A piecewise constitutive model for collagen fiber tissues.

Inspired by Meyers et al. (Science, 2013), a piecewise model is established so as to individually predict both the heel region and the linear region of stress-strain curve. When the piecewise model satisfactorily predicts the experimental data, the constitutive parameters are precisely identified with definite physical significances. Along with this piecewise guideline, a complete constitutive model can be established for the whole stress-strain curve of collagen fiber tissues with the failure region as well. Graphical abstract.

[Analysis of clinical and endoscopic characteristics of colorectal polyps in children].

To analyze the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of colorectal polyps in children, and to explore the detection rate, age and gender distribution characteristics, endoscopic treatment effect and follow-up monitoring of colorectal polyps in children, so as to provide reference for disease management of colorectal polyps in children. The clinical and endoscopic characteristics of children with colorectal polyps in Xi 'an Children's Hospital from January 2019 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into 5 groups according to age (y): 0

[Quantitative evaluation of global left ventricular myocardial work in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis by pressure-strain loop].

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate myocardial work in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis by using left ventricular pressure-strain loop. Methods: 70 cases with hepatitis B cirrhosis who were hospitalized in Henan Provincial People's Hospital from March to December 2020 were selected as the study group. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to the Child-Pugh score of liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class A, B, and C groups: 25, 25, and 20 patients, respectively). At the same time, 25 healthy volunteers were included as the control group. Global longitudinal strain (GLS), global myocardial work index (GWI), global work efficiency (GWE), global constructive work (GCW), and global wasted work (GWW) were obtained by applying pressure-strain loops. The differences were analyzed and compared among the four groups parameters. Results: Compared with the control group, the Child-Pugh class A group had decreased GLS, while Child-Pugh class B and C had decreased GLS, GWI, GWE, GCW, and increased GWW, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with Child-Pugh class A group, Child-Pugh class B group had decreased GLS, GWE, and increased GWW, while Child-Pugh class C group had decreased GLS,GWI, GWE, GCW, and increased GWW, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with Child-Pugh class B group, Child-Pugh class C group had decreased GLS, GWI, GWE, GCW, and increased GWW, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The pressure-strain loop can detect early myocardial dysfunction, and has a certain value in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis evaluation of myocardial function changes in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis.

[Observation of efficacy and safety of stereotactic-EEG-guided three-dimensional radiofrequency thermocoagulation for the treatment of drug-resistant insular epilepsy].

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of stereotactic-EEG (SEEG)-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF-TC) with three-dimensional lesioning in the treatment of drug-resistant insular epilepsy. Methods: Seven patients with drug-resistant insular epilepsy who underwent SEEG-guided RF-TC with three-dimensional ablation at the Department of Neurosurgery of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from February 2017 to June 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. Presurgical evaluation including semiology, EEG and imaging results suggested that the epileptogenic zone was located in the insular lobe. All patients underwent SEEG recording and three-dimensional RF-TC. Postoperative follow-up was conducted by outpatient visits or telephone, the clinical efficacy was evaluated based on Engel classification and the relevant complications were documented. Results: Seven patients were followed up at 18 months after surgery. Among them, 4 were seizure free (Engel ⅠA), 2 had nondisabling simple partial seizures (Engel ⅠB) and 1 achieved 75% decrease (Engel ⅢA) in seizure frequency. Postoperative complications occurred in 3 patients which included decreased sensation in the right lower extremity, decreased strength in the right upper extremity, glossolalia, decline in memory and comprehension. No permanent neurological dysfunction was detected. Conclusion: SEEG-guided RF-TC with three-dimensional lesioning is minimally invasive, safe and effective in the treatment of drug-resistant insular epilepsy and can serve as a complementary method for resection surgery.

