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Background: Cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV) due to portal vein obstruction is a rare vascular anomaly defined as the formation of multiple collateral vessels in the hepatic hilum. This study aimed to investigate the imaging features of intrahepatic portal vein in adult patients with CTPV and establish the relationship between the manifestations of intrahepatic portal vein and the progression of CTPV., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 14 CTPV patients in Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital. All patients underwent both direct portal venography (DPV) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) to reveal the manifestations of the portal venous system. The vessels measured included the left portal vein (LPV), right portal vein (RPV), main portal vein (MPV) and the portal vein bifurcation (PVB)., Results: Nine males and 5 females, with a median age of 40.5 years, were included in the study. No significant difference was found in the diameters of the LPV or RPV measured by DPV and CTA. The visualization in terms of LPV, RPV and PVB measured by DPV was higher than that by CTA. There was a significant association between LPV/RPV and PVB/MPV in term of visibility revealed with DPV (P = 0.01), while this association was not observed with CTA. According to the imaging features of the portal vein measured by DPV, CTPV was classified into three categories to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment., Conclusions: DPV was more accurate than CTA for revealing the course of the intrahepatic portal vein in patients with CTPV. The classification of CTPV, that originated from the imaging features of the portal vein revealed by DPV, may provide a new perspective for the diagnosis and treatment of CTPV., (Copyright © 2023 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Using the fusion-evaporation reaction ^{106}Cd(^{58}Ni,4n)^{160}Os and the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS, two new isotopes _{76}^{160}Os and _{74}^{156}W have been identified. The α decay of ^{160}Os, measured with an α-particle energy of 7080(26) keV and a half-life of 201_{-37}^{+58}  μs, is assigned to originate from the ground state. The daughter nucleus ^{156}W is a β^{+} emitter with a half-life of 291_{-61}^{+86}  ms. The newly measured α-decay data allow us to derive α-decay reduced widths (δ^{2}) for the N=84 isotones up to osmium (Z=76), which are found to decrease with increasing atomic number above Z=68. The reduction of δ^{2} is interpreted as evidence for the strengthening of the N=82 shell closure toward the proton drip line, supported by the increase of the neutron-shell gaps predicted in theoretical models.

Context: Urolithin A (UroA) can inhibit the growth of many human cancer cells, but it has not be reported if UroA inhibits nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells., Objective: To explore the inhibitory effect of UroA on NPC and potential mechanism in vitro ., Materials and Methods: RNA-sequencing-based mechanistic prediction was conducted by comparing KEGG enrichment of 40 μM UroA-treated for 24 h with untreated CNE2 cells. The untreated cells were selected as control. After NPC cells were treated with 20-60 μM UroA, proliferation, migration and invasion of were measured by colony formation, wound healing and transwell experiments. Apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by flow cytometry, Hoechst 33342, Rhodamine 123, JC-1 staining and ROS assay methods, respectively. Gene and protein expression were measured by RT-qPCR and Western blotting assay., Results: RNA-sequencing and KEGG enrichment revealed UroA mainly altered the ECM receptor interaction pathway. UroA inhibited cells proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal-transition pathway, migration and invasion with IC 50 values of 34.72 μM and 44.91 μM, induced apoptosis, MMP depolarization and increase ROS content at a concentration of 40 μM. UroA up-regulated E-cadherin, Bax/Bcl-2, c-caspase-3 and PARP proteins, while inhibiting COL4A1, MMP2, MMP9, N-cadherin, Vimentin and Snail proteins at 20-60 μM. Moreover, co-treatment of UroA (40 μM) and NAC (5 mM) could reverse the effect of UroA on apoptosis-related proteins., Discussion and Conclusions: RNA-sequencing technology based on bioinformatic analyses may be applicable for studiying the mechanism of drugs for tumour treatment.

