Epileptic Seizure after Use of Moxifloxacin in Man with Legionella longbeachae Pneumonia.

Legionellosis caused by Legionella longbeachae is diagnosed mainly by PCR. We report a case of L. longbeachae infection in mainland China, which was diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing, in a man who developed an epileptic seizure after using moxifloxacin.

Inflammation and DNA methylation coregulate the CtBP-PCAF-c-MYC transcriptional complex to activate the expression of a long non-coding RNA in acute pancreatitis.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as important regulators involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases. However, it is still unknown if they contribute to the occurrence of acute pancreatitis (AP). Here, we identified a lncRNA (Cancer Susceptibility Candidate 2) was significantly upregulated in the pancreatic tissues from AP patients.

Methylation in Nasopharyngeal Swabs: A Potential Minimally Invasive Biomarker for the Early Detection of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is highly prevalent in Southeast Asia, and an unfavorable outcome is usually attributed to advanced stage NPC. Current methods for the early diagnosis of NPC have limitations in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic ability of methylation for NPC.

Interleukin-22 receptor 1 is expressed in multinucleated giant cells: A study on intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn's disease.

Background: It is challenging to distinguish intestinal tuberculosis from Crohn's disease due to dynamic changes in epidemiology and similar clinical characteristics. Recent studies have shown that polymorphisms in genes involved in the interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17 axis may affect intestinal mucosal immunity by affecting the differentiation of Th17 cells.

Aim: To investigate the specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in the IL-23/IL-17 axis and possible pathways that affect susceptibility to intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn's disease.

The Polymorphism rs17525495 of LTA4H Is Associated with Susceptibility of Crohn's Disease instead of Intestinal Tuberculosis in a Chinese Han Population.

Background: Because of the similarity of intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn's disease in disease phenotype, differential diagnosis has always been a clinical problem. Arachidonic acid metabolites play an important role in the inflammatory response of intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn's disease. Recent studies have shown that the polymorphism locus in the promoter region of gene affects LTB4 expression level and the susceptibility to extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

Six new furostanol glycosides from Smilax glauco-china and their cytotoxic activity.

Six new steroidal saponins, namely glauco-chinaosides A-F, and one known compound were isolated from the tubers of Smilax glauco-china. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic analysis and hydrolysis followed by spectral and chromatographic analysis. Compounds 1-7 were tested in vitro for their cytotoxic activities against four human tumor cell lines (SH-SY5Y, SGC-7901, HCT-116, and Lovo).

Overexpression of pim-3 and protective role in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated hepatic stellate cells.

Aim: To investigate pim-3 expression in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and its protective effect on HSCs.

Methods: Rat HSC-T6 cells were stimulated by LPS. The effect of LPS on proliferation and apoptosis of HSC-T6 cells was investigated by methyl thiazoyltetrazolium (MTT) assay and flow cytometry after annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double staining.

Expression of immediate-early genes in the dorsal cochlear nucleus in salicylate-induced tinnitus.

Spontaneous neuronal activity in dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) may be involved in the physiological processes underlying salicylate-induced tinnitus. As a neuronal activity marker, immediate-early gene (IEG) expression, especially activity-dependent cytoskeletal protein (Arc/Arg3.1) and the early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1), appears to be highly correlated with sensory-evoked neuronal activity.

The influence of tone inventory on ERP without focal attention: a cross-language study.

This study investigates the effect of tone inventories on brain activities underlying pitch without focal attention. We find that the electrophysiological responses to across-category stimuli are larger than those to within-category stimuli when the pitch contours are superimposed on nonspeech stimuli; however, there is no electrophysiological response difference associated with category status in speech stimuli. Moreover, this category effect in nonspeech stimuli is stronger for Cantonese speakers.

Effects of salicylate on the inflammatory genes expression and synaptic ultrastructure in the cochlear nucleus of rats.

Aspirin (salicylate), as a common drug that is frequently used for long-term treatment in a clinical setting, has the potential to cause reversible tinnitus. However, few reports have examined the inflammatory cytokines expression and alteration of synaptic ultrastructure in the cochlear nucleus (CN) in a rat model of tinnitus. The tinnitus-like behavior of rats were detected by the gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (GPIAS) paradigm.

[Clinical diagnostic value of (18)F-FDG PET-CT in incidental finding of focal hypermetabolism focus in the colon and rectum].

Objective: To investigate the value of incidental focal (18)F-FDG uptake in the colon and rectum and characteristics of functional anatomic form for differential diagnosis of colorectal benign or malignant diseases.

