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Postoperative pain has adverse effects on children with urological problems, including sleep disturbances, incision dehiscence, bleeding and delayed recovery. Accurate parental assessment of children's behaviours and responses could help to manage postoperative pain. We aimed to implement evidence-based practice for parental involvement in a urology ward, to increase parents' participation in children's postoperative pain management.The project was conducted in a paediatric urology ward using the framework and methods of the Fudan University Evidence-Based Nursing Center's Evidence-based Continuous Quality Improvement Model.Fifteen audit criteria were used to represent best practice recommendations for parental involvement in postoperative pain management. A pre-implementation audit was conducted with 211 randomly sampled children and parents. Obstacles, promoting factors and key strategies were analysed, and evidence-based interventions implemented to improve compliance. A follow-up audit using the same audit criteria was conducted with 202 children and parents to assess the effect of targeted strategies on compliance with best practice. The SQUIRE guidelines were followed.At the baseline audit, compliance with the evidence-based criteria was 0%-71.5%; only five audit criteria achieved a compliance rate 60%. After best practice implementation, the follow-up audit showed compliance improvements for all criteria; compliance for three criteria improved to 100%.This best practice implementation project improved parents' participation in children's postoperative pain management. The findings demonstrate how audits can promote best practice in postoperative pain management for children. Additional studies will be conducted to address children's postoperative life quality based on best practice.

In reference with the systematic review of the thought of以《黄帝内经》等中医经典古籍所提出的“得气”思想为出发点，从施治前的寻气、辨气与推拿“得气”的前提条件——辨证精、手法明阐述推拿治疗中得气的重要性；继而结合临床实践经验，分析总结推拿治疗过程中患者具体“得气”表现，如酸、胀、痛、麻、温热感，微汗出，局部声、色的改变与气机调畅的表现等，以期推拿“得气”思想在今后临床工作中得到重视并对其进行深入研究。.

To explore the surgical safety of patients with comorbid non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pneumoconiosis.In this study, the clinical data of 165 NSCLC patients treated at West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University from August 2019 to May 2021 were collected. Among them, 21 patients with comorbid pneumoconiosis were included in the pneumoconiosis group, and the remaining 144 patients were included in the general group. Radical resection for lung cancer was performed in both groups. The perioperative clinical data, including preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative indicators, of the two groups were compared and analyzed.There was no perioperative death in either group. The proportions of male patients and patients with smoking history in the pneumoconiosis group were significantly higher than those in the general group (NSCLC patients with comorbid pneumoconiosis face relatively greater risks during the perioperative period when they undergo radical resection for lung cancer. Therefore, the close attention of surgeons and the nursing staff should be raised accordingly.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have played an important role in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, their effectiveness is limited, and many patients exhibit a weak response. In this study, we propose a new and more effective immunophenotyping method for evaluating the prognosis and tumor microenvironment (TME) cellular infiltration characteristics in LUAD patients and their response to immunotherapy. Based on the transcriptomic and prognostic data of 584 patients with LUAD collected from TCGA cohort and GEO dataset, we combined tumor immune infiltration, the TME, and immune-related genes to score each sample using principal component analysis (PCA) and divided the patients into two subgroups with high and low tumor immune infiltration (TII) scores. The high-TII score group was characterized by increased immune activation and apoptosis signaling pathways. Moreover, clinical subgroup analysis demonstrated that the TII immune score was also applicable to different clinical groups and the high-TII score group still exhibited good prognosis and better response to ICIs. This study mapped the TII landscape in LUAD patients and confirmed that the TII score is helpful for predicting patient response to immunotherapy and may guide more effective immunotherapeutic strategies.

l -Tryptophan (Trp) metabolites and related neurotransmitters play crucial roles in physiological functions, and their imbalances are implicated in the pathology of depression, Alzheimer's disease and other diseases. Measurement of Trp metabolites and related neurotransmitters possesses a great potential to elucidate the disease mechanisms and evaluate the outcomes of therapeutic interventions. A simple, rapid, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of Trp, l -kynurenine (Kyn), kynurenic acid (Kyna), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), norepinephrine (NE), l -glutamic acid (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (ACh) in mice serum and the brain tissues in a single chromatographic run. Samples were spiked with the internal standard, mixed with trifluoroacetic acid to precipitate protein and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a Restek Ultra Aqueous C18 column in combination with a gradient elution within 8 min. Mass spectrometric detection was performed using multiple reaction monitoring with electrospray ionization source in positive mode. The method exhibited good selectivity and correlation coefficient values for the calibration curves of each analyte were >0.99. The limit of detection and quantification ranged from 0.96 to 24.48 nmol/L and 3.42 to 244.82 nmol/L, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision were ≤13.92%. All analytes were stable in prepared samples at room temperature in the autosampler for 24 h. This method was successfully applied to the analysis of biological samples from control and chronic mild stress (CMS) induced depression mice. It was found that Kyn and 3-HK pathways were enhanced by CMS, while the levels of Trp, Kyna, 5-HIAA, Glu, GABA and ACh were significantly reduced. The changes in 5-HT and NE levels were not uniform in the periphery and the brain. This method can therefore be applied to analyze Trp metabolites and related neurotransmitters levels to monitor disease states, study the mechanisms and outcomes of therapeutic interventions.

