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Background: The diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease (PD) remain complex, which is especially problematic for nonmovement disorder experts. A test is required to establish a diagnosis of PD with improved accuracy and reproducibility. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of tests using sniffer dogs to diagnose PD. Methods: A prospective, diagnostic case‐control study was conducted in four tertiary medical centers in China to evaluate the accuracy of sniffer dogs to distinguish between 109 clinically established medicated patients with PD, 654 subjects without PD, 37 drug‐naïve patients with PD, and 185 non‐PD controls. The primary outcomes were sensitivity and specificity of sniffer dog's identification. Results: In the study with patients who were medicated, when two or all three sniffer dogs yielded positive detection results in a sample tested, the index test sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were 91% (95% CI: 84%–96%), 95% (95% CI: 93%–97%), and 19.16 (95% CI: 13.52–27.16) and 0.10 (95% CI: 0.05–0.17), respectively. The corresponding sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios in patients who were drug‐naïve were 89% (95% CI: 75%–96%), 86% (95% CI: 81%–91%), and 6.6 (95% CI: 4.51–9.66) and 0.13 (95% CI: 0.05–0.32), respectively. Conclusions: Tests using sniffer dogs may be a useful, noninvasive, fast, and cost‐effective method to identify patients with PD in community screening and health prevention checkups as well as in neurological practice. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial community of acid mine drainage (AMD) fascinates researchers by their adaption and roles in shaping the environment. Molecular surveys have recently helped to enhance the understanding of the distribution, adaption strategy, and ecological function of microbial communities in extreme AMD environments. However, the interactions between the environment and microbial community of extremely acidic AMD (pH <3) from different mining areas kept unanswered questions. Here, we measured physicochemical parameters and profiled the microbial community of AMD collected from four mining areas with different mineral types to provide a better understanding of biogeochemical processes within the extremely acidic water environment. The prominent physicochemical differences across the four mining areas were in SO42−, metal ions, and temperature, and distinct microbial diversity and community assemblages were also discovered in these areas. Mg2+ and SO42− were the predominant factors determining the microbial structure and prevalence of dominant taxa in AMD. Leptospirillum , Ferroplasma , and Acidithiobacillus were abundant but showed different occurrence patterns in AMD from different mining areas. More diverse communities and functional redundancy were identified in AMD of polymetallic mining areas compared with AMD of copper mining areas. Functional prediction revealed iron, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon metabolisms driven by microorganisms were significantly correlated with Mg2+ and SO42−, Ca2+, temperature, and Fe2+, which distinguish microbial communities of copper mine AMD from that of polymetallic mine AMD. In summary, microbial diversity, composition, and metabolic potential were mainly shaped by Mg2+ and SO42− concentrations of AMD, suggesting that the substrate concentrations may contribute to the distinct microbiological profiles of AMD from different mining areas. These findings highlight the microbial community structure in extremely acidic AMD forming by types of minerals and the interactions of physicochemical parameters and microbiology, providing more clues of the microbial ecological function and adaptation mechanisms in the extremely acidic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the ratcheting behavior of magnesium alloys is significant for the structure's reliable design. The uniaxial ratcheting behavior of AZ31B magnesium alloy is studied by the asymmetric cyclic stress-controlled experiments at room temperature. A modified kinematic hardening model is established to describe the uniaxial ratcheting behavior of the studied alloy. In the modified model, the material parameter m is improved as an exponential function of the maximum equivalent stress. The modified model can be used to predict the ratcheting strain evolution of the studied alloy under the single-step and multi-step asymmetric stress-controlled cyclic loadings. Additionally, due to the significant effect of twinning on the plastic deformation of magnesium alloy, the relationship between the material parameter m and the linear density of twins is discussed. It is found that there is a linear relationship between the material parameter m and the linear density of twins induced by the cyclic loadings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The uniaxial low-cycle fatigue behavior of hot-rolled AZ91 magnesium alloy was investigated by asymmetric cyclic stress-controlled experiments at room temperature. The effects of the sampling direction, peak stress and stress ratio on the fatigue life were discussed. The fatigue life increases with increasing the stress ratio or decreasing the peak stress. Due to the anisotropic property, the specimen in transverse direction shows superior fatigue resistance. Considering the effects of mean stress on the fatigue strength coefficient and fatigue strength exponent, a modified Basquin model was proposed and validated to evaluate the fatigue life of AZ91 magnesium alloy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two acidophilic strains, designated as ALEF1 T and S30H14 T , were isolated from acid mine drainage sediment. Cells of both strains were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, endospore-forming rods. Strains ALEF1 T and S30H14 T were acidophilic and mesophilic, the former grew at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and pH 2.5-4.5 (optimum, pH 3.5), while the latter grew at 20-45 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and pH 2.0-5.5 (optimum, pH 4.5). The 16S rRNA gene-based sequence analysis revealed that strains ALEF1 T and S30H14 T belonged to the genus Alicyclobacillus , and were phylogenetically close to Alicyclobacillus ferrooxydans TC-34 T with 97.1 and 97.4% similarity, respectively. The similarity between the two novel strains was 98.6 %. The average nucleotide identity value between the genome sequences of ALEF1 T and S30H14 T was 79.5 %, and that between each of the two isolates and A. ferrooxydans TC-34 T were 72.0 and 74.3 %. In addition, the digital DNA-DNA hybridization value between ALEF1 T and S30H14 T was 24.9 %, between strain ALEF1 T and A. ferrooxydans TC-34 T was 21.7 %, and between S30H14 T and A. ferrooxydans TC-34 T was 26.3 %, far below the interspecies threshold. Both strains could utilize diverse carbon sources for heterotrophic growth; strain ALEF1 T could utilize ferrous iron as the energy source for autotrophic growth. Menaquinone 7 was the only quinone detected in either strain. Both strains contained anteiso-C 15 : 0 and anteiso-C 17 : 0 , while ω -alicyclic fatty acids were not detected. Based on their phylogenetic positions, as well as phenotypic and genomic data, it is considered that strains ALEF1 T and S30H14 T represent two novel species within the genus Alicyclobacillus , for which the names Alicyclobacillus curvatus sp. nov. (type strain ALEF1 T =CGMCC 1.17055 T =KCTC 43124 T ) and Alicyclobacillus mengziensis sp. nov. (S30H14 T =CGMCC 1.17050 T =KCTC 43125 T ) are proposed.

