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Osteosarcoma (OS) is a high-grade malignant bone tumor. In these studies, the cell apoptosis-related gene, programmed cell death 5 gene (PDCD5), and various fragments of it, were overexpressed in the OS cell line, MG-63. The effects of PDCD5 on MG-63 cells both in vivo and in vitro were then identified. Our results indicate that PDCD5 can induce apoptosis and G(2) phase arrest in MG-63 cells. Moreover, expression of PDCD5 in established xenografted tumors was associated with a decrease in tumor size and weight. Accordingly, the survival rate of these mice was significantly higher than that of mice bearing tumors that did not express PDCD5. To analyze the signaling pathway involved, western blotting was performed. In these assays, PDCD5 was found to inhibit the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, leading to inhibition of cyclin B and CDK1. In addition, down-regulation of ERK resulted in activation of caspase 3 and caspase 9. These results are consistent with the G(2) phase arrest observed with overexpression of PDCD5. However, a G(1) phase arrest was not observed. Therefore, proteins associated with the G(1) phase of the cell cycle were overexpressed in combination with PDCD5 overexpression. Overall, these studies demonstrate the anti-tumor activity of PDCD5 in the OS cell line, MG-63, and provide insight into relevant mechanisms that may lead to novel treatments for OS., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the effect and safety of bronchoscopic cryosurgery in children with lower airway stenosis caused by granulation and fiber hyperplasia., Method: Twenty-two patients had undergone bronchoscopic examination and cryosurgery, 18 patients with atelectasis caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, 2 patients with endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB), 1 patient with atelectasis caused by granulation tissue after bronchial foreign body, and 1 case who had severe dyspnea, with tracheal stenosis after long-term endotracheal intubation during surgery for heart disease. All the patients under went bronchoscopic cryosurgery for several times, 1 case with severe tracheal stenosis was operated by electric coagulation before cryosurgery. Before and after the treatment, all the patients were evaluated based on clinical symptoms, tracheal lumen by bronchoscopy, chest CT for atelectasis and pulmonary function for tracheal stenosis., Result: The patients were treated with cryosurgery for 1-4 times. Sixteen cases were markedly improved, clinical symptoms disappeared completely, no granulation and fiber hyperplasia were found during bronchoscopy, and all the atelectasis were cured. After the treatment, the bronchial lumen diameter of the patient with tracheal stenosis was increased from 2 mm to about 5 mm, the tidal volume increased from 3.0 ml/kg to 8.8 ml/kg. Five cases were effectively improved, the clinical symptoms also disappeared, during bronchoscopy and bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL), no granulation and fiber hyperplasia were found, but some distal bronchial tubes were atresia or narrowed, the lumen was patent, the atelectasis recovered partially. In 1 case the treatment was ineffective, as the clinical symptoms and granulation disappeared, but because almost all distal bronchi were atresia or narrow, the lumen was not patent during BAL, there was no change on chest CT. The total effective rate was 21/22 (95.5%). No severe complications occurred during and after the procedures. All the patient were followed up for 1 - 12 months, no case had recurrence., Conclusion: Treatment with bronchoscopic cryosurgery is a safe and effective methods to tracheal stenosis caused by granulation tissue and fiber hyperplasia in children.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) through bronchoscopy in diagnosis and treatment of accidental inhalation of liquid and powdery foreign bodies in children., Method: Twenty-one cases of accidental inhalation were classified into the following 4 groups according to the materials inhaled: 3 cases inhaled the lipidic material; 2 cases inhaled chemical material; 15 cases inhaled hydrosoluble materials; 1 case inhaled powdery material. Eighteen cases were hospitalized within 3 days after the accidents, which included 16 cases treated within 1 day in hospital. And 3 cases were hospitalized 3 days after the accident. After hospitalization, all patients were immediately treated with direct aspiration and lavage clearance method through bronchoscopy. The inhaled foreign materials were cleared as soon as possible, which reduced the absorption, stimulation and infection of respiratory mucosa. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by endoscopic findings, clinical manifestation, laboratory examination and chest imaging. At the same time, decision was made on the second BAL and the prognosis was estimated., Result: Twenty-one cases had dyspnea of certain degree. The bronchial mucous membrane of all the 21 cases showed hyperemia, edema and exudate attached. Lavage fluid looked like broth and contained much of the inhaled material. After two to five times treatment, 18 cases were cured (86%), but 3 cases died (14%). One of these 3 cases fell into an oil well, 1 into mosquito repellent solution, another into manure pit. The patients who could not survive had severe airway obstruction, which was difficult to clean and made the problem deteriorated progressively. One of the patients was sent to a hospital 3 days after the accident and another case developed fungal infection, pneumothorax and finally respiratory failure., Conclusion: BAL through bronchoscopy is necessary for children who accidentally inhaled liquid and powdery materials. This treatment is safe and effective in diagnosis and treatment of such problems in children. The effect of treatment is influenced by types of inhaled material, the time of lavage clearance through bronchoscopy, and certain complications, such as infection etc.

