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AIM: To analyze and compare the differences among ocular biometric parameters in Han and Uyghur populations undergoing cataract surgery. METHODS: In this hospital-based prospective study, 410 patients undergoing cataract surgery (226 Han patients in Tianjin and 184 Uyghur patients in Xinjiang) were enrolled. The differences in axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), keratometry [steep K (Ks) and flat K (Kf)], and corneal astigmatism (CA) measured using IOL Master 700 were compared between Han and Uyghur patients. RESULTS: The average age of Han patients was higher than that of Uyghur patients (70.22±8.54 vs 63.04±9.56y, P

Abstract Background Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is one of the most prevalent metabolic syndromes worldwide. However, no approved pharmacological treatments are available for MAFLD. Chenpi, one kind of dried peel of citrus fruits, has traditionally been utilized as a medicinal herb for liver diseases. Didymin is a newly identified oral bioactive dietary flavonoid glycoside derived from Chenpi. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of Didymin as an anti-MAFLD drug and elucidated its underlying mechanisms. Methods High-fat diet (HFD)-induced MAFLD mice and alpha mouse liver 12 (AML12) cells were utilized to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of Didymin in the treatment of MAFLD. Liver weight, serum biochemical parameters, and liver morphology were examined to demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of Didymin in MAFLD treatment. RNA-seq analysis was performed to identify potential pathways that could be affected by Didymin. The impact of Didymin on Sirt1 was corroborated through western blot, molecular docking analysis, microscale thermophoresis (MST), and deacetylase activity assay. Then, a Sirt1 inhibitor (EX-527) was utilized to confirm that Didymin alleviates MAFLD via Sirt1. Western blot and additional assays were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Results Our results suggested that Didymin may possess therapeutic potential against MAFLD in vitro and in vivo. By promoting Sirt1 expression as well as directly binding to and activating Sirt1, Didymin triggers downstream pathways that enhance mitochondrial biogenesis and function while reducing apoptosis and enhancing lipophagy. Conclusions These suggest that Didymin could be a promising medication for MAFLD treatment. Furthermore, its therapeutic effects are mediated by Sirt1.

Psathyrostachys huashanica Keng (2n=2x=14, NsNs) is regarded as a valuable wild relative species for common wheat cultivar improvement because of its abundant beneficial agronomic traits. However, although the development of many wheat–P. huashanica-derived lines provides a germplasm base for the transfer of excellent traits, the lag in the identification of P. huashanica chromosomes in the wheat background has limited the study of these lines. In this study, three novel nondenaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization (ND-FISH)-positive oligo probes were developed. Among them, HS-TZ3 and HS-TZ4 could specifically hybridize with P. huashanica chromosomes, mainly in the telomere area, and HS-CHTZ5 could hybridize with the chromosomal centromere area. We sequentially constructed a P. huashanica FISH karyotype and idiogram that helped identify the homologous groups of introduced P. huashanica chromosomes. In detail, 1Ns and 2Ns had opposite signals on the short and long arms, 3Ns, 4Ns, and 7Ns had superposed two-color signals, 5Ns and 6Ns had fluorescent signals only on their short arms, and 7Ns had signals on the intercalary of the long arm. In addition, we evaluated different ways to identify alien introgression lines by using low-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and recommended the SNP homozygosity rate in each chromosome as a statistical pattern. The 15K SNP array is widely applicable for addition, substitution, and translocation lines, and the 40K SNP array is the most accurate for recognizing transposed intervals between wheat and alien chromosomes. Our research provided convenient methods to distinguish the homologous group of P. huashanica chromosomes in a common wheat background based on ND-FISH and SNP arrays, which is of great significance for efficiently identifying wheat–P. huashanica-derived lines and the further application of Ns chromosomes.

The study of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) operating under unstructured roads is of great significance to intelligent transportation, agricultural development and military technology. In order to ensure reliable and stable operation of UGVs on unstructured terrain, it is necessary to identify the current road terrain and perform vehicle stability adjustment. Road terrain identification is a prerequisite for stability control. Most of the existing road terrain identification methods use a single vehicle sensor, which has the problem that complex algorithms need to be applied for data processing, which reduces the real-time performance. Moreover, the single sensor is weak in anti-interference and limited in recognizing the road. To address these problems, a method is proposed to collect vehicle motion data using on-board gyroscope sensors and velocity sensors. Back propagation (BP) neural network is used to identify the category of the road. For the problem that the conventional proportional-integral differential (PID) algorithm cannot be adapted to different road stability control, a multi-loop adaptive proportional-integral differential (PID) control system with the velocity loop as the outer loop and the torque (current) loop as the inner loop is proposed. In order to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the method, experiments are conducted on a UGV using robot operating system (ROS), and the results verify the feasibility and superiority of the road identification and stability control method proposed in this paper. It provides a good theoretical basis and valuable technical guidance for the UGV operation and control on unstructured roads.