[Study of the risk factors for recurrence of early and late stage hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic artery embolization combined with radiofrequency ablation therapy].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for recurrence of early and late stage hepatocellular carcinoma after receiving hepatic artery embolization combined with radiofrequency ablation therapy. Methods: 246 cases with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent hepatic artery embolization combined with radiofrequency ablation in Beijing You'an Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2006 to January 2011 were selected. Clinical and follow-up data were collected. Univariate Cox analyses was used to determine the factors influencing recurrence of early and late stage HCC after hepatic artery embolization combined with radiofrequencies ablation. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine the independent factors. Results: 246 case with hepatocellular carcinoma were treated with hepatic artery embolization combined with radiofrequency ablation, with median follow-up time of 99 months. A total of 179 cases had recurrence and 67 cases had no recurrence. Considering 24 months as the limit, 95 cases had early recurrence and 84 cases had late recurrence. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year recurrence rates were 21.3%, 39.0%, 53.0%, 67.3%, and 77.6%, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the maximum tumor diameter (HR = 2.183, 95% CI: 1.414-3.369, P < 0.01) and tumor number (HR = 1.681, 95% CI: 1.110-2.545, P < 0.05) were independent factor influencing recurrence of early stage HCC after hepatic artery embolization combined with radiofrequency ablation. Liver cirrhosis (HR = 0.421, 95% CI: 0.272-0.651, P < 0.01) was an independent factor influencing recurrence of late stage HCC after hepatic artery embolization combined with radiofrequency ablation. Conclusion: Tumor diameter and number are independent factors influencing recurrence of early stage HCC, while liver cirrhosis is an independent factor influencing recurrence of late stage HCC after hepatic artery embolization combined with radiofrequency ablation therapy.

[Clinical value of TDI combined with 2D-STI on evaluating the microcirculation dysfunction and left ventricular dysfunction in patients with non-obstructive coronary angina].

Objective: To explore the value of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) combined with two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) at rest on evaluating microcirculation dysfunction and left ventricular dysfunction in patients with angina and no obstructive coronary artery disease(ANOCA). Methods: This retrospective study recruited 78 ANOCA patients, who hospitalized in the People's Hospital of Liaoning Province from August 2019 to July 2021. These patients underwent conventional echocardiography examination, including TDI and 2D-STI, to evaluate the left ventricular dysfunction, and adenosine stress echocardiography (SE) to evaluate the coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR). ANOCA patients were divided into coronary microcirculation dysfunction CMD group (CFVR<2) and control group (CFVR≥2) according to CFVR. Clinical data, routine echocardiographic parameters, TDI parameters including isovolumic contraction time (IVCT), isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), ejection time (ET), and STI parameters including global longitudinal peak strain (GLS), time to peak (TTP); peak strain dispersion (PSD) were compared between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of CMD and the predictive value of each parameter to construct a joint prediction model for the diagnosis of CMD in this patient cohort. Results: The mean age was (55.5±11.2) years, 43 (55%) patients were females in this patient cohort, 38 (49%) patienst were didvided into the CMD group and 40 (51%) into the control group. Age, prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smokers were significantly higher in the CMD group than in the control group (all P<0.05). Tei index was higher, IVCT and TTP were longer, PSD was higher, ET was shorter, and absolute GLS was lower in the CMD group than in the control group (all P<0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that longer IVCT, higher Tei index, higher time to PSD and lower absolute GLS were the independent risk factors of CMD. The ROC curve revealed that the predicting efficacy on CMD was satisfactiory with the combined predictors: AUC=0.884, sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 80%. Conclusions: TDI combined with 2D-STI is associated with a good diagnostic value on the diagnosis of CMD and left ventricular dysfunction in patients with ANOCA, which provides a feasible non-invasive tool for the diagnosis of CMD and risk stratification of patients with ANOCA.

[Endothelial protective effect of simvastatin on coagulation system in septic rats].

