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BackgroundThe nerve-sparing (NS) effect of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on patients with a high-risk prostate cancer remains unclear. The objective of this study was to compare the urinary continence, erectile function and oncology outcomes of the nerve-sparing and non-nerve-sparing (NNS) group during RARP surgeries.MethodsWe systematically searched databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science to identify relevant studies published in English up to December 2022. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used as a quality evaluation tool to evaluate the quality of the literature parameters involved, including urinary continence, erectile function and oncologic outcomes, which were compared using the Stata 15.1 software (StataSE, USA).ResultsA total of 8 cohort studies involving 2499 patients were included. A meta-analysis of results showed that the NS group was beneficial to the recovery of urinary continence (RR 0.46, 95%CI 0.22, 0.96; p=0.045ConclusionsThe current study results indicate that intraoperative NS during RARP is beneficial to long-term postoperative functional recovery and tumor prognosis of patients with high-risk prostate cancers. Due to interstudy interferences, the results should be interpreted with caution.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42022384647.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a debilitating condition that affects 1–7% of newborns. Children with DDH, not treated early and effectively, will easily lead to disability. A better understanding of the biology of DDH is critical to the development of prognostic biomarkers and novel therapies. The purpose of this study was to establish a biobank of DDH genetic resources, to facilitate clinical and basic scientific research. The biological specimen and clinical data of DDH were collected in Shanghai Children’s Hospital from 2014 to 2021. The collection of blood samples was performed at definitive diagnosis and review, tissue specimens were performed at definitive surgery. The clinical data was collected at the whole stage of DDH patients at diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. A total of 528 patients with DDH were enrolled in this study, 90 were men and 438 were women, with the mean age of 4.67 years. The numbers of tissue and blood specimens reached 2172 and 1490, respectively. The quality test results showed that the DNA concentration decreased slightly with the extension of storage time, but the DNA purity did not change. Meanwhile, the extension of storage time slightly affected the stability of protein of tissue samples but did not affect the expression of the housekeeping gene. The DDH biobank built has the potential of monitoring disease pathogenesis and progress, which could provide specimens to the researchers improving the biological understanding and provide guidance of clinical treatment of this disease to clinicians.

Characterizing the trajectory of the healthy aging brain and exploring age-related brain structural changes can help deepen our understanding of the mechanism of brain aging. Currently, most structural magnetic resonance imaging literature explores brain aging merely from the perspective of morphological features, which cannot fully utilize the gray-scale values containing important intrinsic information about brain structure. In this study, we proposed to construct two-dimensional horizontal visibility graphs based on the pixel intensity values of the gray matter slices directly. Afterward, the normalized network structure entropy (NNSE) was introduced to quantify the overall heterogeneities of these graphs. The results demonstrated decreased between the NNSEs of gray matter and ages. Compared with the middle-aged and the elderly, the larger values of the NNSE in the young group may indicate the more homogeneous network structures, the smaller differences in importance between nodes, and thus a more powerful intrusion tolerance ability. In addition, the hub nodes of different adult age groups are primarily located in the precuneus, cingulate gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, insula, precentral gyrus, and postcentral gyrus. Our study can provide a new perspective for understanding and exploring the structural mechanism of brain aging.

Objective A combination of glucocorticoids with mycophenolate is recommended by current guidelines to boost response to Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) therapy. This study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of methotrexate (MTX) plus reduced (3.0 g) or full-dose (4.5 g) i.v. methylprednisolone (MP) vs full-dose i.v. MP alone. Design and methods This was a prospective, randomized, observer-masked, single-center clinical trial conducted in a tertiary clinical center. Ninety-seven patients with active moderate-to-severe GO were screened and 90 patients underwent randomization between April 2018 and Oct 2019. All patients completed 12 weeks of treatment and received clinical assessment. The patients received either MP 4.5 g only, MP 4.5 g plus oral MTX, or MP 3.0 g plus oral MTX. The primary outcome was the CAS response at week 12. Secondary outcomes were adverse events and other individual ophthalmic parameters. Results At week 12, 53.3% of MP, 76.7% of reduced MP plus MTX, and 76.7% of MP plus MTX achieved a CAS response, although the difference was not significant (P = 0.1). The overall response rates of the MP group, the reduced MP plus MTX group, and the MP plus MTX group were 43.3%, 53.3%, and 60%, respectively (P = 0.5). Subgroup analysis found that smoking status interacted with marginal significance with treatment effect (P = 0.048). Importantly, adverse event incidence was significantly lower in the reduced MP + MTX group (P = 0.017). Conclusions Our study shows that reduced MP plus MTX therapy is effective and safer in treating active and moderate-to-severe GO patients than 4.5 g MP monotherapy.

Fish trophic niches reflect important ecological interactions and provide insight into the structure of mangrove food webs. Few studies have been conducted in mangrove fish predators to investigate interpopulation trophic niches and ontogenetic shifts. Using stable isotope analysis and two complementary approaches, the authors investigated trophic niche patterns within and between two ontogenetic groups (juveniles and sub-adults) of a generalist predator (Acentrogobius viridipunctatus) in four mangroves with heterogeneous environmental conditions (e.g., tidal regimes, salinity fluctuations and mangrove tree community). The authors hypothesized that the trophic niche between populations would vary regionally and trophic position would increase consistently from juvenile to sub-adult stages. The results revealed that both δ

Fludioxonil is widely used in the control of crop diseases because of its broad spectrum and high activity, but its presence is now common in waterways proximate to treated areas. This study examined the toxic effects and mechanisms of fludioxonil on the microalgal taxa Chlorella vulgaris. The results showed that fludioxonil limited the growth of C. vulgaris and the median inhibitory concentration at 96 h was 1.87 mg/L. Concentrations of 0.75 and 3 mg/L fludioxonil reduced the content of photosynthetic pigments in algal cells to different degrees. Fludioxonil induced oxidative damage by altering C. vulgaris antioxidant enzyme activities and increasing reactive oxygen species levels. Fludioxonil at 0.75 mg/L significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The highest level of activity was 1.60 times that of the control group. Both fludioxonil treatment groups significantly increased ROS levels, with the highest increase being 1.90 times that of the control group. Transmission electron microscope showed that treatment with 3 mg/L fludioxonil for 96 h disrupted cell integrity and changed cell morphology, and flow cytometer analysis showed that fludioxonil induced apoptosis. Changes in endogenous substances indicated that fludioxonil negatively affects C. vulgaris via altered energy metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids. This study elucidates the effects of fludioxonil on microalgae and the biological mechanisms of its toxicity, providing insights into the importance of the proper management of this fungicide.

