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This study aimed to evaluate whether dietary fiber content and density were associated with female infertility in the USA. Data on current dietary fiber and current or past female infertility were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) in 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018 cycles. Infertility was identified with the question "Have you ever tried a year to become pregnant: ever attempted to become pregnant over a period of at least a year without becoming pregnant?" The association between dietary fiber and female infertility was analyzed by weighted multivariate logistic regression. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the body mass index (BMI) of women. False discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted P values (q values) 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Totally 2370 women were eligible for analysis. Dietary fiber content was negatively associated with female infertility [odds ratio (OR) = 0.643, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.480-0.861, P = 0.004, q = 0.020]. Dietary fiber density was not associated with the odds of female infertility (OR = 0.734, 95% CI = 0.573-0.941, P = 0.016, q = 0.079). Subgroup analysis exhibited that dietary fiber content was not associated with infertility in underweight and normal-weight (OR = 0.620, 95% CI = 0.332-1.157, P = 0.130, q = 0.467) and overweight (OR = 0.764, 95% CI = 0.523-1.117, P = 0.160, q = 0.553) women; dietary fiber content was inversely associated with infertility in obese women (OR = 0.610, 95% CI = 0.443-0.841, P = 0.003, q = 0.015). There were no significant associations between dietary fiber density and female infertility in underweight and normal-weight (OR = 0.673, 95% CI = 0.393-1.153, P = 0.146, q = 0.410), overweight (OR = 0.769, 95% CI = 0.534-1.107, P = 0.153, q = 0.523), and obese (OR = 0.753, 95% CI = 0.581-0.975, P = 0.032, q = 0.160) populations. In conclusion, a negative association was found between dietary fiber content and female infertility especially among obese women. Future studies are warranted to confirm our findings and the causal relationship between dietary fiber, obesity, and female infertility.

The purpose of this study: (1) propose an evaluation indicator of the fattening efficiency of commercial pigs (Yorkshire × Landrace × Duroc)—fattening efficiency index (FEI). (2) Analyze the correlation to find the main productive factors affecting the FEI. (3) Compare and analyze the yearly/monthly/different piglets’ sources of productive performance in 2020 and 2021. The data included 2592 commercial pig batches in 2020 and 3266 in 2021, with a total of 6,134,234 commercial pigs. Descriptive statistics and difference analysis were carried out on 16 productive factors of a whole year and single/multiple sources for two consecutive years. The same period difference between the monthly data and the annual average were also analyzed. The top six productive factors correlated with FEI were average daily gain (ADG) (0.8080), feed conversion rate (FCR) (− 0.7203), survival rate (SR) (0.6968), number of deaths (− 0.4103), feeding days (− 0.3748) and body weight (BW) of marketing pigs (0.3369). The overall productive performance in 2021 was lower than that in 2020, which was reflected in more piglet sources and a lower BW of piglets, more deaths, a lower SR, longer feeding days, a lower ADG, a higher FCR and a lower FEI. The productive performance of a single source was better than that of multiple ones. The contrastive results of monthly data in 2020 and 2021 showed significant differences in most factors except for the number of marketing pigs, the number of piglets and feed consumption. The monthly trend of 15 factors for two consecutive years revealed similar trends only in the month of piglets purchasing, number of piglets sources, number of deaths and ADG. Compared with the annual average, the ADG significantly increased in May. The FEI of multiple sources was markedly lower than that of a single source. FEI may be suitable for evaluating the fattening efficiency of commercial pigs. The annual and monthly productive performance and fattening efficiency in 2021 were significantly lower than those in 2020. Single source was represented better productive performance and fattening efficiency than multiple ones.

The multicenter study aimed to explore the relationship between the growth pattern of liver metastases on preoperative MRI and early recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) after surgery.A total of 348 CRCLM patients from 3 independent centers were enrolled, including 130 patients with 339 liver metastases in the primary cohort and 218 patients in validation cohorts. Referring to the gross classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the growth pattern of each liver metastasis on MRI was classified into four types: rough, smooth, focal extranodular protuberant (FEP), and nodular confluent (NC). Disease-free survival (DFS) curve was constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method.In primary cohort, 42 (12.4%) of the 339 liver metastases were rough type, 237 (69.9%) were smooth type, 29 (8.6%) were FEP type, and 31 (9.1%) were NC type. Those patients with FEP- and/or NC-type liver metastases had shorter DFS than those without such metastases (p0.05). However, there were no significant differences in DFS between patients with rough- and smooth-type liver metastases and those without such metastases. The patients with FEP- and/or NC-type liver metastases also had shorter DFS than those without such metastases in two external validation cohorts. In addition, 40.5% of high-risk-type (FEP and NC) liver metastases converted to low-risk types (rough and smooth) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.The FEP- and NC-type liver metastases were associated with early recurrence, which may facilitate the clinical treatment of CRCLM patients.• In the primary cohort, patients with FEP- and NC-type metastases had shorter disease-free survival (DFS) and a higher intrahepatic recurrence rate than patients without such metastases in the liver. • In the primary cohort, there were no significant differences in DFS or intrahepatic recurrence rate between patients with rough- and smooth-type metastases and those without such metastases in the liver. • High-risk patients had shorter DFS and a higher intrahepatic recurrence rate than low-risk patients in primary and external validation cohorts.

