[Review and perspective of clinical research involving chest tightness variant asthma in China].

Chest tightness variant asthma (CTVA) was first reported and named by Chinese scholars in 2013. It is a new clinical type of asthma characterized by chest tightness as the only or primary symptom, without typical asthma manifestations such as recurrent wheezing and shortness of breath, and without wheezing sounds heard during lung auscultation. The overall epidemiological data on CTVA is currently unavailable. Its pathogenesis is similar to that of typical asthma, involving eosinophilic airway inflammation. Due to the lack of typical clinical manifestations, insufficient knowledge of this disease in some clinicians and some other reasons, CTVA is susceptible to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis. Currently, the diagnostic criteria for CTVA are: chest tightness as the only or primary symptom, without typical asthma symptoms and signs such as wheezing and shortness of breath, and with any one of the objective indicators of variable airflow limitation. Effective anti-asthma treatment is required, and other diseases that cause chest tightness, such as cardiovascular, digestive, nervous, muscular, and mental diseases should be excluded. CTVA treatment follows that of typical asthma, but the specific treatment duration is uncertain and may require long-term management. Traditional Chinese medicine has shown some therapeutic effects on CTVA. Most CTVA patients have a good prognosis after active anti-asthma treatment. This paper analyzes and summarizes the research of CTVA in China from 2013 and provides new perspectives for further exploration of CTVA.

[Analysis of experience in diagnosis and treatment of fetal goiter in patients with Graves' disease complicated with pregnancy].

This article reported the clinical diagnosis and treatment experience of two cases of fetal goiter in Graves' disease (GD) complicated with pregnancy. Two GD patients took antithyroid drugs regularly during pregnancy and their thyroid functions were well controlled, but the levels of thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) of the two cases were still above the upper limit in the second and third trimester. Two fetuses had fetal goiter in the middle and late stages of pregnancy. After continuously controlling maternal thyroid function and closely monitoring fetal ultrasound, there was no aggravation of the fetal goiter, and the delivery went smoothly. One case had neonatal hyperthyroidism. It is suggested that although the thyroid function was well controlled during pregnancy in patients with GD, the high level of serum TRAb still needs to be alert to the occurrence of fetal goiter, and fetal ultrasound is the most direct non-invasive monitoring method.

[Comparison of diagnostic value between renal cyst index and Bosniak classification in cystic renal masses].

A total of 106 patients who were diagnosed with Bosniak catergory ⅡF or Ⅲ cystic renal masses (CRM) and underwent surgery in Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital and Xuhui District Central Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The diagnostic accuracy of renal cyst index (RCI) and Bosniak classification system was compared by analyzing the relevant parameters including the sensitivity and specificity. There were 62 males and 44 females, with a median age of 56 years old. Among the 106 CRM, 72 were benign and 34 were malignant. The sensitivity and specificity of RCI was 94.12% and 81.94%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of Bosniak classification system was 73.53% and 80.56%, respectively. Chi-square test revealed that the sensitivity of RCI was significantly higher than that of Bosniak classification system (P=0.023). The current study indicates that RCI is a simple and feasible method which can provide quantitative evaluation for predicting characteristics of CRM.

Colorectal cancer with indeterminate pulmonary nodules.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies with a dismal prognosis. Indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs) are lung nodules with uncertain nature, generally defined as a noncalcified nodule smaller than 10 mm in diameter or solid nodule no greater than 20 mm at maximum diameter without malignant character. With the widespread use of preoperative staging computed tomography (CT) of the chest and follow-up CT, IPNs are frequently detected in patients with CRC, which makes diagnosis more controversial. Generally, progression to pulmonary metastasis from IPNs is rare. Thus, no further interventions were needed for IPNs in CRC patients. A second reviewing of scans with IPNs by both clinicians and experienced thoracic radiologists may help to obtain a more accurate diagnosis.

