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There has been an important change in the clinical characteristics and immune profile of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients during the pandemic thanks to the extensive vaccination programs. Here, we highlight recent studies on COVID‐19, from the clinical and immunological characteristics to the protective and risk factors for severity and mortality of COVID‐19. The efficacy of the COVID‐19 vaccines and potential allergic reactions after administration are also discussed. The occurrence of new variants of concerns such as Omicron BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 and the global administration of COVID‐19 vaccines have changed the clinical scenario of COVID‐19. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C) may cause severe and heterogeneous disease but with a lower mortality rate. Perturbations in immunity of T cells, B cells, and mast cells, as well as autoantibodies and metabolic reprogramming may contribute to the long‐term symptoms of COVID‐19. There is conflicting evidence about whether atopic diseases, such as allergic asthma and rhinitis, are associated with a lower susceptibility and better outcomes of COVID‐19. At the beginning of pandemic, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) developed guidelines that provided timely information for the management of allergic diseases and preventive measures to reduce transmission in the allergic clinics. The global distribution of COVID‐19 vaccines and emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) variants with reduced pathogenic potential dramatically decreased the morbidity, severity, and mortality of COVID‐19. Nevertheless, breakthrough infection remains a challenge for disease control. Hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) to COVID‐19 vaccines are low compared to other vaccines, and these were addressed in EAACI statements that provided indications for the management of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis to COVID‐19 vaccines. We have gained a depth knowledge and experience in the over 2 years since the start of the pandemic, and yet a full eradication of SARS‐CoV‐2 is not on the horizon. Novel strategies are warranted to prevent severe disease in high‐risk groups, the development of MIS‐C and long COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melon Fusarium wilt (MFW), which is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis (FOM), is a soil-borne disease that commonly impacts melon cultivation worldwide. In the absence of any disease-resistant melon cultivars, the control of MFW relies heavily on the application of chemical fungicides. Fludioxonil, a phenylpyrrole fungicide, has been shown to have broad-spectrum activity against many crop pathogens. Sensitivity analysis experiments suggest that fludioxonil has a strong inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth of FOM isolates. Five fludioxonil-resistant FOM mutants were successfully generated by repeated exposure to fludioxonil under laboratory conditions. Although the mutants exhibited significantly reduced mycelial growth in the presence of the fungicide, there initially appeared to be little fitness cost, with no significant difference (p < 0.05) in the growth rates of the mutants and wild-type isolates. However, further investigation revealed that the sporulation of the fludioxonil-resistant mutants was affected, and mutants exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) reduced growth rates in response to KCl, NaCl, glucose, and mannitol. Meanwhile, molecular analysis of the mutants strongly suggested that the observed fludioxonil resistance was related to changes in the sequence and expression of the FoOs1 gene. In addition, the current study found no evidence of cross-resistance between fludioxonil and any of the other fungicides tested. These results indicate that fludioxonil has great potential as an alternative method of control for FOM in melon crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Grasslands are globally threatened by climate changes and unsustainable land-use, which often cause transitions among alternative stable states, and even catastrophic transition to desertification. Spatial vegetation patch configurations have been shown to signify such transitions at large spatial scale. Here, we demonstrate how small-scale patch configurations can also indicate state transitions. Methods The whole spatial series of degradation successions were chosen in alpine grasslands characterized as seven typical communities. Patch numbers, and perimeter and cover of each patch were recorded using adjacent quadrats along transects in each type of the communities. Species abundance within each patch was measured. Important Findings Across seven grazing-induced degradation stages in the world's largest expanse of grassland, from dense ungrazed turf to bare black-soil crust, patch numbers and perimeters first increased as patch cover decreased. Numbers and perimeters then decreased rapidly beyond an intersection point at 68% of initial continuous vegetation cover. Around