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to detect extracapsular extension (ECE) and identify the relationship between ECE and nodule enhancement patterns in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Patients with suspected thyroid cancer underwent ultrasound (US) and CEUS examinations. The US and CEUS features of the PTC nodules and thyroid capsule were recorded and classified individually. The accuracy of US and CEUS in detecting ECE was compared individually, and its relationship with various tumour enhancement patterns was analysed. The presence or absence of ECE and cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) was confirmed pathologically. The final dataset included 119 patients with 124 PTC nodules. Seventy-two (60.5%) of these patients with PTC had no ECE (including 38 patients with single capsule invasion), while the remaining 52 had ECE. A significant difference was found in nodules with non-capsule invasion, single capsule invasion, and ECE between the cervical LNM and non-LNM groups (p < 0.01). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that area under the curve (AUC) of ECE for cervical LNM was higher than that of capsule invasion (71.9% vs. 49.6%). Moreover, the CEUS images acquired to detect ECE showed higher AUC values than those of US images (79.4% vs. 65.8%) (p = 0.02). Among the PTC nodules with differential enhancement, hyper-enhanced nodules had the highest incidence of capsule invasion (41.9%), while hypo-enhanced ones had a higher incidence of ECE (47.4%). Compared with conventional US, CEUS is a more valuable and non-invasive imaging modality to detect ECE. • Single capsular invasion was a poor predictor of cervical lymph node metastasis, while extracapsular extension assessments were clinically significant for predicting cervical lymph node metastasis. • CEUS is better than conventional US in detecting extracapsular extension in papillary thyroid carcinoma (AUC: 79.4% vs. 65.8%) (p = 0.02). • Among the thyroid papillary carcinoma nodules with differential enhancement, hyper-enhanced nodules had the highest incidence of single capsule invasion (41.9%), while hypo-enhanced ones had a higher incidence of ECE (47.4%).

Dangerous driving, e.g., using mobile phone while driving, can result in serious traffic problem and threat to safely. To efficiently alleviate such problem, in this paper, we design a intelligent monitoring system to detect the dangerous behavior in driving. The monitoring system is combined by camera, terminal server, target detection algorithm and voice reminder. Furthermore, we applied an efficiently deep learning model, namely mobilenet combined with single shot multi-box detector (mobilenet-SSD), to identify the behavior of driver. To evaluate the performance of proposed system, we construct a dangerous driving dataset which consists of 6796 images. The experimental results show that the proposed system can achieve accuracy of 99% in 100 testing images. It can be used for real-time monitoring of the driver’s status.

Although there has been increasing interest in aesthetical approaches for treating patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), there have been no studies comparing the safety and effectiveness of gasless endoscopic selective lateral neck dissection (SLND) via the anterior chest approach (ACA) with that of conventional open surgery (OPEN) for papillary thyroid carcinoma. A total of 91 patients with PTC who underwent either gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy, central compartment neck dissection and SLND via the ACA or conventional open surgery between Nov. 2008 to Dec. 2018 were included. Primary outcomes and demographic data were compared between the two groups. Thirty-one patients were in the ACA group and 60 were in the OPEN group. The ACA group was younger and had a longer operative time but less intraoperative hemorrhage (P

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinical complication associated with high mortality in patients. Immune cells and cytokines have recently been described to play essential roles in AKI pathogenesis. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a unique DC subset that specializes in type I interferon (IFN) production. Here, we showed that pDCs rapidly infiltrated the kidney in response to AKI and contributed to kidney damage by producing IFN-α. Deletion of pDCs using DTR(BDCA2) transgenic (Tg) mice suppressed cisplatin-induced AKI, accompanied by marked reductions in proinflammatory cytokine production, immune cell infiltration and apoptosis in the kidney. In contrast, adoptive transfer of pDCs during AKI exacerbated kidney damage. We further identified IFN-α as the key factor that mediated the functions of pDCs during AKI, as IFN-α neutralization significantly attenuated kidney injury. Furthermore, IFN-α produced by pDCs directly induced the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) in vitro. In addition, our data demonstrated that apoptotic TECs induced the activation of pDCs, which was inhibited in the presence of an apoptosis inhibitor. Furthermore, similar deleterious effects of pDCs were observed in an ischemia reperfusion (IR)-induced AKI model. Clinically, increased expression of IFN-α in kidney biopsies was observed in kidney transplants with AKI. Taken together, the results of our study reveal that pDCs play a detrimental role in AKI via IFN-α.

Background Social determinants of health (SDH), including food insecurity, are associated with depression in the general population. This study estimated the prevalence of depression and food insecurity and evaluated the impact of food insecurity and other SDH on depression in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Adults (≥ 18 years) with RA were identified from the 2013–2014 and 2015–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Depression was defined as a score of ≥ 5 (mild depression: 5–9; moderate-to-severe depression: 10–27) using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Food insecurity was assessed with the 18-item US Household Food Security Survey Module. Adults with household-level marginal-to-very-low food security were classified as experiencing food insecurity. The prevalence of depression and food insecurity among participants with RA were estimated. Weighted logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between depression and participants’ characteristics including SDH. Penalized regression was performed to select variables included in the final multivariable logistic regression. Results A total of 251 and 276 participants from the 2013–2014 and the 2015–2016 NHANES, respectively, had self-reported RA. The prevalence of depression among these participants was 37.1% in 2013–2014 and 44.1% in 2015–2016. The prevalence of food insecurity was 33.1% in 2013–2014 and 43.0% in 2015–2016. Food insecurity was associated with higher odds of having depression (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.27, 3.72), and the association varied by depression severity. Compared with participants with full food security, the odds of having depression was particularly pronounced for those with very low food security (OR 2.96, 95% CI 1.48, 5.90) but was not significantly different for those with marginal or low food security. In the multivariable regression, being female, having fair/poor health condition, any physical disability, and ≥ 4 physical limitations were significantly associated with depression. Conclusions In adults with self-reported RA, the prevalence of depression and food insecurity remained high from 2013 to 2016. We found that depression was associated with SDH such as food insecurity, although the association was not statistically significant once adjusted for behavioral/lifestyle characteristics. These results warrant further investigation into the relationship between depression and SDH among patients with RA.

To investigate the effects of lncRNA GAS5 on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of brain glioma cells. The expression levels of lncRNA GAS5 and GSTM3 in normal glial cells (HEB) and glioma cells (U251 and U87) were detected by RT-qPCR and western blot, respectively. Glioma cells were transfected with ctrl vector, pcDNA-GAS5, siRNA ctrl (siNC) or GSTM3 siRNA and the effects of lncRNA GAS5 and GSTM3 on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of glioma cells were detected by CCK-8 assay, transwell assay and Caspase 3/7 activity assay, respectively. The expression of lncRNA GAS5 was significantly decreased in glioma cell lines U251 and U87 compared with normal glial cells HEB (p

We described a nano-carbon ionic liquid electrode modified with palladium-doped graphene (Pd-GR/nano-CILE) for electrochemical analysis of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The surface morphologies of the electrodes and palladium-doped graphene (Pd-GR) were observed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used for investigating the electrochemical properties of the proposed sensor. The oxidation peaks of DA and UA were well separated at the Pd-GR/nano-CILE using differential pulse voltammetry. The sensor displayed good electrocatalytic activity toward DA and UA with increased peak currents and reduced peak potentials compared with conventional carbon paste electrode. Under optimal conditions, linear calibration plots for the analysis of DA and UA were obtained in the range of 5–200 μM, respectively. The detection limits (at an S/N ratio of 3) were 0.5 μM for DA and 0.8 μM for UA. The method was successfully applied to the determination of DA and UA in spiked human urine and serum samples.

