The PIWI family members are defined as conserved PAZ and PIWI domains and play important roles in stem-cell self-renewal,spermatogenesis,RNA interference and translational regulation.Recent researches have showen that some PIWI are specifically expressed in tumors and associated with tumor development and growth.PIWI is likely to be a new significante index for tumor diagnose and prognosis,the feasibility of PIWI acting in tumor gene theropy could be in vestigated by studying the mechanism of PIWI expression and regulation.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of serum immunoglobulin and complement levels in centenarians in Hainan.Methods:Fasting venous blood samples from 969 centenarians in Hainan province were collected and from 364 seniors serving as the control group.Levels of serum immunoglobulin A, G, M and E, immunoglobulin light chain κ and λ, and complement C3 and C4 were measured.Serum immunoglobulin and complement levels were analyzed in subjects based on age, sex, ethnicity, diet and smoking.Results:Serum levels of immunoglobulin G and E, and immunoglobulin light chain κ were higher in the centenarian group than in the control group[15.9(13.8, 18.3)g/L vs.14.9(13.1, 16.9)g/L; 270.0(85.5, 851.0) vs.180.5 kU/L(58.0, 556.2)kU/L, 4.1(3.5, 4.9)g/L vs.4.0(3.1, 4.6)g/L, P<0.05]. Serum levels of immunoglobulin M, and complement C3 and C4 were lower in the centenarian group than in the control group[1.0(0.7, 1.4)g/L vs.1.1(0.8, 1.5)g/L, 1.0(0.9, 1.2) vs.1.1(1.0, 1.3), 0.2(0.2, 0.3) vs.0.3(0.2, 0.3), P<0.05]. Serum levels of immunoglobulin M and complement C3 were higher in female centenarians than in male centenarians[1.1(0.7, 1.4) vs.1.0(0.7, 1.3), 1.0(0.9, 1.1) vs.1.0(0.8, 1.1), P<0.05]. There were significant differences in immunoglobulin A, G and E, and immunoglobulin light chain κ and λ between centenarians of different ethnicities( P<0.01). Serum immunoglobulin M levels were higher in centenarians with a long history of milk-drinking than in those without the history[1.2(0.8, 1.5) vs.1.0(0.7, 1.4), P<0.01]. Conclusions:Serum levels of immunoglobulins and complements are different among centenarians of different ages, genders, ethnicities and diet habits.Factors such as advanced age, female gender, ethnic minority and milk drinking tend to promote the expression of immunoglobulins and complements.

Objective To explore the clinical outcomes of xenogenic acellular dermal matrix in immediate implant-based breast reconstruction following nipple/skin sparing mastectomy.Methods From January 2015 to June 2017,patients that underwent immediate implant-based breast reconstruction following nipple/skin-sparing mastectomy were retrospectively studied.Results 43 female patients with breast cancer were enrolled.A retrospective review was performed on patients that were reconstructed with either alloplastic reconstruction (group A,18 breasts) or xenogenic acellular matrix dermal (group B,25 groups).Differences in the average age,body mass index,numbers of diabetic patients,numbers of active smoker,and volume of implant between the two groups were not statistically significant (P＞0.05).All patients were followed up from 3 to 28 months,with the middle time of 18,7 months.Complications in both groups of patients were clinically recorded after operation.When comparing clinical outcomes,group A had fewer drain (523.17±62.18) ml vs (639.56±54.34)ml,and fewer days before drain removal (7.83±1.58) d vs (10.2±1.44) d.No significant difference was seen in terms of seroma,hematoma,delayed healing,infection,nipple necrosis,capsular contracture,or tumor recurrence.Conclusions The use of xenogenic acellular matrix dermal in immediate implant-based breast reconstruction following nipple/skin-sparing mastectomy is as safe and effective as alloplastic reconstruction.

