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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors on urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and to recommend appropriate medication care scheme., Methods: 8371 T2DM patients from four dapagliflozin studies and two canagliflozin studies were collected for analyzing with nonlinear mixed effect model (NONMEM). The change rates of UACR from baseline were intended to be evaluation indicators., Results: In the present study, there was no significant difference in the effects on UACR using dapagliflozin or canagliflozin treatment in T2DM patients. The maximal effect ( E max ) and the treatment duration of reaching half of E max (ET 50 ) from SGLT-2 inhibitors on UACR in T2DM patients were -19.2% and 0.448 weeks, respectively. Further, the treatment duration to reach 25%, 50%, 75%, and 80% E max was 0.150 weeks, 0.448 weeks, 1.344 weeks, and 1.792 weeks, respectively. Namely, for achieving the plateau period (80% of E max ) of SGLT-2 inhibitors on UACR in T2DM patients, 10 mg/day dapagliflozin (or 100 mg/day canagliflozin) should be taken for at least 1.792 weeks., Conclusions: To our knowledge, the present study explored the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors on UACR in T2DM patients, meanwhile, recommended appropriate medication care scheme for the first time., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Dong-Dong Wang et al.)

The agricultural non-point source pollution (ANPSP) load in Guangdong province is very large and has a serious impact on the regional ecological environment. Inventory analysis was used to assess and analyze the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of the ANPSP load of Guangdong province during 1999-2019, and the sources of ANPSP were discussed, as well as the relationship between them. The results showed that, during the past 20 years, the total ANPSP pollution loads of Guangdong province decreased by 6.08%, and the pollution loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) increased by -11.88%, 4.99%, and 26.17%, respectively. The input intensity of chemical fertilizers and pesticides increased by 112.19% and 60.38%, respectively. The Pearl River Delta had the highest ANPSP loads in Guangdong province, followed by those in northern, western, and eastern Guangdong. Livestock and poultry breeding were the main sources of COD, the total percent fertilizers and livestock and poultry breeding were the main sources of TN, and livestock and poultry breeding and aquaculture were the main sources of TP. In addition, the contribution of pollutants discharged from aquaculture showed an obvious increasing trend. There were certain differences in the pollution sources in different regions. In western Guangdong, northern Guangdong, and eastern Guangdong, livestock and poultry breeding were the main sources of COD and TP, and fertilizer was the main source of TN; by contrast in the Pearl River Delta, aquaculture had become the main source of TN and TP pollution loads. The correlation results showed that the decline in the total ANPSP in Guangdong province was mainly due to the increase in high urbanization rate and the decrease in the proportion of rural population. In general, there were stage changes in the time and differences in spatial characteristics and sources of ANPSP in Guangdong province. A combination of comprehensive treatment and targeted pollution treatment should be adopted, and fertilizer reduction measures and pollution treatment in the aquaculture should be strengthened in an all-around way, focusing on strengthening the treatment of pollution from aquaculture in the Pearl River Delta region and the treatment of rural life pollution in northern Guangdong.

Accumulating evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as tumor promoters or suppressors in various types of cancer. Previous investigations suggest that ceramide synthase 6 (CERS6) antisense RNA 1 (CERS6-AS1) acts as an oncogene in breast cancer; however, its role in colorectal cancer is unknown. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of CERS6-AS1 in colorectal cancer. Gene expression in colorectal cancer was examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses. The viability and proliferation of colorectal cancer cells were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assays and colony formation assays. The migratory and invasive capacities of the colorectal cancer cells were assessed by Transwell assay. Cell stemness was examined by sphere-formation assay. Mechanistically, RNA pull-down assays, RNA immunoprecipitation assays, and luciferase reporter assays were performed to explore the relationship among CERS6-AS1, miR-15b-5p and spectrin beta, non-erythrocytic 2 (SPTBN2). Moreover, a xenograft tumor model was established to investigate the role of CERS6-AS1 in vivo. We found that CERS6-AS1 and SPTBN2 were highly expressed in colorectal cancer tissues and cells. CERS6-AS1 depletion inhibited cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion; the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process and stemness. It suppressed xenograft tumor growth in colorectal cancer. Moreover, SPTBN2 levels were positively regulated by CERS6-AS1 and negatively regulated by miR-15b-5p in colorectal cancer cells. Rescue assays revealed that SPTBN2 reversed the inhibitory effect of CERS6-AS1 deficiency on the malignant behaviors of colorectal cancer cells. Overall, the lncRNA CERS6-AS1 facilitates malignant phenotypes of colorectal cancer cells by targeting miR-15b-5p to upregulate SPTBN2., (© 2022 The Authors. The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Aims: The present study is aimed at exploring the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors on weight in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and therapeutic regimen recommendations., Methods: 20,019 patients with T2DM were enrolled. The maximal effect ( E max ) models, whose evaluation index was change rate of body weight from baseline value, were used to analyze data using nonlinear mixed effect modeling (NONMEM)., Results: For SGLT-2 inhibitors, canagliflozin, empagliflozin, ertugliflozin, ipragliflozin, luseogliflozin and tofogliflozin, the E max , and treatment duration to reach half of the maximal effects (ET 50 ) were -3.72% and 3.35 weeks, -5.59% and 16.8 weeks, -2.84% and 3.42 weeks, -3.43% and 3.09 weeks, -3.04% and 4.38 weeks, and -2.45% and 3.16 weeks, respectively. In addition, for T2DM patients, 100 mg/day canagliflozin needs to be taken 13.4 weeks for the plateau of effect on weight; 10 mg/day empagliflozin needs to be taken 67.2 weeks for the plateau of effect on weight; 5 mg/day ertugliflozin needs to be taken 13.68 weeks for the plateau of effect on weight; 50 mg/day ipragliflozin needs to be taken 12.36 weeks for the plateau of effect on weight; 2.5 mg/day luseogliflozin needs to be taken 17.52 weeks for the plateau of effect on weight; 20 mg/day tofogliflozin needs to be taken 12.64 weeks for the plateau of effect on weight., Conclusions: This was the first study to explore effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors on weight in T2DM; meanwhile, the optimum dosages and treatment durations on weight from canagliflozin, empagliflozin, ertugliflozin, ipragliflozin, luseogliflozin, and tofogliflozin were recommended, respectively., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Dong-Dong Wang et al.)