this point, the vegetation fluctuated back and forth between the sedge-dominated grassland breaking-up phase and the forb-dominated phase, suggesting impending shift of grassland state. This study thus demonstrates how ground-based small-scale vegetation surveys can provide a quantitative, easy-to-use signals for vegetation degradation, with promise for detecting the catastrophic transition to desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences, arising from differences in gross primary production (GPP) model structures and driving forces, have fuelled arguments concerning interannual changes of GPP in China since 2000. To better investigate the interannual variability of GPP and its covariance with climate factors in China, this study adopted a multi‐model analysis based on three GPP models (i.e., Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon flux model [TEC], Breathing Earth System Simulator model [BESS], and MOD17 GPP model). The results show that annual GPP in China increased by 0.021–0.057 Pg C year−1 from 2000 to 2015 attributable to atmospheric‐CO2 fertilization effects and favourable climate change, that is, increasing precipitation (Pr) and temperature (Ta). However, northern China and southern China had a large difference in the amplitude of these GPP changes; annual GPP increased by 0.017–0.039 Pg C year−1 in northern China but only 0.001–0.018 Pg C year−1 in southern China. Northern China and southern China occupy contrasting climate zones and this contrast produced different interannual variability of GPP through different mechanisms. Northern China has a dry climate with GPP changes sensitive to Pr. As a result, more Pr along with higher Ta in northern China produced the strong uptrend of GPP from 2000 to 2015. In contrast, southern China has a wet climate with its GPP sensitive to solar radiation and Ta. For the interval of 2000–2015, decreasing radiation plus drought exerted a negative influence on GPP in southern China. This study highlights the diverse mechanisms in which climate change affects GPP in dry and wet climate zones. A robust multi‐model analysis is preferred to reduce uncertainties arising from a single GPP model and its driving data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For chloride-contaminated RC structures, steel corrosion is one of the most common reasons causing the deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE), which migrates the chloride ions out of the RC structure, is preferred as it is a nondestructive repairing method. In this context, electrokinetic models are often used to investigate ECE processes. Currently, electrokinetic models based on different potential theories, such as the constant potential, electroneutrality, and Gauss’ law, may be used to solve the potential distribution. Although many ECE numerical simulations have been conducted, there has been no systematic comparison of models based on different potential theories. Therefore, in this study, a comprehensive comparative study has been conducted on these models in terms of the potential distribution, current density, quantity of electric charge, and ion concentration. Two commonly used ECE methods, namely, steady voltage and steady current, were numerically simulated and analyzed. The numerical results with actual ECE data were also compared. Although the electrokinetic model based on electroneutrality might overestimate the residual chloride concentration and underestimate current density and hydroxyl concentration, critical analysis suggests that electroneutrality is more appropriate than the constant potential and Gauss’ law for electrokinetic modeling.

A revised numerical model of circulating jet tank (CJT) was constructed by adding four momentum sources. The radial distribution tendency of total pressure predicted by large eddy simulation had a good agreement with experimental results. The axial velocities at the center of downcomers have parabolic attenuation tendency with the increasing axial positions. The inductive and restrictive effects of outlets on the jet flow performances were evaluated by the parameters, such as jet velocity decay, spreading rate and energy dissipation. The optimum factor of outlet structures was proposed based on the ratio of spreading rate to energy dissipation. Numerical results show that the downcomers equipped with four symmetrical rectangular outlets contribute more to reduce the decay of jet centerline velocity and make good use of the entrainment between the jet and bulk liquid to generate the largest spreading rate. Furthermore, a nearly plug flow pattern and the maximum value of optimum factor are attained compared with other types of outlets. The optimum factors of rectangular outlets firstly increase then decrease with the increasing ratios of width to diameter of the downcomers. Rectangular outlets induce the jet to expand and get the largest dimensionless jet length and spreading rate when the ratios of width to diameter w/ D1 approach 0.08. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Soils of three sites were studied in the Inner Mongolia steppe; one site non-grazed for 26yr (NG26), another site non-grazed for 6yr (NG6) and a third site freely grazed all along (FG). The composition of methantrophic communities was characterized by pmoA gene fragments (coding for a subunit of particulate methane monooxygenase) that were PCR amplified from total soil DNA extracts, using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) method. Cluster analysis based on the DGGE band patterns indicated that the methanotrophic communities structure of NG6 and FG soils were similar to each other but different from that of NG26 soil. Sequence analysis showed that most bands belonged to the cluster of USCγ. This is the first report that USCγ cluster is dominated in the grassland soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Retraction: The authors have retracted this article [1] because of significant overlap of text and some images with a previously published article by Xu et al. [2]. A formal investigation by the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University has found that some panels in Fig. 6b [1] are identical with panels in Fig. 5a [2] and some images of mice lungs in Fig. 6c [1] are identical with images in Fig. 3g [2]. The data reported in this article are therefore unreliable. All authors agree to this retraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract EphB3 is a member of the EPH family of receptors and has been found to play a role in the carcinogenesis of some human cancers. However, its expression and clinical significance in gastric cancer (GC) have not been well documented. In the present study, we detected the expression of EphB3 in GC and adjacent noncancerous tissues and explored its relationships with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of GC patients. It was found that EphB3 silenced GC cells epigenetically by direct transcriptional repression of GC cells via polycomb group protein EZH2 mediation. EphB3 was downregulated in GC cells and tissues, and EphB3 depletion promoted GC cell growth and invasion, while ectopic overexpression of EphB3 produced a significant anti-tumor effect. EphB3 was found to be involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition by regulating E-cadherin and vimentin expression. In addition, patients with reduced EphB3 expression had shorter disease-free survival (DFS), indicating that EphB3 may prove to be a biomarker for prognosis of GC. These results demonstrated that EphB3 functioned as a tumor-suppressor and prognostic biomarker in GC. Highlights • EphB3 expression was down-regulated in gastric cancer and was correlated with a worse outcome. • EZH2 repressed EphB3 expression via H3K27me3 modification in gastric cancer. • EphB3 inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing the approaches that climatic factors affect the spatial variation of annual gross primary productivity (GPP yr ) would improve our understanding on its spatial pattern. Based on network eddy covariance measurements and published data in literature, we separated GPP yr into radiation use efficiency (RUE) and annual absorbed photosynthesis active radiation (APAR yr ), where APAR yr can be regarded as the product of the fraction of absorbed annual photosynthesis active radiation (FPAR yr ) and annual PAR (PAR yr ). Given that PAR yr affects the spatial variation of GPP yr directly through itself, we investigated factors affecting the spatial variations of RUE and FPAR yr , to reveal how climatic factors affect the spatial variation of GPP yr . Results suggest that the spatial variation of RUE was directly affected by annual mean air temperature (MAT) and annual mean CO 2 mass concentration ( ρ cyr ). The increasing MAT and ρ cyr directly enhanced RUE. The increasing annual precipitation (MAP) directly prompted FPAR yr . Therefore, MAT and ρ cyr affected the spatial variation of GPP yr through altering RUE while the effect of MAP was achieved through altering FPAR yr . Our study could also provide an alternative way for regional GPP yr assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To introduce a simple iris hook assisted phacoemulsification (PE) procedure and evaluate the safety and efficacy of it in completely vitrectomized eyes., Methods: A single centre study which included 65 previously completely vitrectomized eyes of 62 patients who underwent cataract surgery. Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups. Patients received PE, and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with the assistance of iris hook (Synergeties™) as group A (25 eyes); patients who received PE assisted with a 25G pars plana irrigation as group B (20 eyes), and patients who received PE performed without the help of any instrument as group C (20 eyes). Main outcome measures were surgery duration, Ultrasound (U/S) total time, endothelial cell density (ECD), cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) and complications of the procedures., Results: With the help of iris hook, the patients in group A had the lowest ECD loss rate (0.07±0.03, 0.09±0.03, and 0.10±0.03, P <0.05), shortest CDE (12.2±4.1, 15.8±6.0, and 16.0±6.0, P <0.05) and U/S total time (36.6±13.0s, 