Objective: To investigate the endothelial protective effects of simvastatin on the coagulation system in septic rats. Methods: A total of 54 SD male rats were divided into 3 groups. Six healthy rats were intraperitoneally injected with normal salineas control group. Twenty-four rats in septic group were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline followed by lipopolysaccharide 2.5 mg. Study group had 24 rats intraperitoneally injected with simvastatin followed by lipopolysaccharide. Plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF), thrombomodulin (TM), platelet activating factor (PAF) and antithrombin-Ⅲ (AT-Ⅲ) were tested at 1 h, 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after treatment. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the morphology and apoptosis of rat aorta endothelial cells. Results: Compared with healthy control group, vWF [(68.3±4.8) ng/ml, (59.2±5.1) ng/ml, (74.2±20.1) ng/ml, (53.5±4.0)ng/ml, respectively], TM [(1.4±0.3) ng/ml, (1.6±0.4) ng/ml, (2.8±0.9) ng/ml, (1.4±0.5) ng/ml, respectively], PAF [(29.1±6.5) pg/ml, (28.6±1.5) pg/ml, (28.7±2.7) pg/ml, (18.2±4.1) pg/ml, respectively] and AT-Ⅲ [(262.2±38.1)µg/ml, (233.0±70.4) µg/ml, (218.7±54.7) µg/ml, (162.2±37.2) µg/ml, respectively] were significantly increased in the sepsis group at 1 h, 3 h, 6 h and 12 h (P<0.05). Compared with the sepsis group, the plasma levels of PAF in simvastatin intervention group at 1 h [(15.6±2.5) pg/ml, 3 h(10.4±5.3) pg/ml, 6 h (9.3±1.4) pg/ml, 12 h(11.0±2.7) pg/ml] were significantly decreased, so were the TM level at 6 h (1.6±0.9) ng/ml, and the AT-Ⅲ levels at 1 h[(190.3±29.2) µg/ml],6 h [(104.4±33.6) µg/ml] and 12 h [(73.6±39.0) µg/ml, P<0.05]. Conclusion: In the condition of sepsis, toxins and over-activated inflammatory factors damage the vascular endothelium. A large amount of circulating vWF, TM, PAF, and AT-Ⅲ cause early hypercoagulability. Simvastatin significantly reduces plasma amount of these procoagulants, suggesting it smodification of coagulopathy and vascular protective effectsin a septic rat model.

[The derivation and vulidafion of a prediction rule for hypoxemia in infants with Pierre Robin sequence after weaning].

Objective: To set up a prediction scoring system for the hypoxemia in infants with Pierre Robin sequence after weaning and evaluate its clinical value. Methods: Data of consecutive patients from November 2016 to June 2019, who underwent mandibular distraction osteogenesis in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, were retrospectively analyzed (n=148). All the cases were divided into two groups according to the appearance of hypoxemia after weaning. They were randomly divided into the derivation cohorc (2/3,n=100) and the validation cohort (1/3,n=48). Single factor and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to select the independent risk factors related to hypoxemia and establish a prediction model. A prediction scoring system was developed in accordance with assigning of the value of each variable ß in the model. Internal verification of scoring system by validation population. Data of consecutive patients from July 2019 to November 2019, who underwent mandibular distraction osteogenesis, were prospectively analyzed (n=26). The diagnostic accuracy were conducted to evaluate the clinical value of the scoring system. Results: The logistic regression demonstrated that age at operation, pulmonary infection and the length of distraction less than 5 mm at weaning were the independent risk factors for hypoxemia. The P value of logistic regression model in Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit test was 0.848, and a prediction scoring system was established accordingly. The area under the ROC curve of the scoring system was 0.890, and the optimum critical value was 53. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy of the model were 78.6%(11/14),86.1%(74/86), 85.0%(85/100) respectively. The predictive effectiveness of the scoring system in the retrospective validation population was similar to that in the modeling population. 26 patients were included in the prospective analysis. The area under ROC curve of the scoring system was 0.870. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 80.0%(5/6),95.0%(20/21), 96.1%(25/26) respectively. Conclusion: The prediction scoring system established in the study are efficacious for the hypoxemia in infants with Pierre Robin sequence after weaning.