Objective: This study aimed to detect the association between P-selectin autoantibody positive and response to steroid treatment in newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients., Methods: The data from 105 newly diagnosed adult ITP patients administered with first-line of steroid treatment from October 2016 to May 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment responses were evaluated within 3 months after the onset of treatment., Results: Among the 105 patients, 80.00% (84/105) of patients presented with platelet glycoprotein-specific antibody positive; 44.76% (47/105) patients were anti-P-selectin positive, while 35.24% (37/105) were anti-P-selectin negative. No significant difference in overall response was observed between patients who were anti-P-selectin positive and those who were anti-P-selectin negative (74.47% vs. 89.19, χ2 = 2.910, p = 0.088). But patients who were anti-P-selectin negative had significantly higher complete response rate, compared to those who were anti-P-selectin positive (72.97% vs. 48.94%, χ2 = 4,965, p = 0.026). Logistic regression analysis revealed that anti-GP IIb/IIIa positive (OR = 3.114, p = 0.010, 95% CI: 1.313-7.388) and anti-P-selectin positive (OR = 0.309, p = 0.036, 95% CI: 0.127-0.753) were two factors that could affect patients' response., Conclusions: Our study found that ITP patients with anti-GP IIb/IIIa may have a higher response to steroid treatment, but anti-P-selectin-mediated-ITP might be less responsive to steroid treatment. In adults with ITP, the presence of anti-P-selectin autoantibodies is a predictive factor for poor response to steroid treatment., (The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), is a serious agricultural pest with a worldwide distribution. Catalase (CAT), which is encoded by the catalase (Cat) gene, is an extremely important antioxidant enzyme that plays a pivotal role in protecting cells against the toxic effects of hydrogen peroxide. The Cat gene has not been characterized in M. persicae; therefore, this study describes the identification of the Cat (MpCat) gene from M. persicae. MpCat contains an open reading frame of 1515 bp and encodes a MpCAT protein consisting of 504 amino-acid residues. MpCAT possesses features typical of other insect catalases, including 7 conserved amino acids involved in binding heme and 15 involved in binding nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. Phylogenetic analysis showed that MpCAT was closely related to orthologs from other aphid species. MpCat consisted of nine exons and eight introns, and the number and insertion sites of introns are consistent with those of Cat genes from Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) and Aphis gossypii Glover. The mRNA transcripts of MpCat were detected at all tested developmental stages, with the highest mRNA level in alate adults. The expression of MpCat was significantly upregulated when M. persicae was exposed to low and high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, Beauveria bassiana, and permethrin. The transcription of MpCat and the activity of catalase were suppressed by RNA interference, and knockdown of MpCat significantly reduced the survival rate in M. persicae under heat stress. The results provide valuable information for further study on the physiological functions of MpCat., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Microinvasive carcinoma (MIC) of the breast is a rare lesion. The clinicopathologic features and biologic behavior of MIC are unclear. Whether MIC is a distinct entity or an interim stage in the progression from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) remains to be determined. A retrospective review of clinicopathologic features and analysis of the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), and Ki-67 in patients with MIC (90 cases), DCIS (268 cases) and IBC (1504 cases) was performed. Most MICs (93.3%) exhibited an intermediate to high nuclear grade, and this proportion was larger than that of DCIS (62.7%, P < 0.001) or IBC (85.4%, P = 0.036). The incidence of sentinel lymph node metastasis in MIC (12.5%) was higher than that of DCIS (1.6%, P < 0.001), but much lower than that of IBC (39.7%, P < 0.001). MICs had higher expression of HER-2 and lower expression of ER and PR compared to DCIS and IBC; and MIC was more likely to present with a HER-2+ subtype. Furthermore, DCIS exhibited greater HER-2 overexpression or gene amplification (P < 0.001) levels and lower proliferation index of Ki-67 ( P < 0.001) compared to IBC. Our results suggest that the clinicopathologic and molecular phenotype of MIC are different from DCIS and IBC. Thus, MIC may be a distinct entity rather than an interim stage in the progression from DCIS to IBC. The prognosis of MIC and the biologic behavior of this uncommon subset need to be further explored., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2021.)

