Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is one of the leading causes of death induced by cancer in the modern world and majority of the cases are related to chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection.HBV-encoded X protein(HBx)is kn...Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is one of the leading causes of death induced by cancer in the modern world and majority of the cases are related to chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection.HBV-encoded X protein(HBx)is known to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of viral induced HCC.HBx is a multifunctional protein of17 kDa which modulates several cellular processes by direct or indirect interaction with a repertoire of host factors resulting in HCC.HBX might interfere with several cellular processes such as oxidative stress,DNA repair,signal transduction,transcription,protein degradation,cell cycle progression and apoptosis.A number of reports have indicated that HBx is one of the most common viral ORFs that is often integrated into the host genome and its sequence variants play a crucial role in HCC.By mutational or deletion analysis it was shown that carboxy terminal of HBx has a likely role in protein-protein interactions,transcriptional transactivation,DNA repair,cell,signaling and pathogenesis of HCC.The accumulated evidence thus far suggests that it is difficult to understand the mechanistic nature of HBx associated HCC,and HBx mediated transcriptional transactivation and signaling pathways may be a major determinant.This article addresses the role of HBx in the development of HCC with particular emphasis on HBx mutants and their putative targets.展开更多
Aim: To study the association between seminal oxidative stress and human sperm acrosin activity. Methods: It is a prospective study consisting of 30 infertile men and 12 fertile normozoospermic volunteers. A full hist...Aim: To study the association between seminal oxidative stress and human sperm acrosin activity. Methods: It is a prospective study consisting of 30 infertile men and 12 fertile normozoospermic volunteers. A full history, clinical examination and scrotal ultrasound were done to exclude other related factors such as smoking and varicocele. Presence of white blood cells (WBCs) in semen samples was evaluated by peroxidase staining. Lipid peroxidation in spermatozoa was induced after incubating with ferrous sulphate (4 mmol/L) and sodium ascorbate (20 mmol/L). Induced peroxidation of spermatozoa was assessed by determining the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Acrosin activity was measured using the gelatinolysis technique. The halo diameters around the sperm heads and the percentages of spermatozoa showing halo formation were evaluated. An acrosin activity index was calculated by multiplying the halo diameter by the halo formation rate. Results: A significant difference was observed in acrosin activity parameters and TBARS levels between samples with WBCs (>1×106/mL of ejaculate) and those without. This difference was also noted between the normozoospermic and the oligoasthenoteratozoospermic semen samples. The TBARS production by spermatozoa had a significant negative correlation with the acrosin activity index (r = -0.89, P <0.001). Conclusion: The presence of oxidative stress in an individual with leukocytospermia and/or abnormal semen parameters is associated with impaired sperm function as measured by its acrosin activity.展开更多
Malnutrition is present in the majority of patients presenting for surgical management of gastrointestinal malignancies,due to the effects of the tumour and preoperative anti-neoplastic treatments.The traditional prac...Malnutrition is present in the majority of patients presenting for surgical management of gastrointestinal malignancies,due to the effects of the tumour and preoperative anti-neoplastic treatments.The traditional practice of fasting patients until the resumption of bowel function threatens to further contribute to the malnutrition experienced by these patients.Furthermore,the rationale behind this traditional practice has been rendered obsolete through developments in anaesthetic agents and changes to postoperative analgesia practices.Conversely,there is a growing body of literature that consistently demonstrates that providing oral or tube feeding proximal to the anastomosis within 24 h postoperatively,is not only safe,but might be associated with significant benefits to the postoperative course.Early post operative feeding should therefore be adopted as a standard of care in oncology patients undergoing gastrointestinal resections.展开更多
Pregnancy is a special clinical state with several normal physiological changes that influence body organs including the liver.Liver disease can cause significant morbidity and mortality in both pregnant women and the...Pregnancy is a special clinical state with several normal physiological changes that influence body organs including the liver.Liver disease can cause significant morbidity and mortality in both pregnant women and their infants.Few challenges arise in reaching an accurate diagnosis in light of such physiological changes.Laboratory test results should be carefully interpreted and the knowledge of what normal changes to expect is prudent to avoid clinical misjudgment.Other challenges entail the methods of treatment and their safety for both the mother and the baby.This review summarizes liver diseases that are not unique to pregnancy.We focus on viral hepatitis and its mode of transmission,diagnosis,effect on the pregnancy,the mother,the infant,treatment,and breast-feeding.Autoimmune hepatitis,primary biliary cirrhosis,primary sclerosing cholangitis,Wilson’s disease,Budd Chiari and portal vein thrombosis in pregnancy are also discussed.Pregnancy is rare in patients with cirrhosis because of the metabolic and hormonal changes associated with cirrhosis.Variceal bleeding can happen in up to 38%of cirrhotic pregnant women.Management of portal hypertension during pregnancy is discussed.Pregnancy increases the pathogenicity leading to an increase in the rate of gallstones.We discuss some of the interventions for gallstones in pregnancy if symptoms arise.Finally,we provide an overview of some of the options in managing hepatic adenomas and hepatocellular carcinoma during pregnancy.展开更多
Due to its strong piezoelectric effect and photo-elastic property, lithium niobate is widely used for acousto-optical applications. However, conventional bulk lithium niobate waveguide devices exhibit a large footprin...Due to its strong piezoelectric effect and photo-elastic property, lithium niobate is widely used for acousto-optical applications. However, conventional bulk lithium niobate waveguide devices exhibit a large footprint and limited light–sound interaction resulting from the weak guiding of light. Here, we report the first acousto-optical modulators with surface acoustic wave generation, phononic cavity, and low-loss photonic waveguide devices monolithically integrated on a 500 nm thick film of lithium niobate on an insulator. Modulation efficiency was optimized by properly arranging the propagation directions of surface acoustic waves and optical guided modes.The effective photo-elastic coefficient extracted by comparing the first and third harmonic modulation signals from an on-chip Mach–Zehnder interferometer indicates the excellent acousto-optical properties of lithium niobate are preserved in the thin film implementation. Such material property finding is of crucial importance in designing various types of acousto-optical devices. Much stronger amplitude modulation was achieved in a high Q(>300,000) optical resonator due to the higher optical sensitivity. Our results pave the path for developing novel acousto-optical devices using thin film lithium niobate.展开更多
Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a predominant life-threatening cancer,with liver and peritoneal metastases as the primary causes of death.Intestinal inflammation,a known CRC risk factor,nurtures a local inflammatory environ...Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a predominant life-threatening cancer,with liver and peritoneal metastases as the primary causes of death.Intestinal inflammation,a known CRC risk factor,nurtures a local inflammatory environment enriched with tumor cells,endothelial cells,immune cells,cancer-associated fibroblasts,immunosuppressive cells,and secretory growth factors.The complex interactions of aberrantly expressed cytokines,chemokines,growth factors,and matrix-remodeling enzymes promote CRC pathogenesis and evoke systemic responses that affect disease outcomes.Mounting evidence suggests that these cytokines and chemokines play a role in the progression of CRC through immunosuppression and modulation of the tumor microenvironment,which is partly achieved by the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells.These cells impart features such as cancer stem cell-like properties,drug resistance,invasion,and formation of the premetastatic niche in distant organs,promoting metastasis and aggressive CRC growth.A deeper understanding of the cytokineand chemokine-mediated signaling networks that link tumor progression and metastasis will provide insights into the mechanistic details of disease aggressiveness and facilitate the development of novel therapeutics for CRC.Here,we summarized the current knowledge of cytokine-and chemokine-mediated crosstalk in the inflammatory tumor microenvironment,which drives immunosuppression,resistance to therapeutics,and metastasis during CRC progression.We also outlined the potential of this crosstalk as a novel therapeutic target for CRC.The major cytokine/chemokine pathways involved in cancer immunotherapy are also discussed in this review.展开更多
Microbial activities are affected by a myriad of factors with end points involved in nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration issues.Because of their prominent role in the global carbon balance and their possible rol...Microbial activities are affected by a myriad of factors with end points involved in nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration issues.Because of their prominent role in the global carbon balance and their possible role in carbon sequestration, soil microbes are very important organisms in relation to global climate changes. This review focuses mainly on the responses of soil microbes to climate changes and subsequent effects on soil carbon dynamics. An overview table regarding extracellular enzyme activities(EAA) with all relevant literature data summarizes the effects of different ecosystems under various experimental treatments on EAA. Increasing temperature, altered soil moisture regimes, and elevated carbon dioxide significantly affect directly or indirectly soil microbial activities.High temperature regimes can increase the microbial activities which can provide positive feedback to climate change, whereas lower moisture condition in pedosystem can negate the increase, although the interactive effects still remain unanswered. Shifts in soil microbial community in response to climate change have been determined by gene probing, phospholipid fatty acid analysis(PLFA),terminal restriction length polymorphism(TRFLP), and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE), but in a recent investigations,omic technological interventions have enabled determination of the shift in soil microbe community at a taxa level, which can provide very important inputs for modeling C sequestration process. The intricacy and diversity of the soil microbial population and how it responds to climate change are big challenges, but new molecular and stable isotope probing tools are being developed for linking fluctuations in microbial diversity to ecosystem function.展开更多
Pesticides have become an inevitable part of the modern environment as they are widely used in agriculture,household,and public health sectors and,hence,are extensively distributed throughout most ecosystems.Currently...Pesticides have become an inevitable part of the modern environment as they are widely used in agriculture,household,and public health sectors and,hence,are extensively distributed throughout most ecosystems.Currently,organophosphate pesticides are the most commercially favored group of pesticides,with large application areas all over the world.Depending on their fate,these organophosphorus compounds may become bioavailable for microbial degradation.Environmental microbes,such as Aspergillus,Pseudomonas,Chlorella,and Arthrobacter,are capable of coupling a variety of physical and biochemical mechanisms for the degradation of organophosphate pesticides,including adsorption,hydrolysis of P–O alkyl and aryl bonds,photodegradation,and enzymatic mineralization.Enzymes,such as esterase,diisopropyl fluorophosphatase,phosphotriesterase,somanase,parathion hydrolase,and paraoxonase,have been isolated from microbes to study and understand the catabolic pathways involved in the biotransformation of these xenobiotic compounds.This review highlights various aspects of biodegradation of organophosphate pesticides along with biological and molecular characterization of some organophosphate pesticide-degrading bacteria.展开更多
