Miscanthus sinensis Anderss is a perennial C4-grass. It is a promising bioenergy plant, which has been proposed as general feedstock for biomass and lignocellulosic biofuel production. In this study, the flower and leaf buds transcriptomes of Miscanthus sinensis Anderss were sequenced by the platform of Illumina HiSeq 2000. In total 98 326 Unigenes were generated by de novo assembly with an average length of 822 bp and N50 of 1 023 bp. Based on the NR, NT, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, GO and COG databases (Evalue < le-5), 74 134 (75.40%) Unigenes were annotated. A total of 45 507 Unigenes were mapped into different GO terms. In KEGG pathways identification, 36 710 sequences were assigned to 128 KEGG pathways. Sorghum bicolor (37 731, 60.86%), Zea mays (16 258, 26.22%), and Oryza sativa (3 065, 4.94%) showed high similarity to Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. And 24 photosynthesis-related enzyme genes were identified. The result provides a foundation for further characterizing the functional genes in Miscanthus sinensis Anderss.
Biofuels ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Genes, Plant ; Poaceae ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Plant ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Transcriptome

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Qilin Pills combined with clomiphene on idiopathic oligoasthenospermia.

METHODSWe randomly assigned 300 patients with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia to a trial (n = 156) and a control group (n = 144) to be treated with Qilin Pills (6 g, tid) combined with clomiphene (50 mg, qd) and clomiphene alone (50 mg, qd), respectively, both for a course of 12 weeks. Before and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of medication, we determined sperm concentration, the percentages of grade a and grade a + b sperm, sperm motility, and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone (T), followed by evaluation of the clinical efficacy of Qilin Pills with the pregnancy rate in the patients' spouses as the secondaty therapeutic indexes.

RESULTSCompared with the baseline, both groups of patients showed remarkably improved semen parameters and hormone levels after treatment (all P < 0.01). After 4, 8, and 12 weeks of medication, statistically significant differences were observed between the trial and control groups in sperm concentration ([17.06 ± 2.24] vs [15.07 ± 2.48], [22.10 ± 2.65] vs [18.11 ± 2.97], and [28.13 ± 3.59] vs [21.21 ± 3.60] x 10(6)/mL, P < 0.01), the percentage of grade a sperm ([15.03 ± 2.39] vs [13.08 ± 2.51], [21.08 ± 3.16] vs [16.04 ± 3.05], and [28.08 ± 4.70] vs [20.14 ± 4.74]%, P < 0.01), the percentage of grade a + b sperm ([30.10 ± 5.07] vs [26.21 ± 3.96], [38.08 ± 5.64] vs [30.07 ± 4.80], and [48.04 ± 6.49] vs [35.28 ± 4.77]%, P < 0.01), sperm motility ([42.04 ± 4.86] vs [40.29 ± 4.19], [52.05 ± 5.58] vs [48.03 ± 4.40], and [65.03 ± 5.13] vs [56.67 ± 4.99]%), the FSH level ([7.75 ± 1.38] vs [7.20 ± 1.17], [10.83 ± 1.23] vs [9.10 ± 1.32], and [14.22 ± 0.84] vs [12.06 ± 1.45] IU/L, P < 0.01), the LH level ([10.05 ± 1.68] vs [9.18 ± 1.54], [13.96 ± 1.68] vs [11.99 ± 1.71], and [19.01 ± 2.42] vs [15.86 ± 2.08] IU/L, P < 0.01) and the T level ([19.19 ± 192] vs [18.34 ± 1.79] [21.06 ± 1.63] vs [20.06 ± 1.56], and [24.63 ± 1.06] vs [22.03 ± 1.49] nmol/L, P < 0.01). The pregnancy rate in the patients' spouses was significantly higher in the trial than in the control group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks (1.92 vs 0.69, 4.81 vs 3.47, and 11.54 vs 8.33%, P < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in drug tolerance between the two groups (P > 0.05). No obvious adverse reactions were observed.

CONCLUSIONQilin Pills combined with clomiphene can evidently improve the seminal quality and hormone level of oligoasthenospermia patients with no obvious adverse events. However, its long-term efficacy and tolerance deserve further clinical investigation.