46.3±16.4s, and 47.6±16.1s, P <0.05), and minimal incidence of complications. The longest surgery duration was in group B (19.4±1.6min) and maximum complications rate in group C (20% miosis, 10% posterior capsular tears, 5% zonular dialysis, 5% cystoid macular edema). While best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP) and ECD did not show a significant difference among the three groups., Conclusion: Without prolonged surgery duration, the iris hook assistant method can minimize heat generation during surgery and incidence of complications, which transfer the challenged PE in vitrectomized eyes into a regular surgery. It does not need any change in the hydrodynamic parameters and in the bag PE technique, easy to operate even for junior surgeons., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Background: Many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of single-allergen sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in polysensitized patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), but less is reported in polysensitized patients with allergic asthma (AS). Method: Data of 133 adult patients with house dust mite (HDM)-induced AS who had been treated for 3 years were collected. These patients were divided into the control group (treated with low to moderate dose of inhaled glucocorticoids and long-acting β2 agonists, n = 37) and the SLIT group (further treated with Dermatophagoides farinae drops, n = 96). The SLIT group contained three subgroups: the single-allergen group (only sensitized to HDM, n = 35), the 1- to 2-allergen group (HDM combined with one to two other allergens, n = 32), and the 3-or-more-allergen group (HDM combined with three or more other allergens, n = 29). The total asthma symptom score (TASS), total asthma medicine score (TAMS), and asthma control test (ACT) were assessed before treatment and at yearly visits. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) was assessed before treatment and at the end of SLIT. Results: TASS and ACT scores in the control group were significantly higher than that in the single-allergen group and the 1- to 2-allergen group after 1, 2, and 3 years of SLIT and significantly higher than that in the 3-or-more-allergen group after 3-year SLIT (all p < 0.05). TAMS of the control group was significantly higher than that of the other three groups after 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 years of SLIT (all p < 0.05). FEV1/FVC in the control group was significantly higher than baseline after 3 years of immunotherapy ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients sensitized to HDM with/without other allergens showed similar efficacy after 3 years of SLIT. However, the initial response of patients with three or more allergens was slower during immunotherapy process., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Zhang, Liang, Chen, Wang, Ma, Lin, Xue, Cao, Yang and Zhang.)

It is widely reported that long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in regulating cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and other biological processes. Certain lncRNAs have been found to be crucial in various types of tumor. Taurine‑upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) has been shown to be expressed in a tissue‑specific pattern and exert oncogenic or tumor suppressive functions in different types of cancer in humans. According to previous studies, TUG1 is predominantly located in the nucleus and may regulate gene expression at the transcriptional level. It mediates chromosomal remodeling and coordinates with polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to regulate gene expression. Although the mechanisms of how TUG1 affects the tumor genesis process remain to be fully elucidated, increasing studies have suggested that TUG1 offers potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, and as a therapeutic target in certain types of tumor. This review aims to summarize current evidence concerning the characteristics, mechanisms and associations with cancer of TUG1.

Krüppel-like factors (KLFs), such as KLF4, KLF2, KLF5 and KLF15, have been extensively investigated in multi-cancers. However, KLF16, a member of KLFs, hasn't been well identified in cancer, especially in gastric cancer (GC). Here, we investigated the roles of KLF16 in GC. In present study, we found that KLF16 expression levels were significantly up-regulated in GC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues both in protein and mRNA levels by using immunohistochemistry assays (IHC) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). And KLF16 expression levels were positively correlated to tumor size, invasion depth, lymphatic metastasis and TNM stage. Furthermore, KLF16 expression also could predict prognosis in patients with GC. Moreover, the knock-down of KLF16 could significantly suppress proliferation via increasing p21 expression and decreasing CDK4 expression in GC cell lines. In summary, these findings demonstrate that KLF16 plays a significant role in GC progression and could be a new therapeutic target for GC patients., Competing Interests: None.