Objective: To screen the differently expressed proteins related to regulating the depolymerization of microtubules in the spinal cord of hens exposed to tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) and to provide target protein evidence for exploring the mechanisms of the delayed neurotoxicology (OPIDN) induced by organophosphorus compounds (OPs)., Methods: Forty two Roman hens were randomly divided into three groups, i.e. TOCP group treated with 1000 mg/kg TOCP; intervention group treated with 40 mg/kg phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) before 1000 mg/kg TOCP treatment and control group treated with tap water. Four hens in each group were sacrificed on the 5th and 20th days after exposure, respectively. Spinal cords were separated and homogenates at low temperature, and the total proteins were extracted. The OPIDN symptoms observed and recorded in the remaining 6 hens in each group. The differently expressed proteins related to regulating the depolymerization of microtubules were screen by two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy (MS)., Results: The OPIDN symptoms appeared on the 5th day after exposure in TOCP group, which were gradually serious with time. The results by two-dimensional electrophoresis and MS showed that the Stathmin expression was downregulated 3.4 times and 2.8 times in TOCP group, respectively, as compared with the control and PMSF intervention groups. However, there was no significant difference of the Stathmin expression between control group and PMSF intervention group., Conclusion: The Stathmin expression in the spinal cord tissues of hens exposed to TOCP significantly downregulated. Moreover, the downregulated Stathmin expression may be related to excess polymerization of microtubules and the mechanism of OPIDN.

In a pot experiment, hyperaccumulator Sedum plumbizincicola and low-cadmium accumulating Oryza sativa cultivar "Zhongxiang No. 1" were planted in rotation on a heavy metals-polluted soil, and calcium magnesium phosphate (Ca-P) and rock phosphate (P-R) were amended, aimed to study the effects of the rotation and phosphate amendment on the growth of the two plants and the zinc- and cadmium accumulation in their shoots. After the amendment of 50 g P-R x kg(-1), the Zn and Cd uptake by S. plumbizincicola was 11.5 mg x pot(-1) and 0 x 79 mg x pot(-1), respectively, being significantly higher than that after the amendment of 4 g Ca-P x kg(-1). After the planting of S. plumbizincicola, the Zn and Cd concentrations in "Zhongxiang No. 1" increased, but the amendment of Ca-P decreased the accumulation of Zn and Cd in rice shoot significantly. The rotation with S. plumbizincicola and the amendment of Ca-P and P-R could immobilize the Zn and Cd in the contaminated soil as indicated by the quantitative change of NH4OAc-extractable Cd and Zn, and the efficiency of amendment with Ca-P was better than that of amendment with P-R. Field trial showed that amendment with Ca-P could not only increase the rice yield, but also reduce the Zn and Cd accumulation in rice shoot to a certain extent.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of cord blood dendritic cells (DCs) on the in vitro proliferation capability, immunophenotype changes, level of secreted cytokines and activity against leukemia cells of the homologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells. DCs and CIK cells were induced from cord blood mononuclear cells. They were co-cultured at the ratio of 1:5, and CIK cells from cord blood or DC-CIK cells from peripheral blood were cultured as controls. Immunophenotypic changes were analyzed by flow cytometry, increased number of cells were counted by trypan-blue staining, the killing activity to leukemia cells was assayed by MTT, the levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in the cultured supernatant were detected by ELISA. The results showed that the proliferation capability of cord blood DC-CIK cells was significantly higher than that of cord blood CIK cells and peripheral blood DC-CIK cells (p < 0.05 and p < 0.05). Under the same condition, the rate of double positive cells with CD3(+)CD8(+) and CD3(+)CD56(+) in CIK cells was significantly enhanced by co-culture with cord blood DCs (p < 0.05). The level of IL-12, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in cultured supernatants of cord blood DC-CIK cells increased