Objective:To investigate the status of cognition and clinical management of prolonged mechanical ventilation(PMV) among medical staffs in pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) in China, and in order to improve the awareness of PICU medical staffs on PMV and standardize the management of PMV.Methods:The cross-sectional study was conducted with doctors and nurses in PICUs of the collaborative group as the survey objects from July 12 to September 12, 2020.The questionnaire was issued, collected and checked by the Children′s Hospital of Fudan University.Results:(1) PMV related settings: Nine out of eleven hospitals had established PMV multidisciplinary teams, respiratory techniques such as diaphragm ultrasound and airway peak flow monitoring could be respectively executed in 72.7% and 36.4% of PICU.Pulmonary rehabilitation techniques such as airway clearance techniques, induced spirometer exercise, external diaphragm pacemaker stimulation, transfer bed exercise, balloon blowing, hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be respectively executed in 100.0%, 9.1%, 9.1%, 9.1%, 27.3% and 27.3% of PICU, respectively.(2) The cognitive status quo of children′s PMV: The most medical staffs agreed with the view that PMV referred to the children′s continuous mechanical ventilation for more than two weeks.Sixty percent of medical staffs believed that children with PMV had basic central nervous system diseases, and 62.7% of medical staffs believed that the most common causes of difficulty in PMV weaning was abnormal brain function.(3) The cognitive status quo of the children′s PMV management in PICU: Respondents believed that the most commonly used mechanical ventilation mode was synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation+ pressure support ventilation in children′s PMV during stable disease.Ninety-two percent of medical staffs performed the spontaneous breathing test when weaning.And 58.7% of the respondents agreed to perform tracheotomy for the children during 3 to 4 weeks of mechanical ventilation.More than half of medical staffs would execute diaphragm function assessment, bedside rehabilitation training, nutritional assessment, analgesia and sedation assessment for children with PMV.(4) The cognitive status quo of the children′s PMV management of transition from hospital to family: 54.5% of PICU provided family care training to the family members before the children were discharged from the hospital.One center established the PMV specialized outpatient clinic.45.5% of PICU would follow up these discharged children one month later.Conclusion:At present, PICU medical staffs have different awareness of children′s PMV related problems in China.And children′s PMV lacks a systematic plan regarding diagnosis, treatment and management.

BACKGROUND:A large number of studies have investigated the effects of whole body vibration training at different frequencies on muscle strength,but less is reported on the differences in the efficacy of vibration training at different frequencies on patellar tendinopathy. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of eccentric training of quadriceps combined with different frequency of whole body vibration training on patellar tendinopathy. METHODS:From April to June 2022,48 patients with patellar tendinopathy were recruited from Wuhan Sports University and randomly divided into eccentric training group(n=12),30 Hz group(n=12),40 Hz group(n=12),and 50 Hz group(n=12).The eccentric training group only completed eccentric training of the quadriceps.The 30 Hz,40 Hz and 50 Hz groups performed the whole body vibration training with the amplitude of 2 mm and frequencies of 30 Hz,40 Hz and 50 Hz respectively on the basis of the eccentric training of the quadriceps.The intervention lasted for 8 weeks,three times a week.Before and after the intervention,the patients'surface electromyography signals of the quadriceps,kinematics and dynamics data of knee joint at the time of landing in deep jump and the time of peak vertical ground reaction,Visual Analogue Scale score,Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Patellar score were evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After 8 weeks of intervention,compared with the eccentric training group,the median frequency of the lateral and medial femoris muscles were significantly higher in the 40 Hz and 50 Hz groups(P＜0.05).At the time of landing,the knee joint flexion angle and external rotation moment in the 40 Hz and 50 Hz groups were significantly lower than those in the eccentric training group(P＜0.05),while the knee joint flexion angle in the 50 Hz group was significantly lower than that in the 30 Hz group(P＜0.05).At the peak moment of vertical ground reaction,the knee extension torque in the 40 Hz group was significantly lower than that in the eccectric training group(P＜0.05);the knee flexion angle and knee extension torque in the 50 Hz group were significantly lower than those in the eccentric training group(P＜0.05).The Visual Analogue Scale scores in the 50 Hz and 40 Hz groups were significantly lower than those in the eccentric training group(P＜0.05).The Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Patellar score in the 50 Hz group was significantly higher than that in the eccentric training group and 30 Hz group(P＜0.05).To conclude,eccentric training of the quadriceps combined with 50 Hz whole body vibration training can significantly improve quadriceps'strength,endurance and activation rate of the vastus lateralis muscle,reduce the pain of knee joint,and improve the function of the knee joint in patients with patellar tendinopathy.