Factors underlying the selection of antipsychotics for patients with schizophrenia are poorly understood. This study investigated variables associated with initiation of treatment with the long-acting injectables paliperidone palmitate (LAI-PP) and aripiprazole LAI (LAI-AP) in Medicaid patients with schizophrenia. Adults with at least one medical or pharmacy claim for LAI-PP or LAI-AP from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2016 were selected from the IBM® MarketScan® Medicaid Database. The date of the first LAI-PP or LAI-AP claim was the index date. Patients who had at least two medical claims, on different days, for a schizophrenia diagnosis and at least 12 months of continuous health plan enrollment prior to index date were included in the analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with the initiation of LAI-PP versus LAI-AP. Of included patients, 5501 initiated LAI-PP and 1449 initiated LAI-AP. Patients more likely to initiate LAI-PP versus LAI-AP were older, male, or African American (all p

Background Airway management, including noninvasive endotracheal intubation or invasive tracheostomy, is an essential treatment strategy for patients with deep neck space abscess (DNSA) to reverse acute hypoxia, which aids in avoiding acute cerebral hypoxia and cardiac arrest. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel risk score to predict the need for airway management in patients with DNSA. Methods Patients with DNSA admitted to 9 hospitals in Guangdong Province between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020, were included. The cohort was divided into the training and validation cohorts. The risk score was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and logistic regression models in the training cohort. The external validity and diagnostic ability were assessed in the validation cohort. Results A total of 440 DNSA patients were included, of which 363 (60 required airway management) entered into the training cohort and 77 (13 required airway management) entered into the validation cohort. The risk score included 7 independent predictors (p < 0.05): multispace involvement (odd ratio [OR] 6.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.79–23.07, p < 0.001), gas formation (OR 4.95, 95% CI 2.04–12.00, p < 0.001), dyspnea (OR 10.35, 95% CI 3.47–30.89, p < 0.001), primary region of infection, neutrophil percentage (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.18, p = 0.015), platelet count to lymphocyte count ratio (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.01, p = 0.010), and albumin level (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80–0.92, p < 0.001). Internal validation showed good discrimination, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.951 (95% CI 0.924–0.971), and good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow [HL] test, p = 0.821). Application of the clinical risk score in the validation cohort also revealed good discrimination (AUC 0.947, 95% CI 0.871–0.985) and calibration (HL test, p = 0.618). Decision curve analyses in both cohorts demonstrated that patients could benefit from this risk score. The score has been transformed into an online calculator that is freely available to the public. Conclusions The risk score may help predict a patient’s risk of requiring airway management, thus advancing patient safety and supporting appropriate treatment.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

A rare uplifting earth and rockfill dam case is introduced. The preliminary analysis on the formation mechanism indicates the uplift of dam body is very likely influenced by water swelling minerals in bedrock. In order to verify the swelling feature of the bedrock, a back analysis on dam surface displacement through Genetic Algorithm (GA) is carried out. Considering the discovered distribution characteristics of the bedrock expansibility, an advanced Sorting Genetic Algorithm (SGA) is proposed by adding a bubble sort procedure to maintain the relations between back analyzed parameters. The Finite Element Method (FEM) is embedded in SGA process as a single displacement calculating module. And two back analysis methods, fixed expansion distribution simulation and free GA simulation, are applied to simulate the uplift displacement of the dam body. The displacement prediction in verification dam section by adopting back analyzed parameters is later carried out to verify this method. The results demonstrate that the back analyzed vertical displacement (uplift) through both methods are in good agreement with the observed ones which verifies the reliability of the proposed method and the existence of swelling bedrock.

This study employed electroencephalography to record event-related potentials to investigate the difference in learning performance between learners with different levels of spatial ability in a traditional learning environment that utilizes presentation slides and a learning environment that incorporates virtual reality (VR). Thirty-two university students participated in the experiment. The N1 and P2 components were results that indicated selective attention at an early stage; their amplitudes were proportional to the cognitive loads. The experiment results revealed that the main effect of learning environment was significant. The N1 and P2 components had larger amplitudes and indicated higher cognitive loads in the presentation slides-based environment than in the VR-based environment. The main effect of spatial ability was also significant. The N1 and P2 amplitudes evoked in the high spatial ability (HSA) learners were smaller than those evoked in the low spatial ability (LSA) learners, indicating that the LSA learners possessed fewer cognitive resources and bore relatively high cognitive loads. The interaction effect of learning environment and spatial ability was significant. Larger P2 amplitude was observed in LSA learners in the presentation slides-based environment than in the VR-based environment, implying that VR facilitates the reduction of cognitive loads in LSA learners. The P2 amplitude detected in HSA learners did not show any significant difference in both learning environments, indicating that the VR-based learning environment did not enhance their learning. This result supports the ability-as-compensator hypothesis to a certain extent.

It is important to recognize the rice image captured by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for monitoring the growth of rice and preventing the diseases and pests. Aiming at the image recognition, we use rice images captured by UAV as our data source, the structure of capsule network (CapsNet) is built to recognize rice images in this paper. The images are preprocessed through histogram equalization method into grayscale images and through superpixel algorithm into the superpixel segmentation results. The both results are output into the CapsNet. The function of CapsNet is to perform the reverse analysis of rice images. The CapsNet consists of five layers: an input layer, a convolution layer, a primary capsules layer, a digital capsules layer and an output layer. The CapsNet trains classification and predicts the output vector based on routing-by-agreement protocol. Therefore, the features of rice image by UAV can be precisely and efficiently extracted. The method is more convenient than the traditional artificial recognition. It provides the scientific support and reference for decision-making process of precision agriculture.

