Update on the genetic diversity and population structure of Echinococcus granulosus in Gansu Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Western China, inferred from mitochondrial cox1, nad1, and nad5 sequences.

The identification of additional Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) complex species/genotypes in recent years raises the possibility that there might be more variation among this species in China than is currently understood. The aim of this study was to explore intra- and inter-species variation and population structure of Echinococcus species isolated from sheep in three areas of Western China. Of the isolates, 317, 322, and 326 were successfully amplified and sequenced for cox1, nad1, and nad5 genes, respectively. BLAST analysis revealed that the majority of the isolates were E. granulosus s.s., and using the cox1, nad1, and nad5 genes, respectively, 17, 14, and 11 isolates corresponded to Elodea canadensis (genotype G6/G7). In the three study areas, G1 genotypes were the most prevalent. There were 233 mutation sites along with 129 parsimony informative sites. A transition/transversion ratio of 7.5, 8, and 3.25, respectively, for cox1, nad1, and nad5 genes was obtained. Every mitochondrial gene had intraspecific variations, which were represented in a star-like network with a major haplotype with observable mutations from other distant and minor haplotypes. The Tajima's D value was significantly negative in all populations, indicating a substantial divergence from neutrality and supporting the demographic expansion of E. granulosus s.s. in the study areas. The phylogeny inferred by the maximum likelihood (ML) method using nucleotide sequences of cox1-nad1-nad5 further confirmed their identity. The nodes assigned to the G1, G3, and G6 clades as well as the reference sequences utilized had maximal posterior probability values (1.00). In conclusion, our study confirms the existence of a significant major haplotype of E. granulosus s.s. where G1 is the predominant genotype causing of CE in both livestock and humans in China.

[Application of high tibial osteotomy for chronic multi-ligament knee injury associated with lower extremity malalignment].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of high tibial osteotomy (HTO) in treatment of chronic multi-ligament knee injury (MLKI) associated with lower extremity malalignment. METHODS: A clinical data of 14 patients (14 knees) of chronic MLKI associated with lower extremity malalignment, who were treated with HTO between January 2016 and September 2020, was retrospectively analyzed. There were 10 males and 4 females, with an average age of 30.5 years (range, 22-48 years). The causes of injury included traffic accident in 8 cases, bruising by a heavy object in 3 cases, falling from height in 2 cases, and twisting in 1 case. According to Schenck classification of knee dislocation (KD), there were 4 cases of KD-Ⅰ [2 cases of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterolateral complex (PLC) injuries and 2 cases of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and PLC injuries], 7 cases of KD-Ⅲ (all of ACL, PCL, and PLC injuries), and 3 cases of KD-Ⅳ. The preoperative hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA) was (167.1±4.7)°, and the posterior tibial slope angle (PTSA) was (16.3±2.7)°. The knee joint was severely unstable and the patients could not stand and walk normally. Among them, 5 cases of medial compartment cartilage were severely worn out (3 cases of Kellgren-Lawrence grading Ⅱ, 2 cases of grading Ⅲ) causing pain. After admission, 2 cases of KD-Ⅰ underwent HTO and ligament reconstruction in the first stage, 1 case of KD-Ⅲ and 1 case of KD-Ⅳ underwent HTO in the first stage and ligament reconstruction in the second stage; the remaining 10 patients only underwent HTO. RESULTS: All patients were followed up 12-50 months, with an average of 30 months. The incisions healed by first intention after operation, and no complications such as infection and deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities occurred. At 12 months after operation, knee range of extension was -5°-0° (mean, -1.2°) and range of flexion was 110°-140° (mean, 125.5°). The Lachman test was negative in 11 cases and positive in 3 cases. The posterior drawer test was negative in 9 cases and positive in 5 cases. The 0/30° varus stress test was negative in 10 cases and positive in 4 cases. The 0/30° valgus stress test was negative in 13 cases and positive in 1 case. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score was significantly lower than that before operation ( P<0.05), and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm score, and Tegner score were all significantly higher than those before operation ( P<0.05). The X-ray film reexamination at 12 months after operation showed that the HKA was (178.2±3.8)° and the PTSA was (8.6±2.4)°, which were significantly different from those before operation ( P<0.05). All osteotomies achieved bone union, and the healing time was 3-11 months, with an average of 6.8 months. CONCLUSION: For chronic MLKI associated with lower extremity malalignment, HTO can restore normal lower extremity alignment and improve knee joint function, which is a feasible salvage operation.