Chronic active hepatitis(CAH) is acknowledged as an imperative risk factor for the development of liver injury and hepatocellular carcinoma.The histological end points of CAH are chronic inflammation,fibrosis and cirr...Chronic active hepatitis(CAH) is acknowledged as an imperative risk factor for the development of liver injury and hepatocellular carcinoma.The histological end points of CAH are chronic inflammation,fibrosis and cirrhosis which are coupled with increased DNA synthesis in cirrhotic vs healthy normal livers.The potential mechanism involved in CAH includes a combination of processes leading to liver cell necrosis,inflammation and cytokine production and liver scaring(fibrosis).The severity of liver damage is regulated by Hepatitis B virus genotypes and viral components.The viral and cellular factors that contribute to liver injury are discussed in this article.Liver injury caused by the viral infection affects many cellular processes such as cell signaling,apoptosis,transcription,DNA repair which in turn induce radical effects on cell survival,growth,transformation and maintenance.The consequence of such perturbations is resulted in the alteration of bile secretion,gluconeogenesis,glycolysis,detoxification and metabolism of carbohydrates,proteins,fat and balance of nutrients.The identification and elucidation of the molecular pathways perturbed by the viral proteins are important in order to design effective strategy to minimize and/or restore the hepatocytes injury.展开更多
Pregnancy is a special clinical state with several normal physiological changes that influence body organs including the liver.Liver disease can cause significant morbidity and mortality in both pregnant women and the...Pregnancy is a special clinical state with several normal physiological changes that influence body organs including the liver.Liver disease can cause significant morbidity and mortality in both pregnant women and their infants.This review summarizes liver diseases that are unique to pregnancy.We discuss clinical conditions that are seen only in pregnant women and involve the liver;from Hyperemesis Gravidarum that happens in 1out of 200 pregnancies and Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy(0.5%-1.5%prevalence),to the more frequent condition of preeclampsia(10%prevalence)and its severe form;hemolysis,elevated liver enzymes,and a low platelet count syndrome(12%of pregnancies with preeclampsia),to the rare entity of Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy(incidence of 1 per 7270 to 13000deliveries).Although pathogeneses behind the development of these aliments are not fully understood,theories have been proposed.Some propose the special physiological changes that accompany pregnancy as a precipitant.Others suggest a constellation of factors including both the mother and her fetus that come together to trigger those unique conditions.Reaching a timely and accurate diagnosis of such conditions can be challenging.The timing of the condition in relation toward which trimester it starts at is a key.Accurate diagnosis can be made using specific clinical findings and blood tests.Some entities have well-defined criteria that help not only in making the diagnosis,but also in classifying the disease according to its severity.Management of these conditions range from simple medical remedies to measures such as immediate termination of the pregnancy.In specific conditions,it is prudent to have expert obstetric and medical specialists teaming up to help improve the outcomes.展开更多
It was conducted the comparison of palynological assemblages of the Middle Tsagayan,Upper Tsagayan subformations,Furao and Wuyun formations from Zeya-Bureya Basin of Amur (Heilongjiang) River region with assemblages o...It was conducted the comparison of palynological assemblages of the Middle Tsagayan,Upper Tsagayan subformations,Furao and Wuyun formations from Zeya-Bureya Basin of Amur (Heilongjiang) River region with assemblages obtained from the marine deposits of Northeast Russia,Sakhalin,Kuril,and Hokkaido Islands,dated by ammonites,foraminifers and other invertebrates. Based on detail correlation,the geological age of the terrestrial beds was defined. The guide fossils are recognized Marsypiletes cretacea,Tricolpites variexi- nus,Aquilapollenites conatus,A. stelkii,A. rombicus,Integricorpus bellum,Pseudointegricorpus clarireticula- tus,Triprojectus amoenus,Orbiculapollis lucidus,Wodehouseia aspera,Quercoidites minor,which had last oc- currence in the late Maastrichtian. The Danian palynofloras usually are dominated by Triatriopollenites plicoides and T. confusus. The species Anacolosidites subtrudens,Aquilapollenites proceros,A. spinulosus have last occurrence in the Danian. The K-T (K-Pg) boundary in the terrestrial deposits is defined in the base of the Upper Tsagayan Subformation and the base of the lower part of the Wuyun Formation. The latter is represented by aleuropelite to fine-grained sandstones. The change of taxonomical composition of palynospectra in similar environments could be determined by real change of flora at the Mesozoic and Cenozoic boundary,but not by changes of lithological facies or depositional environment,generally.展开更多
AIM:To test whether the status of positive cytomegalovirus(CMV) DNA detection adds to the predictive value of IL28B and to further categorize C/T allele carriers.METHODS:This study included 166 chronic hepatitis C(CHC...AIM:To test whether the status of positive cytomegalovirus(CMV) DNA detection adds to the predictive value of IL28B and to further categorize C/T allele carriers.METHODS:This study included 166 chronic hepatitis C(CHC) patients who received combined interferon and ribavirin therapy for 48 wk,84 spontaneous hepatitis C virus(HCV) resolvers who were positive for IgG anti-HCV antibody and negative for HCV RNA,and 100 healthy subjects who were negative for both HCV antibodies and RNA as controls.Genomic DNA from peripheral blood was used for IL28B rs.12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) and CMV DNA detection.A 139 bp fragment containing IL28B SNP was amplified in all subjects by polymerase chain reaction using a specifically designed primer.Then the IL28B rs.12979860 SNP was detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) genotyping.The presence of CMV DNA was tested by amplification of the gB1 gene using nested polymerase chain reaction.The role of CMV and IL28B rs.12979860 SNP genotypes in determining the response rate to combined interferon therapy and clinical status of patients were statistically analyzed.RESULTS:Current data showed that 67% of patients carrying the IL28B 12979860 C/C allele had a sustained viral response(SVR) while the genotypes C/T and TT were associated with lower SVR rates,50% and 48%,respectively.SVR rates for the C/C allele were lower than other HCV genotypes and/or other populations.Genotype CC was associated with the response to interferon(P = 0.025).Genotype C/C was reduced from 48% in controls to 14% in CHC patients suggesting its protective role against progression to chronicity.The majority of spontaneously cleared subjects(86%) were C/C,confirming its protective role.The C/T allele was present in 71% of CHC patients compared with 38% of controls,so the use of IL28B SNP genotyping only in these patients may be of little value as a predictor of response.CMV reactivation occurred in 40% of CHC patients.Co-infection with CMV seriously diminished the response to interf展开更多
