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This study investigated the stability and quality of life (QoL) outcomes of patients who received mandibular reconstructions with the anterolateral thigh perforator flap (ALTF) following tumor resection.Thirty-five patients with oral tumors that were resected and reconstructed with ALTF were included in this study. Volumetric analyses of each ALTF were performed at 6 to 18 months postoperatively. A QoL survey was also conducted 2 years postoperatively and compared by means of an independent-sample t test with 28 patients who had mandibular reconstructions with free fibula flap.There were no significant volumetric changes in the ALTF or the QoL results of either group.Patients with advanced oral cancers have a higher risk of recurrence that mandates closer radiographic surveillance. This may be impaired by artifacts from metallic implants required in free fibula flap reconstructions. Anterolateral thigh perforator flap may be a viable alternative because it is easier for secondary resection, amenable for direct repairs, has volumetric stability, has a lower cost and results in a comparable QoL outcome.

Citrus fruits are consumed in large quantities worldwide due to their attractive aromas and taste, as well as their high nutritional values and various health-promoting effects, which are due to their abundance of nutrients and bioactives. In addition to water, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers are important nutrients in citrus, providing them with high nutritional values. Citrus fruits are also rich in various bioactives such as flavonoids, essential oils, carotenoids, limonoids, and synephrines, which protect from various ailments, including cancer and inflammatory, digestive, and cardiovascular diseases. The composition and content of nutrients and bioactives differ significantly among citrus varieties, fruit parts, and growth stages. To better understand the nutrient and bioactive profiles of citrus fruits and provide guidance for the utilization of high-value citrus resources, this review systematically summarizes the nutrients and bioactives in citrus fruit, including their contents, structural characteristics, and potential health benefits. We also explore the composition variation in different citrus varieties, fruits parts, and growth stages, as well as their health-promoting effects and applications.

Intraosseous benign lesions rarely involve the zygoma, and intraosseous venous malformation is most commonly reported condition in the previous literature. A neurofibroma (NF) arising from the zygoma has not been reported before. Here, the authors present a 37-year-old female who developed solitary NF of the right zygoma. Surgical intervention is usually required for the treatment of a solitary NF. However, the complex three-dimensional (3D) anatomy of the zygoma increases the difficulty of the reconstruction for the operating surgeon. In this case, a preoperative digital surgical design was used to promote the efficiency of the surgery. A 3D printing surgical guide plate was used intraoperatively, and the defect was reconstructed by a patient-specific polyetheretherketone implant. Postoperative computed tomography imaging confirmed the accuracy of the reconstruction and that there was no recurrence of the tumor. The authors believe that the 3D print guide plate-assisted accurate resection combined with polyetheretherketone implant reconstruction is an ideal methodology for benign lesions of the zygoma.

The rhizome of Dioscorea nipponica Makino (RDN) is a widely used herbal medicine, which has significant anti-inflammatory activities on various inflammatory diseases. However, the bioactive compositions responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of RDN are still unknown. This study aimed to identify the anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds in RDN using high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q/TOF-MS), quantitative analysis of multiple components by single marker (QAMS) and chemometric methods. Firstly, an HPLC-Q/TOF-MS method was employed for identification of bioactive steroidal saponins in RND, and a total of twelve steroid saponins were identified. Then, QAMS method was employed to determine the contents of seven bioactive steroidal saponins, including protodioscin, protogracillin, methyl protodioscin, pseudoprotodioscin, pseudoprogracillin, dioscin and gracillin in RND samples using dioscin as the reference analyte. The anti-inflammatory effects of RDN samples were then evaluated by inhibition of NO production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, chemometric methods, including Pearson correlation analysis and partial least squares regression (PLSR) were employed to investigate the correlations between chemical components and anti-inflammatory activities, and explore the potential anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds of RDN. The results indicated that protodioscin, dioscin and gracillin were selected as the major anti-inflammatory compounds in RND. The further verification experiments showed that protodioscin, dioscin and gracillin exhibited great inhibition on NO production with IC

