17beta-estradiol stimulates proliferation of spermatogonia in experimental cryptorchid mice

Aim： To investigate whether estrogen stimulates the proliferation of spermatogonia or induces spermatogenesis in cryptorchid mice. Methods： Mice were surgically rendered cryptorchid, then treated with different doses of 17β- estradiol （E2） s.c. once a day. Mice were killed at sexual maturity （45 days of age）, and histological analysis and inununofluorescence were performed. Serum follicle stimulating hormone （FSH）, estradiol, testosterone and luteinizing hormone （LH） were measured. Results： Low doses of E2 had no notable effect on spermatogonia, but at higher doses, E2 stimulated the proliferation of spermatogonia. Conclusion： E2 has a dose-related mitogenic effect on spermatogonia.

Correlation between serum homocysteine content and the changes in patients with type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Objective:To study the correlation between serum homocysteine (Hcy) content and the changes in patients with type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).Methods: The patients who were diagnosed with T2DM between March 2015 and April 2018 in our hospital were chosen and divided into the DPN group combined with DPN and the T2DM group not combined with DPN;healthy volunteers were chosen as the control group. The serum contents of Hcy, folic acid (FA), vitamin B12 (VitB12), inflammation indexes and oxidation indexes as well as sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) in extremities were measured.Results:Serum Hcy, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and high mobility group B1 (HMGB1) contents of DPN group were significantly higher than those of T2DM group and control group while serum FA, VitB12, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH) contents as well as median nerve, ulnar nerve, radial nerve, common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve SCV levels were significantly lower than those of T2DM group and control group;serum sVCAM-1, IL-1β and HMGB1 contents significantly increased while serum SOD and GSH contents as well as median nerve, ulnar nerve, radial nerve, common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve SCV levels significantly decreased in DPN group of patients with hyperhomocysteinemia.Conclusion: Serum Hcy content significantly increases in patients with DPN, and it can aggravate the nerve conduction function injury and activate the inflammatory and oxidative reaction.

Surveillance-based evidence:elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem in the Peoples’Republic of China

Background:A steady progress on schistosomiasis control in the Peoples’Republic of China(P.R.China)was achieved and broadened into the twelve-year medium and long term national plan(MLNP)which marled the implementation of an integrated control strategy across all endemic areas in P.R.China in 2004.To understand the endemic trends of schistosomiasis to assess the effectiveness of an integrated strategy,we conducted an analysis of schistosomiasis surveillance data spanned from 2005 to 2015.Methods:The schistosomiasis sentinel surveillance data from sentinel sites were collected and analyzed from 2005 to 2015.In these sentinel sites,residents aged 6 years or above were screened annually by indirect hemagglutination assay(IHA),while only antibody positives were followed by stool examination either Kato-katz method(KK)and/or hatching technique(HT).Domestic animals raised in sentinel sites were examined by HT for confirming the infection of schistosomes.Snail investigation was conducted each year through systematic sampling method combined with environmental sampling method.The snails collected from field were tested by microscopic dissection method.The infection rates of schistosomes in residents,domestic animals and snails,as well as the indicators reflecting the snails’distribution were calculated and analyzed.ANOVA analysis was used to examine the changes of the number of eggs per gram feces in population and Chi-square test was used to examine any change in proportions among groups.Results:A total of 148902 residents from sentinel sites attended this study and 631676 blood samples were examined by IHA test during the 11 covered years.The annual average antibody positive rates presented a significant decrease trends,from 17.48%(95%CI:17.20–17.75%)in 2005 to 5.93%(95%CI:5.71–6.15%)(χ2=8890.47,P<0.001)in 2015.During 2005–2015,the average infection rate of schistosomes in residents declined from 2.07%(95%CI:1.96–2.17%)to 0.13%(95%CI:0.09–0.16%),accompanied by significant decrease of infection intensity in population.In 2015,the stool positives were only found in farmers,fishermen and boatmen with infection rate of 0.16%(95%CI:0.11–0.20%),0.17%(95%CI:0–0.50%)respectively.The infection rate of schistosomes in domestic animals dropped from 9.42%(538/5711,95%CI:8.66–10.18%)to 0.08%(2/2360,95%CI:0–0.20%)from 2005 to 2015.Infections were found in eight species of domestic animals at the beginning of surveillance while only two cattle were infected in 2015.Totally 98 ha of new snail habitats were found,while 94.90%(93/98)distributed in lake and marshland regions.The percentage of frames with snails decreased from 16.96%(56884/335391,95%CI:16.83–17.09%)in 2005 to 4.28%(18121/423755,95%CI:4.22–4.34%)in 2014,with a slightly increase in 2015.Meanwhile,the infection rate of schistosomes in snails was decreased from 0.26%(663/256531,95%CI:0.24–0.28%)to zero during 2005–2015.Conclusions:The infection rate of schistosomes declined significantly,providing evidence that the goal of the MLNP was achieved.Elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem defined as WHO was also reached in P.R.China nationwide.Surveillance-response system should be improved and strengthened to realize the final goal of schistosomiasis elimination.

Disclosure of charge storage mechanisms in molybdenum oxide nanobelts with enhanced supercapacitive performance induced by oxygen deficiency

Molybdenum oxide(MoO_(3)), with superior features of multi-electrochemical states, high theoretical capacitance, and low cost, is a desirable supercapacitor electrode material but suffers from low conductivity and insufficient active sites. The MoO_(3) capacitance can be largely amplified by introducing oxygen(O) vacancies, but the mechanisms at the atomic scale are still ambiguous.Herein, O vacancies are created at the O2 and O3 sites in the MoO_(3) nanobelts by carbonization to maximize the supercapacitance in the MoO_(2.39). The supercapacitive storage is mainly ascribed to the proton adsorption at the O1 sites to create Mo–OH, leading to an expansion of the interlayer spacing along the lattice B-axis. Roughly 98% of the initial supercapacitance is retained after 1000 cycles,due to the reversible change in the interlayer spacing. Our results provide an insight into the oxygen deficiency-related mechanisms of the supercapacitive performance at the atomic scale and devise a facile method to enhance the supercapacitance for energy storage and conversion.