ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic performance of bone SPECT and CT fusion imaging in bone metastases from pediatric neuroblastoma.MethodsTwenty-four pediatric patients with neuroblastoma were included in this retrospective study.All patients underwent planar imaging and SPECT integrated with CT.Lesion visibility,diagnostic certainty and diagnostic performance were evaluated with KolmogorovSmirnov test andx2 test.ResultsLesion visibility of SPECT alone,SPECT integrated with CT were significantly better than that of planar imaging ( both H =69.000,P ＜ 0.05 ).SPECT and CT fusion imaging,SPECT alone both detected five more bone lesions than planar bone imaging (77 vs 72).The diagnostic accuracy of SPECT imaging (62.34％,48/77 )was significantly higher than that of planar imaging (45.45％,35/77; x2 =4.416,P ＜ 0.05 ).The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of SPECT and CT fusion imaging for diagnosing malignant bone lesions were significantly higher than those of planar imaging:82.35％ (42/51) vs 53.19％ ( 25/47),88.46％ ( 23/26 ) vs 40.00％ ( 10/25 ),84.42％ ( 65/77 ) vs 45.45％ (35/77 ; x2 =12.571,14.016,25.667,all P ＜ 0.01 ).The diagnostic specificity and accuracy of SPECT and CT fusion imaging were significantly higher than those of SPECT alone ( 53.85％,14/26 ;62.34％,48/77) (x2 =7.589,9.606,both P ＜0.01 ).However,there was no significant difference of sensitivity between the two methods (x2 =2.942,P ＞ 0.05 ).Diagnostic certainty by SPECT and CT fusion imaging was significantly higher than that by SPECT alone ( H =28.000,P ＜ 0.05 ) and by planar imaging (H =21.000,P ＜ 0.05).ConclusionSPECT and CT fusion imaging can detect more bone lesions in patients with pediatric neuroblastoma.It is helpful for diagnosing bone metastases from pediatric neuroblastoma.

Objective To investigate the effect of perinatal bisphenol A BPA exposure on brain development of F1 male offspring. Methods Pregnant SD rats were given BPA at 2 20 and 100 mg/kg body weight per day respectively from eleventh day of gestation to the whole lactation by gavage until their pups were weaned on postnatal day 21  the control group had no BPA exposure. Every six F1 male pups from each of the four groups were killed at differential time points on postnatal day 1510152130 and 45 respectively. Histopathological examination by HE stain was done on the brains. Results The results showed no abnormal change was found on postnatal day 1-10. Three dosage groups showed abnormal change of different degree on 15th 21th 30th postnatal day the mainly abnormal change was karyopyknosis of pyramidal cell in CA3 of hippocampus and cortical neuron in cerebral cortex. The cell numbers of pyramidal cell in CA3 of hippocampus and cerebral cortex were decreased on 45th postnatal day. Conclusion Perinatal BPA exposure may have an adverse effect on the brain developmnent of F1 male offspring.

Three strains having degrading poly(?-hydroxybutyrate)(PHB) activity were isolated from activated sludge of different ecological environments and areas,named DS9701, DS9710 and DS9713.The properties of PHB depolymerase produced by DS9701, DS9710 and DS9713 were studied. All the PHB depolymerases are extracellular enzyme and are induced enzyme. The time that enzyme activities of the PHB depolymerases reach the maximum is 96 hours after inoculation. The apparent optimal temperature range for crude enzymes extract is 40℃～45℃.

A multiplex real-time PCR was developed to detect ctxA of Vibrio cholerae, gyrB and tdh of Vibrio parahaemolyticus simultaneously. The multiplex real-time PCR were evalidated by detection for the three genes in 47 toxigenic V. cholerae O1 and O139 strains (ctxA+; O1=3, O139=44), 25 non-toxigenic V. cholerae strains (ctxA-; O1=12, O139=6, non-O1 and non-O139=7), 116 V. parahaemolyticus strains with or without tdh (73 or 43) and 9 other bacteria strains. The specificity and sensitivity of the multiplex real-time PCR in detection for the ctxA and the tdh genes in the strains tested were both 100.0%, compared to the results by routine PCRs. In the detection for V. parahaemolyticus specific gyrB using the multiplex real-time PCR, all of 116 V. parahaemolyticus strains were positive, and 9 other strains and 72 V. cholerae strains were all negative. The multiplex real-time PCR is a sensitive, specific and quick assay not only for detecting virulence genes of V. cholerae and V. parahaemolyticus but also for identifying V. parahaemolyticus at species level. In addition, two real-time PCRs for detection of V. parahaemolyticus virulence genes trh1 and trh2 were also developed.

AIM:To assess changes of tear film function in patients after pterygium excision combined with amniotic membrane transplantation.
METHODS:Totally 126 patients with pterygium excision with amniotic membrane transplantation from January 2011 to November 2013 were entered in the study. The tear breakup time ( BUT) , the Schirmer I test ( SⅠt) and tear ferning test ( TFT ) were elevated in the patients before and after pterygium excision combined with amniotic membrane transplantation. The examnation times were 1d before surgey, 1wk, 1, 2mo after surgery. Operation eyes were studied group, while opposite healthy eyes as control group.
RESULTS: Compared with the control group, BUT and TFT were significantly different in the eyes with pterygium (P<0. 05); However, no obvious difference was detected in the results of SⅠt (P>0. 05). The results of BUT and TFT at 1mo after surgery in study group were significantly better than 1wk (P<0. 05), while no significant difference compared with 2mo (P>0. 05); The tear film stability in the study group at 1wk after surgery was still inferior to the control group (P<0. 05) and there was no significant difference at 1, 2mo after surgery (P all>0. 05). SⅠt results did not differ between the different examination times(P>0. 05).
CONCLUSION:Tear film stability was broken in the eyes with pterygium. Pterygium excision combined with amniotic membrane transplantation can obviously restore the tear film function into normal state, and the tear film function could reach steady-state 1mo after surgery.

