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Objective: To observe the clinical effect of modified Yu Rong San gel eye mask in the treatment of dark circles. Methods: 96 cases of patients with dark circles were randomly divided into treatment group and control group. In the control group and the treatment group, the common eye mask and the modified Yu Rong San gel eye mask were applied to the black circle area respectively. After 15min, water was used to wash the face, the application of the mask for one time a day, four weeks, one course, and three courses were observed. Results: After three courses of treatment, the total effective rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group (P

Achieving 'clinical cure' in children with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with safe and effective antiviral treatment is an unmet medical need. Peginterferon (PegIFN) has higher hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg) clearance than nucleoside analogs (NUC). Currently, studies on interferon (IFN) in the treatment of Chinese children with CHB are relatively rare. This study aimed to further explore the efficacy of PegIFNα-2a as an antiviral treatment in Chinese children and analyse the long-term follow-up after drug discontinuation. We enrolled 118 patients with CHB (2-16 years old, 79 cases are males) treated with PegIFNα-2a by the author in the Third People's Hospital of Kunming City from February 2009 to February 2015. The course of treatment was 52 weeks, with a follow-up period of 104 weeks. All the patients completed at least 1 dose, of which 104 completed at least 36 weeks of treatment and 104 weeks of follow-up. During treatment and follow-up, indicators such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and HBV serological markers were monitored, and the efficacy and safety of PegIFNα-2a in the treatment of CHB patients were observed. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) clearance and seroconversion rates were 53.8% and 49%, respectively, when the drug was discontinued; 72.1% and 72.1%, respectively, at the end of the follow-up; and 98.2% and 98%, respectively, for sustained response. HBsAg clearance and seroconversion rates were 48.1% and 47.1%, respectively, when the drug was discontinued; 53.8% and 52.9%, respectively, at the end of the follow-up; and 94% and 95.9%, respectively, for sustained response. The HBV DNA suppression rate was 89.4% when the drug was discontinued, 90.4% at the end of the follow-up and 97.8% for sustained response. Two patients had virological relapse (2.3%) during follow-up; however, no clinical relapse occurred. Multivariate regression analysis showed that genotype B, weight < 25 kg or between 25 and 45 kg, and reduction of HBsAg by more than 1 log following 24 weeks of treatment were independent predictors of HBsAg clearance at the end of follow-up. Adverse events that occurred during treatment were similar to those reported in previous clinical studies on PegIFN. The results of this study showed that PegIFN was safe and effective in the treatment of children with CHB, and sustained response could be achieved after treatment. PegIFN treatment of children with CHB helps more achieve 'clinical cure'.

TP53 is the most frequently mutated or deleted gene in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Both the loss of TP53 and the lack of targeted therapy are significantly correlated with poor clinical outcomes, making TNBC the only type of breast cancer that has no approved targeted therapies. Through in silico analysis, we identified POLR2A in the TP53-neighboring region as a collateral vulnerability target in TNBC tumours, suggesting that its inhibition via small interfering RNA (siRNA) may be an amenable approach for TNBC targeted treatment. To enhance bioavailability and improve endo/lysosomal escape of siRNA, we designed pH-activated nanoparticles for augmented cytosolic delivery of POLR2A siRNA (siPol2). Suppression of POLR2A expression with the siPol2-laden nanoparticles (siPol2@NPs) leads to enhanced growth reduction of tumours characterised by hemizygous POLR2A loss. These results demonstrate the potential of the pH-responsive nanoparticle and the precise POLR2A targeted therapy in TNBC harbouring the common TP53 genomic alteration.

Asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) as a promising candidate to complement batteries, have been studied for decades due to the relatively high power density. The energy storage of ASCs is significantly affected by the well-designed electrode material and delicate charge balance of electrodes. With the hope to design better supercapacitor devices, we firstly synthesize C-NiO/NiCo2O4 nanocomposites with the modified nanowire structure and a small amount of carbon, effectively boosting the specific capacitance and cyclic-stability. In addition, a multi-electrode system is developed to investigate match degrees of C-NiO/NiCo2O4//AC ACSs, and the inter-restricted behavior of positive and negative electrodes. By this real-time electrochemical method, the potential contributions of electrodes in ASCs are further revealed during charge/discharge process. Therefore, ASC device with optimal match degree delivers areal capacitance up to 3482 mF cm−2, and the maximum energy and power density of 42.69 mWh cm−3 and 1.66 W cm−3. Importantly, this work throws light on the fundamental study for supercapacitors in terms of materials design and charge match degrees.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic disease causing severe impairment to the respiratory system and digestive tracts. Currently, CF is incurable. As an autosomal recessive disorder, the morbidity of CF is significantly higher among Caucasians of European descent, whereas it is less pervasive among African and Asian populations. The disease is caused by identical mutations (homozygosity) or different mutations (heterozygosity) of an autosomal recessive mutation at position 7q31.2‑q31.1 of chromosome 7. Diagnostic criteria and guidelines work concurrently with laboratory detection to facilitate precise CF detection. With technological advances, the understanding of CF pathogenesis has reached an unprecedented level, allowing for increasingly precise carrier screening, more effective early stage CF intervention and improved prognostic outcomes. These advances significantly increase the life quality and expectancy of patients with CF. Given the numerous improvements in the field of CF, the current review summarized the technical advances in the study of the molecular mechanisms underlying CF, as well as how these improvements facilitate the clinical outcomes of CF. Furthermore, challenges and obstacles to overcome are discussed.

Chromosome 17q23 amplification occurs in ~11% of human breast cancers. Enriched in HER2+ breast cancers, the 17q23 amplification is significantly correlated with poor clinical outcomes. In addition to the previously identified oncogene WIP1, we uncover an oncogenic microRNA gene, MIR21, in a majority of the WIP1-containing 17q23 amplicons. The 17q23 amplification results in aberrant expression of WIP1 and miR-21, which not only promotes breast tumorigenesis, but also leads to resistance to anti-HER2 therapies. Inhibiting WIP1 and miR-21 selectively inhibits the proliferation, survival and tumorigenic potential of the HER2+ breast cancer cells harboring 17q23 amplification. To overcome the resistance of trastuzumab-based therapies in vivo, we develop pH-sensitive nanoparticles for specific co-delivery of the WIP1 and miR-21 inhibitors into HER2+ breast tumors, leading to a profound reduction of tumor growth. These results demonstrate the great potential of the combined treatment of WIP1 and miR-21 inhibitors for the trastuzumab-resistant HER2+ breast cancers., The 17q23 amplicon containing the WIP1 oncogene is frequently amplified in HER2+ breast cancer. Here they find MIR21 to be present in WIP1-containing amplicons, and report nanoparticle based co-delivery of WIP1 and miR-21 inhibitors to be effective in trastuzumab-resistant HER2+ breast cancer.

The interfacial electron transfer capability of Si/SiO2 wafer supported single layer graphene is optimized by thermal annealing in an inert gas environment, which facilitates its applications in both electrochemical and electronic devices.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing global public health concern and becoming the leading cause of liver disease worldwide. The estimated global prevalence of NAFLD is ∼25% depending on the country and the assessment method used to establish the diagnosis. Meta-analyses suggest that the highest prevalence is in the Middle East (31.8%) and South America (30.4%), and the lowest in Africa (13.5%). In the United States, between 75 and 100 million individuals were estimated to have NAFLD. This important disease is associated with increased incidence of liver-related deaths, hepatocarcinoma, and overall mortality. Fibrosis stage, among other histological characteristics, is the most critical factor in predicting all-cause and disease-specific mortality in NAFLD. The ability to detect fibrosis early in NAFLD patients is critical in controlling mortality associated with this highly prevalent disease. We present here an expert review on recent advances in novel blood biomarkers, for example, the Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive mac-2 binding protein (WFA+-M2BP), type IV collagen 7S, chitinase 3 like 1 (CHI3L1; YKL-40), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Algorithms using multiple biomarkers such as alpha-2-macroglobulin, mir34a, YKL-40, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c; NIS4), enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF), Hepascore, FibroMeter, FibroTest, FIBROSpect, FIB-C3, and ADPAPT are highlighted. Novel technologies such as tandem mass spectrometry to directly measure protein turnover rate of the key proteins involved in hepatic fibrosis, as an indicator of fibrogenesis, are also discussed. In conclusion, NAFLD is a growing global health problem that warrants long-term funding, research, and training of scholars across the fields of public health diagnostics, systems sciences, nutrition, hepatology, and clinical oncology.