[Strategies and challenges of immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma].

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is a common malignant tumor in China, which seriously threatens people's health and lives. In recent years, immunotherapy has provided new options for the treatment of HCC. Various emerging immunotherapy techniques, such as cell immunotherapy, tumor vaccines, oncolytic viruses and immune checkpoint inhibitors, are also gradually advancing to clinical applications. Immunotherapy for HCC should target the different immune characteristics of HCC patients and develop different individualized treatment strategies. In the process of formulating strategies, attention should be paid to key issues such as reversing the exhaustion of T cells, break through HCC immunosuppressive microenvironment, improving the immunotherapy specificity, enhancing the immune response of anti-HCC with adjuvant, timely and accurate evaluation of efficacy and safety, etc. In conclusion, individualization, specificity, safety and efficiency are the inevitable development trend of immunotherapy for HCC.

[Establishment of Mathematical Models for Skeletal Age Determination of Extremitas Sternalis of Clavicle in Shanxi Adolescents].

ABSTRACT: Objective To develop mathematical models for skeletal age determination with multiple statistic method based on the correlation between age and the growth of the epiphysis of extremitas sternalis of clavicle in Shanxi adolescents. Methods The 562 Shanxi sternoclavicular joint samples （454 cases of modelling, 108 cases of external verification） were scanned by the thin-section computed tomography. After volume rendering was obtained, indicators such as area of epiphysis, area of metaphysis, longest diameter of epiphysis and longest diameter of metaphysis of both extremitas sternalis of clavicle were collected. Indicators such as the ratio of area of epiphysis to area of metaphysis, and the ratio of longest diameter of epiphysis to longest diameter of metaphysis of both sides were calculated. Then multiple linear regression and random forest discriminant models were used to build mathematical models for age determination of adolescents. Results The obtained indicators exhibited a strong correlation with age （r>0.85）. The multiple linear regression model for males and females （all 4 indicators entering the model） based on the ratio of longest diameter of epiphysis to longest diameter of metaphysis and the ratio of area of epiphysis to area of metaphysis had an internal validation accuracy rate （±1.0 year） of over 92% and 108 cases had an external validation accuracy rate of over 70% （±1.0 year）. The out of bag error rates of random forest discriminant models were less than 2% for people over 18.0 years old （≥18.0 years old） and under 18.0 years old. The external validation accuracy rates of the 108 cases were over 80%. Conclusion The regression and discriminant models established in this study have certain reliability and accuracy and can be used in age determination of Shanxi adolescents.

P4HA1/HIF1α feedback loop drives the glycolytic and malignant phenotypes of pancreatic cancer.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) activation is profoundly implicated in the initiation and progression of multiple malignant tumors. Prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha 1 (P4HA1) is the active catalytic component of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and has been reported to promote tumor progression in several cancers. In this study, we revealed that P4HA1 was highly expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and predicted a poor clinical outcome. Notably, elevated expression of P4HA1 in PDAC cells was HIF1α-dependent. Gene set enrichment analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort demonstrated a close link between P4HA1 expression and glycolysis and hypoxia gene signatures in PDAC. Knockdown of P4HA1 significantly suppressed the glycolytic activity of PDAC cells as revealed by reduced glucose utilization and lactate production. Consistently, there was a close correlation between P4HA1 and glycolysis genes. Moreover, we found that P4HA1 can enhance HIF1α stability, indicating a positive feedback loop between HIF1α and P4HA1 in PDAC. Genetic silencing of P4HA1 significantly inhibited the cell proliferation, chemoresistance, and stemness of PDAC cells. Collectively, our findings identify the P4HA1-HIF1α loop as a critical regulator in glycolysis and oncogenic activities of PDAC and provide a potential target for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Robust regression for optimal individualized treatment rules.