BACKGROUND: The ovariectomized (OVX) rodent model is most widely used for studying the influence of estrogen deprivation on memory. However, the results of these studies are inconsistent, in that the memory of OVX rodents shows either impairment or no change. These inconsistent outcomes increase the difficulty of researching neurochemical mechanisms and evaluating drug efficacy. One possible explanation for these discrepancies might be that the time point for memory examination after OVX varies considerably among studies. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of estrogen deprivation on memory and the expression of memory-related proteins at different times after OVX. METHODS: Novel object recognition (NOR), step-through passive avoidance (STPA) and the Morris water maze (MWM) were performed to evaluate the memory performance of mice at different times after OVX. The expressions of BDNF, TrkB, ULK1 and LC3II/LC3I in the hippocampus were also assessed to explore the relevant mechanisms. RESULTS: After OVX, a significant memory impairment was found in the STPA test at 4 weeks. In the NOR and MWM tests, however, memory deficits were not observed until 8 weeks post-OVX. Interestingly, at 8 weeks, a memory rebound was found in the STPA test. In the hippocampus, the levels of BDNF and TrkB in OVX mice were markedly decreased at 4 and 8 weeks. Subsequently, a significant decrease in the ULK1 and LC3II/LC3I level in OVX mice was observed at 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Memory impairment in mice was observed as early as 4 weeks after OVX, although there was a possibility of memory rebound with the prolongation of estrogen deprivation. Eight weeks of estrogen deprivation would be more likely to induce hippocampus-dependent memory impairment. This progressive impairment of memory might be due to the downregulation of the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway at the early post-OVX stage, while the decrease of autophagy level in the later stage might also contribute to these progressive alterations. The underlying relationship between the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway and autophagy in this progressive impairment of memory requires further study.

In the pathology-oriented study of depression, inflammation hypothesis has received increasing attention for recent years. To mimic the depressive state caused by inflammation, rodents injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are usually used to stimulate an immune response. However, the dose of LPS that causes depressive-like behavior varies widely across many literatures. Previous study has uncovered the non-linearity in the dose-effect relationship for the depressive-like behavior induced by LPS administration, while the reason for this is still unclear. The present study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this non-linear dose-dependent relationship. Four groups of mice were injected intraperitoneally with different doses of LPS (0, 0.32, 0.8, and 2 mg/kg). The tail suspension test was conducted to evaluate the depressive-like behavior within 23&ndash, 25 h after the LPS administration. The neuroplasticity was assessed by the levels of related proteins, TrkB and PSD-95, and by the quantification of neurons using Nissl staining. The levels of the two metabolites of the kynurenine (KYN) pathway, 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and kynurenic acid (KYNA), in the brain were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Activation of microglia and astrocytes in the brain were also determined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting, respectively. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the mice in the 0.8 mg/kg LPS-treated group exhibited a remarkable increase of immobility time in the tail suspension test. The neuroplasticity of mice in the 0.8 mg/kg LPS-treated group was also significantly reduced. The neurotoxic metabolite, 3-HK, was accumulated significantly in the hippocampus of the 0.8 mg/kg LPS-treated mice. Surprisingly, the 2 mg/kg LPS-treated mice did not exhibit a remarkable change of 3-HK but expressed increased KYNA significantly, which is neuroprotective. Furthermore, the activation of microglia and astrocytes, which were recognized as the primary source of 3-HK and KYNA, respectively, corresponded to the content of these two metabolites of the KYN pathway in each group. Consequently, it was speculated that the homeostasis of different glial cells could lead to a non-linear dose-dependent behavior by regulating the KYN pathway in the LPS-induced depressive-like mice.

An olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) rodent is a widely-used model for depression (especially for agitated depression). The present study aims to investigate the hippocampus metabolic profile and autophagy-related pathways in OBX rats and to explore the modulatory roles of fluoxetine. OBX rats were given a 30-day fluoxetine treatment after post-surgery rehabilitation, and then behavioral changes were evaluated. Subsequently, the hippocampus was harvested for metabonomics analysis and Western blot detection. As a result, OBX rats exhibited a significantly increased hyperemotionality score and declined spatial memory ability. Fluoxetine reduced the hyperemotional response, but failed to restore the memory deficit in OBX rats. Sixteen metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers for the OBX model including six that were rectified by fluoxetine. Disturbed pathways were involved in amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, purine metabolism, and energy metabolism. In addition, autophagy was markedly inhibited in the hippocampus of OBX rats. Fluoxetine could promote autophagy by up-regulating the expression of LC3 II, beclin1, and p-AMPK/AMPK, and down-regulating the levels of p62, p-Akt/Akt, p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-ULK1/ULK1. Our findings indicated that OBX caused marked abnormalities in hippocampus metabolites and autophagy, and fluoxetine could partly redress the metabolic disturbance and enhance autophagy to reverse the depressive-like behavior, but not the memory deficits in OBX rats.

