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Rapalogs (everolimus and temsirolimus) are allosteric mTORC1 inhibitors and approved agents for advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), although only a subset of patients derive clinical benefit. Progress in genomic characterization has made it possible to generate comprehensive profiles of genetic alterations in ccRCC; however, the correlations between recurrent somatic mutations and rapalog efficacy remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate by using multiple patient-derived ccRCC cell lines that compared to PTEN-proficient cells, PTEN-deficient cells exhibit hypersensitivity to rapalogs. Rapalogs inhibit cell proliferation by inducing G

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common intraocular cancer in adults. UMs are usually initiated by a mutation in GNAQ or GNA11 (encoding Gq or G11, respectively), unlike cutaneous melanomas (CMs), which usually carry a BRAF or NRAS mutation. Currently, there are no clinically effective targeted therapies for UM carrying Gq/11 mutations. Here, we identified a causal link between Gq activating mutations and hypersensitivity to bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitors. BET inhibitors transcriptionally repress YAP via BRD4 regardless of Gq mutation status, independently of Hippo core components LATS1/2. In contrast, YAP/TAZ downregulation reduces BRD4 transcription exclusively in Gq-mutant cells and LATS1/2 double knockout cells, both of which are featured by constitutively active YAP/TAZ. The transcriptional interdependency between BRD4 and YAP identified in Gq-mutated cells is responsible for the preferential inhibitory effect of BET inhibitors on the growth and dissemination of Gq-mutated UM cells compared to BRAF-mutated CM cells in both culture cells and animal models. Our findings suggest BRD4 as a viable therapeutic target for Gq-driven UMs that are addicted to unrestrained YAP function.

To accurately launch laser, a fast-steering mirror (FSM) with flexure hinge is designed. First, actuators, angle sensors and flexure hinge were designed or selected respectively according to requirements of vehicle track-launch system. Then, the servo control system with two closed loops was projected after fine manufacturing and assembling. Finally, the pointing precisions of FSM on the static and vibrancy platforms were tested. The results show that the designed FSM with pointing error range on the static platform is less than 0.9″, and less than 44.5″ on the vibrancy shaker, which can meet the requirements of vehicle track-launch system application.

The data presented here are related to the article entitled “Comparative analysis of Phytophthora genomes reveals oomycete pathogenesis in crops” [1]. These data contain the description of genomic structure of the two plant pathogens, P. fragariae and P. rubi and characterize several gene families associated with pathogenicity of them: P450, ACX gene families, CAZymes and effector. This data presents the relevant results of two newly sequenced P. fragariae and P. rubi, so as to provide data for further studies by researchers.

Background The clinical significance of left inferior phrenic vein (IPV) during left retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (RLA) for adrenal tumors is unclear. We aimed to investigate the surgical feasibility and value of IPV as a landmark during RLA. Methods Between September 2016 and November 2018, 92 consecutive left RLAs were performed by the same surgeon. All the operations were performed through the approach of three relative avascular planes༎Then we searched for IPV between superior margin of renal artery and anterior aspect of psoas major muscle. The left IPV was used as an anatomical landmark to identify and ligate the central adrenal vein (CAV). Results All 92 operations were performed successfully with one conversion to open surgery. We identified the CAV following left IPV in all cases. The left IPV drained into the CAV in 100% of cases, and variant venous anatomy (2 CAVs) was encountered in 2 pheochromocytoma cases (2.17%). Peritoneum perforation occurred in one case in operation (1.09%). Postoperative complications (fever) occurred in 3 patients (3.26%). The mean operative time was 75.82 ± 21.55 minutes༎The average postoperative hospital stay was 3.57 ± 0.76 days༎Pathological examination revealed: cortical adenoma in 72 cases (78.26%), adrenal cyst in 11 cases (11.96%), pheochromocytoma in 6 cases (6.52%), cortical hyperplasia in 1 case (1.09%), medullary hyperplasia in 1 case (1.09%), and hemangioma in 1 case (1.09%). Conclusions Using left IPV as a landmark to search for and handle CAV has important clinical significance in left RLA.

