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Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is a malignant tumor. Recently, studies have found that adenylate cyclase 6 (ADCY6) plays a pivotal role in many lethal tumors formation processes. The role of ADCY6 in OTSCC remains unknown. The expression of ADCY6 in OTSCC tissue samples was detected. The clinical significance of ADCY6 in OTSCC was analyzed by statistical methods. OTSCC cell lines were selected to analyze the biological function of ADCY6. Meanwhile, the effect of ADCY6 on the growth of OTSCC in vivo was explored using subcutaneous tumorigenesis assay. WB assay was used to detect the underlying signaling pathway. Cell function recovery test used to investigate the mechanism of ADCY6‐promoting OTSCC malignant biological behavior via Hippo signaling pathway. We report that ADCY6 was obviously downregulated in OTSCC tissue samples and cell lines. Importantly, lower expression of ADCY6 indicates a poorer prognosis in patients with OTSCC, and its expression is significantly correlated with TNM stage and tumor size. Functionally, forced expression of ADCY6 can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, and promote apoptosis of OTSCC cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that ADCY6 upregulation impaired Hippo signaling pathway to reduce the malignant biological behavior of OTSCC. Generally, our findings suggest that ADCY6 suppressed Hippo signaling pathway to regulate malignant biological behavior in OTSCC, which provide new cues for further exploring the mechanism of occurrence and development of OTSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac surgery–associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI) is common in infants and is associated with negative outcomes. Nadir indexed oxygen delivery (DO 2 i) during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with the occurrence of postoperative CS-AKI, with critical thresholds for DO 2 i reported to be 262 to 300 mL/min/m2 in adults. However, given that infants have a higher metabolic rate and oxygen demand, the critical DO 2 i in infants is not comparable with existing adult standards. This study aimed to explore the critical DO 2 i threshold during pediatric CPB. Between March 2019 and April 2020, 106 consecutive infants undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB were admitted to this prospective observational cohort study. The DO 2 i levels of each patient were monitored during CPB. Pre- and intraoperative factors were tested for independent association with CS-AKI. The postoperative outcomes of patients with or without CS-AKI were compared. In our patient population (n = 83), we identified 25 patients (38.5%) with postoperative CS-AKI. Multivariate analysis revealed 2 independent risk factors for onset of CS-AKI: CPB duration and nadir DO 2 i. The lowest suitable DO 2 i during CPB in the present population was 353 mL/min/m2 (sensitivity, 65.6%; specificity, 74.5%). CS-AKI during pediatric CPB remained significantly associated with an increased morbidity, related mainly to a postoperative low cardiac output syndrome, but not to mortality. The lowest suitable DO 2 i during CPB in the infant population undergoing cardiac surgery was 353 mL/min/m2. Below this threshold, there was a high probability of inducing CS-AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), a cardiovascular complication of patients with diabetes, is a special cardiomyopathy that is independent of coronary heart disease, hypertension, and valvular disease. Citronellal (CT) is a monoterpene compound generated by the secondary metabolism of plants. In this work, the therapeutic effect and mechanism of CT in DCM were investigated. Experimental diabetic rat models were constructed through a high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet combined with low-dosage streptozotocin (STZ) treatment. CT was intragastrically administered at the dosage of 150 mg/kg/day. The cardiac functions of the rats were evaluated via cardiac Doppler ultrasound. Changes in myocardial structure were analyzed through histopathology. Changes in the representative indices of oxidative stress, namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were detected on the basis of a biochemical test. Related protein levels were assayed via immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses. The DCM rats in the nontreatment group experienced diastolic and systolic dysfunctions, associated with myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Moreover, this condition was concurrent with metabolic disorders, the degradation of SOD activity in myocardial tissues, the increase in MDA content, the abnormal activation of sodium–hydrogen exchanger 1 (NHE1), and the aggravation of cell apoptosis (Bax levels were elevated, whereas Bcl-2 levels decreased). Myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis were obviously inhibited after treatment with CT (150 mg/kg/day). The abnormal activation of NHE1 was recovered under the action of CT. Our study results showed that CT might play a protective role in the treatment of DCM by repressing the abnormal activation of NHE1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community detection is one important problem in network theory, and many methods have been proposed for detecting community structures in the networks. Given quality functions for evaluating community structures, community detection can be considered as one kind of optimization problem, such as modularity optimization, therefore, optimization of quality functions has been one of the most popular strategies for community detection. In this paper, we introduced two kinds of local modularity functions for community detection, and the self-consistent method is