Experiments were performed to determine whether seed priming with different concentrations （100, 150, and 200 mg/L） of auxins （indoleacetic acid （IAA）, indolebutyric acid （IBA）, or their precursor tryptophane ...Experiments were performed to determine whether seed priming with different concentrations （100, 150, and 200 mg/L） of auxins （indoleacetic acid （IAA）, indolebutyric acid （IBA）, or their precursor tryptophane （Trp）） could alter salinity induced perturbances in salicylic acid and ion concentrations and, hence, growth in wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） cultivars, namely M.H.-97 （salt intolerant） and tnqtab-91 （salt tolerant）. Primed and non-primed seeds were sown in Petri dishes in a growth room, as well as in a field treated with 15 dS/m NaCl salinity. All priming agents, except IBA, increased the final germination percentage in both cultivars. The seedlings of either cultivar raised from Trp-treated seeds had greater dry biomass when under salt stress. In field experiments, Trp priming was much more effective in mediating the increase in grain yield, irrespective of the cultivar, under salt stress. The alleviatory effect of Trp was found to be associated with reduced uptake of Na^＋ in the roots and subsequent translocation to the shoots, as well as increased partitioning of Ca^＋ in the roots of salt-stressed wheat plants. Plants of both cultivars raised from Trp-and IAA-treated seeds accumulated free salicylic acid in their leaves when under salt stress. Overall, the Trp priming-induced improvement in germination and the subsequent growth of wheat plants could be related to ion homeostasis when under salt stress. The possible involvement of salicylic acid in the Trp priming-induced better growth under Conditions of salt stress is discussed.展开更多
Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment for gastric cancer.Laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy has failed to gain universal acceptance as an alternative to the open approach for a number of reasons,one of w...Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment for gastric cancer.Laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy has failed to gain universal acceptance as an alternative to the open approach for a number of reasons,one of which includes the issue of oncological radicality in terms of lymph node dissection.Nodal status,which is one of the most crucial and independent predictors of patient survival,therefore has been examined both in single institutional trials and also in randomised controlled trials especially on early gastric cancer.The issue of oncological adequacy for laparoscopic lymph node harvesting for advanced gastric cancer remains a contentious issue because of the unique challenges it poses in terms of complexity,safety and time,and also the lack of randomised controlled trials in this area.It is thus imperative that good quality multicentre randomised controlled trials are designed to investigate the benef its of extended lymphadenectomy in the setting of laparoscopic surgery,especially for advanced gastric cancer and its impact on both short and long term survival.展开更多
Hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of liver cancer worldwide and unfortunately the number of people affected with hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is still on the rise. Although the HBV has been known to cause f...Hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of liver cancer worldwide and unfortunately the number of people affected with hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is still on the rise. Although the HBV has been known to cause fatal illness since decades but the population effected by this lethal virus have still only a few options for its management. The major treatment strategies include interferons and nucleos(t)ide analogues. These agents have so far produced unsatisfactory results in terms of complete virus eradication. Interferons cannot be used for long term therapy because of their potential side effects. Prolong treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues has also been reported to cause serious side effects besides the increasing resistance by the virus. The need for new innovative solutions for treatment of HBV has been realized by global research institutes and pharmaceutical industry. Present review focuses in detail on the new ideas that are being transformed into therapeutic tools for use as future therapies in HBV infection. Modern drug designing and screening methods have made the drug discovery process shorter and more reliable. HBV therapeutics will take a new turn in coming years owing to these intelligent drug designing and screening methods. Future therapy of HBV is aiming to include the use of vaccines(both prophylactic and therapeutic), immunomodulators such as antibodies, non-nucleoside antivirals such as RNAi and inhibitors of viral life cycle.展开更多
Heavy metal soil pollution takes place when the metal concentration of soil exceeds natural background level and causes ecological destruction and deterioration of the environment.In the present study,a pot experiment...Heavy metal soil pollution takes place when the metal concentration of soil exceeds natural background level and causes ecological destruction and deterioration of the environment.In the present study,a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of chromium-contaminated soil in sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.)growth attributes.Three different levels of chromium(Cr)i.e.,20, 40,and 60 mg/kg were applied to three varieties of sunflower(G-3,G-9,and G-59).The results of morphological,chemical,and yield p...展开更多