The data presented here are related to the article entitled “Comparative analysis of Phytophthora genomes reveals oomycete pathogenesis in crops” [1] . These data contain the description of genomic structure of the two plant pathogens, P. fragariae and P. rubi and characterize several gene families associated with pathogenicity of them: P450, ACX gene families, CAZymes and effector. This data presents the relevant results of two newly sequenced P. fragariae and P. rubi, so as to provide data for further studies by researchers.

Objective To investigate the association between smoking and different prostate cancer (PCa) pathological subtypes incidence in Chinese men. Patients and methods We prospectively included 1795 patients who underwent prostate biopsies in one tertiary center between March 2013 and April 2016. Clinical data and biopsy outcomes were collected. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between cigarette smoking and PCa incidence. Results A total of 737 men, 480 men and 58 men were diagnosed with PCa, high-grade PCa (HGPCa, grade group ≥ 4 as accepted by the 2014 ISUP) and intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P), respectively. Current smokers had a significantly higher risk of HGPCa than never smokers (OR = 1.89, 95%CI: 1.44-2.48). No such association was observed for low-grade disease and cigarette smoking (OR = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.61-1.16). In a sub-analysis, men who had smoked longer than 30 years had a higher risk of HGPCa, compared with men who had smoked fewer than 30 years (OR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.09-2.06). Current smokers were more likely to develop IDC-P than never smokers (OR = 2.29, 95%CI: 1.14-4.59). Conclusion Among men in this Chinese biopsy cohort, current smoking was associated with highly malignant PCa incidence, such as HGPCa and IDC-P. The duration of smoking may be associated with HGPCa.

The oomycete genus Phytophthora includes devastating plant pathogens that are found in almost all ecosystems. We sequenced the genomes of two quarantined Phytophthora species–P. fragariae and P. rubi. Comparing these Phytophthora species and related genera allowed reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Phytophthora and revealed Phytophthora genomic features associated with infection and pathogenicity. We found that several hundred Phytophthora genes are putatively inherited from red algae, but Phytophthora does not have vestigial plastids originating from phototrophs. The horizontally-transferred Phytophthora genes are abundant transposons that “transmit” exogenous gene to Phytophthora species thus bring about the gene recombination possibility. Several expansion events of Phytophthora gene families associated with cell wall biogenesis can be used as mutational targets to elucidate gene function in pathogenic interactions with host plants. This work enhanced the understanding of Phytophthora evolution and will also be helpful for the design of phytopathological control strategies., Phytophthora; Genome; Phylogenetic; Pathogenicity; Horizontally gene transfer.

To evaluate the correlation between the level of adipocytokines expression in periprostatic adipose tissue and the prostate cancer aggressiveness.The periprostatic adipose tissues were collected from 30 patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy. The subcutaneous adipose, periprostatic adipose tissues and prostate cancer tissue from the same patient were collected from 10 patients for match research. The expression level of IL-6, Leptin and Adiponectin was detected by immunohistochemistry and by Real-time quantitative PCR in periprostatic adipose tissues.There were differences in the positive rates of IL-6, Leptin and Adiponectin expression in the periprostate adipose between prostate cancer and control (P0.001, P=0.032, 0.003). Nothing but the "IL-6 expression intensity" was seen in difference with the aggressiveness of prostate cancer (P=0.001), and was relevant with the prostate cancer aggressiveness (rs=0.668, P0.001); The mRNA expression of IL-6 in periprostatic adipose tissues of prostate cancer was higher than that of control (P=0.049), and the mRNA expression of Adiponectin was lower (P0.0001); IL-6 mRNA expression in periprostate adipose tissue and prostate cancer tissue were higher than that in subcutaneous adipose (P0.001, P=0.001); IL-6 mRNA expression in periprostate adipose was correlated with that in prostate cancer tissue (r=0.663, p=0.036); Adiponectin mRNA expression in prostate cancer tissue was lower than that in periprostate adipose (P=0.006), and Adiponectin mRNA expression in periprostate adipose was correlated with that in prostate cancer tissue (r=0.707, p=0.022).IL-6, Leptin and Adiponectin were expressed in the periprostatic adipose tissues, which constitute the microenvironment of prostate cancer aggressiveness. There might be intimate relationship between periprostate adipose and prostate cancer tissue.

