Objective To compare the image guided effect between CT and Ultrasound for percutaneous catheter drainage and sclerotherapy in the treatment of hepatic cysts.Methods 26 patients with hepatic cysts underwent percutaneous catheter drainage and sclerotherapy by CT guided.87 cases underwent percutaneous catheter drainage and sclerotherapy by Ultrasound guided.Results 53 cysts underwent percutaneous puncture with 132 times by CT guided,and 5 cysts underwent sclerotherapy were failed(10.1％).231 cysts underwent percutaneous puncture with 267 times by Ultrasound guided,and 5 cysts underwent sclerotherapy were failed(2.1％).The failed rate of the two groups had statistifically significant difference(x2 =39.6875,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion In the image guided technique for percutaneous catheter drainage and sclerotherapy in the treatment of hepatic cysts,Ultrasound had more advantages,high accuracy,real time visual,high success rate,less damage,economy and convenience than CT.

Objective To discuss the role of assistance of intraoperative uitrasonography in ret-roperitoneal laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery for renal tumors. Methods The intraoperative laparoscopic ultrasonography was applied in retroperitoneal nephron-sparing surgery for 20 patients, of whom 11 were men and 9 were women. The average age was 53(range 33 to 73) years. There were 12 patients with renal cell carcinoma and the mean tumor size was 2.9(range 1.4 to 4.6)cm in diame-ter. All of them were staged as T1 N0 M0. Seven patients had angiomyolipoma and the mean tumor size was 4.5(range 1.8 to 8.0)cm in diameter and 1 patient had a 3.1 cm oncocytoma in diameter. The ul-trasonography was used to locate the tumor, observe the bloodstream and detect whether there were small satellite tumors. The surgical time, time of renal artery occlusion and operative effect were ob-served. Results Laparoscopic surgery was successful in all cases without conversion to open surger-y. Mean operative time was 115 (range 85 to 270) min, mean time of renal artery occlusion was 28 (range 22 to 50) min. During the mean followup of 16(range 4 to 30) months, no patients with renal cell carcinoma had local or port site recurrence or metastatic disease. Conclusion In retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery, the intraoperative uhrasonography is helpful to locate the tumor in the surgery, to estimate whether the renal artery is occluded completely and to excise the tumor pre-cisely.

Objective To explore the relevance between gait speed and muscle strength of lower extremities, or several kinds of physical functional tests. Methods 341 community-dwelling individuals (160 males, 181 females) aged 65-94 years were selected. They were divided into suspected sarcopenia group (n=137) and normal group (n=204) by their gait speed less or more than 0.8 m/s. It was compared between both groups with the basic physical characteristics, strength of iliopsoas, quadriceps, hamstrings and tibialis anterior, and the scores of One Leg Standing Test, Berg Balance Scale, Functional Gait Assessment, Functional Stretch Test and Timed Up and Go Test. Results The subjects were older in the suspected sarcopenia group than in the normal group. The difference of body weight, height were not statistically significant between groups. The strength of the muscles in bilateral lower limbs was not significantly different between both groups (P>0.05), while the gait speed positively correlated with the strength of iliopsoas, quadriceps and hamstrings (r=0.121-0.227, P<0.05), but not with the tibialis anterior (P>0.05). Gait speed positively correlated with the scores of One Leg Standing Test, Berg Balance Scale, Functional Gait Assessment, Functional Stretch Test (P<0.05), and negatively correlated with the score of Timed Up and Go Test (r=-0.502, P<0.001). The scores of all the tests were significantly different between 2 groups (P<0.05), except that of Functional Stretch Test (P=0.28). Conclusion Sarcopenia diagnosis is not only depended on the strength of muscle of lower extremity, but also their functions.

