Research progress on the mechanism of chronic neuropathic pain.

Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) refers to pain that lasts for more than three months due to a disease or an injury to the somatosensory nervous system. The incidence of CNP has been increasing in the world, causing it to become a global concern and patients often experience spontaneous pain, hyperalgesia, abnormal pain or even abnormal sensation as some of its main symptoms. In addition to serious pain and poor physical health, CNP also negatively affects patients' mental health, thus impacting the overall quality of their lives. The pathogenesis of CNP is not clear, but some studies have proved that central sensitization, peripheral sensitization, neuroinflammation, dysfunction in descending nociceptive modulatory systems, oxidative stress reaction, activation of glial cells and psychological factors play an important role in the occurrence and development of CNP. In this context, this article summarizes the current research progress on the mechanism of CNP to provide a basis for further research in preventing and treating the disease.

Brachybacterium subflavum sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from the foregut of grass carp.

A novel actinobacterium, designated CFH 10395T, was isolated from the foregut of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), which had been fed with ginseng extract supplement. The taxonomic position was investigated by a polyphasic approach. Cells of CFH 10395T were Gram-staining-positive, aerobic, ovoid-shaped, non-spore-forming and non-motile. On the basis of the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, CFH 10395T was most closely related to Brachybacterium endophyticum KCTC 49087T, Brachybacterium squillarum JCM 16464T and Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum JCM 17781T (97.85%, 97.51 and 97.29% similarity, respectively). CFH 10395T grew at 4-37 °C, pH 5.0-9.0 and in the presence of up to 10.0 % NaCl (w/v). The dominant menaquinone was MK-7. The whole-cell sugars were rhamnose, glucose, mannose and galactose. meso-diaminopimelic acid was the diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The genome size was 3.99 Mbp with a DNA G+C content of 71.9 mol%. On the basis of the results of phylogenetic analysis, physiological properties, chemotaxonomic characteristics, low average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DDH (dDDH) results [ANI calculated using MUMmer (ANIm) <87 %, ANI calculated using blast (ANIb) <83 % and dDDH <23 %], it is concluded that CFH 10395T represents a novel species of the genus Brachybacterium, for which the name Brachybacterium subflavum sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is CFH 10395T (=CGMCC 1.13804T=KCTC 49235T).

[Effect of Parasep® feces centrifuge tube method on detecting schistosome eggs].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the Parasep® feces centrifuge tube method on detecting schistosome eggs. METHODS: A total of 803 residents aged from 6-65 years were selected in 2 schistosomiasis endemic villages, Jiangling County, Hubei Province, and their stool samples were collected and detected parallelly by the Kato-Katz technique, nylon silk egg hatching method, and Parasep® feces centrifuge tube method at the same time. RESULTS: Among the 803 people, 15 cases were found of schistosome egg positive, and the positive rate was 1.87%. The positive rates of the Kato-Katz technique, nylon silk egg hatching method, and Parasep® feces centrifuge tube method were 0.75%, 1.49% and 1.12%, respectively. The schistosome eggs got with the Parasep® feces centrifuge tube method were clear and easy to identify. CONCLUSION: In low endemic areas of schistosomiasis, the Parasep® feces centrifuge tube method can be used as schistosomiasis japonica etiology diagnosis method.

[Chemical characteristics and insoluble particulates' surface morphology of a snowfall process in the southeastern suburb of Urumqi].

In order to understand the composition and potential pollution of metal elements in precipitation in the southeastern suburb of Urumqi on February 21 to 23, 2012, soluble elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); in addition, energy spectrum and morphological analysis were made for insoluble particulates. The results showed that the content of toxic heavy metals in snowfall was a little high; and the enrichment factors of Se, As and Cd were 124.65, 57.69 and 36.70, respectively, showing a typical coal pollution characteristic. The back trajectory cluster analysis suggested that the coal fly ash of snowfall mainly induced by air masses originated from the coal-fire power plant in the Southwestern sampling site. Morphology analyses conducted under an scan electron microscope demonstrated fly ash coming from coal burning process and irregular mineral are in the majority of insoluble particulates in snowfall, soot aggregates were compact, when the soot was wetted (the hygroscopic behaviour), and the morphology changed further. Insoluble particulates of the southeastern suburb of Urumqi were coal fly ash and insoluble soil minerals.

[Classification and grading of environments with Oncomelania hupensis snails inside embankment of marshland and lake areas].