Because different patients may respond quite differently to the same drug or treatment, there is an increasing interest in discovering individualized treatment rules. In particular, there is an emerging need to find optimal individualized treatment rules, which would lead to the "best" clinical outcome. In this paper, we propose a new class of loss functions and estimators based on robust regression to estimate the optimal individualized treatment rules. Compared to existing estimation methods in the literature, the new estimators are novel and advantageous in the following aspects. First, they are robust against skewed, heterogeneous, heavy-tailed errors or outliers in data. Second, they are robust against a misspecification of the baseline function. Third, under some general situations, the new estimator coupled with the pinball loss approximately maximizes the outcome's conditional quantile instead of the conditional mean, which leads to a more robust optimal individualized treatment rule than the traditional mean-based estimators. Consistency and asymptotic normality of the proposed estimators are established. Their empirical performance is demonstrated via extensive simulation studies and an analysis of an AIDS data set.

Molecular characterization of prophenoloxidase-1 (PPO1) and the inhibitory effect of kojic acid on phenoloxidase (PO) activity and on the development of Zeugodacus tau (Walker) (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Phenoloxidase (PO) plays a key role in melanin biosynthesis during insect development. Here, we isolated the 2310-bp full-length cDNA of PPO1 from Zeugodacus tau, a destructive horticultural pest. qRT-polymerase chain reaction showed that the ZtPPO1 transcripts were highly expressed during larval-prepupal transition and in the haemolymph. When the larvae were fed a 1.66% kojic acid (KA)-containing diet, the levels of the ZtPPO1 transcripts significantly increased by 2.79- and 3.39-fold in the whole larvae and cuticles, respectively, while the corresponding PO activity was significantly reduced; in addition, the larval and pupal durations were significantly prolonged; pupal weights were lowered; and abnormal phenotypes were observed. An in vitro inhibition experiment indicated that KA was an effective competitive inhibitor of PO in Z. tau. Additionally, the functional analysis showed that 20E could significantly up-regulate the expression of ZtPPO1, induce lower pupal weight, and advance pupation. Knockdown of the ZtPPO1 gene by RNAi significantly decreased mRNA levels after 24 h and led to low pupation rates and incomplete pupae with abnormal phenotypes during the larval-pupal interim period. These results proved that PO is important for the normal growth of Z. tau and that KA can disrupt the development of this pest insect.

[Study of endoplasmic reticulum stress role in hepatic failure induced by severe hepatitis B].

Objective: To investigate the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) role in the course of liver failure induced by severe hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its related mechanism. Methods: Liver tissue samples and clinical data [chronic hepatitis B patients (12 cases, chronic hepatitis B group), hepatic failure induced by severe hepatitis B virus (12 cases, severe hepatitis B virus liver failure group), and normal subjects (8 cases, control group)] were collected from the Beijing You'an Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University between 2009 to 2011. Statistical analysis was performed on the clinical indicators of each group. The structure of endoplasmic reticulum in liver tissue was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis-related factors, including glucose-regulated protein (Grp), and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). Frozen sections of liver tissues were prepared for immunofluorescence test. All data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. LSD-t test was used to compare the results between groups. A p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Transmission electron microscopy showed that the morphological structure of the endoplasmic reticulum was damaged in both groups (chronic hepatitis B and liver failure induced by severe hepatitis B virus), and liver failure induced by severe hepatitis B virus group was more critical. Western blot and qRT-PCR showed that Grp78, Grp94 and Caspase-4 were highly expressed in normal group and chronic hepatitis B group, and the relative protein expressions were 1.20 ± 0.13 and 0.78 ± 0.11, 0.90 ± 0.06 and 0.11 ± 0.01, 0.15 ± 0.02 and 0.22 ± 0.04, respectively. The expression of protein was weakened in liver failure induced by severe hepatitis B virus group (relative protein expression was 0.01 ± 0, 0.01 ± 0, and 0.11 ± 0.02, respectively).There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The expression of CHOP was consistent with the results of immunofluorescence, and increased with the stressing of injury. Conclusion: During the course of severe hepatitis B infection, dysregulated endoplasmic reticulum stress activated mild stress in chronic hepatitis B group, while severe stress in hepatic failure induced by severe hepatitis B virus group. Therefore, endoplasmic reticulum stress plays an important and complex role in the pathogenesis of hepatic failure induced by severe hepatitis B virus.

