[Best evidence summary for awake prone positioning in treating hypoxemic due to COVID-19 infection].

Objective: To retrieve, evaluate, and summarize the best evidence for the treatment of hypoxemia in patients with COVID-19 infection using the awake prone positioning, with the aim of guiding healthcare professionals in the standardized implementation of this therapy. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in databases including UpToDate, BMJ Best Practice, JBI Evidence-Based Healthcare Center, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Intensive Care Society, European Respiratory Society, World Health Organization website, Cochrane Library, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang. The retrieved literature was subjected to quality assessment and evidence extraction. Results: A total of ten publications were included, consisting of one thematic evidence summary, one guideline, two systematic reviews, three randomized controlled trials, and three expert consensus statements. This summary synthesizes thirty key pieces of evidence in five categories: organizational management and training, risk assessment, preparatory operations, implementation key points, and risk control. Conclusions: Awake prone positioning is beneficial for improving hypoxemia in patients with COVID-19 and is easy to implement. Medical institutions should develop nursing management systems, operational standards, and best practices for awake prone positioning based on evidence-based evidence in order to improve the quality of care management for such patients.

[Research progress on the role of resveratrol in wound healing].

The difficulty of wound healing in patients is a difficult problem that doctors in all clinical departments may encounter, and there is still no good solution. Resveratrol is a kind of natural active substance, which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and angiogenesis promoting effects, and is a potential drug to promote wound healing. However, the clinical application of resveratrol is limited due to its low bioavailability. In this review, the molecular mechanism of resveratrol in promoting wound healing and its administration methods in wound treatment were reviewed to provide ideas for the redevelopment of resveratrol.

[Generation and characterization of Cyp4v3 gene knockout mice].

OBJECTIVE: Bietti crystalline dystrophy (BCD) is a rare degenerative eye disease caused by mutations in the CYP4V2 gene, and Cyp4v3 is the murine ortholog to CYP4V2. To better understand the molecular pathogenesis of this disease and to explore the potential treatment we have established a Cyp4v3 knock-out mouse model. METHODS: Cyp4v3-/- mice were generated by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 in embryonic stem cells of C57BL/6J mice. Ocular morphologic characteristics were evaluated via fundus imaging, histologic analysis of rods and cones via immunofluorescence, and phalloidin stain to observe retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in whole-mounts, electroretinogram (ERG) was also conducted to examine the retinal function. RESULTS: The characteristic features of BCD recurred in the Cyp4v3-/- mice, including retinal crystalline deposits, atrophy and degeneration of RPE cells, and ERG amplitude decline of dark and light adapted a- and b- wave; however, the immunofluorescence stain of rod and cone cells did not show obvious differences when compared with the wild type (WT) mice. In the early stage of the disease, no crystal-like deposits were found in the fundus, ERG detection of the retinal function did not find a significant decline, and the morphological structure and quantity of the neural retina and RPE did not change significantly. Crystalline deposits occurred and converged when the Cyp4v3-/- mice at the end of 6 months, and the deposits disappeared when the Cyp4v3-/- mice at the end of 12 months. The ERG amplitude started to decline when the Cyp4v3-/- mice at the end of 6 months and deteriorated at the end of 12 months. The RPE cells of the 12-month old Cyp4v3-/- mice showed irregular shape by phalloidin staining of F-actin. The Cyp4v3-/- mice behaved normally and were viable and fertile when maintained under specific pathogen-free (SPF) housing conditions. CONCLUSION: Just like BCD patients, the disease progress of Cyp4v3-/- mouse is correlated with the age, which provides a good model for pathogenesis and gene therapy study in the future. The atrophy and degeneration of RPE take the lead in progressing of the disease, but the mechanism is not clear yet.

