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The classical Child-Pugh classification and the model for end-stage liver disease are now widely used in clinics for postoperative assessment of liver failure and prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with radical hepatectomy. However, there are limitations in the application of both methods due to factors such as albumin, ascites, and blood creatinine. A review of the relevant literature at home and abroad revealed that preoperative albumin bilirubin score, platelet albumin bilirubin score, Glasgow prognostic score and new predictive models have good application prospects in evaluating liver failure and prognosis of HCC patients after hepatectomy. In this paper, we aim to introduce the commonly used prognostic models for HCC patients undergoing radical hepatectomy and review the value of their application.

Objective To evaluate the value of different combinations of alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）， alpha-fetoprotein-L3 isoform ratio （AFP-L3%） and des-γ-carboxyprothrombin （DCP） for early diagnosis of hepatitis B virus （HBV）-related hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. Methods A total of 167 patients were enrolled in this study， including 100 patients with HCC and 67 patients with infection-related liver cirrhosis （LC）. The levels of serum AFP， AFP-L3% and DCP were detected by chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was delineated for subsequent analysis. Results The levels of AFP， AFP-L3% and DCP in HCC patients were significantly higher than those in LC patients （all P < 0.05）. There was no significant difference in AFP and AFP-L3% levels between stage 0 and stage A patients in HCC group （both P > 0.05）. DCP levels in stage 0 patients were significantly lower than those in stage A patients in HCC group （P < 0.05）. The sensitivity and specificity of AFP， AFP-L3% and DCP in the diagnosis of early HCC were 51.5%， 92.5%， 28.3%， and 95.5%， 60.0%， 84.7%， respectively. Analysis of the area under the ROC curve （AUC） results showed that the AUC values of AFP， AFP-L3% and DCP for the diagnosis of early HCC were 0.760， 0.619 and 0.749， respectively. The AUC value of combined detection of AFP and DCP was 0.810， which yielded the highest diagnostic efficiency. Conclusion AFP has important diagnostic value in the diagnosis of early HCC. The combination of AFP and DCP can improve the diagnostic efficiency of HBV-related early HCC.

Background Regulatory B-lymphocytes (Breg) are a group of cells with negative immunoregulatory effect, which have been detected of abnormal expression in the researches of various autoimmune diseases. Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) belong to the category of autoimmune diseases, there are few studies on the expression and significance of Breg in the peripheral blood of patients with NMOSD. Objective To explore the expression and significance of Breg in peripheral blood of patients with NMOSD. Methods A total of 55 patients with NMOSD admitted to the Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from June 2019 to December 2021 were selected as the NMOSD group, and 50 healthy volunteers in the same period were selected as the control group. The expression of CD19+CD24hiCD38hi Breg and CD19+CD24hiCD27+ Breg in peripheral blood of patients in the two groups was detected using flow cytometry, the levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 35 (IL-35) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in the serum of patients in the two groups were compared and measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) . Results The proportions of CD19+CD24hiCD38hi Breg and CD19+CD24hiCD27+ Breg cell phenotypes were lower in patients in the NMOSD group than in the control group (t=6.235, 12.131, P

With the improvement of the requirements for the safe operation of distribution network lines, the harmonics injected by distributed power generation make the existing line selection methods ineffective, and the fault line selection method with a single criterion becomes more and more difficult to meet the line selection work after the single-phase ground fault occurs in the complex distribution network system. Therefore, a single-phase grounding fault joint line selection for resonant grounding system considering the injection harmonics of distributed power sources is proposed. In view of the characteristics of different phases and periodic changes of transient zero-sequence current of fault lines and sound lines after a single-phase grounding fault occurs in the resonant grounding system, the transient zero-sequence current is calculated by multi-scale cross-sample entropy according to the difference in low-frequency period. Then, according to the high-frequency phase difference, the weighted transient energy method and the synchronous squeeze wavelet transform are used to calculate the reconstruction error of the high-frequency transient zero-sequence current. In addition, the weighted transient energy method is used to control the calculation amount and determine the fault line through three criteria: multi-scale cross-sample entropy, weighted transient energy and reconstruction error. The experimental results show that the joint line selection method is less affected by different fault conditions and this method has high accuracy and strong anti-interference.

This paper introduces the application of a monitoring system for multi-level lifting of inclined roadway in Tianzhu Coal Mine, and briefly expounds the system structure, working process and innovative application. The application of this system can effectively reduce the hidden danger of equipment in the track transportation of inclined lane and the hidden danger of pedestrians breaking into the rules and regulations during the lifting process, solve the problem of “pedestrians without driving, driving without pedestrians” from the technical level, and provide a good operation and management platform for the safety management of inclined shaft lifting.