introduced to optimize the local modularity for detecting communities in the networks. We analyze the behaviors of the modularity optimizations, and compare the performance of them in community detection. The results confirm the superiority of the local modularity in detecting community structures, especially on large-size and heterogeneous networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth Differentiation Factor 8 ( GDF8), also called myostatin, is a member of the transforming growth factor ( TGF)-β super-family. As a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, GDF8 is also associated with bone metabolism. However, the function of GDF8 in bone metabolism is not fully understood. Our study aimed to investigate the role of GDF8 in bone metabolism, both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that GDF8 had a negative regulatory effect on primary mouse osteoblasts, and promoted receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand ( RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro. Intraperitoneal injection of recombinant GDF8 repressed bone formation and accelerated bone resorption in mice. Furthermore, treatment of aged mice with a GDF8 neutralizing antibody stimulated new bone formation and prevented bone resorption. Thus, our study showed that GDF8 plays a significant regulatory role in bone formation and bone resorption, thus providing a potential therapeutic pathway for osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the short-term association between outdoor air pollution and outpatient visits for acute bronchitis, which is a rare subject of research in the mainland of China. Methods A time-series analysis was conducted to examine the association of outdoor air pollutants with hospital outpatient visits in Shanghai by using two-year daily data (2010-2011). Results Outdoor air pollution was found to be associated with an increased risk of outpatient visits for acute bronchitis in Shanghai. The effect estimates of air pollutants varied with the lag structures of the concentrations of the pollutants. For lag06, a 10 μg/m 3 increase in the concentrations of PM 10 , SO 2 , and NO 2 corresponded to 0.94% (95% CI: 0.83%, 1.05%), 11.12% (95% CI: 10.76%, 11.48%), and 4.84% (95% CI: 4.49%, 5.18%) increases in hospital visits for acute bronchitis, respectively. These associations appeared to be stronger in females ( P <0.05). Between-age differences were significant for SO 2 ( P <0.05), and between-season differences were also significant for SO 2 ( P <0.05). Conclusion Our analyses have provided the first evidence that the current air pollution level in China has an effect on acute bronchitis and that the rationale for further limiting air pollution levels in Shanghai should be strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecularly imprinted polymers ( MIPs) are prepared on the surface of modified silica gel using prometryne as a template, methacrylic acid as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a crosslinker, and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The structure of the MIPs was characterized using SEM and FTIR spectroscopy. The selectivity of the MIPs for the template molecule prometryne was proven by adsorption experiments. Highly selective SPE cartridges of MIP particles were developed and an optimized prometryne procedure was developed for the enrichment and clean-up of prometryne residues in water, soil, and wheat samples. The concentrations of prometryne in the samples were analyzed by HPLC. The average recoveries of prometryne spiked for water at 0.05∼0.8 mg/L were 101.47-106.65% and the RSD was 2.63-4.71%. The average recoveries of prometryne spiked for soil at 0.05∼0.8 mg/L were 87.34-94.91% with the RSD being 2.77-8.41%. The average recoveries of prometryne spiked for wheat plant at 0.2∼2.0 mg/kg were 91.04-97.76% with the RSD being 6.53-10.69%. The method developed here can be regenerated and repeatedly used more than two dozen times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), central thrombi are the most likely disease initiators, and progressive pulmonary vascular remodeling, which is characterized by marked proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), may also contribute to the long-term progression of CTEPH. This study was designed to investigate the cellular characteristics of PASMCs isolated from the organized thrombotic tissues of CTEPH. In the present study, analysis of PASMCs isolated from five CTEPH patients and three control subjects showed that cells from CTEPH patients had certain characteristics that distinguished them from control cells, including inferior or no cell-cell contact inhibition growth, increased sensitivity to hypoxia-induced proliferation, resistance to serum starvation-induced apoptosis, and mitochondrial metabolism disorder. These differences in the PASMCs in endarterectomized tissue of CTEPH patients may prove useful in understanding the pathobiology of CTEPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of the YUCAA1 gene and the amount of endogenous indole acetic acid (IAA) in rice (Oryza sativa subsp. japonica) plants and rice suspension cells infected by Rice stripe virus (RSV) were investigated by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The results showed that the expression of the YUCAA1 gene and the amount of endogenous IAA increased at various times (16, 32, 48 and 64 h) after infection of rice suspension cells by RSV. In rice plants infected with RSV, the expression of the YUCAA1 gene and the amount of endogenous IAA increased, in comparison with healthy rice plants, at 4-8 days after infection, and decreased at 12 and 16 days. These results indicated that RSV infection could regulate auxin biosynthesis in rice. Additionally, the expression of the