Objective:This study aimed to explore the status of radiological Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) among school-aged children in Chamdo City, Tibet, through a 3-year monitoring survey, providing epidemiological evidence for prevention and control strategies.Methods:The target areas for this study were Luolong, Bianba, and Basu counties in Chamdo City, Tibet Autonomous Region, identified as having the most severe historical cases of KBD. Children aged 7-12 years attending school were enrolled as study subjects. Anteroposterior X-ray films of the right-hand were taken, and radiological diagnoses were made based on the "Diagnosis of Kashin-Beck Disease" criteria (WS/T 207-2010). Two experienced researchers independently reviewed the X-rays, and intra- and inter-group consistency were assessed using weighted Kappa values and percentage agreement. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2017 and 2020 to describe the X-ray detection rates of KBD, and logistic regression analysis was employed to construct a predictive model of risk factors for radiological KBD cases.Results:In 2017, a total of 5,711 children aged 7-12 years in Chamdo City, Tibet, participated in the baseline cross-sectional survey (average age 9.2 years, 48.0% female), with 28 cases of radiological KBD. The age- and gender-standardized prevalence rate was 0.527%. In 2020, 6,771 participants (average age 9.3 years, 49.5% female) underwent a second cross-sectional survey, with 9 cases of radiological KBD and a standardized prevalence rate of 0.134%. Logistic regression analysis indicated that older age [ OR=2.439, 95% CI(1.299, 4.580), P=0.006] and female gender [ OR=8.157, 95% CI(1.016, 65.528), P=0.048] were independent risk factors for radiological KBD cases. Conversely, higher residential altitude, under the premise of Tibet's high altitude, was a protective factor [ OR=0.995, 95% CI(0.990, 0.999), P=0.032). Conclusion:The radiographically positive detection rate of KBD among school-aged children in Chamdo City, Tibet Autonomous Region, is at an extremely low level and showing a declining trend, reaching the historical standard in 2020. Considering the absence of positive signs in affected children, it suggests that local KBD has been effectively eliminated.

Objective: To survey the conduction and evaluate the effectiveness of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in China mainland. Methods: In a questionnaire-based survey, we retrospectively reviewed the application of ECMO in children's hospital and general hospital in China mainland to summarize and analyze the categories of diseases and prognosis of children treated with ECMO therapy. Results: By December 31, 2017, a total of 23 hospitals using ECMO, including 22 tertiary referral hospitals and 1 secondary hospital, among which 16 were children′s hospitals and 7 were general hospitals. Thirty-seven ECMO equipment was available. A total of 518 patients treated with ECMO, within whom 323 (62.4%) successfully weaned from ECMO and 262 (50.6%) survived to discharge. Among 375 pediatric patients, 233 (62.1%) were successfully weaned from ECMO and 186 (49.6%) survived to discharge. Among 143 newborn patients, 90 (62.9%) successfully weaned from ECMO, 76 (53.1%) survived to discharge. ECMO was applied in veno-arterial (VA) mode to 501 (96.7%) patients, veno-venous (VV) mode to 14 (2.7%) patients, and VV-VA conversion mode to 3 (0.6%) patients. Sixty-nine patients required extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR), including 20 newborn patients (29.0%) and 38 pediatric patients (71.0%), who were all with cardiovascular disease. Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (26/61), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) (12/61), and meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) (11/61) are the most common pulmonary diseases in newborn patients; among whom, infants with PPHN had highest survival rate (10/12), followed by MAS (9/11). Among newborn patients with cardiovascular diseases, those who admitted were after surgery for congenital cardiac disease were the most common (54/82), while those with septic shock had the highest survival rate (2/3). In pediatric pulmonary diseases, acute respiratory distress syndrome was the most common (42/93), while plastic bronchitis was with the highest survival rate (4/4), followed by viral pneumonia (13/16). Among pediatric cardiovascular diseases, congenital cardiac defect was the most common (124/282), while fulminant myocarditis had the highest survival rate (54/77). Conclusion The application of ECMO as a rescue therapy for children with severe cardiopulmonary failure has dramatically developed in China mainland.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the extraction process of polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale， and preliminarily study its effect on acute lung injury （ALI） in mice. METHODS Using D. officinale as raw material， the polysaccharides were extracted from D. officinale by ultrasonic-assisted hot water immersion. Using the extraction rate of D. officinale polysaccharides as response value， the single-factor experiments and Box-Behnken response surface method were used to optimize the ratio of material to liquid， extraction time and extraction temperature. ALI mice were induced by lipopolysaccharide. Using prednisone acetate （5 mg/kg） as the positive control， the effects on the mass ratio of wet and dry lung and pathological changes of lung tissue （HE staining and Masson staining） of low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose D. officinale polysaccharides （50，100，200 mg/kg） were investigated. RESULTS The optimal extraction technology of D. officinale polysaccharides was as follows： the ratio of material to liquid was 1∶25 （g/mL）， the extracting time was 1 h， and the extracting temperature was 58 ℃ . Under these conditions， the average extraction rate of D. officinale polysaccharides was 37.75% （RSD＝1.12%，n＝3）， the relative error of which with predicted value （38.63%） was 2.28%. Compared with the model group， the ratios of wet and dry lung in the positive control group and D. officinale polysaccharides groups were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and the pathological changes in lung tissue （severe destruction of alveolar structure， significant widening of alveolar septa， extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells and proliferation of fibroblasts） were alleviated to varying degrees. CONCLUSIONS The optimal extraction process of D. officinale polysaccharides is feasible； the obtained polysaccharide extract has a certain improvement effect on ALI in mice.

