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With lowering costs of sequencing and genetic profiling techniques, genetic drivers can now be detected readily in tumors but current prognostic models for Natural-killer/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) have yet to fully leverage on them for prognosticating patients. Here, we used next-generation sequencing to sequence 260 NKTCL tumors, and trained a genomic prognostic model (GPM) with the genomic mutations and survival data from this retrospective cohort of patients using LASSO Cox regression. The GPM is defined by the mutational status of 13 prognostic genes and is weakly correlated with the risk-features in International Prognostic Index (IPI), Prognostic Index for Natural-Killer cell lymphoma (PINK), and PINK-Epstein-Barr virus (PINK-E). Cox-proportional hazard multivariate regression also showed that the new GPM is independent and significant for both progression-free survival (PFS, HR: 3.73, 95% CI 2.07-6.73; p

The tryptophan (Trp)-derived plant secondary metabolites, including camalexin, 4-hydroxy-indole-3-carbonylnitrile, and indolic glucosinolate (IGS), show broad-spectrum antifungal activity. However, the distinct regulations of these metabolic pathways among different plant species in response to fungus infection are rarely studied. In this study, our results revealed that WRKY33 directly regulates IGS biosynthesis, notably the production of 4-methoxyindole-3-ylmethyl glucosinolate (4MI3G), conferring resistance to Alternaria brassicicola, an important pathogen which causes black spot in Brassica crops. WRKY33 directly activates the expression of CYP81F2, IGMT1, and IGMT2 to drive side-chain modification of indole-3-ylmethyl glucosinolate (I3G) to 4MI3G, in both Arabidopsis and Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra Bailey). However, Chinese kale showed a more severe symptom than Arabidopsis when infected by Alternaria brassicicola. Comparative analyses of the origin and evolution of Trp metabolism indicate that the loss of camalexin biosynthesis in Brassica crops during evolution might attenuate the resistance of crops to Alternaria brassicicola. As a result, the IGS metabolic pathway mediated by WRKY33 becomes essential for Chinese kale to deter Alternaria brassicicola. Our results highlight the differential regulation of Trp-derived camalexin and IGS biosynthetic pathways in plant immunity between Arabidopsis and Brassica crops.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and their exosomes are of great significance for the recovery of cardiac function in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). However, the underlying mechanisms of BMSCs applied to MI treatment remain unclear. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACs) are performed to assess the apoptosis, reactive oxygen species levels and glucose uptake capacity of BMSCs. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction is conducted to detect the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), transforming growth factor-beta 1, connective tissue growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor. The levels of apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western blot. The levels of VEGF, bFGF, HGF, and IGF were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The biochemical kits are applied to detect the levels of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and adenosine triphosphate/adenosine diphosphate. 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium and Masson staining and immunofluorescence are performed to assess myocardial function of rats. Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) alleviates apoptosis and oxidative stress of BMSCs induced by serum deprivation and hypoxia; ANGPTL4 activates paracrine and accelerate metabolic energy of BMSCs; and ANGPTL4 treated-BMSCs alleviate myocardial injury of rats with MI. ANGPTL4 treated-BMSCs alleviate myocardial injury in rats with MI, indicating the combination therapy of ANGPTL4 and BMSCs may alleviate myocardial injury in rats with MI.

Transient ischaemia and reperfusion in liver tissue induce hepatic ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) tissue injury and a profound inflammatory response in vivo. Hepatic I/R can be classified into warm I/R and cold I/R and is characterized by three main types of cell death, apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy, in rodents or patients following I/R. Warm I/R is observed in patients or animal models undergoing liver resection, haemorrhagic shock, trauma, cardiac arrest or hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome when vascular occlusion inhibits normal blood perfusion in liver tissue. Cold I/R is a condition that affects only patients who have undergone liver transplantation (LT) and is caused by donated liver graft preservation in a hypothermic environment prior to entering a warm reperfusion phase. Under stress conditions, autophagy plays a critical role in promoting cell survival and maintaining liver homeostasis by generating new adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and organelle components after the degradation of macromolecules and organelles in liver tissue. This role of autophagy may contribute to the protection of hepatic I/R‐induced liver injury; however, a considerable amount of evidence has shown that autophagy inhibition also protects against hepatic I/R injury by inhibiting autophagic cell death under specific circumstances. In this review, we comprehensively discuss current strategies and underlying mechanisms of autophagy regulation that alleviates I/R injury after liver resection and LT. Directed autophagy regulation can maintain liver homeostasis and improve liver function in individuals undergoing warm or cold I/R. In this way, autophagy regulation can contribute to improving the prognosis of patients undergoing liver resection or LT.

