Corticosteroid therapy and delayed NAI treatment were associated with prolonged A(H7N9) RNA shedding. NAI combination therapy and double-dose oseltamivir treatment were not associated with a reduced A(H7N9) shedding duration as compared to standard-dose oseltamivir.

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Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare posterior and anterior surgical approach in combination with debridement, interbody autografting and instrumentation for thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis. These approaches were compared in terms of the operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, bony fusion, intraoperative and postoperative complications, neurological status and the angle of kyphosis. Methods Forty-seven patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis who underwent either the posterior or the anterior approach in combination with debridement, interbody autografting and instrumentation from January 2004 to March 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. In group A (n=25), the posterior approach was combined with debridement, interbody autografting and instrumentation. In group B (n=22), the anterior approach was performed in addition to debridement, interbody autografting and instrumentation. Results All cases were followed up for 12-62 months. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of the operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, bony fusion, intraoperative and postoperative complications, neurological status and the angle of kyphosis (p>0.05). Good clinical outcomes were achieved in both groups. ConclusionsThe posterior approach combined with debridement, interbody autografting and instrumentation is an alternative procedure to treat thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis. The posterior approach is sufficient for lesion debridement. In addition, the posterior approach can maintain spinal stabilisation and prevent loss of corrected vertebral alignment as effectively as the anterior approach.

Although bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) are a main cell source for tissue-engineered bone (TEB), the clinical use of BMSCs is restricted due to the invasive bone marrow aspiration procedure and the decline in available number of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and differentiation potential with increasing age. Umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UCMSCs) are likely to be a promising alternative cell source for TEB due to their higher availability and potential to proliferate and differentiate. To assess this possibility, we studied bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)-induced osteogenic differentiation and activation of signaling pathways in UCMSCs and BMSCs. UCMSCs showed a phenotype and differentiation potential similar to that of BMSCs. After 14 days of BMP2 treatment, the overall expression of several osteogenic-specific phenotypes (type I collagen, osteopontin, and osteocalcin) was similar for UCMSCs and BMSCs. The signaling pathway by which BMP2 induced differentiation of both cell types involved the membrane receptor-initiated signals including SMADs, P38, and extracellular regulated kinase. The similar characteristics of BMP2-induced osteogenic differentiation of UCMSCs and BMSCs in vitro would support the use of UCMSCs in TEB.

We challenged Locusta migratoria (Meyen) grasshoppers with simultaneous doses of both the insecticide chlorantraniliprole and the fungal pathogen, Metarhizium anisopliae. Our results showed synergistic and antagonistic effects on host mortality and enzyme activities. To elucidate the biochemical mechanisms that underlie detoxification and pathogen-immune responses in insects, we monitored the activities of 10 enzymes. After administration of insecticide and fungus, activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), general esterases (ESTs) and phenol oxidase (PO) decreased in the insect during the initial time period, whereas those of aryl acylamidase (AA) and chitinase (CHI) increased during the initial period and that of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) increased during a later time period. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) decreased at a later time period post treatment. Interestingly, treatment with chlorantraniliprole and M. anisopliae relieved the convulsions that normally accompany M. anisopliae infection. We speculate that locust mortality increased as a result of synergism via a mechanism related to Ca2+ disruption in the host. Our study illuminates the biochemical mechanisms involved in insect immunity to xenobiotics and pathogens as well as the mechanisms by which these factors disrupt host homeostasis and induce death. We expect this knowledge to lead to more effective pest control.