Homocysteine (Hcy) is an intermediate metabolite of methionine metabolism. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is defined as a condition characterized by plasma Hcy level above 16 μmol/L which can result from abnormal Hcy metabolism. HHcy has been confirmed to be related to cardio-cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, liver cirrhosis and kidney diseases. In this review, we summarize the correlation between HHcy and kidney diseases. Elucidating the role of HHcy in kidney diseases may provide a new strategy to prevent and treat kidney diseases.

Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA), a bioactive constituent isolated from pigeon pea leaves, exhibited neuroprotective activities in previous studies. The present study aims to evaluate the antidepressant effects of CSA by using behavioral despair models of tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST), and a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model. CSA (30 or 60 mg/kg), intragastrically administrated for 7 days, could significantly reduce the immobility time of mice in TST and FST. CSA treatment (15 or 30 mg/kg) significantly reversed the depressive-like behavioral changes of mice induced by 3 or 6 weeks CUMS that caused the decrease of sucrose preference, the increase of latency to feed in the novelty-suppressed feeding test, and the increase of immobility time in TST of mice. Furthermore, the related mechanisms of the effect were explored by accessing the metabolite levels of kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism and the expression of some related proteins in cerebral cortex of CUMS mice. Our results showed that the kynurenine pathway was upregulated after CUMS, while the alteration could be significantly reversed by CSA. CSA also reversed the CUMS-induced decrease in the levels of BDNF, PSD-95, p-Akt/Akt and p-mTOR/mTOR. Therefore, the antidepressant-like effects of CSA might be achieved through regulating tryptophan metabolism, promoting BDNF and PSD-95 expression, and activating Akt/mTOR pathway in the cerebral cortex.

Aims The present study aims to investigate the impacts of olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) on urinary metabolic profile and tryptophan metabolites in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats, and to explore the regulation effects of fluoxetine. Main methods OBX model was developed by aspiration of olfactory bulbs. After fluoxetine treatment (10 mg/kg) for 14 days, urine samples were collected and behavior tests were applied. Tryptophan (TRP) metabolites and neurotransmitters in PFC were determined by prominence ultrafast liquid chromatography-QTRAP-mass spectrometry, and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) were evaluated by western blot. Urinary metabolites were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based metabonomics strategy. Key finding OBX rats showed hyperlocomotion in open field, hyperactivity in open arm and despair status, and fluoxetine reserved these behavioral abnormalities. The levels of TRP, 5-HIAA, 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio and DA increased, while kynurenine and 5-HT decreased in PFC of OBX rats. The activities of TPH2 and IDO1were inhibited after OBX. Twenty-six altered metabolites were identified as potential biomarkers in OBX rats involved in tryptophan metabolism, gut microbiota metabolism, energy metabolism, purine metabolism, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism. Among them, 15 abnormal metabolites were corrected by fluoxetine to some extent. Significance Our results revealed that urinary metabolic profile changed greatly in OBX rats, and identified biomarkers might be helpful for the diagnosis of agitated depression. The regulation effects of fluoxetine on urinary metabolic profile and tryptophan metabolites in PFC might contribute to its antidepressant action in OBX rats.

The leaf of the lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a natural plant resource used as both food and herbal medicine (He-Ye) in China. Alkaloids are considered the major bioactive compound of the herb and exhibit various biological activities, including anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperuricemic effects. Nuciferine (NF) and N-nuciferine (N-NF) are two major alkaloids found in the herb. In the present work, the plasma and brain pharmacokinetics of the two compounds were investigated after oral and intravenous (i.v.) administration of a lotus leaf alkaloid fraction to SD rats via ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection and brain microdialysis. After oral administration (50 mg/kg), the two compounds NF and N-NF were rapidly absorbed into the blood and reached a mean maximum concentration (Cmax) of 1.71 μg/mL at 0.9 h and 0.57 μg/mL at 1.65 h, respectively. After i.v. administration (10 mg/kg), NF and N-NF were found to have a relatively wide volume of distribution (Vd, λz, 9.48 and 15.17 L/kg, respectively) and slow elimination half-life (t1/2, λz, 2.09 and 3.84 h, respectively). The oral bioavailability of NF and N-NF was estimated as 58.13% and 79.91%, respectively. After i.v. dosing (20 mg/kg), the two compounds rapidly crossed the blood–brain barrier and reached their Cmax (in unbound form): 0.32 and 0.16 μg/mL at 0.89 and 1.22 h, respectively. Both alkaloids had widespread distribution in the brain, with Vd, λz/F-values of 19.78 L/kg and 16.17 L/kg, respectively. The mean t1/2, λz values of NF and N-NF in the brain were 1.24 and 1.39 h, respectively. These results can help us to better understand the characteristics and neuro-pharmacological effects of the lotus alkaloid fraction.

