Postoperative abdominal herpes zoster complicated by intestinal obstruction:A case report

BACKGROUND Intestinal obstruction is a common occurrence in clinical practice.However,the occurrence of herpes zoster complicated by intestinal obstruction after abdominal surgery is exceedingly rare.In the diagnostic and treatment process,clinicians consider it crucial to identify the primary causes of its occurrence to ensure effective treatment and avoiding misdiagnosis.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we present the case of a 40-year-old female patient with intestinal obstruction who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy and developed herpes zoster after surgery.Combining the patient's clinical manifestations and relevant laboratory tests,it was suggested that the varicella zoster virus reactivated during the latent period after abdominal surgery,causing herpes zoster.Subsequently,the herpes virus invaded the visceral nerve fibers,causing gastrointestinal dysfunction and loss of intestinal peristalsis,which eventually led to intestinal obstruction.The patient was successfully treated through conservative treatment and antiviral therapy and subsequently discharged from the hospital.CONCLUSION Pseudo-intestinal obstruction secondary to herpes zoster infection is difficult to distinguish from mechanical intestinal obstruction owing to various causes.In cases of inexplicable intestinal obstructions,considering the possibility of a viral infection is essential to minimize misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses。

Melittin induces human gastric cancer cell apoptosis via activation of mitochondrial pathway

AIM: To investigate the apoptotic effects of melittin on SGC-7901 cells via activation of the mitochondrial signaling pathway in vitro.METHODS: SGC-7901 cells were stimulated by melittin, and its effect on proliferation and apoptosis of was investigated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay, morphologic structure with transmission electron microscopy, annexin-V/propidium iodide double-staining assay, measuring mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP) levels, and analyzing reactive oxygen species(ROS) concentrations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytochrome C(Cyt C), apoptosis-inducing factor(AIF), endonuclease G(Endo G), second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases(Smac)/direct IAP binding protein with low isoelectric point(Diablo), and FAS were analyzed by western blot. The expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 was measured using activity assay kits.RESULTS: Melittin was incubated at 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, or 6.0 μg/m L for 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8 h and showed a timeand concentration-dependent inhibition of SGC-7901 cell growth. Melittin induced SGC-7901 cell apoptosis, which was confirmed by typical morphological changes. Treatment with 4 μg/m L melittin induced early apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells, and the early apoptosis rates were 39.97% ± 3.19%, 59.27% ± 3.94%, and 71.50% ± 2.87% vs 32.63% ± 2.75% for 1, 2, and 4 h vs 0 h(n = 3, P < 0.05); the ROS levels were 616.53% ± 79.78%, 974.81% ± 102.40%, and 1330.94% ± 93.09% vs 603.74% ± 71.99%(n = 3, P < 0.05); the MMP values were 2.07 ± 0.05, 1.78 ± 0.29, and 1.16 ± 0.25 vs 2.55 ± 0.42(n = 3, P < 0.05); caspase-3 activity was significantly higher compared to the control(5492.3 ± 321.1, 6562.0 ± 381.3, and 8695.7 ± 449.1 vs 2330.0 ± 121.9), but the caspase activity of the non-tumor cell line L-O2 was not different from that of the control. With the addition of the caspase-3 inhibitor(Ac-DEVD-CHO), caspase-3 activity was significantly decreased compared to the control group(1067.0 ± 132.5 U/g vs 8695.7 ± 449.1 U/g). The expression of the Cyt C, Endo G, and AIF proteins in SGC-7901 cells was significantly higher than those in the control(P < 0.05), while the expression of the Smac/Diablo protein was significantly lower than the control group after melittin exposure(P < 0.01). Ac-DEVD-CHO did not, however, have any effect on the expression of caspase-8 and FAS in the SGC-7901 cells.CONCLUSION: Melittin can induce apoptosis of human gastric cancer(GC) cells through the mitochondria pathways, and it may be a potent agent in the treatment of human GC.