Femoral nerve block versus obturator nerve block for pain management after total knee replacement: A randomized controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Several studies reported short-term analgesic efficacy of obturator nerve block (ONB), as in comparison with the femoral nerve block (FNB) in the treatment of postoperative pain after the total knee replacement (TKR). The optimal method remains under debate. The purpose of our current work is to compare the safety and efficacy of FNB and ONB for postoperative analgesia after TKR. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, and controlled study was performed from January 2018 to December 2019. It was authorized via the Institutional Review Committee in NO.971 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army Navy (2019-PLAN-132).Two hundred patients were divided randomly into 2 groups, the control group (n = 100) and study group (n = 100). The experimental group received FNB and control groups received ONB. Primary outcome included pain at different time point (Visual Analogue Scale score of anterior knee pain at rest and in motion). The Visual Analogue Scale scores were marked by patients themselves on a paper with a graduated line starting at 0 (no pain) and ending at 10 (the most painful). Opioid consumption was converted to equivalents of oral morphine uniformly for statistical analysis. Secondary outcomes included the knee range of motion, the hospital stay length as well as the postoperative complications such as pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. RESULTS: Table 1 will show the clinical outcomes between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: This trial would provide an evidence for the use of different types of peripheral nerve blocks in TKR.

Generation of wideband vortex beam with different OAM modes using third-order meta-frequency selective surface.

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) beam generators have attracted tremendous interests recently due to their excellent performance and potential applications in wireless communication. However, the existing transmissive OAM generators suffer from several limitations, such as narrow bandwidth, high profile and low efficiency. In this study, a new wideband third-order meta-frequency selective surface (meta-FSS) for generating focusing vortex beam is developed. The proposed meta-FSS element is designed at X- band with a third-order band-pass filter property, which exhibits the merits of low profile, high transmissivity, and large angular stability. By employing the proposed meta-FSS element, prototypes of OAM generators for + 1 and -2 modes are designed, fabricated, and measured. Experimental results verify the ability of the proposed design to convert an incident left/right-handed circularly polarized (L/RHCP) spherical wave into a transmitted R/LHCP vortex carrying OAM wave from 9.0 GHz to 11.0 GHz with high mode purity. A good agreement is achieved between the experimental and numerical results, which demonstrates that the proposed structure paves the wave for generating desired OAM modes, and provides new possibility for designing novel low-profile wireless communication devices.

The Transcriptomic Landscape of Yaks Reveals Molecular Pathways for High Altitude Adaptation.

Yak is one of the largest native mammalian species at the Himalayas, the highest plateau area in the world with an average elevation of >4,000 m above the sea level. Yak is well adapted to high altitude environment with a set of physiological features for a more efficient blood flow for oxygen delivery under hypobaric hypoxia. Yet, the genetic mechanism underlying its adaptation remains elusive. We conducted a cross-tissue, cross-altitude, and cross-species study to characterize the transcriptomic landscape of domestic yaks. The generated multi-tissue transcriptomic data greatly improved the current yak genome annotation by identifying tens of thousands novel transcripts. We found that among the eight tested tissues (lung, heart, kidney, liver, spleen, muscle, testis, and brain), lung and heart are two key organs showing adaptive transcriptional changes and >90% of the cross-altitude differentially expressed genes in lung display a nonlinear regulation. Pathways related to cell survival and proliferation are enriched, including PI3K-Akt, HIF-1, focal adhesion, and ECM-receptor interaction. These findings, in combination with the comprehensive transcriptome data set, are valuable to understanding the genetic mechanism of hypoxic adaptation in yak.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) infection in yaks (Bos grunniens) in northwest China.

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), a member of the Pestivirus genus, is an important pathogen of cattle worldwide, causing reproductive disorders in adult cattle and mucosal disease in calves. However, limited information about BVDV infection in yaks (Bos grunniens) in China is available, especially in white yaks which is a unique yak breed that only lives in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County (TTAC), Gansu Province, northwest China. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with BVDV infection in 1584 yaks in Gansu province, northwest China, between April 2013 and March 2014 using an indirect ELISA test. The overall seroprevalence of BVDV in yaks was 37.56 % (595/1584), with 45.08 % (275/610) in black yaks and 32.85 % (320/974) in white yaks. Moreover, positive yaks were found in all four regions, varied from 33.22 to 40.31 %. Male yaks had a similar seroprevalence (37.84 %) with that of the female yaks (37.11 %). Season, species and geographical origins of yaks were considered as risk factors analyzed by logistic regression model. To our knowledge, this is the first report of seroprevalence and risk factors associated with BVDV infection in white yaks in China.