Background Actinomycosis is a rare infectious disease caused by Actinomyces, especially in children. Here, we present a case of musculoskeletal actinomycosis in a 5-year-old girl from China. Case presentation A 5-year-old girl presented with recurrent episodes of fever, pain, erythema, swelling, and festering sores on the right lower extremity, and pus was discharged from a sinus in the right foot. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested subcutaneous soft tissue infection and osteomyelitis of the right crus. A bacterial culture of pus extracted from a festering sore on the right popliteal fossa detected the growth of Actinomycetes europaeus. The patient was cured with 7 weeks of treatment with intravenous ampicillin-sulbactam, followed by 6 weeks of treatment with oral amoxicillin-clavulanate with surgical debridement and drainage. There were no symptoms of recurrence during the 15-month period of follow-up. Conclusions Pediatric actinomycosis is a rare and challenging infectious disease. Early accurate diagnosis and optimal surgical debridement are important for the management of pediatric actinomycosis.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is involved in regulating cell apoptosis and proliferation. However, The effects and mechanism of H2S on the apoptosis of mammary epithelial cells that suffer from an inflammatory response remain unknown. An inflammatory cell model was used to explore whether exogenous H2S regulates lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced cell proliferation and apoptosis. We found that H2S affected cell viability, the inflammatory response and apoptosis in LPS-treated cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, exogenous H2S rescued LPS-induced cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) inhibition and cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) synthesis. Interestingly, in cells undergoing inflammation-induced apoptosis, H2S activated the PI3K/Akt and NFκB signal pathways both tested concentrations. Akt appeared to be a key crosstalk molecule that played a “bridge” role. H2S regulates LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis by activating the PI3K/Akt/NFκB signaling pathway. Hence, NaHS may be clinically useful for preventing or treating mastitis.

BACKGROUND Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), also known as congenital hip dislocation or congenital hip dysplasia is usually diagnosed at birth. Studies on DDH at high-altitude are rare. Tibetans live mainly at altitudes above 3,500 m, and the prevalence of DDH in this population is not currently known. This cross-sectional epidemiological study aimed to identify the prevalence and associated risk factors for DDH in Tibet. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between 1st June 2015 and 30 June 2016, infants in Tibet aged between 0-6 months and from ten districts at different altitudes in Shigatse, Tibet were referred to our hospital for the assessment of DDH. All the infants underwent clinical evaluation for DDH and ultrasound testing using the Graf method. RESULTS There were 606 infants who met the study inclusion criteria, including 253 female infants and 353 male infants, of which 106 infants had DDH. The prevalence of DDH in Shigatse, Tibet was approximately 174.9/1000 infants (106/606). Altitude was strongly associated with increased risk of DDH in Tibet (r=0.82, P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS This is the first epidemiological study of DDH in the Tibetan population. The results showed that DDH is prevalent among native Tibetan people in Shigatse, and there was a significant correlation between altitude and the prevalence of DDH. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism of the association between altitude and the increased incidence of DDH in infants.

Herbicides are the agents of choice for use in weed control; however, they can enter the aquatic environment, with potentially serious consequences for non-target organisms. Despite the possible deleterious effects, little information is available regarding the ecotoxicity of the herbicide florasulam toward aquatic organisms. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the toxic effect of florasulam on the freshwater microalga Chlorella vulgaris and sought to identify the underlying mechanisms. For this, we employed a growth inhibition toxicity test, and then assessed the changes in physiological and metabolomic parameters, including photosynthetic pigment content, antioxidant system, intracellular structure and complexity, and metabolite levels. The results showed that treatment with florasulam for 96 h at the concentration of 2 mg/L, 2.84 mg/L, and 6 mg/L in medium significantly inhibited algal growth and photosynthetic pigment content. Moreover, the levels of reactive oxygen species were also increased, resulting in oxidative damage and the upregulation of the activities of several antioxidant enzymes. Transmission electron microscopic and flow cytometric analysis further demonstrated that exposure to florasulam (6 mg/L) for 96 h disrupted the cell structure of C. vulgaris, characterized by the loss of cell membrane integrity and alterations in cell morphology. Changes in amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and the antioxidant system were also observed and contributed to the suppressive effect of florasulam on the growth of this microalga. Our findings regarding the potential risks of florasulam in aquatic ecosystems provide a reference for the safe application of this herbicide in the environment.

Understanding long-term changes in life-history traits is central to assessing and managing freshwater fisheries. In this study, we explored how life-history traits have shifted in association with long-term change in population status for a native fish species (freshwater sleeper, Odontobutis sinensis, a by-catch species of shrimp traps) in the middle Yangtze lakes, China. We assessed the life-history traits of the species from Honghu Lake in 2016, where abundance had been dramatically lower following about 60 years of high fishing pressure, and made comparisons to similar data from Liangzi Lake (1957), when fishing intensity was low and abundance was high, and Bao’an Lake (1993–1994), when about 10 years of intense exploitation had occurred and abundance had greatly declined. Modern Honghu Lake sleeper exhibit life-history traits that are substantially more opportunistic compared to both of the historical populations. Modern fish were larger at age-1 and had significantly faster growth rates, a higher prevalence of sexually mature individuals and increased fecundities. Fish from the historical samples were larger and had higher age class diversity and delayed sexual maturation. Combined, the data suggest that faster growth towards early sexual maturation and reduced body sizes are associated with destabilized populations and ecosystems. Similar life-history patterns are common in other declined fish populations under exploitation. Recovering historic fish life-history dynamics requires conservation management policies aimed at reducing harvest and improving floodplain habitats.