The replication of DNA is a complex biological process that is essential for life.Bacterial DNA replication is initiated at genomic loci referred to as replication origins(oriCs).Integrating the Z-curve method,DnaA box distribution,and comparative genomic analysis,we developed a web server to predict bacterial oriCs in 2008 called Ori-Finder,which is helpful to clarify the character-istics of bacterial oriCs.The oriCs of hundreds of sequenced bacterial genomes have been annotated in the genome reports using Ori-Finder and the predicted results have been deposited in DoriC,a manually curated database of oriCs.This has facilitated large-scale data mining of functional ele-ments in oriCs and strand-biased analysis.Here,we describe Ori-Finder 2022 with updated predic-tion framework,interactive visualization module,new analysis module,and user-friendly interface.More species-specific indicator genes and functional elements of oriCs are integrated into the updated framework,which has also been redesigned to predict oriCs in draft genomes.The inter-active visualization module displays more genomic information related to oriCs and their functional elements.The analysis module includes regulatory protein annotation,repeat sequence discovery,homologous oriC search,and strand-biased analyses.The redesigned interface provides additional customization options for oriC prediction.Ori-Finder 2022 is freely available at http://tubic.tju.edu.cn/Ori-Finder/and https://tubic.org/Ori-Finder/.

OBJECTIVETo understand the genetic polymorphism and population difference of locus DYF155S1 on human Y chromosome.

METHODSUsing minisatellite variant repeat mapping-polymerase chain reaction (MVR-PCR), automated fluorescence detection, DNA sequence analysis, the authors studied the locus DYF155S1 of two chimpanzee and 10 human subjects from each of the following 8 groups: Northern China Hans, Southern China Hans, the Zang (Tibetan) nationality, the Uighur nationality, Japanese, Korean, Black African, White African.

RESULTSIn this study, loci DYF155S1 and DYF155S2 have been detected. There is no difference in all of the samples on the locus DYF155S2; each sample contains one type 4 repeat unit, which is the ancestor gene of locus DYF155S1. On locus DYF155S1, each individual has its specific DNA sequence. The arrangement of the repeat units differs greatly in races: arrangement 3134 in the yellow race, arrangement 134 in the white race, and arrangement null3a1a4a4 in the black race were most common. The average number of the type 4 repeat unit in the white race is much higher than that in the yellow race. The authors also found two new types of repeat unit: type 6 and type 7. Type 6 is the result of the T22A substitution on type 1, which was observed in Japanese (3 samples). Type 7 is resulted from the T22A substitution on type 3, which was observed in the Zang nationality (4 samples), Southern China Hans(1 sample), and Korean (1 sample).

CONCLUSIONLocus DYF155S1 has great genetic polymorphism and obvious population difference. Its significance should receive more attention in forensic science and human genetics research.

Animals ; Humans ; Pan troglodytes ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Y Chromosome

Blood Gas Analysis ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; instrumentation ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Pneumonia ; blood ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Respiration

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of salvia miltiorrhiza injection (SM) on gentamicin (GM)-induced expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms in guinea pig cochlea, and to explore the protective mechanism of SM on GM-induced ototoxicity.

METHODS40 guinea pigs were randomly assigned to 4 groups: control group, GM group, SM group and GM plus SM group. Expression of NOS isoforms in the guinea pig cochlea was detected by the SABC method of immunohistochemistry and microscope image analysis technique. Auditory threshold was tested by auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurement.

RESULTSInducible NOS (iNOS/NOS II) expression and ABR threshold in GM plus SM group were both significantly declined as compared with those in GM group (P < 0.01). Moreover, change of iNOS expression was in high correlation with that of ABR threshold ([r] > 0.7, P < 0.01). While expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS/NOS I) and endothelial NOS (eNOS / NOS III) showed no significant differences in all groups.

CONCLUSIONSM had no effect on the expression of nNOS and eNOS, but could inhibit iNOS high-expression induced by GM to reduce excessive generation of NO, therefore SM could protect against GM ototoxicity.

Animals ; Cochlea ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gentamicins ; toxicity ; Guinea Pigs ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

The paper is to establish a method for simultaneous determination of 5 kinds of alkaloids in ephedra and poppy which are in Kechuanning tablets. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was adopted in pretreatment, and a UPLC method with 2 different wavelengths had been developed: 210 nm for the detection of morphine, codeine phosphate, ephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, and 251 nm for papaverine hydrochloride. The column used was Acquity UPLC BEH C18 (100 mm x 2.1 mm ID, 1.7 microm) with linear gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid. The flow rate was 0.4 mL.min-1, and the column temperature was 30 degrees C. The linear response range was 0.375 0 - 12.50 microg.mL-1 for morphine, 0.064 32 - 2.144 microg.mL-1 for codeine phosphate, 0.030 06 - 1.002 microg.mL-1 for papaverine hydrochloride, 1.126 - 37.52 microg.mL-1 for ephedrine hydrochloride, 0.287 8 - 9.592 microg.mL-1 for pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (r = 0.999 7). The average recoveries of these compounds were 99.26%, 100.6%, 95.29%, 100.1% and 97.48%, respectively. This is a more reasonable and credible method of quality control for Kechuanning tablets.
Alkaloids ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Codeine ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ephedra ; chemistry ; Ephedrine ; analysis ; Morphine ; analysis ; Papaver ; chemistry ; Papaverine ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pseudoephedrine ; analysis ; Quality Control ; Solid Phase Extraction ; Tablets