Twenty-five cases with congenital abnormality of sexual organ were inter-viewed after their successful plastic surgical treatment and found of more serious psychologi-cal burden both before and after operation than other plastic surgical treated patients.There-fore,the authors suggested that only necessary psycological counselling provided with suc-cessful plastic surgrey can reached a satisfactory outcome among those patients.

The main commercial production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) comes from enzymatic transformation using sucrose as substrate by microbial enzyme fructosyltransferase. A fructosyltransferase genomic DNA was isolated from Aspergillus niger QU10 by PCR. The nucleotide sequence showed a 1 941 bp size, and has been submitted to GenBank (KF699529). The cDNA of the fructosyltransferase, containing an open reading frame of 1 887 bp, was further cloned by RT-PCR. The fructosyltransferase gene from Aspergillus niger was functionally expressed both in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris GS 115. The highest activity value for the construction with the α-factor signal peptide reached 431 U/mL after 3 days of incubation. The recombinant enzyme is extensively glycosylated, and the active form is probably represented by a homodimer with an apparent molecular mass of 200 kDa as judged from mobility in seminative PAGE gels. The extracellular recombinant enzyme converted sucrose mostly to FOS, mainly 1-kestose and nystose, liberating glucose. FOS reached a maximal value and represented about 58% of total sugars present in the reaction mixture after 4 h reaction. The results suggest that the availability of recombinant Pichia pastoris as a new source of a FOS-producing enzyme might result of biotechnology interest for industrial application.
Aspergillus niger ; enzymology ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; Escherichia coli ; Fungal Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glycosylation ; Hexosyltransferases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Molecular Weight ; Pichia ; Sucrose ; metabolism ; Trisaccharides ; metabolism

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of human mitochondrial transcription termi-nation factor-3 ( hMTERF3) in non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLS) and to analyze its clinicopathological significance. Methods The paraffin block samples used in this study included 65 cases of NSCLC and 32 cases of normal alveolar epithelial tissues. We determined the expressions of hMTERF3 in NSCLC and normal alveolar epithelial tis-sues by immunohistochemistry, calculate the survival rate using the Kaplan-Meier method, and analyzed the risk factors affecting the prognosis of NSCLC using the Cox Proportional Hazard Model. Results In the 65 cases of NSCLC, 31 ( 47. 69%) showed positive expression of hMTERF3. The total survival time was significantly shor-ter in the patients with a high than in those with a low hMTERF3 ex-pression ([30.39±3.35] vs [57.61±7.12] mo, P<0.05). The riskfactors affecting the prognosis of NSCLC included positive expression of hMTERF3 (HR=3.302, 95% CI:1.598-6.905) and lymph node metastasis (HR=4.052, 95% CI: 1.212-12.398). Conclusion hMTERF3 is overexpressed in NSCLC. Highly expressed hMTERF3 and lymph node metastasis reduce the survival time of NSCLC patients, suggesting that hMTERF3 may be a potential bio-marker for the prognosis of NSCLC.

The localization of adrenocorticotropin(ACTH),secretogranin Ⅱ in rat pituitary gland Was studied by using specific antisera in conjunction with double immunofluorescence staining techniques.Stainings with secretogranin Ⅱ serum showed intense cytoplasmic reaction in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland.Double immunofluorescence staining was used to identify the cells that expressed secretogranin Ⅱ and ACTH.Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that ACTH existed simultaneouslywith secretogranin Ⅱ in quite a number of cells.The results indicate that secretogranin Ⅱ is expressed in corticotrophs of rat pituitary gland,its physiological role may be associated with the regulation of optimal pH in the secretory vesicles for the cleavage of ACTH from its precursor.

Objective To investigate renal tissue changes in rats exposed to 16 Hz/130 dB infrasound.Methods Twenty male Sprague-Dawley adult rats were randomly divided into a control group,a pseudo-infrasound group,and two infrasound groups-A and B.Groups A and B were exposed to 16 Hz/130 dB infrasound for 2 h or4 h daily respectively over 7 days.Pathological and uhrastruetural changes in their renal tissues were observed with a light microscope and an electron microscope.Results Under the light microscope,Bowman's capsules expanded,epithelial cells were shed,and a little secretion was found in the renal tubules of infrasound group A.Slight degeneration and necrosis of the renal tubules and glomerular exudation could be observed in group B.Under the electron microscope,a large number of lysosomes displayed hyperplasia,there was interstitial edema,and leukocyte pavementing wag found in group B.Other changes such as swelling of podocytes' processes,fusion of foot processes,and vacuolization in the mitochondria could be observed in both infrasound groups.Conclusion Lengthy exposure to 16 Hz/130 dB infrasound can cause severe pathological and uhrastruetural changes in renal tissue,at least in rats.

