Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are major outer membrane components of Gram-negative bacteria. Unlike most Gram-negative bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii can still survive and acquire polymyxin resistance after complete loss of LPS. Previous studies of LPS-deficient Acinetobacter baumannii mostly focused on LPS-deficient strains induced by polymyxin, whose background was complex and unstable. To investigate LPS loss-mediated polymyxin resistant-Acinetobacter baumannii, this study constructed a stable and clear background LPS-deficient strain by knocking out lpxC gene in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 with CIRSPR/Cas9, and then studied the phenotypic changes of the lpxC-deficient strain including morphology, growth rate, antibiotic susceptibility, virulence, membrane permeability, and membrane potential. Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care and Welfare Committee Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, CAMS and PUMC (approval number: IMB-20240119D₉). The results indicated that the lpxC gene of Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 was successfully knocked out. After losing the lpxC, the strain underwent the morphological change from rod-shaped to spherical. Furthermore, it leads to reduced growth rate, enhanced membrane permeability, decreased membrane potential, lower virulence, and increased antibiotic susceptibility to β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, macrolides, glycopeptides. The lpxC deletion results in significant changes in membrane homeostasis and adaptability of Acinetobacter baumannii. Understanding the phenotypic changes of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii mediated by LPS loss is useful for exploring the resistance mechanism of Acinetobacter baumannii and developing new therapeutic strategies.

OBJECTIVE To establish HPLC finger print of Leonurus japonicus granules，and to determine the contents of 4 index components such as leonurine hydrochloride ，ferulic acid ，rutin，hyperoside. METHODS The determination was performed on Inertsil TM ODS-3 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile （A）-0.1％ formic acid solution （B）in the form of gradient elution；the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min，the detection wavelength was 280 nm，the column temperature was 25 ℃，and the sample size was 5 µL. Similarity Evaluation System of Chromatogram Fingerprint of TCM （2012 edition）was used for establishing the HPLC fingerprints of 10 batches of L. japonicus granules and analyzing their similarities. By comparing with HPLC fingerprints of reference substance ，the common peaks were identified. SPSS 25.0 and SIMCA 13.0 software were used for cluster analysis and principal component analysis ；the above HPLC method was used for the content determination of 4 index components in L. japonicus granules such as leonurine hydrochloride ，ferulic acid ，rutin，hyperoside. RESULTS HPLC fingerprints of 10 batches of L. japonicus granules were established ，and 16 common peaks were matched ，and 4 peaks identified were leonurine hydrochloride （peak 6），ferulic acid （peak 13），rutin（peak 14），hyperoside（peak 16）；the similarities of 10 batches of samples were all higher than 0.970. The 10 batches of samples could be divided into four categories by cluster analysis and principal component analysis；the classification results were consistent. The contents of leonurine hydrochloride ，ferulic acid ，rutin and hyperoside were 122.10-138.82 μ g/g，9.33-10.45 μ g/g，14.12-18.95 μ g/g，5.87-8.06 μ g/g，respectively. CONCLUSIONS Established HPLC fingerprint of L. japonicus granules and the method for the content determination of 4 index components are simple and easy to operate，and have high precision and good repeatability ，which provide reference for the quality evaluation of L. japonicus granules.

Radiation thyroiditis resulting from radioactive iodine-131 treatment for Graves' disease is an uncommon complication. Although a majority of patients are asymptomatic or manifest mild symptoms that can be managed conservatively, published literature describing severe radiation thyroiditis resulting in significant morbidity is lacking. We herein report on six patients with severe radiation thyroiditis that resulted in hospitalisation, including an unusual complication of myopericarditis.

Stem cell transplantation holds a promising future for central nervous system repair. Current challenges, however, include spatially and temporally defined cell differentiation and maturation, plus the integration of transplanted neural cells into host circuits. Here we discuss the potential advantages of neuromodulation-based stem cell therapy, which can improve the viability and proliferation of stem cells, guide migration to the repair site, orchestrate the differentiation process, and promote the integration of neural circuitry for functional rehabilitation. All these advantages of neuromodulation make it one potentially valuable tool for further improving the efficiency of stem cell transplantation.

