[Clinical analysis of adverse reactions in patients with multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis treated with delamanid-containing regimen].

Objective: To explore the characteristics of adverse drug reactions during the 24-week therapy with delamanid-containing regimen for patients with multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (MDR/RR-PTB). Methods: The prospective multicenter study was conducted from June 2020 to June 2023. A total of 608 eligible patients with MDR/RR-PTB were enrolled in 26 tuberculosis medical institutions in China including 364 males and 79 females, aged 39.6(19.0-68.0) years. Patients were treated with chemotherapy regimens containing delamanid. Patients were closely supervised during treatment of medication, and all adverse reactions occurring during treatment were monitored and recorded. The clinical characteristics of adverse reactions were evaluated by descriptive analysis. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the related factors of QTcF interval prolongation (QT corrected with Fridericia's formula). Results: Of the 608 patients enrolled in this study, 325 patients (53.5%) reported 710 adverse events within 24 weeks of treatment. The top 6 most common complications were hematological abnormalities (143 patients, 23.5%), QT prolongation (114 patients, 18.8%), liver toxicity (85 patients, 14.0%), gastrointestinal reaction (41 patients, 6.7%), peripheral neuropathy (25 patients, 4.1%) and mental disorders (21 patients, 3.5%). The prolongation of QT interval mostly occurred in the 12th week after the first dose of medication. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 21 patients (3.5%). There were 7 patients (1.2%) with mental disorders, including 2 patients (0.3%) with severe mental disorders. Conclusions: The safety of dalamanid-based regimen in the staged treatment of MDR/RR-PTB patients was generally good, and the incidence of adverse reactions was similar to that reported in foreign studies. This study found that the incidence of QT interval prolongation in Chinese patients was higher than that reported overseas, suggesting that the monitoring of electrocardiogram should be strengthened when using drugs containing delamanid that may cause QT interval prolongation.

[Analysis of epidemiological characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Fengtai District, Beijing City from 2011 to 2021].

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Fengtai District from 2011 to 2021. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted, the data of PTB patients in Fengtai District from 2011 to 2021 were collected in Chinese disease prevention and Control Information System, which included etiological classification, gender, age, occupation, onset time, demographic information etc. the epidemiological characteristics of reported PTB patients was analysis. Results: A total of 10 342 cases of PTB were reported from 2011 to 2021 in Fengtai District, with an average annual reported incidence rate of 42.87/ 100 000. The incidence rate was the highest in 2012(75.89/100 000), and significantly declined from 2013, which declined to 29.70/100 000 in 2017. It showed a slow rise from 2018 to 2021. The difference was statistically significant (χ2=1 471.77,P<0.001).There were 2 975 cases of etiologic positive PTB from 2011 to 2021, and 76 cases of Rifampicin-resistant PTB from 2017 to 2021. The ratio of male cases to female was 1.75, the average annual incidence rate of male (53.94/100 000) was higher, than female(31.57/100 000).(χ2=704.01,P<0.001). Among all age groups, 25-29 years group, 20-24 years group and 30-34 years group had the highest proportion, which were 1 506 cases (14.56%) , 1 292 cases (12.49%) and 1 024 cases (9.90%) respectively. The average annual incidence rate was the lowest in the group less than 10 years old (1.43/100 000), and the highest in the group 85 years old and over (195.20/100 000), the difference was statistically significant(χ2=3164.24, P<0.001). The top occupations from high to low were housework and unemployment (2 917 cases, 28.21%), retirees (2 308 cases, 22.32%), workers (1 047 cases, 10.12%), cadres and staff (950 cases, 9.19%), farmers (860 cases, 8.32%), business services (698 cases, 6.75%), teachers and students (455 cases, 4.40%). Conclusion: From 2011 to 2021, the incidence rate of PTB was decreased from 2012 to 2017, and slowly increased lately in Fengtai District. The epidemiological characteristics of PTB vary in different age and gender.

Genome-wide association analysis identifies the genetic basis of fat deposition in the tails of sheep (Ovis aries).