HLA-B*13:01:21 differs from HLA-B*13:01:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 2. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Peritoneal membrane dysfunction and the resulting ultrafiltration failure are the major disadvantages of long‐term peritoneal dialysis (PD). It becomes increasingly clear that mesothelial cells play a vital role in the pathophysiological changes of the peritoneal membrane. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) function in the extracellular environment of cells and mediate extracellular matrix turnover during peritoneal membrane homeostasis. We showed here that dialysate MMP‐7 levels markedly increased in the patients with PD, and the elevated MMP‐7 level was negatively associated with peritoneal ultrafiltration volume. Interestingly, MMP‐7 could regulate the cell osmotic pressure and volume of human peritoneal mesothelial cells. Moreover, we provided the evidence that MMP‐7 activated mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs)‐extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK) pathway and subsequently promoted the expression of aquaporin‐1 (AQP‐1) resulting in the change of cell osmotic pressure. Using a specific inhibitor of ERK pathway abrogated the MMP‐7‐mediating AQP‐1 up‐regulation and cellular homeostasis. In summary, all the findings indicate that MMP‐7 could modulate the activity of peritoneal cavity during PD, and dialysate MMP‐7 might be a non‐invasive biomarker and an alternative therapeutic target for PD patients with ultrafiltration failure.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to examine changes to optic disc characteristics and macular choroidal microvasculature, and their relationships in young patients with high myopia (HM). METHODS A total of 90 patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Based on their refractive power, the patients were divided into three groups: 27 in the control group, 34 in the HM group and 29 in the extremely high myopia group. Images of each patient's macula and optic disc were taken by ocular coherence tomography angiography. The macular choroidal and retinal thickness, capillary vessel density and capillary flow area were measured using Matlab software. Parapapillary atrophy (PPA) and the ovality index (OI) obtained from the scanning laser ophthalmoscopy images and the degree of optic disc tilt obtained from the optic nerve head ocular coherence tomography B-scans were analysed by Image J and Matlab software. RESULTS The PPA area, OI and degree of optic disc tilt were significantly different among the three groups (all p ≤ 0.001). The macular choroidal thickness and microvasculature were significantly different among the three groups (all p

To construct a prediction model of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), to predict the possibility of malignant SPNs in patients aged 15-85 years in northwest China for clinical diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making.The features of SPNs were assessed by multivariate logistic regression, followed by visualization using a nomogram. Hosmer lemeshow was applied to evaluate the fitting degree of the model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was identified to determine the discriminative ability of the model.Lobulation, spiculation, pleural-tag, carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase, and total serum protein were independent predictors of malignant pulmonary nodules (p .05). Lobulation (100 points) scored the highest in the nomogram, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic was 0.805 (p .05). The area under curve (AUC) of the modeling and validation groups using logistic regression were 0.859 (95% CI, 0.805-0.903) and 0.823 (95% CI, 0.738-0.890), respectively. Moreover, the AUC of our model was higher than that of the Mayo model, VA model, and Peking University (AUC 0.823 vs. 0.655 vs. 0.603 vs. 0.521).Our prediction model is more suitable for predicting the possibility of malignant SPNs in northwest China, and can be calculated using a nomogram to determine further treatments.

AIM Accumulative evidence shows that follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is associated with metabolic disorders. We aimed to ascertain the relationship between FSH, blood glucose and lipid metabolism in general perimenopausal women. METHODS This cross-sectional study analyzed 2121 perimenopausal women aged 40-54 years in Zhejiang Province from January 2016 to December 2018. Regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between FSH and metabolic parameters. RESULTS Serum FSH had a significant inverse association with fasting plasma glucose (P

Objectives To observe changes in the complete blood count (CBC) venous blood parameters of healthy children and establish appropriate reference intervals (RIs). Methods Overall, 4066 healthy children were selected and divided into four groups: infants, toddlers, preschool-age children and school-age children. Venous blood was analysed for 17 parameters. Outlier data for each parameter were eliminated and RIs were established based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute C28-A3c guideline. Results The RIs for certain parameters differed among the different age groups. The white blood cell (WBC) count differed among the four age groups. The variation trends for absolute neutrophil count in all age groups were opposite to those for WBC and absolute lymphocyte count. The mean absolute eosinophil count values were significantly higher in the infant group than in the other groups. The RIs for red blood cell were identical across all age groups except in infants. The mean Hb level for infants was significantly lower than that for the other age groups. The mean and RI for platelet count were significantly higher in the infant group than in the other groups. Conclusions There are dynamic variations in the values reported for measurements of most CBC parameters in children. Hence, such results should always be interpreted according to the child's age. Thus establishing appropriate RIs for different age groups in paediatrics is essential.

Background Treatments based on the inhibition of pivotal signals of cancer stem cells (CSCs) are on a promising track. Recent studies have shown that targeting CSCs with broader immune‐based therapeutic methods, for example, the anti‐CD47 treatment, may serve as a more potent strategy for eliminating these intractable cells. We aimed to explore the prognostic effects of CD47/CD133 and the potential therapeutic significance of CD47 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods Immunohistochemistry was employed to identify the characteristics of CD47 and CD133 in 26 pairs of tumor tissues and adjacent non‐tumor tissues and 136 ESCC tissues. Kaplan‐Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were built for estimating the prognostic values of CD47 and CD133 expression and their combined stemness index. Sphere formation assays were undertaken to explore the effects of CD47 inhibition on primary human ESCC CSCs. Results Results conclude that CD47 and CD133 expression is increased in tumor tissues as compared to adjacent non‐tumor tissues. A positive correlation between CD47/CD133 expression and differentiation was found in 136 ESCC patients. Survival analysis indicated that patients with high CD47 or CD133 expression exhibited poor overall survival and progression‐free survival (PFS). The combination of high CD47 and CD133 expression was a reliable independent prognostic factor for both OS (HR = 1.940, 95% CI = 1.399‐2.690, P

AIM Examine the effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor Sitagliptin on the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signal transduction pathway in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) rats with ovarian fibrosis. METHODS Thirty rats were divided randomly into the PCOS model group, Sitagliptin treatment group and blank control group. Dehydroepiandrosterone was administered to the model group and treatment group to establish the models. Then, the phenotype of rats was recorded, and the serum sex hormone levels were measured. The pathological structures of the rat ovaries were observed. The protein and mRNA expression levels of DPP4, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), TGF-β1 and Smad2/3 in the ovaries were analyzed. RESULTS There was no statistically difference in fasting body weight and blood glucose among the three groups before Sitagliptin treatment (P > 0.05). The fasting blood glucose level was significantly decreased after the administration of Sitagliptin (P < 0.05). The level of testosterone in the model group was reduced remarkably after Sitagliptin treatment (P < 0.001). The protein expression levels of DPP4, CTGF and TGF-β1 in the ovarian stroma were lower in the treatment group than in the model group (P < 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.05). The mRNA levels of DPP4, CTGF and TGF-β1 in the model group also greatly declined after Sitagliptin treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.001, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The DPP4 inhibitor Sitagliptin lowers fasting blood glucose, relieves the high androgen state of PCOS rats and delays the process of ovarian fibrosis, which may be related to reducing the levels of factors related to the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway.

Although the liver is the only organ with regenerative capacity, various injury factors induce irreversible liver dysfunction and end‐stage liver disease. Liver resection and liver transplantation (LT) are effective treatments for individuals with liver failure, liver cirrhosis and liver cancers. The remnant or transplanted liver tissues will undergo hepatic ischaemia/reperfusion (IR), which leads to oxidative stress, inflammation, immune injury and liver damage. Moreover, systemic ischaemia induced by trauma, stroke, myocardial ischaemia, haemorrhagic shock and other injury factors also induces liver ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) in individuals. Hepatic IRI can be divided into warm IRI, which is induced by liver surgery and systemic ischaemia, and cold IRI, which is induced by LT. Multiple studies have shown that melatonin (MT) acts as an endogenous free radical scavenger with antioxidant capacity and is also able to attenuate hepatic IRI via its anti‐inflammatory and antiapoptotic capacities. In this review, we discuss the potential mechanisms and current strategies of MT administration in liver surgery for protecting against warm or cold hepatic IRI. We highlight strategies to improve the efficacy and safety of MT for attenuating hepatic IRI in different conditions. After the potential mechanisms underlying the interactions between MT and other important cellular processes during hepatic IR are clarified, more opportunities will be available to use MT to treat liver diseases in the future., Melatonin serves as an endogenous free radical scavenger with antioxidation capacity, and it is also able to attenuate hepatic ischaemia/reperfusion injury via its anti‐inflammation, and antiapoptotic capacities.

Background Tissue specimens for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) research are scarce because of sampling difficulties. Previous studies have suggested non-invasive nasopharyngeal brushing as an effective sampling method for NPC diagnosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of nasopharyngeal brushing in the acquisition of NPC nucleic acids for research. Methods Nasopharyngeal brushing samples were acquired from 24 healthy individuals and 48 NPC patients. Tissues from 48 NPC and 18 nasopharyngitis patients were collected by endoscopic biopsy. The expression levels of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-encoded microRNAs as well as EBV DNA copy number were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in both types of samples. Results Among six TSGs examined, the expression levels of two genes were significantly decreased in nasopharyngeal brushing and tissue samples from NPC patients as compared with those from healthy/nasopharyngitis individuals. Four EBV-encoded microRNAs, mir-bart1-5p, mir-bart5, mir-bart6-5p, and mir-bart17-5p, were significantly up-regulated in both NPC brushing and tissue samples compared with those from healthy/nasopharyngitis controls (P

Background and aim It has been well documented that Notch signaling is involved in liver regeneration. However, the exact molecular mechanism mediating this process is not fully elucidated. The current study aimed to investigate the role of Notch signaling regulating cell cycle in proliferating hepatocytes in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PHx, 67% resection) and the related molecular mechanism. Methods Partial hepatectomy was performed in Sprague Dawley rats, and remnant livers were harvested 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after operation, and primary hepatocytes were isolated to investigate the molecular mechanism. Results Notch signaling activation and hepatocyte proliferation were significantly increased after PHx, while treatment with FLI-06, the inhibitor of γ-secreting enzyme, blocked these trends. Besides, inhibition of Notch signaling led to dysregulation of cell cycle and cell-cycle components. Furthermore, Akti-1/2 (a selective Akt inhibitor) and PX-478 (a selective Hif-1α inhibitor) inhibited hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration after PHx, and the effect of downstream molecules activation by Jagged-1 (Notch-1 ligand) in hepatocytes was abolished by FLI-06, Akti-1/2, and PX-478. Conclusion The current study demonstrated for the first time that Notch signaling regulated cell cycle in proliferating hepatocytes involved in liver regeneration through NICD/Akt Akt/Hif-1α pathway.

Aims Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is a rare neoplasm. PCL is fatal, unless it is diagnosed and treated early. Recently, a small number of cases of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) arising within atrial myxoma have been reported in immunocompetent patients and showed aggressive histologic features but an indolent clinical behaviour. Methods And Results We presented four unusual cases of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive DLBCL arising within atrial myxoma with detailed clinical, histologic, immunophenotypic and genotypic features in immunocompetent patients, and reviewed the literature for 11 similar cases. All the patients appeared to have morphologic features of DLBCL, B-lineage immunophenotype, high proliferative index and latency type III of EBV infection. They achieved complete tumour resection without chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery and were healthy at 10-year, 7-year, 7-month and 3-month follow-ups, respectively. Conclusions We suggest that this lymphoma should be noted as a unique DLBCL associated with chronic inflammation (DLBCL-CI) because of an indolent clinical behaviour to avoid excessive or unnecessary treatments. In addition, early accurate diagnosis and complete resection of this tumour are crucial for the patients’ medical prognosis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