The [-2]proPSA (p2PSA) and its derivatives, the p2PSA-to-free PSA ratio (%p2PSA), and the Prostate Health Index (PHI) have greatly improved discrimination between men with and without prostate cancer (PCa) in prostate biopsies. However, little is known about their performance in cases where a digital rectal examination (DRE) and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) are negative. A prospective cohort of 261 consecutive patients in China with negative DRE and TRUS were recruited and underwent prostate biopsies. A serum sample had collected before the biopsy was used to measure various PSA derivatives, including total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA), free PSA, and p2PSA. For each patient, the free-to-total PSA ratio (%fPSA), PSA density (PSAD), p2PSA-to-free PSA ratio (%p2PSA), and PHI were calculated. Discriminative performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the biopsy rate at 91% sensitivity. The AUC scores within the entire cohort with respect to age, tPSA, %fPSA, PSAD, p2PSA, %p2PSA, and PHI were 0.598, 0.751, 0.646, 0.789, 0.814, 0.808, and 0.853, respectively. PHI was the best predictor of prostate biopsy results, especially in patients with a tPSA of 10.1-20 ng ml −1 . Compared with other markers, at a sensitivity of 91%, PHI was the most useful for determining which men did not need to undergo biopsy, thereby avoiding unnecessary procedures. The use of PHI could improve the accuracy of PCa detection by predicting prostate biopsy outcomes among men with a negative DRE and TRUS in China.

To test the hypothesis that miR429 expression in renal cancer patients is increased and plays a role in the pathogenesis of the disease.Twenty-seven renal cancer patients admitted to our hospital from May 2014 to May 2015 were enrolled as the study group, and 28 non-cancer patients were selected during the same period as the control group. Renal biopsy and serum samples were used to detect miR429 expression levels, and the patient histories were obtained to make relevant associations to clinical outcomes. In addition, the renal cancer cell line SK458 was used for overexpressing or knocking out miR429 in in vitro experiments to observe changes in proliferation and apoptosis rates.The expression levels of miR429 in renal tissues and serum of renal cancer patients were significantly higher compared with control patients (p0.05). In addition, a correlation was found between the levels of miR429 in the serum of renal cell cancer patients and their clinical outcome after conventional treatment, with patients expressing lower miR429 levels showing better clinical outcomes. Finally, experiments with renal cancer cells revealed that the proliferation of cells overexpressing miR429 was increased and their apoptosis rate was significantly reduced, while the opposite was true in miR429-knockout cells.It seems that miR429 can inhibit normal apoptosis rates and lead to high proliferation rates. Accordingly, the higher serum miR429 level in renal cancer patients suggests that it plays a role in the pathogenesis of the disease, while the differential miR429 levels according to the patients' clinical outcomes after treatment suggest that miR429 may be useful as a marker for prognosis.

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with clinical outcomes of various cancers. This study aimed to evaluate whether pretreatment NLR can be used as a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) receiving targeted therapy. In this single-center retrospective study, the Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 373 mRCC patients receiving targeted therapy. The survival outcomes of patients with high (≥2.2) and low (

Although pretreatment neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte–monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are reportedly associated with clinical outcomes of many cancers, their roles in patients with bladder cancer (BCa) who undergo radical cystectomy (RC) have not been widely investigated. We analyzed relationships between preoperative NLR, LMR, PLR, and overall survival (OS) in 124 BCa patients undergoing RC. OS curves were drawn using the Kaplan–Meier method and evaluated using the log-rank test. Relationships between OS and potential confounding variables were determined using Cox’s proportional hazard regression model. Decreased LMR was associated with shorter OS (P = 0.012); OS in the low PLR group was significantly longer than that in the high PLR group (P = 0.029), and NLR was not significantly associated with oncological outcomes. However, after adjusting for confounding variables, patients in the high-LMR group indicated >30 % decreased mortality than the low-LMR group (hazard ratio 0.674; 95 % confidence interval 0.412–0.890; P = 0.003), and PLR was not an independent predictor of OS. Our results show that preoperative LMR is a better prognostic factor in BCa patients undergoing RC, compared with NLR and PLR.

