Association Between Home Renovation and Sleeping Problems Among Children Aged 6-18 Years: A Nationwide Survey in China.

BACKGROUND: Although the indoor environment has been proposed to be associated with childhood sleep health, to our knowledge no study has investigated the association between home renovation and childhood sleep problems. METHODS: The study included 186,470 children aged 6-18 years from the National Chinese Children Health Study (2012-2018). We measured childhood sleeping problems via the Chinese version of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (C-SDSC). Information on home renovation exposure within the recent 2 years was collected via parent report. We estimated associations between home renovation and various sleeping problems, defined using both continuous and categorized (binary) C-SDSC t-scores, using generalized mixed models. We fitted models with city as a random effect variable, and other covariates as fixed effects. RESULTS: Out of the overall participants, 89,732 (48%) were exposed to recent home renovations. Compared to the unexposed group, children exposed to home renovations had higher odds of total sleep disorder (odd ratios [OR] = 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2, 1.4). Associations varied when we considered different types of home renovation materials. Children exposed to multiple types of home renovation had higher odds of sleeping problems. We observed similar findings when considering continuous C-SDSC t-scores. Additionally, sex and age of children modified the associations of home renovation exposure with some of the sleeping problem subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: We found that home renovation was associated with higher odds of having sleeping problems and that they varied when considering the type of renovation, cumulative exposure, sex, and age differences.

The association between childhood adiposity in northeast China and anthropogenic heat flux: A new insight into the comprehensive impact of human activities.

Anthropogenic heat has been reported to have significant health impacts, but research on its association with childhood adiposity is still lacking. In this study, we matched the 2008-2012 average anthropogenic heat flux, as simulated by a grid estimation model using inventory methods, with questionnaire and measurement data of 49,938 children randomly recruited from seven cities in Northeast China in 2012. After adjusting for social demographic and behavioral factors, we used generalized linear mixed-effect models to assess the association between anthropogenic heat flux and adiposity among children. We also examined the effect modification of various social demographic and behavioral confounders. We found that each 10 W/m2 increase in total anthropogenic heat flux and that from the industry source was associated with an increase of 5.82% (95% CI = 0.84%-11.05%) and 6.62% (95% CI = 0.87%-12.70%) in the odds of childhood adiposity. Similarly, the excess rate of adiposity among children were 5.26% (95% CI = -1.33%-12.29%) and 8.51% (95% CI = 2.24%-15.17%) per 1 W/m2 increase in the anthropogenic heat flux from transportation and buildings, and was 7.94% (95% CI = 2.28%-13.91%) per 0.001 W/m2 increase in the anthropogenic heat flux from human metabolism. We also found generally greater effect estimates among female children and children who were exposed to passive smoking during pregnancy, born by caesarean section, non-breastfed/mixed-fed, or lived within 20 m adjacent to the main road. The potential deleterious effect of anthropogenic heat exposure on adiposity among children may make it a new but major threat to be targeted by future mitigation strategies.

Effects of walnut/Rosa roxburghii compound planting on growth, fruit yield, quality of Rosa roxburghii and soil properties.

Walnut and Rosa roxburghii are important arbor and shrub fruit trees cultivated in the southwest mountainous area of China. Furthermore, those two species are compound cultivated in this area. In this study, we investigated the growth, yield, fruit quality, photosynthesis, and soil fertility of R. roxburghii in a 7-year typical 'Qianhe 7'/ 'Guinong 5' compound planting pattern in Guizhou. The results showed that compared with the monoculture, photosynthetic pigment content and photosynthetic rate of R. roxburghii leaves were significantly lower in the compound plantation. The growth and yield of R. roxburghii decreased significantly, with a 77.7% reduction of yield. Fruit quality of R. roxburghii was improved. The content of ascorbic acid (Vc), total phenol, carbohydrate, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and other substances increased significantly. Fruit Vc and Mn content increased by 34.1% and 64.1%, respectively. The contents of total N, available N and K in the soil increased by 45.8%, 34.8% and 67.8%, respectively. The abundance of soil microorganisms and functional bacteria increased significantly, with the increase of bacteria and fungi being more than 36.0%. The increase of potassium bacteria and nitrogen fixing bacteria was 71.3% and 124.8%, respectively. However, the contents of organic matter, carbon-nitrogen ratio, total P, total K, available mineral nutrient (P, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) contents decreased. While the activities of soil urease and catalase were increased, the activities of other soil enzymes (sucrase, cellulase, protease, phosphatase) were significantly reduced. In summary, with continuous growth of walnuts in the walnut/R. roxburghii compound plantation, there was obvious shade and soil fertility competition for R. roxburghii, which affected its yield, but had a improvement effect on fruit quality.