OBJECTIVE To investigate risk factors (RF) of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early gastric carcinoma (EGC) in 4 tertiary medical centers in Jiangsu Province. METHODS Among 10097 consecutive combined gastric cancer radical resections, 1903 EGCs were identified and reviewed, 283 excluded, and 1620 included for the study. All pathologic and some endoscopic reports were studied for demographic, tumor location, gross feature, the number of lymph nodes retrieved and involved. Two pathologists independently investigated pathologic features of tumor type, differentiation, invasion depth, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and perineural invasion. The data were statistically analyzed to determine RF of LNM. RESULTS The average number of lymph nodes retrieved was 17.5 per case. LNM was diagnosed in 15.5%. By univariate analysis, significant RFs for LNM included age > 41 years, female gender, flat and depressed patterns, size over 1 cm, submucosal invasion, poor differentiation, poorly cohesive carcinoma, micropapillary adenocarcinoma, adenocarcinoma mixed with signet-ring cell carcinoma, LVI, perineural invasion, and distal gastric location. By multivariate analysis, independent RFs for LNM were size > 3 cm (OR: 1.9), poor differentiation (OR: 2.5), adenocarcinoma mixed with signet-ring cell carcinoma (OR: 1.7), LVI (OR: 5.8), and submucosal invasion (OR: 2.9). In contrast, size < 3 cm and ulcer were not significant RFs. Early cardiac carcinoma (OR: 0.4) had significantly lower risk. CONCLUSION Independent RFs for LNM in EGC in Chinese patients included tumor size > 3 cm, poor differentiation, submucosal invasion, adenocarcinoma mixed with signet-ring cell carcinoma, and LVI. Early cardiac carcinoma had significantly lower risk for LNM.

MdMYB1 acts as a crucial component of the MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complex to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in red-skinned apples (Malus domestica), but little is known about its posttranslational regulation. Here, a SUMO E3 ligase MdSIZ1 was screened out as an MdMYB1-interacting protein with a yeast two-hybridization approach. The interaction between MdSIZ1 and MdMYB1 was further verified with pull-down and CoIP assays. Furthermore, it was found that MdSIZ1 directly sumoylated MdMYB1 proteins in vivo and in vitro, especially under moderately low temperature (17 °C) conditions, and that this sumoylation was required for MdMYB1 protein stability. Moreover, the transcription level of MdSIZ1 gene was remarkably induced by low temperature and phosphorus deficiency, and MdSIZ1 overexpression exerted a large positive influence on anthocyanin accumulation and red fruit coloration, suggesting its important role in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis under stress conditions. Our findings reveal an important role for a SUMO modification of MYB transcription factors in regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in plants.

Interdecadal (10- to 100-year oscillation) moisture variations over the Monsoonal Asia (MA) is highly variable across regions and time, which are relatively less understood due to the shortness of the instrumental data of a few decades. In this study, comprehensive investigations on the spatiotemporal distributions of the interdecadal moisture variations over MA as well as their evolution from prior to the industrial era were conducted utilizing the tree-ring based drought reconstructions, i.e. the Monsoonal Asia Drought Atlas. Nine interdecadal moisture patterns in MA are identified using the self-organizing map based on the ensemble empirical mode decomposition. To further investigate these interdecadal moisture patterns, we aggregated the selected nine nodes into four patterns using a hierarchical clustering approach. Among them, Pattern 1 stands for a teleconnection between the Northeast MA and the Indian Peninsula, and Pattern 2 represents a dipole pattern between the Southern and Northern MA. We find that Pattern 1 may be linked with the dynamics of the Antarctic Oscillation that can modulate the strength of the Asian summer monsoon through meridional teleconnections. Pattern 2 is mainly driven by the elevated El Nino-Southern Oscillation variance and the zonal 'Silk Road Pattern' to bridge this interdecadal modulation.