[Comparison study of whole exome sequencing and targeted panel sequencing in molecular diagnosis of inherited retinal dystrophies].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare whole exome sequencing (WES) and targeted panel sequencing in the clinical molecular diagnosis of the Chinese families affected with inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs). METHODS: The clinical information of 182 probands affected with IRDs was collected, including their family history and the ophthalmic examination results. Blood samples of all probands and their relatives were collected and genomic DNA was extracted by standard protocols. The first 91 cases were subjected to the WES and the other 91 cases were subjected to a specific hereditary eye disease enrichment panel (HEDEP) designed by us. All likely pathogenic and pathogenic variants in the candidate genes were determined by Sanger sequencing and co-segregation analyses were performed in available family members. Copy number variations (CNVs) detected by HEDEP were further validated by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). As PRGR ORF15 was difficult to capture by next generation sequencing (NGS), all the samples were subjected to Sanger sequencing for this region. All sequence changes identified by NGS were classified according to the American College of Medical Gene-tics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) variant interpretation guidelines. In this study, only variants identified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic were included, while those variants of uncertain significance, likely benign or benign were not included. RESULTS: In 91 cases with WES, pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were determined in 30 cases, obtaining a detection rate of 33.00% (30/91); While in 91 cases with HEDEP sequencing, pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were determined in 51 cases, achieving the diagnostic rate of 56.04% (51/91), and totally, the diagnostic rate was 44.51%. HEDEP had better sequencing coverage and read depth than WES, therefore HEDEP had higher detection rate. In addition, HEDEP could detect CNVs. In this study, we detected disease-causing variants in 29 distinct IRD-associated genes, USH2A, ABCA4 and RPGR were the three most common disease-causing genes, and the frequency of these genes in Chinese IRDs population was 11.54% (21/182), 6.59% (12/182) and 3.85% (7/182), respectively. We found 43 novel variants and 6 cases carried variants in RPGR ORF15. CONCLUSION: NGS in conjunction with Sanger sequencing offers a reliable and effective approach for the genetic diagnosis of IRDs, and after evaluating the pros and cons of the two sequencing methods, we conclude that HEDEP should be used as a first-tier test for IRDs patients, WES can be used as a supplementary molecular diagnostic method due to its merit of detecting novel IRD-associated genes if HEDEP or other methods could not detect disease-causing va-riants in reported genes. In addition, our results enriched the mutational spectra of IRDs genes, and our methods paves the way of genetic counselling, family planning and up-coming gene-based therapies for these families.

[Expression pattern of different serotypes of adeno-associated viral vectors in mouse retina].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression efficiency of exogenous gene mediated by different serotypes of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors in retina, and to compare the expression efficiency of AAV vector and two kinds of promoters commonly used in ophthalmology after transfection into mouse retina, so as to provide the basis for selecting appropriate AAV vector and promoter for gene therapy of retinitis pigmentosa. METHODS: AAV2/2, AAV2/5, AAV2/8 and AAV2/9 were prepared. The C57BL/6J mice were injected subretinally with 1 µL purified AAV vectors (1.00×1013 mg/L). Then the mice were killed 2 or 4 weeks after treatment, and the eyes were enucleated for frozen section. The expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) was observed under the confocal microscope. Two kinds of promoters, CMV and CAG, were selectd, and the expression of AAV2/8-GFP-CMV and AAV2/8-GFP-CAG was observed under confocal microscope. RESULTS: No bacterial infection or immune response were seen in the injected mice. 2 weeks after injection, the GFP green fluorescence of AAV2/8 and AAV2/9 in the mouse retina was obvious, which indicated that the GFP green fluorescence of AAV2/8 and AAV2/9 was high after transfection into the mouse retina. In these two serotypes, GFP green fluorescence of AAV2/8 was mainly concentrated in photoreceptor cells while AAV2/8 was expressed in the whole retina, indicating that AAV2/8 was more specific to photoreceptors. Further experiments on AAV2/8 showed that the GFP green fluorescence of the mouse retina was obvious 4 weeks after injection, indicating that the exogenous gene mediated by AAV2/8 could be stably expressed in vivo. For CMV and CAG promoters, CMV promoter was expressed stronger in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)cells, while CAG promoter was stronger in photorecepters. In photorecepters, CAG promoter was expressed almost the same as CMV promoter, while CMV promoter was stronger in RPE cells. CONCLUSION: AAV vectors could express transgene robustly in retinal cells; Among several AAV serotypes, AAV2/2 and AAV2/5 showed weaker GFP fluorescence than AAV2/8 and AAV2/9. AAV2/9 showed expression in each layer of the retina including ganglion cells. AAV2/8 was more specific for photoreceptor; CAG promoters had higher specificity for photoreceptors than CMV promoters.