In order to improve the utilization rate of construction waste, C40 concrete is prepared by mixing recycled micro powder and fly ash according to different mass ratios as composite cementitious materials, replacing part of cement. The influence rules and mechanism of composite cementitious material substitution rate, recycled micro powder content and grinding time on the slump, water absorption and compressive strength of C40 concrete are revealed. The results show that the slump increases with the increase of the replacement rate of composite cementitious materials, and decreases with the increase of the amount of recycled micro powder. When the substitution rate is 10% and 20%, the compressive strength decreases with the increase of recycled micro powder content, and the porosity and water absorption reach the lowest when the substitution rate is 20% and the recycled micro powder content is 30%. The milled recycled micro powder will reduce the slump, porosity and water absorption of C40 concrete and improve the compressive strength. In terms of comprehensive performance, the best grinding time is 5h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the value of magnetic resonance (MRI) angiography in judging the degree of carotid artery stenosis and analyzing the composition of plaque in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. A total of 149 patients with carotid atherosclerosis diagnosed in our hospital were selected as the research objects. The patients received MRI angiography, three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) within one week. The results showed that the diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis by MRI angiography was highly consistent with DSA. The plaque load parameters of 219 blood vessels were compared. There was no significant difference between the MRI detection of blood vessel wall area, maximum wall thickness, standardized wall index and 3D-US diagnosis results (P>0.05). Only the vascular cavity area was statistically different from the 3D-US results (P<0.05); MRI angiography diagnoses plaque fibrous cap, lipid nucleus, hemorrhage in the plaque, and calcification in the plaque, the coincidence rate with the pathological results is 98.08%, 96.43%, 94.74%, 97.10%, both no statistical difference (P>0.05). There was no statistical difference between the results of MRI angiography in the diagnosis of plaque hardness and pathology (P>0.05). Therefore, MRI angiography has high accuracy in judging the degree of carotid artery stenosis and analyzing the composition of plaque in patients with carotid atherosclerosis, and its results have high consistency with the results of pathology, DSA and 3D-US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saussurea costus , a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family, is a vital ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Increased demands for the herb have led to its widespread cultivation in China, but the corresponding increase in pesticide use has raised concerns about pesticide residues. Such residues would affect the safety and global market potential of Saussurea costus . Thus, a simple method is crucial to detect pesticide residues. The QuEChERS technique, in combination with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), is commonly used for residue detection. However, traditional adsorbents may be unable to purify complex herbal mixtures well, affecting accuracy and instrument performance. Choosing suitable purification materials for Saussurea costus samples with complex matrices is of significant importance. This study focused on the detection of 35 prohibited pesticides in Saussurea costus . A rapid detection method was established by combining the QuEChERS technique with GC-MS/MS and utilizing a combination of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), octadecylsilane-bonded silica gel (C 18 ), and anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO 4 ) as the purification adsorbent. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile, purified by an improved QuEChERS process, subjected to GC-MS/MS analysis in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, and quantified using the internal standard method. The purification effects of four materials (C 18 , MWCNTs, N -propyl ethylenediamine (PSA), and graphitized carbon black (GCB)) and their optimal dosages were investigated by considering the matrix characteristics of the samples. An orthogonal experimental design was employed to optimize the ratio of adsorbent combinations, and the optimal adsorbent combination was determined to be 450 mg of MgSO 4 , 400 mg of C 18 , and 50 mg of MWCNTs. Matrix effect (ME) evaluation of the S. costus matrix showed that 31 target compounds strongly exhibited matrix-enhancement effects. Thus, matrix-matched calibration was employed in this study. Methodological investigation revealed that the standard curves for the 35 pesticides exhibited good linearity, with correlation coefficients ( r 2 ) greater than 0.9970. The average recoveries at three spiked levels ranged from 69.6% to 126.9%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) for parallel groups were all less than 10%. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) ranged from 0.2 to 5.4 μg/kg and from 0.6 to 18.1 μg/kg, respectively. The developed method was used to screen and detect 35 pesticide residues in 20 batches of S. costus samples, and the target compounds were detected in six batches. The proposed method is simple, sensitive, and accurate. Thus, it is suitable for the rapid screening and detection of the 35 pesticide residues in S. costus and provides technical support for the cultivation, production, and quality control of the herb.

Objective: Comparing the laparoscopic pyeloplasty via the mesocolon and para-colonic gutter approach for the treatment of pediatric pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction (UPJO) induced simple hydronephrosis, and analyzing the potential factors influencing surgical outcomes., Methods: Clinical data of 71 children with UPJO who underwent laparoscopic pyeloplasty at the Department of Urology of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2020 to January 2023 were analyzed. The patients, aged 0.25 to 18 years, were divided into two groups: 30 cases underwent the transcolonic route (mesangial group) and 41 cases underwent the transcolonic paragutter route (paragrow group)., Results: showed that both surgical approaches had similar outcomes in terms of operation completion, smooth process, absence of laparotomy, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative feeding time, and postoperative drainage tube indwelling time, total hospitalization cost, surgical effect, and satisfaction. Common complications such as postoperative fever and abdominal pain were managed with drug treatment or observation, with no need for secondary surgery or fatal complications. Factors such as age, body mass index, preoperative symptoms, severity of hydronephrosis, and ABO blood group classification did not impact the surgical outcome., Conclusions: There was no statistically significant difference between laparoscopic pyeloplasty and another surgical method in terms of various surgical outcomes for children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Factors such as age, body mass index, preoperative symptoms, severity of hydronephrosis, and ABO blood group classification did not have a significant impact on the surgical outcome.

Objective: The modified day surgery procedure was compared with traditional inpatient procedure and standard day surgery procedure of concealed penile surgery to investigate its advantages, as well as the feasibility of promoting it in our country., Methods: Retrospective analyzing the clinical data between 135 cases of the concealed penis in children who underwent modified day surgery (day group) and 101 cases who underwent hospitalization surgery (hospitalization group) at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University and the results of follow-up.The modified day surgery procedure involves the establishment of dedicated day wards in each surgical department, where the patient's condition is monitored until 8 o'clock the following morning to assess their discharge eligibility.The children's clinical data was divided into two groups to compare clinical parameters, including age at surgery, bleeding volume, operation time, hospitalization expenses, day of hospitalization, and the occurrence of short-term complications before the initial dressing change after surgery.The satisfaction survey of the children was conducted among three distinct groups: the modified day group, the standard day group, and the hospitalization group enabling a comparison of satisfaction levels among these groups., Results: The mean ages of the inpatient and day surgery groups were 8.92±4.42 years old and 11.85±4.43 years old, respectively. No significant differences were observed between these two groups regarding operation time, bleeding volume, and postoperative complications (P>0.05). Compared to the inpatient group, the mean inpatient time and the hospitalization cost of the day group decreased by 69% and 27%, respectively (P<0.05). The patients in the modified procedure group reported the highest satisfaction among the three groups., Conclusion: Modified day surgery procedure offers advantages over the standard day surgery procedure and traditional inpatient surgical procedures for the operative treatment of the concealed penis, which makes it suitable for large-scale popularization in China.

Objective: To explore the feasibility and safety of cryptorchidism surgery in the day surgery center., Methods: This retrospective study included 122 cases of unilateral low cryptorchidism (ULC) and 27 cases of bilateral low cryptorchidism (BLC) treated by orchidopexy from July 2018 to July 2022 in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University. We divided the patients with ULC into an Ad (day surgery following modified day surgical procedures) and an Ac (conventional surgery) group, and those with BLC into a Bd and a Bc group. We analyzed the clinical data and compared the surgical parameters and patients' satisfaction between different groups., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the operation age, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, or postoperative complications between the Ad and Ac groups (P > 0.05), but the hospital stay and total cost were markedly reduced in the Ad group by 69% and 10%, respectively, compared with those in the Ac group (P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the Bd and Bc groups in the operation age or intraoperative blood loss (P > 0.05), but the Bd group showed significant decreases in the operation time, hospital stay (62%) and total cost (14%) in comparison with the Bc group (P < 0.05). The satisfaction of the patients was remarkably higher in the former than in the latter group., Conclusion: Low cryptorchidism surgery following the modified day surgical procedures in the day surgery center is safe and feasible, with the advantages of lower cost and shorter hospital stay.