An international cooperative study of the Late Cretaceous biota and non-marine strata including the Cretaceous-Paleogene(K--Pg) boundary in Jiayin near the Heilongjiang River,China during 2002-2010,is summarized in th...An international cooperative study of the Late Cretaceous biota and non-marine strata including the Cretaceous-Paleogene(K--Pg) boundary in Jiayin near the Heilongjiang River,China during 2002-2010,is summarized in this paper. The strata includes the Upper Cretaceous Yong'ancun-,Taipinglinchang-,Yuliang-zi-,and Furao formations,and the Paleocence Wuyun Formation consisting of Baoshantou Member and a Coalbearing Member. Seven palynological assemblages from Santonian to Paleocene are recognized,which is used for definition of the K--Pg boundary. Through the palynological analysis of three drilled boreholes (XHY-2005,2006,2008) in Xiaoheyan of western Jiayin,the K--Pg boundary is defined within 20. 00-20. 05 m in the borehole XHY-2006 (as a standard boundary) which is just between the top of Furao Formation (late Maasterichtian) and the base of Baishantou Member (early Danian) . These new research results are supported by paleo- magnetic,geochemical and other analyses,also. On the other hand,the presence of eight taxa of Maasterichtian dinosaurs (mostly hadrosaurids) have been recognized by the authors; and two mega-plant assemblages from the Yong'ancun Fm (Santonian) to Taipinglinchang Fm (Campanian) are confirmed. These research a-chievements indicate that the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene in Jiayin can be well correlated to the strata in the neighboring Zeya-Bureja basin,Russia. The K--Pg boundary definited in Jiayin is the first well documented non-marine K--Pg boundary in China. Also the related paleoclimate,paleoenvironment and the mass extinctions in this area during the Cretaceous-Paleocene transition are also discussed.展开更多
基金King Fahd Medical Research Center (KFMRC) and Center of Genomic Medicine (CEGMR) for financial support
文摘Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is one of the leading causes of death induced by cancer in the modern world and majority of the cases are related to chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection.HBV-encoded X protein(HBx)is known to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of viral induced HCC.HBx is a multifunctional protein of17 kDa which modulates several cellular processes by direct or indirect interaction with a repertoire of host factors resulting in HCC.HBX might interfere with several cellular processes such as oxidative stress,DNA repair,signal transduction,transcription,protein degradation,cell cycle progression and apoptosis.A number of reports have indicated that HBx is one of the most common viral ORFs that is often integrated into the host genome and its sequence variants play a crucial role in HCC.By mutational or deletion analysis it was shown that carboxy terminal of HBx has a likely role in protein-protein interactions,transcriptional transactivation,DNA repair,cell,signaling and pathogenesis of HCC.The accumulated evidence thus far suggests that it is difficult to understand the mechanistic nature of HBx associated HCC,and HBx mediated transcriptional transactivation and signaling pathways may be a major determinant.This article addresses the role of HBx in the development of HCC with particular emphasis on HBx mutants and their putative targets.
文摘Aim: To study the association between seminal oxidative stress and human sperm acrosin activity. Methods: It is a prospective study consisting of 30 infertile men and 12 fertile normozoospermic volunteers. A full history, clinical examination and scrotal ultrasound were done to exclude other related factors such as smoking and varicocele. Presence of white blood cells (WBCs) in semen samples was evaluated by peroxidase staining. Lipid peroxidation in spermatozoa was induced after incubating with ferrous sulphate (4 mmol/L) and sodium ascorbate (20 mmol/L). Induced peroxidation of spermatozoa was assessed by determining the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Acrosin activity was measured using the gelatinolysis technique. The halo diameters around the sperm heads and the percentages of spermatozoa showing halo formation were evaluated. An acrosin activity index was calculated by multiplying the halo diameter by the halo formation rate. Results: A significant difference was observed in acrosin activity parameters and TBARS levels between samples with WBCs (>1×106/mL of ejaculate) and those without. This difference was also noted between the normozoospermic and the oligoasthenoteratozoospermic semen samples. The TBARS production by spermatozoa had a significant negative correlation with the acrosin activity index (r = -0.89, P <0.001). Conclusion: The presence of oxidative stress in an individual with leukocytospermia and/or abnormal semen parameters is associated with impaired sperm function as measured by its acrosin activity.
文摘Malnutrition is present in the majority of patients presenting for surgical management of gastrointestinal malignancies,due to the effects of the tumour and preoperative anti-neoplastic treatments.The traditional practice of fasting patients until the resumption of bowel function threatens to further contribute to the malnutrition experienced by these patients.Furthermore,the rationale behind this traditional practice has been rendered obsolete through developments in anaesthetic agents and changes to postoperative analgesia practices.Conversely,there is a growing body of literature that consistently demonstrates that providing oral or tube feeding proximal to the anastomosis within 24 h postoperatively,is not only safe,but might be associated with significant benefits to the postoperative course.Early post operative feeding should therefore be adopted as a standard of care in oncology patients undergoing gastrointestinal resections.
文摘Pregnancy is a special clinical state with several normal physiological changes that influence body organs including the liver.Liver disease can cause significant morbidity and mortality in both pregnant women and their infants.Few challenges arise in reaching an accurate diagnosis in light of such physiological changes.Laboratory test results should be carefully interpreted and the knowledge of what normal changes to expect is prudent to avoid clinical misjudgment.Other challenges entail the methods of treatment and their safety for both the mother and the baby.This review summarizes liver diseases that are not unique to pregnancy.We focus on viral hepatitis and its mode of transmission,diagnosis,effect on the pregnancy,the mother,the infant,treatment,and breast-feeding.Autoimmune hepatitis,primary biliary cirrhosis,primary sclerosing cholangitis,Wilson’s disease,Budd Chiari and portal vein thrombosis in pregnancy are also discussed.Pregnancy is rare in patients with cirrhosis because of the metabolic and hormonal changes associated with cirrhosis.Variceal bleeding can happen in up to 38%of cirrhotic pregnant women.Management of portal hypertension during pregnancy is discussed.Pregnancy increases the pathogenicity leading to an increase in the rate of gallstones.We discuss some of the interventions for gallstones in pregnancy if symptoms arise.Finally,we provide an overview of some of the options in managing hepatic adenomas and hepatocellular carcinoma during pregnancy.