Objective The aim of the present paper was to investigate the clinical efficacy of minimally invasive elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) for long bone fractures in children. Methods A total of 350 children with limb fractures from June 2012 to June 2018 were recruited and randomized into two groups: an ESIN group (n = 175) treated with elastic stable intramedullary nailing, and an MPIF group (n = 175), treated with metal plate internal fixation. Both groups received the same physical examination and routine medication. Operation related indexes, clinical efficacy, complications, and postoperative quality of life scores were analyzed and compared. Results The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization time, and fracture healing time in the ESIN group were 43.74 ± 4.96 min, 8.14 ± 1.34 mL, 5.97 ± 1.88 days, and 55.89 ± 5.61 days, respectively, which were all significantly less than those in the MPIF group (all P < 0.001). In terms of common complications after limb fracture treatment, there were 6 cases of osteomyelitis, 5 cases of skin irritation response, and 7 cases of inflammatory granuloma in the MPIF group. There were 2 cases of skin irritation response and 5 cases of inflammatory granuloma in the ESIN group. The incidence of postoperative complications in the ESIN group was 4.00%, which was significantly lower than that in MPIF group (10.29%) (P, Workflow of clinical research. Note: TEN, titanic elastic nailing.

Nanogenerator is a promising energy harvesting device that can scavenge tiny mechanical energy from the surrounding environment, and then convert it into electricity. Natural bio-polymers are the potential candidates for the design of nanogenerators due to their excellent characteristics like piezoelectricity, triboelectricity, non-toxicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Especially, nanogenerators using bio-sourced polymers as the core raw materials are suitable for wearable and implantable devices. In this review, major advancements in the sensing field of nanogenerators based on natural polysaccharides and proteins (cellulose, chitosan, alginate, agarose, starch, lignin, silk fibroin, collagen, gelatin, keratin, peptide, M13 bacteriophage, β-cyclodextrin, spider silk, etc.) are summarized. Also, challenges in the improvement of electric output performance, flexibility, anti-humidity and energy management for natural polymers based-nanogenerators are proposed. In the future, they will be applied in daily life as an alternative for traditional power source after addressing issues mentioned above.

Objective: Diagnosis of occult fractures by initial plain radiographs remains challenging in children in the emergency room. This study was to assess the prevalence and distribution of occult fracture in children with acute extremities injuries (AEI) and clinical suspicion of fracture. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to review the medical records of all pediatric patients with AEI in the orthopedic emergency room from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019. For patients with concerning history and physical examination but negative initial radiographs, we conducted the following three diagnostic strategies according to the choic of children's parents: immediate MRI scanning, [2] immediate CT scanning, or [3] empiric cast immobilization with orthopedic follow-up radiographs at 2 weeks post-injury (late radiographs). Prevalence and distribution of occult fracture were recorded. Results: A total of 43,560 pediatric patients meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 4,916 fractures of the extremities were confirmed by initial plain radiographs, and 550 occult fractures were confirmed by immediate MRI, immediate CT, or late radiographs. The prevalence of occult fracture in the extremities was 10.1% (550/5,466). Supracondylar fractures were the most prevalent (2,325/5,466, 42.5%) but had the lowest rate of occult fractures (117/2,325, 5.0%). The highest rate of occult fracture was distal epiphyseal fracture of the tibia and fibula (49/145, 33.8%), but these had a relatively lower prevalence of fractures (145/5,466, 2.65%). Conclusions: We should be aware of the relative high prevalence of occult fractures in the extremities in children, especially when the injured site is in the high incidence area of occult fracture such as ankle.

Background To investigate the difference in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, choroidal thickness (CT) and superficial retinal vessels between thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) patients and healthy controls. To identify the potential influencing factors for these parameters and evaluate their diagnostic abilities in TAO. Methods Twenty active TAO patients, 33 inactive TAO patients and 29 healthy participants were enrolled. TAO patients were divided according to the clinical activity score (CAS). RNFL thickness and CT were measured by HD-OCT, while foveal avascular zone (FAZ), vascular density and perfusion density were measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. Results Active TAO patients had thinner RNFL thickness than the other two groups (P P P P = 0.045, P = 0.001). The inactive TAO group had significantly higher vascular density than the other two groups (all P P = 0.045, P = 0.001), as well as the average values (P = 0.032). The FAZ area was positively correlated with intraocular pressure (r = 0.274, P = 0.013), while it was negatively correlated with axial length (r = − 0.344, P = 0.002). The vascular density and perfusion density were not significantly correlated with different clinical variables (all P > 0.05). The AUC analysis indicated these parameters also exhibited a significant discriminatory power in TAO diagnosis. Conclusions TAO patients had significant variations in RNFL thickness, choroidal thickness, FAZ area and superficial retinal vessels. These parameters appeared to be potential adjuncts in the evaluation of TAO patients.

The East Route of South-to-North Water Transfer Project of China (ESNT) uses the Grand Canal as the main pathway for water conveyance from the Yangtze River upstream to northern China and links five major lakes that serve as water storages along the route. The ESNT was completed in 2013. It was expanded from the existing Northern Jiangsu Water Transfer Project (NJWT), which had been in place since the 1960s. We observed invasions of two estuarine gobiids, Taenioides cirratus (Blyth, 1860) and Tridentiger bifasciatus (Steindachner, 1881), into the linked lakes. Taenioides cirratus was first reported in Luoma Lake in 2005 and Nansi Lake in 2011. Tridentiger bifasciatus was first observed in Luoma and Nansi lakes in 2015 and in Dongping Lake in 2016. Invasion of T. cirratus was probably associated with the operation of the NJWT, and then enhanced by operation of the ESNT. Invasion of T. bifasciatus was associated with operation of the ESNT. The ESNT/NJWT is mainly operated during winter and spring when the Yangtze River is at the annual minimum discharge. Impoundment of reservoirs at the upper Yangtze River and its tributaries has dramatically reduced river discharge, which induces saltwater intrusion upstream to the donor area of the ESNT. Thus, estuarine gobiids can reach the donor region, and be dispersed upstream through water diversion. There are several other fish species in the Yangtze Estuary that have life history traits similar to these two gobiids and can also live in a wide range of salinities. It is important to evaluate their invasive risks in the future.

Diagnosis of subclinical mastitis is very important in management of the dairy industry and improvement of dairy cow productivity. S100A12, that is found in related tissues of mammals, is considered as an index for diagnosing inflammatory reaction. To evaluate whether S100A12 is involved in subclinical mastitis, milk somatic cell mRNA from 276 dairy cows was used to detect the transcriptional level of S100A12 by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A predictive analysis for mastitis was performed, and the correlation between S100A12 and other subclinical mastitis indicators was also assessed. The transcriptional levels of S100A12 in the milk of cows with mastitis were significantly higher than those in the milk of healthy cows (p < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed that S100A12 was positively associated with the somatic cell count and the sodium and chloride concentrations of milk. In contrast, a negative correlation was found between S100A12 and the potassium concentration and pH of milk. However, no significant correlation was detected between S100A12 and the other parameters, such as protein, lactose, ash, fat, density, Ca2+ and SNF. These results suggested that the S100A12 level in milk may serve as a diagnostic tool for subclinical mastitis in cows without obvious clinical signs.