Fat-tailed sheep (Ovis aries) can survive in harsh environments and satisfy human's intake of dietary fat. However, the animals require more feed, which increases the cost of farming. Thus, most farmers currently prefer thin-tailed, short-tailed or docked sheep. To date, the molecular mechanism of the formation of fat tails in sheep has not been completely elucidated. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study using phenotypes and genotypes (the Ovine Infinium HD SNP BeadChip genotype data) of two breeds of contrasting tail types (78 Small-tailed and 78 Large-tailed Han sheep breeds) to identify functional genes and variants associated with fat deposition. We identified four significantly (rs416433540, rs409848439, rs408118325 and rs402128848) and three approximately associated autosomal SNPs (rs401248376, rs402445895 and rs416201901). Gene annotation indicated that the surrounding genes (CREB1, STEAP4, CTBP1 and RIP140, also known as NRIP1) function in lipid storage or fat cell regulation. Furthermore, through an X-chromosome-wide association analysis, we detected significantly associated SNPs in the OARX: 88-89 Mb region, which could be a strong candidate genomic region for fat deposition in tails of sheep. Our results represent a new genomic resource for sheep genetics and breeding. In addition, the findings provide novel insights into genetic mechanisms of fat deposition in the tail of sheep and other mammals.

[Current status of the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis C in patients undergoing hemodialysis].

Patients undergoing hemodialysis have a higher rate of hepatitis C virus infection than the general population, and due to various factors including hemodialysis and immunosuppression, it is difficult to make a diagnosis. The appearance of direct-acting antiviral agents greatly promotes the treatment of hepatitis C, but there are still no adequate data on their effect and safety in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This article discusses the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis C in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

[End tidal PCO(2) for evaluation of severity of disease in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension].

Objective: To explore the difference in end tidal PCO(2) (P(ET)CO(2)) between idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), and to analyze the correlation between P(ET)CO(2) and the indexes of disease severity in IPAH and CTEPH patients. Methods: Data were retrieved from 68 IPAH patients and 52 CTEPH patients who all had received right-heart catheterization, pulmonary function test and cardiopulmonary exercise testing at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from October 2011 to October 2014. In addition, other clinical parameters were also collected. Results: The IPAH group had a significantly higher mPAP, PVR [(60±16) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), (13±6) Wood U ] than the CTEPH group [(46±12) mmHg, (9±4) Wood U, t=4.90, 4.83, all P<0.01]. Meanwhile, the IPAH group had a lower percentage of predicted peakVO(2), oxygen pulse [(45±15)%, (60±22)%] compared with the CTEPH group [(53±16)%, (68±21)%, t=-2.42, -1.96, all P<0.05]. The value of P(ET)CO(2) at rest, AT, peak in the IPAH patients [(27±5), (28±7), (25±7) mmHg] were higher than those in the CTEPH patients [(24±4) mmHg, (23±6) mmHg, (21±6) mmHg, t=3.22-4.54, all P<0.01]. There was a significantly difference in P(ET)CO(2) at AT and peak between WHO-FC Ⅰ-Ⅱ and Ⅲ-Ⅳ subgroups in IPAH (t=2.55, 2.60, all P<0.05) and CTEPH (t=2.39, P<0.05), except for P(ET)CO(2) at peak in the CTEPH patients (t=1.71, P>0.05). A moderately inverse correlation was found between P(ET)CO(2) at AT and NT-proBNP in the IPAH group (r=-0.58, P<0.01), meanwhile P(ET)CO(2) at AT in the CTEPH group was weakly correlated with NT-proBNP (r=-0.34, P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with the CTEPH patients, the IPAH patients had significantly decreased exercise capacity and increased P(ET)CO(2). P(ET)CO(2) could reflect the disease severity in both IPAH and CTEPH patients, being superior in IPAH than in CTEPH. Furthermore, P(ET)CO(2) at AT might be better than P(ET)CO(2) at peak in reflecting the ventilatory efficiency.

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Toxocara infection in Korean, Manchu, Mongol, and Han ethnic groups in northern China.

Toxocariasis is a very prevalent zoonotic disease worldwide. Recently, investigators have focused more on Toxocara spp. seroprevalence in humans. Information regarding Toxocara seroprevalence in people from different ethnic backgrounds in China is limited. For this study, blood samples were collected from a total of 802 Han, 520 Korean, 303 Manchu, and 217 Mongol subjects from Jilin and Shandong provinces. The overall Toxocara seroprevalence was 16·07% (14·21% Han, 20·58% Korean, 11·22% Manchu, 18·89% Mongol). Living in suburban or rural areas, having dogs at home, exposure to soil, and consumption of raw/undercooked meat were risk factors for Toxocara infection. Exposure to soil was identified as the major risk factor for Toxocara seropositivity in all of the tested ethnicities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning Toxocara infection in Manchus and Mongols in China. The present study provided baseline data for effective prevention strategies of toxocariasis in northeast China and recommends improvements in personal hygiene standards to achieve this goal.