Objective: To analyze the expression and clinical characteristics of CD68 in bone marrow and peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)., Methods: The expression of CD68 in bone marrow blast cells was detected by four-color flow cytometry in 50 newly diagnosed AML patients and 23 controls. The expression of CD68 in peripheral blood of 85 newly diagnosed AML patients, 29 remission AML patients and 24 controls was detected by ELISA. The correlation between the expression rate of non-M3 AML bone marrow CD68, peripheral blood CD68 concentration and white blood cell count and other clinical data was compared respectively., Results: The median CD68 expression rate in myeloid leukemia cells of non-M3 AML patients was 19.7%, significantly higher than control (0.2%) (P<0.001). The median concentration of non-M3 CD68 in peripheral blood was 67.97 pg/ml, significantly higher than in control (29.94 pg/ml)（P<0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in the plasma CD68 concentration of the peripheral blood between the newly diagnosed (45.72 pg/ml) and the remission stage (55.12 pg/ml) of non-M3 AML patients by paired analysis (P>0.05). The results showed that the higher the expression rate of CD68 in bone marrow, the higher the count of white blood cells in peripheral blood, and the lower the count of hemoglobin and platelet in peripheral blood. The higher the plasma concentration of CD68 in peripheral blood, the higher the white blood cell count and the lower the complete remission rate., Conclusion: The expression of CD68 both in bone marrow and peripheral blood of patients with non-M3 AML is higher than that of control group. Patients with high expression of CD68 show a low rate of complete remission, suggesting that the expression level of CD68 is correlated with treatment response.

The abnormal expression and regulation of circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of tumors. The current study aimed to determine the role of circRNA&#95;141539 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). CircRNA&#95;141539 expression in ESCC was detected via circRNA chip analysis and verified via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Associations between circRNA&#95;141539, patient clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis were also statistically analyzed. Additionally, the effects of circRNA&#95;141539 on ESCC cell proliferation and invasion were assessed. A dual-luciferase assay was performed to analyze the interaction between circRNAs, microRNAs (miRs) and mRNAs. The results revealed that circRNA&#95;141539 was significantly up-regulated in patients with ESCC. Furthermore, high circRNA&#95;141539 expressions were significantly associated with TNM stage, differentiation and poor prognosis, revealing high diagnostic value (P<0.05). Furthermore, circRNA&#95;141539 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and invasion, while circRNA&#95;141539 silencing inhibited cell proliferation and invasion (P<0.05). The dual-luciferase reporter assay identified that circRNA&#95;141539 directly binds to miR-4469 and also revealed that cyclin-dependent kinase-3 (CDK3) was negatively regulated by miR-4469. The results indicated that circRNA&#95;141539 served as an oncogenic factor in ESCC by sponging miR-4469 and activating CDK3 expression. circRNA&#95;141539 may present as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for patients with ESCC.