Professor ZHANG Qing - ping 's clinical experience and characteristics of acupuncture for peripheral facial paralysis were introduced from three aspects: differentiation of meridians and tendons, treatment by stages, and examples of proven cases. In the treatment of peripheral facial paralysis, Professor ZHANG carefully examines the situation of pathogenic factors and health. In the acute stage, the treatment focuses on eliminating pathogenic factors and supporting the health; in the recovery stage, penetrating needling is recommended with strengthening the health and eliminating pathogenic factors as main purpose; in the sequelae stage, wheat-grain moxibustion is recommended with strengthening the health as main purpose. This treatment plan shows superior clinical efficacy.

Ataxin-7 (Atx7) is a disease-related protein associated with the pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxia 7, while its polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in N-terminus is the causative source of aggregation and proteinopathy. We investigated the structure, dynamics and aggregation properties of the N-terminal 62-residue fragment of Atx7 (Atx7-N) by biochemical and biophysical approaches. The results showed that the normal Atx7-N with a tract of 10 glutamines (10Q) overall adopts a flexible and disordered structure, but it may contain a short or small population of helical structure in solution. PolyQ expansion increases the α-helical propensity of the polyQ tract and consequently enhances its transformation into β-sheet structures during amyloid aggregation. An alanine-rich region (ARR) just ahead of the polyQ tract forms a local and relatively stable α-helix. The ARR α-helix can initiate and stabilize helical formation of the following polyQ tract, but it may suppress aggregation of the polyQ-expanded Atx7-N both in vitro and in cell. Thus, the preceding ARR segment in Atx7-N may influence the dynamic structure and aggregation property of the polyQ tract and even determine the threshold of the pathogenic polyQ lengths. This study may gain structural and dynamic insights into amyloid aggregation of Atx7 and help us further understand the Atx7 proteinopathy based on polyQ expansion.

To investigate the clinical application of clinical practice guideline on traditional Chinese medicine therapy alone or combined with antibiotics for sepsis, in order to promote the follow-up revision and further promotion of the Guidelines. Copies of 500 application evaluation questionnaire and 500 copies of applicability evaluation questionnaire were given to the clinicians who had used this Guideline in China, both in a form of registered questionnaire, and a database was established by Excel 2016 for descriptive statistical analysis. Copies of 211 application evaluation questionnaire and 211 copies of applicability evaluation questionnaire were collected. We can conclude from the survey that we should adjust the whole content and structure on the basis of better evaluation of the present recommendation scheme, update the prescription selection and clinical evidence of the recommendation scheme, and put forward the improvement measures for the hindrance factors in the application of the Guideline. Furthermore, in order to promote the Guideline more clearly, we should strengthen the doctor-patient education, improve guidance quality and increase the publicity, providing basis for the implementation and promotion strategies of the Guideline., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Aims: rs5219 is in Potassium inwardly-rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 11 (KCNJ11) E23K gene, located at 11p15.1. Researches on the association between rs5219 gene polymorphism with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were performed extensively, but the results remain controversial. To investigate the relationship, a meta-analysis involving 21,464 individuals was conducted., Methods: Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the strength of this association. Publication bias was evaluated with Begg's test. Our research includes three gene models: allelic genetic model (K-allele vs. E-allele), recessive genetic model (KK vs. EK+EE) and dominant genetic model (EE vs. EK+KK)., Results: In allelic genetic model, subgroup analysis demonstrated rs5219 K-allele was relevant to T2DM risk in Caucasian (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.09-1.24, P=0.000) and East Asian (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.13-1.26, P=0.000), recessive genetic model indicated rs5219 KK genotype was related to T2DM risk in Caucasian, East Asian, South Asian, and North African (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.17-1.38, P=0.000), dominant genetic model pointed out rs5219 EE genotype was an opposite association with T2DM risk in Caucasian (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.78-0.94, P=0.001). No obvious evidence of publication bias was found., Conclusions: There was a believable evidence to verify that rs5219 variation was associated with T2DM., (Copyright © 2018 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The ZnO films were deposited by atomic layer deposition method using water and diethylzinc as precursors at different temperatures (110 and 190 degrees C). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry and photoluminescence spectra (PL) were used to investigate the elemental composition and optical properties of ZnO films. Our results showed that with the increasing of the growth temperature, the amount of -OH groups in the ZnO film decreased, which indicated that the reactions went to completion at high processing temperatures. The PL spectra of the ZnO film deposited at 110 degrees C exhibited two emission bands, one in the UV region and the other in the visible region. When the deposition temperature increased to 190 degrees C, the emission bands in the visible region disappeared, which indicated that the deep level defect in ZnO became less. The carrier mobility improved from 25 to 32 cm2 x (V x S)(-1) with the reduction of the defects in the ZnO film. The refractive index of the ZnO films decreased from 2.33 to 1.9 in the 375-800 nm region. The optical absorption edge (E(g)) values of the ZnO films deposited at different temperature were about 3.27 eV.