To explore the epidemic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of dengue patients in Zhejiang and the possible mechanism. Epidemic, clinical and laboratory data of 231 dengue patients admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine University between August 2017 and December 2019 were collected. GSE43777 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and was used for the immune cell infiltration analysis, logistic regression analysis, and nomogram construction. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the possible regulatory pathways in dengue infection. Further, the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and decision curve analysis were conducted to evaluate the value of related immune cells in predicting dengue severity. Among the 231 patients, the gender ratio was 1:1.1 (male/female). The patients in the <60 years age group, 60 to 80 years age group, and >80 years age group were 47.2%, 45.5%, and 7.3%, respectively. The major symptoms were fever (100%), weak (98.3%), anorexia (76.6%), muscle and joint pain (62.3%), and nausea (46.8%). In dengue patients, 98.7% of serum samples had decreased platelet levels, 96.5% of them had decreased white blood cell (WBC) levels, 97.8% had elevated aspartate aminotransferase levels, 82.3% had elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels, 49.4% had increased creatinine levels, and 35.5% had increased creatine kinase levels. Pneumonia, pleural effusion, and bilateral pleural reaction were observed in 16.5%, 8.2%, and 4.8%, respectively of dengue patients. Gallbladder wall roughness and splenomegaly accounted for 6.1% and 4.3% of all cases. Moreover, the levels of T cell, B cell, and dendritic cells were significantly higher in the convalescent group and they were involved in immune- and metabolism-related pathways. Of note, low levels of these 3 immune cells correlated with high dengue infection risk, while only dendritic cells exhibited satisfactory performance in predicting dengue severity. Dengue fever patients often onset with fever, accompanied by mild abnormalities of the blood system and other organ functions. Moreover, T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells might be involved in dengue infection and development., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Introduction: Lung cancer was the most common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related death in China or worldwide, and surgery is still the preferred treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The pattern of lymph node metastasis was found potentially lobe specific, and thus, lobe-specific lymph node dissection (L-SLND) was proposed to be an alternative to systematic lymph node dissection (SLND) for the treatment of early-stage NSCLC., Methods and Analysis: The LobE-Specific lymph node diSsectiON trial is a single-institutional, randomised, double-blind and parallel controlled trial to investigate the feasibility of L-SLND in clinically diagnosed stage IA1-2 NSCLC with ground-glass opacity components (≥50%). The intraoperative frozen section examination of surgical tissues confirms the histological type of NSCLC. We hypothesise that L-SLND (experimental group) is not inferior to SLND (control group) and intend to include 672 participants for the experimental group and 672 participants for the control group with a follow-up duration of 60 months. The primary outcomes are 5-year disease-free survival and 5-year overall survival. The secondary outcomes are metastatic lymph node ratio, postoperative complication incidence and mortality, duration of operation, duration of anaesthesia (min), the volume of bleeding (mL) and drainage volume. The intention-to-treat analysis would be performed in the trial., Ethics and Dissemination: This trial was approved by the ethics committee on biomedical research, West China Hospital of Sichuan University (2021-332). Informed consent would be obtained from all participants, and dissemination activities would include academic conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications., Trial Registration Number: This trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100048415., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To observe the early changes in peripheral blood cytokine levels after treatment of metastatic hepatic carcinoma (MHC) with CalliSpheres microspheres drug-eluting beads (DEB) transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (CSM-TACE)., Methods: Twenty-eight patients with refractory MHC who underwent CSM-TACE were selected prospectively, and 5mL of peripheral blood was collected before CSM-TACE and on the 2nd and 5th day after CSM-TACE. Flow cytometry was used to detect immunological indicators. The early changes in levels of peripheral blood cell inflammatory factors Th1 (interleukin 2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-a), interferon (IFN-r)), Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10), and Th17 (IL-17A) were observed after CSM-TACE, as well as the ratio of CD4 + /CD8 + ., Results: All the 28 patients underwent CSM-TACE successfully. CT at 4 days after CSM-TACE showed clear outline low-density changes in liver tumors, and honeycomb necrosis was observed in the tumors in some cases. After CSM-TACE, the IL-6 and IL-10 levels were increased and then decreased again. After CSM-TACE, IL-2 showed a trend of transient increase and then decreased again, and the TNF-a level decreased temporarily, and then decreased. After CSM-TACE, the IFN-r level showed a continuous and slowly increasing trend. The IL-17 level showed a continuous downward trend, and the CD4 + /CD8 + ratio showed a gradual and continuous upward trend, and there was a negative correlation between them., Conclusions: There are complex dynamic changes in TH1/Th2 in the early stage of CSM-TACE, and the acute inflammatory response and the enhancement of the body's immune anti-tumor response coexist., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Liu, Liu, Zhao, Li, Gao, Ren, Bian, Wu and Zhang.)

A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether intraoperative conversions to thoracotomy have an impact on long-term survival for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy initially. A total of 461 papers were found using the reported search, of which 6 retrospective cohort studies represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, date of publication, journal, country of the authors, patient group, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers were tabulated. Five cohort studies clarified that conversion did not compromise long-term survival, whereas 1 cohort study reported worse long-term outcomes after conversion to thoracotomy. However, the limited samples, different characteristics between groups and selection bias due to inherent design made it difficult to make a conclusion. Based on the current evidence, we concluded that intraoperative conversion from video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to thoracotomy for non-small-cell lung cancer might not impact long-term survival compared to a successful VATS lobectomy. In-hospital mortality might not be prejudiced, whereas longer hospitalizations were observed. However, whether conversion would adversely affect postoperative complication rates remained unclear because of the conflicting results. Moreover, 3 studies reported no statistical differences in short- and long-term survival between emergency and non-emergency conversions. Therefore, we suggest that thoracic surgeons should not hesitate to convert VATS into thoracotomy in the case of blood vessel injury or difficult hilum., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.)

As one of the most induced genes in activated macrophages, immune-responsive gene 1 (IRG1) encodes a mitochondrial metabolic enzyme catalysing the production of itaconic acid (ITA). Although ITA has an anti-inflammatory property, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we show that ITA is a potent inhibitor of the TET-family DNA dioxygenases. ITA binds to the same site on TET2 as the co-substrate α-ketoglutarate, inhibiting TET2 catalytic activity. Lipopolysaccharide treatment, which induces Irg1 expression and ITA accumulation, inhibits Tet activity in macrophages. Transcriptome analysis reveals that TET2 is a major target of ITA in suppressing lipopolysaccharide-induced genes, including those regulated by the NF-κB and STAT signalling pathways. In vivo, ITA decreases the levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced acute pulmonary oedema as well as lung and liver injury, and protects mice against lethal endotoxaemia, depending on the catalytic activity of Tet2. Our study thus identifies ITA as an immune modulatory metabolite that selectively inhibits TET enzymes to dampen the inflammatory responses., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Eggshell translucency is a ubiquitous external eggshell quality problem caused by variations of eggshell ultrastructure or shell membrane. In previous studies, researchers have widely investigated this phenomenon with nutritional, environmental, and genetic perspectives in many breeds. However, most studies referring to phenotypic measurement of shell translucency have been performed using a relatively subjective two-, three-, or four-grading methods, which made it impossible to compare distribution of shell translucency among different breeds. In this study, we aimed to explore variations of translucent eggshell spots in different breeds and their distribution in blunt, middle, and sharp ends of eggshell using a relatively objective grayscale recognition method. We selected 45 eggs from each flock of pure lines, commercial strains, and Chinese local breeds (10 flocks, aged 60 to 70 wk), and stored them in a constant environment for 5 d. Then measured eggshell translucency using grayscale recognition method. Indicators of shell translucency included sum of spot areas on the whole eggshell (SUSA), sum area of the whole eggshell (SUSHA), RSS (ratio of SUSA to SUSHA), quantity of spots (QS), average spot area in eggshell (AAES), and diameter of spots in eggshell (DS). As results, in Hy-Line Brown, Brown-Egg Dwarf Layer, and Taihang (pink-shelled) breeds, phenotypic intensity of eggshell translucency was slight; in Rhode Island Red, Jingfen-1, and Dongxiang breeds, phenotypic intensity of eggshell translucency was relatively extensive; and in Jinghong-1, Hy-Line Sonia, White Leghorn, and Taihang (blue-shelled), phenotypic intensity of eggshell translucency was at an intermediate level. In general, the larger the RSS, the larger the QS, AAES, and DS. Of 3 ends for most breeds, eggshell translucency of blunt and sharp ends was usually greater than that of middle ends, and blunt ends seemed to have the most extensive eggshell translucency. Findings from this study could provide a reference for population selection to locate genes regulating shell translucency and to explore the physical structure mechanism for eggshell translucency formation., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new α-emitting isotope ^{214}U, produced by the fusion-evaporation reaction ^{182}W(^{36}Ar,4n)^{214}U, was identified by employing the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS and the recoil-α correlation technique. More precise α-decay properties of even-even nuclei ^{216,218}U were also measured in the reactions of ^{40}Ar, ^{40}Ca beams with ^{180,182,184}W targets. By combining the experimental data, improved α-decay reduced widths δ^{2} for the even-even Po-Pu nuclei in the vicinity of the magic neutron number N=126 are deduced. Their systematic trends are discussed in terms of the N&#95;{p}N&#95;{n} scheme in order to study the influence of proton-neutron interaction on α decay in this region of nuclei. It is strikingly found that the reduced widths of ^{214,216}U are significantly enhanced by a factor of two as compared with the N&#95;{p}N&#95;{n} systematics for the 84≤Z≤90 and N<126 even-even nuclei. The abnormal enhancement is interpreted by the strong monopole interaction between the valence protons and neutrons occupying the π1f&#95;{7/2} and ν1f&#95;{5/2} spin-orbit partner orbits, which is supported by the large-scale shell model calculation.