Recent evidence indicates that E2F1 transcription factor have pivotal roles in the regulation of cellular processes, and is found to be dysregulated in a variety of cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are also reported to exert important effect on tumorigenesis. E2F1 is aberrantly expressed in gastric cancer (GC), and biology functions of E2F1 in GC are controversial. The biological characteristics of E2F1 and correlation between E2F1 and lncRNAs in GC remain to be found. In this study, integrated analysis revealed that E2F1 expression was significantly increased in GC cases and its expression was positively correlated with the poor pathologic stage, large tumor size and poor prognosis. Forced E2F1 expression promotes proliferation, whereas loss of E2F1 function decreased cell proliferation by blocking of cell cycle in GC cells. Mechanistic analyses indicated that E2F1 accelerates GC growth partly through induces TINCR transcription. TINCR could bind to STAU1 (staufen1) protein, and influence CDKN2B mRNA stability and expression, thereby affecting the proliferation of GC cells. Together, our findings suggest that E2F1/TINCR/STAU1/CDKN2B signaling axis contributes to the oncogenic potential of GC and may constitute a potential therapeutic target in this disease.

Ulinastatin, a urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), is widely used to clinically treat lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-related inflammatory disorders recently. Adherent pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), of which LPS is the best-studied and classical endotoxin produced by Gram-negative bacteria, act to increase the biological activity of osteopedic wear particles such as polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and titanium particles in cell culture and animal models of implant loosening. The present study was designed to explore the inhibitory effect of UTI on osteoclastogenesis and inflammatory osteolysis in LPS/PMMA-mediated Raw264.7 cells and murine osteolysis models, and investigate the potential mechanism. The in vitro study was divided into the control group, LPS-induced group, PMMA-stimulated group and UTI-pretreated group. UTI (500 or 5000 units/ml) pretreatment was followed by PMMA (0.5 mg/ml) with adherent LPS. The levels of inflammatory mediators including tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), matrixmetallo-proteinases-9 (MMP-9) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), receptor activation of nuclear factor NF-κB (RANK), and cathepsin K were examined and the amounts of phosphorylated I-κB, MEK, JNK and p38 were measured. In vivo study, murine osteolysis models were divided into the control group, PMMA-induced group and UTI-treated group. UTI (500 or 5000 units/kg per day) was injected intraperitoneally followed by PMMA suspension with adherent LPS (2×10 8 particles/25 μl) in the UTI-treated group. The thickness of interfacial membrane and the number of infiltrated inflammatory cells around the implants were assessed, and bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular number (Tb.N.), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th.), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp.), relative bone volume over total volume (BV/TV) of distal femur around the implants were calculated. Our results showed that UTI pretreatment suppressed the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines including MMP-9, IL-6, TNF-α, RANK and cathepsin K through down-regulating the activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and MAPKs partly in LPS/PMMA-mediated Raw264.7 cells. Finally, UTI treatment decreased the inflammatory osteolysis reaction in PMMA-induced murine osteolysis models. In conclusion, these results confirm the anti-inflammatory potential of UTI in the prevention of particle disease., (© 2016 The Author(s).)