RSV gene CP increased 2.9 times in rice plants after they were treated with a KPSC buffer to deplete the endogenous auxins, and decreased 45% after treatment with 30 mmol/l IAA. All of these results suggest that auxin may play a role in RSV replication in rice plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A high peritoneal transport status in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients is associated with a markedly increased morbidity and mortality. While the causes are as yet unknown, overall the proportion of deaths due to cardiovascular disease is estimated at 40–50% among dialysis patients. Arterial stiffness has been established as a cardiovascular risk factor, while the links between peritoneal transport status and aortic stiffness have not yet been investigated. Methods: We included 65 prevalent CAPD patients (24 males/41 females) from our center in a cross-sectional study. Arterial stiffness was assessed by brachial pulse pressure (PP) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (C-F PWV). The patients’ peritoneal fluid transport was assessed by kinetic modeling. The patients’ peritoneal small solute transport rate was assessed by D/Pcr at 4 h. Extracellular water to total body water (E/T) ratio was assessed by means of bioimpedance analysis. C-reactive protein was also measured. Results: C-F PWV was positively correlated with patients’ age (r = 0.489, p < 0.01), diabetic status (r = 0.327, p < 0.01), peritoneal fluid absorption rate (Ke; r = 0.251, p < 0.05), PP (r = 0.483, p < 0.01), and E/T (r = 0.517, p < 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis showed that C-F PWV was independently related to E/T (p < 0.01), PP (p < 0.01), age (p < 0.05), and Ke (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Peritoneal fluid transport (Ke), as well as E/T, age and PP were found to be independent predictors of elevated C-F PWV in CAPD patients, suggesting that there might be a link between high aortic stiffness and increased Ke rate, hypothetically through generalized vasculopathy. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor activator of NF-κB(RANK) ligand(RANKL), expressed by cells of the osteoblast lineage binds to RANK, induces signaling and a gene expression cascade that leads to osteoclast differentiation and activation. Recently, osteoblast-derived membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases-1(MT1-MMP) have been implicated in the process of bone resorption by degrading bone matrix. In the present study, we investigated the effects of parathyroid hormone[PTH(1–34)] on RANKL and MT1-MMP production in cultured normal human osteoblast-like cells(hOB). In reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction studies, we observed that PTH(1–34) induced RANKL messenger ribonucleic acid(mRNA) expression. Activity assays demonstrated that PTH(1–34) simultaneously inhibited MT1-MMP protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The effect of PTH(1–34) on MT1-MMP production was parallel to that on RANKL expression, suggesting a tight inverse relationship between MT1-MMP and RANKL expression. Our findings indicated that the decreased MT1-MMP expression by PTH may be involved in RANKL signaling in osteoblasts and activation of osteoclasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Simulation results of nanojoining of Cu-Ag core-shell nanowire are discussed. • Cold welding of Cu-Ag core-shell nanowire can introduce few defects. • Welding velocity and remaining deformation in joint can exert great influence. • Cold welding under pressure will cause internal compression of structures. Effective fabrication methods of Cu-Ag core-shell nanowires network are of vital importance for their shining applications in stretchable electronics. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study nanojoining of Cu-Ag core-shell nanowires by head-to-head cold welding, along with mechanical properties of obtained welding joints. Results show that Cu-Ag core-shell nanowires can be successfully connected by cold welding with high-efficiency and few defects owing to atomic interaction and diffusion of atoms. What's more, welding velocity and remaining deformation in nanowires will exert significant influence on mechanical properties of joints, including strength and plasticity. It is revealed that cold welding under pressure will somewhat cause internal compression of structures which can be alleviated by following tensile deformation of the two heads if possible. These findings deepen the understanding of nanoscale cold welding and are expected to provide practical reference for the bottom-up fabrication and assembly of Cu-Ag core-shell nanowires network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor targeted mediated by novel nanoparticles–cationic lipid microbubbles complex (aFGF–NP + CPMBs) combined with ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD)on doxorubicin–induced heart failure (HF)and its mechanism. Heart failure rats induced by intraperitoneal injection with doxorubicin (DOX) to achieve cummulative dose of 15mg/kg for continuous 6 weeks showed left ventricular dysfunction, seriously oxidative stress, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and decrease of myocardial vascular density. In contrast, aFGF–NP + CPMBs combined with UTMD therapy (3ug/kg, caudal vein injection, twice a week, 6weeks)prominently ameliorated left ventricular dysfunction by increased ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS), decreased brain natriuretic peptide (BNP); strengthened the ability of antioxidant stress confirmed by increasing the activity of SOD and reducing the production of MDA; exerted the effect of anti–cardiomyocyte apoptosis and promotion angiogenesis by inhibited Bax expression and increased Bcl–2 