RESUMO OBJETIVO O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos da síndrome do baixo triiodotironina (LT3S) na função plaquetária e nos fatores de coagulação em pacientes com síndrome nefrótica (SN). MÉTODOS Pacientes com síndrome nefrótica primária foram divididos em dois grupos, função tireoidiana normal (grupo A) e LT3S (grupo B), com base na presença ou não de LT3S. Indivíduos saudáveis foram selecionados como grupo de controle (grupo C). A função de coagulação do sangue foi analisada em cada grupo. A função de ativação plaquetária (CD62P, CD63) foi determinada por citometria de fluxo. A taxa de agregação plaquetária foi detectada por um método óptico usando adenosina difosfato e ácido araquidônico como indutores. RESULTADOS A proporção de síndrome nefrótica primária com LT3S foi de 23,2% (69/298). Em comparação com o grupo C, o grupo A apresentou níveis mais altos de CD62P e PAgTADP, e o grupo B apresentou maiores CD62P, CD63, PAgTAA e PAgTADP; a diferença teve significância estatística (P < 0,05). Não houve diferença significativa na patologia renal entre o grupo A e o grupo B (X2 = 4,957, P = 0,421). Em comparação com o grupo A, a proteína em urina de 24 horas, CD63, PAgTAA e PAgTADP foram maiores no grupo B, já APTT e Alb foram mais baixos. A diferença apresentou significância estatística (P < 0,05). A análise de regressão logística mostrou uma associação entre LT3S e CD36 (OR: 3,516; 95% IC: 1,742~8,186; P = 0,004) e PAgTAA (OR: 0,442; 95% IC: 1,001~1,251; P = 0,037). CONCLUSÃO Pacientes com síndrome nefrótica estão propensos à síndrome do baixo triiodotironina (LT3S). Pacientes com LT3S podem ter ativação plaquetária anormal e aumento da agregação plaquetária.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of low triiodothyronine syndrome (LT3S) on platelet function and clotting factors in patients with nephrotic syndrome(NS). METHODS Patients with primary nephrotic syndrome were divided into two groups, normal thyroid function (group A) and LT3S (group B), based on whether they had LT3S or not. Healthy subjects were selected as the control group (group C). Blood coagulation function was detected in each group. The platelet activation function (CD62P, CD63) was determined by flow cytometry. The platelet aggregation rate was detected by an optical method using adenosine diphosphate and arachidonic acid as inducers. RESULTS The proportion of primary nephrotic syndrome with LT3S was 23.2% (69/298). Compared with group C, group A had higher CD62P and PAgTADP, and group B had higher CD62P, CD63, PAgTAA, and PAgTADP; the difference was statistically significant (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in renal pathology between group A and group B (X2 = 4.957, P = 0.421). Compared with group A, the 24-hour urine protein, CD63, PAgTAA, and PAgTADP were higher in group B, and APTT and Alb were lower. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that LT3S was associated with CD36 (OR: 3.516; 95% CI: 1.742~8.186; P = 0.004) and PAgTAA (OR: 0.442; 95% CI: 1.001~1.251; P = 0.037). CONCLUSION NS patients are prone to LT3S. Patients with LT3S may have abnormal platelet activation and increase of platelet aggregation.

2-Methyl-2-butanol (MBT) is a chemical compound from the group of alcohols more specifically pentanols, which has shown an excellent anti-cancer activity in our previous study. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer effect of MBT on human retinoblastoma cells. The results showed that the use of MBT leads to HXO-RB44 cell death but is cytotoxic to normal cells at higher concentrations. It showed a dose- as well as a time-dependent inhibition of HXO-RB44 cells. P27 is a cell cycle inhibitory protein, which plays an important role in cell cycle regulation whereas cyclin-B1 is a regulatory protein involved in mitosis. MBT increased the cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner by augmenting p27 and reducing cyclin B1 expression. Moreover, it also accelerated apoptosis, increased light chain-3 (LC-3) conversion in a dose-dependent manner, and helped to debulk cancerous cells. LC3 is a soluble protein, which helps to engulf cytoplasmic components, including cytosolic proteins and organelles during autophagy from autophagosomes. In order to verify the effect of MBT, bafilomycin A1, an autophagy inhibitor, was used to block the MTB-induced apoptosis and necrosis. Additionally, a specific Akt agonist, SC-79, reversed the MBT-induced cell cycle arrest and autophagy. Thus, from the present study, it was concluded that MBT induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy through the PI3K/Akt pathway in HXO-RB44 cells.