MiR-193 promotes cell proliferation and invasion by ING5/PI3K/AKT pathway of triple-negative breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are a subtype of breast cancer lacking of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human EGF-like receptor 2 (HER2). MiR-193 always acted as an oncogene and promoted toxic aldehyde accumulation and tyrosine hydroxylase dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to explore the function of miR-193 in triple-negative breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to examine the mRNA level of miR-193 expression in 50 cases of TNBC tissues and para-cancerous specimens. Also, the relation between miR-193 level and the overall survival of TNBC patient was analyzed. MiR-193 mimic and miR-193 inhibitor oligos, as well as the corresponding negative control, were synthesized from RiboBio (Guangzhou, China). RESULTS: MiR-193 expression was higher in triple-negative breast cancer tissues and cell lines than the corresponding adjacent non-tumor tissues and normal cell lines. Upregulation of miR-193 predicted poor prognosis of TNBC patients. Overexpression of miR-193 promoted cell proliferation and invasion, while that was suppressed by the knockdown of miR-193. MiR-193 binds to the 3'-UTR of an inhibitor of growth family member 5 (ING5) mRNA to mediate the expression of ING5 in TNBC cells. The knockdown of miR-193 inhibited cell invasion-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, the knockdown of miR-193 suppressed cell proliferation through the ING5/phosphatidylinositol 3-hydroxy kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signal pathway. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-193 enhanced cell invasion-mediated EMT and improved cell proliferation through the ING5/PI3K/AKT signal pathway in triple-negative breast cancer. The newly identified miR-193/ING5/PI3K/AKT axis provides novel insight into the pathogenesis of triple-negative breast cancer.

MicroRNA-155 and FOXP3 jointly inhibit the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by regulating ZEB2 expression.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to explore whether microRNA-155 and FOXP3 could regulate invasive and migratory capacities of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells by mediating Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to detect the binding condition between microRNA-155, FOXP3, and ZEB2. Protein and mRNA levels of ZEB2 in CRC cells were detected after overexpression of microRNA-155 and FOXP3 by Western blot and quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), respectively. In vitro experiments were conducted using HCT116 and SW620 cell lines. We first detected expression levels of microRNA-155, FOXP3, and ZEB2 in the normal colorectal epithelial cell line (NCM460) and CRC cell lines (HCT116 and SW620) by qRT-PCR. Protein expressions of ZEB2, E-cadherin, and vimentin in WT, LV-GFP, and LV-FOXP3 groups were detected. Wound healing assay and transwell assay were conducted to determine the regulatory effects of microRNA-155 and FOXP3 on invasive and migratory capacities of CRC cells, respectively. RESULTS: Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay found that FOXP3 binds to the promoter and intron regions of ZEB2, and microRNA-155 binds to the 3'UTR region of wild-type ZEB2. Overexpression of FOXP3 downregulated mRNA and protein levels of ZEB2. ZEB2 was highly expressed, whereas microRNA-155 and FOXP3 were lowly expressed in HCT116 and SW620 cells than NCM460 cells. MicroRNA-155 overexpression upregulated E-cadherin and downregulated vimentin in CRC cells. Overexpression of FOXP3 and microRNA-155 inhibited invasive and migratory capacities of CRC cells. CONCLUSIONS: MicroRNA-155 and FOXP3 can jointly regulate ZEB2 expression, thereby inhibiting the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells.

Analysis of 13 Cases of Abnormal Death after Drinking.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the common causes of death after drinking and the precautions for forensic identification. METHODS: By reading alarm records, visiting investigations, on-site investigation transcripts, medical examination records and identification documents, the sex, age, corpse examination, toxic （drug） analysis and cause of death in 13 cases of post-drinking death were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: In 13 cases of post-drinking abnormal death, the causes of death were mainly drowning after drinking and asphyxia induced by stomach contents reflux. However, when accompanied by injury or other toxic poisoning, competition of death causes often occured. CONCLUSIONS: Combining the case and on-site inspection, a comprehensive systematic corpse examination and toxic （drug） analysis is of great significance for the forensic identification of cadavers of non-acute ethanol poisoning after drinking.

[Clinical value of health-related quality of life evaluation in community patients with hepatitis B].

