Objective To isolate and purify a lectin from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus.Methods The protein was purified using a combination of 20%—60% ammonium sulfate fraction and ConA-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography.Results The purified protein appeared as a single band with molecular mass of 3.15?104 on SDS-PAGE and the relative molecular mass was estimated by gel filtration on a calibrated Superdex 75 column with apparent molecular weight of 3.35?104.This lectin was a glycoprotein with a neutral carbohydrate content of 10.7%.Conclusion A lectin is isolated and purified from the roots of A.membranaceus for the first time.It is a monomer glycoprotein and its specific activity is 391.9 U/mg.

Objective To clarify the source of infection of a student brucellosis case in Ningde City, make clear its influencing range as well as risk factors of transmission, then take measures to effectively control the epidemic.Methods Clue sampling was carried out, then the survey site village was chosen where the student case came from.①Fundamental state survey: resident population as well as the situation of livestock were collected.②Human outbreak investigation: detailed interview was carried out on the first case.Base on the principle of informed consent, serum samples were collected from breeders and those who had once contacted with sheep in order to detect brucellosis antibodies, then investigation was conducted on farmers to collect cognitive information;case searching was conducted by reviewing outpatient and inpatient records as well as government broadcasting.③Livestock epidemic: serum samples from some of the sheep were collected by agricultural sector.Results There were 200 households with 500 inhabitants in the survey site of Ningde City, among which there were 5 sheep feeding families and totally 154 sheep on hand.Patient was male, 12 years old, student.Sick on June 2nd, 2014,confirmed on July 5th.The patient's neighbor was a sheep farmer, he had once contacted with the sheep.Totally we collected 8 serum samples from livestock personnel, positive Brucella antibody was 4, with a positive rate 50％ (4/8);collected 15 serum samples from those contacted with sheep, positive Brucella antibody was 2, with a positive rate 13％ (2/15).Meanwhile, agricultural sector collected 17 sheep serum samples from these two sheep farms, among which there were 7 serum samples showing a positive Brucella antibodies, with a positive rate 41％ (7/17).After surveyed of 8 livestock breeding personnel and 15 livestock non-breeding personnel, we found that no one was familiar with the clinical characteristics and transmission of brucellosis.Conclusions The direct source of brucellosis infection is local infected sheep, general population has been involved in this epidemic.Brucellosis surveillance should be seriously carried out on both human and animal.Furthermore, improving the awareness of brucellosis among professionals as well as general population is eagerly needed and health education must be carried out immediately.

OBJECTIVETo investigate changes in the expression of sarcoplamic reticular Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) and IP(3)-I receptors (IP(3)R(1)) mRNA in patients with atrial fibrillation.

METHODSThirty-eight patients with mitral stenosis undergoing open heart surgery were studied. 100 mg of atrial tissue was obtained during surgery from the right appendage and the right atrium. The amount of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) amount of SERCA and IP(3)R(1) was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and normalized to the mRNA levels of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH).

RESULTSLevels of mRNA expression of SERCA in patients with AF, as compared with subjects in sinus rhythm, was lower and that of IP(3)R(1) was higher. The longer AF was sustained, the higher the levels of mRNA. There was no significant difference between right atrial free wall and right appendage.

CONCLUSIONSThe expression changes of SERCA and IP3R mRNA may correlate with the initiation or maintenance of AF.

Adult ; Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; genetics ; pathology ; Calcium Channels ; genetics ; Calcium-Transporting ATPases ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium-Transporting ATPases

Objective To investigate the application value of diameter change of superior rectal vein (SRV) and inferior mesenteric vein (IMV) by CT examination in the efficacy evaluation of neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.Methods The retrospective descriptive study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 40 patients with locally advanced rectal carcer who underwent neoadjuvant therapy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were collected.There were 28 males and 12 females,aged from 12 to 75 years,with the age of (55± 12)years.All patients underwent radical resection of rectal cancer according to the principle of total mesorectal resection after neoadjuvant therapy.Observation indicators:(1) MRI examination;(2) CT examination;(3) surgical situations;(4) follow-up.Follow-up was performed using outpatient examination to detect postoperative complications up to June 2019.The measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD,and paired sample t test was used for intra-group comparison.Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages.Results (1) MRI examination:there were 22 patients with positive extramural vascular invasion (EMVI) and 18 with negative EMVI.(2) CT examination:the diameter of SRV was (3.9 ± 0.9) mm and (3.0 ± 0.6) mm before and after neoadjuvant therapy,showing a significant difference (t=5.75,P＜0.05).Subgroup analysis:for the 30 patients with response to neoadjuvant therapy,the diameter of SRV changed significantly after neoadjuvant therapy [(4.1 ± 1.0) mm vs.(3.4±0.7) mm,t =6.20,P＜0.05];for the 10 patients without response to neoadjuvant therapy,the diameter of SRV showed no significant difference after neoadjuvant treatment [(3.6±0.6)mm vs.(3.5±0.8)mm,t=1.13,P＞0.05].The diameter of SRV was (4.2±0.8)mm in 22 patients with EMVI and (3.7±0.8)mm in 18 patients with negative EMVI,showing a significant difference between the two groups (t =2.45,P＜0.05).The diameter of IMV was (5.1 ± 0.9)mm and (4.2±0.9)mm before and after neoadjuvant therapy,showing a significant difference (t=4.16,P＜ 0.05).Subgroup analysis:for the 30 patients with response to neoadjuvant therapy,the diameter of IMV changed significantly after neoadjuvant treatment [(5.1 ± 0.9) mm vs (4.6± 0.8) mm,t =0.76,P＜ 0.05];for the 10 patients without response to neoadjuvant therapy,the diameter of SRV showed no significant difference after neoadjuvant treatment [(5.0±0.9)mm vs (4.8±1.0)mm,t=0.76,P＞0.05].The diameter of IMV was (4.8± 0.9) mm in 22 patients with EMVI and (4.6±0.8) mm in 18 patients with negative EMVI,showing no significant difference between the two groups (t =2.45,P＞ 0.05).(3) Surgical situations:40 patients underwent radical resection of rectal cancer,including 4 with synchronous liver metastases undergoing resection of metastases.(4) Follow-up:40 patients were followed up for 3.0-6.0 months,with a median follow-up time of 4.5 months.One of 40 patients with perineal incision infection was improved and discharged after dressing change,1 with anastomotic leakage on the 5th day after operation was improved and discharged after conservative treatment,1 of 2 with adhesive intestinal obstruction was improved after surgery and 1 was improved after conservative treatment,other 36 patients were discharged and no obvious abnormality occured during the follow-up.Conclusions The diameters of SRV and IMV in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer can be significantly decreased significantly after neoadjuvant therapy.The diameters of SRV and IMV can be used as potential indices to evaluate the effects of neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer,and the SRV had a higher evaluation value.