Sorafenib is the first-line medication for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but it can only extend limited survival. It is imperative to find a combination strategy to increase sorafenib efficacy. Artesunate is such a preferred candidate, because artesunate is clinically well-tolerated and more importantly both drugs can induce ferroptosis through different mechanisms. In this study we investigated the combined effect of sorafenib and artesunate in inducing ferroptosis of HCC and elucidated the involved molecular mechanisms. We showed that artesunate greatly enhanced the anticancer effects of low dose of sorafenib against Huh7, SNU-449, and SNU-182 HCC cell lines in vitro and against Huh7 cell xenograft model in Balb/c nude mice. The combination index method confirmed that the combined effect of sorafenib and artesunate was synergistic. Compared with the treatment with artesunate or sorafenib alone, combined treatment induced significantly exacerbated lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis, which was blocked by N-acetyl cysteine and ferroptosis inhibitors liproxstatin-1 and deferoxamine mesylate, but not by inhibitors of other types of cell death (z-VAD, necrostatin-1 and belnacasan). In Huh7 cells, we demonstrated that the combined treatment induced oxidative stress and lysosome-mediated ferritinophagy, two essential aspects of ferroptosis. Sorafenib at low dose mainly caused oxidative stress through mitochondrial impairments and SLC7A11-invovled glutathione depletion. Artesunate-induced lysosome activation synergized with sorafenib-mediated pro-oxidative effects by promoting sequential reactions including lysosomal cathepsin B/L activation, ferritin degradation, lipid peroxidation, and consequent ferroptosis. Taken together, artesunate could be repurposed to sensitize sorafenib in HCC treatment. The combined treatment can be easily translated into clinical applications.

Previous studies have shown that abnormal metabolic reprogramming in CD4+ T cells could explain the occurrence of several autoimmune disorders, including Sjogren’s syndrome (SS). However, therapeutic targets of the abnormal metabolism of CD4+ T cells remain to be explored. Here, we report that glutaminase 1 (Gls1), a pivotal factor in glutaminolysis, might be involved in the pathogenesis of SS. The expression of Gls1 was upregulated in infiltrated labial CD4+ T cells and circulating CD4+ T cells of SS patients. Inhibiting Gls1 with BPTES significantly abolished the proliferation rate, as indicated by EdU, CFSE, and Western blot analyses. Additionally, BPTES downregulated the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) values of activated CD4+ T cells from SS mice. In vivo, we injected different doses of BPTES into SS-like NOD/Ltj mice and found that 10 mg/kg BPTES significantly restored the salivary flow rate. Histological and qRT–PCR analyses showed that this concentration of BPTES attenuated lymphocytic infiltration and the numbers of PCNA-positive cells and CD4+ T cells. The proportions of IFNγ-producing cells and IL-17A-producing cells and the expression of several proinflammatory cytokines, including IFNγ and IL-17A, were also affected in the salivary glands of SS-like mice. Cytokine production in circulating serum was analyzed and showed that BPTES downregulated the effector functions of Th17 cells and Th1 cells. Collectively, these results indicate a positive relationship between Gls1 and SS development. Pharmacological inhibition of Gls1 with BPTES could normalize the effector functions of CD4+ T cells and effectively attenuate the symptoms of SS.