This study aims to investigate the selenium (Se) distribution in the soils of the vast cultivated areas of Aksu Prefecture in mid-Western Xinjiang of Northwest China. The study of the origin and enrichment mechanism of Se in the soils of alluvial fans of these areas (also known as oasis areas) are of great importance for the conservation and development of Se-rich resources. Geological genetic analyses and elemental abundance comparisons confirmed that the Se-rich basement rocks (i.e., the Xiyu Group) are the primary source material of Se in the oasis farmlands. The study, carried out on samples taken along two transects that cross each other, showed that, from the peripheral to the core farmland of the investigated area, the Se concentration increases significantly, accompanied by a decrease in pH and increases in organic matter and clay particles. The peripheral farming land in Aksu showed low median Se concentration of 0.19 mg/kg that represent the regional soil background, high alkalinity (pH = 8.1–9.4), high silica content (SiO2 = 47.8–72.0 wt%) and low organic matter content (OrgC = 0.17–0.76 wt%). The core farming land, representing the intensely cultivated farmland, showed a median Se content of 0.56 mg/kg, and is characterized by low alkalinity (pH = 7.3–8.5) and silica content (SiO2 = 33.5–52.5 wt%), and is rich in organic matter (OrgC = 0.87–9.8 wt%). Based on the vertical soil section investigation, we found that the soil mineralogical and geochemical variations from the deep to the shallow soil layers is similar to that from the peripheral to the core farming land. Thanks to soil acidification and accumulation of organic matters and clay particles, the oasis-type farming activities transfer Se from the Se-enriched parts of the peripheral farming land and the deep soil layers to the upper soil layers of the core farming land. This Se-enrichment mechanism made the core farming land and its topsoil the most Se-rich part of the investigated area.

Financing by patent pledge is an important way for small- and medium-sized pharmaceutical enterprises to address financing problems. In this study, eight indexes are analyzed considering both the pledge patent value and pledger credit value. And a prediction model for the patent pledge financing amount for pharmaceutical enterprises is constructed for the first time using the analytic hierarchy process and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Three levels of financing amount are concluded through the prediction model and prediction results corresponding with the financing amount are displayed. This model was designed to help small- and medium-sized pharmaceutical enterprises get access to financing through patent pledge to relieve their financial stress. At the same time, it provides guides for pledgees and policymakers to improve the efficiency and quality of patent pledge. This work is reliable and valid in that it constructs this prediction model based on systematical data from official data sources.

The Supplementary Information originally published with this Article was an older version, in which 'IFN-γ' was misspelled 'INF-γ' in Supplementary Fig. 9 and the β-Actin blot in Supplementary Fig. 13 was the wrong image. The Supplementary Information has now been replaced.