Bacteria are the key components of water ecosystems, and play important roles in material and energy cycle processes. To understand the changes in the bacterioplankton community in frozen lakes, we collected 15 "bottom ice" samples and 15 "surface water" samples under the ice sheet from Dali Lake, which is an inland closed lake in the Inner Mongolia Plateau. Combined with comparisons of the physicochemical proxies between "bottom ice" and "surface water" samples, the phylum community characteristics of the bacterioplankton were analyzed in detail. Although the bacterioplankton were mainly comprised of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and 11 other phyla in the "bottom ice" and "surface water", the average relative abundances of the dominant planktonic bacteria were clearly different. For example, the average relative abundance of Proteobacteria was approximately 63.64% in the "bottom ice" samples, but decreased to approximately 26.75% in the surface water samples, which was visibly smaller than the relative abundance of Actinobacteria with an average value of approximately 39.10%. We concluded that the changes in the contents of nutrient elements and physicochemical proxies must be the primary factors influencing the changes in the bacterioplankton community in the frozen Dali Lake. The changes in the physicochemical proxies could have been responsible for the changes in the bacteria community in the "bottom ice" and "surface water". Otherwise, the different physiological characteristics of the planktonic bacteria phyla caused the different responses to the changes in the contents of the nutrient elements and physicochemical proxies in the frozen lake. For example, the major bacterioplankton phyla were mainly influenced by the changes in total phosphorus and dissolved total phosphorus in the "bottom ice" and by the changes in dissolved inorganic phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen in the "surface water". The results will provide basic data to analyze the lake ecological environment in Northern China.

To evaluate the quality differences of four mainstream species of Berberidis Cortex,~1H-NMR metabolomics was applied to detect its primary and secondary metabolites, and the partial least squares discriminant analysis and analysis of variance were integrated to screen differential metabolites between species. Furthermore, diabetic rat model was established by high fat diet and streptozotocin to assess differences in antidiabetic activities among the four species. Sixteen compounds were simultaneously detected and identified, including alkaloids, organic acids, carbohydrates and amino acids. Interspecific difference markers were revealed as magnoflorine, jateorhi-zine, bufotenidine and saccharose for the first time. Berberis vernae and B. kansuensis presented superior activities on reducing blood glucose level, improving insulin resistance, increasing insulin sensibility and anti-inflammation. B. dictyophylla showed moderate antidiabe-tic effect, while B. diaphana rendered inferior antidiabetic capacity. Based on the contents of four differential markers and the results of antidiabetic activity evaluation, the quality of four Berberidis Cortex species was ranked as B.vernae≈B.kansuensis&gt;B. dictyophylla&gt;B. diaphana. These results provided references for species collation, quality standard establishment and exploitation of Berberidis Cortex. The antidiabetic activities of B. vernae and B. kansuensis as well as their mechanisms of action merit further study in the future.

Understanding the response mechanism of soil aggregate-associated organic carbon (OC) and nutrients to tea cultivation age can lay a theoretical foundation for improving soil fertility, ensuring soil health, and promoting sustainable utilization of soil resources in the tea plantations. In this study, concentrations of soil OC and nutrient were analyzed in >2, 2-1, 1-0.25, and <0.25 mm fractions (split by a dry-sieving procedure) at the 0-20 cm soil layer in four tea plantations with Baimao tea of different ages (8, 17, 25, and 43 a) in southern Guangxi, China. The distribution of soil aggregates showed that the dominant aggregates were >2 mm fractions with a mean value of 63.8%, followed by <0.25 mm fractions, while 2-1 and 1-0.25 mm fractions with mean values of 9.9% and 7.8%, respectively. As an indicator of soil aggregate stability, the mean weight diameter (MWD) in the tea plantations showed an order of 17 a >8 a >25 a >43 a. Regardless of tea cultivation age, soil aggregate-associated OC and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations increased with increasing aggregate size. Soil OC and TN concentrations in >2 and 2-1 mm fractions were significantly higher than those in other fractions. The mean values of soil OC and TN concentrations were 18.76 and 0.84 g·kg -1 in the >2 mm fractions, and were 18.65 and 0.80 g·kg -1 in the 2-1 mm fraction. Soil aggregate-associated available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and availa-ble potassium (AK) concentrations were highest in the <0.25 mm fractions with mean values of 50.43, 23.06, and 68.04 mg·kg -1 , respectively. Long-term tea cultivation was favorable to the accumulation of soil OC, TN, AN, and AP, whereas the accumulation rates of these element stocks in the whole soil decreased with increasing tea cultivation age. In contrast, soil AK was susceptible to leaching in tea cultivation, with the loss rate of this element stock in the middle stage (from 17 to 25 a) being higher than those in the other stages. To ensure soil quality and promote the sustainable utilization of soil resources, more attention should be paid to the problems such as the decrease of soil aggregate stability and the aggravation of AK loss after 17 a of tea cultivation.

Clubroot, caused by the soil-borne obligate pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae, is one of the most severe disease in cruciferous crops. Previous studies showed that when oilseed rape was planted after soybean (namely soybean-oilseed rotation), the incidence and severity of clubroot of oilseed rape could be significantly reduced, compared with that with oilseed rape-oilseed rape conti-nuous cropping. Therefore, the soybean-oilseed rape rotation is a good way to suppress clubroot of oilseed rape. In this study, we compared the rhizosphere microbiome of soybean and oilseed rape rhizosphere soil collected from the field by 16S rRNA (for identification of prokaryotes) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (for identification of fungi) sequencing. The results showed that both soybean and oilseed rape rhizosphere soils had Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Ascomycota, Zygomycota, Basidiomycota and Chytridiomycota. Many microbial genera (e.g., Flavobacterium, Sphingomonas, Bacillus, Streptomyces, Pseudomonas, Trichoderma and Coniothyrium) with activities of biological control and plant growth promotion were more abundant in soybean rhizosphere soil than in the oilseed rape rhizosphere soil. The abundance of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi was higher in the oilseed rape rhizosphere soil than in the soybean rhizosphere soil. Moreover, the soybean rhizosphere soil was enriched with Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium (both for nitrogen fixation), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus). These results indicated that soybean rhizosphere soil could promote the growth and proliferation of beneficial microorga-nisms, but inhibit that of plant pathogens. Our results provide evidence for explanation of the effectiveness of soybean-oilseed rape rotation to control clubroot of oilseed rape and provide potential bio-control resources for clubroot prevention.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is originally identified as a widespread mRNA surveillance machinery in degrading 'aberrant' mRNA species with premature termination codons (PTCs) rapidly, which protects the cells from the accumulation of truncated proteins. Recent studies show that NMD can also regulate the degradation of normal gene transcripts, which execute important cellular and physiological functions. Therefore, NMD is considered as a highly conserved post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism in eukaryotes. NMD modulates 3% to 20% of the transcriptome from yeast to human directly or indirectly, which is essential for various physiological processes, such as cell homeostasis, stress response, proliferation, and differentiation. NMD can regulate the level of transcripts that involves in development, and single knockout of most NMD factors has an embryonic lethal effect. NMD plays an important role in the self-renewal, differentiation of embryonic stem cells and is critical during embryonic development. In this review, we summarized the latest advances in the roles and mechanisms of NMD in embryonic development, in order to provide new ideas for the research on embryonic development and the treatment of embryonic development related diseases.