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential function of interleukin-11 (IL-11) in the pathogenesis of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to examine IL-11 expression in the labial glands of 30 pSS patients and 30 healthy controls. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to assess the distribution of IL-ll-positive cells in labial glands. The human salivary gland (HSG) cell line was used to study the effects of IL-11 on gland epithelial cells in vitro. Cell viability and cell proliferation were examined by CCK-8 kit and EdU assay, respectively. The population of apoptotic cells was detected in flow cytometry followed by Annexin V/PI and Hoechst staining. We found that the expression levels of IL-11 were remarkably decreased in pSS labial glands and were positively correlated with C-reactive protein levels and negatively correlated with rheumatoid factor levels. Fewer numbers of glandular epithelial cells were observed to be positively stained with IL-11 antibody in labial glands from pSS patients than those in healthy control patients. After IL-11 treatment, the viability and proliferation of HSG cells were significantly higher than those in the control group. The total apoptotic and necrotic rates of HSG cells in the group after IL-11 treatment were significantly lower. In conclusion, the results indicated that IL-11 promoted viability and proliferation and inhibited apoptotic and necrotic rates of glandular epithelial cells. In pSS, downregulated IL-11 might contribute to the apoptosis of salivary gland epithelial cells. However, it might be a potential target to alleviate the pathological atrophy of glandular epithelial cells in pSS patients.

POEMS syndrome is a rare multisystem disease associated with an underlying plasma cell disorder. Its name is an acronym for peripheral neuropathy (P), endocrinopathy (E), organomegaly (O), monoclonal plasma cell proliferative disorder (M), and skin changes (S). This case report describes a patient with POEMS syndrome who presented with progressive fatigue and numbness in the lower extremities. Initially, the patient was erroneously diagnosed with diabetes and diabetic peripheral neuropathy because of the endocrinopathy associated with POEMS syndrome. After a second hospitalization, the patient was diagnosed with POEMS syndrome and recovered with alkylator therapy and a peripheral blood stem cell transplant. The patient’s overall condition was improved at the 1-year follow-up. POEMS syndrome should be considered if a patient presents with endocrinopathy and unexplained peripheral neuropathy.

Arginine plays an important role in regulating arginine-nitric oxide synthase pathway, regulating lipid metabolism, and upregulating the mRNA levels of genes involved in fat synthesis in muscle in animals, and can therefore improve feed utilization for protein accretion. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of supplementation of different concentrations of L-arginine on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and meat quality in finishing pigs. A total of 120 crossbred [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] pigs with an average initial body weight (BW) of 53.80 ± 1.86 kg were used in this 10-week feeding trial. The pigs were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments (5 pigs/pen and 8 replicates/treatment) in a randomized complete block design according to their sex (2 gilts and 3 barrows) and BW. Dietary treatments included: 1) CON, corn-soybean meal based basal diet (containing 13.81 MJ/kg metabolic energy and 0.95% lysine for entire experimental period); 2) LA0.5, CON + 0.5 g/kg L-arginine; 3) LA1.0, CON + 1.0 g/kg L-arginine. Individual body weight was measured initially and at the end of 5th and 10th week, feed consumption was recorded on pen basis during the experiment to determine growth performance. Meat samples were randomly taken from each pen (2 pigs per pen, 1 gilt and 1 barrow; 16 pigs per treatment) for determination of meat quality. All data were analysed using linear and quadratic contrast (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). The result showed that L-arginine did not affect pig growth performance and nutrient digestibility. However, dietary L-arginine supplementation linearly increased (P< 0.05) muscle marbling score, while linearly decreasing (P< 0.05) cooking loss and drip loss of pork muscle (Table 1). Results of present study demonstrated that 1.0 g/kg L-arginine would be beneficial in improving the meat quality in finishing pigs.

BACKGROUND Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) plays an important role in the progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and is a common symptom in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Prolongation of corrected QT interval (QTc) reflects ventricular arrhythmias and CVD. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between OSA and QTc in T2DM patients and to evaluate the potential application of QTc in clinical practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 358 T2DM patients were involved in this study. OSA was diagnosed with apnea-hypopnea index ≥5 by full-night polysomnography and QTc was measured by a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Patients were grouped into 2 groups based on median QTc, and clinical data were studied. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between OSA and QTc with adjusted age, sex, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, total bilirubin (TBL), and smoking history. RESULTS Among 358 T2DM patients, 59.2% had OSA. Compared to those in the QTc