基金Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA)(N66001-16-1-4025)
文摘Due to its strong piezoelectric effect and photo-elastic property, lithium niobate is widely used for acousto-optical applications. However, conventional bulk lithium niobate waveguide devices exhibit a large footprint and limited light–sound interaction resulting from the weak guiding of light. Here, we report the first acousto-optical modulators with surface acoustic wave generation, phononic cavity, and low-loss photonic waveguide devices monolithically integrated on a 500 nm thick film of lithium niobate on an insulator. Modulation efficiency was optimized by properly arranging the propagation directions of surface acoustic waves and optical guided modes.The effective photo-elastic coefficient extracted by comparing the first and third harmonic modulation signals from an on-chip Mach–Zehnder interferometer indicates the excellent acousto-optical properties of lithium niobate are preserved in the thin film implementation. Such material property finding is of crucial importance in designing various types of acousto-optical devices. Much stronger amplitude modulation was achieved in a high Q(>300,000) optical resonator due to the higher optical sensitivity. Our results pave the path for developing novel acousto-optical devices using thin film lithium niobate.
基金Ramalingaswami Fellowship,Grant/Award Number:D.O.NO.BT/HRD/35/02/2006the Department of Biotechnology,&Core Research grant,Grant/Award Number:CRG/2021/003805+1 种基金Science and Engineering Research Board(SERB),Govt.of India,New DelhiSidra Medicine Precision Program,Grant/Award Numbers:5081012003,5081012002。
文摘Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a predominant life-threatening cancer,with liver and peritoneal metastases as the primary causes of death.Intestinal inflammation,a known CRC risk factor,nurtures a local inflammatory environment enriched with tumor cells,endothelial cells,immune cells,cancer-associated fibroblasts,immunosuppressive cells,and secretory growth factors.The complex interactions of aberrantly expressed cytokines,chemokines,growth factors,and matrix-remodeling enzymes promote CRC pathogenesis and evoke systemic responses that affect disease outcomes.Mounting evidence suggests that these cytokines and chemokines play a role in the progression of CRC through immunosuppression and modulation of the tumor microenvironment,which is partly achieved by the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells.These cells impart features such as cancer stem cell-like properties,drug resistance,invasion,and formation of the premetastatic niche in distant organs,promoting metastasis and aggressive CRC growth.A deeper understanding of the cytokineand chemokine-mediated signaling networks that link tumor progression and metastasis will provide insights into the mechanistic details of disease aggressiveness and facilitate the development of novel therapeutics for CRC.Here,we summarized the current knowledge of cytokine-and chemokine-mediated crosstalk in the inflammatory tumor microenvironment,which drives immunosuppression,resistance to therapeutics,and metastasis during CRC progression.We also outlined the potential of this crosstalk as a novel therapeutic target for CRC.The major cytokine/chemokine pathways involved in cancer immunotherapy are also discussed in this review.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51172044)the Project R15‐CW‐11(MIT11109,MIT11110)by KFUPM(King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals)~~
文摘Microbial activities are affected by a myriad of factors with end points involved in nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration issues.Because of their prominent role in the global carbon balance and their possible role in carbon sequestration, soil microbes are very important organisms in relation to global climate changes. This review focuses mainly on the responses of soil microbes to climate changes and subsequent effects on soil carbon dynamics. An overview table regarding extracellular enzyme activities(EAA) with all relevant literature data summarizes the effects of different ecosystems under various experimental treatments on EAA. Increasing temperature, altered soil moisture regimes, and elevated carbon dioxide significantly affect directly or indirectly soil microbial activities.High temperature regimes can increase the microbial activities which can provide positive feedback to climate change, whereas lower moisture condition in pedosystem can negate the increase, although the interactive effects still remain unanswered. Shifts in soil microbial community in response to climate change have been determined by gene probing, phospholipid fatty acid analysis(PLFA),terminal restriction length polymorphism(TRFLP), and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE), but in a recent investigations,omic technological interventions have enabled determination of the shift in soil microbe community at a taxa level, which can provide very important inputs for modeling C sequestration process. The intricacy and diversity of the soil microbial population and how it responds to climate change are big challenges, but new molecular and stable isotope probing tools are being developed for linking fluctuations in microbial diversity to ecosystem function.
基金financial support for mobility grant provided by the National Council for Science and Technology of Mexico-Department of Science and Technology (CONACYTDST) under the Mexico-India Bilateral Cooperation Project of Mexico (No. 266482) and India (No. INT/ Mexico P-04/2016)
文摘Pesticides have become an inevitable part of the modern environment as they are widely used in agriculture,household,and public health sectors and,hence,are extensively distributed throughout most ecosystems.Currently,organophosphate pesticides are the most commercially favored group of pesticides,with large application areas all over the world.Depending on their fate,these organophosphorus compounds may become bioavailable for microbial degradation.Environmental microbes,such as Aspergillus,Pseudomonas,Chlorella,and Arthrobacter,are capable of coupling a variety of physical and biochemical mechanisms for the degradation of organophosphate pesticides,including adsorption,hydrolysis of P–O alkyl and aryl bonds,photodegradation,and enzymatic mineralization.Enzymes,such as esterase,diisopropyl fluorophosphatase,phosphotriesterase,somanase,parathion hydrolase,and paraoxonase,have been isolated from microbes to study and understand the catabolic pathways involved in the biotransformation of these xenobiotic compounds.This review highlights various aspects of biodegradation of organophosphate pesticides along with biological and molecular characterization of some organophosphate pesticide-degrading bacteria.