This study aimed to evaluate the role of serum lipid profiles as novel biomarkers in predicting pathological characteristics of prostate cancer (PCa). We retrospectively analyzed 322 consecutive patients with clinically localized PCa receiving radical prostatectomy (RP) and extended pelvic lymphadenectomy. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the prostatectomy Gleason score (pGS), pathological stage and lymph node involvement (LNI) in RP specimens. Preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, biopsy GS (bGS), and preoperative tumor, node, metastasis staging were used as basic variables to predict postoperative pathological characteristics. Preoperative serum lipid profiles were introduced as potential predictors. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine predictive efficacy. Significant differences in pathological characteristics were observed among patients with normal and abnormal total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, with the exception of pGS in the TG group. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio for high levels of TC for LNI compared with normal TC levels was 6.386 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.510-27.010), 3.270 (95% CI: 1.470-7.278) for high levels of TG for pT3-4 disease, and 2.670 (95% CI: 1.134-6.287) for high levels of LDL for pGS. The area under the ROC curve of the models with dyslipidemia was larger than that in models without dyslipidemia, in predicting pathological characteristics. Abnormal TC, TG, and LDL levels are significantly associated with postoperative pathological status in PCa patients. Together with preoperative PSA levels, bGS, and clinical stage, dyslipidemia is more accurate in predicting pathological characteristics.

// Gui-Ming Zhang 1, 2 , Fang-Ning Wan 1, 2 , Xiao-Jian Qin 1 , Da-Long Cao 1 , Hai-Liang Zhang 1 , Yao Zhu 1 , Bo Dai 1 , Guo-Hai Shi 1 , Ding-Wei Ye 1 1 Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China 2 Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China Correspondence to: Guo-Hai Shi, e-mail: guohaishi@126.com Ding-Wei Ye, e-mail: yedingwei1963@126.com Keywords: TREK-1, prostate cancer, biochemical recurrence, cell proliferation, cell cycle Received: March 05, 2015 Accepted: April 13, 2015 Published: April 21, 2015 ABSTRACT Background: TREK-1 channels belong to the two-pore domain potassium channel superfamily and play an important role in central nervous system diseases. However, few studies have examined their role in carcinogenesis. Methods: In this study, we assessed the expression of TREK-1 in 100 prostate cancer (PCa) tissues using immunohistochemistry and further analyzed its clinicopathological significance. Next, cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis were carried out on human PCa PC-3 cell lines where TREK-1 was stably knockdown. Results: We found that compared with normal prostate tissues, PCa tissues showed overexpressed TREK-1 levels and TREK-1 levels were positively associated with Gleason score and T staging. High level of TREK-1 expression was related to shorter castration resistance free survival (CRFS). Furthermore, knockdown of TREK-1 significantly inhibited PCa cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo , and induced a G1/S cell cycle arrest. Conclusion: Our results suggest that TREK-1 might be a biomarker in CRFS judgment of PCa, as well as a potential therapeutic target.

// Yi-Ping Zhu 1,2,* , Fang-Ning Wan 1,2,* , Yi-Jun Shen 1,2 , Hong-Kai Wang 1,2 , Gui-Ming Zhang 1,2 and Ding-Wei Ye 1,2 1 Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China 2 Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Ding-Wei Ye, email: // Keywords : castration-resistant prostate cancer, COL6A1, reactive stroma, tumorigenesis Received : January 12, 2015 Accepted : March 01, 2015 Published : March 30, 2015 Abstract Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains the most critical challenge in the clinical management of prostate cancer (PCa). Reactive stromal changes in PCa are likely involved in the emergence of CRPC. In the present study, we identified a novel oncogene termed COL6A1 which was upregulated in the reactive stroma of CRPC. We established an androgen-independent LNCaP (LNCaP-AI) cell line in steroid-reduced (SR) medium within 2 months. We examined COL6A1 expression with western blot during the LNCaP-AI induction, and studied the function of COL6A1 in vitro and in vivo . Immunohistochemical staining of COL6A1 was performed in ten pairs of androgen-sensitive PCa and CRPC samples. We demonstrated that COL6A1 expression was markedly increased in LNCaP-AI cells and CRPC tissues compared with LNCaP cells and paired androgen-sensitive PCa specimens. In vitro , COL6A1 knockdown resulted in G1-S cell cycle arrest and descended vitality. Overexpression of COL6A1 was associated with accelerated S phase entry and elevated vitality in prostate cancer cells. COL6A1 also promoted tumorigenesis of LNCaP cells in vivo . Taken together, these data suggest an important role of COL6A1 in the molecular etiology of castration-resistant prostate cancer, and support the potential use of COL6A1 in CRPC therapy.

