Giant coronary aneurysm with ventricular fistula is rare. Due to the limited data from randomised clinical trials, therapeutic strategies for coronary aneurysms predominantly rely on on case series and anecdotal evidences. Reporting cases that provide practical experience in managing these aneurysms is therefore crucial. In this article, we report a rare case of a successful surgical management for a thrombosed giant left coronary aneurysm with right ventricular fistula, which is larger than any previously reported cases.

In order to determine whether Taenia solium can be maintained in the laboratory using rodents as definitive hosts, six nude rats, 20 immunosuppressed Mongolian gerbils and 20 immunosuppressed Syrian hamsters were each inoculated through a stomach tube with three cysticerci recovered from SCID mice. No adult worms of T. solium were found in the intestinal tract of any of these 46 rodents. In addition, five immunosuppressed Syrian hamsters were fed with the same number of cysticerci enclosed in rodent muscles from SCID mice. Two of these hamsters were found to be infected 40 days post-infection, each harbouring a sexually developed worm in the intestinal tract. Although no eggs were produced, prepatent infections may be possible if a longer time was allowed for worm development. Moreover, the maintenance of the life cycle of T. solium in the laboratory using the rodent model can be established.

Normal and immunosuppressed mice were infected with oncospheres of Taenia saginata asiatica and T. solium. Although normal ICR mice were not susceptible to these two parasites, cysticerci were recovered from the immunosuppressed ones following venous injection. For T. s. asiatica, immunosuppressed ICR mice had an infection rate of 12.5% and six cysticerci of this parasite were recovered from three males. After injection of T. solium oncospheres, a high infection rate of 57% was obtained and 23 cysticerci were collected from 13 male immunosuppressed ICR mice. The immunosuppressed C57 mice had the highest infection rate (100%) and cysticercus recovery rate (2.4%) for T. solium. The infection rate and cysticercus recovery rate in six normal C57 mice were 40% and 3% respectively. The immunosuppressed ICR, Balb/c and C3H mice were also susceptible to T. s. asiatica.

Background. Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is the predominant type of liver cancer, and its treatment still faces great challenges presently. Mitochondrial inner membrane protein MPV17 is reported to be involved in multiple biological activities of cancers. Here, we seek to investigate the specific role and functions of MPV17 in LIHC progression. Methods. Firstly, MPV17 expressions in various tumors and corresponding normal samples and LIHC groups with various clinical features were analyzed, respectively. Next, the relationship between MPV17 expression and LIHC survival was analyzed and verified by AUC curves. Besides, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for LIHC were screened from TCGA and then analyzed by GO and KEGG. Then, MPV17 was analyzed by prognostic model, Cox analysis, predictive nomogram, pathway correlation, and immunoassay. Finally, the functions of MPV17 were determined by CCK-8 and Tranwell assays. Results. In most tumors, MPV17 expression was higher than that in the normal group, and it was related to LIHC clinical features. In the LIHC survival analysis, highly expressed MPV17 was associated with a poor prognosis. Besides, 314 upregulated and 193 downregulated DEGs are mainly involved in the TNF signaling pathway and tyrosine metabolism. Through prognostic model, Cox analysis, and predictive nomogram, MPV17 had the prognostic value for LIHC. Gene-pathway correlation analysis showed that MPV17 had the strongest correlation with the G2M_checkpoint pathway. In an immunoassay, MPV17 had a strong correlation with many immune cells. Functional assays showed that MPV17 reduction in LIHC cells could inhibit cell invasion, migration, and proliferation. Conclusion. MPV17, as a tumor promoter, could be a new biomarker for LIHC diagnosis and prognosis and probably shed new light on the exploration of LIHC therapies.

It is now generally believed that elderly may have slightly higher dietary protein requirements than those of the young-middle-aged adults. We have previously conducted related studies by the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) technique, but more research data are needed to revise the protein requirements of the elderly. The main objective was to reevaluate the dietary protein requirements of healthy Chinese adults (65–80 years) without sarcopenia by using the IAAO technique. Nine healthy adult men and seven healthy adult women participated in the study, with protein intakes ranging from 0·1 to 1·8 g/(kg·d). Diets that delivered energy at a 1·5 resting energy expenditure were isocaloric. The amounts of phenylalanine and tyrosine needed to remain constant for each protein dosage. By applying a nonlinear mixed-effects model analysis on the F13CO2 data, which revealed a breakpoint in F13CO2 in response to graded protein intakes, the mean protein requirement was calculated. The mean estimated average requirement (EAR) for healthy elderly Chinese adults without sarcopenia was determined to be 0·94 g/(kg·d). The protein recommended nutrient intake (RNI) determined using various derivation approaches ranged from 1·13 to 1·36 g/(kg·d). The EAR for Chinese adults without sarcopenia aged 65–80 years in this study is 6·8 % higher than the current recommended EAR (0·88 g/(kg·d)). The RNI derived using various derivation approaches are all greater than the current RNI (0·98 g/(kg·d)). This trial was registered with the Chinese clinical trial registry as ChiCTR2200061382.

