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Acute diarrhoea continues to be a leading cause of morbidity, hospitalisation, and mortality worldwide, and probiotics have been proposed as a complementary therapy in the treatment of acute diarrhoea. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of three combined probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, as an adjunct to rehydration therapy in treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in hospitalised children. Eligible diarrheal children were randomised into intervention group (IG, n=96, conventional treatment for diarrhoea in combination with probiotics) and control group (CG, n=98, conventional treatment for diarrhoea without probiotics). The primary assessments of this study were duration of diarrhoea and hospital stay and improvement in diarrhoea symptoms. Significantly more children in the IG showed improvements in diarrhoea (defined as a decrease of stool frequency to no more than four times per day and an improved stool consistency within 24-48 h after the treatment) than those in the CG (96.9 vs 79.6%, P

Radish is representative root vegetable; its edible parts are directly in contact with Cd-contaminated fields. Two radish cultivars (H4 and L19) with different resistance to Cd were selected to compare their growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant systems. Our results revealed that H4 was more sensitive to Cd pollution than L19; a significant decrease in the biomass of H4 was observed at higher Cd concentrations. With increasing Cd concentrations, the net photosynthetic rate, effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, electron transport rate through PSII, and photochemical quenching were all lowered, however, reductions were more obvious in H4 compared to L19. Further, both peroxidase and catalase activities of L19 were remarkably higher than those of H4. Smaller reductions in ascorbic acid and no obvious changes in glutathione were observed in the leaves of H4. These results suggest that the differences in Cd tolerance could be attributed to the distinct photosynthetic parameters and differences in antioxidant system between L19 and H4.

We describe a unique ABO compatible and 9/10 HLA-matched case of successful allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) after effective desensitization of a strong anti-HLA-A24 donor-specific antibody (DSA) with mean fluorescence intensity of approximately 18 000. Due to absence of a suitable matched unrelated donor the patient sibling was considered the best available donor, and it was decided to desensitize patient prior to transplant. The strength of HLA-A24 DSA slowly decreased over the course of treatment, necessitating a total of 23 sessions of therapeutic plasma exchange in order to bring the DSA strength to undetectable levels, followed by a successful transplant. In summary, the outcome of this case shows effective application of desensitization treatment to remove strong DSA in HCT patients.

The variability of the mixing state of refractory black carbon aerosol (rBC) and the corresponding complicated light absorption capacity imposes great uncertainty for its climate forcing assessment. In this study, field observations using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2) were conducted to investigate the mixing state of rBC under different meteorological conditions at a rural site on the North China Plain. The results showed that the hourly mass concentration of rBC during the observation periods was 2.6±1.5 µg m−3 on average, with a moderate increase (3.1±0.9) during fog episodes. The mass-equivalent size distribution of rBC exhibited an approximately lognormal distribution with a mass median diameter (MMD) of 213 nm. We found that the count median diameter (CMD) of rBC particles during snowfall episodes was larger than that before snowfall, and the number of rBC particles with Dc nm were reduced by 28.4 % after snow. This may indicate that rBC-containing particles with small core sizes (Dc) were much more effectively removed by snow with light snow intensity (0.23 mm h−1). Based on the Mie scattering theory simulation, the relative and absolute coating thicknesses of rBC-containing particles were estimated to be ∼1.6 and ∼52 nm for the rBC core with a mass-equivalent diameter (Dc) of 170 to 190 nm, respectively, which indicates that most of the rBC-containing particles were thinly coated. Furthermore, a moderate light absorption enhancement (Eabs=1.3) and relatively low absorption cross section (MAC = 5.5 m2 g−1) at 880 nm were observed at the Gucheng (GC) site in winter compared with other typical rural sites. The relationship between the microphysical properties of rBC and meteorological conditions was also studied. Relatively warm and high-RH environments (RH>50 %, -4∘C