[Association of epicardial adipose tissue with cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcification in the community residents].

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to address the relationship between the volume of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) with cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcification(CAC) in the community residents. Methods: Individuals were recruited from the Jidong Community (Tangshan City, Northern China) which mainly comprised employees of the Jidong Co. Ltd. and their family members. From July 2013 to August 2014, 2 647 participants aged ≥40 years were included in this study. The volume of EAT and coronary artery calcification score (CAC score) were determined by a 64-slice CT. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was measured by a trained sonographer using a high-resolution B-mode topographic ultrasound system. Venous blood samples were analyzed by automated analyzers in the central laboratory. A validated questionnaire specifically designed for this study was used to collect demographic data from all participants by trained doctors. Characteristics of study cohort were compared according to quartiles of EAT volume (n=660, 663, 662, 662, repectively). Results: (1) The mean age of participants was (55.31±7.76) years and 49.94% (n=1 322) were men. The median EAT volume (interquartile) was 129.42 (95.66, 176.51)cm(3). (2) Age, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference, systolic blood pressure, LDL-C, triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose were significantly higher, while HDL-C level was significantly lower in participants with higher EAT volume than participants with lower EAT volume (all P<0.05). Carotid intima-media thicken (CIMT) and higher CAC score were also significantly higher in participants with higher volume of EAT. Furthermore, percentage of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia increased in proportion with increasing EAT volume (P<0.05). (3) In the linear regression, significant positive relations were found for age (ß=0.019 3, 95%CI 0.017-0.021, P<0.001), waist circumference (ß=0.012 7, 95%CI 0.009-0.016, P<0.001), BMI (ß=0.022 4, 95%CI 0.013-0.032, P<0.001), LDL-C (ß=0.048 4, 95%CI 0.021-0.076, P<0.001), and HDL-C (ß=-0.098 1, 95%CI-0.164--0.032, P<0.001) was inversely related to the EAT volume. (4) Logistic regression analysis indicated that EAT volume was an independent risk factor for CAC score>0 (OR=1.233, 95%CI 1.205-1.262, P<0.001) . Conclusions: Our findings indicate that EAT volume is strongly correlated to cardiovascular risk factors and coronary calcification and is an independent risk factor of increased coronary calcification in community residents.

Biodegradation of ochratoxin A by Alcaligenes faecalis isolated from soil.

AIMS: The aim of this study is to report on the hydrolytic action of Alcaligenes faecalis isolated from soil samples and its ability to degrade ochratoxin A. METHODS AND RESULTS: An A. faecalis strain was identified and characterized by employing both a phenotypic analysis and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The results show that this strain could degrade ochratoxin A efficiently but could not use it as a sole carbon source. Ochratoxin α was confirmed as a degradation product in the intracellular extract of A. faecalis using UPLC-MS/MS. Our results suggest that the biodegradation of ochratoxin A by the A. faecalis strain occurs through the hydrolysis of the ochratoxin A amide bond by a putative peptidase. This is the first report to date on the degradation of ochratoxin A by A. faecalis. CONCLUSION: The A. faecalis strain is presumably a suitable candidate for use in the biodegradation of ochratoxin A. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Ochratoxin A, which is produced by some filamentous fungi, severely impacts human and animal health by contaminating several types of food and feed. Our study contributes to the identification of the function of A. faecalis 0D-1, which is capable of producing hydrolytic enzyme(s) to biodegrade ochratoxin A into nontoxic ochratoxin α, to minimize the risk associated with ochratoxin A exposure.