Breast milk iodine concentration (BMIC) is a promising indicator of iodine status in lactating women. However, there are limited data on its usefulness to reflect maternal iodine deficiency. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess iodine concentration in breast milk and urine samples in exclusively breast-feeding women. Eligible pregnant women undergoing routine antenatal care in a large hospital in Shaanxi Province, China, were followed up from the third trimester of pregnancy until the first week of lactation. Urine samples (20 ml) were collected during pregnancy and lactation. Iodine concentration in samples was measured based on Sandell–Kolthoff reaction. Breast milk samples (5 ml) were provided during lactation. A receiver operating curve (ROC) was constructed to determine the diagnostic performance of BMIC. An iodine-specific FFQ was completed twice during pregnancy and lactation. A total of 200 women completed the study. The overall median BMIC was 89 μg/l, indicating iodine sufficiency (i.e. BMIC reference range between 60 and 465 μg/l). Women reported similar median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) during pregnancy and lactation (112 and 113 μg/l, respectively), but their iodine status differed – mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency during pregnancy and iodine sufficiency during lactation. The ROC for BMIC using UIC as a reference standard was 0·755 (95 % CI: 0·644, 0·866). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that women were iodine sufficient in the first week of lactation as assessed by UIC, which was consistent with BMIC. These findings suggested that BMIC is a useful biomarker to assess iodine status in lactating women.

An experimental investigation of the stereocamera's systematic error is carried out to optimize three-dimensional (3-D) dust observation on the HL-2A tokamak. It is found that a larger 3-D region occupied by all calibration points is able to reduce the 3-D reconstruction systematic error of the stereocamera. In addition, the 3-D reconstruction is the most accurate around the region where the calibration points are located. Based on these experimental results, the design of the stereocamera on the HL-2A tokamak is presented, and a set of practical procedures to optimize the 3-D reconstruction accuracy of the stereocamera are proposed.

The Huangshaping deposit is unique in southern Hunan Province, China, as it hosts economic reserves of both W–Mo and Pb–Zn mineralization, which are usually associated with granite and granodiorite porphyry in this area, respectively. This study reports results of in situ LA-MC-ICP-MS sulphur isotopic composition analyses conducted on sulphides from both W–Mo and Pb–Zn mineralization from the Huangshaping deposit with the aim of constraining ore genesis for this deposit. All samples from the proximal W–Mo mineralization have relatively uniform and high δ34S values (8.7 ‰ to 16.0 ‰), close to the range for carbonate sediments in this deposit (13.8 ‰ to 18.1 ‰). These patterns suggest that the granite porphyry in this deposit was the sulphur source for W–Mo mineralization, and that the assimilation of evaporite from the carbonate sediments led to the high δ34S values of the granite porphyry. Sulphides from the Pb–Zn mineralization have δ34S values (2.2 ‰ to 10.3 ‰) lower than those of the W–Mo mineralization, and generally increase in this paragenetic order, with the lowest δ34S values being similar to those of the basement (3.8 ‰ to 7.7 ‰). These patterns indicate that the original sulphur for the Pb–Zn mineralization was most likely derived from the basement, with input of sulphur from the carbonate sediments increasing during the evolution of ore-forming fluids. On the basis of the measured sulphur isotopic compositions, it is suggested that the ore-forming materials for the W–Mo mineralization were derived from the granite porphyry, whereas ore-forming materials extracted from the basement dominated the Pb–Zn mineralization.

The Lochkovian (Lower Devonian) conodont biostratigraphy in China is poorly known, and conodont-based subdivision schemes for the Lochkovian in peri-Gondwana (the Spanish Central Pyrenees, the Prague Synform, Sardinia, and the Carnic Alps) have not been tested in China. Therefore, we studied conodonts from the lower part (Bed 9 to Bed 13) of the Shanjiang Formation at the Alengchu section of Lijiang, western Yunnan to test the application of established subdivision schemes. The conodont fauna is assignable to 12 taxa belonging to eight genera (Ancyrodelloides, Flajsella, Lanea, Wurmiella, Zieglerodina, Caudicriodus, Pelekysgnathus, and Pseudooneotodus), and enables recognition of two chronostratigraphical intervals from the lower part of the Shanjiang Formation. The interval ranging from the uppermost part of Bed 9 to the upper part of Bed 10 belongs to the lower Lochkovian; whereas an interval covering the uppermost part of Bed 11 to the upper part of Bed 13 is correlated with the upper half of the middle Lochkovian. The Silurian-Devonian boundary is probably located within Bed 9, in the basal part of the Shanjiang Formation. However, the scarcity of specimens precludes definitive identification of bases of the lower, middle, and upper Lochkovian as well as other conodont zones recognized in peri-Gondwana.

This research communication addressed the hypothesis that late lactation cows offered an oat-grain-based supplement or a high level of α-TOC supplementation at pasture would have improved milk composition and processability. Over a grazing period of 49 d, 48 Holstein Friesian dairy cows were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments. The dietary treatments were: control, pasture only (CTRL), pasture + 2.65 kg DM barley-based concentrate + 350 IU α-TOC/kg (BARLO), pasture + 2.65 kg DM oat-based concentrate + 350 IU α-TOC/kg (OATLO) and pasture + 2.65 kg DM oat-based concentrate + 1050 IU α-TOC/kg (OATHI). Within this randomised complete block design experiment cows were blocked on days in milk (DIM) and balanced for parity, milk yield and composition. Rennet coagulation time (RCT) was reduced in milk from cows offered OATHI compared to CTRL cows and OATLO. Concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) was increased by OATHI compared to OATLO and in OATLO compared to CTRL. Supplementation with OATHI reduced individual saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in milk compared to OATLO. In conclusion, supplementing grazing dairy cows with an oat-based supplement improved total milk CLA concentration compared to pasture only. Offering a high level of α-TOC (2931 IU/d) to dairy cows reduced RCT, individual SFA and increased total CLA concentration of milk compared to a lower α-TOC level (738 IU α-TOC/d).