Objective To evaluate the clinical application of computer-aided electromagnetic imaging navigation in nasal endoscopic surgery.Methods Twenty-two cases of nasal endoscopic surgery with intraoperative imaging navigation were retrospectively reviewed,including 16 cases of sinusitis with or without polyp;5 cases of nasal inverting papilloma; 1 case of maxillary capillary hemangioma.All cases were operated with computer-aided electromagentic imaging navigation and nasal endoscope.Results The preoperative preparing time would take 4-10 minutes.In 22 cases,the localization accuracy between 3-D image landmarks of navigation system and actual anatomical landmarks was less than 1 mm.The optic nerve and other anatomical landmarks could be orientated accurately in intraoperative procedures.No complication occurred.Conclusions Nasal endoscope combined with computer-aided electromagnetic imaging navigation provides accurate anatomical localization of nasal cavity,sinuses and anterior skull base.It could improve the effectiveness and decrease surgical complications,especially in complicated cases.

Objective To investigate the effect of cyanidin-3-glucopyranoside extracted from Chinese bayberry on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cell line SGC7901.Methods After cocultured with C3G on different concentrations,cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay; morphology of apoptosis were observed by laser confocal microscopy; TUNEL assay was applied to measure the apoptoic rate; The expression of Bcl-2,Bax,Caspase-3,ICAD protein were observed by Western blot assay.Results C3G significantly inhibited the proliferation of SGC7901 cells in a concentration-and timedependent manner as measured by MTT method(P ＜ 0.01).After cells were treated with C3G,the presence of typical morphological changes of apoptosis was confirmed with laser confocal microscopy after Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining.TUNEL assay indicated that the number of apoptotic cells in C3G-treated group was greater than that in the gastric cancer cells group(P ＜ 0.01).The expression level of Bcl-2 was down-regulated while the expression level of Bax was up-regulated by C3G,the ratio of Bcl-2 protein and Bax protein decreased.C3G may accelerate the activation of procaspase-3 and down-regulate the expression of ICAD(P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions C3G inhibits SGC7901 cell growth and induces apoptosis in a concentraion-and time-dependent manner.This action may be mediated by down-regulating Bcl-2/Bax,resulting in Caspase-3 activition and decreased ICAD protein expression.

Objective To investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in different concentrations on the proliferation and interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1 β and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-o) secretion of intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) of rats in vitro.Methods IEC-6 of rats were divided into normal group (0 mg/L,group A),0.1 mg/L group (group B),0.5 mg/L group (group C),1.0 mg/L group (group D),5.0 mg/L group (group E) and 10.0 mg/L group(group F).Different groups cells were exposed to LPS with different concentrations for 3 h,5 h and 7 h.Thiazolyl blue(MTT) was performed to investigate the proliferation of IEC-6.The concentrations of IL-6,IL-1 β and TNF-α in culture supernatant were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The proliferation rate of IEC-6 was gradually lower while the concentration of LPS increased.After co-culture with LPS 3h and 5 h,the proliferation rates of group B,group C,group D,group E and group F had no significant difference with those of group A (all P ＞ 0.05);after co-culture with LPS 7 h,the proliferation rates of group B,group C,and group D had no significant difference with those of group A (all P ＞ 0.05);the proliferation rates of group E and group F had significant difference with those of group A(t =4.216,P =0.014;t =14.991,P =0.000).The proliferation rates of group E and group F were lower after co-culture with LPS 5 h than 7 h,and there were significant differences (t =2.576,P =0.033;t =2.975,P =0.018);but there was no significant differences between group E and group A after co-culture with LPS 5 h (P ＞ 0.05).Group B,group C,group D,group E and group F all had a significant higher level of IL-6 than group A after co-culture with LPS 3 h,5 h and 7 h(all P ＜0.01).In addition,group E had the highest level of IL-6 at all time points.And the peak level of IL-6 rose after co-culture with LPS 5 h.The TNF-α level and IL-1 β level of group B,group C,group D,group E and group F all had no significant differences than that of group A after co-culture with LPS 3 h,5 h and 7 h (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions In a certain concentration,incubation time range,the proliferation rates of IEC-6 cells were gradually lower while the concentration of LPS increased.Co-cultured IEC-6 cells with LPS(0-10.0 mg/L) can stimulate them secrete to IL-6.The highest level of IL-6 was of group E after 5 h co-culture.LPS had no effects on TNF-α and IL-1 β level of IEC-6 cells cultural supernatant.So 5.0 mg/L concentration of LPS stimulating IEC-6 cells for 5 h can be chosen to build the IEC-6 inflammatory models.

