Search

To investigate the roles of DDR2 and IFITM1 in breast cancer (BC).The expression of DDR2 and IFITM1 in BC tissues and cell lines was measured. DDR2 and/or IFITM1 were knocked down in BT20 and MDA-MB-231 cells, after which the viability, mobility and apoptosis of the cells were tested. Xenograft mouse models were established through subcutaneous tumor transplantation.DDR2 and IFITM1 were highly expressed in invasive BC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of DDR2 and/or IFITM1 was associated with poorer clinical outcomes and patient survival. Knockdown of DDR2 or IFITM1 suppressed the viability and invasiveness of BT20 and MDA-MB-231 cells and restrained the growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice. Simultaneous knockdown of IFITM1 and DDR2 surpassed knockdown of IFITM1 alone in suppressing BC development.DDR2 and IFITM1 are co-expressed to facilitate the malignant behaviors of BC cells and promote the development of tumors.

Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CAD) is a chronic disease caused by multiple risk factors. Aberrant expression of long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been regarded as an independent risk factor of CAD. This study evaluated lncRNA myocardial infarction‐associated transcription (MIAT) expression in CAD patients and its clinical significance. Totally, 155 CAD patients and 76 non‐CAD controls were enrolled. MIAT expression was detected using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The clinical diagnostic significance of MIAT was evaluated by plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The levels of inflammatory cytokines were detected using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. microRNA (miR)‐29b‐3p expression and pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A (PAPPA) level were detected. MIAT expression in CAD patients (4.23 [1.22–6.50]) was higher than that in non‐CAD controls (1.64 [0.05–2.93]) (p

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the changes of uterine leiomyoma size during pregnancy and determine the factors influencing it. METHODS A prospective study was conducted from June 2016 to June 2018. Women with pregnancies complicated by leiomyoma were recruited. Ultrasound examinations were conducted to measure the size of leiomyoma during 6-7, 11-14, 22-24, 28-34 weeks of pregnancy and before delivery. The clinical characteristics and delivery details of the pregnant women were collected. Changes in leiomyoma size during different gestation periods and the influencing factors were analyzed. RESULTS Leiomyoma size commonly increased before 22-24 weeks of pregnancy and the fastest growth occurred before 11-14 weeks. From 22-24 weeks to the date of delivery, the size of leiomyoma remained unchanged. The initial size of the leiomyoma showed negative correlation with the changes in leiomyoma diameters during pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy body mass index, fetus number, leiomyoma location, and parity were positively correlated with the size changes in leiomyoma from 22-24 to 28-34 weeks of pregnancy. CONCLUSION Before 22-24 weeks of pregnancy, the size of the leiomyoma was gestation-dependent, which increases with gestational weeks. The fastest growth rate was before 11-14 weeks. The growth of leiomyoma is affected by multiple factors, and different factors can play different roles during different periods of the pregnancy.

Myofibrillar myopathy (MFM) is characterized by phenotypic heterogeneity; decreased function of the myosin-directed chaperone, UNC-45B protein, leads to MFM II, which is characterized by slow progressive proximal myasthenia. Currently, only two studies have reported 11 cases worldwide. This study aimed to conduct genetic research and etiological analysis of a neonatal case of perinatal myasthenia who eventually died due to autonomic dyspnea. The case involved a newborn female admitted for weak cries and groaning. Physical examination revealed shallow and irregular spontaneous breathing, difficulty feeding, hip flexion and knee flexion in both lower limbs, hypotonia (level 1), less translation action, and inability to resist gravity. The child died at 23 days after birth. Gene testing, mutation analysis, and crystal structure analysis were conducted. Cell culture and plasmid construction were conducted, followed by western blot analysis. Pathological changes, including Z-line breakage, were observed in the muscle biopsies of different tissues. Gene testing showed that UNC-45B had a novel compound heterozygous mutation (c.2357TA/p.Met786Lys, c.2591AC/p.His864Pro), and in vitro functional experiments showed that the variants could lead to a decrease in protein expression. This study expands the UNC-45B mutation and phenotype spectrum by reporting an MFM II case in a Chinese patient for the first time.

Objective. The aims of our experiment were to compare the microorganisms in meibomian gland secretions from patients with internal hordeolum before and after treatment using hypochlorous acid eyelid wipes, to elucidate the mechanism underlying hypochlorous acid eyelid wipe treatment of internal hordeolum. Methods. This was a prospective, matched-pair study. A total of eight patients with internal hordeolum who attended the ophthalmology clinic of our hospital from April to August 2020 were included. Meibomian gland secretions were collected from subjects before treatment (Group A) and from patients cured after eyelid cleaning with hypochlorous acid eyelid wipes for 7 days (Group B). Samples were submitted to 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, and the resulting data were analyzed to compare the differences in the structure and composition of meibomian gland secretion microbial flora before and after treatment of internal hordeolum. Results. A total of 2127 operational taxonomic units were obtained from the two groups of samples, and there was no significant difference in alpha diversity before and after eyelid cleaning. At the phylum level, there was no significant difference between the two groups. The predominant phyla in Group A included the following: Firmicutes ( 32.78 % ± 20.16 % ), Proteobacteria ( 26.73 % ± 7.49 % ), Acidobacteria ( 10.58 % ± 11.45 % ), Bacteroidetes ( 9.05 % ± 6.63 % ), Actinobacteria (8.48% ±1.77%), and Chloroflexi ( 3.15 % ± 3.12 % ), while those in Group B were the following: Proteobacteria ( 31.86 % ± 9.69 % ), Firmicutes ( 29.07 % ± 24.20 % ), Acidobacteria ( 11.33 % ± 7.53 % ), Actinobacteria ( 7.10 % ± 1.98 % ), Bacteroidetes ( 5.39 % ± 5.17 % ), and Chloroflexi ( 3.89 % ± 3.67 % ). Starting from the class level, significant differences in microbial communities were detected before and after eyelid cleaning ( P < 0.05 ). Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis showed the core flora in Group A microbiome comprising Actinobacteria, Staphylococcus, Staphylococcaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, Ruminococcacea UCg-014, Ruminococcacea-UCG-014, Halomonadaceae, Neisseria, Methylobacterium, Frankiales, and Neisseria sicca, while those in Group B microbial were Streptococcus sp., Blautia, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, Subdoligranulum, Subdoligranulum variabile, Faecalibacterium, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Conclusion. Eyelid cleaning with hypochlorous acid eyelid wipes does not change the biodiversity in the meibomian gland secretions of patients with internal hordeolum. Hypochlorous acid eyelid wipes may affect the internal hordeolum through broad-spectrum antibacterial action to effectively reduce the relative abundance of symbiotic pathogens, such as Staphylococcus, Neisseria, Actinomycetes, and Ruminococcus and increase that of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and other symbiotic probiotics with anti-inflammatory effects.

