Ruthenium polypyridine complexes containing prenyl groups as antibacterial agents against Staphylococcus aureus through a membrane-disruption mechanism.

Four new ruthenium polypyridyl complexes with prenyl groups, [Ru(bpy)2 (MHIP)](PF6 )2 (Ru(II)-1), [Ru(dtb)2 (MHIP)](PF6 )2 (Ru(II)-2), [Ru(dmb)2 (MHIP)](PF6 )2 (Ru(II)-3), and [Ru(dmob)2 (MHIP)](PF6 )2 (Ru(II)-4) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, dtb = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine, dmb = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, dmob = 4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bipyridine, and MHIP = 2-(2,6-dimethylhepta-1,5-dien-1-yl)-1H-imidazo[4,f][1,10]phenanthroline), were synthesized and characterized. Their antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus were assessed, and the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) value of Ru(II)-2 against S. aureus was only 0.5 µg/mL, showing the best antibacterial activity among them. S. aureus could be quickly killed by Ru(II)-2 in 30 min and Ru(II)-2 displayed an obvious inhibitive effect on the formation of a biofilm, which was essential to avoid the development of drug-resistance. Meanwhile, Ru(II)-2 exhibited a stable MIC value against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The antibacterial mechanism of Ru(II)-2 was probably related to depolarization of the cell membrane, and a change of permeability was associated with the formation of reactive oxygen species, leading to leakage of nucleic acid and bacterial death. Furthermore, Ru(II)-2 hardly showed toxicity to mammalian cells and the Galleria mellonella worm. Finally, murine infection studies also illustrated that Ru(II)-2 was highly effective against S. aureus in vivo.

Circular RNA screening identifies circMYLK4 as a regulator of fast/slow myofibers in porcine skeletal muscles.

The type of myofiber is related to the quality of meat. The slow oxidized myofiber helps to increase the tenderness and juiciness of muscle. Numerous studies have shown that circRNA plays a key role in skeletal muscle development. However, the role of circRNA in porcine skeletal myofiber types is unclear. In this study, we performed high-throughput RNA sequencing to study the differential expression of circRNA in the longissimus dorsi and the soleus muscle. A total of 40,757 circRNAs were identified, of which 181 were significantly different. Interestingly, some circRNAs were involved in metabolism pathways, AMPK, FoxO, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Besides, we focused on a novel circRNA-circMYLK4. By injecting circMYLK4-AAV into piglets, we found that circMYLK4 significantly increased the mRNA and protein levels of the slow muscle marker genes. In summary, our study laid an essential foundation for further research of circRNA in myofiber type conversion and higher meat quality.

Structure-activity relationships and antiproliferative effects of 1,2,3,4-4H-quinoxaline derivatives as tubulin polymerization inhibitors.

Colchicine binding site inhibitors (CBSIs) hold great potential for the treatment of various tumors and they can overcome multidrug resistance which the existing tubulin inhibitors such as paclitaxel and vinorelbine are faced with. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of tetrahydro-quinoxaline derivatives as colchicine binding site inhibitors. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against HT-29 and Hela cancer cell lines, and most of the target compounds demonstrated moderate to strong activities towards two tumor cell lines. In addition, the structure-activity relationships of these derivatives were also discussed. Among them, compounds 11a and 11b showed the most potent activities. Moreover, compound 11a inhibited the tubulin polymerization in both cell-free and cellular assays. Further profiling of compound 11a revealed that it arrested cell cycle in G2/M and induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, molecular docking study proved that compound 11a acted on the colchicine binding site. Therefore, 11a is a promising candidate for the discovery of colchicine binding site inhibitors.

miR-324-5p promotes adipocyte differentiation and lipid droplet accumulation by targeting Krueppel-like factor 3 (KLF3).