Objective: To determine the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on the outcomes of cardiac surgery patients., Methods: This retrospective study included adult patients (≥18 years old) who underwent elective valve replace surgery and/or coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) with CPB from July 1, 2011 to December 31, 2016 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The patients were divided into TXA group ( n =2 062), who received TXA after CPB, and the control group ( n =4 236), who did not receive any TXA at all. The differences in postoperative complications such as death, excessive bleeding, ischemic event and bleeding related event, ICU and hospitality duration of the two groups were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of TXA on the outcomes of the patients., Results: The rate of excessive bleeding and the median chest tube drainage of TXA group were less than those of control group ( P <0.05), while the incidences of death, ischemic event and bleeding related event were comparable between the two groups ( P >0.05). Multivariable regression analysis showed TXA after CPB was associated with the reduced risks of excessive bleeding [odds ratio ( OR ):0.55, 95%confidence interval ( CI ):0.49-0.62, P <0.001] and death ( OR : 0.55, 95% CI :0.30-0.98, P =0.044), but was not associated with ischemic event and bleeding related event., Conclusion: TXA after CPB following cardiac surgery could reduce the risk of excessive bleeding and death without increase of ischemic event., (Copyright© by Editorial Board of Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Science Edition).)

Objective To observe the protective effects of Bushen Jiedu Recipe (BJR) on radia- tion induced hematopoietic injury. Methods C57BL/10J mice TLR4 gene (TLR4 +/+) and knockout mice (TLR4 -/-) were randomly divided into 3 groups, the blank control group, the radiation model group, the BJR group. Sampling was respectively performed at day 1 , 14, and 30 after radiation. The general condi- tion of mice was observed. White blood cell (WBC) , red blood cell ( RBC) , and platelet ( PLT) were counted in each group. Thigh bone of mice was collected for bone marrow specimen. Bone marrow slice was prepared. Pathomorphological changes were observed under electron microscope. Results Com- pared with the blank control group, WBC, RBC, and PLT all decreased or showed a decreasing tendency after one day radiation. RBC and PLT significantly decreased after 14 days of radiation (P <0. 01 , P < 0. 05). Counts of WBC and RBC were higher in the TLR4 +/+ BJR group than in the rest 2 groups (P < 0. 01 , P <0. 05). No statistical difference in RBC or PLT between mice after 30 days of radiation and mice in the blank control group (P >0. 05). PLT count in the TLR4 +/+ BJR group was most approximate to the normal value. WBC count obviously increased, but still with statistical difference as compared with the blank control group (P <0.01). WBC count recovered most rapidly in the TLR4 +/+ BJR group. Results under light microscope showed the structure of bone marrow was injured to different degrees in all mice except those in the TLR4 +/+ BJR group. Conclusion BJR could attenuate radiation induced hematopoi- etic injury possibly through TLR4 signal pathway, thus playing significant radioprotective roles.

Objective: To investigate whether Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG conditioned medium(LGG-CM)has preventive effect against E. coli K1-induced neuropathogenicity in vitro by inhibiting nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway., Methods: An in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model was constructed using human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). The effect of LGG-CM on E. coli-actived NF-κB signaling pathway was assayed using Western blotting. Invasion assay and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) transmigration assay were performed to explore whether LGG-CM could inhibit E. coli invasion and PMN transmigration across the BBB in vitro. The expressions of ZO-1 and CD44 were detected using Western blotting and immunofluorescence. The changes of trans-epithelial electric resistance (TEER) and bacterial translocation were determined to evaluate the BBB permeability., Results: Pre-treament with LGG-CM inhibited E. coli-activated NF-κB signaling pathway in HBMECs and decreased the invasion of E. coli K1 and transmigration of PMN. Western blotting showed that LGG-CM could alleviate E. coli-induced up-regulation of CD44 and down-regulation of ZO-1 expressions in HBMECs. In addition, pre-treatment with LGG-CM alleviated E. coli K1-induced reduction of TEER and suppressed bacterial translocation across the BBB in vitro., Conclusion: LGG-CM can block E. coli-induced activation of NF-κB signaling pathway and thereby prevents E. coli K1-induced neuropathogenicity by decreasing E. coli K1 invasion rates and PMN transmigration.

Objectives: To explore whether the serum concentration of adrenaline (AD) and noradrenaline (NA) elevate and its correlation with oxygenation index (OI) in the patients of acute aortic dissection (AAD)., Methods: From April 2013 to December 2013, clinical data were collected from three groups of patients (38 cases of AAD in Group A, 28 cases of ascending aortic aneurysm in Group B, and 22 cases of angina in Group C). All patients received the measurement of serum concentrations of AD, NA and endotoxin (ET). Linear correlation was used to analyze the relationships between catecholamines (including AD and NA), ET and OI., Results: The baseline of the three groups showed no significant difference. The serum concentrations of AD, NA and ET in Group A were higher than those in Group B and Group C ( P <0.01), white OI was lower than that in Group B and Group C ( P <0.001). In the patients with AAD, the serum concentrations of AD and NA were positively correlated with ET, while both were negatively correlated with OI., Conclusions: Higher serum concentrations of AD and NA correlated with more severe acute lung injury in AAD patients.