Asthenozoospermia ; blood ; drug therapy ; Clomiphene ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fertility Agents ; therapeutic use ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Semen ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; Testosterone ; blood

OBJECTIVETo assess the value of rheumatoid factors IgM-RF, IgA-RF, IgG-RF, interleukin-1 receptor type I (IL-1RI) and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSIgM-RF, IgA-RF, IgG-RF, IL-1RI and CDK2 were detected in 47 patients with active RA, 47 with inactive RA, 20 with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 20 with inactive SLE, 20 with acute upper respiratory tract infection (AURTI), and 20 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IgM-RF, IgA-RF, IgG-RF, IL-1RI) and time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (CDK2).

RESULTSPatients with active and inactive RA showed significant differences in peripheral serum CDK2 and IgA-RF levels (P<0.05). Between active and inactive RA patients, RA patients and SLE patients, RA patients and AURTI patients, and RA patients and the control subjects, the area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was 0.561, 0.814, 0.799, and 0.888 for IgM-RF, 0.596, 0.678, 0.729, and 0.850 for IgA-RF, 0.614, 0.718, 0.692, and 0.791 for IgG-RF, 0.646, 0.691, 0.762, and 0.835 for IL-1RI, 0.803, 0.753, 0.741, and 0.840 for CDK2, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSIgM-RF may have high value in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of RA, and CDK2 can be useful for differential diagnosis between active and inactive RA.

Adult ; Area Under Curve ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; blood ; diagnosis ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; ROC Curve ; Receptors, Interleukin-1 Type I ; blood ; Rheumatoid Factor ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate drug resistance, genotype and serotype of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) naive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODSFull-length reverse transcriptase region of HBV DNA was amplified by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction from 97 NA-naive CHB patients, and the PCR product was sequenced, and analyzed to screen 11 classical antiviral drug resistance mutation sites and to identify HBV genotypes, subgenotypes and serotypes.

RESULTSWild-type sequences were found at all of the 11 classical antiviral drug resistance mutation sites from all samples. The patients were infected with either genotype B (36.1%, 35/97) or C (63.9%, 62/97) HBV. The former were all belonged to subgenotype B2 strain; while the latter were divided further into subgenotype C2 (91.9%, 57/62), subgenotype C1 (6.5%, 4/62) and unknown subgenotype (1.6%, 1/62). The 71.9% (23/32) of HBV genotype B patients were born in southern China, while 81.6% (40/49) of HBV genotype C patients were from northern China, showing a clear geographic distribution (Chi-square test = 23.19, Probability value less than 0.01). Of 97 CHB patients, 59 (60.8%) were serotype adr associated with genotype C, while 37 (38.1%) were adw related to genotype B (subgenotype B2) (Chi-square test = 87.83, P less than 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe wild-type HBV strains prevail in NA-naive CHB patients, whose HBV genotypes, subgenotypes and serotypes are associated with their places of birth.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; genetics ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Hepatitis B virus ; classification ; genetics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nucleotides ; therapeutic use ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Serotyping ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDIn the years around 1990, in Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University many children with infantile hemiplegia and intractable epilepsy were treated with further modified anatomical hemispherectomy. We report the follow up of the first six cases. To make good use of these precious clinical data and make clear their neuropsychological state, we performed neuropsychological and neurophysiological measurements in these patients, who were at a median of 17.8 years after hemispherectomy.

METHODSOddball task was given to the patients and to a normal control group to collect the peak latency (PL) and peak amplitude (PA) of event-related potentials (ERPs)-P300. The P300 data of the two groups were analyzed and the P300 patterns of the six patients are presented. The baseline characteristics and long-term follow-up of the six hemispherectomized patients, especially the long-term seizure control and cognitive function after surgery, are described.

RESULTSFive patients had no seizures and one was almost seizure-free during the years after surgery. Clear P300 was obtained from every electrode in the patients. Differences of P300 between patients and normal control group had no statistical significance. And the maximum PA was at the site of electrode Pz or Cz which was consistent with that of the control group and with previous findings.

CONCLUSIONSFurther modified anatomical hemispherectomy has preferable long-term antiepileptic effects. The P300 results of the patients mean that the basic cognitive function of the patients has no difference from the control group. This reflects the plasticity of the hemisphere to some extent and increases the affirmation of the long-term curative effects of further modified anatomical hemispherectomy from both neuropsychological and neurophysiological aspects.

Adult ; Disease-Free Survival ; Event-Related Potentials, P300 ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemispherectomy ; Humans ; Male ; Seizures ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the performance of BNII auto-analyzer system in detecting C3 and C4.

METHODSCLSI protocols (EP15-A, EP6-A, EP9-A2) and other relevant literatures were use to or evaluate the precision, accuracy, linearity of C3 and C4 detection by the auto-analyzer system, and the results were compared with the recognized standards.