A Pilot Study to Assess Visual Vertigo in People with Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness with a New Computer-Based Tool.

BACKGROUND: Visual vertigo (VV) is a common symptom in people with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD). Few subjective scales are validated for assessing the intensity of VV, yet these scales are limited by recall bias, as they require individuals to rate their symptoms from memory. The computer-Visual Vertigo Analogue Scale (c-VVAS) was developed by adapting five scenarios from the original paper-VVAS (p-VVAS) into 30 s video clips. The aim of this pilot study was to develop and test a computerized video-based tool for the assessment of visual vertigo in people with PPPD. METHODS: PPPD participants (n = 8) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 8) completed the traditional p-VVAS and the c-VVAS. A questionnaire about their experiences using the c-VVAS was completed by all participants. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the c-VVAS scores from the PPPD and the control group (Mann-Whitney, p < 0.05). The correlation between the total c-VVAS scores and the total c-VVAS scores was not significant (r = 0.668, p = 0.07). The study showed a high acceptance rate of the c-VVAS by participants (mean = 91.74%). CONCLUSION: This pilot study found that the c-VVAS can distinguish PPPD subjects from healthy controls and that it was well-received by all participants.

The green lacewing Chrysopa formosa as a potential biocontrol agent for managing Spodoptera frugiperda and Spodoptera litura.

Understanding predator-prey interactions is essential for successful pest management by using predators, especially for the suppression of novel invasive pest. The green lacewing Chrysopa formosa is a promising polyphagous predator that is widely used in the biocontrol of various pests in China, but information on the control efficiency of this predator against the seriously invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda and native Spodoptera litura is limited. Here we evaluated the predation efficiency of C. formosa adults on eggs and first- to third-instar larvae of S. frugiperda and S. litura through functional response experiments and determined the consumption capacity and prey preference of this chrysopid. Adults of C. formosa had a high consumption of eggs and earlier instar larvae of both prey species, and displayed a type II functional response on all prey stages. Attack rates of the chrysopid on different prey stages were statistically similar, but the handling time increased notably as the prey developed. The highest predation efficiency and shortest-handling time were observed for C. formosa feeding on Spodoptera eggs, followed by the first-instar larvae. C. formosa exhibited a significant preference for S. litura over S. frugiperda in a two-prey system. In addition, we summarized the functional response and predation efficiency of several chrysopids against noctuid pests and made a comparison with the results obtained from C. formosa. These results indicate that C. formosa has potential as an agent for biological control of noctuid pests, particularly for the newly invasive pest S. frugiperda in China.