Background and Aims: The use of additional nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) without cross-resistance to previously used NAs as a rescue therapy is recommended by most international guidelines for chronic hepatitis B patients with NA-resistance. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy of peg-interferon (PegIFN) alfa-2a and NA in these patients, comparing to those who switch to an alternative NA therapy without cross-resistance. Methods: In this prospective, comparative and cohort study, data were collected from the patients’ hospital records. Eligible patients were those with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positivity and resistance to one or more NAs. All patients were treated with alternative NA alone or in combination with PegIFN alfa-2a for 52 weeks or 72 weeks, respectively. HBeAg seroconversion was measured at the end of follow-up (EOF; more than 104 weeks after the end of treatment). Results: Sixty-three patients were recruited to the cohort study (NA-therapy group = 31 patients; combination therapy group of NA and PegIFN alfa-2a = 32 patients). At the EOF, significantly more patients in the combination therapy group (13/27, 48.2%) achieved primary outcome of HBeAg seroconversion than those in the NA therapy group (4/32, 12.5%) (p = 0.003). Four patients (14.8%) in the combination therapy group achieved hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss and HBsAg seroconversion, but none in the NA therapy group did (p = 0.039). In the combination therapy group, 16 patients (51.6%) achieved HBeAg seroconversion at the end of treatment, of which, 11 patients (68.8%) maintained the response until EOF. Conclusions: Adding on PegIFN alfa-2a in combination with NA therapy might be an appropriate rescue treatment option for patients who have prior NA resistance. In addition, combination therapy induced sustained off-treatment biochemical responses in these patients.

This article examines the relationship between the Earth Charter and education for sustainable development (ESD), as part of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. The areas of shared interest between the two are assessed and the invaluable nature of the Earth Charter as a resource outlining global values and principles for a sustainable, peaceful Earth asserted. Through an examination of the traditional Chinese philosophies of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, symmetries with the Earth Charter principles are explored and the importance of linking the Earth Charter and ESD with local culture, belief systems and indigenous knowledge is emphasised. Methods for infusing these values and principles in education are proposed and the role of the Earth Charter as a base for linking the local and global in order to foster knowledge, values and skills for sustainable development at the individual, institutional and societal levels through formal, nonformal and informal learning settings is highlighted.

Singapore economy stumbled after the outbreak of 1997 Asian financial crisis. Competition is largely from globalization and the rising of Chinese economy, which hit the region in two-fold by taking away much of the share of export market and FDI. Recent development however shows a good signal for Singapore's exports to China's market. This paper examines the trade and investment relationship between Singapore and China, and reviews the policies that Singapore had taken to cope with the changing world. The strategy of moving toward a knowledge-based economy becomes Singapore's must choice. However, the smooth engagement in the transition with developed economy and the dynamic Chinese economy could be a challenge to Singapore.

Hepatitis E is chronic in immunocompromised patients with HIV infection, organ transplant, or radiation and chemotherapy. General cases are not chronic. Fifty-five cases were collected and followed up for 4-14 years. It was found that chronic hepatitis E is more common in males, but a high degree of inflammatory activity and fibrosis was not evident. After 4-14 years of follow-up observation, cirrhosis or liver cancer did not appear. This is significantly different from the hepatitis B and C viruses. We speculated that the chronic mechanism in the general patients with hepatitis E might be different from that of immunocompromised cases.

The tender process, which is to procure an outstanding contractor, ensure the construction quality and control the construction investment, is an important step in the process of construction project management. The paper proposes conducting an audit on the tender documents. Through the conventional engineering audit and carry out the tender document engineering audit comparison, expounds the necessity of audit tendering documents. In the audit of the tender documents, using the checklist approach proposed should focus on the following contents: definition of the scope of the tender, quality and construction duration requirements, division of the rights and responsibilities between the contractor and employer, specific requirements for technical standards, preparation and review of bill of quantities, legally compliant approaches to resolve disputes. Finally draw the conclusion that in order to raise the level of project management, Doing the bidding documents audit should take the following measures: establishment of a sound system, support is required from the employer and coordination is necessary from relevant departments, selection of whole process audit agencies with high comprehensive qualities, planning in advance and development of specific plans, improving capabilities and quality of internal audit staff of employer. Keywords- Construction;Engineering;management,; auditing;tender documents;BOQ

We compare the pricing behavior between online branches of traditional bookstores and pure Internet booksellers in China. We gathered a data set of 5616 observations and find that full prices (including shipping costs) by pure Internet retailers are significantly lower (¥1.41 or 6.4% on average) than those by online multi-channel retailers, yet they exhibit much greater price dispersions, two to three times by magnitude. Further, pure Internet booksellers did not make price changes more frequently than online multi-channel retailers, as what one might expect. The evidence suggests that the online book market in China is still in the process of getting mature even for homogeneous goods such as books. How the market structure will be affected by the Internet market technology still needs be observed.