The global incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is dramatically increasing. Considerable interest has been devoted to the relationship between MetS and prostate cancer (PCa) risk. However, few studies have examined the association between MetS and PCa progression. This retrospective study consisted of 1016 patients with PCa who received radical prostatectomy. The association between MetS and pathological features was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Compared with patients without MetS, those with MetS indicated an increased risk of prostatectomy Gleason score (GS) ≥8 (odds ratio [OR] =1.670, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.096–2.545, P= 0.017), and a 1.5-fold increased risk of pT3–4 disease (OR = 1.583, 95% CI 1.106–2.266, P= 0.012). The presence of MetS was an independent predictor of lymph node involvement (OR = 1.751, 95% CI 1.038–2.955, P= 0.036). Furthermore, as the number of MetS components accumulated, the risk of a GS ≥ 8 increased. The present study indicates a significant association between MetS and advanced PCa. The results need to be evaluated in large-scale prospective cohorts.

Purpose. To investigate the association between ABO blood types and clinicopathological characteristics in patients with prostate cancer (PC). Methods. A total of 237 pathologically diagnosed PC patients were enrolled. All patients were classified as low–middle or high-risk group. The correlation of ABO blood types with high-risk PC was determined by univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Results. Data indicated 144 (85.7%) patients were stratified as high risk in the non-O group, while 50 (72.5%) patients in the O group (p=0.025). However, there was no significant difference regarding PSA, Gleason score, stage, or metastasis between O and non-O group (p>0.05). Univariate logistic regression analyses revealed PSA, Gleason score, and blood type non-O were all correlated with high-risk PC (OR = 1.139, p<0.001; OR = 9.465, p<0.001; OR = 2.280, p=0.018, resp.). In the stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the association between blood type non-O and high-risk PC remained significant (OR = 33.066, 95% CI 2.391–457.323, and p=0.009) after adjusting for confounding factors as well as PSA and Gleason score. Conclusion. The present study firstly demonstrated that non-O blood type was at higher risk of aggressive PC compared with O type, suggesting that PC patients with non-O blood type should receive more attention in clinical practice.

To investigate whether waist-hip ratio (WHR) is a better predictor of prostate cancer (PCa) incidence than body mass index (BMI) in Chinese men. Of consecutive patients who underwent prostate biopsies in one tertiary center between 2013 and 2015, we examined data on 1018 with PSA ≤20 ng/ml. Clinical data and biopsy outcomes were collected. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between BMI, WHR and PCa incidence. Area under the ROC (AUC) was used to evaluate the accuracy of different prognostic models. A total of 255 men and 103 men were diagnosed with PCa and high grade PCa (HGPCa, Gleason score ≥8). WHR was an independent risk factor for both PCa (OR = 1.07 95%Cl 1.03–1.11) and HGPCa (OR = 1.14 95%Cl 1.09–1.19) detection, while BMI had no relationship with either PCa or HGPCa detection. Adding WHR to a multivariable model increased the AUC for detecting HGPCa from 0.66 (95%Cl 0.60–0.72) to 0.71 (95%Cl 0.65–0.76). In this Chinese cohort, WHR was significantly predictive of PCa and HGPCa. Adding WHR to a multivariable model increased the diagnostic accuracy for detecting HGPCa. If confirmed, including WHR measurement may improve PCa and HGPCa detection.

Recent studies indicate that abnormal levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is an important component of dyslipidaemia, are associated with alterations to cancer risk, including that of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Single nucleotide polymorphisms at microRNA-binding sites contribute to cancer susceptibility and progression by affecting the messenger RNA (mRNA) function of target genes. In this case-control study, we examined the frequency of six potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in the LDL receptor gene (LDLR) in 1004 clear cell RCC (ccRCC) patients and 1065 cancer-free subjects. Logistic regression analyses estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The association between genetic variants and levels of LDLR mRNA and protein was also evaluated. Compared with the CC genotype, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the LDLR rs2738464 variant GG genotype was associated with a significantly decreased ccRCC risk (P = 0.002, OR: 0.605, 95% CI: 0.439-0.833). Further functional experiments showed that the rs2738464 variant G allele affected miR-330 regulation of the LDLR 3'-untranslated region (UTR), increasing LDLR mRNA levels in patient kidney tissues. These findings suggest that LDLR rs2738464 may affect the affinity of miR-330 binding to the LDLR 3'-UTR, thus regulating LDLR expression and contributing to ccRCC risk.