Background Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by reduced exocrine gland (principally the salivary and lacrimal glands) activity caused by chronic lymphocytic infiltration. Although pSS has been closely associated with an increased risk of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, the dynamic epigenetic changes in the gland cells that accompany the pathogenesis are not entirely understood. Methods In this study, we harvested tissue samples from the labial gland with (LG_pSS) or without pSS (LG_NC) before MALT development, as well as the parotid gland with tumor tissues (PG_MALT) and paracancerous tissues (PG_NC) of two pSS patients with MALT lymphoma, and conducted RNA-seq and ChIP-seq for tri-methylated histone 3 lysine 4, 9, 27, 36, and 79 (H3K4/9/27/36/79me3). Results Transcriptome landscapes indicated two outcomes of pSS progression with or without MALT lymphoma represented by distinct populations of differentially expressed genes and their functions. Furthermore, the epigenetic atlas of genome-wide H3K4/9/27/36/79me3 was in different stages for various samples, indicating that the variance of H3K4me3 was the earliest event, followed by selective alterations of H3K9/27/36/79me3. These four epigenetic modifications determine the final outcome of pSS progression. Conclusions Our results not only advance the understanding of the dynamics of pSS progression and highlight the importance of epigenetic alterations in regulating transcription during this pathological process, but also identify potential therapeutic targets for pSS treatment and lymphoma intervention.

Juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP) is defined as recurrent parotid inflammation, generally associated with nonobstructive sialectasis of the parotid gland. In addition, the etiology remains unclear, probably immunologically mediated.The purposes of the present study were to report the relationship between JRP and immune function from the measurement of the JRP patients' immunoglobulins and T-lymphocyte subset.Immunologic assay from 2014 to 2017 of 100 children diagnosed with JRP at Shanghai Ninth Hospital compared with the 100 normal children by age.The CD4 level of JRP children aged6 years was significant lower than the one of JRP preschool children (p .05), while the IgG level was significant higher than the one of the JRP preschool children (p .05). In comparison with the normal children, the value of CD8 T cells, immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin E (IgE), immunoglobulin A (IgA) and C3 (p .01) of JRP children was significant higher, while the value of CD4 T cells was lower (p .01) in spite of age. What is more, the value of CD8 T cells of JRP preschool children was much significant higher than the one of the normal preschool children (p .01).The immune function of JRP patients may become disorder: the suppression cellular immune function and inadequate humoral immune expression.

When the swine foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine injection, there will be stress reaction. Nucleotides are low-molecular-weight, intracellular compounds that are functional to numerous biochemical processes. They have important effects on the growth and development of rapid turnover cells, such as those in the immune system especially during stressful in animals. A 6 week trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of nucleotide supplementation in reducing FMD vaccine stress so as to improve their performance and immune system health in growing pigs. A total of 120 growing pigs [(Yorkshire x Landrace) x Duroc] with an average body weight of 25.76 ± 1.83 kg were used. Pigs were allocated to 1 of 3 treatments (8 pens per treatment; 3 barrows and 2 gilts per pen) based on body weight and sex. Dietary treatments consisted of: 1) CON: basal diet/FMD vaccine; 2) NUC1: CON + Nucleotide 0.5%/FMD vaccine; and 3) NUC2: CON + Nucleotide 1.0%/FMD vaccine. The statistical analysis was performed using randomized design by GLM procedure (SAS 9.2). Orthogonal polynomials were used to assess the linear and quadratic effects of increasing dietary NUC concentrations. In the current study, overall, the pigs had a higher G/F ratio in NUC diets, which was increased linearly (P = 0.025). The digestibility of dry matter (P = 0.02) and nitrogen (P = 0.03) showed significant increase (linear) in treatments, when compared to the controls. Meanwhile, after injection, there was a significant decrease (linear) in the level of cortisol in NUC treatments (P = 0.012) compared to controls in pigs. Also the epinephrine concentration were observed to be decreased linearly in NUC treatments (P = 0.011) compared with CON diet. In conclusion, thus nucleotide have positive effect on reducing vaccine stress as well as improving performance and immune system health in growing pigs.