Following the publication of the above article, the authors have realized that certain intended corrections were not carried over to the published version of the article. First, the description of the results of Figs. 5 and 6 did not match the figures; Edu and Transwell invasion assays were intended to have been excluded from the manuscript during the proofreading stage, although these data were presented in the description of the results for Figs. 5 and 6. Consequently, the text for the "circRNA&#95;001275 promotes cell proliferation" subsection of the Results section towards the end of p. 153 should have read as follows: "MTT assay was used to detect the effects of circRNA&#95;001275 on cell proliferation. The results showed that cell viability was significantly increased in the circRNA&#95;001275 OE group, and significantly decreased in the si circRNA&#95;001275 group (both P<0.05, Fig. 5A and B), compared with the corresponding control groups." Furthermore, the text in the subsequent subsection ("circRNA&#95;001275 inhibits cell apoptosis") should have read as follows: "Hoechst 33258 staining was used to detect the effects of circRNA&#95;001275 on apoptosis. The apoptosis rate was significantly decreased in the circRNA&#95;001275 OE group, and significantly increased in the si circRNA&#95;001275 group (both P<0.05; Fig. 6), compared with the corresponding control group. Secondly, Fig. 5B was omitted from Fig. 5 in the published article; and thirdly, a higher‑resolution version of Fig. 6 was submitted during the revision stages, although the version of this figure that was deemed to have been too low in quality was the one that appeared in the final proofs. The corrected / updated versions of Figs. 5 and 6 are shown opposite. The Editor of International Journal of Oncology regrets that certain of these errors were introduced into the article during the production stages, and apologizes both to the authors and to the readership. [the original article was published in International Journal of Oncology 57: 151‑160, 2020; DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5050].

Objective: To analyze the results of immunophenotyping in patients with acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) so as to improve the understanding of early T-cell precursor acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) and near ETP-ALL with elevated CD5., Methods: The results of immunophenotypes in 62 patients with newly diagnosed adult T-ALL in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the expression of CD5, CD1a, CD8 and My/S antigens, the patients were divided into 3 groups: ETP, near ETP and non-ETP. The immunophenotypic characteristics and basic clinical data of three groups were compared and analyzed., Results: There were significant differences in age, white blood cell and plt counts as well as percentage of bone marrow blasts among three groups (P＜0.05). ETP and near ETP mainly belonged to Pro T and pre T, and non-ETP mainly belonged to cortical T and mature T. The positive rates of My/S, CD1a, CD8 and CD5 were significantly different among three groups (P＜0.01). The positive rates of CD4 and CD3 in non-ETP group were significantly higher than those in ETP and near-ETP group (P＜0.01). The positive rate of CD56 in near-ETP group was 50%, which was significantly higher than that in ETP group (16.7%) and non-ETP group (0%) (P＜0.01)., Conclusion: According to the expression of CD5, CD1a, CD8 and My/S antigens, T-ALL patients can be divided into three groups: ETP, near ETP and non ETP, the immunophenotypes and basic clinical data among 3 groups are statistically different.

Investigation of the 95% EtOH extract of stems of Dendrobium findlayanum afforded four new seco-dendrobines, findlayines A-D (1-4); two known dendrobines, dendrobine (5) and 2-hydroxydendrobine (6); and four new phenolic compounds, dendrofindlaphenols A-C (7, 9, and 10) and 6″-de-O-methyldendrofindlaphenol A (8). Compounds 1 and 2 are the first seco-dendrobines possessing a seven-membered lactam moiety, with 3 and 4 derived from the oxidative cleavage of the C-2-C-3 bond of dendrobine. The structures were established using spectroscopic methods and by comparison with literature data. The absolute configurations of 1-4 were confirmed via single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Cytotoxic activity assays against HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480 human cancer cell lines revealed IC 50 values ranging from 2.3 to 5.3 μM for compound 7, from 19.4 to 34.4 μM for 8, and from 49.4 to 96.8 μg/mL for the EtOAc extract. An assay of the inhibition of NO production with RAW 264.7 cells indicated that 8 had an IC 50 value of 21.4 μM, and the EtOAc extract, 10.5 μg/mL. The EtOAc extract possessed DPPH radical scavenging activity of 69.93% at 100 μg/mL.