For efficient control of the economically important fruit pest Bactrocera dorsalis, a hybrid system combining ricin toxicity and sex-related alternative splicing of the doublesex gene has been developed. This system exhibits the expected female-specific lethal effect; however, the transgenic females do not survive, making it difficult to raise stable homozygous lines. Since modification of ricin toxin A chain (RTA) through a single-residue change (GlyIn transient expression experiments using embryonic injection, two groups treated with RTAcs-derived DNA (LERQcs and RTAcs) exhibited temperature-dependent effects. The toxicity was higher at 29 °C than at 18 °C. The proportion of males was close to 50% at 18 °C in all the tested groups except LERQcs-treated flies, which exhibited a high proportion of males (over 70%) at 29 °C. The results indicate the cold-sensitive responses of RTA and further suggest a female-specific lethal effect. Subsequently, 14 putative RTAcs-Bddsx transgenic Ds-RedThe improved RTAcs-Bddsx system with conditional toxicity represents a novel and promising step toward the practical control of B. dorsalis. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

The existing concept suggests early palliative and hospice therapy for a better quality of care (QOC) and less medical expense in terminal cancer patients, but the time points of “early” initiation were defined by pre-set study protocol rather than the real-world data. The study aimed to determine the optimal timing of initiating palliative care for patients with terminal cancer. This retrospective population-based study was conducted using a nationwide database. We extracted patients with cancer who were in their last year of lives in the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2013 and categorized them into two groups (“hospice-shared care” (HSC) group and “usual care” (UC) group) after a matching process. Subsequently, we used a generalized linear mixed-effects model to compare the QOC and medical expenses between groups. After the selection and matching process, we enrolled 1714 patients (67.7 ± 13.2 years, 62.7% male) categorized into the HSC and UC groups (n = 857 in each group). The HSC groups showed generally better QOC in the four indices (with emergency room visit, hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and receiving chemotherapy) than the UC group in those who initiated HSC 8–60 days before death. The HSC group also had significantly lower medical expenses than the UC group in those who initiated HSC 15–90 days before death. Among patients with terminal cancer, HSC initiation before the last 8 days and 15 days of lives can effectively improve QOC and save medical expenses, respectively.

To investigate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and related factors, the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among earthquake survivors in minority area 2 years after Jiuzhaigou earthquake. Two years after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake, a cross-sectional survey was conducted by a multi-stage sampling approach. HRQoL was measured by the short form 12 (SF-12), PTSD was measured by the PTSD Check List-Civilian Version (PCL-C), and social support was measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were used for data analysis. Of the 561 participants, the mean scores on the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) were 46.36 ± 12.79 and 55.03 ± 8.73, and 5.73% reported the symptoms of PTSD. Lower PCS and MCS after an earthquake were associated with elderly age, physical illness, and low level of social support (P

AIM To investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of autoimmune liver disease (ALD)-related autoantibodies in patients with biliary atresia (BA). METHODS Sera of 124 BA patients and 140 age-matched non-BA controls were assayed for detection of the following autoantibodies: ALD profile and specific anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs), by line-blot assay; ANA and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA), by indirect immunofluorescence assay; specific ANCAs and anti-M2-3E, by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Associations of these autoantibodies with the clinical features of BA (i.e., cytomegalovirus infection, degree of liver fibrosis, and short-term prognosis of Kasai procedure) were evaluated by Spearman's correlation coefficient. RESULTS The overall positive rate of serum autoantibodies in preoperative BA patients was 56.5%. ALD profile assay showed that the positive reaction to primary biliary cholangitis-related autoantibodies in BA patients was higher than that to autoimmune hepatitis-related autoantibodies. Among these autoantibodies, anti-BPO was detected more frequently in the BA patients than in the controls (14.8% vs 2.2%, P < 0.05). Accordingly, 32 (25.8%) of the 124 BA patients also showed a high positive reaction for anti-M2-3E. By comparison, the controls had a remarkably lower frequency of anti-M2-3E (P < 0.05), with 6/92 (8.6%) of patients with other liver diseases and 2/48 (4.2%) of healthy controls. The prevalence of ANA in BA patients was 11.3%, which was higher than that in disease controls (3.3%, P < 0.05), but the reactivity to specific ANAs was only 8.2%. The prevalence of ANCAs (ANCA or specific ANCAs) in BA patients was also remarkably higher than that in the healthy controls (37.9% vs 6.3%, P < 0.05), but showed no difference from that in patients with other cholestasis. ANCA positivity was closely associated with the occurrence of postoperative cholangitis (r = 0.61, P < 0.05), whereas none of the autoantibodies showed a correlation to cytomegalovirus infection or the stages of liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION High prevalence of autoantibodies in the BA developmental process strongly reveals the autoimmune-mediated pathogenesis. Serological ANCA positivity may be a useful predictive biomarker of postoperative cholangitis.

Background: The relationship between intramural myomas and fertility remains unclear. The main debate rests on whether cavity-distorting intramural myomas (CDMs) adversely affect fertility more than non-CDMs. We aimed to compare the effects of enucleating non-CDMs and CDMs on fertility improvement in females with unexplained infertility. Methods: We prospectively recruited 83 women undergoing myomectomy for unexplained infertility with intramural myomas between June 2008 and November 2012 and classified them into non-CDMs group ( n = 45) and CDMs group ( n = 38). We then compared postoperative infertility rates, spontaneous pregnancy rates, pregnancy outcomes, live birth rates, and obstetric complications. For continuous variables, we calculated the mean ± standard deviation, median and interquartile range, and analyzed the data using Student's t -test and the Mann-Whitney U -test. For categorical variables, the Pearson's Chi-square test, the continuity correction test, and Fisher's exact test were used. Results: Patients' demographics and myoma characteristics were comparable between the two groups. The overall spontaneous pregnancy rate increased from 0% to 68.42% following myomectomy. The postoperative infertility rate was significantly higher in the non-CDMs group than that in the CDMs group (50.00% vs. 23.53%, t = 5.579, P = 0.018), whereas the postoperative spontaneous pregnancy rate was significantly lower in the non-CDMs group than that in the CDMs group (47.62% vs. 70.59%, t = 4.067, P = 0.044). Compared with the enucleation of non-CDM, the enucleation of CDM patients was a protective factor for the fertility restoration (risk ratio [ RR ] = 3.717, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.284–10.753, P = 0.015), although postoperative fertility restoration declined with age ( RR = 1.141, 95% CI : 1.005–1.295, P = 0.041). Conclusions: Intramural myomas are associated with impaired fertility. Women experiencing unexplained infertility, and possessing intramural myomas, have a better chance of conception following myomectomy, and these benefits are more obvious for younger patients and patients with CDM.

Background Epilepsy during pregnancy and puerperium is infrequent, and it can induce severe complications and poor prognosis. Pregnancy in women with epilepsy (WWE) is usually uneventful. Previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of different treatments on prognosis. However, few articles have addressed if different epilepsy types were associated with a higher incidence of seizure breakthrough/recurrence and pregnancy outcomes. Methods In the present study, based on a unique sample with a low incidence of epilepsy, we evaluated the main clinical characteristics of epilepsy patients. Results Mean age of pregnant WWE was 29.95±4.65 (range, 21-42) years. Pregnancies were at a mean gestational age of 33.80±9.14 (range, 7-41) weeks, and 88.24% (52/61) of WWE were in their third trimester. There was 9.84% (6/61) of pregnant WWE underwent abortion or induced labor in midpregnancy to ensure maternal safety. There was 75.41% (46/61) of pregnant WWE using antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), of which 52.46% (32/61) were taking a single AED and 22.95% (14/61) were using multiple AEDs. There was 47.54% (29/61) of WWE experiencing seizures during their pregnancy. We found that the type of epilepsy did not affect seizures during pregnancy or the prognosis. However, more pregnant WWE with hypertensive disorder had seizures compared with pregnant WWE without hypertensive disorder. Conclusions The study highlighted a novel direction for effectively improving seizures during pregnancy and the prognosis of pregnancy-associated epilepsy.

For molecular research, the quality and integrity of DNA obtained will affect the reliability of subsequent results. Extracting quality DNA from scale insects, including mealybugs, can be difficult due to their small body size and waxy coating. In this study, we evaluate eight commonly used DNA extraction methods to determine their efficacy in PCR analysis across life stages and preservation times. We find that fresh samples, immediately upon collection or after 2 wks, resulted in the most effective DNA extraction. Methods using the DNeasy Blood & Tissue kit, NaCl, SDS-RNase A, and SDS isolated DNA of sufficient quality DNA. The SDS method gave high DNA yield, while the NaCl and SDS-RNase A methods gave lower yield. NaCl, SDS-RNase A, SDS, chloroform-isopentyl alcohol, and the salting-out methods all resulted in sufficient DNA for PCR, and performed equal to or better than that of the DNeasy Blood & Tissue kit. When time and cost per extraction were considered, the SDS method was most efficient, especially for later life stages of mealybug, regardless of preservation duration. DNA extracted from a single fresh sample of a female adult mealybug was adequate for more than 10,000 PCR reactions. For earlier stages, including the egg and 1st instar nymph samples, DNA was most effectively extracted by the Rapid method. Our results provide guidelines for the choice of effective DNA extraction method for mealybug or other small insects across different life stages and preservation status.