Background: Recent evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in the regulation of cellular processes and are found to be dysregulated in a variety of cancers. LINC00261 is an lncRNA that is aberrantly expressed in gastric cancer (GC). The clinical role of LINC00261 in GC and molecular mechanisms remains to be found., Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to examine LINC00261 expression in GC cell lines/tissues compared with normal epithelial cells/adjacent non-tumorous tissues. Gain and loss of function approaches were used to investigate the biological role of LINC00261 in GC cells. The effects of LINC00261 on cell viability were evaluated by MTT and colony formation assays. Wound healing assay, cell migration and invasion assays, and nude mice were used to examine the effects of LINC00261 on tumor cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Protein levels of LINC00261 targets were determined by western blot and immunohistochemistry., Results: LINC00261 was downregulated in GC cell lines and cancerous tissues, as compared with normal gastric epithelial cells and adjacent noncancerous tissue samples. Low LINC00261 expression was correlated with deeper tumor invasion (P < 0.001), higher tumor stage (P = 0.013), and lymphatic metastasis (P = 0.006). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that low LINC00261 expression predicted poor prognosis. Ectopic expression of LINC00261 impaired cell migration and invasion, leading to the inhibition of metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown of LINC00261 expression promoted cell migration and invasion in vitro. Overexpression of LINC00261 was found to play a key role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the regulation of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin expression., Conclusions: Low expression of the lncRNA LINC00261 occurs in GC and is associated with poor prognosis. LINC00261 suppresses GC metastasis by regulating EMT. Thus, LINC00261 plays an important role in the progression and metastasis of GC.

Pulmonary inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (PIMTs) are extremely rare in adults. If occurring in patients >40 years old, PIMT should be rapidly distinguished from lung cancer. The present study aimed to characterize the imaging features of PIMT in patients >40 years old in order to improve the diagnosis of PIMT. The imaging data of 10 patients with PIMT were reviewed retrospectively. Of the patients, eight underwent computed tomography (CT), two underwent positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and four underwent single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Unenhanced CT revealed 10 lesions with a maximum diameter ranging between 5 and 57 mm located in the lower (n=6) or upper (n=4) lobe, in a peripheral (n=9) or central (n=1) region, and that were well- (n=4) or ill-defined (n=6), and round to oval (n=5) or irregular (n=5) in shape. Calcification (n=3), necrosis (n=6), cavity (n=4), air bronchogram (n=6) and obstructive pneumonia (n=1) were also observed in the patients. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed six lesions with moderate to high contrast enhancement in the arterial and venous phases, including four lesions with delayed enhancement. PET/CT identified two lesions with increased tracer uptake that were homogeneous and heterogeneous and each exhibited a maximal standard uptake value (SUV max ) of 6.0 and 5.4, respectively. The delayed PET/CT revealed foci that each exhibited an increased SUV max of 6.9 and 5.9, respectively. SPECT demonstrated no definitive bone metastases, but did reveal atypical hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy in one patient. The combined imaging methods may lead to a more precise evaluation of PIMT in patients >40 years old.

Pulmonary enteric adenocarcinoma (PEAC), a extremely rare variant of primary invasive adenocarcinoma of the lung, was recognized by the international multidisciplinary classification of lung adenocarcinoma which was proposed by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), the American Thoracic Society (ATS), and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) published in early 2011. Histologically, PEAC is considered to be mainly composed of tall columnar cells arranged in an irregular glandular cavity or cribriform pattern with extensive central necrosis which show high resemblance to that of intestinal epithelia and colorectal carcinomas. Immunohistochemically, PEAC can not only expresses typical proteins common to lung primaries but is positive for at least one intestinal markers, such as CDX2, cytokeratin (CK) 20, MUC2, therefore, the differentiation of primary PEACs from metastatic colorectal cancers can be challenging. In this study, we report 9 cases of PEAC and a panel of immunohistochemical protein markers of CK7, CK20, thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1), Napsin A, MUC2 and villin was analyzed with the comparison of 20 metastatic colorectal carcinomas (MCRs), and 20 typical primary adenocarcinomas (tPACs). As was expected, CK7 expression was documented in all 9 PEACs and 20 tPCAs while CK20 was significantly more