Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is the pathogen of banana bunchy top disease (BBTD); it seriously disserves the banana production. This paper reviewed the separation and purification methods, classifying and taxonomy status of BBTV; the genome structure and function of each encode protein of the virus; and the present problems that should be further clarified.

OBJECTIVETo establish a stable rat experimental model of concealed penis for studying the effect of buried penis on the structure and function of the corpus cavernosum.

METHODSNinety male SD rats, aged 2 weeks, were randomly divided into 3 groups (A, B and C) of equal number. Groups A and B underwent surgery with intra-purse suture of the penile root and folding suture of the prepuce, respectively, to bury the penis, while Group C were included as sham operation controls.

RESULTSIn Group A, death resulted in 4 cases from acute post-operative urine retention, failure in burying the penis occurred in 5 cases because of soft tissue ulceration around the urethral orifice and in another 3 due to loose concealment. In Group B, 1 died from deep anesthesia and 2 from acute post-operative urine retention. With the penile development and erection, 7 in Group A and 10 in Group B protruded the penis in different stages. In Group C, 1 died from deep anesthesia. The operations succeeded in all the other rats in Groups A and B, with the success rates of 36.7% and 56.7%, respectively. And the concealment could be relieved any time during the experiment.

CONCLUSIONThe experimental rat model of concealed penis can be successfully established by both intra-purse suture of the penile root and folding suture of the prepuce, which is stable and similar to the natural course of this disorder in human.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Male ; Penis ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Urogenital Abnormalities

OBJECTIVETo explore the influence of buried penis on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity of the corpus cavernosum in rats.

METHODSThe experimental model of concealed penis was established by intra-pocket-suture of the root of the penis. Two hundred and forty rats were equally randomized into a 2, a 4 and a 6 months group, each further divided into a buried (n = 50), a sham operation (n = 15) and a normal subgroup (n = 15). The development of the corpus cavernosum was surveyed by measuring its weight and the ratio to the body weight, followed by determination of NOS activity in the corpus cavernosum by spectrophotometry.

RESULTSNo significant differences were found in the corpus cavernosum weight, the body weight and their ratio among the buried, sham operation and normal groups in any experimental stage (P > 0.05). Buried penis decreased NOS activity in the 4- and 6-month groups (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) compared with the normal group, but effected no significant change in the 2-month group.

CONCLUSIONBuried penis decreases the NOS activity of the corpus cavernosum in a positively time-related manner, but with no significant influence on its appearance and weight.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Erectile Dysfunction ; enzymology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Penis ; abnormalities ; enzymology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spectrophotometry

Objective To analyze and estimate the possibility of early control in Shanghai if COVID-19 had begun in Shanghai. Methods Comparison was made in the processes of early control between H7N9 avian influenza in Shanghai in 2013 and COVID-19 in Wuhan in 2019.The early incidence data of Korean COVID-19 was simulated and analyzed to predict whether the medical resources needed in Shanghai were available. Results If it had occurred in Shanghai, it would have taken 22 days from the first case to the government′s emergency response.It was estimated that there would have been 602-763 patients with cumulative onset and onset after incubation period.At least 500 beds of infectious diseases could have been allocated in Shanghai in case of emergency.Through adding beds and resources reallocation in the whole city, patients could have been fully admitted and treated. Conclusion If COVID-19 epidemic had occurred in Shanghai, it′s early control would have been possible though there might have difficulties.

BACKGROUNDWhile the abnormal appearance of the concealed penis has been well recognized, the effect of buried penis on the structure and function of corpus cavernosum has not been well studied. To explore this issue, we established a rat model and evaluated the effect of buried penis on cavernosum weight, contents and ultrastructure of tissue, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity.

METHODSTwo hundred and ten rats were randomly divided into 3 equal cohorts for 2, 4 and 6 months study (groups A, B and C). Each group was randomly divided into buried group (n = 40), control group (n = 15), and normal group (n = 15), respectively. Intra-purse-string suture of the root of the penis was used to establish the model. Macroscopic development was judged by measuring the weight of the corpus cavernosum. Masson's trichrome staining was performed for observing microstructure while a transmission electron microscope was used for observing ultrastructure. The NOS activity was detected by a NOS activity assay kit.

RESULTSBuried penis had no significant influence on the appearance and weight of the corpus cavernosum. Buried penis resulted in decreased smooth muscle content (P > 0.05 in group A, and P < 0.05 in groups B and C) and increased fibrous connective tissue content (P > 0.05 in groups A and B, and P < 0.05 in group C) compared with the normal and control groups. Ultrastructural abnormalities of corpus cavernosum were observed in the 6-month buried group. Moreover, there was decrease of NOS activity in groups B and C (P < 0.05 in group B and P < 0.01 in group C) when compared with the normal and control groups.

CONCLUSIONBuried penis affects the structure and function of corpus cavernosum in rats and the effect is positively correlated with the buried time, but there is no significant effect on the macroscopic development.