expression and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (CD31) expression. Taken together, the research suggested that aFGF targeted mediated by novel nanoparticles–cationic lipid microbubbles complex combined with UTMD should be a promising targeted treatment for heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Adherent cell culturing is a mature cell culturing technique mainly used for research on molecular mechanism of biological function of adherent cells. Specifically, it is widely applied in studies of cancer onset and development, and of the action of pharmaceutical agents on cancer cells. Cell microencapsulation is a technique by which cells are encapsulated in a semi-permeable microcapsule and live like those in physiological conditions with normal nutritional supply. It is a culturing technique that ranks between monolayer and three-dimensional culture. With microencapsulation, adherent cells grow in a three dimensional manner, and its metabolism and genetic expression also change, similar to solid tumours. Methods We aimed to establish a cell microencapsulation model using human mucoepidermoid carcinoma cells (MCCs), and assess the cell culture model based on cell growth characteristics, proliferation activity, and protein expression. After MCCs had been isolated and cultured in RPMI-1640 medium, cell growth characteristics, proliferation activity, and protein expression of microencapsulated MCCs and conventional adherent MCCs (as control) were compared. Findings Results showed MCCs in microcapsules grew in blocks with favourable proliferation activity. On day 3, the cell count in the microencapsulation group was significantly higher than the control group ( t = 0.480, p < 0.05). On day 7, cell proliferation had not reached a plateau or declined. Compared with adherent MCCs, microencapsulated MCCs showed significantly higher expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and bFGF ( t = 7.617, p < 0.01; t = 6.011, p < 0.01), while TSP-1 was significantly less expressed ( t = 12.45, p < 0.001). Interpretation Microencapsulation culture may help to establish three-dimensional growth of tumour cells in vitro that promote protein expression for angiogenesis. It may be a promising model for functional research of tumour-related genes. In addition, it may be used in studies on biological characteristics of tumour cells and screening of antitumour pharmaceuticals. It will also have prospect in the in situ amplification of stem cells due to convenient inoculation and collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an internal reference fluorescent sensor for pH determination. The fluorescent carrier contained two pH-dependent fluorophores, 2-allyl-6-((2-aminoethyl)amino)-1H-benzo[de]isoquinoline-1,3(2H)-dione (AAEAN) and meso-5,10,15,20-tetra-(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin (TAPP), that were derived from naphthalimide derivatives and porphyrin derivatives respectively. The two fluorophores acted as reference fluorophores for each other. The fluorescent carrier was copolymerized with acrylamide, (2-hydroxyethyl)methacrylate and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate on the silanized glass surface for an internal reference pH sensor. The sensor showed satisfactory selectivity, reproducibility as well as sufficient stability and fast response time. It covered a broad dynamic range of pH value 1.00–9.50. The sensor provided an alternative concept to apply the fluorescence carrier with two fluorophores for the development of internal reference sensors covering a broad range of pH value. The synthesis of one fluorescent carrier, with two properly selected fluorophores paved the way to construct a series of internal reference sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Urotensin II (UII) is involved in the formation of atherosclerosis, but its role in the stability of atherosclerotic plaques is unknown. The purpose of this study was to observe the dynamic changes in plasma UII and analyze its relationship to the stability of atherosclerotic plaques. One hundred thirty-five consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were enrolled. The plasma UII levels were measured immediately after admission and during three-month follow-up. A vulnerable plaque model was established using local transfection of a recombinant P53 adenovirus into plaques in rabbits fed with a high-cholesterol diet and subjected to balloon arterial injury. The levels of plasma UII were measured weekly. The changes in plasma UII during the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and before and after plaque transfection were observed. The morphology of the plaques and the expression, distribution, and quantitative expression of UII in the plaques also were observed. Our results showed that the levels of plasma UII in patients with ACS at admission were lower than levels observed at the three-month follow-up. UII dynamic changes and its correlation with plaque stabilities were further verified in rabbits with atherosclerotic vulnerable plaques. The UII levels in rabbits were significantly decreased immediately after the P53 gene transfection, which led to plaque instability and rupture. These results suggested that UII expression was down-regulated in ACS, which may be related to its ability to modulate mechanisms involved in plaque stability and instability., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we report a highly rare robust 4d-5f bimetal-organic framework that shows high porosity and thermal/chemical stability and thus is capable of removing trace SO 2 from a SO 2 /CO 2 /N 2 mixture even under humid conditions. This work not only shows a novel adsorbent for SO 2 removal but also extends the function of actinium-based coordination compounds.