Isolation and characterization of a novel deoxynivalenol-transforming strain Paradevosia shaoguanensis DDB001 from wheat field soil.

A Strain DDB001 having an ability to remove deoxynivalenol (DON) was successfully isolated from wheat field soil. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, the strain DDB001 was identified as Paradevosia shaoguanensis. Strain DDB001 could grow well and thoroughly eliminate 200 mg l-1 of DON in complete growth medium, but it could not utilize DON as the sole carbon source for growth in mineral salt medium. Analysing DON transformation products by HPLC-MS assumed that the strain could transform DON into a less toxic stereoisomer, 3-epi-deoxynivalenol (3-epi-DON). In addition, it did not require preincubation with DON for the expression of DON-transforming activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a Paradevosia strain has the capability of DON-transforming. Therefore, strain DDB001 can be considered as a useful tool in feed decontamination. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most frequently found mycotoxins in all major cereal grains worldwide. A DON-transforming bacterium, Paradevosia shaoguanensis DDB001, was isolated from wheat field soil. This study is the first report on isolation of a member of the genus Paradevosia as a potent DON-transformation micro-organism. The isolated bacterium has the potential to be utilized for detoxification of DON-contaminated feed.

[Curcumin induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in human gastric cancer cells with different degree of differentiation].

Objective: To investigate the effect of curcumin on the apoptosis and autophagy of human gastric cancer cells with different degree of differentiation. Methods: Gastric cancer cell lines BGC-823 and MKN-28 were treated with curcumin at different concentrations. The effect of curcumin on cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Autophagy status was analyzed by acridine orange staining. The expression levels of apoptotic and autophagy-related proteins were detected by Western blot. Results: The cell viability of BGC-823 and MKN-28 was inhibited by curcumin in a time- and dose-dependent manner. At 48 h after treatment, the IC(50) value of BGC-823 (15.18 µmol/L) was close to that of MKN-28 (15.84 µmol/L), and the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.513). Meanwhile, flow cytometry showed that curcumin induced the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot results showed that the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins bax, active-caspase-3 and active-caspase-9 was significantly increased in BGC-823 and MKN-28 cells, whereas that of the anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 was strikingly reduced. In addition, the formation of acidic vesicular organelles in cytoplasm, conversion of LC3-Ⅰ to LC3-Ⅱ and increased levels of autophagy-related proteins Beclin1, Atg7 and Atg5-Atg12 were observed in curcumin-treated cells. Moreover, activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was also significantly suppressed after curcumin treatment. Blocking autophagy by adding the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) significantly promoted the apoptotic cell death induced by curcumin. Conclusions: Curcumin induces apoptosis and protective autophagy in human gastric cancer cells in vitro. Curcumin combined with autophagy inhibitor may provide a more effective strategy for its clinical application.

[Effect of mesenchymal stem cells on the apoptosis of breast cancer cells induced by cisplatin].