Naoxintong Capsule for Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Stroke: A Multicenter, Randomized, and Placebo-Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the combination of Naoxintong Capsule with standard care could further reduce the recurrence of ischemic stroke without increasing the risk of severe bleeding. METHODS: A total of 23 Chinese medical centers participated in this trial. Adult patients with a history of ischemic stroke were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio using a block design to receive either Naoxintong Capsule (1.2 g orally, twice a day) or placebo in addition to standard care. The primary endpoint was recurrence of ischemic stroke within 2 years. Secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, death due to recurrent ischemic stroke, and all-cause mortality. The safety of drugs was monitored. Results were analyzed using the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: A total of 2,200 patients were enrolled from March 2015 to March 2016, of whom 143 and 158 in the Naoxintong and placebo groups were lost to follow-up, respectively. Compared with the placebo group, the recurrence rate of ischemic stroke within 2 years was significantly lower in the Naoxintong group [6.5% vs. 9.5%, hazard ratio (HR): 0.665, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.492-0.899, P=0.008]. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary outcomes and safety, including rates of severe hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of Naoxintong Capsule with standard care reduced the 2-year stroke recurrence rate in patients with ischemic stroke without increasing the risk of severe hemorrhage in high-risk patients. (Trial registration No. NCT02334969).

Sequencing, Expression, and Functional Analyses of Four Genes Related to Fatty Acid Biosynthesis During the Diapause Process in the Female Ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata L.

The ladybird Coccinella septempunctata L., a predatory insect, serves as an excellent biological control agent against common agricultural pests. It undergoes a diapause phenomenon, during which a large amount of fat accumulates in the abdomen. A comprehensive analysis of this lipid accumulation can reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying diapause regulation, which can be exploited to improve the shipping and transport of the insect for agricultural applications. In this study, we compared the transcriptome of C. septempunctata during non-diapause, diapause, and post-diapause and screened four key genes related to lipid metabolism. The cDNA of these four relevant enzymes, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), long-chain fatty acid-CoA ligase (ACSL), elongase of very-long-chain fatty acids (ELO), and very-long-chain 3-oxoacyl-CoA reductase (KAR), were cloned using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Their expression profiles were analyzed during the preparation and maintenance phases of diapause and the post-diapause phase. The functions of these four key enzymes in diapause were further verified using RNA interference. All four genes were most closely related to the homeotic gene from Tribolium castaneum. The expression profiles of these four genes were significantly affected under diapause-inducing conditions; their expression level was the highest in the diapause preparation phase, and it gradually decreased with the diapause induction time. RNA interference showed that the target genes play important roles in fat storage during early diapause, and the decrease in their expression leads to a decrease in lipid content in C. septempunctata. These results indicate an important role of ACC, ACSL, ELO, and KAR in lipid accumulation. Our findings could help elucidate the production and accumulation of lipids by insects during the preparation for diapause and improve biological control.

Size-modulated optical property of gold nanorods for sensitive and colorimetric detection of thiourea in fruit juice.

As an important sulfur compound, thiourea (TU) has caused great concern because of its wide application as well as its serious toxicity and hazard to the environment. Thus, it is necessary to develop a sensitive and selective method for TU analysis. In this work, gold nanorods (AuNRs) acted as an optical probe to realize the sensitive and colorimetric detection of TU. In HCl medium, Fe3+ at low concentration was difficult to oxide Au0 to form Au+ because of the high redox potential or the positive Gibbs free energy change. However, this process was possible when TU was present since the association constant between Au+ and TU is great enough to bind with TU to form a stable complex to further promote the etching of AuNRs, resulting in the lower aspect ratio of AuNRs with the blue shift and intensity decrease in extinction spectra, accompanied by the divisive colors of AuNRs solution or colorful dark-field light scattering imaging of single AuNR. The blue-shift of AuNRs longitudinal plasmon resonance absorption (LPRA) band was proportional to the concentration of TU in the range of 1-250 nM and the limit of detection (3σ/k) was as low as 0.4 nM. In addition, the colorimetric method was proven with high selectivity in the presence of potential interfering compounds, which was successfully applied to the detection of TU in fruit juice samples. This proposed colorimetric method provides a simple, sensitive yet selective measurement tool for TU sensing, which may offer new opportunities in the development of colorimetric sensors for food safety in the future.

Hulless Black Barley as a Carrier of Probiotics and a Supplement Rich in Phenolics Targeting Against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Injuries in Human Hepatocarcinoma Cells.