Aiming at the three main problems of power system—leakage, high temperature and physical damage, a new image fusion of fault detection method in power system based on deep learning is proposed in this paper. The core of deep learning is achieved by capsule network model. The model is trained and tested by self-built image dataset of power system. There are three types of dataset: visible images,infrared images and ultraviolet images. After being preprocessed and feature-extracted, the visible image is used as the fusion image background, the infrared image provides the thermal information of power equipment, and the ultraviolet image provides the electric field information on the exterior of power equipment. The collected images are decomposed into corresponding high frequency component image and low frequency component image respectively, which reconstructed into fused images by the capsule network model. With the registration of the three types of images, the faults in the power system can be detected and displayed accurately in the fused image.

Target recognition system based on machine learning has the problems of long delay, high power-consuming and high cost, which cause it difficult to be promoted in some small embedded devices. In order to develop a target recognition system based on machine learning that can be utilized in small embedded device, this paper analyzes the commonly used design process of target recognition, the training process of machine learning algorithms, and the working method of FPGA to accelerate the algorithm. In the end, it offers a new solution of target recognition system based on machine learning hardware accelerator. In the solution, the training process of target recognition algorithm based on machine learning is completed in GPU, and then the algorithm is porting to the logic part of SOC in the form of hardware accelerator. The solution be widely used in different needs of the target recognition scenario with the advantage of effectively reduce the system delay, power consumption, size.

The remote health monitoring system (RHMS) has become more real-time because the internet plus technology develops quickly. To support real-time health monitoring server, three main aspects, such as collecting, transferring and analyzing the health data, should be integrated into a system. So far, many challenges have been solved and many RHMSs have been applied in our daily lives. It is significant to use RHMS to take good care of clients who live alone, especially monitors the health data of clients in nursing home. This paper introduces a health gateway which automatically collects information of the clients. The information includes the users’ identity, vital signs, body temperature, clients’ real-time location and falling action detection. Moreover, the health gateway transmits information in WIFI relaying mode until the information is received by the background server. If the information is abnormal, the health gateway would send an alarm to the server. The server should call a doctor or caretaker and send accurate navigation based on real-time location in 3D architectural modeling to their mobile devices for finding clients quickly.

To better understand the outcomes of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), we examined the clinical features and prognostic factors of SCLC in this study. A total of 148 patients who were diagnosed as having SCLC between January 2009 and December 2013 in Cancer Center of Union Hospital, Wuhan, China, were enrolled and their clinical features and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed. Log-rank test and Cox regression model were employed for analysis of prognostic factors. The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 59.7% and 25.7%, respectively, for limited disease (LD) patients whose median survival time (MST) was 16 months. The 1- and 2-year OS rates were 29.5% and 5.3%, respectively, for extensive disease (ED) patients whose MST was 10 months. The univariate analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that age, tumor stage, serum CEA and Ki-67 antigen were significantly correlated to the outcomes of SCLC, and they were significant prognostic factors for SCLC.

Achieving the activation of drugs within cellular systems may provide targeted therapies. Here we construct a tumour-selective cascade activatable self-detained system (TCASS) and incorporate imaging probes and therapeutics. We show in different mouse models that the TCASS system accumulates in solid tumours. The molecules show enhanced accumulation in tumour regions via the effect of recognition induced self-assembly. Analysis of the molecular penetration in tumour tissue shows that in vivo self-assembly increases the penetration capability compared to typical soft or hard nanomaterials. Importantly, the in vivo self-assembled molecules exhibit a comparable clearance pathway to that of small molecules, which are excreted from organs of the reticuloendothelial system (liver and kidney), while are relatively slowly eliminated from tumour tissues. Finally, this system, combined with the NIR probe, shows high specificity and sensitivity for detecting bladder cancer in isolated intact patient bladders., The activation of drugs within cellular systems may provide targeted therapies for cancer. Here, the authors make a drug delivery system that is activated within the cell and exploits XIAP expression to cleave a linker region, resulting in the self-assembly of the system and drug release within cancer cells.

In this paper, finite element analyses were carried out on thermal stresses at the tubesheet of floating-head or U-tube heat exchangers with square layout of tubes based on parametric finite element models of the tubesheet established with ANSYS parametric design language (APDL). It is found that for thick tubesheet with large temperature difference between two the sides, the maximum thermal stress can be comparable with the mechanical stress induced by pressures and should not be neglected in some circumstances. When hot fluid flows on the tube-side, both the shell-side and tube-side surfaces of the tubesheet are in tensile stress state while the region in the middle of the tubesheet is in compressive. Conversely, if the cold fluid flows on the tube-side, compressive thermal stresses are produced at the two tubesheet surfaces, which is helpful to prevent the tubesheet from cracking. By changing design parameters in APDL commands, parametric analysis was completed and the results show that the thermal stresses at the surface center of the tubesheet are sensitive to the thickness and the perforated region size of the tubesheet. Based on sufficient numerical results, a regressed formula for evaluating the thermal stress at the surface center of the tubesheet with squarely arranged tubes was obtained, this can facilitate the strength design of the tubesheet in floating-head or U-tube heat exchangers when considering the thermal stress.

Sialic acid modification is a kind of post-translational modification. To investigate the regulation effect of sialic acid on neural differentiation, we used CycloManN propanyl perac (CycloManN pro), a metabolic precursor of sialic acid, to treat PC12 cells. We noted that CycloManN pro indeed robustly promoted global sialylation detected by MAL II lectin blot in PC12 cells. Simultaneously, we interestingly found that the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells was significantly promoted by the CycloManN pro treatment. The profile analysis of sialylated proteins showed that a protein band at 55KD was greatly enhanced especially in PC12L cells after CycloManN pro treatment. After enrichment with lectin MAL II, the proteins in this band were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The results showed that 23 proteins were in the band, but the score of vimentin was the highest among them. To investigate further the role of vimentin in the process of neurite differentiation, vimentin construct was transfected into PC12 cells. We interestingly observed that ectopic expression of vimentin significantly enhanced the neurite outgrowth induced by CycloManN pro. However, after three potential glycosylation sites (Ser-7, Thr-33, Ser-34:) of vimentin were mutated to alanine, overexpression of the mutated vimentin completely lost the enhancement activity for the neural differentiation even in the presence of CycloManN pro. Taken together, our study demonstrated that vimentin was important in the induction of neural differentiation by CycloManN pro.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting thyroid gland invasion (TGI) in patients with advanced laryngeal or hypopharyngeal carcinoma. In a retrospective chart review, 41 patients with advanced laryngeal or hypopharyngeal carcinoma underwent MRI scan before total laryngectomy and ipsilateral or bilateral thyroidectomy during the past 5 years. The MRI findings were compared with the postoperative pathological results. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Among the 41 patients, 3 had thyroid gland invasion in postoperative pathological results. MRI correctly predicted the absence of TGI in 37 of 38 patients and TGI in all 3 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of MRI were 100.0, 97.4, 75.0, and 100 %, respectively, with the diagnostic accuracy of 97.6 %. In consideration of the high negative predictive value of MRI, it may help surgeons selectively preserve thyroid gland in total laryngectomy and reduce the incidence of hypothyroidism and hypoparathyroidism postoperatively.

Primary tumors of early-stage (T1-2N0M0) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can be treated by transoral minimally invasive surgery, but the cervical lymph node lacks corresponding minimally invasive treatment. Therefore, our study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic-assisted selective neck dissection (EASND) via small lateral neck incision in treatment of early-stage HNSCC. From May 2008 to April 2012, 29 patients with early-stage HNSCC were enrolled in this retrospective study. EASND via small lateral neck incision was followed by primary tumors treated by transoral endoscopy or CO2 laser microsurgery in all patients. The clinical data and follow-up results were analyzed retrospectively. Twenty-nine patients (male 22, female 7) were successfully treated by EASND and no case conversed to open surgery. EASND included eight cases of level I–III and 21 cases of level II–IV. The operative time was 68.4 ± 10.3 min, and the operative bleeding was 40.8 ± 12.4 ml. The number of lymph nodes was 19.1 ± 4.1. There were 19 cases of T1, 10 cases of T2, 22 cases of N0, 7 cases of N1, no cases with positive margin or extracapsular spread in lymph node. Temporary sensory changes in the postauricular area occurred in two cases, both recovered within 3 months after the surgery, postoperative seromas occurred in one case. No patient showed postoperative bleeding, chylous fistula, incision infection, facial nerve injury, and accessory nerve injury. All patients were satisfied with the postoperative cosmetic results. The 3-year OS was 96.5 %, while DFS, LRFS, and DMFS were 100 %. EASND via small lateral neck incision is a feasible and safe technique with achieved short-term oncologic outcomes in early-stage (T1-2N0M0) HNSCC patients. But the long-term results of EASND on oncologic safety and functional outcomes are required to confirm by larger, randomised studies.

POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy and skin changes) is a multisystem disorder with a good long-term prognosis. In its dozens of clinical features, those with independent prognostic value are still not well characterized. We retrospectively included 362 patients with newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome at our institute from 2000 to 2015. On the basis of a randomized sample splitting, we first identified four baseline clinical variables, including age >50 years (hazards ratio (HR) 4.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41-11.76, P=0.009), pulmonary hypertension (HR 3.99, 95% CI 1.44-11.04, P=0.008), pleural effusion (HR 3.81, 95% CI 1.23-11.79, P=0.02) and estimated glomerular filtration rate

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety, feasibility, effectiveness, and cosmesis of a gasless endoscopic-assisted thyroidectomy via the anterior chest in patients with Graves' disease. We retrospectively reviewed 38 patients with Graves' disease treated with thyroidectomy from November 2007 to June 2015. We analyzed clinical characteristics of patients, type of operation, operative indications, operative duration, length of postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative complications. The thyroidectomies were classified as total thyroidectomy (n = 12) or near-total thyroidectomy with a remnant of

Cranial irradiation-induced inflammation plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI). Anti-inflammation treatment may provide therapeutic benefits. Corilagin (beta-1-O-galloyl-3, 6-(R)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-D-glucose, C27H22O18) was a novel member of the tannin family with anti-inflammatory properties and is isolated from some medicinal plants, such as Phyllanthus amarus and Caesalpinia coriaria. In this study, the effect of Corilagin on RIBI was investigated and the underlying mechanisms were explored. Spatial learning and memory ability of mice were investigated by the Morris water maze test. Evans blue leakage and electron microscopy were used to assess the integrity of blood-brain barrier (BBB). The mRNA and protein expressions of inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, were measured by using real-time PCR and Western blotting. The activation of microglial cells and expression of TNF-α were examined by immunofluorescence staining. Phosphorylated signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) and IκBα, and the translocation of p65 from cytoplasm to nucleus were detected by using Western blotting. Morris water maze test showed that Corilagin ameliorated the neurocognitive deficits in RIBI mice. Evans blue leakage and electron microscopy exhibited that Corilagin partially protected the BBB integrity from cranial irradiation-caused damage; immunofluorescence staining showed that Corilagin could inhibit microglial activation and TNF-α expression. Real-time PCR and Western blotting revealed that Corilagin downregulated the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β and inhibited the irradiation-induced activation of NF-κB pathways by upregulating p-STAT3 expression. In conclusion, Corilagin could attenuate RIBI through inhibiting microglial activation and the expressions of inflammatory cytokines. Corilagin might inhibit the activation of NF-κB pathway in a STAT3-associated manner, thereby downregulating the inflammatory cytokine expressions.

Reaction of [Mn12(CH3COO)16(H2O)4O12]·2CH3COOH·4H2O and Na9[AsW9O33]·19.5H2O in aqueous solution leads to the isolation of a new carboxy group decorated TMSP, Na15[(MnII(COOH))3(AsW9O33)2]·15H2O (1). The structure of 1 was characterized by elemental analysis, thermometric analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction (Crystal data for 1: Trigonal, P-3, a = 12.8804(4) A, b = 12.8804(4) A, c = 30.3501(19) A, V = 4360.6(3) A3, Z = 2). Structural analysis reveals that 1 represents the first example of carboxy group decorated arsenotungstate. Antitumor study indicates that compound 1 possesses high antitumor activity against Hela cells. In addition, the magnetic properties of 1 were also investigated.