AN ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY STUDY ON THE AGGREGATION OF ISOTACTIC POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)

Aggregation process of isotactic poly（methyl methacrylate） （i-PMMA） has been studied extensively for many years, and considerable progress has been made in both experimental and theoretical studies. They are, however, seldom sustained by real-space observations of the underlying morphology. In this paper, the aggregation process of i-PMMA in concentrated acetone solutions and the fractal structure of the resulting three-dimensional clusters were characterized on the basis of real-space AFM observations of their two-dimensional projection. It was found that spherical multiple-chain particles formed upon collapse and aggregation of the involving chains as a whole during quenching the solution to room temperature. By keeping the solution at room temperature, the initially formed particles stick together upon contact to form larger particles through reassembling very slowly. The succeeding collision of the enlarged spherical particles leads to the formation of small clusters. These newly formed small clusters grow when they meet with other clusters or single Brownian particles. This leads to the formation of large clusters with fractal dimension of 1.95 ± 0.05, which suggest a reaction-limited cluster aggregation of i-PMMA in a concentrated acetone solution. This is in accordance with the conclusion obtained by light scattering measurements.

Correlation Between Brain Activation Changes and Cognitive Improvement Following Cognitive Remediation Therapy in Schizophrenia： An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-analysis

Background：Several studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI） and positron emission tomography （PET） have indicated that cognitive remediation therapy （CRT） might improve cognitive function by changing brain activations in patients with schizophrenia.However,the results were not consistent in these changed brain areas in different studies.The present activation likelihood estimation （ALE） meta-analysis was conducted to investigate whether cognitive function change was accompanied by the brain activation changes,and where the main areas most related to these changes were in schizophrenia patients after CRT.Analyses of whole-brain studies and whole-brain ＋ region of interest （ROI） studies were compared to explore the effect of the different methodologies on the results.Methods：A computerized systematic search was conducted to collect fMRI and PET studies on brain activation changes in schizophrenia patients from pre-to post-CRT.Nine studies using fMRI techniques were included in the meta-analysis.Ginger ALE 2.3.1 was used to perform meta-analysis across these imaging studies.Results：The main areas with increased brain activation were in frontal and parietal lobe,including left medial frontal gyrus,left inferior frontal gyrus,right middle frontal gyrus,right postcentral gyrus,and inferior parietal lobule in patients after CRT,yet no decreased brain activation was found.Although similar increased activation brain areas were identified in ALE with or without ROI studies,analysis including ROI studies had a higher ALE value.Conclusions：The current findings suggest that CRT might improve the cognition of schizophrenia patients by increasing activations of the frontal and parietal lobe.In addition,it might provide more evidence to confirm results by including ROI studies in ALE meta-analysis.

Highly Stretchable,Compressible,Adhesive,Conductive Self-healing Composite Hydrogels with Sensor Capacity

The design and fabrication of conductive hydrogels with high stretchability,compressibility,self-healing properties and good adhesion remains a significant challenge.We have fabricated composite hydrogels by random polymerization of acrylic acid(AA)and dopamine(DA)in the presence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs).The π-π interaction between DA and MWCNTs makes MWCNTs stably and homogenously dispersed in water.The fabricated PAA-PDA/CNT composite hydrogels possess relatively high mechanical strength(maximum Youngzs modulus:800 kPa)and can be stretched to 1280%strain and compressed to 80%strain.The multiple hydrogen bonding formed between functional groups of PAA-PDA and MWCNTs can effectively dissipate energy and quickly achieve self-healing.The composite hydrogels also show good adhesion and can easily adhere to various inorganic or organic surfaces.In addition,the hydrogel reveals stable strain sensitivity and can be used as skin sensors.

Ceftriaxone-induced immune hemolytic anemia in a case with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome after cochlear implant

To the Editor:Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia (DIIHA)is a rare but severe condition.Ceftriaxone,a third-generation cephalosporin with a wide antibacterial spectrum and effective antibacterial action,is one of the most common drugs causing DIIHA.^[1]Ceftriaxoneinduced immune hemolytic anemia (CIIHA)is a potentially fatal complication.^[2]Most of the patients were children.The reported fatality rate of CIIHA was as high as 40%.