OBJECTIVE: To classify and grade the environments with Oncomelania hupensis snails inside embankment in marshland and lake areas, so as to improve the work efficiency and realize the systematic management. METHODS: The schistosomiasis endemic area Liaodi and Xiongdi villages in Jiangling County, Hubei Province were selected as the experiment villages, and the environments with snails in the two villages were divided into sections with a length of 500 m, then the snail situation were surveyed by the systematic sampling method with 10 m and 50 m a frame respectively. The environments were classified according to the discovery of infected snails and wild fecal contamination, and the numbers of sites with snails and their areas in different classes were recorded. Meanwhile, the data of sites with infected snails in Jingzhou City during the recent 5 years were collected and graded according to the average density of snails, so as to discuss the correlativity between the grades of environments with snails and the numbers of sites with infected snails and the occurrence rate of frames with snails. RESULTS: There were 1 967 sites with infected snails in Jingzhou City during the recent 5 years, and there was a positive correlation between the grades of environments with snails and the occurrence rate of frames with snails (r(s) = 0.77, P < 0.01), when the grade was 5, the constituent ratio of numbers of sites with infected snails was 3.1%, and when the grade was 2-3, the ratio raised to 56.3%. There were 39 sites with snails in the two villages, the Class 1, 2 and 3 environments included 1, 18 and 20 sites, with the areas of 1080, 51,640 m2 and 41,220 m2, respectively. There were no statistically significant difference between the grades divided by snail survey with 10 m and 50 m a frame ( chi2 = 4.667, P > 0.05), but the time-consuming of the former was 3 times of the latter. CONCLUSIONS: The classification and grading of the environments with snails inside embankment in marshland and lake areas can master the key point of the snail survey. The subsection and setting frames at a suitable distance can save time and manpower, improve work efficiency, as well as understand the distribution of snail status of the environment with snails, which can realize the sort management of the snail environments inside embankment.

[Efficacy of routinely used patterns for schistosomiasis diagnosis in lake and marshland regions].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of routinely used pattern for schistosomiasis diagnosis in lake and marshland regions. METHODS: A historically heavy endemic village of schistosomiasis named Jinggan Village from Jiangling County was selected for field survey. The residents aged 6-65 years were screened by indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) and dipstick dye immunoassay (DDIA) in parallel. The serological positives were examined by Kato-Katz technique and miracidium hatching technique to determine the infection of schistosome. The consistency of the two serological methods was evaluated. In addition, the schistosome infection rates were estimated accordingto the 3 detection patterns namely IHA, DDIA, IHA+DDIA combined with the etiologic examination. RESULTS: A total of 530 individuals were examined by the serological tests. The positive rate of DDIA was 46.98% (249/530), significantly higher than that of IHA (28.49%, 151/530) (χ2 = 59.55, P < 0.01). Totally 279 individuals were serological positives determined by IHA or DDIA, while 252 of them were detected by stool examination, and 22 cases were determined as parasitological positives, while 7 and 3 cases were diagnosed as antibody negatives by IHA and DDIA, respectively. The estimated infection rates determined by IHA, DDIA, IHA plus DDIA combined with stool examination were 3.14%, 3.97%, 4.60%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Under the condition of endemic situation becoming more and more waning, the current routinely used pattern for schistosomiasis detection may lead to missed diagnosis. So, more sensitive and effective diagnostic tools or appropriate detection patterns need to be explored.

[Construction and operation of network laboratory for schistosomiasis diagnosis in Jianglin County].

OBJECTIVE: To build a high quality diagnosis system for schistosomiasis surveillance in the situation of low infection in Jianglin County. METHODS: The network laboratory for schistosomiasis diagnosis was built according to the national criteria in Jianglin County in 2012. RESULTS: The network laboratory for schistosomiasis diagnosis was established successfully and the operation was quiet well. CONCLUSION: The establishment and operation of the laboratory play an important role in the realization of schistosomiasis elimination.

[Surveillance of endemic situation of schistosomiasis in a national surveillance site in Jiangling County from 2005 to 2011].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the dynamics of schistosomiasis japonica in a national surveillance site in Jiangling County, Hubei Province, China, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the intervention strategy of schistosomiasis control in the whole county. METHODS: The surveillance was performed in the surveillance village according to The National Surveillance Scheme of Schistosomiasis japonica, and the results were analyzed statistically from 2005 to 2011. RESULTS: The schistosome infection rates in residents and cattle decreased from 1.83% and 11.67% in 2005 to 0.91% and 0 in 2011, respectively. The density of living Oncomelania hupensis snails, the density of infected snails, and the infection rate of snails decreased from 4.02/0.1 m2, 0.014 5/0.1 m2, and 0.36% in 2005 to 0.70/0.1 m2, 0.000 3/0.1 m2, and 0.04% in 2011, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The transmission of schistosomiasis in the surveillance site shows a gradually decreasing trend year by year, but the prevalence is still not stable. Therefore, the comprehensive interventions with the main effort for the infectious source control still need to be strengthened.

[FTIR spectroscopic explorations of freshly resected laryngeal carcinoma tissues].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of freshly resected laryngeal carcinoma by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). METHODS: FTIR was applied to the study of the cancerous tissues and adjacent normal tissues in 32 patients. RESULTS: Compared with pathological diagnosis results, one benign specimen was classified as a malignant, the accuracy was 98.4%. Significant differences were seen in the FTIR spectra between the normal and malignant laryngeal tissues. The peak at 1085 cm(-1) shift to 1114 cm(-1) showed that the relative contents of DNA in laryngeal carcinoma cells was increased. The peak at 1397 cm(-1) was stronger than 1451 cm(-1) in normal tissues, while it was not obvious in cancer tissues. I(2926)/I(2870) in carcinoma cells was lower than that in normal tissues. The wave numbers of the bands of amide I and amide II, symmetric and asymmetric stretching bands of CH(3), stretching vibration bands of C-OH and NH band were shifted to higher number in cancer tissues. CONCLUSION: The study shows that the malignant and normal laryngeal tissues have different FTIR spectra, which are mainly due to changes in protein, nucleic acid and phospholipids. FTIR may become a new method for the diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma in clinical practice.