noticeably on day 3 as compared with CIK cells cultured alone (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.05). Within the effector-target ratio range between 2.5:1 to 20:1, the activity of cord blood DC-CIK cells against all subtypes of acute leukemia cells was much higher than that of CIK cells (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference among all subtypes of acute leukemia cells, which was the same with the killing effect of peripheral blood DC-CIK cells against leukemia cells. It is concluded that the proliferation capability and anti-leukemia effect of the homologous CIK cells can be enhanced by cord blood DCs. The proliferation capability of cord blood DC-CIK cells is stronger than that of peripheral blood DC-CIK cells, but there is no significant differences of cytotoxicity between DCs and CIK cells. As the cord blood is easily gained and does not easily cause a serious graft rejection, the DC-CIK cells should be clinically applied more extensively as novel immune therapy.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of balloon dilatation through flexible bronchoscopy in the management of inflammatory stenosis of grade 4-5 bronchus., Method: Thirty patients with inflammatory bronchial stenosis caused by mycoplasmal pneumonia complicated with pulmonary atelectasis were treated with balloon dilatation through fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Before the procedure and after the last operation, therapeutic effect on pulmonary atelectasis were evaluated with CT and all of the patients were followed-up for 1 - 6 months., Result: One to three operations were required to achieve satisfactory dilatation. After balloon dilatation, the average airway diameter increased obviously and the farther airways were opened after the therapy with irrigation. In 25 of 30 cases satisfactory immediate effects were obtained, a narrow airway diameter above expansion significantly increased as compared with preoperative diameter. In 5 children treated with balloon dilatation, the stenosis could not be improved significantly. In 3 patients with hyperplasia of granulation tissue, cryotherapy had to be applied. The operations were ineffective in the other two patients whose course of disease exceeded 3 months. After follow-up periods of 1 - 6 months, chest CT manifestation of expanded sites was improved in 28 patients and atelectasis disappeared. No severe complication was found in any patients., Conclusion: Bronchoplasty by balloon dilatation through flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a simple, effective and safe method to treat childhood tracheobronchial stenosis after pulmonary infections.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of dendritic cells (DC) on the proliferation capability, immunophenotype changes, level of secreted cytokines and activity against leukemia of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells in vitro. DCs and CIK cells were induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers. They were co-cultured meanwhile CIK cells were cultured alone as controls. Increased number of cells were counted by trypan-blue staining; the killing activity was detected by MTT assay; immunophenotype changes were analyzed by flow cytometry; the IL-12 and INF-gamma levels of the cultured supernatants were detected by ELISA kits. The results showed that the proliferation capability of DC-CIK cells was significantly higher than that of CIK cells (p < 0.05). Under the same condition, the ratio of double positive cells such as CD3(+) CD8(+), CD3(+) CD56(+) in CIK cells was significantly enhanced by co-cultured with DC cells (p < 0.05). The levels of IL-12 and INF-gamma in cultured supernatants of DC-CIK cells increased noticeably on day 3 as compared with CIK cells cultured alone (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). Within the effector-target ratio range between 5:1 to 40:1, the activity of DC-CIK cells against leukemia cells were much higher than that of CIK cells (p < 0.05), and this effect showed a positive correlation with the effector-target ratio. It is concluded that the proliferation capability of DC-CIK cells, the level of their secreted cytokines and their activity against leukemia cells are significantly higher than those of CIK cells. This research may suggest an approach for clinical immunotherapy against leukemia with DC-CIK cells.