A catalytic enantioselective synthetic strategy for the aryl-substituted all-carbon quaternary stereocenters of bioactive hydrodibenzofuran alkaloids was achieved by the Michael addition reaction of α-cyano ketones and acrylates using a chiral tertiary amine–thiourea catalyst. This method can tolerate steric bulkiness and multiple functional groups, and 32 Michael adducts were prepared in good to excellent yields with moderate to good enantioselectivities. The enantiopurity of the products could also be enriched up to 99 % ee after one recrystallization. This enantioselective Michael addition features a low cost, metal-free, and easily operable procedure that can provide multifunctionalized enantiopure Michael adducts on a four-gram scale and supply sufficient amounts of potential precursors for a number of hydrodibenzofuran natural products.

Drought is a recurrent natural disaster in northwestern China and it can have a substantial impact on the affected region; therefore, knowledge of drought variability is very important for drought adaptation and mitigation. However, the observed climate data are generally limited in length, which may hamper our understanding the full range of drought variability. Using tree-ring width measurements of 155 series from 81 Pinus tabulaeformis trees at three sites in the northern Min Mountains of northwestern China, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) for May-August from 1804 to 2011 were reconstructed, which account for 64.8% of the variance in the instrumental record over 1954-2011. The new reconstruction is generally consistent with other moisture reconstructions nearby. Two notable features of the SPEI reconstruction is the severe drought starting in the late 1990s and the gradual drying trend since 1954. These features are also apparent in areas located in the north boundaries of Eastern Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM), which indicates that the study area may be affected by the EASM.

Manganese oxide has been widely investigated for oxidation of arsenite (As(III)) to arsenate (As(V)) due to its high redox potential, however it becomes extremely unstable after reuse. Here, As(III) oxidation activity and stability of manganese oxide in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was investigated. Batch experimental results revealed that manganese oxide/PMS exhibits high catalytic activity for As(III) oxidation compared to manganese oxide or PMS alone. Addition of PMS to manganese oxide not only revealed long‐term stability for As(III) oxidation, but also showed high As(III) oxidation activity in the presence of coexisting ions such as As(V) and phosphate. Quenching tests revealed that As(III) oxidation in the manganese oxide/PMS system was attributed to activation of PMS by manganese oxide at different oxidation states (Mn(III) and Mn(IV)), and the generation of sulfate radicals that were responsible for As(III) oxidation.

Two new iridoid esters, named valerjatadoids A and B (1 and 2, resp.), together with three known iridoid esters, jatamanin O (3), jatamanvaltrate P (4), and jatamanvaltrate Q (5), have been isolated from the root and rhizome of Valeriana jatamansi Jones. The structures of the two new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, including 2D-NMR techniques.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic and prognostic values of serum KL-6 levels in Chinese patients with interstitial lung disease (ILDs). Methods A total of 1084 subjects including 373 cases of ILDs, 584 cases of non-ILD pulmonary diseases, and 127 healthy individuals were recruited from three clinical centers in China between January 2011 and December 2013. A total of 106 patients undergoing treatments for ILDs in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital between January 2011 and December 2013 were enrolled. Baseline and posttreatment serum KL-6 levels were determined. Results Serum KL-6 levels in patients with ILDs were significantly higher than those in patients with non-ILD pulmonary diseases or in healthy individuals (1492.09 ± 2230.08 U/mL vs 258.67 ± 268.73 U/mL or 178.73 ± 71.17 U/mL, all P

SummaryObjective The effects of long-term excessive maternal iodine intake on neonatal thyroid function are less known. This study aimed to assess the effects of maternal excessive iodine intake from drinking water on thyroid functions of both mothers and their neonates. Design and Methods This observational study was performed in high iodine (HI) areas and adequate iodine (AI) intake areas, including 384 healthy pregnant women in late gestation (mean week 39·3 ± 1·6 weeks) and their newborns. Blood and urine samples were obtained from pregnant women, while cord blood samples were obtained from neonates. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and thyroid function were evaluated. Results The median maternal UIC was 1241 and 217 μg/l in HI and AI areas, respectively (P