As major chemical components of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5), organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) have vital impacts on air quality, climate change, and human health. Because OC and EC are closely associated with fuel combustion, it is helpful for the scientific community and policymakers assessing the efficacy of air pollution control measures to study the impact of control measures and regional transport on OC and EC levels. In this study, hourly mass concentrations of OC and EC associated with PM2.5 were semi-continuously measured from March 2013 to February 2018. The results showed that annual mean OC and EC concentrations declined from 14.0 to 7.7 µg m−3 and from 4.0 to 2.6 µg m−3, respectively, from March 2013 to February 2018. In combination with the data of OC and EC in previous studies, an obvious decreasing trend in OC and EC concentrations was found, which was caused by clean energy policies and effective air pollution control measures. However, no obvious change in the ratios of OC and EC to the PM2.5 mass (on average, 0.164 and 0.049, respectively) was recorded, suggesting that inorganic ions still contributed a lot to PM2.5. Based on the seasonal variations in OC and EC, it appeared that higher OC and EC concentrations were still observed in the winter months, with the exception of winter of 2017–2018. Traffic policies executed in Beijing resulted in nighttime peaks of OC and EC, caused by heavy-duty vehicles and heavy-duty diesel vehicles being permitted to operate from 00:00 to 06:00 (China standard time, UTC+8, for all times throughout the paper). In addition, the fact that there was no traffic restriction in weekends led to higher concentrations on weekends compared to weekdays. Significant correlations between OC and EC were observed throughout the study period, suggesting that OC and EC originated from common emission sources, such as exhaust of vehicles and fuel combustion. OC and EC levels increased with enhanced SO2, CO, and NOx concentrations while the O3 and OC levels were enhanced simultaneously when O3 concentrations were higher than 50 µg m−3. Non-parametric wind regression analysis was performed to examine the sources of OC and EC in the Beijing area. It was found that there were distinct hot spots in the northeast wind sector at wind speeds of approximately 0–6 km h−1, as well as diffuse signals in the southwestern wind sectors. Source areas further away from Beijing were assessed by potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis. A high-potential source area was precisely pinpointed, which was located in the northwestern and southern areas of Beijing in 2017 instead of solely in the southern areas of Beijing in 2013. This work shows that improvement of the air quality in Beijing benefits from strict control measures; however, joint prevention and control of regional air pollution in the regions is needed for further improving the air quality. The results provide a reference for controlling air pollution caused by rapid economic development in developing countries.

Objective Chimney endovascular aneurysm repair (Ch-EVAR) is a cheap and immediately available method for treatment of juxtarenal aortic aneurysms (JRAAs). The aim of this study was to report experiences and results with balloon expandable stent (BES) for Ch-EVAR. Methods From January 2008 to June 2013 (mean time, 26 ± 13 months), 42 patients who underwent Ch-EVAR were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were thought to be at high risk for open surgery and were unsuitable (because of financial issues and fear of delays) for fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR). Results 42 patients (35 males; mean age 71 ± 7 years) underwent chimney procedures for 56 renal arteries with 70 BESs (59 hippocampus and 11 genesis). Median follow up was 26 months (range 6–64 months). Primary technical success was 100%. Thirty day mortality was 0%. Completion angiography showed that eight cases (19%) had a type I endoleak. The 6 month follow up CT scans demonstrated three cases with complete regression of endoleak, two cases without aneurysmal growth, and three cases with an increase in aneurysmal diameter of less than 10 mm. Three patients had contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) after Ch-EVAR, two of whom had acute renal failure (ARF) and continue to require hemodialysis. Two deaths occurred during follow up, both unrelated to the aorta: one with a hemispheric stroke at 6 months and one with respiratory failure at 12 months. Therefore, the overall follow up mortality was 5%. Occlusion of one chimney stent occurred 3 months after the procedure, meaning renal artery patency rate was 98%. The aneurysm diameter reduced from 74 ± 9 mm to 64 ± 10 mm during follow up ( p Conclusion Ch-EVAR can be used to treat JRAAs with suitable anatomical conditions. However, complications of type I endoleak were not uncommon, and, therefore, further studies are required to prove its efficiency for JRAAs.