Based on the data from four cruises that carried out in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent areas from 2002-04 to 2003-02, the seasonal variation and spatial distribution of nutrients were analyzed, and the relationship between nutrients condition and the harmful algal blooms (HABs) was also discussed. Results showed that the annual average concentration of nutrient was (17.93 +/- 2.46) micromol x L(-1) for DIN, (0.59 +/- 0.11) micromol x L(-1) for PO4(3-) -P, (15.34 +/- 3.23) micromol x L(-1) for SiO3(2-) -Si, and the study area was in the state of eutrophication. The average concentration of nutrient showed a remarkable seasonal fluctuation with the higher value in autumn and winter and lower value in spring and summer. The spatial distribution of the nutrients was typically such that the concentrations of DIN, PO4(3-) -P and SiO3(2-) -Si decreased from inshore to offshore area, and the contours generally decreased rapidly in down-coast directions. DIN and SiO3(2-) -Si of the study area were largely contributed by Changjiang River diluted water and other terrigenous inputs, while PO4(3-) -P mainly by Changjiang River diluted water and the Taiwan Warm Current. The following HABs showed that its occurrences were usually laid in the areas with higher nutrients and lower total suspended particles (TSP).

Thermophilic composting of pig manure was studied in an attempt to elaborate upon organic matter transformation during the process and provided parameters for product maturity using chemical method. The following parameters were measured in 11 samples during the 42 days of composting: organic matter, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), degradable organic matter and humic matter (HM). Organic matter decreased during composting process constantly; DOC concentration increased to maximum at 10 days and declined thereafter; degradable organic matter decreased whole composting, but they increased in start of high-temperature stage; The increasing level of HM at various stages of composting indicate the progression of humification; H/F provide information correlating to conventional chemical parameters (organic matter, DOC) of compost maturity. Moreover, H/F has correlating to degradable organic matter and HM.

The growth-inhibiting effects of Gemini1231 surfactant on Prorocentrum donghaiense, Alexandrium tamarense, Gymnodinium sp., Heterosigma akashiwo, Skeletonema costatum , Platymonas helgolanidica and Platymonas subcordiforus were investigated. The results demonstrate that the growth of P. donghaiense, A. tamarense and H. akashiwo was strongly inhibited in medium containing Gemini1231 from 0.2 to 0.5 mg x L(-1), and the S. costatum was also inhibited at concentrations above 0.5 mg x L(-1). However, the effects of this surfactant on the growth of Gymnodinium sp. and two beneficial green microalgae tested were negligible under the same treatment, indicating the potential for the selective control of red tide organisms. In addition, the analysis of the correlation between the inhibitory effect of the Gemini1231 on the algae tested and fatty acid composition of the algae implied that the differences in the fatty acid composition, especially the proportion of PUFAs, were responsible for the species-specific responses to biquaternary ammonium salt.

A "cW (pollutant concentration in water) Balance Method" was proposed, and the kinetic parameters for bioconcentration of No. 0 diesel water-accommodated fraction by phytoplankton was measured and calculated by a modified bioconcentration model with non-linear fitting software. The data and parameters obtained by "cW Balance Method" showed well correlationship with those by the extraction of ultrasonication bath with the equilibrium method. The technique proposed in the present study is particularly well suited for the study on the bioconcentration of organic pollution toxins in the field for its convenience, simplicity, veracity and reliability.