Animals ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Penis ; anatomy & histology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Refractory gelastic seizure is one of the most common clinical manifestations in patients with hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) and HH is usually regarded as the epileptogenic focus. A young female patient with a small HH and refractory seizures is reported here. However, both the seizure semiology and results of electroencephalogram monitoring indicated the right temporal region was the epileptogenic focus. Thus a standard right anterior temporal lobectomy was performed while the hamartoma preserved. There was a marked improvement in both seizure frequency and quality of life during a 13-month follow-up. The outcome supported the concept that independent epileptogenic focus outside of the hypothalamus might occur in patients with HH.
Adult ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Hamartoma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Hypothalamic Diseases ; diagnosis ; surgery

Adult ; Female ; Heart Neoplasms ; pathology ; Hemangioendothelioma ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the detection effect of Legionella pollution in spring water by three methods, namely traditional plating method, fluorescent quantitation PCR method and ethidium monoazide (EMA) fluorescent quantitation PCR method.

METHODSEvery month (except May), we collected 11 water samples from the 5 selected hot spring pools in one hot spring resort in Beijing in 2011. A total of 121 water samples were collected, and then were detected by the above three methods qualitatively and quantitatively.

RESULTSIn our study, the Legionella pollution rate was separately 74.4% (90/121), 100.0% (121/121) and 100.0% (121/121) by the above three methods. The quantitative value of Legionella in the 121 water samples detected by the three methods were around 0.10-216.00 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml, 1.47-1557.75 gene units (GU)/ml and 0.20-301.69 GU/ml, respectively. The median (25th and 75th percentiles) was 75.30 (32.51-192.10) GU/ml, 36.46 (16.08-91.21) GU/ml and 5.30 (0.00-33.70) CFU/ml, respectively. The difference in the quantitative value of Legionella detected by the three methods showed statistical significance (χ(2) = 187.900, P < 0.01). The quantitative value of Legionella detected by fluorescent quantitation PCR method was the highest, followed by the value Legionella detected by EMA-fluorescent quantitation PCR method and traditional plating method.

CONCLUSIONThe sensitivity of the PCR methods was higher than traditional plating method, in detecting Legionella pollution in spring water, especially the EMA- fluorescent quantitation PCR method, which was more suitable for detecting Legionella in water.

Environmental Monitoring ; methods ; Hot Springs ; microbiology ; Legionella ; classification ; isolation & purification ; Microbiological Techniques ; Water Microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the oxidative damage to lung tissue and peripherial blood in PM2.5-treated rats.

METHODSPM2.5 samples were collected using an auto-sampling instrument in summer and winter. Treated samples were endotracheally instilled into rats. Activity of reduced glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) were used as oxidative damage biomarkers of lung tissue and peripheral blood detected with the biochemical method. DNA migration length (microm) and rate of tail were used as DNA damage biomarkers of lung tissue and peripheral blood detected with the biochemical method.

RESULTSThe activity of GSH-Px and the concentration of MDA in lung tissue significantly decreased after exposure to PM2.5 for 7-14 days. In peripheral blood, the concentration of MDA decreased, but the activity of GSH-Px increased 7 and 14 days after experiments. The two indicators had a dose-effect relation and similar changing tendency in lung tissue and peripheral blood. The DNA migration length (microm) and rate of tail in lung tissue and peripheral blood significantly increased 7 and 14 days after exposure to PM2.5. The two indicators had a dose-effect relation and similar changing tendency in lung tissue and peripheral blood.

CONCLUSIONPM2.5 has a definite oxidative effect on lung tissue and peripheral blood. The activity of GSH-Px and the concentration of MDA are valuable biomarkers of oxidative lung tissue damage induced by PM2.5. The DNA migration length (microm) and rate of tail are simple and valuable biomarkers of PM2.5-induced DNA damage in lung tissues and peripheral blood. The degree of DNA damage in peripheral blood can predict the degree of DNA damage in lung tissue.

Animals ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Drug Administration Routes ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Lung ; drug effects ; pathology ; Lung Diseases ; blood ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Particle Size ; Particulate Matter ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Seasons

AIMTo observe the antiproliferative effect of antisense recombinant adenoviral vector for c-myc on rat thymus lymphocytes.

METHODSAntisense and sense bacterial plasmids for c-myc were constructed. Bacterial plasmids and El detected adenoviral plasmid were cotransfected into 293 cells. Recombinant adenoviral vectors were obtained after cotransfection. The antiproliferative effects were assayed by MTS. The expression of c-myc mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe results showed that antisense recombinant adenoviral vector for c-myc could inhibit rat thymus lymphocytes proliferation. The expression of c-myc mRNA was decreased after antisense recombinant adenoviral vector for c-myc was transfected into cells.

CONCLUSIONRecombinant antisense adenoviral vector for c-myc could inhibit rat thymus lymphocytes proliferation.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Antisense Elements (Genetics) ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Genes, myc ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; Rats ; Thymus Gland ; cytology