Objective: To compare the clinical effect of transumbilical single-port laparoscopy combined with improved double hernia needles with that of traditional open surgery in the treatment of hydrocele in children., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 35 cases (54 sides) of pediatric hydrocele treated by transumbilical single-port laparoscopy combined with improved double hernia needles (laparoscopy group). We recorded the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, scrotal edema, and postoperative complications and compared them with those of another 46 cases (58 sides) treated by traditional open surgery (open surgery group) during the same period., Results: The laparoscopy group showed a significantly shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, milder scrotal edema, and fewer hospital days than the open surgery group (all P<0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P>0.05). Subcutaneous emphysema developed in 2 patients in the laparoscopy group, which disappeared after 1－3 days of oxygen inhalation and other symptomatic treatment, while scrotal hematoma occurred in 1 and incision fat liquefaction in 2 patients in the open surgery group 3 days postoperatively, which healed after debridement suture and daily dressing, respectively. The patients were followed up for 3－6 months, which revealed no late complications in the laparoscopy group but 1 case of unilateral recurrence and 2 cases of offside recurrence in the open surgery group, all cured by laparoscopic internal ring ligation., Conclusions: Transumbilical single-port laparoscopy combined with improved double hernia needles is superior to traditional open surgery for the treatment of pediatric hydrocele and therefore deserves clinical generalization.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) for inhibiting E.coli K1 (E44) adhesion and invasion of an intestinal epithelial cell model with Muc2 gene knockdown established using CRISPR-Cas9 system., Methods: Two 20-25 bp sgRNAs targeting Muc2 were chemically synthesized to construct CRISPR expression vectors for transfection in wild-type human colonic cancer cell line Ht29. The efficiency of Muc2 knockdown was determined using Western blotting. After assessment of the viability and proliferation of the transfected cells with MTT assay, we evaluated the effects of the probiotics against E44 adhesion and invasion of the cells through a competitive exclusion assay., Results: Transfection of the cells with Lenticrisprv2 plasmid vectors resulted in a cell line with stable Muc2 knockdown by 81%. The inhibitory effects of probiotics against E44 adhesion and invasion of the transfected cells were markedly attenuated, and the relative adhesion and invasion rates of E44 were 72.23% (P<0.05) and 81.49% (P<0.05), respectively., Conclusion: Muc2 knockdown causes attenuation of the inhibitory effects of probiotics against E44 adhesion and invasion of the intestinal epithelial cells, suggesting that up-regulation of Muc2 may serve as an important mechanism for the probiotics to reinforce the intestinal barrier and antagonize the pathogenic bacteria, which sheds light on a new strategy for prevention and treatment of bacterial intestinal infections.

Objective: To investigate the effect of c-Met inhibitor cabozantinib (XL-184) in inhibiting Listeria monocytogenes (LM) from invading Caco-2 cells to reduce the cell injury., Methods: The cell invasion capacity of LM was assayed in Caco-2 cells incubated with different doses of XL-184 for different durations. Caco-2 cells incubated with XL-184 were seeded on the upper room of the transwell chamber, and the cell monolayer was exposed to LM infection followed by addition of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The trans-epithelial electric resistance (TEER), HRP concentration and LM colony-forming unit (CFU) were measured in the cell monolayer. Fluorescent staining was used to evaluate the cell viability, and LDH release from the cells was examined to assess the changes in cell membrane permeability., Results: XL-184 significantly decreased LM invasion rate in Caco-2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P=0.000), and this effect was enhanced by co-incubation of the cells with ampicillin (P<0.05). In the cell membrane permeability assay in the monolayer cells, XL-184 markedly inhibited LM-induced reduction of TEER (P<0.05) and significantly suppressed LM-induced enhancement of cell membrane permeability shown by reduced HRP concentration and LM count in the lower chamber (P=0.000). The cells infected with LM showed significantly lowered cell viability, which was rescued by XL-184 (P<0.01); XL-184 also dose-dependently reduced LDH release from the cells (P<0.05)., Conclusions: XL-184 can suppress LM invasion in Caco-2 cells to reduce the cell injury, suggesting its value as a promising candidate agent for prevention and treatment of LM infections.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of cognitive impairment in older people. With the aging of society is more and more serious, AD caused great burden to patients and society. A β is a classical biomarker of AD, which has been widely used in clinical diagnosis of AD patients. Compared with positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), near infrared fluorescence imaging has many advantages including highly sensitive, non-invasive, safety and inexpensive. Therefore, many research groups have focused on developing the molecular probes of near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging. In this article, we will review the progress of the probes of NIRF.

Objective: To explore the role of CD44 in monocyte adhesion to human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) and monocyte migration across an in vitro model of blood-brain barrier (BBB) infected by Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn)., Methods: An in vitro blood-brain barrier model was constructed using a transwell chamber covered with a HBMEC monolayer. The wild-type strain of Cn B4500FO2, TYCC645#32 strain with CPS1 gene deletion and PCIP strain with CPS1 complementation were chosen to infect the monolayer HBMECs. THP-1 cells were added to the upper chamber of transwell, and the relative migration rate was determined by counting the number of the cells entering the lower chambers. The inhibitory effects of anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody and the CD44 inhibitor bikunin were examined on THP-1 binding to and migration across HBMECs., Results: Cn infection of the HBMECs caused markedly enhanced THP-1 cell adhesion and migration across the monolyers (P<0.01) dependent on Cn concentration and exposure time. Addition of anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody and bikunin significantly lowered THP-1 adhesion and migration rates in the BBB model with Cn-infected HBMECs (P<0.01) with a dose dependence of the antibody (within 0-1 µg) and inhibitor (within 0-20 nmol/L). Both THP-1 adhesion rate and migration rate were lowered in the BBB model infected with CPS1 gene-deleted Cn but increased in the model infected with the complemented strain compared with those in the wild-type strain-infected model., Conclusion: In the in vitro BBB model, CD44 expressed on HBMECs may play an essential role in monocyte adhesion to and migration across the BBB. The capsular hyaluronic acid may mediate Cn-induced monocyte adhesion and migration.

This paper reports a novel design of bionic left ventricular auxiliary pump, and the characteristic is that elastic diaphragm of pump driven by hydraulic, having smooth, reliable blood supply, can prevent blood clots, can use the flow sensor, pressure sensor detection showing the blood pressure and blood volume at the inlet and outlet of the pump. The pump can go with heart rate synchronization or asynchronous auxiliary by the R wave of human body's ECG. The design goal is realization of bionic throb. Through the animal experiment, the blood pressure waveforms are close to expectations, stable flow can stroke according to the set value, which prove that the pump can meet the requirement for heart disease patients for bionic left ventricular assistant.