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in China, but few patients with clinical symptoms of OSA are referred for diagnostic polysomnography (PSG). Thus, this study aimed to develop and validate an easy-to-use nomogram that predicts the severity of OSA in patients with T2DM. Methods This retrospective study included consecutive patients with T2DM admitted to the Endocrinology Department, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019. OSA was diagnosed with PSG. Participants were randomly assigned to a training cohort (70%) and a validation cohort (30%). Demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical data were collected. A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model was used to reduce data dimensionality and identify factors for inclusion in the nomogram (training cohort). Nomogram validation was performed in the validation cohort. Results The study included 280 participants in the training group and 118 participants in the validation group. OSA prevalence was 58.5%. LASSO regression identified waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), smoking status, body mass index (BMI), serum uric acid (UA), the homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), and history of fatty liver disease as predictive factors for inclusion in the nomogram. Discrimination and calibration in the training group (C-index =0.88) and validation group (C-index =0.881) were good. The nomogram identified patients with T2DM at risk for OSA with an area under the curve of 0.851 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.788-0.900]. Conclusions Our nomogram could be used to facilitate individualized prediction of OSA risk in patients with T2DM and help prioritize patients for diagnostic PSG.

Idiopathic enlargement of salivary glands used to be confusing in diagnosis until immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related sclerosing sialadenitis was proposed as a possible answer. In this case series, we reported the clinical features and management outcomes in 16 patients with IgG4-related sclerosing sialadenitis. We retrospectively studied 16 patients in clinical examination, serology, pathology, and sonography features. All patients were treated by corticosteroids and followed up for at least 3 months. The results of clinical features showed that all of the patients presented persistent, symmetric bilateral swelling of the salivary glands, elevated levels of serum IgG4, and/or IgG4-positive plasmacytes infiltration and tissue fibrosis. The results of all autoantibody tests were negative. The typical sonographic manifestation revealed multiple hypoechoic foci with an irregular netlike diffuse lesion in salivary glands. Most patients showed excellent response to steroids treatment. We conclude that, for patients who present (1) symmetric swelling of bilateral salivary glands for more than 3 months, (2) elevated serum IgG4 level (>135 mg/dL), and (3) enlargement in bilateral salivary glands with multiple hypoechoic areas (irregular netlike appearance) in the sonography, the diagnosis of IgG4-related sclerosing sialadenitis should be considered. A comprehensive understanding of the medical condition and appropriate pathology examination are the key to diagnose. Steroids treatment is effective, and a treatment plan should be set up and followed in the long-term.

The effects of an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Glomus mosseae, and a phosphate-solubilizing microorganism (PSM), Mortierella sp., and their interactions, on nutrient (N, P and K) uptake and the ionic composition of different root tissues of the halophyte Kosteletzkya virginica (L.), cultured with or without NaCl, were evaluated. Plant biomass, AM colonization and PSM populations were also assessed. Salt stress adversely affected plant nutrient acquisition, especially root P and K, resulting in an important reduction in shoot dry biomass. Inoculation of the AM fungus or/and PSM strongly promoted AM colonization, PSM populations, plant dry biomass, root/shoot dry weight ratio and nutrient uptake by K. virginica, regardless of salinity level. Ion accumulation in root tissues was inhibited by salt stress. However, dual inoculation of the AM fungus and PSM significantly enhanced ion (e.g., Na(+), Cl(-), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+)) accumulation in different root tissues, and maintained lower Na(+)/K(+) and Ca(2+)/Mg(2+) ratios and a higher Na(+)/Ca(2+) ratio, compared to non-inoculated plants under 100 mM NaCl conditions. Correlation coefficient analysis demonstrated that plant (shoot or root) dry biomass correlated positively with plant nutrient uptake and ion (e.g., Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+) and Cl(-)) concentrations of different root tissues, and correlated negatively with Na(+)/K(+) ratios in the epidermis and cortex. Simultaneously, root/shoot dry weight ratio correlated positively with Na(+)/Ca(2+) ratios in most root tissues. These findings suggest that combined AM fungus and PSM inoculation alleviates the deleterious effects of salt on plant growth by enabling greater nutrient (e.g., P, N and K) absorption, higher accumulation of Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+) and Cl(-) in different root tissues, and maintenance of lower root Na(+)/K(+) and higher Na(+)/Ca(2+) ratios when salinity is within acceptable limits.