Objective: To investigate the effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on apoptosis of breast cancer cell line MCF-7 induced by cisplatin (DDP), MSCs derived from breast cancer (BC-MSCs) or adjacent non-cancerous tissues (BN-MSCs) were isolated, cultured and identified. Methods: BC-MSCs and BN-MSCs were isolated and cultured by tissue adherent method. The differentiation potential of BC-MSCs was detected by osteogenic and adipogenic induction, and cell surface markers of BC-MSCs and BN-MSCs were evaluated by flow cytometry. MCF-7 cells were co-treated with DDP and conditioned medium (CM) collected from BC-MSCs and BN-MSCs after being cultured for 48 hours, respectively. Inhibition rate of cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT. Cell apoptosis and viability were detected by MUSE cell analyzer. Cytokines in MSC-CM were detected by Luminex liquid chip. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) mRNA expressions in MCF-7 cells with different treatment were detected by RT-PCR. Results: The morphology of BC-MSCs and BN-MSCs successfully isolated and cultured was uniform fibroblast-like clusters under the microscope. These cells expressed high levels of CD29 and CD44, but neither CD14 nor CD34 were detected. MSCs could also differentiate into osteoblasts and adipocytes after specific induction. After treatment with 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 µmol/L DDP, the inhibitory rates of proliferation of MCF-7 cells in DDP group were (17.33±2.00)%, (22.37±0.73)%, (30.77±1.23)%, (44.93±1.27)%, (62.03 ±1.97)% and (73.93±1.10)%, respectively. While the inhibitory rates of DDP+ BC-MSCs group were (8.27±0.63)%, (11.50±1.30)%, (20.57±0.93)%, (32.60 ±1.90)%, (52.27±0.73)% and (62.13±2.17)%, respectively. The inhibitory rates of DDP+ BN-MSCs group were (12.90±1.60)%, (16.53±2.87)%, (25.90±1.50)%, (39.40±2.40)%, (57.40±0.70)% and (69.03±1.07)%, respectively. The inhibitory rates of DDP+ BC-MSCs group were significantly lower than those of DDP group (P<0.05). The apoptotic rates of MCF-7 cells in DDP group, DDP+ BC-MSCs group and DDP+ BN-MSCs group were (47.77±1.98)%, (29.20±2.12)% and (37.92±2.21)%, respectively. The apoptotic rates of DDP group was significantly higher than that of DDP+ BC-MSCs group (P<0.05). The cell viabilities of MCF-7 in DDP group, DDP+ BC-MSCs group and DDP+ BN-MSCs group were 0.52±0.02, 0.72±0.02 and 0.64±0.02, respectively. The cell viability of DDP group was significantly lower than that of DDP+ BC-MSCs group (P<0.05). The result of Luminex liquid chip analysis showed that, the level of IL-6 in BC-MSCs group increased 2.50±0.68 fold when compared with BN-MSCs group (P<0.05). The relative expressions of IL-6 mRNA in DDP group and DDP+ BC-MSCs group were 1.02±0.10 and 7.58±0.55, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.01). The apoptotic rates of MCF-7 cells in DDP+ BC-MSCs group with or without IL-6 neutralizing antibody were (27.41±1.95)% and (42.45±2.87)%, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The cell viabilities of MCF-7 cells in DDP+ BC-MSCs group with or without IL-6 neutralizing antibody were (72.40±2.60)% and (59.76±3.89)%, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusions: BC-MSCs and BN-MSCs have been isolated and cultured successfully. Compared with BN-MSCs, BC-MSCs could attenuate the effect of DDP on MCF-7 cells, evidently decrease the apoptosis and increase the proliferation and vitality in an IL-6 dependent manner.

[Computer Aided Diagnosis system of breast ultrasound based on support vector machine: a clinical analysis].

Objective: To investigate the value of based on support vector machine (SVM) breast ultrasonography technology of Computer-Assisted diagnosis (CAD) for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast masses. Methods: Total of 143 patients who had 151 breast masses were collected in Fujian Maternity and Children Health Hospital or The Fist Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from June 2014 to December 2015. Based on pathological results as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficiency of CAD and ultrasonography were compared. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of ultrasonography were 80.1%, 71.0%, 76.8%, 80.0% and 72.1%, respectively. And the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CAD were 96.6%, 90.3%, 94.0%, 93.5% and 94.9%, respectively. The specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive of CAD technology were significantly higher than those of ultrasonography (P<0.05). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of ultrasonography and CAD were 0.759 and 0.935 respectively, with significant difference (P<0.05). Conclusions: CAD has a higher specificity and accuracy rate than ultrasonography in the diagnosis of breast masses. It could help to differentiate benign from malignant breast masses.