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Objective To explore the effects of iris xanthin on airway inflammation, airway remodeling, and the high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1)/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-γB (NF-γB) pathway in asthmatic young mice. Methods Sixty male BALB/c young mice were randomly assigned into six groups: a blank group, a model group, a dexamethasone group, and low, medium, and high dose groups of iris xanthin, with ten mice per group. Asthma models were induced through intraperitoneal injections of a sensitizing agent [ovalbumin (OVA) 20 μg + aluminum hydroxide gel 2 mg], followed by 4% OVA aerosol inhalation. Lung function was measured using a pulmonary function tester to determine lung volume (LV), resting ventilation per minute (VE), and airway reactivity (Penh value). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed to examine and analyze airway remodeling. The contents of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were quantified using ELISA. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were used to assess the expression of HMGB1/TLR4/NF-γB pathway-related mRNA and proteins in lung tissues. Results Compared to the model group, the dexamethasone and iris xanthin-treated groups (low, medium, and high doses) exhibited significant increases in LV and VE (P<0.05), with incremental dose-dependent increases observed in the iris xanthin groups. Additionally, Penh values, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and airway remodeling indicators, along with mRNA levels of HMGB1, TLR4, and NF- γB p65 and protein levels of HMGB1, TLR4, and p-NF- γB p65, were all reduced (P<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. When compared to the dexamethasone group, the low and medium dose iris xanthin groups showed decreases in LV and VE (P<0.05), whereas Penh values, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and airway remodeling indicators, along with mRNA levels of HMGB1, TLR4, NF-γB p65 and protein levels of HMGB1, TLR4, and p-NF-γB p65, were increased (P<0.05). No significant differences were noted in these indices between the high dose iris xanthin group and the dexamethasone group (P>0.05). Conclusions Iris xanthin can effectively alleviates airway inflammation and inhibits airway remodeling in asthmatic young mice, possibly through the suppression of the HMGB1/ TLR4/NF-γB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a coordination polymer material ([Ag4(BPB) 4SiW12O40]) (Complex 1) based on silicotungstic heteropoly acid (H4SiWi11O40) and silver ion metal center was synthesized by hydrothermal synthesis method. The single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis showed that there were three kinds of silver ions Agl, Ag2 and Ag3 with coordination numbers of 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The Ag metal center is coordinated with N of the organic ligands and O of the polyacids. Ag1 connects organic ligands to form left-and right-handed helical chains, and connects polyacid molecules to form trapezoidal chains; Ag2 connects organic ligands and polyacid molecules to form a two-dimensional 4,4-sql lattice layer, sharing polyacid molecules with trapezoidal chains; Ag3 connects organic ligands to form one-dimensional chain through the two-dimensional layer, ultimately forming the overall three-dimensional structure. The electrochemical performance of the material was studied using a composite modified glassy carbon lectrode (GCE) as the working electrode, and electrochemical analysis showed that the material can used as an electrocatalyst for the reduction of NaNO3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the effect of plakophilin 1 (PKP1), which plays an important role in the connection of epithelial cells, on the prognosis and immune cell infiltration in patients with SKCM. Methods We evaluated PKP1 expression in different tumors via the databases of Oncomine, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). The influence of PKP1 expression on immune infiltrates and survival of SKCM patients was also analyzed using TIMER database. Results Compared with normal tissues, PKP1 expression was significantly increased in bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, head and neck cancer, kidney cancer, and lung cancer tissues, but in brain and central nervous system tumors, cervical spine tumors, esophageal cancer, SKCM and prostate cancer, the expression of PKP1 was significantly decreased (all P<0.01). It was showed that PKP1 expression was significantly negatively associated with immune infiltrates of macrophage, neutrophil, and dendritic cells in SKCM (all P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression level of PKP1 didn't affect the prognosis of patients with primary melanoma, but for patients with metastatic melanoma, high PKP1 expression indicated a significantly reduced survival rate (P=0.002). Conclusions Our findings indicated that PKP1 is a potential immune treatment target that is associated with immune infiltrates and the survival of SKCM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the control method for missiles formation flight in the cooperative engagement was investigated based on variable structure control (VSC), adaptive control and nonlinear dynamic inversion control theory. Under the condition that the velocity and acceleration of the leader as well as the velocity of the follower were unknown, taking the relative velocity between the leader and follower as well as the acceleration of the leader as boundary uncertainties that can be estimated, a robust control law for missiles formation was proposed based on VSC, in which only the guidance information of relative position and relative velocity between missiles was required. The boundary layer method was adopted to eliminate the system chatting, and the setting method of boundary layer thickness was discussed to guarantee the formation control precision. The missile nonlinear dynamic system was divided into three subsystems from fast to slow based on singular perturbation theory. The extern disturbance acting on the missile system was taken into account and regarded as a boundary uncertainty in slow subsystem. Then a robust autopilot was designed based on adaptive variable structure control and nonlinear dynamic inversion control theory. Simulation results show that the missile autopilot can track the formation control command and the missiles formation can be realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial multihoming is a new direction of the research of two-sided markets, differentiation of platforms is very common in real economic life. This article considers a competition model when two platforms are different and users partially multihoming, then compares three situations when two platforms price synchronously and sequentially. The research finds that prices of two sides of platforms are positive, bigger platform predominate over small platform at price, number of singlehoming users and platform profit when two platforms price synchronously and smaller platform prices firstly. Whatever bigger and smaller platforms tend to let competing platform price firstly, increasing of network externalities of two platforms will cause the increasing of multihoming users, finally we adopt case and data of competition of commercial banks to verify conclusions of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the control modes of the 220 kilowatts (kW) solid oxide fuel cell/ micro gas turbine(SOFC/MGT) hybrid power system based on part-load performance. Results suggests that the hybrid power system's adjustable range must be at least 70% of the design output power for the SOFC fuel only control mode. Proposed is a new control mode in which the hybrid power system can operate at the lowest load of 45% of the design output power and efficiency at 56.4%.

The article presents a study which examines the research progress on sports goods generic technology in China in which the need to intensify researches on classification, supply and demand as well as organizational management were emphasized to boost independent sports industrial innovation.