Osteogenesis and senescence of BMSCs play great roles in age-related bone loss. However, the causes of these dysfunctions remain unclear. In this study, we identified a differentially expressed ASPH gene in middle-aged and elderly aged groups which were obtained from GSE35955. Subsequent analysis in various databases, such as TCGA, GTEx, and CCLE, revealed that ASPH had positive correlations with several osteogenic markers. The depletion of mouse Asph suppressed the capacity of osteogenic differentiation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Notably, the expression of ASPH in vitro decreased during aging and senescence. The deficiency of Asph accelerated cellular senescence in BMSCs. Conversely, the overexpression of Asph enhanced the capacity of osteogenic differentiation and inhibited cellular senescence. Mechanistically, ASPH regulated Wnt signaling mediated by Gsk3β. Taken together, our data established that ASPH was potentially involved in the pathogenesis of age-related bone loss through regulating cellular senescence and osteogenic differentiation, which provides some new insights to treat age-related bone loss., (Copyright © 2020 Peng, Guo, Xiao, Su, Jiang, Guo and Wang.)

Background: Human mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is regarded as the most common primary salivary malignancy. High-grade MEC has a high risk of recurrence and poor prognosis. Tumor angiogenesis, induced by poorly differentiated cancer cells of high-grade MEC, contributes to tumor growth and metastasis. Therefore, elucidating molecular mechanisms underlying the pro-angiogenic ability of poorly differentiated MEC cells is critical for the understanding of high-grade MEC progression. It is well known that three-dimensional (3D) cell culture, in contrast with conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture, provides a better approach to in vitro recapitulation of in vivo characteristics of cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment. The purpose of this study was to model a 3D environment for in vitro gene expression profiling of key molecules in poorly differentiated MEC cells for cancer neovascularization and compared them with traditional 2D cell culture., Methods: Low-passage poorly differentiated MEC cells, derived from human patient samples of high-grade MEC, were microencapsulated in sodium alginate gel microcapsules (3D culture) and compared with cells grown in 2D culture. Cancer cell proliferation was determined by MTT assays for 1 week, and gene expression of VEGF-A, bFGF and TSP-1 was analyzed by western blotting or ELISA. The hypoxic environment in 3D versus 2D culture were assessed by western blotting or immunofluorescence for HIF1α, and the effect of hypoxia on VEGF-A gene expression in 3D cultured cancer cells was assessed by western blotting with the use of the HIF1α inhibitor, 2-methoxyestradiol (2-MeOE2)., Results: When encapsulated in alginate gel microcapsules, low-passage poorly differentiated human MEC cells grew in blocks and demonstrated stronger and relatively unlimited proliferation activities. Moreover, significant differences were found in gene expression, with 3D-grown cancer cells a significant increment of VEGF-A and bFGF and a drastic reduction of TSP-1. Consistently, 3D-grown cancer cells secreted significantly more VEGF-A than 2D culture cancer cells. Furthermore, 3D-grown cancer cells showed significantly higher expression of HIF1α, a molecular indicator of hypoxia; the increased expression of VEGF-A in 3D cultured cancer cells was shown to be dependent on the HIF1α activities., Conclusions: The present work shows the effects of 3D culture model by alginate microencapsulation on the proangiogenic potentials of low-passage poorly differentiated human MEC cells. Cancer cells in this 3D system demonstrate significant intensification of key molecular processes for tumor angiogenesis. This is due to a better modeling of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment during 3D culture.