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the Korean, Manchu, Mongol and Han ethnic groups in eastern and northeastern China.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2013 to August 2015 to determine the seroprevalence and possible risk factors for human Toxoplasma gondii infection in Korean, Manchu, Mongol and Han ethnic groups in eastern and northeastern China. A total of 1842 serum samples, including Han (n = 802), Korean (n = 520), Manchu (n = 303) and Mongol (n = 217) groups, were analysed using enzyme-linked immunoassays to detect IgG and IgM T. gondii antibodies. The overall T. gondii IgG and IgM seroprevalences were 13·79% and 1·25%, respectively. Of these groups, Mongol ethnicity had the highest T. gondii seroprevalence (20·74%, 45/217), followed by Korean ethnicity (16·54%, 86/520), Manchu ethnicity (13·86%, 42/303) and Han ethnicity (11·35%, 98/802). Multiple analysis showed that the consumption of raw vegetables and fruits, the consumption of raw/undercooked meat and the source of drinking water were significantly associated with T. gondii infection in the Han group. Likewise, having a cat at home was identified as being associated with T. gondii infection in the Korean, Manchu and Mongol groups. Moreover, the consumption of raw/undercooked meat was identified as another predictor of T. gondii seropositivity in the Mongol group. The results of this survey indicate that T. gondii infection is prevalent in Korean, Manchu, Mongol and Han ethnic groups in the study region. Therefore, it is essential to implement integrated strategies with efficient management measures to prevent and control T. gondii infection in this region of China. Moreover, this is the first report of T. gondii infection in Korean, Manchu, and Mongol ethnic groups in eastern and northeastern China.

Effects of dietary DL-2-hydroxy-4(methylthio)butanoic acid supplementation on growth performance, indices of ascites syndrome, and antioxidant capacity of broilers reared at low ambient temperature.

This study examined the effects of dietary DL-2-hydroxy-4(methylthio)butanoic acid (DL-HMTBA) supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and ascites syndrome (AS) in broilers reared at low ambient temperature (LAT) from 7 to 28 days of age. Eight hundred 7-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to two ambient temperatures (LAT and normal ambient temperature [NAT]), four supplemental DL-HMTBA levels (0.17, 0.34, 0.51, and 0.68 %) of the basal diet in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement (ten replicate pens; ten birds/pen). LAT and NAT indicate temperatures of 12-14 and 24-26 °C in two chambers, respectively, and broilers were reared at these temperatures from 7 to 28 days of age. LAT significantly decreased body weight gain (P < 0.001), serum glutathione (GSH) content (day 14, P = 0.02; day 28, P = 0.045), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) at 21 days (P = 0.001, 0.015) and 28 days (P = 0.017, 0.010) and increased feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0.001), serum malondialdehyde (day 21, P = 0.000) and protein carbonyl Level (day 14, P = 0.003; day 21, P = 0.035). As for incidence of AS, there were significant effects of LAT on red blood cell (RBC) count (P < 0.05), hematocrit (HCT) (P < 0.05), and the right to total ventricular weight ratio (RV/TV) at 21 days (P = 0.012) and 28 days (P = 0.046). Supplementation of DL-HMTBA markedly decreased RV/TV at day 28 (P = 0.021), RBC (day 21, P = 0.008), HCT (day 21, P < 0.001), mean cell hemoglobin (day 14, P = 0.035; day 21, P = 0.003), and serum protein carbonyl level (day 21, P = 0.009), while significantly increased serum GSH content (day 14, P = 0.022; day 28, P = 0.001), SOD and GSH-Px activities at 21 days of age (P < 0.001 and P = 0.037). The optimal supplemental DL-HMTBA levels in basal diet of broilers aged from 7 to 28 days under low or normal temperatures were similar, so the authors recommended supplemental of DL-HMTBA level was 0.46 %.

Drug use and its associated factors among money boys in Hunan Province, China.