Abstract Background Few studies have evaluated the feasibility and safety of intracorporeal anastomosis (IA) for left hemicolectomy. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential advantages and disadvantages of laparoscopic left hemicolectomy with IA and compare the short- and medium-term outcomes between IA and extracorporeal anastomosis (EA). Methods We retrospectively analyzed 133 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic left hemicolectomies from July 2016 to September 2019 and categorized them into the IA and EA groups. Patients with stage 4 disease and conversion to laparotomy or those lost to follow-up were excluded. Postoperative outcomes between IA and EA groups were compared. Short-term outcomes included postoperative pain score, bowel function recovery, complications, duration of hospital stay, and pathological outcome. Medium outcomes included overall survival and disease-free survival for at least 2 years. Results After excluding ineligible patients, the remaining 117 underwent IA (n = 40) and EA (n = 77). The IA group had a shorter hospital stay, a shorter time to tolerate liquid or soft diets, and higher serum C-reactive protein level on postoperative day 3. There was no difference between two groups in operative time, postoperative pain, specimen length, or nearest margin. A 2-year overall survival (IA vs. EA: 95.0% vs. 93.5%, p = 0.747) and disease-free survival (IA vs. EA: 97.5% vs. 90.9%, p = 0.182) rates were comparable between two groups. Conclusions Laparoscopic left hemicolectomy with IA was technically feasible, with better short-term outcomes, including shorter hospital stays and shorter time to tolerate liquid or soft diets. The IA group had higher postoperative serum C-reactive protein level; however, no complications were observed. Regarding medium-term outcomes, the overall survival and disease-free survival rates were comparable between IA and EA procedures.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by a rapid decrease in renal function with high mortality and risk of progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the major causes of AKI. However, the cellular and molecular responses of the kidney to IRI are complex and not fully understood. Herein, we conducted unbiased proteomics and bioinformatics analyses in an IRI mouse model on days 3, 7, and 21, and validated the results using IRI, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), and biopsies from patients with AKI or CKD. The results indicated an obvious temporal expression profile of differentially expressed proteins and highlighted impaired lipid metabolism during the progression of AKI to CKD. Acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (Acox1), the first rate-limiting enzyme of peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation, was then selected, and its disturbed expression in the two murine models validated the proteomic findings. Accordingly, Acox1 expression was significantly downregulated in renal biopsies from patients with AKI or CKD, and its expression was negatively correlated with kidney injury score. Furthermore, in contrast to the decreased Acox1 expression, lipid droplet accumulation was remarkably increased in these renal tissues, suggesting dysregulation of fatty acid oxidation. In conclusion, our results suggest that defective peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation might be a common pathological feature in the transition from AKI to CKD, and that Acox1 is a promising intervention target for kidney injury and repair.

Abstract Apoptotic resistance leads to persistent accumulation of senescent cells and sustained expression of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype, playing an essential role in the progression of tissue fibrosis. However, whether senescent renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) exhibit an apoptosis-resistant phenotype, and the role of this phenotype in diabetic nephropathy (DN) remain unclear. Our previous study was the first to demonstrate that decoy receptor 2 (DcR2) is associated with apoptotic resistance in senescent RTECs and renal fibrosis. In this study, we aimed to further explore the mechanism of DcR2 in apoptosis-resistant RTECs and renal fibrosis in DN. DcR2 was co-localized with fibrotic markers (α-SMA, collagen IV, fibronectin), senescent marker p16, and antiapoptotic proteins FLIP and Bcl2 but rarely co-localized with caspase 3 or TUNEL. DcR2 overexpression promoted renal fibrosis in mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN, as evidenced by augmented Masson staining and upregulated expression of fibrotic markers. DcR2 overexpression also enhanced FLIP expression while reducing the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins (caspases 8 and 3) in senescent RTECs, resulting in apoptotic resistance. In contrast, DcR2 knockdown produced the opposite effects in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, quantitative proteomics and co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that DcR2 interacted with glucose-related protein 78 kDa (GRP78), which has been shown to promote apoptotic resistance in cancer. GRP78 exhibited co-localization with senescent and antiapoptotic markers but was rarely co-expressed with caspase 3 or TUNEL. Additionally, GRP78 knockdown decreased the apoptosis resistance of HG-induced senescent RTECs with upregulated cleaved caspase 3 and increased the percentage of apoptotic RTECs. Mechanistically, DcR2 mediated apoptotic resistance in senescent RTECs by enhancing GRP78–caspase 7 interactions and promoting Akt phosphorylation. Thus, DcR2 mediated the apoptotic resistance of senescent RTECs and renal fibrosis by interacting with GRP78, indicating that targeting the DcR2–GRP78 axis represents a promising therapeutic strategy for DN.