Background: The detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii DNA in respiratory specimen from individuals who do not have signs or symptoms of pneumonia has been defined as colonization. The role of P. jirovecii colonization in the development or progression of various lung diseases has been reported, but little information about P. jirovecii colonization in patients is available in the People's Republic of China., Objective: To determine the prevalence of P. jirovecii colonization in patients with various pulmonary diseases, including the acute and stable stage of COPD, interstitial lung diseases, cystic fibrosis, and chronic bronchiectasis., Materials and Methods: A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detecting P. jirovecii were developed. Ninety-eight HIV-negative patients who were followed-up and who had undergone bronchoscopy for diagnosis of various underlying respiratory diseases were included in the study. Sputa of these patients were analyzed with LAMP amplification of P. jirovecii gene. In addition, conventional PCR, Giemsa and Gomori's methenamine silver nitrate staining assays were applied to all specimens., Results: The sensitivity and specificity test showed that there was no cross-reaction with other fungi or bacteria in detecting the specific gene of P. jirovecii by LAMP, and the minimum detection limits by LAMP was 50 copies/mL. P. jirovecii DNA was detected in 62 of 98 (63.3%) sputa specimens by LAMP assay and 22.45% (22/98) by conventional PCR. However, no P. jirovecii cysts were found by Giemsa and Gomori's methenamine silver nitrate in all of gene-positive specimens., Conclusion: The results of our study showed that prevalence of P. jirovecii colonization is particularly high in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases in the People's Republic of China, and the LAMP method is better for evaluation of the colonization of P. jirovecii in sputum specimen than conventional PCR.

Oxidative stress has a central role in the progression of diabetes mellitus (DM), which can directly result in the injury of islet β cells and consequent hyperglycemia. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of black bean peel extract (BBPE), pomegranate peel extract (PPE) and a combination of the two (PPE + BBPE) on streptozotocin-induced DM mice. Oxidative stress was assessed by the levels of total antioxidative capability and glutathione in the serum. Fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, as well as the pancreas weight index and the histological changes in the pancreas, were also determined. The results showed that, after fours weeks of treatment with PPE, BBPE or PPE + BBPE, DM mice showed, to different degrees, a decrease in blood glucose, increases in insulin secretion and the pancreas weight index, and an increase in antioxidative activity. These changes were particularly evident in the DM mice subjected to the combined intervention strategy of PPE + BBPE. The histological findings indicated that the injury to the pancreatic islets in DM mice was also ameliorated following treatment. In conclusion, PPE and BBPE, particularly the combination of the two, have the ability to ameliorate hyperglycemia by inhibiting oxidative stress-induced pancreatic damage; this finding may be useful in the prevention and treatment of DM.