Drug addiction evokes plasticity changes in multiple circuits of brain regions, accompanied by changes in brain function and formation of addiction memory. Using animal addiction model, combined with electrophysiological recordings and circuit manipulation, we investigated the important role of brain plasticity in drug addiction. With non-invasive brain stimulation combined with electrophysiological recording, we could perform functional mapping of cortical function and plasticity in different addiction patients; this allowed further neuromodulation-based interventions for drug addiction rehabilitation. We conclude that brain plasticity study is important in drug addiction research.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on admission and its impact on prognosis. METHODS: A total of 525 AMI patients were prospectively recruited and classifified into 4 groups based on their clinical characteristics: excess-heat, excess-cold, deficiency-heat and deficiency-cold syndromes. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) were followed up. RESULTS: The excess syndrome was more common than deficiency syndrome (72.95% vs. 27.05%; P<0.05). Totally 495 (94.29%) of 525 AMI patients were followed up (median 277 days). There were 59 (11.92%) MACEs. After adjusted with confounding factors in Cox regression models, the hazard ratio (95% confifidence interval) of excess-heat, excess-cold, defificiency-heat and defificiency-cold syndrome groups were 1, 1.25 (0.63, 2.49; P<0.05), 2.37 (1.14, 4.94; P<0.05), 3.76 (1.71, 8.28; P<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Excess syndrome was more common in AMI patients and had better prognosis, while defificiency-cold syndrome had the poorest prognosis. CM syndrome was of value in predicting long-term outcomes in AMI patients.

The concept of theranostics, where individual patient-level biological information is used to choose the optimal therapy for that individual, has become more popular in the modern era of ‘personalised’ medicine. With the growth of theranostics, nuclear medicine as a specialty is uniquely poised to grow along with the ever-increasing number of concepts combining imaging and therapy. This special report summarises the status and growth of Theranostic Nuclear Medicine in Singapore.We will cover our experience with the use of radioiodine, radioiodinated metaiodobenzylguanidine, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, prostate specific membrane antigen radioligand therapy, radium-223 and yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy.We also include a section on our radiopharmacy laboratory, crucial to our implementation of theranostic principles. Radionuclide theranostics has seen tremendous growth and we hope to be able to grow alongside to continue to serve the patients in Singapore and in the region.
Hope ; Humans ; Lutetium ; Membranes ; Nuclear Medicine ; Prostate ; Radium ; Receptors, Peptide ; Singapore ; Theranostic Nanomedicine ; Yttrium

The concept of theranostics, where individual patient-level biological information is used to choose the optimal therapy for that individual, has become more popular in the modern era of ‘personalised’ medicine. With the growth of theranostics, nuclear medicine as a specialty is uniquely poised to grow along with the ever-increasing number of concepts combining imaging and therapy. This special report summarises the status and growth of Theranostic Nuclear Medicine in Singapore.We will cover our experience with the use of radioiodine, radioiodinated metaiodobenzylguanidine, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, prostate specific membrane antigen radioligand therapy, radium-223 and yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy.We also include a section on our radiopharmacy laboratory, crucial to our implementation of theranostic principles. Radionuclide theranostics has seen tremendous growth and we hope to be able to grow alongside to continue to serve the patients in Singapore and in the region.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical advantage of the application of modified Roux-en-Y reconstruction after totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy.

METHODSClinical data of 36 patients who underwent totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction by one medical team for gastric adenocarcinoma between January 2014 and December 2014 in the Second Hospital of Jilin University were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into classic Roux-en-Y group (CRY, 16 cases) and modified Roux-en-Y group (MRY, 20 cases) according to reconstructive methods. The data concerning the intraoperative and postoperative situation in two groups were compared.

RESULTSOperation was successfully completed in all the cases without conversion to laparotomy. Compared to CRY group, MRY group had shorter mean operative time [(260.9 ± 21.2) min vs. (287.9 ± 19.0) min, P=0.000], shorter mean reconstruction duration [(32.4 ± 9.2] min vs. (45.4 ± 13.2) min, P=0.001] and less intraoperative bleeding [(50.9 ± 23.5) ml vs. (67.0 ± 20.5) ml, P=0.000]. Jejunum mesentery dissection and jejunum resection were not necessary in MRY group. However, there were no significant differences in lymph nodes harvested, time to flatus, hospital stay and postoperative complications between two groups.

CONCLUSIONSAs compared to classic Roux-en-Y reconstruction, the modified Roux-en-Y reconstruction can simplify the surgical procedures and achieve similar efficacy. It is feasible and safe, and worth further promotion in clinical practice.

Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Nodes ; Mesentery ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms