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Objective: To investigate effects of recreational noise exposure on olivocochlear efferent function. Methods: efferent suppression of DPOAEs and acoustic reflexes were tested in 32 young personal listening device users with normal hearing and compared with that of healthy, non--noise-exposed young adults. Results: The results showed that the efferent suppression of DPOAEs was mainly at low frequencies (0.75 and 1.0 kHz) in both groups and the efferent suppression of DPOAEs and acoustic reflexes in the noise exposure group was slightly lower than that in the control group, with no significant differences. Conclusions: Our results revealed that there were no differences in DPOAE changes or medial olivocochlear bundle function between normal-hearing subjects exposed to recreational noise and controls and suggest that recreational noise has different effects on olivocochlear efferent reflex strength compared with occupational noise exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a numerical procedure based on the continuum model is developed and applied to the solvation energy for ground state and the spectral shift against the position and the orientation of the interfacial molecule. The interface is described as a sharp boundary separating two bulk media. The polarizable continuum model (PCM) allows us to account for both electrostatic and nonelectrostatic solute–solvent interactions when we calculate the solvation energy. In this work we extend PCM to the interfacial system and the information about the position and orientation of the interfacial molecule can be obtained. Based on the developed expression of the electrostatic free energy of a nonequilibrium state, the numerical procedure has been implemented and used to deal with a series of test molecules. The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) associated with PCM is used for the electron structure and the spectroscopy calculations of the test molecules in homogeneous solvents. With the charge distribution of the ground and excited states, the position- and orientation-dependencies of the solvation energy and the spectrum have been investigated for the interfacial systems, taking the electrostatic interaction, the cavitation energy, and the dispersion–repulsion interaction into account. The cavitation energy is paid particular attention, since the interface portion cut off by the occupation of the interfacial molecule contributes an extra part to the stabilization for the interfacial system. The embedding depth, the favorable orientational angle, and the spectral shift for the interfacial molecule have been investigated in detail. From the solvation energy calculations, an explanation has been given on why the interfacial molecule, even if symmetrical in structure, tends to take a tilting manner, rather than perpendicular to the interface. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on the efforts of the Chinese government to address the problem associated with rare diseases in the country. They cite an increasing public awareness of rare diseases in China, which resulted in an effort to establish a Rare Diseases Prevention and Treatment Law. They mention several organisations that are involved in development and dissemination of information, such as the Home of Babies of the Moon. The authors also discuss a bill of rare diseases.

The article presents a study which compares the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use among older adults in the U.S. between 1996 and 2007. The study employs the 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), while the subjects were the community-dwelling adults who are 65 years or older. It reveals the decline on the number of of community-dwelling older adults who received at least one of the 33 PIMs, from 6.9 million in 1996 to 5.4 million in 2007.

We asked whether minimal residual disease (MRD) determined by RUNX1/RUNX1T1 transcript levels could identify allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) t(8;21) (q22;q22) acute myeloid leukemia patients who are at high risk for relapse, together with the impact of c-KIT mutations. Ninety-two consecutive adult t(8;21) patients who received allo-HSCT in complete remission were enrolled. MRD status at 1, 2, and 3 months after HSCT identified relapse patients (P = .05, P< .001, P = .0001, respectively). The 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 32% vs 9% (P = .01) and 55% vs 70% (P = .12) for patients with and without c-KIT mutations, respectively. In multivariate analysis, MRD at the first 3 months after HSCT, rather than c-KIT mutations, was an independent factor for CIR (P = .001) and LFS (P = .001). In addition, 17 patients received donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) as interventional therapy for MRD, and the 2-year CIR and LFS for patients with or without DLI was 24% vs 87% (P = .001) and 64% vs 0% (Pc .001), respectively. In conclusion, MRD monitoring early after transplant allows further rapid identification of t(8;21) patients at high risk of relapse and was more predictive of relapse risk than c-KIT mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung (HAL) is a rare type of lung cancer. Its diagnosis and treatment may be difficult due to the varied presentation; however, immunohistochemical analysis facilitates the diagnosis. The present study presents a case of HAL. The patient was a 48-year-old male who presented with a primary complaint of back pain. A chest computed-tomography scan revealed a lobulated soft-tissue mass that extended from the left lung apex to the middle and posterior mediastinum. The area of the largest cross-section was 7.9x10.0 cm and the lymph nodes did not demonstrate metastasis. Immunohistochemical staining of a transbronchial lung biopsy revealed that the tumor cells were α-fetoprotein (AFP)(positive) and hepatocytes(positive) and a diagnosis of hepatoid carcinoma of the left lung was established. The level of serum AFP, a tumor marker, was elevated (6,283 ng/ml). The patient presented with mediastinal metastases and was classified as stage ⅢA (N2); following diagnosis, the patient received concurrent chemoradiation. Subsequent to chemoradiation, the left lung lump with the largest cross-section was 3.3x4.2 cm and the serum AFP had fallen to its lowest level (23.11 ng/ml). However, when the patient relapsed, the serum AFP level elevated markedly (57,800 ng/ml). Furthermore, the nodules of metastasis increased in number and enlarged, with the largest measuring 2.1 cm. The patient succumbed as a result of a lung infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fentanyl-induced emesis (FIE) is a distressing adverse effect in the postoperative setting. The genetic basis of FIE remains largely unknown, therefore, we examined whether it was associated with specific genetic variants of OPRM1, the gene encoding the main receptor target of fentanyl. Methods: In this prospective case-control study, 193 women undergoing gynaecological surgery under a standardized anaesthetic with a low emetogenic risk were enrolled. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were designed to select extreme phenotypes as well as to ensure that most major confounders for FIE were either excluded or present in all patients. To control for unforeseen intra- and postoperative confounders for FIE, only 161 patients were further analysed, out of which 10 were categorized as having FIE, defined by the presence of at least one of three symptoms: nausea, vomiting or retching that was likely to be fentanyl-related. To identify SNPs relevant to FIE in our population, DNA from 40 controls and 10 cases was sequenced at the following OPRM1 regions: 3 kbp of the promoter, main and alternative exons as well as 2 kbp of the 39 downstream region. The genotype of the significant SNP was further determined in the remaining 111 controls. Results: The incidence of FIE was 6.2%. Initial sequencing of 10 cases and 40 controls identified 25 SNPs. Only rs540825, a non-synonymous SNP in the splice variant, MOR1X, showed a significant association with FIE post-Bonferroni correction. This SNP was further examined in the remaining 111 controls which confirmed its significant association with FIE (p = 0.019 post-Bonferroni, OR: 5.6, 95% CI: 1.42--21.91). Conclusions: This is the first report of an association between the occurrence of FIE in Chinese women undergoing gynaecological surgery and an OPRM1 splice variant SNP, rs540825. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lamivudine, a nucleoside analog, is commonly used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) but its durability of effectiveness after withdrawal is still uncertain. This study was designed to assess the durability of lamivudine treatment with stringent cessation criteria in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative patients and to explore potential predictive factors. Sixty one HBeAg-negative CHB patients who had received lamivudine for at least 24 months and had maintained undetectable serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA plus normal alanine aminotransferase for ≥ 18 months before withdrawal were included. They were followed up monthly during the first 4 months and at 3-month or 6-month intervals thereafter. Relapse was defined as serum HBV DNA ≥ 10 copies/mL. Thirty one of 61 patients relapsed during follow-up, over 90% occurred within 18 months after lamivudine withdrawal. Cumulative relapse rates at months 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 were 26.2%, 43.6%, 49.7%, 52.1%, 56.1% and 56.1%, respectively. Cox regression revealed that age was the only predictive factor for relapse, with lower relapse rates found in younger patients. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) turned negative in eight patients, and none of them relapsed during follow-up. Effectiveness of lamivudine treatment is not durable in HBeAg-negative CHB patients even when stringent cessation criteria are adopted, with the exception of patients aged ≤ 20 years. The ideal end point of lamivudine treatment is clearance of serum HBsAg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The migration of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells is an initial step in the development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). We investigated the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in an in vitro model of wound healing and effects of recombinant human CTGF (rhCTGF) on modulating migration and Ca2+ signaling in RPE cells. Methods: Cultured human RPE monolayers were used to establish a wound-healing model. Western blot and in situ hybridization were used to detect the CTGF expression in RPE cells. Migration of RPE cells was measured under the stimulation of rhCTGF alone or in combination with dexamethasone (DEX) or 8-Br-cAMP. To determine the concentration of cytoplasmic-free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) responding to CTGF, the fluo-3/AM-loaded RPE cells were observed with a laser scanning confocal microscope. Results: The CTGF expression first increased after being wounded in RPE cells, then reached a peak and maintained at a high level. The positive expression was mainly at the edge of scrape and in motile RPE cells. rhCTGF-stimulated RPE cells migrated in a dose-dependent manner, and both DEX and 8-Br-cAMP could significantly inhibit the CTGF-induced migrations. CTGF induced a (Ca2+)i elevation in RPE cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, stimulation of RPE cells with CTGF and DEX or 8-Br-cAMP counteracted the elevation of (Ca2+)i induced by CTGF. Conclusions: The CTGF expression could be induced by an in vitro model of scrape wounding. rhCTGF stimulated the migration and Ca2+ signal pathway in RPE cells in a dose-dependent manner, and DEX and 8-Br-cAMP suppressed this effect. Our results indicate that CTGF is involved in the wound-healing process and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of intraocular proliferative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented which recommends the implementation of health-communication awareness campaigns and the improvement of smoking-cessation programs in addition to other tobacco control initiatives in China.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article on the proposed development of a global rare-disease registry for research, education, and outcome improvement in China by Christopher Forrest and colleagues in the March 26, 2011 issue.