Study Design: A prospective cohort double-center study., Objective: To assess the clinical effect of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (miTLIF) using the tunnel technique., Summary of Background Data: A series of short-term studies have indicated that miTLIF could reduce blood loss and improve clinical results. However, long-term clinical study and magnetic resonance imaging research are still scare., Methods: From January 2008 to January 2009, 187 patients with 1-segment lumbar disease requiring intervertebral fusion were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the operative methods. Postoperative low back pain (LBP), postoperative lumbar function, the fusion rate, lower extremity pain relief, variation of lumbar lordosis, and implant failure were assessed. At 48 months postoperation, the cross-sectional area of the paraspinal muscle was measured using magnetic resonance imaging., Results: The mean duration of follow-up was 54.4±5.9 months. The intermuscular pressure generated by the tunnel in the miTLIF group was lower than that generated in the oTLIF group. Patients in the miTLIF group reported a lower degree of LBP at all timepoints. The ODI scores were similar to the VAS scores. No significant differences were found in fusion rate, lower extremity pain relief, lumbar lordosis, or implant failure rate. A significant difference was found between the 2 groups in postoperative cross-sectional area., Conclusions: This study confirmed the advantages of miTLIF in reducing postoperative LBP, improving postoperative quality of life and preventing paraspinal muscle atrophy compared with oTLIF, while achieving a similar therapeutic outcome. The lower intermuscular pressure generated by minimally invasive tunnel and subsequent moderate muscle atrophy were presumed to be possible reasons for its superiority.

Cardiac conduction disease is a primary cause of sudden cardiac death. Sodium voltage‑gated channel‑α subunit 5 (SCN5A) mutations have been reported to underlie a variety of inherited arrhythmias. Numerous disease‑causing mutations of SCN5A have been identified in patients with ≥10 different conditions, including type 3 long‑QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome. The present study investigated a family with a history of arrhythmia, with the proband having a history of arrhythmia and syncope. Whole‑exome sequencing was applied in order to detect the disease‑causing mutation in this family, and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the co‑segregation among the family members. A missense mutation (c.1099C>G/p.R367G) of SCN5A was identified in the family and was observed to be co‑segregated in all affected members of the family. The missense mutation results in a substitution of glycine for arginine, which may affect sodium transmembrane transport. The present study provides an accurate genetic test which may be used in individuals who exhibit no clinical symptoms.

Objective: To investigate the primary culture technique in vitro, and to evaluate the influence of the prostate donor age and the collagen coating on the primary prostatic cell culture., Methods: Three different methods (enzymic digestive method, tissue culture and enzymic digestive method combined with tissue culture) were investigated in the primary prostatic cell culture, the stromal cell were identified by immunocytochemistry., Results: Compared with the methods of digestion (either with or without tissue culture), tissue culture possessed better cellular adherence and proliferative ability. Thin coating of collagen on culture flask could improve the adherence of cell and promote cell proliferation. Prostate stromal cells from donors aged > or = 60 years old grew slower than those from donors aged < 60 years old., Conclusion: Tissue culture is a simple, convenience method for the primary benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) stromal cell culture. Thin coating of collagen in culture flask could improve the primary culture, and prostate stromal cells from donors aged < 60 years old are more suitable for stromal cell culture.

A new method for the determination of trace gold by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) after preconcentration with p-dimethylaminobenzylidenerhodanine (DMABR) loaded with nanometer TiO2 was developed. The method is convenient, highly precise and linear in a wide range. Under dynamic condition, the optimum pH of solution, flow rate, elution conditions were obtained for preconcentration of trace gold. And the effect of interfering ions was also investigated. It was found that the studied gold could be quantitatively preconcentrated on loaded nanometer TiO2 at pH = 3.5, and the flow rate of sample solution was 0.6 mL x min(-1), and the flow rate of eluting solution with 0.1 mol x L(-1) HCl-0.5 mol x L(-1) thiourea was 0.5 mL x min(-1), sufficient for complete elution. The dynamic adsorption capacity of gold on load nanometer TiO2 was 23.19 mg x g(-1). The linear range for gold was 0-0.40 microg x mL(-1), correlation coefficient was 0. 999 3, detection limit (3sigma, n = 11) for gold was 2.34 ng x mL(-1), and the relative standard deviation was 2.9% (n = 6, c = 0.10 microg x mL(-1)), the recovery was in the range of 96.7%-101.7%. The method has been applied to the determination of trace gold in water samples with satisfactory results.