Clinical value of the Toronto inflammatory bowel disease global endoscopic reporting score in ulcerative colitis.

Background: Endoscopic evaluation in diagnosing and managing ulcerative colitis (UC) is becoming increasingly important. Several endoscopic scoring systems have been established, including the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) score and Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES). Furthermore, the Toronto Inflammatory Bowel Disease Global Endoscopic Reporting (TIGER) score for UC has recently been proposed; however, its clinical value remains unclear.

A comprehensive review of polyphenol oxidase in tea (Camellia sinensis): Physiological characteristics, oxidation manufacturing, and biosynthesis of functional constituents.

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is a metalloenzyme with a type III copper core that is abundant in nature. As one of the most essential enzymes in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), the further regulation of PPO is critical for enhancing defensive responses, cultivating high-quality germplasm resources of tea plants, and producing tea products that are both functional and sensory qualities. Due to their physiological and pharmacological values, the constituents from the oxidative polymerization of PPO in tea manufacturing may serve as functional foods to prevent and treat chronic non-communicable diseases.

Gastrointestinal amyloidosis in a patient with smoldering multiple myeloma: A case report.

Background: Smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) is an asymptomatic plasma cell proliferative disorder that can progress to multiple myeloma (MM). Amyloidosis (light chain) (AL) is the most common form of systemic amyloidosis. There are few reports of SMM coexisting with AL involving the digestive tract.

Design, synthesis, and insecticidal and fungicidal activities of quaternary ammonium salt derivatives of a triazolyphenyl isoxazoline insecticide.

Background: Insect pests seriously decrease the yield and quality of agricultural crops. Resistance to commonly used insecticides is increasingly undermining their effectiveness, and therefore the development of agents with novel modes of action is desirable. Isoxazolines are a new class of insecticides that act on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) gated chloride channels.

Overexpression of CENPF is associated with progression and poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

The molecular signatures of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are not well understood. Centromere protein F (CENPF) has been shown to promote oncogenesis in many cancers; however, its role in LUAD has not been illustrated. We explored the role of CENPF in LUAD.

[Effect of Aging on Experimental Colitis in Mice and Its Associated Mechanism].

Objective To explore whether aging increases severity of colitis in mice and its mechanism.Methods Young (6-8 weeks)and aged (56 weeks) C57Bl/6 mice were divided into the control and experimental group (n=5,each). Dextran sodium sulfate(DSS) was used to induce acute colitis mouse model in the experimental group.

The role of FTO variants in the susceptibility of polycystic ovary syndrome and in vitro fertilization outcomes in Chinese women.

We investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene (rs9926289 A/G, rs79206939 A/G, rs9930506 A/G, rs8050136 A/C, and rs1588413 C/T) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as well as outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF). A case-control study consisting of 147 PCOS patients and 120 healthy controls was conducted. FTO SNPs were genotyped by PCR to determine allelic frequencies, and IVF outcomes were analyzed.

Association between fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene rs9939609 A/T polymorphism and polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Up to now, numerous case-control studies have reported the associations between fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene rs9939609 A/T polymorphism and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), however, without a consistent result. Hence we performed current systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the controversial results.

Methods: Case-control studies reporting the relationship of rs9939609 A/T polymorphism and PCOS published before April 2015 were searched in Pubmed database without language restriction.

New Insights into mTOR Signal Pathways in Ovarian-Related Diseases: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Ovarian Cancer.

mTOR, the mammalian target of rapamycin, is a conserved serine/threonine kinase which belongs to the phosphatidyl-linositol kinase-related kinase (PIKK) family. It has two complexes called mTORC1 and mTORC2. It is well established that mTOR plays important roles in cell growth, proliferation and differentiation.

Clinical Characteristics of Ulcerative Colitis Complicated with Opportunistic Infections in Elderly Patients.

Objective To summarize the clinical features,management,and outcome of ulcerative colitis (UC) complicated with opportunistic infections in the elderly patients. Methods The clinical data of 43 elderly UC patients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2006 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups for comparisons:the infection group (complicated with opportunistic infection,n=14) and control group (without opportunistic infection,n=29).

A label-free assay for T4 polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase activity and its inhibitors based on poly(thymine)-templated copper nanoparticles.

DNA 3'-phosphatase takes an important role in DNA damage repair, replication and recombination. Here, we present a novel label-free fluorescent assay for T4 polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase (T4 PNKP) activity and its inhibitor screening by using poly(thymine)-templated fluorescent copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) as a fluorescent indicator. In this assay, we designed a simple T-rich hairpin primer with a 3'-phosphoryl end, which can serve as both the substrate for T4 PNKP and DNA template for the formation of fluorescent CuNPs.

Characterization of a Synthetic Steroid 24-keto-cholest-5-en-3β, 19-diol as a Neuroprotectant.

Background: Neuroactive steroids represent promising candidates for the treatment of neurological disorders. Our previous studies identified an endogenous steroid cholestane-3β, 5α, 6β-triol (Triol) as a novel neuroprotectant.

Aim: We aimed to identify a potent candidate for stroke treatment through a screening of Triol analogs.

Comparative analysis of selected innate immune-related genes following infection of immortal DF-1 cells with highly pathogenic (H5N1) and low pathogenic (H9N2) avian influenza viruses.

