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Breastfeeding is related to maternal health. However, the association of women’s breastfeeding duration with cognitive function in their later life is limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to accurately evaluate the association in Chinese postmenopausal women. We analyzed the data from Zhejiang Ageing and Health Cohort Study including 5487 postmenopausal women. Cognitive impairment was assessed via the Mini-Mental State Examination. Data on breastfeeding duration was collected in the reproductive history section within the questionnaire. Generalized additive models (GAMs) and logistic regression models, controlled for an extensive range of potential confounders, were generated to examine the associations. A U-shaped association was identified between breastfeeding duration and cognitive impairment based on GAM. The nadir with lowest odds of cognitive impairment was ascertained by quadratic model as 12 months. The logistic models showed that compared with women breastfeeding 12 months per child, the fully adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 1.50 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.20–1.88), 1.58 (95% CI: 1.29–1.93), 1.33 (95% CI: 1.06–1.68), 2.08 (95% CI: 1.64–2.65) for those averagely breastfeeding 12–18,>18 months, respectively. Furthermore, we did not observe significant effect modification of the association. Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the association.

// Yun-fang Zhen 1, * , Song-tao Li 2, * , Yun-rong Zhu 3, * , Xiao-dong Wang 1 , Xiao-zhong Zhou 2 , Lun-qing Zhu 1 1 The Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Children’s Bone Diseases, The Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou, China 2 The Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China 3 Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Jiangyin Hospital of Medical College of Southeast University, Jiangyin, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Lun-qing Zhu, email: zhulunqingszgk@163.com Xiao-dong Wang, email: xiaodongwangsz@163.com Xiao-zhong Zhou, email: zhouxiaozhongorth@163.com Keywords: osteosarcoma (OS), salinomycin, DNA-PKcs, microRNA-101, autophagy Received: September 09, 2016 Accepted: September 26, 2016 Published: October 17, 2016 ABSTRACT Malignant osteosarcoma (OS) is still a deadly disease for many affected patients. The search for the novel anti-OS agent is extremely urgent and important. Our previous study has proposed that salinomycin is a novel anti-OS agent. Here we characterized DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) as a primary salinomycin resistance factor in OS cells. DNA-PKcs inhibitors (NU7026, NU7441 and LY294002) or DNA-PKcs shRNA knockdown dramatically potentiated salinomycin-induced death and apoptosis of OS cells (U2OS and MG-63 lines). Further, forced-expression of microRNA-101 (“miR-101”) downregulated DNA-PKcs and augmented salinomycin’s cytotoxicity against OS cells. Reversely, over-expression of DNA-PKcs in OS cells inhibited salinomycin’s lethality. For the mechanism study, we show that DNA-PKcs is required for salinomycin-induced pro-survival autophagy activation. DNA-PKcs inhibition (by NU7441), shRNA knockdown or miR-101 expression inhibited salinomycin-induced Beclin-1 expression and autophagy induction. Meanwhile, knockdown of Beclin-1 by shRNA significantly sensitized salinomycin-induced OS cell lethality. In vivo , salinomycin administration suppressed U2OS xenograft tumor growth in severe combined immuno-deficient (SCID) mice, and its anti-tumor activity was dramatically potentiated with co-administration of the DNA-PKcs inhibitor NU7026. Together, these results suggest that DNA-PKcs could be a primary resistance factor of salinomycin in OS cells. DNA-PKcs inhibition or silence may thus significantly increase salinomycin’s sensitivity in OS cells.

The performance of a reflective chiral-homeotropic (R-CH) liquid crystal (LC) is simulated by the dynamic parameter space method. The normally black reflective chiral-homeotropic display shows weak color dispersion, high contrast ratio, and fast response time.

Fuzzy system is known to predict model in the electrodialysis process. This paper aimed to study fitting effect by ANFIS in a laboratory scale ED cell. Separation percent of NaCl solution is mainly as a function of concentration, temperature, flow rate and voltage. Besides, ANFIS(Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System) based on Sugeno fuzzy model, its structure was similar to neural network and could generate fuzzy rules automatically, using the error back propagation algorithm and least square method to adjust the parameters of fuzzy inference system. We obtained fitted values of separation percent by ANFIS. Separation percent from experiments compared with the fitted values of separation percent. The result is shown that the correlation coefficient is 0.988. Therefore, it is verified as a good performance in the electrodialysis process.

To discover new proteomic biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma. Surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry was used to discover biomarkers for differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease. A population of 50 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 33 patients with chronic liver disease was studied. Twelve proteomic biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma were detected in this study. Three proteomic biomarkers were highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and nine proteomic biomarkers were highly expressed in chronic liver disease. The most valuable proteomic biomarker with m/z=11498 had no similar diagnostic value as α-fetoprotein. Some of the twelve proteomic biomarkers may become new biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the effects of peripheral orexins on myoelectric activity of the sphincter of Oddi (SO) in fasted rabbits, and carry out a preliminary investigation into the mechanisms underlying these effects. Methods: Myoelectric activity of SO in fasted rabbits was recorded before and after intravenous or local application of orexins. The effects of intravenous atropine on orexin-increased myoelectric activity of SO were tested. Results: Myoelectric activity of SO was activated by both intravenous and local injection of orexin-A or orexin-B. Intravenous application of atropine completely inhibited the excitatory effect of orexins on SO. Conclusion: Peripheral application of orexins can increase myoelectric activity of SO in fasted rabbits, which is partially associated with the activation of the cholinergic pathway.