Abstract. Background:. Nitinol-containing devices are widely used in clinical practice. However, there are concerns about nickel release after nitinol-containing device implantation. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a parylene-coated occluder vs. a traditional nitinol-containing device for atrial septal defect (ASD). Methods:. One-hundred-and-eight patients with ASD were prospectively enrolled and randomly assigned to either the trial group to receive a parylene-coated occluder (n = 54) or the control group to receive a traditional occluder (n = 54). The plugging success rate at 6 months after device implantation and the pre- and post-implantation serum nickel levels were compared between the two groups. A non-inferiority design was used to prove that the therapeutic effect of the parylene-coated device was non-inferior to that of the traditional device. The Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel chi-squared test with adjustment for central effects was used for the comparison between groups. Results:. At 6 months after implantation, successful ASD closure was achieved in 52 of 53 patients (98.11%) in both the trial and control groups (95% confidence interval (CI): [−4.90, 5.16]) based on per-protocol set analysis. The absolute value of the lower limit of the 95% CI was 4.90%, which was less than the specified non-inferiority margin of 8%. No deaths or severe complications occurred during 6 months of follow-up. The serum nickel levels were significantly increased at 2 weeks and reached the maximum value at 1 month after implantation in the control group (P 0.05). Conclusions:. The efficacy of a parylene-coated ASD occluder is non-inferior to that of a traditional uncoated ASD occluder. The parylene-coated occluder prevents nickel release after device implantation and may be an alternative for ASD, especially in patients with a nickel allergy.

PurposeTo explore the feasibility and safety of centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma (CL-HCC) treated by narrow-margin resection combined with intraoperative electron radiotherapy (IOERT).Methods and MaterialsFrom November 2009 to November 2016, 37 consecutive patients were treated with IOERT as adjuvant treatment during narrow-margin resection for CL-HCC. Long-term outcomes, adverse events for surgery, and acute and chronic toxicities were analyzed.ResultsThe median follow-up was 57.82 months (range, 3.75-111.41 months). A total dose of 15 Gy (range 12 to 17Gy) (prescribed at the 90% isodose) was delivered with a 0.9cm (range 0.8-1.2 cm) median treatment depth targeting the narrow-margin. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year OS rates were 91.39%, 88.34% and 88.34%, respectively. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year DFS rates were 80.81%, 68.59% and 54.17%, respectively. In the univariate analysis, none of the treatment characteristics were predictive of overall survival. Fifteen (40.5%) patients suffered from a recurrence event. No patient had marginal recurrence. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year intrahepatic recurrence rates were 19.75%, 25.92% and 39.58%, respectively. The 1-year, 3-year and 5-year extrahepatic recurrence rates were 2.7%, 5.95% and 9.87%, respectively. There was no 30-day surgical-related death. Three patients had grade 4, and 28 patients had grade 3 alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, and seven patients had grade 4, and 30 patients had grade 3 aspartate transaminase (AST) levels. All of them returned to normal within four months. There was no acute radiation-induced liver injury during follow-up. There were no acute or chronic toxicities associated with IOERT.ConclusionIOERT for narrow-margin CL-HCC may achieve good long-term survival outcomes, without significantly increasing acute and chronic toxicities. An IOERT dose of 15Gy may be the safest and most feasible. IOERT might be considered as an adjuvant therapy for CL-HCC patients with a narrow-margin.

