. The results showed that the mRNA and protein expressions of FBI-1 were higher in MDA-MB-231 cells compared with those in normal human mammary epithelial cells MCF-10A. FBI-1 gene silencing inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro, together with decreased Bcl-2 and Survivin protein expression, increased Bax protein expression and activated Caspase 3. Moreover, FBI-1 gene silencing inhibited the tumorigenesis of MDA-MB-231 cells in vivo. These results suggest that silencing of FBI-1 gene inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and suppresses the tumorigenesis of MDA-MB-231 cells.

The cardiotoxicity of cetuximab as single therapy in Chinese chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

The cardiac safety of cetuximab, particularly as single approach, has not been investigated extensively. This trial was designed to evaluate the cardiac safety of cetuximab as salvage monotherapy in Chinese chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients.Cetuximab was administrated at an initial dose of 400 mg/mon day 1 (week 1), followed by a maintenance dose of 250 mg/m on day 1 of each 7-day cycle. Electrocardiograph (ECG), routine laboratory tests, and troponin I (TNI) Ultra were performed at baseline, during, and after the cetuximab therapy. The incidence of abnormal ECGs, elevated TNI Ultra, cardiac events, and noncardiac events were recorded and analyzed.TNI Ultra+ was found in 20 patients (32.3%) during the cetuximab therapy.TNI Ultra+ occurred more frequently in patients with more than 3 organs affected and accepted fourth or above lines of chemotherapy. The most frequent abnormal ECG was ST depression in 24 (38.7%) patients. The elevated TNI Ultra and abnormal ECGs could recover after the cetuximab therapy. The most of cardiac adverse events were mild and transient and the noncardiac adverse events were also consistent with the known safety profile for cetuximab.Cetuximab showed its cardiac safety as a single agent for chemotherapy-refractory mCRC patients. And TNI Ultra and ECG could be sensitive and convenient approaches for the surveillance of adverse events.

Effect of downregulation of FBI-1 on proliferation of human breast carcinoma cell line and its mechanism / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose: Factor that binds to the inducer of short transcripts of human immuno-deficiency virus-1 (FBI-1) in a variety of malignant tumors showed high expression levels, which may be closely related to tumor proliferation and differentiation, angiogenesis, metastasis, but its relationship with breast cancer has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of FBI-1 in breast cancer cells, and to study the effect of FBI-1 gene expression on the proliferation of breast cancer cells and its possible mechanism. Methods:Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTFQ-PCR) and Western blot analysis were applied to detect FBI-1 expression in normal human mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A and breast cancer cell MCF-7. RNA interference method was used to down-regulate FBI-1 expression in MCF-7 cells. The cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 kit and colony formation assay. RTFQ-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of FBI-1 and NF-κBp65 in MCF-7 cells before and after the interference of FBI-1 expression. Results: The expression of FBI-1 was higher in breast cancer cells than that in normal human mammary epithelial cells (P<0.05). The effects of FBI-1 down-regulation inhibited proliferation in MCF-7 cells (P<0.05). At the same time, after inhibition of FBI-1, the NF-κBp65 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion: FBI-1 is highly expressed in breast cancer cells. Down-regulated FBI-1 expression can inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway.

TRIM22 can activate the noncanonical NF-κB pathway by affecting IKKα.

Tripartite motif 22 (TRIM22) is involved in various cellular processes. It has been reported that TRIM22 can activate nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, but the precise mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we explored the exact role of TRIM22 in activating the NF-κB pathway. Different to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) induction, we found that the overexpression of TRIM22 could induce the processing of p100 to p52 in HEK293T cells. Furthermore, based on the results of co-immunoprecipitation and co-localization experiments, we demonstrated that TRIM22 could interact with IκB kinase (IKK)α but not IKKß and could increase the level and phosphorylation of IKKα through its really interesting new gene (RING) and spla-ryanodine receptor (SPRY) domains. These results suggest that TRIM22 is able to activate the noncanonical but not the canonical NF-κB pathway by activating IKKα. This finding will aid our understanding of the biological function of TRIM22.

A pilot study of sunitinib as first-line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma on a 2 weeks on/1 week off intermittent dosing schedule / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy and safety of sunitinib as first-line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) on a 2 weeks on/1 week off intermittent dosing schedule.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 11 mRCC patients were enrolled to receive sunitinib 50 mg/day in 2 weeks on/1 week off schedule per 6 weeks till disease progression or intolerable toxicity occurred. The primary end point was progression free survival (PFS), the secondary end points were overall survival (OS), incidence of adverse effects and objective response.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The objective response rate in the 11 cases was 45.5% and disease control rate 72.7% (partial response n = 5, stable disease n = 3). Till the last follow up on Dec 2013, the median PFS was 17.0 months (95% CI 7.3 to 26.7 months), and median OS 26.0 months (95% CI 2.2 to 49.8 months). The common adverse events included leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, mucositis and hand-foot skin reaction. Dose reduction to 37.5 mg was seen only in 2 patients without discontinuation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Sunitinib on an intermittent dosing schedule 2 weeks on /1 week off as first-line therapy for mRCC patients shows a good efficacy and tolerance, with less grade 3-4 drug-related toxicities and a tendency of prolonged PFS in mRCC patients.</p>

Ultrasonic Elastography Strain Rate Ratio Combined with MRI in Diagnosis of Breast Tumor / 中国医学影像学杂志

PurposeTo evaluate the significance of ultrasonic elastography strain ratio, MRI and the combination of both in diagnosis of breast tumor.Materials and MethodsFifty-four cases with single breast tumor underwent preoperative ultrasound elasticity imaging and MRI. Accuracy of ultrasound elastography strain rate ratio (SRR) of the tumor and surrounding normal breast tissue was measured by quantitative ultrasound elastography, and its combination with MRI were analyzed. ResultsThere was signiifcant differences on SRR between the benign group and the malignant group (2.24±1.28vs 4.96±1.73, t=2.648,P0.05). Combined both had higher diagnosis accuracy when compared with SR and MRI separately (χ2=6.000 and 3.967,P<0.05).Conclusion Ultrasonic elastography strain ratio is accurate and objective in differentiating benign from malignant breast tumors. It is a valuable quantitative index in clinical practice. Moreover, SRR combined with MRI can reduce the misdiagnosis rate.