Background Brain metastasis (BM) is associated with poor prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent studies demonstrated that microRNA-330-3p (miR-330-3p) was involved in NSCLC brain metastasis (BM). However, the exact parts played by miR-330-3p in BM of NSCLC remain unknown. Discovery and development of biomarkers and elucidation of the mechanism underlying BM in NSCLC is critical for effective prophylactic interventions. Here, we evaluated the expression and biological effects of miR-330-3p in NSCLC cells and explored the underlying mechanism of miR-330-3p in promoting cell migration and invasion in NSCLC. Methods Stable over-expression and knockdown of miR-330-3p in NSCLC cells was constructed with lentivirus. Expression levels of miR-330-3p in NSCLC cells were quantified by quantitive real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The effects of miR-330-3p on NSCLC cells were investigated using assays of cell viability, migration, invasion, cell cycle, apoptosis, western blotting, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescence staining. A xenograft nude mouse model and in situ brain metastasis model were used to observe tumor growth and brain metastasis. The potential target of miR-330-3p in NSCLC cells was explored using the luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and western blotting. The miR-330-3p targets were identified using bioinformatics analysis and verified by luciferase reporter assay. The correlation between GRIA3 and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1 and DNMT3A was tested by RT-PCR, western blotting, and co-immunoprecipitation (IP). Results miR-330-3p was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC cell lines. MTT assay, transwell migration, and invasion assays showed that miR-330-3p promoted the growth, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro and induced tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Luciferase reporter assays showed that GRIA3 was a target of miR-330-3p. qRT-PCR and western blotting exhibited that miR-330-3p promoted the growth, invasion, and migration of NSCLC cells by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular-regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathway. Furthermore, miR-330-3p up-regulated the total DNA methylation in NSCLC cells, and co-IP-demonstrated GRIA3 was directly related with DNMT1 and DNMT3A. Conclusions miR-330-3p promoted the progression of NSCLC and might be a potential target for the further research of NSCLC brain metastasis.

In the original publication, the patient number was incorrectly published under the “Methods” heading in the abstract section. The incorrect sentence reads as “55 patients with Reinke’s edema, who were admitted from November 2010 to June 2018, were enrolled as research subjects for the retrospective analysis.”

Indium vanadate (InVO4) nanoribbons were irradiated with various doses of gamma ray irradiation. The results revealed that the crystal structure remained unchanged after irradiation while the UV–Vis spectra underwent a red-shift with increasing irradiation dose. In addition, gamma ray irradiation enhanced the sensibility of InVO4-based sensors for ammonia testing. The improved properties of InVO4-nanobased sensors exposed to irradiation might be ascribed to the defects introduced by gamma ray, making gamma ray irradiation a good approach for material modification.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the technique of endoscope-assisted concurrent resection of thyroglossal duct cysts and benign thyroid nodules via a small submental incision. Endoscope-assisted thyroglossal duct cyst excision and subtotal thyroidectomy were performed via a small submental incision in six patients with thyroglossal duct cysts and benign nodular thyroid lesions. The thyroglossal duct cysts and thyroid lesions were completely excised. The incisions were 3-4 cm in length, and the mean operation time was 84 ± 11 min. The mean volume of blood loss was 19 ± 5 mL. Postoperative pathological examination findings confirmed the diagnosis of thyroglossal duct cyst in all patients. The thyroid lesions were nodular goiter in three patients and thyroid adenoma in three patients. No postoperative complications such as hematoma, pharyngeal fistula, hypocalcemia, recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, or dysphagia were observed. No changes in the planned surgical procedure were required, and no recurrent lesions were detected during follow-up. In conclusion, patients with thyroglossal duct cysts and benign thyroid lesions can be treated by endoscopic excision via a small submental incision, thereby avoiding large neck incisions and resulting in better postoperative cosmetic outcomes.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered a promising tool for cell-based therapies of nervous system diseases. Bone marrow (BM) has been the traditional source of MSCs (BM-MSCs). However, there are some limitations for their clinical use, such as the decline in cell number and differentiation potential with age. Recently, amniotic fluid (AF)-derived MSCs (AF-MSCs) have been shown to express embryonic and adult stem cell markers, and can differentiate into cells of all three germ layers. In this study, we isolated AF-MSCs from second-trimester AF by limiting dilution and compared their proliferative capacity, multipotency, neural differentiation ability, and secretion of neurotrophins to those of BM-MSCs. AF-MSCs showed a higher proliferative capacity and more rapidly formed and expanded neurospheres compared to those of BM-MSCs. Both immunocytochemical and quantitative real-time PCR analyses demonstrated that AF-MSCs showed higher expression of neural stemness markers than those of BM-MSCs following neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation. Furthermore, the levels of brain-derived growth factor and nerve growth factor secreted by AF-MSCs in the culture medium were higher than those of BM-MSCs. In addition, AF-MSCs maintained a normal karyotype in long-term cultures after NSC differentiation and were not tumorigenic in vivo. Our findings suggest that AF-MSCs are a promising and safe alternative to BM-MSCs for therapy of nervous system diseases.

The bi-functional Au/FeS (Au/Co3O4) composite was fabricated by in situ reducing Au nanoparticles onto the surface of FeS (Co3O4). The as-prepared FeS possessed a multi-structure composed of plenty of nanoplates, which were coated by Au nanoparticles with an average size of ~47.5 nm. While the Co3O4 showed a thin hexagonal sheet containing Au nanoparticles on its surface with an average size of ~79.0 nm. Both the as-prepared Au/FeS and Au/Co3O4 composites exhibited excellent SERS performance, capable of enhancing the Raman signals of R6G molecules with the enhancement factor up to 1.81 × 106 and 7.60 × 104, respectively. Moreover, Au/FeS (Au/Co3O4) composite also has been verified to have intrinsic peroxidase-like activity, which could decompose H2O2 into hydroxyl radicals and then degrade organic pollutants into small molecules. Therefore, SERS can be used to real-time and in situ monitoring the degradation process of R6G molecules, employing the Au/FeS (Au/Co3O4) composite both as SERS substrate and catalyst. SERS was used to real-time and in situ monitoring the degradation of R6G, employing the Au/FeS and Au/Co3O4 composites both as SERS substrates and catalysts.