Objective: To evaluate the effect mechanism of warm acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking therapy and its efficacy on insomnia by monitoring the level of brain neurotransmitters in the insomnia patients., Methods: One hundred and thirty patients with insomnia were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 65 cases in each one. In the observation group, based on the treating principle of warming yang and benefiting qi, acupuncture was applied to Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Baihui (GV 20), Neiguan (PC 6) and Shenmen (HT 7). Warm acupuncture was supplemented at Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23) and Yaoyangguan (GV 3). The treatment was given once every day. In the control group, estazolam tablets, 0. 5 to 1 mg were prescribed for oral administration, 30 min before sleep at night. The treatment of 14 days was taken as one session and 2 sessions were required in the two groups. The encephal of luctuograph technology was used to observe the sleep quality and brain neurotransmitters before and after treatment in the two groups and the efficacy was compared between the two groups., Results: The total effective rate was 83.1% (54/65) in the observation group and 87.7% (57/65) in the control group. The efficacy was similar between the two groups (P > 0.05). In the observation group, after treatment, 5-HT and GABA/Glu were all increased compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and norepinephrine (NE) was reduced compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05). The level of each index did not change significantly before and after treatment in the control group (all P > 0.05). The regulations of 5-HT, GABA/Glu in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (all P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The combined therapy of warm acupuncture and auricular point sticking method for warming yang and benefiting qi effectively improves brain neurotransmitters and essentially improves sleep quality of the patients with insomnia differentiated as yang deficiency pattern.

Objective: To establish a method for detecting circulating brain microvascular endothelial cells (cBMECs), a novel biomarker of blood-brain barrier (BBB) injury., Methods: Blood samples were collected from 33 patients with AIDS encephalitis and 13 healthy subjects for detection of cBMECs, cECs and EPCs using magnetic affinity isolation and immune identification technology., Results: The numbers of cBMECs, cECs and EPCs were significantly higher in the AIDS patients than in the control subjects (t=4.298, P<0.01; t=4.886, P<0.01; t=4.889, P<0.01). An significant association was also noted between HIV load and cBMEC number (r=0.928, P<0.01)., Conclusion: We have successfully established a method for detecting peripheral blood cBMECs, which can be of important value in non-invasive assessment of BBB injury.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of modified Koyanagi technique with coverage by tunica vaginalis of testis in severe hypospadias., Methods: 49 cases with severe hypospadias treated from Jan. 2009 to Sep. 2011 were retrospectively studied. 25 patients underwent Koyanagi technique with coverage by tunica vaginalis of testis. 24 cases underwent one-stage Duplay + Duckett technique in the same term. The patients were followed up for 7-24 months., Results: Among the 25 children treated with Koyanagi procedure, 20 cases were cured, 5 patients had postoperative complications, including urethral fistula in 3 cases,urethral stenosis in 2 cases. At the same time, in the Duplay + Duckett group, 17 cases were cured, 7 children had postoperative complications, including urethral fistula in 4 cases, and urethral stenosis in 3 cases. All the patients with urethral fistula were repaired successfully 6 months after the first surgery; The urethral stenosis were cured by dilatation within 1 to 3 months. The successful rate in the 2 groups had no significant difference(P >0.05)., Conclusions: Koyanagi technique with coverage by tunica vaginalis of testis is relatively simple with similar effect as Duplay + Duckett technique for severe hypospadias.

Objective: To establish the quality standard for Aconiti Tatsiehensis Radix., Methods: TLC was used to detect yunaconi- tine and talasamine in Aconiti Tatsiensis Radix. HPLC was adopted to determine the content of yunaconitine. Moisture,ash,acid insolu- ble ash and ethanol soluble extractive were determined according the procedures recorded in the Appendix of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition). The microscopic identification was also carried out., Results: Aconiti Tatsienensis Radix had obvious microscopic char- acteristics,and its TLC identification had a good resolution with clear spots. An average content of moisture was 11. 48%, ash was 4. 83% ,acid insoluble was 1. 81%, ethanol soluble extractive was 20. 46% and yunaconitine was 0. 23%., Conclusion: The established standard is acceptable for quality evaluation of Aconiti Tatsienensis Radix.

Objective: To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Wnk1 gene and ischemic stroke in Chinese Han population., Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was carried out. The ischemic stroke group included 294 Chinese Han subjects, who were admitted with non-fatal ischemic stroke in departments of neurology of 5 hospitals in Xinjiang during January 2008 through December 2009. Control group included 314 age and sex-matched Han subjects without an inquired history of stroke, hospitalized in departments of surgery of these 5 hospitals. Ten tagging SNPs (tSNPs) of the Wnk1 gene were genotyped, and the association between these tSNPs and ischemic stroke were evaluated. The tSNPs (rs3858703, rs11611246, rs7305065, rs1990021, rs34408667, rs12309274, rs1012729, rs956868, rs12828016 and rs953361) were determined by the Multiplex SNaPshot platform. The data were analyzed by using t-test, Ξ2-test and logistic regression. Linkage disequilibrium and haplotype were analyzed by Haploview software., Results: The rates of alcohol drinking, hypertension ,diabetes and hyperlipidemia in ischemic stroke group were higher than those in control group (37.1% vs 21.0%, 62.9% vs 36.6%, 18.0% vs 6.1% and 36.4% vs 17.5%, respectively, all P<0.01). No significant difference in smoking rate was found between two groups. The genotyping loss rates of all sites were less than 1%. All the tSNPs were examined by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test except rs34408667. tSNP rs11611246 in the 4th intron of the Wnk1 gene was significantly associated with ischemic stroke. The distribution frequency of T allele in cases was significantly lower than that in male controls (30.3% vs 35.7%, P =0.046). When the samples were further stratified according to gender, rs11611246 was found to be associated with a reduced risk of ischemic stroke in male cases than in controls. GT and TT genotype frequencies were 43.3% and 7.2% in male cases, 43.1% and 15.2% in male controls, respectively (P=0.038). The T allele was associated with a reduced risk of ischemic stroke, with a per-allele OR of 0.702(95%CI:0.517-0.953, P=0.023) in male cases than in male controls. The significance remained after adjusting the covariates of age (P=0.022), or the covariates of age, BMI, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia (P=0.008). No association between other 9 tSNPs and ischemic stroke was noted in Chinese Han subjects., Conclusion: The polymorphism of rs11611246 on the 4th intron of Wnk1 gene is associated with a reduced risk of ischemic stroke in Chinese Han population and the T allele might be a protective factor for ischemic stroke in male Chinese Hans.