The blast point detection is a foundation of fire emendation, damage evaluation and opposite firepower point estimation. According to the characteristics of artillery blast point, this paper proposes a new center-surround Haar-like feature which can be calculated quickly. An algorithm for the blast point detection is presented based on Adaboost with the new Haar-like feature. The experiment results show that the proposed algorithm has better performance than the Adaboost algorithm without the new Haar-like feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cavitating flows around a two-dimensional NACA66 hydrofoil with an angle of attack of 6. 5° are studied using the mixture multiphase model and cavitation model. The Singhal's full cavitation model (FCM) and the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri (Z-G-B) cavitation model are applied, and based on experimental data, results obtained from the two models are compared in terms of pressure distribution coefficient on the surface of the hydrofoil, lift and drag coefficients and flow field structures. The experimental results show that for the FCM, the value of mass fraction of noncondensible gases has some effects on computational results. The length of cavitation zone becomes smaller with the mass fraction of noncondensible gases decreasing. For the Z-G-B model, both vaporization and condensation coefficients have influence on results. In general, both cavitation models give satisfactory prediction results by choosing reasonable empirical coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic investigation to understand the impacts of the variable-thickness blade on the structural strength and performance of the first stage impeller for a domestic large flow centrifugal compressor is undertaken. The geometric models of 9 shrouded impellers with variable-thickness blade are mainly established by CAD software Solidworks, static structural analyses are carried out using finite element software ANSYS, and CFD simulations are performed with the CFX code. Emphases are placed on the variation of maximal von Mises stress in FEM analyses, and the distinction of impeller internal flow behavior in CFD simulations. The variable thickness of. blade is found to exert the great influence on the structural strength and performance of a centrifugal compressor. Furthermore, the computational results indicate that the appropriate increase of blade thickness close to trailing edge can remarkably improve the strength and aerodynamic characteristics of a shrouded impeller. Finally, the theoretical bases are given for the structural optimization and the performance improvement of a large flow centrifugal compressor and a nuclear reactor coolant cycling pump impellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

order to speed up the cold-tolerance breeding and improve the cultivation efficiency of walnut to further expand its planting area, six walnut cultivars (lines) including Luguo No. 8, N13-1, Luguo No. 12, N17-24, Taile, and Xiangling were taken as test materials and treated at -15 C°, -20 C°, -25 C°, -30 C°, and -35 C°, with their tissue?s water content, membrane per- meability, lipid peroxidation, protective enzyme activities, and osmotic adjustment substances determined to detect the cold resistance of the cultivars (lines). There existed greater differences in the ratio of free water to bound water in the branches of the cultivars (lines). Under low temperature treatment, the branches membrane permeability and malondialdehyde content increased, superoxide dismutase activity presented an ascend-descend-ascend-descend trend, catalase activity decreased after an initial increase, and the soluble protein and proline contents increased, but the var- iation degrees of these parameters differed with cultivars (lines). After the recovery from low temperature, N17-24 and Luguo No. 12 had a significantly higher germination rate than the other cultivars (lines). By using fuzzy mathematics method, the cold-resistance of test walnut cultivars (lines) was evaluated as N17-24>Luguo No. 12>N13-1>Luguo No. 8>Taile>Xiangling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meshing force model of misaligned gear coupling was derived, and dynamic equation of rotor-bearing system considering the influence of misaligned gear coupling was established based on finite element analysis. The influence of misalignment on dynamics and stability of rotor-gear coupling-bearing system was studied with numerical simulation and experiments. Research results show:Although the gear coupling has some misalignment compensation ability, the misalignment can still cause the harmonic vibration of rotor system connected by it, and the amplitude of harmonic vibration increases with the raises of misalignment. During the misalignment increasing of rotor-gear coupling-bearing system, oil whipping and gear coupling self-oscillation affect the system stability alternately or jointly. Therefore, the vibration of misaligned rotor-gear coupling-bearing system which implicates abundant nonlinear phenomena is very sophisticated, and the coupling effect of meshing force and oil force should be considered well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To remove the dissymmetry of horizontal movement speed of monitor image caused by image guided missile adopting guided search and the search law with one-dimension visual effect, pitching and yawing signals of the search law with one-dimension visual effect are designed again under the condition of ensuring no blind area and only horizontal movement of monitor image. Simulation results showed that adopting the improved search law and guided search can remove the dissymmetry of the movement of monitor image and original advantages are maintained, which provides a foundation for shooter to acquire and capture targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An axial cooling fan on multiple units was designed based on one-dimensional calculation and three-dimensional numerical simulation. The influence of constant circulation exponent on aerodynamic performance of axial cooling fan was analyzed. Three-dimensional model was presented based-on the one-dimensional calculation. Numerical simulation and thorough analysis were carried out on the blower with software NUMECA. The optimized projects were presented. The model machine was based on geometry parameter of the best project. The performance experiment of the improved blower was studied. The model machine testing results show that the performance of the optimized axial cooling fan is better than that of the original one. Especially the efficiency is improved by 3%. The inlet and outlet flow field is much steady. The optimized blower is better than that of the same style of the imported one in performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the study of the new ambient pressure gas turbine cycle (APGC) , the APGC gas turbine and ambient pressure solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) hybrid power system is presented . The detailed analytic models are established by the commercial software Aspen plus for the performance analysis of the SOFC/APGC hybrid power system. The performance analysis is conducted according to the structure and parameters of 120 kW SOFC designed by Siemens and shows that the generating efficiency in the hybrid power system can reach 66. 5%. This SOFC/APGC hybrid power system is advantageous to generating electric power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of steam turbine virtual sensor data pre-process, a C program is obtained based on the principle of Douglas-Peucker line simplification (DPS) algorithm. For ensuring the applicability of algorithm, the simplified result of different typical line types in engineering is achieved and a chosen-data tolerance rule of affecting precision is put forward. An example of turbine virtual sensor data pre-process is shown, and the real-time simulation problem of virtual sensor is resolved availably with DPS algorithm. It is concluded that DPS algorithm plays an important role in the data simplification in most of the engineering fields and that the tolerance rule put forward here is applicable for most line types in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of children with fungal bloodstream infection (BSI) following chemotherapy for acute leukemia (AL)., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 23 children with fungal BSI following chemotherapy for AL in three hospitals in Fujian Province, China, from January 2015 to December 2023. Their clinical features and prognosis were analyzed., Results: Among all children following chemotherapy for AL, the incidence rate of fungal BSI was 1.38% (23/1 668). At the time of fungal BSI, 87% (20/23) of the children had neutrophil deficiency for more than one week, and all the children presented with fever, while 22% (5/23) of them experienced septic shock. All 23 children exhibited significant increases in C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels. A total of 23 fungal isolates were detected in peripheral blood cultures, with Candida tropicalis being the most common isolate (52%, 12/23). Caspofungin or micafungin combined with liposomal amphotericin B had a relatively high response rate (75%, 12/16), and the median duration of antifungal therapy was 3.0 months. The overall mortality rate in the patients with fungal BSI was 35% (8/23), and the attributable death rate was 22% (5/23)., Conclusions: Fungal BSI following chemotherapy in children with AL often occurs in children with persistent neutrophil deficiency and lacks specific clinical manifestations. The children with fungal BSI following chemotherapy for AL experience a prolonged course of antifungal therapy and have a high mortality rate, with Candida tropicalis being the most common pathogen.