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) can cause rapid lipopolysaccharide (LPS) elevation and milk yield decline in lactating ruminants. LPS has been shown to promote apoptosis and reduce the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells. Previous studies have shown that γ- amino butyric acid (GABA) can enhance production performance, regulating β-cell apoptosis and proliferation. Whether GABA can regulate apoptosis and proliferation induced by LPS in mammary epithelial cells is unknown. In this paper, we detected the role of GABA on proliferation and apoptosis as well as inflammation induced by LPS in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T cell line). In addition, we explored the role mechanism of GABA in LPS-induced MAC-T cells response through detecting the NFκB signaling pathway key molecules. The results suggested that GABA reduced the effects of cell apoptosis induced by LPS. Furthermore, GABA inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines activated by LPS. More importantly, blocking GABA receptors with its antagonist, GABA could not reduce the expression of inflammatory and pro-apoptotic factors activated by LPS. Notably, GABA significantly decreased the TLR4, NFκB p65, and MyD88 mRNA expression levels that were elevated by LPS. Our data indicated that GABA can improve cell viability and decrease apoptosis induced by LPS, while exerting an anti-inflammatory effect through the NFκB signaling pathway.

With the increase in the number of new strains (varieties) of Pyropia, the morphological markers are more and more difficult to meet the requirement of germplasm management. However, it is a new approach and trend to develop molecular markers based on genome re-sequencing. In the present study, we developed insertion/deletion (InDel) markers based on the re-sequencing of Pyropia haitanensis, and a specific molecular marker was screened out using polymorphic InDel markers for the germplasm identification of the new strain (SW-81) of P. haitanensis. A total of 8616 InDel sites were detected from the re-sequencing data, of which the short fragments (1–3 bp) were the absolute dominant type, accounting for 81.13%, with an average of one InDel site per 5.92 kb. Moreover, 200 InDel primers were randomly synthesized to analyze the effectiveness, and the 65 pairs of effective primers were finally obtained, of which 40 pairs were polymorphic InDel markers, with the polymorphism amplification rate of 20.00%. A specific molecular marker (InDel-2) was screened out for the germplasm identification of SW-81 strain, and this marker had the same identification effect on the conchocelis, and the blades cultivated at indoor and sea areas. The above-mentioned results showed that there were abundant InDel loci in the genome of P. haitanensis, and the gene sequence of the same loci varied among different strains, showing the polymorphism of amplification products. The polymorphism analysis based on the InDel marker could provide an effective approach for the management and identification of germplasm resources.

IFITM3 is involved in cell adhesion, apoptosis, immune, and antivirus activity. Furthermore, IFITM3 gene has been considered as a preferential marker for inflammatory diseases, and positive correlation to pathological grades. Therefore, we assumed that IFITM3 was regulated by different signal pathways. To better understand IFITM3 function in inflammatory response, we cloned swine IFITM3 gene, and detected IFITM3 distribution in tissues, as well as characterized this gene. Results indicated that the length of swine IFITM3 gene was 438 bp, encoding 145 amino acids. IFITM3 gene expression abundance was higher in spleen and lungs. Moreover, we next constructed the eukaryotic expression vector PBIFM3 and transfected into PK15 cells, finally obtained swine IFITM3 gene stable expression cell line. Meanwhile, we explored the effects of LPS on swine IFITM3 expression. Results showed that LPS increased IFITM3 mRNA abundance and exhibited time-dependent effect for LPS treatment. To further demonstrate the mechanism that IFITM3 regulated type I IFNs production, we also detected the important molecules expression of TLR4 signaling pathway. In transfected and non-transfected IFITM3 PK15 cells, LPS exacerbated the relative expression of TLR4-NFκB signaling molecules. However, the IFITM3 overexpression suppressed the inflammatory development of PK15 cells. In conclusion, these data indicated that the overexpression of swine IFITM3 could decrease the inflammatory response through TLR4 signaling pathway, and participate in type I interferon production. These findings may lead to an improved understanding of the biological function of IFITM3 in inflammation.

// Pei-Ge Chen 1, * , Yan-Jing Guan 1, * , Guang-Ming Zha 1, * , Xian-Qin Jiao 1 , He-Shui Zhu 1 , Cheng-Yu Zhang 1 , Yue-Ying Wang 1 and He-Ping Li 1 1 Key Laboratory of Animal Biochemistry and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: He-Ping Li, email: liheping1972@126.com Yue-Ying Wang, email: wangyueying2008@126.com Keywords: IRF3/IRF7, inflammatory response, overexpression, TLR4 signaling pathway, lipopolysaccharide Received: April 27, 2017 Accepted: May 22, 2017 Published: June 28, 2017 ABSTRACT To explore the role of IRF3/IRF7 during inflammatory responses, we investigated the effects of swine IRF3/IRF7 on TLR4 signaling pathway and inflammatory factors expression in porcine kidney epithelial PK15 cell lines. We successfully constructed eukaryotic vectors PB-IRF3 and PB-IRF7, transfected these vectors into PK15 cells and observed GFP under a fluorescence microscope. In addition, RT-PCR was also used to detect transfection efficiency. We found that IRF3/IRF7 was efficiently overexpressed in PK15 cells. Moreover, we evaluated the effects of IRF3/IRF7 on the TLR4 signaling pathway and inflammatory factors by RT-PCR. Transfected cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone, or in combination with a TBK1 inhibitor (LiCl). We revealed that IRF3/IRF7 enhanced IFNα production, and decreased IL-6 mRNA expression. Blocking the TBK1 pathway, inhibited the changes in IFNα, but not IL-6 mRNA. This illustrated that IRF3/IRF7 enhanced IFNα production through TLR4/TBK1 signaling pathway and played an anti-inflammatory role, while IRF3/IRF7 decreased IL-6 expression independent of the TBK1 pathway. Trends in MyD88, TRAF6, TBK1 and NFκB mRNA variation were similar in all treatments. LPS increased MyD88, TRAF6, TBK1 and NFκB mRNA abundance in PBR3/PBR7 and PBv cells, while LiCl blocked the LPS-mediated effects. The levels of these four factors in PBR3/PBR7 cells were higher than those in PBv. These results demonstrated that IRF3/IRF7 regulated the inflammatory response through the TLR4 signaling pathway. Overexpression of swine IRF3/IRF7 in PK15 cells induced type I interferons production, and attenuated inflammatory responses through TLR4 signaling pathway.