Objective: To observe the effect of adaptive replanning on adverse reactions and clinical outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by helical tomotherapy., Methods: Fifty nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated by TomoTherapy system were retrospectively analyzed. Among these patients, 25 received repetitive CT simulation and replanning, and another 25 case-matched control patients without replanning were identified by matching age, gender, pathological type, UICC stage, weight loss, etc. Wilcoxon test was used to evaluate the effect of replanning on acute and chronic radiation reactions within individuals. Kaplan-Meier study was used to estimate the survival of patients with or without replanning., Results: There was a significant difference in late salivary grand damage between the replanning and the control group (P=0.046), while no difference was observed in acute or other late side effects between the two groups. The median follow-up of the two groups was 32 months (7-42 months) and 26 months (8-46 months), respectively. The median local relapse-free survival time, 2-year local relapse-free survival and 2-year lymphnode relapse-free survival in the two groups were similar (36 months, 92% and 100%). No significant difference was found in the 2-year metastasis relapsefree survival (80% and 96%) and the 2-year overall survival between the two groups (88% and 92%, P>0.05)., Conclusion: Adaptive replanning may reduce the severity of late damage of salivary glands after helical tomotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients without improvement of 2-year survival rate.

Objective: To study the roles of hepatitis B virus (HBV) X antigen (HBxAg) in development of HBV-related liver diseases and carcinogenesis., Methods: Liver tissues were collected from patients with HBV infection (HBV carriers, n = 14; chronic hepatitis B (CHB), n = 24), HBV-related liver cirrhosis (LC, n = 20), or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 20). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of HBxAg and the host apoptosis-related genes Fas and Fas ligand (Fas-L). The correlations of HBxAg with HBV DNA level in serum, inflammation grade, and fibrosis stage were statistically analyzed. Liver inflammation grade and fibrosis stage were in accordance with Knodell standard. x2test and Fisher's exact test were adopted in count data, x2split method was adopted in pariwise comparisons between multiple samples, Rank-sum test was adopted in ranked data, Spearman rank correlation analysis was adopted in correlation analysis., Results: The rates of HBxAg-positivity were similar between the patients with HBV infection (71.1%), LC (60.0%), and HCC (65.0%) (x2= 0.754, P = 0.686). The rates of Fas- and Fas-L-positivity in liver cells were also similar between the three groups (Fas: 28.9% vs. 20.0% vs. 5.0%, x2= 4.667, P = 0.101; Fas-L: 36.8% vs. 50.0% vs. 60.0%, x2= 2.988, P = 0.225). However, the positive rate of Fas in lymphocytes of liver tissue was significantly higher in the HCC patients than in the HBV-infected patients (90.0% vs. 68.4%, Z = -4.360, P = 0.00001). The expressions of HBxAg and Fas-L corresponded to regions of severe inflammation in tissues from LC patients and some HCC patients. Furthermore, the expression of HBxAg was positively correlated with Fas (r = 0.304, P = 0.02) and Fas-L (r = 0.368, P = 0.004) in the HBV-infected patients and LC patients, and the expression of Fas was positively correlated with that of Fas-L (r = 0.448, P = 0.0004). Patients with high and medium loads of HBV DNA showed significantly higher rates of HBxAg-positivity than those with low loads (88.9% and 69.2% vs. 26.7%, P less than 0.05)., Conclusion: In the early stage of chronic HBV infection, HBxAg may induce liver cell apoptosis by up-regulating Fas expression, and in the later stage, HBxAg may induce immune escape by up-regulating Fas-L expression in liver cells. Together, HBxAg and high HBV DNA load may promote chronic HBV infection and progression to hepatocarcinogenesis.

Objective: To establish an extracorporeal circulation (ECC) rat model, and evaluate the inflammatory response and organ injury induced in the model., Methods: SD rats were anesthetized and cannulated from right common carotid artery to left femoral vein to establish the bypass of extracorporeal circulation. Then the rats were randomly divided into ECC group and sham group. The rats in ECC group were subjected to extracorporeal circulation for 2 hours and then rest for 2 hours, while the rats in sham group were only observed for 4 hours without extracorporeal circulation. After that, blood routine examination, blood gas analysis, the measurement of pro-inflammatory factors in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue were performed to evaluate the lung injury induced by ECC. Circulating endothelial cells were also calculated by flow cytometry to assess the vascular endothelial injury., Results: At 2 hours after ECC, red blood cell counts in both groups kept normal, while leukocyte and neutrophil counts, plasmatic tumor necrosis factor-a level and neutrophil elastase level, circulating endothelial cells in the rats of ECC group were significantly higher than those in sham group. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and water content in lung of the ECC rats were also significantly higher, while the oxygenation index was significantly lower. Neutrophil infiltration was also observed in lung tissues with increased thickness of alveolar membrane in ECC group., Conclusion: The ECC model established from right common carotid artery to left femoral vein in our study can successfully induce systemic inflammatory response, and acute lung injury associated with inflammation.

Objective: To implement dose reconstruction and dose-guided intensity modulated radiotherapy for helical tomotherapy., Methods: Dose reconstruction was implemented on adaptive helical tomotherapy with the online megavoltage CT (MVCT) imaging from a patient with nasopharyngeal cancer. The differences of isodose line between actual and planned deposition were analysis in 3D distribution, on which the hot spot and cold spot were lined. The dose delivered to these areas was modulated in later fractions to keep the planned requirement., Results: The differences between actual and planned isodose line were shown on the image visually. The modulation to the hot spot and cold spot in later fraction corrected the incorrectly delivered dose to achieve the requirement of primary plan., Conclusions: The dose reconstruction and dose-guided intensity modulated radiotherapy can be implemented in adaptive helical tomotherapy.