[Therapeutic evaluation of the correction of the severe bi-maxillary protrusion cases by Tweed-Merrifield technique].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of Tweed-Merrifield technique in correction of severe bimaxillary protrusion adult patients on the measurement of the dental and skeletal changes after orthodontic treatment by Johnston analysis and the regular cephalomatric analysis. METHODS: Twelve adolescent patients with severe bimaxillary protrusion were included in this self-control retrospective study. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken before and after treatments. All the radiographs were traced and analyzed by the method of Johnston analysis. Other measurements were evaluated using a series of 13 linear and angular measurements including SNA, SNB, ANB, U1-SN, U1-NA, U1/NA, L1-NB, U1/NB, L1/MP, U1-L1, (U1+L1)/2-AB, MP/SN and MP/FH from regular cephalomatric analysis. These measurements were also applied to compare the differences between pre- and post-treatments, which clarify the dental and skeletal changes by Johnston analysis. The effect of orthodontic correction was determined using the non-parameters test. RESULTS: The maxillary moved backforward by 1.3 mm according to the stable skull base, while the mandible moved forward by 2.12 mm. The relative position between the maxillary and mandible (ABCH) changed 3.42 mm. The upper and lower incisors retracted significantly. The upper and lower molars moved slightly forward and the relative positions of upper and lower molars and anterior teeth after treatment were 3.44 mm and 4.23 mm respectively. After treatment, the parameters of ANB, U1-NA, U1/NA, U1-SN, L1-NB, L1/NB and L1-M were reduced by -(1.98±1.55)°(P=0.012), - (5.08±4.6) mm (P=0.002), -(11.79±1.21)°(P=0.004), -(13.55±6.32)°(P=0.047), -(3.17±3.07) mm (P=0.010), -(6.84±2.55)°(P=0.038) and -(4.13±2.24)°(P=0.048) on average, whose changes had the statistically significant effects. CONCLUSION: Tweed-Merrifield technique (directional force technique) can stabilize anchorage molar, retract anterior teeth and significantly improve the hard and soft tissue profile for patients with bimaxillary protrusion, and make a good vertical control which means this technique is applicable to the patients who need strong anchorage. Even for the severe bimaxillary protrusion adult patients, the Tweed-Merrifield technique can control the anchoragewell and make the profiles improved greatly.

[Effects of microRNA-379-5p on proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of microRNA-379-5p (miR-379-5p) on proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. METHODS: Human HCC cell line HepG2 was infected with lentivirus carrying miR-379-5p (miR-379-5p group) or lentivirus carrying negative control sequences (negative control group). The untreated HepG2 cells represented blank control group. Cell proliferation was determined by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assays. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by Transwell assays. The mRNA and protein expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with negative control group and blank control group, cell migration and invasion was significantly inhibited in miR-379-5p group (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in cell proliferation among the three groups (P>0.05). Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in miR-379-5p group were significantly lower than that in negative control group and blank control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: miR-379-5p can suppress migration and invasion of HCC cell lines, which may be achieved by inhibiting MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions.

Short Communication: Effect of heat stress on heat-shock protein (Hsp60) mRNA expression in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.

The enhanced expression of heat shock proteins (hsps) in organisms can be detected in response to many kinds of stressor. For fish, high temperature is an important stressor, and hsp expression is associated with differences in environmental temperature. In this study, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) that were accustomed to an aquatic temperature of 18°C were exposed to an elevated temperature (25°C), and hsp60 expression in the gill, liver, spleen, heart, and head kidney was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction in unstressed and heat-stressed animals. The fish responded to heat stress in a time- and tissue-specific manner. Cardiac hsp60 mRNA levels were largely unchanged, and the greatest induction of hsp60 in heat-stressed animals was recorded in the liver, suggesting that protein damage and the consequent requirement for the Hsp60 protein are probably greater in hepatic tissue. Therefore, fish must be provided with optimal temperature conditions in order to realize their potential growth and maximize fish farm profits.

First Report of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Causing Sclerotinia Blight on Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in Northeastern China.

Peanut, Arachis hypogaea L., is an important source of vegetable oil and protein in China with a planting area of 5 million ha and annual production of 16.2 million metric tons. In September of 2012, typical symptoms of Sclerotinia blight were first observed on peanut in Shuangcheng, Heilongjiang Province, China. Approximately 50% of the plants in a field were infected. Symptoms began as a chlorotic wilt on the foliage and developed into necrosis of basal stems and developed very quickly in the field. In advanced stages of the disease, stems and branches became bleached and eventually died. White, fluffy mycelium and black irregular sclerotia (3.5 to 5.4 mm diameter) were observed on the infected stems. Infected branches and pegs were shredded, and most pods dropped on the soil during harvest. To isolate the causal agent of the disease, sclerotia were collected from the field. Twenty sclerotia were surface disinfected in 1% NaOCl for 3 min, rinsed three times with sterile water, placed on potato sucrose agar (PSA) with 100 µg/ml streptomycin, and then incubated at 22°C in the dark for 10 days. Fungal DNA was extracted from mycelia with a TIANGEN DNAsecure Plant Kit (Beijing) and amplified by PCR with the universal fungal primer ITS1 and ITS4. PCR products of five replicates were sequenced and subjected to an NCBI BLAST search. The BLAST search revealed that our sequences (GenBank Accession No. KC935388) had 100% identity with reported sequences of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The isolates were identified as S. sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary based on mycelia, sclerotia, and rDNA sequence analysis. To conduct pathogenicity tests, nine potted peanut plants (1 month old) were each inoculated with a 5-mm-diameter disk of colonized PSA by placing the inoculum on the base of the stem. Plants were inoculated with a plug of non-colonized PSA as controls. All inoculated plants were covered with a plastic bag for 5 days to maintain high humidity and incubated at 22 to 24°C in the growth chamber with a 12-h photoperiod. After 2 days, the inoculated plants showed water-soaked brown symptoms on the stem base and whole plants wilted after 5 days under high moisture conditions. The symptoms were identical to those observed on peanut plants in Shuangcheng, Heilongjiang Province, whereas the control plants remained symptom-free. Re-isolation of the fungus from the inoculated plants confirmed that the causal agent was S. sclerotiorum. S. sclerotiorum has been reported on peanut in the United States and Argentina (1,2,3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. sclerotiorum as a pathogen causing Sclerotinia blight on peanut in northeastern China. References: (1) A. Marinelli et al. Int. J. Pest Manage. 44:251, 1998. (2) J. E. Woodward et al. Plant Dis. 90:111, 2006. (3) J. E. Woodward et al. Plant Dis. 92:1468, 2008.

Subsurface hydrological connectivity controls nitrate export flux in a hilly catchment.

Subsurface runoff represents the main pathway of nitrate transport in hilly catchments. The magnitude of nitrate export from a source area is closely related to subsurface hydrological connectivity, which refers to the linkage of separate regions of a catchment via subsurface runoff. However, understanding of how subsurface hydrological connectivity regulates catchment nitrate export remains insufficient. This study conducted high-frequency monitoring of shallow groundwater in a hilly catchment over 17 months. Subsurface hydrological connectivity of the catchment over 38 rainfall events was analyzed by combining topography-based upscaling of shallow groundwater and graph theory. Moreover, cross-correlation analysis was used to evaluate the time-series similarity between subsurface hydrological connectivity and nitrate flux during rainfall events. The results showed that the maximum subsurface hydrological connectivity during 32 out of 38 rainfall events was below 0.5. Although subsurface flow paths (i.e., the pathways of lateral subsurface runoff) exhibited clear dynamic extension and contraction during rainfall events, most areas in the catchment did not establish subsurface hydrological connectivity with the stream. The primary pattern of nitrate export was flushing (44.7%), followed by dilution (34.2%), and chemostatic behavior (21.1%). A threshold relationship between subsurface hydrological connectivity and nitrate flux was identified, with nitrate flux rapidly increasing after the subsurface connectivity strength exceeded 0.121. Moreover, the median value of cross-correlation coefficients reached 0.67, which indicated subsurface hydrological connectivity exerts a strong control on nitrate flux. However, this control effect is not constant and it increases with rainfall amount and intensity as a power function. The results of this study provide comprehensive insights into the subsurface hydrological control of catchment nitrate export.

[Research advances in transmission dynamic models on hand, foot, and mouth disease].

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood infectious disease caused by various enteroviruses. China has the most significant number of reported cases and deaths of HFMD over the globe. Understanding the epidemic laws of HFMD can provide a scientific basis for designing prevention and control measures. The dynamic transmission models focus on the transmission mechanism of infectious diseases. They can simulate the actual situation to study the epidemic rules of diseases by adding, deleting, and subdividing compartments. More researchers have paid attention to dynamic models because of their high flexibility. To carry out the dynamic model of the HFMD research more effectively, a comprehensive understanding of related research progress in this field is deeply needed. In this paper, based on various researchers' different research purposes of dynamic models, the research progress was classified and summarized, providing meaningful guidance for model construction methods and future research directions and references for dynamic modeling of other models of infectious diseases. It was found that most studies used the SIR dynamic model or its extended model (such as the SEIR model), and few studies contained a complex factor compartment. Some important epidemiological parameters (such as R0) were obtained by studying the HFMD cases in a specific region, simulating different intervention scenarios to evaluate the effect of measures, or revealing the future trend by model prediction. However, there is no dynamic model simultaneously considering age structure, population moving, seasonality and periodicity, and vaccination.