Abstract Objective There are a lot of disagreements in the studies on hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA polymerase mutation rate associated with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. This is the first study aimed to investigate the prevalence of spontaneous HBV resistance mutations in Central China. Methods This study included treatment-naive patients with CHB from June 2012 to May 2015 receiving care at the Institute of Liver Disease in Central China. All patients completed a questionnaire covering different aspects, such as family medical history, course of liver disease, medication history, alcohol use, among others. Mutations in HBV DNA polymerase associated with NAs resistance were detected using INNO-LiPA assay. Results 269 patients were infected with HBV genotype B (81.4%), C (17.9%), and both B and C (0.7%). Mutations in HBV DNA polymerase were detected in 24 patients (8.9%) including rtM204I/V (n = 6), rtN236T (n = 5), rtM250V (n = 2), rtL180M (n = 2), rtT184G (n = 1), rtM207I (n = 1), rtS202I (n = 1), rtM204V/I & rtL180M (n = 5), and rtM204I & rtM250V (n = 1). Conclusion Spontaneous HBV resistance mutations in HBV DNA polymerase were found in treatment-naive patients with CHB in Central China. These findings suggest that we should analyze HBV DNA polymerase resistance mutation associated with NAs before giving antiviral therapy such as lamivudine (LAM), adefovir (ADV), and telbivudine (LdT).

An incompressible fully developed laminar flow in a helical rectangular duct having finite pitch and curvature with temperature-dependent viscosity under heating condition is studied in this work. Both the cases of one wall heated and four walls heated are studied. The cross-sectional dimensions of the rectangular duct are 2a and 2b. The aspect ratio n=2b/2a is 0.5. Water is used as the fluid and Reynolds number (Re) is varied in the range of 100 to 400. The secondary flow with temperature-dependent viscosity is enhanced markedly as compared to constant viscosity. An additional pair of vortices is obtained near the center of the outer wall at Re=400 for the model of four walls heated with temperature-dependent viscosity, y, while for constant viscosity, the appearance of two additional vortices near the outer wall cannot be found. Besides, the axial velocity decreases and the temperature increases at the central region of the rectangular duct when the temperature-dependent viscosity is considered. Due to the decrease of the viscosity near the walls, the friction factor obtained with temperature-dependent viscosity is lower than that of constant viscosity, while the convective heat transfer for temperature-dependent viscosity is significantly enhanced owing to the strengthened secondary flow. Especially for four heated walls, the effects of viscosity variation on the flow resistance and heat transfer are more significant.

The turbulent flow in a Kenics Static Mixer (KSM) was intensified under the mutual-coupling effect between the twisted leaves and the tube-wall. In order to understand the intrinsic features of turbulent flow in KSM, the Hilbert-Huang Transform based on Empirical Mode Decomposition were first introduced to describe the time-frequency features of the pressure fluctuation. The Hilbert spectra of pressure fluctuation time series were quantitatively evaluated under different Reynolds numbers, and different radial and axial positions, respectively. The experimental results showed that: the fluctuation frequencies of pressure signals in a KSM were mainly distributed below 40 Hz, and more than 68% of the energy of signals is concentrated within 10 Hz. Compared with the other IMFs, the pressure component of C6 in the range of 7.82~15.63 Hz has the maximum fluctuation energy ratio. As the flow rate increases, the energy of fluctuation of fluid micelles and the proportion of low-frequency energy increases. The pressure fluctuation with higher energy ratio of low frequency (0~10 Hz) had lower amplitudes at r/R=0.3 because of the core of forced vortex. Nevertheless, the effect of the free vortex was that the pressure fluctuation with lower energy ratio of low frequency had higher amplitudes at r/R=0.8. The higher amplitudes of pressure fluctuation at cross sections of CS3 (z=420 mm) and CS5 (z=620 mm) proved that the transitions between the adjacent mixing element had better mixing performance.