To investigate the spatiotemporal variability of regional mixing layer height (MLH) on the North China Plain (NCP), multi-site and long-term observations of MLH with ceilometers at three inland stations [e.g., Beijing (BJ), Shijiazhuang (SJZ), Tianjin (TJ)] and one coastal site [e.g., Qinhuangdao (QHD)] were conducted from 16 October 2013 to 15 July 2015. The MLH at the inland stations on the NCP were highest in summer and lowest in winter, while the MLH in the coastal area of Bohai was lowest in summer and highest in spring. The regional MLH developed the earliest in summer (at approximately 7:00 LT) and reached the highest growth rates (164.5 m h−1) at approximately 11:00 LT, while in winter, the regional MLH developed much later (at approximately 9:00 LT), with the maximum growth rates (101.8 m h−1) occurring at 11:00 LT. As a typical site in southern Hebei, the annual mean of MLH at SJZ was 464 ± 183 m, which was 15.0 % and 21.9 % lower than that at the BJ (594 ± 183 m) and TJ (546 ± 197 m) stations, respectively. Investigation of radiation and wind shear at NCP revealed that the net radiation was almost consistent on a regional scale, and the lower MLH in southern Hebei was mainly due to the 1.9–2.8-fold higher intensity of wind shear on the northern NCP than in southern Hebei at an altitude of 300–1700 m. Furthermore, the ventilation coefficient and the relative humidity in southern Hebei were 1.1–2.1 times smaller and 13.2–22.1 % higher than that on the northern NCP, respectively. As a result, severe haze pollution occurred much more readily in southern Hebei and the annual means of near-ground PM2.5 concentrations were almost 1.3 times higher than those of the northern areas. Due to the unfavorable weather conditions, industrial capacity should be reduced in southern Hebei, heavily polluting enterprises should be relocated and strong emission reduction measures are required to improve the air quality.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major causes of chronic liver inflammation. Tim-3 acts as a negative regulatory molecule and plays a critical role in immune tolerance. In the current study, we investigated Tim-3 expression on peripheral monocytes and CD3+CD16/CD56+ natural killer like T (NKT-like) cells in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 52 CHB patients and 60 healthy controls. Tim-3+CD14+ cells and Tim-3+CD3+CD16/CD56+ cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results showed that expression of Tim-3 was significantly increased on both the monocytes and NKT-like cells in CHB patients than in controls (P = 0.002 and P

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is often transmitted to the offspring of affected individuals. This case report describes the role of genetic screening in a 39-year-old woman with a family history of sudden cardiac death. The patient wished to become pregnant and was seeking medical consultation. In addition to electro- and echocardiograms, genomic DNA was isolated and direct sequencing was employed to screen the patient for some of the most common genes that cause HCM. A pathogenic heterozygous mutation c.700 g > a p.Arg186Gln in TNNI3 was identified, which was not found in 200 normal control chromosomes. Mutation-specific genetic testing was also performed in four family members, and the same mutation was absent. Genetic screening appears cost effective in familiar members with a known mutation, provides important information about the affected individual, and can facilitate the future management of family members and offspring.

Hippocampus is a critical structure for the acquisition of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), which is a usual learning paradigm for assessing drug reward. However, the precise mechanisms remain largely unknown. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and its downstream targets, including Akt, mammalian target of Rapamycin (mTOR) and 70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (p70S6K), are critical molecules implicated in learning and memory. Here, we tested the role of PI3K/Akt-mTOR-p70S6K signaling pathway in morphine-induced CPP in the hippocampus. Our results showed that the acquisition of morphine CPP increased phosphorylation of Akt in the hippocampal CA3, but not in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or the CA1. Moreover, the phosphorylated Akt exclusively expressed in the CA3 neurons. Likewise, levels of phosphorylated mTOR and p70S6K were significantly enhanced in the CA3 following morphine CPP. The alterations of these phosphorylated proteins are positively correlated with the acquisition of morphine CPP. More importantly, microinjection of PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) or mTOR inhibitor (Rapamycin) into the CA3 prevented the acquisition of CPP and inhibited the activation of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In addition, pre-infusion of β-FNA (β-funaltrexamine hydrochloride), a selective irreversible μ opioid receptor antagonist, into CA3 significantly prevented the acquisition of CPP and impaired Akt phosphorylation. All these results strongly implied that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway activated by μ opioid receptor in hippocampal CA3 plays an important role in acquisition of morphine-induced CPP.

A female patient presented for follow-up care approximately ten years post-cardiac transplantation. HLA antibody testing revealed multiple class I and class II donor specific antibodies (DSA), including anti-HLA A1 (MFI > 2500), DQ6, and DQ7/DQ8/DQ9 antibodies (DQ antibodies have MFIs >15,000). Per our current testing protocols, the sample was reflexed to C1q to determine if any DSAs were complement- fixing. As expected, based on antibody strength, the class II DSAs were C1q positive, while anti-HLA A1 was C1q negative. Interestingly, C1q testing revealed reactivity for anti-HLA B8 which was not previously detected by our standard IgG testing methodology. While anti-HLA B8 was not a DSA to the previous transplant, we wanted to determine the underlying cause for the positive reactivity seen with C1q testing: prozone effect or IgM? Since our laboratory routinely treats all sera tested for HLA antibodies with EDTA prior to testing, we thought prozone was unlikely as previous studies performed in our lab demonstrated the removal of this effect. Nonetheless, to rule out prozone with another method, IgG testing was repeated using a series of dilutions (Neat, 1:4, 1:16, 1:64, and 1:256). This testing did not yield positive reactivity for anti-HLA B8, and therefore prozone effect was excluded, indicating that EDTA methodology is robust to overcome prozone effect. To confirm the isotype of this antibody, IgM testing was conducted in three sera using the same assays as the IgG testing which produced positive results. In conclusion, anti-HLA B8 was determined to be complement-fixing and of the IgM isotype. Unexpectedly, our results supported the absence of an IgM-IgG isotype class switch for the period of testing performed in our lab spanning 17 months. *RLU and JJX contributed equally to this work.

Background Endovascular repair by stent graft has been developed as a safe and less-invasive treatment for descending thoracic and abdominal aortic diseases. In case of involvement of the aortic arch, the challenge in endovascular repair is to maintain blood flow to the brain and upper extremities. Several studies have been done trying to repair this difficult part of the aorta with different stent grafts, and we have developed a new stent-graft device for aortic arch reconstitution. We implanted the new device in canine models to test its feasibility. Methods and results The new stent graft was composed of three components: parts I and II were both bifurcated, one with long, narrow limb and the other short and wide, and part III was a tubular component. Ten adult hybrid dogs were operated with the new stent-graft procedure, and eight were successfully implanted with the stent grafts. The technical success rate was 80% (8 of 10). Five dogs survived for 3 months without obvious cerebral, visceral or limb ischaemia. Autopsies showed that the implanted stent grafts were patent and the vital side branches of aortic arch were well preserved. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that it is possible to reconstruct aortic arch with the new branched stent grafts. The advantage of this device is that it is modular, more adaptable and surgical bypass could be possibly avoided.

Background Glucocorticoid resistance has been associated with Th17-driven inflammation, the mechanisms of which are not clear. We determined whether human and mouse Th17 cells are resistant to glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis. Methods Freshly isolated human blood Th17 cells and in vitro differentiated Th17 cells from IL-17F red fluorescent protein reporter mice were treated with dexamethasone, a potent glucocorticoid. Apoptosis was measured using annexin V and DAPI staining. Screening of apoptosis genes was performed using the apoptosis PCR array. Levels of molecules involved in apoptosis were measured using quantitative RT-PCR, flow cytometry, and Western blotting. Knockdown of BCL-2 in murine Th17 cells was performed via retroviral transduction. Cytokines were measured using ELISA. A murine Th17-driven severe asthma model was examined for Th17 glucocorticoid sensitivity in vivo. Results Human and mouse Th17 cells and mouse Th2 cells were resistant to glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis. Th17 cells had glucocorticoid receptors levels comparable to those in other T effectors cells. Th17 cells had high levels of BCL-2, knockdown of which sensitized Th17 cells to dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. Production of IL-22, but not IL-17A and IL-17F, was suppressed by glucocorticoids. STAT3 phosphorylation in Th17 cells was insensitive to glucocorticoid inhibition. Lung Th17 cells in the murine severe asthma model were enhanced, rather than suppressed, by glucocorticoids. Conclusion Th17 cells are resistant to glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis and cytokine suppression, at least in part due to high levels of BCL-2. These findings support a role of Th17 cells in glucocorticoid-resistant inflammatory conditions such as certain endotypes of asthma.

Current evidence implies that differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) can act as progenitor cells and transdifferentiate across lineage boundaries. However, whether this unrestricted lineage has specificities depending on the stem cell type is unknown. Placental-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDMSCs), an easily accessible and less invasive source, are extremely useful materials in current stem cell therapies. No studies have comprehensively analyzed the transition in morphology, surface antigens, metabolism and multilineage potency of differentiated PDMSCs after their dedifferentiation. In this study, we showed that after withdrawing extrinsic factors, adipogenic PDMSCs reverted to a primitive cell population and retained stem cell characteristics. The mitochondrial network during differentiation and dedifferentiation may serve as a marker of absent or acquired pluripotency in various stem cell models. The new population proliferated faster than unmanipulated PDMSCs and could be differentiated into adipocytes, osteocytes and hepatocytes. The cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) signaling pathway and extracellular matrix (ECM) components modulate cell behavior and enable the cells to proliferate or differentiate during the differentiation, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation processes in our study. These observations indicate that the dedifferentiated PDMSCs are distinguishable from the original PDMSCs and may serve as a novel source in stem cell biology and cell-based therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, whether PDMSCs differentiated into other lineages can be dedifferentiated to a primitive cell population needs to be investigated.

OBJECTIVE To explore the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the early evaluation of microvacularization in patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma treated by R-CHOP. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-two patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma underwent combined rituximab-CHOP treatment (CHOP: cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunomycin, vincristine, prednisonetreatment). Before the treatment and after the first two cycles of R-CHOP, CEUS was performed to assess the microvascularization of tumors. In addition, PET/CT examination was also included in this study before and after the treatment. Ideal cut-off value of CEUS parameters was calculated using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to predict the treatment outcome. The response to treatment, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were then compared according to PET/CT and CEUS results. The correlation between CEUS parameters and PET/CT results was investigated based on these analyses. RESULTS All patients were non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) with CD20 positive. The variations of CEUS parameters (peak intensity and mean intensity) at the mid-term of R-CHOP treatment significantly associated with results of treatment response (P < 0.001), and were also positive correlation with PET/CT results (P = 0.001). The CEUS positive or negative results were determined by cut-off points of peak intensity and mean intensity (4.70 and 4.15dB). The median time of clinical follow-up was 35.4 months. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that PET/CT and CEUS were both good predictors for PFS and OS rate in these patients.

A 71 year old female was initially diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (del 5q) which progressed to AML one year later. Patient had pancytopenia, experienced bruising, and needed blood transfusions. Allogeneic stem cell transplant was recommended and she presented to the University of Chicago Medicine for allo-stem cell transplant work up. This patient had one potential related donor (sibling), who was a 9/10 match (mismatch at HLA-A). When examining the patient’s HLA antibodies, it was found that she was highly sensitized, and anti-HLA-A24 was a donor specific antibody (DSA). A search for matched unrelated donors was conducted but no suitable donors were found. It was decided to accept her sibling and desensitize the patient prior to transplant. The desensitization protocol consisted of plasmapheresis (PP), with IVIG (100 mg/kg) given after each PP. The initial MFI of the DSA was >18,000 and showed evidence of rebound after each PP. As a result, PP was performed daily or every other day, with A24 MFI measurement before and after each PP (Figure). While the strength of A24 decreased over the course, a total of 18 sessions of PP were needed to decrease the strength to Download : Download high-res image (161KB) Download : Download full-size image

Aim Autoimmunity introduces a variety of difficulties in interpretation of solid phase HLA antibody testing due to autoantibodies present in patient serum. However, because autoantibodies may be present without obvious symptoms or a clear diagnosis, this information is always available when interpreting HLA test results. The current study sought to establish a mechanism for detecting these patients and generate an algorithm for handling samples with autoantibodies. Methods We retrospectively searched the electronic medical record to identify patients with autoimmune disease who were tested by our lab for HLA alloantibodies, and further cataloged any issues encountered during testing of these patients’ samples. This information was subsequently used to formulate an algorithm for testing autoimmune samples. Results A total of 214 patients with diagnosed autoimmunity were identified, including patients with organ-specific autoimmune conditions, most commonly type 1 diabetes mellitus (n = 43, 20%), and systemic autoimmune conditions, most commonly systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 29, 13.6%) and Sarcoidosis (n = 6, 2.8%). The most common issues encountered during testing were found to be high background on solid-phase antibody testing (n = 38, 17.8%), difficulties in assigning Ab specificities (n = 10, 4.7%), many allele specific antibody assignments (n = 5, 2.3%); and antibodies against self HLA antigens (n = 1, 0.5%). A workflow was designed to detect these patients and handle their samples (Fig. 1). Conclusions Using patients with diagnosed autoimmunity, we identified a high rate of interference of autoantibodies with solid phase HLA antibody assays. Extrapolating these results to a testing algorithm, we hope to be able to more readily detect and document patient samples that require special handling for autoantibody interference, even in the absence of an official autoimmunity diagnosis. Download : Download high-res image (170KB) Download : Download full-size image

Numerical simulations of direct injection (DI) heavy-duty diesel engine combustion over the entire engine operating range were conducted using the KIVA code, with modifications to the spray, combustion, turbulence, and heat transfer models. In this work, the effect of the rates of species conversion from reactants to products in the combustion model was investigated, and a characteristic-time combustion model was formulated to allow consideration of multiple characteristic time scales for the major chemical species. In addition, the effect of engine operating conditions on the model formulation was assessed, and correlations were introduced into the combustion model to account for the effects of residual gas and Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). The predictions were compared with extensive engine test data. The calculation results had good overall agreement with the experimental cylinder pressure and heat release results, and the multiple-time-scale combustion model is shown to give improved emissions predictions compared to a previous single-time-scale model. Overall, the NO{sub x} predictions are in good agreement with the experiments. The soot predictions are also in reasonable agreement with the measured particulates at medium and high loads. However, at light loads, the agreement deteriorates, possibly due to the neglect of the contribution of SOF in themore » soot model predictions.« less

Methods An inflammatory pain rat model, produced by a complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) injection into the hind paw of each rat, was combined with a conditioned place avoidance (CPA) test. On day one, time spent by the rats in each of two distinct compartments during a 10min period was recorded. On day two, each rat explored one of the conditioning compartments for 30 min. Two hours after the CFA injection, each rat was allowed to explore the second compartment for 30 min. On day three, the time spent by the rats in each compartment was recorded again.

Background Although acupuncture analgesia is well documented, its mechanisms have not been thoroughly clarified. We previously showed that electroacupuncture (EA) activates supraspinal serotonin- and norepinephrine-containing neurones that project to the spinal cord. This study investigates the involvement of spinal alpha(2)-adrenoceptors (α2-ARs) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) receptors (5-HTRs) in EA effects on an inflammatory pain rat model. Methods Inflammatory hyperalgesia was induced by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA, 0.08 ml) into the plantar surface of one hind paw and assessed by paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to a noxious thermal stimulus. The selective α2a-AR antagonist BRL-44408, α2b-AR antagonist imiloxan hydrochloride, 5-HT2B receptor (5-HT2BR) antagonist SB204741, 5-HT3R antagonist LY278584, or 5-HT1AR antagonists NAN-190 hydrobromide, or WAY-100635 were intrathecally administered 20 min before EA or sham EA, which was given 2 h post-CFA at acupoint GB30. Results EA significantly increased PWL compared with sham [7.20 (0.46) vs 5.20 (0.43) s]. Pretreatment with α2a-AR [5.35 (0.45) s] or 5-HT1AR [5.22 (0.38) s] antagonists blocked EA-produced anti-hyperalgesia; α2b-AR, 5-HT2BR, and 5-HT3R antagonist pretreatment did not. Sham plus these antagonists did not significantly change PWL compared with sham plus vehicle, indicating that the antagonists had little effect on PWL. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that α2a-ARs are on primary afferents and 5-HT1ARs are localized in N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) subunit NR1-containing neurones in the spinal dorsal horn. Conclusions The data show that α2a-ARs and 5-HT1ARs are involved in the EA inhibition of inflammatory pain and that the NMDA receptors are involved in EA action.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of methionine hydroxy Cu [(HMTBA)(2)-Cu] supplementation on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood biochemical parameters in lactating cows. Thirty lactating Holstein cows were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments in a randomized block design: (1) Cu sulfate only (S): 12 mg of Cu provided by CuSO(4) per kilogram of concentrate; (2) Cu sulfate and (HMTBA)(2)-Cu (SM): 6 mg of Cu provided by CuSO(4) and 6 mg of Cu provided by (HMTBA)(2)-Cu per kilogram of concentrate; or (3) (HMTBA)(2)-Cu only (M): 12 mg of Cu provided by (HMTBA)(2)-Cu per kilogram of concentrate. The level of dietary Cu was determined according to the NRC (2001) requirement. This experiment lasted for 120 d, with the first 20 d for adaptation and with sample and data collection beginning on d 21. The milk yield and 4% fat-corrected milk yield of cows in the SM treatment tended to increase compared with those in the S and M treatments. Cows fed SM also tended to have higher NDF and ADF apparent digestibility values than did cows fed S or M. Plasma Cu concentration significantly increased for the SM treatment compared with the S and M treatments. Cows fed S had higher plasma K concentration than did cows in the other 2 treatments. In conclusion, replacing one-half of the dietary Cu sulfate with (HMTBA)(2)-Cu increased plasma Cu concentration and tended to improve the neutral and acid detergent fiber apparent digestibility values and the lactation performance of lactating dairy cattle.

Background and Study Aims: Intraoperative interstitial brachytherapy has been found to be effective when used during laparotomy to improve local control in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. In this study, we report the results of using endoscopic ultrasound- (EUS-)guided interstitial brachytherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, with respect to tumor response, clinical response, safety, and complications.Patients and Methods: Fifteen patients (eight men, seven women; median age 61 years) with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma were enrolled into the study, eight patients with stage III disease and seven patients with stage IV disease. A mean number of 22 radioactive seeds per patient were implanted into the tumors by EUS-guided needle puncture. The mean total implanted activity was 20 mCi, the minimum peripheral dose was 14 000 cGy, and the mean volume of implants was 52 cm3. Patients were followed-up by examination and by imaging tests every 2 - 3 months: clinical end points included the Karnofsky performance status and pain responses, tumor response (assessed by computed tomography and/or EUS), and survival.Results: During a median follow-up period of 10.6 months, the objective tumor response was classified as “partial” in 27 % of patients (with a median duration of partial response of 4.5 months), ”minimal” in 20 % patients, and indicative of “stable disease” in 33 % of patients. Clinical benefit was shown in 30 % of patients, mostly due to reduction in pain, but this lasted for a limited time. Local complications (pancreatitis and pseudocyst formation) occurred in three patients; grade III hematologic toxicity occurred in three patients without serious clinical sequelae.Conclusions: EUS-guided intraoperative interstitial brachytherapy had a moderate local tumor effect and showed some clinical benefit in 30 % of the patients in this study. Combination of this form of treatment with external radiation and/or chemotherapy should be tested in future trials.

Background MG53 preconditioning has been proven to protect the hearts against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, manifested mainly by reduced myocardial specific biomarker, and decreased infarct size. This study is to observe the effects of MG53 preconditioning on ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in the Langendorff perfused rat hearts. Methods 24 healthy adult SD rats,were randomly divided into Sham group (group S), I/R group (group I/R), MG53 preconditioning group (group M), 8 in each group. In vitro heart was perfused for 20 min before the left coronary artery was occluded 30 min followed by 30 min reperfusion. Compared ECG, LDH of perfused fluid, myocardial infarct size was measured with TTC staining and expression of Caspase3 was measured with Western blot. Results Dring reperfusion period, compared with group I/R, the LDH in group M reduced significantly, group M had no ventricular fibrillation (VF), greatly decreased the times of ventricular premateure beat (VPB), shorten the duration of ventricular tachycardia (VT), reduced the incidence of ventricular tachycardia and the arrhythmia score. Myocardial infract size and expression level of Caspase had no significant change in two groups. Conclusions MG53 preconditioning paly a protection role on ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in the isolated rat hearts.