In this study, we investigated the mechanism of transformation by Bacillus subtilis strain 168 by proteomic analysis. B. subtilis strain 168 was able to stereoselectively transform cis-propenylphosphonic acid (cPPA) to fosfomycin. The maximal fosfomycin production was 816.6 microg/mL after two days cultivation, with a conversion rate of 36.05%. We separated the whole cellular proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) method, and 562 protein spots were detected in the presence of cPPA in the medium, while 527 protein spots were detected in the absence of cPPA. Of them, 98 differentially expressed protein spots were found. Among them, 52 proteins were up-regulated whereas 20 were down-regulated in the presence of cPPA in the medium, and 26 induced at the presence of cPPA. The differentially expressed proteins were analyzed by combined MS and MS/MS methods. Eighty protein spots, including 45 up-regulated proteins, 17 down-regulated proteins, and 18 induced by cPPA were identified. Based on the results of proteomic analysis, we postulated two steps of transformation: in the first step, cPPA was hydrated to 2-hydroxypropylphosphonic acid; in the second step, 2-hydroxypropylphosphonic acid was transformed to fosfomycin via a dehydrogenation reaction.
Bacillus subtilis ; genetics ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Fosfomycin ; metabolism ; Organophosphorus Compounds ; metabolism ; Proteome ; metabolism ; Proteomics

In this paper, with B/S application and architecture, an integrated solution of PACS is designed, and the function and application of each part of PACS based on the architecture is introduced. The PACS based on this mode is safe, stable, easy to manage and upgrade and convenient for use in telemedicine.
Computer Systems ; Humans ; Radiology Information Systems ; Research ; Software ; Telemedicine

Objective To investigate medication adherence and its influencing factors in community-based hypertensive patients in the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province, and lay the foundation for the development of targeted compliance interventions. Methods Between July 2015 and October 2016, a multi-stage cluster sampling method was used to conduct a community-based diagnostic survey in the Pearl River Delta region.A total of 1 829 community-based hypertension patients in this survey population were used to investigate medication adherence, the factors of which were derived through a multi-factor logistics regression analysis.Results The average medication-adherence score of hypertensive patients surveyed in this study was (4.6 ± 1.8), and patients with good medication adherence accounted for 62.82%(1 149/1 829).There were significant differences in medication adherence among patients according to their age, household registration types, marital status, level of education, employment status, medical payment methods,per capita monthly household income,drinking status,and family history of hypertension (P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that medication adherence was affected substantially by the type of household registration:local household types (OR= 0.537, 95% CI: 0.415-0.695); education level: college,bachelor and above (OR=2.139,95% CI:1.100-4.160); employment status: self-paying (OR=0.591, 95% CI: 0.376-0.930); and a family history of hypertension (OR= 1.279, 95% CI: 1.012-1.617).Conclusions It is necessary to pay more attention to medication adherence in patients with hypertension in communities.Given the influencing factors and characteristics illuminated by this study,it is suggested that various measures be taken to prevent and intervene in poor medication adherence, to improve the curative effect of hypertensive patients in communities.