Protection of telomeres 1 (POT1) is a telomere-binding protein, which binds to the single-stranded DNA extensions of telomeres and regulates telomere length. Different POT1 mRNA variants were examined and compared with telomere length and radiosensitivity in colon and gastric adenocarcinoma cells. POT1 production and telomere lengths were assessed using 10 human cancer cell lines by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). POT1 mRNA levels, which were relatively stable, were significantly correlated with telomere length in gastric cancer cells and colon cancer cells, except for HT29 (P

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is a critical factor in unlimited cell proliferation and immortalization, with numerous studies demonstrating that high expression of hTERT is a poor prognostic factor in various types of cancer. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2D 3 (UBE2D3) is a member of the E2 family, and participates in the ubiquitin proteasome pathway to regulate basic cellular activities, such as cell cycle control, the DNA damage response, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis. Our previous study initially determined that downregulation of UBE2D3 expression increases hTERT expression and cell proliferation, however, the association between the expression of these two proteins and their functions in cancer tissues remains unknown. Therefore, the protein expression levels of hTERT and UBE2D3 were evaluated in 150 esophageal cancer and 30 adjacent healthy tissue samples by performing immunohistochemical analysis. Concurrently, the clinicopathological data of the enrolled patients were obtained to allow correlation analysis. It was identified that the expression of hTERT in the esophageal cancer tissues was significantly higher compared with that of the adjacent tissues (P=0.015), however, the expression of UBE2D3 was significantly lower in esophageal cancer tissues than the adjacent tissues (P=0.001). Additionally, the study demonstrated that hTERT was significantly upregulated in poorly-differentiated, advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage cancer tissues (P

The metastatic lymph node status (N classification) is an important prognostic factor for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the prognostic assessment of three different lymph node staging methods, namely standard lymph node (pN) staging, metastatic lymph node ratio (LNR) and log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) in CRC patients who undergo curative resection (R0). Data were retrospectively collected from 192 patients who had undergone R0 resection. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, Cox proportional hazards model and accuracy of the three methods (pN, LNR and LODDS) were compared to evaluate the prognostic effect. Univariate analysis demonstrated that pN, LNR and LODDS were all significantly correlated with survival (P=0.001, P

Melanoma has traditionally been viewed as a radioresistant cancer. However, recent studies suggest that under certain clinical circumstances, radiotherapy may play a significant role in the treatment of melanoma. Previous studies have demonstrated that telomere length is a hallmark of radiosensitivity. The newly discovered mammalian CTC1-STN1-TEN1 (CST) complex has been demonstrated to be an important telomere maintenance factor. In this study, by establishing a radiosensitive/radioresistant human melanoma cell model, MDA-MB-435/MDA-MB-435R, we aimed to investigate the association of CTC1 expression with radiosensitivity in human melanoma cell lines, and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms. We found that CTC1 mRNA and protein levels were markedly increased in the MDA-MB-435R cells compared with the MDA-MB-435 cells. Moreover, the downregulation of CTC1 enhanced radiosensitivity, induced DNA damage and promoted telomere shortening and apoptosis in both cell lines. Taken together, our findings suggest that CTC1 increases the radioresistance of human melanoma cells by inhibiting telomere shortening and apoptosis. Thus, CTC1 may be an attractive target gene for the treatment of human melanoma.

This paper discusses the problems that may be encountered in a multi-channel MAC protocol design. Furthermore, the normalization network throughput of multi-channel MAC is analyzed based on a Markov chain model. The simulation shows that compared to single channel 802.11, multi-channel MAC can improve the normalization network throughput. Moreover, the greater is the number of divided sub-channels, the higher is the normalization network throughput.

This paper studies of laser parameters for color marking on AISI 304 stainless steel by using Nd:YAG laser. Different laser parameters can affect metal color profoundly. The experiment focuses on some key parameters, and their optimum laser parameters are as follows: the vector step 0.005mm~0.010mm, the inter-step time 35μs~60μs, laser Q frequency 2KHz~4KHz, laser Q release time 10μs~20μs, scanning space 0.006mm~0.010mm. It is of significance in guiding practical application of laser color marking.

MicroRNA-133a (miR-133a) and microRNA-133b (miR-133b) are located on chromosome 18 in the same bicistronic unit. Recently, they have been commonly identified as being down-regulated in various human malignancies, such as bladder cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, and hepatocellular and lung carcinomas. The present study examined the effects of miR-133a and miR-133b in bladder cancer T24 and EJ cells.After transfection of miR-133a and miR-133b, the expression of miR-133a/b was assessed, and a cell viability assay, cell migration assay, cell invasion assay, luciferase assay and Western blot were conducted in bladder cancer T24 and EJ cells.Both miR-133a and miR-133b were found to inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion in T24 and EJ cells. The first evidence was provided that miR-133a and miR-133b may directly target the epidermal growth factor receptor in bladder cancer.This study provided the first glimpse of the functional role of miR-133 in bladder cancer T24 and EJ cells. The results may increase our knowledge on the molecular basis of progression and provide potential therapy for bladder cancer.

To evaluate the relationship between pain and quality of life (QoL) in patients newly admitted to Wuhan Hospice Center, China. A total of 1,634 patients were analyzed in this retrospective study. A Numerical Rating Scale and Chinese-QoL instrument were used to assess pain score and QoL, respectively. Most patients experienced moderate to severe pain, which significantly impaired QoL. The pain was significantly correlated with appetite, mood, sleep, fatigue, pain intensity, daily activity, side effect, general appearance, and support from family. But there was no correlation with support from society, understanding of cancer, or attitude toward treatment. In our study, the relationship between pain and QoL was found to be reciprocal. The staff can offer a multidisciplinary care perspective for improving hospice care for this special group of population.