Objectives: To explore the effects of iris xanthin on airway inflammation, airway remodeling, and the high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1)/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway in asthmatic young mice., Methods: Sixty male BALB/c young mice were randomly assigned into six groups: a blank group, a model group, a dexamethasone group, and low, medium, and high dose groups of iris xanthin, with ten mice per group. Asthma models were induced through intraperitoneal injections of a sensitizing agent [ovalbumin (OVA) 20 μg + aluminum hydroxide gel 2 mg], followed by 4% OVA aerosol inhalation. Lung function was measured using a pulmonary function tester to determine lung volume (LV), resting ventilation per minute (VE), and airway reactivity (Penh value). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed to examine and analyze airway remodeling. The contents of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were quantified using ELISA. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were used to assess the expression of HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB pathway-related mRNA and proteins in lung tissues., Results: Compared to the model group, the dexamethasone and iris xanthin-treated groups (low, medium, and high doses) exhibited significant increases in LV and VE ( P <0.05), with incremental dose-dependent increases observed in the iris xanthin groups. Additionally, Penh values, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and airway remodeling indicators, along with mRNA levels of HMGB1, TLR4, and NF-κB p65 and protein levels of HMGB1, TLR4, and p-NF-κB p65, were all reduced ( P <0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. When compared to the dexamethasone group, the low and medium dose iris xanthin groups showed decreases in LV and VE ( P <0.05), whereas Penh values, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and airway remodeling indicators, along with mRNA levels of HMGB1, TLR4, NF-κB p65 and protein levels of HMGB1, TLR4, and p-NF-κB p65, were increased ( P <0.05). No significant differences were noted in these indices between the high dose iris xanthin group and the dexamethasone group ( P >0.05)., Conclusions: Iris xanthin can effectively alleviates airway inflammation and inhibits airway remodeling in asthmatic young mice, possibly through the suppression of the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

Plant functional traits is connected with vegetation adaptability to the environment. The trade-off between plant functional traits reflects resource reintegration and acquisition under grazing pressures. We summarized the differences of plant functional traits under grazing disturbance, focused on the linkages between grazing disturbance and plant functional traits. We introduced that the variation of plant functional traits resulted from the coordination between plant genetic characteristics and environmental filtration, summarized the effects of grazing on nutritional and reproductive traits, and noted that plants could use survival and reproductive strategies to adapt to the grazing disturbance. We mainly focused on the effects of grazing on plant population, community and ecosystem. The expression of plant functional traits was different under grazing disturbance. Therefore, plant functional traits could be used as indicators to explain population growth and reproduction, community assembly, and ecosystem function. In order to better serve the ecological environment of grassland with plant functional traits, reasonable grazing resis-tant species could be screened according to plant functional traits. Based on life history characteristics of grassland plant population, the scientific grazing mechanism should be formulated, and the responses of plant functional traits and resource allocation to grazing disturbance should be conducted from the perspective of individual-based level in the future.

This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shuxuetong Injection in the treatment of stroke in progressive. Randomized controlled trials of Shuxuetong Injection in the treatment of stroke in progressive were searched from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CMB, PubMed and EMbase. After strict literature screening, data extraction and quality evaluation, a total of 22 articles were included for analysis by RevMan 5.3. The Meta-analysis showed that Shuxuetong Injection combined with conventional treatment was superior to the conventional treatment alone in the major outcome indicators including effective rate(RR=1.27, 95%CI[1.20, 1.33], Z=9.18, P&lt;0.000 01), deterioration rate(RR=0.38, 95%CI[0.22, 0.68], Z=3.31, P=0.000 9), NIHSS scores(MD=-3.89, 95%CI[-4.34,-3.43], Z=16.83, P&lt;0.000 01), CSS scores(MD=-5.59, 95%CI[-6.42,-4.76], Z=13.20, P&lt;0.000 01) and activity of daily living scores(MD=12.02, 95%CI[10.31, 13.72], Z=13.83, P&lt;0.000 01), mortality during treatment was not increased(RR=0.40, 95%CI[0.13, 1.26], Z=1.56, P=0.12). Moreover, Shuxuetong Injection combined with conventional treatment further reduced the secondary outcome indicators including fibrinogen(MD=-0.35, 95%CI[-0.58,-0.13], Z=3.09, P=0.002), triglyceride(MD=-0.38, 95%CI[-0.67,-0.10], Z=2.65, P=0.008), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(MD=-0.72, 95%CI[-0.83,-0.61], Z=12.64, P&lt;0.000 01), serum hypersensitive C-reactive protein(MD=-4.41, 95%CI[-6.96,-1.86], Z=3.38, P=0.000 7), and interleukin-6(MD=-5.43, 95%CI[-6.91,-3.96], Z=7.22, P&lt;0.000 01). GRADE evaluation results showed that the major outcome indicators had low quality of evidence. Shuxuetong Injection in the treatment of stroke in progressive can improve the clinical effective rate, reduce the deterioration rate, improve the neurological function and activity of daily living, down-regulate the levels of fibrinogen, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and alleviate the inflammatory response. Although most studies have reported no adverse reactions, there are selective reports. The safety of Shuxuetong Injection needs to be further verified by more high-quality randomized controlled trial.