Objective: To study the protective effects of cerebroside from sea cucumber (SCC) on the oxidative damage of PC12 cells induced by H2O2., Methods: An oxidative damage model of PC12 cells was induced by H2O2. The survival rate of the cells was determined by MTT method. The leakage of LDH into cell cultures was determined to evaluate the degree of cell damage. The generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by using DCFH-DA fluorescent probe. The activity of total antioxidation capacity (T-AOC) was determined by chemical colorimetric method and the SOD activity was measured by xanthine oxide method., Results: The injury of PC12 cells induced by H2O2 could be reduced obviously by SCC. Compared with the model group, SCC could improve the survival rate of injured cells, reduce the leakage of LDH into cell culture and reduce intracellular ROS (P < 0.01), increase the intracellular T-AOC and SOD activity (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: SCC has significantly protective effect on the injured PC12 cells induced by H2O2. The results would provide preliminary data on supporting the development of sea cucumber as a functional food, which might give benefits to our brain.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of abnormal ankle brachial index(ABI) in Xinjiang adult population., Method: Random samples maternal age 35 and over were used to analyze the prevalence and distributing feature of self-reported abnormal ABI among different nationality in 7 municipalities and locality and 26 community and autonomous county in Xinjiang., Results: A total of 14 618 adults were surveyed. The prevalence of abnormal ABI was 1.26%. The prevalence of abnormal ABI was 3.56%, 7.05% and 5.79% in Han, Uygur and Hazakh population, respectively. Incidence of abnormal ABI was significantly higher in females than in males (6.65% vs 3.74%, χ(2) = 58.79, P = 0.00). Gender, nationality, systolic blood pressure, body mass index were independent predictors for abnormal ABI., Conclusions: The results of this study showed higher prevalence rate of abnormal ABI, especially in females, in Xinjiang. Nationality and gender are predictors for abnormal ABI.

To settle the foundation for the future research on the influence of wild and mutant (A1762T/ G1764A) HBV X gene on the progress of chronic HBV infection and hepatic tumorigenicity, wild and mutant (A1762T/G1764A) HBxAgs expression system was constructed. The wild and mutant (A1762T/ G1764A) HBV X genes were amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from HBV genome were inserted into pGEX-6P-2 and confirmed by sequencing respectively. Prokaryotic expression vectors pGEX-6P-2-hbvx(w) and pGEX-6P-2-hbvx(m) (A1762T/G1764A) were constructed and transformed to Trans1-blue; wild and mutant HBxAgs were expressed through IPTG induction respectively; after refolding of inclusion body, the wild and mutant HBxAgs were purified with GSTrap FF; and analysised by SDS-PAGE, Western blot and ELISA. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the expression system was able to express target protein efficiently; the concentrations of purified wild HBxAg and mutant HBxAg were 4.88 mg/mL and 5.07 mg/mL respectively; Western blot analysis certified both the wild HBxAg and the mutant HBxAg could be recognized by the same monoclonal antibody against HBxAg; the two expressed fusion antigens coated in microtiter plate were able to react with the sera of HBV infected patients but not with the sera from healthy donors in ELISA. Results demonstrated that we successfully established a system for expression of hepatitis B x antigen and lay the foundation for further research on the role and molecular mechanisms of the mutant HBxAg in the progress of chronic HBV infection and hepatic tumorigenicity.

In order to create a novel recombinant human interferon alpha2b (rh-IFN alpha2b) with higher biological activity, we subjected the rational designed sequence of rh-IFN alpha2b to direct evolution by strategy of the combinatorial mutagenesis. The amino acid residues at multiple sites of 52-53-55, 103-107, and 121-125 were simultaneously mutated. The resulted gene of the mutated rh-IFN a2b was cloned into the pET28a and expressed in E. coli BL21 Condon plus (RIL). The anti-virus activity of the novel interferon alpha2b was 9.3 x 10(7) IU/mg, 93 times higher than the wild type (1 x 10(6) IU/mg). The results showed that the multiple point mutation used in this study could effectively combine the site effects of rh-IFN alpha2b and increase its biological activity.

Objective: To investigate the detection rate of carotid artery plaque in Han, Uygur and Kazakh adult populations of Xinjiang., Methods: During the period of October 2007 to March 2010, the present study was performed in 13896 Han, Uygur and Kazakh adults of Xinjiang aged 35 years old and over by a four-stage random sampling method. All subjects were investigated by a standardized questionnaire, physical, biochemical examination and ultrasonography of carotid arteries. Risk factors were analyzed by a logistic regression model., Results: The prevalence of carotid artery plaque was 10.2%. After standardization, the detection rate of Chinese Han, Uygur and Kazakh populations was 2.46%, 2.31% and 1.84% respectively. By the analysis of multivariate logistic regression, age (OR 1.032, 95%CI 1.026-1.037), smoking (OR 1.358, 95%CI 1.164-1.585), total cholesterol (OR 1.075, 95%CI 1.018-1.135), blood glucose (OR 1.050, 95%CI 1.020-1.081) and systolic blood pressure (OR 1.011, 95%CI 1.008-1.014) were independent risk factors in the occurrence of carotid artery plaque. Females (OR 0.653, 95%CI 0.545-0.738) and high-density lipoprotein (OR 0.864, 95%CI 0.751-0.994) were the protective factors in the occurrence of carotid artery plaque., Conclusion: The detection of carotid artery plaque in Xinjiang increases substantially with age and difference exists between nationalities. The associated risk factors of the formation of carotid artery plaque include gender, age, smoking, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, blood glucose and systolic blood pressure. The effect of these factors is different between genders.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and distribution pattern of hypertension in Xinjiang adult population., Methods: A total of 15,061 adults at 35 years old or over were surveyed. Four-stage selected random sampling was employed to analyze the prevalence and distribution pattern of self-reported congestive hypertension in different groups of nationality, age and gender. The sampled adult population was collected from 7 localities (Urumqi, Ke lamayi, Fukang, Turfan Basin, Hetian, Altay, Yili Hazakh autonomous prefecture) in 23 municipalities and 5 autonomous counties in Xinjiang. The proportion of male to female was 50% each., Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 36.21% (male: 38.70% vs female: 34.22%). The Prevalence of hypertension was 33.42%, 28.50% and 48.69% in Han, Uygur and Hazakh populations respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was higher in Hazakh than Han people (χ2=29.36, P<0.01). The males had a higher frequency of hypertension than the females (χ2=20.01, P<0.01). The risk of hypertension increased substantially with age. The analysis of multiple logistic regression revealed that age (OR=1.06), alcohol consumption, obesity (OR=3.12) and levels of triglyceride (OR=1.30) and cholesterol (OR=1.32) and serum glucose (OR=1.41) were risk factors of hypertension. The corresponding relative hazards were age, alcohol consumption, obesity and levels of triglyceride and cholesterol and serum glucose for Han; the risk factors were similar in Uygur except serum glucose. Age, obesity and levels of triglyceride were only for Hazakh., Conclusion: There is still a higher prevalence of hypertension in Xinjiang. The prevalence of hypertension increases substantially with age and there is difference between different nationalities.