Lactic acid bacteria can provide benefits to human beings and transform phenolic substances to improve their potential functionality. It was of interest to develop black barley as a carrier of probiotics and nutraceutical supplement rich in more antioxidants. Due to fermentation, bacterial counting and free phenolic content in black barley increased to 9.54 ± 0.22 log cfu/mL and 5.61 ± 0.02 mg GAE/mL, respectively. Eleven phenolic compounds, including nine isoflavones and two nitrogenous compounds were characterized using UPLC-QTOF-MS, among which epicatechin, hordatine, and pelargonidin aglycone were largely enriched. Moreover, free phenolic extracts from fermented barley (F-BPE) played a greater role in scavenging DPPH radicals, reducing Fe3+ to Fe2+, and increasing oxygen radical absorbance capacity, compared phenolic extracts from unfermented barley [UF-BPE (1.94-, 1.71-, and 1.35-fold at maximum for F-BPE vs. UF-BPE, respectively)]. In hepatocarcinoma cells, F-BPE also better inhibited ROS production and improved cell viability, cell membrane integrity, SOD activity, and non-enzymatic antioxidant GSH redox status (2.85-, 3.28-, 2.05-, 6.42-, and 3.99-fold at maximum for F-BPE vs. UF-BPE, respectively).

Differential expression of microRNA-411 and 376c is associated with hypertension in pregnancy.

Preeclampsia is a major reason of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women and perinatal fetus. Hence, it is of prime importance that diagnostic markers are defined to predict chances of preeclampsia in pregnant women. It has been previously shown that microRNA (miRNA)-376c expression is decreased in the placenta of preeclampsia patients at term. Even though this decrease was not mimicked in the placenta at the pre-term stage, miR-376c expression was decreased in the plasma of these patients as early as the second trimester. Plasma and placenta specimens were obtained from pregnant women having unifetal gestation undergoing perinatal care between January 2014 and December 2016 (n=49). Early trimester placentas were collected from patients undergoing terminated pregnancies through dilation and curettage procedure. Our results showed that in addition to miR-376c, miR-441 levels were decreased in the placenta of preeclampsia patients, and this decrease occurred both at pre-term and at term. This decrease is also mimicked in the plasma levels at both early and late weeks of pregnancy, highlighting that miR-441 levels can serve as a diagnostic marker of risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women. Overexpression of the miR-441, as well as miR-376c, promoted cell viability, migration, and invasion in the human immortalized cytotrophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo, indicating that their decrease in pregnant women would result in anomalous apoptosis and functional imbalance resulting in premature abortion and other complications. MiR-441 level can thus potentially serve as diagnostic marker of preeclampsia in pregnant women.

Differential expression of microRNA-411 and 376c is associated with hypertension in pregnancy

Preeclampsia is a major reason of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women and perinatal fetus. Hence, it is of prime importance that diagnostic markers are defined to predict chances of preeclampsia in pregnant women. It has been previously shown that microRNA (miRNA)-376c expression is decreased in the placenta of preeclampsia patients at term. Even though this decrease was not mimicked in the placenta at the pre-term stage, miR-376c expression was decreased in the plasma of these patients as early as the second trimester. Plasma and placenta specimens were obtained from pregnant women having unifetal gestation undergoing perinatal care between January 2014 and December 2016 (n=49). Early trimester placentas were collected from patients undergoing terminated pregnancies through dilation and curettage procedure. Our results showed that in addition to miR-376c, miR-441 levels were decreased in the placenta of preeclampsia patients, and this decrease occurred both at pre-term and at term. This decrease is also mimicked in the plasma levels at both early and late weeks of pregnancy, highlighting that miR-441 levels can serve as a diagnostic marker of risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women. Overexpression of the miR-441, as well as miR-376c, promoted cell viability, migration, and invasion in the human immortalized cytotrophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo, indicating that their decrease in pregnant women would result in anomalous apoptosis and functional imbalance resulting in premature abortion and other complications. MiR-441 level can thus potentially serve as diagnostic marker of preeclampsia in pregnant women.