[Effects of stepwise acute pain management on acute pain and post-traumatic stress disorder in children with burns: a prospective randomized controlled study].

Objective: To explore the effects of stepwise acute pain management on acute pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children with burns. Methods: From November 2018 to December 2019, 196 children with burns who were admitted to West China Hospital of Sichuan University and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the prospective randomized controlled study. The children were divided into traditional pain management group (97 children, 51 males and 46 females, aged 1 to 6 years) and stepwise pain management group (96 children, 55 males and 41 females, aged 1 to 6 years) according to the random number table. Children in traditional pain management group were treated with traditional acute pain care, while the children in stepwise pain management group were treated with stepped acute pain management (moderate pain was treated with oral administration of acetaminophen sustained-release dry suspension at the dose of 10 to 15 mg/kg once every 4 to 6 hours, and severe pain was treated with morphine intravenous injection at the dose of 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg once every 4 hours) on the basis of traditional acute pain care after admission. The COMFORT behavior scale was applied to compare the resting pain levels of children in the two groups within post injury day (PID) 3 (1, 9, and 17 o'clock each day). The adverse reactions of children in the stepwise pain management group during the treatment period were recorded. The occurrence of PTSD within one month after injury was evaluated in both groups by the revised PTSD scale. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, Bonferroni correction, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and Fisher's exact probability test. Results: The pain scores of children in stepwise pain management group were significantly lower than traditional pain management group at 1, 9, and 17 o'clock on PID 1, 1, 9, and 17 o'clock on PID 2, and 1, 9, and 17 o'clock on PID 3 (t=2.71, 3.44, 4.05, 4.18, 4.08, 4.19, 4.25, 3.69, 3.71, P<0.05 or P<0.01). The pain scores of children in both groups showed a decreasing trend over time. Of the 96 children in stepwise pain management group, 84 children were treated with oral administration of acetaminophen sustained-release dry suspension, and 12 children were treated with morphine intravenous injection. No adverse reaction occurred during the treatment period. The incidence of PTSD of children in stepwise pain management group within 1 month after injury was 3.12% (3/96), which was significantly lower than 14.43% (14/97) in traditional pain management group, P<0.05. Conclusions: The stepped acute pain management can relieve the acute pain and reduce the incidence of PTSD in children with burns.

[A cross-sectional investigation on the current status and influencing factors of kinesiophobia in adult burn patients].