OBJECTIVES: To describe drug use, types of drugs and related factors among money boys in Hunan Province, China. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2012 and January 2013. METHODS: Based on respondent-driven sampling, researchers located seven 'seeds' via a gay-dating website: http://www.ixxqy.org. After three waves of recruitment, 234 money boys were enrolled. They were asked to complete a 23-item questionnaire regarding demographic characteristics, drug use, a history of human immunodeficiency virus infection and family environment. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 20.0. RESULTS: In total, 205 valid questionnaires were collected. Based on the data collected, 80 (39.0%) money boys had used drugs within the last 3 months. Rush popper (36.6%) and methamphetamine (12.7%) were used most commonly, and other drugs used were ecstasy (7.8%), ketamine (5.9%), marijuana (2.4%), morphine (1.5%), heroin (1.0%) and cocaine (0.5%). Factors included in the logistic regression were length of service (odds ratio [OR] 0.395, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.175-0.896), being an only child (OR 2.272, 95% CI 1.108-4.659), relationship between parents (OR 0.428, 95% CI 0.213-0.858) and social network (OR 2.387, 95% CI 1.144-4.970). A shorter length of service and a good relationship between parents were protective factors against drug use, while being an only child and having a wide social network were risk factors. CONCLUSION: Drug use is common among money boys. This study found that length of service, being an only child, relationship between parents and social network are associated with drug use.

Increased body mass index makes an impact on brain white-matter integrity in adults with remitted first-episode mania.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is increasingly prevalent in bipolar disorder (BD) but data about the impact of elevated body mass index (BMI) on brain white-matter integrity in BD are sparse. Based on extant literature largely from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, we hypothesize that increased BMI is associated with decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital brain regions early in the course of BD. METHOD: A total of 26 euthymic adults (12 normal weight and 14 overweight/obese) with remitted first-episode mania (FEM) and 28 controls (13 normal weight and 15 overweight/obese) matched for age, handedness and years of education underwent structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging scans. RESULTS: There are significant effects of diagnosis by BMI interactions observed especially in the right parietal lobe (adjusted F(1,48) = 5.02, p = 0.030), occipital lobe (adjusted F(1,48) = 10.30, p = 0.002) and temporal lobe (adjusted F(1,48) = 7.92, p = 0.007). Specifically, decreased FA is found in the right parietal (F(1,48) = 5.864, p = 0.023) and occipital lobes (F(1,48) = 4.397, p = 0.047) within overweight/obese patients compared with normal-weight patients with FEM. Compared with overweight/obese controls, decreased FA is observed in right parietal (F(1,48) = 6.708, p = 0.015), temporal (F(1,48) = 10.751, p = 0.003) and occipital (F(1,48) = 9.531, p = 0.005) regions in overweight/obese patients with FEM. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that increased BMI affects temporo-parietal-occipital brain white-matter integrity in FEM. This highlights the need to further elucidate the relationship between obesity and other neural substrates (including subcortical changes) in BD which may clarify brain circuits subserving the association between obesity and clinical outcomes in BD.

Effects of dietary gossypol concentration on growth performance, blood profiles, and hepatic histopathology in meat ducks.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of gossypol from cottonseed meal (CSM) on growth performance, blood biochemical profiles, and liver histopathology of ducks. A total of 900 1-d-old ducks were randomly allocated to 5 treatments with 12 pens/treatment and 15 ducks/pen. The 5 experimental diets were formulated in such a way that 0% (a corn-soybean meal basal diet, diet 1), 25% (diet 2), 50% (diet 3), 75% (diet 4), and 100% (diet 5) of protein from soybean meal were replaced with that from CSM. All diets were formulated on a digestible amino acid basis. The experiment included 2 phases, the starter phase (1 to 3 wk) where the test diets contained graded levels of CSM and the growth phase (4 to 5 wk) where birds were fed a corn-soybean basal diet to examine the recovery of ducks after CSM withdrawal. Dietary CSM and gossypol linearly (P < 0.01) and quadratically (P < 0.01) decreased ADG and ADFI during d 1 to 14. The threshold of daily total gossypol (TG) and free gossypol (FG) intake based on ADG on d 1 to 7 and d 7 to 14 were 32.20 and 2.64 mg/d, and 92.12 and 9.62 mg/d, respectively. Serum alanine aminotransferase increased (P < 0.05) linearly with increasing level of gossypol in the diets (d 7), whereas aspartate aminotransferase increased (P < 0.05) linearly and quadratically (d 14). Serum albumin concentration decreased (P < 0.05) quadratically with increasing dietary CSM concentrations on d 21. The degree of damage to the liver increased markedly with increasing dietary CSM and gossypol content and the length of CSM and gossypol intake. On d 35, there was no difference on BW and blood profiles of ducks among all treatments. These results suggest that meat ducks' dietary TG and FG concentration should be lower than 928.9 and 77.2 mg/kg, respectively, during d 1 to 21 of age and that a 2-wk withdrawal of diets containing gossypol should be considered.