文摘Chronic active hepatitis(CAH) is acknowledged as an imperative risk factor for the development of liver injury and hepatocellular carcinoma.The histological end points of CAH are chronic inflammation,fibrosis and cirrhosis which are coupled with increased DNA synthesis in cirrhotic vs healthy normal livers.The potential mechanism involved in CAH includes a combination of processes leading to liver cell necrosis,inflammation and cytokine production and liver scaring(fibrosis).The severity of liver damage is regulated by Hepatitis B virus genotypes and viral components.The viral and cellular factors that contribute to liver injury are discussed in this article.Liver injury caused by the viral infection affects many cellular processes such as cell signaling,apoptosis,transcription,DNA repair which in turn induce radical effects on cell survival,growth,transformation and maintenance.The consequence of such perturbations is resulted in the alteration of bile secretion,gluconeogenesis,glycolysis,detoxification and metabolism of carbohydrates,proteins,fat and balance of nutrients.The identification and elucidation of the molecular pathways perturbed by the viral proteins are important in order to design effective strategy to minimize and/or restore the hepatocytes injury.
文摘Pregnancy is a special clinical state with several normal physiological changes that influence body organs including the liver.Liver disease can cause significant morbidity and mortality in both pregnant women and their infants.This review summarizes liver diseases that are unique to pregnancy.We discuss clinical conditions that are seen only in pregnant women and involve the liver;from Hyperemesis Gravidarum that happens in 1out of 200 pregnancies and Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy(0.5%-1.5%prevalence),to the more frequent condition of preeclampsia(10%prevalence)and its severe form;hemolysis,elevated liver enzymes,and a low platelet count syndrome(12%of pregnancies with preeclampsia),to the rare entity of Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy(incidence of 1 per 7270 to 13000deliveries).Although pathogeneses behind the development of these aliments are not fully understood,theories have been proposed.Some propose the special physiological changes that accompany pregnancy as a precipitant.Others suggest a constellation of factors including both the mother and her fetus that come together to trigger those unique conditions.Reaching a timely and accurate diagnosis of such conditions can be challenging.The timing of the condition in relation toward which trimester it starts at is a key.Accurate diagnosis can be made using specific clinical findings and blood tests.Some entities have well-defined criteria that help not only in making the diagnosis,but also in classifying the disease according to its severity.Management of these conditions range from simple medical remedies to measures such as immediate termination of the pregnancy.In specific conditions,it is prudent to have expert obstetric and medical specialists teaming up to help improve the outcomes.
基金financial supports given by the NSFC(China,Projects 30220130698,40842002)the Presidium FEBRAS(grant#09-I-P15-02)
文摘It was conducted the comparison of palynological assemblages of the Middle Tsagayan,Upper Tsagayan subformations,Furao and Wuyun formations from Zeya-Bureya Basin of Amur (Heilongjiang) River region with assemblages obtained from the marine deposits of Northeast Russia,Sakhalin,Kuril,and Hokkaido Islands,dated by ammonites,foraminifers and other invertebrates. Based on detail correlation,the geological age of the terrestrial beds was defined. The guide fossils are recognized Marsypiletes cretacea,Tricolpites variexi- nus,Aquilapollenites conatus,A. stelkii,A. rombicus,Integricorpus bellum,Pseudointegricorpus clarireticula- tus,Triprojectus amoenus,Orbiculapollis lucidus,Wodehouseia aspera,Quercoidites minor,which had last oc- currence in the late Maastrichtian. The Danian palynofloras usually are dominated by Triatriopollenites plicoides and T. confusus. The species Anacolosidites subtrudens,Aquilapollenites proceros,A. spinulosus have last occurrence in the Danian. The K-T (K-Pg) boundary in the terrestrial deposits is defined in the base of the Upper Tsagayan Subformation and the base of the lower part of the Wuyun Formation. The latter is represented by aleuropelite to fine-grained sandstones. The change of taxonomical composition of palynospectra in similar environments could be determined by real change of flora at the Mesozoic and Cenozoic boundary,but not by changes of lithological facies or depositional environment,generally.
基金Supported by Misr El-Khair Foundation,Cairo,Egypt
文摘AIM:To test whether the status of positive cytomegalovirus(CMV) DNA detection adds to the predictive value of IL28B and to further categorize C/T allele carriers.METHODS:This study included 166 chronic hepatitis C(CHC) patients who received combined interferon and ribavirin therapy for 48 wk,84 spontaneous hepatitis C virus(HCV) resolvers who were positive for IgG anti-HCV antibody and negative for HCV RNA,and 100 healthy subjects who were negative for both HCV antibodies and RNA as controls.Genomic DNA from peripheral blood was used for IL28B rs.12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) and CMV DNA detection.A 139 bp fragment containing IL28B SNP was amplified in all subjects by polymerase chain reaction using a specifically designed primer.Then the IL28B rs.12979860 SNP was detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) genotyping.The presence of CMV DNA was tested by amplification of the gB1 gene using nested polymerase chain reaction.The role of CMV and IL28B rs.12979860 SNP genotypes in determining the response rate to combined interferon therapy and clinical status of patients were statistically analyzed.RESULTS:Current data showed that 67% of patients carrying the IL28B 12979860 C/C allele had a sustained viral response(SVR) while the genotypes C/T and TT were associated with lower SVR rates,50% and 48%,respectively.SVR rates for the C/C allele were lower than other HCV genotypes and/or other populations.Genotype CC was associated with the response to interferon(P = 0.025).Genotype C/C was reduced from 48% in controls to 14% in CHC patients suggesting its protective role against progression to chronicity.The majority of spontaneously cleared subjects(86%) were C/C,confirming its protective role.The C/T allele was present in 71% of CHC patients compared with 38% of controls,so the use of IL28B SNP genotyping only in these patients may be of little value as a predictor of response.CMV reactivation occurred in 40% of CHC patients.Co-infection with CMV seriously diminished the response to interf
文摘Experiments were performed to determine whether seed priming with different concentrations （100, 150, and 200 mg/L） of auxins （indoleacetic acid （IAA）, indolebutyric acid （IBA）, or their precursor tryptophane （Trp）） could alter salinity induced perturbances in salicylic acid and ion concentrations and, hence, growth in wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） cultivars, namely M.H.-97 （salt intolerant） and tnqtab-91 （salt tolerant）. Primed and non-primed seeds were sown in Petri dishes in a growth room, as well as in a field treated with 15 dS/m NaCl salinity. All priming agents, except IBA, increased the final germination percentage in both cultivars. The seedlings of either cultivar raised from Trp-treated seeds had greater dry biomass when under salt stress. In field experiments, Trp priming was much more effective in mediating the increase in grain yield, irrespective of the cultivar, under salt stress. The alleviatory effect of Trp was found to be associated with reduced uptake of Na^＋ in the roots and subsequent translocation to the shoots, as well as increased partitioning of Ca^＋ in the roots of salt-stressed wheat plants. Plants of both cultivars raised from Trp-and IAA-treated seeds accumulated free salicylic acid in their leaves when under salt stress. Overall, the Trp priming-induced improvement in germination and the subsequent growth of wheat plants could be related to ion homeostasis when under salt stress. The possible involvement of salicylic acid in the Trp priming-induced better growth under Conditions of salt stress is discussed.