A trade-off between life history traits in the evolution of insecticide resistance is common in insects because energy acquisition is mainly channeled for detoxification enzyme production. In addition, sublethal exposure to insecticides may have an effect on the physiology and behaviors of surviving insects. Similar to other agricultural pests, pesticide use may have led to insecticide resistance in populations of Paederus fuscipes Curtis. In this study, we determined the median lethal time of 10 field-collected strains in Taiwan for three insecticides that are commonly employed to manage agricultural pests. We determined that the susceptibility of these strains to cyhalothrin and fenitrothion were similar, with resistance ratios (RRs) ranging from 1 to 4; however, significantly different to imidacloprid (RRs: 1–16). The effect of imidacloprid resistance on the life history traits studied of Paederus beetles was limited; only a prolonged egg incubation period, and adult longevity decreased as imidacloprid resistance increased. Regarding sublethal exposure to imidacloprid, adult sex ratios were female biased in most combinations, though nonsignificant. The quality of offspring, particularly the length of eggs significantly decreased. In addition, a hormetic effect was apparent when the individual was exposed to LT25 and LT50; mean fecundity per female increased from 12.80 ± 8.95 (± standard error [SE]) to 42.70 ± 13.77 eggs compared with that of the control (7.10 ± 1.32). However, the hormetic effect was inconsistent among the tested strains, possibly because of the difference in insecticide resistance levels given that reproductive compensation was absent among the resistant population.

Epilepsy in pregnancy can lead to substantial maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Early intervention in pregnant women with epilepsy (WWE), accurate assessment of the severity of their condition, and effective treatment are required to improve maternal and neonatal prognosis. Many obstetricians lack experience in monitoring and treating pregnant WWE.The aim of this study was to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of pregnant WWE and examine maternal and neonatal outcomes.Medical records of 75 pregnant women with a history of epilepsy who delivered at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, China between January 2006 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Pregnant women with a history of epilepsy were matched 1:2 with a control group of 150 pregnant women without epilepsy who delivered at Beijing Tiantan Hospital during the same time period. Information including type and frequency of epilepsy and seizures, maternal complications, medication, delivery mode, newborn weight, and newborn Apgar score were recorded. In subgroup analyses, pregnant WWE were stratified according to presence or absence of seizures during pregnancy and generalized seizure vs. nongeneralized seizure.The incidence of anemia, hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), cesarean section, and postpartum hemorrhage was significantly higher (p 0.05), and mean newborn weight and newborn Apgar score were significantly lower (p 0.05) in pregnant WWE compared with pregnant women without epilepsy. The incidence of premature delivery was significantly higher (p 0.05), and mean newborn weight was significantly lower (p 0.05) in pregnant WWE with seizures vs. without seizures. Mean newborn weight was significantly lower (p = 0.01) in pregnant WWE with nongeneralized seizures vs. generalized seizures.Pregnant WWE are at high risk of anemia, gestational hypertension, PROM, cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage, and low newborn weight and Apgar score. Women with epilepsy who experience seizures during pregnancy are at high risk of preterm birth and having low birth weight infants. Pregnant WWE who experience nongeneralized seizures are at high risk of having low birth weight infants. These data emphasize the need to routinely monitor fetal weight on ultrasound and offer appropriate intervention. These findings highlight the need for healthcare providers to take a multidisciplinary approach to the management of pregnant WWE.Pregnant WWE are at high risk of obstetric complications. Women with epilepsy who experience seizures during pregnancy are at high risk of preterm birth and having low birth weight infants. Pregnant WWE who experience nongeneralized seizures are at high risk of having low birth weight infants. These data highlight the need for healthcare providers to take a multidisciplinary approach to the management of pregnant WWE.

Primary brain microvessels (BrMV) maintain the cellular characters and molecular signatures as displayed in vivo, and serve as a vital tool for biomedical research of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the development/optimization of brain drug delivery. The variations of relative purities or cellular composition among different BrMV samples may have significant consequences in data interpretation and research outcome, especially for experiments with high-throughput genomics and proteomics technologies. In this study, we aimed to identify suitable reference gene (RG) for accurate normalization of real-time RT-qPCR analysis, and determine the proper marker genes (MG) for relative purity assessment in BrMV samples. Out of five housekeeping genes, β-actin was selected as the most suitable RG that was validated by quantifying mRNA levels of alpha-L-iduronidase in BrMV isolated from mice with one or two expressing alleles. Four marker genes highly/selectively expressed in BBB-forming capillary endothelial cells were evaluated by RT-qPCR for purity assessment, resulting in Cldn5 and Pecam1 as most suitable MGs that were further confirmed by immunofluorescent analysis of cellular components. Plvap proved to be an indicator gene for the presence of fenestrated vessels in BrMV samples. This study may contribute to the building blocks toward overarching research needs on the blood-brain barrier.

IntroductionThe association between early exposure to ambient air pollution and adverse pregnancy outcomes in China is unclear. This study will assess the risk of early-life exposure to air pollutants in Beijing and explore the viability of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as a biological indicator to assess oxidative stress induced by early-life exposure to air pollution.Methods and analysisHere, 2500 women with singleton pregnancies and their infants will be recruited from the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. We will collect nine types of biological samples, including maternal serum, urine, placental tissue, umbilical cord tissue and umbilical cord blood during all three trimesters. The air pollution data (particulate matter (PM)2.5, PM10 and similar factors) will be recorded at official fixed-site monitoring stations closest to where the pregnant women live. We plan to assess the effect of air pollutants on adverse pregnancy outcomes and infant respiratory and circulatory disease using Cox regression and competitive risk analysis and explore possible critical windows of exposure during pregnancy using daily pollutant concentrations averaged over various periods of pregnancy combined with individual activity and physiological parameters. Maternal and umbilical cord blood samples (1000 samples) will be randomly selected for 8-OHdG assays to assess the correlation between exposures to air pollutants and oxidative stress. We will determine whether air pollutant exposure or 8-OHdG levels are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. SPSS and SAS statistical software will be used for data analysis. Cox regression and competing risk analysis will be used to compute the HR and population attributable risk.Ethics and disseminationThis research protocol has already been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. Written informed consent will be obtained from all study participants prior to enrolment. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals or disseminated through conference presentations.Trial registration numberThis study has been registered in WHO International Clinical Trial Register—Chinese Clinical Trial Registry under registrationnumber ChiCTR-ROC-16010181 (http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=17328).