prevalent in adenocarcinoma that originated from colorectal. Additionally, we evaluate the classical mutations of EGFR, KRAS in the 9 cases of PEACs, it turned out that all tumors were EGFR-wild and KRAS-wild types, which confirmed that PEAC has a separate phenotype from usual pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is traditionally classified into type 1 and type 2. Recently, an oncocytic variant of PRCC has been described. We report a series of 6 oncocytic renal papillary tumors (OPRCC) which tended to occur in older patients (mean, 56.8 years) with a male preference (male-to-female ratio is 5:1). All 6 patients are alive with no evidence of disease after initial resection, showing an indolent clinical behavior. Histologically, tumors exhibited predominant papillary structure with delicate fibrovascular cores. Papillae were lined by single layers of cells with large, deeply eosinophilic and finely granular cytoplasms and round regular nucleus. The phagocytosis of tumor cells was frequently and evidently seen in our cases that hemosiderin-laden tumor cells and foamy tumor cells were noticed in five and four cases respectively. All tumors were immunoreactive for racemase, vimentin, CD10, and MET and negative for CD117. While E-cadherin, EMA, and cytokeratin 7 exhibited variable immunopositivity. FISH analysis was performed in five of six cases and found heterogeneous results. Trisomy of chromosomes 7 was found in three cases and trisomy of chromosomes 17 in two cases. Loss of chromosome Y was noted in one of four tumors in male patients. MET gene status was also investigated by direct sequencing in all 6 cases and found no distinct mutation in any case. These results suggest that OPRCC shows distinct morphology, indolent clinical behavior, and similar immunohistochemical and cytogenetic features with PRCC, seems to be a variant in the PRCC group. Whether the strong expression of MET indicates a potential therapeutic target is still unknown and requires further investigation in clinical trials.

Understanding the dynamics and underlying mechanism of carbon exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere is one of the key issues in global change research. In this study, we quantified the carbon fluxes in different terrestrial ecosystems in China, and analyzed their spatial variation and environmental drivers based on the long-term observation data of ChinaFLUX sites and the published data from other flux sites in China. The results indicate that gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of terrestrial ecosystems in China showed a significantly latitudinal pattern, declining linearly with the increase of latitude. However, GEP, ER, and NEP did not present a clear longitudinal pattern. The carbon sink functional areas of terrestrial ecosystems in China were mainly located in the subtropical and temperate forests, coastal wetlands in eastern China, the temperate meadow steppe in the northeast China, and the alpine meadow in eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The forest ecosystems had stronger carbon sink than grassland ecosystems. The spatial patterns of GEP and ER in China were mainly determined by mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT), whereas the spatial variation in NEP was largely explained by MAT. The combined effects of MAT and MAP explained 79%, 62%, and 66% of the spatial variations in GEP, ER, and NEP, respectively. The GEP, ER, and NEP in different ecosystems in China exhibited 'positive coupling correlation' in their spatial patterns. Both ER and NEP were significantly correlated with GEP, with 68% of the per-unit GEP contributed to ER and 29% to NEP. MAT and MAP affected the spatial patterns of ER and NEP mainly by their direct effects on the spatial pattern of GEP., (© 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Background: Apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism is associated with changes in the lipoprotein profile of individuals with familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL), but its effects on the lipoprotein profiles of members of Chinese families with FCHL remain uncertain., Methods and Results: 43 FCHL families (n=449) and 9 normolipidemic families (n=73) were recruited to assess the influence of apoE polymorphism on plasma lipids. The relative frequency of the epsilon4 allele in affected and unaffected FCHL relatives, spouses and normolipidemic members was 13.8%, 5.3%, 9.1% and 6.8%, respectively, with a significantly higher frequency in affected FCHL relatives, compared with unaffected FCHL relatives or normolipidemic members (p=0.0002 or p=0.029). In FCHL relatives, the apoE4 subset (E4/4 and E4/3) exhibited significantly higher levels of apoB, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) than did the apoE3 (E3/3) subset, especially in women (all p<0.05), and there was significant elevation of LDL-C concentrations in men only (p<0.05). In men, the apoE2 (E3/2) subset indicated a decreased level of apoB and increased apoA1 compared with those in the apoE3 subset (p<0.05)., Conclusions: ApoE polymorphism appears to be associated with variance of the lipoprotein phenotype in Chinese families with FCHL.