An electromyographic analysis of two handwriting grasp patterns

BackgroundHandwriting is a fundamental skill needed for the development of daily-life activities during lifetime and can be performed using different forms to hold the writing object. In this study, we monitored the sEMG activity of trapezius, biceps brachii, extensor carpi radialis brevis and flexor digitorum superficialis during a handwriting task with two groups of subjects using different grasp patterns.Subjects and methodsTwenty-four university students (thirteen males and eleven females; mean age of 22.04 ± 2.8 years) were included in this study. We randomly invited 12 subjects that used the Dynamic Tripod grasp and 12 subjects that used the Static Tripod grasp.ResultsThe static tripod group showed statistically significant changes in the sEMG activity of trapezium and biceps brachii muscles during handwriting when compared to dynamic tripod group’s subjects. No significant differences were found in extensor carpi radialis brevis and flexor digitorum superficialis activities among the two groups.ConclusionThe findings in this study suggest an increased activity of proximal muscles among subjects using a transitional grasp, indicating potential higher energy expenditure and muscular harm with the maintenance of this motor pattern in handwriting tasks, especially during the progression in academic life.     

脐带血干细胞的基础与应用研究

作为造血干/祖细胞(hematopoieticstemcells/hematopoieticprogenitorcells,HSCs/HPCs)的另一来源,脐带血已经应用于临床治疗多种恶性和非恶性疾病。脐带血中HSCs/HPCs的质与量是决定其临床应用效果的最重要因素。同时,脐带血中还存在多种非造血的干细胞和前体细胞,如间充质干细胞(mesenchymalstemcells,MSCs)、内皮前体细胞(endothelialprogenitorcells,EPCs)和非限制性体干细胞(unrestrictedsomaticstemcells,USSCs)等,这些细胞可能会在未来的细胞治疗和再生医学中发挥重要作用。本综述还讨论了脐带血的临床应用及HSCs/HPCs的体外扩增、增加HSCs归巢和再植能力等提高其临床应用能力的相关研究。     

Limb chondrogenesis of the seepage salamander, Desmognathus aeneus (amphibia: plethodontidae)

Salamanders are infrequently mentioned in analyses of tetrapod limb formation, as their development varies considerably from that of amniotes. However, urodeles provide an opportunity to study how limb ontogeny varies with major differences in life history. Here we assess limb development in Desmognathus aeneus, a direct-developing salamander, and compare it to patterns seen in salamanders with larval stages (e.g., Ambystoma mexicanum). Both modes of development result in a limb that is morphologically indistinct from an amniote limb. Developmental series of A. mexicanum and D. aeneus were investigated using Type II collagen immunochemistry, Alcian Blue staining, and whole-mount TUNEL staining. In A. mexicanum, as each digit bud extends from the limb palette Type II collagen and proteoglycan secretion occur almost simultaneously with mesenchyme condensation. Conversely, collagen and proteoglycan secretion in digits of D. aeneus occur only after the formation of an amniote-like paddle. Within each species, Type II collagen expression patterns resemble those of proteoglycans. In both, distal structures form before more proximal structures. This observation is contrary to the proximodistal developmental pattern of other tetrapods and may be unique to urodeles. In support of previous findings, no cell death was observed during limb development in A. mexicanum. However, apoptotic cells that may play a role in digit ontogeny occur in the limbs of D. aeneus, thereby suggesting that programmed cell death has evolved as a developmental mechanism at least twice in tetrapod limb evolution.     

核移植胚胎干细胞的研究及其应用前景

随着核移植技术和干细胞技术的逐渐成熟,目前已获得牛、小鼠核移植胚胎干细胞,以及人 - 兔异种间核移植胚胎干细胞,这些细胞在体外可分化成多种细胞形态 . 已经进行的实验性动物克隆性治疗,显示了诱人的潜力,但人核移植胚胎干细胞研究还面临着许多问题,如建系效率低、卵母细胞来源有限以及伦理学和安全性问题等 . 长远地看,随着克隆效率的提高,在道德与法律之间达成共识,核移植胚胎干细胞必将造福人类 .     

Current and emerging therapeutic strategies for Fanconi anemia

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a rare disorder with incidence of 1in 350,000 births. It is characterized by progressive bone marrow failure leading to death of many patients in their childhood while development of cancer at later stages of life in some. The treatment of FA is still a medical challenge. Current treatments of FA include androgen administration, hematopoietic growth factors administration and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Clinical gene therapy trials are still ongoing. The partial success of current therapies has renewed interest in the search for new treatments. Generation of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem (iPS) has shown promising results for cell and gene based therapy. Small molecule interventions have been observed to delay tumor onset in FA. Tumors deficient in FA pathway can be treated by profiling of DNA repair pathway through synthetic lethality mechanism. Targeting toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) dependent TNFα overexpression is yet another upcoming therapeutic approach to treat FA patients. In conclusion, in the present scenario of treatments available for FA, a proper algorithm of treatment decisions must be followed for better management of FA patients and to ensure their increased survival. Innovative therapeutic approaches that can prevent both anemia and cancer should be developed for more effective treatment of FA.     