To assess the associations between maternal body mass index (BMI) as well as gestational weight gain (GWG) and pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This is a retrospective analysis involving 832 nulliparous women complicated with GDM. Multivariate logistic and restricted cubic logistic regression were used to investigate the association of interest. Overall, 178 (21.4%) women were overweight or obese, and 298 (35.2%) exhibited excessive GWG. Compared with women of normal weight, high pre-pregnancy BMI resulted in a higher risk of cesarean section with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.95 (95% confidence interval being 1.29–2.96) for overweight group and 3.26 (1.57–6.76) for obese group. Similarly, the respective aORs were 4.10 (1.56–10.81) and 9.78 (2.91–32.85) for gestational hypertension, 2.02 (1.05–3.88) and 8.04 (3.46–18.66) for macrosomia, 2.14 (1.40–3.26) and 3.34 (1.69–6.60) for large for gestational age (LGA). Compared with adequate GWG, excessive GWG increased the incidence of cesarean section (1.60, 1.15–2.23) and macrosomia (1.94, 1.11–3.38), while inadequate GWG reduced the incidence of LGA (0.29, 0.17–0.51). High pre-pregnancy BMI and excessive GWG were associated with higher incidence of LGA, as well as other adverse outcomes in women with GDM. Narrower guidelines on GWG might offer extra safety benefit in gestational diabetic population.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis and metastasis. In this study, we investigated miR-200b expression in endometrial adenocarcinomas and normal adjacent tissues and found that miR-200b is more highly expressed in cancer tissues than in normal adjacent tissues. A novel target of miR-200b, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2), was predicted using a bioinformatics approach and was confirmed in human endometrial cancer cell line HEC-1A cells by luciferase assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that miR-200b repressed TIMP2 expression at both the messenger RNA and protein levels, although a family member, miR-200a, had no such effect. Using reverse gelatin zymography, we showed that miR-200b enhances matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) activity by downregulating TIMP2 expression in HEC-1A cells. These data suggest that miR-200b may play an important role in the metastasis of endometrial adenocarcinomas.

Studies conducted in Western countries have reported an increased risk for second primary malignancies after cervical cancer. There is little documentation of ethnic differences in this increased risk, and most of the Asian studies are hospital-based studies with small case numbers.Using population-based data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry for the period 1979-2008, we quantified standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) among 52,972 women with initial diagnoses of cervical cancer.Among the 52,972 women, 3061 (5.78%) developed second primary cancers during 433,571 person-years of follow-up. Overall, the SIR for developing a subsequent second cancer was significantly greater than that of the general population (1.36 [95% CI, 1.32-1.41]). There was a greater risk for cancers of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, rectum, lung, bone, non-melanoma skin, uterine corpus, vagina/vulva, bladder, kidney, and leukemia. When further examining age at diagnosis of cervical cancer (50 and ≥50) for these 12 sites, we found that the risk of second cancers (SIR,50 and ≥50: 3.08 vs. 1.63) was higher not only in younger patients, except for non-melanoma skin cancer and endometrial cancer, but also within the first 5 years after diagnosis of cervical cancer. The median overall survival for women with cervical cancer was 18.58 years. The second cancers had a negative impact on overall survival after adjusting for age (P0.001).SIR for second cancers was significantly greater than the general population in cervical cancer patients. A young age at the diagnosis of cervical cancer predicted an increased risk. The second cancers worsened overall survival.

The prevalence rates of anti-citrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPAs) were investigated in a cohort of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients, and their diagnostic performances were compared. ACPAs, including anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide IgG (anti-CCP), anti-CCP IgG/IgA (anti-CCP3.1), citrullinated recombinant rat filaggrin antibodies (CPA), anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV), and antibodies to citrullinated human IgG-derived peptides (RA/CP), were measured in the sera from 81 JIA patients. Serum samples from 55 children with other joint diseases or viral infections and 49 healthy donors were tested as controls. Of the 81 JIA patients, 7 (8.6%), 8 (9.9%), 17 (21.0%), 23 (28.4%), and 18 (22.2%) were found to be positive for anti-CCP, anti-CCP3.1, CPA, anti-MCV, and RA/CP, respectively, with specificities of 98.1, 95.1, 93.3, 84.6, and 86.5%. Analysis by subtype revealed that 7/7 (100%) of RF-positive polyarticular JIA patients tested positive at high serum levels for anti-MCV or RA/CP, and 5/7 (71.4%) were positive for anti-CCP, anti- CCP3.1, or CPA (P < 0.001, compared with controls). Eighteen of 81 JIA patients demonstrated joint erosions on radiographs and erosive arthritis occurred more often in ACPAs positive patients (P < 0.01). Our findings indicate that although ACPAs are not satisfactory screening biomarkers for JIA due to low sensitivity, ACPA measurement can aid in diagnosing RF-positive polyarticular JIA and identifying JIA patients with severe bone involvement. The diagnostic performance of each ACPA in JIA is different, and the careful selection of assays is necessary.

In this article, human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) loaded PCL-PEG-PCL (PCEC) nanoparticles were prepared by modified W1/O/W2 double emulsion solvent evaporation method. The bFGF encapsulated in PCEC nanoparticles could be released in sustained release behavior in vitro. After subcutaneous single-dose injection of bFGF loaded PCEC nanoparticles at 20 μg of bFGF per dose in mice, the anti-bFGF special autoantibodyIgG continued to grow until 8 weeks after the immunization and was still kept at high level at week 11. At the same time, HK293 cell viability assay in vitro indicated that the cytotoxicity of blank PCEC nanoparticles was low but dose dependent. For some success in controlling tumor growth had been met by neutralizing bFGF reported previously, the bFGF loaded PCEC nanoparticles prepared in this paper might have potential application as anti-tumor vaccine.

It is an useful method for polymeric nanoparticles to load protein by electrostatic method to improve the immunogenicity of protein antigen. In this article, anionic poly(e-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(e-caprolactone) (PCEC) nanoparticles were prepared by modified emulsion solvent evaporation method, and human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), as a model protein, was absorbed onto its surface due to electrostatic interaction. The prepared anionic PCEC nanoparticles, with mean diameter of 136.9 nm, had zeta potential of − 33.14 mV. The surface charge and particle size of bFGF/nanoparticles complex increased with increase of bFGF/nanoparticles mass ratio. The encapsulated bFGF could be released slowly from bFGF/nanoparticle complexes. The animal experiment indicated that the humoral immunity induced by bFGF/PCEC complex was improved greatly than that created by naked bFGF. Otherwise, the cytotoxicity of anionic PCEC nanoparticles was also evaluated by 293 cell viability. The prepared anioni...

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), can reduce fruit production and quality and is considered to be a major insect pest in many Asian countries. A system combining the toxicity of ricin and the alternative RNA splicing properties of doublesex (RTA-Bddsx) has been proposed that results in differential sexual processing in vitro. A transgenic approach was used in this study to confirm the existence of female-specific lethal effects in vivo.The piggyBac-based vector PB-Acp-CF21-26, which carries the actin 5C promoter and RTA-Bddsx, was used to establish transgenic lines. Five surviving male flies (F1) demonstrated the presence of selection marker Ds-Red((+)) throughout their entire bodies following single-pair mating with wild-type females, indicating germline transmission. A high percentage of males (59.6-100%) were observed in transformed F3 offspring, and this skewed sex ratio indicated that the female-lethal effects of the RTA-Bddsx system were heritable and functioned well in B. dorsalis. Some transformed female flies were observed, and these unexpected results were attributed to the loss of the intact transgene after genomic PCR analyses.This transgenic study provides direct evidence for the female-specific lethal effects of RTA-Bddsx in B. dorsalis and offers a novel and promising approach for the control of B. dorsalis in the future. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), a very destructive insect pest in many areas of Asia, including Taiwan, can cause significant damage by ovipositing in and larval feeding on many kinds of fruit. A female lethal system, combining the splicing property of doublesex (dsx) with the toxicity of ricin A chain (RTA), has been developed. In this system, a modified RTA is separated by Bddsx intron 3; the expressed RNA can only be spliced in females, with toxic effects, whereas the immature RTA in males is harmless.Two RTA-Bddsx constructs, clone BE 24-7 and clone CF 26-21, containing Bddsx intron 3 and its flanking exonic sequences, with four nucleotides at the 5'-end and five nucleotides at the 3'-end, correctly spliced in a sex-specific manner. Wild-type and modified RTAs expressed in an Escherichia coli system retained their ability to suppress protein synthesis: 90.4% for Ricin-WT, 71.3% for Ricin-LERQ and 58.0% for Ricin-FEGQ. Embryonic injection of Acp-CF26-21, the RTA-Bddsx gene driven by the actin 5C promoter, resulted in a significant increase in male percentage in the eclosed adults.Our results indicate that the RTA-Bddsx hybrid system offers a novel and promising approach for oriental fruit fly control.

To investigate the prevalence of childhood asthma, and to find the distribution characteristics, precipitating factors, diagnosis and treatment status, and to provide scientific data for improving the prevention and management of asthma in children in Kunming City, China.Children were selected by random cluster sampling. A standardized preliminary questionnaire was used for screening out possible patients in the survey. Diagnosis of asthma was confirmed by diagnostic criteria in suspected asthmatic children. Asthmatic children were further asked for past diagnosis and treatment with the questionnaire of asthma in children.The total asthma incidence rate was 1.40%. The prevalence of asthma in male and female children was 1.89% and 0.88% respectively (P0.05). Children aged 0-5 years old had a higher prevalence of asthma (1.69%) than that of school-age children (6-14 years old, 1.21%). In all asthmatic children, 51.3% were previously diagnosed with classical asthma or cough variant asthma, 26.0% were suffered attacks from December to February, and 54.0% were suffered attacks at midnight or dawn. Respiratory tract infection (87.3%) was the most common triggers of asthma exacerbation. Antibiotics were used in 80.0%, bronchodilators in 66.0%, inhaled corticosteroid in 64.0%. A peak flow meter for monitoring lung function was used in 17% of asthmatic children over 5 years old.The prevalence of asthma is associated with age and gender in children aged 0-14 years old in Kunming City. Acute asthma attack occurs mostly in winter and at midnight or dawn. Respiratory tract infection is the most common trigger of asthma exacerbation. Nearly a half of patients with asthma had not been diagnosed with asthma in the early stage. Most asthmatic children use antibiotics and only two-thirds use bronchodilators or inhaled corticosteroid in the treatment. The treatment and management of asthma in children awaits improvement as well.

The aim of this study was to compare the feasibility, reliability, safety and pregnancy outcomes following transabdominal myomectomy (TAM) and laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.The study included two parts: between January 2005 and December 2010, data on 157 patients were retrospectively collected; and between January 2011 and January 2013, 111 patients were prospectively collected. All of them had fertility requirements following myomectomy. Patients' demographics, leiomyomas' characteristics, perioperative data regarding surgical complications, relapses, subsequent pregnancy outcomes and obstetric characteristics were collected.The patients' demographics and leiomyoma characteristics were comparable in the TAM and LM groups (P0.05). There was no significant difference in the average drop in hemoglobin between the two groups (P = 0.887), while the postoperative ileus duration, postoperative ambulation duration and dose of analgesia were significantly higher in the TAM group (P0.001). There was no significant difference in the overall relapse and subsequent cumulative pregnancy rates and obstetric complications between the two groups. The contraception interval after myomectomy was significantly longer (P = 0.038) after TAM, however the cesarean section rate only due to myomectomy history was higher (P = 0.034) after TAM than after LM. Four patients in the LM group were identified as having uterine scar defective repair on the site of the previous myomectomy scar during elective cesarean section, while this was not identified in any patient in the TAM group.LM is a feasible treatment for women who have fertility requirements but suffer from leiomyoma. Although LM does not increase the rate of uterine rupture in the subsequent pregnancy, it is advisable for surgeons to limit the use of electrosurgery.

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., is the most destructive insect pest of Brassica crops in the world. It has developed resistance rapidly to almost every insecticide used for its control. Mevinphos, a fast degrading and slow resistance evocating organophosphorus insecticide, has been recommended for controlling P. xylostella in Taiwan for more than 40years. SHM strain of P. xylostella, with ca. 22-fold resistance to this chemical, has been established from a field SH strain by selecting with mevinphos since 1997. Three mutations, i.e., G892T, G971C, and T1156T/G leading to A298S, G324A, and F386F/V amino acid substitutions in acetylcholinesterase1 (AChE1), were identified in these two strains; along with three haplotype pairs and a polymorphic intron in AChE1 gene (ace1). Two genetically pure lines, i.e., an SHggt wild type with intron AS and an SHMTCN mutant carrying G892T, G971C, T1156T/G mutations and intron AR in ace1, were established by single pair mating and haplotype determination. The F1 of SHMTCN strain had 52-fold resistance to mevinphos in comparison with the F1 of SHggt strain. In addition, AChE1 of this SHMTCN population, which exhibited lower maximum velocity (Vmax) and affinity (Km), was less susceptible to the inhibition of mevinphos, with an I50 32-fold higher than that of the SHggt F1 population. These results imply that amino acid substitutions in AChE1 of SHMTCN strain are associated with mevinphos resistance in this insect pest, and this finding is important for insecticide resistance management of P. xylostella in the field.

To study the neuronal deficits in neuronopathic Gaucher Disease (nGD), the chronological behavioral profiles and the age of onset of brain abnormalities were characterized in a chronic nGD mouse model (9V/null). Progressive accumulation of glucosylceramide (GC) and glucosylsphingosine (GS) in the brain of 9V/null mice were observed at as early as 6 and 3 months of age for GC and GS, respectively. Abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein was present in the 9V/null brain as detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. In a repeated open-field test, the 9V/null mice (9 months and older) displayed significantly less environmental habituation and spent more time exploring the open-field than age-matched WT group, indicating the onset of short-term spatial memory deficits. In the marble burying test, the 9V/null group had a shorter latency to initiate burying activity at 3 months of age, whereas the latency increased significantly at ≥12 months of age; 9V/null females buried significantly more marbles to completion than the WT group, suggesting an abnormal response to the instinctive behavior and an abnormal activity in non-associative anxiety-like behavior. In the conditional fear test, only the 9V/null males exhibited a significant decrease in response to contextual fear, but both genders showed less response to auditory-cued fear compared to age- and gender-matched WT at 12 months of age. These results indicate hippocampus-related emotional memory defects. Abnormal gait emerged in 9V/null mice with wider front-paw and hind-paw widths, as well as longer stride in a gender-dependent manner with different ages of onset. Significantly higher liver- and spleen-to-body weight ratios were detected in 9V/null mice with different ages of onsets. These data provide temporal evaluation of neurobehavioral dysfunctions and brain pathology in 9V/null mice that can be used for experimental designs to evaluate novel therapies for nGD.

The aim of the present study was to identify novel methylation markers for cervical cancer screening and to test the clinical application of the most promising biomarker in cervical scrapings. Methylated-CpG island recovery assay-based microarray analysis was carried out on a discovery set consisting of cervical cancer tissue and normal cervical tissue to identify significantly hypermethylated genes. Five hundred and four CpG islands, corresponding to 378 genes, were differentially methylated between cervical cancer tissue and normal cervical tissue. Among them, 30 genes were significantly hypermethylated. Of the 30 genes, SOX9, PKLR and DLX4 were selected for further validation by direct bisulfite sequencing. The SOX9 gene revealed complete methylation in the cervical cancer tissue and complete non-methylation in the normal control tissue. A TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay was performed to detect the methylation levels of the SOX9 gene in 156 cervical scrapings, including 48 normal cervical scrapings, 30 scrapings with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 (CIN1), 30 scrapings with CIN2-3 and 48 scrapings with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The methylation levels (methylation score) of the SOX9 gene increased significantly with the severity of cervical squamous lesions. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) revealed that the methylation score of the SOX9 gene could be used to segregate SCC/CIN2-3 from CIN1/normal (AUC, 0.961; p=0.000). At the optimal cut-off value, a sensitivity of 92.3% and a specificity of 89.7% were obtained. In conclusion, SOX9 methylation is frequently involved in cervical carcinogenesis, and may provide a valuable molecular biomarker for early detection of cervical cancer.

To improve the capability of diagnosing and treating for pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) by analyzing the characteristics of PE.Retrospective analysis was performed among 252 patients with PE, diagnosed by CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) without medical history of serious cardiopulmonary disease. And the before-after comparisons in echocardiography cardiovascular parameters and pulmonary artery Qanadli embolism index (PAQI) were launched within 32 patients who finished 3 months follow-up visiting.In 252 patients with final diagnosis of PE, smoking was the most important risk factor, accounted for 44.84%. Dyspnea was the main symptom in patients with PE (84.13%). PE often occurred in the elderly [64.00 (19.75) years old]. Hypotension, shortness of breath and tachycardia were always observed when circulatory collapsed. It could not be excluded for PE when D-dimmer was less than 5000 mg/L. In 32 patients rechecked 3 months after treatment, PAQI was significantly decreased compared with that before treatment [0.05 (0.18) vs. 0.39 (0.44), P0.01], but there were no significant differences in cardiovascular parameters before and after treatment.The clinical manifestations of PE are variable, it could be considered when the elder or smoker were suffered with dyspnea. After 3 months of anticoagulant therapy, cardiac morphology induced by PE didn't get demonstrate improvement.

To explore the correlation between excision repair cross-complementing 1 (ERCC1) C8092A and C19007T gene polymorphisms and different Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome types of colorectal cancer (CC).Ninety-nine patients with CC were syndrome typed as dampness-heat accumulation syndrome, qi stagnation with blood stasis syndrome, Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome, and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome. The gene polymorphisms of excision repair cross-complementing 1 (ERCC1) C8092A and C19007T in different CM syndrome types of CC were examined by polymorphisms chain reaction amplification and direct sequencing, and analyzed statistically.The frequencies of C8092A genotype and allele in different CM syndrome types had no statistical difference (P0.05). The frequencies of C19007T genotype and allele in different CM syndrome types had statistical difference (P0.05). Of them, there was no statistical difference in the frequencies between dampness-heat accumulation syndrome and qi stagnation with blood stasis syndrome, or between Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome (P0.05). There was statistical difference between dampness-heat accumulation syndrome and Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome as well as Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome (P0.05). There was statistical difference between qi stagnation with blood stasis syndrome and Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome as well as Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome (P0.05).ERCC1 C19007T gene polymorphisms might be associated with CM syndrome types of CC, which needed to be further studied.

To explore the effects of low-dose chlorpyrifos (CPF) exposure on dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the midbrain substantia nigra and neural behavioral development in neonatal rats.Postnatal 11 day old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into CPF, menstruum dimethysulfoxide (DMSO) and normal saline (NS) groups. The rats in the CPF group were injected with low-dose CPF (5 mg/kg?d) on postnatal days 11-14. The two control groups were injected with DMSO or NS respectively. The rats were sacrificed on postnatal days 15, 20, 30, and 60. Body weight gain, outward appearance of brain tissue, the coefficient of brain and the water content of brain tissue were measured. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in DA neurons in the midbrain substantial nigra was examined by immunohistochemical straining. Immune electron microscopy was used to examine the subcellular structure of DA neurons. Open field test, grip strength test, slope test and Morris water maze test were used to examine the neurobehavioral changes.The outward appearance of brain tissue was normal in the three groups. There were no significant differences in the absolute value of body weight gain, the coefficient of brain and the water content of brain tissue among the three groups. CPF exposure decreased the level of TH immunoreactivity (P0.05) in the substantia nigra of CPF group since postnatal day 30 compared with the DMSO and NS groups. The subcellular structures of some DA neurons in the CPF group were impaired. Decreased motor activity and learning and memory impairments were observed in the CPF group compared with those in the DMSO and NS groups (P0.05) since postnatal day 30.CPF exposure during the neonatal period can cause long-term motor activity and learning and memory impairments in accompany with DA neurons damage in the midbrain substantia nigra.

Near-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics methods for diagnosis of cancer has been reported in literatures. In our study, the NIR spectra of 77 specimens of different physiological stages of endometrium were collected. Spectral data were pretreated firstly by multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), orthogonal signal correction (OSC), and both of them, respectively, and then by SG smoothing. Latin partition method was used to select 3/4 samples as a training set, and the other 1/4 samples for test set. Support vector machine (SVM) model was built for classification, and the classification results was compared with that of partial least squares (PLS) model based on the same pretreatment methods. Samples of malignant, hyperplasia and normal endometrium were classified better by SVM (classification accuracy was 92%) than PLS (classification accuracy was 90%). The results suggested that classification accuracy was affected by pretreatment methods and models. SVM combined with endometrial tissue near infrared spectroscopy is expected to develop into a new approach to tumor diagnosis.

To investigate the prevalence and relationship between high risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in married women from Beijing.From March 2007 to September 2008, a total of 6185 married women were sampled, covering 137 communities in 12 districts. The samples were screened by high-risk HPV DNA test (HC2) and cytological test. For those participants with cytological test results ≥ ASCUS, pathological tests were performed. An interview was also carried out with the same questionnaire. Results from the tests were inputted into the database twice using EpiData 3.0, reviewed, analyzed, using SPSS 15.0.(1) The prevalence rates of HR-HPV and CIN were 9.9% and 6.0%, respectively for the age group 25 to 54. (2) The peak age groups for HR-HPV and CIN prevalence rates were 30 to 34 years old. (3) The prevalence rates of positive cytology (40.3%) and CIN (30.4%) in HR-HPV positive female population were significantly higher than that in HR-HPV negative group. (4) Data from unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that, when comparing with the normal subjects, the risk odds ratios of HR-HPV with low grade CIN and cervical cancer/high grade CIN were 8.385 and 97.416 and the attributable risk proportions with these groups were 88.1% and 99.0%, respectively.HR-HPV infection seemed to be the main risk factor for CIN. Married women, from age group 30 - 34, were under the high risk group in both HR-HPV infection and CIN incidence.

Aim of the study Rhubarb is generally used to people of broad age, but diverse responses of people at different age to rhubarb have been little clarified. In this study, an attempt was made to access the safety of rhubarb to both immature and aged rats to provide some references for its clinical usage. Materials and methods The total extract of rhubarb was administered intragastricly to both immature and aged rats once a day and lasted for 5 weeks. Then histopathologic and biochemical examinations were performed. Results No death was observed in immature rat groups, while 23.3% (21/90) subjects in aged rat groups died and most of the death cases were observed in the high-dosage (40 g kg−1 of body weight per day od, counted on the quantity of crude material) group. The death rate between aged and immature rats was found of significantly statistical difference. Dosage-dependent histopathologic changes in kidney were observed in all the rhubarb-treated rats, principally involving the proximal tubules. Kidney changes in aged rats were severer than those observed in immature ones. Hepatic cells necrosis was occasionally observed in the middle- and high-dosage aged rat groups and minimal biliary hyperplasia was found in all the rhubarb-treated aged rats. Increased incidences of activated Kupffer cells and lymphocytic infiltration were found in all the rhubarb-treated rats. And dosage-dependent increase of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and notable increase of IL-8 was found in aged rat groups. Conclusions The immature and aged rats showed reversed responses to the toxic potential of rhubarb extract. Elderly subjects were susceptible to the toxicity of high-dosage rhubarb, which drove rigorous consideration on rational use of rhubarb to aged people.