Aim: To investigate the effect of the ''minimizing tacrolimus'' strategy on long-term survival of patients after liver transplantation (LT)., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 319 patients who received LT between January 2009 and December 2011 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Following elimination of ineligible patients, 235 patients were included in the study. The relationship between early tacrolimus (TAC) exposure and survival period was analyzed by Kaplan Meier curves. Adverse effects related to TAC were evaluated by the χ(2) test. Routine monitoring of blood TAC concentration (TC) was performed using the PRO-Trac(TM) II Tacrolimus Elisa Kit (Diasorin, United States)., Results: Of 235 subjects enrolled in the study, 124 (52.8%) experienced adverse effects due to TAC. When evaluating mean TC, the survival time of patients with a mean TC < 5 ng/mL was significantly shorter than that in the other groups (911.3 ± 131.6 d vs 1381.1 ± 66.1 d, 911.3 ± 131.6 d vs 1327.3 ± 47.8 d, 911.3 ± 131.6 d vs 1343.2 ± 83.1 d, P < 0.05), while the survival times of patients with a mean TC of 5-7, 7-10 and 10-15 ng/mL were comparable. Adverse effects due to TAC in all four groups were not significantly different. When comparing the standard deviation (SD) of TC among the groups, the survival time of patients with a SD of 2-4 was significantly longer than that in the other groups (1388.8 ± 45.4 d vs 1029.6 ± 131.3 d, 1388.8 ± 45.4 d vs 1274.9 ± 57.0 d, P < 0.05), while in patients with a SD < 2 and SD > 4, the survival time was not statistically different. Adverse effects experienced in all three groups were not statistically different. In Cox regression analysis, male patients and those with a primary diagnosis of benign disease, mean TC > 5 ng/mL and TC SD 2-4 had better outcomes., Conclusion: The early ''minimizing tacrolimus'' strategy with a mean TC of 5-10 ng/mL and SD of 2-4 was beneficial in terms of long-term survival after LT.

In this paper, microscopic identification method was adopted to observe the microscopic characters of ten batches of Medicago sativa seeds. And M. sativa seeds were identificated by TLC method in contrast to trigonelline and stachydrine hydrochloride. The impurities, moisture, ash, sour insoluble ash were detected based on Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010 version (Vol I ). An HPLC method was also established for determination of trigonelline in the M. sativa seeds. The contents of impurities, moisture, ash, sour insoluble ash should not exceed 5%, 10%, 6%, and 2%, respectively. The content of trigonelline should be not less than 0.795 6 mg x g(-1). The experimental methods were accurate and reliable, and can be used as the quality control of the seeds of M. sativa.

Actin dynamics provide an important mechanism for the modification of synaptic plasticity, which is regulated by the actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin. However, the role of cofilin regulated actin dynamics in memory extinction process is still unclear. Here, we observed that extinction of conditioned taste aversive (CTA) memory led to temporally enhanced ADF/cofilin activity in the infralimbic cortex (IrL) of the rats. Moreover, temporally elevating ADF/cofilin activity in the IrL could accelerate CTA memory extinction by facilitating AMPAR synaptic surface recruitment, whereas inhibition of ADF/cofilin activity abolished AMPAR synaptic surface trafficking and impaired memory extinction. Finally, we observed that ADF/cofilin-regulated synaptic plasticity was not directly coupled to morphological changes of postsynaptic spines. These findings may help us understand the role of ADF/cofilin-regulated actin dynamics in memory extinction and suggest that appropriate manipulating ADF/cofilin activity might be a suitable way for therapeutic treatment of memory disorders.

Objective: To find novel variants and explore potential mechanism of triglyceride metabolism by resequencing apoA5 gene in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia., Methods: The apoA5 gene in the patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia were resequenced, who had been excluded with variants in LPL or apoCII. With constructed apoA5 cDNA expression vectors, transiently expression was observed in vitro and the protein expression was detected by Western blot and (35)S-labeled immunoprecipitation., Results: The mutations of T184S and V153M were found in a patient with heterozygous variants in apoA5, and T184S was not reported before. Both mutant and wild type apoA5 cDNA expression vectors were constructed successfully. Western blot and immunoprecipitation showed they can be expressed in the cell and the mutational apoA5 can be secreted from the cell as well as wild type., Conclusion: A novel mutation in apoA5 was found in a patient with severe hypertriglyceridemia, which has the potential damaging effect for the function of this protein but not the secretion function. It need further study on the interaction of apoA5 and other related proteins.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays important roles in cell survival, neural plasticity, learning, and stress regulation. However, whether the recently found human BDNF Val66Met (BDNF(Met)) polymorphism could alter stress vulnerability remains controversial. More importantly, the molecular and structural mechanisms underlying the interaction between the BDNF(Met) polymorphism and stress are unclear. We found that heterozygous BDNF(+/Met) mice displayed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperreactivity, increased depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors, and impaired working memory compared with WT mice after 7 d restraint stress. Moreover, BDNF(+/Met) mice exhibited more prominent changes in BDNF levels and apical dendritic spine density in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala after stress, which correlated with the impaired working memory and elevated anxiety-like behaviors. Finally, the depressive-like behaviors in BDNF(+/Met) mice could be selectively rescued by acute administration of desipramine but not fluoxetine. These data indicate selective behavioral, molecular, and structural deficits resulting from the interaction between stress and the human genetic BDNF(Met) polymorphism. Importantly, desipramine but not fluoxetine has antidepressant effects on BDNF(+/Met) mice, suggesting that specific classes of antidepressant may be a more effective treatment option for depressive symptoms in humans with this genetic variant BDNF.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B (TrkB), play a critical role in activity-dependent plasticity processes such as long-term potentiation, learning, and memory. It has been shown that BDNF exerts different or even opposite effects on behavior depending on the neural circuit. However, the detailed role of BDNF in memory process on the basis of its location has not been fully understood. Here, we aim to investigate the regional specific involvement of BDNF/TrkB in hippocampal-independent conditioned taste aversion (CTA) memory processes. We found region-specific changes in BDNF expression during CTA learning. CTA conditioning induced increased BDNF levels in the central nuclei of amygdala (CeA) and insular cortex, but not in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Interestingly, we found that the enhanced TrkB phosphorylation occurred at the time point before the increased BDNF expression, suggesting rapid induction of activity-dependent BDNF secretion by CTA learning. Moreover, targeted infusion of BDNF antibodies or BDNF antisense oligonucleotides revealed that activity-dependent BDNF secretion and synthesis in the CeA, but not the BLA, was respectively involved in the short- and long-term memory formation of CTA. Finally, we found that infusion of exogenous BDNF into the CeA could enhance CTA learning. These data suggest that region-specific BDNF release and synthesis temporally regulate different CTA memory phases through activation of TrkB receptors.