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a major infectious disease which threatens people's health around the world. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become an important index for evaluating the treatment and prognosis of patients with CHB. Many studies abroad have shown that the HRQoL of patients with CHB is influenced by various factors. Disease severity, clinical symptoms, and low self-efficacy are important influencing factors for patients' quality of life. Anti-viral therapy, proper physical therapy, or psychological intervention can significantly improve the HRQoL of community CHB patients, and HRQoL is even significantly improved in patients undergoing liver transplantation one year ago. These studies provide valid evidence for antiviral therapy for hepatitis B patients and liver transplantation techniques from the psychological level. At present, there still lacks studies on HRQoL of CHB patients in China. This article summarizes the measurement tools for HRQoL widely used in recent years in China and foreign countries, reviews the research advances in HRQoL in community patients with CHB, and discusses the perspectives for future studies.

[Developing a canine vocal fold scar model by CO2 laser and studying the LOX, HSP70 and HA expression in its extra celluar matrix].

Objective:Building a canine vocal fold scar model and analyzing the changes in morphology, histopathology and related factors of extra cellular matrix (ECM) of vocal cord healing at different time periods.Method:Five experimental dogs were randomly divided into the control group(one dog) and the experimental group (four dogs). No special treatment was done on the control group, and the experimental group was given CO2 laser through laryngoscope with minimally invasive surgery on bilateral vocal cords. Observation of the morphological changes of injured vocal cords was made at five different time, pre-operation and 6 h, 3 w, 8 w and 12 w post-operation. HE staining, immunofluorescence, were used respectively to observe the histopathological and ultrastructural changes of each layer of vocal cord. Observation were made on the changing pattern of lysyl oxidase (LOX), heat shock proteins70 (HSP70), and the integrated optical density index (IOD) of Hyaluronic acid (HA) in vocal cord tissues. Result:①Laryngoscope shows there were mild congestion and edema and inflammatory exudation on the wound surface of vocal cord 3w post-operation. On the wound surface of vocal cord 8 w post-operation, the congestion and edema disappear, the local contraction sink, and no adhesion and granulation form. 12 w post-operation, the surface of the vocal cord was smooth, there were local contractures, vocal fold scar form, and hoarseness in the bilateral vocal cords was obvious. ②HE staining shows 6 h post-operation there were a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration, red blood cell leakage, and cell congestion and edema on the wound surface of vocal cord. 3 w post-operation, there were fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, and a large number of fibrous tissues disorderly arranged on the wound surface of vocal cord. 8w post-operation, each layer of fibrous tissues were in hyperplasia and the blood vessels was thicken after on the wound surface of vocal cord, 12 w post-operation, a large number of collagens increases and were in group or fasciculation disorder. There were many irregular gaps in fibers, and blood vessels and glands become rare or disappear. ③The immunofluorescence showed LOX, HSP70 and HA were all localized in the cellular cytoplasm and nucleus. The expression levels were different at different postoperative time, and they were mainly relatively strong expressed in the inflammatory cells, vascular endothelial cells and the glands. ④The comparison of IOD values: The IOD values of LOX were different at different time periods (P< 0.05). There were no significant differences in IOD of HSP70 between pre-operation and 12 w post-operation, but there are significant differences among other groups (P< 0.05). There were no significant differences in IOD of HA between pre-operation and 12 w post-operation, but there were significant differences among other groups (P< 0.01). ⑤The expression of LOX decreased 6h post-operation and increased 3-12 w post-operation. The expression of HSP70 post-operation reached the peak 6 h post-operation and decreased 3-12 w post-operation. The expression of HA decreased 6 h post-operation, increased to the peak 8 w post-operation, and decreased 8-12 w post-operation.⑥The transmission electron microscope showed 3 w to 8 w post-operation, in the intrinsic layer of the vocal cord, the fibroblasts were extremely active, the cells swelled, and the organelles were abundant.12 w post-operation, there were a small number of fibroblasts in the active state, and larger gaps between the fibers and fewer and thinner elastic fibers. Conclusion:CO2 laser ablation of vocal cords under the Micro Post-Laryngoscope could establish reliable animal model of vocal fold scar, and 12 w reticular the vocal fold scars basically form. LOX, HSP70, HA play different roles at early, middle, and late stages in the vocal fold scar formation, and they can be used as a more sensitive index for vocal fold scar formation.

[Meta-analysis on partial risk factors of full-term infants with low birth weight].

Objective: To evaluate the risk factors of full-term infants with low birth weight. Methods: All related Chinese and English literatures published from 1980 to February 25, 2016 were collected from CBM, CNKI, Wang Fang Data, Medline and Embase databases, and screened with inclusion and exclusion criteria and Stata13.0 software was used in this Meta-analysis. Results: Twenty three studies were included and there were 278 020 subjects. Female infants (pooled OR=1.60, 95%CI: 1.49-1.72), less antenatal care visits (pooled OR=1.81, 95%CI: 1.54-2.11), maternal passive smoking (pooled OR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.08-2.06), pregnancy-induced hypertension (pooled OR=2.96, 95% CI: 1.85-4.74) and hypamnion (pooled OR=2.71, 95%CI: 1.87-3.93) were the risk factors for full-term infants with low birth weight. Conclusion: Departments of maternal and health care should encourage pregnant women to have antenatal care visits to find and treat their pregnancy complications, and avoid passive smoking actively through health education for the purpose to prompt the birth quality of infants.

Andrographolide radiosensitizes human esophageal cancer cell line ECA109 to radiation in vitro.

To explore the radiosensitivity of andrographolide on esophageal cancer cell line ECA109. The inhibition effects of andrographolide were measured using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Clonogenic survival assay was used to evaluate the effects of andrographolide on the radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer cells. Immunofluorescence was employed to examine Bax expression. The changes in cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were assayed using flow cytometry. The expression of NF-κb/Cleaved-Caspase3/Bax/Bcl-2 was measured using Western blot analysis. DNA damage was detected via γ-H2AX foci counting. With a clear dose and time effects, andrographolide was found to inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cell line ECA109. The results of the clonogenic survival assay show that andrographolide could markedly enhance radiosensitivity (P < 0.05) with a sensitizing enhancement ratio of 1.28. Andrographolide caused a dose-dependent increase in Cleaved-Caspase3/Bax protein expression and a decrease in Bcl-2/NF-κb expression. Apoptosis in andrographolide-treated ECA-109 increased significantly compared with the apoptosis in the simple drug and radiation combined with drug groups (P < 0.001; P < 0.05). Moreover, compared with the independent radiation group, the andrographolide combined with radiation group increased the number of DNA double chain breaks. Andrographolide can increase the radiosensitivity of esophageal cell line ECA109. This result may be associated with the decrease in the NF-κb level and the induced apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells.

Effects of meteorological factors on scrub typhus in a temperate region of China.

Scrub typhus is emerging and re-emerging in many areas: climate change may affect its spread. To explore the effects of meteorological factors on scrub typhus, monthly cases of scrub typhus from January 2006 to December 2012 in the Laiwu district of temperate northern China were analysed. We examined the correlations between scrub typhus and meteorological factors (and their delayed effects). We built a time-series adjusted negative binomial model to reflect the relationships between climate variables and scrub typhus cases. The key determinants of scrub typhus transmission were temperature, relative humidity and precipitation. Each 1°C increase in monthly average temperature in the previous 3 months, each 1% increase in monthly relative humidity in the previous 2 months and each 1 mm increase in monthly precipitation in the previous 3 months induced 15·4%, 12·6% and 0·7% increases in the monthly number of cases, respectively. In conclusion, scrub typhus is affected by climate change in temperate regions.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome induced by the cross-reactivity between teicoplanin and vancomycin.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: The glycopeptide antibiotics, vancomycin and teicoplanin, are the mainstay of therapy for severe gram-positive organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. We report a case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) induced by sequential therapy with teicoplanin and vancomycin, in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). CASE SUMMARY: A 74-year-old Han Chinese with 1-year history of COPD was admitted for treatment of infective endocarditis. After teicoplanin therapy for 12 days, he developed pruritus and maculopapular over his trunk and limbs. His rash spread rapidly to most parts of the body surface area, 7 days after his anti-infection therapy was switched to vancomycin. This was stopped, but he developed SJS when teicoplanin was re-introduced. This patient recovered from his drug eruptions when both teicoplanin and vancomycin were stopped. Pharmacogenetic analyses revealed he was heterozygous with respect to two variants (rs2844682 of MUC21 and rs750332 of BAG6). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Cross-reactivity between vancomycin and teicoplanin is rare. SJS attributable to sequential treatment with these two antibiotics has not been reported previously. Care should be taken when prescribing vancomycin in patients with a previous documented skin eruption to teicoplanin, especially in those who carry any susceptibility alleles to SJS/TEN.