Comparative Transcriptome and iTRAQ Proteome Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms of Diapause in Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae).

Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) is a solitary endoparasitoid used in the biological control of various aphids. Diapause plays an important role in the successful production and deployment of A. gifuensis. Diapause can effectively extend the shelf life of biological control agents and solve several practical production problems like long production cycles, short retention periods, and discontinuities between supply and demand. In recent years, studies have been conducted on the environmental regulation and physiological and biochemical mechanisms of diapause in A. gifuensis. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism of diapause in this species remains unclear. In this study, we compared the transcriptomes and proteomes of diapause and non-diapause A. gifuensis to identify the genes and proteins associated with this process. A total of 557 transcripts and 568 proteins were differentially expressed between the two groups. Among them, (1) genes involved in trehalose synthesis such as glycogen synthase, glycogen phosphorylase, and trehalose 6-phosphate synthase were upregulated in diapause at mRNA or protein level while glycolysis and gluconeogenesis-related genes were downregulated, suggesting that A. gifuensis stores trehalose as an energy resource and cryoprotectant; (2) the expression of immune-related genes like C-type lectins, hemocyanin, and phenoloxidase was increased, which helps to maintain immunity during diapause; (3) a chitin synthase and several cuticular protein genes were upregulated to harden the cuticle of diapausing A. gifuensis larval. These findings improve our understanding of A. gifuensis. diapause and provide the foundation for further pertinent studies.

Pain control for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing CT-guided percutaneous microwave ablation.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) is usually performed in patients under conscious sedation. Nonetheless, many patients reported pain during the procedure. The current study investigated the safety and effectiveness of analgesia given at personalized dosage during the MWA procedure. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) were included in this study. These patients underwent CT-guided percutaneous MWA between February and October 2017. Patients were randomized into two groups: Experimental group (n = 50) and Control group (n = 50). Patients in the Control group were given 5 mg of morphine intravenously, followed by 10 mg of morphine injected subcutaneously 30 min before surgery. Patients in the Experimental group were given a personalized dosage of morphine during the procedure when the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was ≥4. Other clinical and treatment parameters were also analysed. RESULTS: A significantly less amount of morphine (p < 0.001) was used in the experimental group (7.18 ± 1.65 mg) than in the control group (17.40 ± 2.52 mg). No significant differences were found in the number of patients who needed to discontinue the surgery (p = 0.242). Other clinical parameters including heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures at various time points were comparable. Importantly, a lower VAS was reported in the experimental group, indicating a lower pain intensity experienced by patients during the procedure. CONCLUSION: The administration of personalized dosage of morphine to HCC patients undergoing percutaneous MWA is an effective and safe procedure for pain control.

Single-phase coronary artery CT angiography extracted from stress dynamic myocardial CT perfusion on third-generation dual-source CT: Validation by coronary angiography.

