Silk fibroin (SF) and hydroxyapatite (HA) composite powders were synthesized from CaO, H3PO4 and SF solution on the principle of neutralization. SF/HA porous materials were prepared through adding silk short fibers and NaCI particles as reinforcing material and pore-forming agent respectively by isostatic compaction. The structure and mechanical properties of the SF/HA porous materials were investigated. Results indicated that short silk fibers in it could markedly enhance flexural strength and flexural breaking energy. The average pore diameter and porosity could be regulated from 64 μm to183 pm and from 55% to 75% respectively by adding pore-forming agent.

Objective To analyze the curative effects of different managements of different types of fracture of the first metacarpal basal body. Methods From October 1984 to October 2003, 142 patients with fracture of the first metacarpal basal body were treated with 5 different methods: manipulative reduction and fixation with abduction tooth arch, manipulative reduction and suspension traction, manipulative reduction and fixation with abduction frame, manipulative reduction and percutaneous internal fixation with Kirschner wire, as well as open reduction and internal fixation with Kirschner wire or screw. Results 80 patients were followed up. The therapeutic efficacy was excellent in 65 cases , good in 13 cases, poor in 2 cases. Conclusion Different types of fracture of the first metacarpal basal body can be treated satisfactorily if a suitable management is applied accordingly.

Nitrogen source is one of the important factors that affect the microalgae growth and lipid accumulation. We studied the effects of various nitrogen sources (i.e. NaNO3, CO(NH2)2, NH4Cl and CH3COONH4) and amount on the growth density, lipid yield, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content of Nannochloropsis oculata by single factor experimental method. The results show that N. oculata preferred NH4+ as nitrogen source rather than NO3- and CO(NH2)2. NH4+ could promote the growth and lipid accumulation of N. oculata. With the increase of nitrogen concentration, the biomass and the content of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) increased, but the content of lipid decreased. CH3COONH4 was the most suitable for growth, accumulation of lipid and EPA of N. oculata among the four investigated nitrogen sources. The optimal concentration was 5.29 mmol/L.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid ; metabolism ; Lipids ; biosynthesis ; isolation & purification ; Microalgae ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Nitrogen ; analysis ; metabolism ; Stramenopiles ; growth & development ; metabolism

Effects of carbon sources (Na2CO3, NaHCO3 and glucose) and concentration of NaHCO3 on the growth density and lipid contents of Nannochloropsis oculata were studied. N. oculata preferred inorganic carbon to glucose, the growth density and lipid content of algae cultured with NaHCO3 were higher than that with glucose. The effects of concentration of NaHCO3 on growth density and lipid content were related to inoculation density and nitrogen level. In high nitrogen level, the concentration of NaHCO3 had little effect on the growth density, but in low nitrogen level, the growth density increased at first, and then decreased with the increase of concentration of NaHCO3. Based on the results we suggest that an optimum ratio of carbon to nitrogen was existed. Furthermore, we found the optimum ratio was changed with inoculation density. The optimum ratio of carbon to nitrogen was 3 when inoculation density was OD440 of 0.10, the optimum ratio increased to 5 with OD440 of 0.70. Concentration of NaHCO3 and ratio of carbon to nitrogen had significant effects on the lipid content and productivity. Lipid content reached the highest value when the ratio of carbon to nitrogen was 1 with experimental range of nitrogen level and inoculation density. The lipid productivity was 56.7 mg/(L.d) , and the EPA productivity was 6.5 mg/(L.d) at optimum cultivation condition with NaHCO3 as carbon source, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen at 1, the concentration of NaNO3 at 0.225 g/L, and the inoculation density with OD440 of 0.70.
Carbon ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Culture Media ; Culture Techniques ; methods ; Fatty Acids ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Lipid Metabolism ; Microalgae ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Population Density ; Stramenopiles ; growth & development ; metabolism