Objective: To investigate the current status and influencing factors of kinesiophobia in adult burn patients. Methods: A single center cross-sectional research method was conducted. A total of 170 adult burn patients, meeting the inclusion criteria, were admitted to the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from October 2018 to December 2019. On admission, the self-made general information questionnaire was used to investigate the gender, age, education level, marital status, payment method of medical expenses, injury factors, and total burn area of patients. One month after admission or before discharge, the presence and degree of kinesiophobia of patients were evaluated by the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), their pain degrees (results averaged) at the time of burn, debridement and dressing change, after burn operation, and at rest were evaluated by the Visual Analogue Scale, their social support levels were evaluated by the Social Support Revalued Scale, and their degrees of anxiety and depression were evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. According to the TSK score, the patients with score >37 points were included into kinesiophobia group, and the patients with score ≤37 points were included into non-kinesiophobia group. The general information of patients in the two groups, as well as the pain score, social support level score, anxiety score, and depression score mentioned above, were recorded. Data of patients between the two groups were statistically analyzed with unifactor analysis including chi-square test, independent sample t test, and Mann-Whitney U test. The factors with statistically significant differences in unifactor analysis were used as variables for multivariate logistic regression analysis to screen out the independent influencing factors of kinesiophobia in adult burn patients. Results: Questionnaires and scales of 170 patients were collected, and the recovery rate was 100%. The data of two patients complicated with cranial fracture aggravation were removed, and 168 valid data were obtained, with the effective rate of 98.82%. Among the 168 patients, 88 were male (52.38%) and 80 were female (47.62%), aged from 18 to 71 (41±6) years. Most of the patients had secondary school education or below, were married, and with no out-of-pocket medical expenses. The main factors of injury were flame and hydrothermal fluid, and the total burn area was 2%-75% ((28±5)%) total body surface area. The TSK score was (41±5) points, the pain score was 4.0 (2.6, 7.0) points, the social support level score was (40±5) points, the anxiety score was 8.5 (7.0, 13.0) points, and the depression score was 9.5 (6.5, 12.0) points. A total of 98 patients had kinesiophobia, and the incidence of kinesiophobia was 58.33%. There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, educational level, marital status, or injury factors of patients between kinesiophobia group and non-kinesiophobia group (P>0.05). The percentage of out-of-pocket expenses, total burn area, pain score, anxiety score, and depression score of patients in kinesiophobia group were significantly higher than those in non-kinesiophobia group (χ2=6.402, t=2.39, Z=-8.05, -6.68, -7.89, P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the social support level score of patients in kinesiophobia group was significantly lower than that in non-kinesiophobia group (t=5.22, P<0.01). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that total burn area, pain score, social support level score, anxiety score, and depression score were the independent influencing factors for the development of kinesiophobia in adult burn patients (odds ratio=0.79, 1.45, 0.78, 1.15, 1.17, 95% confidence interval=0.80-0.92, 1.24-1.74, 0.65-0.91, 1.06-1.29, 1.03-1.24, P<0.01). Conclusions: The incidence of kinesiophobia in adult burn patients is high, and the degree of kinesiophobia is mainly affected by total burn area, pain, social support level, anxiety and depression degrees, and so on. Thus these factors should be taken into consideration when designing interventions to reduce the incidence and degree of kinesiophobia.

Heterostructures of germanium nanowires and germanium-silicon oxide nanotubes and growth mechanisms.

We report on a method to fabricate one-dimensional heterostructures of germanium nanowires (GeNWs) and germanium-silicon oxide nanotubes (GeSiO(x)NTs). The synthesis of the wire-tube heterostructures is carried out using a simple furnace set-up with germanium tetraiodide and germanium powders as growth precursors, gold-dotted silicon wafers as substrates and by controlling the temperature ramp rate/sequence of the growth precursors. Two types of wire-tube heterostructures resulting from distinct growth mechanisms are obtained. The type-1 heterostructure consists of a GeNW, grown via a gold-catalyzed vapour-liquid-solid process, at the lower end and a GeSiO(x)NT at the upper end. In contrast, the type-2 heterostructure is made up of a solid wire at the upper end and a hollow tube at the lower end. The solid wire portion of the type-2 heterostructure is formed through an oxide-assisted growth process.

[Three-dimensional changes in condylar position in skeletal class â ¢ patients with mandibular deviation after bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy].

Objective: To investigage the three-dimensional changes in condylar position after bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSRO) in skeletal class Ⅲpatients with mandibular deviation using cone-beam CT (CBCT). Methods: Twenty-five skeletal class Ⅲ patients with mandibular deviation were included. The patients (12 males and 13 females, aged 19-25 years, average age 22.4 years) were treated in the Department of Orthodontics, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanchang University from October 2013 to March 2017. The patients were divided into T1, T2 and T3 groups (T1 group: CBCT taken within 1 week before operation; T2 group: CBCT taken within 1 week after operation; T3 group: CBCT taken 6-8 months after surgery). Three sets of image data of condyles on both sides (deviation side and contralateral side) were obtained. After the DICOM data collection, the software of Mimics 17.0 was used to perform three-dimensional reconstruction and condylar position measurements: the distance from the condylar top (CoT) to the standard horizontal plane (SHP), the middle sagittal plane (MSP) and the sella coronal plane (SCP) (CoT-SHP, CoT-MSP, CoT-SCP); the distance from the condylar center (CoC) to SHP, MSP and SCP (CoC-SHP, CoC-MSP, CoC-SCP); the angle from the condyle cella plane (CCP) to SHP, MSP and SCP (CCP-SHP, CCP-MSP, CCP-SCP); the angle from the condyle sagittal plane (CSP) to SHP, MSP and SCP (CSP-SHP, CSP-MSP, CSP-SCP) and the distance of the anterior, superior, posterior, medial, central and lateral joint space. One-way ANOVA and LSD-t test were used to compare the changes in condylar position at different periods (T1, T2, and T3). Results: Within 1 week before operation on the deviation side, CoT-SHP [(2.5±1.3) mm], CSP-MSP (41.2°±8.4°) and the posterior joint space [(2.0±0.6) mm] were obviously increased (P<0.05), and CoT-SCP [(9.1±3.3) mm], CCP-MSP (78.2°±5.2°) were decreased significantly (P<0.05); on the contralateral side, CoT-MSP [(50.4±3.1) mm], CCP-MSP (80.6°±6.0°), the anterior joint space [(2.2±0.6) mm] and the medial joint space [(2.6±0.6) mm] were obviously increased (P<0.05), and CCP-SCP (11.4°±8.8°) were decreased significantly (P<0.05). Six to eight months after surgery, CoT-SHP [(2.2±1.0) mm] and the posterior joint space [(1.9±0.5) mm] on deviation side and CoT-SCP [(8.4±2.8) mm] on the contralateral side were increased significantly (P<0.05). No significant difference was found in other measurements (P>0.05). Conclusions: The condylar position in skeletal class Ⅲ patients with mandibular deviation was asymmetrical. Within 1 week after the operation of BSSRO, the condyle on the deviation side was moved forward, downward and inward. Meanwhile, the condyle on the contralateral side was moved backward and outward. Six to eight months after surgery, the condylar position on both sides was gradually restored to the pre-operative condylar position.