Additional file 1: Additional Table 1. The Comparison of 28-day with 90-day predictive value of RNTIC, MELD, MELD-Na and CTP in derivation cohort. Z Statistic: compared with AUC of RNTIC, P value: compared with AUC of RNTIC, RNTIC = 0.053 × RDW + 0.027 × NLR + 0.003 × TBIL+ 0.317 × INR + 0.003 × Cr, MELD = model for end-stage liver disease, CTP = child-Turcotte Pugh score, MELD-Na = MELD-sodium score, NLR = neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, RDW = red blood cell distribution width, TBIL = total bilirubin, Cr = creatinine, INR = international normalized ratio, HBV-ACLF = hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure, NPV = negative predictive value, PPV = positive predict value.

Objective: In thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), long disease duration is negatively correlated with the response to immunosuppression treatment. The current treatment decision-making process does not involve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); thus, we investigated the predictive value of MRI parameters for the immunosuppressive response in active moderate to severe TAO patients with different disease durations. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the baseline MRI parameters of active TAO patients treated with guideline-recommended weekly glucocorticoid therapy in our center. Data were stratified by the quartile of disease duration. The signal intensity ratio (SIR) of T2-weighted images was used to describe the activity of extraocular muscles (EOMs). Results: Compared to the lowest quartile of disease duration, SIR values of EOMs were significantly lower in quartile 3 (Q3) and quartile 4 (Q4). Meanwhile, the clinical activity score (CAS) curve did not change in parallel and was not correlated with the SIR curve. In the highest quartile of disease duration, nonresponders had significantly lower SIR values of the most inflamed muscle (P =.03) and the medial rectus (P =.004) than did the responders, while no such significance was observed in patients within the lower 3 quartiles. A multivariable predictive model (including CAS, TAO duration, and SIR value) was established in each quartile. The fit of the model was better than CAS with regard to prognostic prediction and showed a high positive predictive value (Model 1: 86.67%; Model 2: 92.86%) and negative predictive value (Model 1: 88.89%; Model 2: 90%) in the top quartile. Conclusion: The anterior manifestation assessed by CAS is not always consistent with retro-orbital activity in long-term TAO patients. CAS is sufficient to reflect disease activity in short-term TAO patients. The supplementation of CAS with orbital MRI would be valuable in selecting appropriate active patients with a long disease duration. Abbreviations: AUC = area under the curve; CAS = clinical activity score; EOM = extraocular muscle; FT3 = free triiodothyronine; FT4 = free thyroxine; GC = glucocorticoid; ivGC = intravenous glucocorticoids; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; NPV = negative predictive value; PPV = positive predictive value; SIR = signal intensity ratio; TAO = thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy; TRAb = thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody; TSH = thyroid-stimulating hormone

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a single-stranded RNA flavivirus that can cause serious diseases in porcine species, including symptoms of infarction, systemic hemorrhage, high fever, or depression. Viperin is an important interferon-inducible antiviral gene that has been shown to inhibit CSFV, but the exact mechanisms by which it is able to do so remain poorly characterized. In the present study, we determined that CSFV infection led to viperin upregulation in PK-15 cells (porcine kidney cell). When viperin was overexpressed in these cells, this markedly attenuated CSFV replication, with clear reductions in viral copy number after 12 to 48 hours postinfection. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the viral NS5A protein colocalized with viperin in infected cells, and this was confirmed via confocal laser scanning microscopy using labeled versions of these proteins, and by co-immunoprecipitation which confirmed that NS5A directly interacts with viperin. When NS5A was overexpressed, this inhibited the replication of CSFV, and we determined that the radical SAM domain and N-terminal domain of viperin was critical for its ability to bind to NS5A, with the latter being most important for this interaction. Together, our in vitro results highlight a potential mechanism whereby viperin is able to inhibit CSFV replication. These results have the potential to assist future efforts to prevent or treat systemic CSFV-induced disease, and may also offer more general insights into the antiviral role of viperin in innate immunity.

The blades of the wild-type strain (WT-10) of Pyropia haitanensis were irradiated with ultraviolet ray and treated with heat stress, and then a heat-resistant strain (SW-81) with high yield was isolated. Ultraviolet ray has a good effect on mutagenesis of tender blades of P. haitanensis, when the irradiation dose increased from 0 to 600 μW•min/cm2, the frequency of the color-mutated cell-clusters was higher with increased of the dose, however, further increase of the dose up to 800 μW•min/cm2, decreased the the frequency of the color-mutated cell-clusters, indicating that 600 μW•min/cm2 was the suitable mutagenesis dose. Evaluation of genetic variations of the blades of SW-81 was performed using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) analysis, indicating that the SW-81 strain was obtained by mutagenesis. The WT-10 strain and new cultivar (SF-2) of P. haitanensis were used as the control group to analyze the characteristics of SW-81 strain. The growth rate and quality of the blades of SW-81 strain were similar to those of SF-2, and much higher than those of WT-10 strain. The heat resistance of the blades of SW-81 strain was better than that of WT-10 and SF-2. The differentiation rate of conchocelis inoculated shell in SW-81 strain was similar to that in WT-10 strain, and faster than that in SF-2. These results indicate that SW-81 strain can replace SF-2 for cultivation in the aquaculture areas.

Additional file 1. Additional materials and methods.