To systematically evaluate the efficiency and safety of Tanreqing Injection in the treatment of stroke-associated pneumonia(SAP). Seven domestic and foreign databases(CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase) were retrieved from the establishment to July 2020. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, randomized controlled trial of the effect of Tanreqing Injection in the treatment of SAP was selected. NoteExpress software was used to screen out literatures. RevMan 5.4 software was used for data analysis. GRADE system was used to evaluate the evidence quality of the outcome indicators. A total of 1 755 cases in 21 studies were retrieved, including 879 cases in experimental group and 876 cases in control group. In general, the quality of stu-dies received was not high. According to Meta-analysis,(1) in terms of shortening the length of hospital stay, Tanreqing Injection combined with conventional western medicine was better than conventional western medicine(MD=-4.04, 95%CI[-4.43,-3.65], P&lt;0.000 01);(2) in terms of increasing effective rate, Tanreqing Injection combined with conventional western medicine was better than conventional western medicine(RR=1.22, 95%CI[1.17, 1.27], P&lt;0.000 01);(3) in terms of reducing inflammation indicators, Tanreqing Injection combined with conventional western medicine was better than conventional western medicine(MD&#95;(CRP)=-10.75, 95%CI[-15.61,-5.88], P&lt;0.000 01; MD&#95;(WBC count)=-1.62, 95%CI[-2.55,-0.69], P=0.000 6; MD&#95;(PCT)=-0.58, 95%CI[-0.89,-0.26], P=0.000 3];(4) in terms of improving symptoms and signs, Tanreqing Injection combined with conventional wes-tern medicine was better than conventional western medicine(MD&#95;(cough)=-2.73, 95%CI[-4.93,-0.53], P=0.02; MD&#95;(antipyretic)=-1.07, 95%CI[-1.17,-0.98), P&lt;0.000 01];(5) in terms of decreasing the NIHSS scores, Tanreqing Injection combined with conventional western medicine was better than conventional western medicine(MD=-3.02, 95%CI[-4.91,-1.13], P=0.002);(6) in terms of adverse reactions, there was no statistically significant difference between Tanreqing Injection combined with conventio-nal western medicine compared with conventional western medicine treatment(RR=1.19, 95%CI[0.61,2.29], P=0.61). GRADE system showed that the evidence levels of above outcome indicators were low and extremely low. The results proved that Tanreqing Injection combined with conventional western medicine had a good advantage in the treatment of SAP, with better observation indicators better than western medicine conventional treatment, and no increase in the incidence of adverse reactions. However, this study had certain limitations. The overall quality of the included studies was low, which affected the reliability of the results. Therefore, the conclusions of this study shall be used cautiously.

Drug combination is a common clinical phenomenon. However, the scientific implementation of drug combination is li-mited by the weak rational evaluation that reflects its clinical characteristics. In order to break through the limitations of existing evaluation tools, examining drug-to-drug and drug-to-target action characteristics is proposed from the physical, chemical and biological perspectives, combining clinical multicenter case resources, domestic and international drug interaction public facilities with the aim of discovering the common rules of drug combination. Machine learning technology is employed to build a system for evaluating and predicting the rationality of clinical drug combinations based on &quot;drug characteristics-repository information-artificial intelligence&quot; strategy, which will be debugged and validated in multi-center clinical practice, with a view to providing new ideas and technical references for the safety and efficacy of clinical drug use.

Objective: To observe the dynamic changes of hematopoietic reconstitution and multiple lineages differentiation at early phase after transplantation., Methods: Whole bone marrow mononuclear cells (wBMMNC, 5×10 6 ) and enriched c-Kit + hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC, 3×10 5 ) from the BM of B6-Ly5.1 mice were transplanted into lethally irradiated B6-Ly5.2 mice, the frequencies and absolute numbers of donor-derived cells (including LKS - and LKS + ) were detected by flow cytometry. The multiple lineages differentiation of donor-derived cells was also monitored by flow cytometry. The homing and early phase proliferations of donor-derived cells were observed by two-photon microscope., Results: The donor-derived cells started to proliferation from 5-7 days after transplantation and reached the peak value at 2-3 weeks after wBMMNC transplantation. The donor-derived cells proliferated from 1-2 weeks and maintained until 4 weeks after c-kit + HSPC transplantation. At 1 week after transplantation, the donor-derived cells mainly differentiated into myeloid cells with a few lymphoid cells production (B cells) but the production of T cells was not observed at most in wBMMNC transplanted group, while myeloid cells occupied the majority of donor-derived cells at 2-4 weeks; donor-derived cells almost totally differentiated into myeloid cells at 1-3 weeks after transplantation in c-Kit + transplanted group and donor-derived B cells appeared at 4 weeks. The absolute number of donor-derived LKS - and LKS + cells in the BM of c-Kit + transplanted group were much higher than that of wBMMNC group (P＜0.001) at 2 weeks respectively. The clustering proliferation of cKit + cells at 4-5 days after transplantation was observed by two photon microscope., Conclusion: The dynamical rate of proliferation and reconstitution of donor-derived cells are much earlier and quicker in c-Kit + group than those of wBMMNC group. c-Kit + cells mainly differentiate into myeloid cells within 1-3 weeks and the lymphoid cell differentiation starts at 4 weeks after transplantation. The immediate proliferation and differentiation of c-Kit + cells within 1 week maybe due to the urgent needs of hematopoietic regeneration under the myeloablated hosts.