The mechanisms of ß-catenin on keloid fibroblast cells proliferation and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of ß-catenin siRNA on proliferation and apoptosis of keloid fibroblast cell. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were performed to monitor the mRNA and protein expression levels of ß-catenin in pathological scar tissue and adjacent normal tissue. Human keloid fibroblast cells (KFB) were isolated from the keloid's tissue by enzyme digestion assay and identified by immunocytochemistry assay. Keloid fibroblast cell lines in vitro were transfected with 3 pairs of specific ß-catenin small interfering RNA (siRNA); RT-PCR and Western blot were performed to identify the best siRNA. The proliferation and apoptosis of KFB transfected with ß-catenin were estimated by MTT 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay and flow cytometry (FCM). In addition, the expression levels of Bcl-2, p53, and active-caspase-3 were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The RT-PCR and Western blot assay results showed that the expression levels of ß-catenin mRNA and protein in pathological scar tissue were significantly higher than those in adjacent normal tissue (p<0.05). KFB were successfully separated from human pathological scar tissue, and immunofluorescence staining results showed that cells were spindle and positively stained with vimentin. The ß-catenin siRNA2 remarkably inhibited the expression of ß-catenin at mRNA and proteins levels in the human keloid fibroblasts. Compared with the control group, cell proliferation was decreased, and apoptotic rate was increased in ß-catenin siRNA2 group. CONCLUSIONS: Knockdown of ß-catenin significantly decreased the proliferation and increased apoptosis of KFB, which could inhibit the formation of pathological scar.

Phase noise reduction by optical phase-locked loop for a coherent bichromatic laser based on the injection-locking technique.

We present a coherent bichromatic laser system with low phase noise. An optical injection process is used to generate coherent laser beams with a frequency difference of 9.192 631 77 GHz using an electro-optical modulator. An optical phase-locked loop is then applied to reduce the phase noise. The phase noise of the beat note is -41, -81, -98, -83, and -95 dBrad2/Hz at the offset frequencies of 1 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, and 1 MHz, respectively. Compared to a system that uses optical injection alone, the phase noise is reduced by up to 20-30 dB in the low-frequency range, and the intermodulation effect on the continuous atomic clock is reduced by an order of magnitude. This configuration can adjust the intensities and polarizations of the laser beams independently and reduce the phase noise caused by environmental disturbances and optical injection, which may be useful for application to atomic coherence experiments.