A Comparison of the Short-term Morbidity and Mortality Between Late Preterm and Term Newborns

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Late preterm babies are defined as those born between 34 to 36 completed weeks. There has been a recent increased awareness that this group of babies has a higher incidence of morbidity as compared to term babies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term morbidities occurring in this group of babies managed in the neonatal unit at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>A retrospective study was done of babies managed in the neonatal unit at SGH from January 2005 to December 2008. Maternal, perinatal and neonatal data were obtained from the departmental database. The outcomes of late preterm infants were compared with term infants.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 6826 babies were admitted. Ten percent (681 out of 6826) of babies were late preterm babies, making up 63% (681 out of 1081) of all preterm babies. Late preterm babies had significantly greater need for resuscitation at birth. They also had statistically significant increased risks of developing hyaline membrane disease (2.5% vs 0.1%), transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN) (8.1% vs 1.7%), pneumonia (7.0% vs 2.8%), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (4.3% vs 1.1%), hypotension (0.7% vs 0%), apnoea (3.7% vs 0%), gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (1.5% vs 0.3%), polycythaemia (2.2% vs 1.0%), anaemia (3.4% vs 1.2%), thrombocytopenia (3.2% vs 0.6%), hypoglycaemia (6.6% vs 1.7%), neonatal jaundice requiring phototherapy (41.1% vs 12.2%) and sepsis (1.7% vs 0.6%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Late preterm infants are indeed a vulnerable group of infants with significant morbidities that need to be addressed and treated. Despite their relatively large size and being almost term, the understanding that late preterm infants are not similar to term infants is important to both obstetricians and neonatologists.</p>

Parental knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding infant basic life support

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) in children is rare but significant, with poor survival rates and high morbidity. Asystole is the most common dysrhythmia, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is of great importance in such cases. We aimed to survey the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of parents in Singapore regarding infant basic life support (IBLS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A questionnaire survey was administered to parents of children managed at the Neonatal Department of Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, between 1 September and 31 December 2008. The questionnaire consisted of three sections--section A collected demographic data, section B included questions on knowledge, and section C explored attitudes and perceptions. Knowledge T-scores were analysed for the entire cohort and subanalysed with respect to prior IBLS training.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In our study cohort (n = 375), the median Basic Knowledge (BK) T-score was 7 (range 1-9) and the pass rate was 55%. Median BK T-scores were significantly different between untrained (6; range 3-9) and previously trained (8; range 3-9) participants. A majority of the trained participants obtained pass marks. Median Total Knowledge T-score, involving advanced questions, for previously trained participants was 11 (range 3-14), but pass rate was low (35.7%). Higher educational qualification was a significant factor impacting all scores. Untrained participants indicated interest in attending IBLS courses, while trained participants were interested in refresher courses.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IBLS training, as part of basic cardiac life support training, is important given that CPR can significantly alter the outcome in children with CPA. Our survey revealed knowledge gaps that could be bridged through formal training. Refresher courses to regularly update parents' knowledge are recommended.</p>

[Spiropyran-based fluorescent sensor for Hg2+, Cr3+, Ag+ and their interaction spectra].

A 6',8'-di-tert-butyl-1-hydroxyethyl-3,3-dimethyl-indoline benzospiropyran L1 and its derivative L2 were synthesized and characterized. Chelation-enhanced appearswhen L1 with electron donating groups of 6', 8'-di-tert-butyl touch on benzospiropyran and affect the stability of cyanine structure. L1 exhibited high selectivity to Hg2+, Cr3+, Ag+ over other metal ions. While, there was no obvious interferences of coexist metal ions on Hg2+, Cr3+, Ag+ detection. The Hg2+, Cr+, Ag+ recognition of L1 not only could be achieved by means of fluorescense and absorption "turn-on" spectra but also an obvious color change from colorless to yellowish by naked-eyes. The binding of L1 to Ag+, Cr3+, Hg2+ are in 1 : 1 stoichometry and the detection limits are 7.435 8 x 10(-6), 6.126 8 x 10(-6), 3.452 4 x 10(-6) mol x L(-1). The sensing mechanism was also investigated from L2.

DNA methyltransferases 1 and 3B are required for hepatitis C virus infection in cell culture.

DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are responsible for establishing and maintaining DNA methylation, which are dysregulated in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this report, using lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference technology, we identified DNMT1 and DNMT3B as host factors involved in HCV propagation. Our results demonstrated that down-regulation of DNMT1 or DNMT3B expression in Huh7.5.1 cells severely impaired cell culture-produced HCV (HCVcc) infection. Furthermore, knockdown of DNMT1 or DNMT3B did not affect HCV entry and internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-directed translation but did inhibit subgenomic replication. In contrast, knockdown of DNMT3A had no significant effect on HCV infection, entry, translation, or replication, which suggested that DNMT3A did not play a significant role in HCV life cycle. Moreover, we showed that DNMT inhibitors 5-Aza-C and 5-Aza-dC significantly suppressed HCVcc infection, viral RNA replication, and protein expression. These results suggest that DNMTs are critical for HCV replication and may represent potent targets for the treatment of HCV infection.