Objective To search for the neutralizing epitopos on hepatitis E virus (HEV) capsid besides the known neutralizing epitope (aa459-606). Methods By analysis of several strains of monoclonal antibodies against HEV capsid and their recognized epitopes, the neutralizing activity of epitope (aa394-458) at N-terminus was compared with that of an immunodominant neutralizing epitope (an459-606). Re-suits The research showed a novel potential neutralizing epitope in aa423-437 of HEV ORF2 though detec-ting and comparing the characteristics of several antibodies and corresponding determinations. The epitope is a linear non-immunodominant epitope which is different from the other neutralizing epitope in aa459-606.And the amino acids sequence of this novel epitope is conservative. Conclusion ORF2 aa423-437 is a no-vel potential neutralizing leaner epitope of HEV. It is believed that the present work adds fundamental knowl-edge to our understanding of HEV capsid domain and contributes to the prevention and control of this dis-ease.

Objective To evaluate the effect of robot-assisted gait training on the walking ability of hemiplegic patients.Methods Sixty hemiplegic patients were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group,each of 30.Both groups were given traditional rehabilitation and drug therapy.The control group was additionally provided with the traditional gait training,while the treatment group additionally received robot-assisted gait training.The gait training lasted 30 minutes a day,5 days per week.Before and after 8 weeks of training,the time parameters,phase parameters,the joint angles of the lower limbs,and the peak ground reaction forces of both groups were evaluated using a three-dimensional gait analysis system.Results After the intervention,the walking velocity,stride frequency and stride length had increased in the treatment group,while stride width had decreased.Significant improvement was observed in the treatment group in terms of the percentage of swing phase on the paretic side,the percentage of stance phase on the paretic side,the single support time ratio,the percentage of double support phase,the range of motion of the hip and knee joints,and the peak vertical and forward ground reaction force as a percentage of body weight.The improvements were significantly greater than those observed in the control group.Conclusions Compared with traditional walking training,robot-assisted gait training can be more effective in improving the walking ability of hemiplegic patients.

Objective This study was to evaluate the safety of 640 corneal donors by analysing the serological testing results.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the serological testing results from Changsha Aier Eye Bank and Chengdu Kangqiao Aier Eye Bank from January 2011 to December 2015,hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg),hepatitis C virus (HCV),treponema pallidum (TP) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were detected by colloidal gold or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results There were 83 out of 640 serum samples showed positive immuno-reaction assayed markers,the positive rate was 12.97％,including HBsAg(n=60,9.38％),HCV(n=3,0.47％),TP(n=11,1.72％) and HIV(n=2,0.31％).Moreover,3 corneal donors were both positive against HBsAg and HCV,2 donors positive against HCV and TP,1 donor positive against HBsAg and HIV,1 donor positive against HBsAg and TP.Conclusions There is a high proportion of positive results of blood-borne diseases in cornea donors,which is a potential threat to corneal receptors and eye bank workers.Therefore,it is very important to detect serological test strictly for corneal donors.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of using a walking support band on the gait of stroke survivors.Methods:Sixty stroke survivors were randomly divided into a walking support band group ( n=20), an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) group ( n=20) and a conventional rehabilitation group ( n=20). All three groups received conventional rehabilitation therapy, while the AFO group members were additionally provided with an ankle-foot orthosis and the walking support band group members received training wearing a walking support band. Before and after 4 weeks of treatment, all three groups were evaluated using three-dimensional gait analysis. Results:A total of 57 patients finished the study. After the interventions, the average step speed, frequency and step length of the three groups had all increased significantly, while the average stride width, the percentage of double stance phase, unaffected and affected side stance phase, and the ratio between unaffected and affected side stance phase had all decreased significantly. After the intervention, the average step speed, frequency and length of the AFO and walking support band groups had increased significantly compared with the conventional rehabilitation group, while the average stride width of the AFO group, and the stride width, the percentage of double stance phase and unaffected side stance phase of the walking support band group had decreased significantly. After the treatment, the average percentages of double stance phase and unaffected side stance phase of the walking support band group had decreased significantly more than in the AFO group.Conclusions:A walking support band can significantly improve the abnormal gait of stroke survivors and is superior to an ankle-foot orthosis when combined with conventional rehabilitation therapy.

Objective To investigate associations of herpes simplex virus(HSV)infection with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hsCRP)level and the development of atrial fibrillation(AF) in elderly individuals.Methods Through screening a total of 2,603 individuals,49 patients aged 60 years or over with AF and without structural heart diseases and known risk factors for AF were selected for data collection.Fifty-five elderly healthy control subjects were selected from a population based Chinese Arrhythmia Registry.Baseline characteristics,plasma antibody levels against HSV-1 and-2,and level of hsCRP were analyzed.Results Level of antibodies against HSV-1 was significantly higher in AF patients[(314.5±63.6)mg/L than in control subjects(216.0±50.7) mg/L,P＜0.01].Level of antibodies against HSV-2 was significantly higher in AF patients[(400.1±50.7) mg/L than in control subjects (306.3 ± 64.5) mg/L,P ＜ 0.01].Linear regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation of plasma levels of hsCRP with both anti-HSV-1 and anti-HSV-2 IgG antibodies (r =0.291,0.188,all P ＜ 0.01).In multiple logistic regression analysis,HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibody levels were significantly associated with AF occurrence(OR =1.035 and 1.034,all P ＜0.01).The optimal cut-off point for predicting AF occurrence was 284.96 mg/L for anti-HSV-1 with sensitivity of 67.3％ and a specificity of 92.7％,and was 366.26 mg/L for anti-HSV-2 with a sensitivity of 67.3％ and a specificity of 85.5％,respectively.Conclusions The increased plasma levels of anti-HSV-1 and anti-HSV-2 antibodies are significantly associated with AF occurrence in elderly adults.

OBJECTIVE： To screen the best proportion of Astragalus membranaceus injection combined with Erigeron breviscapus injection against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. METHODS： Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group and administration group [different A. membranaceus injection-E. breviscapus injection proportion groups， being A（0 ∶ 10）， B（2 ∶ 8）， C（4 ∶ 6）， D（6 ∶ 4）， E（8 ∶ 2）， F（10 ∶ 0）groups， set by baseline geometric proportion increasing and decreasing design]， with 8 rats in each group. Except for sham operation group， reperfusion injury model of middle cerebral artery occlusion were induced by modified suture method in rats. The each administration group was given relevant medicine intraperitoneally once immediately after inducing model， and then given again after 24 hours （medication interval between the two injections of 30 min）. Constant volume of normal saline was given to rats in sham operation group and model group. Forty-eight hours after reperfusion， Longa scoring method was used to evaluate neurological impairment of rats， and neurological impairment score was recorded. Serum content of MDA and activity of SOD were measured by colorimetry assay. TTC assay was used to detect cerebral infraction， and cerebral infarction rate was calculated. Kim’s formula was used to calculate the synergistic index （q） of rats in administration groups. RESULTS： Compared with sham operation group， neurological impairment score and serum content of MDA were increased significantly in model group， while activity of SOD was decreased significantly （P＜0.01）. The area of cerebral infarction increased significantly， and the rate of cerebral infarction increased significantly （P＜0.01）. Compared with model group， neurological impairment scores and serum contents of MDA were decreased significantly in group A， B， C， D and E； neurological impairment score of group C was significantly lower than those of group A and F； serum contents of MDA in group B， C， D and E were significantly lower than that of group F （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Activities of SOD in group A， B， C， D and E were increased significantly， and group C was significantly higher than group F （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The cerebral infarction area of rats in each administration group was reduced to varying degrees. The cerebral infarction rates of rats in group B， C， D and E were significantly reduced， and group C and D were significantly lower than group F， while group C was significantly lower than group A （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The q values of group B， C， D and E were 0.90， 1.30， 1.00， 0.70 （neurological impairment score） and 0.79， 1.27， 0.98， 0.82 （cerebral infarction rate）. CONCLUSIONS： Different ratios of A. membranaceus injection and E. breviscapus injection have certain protective effects on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model rats， can relieve their neurological deficits， alleviate their oxidative stress and reduce their cerebral infarction areas. The effect of the combination of the two drugs is better than that of single use， and the optimum ratio is 4 ∶ 6.

DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that forms an important regulation mechanism of gene expression in organisms across kingdoms. Aberrant patterns of DNA methylation can lead to plant developmental abnormalities. In this article, we briefly discuss DNA methylation in plants and summarize its functions and biological roles in regulating gene expression and maintaining genomic stability, plant development, as well as plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. We intended to provide a concise reference for further understanding of the mechanism of DNA methylation and potential applications of epigenetic manipulation for crop improvement.
Crop Production ; trends ; DNA Methylation ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genomic Instability ; Plants ; genetics ; Research ; trends ; Stress, Physiological