Objective: To compare the prognostic value of different staging systems in primary intestinal diffuse large B cell lymphoma（PI-DLPCL）, and their correlation with clinicopathological characteristics，treatment and prognosis of PI-DLBCL., Methods: A total of 68 patients with PI-DLBCL were recruited from January 2009 to July 2017. All the patients underwent staging by using TNM, Lugano, Blackledge and Musshoff system, survival curves for the PI-DLBCL patients were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and were judged by the log-rank test. The accuracy of each staging system for predicting survival of PI-DLBCL patients was evaluated by calculating the area under curve(AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC). The correlation of the 4 staging systems, clinical features patients and treatment regimes with PFS and OS were analysed., Results: The median follow-up time was 52 (1-105) months, the median PFS time was 41(1-86) months, patients did not reached the median OS time. The most frequently involved site was ileocecal (30.9%), followed by small intestine (29.4%) and colon (29.4%), multiple sites involvement (7.4%) and rectum (2.94%)．The PFS and OS rates at 5-year were 44.9% and 51.1%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank test results showed that using different staging systems to describe the cumulative retention rates of PFS and OS in PI-DLBCL patients, none of the 4 staging systems can distinguish the survival curves of each stage significantly. The results of ROC curve showed that the prediction ability of the Lugano staging system was better than other staging system for 1 year PFS （AUC=0.826；P=0.015）and 1 year OS（AUC=0-792；P=0.001） in PI-DLBCL patients. The 3 year PFS rate in the operation+chemo or radio-therapy group (62 cases) and the single operation group (6 cases) were 53.9% and 16. 7%,respectively（P=0.116），The 3 year OS rate were 66.7% and 16.7%（P=0.015）,respectively. Patients who received chemotherapy combined with rituximab had a higher 3-year PFS(66.0％ vs 44.0％，P=0.139) and 3.year OS(70.2% vs.39.2%，P=0.148).The patients with ileocecal lesion had higher PFS rate and OS rate than other sites(P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that only bone marrow invasion was an independent prognostic factor in patients with PFS., Conclusion: Bone marrow invasion is an independent risk factor for PFS in patients with PI-DLBCL , according to this limited preliminary data，Lugano staging system for stratifying and predicting the prognosis of PI-DLBCL patients is better than other staging system.

Objective: To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) on patients with multiple myeloma(MM) during maintenance therapy and to explore the related factors important for QOL., Methods: The demography, clinical and laboratorial data of 66 MM patients during maintenance therapy were collected and explored by using a cross-sectional question naire(EORTC QLQ C30 V 3.0). The statistical analysis was performed using Nowegram normal mode(NM) and reference values(RV) of MM patients which were used as control., Results: In comparison with Nowegran normal mode, the scores of general health status, physical function, role function and social function of patients during maintenance therapy were lower than those of normal mode (61.3, 73.9, 65.4 and 65.2 vs 75.3, 89.9, 83.3 and 85.8 respectively), while the scores of constipation and financial difficulty were higher than those of normal mode(16.7 and 44.4 vs 10.7 and 9.7 respectively) (P<0.05). In comparison with reference values, the scores of general health status, emotional and coguitive functions of patients during maintenance therapy were significantly higher than those of reference values(61.3, 81.7 and 84.3 vs 55.7, 71.3 and 78.1 respectively) (P<0.05). In addition, the maintenance therapy yet decreasd the scores of fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, dyspnoea, insomnia, appetite loss and constipation of patients, but increased the score of financial difficulty of patients (P<0.05). The age of initial diagnosis, serum LDH level, peripheral neuropathy, high ratio of own expense and underlying diseases were main factors affecting the general health status of patients (P<0.05), while the decrease of Hb level, increase of blood Ca ++ level and accompanied genetic changes negatively influence the QOL (P<0.05), while the high culture level showed positive effect on QOL (P<0.05). The choise of drugs for maintenace (therapy thalidomide and bortezomib) not had significant effect on QOL of patients., Conclusion: The maintenance therapy can improve the QOL of MM patients, the age at initial diagnses, serum LDH level, peripheral neuropathy and high ratio of own expence are the main factors affecting the QOL of MM patients.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and adverse reactions of the maintenance therapies with Thalidomine or Bortezomib in the patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), so as to provide a reference for clinical treatment., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted to compare the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse reaction rate of 23 MM patients received the maintenance therapies of Bortezomib and of 68 MM patients received maintenance therapy of Thalidomine., Results: The maintenance therapy with Bortezomib could extend the PFS of MM patients as compared with Thalidomine (PFS rate of patients on the maintenance therapy of Bortezomib in 12th, and 24th month was 100%, 88.89%, and that of Thalidomine-treated group was 72.31%, 47.54%). What's more, some specific patients could get better 2-year PFS rate in Bortezomib group than that in Thalidomine group, such as older than 65 years old, after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(ASCT), having genetic changes, extramedullary lesions, poor renal function, low serum free light chain ratio, high β2-MG, anemia, high LDH, VGPR of induction and consolidation therapy. The OS rate of Bortezomib on 18th, 24th and 30th month was 100%, 88.89%, 80% verus 91.52%,83.63%,72.90% of the group with thalidemide at the same time. As for 2-year OS rate, the Bortezomib group was higher than Thalidomine without statistical differences. However, the patients such as older than 65 years old, poor renal function and with extramedullary lesions, would also get higher 2-year OS rate from Bortezomi. Bortezomib and thalidomide could cause bone marrow suppression, peripheral neuritis and other adverse reactions., Conclusion: The efficacy of maintenance therapy with Bortezomib is superior to thalidomide. As a conclusion, bortezomib is a better option for maintenance therapy of MM patient.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of autologous stem Hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted for 56 patients diagnosed with MM and then received auto-HSCT in our hospital from December 2008 to September 2016., Results: All the patients successfully underwent hematopoietic reconstruction without transplantation-related mortality (TRM). The complete response (CR) rate of all the patients after induction chemotherapy was 23.2% (13/56), while the CR rate of these patients with auto-HSCT increased to 78.6% (44/56) (P<0.01). The CR plus VGPR (very good partial response) rates of these 56 patients after induction chemotherapy and auto-HSCT were 53.6%（30/56）and 94.6%（53/56） respectively (P<0.01). The median progression-free survival (PFS) time and median overall survival (OS) time were 37 and 71 months, respectively. The median PFS time in the patients with induction therapy containing bortezomib was 37 months, however, the median OS time did not reach to 71 months; the median PFS (P<0.01) and the median OS (P<0.01) in the patients with the induction chemotherapy without bortezomib was 27 and 51 months, respectively. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the patients maintained CR or VGPR after auto-HSCT or with less than 6 cycles of induction chemotherapy significantly correlated with PFS (P<0.01)., Conclusion: auto-HSCT can further increase the CR rate, prolong PFS and OS time. Sequential auto-HSCT after bortezomib-based therapy is the first line therapy for the transplant-eligible MM patients. Maintenance treatment is beneficial to the sustained CR+VGPR patients after auto-HSCT.