Kernel development plays an important role in determining kernel size in maize. Here we present the cloning and characterization of a maize gene, nitrate transporter1.5 (NRT1.5), which controls small kernel phenotype by playing an important role in kernel development. A novel recessive small kernel mutant miniature2-m1 (mn2-m1) was isolated from self-pollinated progenies of breeding materials. The mutant spontaneously showed small kernel character arresting both embryo and endosperm development at an early stage after pollination. Utilizing 21 polymorphic SSR markers, the mn2-m1 locus was limited to a 209.9-kb interval using 9 176 recessive individuals of a BC1 segregating population from mn2-m1/B73. Only one annotated gene was located in this 209.9 kb region, Zm00001d019294, which was predicted to encode nitrate transporter1.5 (NRT1.5). Allelism tests confirmed that mn2-m1 was allelic to miniature2-m2 (mn2-m2) and miniature2-710B (mn2-710B). The mn2-m1 and mn2-m2 alleles both had nucleotide deletions in the coding region resulting in premature termination, and the mn2-710B allele had some missence mutations. Subcellular localization showed that Miniature 2 (MN2) is localized in the plasma membrane. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that the expression of MN2 and some genes involved in the basal endosperm transfer layer (BETL) and embryo surrounding region (ESR) development were affected in mn2-m1 seeds. These results suggested that MN2 plays an important role in maize seed development.

An endothelial cell subtype, expressing endomucin and CD31, has been reported to couple angiogenesis with osteogenesis. Here, the authors show that loss of ZEB1 in these cells epigenetically suppresses Notch signaling, leading to impaired angiogenesis and osteogenesis, and that Zeb1 delivery via liposomes ameliorates bone loss in osteoporotic mice

Previous experimental studies have regarded distraction, an emotional regulation strategy, as an attentional disengagement strategy and considered it to be maladaptive in the long term. This study intends to further examine the relationship between distraction and negative emotions by using a questionnaire and a multiple mediation model. A total of 723 college students completed the distraction, cognitive reappraisal and problem-solving subscales of the Measurement of Affect Regulation Styles, the Needs Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Meaningful Life Measure, and the Emotional Experience Questionnaire of Well-being. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed, and mediation effects were tested. The results showed that (1) distraction was used significantly more frequently than problem-solving and cognitive reappraisal, with a large effect size (partial η2 = 0.321 > 0.138), and (2) distraction had an effect on negative emotions through two multiple mediation paths, i.e., positive emotion-cognitive reappraisal-meaning in life, and positive emotion-problem-solving-needs satisfaction. Distraction reduces negative emotions by enhancing positive emotions and facilitating cognitive reappraisal, problem-solving, meaning in life and needs satisfaction. It is not a kind of avoidance but a temporary rest to strive for a better life.

Previous experimental studies have regarded distraction, an emotional regulation strategy, as an attentional disengagement strategy and considered it to be maladaptive in the long term. This study intends to further examine the relationship between distraction and negative emotions by using a questionnaire and a multiple mediation model. A total of 723 college students completed the distraction, cognitive reappraisal and problem-solving subscales of the Measurement of Affect Regulation Styles, the Needs Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Meaningful Life Measure, and the Emotional Experience Questionnaire of Well-being. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed, and mediation effects were tested. The results showed that (1) distraction was used significantly more frequently than problem-solving and cognitive reappraisal, with a large effect size (partial η2 = 0.321 > 0.138), and (2) distraction had an effect on negative emotions through two multiple mediation paths, i.e., positive emotion—cognitive reappraisal—meaning in life, and positive emotion—problem-solving—needs satisfaction. Distraction reduces negative emotions by enhancing positive emotions and facilitating cognitive reappraisal, problem-solving, meaning in life and needs satisfaction. It is not a kind of avoidance but a temporary rest to strive for a better life.

Tooth surface cracks are considered as the early stage of the development of tooth surface spalling failure. Understanding the excitation mechanism of surface cracks has a great significance in the early diagnosis of spalling faults. However, there are few studies on the dynamic modelling of surface cracks, and the influence mechanism of surface cracking on the dynamic characteristics of a gear system is also not yet clear during its propagation process. Thus, an analytical calculation model of the meshing stiffness of gear with tooth surface crack is developed. Then, a dynamic model of a spur gear system with six degrees of freedom (DOF) is established based on the proposed surface crack calculation model. The effects of surface crack propagation on the meshing stiffness and dynamic characteristics of gear system are investigated. The results show that the side frequencies of dynamic transmission error (DTE) are more sensitive than those of the acceleration responses during the surface crack propagation, which is more favorable to the surface crack fault diagnosis. Compared to the traditional spalling fault model, the proposed model can accurately characterize the dynamic characteristics of a gear system with the early spalling defect.