PURPOSE: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory disorder of the upper airway. Exosomes or extracellular vesicles are nanosized vesicles of endosomal origin released from inflammatory and epithelial cells that have been implicated in allergic diseases. In this study, we characterized the microRNA (miRNA) content of exosomes in AR. METHODS: Extracellular vesicles were isolated from nasal mucus from healthy control subjects (n=10) and patients with severe AR (n=10). Vesicle RNA was analyzed by using a TaqMan microRNA assays Human Panel-Early Access kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA) containing probes for 366 human miRNAs, and selected findings were validated with quantitative RT-PCR. Target prediction and pathway analysis for the differentially expressed miRNAs were performed using DIANA-mirPath. RESULTS: Twenty-one vesicle miRNAs were up-regulated and 14 miRNAs were under-regulated significantly (P<0.05) in nasal mucus from AR patients when compared to healthy controls. Bioinformatic analysis by DIANA-mirPath demonstrated that 32 KEGG biological processes were significantly enriched (P<0.05, FDR corrected) among differentially expressed vesicle miRNA signatures. Among them, the B-cell receptor signaling pathway (P=3.709E-09), the natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity (P=8.466E-05), the T-cell receptor signaling pathway (P=0.00075), the RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway (P=0.00127), the Wnt signaling pathway (P=0.00130), endocytosis (P=0.00440), and salivary secretion (P=0.04660) were the most prominent pathways enriched in quantiles with differential vesicle miRNA patterns. Furthermore, miR-30-5p, miR-199b-3p, miR-874, miR-28-3p, miR-203, and miR-875-5p, involved in B-cell receptor and salivary secretion signaling pathways, were selected for validation using independent samples from 44 AR patients and 20 healthy controls. MiR-30-5p and miR-199b-3p were significantly increased in extracellular vesicles from nasal mucus when compared to healthy controls, while miR-874 and miR-28-3p were significantly down-regulated. In addition, miRNA-203 was significantly increased in AR patients, while miRNA-875-5p was found to be significantly decreased in AR patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that vesicle miRNA may be a regulator for the development of AR.
B-Lymphocytes ; Biological Processes ; Endocytosis ; Epithelial Cells ; Exosomes ; Humans ; MicroRNAs* ; Mucus* ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ; Rhinitis* ; RNA ; Wnt Signaling Pathway

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of maternal sex chromosomal abnormalities on the prediction of fetal sex chromosome abnormalities (SCAs) by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). METHODS: Thirty-six pregnant women with a prediction for fetal SCAs by NIPT were verified as false positive after prenatal diagnosis using amniotic fluid samples. With informed consent, these women were subjected to chromosomal karyotyping or copy number variations (CNVs) analysis through high-throughput sequencing. RESULTS: Sex chromosomal abnormalities were found in 8 women, which yielded an abnormal rate of 22.22% (8/36). Among these, 3 had sex chromosome aneuploidies (47, XXX), 4 had sex chromosome mosaicisms, and 1 carried structural chromosomal abnormalities. Reanalysis of the results of NIPT were consistent with the maternal CNVs by large. With the ratio of cffDNA (ChrX)/cffDNA was more than 2, 6 of the eight women were found to harbor sex chromosome abnormalities, and the fetal karyotype was normal. However, with a ratio of less than 2, only 2 of the 38 pregnant women had sex chromosome abnormalities, and 10 of the fetuses were confirmed as positive. CONCLUSION The presence of maternal sex chromosomal abnormalities can greatly influence the result of NIPT, which may also be an important reason for false prediction for fetal SCAs by NIPT. When NIPT indicates abnormal SCAs, it is necessary to analyze maternal sex chromosomes. The ratio of cffDNA(ChrX)/cffDNA may help to determine the source of abnormal signals.