To investigate the regulatory role of microRNA-223 (miR-223) on c-myc and its role in hepatocarcinogenesis. miR-223 and c-myc mRNA expressions in normal tissue, paraneoplastic tissue, liver cancer tissue and liver cancer cells were tested with microRNA microarray and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). C-myc protein expression was detected by Western blot. MiR-223 mimic was transfected into HepG2 cells and the expression changes of c-myc mRNA and protein were tested with qRT-PCR and Western blot respectively. MiR-223 was down-regulated by 61.53% and 30.77% respectively in hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent tissues as compared to normal liver tissues and the expression of miR-223 was also decreased in HepG2 cell as compared to fetal liver cells L02, whereas the expressions of c-myc mRNA and protein increased in paraneoplastic and HCC tissues compared with normal liver tissues. It prompts that the expressions of miR-223 and c-myc are negatively correlated. No obvious difference found among c-myc mRNA expressions after miR-223 mimics transfection. The c-myc abnormal high-expression may play a dynamic role in hepatocarcinogenesis due to the miR-223 down-regulation.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from pine needles of Cedrus deodara., Methods: Chemical constituents were isolated from 95% ethanol extract by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. The structures were elucidated through spectroscopic analysis., Results: The compounds were identified as 10-nonacosanol (1), dibutyl phthalate (2), protocatechuic acid (3), phthalic acid bis-(2-ethylhexyl) ester (4), (E)-1-O-p-coumaroyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), 5-p-trans-coumaroylguinic acid (6)., Conclusions: Compounds 1- 6 are obtained from this genus for the first time.

The authors theoretically study the transmission properties and electric filed distribution in one-dimensional metallic-dielectric photonic crystals with the transfer matrix method. The results show that the physical properties can be improved considerably after the introduction of antireflection layer and optimizing structural parameters, e. g., 77% electric file distribution in metal layers can be obtained under 19% transmittance, and 72% transmittance can be obtained with 28% electric field distribution in metal layers. These photonic crystal structures, whose transmission properties and electric field in metal layers are tunable, could be widely used in nonlinear photon device based on the enhancement of electric field in metal layers.