The 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (HDR) is the last step key enzyme of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, synthesizing isopentenyl diphosphate and its allyl isomer dimethylallyl diphosphate, which is important for regulation of isoprenoid biosynthesis. Here the full-length cDNA of, designated(GenBank Accession No. KJ933412.1), was isolated fromfor the first time. TwHDR has an open reading frame (ORF) of 1386 bp encoding 461 amino acids. TwHDR exhibits high homology with HDRs of other plants, with an N-terminal conserved domain and three conserved cysteine residues.cDNA was cloned into an expression vector and transformed into anmutant. Since loss-of-functionmutant is lethal, the result showed that transformation ofcDNA rescued themutant. This complementation assay suggests that thecDNA encodes a functional HDR enzyme. The expression ofwas induced by methyl-jasmonate (MJ) insuspension cells. The expression ofreached the highest level after 1 h of MJ treatment. These results indicate that we have identified a functional TwHDR enzyme, which may play a pivotal role in the biosynthesis of diterpenoid triptolide in.

Single particle analysis, which can be regarded as an average of signals from thousands or even millions of particle projections, is an efficient method to study the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules. An intrinsic assumption in single particle analysis is that all the analyzed particles must have identical composition and conformation. Thus specimen heterogeneity in either composition or conformation has raised great challenges for high-resolution analysis. For particles with multiple conformations, inaccurate alignments and orientation parameters will yield an averaged map with diminished resolution and smeared density. Besides extensive classification approaches, here based on the assumption that the macromolecular complex is made up of multiple rigid modules whose relative orientations and positions are in slight fluctuation around equilibriums, we propose a new method called as local optimization refinement to address this conformational heterogeneity for an improved resolution. The key idea is to optimize the orientation and shift parameters of each rigid module and then reconstruct their three-dimensional structures individually. Using simulated data of 80S/70S ribosomes with relative fluctuations between the large (60S/50S) and the small (40S/30S) subunits, we tested this algorithm and found that the resolutions of both subunits are significantly improved. Our method provides a proof-of-principle solution for high-resolution single particle analysis of macromolecular complexes with dynamic conformations.
Algorithms ; Computer Simulation ; Cryoelectron Microscopy ; methods ; Crystallography, X-Ray ; Humans ; Macromolecular Substances ; chemistry ; Models, Molecular ; Protein Conformation ; Ribosomes ; chemistry