RESULTSThe relative bias of C3 and C4 was less than one third of the CLIA'88 standard and the precision met the clinical requirement. The results tested by DADE BNII system were not compatible with those by Roche Modular System. C3 showed good linearity in the tests (R2>0.975, P<0.05) with a linearity range of 0.18-5.1 g/L. The linearity of C4 was not available because of lack of high-level samples.

CONCLUSIONThe performances of DADE BNII System basically meet the recognized standards in clinical detection of C3 and C4, but the method comparison needs further validation.

Autoanalysis ; methods ; Blood Chemical Analysis ; instrumentation ; methods ; Complement C3 ; analysis ; Complement C4 ; analysis ; Humans ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; instrumentation ; methods ; Proteins ; analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objective To investigate the optimal concentration and site for ozoneadministration to relieve neuropathic pain in rats. Methods Twenty-four adult male rats with sciaticnerve injury (SNI) were randomized equally into 4 groups, and received ozone injections for analgesia atdifferent sites, namely the operative site, the sciatic nerve, the L5 spinal nerve or the operative site inaddition to the L5 spinal nerve. Another 4 groups of rats with SNI (n=6) had ozone injections at theconcentrations of 40, 50, 60, or 70 μg/mL, all administered at both the operative site and the L5 spinalnerve. The analgesic effects of the ozone injections were evaluated using paw withdrawal threshold test inall the rats. Results In rats with ozone injection at both the operative field and the L5 spinal nerve, themechanical pain threshold was significantly increased in comparison with that in rats with injections atother sites (P<0.05), but different doses of ozone simultaneously injected at the two sites did not producesignificant differences in the pain threshold (P>0.05). Conclusion Ozone produces obvious analgesiceffects in rats with SNI-induced neuropathic pain when injected at both the operative site and thespinal nerve, and ozone within the concentration range from 40 to 70 μg/mL has similar analgesic effect.

Objective To evaluate the effect of Premarin and Kuntai capsule (a traditional Chinese patent medicine) on the quality of life (QOL) and their cost-utility in early postmenopausal women. Methods Fifty-seven women with menopausal syndrome in the early postmenopausal stage were randomly allocated into Premarin group (0.3 mg/day and 0.6 mg/day alternately, n=29) and Kuntai group (4 g/day, n=28). The therapies lasted for one year and the patients were followed up every 3 months. The QOL of the patients was evaluated and the utility scores were obtained from rating scale to conduct a cost-utility analysis (CUA). Results At each follow-up examination, no significant difference was found in the QOL between the two groups (P>0.05). The QOL obviously increased after the 1-year-long therapy in both the groups, and Kuntai required longer treatment time than Premarin to take effect. The cost-utility ratio of Premarin and Kuntai were 13581.45 yuan/QALY (quality adjusted life year) and 25105.12 yuan/QALY, respectively. Both incremental cost analysis and sensitivity analysis showed that Kuntai was more costly than Premarin. The result of per-protocol analysis was consistent with that of intention-to-treat analysis. Conclusion At early stage of menopause, the QOL of women with menopausal syndrome can be significantly improved by low-dose Premarin and Kuntai capsule, but the latter is more costly.

Objective To evaluate the effect of Premarin and Kuntai capsule (a traditional Chinese patent medicine) on the quality of life (QOL) and their cost-utility in early postmenopausal women. Methods Fifty-seven women with menopausal syndrome in the early postmenopausal stage were randomly allocated into Premarin group (0.3 mg/day and 0.6 mg/day alternately, n=29) and Kuntai group (4 g/day, n=28). The therapies lasted for one year and the patients were followed up every 3 months. The QOL of the patients was evaluated and the utility scores were obtained from rating scale to conduct a cost-utility analysis (CUA). Results At each follow-up examination, no significant difference was found in the QOL between the two groups (P>0.05). The QOL obviously increased after the 1-year-long therapy in both the groups, and Kuntai required longer treatment time than Premarin to take effect. The cost-utility ratio of Premarin and Kuntai were 13581.45 yuan/QALY (quality adjusted life year) and 25105.12 yuan/QALY, respectively. Both incremental cost analysis and sensitivity analysis showed that Kuntai was more costly than Premarin. The result of per-protocol analysis was consistent with that of intention-to-treat analysis. Conclusion At early stage of menopause, the QOL of women with menopausal syndrome can be significantly improved by low-dose Premarin and Kuntai capsule, but the latter is more costly.