Near infrared spectroscopy was applied to measure the tissue slice of endometrial tissues for collecting the spectra. A total of 154 spectra were obtained from 154 samples. The number of normal, hyperplasia, and malignant samples was 36, 60, and 58, respectively. Original near infrared spectra are composed of many variables, for example, interference information including instrument errors and physical effects such as particle size and light scatter. In order to reduce these influences, original spectra data should be performed with different spectral preprocessing methods to compress variables and extract useful information. So the methods of spectral preprocessing and wavelength selection have played an important role in near infrared spectroscopy technique. In the present paper the raw spectra were processed using various preprocessing methods including first derivative, multiplication scatter correction, Savitzky-Golay first derivative algorithm, standard normal variate, smoothing, and moving-window median. Standard deviation was used to select the optimal spectral region of 4 000-6 000 cm(-1). Then principal component analysis was used for classification. Principal component analysis results showed that three types of samples could be discriminated completely and the accuracy almost achieved 100%. This study demonstrated that near infrared spectroscopy technology and chemometrics method could be a fast, efficient, and novel means to diagnose cancer. The proposed methods would be a promising and significant diagnosis technique of early stage cancer.

The oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is one of the most destructive pests in many Asian countries. An effective strategy to reduce fly density in the field is urgently required. Recently, the doublesex of B. dorsalis (Bddsx(f) ) has been cloned, and RNA interference (RNAi) indicates that it can reduce the offspring in vitro. In this study, a piggyBac-based construct that generates short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against the female-specific region of Bddsx was introduced into the pest to test the RNAi effects on reproductive functions in vivo.After embryonic injection and backcross, 21 transgenic lines with germline transformation were identified. Genomic DNA analysis showed that the exogenous transgene including short hairpin Bddsx(f) and a DsRed marker had integrated into the genomes of 11 transformed lines. Northern blot analysis indicated the presence of Bddsx(f) short interfering RNA (siRNA) under the control of a U6 promoter in transformed flies. As expected, the specific effects of RNAi led to the delay of egg maturation, and the offspring was significantly reduced. Reverse transcription real-time PCR further demonstrated that in vivo interference not only specifically inhibited the Bddsx(f) transcript but also repressed expression of the downstream yolk protein gene (Bdyp1).The results clearly indicate that RNAi is heritable through the expression of specific siRNA in early generations of transformed oriental fruit fly. These results can broaden the understanding of sex-related developmental mechanisms in the fly, and also offer a possible molecular approach for pest control in the future.

To study the sensory integration function in children with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE).The sensory integration function was assessed by the Childhood Sensory Integration Ability Development Checklist in 70 children with PNE and was compared with that in 74 normal children(control group).The incidence of sensory integration dysfunction (76%) in the PNE group were significantly higher than that in the control group (35%; P0.01). Severe sensory integration dysfunction occurred in more children in the PNE group compared with the control group (39% vs 18%; P0.01). The scores of all sensory integration indexes revealed by sensory integration function testing in the PNE group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P0.01).The majority of children with PNE have sensory integrative dysfunction which presents in various aspects. It is necessary to assess the sensory integration function in children with PNE.

To investigate the influence of intrauterine infection caused by lipopolysaccharide on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway in fetal and neonatal rat lungs in order to explore immunomodulating activity of innate immunity responding to intrauterine infection and its effect on lung development.On day 17 of pregnancy, 30 pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into two groups: LPS group and saline group. For LPS group, LPS (10 microl, 40 microg/ml) was intrauterine injected between every two embryonic sacs of the pregnant rats, while the rats in the control group were injected with the same volume of pyrogen-free saline. Lung tissues of fetal rats and corresponding placental tissues were collected on the embryonic day 18 (E18), E20, and E22. Neonatal lung tissues were also harvested on postnatal day 1 (P1), P3, and P7. Lung sections and placental tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological examination. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was performed to test mRNA expression for TLR4, myeloid differentiation 88 (MyD88) and IL-1beta, while immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate TLR4 and MyD88 expression in lung tissues. All data were analyzed with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and q test.(1) Placental hematoxylin-eosin staining showed a great number of neutrophils infiltration, obvious interstitial hyperplasia and narrow capillaries in placental tissues in the LPS group which indicated that intrauterine infection occurred. However, there were no obvious inflammatory cells in the control group. (2) On E18, E20 and E22, the lung of LPS group showed no obvious pathological changes, and there were no apparent neutrophils infiltrated in alveoli, then some structural changes appeared. On P7, we found that the number of alveoli decreased, space of alveoli was larger than ever, septa thickened, but without significant constructive disorder. (3) In the LPS group, the TLR4, MyD88 and IL-1beta mRNA levels increased compared with control group, higher than control group at E20 and E22 (P0.05), and peaked at E22. Then the expression levels of these substances decreased slowly. (4) The result of immunohistochemistry showed that in lung tissues of the two groups at E18, there was no remarkable positive staining of TLR4 and MyD88, which mainly expressed in cytoplasm of bronchiole and alveolar epithelial cells, then positive cells increased slowly.(1) For perinatal rat lungs, intrauterine LPS infusion can induce an increased expression levels of TLR4 and MyD88 to a certain extent, which then returned to normal level gradually. At the same time, lung tissues showed a mild pathological change and inflammatory reaction. We propose that innate immune system of fetal lungs controls the magnitude of the LPS-induced cytokine response during the perinatal period. (2) The findings confirmed that LPS-activated signaling transduction pathway was the MyD88-dependent pathway.

To investigate the clinical characteristics of postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) in Qingdao.Two hundred and four PI-IBS and 2068 non-PI-IBS patients were investigated with questionnaire including general information, symptoms and quality of life scores with microecological study before and after therapy.(1) The morbidity rate of PI-IBS in female was 2. 2 times of that in male, which was similar to that in non-PI-IBS. (2) Brain work labors dominated in both PI-IBS and non-PI-IBS patients. (3) As to the simultaneous presence of extra-gastrointestinal symptoms, there was no statistical difference between the rate of physical symptoms in PI-IBS and non-PI-IBS patients (chi2 =10.5, P0.05), but the rate of mental symptoms was higher in PI-IBS than in non-PI-IBS patients, and the difference was significant (chi2 = 28.7, P0.05). (4) The alteration of intestinal microflora rate in PI-IBS was obviously higher than that in non-PI-IBS patients. (5) The quality of life scores in PI-IBS was improved after treatment with Birid Triple Viable , and there was significant difference (t = 3.8, P0.01), but there was no statistical difference in non-PI-IBS (t = 1.5, P0.05).There was some difference in certain clinical characteristics between PI-IBS and non-PI-IBS patients in Qingdao.

To analyze miRNA expression profile of endometrioid adenocarcinoma.Collect Endometrium was collected from cancer and park cancer tissue. And the total RNA was extracted. The microarray detection system was employed to analyze whether there was difference in microRNA expression between cancer tissue and park cancer tissue.A total of 111 differentially expressed miRNA were found, including 68 over-expression miRNA and 43 low-expression.MiRNA may play important roles in tumorigenesis of endometrioid adenocarcinoma. The study of miRNA contributes to elucidate the molecular mechanism of endometrial cancer.

To study polymorphisms of dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) in children with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) and explore the relationship between DRD4 gene polymorphisms and PNE.Genomic DNA was isolated from leukocytes in 86 unrelated children with PNE and in 100 healthy unrelated children (controls). Polymorphisms of DRD4-1240L/S, -616C/G and -521C/T were genotyped by allele-specific primer PCR.There were significant differences in allele frequencies (x2=8.13, P0.05) and genotypes frequencies (x2=6.23, P0.05) of DRD4-616C/G between PNE patients and healthy controls. The frequency of haplotype LCT consisting of 3 function polymorphic sites DRD4-1240L/S, -616C/G and -521C/T in PNE patients was statistically higher than that in healthy controls (x2=5.88, P0.05).The change of C to G of DRD4-616 may affect the induction and transcription of DRD4 gene. The haplotype LCT consisting of 3 function polymorphic sites DRD4-1240L/S, -616C/G and -521C/T may synergistically inhibit the transcription activity of DRD4 gene. This might lead to a reduction of DRD4 protein expression and cause nocturnal enuresis.