To evaluate the prevention effect of diabetic retinopathy of Jiangtang Xiaozhi Recipe (, JXR) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group and diabetic group. Rats in the diabetic group were induced by intraperitoneal administration of STZ (50 mg/kg), and subdivided into 5 groups. Rats in the diabetic control group were given saline; four treatment groups were given metformin (300 mg/kg), JXR (2, 4 and 8 g/kg) respectively for 8 weeks, while rats in the normal control group were injected with citrate buffer and given the same volume of vehicle. Body weight and food intake were measured every week. The hypoglycaemic effects were determined by testing fasting blood glucose (FBG) every other week, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), insulin, and glucagon at the end of the treatment. The preventive effects of JXR on STZ-induced diabetic rats were determined by histopathological examination with hematoxylin and eosin staining, and periodic acid-schiff staining. The effects were further evaluated by serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA).High-dose JXR significantly reduced FBG and HbA1c level at the 8th week of administration (P0.01, P0.05). JXR significantly increased insulin level (P0.05), and decreased glucagon level (P0.05). JXR showed the antioxidant defense with increased SOD activity and decreased MDA contents in diabetic rats. Histopathological studies revealed that there were no basement membrane thickening and mild destruction in the treated groups. Morphometric measurements of retina microvascular showed that acellular capillary and capillary density decreased in treated rats while pericyte and endothelial cell increasing after the treatment.JXR have protective effect of diabetic retinopathy and its mechanism may be associated with the obvious hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect.

Transthoracic needle biopsy is considered to be safe and effective for the diagnosis of focal lung lesions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate factors affecting the accuracy and safety of automated cutting needle lung biopsy (ACNB) using a new extrapleural locating (EPL) method. Computed tomography (CT)-guided needle biopsies were performed on 1,065 patients between March 2005 and May 2012 using the EPL method. The locating needle remained in the chest following extrapleural positioning, while the radiologist confirmed the puncture angle and distance between the locating needle and lesion. The biopsy instrument was advanced into the lung, and the core needle was subsequently fired into the lesion based on the direction indicated by the locating needle. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and safety of the procedure. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the extrapleural method were 91.9, 100, 100 and 82.9%, respectively, and the overall diagnostic accuracy was 94.2%. Significant risk factors affecting accuracy were younger age, atelectasis, hemoptysis and lesion depth (P

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 9, X-linked (USP9X) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to evaluate the relevance of USP9X expression to tumor prognosis.Ninety-five patients who underwent surgical resection for clinical stage I-IIIA NSCLC between July 2008 and July 2011 were included in this study. Immunohistochemical analysis of USP9X expression was performed on 95 NSCLC tissues and 32 adjacent normal lung parenchymal tissues from these patients. The Chi-squared test was used to compare the clinicopathological characteristics between different groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox regression model were used to determine the independent prognostic factors. A P value0.05 was considered to be significant.The expression of USP9X was found to be significantly higher in NSCLC tissue (44.2%) than in adjacent normal lung parenchymal tissue (6.3%) (P0.001). High USP9X expression was significantly associated with positive lymph node metastasis (P0.001), clinical stage (P0.001) and a reduced overall survival rate (P=0.001) in patients with NSCLC. Based on the multivariate analysis, the elevated expression of the USP9X protein was a significant predictor of poor prognosis for NSCLC patients (HR =2.244, P=0.028).The current study demonstrated that the expression of USP9X in NSCLC tissue was significantly higher than that in normal lung tissue and that this elevated expression level of USP9X was associated with poor prognosis among NSCLC patients, suggesting that USP9X might serve as a prognostic biomarker for NSCLC.

Under shade environment in glasshouse, the effects of seed coat and sowing depth (0, 2, 5, 10 or 15 cm) on seed germination and early seedling growth of Quercus wutaishanica were studied. Seed coat had obvious inhibiting effects on the germination of Q. wutaishanica seeds. The germination percentage of uncoated seeds increased significantly, averagely by 19.4% at different sowing depths. The germination index and vigor index were increased significantly and the germination was speeded in the peeling treatment. The germination percentages of uncoated and coated seeds were the highest at the sowing depth of 2 cm with 78.9% and 62.2%, respectively. The germination index and vigor index were the highest at the sowing depth of 2 cm, while the coefficient of rate of germination were the highest at the sowing depth of 5 cm. Leaf area per seedling and dry mass of seedlings increased significantly in the peeling treatment compared with those in the unpeeling treatment, but specific root length decreased significantly. The shoot height in the peeling and unpeeling treatments were the highest at the sowing depth of 5 cm with 13.8 and 14.2 cm, respectively. With the increasing of sowing depth, the basal stem diameter of seedlings increased, but tap-root length, number of lateral root and maximum of lateral root all decreased. Sowing depth had little influence on dry mass of seedlings.