Objective: To detect the expression level of miR-19a, one of the oncogenic miR-17-92 cluster, in multiple myeloma cell lines Lp-1 and U266 in vitro and to explore the effects of miR-19a on biological behavior, such as proliferation, migration and apoptosis of Lp-1 and U266 myeloma cells by transfection with miR-19a mimic through Lipofectamine TM 2000., Methods: The reverse transcription-PCR was applied to detect the expression level of miR-19a in multiple myeloma cell lines Lp-1 and U266 in vitro. The CCK8 was used to assay the effect of miR-19a on the proliferation of Lp-1 and U266 cells in vitro, the transwell migration test was adopted to determine the effect of up-regulation of miR-19a on the migration of Lp-1 and U266 multiple myeloma cells in vitro. The flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of miR-19a on the apoptosis of Lp-1 and U266 cells in vitro., Results: The miR-19a expression was higher in Lp-1 and U266 multiple myeloma cells; compared with the transfected cells with a specific miR-19a NC, those samples transfected with miR-19a mimic displayed significantly higher expression of miR-19a (P<0.05), indicating a higher transfection efficiency; the miR-19a could promote the proliferation of Lp-1 and U266 multiple myeloma cells in vitro. MiR-19a could promote migration ability of Lp-1 and U266 multiple myeloma cell lines in vitro and could inhibit the apoptosis of Lp-1 and U266 cells., Conclusion: miR-19a is overexpressed significantly in Lp-1 and U266 multiple myeloma cells, and promots the proliferation and invasion of the myeloma cells, but inhibits their apoptosis.

Background: A survey of early stage follicular lymphoma(FL) revealed that the rigorously staged FL patients at first diagnosis had a better outcome as compared with non-rigorous staged FL patients, but there were no similar reports in China., Objective: To explore the relationship between the rigorous staging at first diagnosis and the prognosis of FL patients at different stages., Methods: The clinical data of 111 patients with newly diagnosed FL from 2008 to 2014 year were collected and analyzed. The rigorous staging included: (1) bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, (2) imaging examination of whole body including CT and ultrasounic scan, or PET/CT, either or both is defined as rigorous staging, or else as non-rigorous staging., Results: The FL patients at I-II stages by rigorous staging showed a superior progression-free survival(PFS) compared with non-rigorous staging patients(P=0.048). For all the patients, the age, serum LDH, bone marrow lesion and more than 3 foci of diameter larger than 3 cm correlated with prognosis in univariate analysis, and multivariate analysis revealed that the age, serum LDH and bone marrow imolvement were the independent prognostic factors., Conclusion: Rigorous staging leads to better outcomes, suggesting that accurate and appropriate testing is important for the patients at the first treatment. The close correlation of bone marrow with prognosis indicates that the evaluation of bone marrow is very important for the daily clinical practice.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL)., Methods: The clinical data of 46 elderly PTCL patients admitted in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from April 2008 to August 2014 were collected, the clinical features, prognostic factors and treatments, as well as followed-up outcome were analyzed retrospectively. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and the COX proportional hazard model was used to perform multivariate analysis., Results: The median survival time was 11 months, and the expected 1-year, 2-year and 3-year overall survival rate (OS) was 50%, 36% and 33%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the age, ECOG score, Charlson Comorbidity Index Score, the efficacy and course of chemotherapy were all the prognostic indicators affecting the OS and progression free survival (PFS) in this cohort of elderly patients. Multivariate analysis indicated that ECOG score and course of chemotherapy were the independent prognostic indicators affecting the OS and PFS (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: ECOG score and course of chemotherapy are of great significance for predicting the prognosis in elderly PTCL patients. The elderly patients's general condition and completion of a certain intensity of chemotherapy are an important measure to prolong survival time in elderly PTCL patients.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of the newly diagnosed Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients., Method: The clinical data of 223 patients with pathologically confirmed and newly diagnosed HL (since January 2001 to December 2012) were collected from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital. The patients' route features, laboratory examination results, clinical manifestations and short-term efficacy were analyzed. Furthermore, the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model were applied to analyze the prognosis. All data were analyzed with SPSS software version 1.0 and graphPad Prism 5., Results: Among the 223 newly diagnosed HL patients, the ratio of male to female was approximately 1.25:1 and the median age was 40 years old (range 3-84 years). The median survival period is 62 months (range 8-189 months). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 92.8% for all 223 HL patients. Multivariate analysis showed that HL originated from mediastinal lymph node region, the extranodal sites were involved, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level increased and CR2 was unable to fulfil the CR/CRu which are independent prognostic factors of HL patients (P < 0.05). Therefore, according to the above-mentioned adverse prognostic factors, 223 cases of HL patients were regrouped as low, intermediate and high risk. The HL 5-year OS rate of three groups were 100%, 96.9% and 42.9%, OS in each group was significantly different (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: HL displays a high incidence in young male patients but the curative efficacy is optimal and the survival period is long. The HL originated at mediastinal lymph node region, involved extranodal sites, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level increased and CR2 is unable to fulfil the CR/CRu which are independent prognostic factors of HL patients. According to the above-mentioned factors for the initial treatment of patients with HL, risk discrimination can predict the prognosis of patients with HL to a certain extent.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of solitary myeloid sarcoma (MS)., Methods: The clinical data of 14 solitary MS patients were retrospectively analysed, including their clinical features and treatment, and were evaluated., Results: A total of 14 cases of solitary MS mainly occurred in middle-aged population with the median age 41 years old (17-62 years old). The involved sites were more extensive, including breast, testis, spinal canal, skin, gastrointestinal system, nose and so on. The poorly differentiated cells of small to medium size showed diffuse distribution, relatively consistent morphology and a higher ratio of cytoplasm. The nucleus is in round or oval shape with fine and dense chromatin. Pathological mitosis was easily observed. Expression of MPO, lysozyme, CD43, myeloid-derived cells were positive. Treatment methods included surgery, chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. Median survival time of 14 patients was 22.5 months; overall survival (OS) was 35.7% (5/14), median disease-free survival reached to 10.4 months on averge (3.5 months to 16 months), and 2-year overall survival (OS) was 50.3%., Conclusion: The incidence of solitary MS is low, with a tendency progressing to leukemia, the chemotherapy regimen of anthracycline+cytarabine combined with radiotherapy can achieve better clinical efficacy.