This paper simulates the practical engineering, using plexiglass to make a three-span continuous wide curved box girder model by the geometry scale ratio 1:30. With the model load test, measured the strain and deflection of the control cross-sections, got the distribution about the stress and deflection of the wide curved continuous box girder; And we proposed the “uniformity coefficient” to express the uneven force of the curved bridge. Compared the finite element analysis results and experimental data, the results show both are in good agreement.

Dicer and Argonaute2 (Ago2) are critical components responsible not only for RNA interference but also for microRNA synthesis. The present study investigated the roles of Dicer and Ago2 in prostate cancer (Pca). First, the expression levels of Dicer and Ago2 in Pca tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and compared with pathological features. Next, RNA interference was used to down-regulate the expression levels of Dicer and Ago2 in the Pca cell lines LNCaP, PC-3, and DU145, and effects on proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle were detected using the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. We found that Dicer and Ago2 expression levels in Pca tissues were higher than those in adjacent benign tissues and correlated with lower Gleason patterns, with the exception of Dicer expression in localized Pca. In vitro, silencing Dicer or Ago2 inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in LNCaP, PC-3, and DU145, as well as arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase in androgen-dependent LNCaP, or at S phase in the androgen-independent PC-3 and DU145. Altogether these findings suggest that Dicer and Ago2 play important roles in proliferation, apoptosis, and the cell cycle in Pca and might serve as both promising biomarkers for Pca progression and potential therapeutic targets.

Objective To examine the prevalence of dyslipidaemia in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in a Chinese population. Patients and Methods In all, 550 histologically confirmed RCC cases and 570 controls, matched for age and sex were included. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were assessed before treatment using standard techniques. The lipid profiles were defined as ‘normal’, ‘borderline high’, ‘high’ and ‘low’ according to Chinese Guidelines on Adult Dyslipidaemia. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression in both unadjusted and adjusted models. Results Abnormal LDL elevation was common in RCC cases compared with controls (P < 0.001). Results for total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL levels between groups were insignificant. The OR for RCC for high levels of LDL (≥160 mg/dL) compared with those with a normal LDL profile was 4.675 (95% CI 1.900–11.500). After adjustment for age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, total cholesterol and triglyceride, the coexistence of high levels of LDL and RCC was large and statistically significant (OR 8.955, 95% CI 3.371–23.786). There was a significant coexistence of RCC for participants with high LDL levels when subgroups of cases with clear cell subtypes and advanced T stages were compared with controls. Conclusion Abnormal LDL elevation was prevalent in Chinese patients with RCC. The results remain to be evaluated in prospective cohorts.

For wide varieties of auto parts and it is difficult to be managed, a new method was put forward. The methord is based on the conventional depth retrieve method and breadth retrieve method. It was raised for the data type of multilayer structure of auto parts. According to the tree structure characteristics of auto parts BOM, the method was introduced inheritance code and hierarchy field in the original BOM. The introduction of inheritance code allows a single part to inherit information from its parent part. Parts can be quickly located at which hierarchy in the BOM by the hierarchy field. For the introduction of them, the retrieve of the traditional tree structure model has changed from nonlinear relationship into a linear search, which improve search capacity and the efficiency of the retrieve system.

Seismic displacement design method and allowable values of story drift are compared between Chinese, American, European and Japanese seismic design codes. An engineering example's seismic displacement is calculated in the methods given by the four codes, and story drift are compared. Researches show that allowable story drift of Chinese code under rare earthquake action is approximately close to that of American with a 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years, and allowable story drift of Japanese code is more rigorous than other three codes. For three-story three-span reinforced concrete frame structure, in the condition of same intensity, displacement of Chinese under the earthquake action with 2~3% exceeding probability of 50-year is greater than that of American and European with 10% exceeding probability of 50-year. However, intensity plays no role in Japan's displacement calculation, and the calculation result of displacement of Japanese code is less than other three codes.

Free Trade Area (FTA) reached and validated between ASEAN and China has promoted plant and plant products trade dramatically between Thailand and China since 2000. As the agricultural products trade has kept increased rapidly, the pests management and quarantine become serious and challenging to these two countries in terms of ecological security and biosafety. This paper analyzed the situation of plant and plant products trade between Thailand and China from 2003 to 2012, including the kinds and amounts of plant and plant production, epidemic situation analysis which carried by import and export plant and plant products. There are over 400 kinds of plant and plant products which were trade between Thailand and China, and over 1000 genera (species) pests were intercepted including 79 genera (species) quarantine pests. In this paper, the bilateral arrangement related to plant quarantine was also analyzed. The current issues and problems of quarantine pests research, management and quarantine are articulated and suggestions how to improve or upgrade related researches and quarantine level were proposed in this paper.

Objective: Activated nuclear factor-ĸB is associated with the pathogenesis of numerous malignancies, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to clarify the influence of a common insertion/deletion polymorphism (-94 ins/del ATTG, rs28362491) in the NFKB1 promoter on RCC susceptibility. Methods: We genotyped the NFKB1 -94 ins/del ATTG promoter polymorphism by the TaqMan method and assessed the association with RCC risk, clinicopathological parameters in a case-control study of 1,027 cases and 1,094 controls. Results: The genotype frequencies were significantly different between RCC cases and controls (p = 0.046). Compared with individuals carrying the ins/del + del/del genotypes, those with the ins/ins genotype had an increased RCC risk [p = 0.036, adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.48], particularly in the subgroup of younger age (p = 0.005, adjusted OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.11-1.83) and never smokers (p = 0.013, adjusted OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.07-1.69). Furthermore, the polymorphism was significantly associated with the risk of developing localized stage RCC (p = 0.020, OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.04-1.53). Conclusions: The functional NFKB1 promoter polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of RCC.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Clinically localized prostate cancer is curative. Nevertheless many patients suffered from biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP). Mounting evidence suggest that estrogen and xenobiotic carcinogens play an essential role in progression of prostate cancervia oxidative estrogen metabolism. CYP1B1 is an enzyme involved in the hydroxylation of estrogens, a reaction of key relevance in estrogen metabolism. Given the role of CYP1B1 in the oxidative metabolism of endogenous/exogenous estrogen and compounds, CYP1B1 polymorphisms have the potential to modify its expression and subsequently lead to progression. We hypothesize that genetic variants of the CYP1B1 gene may influence clinical outcome in clinically localized prostate cancer patients. In this cohort study, we genotyped 9 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the CYP1B1 gene in 312 patients treated with RP. For replication, these SNPs were genotyped in an independent cohort of 426 patients. The expression level of CYP1B1 in the adjacent normal prostate tissues was quantified by reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to identify SNPs that correlated with BCR. CYP1B1 rs1056836 was significantly associated with BCR (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.40–0.89, P = 0.002) and relative CYP1B1 mRNA expression. Our findings suggest inherited genetic variation in the CYP1B1 gene may contribute to variable clinical outcomes for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

To examine whether the predictive performance of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and PSA-related markers for prostate cancer (PCa) is modified by body mass index (BMI). Patients with a PSA 2–10 ng/mL who underwent multicore prostate biopsies were recruited from three tertiary centers. Serum markers measured included total PSA (tPSA), free-to-total PSA (f/tPSA), p2PSA, percentage of p2PSA (%p2PSA) and prostate health index (PHI). The association between serum markers and PCa risk was assessed by logistic regression. Predictive performance for each marker was quantified using the area under the receiver operator curves (AUC). Among 516 men, 18.2% had PCa at biopsy. For all tested markers, their predictive value on PCa risk was lower in obese patients compared to normal weight patients. We found statistically significant interactions between BMI and tPSA (P = 0.0026) and p2PSA (P = 0.038). PHI achieved an AUC of 0.872 in normal weight patients and 0.745 in obese patients, which outperformed the other predictors regardless of BMI category. In conclusion, PHI achieved the best predictive performance for detecting PCa and was not influenced by BMI.