Objective: To provide a new basis for the detection of the central nervous system infection cases, we explored and compared the role of cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF), matrix metalloproteinases 9 (MMP-9) and interleukin 1 (the level of IL -1 β) in the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: Sixty cases of children acute central nervous system infection were selected, including 30 cases of viral encephalitis children (VE) and 30 cases of purulent meningitis children (PM). Forty cases of non-central nervous system infection children were control group. The serum albumin (SA1b) of each group was detected by full-automatic analysis instrument, and the CSF albumin (CA1b) was detected by immunoephelometry and the albumin index (AQ) was accounted. ELISE was used to detect the levels of MMP-9 and IL-1 β in serum and cerebrospinal-fluid. Results: The level of MMP-9 in the serum of groups of VE, PM and control were (267.84 ± 91.88) μg/L, (488.98 ± 159.07) μg/L and (133.04 ± 31.68) μg/L, while in the CSF were (37.18 ± 17.78) μg/L, (117.9 ± 42.87) μg/L and (10.36 ± 5.43) μg/L; The level of IL-1 β in serum of groups of PM, VE and control were (19.69 ± 11.12) ng/L, (24.37 ± 4.13) ng/L and (15.01 ± 3.89) ng/L, while in the CSF were (66.94 ± 10.65) ng/L, (106.27 ± 12.79) ng/L and (49.98 ± 12.59) ng/L; The level of CAlb were (0.53 ± 0.15) g/L, (1.05 ± 0.27) g/L and (0.17 ± 0.07) g/L and AQ were (13.75 ± 3.44), (26.99 ± 7.28) and (4.63 ± 2.04). The PM, VE were respectively compared with the control, the levels of IL-1 β and MMP-9 in serum and CSF all increased, with statistically significant difference.The VE, compared to the PM, the level of IL-1 β in serum and CSF all decreased, with statistically significant difference; The level of MMP-9 in serum and CSF all decreased, with statistically significant difference. The level of CA1b and AQ in the VE and PM all increased, with a statistically significant difference. The level of MMP-9 and IL-1 β in serum and CSF of the PM and VE were positive correlation relationship. Conclusion: The increasing of the levels of IL-1 β and MMP-9 in serum and CSF, and the increasing of AQ in children with central nervous system infection indicate that MMP-9 and IL-1 β may play a role in the pathophysiologic course of blood-brain barrier impairment in the central nervous system infection.

This paper describes the application of active flow control for the NLR7301 supercritical airfoil/flap configuration at Re = 2.51x106. A parametric analysis is conducted to investigate the effects of jet parameters (jet direction, jet location and momentum coefficient) on the aerodynamic performance of a multi-element airfoil. The results indicate that flow separation is delayed and efficiency of jet can be improved with specific momentum coefficient (the best lift-drag ratio at Cμ=0.16) and jet angle (16°) when the jet is located near the separation point of the airfoil.

Summary MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, and they bind to complementary sequences in the three prime untranslated regions (3′ UTRs) of target mRNA transcripts, thereby inhibiting mRNA translation or promoting mRNA degradation. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause cell-damaging effects through oxidative modification of macromolecules leading to their inappropriate functions. Such oxidative modification is related to cancers, aging, and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Here we report that miRNAs can be oxidatively modified by ROS. We identified that miR-184 upon oxidative modification associates with the 3′ UTRs of Bcl-xL and Bcl-w that are not its native targets. The mismatch of oxidized miR-184 with Bcl-xL and Bcl-w is involved in the initiation of apoptosis in the study with rat heart cell line H9c2 and mouse models. Our results reveal a model of ROS in regulating cellular events by oxidatively modifying miRNA.

Background Previous studies have shown that smoking is closely related to the occurrence, severity and response to orbital radiation in Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO). The aim of this study was to investigate whether smoking impacts the response to intravenous 4.5 g methylprednisolone therapy in patients with active moderate-to-severe GO. Methods Ninety-two individuals with active moderate-to-severe GO who were treated with cumulative doses of 4.5 g intravenous methylprednisolone within 3 months were recruited. The patients were grouped as never smokers, active smokers (including smokers and quit smokers) and passive smokers. Results We observed significantly greater response rate in never smokers compared with active smokers (73.9% vs 29.0%, p=0.001). After adjusting the confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, clinical activity score, thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody and the duration of GO, smoking was independently associated with poor intravenous glucocorticoid (GC) response (OR 12.40, 95% CI 1.20 to 128.14, p=0.035). We also found the response rate was significantly higher in never smokers than in quit smokers (73.9% vs 16.7%, p=0.001), while no statistical significance between current smokers and quit smokers (36.8% vs 16.7%, p=0.228). There was a trend of poor response for passive smokers compared with never smokers (64.7% vs 72.2%, p=0.583). Conclusions Smoking, even past smoking, was an independent risk factor associated with impaired response to intravenous corticosteroids in patients with GO. Smokers with GO should be given optimised treatment strategy such as higher dose of GC or combined radiation therapy.

Hydraulic engines can be widely used in many fields, such as agricultural machinery, construction machinery, duty vehicle, and many other fixing or mobile devices. The development analysis and study on their structural principle, technical and operational characteristics will be undoubtedly very useful for putting forward new type hydraulic engines. The structural principle of Hydraulic Free Piston Engine, Hydraulic Confined Piston Engine was introduced. The structural principle of Half Crank Hydraulic Engine (HCHE), which inherits the merits of traditional engine, HFPE and HCPE, was put forward.

For patients with active moderate-to-severe Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), a course of 4.5 g iv glucocorticoids (GCs) is the recommended therapy. The weekly protocol is preferred because of the potential safety concerns with the daily protocol. However, evidence for the superiority of different administration protocols is lacking.We conducted a prospective, randomized trial to compare the efficacy and safety of two protocols of iv 4.5 g methylprednisolone in a total of 80 patients in our institute. The patients were randomized to receive iv methylprednisolone weekly or daily. The response rate (a composite response endpoint including lid width, soft tissue involvement, proptosis, intraocular pressure, Clinical Activity Score [CAS], diplopia, and visual acuity) was evaluated as the primary outcome, and adverse effects were recorded at each visit. GO-associated serum cytokines were measured.We found a significantly greater response rate for the weekly protocol vs the daily protocol at the 12th week (76.92 vs 41.03%; P = .0025) and a similar response rate at the fourth week. Seven patients on the daily protocol worsened when tapering iv methylprednisolone to oral prednisone in the fourth week. Patients in both groups showed significant CAS response, and at the 12th week, patients on the weekly protocol showed a nonsignificant trend toward greater CAS response. Weekly protocol showed significant prolonged retreatment-free survival. Severe side effects were only observed in two cases, both of which were on the daily protocol. Furthermore, we observed sustained decreased levels of serum CXCL10 in the 12th week compared to the baseline level (P = .0009) in the patients on the weekly protocol.The weekly protocol of iv methylprednisolone therapy is more efficient and safer than the daily protocol for patients with active moderate-to-severe GO.