BACKGROUND: CT advances allow coronary arterial tree to be entirely covered during one CTP scan. Our aim was to investigate the potential value of single-phase coronary CT angiography (SP-CCTA) extracted from stress dynamic myocardial CT perfusion (CTP) for coronary artery stenosis assessment. METHODS: Consecutive symptomatic patients were prospectively recruited and scanned with an ATP-stress dynamic myocardial CTP and routine CCTA protocol using third-generation DSCT. Noise reduction was applied to optimize image quality (IQ), the CTP phase with the best enhancement of the coronary arteries was selected as the SP-CCTA. IQ was assessed qualitatively. Using coronary angiography (CAG) as the reference standard, the diagnostic performance for stenosis detection was compared for SP-CCTA and routine CCTA. RESULTS: 56 patients underwent the CTP and CCTA examination, among which 39 patients underwent CAG. The qualitative IQ scores of SP-CCTA were similar to that of routine CCTA (p > 0.05). On a per-segment basis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, diagnostic accuracy and area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve results of SP-CCTA and routine CCTA for diagnosis of stenosis ≥50% exhibited no significant difference (SP-CCTA: 78.1%, 94.9%, 77.4%, 95.1%, 91.6% and 0.935 vs. routine CCTA: 74.7%, 95.3%, 78.0%, 95.3%, 91.6% and 0.937; all p > 0.05). The mean effective radiation dose of CTP and routine CCTA plus CTP were 3.92 ±â€¯1.72 mSv and 5.98 ±â€¯2.01 mSv (p < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The IQ and diagnostic value of SP-CCTA was equivalent to routine CCTA on third-generation DSCT. SP-CCTA images from CTP may potentially replace a separate routine CCTA, allowing the possibility of "one-stop" cardiac examination for high-risk CAD patients who need myocardial ischemia assessment.

Highly selective detection of spermine in human urine via a nanometal surface energy transfer platform.

As an important biomarker of malignant tumors, spermine is closely related with some diseases. In this work, a nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) strategy via the positively charged gold nanorods (AuNRs) and the negatively charged tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS4) was developed to detect spermine in human urine. Under acidic condition, spermine possessed multi-cationic property and a strong affinity towards the anionic phosphate backbone of calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) by electrostatic attraction as well as the groove binding, which enabled to regulate the process of NSET between AuNRs and TPPS4, leading to the fluorescence quenching of TPPS4. Moreover, the quenched fluorescence was proportional to the concentration of spermine, which was applicable to monitor the level of spermine in human urine in the concentration range of 0.5-7.5 µM. The NSET platform for spemine is simple, selective and time-saving, which has great significance in early cancer diagnosis.

Zishenpingchan granules for the treatment of Parkinson's disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Levodopa preparations remain the preferred drug for Parkinson's disease. However, long-term use of levodopa may lead to a series of motor complications. Previous studies have shown that the combination of levodopa and Zishenpingchan granules (consisting of Radix Rehmanniae preparata, Lycium barbarum, Herba Taxilli, Rhizoma Gastrodiae, Stiff Silkorm, Curcuma phaeocaulis, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Rhizoma Arisaematis, Scorpio and Centipede) can markedly improve dyskinesia and delay the progression of Parkinson's disease, with especially dramatic improvements of non-motor symptoms. However, the efficacy of this combination has not been confirmed by randomized controlled trials. The current study was approved by the Hospital Ethics Committee and was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Register (registration number: ChiCTR-INR-1701194). From December 2014 to December 2016, 128 patients (72 males and 56 females, mean age of 65.78 ± 6.34 years) with Parkinson's disease were recruited from the Department of Neurology of Longhua Hospital and Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. Patients were equally allocated into treatment and control groups. In addition to treatment with dopamine, patients in treatment and control groups were given Zishenpingchan granules or placebo, respectively, for 24 weeks. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, on-off phenomenon, Hoehn-Yahr grade, Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease-Autonomic, Parkinson's disease sleep scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire. Artificial neural networks were used to determine weights at which to scale these parameters. Our results demonstrated that Zishenpingchan granules significantly reduced the occurrence of motor complications, and were useful for mitigating dyskinesia and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. This combination of Chinese and Western medicine has the potential to reduce levodopa dosages, and no obvious side effects were found. These findings indicate that Zishenpingchan granules can mitigate symptoms of Parkinson's disease, reduce toxic side effects of dopaminergic agents, and exert synergistic and detoxifying effects.

Time-resolved visual detection of heparin by accelerated etching of gold nanorods.

Plasmonic gold nanorods are promising and sensitive light scattering probes, which can reach the single particle level. Herein, we present the light scattering properties of gold nanorods for time-resolved visual detection of heparin based on the rapid etching of gold nanorods under dark-field microscopy.