Objective: To investigate the role of postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as a multimodality treatment option for locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by a prospective comparison between surgery alone and postoperative CRT., Methods: Using preoperative computed tomography (CT)-based staging criteria, 158 patients with ESCC (stage II-III) were enrolled in this prospective study. With informed consent, the patients were randomized into two groups: postoperative CRT (78 cases) and surgery alone (S, 80 cases). After a few minor adjustments to the enrolled patients, the actual patients of postoperative CRT group and S group were 74 cases and 77 cases, respectively. Comparison of the complications, local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate, survival rate and progression-free survival in the two groups was carried out., Results: With a median follow-up of 37.5 months, the 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-year overall survival (OS) rates were 91.0%, 62.8%, 42.3%, 24.4% and 87.5%, 51.3%, 33.8%, 12.5% for the postoperative CRT and S arm, respectively. A significant difference in OS was detected between the two arms (P = 0.0276). There was a significant difference of progression-free survival (PFS) between the two arms (P = 0.0136). The local recurrence rates in the postoperative CRT group and S group were 14.9% and 36.4%, respectively (P < 0.05). No significant difference was detected between the complications of the two groups (P > 0.05). Toxicities of chemoradiotherapy in the postoperative CRT arm were moderate, which can be relieved rapidly by adequate therapy., Conclusion: Rational application of postoperative chemoradiotherapy can provide a benefit in progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the role of perioperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in the treatment of locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)., Methods: Using preoperative computed tomography (CT)-based staging criteria, 238 patients with ESCC (stage II-III) were enrolled in this prospective study between January 1997 and June 2004. With informed consent, patients were randomized into 3 groups: preoperative CRT (80 cases), postoperative CRT (78 cases) and surgery alone (S) (80 cases). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year survival were followed up. Progression-free survival (PFS) was chosen as the primary endpoint by treatment arm measured from study entry until documented progression of disease or death from any cause. The secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS) determined as the time (in months) between the date of therapy and the date of death. Other objectives were surgical and adjuvant therapy complications., Results: With median follow-up of 45 mo for all the enrolled patients, significant differences in the 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-year OS (91.3%, 63.5%, 43.5%, 24.5% vs 91%, 62.8%, 42.3%, 24.4% vs 87.5%, 51.3%, 33.8%, 12.5%, P = 0.0176) and PFS (89.3%, 61.3%, 37.5%, 18.1% vs 89.1%, 61.1%, 37.2%, 17.8% vs 84.5%, 49.3%, 25.9%, 6.2%, P = 0.0151) were detected among the 3 arms. There were no significant differences in OS and PFS between the preoperative CRT and postoperative CRT arm (P > 0.05). For the patients who had radical resection, significant differences in median PFS (48 mo vs 61 mo vs 39.5 mo, P = 0.0331) and median OS (56.5 mo vs 72 mo vs 41.5 mo, P = 0.0153) were detected among the 3 arms, but there were no significant differences in OS and PFS between the preoperative CRT and postoperative CRT arm (P > 0.05). The local recurrence rates in the preoperative CRT, postoperative CRT group and S group were 11.3%, 14.1% and 35%, respectively (P < 0.05). No significant differences were detected among the 3 groups when comparing complications but tended to be in favor of the postoperative CRT and S groups (P > 0.05). Toxicities of CRT in the preoperative or postoperative CRT arms were mostly moderate, and could be quickly alleviated by adequate therapy., Conclusion: Rational application of preoperative or postoperative CRT can provide a benefit in PFS and OS in patients with locally advanced ESCC.

Objective: To examine the expressions of HLA class I antigen and CD8 in various cervical diseases and investigate their association with cervical cancer., Methods: The expressions of HLA class I antigen and CD8 in cervical tissues sampled from patients with cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and chronic cervicitis were detected using SP immunohistochemistry. The association of the expressions of HLA class I antigen and CD8 with the clinicopathologic indices of the patients was analyzed., Results: The positive expression rates of HLA class I antigen in cervical cancer, CIN, and chronic cervicitis were 22.6%, 100.0%, and 100.0%, and the positive expression rates of CD8 were 22.6%, 95.5%, and 100.0%, respectively. The positive rates of HLA class I antigen and CD8 were significantly lower in patients with cervical cancer (P<0.01). Patients with stage I cervical cancer had significantly higher positive rates of HLA class I antigen and CD8 than those with stage II cervical cancer (46.7% vs 0.0%, 46.7% vs 0.0%, both P<0.01). The expressions of HLA class I antigen and CD8 decreased with the progression of the clinicopathological stages, and may even become undetectable. The expressions of HLA class I antigen and CD8 were not related to the differentiation degree of the tumor or lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). A positive correlation was found between HLA class I antigen expression and CD8 expression., Conclusion: The expressions of HLA class I antigen and CD8 are down-regulated or deleted in CIN and cervical cancer, and they may play important roles in the development and progression of CIN and cervical cancer.

Objective: To transfect human alpha1, 2-fucosyltransferase (alpha1, 2-FT) gene to ovarian cancer cell line RMG-I and investigate the antigenic expression change of Lewis y and the other related oligosaccharides., Methods: The expression vector pcDNA3.1(-)-HFUT-H was constructed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to clone human alpha1, 2-FT gene coding region. The alpha1, 2-FT gene stable high-expression cell line RMG-I-H was established by transfecting pcDNA3.1(-)-HFUT-H to ovarian cell line RMG-I. The change of alpha1, 2-FT activity in the cell line before and after the tranfection was confirmed by the determination of enzymatic activity. The changes of cell lipid and glucolipid, especially the change of type II oligosaccharide, in the cell line before and after the transfection was determined by Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC) and TLC immunostaining method, respectively., Results: The H-1 antigen and Lewis y antigen were obviously increased in the cell line RMG-1-H, especially the latter one, which was 20 times higher than before, and the type I saccharide chain Lewis b was decreased significantly. The main lipid components on the cell membrane, cholesterol and phosphatides, showed no change in the cell lines before and after the transfection, and the neutral glycolipid also showed no obvious change., Conclusions: The transfection of alpha1, 2-FT gene can increase the activity of alpha1, 2-FT in the cell line RMG-I and mainly increase the expression of Lewis y antigen simultaneously. The construction of RMG-I Lewis y high expression cell line provides a cell model for further study on the relationship between Lewis y antigen and biological behaviors in the ovarian cancer.