To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy involving docetaxel and cisplatin followed by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with concurrent cisplatin in patients with newly diagnosed stage III to IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Docetaxel (75 mg/m(2) on day 1) and cisplatin (75 mg/m(2) on day 1) were administered on a 3-week cycle for 2 courses, followed by radical IMRT (72 Gy/33F/6.5-7 W) with concurrent cisplatin (75 mg/m(2), on day 1) every 3 weeks for 2 cycles.From June 2008 to October 2010, forty-six patients were recruited in this trial. Forty-five patients completed neoadjuvant setting, and all patients completed planned concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). The complete and partial response rates were 28.3 and 56.5 % after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 91.3, 8.7 % after CCRT, respectively. After median follow-up of 26 months (range 12-39 months), one patient experienced local recurrence and 4 patients developed distant metastasis. The 3-year overall survival and progression-free survival rate were 94.1 and 72.7 %, respectively. Neutropenia (37.0 %) and vomiting (28.3 %) were the most common Grade 3-4 adverse effects during neoadjuvant course, while mucositis (30.4 %), xerostomia (30.4 %) and radiodermatitis (21.7 %) were the most common Grades 3 acute toxicities during CCRT. Xerostomia (73.9 %), dysphagia (56.5 %), hear loss (30.4 %) and skin reaction (21.7 %) were the common Grade 1-2 late effects. There were no Grades 3-4 late toxicities.The protocol of neoadjuvant docetaxel and cisplatin followed by IMRT with concurrent cisplatin was well tolerated, with outstanding compliance and efficacy in locally advanced NPC, which deserved further follow-up.

Background: Prostate cancer (Pca) is one of the most common complex and polygenic diseases in men. The X-ray repair complementing group 1 gene (XRCC1) is an important candidate in the pathogenesis of Pca. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the XRCC1 gene and susceptibility to Pca. Materials and Methods: XRCC1 gene polymorphisms and associations with susceptibility to Pca were investigated in 193 prostate patients and 188 cancer-free Chinese men. Results: The c.910A>G variant in the exon9 of XRCC1 gene could be detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing methods. Significantly increased susceptibility to prostate cancer was noted in the homozygote comparison (GG versus AA: OR=2.95, 95% CI 1.46-5.42, χ 2 =12.36, P=0.001), heterozygote comparison (AG versus AA: OR=1.76, 95% CI 1.12-2.51, χ2=4.04, P=0.045), dominant model (GG/AG versus AA: OR=1.93, 95% CI 1.19-2.97, χ2=9.12, P=0.003), recessive model (GG versus AG+AA: OR=2.17, 95% CI 1.33-4.06, χ2=8.86, P=0.003) and with allele contrast (G versus A: OR=1.89, 95% CI 1.56-2.42, χ2=14.67, P G polymorphism of the XRCC1 gene is associated with susceptibility to Pca in Chinese men, the G-allele conferring higher risk.

Locoregional spread of abdominopelvic malignant tumors frequently results in peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). The prognosis of PC patients treated by conventional systemic chemotherapy is poor, with a median survival of < 6 mo. However, over the past three decades, an integrated treatment strategy of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) + hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been developed by the pioneering oncologists, with proved efficacy and safety in selected patients. Supported by several lines of clinical evidence from phases I, II and III clinical trials, CRS + HIPEC has been regarded as the standard treatment for selected patients with PC in many established cancer centers worldwide. In China, an expert consensus on CRS + HIPEC has been reached by the leading surgical and medical oncologists, under the framework of the China Anti-Cancer Association. This expert consensus has summarized the progress in PC clinical studies and systematically evaluated the CRS + HIPEC procedures in China as well as across the world, so as to lay the foundation for formulating PC treatment guidelines specific to the national conditions of China.