Genetic variation of 5 SNPs of MC1R gene in Chinese indigenous sheep breeds.

The purpose of this study was to assess genetic diversity, genetic differentiation.relationship and population structure among 10 Chinese sheep populations using 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). in MC1R gene. The genetic diversity indices suggested that the intra-population variation levels of Chinese Merino and Large-tailed Han,breeds were lowest than Kazakh Fat-Rumped. Chinese sheep breeds have maintained a high intra-population variation levels (95.23%). The genetic differentiation patterns and genetic relationships among Chinese sheep breeds displayed a high consistency with the traditional classification. The cluster trees were constructed by UPMGA method. The results showed that Chinese indigenous sheep populations have distinct genetic differentiation. The inter-population variation levels in Chinese sheep populations indicated three geographically independent domestication events have occurred. The Bayesian cluster analyses also showed a reliable clustering pattern, which revealed three major clusters in.Chinese indigenous sheep populations (Mongolian group, Kazakh group and Tibetan group), except for Duolang and Minxian Black-fur. There were probably caused by different breeding history, geography isolation and different levels of inbreeding. The findings supported the related records in literature, ten sheep populations originated on different time stage from the primogenitor population and communicated genetically with each other in the process of natural and artificial selection, and in different ecological environment. It is concluded that Chinese indigenous sheep have higher genetic variation and diversity, genetic differentiation exist between Chinese sheep populations. The majority breeds are consistent with the geographical distribution and breed characteristic.

Association between HLA-A and -B polymorphisms and susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura in Han and Mongolian children from Inner Mongolia.

We examined a possible association between HLA-A and -B polymorphisms and susceptibility to Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in Han and Mongolian children in Inner Mongolia, through a case-control study. Two hundred and sixty-eight unrelated children were enrolled, including 56 Mongolian and 50 Han children with HSP, 66 healthy Mongolian and 96 healthy Han children as a control group. HLA-A and -B alleles were indentified by PCR-sequence-specific oligonucleotide analysis and were further analyzed by PCR-sequencing-based typing (SBT). Frequencies of HLA-A*11, HLA-B*15 in Mongolian patients and HLA-A*26, HLA-B*35, HLA-B*52 in Han patients were higher than those in the corresponding control group (P < 0.05), while frequencies of HLA-B*07 and -B*40 in Mongolian HSP patients were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Further analysis using PCR-SBT showed that all HLA-A*11 were HLA-A*1101, and most HLA-B*15 were HLA-B*1501 in Mongolian HSP patients. All HLA-A*26 were HLA-A*2601 and HLA-B*35 were mostly HLA-B*3503 in Han patients. There were more Han patients with severe manifestations than Mongolian patients (P < 0.05). Frequencies of HLA-A*26, HLA-B*35 and HLA-B*52 in Han patients were higher than in Mongolian patients (P < 0.05). We conclude that HLA-A*11(*1101) and -B*15(*1501) are associated with susceptibility to HSP in Mongolian children and HLA-A*26(*2601), HLA-B*35(*3503) and HLA-B*52 are associated with susceptibility to HSP in Han children. HLA-B*07 and -B*40 may be protective genes in Mongolian children. The different frequencies of HLA-A and -B in Mongolian and Han children may be responsible for the different manifestations in these two ethnic groups.

Analysis of the differentially expressed genes in Microsporum canis in inducing smooth skin and scalp tissue conditions.