The authors improve the performance of an image cipher algorithm based chaos theory. The authors do Preprocessing for the algorithm firstly, makes spatial scrambling based on image blocking in order to interrupt pixel position, then furthering this interruption through Arnold mapping, and transforms pixel RGB color space through optimized Arnold Mapping. At last, we get the final encrypted image through a series of iteration. With some theoretical analysis of security, this algorithm has a lot of advantages such as, good diffusion properties, its key space is safe enough to resist exhaustive-key-research attack, high effectiveness and resisting common attack successfully, but it needs improvements on some aspects, such as the key sensitivity.

With the historical vicissitudes of the Taihang Mountain, the architectural culture of the Taihang Mountain concentrates on the combination of natural and man-made, which is a combination of social culture and geographical environment and folk cultural and economical combination. This gradually formed a unique local culture over time, with the frequent traffic with neighboring regions, economic exchanges and cultural exchanges, more and more architectural culture is also bound by other regions, and this made the local architecture be affected by a number of other cultural elements. Scholars do a lot of research to summarize the characteristics and value of vernacular architecture in the Taihang Mountains, and provide a response to the direction of the strategy for the protection and inheritance of the vernacular architecture.

Cardiac hypertrophic program is a chronic, complex process, and occurs in response to long-term increases of hemodynamic load related to a variety of pathophysiological conditions. Mitochondria, known as "the cellular power plants", occupy about one-third of cardiomyocyte volume and supply roughly 90% of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Impairment of energy metabolism has been regarded as one of the main pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy. Thus, we summarize here the molecular events of mitochondrial adaptations, including the mitochondrial genesis, ATP generation, ROS signaling and Ca(2+) homeostasis in cardiac hypertrophy, expecting that this effort will shed new light on understanding the maladaptive cardiac remodeling.

In this paper, we use chaos theory to explain the phenomenon in the field of fashion design. First we do a comparative analysis between nonlinear and garment industry trends of chaos theory, and then discuss the effect of Butterfly Effect to the product positioning of clothing brand, study the relationship of the fractal theory between the integrity and locality of the garment industry brand design. Finally, make examples of the wide range of applications of chaos theory in the field of artistic form design. This paper introduces chaos theory into the field of garment industry and design, which will bring far-reaching influence to the development of the garment industry and the future design.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of erythropoietin (EPO) on RhoA/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) expression in rat retinal explants cultured with glutamate. After the retinal explants were cultured in serum-free R16 nutrient medium for 24 h, the retinal explants were divided into control (R16 nutrient medium), glutamate (R16 nutrient medium containing 5 mM/l glutamate) and glutamate+EPO (R16 nutrient medium containing 5 mM/l glutamate and 6.0 U/ml EPO) groups, and culturing was continued for another 72 h. The mRNA and protein expression of total RhoA, ROCK1 and ROCK2 in the retinal explants was examined by RT-PCR and western blotting, and active RhoA in the retinal explants was detected via GST-RBD binding and immunoblotting with an antibody specific to active RhoA. The total RhoA mRNA and protein expression did not differ substantially between the control, the glutamate and the glutamate+EPO groups. The glutamate increased the active RhoA, ROCK1 and ROCK2 expression in cultured retinal explants (P

Mitochondria are subcellular organelles that provide energy for the cell. They form a dynamic tubular network and play an important role in maintaining the cell function and integrity. Heart is a powerful organ that supplies the motivation for circulation, thereby requiring large amounts of energy. Thus, the healthiness of cardiomyocytes and mitochondria is necessary for the normal cardiac function. Mitochondria not only lie in the center of the cell apoptotic pathway, but also are the major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Mitochondrial morphological change includes fission and fusion that are regulated by a large number of proteins. In this review we discuss the regulators of mitochondrial fission/fusion and their association with cell apoptosis, autophagy and ROS production in the heart.

This study was performed to determine whether a partial optic nerve crush (PONC) model in rats is effective and reliable for the study of optic nerve protection and regeneration. Bilateral superior colliculus (SC) retrograde 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) labeling of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs; n=3) and unilateral SC retrograde labeling of RGCs (n=3) were performed in adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and the results were compared with the bilateral and unilateral SC retrograde-labeled RGCs. Another 40 adult SD rats, three days after bilateral SC retrograde DiI labeling of RGCs underwent crushing with a non-invasive vascular clip (40 gram power) 1 mm behind the right optic nerve head for 5, 10 and 30 sec (n=10 each), and a sham-operated control group (n=10) was used as a control. The retinas of all 40 rats were flattened by four radial cuts, mounted vitreal side-up on gelatin-coated slides, and the number of labeled RGCs was counted in four distinct regions per retinal quadrant at three different eccentricities of 1/6, 3/6 and 5/6 of the retinal radius three days later. Bilateral SC retrograde DiI injection labeled the majority of normal RGCs, while unilateral SC injections only labeled a small part of the RGCs; the majority of RGCs were not labeled. In the mild crush (5 sec) injury group, the bilateral SC retrograde DiI injection labeled the majority of RGCs. The RGC densities at 1/6, 3/6 and 5/6 of the retinal radius showed no significant difference compared with the RGC densities at the corresponding region of the retinal radius in the sham-operated control group (P=0.734, 0.461, 0.273, respectively). In the moderate crush injury (10 sec) group, the number of labeled RGCs was significantly lower compared to that of the sham-operated control group, and the RGC densities at 1/6, 3/6, 5/6 of the retinal radius were significantly lower compared to the RGC densities at the corresponding retinal radius in the sham-operated control group (P

The current rapid development of economy and society continue to impact the cultural heritage of the historical and cultural towns and villages. We must take measures of protection and development to make continuous sublimation for its resources of historical and cultural value in contemporary society.

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) is an alphaherpesvirus that causes severe and economically significant respiratory disease in poultry worldwide. Herein, the immunogenicity of two recombinant fowlpox viruses (rFPV-gB and rFPV-gB/IL18) containing ILTV glycoprotein B (gB) and chicken interleukin-18 (IL-18) were investigated in a challenge model. One-day-old specific-pathogen-free chickens were vaccinated by wing-web puncture with the two rFPVs and challenged with the virulent ILTV CG strain. There were differences in antibody levels elicited by either rFPV-gB/IL18 or rFPV-gB as determined using ELISA. The ratios of CD4+ to CD8+ in chickens immunized with rFPV-gB/IL18 were higher ( P < 0.05) than in those immunized with rFPV-gB, and the level of proliferative response of the T cells in the rFPV-gB/IL18-vaccinated group was higher ( P < 0.05) than that in the rFPV-gB group. All chickens immunized with rFPV-gB/IL18 were protected (10/10), whereas only eight of 10 of the chickens immunized with the rFPV-gB were protected. The results showed that the protective efficacy of the rFPV-gB vaccine could be enhanced by simultaneous expression of chicken IL-18.

Computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel test are two main technical means to examine the aerodynamic performance of airfoil and two-dimensional(2-D) configuration. Two dimensional wind tunnel tests use commonly wake flow field measurement to integrate for drag of airfoil or two-dimensional configuration, but the integral formulas are based on certain assumptions and of certain bounds of application. In this paper, based on Navier-Stokes equations numerical simulation and two dimensional wind tunnel testing, the drag measuring technique for high lift configuration in low speed wind tunnel is researched. Navier-Stokes equations is solved for the flow around a multi-element airfoil, the wake flow characteristics behind the multi-element airfoil and the assumptions for conventional drag measuring method are analyzed, then a new more precise drag formula for two dimensional wind tunnel test is put forward; Based on the simulation results of multi-element airfoil flow, it’s aerodynamic performance is obtained respectively by integrating the surface pressure and friction drag, and computing with the information of wake flow according to conventional and newly proposed drag calculation formulas, and the three results are compared to verify the accuracy of the new drag formula; The wind tunnel test is carried out to ascertain the accuracy of the new drag formula. It is shown from the results that in the high-lift case the conventional drag formula with the wake information is of many limitations and must be improved, and the new drag formula presented in this paper is more accurate because of consideration of the wake flow characteristics of airfoil or two-dimensional configuration.

Experimental research on transition and flow separation of laminar airfoil and the influence of transition and flow separation on the performance of laminar airfoil are carried through. The experimental device and instruments used in the research are introduced. It is shown from the experimental results that at certain scope of attack angle, flow transition shifts from 50%c to 30%c on the upper surface of airfoil model along with 1 degree increase of airfoil attack angle; For flow speed of 35m/s and 50m/s with attack angle from 4 degree to 8 degree, flow separation position don’t vary but only separation scope increase; For flow speed of 15m/s laminar flow separation on the upper surface of airfoil take place at attack angle of 4 degree, flow become attaching at attack angle of 6 degree and turbulent flow separation take place at attack angle of 8 degree.

Myocardial infarction is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Here we report that modulation of microRNA-499 (miR-499) levels affects apoptosis and the severity of myocardial infarction and cardiac dysfunction induced by ischemia-reperfusion. We found that both the alpha-and beta-isoforms of the calcineurin catalytic subunit are direct targets of miR-499 and that miR-499 inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis through its suppression of calcineurin-mediated dephosphorylation of dynamin-related protein-1 (Drp1), thereby decreasing Drp1 accumulation in mitochondria and Drp1-mediated activation of the mitochondrial fission program. We also found that p53 transcriptionally downregulates miR-499 expression. Our data reveal a role for miR-499 in regulating the mitochondrial fission machinery and we suggest that modulation of miR-499 levels may provide a therapeutic approach for treating myocardial infarction. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

The effect of environmental temperature on the damping capacity of Cu-7.66Al-9.52Mn (mass fraction, %) alloy was studied. The result shows that with increasing the environmental temperature, the logarithmic decrement increases firstly and reaches the maximal value of 0.118. The reason is that more phase interfaces and twinning boundaries can move at a higher temperature, leading to higher consumption of energy, in despite of the decreasing of the amount of martensite. When the environmental temperature is above M s , with further increase in the environmental temperature, the logarithmic decrement decreases sharply mainly because there is little martensite remaining in the alloy.

Objective: To investigate the aspiration risk and the aspiration cognition of elderly inpatients. Method: A self-designed questionnaire about the aspiration risk and the aspiration cognition was applied to survey the hospitalized elderly. Result: The aspiration risk of the elderly was higher, up to 41.3%, characterized by coming up with various symptoms. The illnesses the elderly suffering from, types of medication, motion ability and the state of consciousness were the risk factors resulting in aspiration ( P

Objective: To study the interaction between latanoprost and pilocarpine on cultured rabbit ciliary muscle (RCM) cells, and investigate the time courses of the two drugs, when given alone or in combination. Methods: Cultured RCM cells were treated for 24 h with different concentrations of latanoprost acid, pilocarpine and mixtures of latanoprost acid and pilocarpine. RNA was extracted, expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) and TIMP-2 were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the optimum concentrations of those drugs were found. Then the cells were treated with the optimum concentrations of those drugs for various periods. RNA was extracted after the treatment and expressions of MMP-1, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were detected by RT-PCR again. Changes in [Ca2+]i were estimated by fluorescence measurement using the Ca2+ indicator Fluo-3 AM with a laser scanning confocal microscope. [Ca2+]i of each cell was monitored continually after administration of the drugs. Gray values at 5 s and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min were chosen for statistical analysis, and the influence and time-effect relationship of those drugs on [Ca2+]i of the cultured cells were evaluated. Results: Exposure of the cells to increasing concentrations of latanoprost acid induced increased MMP-1 mRNA and decreased TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. After 24 h of treatment, the optimum concentration of latanoprost acid for maximal changes in MMP-1 and TIMP-2 expression was 2 × 10–7M, and for maximal changes in TIMP-1 expression, the optimum concentration was 5 × 10–7M. When the optimum concentrations of latanoprost acid were chosen to treat the cells for various periods, the optimum time of the peak MMP-1 expression and trough TIMP-1 expression was 24 h, and of the trough TIMP-2 expression, it was 36 h after initiation of treatment. No significant expression changes of MMP-1, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 mRNA were found when the cells were treated with pilocarpine at any concentration or at any time. Exposure of the cells to the mixtures of latanoprost acid and pilocarpine induced the same changes and time course of MMP-1, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 mRNA expression as exposure of the cells to latanoprost acid alone. Exposure of ciliary muscle cells to pilocarpine induced an increase in [Ca2+]i, with the peak of increase observed at 5 s after initiation of treatment; then [Ca2+]i gradually decreased near to baseline level within 10 min. Exposure of the cells to latanoprost acid did not significantly change [Ca2+]i. Exposure of the cells to the mixtures of latanoprost acid and pilocarpine induced the same [Ca2+]i change as exposure to pilocarpine alone. Conclusion: Latanoprost and pilocarpine have no interaction in their various effects on the cultured RCM cells.