Application of antibodies against Borna disease virus phosphoprotein and nucleoprotein on paraffin sections.

In order to study the application of antibodies against recombinant proteins for detecting Borna disease virus (BDV) phosphoprotein (p24) and nucleoprotein (p40) (BDV­p24/p40) on paraffin sections by immunohistochemistry. The purified fusion p24 and p40 proteins were used for the preparation of polyclonal and monoclonal anti­p24 and anti­40 antibodies, which were confirmed by ELISA and western blotting. Paraffin sections were made from BDV­infected Sprague­Dawley (SD) rats (n=20), PBS­injected SD rats (n=20), normal SD rats (n=20) and normal C57 mice (n=20). Immunohistochemical staining was performed according to the EnVision™ two­step protocol. Heat­mediated antigen retrieval was performed using the retrieval buffer sodium citrate (1 mM; pH 6.0). All the antibodies against recombinant proteins exhibited good sensitivity and specificity. There were significant differences between the BDV­infected group and the BDV­uninfected group for poly­ and monoclonal anti­p24 and ­p40 antibodies. These antibodies against recombinant proteins may be used effectively to detect BDV p24 and p40 in paraffin sections.

Effectiveness and safety of CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of adrenal metastases.

OBJECTIVE: The imaging-guided percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation of adrenal metastases is a relatively new treatment procedure, compared to the more widespread application of the technique for the treatment of liver and renal cancers. The present study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the CT-guided percutaneous RF ablation of adrenal metastases in a cohort of patients. METHODS: 33 patients with 38 adrenal metastases who received percutaneous CT-guided RF ablation between 2012 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The average diameter of the treated adrenal metastases was 3.0 ± 1.6 cm. The treatment outcomes, including presence of residual tumours, technical success rate, recurrence rate, and complications, were evaluated. Patients were followed up for every 3 months to monitor the progression of the disease. RESULTS: Postoperative CT images showed the lack of tumour enhancement in 30 tumours (30/38 tumours, technical success rate = 78.9%), and residual disease was found in 7 tumours (7/37 tumours, 18.9%). The rate of residual disease was significantly lower in the group with tumour size <3 cm than the group with tumour size ≥3 cm (p = 0.025). The severe complication rate was 4.3%, and the mild complication rate was 48%, with intraoperative hypertensive crisis as the most frequently observed complication (27.3%). The follow-up data showed that 76.3% of patients had recurrence-free survival in 27.4 months. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated that radiofrequency ablation is a relatively safe and effective treatment for controlling adrenal metastases, especially for patients with tumour size <3 cm. Advances in knowledge: Surgical resection of the adrenal metastases was advocated as one of the treatment options for patients. The present study showed that radiofrequency ablation is a relatively safe and effective treatment for controlling adrenal metastases.

Chiral nanoprobes for targeting and long-term imaging of the Golgi apparatus.

The Golgi apparatus is an essential subcellular organelle. Targeting and monitoring the Golgi change at the single-cell level over a long time scale are critical but are challenges that have not yet been tackled. Inspired by the precise Golgi positioning ability of galactosyltransferase and protein kinase D, due to their cysteine residues, we developed a method for long-term Golgi imaging. Fluorescent molecules, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and silica nanoparticles could target the Golgi when they are modified with l-cysteine. l-Cysteine-rich chiral carbon quantum dots (LC-CQDs), which have the benefits of a high Golgi specificity from l-cysteine and excellent photostability and biocompatibility from the CQDs, are proven to be highly suitable for long-term in situ imaging of the Golgi. Investigation of the mechanism showed that free thiol groups and the l-type stereo configuration of LC-CQDs are essential for specific targeting of the Golgi. With the aid of the as-prepared LC-CQDs, the dynamic changes of the Golgi in the early stage of viral infection were visualized. The Golgi targeting and imaging strategy used in this work is beneficial for Golgi-targeted drug delivery and early diagnosis and therapy of Golgi diseases.