In the present paper, the spectral properties of two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal quantum well structures were studied numerically. The structures consist of a 2D photonic crystal (PC) with square lattice of parallel dielectric circular columns in air and some middle layers of columns are removed. Similar to the electrons in semiconductor quantum wells, the photonic bandgap (PBG) in PC can act as a potential barrier to photons, which gives rise to quantized photonic states in the PBG region. Photonic band structures were calculated using plane wave expansion method and transmission spectra were obtained using transfer matrix method. The results show that discrete transmission peaks appear in PBG region. More transmission peaks arise with the increase of the well layer and the strength decreases with the increase in the potential layer width. The relationships between the frequency of transmission peaks and the width of well layer were also discussed.

The optical characteristics of one-dimensional metallodielectric photonic crystals (MDPC), constructed by inserting metal aluminum layers of certain thickness into the Si/SiO2 system, were studied theoretically with the transfer matrix method. The results show that the reflection efficiency can be enhanced considerably after the introduction of metallic layers, e. g. the rejection level of each period increased from 7.2 dB([Si(46 nm)/SiO2 (120 nm)]5) to 20 dB ([Si(46 nm)/SiO2 (60 nm)/Al (10 nm)/SiO2 (60 nm)]5). In addition, high omnidirectional reflection band with broader width can be obtained, e. g. bandwidth of 550 nm can be offered with [Si(46 nm)/SiO2 (60 nm)/Al (30 nm)/SiO2 (60 nm)]5. Rules of how the absorption, thickness and position of the metal layers affect the optical characteristics of the MDPC are also discussed. These MDPC structures may be used as compact-size, low-loss and broad-band optical reflectors.

The fluorescence spectra, absorption spectra and resonance light scattering (RLS) spectra of EGCG-Cu((II) complex with nucleic acid were studied. Compared with the spectrum of EGCG-Cu(II), the spectrum of EGCG-Cu(II)-DNA system showed the following features: (1) in the fluorescence spectra, the peak did not shift, but the fluorescence intensity was enhanced and was proportional to the concentration of DNA. Under suitable conditions, EGCG-Cu(II) promised to be a probe for detecting DNA; (2) Absorption spectra of EGCG-Cu(II)-DNA system showed hyperchromicity; and (3) RLS of EGCG-Cu(II)-DNA system was enhanced also. A mechanism was suggested that the combination of nucleic acid and EGCG-Cu(II) complex was caused by intercalation and electrostatic force. An intercalation interaction between EGCG-Cu(II) and DNA enhanced the fluorescence intensity. Hyperchromicity of absorption spectra and RLS occurred because of electrostatic force. The effects of acid and ionic strength on fluorescence intensity were also discussed.

Chip-based capillary electrophoresis (chip-CE) is under rapid progress due to its high efficiency, fast separation, little sample consumption and integration. Due to the short optical path (30-50 microm), the conventional UV absorbance cannot satisfy the chip detection needs. Atomic fluorescence spectrometer (AFS) is a selective and sensitive detector for hydride-forming elements. With the strong points of low cost and easy operation, AFS is attractive as an ideal detector of chip-CE for mercury, arsenic and selenium, etc. A few important practical aspects of coupling chip-CE to AFS are critically discussed. These include the design of the chip, chip-AFS interface, gas-liquid separator, AFS atomizer, and elimination of the effect of backpressure on separation. The application of the developed chip-CE-AFS to the mercury speciation analysis is highlighted.

The Resonance Light Scattering (RLS) spectra of atrazine with yeast ribonucleic acid (yRNA) had been studied. At pH 1.50, the enhanced RLS of atrazine-yRNA system is characterized by the maximum scattering peaks at 320 nm and the RLS intensity is proportional to the concentration of yRNA. Under optimal conditions, the linear ranges of the calibration were 0.6-5.0 microg x mL(-1), the linear regression equation was I = 25.88 + 140.0 c(yRNA, microg x mL(-1)), r = 0.9975, with the limit of detection 20.7 ng x mL(-1) (3delta). The method was applied to the determination of yRNA in synthetic samples and RNA in salt cress (Thellungiella halophila) sample satisfactorily. Mechanism studies show that there are two interaction modes between atrazine and RNA: electrostatic mode and intercalative mode.