Phytase has long been used to decrease the inorganic phosphorus (Pi) input in poultry diet. The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of Pi supplementation on laying performance, egg quality and phosphate-calcium metabolism in Hy-Line Brown laying hens fed phytase. Layers (n = 504, 29 weeks old) were randomly assigned to seven treatments with six replicates of 12 birds. The corn-soybean meal-based diet contained 0.12% non-phytate phosphorus (nPP), 3.8% calcium, 2415 IU/kg vitamin D3 and 2000 FTU/kg phytase. Inorganic phosphorus (in the form of mono-dicalcium phosphate) was added into the basal diet to construct seven experimental diets; the final dietary nPP levels were 0.12%, 0.17%, 0.22%, 0.27%, 0.32%, 0.37% and 0.42%. The feeding trial lasted 12 weeks (hens from 29 to 40 weeks of age). Laying performance (housed laying rate, egg weight, egg mass, daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio) was weekly calculated. Egg quality (egg shape index, shell strength, shell thickness, albumen height, yolk colour and Haugh units), serum parameters (calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D), tibia quality (breaking strength, and calcium, phosphorus and ash contents), intestinal gene expression (type IIb sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter, NaPi-IIb) and phosphorus excretion were determined at the end of the trial. No differences were observed on laying performance, egg quality, serum parameters and tibia quality. Hens fed 0.17% nPP had increased (P < 0.01) duodenum NaPi-IIb expression compared to all other treatments. Phosphorus excretion linearly increased with an increase in dietary nPP (phosphorus excretion = 1.7916 × nPP + 0.2157; R2 = 0.9609, P = 0.001). In conclusion, corn-soybean meal-based diets containing 0.12% nPP, 3.8% calcium, 2415 IU/kg vitamin D3 and 2000 FTU/kg phytase would meet the requirements for egg production in Hy-Line Brown laying hens (29 to 40 weeks of age).

Background: Dietary supplemental nicotinamide is used to treat hyperphosphatemia in humans. However, the mechanisms of its impact on body phosphorus homeostasis remain unclear., Objective: This study was to determine effects and molecular mechanisms of 3 dietary nicotinamide concentrations on body phosphorus homeostasis in laying hens., Methods: Hy-Line Brown layers (total = 21; 40 wk old; body weight: 1,876 ± 24 g) were individually housed (n = 7) and fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet supplemented with nicotinamide at 20 (N20), 140 (N140), and 1000 (N1000) mg/kg for 21 d. Serum phosphorus and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) concentrations, phosphorus and calcium excretion, and mRNA and/or protein of type II sodium-phosphate co-transporters (NPt2a, NPt2ab) and FGF23 and FGF23 receptors were measured in the intestines, calvaria, kidney, and liver., Results: Hens in the N1000 group had a 16% lower serum phosphorus concentration and 22% greater phosphorus excretion than those in the N20 or N140 group (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with hens in the N20 group, hens in the N140 and N1000 groups, which did not differ, had 15-21% lower serum FGF23 concentrations, 19-22% greater calcium excretion, 43-56% lower ileum NPT2b protein production, and 1.5- to 1.6-fold greater kidney NPT2a protein production, respectively (all differences at P ≤ 0.05)., Conclusions: Supplementing high concentrations of nicotinamide in diets for laying hens led to accelerated phosphorus and calcium excretions and decreased serum phosphorus and FGF23 concentrations, which were associated with downregulated intestinal NPt2b protein production. Our findings exclude kidney NPt2a protein production as a primary mechanism for the nicotinamide-induced body phosphorus loss., (Copyright © The Author(s) on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition 2020.)

A new, very short-lived neutron-deficient isotope ^{222}Np was produced in the complete-fusion reaction ^{187}Re(^{40}Ar,5n)^{222}Np, and observed at the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS. The new isotope ^{222}Np was identified by employing a recoil-α correlation measurement, and six α-decay chains were established for it. The decay properties of ^{222}Np with E&#95;{α}=10016(33)  keV and T&#95;{1/2}=380&#95;{-110}^{+260}  ns were determined experimentally. The α-decay systematics of Np isotopes is improved by adding the new data for ^{222}Np, which validates the N=126 shell effect in Np isotopes. The evolution of the N=126 shell closure is discussed in the neutron-deficient nuclei up to Np within the framework of α-decay reduced width.