The paper examines the factors contributing to the sharp recovery of China's agricultural production in the 1990s in contrast to the stagnation in the late 1980s, and analyzes the policy effects during this period paying special attention to the role of technological progress. Using data from 28 provinces covering the years 1991–1999, a conventional production model and an extended production model with time-effects are estimated using random-effects estimation and a growth accounting for land productivity is evaluated. The results show that technological progress plays the dominant role in the recovery, accounting for 58% of total productivity growth during the sample period, while an increase in fertilizer use is second, with about 19%. Extension of the land tenure to 30 years for farm households could be a policy encouraging adoption of new technologies and more investment. The contribution of this policy change accounts for 21% in the productivity growth in the period. Increase in mechanized farming, plastic film input and education are all factors contributing to China's agricultural growth in the 1990s.

Accompanying the open door policy and economic reform, a dynamic population movement in China is occurring. International population movement of China is characterized mainly by the phenomenon of "brain drain" and illegal emigrants. Two-thirds of the overseas Chinese students stayed overseas, resulting in a severe shortage of middle aged professors and researchers in China. Illegal Chinese emigration into North America and Europe in recent years was considerable. Internal labour migration in China now is a big social and economic issue, numbering up to 60 million. Although instability accompanies mass internal migration, the possibility of turmoil or riots is very low. Further rural reform in China, there fore, is called for to solve the surplus labour problem.

The test of distinctiveness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) is a necessary step for variety identification and new variety application. The objective of this study is to provide molecular marker-assisted approach combined with morphological trait-based testing for more convenient and fast DUS test and identification of varieties. Eighteen pairs of SRAP markers and 40 morphological traits for DUS test were applied for genetic diversity analysis of 50 lettuce (Lactuca sativa) varieties. Average polymorphism information content (PIC) of the SRAP markers was 0.80, ranging from 0.39 to 0.97. Cluster analysis using UPGMA of the band patterns amplified by SRAP marker and morphological trait-based clustering separated the varieties into three groups. The correlation coefficient of SRAP marker and morphological traits was 0.5455 reflecting that the two clustering results shared some similarity and consistence. It revealed that the combination of both SRAP marker and morphological trait analysis is more conducive to proper identification and classification of plant varieties, which will undoubtedly bring an alternative choice to DUS testing of plant new varieties and conservation of plant germplasm.

TP53, a well-known tumor suppressor gene, is frequently inactivated by mutation or deletion in a majority of human tumors. Theoretically, targeting the p53 pathway would lead to successful anti-cancer treatments. However, no effective p53-based anti-cancer therapy has been developed due to the complexity of the p53 regulators and their poor drugability. Here we demonstrate that focal deletion of TP53 often encompasses neighboring essential genes, rendering cancer cells with hemizygous p53 deletion highly vulnerable to further suppression of such genes. One such gene, POLR2A, encodes the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II complex. We found that its expression correlates with copy number changes and suppression of POLR2A with its inhibitors, alpha-amanitin or short-hairpin RNA, selectively inhibits growth, survival and tumorigenic potential in colon cancer cells with hemizygous TP53 loss, suggesting an novel and effective strategy for cancers with such genomic alternations. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Yunhua Liu, Xiongbin Lu. TP53 loss creates therapeutic vulnerability in cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2633. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2633

We use a panel data set of seven East Asian countries for the time period 2000–2010 to evaluate the importance of four determinants for manufacturing competitiveness by estimation the proxy export equation. The four main determinants examined are demander's national income, real effective exchange rate (REER), unit labor cost and provision of infrastructure. The results show the importance is changing with country's characteristics. Raising labor productivity and improving infrastructure are two universal requirements for long-term competitiveness in manufacturing.