Methods: Clinical data and images of incidental focal hypermetabolism focus in colon and rectum of 37 individuals undergoing (18)F-FDG PET-CT were analyzed retrospectively. According to the eventual outcomes of pathological examination and clinical follow-up, these cases were divided into four subgroups: malignant disease, benign tumor (including precancerous change), inflammation and physiological uptake.

[Proteomic analysis of gastric mucosa in chronic gastritis rats of Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome treated by sanren decoction: an experimental study].

Objective: To study the expressions of gastric mucosal proteins in chronic gastritis (CG) rats of Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome (PWDHS), to investigate the pathogenesis correlated to CG rats of PWDHS, to observe the differential expressions of gastric mucosal proteins in CG rats of PWDHS, and to investigate the mechanisms of Sanren Decoction (SD) for treating CG rats of PWDHS.

Methods: Totally 36 male SD rats were adaptable fed for 3 days and randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e.

[Rhubarb induced change of tumor necrosis factor-alpha level in guinea pig model of melanosis coli and its significance].

Objective: To study the induced change of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) level in serum and colon tissue of guinea pig model with melanosis coli and its significance induced by rhubarb (RB).

Methods: One hundred and twelve guinea pigs of clean grade were randomly divided into four groups: the 16 in the normal group (untreated) and the 3 RB groups (32 in each) treated with low (3 g/kg d), medium (6 g/kg d), and high (12 g/kg d) dose of rhubarb respectively, administered by gastrogavage for 60 successive days. All guinea pigs were sacrificed at the terminal of the experiment and their blood serum and colon tissue were taken for detecting TNF-alpha level and TNF-alpha mRNA expression qualitatively and quantitatively using ELISA and RT-PCR.

[Protective role of Pim-3 gene in intestinal mucosa damaged by burn or lipopolysaccharide].

Objective: To explore the protective role of Pim-3 gene in intestinal mucosa damaged by burn or lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Methods: (1) Ninety Wistar mice were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: Group A, undergoing 30% grade III burning on the back; Group B, undergoing intraperitoneal injection of LPS; and Group C, undergoing intraperitoneal injection of normal saline. 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after the treatment 5 rats from each group were killed with their small intestine tissues taken out.

Nano-TiO2 induced secondary structural transition of silk fibroin studied by two-dimensional Fourier-transform infrared correlation spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy.

By sol-gel processing, regenerated nano-TiO2/SF (silk fibroin) composite films were synthesized. The experimental results revealed that the nano-TiO2 particles were well dispersed in the regenerated silk fibroin. Using FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy, the secondary structures of these composite films with concentrations of 0, 0.

A role of cell apoptosis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nonlethal liver injury in D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-sensitized rats.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is implicated in the pathology of acute liver injury and can induce lethal liver failure when simultaneously administered with D-galactosamine (D-GalN). At the present time, nonlethal liver failure, the liver injury of clinical implication, is incompletely understood following challenge by low-dose LPS/D-GalN. We report here our investigation of the effects of liver injury following a nonlethal dose LPS/D-GalN and the role of apoptosis in this disorder.

Preparation, characterization, and properties of nano-TiO2/silk fibroin hybrid films by sol-gel processing.

By sol-gel processing, the regenerated nano-TiO(2)/SF (silk fibroin) hybrid films were synthesized using different ratios of TiO(2) to SF. The experimental results revealed that the nano-TiO(2) particles were well dispersed in the regenerated SF. The diameter of the nano-TiO(2) particles processed by sol-gel method was about 80 nm.

Preparation and characterization of novel nanocomposite films formed from silk fibroin and nano-TiO2.

This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of new regenerated silk fibroin (SF)/nano-TiO(2) composite films. The preparation method, based on the sol-gel technique using butyl titanate as oxide precursor, could avoid reagglomeration of the prepared nanoparticles. Samples were characterized mainly by X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultra-violet (UV) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

[Comparative study on Jinghua Weikang Capsule and famotidine in treating duodenal ulcer].

Objective: To compare the effect and security of Jinghua Weikang Capsule (JWC) and famotidine in treating duodenal ulcer.

Methods: Two hundred patients with duodenal ulcer were randomly divided into the treated group treated with JWC, 160 mg 3 times per day and the control group treated with famotidine 20 mg twice per day, both by orally taking before meal for 4 weeks, 100 cases in each group. Changes of symptom score, adverse reaction, helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and endoscopic figure before and after treatment were observed.