Objective: To explore the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes among urban women based on alternative healthy eating index-2010（AHEI-2010). Methods: From March to July 2016, a total of 1 061 female residents from 8 cities, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xuchang, Jilin, Wuhu and Chenzhou in China, were selected by using the multi-stage sampling method. The basic characteristics of all participants were collected by using self-made questionnaire, and the dietary status of the subjects was collected by using 24-hour dietary recall method. AHEI-2010 scores were calculated and the diet was divided into low, medium and high dietary quality group according to the third quartile. All participants received physical examination, systolic blood pressure test, fasting blood glucose test and glycosylated hemoglobin test. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes. Results: The age of all participants was（48.0±17.5) years old. The median（ P 25 , P 75 ) of AHEI-2010 score was 46.52（40.04, 54.88). The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes were 13.3%（141 cases) and 50.0%（530 cases), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, city, education, diet control, physical activity, energy intake and waist circumference, compared with the low diet quality group, the OR （95% CI ) values of medium, high dietary quality group and diabetes risk were 0.96（0.57-1.62) and 0.63（0.36-1.09), respectively; the OR（ 95% CI ) values of medium, high dietary quality group and prediabetes risk were 0.93（0.64-1.35) and 1.28（0.87-1.88), respectively. Conclusion: The dietary quality of urban women based on AHEI-2010 evaluation is not related to the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.

Objective: To explore the expression of Blimp1, ATF4 and CHOP in bone marrow mononuclear cells from patients with multiple myeloma as well as the effect of aspirin on their expression., Methods: Sixty untreated patients with multiple myeloma and 30 patients with relatively normal bone marrow were selected. Mononuclear cells from the bone marrow fluid were separated using Ficoll separation solution. CD138 + plasma cells were sorted by immunomagnetic beads method. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of Blimp1, ATF4 and CHOP mRNA in U266 cells cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into blank control group, negative control group (no-loaded virus transfection) and positive experimental group [LV-Blimp1-RNAi (40051-2) transfection] by lentivirus transfection. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of Blimp1, ATF4 and CHOP mRNA in cells of different groups. U266 cells were stimulated in vitro with different concentrations of aspirin solution (0, 0.5 mmol/L, 2.5 mmol/L, 5.0 mmol/L) for 24, 48 h and 72 h, respectively. The ability of cell proliferation in different groups was measured by CCK-8. U266 cells were stimulated with different concentrations of aspirin for 48 hours. And the mRNA expression of Blimp1, ATF4 and CHOP was detected by RT-PCR., Results: Compared with plasma cells in normal group, the expression of Blimp1 mRNA in CD138 + plasma cells of MM patients significantly increased (8.040±1.878), and the mRNA expression levels of ATF4 and CHOP significantly decreased (0.735±0.089; 0.837±0.062) (P＜0.05). U266 cells were cultured in vitro. Compared with the blank control group and the negative control group, the mRNA expression level of Blimp in the positive experimental group was significantly down-regulated after infection with LV-Blimp1-RNAi (40051-2) lentiviral expression vector (0.637±0.021). ATF4 and CHOP mRNA expression levels were significantly increased (1.452 ± 0.027; 1.721 ± 0.038) (P＜0.05). The proliferation of U266 cells decreased after stimulation with aspirin. In the range of (0.5-5) mmol/L, aspirin could significantly inhibit the proliferation of U266 cells. The inhibition effect of aspirin was increased along with prolongation of time and increase of concentrations. After aspirin stimulation of different concentrations for 48 hours, the expression level of Blimp1 in U266 cells decreased with increasing of drug concentration, while the expression levels of ATF4 and CHOP increased with increasing of drug concentration., Conclusion: Inhibition of Blimp1 expression in multiple myeloma cells can promote the expression of ATF4 and CHOP. Aspirin can inhibit the proliferation activity of myeloma cells by down-regulating Blimp1 expression in myeloma cells and up-regulating ATF4 and CHOP expression, therefore plays an anti-tumor rote.

Some studies have shown that the excessive metabolic heat production is the primary cause for dead chicken embryos during late embryonic development. Increasing heat shock protein (HSP) expression and adjusting metabolism are important ways to maintain body homeostasis under heat stress. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of in ovo injection (IOI) of vitamin C (VC) at embryonic age 11th day (E11) on HSP and metabolic genes expression. A total of 320 breeder eggs were randomly divided into normal saline and VC injection groups. We detected plasma VC content and rectal temperature at chick's age 1st day, and the mRNA levels of HSP and metabolic genes in embryonic livers at E14, 16 and 18, analysed the promoter methylation levels of differentially expressed genes and predicted transcription factors at the promoter regions. The results showed that IOI of VC significantly increased plasma VC content and decreased rectal temperature (P < 0.05). In ovo injection of VC significantly increased heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) genes expression at E16 and PDK4 and secreted frizzled related protein 1 (SFRP1) at E18 (P < 0.05). At E16, IOI of VC significantly decreased the methylation levels of total CpG sites and -336 CpG site in HSP60 promoter and -1137 CpG site in PDK4 promoter (P < 0.05). Potential binding sites for nuclear factor-1 were found around -389 and -336 CpG sites in HSP60 promoter and potential binding site for specificity protein 1 was found around -1137 CpG site in PDK4 promoter. Our results suggested that IOI of VC increased HSP60, PDK4 and SFRP1 genes expression at E16 and 18, which may be associated with the demethylation in gene promoters. Whether IOI of VC could improve hatchability needs to be further verified by setting uninjection group.

A new short-lived neutron-deficient isotope ^{220}Np was synthesized in the fusion-evaporation reaction ^{185}Re(^{40}Ar,5n)^{220}Np at the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS. Based on the measurement of the correlated α-decay chains, the decay properties of ^{220}Np with E&#95;{α}=10040(18)  keV and T&#95;{1/2}=25&#95;{-7}^{+14}  μs were determined, which are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. From the new experimental results coupled with the recently reported α-decay data of ^{219,223}Np, the α-decay systematics for Np isotopes around N=126 was established, which allows us for the first time to test the robustness of the N=126 shell closure in Z=93 Np isotopes. The results also indicate that, in the region of nuclei with Z≥83, the proton drip line has been reached for all odd-Z isotopes up to Np.