Microsporum canis is a common zoophilic dermatophyte, which causes a range of infections. To explore the pathogenic mechanism of tinea capitis, we used the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) technique to investigate the differences in gene expression between different cultures of Microsporum canis incubated on three different types of mineral media containing child glabrous skin, child scalp tissue and adult scalp tissue. Using dot-blot hybridization and real-time PCR technique, we successfully screened and identified a pair of genes that had expression levels 44.6 and 117 times higher in culture 1 (M. canis cultured in mineral medium with child scalp tissue) than in culture 2 (M. canis cultured in mineral medium with glabrous skin tissue), and another pair of genes with expression levels 78.2 and 9.8 times higher in culture 1 than in culture 3 (M. canis cultured in mineral medium with adult scalp tissue). These four genes were found to have 41%, 53%, 40% and 94% homology to those encoding a hypothetical protein [family of serine hydrolases 1; (FSH1)], PQ loop repeat protein (PQ-LRP), a predicted protein [porphyrin galactose 4; (P-GAL4)] and NADH dehydrogenase subunit (NADH)1, respectively. The upregulation of the FSH1, PQ-LRP, P-GAL4 and NADH1 genes in cultures of child scalp tissue indicates that they are essential in the pathogenesis of tinea capitis caused by M. canis.

MicroRNA-92a regulates the development of cutaneous malignant melanoma by mediating FOXP1.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs are noncoding RNAs which are involved in the occurrence and progression of tumors. This study aims to explore the role of microRNA-92a in cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) and its underlying mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression level of microRNA-92a in 75 pairs of CMM tissues and paracancerous tissues was determined using quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The correlation between microRNA-92a expression with clinical data of CMM patients was analyzed. Besides, microRNA-92a expression in CMM cells and primary epidermal melanocytes (PEM) was determined by qRT-PCR as well. After transfection of si-microRNA-92a in CMM cells, biological performances of CMM were determined using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation and transwell assay, respectively. FOXP1 expression in CMM cells and tissues was determined using Western blot. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn to explore the correlation between the FOXP1 expression and prognosis of CMM patients. RESULTS: MicroRNA-92a was highly expressed in CMM tissues compared with that of paracancerous tissues. Compared with CMM patients with lower expression of microRNA-92a, those with higher expression of microRNA-92a presented higher tumor stage, higher incidences of lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, as well as lower overall survival. The knockdown of microRNA-92a remarkably decreased proliferative, invasive and metastatic capacities of CMM cells. Western blot results elucidated that microRNA-92a knockdown in CMM cells upregulates FOXP1 expression. Additionally, rescue experiments showed that mi-croRNA-92a regulates biological performances of CMM cells by regulating FOXP1. CONCLUSIONS: MicroRNA-92a is highly expressed in CMM, which is remarkably correlated to tumor stage and poor prognosis of CMM patients. We found that microRNA-92a pro-motes malignant progression of CMM by regulating FOXP1.

TLR4 promotes liver inflammation by activating the JNK pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Drug-induced liver injury has become a serious public health problem that cannot be ignored. Although the mechanism of acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury has been investigated for several decades, there are still many deficiencies. However, only a deeper study of its mechanism can provide more effective measures of prevention and treatment for APAP-induced liver injury. The aim of this study was to investigate whether toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) participates in and regulates APAP-induced liver injury, which may provide a new direction for the prevention and treatment of clinical drug-induced hepatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WT mice were treated with APAP (300 mg/kg) or equivalent PBS. The livers of mice were taken at 1 h, 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after treatment. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect TLR4 mRNA expression level in the liver. After TLR4 involving in APAP-induced liver injury was confirmed, we investigated the relationship between TLR4 expression and hepatic inflammation. WT and TLR4-/- mice received APAP (3000 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection after 16 h of fasting; serum was collected after 8 h and 24 h, and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and reduced glutathione (GSH) activity were measured. Rat liver tissue was observed for histological changes by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. RT-qPCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay were performed to analyze proinflammatory cytokines expression (such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, MCP-1, IL-6). After isolating mononuclear cells (MNCs) in the liver of mice, flow cytometry was used to detect cell activation level and infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils. Western blotting was used to analyze the activation of phosphorylated JNK and p38 signaling pathways in livers of WT and TLR4-/- mice. In addition, after stimulated with APAP, the silence of TLR4 in RAW264.7 cells could activate phosphorylated JNK and p38 signaling pathways. RESULTS: After APAP stimulation, WT mice exhibited more severe liver injury than TLR4-/- mice, with higher ALT levels, lower GSH levels, and more necrotic or apoptotic cells. TLR4-/- mice have lower levels of inflammatory cytokines including MCP-1 and IL-6; at the same time, the number of infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils in liver tissue of TLR4-/- mice was significantly lower than that of WT mice. The activation of JNK signaling pathway was strikingly enhanced in WT mice treated with APAP, but no significant difference was observed in the activation of JNK phosphorylation in TLR4-/- mice after the same dose of APAP stimulation. Similarly, in RAW264.7 cells, the activation of phosphorylated JNK and p38 was remarkably inhibited by TLR4-siRNA, but was activated in the control group, which was consistent in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: APAP-treated TLR4-/- mice showed milder liver injury compared to WT mice. It was confirmed that TLR4 could activate the JNK signaling pathway to induce the secretion of inflammatory factors and the infiltration of macrophages to promote APAP-induced liver injury. This finding might provide a new prevention and treatment idea for clinical drug-induced hepatitis.