Objective To translate the International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire for Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-MLUTS) and ICIQ-MLUTS long form (ICIQ-MLUTS LF) into Chinese and assess their metric properties and applicability.Methods After obtaining permission from the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ),original ICIQ-MLUTS and ICIQ-MLUTS LF were translated into Chinese according to ICIQ validation protocol and cultural adaptation guideline.During November 2017 to August 2018,Chinese version of ICIQ-MLUTS and ICIQ-MLUTS LF were tested by administering them in 6 and 12 hospitals in China respectively.To validate the translated questionnaires,the following tests were undertaken.The content validity was determined by indepth interviews with participants and experts.The correlation coefficients of ICIQ-MLUTS and ICIQ-MLUTS LF with International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) were assessed to validate criterion validity.Cronbach's alpha test was used to explore internal consistency.And the test-retest reliability was evaluated by calculation of intraclass correlation coefficient.Results In total,Chinese ICIQ-MLUTS and ICIQ-MLUTS LF were administrated to 135 and 230 male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms respectively.Both questionnaires had good content validity and good criterion validity with IPSS (Pearson correlation 0.846 and 0.833 for ICIQ-MLUTS and ICIQ-MLUTS LF respectively,both P ＜ 0.001).The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.797 for ICIQ-MLUTS,and 0.853 for ICIQ-MLUTS LF.Intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.986 and 0.985 respectively (both P ＜ 0.001),showing good test-retest reliability.Conclusions The Chinese version of ICIQ-MLUTS and ICIQ-MLUTS LF had good validity and reliability,which can be used to assess Chinese male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury(MIRI)in rats and elucidate its mechanism.Methods The SD rats were randomly di-vided into sham group,MIRI group,MOTS-c group and MOTS-c+PGC-1α inhibitor SR-18292 group(MOTS-c+SR-18292),with 10 rats in each group.The MIRI model was established by ligating the anterior descending branch of the coronary artery MOTS-c peptide(1 mg/kg),SR-18292(20 mg/kg)and equal volume concentration of 1％dimethyl sulfoxide were administered via tail vein at 1 h before operation and immediately after operation.At 24 h after surgery,TTC staining was used to observe myocardial infarction size.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of myocardial tissue.TUNEL staining was used to detect myocardial apoptosis.ELISA and biochemical kits were used to measure the levels of myocardial injury markers and oxidation indicators in serum of each group.The relative copy number of mtDNA in myocardial tissues was detected by qRT-PCR.The mitochondri-al biosynthesis-related protein expression levels in myocardial tissues were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with sham group,MIRI group had serious myocardial injury,myocardial infarction size and increased ap-optosis level(P＜0.05).The mtDNA relative copy number in myocardial tissue decreased(P＜0.05).The con-tents of CK-MB,LDH,cTnI in serum and MDA in myocardial tissue increased(P＜0.05).SOD content and PGC-1α,NRF-1 and TFAM protein expression levels in myocardial tissue decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with MIRI group,myocardial injury in MOTS-c group was significantly improved,myocardial infarction size and apopto-sis level decreased(P＜0.05).The mtDNA relative copy number in myocardial tissue increased(P＜0.05).The contents of CK-MB,LDH,cTnI in serum and MDA in myocardial tissue decreased(P＜0.05).The SOD content and the expression levels of PGC-1α,NRF-1 and TFAM in myocardial tissue increased(P＜0.05).Compared with MOTS-c group,the myocardial infarction size and apoptosis level of rats in MOTS-c+SR-18292 group in-creased(P＜0.05).The mtDNA relative copy number in myocardial tissue decreased(P＜0.05).The contents of CK-MB,LDH,cTnI in serum and MDA in myocardial tissue increased(P＜0.05).SOD content and PGC-1 α,NRF-1 and TFAM protein expression levels in myocardial tissue decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion MOTS-c peptide can improve myocardial injury in MIRI rats by promoting mitochondrial biosynthesis and inhibiting cardio-myocyte apoptosis,and its mechanism may be related to up-regulation of PGC-1α expression.

Objective To analyze the current status and influencing factors of elevated blood pressure among employees in a large petroleum refining enterprise in Hainan Province. Methods A total of 940 workers from a petroleum refining enterprise in Hainan Province was selected as the study subjects using the convenience sampling method. The results of their health status survey, occupational medical examination, and occupational stress measurement were collected. Results The detection rate of elevated blood pressure in the study subjects was 23.9% (225/940), with the detection rate of normal blood pressure and hypertension of 17.7% (166/940) and 6.3% (59/940), respectively. The detection rate of occupational stress was 28.8% (271/940). The result of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that workers aged 30 -<40, 40 -<50, and ≥50 years had a higher risk of elevated blood pressure than those aged <30 years after controlling for confounding factors such as gender, residential address, length of service, education level, personal monthly income, smoking status, physical exercise, salt intake, oil intake, occupational stress, and high temperature exposure (all P<0.05). Workers in the body mass index (BMI) overweight group and obese group had a higher risk of elevated blood pressure than those in the normal group (all P<0.05). The risk of elevated blood pressure was higher in workers who drinks than those who did not (P<0.05). Workers exposed to noise levels of 85-90 dB(A) had a lower risk of elevated blood pressure compared to those exposed to noise levels >90 dB(A) (P<0.05). Conclusion Age, BMI, drinking status, and noise exposure levels are independent influencing factors for elevated blood pressure among workers in this petroleum refining enterprise. Blood pressure management should be strengthened for workers aged ≥30 years, overweight, obesity, alcohol consumption and with noise exposure intensity > 90 dB(A).

Genome-scale metabolic network model (GSMM) is becoming an important tool for studying cellular metabolic characteristics, and remarkable advances in relevant theories and methods have been made. Recently, various constraint-based GSMMs that integrated genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and thermodynamic data have been developed. These developments, together with the theoretical breakthroughs, have greatly contributed to identification of target genes, systems metabolic engineering, drug discovery, understanding disease mechanism, and many others. This review summarizes how to incorporate transcriptomic, proteomic, and thermodynamic-constraints into GSMM, and illustrates the shortcomings and challenges of applying each of these methods. Finally, we illustrate how to develop and refine a fully integrated GSMM by incorporating transcriptomic, proteomic, and thermodynamic constraints, and discuss future perspectives of constraint-based GSMM.
Genome/genetics* ; Metabolic Engineering ; Metabolic Networks and Pathways/genetics* ; Models, Biological ; Proteomics