文摘Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment for gastric cancer.Laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy has failed to gain universal acceptance as an alternative to the open approach for a number of reasons,one of which includes the issue of oncological radicality in terms of lymph node dissection.Nodal status,which is one of the most crucial and independent predictors of patient survival,therefore has been examined both in single institutional trials and also in randomised controlled trials especially on early gastric cancer.The issue of oncological adequacy for laparoscopic lymph node harvesting for advanced gastric cancer remains a contentious issue because of the unique challenges it poses in terms of complexity,safety and time,and also the lack of randomised controlled trials in this area.It is thus imperative that good quality multicentre randomised controlled trials are designed to investigate the benef its of extended lymphadenectomy in the setting of laparoscopic surgery,especially for advanced gastric cancer and its impact on both short and long term survival.
文摘Hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of liver cancer worldwide and unfortunately the number of people affected with hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is still on the rise. Although the HBV has been known to cause fatal illness since decades but the population effected by this lethal virus have still only a few options for its management. The major treatment strategies include interferons and nucleos(t)ide analogues. These agents have so far produced unsatisfactory results in terms of complete virus eradication. Interferons cannot be used for long term therapy because of their potential side effects. Prolong treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues has also been reported to cause serious side effects besides the increasing resistance by the virus. The need for new innovative solutions for treatment of HBV has been realized by global research institutes and pharmaceutical industry. Present review focuses in detail on the new ideas that are being transformed into therapeutic tools for use as future therapies in HBV infection. Modern drug designing and screening methods have made the drug discovery process shorter and more reliable. HBV therapeutics will take a new turn in coming years owing to these intelligent drug designing and screening methods. Future therapy of HBV is aiming to include the use of vaccines(both prophylactic and therapeutic), immunomodulators such as antibodies, non-nucleoside antivirals such as RNAi and inhibitors of viral life cycle.
文摘Heavy metal soil pollution takes place when the metal concentration of soil exceeds natural background level and causes ecological destruction and deterioration of the environment.In the present study,a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of chromium-contaminated soil in sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.)growth attributes.Three different levels of chromium(Cr)i.e.,20, 40,and 60 mg/kg were applied to three varieties of sunflower(G-3,G-9,and G-59).The results of morphological,chemical,and yield p...
基金the Projects NSFC 30220130698 40842002Project"111"of China+2 种基金the Project of the Bureau of Land&Resources of Heilongjiang,China for their financial supports to this research workthe financial supports of Russian Projects RFFI No.04-04-49522the President Grantfor State Support of Leading Scientific Scholars in Russian Federation SS-1615 of Russia
文摘An international cooperative study of the Late Cretaceous biota and non-marine strata including the Cretaceous-Paleogene(K--Pg) boundary in Jiayin near the Heilongjiang River,China during 2002-2010,is summarized in this paper. The strata includes the Upper Cretaceous Yong'ancun-,Taipinglinchang-,Yuliang-zi-,and Furao formations,and the Paleocence Wuyun Formation consisting of Baoshantou Member and a Coalbearing Member. Seven palynological assemblages from Santonian to Paleocene are recognized,which is used for definition of the K--Pg boundary. Through the palynological analysis of three drilled boreholes (XHY-2005,2006,2008) in Xiaoheyan of western Jiayin,the K--Pg boundary is defined within 20. 00-20. 05 m in the borehole XHY-2006 (as a standard boundary) which is just between the top of Furao Formation (late Maasterichtian) and the base of Baishantou Member (early Danian) . These new research results are supported by paleo- magnetic,geochemical and other analyses,also. On the other hand,the presence of eight taxa of Maasterichtian dinosaurs (mostly hadrosaurids) have been recognized by the authors; and two mega-plant assemblages from the Yong'ancun Fm (Santonian) to Taipinglinchang Fm (Campanian) are confirmed. These research a-chievements indicate that the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene in Jiayin can be well correlated to the strata in the neighboring Zeya-Bureja basin,Russia. The K--Pg boundary definited in Jiayin is the first well documented non-marine K--Pg boundary in China. Also the related paleoclimate,paleoenvironment and the mass extinctions in this area during the Cretaceous-Paleocene transition are also discussed.