Objective:To explore the polymorphism of the uridine diphosphateglucuronosyl transferase 1A1 ( UGT1A1) gene in children of multiple nationalities with etiology-unknown neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Qiubei County. Methods:Full-term neonates with unknown cause hyperbilirubinemia were collected.They were admitted to neonatal ward of Qiubei People′s Hospital from September 2017 to June 2018.All of them were performed UGT1A1 gene test. Results:A total of 100 neonates were enrolled in this study.Among them, 53 infants were Han, and others were minorities.Ten mutation sites of UGT1A1 gene were found.Five sites were never reported before and 4 sites could be pathogenic mutations.In addition, c.211G>A.was the most common genetic mutation, and 13 cases of homozygote and 32 cases of heterozygote were revealed by exome sequencing.The bilirubin levels of children with homozygote c. 211G>A were higher than those without the variation in this study and the differences were statistically significant ( t=2.621, P=0.008). The incidence of c. 211G>A mutation was similar between Han and minority nationalities.Among new-found mutations, c.1091C>CA heterozygous mutation was found in 19 children and in several nationalities, suggesting that this was a common UGT1A1 gene mutation in Qiubei County.Besides c. 211G>A and c. 1091C>CA were the most common variants.The incidence of c. 211G>A had no significant difference between Han and minority nationalities (χ 2=0.215, P=0.643). Neither had the incidence difference of c. 1091C>CA between Han and minority nationalities (χ 2=0.017, P=0.897). Conclusion:c. 211G>A and c. 1091C>CA mutations , which are distributed in both Han and minority nationalities, are common UGT1A1 mutations in Qiubei County.The distribution rate of c. 211G>A mutation is high in the population.The homozygous variation of c. 211G>A is associated with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Parkinson's disease(PD)is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world;however,it lacks effective and safe treatments.Ginkgo biloba dropping pill(GBDP),a unique Chinese G.biloba leaf extract preparation,exhibits antioxidant and neuroprotective effects and has a potential as an alternative therapy for PD.Thus,the aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of GBDP in in vitro and in vivo PD models and to compare the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of GBDP and the G.biloba extract EGb 761.Using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry,46 GBDP constitu-ents were identified.Principal component analysis identified differences in the chemical profiles of GBDP and EGb 761.A quantitative analysis of 12 constituents showed that GBDP had higher levels of several flavonoids and terpene trilactones than EGb 761,whereas EGb 761 had higher levels of organic acids.Moreover,we found that GBDP prevented 6-hydroxydopamine-induced dopaminergic neuron loss in zebrafish and improved cognitive impairment and neuronal damage in methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced PD mice.Although similar effects were observed after EGb 761 treatment,the neuroprotective effects were greater after GBDP treatment on several endpoints.In addition,in vitro results suggested that the Akt/GSK3β pathway may be involved in the neuroprotective effects of GBDP.These findings demonstrated that GBDP have potential neuroprotective effects in the treatment of PD.

OBJECTIVE To assess the performance of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) based on massive parallel sequencing. METHODS A total of 10 275 maternal blood samples were collected. Fetal chromosomal aneuploides were subjected to low coverage whole genome sequencing. Patients with high risks received further prenatal diagnosis. The outcome of all patients were followed up. RESULTS High-throughput sequencing detected 72 pregnancies with fetal autosomal chromosomal aneuploidy, including 57 cases of trisomy 21, 14 cases of trisomy 18, and 1 case of trisomy 13. The positive predictive value for trisomies 21 and 18 were 98.25% and 91.67%, respectively. Comparing its performance in intermediate or high risk pregnancies, advanced maternal age pregnancies and volunteering to test pregnancies, the positive predictive value were 100%, 95%, 90% and 50%, respectively. The follow up result was only 1 case of 21 trisomy false negative with high risk. For the 56 cases of trisomy 21, the high risk group accounted for 55%, advanced maternal age accounted for 29%, the intermediate risk referred to 14%, the volunteering to test group accounted for 2%. CONCLUSION The performance of NIPT for trisomies 21, 18 and 13 was satisfactory. The method can be used for women with advanced gestational age. NIPT has offered an ideal secondary screening method for those with an intermediate or high risk, and can reduce the rate of birth defects.

To explore the association between particulate matter (PM) and daily hospital visits of coronary heart diseases in Ningbo.Daily data of hospital visits from January 2014 to June 2015 (516 days in total) were obtained from the Yinzhou Health Information System in Ningbo. Daily air pollution data for PM and meteorological data were collected from the database of Ningbo Environmental Monitoring Center and Ningbo Meteorological Bureau. Time-series analysis by quasi-Poisson generalized additive model was used to examine the association between air pollution and hospital visits for coronary heart diseases by adjustment of long-term trends, seasonal patterns and meteorological variables (temperature, humidity), and day of week.An increase of an IQR of PMaccounted for 1.98% (95%:-0.59%-4.63%) increase of hospital visits for coronary heart diseases. The associations between PMand hospital visits for coronary heart diseases among female and the elderly (≥75 years) were stronger (=2.70%,95%:0.01%-5.47%;=3.35%, 95%0.12%-6.69%). The effects of PMattenuated after adjustment for PMPMhad short-term effects on daily hospital visits for coronary heart diseases in Ningbo, and such association was stronger among female and the elderly.
Age Factors ; Aged ; Air Pollutants ; adverse effects ; Air Pollution ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hospitals ; utilization ; Humans ; Humidity ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Particulate Matter ; adverse effects ; Seasons ; Sex Factors ; Temperature ; Time Factors