To explore the synergistic anti-tumor effect of radiotherapy and horseradish peroxidase/prodrug indole-3-acetic acid (HRP/IAA) gene therapy system using chimeric hTERT promoter responsive to ionizing radiation.The synthetic hTERT promoters containing four tandem-repeat copies of radio-inducible CArG elements, and the chimeric promoter containing cytomegalovirus (CMV) early promoter were both constructed. The activities of the chimeric promoters in cancer cell lines (HeLa, A549, and MHCC97) and normal cell line (MRC-5) were detected using luciferase reporter gene expression analysis after a (60)Co γ-irradiation treatment at a series of doses(a single dose of 0 to 10 Gy). The anti-tumor effect of combining irradiation with HRP/IAA gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy system controlled by the chimeric promoter was tested by colony formation assay, cell counting and apoptosis analysis.The chimeric promoters were ineffective in normal human cells, even after irradiation, but the expression of luciferase gene in tumor cells was significantly higher. The activity of the chimeric promoter in MRC-5 cells was 22.3%, 12.9% and 13.6% of that in HeLa, A549 and MHCC97 cells, respectively. After irradiation, the ratios were 11.7%, 8.7% and 8.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the chimeric promoters could successfully induce the expression of luciferase gene following different doses of radiation, with maximal inducible activity seen after 6 Gy irradiation. The chimeric promoter containing four tandem-repeat copies of radio-inducible CArG elements and CMV early promoter showed the highest activity with 6 Gy irradiation. The relative luciferase activities in HeLa, A549 and MHCC97 cells were 1.7 ± 0.2, 2.3 ± 0.2 and 2.3 ± 0.1, respectively. The chimeric promoter mediated suicide gene therapy system could increase radio-sensitivity in different cancer cells. Compared with the control system, it plus irradiation showed stronger cell proliferation inhibition, 67.3% vs. 26.1% in HeLa, 69.0% vs. 28.3% in A549, 64.6% vs. 20.8% in MHCC97 cells, and also higher apoptosis-inducing effect, 39.6% vs. 14.2% in HeLa, 33.0% vs. 12.4% in A549, and 33.2% vs. 14.2% in MHCC97 cells.Chimeric promoter containing hTERT promoter, CArG elements and CMV promoter preserve the tumor-specificity in telomerase-positive tumor cells, and irradiation-responsive to low dose of radiation. The suicide gene therapy using this promoter plus radiotherapy show a strong anti-tumor effect in vitro. It is expected to have a good potential for future application in gene radiotherapy.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a common delayed side effect of radiation therapy. Since its mechanism is almost unknown, little can be done to prevent or treat it. Th2 cytokines have been clearly implicated as mediators of asthma, and evidence is mounting that type 2 immune responses may also promote the development of pulmonary fibrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Th2-like immune responses account for the development and progression of chronic radiation pulmonary fibrosis. C57BL/6 mice received thoracic irradiation of 12 Gy and were sacrificed at 1 h and 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 24 weeks post-irradiation (p.i.). We assayed the expression of IL-13 in serum, and the expression of hydroxyproline and the mRNA and protein of GATA-3 and Arg-1 in lung tissue. mRNA and protein analysis revealed the expression of these Th2-immune response-associated factors (GATA-3, IL-13 and Arg-1) in mice after irradiation. Without causing conspicuous fibrotic pathological changes at the early post-irradiation phase (1 and 2 weeks p.i.), a Th2 profile was confirmed by significantly elevated expression of Th2-specific transcription factor GATA-3 mRNA (P

To evaluate the CT imaging characteristics of incomplete and complete myocardial bridges-mural coronary artery (MB-MCA).Fifty subjects with dual source coronary CT angiography (DSCTA) evidenced MB were included. The subjects were divided into incomplete MB-MCA and complete MB-MCA groups. The diameter of MCA in best systole phase and diastole phase, the MCA stenosis rate, the presence of atheromatous change proximal to the MB were evaluated.There were 58 MB, the average length was (2.02 ± 1.02) cm, 23 were incomplete MB and 35 were complete MB. Thirty-two MB were in the middle segments of left anterior descending artery (55.2%); 17 MB were in the distal segment of the left anterior descending artery (29.3%); 1 MB was in the proximal segment of left anterior descending artery; 3 MB in diagonal branch; 4 MB in obtuse marginal branch, 1 MB in distal right coronary artery. It was statistically significant difference between the incomplete MB-MCA and the complete MB-MCA of the diameter change in diastole and systole phase [(1.93 ± 0.49) mm, (1.71 ± 0.45) mm vs. (2.21 ± 0.41) mm, (1.63 ± 0.52) mm, P = 0.008] and stenosis rate (10.38% ± 20.2% vs. 25.12% ± 21.02%, P = 0.01). Atherosclerotic finding was evidenced in 8 incomplete MB (34.78%) and 15 complete MB (42.86%) at the proximal vessel of mural coronary artery (P0.05).DSCTA can vividly display the incomplete and complete myocardial MB, accurately evaluate the shape change of MB-MCA in diastole and systole phase and detect the atherosclerotic change in the proximal vessel of MB.

Although the promoter of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene has been widely used in gene therapy for targeted cancer cells, it has some limitations for clinical use because of its low activity and potential toxicity to certain normal cells. To overcome these defects, the authors generated novel chimeric hTERT promoters that contained the radiation-inducible sequence CC(A/T)(6) GG (known as CArG elements).Chimeric hTERT promoters were synthesized that contained different numbers of CArG elements, and the activity of chimeric promoters was assessed in different cancer cell lines and normal cells. The potential of selected promoters to successfully control horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and prodrug indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) suicide gene therapy was tested in vitro and in vivo.The promoter activity assays indicated that the synthetic promoter that contained 6 repeating CArG units had the best radiation inducibility than any other promoters that contained different numbers of CArG units, and the chimeric promoters retained their cancer-specific characteristics. The chimeric promoter was better at driving radiation-inducible gene therapy than the control promoters. The sensitizer enhancement ratio of the chimeric promoter system determined by clonogenic assay was higher, and the chimeric promoter system resulted in a significantly higher apoptotic level compared with other promoter systems. The combination of chimeric/promoter-mediated gene therapy and radiotherapy significantly inhibited tumor volume in a xenograft mouse model and resulted in a significant prolongation of survival in mice.The current results indicated that a combinational cancer-specific promoter system that is responsive to irradiation has great potential for improving the efficacy of cancer treatment.