Objective:To explore the independent risk factors of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in liver cirrhosis, and to establish and evaluate a risk prediction model for PVT in patients with cirrhosis.Methods:A total of 295 cases of cirrhosis hospitalized in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from December 2019 to October 2021 were divided into a modeling set ( n=207) and an internal validation set ( n=88) by the random number table. In addition, patients with cirrhosis hospitalized in Yichang Central People's Hospital, Wuhan Puren Hospital, No.2 People's Hospital of Fuyang City and People's Hospital of China Three Gorges University during the same period were collected as an external validation set ( n=92). The modeling set was divided into PVT group ( n=56) and non-PVT group ( n=151). Univariate analysis was used to preliminarily screen the related indicators of PVT, and then multivariate logistic regression analysis with forward stepwise regression was used to determine independent risk factors for PVT. A nomogram prediction model was constructed based on the independent risk factors obtained. The internal and external validation set were used to verify the predictive ability of the model. Distinction degree was used to evaluate the ability of the model to distinguish patients with or without PVT. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was used to evaluate the consistency between predicted risk and the actual risk of the model. Results:Univariate analysis showed that smoking, history of splenectomy, trans-jugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), gastrointestinal bleeding and endoscopic variceal treatment, and levels of hemoglobin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and D-dimer were significantly different between the PVT group and the non-PVT group ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that smoking ( P=0.020, OR=31.21, 95% CI: 1.71-569.40), levels of D-dimer ( P=0.003, OR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.04-1.20) and hemoglobin ( P=0.039, OR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.97-1.00), history of TIPS ( P=0.011, OR=18.04, 95% CI: 1.92-169.90) and endoscopic variceal treatment ( P=0.001, OR=3.21, 95% CI: 1.59-6.50) were independent risk factors for PVT in patients with liver cirrhosis. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the internal validation set was 0.802 (95% CI: 0.709-0.895) ( P<0.001), and the AUC for the external validation set was 0.811 (95% CI: 0.722-0.900) ( P<0.001). Both AUC were larger than 0.75. The calibration curve of Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed that the P values of both internal validation set ( χ2=3.602, P=0.891) and the external validation set ( χ2=11.025, P=0.200) were larger than 0.05. Conclusion:Smoking, history of TIPS or endoscopic variceal treatment, levels of D-dimer and hemoglobin are independent risk factors for PVT in patients with liver cirrhosis. The prediction nomogram model based on the above factors has strong predictive ability.

Bio-based polyamides are environment-friendly polymers. The precursors of bio-based polyamides come from bio-based materials such as castor oil, glucose and animal oil. Bio-based polyamides precursors include bio-based amino acids, bio-based lactams, bio-based diprotic acid and bio-based diamines. In this paper, we discussed the route of the precursors of bio-based polyamides that come from bio-based materials. We discussed the properties of bio-based polyamides. Bio-based PA11and bio-based PA1010 are well-known bio-based polyamides; we discussed the origin materials of the precursors, the route of manufacturing bio-based PA11 and PA1010, and their modifications status. The variety, classification and commercial production of bio-based polyamides were described in details, as well as bio-based polyamides development in China.
Animals ; Biotechnology ; Castor Oil ; China ; Glucose ; Nylons ; chemistry ; Polymers

Humans ; Consensus ; Liver Neoplasms/therapy* ; China

"The Expert Group on Tumor Ablation Therapy of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, The Tumor Ablation Committee of Chinese College of Interventionalists, The Society of Tumor Ablation Therapy of Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and The Ablation Expert Committee of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology" have organized multidisciplinary experts to formulate the consensus for thermal ablation of pulmonary subsolid nodules or ground-glass nodule (GGN). The expert consensus reviews current literatures and provides clinical practices for thermal ablation of GGN. The main contents include: (1) clinical evaluation of GGN, (2) procedures, indications, contraindications, outcomes evaluation and related complications of thermal ablation for GGN and (3) future development directions.
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