Demodulation is one of the most useful techniques for the fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. The commonly used demodulation methods try to select one sensitive sub-band signal that contains the most fault-related components for further analysis. However, a large number of the fault-related components that exist in other sub-bands are ignored in the commonly used envelope demodulation methods. Based on a weighted-empirical mode decomposition (EMD) de-noising technique and time–frequency (TF) impulse envelope analysis, a multi-scale demodulation method is proposed for fault diagnosis. In the proposed method, EMD is first employed to divide the signal into some IMFs (intrinsic mode functions). Then, a new weighted-EMD de-noising technique is presented, and different weights are assigned to IMFs for construction according to their fault-related degrees; thus, the fault-unrelated components are suppressed to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). After that, continuous wavelet transformation (CWT) is adopted to obtain the time–frequency representation (TFR) of the de-noised signal. Subsequently, the fault-related components in the entire frequency range scale are calculated together, referring to the TF impulse envelope signal. Finally, a fault diagnosis result can be obtained after the fast Fourier transformation of the TF impulse envelope signal. The proposed method and three commonly used methods are applied to the fault diagnosis of a planetary gearbox with a sun gear spalling fault and a fixed shaft gearbox with a crack fault. The results show that the proposed method can effectively detect gear faults and yields better performance than other methods.

Background: Hyperglycemia is associated with poor clinical outcomes and mortality in several patients. However, studies evaluating hyperglycemia variation in tumor patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between glycemia and tumor kinds with TPN by monitoring glycemic variation in tumor patients. Methods: This retrospective clinical trial selected 312 patients with various cancer types, whose unique nutrition treatment was TPN during the monitoring period. All patients had blood glucose (BG) values assessed at least six times daily during the TPN infusion. The glycemic variation before and after TPN was set as the indicator to evaluate the factors influencing BG. Results: The clinical trial lasted 7.5 ± 3.0 days adjusted for age, gender, family cancer history and blood types. There were six cancer types: Hepatic carcinoma (HC, 21.8%), rectal carcinoma (17.3%), colon carcinoma (CC, 14.7%), gastric carcinoma (29.8%), pancreatic carcinoma (11.5%), and duodenal carcinoma (DC, 4.8%). The patients were divided into diabetes and nondiabetes groups. No statistical differences in TPN glucose content between diabetes and nondiabetes groups were found; however, the tumor types affected by BG values were obvious. With increasing BG values, DC, HC and CC were more represented than other tumor types in this sequence in diabetic individuals, as well as in the nondiabetic group. BG was inclined to be more easily influenced in the nondiabetes group. Other factors did not impact BG values, including gender, body mass index, and TPN infusion duration time. Conclusions: When tumor patients are treated with TPN, BG levels should be monitored according to different types of tumors, besides differentiating diabetes or nondiabetes patients. Special BG control is needed for DC, HC and CC in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients. If BG overtly increases, positive measurements are needed to control BG values. The ClinicalTrials.gov ID is NCT02024321.

Background/Aims: Ischemia/reperfusion injury plays a crucial role in renal transplantation and represents a significant risk factor for acute kidney injury and delayed graft function. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant peptide SS31 has been shown to attenuate ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting oxidative stress. The present study was carried out to investigate whether the pretreatment of SS31 could reduce hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced injury by inhibiting p66Shc. Methods: The cultured rat renal proximal tubular cell line NRK52E cells were exposed to 24 h hypoxia (5% CO2, 1% O2, 94% N2) followed by 6 h reoxygenation (5% CO2, 21% O2, 74% N2). SS31 was added to the culture medium 4 h prior to the treatment. Then the cell viability, apoptosis, and oxidative stress levels were determined. In addition, western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression of p66Shc, p-p66Shc, cytochrome c, and caspase-3. Results: H/R induced apoptotic cell death, accompanied with activation of total and p-p66Shc in NRK52E cells. Pretreatment with SS31 or overexpression of a dominantnegative Ser36 mutant p66Shc (p66Shc S36A) or p66Shc siRNA prevented cell death, whereas the protection effect of SS31 was completely blocked by overexpression of wild-type p66Shc. Furthermore, SS31 pretreatment reduced H/R-induced intracellular oxidative stress, cytochrome c translocation to the cytoplasm, and caspase-3 activation through inhibiting p66Shc. Conclusion: This study revealed that SS31 pretreatment serves a protective role against H/R-induced apoptosis of human renal tubular epithelial cells, and the mechanism is related to suppression of p66Shc.