OBJECTIVE: To study the inhibitory effect of pills (BJJ) agaisnt diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and explore the relation between this effect and the inflammasome signaling pathway. METHODS: Sixty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, DEN model group, and 3 BJJ treatment groups at low, medium and high dose (with daily dose of 0.55, 1.1 and 2.2 g/kg, respectively, for 12 consecutive weeks starting from the 5th week after modeling). The pathological changes of the liver tissue were observed with HE and Masson staining, and serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (TBIL) of the rats were detected using ELISA. Oxidation stress in the liver tissue was assessed with ELISA, and Western blotting and ELISA were used to detect the molecular expressions of inflammasome-related pathway. RESULTS: BJJ significantly inhibited tumor growth in the liver of the rats. HE and Masson staining showed that BJJ treatment obviously ameliorated liver fibrosis and reduced cancer cell and inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver. BJJ significantly reduced elevations of serum ALT, AST, ALP and TBIL levels, increased the contents of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in the liver and suppressed malondialdehyde in Den-treated rats. BJJ also dose-dependently decreased the expressions of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), caspase-1, pro-IL-1β, pro-IL-18, IL-1β and IL-18 in the liver of Den-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS BJJ treatment can dose-dependently inhibit DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis by enhancing antioxidant capacity and down-regulating inflammatory-related pathways in rats.
Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Diethylnitrosamine ; Liver ; Liver Neoplasms ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of black tomato concentrated sauce in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) with lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS).Methods:An open, randomized and controlled trial was conducted, and 150 BPH patients with LUTS were randomly assigned to three groups: experimental group(60 cases), placebo group (45 cases) and positive control group(45 cases) in the Department of Urology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital from December 2018 to September 2020.Inclusion criteria: age≥50 years old; first diagnosis of BPH, or interrupted medical treatment of BPH for more than 1 month; maximum urinary flow rate (Q max) <15ml/s; prostate volume (PV)≥20ml; IPSS≥8, QOL≥2. Exclusion criteria: lower urinary tract obstruction not caused by BPH, post-void residual urine volume(PVR) >250 ml; history of acute urinary retention in the last 3 months; prostate nodules and suspected prostate cancer were revealed by digital rectal examination and transrectal B-ultrasoundor; prostate-specific antigen (PSA)≥10 ng/ml; neurogenic bladder, perivous history of bladder, prostate, or urethra operations; suffering from serious heart, lung, liver, kidney and other diseases. The patients in the experimental group were orally treated with black tomato concentrated sauce(30 g/once, 3 times/day). The patients in the placebo group were orally administrated with placebo. In the positive control group, the patients with PV≤30ml were orally treated with tamsulosin(0.2mg/once, 1 time/day), the patients with PV>30ml were orally administrated with tamsulosin and finasteride(5 mg/once, 1 time/day). All enrolled patients were treated for 3 months. At the end of third month, the IPSS, QOL, PV, PVR, Q max, average urinary flow rate(Q ave), total PSA(tPSA), free PSA (fPSA), testosterone(TST) and the incidence of adverse reaction were assessed. Results:128 of 150 cases, including 52 cases in experimental group, 36 cases in placebo group and 40 cases in positive control group, completed the study, the rest was excluded due to not take medication regularly and fail to follow-up. There were no significant differences in baseline parameters among experimental group, placebo group and positive control group ( P>0.05) in age[(63.21±8.61) vs.(62.36±6.32) vs. (63.94±7.78)years old], body mass index[(23.74±3.17) vs. (23.94±3.09) vs. (24.26±2.91)kg/m 2], IPSS[(17.5±6.6) vs. (15.4±5.8) vs. (17.9±6.8)], QOL[4.0(3.0, 4.0) vs. 4.0(3.0, 4.5) vs. 4.0(3.0, 5.0)], Q max [(8.60±3.04) vs. (9.13±2.92) vs. (9.58±3.26) ml/s], Q ave[(4.39±1.69) vs. (4.66±1.76) vs. (4.88±1.60)ml/s], PV [32.00(25.55, 45.40)vs. 30.00(24.45, 38.35)vs. 34.80(27.65, 56.65)ml], PVR[23.50(8.25, 45.75) vs.5.50(0, 47.75) vs. 29.00(0, 84.00)ml], tPSA [1.53(0.89, 3.00) vs. 1.23(0.69, 1.98) vs. 2.23(0.90, 4.15)ng/ml], fPSA [0.37(0.28, 0.76) vs. 0.37(0.22, 0.52) vs. 0.54(0.30, 0.97) ng/ml] and TST[(443.64±156.32) vs. (493.97±176.16) vs. (450.89±135.08)ng/dl]. After 3 months of treatment, the IPSS in experimental group was(9.9±5.7), QOL score 2.0(2.0, 3.0), Q max(11.78±5.24)ml/s, Q ave(5.86±3.00)ml/s, tPSA 1.64(0.96, 3.32)ng/ml and TST (475.91±177.33)ng/dl, which were significantly different compared with pre-treatment( P<0.05). In positive control group, IPSS was (9.0±6.2), QOL 2.0(2.0, 3.0), Q max(11.73±4.50)ml/s, Q ave(6.11±2.53)ml/s, tPSA 1.57(0.80, 3.09)ng/ml, fPSA 0.37(0.24, 0.63)ng/ml and TST (526.11±126.88)ng/dl, which were statistically different compared with pre-treatment( P<0.01). However, there were no significant differences in all the above indexes in placebo control group compared with the baseline( P>0.05). The numerical changes of IPSS, QOL, Q maxand Q ave between experimental group and placebo group had statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). The changes of IPSS, QOL, Q max, Q ave, PV, tPSA, fPSA and TST between positive control group and placebo group had significant differences ( P<0.05). The changes of PV, tPSA and fPSA between positive control group and experimental group had statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was 5.77% (3/52, including 1 headache and 2 stomach discomfort) in experimental group, 5.56% (2/36, including 1 headache and 1 stomach discomfort) in placebo group, and 10.00%(4/40, including 1 dizzy, 1 nasal obstruction and 2 erectile dysfunction) in positive control group. And there was no statistical difference in the incidence of adverse reactions among three groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Black tomato concentrated sauce shows an excellent effect on patients with LUTS/BPH, and improves the quality of life with few adverse events.