H5N1 and H9N2 viruses are important causes of avian influenza in China. H5N1 is typically associated with severe to fatal disease in poultry, while H9N2 is usually associated with mild disease. Differences in viral virulence prompted us to investigate whether innate immune responses would be differentially regulated following infection by H5N1 and H9N2 viruses.

[Effect of moxibustion of "dachangshu" (BL 25) area on pain reaction and TRPV 1 mRNA expression of bone marrow cells in visceral hyperalgesia rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of moxibustion of "Dachangshu" (BL 25) on pain reaction and expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV 1) of bone marrow cells in visceral hyperalgesia (VHA) rats so as to explore its mechanism underlying visceral pain-relief.

Methods: Twenty-eight male SD rats were divided into control group, control+moxibustion group, VHA model and VHA+moxibustion group (n = 7/group). The VHA model was made by giving colorectal distension (CRD, 60 mmHg) to the newborn rats for 1 min (repeated once again in 30 min) from postnatal day 8 on, once daily for a week.

Over-expression of OsHsfA7 enhanced salt and drought tolerance in transgenic rice.

Heat shock proteins play an important role in plant stress tolerance and are mainly regulated by heat shock transcription factors (Hsfs). In this study, we generated transgenic rice over-expressing OsHsfA7 and carried out morphological observation and stress tolerance assays. Transgenic plants exhibited less, shorter lateral roots and root hair.

Report on childhood obesity in China (10): association of sleep duration with obesity.

Objectives: To explore the association of sleep duration with obesity among children in urban areas of China.

Methods: A total of 6 576 children (3 293 boys and 3 283 girls) aged 7-11 years were randomly selected from 36 primary schools in 6 metropolitan cities in China. A 7-day Physical Activity Recall was used to assess the sleep duration and physical activity level.

Report on childhood obesity in China (9): sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and obesity.

Objective: To explore the associations between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and obesity as well as obesity-related cardiometabolic disorders among children in China.

Methods: A total of 6974 (boys 3558, girls 3412) children aged 6-13 years participated in the study. Each participant's height, weight, waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured.

Comparative full-length sequence analysis of Marek's disease virus vaccine strain 814.

The complete DNA sequence of Marek's disease virus (MDV) serotype 1 vaccine strain 814 was determined. It consisted of 172,541 bp, with an overall gene organization identical to that of the MDV-1 type strains. Comparative genomic analysis of vaccine strains (814 and CVI988) and other strains (CU-2, Md5, and Md11) showed that 814 was most similar to CVI988.

Prevalence and association between obesity and metabolic syndrome among Chinese elementary school children: a school-based survey.

Background: China has experienced an increase in the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity over the last decades. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome among Chinese school children and determine if there is a significant association between childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1844 children (938 males and 906 females) in six elementary schools at Guangzhou city from April to June 2009.

Report on childhood obesity in China (8): effects and sustainability of physical activity intervention on body composition of Chinese youth.

Objectives: To determine whether a large-scale physical activity intervention could affect body composition in primary school students in Beijing, China.

Methods: The study design was one-year cluster randomized controlled trial of physical activity intervention (20 min of daily exercise in the classroom) with an additional year of follow-up among 4 700 students aged 8-11 years at baseline.

Results: After the one-year intervention, BMI increased by 0.

[Mutational analysis of Meq, RLORF4, RLORF12 and 132bpr genes of epidemic Marek's disease virus strains highly passaged on chicken embryo fibroblast].

Recently, much work has been devoted to study MD-induced oncogenesis and the genes involved in this process. Among many genes in the MDV genome, several genes such as Meq, RLORF4, RLORF12, and 132bpr have been considered recently associated with virulence of MDV. In this paper, primers of Meq, RLORF4, RLORF12 and 132bpr genes were designed and synthesized, based on the published whole genome sequence of MDV strain GA.

JNK and p38 were involved in hypoxia and reoxygenation-induced apoptosis of cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons.

As a model of the reperfusion injury found in stroke, we treated cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) with hypoxia followed by reoxygenation. Hypoxia for 3h followed by 24h reoxygenation (H/R) induced a typical apoptosis of CGNs. CGNs exposed to H/R responded by activating JNK, increasing the expression of p38 and ultimately caused CGNs dying.

Elevated levels of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in male electrical and electronic equipment dismantling workers exposed to high concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polychlorinated biphenyls.

To investigate the occupational exposure levels to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), indoor dust (n = 3) in workshops and hair samples from male workers (n = 64) were collected at two electrical and electronic equipmentwaste (E-waste) dismantling factories located in the LQ area in east China in July 11--13, 2006. Pre- and postworkshift urines (64 of each) were also collected from the workers to study oxidative damage to DNA using 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as a biomarker. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCDD/F-WHO-TEQs, PBDEs, PCBs and PCB-WHO-TEQs were (50.

Interactions between effects of estrogen receptor gene polymorphisms on BMD and experiences of the first spermorrhea in Chinese Han boys.

Objective: To study the interaction between polymorphisms of estrogen receptor (ER) gene and puberty on bone mineral density (BMD).

Methods: One hundred and forty-six boys aged 13-17 years were divided into two groups according to their first spermorrhea. DNA was analyzed for Xba I and Pvu II genotypes by PCR-RFLP.