[Clinical effects of application of antibiotic bone cement in wounds of diabetic foot ulcers].

Objective: To explore the clinical effects of antibiotic bone cement in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: According to the treatment methods, 18 patients with diabetic foot ulcers (11 males and 7 females, aged 53-79 years), who were conformed to the study criteria and admitted to our hospital from January 2016 to January 2017, were enrolled in traditional group; 18 patients with diabetic foot ulcers (11 males and 7 females, aged 55-80 years), who were conformed to the study criteria and admitted to our hospital from February 2017 to February 2018, were enrolled in bone cement group. Wounds of patients in traditional group were treated with vacuum sealing drainage after conventional debridement. Wounds of patients in bone cement group were covered with antibiotic bone cement after conventional debridement. The number of patients with positive bacterial culture in wound exudate in the 2 groups on admission and 3, 6, 9, and 15 days after surgery, the length of hospital stay, the number of operation, and the wound complete healing time were retrospectively recorded. Data were processed with Fisher's exact probability test and independent sample t test. Results: Compared with (29±10) d and (4.6±1.2) times of patients in traditional group, the length of hospital stay [(9±3) d] of patients was obviously shortened, the number of operation [(1.3±0.6) times] of patients was obviously reduced, the number of patients with positive bacterial culture in wound exudate at each time point post surgery was obviously reduced (t=8.177, 9.896, P<0.05 or P<0.01) in bone cement group. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of patients with positive bacterial culture in wound exudate on admission and wound complete healing time between patients in the 2 groups (t=0.175, P>0.05). Conclusions: The antibiotic bone cement treatment of diabetic foot ulcers can reduce the number of patients with positive bacterial culture in wound exudate and the number of operation, as well as shorten the length of hospital stay.

Invited article: development of high-field superconducting Ioffe magnetic traps.

We describe the design, construction, and performance of three generations of superconducting Ioffe magnetic traps. The first two are low current traps, built from four racetrack shaped quadrupole coils and two solenoid assemblies. Coils are wet wound with multifilament NbTi superconducting wires embedded in epoxy matrices. The magnet bore diameters are 51 and 105 mm with identical trap depths of 1.0 T at their operating currents and at 4.2 K. A third trap uses a high current accelerator-type quadrupole magnet and two low current solenoids. This trap has a bore diameter of 140 mm and tested trap depth of 2.8 T. Both low current traps show signs of excessive training. The high current hybrid trap, on the other hand, exhibits good training behavior and is amenable to quench protection.

The application of C12 biochip in the diagnosis and monitoring of colorectal cancer: systematic evaluation and suggestion for improvement.

BACKGROUND: The 12 tumor markers' (TMs) biochip diagnostic (C12) system has been proven useful in some previous studies but its value for colorectal cancer (CRC) only was not systematically investigated. AIMS: To evaluate the value of C12 system for CRC. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The associations between TMs and clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated. The most relevant TMs, the most useful combinations, and the correlations between TM levels were assessed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The TMs detected by the C12 system in the sera of 170 pathologically confirmed CRC patients were analyzed. One or more TMs higher than or equal to reference value were defined as positive. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Chi-square test, Spearman rank correlation test and Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used for the analysis. RESULTS: The overall positive rate was 41.76%, and was low in stage 0-I (12.90%). Carcinoembryonic cantigen (CEA) had the highest positive rate of 36.47%. The positive rates were significantly correlated to clinical stages and lymph node status, but not to age, sex, tumor location and pathological types. Any combinations of the five highest positive TMs did not have significantly improvements. The levels of three most related TMs (CEA, CA19-9, CA242) of CRC had positive correlation with each other. CA242 and beta-HCG levels were associated with lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: C12 system has some value in advanced CRC, but not in early CRC.