This paper illustrated the research status of current self-cooling beverage packaging, provided the design principle of self-cooling beverage can, and designed a new self-cooling beverage can based on refrigeration material (liquid CO2). Its refrigeration structure, refrigeration mechanism and manufacturing technique were further studied; besides, the calculation formula of cooling agent dosage and check formula of container strength was raised. Moreover, safety and environmental property of self-cooling beverage can were evaluated. The result shows that the design accords with the requirements of pressure vessel.

The Based on the analysis method of bisection, the critical slip field technology and the residual thrust method of slope ultimate equilibrium,the functional relationship between the slope angle θ and maximum residual thrust Pmax is established. As it can determine the θ value increment size and value range according to identify the positive and negative of equation P=f(θ); then by means of the searching for calculation and discrimination of system,it ultimately can solve the numerical solution of Pmax=0 in a limited height ,security status and engineering geological conditions and find the limit slope angle θ*. Thus it can deal with the open-air high and steep slope optimization design, and simultaneously resolve the design the technology of landslide treatment and the optimization program ,At the same time it has engineering application value.

Material properties, calculation models and parameters are the main factors affect the simulation results of concrete face rockfill dams. According to the Baixi project, a 3D numerical model was built including the concrete face, filled rock, rock foundation and peripheral joint. Then, based on the deformation monitoring data during the construction and water storage period, the Duncan E-B model parameters were back analyzed. Finally, the sedimentation of dams, stress and strain of concrete face was simulated, and the actual working performance of concrete face and filled rock was studied.

Domain reduce methods purpose is to reduce the times of simulation and optimization by decreasing search domain so as to realize the least time-consuming. MLIS (move limit indicator strategy) is one of the common effective methods. After analyzing the drawbacks of the existing optimization problem, propose an MLIS using six indicators with domain reduce method. And next, functional quality, search space, move history, assessment criterion, convergence criterion and constraint conditions of the six indicators are introduced detailedly. Finally, Hesse function example and a design problem with cantilever beam are optimized and simuliated by MLIS. The practices proved that this method has a certain application value and practical meaning in domain reducing.

Thermal treatment or hyperthermia has received considerable attention in recent years due to its high efficiency, safety and relatively few side-effects. In this study, we investigated whether it was possible to utilize targeted thermal or instent thermal treatments for the treatment of restenosis following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) through magnetic stent hyperthermia (MSH). A 316L stainless steel stent and rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were used in the present study, in which the inductive heating characteristics of the stent under alternative magnetic field (AMF) exposure, as well as the effect of MSH on the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression of the rabbit VSMCs, were evaluated. The results demonstrated that 316L stainless steel coronary stents possess ideal inductive heating characteristics under 300 kHz AMF exposure. The heating properties were shown to be affected by the field intensity of the AMF, as well as the orientation the stent axis. MSH had a significant effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of VSMCs, and the effect was temperature-dependent. While a mild temperature of 43°C demonstrated negligible effects on the growth of VSMCs, MSH treatment above 47°C effectively inhibited the VSMC proliferation and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, a 47°C treatment exhibited a significant and long-term inhibitory effect on VSMC migration. The results strongly suggested that MSH may be potentially applied in the clinic as an alternative approach for the prevention and treatment of restenosis.

The clinical significance of serum S-100β levels in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), as a reference index to assess HIE severity, was evaluated in this study. On the basis of our strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, relevant high-quality case-control studies reporting the association between HIE and S-100β protein were selected from electronic database searches. The STATA version 12.0 software was used for the statistical analyses. The database search initially retrieved 93 studies (37 in English and 56 in Chinese), and following a multistep screening process, 13 high-quality studies were eventually included in our meta-analysis. The 13 case-control studies included a total of 646 HIE neonates and 381 healthy controls. The results of this meta-analysis revealed that serum S-100β levels in mild, moderate, and severe HIE neonates were significantly higher than those in healthy controls, and the differences were statistically significant. Importantly, the serum S-100β levels increased incrementally with HIE severity. Our results support the hypothesis that S-100β is an important biological indicator of HIE and serum S-100β levels can be used as a reference index to assess HIE severity.

Background Dry eye disease (DED) is a very common disease. Although several current treatments offer some symptomatic relief, moderate to severe DED is still difficult to cure at present. Acupuncture may be effective for DED via its promotion of tear secretion and ability to improve symptoms, but evidence of its effectiveness is limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of acupuncture versus artificial tears in moderate to severe DED. Methods/design A total of 120 participants with moderate to severe DED will be randomly assigned to either an acupuncture group or an artificial tear group at a ratio of 1:1. Participants in the acupuncture group will undergo treatments on a single BL1 acupuncture point 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Participants in the control group will use artificial tears 4 times per day for 8 weeks. The primary outcome will be the change from baseline in a mean Schirmer-I test (SIT) at week 8. The secondary outcomes will include the visual analog score (VAS) for the improvement of ocular symptoms, the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), the tear film break-up time (TBUT), and corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) at weeks 4, 8, and 32. Acupuncture acceptance will be evaluated at week 8. Adverse events will also be monitored and documented. A follow-up assessment will be conducted 24 weeks after the treatment. Discussion We expect to verify that acupuncture is better than artificial tears toward improving the mean SIT values of patients with moderate to severe DED.

Two Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile, aerobic bacterial strains designated HY-14(T) and HY-24 were isolated from the sludge of an anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bioreactor. The strains could not grow with 5 % (w/v) NaCl, did not produce acid from d-glucose or utilize d-glucose, gluconate or citrate as a sole carbon source. Summed feature 3 and C(16 : 0) were the most abundant fatty acids; hydroxyl fatty acids C(12 : 0) 3-OH and C(10 : 0) 3-OH were also present. Fatty acid C(12 : 0) 2-OH was absent. The DNA G+C contents of strains HY-14(T) and HY-24 were 50.6+/-0.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains HY-14(T) and HY-24 formed a monophyletic clade within the genus Pseudomonas. The highest sequence similarities were to Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes DSM 50188(T) (95.9 %). On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic properties, strains HY-14(T) and HY-24 are proposed as a novel species of the genus Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonas caeni sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HY-14(T) (=KCTC 22292(T)=CCTCC AB208156(T)).

Tidal flats are soil resources of great significance. Nitrification plays a central role in the nitrogen cycle and is often a critical first step in nitrogen removal from estuarine and coastal environments. We determined the abundance as well as composition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in different soils during land reclamation process. The abundance of AOA was higher than that of AOB in farm land and wild land while AOA was not detected in tidal flats using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The different abundances of AOB and AOA were negatively correlated with the salinity. The diversities of AOB and AOA were also investigated using clone libraries by amplification of amoA gene. Among AOB, nearly all sequences belonged to the Nitrosomonas lineage in the initial land reclamation process, i.e., tidal flats, while both Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira lineages were detected in later and transition phases of land reclamation process, farm land and wild land. The ratio of the numbers of sequences of Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira lineages was positively correlated with the salinity and the net nitrification rate. As for AOA, there was no obvious correlation with the changes in the physicochemical properties of the soil. This study suggests that AOB may be more import than AOA with respect to influencing the different land reclamation process stages.