Intrauterine devices (IUD) are the most common method of reversible birth control used worldwide. Adolescents infrequently have uterine perforation caused by IUD, hampering both the diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we report a case of uterine perforation in an 18-year-old primipara after insertion of an IUD that possessed memory function (AiMu MCu). The patient presented with vomiting and abdominal pain after insertion of an AiMu MCu IUD, was treated via laparoscopy and had a full recovery. The present case indicated that uterine perforation caused by an AiMu MCu IUD may occur as a rare complication and that uterine perforation can occur in an adolescent. Clinicians might consider a diagnosis of uterine perforation in an adolescent reporting vomiting and abdominal pain after IUD insertion. Laparoscopy could be a reasonable treatment option for such patients.

Objective Guided by the recently established histological criteria of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), we aimed to investigate and compare trends in the proportions of small (≤2 cm) proximal gastric carcinoma (PGC) vs non-PGC (NPGC) in Chinese patients over an 8-year period. Methods The study was conducted with consecutive surgical resected specimens of small PGC that was located within 3 cm below the GEJ and NPGC (located at all other gastric regions) treated at a single medical center in China. Differences in proportions between the two groups were compared. Results Among all 313 cases, 111 (35.5%) were classified as PGC and the remaining 202 (64.5%) as NPGC. Patients with PGC were significantly elder than those with NPGC, and none aged younger than 40 years. The proportions of PGC significantly and progressively increased from 16% in 2004 to 45% in 2011, in contrast to a steady decreasing trend for NPGC from 84% to 55% over the same period. The difference in trends between the two groups approached, but was not at a statistically significant level (P = 0.08). Proportions of small cancers in the gastric corpus and in female patients remained low and stable, in contrast to a significantly higher proportion in male patients (P

Ce(3+) /Eu(2+) co-doped Na3 Ca6 (PO4 )5 phosphors were prepared using a combustion-assisted synthesis method. X-Ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of a Na3 Ca6 (PO4 )5 crystal phase. Na3 Ca6 (PO4 )5 :Eu(2+) phosphors have an efficient bluish-green emission band that peaks at 489 nm, whereas Ce(3+) -doped Na3 Ca6 (PO4 )5 showed a bright emission band at 391 nm. Analysis of the experimental results suggests that enhancement of the Eu(2+) emission intensity in co-doped Na3 Ca6 (PO4 )5 :Eu(2+) ,Ce(3+) phosphors is due to a resonance-type energy transfer from Ce(3+) to Eu(2+) ions, which is predominantly governed by an exchange interaction mechanism. These results indicate that Ce(3+) /Eu(2+) co-doped Na3 Ca6 (PO4 )5 is potentially useful as a highly efficient, bluish-green emitting, UV-convertible phosphor for white-light-emitting diodes.

BACKGROUND The two common whitefly species, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) MEAM1 and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), often co-occur on their host plants. The effect of host plant occupation by one species on later-arriving conspecific individuals or on the other competing species was examined. RESULTS Resource preoccupied by T. vaporariorum had mostly negative effects on the life history parameters of later-arriving conspecifics. Red-eyed nymph and immature survival of T. vaporariorum decreased when resource was preoccupied by conspecifics, irrespective of the previous occupation scenario. However, resource preoccupied by T. vaporariorum had only minor detrimental effects on the performance of later-arriving B. tabaci MEAM1. In the opposite colonisation sequence, previous occupation by B. tabaci MEAM1 had no significant effects on the life history parameters of later-arriving conspecifics, but severe detrimental effects were observed on the performance of later-arriving T. vaporariorum. Total immature survival of T. vaporariorum decreased in both weak and strong previous occupation situations by B. tabaci MEAM1. CONCLUSION The interspecific interactions between B. tabaci MEAM1 and T. vaporariorum were asymmetric, with B. tabaci MEAM1 being the superior competitor. This superiority could partially explain the rapid spread of B. tabaci MEAM1 in China. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry