[Tuberculosis screening in respiratory department inpatients in comprehensive medical institutions].

Objective: To explore the effect of screening tuberculosis patients in the respiratory department of general hospitals, and to provide a basis for the development of patient screening strategy. Methods: Clinical information and sputum samples of inpatients in the respiratory department of a general hospital in Longhua District, Shenzhen from December 2018 to December 2020 were collected. Sputum samples were sent to the tuberculosis laboratory of the Shenzhen Longhua Center for Chronic Disease Control (designated tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment institution) for sputum smear, liquid culture and Gene-Xpert test. Results: A total of 407 sputum samples (23 cases of suspected tuberculosis by chest imaging and 384 by clinical manifestations) were collected from 3 724 hospitalized patients. A total of 88 patients with positive etiology were detected by the three methods, and the positive rate was 21.6% (88/407), among which 15 patients with suspected tuberculosis were detected by imaging reports, and the positive rate of etiology was 19.0% (73/384) in the reported patients without imaging reports. At least 1.96% (73/3 724) of the hospitalized patients were estimated to be tuberculosis positive during the study. Pneumonia (30.1%,22/73), cough (15.1%,11/73) and pulmonary infection (15.1%,11/73) were the main characteristics in the patients with positive pathogens. Conclusions: Screening for tuberculosis among inpatients in the respiratory department of general hospitals is an effective way to detect patients who were radiographically reported to have probable tuberculosis. It is of great significance to carry out active screening in key departments of general hospitals for tuberculosis detection and control.

Effects of ME3 on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells through epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Malic enzyme 3 (ME3) aberrant expression contributes to the development of human malignancies. ME3 expression was higher in pancreatic cancer tissues than that in non-tumor tissues, and patients with higher ME3 levels had significantly shorter survival than those with lower levels analyzed by of Badea and TCGA databases. Further, the abilities of proliferation, migration and invasion in pancreatic cancer cells were inhibited by ME3 knockdown and were promoted by ME3 overexpression. Meanwhile, ME3 can promote EMT in pancreatic cancer cells possibly by regulation of TGF-ß/Smad2/3 signaling pathway. In conclusion, ME3 is extensively involved in carcinogenesis of pancreatic cancer and may become a new candidate target for diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

Metallic powder-bed based 3D printing of cellular scaffolds for orthopaedic implants: A state-of-the-art review on manufacturing, topological design, mechanical properties and biocompatibility.

Metallic cellular scaffold is one of the best choices for orthopaedic implants as a replacement of human body parts, which could improve life quality and increase longevity for the people needed. Unlike conventional methods of making cellular scaffolds, three-dimensional (3D) printing or additive manufacturing opens up new possibilities to fabricate those customisable intricate designs with highly interconnected pores. In the past decade, metallic powder-bed based 3D printing methods emerged and the techniques are becoming increasingly mature recently, where selective laser melting (SLM) and selective electron beam melting (SEBM) are the two representatives. Due to the advantages of good dimensional accuracy, high build resolution, clean build environment, saving materials, high customisability, etc., SLM and SEBM show huge potential in direct customisable manufacturing of metallic cellular scaffolds for orthopaedic implants. Ti-6Al-4V to date is still considered to be the optimal materials for producing orthopaedic implants due to its best combination of biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. This paper presents a state-of-the-art overview mainly on manufacturing, topological design, mechanical properties and biocompatibility of cellular Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds via SLM and SEBM methods. Current manufacturing limitations, topological shortcomings, uncertainty of biocompatible test were sufficiently discussed herein. Future perspectives and recommendations were given at the end.

Expression pattern of (+)-delta-cadinene synthase genes and biosynthesis of sesquiterpene aldehydes in plants of Gossypium arboreum L.

The cotton (+)-delta-cadinene synthase, a sesquiterpene cyclase, is encoded by a complex gene family which, based on homology, can be divided into two subfamilies: cad1-A and cad1-C. Southern blots revealed several members of the cad1-C subfamily, and a single member of the cad1-A subfamily, in the diploid Gossypium arboreum genome. One of the cad1-C genes, cad1-C3, was isolated from this species. According to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, transcripts of both cad1-C and cad1-A genes appeared in roots from the second day post germination and in 1-d-old cotyledons, whereas the transcription levels were too low to be detected in the hypocotyls. Initially, sesquiterpene cyclase activities were found to be high in the seedlings, then dropped in aerial organs but increased in roots during development. Sesquiterpene aldehyde contents followed the same pattern. In fully developed plants, the transcripts of cad1-C were detected in stems, leaves and pericarps, as well as in the sepals and petals 3 d before anthesis, but not at the day of anthesis. In contrast, cad1-A transcripts were not detected in any of these aerial organs. The sesquiterpene aldehyde contents increased in petals but decreased in sepals after anthesis. Treatment of G. arboreum stems with a Verticillium dahliae elicitor-preparation activated cad1-A transcription, but a significant level of cad1-C transcripts was detected both before and after elicitation. In G. hirsutum cv. GL-5, a glandless cultivar, the cad1-C gene was activated by the same fungal elicitor, followed by the synthesis of the sesquiterpene cyclase, and accumulation of sesquiterpene aldehydes. The cad1 gene expression during development and in response to elicitation, as well as the spatial and temporal pattern of sesquiterpene biosynthesis, constitute a chemical defense machinery in cotton plants.