To investigate the role of tyrosine kinase receptor C (TrkC), the receptor of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), in neuroplasticity following spinal cord injury (SCI).Rats with cord transection were allowed to survive for 1, 3, 7 and 14 d post operation (dpo). TrkC expressions at lower thoracic levels of the spinal cord and in precentral gyrus of cerebral cortex were investigated.TrkC protein levels at both the site of injury (T10-T11) and the neighboring segments (T9 and T12) in the spinal cord decreased significantly at 1-7 dpo, followed by a rapid increase at 14 dpo. The temporal changes in TrkC mRNA expression level showed a similar pattern with that of TrkC protein. In addition, the levels of TrkC protein and mRNA at the site of injury (T10-T11) were significantly higher than those at the neighboring spinal segments (T9 and T12). Besides, the levels of TrkC protein and mRNA were higher at the rostral segment than at the caudal segment. However, in the motor cortex, TrkC protein was not detected and TrkC mRNA was expressed at a very low level.These results suggest that TrkC may be involved in neuroplasticity after SCI.

The purpose of the study was to examine the nanoscale distribution and density of the VEGFR-2 membrane receptor on the endothelial cell surface of glioma microvasculature. Immunofluorescence and atomic force microscopy combined with immunogold labeling techniques were used to characterize and determine the position of the glioma microvasculature endothelial cell surface receptor VEGFR-2. We aimed to indirectly detect the distribution of VEGFR-2 on the cell membrane at the nanoscale level and to analyze VEGFR-2 quantitatively. Immunofluorescence imaging showed a large amount of VEGFR-2 scattered across the endothelial cell surface; atomic force microscopy imaging also showed two globular structures of different sizes scattered across the endothelial cell surface. The difference between the average diameter of the small globular structure outside the cell surface (43.67 ± 5.02 nm) and that of IgG (44.61 ± 3.19 nm) was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The three-dimensional morphologies of the small globular structure outside the cell surface and IgG were similar. The difference between the average diameter of the large globular structure outside the cell surface (74.19 ± 9.10 nm) and that of IgG-SpA-CG (74.54 ± 15.93 nm) was also not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The three-dimensional morphologies of this large globular structure outside the cell surface and IgG-SpA-CG were similar. The total density of these two globular structures within the unit area was 92 ± 19 particles μm(2). No globular structures were seen on the cell surface in the control group. The large globular structure on the surface of glioma microvascular endothelial cells was categorized as a VEGFR-2-IgG-SpA-CG immune complex, whereas the small globular structure was categorized as a VEGFR-2-IgG immune complex. The positions of the globular structures were the same as the positions of the VEGFR-2 molecules. A large amount of VEGFR-2 was scattered across glioma microvascular endothelial cell surfaces; the receptor density was about 92 per square micron.

Adherence to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) is essential for the reduction of multiple sclerosis (MS) progression and relapse. However, only limited data currently exist on the impact of treatment adherence on MS-related clinical and economic outcomes in the real world setting.To assess the impact of treatment adherence on MS-related hospitalizations (inpatient [INP]), ER visits, MS relapses, and medical costs.Patients with ≥ 1 ICD-9-CM code for MS who received ≥ 1 DMT between July 1, 2004 and June 30, 2008 were identified using the administrative claims database. The first DMT received during the study period was defined as the index treatment and ≥ 6-month preindex and ≥ 12-month postindex continuous health-plan enrollment were required for inclusion. Adherence was assessed using the medication possession ratio (MPR); patients with MPR ≥ 80% were regarded as adherent. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the impact of adherence on MS-related outcomes after controlling for baseline demographic and clinical characteristics.In this cohort (n=2446), 59.6% of the patients were adherent to their DMT. Compared with the nonadherent group, adherent patients were significantly less likely to have MS-related INP (odds ratio [OR]: 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47-0.83) and MS relapses (OR: 0.71, 95% CI, 0.59-0.85). No significant difference was found in ER risk between adherent and nonadherent groups (8.4% vs. 10.5%, P=0.068, OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.60-1.07). On average, the adherent group incurred lower medical costs than the nonadherent group ($3380, 95% CI, $3046-$3750 vs. $4348, 95% CI, $3828-$4940, P=0.003).Treatment adherence is associated with better clinical and economic outcomes including lower risks for MS-related hospitalization, MS relapse, and less MS-related medical costs. Treatments that require infrequent administrations and have favorable adherence profiles may benefit patients who are unable to adhere to DMT therapies. Such treatments may be important in improving disease outcomes and may be suitable therapeutic candidates for the management of MS.

Myelin-derived proteins, such as tenascin-R (TN-R), myelin associate glycoprotein (MAG), oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp), and Nogo-A, inhibit the central nervous system regeneration. In this study, the DNA vaccine encoding for oligodendrocyte and myelin-related antigens was employed to attenuate the axonal growth inhibitory properties of myelin in the setting of spinal cord injury. Using a rat spinal cord dorsal hemisection model, the vaccine directed against the inhibitory epitopes of Nogo-A, MAG, OMgp, and TN-R was administered intramuscularly once a week following spinal cord injury, supplemented with local application of specific anti-sera against the four antigens. Anterograde labeling of dorsal column fibers showed active axonal regeneration through the lesion site at the eighth week following the treatment in experimental group but not in control groups. Light microscopic and ultrastructural analysis revealed that vaccination with these myelin-related antigens did not lead to demyelinating disease. OMgp and TN-R levels were down-regulated at the lesion site together with a parallel increase in growth-associated protein 43 levels in the treatment groups. This study reveals the effective approach of a DNA vaccine strategy by attaining the special antibody to direct neutralization of the myelin inhibitors during spinal cord injury.