Structure of biliary system is complex as well as various, making troubles for optimal surgical treatment of biliary disease. Remarkable imaging of biliary system helps surgeon evaluating patients and planning surgeries. There are several methods to obtain accurate anatomical information of biliary system, such as X-ray fluoroscopy, MRI and fluorescence-based imaging. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Combination of multi-model imaging technologies may improve visual result of anatomical information of biliary tract. More resolvable, legible, and sequential imaging technology of biliary system remains further study. This article reviews various cholangiography methods widely used in the clinical setting.

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of maternal dietary canthaxanthin (CX) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) supplementation on antioxidant status and calcium-phosphate metabolism of progeny ducks. Cherry Valley duck breeders (38 wk old) were fed either a control diet or the same diet plus CX (6 mg/kg) and 25-OH-D3 (0.069 mg/kg) for 32 weeks. Experiments 1, 2, and 3 were conducted with progeny ducks hatched from eggs laid by duck breeder hens at 54, 62, and 70 wk of age, respectively. Progeny ducks from both maternal treatments were fed with the same NRC (1994) vitamin regimen starter (1 to 14 d) and finisher (15 to 35 d) diets in experiments 1 and 2, and fed with the same high vitamin regimen starter (1 to 14 d) and finisher (15 to 35 d) diets in experiments 3. High vitamin regimen had higher levels of all vitamins, except biotin, than the NRC (1994) vitamin regimen. In experiment 1, maternal CX and 25-OH-D3 increased (P < 0.05) shank pigmentation and tibiotarsus ash and tended to decrease (P < 0.1) liver total superoxide dismutase activity (T-SOD) of one-day-old progeny ducks; and increased (P < 0.05) shank pigmentation, decreased (P = 0.05) liver protein carbonyl, and tended to increase (P < 0.1) liver total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of 14-day-old progeny ducks. In experiment 2, maternal CX and 25-OH-D3 increased (P < 0.05) shank pigmentation and liver T-AOC and decreased (P < 0.05) liver protein carbonyl of one-day-old progeny ducks, but increased (P < 0.05) the serum phosphate level of 14-day-old progeny ducks. In experiment 3, maternal CX and 25-OH-D3 increased (P < 0.05) shank pigmentation of one-, 14-, and 35-day-old progeny ducks and tended to increase (P < 0.1) liver T-SOD and tibiotarsus ash, but decrease (P < 0.1) liver malondialdehyde of one-day-old progeny ducks. It can be concluded that progeny dietary high vitamin regimen could partially prevent maternal CX-derived progeny shank pigmentation from bleaching. Maternal CX- and 25-OH-D3-derived effects are influenced by the hen's age and progeny's dietary vitamin regimen.

Strategies that would increase eggshell quality could be of considerable value to egg producers. This research demonstrated the effective use of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) peptide vaccines to increase eggshell quality of Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens (from 69 to 72 wk of age). Hens, fed a standard diet (containing 900 IU/kg vitamin D3), were intramuscularly injected (and boosted) with either a control vaccine (n = 14 hens) or one of 2 FGF-23 peptide vaccines (peptides NP1, GMNPPPYS; and NP7, YTSTERNSFH; n = 15 hens for each peptide). During peak antibody titer, eggs were collected for shell and internal quality analysis, hens were artificially inseminated, and the hatchability of fertilized eggs was determined. Laying hens vaccinated with either FGF-23 peptide NP1 or NP7 had increased (P < 0.05) plasma phosphate level (mmol/L; NP1 = 1.74, NP7 = 1.76, control = 1.47), egg specific gravity (NP1 = 1.083, NP7 = 1.083, control = 1.079), and eggshell strength (g of force; NP1 = 4002, NP7 = 4157, control = 3102) when compared to control vaccinated hens. FGF-23 peptide NP1 vaccinated hens also had increased eggshell thickness (mm, P < 0.001), shell weight (g, P = 0.032), and shell index (% of whole egg, P = 0.023) when compared to control vaccinated hens. FGF-23 peptide NP7 vaccinated hens tended to have decreased eggshell weight (P = 0.064) when compared to control vaccinated hens. Hatchability of fertilized eggs was not affected in incubations 1 and 3, but tended to be decreased (P = 0.097) by FGF-23 peptide NP1 vaccination in incubation 2. In conclusion, vaccines to FGF-23 peptides increased eggshell quality of laying hens with minimal adverse effects on egg internal quality. The effect of FGF-23 peptide vaccination on hatchability remains to be clarified.

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is caused by tuberculosis infection of of the meninges, which are the membrane systems that encircle the brain, with a high morbidity and mortality rate. It is challenging to diagnose TBM among other types of meningitis, such as viral meningitis, bacterial meningitis and cryptococcal meningitis. We aimed to identify metabolites that are differentially expressed between TBM and the other types of meningitis by a global metabolomics analysis. The cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from 50 patients with TBM, 17 with viral meningitis, 17 with bacterial meningitis, and 16 with cryptococcal meningitis were analyzed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). A total of 1161 and 512 features were determined in positive and negative electrospray ionization mode, respectively. A clear separation between TBM and viral, bacterial or cryptococcal meningitis was achieved by orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) analysis. Potential metabolic markers and related pathways were identified, which were mainly involved in the metabolism of amino acid, lipids and nucleosides. In summary, differential metabolic profiles of the CSF exist between TBM and other types of meningitis, and potential metabolic biomarkers were identified to differentiate TBM from other types of meningitis., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transarterial arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with gelatin sponge particles (GSPs-TACE) and Huaier granule to treat primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC).A series of 62 patients with PHC were included between June 2009 and December 2011, and randomly assigned to a control (n = 31) or an experimental group (n = 31). The control patients received TACE with 350 to 560 μm GSPs plus lobaplatin chemotherapy. Patients in the experimental group received TACE plus Huaier granule. Treatment safety and mid-to-long-term efficacy were evaluated.Follow-up ranged from 12 to 24 months with a mean of 28.7 months. The 6- and 12-month overall survivals were 100% and 93.5% in the experimental group and 90.3% and 80.6% in control group, respectively. The difference in overall survival at 12 months was significant (χ = 5.213, P < .05), but the difference in median survival in the experimental group (20.6 months) and control group (17.1 months) patients was not significant (χ = 0.745, P > .05). The number of TACE procedures in the experimental group (2.9 ± 8.7) and control group (4.1 ± 7.3) patients was significantly different (χ = 7.262, P < .05). The 6-month (87.1% vs. 73.3%, χ = 5.945) and 12-month (72.4% vs. 64.3%, χ = 6.384) tumor objective response rates in the experimental and control groups were significantly different (P < .05). There were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of treatment-related adverse reactions in the 2 groups.Transarterial chemoembolization with GSPs and Huaier granule was safe and effective for treating PHC patients.