The stability of HVDC system is under the influence of the strength of AC system, which is reflected as the AC and DC short-circuit ratio(S CR ) on the converter stations. In this paper, a simulation study is carried out on the sending end of a certain HVDC system that has been put into operation under different S CR , using PSCAD/EMTDC. The simulation indicates that with the reduction of S CR , the recovery time and transient overvoltage increase, and in some cases harmonic instability come out. Under the small S CR with harmonic instability, it is found from analysis that harmonic instability will emerge when busbar voltage and line current harmonic contents reach a certain level. The simulation results play an directing role for the prevention and detection of harmonic instability.

To evaluate the complication rate and analyze its impact of multiple facts of CT-guided percutaneous lung automated cutting needle biopsies (ACNB) with extrapleural locating method (EPL).Retrospective study where information was obtained from the department of medical imaging, the sign of complication after 480 cases CT-guided ACNB with EPL was observed and its relationship with multiple factors were analyzed by multiple logistic regression model.The diagnostic accuracy was made in 456 cases (95.0%). The length of the biopsy procedures was 16 ± 2 min and the time of the biopsy needle in pulmonary parenchyma was20 s. Seventy-one (14.8%) cases presented pneumothorax which include 7 (1.5%) cases later pneumothorax, and 2 (0.4%) required chest tube insertions. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that emphysema, depth of intrapulmonal biopsy path and lesion size were sole effective factors of pneumothorax (OR = 7.991, 1.083, and 0.945 respectively). Lesions with emphysema, depth of intrapulmonal biopsy path and lesion size ≤ 10 mm had higher pneumothorax rates. Eight-seven (18.1%) cases presented pulmonary hemorrhage and twenty-six (5.4%) presented hemoptysis. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that depth of intrapulmonal biopsy path, emphysema, and number of pleural needle passes were sole effective factors (OR = 1.143, 0.712, and 0.521, respectively) of pulmonary hemorrhage. In patients with depth10 mm or 20 mm, emphysema and number of pleural needle passes had higher hemorrhage rates. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that depth of intrapulmonal biopsy path and emphysema were sole effective factors (OR = 1.077, and 0.578, respectively) of hemoptysis. Lesions with depth20 mm had higher hemoptysis rate. One case with pulmonary Cryptococcus presented pleural reaction, and three cases had the insistent pain. The total number of severe complications was 15 (3.1%) cases.ACNB with EPL was an accurate method for diagnosing pulmonary lesions. ACNB can be safely performed, which reduces the rate of pneumothorax and hemorrhage. Pneumothorax rate was influenced by emphysema, depth of intrapulmonal biopsy path and lesion size ≤ 10 mm. Hemorrhage was related with depth10 mm or 20 mm, emphysema and number of pleural needle passes. Hemoptysis was related with depth of intrapulmonal biopsy path20 mm. Later and severe complications should be considered in procedure.

To explore the expression of beta-catenin, Glut-1, PTEN in uterine endometrioid adenocarcinoma and their roles in tumorigenesis.A total of 83 cases of endometrial hyperplasia were selected and reclassified according to EIN diagnostic criteria. Expressions of beta-catenin, Glut-1 and PTEN proteins were investigated by immunohistochemistry in 10 proliferative endometrium, 83 endometrial hyperplasia and 24 endometrioid adenocarcinoma.(1) 24 EIN (28.9%) lesions were reclassified among 83 previously diagnosed endometrial hyperplasia, of which, 16 of 24 EIN cases (66.7%) had a prior diagnosis of complex atypical hyperplasia. The relation between EIN diagnosis and grade of atypical hyperplasia was not obvious (P0.05). (2) Normal (membranous) expression of beta-catenin was present in 10 cases of proliferative endometrium. Abnormal (marked membranous/cytoplasmic, cytoplasmic and/or nuclear or negative) expression rates of beta-catenin in EIN lesions (50%, 12/24) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma (66.7%, 16/24) were significantly higher than that of benign hyperplasia (10.2%, 6/59) respectively (P0.01). However, the difference was not significant between EIN lesions and endometrioid adenocarcinomas (P0.05). (3) Low level expressions of Glut-1 was present in proliferative endometrium and benign hyperplasia. Overexpression of Glut-1 was present in 58.3% (14/24) of EIN and 70.8% (17/24) of endometrioid adenocarcinoma, respectively, and statistically not significant (P0.05). (4) Percentages of loss of PTEN expression showed no difference between EIN lesions (37.5%, 9/24) and proliferative endometrium (2/10), benign hyperplasia (28.8%, 17/59), endometrioid adenocarcinoma (62.5%, 15/24; P0.05). However, loss of PTEN expression in endometrioid adenocarcinoma was significantly higher than those in proliferative endometrium and benign hyperplasia (P0.05).Abnormal expression of beta-catenin and overexpression of Glut-1 may be the early events in tumorigenesis of endometrioid adenocarcinoma. The expression of both markers may be useful in distinguishing a benign hyperplasia from EIN and endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Lack of PTEN expression may be the earliest event in endometrial carcinogenesis. However, it can not be used yet as a diagnostic marker for the EIN lesion.