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Radiotherapy has the widest application to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. Factors associated with DNA damage repair have been shown to function in cell radiosensitivity. Human positive cofactor 4 (PC4) has a role in nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and is involved in DNA damage repair. However, the clinical significance and biological role of PC4 in cancer progression and cancer cellular responses to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential roles of PC4 in the radiosensitivity of ESCC. In this study, we showed that knockdown of PC4 substantially increased ESCC cell sensitivity to ionizing radiation (IR) both in vitro and in vivo and enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis and mitotic catastrophe (MC). Importantly, we demonstrated that silencing of PC4 suppressed NHEJ by downregulating the expression of XLF in ESCC cells, whereas reconstituting the expression of XLF protein in the PC4-knockdown ESCC cells restored NHEJ activity and radioresistance. Moreover, high expression of PC4 positively correlated with ESCC resistance to CRT and was an independent predictor for short disease-specific survival of ESCC patients in both of our cohorts. These findings suggest that PC4 protects ESCC cells from IR-induced death by enhancing the NHEJ-promoting activity of XLF and could be used as a novel radiosensitivity predictor and a promising therapeutic target for ESCCs.

To determine the mechanism by which an oral appliance may be used to treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).Eleven OSAS patients (8 males and 3 females) were involved in the study. Mean age was 52.2 +/- 10.6 years; height was 166.6 +/- 7.2 cm, and weight was 75.6 +/- 9.3 kg; body mass index (BMI) was 27.2 +/- 2.9 kg/m2. Each patient underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and polysomnography before and after oral appliance therapy. Pharyngeal changes were measured and compared with the variation in sleep parameters. Also, Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression were performed to investigate the relationship of sleep parameters and MRI items.Through oral appliance therapy, the sleep disorder decreased. Apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) decreased from 44.6 +/- 21.5 to 9.6 +/- 6.3 per hour of sleep. Lowest oxygen desaturation rose from 71.4 +/- 15.0% to 82.0 +/- 7.7%. Meanwhile, the upper airway increased at most levels, and especially at oropharynx. As measured by the correlation and regression analysis, the AHI changes had a negative association with tongue volume (R = -0.5730) and a positive association with the area alternation of high oropharynx (R = 0.5823); the change of the lowest oxygen desaturation (SaO2%) was positively associated with whole airway volume (R = 0.6554).The oral appliance works by enlarging the upper airway morphology and keeping the airway open, mainly at the back of soft palate. The effect of the oral appliance is associated with the degree of enlargement of the high oropharynx. Those who have a small tongue and a large pharynx may expect to have good results with the use of the oral appliance.

The purpose of this study was to compare the craniofacial morphology of a group of Chinese children from northern China with a group of Swedish children. Each ethnic group comprised 20 boys and 20 girls with Class I occlusion, and 20 boys and 20 girls with Class II occlusion. The ages of the children ranged from eight to ten years. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were used for the recording of a number of skeletal, dental, nasopharyngeal airway, and hyoid bone variables. The results of the comparisons of the two ethnic groups showed that the antero-posterior dimensions of the anterior cranial base and the maxilla in the Chinese children were significantly smaller than the corresponding dimensions in the Swedish children. The mean values of anterior and posterior face heights, inclination of the upper incisors, and protrusion of the lower incisors, were significantly greater in the Chinese than in the Swedish samples. In the median plane, the size of the nasopharyngeal airway was significantly greater in the Chinese than in the Swedes. This difference was due to the fact that the soft tissues covering the posterior nasopharyngeal wall were thinner in the Chinese children than in the Swedish children. In general, the ethnic differences were the same in the Class I and the Class II groups. The differences in some of the dental and skeletal characteristics found between northern Chinese and Caucasian-children are similar to previously described differences between southern Chinese and Caucasian children.

Cellular immunity was assayed in 58 esophageal cancer patients with family history of esophageal cancer, 23 patients' first degree relative, 20 esophageal patients with family history of other malignant tumours. 114 esophageal cancer patients without cancer family history and 30 normal subjects were taken as control. The results showed that skin delayed hypersensitivity(DTH) reaction and lymphocyte response to PHA were significantly lower in patients with cancer family history than those without. The DTH reaction, lymphocyte response to PHA and IL-2, NK activity were also remarkably depressed in their first degree relatives, when compared with normal controls. These results indicate that familial immunodeficiency might be one of factors of familial aggregation of esophageal cancer.

Five hybridomas stably secreting monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) to androstenedione were prepared by using artificially synthesized androstenedion-11 alpha-succinyl conjugate with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as antigen. These McAbs showed slightly high cross-reactivity with testosterone (8.1-12.3%) and estrone (0.8-2.5%) and high affinities ranging from 2.0 x 10(7) to 2.8 x 10(8) L/M. They were all of the IgG1 subclass. Xinjiang finewool ewes which were passively immunized with McAbs had higher circulating levels of progesterone (P) and luteinizing hormone (LH) than those of control ewes in two oestrous cycles and these changes led to increased ovulation rate and twin lambs born in young ewes.

This paper is a preliminary report of using Straight Wire Appliance (SWA) in orthodontic practice in our school since 1989. Thirty finished cases including malocclusion, extraction mode, treatment sequence and time and the outcome, of treatment were analysed. Discussion of the problems concerning arch wire and correction of deep overbite was made. The authors confirm that SWA is a simple and effective type of appliance and it is easily to popularize in orthodontic practice in our country.

Fifty five children with deciduous dentition and 36 adults were selected from 160 Class III patients, 40 children with normal occlusion used as cephalometric control group. T test was operated between the children with normal occlusion, Class III malocclusion with positive family background and with negative family background separately, and distinct analysis was carried out between the two Class III groups. Distribution of family background of skeletal Class III in children and in adults was chi 2 tested. Results show that craniofacial deformities of deciduous Class III malocclusion with positive family background are not more serious than those with negative one, and the rate of developing a skeletal class III malocclusion for patients with positive family background is not higher than those with negative one. It was implied that the value of family information collected by inquiring and cursorily examining the parents is limited for differential diagnosis between skeletal and functional class III malocclusion and it may mislead the prediction of treatment result in orthodontic clinic.

Lateral cephalograms of 140 growing subjects with normal occlusion from Beijing were computerized and analyzed. Cephalometric standards of three occlusion developmental stages, Hellman's IIA, IIIB and IVA, were obtained and evaluated in three groups as facial skeleton, jaw bases and dentoalveolar relationship, which are specifically useful for diagnosis and treatment planning with functional appliances.