Herein, we aimed to examine whether the association of body mass index (BMI) with prostate cancer (PCa) at biopsy differs according to genetic susceptibility. In a multicenter prospective cohort including 1120 men undergoing diagnostic prostate biopsy in China, we evaluated the interaction between BMI and genetic risk score (GRS) comprising 24 PCa-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as well as a GRS consisting of 7 SNPs derived from an East-Asian population. The genetic risk was defined as low, intermediate, or high when GRS fell in the first, second, and third tertiles, respectively. We observed a significant interaction between BMI and PCa GRS (Pinteraction = 0.047), suggesting that the predictive value of BMI on PCa was strongly modified by genetic susceptibility. In men with high genetic risk, BMI was an independent predictor of PCa (odds ratio [OR] = 1.167, P = 0.008) after adjusting for conventional risk factors. The relationship between BMI and PCa risk diminished (P = 0.990) in men with low genetic risk. The interaction was more pronounced with the East-Asian GRS (Pinteraction = 0.032), suggesting that the overall GRS interaction most likely occurs through genetic susceptibility in the East-Asian population. Our results suggest that the predictive effect of BMI on the PCa risk is strongly modified by individual genetic susceptibility. The association is more positive among men with high genetic risk for PCa.

To develop and externally validate a prostate health index (PHI)-based nomogram for predicting the presence of prostate cancer (PCa) at biopsy in Chinese men with prostate-specific antigen 4–10 ng/mL and normal digital rectal examination (DRE). 347 men were recruited from two hospitals between 2012 and 2014 to develop a PHI-based nomogram to predict PCa. To validate these results, we used a separate cohort of 230 men recruited at another center between 2008 and 2013. Receiver operator curves (ROC) were used to assess the ability to predict PCa. A nomogram was derived from the multivariable logistic regression model and its accuracy was assessed by the area under the ROC (AUC). PHI achieved the highest AUC of 0.839 in the development cohort compared to the other predictors (p

A kind of fluid density sensor based on MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System) technology is introduced with trapezoidal cantilever structure. The rectangular cantilever and trapezoidal cantilever, based on the same parameters, are analyzed. The simulation results show that the sensitivity of trapezoidal cantilever is higher than that of rectangular cantilever. Four different sizes of trapezoidal cantilever are analyzed by modal and harmonic simulation with ANSYS Software, the optimum solution will be obtained from simulation results.

Verticillium spp. have been listed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) and China as plant quarantine pests. Although attempts have been made to develop a simple routine laboratory assay to detect these organisms, none are routinely used. We describe for the first time a robust assay for reliable identification of Verticillium spp. using protein fingerprinting data obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF-MS). Several sample preparation methods and matrices were investigated to improve mass spectra for the routine identification of six species of Verticillium spp.(Verticillium dahiliae, V. alboatrum, V. fungicola, V. nigrescens, and V. lecanii) by MALDI-TOF-MS. Using the optimized experimental method, we constructed a protein fingerprint database for six species of Verticillium and established a analysis criteria of log(Score). This MALDI-TOF-MS protocol should prove useful as a rapid and reliable assay for distinguishing different Verticillium spp.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in cancer development and progression. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) frequently undergoes metastasis and has a high mortality rate. The current study measured miRNA-126 (miR-126) expres- sion levels in 128 pairs of clear cell RCC and adjacent normal kidney tissue samples by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and analyzed the association between miR-126 and various clinicopathological param- eters. In addition, cell proliferation, wound healing and cell invasion assays were conducted using RCC cells over- expressing miR-126. Potential miR-126 target genes and the signaling pathways that may be regulated by miR-126 were then examined. miR‑126 expression was significantly reduced in patients with metastatic RCC compared with patients without metastasis. Consistently, overexpression of miR‑126 in RCC cells significantly inhibited cell prolifera - tion, migration and invasion in vitro compared with negative control miRNA. A luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-126 targets Rho associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) by directly binding the 3'-untrans- lated region. Furthermore, western blotting identified miR-126 as an important regulator of the AKT and extracel- lular signal-regulated 1/2 signaling pathways. The results of the present study indicate that miR-126 inhibits RCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion by downregulating ROCK1. These findings suggest that miR‑126 may be valu - able as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in RCC.