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most common form of central nervous system tuberculosis with a very poor prognosis. We aimed at assessing risk factors related to the prognosis of patients with TBM.Forty-five inpatients with TBM in our institution from January 2013 to December 2015 were enrolled retrospectively. The good or poor prognosis in the patients was defined, based on Glasgow Outcome Scale System at discharge. Patients with a GOS score less than 5 were defined as "poor prognosis." Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the predictors for TBM outcome.Among 45 TBM patients, 35 (77.8%) and 10 (22.2%) were in good, poor prognoses, respectively. Old age, disturbance of consciousness, moderate to severe electroencephalogram abnormality, hydrocephalus, remarkable increase of protein (≥ 236 mg/dL) and white blood cell counts (≥ 243 /μL) in cerebral spinal fluid were associated with poor prognosis. Multivariate analysis indicated that old age (odds ratio (OR) = 18.395, P = .036) and hydrocephalus (OR = 32.995, P = .049) were independent factors for a poor outcome of TBM.In conclusion, old age and hydrocephalus are the predictors for poor prognosis of TBM. Patients with these risk factors should be treated promptly with a special care paid to improve their outcomes.

Phytase hydrolyzes phytate rendering phosphorus available for intestinal absorption, while systemic neutralization of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), using anti-FGF-23 antibody, has been shown to increase phosphate retention. Hence, neutralization of FGF-23 should be additive with phytase in reducing dietary non-phytate phosphorus (nPP) needs in chickens fed plant-based diets rich in phytic acid. This study was designed to test the additive effects of maternally derived anti-FGF-23 antibody and dietary phytase on the performance of chicks fed a low nPP diet from one to 14 d. Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens were vaccinated with either an adjuvant control or a synthetic FGF-23 peptide (GMNPPPYS). Chicks from vaccinated hens with control or anti-FGF-23 maternal antibodies were fed either a diet containing 0.2% nPP and 0.9% calcium with or without 500 unit phytase per kg of diet (2 × 2 factorial with main effects of antibody type and phytase addition, n = 15 pens of chicks/treatment). A significant interaction between dietary phytase and maternally derived anti-FGF-23 antibody on growth and feed efficiency was observed (P ≤ 0.05), in which chicks receiving either phytase or maternally derived anti-FGF-23 antibody had improved body weight gain (21 or 15%, respectively) and feed efficiency (16 or 18%, respectively) as compared to chicks with control antibody and not fed phytase. Both phytase and maternally derived anti-FGF-23 antibody independently increased (P ≤ 0.05) plasma phosphate (11 and 11%, respectively) and percent tibiotarsus ash (13 and 11%, respectively). Significant main effects and the lack of an interaction supported an additive effect of phytase and anti-FGF-23 antibody on plasma phosphate and percent tibiotarsus ash. Feeding phytase to chicks fed 0.2% nPP increased plasma FGF-23 levels by 22% (P ≤ 0.05); however, no effects of anti-FGF-23 antibody on plasma FGF-23 levels were observed. In conclusion, dietary phytase and presence of anti-FGF-23 antibody have an additive effect on plasma phosphate and tibiotarsus ash in chicks fed low nPP diets. Data support that phytase and anti-FGF-23 antibody increase phosphate utilization by different mechanisms., (© 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

To retrospectively analyze the safety and efficacy of 350-560 μm gelatin sponge particles combined with single-chemotherapy drug transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (Gs-TACE) for the treatment of elderly hepatocellular carcinoma without surgical resection.Thirty elderly hepatocellular carcinoma patients without surgical resection, who received Gs-TACE in our hospital, were selected. Slowly injected gelatin sponge particles (350-560 μm)+ 10 mg lobaplatin injection into the regional embolization tumor target vessel. The Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumors could be used to evaluate the tumor response after intervention surgery.Eighty-nine times of intervention TACE were conducted on the 30 patients. The average size of tumor was 8.3 cm. The median survival time was 28 months, and the 1 and 2-year survival rates were 89% and 58%, respectively. The Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumors was used to evaluate the tumor response, and found that the complete response, partial response, and OR were 30%, 56.67%, and 86.67%, respectively, at 1 month after intervention surgery. The patients were divided into groups: 60 to 65 years age group (A), >65 to 75 years age group (B), and >75 years age group (C); the median survival times were 16, 32, and 33 months, respectively, and there was statistical difference between A group, B group, and C group. The analysis of prognosis factors showed that there was statistical significance in age, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage, portal vein invasion, and alpha fetal protein (AFP), and age was the protective factor.Gelatin sponge particles (350-560 μm), combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, provide an alternative method for the treatment of elderly hepatocellular carcinoma without surgical resection.