This study was purposed to analyze the detected status of rare alleles from HLA-A/B/DRB1 typing of 10165 unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donors in Shaanxi region during 2009-2012. The rare allele distributions of HLA-A/B/DRB1 gene typing of 10165 unrelated-donors from Shaanxi sub-registry of Chinese National Marrow Donor Project (CMDP) were detected and analyzed by PCR-SBT. The results showed that there were 40 rare alleles from 48 donors identified by PCR-SBT in 10165 unrelated-donors of Shaanxi sub-registry. Among them, 10 rare alleles of A*02:04, B*07:10, B*27:09, B*35:11, B*44:29, DRB1*03:04, DRB1*08:18, DRB1*13:05, DRB1*13:14 and DRB1*14:11 from 15 donors were not included in the common alleles and well documented alleles (CWD) of China, but were included in the CWD of American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI). The alleles of A*68:24, B*35:11, B*44:29, DRB1*03:04, DRB1*08:18 and DRB1*13:05 were confirmed in more than two samples. There were totally 21 novel HLA alleles identified by our laboratory and officially assigned by the WHO Nomenclature Committee from 2005 to 2012, and some of them were also detected from multiple donors in other HLA typing laboratories of China. Now the novel alleles of HLA-A*02:90, HLA-B*48:14 and HLA-DRB1*01:14 were added into the Chinese CWD list. It is concluded that to ensure the polymorphism integrity and accurate population distribution of HLA genes and its constant accumulations on CMDP, it is necessary to recognize and submit timely the potential novel alleles in our practical work, as well as to record and statistics the identified rare alleles, which can provide the basis for the modification of Chinese CWD. When CWD list is referred, it should be careful for ambiguous results containing the identified rare alleles in order to avoid the occurrence of false or undiscovered detection, and ensure that the patients carrying rare alleles could find a matching donor with the maximum opportunity.

Objective: This study compared two newborn Cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG antibody screening ELISA kits and evaluated the detection effectiveness of Abnova kit., Methods: CMV IgG antibodies were detected by both SeraQuest and Abnova kits from dried blood spot (DBS) samples of 488 newborn heel sticks. The detection abilities of these two kits were compared in different sample dilution concentrations. Relative detection effectiveness of the Abnova kit was defined by statistical method using the SeraQuest kit as a point of comparison., Result: Compared to the SeraQuest screening test kit, the Abnova kit revealed a sensitivity of 98.9%, specificity of 78.6%, positive predictive value of 99.3%, negative predictive value of 68.8%, and the coincidence rate for these two screening test kits at 98.3%. The consistency check of both kits based on interpretation of the kappa statistic was relatively good. For the Abnova kit, the "area under the ROC curve" was 0.887, which indicates moderate accuracy., Conclusion: Abnova kit can be applied to newborn screening for congenital CMV infections. However, repeating the test for ambiguous results is suggested to increase the specificity and negative predictive value.

This study was aimed to investigate the expression levels of CXCR4 and VEGF in serum of patients with DLBCL and their clinical significances. The peripheral blood of 44 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL and 20 healthy adults as a control group were chosen for study. And the expression levels of CXCR4 and VEGF in serum were detected by ELISA. The results showed that the expressions of VEGF and CXCR4 in DLBCL patients were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression of VEGF was positively correlated with the expression of CXCR4 in DLBCL patients, and the correlation coefficient was 0.743 (P < 0.05). The VEGF expression in DLBCL patients was correlated with LDH, immunotyping, the number of extranodal involvements, Ann Arbor staging and ECOG performance score; while the expression of CXCR4 was correlated with LDH, immunotyping, the number of extranodal involvements and Ann Arbor staging. Univariate analysis showed that LDH, extranodal involvements, immunotyping, Ann Arbor staging, CXCR4 and VEGF were associated with OS. Multivariate analysis showed that the immunotyping and CXCR4 expression independently associated with OS. It is concluded that both expression levels of VEGF and CXCR4 are significant higher than those in the control group. CXCR4 expression positively correlates with VEGF expression and displays a prognostic significance for OS. This study suggests that combined targeting VEGF and CXCR4 may become a novel therapeutic strategy for diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of the patients with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma., Methods: The clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of 103 gastric MALT lymphoma patients admitted to our hospital from April 2001 to August 2011 were retrospectively analyzed., Results: The onset of gastric MALT lymphoma was often insidious without specific clinical manifestation, the most common complaints were abdominal pain or discomfort, weight loss, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting. According to Musshoff staging system, 75(72.8%) patients were at early stages (I/II) and 28 (27.2%) patients at advanced stages (III/IV). There was no significant difference in five-year overall survival (OS) between the patients in surgery group and non-surgery group (60.4% vs 78.9%, respectively, P = 0072), while there was statistical difference in five-year progression-free survival (PFS) between the two groups (31.7% vs 52.8%, respectively, P = 0.023). Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was detected in 94 patients (91.2%). Anti-Hp treatment was effective with 100% overall response rate. In 94 patients with complete follow-up data, the 5-year OS rate was 75%, 5-year PFS rate was 46%. Univariate survival analysis showed that the B symptoms, Musshoff staging, performance staging, stage-modified IPI, levels of LDH, nodal involvement and levels of β(2)-microglobulin were correlated with OS and PFS (P < 0.05). The Cox regression analysis showed that Musshoff-III/IV stage, stage-modified IPI score > 2 and B symptoms were independent factor for OS (P < 0.05), whereas Musshoff-III/IV stage was independent factor for PFS (P = 0.027)., Conclusion: The gastric MALT lymphoma had a favorable outcome with high OS rate. The anti-Hp therapy was an effective treatment for the gastric MALT lymphoma, which avoid the surgical trauma and improve the quality of life. The prognostic analysis showed that Musshoff staging, B symptoms or stage-modified IPI score were independent factors for OS and Musshoff staging was also an independent factor for PFS.