CYP2C9 polymorphism analysis in Han Chinese populations: building the largest allele frequency database.

Genetic polymorphisms of CYP2C9 significantly influence the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of some drugs, which might result in adverse drug effects and therapeutic failure. Several studies have been performed on CYP2C9 genetic polymorphisms in Han Chinese populations. However, these studies only focused on two commonly investigated alleles, *2 and *3, in relatively small sample sizes. To scale up the gene-scanning region and determine relatively precise data on the genetic distribution pattern in Chinese populations, unrelated healthy Han Chinese volunteers from Zhejiang Province (n=1127) and Hebei (n=1000) Province were recruited as subjects for the direct sequencing of all exons of CYP2C9. As a result, 14 previously reported alleles were detected in this work, and 8 of these alleles (*14, *16, *19, *23, *27, *29, *33 and *34) were described for the first time in Chinese populations. In addition, 37 novel mutations were also detected, of which 22 variants were non-synonymous, and 21 new alleles, *36-*56, were designated by the Human CYP Allele Nomenclature Committee. In vitro functional analysis of these 22 novel CYP2C9 variants revealed that 17 mutations had a significant influence on the protein's catalytic activity. Our study provides the most accurate data on CYP2C9 polymorphisms in Han Chinese populations and detects the largest number of novel allelic variants existing to date. These new alleles will greatly enrich the current knowledge of naturally occurring CYP2C9 variants in Chinese populations.

Removal of ammonium from rare-earth wastewater using natural brucite as a magnesium source of struvite precipitation.

This paper presents a study regarding ammonium removal from rare-earth wastewater by struvite precipitation with natural brucite mineral as a source of magnesium. Experimental results indicated that a pH ranging from 8.5 to 9.5 was the optimum for the removal of ammonium using the soluble form of brucite as a magnesium source. Additionally, when solid brucite was used as a magnesium source as well as an alkali reagent, the initial ammonium concentration of 4,535 mg/L decreased to 239-317 mg/L after an reaction time of 12 h in wastewater treated with the S/L (solid brucite/liquid wastewater) ratios ranging from 31.2 to 63.2 g/L. Furthermore, as some non-reacted brucite still remained in the precipitates obtained at the end of reaction, the precipitates were subjected to reuse. The reuse results demonstrated that the reuse of the precipitates obtained with 63.2 g/L was feasible, and almost half of the brucite dose could be saved.

A quantum transfer matrix method for one-dimensional disordered electronic systems.

We develop a novel quantum transfer matrix method to study thermodynamic properties of one-dimensional (1D) disordered electronic systems. It is shown that the partition function can be expressed as a product of 2 × 2 local transfer matrices. We demonstrate this method by applying it to the 1D disordered Anderson model. Thermodynamic quantities of this model are calculated and discussed.

Gelatinolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in rat brain after implantation of 9L rat glioma cells.

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have come to be highlighted by their close relation to the cell invasion of gliomas. The inhibitors of MMPs have undergone extensive development because of its effectiveness against tumor invasion and angiogenesis. Therefore, a suitable animal model is necessary for searching new MMPs inhibitors against gliomas. In this study, we established an experimental model by implanting 9L glioma cells stereotactically into Fisher344 (F344) rat's brain, and the expression and enzymatic activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in 9L glioma cells and in tumor tissue was determined by means of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) zymography, in situ film zymography and immunostaining. The results of RT-PCR showed that the mRNA level of MMP-2 in 9L glioma cells was higher than that of MMP-9, and the mRNA expression of MMP-9 was increased along with the growth of malignant gliomas. SDS-PAGE zymography revealed that the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly increased in tumor tissues, and the MMP-9 wasn't detected in normal tissue. The positive stain of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was enhanced with the growth of malignant gliomas, especially for MMP-9. The expression of active gelatinase was found in tumor tissue. In conclusion, the expression of active MMP-2 and MMP-9 was increased in 9L/F344 rat brain during the growth of malignant gliomas at different time intervals, which indicate that 9L/F344 animal model may be a prospective animal model to test new MMPs inhibitors.