Methylphenidate is recommended as a first-line modality for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the past, immediate release methylphenidate (IR-MPH) was used for ADHD. Now oral osmotic-methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) is used for ADHD in China. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of OROS-MPH for treatment of ADHD in children.Ninety-nine children with ADHD were randomly administered with OROS-MPH (18 mg/time, once daily) and IR-MPH (5 mg/ time, twice or three times per day). After 6 weeks of treatment, the therapeutic effects were evaluated by the SNAP-IV and the IVA-CPT.Fifty patients completed the 6-week treatment. The effective rate (83.3% vs 75%) and the complete remission rate (44% vs 25%) in the OROS-MPH treatment group were higher than that in the IR-MPH treatment group. There were statistically significant differences in the SNAP-IV and IVA-CPT scores before and after treatment in the two groups (P0.01). The two groups had a similar incidence of side effects during treatment.OROS-MPH for the treatment of ADHD is effective and safe in children, and its once-daily administration is more convenient.

Some research has shown that there may be memory/caution (M/C) defects in children with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE). This study aimed to investigate whether the defects affect the intelligence level and the intelligence structure in PNE children.Intelligence tests were performed by means of Wechsler Young Children Scales of Intelligence (C-WISC) in 40 children with PNE and 40 age-matched normal children.The full intelligence quotient (FIQ), verbal IQ (VIQ) and performances IQ (PIQ) in the PNE group were in a normal range and did not different from the control group. There were significant differences in the scores for digit extent, decipher, knowledge and arithmetics between the PNE and the control groups (P0.05). M/C factor in the PNE group was statistically lower than in the control group (93.44 +/-11.27 vs 100.03 +/-11.79; P0.05).The total intelligence level of children with PNE was normal, but the M/C factor in the intelligence structure had some defects, suggesting that PNE may be related to the abnormity of executive function in the frontal lobe.

A homologue of the doublesex gene (Bddsx) has been cloned from the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). Northern analysis indicates a differential expression of Bddsx in male and female flies, as reported for other dsx genes. A structural conservation of DNA binding domain/oligomerization domain 1 and oligomerization domain 2 suggests that the doublesex protein (BdDSX) of this fruit fly serves as a transcriptional factor for downstream sex-specific gene expression. The putative transformer/transformer-2 protein binding sequence in female-specific transcript suggests that a preserved alternative splicing process found in other flies mediates the synthesis of Bddsx transcript. RNA interference (RNAi) data from adult abdominal dsRNA injection assays indicate that female-specific dsx dsRNA reduces specifically its own transcript, inhibits selectively expression of the yolk protein gene (Bdyp1), and delays ovary development. The number of matured eggs is significant reduced after RNAi treatment, but the sex ratio of offspring is not biased. Moreover, 27% of female progeny with RNAi show deformed ovipositor, but male flies are not affected. Although this is a transient treatment, the specific Bddsx(f) interference offers a promising and novel approach to oriental fruit fly control in the future.

To study the value of the integrated visual and auditory continuous performance test (IVA-CPT) in the diagnosis of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).IVA-CPT was performed in 153 children (6-15 years old) with suspected ADHD. The "gold standard" for the diagnosis of ADHD was based on the Chinese Classification and Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disease (3rd version) (CCMD-3) or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th version, USA) (DSM-IV).When CCMD-3 was used as the "gold standard", the sensitivity and specificity of IVA-CPT for the diagnosis of ADHD were 72.7% and 46.0% respectively. There were no significant differences in the diagnostic positive detection rate between the two diagnostic ways. When DSM-IV was used as the "gold standard", the sensitivity and specificity of IVA-CPT for the diagnosis of ADHD were 71.6% and 56.5% respectively. There were no significant differences in the diagnostic positive detection rate between the two diagnostic ways. There were similar results in the identification of subtypes of ADHD by the two diagnostic ways. The sensitivity and specificity of IVA-CPT for the diagnosis of ADHD in the 10-15 years old group were lower than those in the 6-9 years old group when either CCMD-3 or DSM-IV was used as the "gold standard".IVA-CPT can be used as an assisted tool for the diagnosis of ADHD. It is more effective for the diagnosis of ADHD in younger children.

To observe the effects of Xinshuai Mistura (XM) on plasma angiotensin II (Ang II), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and N terminal pro- brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) in patients with heart failure (HF).Fifty-nine patients with HF (NYHA class II-IV) were randomly divided into two groups, the treated group treated with XM and the control group with Wuling Pulvis (WP), both on the base of captopril treatment. The treatment course was two weeks. Plasma levels of Ang II , ANP and Nt-proBNP were observed.The plasma levels of Ang I, ANP and Nt-proBNP showed an ascending tendency along with the increasing in severity of HF(P0.01), and significantly decreased after treatment in the treated group (P0.01), but with no remarkable difference as compared with those in the control group (P0.05).XM had definite therapeutic effects on excessive neuroendocrine activation in HF patients.

To determine the distribution of pathogens and their characteristics of drug susceptibility originating from nosocomial infections in the intensive care units (ICU), and to provide evidence for clinical anti-infection treatments.Retrospective analysis to the pathogens and their drug susceptibility characteristics was carried out. These pathogens were isolated from the samples that came from patients infected in the ICU from 2002 to 2004.The main nosocomial infective pathogens in the ICU were gram negative bacilli (48.2%), and the next ones were gram positive bacteria (43.3%) and fungus (8.5%). The most common gram negative bacilli were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli; while for gram positive bacteria, the main bacterin were Staphylococcus aureus. The gram negative bacilli could resist 4 or more than 4 antibiotics, and the rate for resistance exceeded 40%. Similarly, oxacillin resistance staphylococcus could resist 7 antibiotics, and the rate was over 50%. The detective rates of ESBLs and AmpC enzymes produced by Escherichia coli and K. peumoniae were 34.0%30.7% and 13.2%23.1%, respectively. The rate for oxacillin resistance staphylococcus was 66.3%, and there was relative high resistance rate (55%) for most antibiotics: There was statistical difference, compared with that of non-resistant strains.Though gram positive coccus still play an important role, most infections are caused by gram negative bacilli of nosocomial infections in the ICU. The antibiotics resistant rate of all bacteria has been rising gradually. It shows strong resistance and multi-drug resistance. The most importment cause for resistance of gram negative bacilli is that the bacteria can produce ESBLs and AmpC enzymes. The antibiotic resistant rate for oxacillin resistance staphylococcus is really high.

Interleukin-4 plays a key role in the development of asthma. Overseas studies have shown that Q576R polymorphism in the interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) gene is related to asthma as well as increased serum IgE levels. This study was designed to investigate the association of Q576R polymorphism in IL-4R gene with childhood asthma and serum IgE levels.The polymorphism of IL-4R Q576R was determined by PCR/RFLP and serum total IgE level was measured using ELISA in 94 children with asthma. Sixty-eight healthy children served as controls.The distribution frequency of heterozygous genotype Q576R (41%) and mutant allele R576 (26%) was significantly higher in children with asthma than that of controls (16% each) (P0.01; P0.05). The total serum IgE level between patients with genotype Q576R and Q576Q was not significantly different (225.78 +/- 51.43 IU/mL vs 163.24 +/- 31.32 IU/mL, P0.05).The mutant R576 allele of IL-4R may be one of the candidate genes for susceptibility to asthma. Allele R576 of IL-4R is related to asthma but is irrelevant to the total serum IgE level in children with asthma.

Human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) was highly expressed in Escherichia coli by inserted the synthesized whole hPTH cDNA into the vectors pBV220 and pET22b. After expression and disruption, the purified product was acquired through cation exchange chromatography and reverse phase chromatography. From the results of N-terminal sequencing and MALDI-TOF-MS analysis the recombiant prtein was indentified as intact hPTH. In in vitro Bioassays the recombinant hPTH stimulated adenylate cyclase as the standard did. In ovariectomized rats the recombinant hPTH markedly increased the femoral bone mass and bone mineral density.