miRNAs, a kind of noncoding small RNA, play a significant role in adipose differentiation. In this study, we explored the effect of miR-324-5p in adipose differentiation, and found that miR-324-5p could promote adipocytes differentiation and increase body weight in mice. We overexpressed miR-324-5p during adipocytes differentiation, by oil red O and bodipy staining found that lipid accumulation was increased, and the expression level of adipogenic related genes were significantly increased. And the opposite experimental results were obtained after inhibiting miR-324-5p. In vivo, we injected miR-324-5p agomiR in obese mice and found that body weight, adipocyte area, and adipogenic-related gene expression level were significantly increased but lipolytic genes were decreased. To further explore the mechanism of miR-324-5p regulation in lipid accumulation, we constructed Krueppel-like factor 3 (KLF3) 3'-untranslated region luciferase reporter vector and KLF3 pcDNA 3.1 overexpression vector, and found that miR-324-5p was able to directly target KLF3. Overall, in this study we found that miR-324-5p could promote mice preadipoytes differentiation and increase mice fat accumulation by targeting KLF3.

Imminent rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm complicated by arteriovenous fistulaization and hepatorenal failure: case report and literature review.

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is a rare complication of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with complex clinical features. However, AVF and AAA usually cause no symptoms except when they rupture. This case study demonstrated that ultrasonography was a rapid and non-invasive method for the initial assessment of AAA and AVF. A 65-year-old man was admitted to the intensive care unit with hepatic and renal dysfunction. Physical examination revealed an abdominal vascular murmur and bilateral toe discoloration. Ultrasonic examination revealed an AAA and right common iliac artery aneurysm with an AVF located between the right common iliac artery and inferior vena cava. A computed tomography scan confirmed the sonographic findings. We propose that ultrasound should be used more commonly as part of the initial evaluation of the potential and established vascular diseases.

Relationship between circulating levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-angiotensin-(1-7)-MAS axis and coronary heart disease.

As a counter-regulatory arm of the renin angiotensin system (RAS), the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-angiotensin-(1-7)-MAS axis (ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-MAS axis) plays a protective role in cardiovascular diseases. However, the link between circulating levels of ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-Mas axis and coronary atherosclerosis in humans is not determined. The object of present study was to investigate the association of circulating levels of ACE2, Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9) with coronary heart disease (CHD) defined by coronary angiography (CAG). 275 patients who were referred to CAG for the evaluation of suspected CHD were enrolled and divided into two groups: CHD group (diameter narrowing ≥ 50%, n = 218) and non-CHD group (diameter narrowing < 50%, n = 57). Circulating ACE2, Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9) levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In females, circulating ACE2 levels were higher in the CHD group than in the non-CHD group (5617.16 ± 5206.67 vs. 3124.06 ± 3005.36 pg/ml, P = 0.009), and subgroup analysis showed the significant differences in ACE2 levels between the two groups only exist in patients with multi-vessel lesions (P = 0.009). In multivariate logistic regression, compared with the people in the lowest ACE2 quartile, those in the highest quartile had an OR of 4.33 (95% CI 1.20-15.61) for the CHD (P for trend = 0.025), the OR was 5.94 (95% CI 1.08-32.51) for the third ACE2 quartile and 9.58 (95% CI 1.61-56.95) for the highest ACE2 quartile after adjusting for potential confounders (P for trend = 0.022). However, circulating Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9) levels had no significant differences between the two groups. In males, there were no significant differences in the levels of ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-MAS axis between two groups. Together, circulating ACE2 levels, but not Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9) levels, significantly increased in female CHD group when compared with non-CHD group, increased ACE2 was independently associated with CHD in female and in patients with multi-vessel lesions even after adjusting for the confounding factors, indicating that ACE2 may participate as a compensatory mechanism in CHD.

Effect of the Combination of Ketorolac and Bupivacaine on Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia After Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery.

BACKGROUND This study assessed the additional benefits of bupivacaine when combined with ketorolac for transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block after gynecological laparoscopic surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS This randomized, observer-blind trial recruited 153 patients who underwent gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive bupivacaine combined with ketorolac 15 mg/side for TAP block (TK group), bupivacaine for TAP block and 30 mg postoperative intravenous ketorolac (T group), or 30 mg postoperative intravenous ketorolac alone (C group). The primary endpoints included consumption of sufentanil for 24 h postoperatively, actual press times of the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump, and effective press times of the PCA pump, whereas the secondary endpoints included numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores at rest and during activity, satisfaction with analgesia, episodes of nausea and vomiting and length of hospital stay. RESULTS Sufentanil consumption, actual press times of the PCA pump, and effective press times of the PCA pump were lower in the TK and T groups than in the C group. NRS scores at rest and during activity at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 hours were significantly lower in the TK and T groups than in the C group. The TK and T groups showed greater satisfaction with analgesia than the C group, while the TK group showed greater overall satisfaction than the C group. Lengths of stay, rates of nausea and vomiting, and venting times did not differ significantly among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS Combined ketorolac and bupivacaine as TAP block improved the effectiveness of analgesia without increasing adverse events. Trial registration number: ChiCTR1900022577.

Total Flavonoids of Astragalus Plays a Cardioprotective Role in Viral Myocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Viral myocarditis is initiated by viral infection of myocardial tissue leading to dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. Recent studies have linked viral myocarditis with dysfunctions in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) mediated Ca(2+) homeostasis and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Currently there are no effective treatments for this viral infection. METHODS: We employed the use of a well-characterized pathogen coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) to induce mouse viral myocarditis. After intraperitoneal administration of total flavonoids of Astragalus (TFA), we examined the protective effect of TFA on CVB3-induced heart function impairment and decreased calumenin mRNA levels. Furthermore, calumenin protein level was studied in vivo and in vitro with CVB3 infection in the presence or absence of TFA. The interaction between calumenin and the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase 2 (SERCA2) was also tested in HL-1 cells. RESULTS: Whereas customarily we would expect that CVB3 infection would decrease mRNA and protein levels of the Ca(2+) binding ER chaperone calumenin, here TFA treatment prevented this decline in both CVB3 infected mice and in an in vitro system of infected HL-1 cardiomyocytes. CVB3 infection in HL-1 cells prevented the association of calumenin with the calcium mobilizing protein SERCA2, and TFA treatment rescued this interaction. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified that CVB3 infection promotes cardiomyocyte dysfunction by effecting expression levels and activity of the cardio protective ER chaperone calumenin. For the first time, TFA was shown to prevent loss of mRNA and protein levels of calumenin and also rescued the association of this protein with SERCA2. KEY WORDS: Calumenin; Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase; Total flavonoids of Astragalus; Viral myocarditis.

Neuroprotective effects of C3 exoenzyme in excitotoxic retinopathy.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of C3 exoenzyme (C3) on N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced retinopathy in rats. C3 was expressed in Escherichia. coli and purified by affinity chromatography. Immunofluorescence was performed in NIH 3T3 cells treated with C3 to verify the cellular uptake of the protein. NMDA was injected intravitreally into rat eyes with or without C3. At various time points after injection, eyes were enucleated. Hematoxylin/eosin staining was performed on retina cross-sections for morphological analysis. Survival and apoptosis of cells in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) were assessed by cresyl violet staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) on retina flat-mounts. RhoA levels in retina cells were evaluated by Western blot to detect C3 uptake in vivo. The cellular uptake of C3 was verified by immunofluorescence. Damage including a decrease in inner plexiform layer (IPL) thickness and reduction of cell density in the GCL, corresponding to apoptosis of neurons, was induced by intravitreal injection of NMDA. Protection against this damage was observed following co-injection of C3 and NMDA. RhoA ADP-ribosylation induced by C3 was confirmed by Western blot. Our results suggest that C3 exerts neuroprotective effects against excitotoxic damage induced by NMDA.

SCUBE1 promotes pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration in acute pulmonary embolism by modulating BMP7.

Objectives: After an episode of acute pulmonary embolism (APE), activated platelets have the ability to release various bioactive factors that can stimulate both proliferation and migration of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). SCUBE1 has been previously reported to engage in platelet-platelet interactions, potentially contributing to the activation of platelets in early onset thrombi. The purpose of this study was to examine the alterations in SCUBE1 expression in PASMCs after APE, as well as understand the mechanism behind these changes. Methods: The platelet-rich plasma samples of both APE patients and healthy individuals were collected. A hyperproliferative model of PASMCs was established by using platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) as a stimulator and various assays were used to investigate how SCUBE1-mediated BMP7 can regulate PDGF-induced PASMC proliferation and migration. Results: Elevated level of SCUBE1 were observed in platelet-rich plasma from patients with APE and in PASMCs induced by PDGF. SCUBE1 interference ameliorated PDGF-driven cell proliferation and migration, and also downregulated PCNA expression. Additionally, mechanistic studies demonstrated that SCUBE1 could directly bind to bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) and enhance BMP7 expression, which completely abolished the impact of SCUBE1 silencing on proliferation and migration ability of PASMCs after PDGF treatment. Conclusion: In the PDGF-induced proliferation of PASMCs, the expression of SCUBE1 and BMP7 was upregulated. Silencing of SCUBE1 impeded PDGF-induced proliferation and migration of PASMCs by restraining BMP7.

Is the government's direct subsidy to COVID-19 effective?

With the outbreak of COVID-19, governments worldwide have provided direct subsidies to enterprises. This paper aims to identify the motivation behind these subsidies and evaluate their impact. Previous studies have overlooked the discussion of subsidy motivation, and there is still a wide divergence of views among scholars on whether subsidies have a positive effect on firm performance. To test the hypothesis, a fixed effect model is adopted. The study examines 228 Chinese A-share listed companies and confirms that subsidies are primarily attributable to the severity of the pandemic. Moreover, subsidies have a significant positive effect on social performance, particularly for small-scale enterprises. Contrary to the belief that subsidies have a positive effect on firm performance, this study disproves this viewpoint. The research findings provide a theoretical basis for subsidy policy-making during pandemics and outline the boundaries of government intervention in society and the economy.

The Efficacy of Foot Massage for Pain Relief of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Meta-analysis Study.

BACKGROUND: Foot massage may have some potential in improving pain relief in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and this meta-analysis aims to explore the impact of foot massage on pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched, and we included randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of foot massage on pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control intervention for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, foot massage was associated with significantly lower pain scores at 60 minutes [mean difference (MD)=-1.19; 95% CI=-2.01 to -0.38; P =0.004), pain scores at 90 minutes (MD=-1.41; 95% CI=-1.73 to -1.10; P <0.00001), pain scores at 120 to 150 minutes (MD=-2.20; 95% CI=-2.49 to -1.90; P <0.00001) and reduced need of additional analgesia (odd ratio=0.04; 95% CI=0.02-0.08; P <0.00001), but demonstrated no obvious effect on pain scores at 10 to 30 minutes (MD=-0.25; 95% CI=-0.79 to 0.29; P =0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Foot massage benefits to improve pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Development and validation of a competitive risk model in patients with rectal cancer: based on SEER database.

BACKGROUND: Rectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies. To predict the specific mortality risk of rectal cancer patients, we constructed a predictive nomogram based on a competing risk model. METHODS: The information on rectal cancer patients was extracted from the SEER database. Traditional survival analysis and specific death analysis were performed separately on the data. RESULTS: The present study included 23,680 patients, with 16,580 in the training set and 7100 in the validation set. The specific mortality rate calculated by the competing risk model was lower than that of the traditional survival analysis. Age, Marriage, Race, Sex, ICD-O-3Hist/Behav, Grade, AJCC stage, T stage, N stage, Surgery, Examined LN, RX SUMM-SURG OTH, Chemotherapy, CEA, Deposits, Regional nodes positive, Brain, Bone, Liver, Lung, Tumor size, and Malignant were independent influencing factors of specific death. The overall C statistic of the model in the training set was 0.821 (Se = 0.001), and the areas under the ROC curve for cancer-specific survival (CSS) at 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.842, 0.830, and 0.812, respectively. The overall C statistic of the model in the validation set was 0.829 (Se = 0.002), and the areas under the ROC curve for CSS at 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.851, 0.836, and 0.813, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive nomogram based on a competing risk model for time-specific mortality in patients with rectal cancer has very desirable accuracy. Thus, the application of the predictive nomogram in clinical practice can help physicians make clinical decisions and follow-up strategies.

Comparative Efficacy of Different Drugs for the Treatment of Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: At present, the therapies of dilated cardiomyopathy concentrated on the symptoms of heart failure and related complications. The study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a combination of various conventional and adjuvant drugs in treating dilated cardiomyopathy via network meta-analysis. METHODS: The study was reported according to the PRISMA 2020 statement. From inception through 27 June 2022, the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of Science databases were searched for randomized controlled trials on medicines for treating dilated cardiomyopathy. The quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the Cochrane risk of bias assessment. R4.1.3 and Revman5.3 software were used for analysis. RESULTS: There were 52 randomized controlled trials in this study, with a total of 25 medications and a sample size of 3048 cases. The network meta-analysis found that carvedilol, verapamil, and trimetazidine were the top three medicines for improving left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Ivabradine, bucindolol, and verapamil were the top 3 drugs for improving left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD). Ivabradine, L-thyroxine, and atorvastatin were the top 3 drugs for improving left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESD). Trimetazidine, pentoxifylline, and bucindolol were the top 3 drugs for improving the New York Heart Association classification (NYHA) cardiac function score. Ivabradine, carvedilol, and bucindolol were the top 3 drugs for reducing heart rate (HR). CONCLUSION: A combination of different medications and conventional therapy may increase the clinical effectiveness of treating dilated cardiomyopathy. Beta-blockers, especially carvedilol, can improve ventricular remodeling, cardiac function, and clinical efficacy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Hence, they can be used if patients tolerate them. If LVEF and HR do not meet the standard, ivabradine can also be used in combination with other treatments. However, since the quality and number of studies in our research were limited, large sample size, multi-center, and high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to corroborate our findings.

Effects of cold atmospheric plasma pre-treatment on maintaining the quality of ready-to-eat drunken red shrimp (Solenocera crassicornis) stored at chilled conditions.

This present study investigated the effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) pre-treatment on the quality of ready-to-eat drunken red shrimp (Solenocera crassicornis) during chilled storage. The shrimp were pre-treated with the CAP at 40 kV and 36 kH for 100 s in a plasma generating equipment before the drunken treatment and compared with an untreated control sample. The results showed that the CAP pre-treatment significantly inhibited the total viable count (TVC) values, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content, and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity of the drunken shrimp compared to the control treatment. Furthermore, the CAP pre-treatment also significantly maintained the myofibrillar protein (MP) content, texture properties, and a more stable histological structure of muscle fibers compared to the control. High-throughput sequencing results confirmed that the CAP pre-treatment significantly reduced the diversity and abundance of several bacteria in the shrimp. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) analysis detected that the CAP pre-treatment effectively maintained the stability of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These findings provide valuable theoretical support for the processing and storage of drunken shrimp.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction combined with early cardiac rehabilitation improves negative mood states and cardiac function in patients with acute myocardial infarction assisted with an intra-aortic balloon pump: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention combined with early cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) assisted with an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). Methods: A total of 100 AMI patients with IABP assistance due to hemodynamic instability at Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital were enrolled in the study. The participants were divided into two groups using the random number table method (n = 50 each group). Patients receiving routine CR were assigned to the CR control group, while patients receiving MBSR plus CR were assigned to the MBSR intervention group. The intervention was performed twice a day until the removal of the IABP (5-7 days). Each patient's level of anxiety/depression and negative mood state were evaluated before and after intervention using the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), and profiles of mood state scale (POMS). The results of the control and intervention groups were compared. IABP-related complications and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), measured with echocardiography, were also assessed and compared between the two groups. Results: The SAS, SDS, and POMS scores were lower in the MBSR intervention group than in the CR control group (P < 0.05). There were also less IABP-related complications in the MBSR intervention group. LVEF was significantly improved in both groups, but the degree of LVEF improvement was more significant in the MBSR intervention group than in the CR control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: MBSR combined with early CR intervention can assist in alleviating anxiety, depression, and other negative mood states, reduce IABP-related complications, and further improve cardiac function in AMI patients with IABP assistance.

Predictive value of frailty assessment tools in patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancer: An observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have simultaneously compared the predictive value of various frailty assessment tools for outcome measures in patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Therefore, it is difficult to determine which assessment tool is most relevant to the prognosis of this population. AIM: To investigate the predictive value of three frailty assessment tools for patient prognosis in patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery. METHODS: This single-centre, observational, prospective cohort study was conducted at the Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from August 2021 to July 2022. A total of 229 patients aged ≥ 18 years who underwent surgery for gastrointestinal cancer were included in this study. We collected baseline data on the participants and administered three scales to assess frailty: The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), Fried phenotype and FRAIL scale. The outcome measures were the postoperative severe complications and increased hospital costs. RESULTS: The prevalence of frailty when assessed with the CGA was 65.9%, 47.6% when assessed with the Fried phenotype, and 34.9% when assessed with the FRAIL scale. Using the CGA as a reference, kappa coefficients were 0.398 for the Fried phenotype and 0.291 for the FRAIL scale (both P < 0.001). Postoperative severe complications and increased hospital costs were observed in 29 (12.7%) and 57 (24.9%) patients, respectively. Multivariate logistic analysis confirmed that the CGA was independently associated with increased hospital costs (odds ratio = 2.298, 95% confidence interval: 1.044-5.057; P = 0.039). None of the frailty assessment tools were associated with postoperative severe complications. CONCLUSION: The CGA was an independent predictor of increased hospital costs in patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancer.

A comparative study on the taste quality of Mytilus coruscus under different shucking treatments.

Shucking is an indispensable step in the preparation of cooked mussel products, as it facilitates the detachment of meat from the shell. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the effects of boiling, steaming, and microwaving on taste constituents in half-cooked mussel meat. Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy revealed the key differential taste components of the different shucking groups. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated the positive effects of saltiness and bitterness on umami taste, while sweetness and sourness had negative effects on umami taste in half-cooked mussel meat. Furthermore, Glu, Asp, Ala, Arg, betaine, malic acid, succinic acid, glycogen, Cl-, Na+, K+, and PO3- 4 were quantitatively determined as the main taste compounds. The steaming shelling group had the most enriched taste components, with the highest equivalent umami concentration compared to the other shelling groups. Hence, steaming shucking may be favored due to abundant tastes and nutrients.

NOD2/CARD15 gene mutation identified in a Chinese family with Blau syndrome.

PURPOSE: To characterize the clinical features of a Chinese pedigree with Blau syndrome and to identify mutations in the NOD2/CARD15 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2/caspase recruitment domain family, member 15) gene. METHODS: Clinical features of this family were evaluated. Genomic DNA was obtained from blood samples, and all exons of NOD2/CARD15 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct DNA sequencing of PCR products was performed for mutations in NOD2/CARD15. RESULTS: Granulomatous arthritis, uveitis, and skin granulomas were found in all affected members. Sequencing analysis demonstrated a heterozygous C>T mutation in exon 4 of NOD2/CARD15 in all patients of this pedigree, which resulted in an amino acid substitution at position 334 (p.R334W). CONCLUSIONS: The R334W mutation in NOD2/CARD15 caused Blau syndrome in a Chinese pedigree. This is the first report of R334W mutation in NOD2/CARD15 in a Chinese pedigree of this disease.

A novel MYOC heterozygous mutation identified in a Chinese Uygur pedigree with primary open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To characterize the clinical features of a Chinese Uygur pedigree with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and to identify mutations in two candidate genes, trabecular meshwork inducible glucocorticoid response (MYOC/TIGR) and human dioxin-inducible cytochrome P450 (CYP1B1). METHODS: Twenty one members from a Chinese Uygur family of four generations were included in the study. All participants underwent complete ophthalmologic examinations. Five were diagnosed as POAG, four as glaucoma suspects, and the rest were asymptomatic. Molecular genetic analysis was performed on all subjects included in the study. All exons of CYP1B1 and MYOC were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequenced and compared with a reference database. The variations detected were evaluated in available family members as well as 102 normal controls. Possible changes in structure and function of the protein induced by amino acid variance were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: Elevated intraocular pressure and late-stage glaucomatous cupping of the optic disc were found in five patients of this family. A novel heterozygous missense mutation c.1151 A>G in exon 3 of MYOC was found in all five patients diagnosed as POAG and four glaucoma suspects, but not in the rest of the family members and 102 normal controls. This mutation caused an amino acid substitution of aspartic acid to glycine at position 384 (p. D384G) of the MYOC protein. This substitution may cause structural and functional changes of the protein based on bioinformatics analysis. No mutations were found in CYP1B1. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the novel mutation D384G of MYOC is likely responsible for the pathogenesis of POAG in this pedigree.