Human mesenchymal stem cells-like cells (hMSCs-like cells) were used as a tumor treatment platform for the systemic delivery of immunotoxin genes. VEGF165-PE38 recombinant immunotoxin served as the model system. hMSCs-like cells were isolated, expanded, and electroporated with the pIRES2-VEGF165PE38-EGFP plasmid. RT-PCR and ELISA were used to confirm the expression of VEGF165-PE38 in the transfected hMSCs-like cells. These cells released 1390 +/- 137 pg VEGF165-PE38/10(4)cells over 48 h into the culture medium and the supernatant was capable of selectively killing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and increasing apoptosis in these cells. In contrast, RPMI8226 was not inhibited by identical supernatants. Thus, these results lay the foundation for further studies on the potential role of hMSCs-like cells as a targeted therapeutic delivery vehicle for immunotoxins.

It has been well accredited that the neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from bone marrow stroma cells (BMSCs) can be used as the therapeutic application. However, their efficacy and safety in therapeutic application are uncertain. In this experiment, the trace marking and oncogenicity of NSCs derived from BMSCs (BMSCs-D-NSCs) were studied. The BMSCs were harvested by gradient centrifugation and cultured in "NSCs medium" in vitro. The verified CD133/Nestin-positive BMSCs-D-NSCs were then transplanted into nude mice to detect the oncogenicity, into the right lateral cerebral ventricle or right caudae putamen and substantia nigra to examine, whether the symptoms were improved in Parkinson's Disease (PD) models after transplantation, by both SPECT image assay of dopamine transporter (DAT) in corpus striatum and its average standard uptake value (SUVave) in corpus striatum and thalamus. Tissue samples and surviving model animals were studied at 1, 3, and 6 months post-transplantation. Before transplantation, the cells were labeled with BrdU or rAAV-GFP for the pathological sections, and with Feridex for the in vivo trace by MRI assay. The concanavalin A (ConA) agglutination test, stop-dependence test with soft agar, karyotype analysis of chromosome G zone in BMSCs-D-NSCs, and the nude mouse neoplasia test were also performed. The BrdU, rAAV-GFP or Feridex can be used as trace markers of BMSCs-D-NSCs during transplantation. The transplanted BMSCs-D-NSCs displayed neither toxicity nor neoplasia up to 6 months in vivo, but could play an important role in improving the symptoms of the animals with degenerative diseases like PD.

The increasing demand for small area population estimates calls for both innovative ways of using existing data and new techniques suitable for small area estimates. This paper explores the methods for population estimates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin at the census tract level for Multnomah County, Oregon. New techniques include employing building permits to indirectly estimate migration and examining the changes in age/sex structure using the American Community Survey (ACS). A practical method for bridging the race categories is also devel- oped. Finally, the paper discusses some reflections on small area estimates and the potentials of using ACS to track the changes of the demographic characteristics for the sub-county level.

Exocytosis proceeds by either full fusion or 'kiss-and-run' between vesicle and plasma membrane. Switching between these two modes permits the cell to regulate the kinetics and amount of secretion. Here we show that ATP receptor activation reduces secretion downstream from cytosolic Ca2+ elevation in rat adrenal chromaffin cells. This reduction is mediated by activation of a pertussis toxin - sensitive G(i/o) protein, leading to activation of G(beta gamma) subunits, which promote the `kiss-and-run' mode by reducing the total open time of the fusion pore during a vesicle fusion event. Furthermore, parallel activation of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor removes the inhibitory effects of ATP on secretion. This is mediated by a G(q) pathway through protein kinase C activation. The inhibitory effects of ATP and its reversal by protein kinase C activation are also shared by opioids and somatostatin. Thus, a variety of G protein pathways exist to modulate Ca2+-evoked secretion at specific steps in fusion pore formation.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) on U251 human glioma cells in vitro . METHODS U251 human glioma cells were routinely cultured and then treated with ALA, a type of photosensitizer, at various concentrations followed by light irradiation. The PDT-induced phototoxicity of the cells was determined by a MTT assay. In addition, cells were treated with ALA at a fixed concentration and subjected to various doses of light irradiation. RESULTS With the same light dosage (25.0 J/cm2), the cell survival rates were 70.16%+_5.02%, 50.19%+_4.79%, 34.97%+5.34%, 27.04%+-4.34%, and 24.26% _+2.76% at ALA concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 mM, respectively (F =279.88, P =0.0000). But the survival rates of the cells incubated with 2.0 mM ALA compared to those with 4.0 mM ALA (27.04%+-4.34% vs 24.26%+2.76%) showed no significant difference (P=0.611). At a single ALA concentration, the cell survival rates were 83.48% +- 6.79%, 68.09%+6.02%, 33.75%+- 6.70%, 23.34%+ 5.08% and 15.14%+ 3.60% for light doses of 6.25, 12.5, 25.0, 50.0, and 100 J/cm 2, respectively (F=422.03, P =0.0000). Without exposure to light, however, the cell survival rates were 96.64% +-6.56%, 97.71% +5.48%, 98.10% +-6.25%,99.44% +-7.02%, and 95.86% +7.80% for ALA concentrations at 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 mM, respectively (F =0.68, P =0.6085). Without ALA in the medium, the cell survival rates were 98.74% +6.20%, 96.49% +-7.13%, 97.60% +5.94%, 95.70%+4.86%, 98.08%+-6.26% for light doses of 6.25, 12.5, 25.0, 50.0, and 100 J/cm 2, respectively (F=0.6400, P =0.6368). CONCLUSION The PDT damage to the U251 cells increased with ALA concentration within a relative lower range, but then plateaued at higher concentrations. PDT damage was proportional to the doses of irradiated light. Without ALA, the light alone caused no photodynamic damage and ALA itself was nontoxic. The ALA-induced PDT appears to be a promising therapy for glioma.

POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy and skin changes) syndrome is a paraneoplastic disorder, of which most clinical manifestations are attributed to elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Osteosclerosis, although well described in the majority of patients, has an obscure mechanism. Although conventional imaging methods, including plain radiography and computed tomography, can be informative, these techniques are neither sensitive nor specific enough to detect the sclerotic changes.1, 2 Markers of bone turnover are easily measured, and when interpreted in the context of appropriate clinical design can provide valuable information. Indeed, increased bone turnover markers were reported in POEMS patients, and have even been suggested for inclusion into the diagnostic criteria.3, 4