Dictamnine Inhibits the Adhesion to and Invasion of Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli (UPEC) to Urothelial Cells

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common pathogenic bacteria associated with urinary tract infection (UTI). UPEC can cause UTI by adhering to and invading uroepithelial cells. Fimbriae is the most important virulence factor of UPEC, and a potentially promising target in developing novel antibacterial treatments. In this study, the antibacterial properties and effects of the compound dictamnine, extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Cortex Dictamni, on the bacterial morphology, cell adhesion, and invasion of UPEC were studied. Dictamnine exhibited no obvious antibacterial activity against UPEC, but significantly impeded the ability of UPEC to adhere to and invade uroepithelial cells. RT-qPCR analysis showed that treatment downregulated the expression of type 1 fimbriae, P fimbriae, and curli fimbriae adhesion genes, and also downregulated adhesion-related receptor genes of uroepithelial cells. Transmission electron microscopy showed that dictamnine destroyed the structure of the fimbriae and the surface of the bacteria became smooth. These results suggest that dictamnine may help to prevent UTI by simultaneously targeting UPEC fimbriae and urothelial adhesin receptors, and may have a potential use as a new anti-UPEC drug.     

人工神经网络用于消化道癌症初级诊断研究

测定了正常人及消化道癌症病人头发样品１１种元素含量,然后将人工神经网络（ＡＮＮ）用于正常人与癌症患者的分类预测,并用独立预测样本作了检验,预报识别率达１００％。讨论了网络参数的选择和发样中微量元素与癌症的关系。结果表明该方法可作为消化道癌症初级诊断的一种辅助手段。     

Pulmonary surfactant-derived antiviral actions at the respiratory surface

Lung surfactant (LS) is a membrane-based lipid-protein complex that lines the alveoli, reducing the surface tension at the air-liquid interface and thus minimizing the work of breathing. Besides this function, LS is also the first physical barrier between the outside air and the systemic circulation, therefore playing a key role in the defense against harmful particles and microorganisms.Viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs), and especially acute lower RTIs, are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. LS participates in the network of interactions between viruses and the immune system to prevent or lessen the effects of the infection, but it is also altered by these pathogens, which can potentially impair its function.The aim of this review is to provide an integrated multidisciplinary overview toward understanding the interplay between respiratory viruses and LS and its health impact on the respiratory system. The review is centered on the antiviral mechanisms of both LS proteins and lipids, and their different interactions that lead to varying outcomes. Finally, a summary of the clinical application of surfactant in the scene of lung viral infection is disclosed, including state-of-the-art approaches of the therapeutic use of surfactant components.     

老年人上消化道出血176例临床分析

对１７６例老年人上消化道出血病因进行了分析，提出了临床治疗和预后措施。     

儿童呼吸道感染与发锌含量观察

采用原子吸收分光光度法对８６例呼吸道感染患儿发中锌含量进行测定，结果表明：呼吸道感染患儿发锌含量均低于对照组，经统计学处理有显著性差异，Ｐ〈０．０１，提示微量元素锌的缺乏可能是造成小儿机体免疫功能低下，易感染性疾病的病因之一。     

A theoretical study of f0-f1 interaction with application to resonant speaking and singing voice

An interactive source-filter system, consisting of a three-mass body-cover model of the vocal folds and a wave reflection model of the vocal tract, was used to test the dependence of vocal fold vibration on the vocal tract. The degree of interaction is governed by the epilarynx tube, which raises the vocal tract impedance to match the impedance of the glottis. The key component of the impedance is inertive reactance. Whenever there is inertive reactance, the vocal tract assists the vocal folds in vibration. The amplitude of vibration and the glottal flow can more than double, and the oral radiated power can increase up to 10 dB. As F0 approaches F1, the first formant frequency, the interactive source-filter system loses its advantage (because inertive reactance changes to compliant reactance) and the noninteractive system produces greater vocal output. Thus, from a voice training and control standpoint, there may be reasons to operate the system in either interactive and noninteractive modes. The harmonics 2F0 and 3F0 can also benefit from being positioned slightly below F1.     

Reduced MTR in the corticospinal tract and normal T2 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that magnetization transfer ratios (MTR) are decreased in the corticospinal tract of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); to determine if T2 is increased in corticospinal tract or reduced in motor cortex in ALS; to determine if corticospinal tract MTR correlates with a clinical measure of motor neuron function in ALS. Ten ALS patients and 17 age-matched controls were studied. Double spin echo MRI and 3D gradient echo MRI with and without off-resonance saturation were acquired on each subject. 3D data sets were coregistered and resliced to match the spin echo data set. MTR was calculated for corticospinal and non-corticospinal tract white matter. T2 was calculated for corticospinal and non-corticospinal tract white matter, motor cortex and non-motor cortex. MTR was reduced by 2.6% (p < .02) in corticospinal, but not in non-corticospinal, tract white matter in ALS. There was no difference in T2 in any brain region. The correlation between a clinical measure of motor neuron function and corticospinal tract MTR was statistically significant. These findings are consistent with the known pathology in ALS and suggest that MTR is more sensitive than T2 for detecting involvement of the corticospinal tract. Quantitative MTR of the corticospinal tract may be a useful, objective marker of upper motor neuron pathology in ALS.     

Microcalorimetry for assessment of energy turnover of human gastrointestinal mucosa in vivo

The objective of the present microcalorimetric investigation on mucosal biopsies from human gastric body (B) and descending duodenum (D) was to test whether a steady state of metabolism does persist and, if not, to find out how to assess the preexisting in vivo conditions. The measurements were performed at various incubation temperatures and partial pressures of oxygen. The measured curves fell exponentially after reaching an initial maximum without an initial steady state. Back-extrapolations to the time of taking the biopsies on the basis of a two-phase exponential decay curve gave baseline thermal power values at 37°C of 41 (D) and 15 (B) μW/mg_dw, respectively, which roughly correspond to known values of basal oxygen consumption of heart and kidney. The higher values of the duodenum may be founded on a higher transport activity in vivo. Altogether, microcalorimetry seems to be a method for comparative evaluation of metabolic activity of human mucosa samples.