ARGUMENTS AGAINST PROMOTING ORGAN TRANSPLANTS FROM BRAIN‐DEAD DONORS,AND VIEWS OF CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE ON LIFE AND DEATH

As of 2009, the number of donors in Japan is the lowest among developed countries. On July 13, 2009, Japan's Organ Transplant Law was revised for the first time in 12 years. The revised and old laws differ greatly on four primary points: the definition of death, age requirements for donors, requirements for brain‐death determination and organ extraction, and the appropriateness of priority transplants for relatives. In the four months of deliberations in the National Diet before the new law was established, various arguments regarding brain death and organ transplantation were offered. An amazing variety of opinions continue to be offered, even after more than 40 years have elapsed since the first heart organ transplant in Japan. Some are of the opinion that with the passage of the revised law, Japan will finally become capable of performing transplants according to global standards. Contrarily, there are assertions that organ transplants from brain‐dead donors are unacceptable because they result in organs being taken from living human beings. Considering the current conditions, we will organize and introduce the arguments for and against organ transplants from brain‐dead donors in contemporary Japan. Subsequently, we will discuss the primary arguments against organ transplants from brain‐dead donors from the perspective of contemporary Japanese views on life and death. After introducing the recent view that brain death should not be regarded as equivalent to the death of a human being, we would like to probe the deeply‐rooted views on life and death upon which it is based.     

Impact of CYP3A5 and MDR-1 gene polymorphisms on the dose and level of tacrolimus among living-donor liver transplanted patients: single center experience

Aim of work: To assess the impact of Cytochrome P450 3A5 (CYP3A5) and multidrug resistance-1 gene (MDR-1) single nucleotide polymorphisms on the dose and blood level of tacrolimus among liver transplanted patients.

Patients and methods: We enrolled a prospective study of 41 liver transplanted patients. Dose-adjusted trough blood concentration (C/D ratio) was calculated. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism followed by sequencing was done for genotyping of CYP3A5*3 (6986A?>?G).

Results: At 1 week, 1 and 3 months C/D ratio were significantly lower in CYP3A5 expressers *1/*1 patients compared to non-expressers *3/*3.

Conclusion: CYP3A5 (6986A?>?G) genotype, rather than MDR-1 (2677G?>?A/T) variant, has an impact on tacrolimus pharmacokinetics.     

Prognostic evaluation of NANOG and OCT4 expression for posttransplantation hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence

Postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence and metastasis throw great threaten to its overall survival (OS). This paper focus on exploring the prognostic significance of NANOG and OCT4 expression in HCC recurrence and OS after liver transplantation. Eighty-six patients who meet University of California San Francisco (UCSF) criteria and underwent liver transplantation in Tianjin First Central Hospital between August 2010 and August 2013 were included. Expression of NANOG and OCT4 was determined by immunohistochemistry. The relationships between NANOG and OCT4 expression with tumor recurrence, tumor count, histology stage, lymph node metastasis (LNM) and microvascular invasion (MVI) were explored through the χ² test and Cox regression analysis. We found that 19/26 and 20/24 patients with positive expression of NANOG and OCT4 relapsed. Combination of NANOG and OCT4 expression was indicated as valuable prognostic signature for HCC recurrence prediction (P < 0.0011). Besides, we identified other key factors with significant correlations with recurrence, such as LNM (P = 0.011) and MVI (P = 0.024). Strikingly, recurrence sites could significantly affect recurrence time (P = 0.0062) and patients with recurrence in transplanted liver have longer recurrence time. In conclusions, we analyzed the relationships between NANOG/OCT4 expression, clinicopathology features, HCC recurrence, and OS after liver transplantation for the first time. Combination of NANOG, OCT4, LNM, histopathological stage, and MVI may be predictor for HCC recurrence posttransplantation. Comprehensive of histopathological stage grade and LNM were considered as prognosis factor for OS after liver transplantation. This should be helpful for treatment method selection for HCC patients after liver transplantation.     

依达拉奉对犬自体肾移植缺血再灌注损伤的保护作用研究

目的：探讨依达拉奉对犬自体肾移植缺血再灌注损伤的影响及机制。方法：将18 只体重匹配的健康杂种犬随机分为假手术组（S组）、依达拉奉组（ED组）、生理盐水组（PS 组）,每组各6只。S 组仅进行肾手术切除;ED组在阻断前在供体静脉内注入依达拉奉10 mg/kg,然后使用200 mL加入依达拉奉10 mg/kg 的UW液灌洗供体肾并在同样的保存液中保存供体肾8 小时,且再灌注开始时立即在受体静脉内给予依达拉奉10 mg/kg;PS 组同法使用相同体积的生理盐水。再灌注4 h 后检测MDA、MPO、SOD、iNOS、eNOS等活性;术后24 h 检测血清肌酐（Cr）、尿素氮（BUN）浓度;光镜下观察肾组织病理学改变。结果：PS 组MDA显著高于S 组及ED组（P〈0.05）,PS组MPO 含量亦低于S 组及ED组（P〈0.05）。PS组SOD、eNOS 含量显著低于于S组及ED组（P〈0.05）,PS 组iNOS含量高于S 组及ED 组（P〈0.05）,ED组的肾损伤明显减轻。结论：依达拉奉能减轻肾移植缺血再灌注损伤,其机制可能与减轻肾脂质过氧化反应有关。