This study investigated the effects of maternal canthaxanthin (CX, 6 mg/kg) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D 3 , 0.069 mg/kg) supplementation on the performance of Cherry Valley ducklings under two different vitamin regimens. A total of 780 duck breeder females and 156 males were randomly allotted to two diets with or without the addition of the mixture of CX and 25-OH-D 3 (CX+25-OH-D 3 ) for 32 weeks. Ducklings (males and females separately) hatched from eggs laid at 24 weeks of the duck breeder trial were fed with a NRC vitamin regimen, and ducklings (males and females separately) hatched from eggs laid at 32 weeks of the duck breeder trial were fed with a HIGH vitamin regimen (had higher levels of all vitamins except biotin than NRC vitamin regimen), for 14 days. The results showed that, maternal CX+25-OH-D 3 supplementation increased the shank pigmentation for 7-days post hatch in ducklings under a NRC vitamin regimen, and for 14-days post hatch in ducklings under a HIGH vitamin regimen. Growth performance, antioxidant status and serum phosphorus of ducklings under a NRC vitamin regimen were increased by maternal CX+25-OH-D 3 supplementation; however, these positive effects were not observed in ducklings under a HIGH vitamin regimen. Males revealed increased growth performance in ducklings under both NRC and HIGH vitamin regimens. Sexual differences in shank pigmentation, antioxidant status, tibia strength and serum phosphorus were not consistent as they were dependent on maternal CX+25-OH-D 3 status or dietary vitamin regimens. Data suggest that maternal CX+25-OH-D 3 supplementation is important for starter ducklings under a NRC vitamin regimen, but not HIGH vitamin regimen., (Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Rationale: Peliosis hepatis (PH) is a rare tumor-like liver lesion composed of multiple blood-filled cavities within the liver parenchyma. It is hard to differentiate PH from other liver lesions by imaging, such as carcinoma, metastases, or abscess., Patient Concerns: Here, we reported 2 cases that presented with liver lesions under ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scanning, without any history of liver diseases or drug usage traced back., Diagnoses: Liver biopsy and laparoscopy were processed, and the lesions were eventually diagnosed as PH by histopathology, which microscopically presented with multiple sinusoidal dilatations with blood-filled cystic spaces., Interventions: After the liver biopsy or laparoscopy, the patients were discharged and followed up in the clinic., Outcomes: Both patients were followed up for at least 1 year with good recovery., Lessons: PH should always be recognized in the differentiation of liver lesions, particularly indistinctive lesion(s) without any history of liver-related diseases.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary canthaxanthin (CX) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) supplementation on the antioxidant status and tibia quality of duck breeders and newly hatched ducklings. In total, 780 female and 156 male duck breeders were randomly allotted to 2 treatments. Duck breeders were fed either a commercial diet (containing 3,000 IU/kg vitamin D3) or the same diet plus a mixture of CX (6 mg/kg) and 25-OH-D3 (0.069 mg/kg) for 40 wk. The antioxidant status of duck breeders, egg yolk, and ducklings; tibia quality of duck breeders and ducklings; and shell quality of breeder eggs were investigated. The total antioxidant capacity of breeder female liver (P = 0.028), breeder male testis (P = 0.049), egg yolk (P = 0.032), one-day-old duckling liver (P = 0.024), and one-day-old duckling yolk sac (P = 0.012) were increased by dietary supplementation of the mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 The inclusion of CX and 25-OH-D3 decreased liver protein carbonyl of breeder females (P = 0.030), and liver malonaldehyde (P = 0.050) and protein carbonyl (P = 0.030) of breeder males. Yolk (P < 0.001), shank (P < 0.001), and yolk sac pigmentation (P < 0.001) of one-day-old ducklings were increased by the supplementation of the CX and 25-OH-D3 mixture. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed in tibia quality or eggshell quality between treatments. In conclusion, the inclusion of the mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 in a diet sufficient in vitamin D3 increased antioxidant status but not tibia quality of duck breeders and newly hatched ducklings., (© 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

We study the ground state quantum correlation of Ising model in a transverse field (ITF) by implementing the quantum renormalization group (QRG) theory. It is shown that various quantum correlation measures and the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality will highlight the critical point related with quantum phase transitions, and demonstrate nonanalytic phenomena and scaling behavior when the size of the systems becomes large. Our results also indicate a universal behavior of the critical exponent of ITF under QRG theory that the critical exponent of different measures is identical, even when the quantities vary from entanglement measures to quantum correlation measures. This means that the two kinds of quantum correlation criterion including the entanglement-separability paradigm and the information-theoretic paradigm have some connections between them. These remarkable behaviors may have important implications on condensed matter physics because the critical exponent directly associates with the correlation length exponent.

This trial studied the effects of maternal dietary vitamin premixes, and the mixture of canthaxanthin (CX) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) on the performance of progeny ducklings. Four maternal diets were used under a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 kinds of vitamin premixes (Regular and High; High premix had higher levels of all vitamins except K3 than the Regular premix), and with or without the addition of the mixture of CX (6 mg/kg) and 25-OH-D3 (0.069 mg/kg). Cherry Valley duck breeders (38-wk-old) were fed with corn-wheat flour-soybean meal-based diets for 8 wk, and then eggs were collected and hatched. Healthy ducklings (equal number of female and male) from each maternal group were randomly selected and received the same commercial starter (1 to 14 d) and grower (15 to 35 d) pellet diet for 35 d. Maternal High vitamin premix increased shank pigmentation (1 d, P = 0.001), BW (1 d, P < 0.001 and 14 d, P = 0.006), BW gain (1 to 14 d, P = 0.008), G:F ratio (1 to 14 d, P = 0.007), superoxide dismutase (SOD; 1 d liver, P = 0.027 and 14 d serum, P = 0.031), and total antioxidant capacity (1 d liver, P < 0.001); and decreased protein carbonyl (14 d serum, P = 0.011) of ducklings. The mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 increased yolk pigmentation (P < 0.001); increased shank pigmentation (1 d, P < 0.001 and 14 d, P < 0.001), BW (1 d, P < 0.001), feed intake (15-35 d, P = 0.014), SOD (1 d liver, P = 0.032), and tibia ash (14 d, P = 0.010) of ducklings; and decreased malondialdehyde (P < 0.001) and protein carbonyl (P = 0.044) of yolks, and malondialdehyde (14 d serum, P < 0.001) of ducklings. In conclusion, either maternal High vitamin premix or maternal supplementation of the CX and 25-OH-D3 mixture improves growth performance and antioxidant status of ducklings., (© 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Flavonoid compounds are main chemical constituents of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum, which exert anti-inflammatory property. However, the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanisms of flavonoid compounds are incompletely understood. It has been reported that isoliquiritigenin, liquiritigenin, naringenin and butein possess anti-inflammatory property. The purpose of this study is to illuminate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of flavonoid compounds based on the protein interaction network (PIN) analysis on molecular network level. 130 targets of the main medicinal ingredients of flavonoid compounds were gained though database retrieval. A protein interaction network of flavonoid compounds was constructed with 589 nodes and 216 interactions. By a graph theoretic clustering algorithm Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE), 26 modules were identified and analyzed by Gene ontology (GO) enrichment. Two modules were associated with anti-inflammatory actions. The most interesting finding of this study was that the anti-inflammatory effect of flavonoid compounds may be partly attributable to inhibite FOS, PTGS2 expression, inhibite of IL-1beta release, and block the MAPK pathway and toll-like receptor pathway.

The five-flavor theory of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and the flavor efficacy generation mechanism has long been focuses and difficulties in studies on traditional Chinese medicinal properties. In this paper, by using the pharmacophore-based virtual screening technique, the authors discussed the relations between the pungent property and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) by studying the TCM components' role in regulating TRPV1 ion channel. The results showed that the matching relationship between TRPV1 agonist pharmacophore model and TCM chemical components could identify the active ingredients from pungent herbs. Therefore, the authors proposed that TRPV1 is one of the potential targets for efficient pungent herbs. The pungent property of TCMs is decided by its chemical components, and consistent with the inherited and additive characteristics.

Panax notoginseng (PN) is one of the commonly used clinical medicines for cardiovascular diseases and possesses a variety of pharmacological effects. P. notoginseng saponins (PNS) are the most important bioactive components in PN. The purpose of this study was to explain the mechanism of PNS on molecular network level. 18 targets of the main medicinal ingredients of PNS were gained by virtual screening based on pharmacophores and data mining. A protein interaction network of PNS was constructed with 189 nodes and 721 interactions. By a graph theoretic clustering algorithm Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE), 14 modules were detected. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of the modules demonstrated that the roles of PNS played in cardiovascular disease related to multiple biological processes, which could represent the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a whole to regulate the disease. The results showed that the blood circulation and hemostasis efficacy of PN related with the biological processes such as positive regulation of cAMP metabolic and biosynthetic process, platelet activation and regulation of blood vessel size, regulation of T cell proliferation and differentiation and so on. Therefore, the module-based network analysis will be an effective method for better understanding TCM.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Chinese medicine (CM) and Western medicine (WM) on quality of life (QOL) after conservative surgery for endometriosis., Methods: A total of 320 patients with endometriosis were randomized into two groups by using random block design, CM group (160 cases, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis treatment based on syndrome differentiation) and WM group (160 cases, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or gestrinone treatment) after conservative surgery. Treatment was given for 3-6 months (according to the revised American Fertility Society scoring system stage), and the World Health Organization QOL-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) was applied to patients before and after treatment to assess QOL., Results: There were 136 cases in the CM group and 141 cases in the WM group completing therapy. In the CM group, the use of the WHOQOL-BREF showed that the physical, psychological and environmental scores posttreatment were significantly higher than those at pre-treatment (P < 0.05), and for 12 items (pain and discomfort, energy and fatigue, sleep and rest, mobility, activities of daily living, work capacity, negative feelings, health and social care: accessibility and quality, participation in and opportunities for recreation/leisure activities, appetite, QOL score, overall health status and QOL), the difference in scores was significant (P < 0.05). In the WM group, 4 items (pain and discomfort, opportunities for acquiring new information and skills, QOL score, overall health status and QOL) had significantly different scores post-treatment compared with those at pre-treatment (P < 0.05). Before treatment, the QOL in the two groups of patients showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). After treatment, the scores for physical health in the CM group were significantly higher than those of the WM group (P < 0.05) and the scores of 4 items (mobility, activities of daily living, sexual activity, QOL score) in the CM group were significantly higher than those in the WM group (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: CM and WM treatment could improve the QOL of patients with endometriosis after conservative surgery. CM treatment is more effective than WM.

Chemosensory proteins play an important role in transporting chemical compounds to their receptors on dendrite membranes. In this study, two full-length cDNA codings for chemosensory proteins of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) were obtained by RACE-PCR. PxylCSP3 and Pxyl-CSP4, with GenBank accession numbers ABM92663 and ABM92664, respectively, were cloned and sequenced. The gene sequences both consisted of three exons and two introns. RT-PCR analysis showed that Pxyl-CSP3 and Pxyl-CSP4 had different expression patterns in the examined developmental stages, but were expressed in all larval stages. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that lepidopteran insects consist of three branches, and Pxyl-CSP3 and Pxyl-CSP4 belong to different branches. The 5'regulatory regions of Pxyl-CSP3 and Pxyl-CSP4 were isolated and analyzed, and the results consist of not only the core promoter sequences (TATA-box), but also several transcriptional elements (BR-C Z4, Hb, Dfd, CF2-II, etc.). This study provides clues to better understanding the various physiological functions of CSPs in P. xylostella and other insects.

An antimicrobial substance produced by Brevibacillus laterosporus isolated from the sea sediment was purified and characterized. The antimicrobial substance was purified by ultrafiltration, DEAE-Sepharose Fast flow chromatography, CM-Sepharose Fast flow chromatography and HPLC reversed phase column chromatography, and after the final purification step, one active fraction was obtained, designated R-1. The molecular weight (MW) was accurately determined by MALDI-TOF-MS as 1608.023 Da. And its pI was determined with Rotofor Cell BIO-RAD to be 8.55. Amino acid analysis of the purified R-1 showed that it was composed of Leu, Tyr, Val, Ile, Lys, Gly, Met, Ser and Ala. Most of them were hydrophobic and neutral amino acid except Lys which was a basic amino acid. And this accorded with pI of R-1. R-1 remained active over a wide temperature range and it also was active over a broad pH rang. R-1 was insusceptible to pancreatin, pepsin and alkaline proteinase. Agar radial diffusion assay showed that R-1 had low minimun bactericidal concentration against Gram-Positive Bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureaus, Clostridium and Gram- egative Bacteria such as Escherichia coli Pseudomonas putrefaciens And R-1 had antibacterial activities against Candida albicans