Urate oxidase (Uox), an enzyme catalyzing oxidation of uric acid to allantoin, is widely used as diagnostic reagents and for treatments of uarthritis and hyperuricemia diseases. In our study, a higher Uox producer, bacterial strain OUC-1, was isolated from soil samples. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain OUC-1 showed 99% identity to the homologous fragments of Bacillus fastidiosus. After purification, Uox showed the optimal pH and temperature was 10.0 and 40 °C. The Km value of Uox was (0.15±0.04) mmol/L (n=5) with uric acid as the substrate. Uox activity was enhanced by Mg²⁺, and seriously inhibited by Zn²⁺ and SDS. Then the uox gene of B. fastidiosus OUC-1 was amplified and sequenced. The 3D structures of Uox, predicted with SWISS-MODEL, showed a homotetramer structure with a subunit molecular weight of 35.38 kDa. Finally, the gene coding for the B. fastidiosus Uox was successfully cloned and heterologously expressed in E. coli, which provides theoretical basis and technical support for improvement of Uox in the future.

Objective : This experiment was carried out to study the effects of chronic inflammatory pain on the gut flora of mice by 16S rRNA high⁃throughput sequencing. Methods : Twelve specific pathogen free (SPF) C57BL/ 6J mice were randomly divided into CFA group and mock group , with 6 mice in each group. Chronic inflammatory pain model was established by intraplantar injection of CFA in the right posterior pelma of C57BL/6J mice. In the control group , normal saline was injected by intraplantar injection in the same position. Two weeks later, the mice were euthanized , and the feces in the colon were collected. The feces of two mice in the same group were mixed , detected and analyzed by 16S rRNA high⁃throughput sequencing technology. Results : Compared with mock group , the abundance and diversity of gut flora in CFA group decreased. The abundance of Firmicutes and TM7 increased at the phylum level , the abundance of Aerococcus , Lactobacillus and Desulfovibrio increased significantly at the fami ⁃ ly and genus level , while the abundance of Psychrobacter, Prevotella , Oscillospira and Bifidobacterium decreased significantly compared to mock group. In addition , many biomarkers were found from the level of the phylum to the genus. Conclusion The gut microflora structure , especially the dominant flora , has changed significantly in mice with chronic inflammatory pain , which can provide basis for the treatment of microecological imbalance caused by chronic inflammatory pain and the improvement of patients ′ negative emotions through“ gut brain axis”.

Background Workers engaged in benzene-exposed or benzene-containing solvent-exposed operations in China are predominantly subjected to a low concentration of benzene series compounds, and prolonged exposure to low concentrations of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) may have implications for blood pressure. Objective To investigate the influence of low-concentration BTX exposure on the blood pressure of workers, aiming to provide a basis for enterprises to devise associated health management strategies to mitigate the occurrence of hypertension among workers exposed to low concentrations of BTX. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, 884 workers from a petroleum refining enterprise in Hainan who participated in an occupational health examination in 2022 were selected as the study population, and were divided into an exposure group of 649 workers and a control group of 235 workers based on their reporting of BTX exposure or not. Data on workplace BTX concentrations and health examinations of the study subjects were collected and questionnaires were administered. In addition, S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA), hippuric acid (HA), and methyl hippuric acid (MHA, including the three isomers 2-MHA, 3-MHA, and 4-MHA) were measured in the urine of the workers using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to assess internal BTX burden. The effects of low-concentration BTX exposure on blood pressure were analyzed. Results In 2022, the concentrations of benzene, toluene, and xylene of all monitoring points did not exceeded the national limits by either time-weighted average (TWA) or short-term exposure limit (STEL), indicating low-concentration BTX exposure. Regarding the internal burden of BTX, the concentrations of benzene metabolite S-PMA, toluene metabolite HA, and xylene metabolites 3-MHA and 4-MHA in the urine samples in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between urinary S-PMA concentration and diastolic blood pressure in the workers (r=0.265, P < 0.05). Differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure distributions were statistically significant among workers grouped by sex, age, work years, educational levels, monthly income, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, dietary oil, and types of residential address (P < 0.05). Significant differences in systolic blood pressure distribution were observed among workers by smoking status and levels of labor intensity (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the workers in the exposure group exhibited a significant increase in diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05). The results of multiple linear regression showed that age, sex, and BMI had statistically significant effects on systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05), while age, work years, and BMI had statistically significant effects on diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05). The systolic blood pressure of age > 35 years, male, overweight and obese workers was significantly higher than that of age ≤ 35 years, female, and underweight workers, and the diastolic blood pressure of age > 35 years, work years > 5 years, and obese workers was higher than age ≤35 years, ≤5 years of service, and underweight workers. Low-concentration BTX exposure was one of the main influencing factors for elevated diastolic blood pressure, and the exposed workers showed a 1.337 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Low-concentration BTX exposure, work years > 5 years, and obesity may elevate blood pressure among petroleum refininig workers. Regular blood pressure monitoring and enhanced health interventions for this occupational group are warranted.