In this study, we report the spin-lattice relaxation rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and normal liver tissue in rats using a high-T(c) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) based nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. The resonance spectrometer used for discriminating liver tumors in rats via the difference in longitudinal relaxation time in low magnetic fields was set up in a compact and portable magnetic shielding box. The frequency-domain NMR signals of HCC tissues and normal liver tissues were analyzed to study their respective longitudinal relaxation rate T(1) (-1). The T(1) (-1) of liver tissues for ten normal rats and ten cancerous rats were investigated respectively. The averaged T(1) (-1) value of normal liver tissue was (6.41±0.66) s(-1), and the averaged T(1) (-1) value of cancerous tissue was (3.38±0.15) s(-1). The ratio of T(1) (-1) for normal liver tissues and cancerous liver tissues of the rats investigated is estimated to be 1.9. Since this significant statistical difference, the T(1) (-1) value can be used to distinguish the HCC tissues from normal liver tissues. This method of examining liver and tumor tissues has the advantages of being convenient, easy to operate, and stable.

The title compound, C18H12N2O2·0.5H2O, was prepared by the reaction of 1,4-phenylenediamine with 1,8-naphthalic anhydride in refluxing dimethylformamide. The structure is stabilized by N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds. There are π–π stacking interactions [centroid-centroid distances of 3.718 (2), 3.510 (2) and 3.546 (2) Å] and C—H...π interactions between the molecules. The water molecule lies on a twofold rotation axis. Its two H atoms are disordered equally over two positions.

Purpose. To examine the inhibitory effects of star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) juice towards seven major cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms and NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR). Methods. The inhibitory effects of star fruit juice (0.5 to 5%, v/v) against the activities of seven CYP isoforms including CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, CYP3A4 and CPR were examined in human liver microsomes. To identify time-dependent inhibition, star fruit juice (2.5%, v/v) was preincubated with microsomes and a NADPH-generating system for 0-15 min, and then the extent of inhibition towards seven CYP isoforms were examined. Results. Star fruit juice (5.0%, v/v) was found to inhibit all the activities of CYP isoforms tested by more than 70%. Based on the half inhibition values (%, v/v), the inhibitory effects towards different CYP isoforms were in the following order: CYP2A6 (0.9) > CYP1A2 (1.4) > CYP2D6 (1.6) > CYP2E1 (2.0) > CYP2C8 (2.2) > CYP2C9 (3.0) > CYP3A4 (3.2). Time-dependent inhibition was not observed towards any of the tested CYP isoforms. In addition, star fruit juice was found not to inhibit the activity of CPR. Conclusions. Star fruit juice inhibited the seven CYP isoforms tested, with the strongest inhibitory effect against CYP2A6 and the least towards CYP3A4.

Orthotopic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) mice models are important for establishing translatability of in vitro results. However, most orthotopic lung models do not produce localized tumors treatable by conformal radiotherapy (RT). Here we report on the performance of an orthotopic mice model featuring conformal RT treatable tumors following either left or right lung tumor cell implantation. Athymic Nude mice were surgically implanted with H1299 NSCLC cell line in either the left or right lung. Tumor development was tracked bi-weekly using computed tomography (CT) imaging. When lesions reached an appropriate size for treatment, animals were separated into non-treatment (control group) and RT treated groups. Both RT treated left and right lung tumors which were given a single dose of 20 Gy of 225 kV X-rays. Left lung tumors were treated with a two-field parallel opposed plan while right lung tumors were treated with a more conformal four-field plan to assess tumor control. Mice were monitored for 30 days after RT or after tumor reached treatment size for non-treatment animals. Treatment images from the left and right lung tumor were also used to assess the dose distribution for four distinct treatment plans: 1) Two sets of perpendicularly staggered parallel opposed fields, 2) two fields positioned in the anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior configuration, 3) an 180° arc field from 0° to 180° and 4) two parallel opposed fields which cross through the contralateral lung. Tumor volumes and changes throughout the follow-up period were tracked by three different types of quantitative tumor size approximation and tumor volumes derived from contours. Ultimately, our model generated delineable and conformal RT treatable tumor following both left and right lung implantation. Similarly consistent tumor development was noted between left and right models. We were also able to demonstrate that a single 20 Gy dose of 225 kV X-rays applied to either the right or left lung tumor models had similar levels of tumor control resulting in similar adverse outcomes and survival. And finally, three-dimensional tumor approximation featuring volume computed from the measured length across three perpendicular axes gave the best approximation of tumor volume, most closely resembled tumor volumes obtained with contours.