Staphylococcus epidermidis, especially methicillin-resistant strains, may be the source of surgical site infections and may be a reservoir of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) for S. aureus. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis (MRSE) on the abdominal skin of females before laparotomy and determine the molecular characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of these isolates. MRSE was found in 54 of 157 isolates based on mecA gene detection, and there was no difference in icaA gene carriage rate between MRSE and methicillin-susceptible S. epidermidis (MSSE) isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were determined by broth microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing according to the latest CLSI manuals. All MRSE isolates had unfavorable antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Twenty-three MRSE strains (42.6%) were multi-drug resistant. SCCmec typing and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing was performed. Thirty-nine (72.2%) had a single SCCmec type, whereas 1.9% had two types. Fourteen strains (25.9%) were non-typeable (NT). The most frequent MRSE genotype was SCCmec type IVa. High diversity with PFGE patterns was obtained for MRSE, and there were no isolates exhibiting identical pulsotype. The results confirm that methicillin-resistant strains are frequently present among S. epidermidis on the abdominal skin of females before laparotomy. Moreover, resistance profiles seem to have no association with the SCCmec types or PFGE types for most common antibiotics.

Objective: To investigate the role of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) in evaluating in the effectiveness of conservative treatment for professional athletes with patellar tendon enthesiopathy., Methods: According to different treatment intensities, 24 professional athletes with patellar tendon enthesiopathy were randomly divided into painless group, slightly-painful group and extremely-painful group. Then changes of the HFUS findings [including ranges of two-dimensional diseases and blood conditions by Color Doppler Flow Imaging (CDFI)] of patellar tendon before and after the treatment were recorded. The results were also compared with conventional clinical treatment evaluations., Results: After two courses of treatment,the percentage of athletes whose pain was resolved or disappeared was 37.5% in painless group, 87.5% in slightly-painful group, and 62.5% in extremely-painful group. The pain score was 4.50 ± 2.07, 4.88 ± 1.13, and 6.13 ± 1.55 in painless group,slightly-painful group,and extremely-painful group, respectively,before treatment and 4.88 ± 2.17, 3.00 ± 1.77,and 5.13 ± 2.36 after treatment. The average pain score remarkably decreased in the slightly-painful group and extremely-painful group,and such difference was statistically significant in the slightly-pain group (P<0.05). The effective rate (defined as thinner patellar,decreased hypoecho area and fewer blood distribution in the lesion) was 38%, 50%, and 62% in the painless group, slightly-painful group,and extremely-painful group, and the rates in the slightly-painful group and extremely-painful group were significantly higher than that in painless group (both P<0.05)., Conclusions: HFUS can display the ultrasonographic changes of patellar tendon enthesiopathy after conservative treatments in an objective and quantitative manner. Compared with conventional clinical evaluations, it can more accurately reflect the disease recovery status.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disease worldwide, with a prevalence rate of 5%-15% in the general population. CRS is currently classified into two types: CRS with and without nasal polyps. CRS may also be divided into eosinophilic CRS (ECRS) and non-ECRS subtypes based on the presence of tissue eosinophilic infiltration or not. There are significant geographic and ethnic differences in the tissue eosinophilic infiltration, which is predominant in Western white patients and less common in East Asians, despite an increasing tendency for its prevalence in East Asia countries. ECRS differs significantly from non-ECRS in clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes and strategies, and underlying pathogenic mechanisms. ECRS commonly demonstrates more severe symptoms, polyp diseases with a higher incidence of bilateral polyps and sinonasal diseases on computed tomography, and the increase in blood eosinophils. ECRS is considered a special and recalcitrant subtype of CRS, commonly with poor treatment outcomes compared to non-ECRS. The differentiation of specific subtypes and clinical features of CRS will be important for developing novel treatment strategies and improving treatment outcomes for individual phenotypes of CRS. This review discusses clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of ECRS in East Asians.

We describe a case of postradiation chondrosarcoma after basal cell carcinoma treatment. At the time he presented, the patient was a 35-year-old man who had received radiotherapy at a dose of 70 Gy for 8 weeks. Six months after radiation treatment, a rapidly growing mass at the upper right alveolar ridge of the gums, where radiation had been given, was diagnosed as chondrosarcoma. Generally, chondrosarcoma occurs after a latency period of several years following radiation. However, there are a few relevant reports indicating that maxillofacial chondrosarcoma can develop after radiotherapy for basal cell carcinoma, with a short latency of 6 months. We hypothesize that the dosage and treatment time of radiation may have played a role in the opening/closing of the Hh-signaling pathway in the case of this patient.