Objective: To explore the clinical features and prognostic factors of newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) with extramedullary (EM) involvements., Methods: The clinical features, efficacies, survival rates and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed in 46 MM patients with EM (group A) from January 2000 to October 2011. And another 53 MM patients without EM (group B) were selected as the controls., Results: The median age of Group A was 58 years. Compared with group B, the incidence of EM was associated with a higher level of β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and extensive bone disease. The most common location of EM was soft tissues. And the total effective rates of groups A and B were 58.5% (24/41) and 78.8% (41/52) respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.042). The median follow-up time was 28(2-88) months. The estimated overall survival (OS) of the patients with EM was significantly shorter than those without EM (42.6 vs 53.9 months, P = 0.009). Log-rank univariate analysis showed that the number of osteolytic lesions ≥ 3, β2-MG ≥ 5.5 mg/L, hemoglobin ≤ 110 g/L and albumin ≤ 30 g/L were poor prognostic factors in MM patients with EM. Multivariate analysis with Cox model showed only the number of osteolytic lesions ≥ 3 (OR = 2.327, 95%CI: 1.282 - 4.224) and β2-MG ≥ 5.5 mg/L (OR = 2.677, 95%CI: 1.092 - 6.566) were statistically significant., Conclusions: Multiple EM lesions may be involved in MM patients. For the patients with EM, the response to conventional chemotherapy is poor and the prognosis is unfavorable, especially for those with a high level of β2-MG or the number of osteolytic lesions ≥ 3.

Objective: To investigate the protective effects of rosiglitazone intervention on monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in rats and the possible mechanisms., Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group with a subcutaneous injection of normal saline. PAH group, high-dose and low-dose rosiglitazone intervention groups all with a subcutaneous injection of MCT and then gastric infusion of normal saline (1.5 ml/d), rosiglitazone (5, 2.5 mg·kg(-1)×d(-1)). At Day 21, the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) was detected by right heart catheter. Then rats were sacrificed and their lungs extracted. Perivascular inflammation was scored with the subjective scale of 0 to 4. The tunica media thickness percentage of small pulmonary arteries (WT%) of rats was calculated. Interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) of lung tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: Compared with the PAH group ((37 ± 5) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), 45.5% ± 5.5%), the mPAP and WT% of the high-dose ((27 ± 4) mm Hg, 13.1% ± 3.9%) and low-dose ((28 ± 4) mm Hg, 16.7% ± 1.7%) rosiglitazone intervention group were significantly lower (P < 0.01), but were still higher than those of the control group ((17 ± 3) mm Hg, 8.9% ± 2.3%) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The perivascular inflammation score and levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1 of high-dose and low-dose rosiglitazone intervention groups were significantly lower than those of the PAH group (P < 0.01). Compared with the low-dose rosiglitazone intervention group, all the above indices of the high-dose rosiglitazone intervention group appeared much lower (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: The protective effects of rosiglitazone against MCT-induced PH are correlated with drug dose and may be due to the inhibition of inflammation.

Objective: To study sexual behavioral characteristics, infection status of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STDs) among women who have sex with women (WSW) in Beijing., Methods: A total of 150 WSWs were recruited by snowball sampling in several main types of activity sites of WSW (including NGOs, salons, bars, etc.) in Beijing during September 2010 to April 2011. Information on demographic factors, sexual behavioral characteristics, infection status of STDs, and use of medical care were collected by questionnaire investigation. Serum samples, vaginal and cervical swabs were taken for each subject to test HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), syphilis, herpes simplex virus (HSV), neisseria gonorrhoeae, chlamydia trachoma, bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas vaginalis and mycotic vaginitis., Results: The age range of the subjects was from 19 to 46 years old. Approximately 82.67% (124/150) of them aged 20 to 29 years old, and 54.00% (81/150) were unmarried. Approximately 76.67% (115/150) had an education level of college degree or above, and 70.67% (106/150) were migrants. Approximately 66.66% (100/150) of the subjects considered themselves as homosexual, 28.00% (42/150) as bisexual. The age at first homosexual sex ranged from 11 to 30 years old. The median of number of female sex partners in last 1 year was 1, and 33.78% (50/148) of the subjects had 2 or more female sex partners. Approximately 20.27% (30/148) of the subjects applied sex instruments, of which 66.67% (20/30) never or seldom used condoms. Hand-clitoris and hand-vagina contacts were the main types of woman-to-woman sex, accounting for 91.22% (135/148). 12.00% (18/150) of the subjects had sex with men during last year. Among them, 50.00% (9/18) used condoms at last heterosexual sex, and 66.67% (12/18) never or seldom used condoms at last heterosexual sex in past 1 year. One subject provided paid sex service for men, and used condoms every time. In the past one year, 45.33% (68/150) of the subjects had symptoms of STDs, but only 36.76% (25/68) of them sought medical care. The infection rate of STDs was 34.67% (52/150). The infection rates of NG and GV were both 16.11% (24/149), and those of mycotic vaginitis, chlamydia trachoma, and TV were 8.72% (13/149), 4.03% (6/149), and 0.67% (1/150), respectively. The numbers of subjects tested positive for HBV, HCV, and syphilis were all 1. No subjects were found HIV positive or HSV-2 positive., Conclusion: Multiple sexual partners and heterosexual sex behavior were common among WSW in Beijing. More than 1/3 of the subjects were infected with STD.