Orthotopic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) mice models are important for establishing translatability of in vitro results. However, most orthotopic lung models do not produce localized tumors treatable by conformal radiotherapy (RT). Here we report on the performance of an orthotopic mice model featuring conformal RT treatable tumors following either left or right lung tumor cell implantation. Athymic Nude mice were surgically implanted with H1299 NSCLC cell line in either the left or right lung. Tumor development was tracked bi-weekly using computed tomography (CT) imaging. When lesions reached an appropriate size for treatment, animals were separated into non-treatment (control group) and RT treated groups. Both RT treated left and right lung tumors which were given a single dose of 20 Gy of 225 kV X-rays. Left lung tumors were treated with a two-field parallel opposed plan while right lung tumors were treated with a more conformal four-field plan to assess tumor control. Mice were monitored for 30 days after RT or after tumor reached treatment size for non-treatment animals. Treatment images from the left and right lung tumor were also used to assess the dose distribution for four distinct treatment plans: 1) Two sets of perpendicularly staggered parallel opposed fields, 2) two fields positioned in the anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior configuration, 3) an 180° arc field from 0° to 180° and 4) two parallel opposed fields which cross through the contralateral lung. Tumor volumes and changes throughout the follow-up period were tracked by three different types of quantitative tumor size approximation and tumor volumes derived from contours. Ultimately, our model generated delineable and conformal RT treatable tumor following both left and right lung implantation. Similarly consistent tumor development was noted between left and right models. We were also able to demonstrate that a single 20 Gy dose of 225 kV X-rays applied to either the right or left lung tumor models had similar levels of tumor control resulting in similar adverse outcomes and survival. And finally, three-dimensional tumor approximation featuring volume computed from the measured length across three perpendicular axes gave the best approximation of tumor volume, most closely resembled tumor volumes obtained with contours.

Abstract Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a debilitating side effect that occurs in up to 30% of thoracic irradiations in breast and lung cancer patients. RIPF remains a major limiting factor to dose escalation and an obstacle to applying more promising new treatments for cancer cure. Limited treatment options are available to mitigate RIPF once it occurs, but recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and a drug treatment stimulating endogenous stem cells (GM-CSF) have been investigated for their potential in preventing this disease onset. In a pre-clinical rat model, we contrasted the application of longitudinal computed tomography (CT) imaging and classical histopathology to quantify RIPF and to evaluate the potential of MSCs in mitigating RIPF. Our results on histology demonstrate promises when MSCs are injected endotracheally (but not intravenously). While our CT analysis highlights the potential of GM-CSF treatment. Advantages and limitations of both analytical methods are contrasted in the context of RIPF.

The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of forest gaps on the variations of soil properties in Castanopsis kawakamii natural forest. Soil physical and chemical properties in various sizes and development stages were studied in C. kawakamii natural forest gaps. The results showed that forest gaps in various sizes and development stages could improve soil pore space structure and water characteristics, which may effectively promote the water absorbing capacity for plant root growth and play an important role in forest regeneration. Soil pore space structure and water characteristics in small gaps showed more obvious improvements, followed by the medium and large gaps. Soil pore space structure and water characteristics in the later development stage of forest gaps demonstrated more obvious improvements, followed by the early and medium development stages. The contents of hydrolysable N and available K in various sizes and development stages of forest gaps were higher than those of non-gaps, whereas the contents of total N, total P, available P, organic matter, and organic carbon were lower. The contents of total N, hydrolysable N, available K, organic matter, and organic carbon in medium gaps were higher than those of large and small gaps. The disturbance of forest gaps could improve the soils' physical and chemical properties and increase the population species' richness, which would provide an ecological basis for the species coexistence in C. kawakamii natural forest.

We apply the higher order Cauchy transforms to describe the closures of rational modules with respect to the LP norms, the uniform norm and different Lipschitz norms on a compact set in the plane.