Admission is not always necessary for patients with community-acquired pneumonia in risk classes IV and V diagnosed in the emergency room.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors that allow patients with community-acquired pneumonia who are at high risk of mortality (risk classes IV and V) to be treated at home. DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. SETTING: Six hospitals and one free-standing emergency room in Edmonton, Alberta. PARTICIPANTS: The present study included 2354 patients in risk classes IV and V who had a diagnosis of pneumonia made by an emergency room physician or an internist. MEASUREMENTS: Symptoms, signs and laboratory findings, as well as outcome measures of length of stay and mortality. RESULTS: Of the total study group, 319 of the patients (13.5%) were treated on an ambulatory basis. Factors predictive of admission were definite or possible pneumonia on chest radiograph as read by a radiologist, functional impairment, altered mental status, substance abuse, psychiatric disorder, abnormal white blood cell count, abnormal lymphocyte count, oxygen saturation less than 90% and antibiotic administration in the week before admission. If chest pain was present, admission was less likely. Only two of the 319 patients required subsequent admission (both had positive blood cultures) and only two died. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of patients in risk classes IV and V can be safely treated at home. Factors that help clinicians to select this subset of patients are discussed.

Standard treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection is suboptimal in non-ulcer dyspepsia compared with duodenal ulcer in Chinese.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that the Helicobacter pylori eradication rate in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia is lower when compared to patients with peptic ulcer diseases. AIM: The aim of this study was to study the efficacy of triple therapy for H. pylori infection in patients with duodenal ulcer vs. patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia. METHODS: A total of 582 Chinese patients with proven H. pylori infection were recruited to receive: omeprazole 20 mg, amoxicillin 1000 mg and clarithromycin 500 mg all given twice daily for 7 days (OCA regime). Endoscopy with rapid urease test, histology and culture were performed before treatment. Post-treatment H. pylori status was determined by (13)C-urea breath test. Metronidazole, clarithromycin and amoxicillin resistance was defined as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of >8 microg/mL, >1 microg/mL and >1 microg/mL, respectively. RESULTS: A significantly higher (intention-to-treat/per-protocol) eradication rate was found in patients with duodenal ulcer than those with non-ulcer dyspepsia (91/94% vs. 84/88% respectively, P = 0.011 and P = 0.016). Clarithromycin resistance rate was higher in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia than those with duodenal ulcer (14% vs. 6%, P = 0.015). Clarithromycin resistance (40% vs. 5%, P < 0.001, OR 12, 95% CI: 5.7-24.3) and the diagnosis of non-ulcer dyspepsia (91% vs. 84%, P = 0.011, OR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.3) significantly affected the success of H. pylori eradication. CONCLUSION: Clarithromycin resistance accounts for the significantly lower and suboptimal H. pylori eradication rate of OCA regimen in Chinese patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia compared to those with duodenal ulcer.

Characterization of the testis and epididymis in mouse models of human Tay Sachs and Sandhoff diseases and partial determination of accumulated gangliosides.

Beta-hexosaminidase (Hex) is an essential lysosomal enzyme whose activity is higher in the epididymis than in other tissues. The enzyme is also present in sperm and has been postulated to be required for fertilization. To better understand the role of Hex in reproduction, we have examined the testes and epididymides of mouse models of human Tay Sachs and Sandhoff diseases, produced by targeted disruption of the Hexa (alpha-subunit) or Hexb (beta-subunit) genes, respectively, encoding the enzymes Hex A (structure, alphabeta) and Hex B (betabeta). Testis weight, morphology, and sperm counts were unaffected in Hex-deficient mice. In the epididymis of the Hex A-deficient Hexa-/- mice, there was a large increase in the size and number of lysosomes in the initial segment/intermediate zone. In Hexb-/- mice (Hex A and B-deficient), the epididymal defects were much more extensive and the cytoplasm of all cell types throughout the efferent ducts and epididymis was filled with pale, uncondensed, enlarged lysosomes. In contrast to the brain where GM2 ganglioside accumulates, both mutant mice accumulated two non-GM2 gangliosides in the epididymis. The major accumulated species was characterized by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The Hexa-/- male mice were fertile; however, litter sizes were reduced. The Hexb-/- males were able to sire normal sized litters up to nine weeks of age and remained healthy until 16-20 weeks of age. The extensive abnormalities in the Hexb-/- mice, in contrast to region-specific effects in the Hexa-/-mice, indicate an important and novel role for the Hex B isozyme in the epididymis and a region-specific role for Hex A in the initial segment/intermediate zone. In contrast to other reports, our results indicate that Hex is not essential for fertilization in young adult male mice. To explain the extensive epididymal abnormalities in the Hexb-/- mice, we propose that substrates for Hex, such as testis-derived glycolipids, cannot be catabolized and accumulate in lysosomes, leading to epididymal dysfunction and abnormalities in the epididymal luminal environment that supports sperm maturation.